^^i'^"- ti ' ■■■at. "^W^* 5W- AV,, Ai ^^'^ LIBRARY OF TIIR University of California. GIFT OF- Mrs. SARAH P. WALSWORTH. Received October, i8g4. ^Accessions No.oTO ^^- Class No. I t 13/ ^i<^ . /V T. ^^^^=1 h^U . THE JVEW TESTAMENT, ARRANGED IN HISTORICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER; WITH COPIOUS NOTES ON THE PRINCIPAL SUBJECTS IN THEOLOGY; THE GOSPELS ON THE BASIS OF THE HARMONIES OF LIGflTFOOT, DODDRIDGE, PILKINGTON, NEWCOMB, MICHAELIS; THE ACCOUNT OF THE RESURRECTION ON THE AUTHORITIES OF WEST, TOWNSON, AND CRANFIELD ; THE EPISTLES ARE INSERTED IN THEIR PLACES, AND DIVIDED ACCORDING TO THE APOSTLES' ARGUMENTS BY THE REV. GEORGE TOWNSEND, M. A PREBENDARV OF DURHAM, AND VICAR OF NORTHALLERTON. THE WHOLE REVISED, DIVIDED INTO PARAGRAPHS, PUNCTUATED ACCORDING TO THE BEST CRITICAL TEXTS, THE ITALIC WORDS REEXAMINED, PASSAGES AND WORDS OF DOUBTFUL AUTHORITY MARKED, A CHOICE AND COPIOUS SELECTION OF PARALLEL PASSAGES GIVEN, &c. BY THE REV. T. W. COIT, D.D. PRESIDENT OF TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY. .^> BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY PERKINS AND MARVIN. PHILADELPHIA: HENRY PERKINS. 1837. _t5 i. 2 X ^ Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1837, by Perkins and Marvin, In tlie Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 5-1 b^f^ STEREOTYPED AT THE BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY. Perkins Sf Marvin.. ..Printers. INTRODUCTION. To discover truth is the best happiness of an individual ; and to communicate it is the greatest blessing he can bestow upon society. Moral and religious truth can only be obtained from the right interpretation of Scripture : and the most effectual means of eliciting that right interpretation must be, to ascertain its pri- mary or historical meaning. The Books of Revelation were given to the world at various times, and upon different occasions. Each book was written for some one especial cause. The all-wise providence of God has not imparted his will, as hu- man legislators are compelled to do, in abstract precepts, arbitrary institutions, or metaphysical distinctions. His Revelation is so constructed, that it is interwoven with the history of the world. It is a collection of facts and inferences — of nar- ratives and doctrines. To understand the latter, we must acquaint ourselves with the former : and then only shall we perceive that it is equally adapted to all ages and nations, so long as human nature remains the same ; and so long as hope and fear, and joy and sorrow, and evil and good, and sin and holiness, characterize mankind. The most general cause of religious error is the neglect of this mode of viewing Scripture. The Old and New Testaments, not only in the present day, but in former ages, have been for the most part considered as large reservoirs of texts, or as well-stored magazines of miscellaneous theological aphorisms ; from which every speculative theorist, and every inventor of an hypothesis, may discover some plausible arguments to defend his peculiar opinion. No matter how absurd his reasoning ; no matter how inconsistent his notions may be with the analogy of faith, with the testimony of antiquity, or with the context from which a passage is for- cibly torn away. His own interpretation shall be to him as the Spirit of God. The light is kindled from within ; and though its beams are not borrowed from learning, nor sense, nor sobriety, fancy shall supply the place of an acquaintance with the original tongue, and of the decisions of the commentator, till the Scrip- ture speaks the language of Babel to its Babylonish consulters. Seeing the absurdity and unreasonableness of this perversion of Scripture, the Romanist has proceeded to an opposite extreme. He rejects the oracles of God as his only religious guide, and unites with them the traditions of men to render them useless. He substitutes the priest for the Deity — the leaves of the sibyl, for the pages of truth — the decisions of the ages of darkness, for the well-considered interpretations of the studious and the learned. Avoiding one class of errors, he thus becomes the advocate of others, more dangerous, and more indefensible. By VOL. II. 1 A 2 INTRODUCTION. closing the Scriptures to the people, the very possibility of discovering truth is done away. Error, invention, and imposture have at length been combined into one unscriptural system, where religion and liberty are alike sacrificed at the shrine of a predicted apostacy from the spirit and power of Cliristianity. That superstition must indeed be a curse to mankind, which is so bitterly and so sternly condemned in the Scriptures of the dispensation of mercy and love ; and which is represented also as falling into ruin, amidst the curses or the joy of the nations. Though the evils which have been brought upon the world by the frequent misinterpretation of the Scriptures, where they are, as they ought to be, freely perused, be infinitely less than those which have been occasioned by prohibiting their use ; their value, as our infallible guides, will become more evident, if we prevent, in any instance, the misapprehension of their sacred contents. This task is the more especial duty of the Clergy, as their authorized interpreters. Every attempt, therefore, whether of a partial or of a general nature, to illustrate the In- spired Volume, and to enable the people to avoid the two extremes to which 1 have alluded, ought to be considered as submitted to the approbation of the Chris- tian ministry. Their sanction must decide whether the labors of the theological student are worthy of the favorable reception of their people. Nothing, indeed, which is stamped with the general disapproval of the Protestant Clergy can deserve the public favor. They are too numerous to be bribed ; too learned to decide er- roneously ; too wisely liberal to be partial or unjust. Having no false creed to support, no unworthy objects to conceal, no inferior ends to serve, they approve or condemn, from their abundance of knowledge, and the soundest principles of reasoning. Their decisions are neither arbitrary, nor capricious. The public, whom they influence, may not always receive its first bias from their opinions ; but its ultimate acquiescence is uniformly founded upon a conviction, that the reasonings which convince their teachers are satisfactory in their principles and conclusions. The Romanist priesthood may command the submission of its flocks to the arbi- trary decrees of the councils of an infallible Church — the Protestant priesthood must persuade by argument and learning, or it possesses neither influence nor authority. Within the last few years the Sacred Volume, under the blessing of Divine Providence, has not only been circulated in a great number of languages, among the most remote nations ; but it has also been distributed to an indefinite extent in our native country. The spirit of attachment to the Inspired Records has even sometimes represented the Sacred Scriptures as the only means of grace. While the Bible alone is justly called the religion of Protestants, it has not been suffici- ently considered, that the instructions of a Christian priesthood are no less the means of grace to the Churches of God. The Bible is the map which directs, the Christian Minister must explain its directions : and wherever the Bible is read, a better interpreter of its infinite variety of blessings is generally required than the devotion, the zeal, the fancy, or the good intentions, of the reader. Much of its invaluable contents may be understood without any other guide than than the desire of the reader to become holy in the presence of God : but as the perversion of the Scriptures is the source of all error, and therefore of mucli crime, the in- terpreter is required to prevent that perversion. All sects, all parties, all Churches are united in asserting this truth. From the Cliurch which acknowledges an in- fallible head upon earth, to the Society which sits in silent homage to the Deity, waiting the descent of a divine influence from above upon its male or female in- structors — all confess the necessity of some guide to truth and heaven, besides the INTRODUCTION. 3 • perusal of tlie uncommented text of Scripture. To the teachers, therefore, as well as the disciples of Christianity, I am anxious to submit the attempt to fix the primary meaning of every passage in the Bible, as the best foundation of correct teaching — as the surest preventive of error — the guide to all secondary interpre- tations — and the solid basis of that undoubted truth which is contained in the Scriptures alone. As the contents of the Old Testament are miscellaneously arranged, and the re- spective author of each book was left to his own language and his own judgment in the disposition of his writings ; we migiit naturally have expected that the same plan would be adopted also by the writers of the New Testament. The Spirit of God, which so influenced their minds for the common benefit of man- kind, that they should relate only truth to the world, did not instruct them in the rounding of periods, or the studied arts of composition : neither were they directed to observe one order of the several events, which each has related in his inspired narrative. One consequence of the apparent contradictions which have originated in this source has been highly beneficial to the Christian Church — ^greater atten- tion to the Sacred Volume has been induced ; and every difficulty which has been proposed by such objectors as Evanson, Priestley, Middleton, and others, to the consistency and veracity of the Evangelists, has been amply refuted. There are no real contradictions in Scripture. The scope and design of each writer require only to be known, and then the causes of their apparent discrepancies, of the va- riety of their phrases, of their omissions, their additions, and selections of particu- lar events, will be fully understood and appreciated ; and the value of the Inspired Books will be made to appear yet more and more inestimable. Another conse- quence, however, has been more painful. Christianity is the enemy of vice, in all its forms, all its plausibilities, all its self-deception, apologies, and motives. The least allowed indulgence of evil is incompatible with the demands of this pure and holy religion. Anxious to reconcile a life of negligence of God with adher- ence to Christianity, the careless, the . irreligious, the presumptuous, the self-opin- ionated, or the indifferent, look for objections to the truth of Scripture ; and reject the Law to which they refuse obedience. Some of the objections proposed by the enemies of Christianity have been drawn from the apparent difficulties sug- gested by the various order of their narratives, adopted by the writers of the New Testament : and the evident advantage of removing these objections, and recon- ciling the accounts of the Evangelists, has induced many learned or inquiring men, in the earlier as well as in the later ages of Christianity, to compile and sub- mit to the world various Harmonies, which have been formed on different plans, or hypotheses. An eminent critic" has divided these into two classes : "■ Harmonies, of which the authors have taken it for granted that all the Evangelists have writ- ten in chronological order ; and Harmonies, of which the authors have admitted that in one or more of the four Gospels chronological order has been more or less neglected." To these might have been added a third, in which the Harmonizers have supposed that the chronology has been neglected by all the four Evangelists. The Harmonists who have adopted some one of these plans are very numerous. I refer the reader to the catalogues of Walchius*, Michaelis', Pilkington'', Home", " Marsh's Michaelis, vol. iii. part ii. p. 44, * Bibliotheca Theolog. vol. iv. p. 863-900. Jena, 1765. " Marsh's Michaelis, vol. iii. part i. p. 31-36, and part ii. p. 29-49. '' Pilkington's Evangelical Harmony, Preface, p. 18-20. * Home's Critical Introduction, vol. ii. p. 503. 4 INTRODUCTION. Chemnitius^, and Cave^, for a more ample account than it may be thought advis- able to give in this Introduction. They ought not, however, to be passed by with- out some notice. The Canon of the New Testament was closed by the Author of the Apocalypse. After his death, the Christian Churches admitted no addition to the Inspired Vol- ume. Each book, as it had been successively given to the Churches, was care- fully verified, and cautiously received. They were at first addressed to some one particular class of men, or were composed for one express purpose ; and, before their general utility was acknowledged, they were received by the persons to whom they were addressed, in the sense for which they were composed by their respective authors. Thus the Gospel of St. Matthew, as Dr. Townson and others have satisfactorily shown, was compiled at a very early period after the ascension of our Lord, for the use of the Jewish converts. The Gospel of St. Mark was probably composed for the use of the converted Proselytes of the Gate ; and St. Luke's Gospel was written for the more general use of the Gentile converts, who were united into churches by St. Paul. The Gospel of St. John was written at the request of the Church at Ephesus, as a supplement to the rest ; with more especial reference to those heresies of his age, which impugned the doctrine of the Divinity of Christ. Many years, we may justly conclude, would have elapsed before these Gospels were collected into one volume ; and many more would elapse before the attention of the primitive Churches, which received them with so much veneration, would be directed to their apparent discrepancies. For this veneration was not slightly founded ; it originated from the universal knowledge which prevailed among all the Churches, that the authors of these books, and of the other books which they esteemed sacred, were possessed of the power of work- ing miracles, to demonstrate the truth of their narration. The general evidence deducible from the testimony of the eyewitnesses of the wonderful actions of our Lord, and from the testimony of the hearers of his gracious teaching, was not sufficient. The relators of his actions could appeal to their own supernatural gifts, and afford undeniable proofs of their veracity, and of their more than hu- man knowledge. St. Matthew, as one of the twelve, partook of the miraculous powers which were given to each. St. Peter may be considered as the real au- thor of St. Mark's Gospel ; and St. Paul, of the Gospel attributed to St. Luke. St. John also was of the twelve. Invested with the apostolic office, and act- ing with the plenary powers with which their Divine Master had honored them, we may justly conclude that none of their early converts, either of the Jews, the Proselytes, or the Gentiles, would have considered the seeming difficulties of their narratives. The objects for which both the Gospels and the Epistles were writ- ten would have been well understood, and further explanation was unnecessary : and no Harmony of the Gospels would have been either desired or appreciated in the apostolic age. When the miraculous powers of the apostles, however, had ceased with their lives, and the generation which had witnessed these miracles had passed away, it might naturally have been expected that some attention would be paid to this subject, and some efforts made to reconcile the apparent varieties in the accounts of the Evangelists. About eighty years after the death of St. John and the clos- ing of the Canon of the New Testament, Tatian, a Syrian by descent, a Mesopota- mian by birth, a sophist by profession, before his conversion to Christianity, and / Chemnitii Prolegomena. ^ Cave's Histona lAteraria, articles Tatianus, Ammonius, &c. INTRODUCTION. becoming a pupil of Justin Martyr, compiled the first Harmony of the Gospels. The fragments which remain, and have been attributed to Tatian, are now gen- erally imputed to Ammonius. Clemens'' quotes Tatian as the first harmonizcr- He divided his Harmony into eighty-one chapters ; omitted the genealogies which prove Christ to be descended from David (the heresy of that age being to exalt, rather than to depress, the dignity of our Lord), and reduced all the Passovers to one, on the supposition that our Saviour's ministry lasted only one year. Epi- phanius tells us', that where Eusebius accuses the Ebionites of using only the Gospel according to the Hebrews, he means that they used the Harmony of Ta- tian. Theodoret tells us, that he found two hundred copies of Tatian's Harmony, which were highly j)rized : but because the genealogies and descent of Christ from David were omitted, he gave the four Gospels in their place. An additional evidence, that the translations of Victor of Capua, and of Lascinius are spurious*, may be derived from the fact, that they retain the genealogy which Tatian is said to have rejected. Pilkington gives a specimen, in his notes, of the confused order of the Harmony of Tatian, who does not, indeed, appear to have been a man of much judgment. The account which Cave has given of his philosophical opinions sufficiently con- vinces us, that no dependence can be placed on his decision. I add the extract, as even Pilkington's work is rare'. Tatian in general kept close to the order of St. Matthew, in which he has been followed by the greater number of those har- monizers who prefer being guided by the authority of one Evangelist, rather than equally to transpose the four. He sometimes, however, recedes from it without any apparent necessity or reason. " Several things," says Pilkington, " which ought evidently to be connected, are disjoined ; others are improperly united. The order of all the Gospels is arbitrarily transposed, and the times and seasons cannot be distinguished"." Ammonius, a Platonic philosopher of Alexandria, published a work, in the third century, which bears a more proper title than the former ; being only called Evangeliorum Nar ratio. He so exactly follows the method of Tatian, Aat there '' Clemens Stromat. lib, i. ap. Chemnitii Prolegomena. ' Ap. Cliemn. Euseb. lib. iii. cap. 24. * See Pilkington's Preface. ' Tatian's Harmony, collected from Bibliotheca Patrum, tom. vii. p. 41. Paris, 1589. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Matthew iv. 17, 18. iv. 18-23. ix. 9, 10. iv. 12-17. iv. 23. viii. 1. ix. 36. xi. 2. viii. 1-5. viii. 5-14. viii. 14-16. viii. 16-19. viii. 19-21. viii. 24. ix. 2. ix. 2-9. Mark i. 14-16. i. 16-21. ii. 14, 15. iii. 13-19. i. 40. i. 29-32. Luke. V. 1-12. V. 27-29. vi. 12. x. 2-13. v. 12-17. vii. 1-11. iv. 38-40. vii. 11-18. iv. 40-42. ix. 57. viii. 22-38. V. 17-27. 1. 32-35. i. 32. iv. 35. V. 18. ii. 1-1.3. Pilkington's Notes, p. 30. Jerome mentions Theophilus, bishop of Antioch, as the first harmonist. The Treatise on the Gospels, ascribed to him, allegorizes, instead of harmonizes, the Sacred Volume. Preface, p. x John iii. 22. iv. 1-4. n. 1-12. Evang. History, § 64. m, 73, 74. 79. 48, 49. 50, 64. 88-116. 162-165, 224. 41. 75. 116. 69. 117. 70. 152, 223. 153-156. I 76, 77. INTRODUCTION. is little doubt he has made an abridgment only of that work. About the year 330, Juvencus, a Spaniard, wrote the Evangelical History in heroic verse. " He recedes," says Pilkington, " very little from the method observed by Tatian ; only he keeps more closely to the present order of St. Matthew's Gospel, which he seems to have made his guide. In this he is followed by St. Augustine, who about the year 400, wrote his treatise De Concordia Evafigelisiarum." Comestor, a Frenchman, about 1 180, wrote his Historia Evangelica, which, in method, differs very little from that of Tatian and Ammonius. Guido de Perpiniano published his Concordia Evangelica about 1330. He, in a great measure, follows St. Augustine, adhering to the present order of St. Mat- thew's Gospel : and he was of opinion, that, wherever any relation of facts or doctrines appears similar, in any of the Gospels, those passages ought to be con- nected, as being accounts of the same fact or discourse, though given in a different manner. For example : several doctrines were delivered by our Saviour, at dif- ferent times, and on different occasions, correspondent to those contained in the Sermon on the Mount ; wherever he met with any doctrines similar to these, in any part of St. Mark's or St. Luke's Gospel, he thus transposed them so as to connect them with St. Matthew. c =5 O a o a o S <V XII 8t. Matthew V. 1. to viii. 1, St. Mark ix. 48 iv. 21, 22. xi. 25-27. iv. 23-25. St. Luke vi. 17-25. xiv. 34 viii. 16, 17. xvi. 17, 18. xii. 58 vi. 27-36. xi. 1—5. xii. 32-35. xi. 34-37. xvi. 1—16. xii. 13-32. vi. 36-43. xi. 5-14. vi. 43-46. vi. 25-27. vi. 46 It must appear absurd to every reader, to suppose St, Mark's and St. Luke's Gospels to be such confused rhapsodies as they are here represented. The same method was likewise continued by Ludolphus, a German, who wrote his Vita Christi about the same time with Guido ; and John Gerson, who published his Monotessaron about the year 1420. About the year 1537, Osiander, a Protestant minister of Germany, published his Annotationes in Evangelicam Harmoniam. He makes no alteration of the present order of any of the Gospels ; but wherever similar facts or doctrines are placed variously, he imagines they ought to be distinctly considered. But, if the arbitrary method of transposing all the Gospels led the first Harmonists to connect passages which they ought not, the method which Osiander determined to pursue obliged him to suppose some passages to be accounts of different facts ; which, upon any impartial examination into the several circumstances related, must ap- pear to be the same : that is, two sermons are supposed to have been preached INTRODUCTION. 7 upon the Mount ; one related by St. Matthew and the other by St. Luke. Two centurions' servants are supposed to have been healed — two women are supposed to have been healed of an issue of blood — two damsels to have been raised from the dead — and two tempests to have been stilled upon the sea. The Harmony of Corn. Jansenius, bishop of Ghent, was published about 1550. He follows the confused method of the first Harmonists : and Calvin, whose Harmonia ex tribus Evangelistis appeared in 1555, hath very nearly followed the steps of Perpinian. He omits St. John's Gospel in his Harmony, as having very little connexion with the others ; though this Gospel is one of the principal guides to a Harmonist, as it mentions the several Passovers, and distinguishes the times by notations omitted by the other Evangelists. In opposition to Calvin, Carolus Molinaeus, a celebrated French lawyer, pub- lished an Evangeliorum Unio, in 1565. He appears to have taken but little pains in this cause : for he so nearly copies after Osiander, that he evidently seems rather to defend his opinion than to advance a new one. There was a Harmony published with the Rhemish Testament, in 1582, in the confused method of the first Harmonists : which was also followed by Beaux- Ami, whose Harmony and Annotations were first printed in 1583. Gerard Mercator, the great geographer, published a Harmony in 1590, wherein he keeps steadily to the present order of St. Matthew, transposing the others ; but with more caution than Perpinian. The Harmony of Martin Chemnitius, who died in 1586, was revised by Lyser, and afterwards by John Gerhard, who entirely approved of his plan. Chemnitius too much followed the method of the first Harmonists : though he saw and re- formed several of their errors, and sometimes recedes from the present order of all the first three Gospels. Perkins published at Cambridge, in 1597, an abstract from Chemnitius, who, indeed, was chiefly followed by all Harmonists, with very little variation, for half a century. " Among these," says Pilkington, " I must particularly mention Sebastian Barradius, who was called, for his great zeal, knowledge, and industry, the Apostle of Portugal. Though Barradius followed nearly the same method with Chemnitius, he cannot well be supposed to have copied after him, as he appears to have been engaged in this work before that was published ; and he deserves our thanks, for collecting the various opinions of all the ancient Fathers, upon every particular mentioned in the Gospels, with great care and fidelity, which renders his work a valuable commentary." Thomas Cartwright, who published his Harmony about 1630, makes the pres- ent order of St. Mark his rule for method, but takes great liberties in the trans- position of St. Matthew and St. Luke. In 1654 was published the second part of the Annals of Archbishop Usher, in which is comprised a Harmony of the Gospels, by Dr. John Richardson, bishop of Ardagh. The Bishop supposes that St. Matthew hath alone neglected the order of time, which is regularly and constantly observed by the other three Evangelists. St. John, indeed, takes so little notice of what is mentioned by the others, and so plainly appears to have followed the proper series of history, that the freest pens have rarely taken occasion to transpose his order : Tatian, Comestor, Ludolphus, and Mann, place chap. vi. before chap. v. The value of Dr. Richardson's work has been acknowledged by Le Clerc, 1701, Whiston, 1702, Bedford, 1730, <tc. and the foreigners, Du Pin and Butini ; who, though they differ from Bishop Richardson, and among themselves in many particulars, yet all agree to follow the general method here mentioned. 8 INTRODUCTION. Dr. Lightfoot published part of his Harmony in 1644, and the whole in 1654. He adheres to the present order of St. Mark and St. Luke, which he never trans- poses except in this instance : — ^ect. St. Mattheiv St. Mark St. Luke 39 viii. 23. ix. 2. iv. 36. V. 22. viii. 22 41 40 ix. 10-18. ii. 15-23. V. 29. 41 ix. 18-27. V. 22. viii. 41. The Harmonia Evangelica of Monsieur Toinard, published in 1707, has deserv- edly met with very general approbation ; for he not only pursued the true method in general, but he was possessed of great learning and judgment ; and he applied himself, with great care and diligence, to settle the several circumstances men- tioned by the difierent Evangelists. In this laborious work every sentence, and even every word, is harmonized. When I remembered that the valuable Diatessaron of Professor White, and the Harmonies of Newcome, Doddridge, Pilkington, Michaelis, and others, must be added to this list, I confess I contemplated the proposed completion of the Ar- rangement of the Scriptures with some dismay. To peruse all these works, even if they could be procured, was impossible — to reject them all would be an act of absurd presumption. The most patient labor can add but little to the good which has been already effected, and the researches of our predecessors must be the only solid foundation of every attempt to be useful. The four Gospels having been written, as I have represented, for the use of some particular class of persons, and on various occasions in which they were in- terested, may be considered as letters. Each was penned on the plan of an Epistle, containing a narrative. In letter-writing, digressions, interruptions, sud- den desertions and resumptions of the subject, frequently occur. If I had re- ceived four letters from a distant country, each of which contained an account of the life and death of a kind friend — each informing me of some event, or circum- stance, which the other had omitted — each preserving the same principal circum- stances, but varying in the order of the minuter events — I should endeavour to ascertain the probable order of the events related, by first selecting those which were common to all ; and then by arranging, as probably consecutive, those which were made to follow each other, in any two of the letters. For the right placing of the events which might appear unconnected, certain rules must be laid down, as they would be suggested by the plan of the writer, the nature of his style, the notation of time and place, and the latitude to be assigned to the vari- ous particles which denote nearness, or remoteness, or connexion. It would be necessary to observe, whether my correspondents were more intent on represent- ing the substance of what is spoken, than the words of the speaker ; or whether they neglected accurate order in the detail of particular incidents, though they pursued a good general method ; whether detached and distant events are some- times joined together on account of a sameness in the scene, the person, the cause, or the consequences — whether, in such concise histories as are contained in letters, transitions were not often made from one fact to another, without any intimation that important matters intervened. By thus entering into the manner of my various correspondents, I should more eflfectually make them their own harmonists. The same rules, which might be thus applied to human compositions, are ap- INTRODUCTION. 9 plicable to the Gospels ; the superior veneration, which is due to the latter as in- spired compositions, rendering greater care and attention necessary, than if they had been writings of less moment. Chemnitius has laid down several rules in his Prolegomena, which had evidently been attended to by Pilkington, Newcome, and Doddridge. Though Chemnitius had rendered his work comparatively use- less to me as a guide, on account of his generally preferring the order of St. IVIat- thew ; his rules are so valuable, that I shall add some further notice of them, to enable the reader to judge more correctly of the propriety of the order which I have adopted in the following work. It might have been supposed, that St. Luke was the proper guide to be fol- lowed, on account of the expression he has used in his preface. This has been considered in its place. Chemnitius' remark is just — " xuOe^rig non prcecise exac- tum ordinem in omnibus ; sed quod altius ordiri, ct historiam ah initio repetere, ac deinceps continun narratione distincte, et distribute, quasi per gradus, reliqua velit adder e^ Rejecting the notion of Osiander (and with him of Macknight, and all other harmonists who have followed the same plan), that each Evangelist wrote in their exact order the circumstances they have related, Chemnitius proceeds, as if the Gospels had been written on the plan of letters, to notice those facts which must be the resting places of the harmonizers. We are to ascertain the number of Passovers — the greater events between each — the principal journeyings of our Lord, and how he was at certain towns or places at certain times. His birth, baptism, death, resurrection, and ascension, must of course begin and end every Harmony. The Evangelists, we may presume, generally relate things in their order ; un- less they are reminded of other events, which appear to be suggested by the men- tion of a name, or an event. Thus St. Matthew unites the calling and mission of the twelve, though the latter was long after the former. St. Luke inserts the story of the death of the Baptist long before it took place ; being reminded of it by the event he had related. Mark unites also the captivity and death of John. Newcome has given many additional instances to those collected by Chem- nitius, to show that many general notices of time do not always imply an imme- diate succession of events ; such as " at that time " — " in those days " — TiBQiTxawv dt — Idihv (5fc — iyivsTo Si — xal ildm — " on One of those days," as they were coming into Capernaum, &,c. Those notes of time, however, are to be particularly observed which appear to imply continuance, or are more definite — " When he came down from the moun- tain he went," &c, '-'When he had finished these words" — "In that hour" — " On the third day "— " On the eighth day"." Observe where the omission of events seems to be implied, as in John v. 1.; vi. 1. ; and vii. 1. The expressions /neTuravTa, and idov, y.ulr6Te* are thus used. When all the Evangelists agree in the order of certain events, their united consent ought not to be disturbed. When two Evangelists agree in any particular order, and a third differs, the two are to be preferred to the third ; unless very evident reasons appear to the contrary. When two Evangelists relate the same fact, and place different facts after it, observe the stricter notation of time in one than the other. " See the notes to the passages in which these expressions occur. [* " After these things,"—" behold,"—" and tlien."— Ed.] VOL. II. 2 10 INTRODUCTION. Chemnitius here refers to the instances that, after the heahng of the centurion's servant, St. Matthew relates the heahng of St. Peter's mother-in-law. St. Luke relates the raising of the widow's son, and uses the particle which denotes tlse stricter notation of time ; while St. Matthew only implies that it was about that time. St. Mark adds a note, that this healing of St. Peter's mother-in-law was effected when that apostle was called. When the order of events after a fact is different, inquire whether the altera- tion is by anticipation or recapitulation, and the circumstances in which the his- tory is related. When in the context of some one Evangelist one history follows another, and it is certain that the following is the last, consider whether any event is to be in- serted — for instance ; between the purification and return to Nazareth, insert the slaughter of the infants, and the flight into Egypt. When one Evangehst relates events in certain order, and an event is recorded among them, which is omitted by the other Evangelists when relating the same events, the order of the one may be followed. But if that one event may, by any notes of time, be transposed, the order is not a sufficient argument against its being displaced. Sometimes events, or discourses, are related, which are put together because they are told of the same person ; not because they are consecutive, but that the history of the person may be put together, as the mission of the apostles, the story of the Baptist, &c. When similar events are related we may conclude them to be the same, if the minuter circumstances agree ; such as time, place, occasion, person, object. Supposing the Gospels to have been written in the form of narrative epistles, and the observance of such rules to be necessary, I found that the most valuable basis of a harmony was already prepared for me by Eichhorn, one of the most celebrated, though not always the most approvable, of the German theologians. While I rejected, as a theory unsupported by facts, the hypothesis of Bishop Marsh and of Eichhorn, — that there was one original document from which the first three Evangelists derived their Gospels, — I was glad to avail myself of his collection of the events recorded by the first three Evangelists. These events. Bishop Marsh has justly observed, contain a short but well-connected representa- tion of the principal transactions of Christ, from his birth to his ascension. What- ever events are added by one, which are omitted by another, must evidently find their proper place among these. The chronology is settled by the number of Passovers mentioned by St. John : and I have adopted Mr. Benson's theory of the duration of our Lord's ministry, and that view of the chronology which he has given from St. John's Gospel. Eichhorn's arrangement of these events appeared to be the best foundation of a harmony on another account also. The order of St. Matthew's Gospel alone is altered : the order both of St. Mark and of St. Luke is preserved, and from this I have not departed in any instance. I annex the plan of Eichhorn, that the reader may compare its unbroken continuousness with the order proposed by any harmonist which he may have in his possession. 1. John the Baptist, Mark i. 2-8. Luke iii. 1-18. Matt. iii. 1-12. 2. Baptism of Christ, Mark i. 9-11. Luke iii. 21, 22. Matt. iii. 13-17. 3. Temptation of Christ, Mark i. 12, 13. Luke iv. 1-13. Matt. iv. 1-11. 4. Christ's return to Galilee, and arrival at Capernaum, Mark i. 14. I^uke iv. 14. Matt. iv. 12, 13. 5. Cure of Peter's mother-in-law, Mark i. 29-34. Luke iv. 38-41. Matt, viii. 14-17. INTRODUCTION. H 6. Cure of a leper, Mark i. 40-45. Luke v. 12-16. Matt. vii. 2-4. 7. Cure of a person afflicted with the palsy, Mark ii. 1-12. Luke v. 17-26. Matt. ix. 1-8. 8. Call of St. Matthew, Mark ii. 13-22. Luke v. 27-39. Matt. ix. 9-17. 9. Christ goes with his disciples through the corn fields, Mark ii. 23-28. Luke vi. 1-5. Matt. xii. 1-8. 10. Cure of the withered hand, Mark iii. 1-6. Luke vi. 2-6. Matt. xii. 9-15. 11. Preparation for Sermon on the Mount, Mark iii. 7-19. Luke vi. 12-19. Matt. iv. 23-25. 12. Confutation of the opinion that Christ cast out devils by the assistance of Beelzebub, Mark iii. 20-30. Matt. xii. 22-45. (Perhaps formerly Luke also.) 13. Arrival of the mother and brethren of Christ, Mark iii. 31-35. Luke v. 19-21. Matt. xii. 46-50. 14. Parable of the sower, Mark iv. 1-34. Luke viii. 4-18. 15. Christ crosses the sea, and undergoes a storm, Mark iv. 35-41. Luke viii. 22-25. Matt. viii. 18-27. 16. Transactions in the country of the Gadarenes, Mark v. 1-20. Luke viii. 26-39. Matt. viii. 28-34. 17. The daughter of Jairus restored to life, Mark v. 21-43. Luke viii. 40-56. Matt. ix. 18-26. 18. Christ sends out the twelve Apostles, Mark vi. 7-13. Luke ix. 1-6. Matt. X. 1-42. 19. The fame of Christ reaches the court of Herod, Matt. xiv. 1-12. Mark vi. 14-49. Luke ix. 7-9. 20. Five thousand men fed. Matt. xiv. 13-21. Mark vi. 30-44. Luke ix. 10-17. 21. Acknowledgment of the Apostles that Christ is the Messiah, Matt. xvi. 13— 28. Mark viii. 27. and ix. 1. Luke ix. 18-27. 22. Transfiguration of Christ on the Mount, Matt. xvii. 1-10. Mark ix. 2-9. Luke ix. 28-36. 23. Christ cures a demoniac, whom his Apostles were unable to cure, Matt, xvii. 14-21. Mark ix. 14-29. Luke ix. 37-43. 24. Christ foretells his death, Matt. xvii. 22, 23. Mark ix. 20-32. Luke ix. 43-45. 25. Dispute among the Apostles about precedence, Matt, xviii. 1-5. Mark ix. 23-37. Luke ix. 45-48. 26. Christ blesses children who are brought to him, and answers the question, By what means salvation is to be obtained ? Matt. xix. 13-30. Mark x. 13-31. 27. Christ again foretells his death, Matt. xx. 17-19. Mark x. 32-34. Luke xviii. 31-34. 28. Blind man at Jericho restored to sight. Matt. xx. 29-34. Mark x. 46-52. Luke xviii. 35-43. 29. Christ's pubhc entry into Jerusalem, Matt. xxi. 1-11. Mark xi. 1-10. Luke xix. 29-44. 30. Christ expels the buyers and sellers from the temple, Matt. xxi. 12—14. Mark xi. 15-17. Luke xix. 45, 46. 31. Christ called to account by the Chief Priests and Elders for teaching pub- licly in the temple. He answers them, and then delivers a parable. Matt. xxi. 23 -27. and 33-46. Mark xi. 27. and xii. 12. Luke xx. 1-19. 32. On the tribute to Caesar, and marriage with a brother's widow, Matt. xxii. 15-33. Mark xii. 15-37. Luke xx. 20-40. 12 INTRODUCTION. 33. Christ's discourse with the Pharisees relative to the Messiah being called Lord by David, Matt, xxii. 41-46. Mark xii. 35-37, Luke xx, 41-45, 34. The Pharisees censured by Christ, Matt, xxiii. 1, &c. Mark xii, 38-40. Luke XX. 45-47. 35. Christ foretells the destruction of Jerusalem, Matt. xxiv. 1-36. Mark xiii. 1-36. Luke xxi. 5-36. 36. Prelude to the account of Christ's passion, Matt, xxvi, 1-5, Mark xiv, 1, 2, Luke xxii. 1, 2. 37. Bribery of Judas, and the celebration of the Passover, Matt. xxvi. 14-29. Mark xiv. 10-25. Luke xxii. 3-23. 38. Christ goes to the Mount of Olives, Matt. xxvi. 30-46. Mark xiv, 26-42. Luke XX, 39-46. 39. He is seized by a guard from the Chief Priests, Matt. xxvi. 47-58. Mark xiv. 43-54. Luke xxii. 47-55, 40. Peter's denial of Christ, &c. Matt. xxvi. 69. and xxvii. 19. Mark xiv. 66. and XV. 10. Luke xxii. 56. and xxiii. 17. 41. The crucifixion and death of Christ, Matt, xxvii. 20-66, Mark xv, II- 47. Luke xxiii. 18-56. 42. The resurrection, Matt, xxviii. 1, &c. Mark xvi. 1, &.c. Luke xxiv. 1, &c. Such being the theory, the rules, and the basis, upon which a Harmony of the New Testament might be advantageously compiled, it remained that I should se- lect those assistants which united most soundness of judgment, profound learning, patient labor, and extensive research. Rejecting the hypotheses both of Osiander and of all who would adhere to the order of any one of the Gospels, in preference to another, I decided to accept as my guides the five principal harmonists, which have not only obtained the general approbation of all parties, but who have been respectively of the most opposite descriptions and classes. The first is Lightfoot, whose Chronicle of the Old Testament had been made the basis of my preceding labor. His Harmony, though not fully completed, has been welcomed by scholars of all parties, Lightfoot was one of the most learned of the Puritan theologians, and possessed great influence in the Assembly of Di- vines", His Harmony, however, was encumbered with the same disadvantage, which I have mentioned'' as an error in his Chronicle. He places the events re- corded in Scripture in too large masses, and thereby destroys the minuteness and consequent perspicuity, which are so essential to a complete view of the sacred history. To mention Dr. Doddridge, my second guide, is to recall to the recollection of those who interest themselves in these deliglitful studies, the name of an amiable, learned, and pious man, whose praise is in all the Churches. If I have not uni- formly adopted his arrangement, I have been always edified by his devotional re- flections. Where his reasoning did not convince, his piety instructed. Where his decisions appeared to be accurate, the union of every quality which can adorn the theological critic rendered his labors doubly grateful. The pride and orna- ment of the Independent Dissenters, his anxiety to avoid offence never betrayed him into indifference for truth. His liberality never induced him to confound truth with error (a custom which is now extolled as freedom from prejudice), for " See the first volume of Mr. Pitman's valuable edition of Lightfoot's Works. Mr. Davison, in his -work On Primitive Sacrifice, has objected to some opinions of Lightfoot ; but his learning was undeniable, and his authority as a harmonist very great. ^ Introduction to the Jlrrangevient of the Old Testament. INTRODUCTION. X3 it was confined to persons, and not to sentiments. Whatever he beUeved to be true he enforced with a patient gentleness ; which was sometimes mistaken for timidity by those who esteem violence or declamation to be one criterion of min- isterial faithfulness and Christian zeal. An active partisan of that system of re- ligion, which makes the ground of our acceptance with God to consist of a certain train of feelings, as well as in repentance, faith, and obedience ; he has not pro- ceeded to the extremes which generally characterize the commentators of this school. His opinions on the formation and government of Christian churches will not, and cannot, meet with the approbation of the observers of the circum- stances related in the Gospels and Acts, and referred to in the apostohc Epistles. He appears to have been fettered by the theory which he had imbibed in early life, and had not rejected in his maturer years. I was not able to receive many of the proposed alterations of this amiable, great, and good man. They some- times appeared too arbitrary and abrupt. Pilkington's Evangelical History is my third principal aid in this difficult labor. Pilkington was a country clergyman, and he devoted himself to his work with much patience for many years. He considers St. Mark as the best guide to a harmonizer. Forsaking the old plans of placing the various passages in parallel columns, or in separate paragraphs, he divided the narrative in the manner which I have adopted in the first of these volumes. His omissions of important clauses I found to be very numerous ! He has not given the whole contents of the Gospels, but rather formed a continuous narrative, on the plan of a diatessaron, with the Scripture references in the margin. He supposes, too, that our Lord's ministry lasted tiirough five Passovers. Archbishop Newcome's Harmony appears to be generally and deservedly con- sidered the best work of this kind ever submitted to the public. It has received the sanction of the university of Oxford. It was made the foundation of White's Diatessaron, with some few exceptions. The learned Professor has followed West and Townson in the order of the narrative of the resurrection. He rejects the Archbishop's double institution of the Eucharist, and otherwise varies in the numbering of the sections from 126 to 130. I venture to depart from Arch- bishop Newcome with great reluctance, and adhere as much as possible to his general order of circumstances. My fifth and most inaccurate guide is Michaelis, whose brief work, as Bishop Marsh has justly observed, must be considered rather as an index than a harmony. I have, however, chosen him as one of my helpers, because he is the last arranger. He is considered also of high authority among the admirers of the German theo- logians ; and among all who mistake novelty for talent, and the rejection of old opinions for exemption from bigotry. The plan upon which I have endeavoured to render my consulting of tiie oracles of God useful to the Christian world is the only point which requires our further attention. All the harmonies which have hitherto been submitted to the world have been formed on one of two plans. The contents of the four Gospels have been arranged in parallel columns, by which means the whole of the sacred narrative is placed at one view before the reader — or they have been combined into one unbroken story, in which the passages considered by the harmonizer to be unnecessary to the illus- tration of tlie narrative are arbitrarily rejected. The former produces great con- fusion in the mind of the student ; tlie latter appears to place the reader too much at the disposal of the author. The former is the Harmony strictly so VOL. II. B 14 INTRODUCTION. called ; the latter is the mere Diatessaron, or Monotessaron. To avoid the incon- veniences of both these systems, I have endeavoured to save the reader that em- barrassment, which is occasioned by four parallel columns ; and at the same time to combine the Gospels into one order, without leaving the reader to depend en- tirely on the judgment of the arranger, in the choice of the interwoven passages. My object has been to unite the advantages of both plans. Every text of Scrip- ture is preserved, as in the first, while the evangelical narratives are formed into one connected history, as in the second ; every passage which is rejected from the continuous history being placed at the end of each section, to enable the reader to decide on the propriety of the order which has been adopted by the Arranger. These passages will appear too often as broken and disjointed sen- tences ; and the conviction of the utility of this plan, and its rendering such evi- dent satisfaction to the laborious or inquiring student, could alone have rendered me patient, under the minute care and anxious fatigue, to persevere till it was completed. In harmonizing the accounts of the inscriptions on the cross, and the narrative of the resurrection, I have been guided by Townson, West, and Cranfield. Having decided on the method of disposing the contents of the four Gospels, another question remained with respect to the various periods of time included in the whole of the New Testament. I was not satisfied with the usual mode of dividing the actions of our Lord, according to the number of the Passovers during which he lived upon earth. This plan did not seem to convey any definite idea of the peculiar propriety of the several actions which are recorded of our Saviour. The beauty of the narrative, and the proofs of design and wisdom which are every where discoverable in the Sacred Scriptures, seemed obscured or neglected by harmonizing the several Gospels with reference only to the number of Pass- overs — or the various journeys of our Lord — or even the perfect arrangement of the events themselves, if they were considered only as a collection of wonderful facts. Much higher and nobler views ought to be taken of the contents of the Sacred Writings. The Christian revelation is the completion of that great sys- tem of religion which began at the fall, and will continue till this our state of trial is over. The principal object of an arranger of the New Testament, therefore, ought to be, to place before his readers the gradual development of that dispen- sation of Christ and of the Holy Spirit, which began with the revival of miracle immediately before the birth of Christ, and terminated with the closing of the Canon of the Scriptures of the New Testament, and the cessation of the miracu- lous gifts. It will, I think, appear evident, that an arrangement of the New Testament will be most usefully formed upon this view of the gradual discovery of God to the world. God has imparted the knowledge of his will to the world as men were able to bear it. Without Revelation there would have been no religion : neither is there any proof whatever that man could have invented for himself a system of religious belief. There has never been a Religion of Nature since the world was created. When men were few in number, and had not yet collected in large cities, their reason might have confirmed their conviction of the truth wiiich had been originally revealed to them, respecting the existence and unity of God. The relations of life might have instructed them in the necessity of the observance of certain moral duties. When they had become assembled in cities, and had acquired opulence and security, the necessities of society might have taught them various other moral duties, as well as some system of civil polity ; INTRODUCTION. 15 and all these may in one sense be called Natural Religion. But there is no proof whatever, either from the nature of man, from the probable origin of human society, or from the testimony of Scripture, that man was capable of framing for himself a consistent scheme of religion ; and all that Wollaston and other labo- rious writers have proved on this point is their own ingenuity and talent. Tlie conclusions of philosophical inquirers, in an advanced state of refined society, when they are unsupported by undeniable facts, must be received as speculations, and not as history. I shall briefly dwell on this point ; and more fully explain the plan of this Arrangement. The one only true religion, which derived its origin from God alone, began at the fall, and will be completed only in another state of existence. It is character- ized throughout by one peculiar doctrine ; the continued superintendence of the aftairs of mankind by a Divine Being, who was repeatedly manifested before his permanent incarnation as a man — who is now living in an invisible state, where He is interested in all that concerns the human race — and from which He will again become manifested in a more glorious manner than at any preceding time. This Being was called by the ancient Jews, and by the Evangelist St. John, and by the early fathers. The Word of God. In the Old Testament he is called The Angel Jehovah ; in the New Testament he is revealed to us as Jesus Christ. The world in which we live is Christ's world. As He led the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan, so is He leading the family of man into the Paradise of God from which they have fallen. This Divine Being was present at the creation and the fall of man, and con- versed with our parents in Eden. Unless they were, then, instructed in the use of language and the choice of food, as well as in the law of marriage and the knowledge of God, the sagacity with which they were endowed must have been greater than that with which untaught men are now gifted. As God conversed with them, we may fairly conclude he imparted his will to them, and thus Re- ligion commenced from Revelation in a state of innocence'. The first circumstance which we collect from the Sacred Records, after the account of the fall, was the offering of sacrifice. The same Divine Being is rep- resented as still continuing his charge over the fallen race. The oftbring of an animal in sacrifice to God appears so utterly unreasonable and useless, that ] cannot but believe the primitive sacrifice to have originated in the divine com- mand. No other solution can be justly given of the difficulty. Whether the TD*) DNJOn ^^ rendered, with Archbishop Magee, " A sin offering coucheth at the door," or with Mr. Davison and our translators, " Sin lieth at the door," is a mat- ter of little moment. Positive evidence cannot be procured. The brevity of Moses in this part appears to have been intentional ; his object being to hasten to the history of Abraham. As the superintending being, the Angel Jehovah, was still with them, it is not probable that the first worship of our primeval ancestors would be of their own invention. It is not necessary to suppose that they were fully instructed in the typical meaning of the sacrifice, as the emblem of the atonement. The enactment might have been arbitrary, and commanded as a proof of their obedience, and of their faith in some future development of the meaning of the sacrifice. They appear to have brought their oflTering at an ap- ' I cannot stop here to discuss Bishop Warburton's tlieory, that our first parents were created out of Eden, and then removed into tlie garden to be tempted and fall. It is amply refuted by Mr. Faber in his Connected View of the three Dispensations. 16 INTRODUCTION. pointed time ; and mankind have been divided, from the period of the rejection of the sacrifice of Cain, into two opposite parties, the good and evir. After tlie general destruction of the first race by a flood, which the Angel Jehovah expressly declares was brought on the world by himself, he appeared to Noah, and renewed his covenant. When the patriarchal religion, in the various settlements of men, was corrupted by the idolatry which endeavoured to reconcile outward worship with actual vice and speculative error — when they did not like to retain the spirituality of God in their knowledge, but assigned human attributes to the Creator — the same Divine Being renewed and enlarged the revelation of himself to Abraham ; aud continued personally to repeat and extend that revela- tion, by frequent manifestations of his presence, to the descendants of Abraham, to the patriarchs, to Moses, and to the prophets, who at length completed, in their predictions, the anticipated history of their Incarnated Redeemer. All this was done slowly and gradually. The attention of mankind was continually directed to the One Great Deliverer, who should be at once the Prophet, the Priest, and ' the King — the Sacrifice and the Deity — the Uniter of the divine and human na- ture — the mysterious and merciful Saviour — the present Protector, and the future Judge of mankind. The New Testament contains the history of the accomplishment of all these prophecies. We may justly expect to trace in this portion of the Inspired Writ- ings the same gradual revelation which characterized the former. Bishop Law has endeavoured to point out the mode in which the Deity has thus made himself known to mankind, in his work on the theory of religion. The first Lord Bar- rington published an Essay on the Dispensations, in the order in which they lie in the Bible. In the preface to the Miscellanea Sacra, he observes : — " The true way to obtain a thorough understanding of the Scriptures would be to make our- selves well acquainted with each of these periods, as they are described and dis- tinguished in the Bible, and as they stand in order of time ; the former of these always preparing for the latter ; and the latter still referring to the former ; so that we must critically understand each of these, before we can have the whole compass of that knowledge, and the proof of it, which the Bible is designed to give us. God having thought fit, at sundry times and in divers manners, or in dif- ferent parts, sections, or periods," (Mr. Davison' translates the words " in different portions,") " nolv/usQw?, xal noXvTgdnMg, to speak to the fathers by the prophets, and to us by his Son. I am sensible that this is a work that will require much time and care, but the very outlines of such a design would be of great use and service"." Upon the foundation of such reasoning, I have planned the several divisions of this Arrangement. I trust the order and gradual revelation, which I am of opinion may be observed in the Scriptures of the New Testament, will be better perceived by a short abstract of the contents of the fifteen parts into which the work is portioned. " I shall be rejoiced (I again quote from Lord Barrington) if '■ See Davison On Pnmiiive Sacnfce, and Archbishop Magee On the Atontmtnt. Mr. Davi- son's arguments have not shaken my conviction of the divine origin of sacrifice. But this is not tlie place to discuss this matter. I must not, however, omit here to observe, that anotlier most emment of our modern theologians has embraced also an opposite opinion on this point. See Mr. Benson's remarks on the sacrifice of Abel in his Sermons on ilie Difficulties of Scripture. ' " I, even I, do bring a flood of waters on the earth." See the note in loc. Arrangement of the Old Testament. ^ In liis invaluable work On Prophecy. " Preface to the Miscellanea Sacra, p. xxxiv. INTRODUCTION. j- this attempt should provoke others to study the New Testament in this way, and in all others, that may give such light to the obscure parts of it, as is necessary to satisfy the strict inquirers who are the best friends to religion.''^ I. The first part includes the period from the birth of Christ to his temptation. It may be regarded as the introduction to his ministry. This part of the New Testament does not appear to have been considered with the attention it deserves. The careful reader, however, will observe the manner in which it pleased God that the attention of the existing generation should be directed to the Son of Mary, the poor and humble Virgin of the family of David. All the ancient proofs of his peculiar superintendence of the race of Abraham were accumulated at this period. The vision of angels was granted to Zacharias in the temple, the age of miraculous interference returned, and all the priests in the temple, the dwellers at Jerusalem, and consequently the whole nation, who were accustomed to visit Jerusalem every year, must have been acquainted with these events. When his miraculous dumbness ceased, the Spirit of prophecy came upon him, and he pre- dicted the glory of his own son, as the forerunner of the Messiah, together with the approaching blessings of the Messiah's kingdom. The superhuman dream — another mode by which God imparted his will to mankind — was revived in the vision of Joseph. The descent of the Spirit of prophecy upon women was re- newed in the salutation of Elisabeth, and the prediction of Anna. The same Spirit of prophecy returned also in the speech of the aged Simeon. The aston- ishing answers of our Lord in the temple, when he was twelve years of age, must have convinced the learned and aged rabbis then assembled, that the Child thus marked out by these supernatural interpositions was superior to all they had either known or heard of. The public declaration also of the inspired Baptist, and the wonderful manifestation of the Divine Presence at the baptism of Christ, must of themselves have convinced the Jews that their expected Messiah was among them ; if they had not perverted their prophecies, and anticipated a temporal de- liverer from the Roman dominion. I have endeavoured at some length to show the difference between the con- ceptual Logos of the ancients, and the personal Logos of Scripture ; and to prove that the Logos of St. John, the Angel Jehovah of the Old Testament, " the Word " of the targumists, and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah of the New Testament, the Founder and only Head of the Christian Church, was the one only manifested Jehovah, the Creator and Preserver of the world. The miraculous conception, and the mystery of tlie incarnation, demonstrate the Divinity, wlych was united with the assumed h\mianity of the condescending Incarnate ; and liis temptation demonstrates him to be the second Adam, who should retrace the steps of the first, and restore us by his sinless obedience to the Paradise which our primal ancestor had lost. The mysteries with which this sublime system of man's redemption commences will be the subjects of our inquiry when our facul- ties are enlarged in a future state ; and I believe, upon the undeniable e\'idences which confirm the truth of Christianity — doctrines which I do not comprehend — that the Creator of the world, the Guide of mankind from Paradise to the judg- ment, was manifested in the flesh, as an infant, a child, and a patient, suftering man. II. The dispensations of God always blend with each other ; distinct, and yet inseparable, as the rays of light, and the colors of the rainbow. Though the way had now been prepared for the public manifestation of Christ to the Jewish na- tion, he did not openly and publicly declare his claims to the Messiahship of Is- VOL. II. 3 *B* 18 INTRODUCTION. rael, till the Baptist, the founder of the intermediate dispensation into which men had been baptized, was put into prison. I have placed therefore, as a separate part, the events between the temptation of Christ, and the public assertion of his mission after the imprisonment of John. The reply of the Baptist to tlie deputa- tion from the authorities at Jerusalem, positively affirming the Messiahship of Him, whom a miraculous descent of the Holy Spirit, and the voice, the Bath Col, had marked as a superhuman being, in the midst of the assembled thousands from Ju- daea — the uninvited attachment of the disciples of the Baptist to our Lord, v>hen St. John pointed him out as the Lamb of God — the unostentatious miracle at Cana, when the silent operation of our Lord's power began to manifest his still concealed glory — his return to Capernaum with his family, as tiie preaching of the Baptist continued — his cleansing the temple, by miraculously overawing the mercenary intruders — his still refusing to commit himself — above all these, his annunciation to Nicodemus, that even the sons of Abraham were to be born again into his kingdom — and the final testimony of John, prove the very gradual manner in which our Lord proceeded to attract the attention of his people, and to appeal to their judgment — before he would offend the prejudices of those who expected a temporal Messiah. The first miracle of Christ induced me to draw a parallel between the miraculous evidences which confirm the truth of the Christian religion, with those v/hich demonstrate the divine legation of Moses. HL Though the ejecting the buyers and sellers from tiie temple may be con- sidered as a public manifestation of our Lord's Messiahship, he did not verbally assert his claims, till the time when John the Baptist was prevented from appeal- ing to the people. He then returned to his own province, and his own town, where he had been known from his infancy, and there openly declared that the time of the Messiah was at hand. I consider this more public declaration of his mission till the time when the twelve apostles were sent forth to preach, as an- other stage in our Lord's ministry. On his way to Galilee he conversed with the woman of Samaria, and convinced her, and many of her countrymen, by his con- versation and miracles, that he was the expected Messiah ; though he would not deviate from his design of first publicly asserting that fact in his own town. After another miracle at Cana, he at length came to Nazareth. It was the custom of the Jews to invite any eminent teacher who might come into their synagogues, to speak to the people. Here, then, having received the book from the reader, he applied to himself a prophecy which predicted the appearance of Christ. He stopped before he came to that clause which denounced threatening and ven- geance to the Jews ; and confined himself to the beautiful description of the be- nevolent character of the Messiah. Having applied the prophecy to himself he sat down. He refused to work a miracle among the people of Nazareth ; he ap- peared to desire to show to the world, that his usefulness must be founded on ho- liness, as well as on his preaching and miracles. They had known him thirty years. Of his manner of life, of his character and conversation during that period, the Evangelists are silent. The appeal of our Lord to the people of Nazareth, after living among them thirty years as a man, may account for their silence. No imperfection, no taint of sin, of weakness, or of folly, could be found through that whole period, to enable those among whom he would be in the least esteem to in- validate his lofty claim to the rank of the Divine Being, whom their propiiets had announced. Their only exclamation arose from their ignorance or forgctfulness of the miraculous conception ; or perhaps their murmur, " Is not this the carpen- ter'^ son? " might proceed from the suppressed indignation, which made them se- INTRODUCTION. I9 cretly refuse to acknowledge the infinite superiority of one, who had Uved among them as an equal. Gahlee was wisely chosen as the scene of our Lord's ministry. It abounded with strangers, Phoenicians, Arabians, and Egyptians. I have endeavoured to show, in a note to the first section of this part, the advantages of this intermixture to the future progress of the Gospel. I am confirmed in my opinion, that our Lord's more public ministry began with his application to himself of the prophecy of Isaiah in Nazareth, from the manner in which he then proceeds to announce the ultimate object of his coming. He declared, for tlie first time, that as Elijah had been sent to the Gentile of Sarepta, so also was he sent to those who would accept him, and who were not of his own country. Though they could not con- fute him, they could endeavour to destroy him. The first persecution of our Lord began upon his hinting to his proud and jealous countrymen, that he had " other sheep which were not of this fold." The service of the synagogue was interrupted, and the peace of the town disturbed. This circumstance, as I have shown, ex- plains that part of our Lord's conduct, which many have considered inexplicable. He would not revive on other and similar occasions the same scenes of tumult and exasperation. He proceeded, therefore, with the utmost caution — refusing to call himself the Messiah — charging the persons who were healed to tell no man — and keeping back many things even from the apostles. The various sections of this part fully display the wisdom which continued thus gradually to impress the people with the conviction that their Messiah had arrived. The disciples who forsook John to follow Christ, and who had returned to their occupation as fishermen, were now commanded to attach themselves permanently to his service, with the prophetic annunciation, that they were in future to be- come " fishers of men." The healing of the demoniac appears to prove his power over a world of invisible spirits. The cure of diseases demonstrated to the Jews that he possessed the power to forgive the sin which they believed to be the cause of physical evil. By healing the leprosy, a disease which was considered incura- ble, except by God alone, and by referring the leper who was cured to the priest, he communicated to the priests the secret of his divine character. Soon after this message had been sent to the priests, he openly asserted the power to forgive, which he had already demonstrated by his silent and eloquent miracles. Having attached to him St. Matthew, who was more learned, and better educated than the fishermen of Galilee, and whose presence therefore might be of more weight with the Jews, he publicly wrought a miracle at Jerusalem, and assured the Jews that he was appointed of the Father to judge the w^orld. By dispensing with the enactments of their traditional law, he declared himself the Lord of the Sabbath. By healing the withered hand, he condemned the superstition which preferred the useless observances of a supposed piety, to active and useful benevolence — and having now attracted around him great multitudes of people, and attached to him- self twelve disciples, whom he intended to appoint to the apostolic office, he gave the New Dispensation to mankind. He embodied the spirit of the Mosaic Law in the sermon on the mount ; and annihilated for ever all other modes of pleasing God, than purity of mind, rectitude of principle, spirituality of soul, and holiness of life. Having promulgated his new dispensation, our Saviour healed the servant of the centurion, who was probably a Gentile ; and he again hinted to the Jews the conversion of the Gentiles. By healing the widow's son, he proved his power over the laws of life and death, and again demonstrated to the Jews, upon their 20 INTRODUCTION. own principles, that He was that Messiah whom they expected to raise the dead. The message of John, who was still in prison, enabled our Lord to point out the real Elias, who was to precede the Messiah ; it appears to have given occasion to his bitter reproach of the impenitent cities of Judaea, which he concludes, however, with an invitation to all to receive his mission. Various miracles and instructions follow, till the time arrived when the foundation of the Christian Church should be laid in the appointment of twelve apostles ; who should possess equal power, and equal authority to assert the present existence of the Messiah in Judaa, and the spiritual nature of the kingdom which he had come to establish. The principal notes in this part, in addition to those on the history and dates, refer to the possible or probable existence of the types of the Nev.' Testament — a subject which has never, I believe, been sufficiently considered by theologians. To which must be added the notes on the demoniacs — the bearing of our sins by Christ — the conduct of our Lord respecting the Jewish Sabbath, the Jewish tra- ditionary observances, and others of this nature. IV. The fourth part includes the time from the mission of the twelve apostles to that of the seventy. In the note to the former of these events, I have entered at some length into the question of church government. An opinion has very generally of late years prevailed in society, that all inquiries on this subject are useless, and that our conclusions are of no importance. It is said that sincerity is equally acceptable with the Deity, whatever be our form of worship ; and as our opinions are out of our own power, we cannot be responsible for involuntary decisions. It has been said also, that the Deity has not preferred one form of dis- cipline to another, or it would have been plainly revealed. Reasonings of this nature do not appear to me to be satisfactory. I would reply to them by observing, that the peace and order of society have hitherto been dependent on the conclusions of the student in his closet. Armies are moved and states are shaken by the effects of the prevalence of opinions, which are proposed or defended by the more retired and reflecting. Discussion elicits truth ; and the establishment of truth alone can bestow peace and happiness. Our conclusions, therefore, upon the subject of church government must and will be of importance so long as the usurpations of the papacy and the divisions of parties continue to agitate mankind. As far as the happiness of society in this world is concerned, it is impossible that the sincerity of error can be equally acceptable to God with the sincerity of truth. Happiness is connected with truth rather than with sincerity ; and that which most promotes the happiness of man must be more pleasing to God, than the sin- cerity which causes persecution. The form of worship which I believe to be pro- posed in the New Testament would have effectually preserved the world from the sincerity of persecution ; for it would have prevented the intolerable assumption of that ecclesiastical dominion, which was founded on usurpation, and is sup- ported by intolerance and ignorance. But it is said our opinions are not in our own power. The position is too general to be accurate. Opinions arc not involuntary, when we possess the means of examining their evidence and foundation. I reserve, till another oppor- tunity, an inquiry into the criteria of moral and religious truth. The most objectionable of the notions to which I refer is, the assertion that the Deity has not preferred one mode of discipline to another, or it would have been more plainly revealed. I have endeavoured to show that a plan of church government was so plainly revealed, that it was uniformly acted upon for fifteen centuries. That plan is INTRODUCTION. 21 founded upon the one simple and general proposition, tliat the Church of God was to be composed of several societies, each of which should be united by this one rule — that no person should assume any spiritual office without the permission of those superiors to whom the power of ordaining, confirming, and regulating the Churches had lawfully and regularly descended. Every Church might consist of many congregations, and was independent of its neighbours ; Episcopacy alone being the bond of union among all Christians. The collision of opinions which has taken place since the Reformation has prevented the adherents of this form of church government from so uniformly maintaining this truth as it was their duty to do. They shrank from the appearance of defending a position, with which their own interest was identified. The consequence has been, that Epis- copalians have been long considered merely as the principal sect among Christians — and Christianity itself as a collection of disputable opinions supported by a va- riety of sects. The members of the Reformed Episcopal Churches ought to have remembered, that they were required in defence of truth to submit to reproach and insult in every form. The coincidence does not appear to be merely accidental, that the Baptist should be put to death at the time when the twelve apostles were sent forth. The old dispensation had now done its work. The schoolmaster led the people to Christ, and the twelve went forth to bring them in to their Divine Lawgiver. The foundations of the Christian Church were laid, Christ and his apostles being the corner stones. He now continued his miracles and teaching ; by correcting the opinions of the people on their Jewish traditions — healing the Syro-PhcEnician, as the earnest of the future healing of the Gentiles, a doctrine never wholly lost sight of — feeding the four thousand, who had probably followed him in the antici- pation that he would save them from the Roman yoke. When our Lord healed a blind man about this time, St. Peter first declared his conviction in more express and decided terms, that the Prophet of Nazareth was the Messiah. Upon this confession our Lord declares his Church to be built ; and predicts to St. Peter, that he should become its second founder, by first opening its gates to the Gentile world. He then astonishes the Apostle by prophesying his approaching death ; and confirms the faith of his wondering disciples, whose minds were confounded with the apparent inconsistency between his asserted dignity and his anticipated degradation, by that scene which visibly opened the union of the two worlds, — the transfiguration on the mount. While their minds were still impressed with the remembrance of his glory, he again predicted his sufferings, and submitted, as a man who was bound by the political regulations of society, to the demand for tribute. The chapter concludes with the contention among the disciples for su- periority. They could not, till the Holy Spirit had illumined their minds, under- stand the doctrine of a spiritual kingdom. They saw that Christ could have maintained an army without expense — they saw the people eager to follow him — and they imagined that the Roman yoke would be thrown off' at an early oppor- tunity. The principal notes refer to some of the Jewish traditions — our Lord's apply- ing to himself certain expressions, by which the Jews described their Messiah, and the nature of the Messiah whom they expected. The address to St. Peter — the disputing of the apostles — and tiie transfiguration are briefly considered as in- teresting subjects of inquiry to the theological student. V. The fifth part embraces the next great division of our Lord's ministry, — the period from the mission of the seventy to his own triumphant entry into Jeru- 22 INTRODUCTION. salem. As the victim was led to the ahar garlanded with flowers, and followed by the acclamations of the people ; so was our Great Sacrifice adorned for the altar of the cross. Few remarks are necessary on the contents of this part. The deeper impression produced by the preaching of his apostles and of the seventy, and by his own wonderful example, miracles, and teaching, began to appear more plainly. The agitation of the public mind at Jerusalem — the public assertion of his preexistence — his increased boldness as his personal danger became greater — his more numerous cautions to his disciples — his assertion of his Divinity, and the consequent resolution of the Jews to apprehend him — successively prove the wis- dom of tlie plan upon which our Lord acted, of gradually convincing the people, and then submitting to his painful death. No sooner was the resolution taken to seize him, than his lamentations over Jerusalem begin — his parables assume a more prophetic character, descriptive of the reception of the Gentiles, and the re- jection of the Jews. At length he goes on to work his greatest miracle, the rais- ing of Lazarus from the dead, and with that (which appears to have been publicly performed before many of the rulers, who were eager to apprehend him), to dis- continue the appeal to the Jews by this kind of evidence. If he had wrought miracles at Jerusalem, it would have appeared that he desired to excite the peo- ple to rebellion. The whole nation were now made acquainted with his preten- sions, and with the evidence upon which they were supported. He entered, therefore, Jerusalem amidst the shouts of the people, in a manner so remarkable, that he evidently fulfilled a prophecy of Zachariah. I have inquired, in a note to this passage, frohi a review of the history of the Jews, from the date of the prophecy to the destruction of the temple, whether the prediction can be applied to any ruler of Israel, under any dynasty of its own, or of its foreign sovereigns. VI. The sixth part relates the conduct of the Holy Jesus from his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, till his submission to the Roman guard, to whom he was betrayed. I have generally avoided devotional remarks on the New Testament, because every commentator abounds with them ; and because they obviously pre- sent themselves to the mind of every reader of this wonderful and beautiful book. I have, however, sometimes deviated from my rule, and was more especially tempted to do so, when I contemplated the joyful entry of our atoning Saviour into his once " holy city." The cleansing of the temple, the miraculous wither- ing of the fig tree, and the voice from heaven, when the Greeks of the dispersion asked to see Him, were sufficient to attest his divine power ; but they were not miracles sufficiently splendid to attract universal notice, and to excite the jealousy of the Pharisees. As the time of his betrayal was come, He did not hesitate to reprove, with more boldness than he had hitherto shown, all the sects among his countrymen. He commanded the Herodians to " render unto Caesar the things that are Cajsar's, and unto God the things that are God's." To the Sadducees he explained, from the books of Moses, the doctrine of the resurrection. The in- consistency of the apparently austere, but in reality immoral, Pharisee is repro- bated with unsj^aring and indignant severity. The prophetic parables, the predic- tion of the fall of Jerusalem, and the allusions to the great event of which it was typical — his institution of the eucharist, to be received by us all till He shall again come to judge the living and the dead — his exhortations to his disciples, his prom- ises of his Holy Spirit, his meekness, his gentleness, and his love present the per- fect portrait, which the simple pen of inspiration alone can adequately describe. The view, which I have submitted to the reader, of the agony in the garden of Gethsemane appears to be justified by the various circumstances which prove our INTRODUCTION. 23 Lord to be the second Adam. Our faculties must be enlarged in another state of existence before we can comprehend the mysteries of Revelation. '• One little part alone we dimly scan," that our faith may be strengthened with an earnest of the future great discoveries of God and his government, which shall await us in eternity. VII. From the apprehension of Clirist to the crucifixion. The Lamb of God is sacrificed — the atonement is accepted — and man is pardoned ! All unite to reject our Lord. His disciples deserted him — the most zealous of their number denied him — the high priest insulted iiim — the servants mocked him — the soldiers spat in his face, and ridiculed his pretensions — the Sanhedrin comdemned liim. Though his betrayer declared the innocence of his victim — though Pilate acquitted him — though his accusers agreed not together, yet the heads of opposing fad ions unite to destroy him. The power of Rome, the religious hatred of an apostate Church, the changeable populace, who perhaps imagined their clamors were the voice of God, all combined to fulfil the prophecies, and murder the willing Sacri- fice, who was about to intercede for them all. Our Lord never forgot his Divinity in the midst of these scenes. When he was dying as a man he forgave sins as a God. He refused to deliver his assumed body from the cross, but he declared his power as Lord of the invisible world. I have fully expressed my opinion on this point in the twenty-fifth note to the present part. I believe the death of Christ to be a mysterious atonement for the sins of man. I have no hope of ever- lasting happiness, but from my faith in this mysterious atonement. I believe this doctrine to be the one peculiar, fundamental, and characteristic truth of Revela- tion. I humbly prostrate my reason to the God who has given Revelation to guide us, as the best proof of my most rational homage to the Deity ; and I pray that the consolation which I derive from this faith in the atonement of our only Lord and Saviour, may never be shaken by the presumptuous conclusions, and the shallow speculations of the philosophy which rejects Revelation. VIII. From the resurrection to the ascension. I have already mentioned the authorities upon which I have divided this part. The reflections upon our Lord's ascension, in the forty-third note to this part, are such as every Christian will adopt who believes in the immortality revealed in Scripture. IX. Before the Gospel was ofl'ered to the Gentiles, the apostles made their appeal exclusively to their own brethren. Our Lord had told the Jews, that their rejection of his ministry should be forgiven them ; but their refusal to be convinced by the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit should neither be forgiven in this nor in the future world. The present part gives an account of the preaching of the apostles from the ascension to the time for the calling in of the Gentiles, and the miraculous conversion of St. Paul to Christianity for that purpose. The first section of this most interesting part presents us with a view of the return to Jerusalem of the timid disciples of Christ, and their meeting for devo- tional purposes in one of the hjperoa, or upper rooms, in which the Jews were ac- customed to celebrate their Passovers ; totally unconscious of their lofty destiny, as the moral and religious renovators of mankind. I have taken the opportunity in beginning this part, to request the reader to compare the claims of Christianity to the homage of a rational and immortal being, with the pretensions of any of the absurd speculations which have insulted the reason and debased the morals of society. It will be perceived that I have not availed myself of any part of Mr. Faber's work on the same subject. Tlie note was written before his book was submitted to the public. 24 INTRODUCTION. The election of Matthias, related in the second section, has been generally considered an argument for the popular election of the clergy. We live under this curse, that whatever form of regimen we adopt, whether in church or state, thorns and thistles must be produced. Our own wisdom and prudence may in- crease or diminish their number ; but some evil will be found, and we try in vain to escape from it. To avoid one class of real or supposed grievances in the ap- pointment of the clergy, without appeal to the congregation, other, and sometimes greater, evils have been preferred by popular elections. By these, the errors of the people are perpetuated, where the opinions of the congregation are erroneous. The teacher is compelled to preach the sentiments of his hearers ; and to learn implicitly where he ought to instruct freely. As no dominion is more cruel, arbi- trary, capricious, and unjust than the dominion of large and therefore irresponsi- ble bodies ; so no slavery is so intolerable as subserviency to their fluctuating opinions. The prayer of the disciples, at the election of Matthias, may be considered as one proof of their acknowledgment of the Divinity of our Lord. We are brought, in the third section, to that wonderful event, by which the ignorant, timid, prejudiced disciples of our Lord obtained, in one instant, by the especial Providence of God, advantages, accomplishments, knowledge, and every other requisite qualification for the noble office, which would have otherwise re- quired the labor of many years. Endued with power from on High, they became at once prudent legislators, sober and learned judges, eloquent preachers, liberal without compromising truth, tolerant without religious indifference. Through the whole of the remainder of the New Testament, the apostles appeal to the mi- raculous gifts of healing, of languages, of discerning of spirits. The contrast of their present and former conduct demonstrates the internal change which had taken place. Without these assistances, indeed, the religion which commanded the submission of the passions, for the sake of a crucified criminal, whom they as- serted to have been a Divine Being, could never have prevailed. The immediate effects of this great event are related in the next sections, the accession of con- verts, and, what must now appear almost as wonderful, the union of Christians in this truly primitive church. They were neither divided by absurd jealousy, by the pride of intellect, by adherence to some strange errors, to which their fathers pledged themselves, and which did not die away with the political events, or fool- ish controversies, in which they originated. They were neither influenced by the fear of offending, by a regard to self-interest, by attachment to opinions which they received without inquiry, and maintained without examination. Truth, con- firmed by undeniable evidence, and demonstrated by irresistible argument, was the object they pursued and obtained. After the conversion of the cripple, the attention of the people of Jerusalem was so much excited, that the Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to be summoned ; and inquired what new imposition was about to be practised on the Jewish nation. How unbounded must have been the rage and indignation of the Sanhedrin, who were in daily expectation of a powerful and temporal Messiah, a conqueror of the Romans, and an elevator of the Jewish nation to the height of political power ; when the fishermen of Galilee stood before them, and afiirmed, that the con- demned and innocent Victim from Nazareth was the true and long-expected Messiah ; and that the Sanhedrin had murdered their heaven-descended Sov- ereign ! Li the note to section eight, I have given the [jarallel between Christ and Moses, whose prediction St. Peter had applied to our Saviour. To what ex- INTRODUCTION. 25 tent this parallel may have been explained is uncertain. If the Sanhedrin heard of this application, they must have been more highly enraged. They imagined they had crucified the new religion when they crucified its Founder. They had but nurtured with blood the seed which should grow into the tree, which should refresh the world with its leaves, and the Church with its fruits of life. Annas and Caiaphas, and the most learned talmudists, the eminent, the honorable, and the noble, were assembled to hear the defence of the despised fisherman, whom they insulted for his deficiency in the only learning which their intellectual vanity esteemed. Another extraordinary descent of the Holy Spirit is related in section eleven, to encourage and animate the converts at this beginning of their predicted persecutions. The Church continued at peace, wealthy, flourishing, and united. With this abundant prosperity began the corruption of the Church. Am- bition, a more powerful passion than avarice, which is its minister only, divided the infant community. Ananias first desired eminence by his apparent liberality ; he might have wished also, as many have supposed, to obtain a more ample pro- vision, at some future period, from the funds of the Church. The custom now beo-an, which in Christian societies has never been discontinued, of maintaining the poor from some permanent fund afforded by the voluntary benevolence of the wealthy. From the fourteenth to the twentieth sections, we read of the gradual progress of the new faith. The repetition of his assertion by St. Peter, that the crucified and innocent Nazarene was the real Messiah, made the Sanhedrin resolve to pun- ish the apostles with death. They were checked by the advice of Gamaliel. The increasing numbers of the Church made the election of new officers necessary, who should peculiarly devote themselves to those duties which interfered with the proper discharge of the higher and apostolic office. The apostles prescribed the qualifications of the deacons, and approved of the choice of the people. This subject is partially discussed in the note to the eighteenth section. In the note to the following section I have endeavoured to show that Mr. Benson's ChronoJogy of the Life of Christ, which I have adopted from a full conviction of its accuracy, is consistent with the prophecy of the seventy weeks by the Prophet Daniel. In the twentieth section we read of the breaking out of the persecution, in which St. Stephen was martyred, while testifying the Divinity of Christ, and assert- ing, in the presence of St. Paul, at that time one of his persecutors, that he saw the glory which had been seen by their patriarchal ancestors ; and that the cruci- fied Jesus of Nazareth was the Personage who appeared with it. The ancient Jews believed that the Angel Jehovah was the manifested God of their fathers ; and Stephen, in his dying moments, declared that Jesus of Nazareth and the An- gel Jehovah were the same Being. This was blasphemy to the Jews, who con- sidered our Lord as a man ; and it must have shocked the unbelieving zealot, who afterwards became the Apostle of the Gentiles. But the assertion of St. Stephen shows to us yet further, how beautifully the dispensations of God blend one with another, and rest upon the same evidence. St. Paul must have remem- bered the dying exclamation of the proto-martyr, when he was himself favored with the opening of the invisible world, and with the appearance of the same An- gel Jehovah, Jesus of Nazareth. If St. Paul, as a learned Jew, had been required to select the only evidence which could convince him that Jesus was the Christ, it is probable that he would have demanded the appearance of the Shechinah, and the manifested God of his ancestors. This was vouchsafed to him at his con- version, when the Jesus, whom Stephen saw standing at the right hand of God, VOL. II. 4 c 26 INTRODUCTION. appeared to him in the same glory, and told him, " I am Jesus," the manifested God of thy fathers, the Angel Jehovah, " whom thou persecutest." In consequence of the Pauline persecution, the apostles were dispersed from Jerusalem ; and the converts, who were probably gifted with miraculous powers for that purpose, every where preached the new religion. The provinces of Ju- daea now received Christianity, Samaria began to abound with converts, to whom the gifts of the Holy Spirit were imparted by the hands of St. Peter and St. John ; the apostles alone, as the higher order in tiie priesthood of Christianity, possessing authority to confer them. From this circumstance the ancient Church confined the power of confirming to the bishops, as the successors of the apostles, in those ordinary acts of authority, which they considered essential to all Christian Churches. When the provinces of Judaea were thus Christianized, the time for appealing to the Jews, and the Proselytes of Righteousness (among whom was the treasurer of Queen Candace), appears to have come to its proper termination. The Gospel of St. Matthew was probably now written for the use of the scattered communities ; and the Pauline persecution is unexpectedly terminated by the sudden interposition of Divine Providence, in the conversion of its principal agent. This event is related in the thirty-first section. In the note to the thirty-first section, I have briefly considered the inferences which have been sometimes deduced from the history of St. Paul's conversion, that no man can be a Christian who does not experience some miraculous change or interposition of a similar nature. It must be remembered, that St. Paul was not the chief of profligates, but chief of the opponents of the Gospel. This is the proper meaning of his appellation, " the chief of sinners." It is more than ques- tionable, whether the sudden demonstration of the truth of Christianity, which was now enforced on the mind of St. Paul, as the very best and most unsuspicious agent, by whom Christianity might be dispersed with the most effect, can be con- sidered as an argument in favor of the doctrine of the sudden conversions of edu- cated Christians, who are acquainted from their infancy with the Scriptures, and know why Christ rose from the dead. With the preaching of St. Paul, the miracles of St. Peter, and the repose of the Churches, this part terminates. I have considered, at some length, the doc- trine and goverimient of the Church at Jerusalem, the model for all succeeding Churches. I have devoted some time to this point, because an attentive perusal of the Holy Scriptures alone has convinced me, that Jesus Christ is the Lawgiver of nations as well as the Saviour of individuals. My Bible, my only religion, has taught me, that Christ descended from heaven, neither to form separate congrega- tions of good and devotional individuals — nor to unite the world under one eccle- siastical domination. He came to make every separate kingdom one great religious family ; >Lnd thus to extinguish, over the whole earth, wars abroad and factions at home, and all political evils, of what kind soever, by religious peace and mutual love. God wills the present as well as the future happiness of man ; and Christianity, rightly understood, is the only means by which the divine object will eventually be accomplished. X. The time had now fully come in which the exclusive appeal to the Jews was to cease, and the new dispensation to begin ; when the Gosi)el was to be preached to other nations. This part includes the period between the vision of St. Peter, which announced the enlargement of the Church, and the mission of St. Paul to tiie idolatrous Gentiles. The vision of St. Peter was the commence- ment of the fulfihnent of our Lord's prophecy, " On this rock I will build my INTRODUCTION. 27 Church." The dissertation of Bernard Duysing, in the Critici Sacri, on this sub- ject is exceedingly curious. Some extracts are given from it in the note, together with the interpretation of Jones of Nayland. A discussion arose between some distinguished theologians in the last century on the Proselytes of the Jews. The first Lord Barrington adopted and learnedly defended the usual opinion, that in addition to the Proselytes of Righteousness, who engaged to fulfil the whole Law of Moses, there was also another class who professed their belief in the God of the Jews, but who did not bind themselves by the more burthensome ceremonial. Dr. Doddridge and Dr. Lardner, and, on the authority of their arguments. Dr. Hales, have differed from Lord Barrington, and asserted the existence of the former Proselytes only. Michaelis, Dr. Graves, Sel- den, Witsius, Spencer, Schoetgen, Lightfoot, and others, to whom reference is made in the first note, support the opinion of Lord Barrington, though they have not noticed the controversy. I have adopted the general supposition. The ex- istence of a large class of persons of the same description as Cornelius, who should receive the new religion before it was preached to the idolaters of the sur- rounding country, appears to have been a wise provision for the continuance of that gradual and silent progress, by which Christianity was to be extended through the world. The New Dispensation was not at first generally received. The converts, who were scattered from Jerusalem by the Pauline persecution, preached to the Jews only. The Church at Jerusalem was astonished at the intelligence, that the Pros- elytes of the Gate were to be admitted into the Church ; and they commissioned Barnabas to make inquiry. Saul, who seems to have been now merely a private though eminent teacher, is associated with him ; and, on their arrival at Antioch, which may be called the first metropolis of the Christian cities, the adherents of the new religion are called by the now most honorable of all human appellations. Many have been of opinion, that the title of Christian was given by divine ap- pointment. It seems probable that some designation was necessary to distinguish the Christians from the Jews, with whom they were at first identified. Now that the new religion had become so firmly established, that it embraced another large class of persons, the lives of the apostles ceased to be essential to the existence of the rising Church. They consequently became subject to the plans of their enemies. One of them was put to death ; the rest appear to have been scattered from Jerusalem ; and the power, which had at first been common to them all, was concentrated in one, who was left at Jerusalem, in the time of the greatest danger to protect and govern the Church. I have considered, at greater length than was perhaps necessary, the opinion that St. Peter, after his miraculous escape from prison, was sheltered at Rome. Many Protestant writers have asserted that he was never in that city. The evi- dence appears to be more favorable to the other supposition ; and it is probable that St. Mark's Gospel was now written under the inspection, or at the dictation of St. Peter. The perversion of the Romanist theologians on the subject of St. Peter's residence at Rome is well known. The supremacy of St. Peter is a fic- tion ; it is the upas tree of Christianity ; it has poisoned the fairest shrubs and flowers in the garden of the Church. It has changed the peaceful religion of the mild and holy Saviour into a series of political controversies ; from which have originated civil wars, alienations of princes from their people, and of people from their princes, and all the civil commotions which have prevented the progress of Christianity ; which have given its principal triumph to infidelity, and every where 28 INTRODUCTION. degraded religion. If the blundering interpreters, who have assigned this imagi- nary supremacy to St. Peter, had granted it to St. Paul, they would have been more able to defend their folly ; St. Peter was the minister of the circumcision, St. Paul was the apostle of the Gentiles, of whom the Romans were the chief; and he openly reproved St. Peter for the conduct which he thought worthy of censure. The remainder of this part relates the continued increase of the Churches till the actual appointment of St. Paul to the mission to which he had been so long designated. XL We now arrive at the dispensation under which we ourselves live, when the Gospel was preached to the idolatrous Gentiles. In consequence of his divine appointment, St. Paul received the sanction of the heads of the Church at An- tioch, to his mission, and became their apostle. This part contains the account of his first apostolical journey. The principal points considered in the notes to this part are, the similarity between the service of the synagogue and that of the early Church, the question of predestination, the apostolical decree, and the na- ture of the spiritual gifts, titles, and offices in the Church of Antioch. Vitringa, who was both a theorist and a zealous Presbyterian, has endeavoured to establish the identity of the early church government with that of the synagogue. I have pointed out various instances in which the supposed parallel entirely fails. If in- deed it could be shown to be complete, the similarity would prove nothing with respect to the question concerning Episcopacy. As the Jewish synagogues were under the control of the heads of their religion at Jerusalem, while each congre- gation might possibly have some observances peculiar to itself; so also the Chris- tian Churches were never independent of the apostolical authority, though each might perhaps vary in certain non-essential particulars. XII. The twelfth part contains an account of the second apostolical journey of St. Paul. Observant of our Lord's direction, that his evangelists should not go out alone, because " in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word was to be established," the Apostle, having chosen Silas after his separation from Bar- nabas, proceeds on his journey with Timothy, whom he met with on his arrival at Derbe. Our Lord's promise, that his apostles should possess authority over all the power of the enemy, was fulfilled at Philippi. In a former part of the Ar- rangement the opinions respecting demoniacal possession are considered at some length. The case, of the Pythoness at Philippi appears to afford additional evi- dence in support of the general opinion, that the instances mentioned in Scrip- ture must be literally interpreted. In the tenth section of this part we come to the first of those most important portions of the Inspiced Writings, the Epistles of Paul. As no part of the Scrip- tures have been more frequently misinterpreted than these Epistles, I have en- deavoured to submit to the reader, at the head of each Epistle, a brief statement of the proposition which St. Paul intended to establish ; and so to analyze the Epistle itself, that the nature of the arguments, by which that proposition is estab- lished, may be clearly seen. The primary meaning of every verse may be thus more probably ascertained ; and the universal adaptation of the Epistles to the circumstances of the Churches of Christ, in all ages, be more distinctly pointed out. I reject the hypotheses of Semler, and of Taylor of Norwich, as well as the reasonings of his follower, Mr. Belsham ; who would destroy the peculiar doc- trines of Christianity, by endeavouring to prove that the terms and phrases which are used by St. Paul have an exclusive reference to the disputes of the apostolic INTRODUCTION. 29 age, respecting the admission of the Gentiles into the Church of God, and are therefore to be interpreted as alluding only to the privileges of the visible Church. While it must be allowed that the existing controversy between the Jews and the apostles, on this point, ought to be kept in view, whenever the chief Epistles arc studied, we shall utterly mistake the nature of that sublimer object which the Deity proposed when he gave inspiration to his servants, if we attempt to confine their teaching and arguments to the advantages of a visible Church, and to the imparlation to the idolatrous Gentiles of a purer system of moraUty. Their object was rather to prove, that if God admitted the Jews into a visible Church upon earth, as an earnest and proof that they should be hereafter admitted into a higher state of purity and happiness above ; the same mercy would receive the Gentiles into this higher glory, and consequently, as an inferior privilege, would receive them into a more extensive and visible Church upon earth. On this account it is that the doctrines of the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Atonement, (without which essential truths is no Christianity,) are so repeatedly and earnestly insisted upon. They are our pledges of future discoveries of God when we shall rise from the dead. If any revelation be given us from above, we might justly expect that some internal evidence of its truth would be afforded, in addition to the outward facts which demonstrate its divine origin. That internal evidence, among other doctrines, would probably consist in some account of the Deity, which could not have been discovered by reason ; and which would be the one, peculiar, charac- teristic, and mysterious foundation of the whole fabric of truth. This doctrine would be so interwoven with the system of revelation, that it would be alike found in the beginning, the middle, and the end. The removal of it would be attended with the conviction of the utter uselessness and unreasonableness of the remainder. It would be consistent with the analogy of faith ; it would be pro- portionate to the greatness of the soul of man ; it would be capable of exciting that internal feeling of indefinitude which uniformly attends our contemplation of the visible world, by whatever branch of science we attempt to explore it, and whether the microscope or telescope be called to our assistance. Such internal evidence, such mysterious, essential truth, is to be found only in the doctrine of the atonement of Christ — a Divine and an Incarnate Being. It ought not to excite surprise that the admirers of the powers of human reason have so uniformly en- deavoured to overthrow this truth. Salvation by a crucified Redeemer, who was at once a manifested and predicted God, though He was found in fashion as a man, and was despised and rejected of men, ever was and ever will be our only real hope ; while it is the object of unabated scorn both to the deifiers of human intellect, and to all the deistical critics of the New Testament. Impressed with these convictions, while I endeavour to ascertain the primary meaning of an Epistle, I never attempt to bring down the lofty speculations of the inspired writer from the battlements of heaven to the walls of the visible Church. Without losing sight of the controversies of the apostolic age, I have not endeavoured to pervert the meaning of any one passage, by forcibly applying it to these disputes. The notes to each Epistle contain a brief account of their origin, date, place, and necessity. These will be found to be taken from our popular writers. The usual sources of our knowledge of these subjects have now been so thoroughly explored, that little addition is to be expected, unless we are wiUing to invent some new theory, or defend some strange paradox. The conduct of St. Paul at Athens, amidst the contempt which the speculative philosophers of the academy felt and expressed for the Hebrew teacher, suggested VOL. II. c* 30 INTRODUCTION. some remarks on the best mode by which the missionary and the disputant, whether among heathens or infidels, may at once concihate his hearers and advo- cate truth. In a note to another part of this section I have briefly considered some of those inquiries which in our early age are so deeply interesting ; but which we are generally contented to resign to their own difficulty in our maturer years. The utter impossibility of solving the problems respecting the nature and attributes of God, concerning the permission of evil, the existence of matter, the origin of the universe, the sources of action with the Deity, and many others, is one great proof of our future immortality, and of our eternal improvement. In the fourteenth section we come to the First Epistle to the Thessalonians. The Epistle to the Galatians had been written to prove the reasonableness of the doctrine, that the Gentiles were to be readmitted into the Church of God. This Epistle contains a brief statement of the evidences in favor of Christianity ; and, as the Inspired Writings were read in all the Churches, we may consider the First Epistle to the Thessalonians as a supplement to the former. The next section gives us an account of the preaching of St. Paul at Corinth. While he continued in that city he addressed another Epistle to the Thessalonians, to remove a misinterpretation of his former letter, concerning the second coming of Christ. He assures them, that the early descent of our Lord to judgment is not to be expected till a great apostacy had begun, and flourished, and was over- thrown. The marks which distinguish this apostacy describe the Church of Rome. I have not, however, on my own authority represented Popery as the pre- dicted apostacy. The arguments which have proved satisfactory to the great ma- jority of Protestants on this subject are principally taken from Dr. Benson. Being convinced by these arguments, that the corrupt Church of Rome is described by St. Paul, as the great sin of Christianity, I have not hesitated to express and de- fend that opinion. To maintain Protestantism, and to oppose Popery, is not the cause of the Church of England, or of the English nation alone ; it is the cause of all mankind. To resist that dominion is the solemn and bounden duty of every man who wishes well to the human race, or who desires universal ecclesi- astical and civil freedom. The giant which once bestrode the civilized world like a Colossus is restless, and struggling beneath the weight of increasing knowledge ; but his convulsive movements still shake the whole of Christendom, and his breath is the furnace of the volcano. We may mark the literary infidelity of the age, and the ancient superstitions of papal Rome ascending from the opposite sides of the intellectual horizon, and overshadowing the nation with their frowns. Our duty must be to strengthen the Protestant institutions — to promote the plans of good which ainf at the enlightening of mankind — to sacrifice to truth as well as to candor, and to plead for the union which may be founded upon useful laws. It may be questioned whether truth does not flourish more in an age of contro- versy than of religious indifference. Christianity would never have established its unyielding peculiarities of opinion, discipline, and holiness, if the apostles had consented to forego their zeal and diligence, in deference to popular clamor, com- promised error, or the political plans of their superiors. Truth was their only, their undivided object. From this they were neither intimidated, nor perverted, nor seduced ; till by their preaching, and their writing, and their perseverance, they gave their perfect example to the Christian teacher ; and erected the Church and the Religion of Christ upon the ruins of every existing error. Their succes- sors have lately desisted from the wars of the tongue and of the pen ; and the consequence has been, that Christian union is destroyed, truth is trodden under INTRODUCTION. 3I foot, and religious indifference, assuming the name of liberality, demands and re- ceives the general homage. The marks of our alienation are now so deeply worn that we might fear we shall never meet but in the grave — that we never shall worship together as one great family of God, till we rise from the dead, and bow before His throne in the invisible world. On the authority of Michaelis and Dr. Hales, I have assigned an early date to the Epistle to Titus. The vow at Cenchrea — the disputes at Ephesus — and the return of St. Paul to Antioch — terminate the part. XHI. The third apostolical journey of St, Paul presents us with the same kind of history as the preceding. Proceeding from Antioch to the Churches which he had planted in Galatia and Phrygia, he remained two years in Ephesus, and sent Tunothy and Erastus to Macedonia and Greece. From Ephesus he writes his First Epistle to the Corinthians, to reprove the irregularities and disor- ders which had begun to divide the Church of Corinth ; and to answer various questions, in doctrine and discipline, which had been proposed to him by his con- verts. The Apostle has been supposed, in this letter, to deny his own plenary inspiration. This opinion is considered in the note, principally from the labors of the lamented Rennell. The success of St. Paul at Ephesus at length endangered the profits of the shrine-makers of the temple of Diana. By their means he is compelled to retire to Macedonia, when he writes his First Epistle to Timothy ; to direct him how to suppress the false doctrines which the Jewish zealots were endeavouring to intro- duce into the Church at Ephesus, over which Timothy had been appointed. The Gospel had now made such progress that it had become necessary, as in the in- stance of Titus, and now of Timothy, to place in large districts persons who rhould ordain ministers, and maintain discipline among the Ciiurches. When the converts were required to submit to the authority which was now established over them, they began to question the right of the apostles to control and govern them. Thus we find in the eleventh section, that St. Paul wrote from Macedonia his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, to vindicate his authority, and to caution his people against the influence of false teachers. By thus reading the Epistles in their connexion with the history, and considering them in their consecutive order, we see the manner in which the Churches were agitated, and the necessity of discipline, as well as of devotion, in all Christian societies. In this Epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul observes the same conduct which but a short time before he had so earnestly recommended to Timothy. The two Epistles reflect light on each other, and give us a more accurate notion, when thus considered together, of the state of the primitive Churches. It is not necessary that I should add in this place any remarks to those which will be found in the note to the thirteenth section of this part, the Epistle to the Romans. Its object is to prove that Christ alone was the Author of that one sub- lime plan of redemption which included all mankind at the beginning, and which was intended to embrace the Gentiles once more within tlie Clmrch of God ; though for a season, on account of the Gentile idolatry, it had been confined to the family of Abraham. The prediction of the present state of the Jews, while their temporal polity was still flourishing, and of the eventual restoration of that people to the Christian Churcii, demonstrates the extent of the prophetic gifts which had been imparted to the apostles. The history proceeds to relate St. Paul's journeys over various parts of Asia — his presenting hunself to St. James, the head of the Church at Jerusalem — his appre- 32 INTRODUCTION. hension in that city — his defence, and appeal to his privilege as a Roman citizen to save himself from the indignation of his own countrymen. We meet with an- other instance in the twenty-sixth section of the inveterate hatred which the Jews still continued to bear against the opinion which St. Paul so strenuously advocated, that the Gentiles were to be received into the Church. In the twenty-eighth section we are presented with St. Paul's appearance, for the first time since his conversion, before the Jewish Sanhedrin. The brief narra- tive of St. Luke does not stop to inform us of the mingled rage, and hatred, and contempt, with which they nmst have returned the earnest look of the Apostle, when he stood before them. Tliey had granted him high powers and a great mil- itary command. He had been admitted to their confidence — he had distinguished himself, when a young man, by his ardent zeal in their cause. He now stood be- fore them, the betrayer of their imagined interests — an apostate and a criminal. The high priest commanded him to be struck, on account of the supposed insult, when St. Paul began the defence of his apparently inconsistent conduct, with as- serting that he had lived in all good conscience before God, until that day. The manner in which the Apostle divided his judges among themselves — his subsequent encouragement to persevere — the conspiracy of the Jews to kill him — its discovery — his accusation and defence before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa — and his appeal to the emperor, when he saw reason to believe that he would be surrendered to the Jews by the profligate Roman governor, are beautifully told, and are deeply interesting. It will be observed that St. Paul, whenever he is required to give an account of his motives, his religion, or his conduct as a Christian teacher, uniformly appeals to his miraculous conversion, and to the appearance of a great light at mid- day, which was seen by the large multitude which attended him. The part ends with his being committed, as a prisoner, to the custody of the centurion, in con- sequence of his appeal to Caesar. XIV. Few observations are necessary on the fourteenth part, which relates the voyage of St. Paul to Rome, his shipwreck at the island of Melita (probably in the Adriatic), and his arrival in Italy. During his imprisonment at Rome, he wrote his Epistle to the Ephesians, to congratulate them on tlieir admission into the Christian Church, through the mercy of God, which invited them to holiness of life. In the second year of his imprisonment he sent an Epistle to the Philip- pians, on the usual subject, to caution them against the Judaizing teachers, and persuade them to love and union. The Epistle to the Colossians aflirms the doc- trine of the atonement of Christ, against the metaphysical Essenians and Judaizers. These Epistles 'show the constant and peculiar care of the Apostle over the Churches, and his great anxiety to preserve the converts in the purity of the faith. The beautiful Epistle to Philemon displays the singular union of courtesy, kind- ness, and benevolence, which characterized the Apostle in private life. The first of the Catholic Epistles, that of St. James, was also given to the Churciies at this period. The doctrines of St. Paul on justification by faith, without the deeds of the Law of Moses, appear to have been so misinterpreted, as if the Apostle had taught the opinion of salvation without holiness of life. Though the grace and mercy of God are the sole causes of the system of redemption, holiness is the only means by which tiiat redemption may be secured. Holiness is the root of both present and future happiness, and is the one great object of the Gospel. It can- not therefore excite surprise, that the Catholic Epistles should be principally writ- ten to enforce these practical duties. XV. In this last part I have endeavoured to give a brief history of the Chris- INTRODUCTION. 33 tian Church to the present day. The fourteenth part ended with the release of St. Paul from liis first imprisonment, and the writing of the Book of the Acts by his companion St. Luke. While the Apostle was waiting in Italy for Timothy, he had the opportunity of calmly considering the state of his countrymen. He observed their hatred towards himself — their contempt towards him as an apostate and deserter of the cause of the Sanhedrin — their inadequate ideas of the Messiah — the approaching ruin of Jerusalem, and the consequent dispersion of his people. Impressed with sorrow for their condition, he made his last, and perhaps his greatest effort, to convince them of the real nature of the spiritual Being wiiom they ought to expect ; as tlie causer of a greater deliverance than the rescuing of their degraded country from the dominion of Rome. Avoiding all mention of his own offensive name, he wrote his Epistle to the Hebrews, to prove the truth of the doctrines upon which alone Christianity is established, the Divinity and atone- ment of Christ, who is the Word of God, the personal and manifested Logos of their own Scriptures. Tlie Epistle to the Hebrews may be considered the key to the Old Testament, and the most important of all the Inspired Writings to him who would understand clearly the Scripture doctrine of the person of Christ. It is not improbable that St. Paul proceeded from Italy to the various places to which he intimated his desire to travel, and to others, which are mentioned in ecclesiastical history as the scenes of his labors. The reasons, upon the authority of which it is believed by many, that he now travelled to Britain, Jerusalem, An- tioch, to certain towns in Asia, to Greece, and Rome, will be found in the notes from the second to the twelfth sections. On his second visit to Rome, the Apostle was again imprisoned, in the gen- eral persecution of the Christians under Nero, In the anticipation of approach- ing death, he wrote his Second Epistle to Timothy. In this letter he takes his farewell of his friend and of the Church, and expresses his joy at the prospect of a painful death, with that humble but well-founded confidence, which is the priv- ilege of a Christian only. The approaching death of St. Paul, and the near destruction of Jerusalem evi- dently rendered this the most appropriate period, when the rest of the apostles, who were still alive, might usefully address their general Epistles to the Christian Churches. We are accordingly now presented with the Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude. The prejudices of the former Apostle against the Gentiles had sub- sided, and he addresses himself jointly to them, with the Jewish converts, to en- courage them to holiness and to patience under suffering. In his Second Epistle he reminds them of the danger of apostacy, and of the end of the Jewish dispen- sation and the visible world. About the same time St. Jude writes his Epistle, to guard the converts against every doctrine, however specious it might appear, which tended to diminish the sanctions of holiness. This was the one great object of all religion : and no pu- rity of faith, no zealous attachment to a party, an opinion, or a creed, can be sub- stituted for the indispensable sacrifice of ourselves to God. The sixteenth section brings us to the martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul, the two principal leaders of the army of the Church militant upon earth. It is probable that none of the apostles, except St. John, was now left alive. The ap- peal of the Spirit of God to the Jews was now terminated. St. Peter had opened the kingdom of heaven to his people ; St. Paul had invited and adjured them to enter in — they had refused to accept the invitation ; and the wrath came upon them to the uttermost. They wander among us the outcasts of mankind. The VOL. II. 5 34 INTRODUCTION. contempt of the nations has begun only to subside into pity with the existing generation. For the first time since the fall of Jerusalem, their Christian brethren regard them with uniform benevolence. The eighteenth section contains the Book of the Revelations. I believe it, with Dr. Clarke, to have been intended to supply the place of a continued suc- cession of prophets in the Christian Church. I have divided it, with some varia- tions, according to the theory of its interpretation, submitted to the world by our latest and most popular commentator, Mr. Faber. The reader is supposed to have perused the volumes of this learned, though not always satisfactory, hierophant. The opinion that the apostacy of papal Rome is announced in the Book of Revelations has been long and rightly received among the Churches. Mr. Croly has published some very curious and valuable observations on this point. He is of opinion that the principal portions of the Apocalypse refer exclusively to the corruptions of the Western Church. I subjoin a brief analysis of his ingenious system of interpretation, which is worthy of the attention of the biblical student, for whose advantage this statement is principally designed"". "" The System of Interpretation of the Apocalypse, by tlie Rev. George Croly, A. M. &c. — The Apocalypse is not a consecutive prophecy, but a. fasciculus of prophecies, seen probably at inter- vals, during St. John's dwelling at Patmos, all predicting nearly the same events, under different emblems and modes of expression, and thus checking and illustrating each other. After the first three chapters, addressed to the Asiatic Churches, the predictions are strictly confined to Europe ! They take no notice of the Eastern Church, nor of Mahometanism. They are limited to Popery, of which they give a history, regular, close, and circumstantial, in a remarkable degree. Analysis of the Apocalypse. — Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, (the chapters of the seals,) are a general view, or index, of the events detailed in tlie subsequent predictions. These chapters comprehend the course of Providence, from the birth of Christianity to the Millennium. Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, (the chapters of the trumpets,) are identical with chapters 15 and 16, (the chapters of the seals.) They both predict the series of events between the Reformation in the twelfth century, and the great uni- versal war in which Popery is to perish. But the chapters of tlie trumpets mark the events with much more detail. Thus chapter 8 gives a view of the general, physical, and moral sufferings of man, in consequence of the divine displeasure at the corruptions of Christianity by the popedom. Chapter 9 is a most remarkable and characteristic prediction of the French Revolution. This prediction has been loitherto presumed, by the majority of commentators, to apply to Mahometan- ism. This is the chapter which Pastorini's, Walmsley's prophecies apply to Luther, and the Ref- ormation in Germany, and on which the Irish Romanists founded their expectation of a massacre of the Protestants in the year 1825. It will be shown that it applies only to our era — that its date IS past — and tliat it is the history of the French Jacobin empire. Chapter 10 is the sudden dif- fusion of the Holy Scriptures, and synonymous of the French Revolution. Chapter 11 is a his- tory of the suppression of the Holy Scriptures by Popery, of their public extinction by Atheistical and Revolutionary France, and of ilieir sudden recovery from this degradation, by being spread to the boundaries of the globe. Chapters 12, 13, and 14, with 17, 18, and 19, are the peculiar narrative of the Church of Rome, in its rise, progress, and final punishment. Thus, chapter 12 gives a detail of the persecutions of Christianity by Paganism, as embodied with the government of ancient Rome — with the transmission of the. spirit of Paganism into the government of modern Rome, displayed in similar persecutions of Christianity. Chapter 13 is a striking prediction of the rise of the combined temporal and spiritual power of Rome. The Reformation under the Waldenses — the fierce vindictiveness of Rome against those early Christians — and the formation of the inquisition for the double purpose of crushing the Reformers, and of raising Popery to uni- versal dominion. Chapter 14 is a prediction of the downfall and extinction of Popery, by means which are yet hidden, but wliicli arc palpably connected witli some groat, brief havoc of man, and the ruin of the government of nations. The intervening chapters, 15 and KJ, arc the chapters of the seals, and have been already mentioned as synonymous with, and explanatory of, the chap- ters of the trumpets. Tlie 17th, 18th, and 19tli chapters arc various details of the mode in which the punishment and extinction of Popery Avill be accomplished. Of these chapters, of course, it would be presumptuous to attempt any detailed interpretntion. They arc future, and their satis- factory interpretation must wait for the event. But they all distinctly imply some visitation of INTRODUCTION. 35 Contrary to the usual mode of arrangement, I have placed the Epistles of St. John after the Apocalypse. The difference of the style in the composition was one of my principal arguments for so doing. The language of the Book of Rev- elations appeared to be the result of less intercourse with the Greeks, than that of the Epistles, which bear much resemblance to the style of St. John's Gospel, the last in date of the Inspired Writings. The powerful recommendations also to love and truth and union among Christians, which abound in the Epistles of St. John, appeared to be a more valuable legacy to the Churches of God than even the prophecies of the Apocalypse. Whether there be prophecies, they shall cease — charity never faileth. The completion of the Canon of the New Testament having been noticed in the twentieth section, I have concluded the work with a brief review of the his- tory of the Christian Church, from the close of the apostolic age to the present period. One day with our Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Though the fire by night, and the pillar of cloud by day no longer guide the visible Church through the wilderness of this world — He that keepeth his spiritual Israel can neither slumber nor sleep. As surely as He led his people in the olden time from Egypt to Canaan, so certainly will God overrule the evil of our state of trial, and direct the nations of a Christian world to truth and peace, to union and to mutual love. Individual holiness and political happiness must prevail upon earth. The province of this planet shall be reconquered from the power of evil which has so long led it captive. The tree of life will be again planted in the Paradise of earth, and all mankind, renovated in holiness, and serving their Only Great God in spirit and in truth, shall become one religious family of One Merciful Father. Such are the sublime representations of the plans of Providence which appear to be revealed in Scripture respecting mankind. When we remember the great- ness of the Deity, and the mystery of the continuance of evil, they will appear as rational as they are scriptural. They are founded upon the supposition, that evil would not have been permitted, unless greater eventual benefit would be thereby conferred on all accountable beings. By the atonement of Christ alone (the one great truth of Scripture) evil will be conquered, and universal happiness secured. Shadows, clouds, and darkness rest upon the future. We must die, we must rise again with enlarged and renovated faculties, before we can thoroughly compre- hend the government of the moral universe, which is thus but partially revealed to us in Scripture. The Revelation, which I have been endeavouring to illustrate, is the beginning of the golden thread, by which we shall be enabled, when we inherit our immortality, to trace the whole labyrinth of the plans of God. The eternal contemplation of our Jehovah, and the perpetual improvement of our rea- son, as well as our exemption from the possibility of evil, are among the noblest of our anticipated privileges hereafter. The best and greatest of our present priv- the divine wrath rapidly approaching, involving the world in war, of an extent, fierceness, and power of civil and physical ruin, beyond all example, and threatening all but the extinction of the human race ; a deluge of war. From the 20th chapter to the end of tlie Apocalypse are predic- tions of the period which is to follow the destruction of Popery, as the great criminal and corruptor of the Christian world. (The Millennium, closing in a second brief apostacy, to be distinguished by a sudden display of the power of God, followed by the day of judgment, and the consummation of that system of Providence in this world.) In tliis view of the Apocalypse, no prediction lower down than the French Revolution is looked upon as a subject for exact interpretation. This Revolution, however, furnishes the key to the Apocalypse, fixing the dates of the numbers 1260 and 666. 36 INTRODUCTION. ileges is the power of securing the expected happiness of the future, by our i ight use of the mercies of God in this stage of our existence. Whatever may be our discoveries of the government of God, or whatever our loftier or more devotional feelings on the perusal of Scripture, yet another point remains to be considered, before we can thoroughly understand the primary mean- ing of the Sacred Writings. We must never forget, that they were addressed to the ancestors of that wandering people, whose dispersion among the nations is a perpetual visible demonstration of the accomplishment of prophecy, and of the truth of Christianity. Jesus and his apostles were Jews. They conversed with, and lived among, and appealed to, Jews. To have been understood by the peo- ple to whom they spoke they must have adopted the idioms, language, proverbs, and modes of speaking then in use. Their conversations would have been filled with allusions to the events, circumstances, manners, modes, customs, &,c. of their day. To understand the New Testament thoroughly, therefore, we must endeav- our to comprehend the sense in which the language of the Evangelists was under- stood by the people of their own age ; and the requisite explanations can only be afforded by the Jewish writers. The classical writers, in many respects, are of little service. Though the works of Raphelius, and of innumerable others, who have illustrated the New Testament from these beautiful sources of criticism, are abundantly useful, they have not rendered that peculiar and more essential service to sacred literature which has been effected by the students of the talmudical writings. The learned Baptist, Dr. Gill, Schoetgen, Wetstein, Lightfoot, Dru- sius, and others, have contributed much more effectual aid to our right interpre- tation of Scripture". Though the talmuds abound with fables and absurdities — though the follies and conceits with which the Jews, who refused to embrace Christianity, began to crowd their books at the very time when the beautiful day- spring of the New-Testament Scriptures began to scatter the darkness of mankind, — may be considered as the beginning of their predicted judicial blindness, these books still illustrate the language of the Old Testament. They contain many ves- tiges of the ancient spiritual interpretations'. They explain the antiquities, alle- gories, mysteries, traditions, &c. of the Jews, which are alluded to in Scripture. Though they were written at a later period than the books of the New Testament, as I have shown in my concluding note to this work, they were compiled in the apostolic age, or in those which immediately succeeded it, when the traditions of their ancestors were most venerated, and when the storms which desolated the country attached the compilers most fondly to the very words and phrases of their learned rabbis". * ^ "Postquam ab adolescentia mea persuasum habuissem, Grsecos Scriptores mihi diligenter per- legendos esse, eum quidem in finem, ut inde mihi pliirima, qufe ad N. T. illustrationcm facere possunt, adferrem ; attamen illis bene multis perlectis, ipsa reriim experientia didicissem, non tantos eorum fructus, quantos animo praBceperam ; quia probatissimi quique Scriptores Grseci tanto seculorum intervallo a N. T. auctoribus distabant, ut vocabula tantum, non autem integrsB sententiffi compositio et ipsius linguse antique g;enius, convenireiit, adeo ut N. T. stylus ab ipsis Vet. Grffici, vix intelligeretur ; de aliis mediis circumspicere coepi. Missis ergo ad tenipus Grae- cis, ad Hebraica accessi, et majori quidem fructu, quam putaveram," &c. Surenhusius ap. Schoet- gen. HorfB Heb. Pref. sect. iv. "^ " Attende, Lector," says Schoetgen, " et observa reliquias veritatis apud votercs .Tudasos. Prius illud effatum Servatore nostro longe fuit antiquius, adcocjue iis verbis potcrat Juda>os con- vincere, jam adesse tempora Messiae, dum dictum illud ad tempus prsesens adplicat: idque ea prje- cipu^ de causa, quia omnia Mossise criteria, de quibus autocedcntia consulautur, isto tempore ad- erant." — Schoetgen. Horm Heb. vol. i. p. 113. — See on tliis subject the Avholc of Schoctgen's preface to the first volume. " I entreat the attention of the theological student to the preface to Schoctgen's Hora: He- INTRODUCTION 37 Impressed with such considerations, I have sometimes availed myself of these sources of illustration. Though I may appear to have wandered too far from the strict performance of the task whicii I had assigned myself — the arrangement of the New Testament — I would not refuse myself the pleasure of perusing and in- corporating in my notes many of the principal remarks of the learned and labo- rious Schoetgen. It is indeed to be regretted that the works of this divine are not sufficiently appreciated. He was imbued with the true spirit of theological criticism. Undertaking his work in the fear of God, and with a sincere desire to serve the Church, he never commenced his diligent reading without fervent prayer that his exertions might be useful. Firmly convinced of the inspiration of the New Testament, he had no hypothesis to serve — no theory to defend — no novel nor ingenious paradox to assert. Knowing that some degree of reputation would follow his diligent researches, he guarded himself carefully from vanity and self- conceit ; and rejected much of which the benefit was equivocal, lest the reader should imagine he desired only to display his learning. He apologizes for the very appearance of aflfectation, when his discussions might be thought unneces- sarily prolix. Every where acknowledging his obligations to Selden, Wagenseil, Braun, Witsius, Vitringa, Edzard, Lightfoot, and others, he still confesses the possibility of erroneous conclusions, and his utmost care to avoid them. His lan- guage is perspicuous rather than elegant ; and his great work will ever be es- teemed by all who desire to understand fully and satisfactorily the peculiarities of the New Testament. I trust that some theological laborer will soon devote him ■ self to the task of explaining the whole of the Sacred Volume from the same sources, which so much amused and delighted Schoetgen, Selden, Lightfoot, Dru- sius, and Gill. In selecting notes from these sources an additional interest was unavoidably excited for the wonderful people to whom so much of our Scriptures was ad- dressed. To them many notes are exclusively written. Though various circum- stances persuade me, that the mass of the Jewish people is altogether indifTerent to the exertions which many benevolent and good men are daily making on their behalf, — though they at present despise, for the most part, the idea of a spiritual Messiah — we who are Christians well know that Palestine is the land of Emman- uel. We know that the Most High so continues to govern the nations of the world, that their power, and wealth, and greatness, whether they arise from good polity, from war, or from commerce, shall all tend to the accomplishment of his prophecies. Of the unfulfilled prophecies of God, the most splendid, the most numerous, and apparently the most easy of execution, are those which relate to the Jews. They will again plant the vine and the olive upon their native hills, and reap their harvests in the valleys of their fathers. The history of the future age must develope the means by which this great event will be effected. We know not whether they will be borne back to Palestine in triumph in the ships of a powerful maritime nation, (and if so, may God grant that England, and not America, nor Russia, nor any other power, may be so honored by the Almighty), or whether in their behalf the age of miracles will return, and a great simultaneous effort be, therefore, made in their favor, on the part of the sovereigns of Europe braicre, which is now before me ; and to Lightfoot's Works, of which a new edition is just com- pleted, as well as to Wetstein's New Testament. The honor of opening to the world the foun- tains of talmudical learning, I rejoice to say, belongs to one of our own countrymen. To use the quaint expression of Schoetgen, nisi Lightfootus basset, multi non saltasscnt. VOL. II. I> 38 INTRODUCTION. — or whether, by the exertions of pious individuals, the mass of the community will be so leavened that all people shall unite to restore them to the Holy Land. We know not whether they shall obtain their political retstablishment from the con- federated rulers of the great republic of Europe — or by an easier devotion of that wealth, which is daily making them the principal agents of the commerce of na- tions, purchase the right of the soil from its present feeble and divided possessors — or whether the future agitations and contentions of sovereigns may render it desirable that an important boundary power should be reestablished in Palestine ; and a formal surrender of their territory should be therefore made to their nation ; as in times past the policy of Persia restored their ancestors to Jerusalem, in con- sequence of its defeat by the Greeks ; and of the treaty which forbade the Per- sians to come within a certain distance of the coast-— or whether they will be re- stored to their own now unoccupied, uncultivated, unregarded land, the central spot on earth, where the metropolitical Church of God may be most suitably es- tablished', and which seems to be waiting till the heir shall resume his claims, by some other way, which is known only to the God of their fathers — all this must be left to that history, which is the only right interpreter of our faith-preserving prophecy. The experience of the past ages may teach us the manner in which the pride and ambition of man pursue their own plans, and are successful, or are defeated, as the God of Christianity may please to appoint for the accomplishment of his own designs. Greece boasted of Marathon and Thermopylae — Greece was triumphant and Persia was repulsed. Neither Themistocles nor Miltiades, nor his son, who com- pleted their victories, nor Darius, nor Xerxes, nor his successor, could have be- lieved that their opposite continents were in commotion, and the whole world was agitated, that the poor and despised prophets of Judaea might be proved to have spoken truth ; and the walls of Jerusalem be rebuilt after the predicted period of the Babylonish captivity^ When Cyrus the younger advanced into the plains of Babylon, from the frontiers of Persia, with a well-appointed army of veteran Greeks, who returned to their own country after his unexpected fall, by a retreat which is still commemorated as the most renowned in history, neither Cyrus, * Mr. King's remarks upon Palestine, considered as the centre of the millennian empire of Christ upon earth, are highly worthy of notice. " How capable this country is of a more univer- sal intercourse than any other, with all parts of the earth, is most remarkable, and deserves well to be considered, when we read of the numerous prophecies which speak of its future splendor and greatness ; when its people shall at length be gatliered from all parts of the earth unto which they are scattered, and be restored to their own land. There is no region in the world to which an access from all parts is so open. By means of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, there is an easy approach from all parts of Europe, from a great part of Africa, from America by means of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and the well-knoAvn roads from tlience ; there is an approach from the rest of Africa, from the East Indies and from the Isles ; and, lastly, by means of the Caspian, the lake or sea of Baikall, and the near communication of many great rivers, the ap- proach is facilitated from all the northern parts of Tartary. In short, if a skilful geographer were to sit down to devise the fittest spot on the globe for universal empire, or, rather, a spot where all the great intercourses of human life should universally centre, and from whence the extended ef- fects of universal benevolence and goodwill should flow to all parts of the earth, and wiiere uni- versal and united homage should be paid, with one consent, to the Most High ; lie would not find another so suited, in all circumstances, as that which is, with emphasis, called the Holy Land. These observations, perhaps, may not deserve great weight, but they ougiit not to be wholly neg- lected ; especially when it is considered how many passages of Scripture there are which plainly declare, that the time shall at length come, when Zion shall be the joy of the whole earth." — Note to Hymns to the Supreme Bcins;, p. 126. ap. Hales' ./Inahjsis of Chronology, vol. ii. p. 1351. " See Hales' Analysis of Chronology, vol. ii. pt. 2. p. 482. INTRODUCTION. 3^ Clearchus, nor Xenophori, could have imagined that they were preparing the way for the accomphshment of the prophecies of God ; by pointing out to the Greeks of a subsequent generation, that when their forces should be united under one head, the kingdom of Persia was at their disposal ; as an obscure Jew had pre- dicted. They could not tell, that one reason why Cyrus could not conquer Per- sia with an army of the same people who should hereafter subdue it, might be — the prophecy of Daniel, that a Greek alone should become its conqueror. Rome did not know tliat its gradual conquests should overspread the world, and the nations should imperceptibly confo'-m to its government ; and then that its factions should be extinguished, and compelled, whatever their republican indig- nation might be, to submit to one imperial ruler ; in order that the words of the Jewish prophets might be fulfilled, and the world be at peace, when the Messiah should be born. But as we now look back upon these events, and see how the God of Christianity rides in the whirlwinds of war, and directs all the storms of human passions ; so shall the generations which are yet to come look upon the changes in England, which established that Protestantism which is the blessing of mankind — they shall look back upon the revolutions of France, and the opposition of England to infidelity in religion and anarchy in politics, and admire, in the un- limited consequences of the events of the last generation, the accomplishment of the prophecies of God. Brethren of the house of Israel ! if any such may be induced to listen to a stu- aent of your own Scriptures, your rank among nations will still be high and splen- did. The God of your fathers has now permitted you, for nearly two thousand years, to wander over the world, an oppressed, an insulted, and a despised people, without a sovereign, a kingdom, or a church. God is a Being unchangeable, and wise, and good. You hold in your hands a collection of books which tell you of the glories of your ancestors — how they were separated from the rest of the world, neither because they were greater, nor wiser, nor better, nor braver, than the rest of men upon whom the rain descended and the sun shone ; but because the love of God elected them, and gave them their laws and institutions, to preserve the memory of His name, amidst the contagion of idolatry ; and to obtain for them- selves political power and eminence, as the result of their obedience. The nations among whom they were planted respected and feared them, so long as they obeyed their Law : they subdued and conquered, and led them into captivity when they forgot their allegiance to Jehovah. The last and longest of their captivities was attended with this good effect ; it extirpated the remnant of that attachment to idolatry which had caused so many sufferings. The reaction from idolatry to faith was such, that when the books of the New Testament were written, the devotion of the Jews to the ritual and ceremonial law was at its height. Idolatry was never named among them without detestation and contempt. The strict observance even of a burthensome traditional law was added to the generally undeviating compliance with the Mosaical institutions ; and the chosen people of God appeared to themselves, and to the heathen, to live in the firm profession and obedience of the most burthensome service, commanded by their inspired legislator. What was the cause, then, that at the very moment when the design of Moses seemed to have been accomplished, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob should give his inheritance to the heathen, and the dead bodies of his servants to the fowls of the air ? Why was your land laid waste, the temple destroyed, your people scattered over the world, at that peculiar pe- riod, when your obedience to the minutest of your laws was most perfect ? From 40 INTRODUCTION. the earliest ages your fathers beheved that a Divine Being should come upon earth to perform various essential benefits for mankind. This belief was sup- ported by the predictions of the Old Testament. The expectation of a Messiah is the foundation of the whole system. When your observance of your ritual was most exact, your expectation of the Messiah was also most fervid. Yet your na- tion was afflicted by the dreadful visitation to which I have alluded. Thus your obedience and your faith were at their height, when the greatest desolation came upon you. Some proportionate cause must be assigned for this apparent mystery, and none can be found but that which is related in these books, which we, the Christians, have added to those received by yourselves, upon similar evidences of their inspiration. We receive them as the writings of your countrymen, upon the authority of the miracles which were wrought by their authors — their own in- ternal evidence — the prophecies they contain — and upon all otlier similar proofs which demonstrate to you the authority of the books of the Old Testament. Here then we arrive at the question which divides the elder brother from the younger ; the Jew from the Christian. In the Inspired Books which the Christian has appended to the Sacred Writings of the Jews, we read of the actions and preaching, the birth, and life, and death of a Being whom we assert to be the predicted Messiah. You rejected this Being because he did not deliver you from the Roman yoke. You demand a temporal, we a spiritual, deliverer. In this lies the difference between us. If a temporal Messiah is the object of the proph- ecies. He has not come ; if a spiritual Messiah is to be expected, Jesus of Naza- reth was the Desire of nations. Though I am largely digressing from our more immediate object, I entreat you to permit me to appeal to you as my fellow-men on this subject. As we are immortal and accountable beings, the soul of man, which lives for ever, is of more value than the body, which must mingle with the elements — the future and eter- nal state is of higher consideration than the present transitory world — and it is more probable, therefore, that the Great Deliverer who was announced by a long train of prophets, and to whom the attention of mankind should be directed, would be the bestower of some inestimable benefits, which would refer to the soul as well as the body ; and to the future as well as the present world. Man is now and has long been the subject of so much misery and evil, that his deliverance from that state, and restoration to happiness in the world to come would probably be the greatest and ^he worthiest design of the Almighty. In looking for a temporal Messiah, you anticipate a being fit for earth alone. The Messiah whom we receive was fit for earth and for heaven. Your Messiah is a mere mortal, who must linger through his few years of feverish renown, " pleased with this trifle still, as that before : " ours is an Immortal, who came down from an invisible world to elevate the whole human race, and to restore them to com- munion with God. Your Messiah is expected to triumph, as a Caesar or a Napo- leon, over the bodies of the slaughtered, amid the groans of the dying, and the tears of the widow and the orphan : ours shall mount to universal dominion by subduing the heart, and by changing the sword into the ploughshare, and banish- ing tears and grief for ever. Which is more glorious ? Yours is compatible with the indulgence of all the lion passions of the heart : ours is only compatible with the conquest of self, with pure motives, and a holy life. Which is more worthy of an Immortal — which yields more praise to God ? I shall be trespassing too much upon the time of the reader if I permit myself to proceed further on this point. INTRODUCTION. 41 I have not entered at great length into the various controversies w^hich prevail among Christians. Where the subject v^^as unavoidable, I have endeavoured to point out the principles on which both agree ; and by following which, their dif- ferences would be more reconciled. This mode of proceeding generally oftends both classes ; but I did not wish to become a partisan. In that principal and al- most the only great controversy which divides those who unite in believing the scriptural doctrines of the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Atonement, the ques- tion of church government, I have expressed myself in the most decided manner. I have done so because I believe that Christianity is a system of positive institu- tions ; and that those Christians who would represent Christ our Lord as the Sav- iour of individuals only have misapprehended the spirit of Christianity. Christ is the Legislator of nations. As tlie Jews were a nation and a people governed by the laws of God, so was it designed that every nation under heaven should be bound by one law of Christian and national polity. This object was to be effected by our Lord committing to his Church a system of authority, which is alike suited to all forms of civil government. Because the teachers of the people are in all nations the eventual arbiters of the character, the destiny, and the morality of a people ; it pleased God to appoint an order of men, who should judge of the fit- ness or unfitness of all the teachers of the people ; and who should permit none to become Christian ministers who had departed from the truth which Christ had revealed. To prevent ambition and pride (the principal agitators of governments) from disturbing the Churches, he made these men equal. The apostles were equal among themselves, and they appointed teachers ; and the Christian world never heard at that time of revolts, rebellions, or wars, among Christians. The purity of the apostolic government was preserved among their immediate succes- sors. The union of the Church with the civil power under Constantine perverted Episcopacy, by inducing ambition among the governors of the Churches ; and the usurpations of the bishop of Rome still more deeply injured the spirituality of the visible Church. The Reformation was the sera of new modes of church govern- ment, as well as of the overthrow of the corruptions of that apostacy ; and the universal Church has been disgraced, and the world continued in evil, by the shameful and bloody divisions among Christians. These divisions still continue ; but they would not have existed if the institutions of the Great Lawgiver had been observed ; neither will they cease till the great majority of Christians shall revive among them the primitive laws of order and union. I have not studied to discover new modes of interpretation. At the risk of being considered a compiler, I have freely taken from various works on Scripture, whatever appeared to be suited to my purpose. Though in danger of being es- teemed erroneous, I have not hesitated to express a decided opinion on the con- troverted points I may have found it expedient to discuss. No fear lest I should be considered illiberal, or uncandid, has prevented me from condemning any opin- ion which is contrary to truth. No hope of pleasing has induced me for one mo- ment to study the popular opinion ; to vary my phrases, to soften my expressions, or in any way to flatter the people. While I have not studied novelty, I have not hesitated to express any new view of a subject which appeared to me desir- able. I may use the expressive language of the great author of the Demonstration of the Messiah, " I do not desire to live longer in this world than whilst I am dis- posed both to find out the truth and follow if*." ■^ Bishop Kidder, Demonstration of the Messiah, dedication, p. 1. VOL. II. 6 42 INTRODUCTION. I must apologize for the period of the pubhcation of this book. Though some delay, arising from unavoidable circumstances, has caused me much regret, in other instances it has been willingly indulged. In contemplating the plan of the gov- ernment of the world, as it is revealed to us in the Scriptures, I seemed to be surveying a more magnificent temple erected to the glory of God than the round unclouded sky, with the sun walking in his brightness. On every side I heard the song of angels, and of the spirits of the just made perfect. Like Adam in Paradise, I listened to the voice of a manifested God ; I conversed with the Evan- gelists and the Apostles, I walked with them through the avenues of the majestic edifice ; and even now, though their address is ended, " so charming is their voice, that I can think them still speaking, still stand fixed to hear." Their words are the words of eternal life ; and the intercourse with these priests of the temple, and with their Holy Master, the God of their homage, appeared but the anticipation of that intellectual and spiritual happiness which shall constitute so much of our felicity in a future state. I submit to the reader the completion of the labor of some years with deference, yet with satisfaction and pleasure ; and I rejoice that it has pleased God to grant me the desire and the patience to accom- plish a work which should be useful to the Church and to the world. PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE FOR EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR. 43 La the following Tables, which are designed principally ybr the Use of Families, the whole of the Sections of this Arrangement are divided in such a manner, that by reading one ^oriton DAILY, the JVew Testament may be read through twice in a tear. JANUARY. Days of Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 PART. SECT. PORTIONS or SCRIPTURE. I. II. lii. IV. 1. U. lU. IV V. vi vii.-xii xiii.-xviii xix. XX i. ii iii.-viii i. ii iii.-vi vii.-ix X. xi. xii xiii. xiv xv.-xviii xix. to Luke vi. 31. on p. 77, Matt. V. 44, to end of sect.. . xx.-xxiii xxiv.-xxvii A.A Vlll* XXlXaa •■■••«••••««■ XXX. xxxi. xxxii xxxiii. xxxi V XXXV. xxxvi xxxvii.-xlii i ii. iii. iv V. vi. vii viii ix. X .ii .""A.! V ••••••■•■■••••••■•■ XV. xvi. xvii xviii. xix. XX Page. 47 49 51 54 57 59 60 63 65 67 69 71 72 75 77 80 82 84 86 89 91 93 97 99 102 104 105 108 110 113 115 FEBRUARY. Days of Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 PART. VI SECT. — PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE. 1* lV«a***a**a***BB«a*a V. vi. vii viii.-xiii xiv. XV. xvi xvii. xviii. xix XX. xxi. xxii xxiii. xxiv XXV. xxvi. xxvii xxviii.-xxxi xxxii. xxxiii. xxxiv xxxv.-xxxviii xxxix. xl xli. xlii. xliii xliv. xiv xlvi.-lii liii. and Part VI. sect. i. ii.-v vi.-xii xiii xiv. XV. xvi xvii. xviii xix. XX xxi. xxii. xxiii xxiv.-xxix XXX. -xxxiii xxxiv. XXXV. xxxvi xxxvii. xxxviii. xxxix... xl.-xliii xl.-xliii. Or, Sermon on the Mount, Page. 117 120 122 124 126 128 130 131 133 135 136 138 140 142 144 146 148 150 152 155 157 159 163 165 167 170 171 173 75 MARCH. Days of Wonth PART. 1 VII. 2 3 4 ^ ^ 5 .. 6 VIII. 7 ■ • 8 9 IX. 10 ■ • 11 ,. 12 • • 13 • ■ 14 , , 15 ., 16 X. 17 • • 18 ■ • 19 XI. 20 ■ • 21 , ^ 22 XII. 23 .. 24 • • 25 , ^ 26 27 .. 28 .. 29 ^ ^ 30 • • 31 SECT. PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE, l.-Vll viii. ix. X xi.-xv xvi.-xix xx.-xxiii i.-xvi xvii.-xxvii , . . . xxviii.-xxxv i.-vi vii. viii , ix.-xii , xiii.-x.x , xxi. xxii. xxiii X.AxV-'^X.Ji.X.' ••••■••••••»••>■••< xxxi.-xxxv i.-iv , v.-viii ix.-xiii i.-vi vii.-xi xii.-xiv i.-ix X. § 1-4. Galatians i. ii § 5-7. Galatians iii § 8-10. Galatians iv § 11-13. Galatians v. vi.... XI. xii. xiii xiv. § 1-4. 1 Thessalonians i. ii § 5-8. 1 Thess. iii. iv. v... XV. xvi. 2 Thess. i. ii. iii xvii. xviii. Epis. to Titus i.-iii. Page. 177 181 182 185 187 189 192 195 204 207 208 209 212 215 217 219 221 222 224 226 228 229 232 234 235 236 238 239 241 243 246 APRIL. Days of PART. Month 1 XII. 2 XIII. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 SECT. — PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE. xix.-xxi. and Part XIII. sec. i.-v. vi. § 1-4. 1 Corinthians i § 5-9. 1 Corinthians ii. iii... § 10-14. 1 Corinthians iv. v. § 15-17. I Cor. vi. vii. 1-17. § 18-20. ICo. vii.l8,«i<Z,viii. § 21 , 22. 1 Corinthians ix. . . § 23-25. 1 Cor. x. xi. 1.... § 26, 27. 1 Cor. xi. 2, to end. § 28. 1 Cor. xii. 1-30 § 29. 1 Cor. xii. 31. .xiii.... § 30-32. 1 Cor. xiv. xv. 1-11. § 33-40. lCo.xv.l2,enrf,xvi. vii.-ix. § 1-7. 1 Tim. i. ii ix. § 8-12. 1 Tim. iii. iv § 13-19. ITim.v. vi X. xi. § 1-7. 2 Cor. i. ii xi. § 8-12. 2 Cor. iii. iv § 13-17. 2Co. v.-vii. 1 § 18-21.2C0. vii.2,cnrf,viii. § 22-26. 2 Cor. ix. x § 27-29. 2 Cor. xi § 30-35. 2 Cor. xii. xiii xii. xiii. § 1-8. Romans i. ii — xiii. ^ 9-12. Romans iii § 13-16. Rom. iv. v. l-ll.. § 17-21. Rom. V.12, end, vi. § 22-24. Rom. vii. 1-25 § 25-30. R. vii. 25, e«rf, viii. § 31-35. Rom. ix. 1-29.... Page. 248 250 252 254 255 257 258 260 261 262 263 264 266 268 271 272 275 277 279 281 283 285 287 289 292 294 297 298 299 302 44 PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE FOR EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR MAY. Days of Month 1 2 3 4 5 G 7 8 9 10 n 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 31 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 PART. XIII. XIV SECT. — PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE. xiii. § 3G-39. Rom.ix. 30,C7«/, x. §40-45. Romans xi § 46-49. Romans xii. xiii.. § 50, 51. Romans xiv § 52-54. Romans xv § 55-57. Romans xvi xiv.-xx xxi.-xxiv XXV. xxvi. xxvii -xxviii. xxix. xxx XXXI. xxxn.. xxxiii. xxxiv. XXXV xxxvi. Part XIV. sect, i.-v — V1>'~'1X>> ••■••*■•••••■••••••■•• X. § 1-3. Ephesians i. ii. 1-10. § 3-7. E.ii.ll,enrf,iii.iv.l-6. § 8-10. Ephesians iv. 7-30. . § 11-13. Eph. iv. 31,32, v.. § 14-16. Ephesians vi -xi. § 1-4. Phihppians i. ii. 1-11. § 5-8. Phil. ii.l2,e7t<Z,iii. 1-16. § 9-12.Phil.iii. 17,«ofMrf,iv. xii. § 1-3. Colossians i. ii. 1-7.. § 4-7. C. ii. 8, CKrf,iii. 1-11. § 8-11 . Colos. iii. 12, end, iv. xiii. Epistle to Philemon xiv. § 1-3. James i § 4-7. James ii. iii § 8-10. James iv § 11-13. Jam. V. & sec. xv. JUNE. Days of Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 PART. XV. SECT. — PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE. i. §1-5. Hebrews i. ii § 6-9. Hebrews iii. iv § 10-13. Hebrews V. vi § 14-19. Hebrews vii. viii... § 20-23. Hebrews ix § 24-29. Hebrews x § 30-33. Heb. xi. xii. 1,2... § 34-37. Heb. xii. 3, to end.. § 38-41. Hebrews xiii xii. § 1-6. 2^imothy i. ii § 7-13. 2 Tim. iii. iv xiii. § 1-5. 1 Peter i. ii. 1-10.. . § 6-11. lP.ii.ll,e«f/,iv. 1-6. § 12-16. 1 Pet.iv.7,enrf,v. xiv. § 1-3. 2 Peter i. ii. 1-10... § 4-8. 2 Pet. ii. 10, end, iii. XV. Jude, and Sect. xvi. xvii.. xviii. § 1-7. Revelation i. ii... § 8-11. Revelation iii. iv. § 12-20. Rev. v.-viii. 1-5. § 21-28. R. viii. (i,crid,ix. x. § 29-31. Rev. xi. xii § 32-35. R. xiii. xiv. XV. 1-4. § 36-44. Rev. xv. 5. -xvii. § 45,46. R. xviii. xix. 1-10. § 47-51.R.xix.ll.xxi.l-8. § 52-55. R.xxi.9,e7w/,xxii. xix. I 1-5. 1 Jolin i. ii § ()-10. I Jolin iii. iv.... § 11-15. 1 J.v.2&3Epis. Page, 303 305 308 310 311 313 314 316 318 319 321 322 323 325 327 328 330 333 3:34 336 338 340 342 345 347 349 351 352 3.54 357 358 Page. 360 362 365 367 370 372 375 377 379 386 389 391 394 396 398 400 403 407 409 411 414 417 419 421 424 425 427 429 432 435 JULY. Days of Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 PART. II III. IV SECT. PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE. I. 11. Ul iv. V vi. vii. viii ix.-xii xiii. -xviii xix. XX i. ii iii. -viii i. ii iii.-vi vii.-ix X. xi. xii xiii. xiv xv.-xviii xix. to Luke vi. 31. on p. 77, Matt. V. 44, to end of sect.. . xxiv. -xxvii xxviii. xxix xxx. xxxi. xxxii xxxiii. xxxiv XXXV. xxxvi xxxvii.-xlii i II. 111. IV.. •.».••.......•.. V. vi. vii viii ix. X xi.-xiv XV. xvi. xvii Sermon on the Mount AUGUST. Days of Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 PART. IV V VI SECT. PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE. XVIU. XIX. XX. xxi 1. 11. 111. IV V. vi. vii viii.-xiii xiv. XV. xvi xvii. xviii. xix XX. xxi. xxii x.xiii. xxiv XXV. xxvi. xxvii.. . . xxviii.-xxxi x.xxii. xxxiii. xxxiv. xxxv.-xxxviii xxxix. xl xii. xiii. xliii xliv. xiv xlvi.-lii hii. and Part VI. sect, i., ii.-v vi.-xii xiii xiv. XV. xvi xvii. xviii xi.x. XX xxi. xxii. xxiii xxiv. -xxix xxx. -xxxiii xxxiv. XXXV. xxxvi , xxxvii. xxxviii. xxxix.. . . xl. -.xliii Ser 111071 on the Mount .... 47 49 50 51 54 57 59 60 63 65 67 69 71 72 75 77 80 82 84 86 89 91 93 97 99 102 104 105 108 110 75 Page. 113 115 117 120 122 124 126 128 130 1.31 133 135 136 138 140 142 144 146 148 150 152 155 157 1.59 163 1()5 167 170 171 173 75 PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE FOR EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR. 45 SEPTEMBER. Days of Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 PART. VII. VIII. IX. SECT. — PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE. I.-VII viii. ix. X.. xi.-xv xvi.-xix. . . xx.-xxiii.. . i.-xvi X. xi. XII. xvu.-xxvu. . . . xxviii.-.xxxv. . i.-vi vii. viii ix.-xii xiii.-xx xxi. xxii. xxii xxiv.-xxx xxxi.-xx.xv . . . i.-iv v.-viii ix.-xiii i.-vi vii.-xi xii.-xiv i.-ix X. § 1-4. Galatians i. ii..., § 5-7. Galatians iii , § 8-10. Galatians iv.. . . , § 11-13. Galatians v. vi xi. xii. xiii xiv. § 1-4. 1 Thessalonians § 5-8. 1 Thess. iii. iv. XV. xvi. 2 Thess. i. ii. iii.. . 1. 11. v.. . Page. 177 181 182 185 187 189 192 195 204 207 208 209 212 215 217 219 221 222 224 220 228 229 232 234 235 236 238 239 241 243 OCTOBER. Days of Month PART. 1 XII. 2 ^ 3 XIII. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 SECT. — PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE. xvii. xviii. Epis. to Titus i.-iii.. xix.-xxi.and Part XIII. sec. i.-v. vi. § 1-4. 1 Corinthians i § 5-9. 1 Corinthians ii. iii... § 10-14. 1 Corinthians iv. v. § 15-17. 1 Cor. vi. vii. 1-17. §18-20. 1 Co. vii. 18,cn(/, viii. § 21, 22. 1 Corinthians ix.. . § 23-25. 1 Cor. x. xi. 1.... § 26, 27. 1 Cor. xi. 2, to end. § 28. 1 Cor. xii. 1-30 § 29. 1 Cor. xii. 31. xiii.... § 30-32. 1 Cor. xiv. XV. 1-11. § 33-40. 1 Co. XV. 12, mrf, xvi. vii.-ix. § 1-7. 1 Tim. i. ii ix. § 8-12. 1 Tim. iii. iv § 13-19. ITim.v.vi X. xi. § ]-7. 2 Cor. i. ii xi. § 8-12. 2 Cor. iii. iv § 13-17. 2Co.v.-vii. 1 § 18-21.2CO. vii.2,enfZ,viii. § 22-26. 2Cor. ix. X § 27-29. 2 Cor. xi § 30-35. 2 Cor. xii. xiii xii. xiii. § 1-8. Romans i. ii xiii. § 9-12. Romans iii § 13-16. Rom. iv. v. 1-11.. § 17-21.Rom.v.l2, enrf, vi. § 22-24. Rom. vii. 1-25 § 2.5-30. R. vii. 25,e/jfl!,viii. § 31-35. Rom. ix. 1-29.... Page, 240 248 250 252 254 255 257 258 260 201 202 203 204 200 268 271 272 275 277 279 281 283 285 287 289 292 294 297 298 299 302 NOVEMBER. Days of Month PART. SECT. PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE. Page. 1 XIII. xiii. § 36-39. Rom. ix.30,mrf,x. 303 2 S 40-45. Romans xi... 305 3 § 46-49. Romans xii. xiii.. 308 4 § 50, 51. Romans xiv.. 310 5 & 52-54. Romans xv 311 6 313 7 xiv.-xx 314 8 xxi.-xxiv • • • 316 9 XXV. XXVI. XXVll 318 ]0 xxviii. xxix. xxx • • • 3J9 11 XXXI. XXXll 391 ^9. xxxiii. xxxiv 322 13 XXXV 323 14 xxxvi. Part XIV. sect, i.-v .... 325 15 XIV. Vl.-IX 327 16 X. § 1-3. Ephesians i. ii. 1- -10. 328 17 § 4-7.E.ii.ll,cnrf,iii.iv.l-6. 330 18 § 8-10. Ephesians iv. 7-30. . 333 19 § 11-13. Eph.iv. 31,32, v.. 334 '^0 § 14—16. Ephesians vi.. . 330 21 xi. § 1-4. Philippians i. ii. 1- -11. 338 22 § 5-8. Phil.il. 12,CM<Z,iii.l- -10. :i40 23 § 9-12. Phil. iii. 17, ioenrf IV. 342 24 xii. § 1-3. Colossians i. ii. 1- -7.. 345 25 § 4-7. C. ii. 8, end,'\u.l- -11. 347 26 § 8-11. Colos. iii. 12, cnrf IV. 349 27 xiii. Epistle to Philemon.. . . a5i 28 xiv. § 1-3. James i • • ■ 352 99 § 4—7. James ii. iii.... 354 30 8 8—10 James iv. .-...--- 357 DECEMBER. Days 1 of PART. Month 1 XIV. 2 XV. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 10 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 20 27 28 29 30 31 SECT. — PORTIONS OF SCRIPTURE. xiv. § 11-13. Jam. v. & Sec. xv. i. § 1-5. Hebrews i. ii § 0-9. Hebrews iii. iv § 10-13. Hebrews V. vi § 14-19. Hebrews vii. viii... § 20-23. Hebrews ix § 24-29. Hebrews x § 30-33. Heb. xi. xii. 1,2... § 34-37. Heb. xii. 3, to end.. § 38-41. Hebrews xiii xii. § 1-0. 2 Timothy i. ii § 7-13. 2 Tim. iii. iv xiii. § 1-5. 1 Peter i.ii. 1-10... § 0-ll.lP.ii.l].cHrf,iv.l-6. § 12-16. 1 Pet.iv.7,eHrf,v. xiv. § 1-3. 2 Peter i. ii. 1-10.. . § 4-8. 2 Pet. ii. 10, end, iii. XV. Jude, and Sect. xvi. xvii.. xviii. § 1-7. Revelation i. ii... § 8-11. Revelation iii. iv. § 12-20. Rev. v.-viii. 1-5. § 21-28. R. viii. 6,c«rf,ix.x. § 29-31. Rev. xi. xii § 32-35. Rev. xiii.-xv. 1-4. § 36-44. Rev. xv. 5.-xvii. § 45,46. R.xviii.xix.1-10. § 47-51. R.xix.ll. xxi. 1-8. § 52-55. R. xxi. 9, enrf, xxii. XIX. § 1-5. 1 John i. ii § 6-10. 1 John iii. iv. . . . § 11-15. 1 J.v.2&3Epis. Page. 358 360 362 365 367 370 372 375 377 379 386 389 391 394 396 398 400 403 407 409 411 414 417 419 421 424 425 427 429 432 435 THE NEW TESTAMENT. PART I. FROM THE BIRTH OF CHRIST TO THE TEMPTATION. Section I. — General Preface. Mark i. 1. — Luke i. 1-4. The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, "the Son of God.* sect. i. ^Forasmuch'' as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a The cospei of st. declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, biy wriuTn at°je^ 2 ''even as they delivered them unto us, which 'from the beginning [Uat'of 's^.' Li^i were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the *= word; ^ ''it seemed good to j^^Achaia, a. d. me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee 'in order, -^most excellent ^ Theophilus, '* ^that "" ^^^ ^"'•^ ^• thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast c gee Not! 3. been instructed. a see Note 4. a Dan. 3. 25. Matt. 4. 3, 6. & 8. 29. & 14. 33. & 16. 16. & 17. 5. & 21. 37. &26. 63. & 27. 40, 43, 54. Mark 3. 11. & 5. 7. & 9. 7. & 15.39. Lukel.32,35.&4.3,9,41.&8.28.&9.35.&22.70. John 1.14, 34,49. & 3. 16,17,18,35,36. & 5. 19,'20, 21, 22, 23,25. &6.69. &9. 35. &10.36. &. 11. 4,27. & 19.7. & 20.31. Acts 8. 37. & 9. 20. Eora. 1.4. & 8. 32. 2 Cor. 1.19. Gal. 2. 20. Eph. 4. 13. Heb. 1.2.&4. 14. & 6. 6. & 7.3. & 10.29. lJohn3.8.&4. 15.&5.5,9,10, 11,12, 13, 20. Rev. 2. 18. 6 Heb. 2. 3. 1 Pet. 5.1. 2 Pet. 1.16. IJohn 1. 1. c John 15. 27. d Acts 15. 19, 25, 28. 1 Cor. 7. 40. e Acts 11. 4. /Acts 1. 1. g- John 20. 31. Section II. — The Divinity, Humanity, and Office of Christ.^ sect, ii. John i. 1-18. The Gospel of St. ^ In the beginning "was the Word, and the Word was Hvith God, l^EpheTusTA. d" 'and the Word was God. ^'^The same was in the beginning with God. ^~- ' 'All things were made by Him ; and without Him was not any e see Note 5. thing made that was made. ^ -^In Him was life ; and ^the life was the "(?J°''j ^{^ij^"- light of men. ^ And ''the light shineth in darkness: and the darkness 1 John 1.1. Rev. comprehended it not. iProv.s.so.'ch.'n. ^ 'There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. "^^The ^^^"''"Vt^ - . , . ' c 1 T • 1 1 11 c Phil. 2.6. 1 John same came lor a witness, to bear witness 01 the Light, that all men s. 7. dGen. 1. 1. through Him might believe. ^ He was not that Light, but was sent to „ .„ „ ,„ so o ' e Ps. 33. 6. ver. 10. bear witness of that Light. ^ *That was the true Light, which liffhteth coi. i. le. Eph. O o ' o 3 9_ Heb. 1. 2. every man that cometh into the world. ^° He was in the world, and 'the Rev. 4.11." world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. ^^ ""He came -^s.'if ; ^^' ^ ^°''° unto his own, and his own received Him not. ^^ But "as many as re- ^ch.^8.12. &9.5. ceived Him, to them gave He* power to become the sons of God, Ach.3. 19. eve?i to them that beheve on his Name: ^^ Vhich were born, not of '$^^\^-}- J^?.". blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ver.' 33. "^And the Word 'was made ''flesh, and dwelt among us, (and 'we be- ■( f^'joV* . ,, ' o'V kIs. 49. n. ver. 4. held his glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father,) 'full iJohn2.8. of grace and truth. L'li'.l'. "'"• '" ^" m Lu. 19. 14. Acts 3. 26. & 13. 46. n Is. 56. 5. Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 3. 26. 2 Pet. 1. 4. 1 John 3. 1. * Or, the right, or, privUege. och. 3. 5. James 1.18. lPet.1.23. p Matt. 1. 16,20. Luke 1.31,35. & 2. 7. 1 Tim. 3. 16. oRom.1.3. Gal. 4. 4. r Heb. 2. 11, 14, 16, 17. s Is. 40. 5. Matt. 17. 2. ch.2. 11. & 11. 40. 2Pet. 1. 17. t Col. 1. 19. & 2. 3, 9. 48 BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. [Part. I. ^Z^'fd"^'^'^^' ^^ " Jolin'" bare witness of Him, and cried, saying, "This was He of fSeeNotee. whom I spakc, "He that cometh after me is preferred before me: '"for rMatt.3ii.Mark He was bcfore me ! " ^'^ And of his ""fuhiess have all we received, and 1. /. ijuke o. lb. - __ 7/ 1 T ver. 27,3o.ch.3. gracc for gracc. ^^l-or^the Law was given by Moses, ^?<^''Grace and 7och.8.58.coi.i. "Truth came by Jesus Christ. ^^'No man hath seen God at any time; ^^i o o. T. u ^the Only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath z ch. 3.34. Epheg. , i tt- 1. 6-8. Col. 1. 19. declared Him. &2.9, 10. y Exod.20. l,&c. ' =^= Deut A Ai.Ss. 5.1. 2 Rom. 3. 24. & 5. Section HI. — Birth of John the Baptist.? 21- & 6. 14. Lp„j, j_ 5_25 a ch.8.32. & 14. 6. ^ a- . i 6 Exod.33.20. De. •" 1 HERE was in the days oi Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain Like'^io."22?ch; priest named Zacharias, ''of the course of Abia : and his wife was of &1f.i6.Tjohi/4.' ^^^6 daughters of Aaron, and lier name was Elisabeth. ^ And they were 12. 20. both 'righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and or- ''iTijohnib. ' dinances of the Lord blameless. '''And they had no child, because that • = Elisabeth was barren, and they both were 7iotv well stricken in years. SECT^iii. 8 ^jj(j jj came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office be- B. V. IE. 6. fore God ''in the order of his course, ^ according to the custom of the J. P. 4708. priest's office, his lot was ^to burn incense when he went into the tem- '^"^''sriera. ^'^"' pie of the Lord ; ^° -^and the whole multitude of the people were pray- see N^ 7 ^^^ without at the time of incense. ^^ And there appeared unto him an a Matt. 2. 1. Augcl of the Lord, standing on the right side of ^the altar of incense ; V9^Neh"'i24 17* ^^ ^^^ whcn Zachar'as saw him, ''he was troubled, and fear fell upon c Gen. 7.1. & 17.1. him. ^^ But thc Angel said unto him, — 2o.3Tobi.i.Act3 " Fear not, Zacharias : for thy prayer is heard ; Phihs^^e^" ^^" -^"<1 thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, <zichroii.24.i9.2 And 'thou shalt call his name John. 31. 2."' ' ' ^"^ And thou shalt have joy and gladness ; *<?'""J.- ^o" 7v?: ^ And-^many shall rejoice at his birth. Sam.2.28. 1 Chr. ,,, , •"■ , -, /-it i 23. i3.2Chr.29. ^^ For hc shall be great m the sight of the Lord. /Lev. 16.17. Rev. ^^^'^ ^shall drink neither wine nor strong drink ; ^- ^' ■*• And he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, 'even from his mother's g E.xod. 30. 1. , J ' A Judges 6. 22. & WOmD. ieflg^ch i^'g' ^^ And" many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord Acts 10. 4. Rev. their God. 1. 17 i ver. 60, 63. ^' And" lic shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, ^^•='•^3- To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, 13.T ch.7'. 33. ' And the disobedient* to the wisdom of the just; *or,by. To make ready a people prepared for the Lord." mMai. 4. 5,6. ^^ And Zacharias said unto the Angel, ""Whereby shall I know tjEccIus. 48. 10. this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years." 11.14. itfark9.i2'. ^^ And tlic Augcl answering said unto him, "I am ^'Gabriel, that p Dan'. 8^'if7& 9 ^taud in the presence of God ; and am sent to speak unto thee, and io"Heb*^i"i4^^' ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ §^^^ tidings, ^o And, behold ! 'thou shalt be dumb, vEzek.3!26.&24. and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be per- ^' formed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season." -^ And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tar- ried so long in the temple. ^^ And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple : for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. rSee 2 Kings 11. ^3 AnJ it camc to pass, that, as soon as 'the days of his ministration • were accomplished, he departed to his own house. -'* And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 2^ "Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked *ir&"54;^,'4.^'^' on rne, to 'take away my reproach among men." Sect. IV. V.] THE ANNUNCIATION. 49 Section lY.-r—The Annunciation.^ sect, iv. Luke i. 26-38. B.YM5 ^^ And in the sixth month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God unto J. P. 4709. a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, ^^ to a virgin "espoused to a man Nazareth. whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's hSeeNotes name was Mary. ^'^ And the Angel came in unto her, and said, " ''Hail, a Matt. 1. is. ch. thou that «7-^ * Highly Favored! "the Lord is with thee! blessed art /oan^gas&io thou among women!" ^^And when she saw him, ''she was troubled i9- at iiis saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this acJepttS^^^'r^d should be.' ^^aced. Seever. ■^"And the Angel said unto her, "Fear not, Mary: for thou hast c Judges 6. 12. found favor with God. -^^ 'And, behold ! thou shalt conceive in thy fg^'jjoj 9 womb, and bring forth a son, and ■'^shalt call his name Jesus. -^-He eis. 7. 14. Matt. shall be great, ^and shall be called the Son of the Highest : and ''the ^^^^^ ^^ Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of his father David : ^^ 'and g see Mark 1. 1. He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever ; and of his kingdom \1^9^'7'^& Vo^s there shall be no end." irfev's'V^' ^"^Then said Mary unto the Angel, "How shall this be, seeing I i Dan. 2.44. & 7. know not a man ? " Mlf4:7'?$oh„!2: ^^And the Angel answered and said unto her, "^The Holy Ghost 34. Heb. i.s. . J Matt 1 20 shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee : therefore also that holy thing w hich shall be born of thee shall be called Hhe Son of God. ^^ And, behold ! thy cousin Elisabeth, ^ ^°° ^^'''^ ^- ^■ she hath also conceived a son in her old age : and this is the sixth month with her. who was called barren. ^^ For 'with God nothing '^^n.^lech.ete! shall be impossible." iSi? df is'It" ^^And Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto Rom.'4. 21. ' me according to thy word ! " And the Angel departed from her. Section V. — Interview between Mary and Elisabeth. sect. v. Luke i. 39-56. ^ ^— ^ ^^ And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country j^ p. 4799. with haste, ''into a city of Juda.'' '*'' And entered into the house of Hebron. Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. '^^ And it came to pass, that, when uTTo ■w— 1 » Til T« 1 • t* Ik M" 1111 1 JOSH* t£i» y*"! i « Elisabeth heard the salutation 01 Mary, the babe leaped ' in her womb ; k see Note 10. and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, ^~ and she spake out with ' ^^"^ ^°^^ "• a loud voice, and said, — " ''Blessed art thou among women ! and blessed is the fruit of thy V! ai.^" ^""^^^^ womb ! ''"^ And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me ? "^^ For, lo ! as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mhie ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ^^ And blessed is she *that believed : for there shall be a performance of those *,Aaj'^A^e*&r"^ things which were told her from the Lord." cisam.2.iPs.34. 'i'^And Mary said,— 2,3.^^35.9. Hab. "My" soul doth magnify the Lord, (/isam.i.n.ps. J _ ~ . . . 138. 6. ^■^ And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour ; « Mai.3.12. ch.ii. 48 YoY ''He hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. ^^* f Ps 71 19 &L 126 For, behold ! from henceforth 'all generations shall call me blessed ; 2, 3. ' ' ^^For He that is mighty •'hath done to me great thines, s-Ps. 111.9. \ J g^ ^ ■ J ■ ° =■' AGen.l7.7.Exod. And holy is his name ; 20. e. Ps. 103. 17, ^*^ And ''his mercy is on them that fear Him ^pJ gg ^ ^^jg From generation to generation. is. is. 40. 10 & o ^ 51. 9. & 52 10. ^^ He' hath showed strength with his arm; j pj. 33. 10. 1 Pet. He^ hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. ^- ^■ ^^ He*" hath put down the mighty 'from their seats, 5. 11. Ps.11'3 e. And exalted them of low degree. i [Or, fr^^ thrones VOL. II. 7 E 50 THE BIRTH OF JOPIN THE BAPTIST. [Part I. ,n 1 sam.2.5. Ps. 53 Hg- h^th filled the hungry Avith good things ; nPs.98.3.Jer.3i. And the ricli He hath sent empty away. Gen! 17. 19. Ps. ^^ H^ liath holpen his servant Israel, ss^Gah 3°T6.^^' •'■"" remembrance of his mercy ^^ ("as He spake to our fathers) m See Note 12. To Abraham and to his seed for ever."'" ^^ And Mary abode with her about three months ; and returned to — her own house. SECT. VI. J. P. 4709. Hebron. — Section VI. — The Birth and Naming of John the Baptist. B. V. M. 5. Luke i. 57, to the end. ^^Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered ; and she brought forth a son. ^^ And her neighbours and her cousins heard a ver. 14. how thc Lord had showed great mercy upon her ; and "they rejoiced with her. i Gen. 17.12. Lev. ^9 ^j^^j j|^ camc to pass, that ''on the eighth day they came to cir- cumcise the child ; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father, ever. 13. ^'^ And his mother answered and said, "'Not so; but he shall be called John." "^^ And they said unto her, " There is none of thy kin- dred that is called by this name." ^-And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. ^^ And he asked for a writing d ver. 13. table, and wrote, saying, " "^His name is John." And they marvelled /ver. 39. ^11. ^^ 'And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue ^ch. 2.19,51. loosed, and he spake, and praised God. ^^And fear came on all that /J GeJi!39.'Cps.8o. dwclt rouud about them: and all these * sayings were noised abroad j7-|J89.2i.Acts throughout alKthe hill country of Judaea, ^^^^nd all they that heard I Joel 2. 28. them "laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What manner of child ^\!i3!&72.t8!'& shall this be ! " And Hhe hand of the Lord was with him. iou-4'^- ''^And his father Zacharias 'was filled with the Holy Ghost, and k Exod. 3. If). & , . 1 . •' 4. 31. Ps. 111. 9. prophesied, saying, — zS; i32!'i7. ^"^ Blessed^ be the Lord God of Israel ; m[i. e. aMi?hty For ''Hc hath visited and redeemed his people, n'il^^:^^li. ^^ And' hath raised up an '"Horn of Salvation for us 10. Dan 9. 24. jj^ ^hc liousc of his scrvaut David, Acts 3. 21. Rom. tn / t n tt 11 1 1 ^ 1 • 1 1 -r» 1 1. 2. 70 ^^g Hq spake by the mouth oi his holy rrophets ''98.T & ios^'sfg! Which have been since the world began), & 106. 45. Ezek. 71 That wc should be saved from our enemies, y Gen. 12.3. & 17. And from the hand of all that hate us .• Heb. 6.T3, 17. ' ^^To" perform the mercy promised to our fathers, 5 Rom. 6. 18, 22. And to remcmbcr his holy covenant ; rieb. 0. ]4. rjor. 32. 39,40. '''^ Thc'' Oath which he sware to our father Abraham Thi.'l: it 2 '^^ That he would grant unto us, Tim.1.9. Tit. 2. That we, beins; delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might JO, J Pet. 1. 15» ■> ri) ^ <:d 2~Pet. 1. 4. 'serve Him without fear," " f9*'4o^3"M!i 3. ^^ I'^'^ holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our [life] . 1.&4.5. Matt.ii; '^f' And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: 10 ver, 17. . . * or,For.Marki. For "thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways ; 4 ch 3. 3. ■'"'To give knowledge of salvation unto his people, i Or, bowels of tfic ^_. » , ■ . ° ^ , • ■ 'a i i . i ,. i /• mercy. *By tlic rcmissiou of their sins '^through the f tender mercy oi J Or, sun rising. f\iM- C* r\A • OT,branrJi.Kum'. OUr VJOU , Zeci/3 s'&fi'i' Whereby the tdayspring from on high hath visited us, Mai. I' 2. Rev! ''9 To' ffivc light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of 22. 15. == , ^. tis.9.2.&42.7.& death, Aci'sof^V'^'^' To guide our feet into the way of peace." uch. 2. 40. ^'^ And "the child grew, and wa.ved strong in spirit; and "was in the r^Matt.3.i.&ii. dgggj-ts till the day of his showing unto Israel. Sect. VII.— IX. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. 51 Section VII. — An Angel appears to Joseph. sect^vii. Matt. i. 18, to the end. B. V. ^. 5. 18 Now the "birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise. When as his •^^.^^'^''^O^- mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together," she ^""^ " was found with child *of the Holy Ghost. ^^Then Joseph her hus- ^ ^^"^'^^.^'^^-^ band, 'being a just man, and not willing '^to make her a public exam- & Luke 1.35.' pic, was minded to put her away privily. "°But while he thought on c[Or, being kind 1 ■ 1 . 1 V 1 T I 1 i I • • '''"' ""' Willing, these things, behold ! the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him m a &c.-ed.] dream,P saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto jj g '"'j;,;^'*; J: thee Mary thy wife; 'for that which is *conceived in her is of the e Luke 1.35. Holy Ghost ; 21 /and she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his *l\^'f!^^- name t Jesus, for °'he shall save his people from their sins."i 22 (Now { Thatis.'satw, all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the «;>'• ^ ,„ , . Lord by the prophet,"" saymg, — 31. & 13.23,38. q See Note 16 2^ "Behold !'' a virgin shall be with child, rSeeNoten. And shall bring forth a son, " ^J^-^'- J^^j ^^^ And tthey shall call his name Emmanuel, shJibeTcdUd!^^ Which being interpreted is, God with us.") 2^ Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the Angel of the Lord had bidden him ; and took unto him his wife, ^^and knew her not till ,,.,„, ' 11 11 1 1 • T ' Exod. 13.2. Lu. she had brought forth 'her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. 2.7,21. Section Nlll.— Birth of Christ at Bethlehem. sect^viii. Luke ii. 1-7. jB. v. M. 5. 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree j. p. 4701). from Csesar Augustus, that all the world should be *taxed.' - ("And Bethlehem. this taxing was first made' when Cyrenius was governor of "Syria.) *OT,mroUed.[\.p.. ^And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. '* And Jo- susiu".-ed.T soph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Ju- s See Note 18. daea, unto 'the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, ('because he " see 'No'te'io. was of the hou.se and lineage of David.) ^ to be taxed with Mary ''his uSeeNote2o. espoused wife, being great with child.'' '^ And so it was, that, while john7.'42.' ' ' they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be de- ^ Matt. 1. le. ch. livered. ''^ And 'she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him djiltt. i.is. ch, in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was ,j^see jv^tg oj, no room for them in the inn. e Matt. 1.25. Section IX. — The Genealogies of Christ.^ sect, ix. Matt. i. 1-17.— Luke iii. 23, to the end. y s«« ^'°'« 22. The Book of the "Generation of Jesus Christ, ''the Son of " " f.,^' " " . ' b Ps. 132. II. Is. David, 'the Son of Abraham: \'- i;^?^~?.^' ' ch. 22. 43. John Luke iii. 23 ggjj^g (g^g ^yas supposed) ''the son of Joseph, which was fc^fi'^^'flom'. the son of Heli, 2** which was the son of Matthat, which was i-3. the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of '^is! cahl.' te^' Janna, which was the son of Joseph, -'^ which was the son of Matta- dMatt. 13. 55. thias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, ^'^ which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, -^ which was the son of Joanna, which Avas the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, ~^ which was the son of Melchi, which was the son Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, John 6. 42. 52 THE ANGELS APPEAR TO THE SHEPHERDS. [Part I. which was the son of Er, ^^ which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Ehezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, ^'^ which was tlie son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Ehakim, ^^ which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Matta- ezech. 12. 12. tj^a, which was tiie son of 'Nathan, -^which was the son of David, 1 chron. 3. 5. ^^ ^which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was ^ichron*-' w'&c' ^^^ ^^^ ^^ Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, ^^ which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, -^^ which was the son of Jacob, which was AGen. 11.24, 26. the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, 'which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, ^^ which was the son of Sa- ruch, which was the son of Ragau, wliich was the son of Phalec, i See Gen. 11. 12. which was the SOU of Hcbcr, which was the son of Sala, ^"^ 'which was ■'n'^To^'&c*"''^ ^^^^ ^^^ °^ Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad,^ which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, 2^ which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, *^^ which was the son of Enos, which was the son of k Gen. 5. 1, 2. Scth, which was the son of Adam, *which was the son of God."^ Gen. 21. 2, 3. ~ 'Abraham begat Isaac ; and '"Isaac begat Jacob ; and Matt. i. s-n. TO Gen. 25. 26. "Jacob bcgat Judas and his brethren ; ^ and "Judas begat 0^^38.27. Phares and Zara of Thamar ; and 'Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom p Ruth 4. 18, &c. begat Aram ; '^ and Aram begat Aminadab : and Aminadab begat 1 Chron 2 59 ~ &c. ■ "■ ' ' Naasson ; and Naasson begat Salmon ; ^ and Salmon begat Booz of Rachab ; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth ; and Obed begat Jesse ; g 1 Sam. 16. 1. & ^ and ' Jcssc begat David the king : and '^David the king begat Solo- r2Sara. 12. 24. mou of her that had been the wife of Urias ; '''and ''Solomon begat sichro.3.io,&c. Roboam ; and Roboam begat Abia ; and Abia begat Asa; ^and Asa begat Josaphat ; and Josaphat begat Joram ; and Joram begat Ozias ; ^ and Ozias begat Joatham ; and Joatham begat Achaz ; and Achaz t2King^2o.2i. begat Ezckias ; ^° and 'Ezekias begat Manasses ; and Manasses begat * some"read, Jo- Amon ; and Amon begat Josias ; ^^ and * Josias begat Jechonias and ^'^rf jakbrffe'r'at ^^^ brethren, about the time they were "carried away to Babylon ; Jechonias. See 1 12 and after they were brouglit to Babylon, ^'Jechonias begat Salathiel ; u 2 Kings 24. 14, and Salatliicl begat ""Zorobabel ; ^^ and Zorobabel begat Abiud ; and i'chfo.toao 2o". Abiud begat Eliakim ; and Eliakim begat Azor ; ^^ and Azor begat g'^&l'' n" 1^ %' ^^doc ; and Sadoc begat Achim ; and Achim begat Eliud ; ^^ and 29,30. ban. 1.2'. Eliud bcgat Eleazar ; and Eleazar begat Matth an ; and Matthan be- « 1 chro 3. 17 19. Jacob ; if^and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom 70 Ezra 3.2. &. 5. 2. » ' i-iii/-^ Noll. 12. 1. Hag. was bom Jesus, who is called Christ. ^^ So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen gen- erations ; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations ; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.^ 1. 1. a S<!e Note 24. SECT. X. B. V. iE. 5. b J. P. 4709. Section X. — The Angels ajjpcar to the Shepherds. Fielrls near •• o on IJethlehem. LuKE II. b-^O. i.SficN^25. ^And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the * Or, the night- field, keeping *watch over their flock by night. ^And, lo! the Angel «ch.]. 12. of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round ''£"',"i;3;^-,Mi"- about them: "and they were sore afraid. ^°And the Angel said unto 2o. i'K IVIiirk 1. 1.). -^ ... v..r.3i,32.ch.2i. thcm, " Fcar not: for, behold ! I bring you good tidings of great joy, els. 9,0. ''which shall be to all people. ^^'For unto you is born this day, in Sect. XL— XII.] THE CIRCUMCISION. 53 the city of David, ''a Saviour, Vhich is Christ the Lord, i^ A^j^j tj^ig ^M-^'^t- J-2ij ^ shall be a sign unto you ; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swad- i6.jti.cii. i.'*). dling clothes, lying in a manger." ^^-^And suddenly there was with seipilii'a. ii. " the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, — •^^;'"; i^'pshot 20, 21. & 148. 2'. i"* " Glory' to God in the highest, and on earth "peace ; Dan. 7. 10. Heb. Good' will toward men ! " ^ch.i9.38. Epii! l.G. &3. 10,21. ^^ And it came to pass, as the Angels were gone away from them ^ev. 5. 13. into heaven, *the shepherds said one to another, " Let us now go 79.' Rom. s.'i.' even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which i!'^^!'" " °" the Lord hath made known unto us." ^"^ And they came with haste, '^''^^'\^-1%'^p^^- and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. ^^ And 2! i6."ijoim 4. when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which * ^r. 'the men the was told them concerning this child, ^^ And all they that heard it */'g''«^'-<^- wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. i^^But Mary kei)t all these things, and pondered them in her heart. •^ f ''gg ^Jj^ "j '^''• ^" And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. — ^_^____^^__^____-___ SECT. XI. Section XL — The Circumcision." J ' .J,.^' J. r. 4/09. Luke ii. 21. Temple of Jeru- "And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of ^^• the child, his name was called ''Jesus, which was so named of the c see Note 2g. Angel before he was conceived in the womb. 12. 3'. ch.~i. 59. " b Matt. 1.21,25. - ch. 1.31. Sectiox XIL — The Purification — Presentation of Christ in the Temple, ^^^^ ^^^ where he is acknowledsred by Simeon and Anna. — T • 00 QQ B.V.^.5. Luke u. 22-39. j p ^^^g ^^ And when "the days of her purification, according to the Law of Temple of Jeru- Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present ''!!!!!'• him to the Lord ; ^^(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, " ''Every a Lev. 12.2,3,4, e. male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;") ^^and 29.&34.i9'.Nura! to offer a sacrifice according to '"that which is said in the Law of the jg.^tsf^ ^' "' '^ Lord, " A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." ^ cLev. 12.2,0,8. 2^ And, behold ! there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was 'iseeNote27. Simeon ; and the same man was just and devout, ''waiting for the Vs'.JI'ver. ss!'"' 'Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him ; ~^ and it ^^^y^^-J^^ ^''"■ was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not •''see /Ps. 89.48. Heb. death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.^ ^^And he came ^by ^l'^l'^^^^^_ the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the ^ Matt. 4.1. child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the Law, ^* then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, — -9 " Lord, ''now lettest thou thy servant depart, in peace according phn".i.23. ' to thy word : '^=- ^^- ^**- '=^- ^^ "^Tor mine eyes 'have seen thy •'Salvation, j i.e. saviour.— 31 Which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people ; Y ^ "e.anEniight- 32 A^ Light to lighten the Gentiles, 9"2.&ll:6:& ig! And the Glory of thy people Israel." Matt "^4 ig Acts 33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were 13. 47. & 28. 28. spoken of him. 34^jt,(J Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his 'g^Mlt^.^aTlt; mother, " Behold ! this child is set for the 'fall and rising again of ^^l^^i^J^'lf; I many in Israel •/ and for "'a sign which shall be spoken against, 3^ ("yea, cor.2.]6.'i Pet. a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also,) that the thoughts f gee' Note 29. of many hearts may be revealed." ™ ^^^^^^io'j h 36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, "w.'bo." 54 THE OFFERING OF THE MAGI. [Part 1. of the tribe of Aser : she was of a great age, and had hved witli a husband seven years from her virginity ; ^~ and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, "irfm^i^L ^^^ served God with fastings and prayers "night and day. ^"^ And she coming in that instant gave thanks hkewise unto the Lord, and spake \5.'^ch.24. 21^^' of Him to all them that ''looked for redemption in * Jerusalem. * ^'' ^*'''°«'- ^^ And when they had performed all things according to the Law ____^_^ of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. SECT, xni. Section XIIL — The Offering of the Magi. ^ B. V. ^. 5. Matt. ii. 1-12. J. P. 4709. 1 Now when "Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Bethlehem. Jjcrod thc king, behold ! there came wise men ''from the East to Je- ^s.eNoteso. rusalcm, ^saying, "Where' is he that is born King of the Jews? for " Gen '^ 10 t'o^' & ^^ havc sccn ''his star in the "East, and are come to worship him." 95.6. 1 Kings 4. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and e Luke 2. 11. all Jcrusalcm with him ;'^ "^and when he had gathered alKthe Chief ''i^To' 3^' ^^' Pi"iests and ^Scribes of the people together, ''he demanded of them e [i. e. the East whcrc Christ should be born. ^ And they said unto him, " In Bethle- country.— d.] j^^^^^ ^^ Judaoa : for thus it is written by the Prophet, — Jerusalem. j i ' h See Note 31. 6 1. ^j^^ji ^Jjqu Bcthlehcm, in the land of Juda, /2 Chron. 36. 14 * , . .i i . .i • r t \ ^2Chron. 34.13. Art uot the least among the prmces oi Juda: 1 Mac. 5.42. & 7. ^Qx out of thcc sliall comc a Governor, ■'that shall *rule my peo- ftMai. 2. 7. pie Israel.' " ^ i Mic. 5. 2. John 7''^\ '^Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired *or,/ecd. of them diligently what time the star appeared ; ^and he sent them to i See Note 32. Bethlehem, and said, "Go a>id search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also." ^ When they had heard the king, they de- parted ; and, lo ! the star, which they saw in the East, went before k See Note 33 them, till it camc and stood over where the young child was.'' ^° When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy ; ^^ and when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him : and when they had ftPs. 72. 10. Is. opened their treasures, ''they *presented unto him gifts; gold, and * Or,' offered. frankinccnsc, and mynh. '^-And being warned' of God 'in a dream 1 See Note 34. ^j^^^ ^|^gy gi^Quld uot rctum to Hcrod, they departed into their own country another way. Bethlehem SECT. XIV. Section XIV. — The Flight into Egypt. B. V. E.. 5. Matt. ii. 13-15. J. P. 4709. ^^ And when they were departed, behold ! the Angel of the Lord Egypt- appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, " Arise, and take the young m See Note 35. cliild aud his mothcr, and flee into Egypt,"" and be thou there until I bring thee word ; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him." 1* When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt ; ^^ and was there until tlie death of Herod : a Hos. 11. 1. that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet saying, " Out" of Egypt have I called my son."" n See Note 36. SECT. XV. ~„ 5 Section XV. — Slaughter of the Children at Bethlehem." J P 4709. Matt. ii. lG-18. Bethlehem. '^TiiEN Hcrod, wlicii hc saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth ; and sent forth, and slew all the children that o See Note 37. Sect. XVI.— XVIIL] JOSEPH RETURNS FROM ECxYPT. 55 were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently incjuired of the wise men.P ^^Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by "^Jer- ^f^; g^'jf " emy the prophet, saying, — ^^ " In Rama was there a voice heard. Lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning ; ~ Hachel weeping for her children. And would not be comforted, because they are not." Section XVI. — Joseph returns from Egypt. sect. xvi. Matt. ii. 19, to the end. — Luke ii. 40. v~~/p ^^BuT when Herod was dead, behold! an Angel of the Lord ap- j'p'47ji.' peareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, -° saying, " Arise, and take Egypt. the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel ; for — they are dead which sought the young child's life."'* ~^ And he arose, q see Note 39. and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. ^^But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go tliither : •" notwith- ' s°« ^"^^ ^o- standing, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside "into the "^^'^l' ^^- ^"'"^ parts of Galilee. -^ And he came and dwelt in a city called 'Naza- Nazareth. reth: that it might be fulfilled 'which was spoken by the Prophets, t John 1.45. Luke ii. 40. [that] " He ' shall be called a Nazarene." ^^ And the child '=/"sll';!h 11: grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and a see Note 41. the grace of God was upon him. Section XVII. — History of Christ at the age of twelve years.^ sect, xvn. Luke ii. 41, to the end. V. JE. 7. '^^ Now his parents went to Jerusalem "every year at the feast of J. P. 4720. the Passover. '^^ And when he was twelve years old, they went up Jerusalem. to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast : '^^ and when they had ful- t see Note 42. filled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Je- & 34. 23. ' Deut! rusalem ; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. '*'* But they, ^'^' ^' ^^' supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey ; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. '^^ And when they found [him] not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. ^'^ And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. '^^ And ''all that heard him were *B^!^''/kL2-xrh.4. astonished at his understanding and answers. '^^ And when they saw 22,32. John 7. him, they were amazed : and his mother said unto him, " Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us ? behold ! thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing." ^^ And he said unto them, " How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about 'my Father's business?" cJohns.ie. ^° And ''they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. d^<^h.9.45. & is. ^^ And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them : but his mother 'kept all these sayings in her heart. ^^''^^- ^''"■'^■ ^^And Jesus •'^increased in wisdom and * stature, and in favor with /isam. 2. 26. God and man. *or'a<^e Section XVIII. — Commencement of the Ministry of John the Baptist, sect, xviii. Matt. iii. 1-12. — Mark i. 2-8. — Luke iii. 1-18. V ^E 2C » Luke iii. ]. 1 ]Vow in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cse- j. p. 4739. sar, Pontius Pilate bcini? Governor of Judaea, and Herod The wilderness being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of — " ' 56 MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. [Part 1. Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the "iLsaal'^'Acu tetrarch of Abilene/ "Annas and Caiaphas being the high 'Lukeiii.s. 4- 6- priests, the word of God came unto John," the son of smI^ic °.4/i5. Zacharias in the wilderness. ^In those days came ''John sMatt. iii. i. Lu^ke 3.2,3. John the Baptist, preaching "in the wilderness of Judaea. '' '^John ■*Marki.4. c Josh. 14. 10. did baptize in the wilderness,^ * and he came into all the ^ Luke iii. 3. d John 3. 23. country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance, y y See Note 45. 'for the rcmission of sins, "and saying, " Repent ye : -^for «Matt. iii. 2. e Luke 1.77. the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ' As it is written in the ' ^^'''^ '• ^■ /Dan. 2. 44. ch. T, . f 4. 17. & 10. 7. rrophets, — ^ifioii V^7 27' ' Behold '.^ I send my messenger before thy face, z See Note 46. Wliicli sliall prepare thy Way be forc thcc :' ^ As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the » Luke iii. 4. prophet, saying, — V^o"*"',,?' ?''^^^t ' The'' voice of one crying in the wilderness, 3.3. Mark 1.3. /> T t John 1.23. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight. ^ Every valley shall be filled, » Luke iii. 5. And every mountain and hill shall be brought low ; And the crooked shall be made straight, And the rough ways shall be made smooth ; 'I'rf- ^-o /rf- ^^- " And 'all flesh shall see the Salvation of God.' " '° ^uke iii. 6. 10. ch. 2. 10. j Mark 1. 6. " And ^ the same John ''had his raiment of camel's hair, and " Matt. iii. 4. Zeciuis. 4. ' a leathern girdle about his loins ; and his meat was 'locusts zLev. 11.22. and '"wild honey. '^ "And there went out unto him all the '^Marki.s. nMatTs. 5. ' land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, '^and all the region "Matt. iii. 5. Acts 19. 4, 18. round about Jordan, " "and were all baptized of him in the "Marki. 5. a See Note 47. rivcr of Jordan, confessing their sins.^ '* But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Saddu- '^ Matt. iii. 7. cees come to his baptism — "^ Then said he to the multitude i" Luke iii. 7. that came forth to be baptized of him — '^ he said unto ^'' Matt. iii. 7. p Matt. 12. 34. & them, " ^'O generation of vipers ! who hath warned you to 7,8,9. "'^ "flee from 'the wrath to come? '* Bring forth therefore '^ Matt. iii. 8. 'iThess: L 10. fi"uits *meet for repentance : '^ and think not to say within '^ Matt. iii. 9. * Or, answerable yoursclvcs, '^Wc havc Abraham to our father : for I say unto to^amendvient of ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ .^ ^^j^ ^^ thcsc stoucs to raisc up children r John 8 33,39. ^j^^q Abraham. '' And now also the axe is laid unto the =" Matt. iii. 10. Acts 13. 9b. . , . Rom. 4^1, 11,10. root of the trees: ^therefore every tree which bnngeth not *LukVi3. 7,'9. forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." t Act" 2!"37. '' And the people asked him, saying, " 'What shall we do '' Luke iii. 10. It Luke 11. 41. then?" ^^ He answereth and saith unto them, " "He that ^^^ Luke iii. 11. jam°e'3 2.' it] 10. l^^th two coats, Ict him impart to him that hatii none ; and wohn3.i7.'&4. i^g that hath meat, let him do likewise." " Then "came =« Luke iii. 12. ,; Matt. 21.32. also Publicaus to be baptized, and said unto him, "Master, J^LukJio! 8. what shall we do ? " '' And he said unto them, " "Exact ^ ^^^ '"• '^■ no more than that which is appointed you." " And the '' Luke iii. i4. soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, " And what * Or Put no man ^\y^\\ y^.Q ^\Q > " Aj-,(J j-,g g^id uilto tllCm, " *Do violcnCC tO zExod. 23. L no man, ""neither accuse any falsely; and be content with t o'^aLiL. your t wages." '' And as the people were in \ expectation, '' Luke iii. 15. X Or, su.n,ensc. and all men *mused in their hearts of John, whether he *d°L7r"''''"'' were the Christ, or not; "John answered, saying unto " Luke iii. lo. I, Matt. 3. 11. them all, "'I indeed baptize you — ''have baptized you '' Mark i. 8. with water ''unto repentance, but ^^ there cometh One *» Matt. iii. ii. mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am "^ Mark i. 7. Sect. XIX. XX.] THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST. 57 31 Matt. iii. 11. j^Qt worthy to stoop down and unloose ; ^' whose shoes I "MaKs'^afs.'Acu am not worthy to bear: 'He shall baptize you with the 2^3,4. 1'cor. 12. 32 Matt. iii. 12. Holy Ghost, and with fire : '- whose fan is in his hand, a Mai. 4. 1. Matt. and He will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat j\^;.^4o.3. nart into the garner; but He Avill "burn up the chaft' with un- J;,^;,^"^^-^- 33 Luke iii. 18. quenchable fire." '''And many other things in his exhor- c Luke 1. 76. tation preached he unto the people. d_^Mark 1. 5. Luke Matt. iii. 3, 5,6, 11.— 3 For this is He that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias, say- ^s^^^'g.Vohn ^."is", ing, " 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness, "^Prepare ye the way of the Lord, 2'o, 33. Acts 1.5. malie his paths straight." 5 ''Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judroa, — . 6 and '^ ^^ ^ \,uke were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. 11 " 'I indeed baptize you with 3.4. John 1.15,23. water — He that cometh after me is mightier than I, — g Matt. 3. 4. Mark i. 3, ^wrf of ver. 4, 6, 7, 8.-3 "/The voice of one crying in the wilderness, '^^^"^ ^J^^ ^^ Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." 4 — and preach the baptism . ^'^^^ j ^' g^\j[ of repentance "for the remission of sins. G And John was ^clothed with camel's hair, 16. & 19. 4. and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat ''locusts and 'wild honey; * Oi, unto. 7 and preached, saying, — 8^1 indeed — but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." f^au' 3^10 &? Luke iii. part of ver. 7, rer. 8, 9, /)«?•« of rer. 16, ajid vcr. 17. — 7 — " O ^generation of 19. vipers ! who hath warned you to flee from tlic wrath to come .' 8 Bring forth therefore m Mai. 3. 3. fruits tworthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham l^^^l^l^l^''^{^^^ to our father ; for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children 13. 30. " ' " unto Abraham. 9 And now also the a.xe is laid unto the root of the trees; 'every tree : therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. SEC T. X IX. 16 — with water; but One mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not y jtg cjg worthy to unloose : He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire : 17 "'whose J. p. 4739. fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and "will gather the wheat Betliabara, where into his garner; but the chaff" he will burn with fire unquenchable." onltTpassagcfrom the wilfierness in- to Canaan. Section XIX.— TAe Baptism of Christ} '^^rNote^f*" Matt. iii. 13, to the end. — Mark i. 9-11. — Luke iii. 21, 22, a7id part of 23. a Matt. 3. 13. 2rTiii''2i ' "^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ p^^^ "^ ^^^°^® ^^^^' '^^^^" ^" ^^^^ p^^" ftMau^rie!'' 3 Mirk i'.'9. pl^ were baptized, ^ that Jesus came from Nazareth of Gal- John i. 32. 4 Matt. iii. 13. ilee, Ho Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. ^But '^i.'Luke~3. 22. 5 Matt. iii. 14. John forbad him, saving, "I have need to be baptized of John 1. ■t2,33. •/ o-' d See ^ote 50 6 Matt. iii. 15. thee, and comcst thou to me?" ®And Jesus answering <ijohn 12. 28. said unto him, " Suffer it to be so now : for thus it becom- * ^'-.r J-,I.';f '• ' , lY. 1 J • Matt. 3.1/. -Mark eth US to fulfil all righteousness. •= Then he suffered him: 9. 7. Luke 9. 35. 7 Mark i. 9. ''and [he] was baptized of John in Jordan. ® And Jesus, /seeNumb.4. 3, 8 Matt. 111. 16. .^^j^gj^ |-|g ^^.g^g baptized, went up straightway out of the 35,39,43,47. /T Ma.rk 1 Luke 9 i\h,ru i. 10. water: ^ ''and straightway coming up out of the water; 3.21. H Matt. Hi". 16. '"and praying, 'Mo! 'Mie saw the heavens *opened '^ unto ^q^"'^;^;^7 „^ 12 Jhirk i. 10. Him, and he ''saw the Spirit of God descending like a rent. MLukeiiti!' dove,*! 'Mn a bodily shape like a dove, ''and lighting upon 'l';~:\i'\f± 13 Matt. iii. 16. Him : '^ ''and, lo ! " there came a voice from heaven, saying, L-,f-9 3''-''2Vi' n Mark i.'n!^" " 'Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased !" i."i7. ' "' 13 Luke iii. 23. '® And Jesus himself began to be ■'"about thirty years of age. •'/ohn 'l 32.^" k Ps '^ 7. 1". 42.1. Matt. iii. part of vcr. 13, 16, and 17. — 13 ^Then cometh Jesus ''from Galilee — . Mau. 3. 17. 16 — and — the heavens were opened — 17 — a voice from heaven, saying, " 'This is my ^'^"^ J- 1^-^ ^* beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 2 Pet. 1. 17. MAKKi.part of vcr. 10. — and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him. Luke iii. part of vcr. 21 and 22. — 21 Now — .'it came to pass, that Jesus also being bap- tized — the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Ghost descended — upon him, and a vaice V. iE.^26. came from heaven, which said, " *Thou art my beloved Son ; in thee I am well pleased." \j' ^''^^■ SECT. XX. Wilderness. e See Note 51. Section XX. — The Temptation of Christ.^ "MaA'].'i2i&e. Matt. iv. 1-11.— Mark i. 12, 13.— Lcke iv. 1-13. l;"&c.^' ^' " ^ * 1 Lukeiv. 1. 1 ^j^jj "Jesus being full of the Holv Ghost returned from * see i Kings is. Jordan : and Svas led by the Spirit into the wilderness. &"8. 3. & ii. i, 2 Mark i. 12. 2 ^j.^^ immediately the Spirit driveth him into tiie wilder- 5. Acts sTbg. VOL. II. 8 58 c Exod. 24. 18. & 34. 28. Deut. 9. 9, 18. 1 Kings 19. 8. d See Mark 1. 1. t Deut. 8. 3. Jerusalem. /Neh. 11. 1, 18. 13.48.2. &52.1. Matt. 27. 53. Rev. 11.2. ^See Mark 1. 1. b Ps. 91. 11, 12. i Deut. 6. 16. j Luke 4. 5. Quarantania. fSeeNote52. k John 12. 31. & 14. 30. Rev. 13. 2,7. * Or, fall down be- fore me. I Deut.6.13. & 10. 12, 20. g See Note 53. TO John 14. 30. Heb. 4. 15. n Heb. 1. 14. h See Note 54. oMark 1. 12, &c. Luke 4. 1, &c. p Deut. 8. 3. q Ps. 91. 11, 12. rDeut.G.13.&10. 20. Josh. 24. 14. 1 Sam. 7. 3. 8 See Mark 1. 1. t Matt. 4. 5. uSoe Mark 1.1. V Deut. 6. 16. THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. ness, ^ to be tempted of the Devil. * And he was tliere in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan, ^ being forty days tempted of the Devil, And "in those days he did eat nothing. * And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward a hungered. ' And when the Tempter came to him, he said, " If thou be ''the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread : ® com- mand this stone that it be made bread." ® And Jesus an- swered him, saying, "'It is written, 'That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God : '° that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.' " ^ "Then the Devil taketh him up •''into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, ^"and saith unto him, " If thou be ^the Son of God, cast thyself down '' from hence : ''* for it is written, — ' He'' shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee : '^ And in their hands they shall bear thee up. Lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.' " '^ And Jesus answering said unto him, '^ " It is written again, ''Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.' " '® Again, ^the Devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, '®in a moment'' of time. ^° And the Devil said unto him, "' " All these things will I give thee, ^' all this power will I give thee, and the glory of them ; for '■that is delivered unto me ; and to whomso- ever I will I give it. ^^ If thou therefore wilt * worship me, ^* if thou wilt * fall down and worship me, " all shall be thine." ^®And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Get thee behind me, Satan : for it is written, ' 'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.' " " Then the Devil leaveth him, ^- and when the Devils had ended all the temptation, he departed from him '"for a season. ^' And [He] was with the wild beasts ; and the angels ministered unto him. ^° And, behold ! "angels came and ministered unto him.*^ [Part L M;.n. iv. 1 Murk i. 13. Luke iv. 2, Matt, iv.2, ilutt. iv. 3, Luke iv. 3. Luke iv. 4. 10 Matt. iv. 4. n Matt. iv. 5. 12 Matt. iv. 6. 13 Luke iv. 9. W Luke iv. 10. 15 Luke iv. 11. Luke iv. ]2r Matt. iv. 7. IS Matt. iv. 8. Luke iv. 5. Luke iv. 6. Matt. iv. 9. Luke iv. 6. 23 Luke iv. 7. Matt. iv. 9. Luke iv. 7. Luke iv. 8. Matt. iv. 11. Luke iv. 13. Mark i. 13. Matt. iv. 11. Matt. iv. part of rcr. 1,4,6, 7, 9, 10. — 1 Then was "Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness — . 4 But he answered and said, " It is written, ' ^Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word — ." G " — for it is written, ' 'He shall give his angels charge concerning thee : and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said unto him — 9 And saith unto him — . 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, " Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, ' ''Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.' " Luke iv. part ofver. 2, 3, 5, 9, and 12. — 2 — and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the Devil said unto him, " If thou be *the Son of God — . 5 And the Devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world — . 9 'And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of tlie temple, and said unto him, " If thou be "the Son of God, cast thyself down — ." 12 — " It is said, ' 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.' " Sect. I. II.] FURTHER TESTIMONY OF JOHN. 59 PART II. FROM THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF HIS MORE PUBLIC MINISTRY AFTER THE IMPRISONMENT OF JOHN. Section I. — Further Testimony of John the Baptist. ^^ci\ i. John i. 19-34. V. M. 26. ^ ^^ And this is "the record of Jolin, when the Jews sent priests and J. P. 4739. Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, " Who art thou?" ^'^ And ''he Bethabara, i. e. ' . liethaiiy. confessed, and denied not ; but confessed, " I am not the Christ. — 21 And they asked him, " What then ? Art thou^Ehas?" And "^e lf2!^°'l^: saith, "I am not." "Art thou *that Prophet?" And he answered, j Luke 3.15. John "No." 22 Then said they unto him, " Who art thou? that we may /jS.tt.lMau: give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? " i^. jo. 23 ''He said, " I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ' Make *D"euL fs.Ysfis. straight the way of the Lord !' as 'said the Prophet Esaias." -"* And d Matt. 3. 3. Mark they which were sent were of the Pharisees. ~^ And they asked him, John 3. aa. " and said unto him, " Why baptizest'' thou then, if thou be not that bSee^No^tea, Christ, nor Elias, neither that Prophet ? " ~^ John answered them, say- /Mait. 3. u. ing, "-^I baptize with water: ^but there standeth One among you, f ^J"'' ^.^ \| whom ye know not ; ~^ ''He it is, who coming after me is preferred be- John is.' 30.' fore me ; whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose." ^^^ These i[Or%n' Bethany. things were done 'in Bethabara "^ beyond Jordan, where John was ^^joJ,n"o"!j^o^' baptizing. c See Note 3. ^^ The next day [John] seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, " Be- ^f^°j- I^^^^q^^' hold •'the Lamb of God, *which *taketh away the sin of the '^ world! Acts 8.32. i Pet. •'^' 'This is He of whom I said,*' ' After me cometh a Man which is pre- &c. ' ' ' ' ferred before me :' for He was before me. ^i ^j^j j knew Him^ not : '^il's^'aili^l] but that He should be made manifest to "Israel, therefore am I come Pni;^-,*^^-^!- &. 9. 2o. J Pet 2 baptizing with water." ^^ "And John bare record, saving, " I saw the 24. & 3. is. I'jo! .. . . ^^-Jo^ .2. 2. &.35&4 Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. To. ijev.'i.'s. ^^ And I knew Him not : but He that sent me to baptize with water, the * °'' *««'■««*• same said unto me, ' Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, zver. 15,27. and remaining on Him, "the same is He which baptizeth with the eSeeNotes. Holy Ghost' 34^2^,^ j gg^^y^ ^j^^j l3^j.g record that this is ^the Son of m Mai. 3.1. Matt. GoH " 3. 6. Lu'ke 1. n, ^^"- 76, 77. & 3. 3, 4. . n Matt. 3. 16. Mark 1.10. Luke 3. 29. John 5. 32. Section H, — Christ obtains his first Disciples from John. o Matt. 3.11. Acts T ■ o- , ., 1 J^ '' 1.5.&2.4.&10. John 1. 60, to the end. 44. & 19. e. 3^ Again the next day after s John stood, and two of his disciples. p^eeMarki.i. 3^ And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, " "Behold the Lamb ^= of God!" 37^j^(^j ^j^g t^yQ disciples heard him speak, and they fol- sect, ii. lowed Jesus, ^s Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and v. M. 26. saith unto them, " What seek ye ? " They said unto him, " Rabbi J. P. 4739. (which is to say, being interpreted. Master), where *dwellest thou ? " Bethabara. ^^He saith unto them, " Come and see." They came and saw where g see Note 7. He dwelt, and abode with Him that day : for it was f about the tenth «Joi»°J;29- * Or QOidcstt hour. ^^ One of the two which heard John speak, and followed Him, j That was two was * Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. ^^^ He first findeth his own jjfgh'.''^^'"^ brother Simon, and saith unto him, "We have found the Messias " 6Matt. 4. is. (which is, being interpreted, [Jthe] Christ). ''-And he brought xor, the Mnoimed. him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, " Thou art Si- 60 MARRIAGE AT CANA. [Part II. * Or, Peter. Matt 16. 18. h See Note 8. In the road to Galilee. c John 12. 21 d [Supposed to be mon the son of Jona : thou shalt be called Cephas " (which is, by in- terpretation, *A Stone). ^ '^^ The day following [Jesus] would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, " Follow me." '^^ Now Thihp was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ''•^ Philip findeth ''Nathan- the'Spos"ie"Bar- ^®^' ^^^'^ ^^^^^ "'^^^^ ^^^"^' " ^^ ^^^^^ fouud Him, of whom 'Moses (in thoiomevv.-ED.] thc Law) and the -^Prophets did write, Jesus °of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." ^''And Nathanael said unto him, "''Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth ? " Philip saith unto him, " Come and see ! " '^'^ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, " Behold 'an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile ! " '^^ Nathanael said unto Him, " Whence knowest thou me ? " Jesus answered and said unto him, " Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." '*'■' Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, " Rabbi, ^Thou art the Son of God ; Thou art Hhe King of Israel ! " ^^ Jesus answered and said unto him, " Because I said unto thee, ' I saw thee John 21. 2. e Gen. 3. 15. & 22. 18. & 26. 4. & 49. 10. Num. 21. 9. Deut. 18. 15. /Ps. IG.9,10, 22. & 132. 11. Is. 4. 2.&7.14.& 9.6,7. & 40.10,1 1.& 50. 6. & 53. 2. Jer. 23.5. &L 33. 14,15. Ezek.34.23.&37. 25. Dan. 7. 13,14. & 9. 24. Mic.5.2. & 7. 20. Mai. 3. 1. &4. 2. ^^M^att.2.23.Luke yndcr the fig tree,' believest thou ? thou shalt see greater things than ft John 7. 41 ,42,52. these." ^^ And he saith unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ^.R)'inf8%'^Rom; 'Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending 2?28, 29. & 9. e! and descending upon '"the Son of Man."' jMatt. 14. 33. See Mark 1.1. A Matt. 21.5. & 27. 11, 42. John 18. 37. & 19. 3. « Gen. 28. 12. Matt. 4. 11. Luke 2. 9, 13. & 22. 43. &24. 4. Acts 1. 10. m Dan. 7. 13, 14. Matt. 8. 20. & 9. 6. & 10. 23. & 11. 19. & 12. 8, 32,40. & 13.37,41. & 16. 13, 27, 28. & 17. 9, 22. & 19. 28. &, 20. 18, 28. & 24. 27, 30, 37, 39, 44. & 25. 31. & 26. 2, 24, 45, 64. Mark 2. 10, 28. & 8. 31, 38. & 9. 9, 12, 31. & 10. 33. & 13. 26. & 14. 21, 41, 62. Luke 5. 24. & 6. 5, 22. & 7. 34. & 9. 22, 26, 44, 56, 58. & 11. 30. & 12. 8, 10, 40. & 17. 22, 24, 26. & 18. 8, 31. & 19. 10. & 21. 27, 36. & 22. 22, 48, 69. & 24. 7. John 3. 13, 14. & 5. 27. & 6. 27, 53, 62. & 8. 28. & 12. 23, 34. & 13. 31. ■ - — • " - ■ " Acts 7. 56 i See Note 9. SECT. III. V. m. 27. J. P. 4740. Cana, in Galilee. k See Note 10. 1 See Note 11. a See Josh. 19.28. 6 John 19. 26. c So 2 Sam. 16.10. & 19. 22. d John 7. 6. c Mark 7. 3. /John 4. 46. g John 1. 14. m See Note 12. SECT. IV. V. E.. 27. J. P. 4740. Capernaum. n See Note 13. SECT. V. V. iE. 27. J. P. 4740. Temple at Jeru- salem. o See Note 14. a Exod. -12. 14. Deut. 16. 1, 16. ver. 23. ch. 5. 1. & 6.4. & 11.. 55. b Matt. 21. 12. Mark 11. 15. Luke 19. 45. Section III. — Marriage at Cana in Galilee.^ JoH.v ii. 1-11. ^ And the third day' there was a marriage in "Cana of Galilee ; and the mother of Jesus was there. ~ And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. ^ And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, " They have no wine." ■* Jesus saith unto her, " ^Woman, "what have I to do with thee ? "^mine hour is not yet come." ^His mother saith unto the servants, " Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it." ^ And there were set there six waterpots of stone, 'after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. "^ Jesus saith unto them, " Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. ^And He saith unto them, " Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast." And they bare it. ^ When the ruler of the feast had tasted -^the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was, (but the servants which drew the water knew,) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, '"and saith unto him, " Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine ; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse ; but thou hast kept the good wine until now." '' This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, ^and manifested forth his glory ; and his disciples believed on him.™ Section IV. — Christ goes cloum to Capernaum, and contimies there some short time. John ii. 12. After this He went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples : and they continued there not many days." Section V. — The Buyers and Sellers driven from the Temple." John ii. 13, to the end. And "the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jeru- salem. ''' 'And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep 13 Sect. VI. VIL] CONVERSATION WITH NICODEMUS. 61 and doves, and the changers of money sitting. ^^And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen ; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables ; ^^ and said unto them that sold doves, "Take these things hence! make not "my Father's house a house "^ ^"""^ ^- '*^- of merchandise." ^^ And his disciples remembered that it was writ- ten, " "^The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." </Ps. 69. 9. ^^ Then answered the Jews and said unto him, "'What sign «JJ'"^t 12.38. showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things ? " ^■' Jesus answered and said unto them, " -'^Destroy this temple, and in three •''271^4"; ^j,-g^[' it days I will raise it up." ~^Then said the Jews, " Forty and six years 58. &, 15.29. was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days ? " 21 But he spake ^^of the temple of his body, ^a When therefore he was ^&^6.f9^2'i:or.'6: risen from the dead, ''his disciples remembered that he had said this h;i,*^"o~'^' unto them ; and they beheved the Scripture, and the word which a Luke 21. 8. Jesus had said. ^^ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he ^ j g^^ jg 7 did. ^^But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he \p\\'°"-7^\"- , ' Matt. 9. 4. Jlaik knew all men, ~^ and needed not that any should testify of man : for 2. 8. ch. c. 64. & ;,,,'. -^ ■' IG. 30. Acts 1.24. he knew what was m man. Rov. 2. 23. Section VI. — Conversation of Christ with Nicodemus. sect, vr. John iii. 1-21. V. M. 27. ^ There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of J- P- 4740. the Jews : ^ "the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Jerusalem. " Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God ; for ''no "■^^- ''• ^^- ^ ^^^ man can do these miracles that thou doest, except "^God be with him." jch. 9. le, 33. ^ Jesus answered and said unto him, " Verily, verily, I say unto ^ 2^J{q 33 thee, ''Except a man be born *affain, he cannot see the kingdom of dch. 1.13. Gai.6. p_j jj 15. Tit. 3. 5. "■""■ James 1. 18. ■* Nicodemus saith unto him, "How can a man be born when he is } joi'^g/^" old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be *ox,fromahme. born ? " ^ Jesus answered, " Verily, verily, I say unto thee, 'Except a man ^AlTtsVsb^^' be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ^ That vi^hich is born of the flesh is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. '^ Marvel not that I said unto thee. Ye must be born tagain. *^-^The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou tor,/romaw hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and icor.2. li. ' whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit." ^ Nicodemus answered and said unto him, " "How can these things 5- ch. c. 52, eo. be?" ^^ Jesus answered and said unto him, " Art thou a master of Israel, ''i^Y8!'i^7."i(>.''&! and knowest not these thinos ! ^^ ''Verily, verilv, I say unto thee, 8. 28. & 12. 49. We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen ; and 'ye iver.32. receive not our witness. ^^ If I have told you earthly things, and ye •'g''''g'-^-5] ^Jj- believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things ! &i6!28.'Acts'2.' ^^ And ^no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down Ephes.Tg, io.'' from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven. ^^ *^And as Z^^" "'"ol o ^^' T\/r IT 1 I • A: Num. 21.9. Moses hlted up the serpent m the wilderness, even so must the Son ji?ee Joimi.si. of Man be lifted up : ^^ that whosoever believeth in him should not ^ ver.36. ch.6.47. perish, but "'have eternal life. ^^ "Yqx God so loved the world, that ''iZ^tt ^' '* he gave his Only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should ^ •''^''" '*• ^• not perish, but have everlasting life. ^" "For God sent not his Son ''5!'45.''la*^i5.''& into the world to condemn the world ; but that the world through fi '*'' ^ ^°''" '*' VOE. 11. F 62 IMPRISONMENT OF JOHN. [Part II. ^chf5.^Z''& e! him might be saved. ^^^He that behevetli on Him is not condemned: 40, 47. &. 20. 31. ]3ut he that beheveth not is condemned already, because he hath not beheved in the name of the Only-begotten Son of God. ^^ And this ^feVi"'^'^"'^^' ^^ ^h® condemnation, *that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ^^ For r Job 24. 13 17. ''every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the lisht, lijphes. 5. 13. "^ „ V O ' * Or, discovered. Icst liis dccds should bc *reproved. ^^ But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrouoht in God." SECT. vir. V. M. 27. Section VII. — Johri's last Testimony to Christ. J. P 4740. j^jj^ .jj_ 22 to the end. JudaDa. — 22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Aisam. 9. 4. Judaea ; and there he tarried with them, "and baptized. ^^ And John f. Matt. 3. 5, 6. also was baptizing in JEnon near to ''Salim, because there was much "^d!^" 7^15 34 water there : ""and they came, and were baptized. ^"^ For ''John was /icor.4.'7. Heb. uot yct cast iuto prisou. 5.4. James 1.17. ^^ Then thcrc arose a question between some of John's disciples and himJeif. the Jews about purifying. ^^ And they came unto John, and said ^ch. 1.20,27. ^YiiQ him^ "Rabbi, He that was with thee beyond Jordan, 'to whom ]'. 2.'Lukei. 17. thou barcst witness, behold ! the same baptizeth, and all men come ^2^coru'2. to him." ^^ John answered and said, " -^A man can * receive nothing, Ephes. 5. 25, 27. exccpt it bc givcu him from heaven. ^^Ye yourselves bear me j Cant. 5.1. witness, that I said, '^I am not the Christ, but 'that I am sent before p See Note 15. Jjim.' ^9 ' jje that hath the bride is the bridegroom : but ■'the friend fever! 13? ch.8!23. of the biidcgroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly 2 Matt. 28. 18. ch. becausc of the bridegroom's voice.? This my joy therefore is fulfilled. 9'. 5.'"' ' ^'^ He must increase, but I mus^ decrease. ^^ *He that cometh from "* I'^r??^ r^ above 'is above all. '"He that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh ].5.'47'.Epbes. i! of thc carth : "He that cometh from heaven is above all, ^~and ver. 11. ch! 8. "wliat hc hath seen and heard, that he testifieth ; and no man 2G. & 15. 15. receiveth his testimony. ^^ He that hath received his testimony ^hath ^1 John 5. lb. set to his seal that God is true. ^^ ('For he whom God hath sent q ch. 7. 16. speaketh the words of God : for God giveth not the Spirit '^by measure r See Note 17. [unto Mm.]) ^^ "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things s Matt. 11.27. & into his hand. ^^ 'He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : ^x ch". 5. 20, 23.' and he that beheveth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath Heb.'2.'8. See ' of God abidcth on him." Mark 1. 1. ( Hab. 2. 4. ch. 1. " 12. & 6. 47. ver. fjih/stTo!'^^' Section VIII. — Imprisonment of John the Baptist." ^"^ '^'"^'^ '• 1- Matt. xiv. 3-5.— Mark vi. 17-20.— Luke iii. 19, 20. ■~ ~ ' But" Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for ' ^"""^ '"■ ^^• sect, vm. jjerodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils V. tE. 27. which Herod had done, " had sent forth and laid hold ^ ^''"^"^ "'■ ^'^■ J. P. 4740. upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, •'!^'- his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. 'For » Mark v.. is. s See Note 18. Jq],!^ j^ad Said uuto Hcrod, " ''It is not lawful for thee to "Mafkk'lv."' have thy brother's wife." "Therefore Herodias had *a ^^arkvi.ig. ^^%\}^- ^'^- ^ quarrel against him, and would have killed him ; but *"or,~ «« imoard slic could uot. ' For Hcrod 'feared John, knowing that *»i^fkvi.2o. ^rff',^ r . he was a just man and a holy ; and tobserved him ; and c Matt. 14. 5. & J •' , . 1 1 1 1 • 21.6. when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him ^I^dt^""'"'' gladly. 'And when he would have put him to death, he ' Matt. xiv. 5. '^T'^'^'^n'--.-''- feared the multitude, ''because they counted him as a Luke 20. 0. ' •' t See Note 19. prOpllCt.' Skct. I. II.] THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. 63 Matt. xiv. 3, 4. — 3 ^For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him " Mark 6. 17. in prison for Hcrodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. 4 For John said unto him, " /It is *- Let^s 16''& 20 not lawful for thee to have her." 21. ' Mark vi. part ofvcr. 17. For Herod himself — . Luke iii. 20. added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison ' PART III FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE MORE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF CHRIST TO THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES. Section I. — General Introduction to the History of Christ'' s more sect. i. public Ministry.^ V. JE. 27. Matt. iv. 12-17.— Mark i. 14, 15.— Luke iv. 14, 15. J. P. 4740. 1 Mark 1.14. ' Now" after that John was put in prison, Jesus came Ju^a. 8 Matt. iv. 12. jjjto GaUlee. ' ''Now when [Jesus] heard that John was a see Note i. 3 Luke iv. 14. *cast into prison, he departed, ^and Jesus returned in "^^''"•^•js. 4 Mark i. 14. the powcr of the Spirit into^ Gahlee, ^'preaching the i4"3i'.joi,n4.43'. 6 Mark i. 15. Gospcl of thc kiuffdom of God, *and sayinff, '"'The time *Ot, delivered up. i . _ ./ »' b See Note 2. IS fulfilled, and "the kingdom of God is at hand: repent cMatt. 4. 23. 6 Luke IV. 14. yg^ g^j-,^ believe the Gospel." ^ And there went out a fame </ Dan. 9. 9.5. cai. 7 Luke IV. 15. of him through all the region round about: 'and he e>iatt.3.2.&4.i7! taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. ® And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Caper- naum, which is upon the seacoast, in the borders of Zabu- lon and Nephthalim : ^ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, — 10 Matt. iv. 15. ,0 u The^ land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, /i- 9- 1,2. By the way of the sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles ;= cSeeNotes. 11 Matt. IV. 16. n rpj^g^ people which sat in darkriess saw great light ; ^^^^-^^ ^"''^ And to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up." 12 Matt. iv. 17. '=From'' that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, ^^ Mark 1. 14, 15. "'Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." i Matt. 3.2. & 10. Matt. iv. part of ver. 12. — into Galilee. 8 Matt. iv. 13, 9 Matt. iv. 14, Section II. — Christ's Conversation tvith the Woman of Samaria.^ sect. n. John iv. 1-42. V. JE. 27. ^ When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that J. P. 4740. Jesus made and "baptized more disciples than John, ~ (though Jesus samaria. himself baptized^ not, but his disciples,) ^ he left Judaea, and departed d See Note 4. again into Galilee. ^ And he must needs go through Samaria. ^ Then " '^^- ^- ^^'^•'- . ... e See N"ote 5. Cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground Hhat Jacob gave to his son Joseph.^ ^ Now Jacob's *oo^j"o^h'^o4%1?' well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat fSeeNotee. thus on the well : and it was about the sixth hour. " There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water : Jesus saith unto her, " Give me to drink." ^ (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) ^Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, "How is it that 64 THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. [Part III. thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Sa- ""lu^ITsI'm' niafia?" (For ""the Jews have no deahngs with the Samaritans.) Acts 10. as. ^^ Jesus answered and said unto her, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink ; thou wouldest '^i^ief'i']^ ^^' have asked of him, and he would have given thee ''Uving water." Zech.i3.i.ici4. ^^ The womau saith unto him, "Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep : from whence then hast thou tliat living water ? ^~ Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle ? " ^^ Jesus answered and said unto her, "Whosoever drinketh of this ech. 6. 35,58. vvatcr shall thirst again: ^'^but 'whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him /ch. 7. 38. /shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." ^,?*o''on^^"^ ^'^ The' woman saith unto him, "Sir, give me this water, that I 17. 2, 3. RoTn. 6. ^ ^ s ? 23. ijohn5.2o. thirst uot, neither come hither to draw. ^'^ Jesus saith unto her, "' Go, call thy husband, and come hither." ^^ The woman answered and said, " I have no husband." Jesus said unto her, " Thou hast well said, ' I have no husband.' ^^ For thou hast had five husbands ; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband : in that saidst thou truly." ''Id"^'ch'f'ii''^t ^^The woman saith unto him, "Sir, ''I perceive that thou art a ^•''f- prophet. -"Our fathers worshipped 'in ^ this mountain; and ye say, ^ [^e°'^^Iount Cxo- ^^^^ ^^ ^^Jcrusalem is the place where men ought to worship."^ rizim.-Eo.] 21 Jegyg saith uuto hcr, " Woman, beheve me, the hour cometh, ] Kh!ss9.3'. ' 'when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship "^seeNotJV^^ the Father. ^- Ye worship "ye know not what : we know what we rMai.i.ii.iTim. woi'ship : for "salvation is of the Jews. ^^But the hour cometh, and m^kin-rs 17. 29. ^^^ ^^' whcu the truc worshippers shall worship the Father in "spirit nisa. 2.°3. Luke ^aud in truth : for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. ^"' 'God 21. 47. Rom. 9. -g ^ gpjrit ; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit Phi!. 3. 3. and in truth." g2Cor.3!'i7. ^^ The womau saith unto him, "I know that Messias'' cometh h soe Note 8. (which is Called Christ) : when He is come, '^He will tell us all things.'" '^ir/sV^^iatt ^^ Jesus saith unto her, " 'I that speak unto thee am ife." 2fi.'(i3, 64. Mark ^7 ^j^^j upon this cauic his disciples, and marvelled that he talked ' ■ with the woman. Yet no man said, What seekest thou ? or. Why talkest tliou with her? ^^The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, ~^ " Come, see a man, tvor.25. 'which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" ^^ [Then] they went out of the city, and came unto him. ^^ In the meanwhile his disciples prayed him, saying, " Master, eat." ^2 But he said unto them, " I have meat to eat that ye know not of." ^^ Therefore said the disciples one to another, " Hath any man ";'!°38.^& liU't brought him aught to eat ? " ^^ Jesus saith unto them, " "My meat is 19. 30. to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his work. ^^ Say not 1 See Note 9. ye^ < Thcrc are yet four months, and then cometh harvest ? '* Behold ! "LJke'io 2^' ^ ^^y ""^"^ y^"' ^^^^ "P you'' eyes, and look on the fields ; "for they w Dan. 12. 3. arc whitc already to harvest ! ^^ ""And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal : that both He that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. ^' And herein is that saying true, ' One soweth, and another reapeth.' ^^ I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor : other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors." X ver. 29. 39 j^^^ many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him 'for the saying of the woman, which testified, " He told me all that ever I did." '"' So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them : and he abode there two Sect. III. IV.] CHRIST'S FIRST PUBLIC PREACHING. 65 days. ^' And many more believed, because of his own word. ^^ And said unto the woman, " Now we beUeve, not because of thy saying ; for Ve liave heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the v^^^^'^-^-'^^°^^ Christ, the Saviour of the world." Section III. — Second Miracle at Cana, in Galilee.^ SEcr^m. John iv. 43, to the end. V. JE. 27. ^3 Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. J- P- 4740. '*'* For "Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his ^''"''' 'J^'''^^- own country. '^^ Then, when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans k see Note lo. received him, ''having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at %*iark'6. 4. Luko the feast : 'for they also went unto the feast. '*' ^^ 23 &3 2 ^6 So [Jesus] came again into Cana of Galilee, where ''he made the ^ j^'^^i^ jg. le. water wine.^ And there was a certain *nobleman, whose son was rfch.2.1,11. sick at Capernaum. '*'' When he heard that Jesus was come out of l^^^J^^^.^^'^ ^^^ Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he ruUr. would come down, and heal his son ; for he was at the point of death. ^^ Then said Jesus unto him, " 'Except ye see signs and wonders, ye eicor. 1.22. will not believe." '^^ The nobleman saith unto him, " Sir, come down ere my child die." ^^ Jesus saith unto him, " Go thy way ; thy son ' liveth." And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. ^^ And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, " Thy son liveth." ^^ Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, " Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." ^^ So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, " Thy son liveth." And himself beheved, and his whole house. ^^This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Juda3a into Galilee. Section IV. — First public Preaching of Christ in the Synagogue sect, iv. at Nazareth, and his Danger there.^ Y.M.'ZY. Luke iv. 16-30. J. P. 4740. ^•^ And He came to "Nazareth, where he had been brought up : and, Nazareth. as his custom" was, 'he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, m See Note 12. and stood up for to read.° '^'' And there was delivered unto him the "jg'/l"; jfa^'at book of the Prophet Esaias ; and when he had opened the book, he n see Note 13. found the place where it was written, — p ^^"^^ ^^' ^'^' ^ 18 - The ^Spirit of the Lord is upon me, ^ J: IZ li Because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor ;i c is. ei. 1. He hath sent me [to heal the broken-hearted,] 1 ^^^ ^ote le. To preach deliverance to the captives. And recovering of sight to the blind. To set at liberty them that are bruised, 1^ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." ^^ And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down ; and the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, " This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears." ^^And all bare him witness, and rfPs. 45. 2. Matt, ''wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth ; ch'. 2." 47.^"^ and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" ^a^nd he said unto «J°bn6.42. them, " Ye will surely say unto me this '"proverb, ' Physician, heal ^jj^^j 4*^3/ 4. thyself:' whatsoever we have heard done in -^Capernaum, do also n- La- hore in ^thy country." 24 ^nd he said, " Verily I say unto you, No ^jurk 'e.^?! ^''* VOL. II. 9 *F 66 THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES. [Pakt HI. j 2 Kinss 5. 14. \i'a'Jk6!4.'^john ''prophct is acccpted in his own country. ^^Biit I tell you of a truth, 4.44. ^ 'many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, wlion the heaven ' 18. i'. James' 5.17. was shut ujD three years and six months, when great famine was B See Note 18. throughout all the land ; ' ~^ but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that teas a widow. -^•'And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian." ^^ And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath. ^^ And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the *brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong ; ^" but he ''passing through the midst of them went his way. * Or, edge. A John 8. 59. & 10 39. SECT. V, V. M. 27. J. P. 4740. Capernaum. t See Note 19. a Matt. 4. 13. Mark 1. 21. b Matt. 7. 28. Mark 1. 22. SECT. VI. V.JE.27. J. P. 4740. Sea of Galilee. u See Note 20. a Mark 1. 16. Luke 5. 2. 6 John 1. 42. X See Note 21. y See Note 22. c Matt. 19. 27. Luke 5. 11. d Matt. 4. 21. e Matt. 4. 18. Markl. 16. /John 21. 6. fl'2Sam. 6. 9. 1 Kings 17. 18. h Matt. 4. 19. Mark 1. 17. i Matt.4.20. & 19. 27 Mark 1. 18. ch. 18. 28. Section V. — Christ sojourns at Capernaum} Luke iv. 31, 32. ^^ And [He] ''came down to Capernaum, a city of Gahlee, and taught them on the Sabbath days. ^^ 'And they were astonished at his doctrine ; for his word was with power. Section VI. — The miraculous Draxight of Fishes ;^ and the Calling of Andrew and Peter, James and John. Matt. iv. 18-22.— Mark i. 16-20.— Luke v. 1-11. ^^ And" Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two ^^""^ '''• ^^• brethren, ''Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, cast- ^^^^^ '■ ^~-~^- ing a net into the sea : for they were fishers.'' ^" And Jesus said unto them, " Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers y of men." ^'^ And straightway '^they forsook their nets, and followed him. ^^ ''And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. ^^ And straightway he called them : and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him. ^ And 'it came to pass, that as the people pressed upon ^"'^^ "■ ^"^^• him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret ; ^ and saw two ships standing by the lake ; but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. ^ And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land ; and he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. '^ Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, " •'^Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught." ^ And Simon answering said unto him, " Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing : nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." ^ And when they had tliis done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes : and their net brake, ''' and they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the^other ship, that they should come and help them ; and they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. ^ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, " "'De])art from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord ! " "^ For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken ; '^^ and so were also James, and JFohn, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, " Fear not; ''from henceforth thou shalt catch men." ^^ And when they had brought their shij)s to land, 'they forsook all, and followed him. Sect. VII. VIIL] THE DEMONIAC HEALED. 67 Matt. iv. 19, 20, 21, 22.— 19 And he saith unto them, " Follow me, and^I will make J Luke 5. 10, 11. you fishers of men." 20 *And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. ft Mark 10.^. 21 'And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, ^ ^^J^ ^ '^^ -^ and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending theirnets ; and he Luke 5.' 10.' called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him. Mark i. 16. "'Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his \u^e 5. 4, 10. brother casting a net into the sea : for they were fishers. Section VII. — The Demoniac healed at Capernaum.^ Mark i. 21-28.— Luke iv. 33-37. ^ And" they went into Capernaum ; and straightway on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. - And* they were astonished at his doctrine ; for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the Scribes. ^ And" in the synagogue there was a man which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 4 Luke iv. 34. "saying, " *Let us alone! wltat have we to do with thee. ' Mark i. 21 2 Mark i. 22 3 Luke iv. 33. * Luke iv. 35. 6 Mark i. 26. 7 Luke iv. 35. 8 Mark i. 26. 9 Luke iv. 35. 10 Luke iv. 36. n Mark i. 27. »2 Luke iv. 36. 13 Mark i. 27. U Luke iv. 36. 15 Murk i. 27. 16 Luke iv. 36. n Mark i. 28. 18 Luke iv. 37. 19 Mark i.28. 2U Luke iv. 37. 21 Mark i. 28. SECT. VII V.yE. 27. J. P. 4740. Capernaum. z See Note 23. a Matt. 4. 13. Luke 4. 31. b Matt. 7. 28. Luke 4. 32. c Mark 1.23. * Or, jlway. d Luke 4. 41. e Ps. 16. 10. Dan. 9. 24. See Mark 1.1. thou Jesus of Nazareth ? Art thou come to destroy us ? "^I know thee who thou art — the 'Holy One of God ! " * And Jesus rebuked him, saying, " Hold thy peace, and come out of him." * And when the unclean spirit ^ had thrown him in the midst, [and] * had^ torn him, and cried with a/M"k9.20. loud voice, he came out of him, ® and hurt him not. '° And they were all amazed, "' insomuch that they questioned, '° and spake among themselves, saying, " What a word is this? '^What thing is this ? What new doctrine is this? for with authority ^* and power he commandeth the un- clean spirits, '^ even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him, '^and they come out!" ^^ And immediately '* the fame of him went out, [and] '* spread abroad throughout all the region, ^^ into every place of the country round about — ^' round about Galilee. Mark i. 23, 24, 25, and part of ver. 27, 28. — 23 ^And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit ; and he cried out, 24 saying, " Let us alone ! ''what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth .' art thou come to destroy us .' I know thee who thou art — the Holy One of God ! " 25 And 'Jesus rebuked him, saying, " Hold thy peace, and come out of him." 27 And they were all amazed — among themselves, say- ing, — " commandeth he " — . 28 — his fame — . LvK^iv.partofver. 35, 36, and 37. — 35 — And when the devil — he came out of him — . 36 — for with authority — . 37 And — . g Luke 4. 33. h Matt. 8. 29. i ver. 34. » Luke iv. 38 2 Mark i. 29. 3 Luke iv. 38. 4 Mark i. 30. 5 Matt. viii. 14 6 Mark i. 30. 7 Luke iv. 38. 8 Mark i. 31. 9 Luke iv. 39. 10 Mark i. 31. 11 Luke iv. 39. Section VIII. — Peter'' s Mother-in-law cured of a Fever.^ Matt. viii. 14, 15.— Mark i. 29-31.— Luke iv. 38, 39. ' And" He arose out of the synagogue ; ^ and forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ^ And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever, and '■^ lay sick ; * and when Jesus was come into Peter's house, ^ anon they tell him of her, ' and they besought him for her. * And he came " and stood over her, and rebuked the fever, ^° and took her by the hand, and lifted her up ; and immediately the fever left her ; " and immediately she arose and ministered unto them. SECT. VIII. V. JE. 27. J. P. 4740. Capernaum. a See Note 24. a Matt. 8. 14. Mark 1. 29. Matt. viii. 2)art of ver. 14 and 15. — 14 — he saw ''his wife's mother laid, and sick of a * ^ Cor. 9. 5. fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her : and she arose and minis- tered unto them. 68 CHRIST TEACHES IN GALILEE. [Part IIL Marki. part of mr. 30 and 31. — 30 But Simon's wife's mother 31 — and she ministered unto them. Luke iv. part of ver. 38 and 39. — 38 — and entered into Simon's house — , — and it left her — . of a fever, and — . 39— he SECT. IX. V. M. 27. J. P. 4740. Galilee. b See Note 25. a Matt, 8. 16. 1 M-irki. 32. 2 Luke iv. 40. 3 Mark i. 32. 4 Mark i. 33. 5 Luke iv. 40. 6 Mark i. 34. 7 Luke iv. 40. s Matt. viii. 16. 9 Matt. viii. 17. b Is. 53. 4, 12. 1 Pet. 2. 24. c See Note 26. c Mark 1.34. & 3. IL d Mark 1.1, 25, 34. Luke 4. 34, 35. eMark3.12.Luke 4. 41. See Acts 16. 17, 18. * Or, to say that they knew him [to be Christ]. /Luke 4. 42. g Luke 4. 43. h Is. 61. 1. John 16. 28. & 17. 4, 14 Mark i. 36. 15 Mark i. 37. 16 Mark i. 38. i Matt. 9. 35. Mark 1.21,39. Luke 4. 15, 44. j Matt. 24. 14. Mark 1.14. k Mark 1. 34. I Mark 3. 7. TJiMark 1.32,&c. Luke 4. 40, 41. n Matt. 4. 23. Luke 4. 44. Matt. 8. 16. Mark 1. 32. ■f Or, to say that they knew him to be Christ. p Mark 1. 35. 5 Mark 1. 39. Section IX. — Christ Teaches, and performs Miracles and Cures throughout Galilee.^ Matt. iv. 23-25. ; viii. 16, 17.— Mark i. 32-39.— Luke iv. 40, to the end. ' And" at even, when the sun did set, ^ all they that had any sick, with divers diseases, ^ they brought unto Him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed of devils : * (and all the city was gathered together at the door :) ^ and he laid his hands on every one of them * that were sick of divers diseases, ' and healed them : ^ and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick. ^ That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, — "Himself' took our infirmities And bare our sicknesses. "•= '" And" devils also came out of many, crying out, and '" ^"^® '"• '*^" saying, "Thou art [Christ], the ""Son of God ! " And he, rebuking them, "suffered" not the devils to *speak, be- " '^^"'^ '• ^''• cause they knew him, 'Hhat he was Christ. '^ Lukeiv.4i. '^And ■'^in the morning, rising up a great while before " '^''"'"' ^'^ day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. '^ And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. ''^And when they had found him, they said unto him, " All men seek for thee." ^^ And he said unto them, " ^Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also ; for ''therefor came I forth." '' And the people sought him, and came unto him, and " ^"''^ '^' '^^ stayed him, that he should not depart from them. '^ And " Lukeiv.43 he said unto them, " I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also ; for therefor am I sent." '^ And Jesus went about all Galilee, 'teaching in their '' ^''"- '^- ^ synagogues, and preaching ■'the Gospel of the kingdom, *and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people. '° And his fame went through- out all Syria, and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy ; and he healed them. "' And' there followed him great multitudes of " '^^*"- '"• ^■ people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusa- lem, and from Judsea, and from beyond Jordan. Matt. viii. part ofvcr. 16. — '"When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils : — . Mark i. part of ver. 34 and ver. 39. — 34 And he liealed many — and cast out many devils ; and — . 39 "And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils. Luke iv. part of ver. 40, 41, 42. and ver. 44. — 40 "Now when the sun was setting — brought them unto him — . 41 — suffered tliem not * to speak : for they knew — . 42 ^And when it was day, he departed, and went into a desert place — . 44 'And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee — . > Luke V. 13. M Mark i. 43. Sbct. X. XL] CHRIST CURES A LEPERJ 69 Section X. — Christ cures a Lepcr.'^ sect. x. Matt. viii. 2-4. — Mark i. 40, to the end. — Luke v. 12-16. Y jp 07 ' And it came to pass, when He was in a certain city, j. p. 4740. 2 Mark i. 40. behold ! ''there came a leper to him, ^a man full of leprosy, Gaiuee. 4 Murk i. 40. who seeing Jesus, [and] * beseeching him, and kneeling down a see Note 27. s Luke V. 12. to him, ° fell on his face ^ and worshipped him, ' and be- 7 Luke V. 12. sought him, *and saying unto him, ^ "Lord, if thou wilt, 8 Mark i. 40. thou canst make me clean." '" And Jesus, moved with lu M'ukr4i^ compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith 11 Mark i. 42. unto him, "I will; be thou clean." "And as soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, 12 Matt. viii. 4. a,nd he was cleansed. '^ And Jesus saith unto him, '^" See thou say nothing unto any man, but go thy way, show thy- self to the priest, and offer, for thy cleansing, those things "which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto** them." "s^^Luk'sn' '^ And He straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him eSeeNote28. 15 Mark i. 45. away. " But* he went out and began to publish it much, * Luke 5. 15. 16 Luke V. 15. an(j iQ blaze abroad the matter, '* but so much the more went there a fame abroad of him, "and great multitudes '^?'"V-''- ~\ , came together to liear, and to be healed by him 01 their & 2 17 Mark i. 45. infirmities, ''insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places : 18 Luke V. 16. '8 g^j^j dj^g withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed ; <i Matt. 14. 23. ,a 1 e I 1 ■ r r J ' Mark 6. 46. 19 Mark J. 45. '"and they canic to him irom cvcry quarter. e Mark 2. 13. Matt. viii. part of ver. 2, ver. 3, and part of ver. 4. — 2 And, behold ! there came a leper — saying, — . 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, " I will ; be thou clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 — " /See thou tell no /ch. 9. 30. Mark man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that ^Moses com- ^l''"^' manded, for a testimony unto them." ^21 22!Luke5'.14.' Mark i. part of ver. 40 and 44. — 40 And — " If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." 44 And saith unto him, — . Luke v. part of ver. 12, and ver. 13, 14. — 12 — saying, " Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." 13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, " I will; be thou clean." And immediately the leprosy departed from him. 14 And he charged him to tell no man : but " Go, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as ''Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them." 22. Matt'. 8. 4! Mark 1. 44. ' Section XL — The Paralytic cured ; and the Power of Christ to sect. xi. Forgive Sins asserted.^ V.^E. 27. Matt. ix. 2-8.— Mark ii. 1-12.— Luke v. 17-20. J. P. 4740. 1 Mark ii. 1. 1 ^j^jj ^gQ:\n He entered into Capernaum after some C'^p""""'"- 2 Mark u. 2. (jays : and it was noised that he was in the house. "And fSeeNote29. straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door : and he preached the word unto them. 3 Luke V. 17. 3 ^j^^ -^^ came to pass on a certain day, as he was teach- ing, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Gal- ilee, and Judsea, and Jerusalem ; and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. * Mark n 3^ ^ And, behold I '" they come unto Him, bringing one sick 6 Luke V. 18. of the palsy, ^ a man which was taken with a palsy, 7 Matt. ix. 2. Mying on a bed, ^ which was borne of four: ® and they 9 Luke". 18. sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before 10 Luke V. 19. Him. '" And when they could not find by what way they 11 Mark 11. 4. might bring him in, because of the multitude, " they could 12 Luke V. 19. jjQt come nigh unto him for the press ; '" they went upon the 70 THE CALLING OF MATTHEW. [Part HI. housetop, and ^^ they uncovered the roof where he was ; " -^^'"''^ ''• ^• and when they had broken it up, they " let him down '* ^"'^^ '• '^• through the tihng, with his couch, into the midst before Jesus. '^ When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the '' '^^''''' "• ^" sick of the palsy, " Son, '"be of good cheer, thy sins be nLuke^"^" forgiven thee : ^^ Man, thy sins are forgiven thee." ^^ And, is siatt. ix. 3. behold ! '" there were certain of the Scribes sitting there, ^^ ^^"""^ "■ ^• reasoning in their hearts ; ^^ and the Pharisees began to ^^ ^"'"^ '.■•^'• reason, saying ^'within themselves, " This man blasphe- 22 Luke v^ai. meth : ^^ who is this which speaketh blasphemies ? ^^ Why ^ ^^'^^^ "• ''• «^obi4.4.i3.43. doth this man thus speak blasphemies? ''Who" can f^y,^ ^''^^''^^^■ give sins but God alone?" '* And immediately, when ^ ^^""^ "• ^• Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within *io'o-^\?'^'",':^- themselves, ^''knowing' their thouo;hts, "he, answering, -® ^i'^"- ■''• 4- 12.20. Mark 12. . ' Tiri » ' ' o' 27 Luke v 22 15. Luke 5. 22. Said uuto them, "Why reason ye these things in your 28 Mark ii. 8.' & li. 17. ' ' hearts ? '^ Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts ? ^^ for ^ Matt. ix. 4. cMau.9.5. Luke whether '' is' it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, ' Thy 3° JSi" ife^' sins be forgiven thee ; ' or to say, ' Arise, and take up thy d See John 1. 51. ^g^, and Walk ? ' '' But that ye may know that ''the Son '' ^^^^ "• ^°- of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, ^^ (then saith ^* m^"- '""■ ^^ he to the sick of the palsy,) ^' I say unto thee. Arise, ^^ Mark. li. ii. and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house," ^ LuLv.al ^* And immediately he ^^ rose up before them, and " took 3' Mark ii. 12. up the bed, '* that whereon he lay, '^ and went forth be- ''^ ^^^l ]: f^ fore them all, '"and departed to his own house, glorifying 4u Luke v. 25. God, "' insomuch that, "'when the multitudes saw it, they ^^ Mark ii. 12. marvelled, and '^ they were all amazed, '* and were filled 43 Markii. 12. with fear, saying, " We have seen strange things to-day ! '" Luke v. 26. ■** we never saw it on this fashion ! " ■"* [And they] glorified ^l Matt. ix. s. God, which had given such power unto men. Matt. ix. part of ver. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ver. 7, arid part of ver. 8. — 2 And, behold ! they brought to him a man sick of the palsy — and Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, " Son, — ." 3 — certain of the Scribes said — . 4 And Jesus — said — e Mark 2. 9. Luke 5 — " "is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee ; or to say. Arise, and walk ? 6 But ^•^' that ye may know that Abe Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, — Arise, take /See John 1. 51. ^^ ^j^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ thine house." 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But — . Mark ii. part of ver. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12.— 3 And — . 4 And when — let down the bed whereon the sick of the palsy lay. 5 " — thy sins be forgiven thee." G But — . 7 " — who can forgive sins but God only ?" 8 — he said unto them — , 9 " Whether — 10 — (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 12 — arose, — and glorified God, saying, — . Luke v. part of ver. 18, 20, 21, 22, ver. 23, 24, and part of ver. 25, 26.— 18 — men brought in a bed — . 20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, — . 21 And the Scribes — . 22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, — " What reason ye in your g Matt. 9. 5. hearts ? 23 Whether ^is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and Mark 2. 9. walk.? 24 But that ye may know that 'i the Son of Man hath power Upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee. Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thine house." 25 And immediately he — took up — . 26 And they were 1^^====: all amazed, and they glorified God, — sECTjaL Section XII.— 77ie Calling of Matthew.^ V. JE. 27. Matt. ix. 9.— Mark ii. 13, 14.— Luke v. 27, 28. J. P. 4740. 'And after these things 'He went forth again by the ^ Mark n. "13. Capernaum, ggg^ gj^jg . j^,^^ ^\ ^^iQ multitudc rcsortcd unto him, and he 3 jiark ii. u. g See Note 30. taught them. ^And as he passed by "from thence, he ^ J'"" .j.^^' saw a man, ^ a publican, named Levi, "named Matthew, sMatt. i.v. 9! *or, place where ^ t),g gQ^j Qf Alplucus, ^sitting at the *Receipt of Custom : '' Markii. 14. ceived." Murk -2. ^ and hc Said uuto him, "Follow me." '"And he left all, 14. Luke 5. 27. 9 Luke V. 27. rose up, and followed him. »" Luke v. 28 Sect. XIII.] THE INFIRM MAN HEALED AT BETHESDA. 7] Matt. ix. part of vcr. 9. And as Jesus passed forth, — and he saith unto him, "Follow me." And he arose, and followed him. Mark ii. part of ver. 13, and 14. — 13 And — . 14 — he saw Levi — sitting at *the * Or, place where Receipt of Custom, and said unto him," Follow me." And he arose and followed him. received. "Matt* Luke v. part of ver. 27. — he went forth, and saw — sitting at* the Receipt of ^" ^* Custom : — . Section XIIT. — The Infirm Man healed at the Pool of Bethesda. sect, xiii. John v, 1-15. V ^E 27 ^ After "this there was a feast of the Jews ; ^ and Jesus went up j. p. 4740. to Jerusalem. ^Now there is at Jerusalem, 'by the sheep *market, a Jerusalem. pool, which is called, in the Hebrew tongue, Bethesda, having five *or, !;ate. porches. ^ In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, "^'^^^ f^ y halt, withered, [waiting for the moving of the water. ''For an angel ch.2.13. went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water : '' ^^'^ ^°'^ ^^^ whosoever then first, after the troubling of the water, stepped in, was 39.*^'' made whole of whatsoever disease he had.] ' '^ And a certain man was 'SeeNotess. there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. ^ When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, "Wilt thou be made whole?" '''The impotent man answered him, " Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool ; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me." ^ Jesus saith unto him, " 'Rise,'' take up thy bed, « Matt. 9.6. Mark and walk." ^ And immediately the man was made whole, and took ksee ivote'^sa." up his bed, and walked : and ''' on the same day was the Sabbath. ^^'The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, "It is the Sabbath day; 'it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed." ^'He rf eh. 9.14. answered them, " He that made me whole, the same said unto me, ^^l^^'i^^'^^^^' ' Take up thy bed, and walk.' " i^Thgn asked they him, " What man ^^.^; "'y'^' '^<=- is that which said unto thee, ' Take up thy bed and walk ? ' " '^ And Mark 2.24r& 3.4. he that was healed wist not who it was ; for Jesus had conveyed u,*^ ' ' himself away, ta multitude beins: in that place. '''Afterward Jesus ^ ox fromthemxd- Z! 1 1 1 ■ • 1 1 1-1 1 • -r» I 1 1 I 1 1 titu.de that teas. nndeth lum m the temple, and said unto hnn, " Jiehold ! thou art made whole: -^sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." i-" The /-^'«"- 12. 45. man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. Section XIV. — Christ vindicates the Miracle, and asserts the Dignity sect. xiv. of his Office. ■ Y.^.27. John v. 1G, to the end. J. P. 4740. ^^ And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Jerusalem. him, because he had done these thinos on the Sabbath day. '"But aci,. 9. 4. & 14. Jesus answered them, ""My Father' worketh hitherto, and I Avork." )Se'eKote34. ^^ Therefore the Jews ''sought the more to kill him, because he not Jch. 7. 19. only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his [own] "phn.^o; 6°' '^^' Father, "^making himself equal with God. '-'Then answered Jesus dver.so.ch.s.as. and said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ''The Son can &i4. lo. see do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do; for what ^T^^^'^^g'j- p,, things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. -° For ''the 3*. 35. '2 Pet. 1.17. CD y CAT* I- 11 Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that Himself doeth: /l Jkl 7. 14. & 8. and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. l^^jj^J'^^'/^" ^^ For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them ; •'^even /watt. n.27. & so the Son quickeneth whom he will. ^-For the Father judgeth no ch. 3.35. & 17^2' man, but 'liath committed all judgment unto the Son ; ^-^ that all men fpgt'^-|'' should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. ''He that see .Mark'i. i. honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. 'see°Mar"ki.'i. 72 CHRIST DEFENDS HIS DISCIPLES. [Part. ID. 'g!'4o^'47V& 8^ ^^ Verily, verily, I say unto you, *He that heareth my word, and be- 51. & 20. 31. lieveth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come jiJohn3.i4. [yiIq condemnation; •'but is passed from death unto life. ^^ Verily, A;^ver.28.^Ephes. verily, I Say uuto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when ^"the dead Col.' 2. 13. See shall hear the voice of the Son of God : and they that hear shall live. Mark 11. . . 26 Pqj. a^g ti^g Father hath life in Himself ; so hath He given to the 'ir&^T "31!^ ^*'' ^^" ^^ have life in himself. ^^ And 'hath given him authority to m See John 1. 51, exccutc judgment also, "because he is the Son of Man. ^^ Marvel not at this : for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the VThe'ss.^4'. 16. graves shall hear his voice, ^'^ and" shall come forth ; "they that have icor. 15. 52. done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done "25.'" 32, 33,' 40? ' evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. ^"I^'can of mine own self ^e™w^'*"^ do nothing. As I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just ; because 5 Matt. 26. 39. 'I scck uot mine owji will, but the will of [the Father] which hath ch.4.34.&6.38. ggj^^ j-jjg^ ^I'lfl bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. r See ch. 8. 14. , j ^ j Rev. 3. 14. 2^ "There is Another that beareth witness of me ; and I know that ^b'^ch.'l'.^ia!^^'^' th^ witness which He witnesseth of me is true. 1 John 5. 6, 7, 9. 33 ^Yg gg,-^|. ^jj-^^Q John, 'and he bare witness unto the truth. ^'^ But 27," 32. ' ' ' I receive not testimony from man ; but these things I say, that ye ii2Pet. 1. 19. might be saved. ^^ He was a burnino- and "a shining light : and "ye I! See Matt. 13.20. -ii- r . ■ ■ • i • r i . -w t> T wt i / &21. 26. Marks, wcro wiUmg lor a season to rejoice in his light. *''' rJut 1 have greater ^i*T I, .; o witness than that of John: for ""the works which the Father hath given tc 1 John 5. 9. r- • 1 1 • zch.3.2.&io.25. me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the M .! o U . T, Father hath sent me ; ^'' and the Father himself, which hath sent me, ?/ Matt. 3.17. & 17. «| , , • r i • • 5. ch. 6. 27. & 8. ^hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at anv I Deut. 4. 12. ch. time, ^nor seen his shape. ^^ And ye have not his word abiding in iJohnT'i2'^^' y^^ 5 ^^^ whom He hath sent, him ye believe not. ^^ "Search the o [Or, Ye search Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and Hhey are -E^rf SI0: they which testify of me ; ^o --and ye will not come to me, that ye & 34 16. Luke might have hfe. '^^ ''I receive not honor from men; ^-but I know 16. 29. ver. 46. ~ a-, t Acts 17. 11. you, that ye have not the love of God in you. ^"^I am come in my *Luke 24.^27?' ch! Father's name, and ye receive me not : if another shall come in his 1.45. own name, him ye will receive, '^'^ "How can ye believe, which j*^' -n ^Tx, ' receive honor one of another, and seek not ■''the honor that cometh o ver.34. 1 Iheas. ~ ^^ 2- 6. from God only ? ''^ Do not think that I will accuse you to the f R0JV09 Father : "there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye ^ Rom. 2. 12. trust. '^^For had ye believed Moses, ye would have beheved me ; AGen.3. 15. &12. ''for he wi'otc of me. '^^ But if ye believe not his writings, how shall 3.& 18. 18. &22. ,1- J -1)) m 18. &49. 10. ye believe my words ? ■" Deut. 18. 15, 18. ch. ]. 45. Acts ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 26. 22. m See N ote 35. Section XY.— Chvist defends his Disciphs foT plucMvg the Ears of Corn on the Sohhath day J" Matt, xii, 1-8, — Mark ii, 23, to the end. — Luke vi, 1-5. V. M. 27. ■ And "it came to pass on the second Sabbath after the ' ^"'^'^ ^'- '• J. P. 4740. first," that he went through the corn fields : " and his disci- ' ^'^"- ''"• ^• In a progress, ^jg^ wcrc an huugercd, and 'began to pluck the ears of n See Note 36. com ^ as they went, ^and to eat, ^rubbing them in their 4^^'^'^^^ %iaJk2.23.' hands. ^ But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto sLukevi. 1. 6Deut.23.25. him, " Bchold ! thy disciples do that which is not lawful to « M.itt. xii.s. o See Note 37. ^^ ^^p^,^ ^hc Sabbath day. ' Why do they on the Sabbath ' ^^^^^ "• 24. day that which is not lawful?" — ^ And certain of the ^Lukevi.s. Pharisees said unto them, " Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day ? " — ^ And Jesus, answer- ' Luke vi. 3. ing them, '"said unto them, "Have ye never read " so )° J^^^^^^ 'j: ^J; eisam.21.6. much as this, 'what David did, 'Svhen he had need, and i!Markii.25. was an hungered, he, and they that were with him ? '' How '^ Mark ii. 26, SECT. XV, Sect. XVL] CHRIST HEALS THE WITHERED HAND. 73 14 Luke vi. 4. he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high pricst,i' and did ''' take, and eat the show -bread, p See Note 38. 15 Matt. xii. 4. and gave also to them that were with him, ''which ^* was ^^'""H-';^?'^^- ~ . . 1 • 1 • -Lev-B. Jl. &,24. not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with 9- 16 Matt. xu. 5. j^jj^^^ i^^j Qj^ly f^y ^j^g priests ? "^ Or have ye not read in the 'Law, how that, on the Sabbath days, the priests in ^j^h^v^o^' 17 Matt. xii. G. jj^g temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless ? " But I say unto you, that in this place is -^One greater than the •^fja/'s'."".^''^' 18 Matt. xii. 7. temple. '* But if ye had known what this meaneth, ' ^I g- Hos. e. e. Mic. will have mercy, and not sacrifice,' ye would not have con- ' ' ^"' '^^' 19 Mark ii. 27. dcmncd the guiltlcss." '^ And he said unto them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath ; so M.rkii.28. w therefore "the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath." Yuke'e^t^' See John 1. 51. Matt. xii. part of ver. 1, ver 2, part ofver. 4, and ver. 8. — 1 At that time Jesus 'went j j\iark 3 23 on the Sabbatii day througli tlie corn ; — . 3 But he said unto them, " Have ye not read Luke 6. 1. J what David did when he was an hungered, and they that were with him ; 4 how he en- J 1 Sam. 21. 6. tered into the house of God, and did eat the show-bread, which — . b For '^the Son of ^ Mark 2. 28. Man is Lord even of tlie Sabbath day." ggg j(,i,'„ j_ 5j_ Makk iii. 23, part of ver. 24, 25, and26. — 23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the Sabbath day : and his disciples began, — 'to pluck the ears of corn. ^ Deut. 23.25. S4 And the Pharisees said unto him, " Behold ! — ." 25 And he — " '"what David did — Luke 6.~i. 26 — eat the show-bread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to ml Sam. 21. 6. them which were with him ? " Luke vi. part of ver. 1, 3, 4, and ver. 5. — 1 — and his disciples "plucked the ears of ^^^^^'^'f^' corn, and did eat — . 3 — said, " Have ye not read — when himself was an hungered, Mark 3. 23. and they which were with him; 4 how he went into the house of God, and did — it is not lawful to eat, but for the priests alone ? " 5 And he said unto them, " That "the Son Mark's. 28.' of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath." See John 1. 51. Section XVL — Christ heals the withered Hand.'^ sect, xvi Matt xii. 9-14. — Mark iii. 1-6. — Luke vi. (5-11. y ~^ ^7 2 lTb vi' 6* ' ^^^ when He was departed thence, ^ it came to pass j. p. 4740. 3 Mark iii. K also ou auothcr Sabbath, that ^he entered again, * he went in a progress. 4 Matt. xii. 9. into their synagogue, "and taught. ''And, behold! there qsee Note 39. 6 isxaxl. xii. 10. ^'^^ ^ ^'^'i ^ whose right iiand was withered. * And the 7 Luke vi. 6. Scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether ® he would 9 Mirk in' o' '^sal him on the Sabbath day ; that they might '° find an iuLukevi.7. accusation against him. "But he knew their thoughts, 11 Luke vi. 8. and said to the man which had the withered hand, " Rise up, and stand forth in the midst." And he arose, and 12 Matt. xii. 10. stood forth. " And they asked him, saying, " Is "it lawful "h t.'john^g.' it to heal on the Sabbath days ? " that they might accuse 13 Luke vi. 9. }^jj^^_ "Then said Jesus unto them, " I will ask you one thing ; Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good or to i4Markiii.4. do cvil ? to savc life or to destroy it?" '* But they held la .Matt. xii. n. j.{-,gj|j. peace. '* And he said unto them, "What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and 'if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay *5^ oeut °22^' '' 16 Matt. xii. 12. hold on it, and lift it out ? '" How much then is a man better than a sheep ! Wherefore it is lawful to do well n Mark iii. 5. qu the Sabbath days." ^'' And when he had looked round 18 Luiie vi. 10. about on them, '^ upon them all, '"with anger; being grieved for the *hardness of their hearts; he saith unto *oi, blindness. 20 Matt. xii. 13 the man, " Stretch ^forth thine hand." '' And he stretched ^Luke'e! n!^' o, ^i^tt ,.ii 14 it forth ; and it was restored whole, like as the other. 22 Luke vi. 11. -'Then ''the Pharisees " were filled with madness, [and "^j^f^^^^gYs &10 J M^tt 'xii.*^i4. th^y] "went forth, and straightway took counsel with the 39. & 11. 53. 85 Luke vi. 11. Herodians, [and] "Mheld a council against him; "and tOr, toot coun^rf. VOL. II. 10 G 74 CHRIST IS FOLLOWED BY MULTITUDES. [Part IIL communed one with another, what they might do to Jesus, [and] "® how they might destroy him. e Mark 3. 5. Luke 6. 10. 2« Matt. xii. 14'. 13 Then Mkit .SM.. 'part of ver . 10,13, and 14. — 10 — which had his hand withered saith he to the man, " '^Stretch forth thine hand." 14 — went out. and — . Mark iii. -part ofvcr. 1, 2, vcr. 3, and part ofxer. 4, 5, and G. — 1 And — into the syna- g-ogue ; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 2 And tliey watched him, whether — accuse him. 3 And he saith unto the man which liad the withered * Gr .4m^e,!tand hand, " *Stand forth." 4 And he saith unto them, " Is it lawful to do good on the Sab- toith m the muUt, , ^, , , , ., ., , ,.^ , , . , , , , . bath days, or to do evil ? to save life, or to kill ? — . 5 — And he stretched it out : and his hand was restored whole as the other. 6 And the Pharisees — against him, how they might destroy him. hvKE vi. part of ver. 6,7,10, and 11. — G And — he entered into the synagogue, — and there was a man — . 7 — he would heal on tlie Sabbath day, that they might — . 10 And looking round about — he said unto the man, " Stretch /forth thine hand." And he did so : and his hand was restored whole as the other. 11 And they — . /Matt. 19. 13. Mark 3. 5. SECT. XVII. V. JE. 27. J. P. 4740. In a progress. r See Note 40. a Matt. 10. 23. b Matt. 9. 30. c Luke 6. 17. * Or, rushed. d Mark 1. -23, 24. Luke 4. 41. e Matt. 14. 33. See Mark 1.1. /•Matt. 12. If). Mark 1. 25, 34. g Is. 42. 1. A Ps. 2. 7. Matt. 3. 17. & 17. 5. See Mark 1. 1. Luke 9.35. Ephes. 1.6. Col. 1. 13. 2 Pet. 1. 17. whose Matt. xii. 15 Mark iii. 7. Matt. xii. 15. Mark iii. 7. & Mark iii. 8. 6 Mark iii. 9. 7 Mark iii. 10. Matt. xii. 15. Mark iii. 11. Section XVIL — Christ is foUoived by great Multitudes, Diseases he heals/ Matt. xii. 15-21.— Mark iii. 7-12. * But when Jesus knew it, °he withdrew himself from thence, ^ with his disciples to the sea : ^ and 'gi-eat multi- tudes followed him * from Galilee, 'and from Judsea, ^ and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond Jordan : and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great mul- titude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. ^ And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him, because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. ^ For he had healed many ; insomuch that they *pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues : ® and he healed them all. " "^And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, " 'Thou art the Son of God ! " '° and ■''he straitly charged them that they should not make him known. " That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by ^Esaias the prophet, saying, — '* " Behold ! my Servant, whom I have chosen. My Beloved, ''in whom my soul is well pleased ; I will put my Spirit upon Him, And He shall show judgment to the Gentiles. "He shall not strive, nor cry, Neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets ; '^ A bruised reed shall He not break, And smoking flax shall He not quench ; Till He send forth judgment unto victory. '^And in his Name shall the Gentiles trust." Matt. xii. 16. And He charged them that they should not make him known. Mark iii. part of ver. 7. — But Jesus withdrew himself — and a great multitude — fol- lowed him, — . 3Iark iii. 12. 11 Matt. xii. 17. 12 Matt. xii. 18. 13 Matt. xii. 19. U Matt. xii. 20. 15 Matt. xii. 2L SECT. XVIII. Section XVHI. — Preparation for the Sermon on the Mount — Election V yE~27 of the Twelve Apostles. J. P. 4740. Mark iii. 13-18, and part of ver. 19.— Luke vi. 12-19. Galilee. 1 ^ND "it cauic pass in those days, that He went out ' ^"'^'^ "• ^^• a Matt. 14. 23. iuto a mouutaiu to pray, and continued all night in prayer • See Note 41. to God.' "And whcu it was day he called unto him his ^^Lu^evi. 13 disciples, ' whom he would, and they came unto him : ^ ^ark iii. 13. Sect. XIX.] THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 75 4 Luke vi. 13. 4 ^j^^ q£ them he chose twelve, * and he ordained twelve sLuksvi'S.' '(whom he also named Apostles), ' that they should be 7 Mark iii. 14. with lum, and that he might send them forth to preach, 8 Mark iii. 15. 8 ^^^ jq hsL-vc powcr to hcal sickncsscs, and to cast out 9 Luke vi. 14. devils: — ^ Simon (whom he also named Peter), and An- 10 Mark iii. 17. drcw, his brother, '" and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James ; (and he surnamed them Bo- n Murk iii. 18. anerges, which is, The Sons of Thunder;) "and Phihp, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James, j2 Luke vi. 16. thg sou of Alphajus, '' and Judas '' Thaddoeus, 'Hhe ''brother ^J^de i, uLukevi'.'ie.' of James, ''and Simon the Canaanite, '« called Zelotes ; 15 Mark iii. 18. '^ and Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him : — '* and n Mark t'll' ^e came down with them, and stood in the plain ; and 18 Luke vi. 17. the company of his disciples, 'and a great multitude of ''Ma^,"'3!'7^' people, out of all Juda3a and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to 19 Luke vi. 18. jjg healed of their diseases ; '^ and they that were vexed 20 Luke vi. 19. with unclean spirits: and they were healed. "^ And the "J^*^-_^^^^^''- whole multitude ''sought to touch him: for 'there went**''' virtue out of him, and healed them all. === Mark iii. part of rcr. 13, vcr. 16, and part of rer. 18.— 13 And he goeth up into a SECT. XIX. mountain, and calleth unto him — . 16 And Simon he surnamed Peter. 18 — and y.^E. 27. Andrew, and — and — . j p 4740. Luke vi. part of vcr. 14, 15, ajid 16.— 14 — James and John, Philip and Bartholorfiew, Galilee. 15 Matthew and Tliomas, James the son of Alphseus, and Simon — 16 — and Judas Is- cariot, which also was the traitor. 1 Matt. V. 1. 8 Luke vi .20. 3 Matt. V. 2. 4 Luke vi. , 2U. & Matt. V. 3. 6 Matt. V. 4. 7 Matt. V. 5. S Luke vi. ,21. 9 Matt. V. 6. 10 Luke vi. 21. 11 Matt. V. 7. n Matt. V. 8. 13 Matt. V. 9. 14 Matt. V. 10. 15 Matt. V. 11. 16 Luke vi .22. 17 Matt. V. 11. 18 !ju';e vi .22. 19 Luke vi .23. 20 Matt. . v. , 12. 21 Luko vi .23. 22 Matt, . v . 12. 93 Luke vi . 24. t See Note 42. a Mark 3. 13, 20. - J James 2. 5. Section XIX. — The Sermon on the Mount} Prov. le. 19. & • •• , ••■ -. T • r.« . ^7 1 29. 23. Is. 57. 15. Matt, chapters v. vi. vii. and viu. ver. 1. — Luke vi. 2U, to tlie end. &, 66. 2. ' And seeing the multitudes, "He went up into a moun- '^Lutf e I'l^ Joha tain : and when he was set, his disciples came unto him. le. 20. 2 cor. 1. * And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, ' and he opened /p, 37" u' his mouth, and taught them, saying, — /seeRom. 4. 13. * '■' Blessed' be ye poor ! =^ Blessed' are the poor in ^'^^',rbi'e°"ed''"' spirit ! for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ** ''Blessed § is. 55. 1. u. 65. are they that mourn ! for they shall be comforted. ^ jj gj 3 ^Blessed' are the meek! for ^they shall inherit the earth. iPs.41.1. Matt. ® Blessed' are ye that hunger now! ® Blessed are they 25. 2'Timf l le! which do hunger and thirst after righteousness! for they "•^Vj-'^io-iames shall be filled. '"Blessed" are ye that weep now! for iPs-J5-2.&24.4. ye shall laugh. "Blessed are the merciful! *for they ^ 1 cor. 13. 12. shall obtain mercy. '" Blessed' are the pure in heart ! y^^'^^.^lg^'J' for 'they shall see God. '^Blessed are the "peacemakers! "2"cor.4 n. for they shall be called the children of God. ""Blessed \f^:~:l^: are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake ! „ 1 pet. 4. 14. for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. '* Blessed are ye, * ^'- ^y"'s- when men '"shall hate you, and when tliey shall separ- "acTs5°'4i.^cok ate yon from their company, and shall reproach you. '" [and] }|g--'4"i|^'-^- shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner ^ j g^^ g j^ 8_ of '"evil against you *falsely, for my sake ; "and cast out ^^j'g "Ij^fo!' h- vour name as evil, for "the Son of Man's sake. '^ "Rejoice ^2lqo!&22.8, J -' ^ . 1 /« 26 27. 2 Kind's 1. ve in that day, ""rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for 9.2Ciiron.i6.io. •^ ^ . •' 1 • 1 21 J 1 f ■ f &24.19-22.&36. great is your reward in heaven : and leap tor joy : tor, ig. Neh. 9. 26. behold ! your reward is great in heaven ; for ^'in the like man- i^/^^ii^i^^^/ ner did their fathers unto the prophets — ^* so persecuted ? Amos e. 1. they the propliets which were before you. '' But, 'woe unto ^Voes denounced. you that are rich ! for '^ye have received your consolation. '"£,uke'i6. 25.' 76 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. [Part Ul. tPr'ov?i3^4. "Woe 'unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. '''^"^^-'- ^^■ « John 15. 19. 'Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and xieell'te'44. ^eeP- "Woe "unto you, when men shall speak well of '' ^"'^'' "'• 2'^- V Mark 9. 50. you ! for SO did their fathers to the false prophets. ^p"rh'iegef:!d' '" " ^e are the salf^ of the earth : ^but if the salt have '' Matt.v.13-49. Duties of Christ's lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted ? it is thenceforth eood wProv. 4. 18. for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. ^i"''!- ^^. ^^ Ye "are the light of the world.y A city that is set on a hill cannot y See ^ote 45. , . , ^ X Mark 4. 21. bc hid. ^^ Neither do men ""light a candle, and put it under a *bushel, il'S.^' ^'^'' ^ but on a candlestick ; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. * The word in the ^"^ Let your light so shine before men, ^that they may see your good Tm"L^re"VoT works, aud 'glorify your Father which is in heaven. J,tf"L-1l«« a ^^ " Think "not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets : p^'^'^- ^ I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. ^^ For verily I say unto The Desi^Ti of , . . j j Christ's cSmiiig. you, Hill hcavcu and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no iJohn'is s" wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled. ^^ Whosoever 'therefore icor. 14. 25. shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, '^w?Z'g1\^1'.^. be shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven ; but who- b Luke 1(5. 17. socvcr sliall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the d Ro'm! 9. 31. & kingdom of heaven. ^"^ For I say unto you. That except your righ- 10- 3. teousness shall exceed '^the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, e Exod!'2o!"i3. Y^ shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Deut. 5. 17. 21 a Ye havc heard that it was said *by them of old time, ' ^Thou the^ stxti!'t''om- slialt uot kill ; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the fiTT'^'sT- Judgment.' ~~ But I say unto you. That 'whosoever is angry with his £-That is, Vain brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Judgment : and ■6!"2o.' jfmes'"2! whosocver shall say to his brother, " Raca ! shall be in danger of ^^- the Council : but whosoever shall say. Thou fool ! shall be in 23.19. ' danger of hell fire.' --^ Therefore, ''if thou bring thy gift to the altar, z See Note 46. g^j-^j there reiiiemberest that thy brother hath aught against thee ; i See Job 42. 8. *' <D G ^ Matt. 18. 19. 24 igave Hherc thy gift before the altar, and go thy way ; first be iPet"'3.'7.' reconciled to thy brother, and then come, and ofl^'er thy^ gift. ^^^' Agree a See Note 47. ^yj^ji thiuc adversary quickly, ''whiles thou art in the way with j Prov. 25.8. Luke J i J ' ^ ^ J 12.58,59.' him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and ^u\I^G^'^' the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. I Exod. 20. 14. 26 Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, TOj^o'b.3^1 i.Prov. till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. 34f'2Sam?i'2' ^^ " ^^ bavc heard that it was said [*by them of old time,] ' 'Thou Explanation of shalt uot commit adultcry.' ^^ gut I say unto you, that whosoever *'"^mandme\it?'" '"lookcth on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery with "Matt. 18.^^9. he,- already in his heart. -'•' And "if thy right eye tofFend thee, "pluck * Or, to them. it out, aud cast it from thee : for it is profitable for thee that one ot \hee to o7"nd tliyiTiembers should perish, and not that thy whole body should be oSte ch. 19. 12. cast iuto hell. ^° And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and ca.st 1 (""or. 9. 27'. it from tliee : for it is profitable for tliee that one of thy members p^De'ut.'li. 1. should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. i9'3^&c Mark ^^ ^^ hsJCi). bccu Said, ' Whosoever ^'shall put away his wife, let him io!2', &c.' give her a writing of divorcement.' -*- But I say unto you, 'That 'Luke'i6.'i8. whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, f.^io^^iL'^^"'" causeth her to commit adultery : and whosoever shall marry her that r Matt. 23. i(i. jg divorced committcth adultery. ' "^""iTe^dr""' ^^ " Again, Ye have heard 'that it hatli been said by them of old time, '\llT\^^\l'. ' Thou 'shalt not forswear thyself, but 'shalt perform unto the Lord Numb. ,30 2. thine oatiis.' •'* But I say unto you, "Swear not at all ; neither by t Deut. 23. 23. hcavon ; for it is "God's throne: ^^ nor by the earth; for it is his "22.'jame'3 5! 12! footstool : ncithcr by Jerusalem ; for it is "the city of the Great ^Ps.48.2.'&87.3. King. ^^ Neither shalt tliou swear by thy head, because thou canst Sect. XIX.] THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. ^-j not make one hair white or black. ^^ But ^letyour communication be, a;^Coi. 4. e. James Yea, yea ; Nay, nay : for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. 38 u Ye have heard that it hath been said, ' An ^eye for an eye, and a ^^ Revenge. tooth for a tooth.' ^'^ But I say unto you, 'That ye resist not evil ; "but ^Lev^lif 2o~''' whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other Oeut. 19. 21. also ; ^^ and if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy ^sCao. Luke e. coat, let him have thy cloak also : '^^ and whosoever ''shall compel %\ ^iTor]%."l thee to go a mile, go with him twain. '^^Give to him thatasketh thee, JJeTag."^^' and "from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou awav : ' and of a is. 50. e. Lam. 1 Luke vi. 30. him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again, j ji^ti. 27. 32. 2 Luke vi. 31. ^ And ''as ye would that men should do to vou, do ye w^kis.aL , , ., -^ ,-, ■ J :> J cDeut. 15. 8, 10. also to them likewise. Luke 6.30,35. 3 Matt. V. 44. 3 " Ye have heard that it hath been said, ' Thou ^shalt christians are to love thy neighbour, and -^hate thine enemy.' ■* But ^I say mies. 4 Luke VI. 27, ^j^^^ y^^j^ which iicar, Love your enemies; do good to '^jv^ljft'.Wo!' them which hate you ; bless them that curse you ; and e Lev. 19. is. sMatt. V. 45. pray 'for them which despite fully use you: Hhat ye may •^4°^%'^^' ^'^^' be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for ^Exod.aa. 4. ■ TT 1 ii 1 • X • xi -1 1 1 1 Prov.25.2.Matt. 'He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good ; 5. 44. Luke p. 6Matt. V. 46. and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. ^ For if ^5. ^om. 12. i4, 7 Luke vi. 32. ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? ''for ''l^^^t^^-^- ■ 11 I 11 1 « 1 1 ^'^^^ ~- ^^- ' Cor. 8 Matt. V. iG. Sinners also love those that love them : do not even the 4. 12, 13. 1 Pet. »Matt. V. 47. Publicans the same? 'And if ye salute your brethren j job. '25. 3. only, what do ye more than others ? do not even the lu Luke vi. 33. PubUcans so ? '" And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye ? for sinners also do even » Luke vi. 34. the same. " And ^if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to •? ^'''"- ^- '*2- receive, what thank have ye ? for sinners also lend to sin- i« Luke vi. 35. ners, to receive as much again. '" But ^'love ye your ene- ^^'"■'t''''rt^ ^"'^ n mies, and do good, and 'lend, hoping for nothing again ; men. and your reward shall be great, and '"ye shall be the chil- \Ys!z~%f.' 13 Luke vi. 3-1. dren of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful, wMatt. 5. 45. u Matt. V ^ j^j^^ ^^ thg ^^,^\ .3 gg therefore merciful, '' be "ye there- \^,'''l\^Wl;%- 15 Luke VI. 36. „ „ , „ •' „ , ,.,.'.,•' . 11. 44. & 19. 2. 16 Mitt. V. 48. lore periect, even as your r ather which is in heaven is ^^^^- 1- 28- & 4. 17 Matt, vi.i-34. 13 merciful, [and] "^perfect. rpet'.Ti5, le.' " " Take heed that ye do not your *alms before men, to be seen of Directions on them : otherwise ye have no reward tof your Father which is in ^ "i"g'^'"»- heaven. ^ Therefore ^when thou doest thine alms, tdo not sound a * or, risMeous- trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in ps?'i[2!"9.~Dan! the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, g- fj; ^ *^°''- ^• They have their reward. ^ But when thou doest alms, let not thy left t or, wm. hand know what thy right hand doeth : ^ that thine alms may be in l ^'""' '^" ^" . •' ~ . •' J Or, cause not a secret ; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, himself 'shall reward «""»pft to be , , sounded. thee openly. , Luke 14. 14. ^ " And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are : How to pray. for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. ''But thou, when thou prayest, '"enter into »• 2 Kings 4. 33. thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret ; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. '^ But when ye pray, \ise not vain repetitions, as the heathen do ; 'for they think that they shall be heard for their much 1 1 Kings 18. 26, speaking. ^ Be not ye therefore like unto them. For your Father „ Luke ii.o,&c. knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him. o After ^^''^^'°'^'*^- this manner therefore pray ye: — "Our Father which art in heaven,^ ^Acts2i.i4.'' hallowed be thy name : ^"^ thy kingdom come: "thy will be done in "'P^. 103. 20,21. earth, '^'as it is in heaven : ^^ give us this day our ""daily bread : ^'^and Vrov. so.'s." VOL. II. G* s Prov. 10. 19. Eccl. 5. 2. 78 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. [Part HI. ^fcc^'** '^' ^^' "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors : ^^ and 'lead us not zMatt. 26. 41. iuto temptation, but "deliver us from evil. [''For thine is the kingdom, icol^io.ls.^^' and the power, and the glory, for ever! Amen.] ^^ For '^if ye forgive 2 Pet. Q. 9. Rev. jj^qj^ their trcspasscs, your heavenly Father will also forgive you ; a John 17. 15. ^^ but ''if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father b 1 chron. 29. 11. forgive your trespasses. cMaHciT. 25*26. ^"^ " Morcovor, "wlien ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad coi"^3"f3^~' countenance. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear d Mutt. 18. 35. unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. James 2. 13. 1^ g^^ ^j^q^^ ^y|^gj^ ^j^q^ fg^g^gg^ /g^j^^jlj^^ thiuc head, and wasli thy facc ; /Ruth.3.3.Ddn. ^^ that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is ^°- •^- in secret : and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee [openly]. ^°h?HeJven!"'° ^'■' " Lay ^uot up for yourselves treasures upon earth; where moth ^Prov. 23. 4. and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal ; HJb'"3 5 jl'mes ^^ t>ut ''lay up for yoursclvcs treasures in heaven, where neither moth 5. i,&c. nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor '"city 'en'rorcrd!'' stcal. ~^ For whcrc your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ft Matt. 19. 21. ^~ The 'light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, fels! al 1 Tim! thy whole body shall be full of light ; ~^ but if thine eye be evil, thy 6. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 4. whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in ' ■ thee be darkness, how great is that darkness. Decision in reiig- 24 a j^q ^nian cau scrvc two uiastcrs : for either he will hate the one, /Luke'iTw ^"^ ^^^^ the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the ftGai.i.io. iTim. Other. ^'Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. ^^ Therefore I say unto i'john^2'."i5!^''' you, ^Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye I Ps 55. 2p. Luke shall driulv ; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the 4.'Gri'pet. 5. 7." life more than meat, and the body than raiment? -'^ Behold '"the "i47.VLute 12! fowls of the air.* for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather 24, &c. if^to barns ; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they ? ^^ Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature ? ~® And why take ye thought for raiment ? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow ; they toil not, neither do they spin : ^^ and yet I say unto you. That even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. ^'^ Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith ? ^^ There- fore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat ? or. What shall we drink ? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed ? ^"- For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knoweth nSeeiKin;s3.i3. that vc havc uccd of all thcsc thiugs. ^"'But "seek ye first the king- Ps 37 ^0 Jltirk "^ . 10." 30.' L,uko 13. dom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be 31. 1 Tim. 4. 8. ^j^jg J ^jj^^Q yQ,j^ 34 Takc therefore no thought for the morrow ; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is t!ie evil thereof. To jiitisc no man. ' " Judgc "uot, and yc shall not be judged ; condemn not, ' ^"'^^ "'• ^''• o Matt. 7. 1.^ ^^ and ye shall not be condemned ; forgive, and ye shall be 3,4'"i'o~i3."i Cor! forgivcn ; *give, ^and it shall be given unto you, good =L»kevi. ss. 4. 3,|.James4. j^^gj^g^^^^^ prcsscd dowu, aud shaken together, and running p prov. 19. 17. over, 'shall men give into your bosom. For 'witii ■'' what ' ^^''"- "'"■ ^■ '65!M:j\~r".3l: judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with Hhe ^Lukovi.28. r Mark 4 24. ^amc mcasurc ye mete withal it shall be measured to you James 9. 13. agalu." *i''""!f"^!' 'And ho spake a parable unto them, "Can 'the bhnd *i-ukevi.39. John ' 13.' lii. & lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? *or%iibcver.'The 'dlsciplc is not above his master: but every one «Lukevi.4o. fictedaskiswus- *^\^^i jg perfect shall be as his master. ^ And why be- 'L»i^evi.Ti. Sect. XIX.] THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 79 boldest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but 8 Matt. vii. 3. * considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye ? " or 10 Luke Jf 43' '^o^ '"canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself be- holdest not the beam that is in thine own eye ? Thou hypocrite ! "cast out first the beam out of thine own eye ; « see Prov. is.i?. and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is \3°l[ AcJ'it u Matt.vii.6-15. in thy brother's eye. I:'JL,o.e sa- 11 " Give "not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your cr^d Things to pearls before swine ; lest they trample them under their feet, and turn ''°"'^'"p'- again and rend you. •:,,,,. , , 1 11 r- 1 1 1 The Efficacy of "^ " Ask "and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, prayer. and it shall be opened unto you. ^ For ^every one that asketh ""jf^-'^if.^oK"" receiveth ; and he that seeketh findeth ; and to him that knocketh it ^"'y8."i.'^'Joim shall be opened. ^ Or '■'what man is there of you, whom if his son 14. ]|: & 15.J.& ask bread, will he give him a stone ? ^° or if he ask a fish, will he give ].5~\iirjohn'3; him a serpent? ^^ If ye then, "'being evil, know how to give good gifts /p;^^.^ n. Jer. unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in 20. 12, 13. heaven give good things to them that ask him ! ^~ Therefore all things Icln^.e/d. &. 8. "whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to 21. them : for Hhis is the Law and the Prophets. 13 " Enter 'ye in at the strait gate ; for wide is the gate, and broad '^''g®t"^-[i"j"p*^''® is the way, that leadeth to destruction ! and many there be which go j Lev. 19? is.' in thereat ! ^^ *Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, Rom .'if. •8^9,10. which leadeth unto life ! and few there be that find it. f '^;^^; |^g 15 " Beware ''of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, c Luke 13. 24. but inwardly they are 'ravening wolves. ^^ Ye shall know them by their *^'"Z: ^ , 1 Luke vi. 41. truits. r Or ^every tree is known by his own iruit : lor ot 23. le. xMatt.24. thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush 13.22. Rom. le. a Matt. vii. 17. gather they tgrapes : - even so "every good tree bringeth 5^'(5/coi!^2.'''8." forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil \]ll;^^\l[^^- 3 Matt. vii. 18. fj.y-|._ 3 ^ gQQ^ ^j.gg eannot bring forth evil fruit ; neither 3.5. 2Tim'.k5: 4 Matt. vii. J9. cmi a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every ''tree ^•'^j||''-J'2-|;^''- that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast \oi, agrape. 5 Luke vi. 15. into the fire. ° A 'good man out of the good treasure of ^[^[i.Vg.'si his heart bringeth forth that which is good : and an evil a Matt. 3. 10.^ man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth itX^^'- 6 Matt. vii. 20. that which is evil: " wherefore, by their fruits ye shall » ^att. 12. 3.5. 7 Luke vi. 45. know them : ~' for 'of the abundance of the heart his mouth J ^^""- ^~- ^'^■ speaketh. 8 Luke vi. 46. * " And *whv call ve me, Lord ! Lord ! and do not the To be Doers of the J J ' VV ord, Hnd not 9 Matt. vii. 21. thin(Ts which I say? ''Not every one that saitli unto me. Hearers only. 'Loixl ! Lord ! shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; ^aV.'ii.'Luke'i": but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in ^^^^ ^ ^ ^^^^^ 10 Matt. vii. 22. heaven. '° Many will say to me in that dav. Lord ! Lord ! 25? n, VS." Luke 1 m , 1 ■ 1 • ,1 -^ ' 1 ■ xi 13. 25. Acts 19. have we not prophesied in thy name? and in tny name is. Rom. 2.13. have cast out devils ? and in thy name done many wonder- J^"'^; ^^ ^ 11 Matt. vii. 23. fui works ? " And "then will I profess unto them, I never Joim I'lrsi ' 1 1 • • • I 1 I or. U. 2. knew you : depart from me, ye that work iniquity ! „ jj^jt 05. 13. '2 Matt. vii. 94. >2 " therefore, whosoever heareth, *' cometh to me, and }:':^^J\'h'^''- i-f Matt. vii. 24. heareth '''these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will Ps. 5. 5. & 6. 8. •5 Luke vi. 47. '*show you to whom he is like. "^ He is like '"unto a " Matt! vii.t4. "^^'i^<2 man, which built his house, '^and digged deep, and 18 Luke vi. 48. laid the foundation on a rock. And when '^ the rain de- Z x'","' ^-^f' scended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, "° the -*" Luke VI. 48. / ' . i i i a Stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not 21 Matt. vii. 25. shake it ; "' and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. 80 THE CENTURION'S SERVANT HEALED. [Part ill. ^* And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and ^^ '^^''"- *''• "''• doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, '^^ that, ^^ LuUe vi. 49. without a foundation, built "Miis house upon the sand. 24 Matt. vh. 26. ^^ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the ^ Matt. vii. 27. winds blew, and ^^ the stream did beat vehemently ~' upon '" '^"'"^ ^'- '^^• . •' " 27 Matt. vii. 27. that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it ! -^ Im- 28 Luke vi. 49. " mediately it fell ; and the ruin of that house was great." ^^ And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these 29 Matt. vii. as. ^M!rrk' /.%!!' & sayings, ''the people were astonished at his doctrine. ^^ 'For ^" Matt. vii. 29. 6. 2. Luke 4. 32. jjg taught thcui as one having authority, and not as the Scribes. '"[And] when he was come down from the ^^ Matt. viii. 1. mountain, great multitudes followed him. Matt. v. pa7-t of ver. 12, and ver. 44. — 12 — for — . 44 But I say unto you, Love your r Luke 6. 27, 30. enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to '"them that hate you, and pray for them ' ' which despitefuUy use you, and persecute you. Matt. vii. ver. l,part of ver. 2, 3, 4, ver. 5, and part of ver. IG, 24, 2G, and. 27. — 1 " Judge s Luke 6. 37. *not, that ve be not iudcjed. 2 For with — what measure ve mete, it shall be measured Ol S 1 A 1 A J CD J ' lo' 13. 1 Cor. 4.' ^° y°^ again. 3 'And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but — . 3. 5. James 4. 11, 4 — wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye ; and, behold ! / T It r 41 4o ^ beam \s'\n thine own eye .' 5 Thou hypocrite ! first cast out the beam out of thine own eye ; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. 16 — Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 24 — liken him — upon a rock : 25 — And — and beat upon that house — . 2G — which built — . 27 — beat — ."' Luke vi. part of ver. 20, 21, 22, ver. 2'^, part of ver. 30, 32, 36, 41, 42, ver. 43, and part of ver. 47, 48, 49. — 20 — and said — for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 — for ye shall « Matt. 5. 11. ]3g fliied. — 22 "Blessed are ye when men — . 2'J "And unto him that smiteth thee on \ X et, 2. 19. & 4. 14. ' ' ' the one cheek offer also the other ; "and him that taketli away thy cloak, forbid not to V Matt. 5. 39. take thy coat also. 30 ^Give to every man that asketh of thee — . 32 ^For if ye love w Matt. 5. 40. them which love you, what thank have ye .' 36 — as your Fatlier also is — . 41 — per- ^Prov^'^i 2ij ceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye ? 42 Either how — . 43 ''For a good tree Matt. 5. 42. bringeth not forth corrupt fruit ; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. y Matt. 5. 46. 47 Whosoever — my sayings, and doeth them, I will — . 48 — a man which built a z Matt. 7. 16, 17. house — the flood arose — for it was founded upon a rock. 49 But he that heareth and doeth not, is like a man — a house upon the earth : against which — and — ." SECT. XX. Section XX. — The Centurion's Servant healed.'^ Y ^ 27 Matt. viii. &-13. — Luke vii. 1-10. J. P. 4740. ' Now when He had ended all his sayings in the audi- ' ^"'■^'^ ^"- ^• Capernaum, eucc of the pcoplc, he entered into Capernaum. ^ And a * Luke vii. 2. c See Note 49. Certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. ^ And when Jesus was entered ^ '^^""- '■"• ^• into Capernaum, * he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the ■* Luke vii. 5. elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant ; ^ and saying, " Lord, my servant lieth * Matt. viii. e, at home, sick of the palsy, grievously tormented." ''And ^ Luke vii. 4. when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, " That he was worthy for whom he should do this : 'for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a syna- '^"'^ovii.s. gogue." ** And Jesus saith unto him, "I will come and a"-vni. 7. heal him." "Then Jesus went with them. And when ' ^^^^e vii. e. he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, " Lord, trouble not thy- o Matt. 8. 8. ggif . for "J am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: '"wherefore, neither thought I myself worthy to "* ^"''° '"• "• iPs. 107.20. ^Qj^g ^j^^Q ^j^gg . u ^^^ tgpg^}^ tijg ^,oj.^ Qj^]y^ j^,jj „^y ger- " ^''^"- "i;;-^- vant shall be healed. '"For I '^also am a man set under I! f","" '."'•/• c Luke 7 8 1 • 1 • c ^ it Luke vii. 8. authority, having " soldiers under me ; and 1 say unto u aiutt. viii. 9. this man, Go, and he goeth ; and to anotiier. Come, and he cometh ; and to my servant. Do this, and he doeth iV." Skct. XXL] THE WIDOW'S SON RAISED TO LIFE. gj 15 Matt, viii 10. i^YiThen Jesus heard '* these things, he marvelled at him, lb Luke VII. 8. . . ~ and turned him about, and said unto the people that fol- 17 Matt.viii. 10. iQ^g(j jjjnri^ " " Verily I say unto you, I have not found so 18 Matt. viii. 11. great faith ; no, not in Israel ! " '* And I say unto you, That ''many shall come from the east and west, and shall ^^x'^[f; [q.^ sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the king- ^g'^y- ^Jf^^ 19 Mutt. viii. 12. ^Qj^ q£ heaven ; '" but 'the children of the kingdom -^shall 45! &11. is. & be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping 9, '&c.' Ephe's. 3! 20 Matt. viii. 13. j^j^j gnashing of teeth." ^° And Jesus said unto the cen- ^' . . . e Matt. 21. 43, turion, "Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it /Matt. 13.42^50. done unto thee." And his servant was healed in the self- fi.^a^. s'o. ^^* 21 Lukevii. 10. game hour. "'And they that were sent, returning to the o^^l^^'^' house, found the servant whole that had been sick. Jude'13. Matt. viii. part of ver. 5, 8, 9, and 10. — 5 — there came unto him a centurion, be- seeching him, 8 The centurion answered and said, " Lord ! ^I am not worthy that g Luke 7. 6. thou shouldest come under my roof: — . 9 — am a man under autliority, having — ." . 10 — it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, — . Luke vii. part of ver. 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10. — 3 And when — . 7 " — but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. 8 For I — ''under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, h Matt. 8. 9. and he goeth ; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it." 9 When Jesus heard — . 10 " I say unto you, I have not found so great faitli, no, not in Israel." — . : Section XXI. — The Widow's Son at Nain is raised to lifeA sect. xxi. . Luke vii. 11-18. V.^26. ^^ And it came to pass the day after, that He went into a city called j. p. 4739. Nain : and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Nain. ^~ Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold ! there was ^ gge n^ 50. a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother ; and she was a widow : and much people of the city [was] with her. ^^ And when ■ the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, " Weep not." ^"^ And he came and touched the *bier ; and they that *0r, co#n. bare him stood still. And he said, " Young man, I say unto thee, "Arise!" ^^And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak; and °n.''i; "^Acu 9! he delivered him to his mother.'' ^^ And ''there came a fear on all : ^''- ^""i- *• i7. and they glorified God, saying, "That 'a great prophet is risen up jch^^^*"^^' among us;" and, " That God hath visited his people." ^'' And this ccii!24. 19. Joim rumor of him went forth throughout all Judcea, and throughout all 4. J9. &, e. 14. & tlie region round about. ^"^ And 'the disciples of John showed him of dch.i.cs. all these things. e Mutt. 11.2. Section XXII. — Message from John, who was still in Prison, sect, xxn to Christ J — Matt. xi. 2-G.— Luke vii, 19-23. 7'^.^: 1 Matt. xi. 2. 1 ]\Jq,v when John had heard "in the prison the works of 2 J. P. 4740. On a tour. Luke vii. 19. Christ, he, " calling unto him two of his disciples, sent them 3 Matt. .xi. 3. to Jesus, 'and said unto him, "Art thou ''He that should iMatrit? 4 Luke vii. 20. come, or do we look for another?" "When the men jcen. 49. 10. were come unto him, they said, " Joim Baptist hath sent oZ'g.lt 'John us unto thee, saying, < Art thou He that should come ? or ^- ^'** 5 Luke vii. 21. looi^ wg foj. another ? ' " * And in the same hour he cured many of their infirmities, and plagues, and of evil spirits ; 6 Luke vii. 22. a^j-j^ yj^^Q many that were blind he gave sight. 'Then [Jesus] answering said unto them, " Go your way, and tell c is. 29 le. & 35 John what things ye have seen and heard ; 'how that the john2.23. &\ 7 Matt, xi, 5. blind ' receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers h%l:^^u.n: VOL. II. II 82 CHRIST'S TESTIMONY OF JOHN. [Part III, g See Note 53. ^^^ cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised s up, ''eifa.^ukM. is! and ''the poor have the Gospel preached to them. ^ And "Matt.xi.e. James 2. 5. blcssed Is hc, wliosoevcr shall not 'be offended in me ! " els. 8. 14, 15. ' 24'W&26^ Matt. xi. part ofver. 2, ver. 4, and part of ver. 5. — 2 — sent two of his disciples, 4 Je- Rora. 9. 32, 33. ' sus answered and said unto them, " Go and show John again those things which ye do 1 Cor. 1.23. & 2. hear and see : 5 The Wind — ." 14. Gal. 5. 11. J Pet. 2. 8. Luke vii. part ofver. 19, 22, and ver. 23. — 19 And John — saying, "Art thou he that should come ? or look we for another .''" 22 " — see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, j,c IT . ■.-, ^ the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the Gospel is preached. 23 And blessed /See Matt. 11. 6. . , , , „ ^, ,^ , , . , IS he, whosoever shall not /be offended m me. SECT. XXHI. Section XXIII. — Chrisfs Testimony Concerning John. V. K. 27. Matt. xi. 7-15.— Luke vii. 24-30. J. P. 4740. 1 And when the messengers of John were departed, ' ^"""^ ''"• ^''• n^ur. 2 jggyg bggan to say unto the multitudes concerning John, ^ '^^'^"- ^'- '• oEphes. 4. 14. " What went ye out into the wilderness to see ? "A reed shaken with the wind ? ^ But what went ye out for to see ? ^ ^^''"- '''• ^• A man clothed in soft raiment ? Behold ! they that wear soft clothing, — ■'behold! they which are gorgeously appar- " Lu^e vii. 25. elled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts. ^ But what ^ ^"^^^ "'• -''• went ye out for to see ? A prophet ? Yea, I say unto you, '2S^Lukf]. ^and much more than a prophet ! " For this is he, of whom « Matt. xi. 10. it is written, — ' Behold ! "I send my messenger before thy face. 76, cMal.3. 1. Blark 1. 2. Luke 1. 76. . & 7- 27. Which shall prepare thy way before Thee.' ' For ^ verily 1 say unto you, Among them that are born ^ '^^^<' ^•''- 28- of women, there hath not risen a greater ® prophet than 9 Luke vi'i". 28. John the Baptist : "* notwithstanding, he that is least in the "> Matt, xi 11. h See Note 54. kingdom of heaven is greater than he.'' " And ''from the " '^^''"- "'• ^^' days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven *force,^ amiZhel *suffereth violcuce, and the violent take it by ' force. taf.,&r'' ""'' '' For 'all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John ; '' ^^^"- ^[- ^3- i See Note 55. '^ and if ye will receive it, this is -'Elias, which was for to '^ ^att. xi. 14. eM^^-i-e. ^^^ come." "(And all the people that heard him, and the "^ ^"''^^"- 29- 17 .V2.' Lukei! Publicans, justified God, "'being baptized with the baptism ^^- ^ , of John. '' But the Pharisees and lawyers t rejected Hhe " ^"''^ ""■ ^^' f Or fj'ustvdtcd *' •' t Or, jcifAm tftm- counsel of God J against themselves, being not baptized scU,s. of )ii,j^\ 16 u JJg itJj^^ l^j^j^l^ gj^j.g to l^gj^r |gt 1-,-j^^ J^gj^j. in 16 Matt. xi. 15. g Matt. 3. 5. ^ •^"'^'^ i^' ^^" Matt. x\. part of vcr. 7, 8, ver. 9, avd part of ver. 11. — 7 And as they departed — . i Matt. 13. 9. ® — ''■^^ ^^ king's houses. 9 " But what went ye out for to see ? A prophet .'' Yea, I Luke 8. 8. Rev. gay unto you, •'and more than a prophet. 11 — than John the Baptist — ." & 3.' 6 13 22. Luke vii. part of ver. 24, 25, ver. 27, and part of vcr. 23. — 24 — he began to speak unto j Matt. 21.26. the people concerning John, " What went ye out into the wilderness for to see .' *A Luke 1. 76. j.ggj shaken with the wind .' 25 But what went ye out for to see .' A man clothed iu \i'V^-i i' T k ^^^^ raiment? — . 27 This is Hc of whom it is written, ' Behold ! 'I send my messenger 1.76". ' ' before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.' 23 — I say unto you. Among those that are born of women there is not a greater — but he that is least in the king- dom of God is greater than he." SECT. XXIV. Section XXIV. — Christ reproaches the Jews for their Impenitence V. M. 27. and Insensihility.^ J. P. 4740. Matt. xi. 16-24.— Luke vii. 31-85. on^ur. 1 Ajjj, thg Lo^d gj^jj^ u Whercuuto, "then, shall I liken the i Luke vii. 31-35. k See Note 56. men of this generation ? and to what are they like ? ^~ They a Matt. 11. 16, &c. ^,e like unto children sitting in the market-place, and calling one to another, and saying, ' We have piped unto you, and ye have not Sect. XXV.] CHRIST INVITES ALL TO COME TO HIM. 83 danced ; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not wept.' ^'^ For ^Ma'ikhef' *John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine ; and Luke 1. 15. ye say, ' He iiath a devil.' ^-^The 'Son of Man is come eating and <= see John 1. 51. drinking ; and ye say, ' Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a 2Matt. xi. 20- friend of Publicans and sinners ! =^^But ''Wisdom is justified <J Matt. 11. 19. 24. of all her children." ^ Then 'began he to upbraid the cities eLukeio.i3,&c. wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not. ^^ " Woe unto thee, Chorazin ! woe unto thee, Bethsaida ! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago ■'"in sackcloth /Jon^^^' 3- 7, 8. and ashes. ^- But I say unto you, ^It shall be more tolerable for s Matt. 10. 15. Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. ^-^ And thou Capernaum, ''which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down ais.h. 13. Lam. to hell ! for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ^"^But I say unto you, 'That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom iMatt. 10. 15. in the day of judgment, than for thee." Matt. xi. 16-19.— 16 '• But Jwliereunto shall I liken this generation ? It is like unto ^ Luke7.31,&o. children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17 and saying, ' We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced ; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and tliey say, ' He hath a devil.' 19 *The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ' Behold a man *^ ^^^ ^°^^ '• ^^• gluttonous, and a winebibber, 'a friend of Publicans and sinners ! ' But Wisdom is jus- tified of her children." I Luke 7. 35. Section XXV. — Christ invites all to come to him} sect. xxv. Matt. xi. 25, to the end. V ^ 27 ^^ At "that time Jesus answered and said, " I thank thee, O Father, j p 4740. Lord of heaven and earth ! because 'Thou hast hid these things from On a tour, the wise and prudent, 'and hast revealed them unto babes. -^ Even , g^^ j^T^ 57 SO, Father! for so it seemed good in thy sight! -^ All ''things are a Luke 10. aj. delivered unto me of my Father : and no man knoweth the Son, but ''iqJ\ \^-^ the Father ; 'neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and *^2. 8. 2 cor. 3. he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him. ^^ Come unto me, all ye cch. le. \~. that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ^^ Take my dch.28. is. Luke yoke upon you, ■'^and learn of me ; for I am meek and ^lowly in heart : 35! &"i3. 3. & n! ''and ye shall find rest in your souls. ^^ For 'my yoke is easy, and e^johJ^ris^^e my burden is light." 46. & 10. 15. /John 13. 15. _ Phil.2. 5. ] Pet. 2.21. lJohn2.6. Section XXVI. — Christ forgives the Sins of a Female Penitent, at ^phn*i2. 7, s. the House of a Pharisee."' hJer.e.ie. Luke vii. 36, to the end. ' ^^"^^ ^- ^• ^^ And "one of the Pharisees desired Him that he would eat with ______^_ him ; and he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat, ^^ And, behold ! a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she sect. xxvi. knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an y ^97 alabaster box of ointment, ^^ and stood at his feet behind him, weep- j p 4749. iiig, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with onatour. the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with mSeeN^ess. the ointment. ^^ Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him, saw '','i^''"-,^^- ^- ]\i;!rK 14. 3 it, he spake within himself, saying, " This ''man, if he were a prophet, John 11.' 2.' would have known who and what manner of woman this is that ^^''•i^-^- toucheth him : for she is a sinner." ^" And Jesus answering said unto him, " Simon ! I have somewhat to say unto thee." And he saith, " Master ! say on." '^^ " There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred ""pence, and the other fifty. cSee Matt. 18.28. 84 CHRIST CURES A DEMONIAC. [Part III. d Ps. 23. 5. « 1 Tim. 1. 14 /JMatt. 9. 2. Mark 2. 5. g Matt. 9. 3. Mark 2. 7. A Matt. 9. 22. Mark 5. 34. & 52. ch. 8. 48 18.42. ^^ And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most ? " 43 gii^jon answered and said, " I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most," And he said unto him, " Thou hast rightly judged." ^^ And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, " Seest thou this woman ? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet : but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs [of her head]. ^^ Thou gavest me no kiss : but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. ^^ My "^head with oil thou didst not anoint : but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. ^^ Wherefore '1 say unto thee. Her sins, which are many, are forgiven ; for she loved much : but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little." '^^ And he said unto her, " Thy •'^sins are forgiven." ^^ And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, " Who ^is this that forgiveth sins also ?" ^^ And he said to the woman, " Thy ''faith hath saved thee ; go in peace I" — Section XXVII. — Christ preaches again throughout Galilee. SECT, xxvn. Luke viii. 1-3." V. M. 27. ^ And it came to pass afterward, that He went throughout every J. P. 4740. city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the king- Gauiee. (Jqjjj gf q.qJ . a,nd the twelve were with him, ^ and "certain women, a Matt. 27.55,56. which had bceu healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called 6 Mark 16. 9. Magdalciic, 'out of whom went seven devils, ^and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which — ministered unto Him of their substance. SECT. XXVIII. V. m. 27. J. p. 4740. Capernaum. n See Note 59. o See Note 60. * Or, home. p See Note 61. a Mark 6. 31. f Or, liinsmcn. 6 John 7. 5. & 10. 20. c See Matt. 9. 32. Mark 3. 11. Luke II. 14. d Matt. 9. 34. Mark 3. 22. Luke 11. 15. e Matt. 9.34. &]0. 25. Luke 11. 15. John 7. 20. &8. 48, 52. X Gr. BeeJ-.ebid .• and so vor. 27. /Matt. 9. 4. John 2. 2."). Rev. 2. 23. ff Don. 2. 44. & 7. J 4. Luke 1.33. & 11. 20. & 17. 20,21. 1 Mark iii. 19. 2 Mark iii. 20. 3 Mark iii. 21. 4 Matt, xii.22. Section XXVIII. — Christ cures a ^Demoniac — Conduct of the Scribes and Pharisees." Matt. xii. 22-45. — Mark iii. part ofver. 19-30. — Luke xi. 14-.36. ^ And they went *into a house.? "And the multitude Cometh together again, "so that they could not so much as eat bread. ^ And when his tfriends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him : ''for they said, " He is be- side himself 1 " "Then 'was brought unto him one pos- sessed with a devil, blind, and dumb : and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. ^ And all the people were amazed, and said, " Is not this * Matt. xii. 23 the Son of David ? " 'But ''when the Pharisees ''and the Scribes which came down fiom Jerusalem ^ heard it, they said, *" He 1iath Beelzebub," and '"" This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by IBeelzebub the prince of the devils." " And Jesus ^knew their thoughts, and said unto them, '^ and he called them unto him, and said unto them in '^ Mark iii. 23. parables, ''How can Satan cast out Satan?" >^ Every " Matt. xii. 25. kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation ; •" that kingdom cannot stand. " And every city or house \l ^^^^ divided against itself shall not stand : '*' and if Satan " rise is Matt! xii! 20.* up against himself, and ''cast out Satan, he is divided J^ '^J'|rk ^ii- 26- against himself: how then shall his kingdom stand ? '^ he ,9 ^1!,'^^ jTi'. 26." cannot stand, but hath an end. '" And if I by Beelzebub -'« Matt. xii. 27 cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out ? therefore they shall be your judges. '' But if I cast out "' ^^■^"•^" ~^- devils by the Spirit of God, then ^the kingdom of God is come unto you. " When a strong man armed keepcth " 6 Matt. xii. 24. 7 Mark iii. 23. 8 Matt. xii. 24. 9 Mark iii. 22. 10 Matt. xii. 24. 11 Matt. xii. 25. M Luke xi. 21 Sect. XXVIII.] CONDUCT OF THE SCRIBES. 85 23 Luke xi. 22. j^jg palace, his goods are in peace ; ^^ but ''when a stronger ''J^ip- ^'^- *^°'' than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and 24 Markiii.27. dividcth Iiis spoils. ^'' No 'man can enter into a strong 'i|- 49. 24 Matt. man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind 25 M;itt.xii.3o. the strong man, and then he will spoil his house. ^* He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth 28 Matt. xii. :ii. not with me scattereth abroad. '" Wherefore, "Verily ^I -'Heb''eP4 fc & 27 Mark iii. 28. ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^jj ^j^^ ^j^^jj ^^ forgivcn UUtO the sons of 10-2';,29.' Uohn men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blas- 2s Matt. xii. 31. pheme : '* but "the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall 'i: Acts 7. 51. 29 Matt. xii. 32. not be forgiven unto men. "^ And whosoever 'speaketh a ^^j=i"- ]}■ I'-J- *^ o ■ 1 11 1 /• • 1 • lo. 00. sec John word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him : i.5i. ?.& 12,25. 30 Mark iii. 29. j^^^^ wliosocver sDcaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall , ^. , ,., 31 Mark iii. 30. not bc forgivcn him, neither in this world, neither in the •• 00 world to come : "'" but is in danger of eternal damnation. 32 Matt. XII. 33- • 1 TT 1 1 1 • • ?\ 45. ^' (Because they said, ' He iiath an unclean spirit. ) =" Either make the tree good, and "his fruit good ; or else make the "L^fe'e^^iljii. tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt : for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O "generation of vipers ! how can ye, being evil, speak good things ? "U-m.s.i.&l^s. ^for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ^^ A good pLuUec. 45. man out of the good treasure [of the heart] bringeth forth good things ; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 3^ But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. '■^'' For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shall be condemned." 3s Then 'certain of the Scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, ^^^^S^u.huke " Master, we would see a sign from thee." '-^^ But he answered and said to |,i- je. 29. John ' s> I r • I 1 u 2. 18. 1 Cor. 1.22. them, "An evil and 'adulterous generation seeketh after a sign! and there ris. 57. 3. Man. shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the Prophet Jonas. '*'' For 'as John 4^481' ^''^^' Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly ; so shall 'the « Jonah 1. 17. Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ^ ^nkl"," 32^^' 41 The "men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and ^, gee Jer. 3. 11. "shall condemn it: '"because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, lonu'2.%7!'^^" behold! a greater than Jonas is here! ^^ 'pj^g ^Queen of the South m Jonah 3. 5. shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn "'a'o'ron'. 9%!' it : for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wis- Luke 11. 31. dom of Solomon ; and, behold ! a greater than Solomon is here ! ''^ " When ^the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, 'he walketh 2/ Luke 11. 24. through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. '^^ Then he saith, ' I '/"^ i- ^- ^ ^^'• will return into my house from whence I came out.' And when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. ^^ Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there ; "and the last state of that man is worse "o^^aPet'^^^'ao- than the first. Even so sliall it be also unto this wicked generation. 22. Luke xi. 33-3G. -^^ No ''mau, wheu he hath lighted a candle, putteth *j/a''r"'4%i.'ch. a»i2,,2o. j^ jj^ ^ secret place, neither under a *bushel, but on a ^^_;_i*^- candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. ^^ The 'light ^ Matt. 6.22. of the body is the eye : therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light ; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. ^^ Take heed therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness. '^^ If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, tiie whole shall be full of light ; as when fthe \^'i;^^^'^^Z'„!^^, bright shining of a candle doth give thee light." ^^ And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, " Blessed ''is the womb dLuke 1.23,48. that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked ! " ~^ But he said, ''luu"'8!'2l" " Yea, 'rather blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it ! " James 1.25, VOL. ir. H 86 /Is. 49. 24. Luke 11. 21-23. g Mark 3. 28. Luke 12. 10. Heb.6. 4, &c. & 10.20,29. IJohn 5. IG. h Matt. 9. 32. & 12. 22. i Matt. 9. 34. & 12. 24. * Gr. Beehebnl, and so ver.18,19. j Matt. 12. 38. & it Matt. 12. 25. Marks. 24. John 2. 2.5. lExod. 8. 19. m Matt. 12. 30. n Matt. 12. 43. .Fohn 5. 14. Hel). ti. 4. & 10. m. -2 Pet. 2. 20. p Matt. 12.38,39. q Jonah 1. 17. & 2. 10. r 1 Kinijs 10. 1. s Jonah .T. .5. Malt. J2. 41. CHRIST'S DISCIPLES HIS REAL KINDRED. [Part IIL Matt. xii. 29, and part ofver. 31. — 29" Or /else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man ? and then he will spoil his house. 31 — I say unto you. All ^manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men — ." Mark iii. part of ver. 22, 24, ver. 25, part of ver. 2G, and 29. — 22 — said " by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils." 24 " And if a kingdom be divided against itself — . 25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan — be divided-. 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness-." Luke xi. 14-20, and23-26, and2[)-32. — 14 ''And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake ; and the people wondered. 15 But some of them said, " He 'casteth out devils through *Beelzebub the chief of the devils." 16 And otliers, tempting him, ■'sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But *he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, " Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation ; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand .-' Because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out ? therefore shall they be your judges. 20 But if I 'with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. — 23 '"He that is not with me is against me : and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 24 "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seek- ing rest ; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there : and "the last state of that man is worse than the first." 29 ^And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, " This is an evil generation : they seek a sign ; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30 For as 'Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The '"Queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with the men ot this generation, and condemn them : for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon ; and, behold ! a greater than Solomon is here ! 32 The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it : for "ihey repented at the preaching of Jonas ; and, behold ! a greater than Jonas is here ! " t'ECT. XXIX. V. M. 27. J. P. 4740. Capernaum. q See Note 62. a Luke 8. 19-21. b MM. 13. 55. Mark 3. 31. & 6. 3. John 2. 12. & 7. 3, 5. Acts 1. 14. ] Cor. 9. 5. Gal. 1. 19. c Mark 3. 34. d See John 15. 14. G:il.5. 6. &fi.l.5. Col. 3. 11. Heb. 2. 11. r See Note 03. e Matt. 12. 46. Luke 8. 19. / MM. 12. 49. ^ See Note d. SECT. XXX. V. M. 27. J. P. 4740. Galilee. 8 See Note 64. t See Note 05. Matt. xii. 46. Luke viii. 19. Mark iii. .?!. Matt. xii. 46. Mark iii. 32. Matt. xii. 47. Matt. xii. 48. 8 Mark iii. 34. Section XXIX. — Christ declares his disciples to he his real Kindred.'^ Matt. xii. 46, to the end. — Mark iii. 31, to the end. — Luke viii. 19-21. ' While he yet talked to the people, "behold ! his mother and 'his brethren ^ came to him — and could not come at him for the press. ^ And standing without, sent unto him, calling him, * desiring to speak with him. * And the multi- tude sat about him, and they said, " one said unto him, " Be- hold ! thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee." ' But he answered, and said unto him that told him, " Who is my mother ? and who are my breth- ren ? " * And he looked round about on them which sat about him, " and he stretched forth his hand toward his ^ Matt. xii. 49. disciples, and said, " Behold "my mother and my brethren ! 10 Matt. xii. 50. '0 For ''whosoever shall " hear the word of God, and do it, n Luke viii. 21. — '- do the will of my Father, which is in heaven, — the 12 iMatt. xii. 50. same is my brother, and sister, and mother."' Matt. xii. part ofvcr. 46 and 47. — 46 — stood without — 47 Then — . Mark iii. part of ver. 31 , 32, vcr. 33, part of ver. 34, a.7id ver. 35.— 31 ^There came then his brethren and his mother — . 32— unto him, " Behold ! thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee." 33 And he answered them saying, " Who is my mother, or my brethren ? " 34 — and said, " Behold /my mother and my brethren ! 35 For ^whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." Luke vii. part of ver. 19, ver. 20, and part of ver. 21.— 19 Then— his mother and his brethren—. 20 And it was told him hij certain, wliich said, "Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee." 21 And he answered and said unto them, " My mother and my brethren are these which — ." "Section XXX. — F arable of the Sower} Matt. xiii. 1-9.— Mark iv. 1-9.— Luke viii. 4-8. ' The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the seaside : ' and he began again to teach by the sea- ^ M^^k iv. i. 1 Matt. 13. 1. Sect. XXXI.] REASONS FOR TEACHING BY PARABLES. 87 3 Matt. xiii. 2. side : ^ and great multitudes were gathered together unto 4Lukeviii. 5. him. ''And when much people were gathered together, seaofcaiii and were come to him out of every city, * he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea ; and the whole multitude was 15 Luke viii. 6, 16 Mark iv. 6. '7 Luke viii. 6 18 Mark iv. 6, 6 Mark iv. 1. 6 Mutt. xiii. 2. I M-1 \l'. I', ^y t'^^ sea, on the land, [and] ' stood on the shore. ' And „ g^^ ^^^^ ^e. 9 Luke viii. 5. ^^ tauglit tlicm many things by" parables, "and said unto a Mark 12. 38. 10 Markiv. 4. them iu his doctrine, — II Luke viii. 5. •*" Hearken ! Behold! there went out a sower, to sow 12 Mark iv. 4. » Jiis seed ; '" and it came to pass as he sowed, some fell 13 Markiv. 5. by the wayside; "and it was trodden down, '^ and the 14 Mark iv. 6. fowls of the air came, and devoured it up. '^ And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth ; and imme- diately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth : " but '^as soon as it was sprung up, "^ when the sun was 19 jiark iv. 7. up, it was scorclicd ; '' it withered away, because it lacked 2u Luke viii. 7. moisture ; "* and, because it had no root, it withered away, ai Markiv. 7. '"And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up 2-i Matt. .xiii. 8. 20 with it, " and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. '' But 23 Luke viii. 8. other fell into good ground, '^ and sprang up, ^^ and in- w Markiv. 8. crcased, "and brought forth fruit, some 'an hundredfold, * Gen. 20.12. some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold." ^* And when he had ,, ., , „ said these things, he cried, " and he said unto them, " 'He ^^J^"- "; ^l- ^ -^' Mark iv. 9. , , i i i • i 13. 9. Luke 8. 8. that hath ears to hear, let him hear I Matt. xiii. part of vcr. 2, ver. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9. — 2 — so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude — . 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, " Behold ! ''a sower went forth to sow ; 4 and when he sowed, some seeds fell by ^ Luke 8. 5. the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up : 5 some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth ; and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth ; 6 and when the sun was up, they were scorched ; and, because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up, and choked them. 9 'Who hath ears to hear, let him hear ! " ^Luke 8.' 8.' Mark iv. part of ver. 1, ver. G, 7, and part of vcr. 8. — 1 — and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that — . G '• But when the sun was up it was scorched ; and be- cause it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up. and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up — and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred." LuKK viii. part of ver. 5, 6, 7, and 8. — 5 " A sower went out to sow — and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside — and the fov/ls of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell upon a ,,, .. ,„ „ •^ '^ /Matt. 13. 9. rock ; and — . 7 And some fell among thorns ; and the thorns sprang up — and choked it. Mark 4. 9. 8 And other fell on good ground — and bare fruit an hundredfold. — ''He that hath ears to hear, let him hear ! " 25 Matt. xiii. 8 26 Luke viii. 8. 1======^^ SECT. xxxr. Section XXXI. — Reasons for teaching by Parables.^ y ^07 Matt. xiii. 10-17.— Mark iv. 10-12. j P 4740 1 Mark iv. 10. 1 j\]^jj "whcu Hc was alonc, ^ the disciples came, and said caiiiee. a Matt. xiii. 10. yj^^Q j^jj-,^^ c: -^j^y spcakcst tliou uuto them in parables?" ^see^eGi. 3 Malt. xiii. 11. ^ He an.swered, and said unto them, " Because 'it is given a Luke 8. 9, &c. unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, ^/c.^n. Ma?k'4f' 4 Matt. xiii. 12. but unto them it is not given. ^ For 'whosoever hath, to him |'; ? 'I?'-,!- ^^' shall be given, and he shall have more abundance : but who- c Matt. 25. 29. soever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he Lukes.is'.&ig. 5 Mark iv. 11. j^j^ti-,^ o i^^j^ y^^Q ''them that are without, all these things are ^^■ « Mark iv. 12. donc in parables ; ® that 'seeing they may see, and not perceive ; coi. T.V.i f iies. and hearing they may hear, and not understand ; lest at any "^j^^^" 9^j"aJt'^' time they should be converted, and ^Ae?> sins should be for- la.'i-i. iukes. 7 Matt.xiii.i4. gi^en them. ''And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Acts 28? 20. •^Esaias, which saith,— ,f "■,"• \ ,, _^ . ' /I3.6.9. Ezek. la. ' By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand : 2. Mark 4. 12. Xj .'='•' II, '1^ . ' Luke 8.10. John And seeing ye shall see, and not perceive, 12. 10. Acts 28. 8 Matt. xiii. 15. 8 p^„ +1 • 15 1 4. • j 2C, 27. Rom. U I'or this people s heart is waxed gross, s. 2 cor. 3.14,15 88 THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER EXPLAINED. [Part III. g Heb. 5. 11. h Matt. 16. 17. Luke 10. 23, 24. John 20. 29. tHeb. 11. 13. IPet. 1. 10,11. 3 Is. 6. 9. Mark 4. 14. SECT. XXXII. V. m. 27. J. P. 4740. Wilderness. a Mdtt. 4. 23. J Is. 58.2. Ezek. 35. 32. John 5.35. cMatt. 11. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 15. d Matt. 19. 23. Mark 10. 23. Luke 18. 24. 1 Tim. 6. 9. 2 Tim. 4. 10. e 1 Tim. 6. 9, 17. / Matt. 5. 15. Luke Jl. 33. g Matt. 10. 26. Luke 12. 2. ft Matt. 11. 15. And their ears ^are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed ; Lest at any time they should see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And should understand with their heart, And should be converted, and I should heal them.' ^ But ''blessed are your eyes, for they see ; and your ears, 9 Matt. xiii. le. for they hear! '° For verily I say unto you, 'That many '" Matt. xiii. 17. prophets and righteous men have desired to see tliose things which ye see, and have not seen them ; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard themJ^ Matt. \m.'partofvXO,andVi. — 10 — and — . 1.3" Therefore speak I to them in parables; because they -^ seeing, see not ; and hearing, they hear not ; neither do they understand." Mark iy. first partofver. 11. And he said unto them, " Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God — ." Section XXXII. — Explanation of the Parable of the Sower. Matt. xiii. 18-23.— Mark iv. 13-23.— Luke viii. 9-17. ' They that were about him with the Twelve asked of 'Markiv.io. him the parable, ^saying, " What might this parable be? " ^ " k-^-'n ^ And he said unto them, " Know ye not this parable? and 4^^^. xiii is. how then will ye know all parables ? ^ Hear ye therefore 5 Luke viii. ii. the parable of the sower. ^ Now the parable is this : The s Mark iv. i4. seed is the word of God. * The sower soweth the word. ^ Matt. xiii. 19. '^ When anyone heareth the word "of the kingdom, and ^Markiv. 15. understandeth it not, then * immediately, Mest they should ^ Luke vui. 12, believe, and be saved, "* cometh the Wicked One, and '" ^^'^"- ^■"- ^^- 11 1111 1101 • 1 • '' Mark iv. 15. catcheth away that, the word, that was sown in 'ns 12 Matt. xiii. 19. heart. This is he which received seed by the wayside. '^ But he that receiveth the word into stony places, the same 13 Matt. xiii. 20. is he that heareth the word, and anon Vith joy receiveth it ; ,^ ^^^^^ .^ ^^ '^ immediately received it with gladness : '* yet hath he not ^ ^j^^jj ^jjj 21. root in himself, but dureth for a while ; "'for a while be- 16 Luke viii. 13. lieveth, and in time of temptation, ''for '^afterward, when n Matt. xiii. 21. affliction, " when tribulation or persecution ariseth because is Mark iv. 17. of the word, by and by 'he is offended, ''" and falleth away. '^ Matt. xiii. 21. *' He ''also that received seed amonij the thorns is he that ^"^uke vm. 13. heareth the word ; ^^ and when he hath heard goeth forth, ^^and the cares, ^■' and the care of this world, "and the de- „ ,, , . ,„ . „. . . , Mark iv. 19. ceitfulness of riches, ""and pleasures of this life, ""and the 24 Matt. xiii. 22. lusts of other things entering in, " choke the word, and he zsLukeviii. 14. becometh unfruitful. ^'^ But he that receiveth seed into the 26 Mark iv. 19. good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth ^ Matt. xiii. 22. it; ^"and receiveth it ^^ in an honest and good heart, and 28 Matt. xiii. 23. having heard the word, keepcth it, and with patience, 29 Mark iv. 20. ^' which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth some an hun- 3" Lui^e viii. 15. dredfold, some sixty, some thirty." " ''''"• "'''• ~=^- '■' And he said unto them, '^ " No -^man, when he hath 33 l^"*!';^^ lighted a candle, cove-reth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed ; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. '* For ^nothing is secret, 34 Luke viii. 17. that shall not be made manifest ; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. ^^ If ''any man 35 Mark iv. 23. have ears to hear, let him hear ! " Mark iv. part ofver. 1.5, 10, 17, ver. 18, part ofver. 19,20, 21, and zer. 22.— 15 '• And these are they by the wayside, where the word is sown ; but when they have heard, Satan cometh — and taketh away — that was sown in their hearts. IG And tliese are 21 Matt. xiii. 22. 22 Luke viii. 14 Sect. XXXIV.] VARIOUS DESCRIPTIVE PARABLES. 89 they likewise which are sown on stony ground ; who, when they have heard the word — 17 and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time — or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are oiFended. 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns ; such as hear the word, 19 — of this world, *and the deceitful- « 1 Tim. 6. 9, 17. ness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground ; such as hear the word, — and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred. 21 — Is a candle brought to be put under a *bushel, or under a bed .-' and not to be set on a * The word in the candlestick .' 22 .'For there is nothinir hid, which shall not be manifested ; neither was <"'g'na' signifi- I ■ 1 , 1 • 1 1^ , 1 ,) elh a less meas- any thmg kept secret, but that it should come abroad. ure, as Matt. 5. Luke viii. part ofver. 9, rer. 10, part of ver. 12, 13, 14, and 15. — 9 *And his disciples .^• asked him — . 10 And he said, " Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the king- Luke 12. 2. ' dom of God : but to others in parables ; that 'seeing they might not see, and hearing k Matt. 13. 10,13. they might not understand." 12 " Those by the wayside are they that hear ; then com- '^'"■"'^ ^- ^"• eth the Devil, and taketli away the word out of their hearts, — 13 They on the rock are ' ^^' they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy ; and these have no root, which — 14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which — and are choked with cares and riches — and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 But that on the good ground are they, =^^=== which — bring forth fruit — ." SECT, xxxiir. Section XXXIIl. — Christ directs his Hearers to practise what they hear. ^ ^ V. ^. 27. Mark iv. 24, 25. — Luke viii. 18. j p 4740 iMarkiv.24. I ^^^ jjg g^^jj^ ^^^^ ^j^gj^^^ u ^ake hcecl what ye hear: *^^'- 11 eviii. . 2j^Q^ yg hear: ^ with "what measure ye mete, it shall be aMatt. 7. 2. measured to you : and unto you that hear shall more be i^"''e6.38. 4 Mark iv. 25. given. ■* For ''he that hath, to him shall be given : and he 6 Matt. 13. 12. & that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he 26.' " " " 5 Luke viii. 18. hath, — ' even that which he *seemeth to have." *heutlt''^'^''^ Luke viii. part ofver. 18. " Take heed therefore — '^for whosoever hath, to him shall c Matt. 13. 12. & be given ; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken—." |^; ^^- ^""^^ ^^• Section XXXIV.— FanoMs Parables descriptive of Chrisfs Kingdom J sect, xxxiv Matt. xiii. 24-53.— Mark iv. 2G-34. ^— Mark iv.26-20. 26 ^nd hc Said, " So is the kingdom of God, as if a man 7p'^474o should cast seed into the ground ; ~' and should sleep, and Galilee. rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow uj), he knoweth not how. ^s poj. ^^g earth bringeth forth fruit of herself ; ^ '"'' ^'''°*' ^' first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. -^ But when the fruit is *brought forth, immediately "he putteth in the sickle, *or, ripe. because the harvest is come." aRev. h. is. Matt. xiii. 24-30. ^4 Anothcr parable put he forth unto them, saying, " The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. -^ But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. ^6 j^^^ when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 2^ So the servants of the householder came, and said unto him, ' Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field ? from whence then hath it tares?' ^s jjg said unto them, 'An enemy hath done this.' The servants said unto him, ' Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up ? ' 20 But he said, ' Nay ; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 3" Let both grow together until the harvest : and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them : but 'gather the wheat into my barn.' " j Matt. 3. 12. 1 Mark iv.3n. 31 Anothcr parable put he forth unto them, ' and he said, ,l„^3 13 ,. Matt...>n.3i. 2g^y, '" Wliercunto 'shall we hken the kino-dom of Acts2.4i. &4. 3 Mark iv. 30. rirvrl "> ^.. „.•*] I i. • in iiij^uvjui vi 4. &5. 14.&19 Vjoq .'' oi With what comparison shall we compare it ? 20. VOL. 11. 12 j^* 90 VARIOUS DESCRIPTIVE PARABLES. [Part III. di8.2 2,3. Mic. "The ''kinffdom of heaven is hke to a grain of mustard- " Matt.xiii.31. 4. l.Luliel3.19. , i-i 1 , ,.^,.,,,,-Tr seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field ; " It is ^ ^^^'^^ i^- 3i- like a grain of mustard-seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth ; ® but when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater * ^^'""^ '"■ "''^' than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches ; ' and be- '' ^='"- ^"- ^• cometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof * under the shadow of it." s Mark iv. 33. e Luke 13. 20. ^ Another 'parable spake he unto them: — "The king- 9 Matt.xiii.33. dom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, * The word in the and hid in three *measures of meal, till the whole was Greek is a meas- i i J5 ure containing a- leaVeneQ. hail^fmnttngl '"All thcsc thiugs spake Jesus unto the multitude in i«> Matt. xiii. 34. little more than a parablcs ; and without a parable spake he not unto them: " and with many such parables spake he the word unto " Mark iv. 33. them, as they were able to hear it. '-But without a par- 12 Mark iv. 34. able spake he not unto them: 'Hhat it might be fulfilled '» Matt. xiii. 35. which was spoken by the prophet, saying, — /Ps. 78.2. "I ^will open my mouth in parables ; ^ Rom. 16. 25, 26. I ^will uttcr thiugs which have been kept secret 3. 9. Coi. i. 26.' From the foundation of the world." '* And when they were alone, he expounded all things to " Mat? xiii ^st- his disciples. 53. '^Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house. And his disciples came unto him, saying, " Declare unto us the para- ble of the tares of the field." ^"'He answered and said unto them, A Matt. 24. 14. & "He that soweth the good seed is Hhe Son of Man; ^^the field is 28. 19. Mark IC. ^ . . Tsjao.Luke 21'. the world ; the good seed are the children of the kingdom ; but the sLRom. Vi8.' tares are 'the children of the Wicked One; ^ the enemy that sowed ^"'' ^0^,0 T u them is the Devil ; ^the harvest is the end of the world, and the reap- 1 Gen. 3 13. John i a i /in a i r- i 8. 44. Acu 13. ers are the Angels. ■*" As therefore the tares are gathered and 7 joei3.°i3. Rev. bumcd iu the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world. "^^The *Son fc^Matt'is 7 See ^^ Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his John i. 51. ^ kingdom all tthings that offend, and them which do iniquity ; ^^ and *~or, scandal's, 'shall cast them into a furnace of fire : "there shall be wailing and 2 Matt. 3. 12. gnashing of teeth. "^^ Then "shall the righteous shine forth as the sun Rev. 19. 20. & " ." _ o 20. 10. in the kingdom of their Father. "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear ! "13.^50; ^' ^^' ^ ^'' " Again, The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a nDan. 12. 3. field, thc which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for ioy Wisd. 3. 7. ^ ^ J J 1 Cor. 15. 42. 43, thcrcof goctli and 'sellcth all that he hath, and 'buyeth that field. ^^.gf 9 ^^" Again, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman p Phil. 3. 7, 8. seeking goodly pearls ; '*^ who, when he had found '^one pearl of great ^3^\s^^' ^' ^"^^^ price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. r Prov. 2. 4. & 3. '*^" Again, The kingdom of heaven is hke unto a net, that was cast 19! ' ' ' into the sea, and "gathered of every kind : '^^ which, when it was full, sch. 22. 10. ^j-jgy (jj-gyy tQ shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. ■*'' So shall it be at the end of the fch.25.32. world: the angels shall come forth, and 'sever the wicked from among uvor. 42. the just, ^" and "sliall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." ^^ Jesus saith unto them, " Have ye understood all these things r " They say unto him, " Yea, Lord ! " ^^ Then said he unto them, " Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth eCant. 7. 13. out of his treasure "things new and old." ^^ And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. Sect. XXXV.] CHRIST CALMS THE TEMPEST. ftl Matt. xiii. part of ver. 32. " Which indeed is the least of all seeds : but when it is grown, it is tlie greatest among herbs, — ." Mark iv. part of ver. 32. " — so that the fowls of the air may lodge—." Section XXXV. — Christ crosses the Sea of Galilee, and calms the sect, xxxv. Tempest. V. JE. 27. Matt. viii. 18-27, — Mark iv. part of ver. 35, to the end. — Luke viii. 22-25. j. p. 4740. I Matt. viii. 18. 1 jYq^v when Jesus saw great multitudes about liim, ^ it Sea of^auiee. sMarklv.'ss. caiTie to pass ^ the same day, when the even was come, 4 Luke viii. 22. * that he went into a ship with his disciples : and ^ he 6 Matt. viii. 18. ^^^ commandment to depart ; [and] * he said unto them, •> Luke vlll. i«. O ,,.,,.iiiiiTffi4iTinK-r£:o 7 Matt. viii. 19. " Let us go over unto the other side of the lake." And "L^keQ. 57,58. a certain Scribe came, and said unto him, " Master, I will 8 Mitt. viii. ^0. follow thee whithersoever thou goest." ® And Jesus saith unto him, " The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests ; but Hhe Son of Man^ hath not where to * see John 1. 51. 9 Matt. viii. 21. lay his head." ' And 'another of his disciples said unto c Luke 9. 59, co. him, " Lord, ''suffer me first to go and bury my father." <i|ee 1 Kings 19. 10 M.t:.viii.32. '0 But Jesus said unto him, " Follow me : and let the dead z see Note 69. ,,.,,,, In this Note bury their dead. .Mr. Townsend II Matt. viii. -23. "And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples cX\nmleirfor » Mark iv. 36. foUowed him. " And when they had sent away the mul- '^Isonl/Manr 13 Luke viii. -22. titude, thcv took him even as he was in the ship. '^ And this is a mistake; 14 Mark iv. 33. they launched forth. And there were also with him sumed this title 15 Luke viii. 23. Other little ships. '^ But as they sailed he fell asleep : "* and, uon"with"Nico- l^M-"klf3f behold! there arose ''a great storm of wind, '%nd there 'j.TarJ.rpxi!- IS Luke viii. 23. cauic dowu a storm of wind on the lake ; [and] '* a great 19 Matt, viii.24. ^gjjjpggt jj-j the sea, ^'^ and the waves beat into the ship, 51 Mau.vlii.24. ^' insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves : but 52 Luke viii. 23. hc was aslccp ; " and they were filled with water, and 23 Mark iv. 38. wcrc iu jcopardy. ^^ And he was in the hinder part of the 24 Matt. viii. 25. ship, asleep on a pillow. ^^ And [his] disciples came to 96 Mark iv. 38. him, aud awoke him, saying, ^° " Master ! 'carest thou not e Luke 8. 24. Z m'":'-!!!:?: that we perish ? '' Lord, save us ! we perish ! " " And he saith unto them, " Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith ? " 98 Luke viii 24. -^Thcu hc arosc, and rebuked the winds and the sea ; ^* and ■^g^'&^oy^'at ^^* 99 Mark iv. 39. the raging of the water ; ^* and said unto the sea, " Peace, be still ! " And the wind ceased, and there was a great 30 Mark iv.4o. calm. '" And he said unto them, " Why ^are ye so fearful ? ^Luko8.25. 31 Matt. viii. 27. how is it that ye have no faith ? " ^' But the men mar- 32 M r!; iv. 41. yclled, ^" aud thcy feared exceedingly, and said one to an- 33 Luke viii. 25. other, "What manner of man is this! ^^ for he com- mandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him : 31 M..tt. viii.27. 34 that even the winds and the sea obey him !" Matt. viii. part of rcr. 18, 26, and 27. — IS — unto the other side. 2G — and there was a great calm. 27 — saying, " What manner of man is this, — . Mark iv. part of ver. 35, 37, 38, 39, and 41. — 35 And — he saith unto them, "Let us pass over unto the other side." 37 And there arose — so that it was now full. 3d — and they awake him and say unto him — . 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, — . 41 — that even the wind and the sea obey him .'" Luke viii part of ver. 22. 24. a?id 25. — 22 Now — on a certain day, — . 24 And they came to him, a,nd awoke liim, saying, '-Master! ''master! we perish!" Then he arose, and ''Mark 4. 38. rebuked the wind — and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 And he said unto them, '•Whore 'i.s your faith.'" And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, i Mark 4. 40. " lint manner of man is tliis '" Mark v. 1. 6 Matt, viii.28. 7 Luke viii.27. 92 CHRIST HEALS THE GADARENE DEMONIAC. [Part III. SECT. XXXVI. Section XXXVI. — Christ heals the Gadarene Demoniac.^ Y ^ 27 Matt. viii. 28. to the end. — Mark v. 1-20. — Luke viii. 26-39 J. P. 4740. ' And they came over unto the other side of the sea, ' Gadara. into the country of the Gadarenes — * the country of the 2 Matt.viii.ss. a See N^ 70. Gcrgescnes — ^ which is over against Gahlee. ■*And when 4 j,"""!^"!'^^' he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs, *out of the city, a certain man, * pos- ^Lukeviii.s? sessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, ^ which had devils a long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but ® who had his dwelling among the tombs ; » Mark v. 3. and no man could bind him, no, not with chains ; ^ because ^ Mark v. 4. tliat he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fet- ters broken in pieces ; neither could any man tame him ; '" and always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and 1° Mark v. 5. in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones ; " exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way, " Matt. viii. 28. '^ And, behold ! '^ when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran, '* and '* Matt. viii. s9. fell down before him, '* and worshipped him, '"and cried j^ ^ukeviif 28. with a loud voice, and said, " What have I to do with thee. 13 Mark v. 6. flSee Mark 1. 1 Jgsus, thou "Sou of the Most High God ? " Art thou come '' '^'"''^- ''• 17 Matt viii 29 hither to torment us before the time ? '^ I beseech thee, is Luke viii. as! '® I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not !" '9 Mark v. 7. ^^ (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out 2" Luke viii. 29. of the man. ~^ For he said unto him, " Come out of the ^* ^ark v. 8. man, thou unclean spirit." -' For oftentimes it had caught ^- Luke viii. 29. him : and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters ; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.) " And he asked him, " What is thy name ? " ** Mark v. 9. And he answered, saying, " My name is Legion : for we are many." ^^ (Because many devils were entered into ^ ^^u^e viii. 30. him.) ^^ And he besought him much, that he would not ^ Afark v. 10. send them away out of the country ; ^® that he would not ^ Luke viii. 31. 6 Rev. 20. 3 command them to go out 4nto the deep. ^^ Now there was there, '^^ a good way off from them, " ^^""^ ^v'l- ^' nigh unto the mountains, a great herd of swine, feeding, as Mark v."n.' '"' And all the devils besought him, saying, ^' " If thou cast ^^ Mark v. 12. us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. ^~ Send 33 Malk v'12^^' us into the swine, that we may enter into them." ^^ And a^ Mark v. 13. forthwith Jesus gave them leave, [and] ^^ said unto them, ^^ Matt. viii. 32. " Go." ^* And the unclean spirits went out, and entered 35 Mark v. ix into the swine : and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand,) and were choked in the sea; ^"and perished in the waters. ^® Matt. viii. 32. " And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city '' ^'""^ '■ ^^■ and in the country ; ^*and what was befallen to the pos- ^ Matt. viii. 33. sessed of the devils. ''' And, behold ! the whole city came ^^ Matt. viii. 34. out to meet Jesus ; *° and tiiey went out to see what it '" Mark v. 14. was that was done. ■*' And they come to Jesus, and see "* Mark v. is. him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind, "' at the feet of L"i<e viii. 35. Jesus : " and they were afraid. ^' And they that saw it ^^ Mark v. 15. told them how it befel to him that was possessed with the «Matt. 8.34. devil, and also concerning the swine. *^ And ■"* then ""tiie *^ ^^"'^•'■:.'^_ •" ij. .'T. 11- 1 Luke via. 37. whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round <;ActaiG. 39. about ''besought him to depart from them ; " they began to "' '^'''''' '• ^^• pray him to depart out of tlieir coasts: '"^ for they were ■»* Luke viii. 37. Sect. XXXVII.] CHRIST DINES WITH MATTHEW. 93 taken with great fear. And he went up into the ship, and re- *s Mark V. 18. turned back again. ^^ And when he was come into the ship, 'he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that * ^"''^ ^- ^• 50 Mark V. 19. he might be with him. *° Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, »i Luke viii. 38. *' but Jcsus seiit him away, °'' but saith unto him, " Go 52 Murk V. 19. i^Qj^g ^Q ^j-,y friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on 53 Mark v. 20. thcc." °^ And he departed, and began to publish in Decap- 54 Luke viii. 39. QiigS4 ^^j^^ published throughout the whole city ■'" how great things Jesus had done for him ; and all men did marvel. Matt. viii. part ofver. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34.— 28/And when he was come to the /Marks. 1, &c. other side into — there met him two — 29 — they cried out, saying, " What have we to do ' *"'• with thee, Jesus, thou ^Son of God ?" 30 And there was — a herd of many swine feed- g See Mark 1. 1. ing. 31 So the devils besought him, saying, — 32 And he — And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine : and, behold ! the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, — 33 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, — 34 — and when they saw him, ''they besought him A See Deut. 5. 25. that he would depart out of their coasts. • L^J"f g^/ ^^^^^ Mark v. part ofver. 2, and 6. — 2 — a man with an unclean spirit, But — . 16. 39. Luke viii. jiart of ver. 2(), 27, 28, 30, 31, vcr. 32, 33, 34, part of ver. 3-5, ver. 36, niid part oj ver. 38, 39. — 26 *And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, — 27 And when he i Matt. 8. 28. went forth to land, there met him — in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, " — and with a loud voice said, " What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou J Son of God j See Mark 1. 1. Most High.' — torment me not." 30 And Jesus asked him, saying, "What is thy name .'"' And he said, " Legion :" — 31 And they besought him — . 32 And there was a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain : and they besought him that they would suffer them to enter into them. And he sufl!ered them. 33 Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine : and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. 34 When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then they went out to see what was done ; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting — clothed, and in his right mind : and they were afraid. 36 They also whicli saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed. 38 *Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be k Mark 5. 18. with him : — saying, 39 " Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee." And he went his way, — how great things Jesus had done unto him. Section XXX VII. — Christ dines with Mattheiv. sect.xxxvii. Matt. ix. 10-17.— Mark ii. 15-22.— Luke v. 29, to the end. ,, "T"^^ 1 Luke V. 29. 1 ^jjp Lgyj made Him a great feast in his own house : j p 474Q 2 Mark ii. 15. a,nd ^ it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his capemaum 3 Matt. i.x. 10. house, ^ behold ! * there "was a great company of Publi- , , "77 , 4 Luke V. 29. J r *1 5 1- 6 *l / / 1 •*! «Luke]o. 1. 3 .Malt. V. 10. cans and 01 others, and sinners came, that sat down with 6 Luke V. 29. them ; ^ also together with Jesus and his disciples : for 8 Mirk ii' 10 thcrc wcrc many, and they followed him. ^ And when the Scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with Publicans and sin- 9 Miitt. IX. II. ng,.g^ they said unto his disciples, "'How is it that ' your 10 Mark ii. iG. Master '° eateth and drinkcth with Publicans and sinners ? " 11 Luke V. 30. n g^^ their Scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, '' Why do ye eat with Publicans and sin- 12 :Mait. ix. I-:?, ners ? " '" But when Jesus heard i'^aZ', '^ Jesus answerinsi '''^''^' ' said unto them, "They that are whole need not a physi- 11 Matt. ix. 13. cian ; but they that are sick. '^ But go ye and learn what In Luknv.32. that mcancth, ' I Svill have mercy and not sacrifice : ' '* ^I *fi"?*'"-7*'fi^'i^\o' ' _ - . fa. D, 7. c. ch. la, came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." "• .6 Mark ii. 18. .6 ^j^^ j,^g disciplcs of Johu and of the Pharisees used to "I'^^Lh^il 17 Luke V. 33. fast: '^ and they said unto him, "Why do the disciples of John, and likewise of the Pharisees, fast often, and make 18 Matt. ix. 14. prayers ; but thine eat and drink, [and] '* fast not ? " '" And he said unto them, " Can ''ye make the children of the bride- Ma'Jk '2. '19! ' 94 JAIRUS'S DAUGHTER IS HEALED, [Part HI. chamber fast [and] ^"^ mourn "' while the bridegroom is with ^^ '^'''"- '''• ^^• them ? ^^ As long as they have the bridegroom with them, 22 Mark u. 19. they cannot fast. ^^ But the days will come, when the 2a Luke v. 35. bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days." ^'^ And he spake also a parable unto them : " No man 24 Luke v. 36. putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old ; if other- wise, then both the new maketh a rent, — "' the new piece, ^s Mark ii. 21, ** which is put in to fill it up, taketh " away from the old 26 Matt. ix. le. *^ garment, and the rent is made worse : ^® and the piece ^' ^^'^^ "• ^^• xu X /1 ^ r xi 1 • 1 1 11 2S Matt. ix. 16. that was taken out 01 the new agreeth not with the old. 29 Luke v. 36. e In those days ^° And tto mail puttcth new wine into old 'bottles ; else the 30 Luke v. 37. m"a"e^of)e"her ucw wiuc will burst the bottlcs, and be spilled, and the orskiiis.-ED. i^Qttigg gha.ll perish: ^' but new wine must be put into newai Luke v. 38. bottles ; and both are preserved. ^^ No man also having 32 Luke v. 39. drunk old wine, straightway desireth new ; for he saith, ' The old is better.' " / Mark 2. 15, &c. Matt. ix. part ofver. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, IC, and vcr. 17. — 10 -/"And it came to pass, Luke 5. ~9, &c. g^g Jesus sat at meat in the house — many Publicans — and sat down with him and his discijjles. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, " Why eateth ^■ch. 11. 19. Luke — with ^Publicans and ''sinners.^" 12 — he said unto them, "They Hhat be whole A Gal 2 l"" ' " need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 — for I am not come to call the righteous, t Mark 2. 17. •'but sinners to repentance." 14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, " Why j 1 Tim. 1. 1.5. *do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples — .'" 15 And Jesus said unto them, k Mark 2. 18, &c. " Can Hhe children of the bride-chamber — as long as the bridegroom is with them .' "'but & 18. 12. ' ' the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and "then shall they I John 3. 29. fast. 16 No man putteth a piece of *new cloth unto an old garment : for that — from m Mark 2. 20. the — 17 — "Neither do men put new wine into old bottles ; else the bottles break, and "& 1? ^3 1 r ^^^^ vvine runneth out, and the bottles perish : but they put new wine into new bottles, 7.5. and both are preserved." * Or Tdw or itji— im-ouahi. ' See Mark ii. -part ofver. 15, 16, rer. 17, part ofver. 18, 19, ver. 20, part ofver. 21, and ver. Luke 5. 36. 22. — 15 And — many Publicans and sinners sat — 16 — he — 17 When Jesus heard it, " Af" q io n '^^ saith luito tliera, " They ^ that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that & 18. 11. Luke ^^re sick : I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." 18 — 'and they in"^i'T-^' ^ 1^' ^°'^® ^"'^ ^^y unto him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy o Matt 9 14 ' ' disciples fast not.''" 19 And Jesus said unto them, " Can the children of the bride-cham- Luke 5. 33. ber fast, while the bridegroom is with them .^ — 20 ''But the days will come, when the rMatt. 9. 15. bridegroom shall betaken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. — t Or, rate, or, un- 21 No man also seweth a piece of tnew cloth on an old garment : else — that filled it up wrong . taketh — and the rent is made worse. 22 *And no man putteth new wine into old bottles : * Matt. 9. 17. . else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred : but new wine must be put into new bottles." SEC. xxxviii. Section XXXVIII. — Javrus^s Daughter is healed, and the infirm V. JE. 27. Woman}' J. P. 4740. Matt. ix. 1. and 18-26. — Mark v. 21, to the end. — Luke viii. 40, to the end. Capernaum. ' And it camc to pass, that, ^ whcu Jesus was passed 2M'''k"'2/" b See Note 71. ovcr again by ship unto the other side, " he "came into his 3 Matt. ix. 1. a Matt. 4. 13. owu city ; [and] * when Jesus was returned, the people 4 Luke viii. 40. gladly received him, * much people gathered unto him, » Mark v. 21. " for they were all waiting for him, ' and he was nigh unto « Luke viii. 40. the sea. ^ Markv.21,22. J Matt. 9. 18. ''And ^ while he spake these things unto them, ^ behold ! ^ Matt. ix. is. there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by ' ^'"''^•22. name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, '"down i" Luke viii. 4l at Jesus' feet, and besought him, " and worshipped him, " Matt. ix. is. "^ and besought him greatly, 'Hhat he would come into his 12 Mark v. 2.1. house : '' saying, " My little daughter lieth at the point of "^ ^^^^^ '^^^ death : I inay thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that Sfxt. XXXVIII.] AND THE INFIRM WOMAN. , 95 15 Luke viii. 42. she may be healed; and she shall live." ^'^ (For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay 16 Matt. ix. 19. a dying.) '** And Jesus arose, ''^ and Jesus went with him ; i«Ma[t^ix^i9 and " 50 <Zif/ his disciples. '"But as he went, the people 19 Luke viii. 42. thronged him ; ^'^nmch people followed him, and thronged =!0Markv.24. ^iim. 21 Mark V. 25. ^' And, ^^ bchold ! " a certain woman, ^* which was diseased, 22 Matt. ix. 20. 25 ^jjich 'had an issue of blood twelve years, ^^and had suf- c Lev. 15. 25. 23 Mark V. 25. U • • 1 1 1 * 11 Matt. 9. 20. =4 Riatt. \x. 20. fered many thmgs oi many physicians, and had spent all 25 Mark V. 25. ^j^g^^ gj^g jj^jj 27 yjjQj^ physiciaus, neither could be healed of 27 Luke viii. 43. any, ^^ and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 2s Mark V. 26. ^9 ^y|^gf, gj^g ^vSi^ heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, 30 Matt. Ix. 20. and touched his garment, — ^"touched the hem of his gar- 31 Mark v. 23. meut, — ^' for shc said, " If I may touch but his clothes, 32 Luke viii. 44. J si^aii \yQ vvliolc." ^^ And immediately her issue of S3 Mark v. 29. ]j]qq^ stanclicd. ^^ And straightway the fountain of her 34 Mark V 30 ^lood was dried up ; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. " And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that ''virtue had gone out of him, turned him ''^'"ke 6. 19. & ». about in the press, and said, " Who touched my clothes ? " 2 Lui't viif 45 '' ^"^ '" vi\ien all denied, Peter and they that were with 37 Mark v. 31. hiiii Said, "(his disciples said unto him), '* " Master, ■"*" thou 38 Luke viii. 45. geest the multitude thronging thee, *^ and press thee, ^' and 40 Luke viii. 45. sayest thou, 'Who touched me?'" "'And Jesus said, g^ark 5. 30 41 Mark V. 31. '" Somebody hatli touched me: for I perceive that 'virtue Luke c. 19. 48 Luke viii.46. jg gone out of inc." " And he looked round about to see 44 Mark v. 33. her that had done this thing. "" But *'" when the woman 45 Luke viii. 47. gaw that shc Avas not hid, she came ^" fearing and trembling, V. -3. j^i^Q^yjj^g what was done in her, and fell down before him, 47 Luke viii. 47. and told him all the truth ; "she declared unto him, be- fore all the people, for what cause she had touched him, 48 Matt. ix. 22. and how she was healed immediately. "* And when he 49 Luke viii. 48. gaw her, he said ^" unto her, " Daughter, be of good com- 60 Mark v. 31. fort : — '"'' Daughter, "^thv faith hath made thee whole ; go in /?/»"-,^\^-, 1111 V 1 -1*11 Mark 10. 52. Acts 51 Matt. ix. 22. peace, and be whole oi thy plague. And the woman 14.9. was made whole from that hour. 52 Mark V. 35. 52 ^j_,jig „'j^g yg^ gp.^j.g^ ^Yiexe camc from the ruler of the ^ Luke 8. 49. synagogue's house certain which said, " Thy daughter is 53 Luke viii. 50. dead ; why troublest thou the Master any further ? " '"^ But 54 Mark v. 3(5. ^j^en Jcsus licard it — *^ as soon as Jesus heard the word 55 Luke viii. 50. , , ,- , i i • r n ic • i ^ ^i 56 jj.jr,j ^. 3g that was spoken, he answered him, [andj said unto the 57 Luke viii. 50. ruler of the synagogue, "saying, ^* " Be not afraid, only 58Markv36 bgiig^g^ '" Fcar uol, aud she shall be made whole." "9 Luke viu. 50. . 6u Luke viii. 51. ^° And when he came into the house, *' he suffered no man 61 Mark V. 37. ^q follow him, savc Peter, and James, and John the brother 62 Mark V. 38. ^f j^mes. "' And he cometh to the house of the ruler 01 63 Matt. ix. 03. the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, ^' and saw Hhe min- ''^ee2Chron.35. 64 Mark v. 38. gtrels and the people making a noise, *" and them that 65 Mark v. 39. wcpt and wailcd greatly. ®* And when he was come in, he 66 Matt. ix. 24. saith unto them, "Why make ye this ado, and weep? ^ Markv'sg'"^" '' ^^^'^ 'p''^^^ ' " ^^^^ "°^' ^^""^^ '' ^^^^ daiTiscl is not dead, '^''''^'- '"• 69ji"kv. 40. but^sleepeth." "^ And they laughed him to scorn ; '° knoAV- iJ^'''" "• i^- '«' Luke viii. 53. ing that she was dead. ''^ But *when he had put them all * ^'^^ ^- ^°- "Matt.Ix. 25 '^^*' [and] "when the people were put forth, " he taketh '3 Mark V. 40. the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that Mark V 40. vvcrc with liiui, and cntercth in where the damsel was Iving. Luke viii 54 *> cd ^8 Mark V. 41. '^ And he took the damsel by the hand, " and called, '^ and 96 TWO ELIND MEN RESTORED TO SIGHT. [Part. III. said unto her, " Talitha Cumi ! " which is, being interpreted, " Damsel, I say unto thee, arise ! " " And her spirit came " Luke viii.55. again : '® and straightway the damsel arose, and walked ; 78 Mark v. 42. for she was of the age of twelve years : ^^ and he com- 79 mke vm. 55. manded ^'^ that something should be given her to eat. so Mark v. 43. *' And her parents were astonished : ®^ and they were as- si mke viii. 56. I Matt. 8. 4. & 9. tonished with a great astonishment. *^ And 'he charged them ^^ ^"j^ "■ ^^' n! 9. Mark 3. straitly, that no man should know it ; ^^ that they should 84 Luke viii. 56- *^OT^til^faml'^' *®^^ "*^ "^^" what was done. *^ And * the fame thereof si Matt. ix. 26. went abroad into all that land. Matt. ix. part ofcer. 1, 18, 19, 20, ver. 21 , and part ofver. 22, 23, 24, 25.— 1 And — entered into a ship, and passed over, and — 18 — behold ! there came a certain ruler — saying, " My daughter is even now dead : but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." 19 — and followed him, and — 20 ""And — a woman — with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and — 21 For she said within herself, " If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole." 22 But Jesus turned him about — " Daugh- ter, be of good comfort; "thy faith hath made thee whole." 23 "And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, — 24 He said unto them, — " for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth." And they laughed him to scorn. 25 But — he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. Mark v. part ofrcr. 34, and 43. — And he said unto her, — . 43 — and commanded — . Luke viii. part ofver. 41,43, 44, 45, 47, 48, TJer. 49, flflfZ^wrio/ccr. 50, 51, 52,53,54,55, 56. — 41 ^And, behold ! there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the syna- gogue : and he fell — 43 'And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living — 44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment : — 45 And Jesus said, " Who touched me.-"" — "the multitude throng thee — and sayest thou, 'Who touched me.''" 47 And — trembling, and, falling down before him — 48 And he said — " thy faith hath made thee whole ; go in peace." 49 '^While he yet spake? there coraeth one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, " Thy daughter is dead ; trouble not the Master." 50 — believe only, — 51 — he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. 52 And 11 i^? ^^' wept and bewailed her: but he said — " she is not dead, "but sleepeth." 53 And t Luke 7. 14.' they laughed him to scorn, — 54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, — John 11. 43. saying, "Maid, 'arise." 55 — and she arose straightway: — to give her meat. 56 — but "ol^M. Mark b. 43. "he charged them — . m Mark 5. 25. Luke 8. 43. n Luke 7. 50. & 8. 48. & 17. 19. & 18. 42. Mark 5. 38. Luke 8. 51. p Matt. 9 18. Mark 5. 22. g Matt. 9. 20. 1 Mark 5. 35. SECT. XXXIX. Section XXXIX. — Christ restores tivo Blind Men to Sight. V.Z^27. Matt. ix. 27-31. J P 4740 ^^And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, On a Tour. cryiug, and saying, " Thou "Son of David, have mercy on us!" ch ]5~w & ^* ^"^^ when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him, 20. 30, .31. Mark aud Jcsus saith unto them, " Believe ye that I am able to do this ? " 18. 38', 39". " They said unto him, "Yea, Lord!" Then touched he their eyes, saying, " According to your faith be it unto you." "^° And their eyes 6Ch. 8. 4. &12. were opened. And Jesus straitly charged them, saying, " See 'that Lukts^'it' "® ^^^ know it." ^^ But "they, when they were departed, spread c Mark 7. 36. abroad his fame in all that country. SECT. XL. Section XL. — Christ casts out a Dumb Spirit. Matt. ix. 32-34. V tE 27 J P 4740 ^^ -^^ "they went out, behold ! they brought to him a dumb man On a Tour. scsscd with a dcvil. ^^ And when the devil was cast out, the d ~^ spake : and the multitudes marvelled, saying, " It was never so Luke li. i'4. ~' in Israel ! " ^^ But the Pharisees said, " He 'casteth out devils througIT *Mark^3.' I2.' thc priucc of the Devils." Luke 11. 15. Sect. XLI.] CHRIST RETURNS TO NAZARETH. 97 Section XLI. — Christ returns to Nazareth, and is ill-treated there. sect. xli. Matt. xiii. 54, to the end. — Mark vi. 1-6. V JE 27 i Markvi. 1. ' And "Hc wciit out froiii theiice, and came into his own j. p. 4740. 2 Mark vi. 2. country ; and his disciples follow him. ^ And ^ when he was Nazareth. * Mark vi. "2. come into his own country, ''when the Sabbath day was ajiatt. 13. 54. 6 Matt. xiii. 2. come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and '' inso- ^"'"^''•i^- 6 Mark vi. 2. mucli that " many hearing him were astonished, ' and said, I ^""•^'"•^^•8 " From 'whence hath this man these things ? and what JJohn 6.42. 8 Mark vi. 2. ...... i • i i wisdom IS this wlncli is given unto him, that even such 9 Mark vi. 3. miffhtv works are wrought by his hands ? * Is "not this c is. 49. 7. Matt. the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and as! John e. 42. Joses, and of Juda, and Simon ? and are not his sisters 10 Matt.xiii 55. here with us ? "^ Is 'not this the carpenter's son ? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, ''James, and ^^^"^'^^■^°- II Matt. xiii. 50. Joges^ and Simon, and Judas ? " are they not all with us ? 12 Mark vi. 3. Whcncc thcu hath this man all these things? " '^ And they 13 Markvi. 4. 'wcrc offendcd at him. ''But Jesus said unto them, '-^A «?J^"-"-^: . /Matt. Ij. 57. prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and John 4. 44. 14 Mark vi. 5. among his own kin, and in his own house." '^ And "'he could ^J*3%^^^" ^^^k 15 Mitt. xiii. 58. there do no mighty work, '* because of their unbelief ; '^ save 9- 23". that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed "Markvi. 6. them. '^ And ''he marvelled because of their unbelief. a is. 59. 6. Matt. sin. part nf ver.54, 56, vcr. 57, and part of ver. 5S.— 54 *And — he taught ^Markg^'i^Luke them in their synagogue, — they were astonished, — "Whence hath this man this wis- 4. 16,23. dom, and these mighty works?" 56 And his sisters, — 57 And they >wero offended in JCh- 11- G. Mark him. But Jesus said unto them, "A ^prophet is not without honor, save in his own j. Luke 4. 24. country, and in his own house." 58 And 'lie did not many mighty works there — . John 4. 44. Mark vi. part of vcr. 2, and 6.-2 — saying, — 6 "And he went round about the villages, ' ^[^^ W^_- , . ^ "^ -^ *=' ^ m Matt. 9. 35. teachmg. Luke 13. 22. Section XLII. — Christ preaches again throughout Galilee. sect. xlii. Matt. ix. 35, to the end. ^^ And "Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in j p ^.^^ their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and caiiiee. healing every sickness and every disease [among the people]. ^^ "But — " when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, Luke 13'. 22. because they *faintcd, and were scattered abroad, ''as sheep having no ^^j^'^^'/g^ shepherd. ^^ Then saith he unto his disciples, " The 'harvest truly is *q^^ ^[^^ \.^^^ plenteous, but the laborers are few ; ^^ pray -^ye therefore the Lord of '^"'^ laydown. the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest." 1 Kinis"'22. 17. Ezek. 34. 5. Zech. 10. 2. e Luke 10. 2. — John 4. 35. /2 Thess. 3. 1. PART IV SECT. I. FROM THE MISSION OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES TO THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTY. V. JE. 28. J. P. 4741. - On a Progress, probably in ^Section I.— Chris fs Mission to the Twelve AjJostles.^ '^^^^ Matt. x. and xi. 1. — Mark vi. 7-13. — Luke Lx. 1-6. a See Note 1. 1 Luke ix. 1. • Then "he called his twelve disciples together, and gave ^ 1^^^^°^^'^' 2 Matt. x. 1. them power and authority over all devils. ^ And Hvhen he "aia'ikb. iVt & had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power ^ jj^^,. 3 ^3^ ^4 *against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all ^^^g^"""® ^' 3 jiatt. X. 2. manner of sickness, and all manner of disease. ' Now the * o, over. VOL. II. 13 I 98 THE TWELVE APOSTLES' COMMISSION. [Part IV. d'LukeV^s. names of the twelve apostles are these ; the first, Simon ^oi,nV^26 ("who is called Peter), and Andrew his brother; James the /Matt. 4/15.' son of Zebedee, and John his brother ; ■* Philip, and Bar- * m^^"- ^- ^■ ^24!jo"iin4!'9,2o! tholomew ; Thomas, and Matthew the Publican ; James ''' Acu\ihi.^' the son of Alphaeus ; and Lebboeus (whose surname was 't,i7^^zei%f, Thaddseus); 'Simon 'the Canaanite ; and Judas Iscariot, *Matt.x.4. ■ i!uk '9*^2' ^'^' ^^^^ ^^^^ betrayed him. A Matt. 3. 2. & 4. ^ These twelve Jesus sent forth '^ by two and two, ^ to " ^"*^- •"'; '^j I Act/s. 18, 20. preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick, * and » L^ke ix. 2. m Mark 6. 8. commaudcd them, saying, " Go ■'^not into the way of the ^Matt. x. 5. 22. 35. " * Gentiles : and into any city of ^the Samaritans enter ye n°s/m.9.7.Mark not ; '" but ''go rathcr to the 'lost sheep of the house oP" ^^'''^- ^- ^■ & i*ij.4^1^^2?35. Israel. " And ^as ye go, preach, saying, The ^kingdom " Matt. x. 7. oTiieuoni[iiithe ^f heavcu is at hand. '- Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, ''■' Matt. x. 8. ttii a piece of raise the dead, cast out devils : 'freely ye have received, value somewhat frccly givc." '^ And [hc] Commanded them that they should " "^^""^ "" ^' th'ing-"'''[ha1r ''a takc nothiug for their journey, save a staff only ; '^ and '"he '" ^""^^ '■''• ^ ri^ltTe 9rl^ said unto them, '' " ^Provide "neither gold, nor silver, nor '' ^i''"- ^- 9- ;) Luke 10. 7. "brass iu your purses, "^ nor scrip for your journey, neither '^ ^'^"- "• ^'^ 1 Tha. 5. 18. ' two coats, neither shoes, ^' but be shod with sandals ; "^ nor H ^|"J^ ^''^^J J Matt.tof^ii. yet tstaves, '^neither bread; ^° for ■^the workman is 19 Luke ix. 3. ^"'^' V-7 worthy of his meat." -' And 'he said unto them, '' " Into '" M"^"- ''• i°- j-LukolO. 7. J _ . . ' . . 21 Mark vi. 10. s Luke 10. 5. wliatsocver city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it 22 muu. x. 11. tPs. 30.13. jg worthy; and 'Svhatsoever 'house ye enter into, ^Hhere ^^ Luke ix. 4. « Mark b. 11. _J ^ i- * i i • 24 Matt x 11 Luke 9. 5. abide till ye go thence. *" And when ye come into a 25 Matt! x! 12! » Neh". 5. 13. Acts house, salutc it. '"And 'if the house be worthy, let your as Matt. x. 13. ^Matt! n.^li,24. peace come upon it ; 'but if it be not worthy, let your X Luke 10. 3. peacc rctum to you. "' And "whosoever shall not receive ^ '^^'^"- ^- ^^• y Rom. lb. 19. 1 ■' r i E|)iii s. 5. 15. you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out 01 that 'Mark'i3.'9.' liousc or city, "shake off the dust of your feet, ^^ the very ^ L"''" ix. 5. 2L?2.^^' "■ ^ dust from ^' under your feet, for a testimony against them. ^' Mark vi. 11. a Acts 5. 40. ^"Verily I say unto you, ""It shall be more tolerable for the 30 Matt. x. is, b Acts 12. 1. & J J J -^ ^ ^ ij 24. 10. & 25. 7, land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment than *" 23. 3 Tim. 4. 16. ^ ,, ^ .^ ./JO 1 Cor. 14. 20. lor that City. Phil. 2. 15. if^" Behold '.''I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: ''be jOv, ximjiir. •' 111 c fliai'ki3. 11-13. ye thcrcfore wise as serpents, and Charmless as doves. ^'' But beware 2k'i4, Ts. ' of men : for "they will deliver you up to the Councils, "and they will (Z^Exod.4. i2.Jer. gcom-ge you in their synagogues; ^'^ and ''ye shall be brought before t2Sam. 23. 2. govcrnois and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and io^^2T'im.'4. 17'. the Gentiles. ^'^ But 'when they deliver you up, take no thought ^lo'^ibZG Luke '^*^^^ ^^ what ye shall speak : for ''it shall be given you in that same 21- is! hour what ye shall speak ; '^^ for "it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit f ijiu. ]2.i2, 13. of your Father which speaketli in you. -^ And ^the brother shall de- Mark a', n. liver up the brother to death, and the father the child : and the *4^''i'>'&'p^'i5'^ children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put A.u 8. 1. & 9. to death. ~^ And ^ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake : * Or, end, or, fin- ''but lie that cndurcth to the end shall l^e saved. -^But 'when they tr ifiOR s e persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto ■'jo'hn'i.sK ■ you, Ye shall not *have gone over the cities of Israel, ^ till the Son of ^.3."i(5.& 15.20! Man be come. ^"^The ^'disciple is not above his master, nor the ser- 'a,'''\''.>"o?^' vant above his lord. ~^ It is enough for the disciple, that he be as his Mark 3. 23. _ (^ i ' Luke 11. 15.^ master, and the servant as his lord. If 'they have called the master t (Jr. Bedzeimi. of tlic liousc tBeclzcbub, liovv mucii more ahall they coll them of his "Lu'kes^iTfe 12 household ! -^ Fear them not therefore : '"for there is nothing covered, 2, 3. " ' that shall not be revealed ; and hid, that shall not be known. -'What nirs^^L^is. ^ tell you in darkness, that speak ye in liglit : and what ye hear in the Luke 12. 4. ear, that preach ye upon the <^ housetops. ~^And "fear not them Sect. II.] DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 99 which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul : but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ^'^ Are not two sparrows sold for ta farthing ? and one of them shall not fall on t it is in vaUe the ground without your'' Father ; ^^ but "the very hairs of your head mf^n^he orig. are all numbered. ^' Fear ye not therefore; ye are of more value "mth'^mrflf^ae than many sparrows. felZ^c^^'S. •^'■^ " Whosoever ^therefore shall confess me before men, ^him will I <i see Note 4. confess also before my Father which is in heaven. -^^ But '^ whosoever Vstm".''i4f'iif" shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father ^^u^y'-M' which is in heaven. ^^ Think 'not that I am come to send peace on p Luke 12. 8. earth : I came not to send peace, but a sword. ^^ For I am come to ^J^' l^'^' ^°' set a man at variance 'against his father, and the daughter against her r Mark s. 38. mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law ; ^^and "a 2 Tim. '2. 12. man's foes shall be they of his own household. ^''' He "that loveth sj^uke 12. 49,51, father or mother more than me is not worthy of me : and he that t mic. 7. 6. loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ^^ "And ^^^^^^ll;. 7 ^ ^" he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of •^o''" i^. is. me. ^^He "that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his Ij^^^ll^^!^' life for my sake shall find it. ^•■7'' ?• ?•*• 4n . TT V 1 -1 -1 1 , , . , Luke 9.23. & 14. 4u u j^g *that receiveth you receiveth^ me, and he that receiveth me 27. receiveth Him that sent me. ^'He ^that receiveth a prophet in the Y7!33!'jfiin'\'2* name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward ; and he that re- ^• ceiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive 9. 48. & 10. le. a righteous man's reward. "*- And "whosoever shall give to drink unto 13.20.Gai 4".i4. one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a dis- eSeeNotes. ciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward." '& ism! 2 kings 1 Matt. xi. 1. ' And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of ^■,^' , , . „, ^ , . a cli. 8. 5, 6. &25. commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to 40. Mark 9. 41. 2 Luke ix. 6. teach and to preach in their cities. ^ And Hhey departed, j aiajk 6. 12. 3 Mark vi. 12. and went through the towns, preaching the Gospel ; ^ that <^ Jam. 5. 14. 4 Mark vi. 13. men should repent. ■* And they cast out many devils, 'and ''3!'""; m Luke anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them ; A/" , ■ iiTi-f'iiii- 1 '*llie word signi- i-"ko IX. b. g^i^f^j healing everywhere. fieth a jncce oj brass mtnieii, m Mark vi. part of ver. 7, 8, 9, 10, U, and 12.-7 ''And he called unto him the Twelve, J^rthaT'aMt and began to send them forth — and gave them power over unclean spirits; 8 " — no Mng, .Matt. 10. scrip, no bread, no *money in their purse : 9 'and not put on two coats. 10 — In what taktn^n''generll place soevtv ye enter into a house, there abide till ye depart from that place. 11 /And ioi money, Luke whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, ^shake off the ^'^[^ jg „ dust— Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom land ''Gomorrha in /Mau. 10. 14. the day of judgment, than for tliat city." 12 And they went out, and preached — . Luke 10. 10.' T-.<-,r>.-.,^., g Acts 13. 51. & Luke ix. part of ver. 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5.— 1 — and to cure diseases. 2 And ''he sent them — 18. 6. 3 — " Take nothing for your journey, neither 'staves, nor scrip — neither .'money ; nei- t Gr. or. ther have two coats apiece. 4 *And — there abide, and thence depart. 5 'And whoso- \huk'(i^%2' cii ever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, ™shake off— your feet, for a testi- io'. 1, 9.' mony against them." iSe» Matt. 10.10. j See Matt. 10. 9. &. .Alark 6. 8. ■ k Matt. 10. 11. Mark 6. 10. Section H. — Death of John the Baptist — Herod desires to see ' '^'^"- ^"^ "• _,, . - "' Acts 13. 51. CknstJ -. Matt. xiv. 1-12.— Mark vi. 14-29.— Luke ix. 7-9. ^ect. ii. iMatt.xiv.]. iAt that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame v.]e~28 3LukewJ^' ^^ Jesus: -and King Herod heard of him: 'of all that J. P. 4741. 4 Mark vt 14. ^as donc by him : "* (for his name was spread abroad :) — 6 Luke ix. 7. "and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, iMa'.t^T'.n « Luke IX. 8. that John was risen from the dead ; ' and of some, that Elias ^^"'^ ^- ^• had appeared ; and of others, that one of the old prophets 7 Mark vi. 15. was riscu again. ' Others "said, " That it is Elias." And others said, " That it is a prophet, or as one of the proph- 1 00 DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. [Part IV. jMatt. 14. 2. ets." ^ But Hvhen Herod heard thereof, he said, ^ unto saiarkvi. le " ® ■ ■ his servants, '" " John have I beheaded : but who is this of j^ lui" iTo^ whom I hear such things ? " This is the Baptist : '* It is n Matt, xh-.a John, whom I beheaded : he is risen from the dead : " — '^ and '^ ^^'^^'^ ^;- 1^. c Matt. 14.2. he said, " That "John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in d Luke 23. 8. him." — " And "^he desired to see him. ^* For Herod him- '* Lukeix. 9. self had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound ^' ^^'^'^ "'• ^^' him, '®and put him ''in prison, for Herodias' sake, his J^ j!^"" "'.'"" ^* brother PhiUp's wife : for he had married her. '® For John is Mark vi. is. ^^Q^ii^^' ^^' ^ ^^^^ ^^^^ "'^^'^ Herod, " It ^is not lawful for thee to have *or, an inward thy brother's wife." '^Therefore, Herodias had *a quarrel is Maikvi. ig. ^^'^°*' against him, and would have killed him ; but she could /Matt. 21. 6. jjot^ ^^ For Herod -^feared John, knowing that he was a ^o Mark vi. 20. tor, kept him, jug^ j^^^j^ ^ud a liolv : and tobserved him ; and when he or, saved him. J . . •' . . heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. ^' And when he would have put him to death, he feared ^' ^1=^". xiv. 5. ^Lukl 20. 6." ' the multitude, ^because they counted him as a prophet. h Gen. 40. 20. 22 gut " whou a couveniont day was come, that ''Herod ^^ Matt. xiv. e on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee : *' and when the daughter of ^* Mark vi. 22. X Gr, in the midst. |.}-,g gg^j^j Herodias came in, and danced " tbefore them, ''^and ^ Matt. xiv. e. pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said '"^'^' unto the damsel, " Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I 'Esther 5. 3, 6. will givo it thec." " And he sware unto her, " 'Whatso- 27 Mark vi. 23 ever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom." ^^And she went forth, and said unto her mother, " What shall I ask ? " And she said, " The head of John the Baptist." ~^ And she came in straightway with 29 Mark vi. 25. haste unto the king, and asked, saying, " I will that thou give me, ^° here, ^' by and by, in a charger, the head of 31 j^.^l^'^^'^gg' Matt 14 9 John the Baptist." ^^ And "'the king was exceeding sorry ; 32 Mark vi. 26. yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat ^^ at f ^J""- ''"■^^ -,.,,. , ' , 1 . , •?-, * 1 - •*'' Mark vi. 26. meat with him, he would not reject her. And imme- 33 Mark vi. 27. * Or, one of his diatcly the king sent *an executioner, and commanded his guard. head to be brouoht. And he went and beheaded him in \^' the prison, '^^ and brought his head in a charger, and gave it 3^ ^^^J^^ ]^i,^\] to the damsel : and the damsel " brought it [and] ^^ gave ss Mark vi. 28. it to her mother. "" And when his disciples heard of it, ^^ Mark vi. 29. they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb ; •*" and went and told Jesus. '" ^^i'^»- ^'"- ^~- Matt. xiv. part ofver. 2, 3, vcr. 4, part ofver. C, ver. H^partof ver. 8, 9, ver. 10, andpart of ver. 11, and 12. — 2 And said'' — John — he is risen from the dead; and therefore t Or are wrought ™ighty works tdo show forth themselves in him." 3 *For Herod had laid hold on John, hy him. " and bound him — in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. 4 For John k Mark 6. 17. g^jj ^-^^^ i,i,jj^ a jj zjg ^ot lawful for thee to have her." 6 — when Herod's birthday was /Lev 18. 16. it kept, the daughter of Herodias danced — and pleased Herod. 7 '"Whereupon he prom- 20.21. ised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. 8 And she, being before in- VI Mark G. 23. structed of her mother, said, " Give "me — John Baptist's head in a charger." 9 "And "M^'^ke^o' ^^^ ^^"S was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him — he commanded it to be given her. 10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. p Mark 6. 28. 11 ^And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel : and she — to her mother. 12 And his disciples came, and took uj) the body, and buried it, — . Mark vi. beginning ofver. 21. And — . {Matt. 14. 1. LvKKix. part of vcr. 7, and 9.— 7 'Now Herod the tctrarch heard — 9 And Herod said — . Sect. IV.] FIVE THOUSAND ARE FED. 101 Section III. — The Twelve return, and Jesus retires ivlth them to the sect, in. Desert of Bethsaida. V.M. 28. Matt. xiv. 13, 14.— Mark vi. 30-34.— Luke ix. 10, 11.— John vi. 1, 2. J- P- 4741. » Matt. xiv. 13. 'When "Jesus heard of it, "the 'apostles gathered ^^''"aida.^'*'''' Mark VI. 30. tj^c^^ggives t02fetlier unto Jesus, ^when they were returned, . •• Luke IX. 10. .'^ . •' a Matt. 10. 23 & 4 Mark vi. 30. ^ and told him all things, both what they had done, and 12. is. Mark e. » Mark vi. 31. what they had taught. ^ And "he said unto them, " Come joime.l,!^*'' ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while : * ^^"'"'^ ^- ^°- for ''there were many coming and going, and they iiad no d Mark 3. 20. 6 Mark vi. 32. leisure so much as to eat, ® And '' after 'these things " he eMatt. 14. 13. 9 L°u'kVix. 10. took them and went aside privately, [and] ^ they departed 9 Mark vi. 32. by ship privatcly. '° Jesus went over the sea of Galilee 11 Mark vi 3^ (which is thc sea of Tiberias) "into a desert place, 12 Luke ix. 10. '^belonging to the city called Bethsaida. '^ And the 13 Mark vi. 33. people saw them departing, and many knew him ; and 14 Matt. xiv. 13. 1^ when the people had heard thereof, they '"ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together 16 Jiark VI. 34. j^jj^i^ i^jjjj . 16 ^j-^^ ^ Jesus, when he came out, saw much peo- •^^I'^fi ^- ^^- ^ ])le, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd : " and he received 18 Mark vi. 34. them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, '^ and 19 Luke IX. 11. j^g began to teach them many things, " and healed them 20 John vi. 2. that iiad need of healing. ^" And a great multitude fol- lowed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. Matt. xiv. pai-t ofver. 13, and ver. 14. — 13 — he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart — followed him on foot out of the cities. 14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and ^was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. ^J^^]; ^- ^^- •^'■'f'' 6. 34. Luke ix. ^ari of ver. 10, 11. — 10 ''And the apostles — told him all they had done, a Mark fi. 30. 'And — into a desert place — 11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him — . i Matt. 14. 13. Section IV. — Five thousand are fed miraculously.^ sect. iv. Matt. xiv. 15-21. — Mark vi. 35-44. — Luke ix. 12-17. — John vi. 3-14. y j£ 28 1 Johnvi. 3. ' And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat J. P. 4741. 2 John vi. 4. with his disciples. "And "the Passover, a feast of the O" '"^e way to o T 1 • T -IT Txri ) T 1 !•/ 1 1 . Jerusalem jibout 3joiinvi. 5. Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lilted up his eyes, the time or tho , '=' ^ . ^ ■ 1 • , ■' Passover. and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto — Philip, " Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat ? " » ^"^ ^'°'^ '^^ 4 John vi. 6. 4 ^,j(^ j^j^jg i^Q g^[^\ to prove him : for he himself knew what "dcuV. IV. V.jo'hn s John vi. 7. lie would do. ^ Philip answered him, " Two 'hundred penny- j~Matt*i4' 14 worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of c see xumb. 11. 6 Mark vi. 35. them may take a little." ''And ''when the day was now /iau." 14. 15 7 Luke ix. 12. f^j. spciit, his '' twclvc ® disciplcs came unto him, and said, ^"'^'^ ^- ^^• 9 Ma^kli.se! "This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: 10 Luke ix. 12. ^ scud them away '" (the multitude), " that they may go into 12 Luke u 12 ^'^^ 'Howns and '^country round about, and into the vil- isMarkvi. 3G. lagcs, '^ and lodge, '"and buy themselves bread: for they 14 Luke ix. 12. hg^^.g nothing to eat." '" He answered and said unto them, 15 Mark VI. 3b. ,_ _,, " . , is • i ,, . 16 Mark vi. 37. J hcy uccd uot depart: "*give ye them to eat. And 11 tl""' ''•'■;f • t'^^y ^^y ""^^ ^^"^' " ^^^^^^ '^'^'^ S^ ^"^ ^"y ^^^'^ hundred 'ficrnff;"^!?!'^^" *penny worth of bread,*" and give them to eat?" '^He *The Roman pen- saith unto them, " How many loaves have ye ? oo and h'aif-penny''^[i5 see." And when they knew, they say, " Five, ^aiid two T^! "' '^^'"• 20 Johnvi. 8. fishes." -°One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's h^eeNote?. 21 Johnvi. 9. brother, saith unto him, "'"There is a lad here, which "^Llrke'g.M^ee hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: 'but what Marks^^s.^^' *" 82 Matt. xiv. 18. are they among so many! " •'And he said, '• Bring them g^ 2 Kings 4. 43. VOL. II. I* 18 Mark vi. 37, 19 .Mark vi. 38. 102 CHRIST SENDS THE MULTITUDE AWAY. [Part IV. hither to me." "And Jesus said "to his disciples, ^ •^°''" ':'• '"• " " Maiie the men sit down, ''^ by fifties in a company." 25 joUvil'io.' ^'^ And he commanded them to make all sit down by com- ^^ ^uke ix. 14. panics upon the green grass : ^® (now there was much grass as f^'nvi'. 10. in the place.) "^ And they did so, and made them all sit ^^ Luke ix. 15. down. ^^ So the men sat down, in number about five ^" •'"''"'''• ^*'- thousand : "' and they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, ^' ^^'^'^ "'■ ^o- and by fifties. ^- And when he had taken the five loaves 32 Mark vi. 41. h 1 Sara. 9. 13. and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, ''and blessed, and brake ; *^and when he had given thanks, he distributed ^^ John vi. 11. ^Mhe loaves, and gave them to his disciples, to set before 34 Mark vi. 41. them, ^*and the disciples to the multitude, ^"and the dis- ^^ Matt, xiv.19. ciples to them that were set down ; and likewise ^' the two 37 Ma"k vi "1 fishes, '^^ of the fishes as much as they would, '^ divided he »» Joim vi. 11. among them all. '° And they did all eat, and were filled. '' ^i"'' '': "^l- ■" When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, 41 john vi. 12. " Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be i Mutt. 14.20. lost." ''^Therefore they gathered them together, " ^and ■'^ J°''" "• i^. 6. 13. ' " ' they took up twelve baskets full' of the fragments ^^ of the 44 jo^,n Jj! xs. 1 See Note 9. fiyg barley loaves, ''^and of the fishes, ^Svhich remained •** Mark vi. 4s. over and above unto them that had eaten. *'' And thev T-, i?*'" ^'" ^^n, 1 Matt. XIV. 21. that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside wo- men and children. ■*"* Then those men which had seen the « Joim vi. 14. jGen. 49. 10. miracle that Jesus did, said, "This is of a truth ^that Deut. 18. 15, 18. ' . ' i , ,, Matt. 11. 3. John prophct that should come into the world. 1. 21. & 4. 19,25. * ^ & 7. 40. Matt. xiv. ver. 15, part ofvcr. 16, ver. 17, part ofver. 19, and ver. 20. — 15 *And when k Mark 6. 35. it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, " This is a desert place, and the time " ^ ■ " ■ is now past ; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy them- selves victuals." 16 But Jesus said unto them, — " give ye them to eat." 17 And they say unto him, " We have here but five loaves, and two fishes." 19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and, Ich. 15. 36. Mark looking up to heaven, 'he blessed, and brake; and gave the loaves to his disciples — I M k6 42 ' ' ^^ "'And they did all eat, and were filled : and they took up of the fragments that re- Luke 9. 17. mained twelve baskets full. John G. 12. Mark vi. 44. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men. n :Matt. 14. 15. LuKE ix. part of ver. 12, ver. 12, part of ver. 14, and ver. 16, and 17. — 12 "And when Mark 6. 35. ^Y\q dav beffan to wear away, then came the — and said unto him, " Send — away, that they John b. 1, 5. J a j i ■ , ^ , • j may go mto the — country round about, — and get victuals : for we are here m a desert place." 13 But he said unto them, '• Give ye them to eat." And they said, " We have no more but five loaves and two fishes ; except we should go and buy meat for all this people." ]4 For they were about five thousand men. And he said — " Make them sit down — " 16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes ; and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. Mark 6. 42. 1^^ "And they did eat, and were all filled : and there was taken up of the fragments that John 6. 13. remained to them twelve baskets. ^MaHc6. 42. JoiiN v\. part ofver. 11, and 13. — 11 And Jesus took the loaves; — to the disciples, — Luke 9. 17. 13 — ?'and filled twelve baskets with the fragments — . SECT. V. Section V. — Christ sends the Multitude oivay, and jjraijs alone.^ Matt. xiv. 22, 23.— Mark vi, 45, 46.— John vi. 15. V.^.^28. 1 W^Ejvj Jesus therefore perceived that they would come ' Johnvi. is. Prohabiy^'nLr ^"^ ^^^^^ '""^ ^X fofcc, to makc him a king, ^straightway "Markvi. 45. Jerusalem. he coustraiued his disciples to get into the ship, and to go * Or, over against to the otlicr sidc bcforc *unto Bethsaida, while he sent k^'eeNoteio ^way the people. ^ And when he had sent the multitudes =* Matt, xiv.23. away, he went up, Mie departed again, into a mountain ■'joimvi. i5. himself alone — '" apart to pray: and when the evening was » Matt, xiv.23. come, he was there alone. Matt. xiv. ver. 22, and part ofver. 23. — 22 And straightway Jesus constrained his dis- ciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the mul- titudes away. 23 — into a niounlain — . Mark vi. 46. And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. Sect. VI.] CHRIST WALKS ON THE SEA. 103 Section VI. — Christ walks on the Sea to his Disciples, who are over- sect, vi. token ivith a Storm.^ V. JE. 28. Matt. xiv. 24-33.— Mark vi. 47-52.— John vi. 16-21. J. P. 4741. 1 John vi. 16. ' And "when the even was noio come, his disciples went c^ahiee. 2 John vi. 17. down unto the sea, " and entered into a ship, and went over ' ^<=e Note ii. 1 . 1 r-i 1 1 ^i 1 • • >.i a Matt 14.23. 3 Mark vi. 47. thc sca toward Capernaum : and the ship was m the Mark 6. 47. 4 John vi. 17. midst of thc sea, and he alone on the land ; * and it was s joiin vi. 18. now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. ^ And the 6 Matt. .\iv. 24. sca arosc, by reason of a great wind that blew. * But the ship was now in the midst of the sca, tossed with waves ; 7 Mark vi. 48. fof [j^g wind was Contrary. ' And he saw them toiling in 8 Matt. xiv. 3.5. rowing: *^ and ''in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went * Mark 6. 48. 9 Mark vi. 48. uuto them, Walking on the sea; ®and "would have passed « see Luke 24. 28. 10 John vi. 19. by them. '" So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship : and they were n Matt, xiv.26. afraid. " And when the disciples saw him ''walking on the '^^"^ ^■^^ sea, they were troubled, saying, " It is a spirit ! " and they 12 Mark vi. 50. cricd out for fear. '"^ For they all saw him, and were 13 Matt. xiv. 27. troubled. '^But straightway Jesus spake unto them, say- 14 Matt. xiv. 28. ing, " Be 'of good cheer ; it is I ; be not afraid." '' And «>'ari<G.oo.john Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me 18 Matt, xiv.29. come uuto thee on the water." '* And he said, " Come." And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he 16 Matt. xiv. 30. walked on the water, to go to Jesus. '"But when he saw the wind *boisterous, he was afraid ; and beginning to * °^ s"-""^- " Matt. xiv. 31. sink, he cried, saying, "Lord, save me ! " '^ And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, " O ■'thou of little faith ! wherefore didst tiiou /Matt. 6. 30. & 18 Mark vi. 51. doubt ? " ''And hc went up unto them into the ship; ^'^'^' 19 John vi. 21. '"then they willingly received him. ""And when they 21 John vK 21." were come into the ship, the wind ceased, "' and immedi- 22 Mark vi. 51. ately the ship was at the land whither they went. " And they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and 23 Mark vi.. 52. wondcrcd. "^ For °they considered not the miracle of the ^^ Mark 8. n, is. 24 Matt, xiv.33. jQg^^gg. |-Qj. ^i^gjj. /'j^eart was hardened. ^^ Then they a Mark 3.5. &16. that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, " Of 'a truth thou art the Son of God ! """ " ip.,. 2. 7. See Mark 1. 1. Mark vi. part of ver. 47, 4S, vcr. 49, and part of vcr. 50, .51. — 47 — when even was come "> ^^^ ^''"^ ^-- — 48 — for llie wind was contrary unto them ; and about tlie fourth watch of the night be Cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, — 49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out : 50 And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, " Be .'of good cheer : it is I ; be not afraid." 51 — and j Matt. 14. 27. the wind ceased : — . ^°^" ^- ^O- JoH^ y'i. ver. 20, and part of vrr.2}. — 20 But he saith unto them, " It *is I; be not ft Matt. 14. 27. afraid." 21 — into the ship : — . '^'"'' '^^ ^■ Section VII. — Christ heals mayvj People. sect. ^ n. Matt. xiv. 34-36. — Mark vi. 53, to the end. V. M. 23. 1 Mark vi. 53. ' And "whcn they had passed over, they came into the J- ^- '*'^'*^- « Mark vi. 54. land of Gcnncsaret, and drew to the shore. ^ And when <^^«- they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew « i^att. 14. 34. 3 Matt. xiv. 3.5. him. ^And when the men of tliat place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, 4 Mark vi. 55. " and ran through that whole region round about, and be- gan to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they 6 Matt. xiv. 35. heard he was ; *and brought unto him all that were dis- 104 CHRIST TEACHES AT CAPERNAUM. [Part IV. eased. *' And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or « Mark vi. 56. cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and J Matt. 9. 20, 21. besought him, that Hhey might touch if it Avere but the Act'sig. 12." ■ border, ^ the hem, of his garment: and 'as many as 7 Matt. xiv. 36. '^Marki'w' touched were made perfectly whole. Act^s^ig. 12. Matt. xiv. 34, and part ofver. 3G. — 34 ''And when they were gone over, they came d Mark 6. 53. into the land of Gennesaret. 36 And besought him that they miglit only touch — . * Or> it- Mark vi.part of v. 56. — of his garment :-and as many as touched *him were made whole. SECT. VIII. Section VIII. — Christ teaches in the Si/nagogue of Capernaum — V ]e~''8 Conversation ivith his Disciples. J. P. 4741. John vi. 22, to the end, and vii. 1. Capernaum. 22 'pjjj, ^^y following, whco the pcoplc which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save [that] one [whereinto his disciples were entered], and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone, ~-^ (hovvbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks ;) ^"^ when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seek- ing for Jesus. ^^ And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, " Rabbi, when earnest thou hither ? " -^ Jesus an- swered them and said, " Verily, verily, I say unto you. Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, * Or, Work not. and wcrc filled. ^^ *Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but ^M.^fei 14^ "foJ" that meat which endureth unto everlasting hfe, which the Son of b Matt. 3. 17. & Man shall give unto you : ''for him hath God the Father sealed." fe'D^y.^Luke 3! ^^ Then said they unto him, "What shall we do, that we might ?:-3^&5?3-7'& work the works of God ? " 2 Pet 1*^17"' ^^" ^^ Jesus answered and .said unto them, " This "is the work of God, ciJohns. 23. that ye believe on him whom He hath sent." '^it'l: Mark' t ^° They said therefore unto him, " What ''sign showest thou then, 11. 1 (or. 1. 2-3. ^\y^^ ^g j^g^y ggg^ a^j^fj believe thee ? what dost thou work ? ^^ 'Our 11.7. Nei.'.y. 15." fathers did eat manna in the desert ; as it is written, ' He -^gave them 1 Cor'. 10'. 3. ' bread from heaven to eat.' " ■^ps'^'to 01 ^4^^' ^^ Then Jesus said unto them, " Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven ; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. ^^ For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." ^ See ch. 4. 15. 34 Thcn ^said they unto him, " Lord, evermore give us this bread." h ver. 48, 58. ^5 ^,-,(^j Jesus saicl uuto them, " I ''am the bread" of life : 'he that njee Note IX ^ comcth to mc shall never hunger ; and he that believcth on me shall 37. never thirst. ^^ But ^I said unto you. That ye also have seen me, and ■//ver. 45. belicvc uot. ^" All ''that the Father giveth me shall come to me ; and zMatt. 24.2!.fh. ^him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out; ^^ for I came 2. Vg.'i joim'2! down from heaven, ""not to do mine own will, "but the will of Him J Matt. 26. 39. ^liat scut mc. ^^ And this is the Father's will [which hath sent me], ch.5. 30. "that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should Teh. 10. 28. & 17. '"^^^6 it up again at the last day. ^'^ And this is the will of Him that 12. & 18. 9. sent me, ''that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, ^ch!'3."'i5, 16 & may have everlasting life : and I will raise him up at the last day." '^' ^'*" ^^ The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, " I am the 9 Matt. 13. .S5. bread which came down from heaven ; " ^-and they said, " Is 'not this 4.22. ' ' Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know ? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven ? " ■*^ Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, " Murmur not Matt. 11. 27. 10. 22. ch. 18. & 7. 29. 19. Sect. IX.] CHRIST CONVERSES WITH THE SCRIBES. 105 among yourselves. ''* No '"man can come to me, except the Father ''g*^'^"'-'- ^- '"^'■ which hath sent me draw him : and I will raise him up at the last day. '^^ It 'is written in the Prophets, ' And they shall be all taught «.is. 54. 13. jer. of God.' 'Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of s.'Heb. 's! 16. the Father, cometh unto me. '**' Not "that any man hath seen the tver. '37.' Father, "save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 4' Verily, "m;^''^'^^'^^' verily, I say unto you, '"He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. Luke "^^ I ^am that Bread of Life. ''^ Your ^fathers did eat manna in the wil- & 8. derness, and are dead : ^^ this 'is the Bread which cometh down from %6''ve?'4o^' ^^' heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. ^^ I am the Living iver.33, 35. Bread "which came down from heaven : if any man eat of this Bread, ^^^"yg/'a/' as! he shall live for ever. And Hhe bread that I will give is my flesh, "er. 31. which I will give for the hfe of the world." ach.3. 13. ^^The Jews therefore "strove amonsr themselves, saying, " How ''can * Heb. 10. 5, 10. ,1- • 1 • a i A. ^ -i 3) ■" ^ ./ o^ cch. 7. 43. &9. this man give us his flesh to eat ? le. & 10. 19. ^•^Then Jesus said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ^Except "^ch. 3. 9. ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no see ch. 1. 51.' life in you. ^^ Whoso ■'eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath -^J^i.^M.^"' ^^' eternal life ; and I will raise him up at the last day. ^^ For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. ^^ He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, ^dwelleth in me, and I in hhn. ^^"^ As the ^ 1 Jpi'n 3. 24. & living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father : so he that ' "' eateth me, even he shall live by me. ^^ This ''is that Bread which '' '■'^'- ''^' ^"' ^' came down from heaven : not as your fathers did eat [manna], and are dead : he that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever." ^^ These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Caper- naum. '^" Many Hherefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, ^^"\/'^- '^^"" said, " This is a hard saying ; who can hear it ? " ^^ When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, ''Doth this offend you? '''^ What ^and if ye shall see the Son of j^eech. 1.51.& Man ascend up where he was before ? ^^ Jt ^[g tj^g Spirit that quick- li). Acts 1. 9." eneth ; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, ^ al-or] 3'. e! they are spirit, and they are life. ^^ But 'there are some of you that ^ver. 36. believe not." For '"Jesus knew from the beeinninff who thev "'fii.a. 24,25.& were that believed not, and who should betray him. ^^ And he said, "Therefore "said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, ex- nver. 44, 45. cept it were given unto him of my Father." '^'^ From "that time many over. eo. of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. "^"Then said Jesus unto the Twelve, "Will ye also go away?" ^"^ [Then] Simon Peter answered him, " Lord, to whom shall we go ? thou hast ^the words of eternal life. ^^ And 'we believe and are sure that thou p A«t» 5. 20. art that Christ, the Son of [the living] God." '" Jesus answered them, 'see M.\'k'/.K& '^ Have '^not I chosen you Twelve, 'and one of you is a devil ? " d.-KYoI^'&l?: "^ He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon ; for he it was that ^''• should betray him, being one of the Twelve. I ch. 13.27. 1 John vii. 1. 'After these things Jesus walked in Galilee ; for he would not walk in Jewry, 'because the Jews sought to kill him. zch. 5.16,18. Section IX. — Christ converses ivith the Scribes and Pharisees on the sect. ix. Subject of Jeivish Traditions. y ^33 Matt. xv. 1-20.— Mark. vii. 1-23. j. p. 4741. 1 Mark vii. 1. ' Then "came together unto him the Pharisees, and cer- Capernaum. 2 Mark vii. 2. faiu of the Scribes, which came from Jerusalem ; ^ and a Matt. 15. 1. when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with *de- * Or, commoii. filed (that is to say, with unwashen) hands, they found ^i^^'he^'Sli, 3 Mark vii. 3. fault. => (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they Theoptiact' « ' wash their hands toft, eat not, holding the tradition of the totkeeiSow. ' VOL. II. 14 106 CHRIST CONVERSES WITH THE SCRIBES. [Part iV. I elders ; " and when they come from the market, except " Mark vn. 4. they wash, they eat not ; and many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, 1 sextarius is a- ^nd tpots, brazcn vessels, and of *tables ;) ^ then 'the Phar- * -^lark vii. 5. bout a pint and ^ r-< -i i i i • b • a half. isees and Scribes asked hmi, saymg, " Why 'do thy dis- " '^'a"- '^^■- 1- *Sau.'f5.2. ciples transgress "the tradition of the elders? for they '^^'^"•-^^•^ e Mark 7. 5. wash not their hands when they eat bread." *But he an- * Matt. xv. 3. fseIi\otei4 swered and said unto them, "Why do ye also transgress e Exod. 20. 12. the commandment of God by your"* tradition ? " For ' '"^^=1". xv. 4. 5.''i6.^''proJ^''23; Crod Commanded, saying, ' Honor 'thy father and mother ;' 22. Ephes. 6. 2. ^jj^ 10 i w/'Jioso -^curseth father or mother, let him die the '" Mark vii. lo J Exod. 21. 17, Lev. 20. 9. Dent, death.' " But ye say, ' If a man shall say to his father or " Mark vii. 11. 20'. & '30.^7. ~ ' mother, ^It is Corban (that is to say, a gift), by whatsoever g [Or, '^ Let it be thou mightcst bc profited by me : he shall be free : '^ and '' Man. xv. 6. a Corban," a for- i • r i i • i i-) i rv i ■ muiii common a- houor uot his lather or his mother, and ye sutler him no " Mark vii. 12. "rfuch"^ occas! more to do aught for his father or his mother ; '^ thus have '•* Matt. xv. e. thepjilnsees're'^ J^ made the commandiTient of God of none effect by your from''supportin- tradition, '^ which ye have delivered : and many such like '* Mark vii. 13, his parents, and thiugs do vc. "* Yc ''hvpocritcs ! Well did Esaias 'prophesy is Matt. xv. 7. GVGll (1g Gnicil it ** "^ l 1. X J sacrilege if lie of yOU Saylllg, " aS it is written, '^ Mark vii. 6. afterwards gave fheir use".Lsee ' This pcoplc " drawcth nigh unto me with their mouth, '* ^i^tt. xv.s. i5.^5''& 23?Y8"i ^"^ honoreth me with their lips ; h Mark 7. 6. But their heart is far from me.' i Isa. 29. 13. Ezek. 33. 31. '9 Jlowbcit, iu vaiu do they worship me, teaching for doctrines " J^'^rk vii. 7. the commandments of men. '"For laying aside tlie command- ^ Mark vii. s. ment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups : and many other such like things ye do." j Matt. 15. 10. =1 And ^when he had called all the people unto him, he ^^ Mark vn. 14. said unto them, " Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand ! ^^ There is nothing from without a man, that ^ Mark vii. 15. entering into him can defile him : but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. *R^m' 14' 14' 17 " '^^^ ''^^^^^ which gocth luto the mouth defileth a man ; ^ Matt. xv. 11. 20. 1 Tim. 4.4. ' but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a Tit 1 15 • z Matt. 11. 15. man. ^^ If 'any man have ears to hear, let him hear!" ^ Mark vii. le, "And '"when he was entered into the house from the ^ Mark vii. 17. people, ^^ then came his disciples, and said unto liim, "^ Matt, xv 12. " Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying ? " " But he answered and said, " Matt. xv. 13. Voor 3^' 12 &c " Every "plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, ois. 9. iG. Mai. shall be rooted up. "* Let tiiein alone : "they be blind lead- ">* Matt. xv. 14. iJuk'e'^G.'lh ^' ers of the blind ; and if the blind lead the blind, both y Mark 7. 17. sliall fall lulo tlic dltch." '®Then ^'answered Peter and ^ Matt. xv. 15. said unto him, "Declare unto us this parable." '" And ^ Man. xv. le. 9Matt. 16. 9. Jesus said ^'unto them, ^*"Are%'e also yet without un- ^' Mark vii. is. Mark 7. 18. t -v -, i-v 1 . i . i ^i .. '■ , ^ 32 MaU. xv. 16. riCor.G. 13. dcrstauding ? Do not ye yet understand, tlmt vi'liatso- 33 m„„. ^v. 17. ever ^' thing from without entereth into the man, '* at the ^ Mark vii. is. mouth, ^S;^ cannot defile him; "because it entereth not 'g JJj|[|: ^j^'" Jg* into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the 37 Mark vi.. 19. draught, purging all meats?" ''And he said, " That '' ^'"^"^ ^•"- ^o- which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. '2^'pro;fGf'i4: '' 'For ^° tho.se things which proceed out of the mouth '^ Jl;;;^ ;';; ;[• ].ri9^/a\ifeB"' come forth from the heart ; and they defile the man. 41 Man. xv. 19. 6. ■" For '" from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil *^ s^'iTk vh. 21. * Gr. covetous- thoughts, adultcrics, fornications, murders, "tiiefts, ** false ^^ fl,"tV.^".'. jg' nSfel'. ""'^"^ witness, '^^ *covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, 45 Mn,k vii. 22. m Matt. 15. 15. Sect. X.] THE CANAANITE'S DAUGHTER HEALED. 107 46 Mark vu. 23. an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: ^"^ all these « Matt. XV. 90. evil things come from within, and defile the man. ^' These are the things which defile a man : but to eat with un- 5J t Mark 7. 1. ii Ex. 21.17. Lev. washen hands defileth not a man. Matt. xv. part ofver. 1, 4, ver. 5, part of ver. 6, 8, ver. 9, 10, and part of ver. 17, 18, 19. — 1 Then 'came to Jesus Scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, — 4 — " "He that cursetli father or mother, let him die the death." 5 But ye say, " Whosoever shall "ao.g'Dei't.^a?! say to his father or his mother, ^Jt is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by ^"^q^J^" ^^' ^' me; (J — he shall he- free — . 8 "This "people — . 9 But in vain they do worship me, ^ggeMark?. 11 ^teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." 10 "And he called the multitude, 12. and said unto them, " Hear, and understand : 17 — entereth in — goeth into the belly, wis. 29.13. Ezek. and is cast out into the draught? 18 But — . 19 — *out of the heart proceed evil j. jj og_ j3_ fQi_ thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, — blasphemies." 2. 18,-22. Tit. 1. Mark vii. part of ver. 5, G, ver. 9, and part of ver. 10, 13, 17, 18.— 5 — " Why walk ^ j^j^^j,^ ^ j^^ not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen ^ ocn. 6. 5. & 8. hands.'" 6 He answered and said unto them, "Well hath Esaias prophesied of you 21. Prov. 6. 14. hypocrites- — ' honoreth "me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.'" 9 And „ js_29. 13. Ezek. he said unto them, " Full well ye ^reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep 33. 31. Matt. 15. your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, ' Honor Hhy father and thy mother ; and, — ^ • , 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, — " 17 — his disciples j g^^ j^j^^jj j^'^^ asked him concerning the parable. 18 And he saith — " Are ye so without understand- ing also.' Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever — ." SECT. X. V. K. 28. J. P. 4741. Tyre. p See Note 15. Section X. — Christ heals the Daughter of the Canaanite or Syro- Phoenician WomanP Matt. xv. 21-28.— Mark vii. 24-30. I Matt. XV. 21. ' Then Jesus ^ arose, and ^ went thence, and departed sMarkvii.24. Jj^|^q ^|^g coasts of Tyrc and Sidon. "And * entered into 3 Matt. XV. 91. *' 4 Matt. XV. 22. a house, and would have no man know it ; but he could 6 Mark vii. 24. not bc hid. * For, ' behold ! a woman of Canaan, ® whose 7 M^f^""^' young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and 8 Mark vii. a.x * camc out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, 9 Matt. XV. 22. ''Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David! my JO Matt. XV.23. daughter is grievously vexed with a devil." '° But he an- swered her not a word. And his disciples came and be- sought him, saying, " Send her away ; for she crieth after n Matt. XV. 24. ug," " But he an.swered and said, "I "am not sent but " Aoll^'al^ii; %. " Matt. XV. 25. unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." '"Then came f ^^- '^^- ^°'"- 13 Mark vii. 25. she '^and fell at his feet, '"and worshipped him, saying, II II;;!!" vil.^J " Lord, help me ! " " The woman was a * Greek, a Syro- *0r, oentiu. Phoenician by nation ; and she besought him that he would >6Matt..xv.2G. ^^^^ fQj.^j-^ tj^g jjg^ij Q^^ Qf j^gj. (laughter. '^But he an- " Mark vii. 27. swcrcd and said "unto her, "Let the children first be 18 Matt. XV. 26. filled: for '*it 'is not meet to take the children's bread, » Mark 7. 27. 19 Matt. XV. 27. and to cast it to 'dogs."i '" And she said, " Truth, Lord : 's'.''' ^" ^" ^^'^'^' yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their mas- q see Note le. so Mark vii. 28. ter's table ; — -" the dogs under the table eat of the children's SI Matt. XV. 28. crumbs." ^' Then Jesus answered and said unto her, " O 22 Mark vii. 29. woHian ! great is thy faith!" ''And he said unto her, S3 Matt. XV. 28. " For this saying, " be it unto thee even as thou wilt : '" go 85 Man. XV. 28. ^^^y ^^^7 5 the devil is gone out of thy daughter." "And «6 Mark vii. 30. her daughter was made whole from that very hour. '^ And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. Mark vii. part o/»cr. 24, 25, 27,28. — 24 -^And from thence he — went into the bor- (i Matt. 15. 21. ders of Tyre and Sidon, and — 25 — a certain woman — came — 27 But Jesus said — " it ^ 'is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs." 28 And she answered and said unto him, " Yes, Lord ; yet — ." 108 CHRIST GOES THROUGH DECAPOLIS. [Part IV. SECT. XI. V.^. 28. J. P. 4741. Decapolis. a Matt. 15. 29. h Matt. 9. 32. Luke ]1. 14. c Mark 8. 23. John 9. G. d Mark 6. 41. John 11. 41 17. 1. e John 11.33,38, /Is. 35. 5, 6. Matt. 11. 5. g Mark 5. 43. & h Is. 35. 5, 6 Matt. 11.5. Luke 7. 22. 2 Matt. XV. 29. 3 Jlark vii. 31- 37. » ch. 4. 18 Section XI. — Christ goes through Decapolis, healing and teaching Matt. xv. 29-31.— Mark vii. 31, to the end. 'And "again ^ Jesus, ^departing from the coasts of Tyre > Mark vii. 31 and Sidon, came unto the sea of Gahlee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapohs. ^"^ And Hhey bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech ; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. ^^ And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and '^he spit, and touched his tongue ; ^'* and ''looking up to heaven, 'he sighed, and saith unto him, " Ephphatha ! " that is, Be opened ! ^^ And -^straight- way his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. ^'^ And ^he charged them that they should tell no man : but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. ^^ And were beyond measure astonished, saying, " He hath done all things well : he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak." ^^And [he] went up into a mountain, and sat down Matt. xv. 29-31. there, 2° and ''great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet ; and he healed them, ^^ insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see : and they glorified the God of Israel. Matt. xv. pai-t ofver. 29. And — departed from thence, and came nigh 'unto the sea of Galilee — . SECT. XII. V. M. 28. J. P. 4741. On a INIount by tlie Sea of Galilee. a Matt. 15. 32. b 2 Kings 4. 43. c Matt. 14. 19. d 1 Sara. 9. 13. Luke 22. 19. e Mark 8. 8, 9. /iMatt. 15. 34. See ch. 0. 38. Section XII. — Four thousand Men are fed miraculously. Matt. xv. 32, to the end. — Mark viii. 1-10. ' In those days, the multitude being very great,, and * ^^^^^ '"'• ^• having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples imto him, and saith unto them, ""I "have compassion on the multi- ^ Mark viii. 2. tude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat : ^ and if I send them away fast- ^ ^^"'^ ''"• "'• ing to their own houses, they will faint by the way ; for divers of them came from far." "And ''his disciples say ^ ^1=^"- ■^;'- 33- unto him, *" From whence can a man satisfy tliese /«ew " "" ^"'■^' with bread here in the wilderness ? ^ Whence should we '^ '^^^"- ^"^ ^^* have so much bread as to fill so great a multitude ? " ' And '' ^^''"- ^"•34- Jesus saith unto them, " How many loaves have ye ? " And they said, " Seven, and a few little fishes." ' And he ' ^^'^"- ^^•- ^^• commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. ® And "he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and ''gave ^ '^'''"- '^'- ^^• thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude, '° to set before them ; and they '" Mark viii. e. did set them before the people. " And they did all eat, " Matt. xv. 37. and were filled : and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. " And 'they that did eat were '' ^^'""- ''''■ ^^■ four thousand men, beside women and children. '''And he '^ Matt. xv. 39. sent away the multitude, and took ship, " straightway he en- tered into a ship, with his disciples, and came '"into the '^. ?!""■ ".: "!^: ^ * ^** 3IarK viii. 10. coasts of Magdala, "^ into the parts of Dalmanutha. Matt. xv. 32, and part ofver. 33,39. — 32 Then Jesus called liisdisciples Mn<o/(i?n, and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have notliing to eat : and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way." 33 — in the wilderness, — 39 — and came — . Mark viii. part ofver. 4, vcr. 5, part of ver. 6, andver. 7, 8, 9, and htginning of ver. 10. — 4 And his disciples answered him, — 5 -'"And he asked them, '• How manv loaves Sect. XIII.] THE PHARISEES REQUIRE SIGNS. 109 have ye ?" And they said, " Seven." G 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 — 7 And they had a few small fishes: and ^'he blessed, and com- 5' Matt. 14. 19. ch. manded to set them also before them. 8 So ''they did eat, and were filled : and they ^ jj^j"_ j^^ g^^ took up of the broken vicat that was left seven baskets. 9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand : and he sent them away. 10 And — . . Section XIII. — The Pharisees require other Signs — Christ charges sect, xiii. them with Hypocrisy. V. M. 28. Matt. xvi. 1-12.— Mark viii. 11-21. J. P. 4741. 1 Matt. xvi. 1. ' The "Pliarisees also with the Sadducees came, tempt- ^^gdaia. 2 Mark viii. n. ins:, ^ began to question with Him; 'and desired Hliat he a Matt. 12. 38. 3 \T tf v,i 111? I • r I i • 1 • Luke 11. 16. & ividii. xM. 1 would show them a siarn irom heaven, temptmg liim. 12. 54-56. John 4 Markviu. U. i • i i ti/i • • • 6 30 5 Matt. xvi. 2. He answered, and said unto them, " When it is evening, jicor. 1.22. 6 Matt. xvi. 3. ye say, ' It will he fair weather : for the sky is red.' * And in the morning, ' It ivill he foul weather to-day : for the sky is red and lowering.' O ye hypocrites ! ye can dis- cern the face of the sky ; but can ye not discern the signs ^ Mark viii. 12. of the tiiiics ? " ^ And he sighed deeply in liis spirit, and e Matt. xvi. 4. sj^iti^^ "Why doth this generation, *a 'wicked and adul- <= ^att. 12. 39. 9 Mark viii. 12. tcrous generation, ^ seek after a sign ? Verily I say unto »u Matt. xvi. 4. you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation, '" but the sign of the prophet Jonas ! " And he left them, and 11 Mark vm. 13. (jgpa^j-tgd . H ^nd entering into the ship again, departed to the other side. 12 Matt. xvi. 5. ,2^j^^ d^l^gj^ j^jg disciples were come to the other side, -^ m^'"'' s- 1^. 13 Mark viii. 14. thgy i^g^(l forgottcu to take bread; '^neither had they in u Matt. xvi. 6. ^j^g gj^-p ^j^i^ ^i^gj^ j^Qj.g ^j^^j^ Qj^g j^j^f^ 14 -Yhen Jesus .5 Mark viii. 15. 15 ^.^argcd them, and "'said unto them, "Take 'heed, and <'Lukei2.i. 16 Matt. XVI. 6. ~ ' , ■' beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the Saddu- 17 Mark viii. 15. cees, "and of the leaven of Herod." '* And they reas- oned among themselves, saying, " It is because we have 19 Matt. xvi. 8. taken no bread." '" Tlliich when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, " O ye of little faith ! why reason ye among 20 Mark viii. 17. yourselvcs, bccausc ye have brought no bread ? '° Per- ceive -'^ye not yet, neither understand ? have ye your heart -^^^^^ ^- ^^• 21 Mark viii. 18. yg|- hardened ? ^' Having eyes, see ye not ? and having 22 Mark viii. 19. q^^s, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? ^^ When ^I \ 43.' Luke "^9! brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many bas- i'- J°'^n'^-i3- kets full of fragments took ye up ? " They say unto him, 23 Markviii.2o. „ Twclvc." '' ''And "whcu the seven among four thou- \^!f/kVt''" sand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? " 24Markvi,i.2i. ^j^^ they said, "Seven." "^ And he said unto them, 25 Matt. .xvi 11. ''How is it that 'ye do not understand "that I spake it i-^|"k6.52.&8. not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the 26 Matt. xvi. 12. leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees ? " "-' Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Matt. xvi. part of vcr. A,andver. 9, 10, and part of ver. 11. — 4 — " seeketh after a sign ; and there shall no siorn be criven unto it, — 9 ■'Do ve not yet understand, neither remember J '^''- '■^- 1~' *"^- the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up .' 10 *^ Neither the /^ |, jj' 34 seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up ? 11 How is it that ye do not understand — ." Mark \m. part ofvcr. 11, 13, 14, \b,vcr. 16, andpart of ver. 17.— 11 'And the Phari- JMatt. 12. 38. & sees came forth, and — seeking of him a sign from heaven, — 13 And he left them, — 16. 1. John 6. 30. 14 '"Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread,— 15 — he— saying, " Take heed, be- " ^'''"' ^^" ^* ware of the leaven of the Pharisees," — 16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, " It is "because we have no bread." 17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, n Matt. 16. 7. " Why reason ye, because ye have no bread .' — ." VOL. II. J no CHRIST HEALS A BLIND MAN. [Part IV. SECT. XIV. V. M. 28. J. P. 4741. Bethsaida. a ch. 7. 33. b Matt. 8. 4. ch. 5. 43. SECT. XV. V.^. 2?. J. P. 4741. Caesarea Philippi. r See Note 17. a Matt. 16. 13. Luke 9. 18. b Mark 8. 27. c Mark 8. 27. Luke 9. 18. See John 1. 51. d Matt. 14. 2. Luke 9. 7-9. e See Mark 1. 1. s See Note 18. /Ephes. 2. 8. g 1 Cor. 2. 10. Gal. 1. 16. A John 1. 42. t Ephes. 2. 20. Rev. 21. 14. j Job 38. 17. Ps. 9. 13. & 107. 18. Is. 38. 10. k Matt. 18. 18. John 20. 23. t See Note 19. I Matt. 17. 9. Mark 8. 30. Luke 9. 21. m Matt. 14. 2. 71 Matt. 16. 16. John 6. 61). & 11. 27. Matt. 16. 20. Luke 9. 21. p Matt. 14. 2. ver. 7,8. q Matt. 16. 16. Mark 8. 29. John6. 69.&11. 27. r Matt. 16. 20. Marks. 30. Section XIV. — Christ heals a Blind man at Bethsaida. Mark viii. 22-26. ^^ And He cometh to Bethsaida. And they bring a bUnd man unto him, and besought him to touch him. ^-^ And he took the bhnd man by the hand, and led him out of the town. And when "he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught. ^^ 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 in the town." Mark viii. 27. Luke ix. IS. Matt. xvi. 13. Mark viii. 27. Luke ix. 18. Matt. xvi. 13. Matt. XVI. 14. Mark viii. 28. Matt. xvi. 14. 10 Mark viii. 28, 11 Matt. xvi. 14. Section XV. — Peter confesses Christ to be the Messiahs Matt. xvi. 13-20,— Mark viii. 27-30.— Luke Lx. 18-21. ' And "Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi : ^ and 'it came to pass, ^ when Jesus came into the coasts of Csesarea Phihppi^'^by the way, °as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him : and " he asked his disciples, saying, " Whom Mo men say that T, the Son of Man, am ? " ' And they * answered and ® said, " Some ''say that thou art John the Baptist; '"but some say, Elias ; "and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets ; '^ and others say, that one of the old prophets ^- Luke ix. 19. is risen again." '^ He saith unto them, " But whom say ye i^ Matt. xvi. 15. that I am?" '* And Simon Peter answered and said, '* Ma", xvi.ie. '• Thou 'art the Christ, the Son of the living ' God ! " '^And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Blessed art ^^ Matt. xvi. n. thou, Simon Bar-jona ! -^for flesh and blood hath not re- vealed it unto thee, but ^my Father which is in heaven. '® And I say also unto thee. That ''thou art Peter, and '^ Matt. xvi. is. 'upon this rock I will build my Church ; and ^the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. " And *I will give unto " Matt. xvi. 19. thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven : and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed heaven."* '** Then 'charged he in 18 Matt. xvi. 20. straitly ^Miis disciples, '* Luke ix. 21. ^' and commanded them, '"that they should tell no man 2° Luke ix'^^i"' that he was [Jesus] the Christ. 22 Matt. xvi. 20, Matt. xvi. jiart of ver. 14. — some Elias : — Mk-rkviu. part of ver. 27,28, and ver. 2^, "iQ. — 27 — he asked his disciples, saying unto them, " Whom do men say that I am .^"' 28 — they — " John ""the Baptist: — and others, One of the prophets." 29 And he saith unto them, " But whom say ye that I am .'" And Peter ansvvereth and saith unto him, " Thou "art the Christ !" 30 "And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. Luke ix. -part of ver. 18, 19, ver. 20, and part of ver. 21. — 18 — he asked them, saying, "Whom say the people that I am.'" 19 They answering said, " John ''the Baptist ; but some say, Elias ;" — 20 He said unto them, " But whom say ye that I am .'" 'Peter answering said, " The Christ of God !" 21 '"And he — charged them to tell no man that thinij. SECT. XVI. V ^28 Section XVI, — Christ astonishes the Disciples by declaring the J. P. 4741. Necessity of his Death and Resurrection. Galilee. Matt, xvi, 21, to the end.— Mark viii. 31, to the end, and ix. 1, — Luke ix. 22-27. oMatt^n &:c ' ^ND ^ from that time forth began Jesus "to show unto > Mark viii. si, K&io;3^ his disciples, how that he, Hhe 'Son of Man, ^nust go ' Markvm.al* Luke 9. 92. & uuto Jcrusalcm, and suffer many things, '^and be rejected * Matt. xvi. 2i it!jotf.'.':J: of the elders, and of the Chief Priests, and Scribes, and ^w-i^^-si Sect. XVII/ THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST. i j i e Matt. XVI. 2]. YfQ killed, "and be raised again the third day." 'And he u gee Note 20. 8 Matt. xvi. 22! spake that saying openly. * Then Teter took him, and »i"k 8. 32. began to rebuke him, saying, " *Be it far from thee. Lord ! * gt. puy thysdf 9 Markviii.33. this shall not be unto thee." ®But when he had turned about, and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, say- 10 Matt, xvi.23. j,-,g^ u Qgj thgg behind me, Satan ! '" thou "art an offence '^ ^°"'- ^- ^• unto me : for thou savourest not the things that be of God, 11 Markviii.33. 11 but the things that be of men." 12 Markviii.3i. '^Aud whcu hc had called the people unto him, with his „ .^ ,. _„ , '11 -r r e •it « "att. 10. 38. & 13 Luke ix. 23. disciples also, he said unto them all, " If any mon will le. 24. Mark e. come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross /Matt. le. 26. i4Lukeix.2i. daily, and foUow me. '^For whosoever will save his life ^^^arks.so. 15 Markviii.35. shall lose it : but 'Svhosoever shall lose his life for my sake ^Markbrsk 16 Luke ix. 25. and the Gospel's, the same shall save it. '" For ^what is a J'ollif ls^k ^®* man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose him- *d^"- v ^^- 17 Markviii. 36. self, or bc cast away ? *' For wiiat shall it profit a man, if Matt. 25. ai. 18 Mark viii. 37. he shall gain the wiiole world, and lose his own soul ? '* Or i"ob3'i\i. 19 Matt, xvi.27. yyhj^t shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? '* For ^the p';^;-.^^^ Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father ''with his Jer. 17. 10.&32. ,. 1 ,,,„'=, ■' ,. 19. Rom. 2. 6. angels: 'and then he shall reward every man according to icor.3.8.2Cor. 20 Mark viii. 38. his works. ^° Whosocvcr 'therefore shall be ashamed of n. Rev. 2. al. & me and of my words, in this ''adulterous and sinful gener- .^^; ^^'\^ ^^ ation ; of him also shall 'the Son of Man be ashamed, Luke y.2t^ & la. 21 Luke ix. 26. whcu hc comcth '^ in his own glory, and ^' in the glory of 16.^2 Tim""!', s! 23 LukoLraf' Iiis Father, with the holy angels, ''and of the holy angels." k[o~r',apostatizing. 24 Markix. 1. -* And he said unto them, " Verily '"I say unto you. That j^g^j"j,,„j ^j there be some of them that stand here, which shall not „, Matt. 16. 28. 25 Matt.xvi.28. taste of dcath,^ till they have seen ''the "Son of Man com- ^"'\?-f • 2l> Mark ix 1 o • r r^ ■ ^ iNote 21. in.w in his kingdom : — ''^ the kingdom of God come with n mm. 24. 30. & "" ,, ° ° ai. 31. Luke 22. power. 18. See John 1. 51. Matt. xvi. part of vcr. 21, 23, and vcr. 24, 25, 2G, and part ofxtr. 28. — 21 — of the <, See 2 Sam. 19. elders and Chief Priests and Scribes, and be killed, — 23 But he turned, and said unto ^- •'^'•ifk 8. 33. Peter, " Got thee behind me, "Satan : — but those that be of men." 24 ^Then said Jesus ^^\s, LukeO 23. unto his disciples, " If any 7?i«H. will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up & 14.27 Acts his cross, and follow me. 25 For 'whosoever will save his life shall lose it : and whoso- g ' ^ ^ Tim"^3" ever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 2C For what is a man profited, if he shall 12. gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ? or '"what shall a man give in exchange for '^/'("''"ip'o?^' his soul .^ 2S Verily I say unto you, 'There be some standing here, which shall not taste ^ p^ ^g '7 g of death, till they see — ." s Mark 9. 1. Luke 9. 27. Mark viii. part ofver. 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35. — 31 — 'he began to teach them that — ^ n^'j^j,' jg ^j ^ " must suiTer many things, — and after three days rise again." 32 — And Peter took 17. 22. Luke 9. liini, and began to rebuke him. 33 — " for thou savourest not the things that be of God, """ — 34 — "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and ]t!.'24. Luke 9. follow me. 35 "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but — ." 23. & 14. 27. V John 12. 25. Luke ix. ver. 2^, part ofver. 23, 24, 26, and ver. 27. — 22 Saying, " The '"Son of Man ,^ Matt. 16. 21. &. must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and Chief Priests and Scribes, 17.22. See John and be slain, and be raised tlie third day." 23 And he said to them — 24 — " whoso- ' ' ,^ ^g ever will lose his life for my sake, tlie same shall save it." 26 ■''For whosoever shall be Jiark 8. 38. See ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he shall ^°'iP 'b 10 come — in his Father's, — 27 ''But I tell you of a truth, There be some standing here, „ Aiatt. ifi. 28. which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God." Mark 9. 1. Section XVII.— TAe Transfiguration of Christ.^ sECT\xvn. Matt. xvii. 1-13.— Mark ix. 2-13.— Luke ix. 28-36. V. M. 28. 1 isfatt. xviK 1. 1 ^jjjj "after si.\ days, — *and it came to pass about an eight J- F- 4741. 3 .Markix. 2. d^ys after these *sayings ^ Jesus taketh ivith him Peter, and Caiiiee. 4 Matt. xvii. 1. James, and John, ■* his brother, 'and went up into amoun- y see Note ^. 6 M^irk'ixia. ^^^^ to pray ; ''and [he] leadeth them up into a high moun- *or7(/"W. 112 THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST. [Part IV. tain apart by themselves. ' And as he prayed, the fashion ' Luke ix. 29, of his countenance was altered, '^ and he was transfigured ** Mark ix. 2. before them, "and his face did shine as the sun, ^"and his ® Matt.xvii.2. i Dan. 7. 9. Matt, raiment became shining, " as the light, '^exceeding 'white, n Matt. 'x'^ii. 2 ^^ and glistering, "as snow ; so as no fuller on earth can ^^ Markix. 3. white them. '' And, behold ! there talked with him two !' t"\^ '^- f • ' _ 1^ Mark IX. 3. men, which were Moses and Elias : "^ who appeared in '^ Luke ix. 30. glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish '^ ^^^^ ^^- ^^• at Jerusalem. ''But Peter and they that were with him '^ Luke ix. 32. cDan. 8. 18. & wcrc "^hcavy with slccp. And when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. '* And it came to pass, as they departed from him, '"then '^ Luke ix. 33. d Mark 9. 5. Luke auswcrcd Pctcr, and said unto Jesus, " Lord, ''it is good 9 33 . . ^ for us to be here : [and] if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles ; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias:" ^'' not knowing what he said, ^i p^j. j^^ 20 Luke ix. 33. he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid, e 2 Pet. L 17. 22 -yyj^ijg ^}jg yg^ spakc, behold ! a bright cloud overshadowed ^^ Matt. xvii. 5 them : ^^ and they feared as they entered into the cloud ; ^ Luke ix. 34. ^*and, behold! a Voice out of the cloud, which said, *^ Matt. xvii. 5. ^Matt.3. 17. "This-^is my beloved Son, 'in whom I am well pleased ; ^* Matt. xvii. 6 ii.L'uke3. 22. ' ''hear ye him ! " ^' And 'when the disciples heard it, they fi^'^~',i',c ,,1 fell on their face, and were sore afraid. ^^ And when the '* Luke ix. 36. It iJput. Jo, 15 19 Acts 3. 22, 23. Voicc was past, Jesus v»^as found alone. " And Jesus came ^' Matt. xvii. 7. iofn's^is^g and 'touched them, and said, "Arise, and be not afraid." 21. & JO. 10, 18.' 28 Aj^j ^vhen they had lifted up their eyes, '" and looked round JJ '^^^'t- ""'• ^^ about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. /. Matt. ifi. 20. 30 And as they came down from the mountain, *Jesus ^ -^^='"- '^"'- ^• MaikS. 30. &9. •' . m ii i • • 9- charged them, saying, " iell the vision to no man,^ until z See Note 23 i^^^ g^,^ ^^ ^^^ ^^ j.jggj^ -^^^ ^^.^^ ^j^g dead." '' And '' Markix. 10. I bee John 1. 51. . . ~ they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean. ^■' And they kept it close, and told no man in those days ^^ ^"'''^ '''• ^^• any of those things which they had seen. ^^And his dis- ^^^^^""•'""•^^• m MaL4.5.Matn gipjgg asked him, saying, " Why '"then say the Scribes 11- that Elias must first come ? " ^^ And Jesus answered and ^'' Matt.xvii.ii. said unto them, " Elias "''verily cometh first, and restoreth ^^ Markix. 12. "2!''&(f.' ^'ban.^i).' ^11 things ; and "how it is written of the Son of Man, that 26. See John 1. \^q niust suffcr many things, and "be set at nought. ^° But ^^ i^i"rkix. 13. oLuke2.'i. 11. I say unto you, That ''Elias is indeed come " already, and ^' J^i;itt.xvii.]2. n^Matt^ii 14 & ^hcy kucw him not, but 'have done unto him whatsoever I-', i-i. Luke i. they hsted : '^as it is written of him. '" Likewise 'shall '' ^f^'^'' '^- 1^- ''• 1 1 f^ r -Mr re /■ i ?? 4(i rni si i- • i ^S Matt. xvii. 12. 9 Ahitt. 14. 3, 10. also the Son oi Man sutler oi tliem. ihen the disciples 40 Matt. xvii. 13. r Matt. 10.21 uudcrstood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. See John 1. .01. i i i Matt. 11. 14. Matt. xvii. partofver. 1, 2, ver. 3, and part ofvcr. 8, 11, 12.— 1 — Je.sus takcth Peter, James, and Jolm — and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, 2 and was transfigured before them : — and his raiment was white — 3 And, behold ! there appeared unto tliem Moses and Elias talking with hiui. 8 — they saw no man, save .Tesus only. f MaI.4.6.Luke 1. 11 — truly shall first come, and 'restore all things. 12 "But I say unto you. That Elias ifi, 17. Acts 3. jg pQ,^p _ Kch. 11. 14. Mark Mark ix. part of vcr. 2, ver. 4, 5, 7, part of ver. 8, ver. 9, \\, and part ofvcr. 12, 13. — 9.12,13. 2 And after six days — 4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses : and they V Matt. 17. 4. were talking with .tesus. 5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, " Master, "it is good Luke 9. 33. ^^j. ^^^ ^^ j^^ j^^^.^ . ^^^^ j^,^ ^^ make three tabernacles ; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias." 7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them : and a Voice came to See Matt. 17.5. out of the cloud, saying, "This "is my beloved Son: hear him!" 8 — suddenly, Mark 1. 1. when they had — 9 '''And as they came down from the moiuitain, he charged them that John i. 51. ' they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of Man were risen from Sect. XVIII.] THE DEAF AND DUMB SPIRIT CAST OUT. 113 the dead. 11 And thoy asked him, saying, " Why say the Scribes ^Ihat Elias must first y Mai. 4. 5. Mutt, come.? 12 And ho answered and told them, EUas—. 13 — and they have done unto ^^- ^''• him whatsoever they listed — ." hvKEix. part of ver. 28, 2d, 33, 34, and ver. do.— 23 — he took Peter and John and James,— 29 — and his raiment was white — 33 — Peter said unto Jesus, " Master, "^it is -^^^^'g^'^-*- ,5. ■rood for us to be here : and let us make three tabernacles : one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias:"— 34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and over- " ^"i-j^^^^f ^"^ ' shadowed them : — 35 And there came a Voice out of the cloud, saying, " This "is my Mark l.^l;^& 9- beloved Son: hear him !" 7. Act3 3. 22. Section XVIII. — The Deaf and Dumb Spirit cast out. sect. xviu. Matt. xvii. 14-21. — Mark ix. 14-29. — Luke ix. 37-42, andpaHof ver. 43. v iE 28 1 Luke i.x. 37. ' And "it Came to pass, that on the next day, when they j p 4741 were come down from the hill, much people met him. caiiiee. 2 Mark ix. 14. ^ Aud whcn he came to his disciples, he saw a great mul- aMattrn!i4. titude about them, and tlie Scribes questioning with them. 3 Mark ix. 15. 3 ^j^^ straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. 4Markix. iG. 4 ^j-^j j^^ agj^ed the Scribes, "What question ye *with *^or^""'«="2"""- s Mark ix. 17. them ? " * And, ^ behold ! ' there came to him a certain 7 !\i'tt!xvii.i4. man * of the company, ^ one 'of the multitude, [and] '° kneel- ''Hfl'g'^^^- 8j,ukeix.38. ing down to him, "answered and said, "Master, I have 10 Matt xvin4 brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit ; uMarkix. 17. '- Lord ! '^ Mastcr ! I beseech thee, look upon my son! 12 Matt.xvii.i5. 14 j^j^yg mercy on my son! ''for he is mine only child; 14 Matt, xvii.^5. '^for lic is a luuatic, and sore vexed ; for ofttimes he fall- 15 Luke ix. 38. eth into the fire, and oft into the water. '^ And, lo ! a 17 1 like Tx^yg. ^pi''it taketh him, '''and wheresoever he taketh him, he 13 Mark ix. 18. ttcarcth him; '^and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth \ Oi, dashethhiin. 10 Luke IX. 39. jj-|^ ^j^g^^ jjg foameth aoain, -° and enasheth with his teeth, 2^ Mark ix. 18. , ci ' i^ ' 21 Luke ix. 39. and piucth away: "' and, bruising him, hardly departeth jJI ''J- ^^'■'•i*'- from him." ^^ And I brought him to thy disciples, "^and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out ; 22 23 Mark ix. 18 25 Mark ix! is! "^ ^ud I bcsought thy disciplcs to cast him out ; "''and they 26 Markix. 19. could uot." ^'^ Ho answcrcth him, and saith, " O 'faithless 'Luke'g!^!^' generation ! how long shall I be with you ? how long shall !! ^,"^'^ \'^' V:' I suffer you ? brins; him — " brino; thy son hither '^ unto 2S Mark ix. 19. o a o J 29 Markix. 20. mc." "^ And they brought him unto him: '"'and as he 30 Luke ix. 42. ^^s yct a-comiuo;, ^' when ''he saw him, straightway the '^'^'^'"■''^•^'^• 31 Mark ix. ''O . . . .~ o J 32 Luke ix! 42! spirit tare him ; ^^ the devil threw him down, ^^and he fell 33 niark ix. 20. on tlic grouud, and wallowed, foaming. '* And he asked his father, "How long is it ago since this came unto 36 Mark i... 22. him?" And he said, "Of a child. ''And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to de- stroy him : but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion 36 Markix. 23. ^^ ^g^ ^ud liclp US." '« "Jcsus Said uuto him, " If 'thou %^ra;"iKb5°- canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." V^i'^'n'lo 37 Markix. 21. 37 ^,^^1 gj^j^-gh^^yj^y ^j^g father of the child cried out, and said with tears, " [Lord,] I believe ! help thou mine unbe- 38 Mark ix. 2.-.. Hef." ^' Whcu Jcsus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, " Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, Come out of 39 Mark IX. 2G. \y\^^ a,jjd cutcr uo morc into him." '® And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him : and he was as 40 Mark ix.27. ^,^g ^^^^ . jng^^niuch that many said, " He is dead." "" But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up ; and he 41 Matt. xvii.18. arose: "and the' child was cured from that very hour; « Luke ix! 43! "' ^"^ ['^®] delivered him again to his father. " And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. VOL. n. 15 " J* 114 /Matt. 17. 19. g Matt. 21. 21. Mark 11.23. Luke 17. 6. 1 Cor. 12. 9. & 13.2. A Mark 9. 14. Luke 9. 37. i Mark 9. 19. Luke 9. 41. j Mark 9. 28. k Matt. 17. 17. Mark 9. 19. SECT. XIX. V. M. 23. J. P. 4741. Galilee. a See Note 24. a Matt. 16. 21. & 17. 23. & 20. 17. Mark 8. 31. & 10. 33. Luke 9. 22, 44. & 18. 31. & 24. 6,7. See John 1.51. b Matt. 18. 1. Mark 4. 34. CHRIST AGAIN FORETELLS HIS DEATH. [Part IV. ** And •'^when he was come into the house, his disciples ^* Mark ix. 28. ^*then came to Jesus apart, and ^^ asked him privately, ''^ Man. xvii.19. "Why could not we cast him out?" ^^ And Jesus said « JJ;;;' '"ii^^o. unto them, "Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, 'If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place : and it shall remove ; and nothing shall be impossi- ble unto you." ^^ And he said unto them, " This kind can "* Mark ix. 29. come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." Matt. xvii. part ofver. 14, IG, ver. 17, part ofver. 18, 19, and ver. 21.— 14 ''And when they were come to the multitude, — and saying, 16 — and they could not cure him." 17 Then Jesus answered and said, " O 'faithless and perverse generation ! how long shall I be with you ? how long shall I suffer you ? bring him hither to me." 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: — 19 — the disciples — said, "Why ^could not we cast him out ?" 21 " Howbeit this kind goeth not out, but by prayer and fasting." Mark ix. part of ver. 18. — and he foaraeth, — . Luke ix. part of ver. '38, 40, 41, 42. — 38 And, — a man — cried out, saying, — 40 — and they could not. 41 And Jesus answering said, " O ^faithless and perverse generation ! how long shall I be with you, and suffer you.''" — 42 — and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, — . Section XIX. — Christ again foretells his Death and Resurrection.^ Matt. xvii. 22, 2.3.— Mark ix. .30-32, and part of 33.— Luke ix. 43-46. ' And they departed thence, and passed through Gali- ^ Mark ix. 30 lee ; and he would not that any man should know it. ^ For ^ while they abode in Galilee, " while they wondered ^ Mark ix. 3k every one at all things which Jesus did, ^ he taught his dis- ciples, and said unto them, ^" Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for "the Son of Man shall be '^ betrayed, and ^ the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men, and s Mark ix. 31 they shall kill him ; and after that he is killed, he shall rise, * be raised again, '° the third day." " But they understood not that saying, '' and it was hid from them, that they per ceived it not. '^ And they were exceeding sorry ; were afraid to ask him '*of that saying. "^Then Hhere them, which of them should be 3 Matt, xvii.22. •» Luke ix. 43. 6 Mark ix. 31. 6 Luke ix. 44. 7 Matt, xvii.22. arose a reasoning among greatest. 17 And he came to Capernaum. 9 Matt. xvii.Q3. 10 Mark ix. 31. 11 Mark ix. 32. 14 g^jj(j 12 Luke ix. 45. 13 Matt, xvii.23. 14 Mark ix. 32. 15 Luke ix. 45. 16 Luke ix. 46. 17 Mark ix. 33. c Mark 9. 31. See John 1. 51. Matt. xvii. part ofver. 22, 23. — 22 And — Jesus said unto them, " The "^Son of Man shall be — into the hands of men: 23 and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall — . Luke ix. 7W7-< o/i'c?-. 43, 44, 4.5. — 43 — But — he said unto his disciples, 44 — deliv- ered into the hands of men. 45 But they understood not this saying — and they feared to ask him. SECT. XX. V. m. 28. J. p. 4741. Capernaum. b See Note 25. a Mark 9. 33. * Called in the origin il, dldrach- ma, being in val- ue fifteen pence [thirty cents] : seeEx.30. 13. & 38. 2i;. b [Or, anticipated. —Ed.] f Or, a stater. It is hilt' an ounr.e of silver, in v;ilue 2s. dd. [60 cents] after 5s. the ounce. Section XX. — Christ Woi-Jis a Miracle to pay the Half Shekel for the Temple Scrvicey Matt. xvii. 24, to the end. ^''And "wiien they were come to Capernaum, they that received * tribute 77ioncy came to Peter, and said, " Doth not your Master pay tribute ? " ~^ He saith, " Yes." And when he was come into the house, Jesus ''prevented him, .saying, " What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute ? of their own cliildren, or of strangers ? " ^^ Peter saitli unto him, " Of stran- gers." Jesus saith unto him, " Then are the children free. -"^ Notwith- standing, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first coineth up ; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find fa piece of money : that take, and give unto them for me and thee." Sect. XXI.] THE DISPUTING OF THE DISCIPLES. 115 Section XXI. — The Disciples contend for Superiority." sect. xxr. Matt, xviii. 1, to the end. — Mark ix. part of ver. 33, to the end. — Luke ix. 47-50. ^oa I Matt, xviii. 1. ' At "the same time, ^ being in the house, ^ came the dis- j p ^^^j 3 Matt iwif i ciples unto Jesus, saying, " Who is the greatest in the capemaum. 4 Mark i.x. 33. kingdom of heaven?" ''And he asked them, "What ^ ~„, was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?" aLuke9.46. * » Mark ix. 34. 5 gy^ ^j^gy j^g^ tj^gjj. peacc : for by the way they had dis- puted among themselves, who should be the greatest. 7 Mark ix. 35, « Luke ix. 47. 6 ^^^ Jesus, pcrcciving the thought of their heart, ' sat down, and called the Twelve, and saith unto them, " If ''any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and 6 Matt. 20. 26, 27. J ' -^ ^ Mark 10 43 s Matt, xviii. 2. servant of all." * And Jesus called a little child unto him, 9^ Luke ix. 47. aj^(j ggt i^[^^ j„ ti^g midst of them, — " by him '" in the midst of them : and when he had taken him in his arms, he said 11 Matt. xviii. 3. uj-,tQ them, " " Verily I say unto you, 'Except ye be con- 'ig'-n/M^rl'^io: verted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter 14. Luke is. le. 1 (Jor. 14. 20. 12 Matt.xviii.4. into the kingdom of heaven. '^ Whosoever '^therefore shall 1 Pet.'s. 2. humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in (^^^an. 20. 27. & " Matt. xviii. 5. thg liingdom of heaven. " And 'whoso shall receive one e Matt. 10. 42. «4 Mark ix. 37. such little child in my name, receiveth me: '^ and ^whoso- /Matt. io. 40. ever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but Him that sent Luke 9. 48. 16 Luke ix. 48. me: ''for °"he that is least among you all, the same shall ? Matt. 23. 11, 12. ^Markix.38. be great." "'And '"John answered him, saying, " Master, *j^^"^'^^9 ^g;^- we saw one casting out devils in thy name, [and he fol- loweth not us:] and we forbad him, because he foUoweth »Markix.39. ^ot US." " But Jcsus Said, " Forbid him not: 'for there 'i^o^-ia-s. is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can 18 Mark ix. 40. Hghtly spcak cvil of me. ''For^he that is not against us jSeeMatt.12.30. 19 Markix. 4L jg qj^ q^^ pmt. '® For ^whosocvcr shall give you a cup of ^Matt. 10. 42. water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward." 20 Matt, xviii.6. 20 a jj^j 'whoso shall offcnd one of these little ones which z Mark 9^ 42. believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. « Matt, xviii. 7. 21 u i^Qg yjjtQ the world because of offences ! for '"it must '"^"''%V/„- 1 Cor. 11. jy. needs be that offences come; but "woe to that man by n Matt. 26. 24. 22 Matt, xviii. 8. ^jjQ^ the offence cometh ! '^ Wherefore "if thy hand or %^|,'^,i%^-J%^.''- thy foot *offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from *or, cause kee to « Markix. 43. ti^gg. 23if P^i^y ^^^^ *offend thee, cut it off: it is better ^f^.l; 46.'"^ '" for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands P.^eut. 13. e. 1 II 1 Matt. 5. 29. ic, to go mto hell, mto the fire that never shall be quenched : le. 8. 24 Mark ix. 44. 24 ^j^gj.g 1^]^^]^. ^ouu dictli uot, and the fire is not quenched. '/uditifie^'iV. » Markix. 45. "^ ^nd if thy foot *offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched : ^® where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 27 Markix. 47. 27 ^^ jf ^j^j g *ofiend thcc, pluck it out : '* and cast 28 Matt, xviii. 9. •' ' 29 Markix. 47. it from thec : it is better for thee to enter into life, ^^ into the kingdom of God, with one eye, than having two eyes 30 Mark ix. 48. to bc cast iuto hcll firc ; ^^ where their worm dieth not, and 31 Mark ix. 49. |-|,g ^^g jg j^q|. qugnghed. ^' For every one shall be salted ^ ^ev. 2° 13. with fire, ^ and 'every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. ^zek. 43. 24. ■« Mark ix. 50. 3s gg^jj. s-^^ gQQ(j . jjuj jf t|^g g^lt have lost his saltness, where- *Luke"i4. 34. with will ye season it? 'Have salt in yourselves, and ^coiX'l'^' "have peace one with another. « Rom. 12. is. & 33 Matt.xviii.lO, 33 ,, rn i i i ^i ^ 1 • ^ r ^1 1-^*1 14. 19.2 Cor. 13. to the end "lake hccd that ye despise not one oi these httle n.Heb. 12. 14. 26 Mark ix. 46. ] 16 THE DISPUTING OF THE DISCIPLES. [Part IV. » Ps. 34. 7. Zech. ones ; for I say unto you, That in heaven "their angels do alway.s w Esther^i. 14. "beholcl the face of my Father which is in heaven. ^^ For ""the Son ^""l^ ^q^% ^^ ^^^ is come to save that which was lost. ^^ How ^think ye ? if 19.10. See John a mail have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth 12. 47. ' ' he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and y Luke 15. 4. sccketh that which is gone astray ? ^^ And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that shecj), than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. ^^ Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. *Ecdus.^i9!i3. ^^ " Moreover "if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell Luke 17. 3. him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, ''ip'et%^'^°' "thou hast gained thy brother. ^*^ But if he will not hear thee, then b Deut. 17. 6. & talcc with tlicc ouc Or two more, that in Hhe mouth of two or three 17! 2^cor^°i3". f. witnesses every word may be established. ^^ And if he shall neglect cRo'm^i6~i7 ^^ ^^^*^ them, tell it unto the Church : but if he neglect to hear the icor.'s.g.'aThes. Church, let him be unto thee as "a heathen man and a Publican. 10.' ' "'" ^*^ " Verily I say unto you, ''Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth ''r^u'^on'^oo^^" shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth John 20. 23. i n i i • icor. 5. 4. shall be loosed in heaven. ^•^ Again 'I say unto you, That if two of eMatt. 5. 24. youshall agree Oil earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, ''l^u"^' ^^' ^ ^^^ ^'^^^^ ^^ done for them of my Father which is in heaven. ^° For where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in e See Note 28. jjjg j^J^g^ ^f them." " ^^ Then came Peter to him, and said, " Lord, how oft shall my *'""■■ brother sin against me, and I forgive him ? ^^till seven times ? " V/afk'n'o'' ^^ Jesus saith unto him, " I say not unto thee, Until seven times ; ''but, Col. 3. 13. Until seventy times seven. ^^ Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. ^^ And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, * ^n^lZysuIer, which owcd him ten thousand *talents. -^But forasmuch as he had whkk after Jive j^^t ^q p^y j^jg Jq^^j commanded him 'to be sold, and bis wife, and sluUinrrs the ounce . ' ■' r'ft'^^'^V"'' children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. ^'^The ser- j2 Kings 4. 1. vant therefore fell down, and tworshipped him, saying, 'Lord ! have Neh. 5. 8. patience with me, and I will pay thee all.' -"Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. ^^But the same servant went out, and found one of his \^'ts^tZ'''eigklk fellow-servants, which owed him a hundred tpence : and he laid ^wmh Ifur'fiPe. hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, ' Pay me that shiiim gs the ounce i\\o\x owe9,i\' ^'-^ And his fellow-servant fell down Tat his feet], and IS seven pence luilf , i i • • , tt • • i i T -ii ^i penny,[\ocent!>], bcsought hiui. Saying, ' Have patience with me, and 1 will pay thee [all].' ^'^ And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay tlie debt. ^^ So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. '^~ Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, ' O thou wicked servant ! I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me : ^^ shouldest not thou also have had com- passion on tliy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee ? ' ^^ And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should ■'6!'°i2.^Markn! P^y ^11 that was due unto him. ^^ So ^likewise siiall my heavenly 26. James 2. 13. Father do also unto you, if ye from your liearts forgive not every one his brother [their trespasses]." Matt, xviii. part of rer. 3, 8, and 9. — 3 And said, — 8 " — it, is better for thee fo enter into life halt or maimed, rather than iiaving two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, — with one eye, rather than having- two eyes to be cast into hell fire." JlMatt 18 2 ch Mark ix. part of vcr. 35, 26, 37, ver. 42, and part of vcr. 43, and 47. — 35 And he — 10. 16. 36 And '^he took a child, and set him — 37 " Whosoever shall receive oneof such chil- Sect. I.] THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTY DISCIPLES. 117 drcn in my name, recciveth me : — 42 'And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones ' Matt. 18. 6. that believe in me, it is better for liim that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and " ": '^\ he were cast into the sea. 43 And — " 47 — it is better for thee to enter — . 18.5. Mark 9. Luke ix. part of vcr. 47, 48, and vcr. 49, 50.— 47 — took a child, and set him — 48 And '^ '13 ."20. ^^' ^' said unto them, " Whosoever "'shall receive this child in my name recciveth me : and n Mark 9. 38. whosoever shall receive me receiveth Him that sent me :" — 49 And "John answered and ^<' Numb. 11. said, " Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name ; and we forbad him, because „ g^g jj^jj J2_ he followeth not with us." 50 And Jesus said unto him, " Forbid him not: for he "that 30. ch. 11.23. . „ .> Mark 9. 39. IS not acrainst us is tor us. PART V. FROM THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTY DISCIPLES TO THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY OF CHRIST INTO JERUSALEM, SIX DAYS BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION. SECT. r. V.^. 28. Section I. — The Mission of the Seventy Disciples.^ ^- P- 4741. T 1 -in Galilee. Luke x. l-lb. ^ Aftek these things the Lord appointed other "Seventy'' also, and aSeeNotei. , , ,^ ,^ in • ^ -.11 a [Or, Seventy ot!i- 'sent them two and two beiore his lace into every city and place, ers,or,othersaiso: whither he himself would come. ^ Therefore said he unto them, " The poiS but onJ "harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few : ''pray ye therefore b^s^JT Noira^''^ the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his jMatt. lo. i. harvest. ^ Go your ways : '^behold ! I send you forth as lambs among J'l^l^^^ g 3I, 33 wolves. ^ Carry -'^neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes : and salute no John 4. 35.' man by the Avay. '' And 'into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, ^ l^^^l ^^ [^ ' Peace be to this house! "^ And if the Son of Peace be there, your / 2 Kings 4. 29. peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. '''And Mark 6. 8. ch. 9. ''in the same house remain, 'eating and drinking such things as they \.^^^ jq jg give : for ^ the laborer is worthy of his hire : go not from house to house, a Jiatt. 10. 11. ^And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such ^IP""' }^' ?!' things as are set before you, ^ and *heal the sick that are therein, and icor. 9.'4,&.c. . . . 1 Tim '^ 18 say unto them, 'The kingdom of God is come nigh [unto youL , , „' ' mV.- 1 • 11 y *- J J A-ch. 9. 2. '" But into wliatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go / Matt. 3. 2. & 4. your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, ^^ Even '"the n] ^ ^^' '' ''^^' very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against "' -^f""- 1"- i^. you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is 5i.'&i8. 6. come nigh unto you. ^^ But I say unto you. That "it shall be more "Mark'elVl^' tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. Matt. 11.21. 13 u ^Qg o^j^to thee, Chorazin ! woe unto thee, Bethsaida ! ''for if the J mJu.' n.*'23. mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, whicii have been rSeeCen. 11. 4. done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth 1 tt^ib.^ jer^/ 51! and ashes. ^^ But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at ^t' ^ , „. the judgment, than for you. '^ And 'thou, Capernaum, which art 20. &32. ik '"exalted^ to heaven, 'shall "be thrust down to hell ! ^^ He 'that heareth '.Sg.V."" you heareth me ; and "he that despiseth you despiseth me ; "and he ^°''" ^^- ^• that despiseth me despiseth Him that sent me." rjohn5.23. sect. II. Section H. — Christ goes up to the Feast of rabernacles." Matt. xix. 1, 2.— Mark x. 1.— John vii. 2-10. V- ^- 28- John vii. a-10. 2 ]\fow "the Jews' feast of Tabernacles Avas at hand. ^ His ^' ^' ^''*^' ''brethren therefore said unto him, " Depart hence, and go — into Judsea. that thy disciples also may see tlie works that thou doest. "^ f ''^ ^1°*^^, 41-, 7. •' 711 !• • 1/."^ l^ev. 23. 34 ^ror there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself iMatt.12. 46. seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself mui.'u.' 118 AGITATION AT JERUSALEM. [Part V. 't^"\?-^^; to the world." ^ p^j. ^neither did his brethren believe in"! him. d See Note 4. ~ r_,, _ -\/r i ■ dch.2.4. &8 20. 1 hen Jesus said unto them, "My ''tmie is not yet come: but your /c"' ^5.^19. ^'"^^ ^^ alway ready. '''The 'world cannot hate you ; but me it hateth, /ch. 3. 19. -^because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. '^ Go ye up ^ch.8.30.ver.6. yj^jQ tJ^Jg fgg^gt . J gQ j-jq^ ^p ygj y,^jQ |}-,Jg f^^^^ . Sf^^. ^^ ^^^^ -g ^^^^ yet full come." ^When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. ^° But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. ' And ' Matt. xix. i. ^ih"?" ^°' ^°' ^ ^^ came to pass, ''that when Jesus had finished these sayings, ^ he arose from thence, and ^ he departed from Galilee, and ^ Mark x. i. came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan ; "by the far- ^ Man. xix. i. 4 Mark x 1 ther side of Jordan : and the people resort unto him again: — and, as he wont, he taught them again. Mark x. part ofver. 1. And — cometh into the coasts of Judaea — . SECT. iir. T iJ /i"ii Section III. — Agitation of the Public Mind at Jerusalem concerning Jerusalem. Xylll ii,l. John vii. 11-52. l.ch.ii!%. ^^ Then "the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, "Where is h ch. 9. 16. & 10. he ? " ^^ And Hhere was much murmuring among the people concern- cMatt. 21. 4G. '"g 1^™ • ^o*" "^somc Said, " He is a good man : " others said, " Nay ; e'^iT 3er^4o'^^''' ^^^^ ^^® deceiveth the people." ^^ Howbeit no man spake openly of him dch. 9. 29. & 12. ''for fear of the Jews. e Matt. 13. 51. ^^ Now about thc midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, f 22^ Ac^t's a"?' ^^^ taught. ^^ And 'the Jews marvelled, saying, " How knoweth this * Or, uarning, man ^Icttcrs, haviug iievcr learned?" ^^ Jesus answered them, and ■^28.'&"i2!'49! & ^^^^, " My -'doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me ; ^"^ if ^any man 14. 10,24. ''vvill do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, ^ch.*^8."43. ~ ' " or whether I speak of myself. ^®He 'that speaketh of himself seek- h[0'c,wUhes,ox,de. qx\^ j^^g Qyj^jj glory ; but he that seeketh His glory that sent him, the Sires, or, vs wUl- . oj' _ _o_.'_ ' ing to (/«.— Ed.] same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. ^■' Did ■'not Moses tch. 5. 41. & 8. gjyg y^^ jj^g Law, and yet none of you keepeth the Law ? *Why go jExod. 21.3. ye about to kill me?" ^"The people answered and said, "Thou juhii'i. IT.' 'hast a devil : who goeth about to kill thee ? " ~^ Jesus answered 7c Man. 12. 14. ^"d said unto them, " I have done one work, and ye all marvel. iT'is^'&io'si' ~~ Moses '"therefore gave unto you circumcision ; (not because it is of 39.' & 11.53. ' Moses, "but of the fathers :) and ye on the Sabbath day circumcise a 'lo.'lo.^^'^"'*^ man. --^ If a man on the Sabbath day receive circumcision, *that TOi.ov. 12. -. the Law of Moses should not be broken ; are ye angry at me, be- ^or, witiwut'breaic- causc "I havc made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day ? ^Mos^J^^ ^""' "'^ ^^ Judge ^not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judg- o ch. 5. 8, 9, 16. ment." ^p^o"'2V. 23' cl'. ^^ Then said some of them of Jerusalem, " Is not this he, whom 8. 15. Ji.mes2. 1. they scck to kill? ^'"'But, lo ! he speaketh boldly, and they say 'Miiku.s.Luke nothing unto him; do the rulers know indeed that this is the very \^~' X ail Christ? ^''Howbeit 'we know this man whence he is: but when T see en. o. 14. sch. 5. 43. & 8. Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is." 42. tell 26. tch. .5. 32. & 8. ~^Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, " Ye 'both Rom. 3. 4. know me, and ye know whence I am : and 'I am not come of myself, "55.'' ■ ■ ' but He that sent me 'is true, "whom ye know not ! ^^ But "I know "0^1": Ik ^^' H™- fo*" I ^m from Him, and He hath sent me." ^o Then "they wMi.rk 11.18. soudit to take him : but ^no man laid hands on him, because his hour Luke 19. 47. & '^ , . 20. 19. ver. 19. WaS UOt yCt COUIC. "^■^■f- , „ ^^And^many of thc people believed on him, and said, "When aver 44 ch. 8. ^_,, . , •' , 1 r _ i • i i • 20. Christ cometh, will he do more miracles tJian these which this man ''ch.1!2!&f 30. hath done ? " ^2 rpfie Pharisees Iieard that the people murmured Sect. IV.] CHRIST AND THE ADULTERESS. 119 such things concerning him ; and the Pharisees and the Chief Priests sent officers to take him. =3 Then said Jesus unto them, » Yet "a ^f ^^" ^^" ^^ ^*'- little while am I with you, and then I go unto Him that sent me." ^"^ Ye "shall seek me, and sliall not find me: and where I am, thither ye "2Y°&i3%3'''^" cannot come." ^^ Then said the Jews among themselves, " Whither will he oo that we shall not find him ? will he go unto 'the dispersed ^}^- n- 1^- ^. •Q-Tiri /» J times 1. I. amonff the ^Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? '^^^ W hat manner of iPet. i.i. saying is this that he said, ' Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me : ^^eJ, ^^^^' and where \ nxn, thither ye cannot come?'" dis. 55. i.ch. 6. ^^ In 'the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and /ogift^Vs^ts^^ cried, saying, " If ''any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink ! /Prov. is. 4. is. ^^ He 'that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, -'but of his ch'. 4.'i4. belly shall flow rivers of hving water.'" ^'-^ (But "'this spake he of ^g^'oj "^^^h V*? ' the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive; for the Acts 2. 17, 33,38. Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet 'Y''- ^^- ^^- '^ ^^• ''glorified.) 'i^"!- \8. i5,i8. o / ... ell. i. -21. & 6. '*" Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, 14. "Of a truth this is 'The Prophet." "^i Others said, "This^is The •';;^; ''■ ^~- ^ ^• Christ." But some said, "Shall Christ come 'out of Galilee ? *:ver. 52. di. 1. ■^^ hath 'not the Scripture said, ' That Christ cometh of the seed of ^ pj. 133. n. jpr David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, "where David*" was ?' " Man. a.'s. Luke ^^ So "there was a division among the people because of him. 2 4. Ill II- 1 I'l" t"ani. lb. 1,4. ^^And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid fSeeNotee. hands on him. '^^ Then came the officers to the Chief Priests and "le! fc^fo.'^ia.^' Pharisees; and they said unto them, "Why have ye not brought over. 30. him ? " ^^The officers answered, " Never ^man spake like this man." gciuia.'^a.Acts ^■^ Then answered them the Pharisees, "Are ye also deceived? Qg\^5^°J-^-^°» '^^ have 'any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him ? '*'■* but g see Note 7. this people who knoweth not the Law are cursed." s ^° Nicodemus ^ch. 3. 2. saith unto them (he 'that came *to Jesus by night, being one of sPeut. 1. 17. & them), ^^ " Doth ^our Law judge any man, before it hear him, and J^-s, "fef-fc i9. know what he doeth ? " ^" They answered and said unto him, " Art t is. 9. 1,2. Matt. thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for 'out of Galilee ariseth ver.^ii!'" no prophet." SECT. IV. Section IV. — Conduct of Christ to the Adulteress and her Accusers.^ John vii. 53, mic? viii. 1-11. V.JE.28. [[^"^ And every man went unto his own house : ^ Jesus went unto the -^^ ^ '*~"^^- Mount of Olives. ^ And early in the morning, he came again into f'^'"- the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, hSeeNotes. and taught them. ^ And the Scribes and Pharisees brought [unto him] a woman taken in adultery ; and when they had set her in the midst, ■* they say unto him, " Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. ^ Now "Moses in the Law commanded us, that such "oeui^ii^^. should be stoned : but what saycst thou ? " '^ This they said, tempt- ing him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. "^ So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, " He Hhat is without sin among you, let him Vom!"2.~i.^' first cast a stone at her." ^ And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. ^ And they which heard it, ['being convicted by their own '=rvom.2.22. conscience,] went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even [unto the last:] and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. ^^ When Jesus had lifted up himself, [and saw none but the woman,] he said unto her, " Woman, where are those thine accus- ers ? hath no man condemned thee ?" ^^ She said, " No man, Lord." J 20 CHRIST DECLARES HIMSELF THE SON OF GOD. [Part V. d Lake 9. 56. & 12. ^iid Jgsus Said uiito her, " Neither ''do I condemn thee. Go, and 14, Cll. o. 14 ^ , ^ -' ech. 5. 14. sm no more."]] SECT. V. Section V. — Christ declares himself the Son of God. V. M. 28. John viii. 12-20. J. P. 474L 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, " I "am the Light of erusaj;m. ^j^^ world '} he that foUoweth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall ''3iV.&'9.'l.'& '^'^'^'^ ^^^*^ ^'S'l* of life." i^The Pharisees therefore said unto him, 12. 35, 3ij, 4ti. " Thou ''bearest record of thyself ; thy record is not true," ^^ Jesus ich!5.3L answered and said unto them, "Though I bear record of myself, yet c See ch. 7. 28. & my record is true : for I know whence I came, and whither I go ; but <ich. 7. 24. "^ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. ^^ Ye ''judge after ech. 3. 17. & 12. the flesh ; ""I judge no man. ^*' And yet if I judge, my judgment is /ver. 29. ch. iG. truc : for ^\ am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. ^~It ^Deut 17 G & ^^^ ^^^^ written in your Law, ' That the testimony of two men is true.' "19. 15. Matt. 18. 1^ I am one that bear witness of myself, and ''the Father that sent me Hebrio.^28. ' ' beareth witness of me. " ^^ Then said they unto him, " Where is thy Ach. .5.37 Father?" Jesus answered, "Ye 'neither know me, nor my Father: jch. 14. 7. ■'if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also." ^^ These k Mark 12. 41. words spakc [JesusJ in *the treasury, as he taught in the temple : and m'^cii. 7. s! '^^o m^n laid hands on him ; for "'his hour was not yet come. SECT. VI. Section VL — Christ declares the Manner of his Death. V. E.. 28. John viii. 21, to the end. J. P. 4741. 21 Then said Jesus again unto them, " I go my way, and °ye shall Jerusalem. g^^j, ^^^^ ^^^^ ''shall dic iu your sins : whither I go, ye cannot come." fl ch. 7. 34. & 13. 22 Then said the Jews, "Will he kill himself? because he saith, 33 . . i ver. 24. ' Whither I go, yc caunot come.' " ^-^ And he said unto them, "Ye c ch. 3. 31. ^ ""are from beneath ; I am from above : ''ye are of this world ; I am not iG.'i John" 1 5.' " of this world. ~^I "said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your ever. 21. sius : "^for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." 25 Then said they unto him, " Who art thou ?" And Jesus saith unto them, " Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. ^^I ^svnt'me., &o.— havc many things to say and to judge of you : "but He that sent me A^hV'3-^^ &*i5 ^^ ^""^^ ' ^^^^ 'I speak to the world those things which I have heard of 15- Him." ^ -'^ (They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.) *3.''r4?& i2!'32. ^'^Then said Jesus unto them, "When ye have 'lifted up the Son of jRom. 1. 4. Man, ^then shall ye know that I am He ; and ''that I do nothing of uh.3^u! ' myself, but 'as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things ; ^^and mchJ4. 10, 11. "'He that sent me is with me. "The Fatlier hath not left me alone, o'ch.^. 34. & 5. °^o'' I ^^^ always those things that please Him." .30. & 6. 38. 30 ^g i^Q spake these words, ^many believed on him. ^^ Then said ^42.''&'ii.'45. ' Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, " If ye continue in my *i^T'8^2 jtmes ^oi'd, thcu are ye my disciples indeed ; ^~and ye shall know the truth, 1. 25. &2. 12. and 'the truth shall make you free." "'MM.f.'d^'ver. ^^ They answered him, " We '^be Abraham's seed, and were never ^^' r IP on iJi bondage to any man : how sayest thou, ' Ye shall be made free ?' " S Rom. (). JG, 20. 51 T T SITtTl 2 Pet. 2. 19. -^^ Jesus answcrcd tliem, " Verily, verily, I say unto you. Whosoever tGai. 4. 30. committeth sin is the servant of sin. ^^ And 'the servant abideth not \ il"' "" '' ' in the house for ever : but the Son abideth ever. ^'^ If "the Son "40'' ^" ^^' '""■■ therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. ^"^ I know that ye are Abraham's seed ; but "ye seek to kill me, because my word w ch. 3. 32. & .5. i , , . no X ,« 1 1 I- 1 T I -xl 19, 30. & 14. 10, hath no place m you. ■^'^ I speak that whicli 1 have seen with my iMutt. 3. 9. ver. father ; and ye do that wjiich ye have seen witii your father." ^•^- ^^ They answered and said unto him, " Abraham ""is our father." '"'7. gIii.!.'?" 29. ' Jesus saith unto them, " If ''ye were Abraham's children, ye would Sect VII.] THE SEVENTY RETURN WITH JOY. 121 do the works of Abraham. ^^ But "now ye seek to kill me, a man ^ ^er. 37. that hath told you the truth, "which I have heard of God : this did not '"■^^'■^^^ Abraham. ^^ Ye do the deeds of your father." Then said they to him, " We be not born of fornication ; *we have *i3- 63. 16. &C4. r^ .1 V. 1 j5 8. Mai. 1. 6. one father, even (jocI. ■^^ Jesus said unto them, " If ''God were your Father, ye would love cUoims. 1. me: ''for I proceeded forth and came from God: 'neither came I of <'g='i^if'-27.&i7. myself, but He sent me. '^'■^ Why -^do ye not understand my speech ? e^c'h.^5. 43. & 7. Even because ye cannot hear my word. ''^ Ye ^are of your father the /ch'.?. 17. Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer s-^M-'tt. is. 38. from the beginning, and ''abode not in the truth ; because there is no AJude"6.' truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own : for he is a liar, and the father of it. '^■' And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. '^^' Which of you convinceth me of sin ? and if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me ? '^'' He 'that is of God heareth Jch. 10.20,27. God's words : ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." ^^Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, " Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and ■'hast a devil ? " jch. 7. 20. & lo. '*•' Jesus answered, " I have not a devil ; but I honor my Father, and ~ ' "^"^ ^^' ye do dishonor me. ^^ And *I seek not mine own glory : there is One *<='■• s- 41. & 7. that seeketh and judgeth. ^^ Verily, verily, I say unto you, 'If a man ich.5.24. &. n. keep my saying, he shall never see death." ^^'^ ^~ Then said the Jews unto him, " Now we know that thou hast a devil. '"Abraham is dead, and the prophets ; and thou sayest, ' If a 'Heb.'^ii.^ia; man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death !' ^^ Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead ? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?" ^'^ Jesus answered, " If "I honor myself, my honor is nothing : "it is nch.5.31 my Father that lionoreth me, of whom ye say, that he is your God, "4. Vi7^i.'Alts ^5 yet ^ye have not known Him ; but I know Him ; and if I should /;,/^; gs, 29. say, I know Him not, I shall be a liar like unto you : but I know Him, and keep his saying. ^^ Your father Abraham 'rejoiced to see my 1 Luke lo. 24. day : '"and he saw it, and was glad." '""eb. ii. 13. ^^Then said the Jews unto him, "Thou art not yet fifty years old, i^?ceNoteio. and hast thou seen Abraham ?" Uxvi. ch. 17. Ii ^Mesus said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you. Before Rev^ ls. ^^" Abraham^^ was, T am."' ^'■' Then 'took they up stones to cast at him : i^eeNote ii. but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, ["going through '{^{'/s^"-^^'^^^-'^ the midst of them, and so passed by]. « Luke 4. 30. '"Section VII. — The Seventy return with Joy." sect. vii. Luke x. 17-24. V JE 28 ^^ And "the Seventy returned again with joy, saying, " Lord, even J. P. 4741. the devils are subject unto us through thy name!" "^^And he said Near Jerusalem. unto them, "I ''beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. ^^Be- mSeex^eia. hold ! 'I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and " ^'■'' ^"^^ ^^• over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means jjoUn 2.31. &16. hurt you. 2" Notwithstanding in this rejoice no"t, that the spirits are IsiJJoy-^-^-*" subject unto you ; but rather rejoice, because ''your names are written « i^i'Tk 16. is. in heaven." ,T'1'%\-, p _ ^ a E\od. 32. 33.Ps. ^Un that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, "I thank Thee, ^^•-^•?; t\.-=^- OT-i.iTi^, ** '^ ' ' Dan. I'J. 1. rnil. l-ather, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things 4. 3. ueb. 12. 23. from the ^vise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. i9'!&2i.27. e Matt. 11. 25. John 1. 18. &6. 4-1, 46. * Many anrient copies add these words, And lumm^to his disciples he faid, Dan. 7. 13, 14. JIatt. 11. 27. Sl Ifi. 28. & 28. 18. Phil o Q "^n u k i' ^ Q- fvl- ^ ^-- ^•*- ^ ^^- 3- ^ !'• 2- Acts 2. 36. &, 17. 31. Rom. 14. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 25, 27. Eph. 1. 10, 21. Fhil. 2. 9, 10. Heb. 1.2,.8. &2. 8. 1 Pet. 3. 22. & 4. 5. Rev. 17. 14. VOL. n. 16 K Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy siffht ! ^~*A\\ things *'"*'" are delivered to me of my Father : and ^no man knoweth who the 44, 122 PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN. [Part V. g Matt. 13. 16. h 1 Pet. 1. 10. Son is, but the Father ; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal HimJ' ^"^ And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, " Blessed ^are the eyes which see the things that ye see ! -^ For I tell you, ''that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them ; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." SECT. vm. V. M. 28. J. P. 4741. On a tour. o See Note 14. a Matt. 19. 16. & 22. 35. b Deut. G. 5. c Lev. 19. 18. d Lev. 18. 5. Neh. 9. 29. Ezek. 20. IJ, 13, 21. Horn. 10.5. Section VIII. — Christ directs the Lawyer hoiv he may attain eternal Life. Luke x. 25-28. ^^ And, behold ! a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, " Master, "what shall I do to inherit eternal hfe?" ~^He said unto him, "What is written in the Law? "How readest thou?" 2''' And he answering said, " Thou 'shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and 'thy neighbour as thyself." '^® And He said unto him, " Thou hast answered risfht : this do, and ''thou shalt live." SECT. IX. V. M. 28. J. P. 4741. On a Tour. a ch. 16. 15. p See Note 15. 6Ps. 38. 11. c John 4. 9. • See Matt, 20. 2. Section IX. — The Parable of the good Samaritan. Luke x. 29-37. ^^BuT he, willing to "justify himself, said unto Jesus, " And Pwho is my neighbour?" -^^ And Jesus answering said, "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ^^ And by chance there came down a certain Priest that way : and when he saw him, ''he passed by on the other side. ^~ And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. ^'-^But a certain "^Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was ; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. ^^ And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ^^ And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two *pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, ' Take care of him ; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.' ^'^ Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves ?" ^"^ And he said, " He that showed mercy on him." Then said Jesus unto him, " Go, and do thou likewise." SECT. X. V. M. 28. J. P. 4741. Uncertain, probably on a Tour. & q See Note 16 a John 11. ]. 12. 2, 3. 6 Luke 8. 35. Acts 22. 3. 1 Cor. 7. 32, &c. c Ps. 27. 4. r See Note 17. Section X. — Christ in the House of Martha.^ Luke x. 38, to the end. ^® Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village. And a certain woman named "Martha received him into her house. 3^ And she had a sister called Mary, ''which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. ^^ But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, " Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone ? bid lier therefore that she help me." "^^ And Jesus answered and said unto her, " Martha ! Martha ! thou art careful and troubled about many tilings ; ''- but 'one thing is needful. And Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." •" Sect. XL] CHRIST TEACHES HIS DISCIPLES TO PRAY. 123 Section XI. — Christ teaches his Disciples to pray. sect. xi. Luke xi. 1-13. 1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, j p ^.^^ when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, " Lord, teach us uncertain, to pray, as John also taught his disciples." ^ And he said unto them, P''°''Tour.°" * "When ye pray, say, "[Our] Father [which art in heaven], hallowed — be thy name: thy kingdom come : [thy will be done, as in heaven, "q^";^^;^^^^^ so in earth:] ^give us *day by day our daily bread : "^and forgive us our sins ; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us : and lead us not into temptation ; [but deliver us from evil]." ^ And he said unto them, " Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him. Friend, lend me three loaves ; ^ for a friend of mine tin his journey is come to me, ^^/^' ""^ "-^ *""' and I have nothing to set before him }'' ^ And he from within shall * [This sentence answer and say. Trouble me not : the door is now shut, and my chil- "a Liatedln the dren are with me in bed ; I cannot rise and give thee. ^ I say unto ami' pe'rhapi^b^ you, "Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, ^"nd^Jtes^'it — yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as ed.] he needeth. ^ And ''I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. ^. Markii. al ^°For every one that asketh receiveth ; and he that seeketh findeth ; i.e.i John 3.22" and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. '* If *a son shall ask *'^'^"''-^- bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone ? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent ? ^^ Or if he shall ask an egg, will he toft'er him a scorpion? ^^ If ye then, being evil, t^r.^^/ce. know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him !" c ch.l8.1,&c. d Matt. 7. 7. & 21. !4. es Section XII. — Christ reproaches the Pharisees and Lawyers. sect, xii. Luke xi. .37, to the end. V. M. 28. ^^ And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with J. P. 4741. him : and he went in, and sat down to meat. ^^ And "when the p.obab'iron' a Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before Tour. dinner. ^^ And 'the Lord said unto him, "Now do ye Pharisees ^jiafklTs. make clean the outside of the cup and the platter ; but 'your inward * -^i""- 23. 25. part is full of ravening and wickedness. "^^Ye fools ! did not he that ''^"' ^' ^"' made that which is without make that which is within also? ^^ But '^rather give alms *of such things as ye have ; and, behold I all things '^4%i!^^h!\.xll[ are clean unto you. *^~ But 'woe unto you, Pharisees ! for ye tithe * or, as you are mint and rue and all m.anner of herbs, and pass over judgment and g^jJit. 23. 23. the love of God. These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. ^^^ Woe -^unto you, Pharisees ! for ye love the upper- -^Ma^rk'ill'al 39 most seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. ^^ Woe ^unto you, [Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites !] ''for ye are as graves fH^^^'l^''^^' which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them." ^^ Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, " Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also." '^'^And he said, "Woe unto you also, ye lawyers ! 'for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be * ^^^"- ^- ^• borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fin- gers. ^" Woe ^unto you ! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, ^ M"«-23.29. and your fatliers killed them. '^^ Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers : for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. « Therefore also said the Wisdom of God, *^I will * Matt. 23. 34 send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute : ^o that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation ; 124 CHRIST CAUTIONS AGAINST HYPOCRISY. [Part V. I Gen. 4. 8. m 2 Chron. 24. 20, 21. n Matt. 23. 13. t Ot, forbad. Mark 12. 13. SECT. XIII. V. JE. 28. J. P. 4741. Uncertain, probably on a Tour. a Matt. 16. 6. Mark 8. 15. h Matt. 16. 12. c Matt. 10. 26. Mark 4. 22. ch. 8. 17. d Is. 51.7,8,12,13. Jer. 1. 8. Matt. 10. 28. John 15. 14, 15. * See Matt. 10.29. ePs. 8.C. Matt. 6. 26. &. 10. 31. / Matt. 10. 32. Mark 8. 38. See John 1. 51. 2 Tim. 2. 12. 1 John 2. 23. ^ Matt. 12.31,32. Mark 3. 28. See John 1. 51. 1 Jolin 5. 16. h Matt. 10. 19. Mark 13. 11. ch. 21. 14. ^^ from 'the blood of Abel unto "'the blood of Zacharias, which per- ished between the altar and the temple. Verily, I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. ^'^ Woe "unto you, lawyers ! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge : ye enter not in yourselves, and them that were entering In ye thindered." ^•^ And as he said these things unto them, the Scribes and the Phar- isees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things ; ^^ laying wait for him, and "seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him. Section XIII. — Christ cautions his Disciples against Hypocrisy. Luke xii. 1-12. ^ In "the mean time, when there were gathered together an innu- merable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, " Beware 'ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. -For ''there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed ; neither hid, that shall not be known. ^Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light ; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. "* And "^I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. ^ But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear. Fear Him, which, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell ; yea, I say unto you. Fear Him ! ^ Are not five sparrows sold for two *farthings? and not one of them is forgotten before God ; '' but even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore : 'ye are of more value than many sparrows. ^ " Also ^l say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God ; ^but he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. '^^ And ^whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him ; but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven. ^^ And ''when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say ; ^- for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say." sect. XIV. Section XIV. — Christ refuses to act as Judge. Luke xii. 1.3, 14. ^^And one of the company said unto him, " Master, speak to my ■"""''Tour."" " brother, that he divide the inheritance with me." ^^ And He said unto him, " Man, "who made me a judge or a divider over you ?" V. M. 25. J. P. 4741. Uncertain, a John 18. 36. SECT. XV. V. M. 28. J. P. 4741. Uncertain, probably on a Tour. Section XV. — Christ cautions the Multitude against Worldly-mind edness. Luke xii. 15-34. ^^ And he said unto them, " Take "heed, and beware of covetous- ness ; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." ^^ And he spake a parable unto them, saying, aiTim.6.7,&c. u ^pj-jg ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully ; ^^and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no 1 s 11 9 I'ooii^ where to bestow my fruits ? ^^ And he said, This will I do : 1 EcduT.u.'ig. will pull down my barns, and build greater ; and there will I bestow ja''me8 5^'5^"' all my fruits and my goods ; ^'-^ and I will say to my soul, ''Soul ! thou Sect. XVI.] CHRIST EXHORTS TO WATCHFULNESS, &c. 25 hast much goods laid up for many years : take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 2° But God said unto him, Thou fool ! this night *thy * ^,;/\,!y"i^i soul shall be required of thee : 'then whose shall those things be, l°\f\^\^'^- which thou hast provided ? ^^ So is he that layeth up treasure for James 4.14. himself, "and is not rich toward God."* ^ cPs.sg.e.Jer.n. ^^And he said unto his disciples, "Therefore I say unto you, 'Take ''gg'''"-^^^'".- no thought for your life, what ye shall eat ; neither for the body, what is', 19. Jamea 2! ye shall put on. ^^ The life is more than meat, and tlie body is more ^ jjjj,t g, 25. than raiment. ~^ Consider the ravens ; for they neither sow nor reap ; wiiich neither have storehouse nor barn : and -^God feedeth them, f^'^^ ^s. 41. Ps. How much more are ye better than the fowls ! -^ And which of you with taking thought "'can add to his stature one cubit ? ~^ If ye then g\prr.m prolan^ be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest ? '^'^ Consider the lilies how they grow : they toil not, they spin not. And yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ~^ If then God so clothe the grass, which is to-day in the field, and to-morrow is cast into the oven ; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith ! ^■' And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink ; tneither be ye of ^ mIImIuIiL^c. doubtful mind. ^° For all these things do the nations of the world seek after ; and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 21 But ''rather seek ye the kingdom of God ; and all these things shall ''Matt. 6.33. be added unto you. ^'^Fear not, little flock; for 'it is your Father's 'Matt. n. 25, 26, ffood pleasure to give vou the kingdom. ^^ Sell -'that ye have, and i Matt. 19 21 • 1 tT. • 1 1 11-1 11 ■ Acts 2. 4o. & 4. give alms. rrovide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in 34. the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth ^6!''9.■^■Tfm.''6.■ corrupteth. ^"^ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be ^^• also." Section XVI. — Christ exhorts to Watchfulness, Fidelity, and sect. xvi. Repentance. y ^ 28. Luke xii. 35, to the end, and xiii. 1-9. J- P- 4741. 35 a Lj,^ "your loius bc girded about, and 'your lights burning ; ^^ and prybaMy^'^on a ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will ' ^""'"- return from the wedding ; that when he cometh and knocketh, they a Ephes. e. 14. may open unto him immediately. ^'Blessed 'are those servants, j^j^^'^^ ^^^j- ^^ whom the lord when he cometli shall find watching ! Verily I say c um. 24. 46. unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. '^^ And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants! ^^ And ''this know, tiiat if the good man <z Matt. 24. 43. of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would 2Pet.3. io.' have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through, js!' "^^ Be 'ye therefore ready also : for the Son of Man cometh at an hour %^J""-"^1-1^-,? •' . •' 2.5. 13. Mark 13. vvlien ye think not. 33. ch. 21.34, 36. ''^ Then Peter said Unto him, " Lord, speakest thou this parable iThel's. e. unto us, or even to all ?" ''- And the Lord said, " Who ^then is tliat /v^ftt! 24.^ 45. & faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his 25.21.1 cor. 4 household, to give them their portion of meat in due season ? ^^ Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing ! ''^ Of "a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that »"" ^'^"- ^'^^ ''''■ he hath. '^^ But ''and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth a r.iait. 24. 48. his coming ; and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken ; '^'^ the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will *cut him in sunder, and will appoint him *UM%!tT.''^' VOL. 11. K* 126 CHRIST CURES AN INFIRM WOMAN. [Part V. 'Nui^b^^i-^^so. his portion with the unbelievers. "^"^ And 'that servant which knew John '9. 41. & 15. his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his 22 Acts 17 30 . , . - James 4. 17. ' will, shall bc beaten with many stripes ; '**but ■'he that knew not, and ^irim'i!h. ^^^ commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required ; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. ^''"■^^- 49 c< J k^^ come to send fire on the earth ; and what will I, if it be Mark" To.' 387 already kindled ! ^'^ But 'I have a baptism to bc baptized with ; and ^ Or, pained. j^q^ am I tstraitencd till it be accomplished ! ^^ Suppose '"ye that I roMatt. 10. 34. ^ . , .^' X 11 T»T „1 ver. 49. am comc to give peace on earth ? I tell you. Nay ; but rather "7^43! & 9; S ^^^is^*^"- ^^ For "from henceforth there shall be five in one house 10. 19. ^ divided, three against two, and two against three. ^^ The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father ; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother ; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." P Matt. iG. 2. 54 ^j-j(j 1^(3 gaid also to the people, " When ''ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower ; and so it is. ^^ And when ye sec the south wind blow, ye say. There will be heat ; and it cometh to pass. ^^ Ye hypocrites ! ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth ; but how is it that ye do not discern this time ? ^^ " Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right ? 'mIiu Fal." ^^ When 'thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, ''as thou art r See Ps. 32. 6. in the Way give diligence, that thou mayest be delivered from him ; lest he haul thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. ^^ I tell thee, thou shall not de- ^41^42!^"'' ^^' part thence, till thou hast paid the very last tmite." ^ There were present at that season some that told him of Luke xiii. 1-9. the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ~ And Jesus answering said unto them, " Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suf- fered such things ? ^ I tell you. Nay ; but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. ''Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam *Mauf i8."24. ch. ^^11; and slew them, think ye that they were * sinners above all men ^^- 4- that dwelt in Jerusalem ? ^ I tell you. Nay ; but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." « Is. 5.2. Matt. 21. 6 jjg spakc also this parable : " A "certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard ; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. ^ Then said lie unto the dresser of his vineyard, ' Behold ! these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none : cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?' ^And he answering said unto him, ' Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it ; '-^ and if it bear fruit, loell ; and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.' " SECT. XVII. Section XVII. — Christ cures an infirm Woman in the Synagogue. V. ^.28. Luke xiii. 10-17. J. P. 4741. 10 ^jyjj j,(3 yyras teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. proi.'ahiy ''on' a ^^ Aud, bchold ! thcrc was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity Tour. eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. '~ And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, "Woman! thou art loosed from thine infirmity." '^And "Act89. 17. * "he laid /i/s hands on her; and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. ^'' And the ruler of the synagogue answered with Sect. XIX.] CHRIST RESTORES A BLIND MAN. 127 indignation, because that Jesus had healed oil the Sabbath day, and said unto the people, " There ''are six days in which men ought to JExod. 20. 9. work : in them therefore come and be healed, and 'not on the Sabbath '^^'''"- 1^- lo- day." ^^The Lord then answered him, and said, " Thou hypocrite! 7. & 14.3. "^doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from d ch. 14. 5. the stall, and lead him away to watering ? ^^ And ought not this wo- man, 'being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, (lo ! these eighteen years,) be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day ? " ^^ And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed ; and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. e ch 19. 9. Section XVIII. — Christ begins his Journey towards Jerusalem, to he ^^ct. xvni. present at the Feast of the Dedication. V. K. 28. Luke xiii. 22, cmd 18-21. J. P. 4741. ^ And "He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and jour- ^° jeTiLTJm.^''* neying toward Jerusalem. ^^ Then \said he, " Unto what is the king- a Mntt. 9. 35. dom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? ^'^ It is like a Mark 6^0! 13. 30 grain of mustard-seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden ; ^wlfrk^^'*' '^^' and it grew, and waxed a great tree ; and the fowls of the air lodged in the 'branches of it." s See Note 18. '^^ And again he said, " Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God ? ^^ It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three *measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." * See Matt. 13.33. Section XIX. — Christ restores to Sight a Blind, Man, ivho is sum- sect, xix. moned before the Sanhedrin} V. s:.. 28. John ix. 1-34. J. P. 4741. ' And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his ^^''^^"'■ birth. ^ And his disciples asked him, saying, " Master, "who did sin, 'See Note 19. this man, or his parents, that he was born " blind ? " ^ Jesus answered, " gg^ ^^^^ o^ "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents ; ''but that the works *ch. 11.4. of God should be made manifest in him. ''I 'must work the works cch. 4. 34. & .■;. of Him that sent me, while it is day : the night cometh, when no man ^'li^'ss. &"]7; can work. ^ As long as I am in the world, ''I am the light of the ^• ~ ' ~ d ch. ]. 5 9. & 3. world." ^ When he had thus spoken, 'he spat on the ground, and 19. <&' s! la & made clay of the sj^ittle, and he *anointed the eyes of the blind man eMarkV. 33.&8. with the "clay, ' and said unto him, " Go, wash •'in the pool of Siloam," ^• (which is by interpretation. Sent). °He went his way therefore, and ciJx] ^pon the washed, and came seeing. S.""^"' *'""' '^ The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him '- ^*'<' Note 21. that he was blind, said, " Is not this he that sat and begged ? " ^ Some "C Pee 2 Ki'n"9 5. said, " This is he." Others said, " He is like him." But he said, ^^• " I am Ac." ^^ Therefore said they unto him, " How were thine eyes opened?" ^^ He answered and said, " A ''man that is called Jesus Aver. 6,7. made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, ' Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' And I went and washed, and I received sight." ^^ Then said they unto him, " Where is he ? " He said, " I know not." ^^ They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. ^* And it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. ^^ Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had re- ceived his sight. He said unto them, " He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see." ^^ Therefore said some of the Pharisees, " This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day." Others said, " How 'can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?" «ver. 33. ch 3.2. 128 CHRIST THE TRUE SHEPHERD. [Part V. ■'lo/w.^^''*^' ^ ■'And there was a division among them. ^^They say unto the Wind man again, " What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine kch. 4. 19. & 6. eyes ? " He said " He *is a prophet." ^^ But the Jews did not beheve concerning him, that he had been bUnd, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight. ^'' And they asked them, saying, " Is this your son, who ye say was born blind ? how then doth he now see ? " ^^ His parents answered them and said, " We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind ; ^^ but by what means he now seeth, we know not ; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not : he is of age ; ask him ; he shall speak for himself." ^2 These words spake his parents, ^42&i9"3V~' because 'they feared the Jews. For the Jews had agreed already, that Acts 5. 13. if any man did confess that he was Christ, he '"should be put out of the mver. 34. ch. 1 . gy^agogug^ ^"^ Therefore said his parents, ''He is of age ; ask him.'" -^ Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto Vsani'e^l' ^^^"^' " Grive "God the praise: "we know that this man is a sinner." ver. 16. "^ He auswcrcd and said, " Whether he be a sinner or no, I Rnow not : one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." ^^ Then said they to him again, " What did he to thee ? how opened he thine eyes ? " ^^ He answered them, " I have told you already, and ye did not hear : wherefore would ye hear it again ? will ye also be his dis- ciples ? " ^^ Then they reviled him, and said, " Thou art his disciple ; but we are Moses' disciples ! ^^ We know that God spake unto pch.8. 14 Moses; as /or this /e/Zo?^, ^we know not from whence he is." ^'^ The ?ch 3 10. man answered and said unto them, " Why 'herein is a marvellous '^i2°Vs!'i8. th & thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened ptov^i ts^'fe is' ™i^6 eyes ! -^^ Now we know that '^ God heareth not sinners : but if 29. & 28. 9.13.1. any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him He heareth. &'i4. 12. Ezek! ^'^ Siucc the world began was it not heard that any man opened the z'ech'. 7.'i3. ' " eyes of one that was born blind. ^^ If 'this man were not of God, he s ver. 16. could do uothiug." ^"^They answered and said unto him, "Thou t ver *or',~e'icomimini- 'wast altogether born in sins! and dost thou teach us?" And they c^Ud him. ver. *^^^^ j^Jj-j^ q^^^ a See Mark 1. 1. SECT. XX. Section XX. — Christ declares that He is the true Shepherd. John ix. 35, to the end, and x. 1-21. V JE 28 . J P 4741 ^^ Jesus heard that they had cast him out ; and when he had found Jerusalem. him, hc Said uuto him, " Dost thou believe on "the Son of God ? " ^^ He answered and said, " Who is he. Lord, that I might believe on him ? " ^^ And Jesus said unto him, " Thou hast both seen him, and 6ch.4.26. 'it is he that talketh with thee." ^^ And he said, " Lord, I believe! " cch..'i. 22,27. and he worshipped him. ^^ And Jesus said, " For 'judgment I am i2.%7.'" ' ■ come into this world, ''that they which see not might see ; and that dMM. 13.13. ^j^gy yvhich see might be made blind." ^•^ And some of the Pharisees whicli were with him heard these words, e Rom. 2. 19. ''j^,-,^ g^jj ^^j^q j^j,^^ " Arc wc blind also?" ^^ Jesus said unto them, /ch. 15. 22,24. u If /yg ^ygj.g \)\\yi({^ yg should havc no sin : but now ye say, ' We see ;' therefore your sin remaineth. ^ Verily, verily, I i-ay unto you, John x. 1-21. He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climb- eth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber ; ^ but he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. -^ To him the porter opencth ; and the sheep hear his voice ; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and Icadeth them out. '^ And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them ; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ^ And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers." ''This Sf.ct, XXL] CHRIST ASSERTS HIS DIVIJ^ITY. 129 parable spake Jesus unto them : but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ^ Tlien said Jesus unto them again, " Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the Door of the sheep. ^ All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers : but the sheep did not hear them. ''I ^am the ^2<;h-gi4.6.Ephes. Door : by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. ^'^ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy : I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. ^^ I ''am the good Shepherd : ''']^'j^'}^\^^^' the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. ^-But he that is an ? p "i^'J^^f 5- hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth 4. the wolf coming, and 'leaveth the sheep, and fleeth ; and the wolf '^®''''' "•'*'' ^^• catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. ^^ The hireling fleeth, be- cause he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. ^"^I am the -^ tq ™[^",,^ ^^ good Shepherd, and ^know my sheep, and am known of mine. ^^ As knmc^ the Father. the Father knoweth me, *even so 'know I the Father : '"and I lay r Matt. 11.27. down my life for the sheep. ^^ And "other sheep I have, which are ""f^'J^'J^' not of this fold; them also I must bring; and they shall hear my oEzek.37.22. voice, "and there shall be one fold, aiid one shepherd. ^'' Therefore f pt^fa^'asf* doth my Father love me, ''because I lay down my life, that I might p is. 53. 7, a, 12. take it again. ^® (No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of 5011.2719. myself; I have power to lay it down, and I 'have power to take it '■io'XcJ2'a4 32' again.) This '^commandment have I received of my Father." sch. 7. 43. & 9. ^^ There ^vas a division therefore again among the Jews for these ^^^^ _ ^^^ g sayings. ^^ And many of them said, " He 'hath a devil, and is mad ; 48,52. why hear ye him ?" '-^^ Others said, " These are not the words of him "94.''V&' lie.e. that hath a devil. "Can a devil open the eyes of the blind ?" 33; ^- ^' ''' ^' Section XXI. — Christ publidy asserts his Divinity. sect. xxr. JoirN X. 22-38. V. JE. 28. ^^ And it was at Jerusalem the "feast of the Dedication, and it was J. P. 4741. winter; ~^and Jesus walked in the temple ''in Solomon's porch. Jerusalem. ^'' Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, "How aiMac. 4. 59. long dost thou *make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us * Actss. 11.&5. plainly." ^^ Jesus answered them, " I told vou, and ye believed not. *0'-. A"''' ^ «« tmi iiTi- -rill II- c suspense. Ihe works that 1 do in my J:'ather s name, they bear witness 01 me. ever. as. ch. 3. -^ But ''ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. As I said unto /ci,%%7^ijohn you, ^^ My 'sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow 4.6. me, "^ and I give unto them eternal life ; and '^they shall never perish, /Xg.W. & 17. neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. ~^ My "'Father, i^' ^^- ^ ^^- ^■ which gave them me is greater than all ; and no man is able to pluck 17. '2,6,'&c.' them out of my Father's hand. ""^ I ''and my Father are One." *'=^- ^^- ^^'^^ ^^ Then 'the Jews took up stones again to stone him. ^^ Jesus » ch. s. 59. answered them, " Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me ?" ^^The Jews answered him, saying, " For a good work we stone thee not ; but for blasphemy ; and because that thou, being a man, ■'makest thyself God." ■? <=''• ^- ^^^ ^^ Jesus answered them, " Is *it not written in your Law, I said, ' Ye ^^I'^l^'-i are gods ?' ^^ If He called them gods, 'unto whom the word of God m ch. 6. 27. came, and the Scripture cannot be broken ; -^^ say ye of Him, "gg'^g^; ^8,%^' '"whom the Father hath sanctified, and "sent into the world. Thou och. 5. 17, is. blasphemest ; "because I said, I am ^the Son of God ? •^'''If 'I do not ^"^1'^ jtarki. 1. the works of my Father, believe me not. ^^ But if I do, though ye 1 ch. 15. 24. believe not me, 'believe the works : that ye may know, and believe, ^io,'u'. 'that the Father is in me, and I in Him." sch.n. 10, 11.& VOL. II. 17 130 CHRIST LAMENTS OVER JERUSALEM. [Part V. SECT. XXII. Section XXII. — In consequence of the Opposition of the Jews, Christ V ^£"28 retires beyond Jordan. J. P. 4741. John x. 39, to the end. Bethabara. 39 THEREFORE "tlicy souglit again to take him : but he escaped out of a ch. 7. 30, 44. & their hand, '*** and went away again beyond Jordan, into the place 'where /ch^^i 28 John at first baptized ; and there he abode. ^^ And many resorted cch. 3. 30. unto him, and said, "John did no miracle: '^but all things that John d^h. 8. 30. & 11. spa^i^g Qf tijig ,^a.n were true." "^'^ And ''many believed on him there. SECT, xxiir. Section XXIII. — Christ, leaving the City, laments over Jerusalem J y ^ 28 Luke xiii. 23, to the end. J. P. 4741. ^'^ Then said one unto him, " Lord, "are there few that be saved ?" Near Jerusalem. And he said unto them, — y See Note 22. ^^ " Strive Ho cntcr in at the strait gate ; for "many, I say unto you, a2E3dr. 8. 1,3. ^^\\\ ggg}^ ^q eutcr iu, aiid shall not be able. ^^ When ''once the mas- c See John 7. 34. tcr of the housc is risen up, and 'hath shut to the door, and ye begin ^. Rom.'9*^3u^' to staud without, and to knock at the door, saying, •'^Lord, Lord, open d¥s. 32.6.1s. ,55. uuto US ! and he shall answer and say unto you, °I know you not whence e Matt. 25. 10. 7© are. ^"^ Then shall ye begin to say. We have eaten and drunk in /ch. 6. 46. thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. ^^ But ''he shall say, ^25.^2! ' ' I tell you, I know you not whence ye are ; 'depart from me, all ye '^^^'Ti' Jerk's *" workers of iniquity! ^^ There ^shall be weeping and gnashing of iPs. 6. 8. Matt, tccth, ^whcu ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the j Matt. 8. 12. & prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 13. 42. & 24. 51. 29 ^nd they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. ^^l^^h l^,- ?"•.? ^" And, 'behold ! there are last which shall be first, and there are first 20. 16. Mark 10. " 31. which shall be last." 2^ The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, " Get thee out, and depart hence ; for Herod will kill thee." mHeb. 2. 10. 32 ^nd hc Said unto them, " Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold ! I cast " [Knapp puts an out dcvils, and I do cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day "I ''^o]^"lhcxZurr,' shall be perfected. ^^ Nevertheless I must walk to-day, and to-morrow, and would tran- and thc day following : for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of i\ct often five Jcrusalcm. ^"^ O "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! which killest the prophets, ^oj^rerf, &c.- ^^^^ stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have ^p^'' eb^ls^i's ^i' gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under 7. ban. 9.' 27.' ' her "wiugs ; and ye would not! ^^ Behold ''your house is left unto 5Prii8.26. you [desolate]. And verily I say unto you. Ye shall not see me, until Malku'i^o ch the time come when ye shall say, ^Blessed is he that cometh in the 19.38. John 12: name of the Lord !" sect^xiv. Section XXIV. — Christ dines with a Pharisee — Parable of V. M. 28. ^^6 great Supper. J. P. 4741. Luke xiv. 1-24, Near Jerusalem. 1 ^^^ J^. ^^^^ ^^ p^gg^ ^^ ]^g ^,(,,^j Jj^^^j ^\^q hoUSC of OUC of thc chlcf Pharisees to eat bread on thc Sabbath day, that they watched him. 2 And, behold ! there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. ^ And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, a Matt. 12. 10. saying, " Is "it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day ?" ■* And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go. jExod.23. 5. 5 And answered them, saying, " Which ''of you shall have an ass or an vrh.""'''''' ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sab- bath day ? " ^And they could not answer him again to these things. ■^ And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when lie Sect. XXV.] CHRIST INSTRUCTS HIS DISCIPLES. 131 marked how they chose out the chief rooms ; saying unto them, ^ " When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room ; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him ; ^ and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee. Give this man place ; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. *° But 'when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; « p^ov. 25. 6, 7. that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher. Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. " For "whosoever exalteth himself shall be ^g! 27^Prov. 29! abased ; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." fhM^u^^mfs ^^ Then said he also to him that bade him, " When thou makest a 4.'6. iPet. 5.5. dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours ; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. ^^ But when thou makest a feast, call 'the *To'b.'2.2.&4r7 poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind ; ^"^and thou shalt be blessed ; for they cannot recompense thee ; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." ^^ And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, " Blessed % he that shall eat bread in /i^«^- 1^- ^• the kingdom of God!" i^Then ^said he unto him, "A certain ^M"^"- 22- 2. man made a great supper, and bade many. ^"^ And ''sent his servant ''^rov.9.2,5. at supper-time to say to them that were bidden. Come ; for all things are now ready. ^^ And they all 'with one consent began to make ex- 'fJjJ'Lone^u^ufd cuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I \^^^J;^T^J,^"ll^' must needs go and see it : I pray thee have me excused. ^'-^ And another au began at one,' said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them : I pray iyrJ-ED"!]""""'' thee have me excused, ^o ^y^^ another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come, ^i go that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said. Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. ^3 ^jj^j tj^g |qj.(J g^id unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. ~^ For I say unto you, ^That none of those men which ^ ^^^l^^^cu' it were bidden shall taste of my supper." '^^• Section XXV. — Chris fs Disciples must forsake the World. sect, xxv. Luke xiv. 25, to the end. V. JE. 28. 22 And there went great multitudes with him : and he turned, and J. P. 4741. said unto them, ^g " If "any man come to me, ''and hate not his father, Ona^our. and mother, and wife, and children, and bretinen, and sisters, 'yea, and aDe.it. 13. 6. & i33 9 r^Iatt 10 his own hfe also, he cannot be my disciple. ^^ And '^whosoever doth not 37! ' ^ bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple, ^s For 'which * ||°'"' ^ ^^: of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth a Matt. 16. 24. the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it 1 -^ Lest haply, after he f%^ 2Ti*m.''3'. hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it ^~- begin to mock him, '^^ saying, This man began to build, and was not " ""^ ' able to finish. ^^ Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thou- sand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand ? ^~ Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. ^^ So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. ^^ Salt ■'is ^ytU'l'lo! good : but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned ? ^^It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill : but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear ! " % 132 PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON. [Part V. SECT. xxvr. Section XXVI. — Parables of the Lost Sheep, and of the ■XT "^oo Lost Piece of Silver. V. ^. 28. -^ J P 4741 Luke xv. 1-10. On a Tour. ^ Then "drcw iicar unto Him all the Publicans and sinners for to aMattToTio. ^^ar him. ^ And the Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying, " This 6Actg]i. 3. Gal. man rcceivcth sinners, 'and eateth with them." cMatt. 18. 12. ^ And he spake this parable unto them, saying, '*" What 'man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it ? ^ And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing ; ** and when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them. Rejoice with me, for I </ 1 Pet. 2. 10, 25. have found my sheep ''which was lost. '''I say unto you, that like- ech. 5. 32. y^igQ JQy ghall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, 'more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. *tmnsiated' T^^ ^ " Either, what woman having ten *pieces of silver, if she lose one ^h"" "•Ch'i"*'"' '^ piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek dili- of an ounce, gently till slic find it? ^ And when she hath found it, she calleth her ^ven per'i^e half fricnds aud hcr neighbours together, saying. Rejoice with me, for I and""L'^l^q'u'a"Mo ^avc fouud the piece which I had lost, i" Likewise, I say unto you, the Roman pen- ny, Matt. 18. 28. the Roman pen- thcrc is joy iu the prcscncc of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." SECT^xvii. Section XXYIL— Parable of the Prodigal Son. Y JE 28 Luke xv. 11, to the end. J. P. 4741. ^^ And He said, " A certain man had two sons : ^^ and the younger ona^oui. of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that a Mark 12. 44. fallcth to me. And he divided unto them "his living. ^^ And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riot- ous hving. ^'* And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land ; and he began to be in want. ^^ And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country : and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. ^'^ And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat ; and no man gave unto him. ^" And when he came to himself, he said. How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare ! and I perish with hunger. ^^ I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him. Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee, ^^ and am no more worthy to be called thy son ; make me as one of thy hired servants. ^° And *E f ' "b^ib 17 ^^ arose, and came to his father. But 'when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion ; and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. '-^ And the son said unto him, Father, I have c Vs. 51. 4. sinned against Heaven, '^and in thy sight ; and am no more worthy to be called thy son. ^^ But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him ; and put a ring on iiis hand, and shoes on his feet. ^^ And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it ; and VT&I' Tr''"^" ^^^ "** ^^^' ^"^^ ^^^ merry: "^ for ''this my son was dead, and is alive Rev. 3. J. again ; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 2^ Now his elder son was in the field ; and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. ^^ And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. -^And he said unto him, Thy l)rothcr is come ; and thy father hath killed tiie fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound, ~^ And he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore came his father out, and en- treated him. -^ And he answerhig said to his fatiier, " Lo ! these $ Sect. XXVIII.] PARABLE OF THE UNJUST STEWARD. I33 many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment ; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. ^° But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy hving with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf ! ' ^^ And he said unto him, ' Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. ^^ It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad : 'for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again ; ever. 24. and was lost, and is found I ' " Section XXY III. —Parable of the unjust Steward. sect^vhi. Luke xvi. 1-13. V. IE.. 28. ^And He said also unto his disciples, " There was a certain rich J. P. 4741. man, which had a steward ; and the same was accused unto him that OnaTour. he had wasted his goods. ^ And he called him, and said unto him, ' How is it that I hear this of thee ? give an account of thy steward- ship ; for thou mayest be no longer steward.' ^ Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do, "for my lord taketh away from me "i^e'.^Edo' °'' the stewardship ? I cannot dig ; to beg I am ashamed. "^ I am * The woxARatv^ resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they origrnaUomaiii- may receive me into their houses. ^ So he called every one of his three"qua^t!':°"^ lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, 'How much owest ^eeEzek.45. lo, thou unto my lord ? ' ^ And he said, ' An hundred *measures of oil.' t.^he word hero And he said unto him, ' Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write ZTa!s^re^ \n the fifty.' ^ Then said he to another, ' And how much owest thou ? ' :iif'abo,u"four: And he said, 'An hundred tmeasures of wheat.' And he said unto teen bushels and a pottle. him, 'Take thy bill, and write fourscore.' ^ And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely ; for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than Hhe children of light, j john 12. 36. ^ And I say unto you, ^Make to yourselves friends of the tmammon of f xhe^.^g.^g. unrighteousness ; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlast- c Dan. 4. 27. ing habitations. ^° He ''that is faithful in that which is least is faithful 19? 21. ch.'ii. also in much ; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much, jg^ 19^""' ^' ^^' ^^ If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous *mammon, jor, wcAcs. who will commit to your trust the true riches ? ^- and if ye have not ch.M'. W. been faithful in that wliich is another man's, who shall give you that *or, wc/ws. which is your own ? ^^ No 'servant can serve two masters : for either e Matt. 6. 24. he will hate the one, and love the other ; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." — SECT. XXIX. Section XXIX. — Christ reproves the Pharisees. Luke xvi. 14-17. j p ^-.^j ^"^ And the Pharisees also, "who were covetous, heard all these on a Tour, things ; and they derided Him. ^^ And he said unto them, " Ye are ^ MattTsI u. they which 'justify yourselves before men ; but "God knoweth your * ch. 10. 29. hearts; for ''that which is his^hly esteemed among men is abomination j^^:^'^",,. _ in the si^ht of God. ^^ The 'Law and the Prophets were until John : « Aiatt. 4. 17. & since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man 7/297' " "^ presseth into it. ^'' And •'^it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than ff^-}P- -^' ?^ •iciT /••111 Is. 40. e. & 51. one tittle of the Law to fail. e. Matt. .5. is. 1 Pet. 1. 25. vol.. 11. 134 CHRIST RECEIVES LITTLE CHILDREN. [Part V. SECT. XXX. Section XXX. — Christ ansivers the Question concerning Divorce V. M. 28 and Marriage.^ J- P. 4741. Matt. xix. 3-12.— Mark x. 2-12.— Luke xvi. 18. onaTour. ' The Pliarisecs also came unto Him, tempting him, and ' Matt. xix. 3 z See Note 23. Saying unto him, " Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause ?" ^ And he answered and said unto « Mark x. 3. them, " What did Moses command you ?" ^ And they said, ^ Mark x. 4. '^^^^yt'^-h . " Moses "suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put Matt. 5. 31. & iidAiT 1 1-1 19.7. her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, ^Markx. 5. " For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. ''iM'J.'i/it^' ' Have ye not read, Hhat He which made them at the be- * Matt. xix. 4. ginning " of the creation, 'made them male and female? «Markx. 6. « Gen- 9. 24. 'and Said, ' For * tliis causc shall a man leave father and I ^J""' '""■ ^" Mark 10. 5 9. i i 1 1 i i ■ • c i ^ i Matt. xix. 5. Eph. 5. 31. mother, and shall cleave to his wile ; and "they twain shall di Cor. G. 16. & ^g Q^g ^gg}^_ J 9 Wherefore they are no more twain, but ' ^^^^^- ='''^- ^ one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." c Deut. 24. 1. ch. '« They say unto him, " Why did 'Moses then command to '" Matt. xix. 7. give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away ? " " He " ^^*"- "'"• ^• saith unto them, " Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives ; but from the ■^M-frk u) h" beginning it was not so. '' And ^l say unto you. Whosoever '^ ^^^"' ^"^' ^* Luke 16. 18. shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and ' ' shall marry another, committeth adultery ; and whoso mar- rieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." '^ And in the house his disciples asked him again of the '^ Markx. 10. same matter. '* And he saith unto them, " Whosoever " Mark x. 11. ^19^''"' Luk^e^'ie" "'s'l'ill put away his wife, and marry another, committeth J8. Rom. 7. 3. adultery against her ; '^ and if a woman shall put away her ^* ^^^^^ ^- ^'^• husband, and be married to another, she committeth adul- h Prov. 21. 19. tery " 16 jjjg disciples say unto him, " If Hhe case of the '" Matt. xix. 10. man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry." " But " Matt. xix. 11 i 1 Cor. 7. 2, 7, 9, 17. he said unto them, " All 'men cannot receive this say- ing, save they to whom it is given. ** For there are some '* Matt. xix. 12 eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb ; and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of ^L^9°^5 ''ii^' ^^' "^^u ' ^'"'^ ■'there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." Matt. xix. part of vcr. 4. And he answered and said unto them — . k Matt. 19. 3. Mark x. ver. 2, part of ver. 6, 7, and ver. 8, 9. — 2 *And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, " Is itlawful for a man to put away his wife ?" tempting him. G " But from i Gen. 1. 27. & 5. the beginning — 'God made them male and female. 7 "Tor this cause shall a man mG 2 24 leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife ; — 8 And they twain shall be one 1 Cor. 6. 16. flesh : so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath Ephes. 5. 31. joined together, let not man put asunder." n .Matt. r^. 2S. &. •> ^ ' ' 111. 9. Mark 10. LuKE xvi. ver. 18. " Whosoever "putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, II. 1 Cor. 7. 10, committeth adultery : and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery." SECT. xxxr. Section XXXI. — Christ receives and blesses little Children.^ V 7E~28 Matt. xix. 13-1.'). — Mark x. 13-16. — Luke xviii. 15-17. J. P. 4741. ' Then "were there brought unto Him little children, that ' Matt. xix. 13. OnaTour. Jie should put his hands on tiicm, and pray. "But when ^i.ukexviii.is. aSeeNml24. his disciplcs saw it, tliey rebuked ^ those that brought them. ^ !^'"kx. 13. a Mark 10. 13. " But vvhcn Jcsus saw it, he was much displeased, and •* ^'""^ '^^ i-*- Luke 18. 15. 'called thcin unto him, and 'said unto them, " Suffer the * ^j"^';";'';^'^- little children to come unto me, and forbid them not ; for Sect. XXXIII.] ON FORGIVENESS OF INJURIES. j35 7 Mark X. 15. ^of sucli is the kingdom of God. ^Verily I say unto you, MCor.14. 20. 'Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little c Man. 18.3. s Lukexviii.17. cj^iid^ he shall not enter therein ; * in no wise enter therein." » Mark x. Ki. 9 ^j^ J }jg ^qqJ^ tlicm up in his arms, put his hands upon 10 Mutt. xix. 15. tiiem, and blessed them; '"and departed thence. Matt. xix. part of ver. 13, ver. 14, and part of ver. 15. — 13 — and the disciples re- buked them. 14 But Jesus said, " Suffer httle children, and forbid them not, to come unto me ; for ''of such is the kingdom of heaven." 15 And he laid his hands on them, — . ^ '^''' ^^' ^^• Mark x. part of ver. 13. 'And they brought young children to him, that he should Luke 18. 15.' touch them : and his disciples rebuked — . Luke xviii. part of ver. 15, 16, 17. — 15 /And they brought unto him also infants, that -^^I^^l Ig' 13' he would touch them: — them. 10 But Jesus — said, " Suffer little children to come ,^ ,^ „,> , . g i Cor. 14. 20. unto me, and forbid them not : for ^of such is the kingdom of God. 17 ''Verily I say unto 1 Pet. 2. 2. you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall — ." h Mark 10. 15. Section XXXII. — Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.^ sect, xxxn. Luke xvi. 19, to the end. V. M. 28. ^^ " There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and J- P- 4741. fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. ^° And there was a cer- OnaTour. tain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, ^ ^ce Note 25. ^^ and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table ; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ^~ And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. ^^ And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abra- ham afar oft", and Lazarus in his bosom. ^^ And he cried and said, ' Father Abraham ! have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and "cool my tongue ; for I 'am tor- «^ech. h. 12. mented in this flame.' ^^ But Abraham said, ' Son ! 'remember that Mark '^?a\, &.c. thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus ''ci"''6~'>4'"^' evil things ; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. ^^ And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.' ~^ Then he said, ' I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house ; ^^ for I have five brethren ; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' -^ Abraham saith unto him, ' They ''have Moses and the Prophets ; let them hear them.' du.%.-io. &34. ^° And he said, ' Nay, father Abraham ; but if one went unto them 45! ActT 15! 21! from the dead, they will repent.' ^^ And he said unto him, ' If ^ "' "' they hear not Moses and the Prophets, "neither will they be persuaded «J"h»'2. lo, n. though one rose from the dead.' " Section XXXIII. — On Forgiveness of Injuries. sect, xxxui. Luke xvii. 1-10. V iE ^^ ^ Then said he unto the disciples, " It "is impossible but that offences J. P. 4741. will come ; but woe unto him, through whom they come ! ^It were OnaTour. better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he « ^latt. is. 6, 7. cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 1 co^^iil^ig. ^ Take heed to yourselves ! " If Hhy brother trespass [against thee], 'rebuke him; and if he "'^"•^^•'■'^'2^• repent, forgive him. ^ And if he trespass against thee seven times "prov. n. lo. in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent ; "''""*" ^' ^^' thou shall forgive him." ^And the apostles said unto the Lord, '-Increase our faith." ^And ^ Matt. 17. an. & "the Lord said, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might |^:&i]!'&''' ^' 136 CHRIST HEALS TEN LEPERS. [Part V. say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea ; and it should obey you. ' " But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? ^and will not rather say unto him, Make e ch. 12. 37. ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, "and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken ; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink ? ^ Doth /Job 22. 3. & 35. he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded Matt! 25.' 30. him ? I trow not. ^^ So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all iL35.tc'o"r. 9^ those thiugs which are commanded you, say. We are -^unprofitable 16, 17. Philemon ggj-vants ; wc havc done that which was our duty to do." SECT. XXXIV. Section XXXIV. — Christ journeys towards Jerusalem." V. 2E. 28. Luke ix. 51, to the end, xvii. IL J. P. 4741. ' p^^Q \i came to pass, when the time was come that "He ' Lukeix. 5i. n a — our. gi^Qyjj j^g reccivcd up, he steadfastly set his face to go to c See Note 2G. Jerusalcm. ^ And it came to pass, 'as he went to Jerusa- =* Lukexvii.ii. a Mark 16. 19. , , , , , i i • i r rt ■ i Acta 1.2. lem, that he passed through the midst or feamaria and 6 John 4. 4. Galilee. ^ And [he] sent messengers before his face; and to the lid. ' they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready cJohn4. 4, 9. for him. ^^ And '^ they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. ^* And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, " Lord, wilt thou that we command fire d2 Kings 1.10, to come down from heaven and consume them, even as ''Ehas did ?" [Knappand ^^ But hc tumcd, aud rcbukcd them, and said, " Ye know not what ["inten'ogalLn nianuer of spirit ye are of.^ ^^ For ■'^the Son of Man is not come to o/'^makfn"the dcstroy uicu's hvcs, but to save them." And they went to another sentence read villace. thus," Doyenul ^J^ * i «■• i i • i know what, &.c. •" And it camc to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man /7ohni.5i.&3. said unto him, " Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest." 17 & 12. 47. 58 ^j-|(j Jesus said unto him, " Foxes have holes, and birds of the air ASee John 1.51. havc ucsts ; but ''the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head." i Aiatt. b. 21. 59 ^j^^i ij^g gf^j(j m-,tQ another, " Follow me." But he said, " Lord, sufter 7 11. e. let the . , spiritually dead mc first to go and bury my father." ^^ [Jesus] said unto him, " Let aii7dead.— Ed.'] "'thc dead bury their dead ; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." "^ And another also said, " Lord, *^I will follow thee ; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house." ^"^And Jesus said unto him, " No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." e an it See 20. 1 Kings 19. SECT. XXXV. V, , JE. 28. J. P. 4711. On a Tour. Section XXXV. — Christ heals Ten Lepers.^ Luke xvii. 12-19. d See N^ 27. ^~ And as hc entered into a certain village, there met him ten men aLev. 13. 4G. that weic Icpeis, "which stood afar oft": ^^and they lifted up their id. MaiT. 8. voices, and said, " Jesus, Master, have mercy on us ! " ^'* And when 4 ch.5. 14. j.jg gg^^ them, he said unto them, " Go 'show yourselves unto the e I Griesbach and ' ' ill Knapp point this pricsts." And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. rogUi'v('iv,'"arc ^^ Aud ouc of tlicm, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, ^'"-En-!"]"'"''" and with a loud voice glorified God ; ^^ and fell down on his fiice at his ''ililhops'" Bibi'ir feet, giving him thanks : and he was a Samaritan. ^^ And Jesus an- rt"i6ocV'''''°" swering said, " Were there not ten cleansed ? but where are the nine ? cMatt. 9. 22. '^Thcre "are ''not found that returned to give glory lo God, save this 10^52. ch. 7! 50. stranger." ^^ And 'he said unto him, "Arise, go thy way; thy faith & 8. 48. sc IB. j^^^,^ jj^^jg ^,jgg whole." Sect. XXXVII.] THE TRUE NATURE OF PRAYER. I37 Section XXXVI. — Christ declares the Lowliness of his Kingdom, sect, xxxvi and the Sudden Destruction of Jerusalem. Y ^90 Luke xvii. 20, io the end. j p 4741, ^° And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom On a Tour. of God should come, he answered them and said, " The kingdom of God Cometh not "^with observation; -^neither "shall they say, Lo *ox, with outward here ! or, lo there ! for, behold ! 'the kingdom of God is twithin you." a^Z.^. ^-And he said unto the disciples, " The Mays will come, when ye *Rom. 14. 17. shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and ye shall Joim 1" aef '^'^' not see it. ^^ And ''they shall say to you. See here ! or, see there ! go ''|fe'' /Jh "i ^5/^" not after them, nor follow them. -"^ For 'as the lightning, that light- & 17.12. neth out of the one part under heaven, shinelh unto the other part ^^]axv^'n.'if.\ ch. 21. 8. under heaven ; so shall also the Son of Man be in his day. ~^ But first ■'^must He suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation, see Johnus'i. ^^ And ^as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days oi ^^]lf^- ^^-^ the Son of Man. -"^They did eat, they drank, they married wives, «h. 9. 22. they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ^^i^^i. ark; and the flood came, and destroyed them all. ^^ Likewise ''also /cen^^g" '■^'' as it was in the days of Lot ; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded ; ^^but 'the same day that Lot « Gen. 19. le, 24. went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all : -'"even thus shall it be in the day when -'the Son jSThess. 1.7. of Man is revealed. ^^ In that day, he *which shall be upon the a; Matt. 24. 17 housetop, and his stuff" in the house, let him not come down to take it away : and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. ^-Remember 'Lot's wife ! ^^ Whosoever '"shall seek to save his life shall '^^"- ^^-f- lose it ; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. ^'^I "tell "le.^"'. M'a^rks! you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed ; the one shall joiin 'fo^ol!' be taken, and the other shall be left. ^^Two women shall be grinding "Matt. 24. 40, 41. together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. J^'' [Two »«en j Thirscth verso shall be in the field ; the one shall be taken, and the other left.]" j^osTonhe'" ^^ And they answered and said unto him. " Where, "Lord ? " And Greek copies. he said unto them, " Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles "iMatt. 24. 28. be gathered together." SECT, xxxvri. J. P. 4741. On a Tour. Section XXXVII. — Christ teacheth the true Nature of Prayer. Luke xviii. 1-8. V. JE. 28. ^ And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought "always to pray, and not to faint; -saying, " There was *in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man ; ^and there was %t.uom^.'it%'. a widow in that city ; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of co^^l; 1; '^" mine adversary. '^ And he would not for a while. But afterward he iti>css. 5. n. said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, ^ yet *eS'. "' " "'^"' ''because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her con- Jch. 11. 8. tinual coming she weary me. "^And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. " And 'shall not God avenge his own elect, which 'diicb.'io]%. cry day and night unto Him, though he bear long with them? *I 2Pet. 3. 8, 9. tell you ''that he will avenge them speedily I Nevertheless, when 'the ^ "^^ ° " • Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth ? " - SEC. xxxvrii. Section XXXVIII. — Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. ^ ^- ^^^ T ••• n 1^ J. P. 4741. Luke xviu. 9-14. ^ And he spake this parable unto certain "which trusted in them selves *that they were righteous, and despised others." ^^^ Two men "15 went up into the temple To pray ; the one a Pharisee, and the other a ^^gJufLs.''"^ VOL. II. 18 L* On a Tour, ach. 10. 29.&I6. 138 THE DANGERS OF WEALTH. [Part V, *^■/^?;^ « Publican. " The Pharisee 'stood and prayed thus with himself: 'God, c Is. ]. 15. & 58. _ , ' -^ . . ^ 2.Rev. 3. 17. 1 thauK thee, that 1 am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican. ^^I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. ^^ And the Publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner ! ^^ I tell d Job 22. 29. yoU; This man went down to his house justified rather than the other : i4?ii.^jame3*'4; '^^°'" ^vcry ouc that exalteth himself shall be abased ; and he that e.iPet. 5. 5, 6." humbleth himself shall be exalted." SECT XXXIX. Section XXXIX. — From the Conduct of the young Ruler, Christ V. ^. 28. cautions his Disciples on the dangers of Wealth.^ J. P. 4741. Matt. xix. 16-29.— Mark x. 17-30.— Luke xviii. 18-30. On a Tour. 1 ^^^ 2 whew Hc was gouc forth, into tl)e way, ' behold ! ' Matt. xix. i6. , . ,'',■■ 1111 I • ^ Mark X. 17. e See Note 28. ouc camc, a Certain ruler, running, and kneeled to him, 3 Matt. xix. le. "Luke\o?'25!' ^^^^ askcd him, ®and said unto him, " Good "Master, what ^ Lukexviii.is. good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life ? " ' And J Uau. xix^ie. he said unto him, " Why callest thou me good? there is 7 Matt, xix.17. none good but One, that is, God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." ** He saith unto him, « Matt. xix. is. " Which ? " Jesus said, ' " Thou knowest the command- " Lukexviii.20. *Deut~5. i6.'&c!" ments. '° Thou 'shalt do no murder ; Thou shalt not com- '° "att. xix. is. mit adultery ; Thou shalt not steal ; Thou shalt not bear cMatt. 15.4. false witness ; " Defraud not ; '' Honor 'thy father and thy ^ JJ^^'^^ "j^^^- '^Mat't' o|' 39 mother; and, ''Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Eom.' Kj.g. ■ 13 rpj^g j^^^ .4 answered, and '' saith unto him, " All '' *[^"- """J^- Gal. 5. 14. .'3 ' 1 1 1 T Mark X. 20. James 2. 8. thcsc thiiigs havc I kept from my youth up: what lack 1 15 Matt. xix. 20. yet?" '®Now when Jesus heard these things, he, " be- |J ^"'^•^"•i"-^-^- holding him, loved him, and '^ Jesus said unto him, "* " Yet is mIu. xix.21. *i?2ike"]V~33 & lackest thou one thing : '" if 'thou wilt be perfect, " go thy '« Lukexv.ii.22. 1 Tim. 6. 18, 19. and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, ^^take 22 Matt. six. 21. up the cross, ^^ and follow me." ^* But when the young ^^ '^I"'"'-.^^- Ill • .7fi 1 /■ 1 "7 I => 24 Matt. XIX. 21. man heard that saying, he was very sorrowlul; ' lie went 23 jiatt.xix.22. away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. ^^ And when ^® Lukexviii.23. T ^1x1 r I 1 "9 1 1 J a -^ Matt. xix. 22. Jesus saw that he was very sorrowlul, he looked round 03 Luk^,(viii.24. "^Lukei"'^.' about ; ^" then said Jesus unto his disciples, ^' " Hom' liardly 29 Mark x. 23. shall thev that have riches enter into the kingdom ot God ! 1°. ^I""' '"■^■^• ~ I Mark x. 23. ^jMatt.^1^3.^22. ^-Verily I say unto you. That "a rich man shall hardly 32 Matt. xix. 23. icor. 1.2G. enter into tiie kingdom of heaven." ^^And the disciples ^^ Mark x. 24. ITim. G. 9, JO. • , , ,• 1 T, T .1 • were astonished at his words. But Jesus answeretn again, and saith unto them, " Children, how hard is it for them '52!'7.&'l2.io.'' ''tlia.t trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! 1 Tim. 6.17. '^* And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go ^* Matt. x. 24. through tlie eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." ''When his disciples heard ^ Matt. xix. 25. it, they were exceedingly amazed, ^'and they were aston- ^^ ^iarkx.26. ished out of measure among themselves, '' saying, " Who " i^'att. x.x.25. then can be saved ? " ^^ But Jesus, ^"looking upon them, 39 Ma'k x.'o?'*^" 'j^!"'4?' 2*"jer *" ^elicld thcni, and said unto them, "" " The things which *o Matt, xix.26 32. n.'zoci.. 8! are impossible with men are possible with God. " With ^^„ ^'"''r'."''^« ti Lule 1 37 • 1 /-^ 1 /■ 1 1 • 1 Matt. xix. 26. men this is im])ossil)le ; ^''but not with God: for with 43 Mark x. 27. God all things are possible." '' ^'""- "'''•^s- 'Sis.H.' ''Then 'answered Peter, and said unto him, " Behold ! *^ Matt.xix.27. ADeut.33. 9! *we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall ''^ '^'"'''''•^' Luke 5; n.' we have therefore?" ^« And Jesus answered and '^ said ^^ Matt, x.x.28. Sect. XL.] PARABLE OF THE LABORERS IN THE VINEYARD. 139 unto them, "Verily, I say unto you, Tliat ye which ' . ■ 1 ; J- f 1 il '"C? ' There 13 a (liver- have followed me, in the 'regeneration,' wlicn the teon sity or opinions of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also t.Snf u^ies'- shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of l;;f >;;::; ^.",'^: 4« Matt, xix.29. Israel. '" And "every one, *' verily I say unto you, "' that f^^;^^;^/^-^;; j^^^ 49 Mark X. 29. j |^ forsakeu houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or after n-^s mihe 50 Matt. XIX. ay. , ., , 1 1 r AT ' 1 text. — Ed. 51 Mark X. 09. mother, or wife, or children, or lands, lor my iName s sake fs^eNoteag. 62 Lukexviii.29. 51 ^j^^ ^j^g GospcFs, [and] "' for the kingdom of God's sake, m^Mait.2o.|i^ Z SexviIi.3o: " shall receive an hundredfold and " more, "'" now, '" in this 30! lee^oim 1.' 55 Mark X. 30. present time, "houses, and brethren, and sisters, and al'Rev^'a.'ae. ' a: titrrxfao'"' mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and "^d-;- 33^9- ^ is Matt.xix.29. in the world to come '"shall inherit everlasting hfe." Mari^o'29 30 Matt. xix. part ofver. 26, and 28.— 2G — but — 28 And Jesus — . Luke 18. 29, 30. Mark x. part ofver. 17, ver. 18, part ofver. 19, 20, 21, vcr. 22, part of ver. 23, ver. 25, "H"^^' l^; ^; ^ ],a,rt ofver. 26, 27, ver. 28, part of vcr. 2!), 30.— 17 "And there came one — " Good Master, is. 18. what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" 18 And Jesus said unto him, " Why Mealiest thou me good ? tliere is none good but One, that is, God. 1!) Thou knowest the pHI^^^I^--^^- commandments, 'Do not commit adultery ; Do not kill ; Do not steal ; Do not bear false ^ exo<1.20.12,&c. witness ; — Honor thy father and mother." 20 And he — said unto him, » Master, all these Deat. 5. lG-20. have I observed from my youth." 21 Then Jesus — said unto him, " One ''thing thou ^ ^°'"^ 'g ^g ^g, lackest, — sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and tliou shalt have treasure &. 19.21. in heaven: and come— and follow me." 22 And he was sad at that saying, and If^l^^'if/^t went away grieved: for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus — and saith unto his Acts_2. 45. & 4. disciples, — 25 " It 'is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for jg^ 19! '^ ^""*''* a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." 26 — saying — " Who then can be j Matt.' 19. 24. saved .'" 27 And Jesus — saith, " With «men it is impossible, — with God all things are Luke 18. 25. possible." 28 Then Peter began to say, " Lo, "we have left all, and have followed thee." ^^^^^^^'°jg '^ 2D — said, — " There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, \uke'j8.28.* or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, —30 "But he shall receive an hun- » 2 Chron. 25. 9 dredfold — in this time, — eternal life. ^ "jj^ ^g ^'^ Luke xv'm. part ofver. 18, vcr. 19, part of ver. 20,ver.21,partofver.22, 22, 24, ver. 25, Murk io. 17. 2i),partofver. 27, ver. 28, and part of ver. 29, 30.-18 "And — asked him, saying, " Good ^ Exod.^20. ^2,^^ Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life ? " 19 And Jesus said unto him, " Why .iq'. Rom.' iV. 9. callest thou me good? none is good, save One, that i.^, God." 20 — ^Do not commit Eph. 6. 2. Col. 3. adultery ; Do not kill ; Do not steal ; Do not bear false witness ; Honor thy father and thy mother. 21 And he said, " All these have I kept from my youth up." 22 — said unto him. — " sell ^all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt 1/ .Matt. 6. 19, 90. have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me." 23 And when he heard this, — for 1 Tiiii. 6. 19. he was very rich. 24 — said, '• how ^hardly shall they that have riches enter into the zProv. 11.28. kingdom of God ! 25 "For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for ^|^*j: J^'||" a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." 26 And they that heard it said, " Who ^ j^i^^^ jg -2^^ then can be saved ?" 27 And he said, —28 ''Then Peter said, " Lo ! we have left all, and Mark 10. 25. followed thee." 29 And he said unto them, " Verily I say unto you, 'There is no man 6Matt. 19. 27. that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, — 30 Who shall not re- ceive manifold — and in the world to come life everlasting." Section XL. — Parable of the Laborers in the Vineijard. sect. xl. Matt. xix. 30, and xx. 1-16. — Mark x. 31. Y JE 2xi 30 a guT "many that are first shall be last ; and the last shall be first, j. p. 4741. ^ For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, On a Tour. ■which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard, ach. 20.16. &21. -And when he had agreed with the laborers for *a penny a day, he 3}; Luke''i3! so! sent them into his vineyard. ^ And he went out about the third hour, * nie Roman pm- 1 !• • 11 • 1 1 1 J 1 • 1 ■ ny is the eighth and saw others standing idle in the market-place, ^ and said unto pan of an ounce, them ; ' Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will ^iuiung'slp-.ii] give you.' And they went their way. -^ Again he went out about the ^"""haifyenny"' sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. ''And about the eleventh [i^s cents] ,ch.i8. hour he went out, and found others standing [idle], and saith unto them, ' Why stand ye here all the day idle ? ' " They say unto him, ' Because no man hath hired us.' He saith unto them, ' Go ye also into the vineyard ; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.' 140 CHRIST AGAIN PREDICTS Ills SUFFERINGS. [Part V. ^ So when even was come, the lord of tlie vineyard saith unto his steward, ' Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.' ^ And when they came that ivere hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. ^° But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more ; and they likewise received every man a penny. ^^ And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, ^^ say- ^■^mThouroni^. ^^g' ' Thcsc last thavc wrought hut one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the cDe^t.^i's^g. ^^y-' ^^33ut he answered one of them, and said, ' Friend, I do thee Prov. 23. 6. ch. no wroug : didst not thou agree with me for a penny ? ^"^ Take that <zch. 19.30. thine is, and go thy way. I will give unto this last, even as unto e ci). 22. 14. thee : ^^ is 'it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own ? gsee Note 30. cj^ ^j^j^^^ ^^^ ^^jj^ bccausc I am good ? ' 16 go d^Yve last shall be first, 2o.i6.^Luke'it and the first last. ^For many be called, but few chosen." s 30 " Mark x. 31. But Anany that are first shall be last; and the last first. SECT. xLi. Section XLI. — Christ is informed of the Sickness of Lazarus.^ V. JE. 28. JoH-v xi. 1-16. J. P. 4741. 1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the On aTour. ^^^^^ ^^ "Mary and her sister Martha. - (It *was that Mary which h See Note 31. auointcd thc Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, 4Mau.26.7^'^^ whosc brother Lazarus was sick.) -^Therefore his sisters sent unto rn^'a ^^' ^' '^^' ^^™' saying, '• Lord, behold ! he whom thou lovest is sick." '• When c ch. 9. 3. ver. 40. Jgsus heard that, he said, " This sickness is not unto death, "but for See Mark 1. 1. ^j^g glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." ^ Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. ^ When he <ich. 16. 40. j^g^jj heard therefore that he was sick, ''he abode two days still in the same place where he was. "^ Then after that saith he to his disciples, " Let us go into Judasa again." ^ His disciples say unto him, " Mas- e ch. 10. 31. ^gj.^ <^j^|-ig Jews of latc sought to stone thee ; and goest thou thither again? " ^ Jesus answered, " Are there not twelve hours in the day ? /ch. 9. 4. /[f g^jjy jy^g^n walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the ^ch. 12.35. jjgjj^ ^£ ^j^jg world ; i°but °if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him." ^^ These things said he : and after *Dan°i2'"2^^"^^' that hc saith unto them, "Our friend Lazarus ''slecpeth ; but I go, Matt. 9. 24. that I may awake him out of sleep." ^-Then said his disciples, 1 cor."i5.'i8,5i. "Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well." ^^Howbeit Jesus spake of his death ; but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. ^''Then said Jesus unto them plainly, " Lazarus is dead ; ^^and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may — believe; nevertheless let us go unto him." ^''Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow-disciples, " Let us also go, that we may die with him." SECT. XLii. Section XLIL — Christ again predicts his Sufferings and Death} y ^ 09 Matt. xx. 17-19. — ^Mark x. 32-JM. — Luke xviii. 31-34. J. P. 4742. ' And they were in the way "going up to Jerusalem ; ' Mark x. 32 On aTour. 2 j^j-, J Jesus, 'then Hook wito him the Twelve, and said ' J'^'|||,;^i^: .'J• iSeeNole32. unto them, "Behold! we go up to Jerusalem, and all smIu^^o^Ji k. things 'that are written by the Prophets concerning ''the 17.UV &'2o. Vt. Son of Man shall be accomplished." 'And Jesus went ^ •^'•'^k .x. 32. cPs.'aa. is. 53. before them ; and they were amazed ; and as they followed, u See John 1. 51. they wcrc afraid. And he took again the twelve ^ disci- « J,'"";^'^'!^'^' pies apart in the way, " and began to tell them what things 7 M„tt. xx. 17. should happen unto him, ' and' said unto them, ' " Behold ! " -^'«"-^^- ^^- Skct. XLIil.] AMBITION OF THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE. 141 'we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be be- ^sefjohn'hsi. 9 Mark X. 33. f Taygfj [and] " delivered unto the Chief Priests, and unto the Scribes ; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall w Matt. .XX. 19. jjgiiyg,. jjjjj^ tQ i\iQ Gentiles, '° to mock, and to scourge, and " Lukexviii.32. iQ crucify him: " for ^he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, J'^}''"-~J-~-,. J . , ' Mark 15. 1, l(i, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted &c. Luke 23. 1. i« Lukexviii.33. Qjj . '^ and they shall scourge him, and put him to death ; Actss. 13. ' 13 Lukexviii.34. and the third day he shall rise again." " And ^they "L^llke^^'s^k 9. understood none of these things; and this saying was hid ^^j^^"^" ^-^ from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. Matt. xx. part of ver. 17, 18, 19. — 17 — going up to Jerusalem, took the Twelve — 18 — unto the Chiet" Priests and unto the Scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19 ''and shall deliver him to the Gentiles — and the third day he shall rise airain." ^ "^'i- 27. 2. Mark 1.5. 1, If), &c. Mark x. jnirt of tcr. 31?, and vcr. 34. — 33 saying, " Behold ! we go up to Jerusalem, T.uke 23. 1. and Hhe Son of Man shall be — 34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, Actg 3*^13^' *'*^' and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him; and the tliird day he shall rise again." j ggc John l. 51. Luke xviii. part of ver. 31. — he — . Section XLUL— Ambition of the So7is of Zebedee. sect^uii. Matt. xx. 20-28.— AIark x. 35-45. V. JE. 29. 1 Matt. XX. 20. ' Then came to Him the mother of "Zebedee's children, J- P- 4742. 2 Mark X. 35. yyj^}^ j^gj. SOUS, " Jamcs and John, the sons of Zebedee, Bethany!^" 3Matt. XX. 20. ^worshipping him, and desiring a certain tiling of him; m tt~7"2i 4 Mark X. 35. ^ saying, '"Master! w^e would that thou shouldest do for us sMarkx. 3(;. whatsocvcr we shall desire." ^And he said unto them, c Mark X.37. a What would yc that I should do for you ? " ' They said unto him, " Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory." 7 Matt. XX. 21. 7 gj^g saith unto him, " Grant that these my two sons ''may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on * '^'*"- ^^- ^• 8 Matt. XX. 22. tjjg igft^ i,^ tijy kingdom." ^ But Jesus answered and 9M,rkx. 3^ 9 said unto them, "Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with JO Mark X. 31). tlic baptism that I am baptized with ? " '" And they say unto him, " We can." And Jesus said unto them, " Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of, and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be bap- 11 Mark X. -10. tizcd ; " but to sit on my rigiit hand and on my left hand is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom ^ ^^,^^^ .^^ ^^ 13 Mn'rk x"'4f^ '*" ^^ Prepared '"of my Father." '^ And 'when the ten d Luke 22. 25. heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and * Matt*(f 26'^28 14 Matt. XX.24, John ; '^ and they were moved with indignation against the M^irkg. 3.5.' 15 Mark X. 42. two brethren. '"But Jesus called ihem to him, and saith /john 13. 14. unto them, " Ye ''know that they which *are accounted to ^!"\~'Z\- 1 % /-< •! -Ill- £• Luke 22. 27. rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and "^ee John 1.51. le Mark X. 43. tijgir gi-gat ones exercise authority upon them. "^ But "so *Dan^9.^ 241^26. shall it not be among you, but w^hosoever will be great joh"n^'5^'^52. 17 Mark X. 44. among you, shall be your minister; '^and whosoever of T^''SH%t IS Mark X.45. you will bc the chicfcst, shall be servant of all : '® for -^even l ibr the °'Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, 'but to 'o^e.^ok^Rom! t minister, and 'to give his life a ransom for many." .^^'■^^:.^^^'^/J^' *-■ J ^'"- ~"' "^"i ''^" Matt. xx. part of ver. 2] , 22, 23, 24, vcr. 2.5, 26, 27, and 28.— 21 And he said unto her, ''^'•■"[k H- 3n. " What wilt thou.'"— 22 — said, '• Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of j'oilif if.' n'.' .'the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with *the baptism that! am baptized with .'" k Luke 12. 50. They say unto him, " We are able." 23 And he saith unto them, '• Ye 'shall drink in- ' Acts 12. 2. Rom. deed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with ; but, to sit on i. Re'v^l. 9.'' my right hand, and on my left, is not mine "to give, but it shall be given to them for 7n ch. 25. 34. 142 TWO BLIND MEN HEALED AT JERICHO. [Part V. n Mark 10. 41. _ whom it is prepared — 24 — "when the ten heard it, — 25 But Jesus called them unto kirn, l"pet^5 3^' ^^' ^^^ ^"^'*^' " ^*^ know that the princes of the Gentiles e.xercise dominion over them, and p ch. 23. 11." ^^^'^y '^'i^t are great exercise authority upon them. 26 But "it shall not he so among Mark 9. 35. &. you ; but ^whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister ; 27 'and who- 10. 43. q ch. 18. 4. r See Notes f, g, h,i. SECT. XLIV. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jericlio. k See Note 33. a Matt. 20. 29. Mark 10. 4G. b Rlatt. 9. i-Z Luke 17. 19. * Or, saved thee. c Luke 5. 26. Acts 4. 21. & 11. 18. d Matt. 20. 30. soever will be chief among you, let him be your servant : 28 ""even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Mark x.part ofver. 35, and 38. — 25 And — come unto him, — 38 But Jesus — . Section XLIV. — Two Blind Men healed at Jericho.^ Matt. xx. 29, to the end. — Mark x. 46, to the end. — Luke xviii. 35, to the end. ' And "it came to pass, that as He was come nigh unto ' Lukexviii.35. Jericho, ^ as he went out of Jericho with his disciples, ^a ^ Mark x. 46. great multitude followed him. * And, behold ! two blind 4 Matt! xx. 30! men sitting by the way side, — ''a certain blind man, "blind Bartiinceus, the son of TimjEus, ' sat by the way side, beg- ging ; ® and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it » Lukexviii.36. meant. ^ And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth ^ Lukexviii.37. by. '" When they heard that Jesus passed by, " and when „ Mark ."47^" he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, '^ and he cried, saying, "Jesus, thou Son of David, '^ ^"'"''^^"'•^s- have mercy on me 5 Lukexviii.35. 6 Mark x. 46. ' Lukexviii.35. I '3 of David ! " buked him, have mercy on us, O Lord, thoii Son \^, ^'""•^■''•30. 11-1 1 /■ 1* Matt. XX. 31. And the multitude, ' which went before, re- is Lukexviii.39. •^ rebuked them, because they should hold their '* Matt. xx. 31. peace : '' and many charged him "^ that he should hold his is Lukex^viii.39. ^ peace ; but he cried so much the more, '^ but they cried ^^ Matt. xx. 31. the more, ^"a great deal, ^^ saying, "Have mercy on us, 21 jj^„ ^'/gj O Lord, thou Son of David ! ^'^ thou Son of David, have 22 Lukexviii.39. mercy on me ! " " And '' Jesus stood still, and called ^' ^"''•'^^'j^'gj them, °^ and commanded him '"^ to be called, [and] "' to be 25 Lukexviii.40! brought unto him. "* And they call the blind man, saying ^'^ Mark x. 49. unto him, " Be of good comfort, rise ; he calleth thee." 23 Mark\ "49 ^''And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus ; 29 Mark x. 50. ^^ and when he was come near, he asked him, ^' saying, ^° ^"'"'''''!!.''J?' " What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?" And he said, ^^ " Lord ! that our eyes may be opened : ^^ Lord ! that 1 ^° ^att. xx. 33. .,%,„. ^i T II • '''■* Lukexvni.41' may receive my sight. bo Jesus had compassion on 34 Matt. xx. 34. them, and touched their eyes : ^^ And Jesus said unto him, ^^ Luke.xviii.42. " Receive thy sight ; thy 'faith hath saved thee. '' Go thy ** ^ark x. 52. way, thy faith hath *made thee whole." " And immedi- ''' L"kexviii.43. ately he received his sight, and followed him ^** in the way, '^'^ -^^"''' ''• ^~' '^ their eyes received sight, and they followed him, '"' glori- ^^ ^att. xx. 34. J o ' J . ~ 40 Lukexviii.43. fying '^God ; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God. Matt. xx. part ofver. 29, 30, 32, Z2,and 34.-29 And as they departed from Jericho, — 30 — cried out, saying, — 32 And — and said, -What will ye that I shall do unto you?" 33 They say unto him, — 34 — and immediately — . Mark x. j'^rt ofver. 4G, 47, 48, 49, ver. 51, and part of ver. 52. — 46 And they came to Jericho : and — and a great number of people, — sat by the highway side, begging. 47 — and say, " Jesus, '^thou Son of David, have mercy on me !" 48 — that he should hold his peace; but he cried the more — " Tliou Son of David have mercy on me !" 49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him — 51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, " What wilt thou that I should do unto thee .'" The blind man said unto liim, " Lord ! that I might receive my siglit." 52 And Jesus said unto him, — And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus — . Luke xviii. beginning of ver. 39, and part of ver. 40. — 39 And they — 40 — Jesus stood — . Sect. XLV.] CONVERSION OF ZACCHiEUS. I43 Section XLV. — Conversion of Zacchaus, and the Parable of the sect, xlv. Pounds. V. JE. 29. Luke xix. 1-28. J. P. 4742. ^ And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. ~ And, behold ! Jericho. there teas a man named Zaccha^us, which was the chief among the Pubhcans, and he was rich. ^And he sought to see Jesus who he was ; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. '^ And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him : for he was to pass that way. ^ And wlicn Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, '• Zaccha^us, make haste, and come down ; for to-day I must abide at thy house." ^ And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. ^ And when they saw it, they all nmrmured, saying, "^ That "he was gone to be a^Mau. 9. 11. ch. guest with a man that is a sinner." ^ And Zacchoeus stood, and said unto the Lord ; " Behold ! Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor ; and if I have taken any thing from any man by ''false accusa- *ch. 3. 14. tion, 1 restore him fourfold." ^ And Jesus said unto him, "This day ''firm.l'.k is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as ''he also is *a son ^^ f^^"^^' }~\f ^o Abraham ; ^^ for •'^the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that le. Gai. 3. 7.' which was lost." /aLlis!'!!. ^^ And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, I*'" M^tt. lo^e. because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because "they thought that John 1.51! the kingdom of God should immediately appear. ^~ He ''said there- | j'^|;|j ^.^'j^ fore, Ma'^k"l3?31.' " A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. ^'^ And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten *pounds, and said unto them, ' Occupy till I come.' ^^ But *,S«p«L!rf!i3' Miis citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, ' We will twelve ounces ' , ic * • ' J r>7 and a halt; not have this man to reign over us. ^° And it came to pass, that when «i'icii according he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded the ounce is'"^' these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the tmoney, shlm.fjl.'and s]^° that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. K^^" t'''"'"' ^^Then came the first, saying, 'Lord, thy pound hath gained ten tJohni.ii. pounds.' ^''' And he said unto him, ' Well, thou good servant ! because ^o'Cer^'asT' ^"^ thou hast been 'faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten i^'att.as.ai.cb. , ]6. 10. cities.' ^^ And the second came, saying, ' Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.' ^^ And he said likewise to him, ' Be thou also over five cities.' ^° And another came, saying, ' Lord, behold ! here is thy pound, which T have kept laid up in a napkin. ~^ For 'I feared ^•''^''"•^s-a^. thee, because thou art an austere man : thou takest up tliat tliou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.' ^~ And he saith unto him, ' Out 'of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant ! ' Jo^^s.' l\ 'jf^tt. thou "knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not ^-■^~- 7?i Matt 25 2G down, and reaping that I did not sow ? ~^ wherefore tlien gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have re- quired mine own with usury ? ' -^ And he said unto them that stood by, ' Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds,' "liad^'si^df&.l''."'' 2^' (And "they said unto him, ' Lord, he hath ten pounds.') ^g Yov I l;/-^'^^ '^^ ^^at say unto vou, "That unto every one which hath siiall be given ; and "^'p'"' .^"'^ "^^ 11111111 1 f suggestions ot from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from bystanders did him. -^ But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign — ed!]^^ over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." "05.^29. Mark4*' 2^ And when he had thus spoken, ^'he went before, ascending up to 25. 8. is. T , P -^tark 10. 33. Jerusalem. ^ J 44 THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS. [Part V. SECT. XLVi. Section XLVI. — The Resurrection of Lazarus} y ^ 29 John xi. 17-4G. J. P. 4742. ^^Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave Bethany. four days already. ^^ Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about J See Note 34. *fifteen furlougs off; ^^and many of the Jews came to Martha and *Z^miiM' "'"""' Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. ~^ Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him ; but Mary sat still in the house. ^^ Then said Martha unto Jesus, " Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died ! ^~ But I know, ach. 9.31. tj^at even now, "whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee." ^^ Jesus saith unto her, " Thy brother shall rise again." ^i'on^^^' ''*■''''■ ^"^ Martha saith unto him, " I ''know that he shall rise a^ain in the res- cch.5. 21. & G. urrection at the last day." -^ Jesus said unto her, "I am "the Res- d ch. i'. 4, & 6. urrection and the ''Life: 'he that believeth in me, though he were dead, f^-*',^^-,^^'- yet shall he live: ^^'and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall S, 4. J John 1. 1, •' 2. &5. 11. never die. Believest thou this?" ^^ She saith unto him, "Yea, *5!'io,'&c. "'" Lord : •'^I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which /Matt.ifi. le.ch. should come into the world !" 4. 4ti. &. b. 14 69. See Mark i! ~^ And wheu shc had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, " The Master is come, and calleth for thee." ^^ As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. ^^ (Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place irver. 19. where Martha met him.) ^^ The ^Jews then, which were with her in the house and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, " She goeth unto the grave to weep there." ^^ Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, " Lord, '^if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died ! " ^^ When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weep- '^himslif '''''"*'^'^ ing which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and twas troubled, ^^and said, "Where have ye laid him?" They said unto him, iLuko 19. 11. u Lord, come and see." ^^ Jesus 'wept. ^^ Then said the Jews, " Be- hold how he loved him ! " ^^ And some of them said, " Could not '=''-9-^- this man, ^ which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died ? " ^'^ Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. -^^ Jesus said, " Take ye away the stone." Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, " Lord, by this time he stinketh ; for he hath been dead four days." '"'Jesus saith unto her, " Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest A:ver.4,23. belicvc, thou shouldcst 'scc the glory of God?" ^^ Then they took away the stone from the place [where the dead was laid]. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, " Father ! I thank thee that Thou hast ich. 12. 30. heard me. ''- And I knew that Thou hearest me always ; but 'because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent me." ^^ And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, " Lazarus, come forth I " '*'' And he that was dead came VI ch. 20. 7. forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes, and "'his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, " Loose him, and let him go." "^^'fe'i^^'if is' ^^ Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, "and had seen the things which [Jesus] did, believed on him. ^'^ But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. h ver. 21. Sect LII.] CHRIST IS ANOINTED BY MARY. 145 Section XLVII. — The Sanhedrin assemble to deliberate concerning the sect^lvii Resurrection of Lazarus. V. R. 29. John xi. 47, 48. J- ?• 4742. ''^ Then "gathered the Chief Priests and the Pharisees a council, J"^'""- and said, " What Mo we ? for this man doeth many miracles. ^^ If ''^^^■l-^{J^''l\_ we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him; and the Romans i. Luke 22. 2. shall come and take away both our place and nation." " ^t\t ^^- ^^^ m Sec Note 35. Section XLVIII. — Caiaphas prophesies. sect, xlviii. John xi. 49-52. y j£ 29. ^^ And one of them, named "Caiaphas, being the high priest that j. p. 4742. same year, said unto them, " Ye know nothing at all, ^°nor ''consider Jerusalem. that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and a Luke 3. 2. ch. that the whole nation perish not." ^^ (And this spake he not of him- e?' ^^' ^"'' ^' self ; but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should * '^'i- 1^- 14. die for that nation ;" and "not for that nation only, ''but that also he " T,! 49. e.^ john should eather together in one the children of God that were scattered f-,~- „ _ P o ^ ch. 10. 16. abroad.) Ephes. 2. 14-17. Section XLIX. — The Sanhedrin resolve to put Christ to Death. sect, xlix. John xi. 53. V. JE. 29. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put J- P- 4742. Him to death. '''""Jl""- SECT. L. Section L. — Christ retires to Ephraim, or Ephrata. John xi. 54. V.^. 29. Jesus "therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but went •^- ^ 4742. thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called p^™- ''Ephraim ; and there continued with his disciples. nch. 4. 1, 3. & 6See2Chron. 13. ■ ~ ' 19. SECT. LI. Section LI. — State of the public Mind at Jerusalem, immediately pre- ceding the last Passover, at which Christ attended. John xi. 55, to the end. ' • ^' . J P 4742 ^■' And "the Jews' Passover was nigh at hand ; and many went out jeruaaiem. of the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify them- — selves. ^^ Then ''sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, "l & 6. 4.' as they stood in the temple, " What think ye, that he will not come to the feast? " ^'^Now both the Chief Priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where He were, he should show it, that they might take him. h ch. 11. 7. Section LII. — Christ comes to Bethany, where he is anointed by sect. lii. Mary." — V jE 29 Matt, xxvi. (3-13. — Mark xiv. 3-9. — John xii. 1-11. , p .^.^ 1 joiui xii. 1 1 Then Jesus, si.x days before the Passover, came to Beth- Bethany. any, "where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he ^ ggg ^^ 3- s Mark xiv. 3. raised from the dead. *And ''being in Bethany, in the a John 11.1,43. 3 John xii. 2. j^^^^gg ^f gjj^^j^ ^j^g jgpgj.^ 3 t|^gj.g .^j^gy j^^jg j^jj^ ^ supper, l^Zut^l' ^' 4 Mark xiv. 3. and Martha served ; but Lazarus was one of them that sat 6 John xii. 3. at the table with him, " as he sat at meat. 'Then took ^oimVhb^^'^^ 7 Matt.xxvi.7. "^Mary, "having an alabaster box of ointment of *spikenard, *^Y7dnard' » John xii. 3. very P precious, — ''of very precious ointment, — *a pound ps'eeNote38. VOL. II. 19 M ♦See Matt 18. 28 146 CHRIST PREPARES TO ENTER JERUSALEM. [Part V, of ointment of spikenard, very costly, — " and she brake the ' '^'"'' -'^'''- ^■ box, and poured it on his head, '° as he sat at meat, " and '" Matt, xxvi.7. anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair ; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. *^ But when his disciples saw it, " there were some that \l ^^""- ^^^^'S- had indignation w^ithin themselves, and said, " Why Avas this waste of the ointment made ? " For it might have been '* ^^"^^ "''' ^' sold for more than three hundred *pence, and have been given to the poor." And they murmured against her : — •'To what purpose is this waste?" '« Then saith one of 1^ J^;"-^';^;- ^- his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, '^" Why was not this ointment sold for three " Jo'i" ■'^''- s- hundred pence, and given to the poor?" '^This he said, '^ J°''" ■^''- 6- not that he cared for the poor ; but because he was a thief, eJohn]3.29. and 'had the bag, and bare what was put therein. '^ And '^ Markxiv. e. Jesus said, " Let her alone ; why trouble ye her ? she hath ■^mIu'M'u' wrought a good work on me, 'Tor-^ye have the poor '" '^'"'"^ ■^'^- 7- John 12. 8. with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good ; but me ye have not always. ^' She hath done what ^' ^^'""'^ ''"'• ^^ she could ; *'^ let her alone : against the day of my burying ^° ^°''" ""• ^• hath she kept this. " For in that she hath poured this '' Matt.xxvi.12, ointment on my body, she did it for my burial ; "^ she is ^* *''"''' "'^^ ®' come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. "" Verily " ' "' ' ^"'" I say unto you. Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her." -® Much peo- ""^ ■'°''" '"'• ^• pie of the Jews therefore knew that he was there ; and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might ALuk" 16. 31'. see Lazarus also, 'whom he had raised from the dead. ijohn 11. 45. & 27 gy^ /,jj^g Chief Priests consulted that they might put "'' Joh"^"- 'o- jMkrki4. 3. Lazarus also to death ; ^^ because 'that by reason of him ^'^ John xii. 11. {2^2}^' ^' ^' ^ many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus. d' t 15 1] Matt. xxvi. ver. 6, part of ver. 7, 8, arid ver. 9, 10, 11, a?id 13. — 6 -/Now when Jesus Mark 14. 7. was in ^Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7, there came unto him a woman John 12. 8. having an alabaster box — and poured it on his head, — 8 — they had indignation, saying, & 28. 20. Johii — 9 " For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor." 10 When 13. 33. & 14. 19. Jesus understood it, he said unto them, " Why trouble ye the woman ? for she hath wrought 27_ ll\ ' ' a good work upon me. 11 'For ye have the poor always with you ; but ""me ye liave not n Mark 14. 9. always. 13 "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the Deut. 15. 11. whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of Malt. 18. 20. & , „ ' ' ' 26. 11. & 28. 20. her. 13^^33 ^& h'^O Mark xiv. part of ver. 3. — there came a woman — . & 16. 5, 28. & John xii. part of ver. 7, and ver. 8.-7 Then said Jesus, — 8 " For "the poor always ye have with you ; but me ye have not always." SECT. Lm. Section LIIL — Christ prepares to enter Jerusalem. TTgn Matt. xxi. 1-7.— Mark xi. 1-7.— Luke xix. 29-35.— Joh.\ xii. 12-18. J. P. 4742. ' And it came to pass, ^ on the next day, ' when they j J^'jJ'^i'i^'j J' On the way to drcw uigh uuto Jerusalcm, and were come * (when He was s Matt. xxi. i. Jerusalem. f.Q,-,-jg^ ^-^\„\^ ^q Bcthphagc and Bethany, at the mount called ' ^uko xix. 29. the Mount of Olives, '" much people that were come to the feast, when tliey heard that Jesus was coming to Jeru.salem, * took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, aPs. 118.25,26. and cricd, " "Hosanna ! Blessed is the King of Israel, that cometh in the name of the Lord ! " ' Then sent Jesus '' Matt. xxi. 1 ' forth two of his disciples, 'and saith unto them, " Go your ' ^J"\'' ""']■]■ ' . , 9 Mark xi. 2. way into the village over against you ; and as soon as ye 5 John xii. 12. •j John xii. 13. Sect. LIII.] CHRIST APPROACHES JERUSALEM. 147 10 Mati. xxi. 2. i^g entered into it, '" straightway ye shall find an ass tied, 12 Mltt.^xxi. 2. and " a colt tied 'Svith her, '^whereon yet never man sat: 13 jLukexix. 30. loose him, and bring him hither '^ unto me. '* And if any i5Muu xxiis! ''^^^^ ^^y aught unto you, '"Why do ye loose him? thus IS Luke xix. 31. shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him ; 17 Markxi.3. "and straightway he will send him hither." '* All this was Matt. XXI. 4. ^Qj^g^ ^Y^^^ j^ j^jgi^t be fulfilled, which was spoken by the 19 John xii. 14. prophet, saying, '" as it is 'written, — 4Zeci..9.9. 20 John xii. 15. ^^ " Fcar not, daughter of Sion :i ** 21 Mutt. xxi. 5. ^' Tell 'ye the daughter of Sion, 'zech^g.^g. Behold ! thy King cometh unto thee, Meek, and sitting upon an ass, And a colt the foal of an ass." 22 John xii. 16. 22 These things "understood not his disciples at the first ; ''Lukei8.34. "but when Jesus was glorified, -^then remembered they that «Jo'">7. 39. . . /John 14. 26. these things were written of him, and that they had done 23 Matt. xxi. 6. these things unto him.'" "'^And the disciples "Uhat were r See Note 4o. 24 Luive XIX. 32. ^ went their way, ^^ and did as Jesus commanded them, 2o Matt. XXI. 6. , 1 1 97 111-1 I 26 Mark xi. 4. ^^ aud fouud thc colt cvcn as he had said unto them, 27 Luke xix. 32. 28 j-jg^j |-,y ^]-jg floor wiihout, in a place where two ways 28 Mark xi 4. . . 29 Luke xix. 33. »iet ; aud they loose him. ^^ And as they were loosing the 30 Mark xi. 5. colt, ^^ Certain of them that stood there, ^' the owners 32 Mark xK^' thereof, '' Said unto them, "What do ye, loosing the 33 Mark xi. 6. colt?" ^^ And they said unto them, ^^ " The Lord hath 34 Luke xix. 34. ^ged of him :" ^* even as Jesus had commanded : and they 36 Mark xi. 7! let them go. ^" And they brought " the ass and the colt 37 Matt. xxi. 7. ^s to Jcsus : ^aud they cast their garments upon the colt, ^ ^ '^'"^^ ^' " 39 ^,"^^ xi'^V^^ ^^^ ^^^®y ^®* Jesus thereon ; ^^ and he sat upon him. 40 John xii. 17. ^° The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, 41 John xii. 18. bare record. *' For ''this cause the people also met him ;'' J°*'° ^2- "• for that they heard that he had done this miracle. Matt. xxi. part ofver. 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. — 1 And — to Bethphage unto Hhe Mount of «Zech. 14. 4. Olives, — two disciples, 2 saying unto them, " Go into the village over against you, and — a colt — loose tliem, and bring them — 3 — ye shall say, " The Lord hath need of them ; and straightway he will send them." 6 — went, — 7 and brought — and .'put on j 2 Kings 9. 13. them their clothes, and they set him thereon. Mark xi. part ofver. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7. — 1 And *when they came nigh to Jerusalem, t Matt. 21. 1. unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sendeth — 2 — ye shall find a John 12. 14.' colt tied, whereon never man sat ; loose him, and bring him. 3 And if any man say un- to you, Why do ye this ? say ye that the Lord hath need of him ; — 4 And they went their way, — 5 And — 7 — the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him ; — . Luke xix. part ofver. 29, 30, 31 , 32, 33, 34, and 35. — 29 — he sent two of his disciples, 30 saying, " Go ye into the village over against t/om; in the which, at your entering, ye shall find — 31 And if any man ask you, — 32 And they — and found — 33 — said unto them, " Why loose ye the colt .'" 34 And they said, — 35 And they brought him — . ^ m^'"°21^7^"'* John xn. part of ver. 14, and 15. — 14 'And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat Mark 11.7. thereon ; — 15 — behold ! thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt." ^"''^ ^^' ^' 148 CHRIST APPROACHES JERUSALEM. [Part VI. PART VI. FROM CHRIST'S TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM, TO HIS APPREHENSION— SUNDAY, THE FIFTH DAY BEFORE THE LAST PASSOVER. SECT. I. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. On the road to Jerusalem. a See Note 1. a See Lev. 23. 40. ] Miic. 13. 51, &c. 2 Mac. 10. 7. John 12. 13. b Va. 118. 25, 26. & 148. 1. Matt. 23. 39. Mark 11. 9. Luke 13. 35. b See Note 2. c Luke 2. 14. Ephea. 2. 14. c See Note 3. d Hab. 2. 11. e John 11. 47,48. /Matt. 21. 8. ^Ps. 118.26. SECT. II. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Near Jerusalem. a John 11. 35. b Is. 29. 3, 4. Jer. 6. 3, 0. ch. 21. 20. c 1 Kin§s 9. 7, 8. Mic. 3. 12. d Matt. 24. 2. Mark 13. 2. ch. 21.6. e Dan. 9. 24. ch. 1.68,78. 1 Pet. 2. 12. 19. Matt. xxi. 8. Luke xix. 36. Mutt. xxi. 8. Luko xix. 37 Matt xxi. 9. Luke xix. 37 Section I. — The People meet Christ ivith Hosannas — Christ approaches Jerusalem.^ Matt. xxi. 8, 9. — Mark xi. 8-10. — Luke xix. 36-40. — John xii, ' And ^ as they went ^ a very great multitude spread their ' garments in the way ; "others cut down branches from the 3 trees, and strewed thevi in the way. ^ And when he was 4 come nigh, even now at the descent of the Mount of Ohves, the whole multitude of the disciples, * and the ° multitudes that went before, and that followed, ^ began to " rejoice, and praise God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works that they had seen ; [and] ' cried, saying, " Hosanna Ho the Son of David ! — Hosanna in the'' highest ! ^ Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord ! "peace in heaven, and glory in the highest ! * Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord ! '^Hosanna in the highest ! " "^ And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, "Master, rebuke thy disciples." '' And he answered and said unto them, " I tell you, that, if these should hold their peace, ''the stones would immediately cry out." '" The '^ •'°'>" "■'• '^ Pharisees therefore said among themselves, " Perceive "ye how ye prevail nothing ? behold ! the world is gone after him." Matt. xxi. part of ver. 9. — Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord ; — . Mark xi. ver. 8, 9. — 8 ■''And many spread tlieir garments in the way ; and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And they that went be- fore, and they that followed, cried, saying, " ^Hosanna ! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord !'" IjVkf. x\x. j)art of ver. "iO), and 38. — 36 And — they spread their clothes in the way. 38 saying, — . 7 Matt. xxi. 9 8 Luke xix. 38. 9 Mark xi. 10. 10 Luke xi.x. 39. 11 Luke xix. 43 Section IL — Christ's Lamentation over Jerusalem, and the Prophecy of its Destruction. Luke xix. 41-44. '^^ And when He was come near, he beheld the city, and "wept over it, ^^ saying, " If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! but now they are hid from thine eyes. '^ For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall ''cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, ^'^ and ""shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee ; and "^they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another ; 'because thou knewest not the time of thy visit- ation." Sect. V.] THE BATH COL IS HEARD. X49 Section III. — Christ, on entering the City, casts the Buyers and sect. iii. Sellers out of the Temple.'^ V ^ 29 Matt. xxi. 10-13. — Mark be. part ofver. 11. — Luke xix. 45, 46. J. P. 4742. iMarkxi.ii. ' And Jcsus entered into Jcrusalem, and into the tem- Jerusalem. 13. ' ' pie. ^ And wlien he was come into Jerusalem, all the city dSceNote4. was moved, saying, " Who is this ?" ^^ And the multitude said, " This "i^keV^'if * is Jesus the "prophet of Nazareth of Gahlee." ^~ And Jesus went into Joimc. h. &.? 40. &L 9 IT the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in j is. so. 7. Jer. 7 the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the \\\ Luk^ Jg; 4^ seats of them that sold doves, ^^and said unto them, " It is written, — ' My 'house shall be called the house of prayer ; But ye have made it a den of thieves.' " cMatt.21. 12. Luke xix. ver. 45, 4G. — 45 And "^he went into the temple, and began to cast out them i^ni^li^ii^' that sold therein, and them that bought; 4(5 saying unto them, " It ''is written, 'My dls.56.1. house is the house of prayer ; but 'ye have made it a den of thieves.' " e Jer. 7. 11. Section IV. — Christ heals the Side in the Temple, and reproves the sect, iv. Chief Priests. V. JE. 29. Matt. xxi. 14-16. J. p. 4742. ^* And the blind and the lame came to liim in the temple, and he Jerusalem. healed them. ^^ And when the Chief Priests and Scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, " Hosanna to the Son of David ! " they were sore dis- pleased, ^^and said unto him, " Hearest thou what these say?" And Jesus saith unto them, " Yea ; have ye never read, — ' Out "of the mouth of babes and sucklinss a Ps. 8. 2. Thou hast perfected praise ?' " sect. v. == V. JE. 29. Section V. — Some Greeks at Jerusalem desire to see Christ^ — The ^- ^- '^'^^^• Bath Col is heard. erusa^em. John xii. 20-43. « See Note 5. ^° And there "were certain Greeks among them 'that came up to ii Kings 8.» 41, worship at the feast. ^^ The same came therefore to Philip, ^vhich ^^Jj; ^'^^l^' ^~' was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, " Sir, we would dseech. 1.51.& see Jesus." ^"-Philip cometh and telleth Andrew ; and again Andrew eTcfr! ts! se!' and Philip tell Jesus. -"^ And Jesus answered them, saying, " The /M'\tt;io. 39. & ''hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified. ^^ Verily, 35! Luke''9.''24! verily, I say unto you, 'Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground th ^i4^^3 & 17 and die, it abideth alone ; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. ^4. 1 Thess. a. ~^He •'^that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in a Matt. 20. 38, 39. this world shall keep it unto life eternal. ^^ If any man serve me, let \t'ii^' ^'^' *'''' him follow me ; and ^where I am, there shall also my servant be : if i^uko22. 53. any man serve me, him will my Father honor. j jiltt. 3 17 ^"^ " Now 'is my soul troubled ; and what shall I say ? Father, save fsee Notee. me from this hour ? 'But for this cause came I unto this hour. ; Ma',"i.^% ^® Father, glorify thy name ! " ■'Then came there a Voice %om heaven, Luke 10. 18. ch. • 14 30 & 16 11 saying, " I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." ^^ The Acts 26. 18.' people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: Eph!'^2. 2. & 6. others said, "An angel spake to him." ^^ Jesus answered and said, ^~\ , ,. . » " Ihis * Voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. ^^Now ^s. is the judgment of this world : now shall 'the prince of this world be "He'i,'!'2.^9.^^ cast out; 3- and I, '"if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw "all "^h. 18.32. men unto me." ^^ This °he said, signifying what death he should die. ^& no.^.^i's.^g: ^'^ The people answered him, " We ^have heard out of the Law that Eztk^37^25. Christ abideth for ever; and how sayest thou, 'The '^Son of Man f/ sV^ilc 1 7' must be lifted up ?' Who is this Son of Man ? " ^^ Then Jesus said ^see ch. \%i ' VOL. II. *M 150 r ch. 1. 9. & 8.12 & 9. 5. ver. 40. s Jer. 13. lU. Eph. 5. 8. tch. 11. 10. 1 John 2. 11. u Luke IG. 8. Eph. 5. 8. 1 Thess. 5. 5. lJohn2. 9-11. V ch 8. 59. & 11. 54. Wis. 53 1. Rom. 10. IG. X Is. 6. 9, 10. Matt. 13. 14. y In Jewish met- aphysics the heurt was a seat of intellect. —Ed. z Is. G. 1. a ch. 7. 13. & 9. 22. b ch. 5. 44. THE BARREN FIG TREE CURSED. [Pakt VI. SECT. VI. V. M. 2D. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. a Mark 9. 37. 1 Pet. 1. -21. b ch. 14. 9. c ver. 35, 36. ch.3. 19. & 8. 12. & 9. 5,39. d ch. 5. 45. & 8. 15, 26. e ch. 3. 17. /Luke 10. 16. g Deut. 18. 19. Mark IG. IG. h ch. 8. 38. &. 14. 10. i Deut. 18. 18. SECT. VII. V. M. 29. J. P. 4742. Beth my. a John 11. 18. SECT. VIII. V. M. 20. J. P. 4742. On the road to Jerusalem from Bethany. g See Note 7. *Gr. one Jig tree. unto them, " Yet a little while '"is the light with you. "Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you ; for 'he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. ^'^ While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be "the children of light." These things spake Jesus, and departed, and Mid hide himself from them. ^^ But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him ; ^s that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, — " Lord, ""who hath believed our report ! And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed !" 2^ Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, — '^''"He "^hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart ; That they should not see with their eyes, Nor understand with their ^heart. And be converted, and I should heal them." '*^ These "^things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. ^- Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him ; but "because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue ; '^'^ for Hhey loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Section VL — Christ declares the Object of his Mission. John xii. 44, to the end. ^^ Jesus cried and said, "He "that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on Him that sent me ; "^^and 'he that seeth me seeth Him that sent me. ^"^ I "am come a Light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. "^^ And if any man hear my words, and believe not, "^I judge him not ; for T came not to judge the world, but to save the world. ^^ He -^that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him : "'the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. '^^ For ''I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, He gave me a commandment, 'what I should say, and what I should speak. ^" And I know that his commandment is life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." Section VH. — Christ leaves Jerusalem in the Evening, and goes to Bethany. Matt. xxi. 17. — Mark xi. part of ver. 11. ' And when He had looked round about upon all things, > Mark xi. ii. and now the eventide was come, "he left them, and went ' Matt. xxi. n. out of the city into "Bethany: ' unto Bethany, with the =* ^I'^'k xi. n. Twelve, ■* and he lodged there. Matt. xxi. beginning of ver. 17. And — . Mark xi. part of ver. 11. — he went out — . * Matt. xxi. 17. Section VHL — Monday — Fourth Day before the Passover- entering Jerusalem, again curses the barren Fig tree.s Matt. xxi. 18, 19.— Mark xi. 12-14. ' Now, ^ on the morrow, ' in the morning, * when they were come from Bethany, * as he returned into the city, he hungered. "And when he saw *a fig tree in the way, ■^ afar off, having leaves, ' he came to it, " if haply he might find any thing tliercon. And when he caine to it, '" and - Christ, Matt. xxi. 18. Mark xi. 12. Matt. xxi. 18. Mark xi. 12. Matt. xxi. 18. Matt. xxi. 19. Mark xi. 13. Sect. XIL] THE FIG TREE IS NOW WITHERED. 15X 8 Matt.xxi. 19. found nothing thereon, but leaves only ; " for the time of 10 Matt.x'xi 19. %^ ^^'^^ "^^"^ y^^ ' '" Jgsus auswcrcd and said unto it, " No nsee Notes. 11 Mark xi. 13. man eat fruit of thee hereafter! " "and [he] said unto it, 12 Mark xi. 11. uj^Q^ p() f,.^it grow ou theo henceforward for ever!" 14 Markx'^i^H. " And his disciples heard it. '^ And presently the fig tree 15 Matt. xxi. 19. withered away. Mark xi. part of ver. 12, 13, and 14. — 12 And — he was hungry: 13 And seeing a fig tree — he came, — he found nothing but leaves ; — 14 And — for ever — . SKCT. IX. Section IX. — Christ again casts the Buyers and Sellers out of the v ^ 29 Temple.'' ^ J. p. 4742. Mark xi. 15-17. " Jerusalem. ^^ And "they come to Jerusalem : and [Jesus] went into the tem- i see Note 9. pie, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, '^x^^^eY^'A^' and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of •'"''n-^.i^. them that sold doves ; ^^ and would not sutler that any man should * ot, 1 'house of carry «ny vessel through the temple. ^^ And he taught, saying unto I'Zls/"'' °" them, " Is it not written, — c Jer.-. ii. Matt. 21. 12, 13. ' My ^house shall be called *of all nations the house of prayer ? ^"''^ 19.45,46. But ''ye have made it a den of thieves.' " — =^^^^====^= SECT. X. Section X. — The Scribes and Chief Priests seeJc to destroy Jesus. V. iE. 29. Mark xi. 18.— Luke xix. 47, 48. ^1 ^- "^J"^^- IT! • .~ . . TT , ., . Jerusalem. sMarkxr'is'' ^^^ ^^ taught daily in the temple. 'And "the — 3 Luke xix. 47. Scribcs and Chief Priests, ^and the chief of the people, "joKig.'^&l." 4 Mark xi. 18. 4 j^eaj-fj {f^ ^iid sought how they might destroy him : '" and ^^l^.^^^ ^ ^ 6 Markxris^ could uot find what they might do ; " for they feared him, Ma'rkL'2-2.' because 'all the people were astonished at his doctrine, 32"'*'~' 1 Luke xix. 48. ' [and] *were very attentive to hear him. \°^' l^!^^^ {^ hvKE xix. part of vcr. 47, and 48. — 47 — But the Chief Priests and the Scribes — sought to destroy him, — . 48 — for all the people — . SECT. XI. Section XI. — Christ retires in the Evening from the City. ^ '^oq Mark xi. 19. j p ^-.^2 And when even was come, He went out of the city. Probabiy •' Bethany, Section XII. — Tuesday — Third Day hefore the Passover — The Fiir '' , . -77 "^ SECT. XII. tree is now withered. — Matt. xxi. 20-22.— Mark xi. 20-26. ^ iE.^29. 1 Mark xi. 20. ' And "iu thc morniiig, as they passed by, they saw the ontheroadTo 2 Matt. xxi. 20. fipr trcc dricd up from the roots. ^ And when the disciples Jerusalem from •j\ 11 1 • TT • ^ r- Belliauy. saw it, they marvelled, saymg, " How soon is the fig tree — 3 Mark xi. 21. ^vithcrcd away ! " ' And Peter, calling to remembrance, " '^'""- "'• "• saith unto him, " Master, behold, the fig tree which thou 4 Mark xi. ^. cursedst is withered away ! " '' And Jesus answering saith ^ r^ ^ .. 5 Mark xi. 23. uuto them, " *Have faith in God. " For ''verily I say unto famofGod. 6 Matt. xxi. 21. you, ^ [that] *if ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not ^Luke'iT'e^"' 7 Mark xi. 23. Quly do tliis ?rA?VA w donc to the fig tree, but also "that l^Zs^l't whosoever shall say unto this mountain,"* Be thou removed, k see Note lo. and be thou cast into the sea ; and shall not doubt in his "L^k" n! I'. heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith ^9''!! l^\l^\f 8 Matt xxi 21 1 II ~ !'"'■ '•'*■ •"'• '^^' 9 Mark xi. 23.' ^"^1' comc to pass ; ®it shall be done, ^ he shall have Avhat- 5'"j;?'//^,'j,„^ w Matt. xxi. ^. soever he saith. "" And 'all things, whatsoever ye shall ask 22. & 5.14.° 152 d Matt. 6. 14. Col. 3. 13. e Matt. 18. 35. CHRIST ANSWERS THE CHH2F PRIESTS. [Part VL in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. "Therefore I say " '^^""''^ "'• 2^- unto you. What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. '■^ And '^ Mark xi. 25 when ye stand praying, ''forgive, if ye have aught against any : that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. '^But 'if ye do not forgive, neither '^ Mark xi. 26. will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." Matt, xxi.partofver. 21. Jesus answered and said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, — if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea ; — . SECT. xni. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. a Matt. 21. 23. Mark 11. 28. Acts 4. 7. J Matt. 14.5. Luke 7. 29. Section XIII. — Christ ansivers the Chief Priests, who inquire con- cerning the Authority by which he acted — Parables of the Vineyard and Marriage Feast. Matt. xxi. 23, to the end, and x.xii. 1-14. — Mark xi. 27, to the end, and xii. 1-12. Luke xx. 1-19. ^ And it came to pass, that on one of those days, " they ' Luke xx. i. come again to Jerusalem. ^ And when He was come into l f,""^""':^!' ^ 3 ]\Iatt. XXI. 23. the temple, * as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the Gospel, the Chief Priests and the Scribes *and the elders of the people came unto him, as he was teaching, " and as he was walking in the temple, '^ and spake unto him, saying, " Tell us "by what authority doest thou these things ? or who is he that gave thee this autho- rity ® to do these things ?" ^ And Jesus answered and said unto them, '° " I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. " The baptism of John, whence was it ? '~ was it from heaven, or of men ? answer me." '^ And they reasoned 13 Mark s with themselves, saying, " If we shall say. From heaven ; he will say '* unto us. Why did ye not then believe him ? " '^^''"- ''^'- ^• '^ But if we shall say. Of men ; we fear the people ; ''^ all the '^ Matt, xxi.26. people will stone us ; ''for they be persuaded that John was "^ ^^^^ ^''" ^' a prophet." " (They feared the people ; for all 4 Luke XX. 1. 5 Matt. xxi. 23. 6 Mark xi. 27. 7 Luke XX. 2. 8 Mark xi. 28. 9 Mark xi. 29. 10 Matt. xxi. 24 11 Matt. xxi. 25. 12 Mark xi. 30. 31. men '7 Mark xi. 32. cEcclus. 19. 21. counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.) "* And they '* Mark xi.33. answered and said unto Jesus, " We cannot tell '" whence '^ Lukexx. 7. it ivas." "° And Jesus answering saith unto them, " Neither ^'^ Mark xi.33. do I tell you by what authority I do these things. "'^ " But what think ye ? A certain man had two sons ; "' ^^*"- '='''• 28. and he came to the first, and said, ' Son, go work to-day in my vineyard.' "' He 'answered and said, ' I will not :' " i\'att. xxi.29. but afterward he repented, and went. ^^ And he came to °^ Matt. xxi. so. the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, ' I go. Sir :' and went not. '' Whether of them twain did '* ^'»"- ''^'•=^^- the will of his father ?" They say unto him, " The first." d Luke 7. 29, 50. Jesus saith unto them, "Verily ''I say unto you, that the Publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. ^' For 'John came unto you in the way of ''^ Matt. xxi. 32. righteousness, and ye believed him not ; -Hjut the Publicans and the harlots believed him : and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe liim." '^^ Then began he to speak to the people this parable : ^^ ^'"i^f ■''■'^- ^• " " Hear another parable. There was a certain house- *' ^'^"- '^'''- ■'^^• holder ^which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, "^ and set a hedge about it, and digged a place for ^'^ ^^"^^ ""• ^• the wine-vat, °' and digged a wine-press in it, and built a ^ -^'ait. xxi. 33. eMatt. 3. 1, &c. /Luke 3. 12,13. g Vs. 80. 9. Cant. 8. II. Is. 5. 1. Jor. 2. 21. Sect. XIII.] PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD. 153 tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and ''went into a far AMatt.25 14,15 3" Lu" It 9^' country, '" and " for a long time. ''And at the season ''when 32 Luke xx! 10. the time of the fruit drew near, '*he sent a servant to the 33 Watt, xxi.34. husbandmen, '^ tliat he might receive from the husbandmen 3. lukexx.io. ^^ the fruit of the vineyard. '"But the husbandmen "** iM&rk xii '^ ' 36 Luke XX. 10. '^ caught A?'w, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 37 Mark xii. 3. •'« And again he sent unto them another servant ; and at him 39 Luke XX ]i ^'^^y ^^^^ stones, '"and they beat him also, ^" and wounded 40 Mark xii. 4. him in the head, ^' and entreated him shamefully, and sent 41 Luke XX. 11. j^ii^^ away empty, ^" shamefully handled. " And again he 43 Luke XX. 12. sent a third ; and they wounded him also, and cast him 44 Mark xii. 5. out. '** And again he sent another ; and him they killed, 45 Luke XX. ]3. and many otiiers ; beating some, and killing some. '*'' Then said the lord of the vineyard. What shall I do ? I will send my beloved son : it may be they will reverence him 46 Mark xii. fl. vvijcn they scc him. '"Having yet therefore one son, his 47 Matt. xxi.37. ^vell-beloved, he sent him also last, '"last of all, •" unto 48 Mark xii. (;. them, saying, They will reverence my son. '"But when '"Luke XX "14' ^^^ husbandmen saw the son, '"they reasoned among fl Mtitt.xxi.ss! themselves, — " they said among themselves, — 'This is the \^,'„\f; li^-g. 4. heir : come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inherit- 27. i.joim 11.53. Acts 4 * 7 62Matt.xxi.39. g^,^(>Q^ ''Andnhey caught him, and cast him out of the ^ Matt. 2o~ so, &c. 63 Matt.xxi.4o. vineyard, and slew him. '' When therefore the lord of the ^^llittttl'. vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen ?" ^'^^"2^^-' *"'• II ^'^^■^- '' They '^say unto him, " " He will come, '" he 'will m_iserably k seeLuke'ao.ie. 66 Mitt.xxi. 41. destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard '^^^^'^^'^^l 24. ^ unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in J5. 7. & is. g. & ' . „-, » 28. 28. Rom. il, & >7 Matt.xxi.4a. their seasons." "Jesus saith unto them, "' " 1 herefore say ]o,& ii.Heb.2. " ^'''"•''■''•^^- I unto you, "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, Jj,att. 8. 12. and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. " 59 Luke XX. 16. ^9 And when they heard it, they said, "God forbid!" 60 Luke XX. 17. 60 ^j^^,| j^^ beheld them, and said, " What is this then that is 61 Matt, xxi.42. written ? "' Did ye never read in the Scriptures, — ' The "Stone which the builders rejected, "is.'bs^^e.*^' The same is become the head of the corner :' ?'^''' ni' ^'*-; ^, Luke 20. 1/. This IS the Lord's doinar , and it is marvellous in our eyes .'' Acts 4. 11. ^' "^ Epii.2. 20. 62 Matt.xxi.4i. 62 ^,-,^1 whosoever "shall fall on this Stone shall be broken : i^Pet.s.e,-. but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to pow- ^'i^^g.^H, is. & 63 Matt.xxi.4.5. der." "'And when the Chief Priests "and the Scribes ^^■^-■^i^^''^^ l'. « jitt. xxi.4^. *' ^"^^ Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that Luk<= '^o-g^sT 66 Uke'xx."]9. he spake of them ; [and] "" had spoken this parable against i PetVa. 8.' 67 Matt.xxi.4R. them, "' But when they sought to lay hands on him, they 69 M!!«.xxi'i.^il feared the multitude, because"^ they took him for a prophet; pMat^t.^2yi. 14- "® and they left him, and went their way. Joiin7."4o.' "" And Jesus answered and 'spake unto them again by parables, ''i[;";'^'',gf-7j9: and said, ^ " The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, whicii made a marriage for his son, ^and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding : and they would not come. ^ Again, he sent forth other servants, saying. Tell them wiiich are bidden. Behold ! I have prepared my dinner; '"my oxen and tny fat- '•p^ov. 9.2. lings are killed, and all things ore ready : come unto the marriage. ^ But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. ^ And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. " But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth ; and he sent forth 'his armies, and destroyed *i^^ket9^27. those murderers, and burned up their city. ® Then saith he to his VOL. II. 20 154 PARABLE OF THE MARRIAGE FEAST. [PartVL servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were 'Aai'ia^^e^' ^^' ^^^ 'wortiiy. •' Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. ^^ So those servants went out into u Matt. 13. 38, 47. the highways, and "gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good ; and the wedding was furnished with guests. ^^ And i,2Cor. 5. 3. when the kino; came in to see the guests, he saw there a man "which Eph. 4. 24. , , IT io 1 1 -I 1 • -r" ■ I Col 3. 10, 12. had not on a weddmg garment ; ^- and he saith unto him, r riend, 15^ ig.'s. ' how earnest thou in hither not having a wedding garment ? And he was speechless. ^^ Then said the king to the servants, Bind him w Matt. 8. 12. hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him "into outer darkness ; z Matt. 20.16. there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ^''For'^many are called, but few are chosen." Matt. xxi. part of ver. 23, 24, 25, 26, ver. 27, part of ver. 34, ver. 35, 36, and part of y Acts 4. 7. ijer. 37. — 23 — the Chief Priests — and ^said, '• By what authority doest thou these things .' and who gave thee this authority.'" 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, — 05_"fi-oin heaven, or of men .' " And they reasoned with themselves, saying, " If we 2ch.l4..5. Mark6. shall say, From heaven ; he will say — 2G — -for all hold John as a prophet." 27 And 20. Luke20.6. they answered Jesus, and said, " We cannot tell." And he said unto them, " Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." 34 — he sent his servants to the a Cant. 8. 11, 12. husbandmen, "that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 ''And the husbandmen took his ''? ?;,^^°V\^'*■, ~h servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other &c 36. lb. Neh. 9. ' " . ° 2i. Matt. 5. 12. servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But — he sent unto & 93. 34, 37. them "^his son, saying, They will reverence my son." 1 Thes. 2^15. Mark xi. part of ver. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 , "32, chap. xii. part of ver. 1,2, 3, 4, ver. 7, 8, part Heb. 11. 36, 37. gj j~gj.^ Q^ ^gr. 10, 11, and part of ver. 12. — 27 — there come to him the Chief Priests, and d ^I'att'^'^l''23 ^ ^^^'^ Scribes, and the elders, 28 and say unto him, " By "^what authority doest thou these Luke 20.2. things ? and who gave thee this authority — 29 — I will also ask of you one ^question, Acts 4. 7. ^^^ answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The baptism *Or,thing. of John,— 31 — Why then did ye not believe him ? 32 But if we shall say, Of men — . e Matt. 21. 33. Chap. xii. 1 'And he began to speak unto them by parables, " A certain man planted a Luke 22. 9. vineyard, — and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, — 3 And they — 4 — and sent him away — 7 But those husbandmen said among themselves. This is the heir ; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. 8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do.=" — and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others." 10 " And have 3'e not read this Scripture ; — /Ps. 118 22. " The /Stone which the builders rejected Is become the head of the corner : 11 This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes ■'' " g' Matt. 21.45,46. 12 ^And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people; for they knew that John'7'V) 30 he had spoken the parable against them : — . 44. Luke xx. part of ver. 1, ver. 3, 4, 5, part of ver. 0, 7, ver. 3, part of ver. 9, 10, 11, 14, ver. 15, part of ver. 1(), ]7,ver. 18, and part' of ver. 19. — 1 — came upon him, with the elders, 3 and he answered and said unto them, " I will also ask you one thing ; and answer me : 4 " The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men.' " 5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven ; he will say. Why then believed ye him not ? 6 But and if we say, Of men ; — 7 And they answered, " That they could not tell — 8 And Jesus said unto them, " Neither tell I you by what authority k See Matt. 21. I do these things." 9 " A ''certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, 33. Mark 12. 1, g,j(j ■w-cnt into a far country — 10 — that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard ; — beat him, and sent him away empty. 11 And again he sent another servant: — 14 But when the husbandmen saw him, — saying. This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. 15 So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them .'" 16 " He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. — i Ps 118. 22. 17 — 'Tlie 'Stone which the builders rejected, Matt. 21. 42. rpj^^ same is become the head of the corner.' ' "Dan 2 34 Z5. 18 Whosoever shall fall upon that Stone shall be broken ; but .'on whomsoever it shall Matt. 21.44. fall, it will grind him to powder." 19 And the Chief Priests — the same hour sought to lay hands on him ; and they feared the people : for they perceived that he — . Sect. XV.l CHRIST REPLIES TO THE SADDUCEES. 155 Section XIV. — Christ replies to the Herodians. sect, xiv. Matt. xxii. l;>-22.— Ma rk xii. 13-17.— Luke xx. 20-26. V.JE..2Q. 1 Matt. xxii. 15. 1 -^Then wciit tliG Piiarisecs, and took counsel how they J- P- 4742. 2 Luke XX. 20. j^jght entangle him in his talk. 'And they watched him, ^^'"J^"'- 3 Murk xii. 1.3. ^^^ ggj-jj. fQj.j|, 3 ^y^iQ jij,^^ certain of " their disciples with the * Matt. xxii. 16. . i-ii 1 ^ r ■ i i- 5 Luke XX. 20. Herodians, " spies, which should leign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. 6 Mark xii. 14. « And wlien they were come, ' they asked him, ** saying, « Matt! xxiiae. " Master, we know that thou art true, Uhat thou sayest 9 Luke XX. 21. and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of 10 Mark xii. 14. any, '" and carest for no man ; for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth. 11 Matt.xxii.i7. 11 i^gll yg therefore, what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to 12 Mark xii. 15. giye tribute unto Caesar, or not? '"shall we give, or shall 13 Matt, xxii.18. we iiot give ? " '^ But Jesus perceived their wickedness, 14 Mark xii. 15. and said, 'M^nowing their hypocrisy, '*" Why tempt ye 16 Man xxii 19 "^^' y^ hypocrites ? "* Show me the tribute money, — " bring 17 Murk xii. 15. me a *pennv, that I may see it." '^ And thev brought unto * valuing of our *■*/■' J ti ■ CD inoiiGV seven 1!* Matt. xxii.i9. j^jj-jj g^ penny. '^ And he saith unto them, " Whose is this pence haif-penny 19 Matt. XXII.20. . ^ -i I ■ ,■ :i5j sorriL . I- a f^ [15 cents], as 20 Matt. xxii.2i. image and tsuperscription r A hey say unto him, " Cre- Matt. i8. 28. & sar's." Then saith he unto them, " Render "therefore .^^■^■,,^p^;p,;„„^ unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's ; and unto God aMatt. n. 25. =1 Luke XX. 26. t^g thiugs that are God's. '' And they could not take hold Luke 20. 'k 22Matt..xxii.22. of hig words bcforc the people. And ''when they had R°'"-i3-"- 23 Luke XX. 26. }jgard these words, they marvelled '^ at his answer, and 24 Matt, xxii.22. \iq\({ i\xQ,\i[ peace ; ^^ and left him, and went their way. Matt. xxii. p«r« ofvcrAiJ. And they sent out unto him — and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any Tnan : for thou regardest not the person of men." Mark xii. part ofver. 13, 14, 15, and ver. IG, and 17. — 13 ^-And they send — the Phar- J Matt. 22. 15. isees and of the Herodians, to catch him in liis words. ]4 — they say unto him, " Master, 'we know that thou art true — Is it lawful to give tribute to Cassar, or not .'" 15 — But c Matt. 22. 16. he, — said unto them, " Why tempt ye me .'" — 16 And they brought it. And he saith unto ue . . them, " Whose is this image and superscription .''" And they said unto him, " Ca?sar's." .,, 17 And Jesus answering said unto them, " Render ''to Caesar the things that are Cffisar's, 29. 21. Luke 20. and to God the things that are God's." And they marvelled at him. ^• e Matt. 22. 16. Luke xx. part of vcr. 21, ver. 22, 23, 24, 25, and part of ver. 2G. — 21 And — saying, Mark' 12. 14." '• Master, 'we know — but teachest the way of God |truly : 22 -^Is it lawful for us to give | Or, of a truth. tribute unto CfBsar, or no." 23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, •^^'•'"•^^-* 'J* " Why tempt ye me .' 24 show me a ^penny. Whose image and superscription hath o-tiee ;\Iatt. 18.28. it? " They answered and said, " Caesar's." 25 And he said unto them," Render ''there- or Mark 12. 15. fore unto Caesar the things which be Ceesar's, and unto God the things which be God's." ^^^'^oi' M',fk'i2^ 26 — they marvelled — . 17. Rom. 13. 7. Section XV. — Christ replies to the Sadducees. Matt xxii. 2.3-33.— Mark xii. 18-27.— Luke xx. 27-40. sect. xv. 2 m"',\^ xxii^23 ' Then came to Him, ' the same day, ^ certain of the v". K. 29. 3 Luke XX. 27. Sadducccs, "which deny that there is any "resurrection ; J. P. 4742. 4 Luke XX. 28. and they asked him, 'saying, " Master, 'Moses wrote unto Jerusai^em. ar..xii. 19. yg^ i j|. ^j^y man's brother die, * and leave his wife behind a Acts 23. 6, 8. him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his ^^'''^ Note 12. 6 Matt.xxii.25. -c 1 • 1 ^ I • l iU ) 6 tvt c,i i Deut. 2o. 5. 7 Luke XX. 29. witc, and raise up seed unto his brother. "JNow there 8 Matt, xxii.25. were with us ' therefore, seven brethren : and the first 9 Luke XX. 30. ,„ J , „, when he had married a wife, deceased, and having no 10 Luke XX. 31. . . . ' ' & 11 Mark xii. 21. issuc, left his wifc uuto his brother. ® And the second took 12 Luke XX. 31. Yyex to wifc, aud he died childless. '" And the third " like- 13 Mark xii. 22. • ,0 , , , 1 • im .1 1 ,-, , 14 Luke XX. 31. wise took her, and in like manner the seven also had 15 Luke XX. 32. her, ''and they left no children, and died. '* Last of all, ; c Tobit 3. 8. 156 CHRIST REPLIES TO THE PHARISEES. [Part VI. the woman died also. '^In the resurrection therefore, '* Mark xii. 23. when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be ''^ of the '^ Matt.xxii.28. seven? for they all had her '* to wife." '^ And Jesus an- '* Markxii.23. d John 20. 9. swering said unto them, " Do ye not therefore err, ''because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God ? ^^ The children of this world marry, and are given in mar- ^^ ^^^^ ""• ^■'- riage. ^* In the resurrection they neither marry, nor are ^' *'''"■ ^''"■^°' given in marriage. ^^ But they which shall be accounted "^ ^'^'''' ^"^ ^^• worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, "when they shall rise from the dead, they '* neither Z J'"'' ''"• .^5' .•'. . '>-iei 1 24 Luke XX. Jo. eRom. 8. 23. marrv, nor are given m marriaije ; *°but are as the ano-els 23 aiatt. xxii.so. 1 Cor. 15.42 49 ^ ^ . o ' _ 0_ 52. 1 John 3.' 2.' of God ^® which are in heaven, "Neither can they die ^^ Markxii. 25. any more ; for they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. ^^ But as touchino; the resurrection of the dead, '''now that Z f*"-'""'f^- o 29 Luke XX. 37. /Exod. 3. 6, 16. the dead are raised, •''even Moses showed: have ye not 30 Mark xii. 26 Heb. 11. 16. read in the Book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, ' I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob ? ' '' God is not the God '' Matt, xxii.32. ^ Rom. 6. 10, 11. of thg (jgad, but of the living; ^'^ for 'all live unto him :'' ^uke xx. 38. ''ye therefore do greatly err." ''Then certain of the '' ^r='^'' ^"- 2^- J o ./ ,34 Luke XX. 39, Scribes answering said, " Master, thou hast well said." '* And after that, they durst not ask him any question at all. '" "^"^^ ^''- ^''* AMatt. 7. 28. ^« And when the multitude heard this, '' they were aston- ^'^ Matt, xxii.33. ished at his doctrine. Matt. xxii. part ofvcr. 23, ver. 24, part of ver. 2o, ver. 2G, 27, part ofver. 28, ver. 29. t Acts 23. 8. part ofver. 30, 31, and 32. — 23 — came to him the Sadducees, 'which say that there is no j Deut. 25. 5. resurrection, and asked him, 24 saying, " Master, >Moses said, ' If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.' 25 — seven * Gr. seven. brethren ; and the first, — 26 likewise the second also, and the third, unto the *seventh. 27 And last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose i John 20. 9. wife shall she be — 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, " Ye do err, '^not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For — in heaven. 31 — have ye not read I Exod. 3. 6, 16. that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 ' I 'am the God of Abraham, and Luke 20. 37. ^^^^ ^^'^ Isaac, and the God of Jacob .-' ' — . Acts 7.32. :Mark xii. ver. 18, part of ver. Id, ver. 20, and part of ver. 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, a?id 27. "I Matt ^^2 23 —1® ""Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and Lulte 20.27. ' they asked him, saying, 19 " Master, "Moses wrote unto us, ' If a man's brother die,- Acts23^ 8.^ 20 Now there were "seven brethren : and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed. 21 And the second took her, and died ; neither left he any seed ; and the third — 22 And the seven — and left no seed : last of all the woman died also. 23 — of them? for the P^ljCor. 15.42,49, j,gygji j^^d her — 25 " For — neither marry, nor are given in marriage ; but^are as the angels— 26 And as touching the dead, that they rise:— 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living : — . Luke xx. part ofver. 28, 29, ver. 33, part ofver. 34, 37, and 38.-28 — having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.' 29 There were — took a wife, and died without children. 33 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of them is she .' for seven had her to wife." 34 And Jesus answering said unto them, — 37— at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living : — . n Deut. 25. 5 Tobit 3 52. SECT. XVI. Section XVI. — Christ replies to the Pharisees. V. M. 29. Matt. xxii. 34-40.— Mark xii. 28-34. J. P. 4742. ' But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the I M>.tt.xxii.34. , 1 1 ^i " rm - iMutt. xxu.3o. Jerusalem. gadducces to silcncc, tlicy were gathered togetlicr. - 1 hen « Luke 10. 25. one of them, which it^as "a lawyer, ' one of the Scribes 3Markxii.28 came, and having heard them reasoning together, and ^ ^^^^^ ^^_, ^^ perceiving that he had answered them well, "asked him a /j,{^^ll'^^'-i,{ question, tempting him, saying, '" Master, "which is the a Mark xii. 28. Sect XVII.] CHRIST INQUIRES CONCERNING THE MESSIAH. 157 7 Matt.xxii.36. flist Commandment of all ? ' which is the great command- » Miirk xii. 29. lyjgj^t i(^ the Law?" * And Jesus answered [and] " said 10 Mark .xii'.'ag. unto him, '" " The first of all the commandments is, ' Hear, 11 Maikxii. 30. ''O Israel ! The Lord our God is one Lord ;' " and ' Thou ^jq^j^ ^^3'%*^ shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with 2 kings 23. 25.' all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy Lukeio".27. 12 Matt.xxu.38. gjj.gj^g^]^ .' |_j^jg jg ^]^g ^j.g^ '^ aj^(^i great commandment. 13 Matt.xxii.39. i3^f,(^l the second is like unto it, '* namely this, 'Thou 'shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' There is none other 'M^t^'t W^ig & 15 Matt. x.xii.4o. commandment greater than these. '' On "^these two com- 22? 39. Rom.' 13. 16 Mark XI.. 32. j^andments hang all the Law and the Prophets." '" And i.>mls-2.'e. ' the Scribe said unto him, "Well, Master, thou hast said ^^Tim.'i'.s^' the truth; for there is One God, 'and there is none other eneut.4.39. n Markxii.33. ijut He ; '^and to love Him with all the heart, and with all 46.9?* ^' ^'^' ^ the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the /isam. 15. 22. strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is •'njore than mZIu g'. t;', 7,8. 13 Mark xii. 34. ^U wholc bumt offerings and sacrifices." '* And when Jesus ^ '^'""- ^- ^6- saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, " Thou jo. 12! & 30. e. art not far from the kingdom of God." ^And no man after is. i"°8.^^' ^' Luke 10. -27. i Lev. 19. 18. ch Matt. xxii. part of ver. 37, 3S, and 39.-37 Jesus — " ' Thou ''shalt love the Lord thy ^9- '^- ^'"^k 13. God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.' 36 This is the i?o,n. 13. 9.' first — 39 — ,' Thou *shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' " G«I- 5- 14. ,, .. „ J B J James 2. 8. Mark xn. part of ver. 23, 30, and 31. — 28 And — asked him, — 30 — commandment. 31 And the second is like — that durst ask him any question. Section XVH. — Christ inquires of the Pharisees concerning the sect. xvii. Messiah. y ~29 M.4TT. xxii. 41, to the end. — Mark xii. 35-37. — Luke xx. 41-44. j p. 4742 1 rjatt.xxii.4i. • While "the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus Jerusalem. 2 Mutt.xxii.42. asked them, ^ saying, " What think ye of Christ ? whose son „ MarklTss 3 Mark xii. 35. jg ]^gp 5' rpj^^y ^^^ ^^^^ j^-^^^ ,, ,pj^^„ g^.^ ^^ David." 'And ^"'''';;;''J3 4 Luke XX. 41. Jesus auswcrcd and said ^ unto them, '" while he taught in the " ®* ° *" s Markxii.3.). i ,, tt i r^ -i /-^i . . i ^ temple, " How say the Scribes that Christ is the Son of 6Matt.xxii.43. ])j^Yij|p" «Hesaithunto them, "How then doth David 7 Mark xii. 36. iJ-^ gpij-it ''call Him Lord ? ^ For David himself said 'by the * eccIus.si. 10. ; ul xxiiS. Holy Ghost, « in the "Book of Psalms, « saying,- fpf ]- .^J; ^• 10 Matt. xxii. 44. 10 , rpj^g j^oRD Said uuto my Loi'd, ^^. S Sit thou on my right hand, ^Sj^^ i?4. m-11 Til 1 Cor. 15. 2o. Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.' Heb. 1. 13. & 10. !1 ^l!n f^^^ " David therefore himself calleth him Lord ; '^ if David then etZ'u. 6. 13 Matt. xxii.46. call him Lord, iiow is he his son ? " '"'And 'no man was Lu'ke2o7 4o! able to answer him a word : -^neither durst any one from ^J^- ^12: ';. M i\r 1 ■■ Q7 1 1 r \ 11- • ij « Matt. 22. 44. '4 Mark XII. J/, ji^jj^^ (^g^y ^orth ask him anymore questions. And the Luke 20. 42. common people heard him gladly. icorT'is.^o. Heb. 1.13.&10, Mark xii. part of ver. 36, and 37. — 36 — ' The ^Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on ^-> ^^■ my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool.' 37 — and whence is he then his '^^Utk^Zb' son? — . jPs. 110. 1. Luke xx. part of ver. 41, 42, and ver. 43, and 44. — 41 And he said — " How '■say they j!""!.' fo'-jr' that Christ is David's son? 42 And David himself saith — 'The 'Lord said unto my Acts 9. 34. Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 43 till I make thine enemies thy footstool.' 44 David jj^^^j ^i^s'&'io therefore calleth him Lord ; how is he then his son ? " j-2, 13. VOL. II. N 158 CHRIST REPROVES THE PHARISEES. [Part VI. SECT. XVIII. V. JE. -29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. a Mark 4. 2. J Rom. 2. 19, &c. c Luke 11. 46. Acts 15. 10. Gal. 6. 13. d Matt. 6. 1, 2, 5, 16. e Num. 15. 38. Deut. C.8. &22. 12. Prov. 3. 3. /Luke 11. 43. & 20. 46. 3 John 9. Section XVIII. — Christ severely reproves the Pharisees. Matt, xxiii. 1, to the end. — Mark xii. 38-40. — Luke xx. 45, to the end. ^ Then, in the audience of all the people, ^ spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples. ^ And "he said unto them in his doctrine, * " The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat ; '" all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do ; but do not ye after their works : for 'they say and do not. '^ Beware of the Scribes, "^ for 'they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders ; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. ** But ''all their works they do for to be seen of men ; 'they ^ love to go in long clothing, and "^make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge ^'^ Matt.xxm.s. the borders of their garments, " and •'love the uppermost " *iatt. xxiii. e, rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, '^ and '^ Matt, xxiii. 7 greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi ! 13 Luke xx. 47. Rabbi! '^ which devour widows' houses, and for a show, 1* Mark xii. 40. '^for a pretence, '"make lonjr prayers; the same shall '" ^^"""^ "''''■ ■*^" 1 Luke XX. 45. 2 Matt, xxiii. 1. 3 Mark xu. 38. 4 Matt, xxiii. 2. 6 Matt, xxiii. 3. 6 Mark xii. 38. 7 Matt, xxiii. 4. 8 Matt, xxiii. 5. 9 Mark xii. 38. g James 3. 1. See 2 Cor. L 24. IPet. 5. 3. A Mai. 1.6. t Matt. 20. 2n, 27. jJob22. 29. Prov. 15. 33. & 29. 23. Luke 14. 11. & 18. 14. James 4. 6. lPet.5. 5. ft Luke 11.52. I Mark 12. 40. Luke 20. 47. 2 Tim. 3. 6. Tit. 1. 11. m Matt. 15. 14. ver. 24. n Matt. 5. 33, 34. Exod. 30. 29. * Or, dehtor, or, bound. p Exod. 29. 37. y 1 Kings 8. 13. 2 Chron. 6. 2. Ps. 26. 8. & 132. 14. r Matt. 5. 34. Ps. 11. 4. .^018.7. 49. s Luke 11. 42. f Gr. fiiiriOnv, dill, t 1 Sam. 15. 22. Hos. e.O.Mic. 6. 8 Matt. 9. 13. & 12.7. pretence, '"make long prayers, ...^ i6 Matt.xxm.t, receive greater damnation. "^ But °be not ye called Rabbi ; to the end. for One is your Master, [even Christ] ; and all ye are brethren. ^ And call no man your father upon the earth ; ''for One is your Father, which is in heaven. ^^ Neither be ye called Masters ; for One is your Master, [even Christ]. ^^ But 'he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. ^- And ^Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased ; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. ^^ " But *woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men ; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. ^^ Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! 'for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer : therefore ye shall re- ceive the greater damnation. 15 a w/'qq unto you^ Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye com- pass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. ^^ Woe unto you, '"ye blind guides ! which say, ' Whosoever "shall swear by the temple, it is nothing ; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.' ^'' Ye fools and blind ! for whether is greater, the gold, "or the temple that sanctifieth the gold ? ^^ And, ' Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing ; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is *guilty.' ^^ Ye fools and blind ! for whether is greater, the gift, or ^the altar that sanctifieth the gift ? ^^ Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon ; -^ and whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by 'Him that dwelleth therein ; --and he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by 'the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth thereon. 23 u Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! 'for ye pay tithe of mint and tani.se and cummin, and 'have omitted the weightier matters of the Law — judgment, mercy, and faith : these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. ^^Ye bhnd guides ! which "strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel ! ~^ Woe unto you, Scribes Sect. XIX.] CHRIST APPLAUDS THE POOR WIDOW. ]59 and Pharisees, hypocrites ! "for ye make clean the outside of the cup '"lll'^^{% and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. ^^ Thou blind Pharisee !" cleanse first that which is within the cup and o See Note 14. platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. ~^" Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! "for ye are '"^^"j^^^ 3 '*'*' like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all unclcanness. ^^ Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 a ^oe ""unto you. Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! because ye 1^11^611.47. build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, ^*^ and say, ' If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' ^^ Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ^ye ^]'\':{fel'|'i5^' are the children of them which killed the prophets. ^^ Fill 'ye up z Gen. 15. le. then the measure of your fathers. '•^'■^Ye serpents! ye "generation of ^^J^^^^~:^\^ vipers ! how can ye escape the damnation of hell ? ^■^■ ^" Wherefore, ''behold ! I send unto you prophets, and wise men, *Luk"'n.'49.'^^" and scribes ; and "^some of them ye shall kill and crucify ; and ''some c Acts 5. 40. & 7. of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them dMatt.io.Tv. from city to city: ^^ that 'upon you may come all the righteous 2 cor. 11.24,25. blood shed upon the earth, •'from the blood of righteous Abel unto /ccn. 4.8.1 Joim ^the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the ^■^^■ 111 ■?(- TT -1 T 11 I 1 • 1 11 ^2 Chron.24. 20, temple and the altar. -^^ Verily 1 say unto you, all these things shall 21. come upon tliis generation. 2^ " O ''Jerusalem ! Jerusalem ! thou that killest the prophets, 'and '>■ Uikc ix 34. stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would ^I have gath- Jdcui. 32. 11,12'. ered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under 4 ^'a^Esdr "l.^so. her ^wings,!' and ye would not! -'^Behold! your housed is left unto * Knapp & cries- you desolate. ^-' For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, ter'rogat'ion'point till ye shall say, 'Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord !" afi^f^"wings.'' Matt, xxiii. beginning ofver. 1, and 2. — 1 Then — 2 saying, — . P ^ce Note 15. Mark x'li. part of ver. 38, and vcr. 39, and part of ver. 40. — 38 — which — ^love ^p^ jjg (,g salutations in the market-places, 39 and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the Matt. 21. 9. uppermost rooms at feasts : 40 "which devour widows' houses, and — make long prayers : m Luke 11. 43. these shall receive greater damnation." " Matt. 23. 14. Luke xx. ■part ofver. 4.5, and ver. 4G. — 4.5 — he said unto his disciples, 46 " Beware "of Matt. 23. 5. the Scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and -Plove greetings in the markets, and p ch. 11. 43. the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts ; Section XIX. — Christ applauds the Liberality of the poor Widow. gj-^.^ ^ix. Mark xii. 41, to the end. — Luke xxi. 1-4. 1 Markxii. ti. 'And Jesus sat over against the treasury, ^and he t p j-Tq 3 llarkxa.'ii. looked up, 'and beheld how the people cast *money into jerusaiLT the treasury ; and many that were rich cast in much. — 5 1'u'e xxi' ^" ' ^"^^ there came 'also a certain poor widow, "and she ^tS' tee'"' 6 Mark xH. 42. thrcw in two tmitcs, ""which make a farthing. ' And he 2 Khigl^i2^.'9. V :\[ark xii. !3. called wito him his disciples, and saith unto them, " Verily fit is the seventh I say unto you. That "this poor widow hath cast more in of that brasr"*'^ 8 Luke xxi. 4. than all they which have cast into the treasury. ® For all T''^" . it iici'ii • " ' INote 17. these have of their abundance cast in unto the ofierings of a2Cor. 8. 12. 9 .Mark xii. 44. Qq^j . j^^t gj^g ^^f j^g^ peuury hath cast in ' all that she had, ''even all her living." Anent. 24. g. ® IJohn3. 17. Mark xii. part of vcr. 43, and 44. — 42 — a certain poor widow, — 44 For all t]iey did cast in of their abundance ; but she of her want did cast in — . Luke xxi. partofver. 1, 2, vcr. 3, and part ofver. 4.— 1 — ""and saw the rich men cast- c Mark 12. 41. ing their gifts into the treasury. 2 And he saw — casting in thither two tmites. 3 And t ^ee Mark 12 he said, " Of a truth I say unto you, '^That this poor widow hath cast in more than they ^^cq^ g 12 all : 4 — all the living that she had." 160 DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM FORETOLD. [Part VL SECT. XX. V. M. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. s See Note 18. a Luke 21. 5. 6 1 Kings 9. 7. Jer. 26. 18. Mic. 3. 12. Mark 13. 2. Luke 19. 44. c 1 Thes. 5. 1. d Jer. 29. 8. Mark 13. 5. Luke 21. 8. Ephes. 5. 6. Col. 2. 8, 18. 2 Thess. 2. 3. 1 Jolin 4. 1. e Jer. 14. 14. & 23. 2 1 , 25. Matt. 24. 11, 24. Mark 13. 6. Luke 21. 8. John 5. 43. * Or, and. The time, &c. Matt. 3. 2. & 4. 17. /2 Chron. 15. 6. Is. 19. 2. Hag. 2. 22. Zecli. 14. 13. Matt. 24. 7. JMark 13. 8. g See Mark 13. 8. A Matt. 10. 17, 18. &; --'4. 9. John 15. 20. & Ki. 2. Acts 4. 2, 3. & 5. IS. & 7.59. & 12. ],&c. & 16. 24. & 25. 23. 1 Pet. 2. 13. & 4. IH. Rev. 2. 10, 33. t Phil. 1. 28. 2 Thess. 1. 5. j yV-M. 21. 14. ft Matt. 10. 19. Luke 12. 11. & 21. 14. 24 I Acts 6. 10. m Acts 9. 4. & 4. 8, 31. n Mic. 7. C. Matt. 10. 21. &24. 10. Luke 21. 16. Acts 7. 59. 12. 2. Section XX. — Christ foretells the Destruction of Jerusalem, of the Jeivish Dispensation, and of the World.^ Matt. xxiv. 1-35. — Mark xiii. 1-31. — Luke xxi. 5-33. ' And "Jesus went out, and departed from the temple. ' ^ And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples ^ ^ (his disciples) came to him for to show him the buildings ^ of the temple ; ■* how it was adorned with goodly stones ^ and gifts, [and] " saith unto him, " Master, see what man- ner of stones and what buildings are here .'" ^ And Jesus answering said unto him, " Seest thou these great build- ings ? ' See ye not all these things ? * As for these things ' which ye behold, ^ verily I say unto you, "^ the days will 9 come, in the which " there ''shall not be left here one stone 10 upon another that shall not be thrown down." '^ And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives over against '^ the temple, '^ the disciples, " Peter, and James, and John, j^ and Andrew, '^came unto him privately, [and] '"asked 15 him privately, ^'' saying, " Master, but '®tell "us when shall '** these things be ? and what shall he the sign of thy com- is ing, and of the end of the world ? '^ when all these things '^ shall be fulfilled ?" '^° And Jesus answering them began '" to say ^' unto them, " Take ''heed that no man deceive ^' you. " For 'many shall come in my name, saying, ' I ^^ am Christ ;' and shall deceive many. ^^ *And the time ^ draweth near ; go ye not therefore after them. ^* And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars : but ^* when ye shall hear of wars, '" and rumors of wars, ^'' and commotions, be ^^ 7 J -'27 not terrified ; ^** see that ye be not troubled ; for all these 2s things ^^ must needs ^^ first come to pass, ^' but the end shall ^ not be yet." ^"Then •'^said he unto them, " Nation shall 3, rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom ; ^^and 32 great earthquakes shall be in divers places ; ^* and there ^^ shall be famines, and pestilences, ^* and troubles, ^° and 35 fearful sights, and great signs shall there be from heaven ^' All 'these are the beginning of sorrows. ^^ " But Hake heed to yourselves ; for ^"before all these, ^ they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you ; [and] '"' they shall deliver you up to councils ; ^' to the \^ synagogues, '*'" (and in the synagogues ye shall be beat- 42 en ;) " and into prisons, ''^ to be afflicted ; ^' and ye shall *^ be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a 45 testimony, "" for my Name's sake. *'' And 'it shall turn to ^^ you for a testimony ^^ against them. ''^And^the Gospel ^g must first be published among all nations. ^° But *when 49 they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought "" beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premed- itate. *' Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate ^' before what ye shall answer : ^'^ but whatsoever shall be ^"^ given you in tiiat hour, that speak ye ; " for I will give ^^ you a mouth, and wisdom, 'which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist ; *■* for it is not ye ** that speak, '"but the Holy Ghost. " Now "the brother shall '' betray the brother to death, and the father the son ; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. '"^ And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends ; and "some of you shall they cause to be put to death ; " and ye the End Matt. xxiv. 1. Mark xiii. 1 Matt. xxiv. 1. Luke xxi. 5. Mark xxi. 1. Mark xiii. 2. Matt. xxiv. 2. Luke xxi. 6. Matt. xxiv. 2. Luke xxi. 6. Matt. xxiv. 2. Mark xiii. 3. Matt. xxiv. 3. Mark xiii. 3. Matt. xxiv. 3. Mark xiii. 3. Luke xxi. 7. Matt. xxiv. 3. Mark xiii. 4. Mark xiii. 5. Matt. xxiv. 4. Matt. xxiv. 5. Luke xxi. 8. Matt. xxiv. 6. Luke xxi. 9. Mark xiii. 7. Luke xxi. 9. Matt. xxiv. 6. JIark xiii. 7. Luke xxi. 9. Mark xiii. 7. Luke xxi. 10. Luke xxi. 11. Matt. xxiv. 7. Jlark xiii. 8. Luke xxi. 11. Matt. xxiv. 8. Mark xiii. 9. Luke xxi. 12. Mark xiii. 9. Luke xxi. 12. Mark xiii. 9. Luke xxi. 12. Matt. xxiv. 9. Mark xiii. 9. Luke xxi. 12. Luke xxi. 13. Mark xiii. 9. Mark xiii. 10. Mark xiii. 11. Luke xxi. 14. Mark xiii. 11. Luke xxi. 15. Mark xiii. 11. Mark xiii. 12. 56 Luke xxi. IC. S7 Matt. xxiv. 9. 37 Sect XX.] DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM FORETOLD. 161 68 iM;ut. xxiv. shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. ^^ And ^"' then shall many ''be offended, and shall betray one another, ^g.^sy/oTtm*" 69 Luke xxi. 18. and shall hate one another. '" But 'there shall not a hair J^i^. & 4. lo, 60 Liik,) xxi. 19. Qf yQUf head perish. '^° In your patience possess ye your q Matt. lo. so. ci Matt. xxiv. souis_ «' And 'many false prophets shall rise, and shall '■^^^^''^'-g^^ ^^j-^f^ 62 Mat. xxiv. 12. deceive many. '^' And because iniquity shall abound, the l^■£^l'^^^.^]^ 63 Matt. xxiv. i^yg Qf niany shall wax cold ; ®^but *he that shall endure a'pet. 2. i. * 64 Mutt. xxiv. unto the end, the same shall be saved. " And this 'Gospel ^ MatT.'io. 22. ^^' of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a Hebl's.^e,^^! witness unto all nations ; and then shall the end come. Rev. 2. 16. 65 Mark xiii. 14. ^' " But "whcu yc sliall SCO tlio Abomination of Desola- '9.35.Rom.io. tion, [spoken of by Daniel the prophet], standing where it ^^^°^^%^'^ 66 Matt. xxiv. ought not, '''' in the Holy Place, (whoso "readeth, let him Matt! 24. 15. 67 Luke xxi. 20. understand !) " and ""when ye shall see Jerusalem com- ^Dan.s.'^/ns. passed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof \l^^l\^\4^^- 68 Luke.x.xi.2L ig j^jg)^^ ^* Tlicu let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains ; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out ; and let not them that are in the countries 69 Mark xiii. 15. enter thereinto ; ^^ and let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any 70 Matt. xxiv. xK\n^ out of his house ; '" neither let him which is in the 71 Luke xxi. -22. field rctum back to take his clothes. "' For these be the days of vengeance, that ""all things which are written may ^;£^5^- ^-j'^i' ^^' 72 Luke xxi. 23. ^^ fulfilled. '' But ^voe unto them that are with child, and yaiatt.24'. 19. to them that give suck in those days ! for there shall be 73 Luke xxi. 24. great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people ; "and they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations ; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, ""until the times of the Gen- ^j^"^- ^■^^;- j'^ 74 Matt. xxiv. ^-jgg gj-jj^ij i^Q fulfilled. ''' But pray ye that your flight be not as! ' 75 Mark xiii. 19. in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day ; " for "in those "j°5";^2~l'^ ^^ 76 Matt. xxiv. j^yg '« shall be great tribulation, "shall be affliction, such 77 Mark xiii. 19. as was uot from tiie beginning of the creation '* of the 78 Matt. xxiv. y^Q^if^ 79 ^i^ieh God created unto this time, neither sliall be, 79 Mark xiii. 19. «** no, uor cvcr shall be. *' And except that the Lord had 8u Matt. xxiv. gi^Qj-tened those days, ^^ there should no flesh be saved ; 81 Markxiii.2o. ^^ but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath 83 MalL'xmlS shortened the days. 84 Mark xiii. 21. ^' " And Hheu if any man shall say unto you, ' Lo, here *Luke"if ^^'fe 85 Matt. xxiv. is Christ!' or, 'Lo, he is there!' believe him not; ''for 21" s. '' 24. 'there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall '^ °''"'- ^^- ^• AFatt. 24. 5, 11. show great signs and wonders : insomuch that, ''if it were jo^jf "ifg/'ig 86 Mark xiii. 23. possible, they shall deceive the very elect. '^But 'take ye 13! 87 Matt. xxiv. heed; behold! I have foretold you aU things. "Where- \Tm%9\L. fore, if they shall say unto you, 'Behold he is in the 3.1™^' ^19. desert ! ' go not forth : ' Behold he is in the secret cham- « 2 Pet. 3. 17. 88 Matt. xxiv. |jgj.g I ) believe it not. '^^ For -^as the lightning cometh out of /Luke n. 24. the east, and shineth even unto the west ; °so shall also ^gg'^g^g^];,^^', 89 Matt. xxiv. ^jjg coming of the Son of Man be. *® For ''wheresoever the 51! carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. ^LuL^n.^sV. 90 Ma>kxiii.24. 90 u g^^ 91 immediately 'after the tribulation of those days t is. 13.10. Ezek. 91 Matt, xxiv .„ , , ,1 , • ■ , 1-1 1 • 32. 7. Dan. 7. 10, 29. "nhere shall be siarns in the sun, and in the moon, and in ii,i2.joei2.io, 92 Lukoxxi.25. ^j^g gl^j.g . g^j-j^i upon the earth distress of nations, with a^os5'.2o'.& 93 Luke xxi. 26. perplexity ; the sea and the waves roaring; *^ men's hearts fg.^iark'lb.^k failing them for fear, and for looking after those things acu 2. 20. Rev. 94 ?,:arkxiii.24. ^^,|^-^j^ arc comiug on the earth; for ^M he sun shall be 95 Mat. xxiv.29. darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, ^^ and the VOL. II. 21 N* 62 DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM FORETOLD. [Part VL jDan. 7. 13. stsLYS sliall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens Matt.'ieis?! shall be shaken. ®® And •'then shall appear the sign of the ^ M^tt-^f^'v- See' John i.'si. Son of Man in heaven ; and then shall all the tribes of the fThe;s!4. 16. earth mourn. '' And then shall they see the Son of Man '' »'"k^i"-2G. |Thess._^i.7,io. ** comiiig in the clouds of heaven with power and great ''^ 3^^"' '''''^■ ft Watt. 13! 41. glory. *®And*then shall he send his angels, ' *with a 99 j,„rkxiii.27. 2 Thess^'4^%. great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together ' Mark sxiv. * ^et' and a''"reat ^^^ ^^^^^ ivoui the four wiuds, ^ fiom the uttermost part of 2 Markxiii.27. voice. the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven, ^from one end ^ Matt.xxiv. ^mmM<ii'^.' ^^ heaven to the other. ^ And when these things begin 4Lukexxi.28. Mark 13. 28. to comc to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; sLukexxi.ao. "as!'!}".' Mar^'it fo-r 'your redemption draweth nigh." « Matt. xxiv. o^p^ wa'ael'il ' ^"^^ ^^ ^P^'^^ *° ^*^*^"^ a parable ; « " Now learn a vSkexxi.og. 40.8. & 51. 6. parable of the fig tree ; '^ behold the fig tree, and all the s Markxiii.28. Matt. 5. 18. ' trees ! ** when her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth lOLukexxi 31! Luke 2?.' 33.' leaves, "when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of n Matt.xxiv. "''V' '^<5 your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. '"So 12 Markxiii.29. il 19.2.' Hag.' hkewise ye, " when ye shall see all these things '^conie to '3 Lukexxi.31. 13. Marria. 8." pass, " kuow ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand, " j|!|'|^^|||'|^' 'iv!a"rk"i'3"^ '■* cven at the doors. '' Verily I say unto you, that "this gen- le mke xxi. 32. Luke 21'. 12. oration shall not pass '^ away, " till all these things be ful- '^ Matt. xxiv. JolinlS. 20. & /-i, 1 m TT 01 I 1 II 1 , ^•*- 16.2. Acts 4. 2, filled. Heaven and earth shall pass away ; but my words i» Matt.xxiv.35. 3. &7. 59.& 12. 1 11 . 5, "^ "^ 1, &c. 1 Pet. 4. shall not pass away. Ki Rev 2 10 13! ' Matt. xxiv. part of ver. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 15, ver. 16, 17, 19, part ofver. 21, 22, cer. 2.3, 25, r Dan. 9. 23-27. and part of ver. 29, 30, 31 , 32, 33, and 34.-2 And Jesus said unto them, — 3 And as he sat 13. 14. Luke 21. upon the Mount of Olives, — saying, — 4 And Jesus answered and said — 6 — must come 20. to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For ^nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against s Mark 13. 15. kingdom : — and earthquakes in divers places. 9 *Then shall they deliver you up — and t Luke 23. 29. shall kill you : — 15 ""When ye, therefore, shall see the Abomination of Desolation, spoken u Dan. 9. 2fi. & of by Daniel the prophet, stand — 16 *Then let them which be in Judtea flee into the moun- 12. 1. Joel 2. 2. tj^jj^g . 17 let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house : Zech. 14.'2'3. l^ ^^^ 'woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! jc Mark 13. 21. 21 For "then — such as was not since the beginning — to this time, — 22 And except Luke 1/. 23. & jjjQgp days should be shortened, — "but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. X See John 1. 51. 23 ""Then if any man shall say unto you, ' Lo, here is Christ I' or ' there !' believe it not. y cb. '3- 41 g- gpijoj(j I J have told vou before. 29 — shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall 1 (or. 15. 52. •' ' 1 Thess. 4. 16. not give her light, — 30 — and they shall see "^the Son of Man — 31 ^ And he shall send his zJiimesS. 9. angels — 32 — When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know a Mi'tt. 16. 28. that summer is nigh: 33 so likewise ye, — know 'that *it is near, eren at the doors. rt^'O 1"' oY^.j^ ■^ Verily I say unto you, "This generation shall not pass, — . b Mutt. 24. 3. Mark xiii. part of ver. 2, 4, 5, ver. 6, part of ver. 7, 8, ver. 13, part of ver. 14, ver. 16, /i'^^U.'li & 17, 18, part of ver. 20, ver. 22, part of ver. 24 , ver. 25, part ofver. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and ver. 23. 21, 25. 31. — 2 — there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be tlirown down." 24?'Lu"ke 21."! 4 " Tell ^us, when shall these things be ? and what shall be the sign— 5 — " Take heed John 5. 43._ lest any man deceive you : 6 "^for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ ; Is 19™2. Ha<'. ' ^"^d shall deceive many. 7 And when ye shall hear of wars — be ye not troubled: for 2. 22. Zech. 14. such things — be ;. — 8 ''For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom : Luke 2" 10. ' and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines — 'these ai-e e .Matt. 21. 8. the beginnings of Isorrows. 13 •''And ye shall be hated of all men for my Name's sake : ^Ji'<^ina^'inlpon^ but ^he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 — (let him that read- e\htliepain.^'ofa eth understand !) then ''let them that be in Judtea flee to the mountains; 16 'and let /mm? ■24!'^.'''''^^' 1""^ that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. 17 JBut woe to Luke 21. 17. them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days ! 18 And pray ye ^MaTt.' 10.' 22.' & that your flight be not in the winter. 20 — no flesh should be saved; — 22 For false 21. 13. Rev. 2.10. Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if t^ M "u ^4 18 '"""''' possible, even the elect. 24 — in those days, after that tribulation, — 25 And the stars ; Luke 21. 23. & of lieaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. 26 — coming in A Ma^t 24 32 the clouds, with great pcnver and glory. 27 — and shall gather together his elect iiom T/uke 2l.29,&c. the four winds, — 28 '^Now learn a parable of the fig tree ; — ye know that summer is I Ps. 102. 26. Is. ^gj^]. . 20 so ye in like manner, when ye shall see tliese things — know that it is nigii, — 40. 8 &■ ol. (). f ^ c3 o ' Jer. 31. 35, 36. 30 — till all these things be done. 31 'Heaven and earth shall pass away ; but my words Mati. 5. 18. & g]j.j^]j jjQt pass away. 24. 3:). Luke 21. ' •' 33. Hcb. 1. 11. Luke xxi.partof ver. r> 6, 7, 8, 9, l'i,l2,ver. 17, partof ver. 23, 26, ver. 27, partof ver. ',il, Sect. XXL] CHRIST'S SECOND ADVExNT. 163 32, and vcr. 33. — 5 "'.Vnd as some spake of tlie temple, — he said, 6 — there "shall not m Matt. 24. 1. be left one stone upon another, tliat shall not be thrown down." 7 And they asked him, ^ J^' jg " " — " when shall these things be ? and what sign will there be when these things shall come g Matt. 24. 4. to pass.''" 8 And he said, " Take "heed that ye be not deceived; for many shall come M.irk 13.5. in my name, saying, ' I am Christ ;' — 9 — for tliese things must — but the end is not by g Thoss. 2.3. and by. 11 But — and famines, and pestilences ; — 12 — ^being brought before kings and p See Note A. rulers — 17 And ''ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 25 And — 26 — the 9 See Note o. powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see '"the Son of man coming '^pee J h /'si in a cloud with power and great glory. 31 — when ye see these things come to pass, — Rev. 1. 7. &. 14 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass — till all be fulfilled. 33 'Heaven ' and earth shall pass away ; but my word shall not pass away." 40.8. & 51. 6. ' ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Jer. 31. 35, 36. Matt. 5. 18. & Section XXI. — Christ comfpares the Suddenness of his Second Advent 31.' Heb!'" ii?' to the coming of the Deluge. - Matt. xxiv. 36, to the end. — Mark xiii. 32, to the end. — Luke xxi. 34-36. sect xxr 1 Markxiii.32. i a g^^ -^^f j^j^j^^ jj^y ^j^j ^^^j* hour knowcth HO mail, no, — not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but ^ V, ..Z'.^ 2 ■\lait. xxiv. ^ J. P. 4742. 3pl4i. the Father ; ^ but 'my Father only.' ^"^ But as the days of Jerusalem. Noe we7-e, ^so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. ^^ For ''as — in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, Acts i.~7.' marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into 2 Pc^T^s." i6.~" the ark, ^'^and knew not until the flood came, and took them all i^-ec^.H. 7. away ; *so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. '*'^ Then c ^hlu. 24! 27, ■^shall two be in the field ; the one shall be taken, and the other left. If f^^eejoim'i. ''^ Two women shall be grinding at the mill : the one shall be taken, dOen. 6.3,4,5. 3 Mark xiii. 33. and tlic otiicr left. ^Take ^ye heed, watch and pray ; for 17.26.' 1 pit. 3. 4 Matt. xxiv. ye know not when the time is. * Watch, therefore: for ye ^' „.. ^^ ^ 4o_5i i , , Till An -n 1 ever. 2/. 37. Sea know not what hour your Lord doth come, "^-^liut know John 1.51. this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the ^ j^'^J^ ^ jg * thief would come," he would have watched, and would not have ^,"'\^, ^~; ''*'■ f., 2J. 34. Rom. 13. suffered his house to be broken up. ^^ Therefore be ye also ready; n. iThess.s.e. u See Note 20. h See John 1. 51. for in such an hour as ye think not, Hhe Son of Man cometh. u see Note 20. 45 u WJio 'then is a faithful and wi.se servant, whom his lord hath i Luke 12. 42. made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season ? ^^f^ ^; ^ . ~ 1 Cor. 4. 2. '*'' Blessed ^is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find Heb. 3. 5. so doing ! ''^ Verily I say unto you, That *he shall make him ruler i^hr25^2i^2a over all his goods. '^'^ But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, Luke 22. 29. My lord delayeth his coming ; "^'^ and shall begin to smite his fellow- servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken ; ^^ the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, ^^ and shall *cut him asunder, and * or, cut Mm off. appoint him his portion with the hypocrites : 'there shall be weeping 'ch. 8. 12. &25. and gnashing of teeth. 5 Mark xiii. 3!. ^ " For '"the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, "\f*^ Matt. 25. who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to 6 Mark xiii. 35. watch. ^ Watch "ye therefore ; for ye know not when the "A\"-24-42.44- c 1 1 I master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at 7 Mark xiii. 36. the cock-crowing, or in the morning; Mest coming sud- 8 Mark xiii. 37. (Jenly he find you sleeping. * And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch ! 9 Luke xxi. 34. 9 a ^j^(j "take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your "i^TiTess^^e* hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and V^.'' ^' "^ « .~ ^ ' ;) 1 Ihess. 5. 2. cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares ; 2 Pet. 3. 10. *" '^^'"'"^^^'■^'" *" for ^as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on is!"^' 11 Luke xxi. 36. ^j^g fj^^g ^f ^j^g ^^j^^j^ ^^^^^i. " Watch 'yc, therefore, and ''^ft.nl^li^i pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape J^- ^- ^""^^ ^^ all these things that shall come to pass, '^to stand before rPs. 1. 5. seo the Son of Man." '^^I'-tn. 164 * THE WISE AND FOOLiyil VIRGINS. [Part VI. 5 Mark 13. 32. Matt. xxiv. part of vcr.3G. "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the 1 Thess. 5. 2. angels of heaven, — . 2 Pet. 3. 10. "^ Section XXII. — The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. SECT. XXII. Matt. xxv. 1-13. V. JE. 29. ^ " Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, J. P. 4742. which took their lamps, and went forth to meet "the bridegroom. Jerusalem. 2 ^j^j '■f^ye of them wcro wisc, and five were foolish. ^ They that a Eph.Tag, 30. were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them ; '* but the Rev. 19.7. & 21. ^jgg ^qq]^ qj| [^ their vessels with their lamps. ^ While the bridegroom b c'li. 13. 47. & tarried, ^they all slumbered and slept. ^ And at midnight ''there was cTThlss. 5. 6. ^ ^^y iTiade, Behold the bridegroom cometh ! go ye out to meet him ! d ch. 24. 31. ■'' Then all those virgins arose, and 'trimmed their lamps. ^ And the eLukHa. 35. foolish said unto the wise, 'Give us of your oil; for our lamps are * Or, going out. *gone out.' ^ But the wise answered, saying, ' Not so ; lest there be g-ch. 7.21,22,23. not cuough for us and you ; but go ye rather to them that sell, and */n^'/h^9^'3i ^^y ^^^ yourselves.' ^^ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom i ch. 24. 42, 44. came ; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, Luke 2i! 36l ^^' and -^the door was shut. ^^ Afterward came also the other virgins, iThesg^s^e sayiiig, ' Lord ! ^Lord ! open to us!' i~ But he answered and said, 1 Pet. 5. 8. Rev. < Vcrily I say unto you, ''I know you not.' ^^ Watch 'therefore, for J See John 1. 51. yc kuow neither the day nor the hour [wherein ^ the Son of Man cometh."] SECT. XXIII. Section XXIII. — Parable of the Servants and the Talents. V. JE. 29. Matt. xxv. 14-30. J. P. 4742. 14 a Yq^ "the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far Jerusalem. couutry, who Called his own servants, and delivered unto them his a A better supply goods ; ^^ and uuto ouc hc gave five *talents, to another two, and to wouidhave been another ouc ; Ho every man according to his several ability; and MmU'lt^ "^ Straightway took his journey. ^^ Then he that had received the five Mark'is^'si ch! talcuts wcut and traded with the same, and made thein five other 21. 33. Luke 19. talcuts. ^^ And likewise he that had received two, he also gained * A talent is JE 187. othcr two. ^^ But hc that had received one went and digged in the chtifj*!!!' ^^"'^ earth, and hid his lord's money. ^^ After a long time the lord of those iRom. 12. 6. servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. ^° And so he that had 29. Eph. 4. 11. ' received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ' Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents ; behold ! I have gained beside them five talents more.' ^^ His lord said unto him, ' Well done, thou good and faithful servant ! thou hast been faithful over a ''n}-4^'^'^\ ''^''.^ few thino-s, T will make thee ruler over many things : enter thou into j4, 4d. Luke rZ. » ' i • i i 44. a. 22. 29, 30. ''thc joy of thy lord.' ^^ He also that had received two talents came '^2Tim.'2.^2. and said, ' Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents; behold! I 1 Pel. 1.8. j^^^.Q grained two other talents beside them.' ^^ His lord said unto him, aver. 21. 'Well Monc, good and faithful servant! thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy lord.' ^^ Then he which had received the one talent came and said, ' Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed ; '^^ and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth ; lo, there thou hast that is thine ! ' ^^ His lord answered and said unto him, ' Thou wicked and slothful servant ! thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed ? ~^ thou ought(!st therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my rk coming I should have received mine own with usury.' ^8 Take there- 4. 25. Luke 8. 18. forc thc talcut from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. & 19. 2b. John 2y p^^ /unto cvcry one that hath shall be given, and he shall have Sect. XXVI.] CHRIST FORETELLS HIS APPROACHING DEATH. 165 abundance : but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. ^'^ And cast ye the unprofitable servant ^into outer Vl" ^" ^~" *" ""* darkness : there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." ,,,,^,,,^,^^,^ SECT. XXIV. Section XXIV. — Christ declares the Proceedings of the Day of Judgment. V. JE. 29. Matt. xxv. 31, to the end. ^ ^- ^'^■^- • 1 • 1 1 11 I ri 1 -I Jerusalem. 31 u When "the Son of Man shall come m his glory, and all the [holyj — angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory ; ^^and "chf'ifi'. ar'.&ig. ^before him shall be gathered all nations : and 'he shall separate them f^i joi'm ksu" one from another, as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the goats ; f-^Y,eis?4. is. 33 and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the SThess. i -. J^ " ^ Jude 14. Rev. left. 1- 7. 34 " Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, ' Come, *2^™;; ^fj^o- ye blessed of my Father ! ''inherit the kingdom 'prepared for you from ^''''■•_^'^-/'^- the foundation of the world.'' ^sp^^ /j ^y^^g g, hungered, and ye gave %4!i7;2o.'ch.'i3. me meat — I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink — I ^was a stranger, /ro^.s.]?. and ye took me in — ^u naked, ''and ye clothed me — I was sick, and ^ "jf '•pp\.'''.-?,- f ye visited me — I Svas in prison, and ye came unto me.' -"Tiien shall ech.20.23. the righteous answer him, saying, ' Lord ! when saw we thee a hun- fcoVi'Q!'" arered, and fed thee ? or thirsty, and gave thee drink ? ^8 When saw "'^''- ^i- '^ "' , . •' \ .^ . ,, ,,,,,, X See Note S we thee a stranger, and took thee in ? or naked, and clothed thee? fu.5s.7. Ez'ek 18.7. James ' o- Heb. 13. 2. 3'JOrwhen saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?' 18.7. James 1.27. Jude 6. I Prov. 14. 31. & ''° And the King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I say unto "3 John 5. you, •'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my foTTm'.t.ie'.'^' brethren, ye have done it unto me.' j piov. i4. 31. & 41 " Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, ' Depart 'from MaJk'g"'''^* me, ye cursed ! into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his j^^f'^'g^'^y^ 7 angels, ^apoj- j ^vas a hungered, and ye gave me no meat — I was 23.'&"]3."4o,42! thirsty, and ye gave me no drink — 43];Yj;^asa stranger, and ye took 2Pet.2.'4 " me not in — naked, and ye clothed me not — sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.' ^4 Then shall they also answer him, saying, "i7.|^jech.2, 'Lord ! when saw we thee a hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or TOOan. 12.2. naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee ? ' ^5 Then RoJJJ/g.f; &c. shall he answer them, saying, ' Verily, I say unto you, 'Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.' ^e j^^^^ - '"these shall go away into everlasting punishment ; but the righteous sect, xxv. into life eternal." V. M. 29. • J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. Section XXV. — Christ retires from the City to the Mount of Olives. , , 7~ „ Luke xxi. 37, 38. j ch. 22. 39. 3^ And "in the day time He was teaching in the temple ; and ""at _ night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives. 38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him. SECT. XXVI. V. R. 29. J. P. 4742. ===^=^^=^=^^^=^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Jerusalem. Section XXVI. — Wednesday, second Day before the Crucifixion — «i'"ke;22.i. ^, . , 77 7 • 1 • T\ ji Jol.nll. 5o.& Christ foretells his approaching Lfeatn. w. 1. Matt. xxvi. 1, 2.— Mark xiv. part of ver. 1 . '' ^'^ ■^°''" ^ " ^- ' J ./ c It IS a common 1 Mark xiv. 1. i j(Vprpj,j^ "two days was the feast of the Passover, and of scriptural usage 2 Matt. XXVI. 1. Unleavened Bread. " And it came to pass, when Jesus had eve^nTspoken of 3 Matt.xxvi.2. finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, ^ "Ye K'^r'actuaii^ know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and 537'o"'"iWiIhf Hhe Son of Man 'is betrayed to be crucified. «• ?■ ■^.''^'' J*"'^ •' description 01 past occurren- ces. — Ed. 166 PREPARATION FOR THE PASSOVER. [Part VI. SECT. XXVII. Section XXVII. — The Rulers consult how they may take Christ Matt. xxvi. 3-5. — Mark xiv. part of ver. 1, and ver. 2. — Luke xxii. 1, 2. ' Now the feast of Unleavened Bread drew nigh, which ' ^^^'^ '''"'■ ^ is called the Passover. '^ Then "assembled together the pb. 2. 2. John Chief Priests, and the Scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caia- phas ; ^ and consulted Tandl ^ sought how they might take ^ Matt. xxvi. 4. -T • LJo JO g Mark xiv I " Jesus by subtilty, ^ by craft, and put him to death. ' But 7 Mark xiv! 2! they said, " Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar " Matt. xxvi. 5. among the people :" 'for they feared the people. y ' ^"""^ ^"'- ^- Matt. xxvi. /?«ri 0/ 2Jer. 4,ared 5. — 4 — that they might take — and kill him. 5 But they said, " Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar — . Mark xiv. part of ver. 1, and 2. — 1 — and the Chief Priests and the Scribes — him — 2 — of the people." Luke xxli. part of ver. 2. And the Chief Priests and Scribes sought how they might kill him ; — . V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. 11. 47. Acts 4 25, &c. y See Note 22. 8 2 Matt. xxvi. 3. 3 Matt. xxvi. 4. 4 Mark xiv. 1. SECT. XXVIII. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. z See Note 23. a John 13. 2, 27. b Zech. 11. 12. Matt. 27. 3. c Probably shekels or stater.'i, in val- ue about 72 cts. ; the sum, there- fore, that Judas received was no more than |S1. 60c. which was the price paid for thn loss of the meanest slave according to the Law of Moses ; Ree Exod.21.32. * Or, without tu- mult. d Mark 14. 10. Luke 22. 3. John 13. 2, 30. f.ch. 10. 4. /Malt. 26. 14. Luke 22. 3, 4. §-Zoch. 11. 12. " Mark 14. 11. 1 Luke xxii. 3, 2 Luke xxii. 4. 3 Mark xiv. 10. 4 Luke xxii. 4. Section XXVIII. — Judas agrees with the Chief Priests to betray Christ.^ Matt. xxvi. 14-16. — Mark xiv. 10, 11. — Luke xxii. 3-6. ' Then "entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the Twelve. ' And he went his way ^ unto the Chief Priests, to betray him unto them, * and communed with the Chief Priests, and captains, how he might betray him unto them. * And said unto them, " What * Jg^"- '"^'''• 'will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?" ^ And « Mark . xiv. il when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. '' And they covenanted with him for thirty "pieces of silver. ^And from that time he sought opportu- ^ Matt. x.xvi. nity to betray him. ^ And he sought how he might con- g Mark xiv. il veniently betray him. '° And he promised, and sought 'f* Luke xxii. a opportunity to betray him unto them *in the absence of the multitude. Matt. xxvi. ver. 14. '^Then one of the Twelve, called "Judas Iscariot, went unto the Chief Priests. Mark xiv. part of ver. 10. /And Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went — . Lde£ xxii. ver. 5. And they were glad, and ^covenanted to give him money. 7 Matt. xxvi. 15. SECT. XXIX. V. JE. 29. J. p. 4742. Jerusalem. a Exod. 12. fi. M^itt. 26. 17. Luke 22. 7. * Or, sacrificed Section XXIX. — Thursday, the Day before the Crucifixion — Christ directs two of his Disciples to prepare the Passover. Matt. xxvi. 17-19. — Mark xiv. 12-16. — Luke xxii. 7-13. ' And "the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they ' ^^'"^ ^'^- ^^ *killed the Passover, his disciples ' came to Jesus [and] ^ ^^''"- ^-^^'• ^said unto him, " Where wilt thou that we go and prepare 3 Mark .xiv. 12. that thou mayest eat the Passover ? " " And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, " Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat." " And they said unto him, " Where wilt thou that we prepare ?" ^ And [he] saith unto them, " Go ye into the city, * and, behold ! when ye are entered into the city, there shall ^ meet you a ^ ^^"^ "'"• ^^ man, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him '"into the '" ^"'"^''■^''•^'' house where he entereth in. " And wheresoever he shall " Markx.v. 14, go in, say ye to the good man of the house, The Master saith ''unto thee, "My time is at hand ; I will keep the '! i^-'i^e "ii-n. ^ J _ _ ^ / 13 Matt. XXVI, Passover at thy house with my disciples. " Where is the is. guest-chamber, where T shall eat the Passover with my " ^'^'^ ^"- ^^ 4 Mark xiv. 13 5 Luke xxii. 8. 6 Luke xxii. 9. 7 Mark xiv. 13. 8 Luke xxii. 10. Sect. XXXI.] CHRIST REPROVES HIS DISCIPLES. 167 15 Mark xiv. 15. disciples ? '"Andhcwill show you a large upper room, 16 Mark xiv. iG. fumishcd and prepared : there make ready for us." '*^ And " Matt. xxvj. j^.^ disciples went forth, and came into the city, '^and did 18 Mark xiv. iG. as Jcsus had appointed them, '*^and found as he had said unto them : and they made ready the Passover. Matt. xxvi. partofver. 17, 18, and 19. — 17 ''Now the first day of the feast of Unleav- 6 Exod. 1-2. 6. ened Bread the disciples — saying unto him, " Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee Luke 22! 7." to eat the Passover ? " 18 And he said, " Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, — 19 — the disciples — and they made ready the Passover. Mark xiv. part ofrcr. 13. — and there shall — . Luke xxii. rer. 7, pari of ve.r. 8, 10, 1], and ver. VZ, and 13. — 7 "Then came the "^ji.^t". 2G l?'. day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be ''killed. 8 And he sent — 10 — he said Mark 14. 12. unto them, — a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him — 11 And 3'e shall (iSeeMark 14. 12. say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith — Where is the guest-chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? 12 And he shall show you a large upper room furnislied : there make ready." 13 And they went, and found as he had said unto them : and they made ready the Passover. ' Section XXX. — Christ partakes of the last Passover.^ -^ Matt. xxvi. 20. — Mark xiv. 17. — Luke xxii. 14-18. — John xiii. 1. V.^. 29. 1 John xiii. 1. 1 jvjo^y '^before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus ^- ^ i''^^" 1 ; I • 1 III Jerusalem. knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of — this world unto the Father, havine loved his own which "^ ^f^f or" .i**" " o a Matt. 2b. 2. 2 Mark -xiv. 17. wcrc iu thc world, he loved them unto the end. ^ And in ftjohnia. 23. & 3 Lukexxii.14. the evening he cometh with the Twelve. ^ And when the ^^" ^' "" 4 M;ut. xxvi. hQ^jj. ^yjjg come, — ^ when the even was come, — ^ he sat 5 Lukexxii.14. dowu, and the twelve apostles M'ith him. ° And he said 6Lukexxii.i5. unto ^hcm, " *With desire I have desired to eat this Pass- *pr /AMcAeart- . . , ~ "'J desired. 7 Lukexxu.io. Qvgj. ^jth you before I suffer ; '' for I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof 'until it be fulfilled in the king- ^\;"t''lo^'4p' 8 Lukexxii.17. dom of God." ^And he took the cup, and gave thanks, iiev. 19. 9." 9 Lukexxii.18. j^j^j g^id, " Take this, and divide it among yourselves ; " for ''I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, ''u^^kif.'^.' until the kingdom of God shall come." Matt. xxvi. part of ver. 20. Now — He sat down with the Twelve. Section XXXI. — Christ again reproves the ambition of his Disciples. ^^^^' ^'^^^- Luke xxii. 24-27.— John xiii. 2-16. V. JE. 29. 1 .Tohn xiii. 2. >And supper being ended fcomel, Mhere "was also a J- P- 4742. 2 LiUke \xii* , ^^ Lj' fi 24--^7. ■ Strife among them, which of them should be accounted the "^f""- greatest, ^^^^^j^jje g^jj yj-,to them, " The kings of the Gentiles "*^f''„9-i?f •111- 1 111 ? 1 . ^-'"'"'- ^- '*''• e.xercise lordship over them ; and tliey that e.xercise authority upon * Matt. 20. 25. them are called benefactors. ^^ But 'ye shall not be so ; ''but he that /Ml'tl ^20.^26. is greatest among you, let him be as the younger ; and he that is chief, ^ Pe»-5. 3. as he that doth serve. ^^For 'whether is greater, he that sitteth at fLuteiVS. meat, or he that serveth ? is not he that sitteth at meat? but -^I am /.Matt. 20. 28. among you as he that serveth." pm""'"* John xiii. 2-16. ^The °'Devil having now put into the heart of Judas Is- ^A"''1o~-o-?- ™. , i."T 1 •>. John iJ. 27. canot, feimon s son, to betray him ; •'Jesus knowing nhat the Father a Matt. 11.27. & had given all tilings into his hands, and 'that he was come from God, f^'.l^^t" " and went to God ; '^ he ^riseth from supper, and laid a.side his gar- f cor"'i5!'27 ments ; and took a towel, and girded himself. ^ After that he poureth Heb. 2.'e. water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe 'le.es.' them with the towel wherewith he was girded. '^ "^ Then rometh he to ^lt!u''i~i's' Simon Peter : and *Peter said unto him, " Lord, *dost thou wash my bSeeNoteai. feet?" Uesus answered and said unto him, "What I do thou *f • 'T., „ ,^ k 11,,,, '' "^fis -Matt. J. 14. newest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." ^ Peter saitli z ver. 12. unto him, " Thou shalt never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, n ch. 15. 3. 16S CHRIST SPEAKS OF HIS BETRAYER. [Part VI. "'6!H?EphL^°'■ "If "I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." ^ Simon Peter Heb.' io!s2^.' ^' saith unto him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." ^^ Jesus saith to him, " He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit ; and "ye are clean, but not och.6. 64. j^]]5' 11 For "he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, » Matt. 23 8, 10. a y© are not all clean." Luke o. 4o. 1 Cor. 8.6. & i~ So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, 5 Luke 22. 27. ^ud was sct dowu again, he said unto them, "Know ye what I have rRom. 12. 10. douc to you ? ^^ Yc ^call me 'Master' and 'Lord:' and ye say well, 1 Pet.'s.'aT for 50 I am, ^^ If 'I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your ''phn'.Vk I^Pet. f^et, ''ye also ought to wash one another's feet. ^^ For ^I have given 2.21. 1 John 2.6. you au examolc, that ye should do as I have done to vou. ^^ Verilv, t Matt 10 **4 . i ^ J ^ J J 7 Luke'e. 4o~ John 'vcrily, I say unto you. The servant is not greater than his lord ; 15.20 neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him." SECT. xxxiL Section XXXIL — Christ, sitting at the Passover and continuing the V. M. 29. Conversation, speaks of his Betrayer. J. P. 4742. Matt. xxvi. 21-25.— Mark xiv. 18-21.— Luke xxii. 21-23.— Johm xiii. 17-30. crubajm. i ^^ j^ a^^ kuow thcsc thiugs, happy arc ye if ye do them. ' J"''" xiii. n. a James 1.25. 2 J spcak uot of you all. I kuow whom I have chosen ; but ^ •'°'"' ^'"-is- 26. '23.' John 13! that tlic 'Scriptuic may be fulfilled, — ' He that eateth bread with me Hath lifted up his heel against me.' /"(L^ioim'Tr ^-^Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to ^ John xiii.ig. 29. & 16. 4. pass, ye may believe that I am He. "Verily, 'verily, I say * J"''" ""i-so. 25. 40. Luke' 10. uuto you, Hc that receiveth whomsoever I send receive th ^^' me ; and he that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me." ^M\A'\t ' When ''Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit. ' ■'°'^" •^'"•^i- Luke 22! 21! ® And as they sat, and did eat, Jesus '' testified and said, 7fr'''"''m" Jolni 12 "7 . . B 1 • T John xiii. 21. e Acts 1.17. "Verily, verily, I say unto you. That 'one of you, * which « Mark xiv. is. iJohn'2.i'9. eateth with me, 'shall betray me. '' But, ^behold ! the ';"';"''"': ^i- fPs. 41.9. Matt. , , ^ , . , , , -^ . . , I I 1 jj Lukexxii.21. 26.21,23. Mark hand 01 him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. 14.^8. John 13. 1, ^j^j 'they began to inquire among themselves, which of " Lukexxii.23. s-,M'^"-~*^-~o^ them it was that should do this thing. ** And they began '^ Mark xiv. 19. Jolin 13. 22, 25. in ,. ^i i, c \ to be exceeding sorrowful ; and began every one 01 them i=* Matt. xxvi. ;iPs. 41. 9.^ to say unto him, '•* one by one, '* " Lord, is it I ? " '*and u Mark xiv. 19. jXus.Ts." another said, " Is it I ? " " And he answered and said '^ Matt.xxvi.22. 'Luke'lf.'-I!' ""to them, "It is one of the Twelve, that dippeth with me JJ j;^;^^';;^^; See John 1 51. in thc dish. '*He ''that dippeth his hand with me in the m Matt. xxvi. jAr^ts2.23.& ^jj^,^^ ^j^^ ^,^^^^^ ^j^^jj ^^^^,^^ ^^^^^ ,9 rpj^^ ig^^^ ^f jyj^^j 1"- 19 Lk xiv. 21. A: Gen.^3. 15^^ 5 ^ccd gocth, ""^ as^it was determined, [and] *' as *^it is written 20 Lukexxii.22. fee. fess."" ■ ' of him : but woe unto that man by whom 'the Son of Man ^' Matt. xxvi. zech. i2. 10. & is betrayed ! it had been good for that man, if he had not Luk; Ki^; '^6®" "^orn ! " <= -'' Then the disciples looked one on another, "^ John xiii. 22. ;i6- •'"''"i^--^ doubting of whom he spake. '^^ Now "'there was leaning 23 john xiii. 23. 28, 36, 37. Acts t i ■ i i t i i 13. 27-29. & 17. on Jesus bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. I.&l.l3'.^'^' '"Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ^^ John xiii. 21. } PeT f.'u. ask who it should be of whom he spake. '' He then lying "' •'°"" •^»'- ^■ J See John 1. 51. ou Jcsus' brcast saith unto him, "Lord, who is it?" c'sJe^Note 26. ^' Jcsus answcrcd, " He it is, to whom I shall give a tsop, =" J"'"' ^"i•2G. 7nJohni9. 20. & wlicu I liavc dipped ?V." And when he had dipped the 20; 24. '' sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 ^j^^j 27 j„,,„ ,^11,. 07, \o,, morsel. "aftcr thc sop, Satan entered into him. "* Then Judas, ^^ Matt. xxvi. "jo'hn6.''7o. ' which betrayed him, answered and said, " Master, is it I ? " Sect. XXXIIL] JUDAS GOES OUT TO BETRAY CHRIST. 169 S9 John xiii.27. He said unto him, '* Thou hast said.""^ ''Then said Jesus ^ See Note S27. 30 John xiii.28. uj^tQ i^ijj^^ cc 'pj^g^^ ^i^q^ doBst, do quickly." '^° Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. " Johnxiii.29. 31 Pqj. gQj^jg ^y fj^^^^ thought, becausc "Judas had the bag, "John 12. 6. that Jesus had said unto him, " Buy those things that we have need of against the feast ; " or, that he should give 32 John xiii. 30. something to the poor. ^' He then having received the sop went immediately out : and it was night.^ p Knapp adds liere, " when he Matt. xxvi. ver. 21 , and part of ver. 22, 23, and 24.— 21 And as they did oat, he said, "'^"^ oitt."— Ed. " Verily I say unto you, That one of you shall betray me." 22 And they were — 23 And he answered and said, — 24 'The Son of Man goeth — . q sce John 1. 51. Mark xiv. part ofvcr. 18, 19, and 21. — 18 — said, " Verily I say unto you, One of you — shall betray me." I'J — sorrowful, and to say unto him — " Is it I .'" — 21 — as it is g jy . ''written of him : but woe to that man by whom "the Son of Man is betrayed I good were g see John 1. 51. it for that man, if he never had been born !" tMatt "6 "4 Luke xxii. part of ver. 22. — And 'truly the Son of Man goeth, — but woe unto that Mark 14. 21. ,,',."',,,,„ •' b > SeeJohnl.51. man by whom he is betrayed ! Section XXXHT. — Judas goes out to betrai/ Christ, who predicts sect, xxxiii. Peter^s Denial of him, and the Danger of the rest of the Apostles. V. M. 29. Luke xxii. 28-38.— John xiii. 31, to the end. J- P- 4742. John xiii. 31-35. 31 THEREFORE, whcU he WaS gOnC OUt, JcSUS said, " Now Jerusalem. "is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. "10^03^14 'it" ^^ If ''God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, 1 Pet. 4. 11.' and 'shall straightway glorify him. ^^ Little children, yet a little while *ch"i2'23^'^'^' I am with you. Ye shall seek me; ''and, as I said unto the Jews, <? ch. 7. 34. & 8. 'Whither I go, ye cannot come;' .so now I say to you. ^"^A 'new ^Lev. 19. is. commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another ; as I have ^'j^^^^- ^^'^''^ loved you, that ye also love one another. ^^ By ^this shall all me7i know 1 Thess. 4. 9. that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. iPet. i.'22. Lukexxii.28-38. 28 a Ye are tlicy which have continued with me in 'my l^f^.'l'lkf temptations ; ^^ and ''I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath f^ ^°''"2- ^- ^ appointed unto me, ^''that 'ye may eat and drink at my table in my o-iieb.4. 15. kingdom ; ^and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." 'Vh'\"' 30 ^^' ^^ And the Lord said, "Simon! Simon! behold! *Satan hath de- acor.'i."?.^ sired to have you, that he may 'sift you as wheat; ^^but "'I have f jiatus. ii7ch. prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not ; "and when thou art converted,*' J"*- ^^ ^^''- ^^ strengthen thy brethren." ^^And he said unto him, " Lord ! I amjPs.49. 14. ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death." 34^^^ °j^g ?co;.6^'2^^' said, " I tell tliee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that ^^j%'J'^^^ thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me." /Amos 9. 9. ^^ And ''he said unto them, " When I sent you without purse, and ™ John 17. 9, 11, scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? " And they said, " Nothing." nPs. 51. 13. 2^ Then said he unto them, " But now, he that hath a purse, let him Jseel^otl^^' take it, and hkewise his scrip J and he that hath no sword, let him sell Matt. 25. 34. his garment, and buy one. ^" For I say unto you, that this that is joi'm islls"' 'written must yet be accomplished in me, — ' And he was reckoned ? -J'^'I*- lo- 9- ,1 ^ 1 -ri 1 1 • ■ 1 ch. 9. 3. & 10. 4. among the transgressors. t or the things concerning me have an g u. 53. 12. end." 38A,-,(j ^jjgy gg^y^ "Lord, behold! here are two swords." ^^"^15.23. And he said unto them, " It is enough." ^ fSeeNote29. John xiii. 30-38. 36 gi^-^Q,^ ^etev Said unto him, "Lord, whither goest thou ? " Jesus answered him, " Whither I go, thou canst not follow rne now; but 'thou shalt follow me afterwards." ^-pg^g^ said unto ''a'pefi^H him, "Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will 'lay down my 5 iMatt. 26. 3L35 life for thy sake." ^^ jggug answered him, " Wilt thou lay down thy ^^'.[^ 'A~ifk life for my sake ? Verily, verily, I say unto thee. The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice." VOL. u. 22 o no CHRIST CONSOLES HIS APOSTLES. [Part VI. SECT. XXXIV. V. M. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. g See Note 30. a Mark 14. ^2. Luke 22. 19. ] Cor. 11.23,24, 25. * aiaiiy Greek copies have,gave thanks. See Mark 6. 41. 6 1 Cor. 10. 16. or, represents ; the verb of ex- istence is often tlius used ; com- pare Acts 10. 17. &; 17. 20. where it is very prop- erly rendered mean ; see also. Gen. 40. 26. Dan. 7. 24. M,ilt. 13. 38, 39. Luke 15. 26. John 7. 36. & 10. 6. 1 Cor. 10. 4. Gal. 4. 24. Rev. 1. 20. c 1 Cor. 11. 24. dScc Exod. 24.8. Lev. 17. 11. Jer. 31. 31. Matt. 20. 28. Rom. 5. 15. Heb. 9. 22. « 1 Cor. 10. 16. j See Note *. h See Note 31. Section XXXIV. — Christ institutes the Eucharist. s Matt. x.xvi. 26-29.— Mark .xiv. 22-2.5.— Luke xxii. 19, 20. ' And "as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and *blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, " Take, eat ; this *is my body, ^ which is given for you : "this do in remembrance of me." ^ Likewise also * he took * the cup after supper, " and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, ^saying, " Drink ye all of it;" * and they all drank of it. ^ And he said unto them, " This ''is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many. '° This 'cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you, [and] "for many for the remission of sins. '^ Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more '^ henceforth of this fruit of the vine, •'^until that day when I drink it new \l ^^^IZlt with you in my Father's ''kingdom ; '* in the kingdom of God." m Mark xiv. 25. Matt. xxvi. pa7-t of ver. 27, 28, and 29. — 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, — 28 ^for this is my blood of the New Testament, wliich is shed — 29 ''But I say unto you, I will not drink — . ]\LvnK xiv. ver. 22, and part of vcr. 23, and 2.5. — 22 ^And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, " Take, eat; this -'is my body. 23 And — the cup, — . 25 — of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new — . Luke xxii. part of vcr. 19, and 20. — 19 *And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, " This 'is my body — 20 — saying, — . /Acts 10.41. ^ See Note 5-. A Mark 14. 25. Luke 22. 18. i Matt. 26. 26. Luke 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 23 1 Matt XXVI. 2G. ii Luke xxii. 19. 3 Luke xxii.20. 4 Mark xiv. 23. 5 Luke xxii.20. 6 Mark xiv. 23. 7 Matt. xxvi. 27. 8 Mark xiv. 23. 9 Mark xiv. 24. 10 Luke xxii.20. 11 Matt. xxvi. 28. k Matt. 26. 26. Mark 14. 22. I See Note b. SECT. XXXV. V. M.. 29. J. p. 4742. Jerusalem. a ver. 27. ch. 16. 3. -2-2. h ch. 13.33,36. c ver. 18. 28. Acts 1.11. dch. 12. 2G. & 17. 24. 1 Thoss. 4. 17. ech.l. 4, 17. & 8.32. & 10. 9. &11.25. Heb. 9.8. /ch. 8. 19. g ch. 12. 45. Col. 1. 15. Heb. 1. 3. h ver. 20. ch. 10. 38. & 17.21,23. £ ch. 5. 19. & 7. 16. & 8. 28. & 12. 49. j ch. 5. 36. & 10. 38. k Matt. 21. 21. Mark 16. 17. Luke 10. 17. I Matt. 7. 7. & 21. 22. .Mark 11. 24. Luke 11. 9. ch. 15. 7, 16. & 16. 23, 24. James 1. .5. 1 John 3. 22. & 5. 14. m ver. 21,23. ch. 15. 10, 14. 1 John 5. 3. n ch. 15. 26. & 16. 7. Rom. 8. 15, 2t;. ch. 15. 26. & 16. 13. 1 Cor. 2. 14. I John 4. 6. p 1 John 2. 27. q M;:tt. 28. 20. vcr. 3, 28. Section XXXV. — Christ exhorts the Apostles, and consoles them on his approaching Death. John xiv. ^ " Let "not your heart be troubled : ye believe in God, believe also in me. ^ In ray Father's house are many mansions ; if it were not so, I would have told you. I ''go to prepare a place for you; ^and if I go and prepare a place for you, 'I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that "^where lam, thc7-e ye may be also. ^. And whither 1 go ye know, and the way ye know." ^ Thomas saith unto him, " Lord, we know not whither thou goest ; and how can we know the way ? " ^ Jesus saith unto him, " I 'am tiie Way, the Truth, and the Life ; no man cometli unto the Father, but by me. ''' If •'ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also ; and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." ^ Philip saith unto him, " Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." '•* Jesus saith unto him, '' Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? "'he that hath seen me hath seen the Father ; and how sayest thou then, ' Show us the Father ? ' 10 Believest thou not that "I am in the Father, and the Father in me ? the words that I speak unto you 'I speak not of myself ; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. '^ Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me ; ^or else believe me for the very works' sake. '^ Verily, *verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also ; and greater ivoi-ks than these shall he do ; because I go unto my Father ; i-' and 'whatsoever ye shall a.sk in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glori- fied in the Son. ^^ If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 15 a jf '"yg |Q.^g j^.jp^ i^ggp ^^y commandments : I'^and I will pray the Father, and "he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, ^^ (even "the Sj)irit of truth ;) whom the world cannot receive, because it sccth liim not, neitiier knowcth him ; but ye know him ; for he (Ivvclleth with you, 'and shall be in you. '^ I 'will not Sect. XXXVIL] CHRIST THE TRUE VINE. j^j leave you *comfortless : I will come to you. ^^ Yet a little while, and *0"''<^A'"w- the world seeth me no more ; but ''ye see me ; because I live, ye shall '^i^col^is^bo. live also. -" At that day ye shall know that *I am in my Father, and ^^'- 'o. cb. lo. ye in me, and I in you. ^^ He 'that hath my commandments, and ae! • ' > keepeth them, he it is that loveth me ; and he that loveth me shall be <^ Jo''n2.5. t loved of my Father ; and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." ^- Judas "saith unto him (not Iscariot), "Lord, how is it that thou "Lukec. le. wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" ^^ Jesus answered and said unto him, "If "a man love me, he will keep my "ver. is. words; and my Father will love him, "and we will come unto him, Vev^s"!)^^' and make our abode with him. ^^ He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings; and ""the word which ye hear is not mine, but the xvei.w. oh. 5. Father's which sent me. ^^ These things have I spoken unto you, t's. 28. & 12. being yet present with you ; ^^ but ^the Comforter (which is the Holy y ^.^^ jg. Luke Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name), he shall teach vou ?^-,l^-,^''-~-,?^- 11 I ■ II- 11 1 • 1 -^ & 12. IG. & lo. all thmgs, and brmg all tinngs to your remembrance, whatsoever I 20. & 16.7,13. have said unto you. ~~ Peace *I leave with you, my peace I give unto ^ Phn!'^.?. coi! you : not as the world giveth, give I unto you. "Let net your heart ^- '^• be troubled, neither let it be afraid. ^^Ye have heard how *! said jveria^is. unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye ever. 12. ch. 5. would rejoice, because [I said], "I go unto the Father; for my Father iti. le. & 20! 17. is greater than I. -'-' And "^now I have told you before it come to pass, <ich'. 13! 19. & that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. ^^- '*• ^""Hereafter I will not talk much with you. 'For the prince of le.'ii." this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. ^^ But that the world •''p,^/,/2; ^ " Hei. may know that I love the Father ; and -^as the Father gave me com- ^- ^• mandment, even so I do: arise, let us go hence." ' i See Note 32. Section XXXVI. — Christ goes with his Disciples to the Mount of sect, xxxvi. Olives. y.'^.Qd. Matt. xxvi. 30. — Mark xiv. 26. — Luke xxii. 39. j p 4742. I Mark xiv. 26. > And when they had sung a *hymn, ^ he "came out, and Jerusalem. u e x.\ii.39. ^gj^^ ag hg ^vas wont, to the Mount of Ohves ; and his *ot,^^. disciples also followed him, a John is. i. Matt. xxvi. 30. And when tliey had sung a thymn, they went out into the Mount of ' ^'^^ ™' Olives. Mark xiv. part ofrer. 2G. — they went out into the Mount of Olives. Luke xxii. beginning of ver. 39. And — . ■ Section XXXVII. — Christ declares Himself to he the True Vine. sect. xxxvii. John xv. 1-8. V. JE. 29. ^ " I AM the true Vine, and my Father is the Husbandman. ^ Every J- P- 4742. "branch in me that beaveth not fruit he taketh away ; and every branch Jpra^aicm. that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit, a jiatt. 15. 13. ^Now 'ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. *j-''i-^"p""u*; ^ Abide '"in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, 5.26. ipot. 1.22. except it abide in the vine ; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ''/j'oim'2^6. ^ I am the Vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I <^ ho«- '^\f-, in him, the same bringeth forth much ''fruit ; for *without me ye can 4. 13. ' do nothing. ^ If a man abide not in me, 'he is cast forth as a branch, *me.'T<Z'i^i?!* and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, eMait. 3. 10. & and they are burned. ''If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ^ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. ^ Herein \",\a. &16.23'. ^is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my s J^'^l^g^i' ^^-jg disciples." 35.' pmi.' 1. 11. 172 EXHORTATION TO MUTUAL LOVE. [Part VL SEC. XXXVIII. gj^cTioN XXXVIIL — Christ exhorts his Apostles to mutual Love, and V. JE. 29. to prepare for Persecution. J. P. 4742. John xv. 9, to the end ; and xvi. 1-4. Jerusalem. 9 j, ^^ ^j^^ Father hath loved me, so have I loved you : continue ye och. 14.35,21, 23. jjj jjjy love. ^" If "yc keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my ^a./johni. 4. ' love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in \^hu^- ^1- a his love. 1 Thess. 4. 9. 1 . 1 1- 1 1 • • 1 1 Pet. 4. 8. 11 " These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain 4. 21'." ' ' in you, and Hhat your joy might be full. ^- This 'is my commandment, '^Rom^'i^iji^' That ye love one another, as I have loved you. ^^ Greater ''love hath f john'3~'i6 no man than tliis, that a man lay down his life for his friends. ^'^ Ye e ch. 14. 15, 23. 'are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. ^^ Henceforth /See Gen. 18. 17! I Call you not servauts, for the servant knoweth not what his lord ■ao'o?'^'^' ^"^^ doeth ; but I have called you friends, -^for all things that I have heard ^ch. 6.70. & 13. of lYiy Father I have made known unto you. ^'^ Ye 'have not chosen 19! ° " • ' j^g^ \y^i I i^r^yg chosen you, and ''ordained you, that ye should go and ''£k'if '15^" bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain ; that Whatsoever Col. 1. 6. yg gj^j^u r^g\^ Qf ti^g Father in my Name, He may give it you. ^'' These jler. 12!' •'things I command you, that ye love one another. feijohns. 1,13. 18 a jf i^j^g woild hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated m ch!'i'7. h! you. ^^ If 'ye were of the world, the world would love his own ; but n Matt. 10. 24. "'bccausc yc are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the ch".i3. 16. ' world, therefore the world hateth you. -" Remember the word that I oEzek.3. 7. j^ yj^^Q yQ^ 'The "servant is not greater than his lord,' If they o Matt. 10. 22. & , •' ■, 1 -11 1 . o-r ^1 1 1 . 24. 9. ch. 16. 3. have persecuted me, they will also persecute you ; it tliey nave kept I Rom f 'no ^^y saying, they will keep yours also. -^ But ^ all these things will James 4! I?; they do unto you for my Name's sake, because they know not Him IfjohnT^. that sent me. ^^If 'I had not come and spoken unto them, they had tch.3. 2.&7.31. not had sin ; '^but now they have no *cloak for their sin. ^^He 'that i^Vs'.S.'i9. & hateth me hateth my Father also. ^^ If I had not done among them ^^- ^- 'the works which none other man did, they had not had sin ; but "ch" 14. "17, 26. now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. ~^But Act^'2!'33!' this Cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in a; 1 John 5. 6. ^\^Q\y. Law, ' Tlicy "hatcd me without a cause.' ''24."48.\cts^. 26 u g^t %vhen the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you &3.']?.&4.2o; from the Father (even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the ?o: ^9.^& "i3.*ii! Father), "he shall testify of me; ^^and "ye also shall bear witness, 1 Pet. 5. ]. because ye have been with me from the beginning. 1 John i. i,'2. 1 " These things have I spoken unto you, that ye ^should John xvi. 1-4. '-'24^.1o.&26.3i. not be offended. ^They ''shall put you out of the syna- z ell. 9. 22, 34. & gogues : yea, the time cometh, "that whosoever killeth you will think a Act^s. 1. & that he doeth God service. ^ And Hhese things will they do unto //'.■h'.'itli'.^"^^' you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. ^ But 'these f c"; 2.' 8^.' things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may 1 T°m.~i. 13. remember that I told you of them. And ''these things I said not c ch. 13. 19. cSt 1 1 • • 1 T -xl 5J 14.29. unto you at the beginning, because 1 was with you. d See Matt. 9. 15. SECT. XXXIX. V. ^^20. Section XXXIX. — Christ promises the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. J. P. 4742. John xvi. .5, to the end. Jerusalem. 5 u g^j.j. j^^j^ «[ g^ my Way to Hiui that sent me ; and none of you aver. 10, 16. ch. askcth 1110, 'Whither goest thou?' ^but because I have said these 7. 33. & 13. 3. ^j^jj-^gg yj-,^^ yoy^ 'sorrow hath filled your heart. "^Nevertheless I tell c lh.'T^iti\i' you the truth — it is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go 'iG','2ti.&"i5.26. j^Qt away, 'the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I Epif.4. 8.' will send Him unto you. ^And when He is come He will *reprove ^Acls2"t2-37. the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. ^Of "sin, Sect. XL.] CHRIST INTERCEDES FOR HIS FOLLOWERS. I73 because they believe not on me; ^^of 'righteousness, because I go to ^^^-^J^^-^^^- my Father, and ye see me no more; ^^of -^judgment, because the /Lukeio. is. " ch. 12.31. 14. 19. iver.28. cli.13.3. prince of this world is judged. ^-I have yet many things to say unto Xctldl is. you, "but ye cannot bear them now ; '^howbeit when He, ''the Spirit f^ig h^^ ^f^- of Truth, is come. He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not s^ Mark 4. 33. speak of himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak, 5. Ts.' ' ' ^ ' and He will show you things to come. ^''He shall glorify me; for '^VV^ij^im He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. ^•''All 'things 2.20,27! that the Father hath are mine ; therefore said I, that He shall take of ^cl^f.-lt^h. mine, and show it unto you. ^^ A ■'little while, and ye shall not see .^;^^ J^- 1.^; ^ me ; and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, ^because I go to 33. & ib. 3a & the Father." ^"^ Then said some of his disciples among themselves, " What is this that he saith unto us, ' A little while, and ye shall not see rne ; and again, a little while, and ye shall see me ; ' and, ' Because I go to the Father ? ' " ^^ They said therefore, " What is this that he saith, ' A little while ? ' we cannot tell what he saith." ^^Now Jesus knew that they 'i^-^e- 17. were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, " Do ye inquire among n Luke 24.41,52. yourselves of that I said, 'A little while, and ye shall not see me;' 20.00; a hI's*" and again, 'A httle while, and ye shall see me?' ^o y^j.jjy^ verily, I fp^'j^'g^^' say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall oMat.7.7.cii.i4. rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned pdis^u.' into joy. ^^ A 'woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because toi, parables. her hour is come ; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she j v^/r. ax°*''* remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the r ch. 11. 21, 23. world. ^^And "'ye now therefore have sorrow; but I will see you svenso.ch.s.is. again, and "your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from (ch.'i3.3. you; ^2 and in that day ye shall ask me nothing. "Verily, verily, I *or, parable. say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name, He " ver.^ai.^^ch. 17. will give it you. ^'^ Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my Name : ^• ask, and ye shall receive, 'that your joy may be full. '^Mai'k 14.27. " ^^" These tilings have I spoken unto you in f proverbs ; but the ^'■•'•20.10. time cometh, when 1 shall no more speak unto you in Iproverbs, but jch. s. 29. & 14. I shall show you plainly of the Father. ^^ At 'that day ye shall ask ^^^1,' |,'"g ^,^ ^^ in my Name ; and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for 27.' Ron,. 5.' 1.' you ; ^"^ for 'the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, C0I.T26. and 'have believed that I came out from God. ~^I 'came forth from "^^'-^^'^.^^^-^u the Jbather, and am come mto the world; again, 1 leave the world, i ch. 14. 1. Rom. and go to the Father." 4;&-5.4.''''''"''' ^'^ His disciples said unto him, " Lo ! now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no *proverb. ^^ Now are we sure that "thou knowest = all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee. Bv this . SFPT' XT "we believe that thou camest forth from God." ^^ Jesus answered ' —^ them, "Do ye now believe? ^-behold! "the hour cometh, yea, is V. ^E. 29. now come, that ye shall be scattered, ""every man to this own, and ^. ^- '*''^2- shall leave me alone : and ^yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. ^^ These things I have spoken unto you, that 'in me ye a ch. 72. 23. & 13. 32. might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be * Dan. 7. 13. 14. /■° 1 , ' T 1 U 1 1 >' Matt. 11.27. & 01 good cheer, i have overcome the world. ir. 93. & as. is. Luke 1. 32. & — 10. 22. ch. 3. 35. & 5. 22, 27. & Section XL. — Christ intercedes for his Followers. a'cis 2. 36. & 17. T .. 3].Rom. 14. 9. JOHN XVll. J Cor. 15.2.1,27. ^ These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and phli!^ 2. Vio.^^' said, " Father ! "the hour is come ; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also "pet.''3~'22.^'^' may glorify Thee ; - as ''Thou hast given him power over all flesh, Rnv. 17.14. that he should give eternal life to as many '^as Thou hast given him. '^c'h"c.37.' ' VOL. II. o* 174 CHRIST PREDICTS PETER'S DENIAL. [Part VI. rf^is^53. 11. Jer. 3 ^j-,f| t/ji^jg jg ]jfg eternal, that they might know Thee, 'the only true e 1 Cor. 8. 4. God, and Jesus Christ, Avhom Thou hast sent. ^ I ^have glorified Thee /ch. 3!^34. & 5. on the earth, I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do ; 57' &'7%9' & ' ^ ^"^^ "^^' ^ Father ! glorify Thou me with thine own self, with the 10. 3G. &ii.42. glory ''which I had with Thee before the world was. *!5?3g!&1).'3. & "^ " I 'have manifested thy Name unto the men •'which thou gavest 3i' &if lo" &' '^6 out of the world. Thine they were, and Thou gavest them me ; 19. 30. and thev have kept thy word. ^ Now they have known that all things ]o.'3o'.&i4. 9. whatsoever Thou hast given me are of Thee ; ^for I have given unto h^'isfi?! H^b'. them the words * which Thou gavest me ; and they have received ^- ^' '^- them, 'and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they i ver 26. Ps. 22. . ? j 22. ' ' ' ~ ' have believed that Thou didst send me. ^ I pray for them ; ""I pray ^ch.'^6~37'39."& '^ot for the world, but for them which Tiiou hast given me, for they JO. 29. & 15. 19. g^j.g thine : ^° and all mine are thine, and "thine are mine ; and I am 49.' i 14. 10. ~' glorified in them. ^^ And "now I am no more in the world, but these '27'bo?"''^'^'^' are in the world, and I come to Tliee. Holy Father! ^keep, through TOi'johno. 19. thine own Name, those whom Thou hast given me, that they may be och"i3'i\ 16. °"®' a^ ^^^ "''^' ^^ While I was with them in the world, 'I kept them as.' in thy Name, (those that Thou gavest me I have kept, and '"none of Vo!'3o^''i*PeJi." them is lost, but the Son of Perdition, that the Scripture might be ^ci/e^g & 10 fulfilled,) ^^and now come I to Thee, and these things I speak in the 28.'H'eb.2. 13. ' vvorld, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. ""(Tto! "ifi^is. ^'* " I 'have given them thy word ; 'and the world hath hated them, 2o^tj'ohn2.'i9; because they are not of the world, "even as I am not of the world. Tver. 8. 15 1 p,.r^y not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but "that 'r'joim's.^ix^" thou sliouldest keep them from the evil. ^^ They "are not of the u ch. 8. 23. ver. world, cvcu as I am not of the world. ^^ Sanctify ^them through thy « Matt. 6. 13. truth : ^tlsy word is truth. ^^ As "'Thou hast sent me into the world, 2'Thes.sf'3. 3. ^^cu SO havc I also sent them into the world. ^^ And "for their sakes 1 John 5. 18. I sanctify myself, that they also might be *sanctified through the TO ver. 14. + +1 X ch. 15. 3. Acts trUtll. 1 Pet 'i''22^'^^' ^^ " Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall be- j/2 Sam. 7. 28. lievc OH me through their word ; ^^ that ''they all may be one ; as Thou, du 8? v."*"' ^^'" Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us ; zch.20.21. that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me. ^' And the glory "1 Til'Jss.'4.'7. ■ which Thou gavest me I have given them ; 'that they may be one, *ot'Ji/Lcti- ^^'6" a^ w® ^''6 one ; ^^ (I in them, and Thou in me) ; "that they may S^<=^- be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that Thou hast ch^'io. 16^38.' & sent me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved me. ^;' (i),-, ^Ts/^- 24 a Father ! 'I will that they also, whom Thou hast given me, be cch. i4.an. with me where I am ; that they may behold my glory, which Thou 3. -2}'." ■ ■ hast given me, ■'^for Thou lovedest me before the foundation of the rf Col. 3 14. world. ~^0 righteous Father! "the world hath not known Thee ; but ti^.] ch. 12. 26. ''I have known Thee, and these have known That thou hast sent me ; &14.3. iThess. 23 ^^^^j ^j j^^^^^ declared unto them thy Name, and will declare it ; that the /ver. 5. iQ^g ^wherewith Thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." g eh. 15. 21. & 16. 3. h ver. 8. ch. 7. 29. & 8. 55. & 10. 15. & 16. 27. i ver. G. ch. 15. 15. j ch. 15. 9. SECT XI.I. Section XLI. — Christ again predicts Peter's Denial of Him. V. JE. 29. Matt. xxvi. 31-35. — Mark xiv. 27-31. J. P. 4742. ' Then saith Jesus unto them, " All "ye shall be offend- ' H"^''- '=''"'• Jerusalem. ^^ becausc of uic tliis uiglit ; for it is ''written, — °Mntk'i"27: ' I wi^l ^"lite the Shepherd, Tohn 16.' ;h.' And the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.' b Zech. 13. 7. 1 /> • /^ 1 - IMatt xxvl c Matt. 28. 7, 10, ^ But after I am risen again, 'I will go before you into Ga!- 32. ' ~ ilec." ^ Peter answered and said unto him, "Though all 3 Matt.xxvi.33. 16. Mark 14. 28. & 16.7. Skct. XLIL] CHRIST'S AGONY IN THE GARDEN. 175 men shall be offended because of thee, yd will I never be 4 Mark xiv. 30. offended." ^ And Jesus saith unto him, " Verily ''I say ''j'^^j^ke 22^33.34. 6 Matt. xxvi. ^j^^^ i\\ee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock 6 Matt. xxvi. crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice." * Jesus said unto 7 Mark xiv.3i. him, " Vcrily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice." " Peter ' spake the more 8 Matt. xxvi. vehemently, [andj ** said unto him, "Though I should die 9 Markxiv.31. with thcc, yct will I not deny thee 'in any wise." '"Like- •0 Mat.xxvi.35. -^yjigg a,lso said all the disciples. Mark xiv. ver. 27, 28, 2D, and part ofver. 31.— 27 *And Jesus saith unto them, " All « Matt. 26. 31. ye sliall be offended because of me this night : for it is /written, — ' I will smite the Shep- /Zech. 13. 7. herd, And the sheep shall be scattered.' 28 But ^after that I am risen, I will go before ^ Matt. 28. 7, 10, you into Galilee." 29 ''But Peter said unto him, " Although all shall be offended, yet 16. ch. 11;. 7. will not I." 31 But he — " If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee— 'Likewise '^ll^kei2.'i^'f». also said they all. Jolin 13. 37, 38. — i Matt. 26. 35. Section XLIL — Christ goes into the Garden of Gethsemanc — His Agony there. Matt. xxvi. 36-4(3.— Mark xiv. 32-42.— Luke xxii. 40-40.— John xviii. 1, 2. sect, xlii. 1 joiiixviii. 1. 'When Jesus had spoken these words, "he went forth v. ^. 2D. 2 Matt. x.wi. ^\\\^ his disciples " unto a place called'' Gethsemane, ^ over j. p. 4742. 3 John xviii. 1. Hhe brook Cedron, where was a garden into the which he Garden of Geth- " S6l11!i.I]C 4 John xviii. 2. entered, and his disciples. ^ And Judas also, which betrayed — him, knew the place, 'for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither ^ s^jVote x?'^"' 5 Matt. xxvi. with his disciples; * and saith unto the disciples, " Sit ye * 2 sam. 15.23. « Mark xiv. 33. hcrc, whilc I go and pray yonder." '^ And he taketh with "fca^^fo.'^^" T Matt. xxvi. him, Peter and James and John, ^ the ''two sons of Zebe- d Matt. 4.21. 8 Luke xxii. 40. dee. ^ And when he was at the place, he 'began to be 9 Mat. xxvi.37. sorrowful, and '" to be sore amazed, and to be very> heavy. 1 ^^o Note 34. 10 Mark xiv. 33. „ rj.^ ^^j^j^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ,, j^j .^^^j -^ g^cceding sorrow- '^^l'\\^-^^- 11 Mat. XXVI. 00. 'J o _ John 12. 2(. ful, even unto death : tarry ye here, and watch with me, 12 i.uke xxii.4o. r^j^jn 12 ^^^^^ ^^^^^ j-,qj jjito temptation. '■* And he 13 Mark xiv. 35. L c 1 i- 1 u 11 • 1 1 c 1 14 LukexxTi.4i. wcut torward a little, and he was withdrawn irom them 15 Matt. xxvi. about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, '*and fell on his 16 Miirk xiv. 35. face '® on the ground, and -'^prayed that if it were possible, /Heb. 5. 7. 17 Mark xiv. 36. the hour might pass from him. " And he said, " Abba, iH Mat. xxvi.39. ^Pather ! "^ 6 my Father! if it be possible, let this <^^y ^^^^%l;~^,^^^ 20 Luke x.xn.43' P^^ss from me : '* all things arc possible unto Thee ; ^^ if 42. Jojin5. 30.* 21 i^uke xxii.43. Thou be * willing, remove this cup from me ; nevertheless, 27. Rom. 8. Ts. 22 Lukexxii.44. not my will but thine be done." "' And there appeared ''an ph'i.o.^g. ansrel unto him from heaven, strengthening liim. " And 'be- * cr. wuunstore- s. Ill- more. mgin an agony he prayed more earnestly ; and his sweat was a Matt. 4. 11. as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground, '^"h"}^^^'- 23 Luke xxii 45 o i i Heb. o. /. 24 jiatt_ ,;xvi. ^^ And when he rose up from prayer, "^ he cometh unto the . '"'■, .. . disciples, and findeth them " sleeping for sorrow, "^ and 26 Luke xxii.46 said unto them, " Why sleep ye ?" "and [he] saith unto 27 Mark xiv. 37. Peter, "Simon, sleepest thou? "** What, could ye not 2H Mitt. XXVI. ^j^t^h with me one hour ? "' Watch ye, ^° rise and pray, 29 Mark xiv. 38. 31 that yc cntcr not into temptation: ^the spirit indeed is i^'j"^'^^'^,^ 31 ALm'. xxvi!*^' willing but the flesh is weak." '' He went away again the GlT.'h.'ir .^4^- second time, and prayed, ^^ and spake the same words, -^^att. XXVI. 34 gg^yjj^g a Q j^-jy pjj^ther ! if this cup may not pass away 33 Mark xiv. 39. {^om mc, cxccpt I drink it, thy will be done." ^' And when 43! " ''''"' he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes 35 Mark xiv. 40. ^ygj.g hcavv,) ncithcr wist they what to answer him. "'^ And 36 Matt. xxvi. ,,«,•'' , , •' . , 1 1 .1 • J 44. he lelt them, and went away again, and prayed the thud 37 Matt. xxvi. tin^e^ saying the same words. " Then cometh he to his 38 Mark xiv. 41. disciplcs ^^ tlic third time, and saith unto them, " Sleep on 38. 23. 176 CHRIST'S BETRAYAL AND APPREHENSION. [Part VI. k Knapp punctu- ates this sen- tence so as to require this ren- dering — " Sleep ye still and take your rest 7 it is enough .' the hour is come." — Ed. I See John 1. 51. m Matt. 25. 46. John 18. 1,2. n Mark 14. 32-.35. Luke 22. 39. John 18. 1. John 5. 30. & 6. 38. Phil. 2. 8. p Mark 13. 33. & 14. 38. Luke 22. 40, 46. Ephes. 6. 18. q See Joiin 1. 51. r Mark 14. 42. John 18. 12. s iMatt. 26. 36. Luke 2-2. 39. John 18. 1. t Matt. 26. 38. John 12. 27. u John 5. 30. & 6. 38. V Matt. 26. 42. Rom. 7. 23. Gal. 5. 17. now, and take your rest : it is enough, tlie hour is come ','' behold ! 'the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sin- ners. '' Rise "up, let us go ; lo ! he that betrayeth me is ^ Mark xiv. 42. at hand." Matt. xxvi. pa,rt of ver. 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, ver. 43, part of vcr. 45, and ver. 46. — 36 "Then cometh Jesus with them — 37 And he took with him Peter and — and — very- heavy. 39 And he went a little farther, — and prayed, saying, — nevertheless, "not as I will, but as Thou wilt.'' 40 And — and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, — 41 ?'Watch and pray, — 43 And he came and found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy.) 45 — and saith unto them, " Sleep on now, and take yoxtr rest : behold ! the hour is at hand, and 'the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 ''Rise, let us be going : behold ! he is at hand that doth betray me." aiARK xiv. vtr. 32, part of vcr. 33, ver. 34, part of vcr. 35, 36, 37, 38,39, and 41.— 32 'And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane : and he saith to his disciples, " Sit ye here, while I shall pray." 33 — and began — 34 And saith unto them," My 'soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death : tarry ye here, and watch." 35 — and fell — 36 — take away this cup from me : "nevertheless not what J will, but what Thou wilt." 37 And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, — couldest not thou watch one hour?" 38 — and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. "The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak." 39 And again he went away, and prayed, — 41 And he cometh — . Luke xxii. part of ver. 40, 41, 42, 45, and 46.— 40 — said unto them, — 41 — and prayed, 42 saying, "Father, — 45 — and was come to his disciples, he found them — 46 lest ye enter into temptation." SECT. XLIII. V.^.29. J. P. 4742. G/.rden of Geth- a Matt. 26. 47. Luke 23. 47. Acts 1. 16. 6 2 Sam. 20. 9. cPs. 41. 9. &.55. 13. d See John 1. 5!. Section XLIII. — Christ is betray ed and apprehended — The Resistance of Peter. Matt. xxvi. 47-56.— Mark xiv. 43-50.— Luke xxii. 47-53. — John xviii. 3-11. 'And "immediately, while He yet spake, cometh Judas ' Mark xiv. 43. one of the Twelve, Hhen, having received a band of men and officers from the Chief Priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons ; ^ and with him a great multitude, with swords and staves, from the Chief Priests and the Scribes and the elders "of the people, * Now he that betrayed him '^ had given them a token, saying, " Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he ; take him, ' hold him fast, '^ and lead him away safely." ® And as soon as he was come, [he] '° went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. " And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, " Hail, Master ! " 'and kissed him. '^ And Jesus said unto him, " Friend, %vherefore art thou come ? '^ Judas, betrayest thou ''the Son of Man with a kiss? " '"Jesus therefore, knowing all things that ujohn should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them m See Note 35. e John 17. 12. 2 John xviii. 3, 3 Mark xiv. 43. 4 Matt. xxvi. 47. 5 Matt. xxvi. 4S. 6 Mark xiv. 44. 7 Matt. xxvi. 48. 8 Mark xiv. 44. 9 IMark xiv. 45. lu Lukexxii.47 11 Matt. xxvi. 49. 12 Matt.xxvi.50. 13 Luke xxii. 48. i. 4. " Whom seek ye 15 1 15 John xviii. 5. /Luke 22. 50. They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus saith unto them, " I am Ac." (And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.) "As '« John xviii. e. soon then as he had said unto them, "I am Ae," they went backward, and fell to the"" ground. " Then asked he them " John xviii. 7. again, " Whom seek ye ? " And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." '* Jesus answered, " I have told you that I am '' •'<'^" ^^''"- ^• he ; if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way." ''That '' J°''" '^"»- ^^ the saying might be fulfilled which he spake, " Of 'them which Thou gavest me have I lost none." "" Then came '° ^J;'"- '^""• they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. °' When 21 Luke xxii.49. they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" ^ ^^^^^ ^^ . ^'^And, behold! one of them whicli were with Jesus, 51! -■'Simon Peter, =' stretched out his hand, and drew " Jf"''^"'-.^"- . "■* i\l;itt XXVI. his sword, and -^struck a servant of the high priest, and 51. Sect. I.] CHRIST IS TAKEN TO ANNAS. 177 25 John. xviii. 11. smote off "^his right ear. The servant's name was Mal- 26 Lukoxxii.51. chug^ ^"^ And Jesus answered and said, " Suffer ye thus 27 joiinxviii.il. far!" And he touched his ear, and healed him. "Then 2t< Mutt. xxvi. g^j(j Jesus unto Peter, ^* " Put up again thy sword into his place : ° for all they that take the sword shall perish with ^i^^i'o^' ^' ^'''' 89 Matt. xxvi. the sword. ^* Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me ''more than twelve ^^ n'T^o ^'^' 30 Matt. xxvi. legions of angels ? ^° But how then shall the Scriptures be 31 joiin xviii.ii. fulfilled, 'that thus it must be ? ^' The ■'cup which my Father ^lliu.'^e. 24!* 32 Matt. xxvi. hath given me, shall I not drink it ? " ""'^ In that same hour ^^^^ ^- ^' **» 33 Mark xiv. 48. ^^ Jesus auswcrcd and said ^^ unto the Chief Priests, and j Matt. 20. 2-2. & 34 Luke xxii.52. captains of the temple, [and! 'Ho the multitudes, ''and ^'^•=^^'^- 35 Matt. xxvi. , ' , , , • , 1 ' L J •,,,,. 55. the elders, which were come to hrni, " Are ye come out, 36 Luke xxii.52. g^g agaiust a thief, with swords and staves for to take me ? 37 Matt. xxvi. ~ . . . . 55. ' ' I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no 3s Luiifi xxii.-'is. hold on me, '*" ye stretched forth no hands against me ; '"but Z u^uexxiLS 'the Scriptures must be fulfilled ; ^"but 'this is your hour, \^Xfll^:f 41 Matt. xxvi. and the i)ower of darkness." ^' But all this was done, that 20. Matt.26.54. the Scriptures of the Prophets might be fulfilled. "'Then &'24.44. ~" all the disciples forsook him and fled. L^Ma"rk h^so Matt. xxvi. part ofver. 47,43, -51, 52, and 55. — 47 And while "he yet spake, lo ! Judas, See John 18. 15. one of the Twelve, caine, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from "Luke 22. 47.' the Chief Priests and elders — 48 — gave them a sign, saying, " Whomsoever I shall John 18. 3. kiss, that same is he : — .51 — his ear. 52 Then said Jesus unto him, — 55 — said Jesus — . *^'^ ' ' Mark xiv. part of ver. 44, 45, ver. 40, 47, part of ver. 48, 49, and ver. 50. — 44 And he that betrayed him — 45 — he goeth straightway to him, and "saith, " Master ! master !" " Matt. 26. 49. and kissed him. 46 And they laid their hands on him, and took him. 47 And ^one of p Matt. 26. 51. them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his jjfm^ig 'jq ' ear. 48 And — unto them, " Are 'ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and icith q Matt. 26. 55. staves to take me ? 49 I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not : — ^""^^ ^" ^^• 50 ''And they all forsook him, and fled. ""g^g joiin 18.15 Luke xxii. part ofver. 47, 48, ver 50, part of ver. 52, and 53. — 47 And * while he yet s Matt. 26. 47. spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the Twelve, — 48 But j^„ iq'^_ ' Jesus said unto him, — 50 And 'one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and t Matt. 26. 51. cut off his right ear. 52 "Then Jesus said — " Be ye come out, as against a thief, with ^^'''^^i''- '^''^ , , ° , ,-0 TXT, T , ., • , • , , John 18 10. swords and staves ? 5J W hen 1 was daily with you in the temple, — . ^ jj^^^j og 55 JoHii xvni. part of ver. 3, 10, and 11. — 3 Judas — 10 "Then — having a sword, drew it, Mark 14. 48. and smote the high priest's servant, and cut — 11 — " Put up thy sword into the sheath : — . "jui'^" 14^47^" Luke 22. 49, 50. PART VII. FROM THE APPREHENSION OF CHRIST TO THE CRUCIFIXION. Section I. — Christ is taken to Annas, and to the Palace of sect. i. Caiaphas. V..^. 29. Matt. xxvi. 57. — Mark xiv. 51-5-3. — Luke xxii. 54. — John xviii. 12-14. j. p. 4742. 1 johnxviii.i2. 'Then the band, and the captain, and officers of the Jerusalem. 2 johnxvii..i3. jg^g ^qqJ^ Jesus, and bound him, "and "led him away to aSeeMlt7.26.57. Annas^ first (for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas), which ^"'"'?"^' 3 john.xvi.i.i4. ^^g j.j^g j^jgj^ priest that same year.* ' Now 'Caiaphas was I ^7d Annas' smt he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient ^'''cJaph^ th^ * Mark xiv. 51. that onc man should die for the people. * And there fol- /"«''.?",<■*'. Job" 1 J U • • 11 xviii. 24. lowed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast j John 11.50. about his naked bodi/ ; and the young men laid hold on 5 Mark xiv. 52. him. 'And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them VOL. II. 23 178 CHRIST IS CONDEMNED. [Part VIL e Matt. 26. 58. John 18. 15. SECT. II. V.^. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. a Matt. 26. 69. Mark 14. 66. Luke 22. 54. i John 18. 25. 8 Matt. xxvi. '"and with him ^''■ naked. ^ And ihey tliat had laid hold on Jesus, ' then took * "^t- xxvi.57. him, and led him ^ away to Caiaphas the high priest, ^ and ' ^"''® ''''"■^' brought him into the high priest's house were assembled all the Chief Priests, and the elders, and 10 Jlurk xS'S. the Scribes. " And "Peter followed afar off. >' Lukexxii.54. Matt. xxvi. part qfver. 57. — led him — where the Scribes and the elders were assembled. Mark xiv. part ofver. 53. And they led Jesus away to tlie high priest : — . Luke xxii. part ofver. 54. — they — . Section II. — Peter and John follow their Master. Matt. xxvi. 58. — Mark xiv. 54. — Luke xxii. 55. — John xviii. 15, 16. 'And Simon Peter followed Jesus, ^afar off, unto the ' Johnxviii.is. high priest's palace, 'and so did another disciple. That 58? disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with ' John^viii.is. Jesus into the palace of the high priest ; "but "Peter stood ^ Johnxviii.i6. at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter, '" And when ^ ^"""^ xxii.55. they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them " (the * ^^'^''^ '''''• ^^• servants), and 'warmed himself at the fire; 'and sat with 'Matt. xxvi. the servants, to see the end. Matt. xxvi. partofvcr. 58. But Peter followed him — and went in, — . Mark xiv. part of ver. 54. And Peter followed him afar off, even unto the palace of the high priest : and he sat with — . SECT. III. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. a Matt. 26. 55. Luke 4. 15. John 7. 14, 26, 28. & 8. 2. b Jer. 20. 2. Acts 25. 2. * Or, with a rod. e Matt. 26. 57. d Ps. 27. 12. & 35. 11. Mark 14. 55. So Acts 6.13. e Deut. 19. 15. /John 2. 19. g Is. 53. 7. Matt. 27. 12, 14. Section III. — Christ is first examined and condemned in the House of the High Priest. Matt. xxvi. 59-66. — Mark xiv. 55-64. — John xviii. 19-24. 'The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and 1 Johnxvih.ig- of his doctrine. ^'^ Jesus answered him, " I "spake openly to the world ; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort ; and in secret have I said nothing. ^^ Why askest thou me ? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them ; behold ! they know what I said." ^^ And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by ''struck Jesus *with the palm of his hand, saying, " Answerest thou the high priest so ? " -^ Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil ; but if well, why smitest thou me ? " ^^ Now 'Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. * Now the Chief * Matt.xxvi.59. Priests, and elders, and all the Council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death ; ' but found none : yea, "^though many false witnesses came, yet found they none ; ■• for many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. * At the last came 'two false witnesses, ^and bare false witness against him, sayine, ^" This fcHow * Mark xiv. 57. ' .' O' ■' 7 .Mat. xxvi.til. said, Sve heq,rd liim say, ^ ' I ^am able to destroy the temple s Marie xiv.ss! of God, and to build it in three days ; '"I will destroy this » Matt. xxvi. temple that is made with hands, and within three days 1 10 Mark xiv. 58. will build another made without hands.'" " But neither " Mark xiv. 59. so did their witness agree together. '^And the high priest " Matt.xxvi.es. arose, ''and stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, '^and " Mark xiv. eo. said unto him, " Answerest thou notjiing? what is it ivhich ca. these witness against thee ? " '^ But "Jesus held his peace, '^ j^.'""- ""'''■ '"and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, le iMarkxiv.ei. and said unto him, " Art thou The Christ, the Son of The 3 Matt.xxvi.60. 4 Mark xiv. 56. * Matt.xxvi.60. Sect. V.] PETER'S FIRSl' DENIAL OF CHRIST. I79 Blessed? "I ''adjure thee by the living God, that thou a Lev. 5.1 tell us whether tliou be The Christ, 'the Son of God." iSeeMarki.'i.' '® Jesus saitli unto him, " Thou hast said : '^ I am ; '° never- theless I say unto you, Hereafter'' shall ye see ^the Son of bSeeNotea Man sitting on the right hand of Power, and coming in the ■'vl^is^Vatt^ie! clouds of heaven." -'Then *the high priest rent his Lukt li.' I?.' & clothes,'^ saying, " He hath spoken blasphemy f what fur- 25- 3i seejohn ther need have we of witnesses ? behold ! now ye have Rom. 14. 10. heard his blasphemy. "' What think ye ? " They answered Rev.TV.' Ma>kxiv.64. and said, "He 'is guilty of death." "And they all con- *|f^"f^®-^ demned him to be guilty of death. c seeNote3. Matt, x.xvi. part of ver. CI, and 03. — Gl And said, — 63 — And the high priest an- ^ j^ev '>4 16* swered and said unto him, — . John 19. 7. Mark xiv. mr. 55, part of -bct. 57, 60, 61 , 62, ver. 63, and part of ver. 64. — 55 "And the »» Matt. 26. 59. Cliief Priests and all the Council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death ; and found none. 57 And there arose certain, — 60 — the high priest — saying, " Answer- est thou nothing .' -whdX is it lohich ihese witness against thee .^" 61 "But he held his n Is. 53. 7. Matt, peace, — 62 And Jesus said, — and "ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right s' N t • hand of Power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." 63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, " Wliat need we any further witnesses .-" 64 Ye have heard the blas- phemy : what think ye ^ — . ^________^^ 17 Matt. xxvi. G3. 18 Matt. xxvi. C4. 19 Mark xiv. 62. 20 Matt. xxvi. 64. 21 Matt. xxvi. t)5. 22 Matt. xxvi. 66. 2.3 Rlaik xiv. 64. Section IV. — Twelve at Night — Christ is struck and insulted by the sect, iv. Soldiers.'^ V. JE. 29. Matt. xxvi. 67, 68.— Mark xiv. 65.— Luke xxii. 63-65. J. P. 4742. 1 Lukexxii.63 ' And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote Jerusalem. 2 Mark xiv. 65. him; ^ and some began "to spit on him, and to cover his eSeeNotes. face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, '• Prophesy ! " V Matt'''of 30' and the servants did strike him with the palms of their Jo'>n i9- 3. 3 Matt. xxvi. hands. ^ Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him ; and others smote him with *the palms of their hands, *0r, rorfy. 4 Lukexxii.64. •» ^.nd whcu they had bhndfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, " Prophesy ! who is it that 6 Mat.xxyi.68. smote thcc ? * Prophesy unto us, thou Christ!'' who is he fSeeNotee. « Lukexxii.65. that smotc thcc ? " ^ And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. == Section V. — Peter'' s first Denial of Christ, at the Fire, in the Hall — '- of the High Priest's Palace.^ V. M. 29. Matt. xxvi. 69, 70.— Mark xiv. 66-68.— Luke xxii. 56, 57.— John xviii. 17, 18, •'• ^ ^'^^'^■ and 25-27. Jerusalem. ' 69?"' ^'""' ' Now Peter sat without in the palace. ' And as Peter g see Note 7. 2 Mark xiv. 66. was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids 3johnxviii.i7. Qf t}^g j^jgi^ p^jggt ^ (^xhe damsel that kept the door) unto 4Lukexxii.56. pg^gj.^ [and] ^ bchcld him as he sat by the fire. Mnd '• when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon « Luke xxii.50. him ^earnestly, and said, "This man was also with him: 7 John xviii.17. 7 ^j.^ j^Q^ ^i^Q^ j^jgQ ^^jg Qj- ^j^jg man's disciples ? " He saith, 8 Mark xiv. 67. u J j^,^ j^^^ .. 8 ^,^^| ^^^^^ g^J^J^ u ^j,^ ^1^^^, ^Jg^j ^^^^ ^J^j^ 9 Matt. xxvi. jgg^g ^f Nazareth, « of Galilee." '"And he denied him, 10 Luke xxii.57. ^' bcforc them all, saying, "I know not what thou sayest. ^^iitt. XXVI. '2 Woman, I know him not. '^I know not, neither under- 12 Lukexxii.57. staud I what thou sayest." '* And the servants and officers 14 johnxvui.is! stood there, who had made a fire of coals, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves ; and Peter stood with them, u John .viii.25. ^j^^ warmed himself. '" They said therefore unto him, " Art not thou also one of his disciples ? " He denied it, and said, " I am not." '^ One of the servants of the high priest. 180 PETER'S SECOND AND THIRD DENIAL. [Part VII. h See Note 8. being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, " Did I not see thee in the garden with him ? " " Peter then denied " iohnxvui.^i. again. "* And he went out into the porch ; '" and imme- '^ Mark xiv. 68. diately the cock crew.^ '' Johnxviii.27. Matt. xxvi. part of ver. 69, and 70. — 69 — and a damsel came unto him, saying, " Thou also wast with Jesus — 70 But he denied — . Mark xiv. part of ver. 68. But he denied, saying, — and the cock crew. Luke xxii. part of ver. 56, and 57. But a certain maid — and — looked upon him, — 57 — saying, — . John xviii. part of ver. 17,and2o. — 17 Then saith — 25 And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. — . SECT. VI. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. Section VL — After Midnight — Peter's second Denial of Christ, at the Porch of the Palace of the High Priest. Matt. xxvi. 71, 72. — Mark xiv. 69, and part of ver. 70. — Luke xxii. 58. ' And when he was gone out into the porch, ^ after a Uttle while another saw him, and said, " Thou art also of them." And Peter said, "Man, I am not." [And] ^an- other maid saw him, * and began to say to them that stood by, ^ " This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth ; ** this is one of them." ^And again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the man." 1 Malt. xxvi. 71. 2 Lukexxii.58. 3 Matt. xxvi. 71. 4 Mark xiv. 69. * Matt. xxvi. 71. 6 Mark xiv. 69. ^ Matt. xxvi. 7-2. Matt. xxvi. part of ver. 71. — and said unto them that were there, — . Mark xiv. part of ver. 69,70. — 69 And a maid saw him again, — 70 And he denied it again. — . Luke xxii. beginning of ver. 58. And — . SECT. vn. V. JE. 29. J. p. 4742. Jerusalem. i See Note 9. a Acts 2. 7. b Luke 22. 59. c Matt. 26. 34. Mark 14. 30. Luke 22. 34. * Or, 7tc wept abun- dantly, or, he be- gan to weep. d Mark 24. 30. Luke 22. 34. Section VII. — Friday, the Day of the Crucifixion — Time, about three in the Morning. Peter's third. Denial of Christ, in the Room where Christ 7vas ivaiting among the Soldiers till the Daion of Day. Matt. xxvi. 73, to the end. — Mark xiv. part of ver. 70, to the end. — Luke xxii. 59-62. 1 Luke xxii.59. 2 Luke xxii. GO. 3 Mark xiv. 70. ' And about the space of one hour after, another con- fidently affirmed, saying, "Of a truth this fellow also was with him ; for he is a ^Galilean." ' And Peter said, " Man, I know not what thou sayest." ^ And they that stood by said again to Peter, "^ " Surely thou also art one of them, * l^^^^- '''^^'• * for "thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto, s Mark xiv. 70. " for thy 'speech bewrayeth thee." ^ Then began he to « Matt. xxvi. curse and to swear, saying, "I know not the man; *I 7 Mat.xxv1.74. know not this man of whom ye speak." ^ And immediately ** Mark xiv. 71. while he yet spake, tiie cock crew ; '° the second time the ,0 ^ark X'S cock crew. "And the Lord turned, and looked upon n Luke xxii.6i. Peter. "And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, " Before the cock crow, thou shall deny me thrice ; '-before the cock crow twice, thou '■ i^'^rk xiv. 72. shall deny me thrice." And *when he thought thereon, ''he went out, and wept bitterly. Matt. xxvi. part of ver. 73, 74, and 75. — 73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, — 74 — And immediately the cock crew. 75 And Peter re- membered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, " Before '^the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. — . Mark xiv. part of ver. 70, 71, and 72.— 70 —a little after, — " Surely thou art one of them :" — 71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, — 72 And — And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, — lie wept. Luke xxii. 62. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. 13 Matt. xxvi. Sect. X.] CHRIST IS ACCUSED BEFORE PILATE. 181 Section VIII. — Christ is taken before the Sanhedrin, and condemned, sect, viir. Matt, xxvii. 1. — Mark xv. part of vcr. 1. — Luke xxii. 66, to the end. v. JE. 29. 1 Mark xv. 1. i ji^^jy "straiglitway in the morning, * as soon as it was J. P. 4742. I Mark xv.'f ■ day, ' the Chief Priests held a consultation with the elders Jerusalem. 4 Matt, xxvii. ■• of the people, * and [the] Scribes, and the whole Council, a Ps. 2. 2. John 8 Mark XV 1 [and] ^took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. i3;&'4. 26.V 6 m!u. xl'vii'. " And [they] led him into their Council, saying, ^ " Art thou ^'^^^a.s. 7 Luke xxii 66. thc Christ ? tell us." And he said unto them, "If I tell 8 Luke xxii.67. you, yc will not believe ; ^ and if I also ask you, ye will » i,uke xxii.68. ^^^ answer me, nor let me go. '** Hereafter ''shall the Son b See John i. 5l 10 T,uke xxii.69. ' • i^i i r xi r ri l ;? iiT"! Heb. 1.5.&8. 1. II Luke x>;ii.7o. of Man Sit ou the right hand of the power oi (jod. 1 hen said they all, " Art thou then ^the Son of God ? " And he ' ^'' ^'""^ '■ ^■ 12 Lukexxii.71. g^i^j unto tlicm, " Ye say ; "that I am." '' And 'they said, "^^^y^l/.^^- " What need we any further witness? for we ourselves 64. Mark i4. eb. , , 1 r I • it 55 e Matt. 26. 65. have heard ot his own mouth. Mark 14. ea. Matt, xxvii. pari of ver. 1. When the morning was come, all the Chief Priests and elders — . Luke xxii. part of ver. 6G. And — the elders of the people, and the Chief Priests, and tlie Scribes came togetlier, — . Section IX. — Judas declares the Innocence of Christ.^ sect, ix. Matt, xxvii. 3-10. V. M. 29. 3 Then "Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was J. P. 4742. condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of Jerusalem. silver to the Chief Priests and elders, '' saying, " I have sinned in that k see Note 10. I have betrayed the innocent blood." And they said, " What is that «<='>• ''^'^- 1^'^^- to us ? see thou to that." ^ And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, ^and departed, and went and hanged himself.^ '^ And *|JisT is.' ^^' the Chief Priests took the silver pieces, and said, "It is not lawful for 1 see Note 11. to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood." ~ And they took counsel, and bought with them The Potter's Field, to bury strangers in. ^Wherefore that field was called, 'The Field of = Acts 1.19. Blood, unto this day. ^ Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by ''Jeremy the prophet,"" saying,— m?e'e No'tela.^' " And they took the thirty pieces of silver (The price of Him that was valued, *Whom they of the children of Israel did value), \?ughtl,}ZeM. ^^ And gave them for The Potter's Field ; drmofisrad. As the Lord appointed me." Section X. — Christ is accused before Pilate, and is by him also sect\ x. declared to be innocent. V. JE. 29. Matt, xxvii. 2, and 11-14.— Mark xv. latter part of ver. 1, anrf 2-5.— Luke xxiii. 1-4. J. P. 4742. John xviii. 28-38. Jerusalem I Luke xxiii. L > And the whole multitude of them arose, "and bound 3 Mau. xxvii'. Jesus. ' And when they had bound him, they led him away 4 John xviii OS 'fi'O'^ Caiaphas, unto * the hall of judgment; 'and "deliv- ^^'^.f Matt. 27. 6 Mau."xviL2. ered him to Pontius Pilate the governor ; * and it was early, /j;^,^ ^^ jg 6 johnxviii.os. ''And they themselves went not into the judgment-hall, lest Acts3.''i3. they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. * a;='^ lo- 28. & ' 'oil" "viii.ag. 7piij^tg i^i^g,-, y^Q^x. out unto them, and said, " What accusa- 8 .ioimxviii.3o. ^Jqj^ bring ye against this man ?" * They answered and said unto him, " If he were not a malefactor, we would not have 9 joimxviii.31. ^gliygj-gjj i^jjj^ yp m^tQ thee." 'Then said Pilate unto them, " Take ye him, and judge him according to your Law." The Jews therefore said unto him, " It is not '" J"i.nxviii.3^ ijj^yf^i for us to put any man to death." '" That ^the say- 'Joh"S,^k VOL. 11. P 182 CHRIST IS SENT BY PILATE TO HEROD. [Part VII. n See Note 13. d Acts 17. 17. e See Matt. 17. 27. &22. 21. Mark 12. 17. /John 19. 12. g Dan. 2. 44. &. 7. 14. Luke 12. 14. John 6. 15. & 8. 15. 1 Tim. 6. 13. h [Or, for I am a king. — Ed.] i John 8. 47. 1 John 3. 19. & 4.6. j 1 Pet. 2. 22. 15 John xvin.35. 16 John xviii.36. * Is. 53. 7. 2 See Note g. SECT. xr. V. JE. 29. J. p. 4742. Jerusalem, ach. 3 1. /( ch. 9. 9. c Malt. 14. 1. Mark 6. 14. d Is. 53. 3. ing of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die." " And they began to accuse '' Lukexxiii.2. him, saying, "We found this /eZ/ow ''perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying, ■'^that he himself is Christ, a King." '^ Then Pilate entered into the ^^ John xviii.33. judgment-hall again, and called Jesus. ^^ And Jesus stood " fif '" ^'^''"' before the governor : and the governor asked him, saying, " Art thou the King of the Jews ?" " Jesus answered him, '* J°hn xviii.34. " Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?" '^Pilate answered, "Am I Jew ? thine own na- tion and the Chief Priests have delivered thee unto me : what hast thou done ? " '® Jesus ^answered, " My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be dehv- ered to the Jews ; but now is my kingdom not from hence." '^ Pilate therefore said unto him, " Art thou a king then ?" " John xviii.37. Jesus answered ^^ and said unto him, ^^ " Thou sayest ''that '* '^'"'^ ""f-.'^- I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that Hs of the truth heareth my voice." "' Pilate saith unto him, " What is truth ?" And when he '" J°i'n xviii.38. had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and saith unto ^' the Chief Priests and to the people, " I ^find no fault in ^' Lukexxiii.4. this man ; — '' I find in him no fault at all." '' And the Chief '^ John xviii.ss. Priests accused him of many things ; but *^ when he was ac- 24 Matt. xxvu. cused of the Chief Priests and elders, he answered nothing. ^'^■ ^°Then said Pilate unto him, " Hearest thou not how many 13^ things they witness against thee ?" ^^ And he answered him ^* jj*^"- ''''^'"• to never a word. " And *Pilate asked him again, say- 27 Mark xv. 4. ing, "Answerest thou nothing? Behold! how many things they witness against thee!" ^^ But Jesus yet answered ''^ ^"'"''- ^: nothing ; "" insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. 14. Matt, xxvii. part ofver. 11, and 12. — 11 — And Jesus said unto him, " Thou sayest, — 12 And—. Mark xv. part ofver. 1, 2, 3, aiid 5. — 1 — and carried liim away, and delivered him to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, " Art thou the King of the Jews .''" — he answering — " Thou sayest it." 3 — he answered nothing. 5 — so that Pilate marvelled. Luke xxiii. part of ver. 1, ver. 3, and part of vcr. 4. — 1 — and led him unto Pilate. 3 And Pilate asked him, saying, " Art thou the King of the Jews.'" and he 'answered him, and said, '• Thou sayest it." 4 Then said Pilate to — . John xviii. part ofver. 28, 33, and 38. — 28 Then led they Jesus — 33 — and said unto him, " Art thou the King of the Jews .'" 38 — the Jews, and saith unto them, — . Section XI. — Christ is sent by Pilate to Herod. Luke xxiii. 5-12. ^ And they were the more fierce, saying, " He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place." ^ When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean ; '' and as soon as he knew that he belonged unto "Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. ^ And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad ; ''for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because '^he had heard many things of him ; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. ^ Then he questioned with him in many words ; but he answered him nothing. ^^ And the Chief Priests and Scribes stood and vehemently accused him. ^^ And ''Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. Sect. XII.] PILATE AGAIN DECLARES CHRIST INNOCENT. 183 ^^ And the same day Tilate and Herod were made friends together ; ^ ^'^"' ''• -^• for before they were at enmity between themselves." o see Note u. Section XII. — Christ is brought back again to Pilate, who again tie- sect. xn. dares Him innocent, and endeavours to persuade the People to ask y ~^oq for His release. j p 4-43 Matt, xxvii. 15-20. — Mark xv. 6-11. — Luke xxiii. 1.3-19. — JoHNXviii. .39. Jerusalem. iLukexxiii. 'And "Pilate, when he had called together the Chief „ MnttTa?! a?. 2 Luke xxiii. Priests and the rulers and the people, "said unto them, ?'f'^^i\J,'*-, 14 IT- /I 1 1 1 ■ II' 3 John 18. 3«. & " 1 e "have brought this man unto me, as one that pervert- i^- ''• eth the people ; and, behold ! I, having examined him be- " 023.1,2. fore you, have found no fault in this man touching those 3 Luke xxiii. things whercof ye accuse him ; ^ no, nor yet Herod ; for I sent you to him, and, lo ! nothing worthy of death is * Luke xxiii. ^i^j^g yj^^^ j^-j^^ 4 J ^jjj therefore 'chastise him, and release 'i°'i!K^T' s Mutt, xxvii. liini." * Now at that feast the governor was wont to release J'?"'-^'^- ^• 6 Mark XV. G. uuto tliB Ppcoplc " onc prisoucr, whomsoever they desired, pSee Note 1.5. 7 autt. xxvii. 7 ,Yi^(j tiiey had then a notable prisoner, called Barab- 8 Murk XV. 7. bas, ^ which lay ''bound with them that had made insurrec- ''Lukeaa. i9. tion with him, who had committed murder in the insurrec- 9 Mark xv. 8. ^Jq,^^ 9 ^,^(j ^j^g niultitudc Crying aloud began to desire 10 Luke xxiii. j^-^^ fQ ^^ j^g j^g j^j^j gygj. (jone unto them. ^^ (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) — 11 Matt. xxvii. "Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said 12 joi,iixv,ii.39. unto them, '* " Ye have a custom that I should release unto 13 Matt, xxvii. y^y Qi^g ^^ tj^g Passover ; '^ whom will ye that I release unto 14 joiin xviii.39. you ? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ ? '^ will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews ?" 15 Mark XV. 10. 15 Pqj. j^g j^j^g^ ^j^^t t-j-jg Q}^-gf priggts ]^ad delivered him for 16 Matt, xxvii. gjivy. "^ When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, " Have thou nothing to do with that just man ; for I have suflered many things this 17 Matt, xxvii. (j^y j,^ a, dream because of him." " But the Chief Priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask 18 Luke xxiii. Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. '* And 'they cried out all at « Acts 3. h. once, saying, " Away with this man ! and release unto us Barabbas.'- Matt, xxvii. purt of ver. 15, and ver. 18. — 15 — a prisoner, whom they would. 18 -/"For he knew that for envy tiiey had delivered him. /Mark 15. 10. Mark xv. part of ver. 0, 7, and ver. 9, and 11. — G Now at that feast lie released unto them — 7 And there was one named Barabbas, — 9 But Pilate answered them, saying, " Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews ?"' 11 But ^the Chief Priests ^ Matt. 27. 30. moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. *^*^ " ' Luke xxiii. ver. 19. "who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was A Mark 15. 7. cast into prison. JoH}i xv'in. heginnliig of ver. 2^. But — . =^^i=^= Section XIII. — Pilate three times endeavours again to release Christ, sect, xhl Matt, xxvii. '21-']3. — Mark xv. 12-14. — Luke xxiii. 20-2-3. — John xviii. 40. V. JE. 29. I Lukexxiii.-2n. I PiL VTE ' the govcmor,^ therefore willing to release Jesus, j. p. 4742. 3 Luk9xxiii.2o. * answered, [and] * spake again to them, " and said unto Jerusalem. 4 Mat.xxvii.2i. them, " Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto 6 Mat!x\vli!2L yo^ ?" They said, '• Barabbas." ' Then "cried they all again, 7 John xviii.4o. saying, " Not this man, but'i Barabbas ! " (Now Barabbas qSeeNoteie. 9 Mat'^x.xviiS. ^^^ ^ robber.) ^ And Pilate answered and said again unto 10 Mark xv. 12. them, "What will ye then that I shall do 'with Jesus which is II Mark XV. 13. galled Chi'ist, '' whom ye call the King of the Jews ?" " And 1» Matt, xxvil. , . - . •'^^ .. , . n, r » n lo 11 22. they cried out again, " Crucily him ! [And] they all say a Acts 3. 14. 184 PILATE RELEASES BARABBAS. [Part VII b [Or, instruct him. — Ed.] Matt. 97. (5. Luke 23. 16. unto him, ""Crucify him! crucify him ! '"Let him be " J^j'j'"' '''''"• crucified !" '° Then Pilate said unto them, '" the third time, i-i Matt. xxvu. " Why, what evil hath he done ? I have found no cause 15 Maikxv. h. of death in him ; I will therefore ''chastise him, and let him '^ Luke xxiii. go." '^ And they cried out the more exceedingly, " Cruci- 17 Ma^k xv. 14. fy him!" '* And they were instant with loud voices, re- ^^ Luke xxiii.23. quiring that he might be crucified ; and the voices of them and of the Chief Priests prevailed. Matt, xxvii. part ofver. 22, and ver. 23. — 22 Pilate saith unto them, " What shall I do then — 23 And the governor said, " Why, what evil hath he done.' " But they cried out the more, saying, " Let him be crucified ! " Mark xv.part ofver. 12, and 14. — 12 — unto him — " Why, what evil hath he done .?" — . Luke xxiii. part ofver. 21 , and 22. — 21 But they cried, saying, — 22 And he said unto them — . SECT. XIV. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. a Deut. 21. 6. 6 Deut. 19. 10. Josh. 2. 19. 1 Kings 2. 32. 2 Sam. 1. 16. Acts 5. 28. r Sec Note 17. SECT. XV. V. m. 29. J. p. 4742. Jerusalem. * Or, assented. Exod. 23. 2. a Mark 15. 7. Luke 23. 19. John 18. 40. 5Is. .53. 5. Matt. 20. 19. &27. 26. Mark 15. 15. Luke 18. 33. s See Note 18. t Or, governor''s house. c Luke 23. 11. t See Note 19. d Ps. 69. 19. Is. 53. 3. u See Note 20. e Is. 50. 6. Matt. 26. 67. /John 18. 38. & 19.6. g Acts 3. 13. h Lev. 24. 16. i Matt. 26. 65. See Mark 1. 1. John 5. 18. & 10. 33. _;• Is. 53. 7. Matt. 27. 10, 14. X See Note 21. Section XIV. — The Jews imprecate the Pimishment of Christ's Death upon, themselves. Matt, xxvii. 24, 25. ^^ When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he ''took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, " I am innocent of the blood of this just person ; see ye to it." ^^ Then answered all the people, and said, be on us, and on our children !" '' His 'blood Section XV. -Pilate releases Barabbas, and delivers Christ to be crucified. Matt, xxvii. 26-30. — Mark xv. 15-19. — Luke xxiii. 24, 25. — JohnxIx. 1-15, and part ofver. 16. ' And so Pilate, willing to content the people, ^ *gave sentence that it should be as they required. ^ And he re- leased unto them "him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired. ■* Then ''Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him ; ^ and when he had scourged him, Mie delivered Jesus to their will, ' to be crucified.' ® Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus, [and] ^ led him away '° into the tcommon hall, " called Prie- torium ; and they call together the whole band '" of soldiers. '^ And they stripped him. and they put on "^him a scarlet '" Mt. xxvii. 27. robe, '"a purple robe.' ''And "when they had platted a 1^ jj"'";^^;.; ^^^^ crown of thorns," they put it upon his head, and a reed in 13 Mt. xxvii. 28. his ritfht hand ; and they bowed the knee before him, "^ and " •'°''" ^^^- ^ . . . . X • T • I\it. xxvii. S 1 Mark xv. 15. 2 Luke xxiii. 24. 3 Luke xxiii 25. ■* John xix. 1. 5 fllark XV. 15. 6 Luke xxiii. 25. "^ Matt, xxvii. 26. 8 Matt, xxvii 27. 9 Mark xv. 16. worshipped him, of the Jews ! " and mocked him, saying, " Hail, King le Mark xv. 29 19. And they smote him with their hands. ^'' Mat.xxvii.29. ^^ And 'they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote ,3 M,'"xxl^i.'3o. him on the head. "" Pilate therefore went forth again, and 20 jn.xix. 4-16. saith unto them, " Behold ! I bring him forth to you, ^that ye may know that I find no fault in him." ^ (Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe.) And Pilate saith unto them, " Behold the man ! " ^ When "'the Chief Priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, " Crucify him ! ciucify him ! " Pilate saith unto them, " Take ye him, and crucify him ; for I find no fault in him." 'The Jews answered him, "We ''have a Law, and by our Law he ought to die, because 'he made himself the Son of God." ^ When Pilate therefoie heard that saying, he was the more afraid ; ^and went again into the judgment-hall, and saith unto Jesus, "Whence art thou?" ^But Jesus gave him no answer." ^^ Then saith Pilate unto him, " Speakest thou not unto me ? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release Sect. XVT.] CHRIST IS LED TO MOUNT CALVARY. 185 thee?" 1^ Jesus answered, " Thou '^couldest have no power at a/?^L"ke22 53 • 1 r 1 irii John 7. JO. against me, except it were given thee from above ; therefore he that dehvered me unto thee hath tlie greater sin." ^^ And from thence- forth Pilate sought to release him ; but the Jews cried out, saying, "If 'thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: "'whosoever '^"''^^j^' t-i ' fH ^cts 17. 7. makcth himself a king speaketh against Caesar." 1^ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment-seat in a place that is called the Pave- ment, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha ; ''* (and "it was the preparation nWatt. 27. 62. of the Passover, and about the sixth hour ;) and he saith unto the Jews, "Behold your King!" ^''But they cried out, "Away with him ! away with him ! crucify him ! " Pilate saith unto them, " Shall I crucify your King?" The Chief Priests answered, "We "have no « cen. 49. 10. king but Caesar." ^'^Then ''delivered he him therefore unto them to ^^/''IS^J-,^^^'^' o Mark 15. 15. be crucified. Luke 23. 24. Matt, xxvii. ]!fi,rt of ver. 26, and 27. — 26 Then released he Barabbas unto them ; and when 'he had scourged Jesus, he dehvered him — 27 — and gathered unto him the whole ^J^-^?- ^- .'^'"'^ , , ° " 15. 15. Luke 23. band—. 16,24,25. John Mark xv. pcxrt of ver. 15, 16, ver. 17, 18, and part of vr.r. 19. — 1.5 — released Barabbas ' ' ' unto them, — delivered Jesus, — to be crucified. IG And the soldiers — into the hall, — 17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, 18 and began to salute him, " Hail, King of the Jews !" 19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him — bowing their knees — . ==:=^= Luke xxiii. beginning of ver. 24. And Pilate — . John xix. part of ver. 2, and 3. — 2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him — 3 And said, " Hail, King of the Jews ! — . Section XVI. — Christ is led mvay from the Judgment-Hall of Pilate ^^ct. xvi. to Mount Calvary. V. JE. 29. Matt, xxvii. 31, 32.— Mark xv. 20, 21.— Luke xxiii. 26-32.— John xix. part of J. P. 4247. ver. 16, and ver. 17. On the way to 1 John xix. IG. 1 ^^^ tl^g tQQ], Jgj.y ^^^ ]g^| ]^-j^^ ^ 2 ^j^^ f^ Calvary. * Miitt. xxvii. '' , -^ 31. that they had mocked him, ^ they took ofi' the purple from 3 Mark .XV. 20. j^jj^ ^^^ ^ ^ns owR clothes ou him, and led him out to „ „, „„ 4 Johnxix. 17. T 1 • 4 A 1 ai 1 • , • , r , ■ a Matt. 27. 31, 33. ft Lukexxiii.26. cruciiy uim. And he bearing his cross 'went forth into Mark 15.21,22. 6 Matt, xxvii. a place called the place Of a Skull, whicli is called in the 6^tmb!'i5"^36^^' 7 Luke xxiii. Hebrew, Golgotha. '" And as they led him away, "^ as '^they ^<^^- 1'^- ]-■ 8Mirkxv.2i. came out, Uhey laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, % Khlgs 2T. 13. 9 Matt, xxvii. ® who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Heb.ibfib. 10 Luke xxiii. Alexander ancly Rufus ; ^him they compelled to bear his y See Note ^. 26-32. cross ; '° and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. ~^And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. ^^But Jesus turning unto them said, " Daughters of Jerusalem ! weep not for me ; but weep for yourselves, and for your children. ^^ For, ''behold ! the days are coining, in the which they shall say. Blessed are "^HfeA^'^' the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck! ^''Then 'shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall 'wJ.'^ev.lil'. on us ! and to the hills, Cover us ! ^^ For ■''if they do these things in ^ ^- *^- a green tree, what shall be done in the dry ? " ^~ And "'there were ■^Jer!^25!29.^' also two others (malefactors) led with him to be put to death. &^2L3,°4.^^' Matt, xxvii. ;>a7-« of ver. 31, and 32.-31 —they took the robe off from him, and put \f'^53'*i.r* his own raiment on him, ''and led him away to crucify him. 32 And — they found a man Matt. 27 .38. of Cyrene, Simon by name : — . h Is. 53. 7. Mark xv. part of ver. 20, 21.-20 And when they had mocked him, — 21 And they compel one Simon, a Cyrenian, — to bear his cross. Luke xxiii. pari of ver. 26. — coming out of the country, — . VOL. II. 24 * p 186 CHRIST IS CRUCIFIED. [Part VIL SECT. XVII. V. M. 20. J. P. 4742. Calvary. a It ia doubted by some whether Calvary was a mount. Perhaps its present con- dition is not a criterion by which to judge of its former state. —Ed. z See Note 23. * Or, Place of a Skull. b Matt. 27. 38. Mark 15. 27. John 19. 18. c Is. 53. 12. Mark 15. 28. Luke 23. 33. John 19. 18. a See Note 24. 1 Matt, xxvii. 33. 2 Matt, .\xvii. 34. 3 Mark xv. 23 4 Luke xxiii. 33. 6 John xix. 18. 6 Mark xv. 28. 7 John xix. 19, 8 Mark xv. 26. 9 Matt, xxvii. 37. 10 John xix. 19. 19. SECT. XVIII. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Calvary. a Matt. 5. 44. Acts 3. 17. & 7. 60. 1 Cor. 4, 12. SECT. XIX. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4247. Calvary. b Pee Note 25 * Or, wrought. a Ps. 22. 18. Section XVII. — Christ arrives at "Mount Calvary, and is crucified. Matt, xxvii. 33, 34, 37, 38.— Mark xv. 22, 23, 2G, 27, 28.— Luke xxiii. 33, 38.- JoHN xix. 18-22. ' And when they were come unto a place called Golgo- tha (that is to say, a place of a skull), "they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall : and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. ^ And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh ; but he received it not.^ * And when they were come to the place which is called *Calvary, Hhere they crucified him, and the male- factors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left, * and Jesus in the midst. ® And the ^Scripture was fulfilled, which saith, " And he was numbered with the trans- gressors." ' And Pilate wrote a 'title, * the superscription of his accusation, "and set up over his head his accusation written, '" and put it on the cross. And the writing was "in letters of Greek, '""Jesus of Nazareth the King u Luke xxiii. OF THE Jews ; " '^ and Latin, '*"The King of the Jews ; " j^ j^",^^ ^^^ '*and Hebrew, "*"This is Jesus the King of the Jews." is Luke xxiii. ^' This title then read many of the Jews ; for the place j^ ^^^^^ ^^ ge. where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city ; and it was is mke xxiii. written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. '* Then said the ,g j^j^^^ ^^^.-^^ Chief Priests of the Jews to Pilate, "Write not, ' The King ^^ 37. of the Jews ; ' but that he said, ' I am King of the Jews.' " 13 j°J, ^|^; 01.' '"Pilate answered, " What I have written I have written." 19 John xix. 22. Matt, xxvii. ver. 38. "Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. Mark xv. ver. 22, part of ver. 26, and ver. 27.-22 And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, the place of a skull. 26 And — was written over, — . 27 "^ And with him they crucify two thieves ; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. Luke xxiii. part of ver. 38. And a superscription also was written over him — " This IS THE King of the Jews." iorna xxx.part of ver.lS. "^ Where they crucified him, and two others with him, on either side one, — . Section XVIII. — Christ pi-ays for his Murderers. Luke xxiii. part of ver. .34. Then said Jesus, " Father ! "forgive them ; for they know not what they do." Section XIX. — The Soldiers divide and cast Lots for Christ's Raiment. Matt, xxvii. 35, 36.— Mark xv. 24, 25.— Luke xxiii. part of ver. 34. — John xix. 23, 24. ' And they crucified him.^ ' Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part ; and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam, * woven from the top throughout. 'They said therefore among themselves, "Let us not rend ' John xix. 24 it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be." " And they parted his raiment, and cast lots ; ' [that the "Scripture might be fulfilled, ''which was spoken by the Prophet, ^§''^-'' ' which saith, — " They parted my raiment among them. And for my vesture they did cast lots."] These things therefore the soldiers' did. ' And it was the ' ^^"'^ "^- '^ tliird houri and they crucified him. "And sitting down » M"**- ''='''» they watched him there. 1 Matt, xxvii. 35. 2 John xix. 23. 4 Luke xxiii. 34. 5 John xix. 24. xvii. 7 John xix. 24. Sect. XXIIL] THE DEATH OF CHRIST, I97 Matt, xxvii. part ofver. 35. — and parted his garments, casting lots : that it might be ful- filled — " They "parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots." " ^^- ^- '^• Mark xv. 24. And when they had crucified him, they "parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. ■ Section XX. — Christ is reviled, when on the Cross, by the Chief Priests, sect, xx. the Rulers, the Soldiers, the Passengers, and the Malefactors. V. JE. 29. Matt, xxvii. 39-44.— Mark xv. 29-32.— Loke xxiii. 35-37. J. P. 4247. 1 Luke xxiii. 1 ^j,jj "jIjp people stood beholding. And the rulers also ^"^y- with them derided him, saying, " He saved others ; let him aPs.23. 17. 2 Luke xxiii. g^^,g himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God." * And mTu! 27' 39.' the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering ^^'^"^ ^^' ^' 3 Luke x,Mu. j^jj^ vinegar, ^ and saying, " If thou be the King of the Jews, 4 Matt, xxvii. save thyself." " And Hhey that passed by reviled him, and *jgy ^- '''• ^ 6 Mark XV. 29. * railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, " Ah ! thou ""that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, "j^^'^^^^^' 7 m"^'"^ *^' ^°* ^ save thyself, and come down from the cross. ^ If thou be 4o:'"' •"''''■ ''the Son of God, come down from the cross." « Likewise '^ ^"^ ^'""^ ^- ^• s Matt, xxvii. ^jgQ jj^g Chief Priests mocking him, with the Scribes and 9 Mark xv. 31. eldcrs, Said, " among themselves, " He saved others ; liim- 10 Matt, xxvii. gg]^ j^g cannot save. '" If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 11 Matt, xxvii. 11 fjg ^trusted in God ; let him deliver him now, if he will 'w^gf a^'ie, 17, 12 Mark XV. 32. havc him : for he said, I am -^the Son of God. '" Let Christ, is. the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we •' ®^ ''' may see and believe." And they that were crucified with 13 Matt, xxvii. jjjjj^ reviled him. '^ The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. Matt, xxvii. part of ver. 39, 40, and 42. — 39 — wagging their heads, 40 and saying, " Thou ^that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. — 42 He ^ Matt. 26. 6L saved others ; himself he cannot save. on. . Mark xv. part of ver. 29, arid 31. — 29 — they that passed by — 31 Likewise also the Chief Priests mocking said — with the Scribes, — . ■ Section XXL — Christ, when dying as a Man, asserts his Divinity in sect, xxi. his Answer to the Penitent Thief.'' V. JE. 29. Luke xxiii. 39-43. J. P. 4742. ^^ And "one of the malefactors which were hanged, railed on Him, Caivary. saying, " If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us." '^^ But the other cSeeNote26. answering rebuked him, saying, " Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou oMatt. 27. 44. art in the same condemnation ? ^^ And we indeed justly ; for we re- ^ ceive the due reward of our deeds : but this man hath done nothing gECT. xxii. amiss." '^- And he said unto Jesus, " Lord remember me when thou — comest into thv kino;dom !" "^^And Jesus said unto him, " Verily I V. iE. 29. • J P 4742 say unto thee. To-day, shalt thou be with me in Paradise." caivar Section XXII. — Christ commends his Mother to the care of John, '^u^ik^b.'^.' John xix. 25-27. ' ^Luke23.49. ^^ Now "there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's Luke 24. is. sister, Mary the wife of *Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. ^6 When K2^^iif;^fi, Jesus therefore saw his mother, and Hhe disciple standing by, whom cch. 2. 4. he loved, he saith unto his mother, " Woman, 'behold thy son !" ^^t ^' ^^' ^ ^^" ^"^ Then saith he to the disciple, " Behold thy mother ! " And from _ that hour that disciple took her ''unto his own home. ' SECT. XXIII. Section XXIII. — The Death of Christ, and its attendant Circiimstances. V. JE. 29. Matt, xxvii. 45-51, 54-56.— Mark xv. 33-41.— Luke xxiii. 44-49.— John xix. 28-37. J- P- ^'^2. 1 Mark xv. 33. I ji^^^^ when the sixth hour was come, ^ there was a dark- avary- » Lu. XXIII. 44. ' » Lu. xxiii. 45. ness over all the *earth until the ninth hour ; ' and the sun * ^'' '<""'• 188 THE DEATH OF CHRIST. [Part VH. a Pa. 23. 1. d See Note 27. ■4 Mark xv. 34. * Mat.xxvii.46, h Ps. 69. 21. e John 17. 4. e See Note 28. d Ps. 31. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 23. f See Note 29. e Exod. 26. 31. 2 Chron. 3. 14. /See Mark 1. 1 g Ps. 38. 11. Matt. 27. 55. Mark 15. 40. See John 19. 25 h Luke 8. 2, 3. tDeut. 21.23. Mark 15. 42. John 19. 42. 1 John 5. 6, 8. k Exod. 12. 46. Numb. 9. 12. Ps. 34. 20. I Ps. 22. 16, 17. Zech. 12. 10. Rev. 1.7. m Amos 8. 9. Mark 15. 33. Luke 23. 44. n Heb. 5. 7. V^. 22. 1. p Luke 8. 2, 3. q Mark 15. 40. 6 Mark xv 34. 7 Mark xv. 35 8 John xix. 28. 9 John xix. 29 was darkened. ^ And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, " Eloi', "Eloi, lama sabachthani \^ ^ Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani ! " ** which is, being interpreted. " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me !" ^ And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, " Behold! he calleth Elias." ^ After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the ^Scripture might be ful- filled, saith, " I thirst." * Now there was set a vessel full ^° Matt, xxvii. of vinegar ; '° and straightway one of them ran, and took a n joimxix.29. sponge, and filled it with vinegar, " and put it upon hyssop, '^ Matt, xxvii. '^and on a reed, ^'^ and put it to his mouth, 'Uo drink. 13 joim xix. 29. '* The rest said, " Let be ; let us see whether Elias will '^ ^i^"- ^''^"- come to save him, — '® will come to take him down." '^ When 15 Matt, xxvii. Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, " It "is ,„\^; , r,a . c5 ' _ ' 16 Mark xv. 36. ^finished !" '* Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud n johnxix. so. voice, '® he said, " Father, ''into thy hands I commend my ^^ m^u. xxvii. spirit !" And having said thus, ^^ he bowed his head, and is Luke xxiii. gave up the ghost.*" "' And, behold ! ^the veil of the tem- 20 joim xix. 30. pie was rent in twain, "^ in the midst, ^^ from the top to the 21 Matt, xxvii. bottom 51. the 26 and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent ; ^^ and 22 Luke xxiii. were opened. "' Now when the centurion '*^- graves which stood over against him, ^' and they that were with 51! 35 Mark xv. 41. 31- him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things ^^ ?^''"- ^''™ that were done ; [and] ^' that he so cried out, and gave up 25 Matt, xxvii. the ghost, ^^ they feared greatly, saying, " Truly this was ^^ ^^^^ ^^ 39 •'^the Son of God ! " [and] ^° he glorified God, saying, "Cer- 27 Matt, xxvii. tainly, this was a righteous man ! " ^' And all the people ^ Mark xv. 39. that came together to that sight, beholding the things which 29 Matt, xxvii. were done, smote their breasts, and returned. ^" And 30 Lukexxiii.47. *^all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from 31 mke xxiii. Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things ; " among 33 nlke xxiii. whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of ^^■ James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, ^^ the mother of 34 Matt, xxvii. Zebedee's children, ^^ who also, when he was in Galilee, ^^• ''followed him, and ministered unto him ; and many other ..^ , , 1 • 1 • 1 1 • T iR 1 •>*' John XIX women, which came up with him unto Jerusalem. The 37. Jews therefore, 'because it was the Preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day (for that Sabbath day was a high day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. •'- Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. "^^ But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs ; ^^ but one of the soldiers, with a spear, pierced his side, and forthwith ^came thereout blood and water. ^^ And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true ; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe, '^^ For these things were done that the ^Scripture should be fulfilled, " A bone of Him shall not be broken." ^^ And again, another 'Scripture saith, "They shall look on Him whom they have pierced." Matt, xxvii. ver. 45, part ofver. 46, ver. 47, part of ver. 48, 50,ver. 55, and part ofver. ry6. — 45 ™Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 40 And about the ninth hour "Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, — that is to say, " My "God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me !" 47 Some of them that stood tliere, when they heard that, said, " This ijiaii calleth for Elias." 48 — put it — and gave him — 50 — yielded up the ghost. 55 And many women were there beholding afar oiF, ^which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him ; 56 'among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James and Joses, and — . Mark xv. pni-t of ver. 33, 36, ver. 37, 38, part of ver. 39, and 40. — 33 — there was dark- ness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 36 And one ran and filled a sjwnge full Sect. 1.] JOSEPH AND NICODEMUS BURY CHRIST. 189 of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and ''gave him to drink, saying, " Let alone ; let us see r Ps. 69. 21. whether Elias — 37 And Jesus cried witli a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 38 And *the veil of the teznple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. 39 And when the ^I^^}^'^- ^}- centurion — saw — he said, " Truly this man was 'the Son of God." 40 There were also j g^g ^^^^^^ j " women looking on "afar off' : — . u Ps. 38. 11. Luke xxiii. part ofver. 44, 45,46, and 47. — 44 And it was about the sixth hour, and — 45 — and the veil of the temple was rent — 46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, — he gave up the ghost. 47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, — . John xlx.part of ver. 29, 30. — 29 — and they filled a sponge with vinegar, — 30 — and — . PART VIII. FROM THE DEATH OF CHRIST TO HIS ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN. SECT. I. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. Section I. — Joseph of Arimathfta and Nicodemus bury the Body of Christ. Matt, xxvii. 57-60. — Mark xv. 42-46. — Luke xxiii. 50-54. — John xix. 38, to the end. 1 John xix. 38. i ^^j^ after this, ^ when the even was come,'^ because it 2 Jlark XV. 42. . . 3 Mat.xxvii.57. was thc Preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), aSeeNote. i. 4 Lu. xxiii. 51. 3 there came a rich man of Arimathcea, " a city of the Jews, 6 MLk'xv!'43. ^ named Joseph, ® an honorable counsellor ; ' and he was a 7 Lu. xxiii. 50. good man, and a just ; ® who also himself waited for the kingdom of God ; * being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, "for fear of the Jews, '° (the same had not consented to the ''i^^^^' ^' ^ counsel and deed of them ;) " this man '^came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and cravedthebody of Jesus ; '^ [and] besought Pilate, that he might take away the body of Jesus. ** And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead ; and call- ing unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead ? '" And when he knew it of the cen- turion, "^ Pilate gave hiin leave ; [and] " commanded the body to be dehvered '** to Joseph.*" '^ And he bought fine bSeeNotea. linen, and ^^ he came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. ^^ And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth ; "''' and there came also 'Nicodemus * •'"s^n" ^' '' ^' ^ (which at the first came to Jesus by night), and brought a mi.xture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. "^ Then took they the body of Jesus, and "wound 'Acts 5. 6. it in clean linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. ^* Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new sep- S5 Mat.xxvii.6o. ulchre ; ^* and [Joseph] ''laid it in his own new tomb.which '^i^-sa-s- he had hewn out in the'^ rock, ^'^ wherein was never man cSeeNotes. yet laid. " There laid they Jesus therefore, because of the Jews' Preparation day ; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. ^® And that day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew on ; ^^ and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sep- ulchre, and departed. Matt, xxvii. part ofver. 57, andSS. — 57 When the even was come — who also himself was Jesus' disciple : 58 he went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate — . Mark xv. part of ver. 42, 43, 45, 46. — 42 And now — 43 Joseph of Arimathaea, — which also waited for the kingdom of God, — 45 — he gave the body — 4G — took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. Luke xxiii. part of ver. 50, 51, 52, and ver. 53. — 50 And, behold ! there icus a man 8 Lu. xxiii. 51 9 .Tolin xix. 38. 10 Lulie xxiii. 51. 11 Luke xxiii. 5i. 12 Mark xv. 43. 13 John xix. 38. 14 Mark xv. 44. 15 Mark xv. 45. 16 John xix. 38. 17 Matt, xxvii. 58. 18 Mark xv. 45. 19 Mark xv. 46. ao John xix. 38. 21 Mat.xxvii.59 22 John xix. 39. 23 John xix. 40. 24 John xix. 41. 26 John xix. 41, 27 John xix. 42- 28 Luke xxiii. .54. 29 Matt, xxvii. CO. 190 THE CHIEF PRIESTS PREPARE A GUARD. [Part VIII, e Is. 53. 9. John 19. 39. SECT. II. V. M. 29. J. P. 4742. The Sepulchre. d See Note 4. a Luke 8. 2. SECT. III. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. a Mark 16. 1. b Exod. 20. 10. SECT. IV. V. JE. 29. J. p. 4742. The Sepulchre. e See Note 5. SEC i'. V. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. f See Note 6. a ch. 16. 21. &. 17. 23. &, 20. 19. &26. 61. Mark 8. 31. & 10.34. Luke 9. 22. & 18. 33. & 24. 6, 7. John 2. 19. b Dan. 6. 17. SECT. VI. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. a Matt. 28. 1. Luke 24. 1. John 20. 1. b Luke 23. 56. ■; See Note 7. SECT. VII. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. The Sepulchre, h See Note 8. named Joseph, a counsellor ; — 51 — he was of Arimathwa, — .52 — went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and 'laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein ne^er man before was laid. John xix. part ofver. 38. — Joseph of Arimathsea — . Section II. — Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, and the Women from Galilee observe ivhere the Body of Christ was laid.^ Mark xv. 47. — Luke xxiii. 55. ^"^ And Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of loses, beheld where he was laid. ^^ And the women also, "which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. Section III. — The Women from Galilee hasten to return Home before the Sabbath began, to prepare Spices. Luke xxiii. 56. And they returned, and "prepared spices and ointments ; and rested the Sabbath day ''according to the commandment. Section IV. — Mary Magdalene and the other Mary continue to sit opposite the Sepulchre till it is too late to prepare their Spices. Matt, xxvii. 61. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. "^ Section V, — The Sabbath being ended, the Chief Priests prepare a Guard of Soldiers to ivatch the Sepulchre.^ Matt, xxvii. 62, to the end. ^- Now the next day, that followed the day of the Preparation, the Chief Priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, ^^ saying, " Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, ' After "three days I will rise again.' "^^ Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come [by night,] and steal him away, and say unto the people. He is risen from the dead ; so the last error shall be worse than the first." ^^ Pilate said unto them, " Ye have a watch ; go your way, make it as sure as ye can." ^^ So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, 'seahng the stone, and setting a watch. Section VI. — The Sabbath being over, Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, and Salome purchase their Spices to anoint the Body of Christ. Mark xvi. 1. And "when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James, and Salome, ''had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.e Section VII. — The Morning of Easter-Bay — M. Magdalene, the other Mary, and Salome, leave their Homes very early to go to the Sepulchre. Matt, xxviii. 1. — Mark xvi. part ofver.2. — John xx. part ofver. 1. 1 In the end of the'> Sabbath ' very early in the morning, I ^;^^;;;'^ the first day of the week, ^ when it was yet dark, ^ as it 3 johu xx. 1. began to dawn, toward the first day of the week, came * f^'^ll^'^j}"^^ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary ^ unto the sepulchre, e Mat.'xxvi'ii.'i. * to see the sepulchre. Sect. XII.] CHRIST RISES FROM THE DEAD. I9] Mark xvi. part ofvcr. 2. And — they came — . John xx. part, of ver. 1. The first day of the week Cometh Mary Magdalene early, — unto the sepulcliri', — . : SECT. VIII. Section VIII. — After they had left their Homes, and before their y ]e~29 Arrival at the Sejjulchre, Christ rises from the Dead. j. p. 4742. Matt, xxviii. 2-4. The Sepuidiro. 2 And, behold ! there *was a great earthquake ; for "the Angel of the * or, i^been. Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone « see Mark ic. 5. from the door, and sat upon it.' ^ His ''countenance was hke lightning, io\m ^K li. and his raiment white as snow, '^ And for fear of him the keepers j, jj'||;/'^°o%^' did shake, and became as dead men. Section IX. — The Bodies of many come out of their Graves and go sect. ix. to Jerusalem. V. /E. 29. Matt. -^xvii. part of ver. 52, and ver. 53. J. P. 4742. ^^ And many bodies of the saints which slept'' arose, ^-^ and came J^^iusaiem. out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, k see Note 10. and appeared unto many. _^_____^ Section X. — Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, and Salome arrive at ^ect^x. the Sepulchre, and find the Stone rolled away. V. .^..29. Mark xvi. part of ver. 2, and ver. 3, 4. — John xx. part of ver. I. J. P. 4742. 1 Mark xvi. 3. i p^^^ j|-,gy ^^^^ amoug thcmselvcs, 'at the rising of 'the '^"'"' Sepulchre. 3 Mark xvi! 3! suu, ^ " Who sliall roll us away the stone from the door of i see Note ii. 4 Mark xvi. 4. the scpulchrc ?" ■* for it Was very great. And when they 5 John XX. 1. looked, they saw that the stone was rolled'" away ' from the "" ^" ^°*® ^■ sepulchre. John xx. i)art of ver. 1. — and seeth the stone taken away — . === Section XI. — Mary Magdalene leaves the other Mary and Salome sect, xi. to tell Peter. V. M. 29. John xx. 2. J- P. 4742. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the "other Jeiusaiem. disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, " They have taken ach. 13.23. & away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they 20' It "^ ^^' ^' have laid him." Section XII. — Salome and the other Mary, during the absence of Mari) sect. xii. Magdalene, enter the Porch of the Sepulchre, and see one Angel, y ]^oo who commands them to inform the Disciples that Jesus ivas risen. j *p ^-.^2 Matt, xxviii. 5-7. — Mark xvi. 5-7. The Sepulchre. 1 Mark XVI. 5. ' And "entering iuto the sepulchre," they saw a young ^j^^^~3 man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white gar- John 20. 11, 12. 2 Mat.xxviii.5. n^gj^j . ^jj^ ^j^gy ^^.gj.g aftnghted. '[But] the angel an- " ^'^'"'^''•" '=^- » iTarkxvi. 6. swcrcd and said unto the women, " Fear not ye ; ^be not 4 M'lt wviii 5 J ' 6 Marie xvi. 6. affrighted ; ^ for I know that ye seek Jesus ^ of Nazareth, 6 Mit. xxviii.e. which was crucified ; ® he is not here : for he is risen, ''as JMatt. 12. 40. & 7 Mark xvi. 6. he Said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay, ' behold &'2o.'i9. 9 Maf xxviii!?. *^^ place where they laid him ! ^ But go your way, " quickly, 10 iiaik xvi. 7. '° tell his disciples and Peter ' ' that he is risen from the Is Mark'^xvi''?'" ^^^^ ' ^"'^' ^eliold ! '" that he goeth before you into Gali- 13 Mat..xxviii.7. lee : there shall ye see him, 'as he said unto you, 'Mo ! I ''Itll'u.'-^.' have told you." Matt, xxviii. part ofvcr. 5, and 7. — 5 And — which was crucified. 7 And go — and tell his disciples — he goeth before you into Galilee ; there shall ye see him. Mk-rk XVI. part of ver. Q. And he saith unto them — ye seek Jesus — he is risen; he is not here : — . 192 CHRIST APPEARS TO MARY MAGDALENE. [Part VIII. SECT. XIII. Section XIII. — Salome and the other Mary leave the Sepulchre. V. M. 29. Matt, xxviii. 8. — Mark xvi. 8. J. P. 4742. 'And they went out quickly ^from the sepulchre, with ' Mark xvi. s. ^ ^ Matt xxviii The Sepulchre, fear, ^ and fled from the sepulchre ; for they trembled, and s. were amazed, neither said they any thing to any man, for ^ ^""^ ^'''•.^; o See Note 14. they were° afraid; "and [with] great joy did run to bring 8. " his disciples word. ■ Matt, xxviii. beginning ofver. 8. And they departed quickly — . SECT. XIV. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. The Sepulchre. a Luke 24. 12. p See Note 15. b eh. 19. 40. c ch. 11. 44. q See Note 16. rfPs. 16. 10. Acts 2. 25-31. & 13. 34, 35. SECT. XV. Section XIV. — Peter and John, as soon as they hear the report of Mary Magdalene, hasten to the Sepulchre, which they inspect, and immediately depart. John xx. 3-10. ^ Peter "therefore!' went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. ^ So they ran both together ; and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. ^ And he, stoop- ing down, and loohing in, saw 'the linen clothes lying ; yet went he not in, ^ Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, ^ and "the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. ^ Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, andi believed ; ^ for as yet they knew not the ''Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. ^^ Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. V. M. 29. Section XV. — Mary Magdalene, having followed Peter and John, J. P. 4742. remains at the Sepulchre after their departure. The Sepulchre. JoHN XX. part of VCr, 11. But "Mary stood without, at the sepulchre, weeping."" a Mark 16. 5. r See Note 17, SECT. XVI. Section XVI. — M. Magdalene holes into the Tomb, and sees two Angels. John xx. part ofver. 11, ver. 12, 13, and part ofver. 14. V. ^. 29. ^1 And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre, J. P. 4742. 12 j^j^^ seeth two angels' in white, sitting the one at the head, and the The Sepulchre. qi\^qy at the fcct, whcrc the body of Jesus had lain. ^^ And they say B See Note 18. uuto hcr, " Womau, why weepest thou?" She saith unto them, " Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." ^^ And "when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing. a Matt. 28. 9 Mark 16. 9. SECT. XVII. V. M. 29. J. P. 4742. The Sepulchre. t See Note 19. a Luke 8. 2. 6 LuliR-14. 16,31. John 21. 4. u See Note 20. X See Note 21. crs.22.22. Matt. 28. 10. Rom. 8. 'j!l. Hoh. 2. II. (i.Iohn 16.28. e Ephes. 1. 17. Section XVII. — Christ first appears to Mary Magdalene, and com- mands her to inform the Disciples that he had risen. Mark xvi. 9. — John xx. part ofver. 14, and ver. 15-17. ' Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the I ]^"J^ '""'• f; week, he appeared' first to Mary Magdalene, "out of i7. whom he had cast seven devils, ^ and [she] ''knew not that it was Jesus. ^^ Jesus saith unto her, " Woman, why weepest thou ? whom seekest thou ? " She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, " Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away." ^^ Jesus saith unto her, " Mary !" She turned herself," and saith unto him, " Rabboni !" (which is to say, Master). ^" Jesus saith unto her, " Touch me not ;" for I am not yet ascended to my Father ; but go to '^my brethren, and say unto them, 'I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to 'my God and your God." Sect. XXII.] CHRIST APPEARS TO THE WOMEN. 193 Section XVIII. — Mary Magdalene, when going to inform the Disciples sect, xviii. that Christ had risen, meets again loiih Salome and the other Mary v. JE. 29. — Christ appears to the three Women. J. P. 4742. Matt, xxviii. 9, 10.— John xx. 18. '^^^ Sepulchre. ^^ Mary Magdalene came and told the disciplesy that she had seen y see Note 22. the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. ^ And as „ „ ... , a. See Mark IG. 9, they went to tell his disciples, behold ! "Jesus met them, saying, " All John 20. 14. hail!" And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped Rom. 8.29. " him. ^° Then said Jesus unto them, "Be not afraid; go tell 'my "'*'*• 2- "• brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me." ^^ ^=^^=^=^==== SECT. XIX. Section XIX. — T^he Soldiers, who had jled from the Sepulchre, v.^E. 29. report to the High Priests the Resurrection of Christ. J. P. 4742. Matt, xxviii. 11-15. Jerusalem. ^^ Now when they were going, behold ! some of the watch came into the city, and showed unto the Chief Priests all the things that were done. ^^ And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, ^^ saying, " Say ye. His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we z See Note 23. ''.slept. ^"^ And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you." ^^ So they took the money, and did as they were taught : and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews , until this day. Section XX. — The second Party of Women, from Galilee, who had sect, xx. bought their Spices on the Evening previous to the Sabbath, having V. M. 29. had a longer iv ay to come to the Sepulchre, arrive after the Departure J- P- 4742 of the others, and find the Stone rolled away. '^^^ Sepulchre. Luke xxiv. 1-3. ^ Now "upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, aMatt. 28. 1. they came unto the ""sepulchre 'bringing the spices which they had John 20.2.' prepared, and certain othcjs with them. ^ And "they found the stone * ^^^ ^°'^ ^■ rolled away from the sepulchre ; ^ and they entered in, and found not c Matt. 28.'2. the body of the Lord Jesus. ^'""^ ^^- ^■ Section XXI. — Ttvo Angels appear also to the second Party of Women, from Galilee, assuring them that Christ was risen, and reminding them sect, xxi. of his foretelling this Fact. V. JE. 29. Luke xxiv. 4-9. J. P. 4742. ^ And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, ^'"^ ^""P"'"'"^' "behold! two men stood by them in shining garments. ^ And, as a John 20. 12. . •./ _ o o ^ ^ Acts 1 10 they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said * ot, him ijiat uv- unto them, " Why seek ye *thc living among the dead? "^^ He is not «'*' here, but is risen. 'Remember how He spake unto you when He 17.23'. Mark's. was yet in Galilee, '^ saying, ' The 'Son of Man must be delivered ch'. 9. li^^ into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise c see John 1. 51. again.'" ^ And ''they remembered his words, ^and ''returned from the eMatt. 2878. sepulchre, and told all these things unto the Eleven and to all the rest.'' ^^^''^ ^^- ^°- '^ *= b See Note 25. Section XXII. — Mary Magdalene unites her Testimony to that of the "^^ Galilean Women. ^^^"^^ ^^"■ Mark xvi. 10. — Luke xxiv. 10, V iE 29 1 Luke xxiv. 1 j^ ^.g^g ]y[j^j.y cjvjj^gjialene, " and "she went and told them J. P. 4742. 2 Ma:kxvi. 10. that had been with him, as they mourned and wept, ^and Jerusalem. 3 Luke XXIV. 'Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James, and other u-ome7i cSeeNote26. that toere with them, which told these things unto the apostles. VOL. II. 25 Q 10. a John 20. 18. b Luke 8. 3. 194 SECT, xxiri. V. JE. 29. J. p. 4742. Jerusalem. CHRIST APPEARS TO CLEOPAS. [Part VIIL Section XXIII. — The Apostles are still incredulous. Mark xvi. 11. — Luke xxiv. 11. ' And they, when they had heard that He was ahve, and ' Mark xvi. il had been seen of her, beheved not. ^ And their words ^ ^^^^^ ""'v- seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. ^^' SECT. XXIV. V. JE. 29. J. p. 4742. The Sepulchre. a John 20. 3, 6. SECT. XXV. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. d See Note 27. SECT. XXVI. V. M. 29. J. P. 4742. On the way to Emmaiis. e See Note 28. a Matt. 18. 20. ver. .36. b John 20. 14. & 21. 4. c John 19. 25. dMatt. 21. 11. ch. 7. 16. John 3. 2. &4. 19. & 6. 14. Acts 2. 22. & 7.22. e ch. 23. 1. Acts 13. 27, 28. /ch. 1. C8. & 2.38. Act3 1. 6. g Matt. 28. 8. Mark Ifi. 10. ver. 9, 10. John 20. 18. h ver. 12. i ver. 46. Acts 17. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 11. J Gen. 3. 15. & 22. 18. & 2(1. 4. & 49. 10. Num. 21. 9. Dcut. 18. 15, 18. Ps. 16. 9, 10. & 22. & 132. 11. Is. 4. 2. & 7. 14. & 9. 6,7. & 40. 10, 11. & 50. 6. & 53. 2. Jer. 23. 5. & 33. 14,15. Ezek.34. 23. & 37. 25. Dan. 7. 13, 14. & 9. 24. Mic. 5. 2. & 7. 20. Zech.6. 12. & 9. 9. & 13. 7. Mai. 3. 1. & 4. 2. f See Note 29. k See Gen. 32. 26. & 42. 7. Mark 6. 48. J Gen. 19. 3. Acts 16. 15. m Matt. 14. 19. * Or, cpn.icd to be seen ofthnm. See ch. 4. 30. John 8.53. Section XXIV. — Peter goes again to the Sepulchre. Luke xxiv. former paii of ver. 12. "Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre ; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves. Section XXV. — Peter, who had probably seen Christ, departs from the Sepulchre. Luke xxiv. latter paH of ver. 12. And [Peter] departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.*^ • Lu. xxiv. 13. 2 ftlark xvi. 12. 3 Luke xxiv. 13-32. Section XXVI. — Christ appears to Cleopas, and another Disciple, going to Emma'ds.^ Mark xvi. 12.— Luke xxiv. 13-32. ' And, behold ! ^ after that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the coun- try ^ that same day to a village called Emmaijs, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs, ^^and they talked together of all these things which had happened. ^^And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, "Jesus himself drew near, and went with them ; ^^ but ''their eyes were holden, that they should not know him. ^"^ And he said unto them, " What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad ?" ^^ And the one of them, Vhose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, " Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days ? " ^^ And he said unto them, " What things ? " And they said unto him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, ''which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people ; -^ and 'how the Chief Priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. ^^ But we trusted -^that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel : and beside all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. ~- Yea, °and certain women also of our com- pany made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; ~^and when they found not his body, they came, saying. That they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. ^^ And '^certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said ; but him they saw not." ~^ Then he said unto them, " O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken ! ~^ Ought 'not Christ to have suftered these things, and to enter into his glory ? " -'' And, ^beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning'^ himself. ^® And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went ; and 'he made as though he would have gone further. ^^ But 'they constrained him saying, " Abide with us ; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And he went in to tarry with them. ^'^ And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, "'he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. ^' And their eyes were opened, and they knew him ; and he * vanished out of their ^~ And they said one to another, " Did not our heart burn sight Sect. XXIX.] CHRIST APPEARS TO HIS APOSTLES. 195 within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures ?" Luke xxiv. ])art of ver. 13. — two of them went — . Section XXVII. — Clcopas and his Companion return to Jerusalem, sect, xxvii. and assure the Apostles that Christ had certainly risen. V. JE. 29. Mark xvi. 13.— Luke .xxiv. 33-35. J- P- 4742. 1 Mark xvi. 13. ' And they wcnt and told it unto the residue ; neither erusa^em. * 33^35''^''^' believed they them. ^And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the Eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, •^'* saying, "The Lord is oicor. 15.5. risen indeed, and "hath appeared to sSimon." ^^ And they told what g See Note 30. things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. =====; Section XXVIII. — Christ appears to the assembled Apostles, Thomas only being absent, convinces them of the Identity of the Resurrection Body, and blesses them. Luke xxiv. 36-43. — John xx. 19-23. 'Then "the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, ^ as they thus spake, and stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, " Peace be unto you ! " ^ But they were terrified and affi-ighted, and supposed that they had seen ''a spirit. ■• And he said unto them, " Why are ye troubled ? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts ? * Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself ; "handle me, and see ; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." * And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands, and his feet, '' and his side. ''Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. * And while they yet believed not 'for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, " Have ^ye here any meat ? " * And they gave him a piece of broiled fish, and of a honeycomb. '" And ^he took it, and did eat be- fore them. " Then said Jesus to them again, " Peace be unto you : ''as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." '^ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, " Receive ye the Holy Ghost. '^ Whose 'soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them ; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." Luke xxiv. part of ver. 36. — [Jesus] himself — . John xx. part of ver. 19, and 20. — 19 — and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, " Peace be unto you ! " 20 And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands — . 1 John XX. 19. 2 Luke xxiv. 36. 3 Luke xxiv. 37. * Luke xxiv. 38. 6 Luke xxiv. 39. * Luke xxiv. 40. 7 John XX. 20. 8 Luke xxiv. 41, 9 Luke xxiv. 42. 10 Luke xxiv. 43. 11 John XX. 21. 12 John XX. 22. >3 John XX. 23. SECT, xxvnj. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. a Mark 16. 14. 1 Cor. 15. 5. ft Mark 6. 49. c John 30. 27. d John 16. 22. e Gen. 45. 26. /John 21. 5. g Acts 10. 41. h Matt. 28. 18. John 17. 18, 19. Heb. 3. 1. 2 Tim. 2.2. t Matt. 10. 19. & 18. 18. Section XXIX. — Thomas is still incredulous. John xx. 24, 25. ^^ But Thomas, one of the Twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. ^^ The other disciples therefore said unto him, " We have seen the Lord." But he said unto them, " Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." sect. XXIX. V. ^. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. 196 CHRIST APPEARS AT THE SEA OF TIBERIAS. [PartVIII. SECT^^jtx. Section XXX. — Christ appears to the Eleven, Thomas leing present. V. E.. 29. Mark xvi. 14.— John xx. 26-29. J. P. 4742. ' Afterward "He appeared unto the Eleven as they sat ^ Mark xvi. i4 Jerusalem. #^1 meat, and ^Upbraided them with their unbeUef and a Luke 24. 36. hardness of heart, because they beheved not them which * or'^'togeihcr. I^^d sccu him after he was risen. "" And after eight days 2<j. " ''^' """ h See Note 31. iagaiu his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, " Peace b 1 John 1. 1 k See Note 33. be unto you ! " ^^ Then saith he to Thomas, " Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and ''reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side ; and be not faithless, but believing. -^ And Thomas answered and said unto him, " My Lord and my ''God ! " ^9 Jesus saith unto 'iFet.'i.'l' h"^j " [Thomas,] because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed '^blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed ! " __ ' ■ Section XXXI. — Christ appears to a large number of his Disciples V- ^- 29. on a Mountain in Galilee, ilontltn' Matt, xxviii. ver. 16, 17, and pari of ver. 18. Galilee."'" ^^ Then the cleveu disciplcs wcut away iuto Galilee, into a moun- <zch.26~32 & *^^^ "where Jesus had appointed them. ^^ And when they saw him, 2s. 7. they worshipped him ; but some' doubted. '® And Jesus came and l%'JZ!i. spake unto them.- n See Note 36, a ch. 1. 45. SECT. XXXII. Section XXXII. — Christ appears again at the Sea of Tiberias — His -.r TT^^ Conversation with Peter.^ V. JE. 29. T • 1 cA J P 4742 John xxi. 1-24. Sea of Tiberias. ^ After thcsc thiugs, Jcsus showcd himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. And on this wise showed he himself. ^ There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and "Na- thanael of Cana in Galilee, and Hhe sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. ^ Simon Peter saith unto them, " I go a fishing." They say unto him, " We also go with thee." They went forth, and en- tered into a ship immediately, and that night they caught nothing. ^ But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore ; '/''•,^V.^- , but the disciples "knew not that it was Jesus. ^ Then ''Jesus saith * Or, s^s. unto them, " *Children, have ye any meat?" They answered him, e Luke 5. 4, 6, 7. " ]Vo." ^ ^^^j |^g g^j^j ^^j-q them, " Cast 'the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find." They cast therefore, and now they were /ch. 13.23. & 20. j^Qt g^iyiQ tQ draw it for the multitude of fishes. '^Therefore •'^that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, "It is the Lord ! " Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him (for he was naked), and did cast himself into the sea. ^ And the other disciples came in a little ship (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fishes. ^ As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. '° Jesus saith unto them, " Bring of the fish which ye have now caught." ^^ Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three ; and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. g- Acta 10. 41. 12 jggyg gj^jtj^ yj^^Q them, "Come ^and dine." And none of the dis- ciples durst ask him. Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish ^26?^ "''■ ~°' ^^' likewise. '''This is now Hhe third time° that Jesus showed himself o See Note 37. to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. '•'' So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, " Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? " He .saith unto him. Sect. XXXIV.] CHRIST ASCENDS TO HEAVEN. 197 '5 " Yea Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." He saith unto him, " Feed my lambs.'-' ^^ He saith to him again the second time, " Si- mon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" He saith unto him, " Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." He 'saith unto him, " Feed ^^^f lalo' my sheep." ^''He saith unto him, the third time, " Simon, son of i Pet. a! 25! & Jonas, lovest thou me ? " Peter was grieved because he said unto him j cii72. 24, 25. &. the third time, " Lovest thou me?" and he said unto him, "Lord, ^^■^^; ■"thou knowest all things ; thou knowest that I love thee." Jesus saith 12. '3, 4. unto him, " Feed my sheep. ^^ Verily, ^verily, I say unto thee. When ^i^ll^f\f' thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkcdst whither thou mch.i3.23,25.& wouldest ; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, ^^^^^^ ^^ ^ ^ and another shall gird thee, p and carry thee whither thou wouldest «^?5. 31 icor. not." ^^ This spake he, signifying 'by what death he should glorify Rev. 2.25. &' God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, " Follow me." 20. ' ' -^ Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple "whom Jesus loved "^^'l^-^- following (which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, " Lord, ' which is he that betrayeth thee ? ") ~^ Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, " Lord, and what shall this man do?" ^^ Jesus saith unto him, " If I sect^xxui. will that he tarry "till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." v. JE.. 29. ^^ Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple J- P- 4742. should not die. Yet Jesus said not unto him. He shall not die ; Jerusalem. but, "' If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee ? " ^4 This * J^thJwufthL is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things ; q see xote 39. and "we know that his testimony is true. "27°';^ \t ^g. & ' IG. 7. Acts 2. 33. — JMatt. 3. 11. Acts 11. 16. & 19. 4. Section XXXIII. — Christ appears to his Apostles at Jerusalem, and cJoeis. is. commissions them to convert the World. f^^^ ^- "*• ^ ^^* Luke xxiv. 44-49. — Acts i. 4, 5. d Matt. I6. 21. & 1 Acts i. 4. 1 ^jjj, *being assembled together with them, [He] com- Mark's. 31. " manded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem,i ]s^ii^' ^' ^ but wait for the promise of the Father, "which, saith he, ye eSeeLuke24.27. 2 Acts i. 5. have heard of me ; ^ for 'John truly baptized with water, \^ Lu^e 24. 46. 'but ve shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many °^^-.J^- ^^^•^• 3 Luke xxiv. , / Till -1 ^ ^i ,, mi ,; 1 &33. 2, &c. 44-49. days hence. And he said unto them, " ihese are the Acts 17.3. words which I spake unto you, while I w-as yet with you, that all things ''acu'iI. Is, 45. must be fulfilled which were written in the 'Law of Moses, and in the .y^^'V^'P' Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me." ^^ Then -^opened he their ps. 22.'27.* understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, ^''and said jeV. 31.34.' unto them, "Thus °'it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, ^,%'.m^,'i'^Ii', and to rise from the dead the third day, ^^ and that repentance and ''re- J ^"}''^ ^^- -J;-^ mission of sins should be preached in his Name 'among all nations, be- 2. 33. &3.T5. ginning at Jerusalem. ^^ And 'ye are witnesses of these things. "^^ And, ^^'osfjoh/n.' *behold I I send the promise of my Father upon you ; but tarry ye in ^'i|%'*' ^cts^f the city [of Jerusalem,] until ye be endued with power from on high." 4.&'2. i,'&c. SECT. XXXI V. Section XXXIV. — Christ leads out his Apostles to Bethany, within y ~^oa sight of Jerusalem, gives them their final Commission, blesses them, j p 4742. a7id ascends up visibly into Heaven — -from whence he will come to Bethany. judge the Living and the Dead J rSeeXm^4o. Matt, xxviii. partofver. 18, ver. 19, 20. — Mark. xvi. 15, to the end. — Luke xxiv. 50, ' ^''^ ^'°'^ ^^- to the end.-AcTS i. 6-12. « fi"^"- ^f • ^- bis. 1. 26. Dan. 1 Luke XXIV. 1^^^ jjg ]g^ ^j^gj^ out as far as to Bethany.' "When 7.27. Amos 9. « Actsi. 6. they therefore were come together, they asked of him. say- cMatt. 24. 36. ing, " Lord, "wilt thou at this time 'restore again the king- j Thegs^'s^i 3 Acts i. 7. dom to Israel ? " ^ And he said unto them, " It 'is not for VOL. II. *Q 198 CONCLUSION TO THE GOSPEL HISTORY. [Part VIIL d Act3 2. 1, 4. * Or, Ihe power of the Holy Ohost comina upon you. Luke 24. 49. t See Note 42. e Luke 24. 48. John 15. 27. Acts 1. 22. & 2. 33. /Dan. 7. 13, M. Matt. 11. 27. & 16. 28. Luke 1. 32. & 10. 22. John 3. 35. & 5. 22, 27. & 12. 34. & 13. 3. & 17.2. Acts 2. 36. & 17. 31. Rom. 14. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 25,27. Ephes. 1. 10, 21. Phil. 2. 9, 10. lleh. 1. 2. & 2. 8. 1 Pet. 3. 22. Rev. 17. 14. g Col. 1. 23. f Or, make disci- ples, or, Cliriji- tiaiis of all nOr- tions. h Acta 2. 42. t John 3. 18, 36. Acts 2. 38. & 16. 30, 31, 32. Rom. 10. 9. 1 Pet. 3. 21. j John 12. 48. k Luke 10. 17. Acts 5. 16. & 8. 7. & 16. 18. & 19. 12. Z Acts 2. 4. & 10. 46. & 19. 6. 1 Cor. 12.10,28. m Luke 10. 19. Acts 28. 5. n Acts 5. 15, 16. &9. 17. &28. 8. James 5. 14, 15. 2 Kings 2. 11. Ephes. 4. 8. p Ps. 110. 1. .Acts 7. 55. g Acts 2. 7. & 13. 31. r Dan. 7. 13. Matt. 24. 30. Mark 13. 26. Luke 21. 27. John 14. 3. 1 Thess. 1. 10. &4. 16. 2Thes. 1. 10. Rev. 1. 7. u See Note 43. s Acts 2. 46. &; 5.42. t Acts 5. 12. & 14. 3. 1 Cor. 2. 4. 5. Heb. 2. 4. you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power ; " but "^ye shall receive *power,* '' ^'^^^ '• ^ after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you ; and 'ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." * And he said unto them, " "All -'^power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. '' Go °ye, therefore, ** into all the world, " and tteach all nations, '° and preach the Gospel to every creature, " baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; '^ teaching ''them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. '"He 'that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; ■'but he that believeth not shall be damned. '"' And these signs shall follow them that believe ; *In my name shall they cast out devils ; 'they shall speak with new tongues ; '^ they '"shall take up serpents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them ; "they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover : '^ and, lo ! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world ! " [Amen.] " So then after the Lord had spoken unto them '® these things, "he lifted up his hands and blessed them. *° And "it came to pass, while he blessed them, '"'' while they beheld, "■ he was parted from them, ^^ [and] he was taken ^^ and carried up into heaven, "" and a cloud received him out of their sight ; ^"^ he was received up into heaven, and ^sat on the right hand of God. " And they worshipped him. ^* And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold ! two men stood by them in white apparel ; '^^ which also said, "• Ye 'men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, '^shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." ^° Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath-day's" journey, ^' and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ^^ and were continually *in the temple, praising and blessing God. [Amen.] ^' And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with thetn, 'and confirming the word with signs following. [Amen.] Matt, xxviii. part ofver. 18. — Saying — Mark xvi. part of ver. 15. — Go ye — . Luke xxiv. part of ver. 50. — and — . Acts i. beginning of ver. 9. And when he had spoken — . 5 Mark xvi. 15 6 Matt. 18. xxviii. 7Mat.xxviii .19. 8 Mark xvi. 15. 9 Mat.xxviii .19. 10 Mark xvi. 15. u Mat.xxviii .19. 12 Matt. 20. xxviii. 13 Mark xvi. 16. 14 Mark xvi. 17. 15 Mark xvi. 18. 16 Matt. 20. xxviii. 17 Mark xvi. 19. 18 Acts i 1.9. 19 Luke 50. xxiv ■• 20 21 Luke 51. Acts i xxiv i. 9. 22 Luke 51. xxiv. 23 Actsi .9. 24 Luke 51. xxiv. 25 Acts i .9. 26 Mark xvi. 19. 27 Luke 52. xxiv. 28 Acts i .10. 29 Acts i . 11. 30 .\cts i . 12. 31 Luke 52. xxiv 32 Luke; xxiv. .53. 33 Mark xvi. 20. SECT. XXXV. Section XXXV. — ^S"^. John's Conclusion to the Gospel History of Jesus Christ. John xx. 30, 31, and xxi. 25. ^^ And many other signs *truly did Jesus in the presence of his dis- cii)les, which are not written in this book ; ^^ but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, "the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his Name. '■^^ And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, ''I suppose that even the world itself could not con- tain the books that should be written. [Amen.] V. iE. '29. J. P. 4742. X See Note 44. a See Matk 1. 1. b Amos 7. 10. THE NEW TESTAMENT PAUT IX. FROM THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST TO THE TERMINATION OF THE PERIOD IN WHICH THE GOSPEL WAS PREACHED TO THE PROSELYTES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND TO THE JEWS ONLY. PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. Having thus far proceeded through the magnificent temple of the Christian religion, till we have arrived at that holy altar on which the Great Sacrifice was offered, we are about to con- template the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit which the now-glorified Victim sent down from the Holy of Holies. We will pause, however, at the threshold of the rising Church, and appeal to all who have hitherto refused to enter in and worship, if they have been able to discover any God so worthy of their homage, as the God of Christianity ; or any temple so firmly established as this beautiful fabric of eternal truth. The Christian cliallenges the world to produce another system which is at all comparable to Christianity, in the evidences of its truth, the purity of its precepts, the philosophy of its discoveries, both concerning God and man; or in all the other essential qualities which the speculations, the fancy, or the sober reason of the reflecting or the learned in all ages have considered essential to any proposed scheme of religion. The Christian world have hitherto been, for the most part, too patient under the repeated attacks of their antagonists. They have been contented with defence, and with maintaining the walls of their fortress ; in replying to, rather than assailing the enemies of their sublime and holy faith. It is true that one considerable advantage has accrued to the cause of trutli from this plan of action. Every argument which sophistry has been able to invent, and ignorance or vice to advance, has been fully and fairly met, discussed, and refuted. Tlie external and internal evidence of Christianity has been so amply displayed — the facts on which the whole system rests have been so ably and repeatedly established, that no possible danger can be apprehended, if the Church of God continues its vigilance, from any future efforts of the great adversary of mankind. The danger to which alone it is exposed, is the oifence wliicli arises from the negligent lives of its professed followers, or their too indolent security in the goodness of their cause. Let us then leave for a short time the impregnable walls of the Christian truth, and make our incursion into the entrenched camp of the enemy. Let us at once inquire who are these proud boasters who have so long encouraged themselves in their empty blasphemies against the light of Revelation ? What are their claims to our veneration ? What are their discoveries ? What will they substitute in the place of Christianity ? Where is to be found a complete and perfect system of truth and morals among these pretended illuminators of the human race ? I appeal to the records of all ages for an answer, and implore the impartial inquirer to search into the history of all nations, in all periods from the day of the creation to the present moment, and see whether human reason has been able to frame a consistent religion for itself. If tlie same one, only true religion, which is revealed in Scripture under the three several forms of the Patriarchal, Levitical, and Christian dispensations, had been withheld from the world, have we any reason whatever to suppose, that its advantages could have been supplied to the world by any human discovery ? One thing only is necessary to be premised — the Christian in this great controversy appeals to facts, experience, and history. While he shrinks from no abstract reasoning, from no metaphysical inquiry, from no supposed philosophical deductions, he asserts that his religion is established 200 PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. [Part IX. throughout upon divinely- attested and undeniable facts. He demands only of the opponents of Christianity, that the religion they would establish in its place be founded upon facts equally well attested, and upon evidences equally satisfactory and undeniable. It is certain that evil is every where around us. It is concealed in our hearts within — it is visible in our bodies without, in a countless train of infirmities, diseases, and afflictions. It is seen above us in tlie storms of heaven, around us in the evils of life, and beneath us in the graves of the dead. The question. Whence and why is evil permitted in this world ? baffles all but the Christian. If God could prevent evil and did not, where is his benevolence ? if he wished to prevent evil, and could not, where is his power ? Here the infidel is baffled, and iiis proud reason stayed. Reason without Revelation has not solved, and cannot solve, the dark and mysterious difficulty. Christianity alone unfolds to man the origin of evil in this world, and while it explains the cause appoints the remedy. " An enemy hath done this," — and " the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." We are assured that an evil and malignant spirit, superior to man, influenced the mind of man to an act of disobedience. This is the recorded fact, and daily experience confirms its reasonableness and probability. Evil is still continued by the same means by which it originated. Thousands are hourly misled by one powerful or depraved mind. The sophistries of infidelity, the splendor of ambition, the gold of avarice are demons all pointing to the forbidden fruit — to a transgression of the sacred Law : and the authority of custom, the fear of ridicule, the false shame of the cowardice tliat dares not differ from the multitude, are all the enemies of our vir- tue, and poisoners of our happiness. Man tempts man to sin : if wicked men, ambitious conquerors, &c. can continue the dominion of evil solely from their superiority of talent (and such has been in every age the history of crime); if their own habits of evil were induced by the prior example of others acting upon minds liable to sin ; is it irrational to believe that the influence and mental superiority of an Evil Being originated the first crime that contaminated the human race ? The causes which continue evil may naturally be supposed to bear some analogy to the cause which primarily produced it ; and no cause is more probable than the influence of mental superiority over a mind capable of error, and endowed with the liberty of choice. Hence we find, " that they who remain in the state in which the fall left them are called the children of the devil ; and it is their pleasure to propagate that sin and death which their father introduced. As he was a liar from the beginning, so they are liars against God, as well as man ; he was a murderer, and they are murderers ; he was a tempter, a deceiver, a subtle serpent, a devouring lion ; and their works, like his, abound with deceit, enmity, subtlety, avarice, and rapacity. There have been two parties from the beginning — the sons of God, and the seed of the serpent. Their opinions are contrary, and their works contrary. Christianity is at the head of one party, and infidelity at the head of the other. As time is divided into light and darkness, so is the world between these two. The dispute between them has subsisted throughout all ages past, it is now in agitation, and it will never cease till the consummation, when the Judge of men and angels shall interpose to decide it"." We are called upon to believe rather than to fathom these depths of Omnipotence ; and we know and are assured, that the two great works of the Destroyer, sin and death, shall be finally annihilated by the Saviour of mankind, who was revealed from the beginning as the conquerer of evil. But what are the discoveries of infidelity which could supersede this religion ? What philoso- pher in ancient days, or what speculator in modern times, who has dared to reject that account of the origin of evil in the world which is given us in revelation, has been able for one moment to propose any satisfactory explanation of this great mystery ; or offer any thing either to allay its bitterness, or to remove its sting ? All is wild and vain conjecture : they know only that evil exists, and they have no remedy whatever for the melancholy conviction, but a gloomy patience without hope of future good, or deliverance from present sorrow. Shall we go on to the next great event after the birth of the world ? The testimony of Revelation has sometimes been rejected in this question also. If, however, the discoveries of our present eminent geologist, and the conclusions of scientific or curious observers, both at home and abroad, may be received as arguments, there is sufficient evidence to assure us that at no very remote period a universal deluge overspread the whole surface of the globe, the traces of which are every where distinguishable. The traditions of all nations confirm the same truth. Their records in no one instance proceed higher than this event ; the chronology of the Egyp- tians, and of the Hindoos, which boasted a more ancient descent, have been long since consigned to oblivion. Let me then ask. Whether any invention of natural religion, that vain idol of the " Jones' (of Nayland) Works, vol. vii. p. 294. Part IX.] PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. 201 imagination, can discover an adequate cause of this universal deluge ; or does tradition relate any thing concerning it, which does not confirm the only rational and consistent account which is revealed to us in Scripture'' ? There is abundant evidence to prove that the most absurd and superstitious ceremonies, and the most inconsistent and irrational theories of the pagan world were at first useful emblems or remembrances instituted in commemoration of tliis great event, though they were subsequently perverted ; and every species of idolatry, from the Hindoo to the savage, originated in the corruption of some primeval truth revealed to their patriarchal ancestors". On this view of the subject, every difficulty respecting the polytheism of antiquity is solved. All the mystery of its early origin, and the causes of the institution of barbarous rites and absurd notions respecting the Deity, are easily and satisfactorily explained. Let him, who rejects Revelation, and yet believes in the power of the unassisted reason of man to frame for itself a consistent system of rational religion, contemplate the history of his species, and account for the incomprehensible series of mysterious absurdities he there surveys. Was it not the real, genuine, undoubted majesty of human reason which fully displayed itself when the scientific Chaldean paid his homage to fire, as to a God — when the dignified Persian bowed down to the host of heaven — and the deeply-learned Egyptian acknowledged the divinity of the reptile or the vegetable? If the advocate of the supremacy of human reason would be further gratified, I would refer him to the contemplation of the more northern nations, and bid him there behold its triumphs in the massacre of human victims, when the blood-bedewed priest, as in the plains of Mexico, in a subsequent period, tore the palpitating heart from the still living breast of the sacrifice, and spoke in his mystic augury the will of a ferocious deity. Human reason proposed the worship of the sword of God, Attila, and revelled in the banquet of those warriors, who drank mead from the skulls of tlieir enemies in the halls of Valhalla. Human reason, unencumbered by Revelation, gradually instructed the passive population of Hindostan to burn their widows, to murder their infants, and to torture their own bodies. Cruelty, lust, and ignorance assumed the place of repentance, faith, and knowledge ; and the conquest of unassisted reason over the mind of man, was consummated in the golden clime of India, till the white horse of Brunswick pastured on its fair meadows, and the sons of Japhet forsook the shores of England to overthrow this proud temple of the idol god. Wg will now consider human reason in its most admired form in the schools of philosophy in Greece, of which the Pythagorean or Italic was the most distinguished for the reasonableness of its doctrines, the purity of its precepts, and the excellence of its discipline. Among the Pytha- goreans was taught the existence of a Supreme Being, the Creator, and providential Preserver of the Universe, the immortality of tlie soul, and future rewards and punishments. Though these opinions were blended with many sentiments which are not warranted by Revelation, there is certainly much to be admired and wondered at in the systems of Pythagoras. Yet even here, it the advocates of the sufficiency of human intellect should feel inclined to triumph, they must do so upon Christian principles only ; for it is demonstrable that this great philosopher kindled his faint taper at the ever-burning fire on the holy altar of truth. He conversed, we have reason to believe, with those favored people who held in their hands the sacred records of Moses and the prophets. For Pythagoras, it is asserted by all the remaining evidence, travelled among the Jews in their dispersion, both in Egypt and in Babylon, and also with the remnant of them who were left in their own country at Mount Carmel. Before he proceeded on these travels he visited Thales, at Miletus, who happened to be in Egypt at the time when Jehoahaz was brought there a prisoner of Avar by Pharaoh-Necho'', with many of his captive countrymen ; and these wore the two men who founded the Ionic and Italic schools, from which descended ail the schools of ' That which the modern speculators call natural religion is the offspring' of cultivated minds, tho- roughly imbued with an early and extensive knowledge of rehgion, and endeavourino', by subtle dis- tinctions, to separate the doctrines and duties which could only have been known by Revelation, from those which they suppose to be discoverable by tlie power of human reason only. After all the reason- ings of Wollaston, Clarke, and others on this subject, the only point of real importance has been disre- garded. The qvicstion is. Whether there'lias ever been found a nation who has been governed by natural religion ? or, Whether this natural religion has made any discoveries concerning God, or the soul of man, or the nature of the future world, or on any of these sublimer subjects, which are at all comparable to those which are givon to us in Revelation. Natural religion, saysFaber, denotes that rehgion which man might frame to himself by the unassisted exercise of his intellectual powers, if he were placed in the world by his Creator, witliout any communication being made to him relative to that Creator's will and attributes. — Faber On the Three Dispcitsations, vol. i. p. 74. " See Stillingfleet's Orlgincs Sacra ; Faber's Origin of Pagan Idolatry ; Gale's Court of the Gentiles; Young On Idolatry. "^ See Gale's Court of the Gentiles ; Enfield's Origin of Philosophy ; and Note 40, in the Arrangement of the Old Testament, Period VIL part iv. sect. 8. VOL. II. 26 202 PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. [Part IX, philosophy in Greece. Their predecessors had by no means such clear ideas of a Supreme God and a Superintending Providence ; and the reason seems to be, that they had no communication with the depositaries of truth, but were embarrassed with the mixed traditions of ancient times. and the stupid idolatry of their own days. Socrates and Plato were the two principal philosophers who next distinguished themselves by their superiority to their countrymen. These seem to have been permitted to show to the world to what height of excellence the intellect of man could attain without the possession of the Inspired Volume. Both taught the existence of one God, though both practised the worship of the numerous gods of their country. And such is the superiority of Revelation, that a little child, of our own day, who has been made acquainted with the common truths of Christianity, is a wiser philosopher than either of them. If, then, the learned, deeply-reasoning, and talented Greek was not able, by his own powers of reasoning, to frame any consistent code of religion by which to govern himself, or to benefit man- kind, much less shall we find tliat the more modern philosophers, who have ventured to reject Christianity, are more perfect guides, or are favored with greater discernment. Shall we, for instance, follow Lord Herbert of Cherbury, who assures us that the indulgence of the passions is no greater crime than the quenching of thirst, or yielding to sleep ? — Or shall we believe, with Mr. Hobbes, that inspiration is madness, and religion ridiculous, and that the civil law of a country is the only criterion of right and wrong ? — Shall we agree Avith Blount, the disappointed, self- possessed suicide, that the soul is material ? — Or with Lord Shaftesbury, that the Scriptures are an artful invention, that the idea of salvation is absurd, and join in his untranscribable blasphemies against the meek and blameless Jesus ? Shall the Jew Spinoza direct us, when he teaches us that God is the soul of the world and not the ruler ; and that all things proceed, not from the will or government of an All-wise Creator, but from a necessary emanation from the physical energy of the material universe, the passive fountain of existence ? Shall we agree with him that there is no Creator, no providence, no necessity for worship, nor any well-grounded expec- tation of a future state ? — Or shall we rather become the votaries of Collins, and believe that man is a mere machine, and the soul is material and mortal ? — Or praise, with Tindal and Morgan, and Chubb and Bolingbroke, the dignity of reason, the excellence of natural religion, professing to admire Christianity, while we deny its doctrmes and ridicule its truths? — If these hiero- phants are not received as our guides into the temple of their natural religion, shall we turn to Gibbon, to pander to our frailties, and lead us to the shrine of vice, " a worthy priest, where satyrs are the gods ?" — Or shall we rather submit our intellects to the wisdom of Hume, to learn from him that we cannot reason from cause and effect, and therefore (oh sublime discovery !) the beauty of the visible creation does not prove the existence of God ? or, that experience is our only guide, and therefore miracles are impossible, and not to be credited on any evidence -whatever ! If these lights of the world are not to have the honor of conducting us, shall we rather barter our veneration for the Christian Scriptures, for the reveries of Drummond, who would change the Bible into an almanac ; or the still worthier votaries of infidelity, who are alike distinguished from their countrymen by the double infamy of their politics and their religion ? The good prin- ciples of England have rejected the teaching of such men with scorn and contempt. " The etherial light has purged off its baser fire victorious." Not even their names shall pollute my pages. In otlier lands, the follies of the rejectors of Revelation have been known in the misery of millions. These were the men, who, professing themselves wise, became indeed fools. God, with them, was the sensorium of the universe, or the intelligent principle of nature. They rejected, therefore, all idea of a Providence, and a moral Governor of the world. They ascribed every effect to fate or fortune, to necessity or chance ; they denied the existence of a soul distinct from the body ; they conceived man to be nothing more than an organized lump of matter, a mere machine, an ingenious piece of clock-work, which, when the wheels refuse to act, stands still, and loses all power and motion for ever. They acknowledged notliing beyond the grave ; no resurrection, no future existence, no future retribution ; they considered death as an eternal sleep, as the total extinction of our being; and they stigmatized all opinions different from these with the name of superstition, bigotry, priestcraft, fanaticism, and idolatry^ Let us now advert, for a moment, to the effects produced by these principles on an entire people, and also on individuals^. The only instance in which the avowed rejectors of Revelation have possessed the supreme power and government of a country, and liave attempted to dispose of human happiness according to their own doctrines and wishes, is tliat of France during the greater part of the revolution, which it is now well known was effected by the abettors of infidelity. The great majority of the nation had become infidels. The name and profession of * Bishop Porteus's CImrge, Tracts 266, 267. Home's Critical. Introduction, vol. i. p. 32.- / Home, vol. i. p. 31-35. Part IX.] PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIOxNS. 203 Christianity was renounced by the legislature. Death was declared, by an act of the republican government, to be an eternal sleep. Public worship was abolished. The churches were con- verted into " temples of reason," in which atheistical and licentious homilies were substituted for the proscribed service ; and an absurd and ludicrous imitation of the pagan mythology was exhibited, under the title of the Religion of Reason. In the principal church of every town a tutelary goddess was installed, with a ceremony equally pedantic, frivolous, and profane ; and the females selected to personify this new divinity were mostly prostitutes, who received the adora- tions of the attendant municipal officers, and of the multitudes, whom fear, or force, or motives of gain, had collected together on the occasion. Contempt for religion, or decency, became the test of attachment to the government ; and the gross infraction of any moral or social duty was deemed a proof of civism, and a victory over prejudice. All distinctions of right and wrong were confounded. The grossest debauchery triumphed. Then proscription followed upon proscription, tragedy followed after tragedy, in almost breathless succession, on the theatre of France ; the whole nation seemed to be converted into a horde of assassins. Democracy and atheism, hand in hand, desolated the country, and converted it into one vast field of rapine and of blood. The moral and social ties were unloosed, or rather torn asunder. For a man to accuse his own father was declared to be an act of civism worthy of a true republican ; and to neglect it was pronounced a crime that should be punished with death. Accordingly women denounced their husbands, and mothers their sons, as bad citizens and traitors. While many women — not of the dress of the common people, nor of infamous reputation, but respectable in character and appearance — seized with savage ferocity between their teeth the mangled limbs of their murdered countrymen. The miseries suffered by that single nation have changed all the histories of the preceding sufferings of mankind into idle tales. The kingdom appeared to be changed into one great prison ; the inhabitants converted into felons ; and the common doom of man commuted for the violence of the sword and the bayonet, the sucking boat and the guillotine. To contemplative men it seemed, for a season, as if the knell of the whole nation was tolled, and the world summoned to its execu- tion and its funeral. Within the short space of ten years not less than three millions of human beings are supposed to have perished in that single country, by the influence of atheism, and the legislature of infidelity. I well know it will be thought by many, that this part of the subject has been exhausted. But, in one sense, it can never be exhausted. The fearful warnings of that dreadful revolution ought to be indelibly impressed upon society, so long as a sovereign, or a state, remams in the civilized world. Thus it appears that man has never yet been able, by the mere light of nature to attain to a competent knowledge of religious truth. Let us now take a different view of the subject, and endeavour to show, by arguments of another kind, how impossible it is for him to lay any founda- tion for such knowledge, other than that which is already laid in the revealed will of God. Fi'om a consideration of the powers and faculties of the human understanding, it is demonstra- ble that it cannot attain to knowledge of any kind without some external communication. It cannot perceive unless the impression bo made on the organs of perception ; it cannot form ideas without perceptions ; it cannot judge without a comparison of ideas ; it cannot form a proposition ■without this exercise of its judgment ; it cannot reason, argue, or syllogize, without this previous formation of propositions to be examined and compared. Such is the procedure of the human understanding in the work of ratiocination ; whence it clearly follows that it can, in the first instance, do nothing of itself; that is, it cannot begin its operations till it be supplied with the materials to work upon, which materials must come from without ; and that the mind, unfurnished with these, is incapable of attaining even to the lowest degree of knowledge. Without Revelation, therefore, it is certain that man never could have discovered the mind or will of God, or have obtained any knowledge of spiritual things. That he never did attain to it appears from a fair and impartial statement of the condition of the heatlion world before the preaching of Christianity, and of the condition of barbarous and uncivilized countries at the present moment That he could never attain to it is proved by showing that human reason, unenlightened by Revelation, has no foundation on which to construct a solid system of religion ; that all human knowledge is derived from external communications, and conveyed either through the medium of the senses, or immediately by divine inspiration ; that those ideas %vhich are formed in the mind through the medium of the senses can communicate no knowledge of spiritual things ; and that, consequently, for this knowledge he must be indebted wholly to Divine Revelation^. If, then, we find, from the very nature of man, as well as from the records of all history, that ^ Bishop Van Mildert's Boyle's Lectures, vol. ii. p. 68. This is one of the most valuable books ever given to the world. See also Dr. Dwight's excellent Discourses on Infidelity. 204 MATTHIAS APPOINTED TO THE APOSTLESHIP. [Part IX. he has never been able to invent for himself a consistent scheme of religion ; if his human reason is utterly incapable of arriving at any satisfactory conclusions respecting God and his Providence, the nature of the soul, or liis own destiny in another state — if all liis ideas on these subjects are clearly traceable to Revelation, and as soon as he steps over tliis boundary he launches at once into the chaos of conjecture and uncertainty ; we have the most undoubted evidence in our favor, to prove that Revelation was necessary to man, and that he is unable of himself to discover those interesting and important truths which relate both to his present and future existence ; and the decided superiority of Revelation over every other system which the ingenuity or sagacity of man has either invented or proposed is the hallowed and ratifying seal of its divine origin. Who, then, will yet refuse to enter this holy temple of Christianity ? who will still reject the religion of Christ, for infidel philosophy and metaphysical uncertainty — for endless and useless theories — for premises without conclusions — death without hope — and a God, without other proofs of his mercy than he has bestowed alike upon the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air? SECT. I. V. M. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. a See Note 1. a Luke 1. 3. b Mark ]6. 19. Luke 9.51. & 24. 5Lver.9. 1 Tim. 3. 16. c Matt. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. John 20. 21. ch. 10.41, 42. dMark 16.14. Luke 24.36. John 20. 19,26. &21. 1, 14. 1 Cor. 15. 5. e Luke 24. 52. /ch. 9. 37, 39. & 20. 8. ^ Matt. 10.2,3,4. k Luke 6. 15. i Jude 1. jch.2. 1,46. k Luke 23. 49, 55. & 24. 10. I Matt. 13.55. SECT. II. V. JE. 29. J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. b See Note 2. a Rev. 3. 4. b Ps. 41, 9. John 13. 18. c Luke 22. 47. John 18. 3. d Matt. 10. 4. Luke 6. 16. e ver. 25. ch. 12. 25. & 20. 24. & 21. 19. /Matt. 27.5,7,8. g Matt. 26. 15. 2 Pet. 2. 15. c See Note 3. h Ps. 69. 25. t Ps. 109. 8. * Or, office, or, charge. il See Note 4. jMark ]. 1. h ver. 9. ZJohn 15.27. ver. 8. ch. 4. 33. ^Section I. — After the Ascension of Christ the Apostles return to Jerusalem. Acts i. ver. 1-3, and 12-14. ^ The former treatise have I made, "O Theophilus ! of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, ^ until Hhe day in which he was taken up, after that he, through the Holy Ghost, "had given com- mandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen. ^ To ''whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs ; being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. ^~ Then ''returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey. ^"^ And when they were come in, they went up ■'^into an upper room, where abode both 'Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alpha^us, and ''Simon Zelotes, and 'Judas the brother of James. ^"^ These ^all continued with one accord in prayer [and supplication,] with Hhe women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with 'his brethren. Section II. — Matthias hy lot appointed to the Apostlcship, in the place of Judas.^ Acts i. 15, to the end. ^^And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number "of the names together were about an hundred and twenty,) ^'' " Men and brethren ! this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, Hvhich the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, "which was guide to them that took Jesus ; ^^ for ''he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of 'this minis- try. ^^ Now '^this man purchased a field with "the reward of iniquity ; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. ^^ (And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem ; insomuch as that field is called in tb.eir proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say. The Field of Blood.)'= ~^ For it is written in the Book of ''Psalms, — ' Let his habitation be desolate. And let no man dwell therein ;' 'And, — ' His *bishoprick let another take.'*' ^^ Wherefore of these men which liave companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ^-beginning 'from the baptism of John, unto that same day that *he was taken up from us, must one be ordained 'to be a witness with us of his resurrection ! " Sect. IV.] PETER'S ADDRESS TO THE MULTITUDE. 205 m ch. 15. 22. -^And they appointed two, Joseph, called ""Barsabas (who was surnamed Justus), and Matthias. ^* And they prayed, and said, " Thou,® Lord ! "which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these i chron.'as.'o. two thou hast chosen, ^^ that "he may take part of this ministry and 2or&i7. ladi. ^apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go ^l'^^'^^^'^''^' to his own place. "^ ^"^ And they gave forth their lots ; and the lot fell ^[or, apostushtp upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 7^fd.-BDY'' e See Note 5. n 1 Pam. 16. 7. fSee Note 6. Section III. — Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. s Acts ii. 1-13. SECT^iir. ^ And when "the day of Pentecost was fully come,*" they were all with v. JE. 29. one accord in one place." ^ And suddenly there came a sound from J- P- 4742. heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and 'it filled all the house where Jerusalem. they were sitting. ^ And there appeared unto them cloven tongues s see Note 7. like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, '^and "^they were all filled "itai.fe'.l^.' with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the ^^. 1.14. & 20. Spirit gave them utterance. h See Note 8. ^ And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of 'SeeNoteg. every nation under heaven. "^Now *when this was noised abroad, the ccb.i.s. iiurk multitude came together, and were tconfounded, because that every man i^-,i^; '^IV^*'' fS' heard them speak m his own language. ' And they were all amazed, 10,28, 30. & 13. and marvelled, saymg one to another, " Uehold I are not all these * cr. jr/tra «<« which speak ''Galileans? ^and how hear we every man in our own ■^oUe was mad^.. tongue, wherein we were born ? ^ Parthians, and Modes, and Elamites, ^ mlnd."^^^''^ '" and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in f^ch. 1. 11. Pontus, and Asia, ^^Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and Pro- selytes, ^^ Cretes and Arabians, "do we hear them speak in our tongues ^^d^'kn^pp mjin't the wonderful works of God ? " '^ And they were all amazed, and were this sentence in- in doubt, saying one to another, '^ What meaneth this ? " ^^ Others — ed". mocking said, " These men are full of new wine ! "'* k See Note 10. Section IV. — Address of St. Peter to the Multitude. sect. iv. Acts ii. 14-3G. ,, ~Zr ^^ V JE 29. ^^ But Peter, standing up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice, and j p 4740 'said unto them, " Ye men of Juda3a, and all ye that dwell at Jerusa- Jerusalem. 1cm,' be this known unto you, and hearken to my words. ^^ For these t,. Z 1 ^ ' .... *^ 1 he irreelv wora are not drunken, as ye suppose, ''seeing it is but the third hour of the here implies that day ; ^'^ but this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel : — vine impulse.— ^'' ^ And 'it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, iseeNoteiK I ''will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh : ^ j^ ^^^^ ^^^^ And your sons and '^your daughters shall prophesy, V'}t' ^a^^~^' And your young men shall see visions, zech.J2.'io." And your old men shall dream dreams; d°h"io 45 ^** And on my servants and on my handmaidens ech.21. 9. I will pour out in those days of my Spirit, -^and they shall prophesy. •'^[co^r!'i2! ib^aa 1^ And °I will siiow wonders in heaven above, &14. ],&c. And signs in the earth beneath, gJoei^. 30,31. Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. ^"The ''sun shall be turned into darkness, AMatt. 24. 29. A I xi • X 1 1 1 Mark 13. 24. And the moon into blood, Luke2i.25. Before that great and notable day of the Lord come. -^ And it shall come to pass, That 'whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' 'Eom lo. 13. Ye men of Israel, hear these words ! Jesus of Nazareth, a man ap- VOL,. II. R 22 206 EFFECTS OF ST. PETER'S ADDRESS. [Part IX. ■'lo'Ti^'ch'ioss' proved of God among you^by miracles and wonders and signs (which Heb. 2. 4. God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know), ^hXe'il'M.' sl ^^ Him, ''being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge 24- 44. ch. 3. 18. Qf God, 'yc havc taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. ich.5. 30. ^^Whom^'God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death ; be- m ver. 32. ch. 3. causc it was uot possiblc that he should be holden of it. ^^ For David 15. & 4. 10. &. , ^, • I • 10. 40. & 13. 30, speaketh concerning him, — 34. & 17.31. Kom. 4. 24. & ' J "forcsaw the Lord always before my face, 8. 11. 1 Cor. 6. -n 1 • • 1 1 1 1 T 1 1 1 1 1 14. & 15. 15. J^or he IS on my right hand, that 1 should not be moved. GaLL 1. Eph. 1. ^^ Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; 1 The°ss."i.^i6. Moreover also, my flesh shall rest in hope ; fpet ^'aT' ^^ Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, TiPs. 16. 8. Neitlier wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."* m See Note 12. 28 Xhou liast made kuowu to me the ways of life ; Thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.' * Or, imay. 29 ]y[gj^ ^j^^ brethren ! *let me freely speak unto you °of the patriarch "ch. vs/di.' ' David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us p 2 Sam. 7. 12,13. uuto this day. ""^ Therefore being a prophet, ^and knowing that God Luke I. 's-2, G9. had swom with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, [according 2Ti'm!'2^8. to the flesh, he would raise up Christ] to sit on his throne; ^Mie, see- q Ps. 16. 10. ing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that ' ['his soul] was r ver. 24. "ot left iu hcll, neither his flesh did see corruption.' -^^This '"Jesus s ch. 1. 8. hath God raised up, 'whereof we all are witnesses. ^^ Therefore 'being 'o^g^iieb io.*i2! ^^y the right hand of God exalted, and "having received of the Father u John 14. 26. & the promise of the Holy Ghost, he "hath shed forth this, which ye now is! ch.1^.4!'^' see and hear." ^"^ For David is not ascended into the heavens; but he r ch. 10. 45. saith himself, — Eph. 4. 8. ' n See Note 13. i The "LoRD Said unto my lord, "ivratt.^2a. 44. Sit thou on my right hand, Eph.'i.^lo^^' ^^ Until I make thy foes thy footstool.' ich.5.31. "^^ Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God ""hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and ■ Christ." SECT. V. Section V. — Effects of St. Petcrh Address. y-J^:_29- Acts ii. 37-42. '^^ Now when they heard this, "they were pricked in the heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, " Men and brethren ! "Sb^y"' what shall we do?" ^^^Then Peter said unto them, "Repent, *and ,'.''■?■ *!;f!^'^°" be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the re- ft i.uke 24. 47. I . •' 1 ii • 1 • f c 1 TT 1 /^ I i -^q "n ch. 3. 19. mission of sins, and ye shall receive the gitt 01 the Holy Ghost. •^■^ r or "o^rl" ■]o.\5.''&' the promise is unto you, and 'to your children, and to all that are afar && isii i it: off' ^^^^' ^^ '"^"y ^^ *'^^ ^^^""^ ^"*' ^^^ ^'^^^^ ^^'^•" ^" ^"^ ^'^^^ "^^"^ Eph. 2. '13, 17. ■ other words did he testify and exhort, saying, " Save yourselves from ''uom.''f2.'i2.^"^'*" this untoward generation." ^i Then they that gladly received his ^'aiieb^io ''^5 word were baptized ; and the same day there were added mito them ~ ' about three thousand souls ; '•^and ''they continued steadfastly in the ~ apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in SECT. VI. prayers. V. iE. 29. "' J. P. 4742. Jerusalem. J. P. 4742. Section VL — Union of the first Converts in the primitive Church. Jerusalem. 'AcTS ii. 43, to the eiul. a Mark 16. 17. 43 ^j^p fg^r camc upou cvcrv soul, and "many wonders and signs /ch.^^ili!''^' were done by the apostles. ^^^And all that believed were together, o See Note 14. and *had all things common, ''•^ and sold their possessions" and goods, S£CT. VIII.] PETER AGAIN ADDRESSES THE PEOPLE. 207 and "parted them to all men, as every man had need; '^'' and "^they, ^^^ ■■^■"" continuing daily with one accord ^in the temple, and •'breaking bread e Luke 24. 53. *lroni iiouse to house p did eat their meat with gladness and singleness f\' ^'^i . . ^ . . ~ ~ /cli. 20. 7. of heart, ''''praising God, and 'having favor with all the people. And *or, at iwme. ''the Lord added to the Church daily such os should be saved. pSeeNoteis. •' g Luke 2. 52. ch. 4. 33. Rom. 14. =^^^^=^=^=^=^^^ 18. Section VII. — A Cripple is miraculously and jjublichj healed by 24." St. Peter and St. John. Acts iii. 1-10 ^ Now Peter and John went up together "into the temple at the SECT. vn. hour of prayer, ''being the ninth hour. ^ And 'a certain man lame ^- ^- ^^■ from his mother's womb was carried ; whom they laid daily at the ^' ^ ^Z^"^' ri 1 i-i- iiiT-» ,111 r- t Jerusalem. gate ot the temple wlncli is called Beautiful, to ask alms 01 them — that entered into the temple. ^Who seeino- Peter and John about ",*;''• ^•"**^- Is ^i> IT to go into the temple asked an alms. "^ And Peter, fastening his eyes ccii.]4.8. upon him with John, said, "Look on us." ^And he gave liced unto 'iJoimo. 8. them, expecting to receive something of them. ^ Then Peter said, " Silver and gold have I none ; but such as I have give T thee: 'In ^'"•^•^°- the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk ! " '^ And he /is. 35. g. took him by the right hand, and lifted him up. And immediately his f Lijce John 9' 8 feet and ancle bones received strength, ^and he -^leaping up, stood, and walked ; and entered with them into the temple, walking, and — leaping, and praising God. ^ And 'all the people saw him walking and praising God ; 1^' and they knew that it was he which ''sat for — alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple; and they were filled with V./E. 30. wonder and amazement at that which had liappened unto him. ^- ^- ^'^'^^• Jerusfilum. flJohn 10.23. Section VIII. — St. Peter again addresses the People. t ch. 5. 30. Acts iii. 11, to the end. ^•!,"''" V-^; -^ 12. 11*11 T 1/. 1. And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all <i Matt. 27. 2. the people ran together unto them in the porch "that is called Solo- *jV.;'r"]fif • mon's, greatly wondering. ^~ And when Peter saw it, he answered i-"'^'' -^- '•*. 20, I1 ^ ,,^T ^T 11 1 1 1 • -> . 21. Johu 18. 40. unto the people, " le men 01 Israel! why marvel ye at this? or why & 19. i.i. . h. 13. look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness ,pj j^ ^^ j,^^^ we had made this man to walk? ^^ The ''God of Abraham, and of l24. LukVi.35. Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, ""hath glorified his Son ^ cii. 7.52. & 22. Jesus, whom ye ''delivered up, and 'denied him in the presence of ^^'*- Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. 1^ But ye denied -^the iieb. 2'.' ior& 5. Holy One 'and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto „ ^,, 2! 24. ' ' you, ^^and killed the *Prince of Life ; Svhom God hath raised from ich.2. 32. the dead, 'whereof we are witnesses. ^^ And 'his Name, through faith •^ci',"4"io;&"i4.9. in his Name, hath made this man strong, wliom ye see and know : yea, i- Luke 23. 34. the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the Js.'oVl'ic^r'iL's. presence of you all. ^ '^'"'; ^- '^• ^■^ " And now, brethren, I wot that ''through ignorance ye did it, as ? Luke 24.44. ch. did also your rulers. 1 ^^But 'those thinos. which God before had ^l'^' ,,, showed '"by the mouth of all his Prophets, that Christ should sutler, he & h~l,j^c. hath so fulfilled. ^'^ Repent "ye therefore, and be converted, that your 1 PeuL 10, ii. sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing'' shall come from ^<^^>--^^- _ the presence of the Lord, ~° and he shall send Jesus Christ, which ^ |^3 ^l[l Jg! before was preached' unto you; -'whom "the heaven must receive och.i.ii. until the times of ^'restitution of all 'things, 'which God hath spoken by ^|^^ ^oiig! the mouth of all his holy Prophets [since the world began]. ~"^ For , Luke 1.70.' IVIoses truly said unto the fathers, ' A Trophet shall the Lord your '•,i|«"'- 1^- p' i^. r^ J • ■ 19. ch. <.37. Godrai.se up unto you of your brethren, like unto me;" Him shall ye uSeex\ote2o. 208 s ell. 9. 39. Rom. 9. 4, 8. & 15. 8. Gal. 3.26. £ Gen. 19. 3. & 18. 18. & 22. 18. & 26. 4. & 28. 14. Gal. 3. 8. u Matt. 10. 5. & 15. 24. Luke 24. 47. ch. 13. 39, 33, 46. V ver. 22. w Matt. 1. 21. PETER'S ADDRESS TO THE SANHEDRIN. [Part IX. hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. ~^ And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.' ^^ Yea, and all tlie Prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. ^^ Ye *are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, ' And 'in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.' 2*^ Unto "you first God, having raised up his Son [Jesus], "sent him to bless you, '"in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." SECT. IX. V. JE. 30. J. P. 4743. Jerusalem. * Or, ruler. Luke 22. 4. ch. 5. 24. a Matt. 22. 23. Acts 23. 8. b Luke 3. 2. John 11. 49. & 18. 13. X See Note 21. cMatt. 21.23. ch. 7. 27. Section IX. — St. Peter and St. John are imprisoned by Order of the Sanhedrin. Acts iv. 1-7. ^ And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the *captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, ^ being "grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrec- tion from the dead. ^ And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the ne.xt day : for it was now eventide. ^ Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed ; and the number of the men was about five thousand. ^ And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and Scribes, "^and ''Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem." ^ And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, " By "what power, or by what name, have ye done this? " SECT. X. V. JE. 30. J. P. 4743. Jerusalem. a Luke 12. 11,12. ich. 3.6, 16. c ch. 2. 24. dPs. 118.22. Is. 28. 16. Matt. 21.42. eMatt. 1. 21. cli. 10.43. lTim.2. 5,6. /Matt. 11.9.'5. 1 Cor. 1. 27. S ECTION g-ch.S. 11. A John 11. 47. tch.3. 9,10. J Again, ch. 5. 40. k ch. 5. 29. y See Note 92. I ch. 1. 8. & 2. 32. m ch. 22. 15. IJohn 1.1,3. X. — St. Peter^s Address to the assembled Sanhedrin. Acts iv. 8-22. ^Then "Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, "Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel ! ^ if we this day be exam- ined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole ; ^^ be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, Hhat by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye cruci- fied, "whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. ^^ This ''is the Stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. ^~ Neither ''is there salvation in any other ; for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." ^^Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, •''and per- ceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled ; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus ; ^^ and beholding the man which was healed "standing with them, they could say nothing against it. ^^ But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the Council, they conferred among themselves, ^** saying, " What ''shall we do to these men ? for that indeed a nota- ble miracle hath been done by them is 'manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it; ^^but that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak hence- forth to no man in this Name." ^^ And ^they called them, and com- manded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. ^^But Peter and John answered and said unto them, " Whether ''it be risJit in the sii>lit of God to hearken unto vou more than unto God, judged ye ! ~° For 'we cannot but speak the things which "we have Sect. XIIL] DEATHS OF ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA. 209 seen and heard." ~^ So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, "because of "^t^^'^^-^^- the people ; for all mew glorified God "for that which was done. ^^For & 2-2.2. ch.'s.-is. the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing "<=*'• 3- ',8. was showed. Section XI. — The Prayer of the Church on the Liberation of sect, xi. St. Peter and St. John. V. JE. 30. Acts iv. 23-31. J- P- 4743. ^^ And being let go, "they went to their own company, and reported erusa^em. all that the Chief Priests and elders had said unto them. ^"^ And ach. 12. 12. when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one ac- cord, and said, "Lord ! ''Thou art God, which hast made heaven and ftSKingsig. is. earth, and the sea, and all that in them is, -^ who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, — ' Why "did the heathen rage, c Ps. 2. 1. And the people imagine vain things ? ^Uife'ii%\ -^ The kings of the earth stood up, 22. 1, s.' And the rulers were gathered together t^"^^l'f^' A ■ , r /Luke 4. 18. Against the Lord, and against his Christ.' John lo.se. ff ch. 2. 23. & 3. ^^ For "^of a truth, against 'thy holy child Jesus, -^whom thou hast an- ^^■ ointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the ^ ve7. S'^sf "ch. people of Israel, were gathered together, ~^for ^to do whatsoever thy ^ j!^' ^^'Jg hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.'' ^^ And now, & ae. 2fi. & 23! Lord! behold tlieir threatenings, and grant unto thy servants ''that jch.s.Va^&s.is! with all boldness they may speak thy word, ^^ by stretching forth j ci.. 3. e, ic. thine hand to heal, 'and that signs and wonders may be done, ^bv the '' '"• ^'^' r ,.,,,,,.,, J ,P -^ ' •' ;ch.2.2,4. &16. name ol thy holy child Jesus. 26. ^^ And when they had prayed, 'the place was shaken where they '"^"-sa. were assembled together ; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, '"and they spake the word of God with boldness. SECT. XII. Section XII. — The Union and Munificence of the Primitive Church. ^' ^- ^^• A ■ 00 4 .J 7 J- P- 4743. Acts iv. 32, to the end. ^^And the multitude of them that believed "were of one heart and ach.5.12. Rom. of one soul ; 'neither said any of them that aught of the things which 13.' n. piTii. °i." he possessed was his own, but they had all things common. ^^And f,'t^'~'^^'''^' with 'great power gave the apostles '^witness of the resurrection of the * ch. 2. 44. Lord Jesus; and 'great grace was upon them all. ^"^ Neither was ^^^'''J'^ there any among them that lacked ; •'for as many as were possessors ech.2.47. of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that /ch.2.45. were sold, ^^and ^^laid them down at the aposUes' feet; ''and distri- LT2.45'^&6 1 bution was made unto every man according as he had need. iver. 34,35. ^^ And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barn.vbas (which a''seeNote24. is, being interpreted. The Son of Consolation), a Levite, onf/ of the country of Cyprus, '"'' having 'land, sold it, and brought the money, and "^ laid it at the apostles' feet.^ sect, xiil = V. M. 31. J. P. 4744. Section XIIL — Deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. Jerusalem. Acts v. 1-10. ^ But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a 6 Num. 30. 2. possession ; - and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy Eccies^5.4!' to it; "and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. cLuke22. 3. 3 But *Peter said, "Ananias? why hath "Satan filled thine heart *to * o^ 'g"/^"'"'- VOL. II. 27 *R 210 THE APOSTLES DELIVERED FROM PRISON. [Part IX. lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back i^art of the price of the land ? "* Whiles it remained, was it not thine own ? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power ? Why hast thou conceived this thing in b See Note 25. thine heart P'' thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." ^And dver.io, 11. Ananias hearing these words ''fell down, and gave up the ghost. And great fear came on all them that heard these things. ^And the e John 19. 40. youug mcu arosc, 'wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. ^ And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. ^ And Peter answered unto her, " Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much ? " And she said, " Yea, for so much." ^ Then Peter said unto her, " How is it that ye /ver.3. Mau.4.7. jj^ve agreed togetlier •''to tempt the Spirit of the Lord ? behold ! the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall ^ver. 5. carry thee out." ^"^ Then ^fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost. And the young men came in, and found her ' = dead, and, carying her forth, buried her by her husband. SECT. XIV. y ]^3j Section XIV. — State of the Church at this time. J. P. 4744. Acts v. 11-16. Jerusalem. n And "great fcar came upon all the Church, and upon as many as a ver. 5. ch. 2. 43. heard thcsc things. ^-^ And 'of the rest durst no man join himself'' to ..'^ !^' //ht » them : "but the people magnified them. ^'^ And believers were the ©John 9. 92. & i t i i • i i i p 12.42. & 19.38. more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. ^~ And c See Note 26 ''they wcrc all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. And 'by the c ch. 2.47. & 4. 21 "^ "^ <ich.3.ii.&4!32! hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among e ch. 2. 43. & 14. the pcoplc ; ^^ insomuch that they brought forth the sick *into the 15. 19. 2 Cor. 12! streets, and laid them on beds and couches, •'^that at the least the * Or, in'emn shadow of Pctcr passiug by might overshadow some of them. ^^ There street. came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, H.^'se. cii" 19.12. bringing ^sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits ; ^ Mark 10. 17, 18. and they were healed every one. John 14. 12. ^ ■^ SECT. XV. Section XV. — An Angel delivers the Apostles from Prison. Acts v. 17-20, and part of ver. 21. V. M. 32. I''' Then "the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him J. P. 4745. (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and were filled with *indigna- erusa^em. ^Jqj-j^ 18 g^j^^j tjjjj^j thcir hauds ou thc apostlcs, and put them in the acii. 4. 1,2,6. common prison. ^^ But "^the Angel of the Lord by night opened the 6 Luke "2^12. prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, ^^ " Go, stand and «ch. 12. 7. &16. speak in the temple to the people ''all the words of this life." ^^ And /j!^hii 6 68 & when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morn- 17. 3. 1 Joiin 5. ing, and taught. SECT XVI. Section XVL — The Sanhedrin again assemble — St. Peter asserts before them the Messiahship of Christ. V. EL. 32. Acts v. part of ver. 21, and ver. 22-33. J. P. 4745. 21 guT "the high priest came, and they that were with him, and — ' called the Council together, and all the Senate of the cliildren of ach. 4. 5, 6. Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brougiit. ~- But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told, 2^ saying, "The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors ; but when we had opened, we found no man within." ~^ Now when the high priest and Sect. XVm.] THE APPOINTAIENT OF THE SEVEN DEACONS. 211 Hhe captain of the temple and the Chief Priests heard these things, 6Luke22.4. cj. tliey doubted of them whereunto this would grow. --^Then came one cMatt. ai.ao. and told them, [saying,] "Behold! the men whom ye put in prison "^/^'t'S'^sG & are standing in the temple, and teaching the people." ^^Then went ^'i'is.'&T.sa. the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence ; "(or f^^^^^^-^-^ they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. -''And dSeeNoteS?. when thev had brought them, they set them before the Council. And f '=^l•i^• ,^ , the high priest asked them, ^*saymg, " Did "not we straitly command 22. 14. you that ye should not teach in this Name? and, behold! ye have ' 29'. Ge^ifa. ^!^' filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, 'and intend to bring this man's 1 Pet. 2.24. _ , , , 15? ?■ ch. 2. 33, 36. ■Malood ""upon us ! Phii. 2. 9. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, "We H«b-2io.&J2. ^ought to obey God rather than men. ^o The ''God of our fathers ich.s. 15. raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and 'hanged on a tree ; ^^ Him •'hath '^J''":^:f- God e.xalted with his right hand to be *a Prmce and 'a Saviour, lor to ch. 3. 20. & 13. give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. ^"^ And "we are his coi. 1'.' h. ' witnesses of the.se things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, "whom God "John 15.26,27. , 11 TT- )) ch. 2. 4. & 10. hath given to them that obey Him. 44. ^^ When ^they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took coun- p^-^-^- &^7- sel to slay them. SECT. XVII. V. JE. 32. J. P. 4745. Jerusalem. a ch. 22. 3. e See Note 28. * Or, believed. Section XVH. — By the Advice of Gamaliel the Apostles are dismissed. Acts v. 34, to the end. ^''Then stood there up one in the Council (a Pharisee, named "Ga- maliel," a doctor of the Law, had in reputation among all the people), and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space. ^^ And said unto them, " Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend MTioliiau. to do as touching these men. ^^ For before these days rose up Then- J^- '3. 1 • 1 r- 1 11 ! ir The third Year das, boasting himself to be somebody, to whom a number ot men, before the ac- about four hundred, joined themselves; who was slain, and all, as a,""o Domini. many as *obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. ^^ After fSecNote29. this man rose up Judas of Galilee, in the days of the taxing, and drew ScorlW away much people after him ; he also perished, and all, even as many '^^^^xq!'^^'^' as obeyed him, were dispersed. ^^And now I say unto you. Refrain ech.4. is. from these men, and let them alone : ''for if this counsel or this work •'"4'.''34.^siaVki3. be of men, it will come to 'nought ; ^^but 'if it be of God, ye cannot ^■' ' ^ _^ overthrow it, lest haply ye be found even ''to fight against God." "V.m.'s.^ 2Cor. ''"And to him they agreed: and when they had 'called the apos- ^^l[uJ%\]^, ties, -^and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak fj^^^lfg jg in the name of Jesus, and let them go. '^^ And they departed from Ach.2.46. ' the presence of the Council, ^rejoicing that they were counted worthy ich.4.20,29. to sutler shame for his Name; "^^and daily ''in the temple, and in ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ every house, 'they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. SECT. XVIII. Section XVIII. — The Appointment of the seven Deacom. v. M. 32. Acts vi. 1-6. J. P- 4745. 1 And in those days, "when the number of the disciples was multi- J^usaiem. plied, there arose a murmuring of the ''Grecians against the Hebrews, ach.2.41 &4.4. I ' ^ - ^. ,,.,'-.. . o rnL &,o. 14.& ver. 7. because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. - 1 hen ^ ^,, 9 gg ^ jj^ the Twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, 20 " It ''is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve ^ p^^^,' jg 17, tables. 3 Wherefore, brethren, 'look ye out among you seven men of eDeut.^.^is.^ch. honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may ap- ifim. 3. ?! point over this ebusiness ; '* but we •'^will give ourselves continually to ^.^^"„^^'® ^• prayer, and to the ministry of the word." 212 THE SPEECH OF ST. STEPHEN. [Part IX. fch. 11.24. 5 And the savinar pleased the whole multitude: and they chose h cli. 8. 5 26&' tr < 21. 's." ' ' Stephen (°a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost), and ''Philip, !. o^'^\^■'''!^ and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and 'Nicolas h Sec Note 31. 7 ^ ^ ? jch. 1. 24. (a proselyte of •'Antioch), ''whom they set before the apostles : and '^u'&.'if'i^^' ^''^hen they had prayed, *they laid their hands on them. 1 Tim. 4. 14. &; 5. 22. 2 Tim. 1. = 6. Section XIX. — The Church continues to increase in Number.^ Acts vi. 7. SECT\jcix. ^^^ o^j^g word of God increased, and the number of the disciples V. JE. 33. multiplied in Jerusalem greatly ; and a great company ''of the priests J. P. 4746. were obedient to the faith. Jerusalem. SECT. XX. i See Note 32 «c|i.i2. 24.&19. Section XX. — Stephen, having boldly asserted the MessiaJiship of 6 John 12. 42. Ckrist, is accuscd of Blasphemy before the Sanhedrin. Acts vi. 8-14. ^And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. V. iE. 33 or 4. ^ Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the J. P. 4746 or 7. synagogue of the Libertines,^ and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of erusa^em. ^-jjgjjj Qf Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen ; ^^ and "they k See Note 33. were uot able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. 5. 39. See Exod! ^ ^ Thcii Hhcy subomcd men, which said, "We have heard him speak 6iKiries2] 10 blasphcmous words against Moses, and against God." ^- And they 13. Matt. 26. 59, stirrcd up the people, and the elders, and the Scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the Council, ^-^and set up false witnesses, which said, " This man ceaseth not to speak [blasphe- cch. 2.5.8. mousl words against this holy place, and the Law. ^'^ For "we have d Dan 9. 26. Jo j i ' *OT,rites. ' heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall ''destroy this place, and shall change the *customs which Mo.ses delivered us." SECT. XXI. Section XXL — Stephen defends himself before the Sanhedrin. V. K. 33 or 4. Acts vi. 15, and vii. 1-50. J. P. 4746 or 7. 15 }^^y^ ^11 that sat in the Council, looking steadfastly on him, saw Jerusalem. j^j^ ^^^^ ^^ j^ j^^^j j^^^^^ ^j^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ angcl. ^ Then said the high priest, "Are these things so?" ^And he ach.22. 1. gj^jj^^ u Men, "brethren, and fathers, hearken !' The God of glory ap- jG^el. 12.V peared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, ^and said unto him, ' Get Hhee out of thy coun- try, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show "i2^4 y'^*' *" thee.' '^ Then 'came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran ; and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him d Gen. 12. 7. & ij^to this land, wherein ye now dwell ; ^and He gave him none inheritance 18. & 17. 8. & ' in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on ; ''yet He promised that He e Gen. 15. 13 16. would givc it to liim for a possession, and to his seed alter him, when, /Exod. 12.40. as vet he had no child. ^ And God spake on this wise, 'That his seed m See Note 35. should sojoum in a straugc land ; and that they should bring them into ^Ex. 3. 12. bondage, and entreat them evil -'four hundred years.'" " And the nation A Gen. 17. 9, 10, ^^ whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God; and after iGen.21.2,3,4. that sliall they come forth, and "'serve Me in this j)lace. fc Gen.29.3ii &c. ^ ('' ^ud ''Hcgavc him the covenant of circumcision : 'and so Abraham felsfs^' begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day ; ^ and Isaac begat i Gen. 37.4, 11, Jacob ; and ''Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. ^en'39°l2i ^ " And 'the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt; "23.^"' ■ ' ' "but God was with him, ^'^and delivered him out of all his afflictions, "J.^6." '^^' ^^' ^ "and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt ; Sect. XXL] THE SPEECH OF ST. STEPHEN. 213 and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. ^^ Now "there oCen. 41.54. came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction; and our fathers found no sustenance. ^^ But ^when Jacob ^ ^''"- ''^- ^• heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first ; ^^ and 'at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren, and « ^"^"^ ''■'• '' ^^• Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. ^'* Then '^sent '■^^"■''^•'''^^• Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all [his] 'kindred, three- *Dc^ut'.1o.lI' score and fifteen souls. ^^ So 'Jacob went down into Egypt, "and died, tcen. 46.5. he, and our fatliers. ^^ And "were carried over into Sychem, and laid "Exod. 1.0. ' in "the sepulcine that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons ^.^Y^'J^'J^' of Emmor the lather of bychem.)" wCen. ai. ic. & ^'^ " But when ""the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had ^f- '^- ^^ 1 o -' . n Sec Note 3C. sworn to Abraham, ^the people grew and multiplied in Egypt; ^^ till iCen. 15. 13. another king arose, which knew not Joseph. ^'-^ The same dealt subt- ^"^^^^ ^ g g illy with our kindred, and evil entreated our fatherSj'^so that they cast ps. 105. 24,'2o. out their young children, to the end they might not live. z Ex. 1.22. 20 u jj^ "which time Moses was born, and Hvas *excceding fair, and "^\^'J^'^ 01 A 1 c I I 6 Heb. 11.23. nourished up in [his] father's house three months. ~^ And when he * or, fair to ood. was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for = ^^- -■ ^-^°- her own son. ~^ And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyp- tians ; and was ''mighty in words and in deeds. ^^ And 'when he was '^^"''o^iVia full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. '^^ And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian. ^^ tFor he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God t^^-'^''"'- by his hand would deliver them ; but they understood not. ^^ And ■''the next day he showed himself unto them as they strove, and would /Exod. 2. 13. have set them at one again, saying, ' Sirs, ye are brethren ! why do ye wrong one to another ? ' ^^ But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, ' Who ^made thee a ruler and a judge over '^h.^'ci.. 4.7. us ? ^^ Wilt thou kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday ? ' 29 Then ''fied Moses at tliis saying, and was a stranger in the land of *& 4?2o.\^^8.^, Madian, where he begat two sons. ^• ^^ " And 'when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the » ^x. 3. 2. wilderness of Mount Sina an Angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. ^^ When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight ; and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came [unto him], ^^ say- ing, ' I ^am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God •^Heb"n"i^" of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Then *Moses trembled, and durst aex. 3. 5. Josh. not behold. -'^ Then said the Lord to him, ' Put oft' thy shoes from thy feet ; for the place where thou standest is holy ground. ^^ I 'have '^x. 3. ,. seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them ; and now come, I will send thee into Egypt.' ,n ex. 14. 19. 2^ " This Moses whom they refused, (saying, ' Who made thee a ruler f^"'\f'^i\ and a judge ? ') the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer 33. i^ "by the hand of the Angel which appeared to him in the bush. ^^ He Vi^&h.&h! "brought them out, after that he liad "showed wonders and signs in ^'- ^f- f- „. v Ex 14. 21 *-' the land of Egypt, ''and in the Red Sea, 'and in the wilderness forty 28,29. " vears. ^Ex. 16.1,35. •^^ " This is that Moses which said unto the children of Israel, 'A ch.3."29.' "■Prophet shall the Lord [your] God raise up unto you of your brethren, t or, a^ viyseif. tlike unto me ; 'him shall ye hear.' ^^ This 'is He that was in the tEx. 19. 3, iV. Church in the wilderness with "the Angel which spake to him in the «i3. fi3 9 cah Mount Sina, and ivith our fathers, 'who received the lively "oracles to j, Ex.21. i.oeut. give unto us; ^^to whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him jofin'^it.^'^" from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, '^^ saying joRom. 3. 2. 214 THE MARTYRDOM OF ST. STEPHEN. [Part IX I Ex. 32. 1. y Oeut. 9. 16. Ps. 106. 19. z Ps. 81. 12. Ezek. 20.25, 39. Rom. 1.24. 2Thess. 2. 11. a Deiit. 4. 19. & 17.3. 2 Kings 17. Ifi. & 21. 3. Jer. 19. 13. 6 Amos 5.25,26. o See Note 37. * Or, who spake. c Exoil. ;?5. 40. & 26. 30. Heb. 8. 5. d Josh. 3. 14. ■f Or, having re- crirril. e i. 6. Joshua. — Ed. /\eh. 9. 24. Ps. 44. 2. & 78. 55. ch. 13. 19. g- 1 Sam. 16. 1. 2 Sam. 7. 1. Ps. 89. 19. ch. 13. 22. h 1 Kings 8. 17. 1 Chron. 22. 7. Ps. 132. 4, 5. i 1 Kings 6. 1. & 8. 20. 1 Chron. 17. 12. 2 Chron. 3. 1. i 1 Kings 8. 27. 2 Chron. 2. G. & 6. 18. ch. 17. 24. k Is. 66. 1, 2. Matt. 5. 34, 35. & 23. 22. SECT. XXII. V.M. 33 or 4. J. P. 4746 or 7. Jerusalem. a Exod. 32. 9. & 33. 3. Is. 48. 4. b Lev. 2(3. 41. Deut. 10. 16. Jer. 4.4. & 6. 10. & 9. 26. Ezek. 44. 9. c 2 Chron. 36. 16 Matt. 21. 35. & m. 34, 37. 1 Thess.2. 15. d ch. 3. 14. e Exoil.an. 1. Gil. 3. 19. Heh. 2. 2. p See Note 38. SECT. XXIII. V. iE. 33or4. J. P. 474(5 or 7. Jerusalem. a ch. 5. 33. b ch. (;. 5. c Ezek. 1. 1. Matt. 3. 16. ch. 10. 11. d Dan. 7. 13. See John 1. 51. q See Note 39. e 1 Kings 21. 13. Luke 4. 29. Heb. 13. 12. /Lev. 24. 16. n- Deut. 13. 9. & 17.7. ch.8, & 22. 20. r See Note 40. A ch. 9. 14. s See Note 41. iPs. 31.5. Luke 23. 46. j eb. 9. 40. & 20. 36. &91.5. k Matt. 5. 44. Luke 6. 28. &. 23. 34. ''unto Aaron, ' Make us gods to go before us : for asfoi- this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.' "^^ And ^they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. ^^ Then ""God turned, and gave them up to worship "the host of heaven ; as it is written in the Book of the Prophets, — ' O ''ye house of Israel ! Have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices By the space of forty years in the wilderness ? ^^ Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Figures which ye made to worship them :° And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.' '^'^ Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He had appointed, *speaking unto Moses, 'that he should make it accord- ing to the fashion that he had seen ; ^^ which ''also our fathers, tthat came after, brought in with ^Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, -^whoin God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David. '^'^ Who ^found favor before God, and ''desired to find a tab- ernacle for the God of Jacob. '^'' But 'Solomon built him a house. '^^ Howbeit,^the Most High dwelleth not in [temples] made with hands ; as saith the ^prophet, — ^^ ' Heaven is my throne, And earth is my footstool. What house will ye build me ? saith the Lord ; Or what is the place of my rest ? ^•^ Hath not my hand made all these things ?] ' " ,10. .1. Section XXH. — Stephen, being interrupted in his Defence, reproaches the Sanhedrin as the Murderers of their Messiah. Acts vii. 51-53. ^^ " Ye "stiffnecked ! and ^uncircumcised in heart and ears ! ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, as your fathers did, so do ye. ^~ Which "of the Prophets have not your fathers persecuted ? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of ''the Just One, of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers ; ^^ who 'have received the Law by the disposition of angels,? and have not kept it." Section XXHL — Stephen, praying for his Murderers, is stoned to Death. Acts vii. 54, to the end, mid xiii. beginning ofver. 1, and ver. 2. •''^ When "they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. ^^ But he, ''being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and .saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, ^^ and said, " Be- hold ! '^I see the heavens opened, and ''the Son of Man standing on the right hand of ^God ! " ^^ Then they eried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord ; ^^ and 'cast him out of the city, -^and stoned him. And ^the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's ""feet, whose name was Saul, ^^ and they stoned Stephen, ''calling upon God, and saying, " Lord 'Jesus, 'receive my spirit ! " ^'^ And he ^kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, '^ Lord, ''lay not this sin to their charge ! " And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Sect. XXVII.] PETER REPROVES SIMON MAGUS. 215 ^ And 'Saul was consenting unto his death. ^ And devout men 'ch.7. 58.&^ carried Stephen to his burial, and "'made ereat lamentation over him.' m cen. 23. 2. & 50. 10. 2 Sam. 3 ■ 31. t See Note 42. SECT. XXV. Section XXIV. — General Persecution of the Christians, in ivhich Saul (afterwards St. Paul) particularly distinguishes himself. ' Acts viii. latter part ofver. 1, and ver. 3. SECT. xxiv. ^ And at that time there was a great persecution against the Church „ ^94 which was at Jerusalem ; and "they were all scattered abroad through- j *p ^•^^•^ out the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles." ^ As for Jerusalem. Saul, ''he made havoc of the Church," entering into every house, and ach. ikTo. hauling men and women committed them to prison. uSeeNote43. ft ch. 7. 58. & 9. 1, — 13, 21. & 23.4. &2i;. 10, 11. Section XXV. — Philip the Deacon, having left Jerusalem on account of gITk i'. 13.^' the Persecution, goes to Samaria, preaches there, and works Miracles. \^'r\m'i'\3 Acts viii. 5-13. a See Note 44. ^ Then "Philip went down to the city of Samaria. >' and preached Christ unto them. ^ And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. ^ For ''unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of V. E.. 34. many that were possessed with them ; and many taken with palsies, J- P- 4747. and that were lame, were healed. ^And there was great joy in that ^""""'"'' city. a ch. fi. 5. ^But there was a certain man called Simon,'' which beforetime in jMrrkiVi?. the same city "^used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, z see Note 46. '^giving out that himself was some great one ; ^° to whom they all gave «<=h- 13.6. heed, from tiie least to the greatest, saying, " This man is the great '''''•^' power of God." ^^ And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. ^~ But when they believed Philip preaching the things 'concerning the kingdom of God, and *'^''- '■^• the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ^' Then Simon himself believed also, and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip ; and wondered, beholding the *miracles and * grl'Jmi^aci'cs. siofns which were done. "J3' Section XXVI. — St. Peter and St. John come down from Jerusalem to sect. xxvi. Samaria, to confer the Gifts of the Holy Ghost on the new Converts, y. M. 34. Acts viii. 14-17. J. p. 4747. ^"^ Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Sama- samaria. ria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and ach. 2.38. John; ^^ who, when they were come down, prayed for them, "tiiat *ch. 19. 2. they might receive the Holy Ghost. ^^ (For ''as yet He was fallen "cu^^i.'as.' upon none of them, only 'they were baptized in ''the name of the rfch. 10.48. & 19. Lord Jesus.) ^" Then 'laid they their hands on them, and they received ecii 6 6 &19 e the Holy Ghost.^ "^''-v!' ., •' a bee Note 47. Section XXVII. — St. Peter reproves Simon Magus. Acts viii. 18-24. sect^xvii. '^ And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' V. M. 34. hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, ^^ saying, J- P- 4747. " Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may ^•^niar^'i- receive the Holy Ghost." ^o g^t Peter said unto him, " Thy money "i^^l'^lW^^^ perish with thee! because "thou hast thouo;ht that ''the sift of God jch. 2!38.& lo. may be purchased with money. ^^ Thou hast neither part nor lot in ' " ' this matter ; for thy heart is not right in the sight of God, ~^ Repent 216 PHILIP PREACHES THROUGHOUT JUDAEA. [Part IX. eDan. 4.27. 2 Tim. 2.25. d Heb. 12. 15. e Gen. 20. 7, 17. Exod. 8. 8. Num. 21. 7. 1 Kings 13. 6. Job -i2. 8. James 5. 16. SECT. XXVIII. V. JE. 34. J. P. 4747. Samaria. SECT. XXIX. V. M. 34. J. P. 4747. Gaza. b See Note 48. aZcph. 3. 10. c See Note 49. b John 12. 20. cl3. 53. 7,8. d See Note 50. e See Note 51. f See Note 52. d Luke 24. 27. ch. 18. 28. e 1-1'. I!). -17. g Si!c Note 53. /Matt. 28. 19. nlillk 16. 16. g See Mark 1. 1. h 1 Kings 18. 12. 2 ]\iigs2. 16. Ez k. 3. 12, 14. h See N. te o-i. SECT. XXX. V. tE. :;4. J. P. 4747. Judaea. a Matt. 10. 23. cli. 11.19. i t eo Note .'5. therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, 'if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. --^ For I perceive that thou art in ''the gall of bitterness, and t"n the bond of iniquity." ~^ Then an- swered Simon, and said, " Pray 'ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me." Section XXVIII. — St. Peter and St. John preach in many Villages of the Samai'itans. Acts viii. 25. And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the Gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. Section XXIX. — The Treasurer of Q^iieen Candace, a Proselyte oj Righteousness, is converted and baptized by Philip, who now preaches through the Cities of Judcza. Acts viii. 26, io the end. ^^ And the Angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, " Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza. ^Which is desert." ~^And he arose and went: and, be- hold ! "a man of Ethiopia, a ""eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and ''had come to Jerusalem for to worship, "^ was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. -'■* Then the Spirit said unto Philip, " Go near, and join thyself to this chariot." "^^ And Philip ran thither to Am, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, " Under- standest thou what thou readest ? " ^^ And he said, " How can I, except some man should guide me ? " And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. ^^ 1 he place of the Scripture which he read was ^this, — " He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, And like a lamb dumb before his shearer, So opened He not his mouth.*^ ^^ In his humiliation his judgment was taken away ; And who shall declare his generation?® For his life is taken from the earth." 2^ And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, " I pray thee, of whom speaketh the '^prophet this ? of himself, or of some other man ? " ^^Then Philip opened his mouth, ''and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. ^'^ And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water ; and the eunuch said, " See, here is water ! 'what doth hinder me to be ^baptized ? " ^^ [And Philip said, " If •^thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." And he answered, and said, " I 'believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God ! "] ^^ And he commanded the chariot to stand still ; and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch : and he baptized him. ^•'And when they were come up out of the water, ''the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip ;'' that the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing. '^^ But Philip was found at Azotus ; and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea. Section XXX. — Many of the Converts, who had fled from Jerusalem in consequence of the Persecution there, preach the Gospel to the Jews in the Provinces. Acts viii. 4. Therefore "they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.' Sect. XXXIIL] SAUL IS BAPTIZED AND PREACHES. 217 Section XXXI. — Saul, on his way to Damascus, is converted to the sect, xxxi Religion he tvas opposing, on hearing the Bath Col, and seeing the v.^E. 35. Shechinah}' ' J- P- 4748. Acts ix. 1-9. Near Damascas. ^ And ''Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter 'against k see Note 56. the di.sciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, '-^and desired "is."] Tim.i.b; of him letters to '"Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any *of ' ^l^ ^f ^^!; J '^ ^ ' •ii'i >" °ee Note o8. this way," whether they were men or women, he might brmg them * qt. of ti,e way : bound unto Jerusalem. ^And ''as he journeyed, he came near Da- sodu 19.923. mascus : and suddenly there shined round about him a light "from b ch. 2-2. e. &. 26. heaven ; "^and he fell to the eartii, and heard a voice saying unto him, ^gJ^°i^^Q'^' " Saul ! Saul ! 'why persecutest thou me ? " ^ And he said, " Who c Matt. 25.40, &c. art thou. Lord? " And the Lord said, " I am Jesus whom thou per- dch.s. 39. secutcst: [''it is hard for thee to kick against the I'pricks." f'And he ^f'l^°'^,^^\ L -111 e IjUKe o. JU. en. trembling and astonished said, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to 2.37. &16.30. do ? " And the Lord said unto him,] " Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." ^ And ^the men which •'^"^"J 9. & le!^ journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no is. man.'J ^ And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were qSeeNote62. opened, he saw no man ;"" but they led him by the hand, and brought r See Note 63. him into Damascus. ^ And he was three days without sight, and nei- ^ ^^® ^°^^ ^^• ther did eat nor drink.' Section XXXIL— ^awZ is baptized. seot^xxii. Acts ix. 10-18, and heginidng of Id. Y.M. 35. ^° And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, "named Ananias ; J. P. 4748. and to him said the Lord in a vision, " Ananias ! " And he said, oajmscus. "Behold! I am here, Lord!" ^^ And the Lord said unto him, a ch. 22. 12. " Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, ''of Tarsus; for, behold! he *gCh-2i.39.&23 prayeth, ^" and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, tiiat he might receive his sight." 1^ Then Ananias answered, " Lord, I have heard by many of this man, "59. &22. id 'how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem. ^"^ And here 2Tim.2. 22. he hath authority from the Chief Priests to bind all "that call on thy "21! &26. n Rom! Name." ^^But the Lord said unto him, " Go thy way, for 'he is a j^'y^,*^°'jl^- chosen vessel' unto Me, to bear my Name before -^the Gentiles, and Epi.es. 3.7,8! ^kings, and the children of Israel. ^'^For ''I will show him how great aTi™'. i.'ii things he must suffer for my Name's sake." ^'''And 'Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and "'iT'Glif.'-i' ■'putting his hands on him said, " Brother Saul ! the Lord (even Jesus, ^^];^{ c ver. 1. d ver. 21. ch. 7. t Sec Note 65. /Rom. 1. 5. &11. 22, 23. &c. that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest) hath sent me, that ach. 20.23. & 21, thou mightest receive thy sight, and 'be filled with the Holy Ghost." ;tJ,' Jf^Vla!^' ^^ And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales, and jcii. s. 17.' he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized, ^^ and when ''^^'{-^.'tiz^ii he had received meat, he was strengthened. Section XXXIII. — Saul preaches in the Synagogues to the Jews. SECT, xxxin. Acts ix. part of ver. 19, and 20-30. V. ^E. 35 J. P. 4748. Damascus. ^^ Then "was [Saul] certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus ; ^^ and straightway" he preached [Christ] in the synagogues, Hhat He is the Son of God. "' But all that heard him were amazed, "gee Note 66. and said ; " Is ^lot this he that destroyed them which called on this JSeeMark 1.1. Name in Jerusalem ? and came hither for that intent, that he might ^ ^h. 8. 3. ver. :. bring them bound unto the Chief Priests." 22 g^^ g^^y] increased the ^^'- ^- ^^' ^• VOL. II. 28 s 218 ST. PETER RAISES DORCAS FROM THE DEAD. [Part IX. i ch. 18. 23. more in strength, ''and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damas- cus, proving that this is very Christ. 'f'^m'it^' ^^ And after that many days were fulfilled, 'the Jews took counsel to /2Cor. 11. 32. kill him ; ^"^ but -^their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him ; --' then the disciples took ^/sam.'']'9.^i2.^' him by night, and °let him down by the wall in a basket.'' X See Note 67. ^^ And ''wheu [Saul] was come to Jerusalem, y he assayed to join ^\\^m!' ^^^' himself to the disciples ; but they were all afraid of him, and believed y See Note 68. not that he was a disciple. ^''' But 'Barnabas took him, and brought I ch. 4. 36. & 13. ^^^^^^ ^Q ^j^g apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the 3 ver. 20, 22. Lord in the way, and that He had spoken to him, ^and how he had AGai. ].i8. preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. ~^ And *^he was i\Ox di>, Mtedcoi-^'^^"^^ them coming in and going out at Jerusalem, ^^and he spake ioquiaxiy.—Y,o.'\ boldly iu tlic uamc of the Lord Jesus. And 'disputed against the "'Gre- mch. 6. 1. & 11. cians ; "but they went about to slay him. ^° Which when the brethren n ver. 23. 2 Cor. kucvv, they brought him down to Csesarea, and sent him forth to 11. 26. rT\ larsus. SECT. XXXIV. ggcTioN XXXIV. — &t. Pctcr, having preached throughout Judcea, V. JE. 38-40. comes to Lydda, where he cures j^neas, and raises Dorcas from the J. P. 4751-53. dead. ^'^|!!!i"«- Acts i.x. 32, to the end. ach. 8. 14. ^^And it came to pass, as Peter passed "throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. ^^ And there he found a certain man named ^Eneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. ^^ And Peter said unto him, ^4^11' ^' ^^' ^ " ^neas ! ''Jesus Christ maketh thee whole : arise, and make thy bed ! " And he arose immediately. ^^ And all that dwelt in Lydda c 1 chron. 5. 16. ^nd "Sarou saw him, and ''turned to the Lord. ^^ Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha (which, * Or, Doe,i,r,Roe. j^y interpretation, is called *Dorcas) : this woman was full 'of good Tit.'x'sT ' works and almsdeeds which she did. ^^ And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died ; whom when they had washed, they /ch. ]. 13. la^jj /jg^. f[y^ m^ upper chamber. ^* And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent ] Or, be grieved, unto hiui two mcn, desiring him that he would not tdelay to come to them. ^'^ Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber, and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, ^ Matt. 9. 25. while shc was with them. '^'^ But Peter "put them all forth, and Ach. 7. 60. ''kneeled down, and prayed; and turning Am to the body, 'said, *J^hn^]■ 43 ^^' "Tabitha, arise!" And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. "^^ And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, z See Note 69. and whcu hc had called the saints and widows, he presented her j John 11. 45. & alive.'' '^~ And it was known throughout all Joppa ; ^and many believed kch JO 6 "^ the Lord. "^^ And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in a See Note 70. Joppa, with onc '"Simou a tanner.* SECT^xxv. SECTION XXXV. — Thc Churches are at rest \from Persecution, in V. M. 38-40. consequence of the Conversion of Saul, and the Conduct of Caligula. J. P. 4751-53. Acts ix. 31. bs»eN^7i. Then "had the Churches rest"= throughout all Judcea and Galilee flSeech. 8. 1. and Samaria, and were edified, and, walking in the fear of the Lord, c See Note 72. ^^^^ -^^ ^j^^ comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. Sect. II.] ST. PETER VISITS CORNELIUS. 219 PART X. THE GOSPEL HAVING NOW BEEN PREACHED TO THE JEWS IN JERUSALEM, JUD^A, SAMARIA, AND THE PROVINCES, THE TIME ARRIVES FOR THE CONVERSION OF THE DEVOUT GEN- TILES, OR PROSELYTES OF THE GATE." Section I. — St. Peter sees a Visioti, in which he is commanded to visit sect. i. a Gentile, ivho had been miraculously instructed to send for him. ^ ~^ ao Acts x. 1-16. j p 4753 ^ There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion caesareaand of the band called the Italian band, ^a "devout man, and one that "^' 'feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, aSeeNotei. and prayed to God alway. ^ He 'saw in a vision evidently, about the "^^.^^k^^'^'^ ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him, and saying * "«■■• 35- unto him, "Cornelius!" '*And when he looked on him, he was Tx' ''^^'^^' afraid, and said, " What is it, Lord ? " And he said unto him, " Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. ^And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose sur- name is Peter: ""he lodgeth with one ''Simon a tanner, whose house <i<:h. 9. 43. is by the seaside ; ['he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.]" ech. 11. 14. ' And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually ; ^ and when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. ^ On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, •'^Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the /'=''■ i'- 5' *^'=- sixth hour. ^° And he became very hungry, and would have eaten ; but while they made ready, he fell into a** trance, ^^ and °'saw heaven bSeeNote2. opened, and a certain vessel descending [unto him], as it had been a '^19. n"/ ' great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth ; ^^ wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, [and wild beasts,] and creeping things, and fowls of the air. ^^ And there came k Lev. I1.4.&20. a voice to hmi, "Rise, Peter! kill, and eat!" ^'^But Peter said, 25. Deut. 14. 3, " Not so. Lord! for ''I have never eaten any thing that is common or ijiatt. 15. iVvpr. unclean." ^^ And the voice spake unto him again the second time, ^- fo°'"cot 10' " What 'God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." '^ This was 2?' ^ ^'"'- "*• *■ , Tit. 1. 15. done thrice ; and the vessel was received up again into heaven. Section IL — St. Peter visits Cornelius, a Roman Centurion. sect, it. Acts x. 17-3.3. V. JE. 40. ^'' Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he ^ ^ 4753. had seen should mean, behold ! the men which were sent from Cor- Caesarea. nelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, ^^and called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. ^^ While Peter thought on the vision, "the Spirit said unto him, «ch. 11. 12. "Behold! [three] men seek thee; -'^ arise 'therefore, and get thee sch. 15. 7. down, and go with them, doubting nothing ; for I have sent them." -^ Then Peter went down to the men [which were sent unto him from Cornelius ;] and said, " Behold ! I am he whom ye seek ; what is the cause wherefore ye are come?" ^"^ And they .said, " Cornelius 'the c ver. i, 2, &c. 220 CORNELIUS IS BAPTIZED. [Part X. rfch. 22. 12. centurion (a just man, and one that feareth God, and ''of good report 12.' " ' ' among all the nation of the Jews), was warned from God by a holy ■^Rev.^^9.^]o^'& angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee." 22.9. ^2 Then called he them in, and lodged them. ^28° ch. ii.'s. ■ And on the morrow Peter went away with them, 'and certain A^h' fs 8~'9'^ brethren from Joppa accompanied him. ^^ And the morrow after they Epiies. 3.' 6. entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called '^T'^i^o tosrether his kinsmen and near friends. ~^And as Peter was coming J Miitt. 23. 3. 3 . . . .a Mark 16. 5. in, Cornclius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped k ver.%~ &c'. him. "^^ But Peter took him up, saying, " Stand ^up ; I myself iHeb. 6°']o!' also am a man!" ^^ And as he talked with him, he went in, and '"i/i,?/— ed.^]""''^ found many that were come together. ^^And he said unto them, ^^^^^^^^^ " Ye know how ^that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation ; but ''God hath '- ' showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. V. M. 40. 29 Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was J. P. 47o3. ggj-jj. £qj. j g^gj^ therefore for what intent ye have sent for me ? " -^ — ' ^^ And Cornelius said, " Four days ago I was fasting until this hour ; "2 chron. 19. 7. aud at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold! 'a man 2?if.^GiK ^T' stood before me ^in bright clothing, ^^ and said, ' Cornelius, *thy prayer Ephes 6. 9. Col. jg heard, 'and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. 3. 25. 1 Pet. 1.17. ' ... " . 6 ch. 15. 9. Rom. ^2 ggj-,(j thcrcfore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is 2 13 27. & 3. "23 . . . 29. &. 16. 12,115! Peter (he is lodged in the house of one Simon, a tanner, by the sea- Gai?3. 28. ' side), who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.' ^^Immediately &'3.*'6.' "' '^' ^^' therefore I sent to thee ; and thou '"hast well done that thou art c See Note 3. comc. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all dSee Note 4. , . , ^ ^ ^ c r^ \ ,1 fits. 57. 19. Eph. things that are commanded thee oi God. 2. 14, 16, 17. ^ Col. 1. 20. . . d Matt. 28. 18, ' icor. 15. 27. Section III. — St. Peter first declares Christ to he the Saviour of all, 1 Pet. 3.''22.*' ' even of the Gentiles, who believe in him. Rev. 17. 14. & A o 1 /lo 19. 16. Acts x. 34-43. /Luke 4.' 18.' ch. ^'^ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, "Of "a truth I perceive fieb' f 9' ^'^' ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ "° respecter of persons ; ^° but 'in every nation he that ^ John 3.2. feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is ""accepted with Him. ^^ The fch'-%o^' word'' which God sent unto the children of Israel, "^preaching peace by jch. 2. 24. Jesus Christ: (''he is Lord of all.) That word, I say, ye know, which ch.°i3. 31. ' *" was published throughout all Judaea, and 'began from Galilee, after z^Luke^'4!3o'43. the baptisiTi which John preached ; ^^ how -^God anointed Jesus ot MM"tf'28^i9 Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing 20. ch. 1. 8. ' good, and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil ; 'for God was with n John 5. 22 27. o ' o l l _ _' ch. 17.' 3r. ' ~ ' him. ^^ And ''we [are] witnesses of all things which he did both in the "2 c™. 5.' i'(). ' land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem ; Svhom they slew and hanged on WiZ'i.'6.' a'tree. '"' Him 'God raised up the third day, and showed him openly, ^}f'^'}}' ■'«'■ ''^ (not ''to all the people, but unto witnesses*" chosen before of God, 3J..iJ. Dan. 9. V . ' . . ^ ^ , c 1 21. i\iic. 7. 18. even to us, 'who did eat and drink with him), after he rose from the Mai. 4. b'.ch. 26. dead; ''^and "'he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to ?(~h. 15. 9. &2n. testify "that it is he which was ordained of God to he the Judge "of Gai!^3'.'22."* "' n^iick and dead. ^^To ''him give all the Prophets witness, that through his Name 'whosoever believcth in him shall receive remission of SECT. IV. sins. V. M. 40. J. P. 4753. Coesarea. Section IV. — Cornelius and his Friends receive the Holy Ghost, and are baptized. Acts x. 44, to the end. "iVifi, 17- & ii. '''* While Peter yet spake these words, "the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. '^"'And 'they of the circumcision which 15: b ver. 23. Sect. VI.] THE CONVERTS PREACH TO THE GENTILES. 221 believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, 'because that ''^^Jiy-Jf- on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost ; ■^^ for they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, ''^ " Can any man forbid water, that these should not "^sfg. Rom.w.il: be baptized, which have received tiie Holy Ghost ''as well as we?" eicor. i.n. ^*^ And 'he commanded them to be baptized ^in the Name of the Lord. Ah. 2. 38. &8. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. a ch. 10. 45. Gal. Section V. — St. Peter defends his Conduct in visiting and baptizing sect, v. Cornelius. V.^. 40. Acts xi. 1-18. J. P. 4753. ^ And the apostles and brethren that were in Judeea heard that the Jerusalem. Gentiles had also received the word of God. ^ And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, "they that were of the Circumcision contended VV.' with him, ^ savinij, "Thou ''wentest in to men uncircumcised, 'and sch. 10. ss. didst cat with them. 'But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it ''by order unto them, saying, ^ " I 'was in the city of Joppa praying : '''^^^^^^'^'..^ and in a trance, I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners ; and it came even to me ; ^ upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. '' And I heard a voice saying unto me, ' Arise, Peter ! slay and eat ! ' ^ But I said, ' Not so. Lord ! for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.' ■' But the voice answered me again from heaven, 'What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.' ^" And this was done three times : and all were drawn up again into heaven. ^^ And, behold! immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me. ^^ And -'^the Spirit bade me go ■^J"''" ^^- ^^- *='' with them, nothing doubting; moreover "'these six brethren accom- ^ch. 10.03. panied me, and we entered into the man's house. ^^ And ''he showed '"^^'- ^^^^■ us iiow he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, ' Send [men] to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter ; ^^ who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.' '^ And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on ich. 2. 4. them, 'as on us at the beginning. ^^Then remembered I the word of ^j^^jjj^t.^s.^n.^^^ the Lord, how that he said, ' John, ^indeed, baptized with water; but ch. i.5.y]9.'4. *ye shall be baptized witli the Holy Ghost.' 1^ Forasmuch 'then as ''l^.t^^hs!'^^' God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the ki.. 15. 8, n. Lord Jesus Christ ; "wha\ was I, that I could withstand God ?" ""^- '"• ^^• ^® When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified "^ 15 '9 ''fg^' ^^' God, saying, " Then "hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life ! " =^== Section VL — The Converts who had been dispersed by the Persecution sect, vi. after the Death of Stephen, having heard of the Vision of Peter, v. S.. 41. preach to the devout Gentiles also. J. P. 4754. ArT« vi U)-'>1 Judaea and the ACTS XI. 1.' ^J. Provinces. ^9 Now "they which were scattered abroad, upon the persecution — that arose about Stephen, travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.*" ~° And fSeeXotoe. some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto Hhe Grecians, preaching the Lord ftcii.6. i.&g.ag. Jesus. ^^And 'the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great "2.47? number believed, and ''turned unto the Lord. dci.. 9. 35. VOL. II. *s 222 HEROD AGRIPPA IMPRISONS ST. PETER. [Part X. SECT. VII. V.^. 41. J. P. 4754. Jerusalem and Antioeh. g See Note 7. a ch. 9. 27. 6ch. 13. 43. & 14. 22. c ch. 6. 5. d ver.21. ell. 5. 14. Section VII. — The Church, at Jerusalem commissions Barnabas to make inquiries into this matter.^ Acts xi. 22-24. ^^ Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the Church which was in Jerusalem ; and they sent forth "Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioeh. ^^ Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and 'e.\horted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord ; ~^ for he was a good man, and Tull of the Holy Ghost and of faith. ''And much people was added unto the Lord. SECT. VIII. V. 2E. 42. J. P. 4755. Tarsus. a ch. 9. 30. * Or, ill the church. h See Note 8. Section VIIL — Barnabas goes to Tarsus for Saul, whom he takes with him to Antioeh, ivhere the Converts were preaching to the devout Gentiles. Acts xi. 25, 26. ^^Then departed [Barnabas] to "Tarsus, for to seek Saul ; ^^and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioeh. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves *with the Church, and taught much people, and the disciples were called Chris- tians first in Antioeh.'' sect. IX. V. M. 43. J. P. 4756. Jerusalem. i Sea Note 9. * Or, began. a Matt. 4. 21. & 20.23. b Exod. 12. 14,15. & 23. 15. e John 21. 18. f Or, instavt and earnest prayer teas made. 2 Cor. 1.11. Ephes. 6. 18. 1 Thess. 5. 17. (ich. 5. 19. k See Note 10. e Ps. 12'). 1. /ch 10. 3, 17. & 11.5. g-ch. 1().2(>. 1 See Note 1 1 . h P3.34.7. nan.3. 28. &. 6.22.11(a). 1. 14. i Joh 5. 19. P3.33. 18, 19. &34.2i. &41.2. & 97.10. 2 Cor. 1. 10. 2 Pet. 2. 9. .; ch. 4. 23. k ch. 15. 37. I ver. 5. \ Or, to ask who was there. Section IX. — Herod Agrippa condemns James the Brother of John to Death, and imprisons Peter, who is miraculously released, and pre- sents himself to the other James, ivho had been made Bishop of Jerusalem.^ Acts xii. 1-18, and beginning of ver. 19. ^ Now about that time Herod the king *stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Church. ^And he killed James "the brother of John with the sword. ^ And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also ; (then were Hhe days of unleav- ened bread ;) ^ and 'when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him ; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. ^ Peter there- fore was kept in prison ; but tprayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him. ^ And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door kept the prison. "^ And, behold ! ''the Angel^ of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison ; and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, " Arise up quickly ! " And his chains fell off from his hands. "^And the Angel said unto him, "Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals." And so he did. And he saith unto him, "Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me." '-"And he went out, and followed him ; and "wist not that it was true which was done by the Angel ; but thought -^he saw a vision. ^^' When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, ^which opened to them of his own accord ; and they went out, and passed on through one street, and forthwith the Angel' departed from him. '' And when Peter was come to himself, he said, " Now I know of a surety, that 'the Lord hath sent his Angel, and 'hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and f-om all the expectation of the people of the Jews." '-And when he had considered the thing, 'he came to the house of Mary the mother of 'John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together 'praying. '^ And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came Ho hearken, named Rhoda ; ^'^ and m See Note 12. Sect. XIIL] THE DEATH OF IIEROD AGRIPPA. 223 when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. ^^And they said unto her, " Thou art mad ! " But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, " It '"is his angel." ^'^ But Peter con- '"]v{ltt"/lio tinued knocking ; and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. ^^ But he, "beckoning unto them with the 'ga'^Joi^'^io'^^'^" hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord liad brought him out of the prison. And he said, " Go, show these things unto James, and to the brethren." And he departed, and went into another place."' sect. x. ^^ Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the — soldiers, what was become of Peter. ^^ And when Herod had sought ^' ',^.^' for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded Aniioch. that they should be put to death. — J r „ ggg j^^,te 13. — a ch. i. 17. & 13. 1. & 15. 32. & Section X. — The Converts at Antioch, being forewarned by Agabiis, ssiEph. 4.'ii.' send relief to their Brethren at Jerusalem, bu the hands of Barnabas o See Note i4. 7 t' 7 n * ch. 21. 10. Acts xi. 27, to the end. \^'- \^\^- ^^ And in these days came prophets °from Jerusalem unto Antioch. dch. 12. 25. 2*^ And there stood up one of them named ''Agabus, and signified by p^^^'^°^^^^- the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world : — which came to pass in the days of Claudius [Ciesar]. ^'■' Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send "relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Juda3a ; ^^ which ''also they did, and 7 p 4~^-l sent it to the elders? by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. SECT. XI. a i.o.HerodAgrip- Section XI. — The Death of Herod Agrippa. n)r,barea Acts xii. latter part ofver. 19, and ver. 20-23. fr«df4™«r'!' '"' ^^ And "he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode. t^r. that was^ -'^ And [Herod] *was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Teddiamhery" Sidon : but they came with one accord to him, and, having made *Ezek"^^\^'i7' "' Blastus tthe king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because cisam. 25.38. Hheir country was nourished by the king's country. ^' And upon a .set dpl^'iis?]. day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made qSeeNoteie. an oration unto them. ^~ And the people gave a shout, saying, " It is the voice of a god, and not of a man ! " ^^ And immediately the Angel of the Lord "smote him, because ''he gave not God the glory : and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. "i V. ^. 44. J. P. 4757 Section XII. — The Churches continue to increase. 7. & 19. 20. SECT. xir. Acts xii. 24. But "the word of God grew, and multiplied. Col. 1. 6. SECT. xiri. V. JE. 45. J. P. 4753. Antioch. Section XIII. — Said having seen a Vision in the Temple,^ in which he is commanded to leave Jerusalem, and to preach to the Gentiles, returns with Barnabas to Aniioch. Acts xii. 25. 'And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had *ot, charge. fulfilled their *ministry, and "took with them John, whose surname aVer i2.~ch. 13.5 was Mark. 13. & 15. 37. r See Note 17. R See Note 18. 224 ST. PAUL'S FIRST APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY. [Part XI. PART XI SECT. 1. V. M. 45. J. P. 4758. Antiocli. ach. 11. 27.&14. 26. & 15. 35. J ch 11. 22-2f). c Rom. 16. 21. * Or, Herod's foatcrhrother, dNum. 8. 14. ch. 9. 15. & 22. 21. Rom. 1.1. Gal.l. 15. & 2. 9. e Matt. 9. 38. cli. 14. 26. Rom. 10. 15. Eplies. 3. 7, 8. I Tim. 2. 7. 2 Tim. 1. 11. Heb. 5. 4. /ch. 6. 6. a See Note 1. SECT. ir. V. M. 45. J. P. 4758. Seleucia. SECT. HI. V. M. 45. J. P. 4758. Salimis and Paphos. a ch. 4. 36. b ver. 46. cch. 12.25. & 15. 37. d ch. 8. 9. b See Note 2. eEx. 7. 11. 2 Tim. 3.8. c See Note 3. d See Note 4. /ch. 4. 8. g Miitt. 13. 38. John 8. 44. 1 John 3. 8. /( Knapp, here dropsWw interro- eation point. — Ed. i Ex. 9. 3. 1 Sam. 5.6. PERIOD FOR PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO THE IDOLATROUS GENTILES, AND ST. PAUL'S FIRST APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY. Section I. — The Apostles having been absent from Jerusalem when Saul so IV his Vision in the Temple, he and Barnabas are separated to the Apostolic Office by the Heads of the Church at Antioch. Acts xiii. 1-3. ^ Now there were "in the Church that was at Antioch certain proph- ets and teachers ; as ^'Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and "^Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen ("^which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul. ^ As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, " Separate ''me Barnabas and Saul for the work 'whereuntol have called them." ^ And •'^when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.* Section H. — Saul, in company with Barnabas, commences his first Apostolical Journey, by going from Antioch to Seleucia. Acts xiii. former part of ver. 4. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia. Section HI. — From Seleucia Saul and Barnabas proceed to Salamis and Paphos, in Cyprus, where Sergius Paulus (ivhose name was assumed by Saul) is converted ; being the first known or recorded Convert of the idolatrous Gentiles. Acts xiii. latter part of ver. 4-12. ^ And from thence they sailed to "Cyprus. ^ And when they were at Salamis, Hhey preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews : and they had also "^ John to their minister. '^ And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found ''a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name urns Bar-jesus ; ''' which was with the deputy'' of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. Who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. ^ But 'Elymas*^ the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) with- stood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. ^Then Saul (who also is called ''Paul), -'filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on liim, '"and said, "O full of all subtilty and all mischief, ^thou child of the Devil, thou enemy of all righteousness ! thou wilt not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord ;'' ^^ and now, behold ! 'the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season." And immediately there fell on him a mist and a dark- ness ; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. ^~ Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being as- tonished at the doctrine of the Lord. SECT. IV. V . M. 45. J. P. 4758. Perga. a ch. 15. 38. Section IV. — From Cyprus to Perga in Pamphylia. Acts xiii. 13. Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paplios, they came to Perga in Pamphylia. And "John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. Antioch in I'isidia. Sect. V.] ST. PAUL IS DRIVEN FROM ANTIOCH. 225 Section V. — Fro7n Perga to Antioch in Pisidia — Paul, according to sect\ v. his custom, first preaches to the Jeivs — They are driven out of Antioch. v. M. 46. Acts xiii. 14-50. J. P. 4759. ^^ But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and "went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day,*' and sat down. '^ And 'after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the "'i. L is. 4. rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, " Ye men and breth- j Lukc^4.' i(f.'ver. ren ! if ye have "any word of exhortation for the people, say on ! " ^^^-^^ ^^ 22 ^^'Then*" Paul stood up, and ''beckoning with his hand said, "Men fSeeNoteo. o d ch. V'Z, 17. of Israel, and 'ye that fear God, give audience ! ^^ The God of this e ver. -ie, 42, 43. people of Israel -^chose our fathers, and exalted the people °when they /Deut.'T.I;, 7. dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, ''and with a high arm brought ^J^^W.'ch!'?.'??! He them out of it ; ^^ and *about the time of forty years *suffered He '^^''\l- ^- ^ ^^• their manners in the ^wilderness ; '^ and when ^He had destroyed seven » e.^. le. 35. nations in the land of Chanaan, ''He divided their land to them bv lot. ps. 95. 9" ib! ch! -'' And after that 'He gave unto them judges about the space of four *Gr. irpoTo- hundred and fifty years, "until Samuel the'^ prophet. 21 And "after- ^erM^'ror ward they desired a king : and God gave unto them Saul the son of i-rjio<j>o4>6pn^cv, I, , ., rrt ■ • 1 bar e , or , fed them, Cis, a man of the tribe of Beniamm, by the space of forty years. ~^ And «•, aH»r.« bear- "when He had removed him, ^'Ile raised up unto them David to be herchM,i)eai.i. their king ; to whom also He gave testimony, and said, ' I 'have found accorjing'to'the David the son of Jesse, ''a man after mine own heart, which shall chiyJosto^m." fulfill all my will.' -^ Of "this man's seed hath God according 'to his ?t'''J^"^%'^- .•' J D«ut. 1.1. promise raised unto Israel "a Saviour, Jesus: -'when "John had first /^ Josh. 14. 1,2. preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people uudg. 2. 1'e. of Israel, ^s And as John fulfilled his course, he said, ' Whom ""think Tse^eXtef ye that I am ? I am not he; but, behold! there cometh One after ^^i^ sam. s. 5. & me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.' ^*^ Men and "i.^S™- J^- 2^' brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you "os. 13. 11. ' feareth God, ""to you is the word of this salvation sent. ^"^ For they ^2 Sfrm.9.4.& 5;3. that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, ^because they knew him not, ? flam". 13," 14. nor yet the voices of the Prophets 'which are read every Sabbath day, //^ i f Luke i "they have fulfilled them in condemning' him : ^® and ''though they ^^^ C9. ch. 2. 30. . o ^ o J Rom. 1. 3. found no cause of death in him, "yet desired they Pilate that he should t2Sam.'T.i2. Ps. be slain. -^ And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, « >ratt. 1. 21. 'they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre ; ^"but „^A'jrtt.".' if" •'^God raised him from the dead, ^^ and^he was seen many days of them ,^^^^\^Wl which came up with him 'from Galilee to Jerusalem, 'who are his wit- Mark 1.7. nesses unto the people. ^^ xlnd we declare unto you glad tidings, how John i.'2o,'27. that ■'the promise which was made unto the fathers, ^^ God hath ful- ''Like'24°'47; filled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus 3,Lukt''23.'34^.?h! again ; as it is also written in the ^second Psalm, — 3. 17. 1 cor. 2.8. ° ' z ver. 14, ]o. ch. ' Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.' a Luke 24.20,44. 14 A 1 • .1 ^ TT • 1 1 • f 111 ch.26.22.&28.23. ■'^ And as concerning that He raised him up irom the dead, now no iSeeNoteo. more to return to corruption. He said on this wise, — Mark ]l'.'m,'u. ' I 'will give you the sure tmercies of David."' Joim w.'e, h. ' ^^ Wherefore he saith also in another '"Psalm, — dLuke is. 31'. & ' 24. 44. John 19. ' Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.' e M'au.'27.'59'." nr -n T\ ■ Mark' 15.' 46.' ^'^ For David, tafter he had served his own generation by the will of ^^"Jl^^j-p^lf- God, "fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption ; /Matt.ss. e.'ch. ^^ but He, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. ^^ Be it known 26.''&. 5. so. ' ' unto you therefore, men and brethren, that "through this Man is ^ch'h's.^^'co;. ].'5. 5, 6, 7. h eh. 1.11. ; ch. 1. 8. & 2.32. & 3. 15. & ,5. 32. j Gen. 3. 15. & 12. 3. & 23. 18. ch. 26. 6. Rom. 4. 13. Gill. 3. 16. * Ps. a. 7. Heb. 1. 5. & 5. 5. / Is. .55. 3. f Gr. ra oaia, holy, or, fust tfihigs : which won! the LXX, both in the place of Is. 55. 3. and in many others, use for that which is in the Hebrew, mercies, k See IN'ott 10. m Ps. 16. 10. ch 2. 31. t Or, after he had in his own aire served the will of God. ver. 22. Ps. 78. 72. n 1 Kings 2. 10. ch. 2. 29. o Jer. 31. 34. Dan. 9 24. Luke 24. 47. 1 John 2. 12. VOL. II. 29 226 ST. PAUL'S FIRST APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY. [Part XL ^Roiif ^3 ^28 & 8 Pi*6ached unto you the forgiveness of sins; ^^ and ^'by Him all that 3. Heb. 7. ig. believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justi- fied by the Law of Moses. '^'^ Beware therefore, lest that come upon 'Hab^^i ^s" y®"' wl^ich is spoken of in 'the Prophets ; — ^^ ' Behold ! ye despisers. And wonder, and perish ! For I work a work in your days, A work which ye shall in no wise believe, Though a man declare it unto you.' " ■^^ And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gen- »Gr. in the week tjjes bcsought that thcsc words might be preached to them *the next OGttDGf^fl or 171 the Sabbath be- Sabbath.' '^^ Now when the congregation was broken up, many of 1 seTiiote 11. the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas : who, rch. 11. 23.&14. Speaking [to them], '^persuaded them to continue in 'the grace of God. sTit. 2. II. Heb. ''^ And thc next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together 1-2. 15. 1 Pet. o. ^Q i^gg^j. ^jjg ^vord of God. ^^ But when the Jews saw the multitudes, t ch. 18. fi. 1 Pet. they were filled with envy, and 'spake against those things which 4. 4. Jude 10. yygfe spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. '^^ Then Paul "3^26!'vJr'. 26.'^''' ^"d Bamabas waxed bold, and said, " It "was necessary that the word Rom. 1.16. of Qo(j should first have been spoken to you ; but "seeing ye put it "De'u't. 33. 21. from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo ! "we Mat^t!'2^i'. 43. turn to the Gentiles. '*^ For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, — Kom.lO.'lO. jc ch. 18. 6. & 28. ' I ''have set thee to be a Lijjht of the Gentiles, T .« ^ . .n That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.' " X Is. 42. 6. &. 49. 48 ^j^(j when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the ych. 2.47. vvord of the Lord; "and as many as were ordained to ""eternal life m ee o e . ][jg]jgyg(j^ 49 ^/^nd the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. ^^ But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable 1 2 Tim. 3. 11. women, and the chief men of the city, and 'raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. SECT^vi. Section VL — From Antioch in Pisidia to Iconiiim in Lycaonia — The v. M. 46. People about to stone them. J. P. 4759. Acts xiii. 51, 52, and xiv. l-5,and former part ofver. 6. iconium. .51 g^^ "tlicy shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came oMiitt. 10. 14. unto Iconium. ^~ And the disciples 'were filled with joy, and with Luke 9'. 5.ch.i8. the Holy Ghost. ^' 1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude botli of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. ^But the unbeheving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil aflected against the brethren. ■' Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, 'which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. '^ But the multitude of the city was divided : and part held with the Jews, and part with the ''apostles. ^ And when there was an assault made, both of the Gen- tiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, 'to use them despitefuUy, and to stone them, ^ they were ware of it, and •'^fled unto Lystra. b Matt. 5. 12. John 11"). 2:2. rh. 2.46. c Mark 16. Heb. 2. 4. 20. dch.U.3. e 2 Tim. 3. 11. /Matt. 10. 23. SECT. vn. y.M. 4G. J. p. 4 759. Lystra. a ch. 3. 2. * Matt. 8. 9. 28, 29. 10. & Section VII. — Fro7n Jconium to Lystra — The People attempt to offer them Sacrifice, and afterivards stone them. Acts xiv. B-IH, and bcginm7i!^ of ver. 20. ^ And "there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, [being] a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked. ^The same heard Paul speak : who steadfastly beholding him, and ''perceiv- Sect. XL] PAUL AND BARNABAS RETURN TO ANTIOCH. 227 ing that he had faith to be healed, ^^ said with a loud voice, " Stand 'uprigiit on thy feet ! " And he leaped and walked. cis. 35. 6. ^^ And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their ^0^8. io!&"38. voices, saying, in the speech" of Lycaonia, " The ''gods are come down ^• to us in the likeness of men ! " ^^ And they called Barnabas, Jupiter ; jOan. 2. 46. and Paul, Mercurius,*" because he was the chief speaker. ^^ Then the /.Matt. 20. C5. priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and gar- f Ja^Vi? lands unto the gates, ^and would have done sacrifice witii the people. R^j- is- lo- ^•^ liliich when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, -^they rent ' 1 icti^s ig. 13. their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, ^^ and saying, Amoit.?' " Sirs ! ^why do ye these tliinj;s ? ''We also are men of like passions ^ cor. 8. 4. with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from 'these vani- i Gen. 1.1. ties ■'unto the living God, ''which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, ps. 33. e. & i46. '. __' '.■'6. Rev. 14. 7. and all things that are therein : ^''who 'in times past suffered all nations zps.si. 12. ch.17. to walk in their own ways: ^''nevertheless '"He left not himself with- '^^'^^^\^'^' J _ _ m ch. 17. 27. out witness, in that He did good, and "gave us rain from heaven, and Rom. 1.20. fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." ^^ And "oeuV. n'.t4. & with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not f^s'.JI'.'^ai'^; done sacrifice unto them. ^,-^}r'^- ^'^ And "there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, Matt. 5. 45. who persuaded the? people, ''and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of "^l^^'^^^^c, the city, supposing he had been dead. -'^Howbeit, as the disciples y 2 cor. 11.25. stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city. 2 Tim. 3. 11. Section VHI. — From Lystra to Derbe. sect, vni. Acts xiv. latter pad ofver. 20, and latter part ofver. 6, andver 7. V. JE. 47. ^° And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe, ^ cities of J. P. 4760. Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about: ^and there ^^■ they preached the Gospel. Acts xiv. part ofver. 6. — and Derbe, — . SECT. IX. Section IX. — St. Paul and Barnabas return to Lystra, Iconium, and V. M. 47. Antioch in Pisidia, ordaining in all the Churches. J. P. 4/60. Acts xiv. 21-23. — - 21 And when they had preached the Gospel to that city, "and *had "crLdLdJ taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and An- many disdpics. tioch ; -"^confirming the souls of the disciples, and ''exhorting them to *^'^ •'^■^■•^ ^^• continue in the faith, and that "we must through much tribulation " }\'%:^i' ^- ^ enter into the kingdom of God. -^ And when they had ''ordained as, -29. Rom. 8." 17 9 Tim O 11 themi elders in every Church, and had prayed with fasting, they com- 12! & 3. 12. " * mended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. d Tit. 1.5. •' q See Note 16. Section X. — They proceed through Pisidia, Perga, and Aitalia, in sect. x. Pamphylia. ^ — ^^ Acts xiv. 24, 25. j p ,~g. 2"* And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pam- Pisidia, &c. phylia. -^ And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went — down into Attalia. = SECT. XI. Section XI. — They return to Antioch, and submit an Account of their v. M. 48. Proceedings to the Church in that place. j. p. 4761. Acts xiv. 2(5, to the end. Antioch. 2^ And thence sailed to Antioch, "from whence they liad been 'recom- ach. 13. 1,3. mended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. ^^ And *ch. 15. 40. when they were come, and had gathered the Church together, 'they 'zi.'il' '*' ^^' ^ 228 DECREE CONCERNING CIRCUMCISION. [Part. XI. ^icoJ.'iXl' rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had ''opened Rev ^3 ^8 ^^^^ ^*^°'* ®^ ^^^^^ ""^^ ^^^ Gentiles. ^^And [there] they abode long time with the disciples. SECT. XII. Section XII. — Dissensions at Antioch concerning Circumcision, before V. JE. 49. the Commencement of St. PauVs second Apostolical Journey. J. P. 4762. Acts xv. 1, 2. ^^^- 1 And "certain men which came down from Judaea taught the breth- aGai. 2. 12. j-cn, ttud sttid, " Exccpt 'ye be circumcised "^after the manner of Moses, 5.°Gai."5. 2.^"' ye cannot be saved." ^When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no 8 '*ii ^16.' *^°'" ^" small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that cGen. 17. 10. ''Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of tliem, should go up to Jeru- salem, unto the apostles and elders, about this question. Lev. 12. 3 <i Gal. 2.1. SECT.xni. Section XIII. — St. Paul and Barnabas go up to Jerusalem to consult V. M. 49. ^^^ Apostles and Elders on the Dispute concerning Circumcision—- 3. P. 4762. Decree of James and of the Church therein. Jerusalem. AcTS XV. 3-29. a Rom. 15.24. ^ And "bciug brought on their way by the Church, they passed 1 Cor. 16. 6, 11. throush Phenice and Samaria, 'declaring the conversion of the Gen- tiles ; and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. '' And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the Church, and ^7"^ 21 "^Jg ^^' ^f ^^^ apostles and elders ; and 'they declared all things that God r See Note 17. had douc with thcm. ^Buf there *iose up certain of the sect of the * Or, rose «p, said Pharisccs which believed, saying, " That ''it was needful to circumcise dver.'i. them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses." ^ And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. ' And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, e ch. 10. 20. &11. and said unto them, " Men 'and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth /i^chron.28. 9. ghould hear the word of the Gospel, and beUeve. ^ And God, ■'^which g ch. 10. 44. knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, "giving them the Holy Ghost, ARom. 10. 11. even as he did unto us ; ^ and ''put no difference between us and ich. 10.15,28,43. them, 'purifying their hearts by faith. ^^ Now therefore why tempt ye 1 Pet.' 1.22. God, ^to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our ■^Galls.^i.' ^' fathers nor we were able to' bear ? ^^ But *we believe that through B See Note 18. the gracc of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." *El)h"'2.^8^Tit.2. ^^Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barna- 11.&3. 4,5. j-jg^g Q^^^ Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had 'wrought /ch. 14.27. among the Gentiles by them. mch.i2. 17. 13 And after they had held their peace, '"James answered, saying, nver.7. " Mcu a7id brethren, hearken unto me! i"* Simeon "hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a peo- ple [for] his name. ^^ And to this agree the words of the Prophets ; as it is written, — oAmos9. 11, 12. 16. ^ftcr "tliis I will rctum. And will build again the Tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; And I will build again the ruins thereof. And I will set it up ; t See Note 19. 1' That the residue of men' might seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, Saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.' 1^ Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of tiie world. pseover.28. 19 Wlicreforc ''my sentence is, tliat we trouble not them, which from jiThes3. 1.9. among the Gentiles "are turned to God: -"but that we write unto Sect. I.] PAUL AND BARNABAS RETURN TO ANTIOCH. 229 them, tliat they abstain Troiii polhitions of idols, and 'from fornication, ''Ex"^'-i^,h. and from things strangled, 'and from" blood. ^^ For Moses of old time f'c^V."' hath in every city them that preach Him, "being read in the syna- ^^^"^^-^^'^^-^ gogues every Sabbath day." « i cor. e. 9, is. ^^Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole Church, EphVs.alcoi.s. to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and ipV^'4''°3; '*• ^• Barnabas ; (namely, Judas surnamed "Barsabas, and Silas, chief men tGen.9.4. Lev.3. among the brethren:) ^^and they wrote letters by them after this i7. Deut. 12. le, manner : — « ^ee Note 20. "The Apostles and Elders and Brethren send greeting unto '^' ^J- j^-^J^- ^^• " the Brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and "Cilicia! ^4 poj-asmuch as we have heard, that "certain which went YTia.^mi!" " out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, i^' '^• " saying, ' Ye must be circumcised, and keep the Law,' (to whom we "gave no such connnandment:) ~^it seemed good unto us, being as- " sembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you, with our "beloved Barnabas and Paul, ^•^men ""that have hazarded their lives Yg.'icor.'is.ao; " for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. -''Y^e have sent therefore at^o^-n-^s.se. "Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by tmouth. t^r. ^ord " -^ For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you " no greater burden than these necessary things; ^'•' that ''ye abstain y.^''-^^^''\'^\\ " from meats offered to idols, and ""from blood, and from things stran- 20! " gled, and from fornication : from which if ye keep yourselves, ye ^ ^^^' ^^' ^^" " shall do well. Fare ye well ! " Section XIV. — iS*^. Paul and Barnabas return to the Church at An- sect^xiv. tioch, with the Decree of the Church at Jerusalem on the subject of V. M. 49. the Necessity of Circumcision. J- P- 4762. Acts xv. 30-35. A",^*"- 2° So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch ; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle ; =^' which when they had read, they rejoiced for the *consolation. * or. exhoruition 32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets" also themselves, "exhorted the ^ f^';^i4 *2.^^"ig brethren with many words, and confirmed them. ^^ And after they 23. had tarried there a space, tliey were let ''go in peace from the brethren *Heb°n! 3" ' unto the apostles. ^^ Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still, ^spa^ui -^also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and -^ch. 13.1 preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. PART XII. ST. PAUL'S SECOND APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY. SECT I. Section L — After remaining some time at Antioch, St. Paul proposes y ^ gg. to Barnabas to commence another Visitation of the Churches. J. P. 4763. Acts xv. 36. Antioch. And some days after, Paul said^ unto Barnabas, "Let us go again aSeeXotei. and visit our brethren "in every city where we have preached the Vl &^i4!'if6,24' word of the Lord, and see how they do." 23. VOL. II. T 230 ST. PAUL'S SECOND APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY. [Part XII. SECT. II. V.^. 50. J. P. 476.3. Syria and Cilicia. a ch. \-2. 12, 25. & 13. 5 Col. 4. 10. 2 Tim. 4. 11. Philem. 24. b cli. J3. ]3. b See Note 2. c ch. 14. 26. c See Note 3. d ch. 16. 5. e ch. 15. 23, 29. /ch. 15. 41. d .See Note 4. SECT. III. V. M. 50. J. P. 47G3. Derbe and Lystra. a ch. 14. 6. b ch. 19.22.Rom. 16. 21. 1 Cor. 4. 17. Phil. 2. 19. 1 Thess. 3. 2. 1 Tim. 1.2. 2 Tim. 1.2. c 2 Tim. 1. 5. d ch. 6. 3. e 1 Cor. 9. 20. Gal. 2. 3. See Gal. 5. 2. See Note 5. SECT. IV. V. M. 50. J. P. 4763. Pliryijia and Galatia. Section II. — St. Paul, separating from Barnabas, proceeds from Antioch to Syria and Cilicia. Acts xv. 37, to the end, and xvi. 4, 5. ^^And Barnabas determined to take with them "John, whose sur- name was Mark. ^^ But Paul thouffht not eood to take liim with them, ''who departed from them from PamphyUa, and went not with them to the work. ^^ And tlie contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other,*" and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus ; '"' and Paul chose Silas, and departed, "being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God, ^^ And he went through Syria and'' Cilicia, ''confirming the Churches. ^ And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the ^"^^ ^"'^ "*> ^• decrees for to keep, 'that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. ^ And -^so were the Churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily, '^ Section III, — ^S*^, Paul proceeds to Derbe, and Lystra in Iconium — Timothy his Attendant. Acts xvi. 1-3, ^ Then came he to "Derbe and Lystra : and, behold ! a certain disciple was there, ''named Timotheus, "the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed, but his father was a Greek; ^ which ''was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Ico- nium. ^ Him would Paul have to go forth with him ; and "took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters : for they knew all that his father was a Greek, "^ Section IV. — They proceed from Iconium to Phrygia and Galatia. Acts xvi. 6. Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Ga- latia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, sect. v. V. M. 50. J. P. 4763. Mysia and Troas. a The words " of Jesus" are in- serted on the au- thority of both Griesbach and Knapp. — Ed. b 2 Cor. 2. 12. 2 Tim. 4. 13. c ch. 10. 30. d 2 Cor. 2. 13. SECT. vr. V. M. .50. J. P. 4763. Samothracia. f See Note 6. SECT. VII V. M. 50. J. P. 4763. Neapolig. Section V. — Frorn Galatia to Mysia and Troas. Acts xvi. 7-10. ''' After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia ; but the Spirit [of Jesus]" suffered them not, ^ And they, passing by Mysia, 'came down to Troas, ^ And a vision appeared to Paul in the night : — there stood "a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, " Come over into Macedonia, and help us ! " ^^ And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go ''into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the Gospel unto them. Section VI, — From Troas to Samothracia. Acts xvi. beginning ofver. 11. Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia/ Section VII. — From Samothracia to Neapolis. Acts xvi. latter part of ver, 11, And the ne.\t day to Neapolis : Sect. VIII.] THE PYTHONESS IS DISPOSSESSED. 23 1 Section VIII. — From NeajJoJis to Philijjpi, where the Pythoness is sect. viii. dispossessed, and the Jailor converted. y ^ 50 Acts xvi. 12, to the end. J. P. 47G3, ^~ And from thence to "Philippi, which is *the chief city? of that ^''"'pp'- part of Macedonia, and a colony. And we were in that city abiding a Phii. 1. 1. certain days. ^^ And on the tSabbath we went out of the city bv a * 5*r, (Ac/r^t. river side, where })rayer was wont to be made, and we sat down, and \GuSabbathday. spake unto the women which resorted thither. ^^ And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of tfie city of Thyatiia, which worshipped God, heard us ; 'whose heart the Lord * L'li^e 21.45. opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. ^^ And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, " If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide /Acre." And "she constrained us. cOp,,. 19. 3. & %f. , , . ■ , 1 3:i.ll. Jiirigesig. ''' And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel ai. Luke 24. 29. '^possessed with a spirit tof divination met us, wliich brought her mas- ^ iVam.28. 7. ters 'much gain by^ soothsaying. ^'The same followed Paul and us, X Or, of Pijtiwn and cried, saying, -'These men are the servants of the Most Hish i^J''^^'^'*' •^ *— ' '^ h See INotc y. God, which show unto us the way of salvation ! " ^^ And this did she many days. But Paul, ^being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, /^?ee Mark 1.25, " I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." ^And he came out the same hour. s i^'^rk ig. it. ^^ And ''when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was a cii. 19. 25,20. gone, 'they caught Paul and Silas, and ^drew them into the *market- 'SCoi. 6. 5. place, unto the rulers ; ~° and brought them to the magistrates, saying, i^oT,'cou'rt. ' " These men, being Jews, Mo exceedingly trouble our city, ^^ and k 1 Kings is. 17. teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to ob- serve, being Romans." --And the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates rent off their clothes, 'and commanded to 'iuq^'Js^'^ beat them; ^^and when they had laid many stripes upon them, they ^Thes.a. 2. cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely : ~^ who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. -■'' And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God : and the prisoners heard them. ^^ And '"suddenly there was a '" '^''" '^- ^^■ great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken : and immediately "all the doors were opened, and every one's bands «.<^'|jj-5- 19- *^ ^2. were loosed. -'' And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. ^^ But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, " Do thyself no harm : for we are all here ! " --^ Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came tremljling, and fell down before Paul and Silas. '-^^ And brought them out, and said, '' Sirs ! "what must I do to be saved ? " ^i A^nd ''.2^;y7.''&9? g."''" they said, " Believe ''on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be ;> -Tciin^s. is, 36. saved, and thy house." ^- And they spake unto him the word of the 10.*' Lord, and to all that were in his house. ^^ And he took them the same hour of the niglit, and washed their stripes ; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. ^^ And when he had brought them into his house, 'he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God ^ ^^^-"^"^ ^- -^- ^ with all his house. ^^ And when it was day, the magistrates sent the Serjeants, saying, " Let those men go." ^'^ And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, "The magistrates have sent to let you go : now therefore depart, and go in peace." ^^ But Paul said unto them. •' They have beaten us openly uncondemned, '^being Romans, and have cast us into '" ci.. 22. 25. prison ; and now do they thrust us out privily ? nay verily ; but let them THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [Part XII. a Matt. 8. "-!■ ( ver. 14. come themselves and fetch us out." ^^ And the Serjeants told these words unto the magistrates ; and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. ^^And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and 'desired them to depart out of the city. ^"^ And they went out of the prison, 'and entered into the house of Lydia ; and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed. SECT. IX. V. ^.51. J. p. 47(54. Thessaloiiica. a Luke 4. IG. eh. 9. 20. & 13. 5, 14. & 14. 1. & 16. 13. & 19. 8. i See Note 9. h Luke 24. 26,46. cli. 18. 28. Gal. 3. 1. * Or, whom, said he, I preach. c ch. 28. 24. d ch. 15. 23, 27, 32, 40. e Rom. 16.21. / ch. 16. 20. g Luke 23. 2. John 19. ]2. 1 Pet. 2. 15. SECT. X. V. JE. 51. J. P. 4764. Section IX. — From Philippi, through Amphipolis and ApoUonia, to Thessaloiiica, where they are opposed by the Jews. Acts xvii. 1-9. ^ Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thes.salonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews. ^ And Paul, as his manner was, "went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the' Scriptures, ^ opening and alleging, 'that Christ must needs have sufTered, and risen again from the dead ; and that " this Jesus, *whom T preach unto you, is Christ." '* And ^some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and ''Silas ; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a iew. ^ But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of ^ Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people ; ^ and when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, " These -^that have turned the world upside down are come hither also ! ^ whom Jason hath received ; and these all do con- trary to the decrees of Caesar, ^saying that there is another king, one Jesus." ^And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things ; ^ and when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go. § 1- kSee Note 10. a ver. 11, 12. * Acts 9. 6. & 22. 10, 1.5,21. &26. 16. Tit. 1. 3. c Acts 2. 24. d Phil. 2.22. & 4. 21. c 1 Cor. 16. 1. /Rom. 1.7. 1 Cor. 1.3. 2 Cor. 1.2. Eph. 1.2. Phil. 1. 2. Col. 1. 2. 1 Thess. 1. 1. 2The33. 1.2. 2 John 3. g .Matt. 20. 28. Rom. 4. 3,''). ch. 2. 20. Tit. 2. 14. 1 John T). 19. /( See Is. 65. 17. Joiin 15. 19. & 17. 14. Hcb. 2. 5. Ik. 6. 5. §2. a ch. 5. 8. b 2 Cor. 11.4. c Acts 15. 1, 24. 2 Cor. 2. 17. & 11. 13. ch. 5. 10, 12. d 1 Cor. 16. 22. e Dent. 4. 2. & 12. 32. I'rov. 30. 6. Rev. 22. 18. Section X. — ^S*^. Paul writes his Epistle to the Galatians, to prove, in opposition to the Judaizing Teachers, that Faith in Christ, and not their imperfect Obedience to the Ceremonial Law, was the cause of their Salvation.^ THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. § 1. — chap. i. 1-5. St. Paul vindicates his Apostleship, and salutes the Brethren. ^ Paul, an apostle ("not of men, neither by man, but 'by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, Vho raised him from the dead), ^and all the brethren ''which are with me, 'unto the Churches of Galatia ! ^ Grace ^e to you, and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, '^ who ^gave himself for our sins, that he might de- liver us ''from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our father : •'' to whom be glory for ever and ever ! Amen. § 2. — chap, i. G-10. St. Paul reproves the Galatians for their departure from his Gospel. ^ I MARVEL that ye are so soon removed "from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel ; ^ which 'is not another; but there be some '^tliat trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ. ^ But though ''we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed ! ^ As we said before, so say I now again, If any man j^rcach any other Gospel unto you 'than that ye have received, let him be 9. 15. &2a. 26. 17, 18. 13. Sect. X] THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIAINW. $^33 accursed ! ^^ For ^do I now ^persuade men or God ? or ''do I seek to /iThe33.2.4. please men ? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of ^Matt'!'2i.*'i4. ' Christ. ,\'tT'''!\ All lies. 2. 4, Jam. 4. 4. § 3. — chap. i. 11, to the end, and ii. 1-10. St. Paul, in Answer to the False Teachers, asserts that he received his Apostleship from s 3 God, and relates his Conversion, Commission, and General History. ^^ But "I certify you, brctiiren, that the Gospel which was preached 4 icor.15. 1^3. of me is not after man ; ^~ for ''I neither received it of man, neither was /^ J'g 3 I taught it, but 'by the revelation of Jesus Christ. ^^ For ye have d Acts9."i.'&22. heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that iT[,n.''i.'i3. ''beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God, and 'wasted it ; ^^ and « Acts &. 3. profited in the Jews' religion above many my *equals in mine own na- *^'ars^'"^ '" tion, ■'^being more exceedingly zealous ^of the traditions of mv fathers. / Acts 22. 3. & . c^ •/ J 20. 9. Phil. 3. 6. I'^But when it pleased God, ''who separated me from my mother's ^jer.g. i4.Matt. womb, and called me by his grace, ^*' to 'reveal his Son in me, that ^I ^5. 2. Mark. 7. 5. might preach him among the heathen ; immediately I conferred not '1. 5. Acts b! i"' with '^flesh and blood, ^^ neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which 15.' Rom'^]~\^''' were apostles before me ; but I went into Arabia, and returned again ' 2 cor. 4. e unto Damascus. ^^ Then after three years 'I tvvent up to Jerusalem ^iult '" to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days ; ^^ but '"other of the Iph'/a.'s apostles saw I none, save "James the Lord's brother. ^^ (Now the '^ M^'ti. ig. 17. things which I write unto you, "behold ! before God I lie not.) ^^ Af- Epirclb. " terwards ^I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia ; ^~ and was ' A'^'^ ^- -^• unknown by face 'unto the Churches of Judaea which '^were in Christ : 1 1 cCTs. ^•' but they had heard only. That he which persecuted us in times past « Matt. 13. 55. now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed ; ^^ and they glorified „ Rom. 9. i. Gal. ii. 1-10. God in me. ' Then fourteen years after, 'I went up again p Acts 9. so. to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also : ' ' '"''""'• ^- ^^• ^ and I went up by revelation, 'and communicated unto them that ^ Art? 15. 2. Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, (but tprivately to them t Acts i.i. 12. which were of reputation,) lest by any means "I should run, or had run, ^^ pi'-f'^j'^o"'-'" in vain. ^ But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was 1 iix^^- 3- s- compelled to be circumcised. "* And that because of "false brethren "2 cor. it. ke!^' unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our "liberty »« <^''- 3.25. & which we have in Christ Jesus, ""that they might bring us into bondage : isc'or. 11.20.ch. ^to whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour ; that ^the ''•^'^• truth of the Gospel might continue with you. ** But of those ""who ^''i.^I^a. ie. ' seemed to be somewhat (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to " ch. 6. 3. me; "God accepteth no man's person) : for they who seemed to he "Rom.%. ii. ' somewhat 'in conference added nothing to me ; ^ but contrariwise, "when * ~ ^°''- '2- u- they saw that the Gospel of the Uncircumcision ''was committed unto "^^m, f"^'5?& u. me, as the Gospel of the Circumcision loas unto Peter ; ^ (for He that ^^t\JT'u. ^' wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the Circumcision, d 1 Thess. 2. 4. 'the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles :) ^ and when James, ^if^^ ^i^o.V' Cephas, and John, who seemed to be •'pillars, perceived "'the grace fg't c^ Is 10' that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands fi'- '• liCoi. 1. of fellowship ; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the /Matt. 16. is. Circumcision: ^'^ only they ivouhl that we should remember the poor ; |Wy^2- 20. Rev. Hhe same which I also was forward to do. g Rom. i.s. & 12. 3, ti. & 15. 1.5. 1 Cor. 15. 10. § i.-chap. ii. 11, to the end. ^^t'nlso. & St. Paul reproves Peter for Judaizing — He maintains the Doctrine of Justification by 24. 17. Rom. 15. Faith, and argues, that if those Jews who had embraced Christianity were convinced l^cor'^s'^t 9 ^ of the insufficiency of the Ceremonial Law, as the means of Salvation, it was im- chapters. possible that the Gentiles should be expected to conform to it, or that it should be obligatory on them. § 4. *i But "when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the a Acts 15. 35. VOL. II. 30 *T 234 THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATTANS. [Part XH. face, because he was to be blamed. ^- For before that certain came *if "' ^°- ^- ^ from James, 'he did eat with the Gentiles ; but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the ^r^^* r nn Circumcision. ^^And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him: a 1 Tim. 5. 20. . , . ' e Acts 10. 28. & uisomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. / A Js 15 10 11 ^^ ^^^ when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to 'the g Matt. 9. ii'. " truth of the Gospel, I said unto Peter ''before them all, " If 'thou, being .^r'';^;i,^\^f\o ^ J^^^' livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, A Acts \6. db, >jJ. , ,, , , ^-, , , i Rotn.i.i7.& why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews ? " chi^-i'lf.'iieb!?.' ^'^ We ^who are Jews by nature, and not ^sinners of the Gentiles, /^''9- ^^ (knowing Hhat a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but "'3.2o.ch. 3. iT' 'by the faith of Jesus Christ,) even we have believed in Jesus Christ, fseeNote'n^' ^'^^^ ^^'^ might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the I Rom. 8. a. works of the Law: for ^by the works of the Law shall no flesh be jus- 't ^"'e' *"' " "^ tified. ^'^ But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves n Rom. 6. 11. also are found ^sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin ? God ?Tre-sf:f,o. forbid! He^b. 9.14. 1 Pot. 18 Yqx if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself o Rom. G. 6. ch. a tiansgressor.^ ^^ For I 'throuoh the Law '"am dead to the Law, that y 2 Cor. 5.15. ^ might "live unto God. ^° I am "crucified with Christ; nevertheless 1 vert'^' ^''' ^ ^^^^' y^^ "*^^ ^' ^^^ Christ liveth in me*t and the life which I now g See Mark].], livc in tlic flcsh '1 livc by the faith of ''the Son of God, '"who loved V"^-)' T^' -^'h '^®' ^^^^ g'Si^e himself for me. ^^ I do not frustrate the grace of s ch. 3. 21. Heb. Cod ; for 'if righteousness come by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain. 7. II. See Rom. 11. 6. ch.5. 4. §5. § 5. — chap. iii. 1-5. a cli. 5. 7. ^^- ^^"' reproves the Galatians for deserting their first Principles of Faith, in supposing b ch. 2. 14. & 5. that the New Dispensation was not sufficient for Salvation ; although it had been "• confirmed to them by those spiritual Blessings and Gifts which were unknown to the c Acts 2. 38. & Mosaic T iw 8. ]5. & 10. 47. Mosaic L,a\\ . |i5.8.ver^H. iQ FOOLISH Galatiaus ! "who hath bewitched you, [that ye should 6. 4." ' " not obey Hhe truth ?] before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evi- rf^Rom. 10. 16, ^Q^^\y get fQj.^!^^ crucified among you. -This only would I learn of ech. 4. 9. you, Received ye 'the Spirit by the works of the Law, "^or by the /^Heb. 7. 16. & 9. j^gj^j.j^g of f^ith ? ^ ^re ye so foolish? 'having begun in the Spirit, g Heb.]o. 35,36. arc yc now made perfect by -^the flesh ? ^ Have ^ye suftered *so many * ot,"o great, thiugs iu vaiu ? if it he yet in vain ! ^ He therefore Hhat ministereth ft2Cor. 3. 8. to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the ~T~Z~ works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith ? a Gen. 15. 6. Rom. 4. 3, 9, 21, ■• p IQ 22. Jam. 2. 23. § O. chap. 111. U-lO. * Or, imputed. gj p^^j proves the Truth of his Doctrine by the example of Abraham, who was justified ft John 8. 39. , J jg p^-y^ jjj ^_jjg Promises of God. Rom. 4. 11, 12, J ^seeRom 9 17 "^ EvEN as "Abraham believed God, and it was *accounted to him %er.^22.°'"' ' ' for righteousuess. ''' Know ye therefore Hhat they which are of faith, '^jg.Ts.&ol'.fs. the same are the children of Abraham. ^ And 'the Scripture, fore- Ac'ts3'35~'' seeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached e Dout. 27.'2G. bcforc the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, " In ''thee shall all nations fch.ll'ii. be blessed." ^ So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful g 11 ,1). 2. 4. Rom. Abraham. ^'^ For as many as are of the works of the Law arc under K 17. Heb. 10. ^j^^ curse. For it is written, " Cursed 'is eveiy one that contiiiueth not rl"" ^a'1 f^r in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them ! " 10. 5, 6. & 11. G. ^B^t /jiiat no man is justified by the Law in the sight oi God, tt is ' J.lg! E.e'k.^oo'^" evident ; for, " The ^just shall live bv" fiith : " ^'^ and "the Law is not II. Rom. 10.5. ^|- |-^j^,^ |,^jjt u The 'man that doeth them shall live in them." '^ Christ 7 Rom. b. 3. ' /■ 1 T I • I r 2ror.5.2i. ch. ■'hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse lor Aeut.21.23. us ; (for it is written, " Cursed "is every one that hangeth on a tree" ;) Sect. X.] THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 235 1^ that 'the blessinj^ of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Je- ' ^°"'- '*■ 9. i6. sus Christ: that we might receive"'the promise of the Spirit through faith. '"44.''3.~Jer. bi. ^^ Brethren, I speali^after the manner of men ; "though it be but a Ezek. u. 19. & man's tcovenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth ^\^[zech.'\2 thereto: 1^ now "to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. ^"^/^'Jl' "y.^' ^^" He saith not, " And to seeds," as of many ; but as of one, " And to „ Heh. 9. 17. thy seed," which is ^Christ." "And this I say. That the covenant, i ot, testament. that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the Law, 'which was four "n.T" ver.\^" *" hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, '^that it should make p 1 Cor. 12. 12. the promise of none eflect. ^^For if ^the inheritance be of the Law, ^ Ex!i2°4o,4i. 'it is no more of promise ; but God gave it to Abraham by promise, r Rom. 4. 13, 14. s Rom. 8. 17. § 7.— chap. iii. 19, to the end. ' Rornji^. St. Paul declares the object of the Mosaic Law was to preserve the Jews, from whom c 7 Christ was to be born, from the idolatrous Practices and Rites of the Heathens, and ^ john 15. 22. to educate them in the Hope and Expectation of the promised Messiah. Kom. 4. 15. & 5. ^Ub oC' # « O4 JO* ^^ Wherefore then serveth the Law ? "It was added because of 1 Tim. 1.9. transgressions, (till ''the Seed should come to whom the promise was c Acts 7. 53. Heb. made ;) mid it was 'ordained by angels in the hand ''of a mediator. ^- ^■ ' . . . ^ ~ . n d Ex. 20. 19 21 -^ Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, "but God is one. ^^ Is the 22. beui. s.'s,' Law then against the promises of God ? God forbid ! -^For if there jo'hn i. 17. Xcts had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness 5; ^^- ^ '^'™' ^' should have been by the Law ; ~~ but *^the Scripture hath concluded c Rom. 3. 29, 30. ''all under sin, 'that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given •^^'^^'^'^^' to them that believe. ^'^ But before Faith came, we were kept under ^ Rom. 3. 9, 19, the Law, shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed. '^- ^ ^^- ^^• ^^ Wherefore •'the Law was our schoolmaster ^0 6n'7?^5" W5 unto Christ, ic. " ' ' ' *that we might be justified by faith ; ^^but after that Faith is come, we ''r'^"]^ "'^^i are no longer under a schoolmaster. ^° For ye 'are all the children of 2. n. iieb. 9.9, God by faith in Christ Jesus. ^^For '"as many of you as have been /, Acts 13. 39. ch. baptized into Christ "have put on Christ." -'^ There "is neither Jew ,^/^- ,„ „ r^ . Ill r 1 • -1 1 Z John 1. 12. Rom. nor Greek, there is neither bond nor tree, there is neither male nor e. 14, ].% le. ch. female ; for ye are all ''one in Christ Jesus. ^^ And 'if ye be Christ's, ^Rom.'e.V ' " then are ye Abraham's seed, and '^heirs according to the promise. « Rom. 13. 14. o See Note 14. Rom. 10. 12. § 8.-chap. iv. 1-lL l^'b!^:l^- St. Paul adds another Illustration, showing the Purport of the Law, and reproving the p John 10. in. & Jewish and Gentile Converts for their desire again to place themselves in Bondage — ^'u^'i^^'m^t" His Fear on that account. 4. 4, 15. ' ^ Now I say. That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing V^^".'l.'7.^Heb" from a servant, though he be lord of all ; ^ but is under tutors and ^^- ^^• governors until the time appointed of the father, ^ Even so we, when 4. 7, 28. Eph. 3.' we were children, "were in bondage under the *elements of the world ^but ''when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, § 8. 'made ''of a woman, ""made under the Law, ^ to •'^redeem them that %3"&5.^i'j'coi. were under the Law, "that we might receive the adoption of sons. 2^8,20. Heb. 9. ^ And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth ''the Spirit of his Son * ot, rudiments. into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father! '^Wherefore thou art no *D^jn"'9'^|:,^Mark more a servant, but a son ; 'and if a son, then a heir of God through i- is. Eph. 1.10. Christ. *^ Howbeit then, ^when ye knew not God, 'ye did service unto ';'."!;"?£,• Ks^r* them which by nature are no gods ; ^ but now, 'after that ye have "«''• ^- ^'^i known God, or rather are known of God, '"how turn ye tagain to "the 7. iT Mice's. 3. weak and beggarly telements, whereunto ye desire again to be in JJ'31; &^2.' 7."^* bondage ? ^° Observe °ye days, and months, and times, and Pyears ?'' p ?ee Note 15. ^^ I am afraid of you, 'lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. ^Luk"'2^27^' / Matt. 20 28. ch. 3. 13. Tit. 9. 14. Heb. 9. 12. Eph. 1.7. 1 Pet. 1. 18, 19. o- John 1. 12. ch. 3. 26. Eph. 1.5. h Rom. 5 5. & 8. 15. i Rom. 8. Ifi, 17. ch. 3. 29. j Eph. 2. 12. IThes. 4. 5. /.-Rom. 1. 25. 1 Cor. 12. 2. Eph. 2. 11, 12. ] Thess 1.9. M Cor. 8. 3. & 13. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 19. m ch. 3. 3. Col. 2. 20. ] Or, hack, re Rom. 8. 3. Heb. 7. 18. t Or, rudi ments, vet. 3. oRom. 14. 5, Col. 2. 16. p Iiittirogatively after Griesbach&Knapp Ed. jch. 2. 2. & 5.2, 4. 1 Thess. 3.5. 236 THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. [Part XII. c Q § 9.— chap. iv. 12-20. St Paul appeals to the Jews by their former zeal, and their affection for him. ascor. 2. 5. 12 BiiETiiREN, I beseech you, be as I am ; for I am as ye are. "Ye Vco7'n^3o & have not injured me at all: ^^ye know how 'through infirmity of the 12.7,9. flesh, I preached the Gospel unto you "at the first, ^'* and my tempta- c ch. 1. 6. ^^^j_j which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor lejected, but received ^M-^^2.'7.%el' 1^6 '^^^ ^^ angel of God, "even as Christ Jesus. ^^ * Where is then the Zech. 12. 8. blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that if it had been pos- 'luLio.'ib.' sible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them 1 Theis! f.'ia. to me. ^^ Am I therefore become your enemy, -^because I tell you the * Or, TVhat was trUth ? / ch. 2. 5, 14. ^" They "zealously aflfect you, hut not well ; yea, they would exclude g Rora. 10.2. tyou.5 that ye might affect them. ^^But it is good to be zealouslv af- 1 Cor, 11.2. . . ^ " t Or, us. fected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with q See Note r. you, ^^ mj ''little childrcu, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ *Phu°m.to!^" be formed in you : ^" I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice ; for tl stand in doubt of you. Jyra. 1. 18. J Or, / am per- plexed fjr y III. §10. § 10. — chap. iv. 21, to the end. St. Paul continues his Appeal by an Illustration from the Old Testament, demonstrating the inferiority of the Law to the Gospel Covenant. ^^ Tell me, ye that desire to be under the Law, do ye not hear the I ^"'- 'f l^ Law ? 22 For it is written, '• That Abraham had two sons, "the one by 6 Gen. 21. 2. . ' c i e Kom. 9. 7, 8. a boudinaid, the other by a freewoman. ^^ But he who was of the '&^2r.' W^'ulb. bondwoman 'was. born after the flesh ; '^but he of the freewoman ^1- 11- was by promise." ^'^ Which things are an allegory. "■ For these are the r See Note 17. ^ *covenants : the one from the 'Mount f Sinai, which gendereth to * Ur, test.iments. . . . . . eDeut. 33. 2. bondage, which is Agar, -'" (for this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia), t Gr.sina. g^j^^j tanswcrcth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her same^rankwM. childrcu ; "'' but -^Jcrusalem which is above is free, which is the mother /I'^-aa-H^b J2. of us ralll. 2' For it is written,— 22. Rev. 3. 12. & L J ' 21. 2 10. g Is. 54. i. " Rejoice, ^thou barren that bearest not ! Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not ! For the desolate hath many more children Than she which hath a husband." *K'^m^9.'8^ch. 3. ^^ Now wc brethren, as Isaac was, are ''the children of promise. ^^ But /^- as then 'he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was horn ] ch%. 11. & 6. after the Spirit, •'even so it is now. ^"^ Nevertheless what saith ^'the ^^- _ 'Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son ; for "'the son of h ch 3 8 22 z Gen. 21.' 10, 12. the boudwoman shall not be heir with the son .of the freewoman. — m John 8. 35. ^^ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman "but of Vt"!.'^^'"''' the free. § 11. — chap. V. K j2 St. Paul asserts that all those who depend upon the Jewish Law for Salvation, deprive themselves of the Blessing of the Christian Dispensation, and become Debtors to the whole Law — He exhorts them to practise the graces and virtues required by the Spiritual Religion of the Gospel, taking care to avoid those Moral Offences which the J h 8 32 ^^^ °^' ^°s^s condemned, and suppressing that spirit of vainglory and desire of Dis- Rom. 6. 18. tinction, which is the cause of so much Provocation and Envying among Ciiristians. b Acts 15. 10. ch. ' Stand fast therefore in "the liberty wherewith Christ hath made 2.4. & 4. 9. us free, and be not entangled again Svith the yoke of bondage. 'A^ctrie^b.^"^'" ^ Behold ! I Paul, say unto you, thai ^if ye be circumcised, Christ shall d ch.3. 10. profit you nothing. ^ For I testify again to every man that is circum- \h"Tiu^'^' ciscd, "that he is a debtor to do the whole Law. '^ Christ 'is become / Heb. 12. 15. of uo cffcct uuto you, whosocvcr of you are justified by the Law ; •'^ye ^fyrZlf.'^' are fallen from grace. ^For we, through "the Spirit', 'wait for the Sect. X.] THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. 237 hope of risrhteousncss by faith. ^ For ''in Jesus Christ neither circum- \^^°'-'-^^-''^- I 3 .' . . . /• ■ 1 1 ■ 1 , J. ai. & 6. 15. cision availeth any thnig, nor uncncumcision ; but Maith which work- Coi.a. ii. eth by love. '' Ye Mid run well ; *who Mid hinder you that ye should 'lZ%""ii;^, not obey the truth ? ^ This persuasion cometh not of him 'that calleth 22. vou. '-^ A "little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 1° I "have confi- {^^^"'•^•^''- iiTii -111 I • -ii Or, who did dence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded; drive you. backi but "he that troubleth you ''shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. '' *=''• ^- ]■ "And 'I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, ^vhy do I yet suffer Jlcor^/^^e.^, persecution ? is 'then the offence of the cross ceased ? '- 1 'would ! i^- ^^- — They were even cut off "which trouble you. V22. ' 1^ For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty ; only "use not » "ii. 1. 7. liberty for an occasion to the Flesh, but "by love serve one another. ^ l^^l'l^' ^' ^^ For ""all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this ; — " Thou ''shalt r 1 cor.is. 30. love thy neighbour as thyself." ^^ But if ye bite and devour one another, J^; '^- ^^- ^ ^• take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. *• 1 cor. 1. 23. 16 This I say then, ^Walk in the Spirit, and fye shall not fulfil the 'Atrii^Lh. lust of the Flesh. ^^ For "the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the i- s. 9- Spirit against the Flesh ; and these are contrary the one to the other ; 24. *so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. ^^ But 'if ye be led "jp^^^ffi gp^j of the Spirit, ye are not under the Law. ^^ Now ''the works of the 2. i9."jude4. Flesh are manifest, which are these; — [adultery,] fornication, unclean- '"ch. e.^'. ' ' ness, lasciviousness, ^^ idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, x Matt. 7. 12. & wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ^^envyings, murders, drunkenness, ^ ^^'^^ ^^ ' ' revellings, and such like ; of the which I tell you before, as I have also Matt. 22. 39. told you in time past, 'that they which do such things shall not inherit ^ ^^ g' j^ ^ the kingdom of God. ^^ But ^the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 8^M> ifpet long-suffering, ^gentleness, ''goodness, 'faith, ~^ meekness, temperance : 2. it. ^against such there is no law. ^4 ^nd they that are Christ's *have t or.fuijunot. crucified the Flesh with the laffections and lusts. ^^ If 'we live in the "e. e,'"'. Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. -^Let "us not be desirous of 6 Rom. 7. 15, 19. vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another. V2™' d 1 Cor. 3. 3. Eph. 5. 3. Col. 3. 5. Jam. 3. 14, 15. e 1 Cor. G. 9. Epii. 5. 5. Col. 3. 6. Rev. 22. 15. / John 15. 2. Eph. 5. 9. g- Col. 3. 12. Jam. 3. 17. A Rom. 15. 14. i 1 Cor. 13. 7. j 1 Tim. 1. 9. t Rom. fi. (i. & 13. 14. cli. 2. 20. 1 Pet. 2. 11. X Ur, jHiAsiuTis. I Rom. 8. 4, 5. ver. IG. m Phil. 2. 3. § 12.-cAa^. vi. 1-10. ^ *Or,iZ,n. St. Paul exhorts them to Christian Charity, from a consideration ot their own Weaknesses, „ Rom. 14. 1. &. from the Necessity of examining their Actions, for which all shall be accountable, and |5- \- ^^]?- }'^- . • 13. Jnm. o. 19. from the Duty of contributing to the Support of the Ministry, and to the Necessities of ^ {q^,. o 15 ^ all mankind, particularly to our fellow-Christians. 3. ]. 1 Brethren ! *if "a man be overtaken in a fault, ye Hvhich are 'aTh'l's's.brik spiritual, restore such an one 'in the spirit of meekness : considering /,^p^; ?," "^'^ thyself, ''lest thou also be tempted. ^ Bear 'ye one another's burdens, lo. 12.' and so fulfil ■'"the Law of Christ. =* For ^if a man think himself to '^'"''il-inest be something, when ''he is nothing, he deceiveth himself; ^ but 'let """j '"*■ jg j^ jg every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in 34. & 15.' 12.' himself alone, and ^not in another ; ^ for "^every man shall bear his own 4''2i.''" burden. _ _ ^i^r.'s'i'ch. ^ Let 'him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that ,\^- „ . . f' • 1 y^ • " ~ Cor. 3. 5. K. teacheth in all good things. " Be '"not deceived ; "God is not mocked. 12. 11. For "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap ; ^ for ^he that 'acorVis.'s. ' soweth to his Flesh shall of the Flesh reap corruption ; but he that j s^ee Luke 18. soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap fife everlasting. ^ And k liom. 2. c. 'let us not be weary in well doing ; for in due season we shall reap, "^if ^ n„Z[i5.^7. we faint not. ^^ As 'we have therefore opportunity, 'let us do good 1 for. 9. 11, 14. unto all men, especially unto them who are of "the household of faith. "15. 33.'' n Job 13. 9. Luke 16. 25. Rom. 2. 6. 2 Cor. 9. 6. p Job 4. 8. Prov. 11. 18. & 22. 8. Hosea 8.7. & 10. 12. Rom. 8. 13. James 3. 18. q 2 Thess. 3. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 58. r Matt. 24. 13. Hcb. 3. 6, 14. & 10. 36. & 12. 3, 5. Rev. 2. 10. e John 9. 4. & 12. 35. £ 1 Thess. 5. 15. 1 Tim. 6. 18. Tit. 3. 8. u Eph. 2. 19. Heb. 3. 6. 238 ST. PAUL PREACHES AT ATHENS. [Part XH. § 13. — chap. vi. 11, to the end. St. Paul concludes, by reminding the Galatians, that the Zealots for Judaism did not keep the Law, and desired only to have their proselytes circumcised, that they them- selves mio-ht escape Persecution ; but St. Paul, on the contrary, declares, that he can- not be actuated by such selfish motives, for he bears in his body the marks of his sufferings for the Lord Jesus ; and testifies, that Holiness alone availeth with God. § 13. He prays for a blessing on the Church. ach. 2. 3, 14. 11 Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own cThl's n!^ hand. ^^ As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, "they d Phil. 3. 3, 7, 8. constrain you to be circumcised ; ''only lest they should 'suffer perse- eRonr'e^G^ch 2 cutiou for tlic cross of Christ. ^^ For neither they themselves who are 20- circumcised keep the Law ; but desire to have you circumcised, that ■^ch. 5.'^6!co^i'. 3. they may glory in your flesh. ^'^ But ''God forbid that I should glory, ^i" , „ save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, *by whom the world is APs. 12.5. 5. ^crucified unto me, and I unto the world. ^^ For in -^Christ Jesus iPhii. 3. 16. neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but ^a ■^ 1^? & 9. ef-f s!' new creature. ^^ And ''as many as walk 'according to this rule, peace PhiK"3!'3^' ^^' be on them, and m_ercy, and upon -'the Israel of God ! i2Cor. 1.5.&4. ^''' From henceforth let no man trouble me ; for *"! bear in my body 5.11. Col. 1.24! the marks of the Lord Jesus. ^^ Brethren, 'the grace of our Lord z2Tini. 4. 22. Jesus Christ be with your spirit! Amen. [[Unto the Galatians, written from Rome.]] [end or THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS.] 'J ' Section XL — From Thessalonica to Berea — The Causes for which V. JE. 51. the Bereans are favorably disposed to receive the Gospel. J- P- 4764. Acts xvii. 10-14. — ^° And "the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night ach. 9. 25. ver. xixito Bcrca. Who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. ^^ These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that bis. 34. 16. Luke they receivcd the word with all readiness of mind, and 'searched the 39! ' Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. ^^ Therefore many ol them believed ; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and ot men, not a few ; ^^ but when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came c Matt. 10. 23. thither also, and stirred up the people. ^'^ And 'then immediately the brethren sent away Paul, to go as it were to the sea ; but Silas and = Timotheus abode there still. sect. XII. Section XIL — From Berea, having left there Silas and Timothy, V ^fii ^'^^' ^^"^ proceeds to Athens, ivhere he preaches to the Philosophers J. P. 4764. ^^'^^ Students. Athens. AcTs xvll. 15, to the end. ^^ And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens ; and ach. 18. 5. "receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed. b 2. Pet. 2. 8. i** Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, ''his spirit was stirred * Or, ftui of idols, in him, when he saw the city *wholly given to idolatry. " Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout per- s See Note 18. SOUS, and in the market daily with them that met with him.' ^^ Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of tlie Stoics, encountered ]0i, base fellow, him; and some said, "What will this tbabbler say?" other some, " He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods ; " because he preached unto them Jesus, and the Resurrection. ^^ And they took + Or, Ji/ar.»' //;«. him, and brought him unto I Areopagus, saying, " May we know what est^ourtTn"°* this ucw doctriue, whereof thou speakest, is ? ~^ For thou bringest Athens. Sect. XIV.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 239 certain strange things to our ears. We would know therefore what these thinos mean." ^^ (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of *Mars' Hill, and said, " Ye men * vJeArlo^pTJill of Athens ! I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. ^3 For as I passed by, and beheld your tdevotions, I found an altar with this ^°<^i^J' '*""-'* inscription. To the Unknown God !' Whom therefore ye ignorantly 2Thess. 2. 4. worship, Ilim declare I unto you. ^4 Qq^j ''that made the world and ccirn.M all things therein, seeing that he is ''Lord of heaven and earth, d , Matt. 11. 25. 'dwelleth not in temples made with hands ; ^5 neither is worshipped « eh. 7. 48. with men's hands, •'"as though he needed any thing, seeing ^he giveth /?«■ 5o. 8. to all life, and breath, and all things ; ^Sand hath made of one blood "ic^'S-i ioi) 12™' all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath 1!* it II" 5'. & Pi determined the times before appointed, and ''the bounds of their hab- le. Zech. 12. 1. itation ; ^^ that 'they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel jRom'i.oo.' after Him, and find Him, -'though He be not far from every one of us. j ch. 14. n. 2^ For 'in Him v»'e live, and move, and have our being; 'as certain *jCoi. i.n. Heb. also of your own poets have said, " For we are also his "offspring. " i Tit. 1. 12. 2^ Forasmuch then, as we are the offspring of God, "we ought not to " seeNote2o. . wi Is, 40. 18 think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. ^'^ And "the times of this ignorance God winked Y^.^^" ^*^" ^°"'' at; but "now commandeth all men every where to repent ; ^^ because o Luke 24. 47. ... . Tit *^ 11 12 he hath appointed a day, in the which ^he will judge the world in iPetTi. 14. &4. righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained ; ivhereof he hath ^\ ,. ,, „ C J _' " p en. J 0.42. Kom. Jgiven assurance unto all men, in that 'he hath raised Him from the 2. le. &14. 10. dead." * Or,offeredfaUH. Q CIl. ii. »;4. ^2 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked ; and others said, " We will hear thee again of this matter." ^•^ So Paul departed from among them. ^^ Howbeit certain men clave — unto him, and believed : among the which was Dionysius the Areopa- gite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. sect, xiii. = . , V. ^. 51. Section XHL — From Athens St. Paul proceeds to Corinth, where he is j. p. 4704. reduced to labor for his support — Silas and Timothy join him there. Corinth. Acts xviii. 1-5. aRomTTs^s. ^ After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to I T^m! 4.'i9. Corinth ; ^ and found a certain Jew named "Aquila, born in Pontus, x seeNoieJi. lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, (because that Claudius *4?V2~tThes^3°2; had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome,)'' and came unto 9- 2 Thess. 3. 8. -^ . c ch. 17. 2, them: ^ and because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, ,z ci." 17. 14, 1.5. ''and wrought ; for by their occupation they were tentmakers. ^ And « [Or, by a differ- . Gilt rGiidin'' itos "he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews whoih, occupiedin and the Greeks. ^ And '^when Silas and Timotheus were come from job'32r'i8."~ch° Macedonia, Paul was 'pressed fin the spirit], > and testified to the Jews 'l"^''" :!: '^ . ^ *- I J' y tee Note 23. that Jesus icas Christ. * or,is uteCkrist. Sectio.v XIV. — St. Paul writes his First Epistle to the Thessalonians, to sect. xiv. establish them in the Faith, (when they loere exposed to the Attach' s of y ~^ ^\ the Unconverted Jews,) by enforcing the Evidences of Christianity.'^ j. p. 4754. THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. ''°—- § 1. — chap. i. 1-4. § !• The Introduction and Salutation. z ^ee Note 23. ^ Paul, and "Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the Church of the Thes- 2Thess.'i. i. salonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ ! jEph^.i^." 'Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord c Rom. 1.8. Jesus Christ! ^ We 'give thanks to God always for you all, making Phiiem.4.' 240 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [Part XIL e Joiiif'ei'ig. Gal. mention of you in our prayers ; ^ remembering ''without ceasing ^your I'Thess.ts'ii work of faith, '^and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord J""!- 2- 17. Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father ; ^ knowing, brethren f Koni. lu, 1). ■'CD •' c ^ Hei). t;. 10. *beloved, ^your election of God. * Or, beloved of God, your elec- g Col. 3. 1-2. § 2. — chap. i. 5, to the end, Thess^lS. gj^ p^jjj derives his first Argument for the Truth of Christianity, from the miraculous c 2 Gifts of the Holy Spirit — He rejoices in, and commends, their steady Adherence to the a Mark 16. 20. Christian Faith. 1 Cor.2.4.&,4.20. „ ^ , . i i i i • 6 2Cor. 6. 6. ^ T OR our Gospcl camc not unto you m word only, but also m dch.'2".1,5, 10, power, and 'in the Holy Ghost, '^and in much assurance; as ''ye know eVcoi^4!^'i)!^'&' what manner of men we were among you for your sake. ^ And 'ye iiV ^' u'''^'''^' became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in 2Thess.3. 9. much afflictiou, "'^with joy of the Holy Ghost; '''so that ye were ensam- Heb. ill. 34. pies to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. ^ For from you f Rom." i.'s. ' ^sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, ich!2?T.' ''^' but also ''in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so ^Gu°4 8^" ^' *'^^^ ^^^ need not to speak any thing. ^ For they themselves show of A: See iMark 1. 1. US Svhat mauucr of entering in we had unto you, ^and how ye turned Rom 2 7 . ^ . . J ' J ^ Phil.' s".' 20. to God from idols to serve the living and true God ; ^^ and *to wait 3.'i"2r'Rev. 1.7'.' for his Son 'from heaven, "whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, 'i6'l2Tiiis's?'i'.7! which delivered us "from the wrath to come. TO Acts 2. 24. n Matt. 3.7. Rom 5. 9. c'h.'.'i! 9. ' § 3. — chap. ii. 1-13. From the Character, Conduct, and Sufferings of the Preachers of the Gospel, St. Paul a cli 1 ."i' 9 demonstrates its Truth — and thanks God that the Thessalonians had received it, not b Acts 16. 22. as a system of Philosophy, but as the Word of God — which was shown by its Influence d Acts'l?; 2. °" ^^^'^"^ Conduct, e Phil. 1. '30. Col. 2. 1. ^ For ''yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it ^^^^'J'?'],"' was not in vain: ^but even after that we had suffered before, and g- i Cor. 7. 2.5. ' were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at ''Philippi, Sve were bold in h 1 Cm. 9'. 17'. "" our God ''to speak unto you the Gospel of God 'with much conten- ifilih'.w!^'^'^' tion. ^ For ^our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor ^ Ro"n' s^'o?" ^'^ guile ; '* but as °'we were allowed of God ''to be put in trust with ^ Acts 90. 3.3. ^ the Gospel, even so we speak ; 'not as pleasing men, but God, ^ which &7. 2r'& 12. 17! trieth our hearts. ^ For ^'neither at any time used we flattering words, 7 T? 1 Q wj?iim5'. 41, 44. as yc know, nor a cloak of covetousness ; (God 'is witness !) ** nor "of & 12. 43. 1 Tim. j^gj^ sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when "we "i-i S8'"2^cor I'o Ji^isht have *been "burdensome, ^as the apostles of Christ; '''but 'we 1,2, 10, 11. & were gentle among you. Even as a nurse cherisheth her children, ^so 13. 10. 2 Thoss. .'',.*'•. . . 3.9. p'hiiom.8.9. bciug atfcctionately desirous of you, we were willing 'to have imparted !t7/!'""^ a« i»r- ^^j^^Q yQy^ j-jqI |j^(^. Gospel of God only, but also ^our own souls, "vLn 14.' ^' '^ because ye were dear unto us. '^ For ye remember, brethren, our labor Vrl'"'*';,^; n r, and travail : for 'laboring night and day, "because we would not be p 1 Cor. 9. 1,2, .5. 00 J ■ gicoT.2.3.fc9. chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the Gospel of God. 2 Tim. 2.24.' ' ^^ Ye "are witnesses, and God also, "how holily and justly and un- '^i.'>"'29. ' ^^' ^ blameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe ; ^^ as ye know t'Aruio'^i]^' '^ow we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a o ('or' iVI' father doth his children, ^^ that ""ye would walk worthy of God, '■'who 2 Thcss. 3. 8. hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. ^^ For this cause also vch.].'5. " ' ' thank we God "without ceasing, because, when ye received the word '2T?ies'j3~'7. of God whicli ye heard of us, ye received it "not as the word of men, Vhi'i'."T'2l^. Col. but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also 1. iii. ch. 4. 1. in you that believe. y I (or. 1. 9. ch. -' 5. 24. 2 Thoss. 2. 14.2 Tim. 1. 9. c 1 7 •• 1 1 J j7 J jpIi ) y ^ 4. — chap. 11. 14, to trie end. "c'i'i' I4^*p t ^'^' ^"^'^^ sliows the persecuting spirit of the Jews, by which the Power of the Gospel, 3. 2! ~ and tlie Faith of Converts is tried — their Repugnance to the Gospel being preached ta Sect. XIV.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 241 the Gentiles — their Iniquity and Destruction — He declares his love for the brethren, & 4 and his desire to see them, which has only been prevented by the influence of Satan a Gal. 1.22. over the hearts of his opponents. 6 Acts 17. 5, 13. ^'^ For yc, brethren, became followers "of the Churches of God which ^"^j" f_'c^^'i^\ in Juda;a are in Christ Jesus: for ''ye also have suticred like things of is. & 5. 30. & 7. your own countrymen, ''even as they have of the Jews; ^^who ''both eMatt.5. 12. & killed the Lord Jesus, and 'their own prophets, and have *persecuted Luife'i3!33 34. us ; and they please not God, ^and are contrary to all men ; '^forbid- Acts 7. 52. ding 'us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, ''to fill up out. their sins alway : 'for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. -^?^'^-^-,^v-, -n 11 1 • in r |f Luke 11. 53. ^^ But we, brethren, bemg taken from you for a short time •'in Acts 13. 50. & presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly ^'to see your 5,'iy:&'i8. 12. face with great desire. ^^ Wherefore we would have come unto you ; s-i. ' ' even I Paul, once and again; but 'Satan hindered us. ^'-^ For "'what \9''"-o^lf; is our hope, or joy, or "crown of trejoicing? Are not even ye in the j Matt. 24.6714. presence of our Lord Jesus [Christ], "at his coming ? ^''For ye are our ''coL2. 5. glory and joy. itr^luls. & 15. 22. § 5.-chap. iii. 1-5. "P^^tu^i. St. Paul declares his Anxiety for the Thessalonians, and reminds them that he had sent 1- Timotheus to confirm their faith, and comfort them in those various afflictions to » Pro^'- 16. 31. which all Christians, as they had been before warned, were exposed. ^ 'rg<^y"'g- ^ Whkrefore "when we could no longer forbear, 'we thought it ^'' :'^'^- ^'^''- ^• good to be left at Athens alone ; ^ and sent 'Timotheus, our brother, — — '- and minister of God, and our fellow-laborer in the Gospel of Clirist, to § ^• establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith; ^that ''no jActs^n. is. man should be moved by these afflictions : (for yourselves know that c Rom. ic. 21. Sve are appointed thereunto: ^ for •'verily, when we were with you, 200^1.19.' we told you before that we siiould suffer tribulation; even as it came f ^|!j^" |' /g ' ^ to pass, and ye know ;) -'^for this cause, '^vhcn I could no longer for- i4.^22.&20. 23 bear, I sent to know your faith, 'lest by some means the tempter have 4. 9.2Tim. s?' tempted you, and 'our labor be in vain. /Actt'>o'^4^^^' ff ver. 1. § 6.— chap. iii. 6, to the end. *„^^°''-,T- o" •■ ^ ' 2 Cor. 11.3. St. Paul declares himself to be comforted by Timothy's account of them — He desires iGal. 2. 2. &4. ' another opportunity of seeing them again — and prays for their perseverance in holiness ^^- ^^'^- ~- ^^• till the cominc of Christ. TT! ''But "now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us a Acts is. 1,5. good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remem- *Phii. i.e. brance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, ''as we also to see you ; ''7^. 6,*7,' 13.^" *" ''therefore, brethren, "we were comforted over you in all our affliction ''Phii. 4. 1. and distress by your ffiith : ^for now we live, if ye ''stand fast in the /ac,s26!7. Lord. ^ For ''what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all ^ '''""■ ^- ^• the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God ? ^° night V i'5!'32.' ' ■'"and day "'praying exceedincrly ''that we might see your face, 'and might '''"'!■ -• ^"- .. . ^ "z2 Cor. 13, 9 11 perfect that which is lacking in your faith. ^^ Now God himself and coi. 4. 12. ' our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, *direct ^our way unto you ; * ^^'' s"''^^- ^^and the Lord ^'make you to increase and abound in love 'one toward tch. 4. 10. another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you : ^^ to the end zch. 4. 9.&5. 15. he may '"stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even micor.i.s. our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus [Christ] "with all his saints, p''.'!^ oxtes'^'a 17.1 John 3. 20,* § 7.— c/m;?. iv. 1-19. nlJ'ech. 14. 5. St. Paul shows the Gentile Converts the necessity of holiness and purity, and warns them J"''e l"!- against those vices to which they had been before addicted, and which were still ~7"I practised by the Heathens — He exiiorts them to brotherly love, and industry in their ^ callmjjs. i r. \ .. = t Or, be.icech, ^ Furthermore then we *beseech you, brethren, and te.xhort you by aPiui. 1.27. the Lord Jesus, "that as ye have received of us 'how ye ought to walk >ch.2.i2. VOL. II. 31 u 242 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [Part XII. eCoi. 1. 10. f^j^^ ^Q please God, so ye would abound more and more : - for ve a Rom. 12. 2. , ' . •' i i t i t ' o t-t Eph.5. 17. know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. -^ For * fPl*- ^-^l' ,„ this is ''the will of God even 'your sanctification ; -^that ye should abstain /I Cor. 6. 15, 18. „ - . . , , •' , 1111 £pii.5.3.coi.3.5. irom lornication ; * that ^every one oi you should know how to pos- ^i^<^.' 6.' 15 ■ 18. ^^^^ '^^^ vessel in sanctification and honor; ^ not ''in tiie lust of concu- ACoi. 3. 5. Rom. pisceucc, 'cven as the Gentiles -'Which know not God ; ""that '^no 7nan iEph.'^^iy 18. g^ beyond and tdefraud his brother *in any matter, because that the j 1 Cor. 15. 34. Lord 'is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and 12^^ & 4. is.'' ' ' testified. ''' For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, "'but unto Alv'^'iVifia holine-ss. ^ He "therefore that tdespiseth, despiseth not man, but God, 1 Cor. 6. 8. ' "who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit. ^w'cl^ZT'' "'' ^ But as touching brotherly love ^ye need not that I write unto you : * Or, in the mat- for 'ye yoursclves are taught of God 'to love one another : ^^ and 'in- Z2Thes3.i. 8. deed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia. '"iQ^'a '/cot^ i"! ^^^ ^^^ beseech you, brethren, 'that ye increase more and more; ^' and Heb. 12. 14. that ye study to be quiet, and "to do your own business, and "to work n Luke 10. 16.^ with your [own] hands, as we commanded you ; '- that "ye may walk t Or, rejecteth. houBstly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack tof ol Cor. 2. 10. & ,, ■ -^ J J 7.40. IJohn 3.24. HOthing. p ch. 5. I. q Jer. 31. 34. Jolm 6. 45. & 14. 26. Heb. 8. 11. 1 John 2. 20, 27. r Matt. 22. 39. John 13. 34. & ]5. 12. Ejih. .5. 2- 1 Pet. 4. 8. 1 John 3. 11,23. & 4. 21. sch.1.7. « ch. 3. 12. m 2 Thess. 3. 11. 1 Pet. 4. 15. ■!) Acts. 20. 35. Eph- 4. 28. 2 Thess. 3. 7, 8, 12. w Rom. 1.3. 13. 2 Cor. 8. 21. Col. 4. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 12. X '^r. "/«» '«««• § ^- § 8. — chap. iv. 13, to the end. a See Lev. 19.28. gt. Paul warns tliom against those zealous Jews who would deprive them of their hope Deut. 14. 13, . ° . ^ 2 Sam. 12. 20.' of 'i future happiness — They are called upon not to indulge as the Heathen did in JEph. 2. 12. immoderate grief over their dead, whom they supposed would not rise again — As an c 1 Cor. 15. 13. additional Evidence of the great Truth of the Resurrection, St. Paul describes its manner, ^ch^l^'li' ^^' ^' ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ taught by Christ himself. eiKinssis. 17, 1-^BuT I would uot havo you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning /icor. 15 51 them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, "even as others 'which have ^Matt. 24.30,31. no liopc. ^'^ For 'if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so 2 Thess. ]'. 7. ''them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ^^ For this h 1 Cor. 15. 52. ^g gg^y uj^to you 'by the word of the Lord, that, ^we which are alive and \, "'' ,t -,' ' remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are J 1 Cor. 15. .tI. , , ^ . ■ k Acts 1. 9. Rev. asleep. ^^ For "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, iJohn^i2. 26 & ^ith the voice of the Arciiangel, and with ''the trump of God ; 'and the 14. 3. & 17.24. dead in Christ shall rise first: ^^ then ^we which are alive and remain tnch.5."iT. shall be caught up together with them ''in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air : and so 'sjiall wc ever be with the Lord. ^^^ Wherefore § 9. *comfort "'one another with these words. a Matt 24. 3, 36. /"=''^-J- § 9.— c7;«p. V. 1-lL J ch. 4. 9. ' ' " „ ,, St. Paul shows the Necessity of Holiness from tlie sudden and terrible appearance of & 25. 13. Ln'ke Christ, and the inevitable Destruction of the Wicked, and of those who are not pre- 3"V()'''r^''' ^3^3' pared for the day of his coming — Those who continue firm in the faith and practice of & i(). 15. the Gospel are comforted with the assurance that this day will be a day of salvation to d Is. 1,3. 6-9. them through Jesus Christ. 29! & 21! 34' 35! ^ But of "the times and the seasons, brethren, ''ye have no need ^T^''?r\V« that I write unto vou ; -for yourselves know perfectly that 'the day of e Jer. 13. 21. Hos. ^ ' - ' i ' 1 i n 13. 13. the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. •' For when they sliall say, ■^f jXJI.' 8^ ^^' Peace and safety; then ''sudden destruction cometh upon them, 'as ^Ephcs. 5. 8. travail ui)on a woman with child ; and they shall not escape. feMatt. 25. .5. 4 gy(_ fyQ brethren, are not in darkness, that that dav should ovcr- iMatt. 24. 42 & , •' ' , . - / ,1-1 1 -i 1 p i- i . " 1 .1 1 -i 1 2.5. 13. Rom. 13. takc you as a thiel : •' ye are all "the cniulrcn ot light, and the children 5.8.'' " '''■ of the day: we are not of the niglit, nor of darkness. '' Therefore 'let i^^^«2L34, 36. yj, ^f)j sleep, as do others ; but 'let us watch and be sober. '''For^they 1 (or. 15.31. that sleep, sleep in the night ; and they that be drunken, *are drunken k L-t^^.'i5. in the night. ^But let us, who are of the day, be sober, 'putting on ^^'•|f-,^~-,f^p''- the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of sal- S1.CT. XVI.] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 243 vation : ^ for "'God hatli not appointed us to wrath, "but to obtain ™i.^i7ipe?2?8: salvation by our Lord Jesus Cluist, i'' who "died for us ; that, whether Jude4. we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. ^^ Wlierefore «j2Thess.2.i3, *comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. oRom. n.s.g. J o ^ J 2 Cor. 5. 15. * Or, exhort. ^ W.—chap. V. 12, to the end. ch. 4. 18. St. Paul admonishes them to have a due regard for their spiritual instructors, gives various c jq other impressive E-xhortations — and concludes with praj'ers and salutations. „ | f^or. IG. 18. 12 And we beseech you, brethren, "to know them which labor among f Tini^s'^'iT. you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; '=^and to ^^^^;^l[l}^"' esteem them very liighly in love for their work's sake. ^And be at *or, je^eec/i. peace among yourselves. ^^ Now we *exhort you, brethren, ''warn c ■2Thess. s. n, them that are tunruly, ''comfort the feeble-minded, 'support the weak,- ^ or, disorderly. ■noc patient toward all men. ^^ See "that none render evil for evil unto ''«^''- ^'^:^~\ any man ; but ever ''follow that which is good, both among yourselves, is. i.cai. 6.1,2. and to all men. i'' Rejoice 'evermore ; i' pray •'witliout ceasing: ^^ in ■^^'^^J; ^.;f 3 ^JS!"' *everv thing oive thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus arm,. 4. 2. . ,,, ^^ 11 I r^ • •■ on 1 • m . 1 IT Lov. 19. 18. concernmg you. i'' Quench 'not the Spu-it: -^despise not prophe- "prov.ao. 22. & syings. ~^ Prove "all things ; "hold fast that which is good ; 22 abstain H-f^ R^^'.ib. ''from all appearance of evil. ^3 ^nd 'the very God of peace ''sanctify j'-.^^^g^/y'^-^- you wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body 'be a cai. 6. 10. ch. preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ! jtcJr. 6. lo. 24 Faithful 'is He that calleth you, who also will do it. •^'''keV'i & 25 Brethren, "pray for us. ~'' Greet "all the brethren with a holy kiss. •''Jl'^se.'Rom. 12. ^n tcharge you by the Lord, that "this Epistle be read unto all ^the ^-^,^f i'i Pet. holy brethren, ^s The ''grace of our Lord Jesus Christ he with you ! ^y^-^ ^ ^^ ^^^ [Amen.] 3.17." [[The First Epistle unto the Thessalonians was written from Athens.]] ' i^^f^^f 4^%. [end of the first epistle to the thessalonians.] icir!l4.30r''^ m 1 Cor. 14. 1,39. 7! 1 Cor.2. 11, 15. IJohn 4. 1. o Pliil. 4. 8. pch.4.12. ^Phil. 4. 9. rch.3 13. *^^°'';'-,fi' t 1 Cor. 1. 9. & 10. 13. 2Thess. 3. 3. m Col. 4. 3. 2Thess. 3. I. a Rom. 10. 16. J Or, adjure. k; Loi. 'J. lo. 2 Thess. 3. 14. a See Note 24. x Rom. 16.20,24. 2 Thess. 3. 18. Section XV. — St. Paul, being rejected by the Jews, continues at sect, xv. Corinth, preaching to the Gentiles. V. JE. 52. Acts xviii. 6-11. J. P. 4765. ^ And when "they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, ''he shook coj^h. his raiment, and said unto them, "Your 'blood be upon your own a i. e. the Jews. heads ; ''I am clean : 'from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles." i pet^.^.^i ■^ And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, ^jo'^J'^ ^^,yf ja^"; named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to c Lev. 20. 9,11, the synagogue. ^ And ^Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, E^l^i'^'iaife' believed on the Lord, with all his house ; and many of the Corinthians /l/jk. 3. ig^ 19. hearing believed, and were baptized. ^Then ^spake the Lord to Paul &33. 9. ch.20. in the night by a vision, " Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy « ch. 13. 46.& peace; ^^ for ''I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt ^jl^;^ ^^ thee ; for I have much people in this city." ^^ And he *continued there g ch. 23. 11. a year and si.\ months, teaching tlie word of God among them. \iatt.y.%!^" * Gr. sal there. Section XVL — St. Paulivrites his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, __^^____, in order to refute an error tchich they had fallen into concerning the suddeii corning of the Day of Judgment — He prophesies the rise,2}>'os- perity, and overthrow of a great Apostacy in the Christian Church.^ V. ^E. 52. THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONL\NS. ^c^orimh*^''" § 1. — chap. i. 1, 2. St. Paul's Salutation. ^ g^^ I^^J ^^ ^ Paul, "and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the Cliurch of the « 2Cor. 1.19. sect. xvi. 244 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [Part XH. 6 1 Tliuss. I. 1. c 1 Cor. 1.3. §2. a 1 Thess. 1.9, 3. & 3. 6, 9. ch. 2. 13. 6 2 Cor. 7. 14. & 9. 2. 1 Thesa. 2. 19, 20. c 1 Thess. 1. 3. d 1 Thess. 2. 14. c See Note 2G. e Phil. 1. 28. / 1 Thess. 2. 14. Thessalonians ^iii God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ ! ~ Grace 'unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. §3. a Rev. (i. 10. b Kev. M. 13. c 1 Thess. 4. 16. ' Jiule 14. d See Note 27. * Gr. the angels of hi^ power. d Heb. 10. 27. & 12. rjy. 2 Pet. 3. 7. Rev. 21. 8. f Or, yielding. e Vf. 79. 6. 1 Thess. 4. 5. /Rom. 2. 8. g Phil. 3. 19. 2 Pet. 3. 7. h Deut. 33. 2. Is. 2. 19. ch. 2. 8. i Ps. 89. 7. j Ps. 68. 35. k ver. 5. J Or, i;o«cAsa/e. I 1 Thess. 1. 3. m 1 Pet. 1. 7. & 4. 14. § 2. — chap. i. 3-5. St. Paul rejoices at their Constancy under persecution ; and assures them that their pa- tient endurance is an evidence of a future judgment, when they will receive their reward. ^ We "are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth ; '^ so Hhat we our- selves glory in you in the Churches of God Tor your patience and faith ''in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye"^ endure : ^ which is 'a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, -^for Vvhich ye also suffer. §4. a 1 Thess. 4. 16. ft Matt. 24. 31. Mark 13. 27. 1 Thess. 4. 17. c Matt. 24. 4. Eph. 5. 6.1 John 4. 1. d Matt. 24. 4. Eph. n. 6. e 1 Tim. 4. 1. / Dan. 7. 25. 1 .lohn2.18.Rev. 13. 11, &c. See 1 Mac. 2. 48, 62. g Jolin 17. 12. h Is. 14. 13. Ezek. 28. 2, 6, 9. Dan. 7.25. & 11. 36. Rev. 13. 6. i 1 Cor. 8. 5. * Or, holdeth. j lJohn2. 18. & k Dan. 7. 10, 11. I Job 4. 9. Is. 11. 4. llos. 6. 5. Rev. 2. 16. &19. l.'),20,21. m ch. 1. 8, 9. Heh. 10. 27. ft .lohnS. 41. Eph. 2. 2. Rev. 18. 23. Sue Deut. 13. 1. Matt. 24. 24. Rev. 13. 13. &. 19. 21. p 2 Cor. 2. 15. & 4.3. q Rom. 1.24,&c. See 1 Kings 22. 22. Ezek. 14. 9. r Malt. 24. 5, 11. 1 Tim. 4. 1. s Rom. 1. 32. e See Note 28. § 3. — chap. i. 6, to the end. St. Paul predicts the Coming of Christ to judgment, and the everlasting Destruction of all those who have rejected his Gospel. ^ Seeing "it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, '^ and to you who are troubled 'rest with us ; when "the Lord Jesus shall be"^ revealed from heaven with *his mighty angels, ^in ''flaming fire, f taking vengeance on them 'that know not God, and ^that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus [Christ] : ^ who "'shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, ''and from tiie glory of his power ; ^" when 'he shall come to be glorified in his saints, ^and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. ^^ Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God *vvould tcount you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and 'the work of faith with power : ^^ that "'the name of our Lord Jesus [Christ] may be glorified in you, and ye in him, ac- cording to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. § 4.— chap. ii. 1-12. The Apostle here begins to rectify their error, with regard to the speedy coming of Christ to judgment — He warns them against any pretended revelations or spurious epistles, and calls to their memory what he had already told them, that a grand Apostacy must first take place : the character of which ho fully describes. ^ Now we beseech you, brethren, "by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, ''and by our gathering together unto him, - that "ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, (neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us,) as that the day of Christ is at hand. -^ Let "^no man deceive you by any means : for that day shall not come, "except there come a falling away first, and ^that Man of Sin be revealed, ■^the Son of Perdition, '^who opposeth and ''exalteth himself 'above all that is culled God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God sittetii in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. ■'' Remember yc not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things ? ^ And now ye know what *withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. ' For 'the mystery of iniquity doth already work : only ho who now letteth rvill let, until he be taken out of the way. *^ And then shall that Wicked be revealed (whom 'the Lord shall consume 'with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy '"with the brightness of his coming) ; ° even him, whose coming is "after the working of Satan with all power and "signs and lying wonders, ^^ and with all deceiv- ableness of unrighteousness in ^'them that perish ; because they And 11 received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, 'for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, '^that they should believe a lie : ^^ that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but 'had pleasure in unrighteousness.'' Sect. XVI.] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 245 § 5. — chap. ii. 13, to the end. He rejoices over the Tliessalonians, and exhorts them to continue steadfast in the doc- , . ., ' w Oil ■ X * o« trines in which they had been instructed. 4 1 Thess. 1. 4 ^^ But "we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren '^7{^^^ \t- beloved of the Lord, because God ''hath Troni the beginning chosen ii'<!t. l^2. ' you to salvation 'through sanctification of the Spirit and behef of the ^-vhoJ.'Ck. truth : 1^ whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to "the obtaining of /^c^j%l\-i, the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^^ Therefore, brethren, ^stand Pi'i'-4-i. (T . . . ^1 Cor. 11.2. fast, and hold "the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by ch. 3. 6. word, or our epistle. ^^' Now ''our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, /i*']'oi,n4'.~io. even our Father, Hvhich hath loved us, and hath "iven us everlasting ^^'- ^- ^- 1 • • ^ 1 \ Pet 1 3 consolation and ■'good hope through grace, ^" comfort your hearts, *and u i cor. i. 8. stablish [you] in every good word and work 1 jpeTs i6^^' §G. § G. — chap. 111. 1-5. a Eph. fi. 19. Col. . . 4. 3. 1 Thess. 5. St. Paul desires thein to pray for hiin and his companions, that the Gospel of God may 25. be glorified as much in otlier Gentile nations as with them; and that they may be * ('f- """T/run. delivered from their persecutors — He repeats his prayer for their faith and patience. . p'°'"L°'/ " ^Finally, brethren, "pray for us, that the word of the Lord *may ''n'^^n^ jo" ^g" have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you : ~ and 'that "^ i cor. i. 9. . '' 1 The^s. 5. ^4. we maybe delivered from tunreasonable and wicked men; "^for all ejoimiV. 15T* men have not faith. ^ But '^the Lord is faithful, who siiall stablish you, ^ '"'''• ^' ^^ •' / 2 (jor. 7. 16. and '^keep you from evil. ^ And •'we have confidence in the Lord cai. 5'. 10. touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we com- ^-^ 1 ^^''^on. 29. mand you. ^And ^the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, iox, the patience ]+•,.. *• i •*• f /-ii • * I 0/CAW5MTI1033. and iinto the patient waiting tor Christ ! i. 3. §7. f See Note 29 § 7.— chap. iii. 6, to the end. „ ro„,. k;. jy, St. Paul here advises the Thessalonians how to act towards those who still continue to 6?5.2 John'io'. live a disorderly and idle life, contrary to the express commands they had received j \ Cor. 5. 11, from him — His prayer and blessinir. 13- c 1 Thess. 4. 11. ^ Now^ we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus ^J'-A'^- ^^f-^^ Christ, "that ye withdraw yourselves ''from every brother that walketh a ch. 2. 15. "disorderly, and not after ''the tradition which he received of us. "For ''2iS"'iTi^^''^ yourselves knew '^how ye ought to follow us : for ■'^we behaved not c, 7. 11-11 s -.1 1- 1 . -, ^ , / 1 Thess. 2. 10. ourselves disorderly among you, ''neither did we eat any man s bread ^ Acts is. 3. & for nought; but "wrought with labor and travail night and day, that j"' 9^'i~Tj°/gg we might not be chargeable to any of you : ^ not 'because we have not 2. 9. ■ J ./ ' /j J Cot. 9. C. power, but to make 'ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. 1 Thess. '2.6. ^° For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, ■'that if \ ]^''- ''• ,„ 7 (jleii. 3. 19* any would not work, neither should he eat. ^^ For we hear that there I'lhess. 4. 11. are some 'which walk among you disorderly, 'working not at all, but f iq^jjfgg ^ u are .busybodies. ^~ Now '"them that are such we command and ex- i Tim. 5. 13. hort by our Lord Jesus Christ, "that with quietness they work, and eat „, 1 Thess. 4. 11. their own bread. ^-^ But ye, "brethren, *be not weary in well doing. "Epii. 4. 28. ^'^ And if any man obey not our word f by this Epistle, note that man, * or^ faint not. and ''have no company with him, that he maybe ashamed: ^^yet f ot, si^mi/y that I ■ i .1 , ' .,,.-' , , . •' vtaii bij an epistle. "count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. ^^Now p M„tt. is. 17. 'the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means: the ic^.%'.^"^''^' Lord be with you all ! ? V.?,'- ^^-.^V. 1 • /> -r» 1 ^ ' hess. o. 14. ^' The 'salutation of Paul with mine own hand,s which is the token ^ Tit. 3.10. in every Episde : so I write. ^'^The "grace of our Lord Jesus Christ le. 20'. icor.'n. be with you all ! [Amen.] 1 The*ss.'5?l3!^* [[The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Athens.]] ^col"!'!!."^' r 1 g ^ee Note 30. [END OF THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS.] u Rom. 16.24. VOL. II. *U 246 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. [Part XII. SECT\xvri. Section XVII. — ^S*^. Paul, still at Corinth, is brought before the V. JE. 52. Judgment-seat of Gallio the Proconsul, the Brother of Seneca. J. P. 4765. Acts xviii. 12-17, and former part of ver. 18. cormth. 12 ^^^ wlieii Gallio was the deputy of Acliaia, the Jews made insur- a ch 03 29 &L rection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the Judg- es. 11, 19. ment-seat, ^^ saying, " This fellow persuadeth men to worship God b 1 Cor. 1. 1. contrary to the Law." ^^ And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, " If "it were a matter of wrong or ' = wicked lewdness, O ye Jews ! reason would that I should bear with you : ^^but if it be a question of words and names, and o/'your Law, SECT. XVIII. look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters." ^''And he V. M. 53. drave them from the Judgment-seat. ^"^ Then all the Greeks took J. P. 476G. ''Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the Crete, Nicopoiis. Judgmcnt-seat ; and Gallio cared for none of those things.'' c I ^** And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took i See Note 32. his Icavc of the brethren. a 2 Tim. 2. 25. b 1 Tim. 3. 16. & 6. 3. * Or, for. Section XVIII. — ^S*^. Paul, having left Corinth for Crete, is compelled c 2Tim. I. i.ch. on Ms vetum to ivinter at Nicojjolis, from whence he writes his d Num. 23. 19. Epistle to Titus , wliom he had left in Crete, with power to ordain iTim. 2. ]:i. Teachers, and govern the Church in that Islands e Rom. 16. 25. ' "^ fpi'i^"-. THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. g 1 Thess. 2. 4. j /- 1 Tim. 1. 11. St. Paul's Salutation. 2. 3. &.'4.'io'. ^ Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, (according %2 ^°'';-- 1^; ^„ to the faith of God's elect, and "the acknowledging of the truth Hvhich 7. lo. flL y. O, lb, , , -» ■ . r . 23. & 12. 18. is after godliness; - *in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot j 1 Tim. 1.2. lie, promised 'before the world began ; ^but 'hath in due times mani- ^^'""'i'n' tested his word through preaching, ^which is committed unto me 2 Pet.' 1. 1. ''according to the commandment of God our Saviour ;) '^ to 'Titus, ' L a! '] Ti!n.*h'' •'mine own son after ''the common faith! 'Grace, mercy, and peace, 2. 2 Tim. 1. 2. fi-om God thc Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour! §2. a 1 Cor. 11. 34. r ri 7 • r o * r. ; n ; "V 2. chOD. 1. 5-9. * Or, Icfl undone. ^ " b Acts 14. 23. St. Paul eiiuiueratcs the necessary qualifications required of those whom Titus was ap- 2 Pim. 2. 2. pointed to ordain — more especially as the teachers were called upon to oppose and confute c 1 im.d. _,ccc. ^jjg Judaizino- Christians, who were endeavourino- to influence the Gentile Converts. d 1 Tim. 3. 12. ° ' ° e 1 Tim. 3. 4, 12. ^ FoR this causc left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest "set in ■^I'^cor.' 4.*'i,^2. order the things that are * wanting, and 'ordain elders in every city, as g Lev. 10. 9. I had appointed thee : ^ if "any be blameless, '^the husband of one wife, Epil."5.'i8.' ' 'having faithful children, not accused of riot, or unruly. "^ For a bishop A 1 Pet. 5. 2. must be blameless, as •'^the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon i 1 Tim. 3. 2. ^ . . ma • r\ \ ^ fii t ox,goodthinss. angry, "not given to wine, no striker, not given to nltliy lucre; ^ but j 2 Tiiess. 2. 15. 'a lovcr of hospitality, a lover of tgood men, sober, just, holy, tem 2 Tim. 1. 13. k\ Tim. i. 15. & perate ; ^ holding ^fast *the faithful word tas he hath been taught, that he may be able 'by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the X Or, in teariiing. galusaycrs. I 1 Tim. 1. 10. & 4. 9. & 6. 3. 2 Tim. 2.2. 6. 3. 2 Tim. 4. 3. ' § 3. — chap. i. 10, to the end. r o St. Paul draws the character of the Cretians, particularly the Judaizing teachers. « ITim. 1.6. ^^ For "there are many unruly and vain talkers and 'deceivers, b Rom. 16.18. ''specially they of tH% Circumcision, ^^ whose mouths must be stopped ; J Mlm.^23.^11. ''who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, 'for 2 Tim. 3. (i. filthy lucre's sake. ^~ One ^of themselves, even a prophet of their own, /Actri7.28. said, "The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow-bellies." '^This Sect. XVIIL] THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. 247 witness is true. ^Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be ^ATnu'/.a/"' ''sound in the faith; ^"^ not '"ivinfr heed to Jewish fables, and ^com- * f I".-,.-- ~; , . ' ~ , ~ . Ill Mil. I. 4. & mandments of men, that turn from the truth. ^^ Unto *the pure all .4-7. oTjn,.4.4. , . 1 , 1 1 1 /•! 1 1 1 !• • . J Is. 29. 13. Matt. thmgs ore pure: but unto them that are aenled and unbelievmg is lo. ». coi.a. 22. nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. ^^They -ii.^Kom.H.'u^ profess that they know God ; but '"in works they deny Him, being "tw^^l'^}" abominable, and disobedient, "and unto every good work *reprobate. ; Rom"'i4' 23^' m 2 'i'im. 3. 5. § ^.—chap. ii. 1-8. „ Kmi..'i. 28. St. Paul directs Titus to enforce Christian virtues, in opposition to tlie vices of the Cre- J^J '"^- ^- ^• tians, and the rites and ceremonies tliey wished to introduce — litus is further com- judgment. manded to illustrate the purity of his doctrine, by liis own personal example. ^ But speak thou the things which become "sound doctrine: ^that a iTiL j. 10.& the aged men be *sober, grave, temperate, ''sound in faith, in charity, lo.^^if. {.'9; '' in patience : ^ the "^aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as * ^^,^' ^'-j'!^""'- becometh tholiness, not liaise accusers, not given to much wine, <; 1 Tim. 2.0, 10. Ar'^711 Pot teachers of good things ; "* that they may teach the young women to a. ;vi. ' be *sober, ''to love their husbands, to love their children, ^to be dis- lOr'tScLto^' creet, chaste, keepers at home, good, 'obedient to their own husbands, *~or' w'Jc"."^" ■'^that the word of God be not blasphemed. <^ ^ Tim. 5. 14. ''Young men likewise exhort to be tsober minded: "in ^all things "^Epii.^". 22. coi. showing thyself a pattern of good works : in doctrine showing uncor- f\!fvelT.'i%. ruptness, gravity, ''sincerity, '^ sound 'speech, that cannot be condemned ; ^i^'y";,%~i' "that he that is of the contrary part 'may be ashamed, having no evil t or, du^crcct. tlimg to say 01 you. iPet. 5. 3. ° •' ■' k Epli. (:. 94. i 1 'Jim. fi. 3. 'S 5.— chap. ii. 9, to the end. J ,^''}'- •''•''• . . . ^ .... It nil. ."i. 14. Titus IS directed to exhort servants to fidelity, on Christian principles — He is reminded i Pet. 2. J2, 15. that the Christian religion is equally binding upon all ranks and descriptions of people holding forth the same hope, and requiring the same holiness from all. ^ Exhort "servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to „ , ^,.^: ^ , .0 Kph. b. .). Col. please them well ''in all thbws : not *answerini; aeain ; ^"^ not purloin- 3. ^2. i Tim. g. ing, but showing all good fidelity ; "that they may adorn the doctrine j i:pii. 5. 24.' of God our Saviour in all things. 11 For "the grace of God tthat * .Ma'tH^'r"" bringeth salvation '^hath appeared to all men, ^-teaching us -''that, d'i{!l[,%\'^ ^^^ 3 denying ungodliness "'and worldly lusts, we should live soberly rioh- -1,5. 1 Pet. 5.12. J r^ ry . ^ . t Or that brniir- teously, and godly, in this present world; ^-'looking ''for that blessed ctiisnh-utionto 'hoj)e, and the glorious ^appearing of the Great God and our Saviour pra"'ed. '" '"''' Jesus Christ; ^-^ who *gave himself for us, that he might redeem us ^^p.'^i rim.'a'.'li" from all iniquity, 'and purify imto himself '"a peculiar people, "zealous •^R'„"n^'',/'io''Eni, of good works. ^-^ These things speak, and °e.\hort, and rebuke with J'i: ^""'- ^-^^ 1 J lies?. 4, 7. all authority: ^let no man despise thee.'' g 1 Pet. '4. '2.' •' '■ 1 John 2. 16. A 1 (or. 1.7. § a— c/(f?H. iii. 1-8. ?',',''• ^.-/-'.'a „• • T • . - ■ ■ • ■ • 2 Pet. 3. 12. Titus is directed, in opposition to the Judaiziiig Christians, to impress upon the minds of i Acts 24.15. Col. his converts the duty of submission to their civil governors, of whatsoever nation or '; iJ' E"'" '^^' ^' ^* religion ; and, from the consideration of the great love and mercy of Christ toward j ("ol. 3. 4. themselves, Titus is desired to inculcate the duty of brotherly love and kindness to all. r, V".V 1" '; ?.' 1 T-» I • • n I 1 • .... liob. '.K-Jf. 1 Pet. ^ Put them in mind to be subject to prmcipalities and powers, to i-j. i.ioiin3. 2. obey magistrates, ''to be ready to every good work, ^to ""speak evil of '2o.'Eph. .5. r no man, ''to be no brawlers, but "gentle, showing all ■'^meekness unto i iieb"''97]4. all men. ^ For ° we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, "',9^5; DeJt%*6. deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, ^'|ppt*'o~9 hateful, and hating one another: ■* but after that ''the kindness and » Epii. a. 10. cii. *love of 'God our Saviour toward man appeared, ^ not ■'by works of/2Tim. 4. 2. righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved k see"\ote'33.' us, by 'the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost ; ~r^ o Rom. 13. 1. I Pet. 2. 13. 6 Col. 1. 10. 2 Tim. 2. 21. Heb. 13. 21. cEph. 4.31. . rf 2 Tim. 2. 24, 25. p Phil. 4. .o. / Eph. 4. 2. Col. 3. 12. ^ 1 Cor. 0. 11. Eph. 2. 1. Col. 1. 21. & 3. 7. 1 Pet. 4.3. ftch.2.11. * Or, pily. t 1 Tim. 2. 3. j Rom. 3. 20. & 9. il. & 11. 6. Gal. 2. 16. Eph. 2. 4, 8, 9. 2 Tim. 1.9. k 1 John 3. 3, 5. Eph. 5. 26. 1 Pet. 3. 21. & 3. 10. k 2Tliess. 3.14. 2. 248 PAUL COMPLETES KIS SECOND APOST. JOURNEY. [Part XIL I Ezek. 36. 25. Joel 2. 28. John 1. 16. Acts a. 33. & 10. 45. Eom. 5. 5. t Gr. richly. m Rom. 3. 24. Gal. 2. IG. ch. 2. 11. n Rom. 8. 23, 24. ch. 1. 2. p 1 Tim. 1. 15. ch. 1. 9. 5 ver. 1, 14. ch. 2. 14. ^ which 'he shed on us tabundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour ; " that "'being justified by his grace, "we should be made heirs "accord- ing to the hope of eternal life. ** This ^is a faithful saying : and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful 'to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. a 1 Tim. 1. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 23. ch. 1. 14. 6 2 Tim. 2. 14. §8. a 2 Cor. 13. 2. b Matt. 18. 17. Rom. 16. 17. 2 Thess. 3. 6, 14. 2 Tim. 3. 5. 2 John 10. c Acts 13. 46. §9. a Acts 20. 4. 2 Tim. 4. 12. Ephes. 6.21. Col. 4. 7. I See Xote 34. b Acts 18. 24. c ver. 8. ■** Or, profess hov.-it trades. Eph. 4. 28. d Horn. 15. 28. Phil. ]. 11. & 4. 17. Col. 1. 10. 2 Pet. 1. 8. SECT. XIX. V. M. 54. J. p. 4767. Cenchrea. a Nimi. 6. 18. ch, 21.24. b Rom. 16. 1. m See Note 35. SECT. XX. V. M. 54. J. P. 47G7. Epiiesus. SECT. XXI. V. m. 54. J. P. 4767. Antioch. a ch. 19.21. & 20. 16. § 7. — chap. iii. 9. St. Paul commands the teachers of Christianity to avoid the discussion of useless questions and speculations. But "avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the Law ''for they are unprofitable and vain. § 8. — chap.'iu.. 10, 11. St. Paul directs Titus in what manner he is to proceed with respect to heretics. ^•^ A MAN that is a heretic, "after the first and second admonition, ''reject ; ^^ knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, "^being condemned of himself. § 9.— chap. iii. 12-14. Titus is directed to proceed to Nicopolis, on the arrival of Artemas or Tychicus ; and to provide for Zenas and Apollos, if they should pass through the island. ^^ When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or "Tychicus,' be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis : for I have determined there to winter. ^^ Bring Zenas the lawyer and ''Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothino- be wanting unto them. ^^ And let ours also learn "to *main- tain good works for necessary uses, that they be ''not unfruitful. § 10. chap. iii. 15. St. Paul's Salutations and Conclusion. All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace he with you all ! [[Amen.]] [[It was written to Titus, ordained the first bishop of the Church of the Cretians, from Nicopolis of Macedonia.]] [end of THE EPISTLE TO TITUS.] Section XIX. — St. Paul proceeds to Cenchrea. Acts xviii. end of ver. 18. And sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila ; havino; "shorn his head in ''Cenchrea : for he had a vow.*" Section XX. — From Cenchrea to Ephesus — ivhere he disputes ivith the Jeios. Acts xviii. 19. And he came to Ephesus, and left them there ; but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. Section XXI. — From Ephesus St. Paid proceeds to Ccesarca ; and having saluted the Church at Jerusalem, completes his second Apos- tolical Journey, by returning to Antioch in Syi-ia. Acts xviii. 20-23. ~" When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, lie con- sented not ; -^ laut bade them farewell, saying, " I "must by all means Sect. III.] ST. PAUL'S THIRD APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY. 249 keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem ; but I will return again unto vou, ''if God will." And he sailed from Ephesus ; ^^ and when he had * J cor. 4. 19. 1111 /-11 1 1 Heb. 6. 3. Jam. landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the Church, he went 4. is. down to Antioch." n See Note 36. PART XIII THIRD APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY OP ST. PAUL. SECT. I. Section I. — ^S*^. Paul again leaves Antioch, to visit the Churches of j U " ' Galatia and Phrijgia. Gaiatia and' Acts xviii. 23. Phrygia. And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went a cai. 1. 2. & 4. over all the country of "Galatia and Phrygia in order, 'strengthening j ch. 14.22. & 15. all the disciples. 32,41. Section II. — History of ApoIIos, who was now preaching to the sect, rr. Church at Ephesus planted by St. Paul. V. JE. 55. Acts xviii. 24, to the end. J. P. 47G8. ^^ And "a certain Jew named A polios,^ born at Alexandria, an elo- Ephesus. quent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. ^^ This ^ ico^i2. i man was instructed in the way of the Lord ; and being ''fervent in the Tit's'it ^" ^' spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, "^knowing a see Note 1. only the baptism of John. ^^ And he began to speak boldly in the * Rom. 12. 11. synagogue. Whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more per- fectly. -^ And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the breth- ^ 1 cor 3 6 ren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; who, when he was « ch. 9. 22. & 17. come, ''helped them much which had beUeved through grace. ^® For ^s-^'^er. 5. he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, 'showing by the b See Note 2. Scriptures that Jesus *was Christ.^ Section III. — St. Paul proceeds from Phrygia to Ephesus, and dis- — putes there with the Jews. V. JE. 55. Acts xix. 1-10. J- P- ^768. ^ And it came to pass, that, while "Apollos was at Corinth, Paul p^^- having passed through ''the upper coasts came to Ephesus. And find- a^i t:*". 1. 12. & ing certain disciples, ^ he said unto them, " Have ye received the 4 1 Mac. 3. 37. & Holy Ghost since ye believed ? " And they said unto him, " We ^'}' 'have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy'= Ghost." 1 sam. 3.'?. ^ ^ And he said unto them, " Unto what then were ye baptized ? " And cSeeNotes. they said, " Unto ''John's baptism." ^ Then said Paul, " John ['verily] e Matt. 3.^1. baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that 3o''ci/'i'^5^& they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on ii- le. & 13. 24, [Christ] Jesus." ^ When they heard this, they were baptized ^in the /ch.s. 16. name of the Lord Jesus ; ^ and when Paul had "'laid his hands upon g ch. e. 6. & 8. them, the Holy Ghost came on them, and "they spake with tongues, Ach. 2. 4. &10. and prophesied. ''' And all the men were about twelve. .^'^• ^And 'he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space 4. " " ' of three months, disputing and persuading the tilings •'concerning the J^^-'^-^-^^- VOL. II. 32 250 k 2 Tim. 1. 15. 2 Pet. 2. 2. Jude 10. I See ch. 9. 2. & 22. 4. & 24. 14. ver. 2.3. d See Note 4. m See ch. 20. 31. THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIIL kingdom of God. ^ But ''when divers were hardened, and beheved not, but spake evil 'of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in thc^ school of one Tyrannus. ^° And ""this continued by the space of two years ; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord [Jesus] both Jews and Greeks. SECT. IV. V. JE. 56. J. P. 4769. Ephe3U3 a Mark lC.20.ch. 14.3. b ch. 5. 15. See 2 Kings 4.29. c Matt. 12. 27. e See Note 5. d See Marif 9. 38. Luke 9. 49. e Luke 1. 65. & 7. 16.ch.2. 43. &5. 5, 11. / Matt. 3. 6. g ch. 6. 7. & 12. 24. SECT. V. V.^. 56. J. P. 4769. Ephesug. a Rom. 15. 25. Gal. 2. 1. 6 ch. 20. 22. c ch. 18. 21. <fc 23. 11. Rom. 15. 24-28. d ch. 13. 5. e Rom. 16. 23. 2 Tim. 4. 20. SECT. VL V. JE. 57. J. P. 4770. Ephesus. §T fSee Note 6. a Rom. 1. 1. b 2 Cor. 1. 1. Eph. 1. l.Col. 1. 1. e Acts 18. 17. d Jude ]. e John 17. 19. Acts 15. 9. / Rom. 1.7. 2 Tim. 1. 9. g Acts 9. 14, 21. &.23, 16.2 Tim. 2. 22. h ch. 8. 6. i Rom. 3. 23. & 10. 12. j Rom. 1. 7. 2 Cor. 1. 2. Eph. 1.2. 1 Pet. 1.2. Section IV. — St. Paul continues two years at Ephesus — The people burn their magical books. Acts xix. 11-20. ^^ And "God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul ; ^^ so Hhat from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. ^^ Then ''certain of the vagabond Jews,® exorcists, '^took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, " We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth." ^"^ And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. ^^ And the evil spirit answered and said, " Jesus I know, and Paul I know ; but who are ye?" ^^ And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ^'' And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus ; and 'fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ^® And many that believed came, and •'confessed, and showed their deeds. ^^ Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all me7i ; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. ^^ So ^mightily grew the word of God and prevailed ! S ECTION V. St. Paul sends Timothy and Erostus to Macedonia and Achaia. Acts .xix. 21, and former part of ver. 22. ^^ After "these things were ended, Paul ''purposed in the spirit^ when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusa- lem, saying, " After I have been there, "I must also see Rome." ^^ So he sent into Macedonia two of ''them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and 'Erastus. Section VL — St. Paul writes his First Epistle to the Corinthians, to assert his Apostolic Authority, to I'cprove the Irregularities and Disorders of the Church, and to ansiver the Questions of the Con- verts on various points of Doctrine and Discipline.^ THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. ^S l.—chap. i. 1-3. St. Paul's Introduction, in which he asserts liis Apostlesliip, and tlie unity of those who believe in Christ Jesus. ^ Paul "(called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ 'through the will of God), and '^Sosthenes our brother, -unto the Church of God Avhich is at Corinth, ''to them that 'are sanctified in Christ Jesus, ^called to be saints, with all that in every place ^call upon the name of Jesus Christ ''our Lord, 'both theirs and ours! ^ Grace 'be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and /rowi the Lord Jesus Christ ! Sect. VI.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 251 § 2.— chap. i. 4-9. § 2. St. Paul rejoices at their conversion, and at the spiritual gifts which they had received " Rom. 1. 8. in te&timony of the truth of Christ. *8?7. ^' ^' ^^"" ^I "thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God %'^''8^Re;~j'^|'°* which is given you by Jesus Christ: ^ (that in every thing ye are en- (Z Phii. s.ao.Tu. riched by him, 'in all utterance, and in all knowledge; ''even as "the 2^^^. 2Pet. a. testimony of Christ was confirmed in you ; ' so that ye come behind * cr. revelation. in no gift ; ''waiting for the *coming of our Lord Jesus Christ :) ^who ^ n-bess.s. is. *shall also confirm you unto the end, ^that ye may be blameless in the /coi. 1.22. day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^ God ^is faithful by whom ye were „ jg. 49.'7.'ch. called unto the ''fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Pv.PoU''®^^" ^ 5. 24. 2 Tliess. 3. 3. Heb. 10. 23. § 3.— chap. i. 10-16. ^ j^hn 15. 4. & St. Paul exhorts them to unity in the name of Jesus Christ, in whom was no division, in }^- ~l' ^■''^o" ^ . 1. o. &- 4. 10. opposition to those Leaders under whose names they had enlisted themselves. ^° Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus § 3. Christ, "that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no *di- « Rom. 12. le. & visions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the n.Phii.t\''2.L same mind and in the same judgment. ^^ For it hath been declared 3. le. iPet. 3. unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house oyChloe, * gt. schisms, cb. that there are contentions among you. ^"^ Now this I say, Hhat every j cii. 3. 4. one of you saith, I am of Paul ; and I of '^Apollos ; and I of ''Cephas ; <; Acts is. 24. & and I of Christ. d john 1. 42. ^^ Is 'Christ divided ? was Paul crucified for you ? or were ye bap- « 2 cor. 11. 4. tized in the name of Paul ? ^^ I thank God that I baptized none of you, but ■'"Crispus and *^ Gains ; ^^ lest any should say that I had baptized -^ ^^^ ^^e'^s in mine own name. ^^ And I baptized also the household of ''Stepha- a ch. le. is, 17. nas ; besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. § 4. — chap. i. 17, to the end. St. Paul asserts that he was sent to preach the Gospel not with learned and skilful elo- quence, lest the power of God should be overlooked — He declares that the truths of the Gospel are not to be discovered by human wisdom or acquirements — And although the preaching of the Cross seems foolishness to those who disbelieve, yet it surpasses the wisdom of men, and is the power of God unto salvation, both to the converted Jew and Greek — that God has chosen the most despised among men to confound the § ^• learned Philosophers, and the great men of the Jews, who opposed themselves to the a ch. 2. 1, 4,13. wisdom of the Gospel, showing by comparison the inferiority of all human attainments, "„^ ' " *' that no flesh should have occasion to glory but in the Lord. j 2 Cor 2 15 ^^ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: "not c Acts 17. is. ch. with wisdom of * words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of ^ch. 15. 2. none effect. ^^ For the preaching of the cross is to 'them that perish, e Rom. 1. le.ver. 'foolishness ; but unto us ''which are saved it is the 'power of God. /job 5. 12,13. 1^ For it is -^written, — l^- ^- i4.'jer.8. " I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, f jIbT2 n 20 And will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." 24. is. 44. 25. ' ^° Where ^is the wise ? where is the Scribe ? where is the disputer of i Rom. 1.20,21, this w^orld ? ''hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? so.'ifuke io.'ai.' ^^ For 'after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew J3^^\p\^^\^ . i/-^ii 1 /-i-i r 1- 16. 1. Marks. 11. not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them Luke 11. le. that believe. *'- For the ^Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek ^ L.V 14. Matt. after wisdom ; ^^but we preach Christ crucified ; *unto the Jews a Liik^e -^awohn stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks 'foolishness ; -** but unto them 6. no, 66. Rom. which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ "the power of God, I'pet. 2. s. ' and "the wisdom of God. ^^ Because the foolishness of God is wiser ' 7"- is. ch. 2. 14. than men ; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. m Rom. 1.4, le. ^•^ For ye see your calling, brethren, how that "not many wise men J"'J^c^ 3 after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called : ^'' but John 7. 48. 252 THE FIRST EPISTJ-E TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIII. ^jam^a.y.'lee 'God hath chosen the foohsh things of the world to confound the wise ; Ps. 8. 2. g^j^d Qq({ hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the I ch*. 2. 6 things which are mighty ; ^^ and base things of the world, and things « Rom. 3. 27. which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, [and] 'things which are t ver. 24. Hot, '^to bring to nought things that are : ^^ that "no flesh should glory " Jer. 23. 5, 6. in his prcsencc. ^° But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is 2 Cor. 5.21. Phil, made unto us 'wisdom, and "righteousness, and "sanctification, and V John 17. 19. "redemption : ^^ that, according as it is ""written, — I Jer. 9. 23, 24. "He that gloricth, let him glory in the Lord." 2 Cor. io. 17. ' § 5- § 5. — chap, ii, 1-5. ''/'l\^U^7," ^^l\ St. Paul declares, that when he preached the Gospel to them, unlike their false teachers, 4, 13. 2 Cor. 10. ' .... , ^ , . , ^ , , , • 10. & 11. 6. he adorned it with no human learning or eloquence, but that his arguments were b ch. 1. 6. drawn from the testimony of divine revelation, confirmed by the power of miracles — c Gal. 6. 14. Phil. therefore their faith should not be founded on the wisdom or philosophy of men. d^ Acts 18. 1, 6, 1 ^j^jj j^ brethren, when I came to you, "came not with excellency e2Cor. 4. 7. & of spccch or of wisdom, declaring unto you 'the testimony of God. 30. & 12. 5, 9." ^ For I determmed not to know any thing among you, "save Jesus Gal. 4. 13. Christ, and him crucified. ^ And "^I was with you 'in weakness, and f ver. 1. ch. 1. 17. , . , "^ . 2 Pet. 1. 16. in fear, and in much trembling ; ^ and my speech and my preaching * Or, persuasibie. /yy^g jjot with *enticinDr words of [man'sl wisdom, ^but in demonstra- g Rom. 15. 19. . /. I o( • • I ^ ^1 /- • I 1 1 1 I 1 1 Thess. 1. 5 tion oi the fepirit and oi power: ^ that your laith should not tstand t Gr. be. jj^ ^j-^g nvis(jom of mcu, but 'in the power of God. A 2 Cor. 4. 7. & ' ^ 6.7. eg § 6. — chap. ii. G, to the end. a ch. 14. 20. Eph. The Apostle next shows, that, although he uses not worldly wisdom, the Corinthians i"; H b 5 14 have no cause to glory in their false teachers, for he (St. Paul) speaks the hidden b ch. 1.20. & 3. mystery of God revealed to him by the Spirit, which no human industry or study 19. ver. 1, 13. could attain to ; and declares to them, by the preaching of the Holy Ghost, the d^ep 3_ 15' ■ ' * things of God, which can be revealed only by the Spirit of God, and cannot even be e ch. 1. 28. received by the natural or animal man, who has no other help but his human faculties. 26.Tph. i's'o. ^ HowBEiT we speak wisdom among them "that are perfect; yet Cou. 26.2 rim. ^^^ j^j^^ wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, "^that e Matt. 11. 25. comc to uought : ^ but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, 13. "7.2 cVr.'s.' even the hidden wisdom, ''which God ordained before the world unto ^'^' our fflorv : ^ which 'none of the princes of this world knew, (for -^had Ac"t3*3. iV. See they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory ;) ^ but as it is 'written, — John 16. 3, r Ps. 31. 19 64. 4. A Matt. 13. 11. (i g Ps. 31. 19. Is. 64. 4. " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 26 &'i6°n '^' Neither have entered into the heart of man, iJohn2.'27.' The things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." i Prov. 20. 27. & 27. 19. Jer. 17. 1" But ''God liath rcvcalcd them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit jRom. 11. 33, searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ^^ For what man ,^t' „ ,, knowcth the things of a man, 'save the spirit of man which is in k Rom. 8. 15. 1 1 ■ c /-. 1 1 1 1 1 01 ■ • r z2Pet. 1. 16. him? ^even so the things oi God knoweth no man, but tlie fepirit oi See c^h. 1. 17. QqjJ^ 12 ]\[Q^y ^g \\^^Q rcccivcd, not the spirit of the world, but 'the OT Matt. 16. 23. Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are oRom'sVe 7 ^'■^ely given to us of God : ^^ which 'things also we speak, not in the jude 19. ' ' words which man's wisdom teacheth, but wiiich the [Holy] Ghost ^1 Thrss^^5^2i teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ^"^ But "'the natural iJoiin4. 1. jnan receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God ; "for they are fool- t Or', discerned, ishucss uuto him ; "neither can he know them, because they are }jobi5. 8. Is. spiritually discerned. ^^ But ^he that is spiritual *judgeth all things, is! vvisd.Vib. yet he himself is tjudged of no man. ^"^ For 'wlio hath known the ^Gu'slaiL^' ^r\\nd of the Lord, that he Imay instruct Him ? ''But we have the r John 15. 15. miud of Christ. Sect. VI.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 253 § 7. — chap. iii. 1-9, and beginning of ver. 10. § 7. St. Paul shows that divisions in a Church, arising from the opinions of the people on the "■ '^^- 2- 15. various qualifications of their ministers, are destructive of spirituality. ^ And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto "spiritual, but d ueb. 5. 12, 13 as unto ''carnal, even as unto 'babes in Christ. ~ I have fed you with c'johnfe^i ''milk, and not with meat: Tor hitherto ye were not able to bear it, /ch. 1. 11.& 11. M \H C^ ■ \ ^ Oft neither yet now are ye able. ^ For ye are yet carnal. For ^whereas ai! Jam. J. le. there is among you envying, and strife, and *divisions, are ye not * or, factions. carnal, and walk fas men ? ^ For while one saith, " I ^am of Paul ; " ^ ,^;,^""''''''^ " and another, " I am of Apollos ; " are ye not carnal ? ^ *=h. 1. 12. ^ Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ''ministers by whom 3!^ 3'. ye believed, 'even as the Lord gave to every man ? ^ Phave planted, « Rom. 12.3,6. 'Apollos watered ; 'but God gave the increase : ^ so then '"neither is j Acts is. 4, 8, he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth ; but God that ""j'^^ts'i"*^ giveth the increase. "^ Now he that planteth and he that watereth are 2Cor. 10. 14, 15. one: "and every man shall receive his own reward according to his ^4^19! i.^' ^^' ^^' own labor. ^ For "we are laborers together with God : ye are God's i ch. 1.30. &15. thusbandry, ye are^'God's building. ^"According 'to the grace of k m 2 Cor. 12. 11. God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid "^the ^"^- '°- ^- foundation, and another buildeth thereon. Rom. 2.'G."ch. 4. 5. Gal. 6. 4, 5. Rev. 2. 23. & 22. 12. § 8. — chap. iii. latter part of ver. 10-15. Acts 15. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 1. X Or, tillage. Jesus Christ the only Foundation of Christianity — those who build upon this foundation are cautioned to take heed, as they must pass a severe examination — the teacher who * gA g oq q^^^ has introduced false doctrines, will see his converts fall away in the time of perse- 2.7. Heb. 3.3, cutjon, as wood, hay, and stubble in the fire, escaping themselves with difficulty — On " ^ ' ' ' the other hand, with those who have built upon this Foundation sound and good doc- 12. 3. trine, their converts, like silver and gold, will pass through the trial of fire, and the r Rom. 15. 20. teacher himself will receive the reward of his labors. I®"'" %i^[a' ^^ But "let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. ^^ For other foundation can no man lay than 'that is laid, 'which is Jesus x g. Christ. ^~ Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, aiPet. 4. 11. precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; ^^ every ''man's work shall be ^n^J'- ^^jg^^is made manifest: for the day ^shall declare it, because -'^it *shall be 2Cor'. iK4.Gai. revealed by fire ; and the tire shall try every man's work of what sort ^ Eph. 2.20. it is; ^'*if any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, ^he dch.i.b. shall receive a reward; ^^ if any man's work shall be burned, he shall «j^Pet.i. 7.&4. suffer loss ; but he himself shall be saved — yet ''so as by fire. /Luke 2. 35. * Gr. is revealed. g ch. 4. 5. § d.—chap. iii. 16, to the end. * •'"'^^ 22. St. Paul declares, that the teacher who wilfully introduces false doctrine into the Church will be destroyed, however successful in his attempt — The wisdom of this world is folly in the sight of God, therefore they should not glory in their teachers nor tlieir boasted philosophy, making divisions in the Church — the true glory of a Christian is in Christ, who is God's, through whom alone we obtain the promise of salvation, which cannot § 9. be given by the preachers of the Gospel. ^^ Know "ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit Vii?. Eph. 2.21! of God dwelleth in you? ^Hf any man *defile the temple of God, fm.U:^' him shall God destroy ; for the temple of God is holy, which temple *or, destroy. ye are. ^^ Let ''no man deceive himself: if any man among you Va"!' ^' ^' ^'' seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. ^^For 'the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. ^ch. 1.20. & 2.6. For it is ''written, — ' d job 5. 13. " He taketh the wise in their own craftiness." 2« And 'again,— eP3.94.n. " The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that thev are vain." /«•>. 1. 12. & 4. -^ Therefore ^let no man glory in men ; for "'all things are yours ; g 2 Cor. 4. 5, is. VOL. II. V 254 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIII. ^^ whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, ' things present, or things 7. Gal. 3. 29. Qhrist's ; and Christ is God's. ii.Tb Cor.' K)'.' or things present, or tilings to come ; all are yours ; ^^ and ''ye are a 4 6 Rom. 13. 3. c cli.3. 21. &5. § 10. — chap. iv. 1-5. The Apostles, as servants of Christ, are required to dispense the mysteries of the Gospel as men were prepared to receive them — In answer to the censure passed upon him by the false teachers, for not having instructed the Corinthians in the deeper doctrines of § 10. Christianity, St. Paul declares, it is of little moment to be condemned by man's judg- Matt.24. 45. ment ; for God alone can judge righteously, to whom only the secrets of the hearts ch. 3. 5. & 9. 17. are known — He exhorts them, therefore, not to pass judgment on their spiritual in- 2 Cor. 6. 4. Col. . , J _ 25. structors b Luke 12. 43. 1 Let a man so account of us, as of "the ministers of Christ, 'and 4.10.' ' ' stewards of the mysteries of God ; ~ moreover it is required in stewards, *Gr.day.ch.3. ^^^^ ^ j-^^^j^ ]^g found faithful. ^ But with me it is a very small thing c Job. 9. 2. P.S. that I should be judged of you, or of man's *judgment : yea, I judge ^^I's^hhi^iom. not mine own self ; '^ (for I know nothing by myself, "yet am I not 3. 20. & 4. 2. hereby justified :) but He that judgeth me is the Lord. ^ Therefore Rom. 2. i, 16. & ''judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, Vho both will Rev.2o.']2.' bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the e ch.3. 13. counsels of the hearts ; and ^then shall every man have praise of God. /Rom. 2.29. '' ' 2 Cor. 5. 10. § 11. — chap, iv. G-13. St. Paul declares he has made use of his own name, and that of Apollos, that they might learn not to think too highly of their separate leaders, and so become puffed up with § 11. anger and contempt for each other — St. Paul and Apollos were only the servants of a ch. 1. 12. & 3. Christ, by whose ministry the Christians had believed — They disclaimed all titles and distinctions among them, that by their example the Corinthians might learn not to esteem their teachers above what he had written — The Apostle then addresses himself 2, 6. to the false teachers — The former are called ignorant and foolish, because they preach * Gr. distinguish- the first article of the Christian faith : while the false teachers, from their speculations eth thee. ^ ^^^^ traditions, are considered wise men and philosophers — The Apostles are despised Jam. 1. iy" 1 Pet. — They are honored — The Apostles are exposed to every kind of danger, while they 4- 10. are in the full enjoyment of affluence and every comfort. t or,usthc'iast ^ And thesc things, brethren, "I have in a figure transferred to my- aposties, as. gg]f ^^^ ^^ Apollos, for your sakes ; 'that ye might learn in us not to /Ps. 44.22. Rom. ^, . , ^ l ^1 / 1 • 1 • •** ^ 1 ^ c ci 8. 3K. ch. 15. .30, think 0/ wiew above that which is Avritten, that no one oi you be fe'e^g.""" ^' ^^' puffed up for one against another. "^ For who *maketh thee to differ g Heb. 10.33. from another 1 and ''what hast thou that thou didst not receive ? now A ActTn 18 & ^^ ^^^^^ didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not re- 20. 24. ch. 1. 18, ceived it? ^ Now ye are full, 'now ye are rich, ye have reigned as 3. is. see'2km. kings without US : and I would to God ye did reign, that we also t^2Cor 13 9. might reign with you ! ^ For I think that God hath set forth tus the j 2 Cor. 4. 8. & apostles last, ^as it were appointed to death ; for ^we are made a 4.12."' "' Ispectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. ^° We *^are ft Job 22. 6. Rom. fggjg fg^ Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ — we 'are weak, but I Acts 23. 2. ye are strong — ye are honorable, but we are despised. ^^ Even ■'unto '2o'^34' f ihef^ ^^^^ present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and ^are naked, and 'are 2. 9. 2 Thess. 3. buffctcd, and have no certain dwellingplace, ^~ and ""labor, working n Matt'.'s. 44. with our owu hauds : "being reviled, we bless ; being persecuted, we 23"34*'Ac'ts7! suffer it ; ^'^ being defamed, we entreat: "we are made as the filth of 60. Rom. 12. ]■!, tj^c earth — and arc the offscouring of all things unto this day. 20. 1 Pet. 2. 23. fc> o j & 3. 9. « Lam. 3. 4.5. § 12.—chap. \\\ 14-17. St. Paul declares lie does not write these things to shame, but to instruct them, and to warn them against those false teachers who will not be to them as he was, their spiritual father — He therefore entreats them to imitate him, and sends Timotheus to them, who I 12. should remind them of his instruction. a 1 Thess. 2. 11. 14 I WRITE uot tlicsc tilings to sliamc you, but "as my beloved sons I warn you. ^^ For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, Sect. VI.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 255 yet have ye not many fathers; for 'in Christ Jesus I have begotten Vomf/I'ooch you through the Gospel. ^^ Wherefore I beseech you, "be ye follow- p^^,,,*^"'- ^- 1^- ers of me. ^^ For this cause have I sent unto you ''Timothcus, "who i. is. is my beloved son, and faithful in' the Lord, who shall bring you -^into ''3^ n^^Thf^^g''- remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I ° teach every where i-e.^xhess. 3. in every Church. d Acts 19. 22. ch. 16. 10. Phil. 2. 19. 1 Thess. 3.2 § 13. — chap. iv. 18, to the end. e 1 Tim. 1. 2. The false teacher having declared that St. Paul feared to encounter such learned and ~ ^""- ^- ^• eloquent opposers, he declares his intention of visiting them shortly, when he would ■ - ,- Ar u inquire not into the speech, but into the supernatural powers of his opposers, as the 33. Gospel is not established by the boasted wisdom of its preachers, but in the miraculous powers which are imparted to them for its confirmation — He then asks them if his 9 lo- own supernatural powers should be exercised towards them in punishment, or if he ''<='•^•■-^• should come to them in the spirit of peace and in love, on account of their having cor- jg ^^^^ ^.^^ "j '' rected their errors. 15, 23. ^^ Now "some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you ; ''ro?ii! ir,'. 32! 13 but ''I will come to you shortly, 'if the Lord will, and will know, not ^''j': 6. 3. jam. the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. -"For ''the <i ch. 2.4.1 Thes. kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. ~^ What will ye ? 'shall I , o Cor. 10. 2. & come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness ? ^^-^^ § 14. § 14. — chap. V. a Eph. 5. 3. St. Paul commands the public excommunication of the incestuous person — He condemns * Lev. 18. 8. their boasting in the knowledge of their false teacher, who has tolerated this enormity, '^j^-^q ' ' ' and shows the infectious nature of sin, by comparing it to leaven — They are prohibited c 2 Cor. 7. 12. from associating with Christians openly profane, who are to be delivered over to the d ch. 4. 18. censure of the Church — But the wicked heathen, as being without the pale of the « 2 Cor. 7. 7, 10. Church, are to be left to the judgment of God. / Col. 2. 5. . ,,,.^.. * Or, determined. ^ It is reported commonly that there is lornication among you, and g Matt. u;. 19. & such fornication as is not so much as "named among the Gentiles, 23.' 2^cor".'2. I0. Hhat one should have his 'father's wife. ^ And ''are ye puffed up ? &i3. 3, 10. And have not rather 'mourned, that he that hath done this deed might 'jog. e.'i Tim. 1. be taken away from among you? ^ For -'I verily, as absent in body, j~Act3 2G. is. but present in spirit, have *judged already, as though I were present, j ver. 2. ch. 3. concerning him that hath so done this deed, ^ in the name of our Lord 4.16. ' ' """' Jesus Christ, (when ye are gathered together, and my spirit.) 'with V9' 2Ti^^' 2 r' the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^ to ''deliver such an one unto ms. .13.7. John ' *Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in iV^et. il'ig. Rev. the day of the Lord Jesus. ^ Your -'glorying is not good. Know ^- ^' ^~■ ve not that 'a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? '''Purge out ?, °'" , ' therefore the old leaven, t^iat ye may be a new lump, as ye are un- « ex. la. 15. & leavened ; for even 'Christ our "Passover tis sacrificed for us. ^ There- . q/^^,,^^ fore "let us keep tthe feast, "not with old leaven, neither ^with the » dJui. le. 3. leaven of mahce and wickedness ; but with the unleavened bread of ^,■^'••"■^^■.'''12. ' Mark 8. lo. sincerity and truth. Luke 12. i '•' I wrote unto you in an ^epistle, " Not 'to company with fornicators." , sll ve°r.\ 7. 1° Yet '"not altogether with the fornicators 'of this world, or with the l^i^'g^^ii^' covetous, or extortioners, or with idolators ; for then must ye needs 2Thess. 3. 14. go 'out of the world. ^^ But now I have written unto you, Not to Ich.1.20. keep company, "if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or « -foim 17- is. covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner ; „ jLt. is. iV. with such an one "no not to eat. ^^ For what have I to do to judge .^Thei^s'e 14 "them also that are without? Do not ye judge ""them that are within ? 2 John lo. 1^ but them that are without God judgeth. Therefore ''put away ^ jj'^'^^'4'j'j from among yourselves that wdcked person. " coi 4. 5. " •' ' 1 Thess. 4. 12. 1 Tim. 3. 7. ^S 15.— chap. vi. 1-8. ^ <:•'• 6. 1, 2, 3,4 The Christians are reproved for referring their differences to heathen courts of judicature, ^]7. 7. & o]. 01. by which their Christian profession is dishonored — Instead of la^'ing them before their ^ 22. 21, 22,24. 256 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIII. inspired teachers, who gave laws for the present ruling of the world — They are rebuked also for attempting to injure and defraud their Christian brethren. ^ Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law be- ^ ■ fore the unjust, and not before the saints ? - Do ye not know that "Dan.7.'22.' "thc saiuts shall judge the world ? and if the world shall be judged by Luke2-i'3o! you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? ^Know ye not sfVao^^i*^^' ^'^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ ''judge angels? how much more things that pertain to 6 2Pet. 2. 4. this life! If, '^then, ye have judgments of things pertaining to this ^^h^s^iT ^^^'^' ^^^^ y^^ ^^^ them to judge who are least esteemed in the Church ? ^ I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you ? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren ? ^ But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before d Prov. 20. 23. the uubelievcrs ! ' Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, ilukefi'^g'^'*' because ye go to law one with another. ''Why do ye not rather take Kom. 12. 17, 19. wroug ? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded ? e 1 The3.4!6. ^ ^^y, yc do wroug, and defraud, '^and that your brethren ! r 1 r» a cb. 15. 50.Gui. § 16.— chap. vi. 9, to the end. 1 Ti'iii^f^Q ^ ^ '^'^^ Apostle here confutes the arguments of the false teacher, by which he appears to Heb. 12. 14. & have sanctioned luxury and fornication, and declares that no unclean person can inherit 13. 4. Kev. 22. ^j^^ blessings of the Gospel — The immoderate indulgence of things in themselves lawful b eh 1'' 2 Eph '^ sinful in Christians, who are God's both by creation and redemption. 1 8.' Cot. ^V*" ^ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of Tit. 3. 3. Qq(J ■) gg j^Qt deceived : "neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adul- 'lo.ba! ' "^ ' terers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, ^° nor d ch. 10. 23. thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, * Malt" s^iT. shall inherit the kingdom of God. ^^ And such were ''some of you : coi'2%"h. but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the f ver. 15, 19, 20. nauic of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. ^Eph's 23^'^ ^^ ^1^ "^things are lawful unto me, but all things are not *expedient: h Rom. 6.5, 8. & all thiugs afc lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power 8.1]. 2 Cor. 4. Qf^j^y_ 13 Meats 7or the belly, and the belly for meats: but God » Eph. 1.19,20. shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, •^ia"27. Eph.f' but ^for the Lord, ^and the Lord for the body ; ^^ and 'God hath both 12, 15, 1(3. & 5. raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us 'by his own power. A Gen. 9.24. ^^ Kuow yc uot that ^your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I Mau.i9.5.Epii. ^j^gj-j ^j^j-g |-}^g niembers of Christ, and make them the members of a I John 17.21,22, harlot ? God forbid ! ^^ What ? know ye not that he which is joined 23.^Eph. 4.4.& ^Q ^ j^^j.j^j. jg ^^^ j^^^y p |-Qj. k^^^^ gjjjt^ JJg^ gl-,j^]| Ijg Qjjg flgsJ^_ 17 But m Rom. 0. 12, 13. 'hcthat is joincduuto the Lord is one spirit, i** Flee '"fornication, n Rom. 1.24. Evcrv sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that com- iThess. 4.4. niitteth fornication sinneth "against his own body, i'' What ? "know "(Ci'e.' ' ' ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in p "<""• 14.7,8. you, which ye have of God, ^and ye are not your own ? -° For 'ye are V^23! g!.'k 3. 13! bought with a price : therefore glorify God in your body, [and in your "i'et.^i.'?8 19. spirit, which are God's]. 2 Pet! 2. 1 . Rev. 5.9. § \7.—chap. vii. 1-17. St. Paul proceeds to answer the questions of the Corinthians, and gives rules of conduct § 17. botli to married and single persons, according to their several tempers, and to the present state of the Church in a time of persecution. over. 8,26. ^ Now couccming the things whereof ye wrote unto me: "It is good for a man not to touch a woman ; - nevertheless, to avoid forni- cation, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have 'a^p^'et^k 7!' ber own husband. ^ Let Hhe husband render unto the wife due [be- nevolence] : and likewise also the wife unto the husband. ^ The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband : and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. ^ De- Sect. VI.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 257 fraud ''ve not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ve c -foeia. tc. y , r • 1 1 1 • Zech.7.3. See may give yourselves to lastmg ang prayer ; and come together agam, Ex. lo. is. that ''Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. ^But I speak this ^ iThess.3. 5 by permission : 'and not of commandment.'' " For -^I would that all e ver. 12, 25. men were "'even as I myself; but ''every man hath his proper gift of If.u.^'^'^ God, one after this manner, and another after that. h see Note 8. ^ I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, 'It is good for them /Acts 26. 29. if they abide even as I. ^ But ■'if they cannot contain, let them marry : a Matt. 19.12. for it is better to marry than to burn. ^'^ And unto the married I .'^^' ^'^' ^^' •r- ' i vGTm 1 26* command, ''yet not I, but the Lord, 'Let not the wife depart from her ■ j ^r';^' 5 ,4 husband; ^^ (but and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be t Pee ver. 12, 25, reconciled to her husband :) and let not the husband put away his '^^' , „ ,, ,(. wife. ^- But to the rest speak I, '"not the Lord : If any brother hath a Matt', i 32. &" wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him 10! 11,12. Luke not put her away ; ^^ and the woman which hath a husband that '^; ^®" believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. '^ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband : else "were your children unclean ; but now are they holy. ^^ But if " " ' ' ' the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God hath "called us *to peace. "i4.°]9; ch! 14". ^^ For what knowest thou, O wife ! whether thou shalt ^save thy hus- ^^- "''''■ ^^- ^^• band? or thow knowest thou, O man! whether thou shalt save thy yipet. 3. 1. wife ? ^^ But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath ^Gr.witat. called every one, so let him walk ; and ''so ordain I in all Churches. Vco^.n/gs. § 18.— chap. vii. 18-24. ^g St. Paul teaches that Christianity makes no change in the common relations and natural ,,..„,._ a 1 Mac. 1. 15. obligations of life. j Acts 15. 1,5, ^^ Is any man called being circumcised? let him "not become un- 1V24, 28. cai. circumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision ? 'let him not be cir- cCai. 5. 6. te. 15. cumcised. ^^ Circumcision "is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, ^ j^,^^ j. j^ but ''the keeping of the commandments of God. ~^ Let every man 1 Joim 2. 3. & 3 abide in the same calling wherein he was called. ^^ Art thou called « johns. 36. being a servant ? care not for it : but if thou mayest be made free, pj^fiet^' jg' ^' use it rather. ^^ For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is *Gr. made free. 'the Lord's * freeman : likewise also he that is called, being free, is •^5^''j"3^Eph.^6!'6. •'^Christ's servant. ^^ Ye "'are bought with a price ; be not ye the 1 ^'^^- -■ ^^■ servants of men. ^^ Brethren, ''let every man, wherein he is called, ^I'veui^is, 19. therein abide with God. ^^« l^^- ^- ^ A ver. 20. § 19. — chap. vii. 25, to the end. St. Paul recommends both virgins and widows to continue unmarried in times of perse- cution ; and, to make them less solicitous about the present cares and pleasures of life, he reminds them of its shortness and insignificance. § ^•^^ ^^ Now concerning virgins "I have no commandment of the Lord: Vcor^s^s'io' yet I give my judgment, as one Hhat hath obtained mercy of the Lord b 1 Tim. i.'ic. "to be faithful. -*^ I supjjose therefore that this is good for the present '^i^{.2^- ^- ^ "^'"^ *distress, I say, ''that it is good for a man so to be. ~" Art thou bound * oi, necessity. unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife ? seek '' ^^^•^'®* not a wife. "^^ But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned ; and if a virgin marry, she liath not sinned ; nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh : but I spare you. -^ But ^this I say, brethren, the time is ^i^p'eT.'i.V^' short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they spet. 3. 8, 9. had none ; ^^ and they that weep, as though they wept not ; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not ; and they that buy, as though -^ p'j gg^^g j^^ they possessed nol ; ^' and they that use this world, as not -^abusing it. i- 10. & 4. 14. For "the fashion of this world passeth away. ■^~ But I would have 4. 7. 1'john 2. 17. VOL. 11. 33 *v 258 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part Xllf. h [Or, anxiety. — Ed.] f Gr. of the Lord, as ver. 34. See 1 Tim. 5. 5. t Luke 10. 40, &c. j Heb. 13. 4. k Rom. 7. 2. I 2 Cor. 6. 14. m ver. 25. n 1 Thess. 4. 8. § 20. a Acts 15. 20, 29. ch. 10. 19. b Rom. 14. 14, 2-2. c Rom. 14. 3, 10. d ch. 13. 8, 9, 12. Gal. 6. 3. 1 Tim. 6.4. e Ex. 33. 12, 17. JSahum 1. 7. Matt. 7. 23. Gal. 4. 9. 2 Tim. 2. 19. / Is. 41. 24. ch. 10. 19. g Deut. 4. 39. & 6. 4. Is. 44. 8. Mark 12. 29. ver. G. Ephes. 4. 6. 1 Tim. 2. 5. h John 10. 34. i Mai. 2. 10. Eph. 4.6. j Acts 17. 28. Rom. 11. 36. * Or, for him. k John 13. 13. Acts 2. 3-). ch. 12. 3. Eph. 4. 5. Phil. 2. 11. I John 1. 3. Col. 1. 6. Heb. 1.2. i See Xote 9. m ch. 10. 28, 29. « Rom. 14. 14, 23. o Rom. 14. 17. f Or, have we the more. J Or, liave we the less. p Gal. 5. 13. * Or, power. g Rom. 14. 13,20. r 1 .Mac. ]. 47. s ch. 10. 28, 32. t Gr. edified. t Rom. 14. 15, 20. u M:itt. 25. 40, 45. V Rom. 14. 21. 2 Cor. 11. 29. you without ^carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the tilings tthat belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord ; ^^ but he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. "^^ There is difference also between a wife and a virgin ; the unmarried woman 'careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit : but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. ^^ And this I speak for your own profit ; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. ^^ But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not ; let them marry. ^' Neverthe- less he that standeth steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well. ^^ So^then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well ; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better. ^^ The ^wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth ; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will ; 'only in the Lord. "*" But she is happier if she so abide, "after my judgment : and "I think also that I have the Spirit of God. § 20. — chap. viiL St. Paul, in reply to the converts, instructs them that though the eating of things offered to idols was indifferent in itself, the custom was to be avoided, as their example might lead the weaker brethren into sin, by encouraging them in the idea that their idol is a real God. ^ Now "as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have 'knowledge ; ('knowledge pufleth up. but charity edifieth ; ^ and ''if any man think that he knoweth any thino-, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know ; ^but if any man love God, 'the same is known of him ;) ■* as concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that -^an idol is nothing in the world, ^and that there is none other God but one. ^ For though there be that are Vailed gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as lliere be gods many, and lords many,) ^ but 'to us there is hut one God, the Father, -'of whom are all things, and we *in him ; and ''one Lord Jesus Christ, 'by whom are all things, and we by him.' ' Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge : for some "'with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol ; and their conscience being weak is "defiled. ^ But "meat commendeth us not to God : for neither, if we eat, rare we the better ; neither, if we eat not, tare we the worse. ^ But ^take heed lest by any means this ^liberty of yours become 'a stumbling- block to them that are weak. ^^ For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in '^the idol's temple, shall not "the conscience of him which is weak be ^emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols ? ^^ and 'through thv knowledire shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died ? ^~ But "when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. ^^ Wherefore, "^if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. § '2\.—chap. ix. 1-14. The Apostle here vindicates his Apostleship by appealing to their own conversion from Heathenism, and the spiritual gifts he had conferred upon them — He argues against tlie objections made to his apostolic cliaracter by his enemies, whose views and con- Sect. VI.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 259 duct were totally opposite to his own ; by asserting, that although he declined receiving § 21. maintenance irom the Corinthians, he was fully entitled to demand it both for himself a Acts 9. 1.5. & and for his sister, or wife, as well as the other Apostles— He defends his right to a ^c^oj^ii^\l1' maintenance from the common practice of mankind ; by the Law of Moses ; and like- Gal. 2. 7, 8. , , ^ c r<i • i. 1 Tim. 2.7. Wise by the express command ot Christ. 2 -j-^ j_ jj^ 1 Am "I not an apostle ? am I not free ? ^have I not seen Jesus Christ *^\''g^ g- ^' ^• our Lord ? "are not ye my work in the Lord ? ^ If I be not an apostle h, is. & 23. h. unto others, yet doubtless I am to you : for ''the seal of mine apostle- ^ ch. 3. e. & 4. ship are ye in the Lord. ^ Mine answer to them that do examine me }^- ^ ^ ^ 1 . ;. TT e I 1 • I -\ "■ " *^ox. 3. 2. & IS this, '* Have we not power to eat and to drmk? 12.12. ^ Have we not power to lead about a sister, a *wife, as well as other ^ay^aVhls^st^s! apostles, and as •'"the brethren of the Lord, and ^Cephas ? ^ Or I only 9. and Barnabas, ''have not we power to forbear working ? "^ Who 'goeth * ^^/Jt^'^^jj, a warfare any time at his own charges ? who -'planteth a vineyard, and ^'7^6. 3. /•i /••! l'^ll,l'1^ rii 1 I Luke 6. lo. Gal. eateth not of the fruit thereof ? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth 1.19. not of the milk of the flock ? ^ Say I these things as a man ? or saith s Matt. 8. 14. not the Law the same also ? ^ For it is written in the 'Law of Moses, '9. *'''' ' ' "Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the 'i^Tim!]."i8.'& corn." Doth God take care for oxen? ^'^ Or saith he it altogether e. i^.^2 Tim! 2. for our sakes ? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written : that '"he that j Deut. 20. 6. ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope ll^^X^'iX should be partaker of his hope. ^' If "we have sown unto you spiritual t john2i. 15. things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? ^^ If m^^^^^^^^ others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather ? "Nev- 1 Tim. 5. is. ertheless we have not used this power; but sufter all things, ^lest we '^I'^^l^'t ' . iQ T-k Q 1 1 1 " Rom. 15. 27. should hinder the Gospel of Christ. " Do ye not know that they Gai. 6. 6. which minister about holy things tlive of the ihincrs of the temple ? and \t^^\^^[^' they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? ^'* Even so ^^°i;ll]'''^' '^hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should iThess.2. 6. 1- /• . 1 /-~( 1 p 2 Cor. 11. 12. live of the Gospel. , Lev. e. le, 26. & 7. 6, &c. Num. 5. 9, 10. § 22.— c/iap. ix. 15, to the end. & 18. 8-20. ^ r ^ Deut. 10. 9. & St. Paul gives his reasons for not having asserted his right to a maintenance from the is. i. Christian Church at Corinth, in the fear that by burthening them he might make the t Or, feed. Gospel less successful — He declares his great desire to excel in his ministry ; content- '^t jj^jn 7 ing himself with the indispensable duty of preaching, he shows his condescension Gal. 6. 6. and conformity to the weaknesses and prejudices of all sorts of people, that he might ^ ^'"^- ^- ^^^ win them to Christ — The Apostle (v. 24.) proves the propriety of his conduct in thus exposing himself to hardships and unnecessary labors, by an allusion to the customs of their own countrymen, who hope to obtain only a corruptible crown ; and invites all 9 '^• the converts to follow his example, being encouraged with the certain hope of an „ ye^. 12. Acts incorruptible one — They are exhorted to a life of continued self-denial and abstinence. 18. 3. *^20- 3-1- ^^ But °I have used none of these things : neither have I written these i ^^f^*!' 3 I' things, that it should be so done unto me. For ''it loere better for me to j gcor. 11.10. die, than that any man should make my glorying void. ^'^ For though I « Rom. 1. 14. preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of : for ^necessity is laid upon ^ l^' ^ j[ ^J, g me. Yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel. ^" For if I do ^-^^'i''-^-'^- ^°* this thing willingly, ''I have a reward : but if against my will, 'a dis- /ch. 10.33. 2 Cor. 4. 5. & 11. ■ pensation of the Gospel is committed unto me. ^^ What is my reward then? Verily that, Avhen I preach the Gospel, I may make the Gos- g ch. 7. 31. pel of Christ without charge; that I ^abuse not my power in the ^^"'^'j „ Gospel. 1^ For though I be ''free from all men, yet have 'I made my- ^ Matt. is. 15. self servant unto all, 'that I might gain the more ; ~° and *unto the Jews ^ p^'-^- ^■ I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are i8.*^i8. & 2i. 23, under the Law, as under the Law, [being not myself under the Law,] ^^'^^ ^ ^^ ^^ that I might gain them that are under the Law ; -^ to 'them that are Gai. 3. 2. without law, as without law (being '"not without law to God, but""'''''' 22. 7! 1 Rom. 15. 1. under law to Christ), that I might gain them that are without law. 'Wor. 11.29! ^To "the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak. "I am ch. 10.33. 260 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIII. p Rom. 11. 14. made all things to all men, ^that I mioht by all means save some. ch 7 16 . q Gal." 2. 2. & 5. ^^ ^.nd tliis I do for the Gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof 7. Phil. 2. 16. & -.1 o 1 3. 14. 2 Tim. 4. With yOU. J'^^\^%^' ~^ Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one re- i^l™-|-^|- ceiveth the prize? 'So run, that ye may obtain. ^^ And every man s 2 Tim. 4.'8. that "^strivetli for the mastery is temperate in all things : now they do xvet.\.A.'k.5. ?*Mo obtain a corruptible crown ; but we "an incorruptible. ^^ I there- 4. Rev. 2. 10. & |-^j.g gQ j.^j^^ tj^Qj. g^g uncertainly ; so fight T, not as one that beateth the ' ^^om'i'vi ^^^ • ^^ '^^^ "^ keep under my body, and "bring it into subjection : lest Col. 3. 5. that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should r Rom. 6. 18, 19- , „ . w Jer. 6. 30. be a castaway. 2 Cor. 13. 5, 6. § 23. § 2^.— chap. X. 1-V2. a Ex. 13. 21. & The Apostle, from the conduct of the Israelites of old, wishes to convince the Corinthians 18 &; 14. "14. " that as the favored people of God were so severely punished for their irregularities Deut. 1.33. and idolatry, so also the Christians, under the Gospel dispensation, who indulge in the P^. 78. H.'fe ' same sinful conduct and gratifications, will be as certainly punished as the Israelites 10.>. 39. under the Law — He cautions them from these examples to avoid the same offences, and h "Pv 14 22 Num. 33. s! warns them not to have too much confidence in themselves, as being members of the Josh. 4. 23. Ps. Christian Church, but to take heed lest they also fall into sin. 78 13 c Ex. 16. 15,35. 1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how pg.7B.'24.' ' that all our fathers were under "the cloud, and all passed through Hhe ''2o!n!ps.'78"i5! sea ; ^ and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea ; *<ten.'^"" '"'*'' ^and did all eat the same '"spiritual meat ; '^ and did all drink the same i>je»t^^9- 21- Ps. ''spiritual drink ; (for they drank of that spiritual Rock that *followed e Num.'i4. 29, them c and that Rock was Christ :) ^ but with many of them God was 65! ?s. 106. 26. ' not well pleased : for they "were overthrown in the wilderness. ]^c^:lurfisnrL ^ Now thesc things were tour examples, to the intent we should not ■^34."pl".io6^'i4!' lust after evil things, as ^they also lusted. ^Neither ^be ye idolators, ^ ^"'■•ii-^ as were some of them ; as it is ''written, " The people .sat down to eat t ch.'e. 18. Rev. and drink, and rose up to play." ^ Neither iet us commit fornication, jNum. 25. 1,9. as some of tiiem committed, and ^ fell in one day three and twenty /ex!^". 2%. thousand. ^ Neither let us tempt Christ, as ''some of them also D^i^' 6^16" Ps tempted, and 'were destroyed of serpents. '° Neither murmur ye, as 78. 18, 56. & 95. ™some of them also murmured, and "were destroyed of "the Destroyer. I Num. 21. 6.' ^1 Now all these things happened unto them for tensamples: and ^they 's. Num." 14. 2, ' are written for our admonition, 'upon whom the ends of the world are n^Nu*^.' 14^37. & comc. ^^ Whercforc '"let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest 11.49; he fall ' Ex. 12.23. "*^ ''*" • 2 Sam. 24. 16. j'omJL''- § 2A..-ckap. X. 13-22. ^q^rn™ ^^' ^' '^^ "^'^^ Corinthians, exposed only to similar temptations as others, are exhorted to abstain 9 ch. 7. 29. Phil. from idolatry, and from eating of things offered to idols — The Apostle proves by a ^•-^.•J^*:''; '.""g reference to our own communion, and to the ceremonial Law, that by such an action is! ' there was an outward worshipping of the demons on whose sacrifices they feasted, r Rom. 11. 20. j^j^^ ^q whom they united themselves — The worship of the true God and idols incom- c o. patible, and derogatory to the honor of Christ. * ot, moderate. 13 There hath uo tcmptatiou taken you but *such as is common to * Ps." i25."3. man : but "God is faithful, 'who will not suffer you to be tempted /jer.'ao! i'i. above that ye are able ; but will with the temptation also 'make a way ''a!"?". u~ohn5. to escape, that [ye] may be able to bear it. 21- i"* Wherefore, my dearly beloved, ''flee from idolatry. ^^ I speak as /Miltt.26.26,27, to 'wisc men; judge ye what I say: ^''the-'^cup of blessing which we ^ Acts 2. 42, 46. bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? ^The bread A'^Rom." 12.' s.^ch. which wc break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? ■^Z'^''\ , 10 J ^^ For ''we bein<>; many are one bread and one body : for we are all 1 Rom.4. 1,12. & fTt J •' . 9.3,5.2Cor.ii. partakors of that One Bread. ^^ Behold 'Israel after the flesh : 'are not j Lev. 3] 3! & '7. they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar ? ^^ What say I i^ch.8.4. then? Hhat the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice Sect. VI.] TPIE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 261 to idols is any thing ? -'* But I say, that the things which tiie Gentiles '■^^^;}^^'^{^^ 'sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not Ps.jkb?. * that ye should have fellowship with devils, ^i Ye "cannot drink the ^ Tcor. e^'is, cup of the Lord, and "the cup of devils : ye cannot be partakers of ^i^^^^ ^^ J the Lord's Table, and of the table of devils. ^~J)o we "provoke the „ dIqI.' 30! 21.' Lord to jealousy ? ^are we stronger than he ? v Ezek. 22. 14. § 25. — chap. X. 23, to the end., and xi. 1. § 25. St. Paul, affirms, that though all meats under the Gospel dispensation were lawful, in a ch. 6. 12. opposition to the false teachers, he declares them not expedient, as the edification of 6 Rom 15. 1, 2. others should be the first consideration — The Corinthians are permitted to eat whatever s^pjj^^'l''^ ^|i_ was sold in the shambles, or placed on the table of a heathen, unless by so doing they ^ [Or, prosperity, offend the conscience of weaker brethren — Christians are required to consult, even in or,weIfare.-ED.] the most indifferent actions, the glory of God, and the advantage of others, rather than '^j^^^'^''^^^^' their own inclinations — They are called upon to follow the disinterestedness of St. ^ j.^ jg l ' Paul, who followed Christ. Reut. 10. 14. Pa. 24. I.&.-,0. 12. 23 All "things are lawful [for me], but all thmgs are not expedient: ver.28. all things are lawful [for me], but all things edify not. 24 Let 'no ^^jJl'^'JoJi^ man seek his own, but [every man] another's 'wealth. -'Whatsoever AOeut. 10.14. ''is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience' p^^- 24. 1. ver. sake, -^ for 'the earth is the* Lord's, and the fulness thereof. 2" If any i Rom. i4. le. of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; * o^- «*««^'-"''- ins. Avhatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience' j Rom. 14. 6. sake, 2^ But if any man say unto you, '' This is offered in sacrifice j. ^^^^'^ {-,] unto idols," eat not 'for his sake that showed it, and for conscience' , \j^^" j^ "3 ^.^ sake: [for '' the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.] ^^ Con- e. la.'scor.'e. ' science, I say, not thine own, but of the other. For 'why is my liberty ^^^ oreeks. iudffed of another man's conscience ? ^^ for if I by *orace be a par- m Acts 20. 28. taker, why am I evil spoken of for that ^ for which 1 give thanks? J Tim.' 3. 5. 3^ AVhether ''therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to n Rom. 15. 2. ch. •I ' ' -f - 9. 19, 22. the glory of God. ^~ Give 'none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to „ ver.'24. the tGentiles, nor to "'the Church of God : ^^ even as "I please all men p^\^^ f-^ in all things, "not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that Phii.s. iV.' they may be saved. ^ Be 'ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 2 Thess! 3! 9! -^ 26. — chap. xi. 2-16. c og St. Paul commends them for havino- observed his ordinances — He explains their nature, 3 ffl cli. 4. IT. by showing the subordination of all men to Christ, of the woman to the man, and the ^ ^^^ ~ j-_ subordination of Christ to God — The veil being a mark of inferiority and subjection, * OT,traditi(ms. women are forbidden to appear unveiled. r,'^'' fi*^' ^' ^^' 2 Now, I praise you, brethren, "that ye remember me in all things, c Eph. 5.23. and 'keep the ^ordinances, as I delivered them to you. ^ But I would "^^ TTm.^2.^ii, 12. have you know, that 'the head of every man is Christ ; and ''the head 1 Pet. 3. 1,5,6 of the woman is the man ; and 'the head of Christ is God. '' Every ^l^^'a" 23: & 15. man praying or -^prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his f 'g"^'/*'''" ^* head. ^ But 'every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head /• ch. 12. 10, 28. uncovered dishonoreth her head : for that is even all one as if she were *^/^- ^'^l' a- Acts 21. 9. ''shaven. ^ For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn : but a Dem. 21. 12. if it be 'a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. '^'"■"J; i^- , . Deut. 22.5. "^ For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as ^he is j gph. 1.26,27. the image and glory of God : but the woman is the glory of the man. ^ ^^^ ^ ^^'^ ® For ''the man is not of the woman, but (he woman of the man; z Gen.2. i8,'2i, ^ neither 'was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the ^- ., „, 7rt Lren. 24 b4. man. ^" For this cause ought the woman "to have tpower on her t Thatis,aeot;er. head "because of the angels.'' ^^ Nevertheless "neither is the man ™£\Tu^^}^ without the woman, neither the w^oman without the man, in the Lord ; P'^^ofiurhus- ^- for as the woman is of the man, even so is tlie man also by the woman, n Eccies. 5. e. ^but all things of God. ^^ Judoe in yourselves : is it comclv that a "^ ^''^ ^°^^ ^*'- woman pray unto God uncovered ? ^"* Doth not even nature itseli p Rom. 11. se. 262 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIII. X Or, veil. q 1 Tim. 6. 4. r ch. 7. 17. & 14. 33. § 27. a ch. 1. 10, 11, 1-2. & 3. 3. * Or, scliisms. b INIatt. 18. 7. Luke 17. 1. Acts 20. 30. 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Pet. 2. 1, 2. t Or, sects. c Luke 2. 35. 1 John 2. 19. See Deut. 13.3. I Or, je cannot eat. d 2 Pet. 2. 13. Jude 12. e ch. 10. 32. / .lames 2. 6. * Or, them that are poor. g ch. 15. 3. Gal. 1.1,11,12. h M;\tt. 26. 26. iMark 14. 22. Lulce 22. 19. t <-)r,/ur a re- membrance. I Or, show ye. i John 14. 3. & 21.22. Acts 1. II. ch.4. 5. & 15. 23. 1 Thess. 4. 16. 2 Thess. 1. 10. Jufle 14. Rev. 1. 7. j Num. 9. 10, 13. John 6. 51, 63, 61. & 13. 27. ch. 10. 21. k 2 Cor. 13. 5. Gill. 6. 4. * Or, judgment, P^om. 13. 2. 1 Ps. 32. 5. 1 John I. 9. m Ps. 91. 12, 13. Heh. 12. .5-11. n ver. 21. ver. 22. f Or, judgment. p ch. 7. 17. Tit. 1.5. q ch. 4. 19. § 28. a ch. 14. 1,37. b ch. 6.11. E|>h. 2 11,12. IThes. 1. 9. Tit. 3. 3. 1 Pel. 4. 3. c Ps. 115. 5. d Mark 9. 39. 1 John 4. 2, 3. * Or, anathema, e Mntt. 16. 17. John 15. 25. 2 Cor. 3. 5. / Rom. 12. 4, &c. Heh. 2. 4. 1 Pet. 4. 10. g V.\Ai. A. 4. A Rom. 12. 0, 7, 8. Eph. 4. 11. I Or, ministerics. teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him ? ^^ but if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her ? For her hair is given [her] for a tcovering. ^^ But 'if any man seem to be conten- tious — we have no such custom, ''neither the Churches of God. § 27. — chap. xi. 17, to the end. The Apostle reproves them for their divisions and separate parties, when they meet together for the celebration of the Lord's Supper — They are required not only to assemble themselves in one place, but to receive the Lord's Supper as one body, uniting in commemorating the death of Christ — He condemns them for bringing meat into the Church, and joining it to the Lord's Supper, profaning the holy ordinance — To correct these disorders, the Apostle gives an account of the institution of the Eucharist, with directions for its due observance. ^' Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. ^'^ For first of all, when ye come together in the Church, "I hear that there be *divisions among you ; and I partly believe it ; ^^ for Hhere must be also theresies among you, "that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. '^^ When you come together therefore into one place, tthis is not to eat the Lord's Supper ; ^^ for in eating every one taketh before other his own supper : and one is hungry, and '^another is drunken. ^^ What ! have ye not houses to eat and to drink in ? or despise ye 'the Church of God, and ^shame *them that have not ? What shall I say to you ? shall I praise you in this ? I praise you not. 23 Pqj. "I iiave received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, ''That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread ; ~'^ and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, " [Take, eat :] this is my body, which is broken for you : this do tin remembrance of me." ~^ After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, " This cup is the new testament in my blood : this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." ^^For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, tje do show the Lord's death 'till He come. -''^ Wherefore, -'whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. ~^ But ^let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup ; ^^ for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh "damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. ^^ For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. ^^ For 'if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged ; ^- but when we are judged, '"we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. ^-^ Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another ; ^^and if any man "hunger, let him eat at "home, that ye come not together unto tcondemnation. And the rest^will I set in order when 'I come. § '28.— chap. xii. 1-30. The power of Christ shown to be superior to that of idols, bj' the spiritual gifts he imparted — The Christians arc desired to judge of the inspiration of their teachers by the doctrines they taught — Spiritual gifts, however various, derived from one and the same Holy Spirit, and for the same end, the common benefit of the Christian Church — Whicli is exemplified, by a comparison to the human body and its members. ^ Now "concerning spiritual giftif, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. - Ye know 'that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these "dumb idols, even as ye were led ; -' wherefore I give you to under- stand, ''that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus *ac- cursed ; and that 'no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. '' Now-^there are diversities of gifts, but ^the same Spirit ; ^ and 'there are difterences of tadministrations, but the same Lord ; Sect. VI.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 263 6 and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God Svhich » ^■■p^'- i—s. worketh all in all. "^ But ^ the manifestation of the Spirit is given to •''g^XM.al/' every man to profit withal : ^ for to one is given by the Spirit Hhe f^.^t'^^'^io, u. vi^ord of wisdom; to another, 'the word of knowledge by the same &ch.2. r,, 7.' Spirit ; ^ to "another, faith by the same Spirit ; to another, "the gifts of Kfclr^ri!^''^' healing by the same Spirit ; '" to "another, the working of miracles ; m Matt. 17. 19, to another, ^prophecy ; 'to another, discerning of spirits; to another, 2Cor.'4. is.' ''divers kinds of tongues; to another, the interpretation of tongues, "j^^^r/f^ ^^* ^^ But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, "dividing „ ver. ae, 29. to every man severally 'as he will. Gau'als/^' ^^ For "as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the ? Rom 12.6. ch. members of that [one] body, being many, are one body : "so also is &c. Christ. ^'^ For '"by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, ""whether \''^^^^^;^^i_ we be Jews or tGen tiles, whether xoe he bond or free ; and '■'have been all r Acts 2. 4.&10. made to drink into one Spirit. ^^ For the body is not one member, but /Ron'''i2^.'6.'ch. many. ^^ If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not 7^7.^2 cor.^10. of the body ; is it therefore not of the body ? ^^ And if the ear shall t i'ohn-1'.s. ' say. Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body ; is it therefore Jp||;^f"jt' 4 5 not of the body ?' '' If the whole body were an eye, where were the Eph.4. 4,'i()'. hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? "^g"-^^-^"'-^- 1^ But now hath "^God set the members every one of them in the body, w Rom. c. 5. "as it hath pleased Him. i'-* And if they were all one member, where ''^''{^^{^il^^- were the body? ^^ But now are they many members, yet but one coi. 3.11. body. ^^ And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need y jl{,„ e'.'es. & of thee : nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. , ggg"j/Jj'/j^i' ^~ Nay, much more those members of the -body, which seem to be zver. 28. more feeble, are necessary ; -^ and those members of the body, which '^3^°™;J^jj'- '^''• we think to be less honorable, upon these we *bestow more abundant *or, p««on. honor ; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness ; t or, didsion. ^'* for our comely parts have no need. But God hath tempered the Eph'."i . 2.i & 4. body together, having given more abundant honor to that ijart vvliich coif^L 24? ' ^^' lacked ; ~^ that there should be no tschism in the body ; but that the c Eph. 5. 30. members should have the same care one for another. ~^ And whether ^ Eph.2.2o.\&; one member suffer, all the members suti'er with it ; or one member be 3- ^■ honored, all the members rejoice with it. ^^ Now 'ye are the body of Rom! 12.0.' Christ, and 'members in particular. ^^ And ''God hath set some in f '<'^- ^o- ,., /t V6r. 9. the Church, first 'Apostles, secondarily, ■'^Prophets, thirdly. Teachers, j Num. n. 17. after that ^miracles, then, ''gifts of healings, *helps, •'governments, tdi- j Ro^- J?- ^:, versities of tongues. ~^ Are all apostles ? are all prophets ? are all iitb. 15. n, 24. teachers ? are all * workers of miracles ? ^*' have all the gifts of heal- ^v?r.' I'o!"^' ing ? do all speak with tongues ? do all interpret ? * Or, powers. § 29. — chap. xii. 31, and xiii. Charity founded on tlie love of God is preferable to the best spiritual gifts. ^ "' ' ■' ' a ch. ]4. 1, 39. ^1 But "covet earnestly the best gifts ; and yet show I unto you a « ch. 12. s, 9, 10, more excellent way. — ^ Though I speak with the tongues of men and tJee M;.tt.7.22.' of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a '^ ,?'•'"• T^?*^" i^ " .' ' /-h \ \ Mark 11. 23. tmkling cymbal. ^ And though I have the gift 0/ prophecy, and un- Luke 17. e. derstand all mysteries, and all knowledge ; and though I have all faith, "^ p|^*'' fy j'.,"' "so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 1 Pet.'4. 8. 2 And ''though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give ^^J'/o."24!^^fi'i. my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 2. 4. '' Charity 'suffereth long, and is kind ; charity envieth not ; charity ^j. s-i *vaunteth not itself, is not puficd up, ^ doth not behave itself unseemly, ^ - J"''" '*• •''seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil ; ^ re- trut\^' ' joiceth °not in iniquity, but ''rejoiceth tin the truth; ^ beareth 'all « Ro'"^ ^•^- 1*^ things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 24. 264 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIIL ch. 8. 2. f Or, reasoned. k 2 Cor. 3. 18. & 5. 7. Phil. 3. ]-2. * Gr. in a riddle. I Matt. 18. 10. 1 Jolin 3. 2. § 30. a ch. 13. 31. 4 Num. 11.25, 29. c Acts 2. 4. & 10. 46. * Gr. htareth. Acts 22. 9. d ver. 26. f Or, tunes. I Gr. significant. * Gr. of spirits. e Eph. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. / Ps. 47. 7. ^^ ch. 11.24. h Ps. 131.2. Matt. 11. 25. & 18. 3. & 19. 14. Rom. 16. 19. ch. 3. 1. Eph. 4. 14. Heb. 5. 12, 13. i Matt. 18. 3. 1 Pet. 2. 2. (■ Gr. perfect, or, of a ripe age. ch. 2. 6. j John 10. 34. k Is. 28. 11, 12. ^ Charity never faileth : but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail ; whether there be tongues, they shall cease ; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. ^ For ^we know in part, and we pro- phesy in part ; ^° but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. ^^ When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I ^thought as a child : but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ^^ For 'now we see through a glass, *darkly ; but then 'face to face : now I know in part ; but then shall I know even as also I am known. ^^ And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three ; but the greatest of these is charity ! § 20.— chap. xiv. 1-25. The miraculous gifts being sometimes perverted, by being used to ostentation, St. Paul shows that prophecy is to be preferred to tongues, as it tends more to the edification of the Church. ^ Follow after charity, and "desire spiritual gifts, ''but rather that ye may prophesy. - For he that "speaketh in an iinknoivn tongue speak- eth not unto men, but unto God : for no man *understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries : ^ but he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. * He that speaketh in an unknoivn tongue edifieth himself ; but he that prophesieth edifieth the Church. ^ I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied : for greater is he that prophe- sieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the Church may receive edifying. ^ Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you eitjier by ''revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine ? ' And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the tsounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped ? ^ for if the trumpet give an uncer- tain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle ? ^ So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words teasy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken ? for ye shall speak into the air. ^° There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. ^^ Therefore if I know not the meaninff of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me. ^^ Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous *of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the Church. ^^ Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. ^'^ For if I pray in an un- known tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. ^^ What is it then ? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also : T will sing with the spirit, and I will sing ■'^with the understanding also. ^*^ Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen °at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest ? ^^ For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edi- fied. ^^ I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all. ^^ Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknoivn tongue. ~° Brethren, ''be not children in understanding : liowbeit in malice 'be ye children, but in understanding be tmen. ^^ In •'the Law it is ^written, — " With men of other tongues and other lips Will I speak unto this people ; And yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord." Sect. VI.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 265 22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them tliat beUeve not : but prophesying serveth not for them that be- lieve not, but for them which believe. '^■^ If therefore the whole Church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, 'will they not say that ye are mad ? ^' But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all, 2^ and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest ; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report "that God is "ze'iKl^^ in you of a truth. I Acts 2. 13. § 31. — chap. xiv. 26, to the end. St. Paul gives directions for the most profitable way of exercising their gifts in the public assemblies — Women are forbidden to speak in the Churches — He submits the truth of his doctrine to those who were discerners of spirits — He commands that every thing S •^•^• be done in their Churches both decently, and according to the observances already „ ^^^ g ^j, ^^ established among Christians. 8,9, 10. 2*^ How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of A^or.'ia.' :9. you hath a psalm, "hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, ^^^^'^^ ^^^ hath an interpretation : ''let all things be done unto edifying. ^'^ If any a I'i'hess.s. i9, man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by /|'jg,,^4 j three, and that by course ; and let one interpret. -^But if there be no * gt. tumult, or, interpreter, let him keep silence in the Church ; and let him speak to /^h.Trie!' himself, and to God. ^^ Let the prophets speak two or three, and 'let g i Tim. a. ii, the other judge ; ^^ if any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, ^ ^j, j, 3 ^p^ ''let the first hold his peace. ^^ For ye may all prophesy one by one, Tip2^5°'i m^' that all may learn, and all may be comforted ; ^^and 'the spirits of the 3.1. prophets are subject to the prophets ; ^^ for God is not the author of *confusion, but of peace, ■'^as in all Churches of the saints. 'iJohii4. e. ^'^ Let "'your women keep silence in the Churches : for it is not per- V'riiRss.'s.'ao. mitted unto them to speak; hut ''they arc comnmnded to be under Mer. 33. obedience, as also saith the 'Law. ^^ And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home : for it is a shame for women to § 32. speak in the Church. ^^ What ! came the word of God out from you ? a cai. i. n. or came it unto you only ? * J^"""- ^- ^; ^ I'll- \r I 1 ••111-'' "<""• !• li)- cb. "*' If^any man thmk himseli to be a prophet, or spu'itual, let nim 1.21. acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the command- * or,houifa3t. ments of the Lord ; ^^ but if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant, speech'!^ ^^ Wherefore, brethren, *covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak t Gen. 3. 16. ;■ 2 Cor. 10. 7. d Gal. 3. 4. e ch. 11.2,23. with tongues. '^^ Let 'all things be done decently and in order. /Gai. liik g Ps. 22. 15, &.C. § 32. — chap. XV. 1-1 J. Dan. 9. 20. Zech. St. Paul proceeds to refute a Judaical error which had prevailed among the Corinthians ^g' 46^^^ctg 3* respecting the resurrection, and appeals to tlie testimony of the eyewitnesses, as the 18. & 26. -23. best evidences of the resurrection of Christ. ') 24* ^Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel "which I ft Ps. 2. 7. & le. preached unto you, which also ye have received, and Svherein ye Hos.^6.2."LQke stand ; ~ by 'which also ye are saved, if ye *keep in memory twhat I l^bs^^Ws'.^ preached unto you, unless ''ye have believed in vain. ^For 'I dehvered p'^'j^pet i^' unto you first of all that^vhich I also received, how that Christ died 11' for our sins 'according to the Scriptures; ■* and that he was buried, * ^"^428 17. and that he rose asjain the third da v, ''according to the Scriptures; J'^'^'^i^^^- ^ and 'that he was seen of Cephas, then •'of the Twelve. ^ After that John 20.' 19,26. he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once ; of whom the ,. ^^^^6 24. 50. greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. Acts 1.3,4. "^ After that, he was seen of James; then *of all the apostles ; ^ and 2-2. 14, is.' ch." a 'last of all he was seen of me also, as of tone born out of due time. J' . ,. ^ (For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called „ Eph. 3. 8. VOL. II. 34 w ^66 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIII- "i.'Gai.^^ia*' ^' an apostle, because "I persecuted the Church of God : i°but °by the PhiL3.6.iTim. grace of God I am what I am ; and his grace which ^vas bestowed o Eph. 2. 7, 8. upon me was not in vain ; but ''I labored more abundantly than they p 2 Cor. 11. 23. all — 'yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.) ^^ There- q Matt. 10.20. ^orc whethcr it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. Rora. 15. 18, 19. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Gal. 2. 8. Eph. 3. 7. § 33. — chap. XV. 12-22. St. Paul proves the certainty of the resurrection of the dead from the resurrection of Christ — Mankind subjected to death by Adam, and raised to hfe by Christ. ^^ Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say § ^^- some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead ? ^^ But if a 1 Thess. 4. 14. ^j^gj-g \^q j^q rcsurrcctiou of the dead, "then is Christ not risen : ^"^ and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. ^^ Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God : because *A'''',nlo'P" *we have testified of God that he raised up Christ; whom he raised & 4. 10, 3J. ot . _ i ' 13.30. not up, if so be that the dead rise not. ^'^ For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised ; ^^ and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain ; cKom.4.25. "ye are yet in your sins: ^^ then they also which are fallen asleep in d 2 Tim. 3. 12. Ciirist are perished. ^° If "^in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. e 1 Pet. 1. 3. 20 g^|^ j^Q^y ^jg Christ risen from the dead, and become ■''the first- '^w'^CotiXr'' fruits of them that slept. ~^ For "since by man came death, ''by man Rev. 1.5. came also the resurrection of the dead. ^~ For as in Adam all die, even f 1 u"'i,'or ' so in Christ shall all be made ahve. A John 11.25. Rora. 6. 23. c § 2^.— chap. XV. 23-28. St. Paul reveals the order of the resurrection — The resignation of the mediatorial kingdom of Christ, after the resurrection of mankind from the grave, and the annihilation of sin 5 34. ^^^ death. a ver.2o. 1 Thes. ^^ BuT "cvcry man in his own order : Christ the first fruits ; afterward ft^D^ ' 7 'i7 "7 ^^^y ^'^^^ ^'^ Christ's at his coming : ~^ then cometh the end, when lie Ps. iin. i.Acts shall have delivered up *the kingdom to God, even the Father ; when ?' 2I' Hcb!^[.'\'3. ^^ shall have put down all rule and all authority and power; ^° for he &10. 13. must reign, '^Till he hath put all enemies under his feet. -''The ''last '^Rev.'2o'. 14.'''' enemy that shall be destroyed is death. -^ For 'He hath put all things e Ps. 8. 6. Matt, under his feet. But when he saith, " All things are put under him," 1 Pet.'3. 22". ' ' it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under him. /Phil. 3. 21. 28 And Avhen all things shall be subdued unto him, then ^shall the Son also himself be subject unto Him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. g oh. 3.23. & n. § 35. § 25.— chap. xv. 29-34. a 2 Cor. 11.20. The disbelief of the resurrection is inconsistent with the nature of our baptismal pro- Gal. 5. 11. . . , ,• • TT , , 11-1 „ „ , lession. and encourages licentiousness — He exhorts them not to be deceived. * Some read, our. ■ ° b 1 Thess.2. 19. ~^ Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead ? If the %^9'"d corV'' dead rise not at all, why are they then baptized for the dead ? ^^ And 10, 11. & 11. 23. "why stand we in jeopardy every hour ? ^^ I protest by *your 'rejoicing KfilrtheZlmer whichi havc in Christ Jesus our Lord, 1 die daily ! ^~Iff after the of men. manner of men ''I have fouaht with beasts at Ephesus, what advan- e Is. 22. 13. & .'io. tiigeth it me ? If the dead rise not ; " Let 'us eat and drink ; for to- i9.Eccics.2.24. morrow we die." ^^ Be not deceived: " Evil •'"communications corrupt Luke 12. 19. good maimers." *^^ Awake °to righteousness, and sin not; ''for some ■^''^■^ ^'o Ti have not the knowledge of God — I 'speak this to your shame. ff Rom. 13. 11. r> I J Eph. 5. M. A 1 Thess. 4. 5. § m.—chap. XV. 35-44. i ch. 6. 5. g^ Paxil answers the philosophical objections raised to the resurrection of the dead, from the analogy of the growth of a plant from its seed — He shows that the human body, which is committed to the ground, will in the same manner rise again at the resurrection, changed in its properties, and more beautiful in its form. SrcT. VI.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 267 ^^ But some man will say, "How are the dead raised up ? and with § 36. what body do they come ? ="^ Thou fool ! Hhat which thou sowest is not « ^zek. 37. 3. quickened, except it die: ^^and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not * •'°'"» 12.24. that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat or of some other grain : ^"^ but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. ^'^ All flesh is not the same flesh : but there is one kind of [flesh] of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. ^° There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terres- trial : but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terres- trial is another. ^^ There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars : for one star differeth from another star in glory. ''- So 'also is the resurrection of the dead. ''^^^^- If ^j It is sown in corruption — it is raised in incorruption : ^^ it "^is sown in d Phii. a 21. dishonor — it is raised in glory : it is sown in weakness — it is raised in power : "^^ it is sown a natural body — it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual bodv. § 37.— chap. XV. 45-49. The Truth of the Resurrection proved to the Jews by the analogy between the first and the second Adam. § 37. ''^ And so it is written, The first man Adam "was made a living "2"^"-^^ soul ; 'the last Adam ivas made 'r quickening spirit. "^^ Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural ; and after- 57' p^^'i^a ^21 ward that which is spiritual. "*" The "^first man is of the earth, ^earthy : coi. 3. 4. the second man is the Lord-^from heaven. ^^As is the earthy, such ^i°^"^-l^\ „ "I'll 1 11 * Oen. a. 7. at are they also that are earthy: "and as is the heavenly, such are they i9. also that are heavenly; '^^ and ''as we have borne the image of the -^ •'°,*'° V„Vi; ^ Fella 3 20 21 earthy, 'we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. ^ Gen. sis ' b Rom. 5. 14. c John 5. 21. & 6. i Rom. 8. 29. § 38.— chap. XV. 50, to the end. l^ihrhiKxti. St. Paul asserts that our present bodies cannot be admitted into a spiritual state — He 1 John 3. 2. describes the manner of the resurrection, and the glorious change wliich will take place in a state of immortality, with the complete victory over sin and death — From these considerations the Corinthians are exhorted to an active and steadfast faith. . g .yi. ^^ Now this I say, brethren, that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the a Man. le. 17. kinodom of God ; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. ^^ Be- John 3. 3, 5. hold ! I show you a mystery ! 'We shall not all sleep, "but we shall all be ig, 17. " chansed, ^^ in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. at the last trump. '' Phii.3. 21. o ■' ■ ~ , . ^, (2 Zech. 9. 14. ("Tor the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorrupti- Jiatt. 24.' 31.' ble, and we shall be changed.) ""^ For this corruptible must put on in- 1 ThJ^'s. 4. le. corruption, and 'this mortal must put on immortality. ^'^ So when this « 2 cor. 5. 4. corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put ■^^.''if^il' Rev.' on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the -^saying that is written, ^•^'^■ "Death is swallowed up in victory." ^^O^death ! where is thy sting? i q^^^u' O *grave ! where is thy victory ? ^^ The sting of death is sin ; and ''the a Rom. 4.15. & strength of sin is the Law. ^^ But 'thanks be to God, which giveth us , Rom. 7.25.' •'the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ ! ^® Therefore, *'my beloved j 1 John 5. 4,5. brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovcable, always abounding in the work *2Pet. 3. 14. of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know 'that your labor is not in vain in ^ '^^- ^- ^ the Lord. § .39. — chap. xvi. 1-4. St. Paul, in reply to the last inquiry of the Corinthians, gives directions as to the manner in which Christians should provide for the poor, and promises to send their collections § •'"• to Jerusalem. a Acu 11. 29. & 24. 17. Rom. 15. ^ Now concerning "the collection for the saints, as I have given ^^v.^F",'';^;.^; order to the Churches of Galatia, even so do ye. ^ Upon 'the first day 2. 10. ' of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath *j-Yo=2o.7.Eev. 268 THE TUMULT AT EPHESUS. [Part XIII. c 2 Cor. 8. 19. t Gr. gift, 2 Cor. 8. 19. 4,6, d 2 Cor. 8. 4, 19. prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. -^And when I come, "^whomsoever ye shall approve, by your letters, them will I send to bring your *liberality unto Jerusalem. ^ And "^if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me. § 40. a Acts 19. 21. 2 Cor. 1. 16. b Acts ]5. 3. &. 17. 15. &21. 5. Rom. 15. 24. 2 Cor. 1. 16. c Acts 18. 21. ch. 4. 19. J;ime3 4. 15. d Acts 14. 27. 2 Cor. 2. 12. Col. 4. 3. Rev. 3.8. « Acts 19. 9. f Acts 19. 22. ch. 4. 17. g Rom. 16. 21. Phil. 2.20,22. 1 Thess. 3. 2. h 1 Tim. 4. 12. i Acts 15. 33. i ch. 1. 12. & 3. •'5. k Matt. 24. 42. & 25. 13. 1 Theas. 5. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 8. I ch. 15. 1. Phil. 1. 27. & 4. 1. IThesg. 3. 8. S Thess. 2. 15. m Eph. 6. 10. Col. 1. 11. 71 ch. 14. 1. 1 Pet. 4.8. ch. 1. 16. p Rom. 16. 5. gr 2 Cor. 8. 4. & 9. 1. Heb. 6. 10. r Heb. 13. 17. s Heb. C. 10. t 2 Cor. 11. 9. Phil. 2. 30. Philemon 13. u Col. 4. 8. V 1 Thess. 5. 12. Phil. 2. 29. w Rom. 16. 5, 15. Philemon 2. X Rom. 16. 16. y Col. 4. 18. 2 Thess. 3. 17. 1 Eph. 6. 24. a Gal. 1. 8, 9. 6 Jude 14, 15. c Rom. 16. 20. 40. — chap. xvi. 5, to the end. St. Paul concludes his Epistle with various messages and salutations — He gives an account of his son Timothy, and Apollos' intention of coming to see them — Recom- mends Timothy to them — He exhorts them to faith and charity — Recommends Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus to them — He concludes with greetings and salutations. ^ Now I will come unto you, "when I shall pass through Macedonia ; (for I do pass through Macedonia ;) ^ and it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may 'bring me on my journey whith- ersoever I go. '^ For I will not see you now by the way ; but I trust to tarry awhile with you, 'if the Lord permit. ^ But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost ; ^ for ''a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and ^ there are many adversaries. ^" Now -^if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear : for ^he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do ; ^^ let ''no man therefore despise him. But conduct him forth 'in peace, that he may come unto me ; for I look for him with the brethren. ^^ As touching our brother ^Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren : but his will was not at all to come at this time ; but he will come when he shall have convenient time. ^^ Watch ''ye, 'stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, '"be strong ; ^^ let "all your things be done with charity. ^^ I beseech you, brethren, (ye know "the house of Stephanas, that it is ''the first-fruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to 'the ministry of the saints,) ^^ that ''ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and 'laboreth. ^^ I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achai- cus : 'for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied ; ^^ for "they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore "acknowl- edge ye them that are such. ^^ The Churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, '"with the Church that is in their house : ^^ all the brethren greet you. ""Greet ye one another with a holy kiss. -^ The ''salutation of me Paul with mine own hand, ~^ (if any man *love not the Lord Jesus Christ, "let him be Anathema ! ''Maran-atha,) 2^ the "grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you ! ~^ My love be with you all in Christ Jesus ! [Amen.] [[The First Epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi by Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus, and Timotheus.J [end of the first epistle to the CORINTHIANS.] SECT. VII. Section VIL — St. Paul continues at Ephesus — A Tumult is occasioned at that -place by Demetrius.^ Acts xix. latter part ofver. 22, to the end. 2^ But he himself staid in Asia for a season. -^ And "the same time there arose no small stir about 'that way. ~^ For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought "no small gain unto the craftsmen. ~^ Whom he called to- gether with the workmen of like occupation, and said, " Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth ; ~" moreover ye see and hear, tliat not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that ''they be no V. ^. 5Gor7. J.P.476i)or70. Ephesus. m See Note 12. a 2 Cor. 1.8. b See ch. 9. 2. c ch. 16. 16, 19. d Ps. 115. 4. Is 44. 10-20. Jor, 10. 3. Sect. IX.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 269 gods, which are made with hands. -^ So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought ; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth." 2^ And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, " Great is Diana of the Ephesians ! " ^^ And the whole city was filled with confusion; and having caught 'Gains and *ico"'i.i4. ' ■^Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they ^^\^;^;^^'^ rushed with one accord into the theatre. ^'^ And when Paul would Philemon 24! have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. ^^ And certain of the Chief [Priests] of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre. ^- Some therefore cried one thing, and some another ; for the assembly was confused, and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together. ^^ And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward ; and ^Alexander ''beckoned with the ^sxTri.^if ' hand, and would have made his defence unto the people. ^4 But when h ch. 12. 17. they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, " Great is Diana of the Ephesians ! " 2-^ And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, " Ye men of Ephesus ! what man is there that knoweth not how that the ^ ^ ^^^^ ^^ city of the Ephesians is *a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and ke^er'^ ""^ of the image which fell down from Jupiter? ^^ Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. ^"^ For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. 2s Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, tthe law is open, and there are depu- ^^^'/^^/l^^l ties ; let them implead one another. ^^ But if ye inquire any thing con- cerning other matters, it shall be determined in a tlawful assembly. ^ *^'' '^*'""t- ^" For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this con- — . course." *^ And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. SECT. viri. Section VIII. — St. Paul leaves Ephesus and goes to Macedonia. — Acts xx. 1. Ipl-el'^or 7o' And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, ' ^J^^^^-J^ and embraced them, and "departed for to go into Macedonia. ^ ^ coTTe 5 1 Tim.' 1. 3. " Section IX. — St. Paul writes his First Epistle to Timothy, to direct him hoiv to proceed in the Suppression of those false Doctrines, and ^^^^' ^^' Corruptions, ivhich the Jewish Zealots were endeavouring to establish v. JE. 57 or 8. in the Church of Ephesus, over ivhich he was appointed to preside.^ J.P.4770or71. THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. — § 1. § I- — chap. i. 1, 2. n See Note 13. The Salutation. a Acts 9. 15. Gal ^ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ "by the commandment ''of God j ch.'2. 3. &4. our Saviour, and [Lord] Jesus Christ, "which is our hope ; ^ unto "^Timo- &b. 10. & 3! 4 thy, 'my own son in the faith ! ■'^Grace, mercy, and peace, from God •^"'^^ ^• our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord ! d Acts le. i. lCor.4.I7. Phil. 2. 19. 1 Thess. § 2. — chap. i. 3, 4. ^- ~- ^ ^ e Tit. 1. 4. St. Paul reminds Timothy of the causes for which he had left hira at Ephesus — To y qj^] j 3 g Tim oppose the Jewish zealots, who endeavoured to intermix genealogies and traditions 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 2. with the Christian doctrines. VOL. II. *W 2. 1. h cli. 6. 15. 270 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [Part XIII. 5 ^- ^ As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, "when I went into Vhi!!'2^°24!' ^' Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some ''that they teach no other 6 Gal. 1. 6, 7. ch. doctrine, ■* neither "give heed to fables and endless genealogies, "^ which c ch.'4. 7. &6.4, minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith : so do. 20. 2 Tim. 2. 14,' l(i, 23. Tit. 1. r o , • ^ -. 14. & 3. 9. § 6. — chap. 1. 5-10, and part ofver. 11. d ch. G. 4. St. Paul explains the design and use of the Law, which he shows to be perfectly consistent with Christianity, as it enforces moral goodness, and condemns all kinds of § 3. wickedness. "g^i"5' 14 ^' ^°' ^ (Now "the end of the commandment is charity ''out of a pure 6 2 Tim. 2. 22. heart, and o/a good conscience, and 0/ faith unfeigned : ^ from which * Or, ornot aiming souiG *having swcrvcd havc turned aside unto "vain jangling ; "^ desiring c ch. 6. 4, 20. to be teachers of the Law ; ''understanding neither what they say, nor d ch. 6. 4. whereof they affirm. ^ But we know that "the Law is good, if a man / GiTa. i9r& 5. u^6 it lawfully ; ^ knowing -^this, that the Law is not made for a 2^- righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly o* ch. fi 3. 2 Tim. . -^ o j "4. 3! Tit.' 1. 9. & and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, '" for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, for § 4. perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary ^to °GuK 2?7^.'coi. sound doctrine ; ^^ according to the glorious Gospel of ''the blessed God. 1. 25. 1 Thess. 2. 4. ch. 2. 7. 2 Tim. 1. 11. § 4. — chap. i. part of ver. 11, and 12-17. ' ^ 10 Q ^''" ^^^^ digresses to enlarge on the goodness of Christ in making him an Apostle of this c 1 Cor'7~25. glorious dispensation, and from God's mercy to himself, he invites all sinners to </ 2 Cor. 3. 5, 6. repentance. &4. 1. Col. 1. 11 ^jjj(2n "was committed to my trust, ^^ and I thank Christ Jesus our e Acts 8. 3. & 9. Lord, Vho hath enabled me, "for that he counted me faithful, "^puttins 1 1 Cor, 15. 9. ^1^0 Phil. 3. 6. ' ' me into the ministry, ^^ who "was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, /■ L"i<e^23^34.^ and injurious ; but I obtained mercy, because -^I did it ignorantly in Acts 3.' 17 .'& 26. unbelief, ^"*and °the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant ''with Rom 5 '>o. faith 'and love which is in Christ Jesus : ^^ this ^is a faithful saying, and icoi. 15. 10. worthy of all acceptation, that *Christ Jesus came into the world to ^ T^ T""-r" \-^^' save sinners, of whom I am chief ; ^^ howbeit for this cause I 'obtained I Luke 7. 47. I . ' . j ch. 3. 1. & 4. 9. mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, TiT.'s.'s.'"' "for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life k Miitt. 9. 13. everlasting : — " now unto "the King eternal, "immortal, ^invisible, 'the Mark 2. 17. Luke '^ » 5. 32.~& 19. 10. onlv wise God, '^be honor and glory for ever and ever ! Amen.) Rom.5.8. IJohn ;■ o ./ / 3. 5. I 2 Cor. 4. 1. § 5. — chap. i. 18, to the end. "* p *^ I'o ir & ^'-- P^^ul reminds Timothy that he had been appointed by prophecy to the Christian 145. 13. Dan. 7. ministry, and exhorts him to persevere in the purity of the faith, and a good con- 14. ch. 6. 15, 10. science — Alexander and Hymenasus, who had preserved neither, are punished for their n Rom. 1. 23. p John 1. 18. impiety. i'john4.^^2. ^^This charge "I commit unto thee, son Timothy, 'according to the 'jui'ie V' ^'^' prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest r 1 chro. 29. 11. '^yyjj^ ^ good Warfare ; ^^ holding ''faith, and a good conscience, which ~T7~ some having put away concerning faith "have made shipwreck : ^^ of whom is ■''Hymenaeus and ^Alexander, whom I have ''dehvered unto "oo.'b Tim! 2. 2. Satan, that they may learn not to 'blaspheme. 6 Kcclus. 46. 1. ch. 4. 14. c ch. 6. 12. 2 Tim. ^ 6.— chap. U. 1-7. 2. 3. & 4. 7. ^ r d ch. 3. 9. In opposition to the Judaizing Christians, St. Paul commands the Christian converts, in ^o'-n^n^o 17 the benevolent spirit of the Gospel, to pray for all men, whether Jews or Gentiles: g 2 'I'im. 2. 14. and especially for kings, and those in authority, of whatsoever nation or country — He i Ac*ts"i3^' 45 declares this to be acceptable in the sight of God, who would have all men saved, and with whom tliere is only one Mediator between God and men of all nations — c g St. Paul is appointed to make these triitlis known to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. * ot, desire. 1 1 *EXH0RT therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, inter- KiiCT. IX.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 271 cessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men ; ~ for "kings, and "gfT^' ^^''"' ''for all that are in tauthority ; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable * «ora. 13. 1. life in all godliness and honesty. ^ For this is "good and acceptable in t fj^-'f"'"""^ the sight "of God our Saviour; ''who 'will have all men to be saved, cRom. 12. 2 ch. ■'^and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. ^ For ""there is one God, J''f' , , o^,. and ''one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ^ who i-9. 'gave himself a ransom for all: tto 'be testified *in due time, ''' where- "johns'. ifi",^?". unto 'I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I '"speak the truth in 2pp,%^ 9 Christ, a7id [I] lie not ;) "a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. / John 17. 3. 2 'J'im. 2. 25. g Rom. 3. 29,30. & 10. 12. Oal. 3. § 7. -chap. ii. 8, to the end. /Jj^^ ^ ^ ^ ^^ The duty of prayer is again enjoined — Men are commanded to offer up public prayers ; 15. whicli are not to be confined to tlie svnaffoirue, or the temple at Jerusalem; but, if i Mat. 20.28. . Mark 10 4.5 offered with devotion, are acceptable in every place — Christian women are exhorted to Eph. 1. 7. Tit. good works, and to silence — Their dress is to be consistent with their holy profession ~- ^^- — The woman, on account of her transgression, is to be subject to the man — The curse t ^'' "testimony. denounced against her will be mitigated on the condition of faith and holiness. ■'g f i^Jjg 'j 20 ^I WILL therefore that men pray "every where, ''lifting up holy ~i''"''-8- hands, without wrath and doubting: ^ in like manner also, that ' wo- oui. 4. 4. Eph. men adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and {.n'. ' ' sobriety ; not with *broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array ; 'Jf^- ^■^\^,- ^^ but ''(which becometh women professing godliness) with good works, m Rom.o. i. ^^ Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection ; ^^but "I suffer not ",?°,'!?- j}-}^-^ . J ' I.>. in. Gal. 1. a woman to teach, •'^nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in "'• silence. ^^ For ° Adam was first formed, then Eve. ''^ And ''Adam was ~&~7~ not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression ; a Mai. 1.11. ^^^ notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue /pI,"\34~o i^ in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. ]-i5- c 1 Pet. 3. 3. * Or, plaited. d 1 Pet. 3. 4. §8.-chap.m.l-7. } r^Vk''- The qualifications of a Bishop, superintendent over several conorreD-ations, and of a f Gen. 1. 27. &.S. Minister over one congregation, are described. p 'g~ " °'-''- ^ This "is a true saying. If a man desire the office of a ''bishop, he Vco". h.\ desireth a good 'work. - A ''bishop then must be blameless, 'the hus- band of one wife, vigilant, sober, *of good behaviour, given to hospital- ^ ^,^ j^ ,^' ity, ■''apt to teach ; ^ tnot "given to wine, ''no striker, 'not greedy of filthy * Aptsbo.bs. lucre ; but ^patient, not a brawler, not covetous ; ^one that ruleth well c Epii. 4.12. his own house, *having his children in subjection with all gravity; tJiUl^'g^'^''" ^ (for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take } ^riT'^^. care of the Church of God ?) ^ not ta novice, lest being lifted up with \^'\J^'^I.J,""'^a ])ride 'he fall into the condemnation of the devil : " moreover he must «i<r wrong, as have a good report "'of them which are without; lest lie fall into re- /verl's^'Tit. 1. proach "and the snare of the Devil. /.j ti,,, .3 04. i 1 Pet. 5. 9. j a Tim. 2. 24. k Tit. I. 6. § 9.— chap. ill. 8-13. J 0r,"flnf imrly The qualifications of the Deacons are enumerated ; their wives are to be examples to the /is'.'h! '/o^-'^''* people. m Acts 20. 12. ^Likewise must "the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, ''not 1 Thes.'4.'i2. given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre ; -^ h.olding 'the mystery \%^-^-~'^"^ of the faith in a pure conscience ; ^^ and let these also first be proved ; ~7~q~ then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless : ^^ even a Acts e. 3. ''so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all ',^0 pH^'a. tilings. '- Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their 21. children and their own houses well. 1^ For 'they that have *used the dVit.-iV office of a deacon well purchase to themselves" a good degree, and '21'.'"' *^'""' ~^' great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus." * ^J^ Nole k"'" 272 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [Part XIII. § 10. ^S 10.— chap. iii. 14, to the end. %^''' "o~9n~~' ^*^' ^^"^ encourages Timothy in his episcopal and ministerial duties by reminding Mm 6 Knapp k. Gries- of the sublimer doctrines of the Christian religion. ri^d^after'^c'or'' ^^ These things Write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly ; and connect "the ^^ but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to the ne.vt sen" behavo thyself "in the house of God, which is the Church of the Hving awkward^ori-" God,' the pillar and *ground of the truth. '^^ And without controversy 'he"p''r'esent7unc- ^^^^^ *^ ^'^® Hiystery of godliucss ; 'God was tmanifest in the flesh, tuation, which ''justified in the Spirit, *seen of angels, -^preached unto the Gentiles, Wolhus says ffii-i-iiii o?i ; was most esteem- ^ bclieved ou ID thc world, "received up into elorv. ed in his day, f b J (see C«r<z!,iv. 447), seems preferable. Even Wakefield and the Imjrroved Version think so.— Ed. * Or, stay. c John 1. 14. 1 John 1. 2. \ Gr. manifested. d Matt. 3. ]G. John ]. 32,33. & 15. 26. & 16. 8, 9. Rom. 1. 4. 1 Pet. 3. 18. 1 John 5. 6, Jtc. e Matt. 28. 2. Mark 16. 5. Luke 2. 13. & 24. 4. Jolm 20. 12. Eph. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 12. / Acts 10. 34. &l 13. 46, 48. Gal. 2. 8. Eph. 3. 5, 6, 8. Rom. 10. 18. Col. 1. 27,28. ch. 2. 7. ^Col. 1. G, 23. h Luke 24. 51. Acts 1. 19. 1 Pet. 3. 22. T , ,p io § ll- — chap. iv. 1-11. 2 Thess. 2. 3. ^7 t^e Spirit of God St. Paul foretells the apostacy of the Christian Church, and describes n p'"''.,''"J'*"^' ^^^ character of its corruptions; intimating thereby that the Judaizing teachers were 1 John 2.18. Jude some ot tliose wlio were preparing its way — Timothy is cautioned against all tendencies h^\ p^' on ^° these corruptions, and exhorted to inculcate the practice of virtue and piety, as the c 2 Tini. 3. 13. o'l'y profitable and acceptable service of a Christian ; and he is enjoined to enforce iffTi "" ^' ^°** ^^^^ important truth, although for so doing he will be reproached and persecuted. '^3? Re" 9^20^'^' ^ Now thc Spirit "speaketh expressly, that 'in the latter times, some e Matt. 7'. 15. shall depart from the faith, giving heed 'to seducing spirits, ''and doc- 2P^t'.2.'3. ' trines of devils ; ^ speaking 'lies in hypocrisy ; -^having their conscience ^ ^ c'orl'7'.^28 seared with a hot iron; -^ forbidding "'to marry, Vn^/ commanding to aom^He'b'' 13 4 abstain from meats, which God hath created 'to be received •'with h Rom. 14. 3, 17. thaiiksgivino; of them which believe and know the truth. ^ For *everv 1 Cor. 8. 8. ~ ~ . . . . . •' t Gen.'i.'29. &9. crcaturc of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received j Rom. 14. 6. with thanksgiving ; ^ for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. k-Rom.u.^vi ^ If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou -?/ ij^"^-'''-^- shall be a good minister of Jesus Christ, 'nourished up in the words / 2 Tim. 3. 14,15. of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. ^ But 20. 2 Tim'. 2. 16, "'refuse profane and old wives' fables, and "exercise thyself rather unto _.^&4. 4.Tit. gQ(jji,^ggg_ ^For "bodily exercise profiteth *little ; ^but godliness is 1 cor.^8.^8" profitable unto all things, 'having promise of the life that now is, and *^or" ~for'^'v ^^ ^^^^^ which is to come. '^ This 'is a faithful saying and worthy of all time. acceptation ; ^^ for therefore 'we both labor and suffer reproach, be- ? i>s! 37. '4. & 84. cause we 'trust in the living God, "who is the Saviour of all men, &'i45.\^9.ftiitt. specially of those that believe. ^^ These "things command and teach. 6. 33. & 19. 29. " Mark 10. 30. Rom. 8. 28. § 12. — chap. iv. 12, to the end. s 1 Cor. 4^11 10 ^t- I'^ul gives Timothy directions as to his own conduct, and warns him to put away all t ch. 6. 17. subjects of speculative teachino- — To become an example to the Church -To devote T> Of* C ft- •} k 3 1 107.2 6 &c. himself to the ministry, to reading, study, meditation, and self-government; for in so V ch. 6. 2. doing he should save himself, and be made the instrument of salvation to others. ^^ Let "no man despise thy youth ; but ''be thou an example of the § 12. believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in oicor. 16. 11. purity. ^^ Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to b Tit.V7.iPet. doctrine. ^^ Neglect 'not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee 5- 3- "^by prophecy, 'with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, ^^h^'his".^' ^'^ Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy e Acts 6. 6. & 8. profiting may appear *to all. ^^Take^heed unto thyself, and unto the 17. &, 13. 3. &-"- .---..-.- 19. 2 Tim. 1. 6. * Or, in alltliing-s. f Acts 20. 28. fl. ch". 5". 22. doctrine ; continue in them : for in doing this thou shalt both ^save thyself, and ''them that hear thee. o g- Ezek. 33. 9. § 13.— c7/rt;;. V. 1-1 G. '^1 c°'".'9!22.'jara. Further directions are given to Timothy for the better success of his teaching — He is S.20. instructed as to his conduct to the elders, to young men and women, and to widows who were maintained by the charity of tlie Church — None were to be admitted under sixty years of age, lest if younger women were received, and forbidden to marry, they might renounce Christianity, or bring disgrace upon the Christian name. Skct. IX.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 273 ^ Rebuke "not an elder, but entreat him as a father ; and the ^ ^'^• younger men as brethren ; -the elder women as mothers ; the younger ° ^^' ^^•^* as sisters, with all purity. ^ Honor widows Hhat are widows indeed. '^ But if any widow have *ver. 5, le. children or nephews, let them learn first to show *piety at home, and *^ukindness. 'to requite their parents: ''for that is good and acceptable before God. "^^IimAVa.' 5 Now 'she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and Eph. 5. i,'->. ■^continueth in supplications and prayers ^night and day ; ^ but ''she ^ j\^J -" 3, that liveth tin pleasure is dead while she liveth. "^ And 'these things / Luke 2. 37. & give in charge, that they may be blameless. ^But if any provide not ^ Acts 26. 7. for his own, ^and specially for those of his own thouse, *he hath AJam. 5. 5. denied the faitii, 'and is worse than an infidel. I ci,?i!'^3'"& 4 ^Let not a widow be *taken into the number under threescore n.&o. 17. years old, "having been the wife of one man, ^" well reported of for •^10? •'''•^'''■^• eood works: if she have brought up children, if she have "lodged X^'', kindred. ^ , .. .)t2 Tim 3 5 strangers, if she have "washed the saints' feet, il she have relieved Tit. 1. ie.' the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work. ^^ But 'Matt- is. 17. the younger widows refuse ; for when they have begun to wax wanton *„ Lukta'Te ch against Christ, they will marry; i- having damnation, because they 3.2. have cast oft' their first faith ; ^'^and^'wifhal they learn to be idle, wan- ' Heb!'i3. 2. i Pet. dering about from house to house : and not only idle, but tattlers also V" ,0 . . and busybodies, speakmg thmgs which they ought not. ^'*l'will 19. 2. Luke?. therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the 5, '14." house, 'give none occasion to the adversary tto speak reproachfully, p 2Thess. 3. 11. ^^ For some are already turned aside after Satan. ^^ If any man or ' ch.*6. i.Tit. 2. woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the ^• Church be charged ; that it may relieve 'them that are widows indeed, raiung''. s ver. 3, 5. § 14. — chap. V. 17, to the end. TiinoUiy is directed in his conduct towards tlio Elders, or the Pastors of the Church — Good ministers worthy of double lionor and emolument — A suitable provision to be made by the Church for them — The Elders are to be reproved only on the fullest evidence, and then publicly, as a warning for others — Timothy is solemnly charged to be strictly impartial in his government, and to ordain Elders with the greatest care and § ^^• circumspection, after a faithful examination into their characters, that he may be pure „ Rom. 12. 8. from any future act of guilt, or misconduct — St. Paul advises him. in a parenthesis, as 1 ^^or. 9. 10, 14. , 1 • , ,.1 Gill. 6. 0. I'hil. lo his health. 2. 29. 1 Thess. ^'' Let "the elders that rule well ''be counted worthy of double honor, 13.^?; |?; "*'''■ especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. ^^ For the ''Scrip- * Acts 28.10. ture saith, " Thou shalt not muzzle the o.\ that treadeth out the corn." "ico^^sCg. "^And, " The laborer is worthy of his reward." ^'^ Against an elder re- '^r^''^-]?:'^?: ,. . g •' ~ JJcut. y-l. 14, 15. ceive not an accusation, but beiore two or three witnesses. "''Them Matt. 10.10. •^that sin rebuke before all, ^that others also may fear. e oeut. 19.' is. ^^ I ''charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the * ^'' '"'^'"'^ elect angels, that thou observe these things twithout preferrinof one "^tVul 13.^' ^^' before another, doing nothing by partiality. -~ Lay hands suddenly on ^ Deut. 13. 11. no man, ^neither be partaker of other men's sins. Keep thyself pure. V'rim.' 2!^ 14. & "^ Drink no longer water, but use a little wine *for thy stomach's sake V' . , ^1 . ^^ '^. ^ . . •' T Or, without pre- and thine oiten infirmities. jvdke. -^ Some 'men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment ; 's^^ch. 4. h*" ^^* and some men they follow after. ~^ Likewise also the good works of some .~ ^''"" ^'^' are manifest beforehand ; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid. i ps. 104. 15. I Gal. 5. 19. § 15. — chap. vi. 1, 2. Because Christianity does not alter the relations of society, servants and slaves are to be commanded to pay due deference even to their heathen masters — They are more especially cautioned to pay the same obedience to their Christian masters, and not to permit their brotherly union as Christians to interfere with their known duties. VOL. n. 35 274 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [Part XIII. § 15- ^ Let as many "servants as are under the yoke count their own "s^la.Tit^^g." masters worthy of all honor, Hhat the name of God and his doctrine i^rib^s^Rom ^® "*^^ blasphemed. ^ And they that have believing masters, let them ^2^24. Tit. 2.5,8. not dcspisc them, "bccause they are brethren; but rather do them * Or,' believing, servicc, bccause they are *faithful and beloved, partakers of the bene- d c h.4.11. ^^ -^These things teach and exhort. § 16. a ch. 1. 3. b ch. 1.10.2Tim. § 16. — chop. vi. 3-10. Tit. i. 9. '^^^^ Judaizing teachers condemned, who hold different doctrines, absolving men from c Tit. 1. 1. their civil duties — They are reproved for their controversies and strifes of words, and for d 1 Cot.S.h.ch. preferring their own temporal gain to the honor of God, and the advancement of liis 1- 7. truth — Contentment is enforced in every station, from the vanity of all earthly pos- I ch?/%.'3Tim. sessions — The great danger of an immoderate love of riches. l'o^,'gMinl's^' ^ If any man "teach otherwise, and consent ''not to wholesome words e one of another. f\ Cor. 11.16 (even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ), '^and to the doctrine which *^2 t' ^'3 6 ^^ according to godliness, "^ he is *proud, ''knowing nothing, but tdoting f Tit.i.ii.*2Pet. about ^questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife. iRom. 16. 17. railings, evil surmisings, ^ tperverse ■'^disputings of 'men of corrupt j%L'2i.\h%rov. minds, and destitute of the truth, '^supposing that gain is godliness. 8^Heb*i3''5 'From such withdraw thyself. k jobi.2i. Ps. 6 But ^godliness, with contentment, is great gain. ~ For *we brought 49. 17. Prov. 27. . . P i • i i i • • • i • 24. Eccies.5. 15. nothuig uito this woild, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 'hoT.'is^"*^' ®And 'having food and raiment let us be therewith content. ^But '"ch'^°3'7^'^^' "they that will be rich fall into temptation "and a snare, and into many ch. 1. 19. foolish and hurtful lusts, "which drown men in destruction and per- *or',bemse- ditiou. ^° For ''the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have *erred from the faith, and pierced them- § 17. selves through with many sorrows. a Deut. 33. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 22. &3. 1^1 V, n c- ^^ ^ 17. — chap. vi. 11-16. b 1 Cor. 9. 25, 26. . . . ... ch. 1. 18. 2 Tim. Timothy, as divinely inspired, is called upon to refrain from these evil practices, and to c Phil 3. 12 14 follow after godliness — St. Paul charges him, as in the presence of God, and in con- ver. 19. sideration of the great day of iudgrment, that he continue steadfast in the faith, con- e ch. 5. 21 " ' scientiously discharging his office, and avoiding all worldly and sordid motives — The / Deut. 32. 39. Apostle concludes by describing the great glory of Christ, which will be hereafter 1 Smr,. 2.i;. John jnar.ifested. ^j^m"8.~37.Rcv. ^^ ^^T "thou, O iTiau of God ! flee these things ; and follow after *'or "^r^feltion ^ighteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness : ^^ fight 'the h Ph'ii. 1. G, 10. good fight of faith, 'lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also 5. 23. ' " ' called, ''and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses, j ReV!'i7!']4!"& ^^ I "^give thee charge in the sight of God, 'who quickeneth all things, //cii.^i! 17. ^'^^ before Christ Jesus, ^^who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good '6^46^^'^^'^°''" ^confession ; ^"^ that thou keep this commandment without spot, unre- wiEph. 3. 21. bukeable, ''until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: ^^ which in 25. liev.i. 6. & his times He shall show, who w 'the blessed and only Potentate, ^ the 4. u. & 7. 1 2. j^^jj^g f)f kings, and Lord of lords ; ^'^ who 'only hath immortality, c 18 dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto ; 'whom no a Job 31 24 Ps muu liath secii, nor can see : "to whom be honor and power everlast- ^Ji^- i"g! Amen. Luke 12. 21. * fir. the uncer- tainty of riches. § 18. — chap. vi. 17-19. c 1 Thess! 1.9. Timothy is charged to admonish those who are rich, not to trust in their uncertain pos- ch. 3.15. 1'-L 4.10. sessions, but in God, who is the giver of them — They are exhorted to be rich in good j7_ 95 " ' works, tliat they may prepare for themselves more durable and eternal blessings. ^ch."^!'/^'?!!. 3. ^^ Charoe them that are rich in this world, that they be not high- Aoin"''i2.' 13. minded, "nor trust in *uncertain ''riches, but in 'the living God, ''who ^ Ox, sociable. giveth us richly all things to enjoy; '^tluit they do good, that 'they ^isWii. ' ^ ' be rich in good works, 'ready to distribute, ■! willing °to communicate ; Sect. XL] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 275 19 laying ''up in store for themselves a good foundation against the ^ig'aV'Lu^'^ time to come, that they may 'lay hold on eternal life. 33. &i6. 9. i ver. 12. 12. § 19. — chap. vi. 20, to the end. St. Paul ends as he began tlie Epistle, by again exhorting Timothy to be steadfast in the Christian doctrine, avoiding all philosophical and useless speculations, so strenuously advocated by the false teachers. § 19- -" O Timothy ! "keep that which is committed to thy trust, ^avoid- "^n.T^^R^^v. ing profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so 3.3. called: ^^ which some professing "have erred concerning the faith. 4? 7. 2 Tim. 2. Grace be with thee ! [Amen.] Wf:^x^^''' [[The First to Timothy was written from Laodicea, which is the c ch. 1. g, 19. chiefest city of Phrygia Pacatiana.]] [end of the first epistle to timothy.] Section X. — St. Paul proceeds from Macedonia to Greece, or Achaia, 1 and continues there three Months. V. JE. .57. Acts xx. 2, and beginning of ver. 3. J- P- 4770. ^ And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much TchTuu' °' exhortation, he came into? Greece, ^ and there abode three months. ^ ~ ,^ ' ^ p See Note 15. SECT. XI. 1. Section XI. — St. Paul, having been informed of the Reception his First Epistle had met with from the Corinthians, writes his Second Epistle from Philippic to justify his Apostolic Conduct, and vindicate V. JE.. 58. his Authoritii, both of tohich had been imvuscned by a false Teacher.'^ ^- ^- ^'^'^^• ^ '' J- c^ ^ »/ Macedonia, THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. °'^'^^'- § 1. — chap. i. 1, 2. § 1. Introduction and Benediction of St. Paul. 1 ^^e Note 16. ^ Paul, "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timo- Eph. i! i'. coi thy our brother, unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, 'with i.'2Tim."i.' l all the saints which are in all Achaia ! ~ Grace 'be to you and peace *j^|j''- ^- ^- '^°'- from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ ! c Rom. i. ?. 1 Cor. 1. 3. Gal. ]. 3. Phil. § 2.— chap. i. 3-7. i. a. Coi. i. 2. St. Paul blesses God for his support and deliverance from all his afflictions and dangers, 2 Thess. 1. 2. because by his example others may be comforted under similar sufferings with the Phi'emon 3. same consolation. ^ Blessed "be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the § 2. Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort ; '^ who comforteth us in « Eph. i.s. all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God ; ^for as Hhe sufferings of Ciirist abound in us, so our consolation */P^^i!-,'*-,<^''- ^, . 4. 10. Col, 1.3^ also aboundeth by Christ. *^ And whether we be afflicted, ""it is for your c ch. 4. is. consolation and salvation, which *is effectual in the enduring of the * o^ i^y^rovgiit. same sufferings which we also suffer : or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation, " (and our hope of you is stead- fast,) knowing, that ''as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye ''a^im' I'Y'' be also of the consolation. § -3.— chap. i. 8-11. St. Paul relates his deliverance, by the power of (rod, from the imminent danger to which he was exposed at Ephesus — He acknowledges their prayers on his account. ^FoR we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of "our trouble "100^15.32'. which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life ; ^ but we had the & 16. 9. * Or, answer. * sentence of death in ourselves, that we should 'not trust in ourselves, 6 Jer. 17. 5, 7. 276 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIII. c 2 Pet. 2. 9. d Rom. 15. 30. Phil. 1. 19. Philemon 22. e ch. 4. 15. §4. a ch. 9. 17. & 4. 2. b 1 Cor. 2. 4, 13. e ch. 5. 12. d Phil. 2. 16. & 4. 1. 1 Thess. 2. 19. 20. but in God which raiseth the dead : ^° who "dehvered us from so great a death, and doth deUver ; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us ; ^^ ye also ''helping together by prayer for us, that 'for the gift bestoivcd upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf. § 4.— chap. i. 12-14. In allusion to the calumnies of the false teacher, St. Paul rejoices in his sincerity and purity of conduct towards the Corinthians, which he declares to have been free from all selfish or interested motives — He trusts that all will acknowledge and glory in him, as some have already done, as they shall be his rejoicing in the day of the Lord. ^-FoR our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and "godly sincerity, (''not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God,) we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. ^^ For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge ; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end ; ^^ as also ye have acknowledged us in part, "that we are your rejoicing, even as ''ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. §5. a 1 Cor. 4. 19. b Rom. 1. 11. * Or, grace. e 1 Cor. 16. 5, 6. A ch. 10. 2. f Or, preaching. e See Mark 1. 1. / Heb. 13. 8. g Rom. 15. 8, 9. h lJohn2.20,27. i Eph. 1. 13. &4. 30. 2 Tim. 2. 19. Rev. 2. 17. 7 ch. ,'). 5. Eph. 1. 14. k Rom. 1. 9. ch. 11. 31. Gal. 1.20. Phil. 1. 8. I 1 Cor. 4. 21. ch. 2. 3. & 12. 20. & 13. 2, 10. 771 1 Cor. 3. 5. 1 Pet. 5. 3. 71 Rom. 11. 20. 1 Cor. 15. 1. ch. 1.23. & 12. 20,21. &13. 10. p ch. 12. 21. V ch. 7. 16. & 8. 22. Gal. 5. 10. r ch. 7. 8, 9, 12. § 5. — chap. i. 15, to the end, and ii. 1-4. The false teacher having accused St. Paul of irresolution and carnal-mindedness, because he failed in his promised visit to the Corinthians, the Apostle shows his consistency in the uniformity of the doctrine which he taught, and appeals to the unction of the Holy Spirit, by which God had fully established his authority among them — He solemnly declares his true reason for delaying his visit proceeded from his wish to spare them — He assures them that he wrote in the deepest affliction, instead of coming to punish them, that he might have joy in their repentance, and convince them of the greatness of his love. ^^ And in this confidence "I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might ''have a second *benefit ; ^""and to pass by you into Macedonia, and '^to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judsea. ^^ When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness ? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose ''according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay ? ^^ But as God is true, our tword toward you was not yea and nay ! ^^ For "the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us (even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus), was not yea and nay, ■''but in him was yea, ^^ (for ^all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen,) unto the glory of God by us. ^^ Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and 'hath anointed us, is God ; ^^ who 'hath also sealed us, and 'given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 2^ Moreover '^I call God for a record upon my soul, 'that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth ! ~^ not for '"that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy ; (for "by faith ye stand ;) ^ but I determined this with myself, "that I would not come chap. ii. 1-4. again to you in heaviness. ^ For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me ? ^ And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, 'I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice ; 'having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. '' For out of much aflliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears ; 'not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. § 0. — chap. ii. 5-11. The Apostle here commands them to receive again the excommunicated person, for whom they have arrieved. on his sincere repentance, and to show their love to him by Sect. XL] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 077 a kind and friendly conduct, lest Satan should drive him to despair — St. Paul expects they will obey him in removing the sentence, as they had obeyed him in inflicting it — He declares, that in both instances he acted in the name and authority of Christ. § 6. ^BuT "if any have caused fffief, he hath not ''ajricvcd me, but in " icor. 5.1. J CD ■> ^zD ' fj Gal. 4. 12. part (that I may not overcharge) you all. "^ Sufficient to such a man is this *punishment, which was inflicted 'of many ; "^ so ''that contrari- ^^I^^^TTs Wise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps JTim. 5. 26 such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. ^ Where- fore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him ; ^ (for to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be 'obedient in all things. '^ To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also — for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave lit — tin the person of Christ;) ^^ lest Satan t oi, in the sight should get an advantage of us. For we are not ignorant of his devices. d Gal. 6. 1. e ch. 7. 15. & 10 6. § 7. — chap. ii. 12, to the end. St. Paul declares, as another reason for not having come to Corinth at the time appointed, his anxiety on account of Titus — He relates his success in Macedonia, and declares the great consequences of his preaching, both to those who receive and reject the Gospel — He ends with a severe reflection on the false teacher, and a profession of his own sincerity and disinterestedness. § 7. 12 Furthermore, "when I came to Troas to preach Ciirist's Gospel, a achig. 8. & and ''a door was opened unto me of the Lord, '^ I 'had no rest in my j 1 cor. ig. 9. spirit, because I found not Titus my brother : but taking my leave of « <^h- ^- ^' ^■ them, I went from thence into Macedonia. ^ ^ p" ^' ^ ^g i^Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in /ch.4. 3. Christ, and maketh manifest ''the savour of his knowledge by us in ^.^"H^a^'^- every place! ^^For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, 'in iPet. 2. 7,8. them that are saved, and ^in them that perish: i*^ to ^the one we ''ci^s'^^t^^' are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of ich. 4. 2. &i]. life unto life. And ''who is sufficient for these things ! ^^ For we are ^ ^^ delidecdt- not as many, Svhich *corrupt the word of God : but as ^'of sincerity, MiyvjUh. but as of God, in the sight of God speak w^e tin Christ. ^2!'"' ^' ^^■'^''" t Or, of. § 8. — chap. iii. 1-6. St. Paul here ironically inquires wliether it is necessary for him also, as well as the false § 8. teacher, to come to them with letters of recommendation — He declares that they a ch. 5. 12. & 10 themselves are his letters of recommendation, not written with ink, but with the Spirit ^' ^~- ^ ^~- ^^• of the living God ; and consequently they were an evidence of God's delegated au- J ° „' * thority to him in the ministry of the New Testament. ^ 1 cor. 3, 5_ . 1 Do "we begin again to commend ourselves ? or need we, as some ^f.^,',^^" ^^' ^ others, ''epistles of commendation to voUi or letters of commendation /• ps. 40. 8. Jer. from you? ^ Ye 'are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read 19.' & be.^le.' of all men: '^ forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle ",^''' ^; 3''; , r^\ ■ rf • • • • • 1 1 • 1 . . ^ John lo. o. ch. of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit 2. ic. of the living God; not 'in tables of stone, but ^in fleshly tables of VhiK^a.^s.'"' the heart. i 1 cor. 3. 5. & ^ And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward ; ^ not "that Ip^^^i'.c^^' we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves ; but I'Tf^^i" u jo ''our sufficiency is of God ; ^ who also hath made us able 'ministers of sTim.i. 11. nhe New Testament — not *of the letter, but of the spirit: for 'the -^Mtu.^oij.^k letter killeth, but '"the spirit *ffiveth hfe."^ ueh. 8.6,8. ' i o k Rom. 2. 27, 29. &. 7. 6. ^S 9. — chap. iii. 7, to the end. ' Rom. 3. 20. & o n 1 J 1 ■ • r ■> 4. 15. & 7. 9, 10, St. Paul declares, in opposition to the false teacher, the glorious superiority of the Gospel 11. Gal. 3. 10. dispensation — The veil which covered the transient and outward glory of Moses em- '« John 6. 63. blematically represented the obscurity and figurative nature of the Covenant of Death : ^ °"^' J^j^„ ^^ the ministers of the Covenant of the Spirit, by a lasting and greater glory, in the ^ ggg njote 17. abiding gifts and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, were enabled to unveil, to explain, and to preach every where the more glorious Covenant of Righteousness. VOL. II. X 278 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIII. §9. o Rom. 7. 10. b Ex. 34. 1, 28. Deut. 10. l,&c. c Ex. 34. 29, 30, 35. d Gal. 3. 5. e Rom. 1. 17. & 3.21. / ch. 7. 4. Eph. 6.19. * Or, boldness. §■ Ex. 34. 33, 35. h Roin. 10. 4. Gal. 3. 23. i Is. 6. 10. M.itt. 13. 11, 14. John 12. 40. Acts 28. 25. Rom. 11.7, 8, 25. ch. 4. 4. j Ex. 34. 34. Rom. 11.23,26. k Is. 25. 7. / ver. 0. 1 Cor. 15. 45. m 1 Cor. 13. 12. n ch. 4. 4, 6. 1 Tim. 1. 11. Rom. 8. 29. 1 Cor. 15. 49. Col. 3. 10. f Or, of the Lord the Spirit. E See Note 18. § 10. cli. 3. 6. b 1 Cor. 7. 25. 1 Tim. ]. 13. * Gr. shame, Rom. 1. 16. &6. 21. c ch. 2. 17. 1 Thess. 2. 3, 5. d ch. 6. 4, 7. & 7.14. e ch. 5. 11. / 1 Cor. 1. 18. ch.2.15.2 Thess. 2. 10. g John 12. 31. & 14. 30. & 16. 11. Eph. 6. 12. h Is. 6. 10. John 12. 40. ch. 3. 14. t ch. 3. 8,9, 11, 18. ver. 6. j John 1. 18. & 12. 45. & 14. 9. Phil.9. 6. Col. 1. 15. lleb. 1. 3. k 1 Cor. 1. 13,23. & 10. 33. 1 1 Cor. 9. 19. ch. 1.24. m Gen. 1. 3. f Gr. is he who hath, n 2 Pet. 1. 19. u ver. 4. 1 Pet. 2. 9. § 11. a ch. 5. 1. b 1 Cor. 2. 5. ch. 12.9. c ch. 7. 5. * Or, not alto- iTcther without help, or, means. d Ps. 37. 24. e 1 Cor l.^. 31. ch. 1..5, 9. Gill. 6. 17. Phil. 3. 10. f Horn. 8. 17. ■ 2 Tim. 2. 11, 12. 1 Pft. 4. 13. ff ch. 44. 22. Rom. 8. 36. ]Cor. 15.31,49. ^ But if "the Ministration of Death, Svritten and engraven in stones, was glorious, '^so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly be- hold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance (which glory was to be done away) : ^ how shall not ''the Ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious ? '^ for if the Ministration of Condemnation be glory, much more doth tlie Ministration '^of Righteousness exceed in glory ! ^^ For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. ^^ For if that which was done away was glorious, nmch more that which remaineth is glorious ! ^- Seeing then that we have such hope, ■'^we use great *plainness of speech: ^^and not as Moses, ^who put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look ''to the end of that which is abolished. ^"^ But 'their minds were blinded : for until this day re- maineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testa- ment : which veil is done away in Christ ; ^^ but even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart; ^^nevertheless ■'when it shall turn to the Lord, *the veil shall be taken away. ^^ Now 'the Lord is that Spirit : and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is lib- erty. ^^ But we all, with open face beholding '"as in a glass "the glory of the Lord, "are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as tby the Spirit of the Lord.' § 10. — chap. iv. 1-6. St. Paul shows that the glorious ministry entrusted to him fills him with hope and dili- gence — He desires to commend himself by a full manifestation of the truths of the Gospel, which can only be hid from the worldly-minded, who are blinded by their lusts and passions — St. Paul declares that he seeks not his own glory — God having en- lightened his heart, that he might communicate the knowledge and glory of God, which had been made manifest in Jesus Christ. ^ Therefore seeing we have "this ministry, ''as we have received mercy, we faint not; '^ but have renounced the hidden things of *dis- honesty, not walking in craftiness, ''nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but ''by manifestation of the truth "commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. ^ But if our Gospel be hid, ^it is hid to them that are lost : ^ in whom ^the god of this world ''hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest 'the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, ^who is the image of God, should shine unto them. ^For *we preach not our- selves, but Christ Jesus the Lord ; and 'ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. ^ For God, ™who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, thath "shined in our hearts, to give "the light of the knowl- edge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. § 11. — chap. iv. 7-11. St. Paul declares, by comparing the ministers of the Gospel to earthen vessels, that God chose illiterate and insignificant men for his Apostles to show that the excellency of the power by which his Religion was propagated proceeded from God, and not from men — He enumerates the difficulties to which they were exposed, as a proof that their deliverance from them did not proceed from themselves, but from God. "^ But we have this treasure in "earthen vessels, Hhat the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us : ^ loe are "troubled on every side — yet not distressed ; u-e are perplexed — but *not in despair ; '' persecuted — ^but not forsaken ; ''cast down — but not de- stroyed ; '" always ''bearing about in the body the dying of [the Lord] Jesus, -^that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live ^are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh Sect. XL] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 279 § 12. — chap. iv. 12, to the end. St. Paul shows that through faith in Christ, and the hope of a glorious immortality, he is enabled to overcome all the difficulties and dangers of his Christian ministry — He tells them that for their sakes ho endured these sufferings, that they, being con- vinced of his sincerity, might give thanks to God — He declares his conviction that his sufferings for the sake of the Gospel will procure for him a proportionate reward in heaven ; for which cause he looks not for the temporal advantages of this world, but for the eternal glories of the invisible state. s ■'•*• ^~ So then "death worketh in us, but life in you. ^^ We havinof Hhe " 2.''" ^^■^■ ..„„., ,. . . c ■ * Rom. I. 12. same spirit or laith, according as it is written, — 2 Pet. 1. 1. c Ps. 116. 10. " I beheved, and therefore have I spoken ; ^' we also believe, and therefore speak; ^M^nowMng that ''He which '^icT.'e^.'iV." raised up the Lord Jesus shall rai.se up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. ^^For 'all things are for your sakes, that •'^the ^!i^cok ^al*'' abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to sTi.n. 2. 10. the glory of God. "^in. fco^i'ifia ^^ For which cause we faint not; but though our outw^ard man «• ^'"".7.22 " 1 • • I I 1 1 17 Ti ft 1-1 Epii. 3. 16. Col. perish, yet "the inward man is renewed day by day. '^ror our light 3. 10. i Pet. .?. afHiction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more ex- //iM,itt. 5. 12 ceeding and eternal weight of glory; '* while ^we look not at the fp"jV|\.5 things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for the 10. things which are seen are temporal ; but the things which are not 's'^^'^iieij'ti' 1' seen, are eternal. § \^.—chap. V. 1-10. St. Paul continues his argument by showing how greatly superior our heavenly habi- tation will be to that which we at present dwell in — He asserts that God prepares us for this immortal state, and gives us his Spirit as a pledge of it — This consideration gives him boldness in his preaching, and makes him willing to leave this body, that he may be present with the Lord ; but whether living or dying, his aim is to be accepted of God, to whom all are accountable. § ^^■ 1 For we know that if "our earthly house of this tabernacle were "If.t'vci.T.h, dissolved, we have a buildino; of God, a house not made with hands, ^^• 1-11 o T-. • 1 • t .1 1 • • ^0 Kom. 8. 23. eternal in the heavens. ~ror m this vve groan, earnestly desiring to t see Note 19. be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.* "^If so be that c Rev. 3. is. & "being clothed we shall not be found naked. ^ For we that are in this ^ jq^' j^ 53^ tabernacle do groan, being burdened : not for that we would be un- ^^• , , -, ^ , ^ ^ \ 1 ,• -11 11 1 c c Is. 29. 23. Eph. clothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of 2.10. life. ^ Now 'He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, -''/;^^',|;,^^j'=]'4-_ who also -^hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. ^ Therefore ^ -i- '^^■ we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the ^ch.T'ie. T cor.' body, we are absent from the Lord ; ''' (for ° we walk by faith, not by f- ^~- "^''- ^^• sight:) ^ we are confident, I say, and ''willing rather to be absent from a piuI. 1.23. the body, and to be present with the Lord. ^Wherefore we *labor, • Satt'."25."3T that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. ^"^ For 32. Rom. 14. 10. 'we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, ■'that every ^ i^'n'^^h.'^'s.' one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he Rev.2a!^i2?'" hath done, whether it he good or bad. § 14. — chap. V. 11-15. The Apostle, knowing the terrors of the future judgment, was more earnest in liis en- deavour to preach the Gospel, and to persuade men to be Christians — He discharges his duty, as being manifest to God ; and he hoped also to the conviction of the Cor- inthians — He then defends himself from the attacks of the false teachers, that his converts miglit be provided with reasons for glorying in him as an apostle ; and de- clares that whether he preached the (jiospel at the risk, of his life, and was therefore by the faction considered as mad, or whether he acted soberly in shunning persecution, § 14. it was for the sake of his disciples. a .Tob31. 23. ^^ Knowing therefore "the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, but ju'de23." 280 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIIL h ch. 4. 2. J-we are made manifest unto God ; and I trust also are made manifest e ch. 3. 1. jj^ your consciences. ^"^ For %ve commend not ourselves asfain unto A ch. 1. 14. *Gr'. in the face, jou, but givc you occasiou ''to glory on our behalf, that ye may have e ch.ii.i, iti, 17. somewhat to answer them which glory *in appearance, and not in /Rom. 5. 15. heart. ^^ For 'whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God : or whether g Rom. 6. 11, 12. we be sober, it is for your cause. ^"^ For the love of Christ constraineth 6. 19.' Gal. --J. 2o! US ; bccausc we thus judge, that -^if One died for all, then were all i Peri' a! ^°' dead; ^^and that He died for all, ^that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again. § 15. — cliap. V. 16, to the, end. From the consideration that Christ died for all mankind, St. Paul proceeds to aro-ue that from henceforth there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, Christ being no longer esteemed as a Jew according to the flesh — all who are united to Christ by faith § 15. become new creatures — Their old and sinful practices have ceased — The advantages a Matt I-'' 50 ^^^ blessings of this new state of being are derived from God alone, who has reconciled John 15. 14. the world to himself by Christ Jesus, and has committed the word of reconciliation to 3.^7' s'. Col. '3.' ^'^® Apostles — St. Paul, in Christ's stead, exhorts all men to come to God, and to 11. accept the pardon which has been purchased for them through the atonement of Ills h John 6. 63. ggn ^yj^o had been made the sin offerino- for mankind. T? ft Q €»■ 16. 7. Gal. (i. 15. ^^ Wherefore "henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, d Gall's. 'r& 6. though we have known Christ after the flesh, 'yet now henceforth 15. know we him no more. ^'' Therefore if any man "^be in Christ, *he is *65.']7!'Eph.2'. "a new creature : ""old things are passed away ; behold ! all things are 15. Rev. 21.5. become new. ^^ And all things are of God, Avho hath reconciled us to Eph!'2. 10. ' himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of recon- ijohnz-z &4. ciliation ; ^^ to wit, that ^God was in Christ, reconciling the world ^^' -x 04 o- unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them ; and hath \GY.putinus^ tcommitted unto us the word of reconciliation. /t job.^33. 25. ^° Now then we are ''ambassadors for Christ, as 'though God did 6. Eph'. e". 20.' ' beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled i ch. 6. 1. to God ; -^ for ^He hatji made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, ■^Gai. 3.13. 1 Pet. that wc might be made ''the righteousness of God in him. 2.22, 24. IJohn 3.5. k Rom. 1. 17. & (S 16. — chap. vi. 1-10. St. Paul, as the ambassador of Christ, entreats the Corinthians not to receive the grace of God in vain, but to perform all that the Gospel requires — The Apostle, by describing his own sufferings, draws the picture of a faithful minister of tlie Gospel — Thereby § 16. proving the inferiority of the false teacher. jch^r2o^' ^We then, as "workers together with him, 'beseech yow also ""that c Heb. 12. 15. ye rcccivc not the grace of God in vain ; ^ (for He saith, ''I have heard d Is. 49. 8. thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured ^■^cm.l^.'v^.'h. thee: behold now is the accepted time! behold now is the day of ^10.32. salvation!) -^giving ''no oftence in any thing, that the ministry be not chM."™.'" " '"^" blamed : '^ but in all things *approving ourselves -^as the ministers of /I Cor. 4.1. God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, ^ in fl- ch. 11. 23, &c. . ^ . ' . . ^ . ' , . ' , . , , . , . ' . ^ Or, i7i fnssings "stnpcs, lu imprisonmcnts, tin tumults, in labors, in watchings, in toandfro.^^ f^stings ; ''by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, 14.' by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, '''by Hhe word of truth, by ! ^^70^4 E ), 'the power of God, by ■'the armor of righteousness on the right hand 6. ii, 13.2 Tim. and on the left, ^by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good A:ch!4. 2. &5. report: as deceivers — and yet true; ^as unknown — and ''yet well 11. & 11. 6. known; 'as dying — and, behold! we live ; "'as chastened — and not 1. 9."& 4. i'o,''ii. killed ; ^°as sorrowful — yet alway rejoicing; as poor — yet making m Ps. 118. 18. many rich ; as having nothing — and yet possessing all things. § 17. — chnp. vi. 11, to the end, nni vii. 1. St. Paul declares his great love and affection for the Corinthians — Reproves them for their Sect, XL] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 281 •want of love, and exhorts them, as his children, to have their hearts enlarged towards him as their spiritual father — He forbids them either to form marriages with infidels, to contract friendships, or to enter into any kind of familiar intercourse with them — God's promise to those who separate themselves from such unholy alliances should be their strongest motive to aim at perfection. § 17. ' O ye Corinthians ! our mouth is open unto you, "our heart is en- " '^h-?. 3. larged. ^~ Ye are not straitened in us, but ''ye are straitened in your * <=''• ^^- ^^^ own bowels. ^^ Now for a recornpence in the same, (I ''speak as unto '^ icor. 4. 14. my children,) be ye also enlarged. ^"^ Be ''ye not unequally yoked together" with unbelievers: for 'what "^j c^o"V'9^'&7 fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness ? and what com- ^^■ munion iiath light with darkness ? ^■' And what concord hath Christ " f^^^'^s^o^ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? l^V's^is. 21. Ill ^ r /-\ Ecclus. 13. 17. ^^ And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? for •'"ye i ^^^-^ lo. 21. are the temple of the Uving God ; as God hath ^said, — /•i''co^3.'i6.& 6. 19. Epii.siai, " I will dwell in them, and walk in them ; 22. iieb. 3. 6. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. '^l^v.' Ir.' ^1.' Jer. 'Wherefore ''come out from among them, r'?^",'^ on?* And be ye separate, saith the Lord, 36.98. & 37.26, . , •', ' , ' , ^, . ' &c. Zech. 8. 8. And toucli not the unclean thing ; & 13. 9. And I will receive you, ^^ and *will be a Father unto you, Vl Rev.^i8.''4 And ye shall be my sons and daughters, i jer. 31. 1,9. Saith the Lord Almighty." '''^" ~'- '■ ' Having •'therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse our- i ^^.e. 17,18. selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 1. 4. ch. § m.—chap. vii. 2-4. The Apostle entreats the Corinthians to acknowledge him as an apostle, and, by men- tioning his own claims to their affection, he insinuates the opposite conduct of the false teacher — He assures them he speaks not this to condemn them, but from the greatest love for them — He rejoices in their good dispositions and obedience. ~ Receive us ; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no ^ 18. man, "we have defrauded no man. ^I speak not this to condemn «j.ac|s 20. 33. ch. you: for 'I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live » ci,. 0.11,12. with you. "* Great 'is my boldness of speech toward you, ''great is my " ''''•.^- ^ glorying of you : 'I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in i- h. ' all our tribulation. VV-^-i^l^'L 2. 1/. Col. 1.24. § 19. — chap. vii. 5, to the end. St. Paul, as a proof of his affection, relates to the Corinthians his anxiety on their account lost they should have been perverted by the false teacher — His joy on the arrival of Titus with the intelligence of their submission and love — He speaks to them of his First Epistle, and assures them that he ordered the incestuous person to be excommu- nicated, to show his great 'care of them — He commends their obedience, zeal, and repentance — He expresses the consolation he received from their conduct, and the ioy of Titus on seeing their union and obedience. c jg_ ^FoR "when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, <^ ch.2. 13. but ''we were troubled on every side ; "without were fightings — within * '-'i-^-s. were fears. ^ Nevertheless ''God, that comforteth those that are cast ^ch"! 4! ^ down, comforted us by 'the coming of Titus ; "^and not by his coming « See ch.2. 13. only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you. when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind to- ward me ; so tiiat I rejoiced the more. ^ For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, •'"though I did repent; for I perceive •^''''•■^•''• that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. ^ Now I rejoice, not tliat ye were made sorry, but that ye sor- rowed to repentance : for ye were made sorry *after a godly manner, *oj^°'^<^*"^*» VOL. II. 36 *x 282 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIIL g 2 Sam. 12. 13. Matt. -26. 75. A Prov. 17. 22. t ch. 2. 4. ; Rom. 15. 32. t Gr. howels, ch. 6. 12. k cli. 2. 9. Phil. 2. 12. / 2Thes9. 3.4. Philemon 8, 21. that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. ^" For ^godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of ; ''but the sorrow of the world worketh death. ^^ For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you I yea^ ivhat clearing of yourselves ! yea, what indignation ! yea, what fear I yea, ivhat vehement desire ! yea, what zeal ! yea, what revenge ! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. ^^ Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, 'but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you. ^^ Therefore we were comforted in your comfort : yea, and exceed- ingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit 'was refreshed by you all ; ^'^ for if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed : but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth ; ^^and his tinward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remem- bereth ''the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. ^^ I rejoice therefore that 'I have confidence in you in all things. § 20. — cliap. viii. 1-15. St. Paul exhorts the Corinthians, by the example of the Churches in Macedonia, which were in very straitened circumstances, to contribute liberally to the relief of the Christian brethren in Judoea — He declares he does not give this injunction by com- mandment, because works of kindness must be voluntary, but hopes they will abound in them from the example and love of Christ — He calls upon them to complete the collections already begun without loss of time, according to their abihty, as God regards the willingness of the giver more than the value of the gift — The amount of their liberality to be applied only to the poor brethren in Judaea, who in their turn may be able to supply the wants of the Corinthians. ^ Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God be- stowed on the Churches of Macedonia ; ^how that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and "their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their ^liberality : ^for to their power, (I bear record,) yea, and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves ; '^ pray- ing us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take tipon us Hhe fellowship of the ministering to the saints ; ^ and this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their ownselves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God! •'insomuch that "we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same tgrace also. ^ Therefore, as ''ye abound in every thing, (in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us,) see 'that ye abound in this grace also : ^ I ^speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love : -^ for ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich : ^"and herein ''I give my advice. For 'this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also ■'to be I forward a year ago : ^^ now therefore perform the doing of it ; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. ^~ For *if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. '•' For 1 mean not that other men bo eased, and ye bur- dened : ^'^ but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a I Ex. iG. 18. supply for your want, that tlicrc may be equality : ^•'' as it is 'written, " lie that had. gathered much had nothing over ; and he that had § 20. a Mark 12. 44. * Gr. simplicity, ch. 9. 11. t Acts 11.29. & 24. 17. Rom. 15. 25, 26. 1 Cor. 16. 1, 3, 4. ch. 9. 1. c ver. 17. ch. 12. 18. t Or, ffift. ver. 4, 19. d 1 Cor. 1. 5. & 12. 13. e ch. 9. 8. / 1 Cor. 7. G. g iNIatt. 8. 20. Luke 9. .58. Phil. 2. 6, 7. h 1 Cor. 7. 25. i Prov. 19. 17. Mntt. 10. 43. 1 Tim. 6. 18, 19. Heh. 13. 16. j ch. 9. 2. I Gi. willing, k Mark 12. 43, 44. Luke 21. 3. ga thercd little had no lack. § 21. a ver. 6. Sect. XL] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 283 § 21. — chap. viii. 16, to the end. St. Paul thanks God for having made Titus as anxious about them as he was — His dili- gence induced him to become the bearer of this Epistle — The Apostle informs them that he sends with Titus a brother of great reputation, who had been chosen by the Macedonian Churches, as a witness of the administration of their gifts, that no sus- picion of blame might arise as to the disposal of the abundance entrusted to them — Another fellow-laborer is likewise sent, who is more than commonly active on the present occasion, from the report of their good dispositions — He instructs them how to answer the inquiries of the faction, and exhorts them to give to these messengers and to the Churches a proof of their love, and of his confidence in them. 1^ But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you ! ^^ for indeed he accepted "the exhortation ; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you. ^^ And we have sent with him Hhe brother, whose praise is in the Gospel, * ch. 12. is. throughout all the Churches ; ^^ and not that only, but who was also ''chosen of the Churches to travel with us with this *grace, which is « icor. 16.3,4. administered by us ''to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of *ver.' ifcj 7. ch. your ready mind : ~" avoiding this, that no man should blame us in ^'f' . this abundance which is administered by us : ^i providing 'for honest « Rom. ia.17. things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. L'^ia.^' ^' ^ ^^'' ^- And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which \I have in you, ^-^ Whether any do inquire of fOr, hehath. Titus, he is my partner and fellow-helper concerning you : or our brethren he inquired of, they are ^the messengers of the churches — and /p'"L2.25. the glory of Christ. ^^ Wherefore show ye to them, and before the Churches, the proof of your love, and of our ^boasting on your behalf, s^i^- 1- 14. & 9. § 22. — chap. ix. 1-5. St. Paul continues his discourse, by reminding the Corinthians that he had boasted to the Macedonians of their willingness a year ago — Since which time being informed by Titus of their negligence in these things, he sends Titus and his companions to make ready the collections before his arrival, that he might not be ashamed of his boastinof in them ; and that what they gave might be done freely, and not, as it were, extorted from them as from persons of covetous dispositions. § 22. ^ For as touching "the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for " Acts 11. 29. me to write to you. ^ For I know 'the forwardness of your mind, "for i cor. le. 1.' ch. which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that ''Achaia was ready a j ch-s.^i). year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. ^ Yet 'have I sent c ch.s. 24. the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; f^^ | g^'jy jg that, as I said, ye may be ready : "* lest haply if they of Macedonia 22. come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. ^ Therefore I *.9'- l^^'V^s- thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before ) sam.2.5.27. unto you, and make up beforehand your *bounty, twhereof ye had | ori"fLv/( uth notice before, that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty, and *pS^T^ore. not as of covetousness. § 23. — chap. ix. 6, to the end. St. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to liberality, from the consideration that we shall be re- warded in another world according to our actions here — He admonishes them to give with cheerfulness — The power of God, by blessing their labors, to supply them with s 23. all the sufiiciency of this world's goods, both for their own maintenance, and for tlieir „ p^^^ ^ .24. & works of charity — The joy of those relieved — Their gratitude to God, and prayers for 19. 17. &. 32. 9. their benefactors. bVcutll^l. ^ But "this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also c Ex. 25. 2. & sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bounti- n.' 25. ecc'ius. fully. '' Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him il; g. ch! s!"™." srive : 'not arudiiinglv, or of necessity: for '^God loveth a cheerful d Prov. 11.24,25. a ^ ' o ^ o J ' J g^ 28_ o7_ Phil, giver. ^ And ''God is able to make all grace abound toward you ; that 4 19'. ~ " 284 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIIL « Ps 112. 9. /Is. 55 1.10. g H03. Matt. 10. 12. 6. 1. * Or, liberality. Gr. simplicity. ch. 8. 2. h ch. 1 15. . 1I.&' i ch. 8. 14. j Matt. 5. 16. k Heb. 13. 16. / ch. 8. 1. m Jam. 1.17. 4. § 24. a Rom. 12. 1. b vei-. 10. ch. 12. 5, 7, 9. * Or, in outward appearance. e ICor. 4. 21.ch. 13. 2, 10. t Or, reckon, d Eph. 6. 13. 1 Thess. 5. 8. e 1 Tim. 1. 18. 2 Tim. 2. 3. / Act3 7. 22. 1 Cor. 2. 5. ch. 6. 7. & 13. 3, 4. J Or, to Ood. g Jer. 1. 10. h 1 Cor. 1. 19. & 3. 19. * Or, reasonings. i ch. 13. 2, ID. j ch. 2. 9. & 7. 15. ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work : ^ as it is 'written, — " He hath dispersed abroad ; He hath given to the poor : His righteousness remaineth for ever." 1° Now He that -^ministereth seed to the sower, and bread for food, both minister and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your "righteousness ; ^^ being enriched in every thing to all *bounti- fulness, ''which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. ^^ For the administration of this service not only 'supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God ; ^^ whiles by the experiment of this ministration they ^glorify God for your pro- fessed subjection unto the Gospel of Christ, and for your liberal dis- tribution unto them, and unto all men ; ^^ and by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding 'grace of God in you. ^^ Thanks be unto God '"for his unspeakable gift ! § 24. — chap. X. 1-6, St. Paul here particularly addresses the false teacher and his adherents, who had ca- lumniated him, by asserting that he was mild only when present, but bold in his letters, when absent — He now, though absent, ironically beseeches those who accuse him of walking after the flesh, that he may not when present have cause to prove his bold- ness — He declares the extraordinary powers conferred on liim by God for the purpose of pulling down every thing opposed to the Gospel ; and asserts that he was prepared to show his miraculous power to punish disobedience, as soon as the obedience of the penitent among them should be complete. ^ Now "I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, Svho *in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you : ~ but I beseech you, "that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which tthink of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ^ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh : ■* (for ''the weapons 'of our warfare are not carnal, but ^mighty tthrough God °'to the pulling down of strong holds :) ^casting ''down *imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ^and 'having in a readiness to revenge all dis- obedience, when ^your obedience is fulfilled. § 25. a John 7. 24. ch. 5. 12. & 11. 18. b 1 Cor. 14. 37. 1 John 4. 6. c 1 Cor. 3. 23. & 9. 1. ch. 11, 23. d ch. 13. 10. e ch. 7. 14. & 12. 6. * Gr. saith he. f\ Cor. 2.3, 4. ver. 1. ch. 12. 5 7, 9. Gill. 4. 13. ' g 1 Cor. 1. 17. & 2. 1,4. ch. 11.6. § 25.— chap. X, 7-11, St. Paul upbraids the false teacher for judging from outward appearances — He desires also to be acknowledged as tlie minister of Christ, boasts of the power imparted to him for edification, and again sarcastically refers to the calumniating reports of his opponent, whom he calls upon from the effects of his power, already seen, when ab- sent, in the punishment of the incestuous person, to conclude that when present it would be equally great. '' Do "ye look on things after the outward appearance ? 'If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are "we [Christ's], ^For though I should boast somewhat more 'of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, 'I should not be ashamed : ^ that I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters ; ^^ (for his letters, *say they, are weighty and powerful, but •'his bodily presence is weak, and his ^speecli contemptible;) 'Met such a one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present. Sect. XL] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 285 § 2G. — chap. X. 12, to the end. In a continued strain of irony St. Paul declares that he dare not compare himself to the false teacher, who measures himself only by himself, and commends himself for the things he had done at Corinth ; but, on the contrary, desires only to rejoice in the bounds prescribed to hiin by God, in obedience to which he had now reached the Cor- inthians — He refuses to boast, like the false teacher, in the labors of other men, and hopes to preach the Gospel in those countries where it was never before preached ; for not he who glories in tlie works of others, but he who preaches to the glory of God, and who receives commendation of God, shown by the gifts of the Spirit, is approved. § 26. ^^FoR "we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare our- ach. a. i. &5. selves with some that commend themselves ; but they measuring them- selves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, *are not wise. ^^ But ''we will not boast of things without our measure, *or, understand , ~ . , It not. but according to the measure of the trule which God hath distributed to j ver. is. us, a measure to reach even unto you ; ^'^ (for we stretch not ourselves t or, iinc. beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you : 'for we are "^^^'ij^^^^J- come as far as to you also in preaching the Gospel of Christ ;) ^^ not boasting of things without our measure, that is, ''of other men's labors ; o""maomjie'd but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be ten- '« y""- ' larged by you according to our rule abundantly, ^^ to preach the * "''/"'!'; , ^ 1 • 1 • II 7 1 • I , e Is. G5. 16. Jer. Gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man s 9. 24. 1 cor. 1. *line of things made ready to our hand. ^^ But 'he that glorieth, let /Prov.27. 2. him glory in the Lord. ^*^For-^not he that commendeth himself is g- Rom. 2. 29. approved, but ^whom the Lord commendeth. icor. 4. 5. § 27. — chap. xi. l-(j. St. Paul, having been accused of commending himself, entreats the Corinthians on the present occasion to bear with it ; as he fears that those whom he had converted to Christ, whom he was anxious at the judgment to present as a chaste virgin to their es- § 27. poused husband, were beguiled from him by the false teacher — He urges, that, if their a ver. 16. cli. 5. pretended apostle preached to them any other Saviour or Gospel, or conferred on ^ " them any other Spirit, they niiglit bear with his pretensions — He affirms, that he is withme. equal to the chief of Christ's apostles ; and that, though rude in speech, it was made b Gal. 4. 17, 18. manifest to them he was not deficient in the knowledge necessary for a minister of c Hos. 2. 19, 20. , „ , ] Cor. 4. 15. the Gospel. </ C 1 1 28 ^ Would to God you could bear with me a little in "my folly ! And ^ l^^.' gj. 13. indeed *bear with me. - For I am ''jealous over you with godly jeal- /cen. 3. 4. John ousy : for ^I have espoused you to one husband, ''that I may present ^Eph. 6.24. you 'as a chaste virgin to Christ ; ^ but I fear, lest by any means, as ■'^the J^Tim. 1! a'.&i serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds "'should be a'pefa^n^* corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. ^ For if he that cometh ^ cai. 1. 7, 8. preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive \ot, with me. another Spirit, which ye have not received, or ''another Gospel, which 'd,. i-I.'iLGai. ye have not accepted, ye might well bear twith him. j~i cor. 1. 17. & ^ For I suppo.se 'I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. 2^1, 13. ch. 10 ^ But though ^I be rude in speech, yet not ^"in knowledge; but 'we ^ Eph.3.4. have been throughly made manifest among you in all things. I ch. 4. 2. & 5. 11. & 12. 12. § 28.— chap. xi. 7-15. St. Paul explains his reason for not receiving any maintenance from the Corinthians — He declares it did not proceed from unkindness, as his enemies would suggest, but from his love for them, and that he might prevent the false teacher from imputing his exertions to temporal profit — Also, that the false teacher, who received gifts in private, might be compelled to lay aside this practice, and to follow the Apostle's ex- ample — Satan himself assuming the appearance of an angel of light, it ought not to excite surprise, that the ministers of Satan should take upon themselves the oflice of the ministers or apostles of Christ. § 28. ''' Have I committed an ofience "in abasing myself that ye might be "I'cor. 9.'6,'i2. exalted, because I have preached to you the Gospel of God freely ? j'^'^'^J^I'oo 33 ^ I robbed other Churches, taking wages of them, to do you service ; cii. 12. li ^and when I was present with you, and wanted, 'I was chargeable to 2 Thess! 3! s', 9. 286 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIll. e 16. Phil. 4. 10, 15, i^Q j^an ; (for that which was lacking to me ''the brethren which came d ch. 12. 14, 16. from Macedonia supphed ;) and in all things I have kept myself ''from e Rom. 9. 1. being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself. ^^ As 'the truth * Gt. thii boasting . ^Jf ... * ^ i ii /» i ■ i • • i shn a, lot be stop- Qi Christ IS 111 1116, HO ^maii shall stop me oi this boasting in the re- pe^nme. ^^ gions of Achaia ! ^^ Wherefore ? ^because I love you not ? God know- g-ch. 6. 11. &7. eth ! ^'-^ But what I do, that I will do, ''that I may cut off occasion A i 00^9. 12. from them which desire occasion ; that wherein they glory, they may t Acta 1,5. 24. be found even as we. ^^ For such 'are false apostles, ■'deceitful workers, oaiL'i. 7. fe'e. transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. ^^ And no marvel. a^Pe^t'.'a! i'. ^^' Fo*" Satan himself is transformed into ""an angel of light ; ^^ therefore 1 John 4.1. Rev. ^^ ^^ j^q great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the 'minis- j ch. 9. 17. Phil, ters of righteousness : '"whose end shall be according to their works. 3.2. Tit. 1.10, ® * 11. k Gal. 1. 8. I ch. 3. 9. § 29.— chap. xi. 16, to the end. m Phil. 3. . g^ Paul again entreats the Corinthians to bear with his boasting — As those who are no apostles glory after the flesh, it is necessary for the vindication of his apostolic char- acter, that he also should glory in his circumcision and Jewish extraction — He shows that the Corinthians had submitted too patiently to the overbearing disposition of others — He describes the conduct of the false teacher towards them — He affirms, in opposition to the reproach brought against him of being low born, weak, and ill-quali- fied to be an apostle, that if any had cause of boasting, he had cause also — He com- pares himself, in these respects, with the false teacher ; and shows his own superiority by an appeal to his labors and sufferings — his great anxiety for the Churches and in- dividuals, in sympathizing with the weak, and being zealously active in reclaiming the § '4\). misled — He glories in his weakness, particularly in his deliverance from Damascus, a ver. 1. ch. 12. that the power of God might be displayed. *bi,'sxiffer. ^^ I "say again, Let no man think me a fool ; if otiierwise, yet as a b 1 Cor. 7. 6, 12. fQQJ *receive me, that I may boast myself a little. ^" That which I d Phil. 3. 3, 4. speak, ''I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, '^in this c 1 Cor. 4. 10. confidence of boasting. ^® Seeing ''that many glory after the flesh, I /^Gai. 2. 4. & 4. ^jjj glory also. ^^ For ye suffer fools gladly, '^seeing ye yourselves are g ch. 10. 10. wise ; ~^ for ye suffer, ■'^if a man bring you into bondage, if a man de- h Phil. 3. 4. vour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite Rom. ii'.i.'phii. you on the face. ~^ I speak as concerning reproach, ^as though we had jicor. 15. 10. been weak ; howbeit ''whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) k Acts 9. 16. & I am bold also. ^^ Are they Hebrews ? 'so am I. Are they Isra- ch'. 6.4, sr' ' elites? so am L Are they the seed of Abraham? so am L ^^ Are '31^2'^'c'h. "1^*9 they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more ; ^in labors 10. 9 p 4t4. 11. &6. more abundant, *in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, mDeut. 25. 3. 'iu dcaths oft : -^ (of the Jews five times received I "'forty stripes n Acts 16. 22. gjj^yg Qj^g^ ^^'' thricc was I "beaten with rods, "once was I stoned, thrice I " Acts 27. 41. ^suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep :) ^^in g Acts 9. 23. & journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, 'in perils by &'i7."5.&26 3. mine own countrymen, '^in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in fo,^ii."&^.~3.' perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false »• -"^cu 14. 5. & brethren; ~^ in weariness and painfulness, 'in watchings often, 'in s Acits2o. 3i.ch. hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. -^Beside t\ c r 4 11 those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, "the u See Acts 20. carc of all the Churches ! ~^ Who "is weak, and I am not weak ? who ]8,&c.Ro,n.i. jg offended, and I burn not? ^o If I must needs glory, "I will glory of V 1 Cor. 8. 13. & the things which concern mine infirmities. ^^ The "^God and Father of 9 22 . . to ch. 12. 5, 9, 10. our Lord Jesus Christ, ^ which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I X Rom. 1.9.&9. lie not ! ^~ In ""Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the 1. ch. 1. 23. . '^ . . 01 Gai.i.2. iThes. city of the Damascenes with a garrison desirous to apprehend me : yRorn. 9. .■). ^^ and through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and z Acts 9. 24, 25. escaped his hands. Sect. XI.] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 287 § 30. — chap. xii. 1-G. St. Paul declares, that, if compelled for their sakes to glory, he will do so, in the reve- lations and visions lie had received : but personally he is determined only to glory in his weakness and sufferings ; for though he might do so in great truth, he forbears, lest any should form too high an opinion of him. ^ It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory.* I will come to § 30. visions and revelations of the Lord. ^ I knew a man "in Christ above *^^g^'^ ' '^''^ fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I cannot tell ; or whether out a Rom. le. 7. ch of the body, I cannot tell : God knoweth), such an one ''caught up to the third heaven. ^ And I knew such a man (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell : God knoweth), '' how that he was caught up into Taradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not tlaw- ful for a man to utter. ''Of such an one will I glory: ''yet of myself ich.n.so. I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. ^ For ^though I would desire e^ch. lo. 8. &n. to glory, I shall not be a fool ; for I will say the truth : but noio I for- bear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to he, or that he heareth of me. b Act3 22. 17. c Luke 23. 43. f Or, possible. § SI.— chap. xii. 7-11. St. Paul asserts that his bodily infirmity, for which he had been reproached by the fac- tion, was sent to him by God, that he might not be too much exalted by the glorious revelations vouchsafed to him — It is not to be removed, because by his weakness the power of God is made perfect — On this account he rejoices in persecution, infirmities, &c. for in proportion to his weakness, the grace of God dwelling in him gives him strength — The conduct of the Corinthians has compelled him, thus reluctantly, to glory — They ought to have vindicated his apostleship, knowing he was in no respect inferior to the chiefest of the apostles. § 31. ■^ And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abun- "24.''Gfi^4'!'i3f dance of the revelations, there was given to me a "thorn in the flesh ^^- „ , , , X rr- ^ T1111 111 ° •'°' "• ^- Luke (Hhe messenger of Satan) to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above 13. lo measure. ^ For 'this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. ^ And He said unto me, " My grace is sufficient for thee : for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly " 1 pVt.^^M therefore ''will I rather glory in my infirmities, 'that the power of Christ /Rom. 5. 3. ch. may rest upon me. ^° Therefore •'^I take pleasure in infirmities, in re- /,.h!i3. 4. proachcs, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake : a ch.ii. i, le, "for when I am weak, then am I strong. ^^ I am become ''a fool [in j ch. i].5.Gai.2. glorying;] ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been com- .*''!^^' „ mended of you: for 'in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apos- "'is. 8° 9. Eph. 3. ties, thouffh ^I be nothing. c See Deut. 3. 23-27. Matt. 26. 44. d ch. 11. 30. 8. § 32. — chap. xii. 12, to the end. St. Paul continues to justify his apostleship by his miracles, and the spiritual gifts he imparted — He inquires of them in what respect he had made them inferior to other Churches, except that he himself was not burdensome to them — He declares his in- tention of visiting them, and of still not beingburdensome ; for, as their spiritual father, he seeks not the goods of his spiritual children, but their salvation — He confutes the in- sinuations of his adversaries, charging him with craftily refusing to take money from them, by appealing to the disinterested conduct of Titus and his assistant — He affirms that his design in sending Titus to them was not as an apology for his not coming himself, (2 Cor. i. 23.), but to give the disobedient time to amend their lives — He expresses his fear, that, when he does visit them, he will be called upon to lament over, and punish those who have not repented of the sins and impurities of which they had been 5 S^^^W- ]9. ICor. 9. 2. ^2 Truly "the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all & j^; |; *^ '^^ ^' patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. ^^ For ''what is it j icor. 1.7. wherein you were inferior to other Churches, except it be that 'I myself '^/j'^^'p^- '^^■"^ was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong. ^^ Behold ! <ich.'i3. 1. "the third time I am ready to come to you ; and I will not be burden- %c''or."io. si. some to you : for 'I seek not yours, but you. -^For the children ought / 1 cor. 4. 14, 1.3. 288 • THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. [Part XIII. not to lay up for tlie parents, but tlie parents for the children. ^^ And ^PhiT'a ^17^' ^" ^^ ^^^^^ ^^'T gladly spend and be spent ''for *you ; though 'the more ft John 10. 11. eh. abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. 2Tin^°2! 10.^^' ^^ But be it so, ■'I did not burden you : nevertheless, being crafty, I * Gr. your souls, cauglit you with guilo. ^^ Did *I make a gain of you by any of them ! "2' l\ ^9' ^^' whom I sent unto you ? ^® I 'desired Titus, and with him I sent a k ch. 7. 2. "brother. Did Titus make a gain of you ? walked we not in the I ch. 8. G, 16, 22. saiYjQ spirit ? walked w^e not in the same steps ? n ch. 5. 12. ^^ Again, "think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you ? "We speak oRom. 9.1. ch. before God in Christ: ^but ive do all things, dearly beloved, for your p 1 Cor. 10.33. edifying. -° For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as q 1 Cor. 4.21. ch. J would, aud that 'I shall be found unto vou such as ve would not; 10. 2. & 13. 2 . *^ . '^ 10! "" ' "' lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, wiiisper- r ch.2. 1, 4. ings, swellings, tumults ; ~^ and lest, when I come again, my God '^will s ch. 13. 2. humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many ^which have I I Cor. 5. 1. sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and 'forni- cation and lasciviousness which they have committed. § 33. — chap. xiii. 1-4. St. Paul proceeds by assuring the Corinthians, that when he next visits them they shall be judged after the Law and the Gospel by the testimony of two or three witnesses — He reminds them of his former threat and punishment of the incestuous person, and assures all those who have already sinned, and those who continue in sin, that § 33. they likewise will not be spared by him ; more particularly as they require a proof of a ch 1-'' 14. Christ speaking by him, who already has shown himself not in weakness, but in X See Note 21. strength, by the mighty works he hath enabled him to accomplish — Christ, though 5 Num. .35. 30. crucified in the weakness of his human nature, still lives by the power of God — We Deut. 17. 6. & j^igQ ^j.g weak in body with him, but the Apostle will show that they live with him by 19. 15. Matt. 18. ^ /-^ 1 . r- , • 1 • ■ , 16. John 8. 17. the power of God, manifested in their punishment. e ch.10.2. ^ This is "the third time I am coming to '^you : ''in the mouth of two d ch. 12. 21. or three witnesses shall every word be established. ~ I '^told you before, /Miit^t 10 20 ^^^^ foretell you (as if I were present the second time, and being ab- icor. 5.4. ch. gent iiow), *to them "^which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, 5-icor. 9. 2. that, if I come again, 'I will not spare: ^ since ye seek a proof of * i''i''-2-7,8. Christ •'^speaking in me, who to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty i Rom. 6^4. "'in you. '^ For ''though He was crucified through weakness, yet 'He jseech. 10. 3, hveth by the power of God. For 'we also are weak *in Him, but * Or, with inm. wc shali fivc with Him by the power of God toward you. § 34. a 1 Cor, .11.28. b Rom. Gal. 4. 8. 10. 19. c 1 Cor. 9.27. d ch. 6. 9. e 1 Cor. ch. 11. 5,9,10 4. 10. 30. & 12, / 1 Thess. 3. 10. g 1 Cor. 4.21. ch. 9. 3.& 10.2. & 12.20,21. A Tit. 1 .13. § 34. — chap. xiii. .5-10. As the faction desired a proof of Christ's being with St. Paul, he now calls upon them to examine themselves, and see whether they possess tliose spiritual gifts which are the proof of Christ's presence — He hopes, that, although they should be without this proof, he should not be found wanting in supernatural powers, were it necessary for him to use tliem for their punishment when he came — He prays to God that they might conduct themselves properly, being much more anxious for their repentance, than tliat lie should have an opportunity of exercising his proofs, and of showing his strength — He affirms that supernatural powers can only be exerted in support of the truth — For their perfection, St. Paul writes these things, that, when he is present with them, the miraculous powers imparted to liim for the edification of the Church may not be used in severity. ^ Examine "yourselves ; whether ye be in the faith, prove your own- selves : know ye not your ownselves, ''how that Jesus Christ is in you ? — except ye be 'reprobates. ^ But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. ^ Now I pray to God tliat ye do no evil ; not tiiat we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though ''we be as reprobates. ^ For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. '-• For we are glad, 'when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish — even ^your perfection. ^^ Tlieiefore ^I write these things being absent, lest being present ''I should use Sect. XIIL] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 289 sharpness 'according to the power (which the Lord hath given me) to ' '=''• ^o- s- edification, and not to destruction. § 35. a Rom .12.16,18. &15. 5. 1 Cor. 1. 10. Phil. 2. 2. & 3. 16. 1 Pet. 3.8. b Rom. , 15. 33. c Rora. 16. 16. ICor. 16. 20. 1 Thess. 5. 26. ] Pet. 5. 14. d Rom. . 16. 24. e Phil. 2. 1. § 35. — chap. xiii. 11, to the end. St. Paul, having finished his reproofs to the faction, addresses the whole Church ; giving them various directions — He concludes with salutations, and with his apostolic bene- diction. ^^ Finally, brethren, farewell, be perfect, be of good comfort, "be of one mind, live in peace ; and the God of love ''and peace shall be with you ! ^^ Greet ^one another with a holy ki.ss : ^^ all the .saints salute you. ^"^ The "^grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and 'the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all ! [[Amen.]] [[The Second Epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.]] [end of the second epistle to the CORINTHIANS.] _L ' V. JE. 58. J. P. 4771. Section XIL — ^S*^. Paul returns from Achaia and Corinth to Macedo- ^^^acedonia. nia, sending his companions forward to Troas. a ch. 9. 23. & 23. Acts xx. latter part ofver. 3, ver. 4, 5. 2Cor.li. 26. ^ And "when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into *27'''2^co?^4*io Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia. '^ And there accom- c ch. 19. 29. panied him into Asia, Sopater of Berea ; and of the Thessalonians, ^ ^''j^^ ^ ^j ^^j *Aristarchus and Secundus ; and ^Gaius of Derbe, and ''Timotheus : 4. 7. 2Trm". 4. and of Asia, ^Tychicus and •'^Trophimus. ^ These going before tarried f ch.21.29.2 Tim. for us at Troas. 4. 20. Section XIIL — St. Paid, in his way from Achaia to Macedonia, writes sect. xiii. from Corinth his Epistle to the Jews and Gentiles of Rome — to the — Gentiles, to prove to them that neither their boasted Philosophy, nor ^ p .' their moral Virtue, nor the Light of human Reason — and to the Jeivs, corinth. that neither their knowledge of, nor obedience to, the Laiv of Moses — — could justify them before God ; but that Faith in Christ alone was, ^ and always had been, the only way of Salvation to all ManJcind.y I "^^^^^ ^2%T THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. cfrf.ViTim. r 1 , ■ , ~ 1. 11. & 2. 7. ■J 1. — chap. 1. 1-7. 2 Tim. 1. 11. St. Paul affirms his apostolic power, and, showing the human nature of Christ by his *i^'o^p i^i^c descent from David, and his Divine nature by the resurrection, he declares that he ^ gee on Acts 26. received his mission from Christ to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, of whom the 6. Tit. 1.2. Church of Rome principally consisted, and he has therefore authority to address ge'cal 3 8 them. e .Matt. 1. 6, 16. ^ Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, "called to be an apostle, 'separated 2.^30! 2'Trm. 2.^ unto the Gospel of God, ~ which "he had promised afore "^by his ^' T« 1 ■ 1 TT 1 o( • 1 • 1 • n T /^i • / John 1. 14. Gal. Prophets in the Holy Scriptures, "* concerning his Son Jesus Christ 4.4. our Lord ('who was ■'made of the seed of David according to the flesh ; * ^'- determined. ^ and * declared ^/'o be the Son of God with power, according '"to the ^ActTis.ss. spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead : ^ by whom *we ^ ^^^- ^- '■*• have received grace and apostleship, tfor ^obedience to the faith among 15.1 cor.'io. 16. all nations, 'for his Name ; ^ among whom are ye also the called of g^^Eph.s'.'lr^' Jesus Christ!) '^ to all that be in Rome, beloved of God, 'called to be ^OT,totheobedi- saints ! '"Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord j ^cts e. 7. ch. Jesus Christ ! i^- '^^- k Acts 9. 15. I ch. 9. 24. 1 Cor. § 2.— chap. i. 8-17. l- -i- 1 Thess. 4. St. Paul rejoices at their faith — Expresses a great desire to visit them, that he might ^ , f-,^^ j 3 establish them by the imparting of some spiritual gifl ; by which proof he and they 2 Cor. 1. 2. Gal. would be mutually strengthened and comforted in the faith of Christ — Being appointed ^' ^" VOL. II 37 T 290 THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part XHI § 2. to preach the Gospel to all nations, he still desires to preach it to the Romans — First, olCor. 1.4. Phil. because he affirms it to be the power of God unto salvation to the Jew, and also to the 1.3. Col. 1. :),4. Gentile — Secondly, that in the Gospel alone is revealed the righteousness of God; and Philemon 4. ' the only condition of justification and acceptance with him, which is by faith, and not b ch. 16. 19. by works — Thirdly, on account of the superiority of the Gospel dispensationy to the 1 Thess. 1. 8. j^g^^^ ^^ Moses, or the liglit or law of conscience, both of which condemn to death, '^1^ -23 Phil l.°8'. without any condition, all those who have sinned. dlctT^i^^' ^ First, "I thank my God, through Jesus Christ for you all, that ''your 2 Tim. 1.3.' faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. ^ For "God is my wit- *johnt'23,lt^^' i^6ss, ''whom I servo *with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son, that Phil. 3. 3. 'without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers ; /ch^ir«3%2° ^" making '^request, if by any means now at length I might have a 1 Thess. 3.' 10. prosperous journey (by ^the will of God) to come unto you. ^^ For ^ ^'""' ^'oq' I ^O'^g to see you, that ''I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, *OT,inyou. to the cud yc may be established; ^^that is, that I may be com- i Tit. 1.4. 2 Pet. forted together twith you by Hhe mutual faith both of you and me. •th^i5 23 ^^ Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that ^oftentimes I h See Acts 16. 7. purposcd to come unto you, (but *was let hitherto), that I might have 2 pr'rr 17 some 'fruit tamong you also, even as among other Gentiles. ^^I'^am t Or, ill you. debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians ; both to the wise, m 1 Cor. 9. 16. and to the unwise : ^^ so, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach "mark^s! 38.^"' thc Gospcl to you that are at Rome also. 2 Tim. 1.8. 16 Yor "I am not ashamed of the Gospel [of Christ] : for "it is the "15.2?'^' ' ' power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ; ^to the Jew p ^"'^<'„^-^3^^' first, and also to the Greek. ^"For 'therein is the righteousness of God 39. & 24. 47. . . ~ Acts 3. 26. & 13. revealed from faith to faith : as it is 'written. — 26, 46. ch. 2. 9. q ch. 3. 21. " The just shall live by faith." r Hab. 2. 4. John 3. 3I5. Gal. 3. 11 Phil. 3. 9. Heb. § 3. — chav. 1. 18, to the end. St. Paul shows that the Gentiles had a sufficient evidence of God and of his glorious perfections in the works of creation — To demonstrate that no man by the law of nature could obtain salvation, he enumerates the vices of the Greeks, who had attained to § 3. the highest degree of human knowledge and wisdom — He asserts that they knew a Acts 17. 30. God, but concealed the knowledge of him, till their own hearts lost sight of the truth, Eph. 5. 6. Col. and they established the worship of the creature instead of the Creator — By their b Acts 14 17 knowledge of God they were convinced of the punishment which awaited their * Or to them. Crimes; yet they continued in them, and encouraged others to do so likewise. c John 1. 9. 18 Pqj^ «^j^g wrath of God is revealed from iieaven against all ungod- Acts 14. 17. &.' liness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteous- 17.27. ness. ^^ Because Hhat which may be known of God is manifest *in mmjl'J! '"'' them ; for 'God hath showed it unto them ; ^^ (for ''the invisible things *jer'^2"°5.Eph!^' of him fioui the creation of the world are clearly seen, being under- 4. 17, 18. stood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and God- ffDeut. 4. 16, head ;) tso that they are without excuse. -^Because that, when they i^'^o'is"'''!;^'^' k^ew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but jer. 2. 11'. Ezek. ^bccamc vaiu in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was dark- 29. ' " ^ ' ened : ^^ professing -^themselves to be wise, they became fools, ^^ and *wud'p%. changed the glory of the incorruptible 'God into an image made like ■'^'=*' ^•3r,i''''- to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping 4. 18, 19.2Thes. . ' ' ' ' 10 2. 11, 12. thmgs, '/Thcss'^4^^4 ^^ Wherefore ''God also gave them up to unclcanness through the iPet. 4. 3. lusts of their own hearts, Ho dishonor their own bodies 'between them- {Yrult^ho. selves; ~^ who changed Hhe truth of God 'into a lie, and worshipped 1 John 5. 21). and served the creature tmore than the Creator, who is blessed for So!'i4'!&°i3^"5. ever! Amen. ^6 po^ tj^jg cause God gave them up unto '"vile affec- Amos2. 4. tions ; for even their women did change the natural use into that ^*i_'p™|g^2, which is against nature : ^^and likewise also the men, leaving the natu- 23. Eph. 5. 12. ryi „so of tlie woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men Jude 10. 1 1 ■ • • I 1 With men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves Sect. XIII.] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 291 that recompence of their error which was meet. ^^ And "even as they "o^']^^- ^^- ^' did not like *to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over *Or, to acknoia. to ta reprobate mind, to do those things "which are not convenient ; '^°*' . . .. I ' . ~ . . . T '-''') " '"'"'d void ^^ being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covet- of judgment. ^j CD ' ' ' -xy Led ousness, maliciousness ; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity ; " ^ • • • whisperers, ^"backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ^^ without understand- ^ ^,^' ^'^<'"''"«- ing, covenant breakers, twithout natural affection, implacable, unmer- q ch. e. 21. ciful : "^~ who ^knowing the judgment of God, (that they which com- ''^^°\^-'^' ^^' mit such things 'are worthy of death), not only do the same, '^but * or, coTwent jcit* *have pleasure in them that do them. ^'"'"* § 4. — chap. ii. 1-3. The Apostle, well knowing the readiness of the Jews to join in the condemnation of the Gentiles for their sins, now endeavours to convince the Jews of sin, by declaring that they also are guilty of the same crimes, and that God's judgment passed in their Law against such crimes is known to be according to truth ; and that all those who commit them, whether Jews or Gentiles^ will not escape the final judgment of God. § ^• ^ Therefore tliou art "inexcusable, O man whosoever thou art that " '=''• ^- -''• judgest ! 'For wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; *7" Man. t^'/'s!' for thou that judgest doest the same things. - But we are sure that the John 8.9. judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. ^ And thinkest thou this, O man that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same ! that thou shalt escape the judg- ment of God ? §5. § 5. — cAop. ii. 4-10. The Apostle admonishes the Jews that their privileges will tend to their condemnation , „ „„ „ •f ..I J i ^ TT i • ,1 1- • . , ■.■ , ^ ., . , a ch. 9. 23. Eph. II tney do not repent — He denies all distmctions between Jews and Gentiles in the 1. 7. & 2. 4 7. judgment of God ; and affirms that the same punishments, and the same rewards, will 6 ch. 3. 25. be equally given both to the Jew and to the Greek. '^ ^^- 34- <>• ^ Or despisest thou "the riches of his goodness and ''forbearance and 2 Pet. 3. 9^ 15. 'long-suffering ; "'not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to 'w s.f .' ^'*' repentance ? ^ But after thy hardness and impenitent heart 'treasurest •^6o'''',^pro;,^2 up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the ip.jer. 1-. 10.& righteous judgment of God, ^ who ^"will render to every man according 27! ch'. h!'iV^' to his deeds: '''to them who, by patient continuance in well doing, acor'.s.to. seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: ^but unto \^y^^?\^'^^ them that are contentious and ^do not obey the truth, but obey un- ^^ Job 24. 13. ch. righteousness, indignation, and wrath. ^ Tribulation and anguish upon i; i^-^Thess.i. every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew ''first, and also of the ^ Amos 3. 2. *Gentile ! ^^ But 'glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh i Pet. 4.17.' good, to the Jew first, and also to the tGentile ! ,*?Pe?^r^' t Gr- Oreek. § 6. — chap. ii. 11-16. St. Paul declares that with God there is no distinction of persons — That all men shall be judged according to the degree of light and knowledge which they have received — That, not those Jews who profess the Law and are not doers of it, but the Gentiles, and all those who act up to it, without having received the later knowledge of it, will find favor with God at the great day, when all men shall be judged by the law of con- science, and of faith, according to the Gospel of God. i 6_ ^^ For "there is no respect of persons with God. ^^ For as many as ° i>eut. 10.17. have sinned without law shall also perish without law : and as many Job 3'4."i9. Acts have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law ; ^^ (for 'not the aEpl^^g.^' hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the Law shall \%^.'^' ^ ^^'' be justified. ^* For when the Gentiles, which have not the Law, do by * Matt. 7.21. nature the things contained in the Law, these, having not the Law, 25."i \^^^i. are a law unto themselves : ^^ which show the work of the Law written 292 THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part XHL * Or, the con- science tcitness- ing with them. t Or, between themselves. c Eccles. 12. 14. Miitt. 25.31. John 12. 48. ch. a. (j. 1 Cor. 4. 5. Rev. 20. 12. d John 5. 22. Acts 10. 42. & 17. 31. 2 Tim. 4. 1,8. IPet. 4. 5. e ch. 16. 25. 1 Tim. 1. 11. 2 Tim. 2. 8. §7. a Matt. 3. 9. John 8. 33. ch. 9. 6, 7. 2 Cor. 11. 22. i Mic. 3. 11. ch. 9.4. c Ig. 45. 25. & 48. 2. John 8. 41. d Deut. 4. 8. Ps. 147. 19, 20. e Phil. 1. 10. * Or, triest the things that differ. f Matt. 15. 14. & 23. 16, 17, 19, 24. John 9. 34, 40, 41. g ch. 6. 17. 2 Tim. 1. 13. &; 3.5. h Ps. 50. 16, &c. Matt. 23. 3, &c. i Mai. 3. 8. j ver. 17. k 2 Sam. 12. 14. Is. 52. 5. Ezek. 36. 20, 23. §8. a Gal. 5. 3. b Acts 10. 34, 35. c Matt. 12. 41, 42. d Matt. 3. 9. John 8. 39. ch. 9. 6, 7. Gal. 6. 15. Rev. 2. 9. e 1 Pet. 3. 4. /Col. 2. 11. Phil. 3.3. g ch. 7. 6. 2 Cor. 3. 6. h 1 Cor. 4. 5. 2 Cor. 10. 18. ] Thess. 2. 4. §9. a Deut. 4. 7, 8. Ps. 147. 19, 20. ch. 2. 18. >Sl9. 4. 6 ch. 10. 16. Heb. 4.2. in their hearts ; *their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts tthe meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another ;) ^^ in "the day when God shall judge the secrets of men "^by Jesus Christ, 'according to my Gospel. § "7.— chap. ii. 17-24. St. Paul shows that the mere knowledge of religion could not justify the Jew — The In- efficacy of the Mosaic Law for salvation is proved bj' the flagrant violations of it in the conduct of the Jewish Scribes and Rulers, who were the appointed instructors of the people — He proves the charge by passages from their own Scriptures. ^^ Behold ! "thou art called a Jew, and 'restest in the Law, "and makest thy boast of God, ^^ and ''knowest his will, 'and *approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the Law ; ^^ and ■^art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, ^^an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, ^ which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law. ^^ Thou 'therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal ? ^^ Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery ? thou that abhorrest idols, 'dost thou commit sacrilege ? ^"^ Thou that ^makest thy boast of the Law, through breaking the Law dishonorest thou God ? ^'^ For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. § 8. — chap. ii. 25, to the end. St. Paul proceeds to show that circumcision, in which the Jews gloried, as the sign of their descent from Abraham, and their peculiar privileges of God's chosen people, would profit them nothing unless they kept the Law — By transgressing the Law, the Jew forfeited his privileges, and was in no better condition than the uncircumcised Gentile — The Gentiles, who perform the duties of the Law, will be accepted of God, and admitted into the number of his chosen people — He is not a son of Abraham who makes only an outward profession of religion ; but he only is a true son who is spiri- tually pure. ^^ For "circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the Law : but if thou be a breaker of the Law, thy circumcision is made uncircum- cision. '^^ Therefore ''if the Uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the Law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision ? ^^ And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the Law, "judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the Law ? ^® For "^he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly ; neither is circumcision tiiat which is outward in the flesh : -^ but he is a Jew, "which is one inwardly ; and -^circumcision is that of the heart, ^(in the spirit — and not in the letter ;) ''whose praise is not of men, but of God. § 9. — chap. iii. 1-8. The Jews and Gentiles having been now equally convinced of sin by the Apostle, he proceeds to refute the prejudices of the Jews, by introducing one who inquires in what then the children of Abraham are favored more than the Gentiles ? The Apos- tle replies — "hi having the oracles of God committed to them" — The Jew then in- quires, whether, because some of their nation did not believe in these oracles, their unbelief would annul the promises of God .'' The Apostle, in answer, maintains that the truth and promises of God were confirmed by their unbelief; the frailty of man breaking the conditions on wliich they rested — The Jew then asks, '• If by their unbelief the righteousness of God is more abundantly displayed, would not God be unjust to punish them .'" — The Apostle shows that God cannot be unjust ; because, if he were, how could he judge the world ? — The Jew repeats the argument — Tlie Apos- tle rejects it, by aflirming that such conduct would be inculcating the practice of evil that good might ensue — The just condemnation of those who hold such an opinion. ^ What advantage then hath the Jew ? or what is the profit of cir- cumcision ? ~ Much every way. Cliiefly, because that "unto them were committed the oracles of God. ^ For what if ''some did not be- Sect. XIII.] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 293 lieve ? 'shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect ? ^^^^-^^^fi 4 God ^forbid ! yea, let 'God be true, but^every man a liar; as it is 29. a Tim. 2. is. •> ' d Job 40. 8. ^written, — « joim 3. 33. " That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, /Ps.ea.g.&ue. And miffhtest overcome when thou art judged." s" ^3-51.4. ° ""A ell. 6. 19. Gal. ^But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what .^6^18.25. shall we say ? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance ? (I ''speak Job 8. 3.& 34. as a man.) ^ God forbid ! for then 'how shall God judge the world ? . eh. 5. 20. & 6. ■^ For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto 1. 15- his glory ; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? ^ And not rather (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), ^Let us do evil, that good may come ? whose damnation is just. § 10. § lO.-chap. m. 9-20. , ^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^ The Jew now inquires whether they have not better claims than the Gentiles ?— To l. 28, to. & 2. which question the Apostle affain affirms what he has already stated, that both Jews ^ ^g^'^^_ Gal. 3. and Gentiles were equally under sin— The sin of the Jews proved from their own 22. ' * Scriptures, which they allowed to be of divine inspiration — No man can be justified by b P''- 14. 1, 2, 3. the Law either of Moses, or of nature, which could give only the knowledge of sin ' " , . c Ps. 5. 9. Jer. 5. and its condemnation. 16. ^ What then? are we better than theyl No, in no wise: for we ''■l^-]t\^' P r 3 10 7 have before *proved both Jews and Gentiles, that "they are all under / Prov. i. ie. is. sin ; ^° as it is ''written,— ^p^'g^ ^ " There is none righteous — no, not one ! A^john lo. 34. & ^^ There is none that understandeth, i job 5. le. ps. There is none that seeketh after God ; le. 63. ch.'']. 20. 12 They are all gone out of the way, .^^-^ g'.as.ch.a. They are together become unprofitable ; 2. There is none that doeth good — no, not one ! \kJju7^nent''of ^^ Their ""throat is an open sepulchre ; ^'"'• With their tongues they have used deceit ; Acuia.'sg.cai The ''poison of asps is under their hps ; Eph.'2. 8,9. fit. ^■* Whose 'mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. ^^^^-^ ^ ^^ Their -^feet are swift to shed blood, ' 1*^ Destruction and misery are in their ways ; ^"^ And the way of peace have they not known. 1^ There "is no fear of God before their eyes." "i^iT PhiiVa'g! Heb. 11. 4, &c. 13 Now we know that what things soever Hhe Law saith, it saith to * Joim 5.^46- them who are under the Law : that *every mouth may be stopped, and ^ eri'.2.Tpet. ^all the world may become tguilty before God! ^^ Therefore *by the ^i"- deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight : for 'by throughout. the Law is the knowledge of sin. ^''oo^^ ^-o^f,'" ^ J. 'Jo. Col. o. IX. / ver. 9. ch. 11. § IL— c7m;;. ill. 21-26. 32. Gal. 3. 22. The Law having entirely failed for justification, the Apostle declares that the only ^^.^s! fit. 3. 5^ ' method of justification is by faith in Jesus Christ, which is taught in the Law and the 7. Prophets, and offered alike to the Jews and Gentiles, both of whom were equally con- *j?'^"- ^i* '^^'i vinced of sin — And with God there was no respect of persons — Justification the free i. 14. { Tim. 2. gift of God to all, through faith, by the propitiation and redemption of Christ Jesus. f^gf'] ^i8~i9 21 But now "the righteousness of God without the Law is mani- * or,foreor- fested, ''being witnessed by the Lavv 'and the Prophets; 22 even the , LeT. ie. 1.5. righteousness of God ivhich is ''by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and 1 ^°^" -■ '^- ^ upon all them that believe. For 'there is no difference. ^3 For ^all j coi. 1. 20. have sinned, and come short of the glory of God ; ^-i being justified ^-^cts 13. 38,39. freely °by his grace ''through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus : ^ or,pa^si„g 25 whom God hath *set forth Uo be a propitiation through faith ^in his ove^. blood, to declare his righteousness *" for the tremission of 'sins that Heb. 9! 15.' VOL. II. *Y § 11. a Acta 1.5. 11. ch, 294 THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part XHI. are past, tlirough the forbearance of God ; ^^ to declare, / say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which beUeveth in Jesus. § 12. — chap. iii. 27, to the end. St. Paul declares that all boasting is excluded, and concludes the argument by declaring that neither the Jew nor the Gentile, under the Gospel, can be justified excepting by faith alone, without any assistance from the works of the Law — The Gentiles as well as the Jews being equally regarded by God — The same means of justification are appointed § 12. for both — The Law is established, or made perfect, by faith. "4%'. TcJr'. LsS ^^ Where "is boasting then ? It is excluded. By what law ? Of 31. Ephes. 2. 9. works ? Nav, but by the law of faith : ^^ therefore we conclude ''that b Acts ]3 38 39 ... . . ver. 20, 21, 22. ' a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law. ^^Is he the ch. 8. 3. Gal. 2. Qq^j ^^ ^j^g jg^g ^^jy p jg j^g j^Qj. ^jg^ Q^ ^j^g Gentiles ? Yes, of the c ch. 10. 12, 13. Gentiles also. "^^ Seeing 'it is one God, which shall justify the Circum- Gal. 3. 8, 20, 28. .. , f . , ». .. ' ir-i cision by laith, and Uncircumcision through laith. ^^ Do we then make void the Law through faith ? God forbid ! yea, we establish the Law. § 13. — chap. iv. 1-12. The Apostle proves that Abraham was not justified by the works of the Law — He hath not whereof to boast — His justification was of faith, of grace and favor — not of debt, as a reward due to his works — David testifies the same method of justification, from the fact, that Abraham was justified in uncircumcision, and that he afterwards received the sign of circumcision as the seal of his justification by faith, that he might become the spiritual father both of Jew and Gentile, who were to be alike entitled to justifica- tion on the equal condition of faith only. ^ What shall we then say that "Abraham, our father as pertaining to the flesh, hath found ? ^ For if Abraham were 'justified by works, he hath whereof to glory ; but not before God. ^ For what saith the "Scripture ? " Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." ■* Now "^to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt ; ^ but to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth 'the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. ** Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, ■^ saying,— /Pa. 32. 1,2. " Blessed ■'^are they whose iniquities are forgiven. And whose sins are covered ! ^ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin ! " ^ Cometh this blessedness then upon the Circumcision only, or upon the Uncircumcision also ? For we say, that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. ^° How was it then reckoned ? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision ? Not in circumcision, but g Gen 17. 10. Jn uncircumcisiou. ^^ And ° he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being un- ''i2"i6^Gai%'^*'7" ^'''^^"'^*^'^®*^ ' that ''he might be the father of all them that be- lieve, though they be not circumcised, (that righteousness might be imputed unto them also :) ^^ and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the Circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncir- cumcised. § U.—chap. iv. 13-22. The Apostle continues his argument, by declaring to the Jews that the promise itself, which was given to Abraham, intimated tliat all the world should become his heirs through the medium of his fiiith — But that if only the Jews were to be the heirs to his promise, faith is made void, and the promise which was given on the condition of faith is cancelled — For the Law, without mercy, subjects the sinner to punishment — and § 13. a Is. 51.2. Matt. 3.9. , John 8. 33, 39. 2 Cor. 11 .22. b ch. 3. 20. 27, 28. c Gen. 15. 6. < Sal. 3. 6. , Jam. 2. 23. See ver. 22. d ch. 11.6. e Josh. 24. 2. Sect. XIII.] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 295 without the Law there can be no rule of duty, and consequently no sin — On this account the promise is given to faith — the free grace of God including both the natu- ral and spiritual children of Abraham — Abraham's justification in uncircumcision z ^^ ' proves the accej)tance of the Gentiles — and the promise itself confirmed to Abraham, ^ as the father of many nations, establishes the claim of the Gentiles to all the blessings g!i1."3. 29 ' ''' of redemption. b Gal. 3. 18. 13 For the promise, that he should be the "heir of [the] world, was %tho:'^^7%^' not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the Law, but through the s^'acor^^V^' righteousness of faith. ^* For 'if they which are of the Law be heirs, ^-j^;'' ;.'• '^' ''^• faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect ; ^^ because 'the ^ ch. 3. 24. Law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. cGai.3. 22. 1^ Therefore it is of faith, that it might be ''by grace ; 'to the end the 8.^' promise might be sure to all the seed ; not to that only which is of ^ Gen.17. 5. the Law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, ^who is Mm. the father of us all, ^"^ (as it is 'written, " I have made thee a father a^'^Ij-8. n. Eph. of many nations,") *before Him whom he believed, even God, ''who i ch. 9. 20. 1 cor. quickeneth the dead, and calleth those ^things which be not as 10. though they were. ■?' <^«'"- ^^- ^■ 1^ Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the *i8."n. nei,!'iK father of many nations, (according to that which was 'spoken, "So ^''^-- ^ . . . . / Ps. I L5. 3. Ijuko shall thy seed be !") ^'^ and being not weak in faith, ''he considered not 1.37, 4.5. iieb. his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, '^J neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb : ~^ he staggered not at the , j^^ promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory 1.- 4 ir to God ; ^^ and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, lo. 'c,Yi 'He was able also to perform. ^- And therefore it was imputed to him ft Acts 2. 24. & 13. 30. for righteousness. c is. 53. 5, 6. ch. '= 3. a.'j. & 5. 6. & 8. 32. 2 Cor. 5. § 15. — chap. iv. 23, to the end. i pnt^'.j. 04. "& The circumstance of Abraham's acceptance with God through faith was recorded for 3. 18. Heb. 9.28. our sakes — to show us that the only means of salvation with God is through faith in j p^, j_ o]_ his Son, who suffered for our sins, and rose again, as a pledge of our reconciliation, or justification. c jg ^^ Now "it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to ^ j, 30. ,7 joi,n him ; -'* but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe ''on ^Jj- 33. ch. 3. 28, Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead ; ~^ who 'was delivered & Eph. 2. 14. coi. for our offences, and ''was raised again for our justification. ^ jj,,^ ,0 9 ^ 14. 6. Ephe's. 2. 18. & 3. 12. Heh. § 16.— chap. V. l-U. 10.19. St. Paul proceeds by enumerating the great blessings and privileges which follow justifi- " ,, v"^^ ^ cation by faith — The Holy Spirit imparted to the Gentiles manifests the love of God . ^j^^^' ^ jj j^, towards them, which is confirmed by Christ's dying for them while they were still ActsS. 41.2Cor. heathens— The Gentiles have then the same hope of salvation through Christ, and the J|- i"n'''y'2^i2^ same grounds for rejoicing in God, with the natural seed of Abraham, as they have been 1 Pet. 3. 14.' reconciled to God by the same Atonement. ^ Jam. 1. 3. 1 Therefore "being justified by faith, we have ''peace with God iphji.i'go. through our Lord Jesus Christ, ^ (by 'whom also we have access by j 2 cor. 1. 22. faith into this grace ''wherein we stand ;) and 'rejoice in hope of the Eph'es. 1. 13,14. glory of God. ^ And not only so, but Ave glory in tribulations also, *tZ'hmZ'^"'^^'' ^^knowing that tribulation worketh patience ; '* and ''patience, experi- c=«'- ''• 4- ence ; and experience, hope; ^ and 'hope maketh not ashamed: ^be- 25. ' ' cause the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost ' /p^" g''" ,lf ; which is given unto us. ^ For when we were yet without strength, *in i Johns. 16.& due time ^Christ died for the ungodly. "^ For scarcely for a righteous „ ch'. 3. 25. Eph. man will one die ; yet peradventure for a good man some would even f jo]; "^ V^" ^^' dare to die. ^ But 'God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while « ci;- 1- is- we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ''Much more then, being now „ ch. 8.-32. justified "by his blood, we shall be saved "from wrath through him. P£^"o' le^c'of' ^° For "if, when we were enemies, ''we were reconciled to God by 1.26,21. 296 THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part XIII. g John 5. 26. & 14. 19. 2 Cor. 4. 10, 11. r ch. 2. 17. & 3. 29,30. Gal. 4.9. t Or, RccoDciliw- tirni, ver. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 18, 19. the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved 'by his life. ^^ And not only so, but we also '^joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the t Atonement. § 17. a Gen. 3. 6. 1 Cor. 15. 21. b Gen. 2. 17. ch. 6.23. * Or, in whom. c ch.4. 15. IJohn 3.4. 2 See Note 23. d 1 Cor. 15. 21, 22, 45. e Is. 53. 11. Matt. 20. 28. & 26. 28. f Or, hy one of- fence. \ Or, by one of- fence. * Or, by one righteousness. f John 12. 32. Heb. 2. 9. g John 15.22. ch. 3. 20. & 4. 15. & 7. 8. Gal. 3. 19, 23. h Luke 7. 47. 1 Tim. 1. 14. § 17. — chap. V. 12, to the end. St. Paul now lays down the doctrine of Original Sin — He shows that by the transgression of one man sin entered into the world, and the sentence of death was passed upon all men, for that all were afterwards born with a sinful nature — That death reigned, through the corruption of our nature, before the Mosaic Law was known — Adam, the type, the earthly head of the human race, communicated sin — Christ, the antitype, the spiritual head, communicated life and justification to all — The effects of Christ's obe- dience are greater than the effects of Adam's disobedience — By one offence Adam brought into the world transgression and death — By obedience Christ undid the evil of sin, and tlirough the righteousness of faith restored to all mankind the free gift of life and pardon for man's offence, for both original and actual sin — The Law entered to give the knowledge of the guilt of sin — The grace and gift of God abounds, to deliver us from the condemnation of the Law — As sin has universally reigned, subject- ing all mankind to spiritual and temporal death, so shall also the grace of God reign, producing holiness unto eternal life. ^^ Wherefore, as "by one man sin entered into the world, and Meath by sin ; and so death passed upon all men, *for that all have sinned. ^^For until the Law sin was in the world: but 'sin is not imputed when there is no law ; i"* nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the simili- tude of Adam's'' transgression, ''who is the figure of Him that was to come. ^^ But not as the offence, so also is the free gift ; for if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded 'unto many. ^^ And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift : for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. ^'' For if tby one man's offence death reigned by one ; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. ^^ Therefore as tby the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation ; even so *by the righteousness of one the free gift came •'^upon all men unto justification of life. ^^ For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous. ^^ Moreover "the Law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much ''more abound ; ~^ that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. § 18. — chap. vi. 1-11. St. Paul, after having shown that by the one offence of Adam all men were condemned to death, inquires whether it were possible to preach, as they had been accused of doing (chap. iii. 8.), " that by the continuance of sin, the free grace of God to eternal life would be more abundantly given to man" — To confute this prevailing error, he afHrms the obligation of Christian holiness from the rite of baptism, by which Christians were instructed, that, as Christ was crucified, and gave up his body as a sacrifice to sin, so those who are baptized unto him should consider their bodies as dead and buried with him unto sin, and as raised with him to newness of life, by tlie same quickening Spirit who raised the dead body of Christ from the grave — The old man, or the natural man, being put to death with Christ, the power of sin is destroyed, and man is deliv- ered from its dominion — Those who are dead unto sin with Christ, will live with him unto God for ever — Which things the Romans are exhorted to consider. ^ What shall we say then ? "shall we continue in sin, that grace ~ God forbid ! How shall we, that are ''dead to sin, therein ? •' Know ye not, that 'so many of us as *were baptized into Jesus Christ ''were baptized into his death ? ^ Therefore §18. a ch.3. 8. ver. 15. ft ver. 11. ch. 7. 4. Gal. 2. 19. & 6. 14. c Col 3.3. iPet. may abound ? * Or, are. liveanylonirov d 1 Cor. 15. 29, Sect. XIII.] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 297 we are 'buried with him by baptism into death: that ^ like as Christ !.^°'g~'j~'j was raised up from tiie dead by 'the glory of the Father, ''even so we e^H/acor. 13! also should walk in newness of Hfe. ^ For 'if we have been planted ^''jo,,„2. 11.& too-ether in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the hkeness ^-^o. of his resurrection ; "^knowing this, that^our old man is crucified with \.k',^]%^^^' him, that *the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we ^ p°Ji",\^?o ^ should not serve sin. '''For 'he that is dead is tfreed from sin. j cai. 2. 2o.'& ^ Now "if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live Eph^.U^I. coi. with him ; ^ knovvinsr that "Christ being raised from the dead dieth no ,^-^^; ,, more — death hath no more dominion over him. ^" For in that he m Pet. 4.1. died, °he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, ''he liveth unto t Gr. jugtified. God. ^^ Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be ''dead indeed unto ^Rg^'^^s" sin, but 'alive unto God through Jesus Christ [our Lord]. „ Hebio. 27,28. p Luke 20. 38. § 19.-c/mp. vi. 12-14. IZliO. St. Paul exhorts the Romans, as they are now by the death of Christ redeemed from the dominion of sin, not to suffer sin again to reign over their mortal bodies, but to subdue tljem — He calls upon them to resist the tempting power of sin, and to surrender their souls and bodies to the service of righteousness unto God ; for they are no longer under the Law, whicli exacts a sinless obedience without mercy, but they are admitted into tlic dispensation of the Gospel, which gives pardon and grace. § 19. 12 Let "not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should "ifg'Jgg^^"^ obey" it in the lusts thereof; ^^ neither yield ye your ''members as & ch. 7. 5. coi.3. *instruments of unrighteousness unto sin ; but 'yield yourselves unto /cr.^^mt or God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as '"ca;'""*- instruments of righteousness unto God. ^^ For ''sin shall not have "^2? 24! & 4. 2^^'' dominion over you ; for ye are not under the Law, but under '^J'^-\-i^^:i^^- J ^ J ' 2. Gal. o. 18. Grace. § 20.— chap. vi. 15-18. The Apostle then inquires whether it was rational to suppose, as some did, that sin might abound, because the .Tews were delivered from the Law (which exacted a perfect obedi- ence, without any condition of pardon), and were admitted into the Dispensation of Mercy — He affirms, on the contrary, that under every dispensation, those who continue in sin are the servants of sin, and become subject to eternal death — Those only who are obedient to the faith of tlie Gospel receive the reward of righteousness, the free gift of eternal life — He rejoices that the Romans, who had been the slaves of sin, had now obeyed the form or mould of doctrine imparted to them in baptism, by which they were emancipated from its slavery, and were become the servants of righteousness. § "*^- 1'^ What then? shall we sin, "because we are not under the Law, "icor. 9. 21. but under Grace? God forbid ! ^^ Know ye not, that ''to whom ve ^t^'^'^'o n,^^' yield yourselves servants to obey. Jus servants ye are to whom ye 2 ^^t. 2. 19. obey ; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteous- ness ? 1^ But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart ^that form of doctrine *which was <= 2Tim. 1. 13. delivered you ! ^^ Being then ''made free from sin, ye became the *were'deiZ'^X servants of righteousness. d John s. 32. ^ 1 Cor. 7. 22. Gal. 5. 1. 1 Pet. § 21.— chap. vi. 19, to the end. ~- ^^■ The Apostle, in reasoning with the Romans, employs allusions to their own custems (the laws of slavery being familiar to them), that they might better comprehend the tyranny that sin had exercised over their bodies — He exhorts them, as they are now made free from sin, as they were before free from righteousness, to yield their members, which had formerly been employed in the service of sin, whose end was death, to the service of righteousness, whose end is eternal life. 1^ (I SPEAK after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh.) For as ye have yielded your members servants to un- § 21. cleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity ; even so now yield your mem- a John 8.34. bers servants to righteousness unto holiness. 2° For when ye were *^'-"'"^'^''^'"- 'the servants of sin, ye were free *from righteousness, ^i What 'fruit j ch.7.5. VOL. II. 38 298 THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part XIH. e ch. 1. 32. d John 8. 32. e Gen. 2. 17. ch. 5. 12. Jam. 1.15. a See Note 24. / ch. 2. 7. & 5. 17, 21. 1 Pet. 1. 4. had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed ? for '^the end of those things is death. ^~ But now '^being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto hohness, and the end everlasting hfe. ^^ For 'the wages of sin'^ is death ; but ■'^the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. § 22. a 1 Cor. 7. 39. b Matt. 5. 32. e eh. 8.2. Gal.O. 19. &L 5. 18. Ephes. 2. 15. Col. 2. 14. d Gal. 5. 22. * Gr. passions. e ch. 6. 13. /ch. 6. 21. Gal. 5. 19. Jam. 1. 15. ■f Or, being dead to that, ch. 6. 2. ver. 4. S ch. 2. 29. 2 Cor. § 23. a c!i. 3. 20. * Or, conirupis- cenee. b Ex. 20. 17. Dent. 5.21. Acts 20. 33. ch. 13. 9. c ch. 4. 15. & 5. 20. d 1 Cor. 15. 50. e Lev. 18. 5. Ezek. 20. 11,13, 21. 2 Cor. 3. 7. /Ps. 19. 8. & 119. 38, 137. 1 Tim. 1.8. § 22. — chap. vii. 1-6. The Apostle, still further to convince the Jews of the inefficacy of tlie Law to justifica tion, atfirms that the Law of Moses, like the law of marriage, was dissolved by the death of either party — That as they have been put to death by the Law in the body of Christ, they were at liberty to be married to another liusband, even to Him, who, though put to death, was raised again from the dead, that with him they might live unto God — He asserts, that, before they were dead with Christ in the Flesh, their evil propensities, which were made manifest by the Law, subjected them to death — But they were now delivered from the power of the Law, having given up, with Christ, the fleshly body of sin, which held them bound under its curse, that they might serve God in the spiritual obedience of the Gospel, and not in the old ceremonies and letter of the Law. ^ Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them that know the law), how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth ? ^ For "the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth ; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. ^ So then ''if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adul- teress ; but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. "^ Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become 'dead to the Law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should ''bring forth fruit unto God. ^ For when we were in the Flesh, the *motions of sins, which were by the Law, 'did work in our members -^to bring forth fruit unto death. ^ But now we are delivered from the Law, fthat being dead wherein we were held ; that we should serve ^in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. § 23.— chap. vii. 7-12. The Apostle here supposes a Jew to inquire, whether the Law was the cause of sin .' to which he replies, that it could not be the cause of sin, because it prohibited sin — The evil propensity was in man, and the Law served only to discover it — St. Paul, to avoid giving offence, describes in his own person the state of the unregenerate Jew under the Law — He shows that the Law disclosed what was evil, and prohibited it — by which he sinful nature of man was strongly excited to disobedience and rebellion against its prohibitions — Wherefore the Law and the Commandment, as they prohibit sin, are holy, just, and good — But still, as the Apostle has implied, they lead to condemnation, and not to salvation. ■'' What shall we say then ? Is the Law sin ? God forbid ! Nay, "I had not known sin, but by the Law ; for I had not known *lust, except the 'Law had said, " Thou shalt not covet." ^ But 'sin, taking oc- casion by the Commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupis- cence. For ''without the Law sin was dead. ^ For I was alive with- out the Law once : but when the Commandment came, sin revived, and I died. ^^ And the Commandment, 'which was orrJained to life, I found to he unto death. ^^ For sin, taking occasion by tiie Command- ment, deceived me, and by it slew me. ^~ Wherefore -^the Law is holy, and the Commandment holy, and just, and good. § 24. — chap. vii. 13-24, and former part of ver. 25. The Jew is now supposed to inquire, whether the Law, which is so good and holy, is the cause of their death .' to which the Apostle replies, that it is not the Law, but sin, which is the cause of death; and the exceeding enormity of sin is manifested, when it subjected sinners to death by a Law, which was holy, just, and good — He alfirm.s Slot. XII i.] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 299 that the Law itself promotes spirituaUty ; but to show its incfficacy, for want of super- natural assistance, for sanctification, he represents, still in his own person, that the un- regenerate Jew, under the Law, was sold under sin, that is, without the power of escaping from its service ; and describes the two contending principles of the nature of man, which are always opposed to each other — Under the Law the carnal nature prevails over the inward man, or the spiritual nature — The Mosaic Law gives man the knowledge of his duty, without the power of performing it, and he is brought into sub- jection to the law of sin and deatli — In this miserable condition the Apostle exclaims, " Who then can deliver me from this body, which is sold, or is the property of sin ?" — He joyfully declares the only means of salvation to be the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^^ Was then that wliich is good made death unto me ? God forbid ! § 24. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good ; that sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sin- ful. 1"* For we know that the Law is spiritual ; but I am carnal, "sold under sin, ^^ For that which I do I *allow not; for Hvhat I would, n. i Mac'. 1. 15. that do I not ; but what I hate, that do I. i*^ If then T do that which *p^^'i*'6."" I would not, I consent unto the Law that it is good. ^"Now then it ftCai. 5. i7. is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ^® For I know that 'in me (that is, in my Flesh,) dwelleth no good thing ; for to will "g?.""' '^' ^' ^ ^' is present with me, but hoiv to perform that wliich is good I find not. ^^ For the good that I would I do not ; but the evil which I would not, that I do. ~*^ Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ^' I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. ^~For I ''delight in the Law dPs.i.a. of God after 'the inward man ; -^ but ■'^I see another law in ^my mem- ^Eph.°3. ic. coi. bers, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into cap- ^^^^ ^°- j^ tivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ^"^ O wretched man g ch. 6.13,19. that I am! who shall deliver me from t the body of this death ? ^^I ^ ^alh''^'""^^ ""^ ''thank God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord ! h 1 cor. 15.57. lKinff9 21.20, 25. 2 Kin?3 17. 25. § 25. — chap. vii. latter part ofver. 25, and viii. 1-4. The Apostle declares that, although, while he remained under the Mosaic Law, with his mind he desired to serve the Law of God, but, through the corrupt nature of his flesh, he served the law of sin — There is now no condemnation, in the New Covenant, to tiiose who believe in Christ, and walk under the influence of his Spirit — He proceeds to show the method by which man is delivered from the law of sin and of death — The Law not having the power either to pardon or to justify, through the degraded nature and corruption of the flesh, the Son of God, in the likeness of man, put sin to death in that body which had been made subject to death by the sin of the first man, by which the righteousness of the Law was fulfilled, and mankind were ransomed from its curse and power — The sacrifice of Christ enjoins on all conformity to the spirituality of the Law, destroying or making a sacrifice of sin in the flesh, if they would be sanctified, and made partakers of the Spirit of Christ. -^ So then with the mind I myself serve the Law of God ; but with the Flesh the law of sin. ^ There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, [who "walk not after the Flesh, but « ver. 4. cai. 5. after the Spirit]. -For ''the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus 4 john 8. 36. ch. hath made me free from ''the law of sin and death, ^ For 'what the ig^lf-'i'^^'-^* Law could not do, in that it was weak through the Flesh, •'^God send- c icor. 15. 45. ing his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh, and *for sin, con- ^^^^"'^"^^^^'^^ demned sin in the Flesh ; '^ that the righteousness of the Law might be e Acts 13. 39. ch. fulfilled in us, °who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. ?9.~& io!*i,V^' 10, 14. / Gal. 3. 13. ^S 26.— chap. viii. 5-1 L 2 Cor.5. 21. St. Paul contrasts the character of the Carnal and the Spiritual Man— The carnal man, *^efor sin?"^ under the Law, was destitute of grace, unable to please God, and at enmity with him g ver. 1. — But Christians, who are guided by the Spirit of the Gospel into holiness, are sancti- fied and reconciled to God — Those who have not the Spirit have no part in Christ — The efi'ects of the Spirit manifested in the life ; (destroying the power of sin, producing the fruits of the Spirit, risrhteousness nnd lioliness — And the same Spirit of God that 300 THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part Xni. § 26. a John 3. 6. 1 Cor. 2. 14. b Gal. 5. 2-3, 25. * Gr. the minding of the flesh .- so ver. 7. c ch. 6. 21. ver. 13. Gal. G. 8. f Gr. the minding of the Spirit, X Gr. the minding of the flesh. d Jam. 4. 4. e 1 Cor. 2. 14. / 1 Cor. 3. 16. & 6. 19. g John 3. 34. Gal. 4. 6. Phil. 1. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 11. ft Acts 2. 24. i ch. 6. 4, 5. 1 Cor. 6. 14. 2 Cor. 4. 14. Ephes. 2. ;'). * Or, because of his Spirit. § 27. a ch. 6. 7, 14. b ver. 6. Gal. 6. 8. c Ephes. 4. 22. Col. 3. 5. d Gal. 5. 18. e 1 Cor. 2. 12. Heb. 2. 15. /2Tim. 1. 7. 1 John 4. 18. ff Is. 56. 5. Gal. 4. 5, 6. ft Mark 14. 36. i 2 Cor. 1. 22. & 5. 5. Eph. 1. 13. & 4. 30. j Acts 26. 18. Gal. 4. 7. ft Acts 14. 22. Phil. 1. 29. 2 Tim. 2. 11, 12. raised Jesus from the dead, dwelling in them, shall also quicken their mortal bodies, now under the curse of sin, and make them alive unto righteousness, and raise them hereafter, as the body of Christ was raised, to a life of glory. ^ For "they that are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh ; but they that are after the Spirit, 'the things of the Spirit. ^ For *to "be carnally minded is death ; but f to be spiritually minded is life and peace, "^ Because tthe ''carnal mind is enmity against God ; for it is not subject to the Law of God, 'neither indeed can be ; *^ so then they that are in the Flesh cannot please God. '•^But ye are not in the Flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that ■'"the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not ° the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. ^^ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin ; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ^^ But if the Spirit of 'Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, 'He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mor- tal bodies *by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. § 28 a 2 Cor. 4. 17. 1 Pet. 1. 6, 7. & 4. 13. b 2 Pet. 3. 13. c 1 John 3. 2. d ver. 22. Gen. 3. 19. § 27.— chap. viii. 12-17. The Apostle continues his argument by affirming, that as the Spirit of God is now pro- mised to them in the Gospel, they are no longer obliged to live after the Flesh, which leads to eternal death ; but if, through the Spirit, they mortify the deeds of the Bodv, they shall attain eternal life — They are now delivered from the power and bondao-e of the Mosaic Law, and through Grace are become the adopted children of God, and are enabled to address him as a reconciled Father, the Holy Spirit bearing witness with their spirit, that they are the sons of God ; and if sons, then heirs, and joint-heirs with Christ of glory and immortality, if they jointly suffer with him. ^-Therefore, "brethren, we are debtors, not to the Flesh, to live after the Flesh. ^^ For ''if ye live after the Flesh, ye shall die ; but if ye, through the Spirit, do "mortify the deeds of the Body, ye shall live. ^'^ For ''as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ^^ For "ye have not received the spirit of bondage again ■'^to fear ; but ye have received the 'spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, ''Abba, Father ! ^'^ The 'Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. ^" And if children, then heirs ; ^heirs of God, and joint-heirs vv'ith Christ ; *if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. § 28.— chap. viii. 18-23. The Apostle, having now fully illustrated the blessings of the Gospel dispensation, which promises to the Jew and Gentile, through faith, both justification, sanctification, and a joint inheritance of glory and immortality with Christ, introduces the painful subject of persecutions for the Gospel's sake — He addresses himself more particularly to the Gentiles, as being the most exposed to them; and comforts them with the con- sideration that the transient sufferings of this life cannot be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to them hereafter; a manifestation of glory which all mankind, even the heathens themselves, have earnestly desired and anticipated — For as mankind have been all subjected to mortality, not by their own act, but by reason of the trans- gression of tlieir first parents, they have hope that they shall all be delivered from the bondage of corruption and the grave, and be admitted into the glorious happiness of the children of God — He further assures them they are not the only sufferers, for the whole creation travaileth in pain together, under the weight of Adam's transgression, hoping for deliverance ; and the Apostles themselves are groaning under the miseries of life till their sonship shall be established in the redemption of their bodies. ^^ For I reckon that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to he compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 p(5,. 4||je earnest expectation of tiie creature waiteth for the 'mani- festation of the sons of God. ^^ For "the creature was made subject to vanity (not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same,) in hope, ~^ because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the chil- Sect. XIIL] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 301 dren of God. --For we know that *the whole creation "groaneth and *,°'e'/"'"-' """^ travaileth in pain together until now. ^^ And not only they, but our- ivJwm^vo. selves also, which have ^the firstfruits of the Spirit, ^even we ourselves « L'x. 12. ii groan within ourselves, ''waiting for the adoption — to wit, the 'redemp- ^l^°\\l- tion of our body. ^acor. 5. 2, 4. h Luke 20. 36. i Luke 21. 28. § 2d.— chap. viii. 24-28. Eph. 4. 30. St. Paul continues his argument, by affirming that man's salvation in this world, is the hope of the future deliverance which is given in the Gospel ; for what we possess is no longer hoped for — If therefore they have a firm hope in a glorious resurrection, they should be able calmly to endure the afflictions of life, waiting patiently its future bless- ings — Another ground of consolation is, that the Holy Spirit will assist them in their distresses, and guide them in their prayers ; making, himself, intercession for their deliverance in desires and groanings, not expressed, but comprehended and accepted by God. § 29. ^^FoR we are saved by hope. But "hope that is seen is not hope ; "u^T.'^' ' for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? -^ But if we hope *jf^^"4 ^3°; ^• for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. ^^ Likewise ^ zech. 12. 10. the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities ; for 'we know not what we //'c,,'J;,J^08. g. should pray for as v<e ought, but 'the Spirit itself maketh intercession Ps.7.9. Prov • 1-1 1 1 07 A 1 liTT iU i. 17. 3. Jer. n.20. for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. -'And He tnat &17. lo. &20. searcheth the hearts knoweth wiiat is the mind of the Spirit, *because }'ti^s's!2!4.' He maketh intercession for the saints 'according to the will of God. ^^^- ^^j^^- ^^ And we know that all things work together for good to them tliat « 1 joim 5. 14. love God, to them -^who are the called according to his purpose. ■^o^?'-oV'"^'q § 30. — chap. viii. 29, to the end. As a further encouragement to the persecuted Gentile converts, St. Paul affirms that all things, more particularly sufferings, work together for more abundant good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his merciful purpose — For those ^ 3Q whom he thus foreknew, he also did predestinate, or decree, to be conformed to the ^ gee Ex. 33. 12 image of his Son (which they now were by suffering), that they might become his 17. Ps. 1. 6. Jer. chosen people— That the Gentiles, who were thus preordained, were called to the ci,.^if.'2!'2Tim! knowledge of the Gospel unto salvation, and those who obeyed were justified, and 2. 19. 1 Pet. 1. those who persevered were glorified — God having thus manifested his mercy towards ^- them, and given his own Son to suffer for them, the Gentiles are exhorted not to sink jjjjj y,' l^ under their afflictions, but rather to rejoice in them, as a pledge of their conformity to -2 cox. 3.18.* the image of Christ—" Which of their persecutors," St. Paul demands, " will be able ^j^jj'g^g at the last day to bring an accusation against those whom God has justified ; and who ^ ^^^ j_ ^^^ jg_ will dare to condemn those for whom Christ had died, and intercedes V — He asserts, Heb. 1. 6. Rev. too, that neither injuries, nor afflictions, nor the troubles and dangers of this life, will -^ -^ c & 9 be able to separate the chosen people of God from the love of Christ, through whom 24. Eph.'4. 4.' they have hitherto more than conquered. fp^'t^o'a' ^'^ For whom "He did foreknow, 'He also did predestinate "to be /icor. 6. 11. conformed to the image of liis Son, "that he might be the first-born ^i^^%^X^- among many brethren. ^"^ Moreover whom He did predestinate, tliem /. xum. 14. 9. Ps. He also 'called: and whom He called, them He also •'justified : and /^^h.s.e.io. whom He justified, them He also "glorified. ^^ What shall we then j see Ma'k 1. 1. say to these things ? ''If God be for us, who can he against us ? ^~ He ^f^'r^fX-Rey. "that spared not his^own Son, but MeHvered him up for us all, how i2.io'iL shall He not with him also freely give us all things? ^3 Who shall lay ;" J^'k to^%. any thing to the charge of God's elect? '/if rs God that justifieth ? f °^- ^ 'g J';^- 31 Who "'is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died? yea rather, 12.1. 1 Pet! 3. that is risen again ? "who is even at the right hand of God ? "who also „"neb. 7. 25. & maketh intercession for us ? ^^ Who shall separate us from the love of 9. 24. 1 John 2. Christ ? shell! tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or flunine, or na- p ps. 44. 22. kedncss, or peril, or sword ? '^^ (as it is ^written, " For thy sake we are -acorilfiL'^'' killed all the day long ; we are accounted as sheep for the slaugh- ?^i^cor.^i5.^57. tor.") •'" A^ay, 'in all these things we are more than conquerors, through 1 john4. 4.'&5. him that loved us. ^^^ For I am persuaded, that neither Death, nor ji."' VOL. II. z 302 THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part XHI. Via!' Col. i. 16. Life, nor Angels, nor 'Principalities, nor Powers, nor Things present, &2. 15. iPet.3. jjQj. Things to come, ^^nor Height, nor Depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is m Christ § 31. Jesus our Lord. a ch. 1. 9. 2 Cor. 1.23. & 11. 31. , „^ • 1 r & 12. 19. Gal. 1. $ ol. — chap. IX. 1-5. TTim%!i^' '^''® Apostle, having now shown the full claim of the Gentiles to the privileges andbless- 6 ch. 10.1. *"ff^ o^ ^'^^ Gospel, cautiously introduces the subject of the rejection of the Jews — c Ex.32. 32. This truth he assures them, as in the presence of Christ, the Holy Spirit bearing him * Or, separated. witness, fills him with so much grief and anguish, that, to prevent it, he would will- d Deut. 7^6. jj-igjy ^^ p^jj off himself from the visible Church of God, or submit to the temporal de- 14. i. j'er73l. 9.' struction that awaited them for their disobedience, if by that means he could save his / 1 ^^ain. 4. 21. kinsmen according to the flesh — To conciliate them, and to enoraffe their attention, he 1 K" fill 'OO 7 1 Kings 0. II. enumerates their glorious privileges. ^^^ ^^g „. ^ I "say the truth in Christ, I lie not, (my conscience also bearing °Heb. s.brV, 10. me witness in the Holy Ghost,) ~ that ''I have great heaviness and con- Ip^'nTTr' tinual sorrow in my heart. ^ For 'I could wish that myself were *ac- i Heb. 9. 1. cursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the '3^2!'Epii.^2". 12! ^^^'^ '■> '^ ^^'^^ ''^'"^ Israelites ; 'to whom pertaineth the adoption, and -^the k Deut. 10. 15. glory, and 'the tcovenants, and ''the giving of the Law, and 'the ser- i'lluke 3. 23. ch. ^^ce of God, and ^the promises ; ^ whose *are the fathers ; and 'of whom 1- =^- ^ ^ as concerning the flesh Christ came, '"who is over all God, blessed for- 7n Jer. 23. 6. , . "^ ' Dan. 7. 13, 14. cvcr ! Ameii. Matt. 11.27. & 1(5. 28. & 23. 18. Luke 1.32. & 10. , „„ , ■ n n. 22. John 1.1.&3. § 32.— chap. IX. 6-9. &'l? 34 & 13' "^^^ objection that had been already proposed (chap. iii. 3.), that the rejection of the Jews 3. & 17. 2. would be contrary to the veracity of God, the Apostle here again introduces, and fully 2i^''l^oo^^^ ^^' answers — He affirms, that although the Jews are rejected, the promise of God would Rom. 14. 9, 11. not fail — He assures them tliat all the children of Abraham, according to the flesh, as 1 Cor. 15.-5,^7. jjj ^jjg gjjgp qI" jg^i^^ael, were not Abraham's seed ; for in Isaac was his seed to be Phil. 2. 9, 10. called — The word of the promise itself demonstrates that Abraham's seed according to 2 8 /p~t 3 2-' ^^^ promise, not according to the flesh, are to be his spiritual children. Rev''5 "\'3!& 17. ^ ^'^'^ "^^ though the word of God hath taken none effect. For i"!- Hhey are not all Israel, which are of Israel ; "^ neither, '^because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children, but, " In ''Isaac shall ^ ^^' thy seed be called :" — * that is, they which are the children of the "ch^T's^^'^^' flesh, these are not the children of God ; but 'the children of the pro- 6 John 8. 39. ch. mise are counted for the seed. ^ For this is the word of promise, "At 2. 28 29. & 4 . . . 12, iH.oiii. «; ■''this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son." 16. c Gal. 4. 23. d Gen. 21. 12. § 33. — chap. ix. 10-13. e Gal' 4 28 ' ^y '''^'^ instance of Esau and Jacob, the Apostle proves tliat God's fidelity is not im- /Gen. 18. 10 14. peached by the rejection of the Jews, as He has a sovereign right to elect, or call, ac- cording to his own good pleasure — The children, who were the representatives of na- tions, being yet unborn, could neither merit God's preference, nor deserve to be left out of his covenant — Such distinctions, therefore, evidently depend on God's free choice, and illustrate the purpose of God according to election. ft ch!"! 17. it 8. ^° And not only this; but when "Rebecca also had conceived by 28- one — even by our father Isaac. ^^For the children being not yet born, *oi,gTeater.' neither having done any good or evil, (that the purpose of God ac- tor, z^^er. cording to election might stand, not of works, but of ''Him that call- '^see'Diut^'2K eth ;) ^^ it was 'said unto her, " The *elder shall serve the tyounger :" mImTo.si.^^' ^^as it is "written, " Jacob have I loved, but Esau have 1 hated." Luke 14.' 26.' John 12. 25. § 33. ^ 24.— chap. ix. 14-18. The Apostle continues his argument by affirming, that the free election of God, as it re- gards nations, is perfectly consistent with his justice, as He has a sovereign right to dispense his free-will blessings and mercies as He ])leasea ; which is illustrated in the instance of the Israelites of old, whose transgressions, as a nation, God, of his own free mercy, pardoned after they had worshipped the golden calf ; (E.xod. xxxiii. IH.) as He declared unto Moses — For man can never merit, or claim as a right, the mercy of God Sect. XIII.] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 303 — The Israelites, after their apostacy, might, had it been God's pleasure, continued as a nation, as the Egyptians were, for the purpose of demonstrating, in their destruction and punishment, the Almighty power of God, and his hatred of sin — The Apostle then intimates the rejection of the .Tews, by asserting that the same free gift of mercy is still exercised, and the same exemplary punishment will be inflicted on those who continue and harden themselves in sin, resisting, as the Egyptians did, the evidences that were vouchsafed to them. § "^• ^''What shall we say then? "Is there unrighteousness with God? "cPt^^^lfgl^; God forbid ! ^^For He suith to ''Moses, "I will have mercy on whom |^''i^;^g,f j^' I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have b ex. 33. 19. compassion." ^'^ So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy, i" For 'the Scripture saith "gf eGii!*:j. s unto Pharaoh, " Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, 2-2. that I might show my power in thee, and that my Name might be de- clared throughout all the earth." ^*^ Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy ; and whom He will. He hardeneth. ^S 35.— chap. ix. 19-29. The Apostle here introduces a .lew, as saying, " If God acts thus, why does he then find fault? for who can resist his will, if he is determined to destroy nations?" — " Nay," answers the Apostle, " but who art thou that presuraest to argue against the decrees of God?" — He vindicates the justice of God's dealings towards the Jews and Gentiles, and shows his absolute power over nations, exalting one and rejecting another, by a reference to Jeremiah's type of the potter — He then applies the type more immediately to the present condition of the Jews and Gentiles — The Jews, like the Egyptians, after continued proofs of God's forbearance, became vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, makino- known the power of God unto salvation — The believing Gentiles were prepared by their means for the glory of being admitted into the visible Church of God, and with the believing Jews wore called to be God's people, and the vessels of his mercy — The same truths were predicted and enforced by their own ancient prophets. § 35. '^ Thou wilt sav then unto me, Why doth He yet find fault? for aschr. 20. e. "who hath resisted his will? ^"^ Nay, but, O man! who art thou that 13. i)'anr'4. 35. " *repliest against God ? ''Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed *or, anxwerest it, Why hast Thou made me thus ? ^^ Hath not the "potter power over jHuesticihiGodi the clay, of the same lump to make ''one vessel unto honor, and another ^ °^ .-,'g jg ^^^ unto dishonor ? --What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to 9&64.8. make his power known, endured with much long-sufl'ering "^the vessels of wrath tfitted -^to destruction ? ^^ and that He might make known ^s. 7. ^the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had ''afore g^Thels~5~9 prepared unto glory . . . . -^ even us, whom He hath called, 'not of the \or, made vp. Jews only, but also of the Gentiles ? ^^ As he saith also in 'Osee, — /^iPot.a.s.jmie " I will call them my people, which were not my people ; "i*^?' cot i'''? And her beloved, which was not beloved. h ch. 8. 28,20, ^^ And ''it shall come to pass, c Prov. IG. 4. Jer. 18. 6. WiscI 30. i ch. 3. 29. That in the place where it was said unto them, j hos.s. 23. 1 Pet. 2. 10. k Hos. 1. 10. ' Ye a7'c not my people ; There shall they be called the children of the living God." ^■^ Esaias also 'crieth concerning Israel, — ' ^^- ^^- ^' ^' " Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, A "'remnant shall be saved ! ™ ''^- "• ^■ 2^ For He will finish Uhe work, and cut it short in righteousness : i*^'' the account. Because "a short work will the Lord make upon the earth." " is. 28. 22. 29 And as "Esaias said before, — "^X^' ^ Lam. " Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed. We ''had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha." ^^q'^' ^^■^"' § 3G. — chap. ix. .30, to the end, and x. 1-3. The Apostle, having clearly represented tlie rejection of the Jews, and reconciled it with the Divine truth and justice, introduces a Jew, inquiring, " Whether the Gentiles, 304 THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part XHI. who have not followed after the rule of righteousness given in the Jlosaic Law, have now attained to the righteousness of faith, and to the privileges of God's chosen people, while the Jews, who have followed the righteousness of the Law, have not attained to righteousness by faith in the Gospel ?" — The Apostle declares that the cause of their rejection was their want of faith, and their dependence on the works of the Law, which led them to look for justification from its observances, as had been predicted by- one of their own prophets — The Apostle repeats his anxious desire that the Jews would believe and be saved — He confesses their zeal for the glory of the Law, but it was without the knowledge of the object and end of its rites — Their ignorance of the plan of God's salvation through faith made them endeavour to estalilisli their own method of justification, through the sacrifices and ceremonies of the Law, and prevented them from submitting to the righteousness of faith, which God requires as the only means § 36. of salvation. o^ch. 4. 11. & 10. 39 What shall we say then ? "That the Gentiles, which followed not 6 ch. ]. n. after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, 'even the righteous- c^ch. 10. ■:>. & 11. jjggg which is of faith ; ^^ but Israel, '^which followed after the law of d Gal. 5. 4. righteousness, ''iiath not attained to the law of righteousness. ^~ Where- fore ? Because they sousrht it not by faith, but as it were by the works e Luke 2. 34. e J ' '' , , , icor. ].'23.' of the Law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone ; ''"^ as it is / Ps. 118. 'Q. Is. /written 8. 14. & 28. 16. vmi^cii. Matt. 21. 49. iPet. 2. (j,7,8. " Behold, I lay in Sion a Stumbling stone and Rock of Offence : g cii. 10. 11. And ^whosoever believeth on Him shall not be *ashamed." * Or, confounded. ^Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel ciiap. .x. 1-3. [isj, tliat they might be saved. ^For I bear them record ^^Tcai^iH 'th^t they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. ^For & 4. 17. See ell. they, being ignorant of 'God's righteousness, and going about to estab- lish their own ^righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. i ch. 1. 17. & 9 30. j Phil. 3. 9. '&' § 37.— chap. X. 4-13. In order to convince the Jews of their error, with regard to justification by their Law, St. Paul describes the nature of the righteousness whicJi is required by the Law, and that which is required by the Gospel — He affirms that Christ himself was the end or the per- fection of the Law — the great object of all its rites and sacrifices — Moses has declared that by the Law none can be justified, because it was not possible for man to live up to its precepts — But the Law or principle of faith, as described by Moses (Deut. xxx. 11-14.), requires not those signs from heaven, which the Jews demanded, that Christ should de- scend again from heaven, and rise again from the dead, for the word was always nigh them, and power was given them to fulfil it — Thus it was with the Gospel, it requires a confession of our faith in Jesus Christ, and an inward conviction of the truth of his resurrection, producing righteousness of life — The Scripture lias declared that none shall be ashamed or disappointed of their confidence, that the plan of redemption extends to S 37. all, both Jew and Gentile ; for all who believe in Christ and call upon him shall be saved. a Matt. 5. 17. "^ FoR "Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one jLev.18.5. Neh. that bclicveth. ^ For Moses Mescribeth the righteousness which is of ii^i3^2TGai'' ^^^^ ^^^v, " That the man which doeth those things shall live by 3.'j2.' them." *" But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this cDeut. 30. 12, "^wise, "Say not in thine heart. Who shall ascend into heaven?" ^^' (that is, to bring Christ down from above :) ^ or. Who shall descend d Dent. 30. 14. jj-ji^j |],^ deep ? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) ^ But e Matt. 10. 32. ' ^ n 1 » /_ Luke 12.8. what ''saith it ? The word is nioh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy /IS.28.16.V heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach: ^that'if thou ^^- p- •'?/• 1^- shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine 7. ch. 9. M. J ^ ' ^ ch. 3. 22. Acts heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 28! ' " ' ' ^° (For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness ; and with the * Actsio 36.ch. month confession is made unto salvation.) " For tiic Scrii)ture •'^saith, 5. ' " Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." ^'-^ For *^there is '4^7.'" ^' ^"^ "' "o dincrence between the Jew and the Greek : for ''the same Lord over j Joel 2. 32. Acts all 'is rich unto nil that call upon Him. ^'^ For ■'whosoever shall call 2. 21. ' k Acts 9. 14. *upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved. Sect. XIII.] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 305 § 38.— chap. .X. 14, 15. From the prophecies of the New Testament, which were now fulfiUing, St. Paul is led to vindicate his divine mission, and that of the other Apostles — He inquires how it was possible that these prophecies, which foretold the acceptance of the Gentiles, should be accomplished? for without the Gospel could be no salvation, and without preachers it could not have been proclaimed — As a Jew, he asserts that his prejudices would have prevented him from carrying the Gospel to the Gentiles, unless he had been divinely appointed to do so ; and he shows, according to the prophecy of Isaiah, their great success, and the happy reception which attended the messengers of salvation. ^'' How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed ? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard ? § "^• and how shall they hear "without a preacher? ^'^and how shall they '^'^"•i-^- preach, except they be sent? as it is 'written, — j^is. k. 7. Nah. " How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, And bring glad tidings of good things ! " § 39. — chap. X. IG, to the end. Here the Jew is supposed to object, that a divine commission would have been attended with full success; whereas many did not obey the faith of the Gospel — To which St. Paul replies, tliat the Spirit of God had already foretold the event in the case of the Jews themselves — He asserts that Faith is produced by the means of preaching and hearing — by the command of God himself — and asks if they have not all heard the glad tidings of salvation .' — The Apostles have preaclied the Gospel to the Jew as well as the Gentile, fulfilling tlie words of the Psalmist, which he applied to the universal teaching of the heavenly bodies — '■' But,"' says the Apostle, " let me further ask if Is- rael did not know that the Gospel should be preached to the Gentiles ?" their Prophets having so plainly predicted the calling of the Gentiles, and their joyful reception of the Gospel, as well as the rejection of the Jews. § 39. ^^BuT "they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Esaias ''saith, — %?2. J Is. .53. 1. John " Lord, who hath believed *our treport ? " 12.38. * Gr. the hearing ^"^ So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. ''•^"*- 18 But I say. Have they not heard ? Yes, verily,— ^ or,i.eaching7 ,. rtM • c 1 • 11 , 1 c Ps. 19. 4. Matt. " Iheir sound went mto ail the earth, 24. 14. & 28. 19. And "^their words unto the ends of the world." co\.\.g,23. d Seel KingilS. i^But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses ^saith, " I will provoke 10. Matt. 4. 8. you to jealousy by thcjti that are no people, and by-^a foolish nation "j^eut.sa.ai.ch. I will anger you." ^°But Esaias is very bold, and ^saith, — /Tit. 3. 3. g Is. 65. 1. ch. 9. " I was found of them that sought me not ; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me." ^^ But to Israel he ''saith, — " All day long I have stretched forth my hands Unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." 30. h Is. 65. 2. § AO.—chap. xi. 1-6. St. Paul, after having thus positively declared the rejection of the Jews as a nation, com- forts them with the assurance that God has not totally cast away his chosen people For, as in the days of Elias, there shall still remain a remnant of converted Jews, who, with the believing Gentiles, are elected through faith to be God's people, not by good works, but by the mere grace and favor of God. § 40. II SAY then, "Hath God cast away his people? God forbid ! for ^I "/Jl'l'-sy-^- also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin, b acor. uiaa. 2 God hath not cast away his people which 'he foreknew. Wot ye ^'"'" ^\^' not what the Scripture saith *of Elias? how he maketh intercession *Gr.irt£«as? to God against Israel, ''saying, ^ " Lord ! they have killed thy prophets, ^ i ^jngs 19. 10, and digged down thine altars ; and I am left alone, and they seek my life." 4 But what saith the 'answer of God unto him ? " I have re- * ^ ^"^ ^^- ^^• served to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee VOL. II. 39 z* 306 THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part XHI. / cli. 9. 27. g cli. 4. 4, 5. Gill. 5. 4. See Deut. 9. 4, 5. § 41. a ch. 9. 31. &. 10. 3. * Or, hardened, 2 Cor. 3. 14. b Is. 29. 10. f Or, remorse. c Deut. 29. 4. Is. 6. 9. Jer. 5.21. Ezok. 12. 2. Matt. 13. 14. John 12. 40. Acts 28. 26, 27. d Ps. 69. 22. e Ps. 69. 23. to the image oj Baal." ^ Even ■'"so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ^ And ^if by grace, then is it no more of works ; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace ; otherwise work is no more work. § 41. — chap. XI. 7-10. The Apostle continues by asserting, that, though Israel, as a nation, had failed to obtain that justification and righteousness which they sought for in the works of the Law, the election of the chosen remnant who hath embraced the Gospel had obtained it, and the rest were blinded — had their eyes shut against the truth, fulfilling the predic- tion of Isaiah ; also that of David likewise, who foretold the lamentable condition to which they were now reduced by the persevering hardness of heart, which converted their best blessings into curses, and snares, and the means of their punishment, by lead- ing tlieni to expect a worldly Messiah — He predicted also that their unbelief would bring them into a state of abject slavery and depression. ^ What then ? "Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for ; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were *blinded, ^ (ac cording as it is ^written, — " God hath given them the spirit of t slumber, Eyes "that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;)" unto this day. ^ And David ''saith, — '>' Let their table be made a snare, and a trap. And a stumblingblock, and a recompence, unto them ; ^•^Let ^their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, And bow down their back alway." § 42. a Acts 13. 46. & 18. 6. & 22. 18, 21. &28. 24,28. ch. 10. 19. * Or, decay, or, loss. b Acts 9. }5. & l;i. 2. &22. 21. ch. l."). Ki. Gal. 1. 16. & 2. 2, 7, 8, 9. Eph. 3. 8. 1 Tim. 2. 7. 2 Tim. 1. 11. e 1 Cor. 7. 16. & 9. 22. 1 Tim. 4. 16. Jam. 5.29. d Lev. 23. 10. Num. 15. 18, 19, 20, 21. § 42.— chap. xi. 11-16. To the question whether the Jews have so stumbled that they are irrecoverably fallen .-' St. Paul replies, " by no means :" but by their rejection of Christ the calling in of the Gentiles was accelerated, and the very circumstance of receiving the Gentiles into covenant with God was intended for the good of the Jews, to excite in them an emu- lation of becoming partakers of the blessings of the Gospel — He predicts their final restoration, and argues, that if through their unbelief the riches of God's grace is mani- fested to the Gentile world, how much more will his grace and glory be magnified bj' their return ! He glories in the ministry entrusted to him to preach among the Gen- tiles, in the hope that by his means the Jews may be provoked to emulate the Gen- tiles, and the Gentiles be induced to respect the Jews — "For," he repeats, "if their fall was the occasion of the reconciliation of the heathen world to God, the resump- tion of the Jewish nation will still more be the means of establishing the truth of Christianity, and will cause as much joy in the world, as if they had been raised from the dead — For if a remnant of the Jews, the firstfruits who have believed, have been accepted of God, the whole Jewish nation will be so when they also believe — And if Abraham, the root of that nation, was accounted righteous through faith, so will his branches be on the same conditions." ^^ I SAY then, Have they stumbled that they should fall ? God for- bid ! but rather "throuorh their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. '- Now if the fall of them be the riches of tlie world, and the *diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles ; how much more their fulness ! ^^ For I speak to you Gen- tiles, (inasmuch as 'I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office,) ^ ' if by any means I may provoke to emulation them ivhich are my flesli. and "might save some of them. ^''For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead ? ^^ For if ''the firstfruit be holy, the lump 7*5 also holy : and if the root be holy, so are the branches. § 43.— chap. xi. U-24. St. Paul exhorts the Gentiles not to contemn or despise the Jews because they are at present cut off from being God's people ; from the consideration that they themselves, as a wild olive-tree, are grafted in among them, and are made partakers with them of Sect. XIII.] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 307 the root and fatness of the good olive-tree, deriving all their spiritual advantages and privi- leges from their root — that is, from the Abrahamic covenant — They are admonished not to exult in the preference which is now given to them — for the Jews fell for unbelief, and they stand by faith — therefore they should not be arrogant, but fear — For if God spared not the natural branches, it cannot be expected that he will spare them — They arc commanded to remember the severity of God toward the Jews who fell, and his great mercy toward them, if they continue in his faith ; otherwise they also shall be cut oft'— And the Jews if they abide not in unbelief, shall be grafted in again — shall be restored to their forfeited privileores, which God in his mercy is still able to do — For if the Gentiles, like a wild and fruitless scion, were grafted, contrary to the nature of things, into a good stock — were brought to the knowledge of God, and admitted into covenant with him — how much more possible is it that the natural branches, who have already received the Law and the Prophets, will be brought to the knowledge of salvation, and be grafted again into their own olive-tree ! § 43. 1^ And if "some of the branches be broken off, 'and thou, being a " Jer. ii. le. wild olive-tree, wert grafted in *among them, and with them partakest Eph.^2.'i2,]3. of the root and the Witness of the olive-tree ; ^^ boast 'not against the *ot, for them. branches ; but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root " thee. ^'^Thoii wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that 1 might be grafted in. ~^ Well ; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. ''Be not high-minded, but 'fear ; ^i for 'lf;J^'^^[^^^^^ if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare 66. a.'phih 2! la! not thee. --Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God ! on them which fell, severity ; but toward thee, goodness, -^if thou con- •^Hebl's. etn. tinue in his goodness : otherwise "thou also shalt be cut off. ^^ And g John 15. 2. they also, ''if they abide not in unbelief, shall be grafted in : for God '' ^ ^°'- ^- ^^• is able to graft them in again. ^** For if thou wert cut out of the olive- tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive-tree ; how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive-tree ! § 44.— c/iap. xi. 25-32. St. Paul affirms that he would not have the Gentiles ignorant of the mystery of the fu- ture restoration of the Jews, lest they should think too highly of their own merits — He affirms that blindness in part only has happened unto Israel, till the Church of the Gentiles is fully completed, and then the Jews themselves will be brought to the knowledge of salvation, according to the predictions of their own prophets — And God, when he remits their sins, will take them into covenant again, and restore them to their forfeited privileges, (compare v. 27, Is. lix. 20, 21.)— The unbelieving Jews, being the enemies of the Gospel, were rejected of God in favor of the Gentiles — But, as it regards election, whereby they were originally chosen of God to be his peculiar peo- ple, they are beloved for their fathers' sakes— God's free gift, and the calling of Abra- ham's posterity, is not to be changed ; for as surely as the Gentiles had now obtained mercy through the disbelief of the Jews, so surely will the Jews who have not believed have the same mercy extended to them — For God has concluded both Jew and Gen- tile in unbelief ; both of them being in turns disobedient to the light they possessed, that the free gift or pardon might be equally bestowed on all. 2^ For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this § '*'*. mystery, (lest ye should be "wise in your own conceits,) that *blind- " "^^ ^" ^^■ ness ''in part is happened to Israel, 'until the fulness of the Gentiles ^ ^er. 7. s'coi. be come in ; "^ and so all Israel shall be saved : as it is ''written, — ^- ^'*- ' e Luke 21. 24. " There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, //s! 59. 20. see And shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob ; Ps. 14. 7. ^^ For, 'This is my covenant unto them, 'sl'sC&c. Heb. When I shall take away their sins." s. 8. & 10. 16. ^^As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as yoeut. 7. s. &9. touching the election, ^Aey ore •'^beloved for the fathers' sakes. ^^ For 5.& 10.^15. the gifts and calling of God are ^without repentance. ^^ For as ye ''in f Eph!'2. 2. coi. times past have not tbelieved God, yet have now obtained mercy, ^- J- through their unbelief: ^^ even so have these also now not tbelieved, ^or, obeyJ. 308 THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part XHI. r^ch. 3.9. Gal. 3. ^\^^^ through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. ^^ For 'God hath * Or, shut ihem *concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. all up together. § 45. § 45. — chap. xi. 33, to the end. a Ps. 36. 6. The Apostle concludes the whole of this important discussion with rapturous expressions *92°5^^' ^' ^^' of wonder and praise at the wisdom and goodness of God in his dealings with man — c Job 15. 8. Is. ^^ asserts that it is not possible for man to penetrate into the secret judgments and 40. 13. Jer. 23. councils of God, that the election of either the Jews or the Gentiles is perfectly con- 18. Wisd. 9. 13 1 Cor. 2. 16. sistent with his justice, as no man can have a claim upon Him, who is the Author and d Job 36. 22. efficient Cause of all things — By whom and through whom they all exist — Let God e Job 35. 7. &;41. therefore in all his works be elorified for ever. / 1 Cor. 8. 6. coi. -^^O THE depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of g Gal. 1.5. Grod ! "how unsearchable are his judgments, and 'his ways past finding I ?■'"■ I' W out ! -'^ For "who hath known the mind of the Lord ? or ''who hath Heb. 13. 21. been his counsellor ? ^^ or 'who hath first ijiven to him, and it shall be 1 Pet. 5. 11. . . n . 2 Pet! 3! is! recompensed unto him again? ^^ For •'^of him, and through him, and to he! ' ^''' him, are all things : ^to *whom be glory for ever ! Amen. * Gr. him. I 46. § 46. — chap. xii. 1-8. a 2 Cor. 10. 1. St. Paul, having concluded the doctrinal part of his Epistle, enforces the necessity of a * L ■ ^'iv, ^"?'„^1'„ holy life, which these doctrines were intended to inculcate — He calls upon the Romans ch. 6. 13, 16, 19. -^ ^ 1 Cor. 6. 13, 20. to present, instead of the animals that were offered to God in the Mosaic Law, their 1 Pet. 2. 5. own bodies at his spiritual altar, a living sacrifice ; entirely consecrating them to God, . J p' ■ . ■ which is the acceptable and reasonable service of a Christian — He exhorts them not to 1 John 2. 15. be conformed to the customs and sentiments of this world, but to be changed in the 6 Eph. 1. 18. & temper and dispositions of their minds — that they might fulfil in themselves, and prove 22. & 3. 10. ' ' to others, what is the perfect and acceptable will of God — St. Paul, by his apostolical /Eph. 5. 10, 17. office, warns them not to think too hio-hly of themselves on account of their spiritual 1 Thess 4 3 . "■ ch. 1. 5. & 15. endowments — for although their qualifications may differ, they are the members of one 15. 1 Cor. 3. 10. body, indispensably necessary to each other — He admonishes them to use the respec- 9. Eph. 3. 2 7 s! tive gifts entrusted to them diligently and faithfully. *E^ciIs.^7! le! ^I "beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, 'that ♦"g ^^ ^*i y^ present your bodies '^a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, i I Cor. 12. 7, 11. which is your reasonable service; ^ and ''be not conformed to this ;^'cor^.i2. 12. world, but 'be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye k^icot' 10' 17 '^^y '^prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of & 12.20,27. God. ^ For I say, ^through the grace given unto me, to every man that 25. ' ' is amonsj you, ''not to think of himself more highly than he ought to 1 PetM. 10,11. think; but to think *soberly, according as God hath dealt 'to every n Art's n. 27. f"^" ^^6 measure of faith. '^For^as we have many members in one 28^&'i3~"2"'& body, and all members have not the same office ; ^ so ''we, being many, 14. 1, 6,29,31. are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. ^Hav- Acts 13. ]. Eph. . , , .p..^,. ... ,. "^ , ii i • 4. 11. Gal. 6. 6. mg then gilts diliermg according to the grace that is given to us, p^Ac'tT'i,?! 32! whether "prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of ^uln.^t\'^2 3. faith ; '^ or ministry, lei us ivait on our ministering ; or "he that teacheth, t Or, imparteth. ou teaching ; ^ or ''he that e.xhorteth, on exhortation. 'He that tgiveth, *2°cor!*8!^2.''"'' ^^^ ^''/« do it twitli simplicity ; lie tliat ruleth, with diligence ; he that '^i^rim.'s. n'. showeth mercy, "with cheerfulness. Heb. 13. '7, 24. 1 Pet. 5. 2. s 2 Cor. 9. 7. § 47. — chap. xii. 9, to the end. St. Paul continues his practical exhortations, by recommending them to love one another; y ' to practise benevolence to all — to have humility, diligence, devotion, mutual sympathy, 1 Pet. 1'. 22.' 3-id to seek no revenge, but to overcome evil with good, — with other important moral 6Ps. 34. H.'fe duties. Anios 5. i.-i. ■ '^ Let "\ove be without dissimulation: 'abhor that which is evil; *i Pet! i.22!&, cleave to that which is good : ^^ be 'kindly aftectioned one to another I' pli^.^7.^' *with brotherly love ; ''in honor preferring one another ; ^' not slothful *f/?//,r"<w '* ""^ in business ; fervent in spirit ; serving the Lord ; ^- rejoicing 'in hoi)e ; <zphii. 2. 3. -^patient in tribulation ; ^continuing instant in prayer; ^^distributing e. (.like in.' 20. ch. ,5. 2. & 15. 13. Phil. 3. 1. & 4. 4. 1 TIibot. 5. 16. Hel). 3. 6. 1 Pet. 4. 13. / Lnkc 21. 19. 1 Tim. 6. M. llcb. 10. 36. & 12. 1. Jam. 1. 4. & 5. 7. 1 Pot. 2. 19, 20. g Luko 18. 1. Acts 2. 42. & J2. 5. Coi. 4. 2. Eph. 6. 18. 1 Thess. 1. 17 Sect. XIII.] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 309 "to the necessity of saints ; 'given to hospitality. ^^ Bless ■'them which '2 co°V^; k persecute you : bless, and curse not. ^^ Rejoice * with them that do re- "t^ johli 3^ 1?; joice, and weep with them that weep. ^^ Be 'of the same mind one 1 1 Tim. .3. 2. toward another; "mind not high things, but tcondescend to men of "^alVpeu'lV^ low estate. "Be not wise in your own conceits. ^^ Recompense "to no i ^'f"•.•^■4't• man evil for evil: provide things honest in the sight ol all men: ^"11 -23. 34. Acts 7. it be possible, as much as lieth in you, 'live peaceauly with all men. 1 Pet. a'.'as.' & ' ^^ Dearly beloved, ""avenge not yourselves ; but rather give place unto /t^icor. 12.26. wrath ; for it is 'written, " Vengeance is mine ; I will repay, saith the i ci,. 15. 5. icor. -110 PV i I 9 9 Lord." ~" Therefore 'if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, &3.i6.'iWt.' give him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his Jp^j ^^^ ^ ^ head. ^^ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Jer. 45. 5. ' f Or, be contented Ttnth mean things. r -o 1 ••- t -tn n Prov. 3. 7. & § 48. — chap. xiii. 1-10. 26. 12. is. 5. 21. The Jews, as the chosen people of God, refused to obey, or to pay tribute to magistrates ^h- ^^'f^' , *•' ' rt Pro V ^0 93 who were not of their own nation, and, as they supposed, especially appointed by God Matt. sT 39. — The Apostle charges thenm to submit to all civil authorities ; as all power, both Jewish 1 Tliess. 5. 15. and heathen, is ordained and established by God — The condemnation of those who ^^^ 14 iJ resist the divine appointments — The advantages of a just administration — Rulers, as the 2 Cor. 8. 21. ministers of God, have the power of protecting and rewarding the good, and, as the ? Mark 9. ,50. ch. servants of God, to punish those who commit evil — Submission is therefore necessary, i4_' not only from fear of temporal punisliment, but for conscience' sake — They are also com- r Lev. 19. 18. manded to pay tribute ; as all civil magistrates are to be considered as ministers of God's ^ T" og i providence, devoting themselves to the duties of their office. — They are required to &c. ver. 17. render to all tlie honor due to their office and rank, althougli individually they do not * Dcut. 32. 35. deserve it — To be just in the discharge of all their debts, so that they may owe no -^ ' m ^ \ man any thing, but to love one another, which is the fulfilment and perfection of all Prov.'as. 21, 22. the commands of the Law that respect our neighbours. Matt. 5. 44. ^ Let every soul "be subject unto the higher powers. For Hhere is no power but of God : the [powers] that be are *ordained of God. ^ Whosoever therefore resisteth ^the power, resisteth the ordinance of "1 Pei.^i'ia. God: and thev that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. * P"""*': ^a,^^' ^^- . Dun. 2. 21. & 4» ^ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou 32. ivisd. e. 3. then not be afraid of the power ? ''do that which is good, and thou * oT, ordered. shalt have praise of the same ; ^ for he is the minister of God to thee c Tit. 3. i. for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid ; for he beareth "^3^ J.^^- -• ^^- ^ not the sword in vain ; for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. ^ Wherefore 'ye must needs * ^'^'''*='- ^- '^■ be subject, not only for wrath, ^but also for- conscience' sake. ^ For, for ^^ ^^'■^' ^^" this cause pay ye tribute also : for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. ^ Render "'therefore to all their dues : ^Mar"i|^i^/' tribute to whom tribute is due ; custom to whom custom ; fear to ^"■^'^ ~°- ^^- ^ ' 'a ver. 10. Gal. 5. whom tear ; honor to whom honor. 14. coi. 3. 14. 8 1 Tim. 1. 5. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another; for '^he that jam'."2. e loveth another hath fulfilled the Law. '•'For this, '• Thou 'shalt »ot 'jEx^-^o- i^3,&c. commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal, [Thou Man. 19. is. shalt not bear false witness,] Thou shalt not covet ; " and if there be -^ Matt. ^^ 3|". any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, ^YVh^j' namely, "^ Thou 'shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." '" Love worketh s's'. no ill to his neighbour: therefore Move is the fulfilling of the Law. a: Mat^t. 22. 40. § 49. — chap. xiii. 11, to the end. As the Roman converts must liave well known that this was the time of the Gospel dis- pensation, the light having begun to shine, the Apostle calls upon them to awake from their sleep of sin, as tlie eternal salvation of the Gospel, and the duties it requires, are better understood by them than when they first believed — He represents the darkness of the heathen world under the figure of a night which is far spent, and liie Gospel as the light of a glorious day succeeding to it — He exhorts the Gentiles, therefore, to cast off the dresses in which the works of darkness were performed, and to clothe them- selves with tlie arnror or habiliments of light — to renounce all their former habits and 310 THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part XHL § 49. a 1 Cor. 15. 34. Eph. 5. 14. 1 Thess. 5. 5, 6. b Eph.5. 11. Col. 3.8. c Eph. fi. 13. 1 Thess. 5. 8. d Phil. 4. 8. 1 Thess. 4. 12. 1 Pet. 2. 12. * Or, decently, e Prov. 23. 20. Luke 21. 34. 1 Pet. 4. 3. / 1 Cor. 6. 9. Eph. 5. 5. g Jam. 3. 14. A Gal. 3. 27. Epii. 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. t Gal. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 11. § 50. a ch. 15. 1, 7. 1 Cor. 8. 9, 11. & 9. 22. * Or, not to judge hi>' itinditful thoughts. b ver. 14. 1 Cor. 10. 25. 1 Tim. 4. 4. Tit. X. 15. c Col. 2. 113. d Jam. 4. 12. e Gal. 4. 10. Col. 2. 16. t Or, ftilly as- sured. f Gal. 4. 10. J Or, observeth. g 1 Cor. 10. 31. 1 Tun. 4. 3. h 1 Cor. 6. 19, 20. Gal. 2. 20. 1 Thess. 5. 10. 1 Pet. 4. 2. i 2 Cor. 5. 15. j Acts 10. 36. k Matt. 25. 31, 32. Acts 10. 4 3. & 17. 31. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Jude 14, 15. I Is. 45. 23. Pliil. 2. 10. m Matt. 12. 36. Gal. 6. 5. 1 Pet. 4.5. sinful courses — to put on the Lord Jesus Christ; that is, to receive his Gospel, to imi- tate his example, to seek for heavenly things, and to make no provision for the Flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. ^^ And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time "to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. ^^ The night is far spent, the day is at hand; iet us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and "^let us put on the armor of light. ^^Let ■^us walk *honestly, as in the day ; *not in rioting and drunkenness, -^not in chambering and wantonness, ^not in strife and envying ; ^"^ but ''put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and 'make not provision for the Flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. § 50. — chap. xiv. 1-12. The Jewish converts at Rome supposing that the distinction between meats, which Moses had commanded, as well as the Holy Days he had appointed, should be observed in the Christian dispensation, St. Paul calls upon the Gentiles, who were better in- formed, to receive with kindness the Jewish converts who were thus weak in the faith, and not to dispute these points — The Jews and Gentiles are exhorted not to despise or condemn each other — for God has received into his Church the Gentile, who indis- criminately eats of all things ; and at the day of judgment will hold up or acquit all those who have acted in these indifferent matters according to their conscience — Men are not to live to themselves, but to Christ — They are not to condemn each other, for we shall all be judged of God, to whom alone we are accountable. ^ Him that "is weak in the faith receive ye, hut *not to doubtful dis- putations. ^ For one believeth that he ''may eat all things : another, who is weak, eateth herbs. -^Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not ; and 'let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth : for God hath received him. ^ Who ''art thou that judgest another man's servant ? to his own master he standeth or falleth : yea, he shall be holden up ; for God is able to make him stand. ^ One 'man esteem- eth one day above another ; another esteemeth every day alike : let every man be tfully persuaded in his own mind. ^ He ■'^tliat Iregardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord ; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for "he giveth God thanks ; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. ^ For ''none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. ^For whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord : whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. ^ For 'to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be^Lord both of the dead and living. ^° But why dost thou judge thy brother ? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother ? For *W6 shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. ^^ For it is 'written, — " As I live, saith the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." ^^ So then "every one of us shall give account of himself to God. § 51. — chap. xiv. 13, to the end. From tlie consideration that we shall all render an account of our own actions, St. Paul entreats the Roman converts to forbear judging each other, and to be particularly cau- tious that they do not give occasion to a weak brother to stumble, or to offend ; for although no meat is unclean of itself, it is made so to him who thinks it iniclean — They arc to take care, therefore, that by their example they destroy not him for whom Christ died, and that the good liberty they enjoyed be not the cause of evil — For tlie kingdom of God does not consist in meat and drink, but in holi- ness, spiritual peace, and joy — They are to servo Christ by following such a course as will promote the peace and edification of each other, and not by the indul- gence of ai)petite run the risk of destroying tlio virtue of another — Those who have attained to a right faitli concerning meats and days are not to make a display of it to Sect. XIII.] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 311 the injury of others — He indeed is happy wlio never subjects himself to condemnation by doing those tilings, which in themselves are lawful — He who believes certain meats, according to the Mosaic Law, to be unlawful, sins if he eats them ; because he does a thinu- which lie believes to be unlawful, and thereby violates his conscience. '^Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge § 5L this rather, that "no man put a stumbhngblock or an occasion to fall « i cor. s. 9, 13. in his brotlier's way. '^ I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, j Acts lo. 15. Hhat there is nothing *unclean of itself; but "to him that esteemeth [o.^Jn^xJ^."^' any thing to be tunclean, to him it is unclean. ^^' But if thy brother 4. 4. xit. 1. 15. be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not tcharitably. ''Destroy ^ 1 coT.T?" 10. not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. ^Qr. common. i«Let^not tlien your good be evil spoken of. i^For^thc kingdom ^eLn°r''''"'° '" of God is not meat and drink ; but righteousness, and peace, and joy <! 1 cor. 8. 11. in the Holy Ghost. ^^ For he that in these things servetli Christ °/s ^j(',^~'gg acceptable to God, and approved of men. ^^ Let '^us therefore follow ^scor. 8. 21. after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith 'one may 'V^ii^" ^^' '^^' edify another. -'^For^meat destroy not the work of God. *AI1 things i ch. 15. 2. 1 cor. indeed are pure ; 'but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. 5. 11.' 2^ It is good neither to eat '"flesh, nor to drink wine, nor ani/ thing i '"■ ^^^ whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. '"Acas'Vol'islVer. 22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. "Happv is he that i^.Tit.i.is. condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth ! ^-^ And he 11,12.' ' ' ' that *doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith : for "* ^ *^°'^- ^- ^^• "whatsoever is not of faith is sin. ^ or°dilcernetk avdputtctlia difference between § 52. — chap. XV. 1-7. ?«eu<.-.-. Those who are strong in the faith are mere particularly required to bear with the infirmi- " Tit. 1. 15. ties of the weak, and to attend not to their own gratification, but to the edification of their neighbour, as Christ himself, by his own predicted example, has taught (Vs. Ixix. 9.) — He assures them, that all that is recorded of the sufferings of Christ, and of the saints in the Old Testament, were written for their instruction, that they througli the Scriptures might obtain tiie same hope and the same consolation — He prays that they may act toward each other after the example of Christ, that they may without conten- tion unite in glorifying God, and receive and hold communion with each other in the same manner as Christ received them both into his Church, to tiie glory of God the Father. _ ^ ^ We "then that are strong ought to bear the ''infirmities of the weak, I ^^l\^' {_ and not to please ourselves. ^ Let 'every one of us please his neighbour c 1 cor^g. 19,^. for his good ''to edification. ^ For 'even Christ pleased not himself; 13. o! Phii. 2. 4, but, as it is •''written, " The reproaches of them that reproached Thee ^ ;,,^ j^ jg fell on me." ^ For 'whatsoever things were written aforetime were e Mmt. 2fi. 39. written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the 6.38. ' Scriptures might have hope. ^ Now ''the God of patience and conso- -^ ^'; '^^^•^^3 .,^ lation grant you to be like minded one toward another *according to 1 cor.g" 9,~i6. Christ Jesus ; ^ that ye may 'with one mind and one mouth glorify God, 3. le, n'. " "^ even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ! " Wherefore ^receive ye Ycor.'W^o. one another ''as Ciirist also received us to the glory of God. Piiii. b. lo. * Or, after the example of. § 53. — chap. XV. 8-13. i Acts 4. 24, 32. 14. 1, 3. ch. 5. 2. The Apostle here seems to have in view a probable objection that the Jew would make to 3 '^" the admission of the Gentiles into the Churcli of Christ, because Christ had not preached to them — St. Paul affirms, that Jesus Christ was born a Jew, and became the minister of circumcision for the purpose of more effectually accomplishing the promises made to the fathers, by which means the Gentiles also would have reason to glorify God for his mercy, according to the predictions of their own prophets, which clearly prove that God was determined from the beginning to make the Gentiles his people, as well as the Jews — The Apostle prays that God, who has given the Gentiles this hope, may fill § 53. them with all spiritual peace and joy in believing in Jesus Christ ; and that all their a Matt. 15. 24. hopes and expectations in him may be fulfilled by the power of the Holy Ghost. ^°^ 2g^ it 13. s Now I sav that "Jesus Christ was a minister of the Circumcision ^e. , ^ ^ ^ for the truth of God, Ho confirm the promises made unto the lathers : i. 20. 312 THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. [Part XHL "9°^ ^°- ^^- '=''• ^ and "that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy ; as it is dP8.'i8.49. Written, — " For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, And sing unto thy name." e Deut. 32. 43. 10 ^^^j ^gain 'he saith, — " Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people ! " /Ps. 117.1. 11 And -^again,— " Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles ! And laud him, all ye people ! " Ve';.".'5.'&22. ^^ And again, Esaias ^saith, — " There shall be a Root of Jesse, And He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles ; In Him shall the Gentiles trust." 14. 17. ' ' ^^ Now the God of hope fill you with all ''joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost ! § 54. — chap. XV. 14, to the end. The Apostle, having now completed the doctrinal and practical part of his Epistle, ad- dresses himself more particularly to the Gentiles — He is persuaded that they are so full of goodness and knowledge of God's design towards them, that they are able to ad monish each other ; yet he has made bold to write to them on account of his apostol ical office, which he had received from God, for the converting of the Gentiles, whom he now presents as an acceptable offering to God — He glories in the success of his own ministry — Christ working with him, and, by the power of the Holy Ghost, confirming both his doctrine and mission, by mighty signs and wonders — His anxiety to preach the Gospel where it was before unknown prevented him from having visited Rome, where it was already planted ; but now having nothing more to do, he hopes to see them on his way to Spain, and to be gratified by their company thitherward — He men- tions his intended journey to Jerusalem, to carry the contributions of his Gentile con- verts to the Jewish converts at Jerusalem, thereby hoping to reconcile them to each other ; as through the means of the Jews the Gentiles were brought to the knowledge of spiritual things, they are hound to make a return of carnal things — He repeats his intention to visit them, after he has delivered up tlie contributions, endued with the gifts and blessings of the Gospel of Christ — He entreats them to pray earnestly for his deliverance from the unbelieving Jews, who sought to destroy him ; and that his sub- scription might be acceptable to the Christian Jews — His hope to see them, that they § 54. may be both strengthened by the imparting of spiritual gifts, and his benediction. oQPet. 1. 12. ^"^ And °I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye b 1 co"."8. 1 7 ^'so ^'"^ ^^^^ of goodness, 'filled with all knowledge, able also to admon- 10- ish one another. ^^Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more c ch. 1..5. & 12. boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, "^because of the Eph?3.7,8.'' grace that is given to me of God, ^^tliat ''I should be the minister of d ch. 11. i:i. Gal. Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God, that 'the 9'. 7'. 2'Ti.ii. ""' ^offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by e^is ^'e '20 Phil ^'^^ H*^''y Ghost. ^'' I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus 2.17. Christ ^in those things which pertain to God; ^'^for I will not dare to /Heb*Tf^"° speak of any of those things ^which Christ hath not wrought by me, g Acts 21. 19. 'to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, ^^ through 'mighty A^h 1 5 &16 ^^S^^ ^"^ wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God ; so that from 26. Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the ^^cor}v2!i'2. Gospel of Christ : -'^ yea, so have I strived to preacli the Gospel, not j2Cor. 10. 13, where Christ was named, ^lest I should build upon another man's tis. 52. 15. foundation : ~^ but, as it is ''written, — " To whom He was not spoken of, they shall see : And they that have not heard shall understand." Sect. XIII.] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 313 ^- For which cause also 'I have been tmuch hindered from coining 'I'^ThVss^o 17 to you. -^ But now having no more place in these parts, and "having is. a great desire these many years to come unto you ; ^'^ whensoever I \t%fiMim^r' take my journey into Spain, I will come to you : for I trust to see ^ Acts^ig. 21. you in my journey, "and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, 11.' if first I be somewhat filled twith your company. " ^'='' ^^- ^■ ■^^ But now °I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. ~'^ For ver.' se. ' ^'^' ^it hath pleased tliem of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain "^^^ ^^ i]- fj contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. ^" It hath p i cor. le. 1, 2. pleased them verily ; and their debtors they are. For 'if the Gentiles l^^i.' ^' ^' ^ ^' have been made partakers of their spiritual things, ""their duty is also ? ch- n. 17. to minister unto them in carnal things. ^^ When therefore I have per- 'oah'e.'e."^^' formed this, and have sealed to them ^this fruit, I will come by you s Phii. 4. 17. into Spain. -^ And 'I am sure that, when I come unto vou. I shall come ' ""^'J.'l^', ^ , ■ ^ ' u Phil. 2. 1, in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. v 2Cor. 1. 11. ^^ Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, ^°'' 1' ^^' „ 1K/-11 /•I-1--C1 • '102 Thess. 3. 2. and for the love of the fepu-it, that ye strive together with me in your * or, are disobe- pravers to God for me ; ^^ that "I mav be delivered from them that ^'f''^' „ , ■ , • II- -Tl 11 X ' ■ I-IT-7 /.T^^ ^°^' °- 4' do not believe in Judtea ; and that my service which 1 nave for Je- ,, ch. 1. 10. rusalem may be accepted of the saints ; ^- that ''I may come unto vou = Acts is. 21. with joy, (^by the will of God.) and may with you be "refreshed. ^^ Now Jam.^'4. is." *the God of peace be with you all ! [Amen.] VcorV^V^' 2 Tini. 1. 16. Philemon 7, 30. § 55. — chap. xvi. 1-16. 6 ch. 16. 20. St. Paul recommends to the good offices of the Christians at Rome, Phebe, who was the o cor 13 n bearer of this Epistle — He greets Aquila and Priscilla, whom he highly commends, and Phil. 4. 9. the Churcli at their house — He salutes many of his Christian friends, some of whom I Thess! 3! le! were probabl}' his own converts, who were now settled at Rome. Heb. 13. 20. ^ I COMMEND unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the ~ Church which is at "Cenchrea, '^ that *ye receive her in the Lord, as ^ '^' becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsover business she hath j Phii. 2.29. need of you ; for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself 3 John 5, 6. also. 3 Greet Triscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus, ■* (who have ^-g'^o^xfiiiVtg for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles), ^ likewise srreet ''the d 1 cor. le. 19. church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epenetus, who Philemon '2. is 'the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. ^ Greet Mary, who bestowed « ^ '^°'- "^- ^^■ much labor on us. '' Salute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also Avere in Christ before me. ^ Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord. /^ai. 1.22. ^ Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. 1° Sa- lute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristo- bulus' *household. ^^ Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that *Or,/n>n&. be of the f household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. 1=^ Salute ^Or,friends. Tryphena and Tryphosa. who labor in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which labored much in the Lord. ^^ Salute Rufus 'chosen in g-2Johni. the Lord, and his mother and mine. ^"* Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hernias, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them. ^^ Salute Philologus, and Julias, Nereiis, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them. ^^ Salute *one another with a a 1 cor. le. 20. holy kiss. The Churches of Christ salute vou ! i ThVss. 5. 2a 1 Pet. 5. 14. § 50. — chap. xvi. 17-2u. St. Paul again admonishes them to avoid divisions, and the persons that cause them ; for they serve not Christ by preaching his doctrine, being only anxious for worldly gain ; and, not having spiritual gifts, they by good words and fair speeches deceive or per- vert the hearts of the unsuspecting Christian converts — He rejoices in their present VOL. 11. 40 AA 314 ST. PAUL RAISES EUTYCHUS TO LIFE. [Part XIII §56. a Acts 15. 1, 5, 24. 1 Tim. 6. 3. J 1 Cor. 5. 9, 11. 2 Thes3. 3. 6, 14. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Tit. 3. 10. 2 John 10. c Piiil. 3. 19. 1 Tim. 6. 5. d Col. 2. 4. 2 Tim. 3. 6. Tit. 1. 10. 2 Pet. 2. 3. e ch. 1. 8. / Matt. 10. 16. 1 Cor. 14.20. * Or, harmless. g ch. 15. 33. h Gen. 3. 15. t Or, tread. i ver. 24. 1 Cor. 16. 23. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Phil. 4. 23. 1 Thess. 5. 28. 2 Thess. 3. 18. Rev. 22. 21. obedience, and exhorts them to continue to discern and to practise that which is good, and to be pure or simple respecting evil ; that is, avoiding all false doctrines, or exam- ples — He foretells the speedy destruction of the agents of Satan, who introduce divis- ions in the Cliurch, and concludes with his benediction. ^^ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them "which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned ; and ''avoid them. ^^ For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but "^their own belly ; and ''by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. ^^ For 'your obedience is come abroad unto all meji ; I am glad therefore on your behalf, but yet I would have you Avise unto that which is good, and *simple concerning evil. ~^ And ^the God of peace ''shall tbruise Satan under your feet shortly. 'The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you ! [Amen.] § 57. a Acts 16. 1. Col. 1. 1. Phil. 2. 19. 1 Thess. 3. 2. 1 Tim. 1. 2. Heb. 13. 23. b Probably Luke the Evangelist. Acts 13. 1. c Acts 17. 5. d Acts 20. 4. e 1 Cor. 1. 14. / Acts 19. 23. 2 Tim. 4. 20. g ver. 20. 1 Thes. 5.28. }i Eph. 3. 20. 1 Thess. 3. 13. 2 Thess. 2. 17. & 3. 3. Jude 24. t ch. 2. 16. j Eph. 1. 9. & 3. 3, 4, 5. Col. 1. 27. k 1 Cor. 2. 7. Eph. 3. 5, 9. Col. 1. 26. I Eph. 1.9. 2 Tim. 1. 10. Tit. 1. 2, 3. 1 Pet. 1. 20. m Acts 6. 7. ch. 1. 5. & 15. 18. n 1 Tim. 1. 17. & 6. 16. Jude 25. SECT. XIV. V. JE. 58. J. P. 4771. Troas. a Ex. 12. 14, 15. & 23. 15. b ch. 16. 8. 2 Cor. 2. 12. 2 Tim. 4. 13. e 1 Cor. 16. 2. Rev. 1. 10. d ch. 2. 42, 46. 1 Cor. 10. 16. & 11. 20, &c. e ch. 1. 13. / 1 Kinss n. 21. 2 Kin-s 4. 34. g Matt. 9. 'M. b See Note 25. § 57. — chap. xvi. 21, to the end. The Apostle, in a postscript, sends the salutations of several persons who were with him — He sums up all, by ascribing glory to God, who alone has power to establish in the true faith of Christ, without the Law of Moses ; which before was a mystery, kept secret (although the calling of the Gentiles was predicted), but is now made manifest by the commandment revealed to St. Paul by the everlasting God, that all nations by his preaching might have the knowledge of the obedience of faith, that they might believe and obey — To God, who is only wise, to him be glory for ever ! ^^ TiMOTHEUs "my workfellow, and 'Lucius, and "^ Jason, and "^Sosi- pater, my kinsmen, salute you ! ^^ I Tertius, who wrote this Epistle, salute you in the Lord ! ~^ Gains 'mine host, and of the whole Church, saluteth you. ■'^Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother. ^^ The ^grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all ! Amen. ^^ Now ''to him that is of power to stablish you 'according to my Gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, ^according to the revelation of the mystery, *which was kept secret since the world began, ^^ but 'now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the Prophets, accord- ing to the commandment of the Everlasting God, made known to all nations for "the obedience of faith : ^^ to "God only wise, be glory, through Jesus Christ for ever ! Amen. [[Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe, servant of the church at Cenchrea.]] [end of the epistle to THE ROMANS.] Section XIV. — From Macedonia St. Paul proceeds to Troas, where he raises Eiitychus to life. Acts xx. 6-12. ^ And we sailed away from Philippi after "the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them 'to Troas in five days ; where we abode seven days. ^ x\nd upon "the first day of the week, when the disciples came together ''to break bread, Paul, ready to depart on the mor- row, preached unto them, and continued his speech until midnight. ^ And there were many lights 'in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. ^ And there sat in the window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep : and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. ^^ And Paul went down, and ■^fell on him, and embracing him said, " Trouble "not yourselves; for his life is in him." '^ When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. ^~ And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.'' Sect. XVIII.] ST. PAUL'S FAREWELL OF THE EPHESIANS. 315 Section XV. — From Troas to Assos and Mitylene. Acts xx. 13, 14. ^2 And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intend- ing to take in Paul : for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot, i"* And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene. SECT. XV. V. M. 58. J. P. 4771. Assos and Mitylene. SECT. XVI. Section XVI. — From Mitylene to Chios, Acts xx. beginning of ver. 15. And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios. Section XVII. — From Chios to Samos, and Trogyllium. Acts xx. part of ver. 1.5. And the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium. V. M. 58. J. P. 4771. Chios. sect. XVII. V. JE. 58. J. p. 4771. Samos and Trogyllium. Section XVIII. — From Trogyllium to Miletus ; where St. Paul meets, sect, xviii. a7id takes his Farewell of, the Elders of the Church at Ephesus. y ^^53 Acts xx, latter part of ver. 15, to the end. J. P. 4771. ^^5 And the next day we came to Miletus. ^^ For Paul had determined MUetus. to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia ; for a ch. 18. 21. & "he hasted, if it were possible for him, Ho be at Jerusalem 'the day of 12! ' Pentecost. ! ct.' ?"i.Tcor. ^^ And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of le.s.' the Church.'^ ^^And when they were come to him, he said unto them, ^^^^J8°'j9^^ " Ye know, ''from the first day that I came into Asia, after what man- 19. i.To. ner I have been with you at all seasons, ^^ serving the Lord with all *'^"'^' humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell g ch.is.s. me 'by the lying in wait of the Jews ; 20 and how -^I kept back nothing ^^'l■!]^^^;\'^^^ that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught a ch. 19. 21. you publicly, and from house to house, ^^ testifying ^both to the Jews, '^^j.^l-J'^\ and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our * ot, wait forme. Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold ! ^I go (bound in the Spirit) •'8';''35^/2Cor^4"'" unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there ; 113. 23 save that 'the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions *abide me. ~^ But •'none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, ''so that I might finish my course with joy, 'and the ministry, "'which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God. ^^And, now, behold ! "I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. ^^ Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am "pure from the blood of all men ; ^"^ for ^I have not shunned to declare unto you all 'the counsel of God. ^^''TakeHieed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost "hath made you overseers, to feed the Church t mt. Beisham of 'God,"^ which He hath purchased "with his own blood. ^^ For I Lard!melling^ know this, that after my departing "shall grievous wolves enter in ||Jc^osriii.'']i3. among you, not sparing the flock ; ^^ also "of your ownselves shall ^chri°t"inilTord men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them, meaning ti.e ^^ Therefore watch, and remember, that ""by the space of three years I Hisd^fgnis ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. ^~ And now, Eph!*?!Vri4.°' brethren, I commend you to God, and ''to the word of his grace, 9°|2.'i p;":!"" which is able *to build vou up, and to sive vou "an inheritance among i9- ^ev. 5. 9. .^ I ' & J o (J See Note 27. all them which are sanctified. ^^ I have coveted no mans silver, or « see ueb. 9. 14. gold, or apparel ; ^^ yea, ye yourselves know, "that these hands have ''2'pet.'2.'i. ' w 1 Tim. 1. 20. 1 John 2. 19. x ch. 19. 10. y Heb. 13. 9. i ch. 9.31. a ch. 2G. 18. Eph. 1. 18. Col. 1. 12. t 3. 24. Heb. 9. 15. 1 Pet. 1.4. J 1 Sam. 12. 3. 1 Cor. 9. 12. 2 Cor. 7. 2. &: 11. 9. & 12. 17. c ch. 18. 3. 1 Cor. 4. 12. 1 Thess. 2. 9. 2 Thess.S.S. k 2 Tim. 4. 7. I ch. 1. 17. 2 Cor. 4. 1. mGal. 1. 1. Tit. 1.3. n ver. 38. Rom. 15.23. ch. 18. 6. 2 Cor. 7.2. p ver. 20. q Luke 7. 30. John 15. 15. Eph. 1. 11. r 1 Tim. 4. 16. 1 Pet. 5. 2. s 1 Cor. 12. 28. 316 AGABUS PROPHESIES ST. PAUL'S IMPRISONxMENT. [Part XIII. '^ic'or" 9.^12.' ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. ^^^I la^&'i^'ia ^^^^ showed you all things, "^how that so laboring ye ought to support Eph. 4. 23. the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ] Thess 4 11 . &.5. i4.'2Thess. ' It is moro blessed to give than to receive.' " ^^ And when he had thus spoken, he 'kneeled down, and prayed with them all. -^^ And they all wept sore, and -^fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, ^^ sorrowing most of all for the words ^which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship. 3.8. e ch. 7. 60. & 21 5. / Gen. 45. 14. & 4(i. 29. g ver. 25. SECT. XIX. V. M. 58. J. P. 4771. Coos, Rhodes, Pa- tara, and Tyre. SECT. XX. V. M. 58. J. P. 4771. Tyre. a ver. 12. ch. 20. 23. e Se« Note 28. h ch 20. 36. e John 1. 11. SECT. xxr. V. SL. 58. J. p. 4771. Ptolemais. SECT. XXII. V. ^. 58. J. P. 4771. Caesarea. a Eph. 4. 11. 2 Tim. 4. 5. 6 ch. e. 5. &S. 8. 26, 40. c Joel 2. 28. ch. 2. 17. d ch. 11. 28. e ver. 33. ch. 20. 23. / ch. 20. 24. Section XIX. — From Miletus, to Cobs and Rhodes and Patara : whence St. Paul, together ivith St. Luke, the Writer of the Boole of the Acts of the Apostles, sails in a Phoenician vessel to Syria, and lands at Tyre. Acts xxi. 1-3. ^ And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara. ^ And finding a ship sailing over unto Phoenicia, we went aboard, and set forth : ^now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre ; for there the ship was to unlade her burden. Section XX. — St. Paul and St. LuTce continue at Tyre seven Days. Acts xxi. 4-6. ^ And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days : "who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.*' ^ And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way ; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and chil- dren, till ive were out of the city ; and ''we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed. ^ And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship ; and they returned '^home again. Section XXI. — They proceed from Tyre to Ptolemais. Acts xxi. 7. And when we had finished our course, from Tyre we came to Ptol- emais. and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day. Section XXII. — From Ptolemais to Ccesarea, to the House of Philip the Evangelist — Agabus prophesies the near Imprisonment of St. Paul. Acts xxi. 8-14. ^ And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Ca^sarea ; and we entered into the house of Philip "the Evangelist, Vhich was one of the Seven, and abode with him. ** And the same man had four daughters, virgins, 'which did prophesy. ^^ And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named ''Agabus ; ^^ and when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, " Thus saith the Holy Ghost, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles." 1^ And when we heard these things, botii wc, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. ^^ Then Paul answered, " What ^mean ye to weep and to break mine heart ? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Sect. XXIV.] ST. PAUL IS APPREHENDED AT JERUSALEM. 317 Lord Jesus. ^^ And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, ^say- ^^e^^^'. ^' ^"^ *" Luke 11. mg, " The will of the Lord be done ! " 2. & 22. 42. SECT. XXIII. Section XXIIL — St. Paul and St. Luke arrive at Jerusalem, and pre- sent themselves to St. James and the Church. V. M. 58. Acts xxi. 15-26. ^- ^- '*^^^- ^^ And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem. ^'' There went with us also certain of the disciples of Cses- arca, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge. ^^ And "when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received « <=*"• ^^- ^• us gladly. ^^ And the day following Paul went in with us unto ''James ; ft^ch.^is^ is.^oai and all the elders were present. ^^ And when he had saluted them, "he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the ''^^;J^%%f^\Q, Gentiles ''by his ministry. -^ And when they heard it, they glorified a ch. 1. 17. cL. the Lord, and said unto him, " Thou seest, brother, how many thou- ^°'~''" sands of Jews there are which believe ; and they are all 'zealous of %o!''2^Gai.'i°i4. the Law. ~^ And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying, ' That they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.' 2^ What is it therefore ? the multitude must needs come together ; for they will hear that thou art come. ^-^ Do therefore this that we say to thee : we have four men which have a vow on them. Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may-^shave their heads ; and all may know, that those ■^■^^^\%Sl^' things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing ; but that thou thyself also walkcst orderly, and keepest the Law. ~^ As touch- ^^ ing the Gentiles which believe, ^we have written, and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication." -^ Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with ^ ^^ ^^ ^^ them, ''entered into the temple, Ho signify the accomplishment of the , Num. 6. 13. days of purification, until that an oflTering should be oflfered for every f seeNote29 one of them.*" = b ch. 26. 21. ap/TT^ "VVTV Section XXIV. — St. Paul is apprehended by the Chief Captain of J_l' the Tem.ple, in consequence of a Mob, occasioned by some of the V.^-E. 58. Asiatic Jews, ivho met St. Paul in the Temple. J. P. 4771. Acts xxi. 27-36. Jern^em. ^"^ And when the seven days were almost ended, "the Jews which a ch. 24. 18. were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and ''laid hands on him, ^^ crying out, " Men of Israel, help ! This is the man, 'that teacheth all men every where against the people, " ch.24.5,6. and the Law, and this place ; and further, brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place." ^^ (For they had seen before with him in the city ''Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they sup- <ich.2o. 4. posed that Paul had brought into the temple.) ^^^ And 'all the city « eh. 26. 21. was moved, and the people ran together ; and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple ; and forthwith the doors were shut. 2^ And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar ; ^^ who ■'im- /^"■'■•23-27.t24. mediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them. And when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beat- ing of Paul. ^^Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and ^commanded him to be bound with two chains ; and demanded who ^23.^'" 318 ST. PAUL'S DEFENCE BEFORE THE POPULACE. [Part XIIL he was, and what he had done. ^'^ And some cried one thing, some another, among the muhitude. And when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. ^^ And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was ^ohll'ig^^islcii. borne of the soldiers for the violence of tlie people ; ^^ for the multi- 22.2-2. tude of the people followed after, crying, " Away ''with him ! " SECT. XXV. V. JE. 58. J. P. 4771. Jerusalem. Section XXV. — St. Paul makes his Defence before the Populace. Acts xxi. 37, to the end, and xxii. 1-21. ^^ And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, " May I speak unto thee ? " Who said, " Canst thou speak a See ch. 5. 36. Greek ? ^^ Art "not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that ft^ch. 9. ]i.&22. ^QYQ murderers?" ^^But Paul said, " I *am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city : and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people." "^^ And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and c ch. 12. 17. 'beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying, — '^ch. 7. 2. ^ " Men, "^brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you ! " ^ (And when they heard that he spake in the He- brew tongue to them, they kept the more silence ; and he saith,) ^ " I e ch. 21. 39. 'am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, Phirb. 5". " yet brought up in this city,-^at the feet of ^Gamaliel, taught 'ac- /Deut. 33. 3. cordino; to the perfect manner of the Law of the fathers, and *was 2 Kings 4. 38. . =' 1 >, , II 1-1 A 1 IT 11- Luke 10. 39. zcalous toward (jodj^as ye all are this day; ^ and 1 persecuted this g ch. 5. 34. ^^y unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and tch 21.20. Gal. womcu : ^ as also the high priest doth bear me witness, and 'all the 1- 14. estate of the elders ; "from whom also I received letters unto the j Rom. 10. 2. brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound 9,10,11.' Phil. 3. unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. " And "it came to pass, that, as I J Luke 22.66. cii. "^^d® '^y Jo"i""6y, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, 4- 5- suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me ; ' and "lo", 12.' ' " I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, ' Saul ! n^ch.^Q.^.&.'iG. ga^^ii I ^y{^y persecutest thou me? ' ^ And I answered, ' Who art thou, Lord ? ' And He said unto me, ' I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou ch. 9. 7. Dan. peiccutest.' ^ And "they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid ; but they heard not the voice of Him that spake to me. ^^ And I said, ' What shall I do. Lord ? ' And the Lord said unto me, ' Arise, and go into Damascus ; and there it shall be told thee of all p ch. 9. 17. things which are appointed for thee to do.' ^^ And when I could not q ch. 10.22. see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were r 1 Tim. 3. 7. ^^j^j^ ^^^^ j Came into Damascus. ^^ And ''one Ananias, a devout man 30.' ' ' ' according to the Law, 'having a good report of all the '^Jews which t di. 9. 15.&26. (JYvelt there, ^-^came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, ' Brother u 1 Cor. 9.1. & Saul, receive thy sight! ' And the same hour I looked up upon him. i5.^8.^ch. 3. 14. 14 And he said, ' The 'God of our fathers 'hath chosen thee, that thou J) 1 Cor. 11.23. shouldst know his will, and "see that Just One, and "shouldst hear Ghi. 1. 12. ^j^g voice of his mouth ; ^^ for '"thou shalt be his witness unto all men X ch. 4. 20. & 26. of ""what thou hast seen and heard. ^'^ And now why tarriest thou ? ^^- arise, and be baptized, ^and wash away thy sins, ""calling on the Name y ch. 2. 38. Ileb. r*ITJ> J J a 10.22. oi the Lord. z ch.9. 14. Rom. 1" " And "it camc to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, ach.9.'56. even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; ^^ and 'saw ^^T'lA^'^' ■'^'"^ saying unto me, ' Make '^haste, and get thee quickly out of Jeru- cMatt. li). 14. salem ; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.' ^^ And 10. 7 Sect. XXVIIL] ST. PAUL ARRAIGNED BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN. 319 I said, ' Lord! ''they know that I imprisoned and 'beat in every syna- fZ ver. 4. ch. 8. 3. goguethem that beheved on Thee; ^^and^when the blood of thy ; ^^J^'^; J^"; i^- martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and ^consenting g^ Luke ii. 48. [unto his death], and kept the raiment of them that slew him.' ^^ And =^-8.].Rom.i. He said unto me, ' Depart, ''for I will send thee far hence unto the ft ch 9 15 & p. ^ '^ y, 40, 4^ . 6c 18. Gentiles.' " 6.& 20.17. Rom. 1. .5. Si. n. 13. & 15. 16. Gal. 1. l.i, 16. & Section XXVI. — On declaring his Mission to preach to the Gentiles, f^llf-^^l'i'j, the Jews clamor for his Death. STim. 1. u. Acts xxii. 22. = And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their gECT. xxvi. voices, and said, " Away "with such a fellow from the earth ! for it is y. JE. 58. not fit that ''he should live ! " J. P. 4771. Jerusalem. Section XXVII. — St. Paul claims the Privilege of a Roman Citizen. « ch. 21. .lo. Acts xxii. 23-29. 6 ch. 25.24. ^^ And as they cried out, and cast oflf their clothes, and threw dust ^^ into the air, ~^ the chief captain commanded him to be brought into sect, xxvri. the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that y ^53 he might know wherefore they cried so against him. ~^ And as they j. 1.4771. bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Jerusalem. "Is "it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncon- ^ ^j^ j~^ demned ? " ^^ When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, " Take heed what thou doest ; for this man is a Roman." ~' Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, " Tell me, art thou a Roman ? " He said, " Yea." ^^ And the chief captain answered, " With a great sum obtained I this freedom." And Paul said, " But I was frees born." 29 Then straightway they departed from gSeo.\ote3o. him which should have *examined him; and the chief captain also */°^; ''"^"'"*'' was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. Section XXVIII. — ^S*^. Paul is brought before the Sanhedrin, who are sect, xxviii summoned by the Captain of the Temple. V. !£.. 58. Acts xxii. .30, and xxiii. 1-10. J. P. 4771. ^^ On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty Jerusalem. wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him [from Ais bands], and commanded the Chief Priests and all their Council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them. ^ And Paul, earnestly beholding the Council, said, " Men and brethren, "I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." ^ And the high priest, Ananias, commanded them that stood by him, Ho smite him on the Heb-is. is. mouth. ^ Then said Paul unto him, " God shall smite thee, thou *jer!^2o"l.^ohn whited wall ! for sittest thou to judge me after the Law, and ^com- ^^•^• mandest me to be smitten contrary to the Law ? " ^ ^jj^^ jj^gy ^\^^^ stood "^Dem! 25! 1^2. by said, " Revilest thou God's high priest ? " ^ Then said Paul, " I •'°''" '• •'^■ "wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest; ''for it is Svritten, <^ch. 24. 17. ' Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.' " e ex^22. 28. ^But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and oper2^ib"°' the other Pharisees, he cried out in the Council, " Men and brethren ! Judes. ■^I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee ; *^of the hope and resurrection ^^^i^^' ^' ^*"' of the dead I am called in question !" ^ And when he had so said, ^ ch.24. is, 21. there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees ; 20." ' " and tiie multitude was divided. ^ For '"the Sadducees say that there is ''Mnr"i2^i8^' no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit ; but the Pharisees confess both. Luke 20. 27. a ch. 24. 16. 1 Cor. 4. 4. 2 Cor. I. 12. & 4. 2. 2 Tim 1. 3. 320 THE JEWS CONSPIRE AGAINST ST. PAUL. [Part. XIII. ^ And there arose a great cry ; and the Scribes, that were of the Phari- t^ch.25.25.&26. sees' part arose, and strove, saying, " We ^find no evil in this man ; j ch. 22. 7, 17, '^"t ^if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, [let *us not fight against God]." 1** And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, com- manded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among = them, and to bring him into the castle. 18. k ch. 5. 39 SECT. XXIX. Section XXIX. — St. Paul is encouraged hy a Vision to persevere. V. JE. 58. Acts xxiii. 11. J. P. 4771. ^^^ a^^^ night following, the Lord stood by him, and said, " Be of — ' good cheer [Paul] ! for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so ''23''24^' ^' *" ^^' must thou bear witness also at Rome." _:_ ' Section XXX. — In consequence of the Discovery of a Conspiracy to v. .^.58. Mil St. Paul, he is removed hy Night from Jerusalem, through An- J. P. 4771. tipatris to Casarea. Cce'sarea!' AcTS xxiii. 12, to the end. ~~^ , ^^ And when it was day, "certain of the Jews banded together, and a ver. 21, 30. ch. , , , , * i • i i i i • i 25.3. bound themselves under a curse, saying, that they would neither eat * Or, with an oatk nor drink till they had killed Paul.^ ^^ And they were more than forty of execration. i-iiiii- ia /~i i See Note 35. which had made this conspiracy ; ^"^and they came to the Chief Priests and elders, and said, " We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. ^^ Now there- fore ye, with the Council, signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you [to-morrow], as though ye would inquire some- thing more perfectly concerning him : and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him." ^^ And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. ^^ Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, " Bring this young man unto the chief captain ; for he hath a certain thing to tell him." ^^ So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, " Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee." ^'' Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went tvith him aside privately, and asked him, "What is that thou hast to tell me?" ^"^ And he said, b Ter. 12. " The ''Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldst bring down Paul to-morrow into the Council, as though they would inquire some- what of him more perfectly. ^^ But do not thou yield unto them ; for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him ; and now are they ready, looking for a prom- ise from thee." ^'~ So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, " See thou tell no man that thou hast showed these things to me." o ^•^ And he called unto him two centurions, saying, " Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Csesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and s[jearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night ; -"* and provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor." -^ And ho wrote a letter after this manner : — ^^ " Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth » ch._2i.33. & " greeting ! -"^ This "man was taken of the Jews, and should have been " killed of them : then came I with an army, and rescued him, having 24. 7. Sect. XXXL] PAUL IS ACCUSED BEFORE FELIX. 321 " understood that he was a Roman. ^^ And "^when I would have known ^ ch-22. 30. " the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into " their Council ; ^^ whom I perceived to be accused °of questions of ^it\i.'^^'^ " their Law, ■'but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or /ch. 26. 31. '' of bonds. ^° And ^when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait s-^er.ao " for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and ''gave commandment to ''■^'^^•^ 8. &.25. *' his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. " Farewell ! " ^^ Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris. ^~ On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle. ^^ Who, when they came to Csaesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, pre- sented Paul also before him. ^'^ And when [the governor] had read the letter, he asked of what province he was ; and when he understood that he was of 'Cilicia, ^^ " Pwill hear thee," said he, " when thine J ^^' 24' 1/10. & accusers are also come." And he commanded him to be kept in ^- ^^■ ^ k Matt. 27. 27. *Herod's judgment-hall. Section XXXI. — St. Paul is accused of Sedition before Felix, seci\jcxxi. the Governor of Judaa — His Defence. V. JE. 58. Acts xxiv. 1-21. J- P- 4771. ^ And after "five days ''Ananias the high priest descended with the aesarea. elders, and ivith a certain orator, named Tertullus, who informed the ach. 21. 27. governor against Paul. -And when he was called forth, Tertullus be- 35. & 25. 2. ' gan to accuse him, saying, — " Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy "■ deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence, ^ we accept it " always, and in all places, most noble Felix ! with all thankfulness. " ^ Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray " thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words. ^ For " "we have found this man, a pestilent /e//ou', and a mover of sedition ''e. i3.\ ie.^o.' " among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the ^.^1 p;t'!^2^^i2, " sect of the ''Nazarenes ; ^ who ''also hath gone about to profane the ^^• " temple ; whom we took, and would 'have judged according to our a cL 2l4. " Law. ''' But ^the chief captain, Lysias, came upon us, and with great « •'"hn is. 31. " violence took him away out of our hands, ^ commanding 'his accus- ■C'c''h"7V3^o " ers to come unto thee ; by examining of whom thyself mayest take " knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him." ^ And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so. ^° Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, — " Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself; ^^ be- cause that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days ^^g"' ^^"^^^i- since I went up to Jerusalem ''for to worship. ^^ And * they neither i ch. 25. 8. & 28. found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raisino- up .^J" .1 , . , . ' , ^ ° .•' , . ^n ■ , '^ " J See Amos 8. 14. me people, neither in the synagogues, nor m the city ; ^-^ neither can ch. 9. 2 they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. ^^ But this I con fess unto thee, that after 'the way which they call heresy, so worship '23 I the *God of my fathers, believing all things"which are written in 'the "6,^7; fj; fo":^' Law and in the Prophets ; i^and "'have hope toward God (which they » ban. 12.2.^ themselves also allow), "that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, /et."a3. l'"^' both of the just and unjust. ^^ And "herein do I exercise myself, to have p cH- n- 29, 30. always a conscience void of offence toward God. and toward men. ^ ' Now is. 25. Icor.^s. after many years ^I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings ; ^'^^lf'l\ whereupon 'certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the tem- ^ie.-ii. ' VOL. II. 41 k 2 Tim. 1. 3. I ch. 26.2J. &28. 322 TRIAL OF PAUL BEFORE FESTUS. [Part XIIL *^'k' ^' ^ P^^' iieither with multitude, nor with tumult ; ^^ who "^ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had aught against me. ^° Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the Council, ~^ except it be for this one voice, * ch. 23. 6. & 28. that I cried standing among them, ' Touching ''the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day I ' " V.iE. 58. J. P. 4771. Caesarea. a ver. 7. I See Note 34. 16, SECT, xxxn. Section XXXII. — After many Conferences with Felix, St. Paul is detained in Prison till the Arrival of Porcius Festus. Acts xxiv. 22, to the end. ^ And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowl- edge of that way, he deferred them, and said, " When "Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of 'your matter." "^^ And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let b ch. 27. 3. &.28. him have liberty, and Hhat he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him. ^^ And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla (which was a Jewess), he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. ^^ And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, " Go thy way for this time ; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." ^^ He hoped also that 'money should have been given him of Paul, [that he might loose him :] wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. ^^ But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room ; and Felix, ''willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound." c Ex. 23. 8. d Ex. -2?,. 2. ch. 12. 3. & 25. 9, 14. m See Note 35. appe als sECTjcxxm. Section XXXIII. — Trial of St. Paul before Festus — He to the Emperor. Acts xxv. 1-12. ^ Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Csesarea to Jerusalem. ^ Then "the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, ^ and desired favor against him, that he would send for him to Jeru- salem, 'laying wait in the way to kill him. ' But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. ^ " Let them therefore," said he, " which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, "^if there be any wickedness in him." ^ And when he had tarried among them *more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea ; and the next day sitting on the judgment- seat commanded Paul to be brought. ^ And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, ''and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove : ^ while he answered for himself, " Neither "against the Law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Csesar, have I offended any thing at all." ^ But Festus, -^willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, " Wilt ^thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me ? " ^^ Then said Paul, ' I stand at Caesar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. '' For ''if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I re- fuse not to die ; but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. 'I appeal" unto Csesar ! " '^ Then Festus, when he had conferred with the Council, V. ^. 60. J. P. 4773. Caesarea. a ch. 24. 1. ver. 15. h ch. 23. 12, 15. c ch. 18. 14. ver. 18. * Or, as some copies reiid, no more than eight or ten days. d Mark 15. 3. Lukoas. 2, 10, ch. 24. 5, 13. e ch. 6. 13. & 24, 12. & 28. 17. / ch. 24. 27. g ver. 20. h ver. 25. ch. 18 ]4. & 23. 29. & 20. 31. i ch. 26.32. &, 28 19. n See Note 36. Sect. XXXV.] PAUL'S DEFENCE BEFORE FESTUS AND AGRIPPA. 323 answered, " Thou hast appealed unto ^Cassar ; unto Caesar shalt •'in'^theTeciamuJl thou go." form.-ED. Section XXXIV. — Curious Account given to Agrippa by Festus, of sect, xxxi. the Accusation against St. Paul. V. JE. 60. Acts xxv. 13-22. J. P. 4773. ^^ And after certain days, King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Cssarea. Csesarea to salute Festus. ^^And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, " There "is « ch. 24. 27. a certain man left in bonds by Felix : ^^ about 'whom, when I was at * vei. 2, 3. Jerusalem, the Chief Priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. ^^ To ""whom I answered, ' It '"- ^er-^.s. is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.' ^"^ Therefore, when they were come hither, ''without any delay on the d ver. 6. morrow "I sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. ^^ Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed; ^^but'had y''-^8. 15.& certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. ~° And be- cause *I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether * or, i ,cas doubt- he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. A^eo/" ''""*""^' ^^ But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the f hearing of 1 0r, judgment. Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar." ^^ Then •'^Agrippa said unto Festus, " I would also hear the / see ch. 9. 15. man myself." " To-morrow," said he, " thou shalt hear him." Section XXXV. — St. Paul defends his Cause before Festus and sect. xxxv. Agrippa — Their Conduct on that Occasion. ^ ~x^fio Acts xxv. 23, to the end, and chap. xxvi. j p 4773 22 And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with cssarea. great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth. '^* And Festus said, " King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom "all the " '■■er.%3,7. multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought ''not to live any longer. ~^ But when I found * cii.22. 22. that 'he iiad committed nothing worthy of death, ''and that he himself <:^ci'._^23. 9, 29. & hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. ~^ Of whom d ver. 11, 12. I have no certain thing to write unto my lord ; wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O King Agrippa ! that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. ^^ For it seem- eth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes lg,id against him." chap. xxvi. ^ Then Agrippa said unto Paul, " Thou art permitted to speak for thyself." Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: — 2 " I think myself happy, King Agrippa ! because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am ac- cused of the Jews ; ^ especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. "* " My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews ; ^ which knew me 324 PAUL'S DEFENCE BEFORE FESTUS AND AGRIPPA. [Part XIII. V&24'^5'^2^' ^^"^ ^^^ beginning, (if they would testify,) that after "the most straitest Phil. 3/5. ' ' sect of our rehgion I hved a Pharisee. ^And-'^now I stand and am /ch. 23. 6. judged for the hope of^the promise made of God unto our fathers; g Gen. 3. 15. & -i ^^ ... '^ . . ' , ^ ., • . .1 • ii^ 1 * 1 2^. 18. & 26. 4. 'unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving (jod day i8.^?5.^2s°m.'7. and uight, ^hope to come ; for which hope's sake. King Agrippa ! I i^.'f.'s^&V.^i^. ^'^^ accused of the Jews. ®Why should it be thought a thing incredi- & 9. 6. & 40. 10. bie with you, that God should raise the dead? Jer. 23. 5. & 33. q t j- -i i • i 1 /• 1 t i 1 • 14, 15, le.Ezek. ^ '' 1 "veriiy thought with myself, that 1 ought to do many things Dan"! 9. 24. JHc! coutrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ^^ Which 'thing I also did Rom! 15.' si^'i^u in Jerusalem ; and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having ^- ^^- received authority '"from the Chief Priests ; and when they were put i Luke 2! 37. to death, I gave my voice against them ; ^^ and "I punished them oft 1 Thess%^'io. *" every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme ; and being *Gr. night and exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange ■ Phil 3 11 cities. ^^ Whereupon °as I went to Damascus with authority and com- ft John 16. 2. mission from the Chief Priests, ^^at mid-day, O king! I saw in the i^VTIg\i ^^y '•^ light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining 13. round about me and them which journeyed with me. '^ And when we '&'^22.V^' ^'' were all fallen to the earth, I heard a Voice speaking unto me, and say- n ch.22. 19. ing in the Hebrew tongue, ' Saul ! Saul ! why persecutest thou me ? it o^ch.9.3.&22. -g j^^j.^ ^^j. ^j^gg ^Q j^j^j. against the pricks.' i^ And I said, 'Who art thou. Lord ? ' And he said, ' I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. ^^ But rise, and stand upon thy feet ; for I have appeared unto thee p ch.22. 15. for this purpose, ^to make thee a minister and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee ; ^^ delivering thee from the people, and from the }ch. 22. 21. Gentiles, 'unto whom now I send thee, ^^to '^open their eyes, and *to \ Luke 1. 79."' tum them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto 2°Cor^4.^4.' Eph. God, 'that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and "inheritance among 1. 18. iThess. tiiem which are "sanctified by faith that is in me.' jqcot. c. 14. ^^ " Whereupon, O King Agrippa ! I was not disobedient unto the ^^coti^ii^ ^' heavenly vision ; -" but "showed first unto them of Damascus, and at iPet. 2. 9, 25. Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judcea, and then to the « Eph. 1.11. Col. Gentiles, that they should repent, and turn to God, and do "" works 1. 12. meet for repentance. ^^ For these causes ^the Jews caught me in the V ch. 20. 32. . . . v> ch. 9. 2o722, temple, and went about to kill me. '^^ Having therefore obtained help 13' & 14' fcie" ^^ God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, &'i7, &18, & saying none other things than those 'which the Prophets and "Moses 19 & 20 & 21. . ~ ^ ' Matt. 3! 8. did say should come ; ^-^ that ''Ciirist should suffer, and "^that he should 3/ ch. 21.30, 31. be the first that should rise from the dead, and ''should show light 2 Xjuke ^4 27 . 44. ch.24. 14. & unto the people, and to the Gentiles." 28. 23. Rom. 3. 24 ^j^^j j^g |^g ^j^^g gp^^e for hiuisclf, Fcstus said with a loud voice, a Johns. 46. "Paul, "thou art beside thyself! much learning doth make thee mad." j^Luke 24. 26, 25 g^^ \^q gj^j^j^ u J g^j^-, ^^^ ^^^^ j^^g^ ^q\~,\q Fcstus ! but spcak forth cicor. 15. 20. the words of truth and soberness. ^^ For the king knoweth of these i.°5. " ' ^ ' things, before whom also I speak freely ; for I am persuaded that none d Luke 2. 32. Qf thcsc things are hidden from him ; for this thing was not done in a *john"io! 20. ' corner. ^"^ King Agrippa, believest thou the Prophets ? I know that 2.^3'i4.&'4^ thou believest." ^s Then Agrippa said unto Paul, " Almost thou per- suadest me to be a Christian." ~^ And Paul said, " I •'would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds." ^^ And when he had thus spoken, the King rose up, and the Gov- ernor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them ; ^^ and when they «• ch. 23. 9, 29. & were gone aside, they talked between tlicmselves, saying, "• This ^man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds." ^^ Then said Agrippa h ch.25. 11. unto Festus, " This man might have been set at liberty, ''if he had not appealed unto Caesar." X 10 / 1 Cor. 7. 7 Sect. IV.] THE FOURTH JOURNEY OF ST. PAUL. 325 Section XXXVI. — St. Paul, being surrendered as a Prisoner to the ^ect^xxvi. Centurion, is prevented from completing this Journey, by returning V. JE.. 60. to Antioch, as he had usually done. J- P- 4~73. , -. -, Coesnrea. Acts xxvu. 1. And when "it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they o ch. 25. 12, 25. delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion, of Augustus' band." ° ^«« Note 37. PART XIV. THE FOURTH JOURNEY OF ST. PAUL. Section I. — St. Paul commences his Voyage to Rome as a Prisoner. Acts xxvii. 2. SECT. I. V. JE. 60. J. P. 4773. And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to on the voyage to sail by the coasts of Asia ; one "Aristarchus,'' a Macedonian of Thessa- — lonica, being with us. « ch. 19.29. ' <=> a See Note 1. Section II. — The Ship arrives at Sidon, from whence it proceeds to sect. ii. Cyprus. y —go Acts xxvii. 3, 4. j p 4773. ^ And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius "courteously sidon. entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh a ch.'2Z^.&.^ himself. "* And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under ^^• Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. Section III. — After changing their Ship at Tyre, they proceed to sect. hi. Cnidus, Salmone in Crete, and the City of Lasea. V ^60 Acts xxvii. 5-8. j. p. 4773. ^ And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we voyage to Rome. came to Myra, a city of Lycia. "^ And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria'' sailing into Italy ; and he put us therein. ''And when b See Note 2. we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, wc sailed under *Crete, over against *or, candy. Salmone; ^and, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The Fair Havens ; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea. Section IV. — ^S*^. Paul warns the Master of the Ship of the Danger sect. iv. they were in — They attempt to reach Phenice in Crete. y "^ro Acts xxvii. 9-13. j p 4773. ^ Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dan- Voyage^Rome. gerous, "because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, a tho fast %vas on ^^and said unto them, " Sirs! I perceive that this voyage will be with the seventh^^ " *hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of 27°"29.' ^'''''^' our lives." ^' Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the *ox, injury. owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. ^- And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they miijht attain to Phenice, and there to winter ; ivhich is a haven of Crete, VOL. II. BB 326 ST. PAUL IS SHIPWRECKED. [Part XIV. and lieth toward the south-west and north-west. ^^ And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. SECT. V. Section V. — The Ship is ivrecked, hut the Lives of all on hoard are V. JE. 60. saved, as St. Paul had foretold. J. P. 4773. Acts xxvii. 14, to the end. oya,e^ ome. J4 g^^ ^^^ j^^^ after thcrc *arose against it a tempestuous"^ wind, * Or, beat. called Euroclydon.*^ ^^ And when the ship was caught, and could not d sll Note 4! bear up into the wind, we let her drive. ^'^ And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat ; ^^ which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship ; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. ^^ And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship ; ^^ and the third day a Jonah 1. 5. «^g (>^s|- Qy^ ^jjj^ q^j. q^j^ hauds the tackling of the ship. ^'^ And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. ^^ But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, " Sirs I ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. ^^ And now I exhort you to be of good cheer ; for there shall be no loss of any b ch. 23. 11. man''s life among you, but of the ship. ^^ For Hhere stood by me this Rom.'i.'g. ' night the Angel of God, whose I am, and "^ whom I serve, ^"^ saying, ' Fear not, Paul ; thou must be brought before Caesar ; and, lo ! God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.' ^^ Wherefore, sirs ! be '^Rom'^Vao^i ^^ good cheer ; ''for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told 2 Tim. 1. 12. rne. ^'^ Howbeit 'we must be cast upon a certain island." ^^ But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up e See Note 5. and down in Adria,*^ about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; ^^and sounded, and found it twenty fathoms ; and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. ^^ Then fearing lest they should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. ^^ And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the fore-ship, ^^ Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, " Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved." ^^ Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. -^'^ And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, " This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. ^* Wherefore I pray you ■^Miut.'fo.V'^" ^^ *^^^ *^^^ meat ; for this is for your health ; for •'^there shall not a si"^'^'"'^ hair fall from the head of any of you." -^^ And when he had thus g isam. 9. 13. spoken, he took bread, and ^gave thanks to God in presence of them Mark s.^'g!^'^' ^U ; and when he had broken it, he began to eat. ^'^ Then were they 1 Trm'!'4! 3 4. ^^^ ^^ good cheer, and they also took some meat. ^^ And we were in h ch. 2. 4I.&7. all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen ''souls. ^^ And when iPet^s.^o.' ' they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. ^^ And when it was day, they knew not the land ; but they discov- ered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, ^ mchorllZy left '^^ it wcrc possiblc, to thrust in the ship. "^"And when they had them in tiie sea, ftakcu up the aucliors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and fSeeNotos. looscd the ruddcr-bauds,^ and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, Sect. VIIL] ST. PAUL ARRIVES AT ROME. 337 and made toward shore. ^^ And falling into a place where two? seas gSeeNote?. met, 'they ran the ship aground ; and the forepart stuck fast, and re- ' ^ ^°^' ^^" ^" mained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. '*- And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. ^^But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land, '^^ and the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, nhat they escaped all safe to land, j ver.^z Section VL — They land on the Island of Melita. sect, vi. Acts xxviii. 1-10. Y ^ qq^ ' And when they were escaped, then they knew that "the island was j. p. 4773. called Melita.'' ^ And the ''barbarous people showed us no little kind- m^. ness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of ach.27.a6. the present rain, and because of the cold. '' ^^e Note 8. ^ And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on \y"l'. u. 11. the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand, i set No" 9. ^ And when the barbarians' saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, c i. e. AiV;7,or they said among themselves, " No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, ^'ea,S wiuTe though he hath escaped the sea, yet Vengeance' suftereth not to live ! " {^"Jti.en are'' ^ And he shook oft" the beast into the fire, and ''felt no harm ; ^ how- /P\^;;[^,;"ffi~8''- beit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead Luke 10. 19. ' suddenly. But after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and 'said that he was a god. « <=h. 14. 11. ■^ In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius ; who received us, and lodged us /ti.o Greek «ord three days courteously. ^ And it came to pass, that the father of Pub- 'y'^^^'f ^-E"- ,.-•'.•' I' g Jam. 5. 14, ]5. hus lay sick ot a fever and of a -bloody flux ; to whom Paul entered '' ^i^uke. 5. &7. in, and "'prayed, and 'laid his hands on him, and healed him. ''So Luke 4. k ih. when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, logj:^"" ^*^°' came, and were healed ; '° who also honored us with many 'honors, and '■^}^^; y^-j'd; when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary. Section VII. — After three Months they sail to Rome. sect^vii. Act?, xxv'm.ll, to former part of ver.X^. , V. iE. 60. ^^ And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which ^- ^- ^'^'^^■ had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.'^ i^ And '^°y^^l^^°""'- landing at Syracuse,' we tarried there three days ; '^ and from thence ^ ^«^ ^°^^ '"• we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium ; and after one day the '^''^^'"''^ ^i- south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli ; ^^ where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days. ~ Section VIIL — St. Paul arrives at Rome, and is kindly received by gj;cT. viii. the Brethren. — Acts xxviii. Icttter part of ver. 14-16. T^ p^47r^' ^4 And so we went toward Rome. ^^ And from thence, when the ' Rome. "" brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum, — and The Three Taverns; whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage. "^ And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but "Paul was suffered to ^tI's'?^" ^' *" dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him."" mSceNote i-2. 328 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [Part XIV. SECT. IX. Section IX. — St. Paul summons the Jeivs at Rome, to explain to them V. ^.60. the Causes of his Imprisonment. J. P. 4773. Acts xxviii. 17-29. Rome. 17 ^^jy \^ Came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together. And when they were come together, he said V25^8.^^'^^' u"^o them, "Men and brethren, "though I have committed nothing b ch. 21.33. against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet ''was I delivered pris- cch. 22. 24. & oner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans; ^^ who, "when 24. 10. & 25. 8. , , , . , , , , , , ' , ' &26. 31. they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no d ch. 25. 11. cause of death in me. ^^ But when the Jews spake against it, '^I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had aught to accuse my nation of. ^° For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see *si'ah.'— Ed. ^^^^' you, and to speak with you ; because that for the 'Hope of Israel I ch. 2fi. 6, 7. g^j^^ bound with •'^this chain." ^^ And they said unto him, "We neither ■^s!*!. &'4.^i.^&**" received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the breth- ^j.2^2Tim. 1. Yen that came showed or spake any harm of thee. ^-But we desire Philemon 10, 13. to hcar of tlicc what thou thinkest; for as concerning this Sect, we ^24'"5''^i4' fvl\' ^^^^^'^ ^^^^^ every where ^it is spoken against." 2. 12.' & 4. 14. ■ -^And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to *ch "n 3^ fe'^ig ^™ ^"^*-* '^^^ lodging; ''to whom he expounded and testified the king- s' dom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus 'both out of the Law i|eeonch.2u.6, ^^ Moscs, and out of the Prophets, from morning till evening. ^4 And ^ l^-^l;^%^ 1^- ^some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. ^^ And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one vi^ord, " Well spake the Holy Ghost *2i!Ei'ek". 12.^2^' by *Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, ^^ saying, — Mark4. 12. ' ' ' Go uuto this pcoplc, aud say, j^olln^l. 40. Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand ; ^°'"- ^^- ®- And seeing ye shall see, and not perceive. ^^ For the heart of this people is waxed gross. And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes have they closed ; Lest they should see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart. And should be converted, and I should heal them.' ^^ Be it known therefore unto you, that the Salvation of God is sent ^h.l3."4M7.''& 'unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.'' ^9 And when he had &26"f7^1^8^^' ^^''^^ these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among Kom. 11.' 11. themselves. Section X. — St. Paul writes his Epistle to the Ephcsians,'' to establish sECT^x. ^/jg^ iji jj^g Christian Faith, by describing, in the most animating v. M. Gl. Language, the Mercy of God displayed in the Calling of the Gentiles J. P. 4774. through Faith in Christ, ivithout being subjected to the Law of Moses, Rome. ^,jf/ ^Q enforce upon them that Holiness and Consistency of Conduct, n See Note 13. which is required of all who have received the knowledge of Salvation. THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. § 1. — chap. i. 1-14. After his individual and general salutation, St. Paul breaks forth into rapturous expres- sions of gratitude to God for the spiritual blessings he has bestowed on the Gentiles ; and for calling them according to his merciful design, that they might be holy and blameless, his chosen people — Predestinated to the adoption of children, through faith in Jesus Christ — By his blood they are redeemed, and their sins pardoned— not by the Mosaic Law, but through his abundant mercy — giving the apostles both wisdom in spiritual things, and prudence in the exercise of them, and revealing to them the mystery of his will (the admission of the Gentiles into his Church, without subjecting Sect. X.] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 329 them to the Jewish Law.) and the plan by which both Jews and Gentiles will be gath- § 1. ered together under Jesus Christ into one Church — Through Christ the believing Jews a 2 Cor. 1. 1. have obtained the spiritual inheritance promised to the spiritual children of Abraham, 'q^""" .'• J- being predestinated or reelected accordnig to the purpose of his own will, through ^ j p^j. ^_ j^ faith in Christ ; that they, who were the first who believed in Christ, should be to the ch. 6.21. Col.l. praise of his glory, by imparting the knowledge of salvation to the world — In him the j p i , o rp- Gentiles also have believed, when they heard from the apostles the word of truth — 1.4. and by him the Holy Spirit, promised by the Father, was given, which is the earnest e 2 Cor. 1. 3. of the eternal inheritance of the Jews, and now of the Gentiles, till they together ob- tain the purchased possession of heaven, to the praise and glory of Christ. 6. 12. " ' ^ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ "by the will of God, Ho the saints •^/Thl'gs^.l.^ia. which are at Ephesus, "and to the faithful in Christ Jesus ! ^ Grace ''be j^'^'"^- 5 ^• to you, and peace, from God our Father, and /rom the Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 1.2. & 2. ^'i^'i-^t. ^ I Pgt ] 20. ^ Blessed 'be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who a Luke 1. 75. ch. hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly ^places in Christ ; coi. i.22.' ^ according as -^He hath chosen us in him "before the foundation of Tit.'2!'V2f ' '^' the world, that we should ''be holy and without blame before Him ; in i Rom. 8. 29, 30. . . "^ ■ . . ver. II. love ^having 'predestinated us unto ^the adoption of children by ^ joi,„ j. 1-2. Jesus Christ to himself, 'according to the good pleasure of his will, fco;®6'fg ^ to the praise of tiie glory of his grace, 'wherein He hath made us ?V-,''-|-. accepted in "The Beloved: "in "whom we have redemption through t Man. 1.26. his blood (the forgiveness of sins), according to "the riches of his J'cor.^Lli." grace, *^ wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and '«="■• ^■ prudence, ^ having ''made known unto us the mystery of his will, ac- 5.15.' cording to his good pleasure 'which He hath purposed in himself: ""j-l^^^j^-^^^l" ^ ^•^ that in the dispensation of '^the fulness of times 'He might gather 35. & 10. 17. together in one 'all things"^ in Christ, both which are in theaven, and \onK3^.°24~.^' which are on earth — even in him. ^' In "whom also we have obtained 9 °{o.': ?;"].''* an inheritance, "being predestinated according to "the purpose of Him 18, 19. Rev. 5.9. who worketh all thin^js after the counsel of his own will, ^'^ that ""we, ''24.T'9T'2.3'. ch. who first ttrusted in Christ, should ^be to the praise of his glory ; ^^in pJi'.t.^^' '^" whom ye also trusted, (after that ye heard 'the word of truth, the ? Rom. le. 2.=;. Gospel of your salvation ;) in whom also, after that ye believed, "ye i.k! ' 3. 11. 1. 1. 9. were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, ^"^ which ""is the earnest '^Hjlj^ of our inheritance 'until the redemption of ''the purchased posses- r cai. 4. 4. Heb. sion, 'unto the praise of his glory. I'p^thw.' s 1 Cor. 3. 22, 23. & 11. 3. ch. 2. 15. & 3. 15. t Phil. 2. 9, 10. Col. 1. 20. f Or. (Ac heavens. u Acts 20. 32. & 26. 18. Rom. 8. 17. Col. 1. 12. & 3. 24. 'J"it. 3. 7. Jam. 2. .5. ] Pet. I. 4. v ver. 5. w Is. 46. 10, 11. z ver. 6, 14. 2 Thess. 2. 13. I Or, hoped. y .Tam. J. 18. : .!ohn 1. 17.2 Cor. 6. 7. a -2 Cor. 1. 22. ch. 4. 30. ft 2 Cor. 1. 22. & 5. 5. c Luke 21. 28. Rom. 8. 23. cli. 4. 30. d Acts 20. 28. c ver. 6, 12. 1 Pet. 2. 9. § 2. — chap. i. 15, to the end. St. Paul thanks God for their conversion, and prays that they may be further enlightened in the knowledge of the truth, and attain to the fullest conception of the blessings of the Gospel, and its glorious Author, by whose power Christ was raised from the dead, and exalted to supreme dignity and dominion in this world, and that which is to come — All things are subjected to Him, for the advantage of the Church — which is consid- ^ ■^■ cred more particularly as his body — of which he is the Supreme Head — The Church " Col. 1. 4. receiving the fulness of its spiritual gifts and graces from Him who fills all persons in , t; , q ' all places, and is all in all. Phii. ]. b, '4. ^^ A\ HEREFORE I also, "after I heard of your faith in the Lord Je- ixiiess.'i.s. sus, and love unto all the saints, ^^ cease 'not to give thanks for you, /johngo.n^' making mention of you in my prayers ; ^" that 'the God of our Lord d coi. i. 9. Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, ''may give unto you the Spirit of \^,l'JZfme^: wisdom and revelation *in the knowledge of him: ^^ the 'eyes of e\cts26. is. your understanding being enlightened ; that ye may know what is 'the ■^4'''- ^- ^-- ^ '*• hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his 'inheritance ^ ver. il in the saints, ^^ and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to ''i%^&h^it. US-ward who beheve, ''according to the working tof his mightv power, 1 Gr. of the might 2° which He wrought in Christ, when 'He raised him from the dead, ,lcts2."2C33. VOL. II. 42 BB* 330 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [Part XIV, "'Acts'7.^55'56. ^^^ ^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ right hand in the heavenly places, ~^ (far ^ above i'°3"&ib"F>'" ^"^ 'principahty, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name it Phil. 9. 9, 10. that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to coK2. 10. Heb. pQj^g .^ ^- and '"hath put all things under his feet, and gave him "to be I Rom. 8. 38. the head over all things to the Church, ^^ which "is his body, ''the fulness 15. ' ' 'of him 'that filleth all in all. m Ps. 8. 6. See Mutt. -28. 18. 1 Cor. 15. 27. § 3. — chap. 11. 1-10. ' 7\- ,f. St. Paul, to excite the gratitude of the Ephcsians, reminds them of tlie love of Christ, Col.'l. 18.' Heb. who hath quickened them, or filled them with his grace, when they were dead in tres- ^- ^" passes and sins — He describes their character and conduct in their heathen state — Then "] Cor. 12. 12 ^^ *'^^ name of the converted Jews he acknowledges that they also, before their con- 27. cli. 4. 12. &. version, followed the same course of life, so that they, as well as the Gentiles, had 18 24. ° ' ' become naturally the children of wrath — But God, in his great mercy, of his own free P Col. 2. 10. grace, had provided for them the means of salvation, and had quickened them, or made g 1 Cor. 12. 6. both the Jews and Gentiles alive in Christ — alive from the death of sin to the life of 1].' ' ' ' ' righteousness, and had raised them up togetlier, or given to them, by his resurrection, the anticipation of their own, and by his exaltation, the hope that they, through him, may be received into heavenly places — thereby declaring the exceeding riches of his mercy and forgiveness through Christ Jesus — For by the mercy of God, through faith, were they saved ; not by works of the Mosaic Law, or merit of their own, lest any man should boast, but by the free gift and will of God — For they were his workman- ship, He himself having created them in Clirist Jesus unto good works, which God had before decreed, by the influences of his Holy Spirit, they should have the power 5 "^' of performing. "cof's^il^' ^ And "you hath He quickened, 'who were dead in trespasses and * ver. 5. ch. 4. 18. sins, ^ (whcrciu '^in time past ye walked according to the course of %!S°coi.".'2i! this world, according to ''the prince of the power of the air, the spirit & 3. 7.1 John ti^at now worketh in 'the cliildren of disobedience; ^amono-^whom 5. ly. ... .p. '~ d ch. 6.12. also we all had our conversation in times past in '"the lusts of our flesh, e ch. 5. 6. Co). 3. fulfilling *the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and ''were by na- / Tit. 3. 3. 1 Pet. ture the children of wrath, even as others; "* but God, 'who is rich in ^■g' mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us) . . . . ^ even ^vvhen we * gt. the wills, were dead in sins, hath *" quickened us together with Christ, (fby grace h Ps. 51. 5. Rom. ye are saved!) ''and hath raised us up together, and made us sit to- i Rori^i. 10. 19. gether 'in heavenly places in Christ Jesus ; " that in the ages to come ch. 1.7. ver. 7. Hemio;ht show the exceeding riches of his grace, in '"his kindness 7 Rom. 5. fi, 8, 10. p , i />,i • t s -r« ;.i i o i i ver. 1. toward us tlirough CInist Jesus, ''ror by grace are ye saved tliroujh ''cX-i%^,\3.&: ^'^'th ; and that not of yourselves, ''it is "the gift of God : ^not 'of 3.1,3. ' works, lest any man should boast. ^^ For we are 'his workmanship, Vace ^ sVe°Act8 Created in Christ Jesus unto good works, Vhich God hath before ritH'.l'!''^' tordained that we should walk in them. I ch. 1. 20. »» '^it- 3- 4. § 4. — chap. ii. 11, to ihe end. 24. 9" Tim. 1. 9." The Apostle, after having described the fallen state of the Jew and Gentile, desires the Rom. 4. 16. Gentiles to remember that before they were converted they had no knowledge of P Matt. If.. 17. Christ — they were alienated from the privileges of the Jewish people, without a part Roin. 10. Jl 15 in tlie covenant of promise made to Abraham; without a well-grounded hope of par- 17. ch. 1. 19. don of sin, or the immortality of the soul ; without God in the world — but now. by faith Phil. 1. 29. . ' R ' V'^ 17 ^"^ Christ, them, who were far removed from the covenant of promise, God has brought 28. ii. 4. 2. L 9.' nigh by the blood of Christ, who has died for Jew and Gentile, and has become a peace- l^Cor V '>9 30 offering, and has f >rmed one Church out of the believers of botli people ; and by his 31. 3 Tim. i. 9! death in the flesh has abolished the Jewish ordinances that separated them, and were '^"' ^- ^' the causes of their enmity ; and has united them both in himself, as one new man, or '"ps.^"oo. 3! Is. one new body, making peace between them, that he might reconcile both to God by 19. 25. &L 29. 23. the atoning sacrifice of his body ; having slain or destroyed the enmity between God 3. 3 5. I Cor'.'V ^^^ man, produced by sin — and who. after his resurrection, preached, through his 9. 2 Cor. 5. 5, apostles, peace and reconciliation, both to Jew and Gentile, and tlirough him both have Ti't.'^2! 14. ' access by the same Holy Spirit to the same Father — The Gentiles being no longer s ch. 1. 4. strangers, but incorporated with the Jews, are admitted into the same privileges with %Oi, prepared. his holy people; belonging to his house, or visible Church, which is built upon the doctrine taught by the Prophets in the Old, and the Apostles in the New. Dispensation, Jesus Christ himself the corner-stone, connecting the Jews and Gentiles together in Sect. X.] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 33 1 the same building — by whom the building, composed of Jews and Gentiles, fitly joined k 4^ together, groweth by the accession of new converts into a holy temple unto God — And ^ j ^^^^ ,-, „ through Christ, they, his brethren, are builded together, that they may become the ch. 5. 8. Col. 1. habitation of God, his Spirit living within them. 1111.7 a , I 7 . • • «-.•!• 6 Rom- 2. 08,29 ^MYherefore remember, that ye oetn^ in time past (jrentiles in coi.2. 11. the flesh (who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Hhe "1^ yif' ^^" ^°'" Circumcision in the flesh made by hands), ^^ that '^at that time ye were d seeEzek. 13. without Christ, ''(being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and /Rom. 9.^4 s^' strangers from 'the covenants of promise, -'^having no hope, *^and / 1 Thess. 4. 13 without God in the world,) ^^ but ''now in Christ Jesus ye who some- ^I'^i'hgg; ^4 5 times were 'far off" are made nigh by the blood of Christ. ^'^ For •'he a cai. 3. 28. is our Peace, ''who hath made both one, and hath broken down the » Acts 2. 39. ver middle wall of partition between us; ^^ having 'abolished in '"his flesh j mic. 5. 5. the enmity, even the Law of commandments contained in ordinances; aVi" 10.' 36." for to make in himself of twain one "new man, so making peace, cThbo! ^^ and that he might "reconcile both unto God in one body by the t Joim 10. le. cross, ^having slain the enmity *lhereby. ^''^ And came 'and preached , p^,,' g J4' 20. peace to you which were afar off', and 'to them that were nigh ; ^"^ for m coi. i. 22. ■'through him we both have access 'by one Spirit unto the Father. ""Gax.T.iiHi.A. ^^ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but ^\ "fellow-citizens with the saints, and of "the household of God, ~^ and 22. " ' ' ' "are built ""upon the foundation of the "Apostles and Prophets, Jesus ^s^'s'.'coT 2. u. Christ himself being "'the chief corner-s^o«e ; ^Mn "whom all the *ox,inhimseif. building fitly framed together groweth unto ''a holy temple in the 'J^io"\c^tsl^39' Lord: ^^ in 'whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of &10. kRom.' God through the Spirit. r Ps. m 14.' s John 10. 9. & 14. 6. Rom. 5. 2. ch. 3. 12. Heb. 4. l(i. & 10. 19, 20. 1 Pet. 3. 18. t 1 Cor. 12. 13. cli. 4. 4. u Phil. 3. 20. Hel). 13. 23, 23. v Gal. 6. 10. ch. 3. 15. w I Cor. 3. 9, 10. ch. 4. 12. 1 Pet. 2. 4, ^. x Mutt. IG. 18. Gal 2. 9. Rev. 21. 14. V 1 Cor. 12. 28. ch. 4. 11. z Ps. 118. 22. Is. 28. 16. Matt. 21. 42. a ch. 4. 15, 16. 4 1 Cor. 3. 17. & 6. 19. 2 Cor. 6. 16. c 1 Pot. 2. .5. §5. § 5. — chap. iii. 1-12. a Acts 21. 33. & St. Paul affirms, that for maintaining the admission of the Gentiles to the same privileges i."& 6. 20. Phil! as the Jews, without being bound by the Law of Moses, he was now suffering ^- "> ^3' '"*' '^^• imprisonment— a circumstance tliey could not doubt, as they had heard of the dispen- 2 Tim', l'. 8.'& sation of grace committed to him on their account — That God, by immediate revelation ^•^- I'li'lemon had revealed to him this doctrine ; as he had already told them (chap. i. 9, 10. and ii. j q,,,' 5 j, qq, 11, to the end) — that the Gentiles should be joint-heirs, united in one body with the 1. 2-i. 2Ti'm. 2." Jews, and joint-partakers of his promise concerning Christ by the Gospel — of which ^^' he was made a minister, according to the effectual working of the free gifl of grace, "^^"l Cor.'t]^' that he might preach the plan of salvation through Christ — That both Jews and Gen- ch. 4. 7. Col. 1. tiles may have sufficient light to be able to comprehend the mystery of bringing all ^' mankind to salvation through faith in Christ, which God till now hath kept hfdden — ''l3.'2!Rom!'l^3. although, like the other dispensations, it was created or formed by Jesus Christ from ^'''- ^- ^^- '^''^^^ the foundation of the world — That tlie manifold wisdom of God. irradnallv discover- \ mg itself, might be made evident to the angelic spirits, by his dealings with tlie i 26. 17', Is! Church according to the external arrangements or economy he made or constituted in f GA. 1. 12. Christ Jesus, through whom we may freely address our prayers, and have access to ^Kom. 16. 25. God, in the full assurance of being heard through faith. *""'' '' ^^' ^' ^ ^ A ch. 1. 9, 10. '^ For this cause I Paul, "the prisoner of Jesus Christ *for you * Or, a imeie- Gentiles — - if ye have heard of 'the dispensation of the grace of God t ic'or. 4. i.ch. "which is given me to you-ward, ^ how 'that % revelation ^he made jAet!',o.28. known unto me the mystery, (as *! wrote *afore in few words, Ro>ni6".25;ver. ^whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge 'in the ich.2. 20. mystery of Christ,) ^ which ^in other ages was not made known unto ^^^"W^^^^- the sons of men, *as it is now revealed unto the holy apostles and ^^'ch.l. 15, le. prophets by the Spirit; Hhat the Gentiles 'should be fellow-heirs, and ^Ro'm.^s.V "of the same body, and "partakers of his promise in Christ by the RoVi^g^' Gospel: '^ whereof "I was made a minister, ^according to the gift of 9 Rom. I's. k the grace of God given unto me by 'the effectual working of his ^; ^- ^^•^°'•^• power:— ^unto me, ^vho am less than the least of all saints, is this '/Tim.il'fs. 332 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [Part XIV. *8'''i't'''"2*7^" g*'^ce given, that 'I should preach among the Gentiles 'the unseaich- sTim. 1. 11. able riches of Christ ; ^ and to make all men see what is the fellowship £ di. 1. 7. Col. 1. of "the mystery, "which from the beginning of the world hath been uver. 3. ch. 1.9. hid in God, '"who created all things by Jesus Christ: ^" to ""the intent D Rom. 16.25. that uow ^unto the principalities and powers in heavenly p/aces ""might T.'^coi'. 1. 20.' ' be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God, '^ according '"/s' cfo'i.'^'L 16^ "to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, Heb. 1.2. 12 jj^ whom we have boldness and ''access "with confidence by the faith X 1 Pet. 1. 12. ~ J . •' y Rom. 8. 38. ch. Ot llim. 1. 21. Col. 1. 16. 1 Pet. 3. 22. ^}^°''- o" I'c, § 6. — chap. iii. 13, to the end. 1 run. 3. 16. j ^ ; a ch. 1. 9. St. Paul desires the Ephesians not to be discouraged by his tribulations on their account b ch. 2. 18. — as they are for their glory or advantage, proving his fidelity and firm conviction of c Heb. 4. 16. tjjg truth of the doctrine revealed to him concerning them — That they might not faint, St. Paul prays for them to God ; from whom all believers upon earth, and spirits in heaven, are named, that he vi^ould grant them, according to the riches of his free mercy, to be mightily strengthened by his Holy Spirit in their inner man, or soul ; r ^ that being rooted and founded in the love of Christ, they may be able to comprehend the infinite dimensions of the Christian Temple, or Church, which extends over all the "phU^l. 14. ' earth, reaching to heaven, and is founded on the love of God and of Christ, which 1 Thess. 3. 3. surpasses finite knowledge — that they may be filled with all the spiritual gifts of God — * ^^'■' ^' To strengthen tlie faith of the Ephesians who had already experienced the stronger w , °/'in pui power of God working in them, by the spiritual gifts imparted to them, he ends with 2. 9, 10, 11. a sublime doxology. ^^7'!'philM.'^l9. ^^ Wherefore "I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations 'for Col. 1.27. you^ '^which is your glory. ^^ For this cause I bow my knees unto the ^i!\h ^°' "° ' Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^^ of whom ''the whole family in g- Rom. 7.22. hcavcu and earth is named, ^'^ that He would grant you, 'according to 2 Cor 4. 16. " . . . . A John 14. 23. ch. thc richcs of his glory, -^to be strengthened with might by his Spirit ^■^^- ^in the inner man ; ^" that ''Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith : t Col. 1. 23. & 2. , ... ' , 1 1 • I IS ,1 I 1 : 7. that ye, 'being rooted and grounded in love, ^" may 'be able to com- jch. 1. 18. prehend with all saints *'what is the breadth, and length, and depth, 12.°"' ' ' ' and height ; ^^ and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowl- '/"'''" coN'^'g ^dge, that ye might be filled 'with all the fulness of God. 10. ' 20 ]>^ow ""unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly "above ^iudrii.^' ' all that we ask or think, "according to the power that worketh in us, nicor.2. 9. 21 uuto ^Hiiu bc gloiy iu the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all "2"' ■ ° ■ ■ ages, world without end ! Amen. pRom. 11. 36. & 16. 27. Heb. 13. ai. § 7. — chap. iv. 1-0. As an inducement to the Ephesians to attend to his exhortations, he reminds them that ° ■ he is now a prisoner of the Lord for their sakes — that he who is in bondage calls on a ch. 3. 1. them who are at liberty to walk worthy of the high privileges to which they are called Philemon 1,9. •' • ?i 1 1 1 1 * Or in the. Lord. — i" subjection, meekness, patience, bearing with one another — that they may keep b Phil. 1. 27. Col. tliat unity which becomes those who are regenerated and influenced by one Spirit, join- 1. 10. 1 Thess. ji^g. t]jpin together in the bond of peace — For in the Gospel of Christ there is no division c Acts 20. 19. — There is one body, or Church of Christ — one Holy Spirit animating that body — one Gal. .5. 22, 23. hope of everlasting life — one Lord who is head of that body — one system of religion, ?V 1 % 14 " ^"'^ condition of salvation — one baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity — and one ,, ' '„ \ God — The Father of Jews and Gentiles, who is above all, and pervades all — and e Rom. 12. 5. .... 1 Cor. 12. ]2, 13. through his Spirit is in all. /icor. 12. 4, II. 'I THEREFORE (thc "prisoncr *of thc Lord) beseech you that ye ^ch. 1. 18. Svalk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, - with "^all low- 8. fi.°& 12. 5*. liness and meekness, with long-sufl^cring, forbearing one another in 2 Cor. 11.4. ]0ve ; 3 endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit ''in the bond of i .luile 3. ver. 13. , c • t-> 1 i /■ 1-1 ■ • 11 1 • j oiii. 3. 27, 28. peace. ■* Ikcre is one liody, and one fejMrit, even as ye arc called in /"'iVl'jo ^"^ ^hope of your calling; •'"'one ''Lord, 'one faith, ^one baptism, '^onc Vcor.s.G.'&ia. *God and Father of all, who is above all, and 'through all, and in I Rom. 11.36. you all. Sect. X.] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 333 § 8. — chap. iv. 7-lC. St. Paul sliows that the same God who makes all mankind equal in their spiritual bless- ino-s, has allotted to every man offices suitable to the exercise and nature of those gifts he has received, according to the words of David, (Ps. Ixviii. 18.) — Now this expres- sion that he ascended, implies that he descended first into the lower parts of the earth ; that he came down from heaven, and submitted to lie in the grave of death ; and that he, who descended, and humbled himself, is the same Divine Being who ascended into the heaven of heavens, that he might become the fountain of all blessings, and fill both Jews and Gentiles with the gifts and graces of his Holy Spirit, according to their dif- ferent functions — That he has instituted a variety of offices in the Church for its edifi- cation and perfection, till Jews and Gentiles are all converted to the Christian faith, and have attained to the true knowledge of the incarnation and atonement of the Son of God, till tlie Church as a body has arrived to the maturity of a perfect man, to the full measure of the spiritual stature, endued with all the fulness of the gifts of Christ — He exhorts them, therefore, to become steadfast in their faith, and not to be easily led astray by the deception and cunning craftiness of the Judaizing teachers, but to adhere to the doctrines of the Gospel, in that love and charity which it inculcates ; § 8. that they may grow up as members of his body, who is the Head, even Christ; by a Rom. 12. 3, 6. whom the whole body of Christians being joined together in one Church, and every ' •-"<"■■ 12. 11. member fitted for its own office or place, like the human body, grows to maturity by * J*^- GS^IS. the proper exercise of the spiritual functions of its individual members. Col. 2.''] 5. '''But "unto every one of us is o-iven erace accordinar to the meas- * oi, a multitude ure of the gift of Christ. ^ (Wherefore He \saith, — djoims. 13. & 6. 33, 62. "When he ascended up on high, '^he led *captivity captive, eActsi. 9, 11. And gave gifts unto men." Heb.%'. 14. &? 2ti. & 8. 1. & 9. ^ Now ''that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended [firstl 2"*- into the lower parts of the earth ? ^"^ He that descended is the same | or,/«7/;/. also "that ascended up far above all heavens, -^that he might tfill all ^icor. 12. as. ch 2> 20 things.) 1^ And "he gave some, Apostles; and some, Prophets; and 7, Acts 21. 8. some, ''Evangelists ; and some, 'Pastors and ^Teachers ; ^~ for ''the .'^7""'^'^: "^ " i Acts 20, 28. perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, 'for the edifying j Rom. 12. 7. of "'the body of Christ ; ^^ till we all come tin the unity of the faith, * 1 c<»-- 12. 7. "and of the knowledge of "the Son of God, unto ''a perfect man, „ ch.T. 23. cd. unto the measure of the *stature of the fulness of Christ: '■* that we ^•2•'• henceforth be no more 'children, '^tossed to and fro, and carried about unUy!'^" ^'"' with every %vind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning "^"o'--- -• craftiness 'whereby they lie in wait to deceive; ^^but tspeaking "the ^icor. T4.20. truth in love, "may grow up into him in all things, '"which is the Head, ^•^°'- ^- ^^• CTtn Christ: ^^ from "^ whom the whole body fitly joined together and ^ig.'os'g. icor. compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the ^'^•-°- effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of ., Matt. 11. 7. the body unto the edifying of itself in love. tRom. le. is. •^ - ° 2 Cor. 2. 17. f Or, being sin- § 9. — chap. iv. 17-24. cere. The Apostle, in the name, and by the authority of Christ, commands the Ephesians to "2Cor'4 ^%er renounce the vices which prevailed among the unconverted Gentiles, in the foolisli- 2.3. I John 3. 18. ness and darkness of their minds, who are alienated from tlie principles of true religion, v ch. 1. 22. & 2. and have lost the divine life in the soul, by reason of their insensible obstinacy : who, being devoid of the sense of shame, had given themselves over to the grossest profli- p , .-, ,q' gacy and uncleanness — But they, who have heard and received the doctrines of Christi- •~^^- anity, are taught better things — They are required to put off the old man, or the unconverted, natural, and animal character, whose actions are regulated by the lusts ^ of the flesh, and to be renewed in the general temper and faculties of their minds, to " '^^- p- ^j 2, -J. become new creatures, created again after the image of God, in righteousness and true 7. 1 pet. 4. 3. ' holiness. b Uom. 1. 21. ^^This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that "ye henceforth ^ "^h.*2.~i''.^Gai. walk not as other Gentiles walk, ''in the vanity of their mind, '® having j-^- i Thess. 4. "the understanding darkened, "^being alienated from the life of God /i?om. 1. 21. through the ignorance that is in them, because of ''the *blindness of * or, hardness. their heart : ^^ who •'being past feeling "have given themselves over unto „ Ro^i^aV 26. lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. ^° But ye have 11*^1.4.3. 334 THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [Part XIV. h cli 1. 13. I Col. 2. 11. & 3. 8, 9. Heb. 12. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 1. ;■ ch. 2. 2, 3. ver. 17. Col. 3. 7. 1 Pet. 4. 3. k Rom. 6. 6. I Rom. 12. 2. Col. 3. 10. m Rom. 6. 4. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. ch. 6. 11. Col. 3. 10. re ch. 2. 10. f Or, holiness of truth. § ]0. a Zech. 8. IG. ver. 15. Col. 3. b Rom. 12. 5. c Ps. 4. 4. & 37. 8. d 2Cor. 2. 10, 11. Jam. 4. 7. 1 Pet. 5.9. e Acts 20. 35. 1 Thtiss. 4. n. 2 Thess. 3. 8, 11, 12. * Or, to distribiUe, /Luke 3 11 g Miitt. 12. 3fi. ch. 5. 4. Col. 3. 8. h Col. 4. 6. 1 Thess. 5. 11. ■f Or, to edify profitably. i Col. 3. 16. j Is. 7. 13. & 63. 10. Ezek. 16. 43. 1 Thess. 5. 19. k ch. 1. 13. I Luke 21. 28. Rom. 8. 23. ch. 1. 14. § 11. a Col. 3. 8, 19. 6 Tit. 3. 2. Jam. 4. 11. 1 Pet. 2. I. c Tit. 3. 3. d 2 Cor. 2. 10. Col. 3. 12, 13. e Matt. 6. 14. Mark 11. 25. / Matt. 5. 45, 48. LuUe 6. 30. ch. 4.32. g John 13. 34. cSt 15. 12. 1 Thess. 4. 9. 1 John 3. 11,23. & 4. 21. h Gal. 1. 4. &2. 20. Heb. 7.27. & 9. 14, 20. & 10. 10, 12. I John 3. 16. not so learned Christ ; ~^ if ''so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus : ^' that ye 'put off con- cerning ^the former conversation ^the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; -''and 'be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ^^ and that ye "'put on the new man, which after God "is created in righteousness and ttrue holiness. § 10.— chap. iv. 25-30. The Apostle erhorls those who are thus renewed to put off the sin of lying and prevari- cation, which was countenanced by some of their heathen philosophers — He desires tlieni to consider themselves as one body, and not to let one member deceive another — He cautions them against anger, more particularly against its continued indulgence, which excites malice, and gives an opportunity to the Devil to tempt to sin — He pro- hibits stealing, which was partly permitted by the rabbins, provided a portion was given to the poor ; and commands them to act honestly, and to labor, that they may have to give to him that needeth — To abstain from all impure conversation, and to endeavour in their discourse to minister grace, and to edify those with whom they conversed — Not to grieve tlie Holy Spirit of God, so as to banish him from them, for by his influence on their souls they are marked or sealed until the day of redemption from eternal death. away lying, "speak every man truth with members one of another. — ^^ Be "ye angry sun go down upon your wrath, ^'' neither Let him that stole steal no more ; but , putting for ''we are not the 28 ^^ Wherefore his neighbour and sin not: let ''give place to the Devil rather 'let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have *to give •'^to him that needeth. — -^ Let °no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but ''that which is good tto the use of edifying, 'that it may minister grace unto the hearers. ^^ And ^grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, ''whereby ye are sealed unto the day of 'redemption. § 11. — chap. iv. 31, 39, and v. 1-14. The Apostle continues his practical exhortations, and again cautions them against those malignant passions which are likely to grieve or deprive them of the Holy Spirit of God — He prohibits anger in all its various modifications, and solicits them to be kind and obliging to each other, compassionate, forgiving injuries, on their acknowledgment, as God through Christ has forgiven them — To be imitators of God in these things, as his beloved children, every act of their life proceeding from love one to another for the sake of the exceeding love of Christ, who gave himself a sin offering and an atoning sacrifice to God for us — To make himself more explicit, and to show that the love he recommended was pure and benevolent, St. Paul immediately and forcibly prohibits f )rnication, and every kind of uncleanness, (to which tlie unconverted Ephesians were particularly addicted.) with every sort of indelicacy either in thought or conversation, as being inconsistent with the Christian character, which requires the language of praise and thanksgiving — St. Paul warns the Ephesians not to be deceived in these matters by their philosophers, who were the great promoters of such abominable prac- tices — Tlie divine punishment will surely come upon them; therefore they were not to be as formerly, partakers with them — While they were in darkness they were guilty of the same enormities; but now that they have attained to the light of the Gospel of Clirist, they are required to act as children of the light, in the works of tlie Spirit, proving by their conduct what is acceptable to God ; having no communion whatever with the heathens in their worship ; but reproving them for their mysteries, wliich are performed in darkness and secrecy, and which it is dislionorable even to mention — All works of darkness have their exceeding sinfulness made manifest by the light — Since then the Gospel condemns and reveals to them the iniquity of tliese secret mysteries, the Gospel itself is light, which calls upon all who are in darkness, to awake and receive its light. ^^ Let "all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and ''evil speaking, be put away from you, 'with all malice: ^-and ''be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, Torgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. ^ Be •'^ye therefore followers of God, as dear children ; ~and ^walk in love, ''as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given liimself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God Sect. X.] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 335 *for a sweet-smelline savour. ^ But ^fornication, and all uncleanness, or \^«"-A~^ ^®^- J • y« Cor ^ covetousness, *Iet it not be once named among you, (as becometh is. '" saints,) ^neither 'filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, '"which are -^ i^(^JJ'/ ff jg- not convenient ; but rather giving of thanks. ^ For this ye know, that ^J^"/-,]?-^- "no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, "who is an coi.a. 5. ^ . « 1 Thess. 4. 3 idolator, 'hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. &c. ^ Let 'no man deceive you with vain words : for because of these '' ^^^^j'^'jo gV things '^cometh the wrath of God 'upon the children of *disobedience. ch. 4. 29. ''Be not ye therefore partakers witii tiiem. ^ For 'ye were sometimes '",^^°'"' !'f^' , 11 I u i-i- IT 1 111)1-11 r ^^ t " ICor. (j. 9. Gal. darkness, but now are ye light m the Lord : walk as chudren of light, 5.19,21. ^ (for "the fruit of the [Spirit] is in all goodness and righteousness ^^'jl;'''''^'"'' and truth,) ^''proving ""what is acceptable unto the Lord ; " and "have ? Gai.5.2i.Rev. no fellowship with "the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather "re- 5 jer. 29. 8. prove them. ^^ For Mt is a shame even to speak of those things which 2!'4"8"t8!' ^°'' are done of them in secret. ^'' But 'all things that are treproved are sxhess. 2. 3. made manifest by the light; for whatsoever doth make manifest isjci"™. 2. lioiit. 1^ Wherefore tHe "^saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and ^arise *0''""''^''''/- from the dead ! and Christ shall give thee light. i u. 9. 2. Matt. 4. ]t:. Acts 26. 18. Kom. 1. 21. ch. 2. 11, 12. & § 12. — chap. V. lo-20. 4. I8. Tit. 3. 3. 1 Pet ^ 9 The Apostle exhorts the Ephesians, as children of light, to walk circumspectly according j 1 s la & to the rules and doctrines of tlie Gospel ; not after the manner of tlie Gentiles, who 12. 4, i'.. 2 Cor. have no wisdom ; but as those wlio have been instructed in tlie true wisdom, improvincr ?• ',^- ^ ■*• ^* , ' r o 1 Ihess. 5. 5. to the uttermost their present time, that they may regain in some degree that which i Jolin 2. 9. was lost ; because, from the trials and persecutions that surround them, both their life v Luke IG. 8. and liberty are in danger — In allusion to the Bacchanaliair mysteries, he commands ■■■ them not to be unwise, or become as madmen, but have such right knowledge of their ^ duty, as may enable them to perform it; that they may not on these heathen festivals pf,,) i_ jo/ be drunk with wine, which leads to dissoluteness, but, if they would rejoice, let them 1 Thess. 5. 21. be filled witli the Spirit of God ; and, instead of singing profane and sinful songs, let , p ' =' q' i, thein join in spiritual psalms and hymns, not only with their lips but their hearts, giv- & lo. 20.' a'cor. incr thanks to God under every circumstance, through the prevailinor iiame of Jesus 6. 14. 2 Thess. ° . •' 7 o r e 3. b, 14. Christ. . Ro^ 6 2, 4- ^^ See "then that ye walk circumspectlv, not as fools, but as wise, ^^ ^^■,!?'*'"^'^ ^^ redeeming Hhe time, 'because the days are evil. ^^ Wherefore ''be ye i Tim. .5.' 20.' not unwise, but 'understanding Avhat the will of the Lord is ; '^ and M"'-?'. ^' "'*' ^^ ^be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the « Johns. 20,21. Spirit ; 1^ speaking to yourselves ''in psalms and hymns and spiritual |Or,d(ic<n,w. sontTs, singins and making melody in your heart to the Lord : -'^ffivino- ior, <«. 'thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, ^ in the name ];iri!,'i2." ic^i of our Lord'jesus Christ. f^^- ^'^^^''- e John 5. 25. Rom. <i. 4, 5 § 13. — chap. V. 21, to the end. '^ '" ~"^' The Apostle directs that every man yield his opinion, that the general peace may not be § 12. disturbed ; considering that God has commanded them to love one another — He pro- a Col. 4. 5. ceeds to the further illustration of their duty, in the more intimate connexions of life — * e '/' Ti 2 He exhorts wives to submit themselves, according to the ordinance of God, to their ^^ 12. 1. Joiin own husbands, for Ihe husband is the head or governor of the wife, as Christ is the j^ "^^" '^''" ^' head or governor of his body the Church ; and as Christ exercises authority over the d Col. 4. 5. Church, for its safety and protection, in like manner is the husband to provide for, and i f i"hej.f 4~'3 protect, his wife ; and as the Church is subject to Christ, so is the wife required to j-ield & 5. 18. obedience to her husband — He exhorts husbands to love their wives, as Christ loved ^^n'nn'n!^' }' ^ '^•^' ~", 3U. Is. o. his spouse, the Church; and to show the devotedness of that love, ho enumerates all II, *2. Luke 21. that Christ has done and suftered for the Church, that he might form it for himself, /^\^^g ,g 05 purified and perfect ; and then calls upon all husbands so to love their wives, and to 1 Cor. 14. 26. show the same zealous affection and anxiety for their spiritual welfare, as Christ did 5 °i3"^' ^*^ "'*"'■ for his body the Church — Then in reference to our first parents, he declares, that the « Ps. 34. 1. Is. wife by marriage being made one flesh with the husband, this was a natural reason i"Th' ss°5 "'I's^' why she should be loved and cherished by him, as the Lord nourishes his body the 2 Thess. 1. 3. Church, of which mankind are members; and as Adam's marriage was a figure of the •'i^pe,' ^25^°- 4 eternal union of Christ with believers, on whose account he left liis Father ; so in the H- 336 '^HE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. [Part XIV. S 13. same way shall a man leave his father and motlier, and be inscparabl}^ united to his wife ^ — The spiritual union of Christ with his Church is a great mystery ; but let every one, 1 Pet. i! 5! as marriage is of divine institution, love his wife as a part of himself, and let the wife b Gen. 3. 16. see that she consider her husband as her superior and head. Col. 3. 18. Tit. ^1 Submitting "yourselves one to another in the fear of [God]; e^cif.e!!'''^^ ^"^^ives, ''[submit] yourselves unto your own husbands, '^as unto the dicor. 11. 3. Lord. -^ For ''the husband is the head of the w^ife, even as 'Christ is \f'coi^^i %'!' ^^^ Head of the Church, and he is the Saviour of -^the body. ~^ There- /ch. 1.23. fore as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their ^'^"W^^'~~' own husbands 'in every thing. h Col. 3. 19. ~' Husbands, ''love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, i\^t! "0 28 ^"^ 'gave himself for it, -^ that he might sanctify [it] ; and cleanse it Gn]. L4. &'2. ■'with the washing of water ^by the word, ^"^ that 'he might present it j Joim 3. 5. Tit. to himself a glorious Church, '"not having spot, or wrinkle, or any ijoimt'e.""' such thing, "but that it should be holy and without blemish. ^8 g^ /i John 15. 3. & ouoht men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth j2Cor. 11. 2. his wife loveth himself ; ^^ for no man ever yet hated his own flesh, Col. 1.22. [jut nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church. "°For Telia'. 4. °^^ ^^'^ members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. ^^ For Gen. 2.23. ''this causc shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be 1 Cor. 6.' 15. & joined unto his wife, and they 'two shall be one flesh. ^^Thisisa ^G^'^ => 24 great "mystery ; but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Matt. 19. 5. 33 JV^evcrthelcss 'let every one of you in particular so love his wife g icor. 6. 16. cvcn as himself; and tlie wife see that she 'reverence her husband. o See Note 14. r ver. 25. Col. 3. ]9. § U.—chap. vi. 1-9. Children are commanded to obey their parents, who have a right to their gratitude and love, in obedience to that commandment which God gave to Moses, and to which, as § 14. a further encouragement, he has annexed the promise of temporal blessings — Fathers V^^S 2i' "' ^^^ *° ^'^^^^ ^'^'"^ ^^^'^^ ^^ ^^ excess of severity they do not provoke their children to 6Ex. 20. 13. disobedience and feelings of anger, l)ut correct them, and educate them from their Deut. 5. 16. & earliest infancy in the subjection, precepts, and doctrines of the Gospel — Servants, of is' Ezek^2-^ 7 every rank, are commanded to be obedient to their masters, in all secular things ; and Mai. 1.6. to be cautious of giving offence, from a principle of duty to Christ — Servants are not Mau"°l'5 4 " ^° ^^ satisfied with doing their duty only when tliey are subjected to the eye of their Mark 7. 10. master, as if their desire was to gain the favor of man ; but to do it from the motive of c Col. 3. 21. obedience to the will of God, cheerfully fulfilling the duties of their station as the d Gen. 18. 19. servants of Christ, and not as the servants of men only, knowincj that from the Lord Deut. 4. 9. & 6. ,.„.,. , ,t , , . . , 7, 20. & 11. 19. they will receive their reward — He entreats masters to act towards their servants in the to' /s'l" gD°fi' same conscientious and faithful manner, upon the same religious principles, avoiding &29. 17. ' ' punishment, knowing that tliey are accountable to their JMaster in heaven, who in e Col. 3. 22. judging his Creatures will show no respect of persons, whatever difference exists between 1 Tim. fi. 1. Tit. ',1 1 2. 9. 1 Pet. 2. tliem here. ^^■^, ^ Children, "obey your parents in the Lord : for this is right. piiii. 2. 12. " Honor Hhy father and mother ; (which is the first commandment ^c!)L'3™"i.^^' ^^' with promise ;) ^that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live A Col. 3. 22, 23. long on the earth. — ''And, "ye fathers, provoke not your children to 'Jco". si^o. wrath: but ''bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Col. 3. 24. Lord. — ^ Servants, 'be obedient to them that are yow masters accord- ^3. ii'. " ' "" ing to the flesh, -^with fear and trembling, ^in singleness of your heart, /£ Col. 4.1. as unto Christ: ''not ''with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as the * Or, moderating, ggrvauts of Christ, doing the will of God ; from the heart ^ with good I Lev. 2.7. 43. . . . ^ .V TO John 13. 13. will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men ; '^knowing 'that i^ifomol'caA both whatsocvcr good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of your and their thc Lord, ^ whctiicr Jw hc boud or free. — '^ And, ye ^masters, do the n wisii"6.7. same things unto tliem, "forbearing 'threatening: knowing '"that tyour Master also is in heaven, "neither is there respect of persons with him. Eeclus. 35. 12. Rom. 2. 11. Co 3. 2.5. § 15.— chap. vl. 10-20. The Apostle, having instructed the Ephesians in their duties, and in the knowledge of Sect. X.] THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. 337 their high calling, concludes his Epistle by beseeching them not to rely on their own strength for the perfonuance of thein, but to have and to trust in that spiritual strength § l^- which God alone can give — They are to clothe themselves with the whole armor of a ch. 1. 19. &, 3. God, with the graces of the Gospel, that being covered therewith, they may be able to ^ ^^^ 13 ]o' stand agahist the crafty attacks and machinations of the Devil : for their warfare is not 2 Cor. 6. 7. ver. only against the corruption of our own nature, or human beings, bul with mighty 1^. 1 Thess. 5. spirits, once inhabiting celestial principalities, who are the rulers of the darkness which ^ jiatt. 16. 17. pervades the world, and the highest orders of spiritual wickedness, who fell from their 1 Cor. 15. 50. heavenly places — Since they have such enemies to fight against, they are to take unto * Gt. blood and them the whole armor of God, that they may be able to stand in the day of danger; ^ jj^^ g gg ^^ and having exerted themselves to tlie uttermost, he prays that, at the end of their war- 1. 21. Col. i>. 15. fare, they may l)e found standing in their ranks victorious — He urges them to prepare ^.^■"''l.f^.'.f^. therefore for this combat by having their loins girt with the Gospel of truth, which will 14. 30. ch. 2. 2. enable them to discover their spiritual enemies — To provide the breastplate, or the ^'°'- ^- ^^^ principle of righteousness, which will defend them from their attacks, and to have their ™„yj^"^ * feet shod, that they may be prepared to witlistand every difficulty that may obstruct j Or, AracenZj, aa their publishing the Gospel of reconciliation between God and man — Above all, they <''>• i- 3. are to take the shield of faith, the firm belief of the doctrines and promises of the Gos- ygj jj' " ' pel ; by which they will be fully i)rotected from, and will be able to blunt or to arrest, „ g|,_ 5_ jq_ all tlie fiery darts, or deadly temptations of tlieir adversaries, and to take «lso the helmet * Or, hoKinsover- of salvation, the hope of a complete deliverance, and hold in their hand the spiritual '^onieall.^ sword, the word of God, revealed by his Holy Spirit. 'l2^35. l^Pet" * ^° Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and "in the power ^\^^^g j^ of his mio;ht. ^^ Put ''on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able 2Cor. e. 7. to stand against the wiles of the Devil. ^- For we wrestle not "" against j ig. li.'-u\Com. *flesh and blood, but against ''principalities, against powers, against ^^- '^" *the rulers of the darkness [of this world], against tspiritual wicked- i ror°(L wkind ness in thiajh >^laccs. ^^ Wherefore -'^take unto you the whole armor . "^"J ~ • . ^ Is. 59. 1/. of God, that ye may be able to withstand ^in the evil day, and iThess. 5. 8. *having done all to stand. ^^ Stand therefore, ''having your loins girt "Re^^i. in. & about with truth, and 'having on the breastplate of riofhteousness, 2. le. &19. 15. . . ~ n Luke 18. 1. ^^ and 'your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; Rom. 12. 12! ^^ above all, taking ^tlie shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to i^Ti'iess^ 5. 17. quench all the fiery darts of 'the wicked ; ^^ and take the helmet of ".J'""- -%'*^- salvation, and '"the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God ; j, ch. 1. le. Phii. ^^ praying "always with all prayer and sup|)lication in the Spirit, and J- ^-i Tim. 2. "watching thereunto with all perseverance and 'supplication for all ? .\cts 4. 29. coi. saints ; ^'^ and 'for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I \. may open my mouth 'boldly, to make known the mystery of the "■ "^ ^°'"- •^- '^• Gospel, '-^^ for which 'I am an ambassador tin 'bonds; that ttherein "I Jor ^nac/min. may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. « Acts26. 29. & •' ^ J ' J5 1 - 28. 20. ch. 3. 1. Phil. 1.7, 13,14. 2 Tim. 1. IG. & § 16. — cha'p. vi. 21, to the end. 10. That the Ephesians may be acquainted with his situation and circumstances at Rome, and t Or, thereof. in all probability being unwilling to trust the account of them to writing, St. Paul sends "pfY^^lo"^^ Tychicus for this very purpose with his Epistle, that they may know from liim what 1 Thess. 2. 2. relates to them both, and that he might comfort their hearts by the account he shall give them of the divine support afforded under his present tribulation — He concludes with an ardent prayer for the spiritual peace and mutual love of the brethren, founded on that faith which proceeds from God and Christ ; and prays that his grace may not only be with them, but with all believers who love in sincerity the Lord Jesus Christ. § 16. ^^ But "that ye also may know my affiiirs, aijd how I do, ''Tychicus, " •^°'- ^- "• a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known 2 Vim. 4! 12. to you all things : ^~ whom "I have sent unto you for the same purpose, <. coi.^.s. that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts. 2^ Peace be "to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father, d 1 Pet. 5. 14. and the Lord Jesus Christ ! ^-^ Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus 'Christ *in sincerity ! [Amen.] « Tit. 2. 7. ([Written from Rome unto the Ephesians by Tychicus.]] *J^;iiot!* '""^' [end of the epistle to the ephesians.] VOL. II. 43 cc 338 THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. [Part XIV. SECT. XI. V. M. 62. J. P. 4775. Rome. §1. p See Note 15. c 1 Cor. 1. 9. 6 Rom. ]. 7. 2 Cor. 1.2. 1 Pet. 1. 2. c Rom. 1. 8, 9. ICor. 1.4. Eph. 1. 15, 16 Col. 1. 3. 1 Thess. 1. 2. 2 Thess. 1. 3. * Or, mention. d Rom. 12. 13. & 15. 2 i. 2 Cor. 8. 1. ch. 4. 14, 15. e Joliii 6. 29. 1 Thess. 1. 3. I Or, will finish \\.. f ver. 10. \ Or, ye have me in your heart. e 2 Cor. 3. 2. & 7.3. h Eph. 3. 1. & 6. 20. Col. 4. 3, 18. 2 Tim. 1. 8. i ver. 17. j ch. 4. 14. * Or, partakers with me of grace. k Rom. 1. 9. &, 9. 1. Gal. 1. 20. 1 Thess. 2. 5. I ch. 2. 26. & 4. 1. m 1 Thess. 3. 12. Philonion (i. f Or, sense. n Rom. 2. 18. & 12. 2. Eph. 5. 10. X Or, Irij. * Or, (Z/Jcr. Acts 24. 16. 1 Thess. 3. 13. & 5. 23. p 1 Cor. 1. 8. o John 15. 4, 5. Eph. 2. 10. Col. 1. 6. r .Tohn 15. 8. Eph. 1. 12, 14. Section XL — St. Paul writes his Epistle to the Philippians, to com- fort them under the Concern they had expressed on the Subject of his Imprisonment, to exhort them to continue rn Union and Mutual Love, and to caution them against the Seductions of false Teachers, who had begun to introduce themselves among them.^ THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. § 1. — chap. i. 1-11. St. Paul, in conjunction with Timothy, addresses himself to all the saints at Philippi, with their bishops and deacons, and gives them his apostolical benediction — He thanks God for their conversion in every prayer he offers, with joy making prayer for their con- tinued blessings, and for their jiarticipation in the faith of the Gospel from the first daj' of his preaching it till now ; for he is confident that he who has begun a good work in them, will be completing it till the day of death — He tells them it is reasonable for him to hold this opinion of them, because tliey had reniemberod him in his bonds, (chap. ii. 25. iv. 14.) — He declares that his love for them resembles that whicli Jesus Christ <elt for mankind; and he prays that their mutual love to each other, and love to God, may increase with the knowledge of God's perfections, and witli their spiritual sense of his truth ; that by tlieir own»experience they may judge of every doctrine, by comparing it v.'ith these they had received : that they may be sincere in their profession of the Gospel, neither offending man nor God Ijy their own apostacy till the hour of their death, having their whole life filled with holy actions and tempers, according to the doctrine of Christ, that God, through his Spirit working in them, may be glorified. ^ Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints "in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons ! ^ Grace ''be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, nxidfrom the Lord Jesus Christ ! ^ I '^thank my God upon every *reniembrance of you, '* always in every prayer of mine for you all (making request with joy), ^for ''your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now ; ^ being confi- dent of this very thing, that he which hath begun ^a good work in you twill perform it -^until the day of Jesus Christ: ''' even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because II have you ^in my heart ; inasmuch as both ''in my bonds, and in 'the defence and confirmation of the Gospel, ^ye all are *partakers of my grace. ^ For *God is my record, 'how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. ^ And this I pray, ""that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all tjudgment ; ^^ that "ye may tapprove things that *are excellent, "that ye may be sincere and without offence ''till the day of Christ; ^^ being filled with the fruits of righteousness, 'which are by Jesus Christ, 'unto the glory and praise of God. § 2.— chap. i. J2-20. The Apostle next comforts them with the assurance that his long imprisonment has tended to promote the Gospel ; being made the means of causing it to be known in the empe- ror's palace, and all over Rome — That many Christian brethren, gaining confidence by his success and firmness, wore now emboldened to preach it — Some indeed preach Christ for the purpose of division and envy, asserting him to be the long-predicted King of the Jews (Acts xvii. 3, 7.), a doctrine particularly offensive to the Romans, and some from goodwill and friendship to himself — The first preach Christ from contention, that they might provoke the Roman magistrates against him, thereby intending to add other rigors to his imprisonment; and the other from a sincere love of the Gospel, well knowing that he was sent to Rome for the purpose of defending it both b\- Ills sufferings and his preaching — He rejoices in the advancement of the Gospel, in what- ever way it be mnde known — His confidence that the knowledge of the nature of the Gospel will be made tlie means of his deliverance, through their prayers : and the Spirit of Jesus Christ supplying him with grace during his trials, before his persecutors, according to his earnest expectation and hope, that he may not be ashamed fully at tiiis time to declare, as he lind ever done, tlic trutli of the Gospel, that Christ might be still magnified in his body, through his Spirit, whether by his release or by his death. i~ But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance SscT. XL] THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. 339 of the Gospel ; ^^so that my bonds *in Christ are manifest "in all tthe ^ ^ ^• palace, and tin all other p/accs, ^^ and many of the brethren in the * ^h:"?.''^?'^'" Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak ^or, a^sar's the word without fear. t"^r, to aii others. ^^ Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and ^strife ; and some t ci.. 2. 3. also of good will. ^^ The one preach Christ of contention, not sin cerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds ; ^^ but the other of love, knowing that I am set for 'the defence of the Gospel. ^^What <=^"-'^- then ? notwithstanding every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached ; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. 1^ For I know that this shall turn to my salvation ''through your "^ ^ ^°'' ^- "• prayer, and the supply of 'the Spirit of Jesus Christ, -'' according to «R<""-8.9- my ^earnest expectation and my hope, that 'in nothing I shall be / ^°^™- ^^ ^9- ashamed, but that ''with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ IeX 6.19^20. shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. § 3. — chap. i. 21, to the end. Tlie Apostle declares that his life belongs to, or is the property of, Christ, but that death would be to his own happiness — If his life is continued, the honor of Christ would be the fruit of his labors ; if therefore he had his own choice, he would hesitate which to prefer, having a desire to depart, and to be immediately witli Christ, which is inex- pressibly better than continuing in this world, as far as he is himself concerned — But to continue in the flesh is more expedient for them ; and being convinced of this he is persuaded that his life will be continued for their furtherance in the way of salvation, and for their joy, arising from their faith, which will be strengthened by his deliverance, giving occasion for more abundant reason to rejoice in Jesus Christ, who had again restored him unto them — But whatever happens to him, their conduct should be con- sistent with the Gospel of Christ, that, whether he is with them or absent from them, he may hear that they stand fast in one spirit and with one mind, contending for the faith of the Gospel : and are not terrified at the persecutions to which they may be exposed by unbelievers ; as these are evident tokens of their own approaching destruc- tion, but to them are clear proofs of salvation, and that by the power of God himself — For to them it is graciously permitted, for the sake of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, that they may more abundantly partake of his glory, being called to the same conflict with the adversaries of the Gospel, as they saw in him when he was with them at Philippi (Acts xvi. 19-40.), and now hear to be in him at Rome. ^^ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ^^ But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose 1 wot § ^• not. -^ For °I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to Mepart, and to be with Christ, which is far better ; ^^ nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. -^ And "having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance ''scor and joy of faith ; ~'^ that ''your rejoicing may be more abundant in « Eph. 4. 1. coi. Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. 2; ]?£ i^'^Y.'" ^^ Only 'let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of / ch. 4. 1. Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may f]ad7-i^'^^' hear of your affairs, ^that ye stand fast in one spirit, ''with one mind iSThess. 1.5. ''striving together for the faith of the Gospel ; ^^and in -nothing terri- 'g^Thii g n fied by your adversaries: 'which is to them an evident token of per- t Acts 5. 41. dition,-'but to you of salvation, and that of God ; -^ for unto you ''it is ^°'"•■^•^• given in the behalf of Christ, 'not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake — ^° having ""the same conflict "which ye saw in me, n Acts le. 19, &o. and now hear to be in me. § 4. — chap. ii. 1-11. The Apostle calls on the Philippians by all that was dear to them in their holy religion, by the consolation aflibrded them by the sufferings of Christ, by his love, by their fel- lowship with him through the Spirit, and by his compassion, to complete his joy, by being alike disposed to maintain the faith of the Gospel, havinij the same love towards each other ; having the same Spirit, and by him the same great object in view — For a 2 Cor. 5. 8. 6 2 Tim. 4. 6. c ch. 2. 24. 1. 14. &; I Eph. 9. m Col. 2. 1. 1 Thess. 2. 2. 340 THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. [Part XIV §4. a 2 Cor. 13. 14. b Col. 3. 12. e John 3. 29. d Rom. 12. J6. & 15. 5. 1 Cor. ) . 10. 2 Cor. 13.11. ch. 1.27. &,3. 16. Sc 4. 2. 1 Pet. 3. 8. e Gal. 5. 26. ch. 1. 15, 16. Jam. 3. 14. / Eom. 12. 10. E|.h.5.21.1Pet. 5.5. g 1 Cor. 10. 24, 33. & 13. 5. h Matt. 11.29. John 13. \o. 1 Pet. 2. 21, 1 John 2. 6. t John 1. 1,2. & 17. 5. 2 Cor. 4. 4. Col. 1. 15. Heb. 1. 3. j John 5. 18. &. 10. 33. k Ps. 23. 6. Is. 53. 3. Dan. 9. 26. -Mark 9. 12. Rom. \'j. :s. I 18.42. 1. &45. 3,6. &.52. 13. & 53. II. Ezek.34. 23, 24. Zech. 3. 8. Matt. 20. 28. Luke 22. 27. TO John 1. 14. Rom. 1. 3. & 8. 3. Gal. 4. 4. Heb. 2. 14, 17. * Or, hahit. n Matt. 26. 39, 42. John 10. 18. Heb. .5. 8. & 12. 2. John 17. 1,2, .3. Acts 2. 33. Heb. 2.9. p Eph. 1. 20, 21. Heb. 1. 4. J Is. 45. 23. See Matt. 28. 18. Eom. 14. 11. Eev. 5. 13. r John 13. 13. Acts 2. 36. Rom. 14. 9. 1 Cor. 8. 6. 4c 12. 3. §5. a ch. I. 5. b Eph. 6. 5. e 2 Cor. 3. 5. Heb. 13.21. d 1 Cor. 10. 10. 1 Pet. 4. 9. e Rom. H. 1. * Or, sincere, f .Matt. 5. 45. Eph. .5. I. g 1 Pet. 2. 12. A Deut. 32. 5. t Matt. 5. 14, 16. Eph. 5. 8. t Or, sidne ye. j 2 Cor. 1. 14. 1 Thess. 2. 19. k Gal 2. 2. 1 TheBB. 3. 5. which end he cautions them never for the sake of distinction to oppose each other in the exercise of their spiritual gifts, but by a humility of conduct, to show that they reckon others better than themselves — He cautions them to set a proper regard on the gifts and interests of others, as weU as on those which more immediately concern them- selves — that the same disposition should be in them as was in Christ Jesus, who labored not for his own interest, but for the salvation of all mankind, who before his incarnation being in the form of God, or his visible glory (Deut. v. 23, 24.), divested himself of all his glorj' ; and he, who was before in the form of God, assumed the forin of a servant, and being made in the likeness of man, he subjected himself to the lowest degree of humiliation for the sins of men, by submitting to the most ignominious death of the cross ; for which reason God has highly exalted his human" nature, and hath given him a name, which expresses a dignity beyond any other — the name Jesus, or Saviour of the world, who was to be acknowledtred as the author of salvation, by the angelic hosts of heaven, by the human beings of earth, and Vjy fallen spirits under the earth, that every intelligent being shall confess that Jesus Christ has an authority and preeminence over all. ^ If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any connfort of love, "if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any 'bowels and mercies, ^ fulfil "ye my joy, 'Hhat ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind : ^ let 'nothing be done through strife or vain- glory ; but -^in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves : "* look ° not every man on his own things, but every man also on the thin<^s of others. -^Let 'this mind be in vou, which was also in Christ Jesus : ^ who, *being in the form of God, -'thought it not robbery to be equal with God : "^ but *made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form 'of a servant, and "was made in the ^likeness of men: *^and being found in fashion as a man, he hum- bled himself, and "became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ^ Wherefore God also "hath highly exalted him, and ^given him a name which is above every name : "* that 'at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. of thimrs in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; " and ^Ma? every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glorv of God the Father. § 5. — chap. ii. 12-16. St. Paul exhorts the Philippians, that although he is not with them to remind them of their duty, they may continue to walk in the humility and disinterestedness of Christ, working out their own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God, by his Holv Spirit inwardly working in them, who affords them, after his sovereign pleasure, both the will and the power to accomplish their salvation — He cautions them that all things be done without rnurmurings and disputings, that Ih'^y may be blame- less in themselves, and inoffensive to others, sho\ving by their holy conduct that they are partakers of the divine nature, not meriting rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation of unbrlievin? '.Tews, among whom they shine as the heavenly luminaries, giving light to a dark world, holding out to all men the doctrine of eternal life, that he may have reason to rejoice at the day of judgment on their account, by which means it will appear that he has neither exerted his apostolic office, nor labored in vain. ^2 Wherefore, my beloved, °as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with -fear and trembling : ^^ for 'it is God which worketh in vou both to will and to do of his good pleasure. "Do all things ''without murmurings and 'disputings ; ^'^ that ye may be blameless and "harmless, ■''the sons of God, without rebuke, ^in the midst of 'a crooked and perverse nation ; among "whom tye shine as lights in the world, "^holding forth the word of life ; that 'I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that *I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. § 6. — chap. ii. 17, to tht end. The Apostle, comparing the faith of the Philippians to an acceptable sacrifice presented through his labors to God, assures them that he is willing and ready that his blood should be poured forth as the libation on that sacrifice ; and should he be thus called Sect. XI.] THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIAxNS. 34 1 upon to suffer, he entreats them to rejoice with him that he is accounted worthy of so high an honor — But he trusts to send Timotheus to them, that he rnay learn from him the exact state of their affairs ; for he knows no man who is so hke himself in the interest he takes in their spiritual concerns ; for all the teachers seek their own interests and advancement rather than the interests of Jesus Christ — But they themselves have experienced the goodness of Timothy, who lahored with him in their cares, as a son with a father, (Acts xvi. 1-3. xix. 22.) — him therefore he meant to send to them, as soon as he ascertained how his affairs will be determined ; but he still trusts, through the providence of God, to visit them shortly ; in the mean time he sends Epaphroditus, whom he highly commends ; and he is further induced to send him with these despatches, because he longed to see them all, and was exceedingly deject/;d and troubled that they should have heard of his sicknes.s — By his frequent preachings in Rome and its neighbourhood, and by his personal attendance on them, he has labored beyond his strength, risking his life, endeavouring to supply in his own person all the assistance they would have given him, had it been possible for thern to have been present with him. ^'' Yea. and if "I be *ofFered upon tho sacrifice 'and service of your faith, ^I jov, and rejoice with you all ; '"^ for the .s;ime r;ause also do /"nk. ye joy. and rejoice with me. § 6. a 2 Tim. 4. 6. ♦ Or. poured b Rom. \5. 16. c a Cor. 7. 4. m ch. ]. n I Cor. \r,. 18. ^^ +But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send '^Tirnotheus shortly unto c'oi. i.'24. you. that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state, t or, .;»/»r«<^er. ^•^ For I have no 'man tlike minded, who will naturally f:are for your rrvAs.s. 2.' state ; -^ for all -'^seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Clirist's. * f'-''-^- '•"'• ^-But ye know the proof of him, 'that, as a son with the father, he \^.'" ""^ hath served with me in the Gospel. '^'^ Him therefore I hope to send /^,'^^'^j,,"';24, presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me ; ^^but 'I tru.st bxim. 4. jo, in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly. ^1 Cor. 4. 17. ^•^Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you 'Epaphroditus. my axim'i'i' brother, and companion in labor, and -'fellow-soldier, ''but your me.ssen- a ch. 1.2.5. ger, and 'he that ministered to my wants ; ^''for "he longed after you ^ ^h'^'Ta. all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had hoard that he had j Philemon 2. been sick. -'For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had \lc"' n'^ mercv on him : and not on him onlv. but on me also, lest I should ch. 4.'is.' have sorrow upon sorrow. ^ I sent him therefore the more carefully that, when ve .see him a^rain, ye may rejoice, and that I rnay be the iThe»».5. 12. less sorrowful. ^^ Receive hirn therefore in the Lord with all gladness ; *or,yw«^, "and *hold such in reputation. *' Because for the work of Christ he » j cw. le. n. I ... f\i. 4. 10. was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, "to supply your lack of service toward me. § 7. — chap. iii. 1-lJ. St. Paul exhorts them to rejoice in their knowledge of the truth and promwes of the Gospel — He cautions them to beware of the Jews, designated as they now were, cast out of the covenant by the same appellation which they formerly gave to the Gentiles — To beware of the erU laborers who corrupt the doctrines of the Gospel, of those who call themselves the circumcision, but are rather the concision cut off from the Chri.«rtian Church — For they are the tnie circumcision who have embraced the Gospel, and wor- ship God not in the ritual observance of the Law, but in the spirit and perfection of it, makin? their boast in Christ Jesus, and having no confidence in any rite or ceremony prescribed by the Law — If, however, any of the Judaizing teachers have cause to boaiit of their outward rites and privileges, he has more reason to do sf>^He was circumcised on the eighth day. descended from the patriarch Jacob — from his most favored son — from Hebrew parents — and with respect to the Law, was educat/^d in that sect most scrupulously attached to it — He gave proof of his zeal in the persecution of the Church, and concemin? the righteousness which is placed in the exact obs'.-rvance of the Mosaic Law, and obedience to its outward precepts, he was blamelem — But those things which he then considered hia gain, he counts now as loss ; and all things for which men value themselves, he counts as loss, because they cannot be compared to the excellency of the knowledge of salvation through Christ, for whose sake he has suffered the loss of aU worldly things, which are as the vilest refuse, that he may gain the promise:* of Christ, and be found a believer in him as a Saviour, not holding his own righteousness, which is of the Jewish Law, but that righteousneas which is by faith in Christ's atone- ment, which Grod has ordained for the justification of sinners — ^Tbat be may know him VOL. II. CC* 342 THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. [Part XIH. as his Saviour, to feel in himself the influential power of his resurrection, by dying as he did, a martyr to the truth of tlie Gospel, so that by any possible means he may attain 5 '• to a g-lorious resurrection from the dead. °ch.'4°4.rj'hess. ^ Finally, my brethren, "rejoice in the Lord ; to write the same ^- ^^- things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. 5/15. ' ■ "■ ~ Beware 'of dogs, beware of 'evil workers, ''beware of the Con- c2Cor.jLi3. cisiou. "^ For we are 'the Circumcision, -'^which worship God in the Gil. 5. 2." ' spirit, and "'rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh ; %o!T'.(er.' 4l^'4.'^ "^ t'lo^g'i 'I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man fri'iVoi'-^''' thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more : 11! "" "" '^circumcised 'the eighth day, *of the stock of Israel, *of the tribe of ■^Rom" 7.' e!' ~^' Benjamin, 'a Hebrew of the Hebrews ; as touching the Law — a "Thari- g Gal. 6. 14. see : ^ concerning "zeal — persecuting "the Church ; ''touching the righ- 2T. °'' ■ ' teousness which is in the Law — 'blameless. " But '"what things were i Gen. 17. 12. gain to mc, those I counted loss for Christ. ^ Yea doubtless, and I i Rom 11 f"' ^o^"t all things but loss Tor the excellency of the knowledge of Christ zacor. 11. 23. Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suftered the loss of all things, and jn Acts 23. ti. & do couut them but dung, that I may win Christ, ^ and be found in 2o. 4, o. . . . . ~ . , ■' 7t Acts 22. 3. him, not having 'mine own righteousness, which is of the Law, but o^^ctsas.&'g. "^'^'^^ which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is 1- of God by faith : ^" that I may know him, and the power of his resur- ^LukeTe'' rection, and "the fellowship of his sufterings, being made conformable r Matt. 13. 44. unto his death ; ^^ if by any means I might "attain unto the resurrec- s Is. 53. 11. .ler. tiou of the dcad. 9. 23, 24. John 17. 3. 1 Cor. 2. 2. Col. 2. 2. t Rom. 10. 3, 5 4. 13. w Acts 26. 7 § 8.— chap. iii. 12-16. u Rom. 1. 17. & The Apostle pursues his subject by asserting, that they are not to suppose from what he 3. 21, 22. &. 9. has just said, that he considers himself to have attained already to all that he wishes to Gal. 2. 16. ' ^*'' °'" h^d become already perfect; but that he is still pursuing after that perfection of V Rom. 6. 3, 4, 5. character which the Gospel requires, in the hope that he may be able to apprehend that 4^lU^ll^2^r' height of excellence ; for which purpose alone he is apprehended or laid hold on by 2. 11,' 12. 1 Pet. Christ Jesus, when he called him to the knowledge of his Gospel — He is far from con- sidering himself as having attained to the holiness required of him ; but like those who contend for their own games, forgetting the progress he has already made, he is putting forth his whole strength in running towards those things that are before him, eagerly pressing forward in the appointed course of faith and holiness, to the glorious prize ot eternal life, proposed to him when called by Jesus Christ — He tells all who are fully instructed in the knowledge of divine things, to be equally anxious with him to obtain this glorious prize ; and God by his Spirit will reveal his truth unto them — But accord- ing to the knowledge to which they have already attained, all are to regulate their conduct, and have the same glorious object in view — the prize of eternal life through § ^- Christ Jesus. I Heb""i2''o3^ ^~ ^OT as thougli I had already "attained, either were already ''perfect : c Ps. 45. 10. but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am 2 cor.^5.'i6. apprehended of Christ Jesus. '^ Brethren, 1 count not myself to have d 1 Cor. 9.24,26. apprclicnded : but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which c 2 Tim. 4. 7 8 ^^"^ bchiud, aiid 'reaching forth unto those tilings which are before, ^'* I iiei). 12. 1. 'press toward the mark for the prize" of ^the high calling of God in .ricor.2.6. & Christ Jesus. ^■'* Let us therefore, as many as be "perfect, ''be thus 14. 20. minded : and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal iRom. 12. 16. & even this unto you. ^^ Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, ^^- ■'>• 'let us walk ■'by the same rule, ''let us mind the same thing. j Gal. 6. 16. k ch. 2. 2. . . § 9. — chap. ill. 17, to the end, and iv. 1. St. Paul exhorts them in all spiritual things to follow after him, to keep their attention steadily fixed on tliosc who walk in holiness and suffering, according as they have St. Paul, E]):ij)hroditus, and Timothy for an example — For many teachers, he grieves to relate, walk very differently from him, endeavouring to incorjjorate the Jewish rites with the Gospel, wiio arc the opposers of the sacrificial death of Christ, whose end is perdition, wlioso God is their sensual appetites, wlio glory in the things which cause their shame, and whose whole minds are engrossed in earthly things — But they, unlike Sect. XL] THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. 343 these Jewish teachers, do not mind earthly things, for their thoughts and affections, as well as their fcal home and citizenship, was in heaven, from whence also they look for the Saviour of the world, who shall carry them thither, and shall alter the condition of their body, adjudged to death through sin, giving it a similar form to his own eternal and glorious body, according to that strong working by which he is able to conquer and subdue all things, even death and the grave, to himself — Therefore he entreats and charges all, as his beloved brethren, the objects of his strongest desires, his crown and rejoicintr in the Lord on that great day, to stand fast in all the doctrines of the Gospel, as it becomes those so tenderly beloved by him, and who have the expectations of so glorious a change. § ^• ^^ Brethren, "be followers together of me, and mark them which "n.^j" df.^.^*" walk so as 'ye have us for an ensample. ^® (For many walk, of whom i 'Ji'^^s- 1- 6. I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are ^GaM.? &2 "the enemies of the cross of Christ: ^^ whose ''end is destruction, 21. & «• ]2. cii. 1. Id 10. 'wiiose God is their belly, and ■'^whose glory is in their shame, 'who ^ 2 cor. 11. 15. mind earthly things.) -*' For ''our conversation is in heaven ; 'from ~J''"'~,v'',a whence also wedlock for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: -Mvho 1 Tim. 6.5. Tit. . . 1 II *shall change our vile body [that it may be fashioned] like unto his / hos. 4. 7. glorious body, 'according to the working whereby he is able "'even to "c^Ke.Vi^' subdue all things unto himself. ^ Therefore, my brethren dearly be- g Rom. s. .5. loved and "longed for, °my joy and crown, so ''stand fast in the Lord, 'coK'iVs.^^' my dearly beloved ! j Acts 1. 11. j 1 Cor. 1. 7. 1 Thess. 1. 10. Tit. 2. 1,3. k 1 Cor. I,';. 43, § 10.— chap. iv. 2-9. St. Paul particularly beseeches Euodias and Syntyche, two Christian women of note, 48, 49. Col. 3.'4. supposed to be deaconesses in the Church at Philippi, who had differed in some point of doctrine or practice, to lay aside their dispute, and to be united in that mutual i Corl^'ao friendship and love, which the Gospel requires ; and he entreats one, whom he calls 27. his true yoke-fellow, to assist those pious women, who labored with him in the Gospel " ch. 1. 8. with Clement also, and the rest of his fellow-laborers, whose names he is persuaded are " "^ S)°^■f;'■ ^^' written in the Book of Life, although not mentioned by him — All are exhorted to rejoice 1 Thess,'2. 19, in the hope and privileges of the Gospel, in that spiritual happiness derived only '"• through Christ ; and again, he observes, it is their duty and interest to rejoice — Their ^ ~'' moderation in all the pursuits and enjoyments of life, and in the injuries and indignities to which they maj' be exposed, are to be visible in the whole of their conduct, for the Lord is at hand — He can quickly put an end to all temporal enjoyments, and all that they can suffer from their enemies — Whatever therefore occurs, they are to be anxiously distressed about nothing, but in every trouble and difficulty with solemn prayer and supplication, with thanksgivings for evils and dangers escaped, let their petitions be breathed out before God — and by these devotional exercises they will obtain that peace of God which can be explained by uone, which shall guard their hearts and minds through Jesus Christ, undisturbed by the fear of suffering or ofi death — Finally, he exhorts them to the practice of every thing that is just, honorable, pure, and holy ; all § 10. that is calculated to promote the general good of mankind ; and is therefore worthy of a eh. 2. 2. & 3. praise, and those things also in which they have been instructed by him, and have received by faith as a revelation from God, and heard from his preaching, and seen in '^ '"°^ ^ " "^ his conduct while laboring among them ; and God, who is the author of peace, through 1.27. the sacrifice of his Son, shall remain with them for ever. c Ex. 32. 32. Ps. G9. 261. D;>ii. 12. ^ I BESEECH Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, "that they be of the i.Liike 10.20.' same mind in the Lord. ^ And I entreat thee also, true lyoke-fellow, 8.''&9().''i2.\si' help those women which ''labored with me in the Gospel, with Clement ^i"'^*^' d liom. 12. 19. also, and wilh other my fellow-laborers, whose names are in ""the Book ch. 3.'i.TThe9. 01 Lite. 13. ^ Rejoice ''in the Lord alway ! and again I say. Rejoice ! ^ Let your « "«'''• ^^■~^- moderation be known unto all men. 'The Lord is at hand ; ^ be -^care- 1 Pet. '4. V.' ful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with see''2Thess.'2. thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God : ^ and ^the A^ 55 go Prov peace of God, v.iiich passeth all understanding, sliall keep your hearts i,!i- ^- ^.^''": ^^ and minds through Christ Jesus, 1 Pet. 5. 7. ' ^ Finally, brethren, whatsoever tilings are true, whatsoever things 'Rom."5. h~coi. are *honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, ^ 15. * Or, venerable. whatsoever things are lovely, ''whatsoever things are of good report; ^ iThess. 5.22, 344 THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. [Part XIV. t ch. 3. 17. 7 Rom. 15. 33. &. 16. 2U. ] Cor. ]4. 33. 2 Cor. 13. 11. 1 Thess. 5. 23. Heb. 13. 20. if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things : ^ those 'things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do ; and •'the God of peace shall be with you. § 11. a 2 Cor. 11. 9. * Or, is revived. h 1 Tim. 6. 6, 8. c ICor. 4. 11. 2 Cor. 6. 10. & 11. 27. d John 1.5. 5. 2 Cor. 12.9. e ch. 1.7. /2Cor. 11.8,9. S Rom. 15. 28. Tit. 3. 14. f Or, / have re- ceived all. h ch. 2.25. t Heb. 13. 16. j 2 Cor. 9. 12. k Ps. 23. 1. 2 Cor. 9. 8. I Eph. 1. 7. & 3. 16. m Rom. 16. 27. Gal. 1.5. § 12. a Gal. 1. 2. b cli. 1.13. c Rom. 16. 24. § l\.—chap. iv. 10-20. The Apostle, in returninor to his own affairs, thanks God for their liberality to him, which had been for a time checked by want of opportunity, but was now revived by Epaph- roditus — At the same time he affirms, that he does not speak this for the purpose of obtaining further supplies for his own necessities, for he has learnt, under every cir- cumstance and privation, to be contented ; satisfied that the providence and goodness of God would determine the best for him — He has been fully initiated into the myste- ries of adversity and prosperity; in all things he is instructed both to have food, and to be without it — to abound in the conveniences of life, and to be in want of its necessary supplies ; but he is enabled through Christ, that strengthened him, to do and to suffer all things; but, notwithstanding these his feelings, they have acted well, consistently with their holy profession, and their love for him in sending him relief in his afflictions — And in this respect they have never been remiss, for in the beginning of the Gospel, when he left them, and went forth into Macedonia, they were the only Church, out of all those he founded, who communiciited with him in the matter of giving him money, and his receiving money — For even in Thessalonica he was supported in his necessities by their contributions, and by his own labors (1 Thess. ii. 9.) — He does not, however, bring this to their remembrance, that he may incite them to send him another gift ; but because he wishes them to bear such fruit as shall abound to their account in the day of the Lord- — For he has now all the necessaries of life, having received from Epaph- roditus the things they sent him, which he considers as a fragrant odor, an acceptable offering to God, who is well pleased at the assistance afforded his servants — And as they have given to him in his distress, God shall supply all their wants, according to his riches, in the blessings of Providence, grace, and glory — He concludes with a doxology. ^^ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last "your care of me *hath flourished again ; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. ^^ Not that I speak in respect of want ; for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, ''therewith to be content. ^^ I "^know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound : every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need; ^^ I can do all things ''through [Christ] which strengtheneth me. ^^ Notwithstanding ye have well done, that 'ye did communicate with my afl^iction. ^•^ Now, ye Philippians ! know also, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, ^no Church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only ; ^^ for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. ^'''Not because I desire a gift ; but I desire ^fruit that may abound to your account. ^^ But tl have all, and abound : I am full, having received ''of Epaphro- ditus the things which were sent from you, 'an odor of a sweet smell, •'a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. ^^ But my God ''shall supply all your need, 'according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. -'' Now '"unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever ! Amen. § 12. — chap. iv. 21, to the end. The Apostle sends salutations to every Christian at Philippi — He concludes with his usxial apostolical benediction, sealed with an Amen, to show his sincerity in all the things he had written to them. -' Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren "which are with me greet you. ^^ All the saints salute you, ''chiefly they that are of Ctesar's household. ^^ The 'grace [of our] Lord Jesus Christ be with you all ! [Amen.] []^It was written to the Philippians from Rome by Epaphroditus.J] [end of the epistle to the philippians.] Sect. XII.] THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. 345 Section XII. — St. Paul lorites his Epistle to the Colossinns' in reply to the Message of Epaphras, to prove that the Hope of Mail's Salva- tion is founded on the Atonement of Christ alone, and by the Estab- lishment of opposite Truths to eradicate the Errors of the Judaizers, who not only preached the Mosaic Law, but also the Opinions of the Heathen, Oriental, or Essenian Philosophers, concerning the Worship of Angels, on Account of their supposed Agency in Human Affairs, and the Necessity of abstaining from Animal Food. THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. § I. — chap. i. 1-14. St. Paul begins his Epistle by assuring the Colossians that he was appointed an Apostle ggz-i-p yir of Christ by the will of God — The salutation of Paul and Timothy, who do not cease __ praying, that the Colossians may be filled with a perfect knowledge of divine things, V. JE. 62. comprehending the spiritual wisdom of God, fruitful in every good work, increasing J. p. 4775. in experience of tlie knowledge of God's love and truth ; spiritually strengthened ac- Rome. cording to his glorious power, so that they may be able to bear all things with the greatest patience and long-suffering, and even with joy, feeling that by so doing they § 1. please God — Giving thanks to God, who of his own free mercy, by the sanctifying r See Note 17. influences of his Spirit, has qualified them to be partakers of the spiritual inheritance a Eph. 1. 1. prepared for those who dwell in the light of the Gospel — who has delivered them from b I Cor. 4. 17. the power of sin and ignorance, and hath translated us from the kingdom of darkness i" ' ' " into the kingdom of light, governed by his dear Son — who has paid down the price of ^ ^ ^^^^ ^' ^ redemption in his own blood, even the remission of sins. Eph. 1. 16. Phil. ^ Paul, "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timo- g ^er. 9. Eph. 1. theus our brother, ^ to the saints ''and faithful brethren in Christ which ^f; /y''T°"^' are at Colosse ! '^Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father ^2 Tim. 4.8. [and the Lord Jesus Christ] ! ^ We "give thanks to God and the Father ^\j^[;^24'j4 of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, ^ since "we heard of Mark le. 15 your faith in Christ Jesus, and of 'the love which ye have to all the veTsa. ' saints, ^ for the hope ^which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye ^jo^^^'^'^s^'i^e heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel ; ^ which is come Phii. 1. 11. unto you, ''a.sit is in all the world ; and 'bringeth forth fruit, as it doth •^Eph?3.I.Tit.2 also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew ^the grace of God ^^- 1 ^«'-^- ^• in truth : ^ as ye also learned of *Epaphras our dear fellow-servant, Philemon '23. who is for you 'a faithful minister of Christ; ^who also declared unto ^^S°^-]^-^- •' . , 11 im. 4. 6. us your "'love in the Spirit. ^ For "this cause we also, since the day we m. Rom. 15. 30. heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire ".that ye might be ?i Eph. 1. 15, le. filled with ^ the knowledge of his will, 'in all wisdom and spiritual o^icor. 1. 5 understanding: ^'^ that '^fye] misfht walk worthy of the Lord "unto all p Rom. 19. 2. o ' ij J o «' _ _ Eph. 5. 10 17. pleasing, 'being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the , Eph. i. s' knowledge of God ; ^^ strengthened "with all might, according to his '■,Ep^ ,''-V p''"'- o ' o ~ '^ "^ 1. m. 1 TheS3. glorious power, "unto all patience and long-suffering "with joyfulness ; 2. 12. ^^givino- 'thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be *!T''?/'?;^' partakers of *the inheritance of the saints in light; ^-^who hath de- acor. 9. s. • Phil 1 11 Tit livered us from ^the power of darkness, "and hath translated us into 3. 1.' lieb." 13. ' the kingdom of *liis dear Son; ^^ in Svhom we have redemption ^i; ^ ., ,, . [through his blood], even the forgiveness of sins. 6. 10. t) Eph. 4. 2. JO Acts 5. 41. § 2. — chap. i. 15- -23. Rom. 5. 3. To prove to them the efficacy of Christ's death in obtaining pardon for the sins of man, ^r^f}^' ^' ^^' "'"' the Apostle describes the divinity and supereminent dignity of Christ, who was the Act's 26. 18. image or counterpart of the invisible God ; the Creator and Cause of all things that Eph. 1. 11. had a beginning, visible and invisible ; who created every thing both by and for him- ^J^^^'^^^}?' self ; he existed before the creation of all created things ; and must have been there- 1 pet.~2. 9! fore the true and self-existing God ; and as his power created all things, so does it also a 1 Thess. 2. 12. preserve them — For as from him all being was derived, so also by him must it subsist, and he is the Head of the Church, which he considers his spiritual body — By his incar- hi's'lave. nation he is the first cause or bearinnino' of the Church, and the first who rose from the Matt. 3. 17. dead in a glorified human form, that in all things, both in liis divine and human nature, gee Mark 1. 1. he may have the preeminence — For it pleased the' Father that in liim all the majesty, b Eph. 1. 7. VOL. II. 44 346 THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [Part XIV, §2. a 2 Cor. 4. 4. Heb. 1.3. h Rev. 3. 14. e John 1. 3. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Eph. 3. 9. Heb. \.2. d Rom. 8. 38. Eph. 1.21. ch. 2. 10, 15. 1 Pet. 3.22. e Rom. 11. 36. Heb. 2. 10. /John 1. 1,3. 6. 17. o. 1 Cor. 8.6. g Eph. 1. 10, 22. & 4. 15. & 5. 23. 1 Cor. 11. 3. h Acts 26. 23. 1 Cor. 15.20,23. Rev. 1. 5. * Or, among all. i John 1. 16. &3. 34. ch. 2. 9. & 3. 11. ■f Or, making peace. j Eph. 2. 14, 15, 16. k 2 Cor. 5. 18. I Eph. 1. 10. m Eph. 2. 1, 2, 12, 19. &4. 18. J Or, by your mind in wicked works. n Tit. 1. 15, 16. o Eph. 2. 15, 16. p Luke 1. 75. Epii. 1. 4. & 5. 27. 1 Thess. 4. 7. Tit. 2. 14. Jude 24. g Eph. 3. 17. ch. 2.7. r John 15. 6. a Rom. xO. 18. ( ver. 6. u Acts 1. 17. 2 Cor. 3. ti. & 4. 1. &.5. 18. Eph. 3. 7. ver. 25. 1 Tim. 2.7. §3. a Rom. 5. 3. 2 Cor. 7. 4. 6 Eph. 3. 1, 13. e 2 Cor. 1.5,6. Phil. 3. 10. 2 Tim. 1. 8. & 2. 10. d Eph. 1. 23. e 1 Cor. 9. 17. Gal. 2. 7. Eph. 3. 2. ver. 23. * Or, fiilltj to preach the word of Gud, Rom. 15. 19. / Rom. 16. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 7. Eph. 3. 9. g Mi.tt. 13.11. 2 Tim. 1. 10. h 2 Cor 2. 14. i Rom. 9. 23. Eph. 1. 7. & 3. 8. power, and mercy of the Godhead should be made manifest, or dwell, and having by the blood of his cross made peace between God and man, and by this means broken down the wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles, lie has reconciled them to him self, with all things in heaven and earth, whether they be men or angels, forming them into one holy and spiritual society — And tlie Gentiles, who were once alienated from God, and by their works proved the enmity of their minds towards him, he hath so reconciled through the death of his human body, that he may present them holy and blameless, free from all accusation in his sight, at tlie day of judgment, which he will surely do if they continue grounded in tlie faith of Jesus Christ, and settled in his doctrines ; not moved away by false teachers from the blessed hopes and promises of the Gospel, which has been preached both to Jew and Gentile, of which St. Paul was appointed a minister. ^^ Who is "the Image of the invisible God, 'the Firstborn of every creature ; ^^ (for 'by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or ■^dominions, or principalities, or powers ; all things were created 'by Him, and for Him ;) ^^and '^he is before all things, and by Him all things consist ; ^^ and 'He is the head of the Body (the Church) ; who is the Beginning, ''the Firstborn from the dead ; that *in all things He might have the preeminence ; — ^^ for it pleased the Father that 'in Him should all fulness dwell; ^^ and, thaving^made peace through the blood of his cross, *by Him to reconcile 'all things unto Himself; by Him, I soy, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. ^^ And you, "that were sometime alienated, and enemies tin your mind "by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled ^~in "the body of his flesh through death, ^to present you holy, and unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight ; ~^ if ye continue in the faith 'grounded and settled, and be "^not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, 'and which was preached 'to every creature which is under heaven ; "whereof I Paul am made a minister. § 3. — chap. i. 24, to the end, and ii. 1-7. St. Paul, as the minister of Christ to the Gentiles, assures them that he rejoices in his sufferings, according to the dispensation of the Gospel, which God gave to him for iheir benefit; that he might accomplish the purpose of God, as predicted by his prophets- Even the mystery of redemption through faith to the Gentiles, which has been hid for many generations, but is now made fully manifest ; whicli is Christ dwelling in them, giving through his blood pardon for sins, and through his Spirit the hope of their glori- fication — Whom the apostles preach, warning all men of their sin and danger, and instructino- them in all spiritual wisdom — For which end he labors, striving with all his might — As a proof of which, he wishes them to know the persecutions and sufferings to which he has been exposed for preaching the Gospel to the Gentile Church, to all the believing Gentiles — That knit together in love, and in the full assurance of the riches of Christianity, they may acknowledge the mystery of God through Christ, in the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles, in whom and in his Gospel are hid all the treastires of divine wisdom and knowledge — And he says this, that no man might de- ceive tliem with the sophistry or enticing words of human philosophy, for though in the body he was absent, yet through the Spirit he was with tliem, rejoicing, and beholding their regular order and discipline, and their steadfast faith — He encourages them, since they had embraced the Gospel of Christ, to persevere in his faith, that they miglit be rooted in iiim, building upon him all their hopes of pardon and salvation, and that, being cstablislied in the purity of his faith, as they had been instructed in it, they might abound more and more in its fruits, with thanksgiving to God for having called them to be partakers of its blessings. -^ Who "now rejoice in my sufferings 'for you, and fill up 'that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my llesh for ''his body's sake, which is the Church : ^^ whereof I am made a minister, accord- ing to 'tlu! dispensation of God which is given to me for you ; *to fulfil the word of God ; -*' evcn^thc mystery which hatli been hid from ages and from generations, ^but now is made manifest to his saints : "■b to 'whom God would make known what is 'the riches of the glory Sect. XII.] THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. 347 of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ tin you,-'the hope \0r, among you. of glory : ~*^ whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every 4 Alrao.-i, 27, man in all wisdom ; 'that we may present every man perfect in Christ ^^^-^^^ ^^ ^ [Jesus ;] ^^ whereunto "'I also labor, "striving "according to his work- Eph. 5. 2^' «r ing, which worketh in me mightily. micor. i; w. Chap. ii. 1-7. ^ For I would that ye knew what ^great tconflict I have nch.s. :. for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have "^^^^xl- ^' ^ not seen my face in the flesh ; -that 'their hearts might be comforted, p ci,.' 1. 29. Pbii 'being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance i-^o- iThess. of understanding, 'to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and j or,/c<zr, or, of the Father, and of Christ ; ^ *in 'whom are hid all the treasures of ,Tcor. 1. 6. wisdom and knowledge. * And this I say, "lest any man should beguile »• cii.3. 14. you with enticing words. ^ For "though I be absent in the flesh, yet %. 9. ' am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding ""your order, and the * or, wherein. 'steadfastness of your faith in Christ. '^ As ='ye have therefore received ^l |?°^; ^^^^^-^ Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 'rooted ""and built up in 8.ci'.. 1.9. him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding "acvJr.'u.'is^.' therein with thanksgiving. 6.''!^r.V?8.'^ ^' V 1 Cor. 5. 3. 1 Thess. 2. 17. § 4. — chap. ii. 8-15. „ 1 cor. 14. 40. The Apostle cautions them against the Judaizing teachers, who inculcate the worship of x 1 Pet. 5. 9. angels, and the abstinence from animal food, which things are according to the tradi- y 1 Tliess. 4. 1. tions of men, and the first elements of religion given in the Mosaic Law ; for tiieir ^ ^'^^ '^ gj ^^ salvation is made complete in him, who is the supreme Head and Governor of all ere- & 3. 17. ch. 1. ated things, of whatsoever rank — In whom, (and not to the angels,) they are also circum- ^* cised. and enabled by the operations of the Holy Spirit, to renounce all the deeds of the sinful flesh — which is pointed out to them by that ordinance, wliich may be considered as the circumcision required by Christ in the Gospel, in which they are buried to sin under the water, as Christ was buried on account of sin under the earth, and have been raised with him out of the water unto a spiritual life, through the faith of the wonderful power of God, who also raised Christ to eternal life from the grave of death — And the Gentiles also, who were dead in sins, and in the uncircumcision of the flesh, has God § 4. made alive together with him through his Spirit, unto eternal life, blotting out the a Jer. 29. 8. Rom. handwriting of ordinances, which was against both Jew and Gentile, and contrary to l\^J^- fg^'^Hei). their salvation, as it subjected thein all to the curse of eternal death for sin ; and having 13. 9. despoiled the rulers and delegated powers of darkness of their dominion, he made a * Matt. 15. 2. display of his conquest openly, by triumphing over their power in his glorious resurrec- ^'_ ' tion from the grave. c Gal. 4. 3, 9. s Beware "lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain de- *or, eilments. ceit, after 'the tradition of men, after 'the *rudimcnts of the world, d Johni. 14. ch. and not after Christ. '■* For ''in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the God- , ;„,„; j jg. head bodily; ^'^ and 'ye are complete in Him, %hich is the Head of /Eph. 1.20, 21. all ^principality and power ; i' in whom also ye are ''circumcised with ^^^^^\^l^' the circumcision made without hands, in 'putting oft' the body [of the a Deut. 10. 16.&: sins] of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, ^^ buried^ with him in Rom! 2.^9. Pbii. baptism ; wherein also ^ye are risen with him through 'the faith of .^l'^ ^ g the operation of God, '"who hath raised him from the dead: ^^and Eph. 4. '22. ch. "you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, ^ Rom. 6. 4. hath He quickened together with him, having forgiven you all * <'>• 3. i. trespasses; ^^ blotting "out the handwriting of ordinances' that vvas 'y^'"''- ^- ^^•*'^' aoainst us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, m Acts 2. 24. nailing it to his cross; ^^ and ''having spoiled 'principalities and "j^p**- ^- ^' ^> ^' powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them Eph. 2 15, le. fin it. 8 See Note 18. p Gen. 3. 1,5. Ps. 68. 18. Is. 53. 12. Matt. 12. 29. Luke 10. 18. & 5. — chap. 11. 16-19. u. oo. john 12. From the consideration that mankind are delivered from the power of sin and eternal ^-J^}^-^]: , ' . -Cipn. 4 o. iieD. death by Christ alone — The Apostle exhorts them not to allow any one to condemn a. 14. them as it concerns the distinctions between meats and drinks in the Mosaic Law, or in q Eph. 6. 12. respect of its festivals and Sabbaths — Which observances were only the types or t Or, in hivudf. 348 THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [Part XIV. shadows of good things to come, their substance being all fulfilled in the person of Christ, and in the spiritual blessings of his religion — And as Christ alone, by the sacrifice of the cross, has been made the Head and Governor of all things, and the means of salva- tion, he warns them against being deceived by their false teachers or philosophers to prac- tise an affected humility in the worshipping of angels, presumptuously intruding into the things of the invisible world, and puffed up with the empty knowledge of their own carnal minds — Not acknowledging Jesus Christ as the only Saviour and Governor of mankind, from whom his whole body, the Church, receiving spiritual nourishment and strength, united together, increases in grace and holiness, with the increase of the gifts § 5. of his Holy Spirit. a^Rom. 14. 3, 10, 16 Lj^^ j^q ,^g^j^ therefore "judge you *in 'meat, or in drink, or tin * Or, for eating respect 'of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: 6"Rom"i4"'2, 17. ^^ which ''arc a shadow of things to come ; but the body is of Christ. icor. 8. 8. i^Lg^^j^Q man tbeguile you of your reward, *in a voluntary humihty c Rom. M.I. 3-11^ worshipping of angels, intruding into those things Avhich he hath oai. 4. 10. j^Qt seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, ^^ and not holding 'the 9. &io.'i.' ' Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourish- e ver. 4. mcut ministcrcd, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of X Or, judge ^ , against you. VJULl. * Gr. being a vol- untary in humii- . _ , .. - ity. ver. 23. § D. — chap. 11. 20, to the end. "^rTini Tt^' '^^^ Apostle, as they have in the body of Christ suffered the punishment of the Law for g Eph. 4. 15, 16. ^'"' ^^^ ^'^ thereby delivered, or become dead to its power, inquires of them why they subjected themselves to ordinances taught by the authority and doctrines of men ; as if they were living under that dispensation from which by the death of Clirist they had been made free — The abstinences prescribed by the doctrines of their philosophers and by their Judaizing teachers — touch not, taste not, handle not — relate to indifferent things, which perish in the corruption of the body, for which they were made — which doctrines, however, have an appearance or display of wisdom, being a worship founded on the will of man, voluntarily performed, and a supposed act of humility, mortifica- 5 6. tion, and severity. Rom. 6. 3, 5. &, ^0 ^jjj,g^j,j,Qjj^j, jf yg be "dead with Christ from ''the *rudiments of 7. 4 6. Gal. 2. ... 19. Eph. 2.15. the* world, "why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordi- 1 ;:"• f • nances ? ^^ Touch "^not ! taste not ! handle not ! ^^ which all are to * Or, elements. •i-ii •eri t See Note 19. pcrish With the usiug, alter the commandments and doctrines of men ? c Gal. 4. 3,9. ^3 ^y|^jgj^ ^thiiigs havc indeed a show of wisdom in 'will-worship, els. 29! 13 ^^^ humility, and tneglecting of the body; not in any honor to the Matt. 15. 9. Tit. satisfying of the flesh. 1. 14. JO / 1 Tim. 4. 8. g ver. 8, 18. § 7. — chap. iii. 1-11. t Or, punishing, rpj^^ Apostle, having shown them that as they had been buried with Christ in the waters or, not sparing, 1 ; & j of baptism, in token that in the body of Christ they had fulfilled the curse of death, pronounced upon sin by the Law, and were thereby delivered from its power, now calls upon them, as they had been with Christ also figuratively raised from the waters of bap- tism, and become spiritually alive, to set their whole affections on heavenly things — For Christians are dead with Christ to sin, and to earthly things ; and their spiritual life, which emanates from him, who is invisible, is, as it were, hidden with Christ in God — and when, at the end of time, he shall appear, who is the source of their heavenly life, Christians also shall appear with him in glory — in glorious and immortal bodies — Hav- ing this hope, St. Paul exhorts them to mortify their earthly members — to deprive the animal man of its strength and ascendency, not yielding to its inordinate desires and passions, on account of which the wrath of God comctli on all ; not only on those who profess his religion, but on the children of disobedience — the heathen world — whose lusts and vices they also habitually practised when they lived among them : but now, as their life is in Christ, derived from him througli his Spirit, the Apostle exhorts them to put away these vices of their earthly members, and all others to which they had been addicted ; and, as they had buried the old man in baptism, with all his corriii)t affections and deeds, to put on the new man, which is rc-inade by God in spiritual knowledge and holiness, according to his image, in which man was first created — In this new spiritual creation there is no distinction of nation or of circum- stance — but Christ is life to all — He is in all by his Spirit, and reigns over and governs § 7. all things. "•^^6'"cif '^^' 1^^"'' ^ ^^ y^ ^^^^ ""^^ "^^" ^'^'^ Christ, seek those tilings which are above, Sect. XIL] THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. 349 where ''Christ sitteth on the right hand of God ; ^ set your *affection *E^h"i.^2o*" on things above, not on things on the earth. ^For 'ye are dead, ''and *or, mmrf. your hfe is hid with Christ in God ;"* when 'Christ, ivho is^oux Hfe, '^G^^t'^a.lo^ch.a shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him ^in glory. 20. ^ Mortify ''therefore 'your members which are upon the earth ; ^ for- 1.5.°'' nication, uncleanness, inordinate aflTection, ''evil concupiscence, and eUohns. 2. covetousness, 'which is idolatry ; "^ for '"which things' sake the wrath ^i^^q, "' ^" *^ of God cometh on "the children of disobedience : ' in "the which ye g 1 Cor. 15. 43. Pliil. 3. 21. also walked sometime, when ye lived in them ; ®but ^now ye also put ^ Rom. 8. 13. off all these, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, 'filthy communication .^^^'^'^\^ out of your mouth ; ^ lie '^not one to another, "seeing that ye have put j Eph. 5. 3. off the old man with his deeds ; ^^ and have put on the new man which h \ Th8S3.4. 5. 'is renewed in knowledge "after the image of Him that "created him : ' ^i''''^',^',a o ^ . , . . "* Kom. I. ly. ^^ where there is neither "Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircum- Eph.5. c. Rev. cision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free : *but Christ is all, and in all. nEph. 2. 2. oRom. 6. 19,20. & 7. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Eph. 2. 2. Tit. 3. 3. p Eph. 4.22. 1 Pet. 2. 1. Hcl). 12. l.Jam. I. 21. q Eph. 4. 29. & 5. 4. r Lev. 19. 11. Eph. 4. 25. s Eph. 4. 22, 24. t Rom. 12. 2. u Eph. 4. 23, .::4. v Eph. 2. 10. w Rora. 10. 12. 1 Cor. 12. 13. Gal. 3. 28. & 5. G. Eph. 6. 8. x Eph. 1. 23. §8. § 8.— chap. lii. 12-17. a Eph. 4. 24. He exhorts the Colossians, as those who were elected of God to tlie high privileges and ^j^^f '^j^g^' ^* blessings of the Gospel, to put on the spiritual character of tlie new man — to be pure 2 Pet. 1. 10. and holy in the service of God, as his beloved children, practising all the Christian "phn 2'f\ h graces and dispositions, and over all these graces of the inward man, to put on love, 4. 2, 32. which is the perfection of the Christian character, uniting in itself every virtue — Then '^^^^'\^'^' will that divinely-imparted peace, to the enjoyment of which they are called, reign in ♦ Or, complaint. their hearts, and, united in one body unto Christ, they will be thankful that they are *g'^'g"nr'''B"'it'' become partakers of these glorious privileges — The Word of Christ, the Gospel, which would here read they have received, will dwell in tliem, and they will constantly teacli and admonish ^"'^'r')'*"'"'"" ' each other in all wisdom, singing with grace in their hearts unto the Lord in psalms, wherens in Acts hymns, and songs, as the Spirit inspired them — They are exhorted, whatever they did ^''- ~^ he would — in all their conversation, and in every action of their lives — to do all in the name and Lord, and have for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to offer their praises and thanks to God Ji,""'^" Christ. = •' ' 1 /. 1 ^"^ reason it I3 the Father, in his name, and by his mediation, and not by that of angels. not very difficult ^^ Put "on therefore, ''as the elect of God, holy and beloved, "bowels / j'oi'mK?"! "' of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering ; fcor.^fs.^Eph. ^^ (forbearing ''one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have f^i^fj^ ^ |' a *quarrel against any : even as 'Christ forgave you, so also f?o ye ;) }p'"''i- ^'^ and above all these things, -^pui! o« charity, which is the "bond of Uoh'ni 23. & perfectness ; ^^and let ''the peace of God rule in your hearts, *to the 5- Eph. 4.3. which also ye are called-in one body ; *and be ye thankful. ^Phu."!^?! ^^' "^ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly ; in all wisdom, teach- \ E^r'o'ia^? ino- and admonishing one another 'in psalms and hymns and spiritual &4. '4. * ..,„.,=' . , ' 1 T 1 1- 1 '■ I * ch. 2. 7. ver.l7. songs, smging with grace in your hearts to the Lord : '-' and whatso- i icor. 14. 26. ever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, ^ dl.^.'e.' "giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 'I Rfni'i.^e'. Eph. 5. 20. ch. 1. 12. & 2. 7. 1 Thess. § 9. — chap. iii. 18, io the end, and iv. 1. 5.18. Heb. 13.15. The Apostle, from general directions for their Christian conduct, proceeds to exhort them, ~s~0 on the same principles of love and obedience to Christ, to the performance of the rela- tive duties of life. (See Eph. v. 22, 23, and vi. 1-9.) \ 5 j ppt'.'a. 1.' ^^ Wives, "submit yourselves unto your [own] husbands, ''as it is fit * Eph.'5.'l%28, in the Lord. ^^ Husbands, "love your wives, and be not ''bitter against f^ j/l'bf"' them. — -''Children, "obey your parents in all things: for this is well e Eph.5.24.&6.i. pleasing unto the Lord. -^ Fathers, ^provoke not your children to anger, f'F.ph~.'6.'4. lest they be discouraged. — ~~ Servants, ''obey ''in all things your mas- '^i I'lm.W'^'^' ters ^according to the flesh ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers ; J''jg2- ^- ^ p^*- but in singleness of heart, fearing God: ^^ and -'whatsoever ve do, do a ver. 20 . , ., ° 1 T 1 1 od 1 • I 1 c 1 t Philemon 16. it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men ; -* knowing that 01 the ; Eph. 6.6,7. 'Z- T' r»li f\ ft Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance : 'for ye serve the 1 1 cor. 7. 2-2. VOL. II. DD 350 THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [Pari XIV. m Rom 2. 11. Eph. 6 9. 1 Pet. 1. 17. See Deut. 10. 17. n Eph. 6. 9. § 10. a Luke 18. 1. Rom. 12. 12. Eph. 6. 18. 1 Thess. 5. 17, 18. b ch. 2. 7. & 3. 15. c Eph. 6. 19. 2 Thess. 3. 1. d 1 Cor. 16. 9. 2 Cor. 2. 12. e Matt. 13. 11. 1 Cor. 4. 1. Eph. 6. 19. ch. 1. 26. & 2. 2. / Eph. 6. 20. Phil. 1.7. a Eph. 5. 15. 1 Thess. 4. 12. A Eph. 5. 16. i Eceles. 10. 12. ch. 3. 16. j iMark 9. 50. k 1 Pet. 3. 15. § 11. a Eph. 6. 21. b Eph. 6. 22. c Philemon 10. d Act-! 19. 20. & 20. 4. & 27. 2. Pliiiciiioii 24. e Acts 5. 37. 2 Tim. 4. 11. /ch. 1.7. Philemon 23. * Or, striving. g Rom. 15. 30. A Miitt. 5. 48. 1 Cor. 2. 6 & 14. 20. Phil. 3. 15. lleb. 5. 14. Lord Christ. ~^ But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done : and ""there is no respect of persons. ^ Masters, "give unto your servants that which is just and equal ; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven. § 10. — chap. iv. 2-6. The Apostle commands all, in their different relations and stations in life, that they may be enabled to fulfil their respective duties, to persevere in earnest prayer to God, guarding against negligence and inattention, and, with thanksgiving, to acknowledge the blessings they had received — Praying also for the apostles, that God would open for them an op- portunity of preaching the mystery of the Gospel of Christ, the calling of the Gentiles through faith — for which very account he was now in bonds — that he may more effect- ually make this mystery manifest, and that he may have courage to speak as becomes his apostleship — He admonishes them to behave with prudence and discretion to those who are without the pale of the Christian Church (the unbelieving Gentiles and per- secuting Jews), avoiding persecutions, and steadily improving every present moment — Their conversation is to be holy and courteous, seasoned with the salt of cheerful- ness and spiritual wisdom, resisting the corruption of sin, that they may know how to answer both Jew and Gentile to their edification, and to their own security. ^ Continue "in prayer, and watch in the same 'with thanksgiving ; ^ withal "praying also for us, that God would ''open unto us a door of utterance, to speak Hhe mystery of Christ, •'^for which I am also in bonds : "* that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. ^ Walk ^in wisdom toward them that are without, ''redeeming the time. ^ Let your speech be alway *with grace, ^seasoned with salt, ''that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. t Or,^;cd. § 11. — chap. iv. 7, to the end. St. Paul sends Tychicus to relate to them in a more particular manner his situation and circumstances at Rome (See Eph. vi. 21.), with Onesimus, who would also give them every satisfactory information — He presents the salutations of the brethren who were with him by name, and desires them to receive Marcus with all respect and affection, and Justus (compare Acts xv. 38, 39. and 2 Tim. iv. 11.) ; for these only of the circum- cision had been his fellow-laborers in preaching the Gospel in sincerity at Rome, and who had been a consolation to him (compare Phil. i. 14-18.) — All the Gentile teachers with St. Paul at Rome join in salutations — (Timothy joined in writing the letter) — He particularly mentions Epaphras, their faithful minister, as always striving in prayer for them with God — He desires them to salute in his name the Christians in Laodicea, with Nymphas, and the church that is in his house — and, after this Epistle had been publicly read among them, to take care that it shall be also read in the Church of the Laodiceans, and that the Epistle from Laodicea, which is supposed to have been the Epistle to the Ephesians, shall be read in their own Church — He encourages Archip- pus (officiating, perhaps, in the absence of Epaphras) in the work of the ministry com- mitted to him, and then authenticates the Epistle by writing the salutation in his own hand — (1 Cor. xvi. 21. and 2 Thess. iii. 17.) — He concludes \vith the apostolic bene- diction. ' All "my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, ivho is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord ; ^ whom 'I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts ; ^ with "Onesimus, a faithful and be- loved brother, who is one of you : they sliall make known unto you all things which are done here. ^° Aristarchus, ''my fellow-prisoner, saluteth you, and 'Marcus, sis- ter's son to Barnabas, touching whom ye received commandments, (if he come unto you, receive him ;) i' and Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the Circumcision : these only are my fellow-workers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me. ^- Epa|)hras, •'^vvho is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always "laboring ^fervently for you in prayers, that yc may stand ''per- fect and tcoiiiplete in all the will of God. '•' For I bear him record that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and Sect. XIII.] THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON. 351 them in Hierapolis. ^^ Luke, 'the beloved physician, and •'Demas, greet 'oTim 4 lo you. ^''Salute the brethren which are in Laodicca, and Nymphas, and I'liiiemon 24. *the Church which is in his house. ^^ And when 'this Epistle is read '1 c"o"' le." 19. among you, cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodi- ' 1 Thess. 5. 27. ceans ; and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea. ^^ And say to '"Archippus, Take heed "to the ministry which thou hast re- " ^,'',''^'"°"^- ceived in the Lord, tliat thou fulfil it. '^The "salutation by the hand „ icor. 16.21. of me Paul. 'Remember my bonds. 'Grace be with you ! [Amen.] ^^'iT^isV^ [[Written from Rome to the Colossians by Tychicus and Onesimus.]] , neb. 13. 25. [end of the epistle to the colossians.] Section XIIL — St. Paul writes his Epistle to his friend Philemon,'^ to intercede ivith him in favor of his slave Onesimus, who had fed from the Service of his Master to Rome, in which City he had been con- verted to Christianity by means of the Apostle\s Ministry. THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON. § 1. — verse 1-7. St. Paul, writing on a matter of private business, addresses Philemon as a friend, and not in the capacity and authority of an apostle — Timothy unites in the salutation to Phile- mon — to the beloved Apphia — to Archippus (Coloss. iv. 17.), and to the Church at his house — His benediction — He tells Philemon that he thanked God always in his prayers for the increase of his faith towards Jesus Christ, and his love towards the Christian brethren; and he prays also that tlie communication of his liberality, which is the fruit "^ ' of much faith, may be efficacious in bringing others to the knowledge of every good V. yE. 62. disposition that is in him in Christ Jesus — for they themselves have much joy and con- j, p. 4775. solation in his love, more particularly on account of the poor saints who were driven Rome. from their homes in the name of Christ, and went about preaching the Gospel, whom the riches of Philemon had relieved. § 1- ^ Paul, "a prisoner^ of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto " ^"^ ^"^^ ^• Philemon our dearly beloved, Vnd fellow-laborer, ~and to our beloved ''i!^2Ti'm.'i.8.^ Apphia, and 'Archippus ''our fellow-soldier, and to 'the Church in thy /gp'/j^^^t^ 01 house ! ^ grace ■''to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord i, piui. 2. 25". Jesus Christ ! <= coi- 4. i?. "^I "thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, ^ Roln. le. 5. ^hearing ''of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord ico^'e-ia. Jesus, and toward all saints ; ^that the communication of thy faith may '^ Ellh/i.te. become effectual 'by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in I T^^^m- ,'|- you in Christ Jesus. "For we have great joy and consolation in thy a Eph. i.io.coi love, because the bowels of the saints ^are refreshed by thee, brother. V", , o ,, J ' I Phil. 1. 9, 11. j 2 Cor. 7. 13 r n o i ji J 2 Tim. 1.16. ij i. — verse 8, to the end. ver. -jo. St. Paul declares, on account of the love he bore to Philemon for his benevolent and kind exertions, that though, as an apostle of Christ, he might have commanded him to do what was fit in the affiiir he was about to mention, yet he prefers beseeching him, by his own love for him, and by that which he has shown to the saints, for his son Ones- imus, whom he has begotten to a spiritual creation, and has sent back again at his own desire — "Do thou therefore," St. Paul entreats, " receive him into thy family, who is, as it were, my own bowels, my son, a part of myself— whom, being so useful to me, I would have detained with me, that he might have ministered to me, thy spiritual father, in my bonds for the Gospel ; and performed those offices which thou wouldst have done, if thou hadst been at Rome — but without knowing thy mind on the subject, I would not keep him with me, that the benefit conferred on me in pardoning him, should not be from necessity, but from thine own goodwill — For he departed for a season, that by the providence of God he may be restored to thee forever: not now as a servant, but as a beloved brother in the Lord, and more particularly dear to me, but how much more to thee, as being thy property, and a part of thy family; and now being made a member of thy heavenly family , the Church of thy house— If thou consider me a partner of thy affi?c- tion, receive him as myself, as he is, as it were, a part of nie, and in receiving him thou receivest me — If he have wronged, or owe thee aught, place it all to my account : I will discharge all he owes thee ; and I promise to repay thee in mine own hand, as I do not 352 THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES. [Part XIV. § 2. a 1 Thess. 2. 6. 6 ver. 1 , c Col. 4 .9. d 1 Cor. 4. 15. Gal. 4. 19. y See Note 23. e 1 Cor. 16. 17. Phil. 2. ,30. / 2 Cor. 9.7. g So Gen. 45. 5, 8. z See Note 23. A Matt. 23.8. 1 Tim. 6. 2. i Col. 3. 22. j 2 Cor. 8.23. k ver. 7. I 2 Cot. 7. 16. m Phil. 1. 25. & 2.24. n 2 Cor. 1. 11. Col. 1. 7. & 4. 12. p Acts 12. 12, 25. g Acts 19. 29. & 27. 2. Col. 4. 10. r Col. 4. 14. s 2Tim. 4. 11. t 2 Tim. 4. 22. SECT. XIV. V. M. C2. J. P. 4775. Jerusalem. §1- a Sec Note 24. desire this favor to be granted me from the consideration of how much thou art in- debted to me, although thou owest me thine own self — thine existence as a Christian — let me therefore have profit from thee in the Lord — gratify the earnest longing of my soul in this, and receive him again into thy family — Having confidence in thy obedi- ence, from the knowledge I have of thy Christian excellencies, I wrote unto thee, in the full persuasion that thou wouldst do even more than I request" — He sends the salutations of Epaphras, their minister, and others with him, and concludes witli his blessmg to Philemon, and the Church at his house. ^ Wherefore, "though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, ^ yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, ''and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ ; ^^ I beseech thee for my son '^Onesimus, whom ''I have begot- ten in my bonds : ^^ which in time past was to thee > unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me ; ^^ whom I have sent again : thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels. '^ Whom I would have retained with me, 'that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the Gospel ; ^^ but without thy mind would I do nothing, -^that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. ^^ For ^perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ^ever ; ^^ not now as a servant, but above a servant, ''a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, 'both in the flesh, and in the Lord ! ^^ If thou count me therefore ■'a partner, receive him as myself. ^^ If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on mine account. ^^ I Paul have written it witli mine own hand, I will repay it : albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides. ^° Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord : ^refresh my bowels in the Lord. ^^ Having 'confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say. --But withal prepare me also a lodging: for "I trust that "through your prayers I shall be given unto you. ^^ There salute thee "Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus ; ^^ ^Marcus, 'Aristarchus, "^Demas, *Lucas, my fellow-laborers. ^^ The 'grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit ! [Amen.] jWritten from Rome to Philemon, by Onesimus a servant.]] [end of the epistle TO PHILEMON.] Section XIV. — St. James ivritcs his Ejnstle^ to the Jeivish Christians in general, to caution them against the prevalent Evils of the Day — to rectify the Errors into which many had fallen by misinterpreting St. PauVs Doctrine of Justif cation, and to enforce various Duties. THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES. § I.— chap. I 1-12. James addresses the Twelve Tribes, particularly the Jewish Christians, in their state of dispersion, wishing them all health and prosperity — As the unbelieving Jews desired to persuade their converted brethren, by applying to them the rewards and punish- ments annexed to their obedience or disobedience to the Mosaic Law, that their pres- ent afflictions were tokens of the divine displeasure — the Apostle shows the advantages resulting from afflictions, to produce in them patience and resignation to God's will — He exliorts tliem to patience, that they may, in allusion to the sacrifices of the Law, be perfect — If any under trials be deficient in tliis wisdom of patience, he is to ask it of God, who giveth all necessary good to every man, and who reproaches none for asking, and it shall be given to him — But then let him ask in a steady faith, fully persuaded that God is both able and willing to grant his petitions, not irresolute, nor divided in his own mind concerning the things for which he prays — for he who thus wavers between virtue and vice is like a wave of the sea, influenced by every succeeding im- pulse, and cannot expect to receive from God what he desires — A man of two minds is unstable in all liis actions, and can attain to no degree of excellence — Tiie poor con- verted Jew is encouraged to rejoice in his sufferings, for by them his Christian character, Sect. XIV.] THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES. 353 through faith, is exalted — ^but the rich man, to be ashamed of the emptiness and uncer- tainty of tliose things in which he deUghts and rather glory in his humiliation and sufferings for the sake of the Gospel — for his own life, and all his earthly possessions, are as transient, and as little to be depended on, as the flower of the field — and those whose happiness consists in them are subjected in a similar manner by diseases, and the vicissitudes of life, to be cut down, and wither in the midst of their glory — The man is blessed who stands in his temptation — for when his trials in this world are over, he shall receive the crown of life, wfiich the Lord hath promised to them that love him, and suffer for him. , a According to 1 "James, a ''servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, "to the ^\- 1'';""" =?"•> Twelve Tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting ! James the Less ~ My brethren, "^count it all joy ■'when ye fall into divers temptations ; Lord's'brother ^ knowing ^this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. "* But peTsont^ED. let patience have her perfect work, that ye maybe perfect and entire, f^^\^'^Q^\[f_ wanting nothing. ]9- ^ ~- ^- J"de ^ If ''any of you lack wisdom, 'let him ask of God, that giveth tq all j tu. i.i. were liberally, and u})braidetii not; and^it shall be given him. "^ But c Acts 26. 7.^ ''let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like joim 7. 3.V. Acta a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. ^ For let not that ipet. i.i.' man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. ^ A 'double- ^ ?'""• ^•„'^„ ^ • 1 11 • 1 1 • .1 I • Acts 5. 41. Ileb. minded" man is unstable in all his wavs. lo- 34. 1 Pet. 4. t . . . 13 16 ^Let the brother of low degree *rejoice in that he is exalted, ^^ but /iVet. i.e. the rich, in that he is made low ; because '"as the flower of the grass g Ro™- s. 3. he shall pass away. ^^ For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning ii,i2!prov.2. heat, but it withereth the mass, and the flower thereof falleth, and \, ^. , , . ' & ' . ' I Matt. 7. 7. & the grace of the fashion of it perisheth : so also shall the rich man 21.22. Mark 11. fade away in his ways. ^- Blessed "is the man that endureth tempta- joim 14. 13.' &' tion : for when he is tried, he shall receive "the crown of life, ''which . j^, gg jo."" the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 1 -Tohn 5. h, 1.5. ^ k Mark 11. 24. 1 Tim. 2. 8. I oh. 4. 8. b See Note 25. § 2.— chap. i. 13-18. The Apostle, fearing his expressions relating to temptations or afflictions, sent by God as * Ot, glory. a trial of the virtue and faith of Christians, should be misinterpreted, condemns, in its m Job 14.2. Pa. 'W o s on K (z other sense, that impious notion, which some of the unbelieving Jews and their Juda- &.'io'-) ii & ' ' izing teachers held, as a vindication of their grossest actions, that God tempts men to 103.15. 13.40.6. sin — He forbids any man to say, he is tempted or solicited to sin by God ; for God, who ^^ u"^ /i^et I*' ' is all holiness, is incapable of being seduced by evil, neither can he thus tempt any 24. J John 2.17. man — But every man is tempted to sin when he is allured by his own lusts, and enticed "Job 5- 17. by his own impure desires ; then lust having tempted tlie sinner to its embraces, bring- Heb. l-i. 5.'Kev. eth forth actual sin ; committing the evil purposes — and sin, when habitually confirmed, 3. 19. bringeth forth eternal death — They must not suppose therefore, that God is the author 2 Tim.'4.'8.'ch. of sin, or impels man to it — For God, instead of being' the author of sin, is the author 2. 5. 1 Pet. 5. 4. "DO in of every good and perfect gift — God of his own will had created those who were Jews tt'lO'^ & anew, in the Gospel of truth and holiness, that they might become the firstfruits of all 19. 28, 29. ch. 2. his creatures who should be converted. ^•'Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God : for . ^ God cannot be tempted with *evil, neither tempteth he any man : * q^ ^,-i^_ ^^but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, a Job 15. 35. Ps. and enticed. ^^ Then "when lust hath "^conceived, it bringeth forth sin : ^ gee Note 26. and sin, when it is finished, ''bringeth forth death. b Rom. 6.21,23. i^Do not err, my beloved brethren. ^^ Every 'good gift and every '/cor.4.7!' perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, «? Num. 23. 19. ''with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. ^^ Of "his Mai. 3. e. Rom. own will begat he us with the word of truth, ^that we should be agj^h^'ijg^a kind of ''firstfruits of his creatures. I'pet^T aj ^^" / Eph. 1. 12. § S.—chap. i. 19, to the end. ff^Jer- 2- 3. Rev. To reprove the converted Jews, who were emulous of becoming teachers, and who were intemperate in their religious zeal, the Apostle exhorts those who are thus begotten of God in the Gospel of his Son, to be anxious and diligent to hear its doctrines, as laid down by the apostles, and slow to speak concerning the truth, waiting till they under- VOL. II. 45 DD* 354 THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES. [Part XIV. stand it ; and slow to wrath, not easily incensed — for the wrath, or the fierce conten- tions of men, on religious differences, do not promote the interests of the kingdom of heaven, do not work out in others the faith which God counts for righteousness — He calls upon them to put away all the filthiness of fleshly lusts, and vicious superfluity of words, and of anger, and receive with all meekness and gentleness the Gospel, which is engrafted on their own Law, and which is the means of saving their souls to eternal life — In opposition to the prevailing opinion of the Jews, who placed so much depend- ence on their knowledge of the Law, and on their regular attendance on the synagogue to hear the Law read, he exhorts them to be doers of the precepts of the Gospel, and not hearers of its word only — He who restraineth not his tongue, deceiving himself with the notion that his freedom from deeper vices will excuse him before God, and that railing against those who differ from him in religious opinions is acceptable to God, this man's religion is false — Pure religion consists in good works, and spiritual prin- § "'■ ciples. b Pm!'^^]o^i9 & ^^ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, "let every man be swift to 17.27. Eccies.5. hear, 'slow to speak, 'slow to wrath. -'^ For the wrath of man worketh c Prov. 14. 17. & not the righteousness of God. ~^ Wherefore ''lay apart all filthiness 16.^32. Eccies. ^j-,^j Superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the en- d coi.3. 8. iPet. grafted word, %vhich is able to save your souls.*^ e Acts 13. 26. ^^ But ^bc ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving fc"orV^^' your own selves. ^■^For °if any be a hearer of the word, and not a Eph. 1. 13. Tit. doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass : I'pet. 1.^9." ' ' ^"^ for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway for- d See Note 27. gettcth what manner of man he was. ^^ But ''whoso looketh into the f Matt. 7. 21. ^ . . Luke 6. 40. & Dcrfect 'Law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forget- 1 1 Oft Ro' ' "zD ^—j 13. 1 John 3. 7. ful hearer, but a doer of the work, ^ this man shall be blessed in his ^s^e" di'^a'^if''' *deed.'' ~^ If any man [among you] seem to be religious, and 'bridleth &-C- ' not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is tcii.2°.'i2.^^ vain. 2' Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, j John 13. 17. 'To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, '"and to keep * Ox, doing. himself unspotted from the world. e See Note 28. * k Ps. 34. !3. & 39. 1. 1 Pet. 3. 5 A.— chap. ii. 1-13. 10. I Is. 1. Ill 17. The administration of justice being in a most corrupt state at this time among the Jews, & 58.6,7. Matt. ^ijg Apostle reproves them for showing, as they were accustomed to do, partiality in the m Roni 1-^ 2. ch. causes on which they were called upon to pass judgment — He cautions those who make 4. 4. 1 John 5. profession of the faith or religion of our Lord, against making a distinction of persons ■'^" on account of their rank, or other external circumstances, inwardly favoring one more than the other — This, he declares, is contrary to the Gospel of Christ, who hath chosen the poor of tliis world to be rich in all spiritual blessings, and has made them heirs of his eternal kingdom ; but that they have despised the poor man, although God has so enriched him, while by the rich they are oppressed, and dragged before their tribunals of justice, to be maltreated and punished for their faith, while they blaspheme the name by which they are called— But, if they fulfil the royal Law of Christ, according to the Scriptures (John xiii. 34. xv. 12.), they shall do well, and shall be guilty of no partiality — But if they have respect to persons in their judgment, they commit sin against God, and their brethren, and they are convicted as transgressors of the Law — For he who offends in one particular point, he who kills by his iniquitous judgment, is guilty of all, for every precept is enjoined by the same authority — In giving judgment, then, they are so to speak and act, as those who shall be judged by the Law of liberty, which pre scribes for them a rule of life, and frees them from the guilt, power, and dominion of sin, teaching them, that, at tiie last day, judgment will be passed upon them according to the strictness of the Law, who have showed no mercy, but rather unjustly con- demned ; but that tlie mercy of God will triumph over judgment, to those who have . showed mercy. a ^ Cor. 2. 8. ^ My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, "the Lord b Lev. 19. 15. of glory, with ''respect of persons. ^ For if there come unto your *as- ?6*"i9.^pm;.'^24. sembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel ; and there come in Matt.l2.lfi. alsf^ ^ V^^^' "1^" i" ^'le raiment ; '^ and ye have respect to liim that wear- veN 9.~Judei6. eth tiic gay clothing, and say [unto himj, Sit thou here fin a good place ; *Gr.syvaao,rue. ^ ^ ^^ ^^^ g^^^^^j ^,^^^ thcrc, or sit hcrc under my footstool: f Or, wcit, or, .' i' 111 -if'l seaniy. 4 ^re JB not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges ot cvii Vcoi'.Lfe.as. thoughts? ^ Hearken, my beloved brethren, ""Hath not God chosen the Sect. XIV.] THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES. 355 poor of this world, ''rich in faith, and heirs of tthe kingdom 'which he '^i^il^^.g^-fg; hath promised to them that love him ? ° but ^ye have despised the i^^^- 2- 9. poor. Do not rich men oppress you, ^and draw you before the judg- ^ eI^.^o!^. ment-seats ? "Do not they blaspheme that worthy Name by the which p,'^'J,"8^7^.°" ye are called? ^If ye fulfil the royal Law according to the ''Scripture, ?' T ,f J: & "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," ye do well : ^ but 4f ye 12. 32.icor.2 have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are ^convinced of the Law ciiri.'ia.' as transgressors. ^'^ For whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet f ^ ^°'- i^-^^a. offend in one point, ''he is guilty of %11. ^^ For *He that 'said, " Do not ^17. 6. & is. ia. commit adultery," said also, " Do not kill : " now if thou commit no ^'^Lev. 19. is. adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the Law. R^"f3"g^9 1'-^ So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by '"the Law cai. 5. i4. & 6. of liberty. ^^ For "he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath jver. 1. .showed no mercy ; and "mercy trejoiceth against judgment. j [Or, convuted, Ed.] 5 5. — chart, ii. 14, to the end. & De"t. 27. 26. ^ , ^ ' . Malt. 5. 19. Gal. To show the Jews the absurdity of relying on the knowledge or the profession of the 3. 10. Gospel, without performing its precepts, as taught by some of their teachers, he asks f ^^e Note 29. what advantage it is to a man to say he hath faith, and not works, or no Christian * h^'ia'd^ practice.' — An empty profession of faith is as ineffectual for justification, as good j Ex. 20. 13 14. wishes without good works are for relieving the wants of the destitute — The devils m ch. 1. 25. believe in God, but not to their justification ; for this conviction only increases their n Job 22. 6, tc. torment : they believe and tremble — But wouldst thou be convinced, the Apostle jyiau 6 15 '& demands, that faith which has no influence on a man's actions is dead, utterly incapable IS. 35. & 25. 41, of obtaining justification, ask thyself if our father Abraham was not justified by his works, when he offered Isaac on the altar — his faith cooperated with his works — and jg^ ' ' by his works, in obedience to the commands of God, his faith was manifested, and f Or, glorieth. made perfect — By works, therefore, proceeding from faith, a man is justified ; and not by faith only, without works ; for there can be no more a true and saving faith without good works, than there can be a living human body without the soul. c 5 ^^ What "doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath a Matt. 7. 26. ch faith, and have not works ? can faith save him ? ^^ If ''a brother or sis- .^;^^'t kii 10 ' . . bee Job 31. jy, ter be naked, and destitute of daily food, ^^ and "one of you say unto 20. Luke 3.11. them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled ; notwithstanding ye ' give them not those things which are needful to the body ; what doth it profit ? ^^Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being *alone. * ^r. fty i^^eJ/. ^^ Yea, a man may say. Thou hast faith, and I have works : — Show me thy faith fwithout tliy works, ''and I will show thee my faith by ^ ^^l^\^°'^l^' my works. ^^ Thou believest that there is one God : thou doest well : «"""*^'«- 'the devils also believe, and tremble. 2*^ But wilt thou know, O vain ^^att 8^29 man! that faith without works is dead ? ^^ Was not Abraham our Mark 1.24. & 5. father justified by works, ■'^when he had offered Isaac his son upon tiie Acts le. iV. & altar ? ^^ tSeest thou "'how faith wrought with his works, and by works /Gen.22. 9, 12. was faith made perfect? ^^and the ''Scripture was fulfilled which xot, nouseest. TT 1 11 IT saith, " Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for f gg^njg'g. ' righteousness :" and he was called '' The 'Friend of God." Rom. 4. 3. Gai. ^■^ Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by i 2 chron. 20. 7. faith only. ~^ Likewise also ^was not Rahab the harlot justified by .^t' f'^\ ,, ,_ 1 1 I I 1 -11 11,. ^ J ^°^^- 2- !• Heb. works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out 11.31. another way ? ^^ For as the body without the *spirit is dead, so faith *ot,breaih. without works is dead also. § 6. — chap. iii. 1-12. St. James again cautions the Christian Jews not to undertake the office of teacher, of which they were very desirous (1 Tim. i. 7.), before they were fully qualified, knowing that as teachers they would receive the greater condemnation ; for in many things they offend all — If a man offend not in word, by false doctrine, or bitter railino-, the same is a man well instructed in the Gospel, and is able also to bridle in the whole body— as it is more difficult to govern our tongues, than to avoid offending in our actions — By bits in horses' mouths the whole body is turned round — ships, which though they be so great, are governed with a very small helm — even so the tongue is a little member, 356 THE GENER.\L EPISTLE OF JAMES. [Fart XTV. §6. a Matt. 23. S, 14. Rom. a. 20, 21. 1 Pet. 5. 3. 6 Luke 6. 37. * Or, judgment. c 1 Kings 8. 46. 2 Chron. 6. 36. Pror. 20. 9. Eccles. 7. 20. 1 John 1. 8. d Ps. 34. 13. Ecclus. 14. 1. & 19. 16. &: 25. 3. ch. 1. 26. 1 Pet. 3. 10. e Matt. la. 37. / Ps. 32. 9. g Prov. 12. IS. & *15. 2. A Ps. 12. 3. & T3, 8,9. f Or, vood. i PrOT. 16. 27. j Matt. 15. 11,18, 19, 20. Mark 7. 15, 20,23. X Gr. wheel. * Gr. nature. f Gr. nature qf man. k Ps. 140. 3. I Gen. 1. 2o. &; 5. 1. & 9. 6. X Or, haU. boasting great things, working mightilv, and ruling over the whole man — Behold also how great a mass of wood a little fire kindleth — And the tongue is a fire kindling a mass of iniquity — So is the tongue among our members defiling our bodies with its iniquity ; speaking ill of God and man ; setting on fire the wheel or frame of our nature ; or the successive generations of man; being itself set on fire of heU. by the infernal spirit influencing the heart — Every nature of wild beasts, their strength and fierceness, the swiftness of birds, the poison of serpents, the exceeding great force of sea monsters, is tamed, and hath been tamed, by the reason and ingenuity of man : but the tongue of man can no man tame — It is an unruly evil thing ; and like the tongue of a serpent or adder, it is full of deadly venom (Psalm cxl. 3.") — It is applied to the most opposite purposes — With it we bless God. even the Father of us all ; and with it we curse men, who are made after the simiUtude of God — From the same tongue, out of the same mouth, goeth both a blessing and a curse — Such inconsistency is not to be found in the natural world, where it would be considered contradictor}- and unnatural. ^ My brethren, "be not many masters, "knowing tliat we shall receive the greater *condemnation ; - for "in many things we offend all. "^If anv man offend not in word, 'the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. -^ Behold ! 'we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us : and we turn about their whole body. "* Behold also the ships ! which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. ^ Even so "the tongue is a httle member, and 'boasteth great things. Behold, how great ta matter a httle fire kindleth ! ^ And 'the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity ! So is the tongue among our members, that 'it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the tcourse of nature, and it is set on fire of hell. ' For every *kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea. is tamed, and hath been tamed of tmankind : ^ but the tongue can no man tame ; it is an unruly e\il, "full of deadly poison ! ^ Therewitli bless we God, even the Father : and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God : ^'^ out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. ^^ Doth a fountain send forth at the same tplace sweet icater and bitter ? ^- Can the fig-tree, my brethren, bear olive-berries : either a vine, figs ? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. a Gal. C. 4. b ch. 2. 18. c ch. 1.21. d Rom. 13. 13. « Rom. 2, 17, 23. / ch. 1. 17. Phil. 3. 19. * Or, HOtural, Jude 19. g 1 Cor. 3. 3. Gal. 5. 20. f Gr. tumult, or, unqaietntss. h 1 Cor. 2. 6, 7. § 7. — chap. iii. 13, to the end. The Apostle exhorts the Jews, who were great pretenders to knowledge, particularly those who were teachers, to give proof of their wisdom by a holy life and conversation ; in all their actions showing the meekness and gentleness of true religion — But it' they tauo-ht either the Law or the Gospel with bitter zeal against their opponents, they should not boast of their religious knowledge, for they lied against tliat truth which they pretended to teach — For this wisdom originates in the gratification of the eartlily man and his sensual passions, and is the wisdom of devils ; for where there is fiery and in- tolerant zeal and animosity, there is confusion and disorder, irregularity, and every unchristian practice — But the wisdom which Christ himself, or the Spirit, brought down from above, is first pure from sensuality and earthliness, gentle and peaceable, (not contentious,) easv to be entreated to forgiveness, full of compassion to the afflicted, aboundinj in the good fruits of holiness and righteousness, without partiality in judg- ment, and without dissimulation and hypocrisy ; for all the opposite vices of which the Jews had been reproved — And this excellent and heavenly temper and wisdom, the fruit of the Christian religion, is sown, not in strife and contention, but in peace and concord, by those who practise and promote peace among mankind. ^^ Who ''is a wise man and endued \ntii knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation -his works with meekness of wisdom. ^^ But if ye have "^bitter envying and strife in your hearts, 'glorv not, and lie not against the truth. ^^'' This 'wisdom descendeth not Irom above, but is earthly, *sensual, devilish. ^^ For 'where envy- ing and strife is. there is ^confusion and every evil work. ^' But "the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, aiid Sect. XIV.] THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES. 357 easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, twitliout partiality, t o^ tnthout *and without hypocrisy. ^^ And •'the fruit of righteousness is sown in i'ZZf.y2%. peace of them that make peace. iPet. i.-« & 1. 1 John 3. 18. ^ 8.-chapAy. I-IO. ^HriK' . The Apostle, after having described tlie effects of tliat wisdom which is from above, in- ^^^^^- ^ ^ ^^^ sinuatcs that their furious zeal could not, as they asserted, proceed from the Spirit of ii. God, whose fruit was peace and harmony, but from that wisdom which is from beneath — the cause of all their wars and fishtings proceeding from their own sensual appetites and passions, which war in their members against their knowledge and conscience — They lust for dominion over the heatlien, and freedom from tribute, but tlieir sensual desires are not gratiiled — They kill the heathen in their zeal to destroy idolatry, but they cannot obtain this object of their earnest desire — They fight and war for dominion over them, yet their attempts are unsuccessful, because they do not ask if it is the will of God — And when they pray, they do not receive tlie things for which tliey petition, because tliey ask them for wicked purposes — They have broken their marriage contract S °- with God, for loving the world more than him — And know tliey not tliat tlie inordinate * Ofi brau-lings. love of the present world is open enmity against God ? — Do they think that the Scripture so'ier^s!"^"' falsely condemns such a worldly temper (Rom. viii. 7.), that the Spirit of God, from <, Rom. 7. 23. which the true wisdom proceeds, produces envy, covetousness, and worldly-minded- Gal. 5. 17. 1 Pet. ness r — By no means ; for his Spirit gives greater degrees of grace, imparting humihty ^ q^. '^ and love to man, and moderation as to earthly tilings, according to the words of Scrip- j j^b -27. 9. &. 35. ture (Prov. iii. "ii. 5e/>«.) — They are called upon to submit to the dispensations and J,-- ^*- '|;"*^- the will of God, to resist the great enemy of their salvation, tlie author of their wars i j^' jerTil. ' and strifes — He will flee from them if they are holy in their conduct — To draw nigh to 11- -^^'c- 3.^. God with pure, humble, and devout affections. „ ' ' ' *^ ' ' c rs. bt>. 18. ^ From whence come wars and * fightings among you ? come they iJojms. 23. & not hence, even of your Tlusts'that war in your members: -Ye lust, * or, pleasures. and have not: ye Ikill. and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye dPs. 73.27. tiijht and war, yet ve have not, because ve ask not : ^ ye ^ask, and re- * JJ"'"'-- ]^- ceive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your n. i4. cai. 1. *lusts. ^ Ye "-'adulterers and adulteresses ! know ye not that 'the friend- ' ^ . . • , • Ml L ^ ^^ Gen. 6. o. ship of the world is enmity with God? 'whosoever tlicretore will be a ic s. -21. Num. friend of the world is [constituted] the enemy of God. ^ Do ye think 10! that the Scripture "saith in vain. '' The spirit thai dwellcth in us tor, <-nrif.Ho/y. lusteth f to envy : • ' '^ But He giveth more grace ; wherefore He *saith, — m e. pI^v. 3'. •' a - 34. & 29. -23. '•- God resi^teth the proud. Lukefo-ft But criveth urace unto the humble." }■*• V--'^-'*- ^"^ " Submit yourselves therefore to God : -resist the Devil, and he will '^fi] tf^i% flee from" you. -* Draw nigh to God. and he will draw nigh to you. .^;^^^^^ ^. ^ ^Cleanse your hands, ye sinners ! and 'purify your hearts, ye ""double- ^"1,. ™°6. ^ minded ! '^Be "afflicted, and mourn, and weep : let your laughter be i iPet. 1.22. turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ^^^ Humble "yourselves ^ ^^ " g ' in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift vou up. » Matt. 5. 4. ■ o Job *>. 29. M.^tt. 23. 12. § 9.-.hap. iv. 11, 12. {^'!'r4.'tpe\.1. The Apostle cautions them against all detraction, more particularly tlie zealous Jewish 6. converts, against censurincr and speaking evil of tliose who differ from them in religious opinions, and who thought themselves released from all obligation to the ceremonial Law, for those who condemn others for asserting their Christian liberty, speak in effect against the Christian law (Lex. xix. 16. Ps. xv. 3. Matt. vii. 1. Luke vi. 37.) § 9. 11 Speak 'not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil "i^p^;|:i^ of his brotiier, 'and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the Law, and b Matt. 7. i. judgeth the Law : but h' thou judge the Law, tliou art not a doer of Romt-i'i^icor. the Law. but a judge. ^ There is One Lawgiver, 'who is able to save \^- - -".r 11-1^1- c Matt. 10. 3e. and to destroy : 'who art thou that judgest another : ^ Rom. 14. 4, 13 § 10. — chap. iv. 13, to the end. The Apostle next reproves them for placing too much dependence on all their worldly schemes and projects, and on the continuance of their Ufe without taking into considers- 358 THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JAMES. [Part XIV. § 10. a Frov. 27. 1. Luke 12. :8,&c. * Or, For it is. b Job 7. 7. Ps. 102. 3. ch. 1. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 24. 1 John 2. 17. e Acts 18. 21. ICor. 4. 19. & 16. 7. Heb. 6. 3. d 1 Cor. 5. 6. e Luke 12. 47. John 9. 41. & 15. 22. Rom. 1. 20, 21, 32. & 2. 17, 18, 23. § 11. o Prov. 11. 28. Luke 6. 24. 1 Tim. 6. 9. b Job 13.* 28. Matt. 6. 20. ch. 2.2. c Rom. 2. 5. d Lev. 19. 13. Job 24. 10, 11. Jer. 22. 13. Mai. 3. 5. Ecclua. 34.21, 22. e Deut. 24. 15. /Job 21. 13. Amos B. 1, 4. Luke 16. 19,25. 1 Tim. 5. 6. g ch. 2. 6. §12. * Or, Be long pa- tient, or. Suffer with long pa- tience. a Deut. 11. 14. Jer. 5. 24. Hos. 6. 3. Joel 2. 23. Zech. 10. 1. b Phil. 4. 5. Heb. 10. 25, 37. 1 Pet. 4. 7. ■f Or, Qroan, or, Orieve not. c ch. 4, II. d Matt. 24. 3:?. 1 Cor. 4. 5. e Matt. 5. 12. Heb. 11.35, &c. / Ps. 94. 12. Matt. 5. 10, 11. & 10. 22. g Job 1.21, 22. & 2. 10. h Job 42. 10, &:c. i Num. 14. 18. Ps. 103. 8. j Matt. 5. 34, &c. tion its frailty and uncertainty ; acting as if all events were at their disposal — The folly of such conduct shown from the evanescent and fleeting nature of human life — He who knows his duty, and does not perform it, to him his sin is aggravated. ^^ Go "to now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain : ^'^ whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow ! (for what is your life ? *It ''is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away :) ^^ for that ye ought to say, "If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that ; ^"^ but now ye rejoice in your boastings. ''All such rejoicing is evil. ^" Therefore 'to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. § 11. — chap. V. 1-6. The Apostle having reminded the Jews of the uncertainty of this life, and of their pre- carious success in worldly pursuits, more particularly addresses himself to the unbelieving part of the nation, who were extremely addicted to covetousness, and to the amassing of wealth, and represents to them, with the spirit and energy of a prophet, the dreadful desolation and calamities that were coming upon them, and to show the folly of trustinor in these things which they must so soon lose — When the awful judgments of God pronounced against their nation shall be poured out, they will be plundered of their illgotten wealth — The cry of the laborers they have defrauded (Deut. xxiv. 14. Lev. xix. 13.) has ascended into heaven, requiring vengeance from the Deity — They have lived in the full indulgence of all their sensual appetites — They have pampered their hearts as beasts are fed for a day of slaughter — They have condemned and killed the Just One, and God has not as yet resisted them. ^ Go "to now, ye rich men ! weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. ^ Your riches are corrupted, and 'your garments are moth-eaten : ^ your gold and silver is cankered ; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire ; "ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. "* Behold ! "^the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth : and "the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. ^ Ye ^have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton ; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. "^ Ye ^have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. § 12.— chap. V. 7-12. From the consideration that the unbelieving Jews had not as yet received the punishment v/hich must necessarily follow on their unparalleled crimes, the Jewish Christians, who are persecuted by them, are exhorted, in imitation of their blessed Master, to await with patience the coining of the Lord, who will execute judgment on their nation, and provide the means of their deliverance — He desires them not to groan or to pray for vengeance against their persecutors, lest they also be condemned with them, for Christ has alone the power of judging, and is about to execute it on the disobedient — Further to encourage them in faith and patience, St. James calls upon them to take the Proph- ets who had spoken to their fathers, by the authority of God, for their example of suf- fering affliction, and patience. '' *Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold ! the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive "the early and latter rain ; ^ be ye also patient ; stablish your hearts : 'for the coming of the Lord drawcth nigh. ^ tGrud^-e "not one against another, brethren, lest ve be condemned: behold, the Judge ''standeth before the door ! "^ Take, "my brethren, tiie Prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an ex- ample of suffering aflliction, and of patience. ^' Behold ! ■'^we count them happy which endure : ye have heard of "the patience of Job, and have seen ''the end of the liOrd ; that ['the Lord] is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. ^2 But above all things, my brethren, ^swear not, neither by heaven, Sect. XV.] ST. PAUL TEACHES TWO YEARS AT ROME. 359 neither by the earth, neither by any other oath : but let your yea be yea ; and your nay, nay ; lest ye fall into condemnation. § 13. — chap. V. 13, to the end. Under all the circumstances of life he recommends a correspondent feeling of devotion — In sickness and disease to send for the elders of the Church, who possessed the gifts of healing, to pray over and to anoint them with oil, as the Jewisli custom was, in the hope that, by a sincere repentance, their sin might be pardoned, and their disorder miraculously removed — The prayer of faith prevailing, the Lord Jesus will raise them up again in health, manifesting, by a sudden restoration, that tiie sins, for which they liad been afflicted, were forgiven — They are admonished to confess their faults one to anotiier, that they may obtain the pardon and the prayers of those they have injured — Tlie prayer of a righteous man, endued with the gift of healing (probably by the elder, ver. 14.), moved by the Spirit of God, is of great efficacy, and availeth much with God for the recovery of the sick — Further, to excite them to fervent prayer, and to increase their confidence and faith in the miraculous interference of God, when for his glory, he adduces the instance of Elijah, who was a man of the same constitution and infirm- ities as themselves, and equally incapable of performing a miracle ; yet when lie twice prayed with faitii and fervency, in obedience to a secret impulse, God heard iiis j)rayer, and in both instances remarkably answered them — The gifts of healing and of per- § ^^■ forming miracles are much to be desired ; but he who reclaims a sinner from the error a_^Eph. 5. 19. Col. of his way, shall produce a more highly acceptable work tlian any nuraculous cure performed on the body ; for he shall save a soul from everlasting death, and shall cover I6. 18. a multitude of sins, God not inflicting punishment on those who have repented of c Is. 33.24. Matt. their sins, and are turned to hiin. ^ " ,t ' g See Note 30. ^^ Is any among you afflicted ? let him pray. Is any merry ? "let d Gen. 20. 17. him sing psalms. ^''Is any sick among you ? let him call for the elders Deut."9.'"i8,'i9, of the Church ; and let them pray over him, 'anointing him with oil in ^i^im^'^^s^' the name of the Lord. ^^"^ And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, gKinSsf'slfe and the Lord shall raise him up; "and if he have committed sins, they 19. 15° 20. & 20. shall be forgiven? him. ^^ Confess your faults one to another, and pray 17. &34. i5!&" one for another, that ye may be healed : ''the effectual fervent prayer If.'^^.'I^^'^. of a righteous man availeth much. ^^ Elias was a man 'subject to like i"j''o'J,n'3^'^2 passions as we are, and ^he prayed *earnestly that it might not rain ; c Acts 14. 15. ^and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six /^J^'"?si'i- months : ^^and he prayed agam, and the heaven gave ram, and the g Luke 4. 25. earth brought forth her fruit. a 1 Kings is. 4;^ 3. u;. b Mark 6. 13. & ''' Brethren, 'if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert i Matt. is. 15. him : ~° let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the i Kom. 11. 14. . . .1 Cor. 9. 22. error of his way^shall save a soul from death, and *shall hide a multi- iTini. 4. le. tudeofsins. ^ipTtVs^^' [end of the general epistle of JAMES.] Section XV. — St. Paul remains at Rome for two Years, during ivhich ^ec^xv. time the Jeivs do not dare to prosecute him before the Emperor.^ V. /E. 62. Acts xxviii. 30, 31. J. P- 4775. ^^ And [Paul] dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and ^—' received all that came in unto him, ^^ preaching "the kingdom of God, ^ seeNotesi. and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with '^^^^^■^^■'^p^- all confidence, no man forbidding him. 360 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Part XV. PART XV. FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE FIFTH AND LAST JOUR- NEY OF ST. PAUL, TO THE COMPLETION OF THE CANON OF THE WHOLE SCRIPTURES. SECT. I. V.iE. 62or3. J. P. 4775 or G. Rome. §1- a See Note 1. a Num. 12. 6, 8. 6 Deut. 4. 30. Gal. 4. 4. Eph. 1. 10. c John 1. 17. & 15. 15. ch. 2. 3. d Ps. 2. 8. Matt. 21. 38. &28. 18. John 3. 35. Rom. 8. 17. e John 1. 3. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Col. 1. 16. / Wisd. 7. 26. Johnl. 14.&14. 9. 2 Cor. 4.4. Col. 1. 15. b See Note 2. g John 1. 4. Col. 1. 17. Rev. 4. 11. h ch. 7. 27. & 9. 12, 14, 16. i Ps. 110. 1. Eph. 1. 20. ch. 8. 1. & 10. 12. & 12. 2. 1 Pet. 3. 22. Section I. — St. Paul, while ivaiting in Italy for Timothy, writes the Key to the Old Testament, the Epistle to the Hebrews,^ to jjrove to the Jews, from their own Scriptures, the Humanity, Divinity, Atone- ment, and Intercession of Christ, the Superiority of the Gospel to the Law, and the real Object and Design of the Mosaic Institutions. THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. § 1. — chap. i. 1-3. The Apostle begins by asserting, that the .Jewish and Christian revelations were given by the same God, and infers, therefore, that they must agree together, and explain each other — The superiority of the Gospel is asserted, being given by the promised Son of God, the appointed heir of all things — Who, being the manifested Glory, and incar- nated Representation of the invisible Father Almighty, and sustaining the universe by his power, having made an atoning sacrifice of himself for the sins of men, had re- turned in his human nature to that majesty with the Father which was essential to his divine nature before the world was made. ^ God, who at sundry times and "in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the Prophets, ^ hath 'in these last days "spoken unto us by his Son, "^vvhom He hath appointed heir of all things, 'by whom also He made the worlds ; ^ who ('being the brightness of his glory, and'' the express image of his person, and ^upholding all things by the word of his power,) ''when he had by himself purged our sins, 'sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. § 2. a Eph. 1.21. Phil. 2. 9, 10. b Ps. 2.7. Acts 13. ,33. ch. 5. 5. c 2 Sam. 7. 14. 1 Chron. 22. 10. & 28. G. Ps. 89. 26, 27. * Or, Wien he bring cth a gain. d Rom. 8. 29. Col. I. 18. Rev. 1.5. e Deut. 32. 43, LXX. Ps. 97. 7. 1 Pet. 3. 22. ■f Gr. unto, f Ps. 104. 4. § 2. — chap. i. 4, to the end. To prove his proposition (the preeminence of Christ above all created beings), St. Paul asserts the divine character of the Son of God as distinct from, and superior to, the nature of the angels — His name is greater than theirs by inheritance, or natural right (Ps. ii. 7.) — He is an object of worship to angels (Ps. xcvii. 7.), who are his spiritual ministers and servants (Ps. civ. 4.) — His government extends over both worlds, and exists for ever; and for his love of righteousness, shown by his incarnation and death, he is anointed in his human nature with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, above all the prophets, priests, and kings who had preceded him, uniting the three offices in his own person — Still further to prove the superiority of Christ, and to remove the error that angels assisted in the formation of the world, he affirms in the words of David (Ps. cii. 25-27.), that Christ created both the heavens and earth ; that these shall be done away with by him, and exchanged for new heavens and a new earth, but he shall remain unchangeable, and essentially the same to all eternity — Christ is greater than the angels, for to none of them has the Father himself given the character of Son (Ps. ii. 7.) and universal dominion : they are ministering spirits, subjected to him, and employed by him for the benefit of mankind. ^ Being made so much better than the angels, as °he hath by inher- itance obtained a more excellent name than they. ^ For unto which of the angels said He, at any *time, — " Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee ? " And '^again, — " I will be to him a Father, And he shall be to me a Son ? " ^ *And again, when He bringeth in ''the First-begotten into the world, he "saith, " And let all the angels of God worship him ! ^ And tof the angels He-'^saith, — Sect. I-l THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 361 Who maketh his angels spirits, And his ministers a flame of fire." '5 8 But unto the Son 'He saith,— ' ^ p.. 45. e, i. ' Thy throne, O God ! is for ever and ever : A sceptre of triffliteousncss is the sceptre of thy kingdom. t Gr. Tightness, „ 1, . r • . 1 I . 1 • • -^ 01, straightness. ^ Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated miquity ; Therefore God, even thy God, Miath anointed thee Vst^&'io^s^. With the oil of gladness above thy fellow^s." » p^. 102. 25, &c. j Is. 34. 4. & 51. 10 A„J 6. Matt. 24. 35. ■^"tl, 2 Pet. 3. 7, 10. " Thou, 'Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth ; ^ r^'no. i. And the heavens are the works of thine hands : Mark if.' 36.' ^' They 'shall perish — but Thou rcmainest : di"Vi2'^;er And thev all shall wax old as doth a garment ; 3.' ' ' " 12 And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, '3I?"; o^o^'lpt And they shall be changed : &io3*2o'2"' But Thou art The Same, Dan;3.28 &7. I 11 i r -1 J5 10. &10. 11. And thy years shall not tail. Man. is. 10. *' •' Luke 1. 19. &2. 13 But to which of the angels *said He at any time, " Sit on my right ?'Jf -Z^^^.^^. hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?" ^^ Are 'they not all ,„ 'Rom. 8. 17. ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be '"heirs 'iX\peu3.'7. of salvation ? § 3. — chap. ii. 1-5. In application of the preceding argument, St. Paul shows the necessity of the utmost attention and obedience to the Gospel of Christ — He infers from the punishments in- flicted on the apostate Israelites of old, the greater condemnation of the apostates from the Gospel, which offered greater hopes of salvation, and was first revealed by Christ himself, and was afterwards confirmed to mankind by the Apostles, who had received it from him, God bearing his own testimony to its truth by miracles, and the gifts of his Holy Spirit ; and this testimony is superior to that of angels : for the future world, which the Gospel promises, is not put in subjection to angels, but to Christ. " 1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things ieJki!^"vZ^eh. which we have heard, lest at any time we should *let them slip. ^ For "p^'^^g- j^- ^^ts if the word "spoken by angels was steadfast, and 'every transgression 7. 53. bai! 3. 19. and disobedience received a just recompence of reward ; ^ how 'shall 'sfATjuu^^^s. we escape, if we neglect so great salvation ! ''which at the first began Ig^l^^'^^- to be spoken by the Lord, and was ^confirmed unto us by them that c ch. 10. 28,29. heard him; "* God 'also bearing them witness, ^^both with signs and \l^'^'^ wonders, and with divers miracles, ''and tgifts of the Holy Ghost, 'ac- Marki.i4. ch. cording to his own will. ^ l",.^ jo ^ For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection ■'the world to / Mark le. 20. , r 1 Acts 14. 3. & 19. come, whereoi we speak. ii. Rom. 15. is, 19. 1 Cor. 2. 4. g Acts 2. 22, 43. § i.—chap. ii. 6-9. A 1 cor. 12. 4, 7, The Apostle, in allusion to the objections entertained by the Jewish doctors against the ^^' . . divinity of Christ, proves, in the words of divine revelation (Ps. viii. 4-6.), that it had t Or> ''««"*««'<""• been predicted that he who was God should visit man, an'd be made lower than the . j, 6 5 2 Pet angels, that all things might be subjected to him — At present all things are not sub- 3. 13. jected to him, wicked men and angels being unsubdued by his power; but Jesus, in the form of man, has tasted death for every one, and has been crowned with glory and honor ; which are sufficient proofs that his power will finally prevail. ^ But one in a certain place testified, "saying, — " What is man, that Thou art mindful of him ? § '*• Or the son of man, that Thou visitest him ? V°.''I" ^^i^,';^ ''' Thou madest him *a little lower than the angels ; 3- Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, *i^mJ'^^"'^'^" VOL. II. 46 EE 362 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREW'S. [Part XV. MfiSs.!: [And didst set him over the works of thv hands :] Eph. 1. 22. ch. 8 Tj^Q^j 6|^jjg^ p^j ^|] ^jjj^gg jj^ subjection under his feet." dPhira!?,^ 9. ^^^ ^" *^^^^ ^^ P"^ ^'' '" subjection under him. He left nothing that is tOr, %." ' ' 'not put under him. But now 'we see not yet all things put under e Acts 2. 33. him. ^ But wc see Jesus, Vho was made a little lower than the angels, ^itAlt%. "^^or the suffering of death 'crowned with glory and honor ; that he 2^c^.5.1". ^y ^'^^ grace of God should taste death ^for every man. 1 Tim'.'i 6." Rev. 5. 9.' ' § 5. — chap. ii. 10, to the end. The Apostle shows the benefits accomplished by the incarnation and death of Christ— It was the means appointed by God for the redemption of man ; that both he who sancti- fies, or makes atonement, and those who are sanctified, may be of one nature ; for which cause David (Ps. xxii. 22, 25.) has predicted he is not ashamed to call them brethren— By his incarnation his brethren are admitted, as Isaiah (chap. viii. 18.) has foretold, to a new relation to the same heavenly Father— The children whom Christ was to save being of a mortal nature, it became necessary that Christ, who was to die for them, should be of the same nature, and, as their representative, depose the Devil, who had the power of bringing in sin and death on all mankind, and deliver them from his bondage — For he took not hold of angels to redeem them, but he saved from de- . struction the seed of Abraham — It was expedient for Christ to be made like to his brethren, that he might be a faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, enfor- cing his laws, worship, justice, and mercy ; and, at the same time, make an atonement for men; delivering them from the evil and power of sin, and obtaining for them, through his blood, a heavenly inheritance ; and having himself endured the trials and sufferings of the human nature, he is more effectually able to succour those who are tempted, and to judge of its weaknesses and imperfections — The inference is. that his incarnation and death are no arguments for his inferiority to prophets or angels — he took upon him the nature of man, for man's redemption, without any prejudice to § 5. his divinity. a Luke 24. 46. 10 Yq^ "jt becamc Him, ''for whom are all things, and by whom are c aI^s's. 15. & 5. all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make "the Captain of 31. ch. 12. 2. their salvation "^perfect through sufferings. ^^ For 'both He that sanc- '^ch."5.%!^' ^^' tifieth and they who are sanctified -^«re all of one : for which cause e ch. 10. 10, 14. '^He is not ashamed to call them brethren, ^^ saying, — / Acts 17. 26. g MMtt. 28. 10. "I ''will declare thy name unto my brethren, Roin.~8.29.' In the midst of the Church will I sing praise unta Thee." h Ps. 22. 22 25. i Ps. 18.2.1s. 12. ^^ And "again, — 2. " I will put my trust in Him." j Is. 8. 18. And ^again, — \7%"J'\u'i^. " Behold I and the children 'which God hath given me ! " ''Rom'.l'.x'phu. '^Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He ^•^- 'also himself likewise took part of the same; '"that through death "5.5". Col! 2?"i.t^' He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the 2Tim. 1. 10. Devil; ^•'' and deliver them who "through fear of death were all their \om''8. 15. ■ lifetime subject to bondage. ^^'For verily *He took not on him the 2Tiin. 1. 7. nature of angels; but He took on him the seed of Abraham. hold of anseis^ ^''' Whercforc iu all things it behoved Hiin °to be made like nnio his J^tlmL"'''-^ brethren, that He might be ^a merciful and faithful High Priest in takethhoid. thinys pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the n ch.' 4. 15. & .5. People. '^ For 'in that He himself hath suffered being tempted. He i>2. is able to succour them that are tempted. q ch. 4. 15, Ifi. & 5. 2. & 7. 25. § 6. — chap. iii. 1-0. The Apostle, after having proved the superiority of Christ to angels, now shows Jiis su- periority, as the Apostle and High Priest of the New Covenant, to Moses and Aaron, the apostles and high ])rie6ts of the Old Covenant — Moses was faitliFul over the house of God, Num. xii. 7. (tlie Israelites of old), as teacher, lawgiver, and prophet; bearing testimony in the types and ceremonies to Jesus Christ and his Gospel, who is entitled Sect. I.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 353 to more glory than Moses, because he was the Lord and Builder of that House, of which Moses was only servant — Christians are now the house and family of Christ, if they continue in liis faith, as the obedient Jews were the disciples and house of Moses. s g_ ^Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of "the heavenly calling, "^j c^™'/'o^e h. consider ''the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, [Christ] Jesus ; 4. j. Phii. 3. 14. -who was faithful to Him that *appointed him, as also 'Moses was 2Tim!Y9. faithful in all his house. ^ For This Man was counted worthy of more .V'' ^'^^' ^ '' '' , . '' Rom. 15. 8. ch. fflory than Moses, inasmuch as ''he who hath builded the house hath 2. 17. & 4.14. & more honor than the house. "* (For every house is builded by some s! i.'&g! ]i.'& man; but ^he that built all things is God.) ^And-^Moses verilv was ^'~' , /- • 1 /■ 1 • 1 1 I • 1 • • made, faithful in all his house, as ^a servant, ''for a testimony of those things isam. 12. c. which were to be spoken after; ^ but Christ as 'a son over his own ^^Num. 12. 7. ver. house : ^ whose house are we, *if we hold fast the confidence and the d Zech. e. 12. rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. ^ Eph- 2. 10. & 3. 9. ch! 1. '2. § 7. — chap. ill. 7, to the end. ^ ^^'■' ^• The Apostle applies this argument to the Hebrews, in the words of the Holy Ghost (Ps. Num. 12. 7." xcv. 7-n.) addressed by David to the Jews of his time — He then exhorts them to take Deut. 3. 24. care that there is not in them also an evil heart of unbelief, leading them to apostatize 31° " ' ' from the Gospel of Christ, and to exhort each other against the deceitfulness of sin, h Deut. 18. 15, that they should not prefer Egypt to Canaan, the bondage of the world to the service ^^' ^^• of God (Num. xiv. 3, 4.) — Those only who are steadfast in the faith can be par- ' <^"- !• 2. takers of the blessings of the Gospel — The necessity of perseverance, and of inmiediate •'g ig^'^oc' fi attention to it, is shown from the saying of the Holy Ghost, who calls upon them now 16. Eph. 2. 21, by the Gospel, as he did the Israelites of old (Num. xiii. 26. and xiv. 1-31.), to enter f^pgj'^o"^ ^' ^^' into rest — There was a remnant then, as now, who believed, to whom the promises of j^ ^^^ ^^ j^j ^ God were fulfilled — Those who were disobedient and believed not, after repeated de- 10. 22. & 24. 13. monstrations of God's power, were for their infidelity excluded by an oath from the 23°"ilif'6 11 &' promised rest of Canaan (Joshua v. G.) and perished in the wilderness (Num. xiv. 29.) 10. 35. — The Apostle here implies, that the natural seed of Abraliam were heirs of his cove- nant only through faith. ' Wherefore as "the Holy Ghost ''saith, — ^ '^• m I •<■ 11 1 1 • ■ ** 2Sani. 23. 2. " To-day, 11 ye will hear his voice, Acts 1. le. ^ Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, V^'' ^^' ^'' ^^ In the day of temptation in the wilderness ; ^ When your fathers tempted Me, Proved Me, and saw my works forty years. ^^ Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in (heir heart ; And they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, , ^r. i/tkey smu They *shall not enter into my rest." <-«'<•'•■ c ver. 6. ^^ Take heed, brethren ! lest there be in any of you an evil heart of <i ver. 7. unbehef, in departing from the living God ; ^^but exhort one another *t^rnJreadt""For daily, while it is called To-day, lest any of you be hardened through 'vho whJn th'e^'^' the deceitfulness of sin ; ^"^ (for we are made partakers of Christ, 'if iieard dki pro- we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;) aii«hocameout ^^ while it is ''said, " To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your Mosfs?"— e"] hearts as in the provocation." ^^ For 'some, when they had heard, did n"24,^3o.^be'ut. provoke? howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses? ^^ But 1-34,36,38. with whom was He grieved forty years? was it not with them that •^29"&c.'& le! had sinned, Avhose carcasses fell in the wilderness ? ^^ And ^to whom fclx'w%?^' sware He that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that Judes. believed not? ^^ So Sve see that they could not enter in because of ^D^uTi.^sifak unbelief. a ch. 4. e. § S.—chap. iv. 1-13. The Apostle remarks on the typical signification of the rest of Canaan — From the con- sideration that the Israelites lost it through unbelief and obstinacy, he exhorts the 364 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Part XV. Hebrews to fear, lest they should also fall short of the promise tl\ey had received — The same Gospel was preached to the Israelites as to them, by the types and shadows of the Law, and by the Prophets; but not being heard with faith, it did not profit them — That there is a rest for the faithful is evident from the words of Deut. xii. 9. and is predicted by David — That it is nof the rest of God which followed the creation is cer- tain, for the Sabbath rest was instituted (Gen. ii. 2. Exod. xxxi. 17.) immediately after the foundation of the world ; and this oath was sworn long after, when the Israelites were in possession of the promised land, and with it of the Sabbath rest (Exod. xvi. 23. XX. 8.) — But they to whom this rest was first promised not having entered into it, because of unbelief, it was repeated again by the Holy Ghost many ages after — So, as Joshua had not given them the intended rest when he put them in possession of Ca- naan, there certainly remains to believers another rest of God, a heavenly rest, prom- ised to the faithful (of which Canaan was the type,) not to be enjoyed in this life, but to be entered upon after its works have ceased, a Sabbath rest with God — They are admonished to use every exertion of body and mind to enter into the rest of God, and not, after the example of Israel of old, to fall short of it — He describes the word of God now preached to them as a living and all-powerful principle, taking vengeance, and more cutting than any two-edged sword, penetrating into the soul and spirit, irresisti- bly separating the accountable spirit from the sensitive soul of man, and searching the most secret thoughts of the heart — The omniscience of Christ, the Judge of man, to § °- whom they must give account. a ch. 12. 15. 1 Lj,.j. Oyg therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. ^ For unto us * hmr^l^'"'^ "^ ^^^ the Gospel preached, as well as unto them : but *the word t Or, because they prcachcd did uot profit them, tnot being mixed with faith in them that by faith tT^^^ heard it. ^^For 'we which have believed do enter into rest, as He 6ch.3.i4. ^said, — c Ps. 9.5. 11. cli. 3. 11. " As I have sworn in my wrath, If they shall enter into my rest : " d Gen. 2. 2. Ex. altliough the works were finished from the foundation of the world. '' For 20. 11. & 31. 17. jjg spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this "'wise, "And t Or, the oospei God did rcst thc seventh day from all his works." ^And in this place was first preach' again, " If they shall enter into my rest." ^ Seeing therefore it remain- / Ps. 95. 7. ch. 3. eth that some must enter therein, *and they to whom tit was first *^Thatis preached entered not in because of unbelief, ^ again, He limiteth a Joshua. certain day, saying in David, " To-day, after so long a time ; (as it is ^^oT^eepi.'^^'ofa -^said), To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Sabbath. ° ^Pqp if* Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have f Or" Lti'Jfe'uc!] spoken of another day.'' '^ There remaineth therefore a trest to the A is.'49. 2. Jer. pcoplc of God. ^'^ For hc that is entered into his rest, he also hath ^'5^Weu\]^' ceased from his own works, as God did from his. ^^ Let us labor there- ^^- fore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall 'after the same example j E™h?6. 17. Rev. of tunbelicf. i~ For the word of God is ''quick, and powerful, and 1. 16. &2. 16. 'sharper than any ^wo-edged sword,*^ piercing even to the dividing d See Note 4. ' ^ i j • -^ j r ..i • • * l J • t J- k 1 Cor. 14. 24, asuudcr oi soul and spirit, and oi the joints and marrow, and is "a dis- ^^- corner of the thoughts and intents of the heart ; ^^ neither ' is there any 9o!'8.& i39.il, creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked 12. » & m Job 26. 6. & 34, 21. Prov. 15. 11. and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. § 9. — chap. iv. 14, to the end. The Apostle shows the superiority of the priesthood of Christ to that of Aaron and all other high priests, and, in allusion perhaps to the Jews, who encouraged the Hebrew Christians to apostatize, because the Gospel did not enjoin propitiatory sacrifices, he aflirms that the High Priest of Christians is the Son of God, who has passed through the visible heavens with the sacrifice of himself, of which the Holy of Holies was a type — who, having taken the human into the divine nature, must ever feel for the in- § f). firmities of men, through whom all, instead of the high priest only, may approach the . „ , throne of ffrace, and, by the intercession of Christ, obtain seasonable assistance in the a ch. 3. 1. . „ ^ . ' -^ b ch. 7. 26. & 9. '■""^ °* temptation. ^2' 24- I'' Seeing then that we have "a great High Priest, ''that is passed d^^iTk^ into the heavens, Jesus 'the Son of God, ''let us iiold fast our profes- Sect. L] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 365 sion. ^^ For 'we have not a High Priest which cannot be touched with ^^^■^- ^- ch.a. the feehng of our infirmities ; but Avas in all points tempted like as / mue 22. 28. we are.^yet without sin. ^'^ Let ''us therefore come boldly unto the fi" ? ^or s. 21. ^ . "^ , ch. 7. 26. 1 P throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. ch 1. 7. 20. 1 Pet. 2. 22. 1 John 3. 5. A Eph. ,2. 18. & 3. 12. ch. 10. ,19, 21 ,22 § 10.— chap. V. 1-10. After having declared the benefits of the priesthood and sacrifice of the Son of God, he compares the priesthood of Christ with that of Aaron, showing that every high priest was taken from among his brethren (chap. ii. 17.) and was appointed to mediate be- tween God and man, offering the gii'ts of tlie people in aclcnowledgment of God's bounty and providence, and tlie blood of animals as an atonement for sin ; who being of the same nature may compassionate the erring, and wlio for his own infirmities must offer a propitiatory sacrifice botli for himself and tlie people — He connects this account of the offices of the priesthood by affirming, that as no man in the Jewish Church could take upon himself the dignity of a high priest, so Christ, the High Priest of the Christian Church, who possessed all the other qualifications, was also appointed to his office by God himself, who declared him to be his Son, as was evident from their own Scriptures (Ps. ex. 4. ii. 7.) — The Apostle asserts, that although Christ, the High Priest of the Gospel, was the Son of God, he was exposed in his human nature to the greatest and most agonizing sufferings, by which he learnt the difficulty men find in obedience under q^iction ; and being made perfect as man by suffering, he became the Author of sal- vation to all who obey him in his crucified human nature, and was constituted by God a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. § 10. ^ For every high priest taken from among men "is ordained for men « "h. 8. 3. ''in things pcriaining to God, 'that he may offer both gifts and sacri- h ch.2. 17. c ch. 8. 3, 4. & fices for sins ; -who *can ''have compassion on the ignorant, and on 9. 9. & 10. 11 them that are out of the way, for that 'he himself also is compassed * q^ ■„,] ^^„^,„„_ with infirmity. ^ And ^by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, abiy bear with. so also for himself, to offer for sins. '' And °'no man taketh this honor is.'' unto himself, but he that is called of God, as 'Was Aaron. e ch. 7. 28. ^ So 'also Christ glorified not himself to be made a High Priest ; but ^■^'Z'm g" 15 ^' He that^said unto him, — &V 7 ''''■' ^■^^' " Thou art my Son, 'i^^. To-day have I begotten thee." a ex. 28. 1. •' * Num. 16. 5, 40. 6 A a Wo eoWl, olcr> ;r, or,r.tKov K,J„^n 1 Chron. 23. 13. i John 8. 54. As He saith also in another ''place, " Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." ■'5.*'' ~' '" "^ ' k Ps. 110. 4. ch. '' Who in the days of his flesh, (when he had 'offered up prayers and 7. n, 21'. supplications, "with strong crying and tears unto Him "that was able '42''44'."Ma^rk']4. to save him from death, and was heard tin "that he feared ;)''^ though 36,39. John n. ''he were a Son, yet learned he 'obedience by the things which he mPs. 22. i. suffered ; ^and 'being made perfect, he became the Author of eternal Ma'/k f]; ill' 37; salvation unto all them that obey him ; ^^ called of God, a High Priest, n Man. 26. 53. "after the order of Melchisedec. iOr,for hu Viety. Matt. 26. 37. § 11. — chap. V. 1] , to the end, and vi. 1-3. Mark 14. 33. . Luke 22. 43. The Apostle, in a parenthetical digression, reproves them for their slowness of apprehen- john 12. 27.' sion in spiritual matters ; that, instead of being teachers of others, as they ought to be, e See Note 5. they need themselves to be again instructed in the first elements of the oracles of God, p ch. 3. 6. the types and figures of the Old Testament, and are become such as require to be fed 1 P*'"'- -• ^• with milk, and not with strong meat — Those who know nothing but the letter of the '■,^'»- ~ 10- &• U- 40. ancient oracles (represented as milk, because they were the first rudiments of religion) ^ ^.^^ g p|,_ g_ are babes in ignorance and growth, and are unskilful in the doctrines of the Gospel, 20. which, being concealed under the figures and prophecies of the Law, are called strong meat, because they belong only to spiritual adults, whose faith they strengthen, and who, by having their spiritual senses constantly exercised, are enabled to discern the deep meaning of the oracles of God, and to distinguish between truth and falsehood — The Apostle therefore exhorts them to leave the Law, or the first principles of the doctrines of Christ, and gradually to advance in spiritual perfection (clinp. v. 14.) — He will not now discourse on the Christian principles as taught in the ancient oracles VOL. II. EE* 366 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Pakt XV which are the foundation of religion — Repentance from works which merit death — Faith in God — The doctrine of baptisms, and the laying on of hands on the sacrifice as an acknowledgment tliat the offence deserved the death inflicted, or of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment — But he will show them, with God's assistance, the § 11. more sublime truths of the Gospel, as typified by the Law and its sacrificial system. Vpet"3%6^' "^ ^^ whom "we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, b Matt. 13. 15. seeing ye are Mull of hearing, ^^ For when for the time ye ought to e ch. 6. 1. {jg teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be "the first 3. °'' ■ ' ~' principles of the oracles of God ; and are become such as have need * Gr. AafA no ez- of '^millv, and uot of strouo^ meat. ^^For every one that useth milk *is e icor. 13. 11. uiiskilful in the word of righteousness : for he is 'a babe. ^* But strong t. u. Tpeu'l'. "leat belongeth to them that are tof full age, even those who by reason 2- tof use have their senses exercised -^to discern both good and evil. 1 cor.*-j.^6.'Eph. ^ Therefore ^leaving *the principles of the doctrine of chap. vi. 1-3. t'ofoft'habit^' C^^ti^st, let us go on unto perfection ; not laying again the or, perfectiuii. foundatiou of rcpeutance ''from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2.^14,15.' °'' ^ of 'the doctrine of baptisms, ^and of laying on of hands, ^'and of ^jT'ch 5 W^' resurrection of the dead, 'and of eternal judgment. ^ And this will we * Or, the word of do, "'if God pcmiit. the beginning of Christ. h cli. 9. 14. i Acts 19. 4, 5. § 12. — chap. vi. 4-12. jAct^s^S.J 4,^15, rjij^g Apostle digresses to enforce the necessity of spiritual improvement, from the consid- k Acts 17. 31 32. eration that if they did not advance they would be in danger of apostatizing irrecover- l Acts 34. 35. ably — He declares that it would be impossible for those who have been thoroughly in- Rom. 2. IG. structed in the Christian religion, and made partakers of all its blessings, and were eye- iCor. 4. 19. " witnesses of the powerful miracles by which it was confirmed, and the miraculous operations of the Holy Spirit, who have apostatized from the faith of Christ, to be re- newed again to an availing repentance — no stronger or higher evidence could be given them ; and, by renouncing the divine doctrine, they crucify the Son of God again, and publicly dishonor him, rejecting the only sacrificial offering — The Apostle, by analogy, shows that those who bring forth the fruits of holiness, corresponding to the spiritual advantages they have received, shall be blessed of God ;, but those who bring forth the thorns and briers of sin and unbelief are rejected of him, whose end is to be burned as the barren soil is burnt up by the heat of the sun — They are encouraged to a firm ad- herence to the Gospel, from the consideration that God will not forget, but reward ac- cording to his promise, their work and labor of love, in ministering to the poor Chris- tians, which were proofs of their faith in him — He exhorts them to the same active faith and love to the end of their lives, to be imitators of the believing Gentiles, who, through faith in Christ, and patience, are now inheriting, in the Gospel Church, the § 12. promises made to Abraham and to his seed through faith. "3"ch' lo' 26' * ^^^ "^^ i^ impossible for tiiose Vho were once enlightened, and 2 Pet.'2. io, 21. have tasted of 'the heavenly sift, and 'Hvere made partakers of the 1 John 5 1(3 J o ^ ■* b ch. 10.32. ' Holy Ghost, ^and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers ''i°'j? u- l?-i'- ^- of 'the world to come, "^'if tliey shall fall away, to renew them again 32. Eph. 2. 8. .' •' II rLCi C r^ A d Gal. 3. 2, 5.ch. uuto repentaucc ; ^sccmg they cruciiy to themselves the feon 01 Ijoa e^ch.'2.5. afresh, and put him to an open shame. ^ For the earth which drinketh /ch. 10.29. in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for gr See Mark 1. 1. ^j^^j^^ *|^ whom it is drcsscd , ''rccciveth blessing from God: "^ but 'that * Or for, •' , • h vL (;.'5. 10. which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing ; i Is. 5. G. whose end is to be burned. '^ ^prnfifsi ^ But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things Matt.' 10. 42.' & that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. ^"^ For ^ God is not 20.' Kom?3?4. ' unrighteous to forget 'your work and labor of love, which ye have 2Thess. 1 6 7. shQ^.gfi toward his name, in that ye have 'ministered to the saints, k 1 lliess. 1. 3. ' J c J U I I Rom. J5. 25. and do minister. '^ And we desire that "'every one of you do show the l,^l2!■2%im^^■ same diligence "to the full assurance of hope unto the end : ^^that ye ^\ o . ,. be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience m ch. 3, 6, 14. . ' . ° n Col. 2. 9. inherit the promises. ch. 13. 36. Sect. 1.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 3(57 § 13. — chap. vi. 13, to the end. From the covenant made with Abraham the Apostle shows the necessity of faith and patience, and that not liis children by descent, but by promise, are made his heirs — He affirms, that Abraham had long waited in faith and patience when he obtained the beginning of the promise made to him (Gen. xii. 2, 3. xvii. 1-8.) in the supernatural birth of Isaac ; and, after hisfaitli had been fully tried in his offering up, God confirmed his promise to him, and to his seed, of having their faith counted to them for righteous- ness, by an oath (Gen. xxii. IG, 17.) — That his believing posterity of all nations might be convinced of the uncliangcableness of his purpose — by two things, the promise and the oath of God, which like him must be infinite and of eternal obligation, affording stronof consolation to those who have fled for refuge in the hope of eternal life, promised through faith in the Gospel, which hope is the soul's anchor, fixed on Jesus, who is within the veil, gone before them into heaven with the sacrifice of himself, and made a High Priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec. ^^ For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could § 13. swear by no greater, "He sware by himself, ^^ saying, "Surely blessing "p^ ""o^-^g ^uke I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee." ^^ And so, after i. '73. " he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. ^^ For men verily swear by the greater: and ''an oath for confirmation is to tiiem an end * Ex.22, n. of all strife. ^' Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto ^ ^^^ y," ^ "the heirs of promise ''the immutability of his counsel, *confirmed it by * cr. interposed an oath : '® that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible oMh!^ for God to lie, we misfht have a strong consolation, who have fled for c ch 12. 1. refuge to lay hold upon the hope 'set before us : ^'' which ho_pe we have /Lev. le. is. ch. as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, ■'^and which entereth ^- ^• into that within the veil ; ^'^ whither ^the forerunner is for us e^itered, ^i.'^&g. 24! cve7i Jesus, ''made a High Priest for ever after the order of Melchis- ^loI'tV.^i^^"^' edec. § 14. — chap. vii. 1-10. The Apostle resumes his subject — the superiority of the priesthood of Christ to Aaron, and endeavours to lead them on to perfection in the deeper mysteries of the Gospel by drawing a parallel between Melchisedec and Christ (Gen. xiv. 18.) — He shows that Melchisedec was witliout father or mother ; his descent or pedigree not being recorded, nor the end or the beginning of liis life or priesthood mentioned — which, tlierefore, like that of the Son of God, may be regarded as perpetual — On account of his superior dig- nity, Abraham, the head of the patriarchs, paid him tithes — The priests were divinely appointed to receive tithes of their brethren the Levites ; not because they were supe- rior in descent, but as a portion for their maintenance (Numb, xviii. '21-31.) — But Mel- chisedec, who was not of tlie family of Aaron, as universal priest, received tithes of Abraham, and, as the representative of Christ, the high priest of tlie human race, blessed him who held the promises, (prefiguring througli whom they were to be accom- plished,) by wliich act he manifested his superiority both as King and Priest — Under the Jewish Law, tithes arc paid to men who are removed by death, constantly chang- ing; but under the patriarclial dispensation, he received them who has an endless life (Ps. ex. 4.), and therefore an uncliangeable priesthood — Levi, who was commanded to receive tithes, was tithed and blessed by Melchisedec, in the person of Abraham, he being yet in the loins of his father. § 14. ^ For this "Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the Most High "Gen. 14. is, God, (who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him ; ^ to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all ; first being by interpretation, King of Righteousness, and after that also. King of Salem (which is, King of Peace) ; ^ without father, without mother, *without descent, having neither beginning of days, *Gr-«'itAouipe<it- nor end of life; but made like unto Hhe Son of God,) abideth j'see Mark 1. 1. a priest continually. '* Now consider how great this man was, \\n- <= ^'^"- i^- ^^^• to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils ! ^ And verily ''they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the oflice '^o^'""" ^^■^^' of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the Law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out * ot, pedigree. of the loins of Abraham : ^' but he whose tdescent is not counted e Gen. 14. 19. from them received tithes of Abraham, 'and blessed him that had the 3. le.' 368 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Part XV. promises. '^ And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. ^ And here men that die receive tithes ; but there he receivetk fch. 5. 6. &: 6. them, ^of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. ^ And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. ^^ For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him. § 15. — chap.v'ii. 11-17. The Apostle shows the inferiority of the Levitical Law and Priesthood, by the substitution of another different system and order of priesthood — The Levitical Priesthood not being able to accomplish the perfection or object for which it was ordained, the pardon of sin by a sufficient atonement; another Priest was promised, after the typical and original priestliood of Melchisedec, (400 years before the Law,) and not after the priesthood of Aaron, which, being changed, requires also a change of the Law on which it waa established — For Christ, of whom these things are spoken (Psalm ex. 4.), belongs to the tribe of Judah, which had no right to minister at a Jewish altar — And it is yet further evident that both the Law and the priesthood should be changed ; for it is pre- dicted that another priest shall arise, after the similitude of Melchisedec, who is consti- tuted not according to the Law, which is suited to the carnal nature of man, producing death, but according to the power of a more perfect system, which promises an endless § 15. priesthood and life, as God himself has testified. '»,^a'.2.2i ver. n If "therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for 18, 19. ch. 8. 7. 1 • 1 1 • 1 1 T \ 1 r ^ 1 7 under it the people received the Law), what mrther need loas there that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron ? ^^For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the Law. ^^ For He of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar ; ^"^ for it is evident that 6 Is. 11. 1. ''our Lord sprang out of Juda, of which tribe Moses spake nothing 3. 33.' Rom", i" s! conccming priesthood. ^^ And it is yet far more evident : for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest, ^^ who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power •^A- 110.4. ch. of an endless life. ^'^ For He "testifieth, "Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." Kev. 5. 5. 5. 6, 10. & 6.20. § lQ.—chap. vii. 18-24. The Apostle declares the abrogation of the former law relative to the priesthood, on account of its weakness and unprofitableness for the purposes of man's redemption — The Law of Moses made no man perfect; but the introduction of a better hope, and a better priesthood, perfected and completed the Law, and enables all, (and not the high priest only.) by the sacrifice of Christ, to approach before the altar of God — The priest- hood of Christ was consecrated by an oath, to show its immutability, and its superiority to that priesthood which was established without an oath for a time only, to be changed at God's pleasure ; by which solemn oath, Jesus was made surety, or sponsor, of a better testament than that of Moses, in which there were many priests by reason of § 16. deatli — But the priesthood of Christ, confirmed by an oath, cannot pass on to any suc- o Rom. 8. 3. Gal. cossor, because he lives for ever. 6 Acts 13. 39. '^ For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going 28"& h' ^'''g a before for "the weakness and unprofitableness thereof, '■' (for 'the Law 2. 10. cii.'g. 9. made nothing perfect,) *but the bringing in of '^a better hope did, by tiJlrinJi'nTh,, thc which ''wc draw nigh unto God. -''And inasmuch as not without ^^'■??o'. o an oath he was made Priest: -^ (for those priests were made twithout 6 ch. 6. 18. &, 8. V » ^ 6. an oath ; but ihis with an oath by Him that said unto him, — <f Rom.5.2, E|)h. ^ ci/4 HiV^b " '^''® Lord sware and will not repent, 19- Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:") f Or, without Zih""" "'^ "'"' ^~by SO much -^was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. e Ps. 110.4. -^ And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered •^i5.'&i2. 24^" to continue by reason of death ; -^ but This Man, because he continueth X Or, irkichri-^s- ever, hath tan unchangeable priesthood. eth not from one to another. Sect. I.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 369 § 17. — chafp. vii. 25, to the end. The Apostlo applies the argument, by asserting that as the priesthood of Christ is un- changeable, as Clirist ever lives in the body, he is able to save to the uttermost those who approach to God through his mediation and intercession — Such a High Priest was suitable to man, who was holy and merciful, undefiled by any sinful infirmity, separated from sinners and worldly occupations, and more exalted than all the angels of God, who required not, as the Jewish priests, to offer a daily sacrifice for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people — He offered no sacrifice for himself, but for the people, once, on the cross — For the Law, v^'hich is imperfect, makes men high priests who are imperfect, and therefore need repeated sacrifices, but the word of the oath (Psalm ex.) which was five hundred years from the giving of the Law, constituted the Son a High Priest for ever, by which the priesthood of the Law was disannulled — The Apostle, throughout, infers, that those who apostatized from Christianity to Judaism left the perfect for the imperfect, and that which remained for ever for that which was now abrogated. § 17. ^^ Wherefore He is able also to save them *to the uttermost that * o^ evermore. come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth "to make intercession "n°m'. a. s.'ch. for them. ^^ For such a High Priest became us, ^ivho is holy, harmless, ^24. uoima. undefiled, separate from sinners, "and made higher than the heavens ; » eh. 4. 15. ~^who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, '^io.''ch.'8^?.'*'^" ''first for his own sins, 'and then for the people's : for ■'^this He did <^ ^"v. 9. 7. & . . Id. 6 11, cli, 5. once, when he offered up himself. -^ For the Law maketh ^men high 3.'&9. 7. priests which have infirmity ; but the word of the oath, which was 1 1''^"- ^^- '^- , • IT 7 7 I [>. I 1 • . I /■ /Rom. 6. 10. ch. smee the Law, maketh the bon, who is tconsecrated lor evermore. 9. 12,28. & 10. ' 12. Z. ^'ch. 5. 1,2. § 18. — chap. viii. 1-5. A ch. 2. 10. & 5. The Apostle asserts that of all the things he had discoursed on, the chief or principal was, , ' fid that Christians have a great High Priest, who is exalted to the throne of God, a minis- ter of the real Holy Places of the true Tabernacle, the Heavens ; which were erected by God, and not, as the Jewish tabernacle, by man — and as every high priest daily offers gifts and sacrifices on earth, it is essential that Christ, as a High Priest, should have some sacrifice also to offer in Heaven — On earth he could not have officiated as priest, as the family of Aaron were appointed to offer, in the Jewish temple, gifts ac- cording to the Law, whose ministrations are a shadow or copy of the ministrations of Christ in Heaven, as the tabernacle itself was a pattern of things in the heavens (Heb. ix. 23.) shown to Moses in the Mount. § 18. ^ Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We "^^f^'^'^i'^^' have such a High Priest, "who is set on the right hand of the throne 16, 12. & 12.' 2. of the Majesty in the heavens; ^a minister *of Hhe sanctuary, and *,2mo-"{ ^"'^ of "the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. ^ For * ch-'g. 8, 12, 24. ''every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices : wherefore '^ '^^■^■'^^• "it is of necessity that This Man have somewhat also to offer. ^ For if g Eph. 5.2. ch. He were on earth, he should not be a Priest, seeing that tthere are ^- ^'^■ priests that offer gifts according to tlie Law : ^ (who serve unto the ex- prlLuy"^^ ample and •'shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of -^9*^23 &Vo ^i*'' God when he was about to make the tabernacle : 'for, " See," saith He, g ex. 25. 40. & " that thou make all things according to tiie pattern showed to thee in Kum.s, 4.'Ac'ts the Mount.") ^■''• § 19. — chap. viii. 6, to the end The Apostle affirms that the Christian Priesthood is more excellent than the Levitical Priesthood, because it is established on better promises — the old covenant shadowino- ' out, by temporal and secular blessings, the eternal and spiritual blessings of the new — Had it not been temporary and imperfect, there would have remained no occasion for another — The inefficiency of the Old Covenant, and the superior nature of the New, shown by God himself, when he reproved the Jews by his prophet Jeremiah (xxxi. 31-34.) — The New Covenant was to be written on the hearts of men, influencino- their actions, and not, like the Old, on stone — Instead of one family being set apart to teach their brethren (Deut. x. 8.), all shall be eligible to the office of instructor, to teach the forgiveness of sins and iniquities, through faith in the blood and sacrifice of Christ — God, having promised a New Covenant, hath made the former covenant old — Now that which has become useless, and has fallen into old age, is ready to disappear, or to cease to exist. VOL. II. 47 370 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Part XV. § 19. a 2 Cor. 3. 6, 8, 9. ch. 7. 22. * Or, testament. b ch. 7. 11, 1& « Jer. 31.31, 32, 33,34. d ch. 10. 16. f Gr. give. % Or, upon. e Zech. 8. 8. / Is. 54. 13. John 6. 45. 1 John 2. 27. g Rom. U. 27. ch. 10. 17. A 2 Cor. 5. 17. g See Note 7. § 20. * Or, ceremonies, a Ex. 25. 8. h Ex. 26. 1. c Ex. 26. 35. & 40. 4. d Ex. 25. 31. e Ex. 25. 23, 30. Lev. 24. 5, 6. ■f Or, holy. /Ex.ar,. 31,33. & 40. 3,21. ch. 6. 19. g Ex. 2.5. 10. & 26. 33. & 40. 3, 21. ft Ex. If). .33, 34. i Num. 17. 10. 7 Ex. 25. IG, 21. & 34. 29. & 40. 20. Dent. 10. 2, 5. 1 Kinjs 8. 9, 21. 2 Chr. 5. 10 k Ex. 2-). 18, 22. Lev. 16.2. 1 Kings 8. 6,7. h See Note 8. / Num. 28. 3. D.n.8. 11. m Ex.30. 10. I.pv. 16. o, II, 12, 15, 34. ver. 25. ^ But now "hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the Mediator of a better * covenant, which was estab- hshed upon better promises. '' For 'if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. ^ For, finding fault with them, He "saith, — " Behold ! the days come, saith the Lord, When I will make a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah : ^ Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers In the day when I took them by the hand To lead them out of the land of Egypt ; Because they continued not in my covenant, And I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10 Yqx ''this is the covenant That I will make with the house of Israel After those days, saith the Lord ; I will fput my laws into their mind, And write them tin their hearts : And ^I will be to them a God, And they shall be to Me a people : ^^ And •'^they shall not teach every man his neighbour, And every man his brother. Saying, Know the Lord : For all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest. ^- For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. And 'their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." ^^ In ''that He saith, "A new covenan?'," He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.s § 20.— chap. ix. 1-10. The Apostle shows, from the nature of the tabernacle, and the services performed therein, that they were typical of something better to be hereafter — With this view he reminds them of the furniture in that part of the tabernacle which represented the visible world, called holy (Exod. xxv. 26-40.), and that also which was placed in that part of the tabernacle separated by the second veil, called the Holy of Holies — The tabernacle being thus arranged by divine direction, the priests always performed the service of God in the first part of it, which figured the worship men offer on earth to the invisible Deity — In the second part the high priest entered only one day in a year, and there offered up the blood of a sacrificed beast for the sins of himself and the people (Levit. xvi. 14, 15.) — The Holy Ghost, by whom all this was appointed, thereby signifying that the way into God's immediate presence was not made manifest to men by the worship of the first tabernacle ; which figure or shadow of future things remained in the Apostle's time (in the temple service) — when gifts and sacrifices are offered wliich could not take away thp guilt of sin from the mind — as they were the typos only of the spiritual purity required when the worship of God should be reformed by the Gospel dispensation. ^ Then verily the first covenant had also *ordinances of divine ser- vice, and a "worldly sanctuary. ^ For 'there was a tabernacle made; the first, 'wherein was 'the candlestick, and 'the table, and the show- bread ; which is called the tsanctuary. ^ And ^after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all ; "* which had the golden censer, and ^the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was ''the golden pot that had manna, and 'Aaron's rod that budded, and 'the tables of the covenant ; '^ and ^ over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy-seat ; of which we cannot now speak particularly.'* ^ Now when these things were thus ordained, 'the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God ; '' but into the second went the high priest alone "once every Sect. I.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 371 year, not without blood, "which he offered for himself, and for the y^- s- 3- & 7. errors of the people : Hhe "Holy Ghost this signifying, that ^the way o ch. 10.19,20. into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the First J 1^^^^%^;^^^ Tabernacle was yet standing : ^ which was a figure for the time then 7. is, ib. L 10. present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, Hhat could not ^ Lev. 11. 2. coi. make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience ; ^-^^^ ^^ ^ ^^ ^^ which stood only in 'meats and drinks, and 'divers washings, 'and \ Ep^2. is.'coi. carnal tordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. a.ao.ch.?. le. ^ \ Or, riles, or, ^'^'~^~~~ ceremonies. § 21. — chap. ix. 11-15. Having described the ineffectual ministrations of the Levitical priesthood in the earthly tabernacle, the Apostle shows that Christ was the Higli Priest of those good things or services which were thus prefigured ; having entered as High Priest with the sacrifice of his own blood, into tlie real holy places in heaven, and obtained for man everlasting remission of sin — If tlie ministrations of the Law, by divine appointment, served to cleanse the body for the tabernacle worship, and to redeem it from legal punishments, how much more will the blood of Christ, who being raised from the dead by the Spirit, and having ofiered his sacrificed body without blemish to God, possess power to purify the spirits of men (adumbrated by the cleansing of the body by the Law) from the pollution of sinful works, which merit death, and fit them for worsliipping God in heaven ; and on account of the eflicacy of his blood, Christ is the Mediator of the new . _ covenant or contract between God and man ; making a real atonement for transgressions " under the law of conscience and the Law of Moses, which tiie legal sacrifices could not " '^^' 3" ^' accomplish, that the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, might receive tlie promised in- *'''■ on heritance. ^ \^ jO \ ^^ But Christ being come, "a High Priest 'of good things to come, ^^^'^f^^ ^oi "by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle, not made with hands, that i. h. i Pet. 1. is to say, not of this building; ^- neither ''by the blood of goats and s.'g. " ' calves, but 'by his own blood ; He entered in 'once into the holy -^J^o's! cii.^io?'" place, "having obtained eternal redemption for us. ^^ For if ''the blood J"- of bulls and of goats, and 'the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, f i,e". ig. h, 15 sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: ^* how much more ■'shall the » Num. 19.2, 17, blood of Christ, 'who through the Eternal Spirit 'offered himself with- j 1 Pet. 1. 19. out *spot to God, '"purge your conscience from "dead works "to serve Revt'1.^5.^' the livino; God ! ^•'' And ''for this cause 'He is the Mediator of the New k Rom. 1. 4. I Pot *i AH Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the trans- / Eph. 2. 5. Tit. gressions that were under the First Testament, "they which are called 2. 14. di. 7. 27. might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. *, /^ " 3] ^^ ^g. 22. " ' " § 22.— chap. ix. 16-22. « ^^- ^■}- , , Luke I. /4. The Apostle proceeds, by proving that remission of sins could be obtained only by the Rom. 6. 13, 22. death of Clirist — God, whenever he entered into covenant with man, having made the ^'." ~' B 1 Tim 2 5 death of an appointed sacrifice necessary to its ratification, thereby intimating that his „ ch 7 '^' SlS intercourse with man was founded on the sacrifice of his Son — He shows, from the prac- 6. &, 12. 24. tice both of God and man, that the death of Christ was necessary to the establishment of *■ Kom. 3. 25. & . .5. 6. 1 Pel. 3. the New Covenant, as no covenant was of force while the appointed sacrifice lived — jg. ' For which reason the covenant at Sinai, which was a renewal of that under which s ch, 3. 1. Adam was placed in Paradise, was not made without blood (Exod. xxiv. 5-0.) — The tabernacle also, and the vessels of the ministry, were consecrated to the service of God by the sprinkling of blood (Exod. xxix. 12.) — And the Law with this view appointed § 22. almost all things to be cleansed with blood (Lev. xvii. 1 1 . Numb. .xix. 2-10.), and with- * Or, be brought out the shedding of blood it allowed no remission of sin. '"• = . a Gal. 3. 15. 1^ For where a testament is, there must also of necessity *be the b e.x. 24. 6, &c. death of the testator; ^"^ for "a testament is of force after men are tor,pi/ryfc(i. dead; otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth : 'Lev.le. 14, is,' ^^ whereupon 'neither tlie First Testament was tdedicated without ^'lbv h 4 6 7 blood. ^^ For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people 49,51,52. ' according to the Law, 'he took the blood of calves and of goats, ''with ^ ex. 24j8.*Matt. water, and tscarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and ^^- ^- all the people, -''saying, ''This 'is the blood of the Testament which Lev'. 8. 15719,* God hath enjoined unto you." -^ Moreover '^he sprinkled likewise with f8,\\^^' ^^'^^ 372 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Part XV. g Lev. 17. 11. blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. --And almost all things are by the Law purged with blood ; and ^without shedding of blood is no remission. § 23. a ch. 8. 5. b ch. 6. 20. c ch. 8. 2. d Rom. 8. 34. ch. 7. 25. 1 John 2. 1. e ver. 7. / ver. 12. ch. 7. 27. & 10. 10. 1 Pet. 3. 18. g 1 Cor. 10. 11. Gal. 4. 4. Eph. 1. 10. h Gen. 3. 19. Eccles. 3. 20. i 2 Cor. 5. 10. Rev. 20. 12, 13. j Rom. 6. 10. 1 Pet. 3. 18. k 1 Pet. 2. 24. 1 John 3. 5. I Matt. 26. 28. Rom. 5. 15. TO Tit. 2. 13. 2 Pet. 5. 12. § 21. a Col. 2. 17. ch. 8. 5. & 9. 23. b ch. 9. II. c ch. 9. 9. d ver. 14. * Or, they would liavr, ceased to be offered, because, Sfc. e Lev. 16.21. ch. 9.7. / Mic. fi. 6, 7. ch. 9. 13. vor. H. § 23. — chap. ix. 23, to the end. The Apostle having demonstrated that there could be neither pardon of sin, nor admission into heaven, without the sacrifice of the death of Christ, it was necessary that the Tab- ernacle and its utensils, which were the earthly representations of celestial things, should be opened to man, and cleansed from defilement by the sacrifices of bulls and goats, whose substituted life typified the vicarious sacrifice of Christ, but the real heavenly places themselves could be opened only to man by the actual offering of the heavenly victim — Christ not being an earthly High Priest (viii. 4.) entered into heaven itself, presenting his crucified body there as the High Priest and Mediator between God and man, in the manifestation of the divine presence forever — His sacrifice, being more excellent than those of the Levitical priesthood (which were continued emblems of the same), required no annual repetition, or he must have suffered yearly since the world was formed — He offered himself once for all, in the last of the dispensations of God, and by his one sacrifice be fulfilled and put an end to the typical sin offerings of the Mosaic Law (Dan. ix. 24.), subduing sin, and obtaining in the human nature pardon for all, by the sacrifice of his flesh — And as all men, on account of Adam's transgres- sion, are appointed by God once to die, and after that the judgment ; so Christ, as the second Adam, suffered death (v. 8, 9.), and made an atonement for the sins of the first, and through him of all mankind, that he might appear again as the High Priest of the human race, in the glory of the Shechinah (in allusion to the Jewish high priest on the day of purification, Numb. vi. 23-26. Luke i. 19-23.), to bless his people with eternal salvation. ^^ It was therefore necessary that "the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these ; but the heavenly things them- selves with better sacrifices than these. ^'^ For 'Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands (which are the figures of "the true) ; but into heaven itself, now ''to appear in the presence of God for us. ^^ Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as 'the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others ; -^ (for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world :) but •'^now ^once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. ^^ And ''as it is appointed unto men once to die, *but after this the judgment : -^so •'Christ was once *of- fered to bear the sins 'of many ; and unto them that "look for Him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. § 24. — chap. X. 1-4. The Apostle, having fully asserted the inefficacy of the typical representations and cere- monies of the Law, declares that as a shadow or faint adumbration of the spiritual and eternal blessings, which were to come by the Gospel, it can never by its emblematical sacrifices confer the real pardon of sin, which is further demonstrated from the annual repetition of the legal sacrifices, when the people's former sins were still remembered, and confessed as unpardoned, and unexpiated ; and the impossibility that the blood of ani- mals could take away the sins of accountable moral agents. ^ For the Law having "a shadow ''of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, "can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto ''per- fect. ^For then *would they not have ceased to be offered, because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins ? •' But 'in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. ** For ^it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. § 25. — chap. X. 5-10. The Apostle, in the words of David (Ps. xl. 6-8. Septuagint), points out the design of the legal sacrifices, and the manner in which Clirist fulfilled them — it being impossible that sin could be removed, or tiie Divine Justice satisfied, by all the typical and atoning Sect. L] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 373 offerings and sacrifices of the Law— A body was prepared for Christ, that he might do the will of God, to suffer and die for men, as was predicted in the volume of the Mosaic Law and Prophecies — The Apostle argues from this prophetic Psalm, that as God has declared he willed no longer the sacrifices prescribed by the Law, and as Christ has fulfilled them all by accomplishing man's redemption according to the appointed will of God, it is evident the first and typical sacrifices are abolished, that the only real and permanent sin offering of the Gospel may be established — the sacrifice of flesh in the body of Christ, whicji is the appointed will of God for the sanctification of men. S •^• ^ Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He "saith, — V 50.^8, i^c^'ii,. 1. 11. Jer. 6. 20! " Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, Amos 5. 21, 22. But a body *hast thou prepared me : *M^'me.'^' ^ In burnt offerings and sacrijices for sin Thou hast had no pleasure. "^ Then said I, Lo, I come (In the volume of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God ! ^ Above when he said, " Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin Thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein ;" (which are offered by the Law ;) ^ then said he, " Lo, I come to do thy will, [O God !]" He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. ^° By Hhe which will we are sanctified 'through the offering ^e/u'ia/ie.^^' of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. <= cii. 9. 12. ^S 26.— chap. X. 11-18. The Apostle points out the difference between the efficacy of the legal sacrifices and the sacrifice of Christ, and the difference between the Levitical Priesthood and the Priest- hood of Christ — The former were many, and made daily offerings, without being able to take away the smallest sin — But Christ, once for all, by his one offering, which is for ever efficacious in the presence of God, has put away all sin, and has obtained eternal pardon and life for those who are sanctified by faith in this atonement, as is testified by the Holy Ghost (Jer. xxxi. 33, 34. and viii. 10-12.), and where a perfect pardon is obtained, whereby God is reconciled to man, there can be no need of any further sin offering ; consequently the Jewish ritual must be abolished. § 26. ^^ And every priest standeth "daily ministering and offering often- '^J^^^^-^j^' ^• times the same sacrifices, 'which can never take away sins: ^-but & ver.4. "This Man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat c ci,. ].3. coi. down on the right hand of God ; ^-^ from henceforth expecting ''till his d Ps. no. 1. enemies be made his footstool. ^^ For by one offering "he hath per- i^corf'isfas. fected for ever them that are sanctified. ^^ Whereof the Holy Ghost '^''- ^- ^^ also is a witness to us : for after that He had said before, — e ver. 1. i^"This-^is the covenant that 1 will make with them •^ch!''8.^i6,^i2.^^' After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts. And in their minds will I write them ; ^"^ * And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." * Some copies '■ have, T/ie7i he ^^Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. '"' ' '" '"'^' § 27.— chap. X, 19-25. The Apostle, having ended his doctrinal arguments, exhorts the Hebrews, as they have now full access to heaven itself, through the blood of Christ, a great High Priest offerino- up his own sacrifice in heaven, the true house of God, to approach tiie throne of God with a sincere heart, and faith in the blood of Christ, spirituallv cleansed (Num. xix. 2-10. Lev. xvi. 4. Num. viii. 7.), to be steadfast in the confession of their hope of eternal life, for God is faithful, who has promised it through Christ ; assisting each other under trials, and exciting to love and good works : not absenting themselves from the worship of God, as some of the Christian Jews did, on account of persecution or § ^/. prejudice against the Gentile converts ; but exhorting and comforting one another the « Ko"". 5. 2. Eph more, as they see the judgments of God approach on the Jewish nation. ^"^ \., ^^ Having therefore, "brethren, *boldness to enter 'into The Holiest » ch.g. 8, 12. by the blood of Jesus, ^^ by 'a new and living way, which he hath '14? e? ch! 9." ^ VOL. II. FF 374 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Part XV. f Or, new made. d ch. 9. 3. e ch. 4. 14. / 1 Tim. 3. 15. ^ ch. 4. 16. h Eph. 3. 12. Jam. 1. 6. 1 John 3. 21. i ch. 9. 14. j Ezek. 3(3. 25. 2 Cor. 7. 1. k ch. 4. 14. I 1 Cor. 1.9. & 10. 13. 1 Tljes.s. 5. 24. 2 Thess. 3. 3. ch. 11. 11. m Acts 2. 4J. Jude 19. n Rom. 13. 11. Phil. 4. 5. 2Pet. 3. 9, 11, 14. § 28. a Num. 15. 30. cli. 6. 4. 6 2Pet. 2.20, 21. c Ezek. 36. 5. Zeph. 1. 18. & 3. 8. 2 Thess. 1. 8. ch. 19. 29. d ch.2. 2. e Deut. 17. 2, G. & 19. 15. Matt. 18. 16. John 8. 17. 2 Cor. 13. 1. / ch. 2. 3. & 12. 25. g See Mark 1. 1. A 1 Cor. 11. 29. ch. 13. 20. i Matt. 12. 31, 32. Eph. 4. 30. j Deut. 32. 3.5. Rom. 12. 19. k Deut. 32. 36. Ps. 50. 4. & 135. 14. I Luke 12. 5. § 29. a Gal. 3. 4. 2 John 8. b ch. 6. 4. c Phil. 1. 29, 30. Col. 2. 1. d 1 Cor. 4. 9. e Phil. 1.7. & 4. 14. 1 Thees. 2. 14. /Phil. 1.7. 2 Tim. 1. 16. g Matt. 5. 12. Acts .5. 41. Jam. 1.2. * Or, that, ye have in yourselves, or, for ijourselves. h Matt. 6. 20. & 19. 21. Luke 12. 33. 1 Tim. 0. 19. i Matt. 5. 12. &, 10. 32. j Luko 21. 19. Gal. 6. 9. ch. 12. 1. k Col. 3. 24. ch. 9. 15. 1 Pot. 1. 9. I Luke 18. 8, 2 Pet. 3. 9. TO Hub. 2. 3, 4. n Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 3. 11. tconsecrated for us, "^tfirough the veil (that is to say, his flesh), ~^ and having 'a. High Priest over ■'the House of God ; — let 'us draw^ near with a true heart 'in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled 'from an evil conscience. And ^our bodies washed with pure water, ^^ let *us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; (for 'He is faithful that promised :) ^^ and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, ^^ not "forsaking the assem- bling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is ; but exhorting one another : and "so much the more, as ye see "the day approaching. § 28.— chap. X. 26-31. The Apostle, from the fear that neglect of Christian communion should lead to apostacy, declares that for those who renounce Christianity, after having been convinced of the truth, there remains no other atonement for sin, but a dreadful expectation of judgment, which will destroy the Jewish nation, as the opposers of God (Num. xvi. 35. and 2 Thess. i. 7, 8. which was fulfilled in the destruction of their temple and city by fire) — For if those who denied the divine authority of Moses' Law, who was only a servant, died without mercy (Num. xV. 30. Deut. xvii. 6.), how much more severely will they be punished who have rejected and treated with contempt the Son of God, and have counted his sacrificial blood, that ratified the new covenant of their redemption, as that of a common or unholy person, and who have insulted the Holy Spirit, by whose gifts the truths of the Gospel were confirmed ! — That the punishment of apostates is certain, is evident from the word of God himself, who has declared he will judge the ene- mies of his people (Deut. xxxii. 35, 36.) — And God, who lives for ever, can punish for ever. -^ For "if we sin wilfully 'after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, -''' but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and ^fiery indignation, which shall de- vour the adversaries. ^^ He ''that despised Moses' Law died without mercy 'under two or three witnesses : -^ of ■'how much sorer punish- ment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot "'the Son of God, and ''hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, 'and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace ! ^^ For we know Him that hath^said, " Ven- geance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, [saith the Lord]." And *^again, " The Lord shall judge his people." ^i It 'is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God ! ^S 29.~chap. X. 32, to the end. As a further inducement to them to continue in the faith, he reminds them of the suffer- ings and persecutions they had overcome, when they were first enlightened by the Gospel — From the remembrance of which the Apostle admonishes them not to re- nounce their faith in Christ, but to have continued patience, that they may patiently suffer for the faith here, that they may receive the promise of eternal life hereafter — Further, to encourage them to perseverance, the Apostle reminds them, in the words of Habakkuk (chap ii. 3.), of the faithfulness of God in performing his promises of de- liverance, and that the just shall be preserved by his faith (fulfilled in the escape of the Christifins from Jerusalem) — But those who through fear draw back from their faith in God, expose themselves to eternal perdition. 22 But "call to remembrance the former days, in which, ''after ye were illuminated, ye endured 'a great fight of afflictions ; ^^ partly, whilst ye were made ''a gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflic- tions ; and partly, whilst 'ye became companions of them that were so used. 2* For yc had compassion of me ■'in my bonds, and ^took joy- fully the spoiling of your goods, knowing *in yourselves that '*ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. ^•' Cast not away there- fore your confidence, 'which hath great recompence of reward. '-^^ For ^ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, *ye might receive the promise. ^^ For 'yet a little while, and '"He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. '^'^ Now "the just shall live by faith : but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Sect. I.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 375 ^^ But we are not of them "who draw back unto perdition; but of 2Pet. 2. 20,21. them that ^beheve to the saving of the soul. ^1 Thess.'s^g.^^" 2 Thess. 2. 14. § 30.— chap. XI. 1-7. As a further inducement to the Hebrews to persevere in the faith and patience of the Gospel, the Apostle reminds them of the wonderful effects of justifying faith, exem- plified in the lives of their ancestors — He describes faith as " giving present subsistence to future things hoped for," on the promises of God ; and a clear demonstration to the mind of the reality of those revealed truths which have been, and which are to come — By this spiritual faculty their ancestors obtained from God an honorable testimony — At the beginning, the formation of the material universe, from no preC'xistent matter, was the subject of faith (Gen. i. 1.) — In every dispensation of God there has been but one appointed means of salvation — This is instanced in the Adamic- covenant in the faith of Abel, who, by his accepted sacrifice, declares to this day the necessity of an atonement for reconciliation with God — In the translation of Enoch, which teaches that without a faith in the invisible God, and a correspondent life, it is not possible to please him — Noah, having faith in the revelation imparted to him by God, when there were no signs of the flood, prepared the ark, and, as the second common progenitor of man, became heir to this justification by faith, and his temporal deliverance typified the eternal redemption of all his spiritual children. § 30. ^ Now faith is the *substance of things hoped for, the evidence "of * or,jrround, or, things not seen. ^ For ''by it tlie elders obtained a good report. Zlfi'deMeipLtll ^ Through faith we understand that '^the worlds were framed by the 'T'^^^n. «. ~ . . J a Kom. 8. 24, 25. Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things f^or. 4. js. & which do appear. 4 ve'r. 39. ^ By faitii ''Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than <^ J^e"?- '• ■■• p«- Cain, by wliich he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testi- ch. j . 2. 2 Pe't. ' fying of his gifts : and by it he being dead ^yet tspeaketh. ^ G(;,i. 4. 4. •'' By faith •'Enoch was translated that he should not see death ; and ^ •^°''" ^- '^- . . e rJen. 4. 10 was not found, because God iiad translated him: for before his trans- Matt.' as. 35. ch. lation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. ^ But without faith ^or uyetspoken it is impossible to please Him : for he that cometh to God must be- "-'"• lieve that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently wis"i.'4. 10. seek Him. ' I'tXt ''' ^ By faith "Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, s" c:en. e. 13, 22. . ' o _ r^ _ J ' Ecclus. 4. 17. tmoved with fear, ''prepared an ark to the saving of his house ; by the lox, hdn<r wary. which he condemned the world, and became heir of Hhe righteous- '«iPet. 3. 20. I • U • U r -t! i Kom. 3. 22. & ness which is by laith. 4. 13. phn. 3. 9. § 31.— c/i,a?j. xi. 8-19. Abraham, with whom God more particularly entered into covenant, had implicit faith in the promises of God, when he left his own country by the direction of God, in search of a land which he had never seen nor heard of — He dwelt in tabernacles in the land of promise, showing that he and his heirs had no fixed habitation on earth — by faith in the promises of God, Sarah became a mother, contrar}' to the common course of nature, by the supernatural birth of Isaac — Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob, continued steadfast in th^ belief of the promises, which they did not see fulfilled, believing that God would give them the numerous promised seed, and the heavenly rest of Canaan — These were strangers and pilgrims on earth, looking for the country in which their fathers dwelt, better than the earthly Canaan — Not Chaldea, which they had lefl, and might have re- turned to ; but in faith they sought for a heavenly inheritance and spiritual blessings (Acts vii. 2-5.) — They desired no earthly country, therefore God has assumed the title of their God (the God of the Hebrews), and has prepared for them the heavenly city they sought — By faith Abraham laid Isaac upon the altar, though he had no other son to in- herit the promises, concluding that God would fulfil them by raising him from the dead — from whence he received him as a type of the resurrection of the only-begotten Son of God — By this great exercise of his faith and piety he was made the pattern of all believers, fully illustrating the doctrine of justification by faith, and testifying that the patriarchs believed in the immortality of the soul, and the resurrection of the body, and that they rested not on temporal promises. § 31. ^By faith "Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place a Gen._i2. i, 4. which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed ; and he went " ''^^ '*' ' 376 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Part XV. b Gen. 12. 8. & 13. 3, 18. & 18. 1,9. c ch. 6. 17. d ch. 12. 22. & 13. 14. e ch. 3. 4. Rev. 21. 2, 10. f Gen. 17. 19. & 18. 11, 14. & 21. 2. £■ See Luke 1. 36. h Rom. 4. 21. ch. 10. 23. t Rom. 4. 19. j Gen. 22. 17. Rom. 4. 18. * Gr. according to faith. k ver. 39. I ver. 27. John 8. 56. TO Gen. 23. 4. & 47. 9. 1 Chron. 29. ]5. Ps. 39. 12. & 119. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 17. & 2. 11. n ch. 13. 14. o Ex.3. 6, 15. Matt. 22. 32. Acts 7. 32. p Phil. 3. 20. ch. 13. 14. q Gen. 22. 1, 9. r Jam. 2. 21. t Or, to. s Gen. 21. 12. Rom. 9. 7. t Kom. 4. 17, 19, 21. out, not knowing whither he went. ^ By faith he sojourned in [the] land of promise, as in a strange country, ''dweHing in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, '^the heirs with him of the same promise : ^^ for he looked "^for a city which hath foundations, ^vhose builder and maker is God. ^^ Through faith also •'^Sara herself received strength to con- ceive seed, and °'was delivered of a child when she was past age, be- cause she judged Him ''faithful who had promised. ^^ Therefore sprang there even of one, and 'him as good as dead, 'so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innu- merable. ^•^ These all died *in faith, ''not having received the promises, but 'having seen them afar oflf, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and '"confessed that they were strangers and pilgrinis on the earth. ^^ For they that say such things "declare plainly that they seek a country. ^^ And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have re- turned ; ^^ but now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed "to be called their God; for ''he hath prepared for them a city. ^''By faith 'Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promises 'offered up his only-begotten son, ^^ tof whom it was 'said, " That in Isaac shall thy seed be called : " ^9 accounting that God 'was able to raise him up, even from the dead ; from whence also he received him in a figure. § 32. a Gen. 27. 27, 39. b Gen. 48. 5, 16, 20. c Gen. 47. 31. d Gen. .'•,0.24,2.-). Ex. 13. 19. * Or, remembered. e Exoil. 2. 2. Acts 7. 20. / Ex. 1. 16, 22. g Ex.2. 10, 11. h Ps. 84. 10. t ch. 13. 13. t Or, for Christ. i ch. 10. 2^. k Ex. 10. 28, 29. & 12. 37. & 13. 17, 18. I ver. 13. § 32.— chap. xi. 20-31. The appointed heirs of the Abrahamic covenant expressed the same strong faith in tlie promises of God — by faith in the divine impulse, Isaac foretold to his two sons the blessings which were to be bestowed on them and their posterity — By faith, his son Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph (Gen. xlviii. IG.) — Worshippers of God in prospect of admis- sion to the heavenly Canaan (Gen. xlvii. 31. and .xlix.30.) — In the full persuasion that God would give Canaan to Abraham and to his seed, Joseph, when ending his life, commanded that his bones might be carried with them from Egypt, that the promises mio-ht be fulfilled to him after his death (Gen. 1. 25. and Exod. xiii. 19.) — Moses was saved by the faith of his parents in the promises of God, who, judging from his appearance, or, as some suppose, from a revelation (Joscphus, lib. ii. cap. 9. § 5-7.) concealed him without fear of the king's commandment — By faith in the promises of God, Moses himself, as the type of the Great Deliverer, renounced all worldly dis- tinctions, preferring to suifer with the anointed people of God, as he looked for a hio-her reward in heaven — By faith he carried the Israelites out of Egypt, fearing God, wlio was invisible, rather than the wrath of Pharaoh, wliich was present to him — By faith lie sprinkled the blood of the paschal lamb (Exod. xii.), and by the same prin- ciple the Israelites passed through the Red Sea — By faith and obedience to the com- mand of God, the walls of Jericho miraculously fell down — Rahab, by faith in God, on account of the miracles he had wrought (Joshua ii. 10.), risked her life for the pro- tection of tlie spies, and perished not with the unbelievers at Jericho. ~" Bv faith "Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. -^ By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, ''blessed both the sons of Jo- seph ; and "worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff". ^~ By faith ''Joseph, when he died, *made mention of the departing of the chil- dren of Israel ; and gave commandment concerning his bones. "■' By faith. 'Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child ; and they were not afraid of the king's •'^commandment. ^"^ By faith 'Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter ; ^'^ choosing ''rather to suffer alHiction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ; -"^ esteeming 'the reproach tof Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto^the recompence of the reward. ~^ By faith '^he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as 'seeing Him Sect. I.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 377 who is invisible, ^s Through faith "he kept the Passover, and the "J."- ^^- ^^' sprinkHng of blood, lest He that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. 29 By faith "they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land : which « Ex. 14.22,29. the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. 3° By faith "the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were com- Josi.. 6.20. y , ^ , p Josh. 6. 23, passed about seven days. jam. 2. 25. ^1 By faith ''the harlot Rahab perished not with them tthat believed ^J^li^J^^^''"'^ not, when 'she had received the spies with peace. q Joshua 1. 1. § 33. — chap. xi. 32, to the end, and xii. 1, 2. The Apostle, having shown the nature and efficacy of faith by many illustrious examples from the Adamic and Patriarchal dispensations, now proves that the same active prin- ciple of faith directed, in all their great exploits, the judges, heroes, prophets, and kings, of the Mosaic dispensation — These all suffered and triumphed over the con- tempt and persecution of the world ; supported by a firm and lively faith in things not seen, and in the expectation of the promised glories of a future state — But they had not yet received the heavenly rest, and that glorious reward promised to Abraham § 33. and to his seed — God having provided a better revelation, and a better means of faith, a Jud?. 6. 11. which made perfect all that had preceded, at the end of which all the spiritual children * ^"'js- 4. 6. of Abraham, from the beginning to the completion of the Divine Economy, may be ^ j^^^ ^j' j '^ collected into one Church, and be admitted together, after the resurrection, to the full 12. 7? perfection of the Gospel blessings (Rev. vi. 11.) — The Apostle, in application of these ^A^?"},^?*-^' arcruments, exhorts them to imitate the faith and obedience of their eminent ancestors, ^ , ' ' ' . ■=■ „ ., ,1.^ ■■■,■,■ /I Sam. 1. 20. & who will bear testimony for or against them, looking from worldly to spiritual things, to 12. 20. Jesus, who is the author, and by his own sufferings, the most perfect example of truth, g 2 Sam. 7. 11, enduring the cross for the glory and happiness of man's redemption. ^' ^^ And what shall I more say ? for the time would fail me to tell of 35^'J5';„^g ^^j "Gedeon, and of ''Barak, and of ^Samson, and of "^Jephthae ; of 'David j Dan. 3. 25. also, and ■'Samuel, and of the Prophets : ^^ who through faith subdued i ^^.^"'; jgo* kingdoms, wrought righteousness, ^obtained promises, ''stopped the 2Kinis6. le! mouths of lions, ^'^ quenched 'the violence of fire, ■'escaped the edge of ''^^jlf^.'io. the sword, ''out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, p^- 6- s. ^turned to flight the armies of the aliens. ^^ Women '"received their i Lm. u. 13, " dead raised to life again. And others were "tortured, not accepting ^o';'2^am'. 8.''i, deliverance ; that they might obtain a better resurrection : ^^ and ^^^ ^ ,y -, "others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover ^of 2 Kings''4. 35. bonds and imprisonment : -^^ they 'were stoned, they were sawn asun- "^f &^7 7 &c. der, were tempted, were slain with the sword: '^they wandered about Acts22.-25. *in sheep-skins and goat-skins ; being destitute, afflicted, tormented, " Gen'39.20'. ^^ (of whom the world was not worthy ;) they wandered in deserts, J^r. 20. 2. &. 37. and in mountains, and 'in dens and caves of the earth. g 1 Kings 21. 13. ^^ xlnd these all, "having obtained a good report through faith, re- ActsTsl.^&^i-i. ceived not the promise : ''^ God having *provided "some better thing ^^- I ^ r 2 Kin^s 1. 8. for us, that they without us should not be "made perfect. Matt. 3. 4." ^ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a * ^^f.'"- ^^- ■*• cloud of witnesses, ""let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which 19. 9."'^ doth so easily beset ?w, and ^let us run ''with patience the race that is " ^■«''-2, i3- set before us, ^ looking unto Jesus the t Author and Finisher of our faith ; ^, ch'. 7. 22. & 8. "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising ^• the shame, 'and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 23. Rev. e. 11. ' X Col. 3. 8. 1 Pet. 2. 1. 5 3^.— chap. xii. 3-13. v 1 Cor- 9- 24. Further to encourage them, under persecutions and trials, to faith and patience, the - Rom. 12. 12. Apostle calls upon them to give particular attention to the greater sufferings of Christ, "h. 10. 36. and reminds them of the exhortation of the Word of God (Prov. iii. 11, 12.), that t Or, Beginner. chastisements are tokens of the divine favor, proving that "God considers them beloved "phii. 2.8 &c. sons, and not as bastards, who are disregarded and neglected — Their earthly parents 1 Pet. 1. 11. corrected them for faults, and were reverenced under penalty of death (Deut. xxi. IS- ^,^%' i^^'g^'Qi 21.) ; how much more important to be subject to the Father of spirits, that they may 1 Pet. 3. 22. VOL. II. 48 FF* 378 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Part XV. live for ever ? — These chastened them during the few days of tliislife, after their own will and convenience ; but God chastens all for their advantage, tliat they may be made holy, and disciplined to righteousness; the peaceful fruit of God's chastise- ment — From these considerations he exhorts those who have been thus benefited by affliction, not to be discomforted, and driven away from Clirist (Isa. xxxv. 3.). but to make every possible exertion under their temptations and afflictions, removing every obstacle that impedes their own and others' treading in the Christian path, that those who have been already alarmed by forsaking it, may not be totally prevented from proceeding on the road to Sion; but be rather healed and restored from their falls and t 34 weaknesses. a Matt. 10. 24, ^ FoR "coiisider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners 25. John 15. 20. against hinrself, Mest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. ^ Ye b Gal. 6. 9. ci • 1 111 • • c c 1 Cor. 10. 13. have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin ; ^ and ye have ch. 10.32,33, forgotten the ''exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, — <J Job 5. 17. Prov. ,, tit i • j i i • ,• i t 3. II. " My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, ^iTg.' 75! iPr'of. 3. ^o'' ^SL\nt when thou art rebuked of him : Rev^ T'19' ^^' ^ ^^^ Vhom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, " /Deut. 8. 5. And scoureeth every son whom he receiveth." 2 Sam. 7. 14. ^ & 19." 18.' & 23. ^ If "^ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for ^^- what son is he whom the father chasteneth not ? ^ But if ye be without ff Ps 73 1 • 1 Pet. 5. 9. chastisement, "whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not ^st!" 6." Job ^12.*^ sons. ^Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected J"- Eccies. 12 us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in 16. Zech. "12. 1, subjection unto ''the Father of spirits, and live ? ^° For they verily for *ir?oVor?«iTcuo ^ fsw days chastened us *after their own pleasure ; but He for our them. profit, 'that we might be partakers of his holiness. ^^ Now no chasten- 19. 2! 1 Pet. 1. ing for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless • ^^'^^'o ,0 afterward it vieldeth 'the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them J Jam. 3. 18. 1 • 1 ' • 1 1 1 k Job 4. 3, 4. Is. which are exercised thereby. Eciiu^25.23. ^~ Wherefore ''lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble z Prov. 4. 26, 27. knccs ; 1"^ and 'make tstraight paths for your feet, lest that which is m GahTi. lame be turned out of the way ; "'but let it rather be healed. § 35. — chap. xii. 14-17. The Apostle exhorts them to cultivate peace, as far as possible, with all men, and Christian lioliness of heart and life, carefully observing lest any among them show a disposition to apostatize from the Gospel, lest any poisonous plant spring up and cor- rupt many ; or any fornicator or profane person, who should abuse the liberty of the Gospel, such as Esau, who bartered his high blessings and privileges of the firstborn (Gen XXV. 32. 34. Exod. xix. 22. Deut. xxi. 17.) for present and sensual gratifica- tions — The Apostle further insinuates, that as Esau found no change or repentance in his father's mind (Gen. xxvii. 33.) when he afterwards sought the blessing and domin- ion over his brethren (Gen. xxvii. 37.) with tears ; so, if they despise their heavenly r OK birthrights by renouncing the Gospel, there would be no way left of regaining them. a Ps. 34. 14. ^^ Follow "peace with all men, and holiness, Hvithout which no man ?;"^- i'-rV,.'^- ^ shall see the Lord: ^^ looking 'dili<]rently ''lest any man *fail of the 22. grace of God ; 'lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, *2'co"'7.K Eph. and thereby many be defiled ; ^^ lest •'there be any fornicator, or profane 5- 5- person, as E.sau, ^who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. '''' For dGa^s. 4. y^ know how that afterward, ''when he would have inherited the * Or, fall/mm. blessiug, lic was rcjcctcd : 'for he found no tplace of repentance, 'cK'il^' ^^' though he sought it carefully with tears. / Eph. 5. 3. Col. ^i^-ii"'"'^-'' § 36.-c/,np. xii. 18-24. g Gen. 25. 33. The Apostle shows the superiority of the birthrights of the spiritual children of Abra- h Gen. 27. 34,36, h^ni, to those of his natural progeny, and tlierefore the greater sin of rejecting them, . / P g by contrasting the dispensation of the Law with that of the Gospel — Abraham's spirit- ] Or, mcujio ual children, by faith in the Gospel, are not called to receive the Law, which was to dtaiigelusmind prepare them for tlie earthly Canaan, to a mount capable of being touched, which burned with fire, and with those appalling signals of God's presence (Exod. xix.) Sect. 1.] THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 379 typical of his consuming anger against sinners, and the obscurity of the Law ; but they are called to receive the mild and gracious dispensation of grace, from Mount Sion (Actsi. 4.), which shall prepare them for worshipping in the Sion of the Chris- tian Church (Isa. Ix.), which is the city of the living God, of a heavenly, not of a worldly nature, including the whole family of heaven and earth, from the beginning to the end of time. § ♦^• ^^ For ye are not come unto "the Mount that might be touched, and a Ex. i9. 12, is, that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, oeut. 4.ii."&: ^^ and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words ; which voice they f^^j^ f°^^\ ^• that heard ''entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any j^gj'^go'",^" more: ^'^(for they could not endure that which was "commanded, Deut.5.'5,25.& " And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, ^ e,;, ,'g 13, or thrust through with a dart;" ^^ and so '^terrible was the sight! — <iEx. 19.16. that Moses said, " I exceedingly fear and quake : ") ^^ but ye are come %^^2^^f{_\^J- 'unto Mount Sion ; -^and unto the city of the hving God, the heavenly 10. ' Jerusalem; ^and to an innumerable company of angels;' ^3 ^^ the ^^^^'JJ-^f-^ general assembly and Church of Hhe firstborn, Svhich are *written in Ps. cs. n. Jude heaven, and to God^the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men i gee Note 9. *made perfect, -*and to Jesus 'the Mediator of the New fCovenant, a Ex. 4.22. Jam. and to "'the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things "than i Luke 10. 20.' that of Abel. ^y's.'- ^- ^^'- * Or, enrolled. § 37.— chap. xii. 25, to the end. J g^en. 18. 25. Ps. The Apostle, from the superior excellence of the Gospel Dispensation, entreats them j phji. 3. 12. ch. not to refuse the Mediator of this better covenant; for if their forefathers were 11.40. destroyed in the wilderness for disobedience to Moses, who spake on the part of God jj " to them on earth, their condemnation will be proportionably greater, who turn away | Or, Testament. from God, who speaks to them from heaven, by his Son, in the Gospel — At the giving m Ex. 24. 8. ch. of the Law his voice shook the earth — the power of heathen idolatry (Exod. xix. 18.), ^- ^^* ^ ^®^' ^" but now, in the New Dispensation, according to the prediction of the prophet (Haggai „ Gen. 4. 10. ch. ii. 6.), not only the idolatrous worship, but the Mosaic Economy, was also to be H- 4. shaken, which signifies the removal and change of those things constituted for a time, to make way for that better Dispensation which cannot be changed or shaken, which is to remain till the end of the world — From the unchangeable nature of the Gospel (Dan. vii. 18.), which, being the last dispensation of God, cannot be moved — St. Paul exhorts them to hold fast this heavenly gift, that they may serve God in the way that pleases him : for under the Gospel, as under the Law, God is a consuming fire to those who apostatize, and are disobedient to his will and commands. 5 ^'• 2^ See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For "if they escaped "jy^-^-ftj^*"^- not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shad not we 29. escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven. ~^ Whose * J^^- '^J,^* 'voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, "saying, " Yet kSeeNoteio. once more I shake not the earth only, but also'' heaven." 2''' And this W^ii^f^^^^ word, " Yet once more," signifieth ''the removing of those things that 2 i^ei. 3. 10. "^ > 1 • 1 Rev 21 I *are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot *or^maybe be shaken may remain. ^'^ Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which «a«^™- cannot be moved, tlet us have grace, whereby we may serve God /J/. acceptably with reverence and godly fear. ^^ For 'our God isa con- *D^ut^4'24&;9, suming fire. 3- f^- so. 3. & » 97. 3. Is. 66. 15. § 38. — chap. .xiii. 1-6. The Apostle exhorts the Hebrews to brotherly love, to acts of charity and mercy, receiv- ing into their houses strangers or travellers, after the example of Abraham and Lot (Gen. xviii. 3. xix. 2.) ; to have compassion for the sufferings of others, as those who 2 Thess. 1. 8. ch. 10. 27. § 38. are liable to the same evils, and to purity of conduct, from the fear of God's judg- j Thess. 4. 9! mcnts — He admonishes them not to covet what Providence has given to another, but 1 Pet. 1. 22. & to be content with those things which are given to themselves ; for God himself has 4" g_ .3 pgt. 1'. 7_ promised to protect and provide for them (Joshua i. 5. 1 Chron. xxviii. 20.) — Chris- IJohnS. ll,&.c. tians may with greater confidence apply this promise to themselves, and trust with , jiattas'so" David, in poverty and affliction, on the omnipotence of God (Psalm cxviii. (J. LXX.) Rom. 12. 13. ^ Let "brotherly love continue. ~ Be ''not forgetful to entertain stran- 1 Pet. '4. '9.' 380 THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. [Part XV. c Gen. 18. 3. & 19.2. d Matt. 25. 36. Rom. 12. 15. 1 Cor. 12. 26. Col. 4. 18. 1 Pet. 3. 8. 1 Cor. 6. 9. Gal. 5. 19, 21. Eph. 5. 5. Col. 3. 5, 6. Rev. 22. 15. / Matt. 6. 25, 34. Phil. 4. 11, 12. 1 Tim. 6. 6, 8. g Gen. 28. 15. Deut. 31. 6,8. Josh. 1. 5. 1 Chr. 28. 20. Ps. 37. 25. h Ps. 27. 1. &56. 4, 11, 12. & 118. 6. i So Knapp punc- tuates. See the place quoted in the O. T Ed. gers : for thereby "some have entertained angels unawares. ^ Remem- ber "^them that are in bonds, as bound with them ; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. ^ Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled : 'but whore- mongers and adulterers God will judge. ^ Let your conversation be without covetousness ; a7id ^be content with such things as ye have : for He hath ^said, " I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." ^ So that we may boldly ''say. The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear : What shall man do unto me V § 39. a ver. 17. * Or, are the guides, b ch. 6. 12. c John 8. 58. ch. I. 12. Rev. 1. 4. d Eph. 4. 14. & 5. 6. Col. 2. 4, 8. 1 John 4. 1. e Rom. 14. 17. Col. 2. 16. 1 Tim. 4. 3. / 1 Cor. 9. 13. & 10. 18. g Ex. 29. 14. Lev. 4. 11, 12, 21. &6. 30. &;9. II. & 16.27. Num. 19. 3. h John 19. 17,18. Acts 7. 58. t ch. 11. 26. 1 Pet. 4. 14. j Mic. 2. 10. Phil. 3. 20. ch. 11. 10, 16. & 12. 22. k Eph. 5. 20. 1 Pet. 2. 5. I Lev. 7. 12. Ps. 50. 14,23. (fc69. 30,31. & 107. 22. & 116. 17. m Hos. 14. 2. f Gr. confessing to. n Rom. 12. 13. 2 Cor. 9. 12. Phil. 4. 18. ch. 0. 10. § 40. B Phil. 2. 29. 1 Thess. 5. 12. 1 Tim. 5. 17. ver. 7. * Or, guide. § 39. — chap. xiii. 7-16. The Apostle, further to convince them that the promises of God never fail, desires them to remember the examples of the deceased teachers (perhaps James the apostle and James the bishop of Jerusalem) who presided over them, and to imitate their faith, considering the wonderful support they received at the end of their lives, when they suffered a violent death, in testimony of Jesus Christ, who is for ever unchangeable — On this account they are warned not to be carried away with various and unapos- tolical doctrines ; to have their hearts established in the efficacy of the sacrifice and death of Christ, for the pardon of sin, and not of the Levitical sacrifices of animals, appointed for meat, which cannot avail — Those who eat of the flesh of the sacrifices of the peace offerings and of the Law, trusting through them to be reconciled to God (Levit. xvii. 11-15.), have no right to eat of the sacrifice of the Christian altar; for, according to their own law, they are not to eat of any part of the animal whose blood had been offered as an atonement for sin, for the flesh of that animal was to be burned without the camp (Lev. xvi. 27.) — Christ, of whom this was the type, opened the heaven of heavens to man, by the sprinkling of his own blood (chap. xii. 24.), and offered his flesh as a living sacrifice without the gate of the city — He exhorts them so to follow Christ, making a living sacrifice of the flesh, renouncing this world, which is not their continuing city, and offering to God, through him, the only acceptable sac- rifice of praise and thankfulness, with acts of charity and mercy to man for Christ's sake. ''' Remember "them which *have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God ; ''whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. ^ Jesus Christ [is] '^the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. "^ Be ''not carried about with divers and strange doctrines ; for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, 'not Avith meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. ^^ We ■'^have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. ^^ For the "'bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. ^^ Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, ''suffered without the gate. ^^ Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing 'his reproach ; ^'* for ^here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. ^^ By *Him there- fore let us offer 'the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, ""the fruit of our lips tgiving thanks to his Name. ^^ But "to do good and to communicate forget not : for "with such sacrifices God is well pleased. § ^O.—chap. xiii. 17-21. The Apostle desires them to obey their lawful pastors and teachers, who are appointed to direct and govern them in spiritual things, and to give an account of their conduct to God — He desires their prayers also for himself, that ho may be restored to them the sooner — That though they may not approve his doctrines, he has delivered them faithfully, ever anxious to fulfil the duties of his apostleship — He solemnly prays that God, who brought back Jesus Christ from the dead, through tlie blood of his uncliange- able Covenant, may make them perfect in every good work, through the influences of the Holy Spirit, given to them by Jesus Christ, to whom the glory of man's salvation is to be for ever .tscribed. 1^ Obey "them that *havc the rule over you, and submit yourselves; Sect. II.] ST. PAUL VISITS ITALY, SPAIN, &c. 381 for *they watch for your souls, as they that must give account: that 33.1,7 Xd; 20. they may do it with joy, and not with grief ; for that is unprofitable ^^^- ^^ ^^ for you. ^^ Pray 'for us ; for we trust we have ''a good conscience, in Eph. h. 19. coi. all things wilhng to live honestly: ^^ but I beseech you 'the rather to 25. 2 Thesra. f. do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. %t!'ll^^ cof: 1. 20 Now -^the God of peace, 'that brought again from the dead our 12. Lord Jesus, ("that great Shepherd of the sheep 'through the blood of }l'^!^"l''^^: the everlasting tcovenant,) ~^ make^you perfect in every good work to iThess.5.23. do his will ; tvvorking *in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, ^Rom.%T2'4.'& 8. through Jesus Christ : 'to whom be glory for ever and ever ! Amen. fciL^is^'acor 4. 14. Gal. 1. 1. Col. 2. 12. 5 41. — cJiap. xiu. 22, to the end. 1 Thess. 1. 10. , , ,, , 1^ • J- J • * u- 1 Pet. 1.21. The Apostle, in conclusion, beseeches the Hebrews not to be so prejudiced against him /. - • 1 1 • xu u 4.' ^ Is. 4U. 11. as to prevent their receiving the brief instructions he has given them — tie mentions Ezek. 34. 23. & his desire of visiting thein with Timothy— His salutation and benediction. 37. 24. Jo^n^ 10. ~2 And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation : for 25'.&5.4. ^^ , . ., •' • r 1 i Zech. 9. 11. ch. I have written a letter unto you in lew words. lo. 22. 23 Know ve that ''our brother Timothy 'is set at liberty ; with whom, t Or, tc^^tament I 1 T -11 J 2 Thess. 2. 17. if he come shortly, I will see you. 1 Pet. 5. 10. 24 Salute all them ''that have the rule over you, and all the saints, t or, doing. They of Italy salute you. ^5 Grace 'be with you all ! Amen. ^ Gai'.'i. 5. ' [[Written to the Hebrews from Italy by Timothy.]] IJv.^^'e. *^' [end of the epistle to the HEBREWS.] § 41. a 1 Pet. 5. 12. 6 1 Thess. 3. 2. Section II. — After his Liberation, St. Paul visits Italy, Spain, Britain, and the West. c i Tim. 6. 12. [We cannot be certain what were the travels of St. Paul between his first and ^ ^^^'- ^' J^- second imprisonment at Rome. The probable accounts must be collected from the remaining testimony of the Second Epistle to Timothy, and the desire he had = expressed in his Epistles written before his liberation. Bishop Pearson, with many very eminent and learned theologians, has been of SECT. II. opinion, that when he left Italy he first proceeded to Spain, and the West. Bishop Stillingfleet, and, since his time, the learned Bishop Burgess in our own day, have V. M. 63-64. strenuously defended this opinion. ' ' J . In his Epistle to the Romans (chap. xv. 24.) he had long before expressed his ^BriVafnT' determination to go into Spain — " Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you : — for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company." There appears to be sufficient traditional evidence to satisfy us that the Apostle eventually fulfilled his determination. The testimonies of the first six centuries either expressly record St. Paul's journey to the West and to Britain, or offer such evidence of the propagation of Christianity in Spain and Britain, as coincides with these testimonies. L The first and most important is the testimony of Clemens Romanus, "the intimate friend and fellow-laborer of St. Paul." He says, that St. Paul, in preacliing the Gospel, went to the utmost bounds of the West, ini to tequu ttjc dvaeoi;. This is not a rhetorical expression, as Dr. Hales supposes, but the usual designation of Britain. Catullus calls Britain "Ultima Britannia," and " Ultima Occidentis Insula." The West included Spain, Gaul, and Britain. Theodoret speaks of tlie inhabitants of Spain, Gaul, and Britain, as dwelling in tlie utmost bounds of the West, lug tJjj kcmioag iaxctjlag. The connexion between Britain and the West will be seen in other passages quoted by Bishop Stillingfleet" ; and in the " °og'' •^""" following of Nicephorus'' — n^bg hansQWV hmenvov eladuluyv y.ul jug Boernvlxng b Hht.].ii.c.40. vTJffov? svayyeha&fierog. The utmost bounds of the West, then, is not rhetorical X"iV7^cci^. language in itself, for it is a common appellation of Britain ; nor as applied to St. Britan. p. 740. Paul, for it was said of others of the apostles. 2. In the second century (A. D. 17G), Irenseus speaks of Christianity as propa- gated to the utmost bounds of the earth, Iwc neQ^TMi' t^c ^Jjc, by the apostles and tlieir disciples ; and particularly specifies the churches planted {iv julg 'iSeQluig, 382 ST. PAUL'S riFTH APOSTOLICAL JOURNEY. [Part XV. c Lib. i. c. 2 &. 3. d Cluverii Intro. Oeorg. 1. xi. c. By the KeUoi, were meant the e Adversus Judce- os, c. 7. g Demonst. Evang. 1. iii h De Script. Eccles. and in Amos, c. 5. i Gibson's Cam- den's Britt. p. Ix.x. ed 1695. *:In2Ep. adTim 4.17. I Tom. i. inPs. 116. TO Orat p. 575. Tom. iv. and tV Jf^iTO(c) in Spain, and the Celtic nations" people of Germany, Gaul, and Britain'^. 3. At the end of the second and the beginning of the third century (A. D. 193- 220), Tertullian mentions, among the Christian converts, Hispaniai-um omnes termini, et Galliarum diversfE nationes d Britannorum inaccessa Romanis loca, Christo vero subdita\ Though Irenseus and Tertullian, in their testimonies, do not expressly mention St. Paul, yet the conversion of Britain to Christianity is recorded as the work of the apostles and their disciples. It is most interesting to find such writers speaking of their proximity to the origin of the Christian Church, and con- sequently of the perfect competency of tlieir testimony. " Hesterni sumus," says Tertullian, " et vestra omnia adimplevimus, urbes, insulas, castella, municipia, / Apoioget. c. 37. conciliabula, castra ipsa, tribus, Palatium, Senatum, forum-''. 4. In the fourth century (A. D. 270-340), Eusebiussays that some of the apostles passed over the ocean to the British isles, inl idj xalov/nivag BgeTUPlxag Pf\<rovg^ : and Jerome, in the same century (A. D. 329-420), ascribes this province expressly to St. Paul, and says that, after his imprisonment, having been in Spain, he went from ocean to ocean, and that he preached the Gospel in the western parts''. In the western parts he included Britain, as is evident from a passage in his Epita- phium MarcellsB'. .5. In the fifth century (423-460), Theodoret mentions the Britons among the nations converted by the apostles ; and says that St. Paul, after his release from imprisonment, went to Spain, and from thence carried the light of the Gospel to other nations'". He says also that St. Paul brought salvation to the islands that lie in the ocean', TaTg iv tw neXdiyei duxxsi/uivaig VTqaoig t-^v aqpilsiav Tr^oarjJ'fj'xe. If there could be any doubt whether the British islands were meant by the island that lies in the ocean, we have, besides the passage of Nicephorus, before quoted, the following of Chrysostom, who thus describes them: xal yuQ al BQerdiixai vriuoi ttl rr^g &uldTTTjg ixrog xelfisfai, xal iv aiia ovaui tcu 'Slxsocva, tr^g dwa/neoig Tov Qriumog rjadovTO^. 6. In the sixth century (560-600), Venantius Fortunatus says thus of St. Paul : Transit et Oceanum, vel qua facit insula portum, Quasque Britannus habet terras, quasque ultima Thule. This passage has been sometimes hesitatingly admitted, as if verse Avere necessarily the vehicle of fiction. But that the testimony of Venan- tius Fortunatus is not to be ascribed to the licence of poetical exaggeration, and that the language of Clemens, Jerome, and Theodoret, is neither ambiguous nor hyperbolical", we may judge from an authority, which will not be suspected of vol. i. p. 3, note making any undue concessions in favor of the evidences of Christianity, but who was well acquainted with the political facilities which the Roman empire at that time afforded for the universal propagation of the Gospel: "The public highways," says Mr. Gibbon, " which had been constructed for the use of the legions, opened an easy passage for the Christian missionaries from Damascus to Corinth, and from Italy to the extremity of Spaui or Britain"." To the ancient authorities here cited, we have to add the concurrence of the very learned and judicious modern writers referred to before. We may add further, the testimony of Archbishop Parker'' : — " Paulum ipsum Gentium doctorem, cum aliis gentibus, tum nominatim Britannis, nunciasse post priorem suam Romae incarcerationem, et Theodoretus et Sophronius Patriarcha Hieroso- lymitanus affirmant. Hoc quod Pontificii incredibile atque adeo impossibile sta- tuunt, cum vero maxime cohseret : " and of Camden — " Certum est Britannos in ipsa Ecclesia? infantia Christianam religionem imbibisse'," who cites Theodoret and Sophronius, and Venantius Fortunatus, in testimony of St. Paul's journey to Britain. Cave also, in his Life of St. Paul, quotes the same writers, and says, that by the island that lies in the ocean, Theodoret undoubtedly meant Britain. Such strength of ancient and modern authorities ought, if I may judge by my own convictions, to put the subject of St. Paul's preaching the Gospel in Britain beyond all controversy or doubt. The general evidence thus adduced by Bishops Still ingfleet and Burgess, appears to be quite sufficient to prove the fact, that St. Paul came to Britain ; but I cannot assent to the early date which is assigned to this event by Gildas, Jerome, and Eusebius. On this point it seems the authorities on which they depended led them into error. The testimony of Josephus is opposed to those of Jerome, Eusebius, and Gildas , and as he lived nearer to the times in question, and as the date assigned by him tc n Lingard's An- glo-Sax. Church, o Gibbon's De- cline, &c. eliap. XV. vol. ii.p.358, 8vo. edit. p De vetiistate Ec- clesuB Britt. Inst. q Britatinia, p 40, ed. 1590. Sect. II.] ST. PAUL VISITS ITALY, SPAIN, &c. 383 the recall of Felix is perfectly consistent with the other dates, and leaves sufficient time for all the Apostle's travels, before his second return to Rome, I consider the authority of Josephus preferable to that of the subsequent writers. The decision of the question depends on the date of the recall of Felix, and this cannot be certainly ascertained. Bishop Burgess has discussed the question of the dates of St. Paul's voyage to Rome, the recall of Felix, and the Apostle's subsequent tour to Spain and Britain, with his usual skill and learning. Among other reasons, for assigning the year 56 to St. Paul's voyage to Rome, and consequently his release from imprisonment to the year 58, he mentions the following, which appear however to be capable of easy solution. 1. Gildas says that Christianity was introduced into Britain before the defeat of the British forces under Boadicea. This might have been done by others than the apostles. 2. An ancient British record informs us, that Caractacus returned from Rome to Britain in the year 58, A. D. and that the royal family introduced Christianity. St. Paul, therefore, might have been invited into Britain by some of tlie Britons, who may have seen his friends, and perhaps his Epistle, at Rome ; but it does not follow that he must necessarily have accepted that mvitation as early as 58, nor before his various other duties permitted. His deliverance from his first imprison- ment appears to have been the most favorable opportunity tliat presented itself. 3. The removal of Pallas, the brother of Felix, in the second year of Nero, implies, that Felix would be removed about the same time. It appears from Tacitus [Annal. 1. 12.), that he was dependent upon his brother's power. It is not by any means certain that Nero would necessarily have recalled Felix on this account Felix liad rendered great public service to the province in clear- ing it of robbers. On the contrary, Josephus tells us, that Pallas, even in the sixth year of Nero, obtained the pardon of his brother. The truth seems to be, that though Pallas was no longer a favorite, his influence M'ith Nero had not entirely declined at the Roman court — Agrippina, at least, retained her authority over Nero, and Pallas his influence with Agrippina, and by her means Felix may have been continued in his office. 4. Josephus tells us that Nero pardoned Fehx when Pallas was high in favor with him. This necessarily implies that it was early in the reign of Nero. It may mean when Pallas, though out of office, was more in favor than before — or when the revenge of Nero was satisfied with the death of Agrippina, and he began to look with more favor upon Pallas. The space between 63 and 68, the probable date of St. Paul's martyrdom, is amply sufficient for the remaining journeyings of St. Paul between his return from Britain and his martyrdom at Rome. It does not appear, from a careful examination of the dates of events that took place from 53, the year wliich Bishop Burgess would assign to the Epistle to the Romans, or to the beginning of 58, the latest and most usual date, that there is sufficient space to allow tlie journey to Britain. A very ingenious anonymous writer, in the 19th Number of the Classical Journal, has attempted to reconcile the times of St. Paul's journeys, and the dates of the Epistles, with the supposition that Felix was recalled in 56. As I have adopted the opinion of Bishop Pearson, and prefer the authority of Josephus to that of Jerome and Eusebius, that the date was 62, I shall only observe that it appears to be impossible to reconcile tlie periods of the conversion of St. Paul — his return to Damascus — the council at Jerusalem — and the time unavoidably occupied by the planting of the several Churches with this early date of his first imprisonment. The venerable and learned Dr. Hales, in his valuable Essay on the Origin and Purity of the primitive Church of the British Isles, and its independeitce of the Church of Rome, considers Lies, or Lucius, to be the first person who established Christianity in Britain. It does not seem necessary to enter further into his argu- ments than to observe, that he has succeeded in demonstrating the absurdity of venturing to come to any positive conclusions in the affirmative, especially as St. Paul has omitted all notice of his journey to Britain in his Second Epistle to Timothy. There still, however, appears to be sufficient evidence to justify my adoption of Bishop Burgess's opinion, that St. Paul preached in Britain, which is supported also by the authority of Parker, Camden, Usher, Stillingfleet, Gibson, Nel- son, Rowland, Collyer, and Bishop Pearson.] 384 ST. PAUL'S FIFTH APOSTOLISAL JOURNEY. [Part XV. SECT. III. V. M. 63-64. J. P. 4776-7. Jerusalem. a Le Clerc, H. E. An. C2, n. V. up. Lardner, vol. iii. p. 52-2, observes this account of the son ofAna- nus : " 'iuEE si vera sunt, non imnierito Jose- phus rem divini- tus contigisse censuil." b Lardner's Su-p- plemmt to the Credibility ; Life of St. Paul in fin. SECT. IV. V. JE. 65. J. P. 4778. Antioch. Section III. — St. Paul then proceeds to Jerusalem. [From his journey to the West we may conclude that St. Paul went to Judaea, and probably to Jerusalem. In his Epistle to the Hebrews, he had declared this to be his intention. " Know ye," he says, Heb. xiii. 23., " that Timothy is set at liberty ; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you." Dr. Hales thinks he could not venture to go up again to Jerusalem, as his life Avould thereby be uselessly endan- gered. It cannot however appear improbable, that the wretched state of confusion to which that miserable country had been brought, would have prevented any fiu-ther judicial interference with the Apostle, He would now have heard, and have been deeply affected by, the mournful cry of Jesus, the son of Ananus — " A voice from the east, a voice against Jerusalem and the temple." This sad cry was begun four years before the commencement of the war, about the year 62 St. Paul had long foreseen the approaching destruction of Jerusalem, and this voice must have appeared to the Apostle, as the result of a divine or supernatural impulse". " We have seen," says L'Enfant and Beausobre, in their general preface to St. Paul's Epistles, p. 34, " tliat the Apostle was accustomed to go from time to time to Jerusalem, and to take the opportunity of the solemn festivals, so long as the temple subsisted. The Jewish Christians did not neglect the ordinances of the Law, St Paul himself did not neglect them, that he might give no offence to the Jews." " I readily assent," says Dr. Lardner, " to what they say about the Apostle's going to Jerusalem ; I would almost think that St. Paul was desirous to go thither, to praise God in his temple for the favorable circumstances of his imprisonment at Rome, and for his deliverance from it. St. Paul's case at Rome very much resembled what had happened to him at Corinth, after which we find he had a vow, and went from Corinth to Ephesus, and hastened to Jerusalem, (Acts xviii. 9, 22.) In like manner I imagine, that now St. Paul went to Jerusalem, as soon as he could ; but he made no long stay there. It had not been his custom so to do since his conversion. " Having been at Jerusalem, I suppose that he visited divers Churches, which had been planted by him, and then returned to Rome'."] Section IV. — From Jerusalem to Antioch in Syria. [From Jerusalem it is probable St. Paul went to Antioch in Syria, he having always made this route in his former journeyings. This is Lord Barrington's opinion ; but Dr. Lardner thinks he went from Judaea to Ephesus, and there left Timothy, whom he had sent for two years before, to come to him from Ephesus to Rome. From Ephesus, Dr. Lardner thinks, he went to Laodicea and Colosse, and possibly returned to Rome by Troas, Philippi, and Corinth. I have preferred the opinion of Lord Barrington.] SECT. V. V. M. 65. J. P. 4778. Colosse. SECT. VI. V. M. 65. J. P. 4778. Philippi. Section V. — From Antioch to Colosse. [St, Paul had promised Philemon to come to him at Coloss6, ver, 22, — "Prepare me also a lodging ; for I trust, that through your prayers I shall be given unto you," We may conclude, therefore, that he visited Coloss6,] Section VL — From Colosse to Philippi. [The Philippians had liberally contributed to the support and comfort of St, Paul, while he was in prison at Rome, Phil, iv, 15, 16. And we may conclude that he would have endeavoured to go round by Philippi to thank them, and to confirm the Church, as he had e.xpressed his intention of doing, Phil, i, 25, and ii. 24. Chap. i. ver. 25. — " And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith." Chap. ii. ver. 24. — " But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly." Chap. iv. ver. 15, 16. " Now, ye Philippians, know also, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no Church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. 16. For even in Tiiessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity."] Sect. X.] ST. PAUL RETURNS TO ROME. Section VII. — From Philippi St. Paul goes to Corinth. [We know that he went to Corinth, for he left there Erastus sick (2 Tim. iv. 20.), which he could not do in his first journey to Rome, for then he did not go near (yorinth, as we may justly infer from the account St. Luke gives us of his voyage.] Section VIII. — Froin Corinth to Troas. [From Corinth St. Paul goes to Troas, and there leaves his cloak and parchments (2 Tim. iv. 1.3.), for ho cannot well be supposed to have left them there in his former voyage, when he had the collections to carry with him to Jerusalem ; and when he had hired a ship, on purpose to convey him, his things, and companions.] Section IX. — From Troas to Miletum. [At what time St. Paul went to Miletum is uncertain. He left there Trophimus sick, (2 Tim. iv. 20.) As this is the next place he mentions after saying he had been at Troas, we are justified in referring it to the present period.] Section X. — From Miletum to Rome. [St. Paul now sails to Italy, and goes to Rome, where he finds a very different face of affairs from the time of his first being there. The Christian religion was now treated not only as a new, but as an impious, superstition, and tlie Christians as abominable people, who deserved to be hated of mankind. Suet. In JVer. c. 16. Tacit. Anncd, 15, 44. Tliis, perhaps, was owing to the calumnies which the Jews spread of them every where, and which, perliaps, also the Gnostics, by this time, gave too much countenance to. Therefore St. Paul, as one of the chief of his sect, was cast into so close confinement, that Onesiphorus " with difficulty found him out," (2 Tim. i. 17.), and was in such danger, that no man stood by him, (2 Tim. iv. 16.) However, St. Paul made such an apology for himself and the Christian religion, that he was for some time delivered " out of the mouth of the lion," and the Christian rehgion became more fully known, (2 Tim.iv. 17.) During his second imprisonment at Rome, he sends Titus (who came hither with him from Nicopolis) to Dalmatia (2 Tim. iv. 10.), and after his first and second defence, he writes his Second Epistle to Timothy. That Epistle seems to have been directed to him in some place, from whence he was to take Ephesus in his Avay to Rome, as may be gathered from chap. iv. 14, 15, and iv. 19., from whence it would not be much out of his way to go by Troas to Rome; as we may collect fi-om ver. 13; and from whence he might bring Mark with him, who is said to have been at Jeru- salem. I think it is probable that it might be about Lystra, which was Timothy's native place, and where possibly St. Paul left him (when he went from Jerusalem in his last journey to Rome) to stay with his friends, and be useful to the Churches in that neighbourhood. This seems to me the more likely, because he speaks " of the faith of his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice," chap. i. which perhaps the thought of the place where he sent his letter might bring to his mind. I think thus also, viz. because he mentions his afflictions and persecutions in these coun- tries, and no other (chap. ii. 10, 11.), for the very same reason. His persecutions elsewhere, and some of which were as severe, or severer, Timothy knew ; having been his companion in most of his travels since Timothy's conversion. That all this was done during St. Paul's second imprisonment at Rome will appear from the following considerations : — In the first imprisonment Timothy was a prisoner with him, and continued so after St. Paul's release, (Heb. xiii. 21.) And St. Paul joins Timothy with him in three of the epistles he wrote in the first imprisonment ; and now Timothy was absent from him, (2 Tim. iv. 9-21.) Besides, in the first imprisonment, St. Paul was a prisoner at large in his own hired house ; all persons having free access to him, (Acts xxviii. 16-30.) When he wrote tliis Epistle, he was in such close custody, tliat Onesiphorus with difficulty found him out, (2 Tim. i. 17.) Finally, in the first imprisonment he writes, that he should soon be enlarged, (Philip, i. 25. and ii. 24. Philemon ver. 22.) In this Epistle he tells Timothy that VOL. II. 49 GG 385 sect. VII. V. M. 65. J. p. 4778. Corinth. SECT. VUI. V. E.. 65. J. P. 4778. Troas. SECT. IX. Y.JE. 65. J. P. 4 768. Miletum. SECT. X. Y.M. 65. J. P. 4 778. Rome. 386 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [Part XV, SECT. XI. V. M. 65. J. P. 4778. Rome. SECT. xir. V.^. 65 or 66, J. P. 4778 or 9, Rome. §1. at See Note 21. a 2 Cor. 1.1. h Eph. 3. 6. Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 9. 15. e 1 Tim. 1. 2. " he is ready to be offered, and the time of his departure is at hand ; " that " he has fought the good fight, and finished his course," (2 Tim. iv. 1-8.) ; and though " God had delivered him out of the mouth of the lion (Nero or Helius C«sar) at liis first defence," yet he does not add that he will deliver him out of it : but " from every evil work, and preserve him unto his heavenly kingdom," (2 Tim. iv. 16-19.), for at this time, he says, he had left Erastus in Corinth, and Tropliimus sick at Miletum ; whereas, he could neither be at Corinth nor Miletum in his first voyage. — Lord Barrington's Miscellanea Sacra, vol. i. p. 98. " St. Paul," says Dr. Lardner, " though a prisoner, had lived very comfortably at Rome, and he there had great success in his services for the Gospel. It seems to me, that he now considered that city as the most proper place for him to reside in the remaining part of his life. It was the most conspicuous place in all the world, and the place of the greatest resort from all parts ; there he hoped to be more use- ful than in any other place."] Section XI. — St. Paul is imprisoned at Rome in the general Persecu- tion by Nero. [The reasons which have induced me to conclude with the great majority of commentators, that St. Paul was twice, and not once only, imprisoned at Rome, are given in the preceding section. It seems probable, from 2 Tim. i. 15-17., that the Apostle was imprisoned for some time at Rome during his second residence in that city : — " This thou knowest, that all they wliich are in Asia turned away from me ; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. " The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus ; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain. " But when he was in Rome he sought me out very diligently, and found me."] Section XII. — St. Paul, in the Anticipation of the tiear approach of Death, ivrites his Second Epistle to Timothy,'^ exhorting him as his last request to the faithful Discharge of his Duty, in all times of Apostacy, Persecution, and Dissension. § 1. — chap. i. 1, 2. St. Paul, in his introduction, asserts his apostolical authority, and declares he hopes for eternal life through Jesus Christ, not by the Law of Moses. ^ Paul, "an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to Hhe promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, ^ to ^Timothy, my dearly beloved son ! Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord ! §2. a Rom. 1. 8. Eph. 1. 16. b Acts 22. 3. & 23. 1.&24. 14. &. 27. 23. Rom. 1. 9. Gal. 1. 14. e 1 Thcsa. 1. 2. &. 3. 10. § 2.— chap. i. 3-12. St. Paul thanks God, whom he worships according to the manner of his ancestors, that he has a constant remembrance of Timothy in his prayers, that he is mindful of his tears at their parting, or, as some suppose, when he was instructed by St. Paul in tlie Christian faith — He thanks God also for Timothy's undissembled faith, which he received from his progenitors — He calls upon him to improve the gifts of the Holy Spirit, by exercising it in defence of the Gospel, at all seasonable occasions — For Christ having given his faithful followers the spirit of courage and wisdom, he ougiit not to be ashamed of the truth, which is the testimony of Christ ; or of St. Paul, his prisoner, (as the Judaizing teachers were.) but become a partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel in proportion to the ability given — God, having saved all mankind from the ruin of sin, has invited them to become his chosen people, according to his free grace and favor, which was ordained from the beginning of the world, but is now made manifest by Jesus Christ, who hath made death ineffectual, by the eternal life of the soul after death, and the incorruption of the body after the resurrection : which things arc illustrated in his own person — His divine appointment to the apostleship, that he might instruct the Gentiles in the doctrines of salvation — His past and present persecutions on that account have not shaken his faith in Christ. ^I "thank God, Svhom I serve from my forefathers with pure con- science, (that 'without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my Sect. XII.] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 387 prayers night and day; ''greatly "desiring to see thee, being mindful f ^''^f^Ysi: of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy ;) ^ when I call to remem- %. e.""" brance 'the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy -^ ^''^'JJ- '• ^^ grandmother Lois, and •'thy mother Eunice ; and I am persuaded that i Tim. 4.14. in thee also. -LuTe'aV'g ^Wherefore I put thee in remembrance ^that thou stir up the gift 'acVi. 8. of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands: '^ for ''God jRom-iie. hath not given us the spirit of fear ; 'but of power, and of love, and Rev.'T.'s.' of a sound mind. ^Be^not thou therefore ashamed of *the testimony zEph. 3. 1. Phu. of our Lord, nor of me 'his prisoner: "'but be thou partaker of the „ coi. 1. 24. ch. afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God ; '-^ who "hath ^^'^^^.^ ^ ^ saved us, and "called us with a holy calling, ''not according to our Tit. 3. 4. " works, but 'according to his own purpose and grace, which was given "nJ.'^a'i-.''''^' us in Christ Jesus '^before the world began: ^*^but 'is now made mani- p Rom. 3.20. & fest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, 'who hath abolished ^ j^^^ g '^[ death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the rHom. J6.25. Gospel, 11 (whereunto "I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, ftilitt^' and a teacher of the Gentiles ;) ^^ for "the which cause I also suffer ^^^^ ^^-^^o.^ these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed; "for I know whom I Eph.i.g.'coi.i. have *believed, and am persuaded that He is able to "^keep that which I Pet."i. 20.' I have committed unto Him ^against that day. ^^^uebX^il u Acts 9. 15. >§ 3.— chap. i. 13, to the end, and ii. 1-7. Epi,. 3 7 8. ■' -* 11 im. 2. 7. en. St. Paul exhorts Timothy, in the midst of dangers and oppositions, firmly to hold fast the 4. 17. plan of salvation which he had received from him through faith, and love of Christ; " ^P''- 3- 1- ch. and to keep the Gospel, which is deposited with him, pure, from all false doctrine, by ^ 'j p^^ ^ jg_ the Holy Spirit within him — He shows the necessity of steadfastness in the faith, by * or, trusted. mentioning the defection of many Asiatic Christians, on account of his disgrace and x 1 Tim. 6. 20. suffering (chap. iv. 16.) — The Apostle prays that Onesiphorus, who still acknowl- y ver. 18. ch. 4. edged him and ministered to him in his prison, might be rewarded for his kindness, ^• and that he may find mercy in the Lord Jesus in the day of judgment — The Apostle exhorts Timothy also to be strong in grace, and to commit those truths which he had received from St. Paul, and wliich had been confirmed by many witnesses, to men of r g approved fidelity, who, after his departure, may be able to teach others also — Like a . ^ ,. rp» true soldier, he is to keep himself unencumbered by secular occupations, that he may 1. 9' Hgb. 10. " be devoted to the service of Christ ; for if any man contend in the public games, he is 23. Rev. 2. 25. not crowned unless he strive according to the prescribed rules — The husbandman ^^'^^' ^' ^^' ^ must first labor before he can partake of the fruits of the earth ; so also must the ^ | y^^ j jO. & Christian minister fulfil his functions in the manner appointed by Christ, and labor in 6. 3. his spiritual vineyard before he receives the promised reward — The Apostle desires <i ch. 2. 2. him seriously to consider these things, and prays that the Lord will give him under- ^ ^.^" ^' ^^' standing in all religious matters. g Rom. 8. 11. 13 Hold "fast ''the form of 'sound words, ''which thou hast heard of >" Acts 19. 10. me, 'in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus: i'' that ^good thing j Matt!5.7. which was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost ^which dwell- k ch. 4. 19. eth in us. ^^ This thou knowest, that "all they which are in Asia be ' p''"^™"" '='• *' _ _-_. vi ver. c5. 'turned avvav from me; of whom are Phyaellus and Hermo«;enes. 7^Acts28. 20. ^'^The Lord ^ give mercy unto *the house of Onesiphorus ; 'for he oft <,Mau. 25.34-40. refreshed me, and ""was not ashamed of "my chain : ^" but, when he p 2 Thess. 1. 10. was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me ; ^^ (the ^'neb.a 10. Lord grant unto him "that he may find mercy of the Lord ''in that r iTim. 1.2. ch. day !) and in how many things he 'ministered unto me at Ephesus, ^ Eph. 6. 10. thou knowest very well. t c''- 1- 13- ^ ^• chp. ii. 1. 1 Thou, therefore, ''my son, *be strong in the grace that is * or, by. in Christ Jesus ; - and 'the things that thou hast heard of « ^ Tim- 1- 1^. me *among many witnesses, "the same commit thou to faithful men, "Tit. i.'g. who shall be "able to teach others^ also. ^ Thou "therefore endure '' ^Jj,^ ^°g*^4 hardness, ""as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, ■* No "man that warreth 5. entangleth himself with tiie affairs of this life ; that he may please him ^ {^'^'q'^' who hath chosen him to be a soldier. ^ And ""if a man also strive for , icor. 9.35,26. 388 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [Part XV. ^Mrk^nXbor. mastcries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. ^ tThe hus- plrtiZ'^The *' bandman that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits. ' Consider f c^r' 9 10 ^^^^' ^ ^^^ ' ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ understanding in all things ! §4. a Rom. 1. 3, 4. Acts 2. 30. & 13. 23. b 1 Cor. 15. 1, 4, 20. c Rom. 2. 16. d Acts 9. 16. ch. 1. 12. e Eph. 3. 1. Phil. 1. 7. Col. 4. 3, 18. / Acts 28. 31. Eph. 6. 19, 20. Phil. 1. 13, 14. g Eph. 3. 13. Col. 1. 24. A 2 Cor. 1. 6. t 1 Tim. 1. 15. _;■ Rom. 6. 5, 8. 2 Cor. 4. 10. k Rom. 8. 17. 1 Pet. 4. 13. I Matt. 10. 33. Mark 8. 38. Luke 12. 9. m Rom. 3. 3. & 9.6. n Num. 23. 19. §5 a ITim. 5. 21.& 6. 13. ch. 4. 1. b 1 Tim. 1. 4. & 6. 4. Tit. 3. 9, n. c 1 Tim. 4. 7. & C. -30. Til. 1. 14. * Or, gangrene, d 1 Tim. 1. 20. c 1 Tim. 6.21. / 1 Cor. 15. 12. g Matt. 24. 24. Rom. 8. 35. 1 John 2. 19. t Or, steady, h Nah. 1. 7. John 10. 14,27. See Num. 16. 5. t ITim. 3. 15. j Rom. 9.21. k See Is. .52. 11. I ch.3. 17. Tit.3. 1. § A.— chap. ii. 8-13. The Apostle desires Timothy to remember that the fundamental doctrine on which the Gospel is founded is the resurrection of Jesus in his human form from the dead, con- trary to that taught by Hymenajus and Philetus, who preached a figurative resurrec- tion only (ver. 18.) — He is now suffering as a malefactor, in bonds, on account of the Gospel; but as his enemies cannot bind the Gospel, he patiently endures all things for the sake of the Gentiles, that they may also obtain the blessings of salvation; for it is certain that those who die with Christ in the flesh will also hve with him in glory : that those who suffer with him will reign with him ; but those who through fear deny him, he will deny also at the day of judgment — For though man may be unfaithful, God remains faithful to all his promises and threatenings, and cannot act contrary to himself. ^ Remember that Jesus Christ "of the seed of David Vas raised from the dead "according to my Gospel : '^ wherein ''I suffer trouble, as an evil-doer, 'even unto bonds : •'^but the word of God is not bound. ^^ Therefore ^I endure all things for the elect's sakes, ''that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ^^ It 'is a faithful saying, For ^if we be dead with him, we shall also hve with him: ^^if'we suffer, we shall also reign with him: 'if we deny him, he also will deny us : ^^ if "'we believe not, yet he abideth faithful : "he cannot deny himself. § 5. — chap. ii. 14-21. The Apostle commands Timothy to put the Ephesians in mind of these great motives to faithfulness, charging them, as in the presence of Christ, not to contend about words, to become himself a workman approved of God, seasonably distributing the word of truth, resisting all profane and empty declamations which lead to greater impiety, destroying the soul as a gangrene destroys the body — Such are the doctrines of Hy- menaeus and Philetus, who have greatly erred from the truth, asserting that the resur- rection was accomplished when men believed — Notwithstanding these defections, the Church of God being built on the foundation of the apostles (Eph. ii. 20.), their authority stands firm, having this inscription engraven on it (Num. xvi. 5, 26.), imply- ing it was as necessary for the safety of the Ephesians to depart from such iniquitous teachers, as it was for the Israelites to go from the tents of Korah and his companions, if they would avoid their punishment — In a great man's house there are vessels of gold and silver, and wood and earthen ware ; some to honorable, some to a dishonorable use ; so in the House or Church of God, there are teachers of different characters, some engaged in the honorable work of the ministry, others in the dishonorable one of leading men into error — He who cleanses himself from such debasement will become a vessel of honor, consecrated and profitable to God's use, who is Head of the Christian Church. ^^ Of these things put them in remembrance, "charging them before the Lord 'that they strive not about words to no profit, hut to the subverting of the hearers. ^^ Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. ^^ But 'shun profane and vain babblings ; for they will increase unto more ungodliness, ^^ and their word will eat as doth a *canker : of whom is ''Hymenseus and Philetus ; *^ who 'con- cerning the truth have erred, -^saying, "That the Resurrection is past already ; " and overthrow the faith of some. ^^ Nevertheless *^the foundation of God standeth fsure, having this seal, " The Lord ''knoweth them that are his." And, " Let every one that nameth the name [of Christ] depart from iniquity." ^" But Mn a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth ; ^and some to honor, and some to dishonor. ~' If ""a man there- fore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanc- tified, and meet for the master's use, and 'prepared unto every good work. Sect. XII.] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 339 § G. — cliap. ii. 22, to the end. That Timothy might become a vessel consecrated to the use of God, St. Paul admon- ishes him to refrain from all youthful passions, the lust of ambition and power, and diligently to pursue righteousness, fidelity, love to God and man, and peace with all, particularly those who have a pure desire to glorify God's name — to reject the foolish notions and practices of the Judaizers — To use no violent methods, to be gentle, prac- r q tisino- the virtues he recommends — in meekness instructing opposers, if by God's grace they may be brought to the acknowledgment of the truth — Being taken alive " \cr^Q {4 ' by the servant of God from the snares of the Devil, the errors and sensuality of the icor. 1.2.' Judaizers, that they may be preserved from destruction, and awake from the intoxica- c 1 Tim. 1.5. & tion of sin, that they may see their danger, and know and do the will of God. ^ j ,j;j^ j ^ ^ 2^ Flee also youthful lusts : but "follow righteousness, faith, charity, ^,Ji'|%{; 3 peace, with them that ''call on the Lord "^out of a pure heart. ^^ But 9- "^foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender ^j T'im. 3. 2, 3. strifes : ^^ and 'the servant of the Lord must not strive ; but be gentle ^i'- 1- 9- unto all men, ■'^apt to teach, *patient, ~^ in "meekness instructing those ^ alil.T'""' that oppose themselves ; ''if God peradventure will give them repentance } 'pl"''^'!^ Ho the acknowledging of the truth; -'^and that they may trecover ^ Acts 8.22. themselves^ out of the snare of the Devil, who are ttaken captive by '3 J'^-'it^/i''''" him at his will. t Cr. awake. j 1 Tim. 3. 7. § 7.— chap. iii. 1-5. t ^'- *"^'^' "''"*• The Apostle here alludes to the grand apostacy predicted (2 Thess. ii. S-12. 1 Tim. iv. 1-5.), and describes the pernicious influence of corrupt doctrines on the morals and hearts of men. 1 1 id'ii 1 •! • lu "■ ^ Tim. 4. 1. ch. '■ This know also, that m the last days perilous times shall come. 4. 3. 2Pet.3. 3. 2 For men shall be ''lovers of their own selves, "covetous, ''boasters, judVisT' 'proud, •'Ijlasphemers, ^disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, * ^''''- -• -^• "^without ''natural aftection, 'truce-breakers, *false accusers, ^inconti- ^judeie! nent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, ''traitors, ''heady, eiTim. c. 4. high-minded, 'lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God ; ^ having ^ipiT^.'if.' a form of ffodliness, but '"denying the power thereof. "From such ^"^^ ^^■ O ^ J r; I g Y^om. 1. 30. turn away. k Rom. 1. 31. i Rom. 1. 31. § ^.—Chap. iii. 6-9. * Or, mal^halta. St. Paul describes the character of the Judaizing teachers, who by their doctrines were j 2Pet. 3. 3. preparing the way for this apostacy, and compares them to Jannes and Jambres, two ^ 2 Pet. 2. 10. of Pharaoh's principal magicians, who opposed Moses by false miracles (Exod. vii. 10- 'g^p"' ^^ ^^\ . 22.), in the same way as tlie former did the Gospel — But the Apostle predicts they Jude 4, 19. ' shall not be permitted to prevail, or to proceed much further, for their folly, or impos- m 1 Tim. 5. 8. ture, shall become as evident as that of the magicians of Eorypt. ^ ' „ ^ , . , ... . , , , , Jt 2 Thcss. 3. 6. ° For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead cap- 1 Tim. 6.5. tive silly women, laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ^ ever §7. learnino-, and never able ''to come to the knowledge of the truth. ^ Now "^as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the ^ ' truth : ''men of corrupt minds, *rcprobate concerning the faith. ^ But Tit. 1! 11.' they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto *i Tim. 2.4. all max, 'as theirs also was. \ 1 Tim. as. * Or, 0/710 puis- § 'd.—chap. iii. 10, to the end. 28"o Co'^'^is. 5. The Apostle, having shown the character of the wicked Judaizers, declares his own Tit. 1. 16. example and doctrine, by which the true doctrine may be as easily ascertained, as in *i?\^q 'n the preceding case of Moses and the magicians — He mentions his persecutions and dangers (Acts xiii. 50-52. ; xiv. 5, C, 19-21.), from which he had been miraculously preserved; and asserts that all in the apostolic age, who live according to the pure Christian doctrine, will be persecuted — The false teachers will escape by living unirodly, increasing in wickedness, deceiving others and themselves willingly — Tim- othy is entreated to adhere steadfastly to the Christian doctrines, knowing that he has been instructed in them by an inspired Apostle, and from his earliest infancy had been acquainted witli the writings of Moses and the Prophets (Matt. xxii. 29. John v. 39. X. 35.), which, typifying and predicting the great truths of the Gospel, were able to make him wise unto salvation, by confirming him in the faith of Jesus Christ — For VOL. II. GG* 390 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [Part XV. the Old Testament is divinely revealed, profitable for teaching the doctrines of the Gospel, for confuting those who should deny them, for correcting erroneous opinions, and for instructing mankind in the nature of the Gospel dispensation (Luke xxiv. 27. John V. 39-4G.) — The Christian minister is made perfect in his religious knowledge and duties, and qualified for his important office of teaching, by rightly understand- § 9. ing the Jewish Scriptures. * Or, thouhast ^^ g^T *thou hast fullv kiiowii my doctrine, manner of life, pur- follower of. posc, faith, long-sufTcring, charity, patience, ^^ persecutions, afflictions, 1 Tim.' 4. 6. which came unto me "at Antioch, ''at Iconium, "at Lystra ; what perse- a Acts 13. 45, 50. cutious I cndured : but ''out of them all the Lord delivered me. ^^ Yea, \ Acui4 fj &c ^'^*^^ '^^^ ^'^^^ ^^^^ ^^^® godly in Christ Jesus shall sutler persecution. rfPs. 34. 19.' i^But-^evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving 2 c^or. ]. 10. ch. ^^^ being deceived. ^^ But ''continue thou in the things which thou *,?^k^^-,J^- ^?I;' hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast 24. Josh. 17.' 14. learned them; ^^and that from a child thou hast known ''the Holy 1 Thess!\ 3. Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through ■^i^-^JlfT i' ch ^^^"^^^ which is in Christ Jesus. ^*^ All 'Scripture is giveii by inspiration 2.16.' of God,^and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for ^^ch. 1. 13. &2. jj^sti-QctiQ^ in righteousness: ^"^ that ''the man of God maybe perfect, h John 5. 39. tthroughly furnished unto all good works. i 2 Pet. 1. 20, 21. i Rom. 15. 4. k 1 Tim. 6. 11. \Q.—chap. iv. 1-8. ch^af a'L '^ ' The Apostle, having reminded Timothy of the great advantages he enjoyed, and the duties of the Christian minister, charges him in the presence of God, and as he hopes to appear before the tribunal of Jesus Christ, to be diligent and faithful in his office — to proclaim the doctrine of Christ crucified, at all times and seasons ; patiently con- futing, rebuking, and comforting, as occasion requires — for in the time of the apostacy they will not endure the practical truths of the Gospel, but will multiply to them- selves teachers after their own desires and lusts, turning from the Christian doctrines, to listen to fables and delusions — St. Paul entreats Timothy to be vigilant in opposing the beginnings of these corruptions — Patiently to submit to persecution, and faith- fully to discharge all the duties of his ministry, as he himself is soon to be put to death (Philip, ii. 17.) — He is not discouraged, for he has kept the faith of Christ uncorrupted, and expresses his strong confidence that he shall receive the glorious § 10. reward at the day of judgment. ''&iz"'ch'i\t ^ I "charge thee [therefore] before God, and [the Lord] Jesus i Acts 10.^. Christ, ''who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom ; '^ preach the word ; be instant in season, out of season ; ciTira. 5. 20.^ reprove, 'rebuke, ''exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. "^For 15.* ' ' "' "the time will come when they will not endure •'^sound doctrine ; ^but "^ V^s™!^^"^ after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having /I Tim. 1. 10. itching ears ; '* and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and irch. 3. 6. ''shall be turned unto fables. ^But watch thou in all things, 'endure *4!7! Tit.'i.^i4*' afflictions, do the work of ^an evangelist, *make full proof of thy i ch. 1.8.&9. 3. ministry. j Acts 21.8. Eph. 6 Pqj. *i am now ready to be offered, and the time of 'my departure * Or fai,fii, is at hand. T "have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I cor'i.25. &4. have kept the faith : ^ henceforth there is laid up for me "a crown of ^p ^ righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me r Phil. 1.23. See "at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love Jfcor!'9.'24, disappearing. . 25. Phil. 3. 14. mth'-i^- §n.-chap.iv.d-}5. " ^ Cor. 9^25. rpjjg Apostle desires Tunothy to come to him, accompanied by Mark the Evangelist — 1 Pet. 5. 4'. Rev. perhaps that they may witness his death, and be confirmed in the faith — He shows 2- lO. tiiat he is now left with only Luke, as Demas hath forsaken him in his extremity, ' '^ • • • from the fear of persecution — He sends Tychicus to Ephesus, to release Timothy, and desires him to call at Troas — He mentions the opposition of Alexander the copper- smith (Acts xix. 33.), and cautions Timothy against him, as a constant and incorri- gible opposer of Christianity (1 Tim. i. 20.) k Sect. XIII.] THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 39I ^ Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me : ^*^for "Demas hath for- § H- saken me, 'having loved this present world, and is departed unto « coi. 4. 15. Thessalonica ; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. ^^ Only "Luke ^ i^l^nl^is is with me. Take "^Mark, and bring him with thee : for he is profit- c see ch. 1. 15. able to me for the ministry. ^^ And 'Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. phiiemJn 24. ^^ The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring d Acts 12. 2,5. & with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. ^'* Alexander io. •'^the coppersmith did me much evil ; 'the Lord reward him according "g^i^^^^i^'^^^' to his works : ^^ of whom be thou ware also, for he hath greatly with- th. 3. 12. stood *our words. ''^I'^Tim.^ 1. 20. g 2 Sam. 3. 39. " . 28. 4. Rev. ,6. The Apostle acquaints Timothy tliat in his first defence he was forsaken by his fellow- * or, our vreach- laborers through fear — He prays for their forgiveness — but the Lord stood by him, "'^«- and strengthened him (Luke xxi. 15.) that the Gospel might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear the boldness with which their privileges had been asserted — He was delivered from that great danger (Psalm xxii. 21.) — He does not expect to be delivered on the present occasion — ^but he feels assured he shall be pre- served from betraying his faith and constancy, and that the Lord will bring him into his heavenly kingdom — His doxology is addressed to the Lord Jesus, as a Divine Beinof. § 12.— chap. iv. 16-18. fg': ^' "■ "'"■ § 12. ^^ At my first answer no man stood with me, "but all men forsook b Acts 7. go. me ; (^I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge !) ^'' notwith- <; Jii^t. 10. 19. standing "^the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me ; "^that by me 27. 23. ' the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might ''ae^'^n %^^e"^ hear : and I was delivered 'out of the mouth of the Lion. ^^ And ^the 3. 8. ' Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto *2 Pet^^^g." his heavenly kingdom : ^to whom be glory for ever and ever ! Amen. /Ps12i. 7. g Rom. 11. 36. GaJ. 1. 5. Heb. § \2.—chap. iv. 19, to the end. ^^- ^^• The Apostle sends his salutations, and repeats his desire that Timothy should come to him speedily — He prays that Jesus Christ may be with his spirit, and ends with his usual benediction. ^ ^'■^ Salute "Prisca and Aquila, and the ''household of Onesiphorus. Rom.'ie.'s.'^ 20 Erastus 'abode at Corinth ; but "Trophimus have I left at Miletum *2Tim.].]'6. sick. ^1 Do '^thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth "Rom! le.' ^.' thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren. ^'-The ^ Acts 20. 4. & •'^Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you ! Amen. ^ ^.^/g [[The Second Epistle unto Timotheus, ordained the first bishop of /gui.h. is. the Church of the Ephesians, was written from Rome, when Paul ^Q^^c^^aTmro was brought before *Nero the second time.TI or,' tiu Emperor' [end of the second epistle to timothy.] JVero. Section XIIL — St. Peter writes his first Epistle'^ to the Jetvs, ivho, in the time of Persecution, had talcen Refuge in the heathen Countries mentioned in the Inscription ; and also to the Gentile Converts, to encourage them to suffer cheerfully for their Religion, and to enforce upon them the Necessity of leading a holy and blameless Life, that they may put to shame the Calumnies of their Adversaries. THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. sect. xni. V. iE. 65or6 J. P. 4778 or 9 Rome. § 1. — chap. 1, 1, 2. The Apostle's address and benediction to the Jews and Gentiles, who were elected ac- cording to the foreknowledge of God, revealed by the prophets, to become, through the influences of the Holy Spirit, obedient to the Gospel, whereby they are made par- 5 j takers of all the blessings which proceed from the atoning blood of Christ. ' ™ A ^ ^® ^ote 23. 1 Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers "scattered « John 7. 35. throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect wt.L^'^° 39-2 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. [Part XV. ^ihT'Epif i.^. ^according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, 'through sanctifi- ch. 2. 9. cation of the Spirit, unto obedience and ''sprinkling of the blood of c 2 Tliess. 2. 13. J /-<i • ^ i e ^ i i i • i- , . d Hei). 10. 22. & Jesus Lhrist 1 grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied ! 12. 24. *2 Pet'.'i. 2." § ^* — chap. i. 3-12. Jude 2. The Apostle blesses God for the spiritual birth of (he Jews and Gentiles to a hope of life after death, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that they might partake of an inheritance not to be destroyed — In the hope of this salvation they should greatly re- ^ joice, though grieved with various afflictions, which are necessary for the proving of S "' their faith, the trial of which was more profitable than that of gold, as it procures for ° 2 Cor. 1. 3. them everlasting glory and praise at the coming of Jesus Christ, in whom, though not t', q' 5' seen, they greatly rejoice as a Saviour, knowing that they shall receive from him the re- ^ g \' I ward of their faith — the salvation of their souls ; which salvation the prophets predicted, c John 3. 3 5. diligently searching to ascertain the period of time and people referred to by the Spirit of Jam. 1. 18. God, which testified beforehand of the suiferings of Christ, and the glories and blessintrs '', ^r^'"'" ^^: '^?: which should attend them — To whom also the Holy Spirit revealed that it was not to 1 1 hess, 4. 14. ch. 3. 21. themselves, but to a people of a future time, that they ministered the things now declared e ch. 5. 4. to the world by the apostles, who were endowed for that purpose by the same Holy / Col. 1. 5. Spirit, which mysteries the angels, as well as men, desire to contemplate, E.xod. xxv. 20. \ Ox, form'. ^Blessed "be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which g John 10. 28, 'according to his *abundant mercy 'hath begotten us again unto a '^Q & 17 11 12 T is! judei. ' ' lively hope ''by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, "* to an Vom"i-^' i-?' inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, 'and that fadeth not away, 2. cJr.e.io". ch. •'^reserved in heaven tfor you, ^who^are kept by the power of God t 2 Cor. 4. 17. through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time : ch. 5. 10. 6 wherein ''ye greatly rejoice, though now 'for a season, (if need be,) ^ye i Jam. 1.3^12. ^rc iu hcaviuess through manifold temptations ; '''that ^the trial of your /t''i\'!^io p faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though 66. 10. Pro'v. 17. 'it be tried with fire, '"might be found unto praise and honor and elorv o T„ AQ in z'ech. 13. 9." at the appearing of Jesus Christ — ^ whom "having not seen, ye love ; ^R^mV? 10 ""^ whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice vv'ith 1 Cor. 4. 5.' joy unspeakable and full of glory ; '^ receiving ^the end of your faith, n 1 Join 4. 2o'. c^^'^ the salvatiou of your souls. ^° Of 'which salvation the prophets o^john2o. 29. havo iuquiied and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace Heb. 11.' 1,27. that should come unto you : ^^ searching what, or what manner of time p Rom. 6.22. '"tj^g Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified 'Dan.2. 44. iiag. bcforchaud *the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow : 2. 7 " ' " '-^ Ma m^r3.''i7.' ^^' ^^ unto 'wiiom it was revealed, that "not unto themselves, but unto 2'pet.\'!'f9^'2o ^^ they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you 21- by them tiiat have preached the Gospel unto you witii "the Holy Ghost Vpet.'i.2i. sent down from heaven ; '"which things the angels desire to look into. s Ps. 22. 6. Is. 53. 3, <ltc. Uan. 9. 2G. Luke 24. § 3. — chup. i. 13-21. Johni2. 41. ' The Apostle calls upon them, from the consideration of the blessings obtained by the Acts 26. 22, 23. sufferings of Christ, to take courage under all their trials, supported to tlie end of their S^^g 13 "^ ^ ^lyes by the hope of eternal life, promised them at the day of the revelation of Christ, « Heb. 11. 13 39 avoiding the lusts practised by them in their unconverted state, and imitating the holi- 40. ness of God, who has called them to be liis children, as it is written by Moses (Lev. V Acts 2. 4. ^jj. 2 1 Pet. V. 10. ii. 2L and iii. 9.) — And as every man will be judged according to 'rian.S. 13. &12. ''is individual works, without distinction of persons, they arc admonished to pass the 5, 6. Eph. 3. 10. time of their sojourning on earth in religious fear, and so much the more, as they were delivered from the hereditary superstitions and traditions, or vicious rites of worship, they had received from their fatliers, by the blood of Christ, as of a sin offering, without § ^- l)lemish, ajipointcd in the divine purpose before the foundation of the world, and typified ^E^ib'^e ^H ^^' '^y ^^^^ ^^S^' sacrifice; but was made manifest in the last, or the Gospel dispensation, Luice 21.34. to the Gentiles also ; who, througli faith in the divine mercy, disi)layed in this sacrifice Rom. 13. 13. of Cluist, believe in God, who raised him from the dead, and exalted him to celestial ch. r^.'^,' .5.'8.' glory, that their faith being established in the fulfilment of God's promises, their hope * Gr. fcrfccthj. of eternal glory through Christ might be in God. "/cm! ]."7.^°' ^^ Wherefore "gird up the loins of your mind, ''be sober, and hope 2Thess.'j;7. *to tlic cnd for the grace that is to be brought unto you 'at the reve- r/^Rom. 12. 2. ch. j^^.^^ ^^ j^^^^ Christ. ^^ As obcdicnt children, "not fashioning your- Sect. XIII.] THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 393 selves according to the former lusts 'in your ignorance : ^^ but ^as He \^r^-^Jl-^X which hath called you is holy, so be sation ; ^^' because it is "'written, " Be which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conver- /Luke 1.74,75. ~ ye holy ; for I am holy." ^''' And 1 -jhess! 4. 3, 4, if ye call on the Father, ''who without respect of persons judge,th ac- a'p^t.Vii.^''" cording to every man's work, 'pass the time of your ^sojourning here in ^^^^^-^^^'^j *- fear : ^^ forasmuch as ye know Hhat ye were not redeemed with cor- ^ oou't. 10. 17. ruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation 're- Rom.a.n.' ceived by tradition from your fathers; ^^but ""with the precious blood » ^cor ^ 1 /. i-i ii'i 1 ■! A ciCi 1 Phil. 2. 12. Heb. of Christ, "as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: ■^"who 12.28. "verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but •'Heb?n.i3. ch. was manifest ^in these last times for you, ^^ who by him do believe in /j ^^J;^ g go. & God ; 'that raised him up from the dead, and '"gave him glory ; that ^^^^j^ ^o. is. your faith and hope might be in God. ci'- 4. 3 •'''=' m Acts 20. 28. Eph. 1.7. Heb. § 4.— chap. i. 22, to the end. ^; ^f' i^- ^''''■ The Apostle exhorts those wlio have their hearts purified from fleshly lusts by believing k Ex. 12. 5. Is. in Christ Jesus, to love one another, not in deceitful forms and expressions, but with a ^e. l'cor."5.'7. ' pure heart, unmixed with carnal passions, as brethren born again, not by virtue of any Rom. 3. 25. & descent from human parents, but by a divine and heavenly principle, the doctrine of 39^ ii~Col.'')." the living- God, which remains for ever. 26. 2 Tim. 1. 9, ^^ Seeing ye "have purified your souls in obeying the truth through Rev. 13.8. the Spirit unto unfeigned 'love of the brethren, see that ye love one 1. 10! iieb. 1. 2. another with a pure heart fervently ; ^^ being 'born again, not of cor- , Acts 2. 24. ruptible seed, but of incorruptible, ''by the word of God, which liveth »• Matt. 28. is. and abideth [for ever]. ^^ *For, — " All 'flesh is as grass, § '*• And all the glory of man as the flower of grass. " Rom. ^12.%, 10. The grass withereth, and the flower [thereof] falleth away : itITVs^' ^^But-^the word of the Lord endureth for ever." pb- 13. ich. 2, 17. & 3. o. & ^And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you. i/ohn sf I's.^J' 4. 7, 21. e f~ 1 ■■ -, -I r\ c John 1. 13. & § 5. — chap. 11. 1-10. 3. 5. The Apostle exhorts them to lay aside all the evil dispositions of their former nature, "^/j^J]]^!} 9^' and, as infants born again by divine grace, earnestlj' to desire the unadulterated milk * or For Vtat. of the Gospel, that their regenerated nature may be nourished to maturity, seeing they « Ps. 103. 15. la. have already tasted the goodness and excellency of the Lord in their second or spiritual j"- ^'^^q' ^^' birth (Ps. xxxiv. 8.) — To whom coming, by faith, as to a living Foundation-stone, they / Ps. 102. 12,26. are built upon him, partaking of his life, so as to make a spiritual temple, forming a J^- '^^- ^- ^^^° company of priests (Exod. xix. 6. Rev. i. 6.), appointed to offer sacrifices of prayer and g John 1. 1, 14. praise through Christ, according to Isaiah (xxviii. 16.), who has declared that in Sion a ^ ■'°''" ^- ^' "^• chief Corner-stone should be laid, chosen and honorable, for the foundation of the New Temple of God, uniting the two sides of the building, both Jews and Gentiles, in one § 5. Church (Eph. ii. 21.) — Those who believe belong to this building; but to the disobe- a Eph. 4. 22,25, dient it is written (Psalm cxviii. 22.), that this rejected Foundation-stone is become Heb^l2.^l.^iam. the head of the corner of God's New Temple, and a stone of stumbling to those who ]. 21. & 5. 9. believe not in Christ, against which they shall fall, and be broken, as predicted by j'^jfa^^^jg 3 Isaiah (viii. 14, 15.) — The Apostle describes the high privileges of Christians, by the titles Mark 10. 15. formerly given to the Jewish Church, to all who were taken into covenant with God. ^'^•^ ^u'^ ^ Wherefore "laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, /jc,;,^- 2. and envies, and all evil-speakings, ^ as ''new-born babes, desire the "e\4l-'i?v £ .' - , ^ ^ . '^ ' , , „•/. 1 d Ps. 34. 8. Heb. sincere milk 01 the word, that ye may grow thereby: "*ii so be ye 6.5. have ''tasted that the Lord is gracious. * To whom coming, as unto a %iatt. 21. 42. Living Stone, 'disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, «»c? /'Eph.V2i, 22. precious, ^ ye -^also, as lively stones, *are built up ^a spiritual house, ''a * or, he ye buut. holy priesthood, to offer up 'spiritual sacrifices, ^acceptable to God by f i^f f,i.^6.\ 66. Jesus Christ. ^ Wherefore also it is contained in the ''Scripture, — i hos.^4.^2. Mai. ^ , , , ^ , 1. 11'. Rom! 12.1! " Behold, I lay in Sion H^b. 13. 15, le. K ^ • c r^ 1 • j Phil. 4. 18. ch.4. A duel Corner-stone, elect, precious : 11. And he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded." Kom. 9.33. VOL. II. 50 394 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. [Part XV, f Or, an honor. I Ps. 118. 22. Matt. 21. 42. Acts 4. 11. m Is. 8. 14. Luke 2. 34. Eom. 9. 33. n 1 Cor. 1. 23. Ex. 9. 1(3. Rom. 9. 22. 1 Thess. 5. 9. Jude 4. p Deut. 10. 15. ch. 1. 2. g Kx. 19. 5, 6. Rev. 1.6. & 5.10. T John 17. 19. 1 Cor. 3. 17. 2 Tim. 1. 9. X Or, a purchased people. s Deut. 4. 20. &. 7. 6. & 14. 2. & 26. 18, 19. Acts 20. 28. Eph. 1. 14. Tit. 2. 14. * Or, virtues. t Acts 26. 18. Eph. 5. 8. Col. 1. 13. 1 Thess. 5. 4, 5. n Hos. 1. 9, 10. &; 2. 23. Eom. 9. 25. ' Unto you therefore which believe he is tprecious : but unto them which be disobedient, ('the Stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,) ^and '"a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence : "even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient ; "whereunto also they were appointed. ^ But ye are ^a chosen generation, 'a royal priesthood, '^a holy nation, ta 'peculiar people ; that ye should show forth the * praises of Him who hath called you out of 'darkness into his marvellous light ; ^° which "in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God ; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. § 6. — chap. ii. 11-17. The Apostle, in allusion to the Israelites of old (Heb. xi. 13.), calls on them, as strangers and pilgrims (which they literally were in Asia, Pontus, &c.), having no inheritance on earth, to seek for a heavenly country, to abstain from carnal lusts, which bring into captivity or destroy the soul, living in such a manner that the calumnies of their ene- mies may be confuted by their good works — To submit to every human constitution of government for the Lord's sake, that they may put to silence the ignorance of those foolish men, who asserted that their religion made them averse from subjection to kings and magistrates — As the chosen people of God, the Jews boasted of being freemen, governed by their own laws; in reference to which, the Apostle calls upon them to be governed inwardly by the laws of their religion, but not to use their liberty as a cover- ing for rebellion, as the Jews did, but as the servants of God. ^^ Dearly beloved, I beseech you "as strangers and pilgrims, 'abstain from fleshly lusts, "^which war against the soul ; ^-having ''your conver- sation honest among the Gentiles : that, * whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, 'they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God •'"in the day of visitation. ^^ Submit ^yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake : whether it be to the king, as supreme ; ^^ or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him ''for the punishment of evil-doers, and 'for the praise of them that do well ; ^^ (for so is the will of God, that -'with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:) ^"^as^free, and not fusing Ronri37i.*'Tit. your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as 'the servants of God. i'' tHonor all men : "love the brotherhood : "fear God • '— — *'— '■- — • § (i- a 1 Chron. 29. 15. Ps. 39. 12. & 119. 19. Heb. 11. 13. ch 1. 17. b Rom. 13. 14. Gal. 5. 16. c Jam. 4. 1. d Rom. 13. 17. 2 Cor. 8. 91. Phil. 2. 1.5. Tit. 2. 8. ch. 3. 16. *-Or, wherein, e Matt. 5. 16. / Luke 19. 41. g Matt. 92. 21 h Rom. 13. 4. i Rom. 13. 3. j Tit. 2.8. ver.l2. it Gal. 5. 1, 13. f Gr. having. I 1 Cor. 7. 22. J Or, Esteem. Rom. 12. 10. Phil. 2. 3. TO Heb. 13. 1 1.22. n Prov. 24. 21 Matt. 22. 21. Rom. 13. 7. honor the king. ch. § 7. — chap. ii. 18, to the end. The Apostle exhorts domestic Slaves and Servants to obey their Masters with submission and reverence, even the severe and perverse, not suffering their obedience to depend upon the characters of those they serve — To suffer for well-doing, after the example of Christ, who suffered for them that they might follow in his footsteps — In whom was no sin (Isa. liii. G.) — Who bore the punishment due to sin, that he might deliver man from its power. ^^ Servants, "be subject to your masters with all fear ; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. ^'' For this ''is *thank- worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. ^^ For 'what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently ? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is tacceptable with God. ^^ For ''even hereunto were ye called, because 'Christ also suffered tfor us, -^leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: --who °"did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth ; ~^ who, ''when he was reviled, reviled not again ; when he suffered, he threatened not ; 'but *com- mitted AmseZ/to Him that judgeth righteously ; ^^ who ^ his own self bare our sins in his own body ton the tree, *that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness ; 'by whose stripes ye were healed. 25For"'yc were as sheep going astray; but are now returned "unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. Sect. XIII.] THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 395 § 8. — chap. iii. 1-7. St Peter proceeds by enforcing on them the higher relative duties — He enjoins Chris- tian wives to submit to their husbands, although they were heathens, that they may. gain them over by their holy conduct to the love and practices of the Gospel — To secure their husbands' affection, let them not confine their adorning to their outward persons only, but rather to the inner or hidden soul, after the example of Sara, who acknowl- edged her subjection to Abraham, by calling him lord, whose daughters they are as long as they act consistently with their Christian character — Christian husbands are commanded to conduct themselves towards their wives as becomes those who have been instructed in the duties of the Christian religion. § 8. ^ Likewise, "ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands: " 1 ^°'"- 3^- 34. that if any obey not the word, 'they also may without the word "be 3. is. 'iit.'a. 5.' won by the conversation of the wives ; ^ while ''they behold your chaste * \^°^l'h ^^' conversation coupled with fear. ^ Whose 'adorning, let it not be that 1 cor. 9. 19-22. outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of ^ '^^■~- ^^" putting on of apparel ; ^but let it he ^the hidden man of the heart, in Tit. 2. bj&c. that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet •^Kom^2. 29. & 7. spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. ^ For after this man- 22. 2 cor. 4. le. ner in the old time the iioly women also, who trusted in God, adorned f Gr'^"/j;,^^g„ themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands ; ^ (even as a icor. 7.3. Sara obeyed Abraham, "calling him lord ;) whose *daughters ye are, as -i^i^^' long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. » 1 cof- 12.23. . . "^ . 1 Thes3. 4. 4. ''' Likewise, ''ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, j ggg j^^ 42. s. giving honor unto the wife, 'as unto the weaker vessel, and as being ^^'^11'%^'^^' heirs together of the grace of life ; ^that your prayers be not hindered. § 9.— chap. iii. 8-17. The Apostle, in conclusion, exhorts all, married or unmarried, to Christian unity, com- passion, and love, returning evil and reproaches with blessings — Acting always accord- ing to the dictates of their conscience, that those who falsely speak against them as § 9. evil-doers, may be put to shame by their good behaviour in Christ — If the will of God ^ Ron,, jg. 16. & appoint them sufferings, it is better to suffer for doing well, than for doing evil. 1^. 5. Phil. 3. ^Finally, "be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of an- *or,iovingto other, *love as brethren, ''be pitiful, be courteous ; '^ not "rendering evil Roi^layTd. for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing: knowing that Heb. is.i.ch.a. ye are thereunto called, ''that ye should inherit a blessing. 6 coi.s. 12. Eph. I'^For "he that will love life, and see good days, %o.'°22'. Mat^'.s*" Let-'^him refrain his tongue from evil, 39. Rom. 12. 14, o . ^ 17. 1 Cor. 4. 12. And his lips that they speak no guile : 1 Thess. 5. 15. ^^ Let him ^eschew evil, and do good : ^ '^''"' ^' ^' ^ . 6 Ps. 34. 12 &c. Let ''him seek peace, and ensue it. /jam. 1.26. ch! ^^ For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, 14.V"' ^'''' And 'his ears are open unto their prayers : g ps. 37. 27. 13. But the face of the Lord is tagainst them that do evil. li. ' " ^^ And ^ who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which 14. 19. Heb. 12. is good ? ^"^ But *and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are j john 9. 31. Jam. ye ! and 'be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled ; ^^ but sanc- 5. 16. t Gr. upon. tify the Lord God in your hearts. j Prov 16.7. Tobit 12. 7. Rom. 8. 28. And '"be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and tfear ; h Matt. 5.10, u. ^^ having "a good conscience, "that, whereas they speak evil of you, as 4. 14.'' Jam. 1. of evil-doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good ^^j^J g j.^ jg conversation in Christ. ^^ For it is better, if the will of God be so, that J"?'- i-^s'John ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. „ Ps.'ii9.46. Acts 4. 8. Col. 4. 6. 2 Tim. 2. § 10. — chap. iii. 18, to the end. 25. The Apostle, in a kind of digression, that their sufferings might not be regarded as a ^ °''' ^^^^'^*- token of God's displeasure, encourages them with the consideration of the sufferings .p. ^ „' ,' „ of Christ, who, though perfectly righteous, suffered for the sins of others, that he might 12. 396 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. [Part XV. bring man to God — He was put to death in his human nature, but was made alive again by the Spirit of God ; by which Spirit, giving spiritual power to Noah, he preached to those spirits which were now shut up or reserved, as it were, in prison under the divine justice, to receive the punishment due to their sins — The long-sutt'er- ing of God delayed 120 years, to see if they would repent and be saved, while the ark § 10. was preparing (Gen. vi. 3.), when the family of Noah, who believed, was saved by a Rom. 5. 6. water, which was a figure of the salvation of the family of Christ, in the ark of the Heb. a 26, 28. Church, by the waters of baptism, by which they are admitted into a new state of b 2 Cor 13 4 '^^^"g) ^"^ saved from the grave, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ ; who having c Col. ]. 21 22. gone into heaven, angels and every denomination of beings, both in heaven and earth, d Rom. 1. 4. &. 8. are subjected to him, that he may bestow salvation on all who believe in him. e ch. 1. 12. & 4. ^^ ^o^ Christ also hath "once suffered for sins, the just for the un- ^- just, that he might bring us to God : ''being put to death 'in the flesh, 9.'&6i. i. ' but '^quickened by the Spirit ; ^^by which also he went and ^preached ^^Gen. 6.3, 5, ^jj^q ^j^g spirits ^iu prisou ; ^"^ which sometime were disobedient, 'when ft Heb. 11.7. once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while ''the S8^2"p'%*5^' ^^^ ^^^ ^ preparing, 'wherein few (that is eight) souls were saved by jEph. 5.26. water. ^^The^like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save a See Note 24. US, *(not the putting away of ''the filth of the flesh, 'but the answer f Rom.^io. 10. ^^ ^ good conscience toward God), "'by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: TO ch. 1. 3. 22 ^j^Q jg gone into heaven, and "is on the right hand of God ; "angels "rowH^I'. ^^'^ authorities and powers being made subject unto him. Eph.'l.'20.'col. 3.1. Heb. 1.3. , ,, , • 1 ^ oSeeMatt.28.18. § U.-chap. IV. 1-6. Rom. 8. 38. Christ having suffered a painful death in the flesh for man, the Apostle calls upon them Epl). i. 21. to crucify also the flesh, for they that have mortified the flesh have ceased, or are dead to sin, living the remainder of their lives not according to its lusts, but agreeably to the will of God — For too much of their past life has been passed in the shameful abomin- ° ■ ations and vices to which the Gentiles were addicted, who are now astonished, and a ch. 3. 18. calumniate them for not continuing in the same profusion of riot, forgetting they are ^(^l™ 24^'Jol accountable to him who will judge both the righteous and the wicked — For which ^. 3, 5. cause the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles, who were dead in trespasses and sins, e Rom. 14. 7. ch. that those who believed miglit be judged or condemned by men who are governed by ■ ■ the flesh, although they live according to the will of God in the spirit. 1- 1"^- 1 Forasmuch then "as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm ^Rom^eiii! yourselves likewise with the same mind, (for ''he that hath suffered in w'i.^is^" the flesh hath ceased from sin ;) ^ that 'he no longer ''should live the /Ezek. 44. 6. & j-gst of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, 'but to the will 45. 9. Acts 17. . 3o! ' " of God. ^ For ^the time past of our hfe may suffice [us] ^to have ^n^iTh^s's^.'^' wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, 5. Tit. 3. 3. ch. lusts, cxccss of wiuc, revcUings, banquetings, and abominable idola- k Acts 13. 45. tries : '^ wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the &18. 6. ch.3. same excess of riot, ''speaking evil of you : ^ who shall give account to iActsio. 42. & Him that is ready 'to judge the quick and the dead. ^ For, for this 10, 12. 1 cITr. is! cause %as the Gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they i! jam.^5!^™" ^' might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to j ch. 3. 19. God in the Spirit. § 12. § 12. — chap. iv. 7-11. a Matt. 24. 13, The Apostle comforts them with the assurance that the power of their bitter persecutors 14. Rom. 13. 12. would soon be destroyed, in the approaching destruction of the Jewish people and 10. 25. Jam. 5. polit)', and admonishes them, that they may be saved from it to watchfulness against all if h^2"\8^'^^" impurity, and to prayer; having fervent love, which leads to bearing or blottmg out b Matt 26 41. ^^^^ faults of each other ; and in this time of persecution to be hospitable one to another, Luke 21. 34. not regarding the inconvenience, every man ministering according to the gifls ot ?3°'&^5^8*^ providence and grace which he may have received from the Lord — If any discourse on e Heb. 13. 1. Col. God's word, let him do so according to the oracles of God — If any minister to the 3. 14. necessities of the poor, let him do so as of the means which God has bestowed on him, ^.^J^°^'}^'}^' ffivinor God the elory throujrh Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 13. 7. 60 b J s Jam. 5.20. ''' BuT "thc cud of all tilings is at hand. ''Be ye therefore sober, and * Rom''l2 13 watch unto prayer. ^ And 'above all things have fervent charity among Heb. 13.2. yourselves; for ''charity *shall cover ^Ac multitude of sins. ^ Use 'hos- Sect. XIIL] THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 397 pitality one to another, ^without grudging, i" As ^every man hath •^Ih^"^,- ''f^^- received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, ^as good ^j^^;;;"";; i^. stewards of Hhe manifold grace of God. ^^ If ^any man speak, let him ^itZ:C7.' speaJc as the Oracles of God ; '^if any man minister, let him do it as of ^g^'^l'^W^tu^^ the ability which God giveth. That 'God in all things may be glori- 12.^42^1 cor. 4. fied through Jesus Christ ; "'to whom be praise and dominion for ever ^ /cor. 12.4.' , °. Eph.4. 11 and ever ! Amen. j j^r. 23. 22. § 13.— chap. iv. 12, to the end. Vi CoJ^h^io! The Apostle cautions the Christians not to be surprised at the calamities and persecutions j ^ph. 5. 20. ch. coming upon them, which were intended as the trials of their faith ; but rather to 2. 5. rejoice, as by them they are made partakers of the sufferings of Christ, that they may m ^1 Tim. 6^16. be glorified with him — They are happy who arc reproached for being Christians, for the j. e.' ' Divine Spirit, which rested on Jesus, rests also on them : by their persecutors Christ is blasphemed, but by tJieir sufferings he is honored— On which account he admonishes them not to suffer for any crime of their own (mentioning those to which the unbeliev- ^ J3 ing Jews were addicted), which brings neither glory nor reward— But if any suffer for ^ ^ ^^^ ^ ^^ being a Christian, let him not be ashamed, however ignominious the punishment, but ch. 1. 7. let him rather glorify the Lord, who also suffered for being holy — The time is now b Acts 5. 41. come for the punishment of the Jews as a nation, which is to begin at the house of ^^ ^ ^^ God (John xvi. 2. Matt, xxiii. 35. Ezek. ix. G.) ; and if it begin first with the believing "^g Cor! l! 7. & 4. Jews, what fearful destruction will come upon those who obeynot the Gospel !— And ^°;,^j' g^' '"' if Christians shall, with extreme difficulty, escape from the judgment of God on Jeru- g Tim. 2.'l2.ch. salem, how shall the ungodly and sinners hope for deliverance ? — the Apostle enjoins 5. 1, 10. Rev. 1. Gentiles as well as Jews, who suffer for righteousness' sake, to commit their lives to ^'^^ ^^ ^ God as to a faithful Creator, who will regard them as his creatures and children, giving ^ ^^'^^^^ ^' ^^ them eternal life, if they continue in well-doing. 2 Cor. 12. 10. ^^ Beloved, think it not strange concerning "the fiery trial which is 2T9,2o. &3.' to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: "^^ but ^^^^ 2^2. & 3. ''rejoice, inasmuch as 'ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings ; ''that, le. when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding ^ iThess.4. 11. joy. ^^If 'ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye ! for 1 Tim. 5. 13. the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you : ^n their part he is J f^^W 12. Jer. evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. ^^But ^let none of you f^^f'-g^'glVat suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, ''or as a busy- 3. 5. body in other men's matters: ^''yet if any man suffer as a Christian, J'LuTei^'JI.'H. let him not be ashamed ; *but let him glorify God on this behalf, m Prov. 11. 31. ^■^ For the time is come 'that judgment must begin at the House of ^^p^^.^a^s^^'uke God: and 'if it first begin at us, 'what shall the end be of them that 2.3. 46. 2 Tim. 1. obey not the Gospel of God ! '^ And '"if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear ! ^^ Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God "commit the keeping § 14. of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. a Phiiemono. b Lulie 24. 48. ' Acts 1. 8, 22. & § 14. — chap. V. 1-4. 5. 32. & 10. 39. The Apostle exhorts the elders, as one who was an eyewitness of the sufferings of Christ ''jj^°'"i.^9.^'^' ^^' (in the garden, at his apprehension, and in the high priest's hall), and a beholder and ^ j(,i,„21. 1.5, 16, partaker of the glory of the Transfiguration, faithfully to feed the flock of Christ, dis- 17. Acts 20. 28. charging the office of bishops, or superintendents, in these times of persecution, not by * Or, as much as reason of importunity, but willingly; not for the sake of a maintenance, but with an ^'"'^^"^g ]7 active desire to promote the glory of God — Not lording it over the flocks, which are the f j Tim. 3. 3, 8. heritage of God, but being to them ensamples of humility and every Christian grace — I'it- l- 7. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, to whom the flocks belong, they who have ^^f^f^on^o-'^ye discharged their duties shall receive from him a crown of glory. 1 cor. 3. 9. ' 'The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also "an ^ or,°oim^««^ elder, and ''a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also '^a partaker a Ps. 33. 12. & of the glory that shall be revealed: -feed ''the flock of God *which is ^ Vhu." 3. 17. among you, taking the oversight thereof, 'not by constraint, but will- f ^iT^^ ^12^' ingly ; •'^not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind ; ^neither "'as tbeing Tit. 2. 7. lords over ''God's heritage, but 'being ensamples to the flock. "* And {. " cor!^9."^. when ^the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive *"a crown of 2_|rim^. 4^.^8. glory 'that fadeth not away. i ch. 1. 4. VOL. II. HH 12. c 398 THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. [Part XV. § 15. — chap. V. 5-11. The Apostle commands those who hold inferior offices in the Church to submit to the elders, and then calls on them all indiscriminately to be subject, or to strive and serve each other in the relative situation in which they stand, to be clothed, guarded, and protected by humility — As God opposes himself to the proud, they should humble themselves, and patiently submit to his dispensations under every danger and affliction, castintr all their anxiety on God, who interests himself for them (Ps. Iv. 22.), being § 15. anxious only for the government of their passions, temperate, and always watchful over a Rom. 12. 10. themselves, because their spiritual adversary is going about in this time of their trials Eplj- 5- 21. and calamities, seeking whom he may swallow down, hoping to make them apostatize ; . ' ~\ f. whom they must stand against, steadfast in the faith of the Son of God, knowing that it Is 57 15 & 66. is the portion of Christ's disciples to suffer persecution from men and devils — The 2. Apostle prays to God to strengthen and to make them perfect in the faith of Christ. tiT'j'^ 5^55 ^Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder : yea, "all m" ^ 6 'os'"' ^^' of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility ; for Lukeii~ii,22. 'God resisteth the proud, and 'giveth grace to the humble. "^Humble 13.' 5. ' ' ^ ' "^yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may /i;:jjke^2i.^34,36. gxalt you in due time. ^ Casting 'all your care upon Him; for He ch.4.7.' ' careth for you. ^Be -^sober, be vigilant; because ""your adversary, the ^^^hukJii^^i. Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour : Rev. 12. 12. 9 whoui ''rcsist stcadfast in the faith, 'knowing that the same afflictions Jam. 4. V. ' ' are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 'iThes\*.'3.\ ^"^ But the God of all grace, ^vho hath called us unto his eternal 2 -^m. 3. ia. ch, g]Q,.y ijy Christ Jesus, after that ye have suftered *a while, 'make you j~ico'r. 1.9. perfect, "stablish, strengthen, settle you. ^^ To "Him be glory and do- k 2 Cor. 4. 17. ch. niinion for ever and ever ! Amen. 1.6. " ' ' I Heb. 13. 21. J"'''' 24. ^ 16.— chap. V. 12, to the end. m 2 Thess. 2. 17. , , , , . ^^ ■ , , c-i /.i o-i a « & 3. 3. The Apostle informs them that he sends this Epistle by Silvanus (the same as feilas. Acts n ch. 4. 11. Rev. xv. 40. and xvi. 19.) , he writes to them as he considers briefly, testifying to them that ^' ^' it is the genuine Gospel of Christ which has been preached— He desires them to salute each other, in testimony of their Christian love, and concludes with his apostolical benediction. 12 Bv "Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have ''written briefly, exhorting, and testifying 'that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. ^^ The church that is at Babylon, elected to- gether with you, saluteth you; and so doth ''Marcus my son. ^'^ Greet 'ye one another with a kiss of charity. ^Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus ! [Amen.] § 16. a 2Coi -. 1. 19. i Heb. 13. 22. c Acts 20. 24. 1 Cor. 15. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 12. d Acts 12. 12, 25. e Rom. 16. 16. ICor. 16. 20. 2 Cor. 13. 12. 1 Thess. 5. 26. /Eph. 6.23. [end of the first epistle general of peter.] Section XIV. — St. Peter, under the impression of approaching Martyr- dom, writes to the Jewish and Gentile Christians, dispersed in the Coun- tries of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, 8{C., to co)}frm the Doctrines and Instructions of his former Letter, to caution them against the Errors of the false Teachers, by reminding them of the Judgments of God on Apostates, and to encourage them under Persecution, by the Considera- tion of the happy Dclivernnce of those who trusted in him, and the final Dissolution both of this World and of the Jewish Dispensation.^ THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. SECT. XIV. § l.—chap. i. 1-11. V ^66 The Apostle's address and benediction— He is commissioned an apostle both to Jews and J P 4779 Gentiles, by Jesus Christ, who has endowed the apostles with divine power by the ' Rom.. gifts of tlie Holy Spirit, to enable them to bring men to a godly life, which is obtained """ through tlie knowledge of Christ Jesus (John xvii. 3.), who has called them to the § 1. glory "of being his apostles, and infused into them strengthening energy and courage b Fee Note 25. for that purpose, committing to them all the glorious promises of the Gospel, that man might become again a partaker of the holy and immortal nature, having escaped the cor- Sect. XTV.] THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 399 ruption of the world through lust— To join to their faith true fortitude and resolution of mind under persecution, with increasing knowledge of the doctrines of Christ — And to knowledge, moderation in all earthly enjoyments, patience under afflictions, and piety towards God — And to piety, love of their Christian brethren ; and to love of the brethren, love to all men, not excepting their enemies — If these things abound in them, they will be neither inactive nor unfruitful in good works — But he who is deficient in good works, and active Christian graces, is wilfully blind, shutting his eyes against the light, assuming a forgetfulness of his baptismal vow to purify himself from his old sins Seeing that this is the case with many, they are exhorted more earnestly to labor, to make sure their calling and election by the Gospel, to be the sons of God and his Church, by doing good works through faith ; which things if they practise, God will support them by his grace, and minister to them an honorable and triumphant entrance into his everlasting kingdom. ^ *SiMON Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to *^Jj'g^f'i4"- them that have obtained "Uke precious faith with us through the ^ r^^. i_ 12. righteousness tof God and our Saviour Jesus Christ ! ^ grace ''and peace %p^'4%^^;t_ be multiplied unto vou through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus i-4. T \ , t Gr. of our Ood our Lord I andSamour ^ According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that ^^^^J'^'^[ ^ 5 pertain unto life and godliness, "through the knowledge of Him ''that 25. iPe't. 1.2. ' hath called us tto glory and virtue; '^ (whereby 'are given unto us f'j'jj'^i^^^ exceeding great and precious promises ; that by these ye might be d 1 Thess. 2. 12. •'^partakers of the Divine Nature, ""having escaped the corruption that 2.14. of im." 9. is in the world through lust;) ^and beside this, ''giving all diligence, 1 1*6'- 2- 9- &3- add to your faith virtue ; and to virtue 'knowledge ; ''and to knowl- j OT,by. edge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience !. ^ ^°J" 3* Jj godliness; ''and to godliness brotherly kindness; and ^ to brotherly ^'•''•''g-^^ kindness charity. ^ For if these things be in you, and abound, they uoimli. 2. make you that ye shall neither be *barren *nor unfruitful in the knowl- j '^^'fH'^'^' edge of our Lord Jesus Christ ; ^ but he that lacketh these things 'is ^ i pet. 3. 7. blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was '"purged •'j^^',;^^;^!!' ,0 from his old sins. ^^ Wherefore the ratiier, brethren, give diligence "to &5. is. i John make your calling and election sure : for if ye do these things, °ye shall * Q,_'iaie. never fall. ^^ For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abun- t Joiinin.2. dantly into the everlasting kingdom*^ of our Lord and Saviour Jesus /i'.iohn2.9, 11. Christ. m Eph. 5. 26. Hel). 9. 14. 1 John 1. 7. § 2.— chap. i. 12, to the end. n i John 3. 19. As the practice of Christian virtues through faith is the only way by which they can "■ ' . enter into Christ's kingdom, St. Peter declares that he thinks it suitable to his apostle- ship, as long as he is in the body, to remind them of these truths, in virhich they are already established, and to stir them up to the practice of them; and knowing that his death is soon to take place (John xxi. 18, 19.), he endeavours, by thus writing to them, to enable them to have tliese things, after his going out of the body, always in their remembrance — For they did not publish cunningly-devised fables, after the manner of the heathen, concerning the appearance of their gods on earth in the human form, when they made known to them the power and the appearance of Jesus Christ ; whose majesty he himself, with James and John, witnessed in the Holy Mount, when God, from his magnificent glory, declared him to be his Son ; which voice, and the Trans- figuration of his person, confirmed the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning Christ, to which they are to pay attention, as the light that guided mankind, dui'ing their state of spiritual ignorance, till the day of the Gospel should dawn, and the morn- ing-star of righteousness arise in their souls — Knowing that no prophecy is of private impulse or invention ; for prophecy was not brought of old to the minds of those that § 2. uttered it by the will of man ; but holy men of God declared the purposes of his will a Rom. 1."). 14, 1.5. as they were borne on or inspired by the Holy Ghost. f''i''l''i ''o'oi''' ^^ Wherefore ''I will not be negliffent to put vou alwavs in remem- Ju^eo. . 00 1.- ^ ^ . b I Pet. .5. 12. brance of these things, 'though ye know them, and be established in ri,. 3. 17." the present truth. ^-^ Yea, I think it meet, 'as long as I am in this escor.s. 1,4. tabernacle, ''to stir you up by putting you in remembrance ; ^^ knowing « see ceut. 4. 'that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as -^our Lord Je- iTfm.t.e!" ^^" sus Christ hath showed me. ^^ Moreover I will endeavour that ye may /John 21. is, 19. 400 THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. [Part XV. ^u^iT^cIr 2 ^^ always able after my decease to have these things in remembrance. 17. &4. 2. 16 YoY we have not followed ^cunningly-devised fables, when we made Mark'g.^'x johi. known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but i'. &'4!i'4.''"^' ''were eyewitnesses of his*^ Majesty. ^^ For he received from God the d See Note 27. Father houor and glory, when there came such a Voice to him from 'n^l'M^l'i^ the Excellent Glory, " This Us my beloved Son, in whom I am well Luk^s.'sa &:9. pleased." ^^ And this Voice which came from heaven we heard, when 35. we were with him in ^the Holy Mount : ^^ we have also a more sure ■'josh. s^'is! " word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto Matt. 17. c. kg^ \\crht that shiucth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and 'the k Ps. 119. lOo. , . . on 1 1 John 5. 35. day-star arise m your hearts : ''" knowing this first, that '"no prophecy ^22.'^i6.~see' ^ of the Scripturc is of any private^ interpretation. ^^ For "the prophecy 2 Cor. 4. 4, 6. came not *in old time by the will of man ; "but holy men of God spake m Rom. 12. 6. , i i i tt i /-( i e See Note 28. ^s they Were moved by the Holy Ghost. n 2 Tim. 3. 16. * Or, at any time. § ^.—chap. ii. 1-9, and part ofver. 10. 2 Sam. 23. 2. The Apostle foretells, that as there were false prophets among the Jews who perverteu Acts 1. 16. & 3. many, denying God, who had redeemed them from the bondage of Egypt, so there shall 18. be false teachers in the Christian Church, who will covertly introduce their heresies of destruction, denying the Lord who had bought them from the bondage of sin and death with his blood (Exod. xv. 16. Deut. xxxii. 6.), bringing on themselves destruction — They will be followed by many, who by their vicious lives will cause the Gospel to be blasphemed, making a merchandise of souls, whose punishment, denounced from the beginning against sin, lingers not, but will soon overtake them — For God spared not the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell, confining them, till the day of judg- ment, in a place of wretchedness and darkness, from which they could not escape; and § 3. spared not the old world, nor the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, but made them an a Deut 13 1 example of the punishment to be inflicted on the ungodly at the last day — From the b Matt. 24. 11. miraculous deliverance of Noah and Lot, the Apostle proves that God would as surely Acts 20. 30. deliver from trials and dano-ers those who trust in Him, and are his faithful servants, JCorliiy 1 Tim. 4.1. as He would destroy with an everlasting destruction the false teachers and the dis- 2 Tim. 3. 1, 5. obedient. 1 Jolin 4. 1. •'"''e i^- 1 But "there were false prophets also among the people, even as rf ] "(or. fi. 20. Hhere shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in w.' Heb!"io^29; d^rn'i^ble heresies, even 'denying the Lord '^that bought them, 'and 1 Pet. 1. 18. bring upon themselves swift destruction : ^ and many shall follow e Piiii. 3. 19. their *pernicious ways, (by reason of whom the way of truth shall be * Or, lascivious gyjj gpokeu of ;) ^ and -^throuwh covetousness shall they with feigned lEaris, iis some I '/ S _ c i copies read. words ^inakc merchandise of you : ''whose judgment now of a long ^2^°o".' li' 17,' time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. '* For if God Ti't'i^iT'*''^' spared not Hhe angels ^that sinned, but ^^ cast them down to hell, and g 2 Cor. 3. 17. delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment ; /Deut^'i^ 35 ^and spared not the old world, but saved 'Noah the eighth j;e?-so7i, ""a Jii(ie4, 15. preacher of righteousness, "bringing in the flood upon the world of the liohi. 18. Jude m^gQ^iy . 6 fj,^(j "turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes ^^V''," ^:,^o' condemned them with an overthrow, ^'making them an ensample unto J John ..». o. -' cj 1 k Lui<e 8. 31. those that after should live ungodly ; ' and 'delivered just Lot, vexed z Gen.~7.'f'7'23. ^^^^ the filthy conversation of the wicked,^ (for 'that righteous man, "^''•^VI^ dwelling among them, "in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul 1 Pet. 3. 20. O o ■ o o ~ TO iPet.3. 19. from day to day with their unlawful deeds ;) ^ [then] the 'Lord know- n ch. 3. 6. eth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the "neu".' 29.' 23.' uiijust uuto thc day of judgment to be punished ; ^" but chiefly "them ■'!!!''' ^' or- ,n that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise tgov ■p Num. 26. 10. ^ 1 o q Gen. 19. 16. crnmcnt. r Wisd. 19. 17. ^58.' Ez!i'k!^9.'4 § A.— chap. ii. paH ofver. 10, and 11-16. t Ps. 34. 17, 19. The Apostle describes the character of the false teachers, who, like brute beasts, followinff T 4 7 ft in ^^'^ instinct of their animal nature, made to be taken and destroyed on account of their Ifi. ' ' ' > destructiveness, blaspheming what they do not understand, shall perish in their own t Or, dominion. corrupt doctrines and practices — They make an open display of their vices — They are Sect. XIV.] THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 401 cuilty of sensuality at their love-feasts — They beguile souls not established in the faith, with the idea that the Lord's Supper was instituted to promote carnal love, and are expert in all the arts of seduction and fraud — Following in the way of Balaam, who (Numb. xxxi. 16. Rev. ii. 14.) acted contrary to his knowledge and conscience, that he "inight obtain the promised hire of unrighteousness. § 4. ^'^ PREsUiMPTUous "are they self-willed, they are not afraid to speak ^J^J^J evil of dio-nities ; ^^ whereas ''angels, which are greater in power and * some read, mio'ht, bring not railing accusation *against them before the Lord, feives!'''^ ^~ But these (as 'natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed) <^^^^- 12. 3. Jude speak evil of the things that they understand not ; and shall utterly 4 yu\. 3. 19. perish in their own corruption : ^^ and ''shall receive the reward of un- e see Rom. 13. righteousness. As they that count it pleasure 'to riot in the day time, yjudei2. (^spots they are and blemishes !) sporting themselves with their own g\ cor. 11. 20, deceivings while ^they feast with you ; ^'^ having eyes full of tadultery, ^ g',. anadvi. and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: ''a heart j^^^l^^^ they have exercised with covetous practices : cursed children ! ^^ which ^ nu„. ^2. 5, 7, have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way f}; 23, 28. Jude of 'Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness ; it^ but was rebuked for his iniquity — the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. § 5. — chap. ii. 17, to the end. The Apostle compares the false teachers to wells without water, to clouds which promise rain but, ending in a tempest, destroy instead of fulfilling the expectations of man, who, by permitting all kinds of lasciviousness, allure those to become their disciples, who nad separated themselves from the heathens — They promised the liberty of gratifying their lusts without restraint, while their own conduct proved them the slaves of cor- ruption — For he who is overcome by his lusts is by them enslaved — To those who have been converted bj' the knowledge of the Gospel from the idolatry and lasciviousness of the heathen world, and are again entangled with them, their latter pollutions will be more fatal than the first ; for they have sinned against greater spiritual light and privileges. § 5. ^"^ These "are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a « Ju^e 12, 13. tempest ; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. ^^ For j jude le. when Hhey speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through ''j'^4%e/2o'^''" the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that ''were *or, /or a /;«?«, *clean escaped from them who live in error : ^^ while they promise so'mVread! *^ them "^liberty, they themselves are 'the servants of corruption ; for of d ga. 5. 13. whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. -'^ For ^ john 8.34. ■'if after they ^have escaped the pollutions of the world '' through the Rom-e. le. knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again en- luL iLbe. ' tangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than ^w%&,'<^?' the beginning. ^^ For Ht had been better for them not to have known g ch. 1. 4. ver. the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from ^ cii. 1.2. the holy commandment delivered unto them. ^-But it is happened i Luke 12. 47, 48 unto them according to the true ^proverb, " The dog has turned to his 22. ' ' own vomit again ; " and, " The sow that was washed, to her wallowing jPr°^'-26. 11. in the mire." § 6. — chap. iii. 1-7. The Apostle shows that his design in writing his two Epistles was to remind them of the predictions of the ancient Prophets (Dan. xii. 2.), and of the doctrines and instructions of the apostles founded on them, knowing that the Prophets foretold the appearance of false teachers, who should deny the coming of Christ to judge the world (Jer. xvii. 15. Ezek. xii. 22-27. Jude 14, 15. Dan. xii. 2.), wilfully ignorant that the firmament, or atmosphere, and the earth, were formed by the word of God out of water ; by means of which, owing to the wickedness of man, it had been already destroyed — That the present earth and its atmosphere, which exist by the same means, are liable to the same destruc- tion from the same cause ; but they are treasured up, and preserved from a deluge of water, that they may be consumed by a deluge of fire, at the day of retribution and judgment. VOL. II. 51 HH* 402 THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. [Part XV. § 6. a ch. 1. 13. b Jude 17. c 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Tim. 3.1. Jude 18. d ch 2. 10. e Is. 5. 19. Jer. 17. ]5 Ezek. 12. 22, 27. Mutt. 24. 48. Luke 13. 45. /Gen. 1. fi, 9. Ps. 33. 6. Heb. 11.3. * Gr. consisting. g Ps. •?A. 2 & 136. 6. Col. 1. 17. h Gen. 7. 11,21, 22, 23. ch. 2. 5. i ver. 10. j Matt. 25. 41. 2 Thess. 1. 8. ^ This Second Epistle, beloved, I now write unto you ; in both which "I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance : ^ that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the Holy Prophets, 'and of the commandment of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour : ^ knowing ^this first, that there shall come in the last day's scofters, ''walking after their own lusts, '^ and saying, 'Where is the promise of his coming ? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. ^ For this they willingly are ignorant of, that, -^by the word of God, the heavens were of old, and the earth ^standing °'out of the water and in the water ; ^ whereby '^ the world that then was, being over- flowed with water, perished : ''' but 'the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto^fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. § 7. a Ps. 90. 4. b Hah. 2. 3. Heb. 10. 37. c Is. 30. 18. 1 Pet. 3. 20. ver. 15. d Ezek. 18. 23, 32. &33. 11. e Rom. 2. 4. 1 Tim. 2. 4. / Matt. 24. 43. Luke 12. 39. 1 Thess. 5. 2. Rev. 3. 3. & 16. 15. g Ps. 102. 96. Is. 51. G. Matt. 9<i. 35. Mark 13. 31. Rom. 8. 20. Heb. 1. II. Rev. 20. II. &21. 1. A 1 Pet. 1. 1.5. i 1 Cor. 1.7. Tit. 1.13. * Or, hasting the coming. j Ps. 50. 3. Is. 34. 4. k Mic. 1. 4. ver. 10. I Is. 65. 17. & 66. 22. Rev. 21. 1, 27. § 7, — chap. iii. 8-13. The Apostle exhorts the Christian brethren not to be deceived by the scoffers, who inferred from God's delay that he wanted the power or the inclination to fulfil his promises — but to remember that no finite duration bears any proportion to the eternity of God ; — that no period of time can change his purposes (Psalm xc. 4.) — That the coming of the Lord is not delayed for the reason assigned by these teachers ; but from his long-suffering, and unwillingness that any should perish — The day of the Lord, however delayed, will surely and suddenly come, and will break in upon men as a thief in the night (Matt. xxiv. 43.), when the whole atmosphere, with its vapors, shall pass away by the application of fire, with tremendous noise and explosions, and the elements of which they are composed being ignited and separated, the whole material fabric, with all its works of nature and art, shall be utterly burned— Seeing^ that all earthly things shall be dissolved, they have the most powerful incentives to holiness of life, and piety towards God ; earnestly desiring, instead of fearing, the coming of the day of God, when this mundane system shall be melted; for they, according to the promise God made to Abraham and to his spiritual seed (Rom. iv. 13-16. Isa, Ixv. 17-23. and Ixvi. 22.) are to look for new heavens and a new eartli (Rev. XX. 11. and xxi. 1.), the endless abode of blessed spirits. ^ But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and "a thousand years as one day. 9 The 'Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness ; but 'is long-suffering to us-ward, ''not willing that any should perish, but 'that" all should come to repentance. ^^ But -^the day of the Lord will come as a thief [in the night] ; in the which ^the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat ; the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. ^1 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be ^in alf holy conversation and godliness ! ^~ looking 'for and *hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall 'be dissolved, and the elements shall *melt with fervent heat. ^^ Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for 'new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. § 8. — chap. iii. 14, to the end. As all Christians are promised the inheritance of the everlasting Canaan, the now heavens and the new earth (Luke xx. 3.").), the Apostle admonishes them earnestly to endeavour to be found of Christ, the Judge of quick and dead, holy, innocent, and useful in their lives, and at peace with him— They are to consider the delay of his coming as a proof of his design tliat all men should be saved; as Paul, by divine inspiration, has written to them (Ephes. ii. 3-5. Coloss. i. 21. 1 Thess. iii. 13. iv. 14- 18. 2 Thess. i. 7-10. Titus ii. 13.)- Resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. xv. 22. Phil. in. 20,21.)— Burning of the earth (2 Thess. i. 8.)— Heavenly country, abode of the righteous (1 Thess. iv. 17. Heb. iv. 9. and xii. 14, 18, 24.)— General Judgment (Rom. xi'v. 10.), among which things some are difficult of comprehension to man, which the unlearned and unestablished^in the faith distort, with other portions of Scripture, to Sect. XV.] THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF J UDE. 403 thpir own destruction — corrupting the morals of men — But they, having been fore- warned by the apostles and prophets of these erroneous doctrines, are to be on their guard against them, daily increasing in the knowledge of the doctrines of Jesus Christ, and as rendering glory to him now, and to the day of eternity. § "• ^"^ Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, "be "i5.*58!phn" k diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and l*^- ]^^^^- ^^ blameless, ^^and account that ''the long-sutfering of our Lord is salva- b Rom. 2. 4. tion ; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom ^ p«'- 3- 20. ver. given unto him, hath written unto you; ^^as also in all his Epistles, cRom. 8. 19. ■ speaking in them of these things : in which are some things hard to 1 The'ss. 4. 15. be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as Vh^Y'^ia^'^' they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. e Eph. 4. 14. ^^ Ye therefore, beloved, ''seeing ye know these things before, 'be- 2. is.' ' ' ware ! lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall f^p^- f,- ^^■ from your own steadfastness: ^^but^grow in grace, and in the knowl- ^2 Tim. 4. is. edge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ^To him be glory both ^ev.i.c. now and for ever ! Amen. [end of the second epistle general of peter.] Section XV. — Jude ivrites his Epistle to caution the Christian Church ^ect. xv. against the dangerous Tenets of the false Teachers, who had now V. JE. 66. appeared, subverting the Doctrine of Grace to the encouragement of J- P- 4779. Licentiousness — and to exhort them to a steadfast Adherence to the ^y"*- Faith, and. to Holiness of Life J . , THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDE. fseeNotess. § 1. — verse 1, 2. The Apostle addresses his Epistle to all who are called and preserved and consecrated to God through faith in Jesus Christ — His benediction. ^ JuDE, the servant of Jesus Christ, and "brother of James, to them "'^Jlsl^ix' that are sanctified by God the Father, and 'preserved in Jesus Christ b John 17. 11, 12, and ""called ! - Mercy unto you, and ''peace, and love, be multiplied ! c Rom. 1. 7. d 1 Pet. 1. 2. 2 Pot. I. 2. §2. — verse 3-11. The Apostle, having heard of the pernicious doctrines of the false teachers, exhorts Christians strenuously to contend for the faith which had been delivered to the apostles and prophets by Jesus Christ through the Spirit — For some ungodly men had crept into the Church, who taught that the goodness of God was so great, that men might sin with impunity, if they possessed faith, denying both the Father and Son (1 John ii. 22.), whose condemnation was foretold by the divine Law from the very beginning — To confute these dangerous doctrines, the Apostle reminds them of the punishment inflicted even on the chosen people of God for their sins (compare Numb, xiv. 23. with Heb. iii. 18, 19), of that reserved for the angels, who, discontented with their station, attempted to advance themselves, leaving their assigned habitations, and of the utter and eternal destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah — He shows that these false teachers, and their followers, by the same sins of unbelief, disobe- dience, and licentiousness, will bring upon themselves the same punishment — these blaspheme, or revile, all established authority ; although Michael, the archangel, so much greater than they, did not bring a railing accusation even against the Devil, but left him to the judgment of God — They revile laws and magistrates, not knowing their use and origin ; are governed as brute beasts by instinct, destroying themselves by the indulgence of their animal propensities — They have followed after the example of Cain, destroying the souls of their brethren — Of Balaam, by corrupting the word of God for gain — Of Korah and his party, by opposing the apostles and ministers of Christ, as they did Moses and Aaron ; and they shall as surely perish, as Korah and § 2. his associates did. ^ ipn^ j ^^ 2 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto vou "of the com- * /hii. 1.27 ... Tfi/- • 1' Iim. I.JO. & mon salvation, it was needful for me to write unto vou, and e.xhort 6.12. 2 Tim. 1. you that ''ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once ccai. 2.4. delivered unto the saints. ^ For 'there are certain men crept in un- 2Pet.2. 1. awares, ''who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, un- ^ p°eT.'2^.'l.^' ^ 404 THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDE. [Part XV. e 2 Pet. 2. 10. / Tit. 2. 11. Heb. 12. 15. g Tit. 1. 16. 2 Pet. 2. 1. 1 John 2. 22. A 1 Cor. 10. 9. i Num. 14. 29, 37. & 26. 64. Ps. 106. 26. Heb. 3. 17, 19. j John 8. 44. * Or, principality, k 2 Pet. 2. 4. I Rev. 20. 10. m Gen. 19. 24. Deut. 29. 23. 2 Pet. 2. 6. ■f Gr. other, n 2 Pet. 2. 10. Ex. 22. 28. p Dan. 10. 13. & 12. 1. Rev. 12. 7. q 2 Pet. 2. 11. g See Note 30. r Zech. 3. 2. s 2 Pet. 2. 12. « Gen. 4. 5. 1 John 3. 12. u Num.22. 7,21. 2 Pet. 2. 15. u Num. 16. l,&c. h See Note 31. §3. a 2 Pet. 2. 13. b 1 Cor. 11. 21. c Prov. 25. 14. 2 Pet. 2. 17. d Eph. 4. 14. e Matt. 15. 13. / Is. 57. 20. g Phil. 3. 19. ft 2 Pet. 2. 17. I Gen. 5. 18. i See Note 32. ?■ Deut. 33. 2. Dan. 7. 10. Zech. 14.5. Matt. 25. 31. 2 Thess. 1. 7. Rev. 1. 7. fc 1 Sam. 2. 3. Ps. 31. 18. & 94. 4. Mai. 3. 13. / 2 Pet. 2. 18. 771 Prov. 28. 21. Jam. 2. 1, 9. godly men, 'turning •'^the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and ^denying the only Lord [God], and our Lord Jesus Christ. ^ I will therefore put you in remembrance, (though ye once knew this,) how that Hhe Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward 'destroyed them that believed not ; ^ and the •'angels which kept not their * first estate, but left their own habi- tation, ''he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, 'unto the judgment of the great day : ^ even as '"Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after tstrange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, ^ Likewise "also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise do- minion, and "speak evil of dignities. ^ Yet ^Michael the archangel, when contending with the Devil he disputed about the body of Moses, Murst not bring against him a railing accusation, s but '^said, " The Lord rebuke thee ! " ^^ g^^ 'these speak evil of those things which they know not : but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. '^ Woe unto them ! for they have gone in the way 'of Cain, and "ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished "in the gainsaying of Core.*" § 3. — verse 12-16. The Apostle tells the Christians that these teachers are a disgrace to their love-feasts, pampering their appetites — He compares them to clouds without water (Deut. xxxii. 2.), their office promising good doctrine, yet giving none ; carried about by their pas- sions ; so diseased themselves, that their doctrines must be corrupt ; naturally and spiritually dead ; rooted out as barren ; fierce and violent, as the waves of the sea, foaming out their own wickedness ; unsettled and irregular in their conduct (Rev. i. 16. and ii. 1.), and being destitute of light, they are reserved for eternal darkness; against whom also (according to the ancient tradition) Enoch the seventh from Adam (to distinguish him from Enoch the son of Cain, who was the third) prophesied, when he predicted the condemnation of the wicked in his own time, and their destruction by the deluge — For these false teachers, like the antediluvians, murmur at the allot- ments of Providence and the restraints imposed on them ; but they are also proud and rebellious, flattering men for their own gain. ^^ These "are spots in your ''feasts of charity, when they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves ; "clouds they are without water, "carried about of winds ; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, 'plucked up by the roots ; ^^ raging -^waves of the sea, ^foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, Ho whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. ^^ And Enoch also, 'the seventh from Adam, prophesied' of these, ^saying, — " Behold ! the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, 1^ To execute judgment upon all. And to convince all that are ungodly among them Of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed. And of all their ''hard speeches Which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." ^^ These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts ; and 'their mouth speaketh great swelling words, "having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. §4. — verse 17-28. The Apostle exhorts them, instead of following the false teachers, to remember the doctrmes taught them by the apostles, who had also foretold the coming of these lascivious scoffers (2 Pet. iii. 2.), who, separating themselves from the true disciples of Christ, on the pretence of greater illumination, are mere animal men, not having the gpirit — But Christians are to establish themselvos and each other in the doctrines of Christ and the Apostles, which make men spiritual and holy, praying to God under Sect XVI.] MARTYRDOM OF ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL. 405 the influence of the Holy Ghost, keeping themselves in constant love towards God, § ^■ expecting pardon from Christ, together with eternal life— They are to make a diflfer- a 2 Pet. 3. -2. ence between those who have been seduced by ignorance and weakness, and those ''^.^^^-r^-^- who have erred from pride and corruption of heart— They are gently to reprove the 4 g""^ pg^ "g, j, former, and save others from the destruction of sin, by the power of terror, retaining & 3. 3. the greatest hatred of their sins, lest they also should be infected by them. ^EzTk.' 14.' 7.' ^■^ But, "beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before "o^ntb.^io.^!" of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; '*^how that they told you </icor. 2.14. Hhere should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their ^ coi.g. 7! own ungodly lusts. /kJ^s^I' ^^ These be they Svho separate themselves, "^sensual, having not the EpTc.'is.' Spirit. ^'^But ye, beloved, 'building up yourselves on your most holy ^opet.a/fi faith, Spraying in the Holy Ghost, ^^ keep yourselves in the love of hRom.n.u. God, ^looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal -^^^"^^^'^i; life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference ; -^ and ^^^°'^|i^- others ''save with fear, 'pulling them out of the fire ; hating even^he j zJch.3.'4,5. garment spotted by the flesh. Rev. 3. 4. % § 5. — verse 24, to the end. The Apostle concludes by recommending them to God, who alone can preserve them from the contagion of sin and error, and with his doxology to God our Saviour, whose glory and power will last throughout all time and eternity. § ^• 24 Now "unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and Ho pre- ^Epri^^.^' sent you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 6 coi. 1. 22. 25 to "the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion 'i^Tim. hiT^'fe and power, both now and ever ! Amen. 2. 3. [end of the general epistle of jude.] Section XVL — Martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul. [As the Scripture is silent with respect to tlie martyrdom of St. Peter at Rome, many Protestant writers, Salmasius, Spanheim, Dr. Barrow, with Bishop Marsh, in his Comparative View of the Churches of England and Rome, have endeavoured to prove that St. Peter was never in that city. Upon this point we have already made some observations ; the evidence from the fathers is too decisive to permit us to suppose there Avas no foundation for the general tradition that he was martyred in that citv ; neither are we even justified in attempting to weaken tliat evidence of the fatlicrs, which we are willing to receive in other instances, when it confirms our opinions. Tlie arrogant claims of the Church of Rome, that the bishop of that city is entitled, as the successor of St. Peter, to a spiritual supremacy over the other Churches and bishops of the Christian world, has not the shadow of support in Scrip- ture, nor any solid foundation among the fathers of tlie three first centuries ; as the learned ornament of the English Church, Bishop Jewell, has abundantly demon- strated. It cannot then be necessary to reject the autliority of early ecclesiastical history, because its testimony has been perverted by a corrupt and apostate Church. The original authorities, upon whicli the belief that St. Peter was martyred at Rome about this time, are given at length by Dr. Hales. They are selected from Euse- bius, and references are given to Dr. Lardner, wherever the passages had been pre- viously selected by tliat tlieologian. He quotes Clemens Romanus, Epist. 1. ad Corinth, sect. 5. — Cotelerius, Patres Apost. vol. i. p. 148 — Dionysius, bishop of Cor- inth — Euseb. Eccles. Hist. lib. xi. cap. 25, p. 68 — Irenasus, bishop of Lyons — Pear- son, De annis primorum Romce Episcoporum, cap. 2 — Bishop Burgess's First Letter, p. 10 — Tertullian of Carthage — Lardner, vol. ii. p. 268 — The Presbyter Caius, Euseb. Hist. Ecd. lib. ii. cap. 25, p. 67 — Origen. Euseb. Hist. Ec. lib. iii. cap. 1, or Lardner, vol. vi. p. 541 — Lactantius, Lardner, vol. vi. p. 541 — Eusebius, bishop of CsBsarea, Lardner, vol. vi. p. 544 — Ephrem. Syrus, Lardner, vol. iv. p. 437 — Jerome, Lardner, vol. vi. p. 544 — Chrysostom, Lardner, vol. vi. p. 544 — Theodoret, Lard- ner, vol. V. p. 201 — Isidore, Lardner, vol. v. p. 309 — Nicephorus, Basnage, Anon. 42. Num. 10. Lardner, vol. vi. p. 543 — Simeon Metaphrastes, Coteler. Pat. Apos. SECT. XVI. V . JE. 66. J. P. 4779. Komc. 406 DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. [Part XV vol. i. p. 148. Not. 39 — the united testimony of which is amply sufficient to warrant our reception of the general tradition, which is well given by Cave. Some circumstances are related which are not supported by the best author- ities, and which have too much the appearance of legendary fable. Our Lord, it is said, appeared to St. Peter as he was making his escape over the walls of Rome, at the request of the disciples, and told the Apostle that he was coming to Rome to be again crucified. St. Peter understood this as a repi-oof, and returned to pris- on and to death. The stone on which our Lord stood when he talked Avith St. Peter, bore, it is added, the impression of liis feet, and has ever since been preserved as a sacred rehc ; it is still in the Church of St. Sebastian the Martyr. Omitting all such narratives, there is sufficient evidence to induce us to receive the common opinion, tliat, having saluted his brethren, and taken his fare- well of St. Paul, he was brought out of prison, and led to the top of the Vatican mount, where he was to be crucified. On his arrival there, he entreated the favor of the officers, that he might not be crucified in the usual manner, but with his head downwards, for he was unworthy to suffer in the same manner, in which our Lord had suffered. There is sufficient traditionary evidence also, to render it highly probable that the anticipations of St. Paul were realized, and that he was sacrificed in the reign of Nero. Three of the soldiers who conducted him to execution are said to have been converted by his discourse, and became themselves martyrs for the faith. He was beheaded with a sword, crucifixion being esteemed a death too disgraceful for a Roman citizen. Some have asserted that he suffered on the same day with St. Peter; others, that he was executed the year after; others, that several years elapsed before his death. Bishop Pearson is of opinion that St. Paul was martyred during the absence of Nero in Greece, when the command of the pretorian guards was left to Tigellinus, and the government of the empire to Helius Caesarianus, one of the most profligate and abandoned men of that wicked age. Clemens Ro- manus affirms, that St. Paul suffered death under the governors, and not under Nero ; and Bishop Pearson places the utmost confidence in his testimony. Cave quotes in confirmation of the tradition concerning St. Peter, Orig. lib. iii. in Genes, apud Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. iii. c. i. p. 71 ; Hieron. de Sci-ipt. Eccl. in Petr. p. 2G2 ; Heges. p. 279 ; Prudent. Peristeph. Hymn. xi. in Pass. Petri, et Pauli ; and Chrysostom, Serm. in Petr. et Pauli, p. 267, t. 6, and an equal num- ber respecting St. Paul — See his Laves of the Apostles, and the Account in Dr. Lard- ner's Supplement to the Credibility. As our Lord's prediction concerning the death of St. Peter is recorded in one of the four Gospels, it is very likely that Christians would observe the accomplishment of it, which must have been in some place ; and, among Christian writers of ancient times, no other place was named beside Rome ; nor did any other city ever glory in the martyrdom of St. Peter. There were in the second and third centuries dis- putes between the bishop of Rome and other bishops and Churches, about the time of keeping Easter, and about the baptism of heretics, yet none denied the bishop of Rome to have what they called the chair of St. Peter. Eusebius, both in his Demonstration and in his Ecclesiastical Histo>-y, bears wit- ness to the same things — not now to insist on his Chronicle. In the former he says, " that St. Peter was crucified at Rome, with his head downwards, and St. Paul be- headed," In his Ecclesiastical History, speaking of Nero as the first persecutor of the Christians, he says, " tliat he put to death the apostles, at which time St. Paul was beheaded at Rome, and St. Peter crucified, as history relates. And the ac- count," he says, " is confirmed by the monuments still seen in the cemeteries of that city, with their names inscribed upon them." And in another chapter of the same work he says, "tliat Linus was the first bisliop of Rome after the martyrdom of Paul and Peter." It is needless to refer to any more of tho many places of this learned bishop of Cajsarea, where he appears to have been fully persuaded, that these two Apostles accomplished their martyrdom at Rome.] SECT. XVII. V. JE. 70. J. P. 4783. Jerusalem. Section XVII. — Destruction of Jerusalem. [Our Lord had solemnly declared, "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be for- given unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven in this world," &c. The expression, " in this world," may possibly refer to the destruc- Sect. XVIII.] THE REVELATION. 407 tion of Jerusalem. After the ascension of Christ, tlie Jews lived under the miracu- lous dispensation of the Holy Spirit, which constantly appealed to them by miracles and by prophecy, as it had occasionally done among their fathers. They persevered, however, for forty years, wilfully and obstinately rejecting the truth of God, till the prediction of their rejected Messiah was fulfilled, and wrath came upon them to sec t, x viii. the uttermost. The accounts which are given to us by Josephus of the dreadful y j£ qq devastation of their country, the famine and bloodshed, the distress and total ruin j p 4799 of the whole nation, by which the prophecies of Moses and Christ were fulfilled, Patmos. are so familiar, that it cannot be necessary to enter into the narrative. The fall of Jerusalem has left this memorable lesson to the world — that nations and churches, \^ ' 1 1 r» 111 -1 L- r-t ^ -M ^ ^^^ ^ote 35. however highly they may have been favored by the protecting providence 01 (jod, will ^ j^^^^ 3 ^^ ^ assuredly be laid aside, and fall from their political greatness, if they neglect tlie 8. 26. & 12. 49. service and obedience of Him by whom kings reign, and empires flourish or decay. * '^''■i:\"/'^'^"^' c ch. 22, 16. § 2. a Ex. 3. 8. 14. ver. 6 John 1 1. 1. c Zech. 10. cli. 5. &5. 3. 9. 3.1. 6. , &.4, &.4, = d 1 Cor. 1. 6. ch. 6. 9. &. 12. Section XVIII. — St. John writes the Apocalypse to supply the Place n. ver. 9. of a continued Succession of Prophets in the Christian Church, ^^^^ /LuUen.ss.ch. the second Coming: of Christ to judp-e the World.^ ^- ''• ° ^ JO ^Rom. 13. 11. Jam. 5. 8. 1 Pet. THE REVELATION [OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE.] 4. -. ch. 22. lo. § 1. — chap. i. 1-3. All mankind are commanded to study the Apocalypse. ^ The Revelation of Jesus Christ, "which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which ''must shortly come to pass ; and 'He sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John : ~ who ■^bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, a John 8714. and of all things 'that he saw. ^ Blessed Hs he that readeth, and they l"^!^- ^- ^^- '=''• that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are e 1 cor. 1.5. 20. written therein : for 'the time is at hand. /Eph. 1.20. ch. 17. 14. & 19. 16. (. r> J • J o S John 13. 34. & § 2.— chap. 1. 4-8. *15. 9. oai. 2. 20. St. John salutes the Churches, and asserts the Deity of their Saviour, who should come h Heh. 9. 14. . • 1 .1 1 1 1 John 1. 7. to judge the world. i 1 Pet. 2. 5, 9. ^JoHN to the Seven Churches which are in Asia! Grace be unto ch. 5. 10.&20. you, and peace, from Him "which is, and 'which was, and which is to j 1 Tim. 6. le. come; ''and from the Seven Spirits which are before his throne ; ^ and "pet.'tihic from Jesus Christ, ''icho is the Faithful Witness, and the 'First-begotten 5. 11. of the dead, and -^the Prince of the kings of the earth! Unto Him \{il"" Ji^ld. & ^that loved us, ''and washed us from our sins in his own blood, ''and 26. 64. Acts 1. hath 'made us kings and priests unto God and his Father ; •'to him i Zech. 12.10. be glory and dominion for ever and ever! Amen. ''^ Behold ! 'He ^°ig"4i.'4.'&44. cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and 'they also ly^^^%^f ^g^'' which pierced Him : and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because 2i;6.&"22; 13. of Him. Even so, Amen. ^ I "am Alpha and Omega, [The Beginning „^ver. 4.ch.4. and The Ending,] saith the Lord, "which is, and which was, and %%}^-^'-^ which is to come, The Almighty. § 3. — chap. i. 9, to the end. x 3 St. John relates the appearance of Christ to him in the Isle of Patmos, and his prophetic a Phil. 1. 7. & 4- commission. ^'*" ^ '^''"' ^" ^' b Rom. 8. 17. ^ I John (who also am your brother, and "companion in tribulation, 2 Tim. 2. 12. and ''in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ), was in the isle that V'"' ^" ^' ^'"'" is called Patmos, 'for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus rf Acts lo. lo. [Christ]. ^^ I ''was in the Spirit on 'the Lord's day, and heard behind 1 2?&i7.1. &* me •'"a great voice, as of a trumpet, ^^ saying, " I ^am Alpha and Omega, f]'2n'^. oe. ''The First and The Last: " and, " What thou seest, write in a book, f''^'j\j'^^' and send it unto the Seven Churches which are in Asia; unto Ephe- /ch. 4. i.&io sus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and /^.^^ g unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea." a ver. 17. 408 THE REVELATION. [Part XV. iver.20. Ex.25. 12 Aj-,^] J tumed to see the Voice that spake with me; and, being jch.a!^ turned, 'I saw seven golden candlesticks, ^^ and 'in the midst of the A:Ezek.i.26. scvcn candlcsticks * 0^6 like unto the Son of Man, 'clothed with a i6!'see John 1. ■ garment down to the foot, and "girt about the paps with a golden j^Damio^s.^^" girdle. ^'^ His head and "his hairs were white like wool, as white as m ch. 15. 6. snow ; and "his eyes were as a flame of fire ; ^^and ''his feet like unto " ^^''"■yn^fi u fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace ; and 'his voice as the sound o Dan. 10. b. ch, ^ J • • i i i i 2. 18. & 19. 12. of many waters. ^'^ And Hie had in his right hand seven stars : and ^D^n! ib.Vch. 2. 'out of his iTiouth went a sharp two-edged sword: 'and his counte- ^E k 43 2 nance was as the sun shineth in his strength. ^" And "when I saw him, ^Dan! ]'u. e. ch. I fell at his feet as dead ; and "he laid his right [hand] upon me, say- r'tr'st.'lt ing [unto me], " Fear not ; "1 am The First and The Last, ^^ ram he 1. & 3. K ji-jj^j. ijveth ; and was dead, and behold ! ^I am alive for evermore, %! n'!Heb.^!'i2. [Amen ;] and "have the keys of Hell and of Death. ^^ Write "the 19; 15,1 i.^*^' ^ things which thou hast seen, and Hhe things which are, 'and the things t Acts 26. 13. ch vvhich shall be liereafter ; ^° the mystery ''of the seven stars which thou u Ezek. 1. 28. sawest in my right hand, 'and the seven golden candlesticks. The "iS'Tu ^" ^^' ^ seven stars are ■'the angels of the seven churches ; and ^the seven w Is. 41 4. &44. candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. 6. & 48. 12. ch. 2. 8. & 22. 13. ^p-"- q § 4.— c/i«;j. ii. 1-7. X Rom. 6. 9. ^ 1 y ch. 4. 9. & 5. Address to the Church at Ephesus, and to all Churches which are beginning to apostatize. zVs. 68. 20. ch. ^ " Unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write : — These things ^v ^12 &c ^^^^^^ "^^ ^'^^^ holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, Svho walketh 6 d^a. 1, &c. in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks ; ^ I 'know thy works, cch. 4. 1, &c. and thy labor, and thy patience, and iiow thou canst not bear them e Jer' 12* which are evil : and ''thou hast tried them 'which say they are apostles, / Mai. 2. 7. ch. and are not, and hast found them liars: ^ and hast borne, and hast fzech^A.2. patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast-'^not fainted. fhii'i'it ^ Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy " ' ' first love. ^ Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and g. § 4. repent, and do the first works ; 'or else I will come unto thee quickly, a cii. 1. 16,20. and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Ach. 1. 13. 6 gjjt ti^ig tiiou hast, that thou hatcst the deeds of ''the Nicolaitanes c Ps. 1. 6. ver. 9 13,19. c'h. 3.1,' which I also hate. A John 4. 1. ' " He Hhat hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the c 2 Cor. 11. 13. Churches : — To him that overcometh will I give ■'to eat of '^the tree of / Gat e^g. Heb. lifc, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. 12. 3, 5. g Matt. 21.41, •• a 11 43. § 5. — chap. u. 8-11. h vor. 15. Address to the Church of Smyrna, and to all Churches under persecution and affliction. 'lA 43. ver." 11, ^ " And unto thc Aiigcl of the Church in Smyrna write : — These 13', i: &13: 9'. things saith "Tlie First and The Last, which was dead, and is alive ; » I jch.22.2, 14. *l^now thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art 'rich,) k i. cn.~. ^^^^ llaioiv the blasphemy of ''them which say they are Jews, and are § .-). not, 'but are the synagogue of Satan. ^° Fear ■'"none of those things a oh. 1. 8, 17, 18. which thou shalt suffer. Behold ! the Devil shall cast some of you 6 ver. 2. j^^^q prisou, that ye may be tried ; and ye shall have tribulation ten days : "itIV^iI: ^be thou faithful unto death, and I will give tiicc ''a crown of life. /Rom^'2^'17 28 ^^ " He 'that hath an ear, let him hear wiiat the Spirit saith unto the 29T9.~6. ' ' Churches: — He that overcometh shall not be hurt of ■'the second e ch. ■:■. 9. /■ Matt. 10. 22. g aiatt. 24. 13. h Jam. 1. 12. ch. § Q.—clmp. ii. 12-17. ^- ^^- Address to the Church of Pergamos, and to all Churches which, by relaxing their disci- i^ver. 7. ch. 13. pUne, havo admitted erroneous teachers. j ch 20.14.&21. 12 a Ajjjj to the Ansel of the Church in Pergamos write : — These 8. ^ death. Sect. XVIII.] THE REVELATION. 409 things saith ''He which hath the sharp sword with two edges ; ^^ I § 8. ''know thv works, and where thou dwellest, even Svhere Satan's seat «ch. i.ie *' . o ver» 2. is : and thou holdest fast my Name, and hast not denied my faith, c ve*. 9. even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was dNum. 24. 14.& slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. ^'^ But I have a few things apet. 2.15. ao-ainst thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of ■'"''® ]}: . o ' £ vor. "(). Acts ''Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the chil- is. 29. f cor. 8. dren of Israel, 'to eat things sacrificed unto idols, -^and to commit 20. ' " ' fornication. ^^ So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine ^of the •^^p^°''" ^' ^^' Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. ^^ Repent ; or else I will come unto ^ vcr. 6. thee quickly, and ''will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. VThMs^2 s ^^ " He 'that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the c'>- 1- 16. & 19. Churches: — To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden iver. 7, 11. manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone ■'a new name j ch. 3. 12. & 19. written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. , 4. ch. § 7. — chap. ii. 18, to the end. Address to tlic Cliurcli at Thyatira, and to all Churches which retain the profession of § 7. the true faith, and abound in many respects in good works, yet still permit immorality ^ See Markl. 1. and idolatry to continue among them. b ch. 1. 14, 15. ^^ " And unto the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write : — These 'l^^' ' ^r -.i ~ a 1 Kings lb. JI. things saith "the Son of God, ''who hath [hisl eyes like unto a flame &2i.jr,. of fire, and his feet are like fine brass ; ^^ I ''know thy works, and char- e ex. 34. is. ity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works ; and the tcor!^io~%^^' last to be more than the first. ^^ Notwithstanding I have Fa few things] 20. ver. 14. against thee, because thou sufferest that woman ''Jezebel, which calleth -^9. 20!' *" herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants "to commit g 1 sam. le. 7. . . . 1 Chr. 28. 9. & fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. ~^ And I gave her 29. 17. 2 chr. 6. space -^to repent of her fornication ; and she repented not. ^^ Behold ! u. 20.' & 17. fo! I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her ^ItJs.Acui into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds, ~^and I will 24. Rom. 8. 27. kill her children with death : and all the churches shall know that ^I am ^ilfu^'e^lv. He which searcheth the reins and hearts ; and ''I will give unto every fo^'^g cot. f. lol one of you according to your works. ^'^ But unto you I say, and unto g^i- <>• 5- the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which j Acts is. 28. have not known the depths of Satan, (as they speak.) I 'will put i c''-^- 1^- upon you none other burden ; ^^but •'that which ye have already hold ij°olIn3. 23". fast till I come. 'll:^^-^-^,o. 2^ " And he that overcometh, and keepeth ""my works unto the end, 1 (^or. e. 3. ch. 'to him will I give power over the nations ; -"^ (and '"he shall rule them ^ ps.g. 8,9. with a rod of iron ; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to f .^' ^^^' {^* 5 shivers, even as I received of my Father;) ~^ and I will give him "the &I9. is. morning star. ^^ He "that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit \|^i^t'; ^- ^^- "''• saith unto the Churches ! <> »er. 7. § 8. — chap. iii. 1-6. § 8. Address to the Church of Sardis, and to all Churches which permit their zeal and faith- „ ^h. l. 4. 16. fulness to decline. 4. 5. & 5. 6. ^ " And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write: — These ^ Eph?2. 1,5. thinos saith He "that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven ^'^''"■^•^• !Ti 1 1 I 1 1 11 1- ci<^l Tim. 6. 20. stars ; 1 know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou hvest, and 2 Tim. 1. 13. art dead. ~ Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that ^^"^' jg are ready to die. For I have not found thy works perfect before / jiatt. 24. 42, God. ^Remember ''therefore how thou hast received and heard, and Mark 13! 33! hold fast, and "repent. -^If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come ^T'heis^." sVe' [on thee] as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come ^^p^'.- 3- lo- ch. upon thee. "* Thou hast ^a few names even in Sardis which have not g Acts 1. 15. VOL. II. 52 II 410 THE REVELATION. [Part XV. AJude23. ''defiled their ffariTients t and they shall walk with me 'in white : for t ch. 4. 4. & 6. , p ' •' 11.&7. 9, 13. they are worthy. j ch. 19. 8. 5 u jjg ^j^j^j overcometh, ^the same shall be clothed in white raiment : k Ex. 32. 32. Pa. . 69. 28." ' ' and I will not *blot out his name out of the 'Book of Life, but "I will 'i3!"8!&'i'7.''8! confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. ^ He "that &20. 12. &21. j^j^jj^ an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches ! m Matt. 10. 32, Luke 12. 8. n ch. 2. 7. a § 9. — chap. iii. 7-13. Address to the Church at Philadelphia, and to all Churches which act with zeal and ~~^~~ fidelity, according to their opportunities and power. § 9. ''' " And to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia write : — These Acts 3. 14. things saith "He that is holy, 'He that is true. He that hath 'the key ver."ii"cii. r. 5. of David, '^He that openeth, and no man shutteth ; and 'shutteth, and & 6. 10. & 19. jjQ |-|^g^j-j opejjgt j^ . 8 J /linovv thy works : beliold ! I have set before c Is. 22. 22. Luke thcc °an opcn door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little d iviatt.'^ie. 19. strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my Name. e Job 12. 14. 9 Behold ! I will make ''them of the synagogue of Satan, which say "^Ycor 16 9 ^'^^y ^^® Jews, and are not, but do lie ; behold ! 'I will make them to 2Cor. 2. 12. come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved iit'49 ^3 &G0 thee. ^° Because thou hast kept the word of my patience,^! also will 14. keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon ''all the i Luk' 2 1 world, to try them that dwell 'upon the earth. ^^ Behold ! ""I come 1 19.24. 17. quickly : "hold tliat fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. ^i^3^k.1k%'^% ^^ " ^"^^ ^^^^ overcometh will I make "a pillar in the temple of my 20. ' ' God, and he shall go no more out : and I will write upon him the n^er.3.ch.2.io, j^^j-j^g ^f ^y God, and the name of the city of my God, which is ^New iKing3 7. 21. Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God; 'and I 17. icV. 1. '&" will write upon him my new name. ^^He '^that hath an ear, let him Gal. 4. "6. ^^^^ what the Spirit saith unto the Churches ! Heb."l2. 22. ch. 21. 2, 10. g ch. 22. 4. § 10. — chap. ill. 14, to the end. r ch. 2. 7. Address to the Church at Laodicea, and to all Churches which are wealthy, proud, and lukewarm. ^^ " And unto the Angel of the Church *of the Laodiceans write : — § 10. "These things saith the Amen, Hhe faithful and true Witness, 'the I^J.'S.Te!'''""' Beginning ol" the creation of God ; i^ I "know thy works, that thou art 6ch. 1.5. &19. neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot! ^"^ So then be- 11.&22. 6. ver. ^^^ygg \\^Q^^^ art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee c Col. 1. 15. out of my mouth. ^' Because thou sayest, 'I am rich, and increased ^ nil ^12 8 ^^^'^ goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art 1 Cor. 4. 8. wretclied, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked ; ^^ I counsel ■^i3!'4^4.'&25."9.' thee -^to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; ^ 2 Cor. 5. 3. ch. and "white raiment, that tliou mayest be clothed, and that the shame & lo! a ' ' of thy nakedness do not appear ; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, Vrov^s^^i lo t''^t ^h*^*^^ mayest see. ^^ As ''many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: Heh. 12. 5,'c. be zealous therefore, and repent. ^^ Behold ! 'I stand at the door, and i Cant. 5. 2. knock : ^if any man hear my voice, and open the door, ''I will come in j Luke 12. 37. to him, aud will sup with him, and he with me. ?M'!!'tt.V9.?8. ^^"To him that overcometh 'will I grant to sit with Me in my Luko'22.'3o. throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in 2 r'im. 2. 12. ch. his throne. ^^ He "that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches ! " 2. 26, 27. m ch. 2. 7 § 11. — chap. iv. The visions of St. John begin with a representation of the whole creation uniting in the worship of Jesus Christ the God of Christianity. ^ After this I looked, and, behold ! a door was opened in heaven ; Sect. XVIIL] THE REVELATION. 411 and "the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking § H- with me ; which said, " Come ''up hither, "and I will show thee thinsrs f '=''• ^- ^°- ' I ' ~ i ch. 11. 12 which must be hereafter." c ch! 1. 19. & 22. ^ And immediately ''I was in the Spirit : and, behold ! 'a throne was /\ , ^ • 1 1 A if •} 1 1 TT 1 d ch. 1. 10. & 17. set m heaven, and Une sat on the throne. -^And He that sat was to 3. & 21. 10. look upon like a jasper and a sardine-stone : ^and there ivas a rain- *i2.Eiek.''L26^' bow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. ^ And f ^"^ ^- °"''- '^^ ^round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the / Ezek. 1. 28. seats I saw four and twenty Elders sitting, ''clothed in white raiment : s <=''• 'i-i''- 'and they had on their heads crowns of gold. ^And out of the 11. & V. 9, la, * throne proceeded ^lightnings and thunderings and voices: *and there /•*• ^^ i^- ^'i- were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which 'are the ] X 8. 5. & le Seven Spirits of God ; ^ and before the throne there was "a sea of ^^• glass like unto crystal; "and in the midst of the throne, and round '2Chr!^4.2o! about the throne, were four Beasts full of eyes before "and behind, fech.laf' "^ And ^the first Beast was like a lion, and the second Beast like a calf, '.<=^; '• ^- ^ ^- ^- ot O. u. and the third Beast had a face as a man, and the fourth Beast was mEx. 38. 8. ch. like a flying eagle. ^ And the four Beasts had each of them 'si.\ wings J^zek. 1. 5 about him ; and they were full of eyes '^within : and *they rest not day ver. 8. and night, saying, "Holy ! ^holy ! holy! 'Lord God Almighty ! "which ^llZ'i.'uli^- was, and is, and is to come ! " "^ And when those Beasts give glory and \ Vf" honor and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, "who liveth for ever ■r^r,wing.-!round and ever, ^•' the "four and twenty Elders fall down before Him that sat fMofeyes.-Y:.D.\ on the throne, ""and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, ^and *g\'. they have no cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ^^ " Thou 'art worthy, O /f^'e. 3. Lord! to receive glory and honor and power: "for Thou hast created ^ *)!},■ \' 4 all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created ! " '" ch.' 1! is. & 5. ° •' *^ •' 14. & 15. 7. v> ch. 5. 8, 14. § 12.-cAa;,. V. 1-3. yZ'! St. John sees in his vision a book with seven seals, containing the future history of the z ch. 5. 12. Church of God, which no .human being was able to open. °n.*'24. Eph's^'* ^ And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne "a %*:t ^- ^^- "''• book written within and on the back side, 'sealed with seven seals. -And I saw a strong Angel proclaiming with a loud voice, " Who [is] § 12. worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?" ^ And no a Ezek. 2. 9, 10. man 'in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to *jis-^29.ii. Dan. open the book, neither to look thereon. <= ^e'- 13. § IZ.—chap. V. 4, <o the end. ^ ^^• The Son of God, represented under the figure of a lamb in the act of being sacrificed, "H^b"7^H^' ^''' opens the book, to explain to the Church the history of its providential government to * Is. ll.i, 10. the end of time ; — the whole creation renew their praise and homage to the sacrificed 22'!"l6. ^" ~" ' * Lamb of God. c ver. 1. ch. 6. 1. ^ And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and i.29,36."iPe" to read the book, neither to look thereon. ^And one of the Elders !;r.V^2.^^' ®' saith unto me, " Weep not: behold ! "the Lion of the tribe of Juda, ^jZ'-^h'a. 9.&4. Hhe Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, 'and to loose the {''^^\^i seven seals thereof." f ch.' 4.' 8,' 10. 6 And I beheld, and, lo ! in the midst of the throne and of the four '2!''' '''•^••*'^^- Beasts, and in the midst of the Elders, stood ''a Lamb as it had been * p/.' mT'ch. slain, having seven horns and 'seven eyes, which are '^the Seven Spirits /p^^'45 3 ^i, of God, sent forth into all the earth. ^ And he came and took the i^-3- ' book out of the right hand "of Him that sat upon the throne. ^ And m'ver.'e. ' when he had taken the book, 'the four Beasts and four and twenty \om.'3^.°24^.^' Elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them 'harps, i.'ba'' I'ph^i^ and golden vials full of *odors, ■'which are the prayers of saints; ^ and g^jo^j p;t"f''" Hhey sung a new song, saying, "Thou 'art worthy to take the book, 18,19. 2kt.'2. and to open the seals thereof; "'for thou wast slain, and "hast re- cii. i4°4'! 412 THE REVELATION. [Part XV. 25. cti. 7 9. & ■ deemed us to God by thy blood "out of every kindred, and tongue, and /ex^ iVfi ^ people, and nation; ^°and^hast made us unto our God kings and iPet|-5»9. priests ; and we shall reign on the earth." ^^ And I beheld, and I heard &'22.'5.' ■ ■ the voice of many angels 'round about the throne and the Beasts and 'p'fiR^''' the Elders : and the number of them was '"ten thousand times ten 7. 10. Heb". li ' thousand, and thousands of thousands ; ^~ saying "with a loud voice, s ch. 4. 11. " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and £ Phil. 2. 10. ver. wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing ! " ^^ And u^ichr. 29. 11. 'svery creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the Rom. 9'. 5. & 16. earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I sav- 27. 1 Tim. 6. 16. . ". _^, -uii ii i tt 1 Pet. 4.11. &5. ing, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him "that t, ch.6. 16. & 7. sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." ^'* And ^''- "the four Beasts said, " Amen." And the [four and twenty] Elders fell Teh. 4. 9 10 down and worshipped [Him "^that liveth for ever and ever]. § 14. — chap. vi. 1, 2. The First Seal is opened — The vision which follows announces the general conquest of the S ■*^'*- Gospel over Jews and Gentiles. 6 ch 4 7' '^ ^ ^^^ "■"• ^^^^ vvhen the Lamb opened One of the Seals, and I heard, c Zech. 6.3. ch. as it wcrc the noise of thunder, 'one of the four Beasts, saying, " Come /ps.^45. 4 5. ^^^ S66 ! " 2 And I saw, and behold 'a white horse ! '^and He that sat Lxx. on him had a bow ; "and a crown was given unto him : and he went ^u^u'. ^' ^^' '^^' forth conquering, and to conquer. § 15. — chap. vi. 3, 4. c 25 The Second Seal is opened — The savage persecutions and total dispersion of the Jews, under Trajan and Adrian, are announced. A. D. 102 to A. D. 138. '''^''■''■^' ^ And when He had opened the Second Seal, "I heard the second Beast say, " Come [and see] ! " ■* And Hhere went out another horse that tvas red ; and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another : and there was given unto him a great sword. b Zech. 6. 2. § 16. — chap. vi. 5, 6. The Third Seal is opened — The peace and plenty of the reign of the Septimian family § 16. are announced. A. D. 193 to A. D. 235. ^ And when He had opened the Third Seal, "I heard the third Beast The wordcAiE- say, " Come [and see] ! " And I beheld, and, lo ! *a black horse ! and he niz signitieth a ^]-jg^^ gg^^ q^ jjj,^ j^g^^j g^ pg^j^ Qf balances in his hand. ^ And I heard a measure contain- r ing one wine voico iu thc midst of thc four Beasts say, " A *measure of wheat for a twelfth part of a pcuuy, and three measures of barley for a penny ; and "see thou hurt cTh.'g. 4. "ot the oil and the wine." a ch. 4 b Zech. 6.2, § 17.— chap. vi. 7, 8. The Fourth Seal is opened — The cruel wars, the famines, persecutions, and pestilences, which prevailed in the reigns of Ma.\imin, Decius,and Valerian, are announced. A. D. § I''- 255to A. D. 271. '"^''•^•^' '''And when He had opened the Fourth Seal, "I heard the voice of the fourtii Beast say, " Come [and see] ! " ^ And *! looked, and behold a pale horse ! and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell fol- * Or, tohim. lowcd with him. And power was given * unto them over the fourth d 2 Esd. 15. 5. P^''t of the earth, "to kill with sword, and with hunger, "^and with death, e Lev. 26. 22. 'and with the beasts of the earth. 6 Zech. 6. 3. § 18.— chap. vi. !»-ll. The Fifth Seal is opened — The last heathen persecution of Cln-istianity, and the appre- J "■ hensions of the Christians are announced. A. D. 28() to A. D. 304. °i3. '&14! 18. ' ^ And when He had opened the Fifth Seal, I saw under "the altar e SeeZech. 1.12. / ch. 3. 7. g ch. ]1. 18. & 19.2. h ch. 3. 4. ,5. &7. 9, 14. t Heb. 11. 4(1 1. ch. 14. 13. Sect. XVIIL] THE REVELATION. 4I3 Hhe souls of them that were slain "for the word of God, and for ''the * ^h. 20. 4. testimony which they held : ^'^ and they cried with a loud voice, 'say- y^\,-'^ \ g ^^ ing, " How long, O Lord, -^holy and true ! ^dost Thou not judge and 12. i-^&ioiio." avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth ? " ^^ And ''white robes were given unto every one of them ; and it was said unto them, 'that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also, and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. § 19. — chap. vi. 12, to the end, and chap. vii. The Sixth Seal is opened — The convulsions of the Roman empire are represented at the final overthrow of paganism, and the triumphant establishment of the Christian Church in its place — In this part of the vision also is pointed out the eternal happiness of the early martyrs, and the praise which they render to God and the Lamb. A. D. 323. § 19. 12 And I beheld, when He had opened the Sixth Seal, "and, lo ! there " -^h- '*5- ^^^ was a great earthquake ! and 'the sun became black as sackcloth of '^"a*;',!- ^^'^^jj'; hair, and the moon became as blood ; ^^ and "the stars of heaven fell 24. 29. Acts 2. unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her *untimely figs, when she c ch. 8. 10.&.0. is shaken of a mighty wind ; ^^ and ''the heaven departed as a scroll J'^^ greenf^rs when it is rolled together ; and "every mountain and island were moved a Ps'. 102. 26ria. out of their places ; ^^and the kings of the earth, and the great men, 13; ' ^ ' ' ' and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and '24'"^,f-f(?2f ''• every bondman, and every freeman, ^hid themselves in the dens and /is. 2. 19. in the rocks of the mountains ; i*^and °said to the mountains and rocks, ^L^^e'^j'so' ch " Fall on us ! and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the 9. e. throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb ! ^'^ For ''the great day of his VepiK^i.^i4^&c. wrath is come ; 'and who shall be able to stand? " .'i'^!''^''" ch'ip- ^'i- 1 And after these things I saw four Angels standing on the four corners of the earth, •'holding the four winds of the J ^''"- ''■ ^■ earth, Hhat the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, '^'^''•^ "*• nor on any tree. ^ And I saw another Angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God : and he cried with a loud voice to the four Angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 saying, " Hurt 'not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have ' ^h. 6. e. & 9. 4. '"sealed the servants of our God "in their foreheads ! " '* And "I heard ™ E^ek. 9. 4. ch. the number of them which were sealed : and there were sealed ^an » ch. 22. 4. hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children " ^l"/ jj'j' of Israel. ^ Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. ^ Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. ''' Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. ® Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. ^ After this I beheld, and, lo ! 'a great multitude, which no man ? Rom. 11.25. could number, '"of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, *■ •=''• ^- ^• stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, 'clothed with white */'4. ^^g. n'.*' robes, and palms in their hands ; '° and cried with a loud voice, saying, "■<"■ i'*- " Salvation 'to our God "which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the 'n!jer. 3. 23^ Lamb!" ^^ And "all the angels stood round about the throne, and ^9°^^' "*• "*'• about the Elders and the four Beasts, and fell before the throne on u ch. 5. 13. their faces, and worshipped God, i- saying, " Amen : ''Blessing, and ^^^^^^'^^jg j^ glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever ! [Amen.] " ^^ And one of the VOL. II. 11* 414 THE REVELATION. [Part XV. X ver. 9. Elclers answered, saying unto me, " What are these which are arrayed in V ' ' " ' "^white robes ? and whence came they ? " ^^ And I said unto him, •' Sir, V H^'/j'i"''i' ^^^^ knowest." And he said to me, " These '-'are they which came out of 7. ch. 1. 5. great tribulation, and have ""washed their robes, and made them white 4,^5. *"^ ■ • ' in the blood of the Lamb. ^^ Therefore are they before the throne of ais.A.5,&.ch. God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and He that sitteth 6 Is. 49. 10. on the throne shall "dwell among them. ^^ They ''shall hunger no more, c^^s.m.G.ch. 'neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any <i Ps. 23. 1. & 36. heat: ^''for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne ''shall feed 14. ° " ■ ' them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters ; 'and God e^is. 25. 8. ch. 4. ghall wipe away all tears from their eyes." § 20. — chap. viii. 1-5. The Seventh Seal is opened — Seven Angels, with the seven trumpets, appear in heaven — The grateful prayers of the Christians who are now at rest, and the acceptance of their prayers, are announced, with the approaching desolation of the Empire by the 5 '^"- Barbarians. ft Tob.' 12. ].•;. ^ ^^^ "when he had opened the Seventh Seal, there was silence in lT'iV' heaven about the space of half an hour. ^And*! saw the Seven An- c 2 ci.ron. 29. gcls which stood beforc God ; "and to them were given seven trum- ^~^',,-.. ., pets. 3 And another Angel came and stood at the altar, having a * Or, add U to the ^ O . . i i prayers. goldcn ccnser ; and there was given unto him much incense, that he '^e'' to^ should *offer it with ''the prayers of all saints upon 'the golden altar 6.9.' ' " ' which was before the throne. "^ And ^the smoke of the incense, which ^Luke?'io' came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the ] Ox, upon. Angel's hand. ^And the Angel took the censer, and filled it with fire g ch. 16. 18. of the altar, and cast it tinto the earth : and ^there were voices, and 1 Kings' 19.' li. thunderings, and lightnings, ''and an earthquake. Acts 4. 31. § 21. — chap. viii. 6, 7. A new sera of the overthrow of the Roman power, which had hitherto depressed the Man of Sin, now commences with the sounding of the seven trumpets — The First Trumpet sounds — The prodigies which ensue prefigure the invasion of the Roman Empire by the barbarous nations of the North. A. D. 323 to A. D. 412. ^ And the Seven Angels wliich had the seven trumpets prepared § ^1 themselves to sound. aEzek.38.22. ^ ^he First [Angel] sounded, "and there followed hail and fire 6 ch. 16.2. mingled with blood, and they were cast ''upon the earth : and the third c^is. 2. 13. ch. 9. pg^j.^ c^|. trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. § 22. § 22.— chap. viii. 8, 9. The Second Trumpet sounds — The Vandals and Alani under Genseric destroy the political power of the Western Roman Empire. A. D. 395 to A. D. 455. ^ And the Second Angel sounded, "and as it were a great mountain aJer. 51.25. _ . i i i i • i r u Amos 7. 4. burning with fire was cast into the sea : "and the third part of the sea cEzek^4.i9. 'became blood ; ^ and "the third part of the creatures [which were] d ch. 16. 3. in the sea, and had life, died ; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. § 23.— chap. viii. 10, 11. The Third Trumpet sounds— The deposition of Augustulus, the last Roman Emperor of the West, or the apostacy or corruption of ambitious churchmen, or the prevalence of the opinions of Augustine, which more than any others have embittered the waters of § 23. life, and destroyed Christian union, may be here prefigured. A. D. 455 to A. D. 476. a Is. 14. 12. ch. 10 And the Third Angel sounded, "and there fell a great star from 6^ch!i6. 4. heaven, burning as it were a lamp, 'and it fell upon the third part of c Ruth 1.20. the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters. ^^ And 'the name of %^ii^tE:it the star is called Wormwood: "and the third part of the waters Sect. XVIII.] THE REVELATION. 415 became wormwood ; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. § 24. — chap. viii. 12. The Fourth Trumpet sounds— The wars in Italy between the conquerors of Rome, the generals of Justinian, and the Goths, and the Establishment of the Exarchate of Ra- venna, which annihilated all the remaining authority of Rome, are now predicted to A. D. 60G. ^ ^^• 12 And "the Fourth Angel sounded, and the third part of the sun "Amoi%!9. was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars ; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night hkewise. § 25. — chap. viii. 13. Another memorable period in the history of mankind is now ushered in— The general corruption among Christians and the political weakness of the Empire prepare the way for the Two Great Apostacies, which should continue for the space of 12G0 years, and rise together in the Eastern and Western Empires. A. D. GOG. § *■*• 13 (And I beheld, "and heard an Angel flying through the midst of -^j^''- 1^- <^- ^^ '^• heaven, saying with a loud voice, " Woe ! ''woe ! woe ! to the inhabiters * ch. 9. 12. & 11. of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three Angels, which are yet to sound !)" § 26. — chap. ix. 1-11. The rise, progress, and eventual overthrow of the two Synchronical Apostacies of the two great enemies of the peace, knowledge, and happiness of mankind. Popery and Ma- hometanism, are described by the two first woe trumpets, and by the third woe trumpet, as far as the sixth vial, which was poured out under the latter — The Fifth Trumpet, or first woe trumpet, is sounded — The fall of a star — the corruptions of the Eastern Church, introduces the apostacy of Mahomet, and the Saracens, who conquer the erro- r 26. neous Christians 150 years — A. D. GOG to A. D. 7G2.n ^, , nr ■' n See Note .50. 1 And the Fifth Angel sounded, "and I saw a star fall from heaven « Luke lo. is. unto the earth ; and to him was given the key of Hhe bottomless pit, ^Luke s. 3i. ch. 2 and he opened the bottomless pit. And "there arose a smoke out of i^. s. & 20. 1. the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were ^ joei2.2, 10. darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. ^ And there came out of the smoke '^locusts upon the earth ; and unto them was given <« ex. lo. 4. power, 'as the scorpions of the earth have power : '* and it was ^ "^r" /o. " commanded them -^that they should not hurt °"the grass of the earth, /oh. e. 6. &?. neither any green thing, neither any tree ; but only those men which ^ ,.h_ g. 7. have not ''the seal of God in their foreheads. ^ And to them it was a ch. 7.3. given that they should not kill them, 'but that they should be tormented 23.''Ezek.'9.1. five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, j^ch. 11.7. ver. when he striketh a man. "^ And in those days ^shall men seek death, j job 3. 21. is. 2. and shall not find it ; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from l^/^l"- ®- ^- ''^■ them. ^ And ''the shapes of the locusts ivere like unto horses prepared k Joei2.4.^ unto battle ; 'and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, ^^''^'•^■^'• '"and their faces were as the faces of men ; ^ and they had hair as the ™ ^*"- "" ^' hair of women, and "their teeth were as the teeth of lions ; ^ and they " °^ • • had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron ; and the sound of their wings was °as the sound of chariots of many horses running to " °^ "" ' ' '' battle. ^^ And they had tails like unto scorpioiis, and there were stings in their tails : ^and their power teas to hurt men five months. ^ ^'®'^' ^' 11 And Hhey had a king over them, ivhich is '^the Angel of the ^ ^,^^ \' Dottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name *Apollyon. a Dlstroij°rT^' ^ 27. — chap. ix. 12, to the end. The Sixth Trumpet sounds after a long interval — The four sultanies of the Mahometan 416 THE REVELATION. [Part XV. power, whose capitals were Bagdad, Damascus, Aleppo, and Iconium, begin to leave their territories near the Euphrates, and attack the Christians, their first victory being gained in 1281 — They destroy the Greek Empire, for which they had been prepared, § 27. 1453 — Their last acquisition of territory was made in 1G72. o ch. 8. 13. 12 Qj^j, "woe is past ; and, behold ! there come two woes more hereafter. ^3 And the Sixth Angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, ^"^ saying to the Sixth Angel which had the trumpet, " Loose the four Angels which are jch. 16. 12. bound 4n the great river Euphrates." ^^ And the four Angels were * Or, at. loosed, which were prepared *for an hour, and a day, and a month, c Ps. 68. 17. Dan. ^nd a year, for to slay the third part of men. ^^ And 'the number of d Ezek. 38. 4. the army ''of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand : cch. 7.4. 'and I heard the number of them. ^^ And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and /ichr. 12. 8. of jacintb, and brimstone; -^and the heads of the horses were as the ^' * ' " heads of lions ; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. ^* By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. ^'-^ For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails : g Is. 9. 15. ^for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. ^°And the rest of the men which were not killed by h Deut. 31. 29. thcsc plagucs, ''yct repented not of the works of their hands, that *De7t.32'.i7. Ps. they should not worship 'devils, ^and idols of gold, and silver, and lo^o!'^^"'' brass, and stone, and of wood; which neither can see, nor hear, nor j Ps. 115. 4. & ^valk : ^^ neither repented they of their murders, *nor of their sorceries, 135. 15. Dan. 5. r- i ■ n • ■ r i • i r 23. nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. k oh. 22. 15. § 28. — chap. X. The history of the Eastern Empire having been predicted, the prophecy proceeds to the history of the Western Empire during the same period of 1260 years — This portion of the prophecy is given to St. John by another Angel, as a separate book, to distinguish it from the events predicted by the two woe trumpets. § 28. 1 And I saw another mighty Angel come down from heaven, clothed a Ezek. 1.28. with a cloud, "and a rainbow was upon his head, and ''his face was as 'A'e"" "' ^' "''■ it were the sun, and 'his feet as pillars of fire, ~ and he had in his hand c ch. 1. 15. a little book open ; ''and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his d Matt. 28. 18. igff fQQt Qj-^ thg earth, ^ and cried with a loud voice, as ivhen a lion ech.8. 5. roareth. And when he had cried, 'seven thunders uttered their voices. "^And when the seven thunders had uttered [their voices], I was about to write : and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, /Dan. 8.2G. & " ScaKuo thosc thiugs wliich the seven thunders uttered, and write 12 4 9 1 ' " them not." ^' And the Angel, which I saw stand upon the sea and 5-Ex. 6. 8. Dan. upou the carth, ^lifted up his hand to heaven, ''and sware by Him ^■-- ^- that liveth for ever and ever, Svho created heaven, and the things that Vn.'&i'i."?." therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the i Dan. 12. 7. ch. sca, and the things which are therein, 'that there should be time no j^l. n. 15. longer ; 'but •'in the days of the voice of the Seventh Angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he k ver. 4. hath declared to his servants the prophets. ^ And ''the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, " Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the Angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth." ^ And I went unto the Angel, and said unto him, '' Give me the little book." And he said unto me, " Take ^Ezek^l s^'fe 3 ''''' ^"^^ ^^^ '^ "P' ^"*^ ^* ^'^^"^ make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in iX^~' ' ' thy mouth sweet as honey." ^° And I took the little book out of the m Ezek. 3. 3. Augcl's hand, and ate it up; "and it was in my mouth sweet as n Ezek. 0. 10. houcy ; and as soon as I had eaten it, "my belly was bitter. ^^ And he Sect. XVIIL] THE REVELATION. 4I7 said unto me, '' Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." § 29. § 29. — chap. xi. 1-14. The Little Book, containing the prophetic history of the Western Church, is divided into five portions — Tlie First Portion represents the separation between nominal and a Ezek. 40. 3, spiritual Christians — the contempt, and general neglect and hatred of the Scriptures ch^'2l''l5 ' ' and their right interpreters, under the description of Two Witnesses prophesying in j nu^. 33. 18. sackcloth — It is predicted that these Witnesses will prophesy nearly 12(10 years, c Ezek. 40. 17, till the approaching close of their testimony in sackcloth, wlien they will be killed, 20. and rise again, and triumph over those who rejoiced at their death — This will take ^'\ "" ' place before the sounding of the seventh trumpet — This portion of the Apocalypse is gi. 24. ' very obscure : it may be that it is a general introduction to the contents of the little e Dan. 8. 10. book. A. D. 606 to A. D. 1866. ^ *'''<=• ^; ^'• ^ And there was given me "a reed like unto a rod: and the Angel ^ox^iwiiigiw stood, saying, " Rise, ''and measure the temple of God, and the altar, '"^f°,^\^at't£^ and them that worship therein ; ~ but ''the court which is without the ■may prophesy. temple *leave out, and measure it not; ''for it is given unto the Gen- f ch.iolio. tiles ; and the holy city sliall they "tread under foot ■'^forty and two i ch. 12. 6. months j Ps. 52. 8. Jer. monins. u. ic. Zech. 4. ^ " And f I will eive poioer unto my two ^witnesses, ''and they shall 3' '*> ^^• . fe 2 Kind's 1. 10 prophesy 'a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in 12. Jer'. i.'io.'& sackcloth. "* These are the^two olive trees, and the two candlesticks I'.uo^l^'.'^^' standing before the God of the earth. ^ And if any man will hurt them, ' Num. le. 29. *fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies ; 'and "am^sTiY,!?. if any man Avill hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. ^ These « Ex. 7. 19. '"have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their proph- " ^,^'''^3^^^ ^^ ^ ecy ; and "have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite 17.8. the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. "^ And when they ^ ^^^^'y'^i 'shall have finished their testimony, ^the Beast that ascendeth ''out of zecii. 14. 2. the bottomless pit '"shall make war against them, and shall overcome ^i^s'.&'il'.to.^^' them, and kill them. ^ And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of t Heb^is. 12. ch. 'the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, 'where „ ch. 17. 15. also our Lord was crucified. ^ And "they of the people and kindreds v Ps. 79. 2, 3. and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a '"ig.V^' ^" ^ half, "and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be piyt in graves. ^^ And x Esth. 9. 19, 22. "they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make ^ ';''• ^'^- ^''• merry, ""and shall send gifts one to another ; ^because these two proph- ^ Ezek.37. 5, 9, ets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. ^^ And ^after three days and a half "the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they "i-^'s" stood upon their feet ; and great fear fell upon them which saw them, "^^g ^°- ^- ^"^'^ ^2 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Conre d 2 Kings 2. 1,5, up hither ! ''And they ascended up to heaven "^in a cloud ; ''and their ^ ^j, g 12 enemies beheld them. ^^ And the same hour "was there a great earth- /ch. le. 19. quake, ^and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were JCr. nmn^o/ slain tof men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, ^and ^ josh. 7. 19. ch. eave elory to the God of heaven. 14. 7. & is. 4. h i*\i ft T^ A- Q ^^ " The ''second woe is past; g71(/, behold ! the third woe cometh 12. & 15.1. quickly. 10, 14. b Is. 14. 13. ch. )5 § ?,0.—chap. xi. 15-18. The Seventh Trumpet sounds — The rejoicing of the universal Church at the anticipated c 3Q triumph of the Witnesses, at the end of the 1260 years. . ^ a ch. 10. 7. ^•"And the Seventh Angel sounded ; 'and there were great voices j is. 27. is. ch. in heaven, saying, " The 'kingdoms of this world are become the Jang- /ch.\^2.*]o.^" ^' doms of our Lord, and of his Christ ; ''and he shall reign for ever and d Dan. 2^ 44. & 7. ever!" i*^ And "the four and twenty Elders, which sat before God on e^'^hU'.A^'&.s.s. their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, ^^ saying, " We ^J^'^;^ g ^^ give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, Avhich art, and wast, and "^st'^iLie.s.' VOL. II. 53 418 THE REVELATION. [Part XV g ch. 19. 6. art to come ! because Thou hast taken to thee thy great power, ^and t dIh 7 9 10 ^^^^ reigned ! ^^ And ''the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, ch. e". lb. ' 'and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou \ "^ lo t„ . shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, K cn. IJ. 10. & 1 I 1 ^ I • 11 1 J 1 18. 6. and them that tear thy name, Ismail and great ; *and shouldest destroy * °'' """"?'• them which *destroy the earth. c § 31. — clia-p. xi. 19. and xii. The Second Division of the Utile book — Under the figures of a woman bringing forth with pain a Man-Child, and being driven by a Dragon with seven heads and ten horns into the wilderness, is prophesied the persecution of the Church of Christ, which brings forth true and faithful Christians, by tlie evil Spirit, which first introduced evil 9 "^1- into this world — This contest continues also 1260 years, from 006 to 1866. ach. 15. 5,8. 19 And "the temple of God was opened in lieaven, and there was j^ch.8. 5. & 16. gggf, jfj j^jg temple the ark of his testament : and 'there were lightnings, ch. 16. 21. and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, "and great hail. *or, sign. 1 And there appeared a great * wonder in heaven ; a Woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a <i Is. fifi. 7. Gal. crown of twelve stars: ^ and she being with child cried, '^travailing in 4. 19. . . . ~ ' o \ox,sisn. birth, and pained to be delivered. ^ And there appeared another twon- e ch. 17.3. der in heaven ; and behold ! 'a great red Dragon, •'having seven heads /ch. 17. 9, 10. and ten horns, ^and seven crowns upon liis heads; "^and ''his tail drew f ch.9. 10,19. the third part 'of the stars of heaven, ■'and did cast them to the earth, t ch. 17. 18. And the Dragon stood ''before the Woman which was ready to be de- it ver. 2. livered, 'for to devour her child as soon as it was born. ^ And she I Ex. 1. 16. brought forth a Man-Child, "who was to rule all nations with a rod of "L,P^;2;9-,^''-2- iron: and her Child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. n ver. 4. ^ And "the Woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place och.ii. 3. prepared of God, that they should feed her there "a thousand two hundred and threescore days, p Dan. 10. 13,21. 7 And thcrc was war in heaven : ^Michael and his angels fought & 12. 1. -j^ . ® " ? ver. 3. ch. 20. 'agaiust tlic Diagou ; and the Dragon fought and his angels, ^ and ^- prevailed not ; neither was their place found any more in heaven ; r Lnke 10 18. 9 ^^^ ' ^j^g areat Dragon was cast out, ''that old Serpent, called the John 12. 31. » o ' I ' s Gen. 3.1,4. ch. Dcvil, aud Satan, 'which deceiveth the whole world : "he was cast out ^^.•"•„ „ into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. ^° And I heard t ch. 20. 3. . ~ M ch.~9. 1. a loud voice saying in heaven, " Now "is come salvation, and strength, t)ch. 11. 15. & and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ! for the icJobi.9. &2. Accuser of our brethren is cast down, '"which accused them before 5. zech. 3.1. Qjjj. Qq(| ^jay a,^j night. ^1 And "^they overcame him by the blood of 37. &'i6!2o! ' the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; '•'and they loved not 2/ Luke 14. 26. tjigj,- jiygg unto the death. ^^ Therefore "rejoice, ye heavens, and ye %9.^'i3!''ch.'i8.' that dwell in them! "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the ^'', sea! for the Devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, ''be- 10. ' ' ' cause he knoweth that he hath but a short time." *'^''"'i'"^' 13 And when the Dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he A Ex. 19. 4. persecuted "the Woman which brought forth the Man-Child. ^^ And i^Mac. 2. 29,30, a^^ ^j^^ Womau wcrc given two wings of a great eagle, 'that she might e ver. 6. fly ^into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished 'for a ■^mnV^s & time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the Serpent. ^^ And 12. 7. the Serpent ''cast out of his mouth water as a flood after tiie Woman, A Is. 59. 19. ^j^.j^^ j|g might cause her to be carried away of the flood. ^"^ And the earth helped the Woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and svval- 'ii.''7;&l3".7.'' lowed up the flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth. ^^ And ; ch. 14. 12. the Dragon was wroth with the Woman, 'and went to make war with ^^.Tohn 1 10. ch. the remnant of her seed, ^Which keep the commandments of God, and &io.\''^'^' have ''the testimony of Jesus Christ. a Sect. XVIII.] THE REVELATION. ■ 419 § 32.— chap. xiii. 1-10. § 32. The Third Division of the httle book, in which the agent of the evil Spirit, which per- a The Editor secuted tlie true Church of God 12C0 years, is described by characteristics exclusively takes ilus^oppor- applicable to the power of "Rome. once for all, that 1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw ''a Beast rise up appHcliUon of * out of the sea, 'having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten f,l q^Jit" differ! crowns, and upon his heads the *name of Blasphemy. ^ And ''the Beast ^?,\''^^;Vn.e,,,i°^ which I saw was hke unto a leopard, 'and his feet were as the feet of ^^^^l' \l^^^^'^^^ a bear, •'"and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. And ^the Dragon gave the book, that a him his power, ''and his seat, 'and great authority ; ^ and I saw one of "tAmyL/ac// his heads ^as it were t wounded to death ; and his deadly wound was "omefT/<^"'"he healed. And *all the world wondered after the Beast, ^ and they Sopt"tl'e'id"t worshipped the Draffon which gave power unto the Beast ; and they that its appiica- worshipped the Beast, saying," Who 'is like unto the Beast? who is extensive than is able to make war with him ? " ^ And there was given unto him a '"moutli preiTrrtho hy! speaking great things, and blasphemies ; and power was given unto fe°','o?Le°e!^"*" him tto continue "forty and two months. ^ And he opened his mouth b Dan. 7.2, ?. in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, "and his tabernacle, "3^9, ll. ^" ^^ ^'' and them that dwell in heaven. ''And it was given unto him ''to make * or, Tmmes. ch. war with the saints, and to overcome them: 'and power was given ^Dan. 7. 6. him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. ^ And all that dwell e Dan. 7. 5. upon the earth shall worship him, '^ whose names are not written in /Dan. 7. 4. the Book of Life of the Lamb slain "from the foundation of the world, f ^^' jg" j^ ^ If 'any man have an ear, let him hear. ^^ He "that leadeth into cap- i ch. 19. 4. tivity shall go into captivity : "he that killeth with the sword must be ^ g/^^V^' killed with the sword. "Here is the patience and the faith of the tch. 17. 8. saints. ' •=!■• ^\^^^ .. m Dan. 7. 8, 11, 25. &. 11. 36. § 23.— chap. xiii. 11, to the end. t °'' '" ""'''' '^'''■^ ^ ^ ^ n ch. 11. 2. &; 12. The Fourth Division of the little book, in which is represented the spiritual dominion 6. of the Church of Rome, supported and sanctioned by the secular powers of Europe o John 1. 14. Col. during 1260 years. i^ ' , -,, . ^ •' p Dan. 7. 21. ch. 1^ And I beheld another Beast "coming up out of the earth; and h.7. &12. 17. he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon ; ^^ and he 9^<^^-'^i-^^-&-i7- exerciseth all the power of the first Beast before him, and causeth the r ex. 32. 32. earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first Beast, ''whose Phn! 473. ch. 3. deadly wound was healed ; ^^ and 'he doeth great wonders, ''so that he & ^1.^27.^"' ^^' maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. « ch. n. a. ^'' And Meceiveth them that dwell on the earth ^by the means 0/ those l^'^u'.s^!]. miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the Beast; saying «^GeiK 9- e. Matt. to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an Image to «> ch. 14. 12. the Beast, which had the wound by a sword, "'and did five. '^ And he had power to give *life unto the Image of the Beast, that the Image of ^ the Beast should both speak, ''and cause that as many as would not tfe'r^x"^' worship the Image of the Beast should be killed. ^*' And he caused all, '^„'^^"'- '^1- ''3 *^ ' 1 -^ o. .Alatt. 2A. 24. both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, tto 'receive a mark 2Thess. 2. 9. in their right hand, or in their foreheads ; ^"^ [and] that no man might /iKin^sis. 38. buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or ^the name of the Beast, *or the 12^'"^^ ^' ^^' number of his name. ''^ Here 'is wisdom; let him that hath under- e^^-^^-^-^^9. standing count '"the number of the Beast : "for it is the number of a -^j^Thess.o. 9, man, and his number is Six hundred threescore a7id six. ^2Kin^2o.7. * Gr. breath. h ch. 16. 2. & 19. § 34.-CW. xiv. 1-13. 20. & 20. 4. . . t Gr. t(i give uiem. The Fifth Division of the little book contains a representation of the depressed condi- j ch. 14. 9. &. 19. tion of the spiritual Church of God during the 12G0 years — The Reformation by .^^: *^,^''-.'*- . 7 ch. 14. 11. Luther — The present efforts of Protestants to enlighten mankind, and a future still more k ch. 1.5. 2.' successful opposition to Popery, are probably predicted under the representation of ' '^'V ^I'.^;, three Angels appealing to mankind. n ch. 21. 17. 420 THE REVELATION. [Part XV § 34. a ch. 5. 5. b ch. 7. 4. c ch. 7. 3. & 13. 16. d ch. 1. 15. &. 19. t). e ch. 5. 8. / ch. 5. 9. & 15. 3. g ver. 1. A 2 Cor. 11. 2. t ch. 3. 4. & 7. 15, 17. & 17. 14. j ch. 5. 9. * Gr. were bought, k Jam. 1. 18. I Ps. 32. 2. Zeph. 3. 13. m Eph. 5. 27. Jude 24. n ch. 8. 13. Eph. 3. 9, 10, 11. Tit. 1. 2. p ch. 13. 7. g ch. 11. 18. & 15. 4. r Neh. 9. 6. Ps. 33. 6. & 124. 8. & 146. 5, 6. Acts 14. 15. & 17. 24. s Is. 21. 9. Jer. 51. 8. ch. 18. 2. t Jer. 5]. 7. ch. 11. S. & 16. 19. & 17. 2, 5. & 18. 3, 10, 18, 21.& 19. 2. a ch. 13. 14, 15, 16. V Ps. 75. 8. Is. 51. 17. Jer. 25. 15. M ch. 18. 6. X ch. 16. 19. y ch.20. 10. z ch. 19. 20. a Is. 34. 10. ch. 19. 3. 6 ch. 13. 10. c ch. 12. 17. d Eccles. 4. 1, 2. ch. 20. t;. e 1 Cor. 15. 18. 1 Thess. 4. 16. f Or, from hence- forth sait.h the Spirit, Yea. / 2 Thess. 1.7. Heb. 4. 9, 10. ch. 6. 11. § 35. a Ezek. 1. 23. Dan. 7. 13. See John 1.51. ch. 1. 13. b ch. 6. 2. c ch. 16. 17. d Joel 3. 13. Matt. 13. .39. e .Ter. 51.33. ch. 13. 12. * Or, dried. f ch. 16. 8. g Joel 3. 13. ^ And I looked, and, lo ! "a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion, and with him 'a hundred forty and four thousand, "having his Father's name written in their foreheads. ^ And I heard a voice from heaven, ''as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great tluinder ; and 1 heard the voice of 'harpers harping with their harps, ^ and ■'^they sung as it were a new song before the Throne, and before the four Beasts, and the Elders; and no man could learn that song°'but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. ^ These are they which were not defiled with women, ''for they are virgins : these are they 'which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. •'These *were redeemed from among men, ''being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb ; ^ and 'in their mouth was found no guile, for '"they are without fault [before the throne of God] . ^ And I saw another Angel "fly in the midst of heaven, "having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, ^and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, '' saying with a loud voice, " Fear 'God, and give glory to Him ! for the hour of his judgment is come : '^and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." ^ And there followed another Angel, saying, " Babylon "is fallen ! is fallen ! 'that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." ^ And the Third Angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, " If "any man worship the Beast and his Image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, ^° the same "shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is '"poured out without mixture into "^the cup of his indignation ; and '-'lie shall be tormented with ''fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. ^^ And "^the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever : and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the Beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." i^Here 'is the patience of the saints, '[here are they] that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. ^^And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, " Write, ''Blessed are the dead 'which die in the Lord, tfrom henceforth ; " (" Yea," saith the Spirit ;) " that -^they may rest from their labors ; and their works do follow them." § 35. — chap. xiv. 14, to the end, and xv. 1-4. The contents of the little book having been related, the prophet proceeds to the sound- ing of the third woe trumpet, when the Seven Vials are to be poured out, or the seven thunders to sound, which the angel forbade St. John to write (Rev. x. 4.) till he had revealed the predictions of the little book — It was declared (chap. x. 7.) that the mys- tery of God should be completed in the days of the voice of the Seventh Angel — The terrible events which shall precede the establishment of the kingdom of Christ, at the end of the 1260 years, are related under the emblems of the vintage, and the harvest of the wrath of God ; and the triumph of the Church of God, after the com- pletion of his judgments, is anticipated. ^' And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sat "like unto the Son of Man, 'having on iiis head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. ^^ And another Angel 'came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, " Thrust ''in thy sickle and reap ! for the time is come for thee to reap ; for the harvest 'of the earth is *ripe." ^'' And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth ; and the earth was reaped. ^'' And another Angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. ^^ And another Angel came out from the altar, -^which had power over fire ; and cried with a loud cry to iiim that had the sharp sickle, saying, " Thrust ''in thy sharp sickle, and Sect. XVII I.] THE REVELATION. 4.31 gather the clusters of the vine of the earth ! for her grapes are fully ^ ch. 19. is ripe." ^^ And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered '/.'isf'^' ^"°- the vine of the earth, and cast it into ''the great winepress of the i ch. ii.s. neb. wrath of God. ^° And *the winepress was trodden ^without the city, ^ ^h. 19. h. and blood came out of the winepress, *even unto the horse-bridles, by i cii. 12.1,3. the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. m ch. le. 1.&91. chap. xv. 1-4. ^ And 'I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvel- n ch. 14. 10. lous, "seven angels having the seven last plagues; "for in o^ch. 4. c. &21. them is filled up the wrath of God. '^ And I saw as it were "a sea of y Matt. 3. 11. glass ^mingled with fire : and them that had gotten the victory over 9 ch. 13. 15, ic, the beast, 'and over his image, and over his mark, and over the num- ^ p,', 5 g ^ ,^ ber of his name, stand on the sea of glass, '^having the harps of God. ^■ ^ And they sing "the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song ^sh^'ao.^ch. ?4."3. of the Lamb, 'savino;, — t Deut. 32. 4. ' •' *' , Ps. 111.2. &. 139. " Great and marvellous are thy works ! Lord God Almighty ! ^4. Just "and true are thy ways, thou King of tsaints ! "hos". i4?'9. c'h. '* Who "shall not fear thee, O Lord ! and slorify thy name ? ^^" ^' 1-1 mi 111 o J J f Or^ nations, or, I' or i hou only art holy : ages. For "all nations shall come and worship before Thee ; "if 'jer^'io^ 7^^' For thy judgments are made manifest." „ is. 66. 22. § 36. — chap. XV. 5. to the end, and xvi. 1. The seventh woe trumpet, which was described, in the first part of the vision concern- ing the 1260 years, as sounding after the completion of the progress of the Mahometan powers, (which finally ceased in 1G98, Rev. xi. 15-19.), and which closed the pro- phetic history of the Eastern Empire, till the time of the overthrow of that religion, now sounds ; and Seven Angels are represented as preparing the vials of God's wrath, to punish the earth, the Mahometan, Papal, and Infidel powers, before the day of universal Christianity begins. A. D. 1698 to A. D. 1860. § 36. ^ And after that I looked, and, behold! "the temple of the taberna- Vum?!' 50.^°° cle of the testimony in heaven was opened ; ^ and Hhc Seven Angels 6 ver. 1. came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, "clothed in pure ''jf ''i.^4^',7" and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles, is. cii. 1.13.' "^ And ''one of the four Beasts eave unto the Seven Angels seven golden '^ f n',.^' ^' , „ vials full of the wrath of God, 'who liveth for ever and ever. ^ And cii. 4. 9. &10. ■'^the temple was filled with smoke 'from the glory of God, and from / ex. 40. 34. his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple till the seven oci"ron^5'i4 plagues of the Seven Angels were fulfilled. 13.6.4. O Tl 1 O ^ And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying ''to the Seven ^~^ ^'^^j ' ' Angels, " Go your ways, and pour out the vials 'of the wrath of God i cu. 14. 10. & 15. upon the earth ! " /. § 37. — chap. xvi. 2. The First Vial is poured out, and the harvest of the wrath of God begins — Some severe calamity, between the completion of the progress of Mahometanism and tlie approach- ing end of the 19(30 years is predicted — We consider the pouring out of this vial to be predictive of the French Revolution ; that event being the most terrible calamity which has hitherto happened to the votaries of the Papal religion, which in its effects is still agitating the whole civilized world — The sore, which is predicted as afflictino- the Papacy, maybe Infidelity. A. D. 1789 to A. D. 1791. ° § ^7. And the First went, and poured out his vial "upon the earth ; and ^ ^^; ^ ~" Hhere fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men "which had the c ch. 13. 15, 17. mark of the Beast, and upon them ''which worshipped his Image. d ch. 13. 14. § 38.— chap. xvi. 3. The Second Vial is poured out — The sea becomes blood — This figure may describe the sanguinary wars and massacres which then afflicted the world, A. D. 1791 to A. D. 1794. § 38. And the Second [Angel] poured out his vial "upon the sea; and it "ch. 8. 8. VOL. II. JJ 422 THE REVELATION. [Part XV. * ^\V^'^°' 'became as the blood of a dead man; ^and every livinsj soul died in c ch. 8. 9. , ^ J s> the sea. § 39. a ch .8. 10. b Ex ;. 7, .20. c ch, , 15 .3. d ch 4.8 . 1. 4, 8. & . & 11. 17. c Matt. 35. ch. 23. 34, 13. 15. /ch. 20. 11 . 18. & 18. gls. 49 .26. h ch. , 15 . 3. i ch. 10., 13. 10. & 14. St 19. 2. § 40. a ch. 8. 12. i ch. 14.: 9. 18. 17, 18. & *Or, lurned. c ver . 11 [,21. d Dan. 5. 22, 23. ch. 9. 20. e ch. 11, 11. 7. , 13. & § 41. a ch. 13, ,2. 6 ch. 9. 2. C ch. 11, , 10. d ver .9, ,21. e ver .2. / ver. .9. § 39. — chap. xvi. 4-7, The Third Vial is poured out, the rivers and fountains become blood — By these emblems may be denoted the pollutions of Infidelity on the sources of knowledge, and the devastations of the lesser states of Europe during the revolutionary wars, A. D. 1794 to A. D. 1801. ^ And the Third [Angel] poured out his vial "upon the rivers and fountains of waters ; ''and they became blood. ^ And I heard the Angel of the waters say, " Thou "art righteous, [O Lord !] ''which art, and wast, and shall be, because Thou hast judged thus ! ^ for *they have shed the blood ^of saints and prophets, *^and Thou hast given them blood to drink ; for they are worthy ! " ' And I heard another out of the altar say, " Even so, ''Lord God Almighty, 'true and righteous are thy judg- ments ! " § 40. — chap. xvi. 8, 9. '['he Fourth Vial is poured out — The world is represented as scorched with the heat of the sun — As this is the well-known emblem of sovereignty, the empire of Napoleon may be represented. A. D. 1601 to A. D. 1814. ® And the Fourth [Angel] poured out his vial "upon the sun ; *and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. ^ And men were *scorched with great heat, and '^blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: ''and they repented not '^ to give Him glory. § 41. — chap. xvi. 10, 11. The Fifth Vial is poured out — The votaries of the Papacy are represented in a distressed and agonized condition — We are now living under this vial — Possibly by this emblem may be intended the hatred of Papal Rome to that increasing and irresistible progress of knowledge, which demonstrates the absurdites and errors of the Papal religion, without producing reformation and repentance. ^° And the Fifth [Angel] poured out his vial "upon the seat of the Beast ; 'and his kingdom was full of darkness ; "and they gnawed their tongues for pain, ^^ and ''blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and "their sores, ^and repented not of their deeds. § 42.— c/tap. xvi. 12-16. The Sixth Vial is poured out — By this time the end of the 12fi0 years approaches — The emblems under this vial represent the nearer, though still graduqil downfall of the Turkish Empire, the preparation for the restoration of the Jews, and the commence- ment of the great confederacy of the Antichristian powers against the Church of § 42. Christ in Palestine, under the influence of evil principles or false religions. " <^''- ^- ^'♦- 1^ And the Sixth [Angel] poured out his vial "upon the great river & 51.3G.' ' ■ Euphrates ; ''and the water thereof was dried up, "that the way of the c Is. 41.2,25. kings of the East might be prepared. ^^ And I saw three unclean 3. °'" ■ ' ' "^spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of "the Dragon, and out of the e ch. 12. 3, 9. mouth of the Beast, and out of the mouth of -'^the False Prophet ; /^ch.i .20.&20. 14 ^fQj. »tj^ey a,re the spirits of devils, ''working miracles;) which go ^r^'^T-,.-^- forth unto the kings of the earth, 'and of the whole world, to gather A2Thess.2. 9. them tO"' the battle of that great day of God Almighty. ^^ (Behold ! 19." 90.' ^^' ^^' *" *"! come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his i Luke 2.1. garments, 'lest he walk naked, and they see his shame!) ^^And '"he ■^ i9*!&^2o.^8f' ^^' gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue k Matt. 24. 43. Armageddon. 1 Thess. 5. 2, 2 Pet. 3. 10. ch, 3.3. I 2 Cor. 5. 3. cli o § 43. — chap. xvi. 17, to the end. 3. 4, 18 The Seventh Vial is poured out — The 1260 years are now past — The vintage of the "" [Of) they.— wrath of God, long predicted by the ancient prophets, now begins — Great convulsions, long wars over the earth — The decision of the long contest between good and evil Sect. XVITL] THE REVELATION. 423 now arrives — the union of the false religions of the Papacy and Infidelity against the remnant of the Church, against the Jews who assemble for their long-promised restoration, and against the groat maritime nation, probably England, till the battle of Armageddon, in Palestine, now takes place. It is probable that many years may be included under this vial. § 43. ^^And the Seventh Angel poured out his vial into the air ; and "ch.ai. e. there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, & u.ig. savinar, " It "is done ! " ^^ And 'there were voices, and thunders, and ^,^^-'';i^: T c 1 1 11/71 . d Dan. 12. 1. lightnmgs ; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not smce ^ ^h. 14. 8. & 17. men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. '^• ^'^ And ^the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of ^18.51.17,23. the nations fell : and great Babylon ■'^came in remembrance before ci^'u^io^ ^^' God, ^to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his a ch.e. h. wrath. -° And ''every island fled away, and the mountains were iiot '. ^'^- "• j^- found. ^^ And 4here fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every ^ see e.x. 9. 23, stone about the weight of a talent : and •'men blasphemed God be- ^"^'^^^ cause of *the plague of the hail ; for the plague thereof was exceed- ing great. u m o - o o a ch. 21. 9. b ch. 16. 19. & § U.—chap. xvii. is- 1", n, i9. c Nah. 3. 4. ch. After the general annunciation of these great events, the Prophet is shown the history ig. o. and state of the Papacy before its final overthrow. d Jer. 51. 13. ver. ^ x\nd there came "one of the Seven Angels which had the seven « ch. i8. 3. vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, "Come hither ; ''I will show •^j4''8'']; jg'^g* unto thee the judgment of "the great Whore ''that sitteth upon many g ch.12. 6,i4. waters : ^ with %vhom the kings of the earth have committed fornica- '' '=''• ^-- ^• tion, and-'^the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the ^ l^^g wine of her fornication." ^ So he carried me away in the Spirit ^into a ver. 12. the wilderness : and I saw a Woman sit ''upon a scarlet-colored beast, ' '^^' ^^■,!"' i^* . pill 1 • II 11 1 J * 1 '" Uan. 11. 00. full of 'names ot blasphemy, ^having seven heads and ten horns. '• And * cr. guded. the Woman 'was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, '"and *decked » Jer. 51. 7. ch. with gold and precious stones and pearls, "having a golden cup in her » ch. 14. 8. hand "full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication, ^aiid upon p2Thess.2. 7. her forehead ivas a name written, " Mystery, ^Babylon 'the Great, '8?&]p. ib. & '^THE Mother of IHarlots and Abominations of the Earth." ^ And ^^' ^l,!*'' ~i' ,„ I saw *the Woman drunken 'with the blood of the saints, and with the 2. blood of "the martyrs of Jesus : and when I saw her, I wondered with ^ ot fornications. . . •' s ch. 18. 24. great admiration. t ch. 13. 15. & le. ■^ And the Angel said unto me, " Wherefore didst thou marvel ? I ^" , „ „ m . 1 p 1 -r» tt ch. 6. 9, 10. & will tell thee the mystery of the Woman, and of the Beast that car- 12. 11. rieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. ^The Beast that ''jf^b. i].7.&i3. thou sawest was, and is not, and "shall ascend out of the bottomless ^ ch. 13. 10. ver. pit, and "go into perdition; and they that dwell on the earth "^shall ^ch. 13. 3. wonder, ^whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the ych. 13. 8. foundation of the world, when they behold the Beast that was, and is ^ ^|^' jg" J^* not, and yet is. ^ And 'here is the mind which hath wisdom. "The 6 ver. 8. seven heads are seven mountains, on which the Woman sitteth : '"and '^J''*!'- ;--,a ,„ . . /.ech. 1. J8, 19, [there] are seven kings. Five are fallen, and one is, and the other is 21. ch.is. 1. not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space, ^w!'!^!' ^'^' ^ 1' And the Beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of e[Or,andaie , ■ ,. ,.. 10A1C1 1 I'll Lamb, and they the seven, and goeth into perdition. ^- And the ten horns which thou that are with him, sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet ; but ''andr.hosen'and receive power as kings one hour with the Beast. ^-^ These have one {"er{om4&.c.— mind, and sliall give their power and strength unto the Beast. ^^ These ^°-^ ''shall make war with the Lamb, ''and the Lamb shall overcome them ; iTim'.e.'is.ch. (for -'^he is Lord of lords, and King of kings ;) ^and they that are with ^ /g^ 50 44^ 45 Him are called, and chosen, and faithful." '^ And he saith unto me, c^. 14.4. " The ''waters which thou sawest, where the Whore sitteth, *are peo- • ^h! 13. 7. 424 THE REVELATION. [Part XV. pies, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. ^^ And the ten horns ■'c1ri6*'il^'^^' which thou sawest upon the Beast, ^these shall hate the Whore, and k Ezek. 10. 37- shall make her desolate *and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and 'burn z di.'^is.^s!^^ her with fire. ^'' For '"God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and TO 2 Thess. 2. 11. to agree, and give their kingdom unto the Beast, "until the words of r ch' le' 19 ^'^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ fulfilled. 1^ And the Woman which thou sawest "is that p ch.12.4. great city, ''which reigneth over the kings of the earth." § 45. a ch. 17. 1. 6 Ezek. 43. 2. c Is. 13. 19. &21. 9. Jer. 51. 8. ch. 14.8. d Is. 13. 21.&21. 8. & .34. 14. Jer. 50. 39. & 51. 37. e Is. 14. 23. & 34. 11. Mark 5. 2, 3. / ch. 14. 8. & 17. 2. g ver. 11, 15. Is. 47. 15. * Or, ■power. h Is. 48. 20. & 52. 11. Jer. 50. 8. & 51. 6, 45. 2 Cor. 6.17. t Gen. 18. 20, 21. Jer. 51. 9. Jonah 1.2. j ch. 16. 19. k Ps. 137. 8. Jer. 50. 15, 29. & 51. 24, 49. 2 Tim. 4. 14. ch. 13. 10. I ch. 14. 10. m ch. 16. 19. n Ezek. 28. 2, &c. Is. 47. 7, 8. Zeph. 2. 15. p Is. 47. 9. ver. 10. 5 ch. 17. 16. r Jer. 50. 34. ch. 11.17. s Ezek. 96. 16, 17. ch. 17. 2. ver. 3. f Jer. 50. 46. u ver. 18. ch. 19. 3. V Is. 21. 9. ch. 14.8. IB ver. 17, 19. 1 Ezek. 27. 27- 36. ver. 3. y ch. 17. 4. f Or, sweet. J Or, bodies. z Ezek. 27. 13. a ver. 3, 11. b ch. 17. 4. e ver. 10. d Is. 23. 14 Ezek. 27. 29. e Ezek. 27. 30, 31. ver. 9. / ch. 13. 4. g .Iosh.7. n. 1 JSam. 4. 12. Job 2. 12. Ezek. 27. 30. § 45. — chap, xviii. The Downfall of the Papacy and Irrcligion is described at length. ^ And "after these things I saw another Angel come down from heaven, having great power ; ''and the earth was lightened with his glory. ^ And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, " Babylon "the great is fallen ! is fallen ! and ''is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and °a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. ^ For all nations ^Iiave drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, ^and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the *abundance of her delicacies." ^ And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, " Come ''out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues ; ^ for 'her sins have reached unto heaven, and •'God hath remembered her iniquities. ^ Reward *her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double accordino; to her works : 'in the cup which she hath filled, '"fill to her double : ^ how "much she hath glori- fied herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her. For she saith in her heart, I sit a "queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow ; ^ therefore shall her plagues come ^in one day — death and mourning and famine ; and 'she shall be utterly burned with fire : '^for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. ^ " And "the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, 'shall bewail her, and lament for her, "when they shall see the smoke of her burning, ^^ standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas ! "alas ! that great city Babylon ! that mighty city ! '"for in one hour is thy judgment come ! ^^ " And ""the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her ; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more — ^" the ''merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet — and all tthyine wood, and all man- ner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble — ^^ and cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and Avheat, and beasts, and sheep — and horses, and chariots, and tslaves, and ^souls of men. ^^ And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are de- parted from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. ^^ The "merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar ofl" for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, ^^ [and] say- ing, Alas ! alas ! that great city, Hhat was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls ! ^^ for 'in one hour so great riches is come to nought ! " And ''every sliipmastcr, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, ^"^ and 'cried when they saw tlie smoke of her burning, saying, What ^citi/ is like unto this great city ! ^■' And "they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas! alas ! tiiat great city, wherein were made Sect. XVIII.] THE REVELATION. 425 rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costhness ! ''for in * i"- s. one hour is she made desolate ! 13. jer. si. 48. ^^ " Rejoice 'over her, thou Heaven ! and ye holy Apostles and Proph- ''ch^iV^!'^^'^' cts ! for ^ God hath avenged you on her." icb!i±8^&.i6. ^^ And a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and ^^^j^ ^ g j^^ cast it into the sea, saying, " Thus *with violence shall that great city 7. 34. & ik li. 'JO' a J & 25. 10. Ey.ek. Babylon be thrown down, and 'shall be found no more at all. ^^ And 26. 13. ' "'the voice of iiarpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, " Jer.'7f34.&ic. shall be heard no more at all in thee — and no craftsman, of whatso- sa'^ir^' ^""^ ever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee — and the sound of a ? l^i^'J-c^ ^ millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee — ^^^and "the light of a Nah. 3!4. ch. . 17. 2 5, candle shall shine no more at all in thee — and "the voice of the bride- r ch.'n'.'6. groom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee — for ''thy * ^^'^^^^ merchants were the great men of the earth ; 'for by thy sorceries were § 46. all nations deceived. ^^ And '"in her was found the blood of prophets, a ch. 11. 15. and of saints, and of all that ''were slain upon the earth." 10, 12. '& 12. 10. c ch. 15. 3. & 16. 7. § 4:6.— chap. xix. 1-10. d Dc.t. 32. 43. „ . . . ^ ^ ch. 6.10. & 18.20. Rejoicing of the spiritual Church over the Downfall of its idolatrous and persecuting e Is. 34. 10. ch. enemies. /^,;"; ^ V^-^'5 /ch. 4. 4, G, 10. ^ And after these things "I heard a great voice of much people in *\ ch^^on le heaven, saying, " Alleluia ! ''Salvation, and glory, [and honor,] and ^-^^l^'-,^- '^• power, unto the Lord our God ! - for ''true and righteous are his judg- a P3.'i34. i. & ' ments ; for he hath judged the great Whore, which did corrupt the i ch.ii. 18.&20. earth with her fornication, and "^hath avenged the blood of his servants ^ E^ek. 1.24. & at her hand." ^ And again they said, " Alleluia ! " and 'her smoke rose ,^\--,?'';-i'';|- „ 1 ^ A r K ch. 11. lo, 17. up tor ever and ever. ^ And -^the four and twenty Elders and the four & 12. 10. & 21. Beasts fell down and worshipped God, that sat on the throne, saying, i Matt. 22. 2. & " Amen ! "Alleluia ! " ^ And a voice came out of the throne, saying, 2?Eph.~5^32."' " Praise ''our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear Him, *both small J 'k^ «^'i3, 14 and great ! " EzeL le. 10. ch. 3. 18. ^ And^I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the *or, invk voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, " Matt. 22. 2,3. " Alleluia ! for Hhe Lord God omnipotent reigneth ! ^Let us be glad p^ch.lutl^'dl and rejoice, and give honor to him : for 'the marriage of the Lamb is ^ Actfjo^^c. & come, and his wife hath made herself ready ; ^ and '"to her was granted ^- !■*. i^ ch. that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and *white : (for "the « I'joims. 10. fine linen is the righteousness of saints.)" tf.'e^ihl'hurdea ^ And he saith unto me, " Write, "Blessed are they which are called proptecjTthif unto the marriage supper of the Lamb ! " And he saith unto me, ^1^1"^^%] "HI' " These ''are the true sayings of God." ^^ And 'I fell at his feet to wor- n^e ancient' pro- ship him ; and he said unto me, " See ''thou do it not ; I am thy fellow- ha.faiiTubsttn- servant, and of thy brethren 'that have the testimony of Jesus : worship riu'J^ami w^re God ! (For the testimony of Jesus is 'the spirit of prophecy.)" thus fellow-ser- vants and breth- ren Ed. § 47. — chap. xix. 11, to the end. Probable visible manifestation of the Son of God at the final overthrow of evil, as he had § 47. appeared to the Patriarchs, and to the Apostles after liis resurrection— and the com- b ch. (i\' mencement of a new dispensation, and the triumph of a spiritual Church. ^, ?•'• ?• if u Is. 11.4* ^^AndT saw heaven opened, and behold, 'a white horse! and He e,ch.i.i4.&2.i8. that sat upon him was called 'Faithful and True, and ''in righteousness g ch.2. 17. ver. He doth judge and make war ; ^~ his 'eyes were as a flame of fire, ^and hii C3. 2,3. on his head were many crowns ; ^and He had a name written, that ' /j"ohn*5.^7. no man knew, but He himself; i^and 'He was clothed with a vesture i mj^uI^ ch. dipped in blood: and his name is called 'The Word of God. i"* And ,Vif]-^- ^the armies ivhich were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, 2Thess.'2.8. *clothed in fine linen, white and clean. ^^ And 'out of his mouth goeth 2'i; ^' ^^' ''"' a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations, and "'He "'JX-ils!'- ^■ VOL. u. 54 jj* 426 THE REVELATION. [Part XV. n Is. f^3. 3. ch. 14. shall rule them with a rod of iron ; and "He treadeth the winepress 1 q iyr\ ' * ver'. 12. of the fiercencss and wrath of Almighty God. ^'^ And "He hath on his p Dm. a. 47. vesture and on his thigh a name written, " King ''of kings, and Lord 1 Tim. 6. 15. ch. ,, ° 17. 14. OF LORDS. " And 1 saw an Angel standing in the sun ; and he cried with a gver.2i. loud voico, Saying 'to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, r Ezeiv. 39. 17. a Couic '^aud gather yourselves together unto the supper of the Great a Ezek. 39 18, Qq(J • 18 jj^^t ''yg j^a,y eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, hoth free and bond, both small and great." i^And'I saw the Beast, and the kings of the earth, and their ar- mies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against his army. ^° And "the Beast was taken, and with him the False Prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast, and "them that worshipped his image. '"These both were cast alive into a lake of fire ''burning with brimstone. ^^ And the remnant ^were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: 'and all the fowls "were filled with their flesh. t ch. 16. 16. J fcl7. 13, 1 14. « ch. 16. 13, 14. V ch. 13. 12, 15. w ch. ,20. 10. See D^n .7. 11. X ch. 14. 10. & 21.8. 7/ ver . 15 . z ver . 17 ,18 a ch. 17. 16. § 48. — chaf. XX. 1-6. After the long convulsions, and wars, and revolutions, which attended the overthrow of evil, a long millennial period of repose commences, which is represented by the binding down of Satan — As the spirits of many arose with Christ at his resurrection, the spirits of the martyrs and of the faithful Church are said to live again with Christ § 48. during his visible manifestation at this period. A. D. 2000 to A. D. 3000. a ch. 1, 18. &9. 1 And I saw an Angel come down from heaven, "having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ^ And he laid hold J ch. 12. 9. See on Hhc Dragon, that old Serpent (which is the Devil, and Satan), 'and 2 Pet. 2. 4. Jude }^^^^^ |^jj^ ^ thousaud ycars, ^ and cast him into the bottomless pit, c Tobit8.3. and shut him up, and ''set a seal upon him, 'that he should deceive the e c°h!"i6!'i4!'i6. nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled : [and] after ^^''•**- that he must be loosed a little season. / Dan. 7. 9, 22, 4 ^.nd I saw ^throncs, and they sat upon them, and ^judgment was Luke->2:3o:^^' given unto them: and I A-a?y Hhe souls of them that were beheaded g 1 Cor. 6. 2, 3. fQj. t]^g witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and 'which had not i'ch.'ia^. worshipped the Beast, ^neither his image, neither had received his j ch. 13. 15, 16. mark upon [their] foreheads, or in their hands ; and they lived and ''2^nm'.2.\2. *reigned with Christ a thousand years : ^but the rest of the dead lived ch. -,^10. not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the First z d,. 2. 11. & 21. j^gg^^jj.j.gpjjQ^_ *^ Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resur- "i Pet^'k 9 ch. rection : on such 'the Second Death hath no power, but they shall 1. 6. &"5. io. ■ be "priests of God and of Christ, "and shall reign with him a thou- n ver. 4. , sand years. \ 49. — chap. XX. 7, to the end. Towards the end of the millennial dispensation the spirit of evil begins to revive, but its further progress is stopped by the general resurrection, and the final judgment of § 49. mankind. a VIM'. 2. ■'And when the thousand years are expired, "Satan shall be loosed b ver. 3, 10. Qut ^f hig prisou, ^ and shall go out Ho deceive the nations which are cEzek.38.2.& in the four quarters of the earth, 'Gog and Magog, ''to gather them /c'h.^16. 14. together to battle ; the number of whom is as tiie sand of tlie sea. c K 8. 8. Ezek. 9 Aud 'they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the ^^■^'^^' camp of the saints about, and the beloved city ; and fire came down /ver. 8. frofn Qq^ out of hcavcn, and devoured them : I'^and '^the Devil that g ch. 10. 20. deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, "where the Sect. XVIII.] THE REVELATION. 427 Beast and the False Prophet are, and ''shall be tormented day and a ch. 14.10,11. night for ever and ever. 11. ch. 21. i. 1^ And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from J i>^"- 2- 35. whose face 'the earth and the heaven fled away ; ^and there was found / j,^; ^ {^ no place for them. ^- And I saw the dead, ''small and great, stand be- m p«. 09. 28. fore God, 'and the books were opened ; and another "book was 4.T ch." 3.' 5. &' of)ened, which is the Book of Life : and the dead were judged out of J]'^^,[^j~lo'^J^ those things which were written in the books, "according to their 32. 19. M^.tt. le. ,„ P , , 1 1 1 1 • 1 • • o 1 TA 1 27. Rom. 2. b. works. " And the sea gave up the dead which were in it ; and Death ch. 2. 23. & 22 and *Hell delivered up the dead which were in them : ''and they were ^ ^h-Ts. judged every man according to their works ; ^'^and 'Death and Hell * or, the orave. were cast into the lake of fire: 'this is the Second Death. ^^ And p ^^r. 12. whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life 'was cast into '54,55!" " ' the lake of fire. Y"" ^" "''" "'" s ch. 19. 20. § 50. — chap. xxi. 1-4. Description of the future eternal happiness, when death, and evil, and grief, shall exist no more among mankind. § •^"• ^ And "I saw a new heaven and a new earth : ''for the first heaven "cl^/^'cHh^if.' and the first earth were passed away ; and there was no more sea. b ch. 20. 11. ~ And I John saw ^the holy city. New Jerusalem, coming down from ''4,%i%]:i,^u'. God out of heaven, prepared ''as a bride adorned for her husband. ^ And J^- f^ ^~j^^; *^ T heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, " Behold ! ^the tabernacle of ver. 16. God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his io!"2c'o'r."ii. 2.' people, and God himself shall be with them, ayid be their God ; "* and e Lev-. 26. 11, 12. •'^[God] shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and ^there shall be no 2Cor". g.ig". ch. more death, ''neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any ^ j^ 35. s. ch. 7. more pain : for the former things are passed away." i'''- ff 1 Cor. 15. 26, 54. ch. 20. 14. § 51. — chap. xxi. 5-8. h Is. 35. lo. & Christ declares the certainty and trutli of this representation ; and invites all men to partake of this happiness. ^ Anb "He that sat upon the throne said, " Behold ! ''I make all things § ^^■ new." And He said unto me, " Write : for 'these words are true and "^ & 20^11." '^^' faithful." ^ And he said unto me, " It ''is done ! I 'am Alpha and Omega, !> is. 43. i9. '' ...2 Cor. 5 17 The Beginning and The End. •'^I will give unto him that is athirst of ^ ^h. 19 9. the fountain of the water of life freely : "^ he that overcometh shall in- <* ch. le. 17. herit *all things ; and ^I will be his God, and he shall be my son. «j^''- 1- s- 'S^ 22. ^ But ''the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murder- / 1^; l-- 3- & "^s 11 , 1-11 1 11 V 1 II I.John 4. 10, 14. ers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolators, and ail liars, shall & 7. 37. ch. 22. have their part in 'the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone- *or, these tkings. which is the second death." ^,??'''i- ^/„^- Heb. 8. 10. h 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. § 52.— chap. xxi. 9, to the end, and xxii. 1-9. 2r'"E^"h ^5^5' The spiritual happiness of the heavenly Church, which has been collected from among 1 Tim. 1.9. all mankind, is further represented under the emblems of a New Jerusalem, and another })i^\^~' ^"'' '^''' Paradise ; the well-known types of the heavenly state under the two former dis- j ch. 20. 14 15. pcnsations. ^ And there came unto me one of "the Seven Angels which had the § 53, seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, „ ch. 15. 1,6,7. " Come hither, I will show thee ''the Bride, the Lamb's wife." ^'^ And he j ch. 19. 7. ver. carried me away "in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and ^'^ ^ 10 & 17 showed me ''that [great] city, the Holy Jerusalem, descending out of 3. heaven from God, ^Miaving ""the glory of God. — And her light was '^g^^^'^- like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crys- e ch. 22. 5. ver. tal ; ^^ and had a wall great and high, and had ^twelve gates, and at /Ezek.48.3i-34. the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. ^^On ^the east, °^^ ' 428 THE REVELATION. [Part XV three gates ; on the north, three gates ; on the south, three gates ; and on the west, three gates. ^^ And the wall of the city had twelve *G^^r"' 9%^^h foundations, and ''in them the names of the twelve apostles of the 2. 20. Lamb. — ^^ And he that talked with me 'had a golden reed to measure 'z^d^a^ h^ch. ^^^ city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. ^^ And the city 11- 1 lieth four-square, and the length is as large as the breadth. And he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs : the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. ^' And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the Angel. — ^^ And the building of the wall of it was of jasper ; and the city was pure gold, like unto j Is. 54. 11. clear glass. ^^ And^ the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones : the first foundation was jasper ; the second, sapphire ; the third, a chalcedony ; the fourth, an emerald ; ^^ the fifth, sardonyx ; the sixth, sardius ; the seventh, chrysolite ; the eighth, beryl ; the ninth, a topaz ; the tenth, a chrysoprasus ; the elev- enth, a jacinth ; the twelfth, an amethyst. ^^ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls ; every several gate was of one pearl ; *and the street I John 4. 23. ^f j-j^g pj|.y ^^^g p^j-g gold, as it wcrc transparent glass. — ^^ And 'I saw m Is. 24. 23. & uo temple therein : for the Lord God Almiffhty and the Lamb are the 22.' 5. Ver.' 11.' tcmplc of it. ^^ And '"the city had no need of the sun, neither of the V 66*'V'Tob"' ^^on, to shine in it : for the glory of God did lighten it, and the 13. li. Lamb is the light thereof. ^^ And "the nations [of them which are " T^' !n' il' savedl shall walk in the lisrht of it : and the kinss of the earth do p Is. 60. 20. . -• . -^ ^ . zech. 14. 7. ch. bring their glory [and honor] into it. ~^ And "the gates of it shall not g ver.'24. bc shut at all by day ; (for 'there shall be no night there ;) ~^ and 'they '^/fc^lo ^2Woei ^'^^"^ bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. ^^ And ''there 3. 17. cii. 22. 14, shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever Phil. 4.3. ch. worketh abomination, or maJceth a lie : but they which are written in k ch. 22. 2. 15, s 3. 5. & 13. 8. & the Lamb's ^Book of Life. t Ezek. 47. 1. ^ Aud hc showcd me 'a [pure] river of water of life, clear chap. xxii. 1-9. u Ezek 47 12 ^^ Crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. ch. 21. 21. 2 jj-, "tj^g midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was \^j"-'^-^-''^- there "ihe tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded w ch.2i. 24. her fruit [every] month : and the leaves of the tree were "for the heal- ■^ ^*^'^^ ^t' ^^' i'lg of the nations. ^ And ""there shall be no more curse ; ''but the ?/ EzcK. 48 35 z Matt. 5. 8. throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall iSinsV"' serve him ; '^ and ""they shall see his face, and "his name shall be in a ch. 3. J2. & 14. their foreheads. ^ And 'there shall be no night there, and they need 6 ch 21 23 25 "° candle, neither light of the sun, for ^the Lord God giveth them c Ps. 36. 9. & 84. light ; "and they shall reign for ever and ever. /nan 7 27 ^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ""^*^ ™®' " ^^^^^^ 'sayings are faithful and true ; and Rom.'s.'n.' the Lord God [of the holy] prophets ■'"sent his Angel to show unto 3.21?' ' ''''' his servants the things which must shortly be done. ^Behold! ^I come e^ch. 19. 9. & 21. quickly. ''Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of /ch. 1. 1. this book." ^ And I John saw these things, and heard them ; and when ^lo'^'io'oo ■ ^"' ^ '^^^^ heard and seen, 'I fell down to worship before the feet of the h cii.i.'s. Angel which showed me these things. ^ Then saith he unto me, " See i ch. 19. 10. tfiQu do it not ; for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book : — worship God ! " § 53. § 53.— c/iap. xxii. 10-15. o Dan. 8. 26. & 12. 4, 9. cli. 10. Christ declares that the prophecies of the Revelation arc not to be sealed up, as they are intended for the knowledge and improvement of the whole human race. c E/.ok. 3. 27. ^^ And "he saith unto me, " Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of 2Ti'm'.'^3.\'3. this book : ''[for] the time is at hand. " He 'that' is unjust, let him be Sect. XIX.] THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN. 409 unjust still — and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still — and he that d ver. 7. is righteous, let him be righteous still — and he that is holy, let him be e^i^. ^o- 10. & 62 holy still. /Rom.2.C.&14 ^2" And, ''behold! I come quickly, and 'my reward is with me, -^to g i'3.4i.''4"&'44 give every man according as his work shall be, ^^ I ^am Alpha and \ ^ ^; ^^'.2^^ Omeoa, The Beginning and The End, The First and The Last. a Dan. 12. 1-2. ^^" Blessed ''are they that do his commandments, that they may have ^ ^^^^"\^ g~^3 right 'to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the 22. ver. 2". ch. 2. o . •' O D 7. cSi 21. 27. city. ^^ For ^without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and j 1 cor. c.V, 10. murderers, and idolators, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 21'' coi ^3 ' 1*^' Phil. 3.' 2.' ch 9 20 "1 § 54:.^chap. xxii. 16-19, and former part of ver. 20. & al! 8.' ~ Christ now makes his last appeal by the Spirit of prophecy to the world, by again declaring both his divinity and humanity, inviting all mankind into the Christian Church, com- manding them to make the Scriptures their guide, and announcing his future advent. c ^^ 16 " I "Jksus have sent mine Angel to testify unto you these things in a cii. 1. 1. the Churches. ''I am the root and the offspring of David, and "the i>ch.5.5. bright and morning Star. ''z^ch'.'<f i2^.'' 1' " And the Spirit and ''the Bride say, Come ! And let him that |^^'; ^- ^^- '=''• heareth say, Come ! 'And let him that is athirst come; and whoso- dch. 21. 2, 9. ever will, let him take the water of life freely. V*37^ch'2i'''G 18 a Yor I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the proph- ^p^^, 4 o & ecy of this book, ■'^If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add 12. 32. p'rov. 30. unto him the plagues that are written in this book ; ^^ and if any man ^ ex. 32. 33. Ps. shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, ^God &ix s.''^" ^' ^' shall take away his part *out of the Book of Life, and out of ''the holy *or, from the city, a.nd from the things which are written in this book." 2!'^9.'&'3!'22.'^"' ^°He which testifieth these things saith, " Surely 'I come quickly ; a ch. 21.2. ver. 11. ^Amen." ' ""• ^^- j John 21. 25. § 55. — chap. xxii. last part of ver. 20, atid 21 . St. John concludes the Apocalypse with an ardent aspiration for the coming of Christ, and a prayer for a blessing on the Churches. " 2° Even "so, come. Lord Jesus! ^^ The 'grace of our Lord Jesus " ^ ^""■'^'^^ .,. ^ ' O b Kom. IR. 20, 24. Christ be with you all ! [Amen.] 2 Thess. 3. is. [end of the revelation.] o See Note 37. Section XTX. — ^S"^. John twites his First Epistle" to confute the Errors sect, xix. of the false Teachers, and their different Sects — against the Docetce, y. JE.9G. who denied the Humanity of Christ (chap. iv. 3.), asserting that his J. P. 4799. Body and Sufferings ivere not real, but imaginary — against the Ce- Ephesus. rinthians and Ehionites, who contended, that he was a mere Man, and that his Divinity ivas only adventitious, and therefore separated from ^ him, at his Jr^asston (chap. n. 2:-^.), and agamst the J\icotaitancs (Rev. ii. 15.) or Gnostics, ivho taught that the Knowledge of God and Christ ivas sufficient for Salvation ; that being justified by Faith, and freed from the Restraints of the Lata, they might indulge in Sin ivith impunity — He cautions Christians against being seduced by these Doctrines and Practices, by condemning them in the strongest terms — He contrasts them with the Truths and Doctrines of the Gospel, in which they had. been instructed, and in which they are ex- horted to continue. THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN. § 1. — chap. i. 1-4. The Apostle begins by asserting, in opposition to the false teachers, that Jesus Christ, wno was from eternity, had as man a real body ; in proof of which he declares they had 430 THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN. [Part XV. heard him speak, they had looked on him and handled him after his resurrection, and were convinced by the testimony of their senses of the identity of his person — The Fountain of Life, the Son, or Word of God, was made manifest in the flesh to all, and was seen by the apostles, who bear witness of the eternal life possessed by Him with the Father, which was made known to them at his baptism and transfiguration — The apostles declare the miracles and doctrines they had seen and heard ; that all who believe their testimony may enter with them into communion with God and Christ ; which union with the Divine Nature should make their joy complete. V°3" ^' ^' '^''' ^ That "which was from the beginning, which we have heard, 5 John 1. u. which we have seen with our eyes, 'which we have looked upon, and 9 Pet. 1.16. ch. c^ur hands have handled, of the Word of Life ; ^ (for ''the Life Vas c Luke 24. 39. manifested, and we have seen it,-^and bear witness, ^and show unto you d Johtfi. f.'&u. *^^^ Eternal Life, ''which was with the Father, and was manifested unto 25. & 14. 6. us;) ^thatSvhich we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ^iTi'm.s'.'fe.' ye also may have fellowship with us ; and truly ^our fellowship is with f^\^'t o. the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. '^And these things write J John 21. 24. t i • i r n Acts 2. 32. we unto you, that your joy may be lull. g ch. 5. 20. h John 1. 1, 2. i Acta 4. 20. § 2. — chap. 1. 5, to the end. ^or"^ V'q^\ "^^ confute the doctrines of those who perverted the grace of God to licentiousness, St. 2. 24.' ' ' ' John declares that God is perfect light, therefore perfect knowledge and unspotted k John 15. 11. & holiness, without the least imperfection or ignorance — Those, therefore, who profess to ' J2 ■ ^ •'''"" have a communication with God, and lead a sinful life, act as contrary to his holy nature as darkness is to light — Those who walk after the light received from him, who is essentially and perfectly pure and holy, have communion with God, and the atoning blood of Christ will cleanse them from sin — Those who say they have no sin, and therefore have no need of a Saviour, have no knowledge of their own hearts, or of the great truth of the Gospel, the fall and recovery of man — But tliose who from a deep sense of guilt confess their sins to God, who is faithful to his promises of mercy (Ps. xxxii. 5. Prov. xxviii. 13.) and just to his own perfections, Christ having made an atonement to the divine justice, will have their sins forgiven, and their hearts cleansed by the sanc- tifying influences of the Holy Spirit — Those who assert they have not sinned make God a liar, and can have no knowledge of his word, which has declared throughout S 2. Revelation, that all mankind are in a degenerate state under guilt and condemnation. ach. 3. 11. ^ This "then is the message which we have heard of him, and de- *i2°&9'5^'&'i2' clare unto you, that ''God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all. 35,36. ^If "we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, 'ch.^2°.'^4.^' ^*' "^6 lie, and do not the truth ; ^ but if we walk in the light, as He is in d 1 Cor. 6. 11. the light, we have fellowship one with another, and ''the blood of Jesus 9.'i4. 1'pet. r. ' Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. ncv!\~5.^' ^ If "^we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, -^and the truth e 1 Kings 8. 46. is Hot in US. ^ If ° wc coufcss our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive job9.°2.'& 15.' US our sins, and to ''cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ^"If we say ]4o^2o."9.' that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and his word is not in us. Eccles" 7. 20. Jam. 3. 2. / ch. 2. 4. § 3. — chap. ii. 1-6. ff Ps. 32. 5. -pj^g Apostle, as their spiritual father, addresses himself to the newly converted, showing A t' 7 P 51 *^^^ ^■^^ mercies of God in redemption, by the blood of Christ, should prevent instead 2. of encourage them to sin (Ps cxxx. 4.) — Those who sin from infirmity have an advo- cate abiding with the Father, who is the sacrifice of atonement for the sins of all be- lievers,both Jews and Gentiles — The only sure mark of a true faith and true knowledge of God is the keeping of his commandments — For he who asserts he has a knowledge of God (as the Gnostics did) and indulges in sin is a liar, and acts contrary to the truth ; b\it those who observe his doctrines, in them the design of the love of God in c Q the death of Christ is made perfect, and they know they have communion with him by the influence of his Spirit in llieir hearts and lives : for he that professes to be united 1 Tim' 2 5 to Christ, through his Spirit, ought to walk or behave as Christ did while he was on Heb. 7. 25. & 9. garth. 24. b Rom. 3. 2.5. ^ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not; i.*7?&.^4.^i6.'^''' and if any man sin, "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus c Johni.29. &4. ChHst thc rightoous ; " and 'he is the Propitiation for our sins, and not ch. 4. 14'. ' "' for ours only, but also for the sins of thc whole world. Sect. XIX.] THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN. 431 2 And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep his com- ^^^' ^' ^^^^• mandments. ^ He ''that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not his com- ech. i. s. mandments, 'is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ^ But -^whoso ^l^^"" "• ^^' keepeth his word, °in him verily is the love of God perfected. ''Here- g ch. 4. 12. by know we that we are in Him. ^ He ^that saith he abideth in Him, '' =i'.4. 13. -'ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked. \ j"^", ''j 59 ' John \X is. ' 1 Pet. 2. 21. § A.— chap. ii. 7-17. St. John, in exhorting them to holiness and obedience to Christ, writes no new com- mandment, but what was inculcated by the law of nature, and by the Mosaic Dispen- sation (Deut. xviii. 15.) — On tlie other hand it may be called a new commandment, as being renewed and enforced by higher motives and obligations, for the typical repre- sentations of the Mosaic Dispensation were now past, and the light of truth is shining, pointing out their signification and accomplishment — He who hates his brother has no fellowship with God, but, like the Jews who hated the Gentiles, he is in darkness and ignorance, whatever are his pretensions — But he that loves his brotlier gives proof that he lives in Christ ; and being in tlie light he can see his way, and is preserved from stumbling, or giving otfence (Jolm xi. 9.) — But he that walketh in darkness is in the srreatest danger of falling, to his own destruction, not knowing whither he goeth — He writes to the infants, or those newly born into the family of their heavenly Father, because their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake — To those who had been of the longest standing in the Christian faith, because they had attained to the greatest knowledge of the doctrines and manner of life of Christ, who was from eternity — To those who are in the vigor of their spiritual life, because they had overcome the Wicked One — To those who had not made much progress, because they were adopted sons, and had received the Holy Spirit — He cautions the whole household of God, in their different gradations, not to love the world, or earthly things, which are incompatible with the love of God and man ; for all its gratifications, magnificence, and honors, neither come from nor lead to God, but are excited by the things of the world, which passes away with its followers ; but tliey who do the will of God, mortifying their worldly lusts, shall live for ever. § 4. ■^Brethren, "I write no new commandment unto you, but an old "2 John 5. commandment 'which ye had from the beginning; the old command- Vjoh^ns' ment is the word which ye have heard [from the beginning]. ^ Again, 'a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him '^jg^'ja.'"'' ^^" ^ and in you : ''because the darkness is past, and 'the true light now d Rom. is. 12. shineth. ^ He -^that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in fThe^ss.%. 5,8. darkness even until now. ^^ He "that loveth his brother abideth in the e John i. 9. & a 12. & f 3.5. light, and ''there is none *occasion of stumbling in him ; ^^ but he that /i cor.T3.2. hateth liis brother is in darkness, and Svalketh in darkness, and know- | ^^^- ^^ ^- "=•'• eth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his g ch. '3. h. eyes. A2Pet. 1. 10. 12 I write unto you, little children, because •'your sins are forgiven * 'f^^^'y"''f^ you for his Name's sake. ^-^I write unto vou, fathers, because ye have ,• Luke 24. 47. 1 XT- frj7 J • r ii u • • T •.. J. Acts4. 12. &10. known rlim "that is irom the begmning. 1 write unto you, young 43. & 13. 33. men, because ye have overcome the Wicked One: I write unto you, '^^•'^■'^- l" nil 11 little children, because ye have known the Father. ^^ I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the begin- ning : I have written unto yon, young men, because 'ye are strong, iEph. 6. 10. and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the Wicked One. ^^ Love '"not the world, neitlier the things that are in the world. mRom. 12. 2. "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him; MiMau. fi. 21. ^'^ for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, "and the lust of 4.' 4'. the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the » Ecdes. 5. 11. world. ^"^ And ''the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he p 1 ^""■'{■f.^^i^ that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 14. ip'et. 1.21. § 5. — chap. ii. 18, to the end. The Apostle assures his converts that the end of the Apostolic Age had come — He reminds them of Christ's prediction (Matt. vii. 15. and xxiv. 11, 12, 24, 25.), which 432 THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN. [Part XV, § 5. a John 21. 5. i [Or, a last time. —Ed.] Ueb. 1. 2. c 2Thess. 2. 3, &c. 2 Pet. 2. 1. ch. 4. 3. d Matt. 24. 5, 24. 2 Jolm 7. e 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Tim. 3. 1. / Deut. 13. 13. Ps. 41. 9. Acts 20. 30. g Matt. 24. 24. John 6. 3T. & 10- 28, 29. 2 Tim. 2. 19. h 1 Cor. 11. 19. i 2 Cor. 1. 21. Heb. 1.9. ver. 27. j Mark 1. 24. Acts 3. 14. k John 10. 4, 5. & 14. 2ti. & 16. 13. ver. 27. I ch. 4. 3. 2 John 7. ?/i John 15. 23. 2 John 9. n This ch\use is restored to the text on the au- thority ot both Griesbach and Knapp. — Ed. Jolin 14. 7, 9, 10. ch. 4. 15. 2 John 6. p John 14. 23. ch. I. 3. q John 17. 3. ch. 1.2. &5. 11. r cli. 3. 7. 2 John 7. s ver. 20. t Jer. 31. 33, 34. Heb. 8. 10, 11. M John 14. 20. & 16. 13. ver. 20. * Or, it. V ch. 3. 2. to ch. 4. 17. X Acts 22. 14. f Or, /iflow ye. y ch.3. 7, 10. was now accomplished in their false teachers, who went out from the Christian Church, having, to serve their own purpose, joined themselves to it — He writes to them not because they are ignorant of the truths of the incarnation of the Word, and the necessity of a holy life, but because they know it, and can testify that every oppo- site doctrine must be false — Who then is the liar, or false prophet, predicted by our Saviour, but he who denies Jesus who came in the flesh to be the Christ, the Messiah of God — He is Antichrist who denies that God is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and who denies the divine and human nature of the Son — He who denies Jesus to be the Son of God hath no regard to the Father, who has declared him to be so at his baptism and transfiguration ; but he who acknowledges him is accepted of the Father also — He exhorts them to contiiaue in the doctrines they had received concern- ing Christ from the apostles, and they shall be in fellowship with the Son and the Father, and be made partakers of God's promise of eternal life through the Son — He has written these things concerning those who would attempt to seduce them, to caution them against these impostors ; although they had received the Holy Ghost, and needed not to be taught how to judge between the true and false doctrines, for the Spirit had fully instructed them in the trutli, in which they must abide, and be united to Christ through the same Spirit, if they would have confidence before him at his com- ing — For as they know that God is perfectly righteous, those only who practise right eousness are born or generated by his Holy Spirit, and become his children. 18 Little "children, it is Hhe last time : and as ye have heard that "Antichrist shall come, ''even now are there many Antichrists ; w^here- by we know 'that it is the last time. ^^ They •'^went out from us, but they were not of us ; for °if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us : but they tvent out, ''that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. ^^ But 'ye have an unction ^from the Holy One, and ""ye know all things. ^^ I have not written unto you because ye know not the trutii, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. ~~ Who 'is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ ? He is Antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. ^^ Whosoever '"denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father : "he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. ^^ Let that there- fore abide in you, "which ye have heard from the beginning : if that which yc have heard from the beginning shall remain in you,^ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. ^^ And ^this is the prom- ise that He hath promised us, even eternal life. -'^ These things have I written unto you 'concerning them that seduce you. ^'' But ^the anoint- ing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and 'ye need not that any man teach you ; but as the same anointing "teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie ; and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in *Him. -^ And now, little children, abide in Him ; that, "when He shall appear, we may have confidence, '"and not be ashamed before Him at his coming. ^'' one that doeth righteousness is born of Him. If ""ye know that He is righteous, tye know that ^every § 6. — chap. iii. 1-8. The Apostle calls upon them to contemplate the wonderful love of God, in adopting those who persevere in righteousness for his children, whom the world does not acknowledge, because it did not acknowledge Christ — It is not yet manifest how glori- ous the children of God will be ; but it is known, that when Christ shall appear to judge the world, they shall be made like him in body and mind, and be admitted to the knowledge <and enjoyment of his glory and perfections — All who have this hope will endeavour to imitate his holiness — But those who persevere in sin shall be certainly punished, because sin is a violation of the Law of God; for the Son of God was manifested in the flesh to redeem mankind from its power, and punishment — As he was free from sin himself, he would not obtain, as the false teachers liad insinuated, the liberty of sinning for others — Those who are in fellowship with Christ, therefore, abstain from sin ; but those who continue in sin have no knowledge of him — He exliorts them not to be deceived in this matter, for those who work righteousness are, in their limited nature and capacity, righteous ; as God is righteous according to the infinitude of his nature — He that persists in sin is a child of the Devil, who introduced Sect. XIX.] THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN. 433 sin into the world ; for which end the Son of God was manifested in the flesh, that he might dissolve, or destroy, the works of the Devil, and restore mankind to holiness § 6. and the favor of God. a John 1. 12. ^ Behold what manner of love the Father hatli bestowed upon us, & lo^a.Vn?^' that "we should be called the sons of God ! Therefore the world know- ^' ^ ^ „ 1 (I 1 TT- o 71 1 1 c I e Is. 56. 5. Rom. eth US not, ''because it knew nini not. -Beloved, now are we the 8. is.cai.s.ae. Jf y\ t^ \* PZ 1 sons of God, and ''it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we dRom.s.is know that, when He shall appear, Ve shall bo like Him ; for •'^ we shall 2Cor.4. 17 TT- TT • 11^ g Rom. 8. 29. see Him as He is. icor. 1.5.49. ^ And 'every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even 3.^4.'2 Pet.' h"!. as He is pure. "* Whosoever committeth sin transgrcsscth also the Law: /joi)]9.2(5. Ps. for ^sin is the transgression of the Law. ^ And ye know 'that He was el'icon'?""]!. manifested ^to take away our sins; and *in Him is no sin. ^ Whoso- 2Cor..5. 7. ever abideth in Him sinneth not: 'whosoever sinneth hath not seen t[Or,'sinithe Him, neither known Him. '''Little children, "iet no man deceive vou : nonconfomiuy to "II 11-1 • • I TT • • I tAe iffljc— Ed.] he that doeth rio;hteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. Rom. 4. 15. ch. ^ He "that committeth sin is of the Devil ; for the Devil sinneth from i ^h. i. 2. the beginning. For this purpose ^the Son of God was manifested, j is- -^^-s.c, 11. 'that he might destroy the works of the Devil. HebT.'3.'&9. 26. 1 Pet. 2. 24. k 2 Cor. ,5. 21. § 7.— chap. iii. 9-17. Heb. 4. 15. & 9. 28. 1 Pet.2. 22. The Apostle contrasts the conduct of the children of God with that of the children of i ch.2. 4.&4. 8. the Devil, and shows that the former are distino-uished by their riorhteousness and 3John 11. Vi o or brotherly love, which was the command given by God from the very beginning — '" ^ ',. ,o'r q They are not to act as those begotten of the Wicked One, as Cain did, who killed his Rom. 2. 13! ch. brother, because his works were righteous ; nor are they to wonder, after such an ^- ^^■ example, if they should be hated and persecuted by the world— But this to Chris- "joh'Jfs. 44.^^' tians is of no consequence, for they are assured that they have passed away from a p See Mark 1. 1. state of death to a state of life, because they love their brethren; but he that loves y Gen. 3. 1.5. not his brother remains still in a state of spiritual death, unconverted, and unregen- ]G"'\V^HeI) ^°''" erated — He who hates his brother has the same malice and evil principle in him which 14. was in Cain ; and, were he not restrained by human laws, would be a murderer like him — No man who cherishes such feelings can have the divine life dwelling within him — The great love of God was made known by his Son laying down his life for mankind ; and Christians should be willing, from love to God, to sacrifice their lives for the benefit of mankind — But instead of doing this, if those who liave the good § '• things of the present world refuse to impart a portion of them to a brother in need, it a c^i- 5- 18. is not possible they can have the love of God abiding in them. " ^ ^^'" ^- ^• a- . . . c ch. 2.29. ^ Whosoever "is born of God doth not commit sin, for ''his seed <fch. 4. 8. remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. ^'^In Y''"^'^'*'^" this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil. * Or, command- ■^Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, ''neither he that /Xlni 13. 34. & loveth not his brother. ^^ For 'this is the ^message that ye heard from ^^-l-J^-'^- ^ •' . ch. 4. 7, 21. the beginning, -^that we should love one another ; '~ not as "'Cain, who 2 John 5. was of that Wicked One, and slew his brother — and wherefore slew ^H^b?'ii.' 4.' judo he him? because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. "• ^•^ Marvel not, my brethren, if ''the world hate you. ^^ We 'know that &n. 14." 2 Tim! we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren : i^^h^ lo -'he that loveth not his brother abideth in death. ^^ Whosoever *hateth j ch. 2.9, 11. his brother is a murderer : and ye know that 'no murderer hath eternal \h!'4.''2o; ^''^' life abiding in him. z cai. 5. 21. Rev. 21 8 ^''Hereby '"perceive we the love of God, because He laid down his m johns.ie. & life for us : and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ^" But gf Ep'h.'5?2'^ "whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and cii. 4. 9, ii.' shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, "how dwelleth the "Luk" h. n. ' love of God in him ? " '=''• ^-^o- § 8. — chap. iii. 18, to the end. The Apostle exhorts them not to be content with an acknowledgment of these great doc- trines, nor with empty professions of love ; but to prove their conviction of their truth VOL II. 55 KK 434 THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN. [Part XV. by their actions — Love to God and man is the surest test which Cliristians have of the truth of their religion, and this proof will assure them tlieir hearts are right in his sight — If their conscience condemn them as being deficient in brotlierly love and charity, God, who is greater than their heart, and sees all its secrets, will condemn them in a much greater degree ; but if their conscience condemn tiiem not, they have confidence towards God, and they know that whatsoever they ask they shall receive, as far as is consistent with their own good ; because they keep his commandments, and do the things which they consider pleasing in his sight — And this is God's great and new commandment, that they should believe in his Son Jesus Christ, and be enabled, through his Holy Spirit, to love one another, as Christ by his own example has given them commandment — Those who keep God's commandments live in com- X g munion with the Father and the Son, through his Spirit, and they know that God a Ezek. 33. 31. dwells within them by the testimony of liis Spirit, and its influence on their hearts Rom. 13. 9. and lives (compare John xiv. 2'3.) Eph. 4. 15. Jam. \ r „ 2. 15. 1 Pet. 1. 18 jy^Y little children, "let us not love in word, neither in tongue ; but 22 ' o ' 6 John 18. 37. ch. in deed and in truth. ^^ And hereby we know Hhat we are of the Ji,^- , truth, and shall *assure our hearts before Him ; ~° for "if our heart con- c 1 Cor. 4. 4. demn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. -^ Be- d Job 22. 26. loved, ''if our heart condemn us not, "then have we confidence toward e Heb 10. 22 ch. . . 2. 28.' & 4." 17. ' God ; ^^ and Avhatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep ■^ul'At'll'.^ his commandments, °'and do those things that are pleasing in his jT'^og^il^' sight. -^ And ''this is his commandment, That we should believe on Miitt. 7. 8.&21. the name of his Son Jesus Christ, 'and love one another, "as he gave John 14. 13. & ' us commandment. -^ And ''he that keepeth his commandments 'dwell- 24'.jara.5!^'i6i'' ^th in Him, and He in him ; and '"hereby we know that He abideth ch. 5. 14. jjj jjg \yy jj^g Spirit which He hath given us. g John 8. 29. & ' -^ ' " 9. 31. h John 6. 29. & 17. 3. § 9. — chap. iv. 1-6. *John'i3.34 & ^^- John exhorts tliem not to believe every teacher who professes to he divinely inspired, 15. 12. Eph. 5. but to make trial of them — because many false teachers have gone out into the I'Pet. 4^8^' ver! World — Those who have the Divine Spirit are known by maintaining tliat Jesus is 11. ch. 4. 21. the Christ come in the flesh, (1 Cor. xii. 3.) — Every teacher wlio denies that Jesus j ch. 2. 8, 10. Christ had come in the flesh is not from God — but is of the Antichrist, or deceivers, ^5°10. di.^.' 1^. foretold, (Matt. xxiv. 24.)— But they, under the influence of the divine Spirit, have I John 17. 21 overcome the doctrines of these impostors, for greater is the Spirit of God which is in *^c. them, than the spirit of the Evil One which is in the world — These seek only the m Rom. 8. 9. ch. things of this world, governed by the carnal principle, and worldly men hear them — But the Apostles are of God — influenced by the spiritual principle, and those who have spiritual discernment receive their doctrine — and b}' their lives and doctrines the § 9. true and false teachers may be known. a Jer. 29. 8. ^ Beloved, "belicve uot every spirit, but ''try the spirits whether they b 1 Cor 14 29 ^^^ ^^ ^'^'^ • because "many false prophets are gone out into the world. iThe^s. 5.21. 2jjgj.g^jy know ye the Spirit of God : ''every spirit that confesseth that e Matt" 2!. 5, 24. Jcsus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. ^ And ^every spirit that fTfm.Vi'. confesseth not [that] Jesus Christ [is come in the flesh], is not of ^.^•Jj-fo^oT , God ; and this is that spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard that ch. 2. 18. 2JoIm . , , -^ i i • ■ • i i i a tr ^ it should come, and-'^even now already is it in the world. ^ le are of God, little children, and have overcome them : because greater is He e ch.2.^. 2John that is in you, than ''he that is in the world. ^ They 'are of the world ; /2Thess 2 7 therefore speak they of the world, and ^the world heareth them. '^ We ch. 2. 18, 22. are of God : *he that knoweth God heareth us ; he that is not of God A John 12 31 & lieareth not us. Hereby know we 'the Spirit of truth, and the spirit 14. 30. &"ifi.'ii. of error. 1 Cor. 2. 12. Eph. 2. 2. & G, 12. i John 3. 31 d 1 Cor. 12. a ch. 5. 1 § 10. — chap. iv. 7, to the end. i John 15 19 & "^^^ Apostle, in condemnation perhaps of those who insisted on the sufiiciency of specu- 17. 14. lative knowledge, exhorts tliem to the practice of mutual love, wliicli proceeds from k Jolm 8. 47. & the Spirit of God — for every one who is governed by tliis divine principle of love is 14! 37. 2 Cor. 10. horn of God, spiritually regenerated, and made a partaker of his nature — He that 7. loves not has no knowledge of the divine nature of God, which is essentially love — 'Mrr'"^"'"' The infinite; love of God was made manifest by the incnrnation of his Only-l)Cgotten Son, who died for mankind, and became the propitiation for their sins, tliat they might Sect. XIX.] THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN. 435 live through him — No man hath seen God, because he cannot be an object of sense, but, if thoy love one another, God dwells in them by his Spirit, and his love is made perfect in them, and by this evidence of his Spirit they are assured that God dwells in thorn — The apostles , having seen Jesus Christ made manifest in the flesh, and what he did for the salvation of man, bear witness that the Father sent the Son in the flesh to be the Saviour of the world — Whosoever shall acknowledge the reality of Christ's incarnation and divinity (which many denied), God dwells with him through the Spirit, and he in God — They have witnessed the great love of God to mankind in sending his Son to die in the flesh — God is love, and he who dwells in love to God and man is full of God, for God is the essence of love ; and love is made perfect by God uniting man to himself by his Holy Spirit ; which union gives him confidence in the day of judgment, and removes all his fears — He that feareth hath not received that fulness of love to God and man, which proceeds from God, and is the abiding witness of the Spirit, renewing the image of God in man — the love of man to God proceeds from God's love shown to tlieni — He, therefore, who asserts that he loves God, and hates his brother, whose excellences and good qualities he has seen, and therefore will be disposed to love, cannot love God, whose perfections can- not be seen — God lias also commanded that they should give a proof of their love to him, by their love to mankind. § 10. ''' Beloved, "let us love one another : for love is of God ; and every a ch. 3. 10, 11, one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God ; ^ he that loveth not j ^J, 3 4 ^ 3 ''knoweth not God, for "God is Love. '-' In ''this was manifested the ^■ love of God toward us, because that God sent his Only-begotten Son ^ j^'j^ 3." le. into the world, '^that we might live through him. ^° Herein is love, •'^not J,""*; ^- ^-.^ s- ' o O _ ' JO. ch. 3. 16. that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son ^to he the e ch. 5. 11. Propitiation for our sins. ^^ Beloved, *if God so loved us, we ought -^^"^"gfy^^g also to love one another. ^~ No 'man hath seen God at any time : if 'i''- 3- 4. we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and^his love is perfected in f Matt. is. 33. us. ^^ Hereby *know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because ^^^%^\-^^^' ^"^^ he hath given us of his Spirit. i John 1. is. ^■^ And 'we have seen and do testify that "the Father sent the Son ve?.'2o.''' ^^' to he the Saviour of the world. '^ Whosoever "shall confess that Jesus i ch. 2. 5. ver. is. is "the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. i^And we yohm^.so.ch. have known and believed the love that God hath to us. ^God is Love ; i John 1. 14. ch. and 'he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. \ ' "■ „ m John o. 17. ^''^ (Herein is *our love made perfect, that '^we may have boldness in % Rom. lo. 9. ch. the day of judgment; ""because as he is, so are we in this world. /g^J^J^f,.! ^^ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear ; because p ver. s. fear hath torment : he that feareth 'is not made perfect in love. ^^ We i^^- ^2. ch. 3. love Him, because He first loved us.) -'' If "a man say, I love God, *gi. UveiDithua. and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother '" Jam. 2. 13. ch. 2. 28. & 3. 19 whom he hath seen, how can he love God "whom he hath not seen ? 21. ^^ And "this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth «<=''-3.3. God love his brother also. ch.2. 4.(t3. 17. ■S 11. — chap. v. 1-12. \7 ."^T r,-, ^ r ^ IB Matt. 22.37, The Apostle, after having declared that all who believe that Jesus is the Christ are born 39. John 13. .34. of God by the influence of his Spirit, asserts that those who love God, their spiritual 03 ''' • "^ • • Father, must necessarily love his children — The best criterion they have of judging of their own faith, is to find out whether their love to the children of God proceeds from a right principle, from love to God and obedience to his commandments ; which are not bvirthensome to those who love God — Those who are spiritually regenerated are able, by a true faith in the Son of God, to overcome all the temptations of the world — This is that Jesus, who was proved in human form to be the promised Mes- siah, by water at his baptism, by a Voice from heaven, and the visible descent of the Holy Spirit — and not by water only, but by blood — by the sacrifice of his humanity, when the same Spirit bore witness to his divinity, and the accomplishment of all prophecy, by his resurrection ; and the Spirit cannot deceive — There are Three that bear record in heaven ; the Father, by accepting the atonement of his Son — The Word, who presents his crucified body before the throne of God — The Holy Ghost, by whom the Word was conceived, and made Flesh ; and these Three are One, as to the unity of their design, and the divinity of their nature — And there are three that bear wit- ness on earth : the Holy Spirit, by his miraculous and sanctifying influences, and by the 436 THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN. [Part XV. § 11. a John 1. 12. b ch. 2. 22, 23. & 4. 2, 15. c John 1. 13. d John 15. 23. e John 14. 15, 21, 23. & 15. 10. 2 John 6. / Mic. 6. 8. Matt. 11. 30. g John 16. 33. ch. 3. 9. &. 4. 4. h 1 Cor. 15. 57. ch. 4. 15. I See Mark 1. 1. j John 19. 34. k John 14. 17. & 15. 26. & 16. 13. 1 Tim. 3. 16. I John 1. 1. Rev. 19. 13. m John 10. 30. n John 8. 17, 18. o Matt. 3. 16, 17. & 17. 5. p See Mark 1.1. q See Mark 1. 1. r Rom. 8. 16 Gal. 4.6. s John 3. 33. & 5.38. t See Mark 1. 1. u ch. 2. 25. V John 1. 4. ch 4.9. TO See Mark 1.1. X John 3. 36. &.5. 24. y See Mark 1. 1. written word — The water of baptism, by which mankind are admitted into the family of God, the Visible Church, and receive a new and spiritual birth — And the blood of Christ, which is represented in the Eucharist, and shows forth the sacrifice of hia humanity, by which the new and eternal life is obtained — And these three are con- stantly witnessing on earth the efficacy of Christ's death, his humanity and deity — If the testimony of human evidence is received (Deut. xvii. 6.), the testimony of God is greater ; for he who has faith in God shall have the witness of the Spirit within himself, regenerating his whole nature — but he who believeth not maketh him a liar ; refusing to believe the testimony God has given in his prophecies, and wonderful interpositions, to attest the divinity of Christ — The testimony witnessed by the Three in heaven, and the three on earth is, that God will give to man eternal life through his Son — He that conforms hinrself to the image of Christ, making a sacrifice of flesh (blood), hath the heavenly life begun in him ; and he that does not conform himself to his image, has no reason to expect the eternal life obtained through Christ. ' Whosoever "believeth, that 'Jesus is the Christ, is ^born of God ; ■^and every one that loveth Him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of Him. ~ By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. -^ For 'this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments ; and his -^commandments are not grievous. "* For "whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world ; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. ^ Who is he that overcometh the world, but 'he that believeth that Jesus is 'the Son of God ? '^ This is he that came ^by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, (not by water only, but by water and blood ;) ''and it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is Truth. ^ For there are three that bear record Jin heaven, the Father, Hhe Word, and the Holy Ghost : '"and tliese three are One. ^ And there are three that bear wit- ness in earth]], the Spirit, and the water, and the blood : and these three agree in one. ^ If we receive "the witness of men, the witness of God is greater : "for this is the witness of God, which He hath testified of ^his Son. ^^ He that believeth on 'the Son of God 'hath the witness in himself; he that believeth not God 'hath made him a liar, because he beheveth not the record that God gave of 'his Son. ^^ And "this is the record — That God hath given to us eternal life, and "this life is in '"his Son. ^2 He ^that hath the Son hath life ; and he that hath not ^the Son of God hath not life. § 12. a The altertition of this verse is made in confor- mity vvitli Pr. Knapp'8 text ; the common ver- sion reads thus : These things hare limittcnunto you that believe on the name of the Son of God ; that ye mail ''«""' ""*'■ y^ have eternal life, and that yc muij believe nn the name of the Son of Oorf.— Ed. Jonn 20. 31. b See Mark 1. 1. c ch. 1 1 2. § 12. — chap. V. 13, to the end. St. John writes these things to them, that they may ascertain whether they have the witness of the Spirit within themselves by the regeneration it produces, and that they may continue in the faith of the Son of God— And this is the great privilege of their faith ; that, if they pray for any thing which is consistent with the revealed will of God, God will hear them, and grant their petitions — If any man see his brother afflicted for a sin of infirmity or ignorance, he shall pray to God for his pardon and restoration — But there is a sin unto death — the sin of apostacy from Christianity, or a total and wilful rejection of it, which it is useless to pray for ; for such offenders renounce the only condition of salvation — Every unrighteous action is sin, being a violation of the Law of God, and merits temporal death— but those sins which are not presumptuous and wilful should be interceded for, and, on repentance, a pardon may be hoped for — Those who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit do not continue in sin, being preserved by divine grace from the assaults of the Devil, so that they are not enslaved by him— Christians are assured by the influences of the Spirit that they are born of God ; but the world (unregenerate and wicked men) are still lying wounded and slain under the dominion of the Wicked One— But Christians know that the Son of God came in the flesh, and hath given them a spiritual understanding, that they may have the knowledge of the true God, and be united to him through Jesus Christ, who partakes of the proper Deity of his Father, and to those who are united to him through his Spirit he imparts eternal life— On this account he exhorts them, as beloved children, to keep themselves from apostacy, or any false worship, and from every thing that would alienate their affl'Ctions and worship from the True God, who can preserve them to eternal life. 13 These "things have I written unto you, Hhat ye may know, that ye that believe on the Name of 'the Son of God have eternal life. 1 Pet. 1. 23. ch 3. 9. Sect. XIX.] THE SECOND EPISTLE OF JOHN. 437 ^^And this is the confidence that we have *in Him, that, ''if we ask *ot, concerning any thing according to his will, he heareth us ; ^^ and if we know that ^ IT.. 3.22. He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions e Job 42. 8. jam that we desired of Him. / Matt. 12. 31, 16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he Luke "2! ib."^' shall ask, and 'He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. "«'•• 6- 4, c. & ^There is a sin unto death : °I do not say that lie shall pray for it. ^ jer. 7. ir. & 1'' All ''unrighteousness is sin : and there is a sin not unto death. }J^- ^^- •'°''" "■ 1^ We know that 'whosoever is born of God sinneth not ; but lie that a ch. 3. 4. is begotten of God ^keepeth himself, and that Wicked One toucheth him not. ^'^ And we know that we are of God, and 'the whole world j Jam. 1.27. lieth in wickedness. '^^ And we know that 'the Son of God is come, 'i^cai. 1. 4. and '"hath given us an understanding, "that we may know Him that is ^ Lukc24. 45. true, and we are in Him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. « John 17. 3. "This is the true God, ^and eternal hfe. 21 Little children, 'keep your- f^Ttlt. selves from idols. [Amen.] 26*28 ^cts^so? r -, 28. Rom. 9. 5. Fend of the first epistle of john. I 1 Tim. 3. le. "■ 'J'it. 2. 13. Heb. 1.8. p ver. 11, 12, 13. THE SECOND EPISTLE OF JOHN. 5icor.10.14. St. John writes this Epistle to caution a Christian Mother and her Children against the Seductions and pernicious Errors of the false Teachers, supposed to he a Sect of the Gnostics.^ 3. § 13. — verse 1—3. t J3 The Salutation. p g^^ ^^^^ 38. 1 The Elder unto the Elect Lady and her children, "whom I love « y"'"' 3- ^^• in the truth, (and not I only, but also all they that have known *the ^ j^,,,,, g '30 ' truth ;) ~ for the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us ^'''j- 2- 5, h- & forever. ^ Grace *be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father coi. 1. 5. and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, "^in truth and 1 Tim^'^2.1 love ! Heb. 10. 26. * Or. shall he. 1 Tim. 1. 2. c ver. 1. § ] 4. — verse 4, to the end. The Apostle mentions his joy at finding some of her children conducting themselves according to the pure doctrines of the Gospel — He exhorts her to Christian love, not as in obedience to a command never before delivered, but to a command which was given from the very beginning, and which the Apostles constantly preached — The great proof of love to God is obedience and conformity to his commands ; and this is the great commandment, that they should believe in Him whom God hath sent (John vi. 29.) — These doctrines were preached to them from the beginning, that they might have proper motives and principles for their love and obedience — It is now particularly necessary to remind them of these, because many deceivers are gone out into the world, who deny that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh, regarding his death and suffering as appearances, and not as realities — every teacher who teaches such doc- trines is the False Prophet, and the Antichrist, foretold by Jesus Christ (1 John ii. 13.) — He therefore beseeches the Elect Lady and her children not to be deceived by them — Whoever transgresses by teaching other doctrines than those tauglit by Christ and his Apostles, hath no communion with God as their Father — But he that continues in tiiese doctrines, hath communion with God as his Father, and the Son of God as his Saviour — Any teacher who holds not the doctrine, tliat Christ came and suffered in the flesh for man, is not to be received into the house, nor salutations of good suc- cess offered to him — For he that treats such as a Christian brother, by giving him pro- ^ tection and encouragement, accredits his ministry, and becomes a partaker of the "^ o^ri2. mischief he may commit. V l'^\^^- ''' ^ 4 I REJOICED greatly that I found of thy children "walking in truth, 'i5°';o/|ph'*5*' as we have received a commandment from the Father. ^ And now I f jj,,^;^- ■♦^^• beseech thee. Lady, ''not as though I wrote a new commandment unto a John ii. 15,21. thee, but that which we had from the beginning, 'That we love one f joL^a; 5. &, 5. another. ^ And ''this is love, that we walk after his commandments. ^■ VOL. II. KK* 438 THE THIRD EPISTLE OF JOHN. [Part XV. e iJohn2.24. This is the commandment, That, "as ye have heard from the begin- g 1 j°oh"n 4. 2, 3. "i'^gj ye should Walk in it. ''' For -^many deceivers are entered into the h iJohna. 22. & vv'orld, °'who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. ''This i Mark 13. 9. '^ ^ dccciver and an Antichrist. ^ Look 'to yourselves, ^that we lose j Gal. 3. 4. Heb. not thosc things which we have *wrought, but that we receive a full *or^^,^ained: fsward. ^ Whosocvcr *transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine Some copies of Christ, hath not God : he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he have gained, but hath both the Father and the Son. ^° If there come any unto you, and t^at. ye receive, {jj.jj^g j-jqj ^j^jg doctrine, reccivo him not into your house, 'neither bid k 1 John 2. 23. him God speed. ^^ For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of ZKom.16.17 his evil dccds. i Cor. 5. 11. & i%~r-. *^"'- J'^' ^^ Having "many things to write unto you, I would not write with if, ji 1 mi. o>l). i*iit Tit. 3. 10. paper and mk ; but 1 trust to come unto you, and speak f face to face, m 3 John 13. "thjjt lour joy may be full. ^^ The "children of thy elect sister greet t Gr. mouth fo . i i r A i ° mouth. thee ! [Amen.] 71 John 17. 13. r t 1 John 1.4. [end of the second EPISTLE OF JOHN.] X Or, your. o 1 Pet. 5. 13. — THE THIRD EPISTLE OF JOHN. St. John writes this Epistle'^ to Gains, to praise him for his steadfast Faith and Kindness to some Christian Brethren and Strangers, and to recommend them again to his Protection and Benevolence — to re- buke and to caution him against the presumptuous Arrogance of Diot- rephcs, who had denied his Authority, and disobeyed his Injunctions, and to recommend, Demetrius to his Attention, and the Imitation of the Church. § 15. — verse 1, to the end. The aged Apostle to Gaius, the beloved of all who knew him, who is beloved also of the Apostle, according to the truth — He prays that his temporal prosperity and health may be in proportion to his virtues and spiritual attainments, that he may long live a blessing to the Church — His great joy when he was informed of his continuing in the true doctrines of tlie Gospel — He has acted towards the brethren and strangers agree- ably to the true faith ; and they have borne testimony before the church to his Chris- tian love and benevolence, whom he will do well to assist a second time in a manner worthy of God, from the divine principle of love which his Spirit imparts — For it was for the sake of Christ, and preaching his Gospel to the Gentiles, that the brethren went out, receiving nothing for their labors, that they might not have their success diminished by a suspicion of mercenary motives — Those who remain at home should entertain and receive into their houses the laborers who leave their homes, and make distant journeys for tlie sake of the Gospel, that by contributions they may assist and encourage them, and so become joint laborers with them — He had written a letter to this effect to the Church of which Gaius was a member ; but Diotrephes, who had assumed an arrogant preeminence, denied his apostolical authority, and probably sup- pressed the letter — The Apostle threatens to punish him signally for his deeds, as they impeded and injured the cause of truth and Christianity — He caluniniated the apostles — refused to obey their injunctions — and cast out of the Church those who did so, relieving tlie necessities of the brethren — He exhorts them not to follow the exam- ple of Diotrephes, but to imitate that which is good, knowing that such are begotten of God — He recommends the example of Demetrius, who, on the contrary, is praised liy all men for his Christian graces and virtues, by the Gospel itself, and by the Apostle, whose testimony they are assured is true and impartial — He excuses himself for not writing more fully on these matters, but intends soon to see Gaius — His ben- ediction and salutation. q See Note 39. ^ The Elder uuto the wcll-bcloved Gaius, "whom I love *in the a 2 John 1. truth ! tor,'yra^! ~ Bclovcd, I fwish abovc all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. ^For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as 6 2.iohn4. Hhou walkest in the truth. ^I have no greater joy than to hear that "phiiemon 10* ''my children walk in truth. ^ Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever § 15, Sect. XX.] ON THE COMPLETION OF THE CANON. 439 thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers, ^ which have borne wit- ness of thy charity before the Church ; whom if thou bring forward on their journey tafter a godly sort, thou shalt do well. ^ Because that \Gx.woHhyof for his Name's sake they went forth, '^taking nothing of the Gentiles. ^ iVor. 9. 12 ^ We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow-helpers ^^^ to the truth. ^ 1 wrote unto the Church ; but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. ^^ Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words : and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the Church. ^' Beloved, 'follow not that which is evil, but %^'!v^V'; p'. . ' ' 1. l(i, 17. 1 I'et. that which is good. ■'^He that doeth good is of God ; but he that doeth 3. 11. evil hath not seen God. '" ^l ';''^? ' ~^- "^ ^^ Demetrius ^hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself; ^-iTim. 3. 7. yea, and we also bear record, ''and ye know that our record is true. a John 21. 24, ^^ I *had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write ' 2 John 12. unto thee ; ^^ but I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak *'face to face. Peace be to thee ! Our friends salute thee : greet the *J^I^j""""' '" friends by name. END OF THE CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. Section XX. — St. John sanctions the Books of the New Testament, and completes the Canon of Scripture by ivriting his Gospel, at the request of the Church at Ephesus. The close of the apostolic age now drew near. The former Dispensation had been abrogated, and Jerusalem destroyed. The building up of the visible Church was consigned to another order of instructors, under the abiding and miraculous influence of the same Spirit. One thing alone was wanting to complete the sanctions of the Gospel of Christ, and to give permanence to the teaching of the apostles. The Jew was able to appeal with boldness to a collection of Inspired Writings, and it was necessary that the Christian should be able to appeal to the same authority. Another volume of Scripture was essential to the New Dispensation ; originating in the same divine source, confirmed by similar evidence of prophecy, miracle, and purity of precept and doctrine. For this purpose the beloved disciple was preserved in life to a very late period, till the numbers of Christians had so increased, that the heathen temples, as Pliny affirmed, in his celebrated letter to Trajan, had begun to be deserted. For the instruction of these immense mul- titudes three Gospels, the Book of the Acts, and all the Epistles had been already written ; and it is not improbable that a general expectation might have prevailed throughout the Churches, that the last of the Inspired Apostles would sanction with his approbation the books which had already been written — that he would approve or condemn the novel opmions which had begun to divide the infant, or the more established, societies — that he would relate, for the benefit and con- solation of Christians, the more impressive conversations and dying instructions of our blessed Lord — and, finally, close the Canon of the New Testament, by his universally-acknowledged authority, before the age of miracle and inspiration had ceased. Whether it has ceased for ever on earth, or only till the millennial day of universal righteousness, is among the unrevealed mysteries of Christianity. The contents of St. John's Gospel, and the evidence of ecclesiastical history prove to us, that the greater part of these things have been done, a^nd that the Canon of Scripture was now closed, till the end of the Christian dispensation. The evidence, however, which still remains upon this subject will not appear to many persons altogether decisive. What that is I shall collect from Lampe. As the canon of the Old Testament was completed by Simon the Just, the last of the great Sanhedrin, so is it probable the canon of the New Testament was completed eitlier by St. John, or that disciple who might be the survivor of the one hundred and twenty, the number of the Sanhedrin, who met at the day of Pentecost. It is not probable that any of these outlived St. John, who died nearly seventy years after the ascension of his Divine Master. I am of opinion that the canon of Scripture was completed before the persecution of Trajan, that the Christians under that terrible visitation, upon the cessation of the spirit of prophecy, which in all their distresses had been the evidence of their faith, and their unfailing consolation, 440 ON THE COMPLETION OF THE CANON. [Part XV. might have the complete and perfect Scripture, to direct and comfort them. The Gospel of St. Matthew was written during the Pauline persecution — that of St. Mark in the Herodian — that of St. Luke about the time of the Neronian — and if the Gospel of St. John was written, and the canon of Scripture completed, in anticipation of the Trajanian persecution, the blood of the martyrs, in a new and more impressive sense, may be justly called the seed of the Chm-ch. Eusebius is generally considered as affording decisive evidence that the canon of Scripture was completed by St. John. In the Third Book of his Ecclesiastical History, this historian gives an account of the bishops who presided over the Churches of Rome, Jerusalem, and Alexandria. From mentioning Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, and Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, he proceeds to relate some traditional stories of St. John, who was the contemporary of both. He then goes on to mention the writings of the Apostle, and informs us that St. John wrote his Gospel to relate the circumstances which had been omitted by the other Evangelists, particularly those which occurred at the commencement of our Lord's ministry. The Apostle approved of all that had been said by the three Evangelists ; he confirmed their declarations by his own testimony, and added his own Gospel to complete Avhatever in theirs might be deficient. This testimony of Eusebius does not appear to Mosheira to be sufficient to convince us that St. John completed the canon of the New Testament. He certainly says nothing of the Acts or the Epistles : as these, however, were undoubtedly and unanimously received as Inspired Books by the great majority of Christians, and as the Acts were written by St. Luke, and formed as it were the second part of the Gospel ; and the Epistles of St. Paul were so interwoven with the history of his travels, by St. Luke, that they could not be separated ; it is difficult to believe that the Apostle should have sanctioned the Gospels alone, and not have confirmed also the authority of their inseparable and inspired appendages. It is true that Eusebius confines his testimony to the Gospels ; but he does not do this in such a manner that we are necessarily led to suppose that he omitted to approve of the remahider of the Sacred Writings. The general and ancient tradition may supply the place of more demonstrative evidence with those who are contented with the authority of antiquity without decided evidence of another kind : provided there be nothing Avhich is absurd in itself, inconsistent with Scripture, nor opposite to authentic evidence- It is not, however, improbable that those Epistles, which were not received by all Christians into the canon, immediately on their first publication, had been neglected by the Gentile Christians, because they were principally addressed to the converts from among the Jews, or to the Hebrews generally. Should this conjecture be well founded, they might not have been known to the Chui'ch at Ephesus at this time, and possibly, therefore, Avere not included in the collection of Inspired Writings which were submitted at Ephesus to St. John, and received the sanction of that apostle. It has been supposed by many, that the New Testament contains internal evidence that the canon of Scripture was now fixed by St. John ; or that the Gospels, the Acts, the Apocalypse, and the universally-received Epistles, were sanctioned by his authority. The passage (Apoc. xxii. 18, 19.) in which a blessing is pronounced upon all who hear the words of this book is said to refer not merely to the Apocalypse, but to the whole word of God ; this opinion, however, does not seem to be supported by tlie context. Augustine (ap. Lampe) asserts that the canon of Scripture was confirmed, from the times of the apostles, by the episcopal successions and early Churches. Lampe quotes also Jerome and TertuUian, who do not, however, speak with decision. The prolonged life of the Apostle, after whom no inspired book could be expected by the Churches, his certain knowledge of the books which had already been so universally received, and the necessity of his approbation, or condemnation, combine to render him the one individual who was called upon to decide the authority of the books, and to complete the canon. IreuiBus seems to allude to the completed canon, when, soon after the death of St. John, he says concern- ing Polycarp, "He always taught those things which he had learned from the apostles, which the Church had delivered, and which alone are true." The last writer who has studied the subject, was the late lamented and learned Mr. Rennell, who has been so prematurely removed from the scene of his useful labors. In his observations on the compilation of the apocryphal writings of the apostolic age, published by Mr. Hone, he observes : — " men was the canon of Scripture determined ? It was determined immediately after the death of St. John, the last survivor of the apostolic order. The canon of the Gospels was deter- mined indeed before his death ; for we read in Eusebius, that he gave his sanction to the three other Gospels, and completed this part of the New Testament with his own. By the doatli of St. John the catalogue of Scripture Avas completed and closed. We have seen from the testimony both of themselves, and of their immediate successors, that the inspiration of Avriting Avas strictly confined to the apostles, and accordingly Ave find that no pretensions Avere ever made by an} true Christian to a similar authority. Sect. XX.] ON THE COMPLETION OF THE CANON. 441 '■^ By icliom was the canon of Scripture determined? It was determined, not by the decision of any individual, nor by the decree of any council, but by the general consent of the whole and every part of tlie Christian Churcii. It is indeed a very remarkable circumstance, tliat among the various disputes which so early agitated the Church, the canon of Scripture was never the subject of controversy. If any question might be said to have arisen, it had reference to one or two of those books which are included in the present canon; but with respect to those which are out of the canon, no difference of opinion ever existed. " The reason of this agreement is a very satisfactory one. Every one who is at all versed in ecclesiastical history is aware of the continual intercourse which took place in the apostolic age between the various branches of the Church Universal. This communication, as Mr. Nolan has well observed, arose out of the Jewish polity, under which the various synagogues of the Jews, which were dispersed throughout the Gentile world, were all subjected to the Sanhedrin at Jeru- salem, and maintained a constant correspondence with it. Whenever then an Epistle arrived at any particular Church, it was first authenticated ; it was then read to all the holy brethren, and was subsequently transmitted to some other neighbouring Church. Thus we find that the authentication of the Epistles of St. Paul was ' the salutation with hisoAvn hand' (2 Thess. iii. 17.), by which the Church, to whicli the letter was first addressed, might be assured that it was not a forgery. We find also a solemn adjuration of the same Apostle, that his Epistle 'should be read to all the holy brethren ' (1 Thess. v. 27) ; and again, that his Epistles should be transmitted to otlier Christian communities. ' When tliis Epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans, and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea ' (Col. iv. 16.) From this latter passage we infer, that the system of transmission was a very general one ; as the Epistle, which St. Paul directs the Colossians to receive from the Laodiceans, was not originally addressed to the latter, but was sent to them from some other Church. To prevent any mistake or fraud, this transmission was made by the highest authority, namely, by that of the bishop. Through him official communications were sent from one Church to another, even in the remotest countries. Clement, the bishop of Rome, communicated with the Church at Corinth ; Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, wrote an epistle to the Philippians ; Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch, corresponded with the Churches of Rome, of Magnesia, of Ephesus, and others. These three bishops were the companions and immediate successors of the apostles, and followed the system of correspondence and intercourse which their masters had begun. Considering all these circumstances, we shall be convinced how utterly improbable it was, that any authentic work of an apostle should have existed in one Church, without having been communicated to another. It is a very mistaken notion of Dodwell, that the books of the New Testament lay concealed in the coffers of particular Churches, and were not known to the remainder of the world until the late days of Trajan. This might have been perfectly true with respect to the originals, which were doubtless guarded with peculiar care in the custody of the particular Churches to which they were respectively addressed. But copies of these originals, attested by authority of the bishop, were transmitted from one Church to another with the utmost freedom, and were thus rapidly dispersed throughout the whole Christian world. As a proof of this, St. Peter, in an epistle addressed generally to the Churches in Asia, speaks of • all the Epistles ' of St. Paid, as a body of Scripture universally circulated and known. "The number of the apostles, including Paul and Barnabas, was but fourteen ; to these, and to these alone, in the opinion of the early Church, was the inspiration of writing confined : out of these, six only deemed it necessary to write ; Avhat they did write was authenticated v/ith the greatest caution, and circulated with the utmost rapidity ; what was received in any Church as the writing of an apostle was publicly read ; no Church was left to itself, or to its own direction ; but was frequently visited by the apostles, and corresponded with by their successors ; all the distant members of the Church universal, in the apostolic age, being united by frequent inter- course and communication, became one body in Christ. Taking all these things into our consid- eration, we sliall see with what ease and rapidity the canon of Scripture would be formed, there being no room either for fradulent fabrication on tlie one hand, or for arbitrary rejection on the other. The case was too clear to require any formal discussion, nor does it appear that there was any material forgery that could render it necessary. The Avritings of the apostles, and of the apostles alone, were received as the word of God, and were separated from all otiiers, by that most decisive species of authority — the authority of a general, an immediate, and an undisputed consent. " Tliis will appear the more satisfactory to our minds, if we take an example from the age in which we live. The letters of Junius, for instance, were published at intervals within a certain period. Since the publication of the last authentic letter, many under tiiat signature have appeared, purporting to have been written by the same author. But this circumstance throws no obscurity over the matter, nor is the canon of Junius, if I may transfer the term from sacred to VOL. II. 56 442 ON THE COMPLETION OF THE CANON. [Part XV. secular writing, involved thereby in any difficulty or doubt. If it should be hereafter inquired at what time, or by what autliority the authentic letters were separated from tlie spurious, the answer will be, that such a separation never took place ; but that the canon of Junius was deter- mined immediately after the date of the last letter. To us who live so near to the time of pub- lication, the line of distinction between the genuine and the spurious is so strongly marked, and the evidence of authenticity on the one side, and of forgery on the other, is so clear and convin- cing, that a formal rejection of the latter is unnecessary. The case has long since been deter- mined by the tacit consent of the whole British nation, and no man in his senses would attempt to dispute it. "Yet how much stronger is the case of the scriptural canon. Tlie author of Junius was known to none, he could not therefore of himself bear any testimony to the authenticity of his works ; the authors of the New Testament were known to all, and were especially careful to mark, to authenticate, and to distinguish their writings. The author of Junius had no personal character which could stamp his writing with any high or special authority : whatever proceeded from the apostles of Christ was immediately regarded as the offspring of an exclusive inspiration. For the canon of Junius we have no external evidence, but that of a single publisher : for the canon of Scripture we have the testimony of Churciies which were visited, bishops who were appointed, and converts innumerable, who were instructed by the apostles themselves. It was neither the duty nor the interest of any one, excepting the publisher, to preserve the volume of Junius from spurious additions ; to guard the integrity of the Sacred Volume was the bounden duty of every Christian who believed that its words Avere the words of eternal life. " If, then, notwithstanding these and other difficulties, which might be adduced, the canon of Junius is established beyond controversy or dispute, by the tacit consent of all who live in the age in which it is written ; there can be no reason why the canon of Scripture, under circumstances infinitely stronger, should not have been determined in a manner precisely the same ; especially when we remember, that in both cases the forgeries made their appearance subsequently to the determination of the canon. There is not a single book in the spurious department of the apoc- ryphal volume which was even known where the canon of Scripture was determined. This is a fact which considerably strengthens the case. There was no difficulty or dispute in framing the canon of Scripture, because there were no competitors, whose claims it was expedient to examine, no forgeries Arliose impostures it was necessary to detect. The first age of the Church was an age of too much vigilance, of too much communication, of too much authority, for any fabricator of Scripture to hope for success. If any attempt was made, it was instantly crushed. When the authority of the apostles and of the apostolic men had lost its immediate influence, and heresies and disputes had arisen, then it was that forgeries began to appear. But by this time the canon of Scripture had taken such firm root in the minds of men, that it resisted every effort to supplant it. Nothing, indeed, but the general and long-determined consent of the whole Christian world could have preserved the Sacred Volume in its integrity, unimpaired by the mutilation of one set of heretics, and unencumbered by the forgeries of another." The time of St. John's death is very uncertain. Jerome (in Covin, lib. i. c. 14.) affirms, that he died worn out with age. Irenseus (1. ii. c. 39. 1. iii. c. 3.) tells us, that he survived to the reign of Trajan. Usher and Beveridge (de Martyr. Ignat. p. 177, in Canon Aposl. 1455) refer his death to the second year of Trajan. Eusebius, with a great number of the fathers, Jerome, Ter- tullian, Origen, and others, place it in the tliird. Tlie Paschal Chronicle assigns it to the seventh year of that emperor. He died at Ephesus, in expectation, says the Arabian author, of hia blessedness : by which expression we may infer, that he met the last enemy of man with that serene and peaceful and well-founded hope, which is the best assurance of the happy immortality of every privileged Christian. It is needless to repeat the eulogies with which affection and admiration have united to commemorate the death of this amiable Apostle. The Protestant theologian will require more authentic evidence than the reporters of the wonderful tales, to which I allude, can produce, before he can credit that St. John never died, that he only lay sleeping in his grave, as appeared from the boiling or bubbling up of the dust, which was moved by his breath ; and many other gravely related histories, which excite but our smiles. His body is buried in peace, but his name liveth for evermore. So long as the present Dispensation shall continue, and the Christian Church be commanded to pursue its painful way through the wilderness of this world, to that land of peace and rest, where the spirits of the prophets and apostles await their companions and followers from among mankind; so long as a blasphemer against the Divinity of tlie Son of God shall laugh to scorn our prayers to a crucified Redeemer ; so long shall the inspired pages of this beloved disciple erect in our hearts the best monument to his memory". " Sic Amesius, Theol. lib. i. c. 34. § 35. " Canonem V. T. constituerunt ProphetfE, ct Christus ipse testimonio suo approbavit. Canonem N. T. una cum veteri comprobavit et obsignavit Apostolus Johan- Sect. XXL] ON THE CONDITION OF THE JEWS. 443 Section XXI. — Brief View of the Condition of the Jeivs, the Stations of the Sanhedrin, and its Labors, before the final and total Dispersion of their Nation ; with an Outline of the History of the Visible Church from the closing of the Canon of Scripture, to the present Day ; and the Prospects of the permanent Hap- piness of Mankind, in the present and future World. The first century of the Christian sera is the most eventful in the annals of the human race. The institutions of Christianity had succeeded to the institutions of the Law of Moses. The temple of God upon earth, whicli had opened its gates to the people of one favored country alone, was taken down, and tlie whole world was invited, by the preachers of the holy Gospel, to enter into another temple of God upon earth, whose gates stood open night and day, to receive all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues. It may be useful, in the conclusion of this work, to cast a rapid glance over the past history of that religion, which Christ and his apostles, and their successors in the Christian ministry, have established. From this we shall be naturally led to consider the state of Christianity in our own age, not merely in England, or in Europe, but through the world. The appearances of the present times, the expectations of wise and good men, and the express predictions both of tlie old prophets and of the Christian Scriptures, will justify us in anticipating the eventual comparative perfection of mankind, and tlie universal establishment of the one pure religion in this world, before the arrival of tliat solemn day, when the theatre on which the great drama of man has been acted will be swept away from existence. We will compare the state of the world at the beginning of the century before the birth of Christ was announced to the shepherds, with its condition at the death of the last of the apostles. At the commencement of the century in which the Redeemer of mankind became incarnate, the world was divided into two classes, the Pagans and the Jews. The former of these had entirely forgotten the object for which mankind had been originally created ; and, among the latter, the remembrance of that object was confined to a very few who still retained the spiritual meaning of their Scriptures, and anticipated a Deliverer from the dominion of ignorance and wickedness? rather than a Saviour from the Roman yoke. The degeneracy of mankind was daily increasing 5 and the Church of God, that is, that portion of the visible Church which had preserved itself pure from the universal corruption, was so rapidly diminishing, that there was danger lest the world should return to the same condition to which it had been reduced, when eight persons only were saved from the deluge, or when ten worshippers of Jehovah, could not be found to preserve the cities of the plain. Among the heathen all classes had become foolish. The magistrates and the statesmen of antiquity considered religion as a useful engine of state ; the philosophers, bewildered among their metaphysical dreams, and involved in endless disputations and divisions, considered all religions as equally false, and equally true; justly despising the inconsistencies of the popular mythology, they knew not where to rest. The scanty remains of the ancient truth, which tradition still preserved among them, was obscured by innumerable absurdities. Neither the hope of good, nor the fear of evil, animated the popular devotion ; while the very superstitions, which tlie wander- ing reason of their pretended philosophy despised, were rendered more binding upon the ignorant populace, by the outward compliance of the philosophers with all its rites and ceremonies. The teachers of the Jews had secularized the religion of their fathers. The magnificent promises and splendid predictions of the prophets, which describe the spiritual glories of tlie expected Mes- siah, were interpreted of a temporal dominion. The maintainors of the spiritual interpretation were treated with contempt. The two classes of teachers, who divided the affections of the people, united in ridiculing the holiness of heart and life required by the Law of Jehovah. The Sadducees denied the doctrine of a future state, and the consequent sanctions of an invisible world ; the Pharisees resolved the religion of Moses and of the prophets into the belief of traditions, and at- nes, auctoritate divina instructus, Apoc. xxii. 18, 19. Idem videtur Pareo, Pigneto, et aliis ad h. 1. Hei- di>;v;rerus, r«r/;. Theol. loc. ii. p. 61. addit, Johannem canonem N. T. clausisse, cum solenni voto : ' Etiam vcni. Domine Jesu ! ' Scripturam N. T. cum ultimo Christi adventu ita conjunxit, utt olim Malachias Scriptuniin N. T. cum Ministerio Johannis Baplista> connexuit. Sed et vetu'stiores Apocalypsin pro si- g-illo uaiversiE Scripturas habuerunt. Anonymus quidam Graecus apud Allatium Diss. I. de libris Eccles. Graicorum, p. 48, — GioXoyixl/ d^ anoxaXi'xpig nuXiv ScpQuyls nitfvy.e rijaSi Tij; Sl^Xov ttuOi^c. Thcoloffica Apocalypsis sigillum universi libri, et totius SacriB Scripturos est." — Lampe, Proleg. adJohan. lib. i. cap. 5. § 13. note. _ The tlieological student, who is desirous of pursuing this subject, is referred to Dr. Cozins' work on the Canon of Scripture ; a very useful publication, which was written while the learned author was ex- pelled from his living by the parliament ; to Jones On the Canon ; Lardner"s Supplement to the Credibil- ity ; Home's Crit. Introduction; and to the prefaces of commentators in general. 444 ON THE CONDITION OF THE JEWS [Part XV. tachment of external observances, and ostentatious austerities. Tlie one destroyed internal reliction, by denying its necessity altogether ; tlie latter ruined its influence witii equal efficacy, by finding- a substitute for holiness. The first were condemned entirely, as the open enemies of purity, as the in- fidels of their day ; the last were condemned with unsparing severity, but not so universally, or totally, in that more restricted censure, " these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." The consequence of the united dereliction of both Jews and heathens was, that the knowledge and fear of God was rapidly fading away from the public faith and the private motives of mankind. The close of the century presented a strong contrast with this melancholy condition. Mankind were now divided into three classes. The heathens, who, in addition to their former errors, had now acquired a spirit of persecution ; the Jews, who, though they had been conquered by the Romans, and subjected to severe persecutions, still continued in various towns in Palestine, and throughout the empire, and whose inveterate hatred against the Christians increased daily ; the third division, and it included no small portion of mankind, were the Christians, who were elected by the providence of God from both the former classes. Before we proceed to the history of the Christian Church, it may be advisable to inquire into the condition of the once-favored people of God, after their rejection of the Messiah had brought upon them the accomplishment of his predictions, in the destruction of the city, and the utter ruin of their political existence. The visible true Church, in any nation, is under the protection of the peculiar providence of God, and entitled to the veneration of the people, whom it is intended to guide to future happiness so long only as it retains its spiritual fitness, and zeal, and purity, to accomplish the objects of its institution. This seems to be the lesson which the fall of Jerusalem was designed to impress upon the infant Church, which had now succeeded to the miraculous gifts and privileges of the Church of Jerusalem. Not only did the fallen daughter of Sion render service to her favored sister, by impressing this solemn lesson ; but she was still permitted, before the final dispersion of her sons, so to deliver the ancient Scriptures to the Gentile Churches, that their integrity and genuineness should be unimpeachable, either by the Jews or heathens. Though the city and temple of Jerusalem were desti'oyed, the Sanhcdrin remained, and were acknowledged by the surviving Hebrews as the legitimate directors and teachers of the people. Some years before the destruction of the temple they had removed to Jabneh ; and, after that event, Rabban Jochanan ben Zacchai, the president, who had predicted the destruction of the temple forty years before, when the doors of the temple had opened without visible cause, requested permission of Titus, with whom he Avas in favor, to reestablish the Sanhedrin at Jabneh. Fully convinced of the truth of his own prophecy, he had entreated the people to submit to the Romans. It was possibly on this account that Titus complied with his request. He sat as president of the Sanhedrin five years after the destruction of the city. Some few of the more eminent and learned Jews, who escaped from the common slaughter, from the sale and vassalage of their countrymen, continued with him at Jabneh. Among these were R. Gamaliel, the son of the R. Simeon who was educated with St. Paul, and was killed when president of the Sanhedrin, at the siege of Jeru- salem ; this Simeon is considered by the Jews as the last of the ten eminent men who were slain by the kingdom, that is, who were put to death by the Romans. With R. Gamaliel were R. Zadok, who had emaciated liis body with extreme fasting, when the doors of the temple moved on their hinges by invisible hands, R. Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, the author of Pirke Eliezer, and others whose names are still held in honor among tlie Jews. These men were employed to the last in making decrees respecting the ritual of the temple service, and settling questions of ceremonies ; though the glory had departed, and religion had become an empty form. " There were thirteen worship- pings, or bowings, in the temple, but the house of Rabban Gamaliel and tlie house of Ananias Sagan made fourteen," says a Jewish tradition. Lightfoot erroneously conjectures, that the Ana- nias, who was thus united with the house of R. Gamaliel in ordering the additional bowings in the temple, when it was about to be destroyed, was the same Ananias who insulted St. Paul. R. Jochanan was succeeded in his presidency over the Sanhedrin at Jabneh by R. Gamaliel. The traditions relate, that he gave offence to the people by his pride and passion, and at one period was deprived of his presidency ; he was restored to his dignity in part only, R. Eliezer being elevated to the joint administration. The presidency of these two continued twelve years ; from the second year of Vespasian, to the second of Domitian. The hatred of the Romans towards the Jews had not at this time increased to its height. In the second year of Domitian, R. Akibah was their head. His presidency lasted forty years, Avhen the Romans sacked wit.li so much cruelty the town Bitter, or, more properly, Beth- Tar. The JeAvs now began to be more severely threatened, as enemies to tiie public peace of the empire, and to all mankind. This was the period of the dreadful insurrection at Cyrene, when they murdered two hundred and twenty tliousand Greeks and Romans, under circumstances of the most revolting and shameful cruelty. A similar insurrection was made in Egypt and Cyprus, where SfiCT. XXL] BEFORE THEIR FINAL DISPERSION. 445 they slaughtered two Jiundred and forty thousand. The principal author of this revolt is said to have been the false Messiah, Ben Cozba, who proclaimed himself king, and coined money. This took place in the reign of Adrian, and R. Akibah, the president of the Sanhedrin, was killed at Beth-Tar, as armorbearcr to this pretended Messiah. The destruction of the remaining cities of Judsea, and the number of Jews who were slaughtered make the Jews consider this period as the completion of their ruin, and the most severe blow they ever received, except the destruction of their city. Adrian had sent against them the relentless Severus, who was afterwards emperor. At this time lived Tryplio, tlie Jew who had the controversy with Justin Martyr. It is not improbable that tliis was the same as Tarphon, an intimate associate of R. Akibah ; he is fre- quently mentioned in the talmuds. The fourth president of tlie Sanhedrin, after the destruction of Jerusalem, was Rabban Simeon. He governed about thirty years, from the sixth or eighth of Adrian, to tlie fifteenth or sixteenth of Antoninus Pius. The honor and power of the learned Jews began now to lessen daily, though there were still found among them some eminent names which are yet honored both among the Jews and Christians. The principal of these were R. Simeon ben Jochai, and EUezer, his son, the first authors of the book Zohar; and Aquila, the celebrated proselyte, whose translation of the Scriptures is quoted even by the Jerusalem Gemarists. The Sanhedrin had now removed from Jabneh to Usha Shepharaim. R. Simeon was succeeded by his son, R. Judah the Holy. He was held in very high estimation among his countrymen, and is said to have been much valued by one of the Anton ines. It was R. Judah ■who caused the Traditional Law to be collected into one mass. This is called the MisJma, and is the great code by which the Jews still profess to be regulated. The number of pupils who might be the preservers of this code of traditionary law was daily diminishing, and he resolved therefore to commit it to writing, that it might be preserved. He appointed teachers of these traditions also in all the cities remaining to the Jewish name. The Sanhedrin, in his reign, removed to Bethshaarain, Tsipporis, and Tiberias. R. Judah compiled the Mishna, as some traditions relate, in the year 190, in the latter end of the reign of Commodus ; or, as others affirm, in the year 220, one hundred and fifty years after the destruction of the city. R. Judah Avas succeeded by his son R. Chaninah, in whose presidency we first read of tlie Com- mentaries on the Mishna, which are called the Geniara. The Mishna, which is the Text of the Traditional Law, and the Gemara, which is the Comment, make up togetlier the Talmud. The Targums are commentaries on Scripture. R. Chaninah was succeeded by R. Jochanan, who was president of the Sanhedrin at Tiberias eighty years. Though the country abounded with schools, and the surviving Jews made every effort in their power to perpetuate their now corrupt religion, no school or college obtained so mucii celebrity as that at Tiberias. Jerome was instructed by a learned man of Tiberias ; and it was most probably about this time, that that edition of the Hebrew Bible was prepared, which has ever been of high authority among both Jews and Christians ; the edition of the Masorets, or, as they are now more generally called, the Masorites. The term Masoret is derived from a Hebrew word, signifying tradition. The Masorites were the learned Jews of Tiberias, who, being anxious before their nation was finally separated, to secure the Sacred Text from corruption, prepared an edition of the Old Testament, in which they marked, by certain arbitrary vowel points, accents, and pauses, the traditionary pronunciation of every word. The Bibles which the Jews read in their synagogues are now, and it is believed have always been, written without tlie vowel points ; but the minister is required to read each chapter accord- ing to the traditionary sounds of the words, which are preserved in the pointed Bibles ; and an inspector or superintendent stands by him when he reads, to correct any error. Tiiis pronuncia- tion is not borrowed from the Masoretic Bibles, as I have been informed by some learned Jews, whom I consulted on this matter ; but it is the faditionary mode of reading which has been handed down from remote antiquity. Should this statement be correct, it appears to afford one very satisfactory argument, that the Masoretic punctuation is entitled to more respect than many modern Hebraists entertain for it. This, however, is not the place to enter upon this discussion. The Masorets, by their great care and diligence, have lefl us an edition of the Old Testament, which secures the text from all interpolations, while it checks also the licentiousness of conjec- tural criticism, and gives a definite meaning to many obscure passages ; at the same time it by no means precludes the labors of the learned from aiming at greater accuracy in their attempts to understand Scripture, as the sense which the Masorets may have put upon any passage, can only be said to be highly probable : the meaning of Scripture in all cases being derivable from the words, and not from the vowel points, or any arbitrary divisions. " It is probable," says Bishop Marsh, "that the Masoretic text was formed from a collation of manuscripts ; if so, it is still more valuable. The Masorets, as is well known, have counted every word and letter, that 446 ON THE STATE OF THE CHURCH [Part XV. no changes may be made : and if the copies of the Old Testament, which Christians possess, and from which, with the apostles themselves, they derive irrefragable arguments for the Mes- siahship of Jesus of Nazareth, be impugned by the Jews, they may refer to the Masoretic edition, and urge the same arguments from that copy of the Scriptures upon which the Jews place the liighest value." The precise time when the Masorets of Tiberias completed this useful labor is not known. The providence of God preserved the appearance of a government among the Jews till this great work was completed, and the purity of the Inspired Volume secured from all possibility of corrup- tion. They were then permitted to undergo the whole of the terrible punishments predicted by Moses and their prophets. So long as they had a president and a Sanhedrin in the Holy Land, they had a common country, though they had ceased to have a sacrifice, a temple, a prophet, or a king. Many of tlieir learned men went to Babylon, the schools of which place had begun to be more celebrated than those of Judaea. To detail the further history of the cruelties they have practised, and the persecutions they have endured ; the history of their patience, their sufferings ; tlieir depressed poverty ; their industrious accinnulation of wealtli ; their cultivation of the art of medicine ; their fortunes in every country in the ivorld ; the deadly liatred, and fierce and bitter scorn to which they were condemned for many centuries ; the account also of their rapidly increasing influence in the present state of society, when a supply of money from a few wealthy individuals, or even from one, in many instances may decide the destiny, religion, and liberty of kings and people ; to detail all these wonderful incidents in the history of these miraculously-pre- served people would lead me far beyond my present purpose. It is sufficient only to say, that their preservation has been effected by means so totally contrary to the general laws of society ; by which, both in adversity and prosperity, nations, when settled among each other, uniformly amalgamate into one people ; that, if we had no Scripture to guide us, we might justly infer they were preserved by the providence of God for some extraordinary destiny. What this destiny will be, we are told by the pages of Revelation : " They shall be gathered out of all people, and by an exodus from all countries more wonderful than that of their fathers from Egypt, they shall go up to their own country ; and planting the vine and the olive on the hills and in the valleys of their fathers, they shall, after much tribulation, rejoice in the dominion of their Messiah, the man- ifested God of their fathers, the crucified Jesus of the Christians." We will now return to the history of the Christian Church. Though the view which may be now taken of the effects of Christianity on human happiness is unavoidably brief and imperfect, the memory will be assisted by a regular division of the subject: — I. The first stage is the State of tlie Christian Church from the Death of St. John to the Establishment of the persecuted Faith by Constantine. II. From thence to the Rise of the Papal Power. III. The Progress and Triumph of the Church of Rome. IV. The Reformation, both in its good and bad Effects. V. And the subsequent History of Christianity, particularly in England ; %vith the prospect of its future dominion over all mankind, as declared in the prophecies of tlie Old and New Testament. I. The State of the Christian Church from the Death of St. John to the Death of Constantine. In closing the volumes which it was necessary to peruse, for the drawing up of the following brief abstract of Ecclesiastical History, it was impossible to avoid contrasting the hatred and dissensions which have prevailed within the later centuries among Christians with the union and harmony which excited the surprise of their enemies, in the earlier ages of their faith. Although this difference can only be imputed to the infirmities, errors, or vices, whicli have debased and corrupted the Churches and their members, the faults of individuals have too frequently been referred to the religion they profess. It may be necessary, therefore, to define the meaning of Christianity, that by constantly keeping before us one certain definite view of the religion which was now established, we may not confound with it any one of the more or less extensive sects, or sectUngs, churches, or parties, which have endeavoured to identify their peculiar causes with that of Christianity, and their several titles with the exclusive name of Christian. Christianity is the completed revelation of those sanctions of, and motives to virtue, which tlie unassisted reason of man could not have discovered. Its object is to promote the present and future happiness of tlie human race, which can only be effectually secured by virtuous principles and habits. One system of religion is distinguished from another by the opinions it teaches, the conduct it enforces, the institutions it establishes, and the means wliich it adopts for its preserva- tion. The fundamental opinions, or essential doctrines of Christianity, may be included in these tljj-ee — that the nature of man is now different from that with which his first parents were created — that a Divine Being undertook to recover mankind from this state of degradation, by Sect. XXL] TO THE DEATH OF CONSTANTINE. 447 offering himself as an atonement, after a life of blamelessness and purity, and by risino- from the dead, to demonstrate the certainty of our own resurrection, and that divine assistance is afforded to all those who desire to be restored to that condition in which man was originally created. The conduct which Christianity requires, does not extend to outward morality only, but to internal purity of motive, to spirituality of disposition, and, as far as possible, to a chano-e of nature. The Scriptural institutions of Christianity are the commemorations of the facts which prove the truth of its doctrines. They are few, but important. The observance of the first day in the week is in commemoration of the resurrection of Christ, and a declaration of the truth of our own. In baptism, we commemorate the descent of the Spirit, and assert the necessity of a divine influence, to recover man from the fall. In the other sacrament, of the Lord's Supper, we com- memorate the crucifixion, and profess our belief in the atonement. The scriptural means by which the knowledge of the Christian religion is to be preserved in the world are the perpetual observance of the institutions, and the right interpretation of the completed Scriptures. To secure these great objects, the Divine Founder of Christianity appointed twelve teachers, and after them he appeared from the invisible state to appoint anotlier, who should establish societies from among the mass of mankind, and set apart teachers to instruct the people, interpret the Scriptures, and maintain the institutions of the new religion. The apostles were equal among themselves. They governed the whole visible Church, or general body of Christians, when they were assembled together ; and each was the spiritual ruler of tlie Church or Society which himself had founded.* The same mode of preserving Christianity has been con- tinued from the earliest age to the present time. Sucli was the Christianity which was established over the world at the period when the Canon of Scripture was finally closed. The design of its Great Author would have been fully accom- plished, if the two great sources of error had not perverted the simplicity of truth. Vice and false philosophy are the only causes of heresy and error. The former endeavours to reconcile the purity and truth of Christianity with the conduct it has forbidden, whether it be ambition, pride, or folly, through all their differences and gradations — the latter refines, alters, objects to, or speculates upon, the doctrines of revelation, till it has established some new theory, or removed some primitive truth. This view of Christianity enables us to form some criterion of trutli, in the midst of all the discordant opinions of modern systems. Whatever doctrine has been invented by later writers, whether it be gradually established, as many of the corruptions of the Romanists have been, or proposed as a more correct interpretation of Scripture, as many of the Unitarian and German speculators have suggested their various novelties, is probably false, as it is certainly suspicious. If it was not once received by all Christians, in the primitive ages, in all their Churches, it is probably heretical. If it is not supported by some of the facts of Scripture it is suspicious. It is not generally remembered that tlie peculiar doctrines which characterize Christianity are all identified with facts. The facts are the foundation of the doctrine, and moral inferences are deducible from the doctrine which is thus sanctioned and established. The first creeds were very scanty, because controversies were few, and were decided by highly venerated teachers. They were enlarged, as the decisions of the Catholic Church, represented by its general cormcils, concluded the controversies which were commenced by the philosophy which wrongly explained, or wilfully rejected, the faith which was generally received. The general reception of an opinion among all Churches was esteemed a proof tliat it had been originally taught by the apostles and their successors. Such was the new faith, which, at the closing of the Canon of Scripture, had begun to leaven tlie whole mass of the subjects of the imperial dominion. Even where it was not fully embraced, it elevated tlie mind, and restrained the conduct of many who would not openly profess it. The very pliilosophy which opposed or corrupted it inculcated in various instances the necessity of purity, the belief in one God, and the certainty of a future state. Churches had been founded in Rome, Corinth, Crete, the cities of Asia Minor, in Britain, Spain, Italy, Antioch, and many others. The nations of the world had been brought under the Roman yoke, that a free communication might be maintained between all parts of the civilized world. The usurpations of the Papacy had not begun, neither had the people proceeded to the opposite * [This opinion of Mr. Townsend is asserted in Note 2, and in Note 10, Part IV. but from which the Editor must express a respectful but decided dissent. The model of ecclesiastical lecrislatlon in Acts (chap. XV.) inclines him fully to tlie belief, lliat tlie government and discipline of the Church should be conducted, not by bishops alone, or by two separate bodies, of bishops, and of clergy and laitj', as in the Protestant Episcopal Churcli ; but by all of them, united in one body. If inspired apostles associated with themselves " elders and brethren," in their first synodical act, it ill becomes their iininspirrd successors to exalt themselves into an independent and irresponsible council. — Editor.] 443 ON THE STATE OF THE CHURCH [Part XV. extreme of rejecting all government, as an infringement of their liberty. Every separate Church was a society complete in itself, governed through all its gradations of laity, and through the minor offices of the priesthood, the deacons, and the presbyters, by one episcopal head, who was liable to be deposed by the sentence of his own order, if he violated the faith of Christ. Every ruler was controlled by the rest of his brethren, while every independent hierarchy preserved its freedom under the empire of known law. The world has not since beheld more union in the belief, or more perfection in the conduct of Christians. This was the plan which preserved the purity of the Christian creed against the first impugners of the Majesty of the Son of God. This was the polity which stamped the reprobation of the general body of Christians, at Nice, upon the Arians, who denied the Godhead of Christ — at Constantinople, against the ApoHinarian heresy which denied his humanity. It was this which condemned, at Ephesus, Nestorius, who asserted that Christ was two persons : and condemned, at Chalcedon, the error of Eutyches, who confounded his twofold nature. At that time the ghost of imperial Rome was not seated upon the seven hills to terrify the nations with the spiritual thunders of the Vatican, neither was every absurdity of doc- trine, and every irregularity in discipline, defended as a proof of liberty and freedom from prejudice. The Churches of God in these early ages were opposed by every weapon which the devices of an evil spirit, or the corruptions of the human heart, could suggest ; and their conquests were made over its most inveterate foes. The civil and military powers of the idolatrous governments opposed them by ten sanguinary persecutions : and though the most eminent historian of the last century, in imitation of a learned critic (Dodwell Dissert. Cyprian), has endeavoured to diminish lie number of the sufferers, the undeniable evidence which still remains abundantly demonstrates the prejudice, hatred, and cruelty of the persecutors, and the singular union of holiness and zeal, of fortitude and patience, among the blameless sufferers in the cause of Christianity. We must pass over the cruel persecutions of Xero and Domitian, in which the chief of the remaining apostles, with Timothy, Onesimus, Dionysius the Areopasrite, and other iUostrious names, were put to death. Neither were the more flaoriiious and abandoned of the Roman emperors the sole imperial adversaries of the rising Churches. A religion which demands the homage of the heart, and permits no divided dominion, even with the least known evil, is no less detested by the nuld and gentle liberality which pleads for the indulgence of the more general vices, than it is hated by the openly corrupt. The third persecution of the Christians under Trajan and Adrian, and the foiuth by the Antonines and Marcus Aurelius, were even more extensive in their effects, and equally violent in their fury. The fierce hatred of Severus, which called forth the eloquent apology of Tertullian, and the indignant remonstrances of Clemens Alexandrinus, and Minucius Felix — the selfish hostility of Maximin — the unsparins' severit}' of Decius, who threat- ened death to the mitigators of the sufferings of Christians — the hvpocritical opposition of Vale- rian, the murderer of Cyprian, who soothed before he slaughtered his victims — the unrelenting efforts of Diocletian to extirpate the very name, and race, and Scriptures of the followers of the crucified Jesus — all these were borne by the despised and hated Christians : who conquered by patient endurance, and triumphed by unresisting submission. The heathen raged, and the people imagined a vain thing ; and if the Christians had appealed to the sword, as from their numbers thev mi?ht have done, their Master had been dishonored by their service, and the world had lost the honorable and perfect witness they bore by their sufferings, to their conviction of the truth of the Gospel. It was not only the menace and the torture, the rack and the scourge, the stake and the sword, which raised themselves against the members of the Churches of God. The ridicule of the satirist — the world's dread laugh — the scorn of the philosophical leaders of the public opinion — the reasoninff of the learned — contempt, and wonder, and pity — all that could move the affections or break the resolution — ^the fear of infamy, which shrinks from slander — the love of approbation? which excites to virtuous and useful actions, and leads men to honorable eminence — ail of these, and more than these powerful motives of action, appealed in vain to the hearts of the prirmtivre Christians. The more their spiritual enemies within, and the turbulent heathen without, op- pressed the Churches of Christ, the more "they multiplied and grew," till the majority of the empire professed the faith of the Gisnel. and the emperor of Rome became the convert and protector of the faith of Christ. n. From the Death of Constanivte to the Rise of the Papal Potcer by the grant of Phocas. Though the philosophy of the Gnostics, the Docetse, the Marcionites, and others, had corrupted in manv instances the purity of Christianity, the two principal heresies which still divide the Umversal Church commenced at this period. On? contaminated the doctrine, the other destroyed the ffovcmment of the independent episcopal Churches. The error of Arius and the usurpations of the Church at Rome were the two principal sources of all the corruptions which hare desrraded Christians. Ecclesiastical history ought only to have related the progress of mankind Sect. XXI.] TO THE RISE OF THE PAP-\L POWER. 449 in knowledg-e, virtue, and happiness : it tells the same sad and melancholy tale of human infirmity, and crime and folly, -n-hich profane history has given to the world. The common opinion of any age may be known by the opposition -which it has made to those who offer their own conclusions to general acceptance. The primitive ages were careftd to preserve tlie scriptural doctrine of the twofold nature of Christ, and to assert his Humanity while they defended his Divinity. The various errors which the spurious philosophy of the first three centuries submitted to the approbation of the Churches, were g-enerally founded on the attempt to exalt the divinity at the expense of the humanity of Christ. The Gnostics invented their notion of the .Eons — the Docetae, their opinion that the form of Christ was not real, but a phantom only ; and that the sufferings of Christ in his own person was an impossibility. The error of Arius was founded on the opposite extreme. This heresiarch endeavoured to introduce an opinion, which the Universal Church believed to be derogatory to the Divinity of its Founder, that our Lord was only the first, and greatest, and highest of all created beuig-s. This opinion appeared to him to be more consistent with human reason : and it became, therefore, a part of his philosophy : and he rejected the plainer declaration of Scripture, and the evidence of antiquity both of the Jews and Gentiles. The .Tews believed their Log-os to be a Divine Being — the Christians received Christ as that Logos, because his own assertions and actions, as well as the testimony of St John, demonstrated its truth. The sources of heresy with Arius were the same as those which influ- ence so many at present. His private speculations were preferred to that interpretation of Scripture which had been uniformly adopted by the Universal Church. He did not, or would not, remember, that Scripture is superior to reason ; and that the prostration of our intellect, which man cannot demand of man, is an act of worthy and reasonable homage to God. The vehement disputes which convulsed the whole Church through these three centuries, and which respectively occasioned the calling of the first general councils, may be said to have oriffinated in the innovations of Arius. The Councils of Nice. Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon, have confirmed the general opinions of the primitive Churches, and that also of the far greater portion of Christians at present, on the subject of the person of Christ, of the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Atonement Our most eminent historian has expressed liimself with the sarcastic bitterness, so usual with him when Christianity is mentioned, respecting these councils. The feults of Churches and of Christians have always been the triumph of infidelity. Now, as well as formerly, the crimes and follies of David make the enemies of God to blaspheme. He has omitted, however, to relate the influence of these dissensions among Christians upon the people of the East. The usual consequences of controversy, religious indifference, unscriptural error, contempt of the zealous maintainers of truth, and general carelessness of life, prepared the way for any bold teacher, who could triumph over the increasing ignorance, unite the broken fragments of truth and falsehood into one system, and arouse the dormant superstition of the age. There is a fulness of time for error as well as for truth- As the progressive improvement of the human race, by knowledge and literature and science among the heathens, by revelation among the Jews, and by universal peace among all nations, rendered the time of our Lord's incarnation the very fittest period for establishing a religion, founded on evidence which entreated the carefbl and deliberate investigation of all mankind, that they might be satisfied of its truth, and embrace it upon conviction : so did the progressive deterioration of the age, by the extinction of learning among the heathen, in consequence of the political convulsions of the Roman empire, and the savage inroads of the barbarians, by the puerile attention to trifles among the Jews, by the g-eneral contempt in which they were held, and the almost universal mental debasement, render this the fittest period for the general establishment of the two great corruptions of Christianity — the apostacies of Rome, and of Mahomet, the predicted rival enemies of pure religion in the west and east. It would lead me too far from my object to relate at greater length the causes of the origin, progress, and depression, of the empire of Mahomet ; its subsequent temporary revival, the entire loss of its political power as the dangerous rival of its neighboxirs, and its present increasing weakness by the gradual separation and independence of its fairest provinces. Our writers on prophecy have shown the great probability, that as these two masses of error arose together, their power will be also destroyed at the same time, when the prophetic period of 1260 years, which commenced in the year 605, shall have elapsed. I am not willing, however, to rest any argument upon these interpretations. Time and history are the only certain interpreters of prophecy ; and though the declining power of the Mahometan apostacy may appear to sanction this hypothesis, the reviving influence of the unscriptural errors and political power of Romanism excites at once our sorrow and surprise, and compels us to withhold our assent to the desired interpretation, till the veii is yet more withdrawn from the ftiture. Our attention will be more usefully directed to the causes and growth of the w^tem apostacy of the Church of Rome. The early Churches were united into one society by the observance of one common law — sub- VOL. II. 57 LL* 450 PROGRESS AND TRIUMPH OF THE CHURCH OF ROME. [Part XV. mission to episcopal government. A member of the episcopal Church of one country was con- sidered a member of the Catholic Church of Christ, in every country where he might happen to travel. When Christianity began to be more extensively dispersed, the Church at Rome was distinguished above all others by the number and wealth of its converts. The bishop of Rome was soon enabled, by the munificent donations which were made to the Church, to assume greater pomp, and exercise more extensive power than other bishops. Many circumstances occurred to increase and establish his influence. The provinces had been accustomed to bring their civil appeals to Rome ; this became the precedent for the members of the provincial Churches to appeal from their own bishops to the bishop of Rome. A general deference was paid among the western Churches in the first centuries to the see of Rome, though its more open usurpations were repelled with contempt. When Victor, who was bishop of Rome in the year 195, excom- municated the Churches of Asia, who refused to observe Easter in the manner which he judged to be right, Irenseus, the metropolitan of France, reproved his presumption. In the year 2.50, the African bishops peremptorily refused to submit to the mandate of the bishop of Rome, and received again their heretical bishops. The Church of Spain also, a few years afterwards, refused submission to the Roman pontiff, when he insisted on their restoration, after they had been deposed for offering sacrifice to idols. These facts prove the early assumption of power, and the continued ambition of the popes in the primitive ages, and the refusal of the independent episco- pal Churches to submit to their dominion. The political divisions of Italy in the fourth century considerably increased the influence and power of the see of Rome, the ecclesiastical divisions of the Church being made conformable with those of the empire. Every province had its metropolitan (Hallam, vol. ii. p. 21), and every vicariate its ecclesiastical primate. The bishop of Rome presided in the latter capacity over the Roman vicariate, which comprehended southern Italy, and the three chief Mediterranean islands. But none of the ten provinces which formed this division had any metropolitan, so that the popes exercised all metropolitical functions within them, such as the consecration of bishops, the con- vocation of synods, the ultimate decision of appeals, and many other acts of authority. These provinces were called the Roman Patriarchate, and by gradually enlarging its boundaries, and by applying the maxims of jurisdiction by which it was governed to all the western Churches, the asserted primacy was extended and strengthened over the fairest portion of the empire. lUyr- icum, for instance, was added to the patriarchate of Rome, by an act of primacy, and no conse- cration of bishops was permitted without the sanction of the bishop of Rome. This took place before the end of the fourth century. Anotlier principal circumstance which contributed to the establishment of the power of the Church of Rome, was the removal of the seat of empire from that city to Constantinople. The political influence always attendant on the immediate presence of the sovereign consequently ceased ; and the principal magistrate at Rome was the head of its Church. The sudden power which was thus unavoidably, tliough unintentionally, conferred on the pontiff, was increased by the abandonment of Rome and of Italy by its principal senators. To this cause of influence we must add the progress of the conversion of the northern nations, and the grant of patriarchal power to Pope Damasus, by Gratian and Valentinian, over the whole western Clmrch, sanctioning the custom of appeals to Rome. The renewal of this edict by Valentinian the Third still further increased the power of the pontiff. The custom of pilgrimages to the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul ; the introduction of the Gregorian Litany ; and, more than all these, the granting the title of Uni- versal Bishop by Phocas, completed the worldly structure of ecclesiastical ambition, which had now usurped the name of the Church of Christ, and appeared to be the rolling stone which should become, the predicted mountain, and fill the whole earth. III. Progress and Triumph of the Church of Rome. The universal good which Christianity will eventually produce to the world will be accomplished in that one only manner which results from our state of trial— the gradual overruling of evil. Tlio freedom of man's actions counteracts for a time the designs of his Creator. The increasing divisions among nations, the general ignorance, the continued ambition of Rome, and the specu- lative philosophy which was founded on words and imaginations, all conspired to obscure the sim- plicity of Christianity. Every corruption was made permanent by tlic establishment of the power of Rome by the authority of Phocas. From this period to tlie time of the Council of Trent, the history of Christianity in Europe presents us with little else than a detail of increasing errors in its doctrines, the gradual additions to the temporal dominion of the Roman pontiffs, and the con- tinued opposition to the falsehood which abounded on the one side, and to the encroachments which prevailed on the other. Though many superstitious practices and unscriptural opinions liad debased the purity of the early faith, there can be no comparison between the state of religious error when the grant of Sect. XXL] THE REFORMATION ; ITS GOOD AND BAD EFFECTS. 451 Phocas conferred political power on the Roman pontiff, and the extent to which the system of imposture, deceit, and falsehood, subsequently attained, by the time when the Council of Trent impressed its seal on the great charter of papal slavery. The published works of Pope Leo, who sent Augustine to England, prove that the religious faith of that day was essentially different, in the most important doctrines, from the creed which was sanctioned by the Council of Trent. The parallel between the faitii of the two periods has been drawn at some length by an eminent divine of the last century. I have elsewhere extracted from Bishop Stillingfleet the passage to which I refer. It will be seen tliat the doctrines of solitary masses, masses for tlie dead, tran- substantiation, the supremacy of the pope, the equal authority of Scripture and tradition, the equal authority of the apocryphal with the canonical books of Scripture, the power of good works to deserve salvation, the confession of sins in private to the priest, communion in one kind, and the worship of images, were all condemned by Pope Leo ; and were all decreed to be articles of faith, and as such to be implicitly received on pain of damnation, by the Council of Trent. This remarkable act destroys at once the truth of the assertion so generally made, that the Church of Rome has retained an unchangeable creed. The faith of that Church is an embodied collection of true and false opinions ; partly derived from misinterpreted Scripture, but principally invented in the course of the controversies and discussions which have ever prevailed in the world, and v/hich would have escaped from the memory of mankind, with other absurdities of the age of ignorance, if they had not been preserved, and sanctioned, and enforced, by the asserted infalli- bihty of the most fallible Church on earth. Like the ghosts, and sorcerers, and witches, and magicians, of the midnight darkness, which the morning beams of our knowledge have dispersed, all would have fled for ever, if the usurper of the throne of God had not said, Let there be night, and it was, and is night. The Council of Trent, with the Gorgon look of an intellectual death, has gazed on the chaos which extends over the ages of ignorance. Spurious decretals, useless vows, abominable doctrines, unreasonable and idolatrous and superstitious practices are frozen into one solid bridge ; and error and falsehood pass freely from hell to earth to enslave and to curse mankind. If the absurdities to which I allude had been harmless and innocent ; if falsehood could be publicly taught, and the peace and happiness of nations continue ; he who opposed error, and maintained the cause of truth, might be justly condemned for disturbing the peace of society, whatever were tiie falsehoods which were received by the community. If the volumes of theo- logians only recorded the weakness of human intellect, the tale might excite contempt or pity ; and the Protestant objector to falsehood be regarded with the same lofty contempt as we now entertain for its proposer and defender. But the history of Cliristian nations is nothing else but a detail of the consequences of the prevalence of certain religious opinions. The voice of prophecy would not have stigmatized the corruptions of Rome by its stern and bitter reproach, if the false- hood which it teaches had been consistent either with the temporal or future happiness of nations. From considering the gradual success of erroneous principles, let us look to their consequences, as they are recorded by history. From the grant of Phocas, to the age of Lutlier, the annals of Europe are filled with one long catalogue of crime, produced by the influence of tlie corruptions of the Church of Rome. The depositions of princes, the fomenting of rebellions, the flagitious lives of the popes, the scandalous decrees against the freedom of opinion, the persecutions of the objectors to the power of Rome, which disgrace this sad portion of the history of the world, have been so amply and so frequently related, that it is only now necessary to allude to them. The principles Avhich produced these deplorable effects on religion, and liberty, and happiness are still maintained. They are triumphant on the continent ; they are reviving in England. Their defenders are heard with applause ; their opponents are treated witli insult. IV. The Reformation both in its good and bad Effects. The friends of tlie Cliurch of Rome had long endeavoured to effect its reformation before the age of Luther. Indignant remonstrances, the most energetic appeals, the most affecting entreaties, the most bitter and galling satire, were alike in vain exerted to induce the removal of abuses. The natural reason of thinking men was shocked at the consequences of the papal doctrines. I could select, from the writings of the Romanist divines themselves, a collection of recorded immoralities, tlie unavoidable result of the religious principles inculcated by the Church of Rome, which would not be credible if they had been related by a Protestant. In this state of things, the injudicious enforcement of one of the more objectionable doctrines of its absurd creed elicited the spark which fired the long-prepared train of public indignation. Permissions to commit sin were publicly sold, under the pretence of remitting the penalties of the guilt which their com- mission would have contracted ; the quarrel between the rival societies of monks, who were desirous of participating m the profits of this scandalous traffic, occasioned that gradual, open, and indignant opposition to the Churcii of Rome, whicii ended in the alienation of its fairest 452 HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY SINCE THE REFORMATION. [Part XV. provinces, and the restoration of that pure religion, and unfettered liberty of mind, which it had been among the original objects of Christianity to secure to its adherents. We shall never be able to appreciate, to their full extent, the blessings which the Reformation has restored to the world, unless we remember the evils whicli the preceding superstition had proposed and confirmed. The Scriptures were opened. The oracles of God had long been silenced, and the approbation or condemnation of human actions, as well as the articles of faith itself, had long been pronounced by an usurping priesthood. It is needless to enlarge upon the praises of the Volume of Inspiration as a preferable guide of conduct, to the mandates of the maintainers and teachers of unautliorized tradition. The Almighty was restored to his dominion over conscience. The saint, the relic, and the image were deposed together. ' Prayer again became the homage of the heart to God, instead of the unmeaning routine of imintelligible words, into which it had been slowly but effectually degraded. Marriage was restored to the priest- hood ; wjio became again the leaven of society, the salt of the world, mingling with the mass, and preserving it from the putrefaction of vice and error. The sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper again became the two pillars of the visible Church ; and the human mind was permitted and encouraged to think and reason for itself, within those limits only which God and his Revelation had fixed, at once the barrier, and yet the unlimited theatre of its exertion. The evil which has resulted from the Reformation is the abuse of the privileges which that event conferred upon mankind. Christianity had been so long identified with Romanism, that much of its proper restraint upon both speculation and action were thrown off, with the rejection of its corruptions. The result of contempt on one side, and adherence to these corruptions on the other, has at lengtli appeared, in that terrible convulsion which assumed the form of presump- tuous and avowed infidehty, and tore asunder the remaining chains of Romanism. That effort has passed away, and the chains are again riveting. The next violent reaction will probably intro- duce the only remedy for the diseases of the world — the principles of the great Reformation. I Avill not weary the reader with a detail of the battles which were fought, the treaties which were made, or the crimes which were committed, by both parties, before the Reformation became permanent in Europe, or in England. With eacii there was much to be condemned. Each party may be proud, or ashamed, of its saints, its hypocrites, or its martyrs. The consequences will deserve our gratitude, while the Scriptures of truth, the freedom of intellect, the establishment of pure religion, and the principles of civil liberty, can be appreciated by the natives of Europe. Public happiness had been destroyed, because the morality on which it rests had been corrupted by the religion of Rome. The Reformation was the effect of the desire of the people of Chris- tendom to throw off the yoke of an immoral and enslaving despotism ; and the providential over- rulino- of apparent accident caused that Luther should become the successful organ of expressing the general opinion, and accomplishing the overthrow of the usurpations and errors of the ages of ignorance. V. History of Christianity since the Reformation, with the Prospect of its future Dominion over all Mankind. The enactment of the decrees of the Council of Trent, and the general adoption of Protestant principles in Germany, Sweden, France, and England, occasioned long and fierce wars, and many opposite religious theories, systems, and confessions of faith. The federated republic of Europe was divided by a religious civil war, of which Spain and the Pope were the leaders on the one part; and England and Holland the heads of the Reformation. It is not necessary to enumerate the various collisions which took place between these parties on the Continent, the efforts of the Jesuits, the wars of the league in France, the persecutions under Charles V. and Philip II. in the Netherlands, or the changes of fortune, and the fluctuations of opinion, which were the unavoidable result of religious contentions, and which, with all their evils, were infinitely preferable to the preceding darkness, and persecution, and ignorance. Sufficient of the history of any party, sect, or country, may be learned from the history of its chiefs. The review of the conduct of Elizabeth and of Spain, immediately after tho principal question had been discussed by the opposite theologians, will be sufficient to enable us to form a right estimale of the state of religion at the completion of the Reformation. On her accession to the throne, Elizabeth found three distinct religious parties eagerly imploring tlie sanction of the state — the adherents of the old religion; the partisans of the establishment of her brother Edward ; and the admirers of a system of ecclesiastical polity which liad been lately invented by a learned theologian of Geneva. To all these the modern opinion of toleration had not yet become generally known. It was a sentiment which some few men of enlarged minds had endeavoured to recommend, but to which no attention had been paid. Nor did either party desire toleration. They aimed at union in religious opinions, by promoting truth ; and they so entirely considered truth to be with themselves respectively, that their efforts were wholly Sect. XXL] HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY SINCE THE REFORMATION. 453 directed to the recommendation of their own doctrines. The queen, as I have elsewhere at- tempted to show, was not zealously attached to either creed. The temporal rights of princes were involved in the controversy, and Elizabeth decided on adopting the principles of the Refor- mation, and restoring, with but few alterations, the establishment which had already received the general approbation of her people under her brother Edward. The testimony of any modern theologian, who may profess himself to be attached to the Church of England, will be received with jealousy and suspicion, on account of his supposed biased preference. It may be only necessary therefore to refer to facts, and to avoid any enlarge- ment on those reasons which appear to compel an impartial inquirer to conclude that the form or Cliurch government established in England is preferable to that of any other religious society, now claiming the approbation of a Protestant Christian. It may be sufficient to remark, that the reformers, in the reign of Edward, wisely endeavoured to retain as much of the religion of their ancestors as possible ; and to receive nothing as good, either because it was novel, or because it differed more widely from the Church of Rome. The consequence of this great moderation was, that the people were generally united in the reign of Edward in support of the Protestant Church ; and the union would have continued, if two unfortunate circumstances had not prevented it: the obedience of the Romanists to the bull of the pope, in the reign of Elizabeth, which commanded the people not to continue to frequent their parish churches — and the desire of the exiles wlio returned to England from the continent, after the death of Mary, to introduce the new, and, as they believed, the purer form of ecclesiastical regimen, which they had imbibed in the lecture room of Geneva, I may be permitted to observe here, that the long controversy, which has been so frequently agitated between various parties in England, respecting the origin of some of the doctrinal articles of faith professed by the Chui-ch of England, may be said to have been decided by the most unbending of all testimonies — that of dates. It has been affirmed by many, that the articles in question were borrowed from the opinions %vhich were tauglit by the Reformer of Geneva. A reference to the dates when those documents, upon which the articles of this Church were founded, were first published, will demonstrate that tlie establishment was settled rather on Lutheran or Melancthonian, than on Calvinian principles. This point has been amply discussed by two of our modern divines, Mr. Todd and the Archbisliop of Cashel. At tlie time when Elizabeth in England had peacefully restored the Protestantism of our early I'eformers, Philip was busily engaged in extirpating tlie adherents of the same opinions by means of the sanguinary inquisition, and proscriptive decrees, both in Spain and the Netherlands. So great was the power, at this time, of the Churcii of Rome throughout Europe, that it seemed impossible but that Protestantism must be extinguislied under tlie universal persecution, if it had not pleased the providence of God to grant his protection to its sacred cause. Though we no longer witness the manifestations of tiie Holy One from above, nor hear the thunders of Sinai, nor wonder at miraculous interpositions, the course of this world is as uniformly and as certainly ordered now as formerly, by the invisible providence of God. The designs of the Almighty are still accomplishing. One plan it has always pleased Him to adopt for the protection of truth. When the blood of martyrs is shed in vain, and the Church is threatened with its utmost danger, its deliverance is effected by the elevation of some one nation to defend and rescue the ark. If the King of Spain had succeeded in his attempted conquest of England, the banner which the pope had blessed would have now waved victorious over England and the continent. The Protes- tant witnesses who had escaped persecution would have been reduced to the condition of the Waldenses ; and so probable was the success of the head of the cause of Rome, that it seems most rational and wise to impute the victory of Elizabeth to the immediate interposition of the Almighty. Hitherto the Protestants had been without an ostensible head. It was only m the moment of the greatest danger to their cause, when the united strength of Europe was ready to overwhelm them, that the sovereign of England was prepared to avert the storm which must have destroyed the public profession of the reformed religion. The errors of Rome appeared, for tlio first time in its history, to be embodied in the form of a general armament against truth ; and then, for the first time, the Protestant sword was wielded by the hands of England, never to be again returned to its scabbard, till the danger from the same enemy shall utterly and finally cease. In the reign of James an attempt was made to unite the Romanists of England by the bond of a new oath of allegiance. The union was forbidden by the pope. The ancient jealousy has not ceased. The opinions of the people and the wisdom of the legis- lature are alike divided respecting the extent of the privileges which may be allowed to the adherents of the corruptions of Christianity. This is not the fittest opportunity of discussing the question whether the genius of Romanism is altered, or whether the liberality of the Protestants is degenerating into weakness. 454 HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY SINCE THE REFORMATION. [Part XV. When the danger which had threatened the establishment effected by Elizabeth had nearly- ceased, another evil arose, from the opposition of the partisans of that church polity, and of those theological doctrines, which had been submitted to the world by the Reformer of Geneva. The monarchy and hierarchy yielded to the tempest. During this struggle, the people had become divided into the austere and the profane. On the restoration of the monarchy, the latter were for a time triumphant. Infidelity infected the higher classes, and a gloomy discontent brooded over the lower ; while the intermediate ranks of society preserved the temperate attachment of their fathers to the institutions of the country. The utmost jealousy prevailed among them, against both the extremes which had thus threatened the extinction of the Protestant Church. In the next reign the decision of the people was irresistibly declared against the appearance of the influence of Rome; and the most solemn national act which has ever yet adorned the annals of a great country, gave the throne to a Protestant, on condition of the perpetual exclusion of Romanism from the councils of the state. It was necessary thus briefly to allude to these transactions, that we may understand the man- ner in which the true religion, which confirms the existence of civil liberty and perfect toleration, has been maintained among so many fluctuations. England still continues (as we have abundant reason to offer up our prayers to God, that it may continue till Christ shall come to judgment) to be the only powerful state Avhose government is exclusively Protestant. It is necessary to the existence of trutli, and freedom, and human happiness, that this sublime distinction should continue. In the mean time, when national profligacy, m the reign of Charles the Second, had usurped the place of national austerity, the restored clergy distinguished themselves by endeavouring to heal not only those wounds which religious enthusiasm had inflicted, by introducing a better style of instruction ; but also those which infidelity had inflicted, by devoting their own attention, and by directing the people in general, to the study of the evidences of Christianity. They thus established religion on that firm and immoveable basis, from which it can never be thrown down. While they kept this object steadily in view, they were no less unanimous in writing and preach- ing against the ancient enemies of their Church, and of the religion of Christ in general. The good consequence of their exertions was effectually demonstrated by the overthrow of the rem- nant of papal influence at a moment when they accomplished the downfall of the despotism whicli would have fastened the yoke on the neck of England. By the labors of the clergy, civil and ecclesiastical tyranny fell together ; and never was the nation so powerful, or the Church so pure, as at the period of that glorious Revolution, which sealed the charter of that political and religious liberty for whicji we had contended tiirough so many centuries. After the period of the Revolution, till that dreadful shaking of nations, which commenced with the convulsions in France, a general religious repose seemed to tranquillize the world. The in- fluence which the Church of England exercised over the people was rudely shaken by the efforts of two of her ministers, who afterwards separated from her communion : and who in different ways have strengthened the various religious parties which still survived the restoration of the monarchy. Wesley and Whitfield were of opinion that the clergy were inactive, and they en- deavoured to supply their defects. Instead of attempting to interest the hierarchy and the state in the reformation of supposed evils, they appealed to the people against their teachers, whom they stigmatized as negligent ; while they approved of their religious opinions, and acquitted them of immoral conduct. The effects of the labors of these zealous teachers still continue ; and when the alienation of the public mind from the institutions of the country, which tiiey too much induced, shall be removed, the consequences of their exertions will be increased morality, and unobjectionable good. The results of the French Revolution are so extensive, that I shall not enter at present into tliis subject. Twelve years have now elapsed since the great contest which terminated this convulsion. We cannot so interpret tlie prophecies of God, that we may certainly predict the future. The present, however, is before us, and is worthy of our attention. A new spirit seems to be infused into a large number, while elsewhere there appears to be either much religious indifference, or a revival of the influence of the corruptions of the Church of Rome. In Europe, we see its finest countries, France, Spain, Portugal, and others, submitting to the ancient error; and prevented from break- ing tlieir chains by tlie union of their rulers ; all of whom are desirous of perpetuating the domin- ion of that enemy of civil liberty and true religion which tolerates no oi)posite opinion, and lias been hitherto refused admission, on this account, into the senate of England. The protestantism of Geneva is deadened — its gold has become dim — the Divinity of Christ has been deposed from the school of Calvin. In Germany, the purity of faith has been sullied by the speculative Deism of its more celebrated theologians. Michaelis, Semler, Eichhorn, and many others, deserve the censure of Protestants. Africa and the East are still lying prostrate before the altars of the d;irk idolatries of their fathers. The voice of England has been heard in the recesses Sect. XXI.] HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY SINCE THE REFORMATION. 455 of their groves. It has resounded through their temples. Their gods are trembling in their shrines, and Dagon is falling before the ark of Jeliovah. The Church and the State of England have at length adopted the only effectual plan of accomplishing good. Without repressing by useless persecution the desultory efforts of unauthorized, and sometimes of ill-judging zeal, they Iiave clothed the truth of God with the robes of rightful autliority, and invited the heathen and ignorant, whom they are able to influence, to receive the Scriptures, and become free, happy, enlightened, and holy Christians. It is difficult to speak of the actual religious condition of England without appearing to design needless offence against some one party or class among the people. Tliis would be equally imnecessary and unwise ; and I need not say it is contrary to my intention. I well know that I cannot even mention some few facts without offence, even though I would speak as a Christian to all classes, not as a partisan to one. I would otherwise have obser\'ed, to what extent the three great divisions of religious opinion which prevailed in the reign of Elizabeth still exist among us — and have attempted to form an estimate of the influence of each, both upon the people in general, upon the government, and upon the various parties in our senate. All this, however, would be misplaced, and I defer such inquiries till a future opportunity. The age is characterized by benevolent intention and active exertion. Insuperable difficulties appear to prevent the accomplishment of the only plan, by tvhich the greatest, most permanent, and certain good ivould be effected; namelij, that all the designs of approvahle usefulness, which are now attempted by various popular societies awl by pious individuals, should be conducted by a national Church in its corporate form. The spirit of Ciiristian zeal should be made the bond of union at home while it devises schemes of benevolence abroad. I could suggest much on this subject, if I was not fully aware, that the most useful and unobjectionable designs must be considered visionary when they appear to be impracticable. With respect to tlie future, I consider history to be the only interpreter of prophecy, and I dare not be guilty of tlie presumption of asserting what God has not revealed. Some fticts, however, appear to be so plainly predicted, that we may confidently affirm they will certainly take place : — the eventual conversion of the Jews — the overthrow of the Mahometan power in the East — the overthrow of Romanism, the apostacy of the West, and of idolatry and infidelity over tlie whole world, may be anticipated by, every believer in Scripture. But througli what variety of untried ways it may please God that the visible Church should pass is not related. Tiie Millennium, or universal reign of virtue, is the most rational opinion which a man can form, who believes in a Providence, and is satisfied of the true Christian doctrine of the original dignity and present degradation of man, as a spiritual though fallen being. The blood of tlie Atonement cannot have been shed in vain. The revolted province of earth must be recovered to the dominion of the King of kings, from the Prince of Darkness. The time must arrive when the progress of knowl- edge shall have banished ignorance ; and the influence of holiness and virtue be more preva- lent tiian that of wickedness and vice. Then will the perfection of the human race be completed, and evil be overruled by good. Then the human race shall have attained to the highest state of good which this lower existence can afford them ; and afler the object of man's creation shall have thus been answered, and the tree of life bloom again in this Paradise, where it was first planted, the fullness of time will have come, when the enlarged and purified faculties of man shall be prepared for a higher state of existence ; and the heaven and the earth shall pass away but the word of these prophecies shall last for ever, though clouds and darkness, and thick dark- ness, may now veil His glory from the reason and curiosity of man. The happiness of man is the object of all the dispensations of God ; and the temporary existence of evil cannot counteract the designs of Omnipotence. Our Father, which art in heaven, may thy kingdom of glory come ! NOTES ON THE HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS. PART I. Note 1. — Part 1. The place assigned in this Arrangement to Mark i. 1. is sanctioned by the authorities of Dr. Campbeir, Le Clerc^ and Pilkington' ; the last of whom prefixes it to his Harmony as an appropriate preface to the whole of the evan- gelical narrative. The word evayyiliov, in this passage, appears to bear the same signifi- cation as in another text of the same Evange- list, Mark xiv. 9. A^t^iv liyu) ifuv, onov iav x>]- gv^drj xb siayyihoi''' tovto slg oXoi' xbv xdufiov, x. T. A. In both these passages the more ob- vious sense of the word seems to be, ' The narrative, or record, of our Lord's life and ac- tions," Mark i. 1. " The beginning of the His- tory of Jesus Christ," &c. — and in Mark xiv. 9. "Wherever the relation of my actions shall be told, through the whole world, there also," &c. To this opinion, however, are opposed the em- inent authorities of Michaelis", Bishop Marsh-^, Archbishop Newcome^, Lightfoot'', Doddridge', Markland^, Whitby*, Grotius', Kuinoer, and many others, who consider the passage in question but the first phrase of a long sentence, " Campbell On the Gospels, vol. ii. p. 463, note 4, edit. 1789, 4to. '' Apud Elsley in loc. vol. ii. p. 2. ' Evangelical History and Harmony, note, p. 1. ^ Vide Schleusner in voc. ivayyi^.tov- — 4 — mc- tonymice desiirnat singulas religionis Christiana: partes, v. c. historiam evangelicam de vita, factis, etfatis J. C. Matth. xxvi. 13. Marc. xiv. 1). Ita capitur quoque in inscriptionihus Matth. Marc. Luc. ct Joh. pro libra de dictis, factis, et fatis J. C. per evangelistas ranifcripto. ' Introduction to the JVeio Testament, vol. iii. part i. p. 2. f Notes to MickacUs, vol. iii. part ii. p. 5. ^ Notes to The Harvwny of the J^ew Testament, p.l. ft Works, fol. edit. 1684. vol. ii. p. 331. * Familii Expositor, vol. i. p. 93. 8vo. 1810. i Apud Elsley in loc. * Coinmcntary in loc. ' Grotius — Anrwtationes in f. &,<• JV. T. in com- pendium dcducta: a Sam. Moody, 4to. 1727. " Comment, in lib. JV. T. historicos, vol. ii. p. 11- VOL. II. *1 and consequently not to be separated from the context. They would render the passage thus, — "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was made by John, who baptized in the wilderness, and preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins ; as it is written," &c. It is thus trans- lated in the German New Testament of Mi- chaelis, and Bishop Marsh is of opinion that it is correct ; " If the first sentence," he observes, " ' The beginning of the Gospel of,' &c. was used as a title only to the rest of the book, then St. Mark's Gospel would have begun with wj yiyqaiiTui, which would be an unsuitable com- mencement to any narrative," But to this it may be answered, that the commencement, which would be unsuitable to a profane writer, who carefully studied the arts of composition, and weighed his sentences, and balanced his periods, would be by no means so to the evan- gelical writers, who are careless on these points, and express themselves with that sim- plicity, which is the distinguishing characteris- tic of every composition solely aiming at the plain narration of facts. The sacred penmen expressed themselves in the common idiom of their country, and the commencement of a nar- rative with an appeal to their ancient prophets would not have appeared unnatural, or singu- lar, to the persons to whom St. Mark's Gospel was addressed. Dr. Campbell very justly ob- serves, that the expression ^qx\ tov svayyeXlov iyiveio 'Imijlvvijq (iarcilZfiiv, &c. is in no wise agreeable to the style of the sacred writers, whereas iyiveio ^lojtiyvrjc ^amltoiv is quite in their idiom. The point itself, indeed, is com- paratively unimportant ; but, after an attentive perusal of the references, I cannot but decide in favor of one of these two readings, — " The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. John was baptizing in the wil- derness, and preaching the baptism of repent- ance for the remission of sins. As it is written in the Prophets, ' Behold I send my messenger * A 2* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part L before, &c. the voice of one crying in the wil- derness'" — or, as Campbell renders it, "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God — As it is written in the Prophets — ' Behold I send mine angel before Thee, who shall prepare thy way : the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord,' for thus came John baptizing." I deduce no argument from the superscriptions to the Gos- pels, Evayyihov xura MutOuIov, siayyiXiov xara M&Qitov, &c., because these superscriptions were not written by the Evangelists them- selves, as Father Simon" shows from St. Chrys- ostom. They are, however, so ancient, that Tertullian reproves Marcion for having no title at the head of the copy of St. Luke's Gospel, which Marcion acknowledged to be genuine. — Vide the chapter of F. Simon, and Dr. Camp- bell's note on Matt. i. L vol. ii. p. 345, of his Translation of the Gospels. Note 2. — Part I. The Harmonists have generally agreed m placing the introduction to St. Luke's Gospel as the preface to their respective works ; among whom are the five whose labors form unitedly the basis of the present Arrangement — Light- foot, Archbishop Newcome, Michaelis, Dod- dridge, and Pilkington. This preface of St. Luke may be considered as demonstrating to us the very great care with which the first dis- ciples of Christ inquired into every circum- stance of the life of their Divine Master, before they delivered them to the world as authenti- cated. It is necessary, in this part of our Ar- rangement, to pay some attention to this fact. Even the enemies of our Lord acknowledged Him to have been an eminent and wonderful personage. His mode of teaching, his aston- ishing knowledge, the sanctity of his character, the boldness of his public censures, the num- ber of his followers, and the devoted attach- ment of his more immediate adherents, would have been sufficient to have excited the gen- eral attention of the people, and of their rulers. Many persons, therefore, would have been nat- urally led to inquire into, and collect, the vari- ous circumstances and actions of a life so ex- traordinary. Spurious works must have been published (such as the Gospels according to the Nazarenes, Hebrews, and Egyptians ; of Nico- demus, Thomas, Matthias, and of the twelve Apostles ; the Gospels of Cerinthus, Basilides, and others, all of which were rejected by tlic Clmrches without hesitation, as they were scru- pulously cautious of what they admitted"), and " Critic. History of the, Text of the JV. T., part i. ch. ii. p. 12. " Vide Gill's Commrntary in loc. — .Tonos's Full and new Method of settlinir the Ciinonicnl .Qiithoritij of the J^ew Testament, 8vo. 3 vols. 172(). vol. i. p. it became the duty of those who possessed ac- curate information, and were anxious for the honor of their beloved Teacher, and for the propagation of his Gospel, to transmit to pos- terity an authentic history of the life and death of their crucified Lord. Such were the motives by which this Evangelist professes to have been actuated, when he wrote his Gospel to Theoph- ilus, a convert of Antioch. Three hypotheses have been submitted to the world to account for the very singular coin- cidences of language and paragraphs which abound in the first three Gospels. Of these^ the chief, adopted by Dr. Townson'', Grotius, Wetstein, Owen, Mill, Hales, Harwood, and Griesbach, is, that the Evangelists copied from each other. St. Luke, however, seems to speak of his intended work as an original history, not as a series of extracts from accredited writers. For though many circumstances are not related by St. Luke in their exact chronological order, the most important are detailed in their natural succession, x«^e|^c — "in a continued series." (Vide Kuinoel in loc.) He begins with the con- ception and birth both of John and of Christ, and proceeds with the events of his conversing with the doctors in the temple, his baptism, &,c. See some admirable observations on the difference between the historian and annalist, and the necessity of exact observance of chro- nological order, in Bishop Marsh's Notes to Michaelis'. The second hypothesis is, that the Evangelists derived their information from one common source, or document, Avhich contained those passages Avhich so frequently occur in the three Gospels in nearly the same words. This hypothesis is adopted by Le Clerc, Lessing, Michaelis, and Eichhorn. Its chief advocate in later times has been tlie present learned 'Bishop of Peterborough''. He supposes that St. Luke, in this preface, alludes to the common docu- ment in question, which was known by the title ^ti'iyjjaig negl jwf ne/nhjQOcpoQrj^ivwv if ^],uli' TTQuy/nd.TCx))', xudC'tg nuQidoauv ->)fuv ol im' (io- yr^Q, kvtStttcci, xal ■i)Ti7\()eiui yev^fisvoi jov X6yQV — " A narrative of those tilings which are most firmly believed among us, even as they, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and min- isters of the word delivered them unto us." The omission, however, of the article x^i' before di-Ziyrjatf is considered by the late lamented Bishop of Calcutta" to be fatal to this supposi- 29, &c. and vol. iii. p. 102, «.Vc. — Rennell's Proofs of Inspiration, written in reply to the insidious work of Mr. Hone, entitled. The .']pocri/phal Krio Teslintient. See jjarticularly p. vi. of Mr. Ren- nell's Iiitrofhietion. P Vide Dr. Townson's work On the Gospels, vol. i. parti(;nlarl3' paircvs '.V.) to 71 ; and lor a very .satis- factory account of these iiypotheses. Home's Crit- ical. Introdiirtion, 2d edit. vol. iv. p. .'510, &c. * Vol. iii. part ii. p. 12, A-c. '' Vide Marsh's Mirhaelis, vol. iii. part ii. p. 186, &c. and the Dissertation at the end of tlie same volume, On the Origin of the first three Gospels. ' Treatise on the Greek Article, p. 289. Notes.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. #3 tion. His rule is, " When a title to a book is prefixed to the book itself, the article may be omitted, but when the book is mentioned, or re- ferred to, the article should be inserted." The hypothesis itself, although very ingenious, is at- tended with so many difficulties, that it is sel- dom adopted. The third hypothesis is that of Mr. Veysie', who supposes that many of the hearers of the discourses of Christ, and the wit- nesses of his actions, committed to writing an account of what they had heard and seen ; and from the most authenticated of these sources the Gospels were compiled. This theory in- deed seems to solve the difficulty, but Bishop Gleig", in his excellent edition of Stackhouse, prefers the more obvious and general opinion, and therefore perhaps the least discussed, that the only common document which may be called the foundation of the four Gospels was the preaching of our Ijord Himself. Lightfoot", by a singular coincidence, has given the same idea. The learned bishop quotes the valuable tract of the late Bishop Randolph. Bishop Gleig's illustration of the mode in which many •of our Lord's miracles and doctrines might have been recorded, from the manner in which the extempore lectures of a professor at Edin- burgh were preserved by his pupils, is very cu- rious, and deserves attention. " In looking up to him, as the Author of our faith and mission, and to the very words in which he was wont to dictate to them, which not only yet sounded in their ears, but were also recalled by the aid of his Holy Spirit promised (John xiv. 2(3.) for that very purpose, they have given us three Gospels, often agreeing in words (though not without much diversification), and always in sense." With this hypothesis, the preface of St. Luke seems to agree. St.Luke, originally a physi- cian, probably one of the Seventy, was a native of Antioch, and, according to Bishop Pearson, a companion of St. Paul in his travels from the year 43, attending that Apostle through Phry- gia, Galatia, and Mysia, to Troas". He ac- companied him also to Samothrace, Neapolis, and Philippi. He was one of those who went with him, and remained with him at Jerusalem ; sailed with him in the same ship from Ctesarea to Rome, and continued with him during the whole of the two years' imprisonment, with the account of which he concludes his book of the Acts of the Apostles. St. Luke therefore must have had abundant opportunity of conversing with the eyewitnesses and hearers of our Lord's actions and discourses, and of making himself acquainted, from the most undeniable evidence, ' Vide the account of tins liypothesis in Home, vol. iv. p. 319. Gleig's Stackhouse, vol. iii. p. 105. " Fol. edit. vol. ii. p. 375. '" For an account of St. Luke, see Whitby's Preface, and the Prefaces of the Commentators" in general ; or more particularly Lardner, Micliaelis, Home, Cave, and Bishop Tomline. with every circumstance which had not passed under his own immediate observation. Perhaps, as Dr. Townson judiciously remarks, he enjoyed the additional advantages of seeing the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Mark at Rome, the for- mer of whom was an undoubted eyewitness. And it is probable he left that city after the re- lease of St. Paul from his two years' imprison- ment, and went to Achaia, where he is gene- rally supposed either to have finished or written his Gospel, and the Acts, for the use of the Gentile converts. It is my wish to point out in these notes the peculiar propriety of the various actions re- corded of our Lord, according to the several situations and circumstances in wliich he was placed. In order to do this, it will be some- times necessary to show the unimpeachable na- ture of the evidence on which the narrative rests. Religion is an appeal to faith. Its truth was at first established by an appeal to the senses and judgment of the first witnesses and converts, and their testimony, with every other evidence, has been handed down for the exam- ination and benefit of all succeedinjr affes. The Gospel of St. Luke was always, from the very moment of its publication, received as inspired as well as authentic. It was published during the lives of St. John, St. Peter, and St. Paul, and was approved and sanctioned by them as inspired ; and it Avas received as such by the Churches, in conformity to the Jewish canon, which decided on the genuineness or spurious- ness of the inspired books of their own Church, by receiving him as a Prophet, who was ac- knowledged as such by the testimony of an es- tablished Prophet"". On the same grounds, St. Luke must be considered as a true Evangelist ; his Gospel being, as many suppose, dictated and approved of by an Apostle of ivhose authority there can be no question. There is likewise sufficient evidence to warrant the conclusions of Whitby'-', that both St. Mark and St. Luke were of the number of the Seventy, who had a commission from Christ to preach the Gospel not to the Jews only, but to the other nations — that the Holy Ghost fell on them, among the number of the Seventy, who formed a part of '^ I have borrowed this remark from Wliitby's Preface to St. Mark's Gospel, fol. edit. p. 257. y Micliaelis, like other continental writers of a subsequent period, seems to pay too little attention to the authority of the earlier writers, who lived near the apostolic age. The testimony of Origen and Epiphanius, of Theophylact, Euthymius. and Nicephorus Callistus. that St. Luke was one of the seventy disciples, is not overthrown by the opposite testimony of Chrysostom and Augustine, (vide Lardner, Supphment to the Credibility. Works, 4to. vol. iii. p. 1"J0.) For though much weight will ne- cessarily be attached to the arguments which inge- nious men discover in the internal evidence con- tained in the New Testament, yet many of their conjectures are uncertain, and it may be doubted if the evidence of ancient writers is not better au- thority. 4* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part 1. the hundred and twenty assembled on the day of Pentecost, and from that time they were guided by the influences of the Holy Spirit in writing or preaching the Gospel. And if the Universal Church from the first ages received this Gospel as divinely inspired on these satis- factory grounds, distance of time cannot weaken the evidences of truth, and we are required to receive it on the same testimony. The neces- sity of inspiration rests on the necessity of Rev- elation itself. Without Revelation the mercy of God to man had not been complete, and it was absolutely necessary that this Revelation should not only be divine, but that it should be clearly proved to have been so. And of the books of the New, as well as of the Old Testa- ment, therefore (for the inspiration of the latter is here taken for granted), we may justly say with Mr. RennelF, "We believe that Holy Scripture was written by men who were under the superintendence and control of the Spirit of God ; but we believe also, that, whether in writing, speaking, or acting, they were left in full possession and use of their own natural facul- ties. The Spirit of God directed, elevated, and purified their souls ; all that was necessary He supplied, all that was erroneous He corrected. Every line, therefore, of the New Testament we believe to be stamped with unerring truth ; and to be the voice of God, speaking in the lan- guage of man." {Smxsv uvT-^iv Maidla tw 0eo(pllov." — Antiq. lib. XX. cap. 8. It proves that a man of high rank among the Jews, of the name of Theophilus, was contemporary with St. Luke, and might possibly be the person whom he addressed. The supposition that he was a real person, whether at Antioch or Jerusalem, strengthens the authenticity of the narrative. Note 3. — Part L Macknight, in the Notes to his Harmony (4to. London, 1763, p. 2.), quotes Gomarus, Cam- eron, Capellus, Witsius, and Wolf, as referring this expression " of the Word," to Christ, one of whose titles is Aoyog tov 0eov, Apoc. i. 2. xix. 13. Archdeacon Nares has adopted the same opinion, (Nares, Veracity of the Evange- lists, p. 40-43.) Should this remark be correct, it will prove, what many will consider a mate- rial point, that our Lord was distinguished by the word Logos before it was applied in the same sense by St. John. See the Notes to the next section. Note 4. — Part L These simple coincidences convince Whitby that the Theophilus Jiere mentioned was a real personage. Lardner does not venture to de- cide. A passage from Josephus, quoted by Lightfoot, has escaped the attention of both these writers : " King Agrippa, removing Jesus, the son of Gamaliel, from the high priesthood, gave it to Matthias, the son of Thco])l)ilus — '^ RcnneWa Proofs of Jnspii-ation,p. 17. Note 5. — Part L dissertation on the logos. It is necessary to devote particular attention to this introduction to St. John's Gospel, as it has been made the subject of more extensive and disingenuous controversy than perhaps any other passage in the New Testament. The Preface of St. Luke has been eloquently de- scribed as " the beautiful gate of the Christian Temple, the entrance into the glorious and royal fabric of the Gospels";" while that of St. John may be denominated the solid and deep foundation on which it rests. To understand the expressions of any writer, particularly when they are at all dubious, or liable to misrepresentation, we must endeavour to place ourselves in the situation of those to whom they were addressed. Dr. Lardner*" fixes the date of the publication of St. John's Gospel as early as 68, and Michaelis'^ as early as 70. The weight of the evidence, however, appears greatly in favor of the much later date 96 or 97. St. John evidently speaks in his Gospel to those who were not well acquainted with many Jewish customs ; as he gives various ex- planations of things, which would be entirely unnecessary if the persons for whom he princi- pally wrote had been already conversant with the usages of the Jews''. And we might have expected that one, at least, of the apostles would live after the destruction of Jerusalem, not only as a witness of the accomplishment of those prophecies he had heard himself delivered, but to sanction and confirm the doctrines set forth by the other apostles in the books of the New Testament, and to communicate his final in- structions to the Church, after that fearful event. But either of these dates will be consistent with tlie whole, or with the greater part of tlie tlieory we are now about to consider, which will ena- ble us more perfectly to comprehend the great object which St. Jolm had in view, when he wrote his introduction to this Gospel. In all our inquiries into the New Testament, we must remember, tliat if the Jews, in consequence of tlicir rejection of Christianity, were not always " Lisrlitfoot, vol. i.p. 301. f" Dr. liardncr's Works, 4to. vol. iii. p. 220. "^ M;u•^5h's Mlcliadis. vol. iii. i)art i p. 321. ''■ Ilfiriio's Crit. Iiilrod. 2d (^iit. vol. iv. p. 329, and Jones On the Canon, 6vo. 172(3, p. 130. Note 5.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *; first addressed, they were so much in the minds of their countrymen the Apostles, that they must be considered as the silent tribunal, to whom the evangelical writers may be said to appeal, when they deliver any thing to the world in general, on the one system of religion, which was of equal importance both to Jews and Gentiles*, The Jews were the chosen people of God — his eldest born — the country- men of the apostles — for whose salvation the apostles were always most anxious, and to whose conversion they had devoted all the fer- yor and zeal of their first labors. They were rthe elect guardians of the ancient prophecies, and the favored witnesses of their accomplish- ment. The first question, therefore, which pro- poses itself is. What sense would the Jewish reader attach to the account given by the Evan- gelist of the Logos ? or, in other words, what were the sentiments of the Jews in the time of St. John concerning the Logos, and in what re- spects did he design either to confirm or rectify the opinions of his countrymen on that subject-'^ ? Throughout the whole of the Old Testament, from the history of the fall of man to the Book of Malachi, we read of the appearance of a won- derful personage who is sometimes called Je- hovah, sometimes the Angel Jehovah, or Jeho- vah Angel, or the Angel of Jehovah". In ad- dition to numerous divines who have demon- strated the same thing. Dr. Allix, in his valuable though sometimes inaccurate work on The Tes- timony of the Ancient Jeivish Church, has proved, by a great number of references to the targums ' Vide Schoetgenius — Pref. Hor. Talm. ct Heb. p. 2. when replying to the objections proposed by some against tlie course of study he was adopting, he says — " Duo seqiicntia mihi a Led. hen. concedi ■pHo. I. Christum et ovnies JV*. T. Scriptorcs Judicos fuisse, ct cum Judccis conversatos, ct locutos esse. IL Eos cum Judceis illo sermone, illisf/ue loqucndi J'onii tills locutos esse, (juce, tunc temporis, ub omnibus iiitrllcctte sunt." / A learned and laborious friend has collected much valuable information on the subject of tlie controversies wliicli prevailed among the Jews at tlie time of our Lord and his apostles. Though he has withheld his MSS. from the world, I trust they will be given to the Christian student at an early day. They will not detract from the well-earned fame of their respected author. ' Vide Dr. Pye Sniitli's valuable work On the Scripture Testimony to the Messiah. Dr. Siuitli prefers translating the phrase mn'' TxSd by the lat- ter epithet. Mr. Faber, too, in his Horw Mosaics, vol. ii. p. 48. (one of tlie most useful books pub- lislied by tliis eminent writer) translates it in the same manner. Both these authorities, however, strenuously defend the Divinity of the Being wlio was thus manifested to mankind as a messenger from Jehovah, who himself bore also that incom- municable name. The term the Angel Jehovah, or the Jehovah Angel, seems to express more ac- curately the meaning of the phrase ; though this interpretation cannot be established by such evi- dence as approaches to certainty. Smith's Scrip- ture Tcsthnony to the Messiah, vol. i. p. 333. Fa- bler's Horee Mosaicm, vol. ii. p. 48. 2d edit. 1818. See also Bishop Horsley's Notes on Hosea — Bibli- cal Criticisms, vol. iv. VOL. II. and talmuds of the Jews, that the general term, which was applied to the Divine Person- age who is called by this name in tlie Old Tes- tament, was "the Word of God," '""n XIO'O-" Before we can deduce, however, any argument from this remarkable circumstance, we must inquire into the authority of the several tar- gums and Jewish writings which give this in- terpretation of the above passages of Scripture. Though our Saviour, as Bishop Blomfield has well observed'', censured on all occasions the multiplied and unauthorized traditions of the Jews, he still appealed to their own expositions of Scripture, as furnishing irrefragable argu- ments in proof of his divine mission. It was no new interpretation to the Jews, that it was the Word of God which was revealed in their Scriptures as the Creator of the world. By the reading of the Paraphrase, or the interpre- tation of the Hebrew text, written in the Chal- dee language, the people were constantly taught that the Word of God was the same with God, and that by that Word all things were made. " I conceive this Chaldee Paraphrase," says Bishop Pearson% " which was read in the Jew- ish synagogues in the time of Christ, to express the sense of the Jews of that age, as being their public interpretation of the Scripture. Where- fore, what we find common and frequent in it, we cannot but think the vulgar and general opinion of that nation. Now it is certain that this paraphrast doth use "t N">0'0, the Word of God, for mrr, God himself, and that especi- ally with relation to the creation of the world. As Isaiah xlv. 12. rr^i' anxi ynx 'n^ty;' ^di^ V'N"13, 'I made the earth, and created man upon it' — which the Chaldee translateth }^3X Njnx m:;;' "TD'o^. 'I by my word made the earth, and created man upon it." So also Jer. xxvii. 15. Isa. xlviii, 13. Gen. iii. 8. and many others. The action ascribed to Jehovah in the Sacred Text is given in the Chaldee Paraphrase to the Word." We should be careful to distinguish between the multiplied and fanciful refinements which the Jews, from the time of the Seleucidse, had built upon the Law of Moses, and the more an- cient and traditionary interpretations of the pro- piietical parts of Scripture, the origin of which may be with probability dated from the Baby- lonish captivity. By the former, as our Saviour told them, "they made the word of God of none effect ; " but the latter are no where made the object of his censure ; on the contrary, both our Lord and his Apostles very frequently refer to them, as sound and legitimate expositions of God's word. St. Paul, who had been brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, scruples not to al- lude, in some instances covertly.in others open- '' Knotclcdge oj Jewish Tradition Essential to an Interpreter of the Xac Testament, p. G. • Pearson On the Creed, vol. ii. p. 123. Oxf edit, note. 6* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part 1. ly, to the traditions of the elders : and in his Epistle to the Hebrews he assumes throughout, that the comments of the rabbins upon the prophetical parts of the Bible were in the main founded upon truths'. After the return of the Jews from the Baby- lonish captivity, their native language had un- dergone a change so considerable, on account of their adoption of numerous words from the vernacular languages of the countries in which they were settled, that when the Scriptures were appointed by Ezra to be read, they were utterly unintelligible to the greater part assem- bled. On this account, Ezra commanded the Lcvites to interpret the original to the people, by rendering it into Chaldee. These interpre- tations, or paraphrases, were originally merely oral. There is no proof tliat there were any collected written paraphrases, till the Targums, or Paraphrases, or Explanations, of Onkelos and Jonathan were compiled. These targum- ists are supposed to have lived about the time of our Saviour : though, in the opinion of Eich- horn, the Targum of Onkelos was not com- pleted till .300 years after that period, in conse- quence of the interpolations that continued to be made in it. Ten Targums are handed down to us, of which those of Onkelos and of Jona- than ben Uzziel are the most highly esteemed, and considered by the Jews as the authorized and infallible expositions of the Sacred Text*. / These Paraphrases then, in innumerable in- f stances, translate the Hebrew Avord Jehovah by " the Word of the Ijord." Some, it is true, have maintained that this implies a personal ex- istence of the Word, in some sense distinct from the personal existence of the Supreme Father— that the Word of the Old Testament is the same as the Logos of the New Testament, and that this coincidence is a proof of the belief among the Jews of the preexistence, personal operations, and Godhead of the Messiah. Oth- ers again argue, that these words are to be re- garded as a mere idiom, implying the person's self M'ho speaks. The latest writer' on this point, after examining the different opinions at great length, comes to this general conclusion : that from the mere use of the phrase, " the Word of the Lord," in these Paraphrases, no certain information can be deduced on the doctrine of the Jews with respect to the Messiah, during the interval of the Old and New Testament, and this opinion is further corroborated by a celebrated critic. But though such may be our conclusion with regard to the Chaldee Para- phrases, it will not follow that the Jews of the same age, or a little after, did not employ the term " Word " with a personal reference, and that reference to the Messiah. The use of this term by Philo, and by the Gliristian Evangelist -'■ Vido Blomfiold's Knowledge of Jewish Tradi- lion. rs.snitial, 4&c. p. J), 10. * Siiilth's Mesgiah. vol. i. p. 400. ' Archbishop Laurenco. St. John, appears unaccountable, except on the supposition that it had grown up to the accep- tation supposed, at least among the Jews who used the Greek language. Such an extension of meaning and reference, agreeably to the or- dinary progress of language, would flow from the primary signification, or medium of rational communication, and thus it would be a rational designation of a Mediator between God and man. We have also another evidence, which is entitled to the greater weight, as it comes from a quarter the most hostile to the Christian religion"'. Celsus, whose words are recited by Origen, reproaches the Christians with absurd- ity and folly, for imagining that such a mean and contemned person as Jesus could be the pure and holy Word, the Son of God ; and, per- sonating a Jew, which is his manner in the con- struction of his work, he declares their belief that the Word was the Son of God, though they rejected the claims of Jesus to that honor. The authority, however, most to be depended upon, with regard to our attempts to ascertain the opinions of the Jews concerning the Logos at the time of Christ, is that transmitted to us by the celebrated Philo, who was born at Alex- andria, of Jewish parents, and was the contem- porary of our Lord and his Apostles. Some years before St. John Avrote his Gospel, this celebrated man, being then about sixty years of age, was sent on an embassy from Alexan- dria to the emperor at Rome, to lay before him a petition, praying for protection to his country- men against the persecuting spirit of the Alex- andrians. He has left on record a very curious detail of this expedition. The manner in which, after much delay and many vexatious difficul- ties, the embassy, when at last admitted to the long-desired audience, was received by Calig- ula, presents us with a most singular and char- acteristic picture of the haughty sovereign and his courtiers. Caligula first abruptly addresses them, by inquiring if they were " the odious race " who refused to acknowledge him as their god ; and, after having obliged them to follow him as objects of general ridicule and reproach, while he inspected some rooms in one of his villas, asked them, with a " grave and serious countenance, why they abstained from swine's flesh;" and, after many more sarcasms, dis- missed them with this compassionate sentiment, " That those men who would not believe in him as a god were, in his opinion, rather miserable than wicked." Jerome and Eusebius inform us, that when Philo was at Rome, he was ac- customed to converse with St. Peter, and that he cultivated the society of that Apostle. Photius tells us, that he was a Christian, thougli he soon separated from their communion : and Dr. J. Jones has lately attempted to revive this opin- ion ; including Josephus also among the num- ber of primitive Christians. Eusebius further "" Smith's Testimony, vol. i. p. 409, 410. Note 5.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. #7 assures us, that Philo devoted himself to tlie study of the Scriptures, and diligently exam- ined the truths received from his ancestors ; that he had made the most profound research into the mysteries of the Platonic system, and discovered so much knowledge of the doctrines of the Grecian philosopher, and all his abstruse notion;;, that it was commonly said, either " Plato Philonizes, or Philo Platonizes." By mingling the theological opinions of his countrymen with the reveries of the Platonic school, and the un- doubted truths of his own Scriptures, he has given to the world, in his multifarious produc- tions, a strange compound of truth and false- hood, from which, however, may be collected, without difficulty, the prevailing opinions of the learned Jews of that age respecting the "Lo- gos," the " Word of God," the manifested Je- hovah of the Hebrew Scriptures. The following is a list of some of the particu- lar terms and doctrines found in Philo, with parallel passages from the New Testament. 1. The Logos is the "Son of God"—vlug 0£ov. De Agric. vol. i. p. 308. De Profug. ib. p. 562. Compare Mark i. 1. Luke iv. 41. John i. 34. Acts viii. 37. 2. "The Second Divinity " — deviegog Qsdg Myog. Fragm. vol. ii. p. 625, Compare John i. 1. I Cor. i. 24. 3. " The first-begotten " of God — Adyog nqa- r6)'ovog. De Somniis, vol. i. p. 653. Compare Heb. i. 6. Coloss. i. 15. 4. "The Image of God"— elxCm' th 0e5. De Mundi Opific. vol. i. p. 6. 414. 419. 656. Com- pare Coloss. i. 15. Heb. i. 3. 2 Cor. iv. 4. 5. " Superior to angels " — vnegdro) nivTOJv {(^YyilcDf) Uyog Oelog. De Profug. vol. i. p. 561. Compare Heb. i. 4. 6. 6. " Superior to all the world " — ' loyog — insQ6.vit) napi6g igi. De Leg. Allegor. vol. i. p. 121. Compare Heb. ii. 8. 7. " By whom the world was created " — tov QeIov X6yoi' TO*' javia SiuaoafiriaavTa. De Mundi Opific. vol. i. p. 4. Compare John i. 3. 1 Cor. viii. 6. Heb. i. 2. 10. 8. The great " Substitute of God "—Znaqxog t5 Qeb. De Agricidt. vol. i. p. 308. Compare John i. 3. and xvii. 4. Eph. iii. 9. Phil. ii. 7. 9. "The Light of the world" — gjwg xdafw and " Intellectual Sun " — rihog vorjjog. De Som- niis, vol. i. p. 6. 414. 632, 633. Compare John i. 4-9. and viii. 12. 1 Pet. ii. 9. 10. " Who only can see God " — u u6t'a> ibv Gei)v e^egi khOoqIxv. De Con/as. Ling. vol. i. p. 418. Compare John i. 18. and vi. 46. 11. "Who resides in God" — If uvto judfco xuToixi\aei. De Profug. vol. i. p. 5(51. Com- pare Jolm i. 18. and xiv. 11. 12. " The most ancient of God's works, and before all things" — TrqEaGvTazog jijiv 6aa yi- yovE. De Confus. Ling. vol. i. p. 427. De Leg. Allegor. ib. p. 121. Compare Johni. 2. and xvii. 5.24. 2Tim. i. 9. Heb.i. 2. 13. " Esteemed the same as God " — Uyov Jj; uvTOv Qeov xuTavoHffi. De Somniis, vol. i. p, 656. Compare Mark ii. 7. Rom. ix. 5. Phil. ii. 6. 14. " The Logos is eternal " — 6 uidwg Uyog. De Plant. JVo(E, vol. i. 332. and vol. ii. p. 604. Compare John xii. 34. 2 Tim. i. 9. and iv. 18. Heb. i. 8. Rev. x. 6. 15. " Beholds all tilings " — 6i.v8EQy.iz,uiog, Cog TKxvxa icpoQUv etvut, lxuv6g. De Leg. Allegor. vol. i. p. 121. Compare Heb. iv. 12, 13. Rev. ii. 23. 16. " He unites, supports, preserves, and per- fects the world " — o re yug t2 bviog i.6yog dsa- jLtug (hf Tdif &TC<j.vTO}v — avpi/Eciu fiigrj nuvm, xul acpiyyei — negiixEi ra olu, xul nenh'igMy.Ef. De Prof. vol. i. p. 562. Fragm. vol. ii. p. 655. Compare John iii. 35. Colos. i. 17. Heb. i. 3. 17. " Nearest to God without any separation " — o iyyvTijcTOJ /utjSEvdg oriog fiEdoolu diagiluuTog. De Profug. vol. i. p. .561. Compare John i. 18. and X. 30. and xiv. 11. and xvii. 11. 18. " Free from all taint of sin, voluntary or involuntary" — avsv t^otttjc ixovala — y-ul Tr\g (xxovaln. De Profug. vol. i. p. 561. Compare John viii. 46. Heb. vii. 26. and ix. 14. 1 Pet. iv. 22. 19. " Who presides over the imperfect and weak " — oitrog yug ijwwi' tw*' diEkwp &f eTij (-jEog. De Leg. Allegor. vol. i. p. 128. Compare Matt. xi. 5. Luke v. 32. 1 Tim. i. 15. 20. " The Logos, the fountain of wisdom " — Xoyop Qeajv OS aocplitg tql nrjyr^. De Profug. vol. i. p. 560. 566. Compare John iv. 14. and vii. 38. 1 Cor. i. 24. Colos. ii. 3. 21. "A Messenger sent from God" — ngEcj- dsvi^g t5 ■}^yEfi6vog ngbg xb imfixoov. Quis. Rer. Div. Hares, vol. i.p. 501. Compare John v. 36. and viii. 29. 42. 1 John iv. 9. 22. " The Advocate for mortal man " — UiiTjg fiif igi t5 0-i'7]TH. Qiiis. Rer. Div. Hter. vol. i. p. 501. Compare John xiv. 16. and xvii. 20. Rom. viii. 34. Heb. viii. 25. 23. "He ordered and disposed of all things" SIeiXe xal dth'EijUE ndivjn. Ib. p. 506. Com- pare Col. i. 15, 16. Heb. xi. 8. 24. " The Shepherd of God's flock "— ror dg- dbv axJTOv Xdyov — o? tt]*' inip^XEtuv t^j legag TavT7]g (jcltyr/g. De Agricul. vol. i. p. 308. Com- pare John X. 14. Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Pet. ii. 25. 25. " Of the power and royalty of the Logos " — 6 T8 riyEfi6i'og loyog — xid (iu(jthxi\ Svvauig avTii. De Profug. vol. i. p. 561. Compare 1 Cor. XV. 25. Eph'. i. 21, 22. Heb. i. 2, 3. Rev. xvii. 14. 26. " The Logos is the physician who heals all evil " — idv ayyElov (oc igi X6yog) (harxtg la- Toor xay.wr. De Leg. Allegor. vol. i. p. 122. Compare Luke iv. 18. and vii. 21. 1 Pet. ii. 24. James i. 21. 27. « The Logos is the seal of God "—(5 8s igtrt) acpguylg. De Profug. vol. i. p. 547, 548. De Plant. JVo<t, ibid. p. .332. Compare John vi. 27. Eph. i. 13. Heb. i. 3. 8# NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part J ^8. "The sure Refuge of those who seek him" — icp' Of nqiinov xai ucptvyeii' McpFh/uwru- Tov. De Profug.ih.Tp.560. Compare Matt. xi. 28. 1 Pet. ii. 25. 29. "Of heavenly food distributed by the Logos equally to all who seek it " — t^»' sgdviov TQOcpriv ifjv/ijg. Quis. Rer. Divin. H(Br. vol. i. p. 499. Compare Matt. v. 6. and vii. 7. and xiii. 10. and xxiv. 14. and xxviii. 19. Rom. x. 12. 18. 30. " Of men's forsaking their sins, and ob- taining spiritual freedom by the Logos" — ihv- Oeqltt TTjs ipv/Tjc. De Cong. QictEr. Erud. Grat. vol. i. p. 534. De Profug. ib. p. 561. 563. Com- pare John viii. 36. 1 Cor. vii. 22. 2 Cor. iii. 17. Gal. V. 1, 13. 31. " Of men's being freed by the Logos from all corruption, and entitled to immortality " 6 legoc Xoyog tTl/jjjae yigag i^alQeiof 5«c, y.lri- Qov dOdvuTOP, TTir iv dqp^d^rq) ysvBi rd^t*'. De Cong. Qu(Br. Erud. Grat. vol. i. p. 535. Com- pare Rom. viii, 21. 1 Cor. xv. 52, 53. 2 Pet. i. 3,4. .32. The Logos mentioned by Philo, not only as Ylbg 0eS, " the Son of God ; " but also 'Aya- nrjTov T^xyo J', "his beloved Son." De Leg.Al- legor. vol. i. p. 129. Compare Matt. iii. 17. Luke ix. .35. Col. i. 13. 2 Pet. i. 17. 33. " The just man advanced by the Logos to the presence of his Creator " — ra avico Uyw — IdQiiCFug nlrjalov EavrS. De Sacrificiis, vol. i. p. 165. Compare John vi. 37. 44. and xii. 26. and xiv. 6. 34. "The Logos the true high priest" — do- ^legevg, 6 rrqMToyovog aiiii Qelog l/jyog. De Somniis, vol. i. p. 658. De Profug. ib. 562. Compare John i. 41. and viii. 46. Acts iv. 27. Hcb. iv. 14. and vii. 26. 35. " The Logos in his mediatorial capacity " Xdyog ^Qxiegsig fiedogiog- of whom he says, i^wu- /n(x'Co) i<ul jbv /nerd, ansdrig unvsvql dgafibPTa avvrbi'dtg legop luyor, 'Ipu qr^ fiaaot' tCop redt'rj- xdimv Kul T&y t^djvjMP. " I am astonished to see the holy Logos running with so much speed and earnestness, that he may stand between the living and the dead." Quis. Rer. Divin. HfEres. vol. i. p. 501. Compare 1 Tim. ii. 5. Heb. viii. 1. 6. and ix. 11, 12. 24. These extracts" contain the sum and sub- stance of the doctrines of Philo concerningr the Word. Whatever the Old Testament applies to the Angel Jehovah, or Jehovah, this distin- guished author applies to lais Logos ; and he is supposed to have expressed only the prevailing opinions of liis time. Yet, if his opinions be at- tentively considered, many striking inconsis- tencies will be found in them respecting the " They are selected from tlie abridirment of Bry- ant's work On. the Loirns, by Dr. Adam Clarke, in his note on 1 John i. 15. Both Lightfoot and Dr. Pyo Smith have iriven copious extracts from Philo ; each has added also a summary of Philo's peculiar opinions. Logos, as he frequently confounds all the per- sonal quahties and attributes assigned to the Logos of the Old Testament, with a Logos so purely spiritual, or, as Dr. Smitli calls it, so merely conceptual, that it could be capable only of being manifested to the spiritual or the intellectual part of man. We accordingly find Philo asserting that the Divine Word would not assume a visible form, or representation {lSi(t\ and that it was "not to be reckoned among the objects known by sense." An as- sertion wliicli will furnish us with a solution to some of his discordant expressions, and wliich very satisfactorily explains the train of associa- tions which leads him to such contradictory opinions on this subject ; opinions, indeed, so strangely at variance, that the Unitarian writers have claimed Philo as a Platonist, who has transmitted no kind of evidence in favor of the generally received opinion that the Logos treated of in his works was the Messiah of the Christian and the Jew, or the Angel Jehovah of tlie Old Testament ; while, on the other liand, the Trinitarian writers have considered him, from the age in wliich he lived, as the great strength and support of tlieir cause. The inconsistency is plainly to be traced to this cir- cumstance ; Philo, as a Jew, iiad imbibed all the opinions of tiie orthodox and learned of his own countrymen, and behoved with them and their Church that the Logos icas personal, and had been and could be visible, both in his per- son and in liis actions, and he has accordingly, in some places, endowed liis Logos with per- sonal attributes. But Pliilo was a philosopher also, and, with the assistance of a very fertile imagination and fancy, devised the conceptual Logos ; which he delineates as sometliing re- sembling an abstract idea, which can be mani- fested only to the intellect. In various parts of his work he has blended these descriptions, and by confusing his own associations or trains of thought, he confounds himself as well as his readers. But the book was well known in the time of St. John : and the Apostle, to correct the erroneous opinions of Pliilo, that the Logos was conceptual, and in order to substantiate the undoubted personality of the Logos, begins his Gospel in these simple but forcible words — "The Word was made flesh" — it was not a conceptual Logos, as the philosophers vainly imagine ; it was a true and real Being, who took our nature, appeared in our flesh — " He was made flesh." He was tangible and visible, and we beheld visibly liis glory. The same opinion of a double signification of the Logos, a conceptual and a personal, has oc- curred to some of the German Scripture critics. " In the phrase used by the Chaldee paraphrasts, most critics suppose tliat notliing is compre- hended but a designation of the Deity : but it has been admirably demonstrated, cliiefly from the targums, by Dr. Charles Aug. Thcoph. Note 5.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *9 Keil (in the Essay Be Dodoribus Vet. Ecd. culpa corrupts: per Platonicas Sententias Theo- logi(B liberandis), that the Jews, by their Memra Jah, designed to convey the notion of a Divine Subsistence, which they held to be begotten of God, and to be in the highest sense near and like to God. The same learned writer shows that the doctrine of Philo contained the notion of a twofold Logos, the one comprehended in the Divine Intellect, the other begotten of God ; ■just as the conception in one's mind is different from the word uttered in speech." — Rosenmiil- ler, in Joann. i. 1. The following abstract from the German Commentaries of the celebrated Dr. H. E. G. Paulus, theological professor in the university at Jena, is given by Dr. Kuinoel, in the Prolegomena to his Commentai-if on the Gospel of John. " Panlns maintains that Philo was not the autiior of this doctrine of the Logos as a subsistence emanating from God, most like to God, and intimately united with him ; but that it was generally received by the Jews of Alexandria, in the time of Philo. He is of opin- ion that it was invented by the philosophizing Jews of that city, with a view to obviate the ar- guments of the Gentile pliilosophers, who de- fended their popular system of a multitude of inferior deities, by affirming that the care of the material world, a particular providence, and the government of the affairs of men, were objects too low for the majesty and purity of the Su- preme Deity. He thinks that the Alexandrine Jews might the more readily adopt this opinion of the Logos being an intelligent nature, be- cause of their own doctrine of angels and guar- dian spirits, and because the Jews of Palestine were in the habit of using, as expressions for the Divine Being, the phrases Memra of Jah, Word of God, Wisdom of God; as also they personified the wisdom of God, Prov. viii. 2'i. Therefore, as Paulus has observed, the form of expression 6 Aoyog rov &eov, ' The Word of God,' was used in the age of the Evangelist John in a twofold sense. The Jews of Pales- tine employed the expression merely as a pe- riphrasis for the Deity, and very often as a personification of the power and wisdom of God. But, on the other hand, Philo, and with him many of the Alexandrine Jews, understood by ' The Word,^ an intelligent subsistence, ab- solutely unique, an emanation from God, and next to the Supreme God. Professor Paulus further remarks, that the Evangelist did not de- liver his doctrine of The Word'' (as an intelli- gent nature emanating from God, and next to God, and that this intelligent nature had united itself with the man Jesus), because the Alex- andrine JeAvs professed the same sentiments with respect to their Word; but because Christ had in express terms made almost the identical attributions of dignity and honor to himself, whicli those Alexandrians were accustomed to ascribe to their ' Word of God."" " — Kuinoel, vol. VOL. II. *-2 iii. p. 80. 82. Smith's Scripture Testimony, &c. note c, to chap. vii. book ii. vol. i. John Benedict Carpsovius and Stephen Nye, an English clergyman, have also maintained the hypothesis of the twofold notion of the Lo- gos in Philo's writings. The one derived from the doctrines of Plato, Novg 6 ttAvtmv uhiog — ■ denoting merely the conception formed in the Divine Mind, and then emanating as a model from which the earth was to be framed. The other doctrine is of a more exalted nature, and is derived from the genuine principles of the Jewish religion". The works of Philo became so popular, that although the writer was a Jew, and therefore obnoxious to the Roman nation, they were en- rolled in the public libraries at Rome. From this circumstance we may infer, that his ideas of the Word of God, the Jehovah Angel of the Old Testament, called by Philo, in his native language of Alexandria, AAyog tov Qsov, were as well known to the heathen or gentile con- verts, as the term '^n xiD'ro, " Memrah Jah," or " Word," was familiar to the Jews of Palestine : and as the same actions in the targums and in the works of Pliilo are given to this Divine Personage, which the Scripture itself ascribes to the Angel Jehovah, we may justly conclude that the targumists and Philo intended to ex- press the same idea, and to give to the Jehovah of the Old Testament the attributes of God- head, assigned to the Word. Philo confused the two ideas of a personal and conceptual Lo- gos, because he derived his opinions from the two opposite sources of Heathenism and Juda- ism. The Logos of the Old Testament is plainly personal, the Logos of Heathenism con- ceptual. The same error was cominitted by the targumists : their notions of a Logos beingf derived from two sources — one of which was from the corrupted, the other the purer, tra- ditions of their fathers ; and so confused was the popular opinion on this point, that we may almost say it was necessary, considering the importance of the subject, that an inspired teacher should correct the prevalent errors. St. John, therefore, writing at a period when the public opinions on the subject were so unsettled, begins his Gospel by declaring to the Jews, that both the Logos of one party, and the Mem- rah Jah of the other, possessed the very same attributes ascribed in the Jewish Scriptures to Jehovah, or the Angel Jehovah, who the Evan- gelist asserts was in the beginning with God — that all things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made : an article of faith which the Jews and Philo alike acknowledged. ° See Vitringa, Be Synag. vetere, p. 634. I have extracted this account of the opinion of tlic Ger- man critics, on the twofold nature of the Loffos, from Dr. Pye Smith's Testimony to the Messiah, vol. i. p. 452. 10* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part I. After establishing this truth, concerning which there may be said to have been (except- ing in the confounding a personal and concep- tual Logos) no real difference of opinion, St. John proceeds to the application of the wonder- ful doctrine. He proceeds to affirm that the Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Memrah Jah of the targumists, the Logos of Philo, when rightly explained, was the promised Messiah of the Christian Church — that he had lived among them — that he had become flesh — that they had beheld his glory, the glory as of the Only- begotten of the Father (another title given by Philo to the Logos), full of grace and truth^. The double signification of the word Logos unavoidably produced many heresies and divis- ions in the Christian Church. The Church, says Tillemont', was from the beginning dis- turbed with two opposite heresies, each of which produced different sects, Simon, the founder of the Gnostics, or Docetae, held two principles, and taught that our Saviour was man in appearance only. The other heresy was that of the Corinthians, who embraced Christi- anity in part only. These acknowledged one principle, and one God, and the reality of the human nature in Jesus Christ ; but they denied his divinity, and were fond of the ceremonies of the Law. Contrary as these opinions are to each other and to truth, the Cerinthians found means to unite them, and they were adopted in different forms, and with different variations by many others ; to whom it will be necessary to allude. It is possible that these contending opinions had begun to agitate the Church as early as the first date assigned to St. John's Gospel. But it is more probable that they did become suf- P The propriety of the term ''n XIO'D, used by the targumists, of the termniTT' TDT, Psahn xxxiii. 6, (rendered by the Septuagint as in other places by the term 6 Juyoc, used by St. John in his pre- face.) and of Logos by St. John and the Platonists — (Obs. Ps. xxxiii. of the Hebrew, corresponds with Ps. xxxii. in the Sept.) appears from the connexion, or the analogy, or relation which speecli bears to an act of the mind. As language may be called an embodied thought, or the manifester of the acts of the understanding, so may the Divine Person- age, which bears the above names, be considered as the Manifester of the designs of Deity. Lan- guage, in another sense, may be said to be the same, the self, the same very self, as thought, or any act of the mind. So may the Logos be called by the like analogy, what it is represented in Scrip- ture, the same, the self, the same very self, as God. It must in all these cases be remembered, that we cannot comprehend God : we cannot by search- ing find him out. But He is revealed to finite be- ings through the medimn of language, wliicli is seldom able to ex])ress adequately tlie etibrts of tlie human mind, when it would endeavour to under- stand, in this stage of licing, subjects so much be- yond us ; to tills iniperfectioii of language may be principally ascribed much of the varieties of meta- physical opinions, both in ancient and modern times. ' Tillemont, Mem. Ec. tom. ii. ap. Laidncr, vol. iv. 4to. p. o67. ficiently formidable to disturb its peace till to- wards the conclusion of the first century, when the Gospel of St. John is more generally allowed to have been written. The time when Cerin- thus lived is uncertain; but the earliest date assigned to him is after the year 70, with the exception of Baronius, who speaks of him as living within some few years after our Lord's ascension. Le Clerc asserts, that he flourished in the year 80 ; Basnage, lOI. Lampe'', from the discrepancies in the accounts of Irenssus and Epiphanius, entertains the very erroneous opinion, that the Gospel of St. John was valued by the Cerinthians ; and endeavours to prove that Cerinthus was a heretic of the second cen- tury. Even this, however, does not invalidate the argument that St. John's Gospel was writ- ten to oppose the principles professed by Ce- rinthus ; for they are said by Irenseus to have been inculcated by the Nicolaitans. Yet, as Irenseus, who asserted tliat St. John wrote against Cerinthus, was a disciple of Polycarp, who was personally acquainted with St. John, his testimony, which was given a hundred years after, appears most likely to be correct. The best evidence, therefore, that the scanty records of antiquity have handed down to us, corroborates the presumption that Cerinthus sowed the seeds of his principles during the life of the excellent Evangelist St. John, and, we might well sup- pose, that the Apostle would be most anxious to refute and repress them. Michaelis therefore observes, with equal force and justice, that " If Irenajus had not asserted that St. John wrote his Gospel against the Gnostics, and particularly against Cerinthus, the contents of the Gospel itself would lead to this conclusion. Tlie speeches of Christ, which St. John has recorded, are selected with a totall}' different view from that of the first three Evan- gelists, who have given such as are of a mora' nature, whereas those which are given by St John are chiefly dogmatical, and relate tc Christ's divinity, the doctrine of the Holy Ghost, the supernatural assistance to be coimniuiicatec to tlie Ai)ostles, and other subjects of a like im port. In the very ciioice of his expression? such as 'light,' 'life,' &c. he had in view the philosophy of the Gnostics, who used, or rathe; abused, these terms. That the first fourteej verses of St. John's Gospel are merely histori cal, and contain only a short account of Christ's history before liis appearance on earth, is a sup- position devoid of all probability. On the con- trary, it is evident that they are purely doctrinal, and tliat they were introduced with a polemical view, in order to confute errors which prevailed at that time respecting the person of Jesus Christ. Unless St. John had an adversary to combat, who made particular use of the words 'light,' and 'life,' he would not have thougbt it •■ Introd. Eran^. Joan. vol. i. p. 07. Note 5.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS, *11 necessary, after having described the Creator of all things, to add, that ' in Him was life, and the life was the light of men,' or to assert that John the Baptist 'was not that Light.' The very meaning of the word ' light ' would be ex- tremely dubious, unless it were determined by its particular application in the oriental Gnosis. For without the supposition that St. John had to combat with an adversary who used this word in a particular sense, it might be applied to any divine instructor, wlio by his doctrines enlight- ened mankind. Further, the positions con- tained in the first fourteen verses are antitheses to positions maintained by the Gnostics, who use the words Wyoc, 'C,wi], cpCog, uofoyei^fig, 7rA,rJ- ^bifiu, &c. as technical terms of their philoso- phy. Lastly, the speeches of Christ, which St. John has selected, are such as confirm the po- sitions laid down in the first chapter of his Gos- pel : and therefore we must conclude that his principal object throughout the whole of his Gospel was to confute the errors of the Gnos- tics'." That we may understand the design and or- der of St. John's Gospel, it will be necessary to take a brief review of the tenets of Cerin- thus, in opposition to which the Evangelist pur- posely wrote it. This will not only reflect con- siderable light on particular passages, but make the whole appear a complete work — regular, clear, and conclusive. Cerinthus was by birth a Jew, who lived at the close of the first century : having studied literature and philosophy at Alexandria, he at- tempted at length to form a new and singular system of doctrine and discipline, by a mon- strous combination of the doctrines of Jesus Christ with the opinions and errors of the Jews and Gnostics. From the latter lie borrowed their Pleroma or fulness, their JEons or spirits, their Demiurgus or creator of the visible world, &c., and so modified and tempered these fic- tions, as to give them an air of Judaism, which must have considerably favored the progress of his heresy. He taught, that the Most High God was utterly unknown before the appear- ance of Christ, and dwelt in a remote heaven called Pleroma, with the chief spirits or ^ons : — That this Supreme God first generated an Only-begotten Son, who again begat the Word, wliich was inferior to the First-born : — That Christ was a still lower aeon, though far supe- rior to some others : — That there were two higher seons, distinct from Christ ; one called Life, and the other Light: — That from the seons again proceeded inferior orders of spirits, and particularly one Demiurgus, who created this visible world out of eternal matter : — That this Demiurgus was ignorant ot the Supreme God, and much lower than the seons, which were wliolly invisible : — That he was, however, the ' Michaelis, vol. iii. part i. p. 280 peculiar god and protector of the Israelites, and sent Moses to tliem ; whose Laws were to be of perpetual obligation: — That Jesus was a mere man, of the most illustrious sanctity and justice, the real son of Joseph and Mary : — That the iEon Christ descended upon him in the form of a dove when he was baptized, revealed to him the unknown Father, and empowered him to work miracles : — That the ^Eon Light entered John the Baptist in the same manner, and therefore that John was in some respects preferable to Christ: — That Jesus, after his union with Christ, opposed himself with vigor to the God of the Jews, at whose instigation he was seized and crucified by the Hebrew chiefs, and that when Jesus was taken captive and came to suffer, Christ ascended up on high, so that the man Jesus alone was subjected to the pains of an ignominious death : — That Christ will one day return upon earth, and, renewing his former union with the man Jesus, will reign in Palestine, a thousand years, during which pe- riod his disciples will enjoy the most exquisite sensual delights. Bearing these dogmas in mind, we shall find that St. John's Gospel is divided into three parts, viz. Part L contains doctrines laid down in oppo- sition to those of Cerinthus, (John i. 1-18.) Part n. delivers the proofs of those doctrines in an historical manner, (i. 19. xx. '^9.) Part III. is a conclusion, or appendix, giving an account of the person of the writer, and of his design in writing his Gospel, (xx. 30, 31. xxi.) Besides refuting the errors of Cerinthus and his followers, Michaelis is of opinion that St. John had also in view to confute the erroneous tenets of the Sabeans, a sect which acknowl- edged John the Baptist for its founder. He has adduced a variety of terms and phrases, which he has applied to the explanation of the first fourteen verses of St. John's Gospel, in such a manner as renders his conjecture not improb- able. Perhaps we shall not greatly err if we conclude with Rosenmliller, that St. John had both these classes of heretics in view, and that he wrote to confute their respective tenets'. The Docetae" taught that Christ was a man in appearance only, and not in reality. In op- position to tliese, St. John says in his Epistles, wliich were published before his Gospel, " Every spirit which confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God ;" and, in his Gospel, " The Word was made flesli." From this sect originated the Ebionites, whom Bishop Horsley has proved to have a great affinity to ' Mosheim's Commentaries, vol. i. p. 337-347. Dr. Lardner's Works, 8vo. vol. ix. p. 3"25-327. 4to. vol. iv. p. 5(J7-569. Michaelis, vol. iii. p. 285-302. Apud Home's Critical Introduction, vol. ii. 1st edit, p. 466-4()8. " Lardner's Works, 4to. vol. v. p. 21^. 12* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part l. the Simonians : observing with equal force and truth, " That as the ancient Ebionsean doctrine passes by a single step, the dismission of the Superangelic Being, into the modern Unitarian- ism, tliat too is traced to its source in the chi- meras of the Samaritan sorcerer. And thus both the Ebionites of antiquity, and the Unita- rians of our own time, are the offspring of the ancient Gnosticism"." The general prevalence of these erroneous notions concerning the Logos, and the frequent mistakes of the primitive converts, who united their own philosophical opinions with the infer- ences deducible from Revelation, produced an ample stock of other heresies ; many of which did not obtain celebrity till the Church became so extended, that the greater number of any particular sect attracted public attention : and frequently the heresiarchs, or leaders them- selves, were not generally distinguished till their opinions had been widely disseminated. Thus we often find the several errors they adopted had been long in existence before even the names of their principal supporters were known. Those, for instance, embraced by Ce- rinthus, Saturninus, the Docetse, and Basilides, may be traced to the perversions of Jewish tra- dition, the reveries of Platonism, and the fan- cies of the half-converted and speculative". The Gnostics'^, among many errors on the origin and continuance of evil, anticipated with eagerness the arrival of an eminent personage, who should deliver the souls of men from the bondage of the flesh, and rescue them from the evil genii who governed the world. Some of these, being struck with the miracles of Clirist, conceived Him to be the Being they expected. Many of his doctrines, therefore, they willingly embraced ; while they refused to believe in the reality of his apparently material body. To these, or to such as these, that passage might have been addressed, "The Word was made flesh." He, who descended from an invisible state to deliver man from evil, was made flesh. Whether the Evangelist alluded to the Gnos- tics or Docet>E, we cannot positively decide. Saturninus^ was another philosophizing here- tic, who believed in the existence of an inde- pendent, eternal evil principle. He supposed the world to have been created by seven an- gels, which were the same as the people of the East believed to reside in the seven planets. One of these angels he supposed to be the ruler of the Hebrew nation, the Being that brought them up out of the land of Egypt, and whom the Jews, not having knowledge of the Supreme Being, ignorantly worshipped as God. His other reveries may be found in Mosheim. " Tracts in Controversy with Dr. Priestley, 3rd Supplpmental Disquisition, p. 405. "" Vidal's Translation uf Mosheim, cent. i. § 60. ^ Mosheim, vol. i. p. ;5I(). " Mosheim, vol. ii. p. 211. Upon his conversion to Christianity (if we may so denominate that monstrous combination of his own absurd, and, falsely called, philo- sophical opinions with Christianity), he endeav- oured to reconcile his former efforts to account for that baffling mystery, the origin and con- tinuance of evil, with his new creed. In con- sequence, he supposed that there was a rebel- lion of these seven angels and their dependants against the Supreme Being, and that, on their involving mankind in their revolt, the Son of God descended from above, and took upon him a body, not indeed composed of depraved mat- ter, but merely the shadow or resemblance of a body. He came to overthrow all evil, its au- thors and agents, and to restore man, in whom existed a divine soul, to the Supreme Being. His notions on this point, therefore, might like- wise have been alluded to by St John in the Preface to his Gospel : He who came from God, the true Logos, was made flesh, and they be- held his glory. Carpocrates, an Alexandrian, was also a con- temporary of St. John. Baronius speaks of his followers as distinguished for their opinions in the year 120— Basnage 122— Tillemont 130— Dodwell 140. He taught that the world was made by angels much inferior to the Eternal Father ; that Jesus was the real son of Joseph and Mary ; and he consequently denied his Di- vinity, though he considered Christ as super- human. In opposition to Carpocrates, St. John taught that the world was created, not by an- gels, but by the Logos, who was revealed to man, as the Christ, the Divine Personage prom- ised by the prophets, and expected by the world. I omit much more, that might be made ap- plicable to this argument, concerning the Elce- saites, Valentinians, and other heretics, enu- merated by Irenaeus and Epiphanius, and dis- cussed by Mosheim and Lardner, as well as the arguments of Michaelis respecting the Sa- beans, which is too long to extract, and too condensed to be further abridged. — Marsh's Michaelis, vol. ii. part 2. p. 288, &c. Neither is it necessary to enter here upon the question, so warmly discussed by Bishop Horsley and Dr. Priestley, concerning the an- cient Ebionites. The sentiments of Basilides of Alexandria' may, in the same Avay, be traced to the perver- sion of the doctrine of the Logos. He is sup- posed to have forsaken the conmiunion of the Church about the time of Trajan, or Adrian. Basnage speaks of liim at the year 121. Mill says that he flourished 123 — Cave 112. Clem- ent of Alexandria tells us, that Basilides was accustomed to boast, that he had been taught by a disciple of St. Peter. Irenseus observes, that Basilides, in order to ' Lardner, vol.iv. p. 534. Note 5.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *13 appear to have a more sublime and probable scheme than others, outstepped them all ; and taught, tliat from the Self-existent Father was born Nous, or Understanding ; of Nous, Logos ; of Logos, Phronesis ; of Phronesis, Sophia and Dunamis ; of Dunamis and Sophia, powers, principalities, and angels, that is, the superior angels, by whom the first heavens were made ; from these proceeded other angels, Avhich made all things. The first of these angels he repre- sents as the God of the Jews, who, desiring to bring other nations under the dominion of his people, was so effectually opposed, that the Jewish nation was in danger of being totally ruined, when the Self-existent and Ineffable Father sent his first-begotten Nous, who is also said to be Christ, for the salvation of those who believed in him. He appeared in tiie world as a man — taught — worked miracles — but did not suffer — for Simon of Gyrene was transformed into his likeness, and was crucified ; after which Christ ascended into heaven. Basilides taught also, that men ouglit not to confess him who was in reality crucified, but him who came in the form of man, and was supposed to be cruci- fied. Any reader of St. John's Gospel, who ac- knowledges the authority of that Evangelist, must be convinced of the errors of Basilides, as this inspired writer plainly declares, that the Logos itself was made flesh, had become a teacher of the Jews, had dwelt among them, and, as a man among men, was crucified. Basilides taught, says Vitringa", according to the testimony of Irenseus (Adv. Hfer. c. 23.) and Epiphanius (Hcer. 24. s. 1.), that Nous was first born from the Self-existent Father — then succeeded the Logos — from the Logos, Phro- nesis — from Phronesis, Sophia and Dunamis — from Dunamis and Sophia, or from Power and Wisdom, proceeded Virtues, Princes, and Arch- angels who made the heavens. Vitringa gives the following scheme of the opinions or tlieory of Basilides. To irENNHTON, o fi6vos sql navTWf ttut^q. Ijvgenitum NOY^ Mens Aoro:s Ratio (PP0NH2I1 Prudentia ^YNAMI^ aul 2:0<I>IA Potentia et Sapientia. jrXAT, EZ0Y2IJI, JrrEAOl Virtutes, Potestates, Angeli VOL. II. 6 'ArdTSQog xul ngmog 0YPAN()2, Summuni et primum C(elujm : Kal ol l|^s. He then gives the annexed brief outhne of the notions of Valentinus. BY90S 2irH Profundum, Silentium, sive sive nqoaqx'h^ "Epvoiix, et et '^Q/A, X&qig, N0Y2 AAH9EIA Mens Veritas Movoysviii;, et TlqbiToyevr^g. Aoron ZSIH Ratio Vita AN&PSinoi: — — EKKAH2IA Homo. ECCLESIA. Vitringa concludes liis Dissertation'' by sum- ming up the precise objects for which each verse of St. John's Introduction might have been more especially wTitten, in allusion to the heresies prevalent at the time of the writing of his Gospel. They will be found, he con- cludes, to overthrow all the subtilties of each of the Gnostic heresies. I. There was one true God, without cause, or origin, or birth, or procession. In opposition to the doctrine that He sprung from 2l'^'i\ and Bvdog. II. The Son existed with the Father in the essence of the same real divinity, the second in/jgacrig of Deity, which, in the language of the Scriptures, is justly called 6 AAyog. Ratio, Sapientia, vel oraculum Divinitatis. III. Tliat this Logos was the first offspring of procession from the Father, " primam pro- cessionem Patris," truly and personally exist- ing ; the Logos ifvjioguTOv, the Only-begotten Son of the Father, who was in the beginning with the Father : in opposition to the opinion of the Gnostics, who placed between the Father and the Logos, A''ovg and 'Ah^dsiu, and called tlie former, both only-begotten, and first-be- gotten. IV. That the Logos was very God, and par- taker of the perfection of the divine nature : in " Vitring03 Observationes Sacra:, vol. ii. p. 152. ' De Occasione et Scopo ProJogi Evang. Joannis Jipost. # B 14* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part I. opposition to the sentiments of the Platonists, who represent the Logos as inferior to the Most High God, and produced by him at his pleasure. V. That all things were made by the Logos, and that he is the dij/^uugydg of all things. Here St. John condemns the notion which dis- tinguishes between the Demiurgus, the Maker of this world, and the Logos ; and which denies also that the world was made by the Logos. VL Without the Logos nothing was made tliat was made : that is, the Patriarchal and Levitical dispensations, which were enacted before the incarnation, were appointed by the Logos, the Son and Ambassador of God. This clause was written to confute that error of the Gnostics, which distinguishes between God, or the Angel, the Author of the old covenant, who came from God, the Father of Christ, and from his son Christ, by whom tlie new or Christian dispensation was instituted. Vn, The Logos was the Life of Man. Against the subtilty which, in the Gnostic sys- tem of divine emanations, distinguished be- tween Zoiri, Life, and the Logos, and made the latter inferior to the former. VHL That the Logos was always in the world, and from the very beginning of all things, and from the fall of man had frequently manifested liimself in the Church which he had in the world ; that he was the true Light ; tliat as sucli he had illumined his own, the members of that Church, although by the greater part of the world, and by the carnal-minded Jews, he was not acknowledged. The Evangelist here wrote against those who would assert, that the Son of God before his incarnation had not man- ifested himself, nor was known to the world. IX. That the Logos (who had thus manifested himself occasionally as the Angel Jehovah) became flesh : that is, assumed from his mother a human nature similar to our own, sin only excepted. Refuting those who deny that Christ, the Logos, put on real flesh ; or who separate Christ from Jesus the person of the Man, the Mediator. X. Lastly, from the fulness {nhjQio^uun, the favorite word among the Gnostics) of this only and first-begotten Son of God, all were to re- ceive grace upon grace : that is, all, of every kind and degree, who believe in Christ, and called in this life to be partakers of his grace, and to the hope of his glory. — Consequently, that error of the Gnostics was to be rejected, which taught that the adherents of their sect only, who had been initiated into the mysteries of their philosophy, could aspire to the highest liappiness of the first fulness oftlie Divinity; and allotting an inferior degree of happiness to tlie souLs of all otlier believers. In addition to the Jews, and tlio lieretics of his day, the third class of persons to whom St. Jolui addressed his Gospel, were liis contempo- raries among the primitive Cliristians. The word Logos has been supposed by many to have been used in several passages of the New Tes- tament, in the same sense as in this passage of St. John. Luke i. 2. Acts xx. 32. Heb. iv. 12. Apoc. xix. 13. are particularly adduced". If from the writers of the New Testament we turn to tlie Apostolic Fathers, we shall find, that, though their testimony is express in favor of the Divinity of Christ, their evidence is not de- duced from the doctrine of the Logos. The reason of this might be, that St. John had in their opinion so completely decided the ques- tion, that the necessity of their resuming the ar- gument had been superseded. The Fathers who succeeded to the apostolic age, however, lived at a time when the discussions respecting the identity of the Messiah and the Logos re- quired further attention ; and we accordingly find that, from the time of Justin Martyr to Athanasius, the works of the Fathers abound with arguments in proof of this fundamental doctrine of Christianity. The greater part of these authorities are contained in the works of Bishop Bull''. I have selected a few of these to complete the list of evidences in support of the doctrine, that the Logos of St. John was the Angel Jehovah of the JoAvish, as certainly as he was the Messiah of the Christian Church. " He who appeared to Abraham under the tree in Mamre," says Justin Martyr, in his Dia- logue with Trypho, " was Christ He was tlie Lord who rained downfirom "the Lord fire and brimstone out of heaven." He it was who ap- "^ Witsius comes to the same general conclusions as those adopted in this note. He says that Luke i. 2. refers to the Logos, as well as Acts xx. ',\2. and Heb. iv. 12. After enumerating the arguments in defence of, and against this opinion, he hesitates to decide in favor of either. " Si mea mihi hie quoque dicenda est sententia, equidem fateor tarn speciosa in utramque partem argumenta videri. ut utra eligenda foret animo haesitaverim." See the Treatise of Witsius, ITitjl rov Joyov, in his Miscel- lanea Sacra, vol. ii. p. 87. ''■ The Drfeusio Fldei JVJccntc of Bishop Bull, and the other works of the same great writer, edited in one volume folio, by Dr. Grabe, are a coiupk'te collection, from which Bishop Horsley and others have drawn many of their irrefragable arguments. There is little or nothing in the improved version of the New Testament, Lant Carpenter's Ihutiiri- anisvi, the Doctrine of the Gospel, or in The Raco- vian Catechism, which has not been either answered, or anticipated, by this profoundly learned writer. The following is the title of the thesis which he lays down and defends in his first section, to which I ain now alluding. " Jesvim Christum, hoc est, euin qui postea Jesus Christus dictus est, ante suain fvaifliiwTjiioo', sive ex beatissiina virgine secundum carnein nativitatein, in natura altera, lumiana longe excellentiori, extitisse ; Sanctis viris, velut in prffi- ludiuin incarnationis sua;, apparuisse ; Ecclesite, quam olhn sanguine suo redeiopturus esset, sem- per pra'fiiisse, ac prospexisse ; adeoque a i)rinii)r(lio omnem ordineia divina; dispositionis (ut 'IVrtuUia- nus loipiitur) per i])suin deoiicurrisse : quin et ante jacta iiuindi fundanieiita Deo Patri suo adfuissc, — perque ii)sum coiulita fiiisse luce universa, Catho- lici doctores triuui prinioruiii saiculorum uno oinuea ore docuerunt." — Dtfcn. Fid. JS'ic. p. 7. Note 5.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. # 15 peared to Jacob in his sleep, who wrestled with him in the form of a man, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush." IrensDus also has laid down the same doc- trine as Justin, concerning Him who appeared to Moses and to Abraham. "He," says Ire- njBUs, " who was worshipped by the prophets as the living God, He is the Logos of God who conversed with Moses, and of late reproved the Sadducees. Man had already learned, in the example of Abraham, to follow the Word of God ; for this patriarch followed the command of the Word, freely offering his dear Son a sac- rifice to God." Theophilus of Antioch declares that it was the Son of God who appeared to Adam imme- diately after his fall, taking upon him the form of the Father, even the Lord of all^ Clemens Alexandrinus repeats the same things as Justin ; and, from that time to the present, the same opinion has prevailed. The Chaldee paraphrases have asserted of the Word the same things which the Old Testament de- clares of the Angel Jehovah, and which the Christian Fathers declare of Christ. The Word of God was the term by which both the Jews and the Christians recognised this Divine Per- sonage. Many other writers could be quoted to prove the same point, if accumulative evi- dence were essential to conviction in an argu- ment of this nature. In addition to the evidence derived from this source, we might mention the manner in which the writers of the New Testament allude to those passages in the Old Testament which re- fer to the Jehovah AngeV. Thus Isaiah saw in a vision the glory of Jehovah in the temple. In John xii. 4L John declares that the glory which the prophet saw, was the glory of Christ ; plainly affirming thereby that the Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Christ of the New, was the common God of both dispensations'. St. * So I translate tu noontorrov tov TraToiic xal xv- q'iov tiov u/.cov, according to Granville Sharp's rule : " When two or more personal nouns of the same gender, number, and case are connected by the copulative ycxl, if the first has the definite article, and the second, third, &c. have not, they both re- late to the same person." ■f See particularly on this subject Scott's Chris- tian Life — a treatise on the Angel Jehovah, at the end of his second book — Works, folio edition. See also Faber's Hone Mosaica, vol. ii. sect. i. cap. 2. The whole chapter is admirable. ' I have not thought it advisable to enter into the criticisms of the Unitarian writers on this and many other passages which 1 have referred to. We are told that in some few manuscripts the read- ing is i-lfiir, in other few Ki'oior. Yet the greater proportion has the usual reading Xoicoi . I have been rather anxious to exhibit the ancient, univer- sal, and, as it appears to nie, the undoubted faith of the Cliristian and Jewish Churches, without needlessly entering into verbal criticisms, or the wilful misinterpretations of the enemies of tlie Di- vinity of Christ. I do not undervalue the minutest verbal criticisms. On the contrary, we are under infinite obligations to the laborious writers who Paul alludes to this doctrine also, when he ap- plies to Christ the expression of David (Ps. Ixxviii. 56.), "they tempted and provoked the Most High God." "Neither let us tempt Christ," says St Paul, " as some of them also tempted''." On such passages as these, and on the application by our Lord to himself of many of those phrases by which Philo and the Chaldee paraphrases were accustomed to desig- nate the Word of God, or the Angel Jehovah, the primitive Christians founded this opinion. Their principal reasons, perhaps, in addition to these, were derived from the manner in which St Paul, still more decidedly, applies to Christ such expressions as " the Image of God," " the Glory of God," "the Image of tlie Invisible God," " God manifest in the flesh." Reasoning from these and similar expressions, the primi- tive Christians justly concluded that the Logos of the targumists and Philo, and the Christ of the New Testament were the same as the An- gel Jehovah of the Jewish Scriptures. The fourth class of persons, whom St. John may be supposed to have addressed, were the unconverted heathen. Of these the more igfno- rant were familiar with the doctrine of the in- carnations', and the Evangelist might desire, have attended to this part of theological literature ; but. after perusing with some attention much of the Unitarian controversy, I cannot but repeat my conviction, that the oppugners of tiie Divinity of Christ have been guilty of wilful misrepresentation, both of the arguments of their oj)ponents, and of the plain text of the Christian Scriptures. '' For an account of the manner in whicli the original ideas concerning an incarnation became perverted among the ancient nations into the vul- gar and foolish stories related in the Metamorphoses of Ovid, and in the silly legends of the later pagans, vide Faber's Origin of Pagan Idolatry. So preva- lent were these notions among the heathen, that Dr. Townson ingeniously supposes that St. Luke, who wrote his Gospel for the converted Gentiles, has avoided a word which was adopted without hesitation by the two other Evangelists. In his re- lation of the transfiguration, St. Matthew, who wrote for the Jews, has used the term (Matt. xvii. 2.), y.al iKTfiioQipwStj ftinouaSev uvriov, «fec. St. Mark, who wrote for the Proselytes of the Gate, who had embraced Christianity, and who were well acquainted therefore with the opinions of the Jews, and were not likely to be misled, has used the same phrase. But St. Luke, in describing the same event, lias used a word which seems to have been cau- tiously selected — to tlSoz tov rcooownu ixvrov 'irioov. Townson On the Gospels, vol. i. ' I have never met with any arguments which militate against the opinion I have espoused (cJiiefly on the authority of that once highly-esteemed but now neglected work. Gale's Court of the Gentiles), that Pythagoras, during his travels into Chaldea, S^-ria, Egypt, and Palestine, conversed with the Jews then partly in captivitj' at Babylon, partly dispersed in Egypt, and partly remaining in tlieir own land ; and that he learned from them much of his discipline, and many of those opinions which gave rise, in their dift'erent variations, to the prin- cipal schools of philosophy in Greece. Gale traces the oriirinal idea of a Logos to the times of Pythag- oras. Tlato, the Stoics, and others, derived their notion of a Logos, which, however, in the lapse of ages, had become perverted and corrupted, from this 16* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part I. when any of them should become converts to the Christian religion, that they should have correct ideas of the incarnation of the Eternal Word. The more educated of the heathen ■were of course well acquainted with the popu- lar philosophy of their day^, and would learn also, should they ever be brought to a knowl- edge of the truth, that the only real doctrine of the Logos was that which was maintained by the Christian Church, and is so satisfactorily set down by St. John in the commencement of his Gospel. Thus does it appear, from a careful investi- gation of the principal authorities that can be now collected, that the Preface to St. John's Gospel is the most important passage in the whole of the New Testament. It is the pas- sage which is the foundation of the Christian doctrine of the Divinity of Christ — the point where the Jewish and Christian Churches meet and divide — the record which identifies the faith of the Mosaic Church with that of the Christian. The government of the Jewish Church was consigned by the Father to that Being who assumed the titles and exercised the powers, and declared himself possessed of the attributes of the Most High God. Without the consent of this Being, the Jewish Church could not have been overthrown. He was accustomed repeatedly to appear. He called himself the Captain of the Lord's host (Josh. v. 14, 15. and primary source. Plato acknowledges that he re- ceived many mysteries from the ancients, which he did not understand, but expected some interpre- ter to unfold them. The reader who would en- gage in the study of the ancient metaphysicians, or speculators, or philosophers, by whatever name they are called, may derive ample entertainment in Cudworth's Intellectual System, Gale's Court of the Gentiles, and Philosophia Generalis, Enfield's His- Lfrif of Philosophy, and their original autliorities. / It would be an easy, useful, and pleasant task to any student who has leisure, and is interested in theological studies, to convince himself of this con- current testimony to the Divinity of Christ, as the Logos of St. John, by the targumists, the Old Testament, the Septuagint, the primitive Christian writers, and the New Testament, where it refers to our Lord ; if he would put down in a tabular form the evidence of the whole five. As in this manner, on tempting the Divine Personage in the wilder- ness : — Hebrew a , • * New Tes- i?„»i,„,„ T.irj;um.sts. Q■^^^^_ Septuagint j^^^„j_ Fathers. vi. 9.), the Angel in whom the name of God was (Exod. xxiii. 21.), and to tlie Angel, or Je- hovah, are attributed all the great actions re- corded of God in the Old Testament. We do not read any where in the Old or New Testa- ment, that this Being ceased at any time to protect the Jewish nation and its Church. The Prophet Malachi, in a passage (Mai. iii. 1-6. iv. 9-6.), which has been uniformly considered by the Jewish as well as Christian commentators to refer to the Messiah, declares that this Angel Jehovah, " the Jehovah whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple " — to the temple which had been rebuilt after the return from the captivity, and which was destroyed by the Roman soldiers. But we have no account whatever, neither have we any intimation in any author whatever, that the ancient mani- fested God of the Jews appeared in the usual manner in the second temple between the time of Malachi and the death of Herod the Great. The Christian Fathers, therefore, Avere unani- mous in their opinion, that this prophecy was accomplished in the person of Jesus, and in him only. They believed that Christ, even Jesus of Nazareth, was the Angel of the Covenant, that he and he only was Jehovah, the Angel Jehovah, the Logos of St. John, the Memrah Jail of the targumists, the expected and pre- dicted Messiah of the Jewish and Christian Churches. This is the doctrine rejected by the Unitarian as irrational, by the Deist as incom- prehensible, by the Jew as unscriptural — but it is the doctrine which has ever been received by the Christian Church in general with humil- ity and faith, as its only hope, and consolation, and glory. Tiirgum of Juimtlian nnlthcTar- f,'iiiii of J<!rii- salciii, i|iiot- f'l hy Allix, p. 1.52. as- sert that it was " The VS'oril " a- gain^twhom Israel niur nuircd. Viile Allix in loc. Ps. cvi. 14. Kai inci- paiyav tov Qiov iv d- ivfipt.i. Ps. cv. 14. Ps. cvi. in Hebrew. ■mipa^wnf.v TOV Xpio-T- 6v. 1 Cor. X. 9. Primasius quoted by Whitby. Others coulil be foniul, but I merely put this down to illustrate my plan of drawing up a table of t(!Slimonic3 to th(! Di- vinity of Christ. Primasius lived in the sixth centu- ry- Note 6. — Part I. ox THE ARRANGEMENT OF THESE THREE VERSES. Though the Baptist is here mentioned, and the passage is consequently an anticipation of his testimony, the apparent reference of v. 16. to V. 14. has induced me to follow the authority of Archbishop Newcome, in preference to that of Lightfoot, Michaelis, Pilkington, and Dod- dridge. Verse 18 declares also, as Newcome has observed, the reason for which the Word Avas made flesh ; that it was to manifest the Father to the world. The circumstances of the Baptist's testimony will be mentioned be- low. Whiston places the whole of this preface after the events recorded in St. Luke, i. ii. Mr. Hele* places John i. 1-5. after St. Luke's pref- ace. He then places John i. G-14. after Luke iii. 2. and John i. 15-18. after the account of the temptation. '^ Four Gospels Harmonized, Basingstoke, 1750, 8vo. Note 7.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *17 Note 7. — Part I. UN THE MIRACULOUS EVENTS WHICH PRECEDED THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH. With the exception of Simon the Just', who, according to Jewish tradition, had received the last rays of the setting sun of prophecy, and completed the Canon of the Old Testament, it is generally believed by the Jewish Church that Prophecy and Miracle had ceased since the time of Malachi. A learned writer"', how- ever, has attempted at great length to show, that though Propliecy, properly so called, had ceased during this interval, yet extraordinary revelations were vouchsafed to some few indi- viduals : and he instances the prediction said to nave been delivered by Hillel, Schammai, and Menahem. But there is no satisfactory evi- dence to prove this assertion. Josephus, who repeats them, doubts their truth. Drusius sup- poses that the reading in Josephus is corrupt. Gorionides, Abraham Ben Dion, and even Jo- sephus, are not quoted by Vitringa with any de- gree of confidence in their authority ; and we have no allusion in the New Testament to any instance of the effusion of the Holy Spirit after the closing of tlie Canon of the Old Testament. The inspired writers of the New Testament appeal only to the Law and the Prophets, that is, to the Old Testament in its present form. And they appeal to the miracles and prophecies of the Apostles and their Master, as novelties in their own age, affording undeniable witness that God had at length visited his people. After a long cessation, therefore, of miracle and prophecy, the time approaches when the first proof is to be given that the Creator of the world was still mindful of the favored house of Israel, and of the whole human race. The Spirit of prophecy revives— an angel descends from heaven ; and, as if more immediately to connect the new dispensation with that which it was to supersede, this blessed messenger be- gins by foretelling the very same event, in the same words which had been used by Malaclii in delivering the last prophecy vouchsafed to the Jewish Church : — " Behold ! I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the gTcat and dreadful day of the Lord : And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children. And tlie heart of the children to their fathers." Malachi iv. 5, 6. To Zacharias it is foretold : — 'On Simon the Just, vide Prideaux's Connection, vol. ii. p. 810, 8vo. edit 1729. Lightfoot, vol. i. p. 2008 -, and vol. ii. p. :381 ; Arrangement of the Old Testament, note in loc. "' Vitringa, in his Observ. Sarrcc, vol. i. b. vi. p. 294, &c. VOL. II. *3 " And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, To turn the hearts of the fathers to the chil- dren, And the disobedient to the wisdom of the just" — Luke i. 17. The first prophecy of the New Testament is given in the very same language as the last of the Old Testament; thereby offering to the Jews the strongest evidence in favor of their long-expected Messiah. The birth of John, the forerunner of the promised Saviour, was an- nounced by the testimony of an angelic vision the return of the Spirit of prophecy — and the revival of miracles, in the dumbness of Iiis father, its definite continuance, and its pre- dicted removal. The attention of the people must have been powerfully excited by these remarkable circumstances; and the beginning of the New Dispensation was distinguished by the same superhuman characteristics which had proved the divine origin of that which was now to be done away. The number of each of the twenty-four courses of the priests was so great, that many thousands were constantly in attendance upon the service of the temple. The most solemn of the daily services was that which had been ap- pointed by lot, in the usual manner, to Zacha- rias. When he entered into the holy place to burn incense, the congregation of Israel stood without in profound silence, offering up their prayers, and waiting till the priest should re- turn, as was customary, to dismiss them with liis blessing. The congregation consisted of the whole course of the priests, whose weekly turn of attendance was now going on, and of the Levites that served under these priests— the men of the station, as the rabbis called them, whose office it was to present the whole con- gregation, by putting their hands on the heads of the sacrifice,— and of the multitude from the city, whom devotion would now have drawn lo their temple, including of course the presidents and overseers of the temple, and others of the first rank and chief note at Jerusalem. Lightfoot supposes, from the expression, v. 10., "''the whole multitude"," that a larger crowd than usual was then assembled ; that it might have been a Sabbath : and upon the hypothesis, which he has attempted to defend at length, he calculates that the course of Abia served in their turn at this time, in the eighth week after the Passover, and that the lessons read in the tem- ple were the law of tlie Nazaritcs, Numb. vi. and the conception of Samson. But this, though ingenious, must be in some degree conjectural. When we remember the scrupulous exact- ness with which the Jews attended to every part of their ceremonial ritual, and the conse- " 77«r Tu 7i?Sdoc rov ;'.«ot. — Lightfoot, vol. i. p. 407. *B* 18* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part I. quent sensation excited by every thing con- nected with their divinely-appointed Avorsliip, we shall be able to represent to ourselves, in some degree, the impression produced by this event. The people, including, we may sup- pose, the great majority of the men of leisure, education, and eminence, either of Judas a or Jerusalem, were anxiously waiting to learn the cause of Zacharias's unusual delay. The con- cluding and accustomed blessing had not yet been pronounced. At length their officiating Priest presents himself at the door of the holy place. His countenance now expresses the greatest agitation, and he endeavours in vain to fulfil his unfinished duties. He is unable to give the expected blessing. The congrega- tion, from anxious curiosity and astonishment, we may reasonably suppose, remained for some time in silent suspense — but when they found that Zacharias continued both deaf and speech- less, they perceived, as the Evangelist relates, " that he had seen a vision." His silence was miraculous. The circumstance would be re- corded and enrolled in the archives of the tem- ple, and preserved by the priests of the course of Abia. As his dumbness was not a legal un- cleanness, and no law of Moses prescribed the exclusion of a priest from the temple service on that account, and as St. Luke (i. 23.) mentions, that " as soon as the days of his ministration Avere accomplished, he departed to his own house," he must have continued in office during his appointed course, and would certainly take his professional station in the temple, although incapable of performing all his ministerial func- tions ; — thereby presenting to the Jews, in the very centre of their sanctuary, an undeniable proof of the revival of miracle, and exciting in their minds the strongest expectations of some wonderful occurrence. As Zacharias had now become both deaf and dumb, it is highly probable that he wrote down an account of the heavenly vision, which must by this means have been well known through- out Judaea. The prediction of the Angel was quite consonant to the generally-received opin- ions of the day. Elias was first to appear, and the first revelation therefore of the approaching change in the dispensations of God must have reference to his Messenger, rather than to the Messiah himself. It had been prophesied tliat the forerunner of Immanuel was to resemble Elias in his spirit and power, in the effijcts of his mission, in the austerity of his character, in the boldness of liis preaching, and in his suc- cessful reform of the Jewish Church. He was to be the " Voice of one crying in the Avilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, Make his patlis straight ; " — " To turn the hearts of the fathers to the chil- dren, And thc! disobedient to the wisdom of the just." Many things worthy of remark occur in con- sidering the dumbness of Zacharias. It was at once a proof of the severity and of the mercy of God. Of severity, on account of his unbelief; of mercy, in rendering his punishment tempo- rary, and in causing it to be the means of mak- ing others rejoice in the events predicted by the Angel. His condemnation and crime were most appropriate and merciful warnings to the Jew- ish nation, and seem almost to prefigure the general unbelief that was so soon to prevail, as well as to foreshow tlie approaching dumbness, or dissolution, of the Levitical priesthood. — Vide Witsius,i)e Vita Johannis Baptistee, and the opinion of Isidorus Pelusiota on the dumb- ness of Zacharias, there quoted: Miscell. Sacra, 4to. vol. ii. p. 500. Note 8. — Part I. ON THE DOCTRINE OF THE MIRACULOUS CONCEPTION. The doctrines both in the Old and New Tes- taments would be utterly incredible, if they were not confirmed by the most unquestionable and convincing evidence ; and if tliey were not also so interwoven together that they must all be received, or all be rejected. They are so involved with the history of the world, that the latter alternative is impossible to a rational mind ; and the various absurdities and inconsis- tent conclusions to which men have been uni- formly betrayed, when they have endeavoured to believe one part of the system of Revelation, and to reject another, are almost sufficient rea- sons of themselves to compel us to receive the whole of what is revealed to us. The doctrine of the miraculous conception, which contains so much that contradicts experience, and seems at first sight so incredible, is founded upon evi- dence the most complete and satisfactory. It is intimately blended with the whole system of Revelation. The fabric would not be complete without it. It is supported by the general in- terpretation of the first promise, and is repeated and corroborated by the ancient prophets of the Old, and the positive assertions of the writers of the New Testament. In wliat manner mind acts upon body, and body upon mind, we are totally ignorant. Wc know only from daily experience, that the will gives an impulse at pleasure to the limbs and body. Wc know also, by observation, that the mind of an individual, which tlius controls or directs tlie body, is often biased in tlie very same manner as the mind of his progenitor. One eartldy bias, or tendency, seems to be im- pressed upon thc human race, which compels or induces one generation of men to be the same as the generation which preceded them. Note 8.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. 19 Man, since the fall of Adam, has never, with any one exception, been born with a spiritual bias ; — the innate tendency which always shows itself is uniformly directed towards earthly, or natural, or merely animal objects ; that is, to objects which have their origin, connexion, prog- ress, and end, in this life only. This bias, or tendency, is what divines call Original Shu It is that disposition" which is born with us ; which was entailed upon us by our first parents, and has reduced us to a state little superior to the animal creation below us. When originally created, the mind of man was not thus biased to earth. The spiritual prevailed over the in- ferior, or carnal, nature. The fall was the tri- umph of the animal nature of man ; and to re- store the human race to its original spirituality is the great object of that one religion, which has been gradually revealed to mankind, under its three forms, the Patriarchal, Levitical, and Christian dispensations. When man had fallen, we read that Adam begat a son in his own likeness, after his image ; whereas Adam had been formed in the image of God. The son of Adam was born therefore after a different image from that in which his father was originally created. The first man Adam had been created spiritual ; but he be- came earthly. His sons, and his sons' sons, and all their descendants, from that moment even to this day, partook of a nature, earthly, inferior, and animal. The fallen man Adam ever did, and ever will, produce creatures of a similar nature to himself^. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." Such being the law of animal life, impressed upon matter by the will of the Supreme Being, it becomes evident that no creature can be free from the inferior nature in wliich he is begotten. " Behold I I was shapen in iniquity. And in sin did my mother conceive me." Ps. li. 5. No mere man can be exempt from the laws of ° The Infection of our nature, the ifyQurrjua ouq- y.'oc, spoken of in the yth Article of the Church of England. ■P " Moses acquaints us that Mam begat Seth in HIS OWN LIKENESS, AFTER HIS IMAGE, Geil. V. 3. Can it be supposed that an accurate writer as Moses is, when he had said, that God created man, in his own likeness, after his image, Gen. i. 26, 27., and here lie says, that Mam begat Seth in his own LIKENESS, AFTER HIS IMAGE, did not sct tliis ex- pression in opposition to the other .' Nothing else appears from the words being so e.xactly repeated. He must therefore design to acquaint us that Mam, having lost the image and likeness of God, could not for that reason beget Seth after the image and likeness in which himself had been created ; lut in his own likeness, after his image, a miserable mortal man like himself, an heir of his toil, care, sorrow, and death." E.xtracted from a manuscript letter i'roin the first Lord Viscount Barrington (author of the Essaij on the Dispensations) to the celebrated Dr. Lardner. See also on the same subject Jones's Figanitire Language of Scripture. his kind. If then a long succession of prophe- cies foretold that a Being should come into the world to perform certain works, which necessa- rily implied perfection, and therefore an exemp- tion from the universal law of human nature, our reason tells us that his birth must take place in some peculiar or miraculous manner, differ- ing from that which is entailed on the imperfect beings around liim : or, in other words, — an im- maculate conception was the only mode in which a sinless or spiritual being could be born into a sinful or animal world, without partaking of its common nature. If it be said, that our Lord partook of this in- ferior nature as the Son of the Virgin, as much as if he were the offspring also of Joseph ; we answer, — In the same way as Adam, when he was created in the image of God, and therefore sinless, received from the hands of his Maker a body formed from the dust of the ground, so likewise did the second Adam receive from the Virgin an earthly body, as free from sin as that with which the first Adam sprang from the ground, yet, like that, subjected to all the weak- ness, infirmities, and sufferings of humanity. When we can comprehend in what manner the inanimate dust became an organized beincr at the first creation, we shall be able to compre- hend the mystery of the creation of the second Adam. But we may as reasonably disbelieve the one as the other, if our understanding must comprehend the difficulty before we receive it. The whole doctrine of creation is one of the truths which baffles the intellect of man. We must, in this stage of our being, be contented to believe, and to be ignorant. If we will be- lieve only what we can comprehend, we must believe nothing but mathematical demonstra- tions. The declarations of Scripture, from the very beginning, assert, that " the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." It is evident that this term, " the seed of the woman," cannot be applied to mankind in general. It must re- fer to a Being to whom it could be applied in some peculiar sense : and the ingenuity of man has never yet devised a mode in which this passage can be properly applied to any of the human race, unless in that manner in which the believers in divine Revelation have applied it to the promised Deliverer, the second Adam. The first Adam was called the Son of God, be- cause he was created in the image of God, in a way different from his descendants. Christ also is called the Son of God, on account of his mi- raculous conception. Both were created spir- itual beings ; and the true worshippers of God, in various parts of Scripture, are called by the same name, in an inferior sense, because they aspire to the recovery of tliat superior nature which the first Adam lost, but which the second restored. The ancient Jews were decided, and, so far 20* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part L as we can ascertain from their remaining books, were unanimous in their opinion, that the Di- vine Person who was appointed to deliver man should be the seed of the woman in some man- ner differing from mere men. This they prin- cipally learned from two passages in their prophets, which have consequently been much discussed ; these are Isa. vii. 14. and Jer. xxxi. 22., both of which require attention. When the invasion of Rezin and Pekah had reduced the Israelites to extremity, their king, Ahaz, who in the days of his prosperity had sacrificed and burnt incense to the gods of the surrounding nations, in the groves and in the high places of their worship, and consequently had paid little attention or respect to the pro- phet, now, in this period of distress and calam- ity, applies for relief to Isaiali. The Prophet assures him that he shall be delivered from the two kings ; but that, within sixty-five years, the ten tribes should be carried away captive, (Isa. vii. 9.) The lung is incredulous, doubting, per- haps, the inspiration of the Prophet; who re- quests the king to require any miraculous proof he pleases that the prophecy he had delivered should be accomplished. The king refuses to do so, when Isaiah immediately declares, — " The Lord himself shall give you a sign — Be- hold ! a Virgin (or, more properly, the Virgin, mS;7n Avith the emphatic n) shall conceive and bear a son." He tells him that the name of this son should be Immanuel ; and, before he was of sufficient age to discern between good and evil, the country sliould be delivered from its invaders. The virgin in question is supposed, by Abrabanel, and other Jewish writers, to de- note Mahershalalhashbaz, whom Isaiah married soon alter. By others the word TiDh]}'r\ is ren- dered damsel, instead of virgin, and is supposed to refer to the queen of Ahaz, who was then pregnant of Hezekiah. Dr. Pye Smith' follows the autliority of Trypho, Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and Abrabanel, in giving this last signification to the word DoSj^n. The Inspired Writings, however, do not appear to confirm this interpretation ; for they give us no account of a child born at that time who either received the name of Immanuel, or a name tliat would bear the same signification. If the prophecy had ended at the 16th verse of the seventh chapter, it might perhaps bear a literal interpretation. But it seems to have been forgotten by those who would thus limit its signification, that it is only a part of one prophetical discourse which is completed at ver. 4. chap. X., and includes that still more eminent prophecy, rendered in our translation, — ' Scripture Testimony to the Messiah, vol. i. p. 271 ; but this supposition is founded on tho idea that some error has crept into the account in the Sacred Text of Hezekiah's age, 2 Kings xvi. 2. 2 Chron. xxviii. 1. — and it is scarcely admissible 1o build the right interpretation of one part of Scripture on the possible error of another. " Unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given ; The government shall be upon his shoulder, And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God." The object then of the prophet in pronouncing the words, " A Virgin shall conceive," &c. must be collected from the scope of the whole discourse. If it be thoroughly examined, it will appear, like other prophetical discourses, to make the present distress and predicted de- liverance serve as a figure of some more dis- tant and more glorious event. No king of Is- rael could be justly styled the Wonderful — Counsellor — the Mighty God (which latter epi- thet is rendered by a learned critic*", God, the Mighty Man), — the Everlasting Father — the Prince of Peace. This prophecy from neces- sity must be, as it always lias been, both by Jewish* and Christian writers, referred to the Messiah, and as such is quoted by St. Matthew in his Gospel, i. 23'. I shall close this part of the present note with a statement of Dr. Kennicott's hypothesis. He conceives that " the text contains two distinct prophecies ; each literal, and each to be understood in one sense only ; the first re- lating to Christ, the second to Isaiah's son." The one is contained in ver. 13, 14, and 15; and the other in ver. 16. Dr. Kennicott para- phrases them thus : — " I. Fear not, O house of David ! tlie fate threatened you : God is mindful of his promise to your father, and will fulfil the same in a very wonderful manner : Behold ! a virgin (rather, the virgin, the only one thus circumstanced) shall conceive, and bear a son ; which son shall therefore be, Avhat no other has been or shall be, the seed of tlie woman, here styled the VIRGIN : and this son shall be called (i. e. in Scripture language he shall be) 'Immanuel, God with us ;' but this Great Person, this God visible amongst men, introduced into the world '' llorsley's Riblical Criticisms, vol. ii. p. 65. " " Quoniam j)uer datus est " — Targum : " Dixit propheta ad donuuii David : Puer natus est nobis," &c. •• Dous potens vivens in secula i<^'i^'D, Messiah, cujus teniporibus pax multaerit." Deha- rim Riiliha, sect. i. fol. 24!>. 4. In Sanhedrin, fol. 94. 1. '■ Deum constituisse Jliskiam facere Messiam, qua3 quideni fabulosa sunt, sed tamen nobis in tan- tuni utilia, quia ostendunt. Juda!os in lectione horum verborum de Messia cogitasse." — Schoetgen. vol. ii. p. l(JO. It cannot be necessary to refer to Chris- tian writers; but see K\i\Aer\ Demonstration of the Mrssiah, part ii. p. !I7, J72(). iblio. ' The quotation in St. Matthew agrees almost word for word with the Hebrew : — Matt. i. 23.— '7(?oi; »; nuo- ■Strog iv Y^^Q^ fcf, xcti Tt'sf rai v'iuv, xai xuXlaov- 01 TO oroiia atiTuv 'EM- M INOYH /I. but varies from the Septnagint, from whicli the New-Testament writers so often quote, in two words only — Matt. V;fi — Sept. A),'i//frui — Matt, xa- Xinovoi — Sept. xuXioiig. Isa. vii. 14. mS'1 mn nnS;'n rt^n Mote 8.J NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *01 thus, in a manner that is without exainple, shall be truly man: he shall be born an infant, and as an infant shall he be brought up: for butter and honey (ratlicr milk and honey) shall ho eat ; he shall be fed with the common food of infants (which in the East was milk mixed with honey) till he shall know (not that he may know, as if sucli food was to be the cause of such knowl- edsfe, but) till he shall grow up to know how to refuse the evil and choose the good. "II. But before this child (pointing to his own son) shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that thou abhoirest shcdl be for- saken of both her kings. " -li'jn should be rendered, ' this child :'' — a son of Isaiah, Shearjashub ; whom God liad commanded the prophet to take with him ; but of whom no use was made, unless in the application of these words ; whom Isaiah might now hold in his arm ; and to whom therefore he might point with his hand when he addressed himself to Ahaz, and said, ' But before this child shall grow up to discern good from evil, the land that thou abhor- rest shall be forsaken of both her kings.' " The child's name is evidently prophetical ; for it signifies, a remnant, or the remainder, shall return. This prophecy was soon after fulfilled. And therefore tliis son, whose name had been so consolatory the year before, was with the utmost propriety brought forth now, and made the subject of a second prophecy — namely, that before that child, then in the second year of his age, should be able to distinguish natural good fi-om evil, before he should be about four or five years old, the lands of Syria and Israel, spoken of here as one kingdom, on account of their pres- ent union and confederacy, should be forsaken of both their kings : which, though at that time highly improbable, came to pass about two years after ; when those two kings, who had in vain attempted to conquer Jerusalem, were themselves destroyed, each in his own country." — Kenni- cott's Sermon on Isaiah vii. 13-16. Oxf. 1765. The celebrated prophecy of Micah (ch. v. 2.) which St. Matthew likewise, as his countrymen would approve", applies to Christ, was written " Since the application of this passage to the Christian Messiah, the Jews have been accustomed to refer the words to other circuiustancos than their ancestors liad done. " Noli, Lector," says Sclioet- gen (vol. ii. p. 213), " lianc diversitateni inirari — (I consider iny.self as possibly addressing some of tlie sons of Israel in these notes, and I omit there- fore the next clause of the quotation) — hie autem Marcus IMarinus, Censor a Pontifice constitutus, lextus ad confirniationem religionis valentes cor- rupit. In loco Sanhedrin (fol. 1)8. 2. had been just quoted) signum castrationis, lacuna scilicet, ubi vox n"/L''"^n, Impiuiii, omissa est, aperte conspicitur : in loco auteni priore longe plura deesse videntnr." '• Dixit R. Giddell. Quare autem Hillel excipiatur a consortio istius beatitudinis ? Quia dixit : nullum aiaplius Messiani Israeli expectanduin esse : (Glo.isa : Quia Hiskias fuerit Messins. et do ipso diet^ slnlProphetice Ezek. xxix. 21. et Micha v. 3.)" Mensche.n JV. T. ex Talmudc illitst. 4to. Leipsic, ]73G, p. 30. twenty years after the event by which this prophecy of Isaiah (Is. vii. 14-16, &c.) was oc- casioned. Both Dr. Hales" and Bishop Lowth" are of opinion, that Micah in this passage al- ludes to the former passage previously delivered by Isaiah. " Micah," says Bishop Lowth, "having delivered that remarkable prophecy which determines the place of tiie birth of the Messiah, the Ruler of God's people, whose goings forth have been of old, from everlasting, adds, that nevertheless God would deliver them up to their enemies, till she who is to bear a child brings forth." Archbishop Newcome also confirms the authorized version"^. The uncommon expression also, "the holy offspring," Luke i. 3.5., seems to be especially adapted to denote that the child would be pro- duced in a way different from the generation of the rest of mankind. On the appellation, Son of the Most High, Kuinoel observes," that it seems to be used to signify that Ciirist was pro- created by an immediate divine intervention : in which sense Adam also is called the son of God''." The next prophecy which our present subject leads us to consider is given by Jeremiah, (xxxi. 22.)— " The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man." That new "creation of a man is therefore new, and therefore a creation, because wrought in a woman only, without a man compassing a man : which interpretation is ancient, literal, and clear'." This is tlie opinion of one of our most " Hale's £nal. of Chronology, vol. ii. p. 4G2,4(j3. ™ Lowth's Isaiidi, notes, 4to. edit. p. 04. ^ Nevvcome's Minor Fropkcts. in loc. y Comment, in Lihros Hist. K. T., vol. ii. p. 271. Apud Smith's Scripture Testimanij to Mess., vol. ii. p. 48. Pearson On the Creed, Oxford edit. 8vo. vol. i. p. 270, and vol. ii. p. 48. - Pearson On the Creed, Oxford edit. 8vo. vol. i. p. 270, and vol. ii. p. 201 . '• It is not to be denied," be observes, " that the proper signification of 2::D is circvmdare or cingcre. R. Judah lias observed but one interpretation of the verb, and Kinichi says, that all the words which come from the root 220 sjonify romjKission, or circintion. Tiiose words tlierefore (.ler. xxxi.22.) -ir:j rnOH n^p] must lit- erally import no less than that a woman Sliall encom- pass, or enclose, a man ; which, with the addition of a new creation, may well bear the interpretation of a miraculous conception. On this account the Jews applied the passage determinately to tlie Messiah. This appears in Bernshiih Rahha Para.<h, 89. where, showing that God dotii heal with that with which be woundeth. he saith, as he punished Israel in a virgin, so would he also heal them with a virsin. according to the prophet, • The Lord bath created a new thing on the earth, a woman shall compass a man.' By the testimony of R. Huna, in the name of R. Iddi, and R. Joshua, the son of Levi, y^'iS' — 5vn V.v n'lVOH iS-^ nt ' This is Messiah the King, of whom it is written, (Psalm ii. 7.) This d(ni have I begotten thee.' And again in Midrash Ti'lim. upon the second Psalm. R. Huna. in the name of R. Iddi. speaking of the sufFer- inofs of the Messiah, saith ^'^'•2" "^So "T Jste est Rex Me.<!si a sA]mt when bis bonris come, God shall say, 22* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part 1. eminent divines, who proceeds to demonstrate, from the rabbinical and tahnudical writers, tliat the ancient Jews gave the same interpretation to this passage, and referred it to the miracu- lous conception of the expected Messiah. The greater part of the events which are pre- dicted in the Old Testament are shadowed forth by types, or partial, intended resemblances to the event prefigured. The miraculous con- ception also is repeatedly typified in the Old Testament. Various women, Anna the wife of Elkanah, Sarah the wife of Abraham, the wife of Manoah, and others,' as well as Elisa- beth the wife of Zacharias, are recorded to have brought fortli children after their old age had begun. These events seem to have been designed to afford the Church of God, which expected a Messiah who should be in a pecu- liar sense the seed of the woman, a certain and miraculous proof, that, as nothing was impos- sible with God, he would in his own time give ■■"IimSl ' t must create him with a new creation ; and su (by virtue of that new creation) he saith, Thisday have I beffotten thee.' From whence it appeareth that this sense is of itself literally clear, and that the ancient rabbins did understand it of tlie Mes- sias ; wlience it follows that the later interpreta- tions are but to avoid the truth which we profess, that Jesus was born of a virgin, and therefore is the Christ." Vide also Schoetgenius, vol. ii. p. 99. Locum general. 50. 2. Li Sohar Genes, fol. 13. col. 52. apud Schoetgen, vol. ii. p. 202, the words TIJ DDIDH nnpJ are applied to the Church. ' Die sexto applicat 'se uxor (Ecclesia) ut praesto sit ma- rito suo (Deo) qui vocatur Justus, eique die Sabba- thi monsam instruat. Et hoc ipsum est, quod Scriptura innuit, dicens : (Creabit Dominus.) Et hoc tit teniporibus Messiah, qui sunt dies sextus.'" Dr. Blayney, in his new translation of the prophe- cies of Jeremiah, renders the phrase "a woman shall put to the rout a strong man," and defends this interpretation by observing, that the words (even if 33D be translated to encompass) can only mean to contain or comprehend in the womb ; and as tins is not a wonderful thing, he concludes the passage has some other meaning. But the fact is, that this encompassing in the womb being called a wonderful thing has been referred on that very account to the miraculous conception. He sup- poses the woman to be the Jewish Church, which should put to the rout all its powerful enemies. The word 3 30, in Hipliil or Pihil, may certainly sio-nify to cause to turn about, i. e. to repulse. But this was by no means a thing so unusual, that it should be called a new thing in the earth ; for the Church of Israel had repeatedly overpowered its enemies, or been delivered from them in a most wonderful manner. The interposition of Provi- dence for this cause was by no means a new thing in the earth. The sense of" repulsed," or " put to the rout," also is very forced and without sufficient authority. Blayney's Jeremiah, 4to. 1784. Oxford, p. 8(j, and notes 1!I4. Calvin, an author always entitled to our most impartial attention, comparing the passage with Isa. xliii. 19., interprets it to sig- nify the triumph of the Jews over the Clialdeans. By the " woman," he understands the Jews; by the " man," the Chaldeans ; and by the " compass- ing," the triumph of the Jews over these, their enemies. Luther once maintained the same opin- ion. This interpretation, however, is entirely overthrown by the ri'collection of the fact, that neither the Chaldeans, nor tlie Persians, nor the Medes, were ever conquered by the Jews, who them the promised Messiah ; of whose birth the births of the children of these women were but types. That the doctrine of the miraculous concep- tion of tlie Messiah is laid down in the New Testament, as well as the Old, the Christian reader does not retjuire to be informed. The account is contained in the commencing chap- ters of the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke, and is to be found in every version and manuscript of the New Testament extant. As these chapters maintain the Divinity of Christ, by asserting the fact of his miraculous birth, they have been attacked with a variety of tlieo- retical arguments by the Socinian writers, as well as by all, whether Deists or nominal Chris- tians, who would reduce the Gospel to a good and valuable system of morality ; and represent tlie promised Messiah as merely the blameless man, the exemplary teacher, and possibly a su- perior prophet". On the same authority which were freely released from tiieir captivity. Not only does this fact overthrow the interpretation given by this eminent man, but tlie word T\2pi is never used figurativel}'. Pfeiffer adds many Very curious interpretations of the passage. Vide Pfeifl'er, Du- hia Verata. p. 760. The passage is interpreted by Christian divines to refer to the miraculous con- ception. The " woman " is the mother of Christ. The " man" encompassed (the II^J Sn of Isaiah ix. 5.) is the Messiah; the " encompassing " is the enclosure of the promised infant created in the womb. The " new thing in the earth " is the creation of the infant by supernatural power, a cir- cumstance unusual, unknown, unthought, and un- heard of before. That this is the meaning of the passage is gathered from the context, the former and latter passages connected with it referring to the Messiah. This intelligence only could give complete comfort to the pious Jews at the period when they were thus distressed. They were as- sured not only that they should return to their cit- ies, but that the ancient promise should be accom- plished, and the seed of the woman be born. Three arguments have been adduced by some against this mode of interpreting the passage. The first is, that n^pj is the epithet applied only to the female sex in general, and not to any individual; more es- pecially that the term is by no means applicable to a virgin. To this it is answered, that the word is applied to an individual in the following passages : Gen. i. 27. and v. 2. ; Lev. iii. 1. and (j. and ix. 28. and 32. and xxvu. 4. ; Num. xxxi. 15. ; and that it is not unusual to use the same word in opposition to TOI, an individual of the other sex. And, in Le- vit. xii. 15. the word nrpj is applied to a female infant, newly born. The' second argument is, that the word i2j is never used to denote a newly-born male infant. The Targum of Onkelos. however, on Gen. iv. 1., uses the word in this sense, and it is also so applied in Isa. ix. 5., " unto us a child is born," «&:c. "n^iJ Sx- The third argument is, that 331 never refers to conception. The word, how- ever, signifies in general " to enclose," " to sur- round ;" and its use in the present instance is suf- ficiently enforced and applicable. Vide Pfeift(T, Diihia I'cxutu, p. 7()0-7ri2, and his references. " I will notice but one objection which has btcly been ao-ain brought forward against th<> doctrine of the immaculate conception, as it has fre(]uently been urged by the Socinian writers, and is so ad- mirably answered by a gentleman to whose valu- able work I am much indebted. In his Cahn In- qvinj into the Scripture Doctrine of the Perstm of Note 9.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *23 induced the first ages to receive these chapters as authentic and genuine, Christians in all ages have made the doctrine of the miraculous con- ception an article of their faith. They have believed in Him "who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary." See the whole of the admirable third article of Pearson On the Creed. Note 9. — Part I. ON THE salutation OF MARY. The learned Joseph Mede remarks on the salutation of the Angel, " Hail, thou that art highly favored," x'^^Q^ xexaQniDfievrj — that it must be rendered, not, as Dr. Hammond and the Vulgate represent it, "Hail tliou that art full of grace," but in the same sense in which the house of Levi was higlily favored above the rest of the tribes of Israel. The word lynp) " holy," does not always mean " holy in life," but "holy to the Lord," which implies a relative holiness, and as the word T'on, which some- times is considered a synonym of li'Tpi is used Christ, Mr. Belsham observes, "If the relation given of the miraculous conception were true, it is utterly unaccountable that these extraordinary events should have been wholly omitted by Mark and John, and that there should not be a single allusion to them in the New Testament, and par- ticularly that in John's history, Jesus should be so frequently spoken of as the son of Joseph and Mary, without any comment, or the least hint that this statement was erroneous."' — " This objection," says Dr. Pye Smith, " is plausible; but we ask a fair attention to the following considerations. The fact in question was of tlie most private and deli- cate nature possible, and, as to human attestation, it rested solely on the word of Mary herself, the person most deeply interested. Joseph's mind was satisfied with regard to her honor and veracity, by a divine vision, which, in whatever way it was evinced to him to be no delusion, was still a pri- vate and personal affair. But this was not the kind of facts to which the first teachers of Chris- tianity were in the habit of appealing. The mira- cles on which they rested their claims were such as had multiplied witnesses to attest them, and generally enemies not less than friends. Here, then, we see a reason why Jesus and his disciples did not refer to this circumstance, so peculiar, and necessnrily private. The account in Matthew Iiad probably been transmitted through the family of Josepli and Mary ; and tliat in Luke, through the family or intimates of Zacharias and Elisabeth ; a supposition which furnishes a reason why the two narratives contain so little matter in common. It is objected also that this doctrine is not alluded to iu the other books of tjie New Testament. The same reason will account for the absence of refer- ence to this miracle in the epistolary writings of the New Testament, if that absence be admitted to the fullest extent; for there is, at least, one pas- sage which appears to carry an implication of the fact. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in explaining the symbolical representations by whicb it pleased the Holy Spirit, under the former dispensation, to prefigure the blessings of Chris- tianity, seems to put the interior sanctuary, or ' holy of holies,' as thy sign of the heavenly state ; in the same twofold sense, he concludes the salutation of the Angel ought so to be under- stood in this place. The sermon in which Mede expresses this opinion is upon Deut. xxxiii. 8. — " Let thy Urim and tliy Thummim be with thy holy one." The Hebrew is "^TPn' which Junius expounds, " with thy favored one ;" not (xrSol oct/o) ct«, as the Septuagint, but xf/«- QiTOj/iiva an. "The word," says Lightfoot (vol. i. p. 411, fol. edit.), " is used by the Greek scho- liast to express Ton CD^S ,i<fT« xe/ccotToifiiru XKoijotd'^cFTi, Ps. xviii. 25., in the sense of /fij>/c, mercy, or favor, as Ephes. i. 6. ix(x(jlTO)aev ■f^uac" The salutation of the Angel means, therefore, " Hail, thou that art the especially elected and favored of the Most High, to attain to that honor which the Jewish virgins and the Jewish moth- ers have so long desired — thou shalt be the mother of the Messiah." For an account of the peculiar manner in which the Jewish women desired offspring, in the hope tliat they might be tlie mother of the promised Messiah, vide Allix's Reflections on the Books of Moses. Mede's Works, fol. edit. London, 1677, p. 181. Light- foot, vol. i. fol. edit. p. 411. See also Kuinoel and Rosenmiiller in loc. and the outer tabernacle as that of ' the flesh,' or human nature of the Messiah. As the Aaroni- cal high priest, on the great anniversary of expia- tion, was first to officiate in the tabernacle, ofl^ering the sacrifices and sprinkling the blood of symboli- cal pardon and purification, and then was to ad- vance, through that tabernacle, into the most holy place, the representation of the divine presence ; so Christ, our ' Great High Priest,' and ' Minis- ter of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle,' — ' entered into the sanctuary — through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, — his own blood.' Now, of tins tabernacle it is declared that ' the Lord pitched it, and not man ;' that it was ' not made with hands,' that is, not of this creation. The expression in Scripture, ' not made with hands,' denotes that which is effected by the im- mediate power of God, without the intervention of any inferior agency. It, therefore, in the case be- fore us, intimates that the fleshly tabernacle of our Lord's humanity was formed, not in the ordinary way of nature, but by the immediate exercise of Omnipotence." — Smith's Scripture Testimony to the Messiah, vol. ii. p. 17-19. Many modern in- terpreters, it is true, understand •• the tabernacle " in these passages as signifying the hea-v-imly state. Yet these writers make " the sanctuary " also to sio-nify the same object ; thus confovniding tv,"o very distinct images. The propriety of tlie figures, the argument of the connexion, and the frequent use of rrxTioc and nxi'tvuia to denote the liurann body (2 Cor. V. 1-4. '2 Pet. i. 13, 14. ; and Ibis use of at least nxijm; is common in Greek writers : see Wetstein on 2 Cor. v. 1. and Sclileusneri Lrx.) satisfy me of the justness of the interpretation of Calvin, Grotius, James Cappel, Dr. Owen, Ac. It is no objection that in Ileb. x. 20. '• the veil " is the symbol of the Messiah's human nature ; t>r the veil, as one of the boundaries of the tabernacle, in a natural sense belonged to it ; and the passage relates to our Lord's death, so that the veil is yctj fitly introduced, marking the transition out of life into another state. The text was partially quoted above, for the sake of presenting alone tlie clauses on wbicli the argument rests. It is proper here to insert it at lencrth. The reader will observe the 24* NOTES ON .THE GOSPELS. [Part I. Note 10.— Part I. There is very little doubt that Hebron was the city here spoken of. In Joshua xxi. 1.3. we read that Hebron, with her suburbs, was given to the children of Aaron the priest, and in ver. 11. of the same chapter, and in chap. xi. 21. it is described as a city in the Mil country of Ju- dcih. After the return from the captivity of Babylon, the priests were anxious to take up their abode in their appointed heritage. He- bron is celebrated for many events. Here Abra- ham received the promise of the miraculous birth of Christ. Here circumcision was pro- bably first instituted, (many being of opinion tJiat it was known before the time of Abraham) : here Abraham had his first land, and David his first crown. John was born at Hebron, and here he first appointed and administered the ordinance of baptism*. The talmudists' inform us of a very singular custom in the temple service, which had a re- ference to Hebron. Before the morning sacri- fice was oflTered, the president of the temple was used to say every morning, " Go and see, v/liether it be time to kill the sacrifice." If it was time, the answer was, " It is light." Those ill the court replied, " Is the light come so far, that thine eyes may see Hebron .'" How far this tradition may be received I do not venture to decide ; it is certain that Hebron was always regarded with particular attention by the people of Israel, and, if this tradition be correct, it must have been typical of some pre- dicted and expected event. What place, then, in the land of Israel could have been so appro- priate for the true light first to dawn before the perfect sacrifice could be offered, as the city of ilcbron? Here John the Baptist was born; and here the rays of truth first shone, when, til rough the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, the appointed Saviour was hailed for the first time near this place, as the Lamb of God, the true Sacrifice, who should take away the sins of the world. Can these remarkable and wonderful events be regarded only as coincidences ? To me they appear to point out the beautiful connexion and harmony in minute points of the two dis- pensations, and to prove tliat nothing has come to pass, but what was ordained of old. If the account of Josephus (Bell. Jud. lib. 5. c. 7.) may be depended upon, Hebron was not only celebrated for the great events which had there taken place, but was renowned for its an- tiquity, and considered of more ancient date than Memphis in Egypt. Jerome and Eusebius likewise mention that there still remained at Mamre, near Hebron, the oak under which Abra- ham entertained his angelic visitors ; and that the surrounding Gentiles held it in great vene- ration. Note 11.— Part I. The native Jew who reads in St. Luke's Gospel this expression, would be reminded of a tradition of their fathers, that when the Israel- ites came to the Red Sea, the children in the womb leaped for joy. inntym nn pnox ^;^n3 y^n^y pjwi iV.d«i : n3"pS " imo etiam embryones, qui in utero matris erant, viderunt id, et Deum S. B. celebra- runt." Possibly it was in allusion to this tra- dition that the phrase is here used. Elisabeth may be supposed to express the greatness of her joy at the sight of her cousin, which so agi- tated her as to produce this effect. Elisabeth compared her happiness, in beholding the mothei of the expected Messiah, to that of her coun- pppc^ition of " the tabernacle" and "the blood." '■But Christ having presented himself, a High i'i'ie:jt of the blessings to come, through the greater ;r.ii.l more perfect tabernacle, not made with liands (that is, not of this creation), and not through the 1 !()od of goats and calves, but through his own blood, ent- red once (i. e. once for ever, never to be repeated) into the sanctuary, having acquired eter- inl redemption." Grotius's note is so judicious and satisfactory, that it deserves to be inserted. '• Tlie design of the writer is to declare that Clirist eatered the highest heavens, through his sufteruigs iind death. To keep up the comparison with the hiuli priest under the Law, his object is to declare tliat Christ entered thruiigk his body and blood ; for the bodif is very pro])erly put by metonymy for bod- il If sufferings ; and it is common in all languages to use the term blood to denote death, as death fallows upon any very copious effusion of blood. Yet he does not express the body by its proper word, but uses a symbolical description suitable for carrying on the comparison. The Hebrews were accustomed to call the body a tabernacle ; and from tlirm the disciples of I'ythagorns deduced the ex- jiression. In particular llie body of Christ is culled a temple, on account of the indwelling di- vine energy, John ii. 21. Here, tiiis body is said to be ' not made with hands,' and the writer ex- plains his meaning by adding, ' that is, not of this creation,' understanding by creation the usual order of nature ; as the Jews apply the talmudical term Reriuh (' creation,' ' any thing created ") ; for the body of Christ was conceived in a super- natural manner. In this sense be properly em- ploys the term not made icUh hands, because in the Hebrew idiom any thing is said to be made with hands which is brought to pass in the ordinary course of nature. See v. 2'i. and Mark xiv. 58. Acts vii. 48. xvii. 24. Eph. ii. 11. The prophets fre(]uently give to idols the appellation viadc with hands, as thc^ opposite to any tiling divine." — Gro- tii dnnot. in }leh. ix. 11. Dr. P. Smiths Messi.r/i, vol. ii. p. 2'J, 30. Arciibisbop Magee Un the Alone- tnent. Horsley's Tracts. It'orhs of Bishop Bull. Scott's Christian Life. Archbishop Laurence. Veysie. Rennell. Nares. Layman's Vindicntion of the Disputed Chapters of St. Matthac and St. Luhe. Notes of Scott ; Gi'l] ; Mant and D'Oyly. Wardlaw's Socinian Controversy. Dr. P. Smith's Sermon on the jJtunement. *■ See Witsius,Z)e Vitd Johan. Bapt. Misc. Sacra. vol. ii. p. 495. '■ Liglitfoot's Choro graphical Centvnj, Works, folio, vol. ii. p. 46. Note 12.-15.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *25 trymen Avhen they saw before them, for the first time, the earnest of their long-wished-for deliverance from Egypt. Fol. 25. col. 99. apud Zohar Exod. fol. 32. col, 91. apud Schoetgen. Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 257. opinions of the Jews, in the days of our Lord and his Apostles. Vide Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 2(51, and Faber's Horcb Mosaicat, on the Pro- phecy of Zacharias. Note 12.— Part 1. This speech of Mary is evidently the off- spring of a mind thoroughly embued with the language and sentiments of the ancient Scrip- tures. A learned modern author has selected the original of this verse as an instance of the adoption in the New Testament of the parallel couplet, so usual in the Old Testament. It certainly may be considered as one collateral proof that the New Testament is from the same spirit of inspiration as the Old, that these sin- gular parallelisms and forms of composition are found in each. In the present instance, how- ever, and no doubt in the great majority of others, the composition of the speech appears to have been evidently unstudied. The effusion of those who were actually inspired did not re- quire any labored arrangement, according to the laws of studied composition. — Bishop Jebb's Sacred Literature, p. 210. Note 13.— Part I. The Jews divide the worship of God into that which is offered HDnxo " from love," and that which is offered HNVO " from fear." In allusion to which distinction, St. Paul, one of the most learned Jews of his time, uses the ex- pression, Rom. viii. 15. nrsvua dulelag. In the Old Testament dispensation the Laws of Moses were delivered under circumstances calculated to excite the strongest fear and apprehension — the most rigid obedience was required ; and the people were anxiously alarmed lest any thing should be done by them, whereby they might become polluted, and incur the anger of their God. This Law was a yoke which neither they, nor their fathers, were able to bear. But in tlie Law which was now to be ushered in by the Messiah, Zacharias announces, in this sublime prophecy, the introduction of a new worship ; not from slavish fear, but from pure love to God, which is inconsistent with, and casteth out, fear. He was singing the death song of the Jewish Church. He prophesied the overthrow of the system of ceremonies, rites, and all their bur- thensome minutiae ; and the establishment in their place of a holy and perfect system, wlierein God should be served and honored as with the love and worship of children. Both this, and the phrases (ver. 79.), as well as others, can only be fully understood by thus keeping in view the VOL. II. *4 Note 14. — Part I. It was the custom among the Jews to allow some interval between the -nn'" "the espousals and the nuptials," and nojDH. "the bringing of the espoused into the husband's house." See Deut. XX. 7. The words (v. 18.) ttqU' tj crvrel- Oelr uvTiig, may apply to eitlier of these. The object of the law was to satisfy the husband of his wife's chastity. In this probationary period, after her return from her cousin Elisa- beth, we are told that the Virgin Mary was found with child. Had the Virgin been espoused, under these circumstances, to any other than a just and hu- mane man, such as Joseph, she would in all probability have been immediately exposed, with inconsiderate rashness, to public scorn and derision : but, as it was, we find that she was treated with kindness and indulgence ; and that Joseph listened to her defence. Her vindica- tion, we may infer from the narrative, was re- ceived by her espoused husband with mucli sur- prise and incredulity ; but we may suppose that he was too well acquainted with the prophecies of his Scriptures, to doubt the possibility of this event. In addition to which, he must have been informed of the object of Mary's journey into the hill country, of the vision, and conse- quent events in the temple. He pondered, he hesitated — he knew not what to decide — still hoping that his unsuspected and beloved spouse was in truth the elected and favored Virgin Mother of the Holy One of Israel. But wliile he thought on these things, and had at last re- solved (perhaps from fear of ridicule) to put her away privily, " Behold ! the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream," and at once dispelled all his doubts and fears, by re- vealing the gracious designs of Providence, and assuring him of the innocence of Ills spot- less wife. Note 15. — Part I. ON prophetic dreams. The occasion seems to call for the next mer- ciful intervention of divine power that was vouchsafed, at the dawning of the day of the Messiah. The approach of the kingdom of the Messiah had been already announced by tlie appearance of angels, and the return of tlie Spirit of prophecy to two of the kindred of Mary, and now likewise to herself. It is more tain 26* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part I. probable that Joseph knew this, but, as he was still unconvinced, a peculiar demonstration was given to him, in the revival of prophetic dreams ; another way in which God had formerly made known his will to mankind. In the ancient and purer times of patriarch- ism, as well as in the earlier ages of Judaism, the Deity frequently revealed his will in this manner, both to his own people, and to some individuals of other nations. Not only were Joseph, Abraham, and Jacob thus favored ; but Laban, Abimelech, Pharaoh, and even Nebu- chadnezzar, received similar communications from on high. This, with every other miracu- lous evidence of God's superintendence over the Jewish Church, had been now long discon- tinued ; and the Jews, who placed the greatest dependence on dreams, and had even formed rules and a regular system for their interpreta- tion, had particularly regretted the want of this medium of divine communication. The revival, tlierefore, of this ancient mode of revealing the wUl of God must have con- vinced the pious Joseph that the anxiously an- ticipated event, the birth of the Messiah, was near ; and that his betrothed spouse, who was of the family of David, from whom tlie Messiah was to descend, was certainly the virgin upon whom the honor of his birth was to be conferred. Under all the circumstances of the incarnation, it appears that the Virgin was espoused to one who was more likely than any other to secure her from scorn — to protect her in danger — to re- late the truth to the believing Jews ; and, by affirming that another distinct branch of evi- dence had been afforded him, to strengthen the conviction, that would now begin to obtain some influence, that God had visited his people. Philo, in his tract, Ilegl t« deonejumiig ejvai, dvelgovg, has described at length the difference between prophetical and monitory dreams. His first sort of divine dreams he thus defines, TO //£J' TTQWTOv -qr uQ^OPTog TTjj xivTjasog 6^5, XU.I -tmrjxiiVTog 6.0Q(j.T(xtg Tdcfuulf filv adrjla, yvuy- otnu 8i iuvm. The first kind was when God himself did beghi the motion in the fancy, and secretly whispered such things as are unknown indeed to us, but perfectly known to himself. Of tliis sort were the patriarch Josepli's dreams. The second kind is this, Tr^g TjUST^Qug diavolug T'Tj Ttijr oXmv avyytov/uii'Tjg iI'v/TJ, ynd deocpoQi'iTfj fi(tvl(tg d.v(tTiifinhnuivTjg. Wlien our rational faculty, being moved together with the soul of the world, and filled with a divinely-inspired fury, doth predict those things that are to come. In this definition he permitted his heathen phi- losophy to supersede his better theology. The God of his fathers was the Lord of the world, not the soul of the world. Tliough he fills all space, he rules all space. One mode of com- municating his will to man is well described ; if, for "soul of tlic world," we read, "the influ- ences of the Supreme Being." The third is thus laid down — IlvvioTATni de TO tqItov eldog, otiotuv If joTg vni'Otg tS kavTr^g ■"? H'^X^ icivov^ivTj, xal (xvaSovovaa iuvTi]v, v.o- Qv6uvji~f x«l Evdfsaiuiun, duvdjUEi rr^oj'J'woTiXT^ T« fiillovja -^eanlXei. — i. e. tlie third kind is, when in sleep the soul being moved of itself, and agitating itself, is in a kind of rapturous rage, and in a divine fury doth foretell future things by a prophetic facidty. These things are also contrary to present ex- perience, but they are not contrary to philoso- phy. An event or action which has actually taken place convinces our reason by means of our senses, that the event was real ; so did the miraculous impressions of prophetic dreams or visions, distinguish themselves from the sensa- tions occasioned only by the common circum- stances of life, in such a manner that the prophet or person favored with them could not mistake the effect of the extraordinary impulse for any common feeling arising from ordinary situations and events. Ideas, it is true, are usually suggested by the senses only, but why should we not believe that the Father of spirits can affect our mind with images and ideas, pro- duced by other agency than that of the senses ? Smith On Prophecy, vol. iv. Watson's TractSy p. 306. Vide Lightfoot, vol. ii. p. 243. Cal- met's Did. Art. Dreams. Witsius, Miscell. Sa- cra, vol. i. p. 27. De Insomniis, and p. 289, De Prophetis, in Evang. laudatis. Note 16. — Part I. It may be observed here, how uniformly the idea of a spiritual Messiah is preserved. Jo- seph, in common with his countrymen, may justly be supposed to have entertained the opin- ion that a temporal Messiah was coming to de- liver his people from the Romans ; the Angel informs him that he should be called Jesus (from i'ii'', to save), for he should save them from their sins. He should save them not merely from the consequences of their sins by his atonement, but from the dominion of their sins by his gift of the Holy Spirit, to lead them botli into obedience and truth. We must not ho])e to be delivered hereafter from the consequences of evil, unless we are at present delivered from its power. The name Jesus, say Castalio and Osiander, Heb. r:il&'n'> may possibly signify " the man Je- hovah," or " Jehovah incarnate," " God in lunuan nature." It is compounded of Din"' and i^'H : tlio letter ly being interposed from the latter word, the tAvo others ' and Ji being rejected as scr- viles, and therefore added or rejected at pleas- ure. This name is given at full length by Mo- ses to the Angel Jeliovah who conducted the Tsraclitos thrnugli the wilderness, "The Lord is a man of war," noP^O tS'H nin"'- The same iNOTE 17.-11).] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *27 name is given likewise at length in the excla- mation of Eve, in which she expressed a hope that her son was the promised deliverer, "TlOp •nirr' hk iv^a The angel commands that the name Jesus be given to the Messiah, " because he shall save his people from their sins." The Angel Jeho- vah led his people through the wilderness, and saved them from their enemies, and from the hands of all who hated them. Christ was to do the same. The analogy between the enemies of Israel and the enemies of the soul of man is complete. Christ in the former instance was the Saviour of his people from their temporal enemies. He was now to be revealed as their Saviour from their more dangerous and inveter- ate adversaries, Death, Satan, and the evil of their own nature. Pfeiffer is of opinion, with the generality of commentators, that the name must be derived from i'ly to save, and he rejects therefore the above derivation, which is given with little vari- ation from Osiander, Reuchlin, and Sebastianus Castalio. See the whole Dissertation De JVom- ine Jesu — PfeifFeri Duhia Vexata, p. 1154, par- ticularly Th. 6 to 18 inclusive. I have placed the appearance of the Angel to Joseph after Mary's return from the house of Elisabeth, as she came back from Hebron be- fore the birth of John, three months after the annunciation of the Messiah. On her arrival at her own house, when her pregnancy became evident, the fears and suspicions of Joseph, we may justly suppose, were excited. Before that period he could have no reason for suspicion. Lightfoot, vol. i. p. 421. Note 17. — Part L» The Christian may believe that this passage refers to the Messiah on the authority of St. Matthew ; and the Jew may likewise believe it, on the authority of tlie ancient targumists, who, with their countrymen in general, were accus- tomed to refer these expressions of their early prophets to the expected Messiah. To over- throw the force of the prediction, they have, however, in later days, made use of arguments which their ancestors would have disdained. — Vide Kidder's Demons, of Mess. vol. iii. p. 90, &c. Note 18.— -Part I. Another proof was now to be afforded to the whole Jewish nation, that the time of the Messiah had arrived. The Father of the pa- triarchs had long prophesied that the sceptre was not to depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh, " the Sent," " the Messiah"" come, (Gen. xlix. 10.) The pco pie, though they had long been subjected to the Romans, had been hitherto more immediately under the control of their high priests, and of the family of Herod, who called himself a Jew, though he was of the race of Edom ; they were now reduced to a mere province ; they were connnanded by a heathen, a stranger and a foreigner, to enrol their families in the public registers ; to take the oath of fidelity, and, prob- ably, to pay tribute to him as their sovereign and rulcr\ What could have been a stronger argument and appeal to every individual Jew, that the sceptre had entirely departed, and that Shiloh was to be immediately expected, than tliis individual taxation, or badge of subjection.' Note 19. — Part 1. The word ngdnij must be construed in the same sense of priority as to time ; it bears this sense in some, though not many instances. It is much better thus to render the passage, than to adopt any conjectural emendation ; whether 7tq6 rfjc, with Whitby, or Trgclmj ttqo ttjc, M'ith Michaelis, which his translator so decidedly condemns ; or than Mr. Benson's, which is very ingenious, but unsupported by the only author- ity which ought to induce us to receive any al- teration of the vulgate text of the New Testa- ment, tlie authority of manuscripts. It is cer- tainly a very slight alteration, but it must be rejected, in the absence of other proof. He would read nvrr/ ^ d.noy Qutfii ttqwii] iyiveio ^ [dinoyQacf>}[ r\ iyevBxo) -fiysfdOveiiovTOg t^?, &c., " The Targum of Onkelos gives this interpreta- tion — "Nonrecedet JtoSlty T'^i? faciens potentiam ex domo Juda X13D1> et scriba ex nepotibus ejus in aeternum, donee veniat Messias ;" and the Targum of Jonathan, " Non cessabunt reges, et praesides ex domo JudaB,et scribse docentes legem ex semine ejus, usque ad tempus.quoveniet Rex Messias;" and the Jerusalem Targum gives the same interpreta- tion. See also a large number of authorities from the early Jewish writers, all to the same effect, in Schoetgenius, HorcB Hehraicce, vol. ii. p. AV<2, &c. On the sceptre of Judah, see the Dissertation of Schoetgenius De Schiloh Dominatore ; and a curious and most ingenious dissertation by Bishop War- burton, wlio thus interprets the prophecy — •• The Theocracy shall continue over the Jews, until Clirist come to take possession of his Father's kingdom." — Divine Legation, vol. iv. p. 245-266. '• Quod nomen habet Messias ? Qui sunt de domo vh'''^ R. Schilag seu scholastici ejus.dixerunt nS'U' Schilo esse nonien ejus : quia dicitur Gen. xlix. 10. Usquedum veniet Schilo." — Meuschen jV. T. ex Tabniide, p. 30, and 902. See- also Leslie's Case of the Jcirs, Dublin, 1755. p. 6. ' About this time Augustus, as is related by Jo- sephus, ordered the oath of fidelity to be taken to him, as the superior and sovereign of the land. In that oath, Herod was considered as secondary to the emperor, and the people were not required to give him their personal allegiance. It is possible that the enrolment ordered by Augustus was the same as the a.ioyQaifii, of St. Luke. See next note. •^b-* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part 1 inserting only the single letter t'i, between tyevBTO KTidLif/EHovEvovTog — and thus render the passage, " This taxing took place before that, which took place when Cyrenius was governor of Syria." The suggestion of Mr. Benson, tliat the de- cree for tlie taxing, or unoyQucpi], of St. Luke, was the same as the taking the oath of allegi- ance to Augustus, mentioned by Josephus, is well supported ; and, if his hypothesis did not require an alteration of the sacred text, which is not warranted by the requisite autliorities, might be received Avithout hesitation. See the next note on the solution of the difficulty in tliis verse. Vide Benson's Chronology of the Life of Christ. Note 20.— Part L It has been asserted, that this verse contra- dicts some well-supported facts in history. Cy- renius, it is said, was not governor of Syria till eleven years after this enrolment. At the time of Christ's birth, Saturninus and Volumnius were presidents of that country. The following is a correct statement of the fact, according to the best authorities who have carefully studied the subject. Herod, some few years before his death, had been misrepresented to Augustus. The Roman emperor, to punish his imputed crime, ordered that Judea should be reduced to a Roman province, and a register be taken of every person's age, dignity, employ- ment, family, and office. When this decree was first promulgated, Cyrenius was only a Ro- man senator, and collector of the imperial reve- nue. Its execution was postponed, through the influence of Nicholas of Damascus, who was sent by Herod to Rome, to vindicate his con- duct to Augustus ; and it was only carried into effect eleven years afterwards, when Cyrenius had been advanced from the inferior dignity of collector of the public tribute, to the office of governor of Syria. The difficulty, therefore, respecting the words in the original will disappear, when the passage is considered in reference to this statement. Dr. Lardner, who is followed by Dr. Paley, pro- poses a solution, which has now been generally adopted. " This was the first enrolment of Cy- renius, who, though a Roman senator only, when it was decreed, was governor of Syria, and is known among the Jews by that title." When St. Luke wrote the Gospel, Cyrenius was known by his latter title. Lardner's Works, 4to. p. 136, &c. Paley's Evidences, vol. ii. p. 177. Hales's Analysis, vol. ii. p. 705, &c. Note 21. — Part I. There does not appear to have been any necessity, from the nature of the tax, for the personal attendance of Mary at Bethlehem. When we consider her situation, it is not im- probable she might have been induced to have accompanied her husband to insure his protec- tion, and to preserve herself from the insult or contumely of her unbelieving neighbours, to which she might have been already exposed. To avoid reproacli, or derision, she might have encountered fatigue and inconvenience. How- ever this may be, it shows us tlie manner in which the prophecies of the Old Testament were accomplished by circumstances apparently accidental. No mortal wisdom could have fore- seen the journey of Joseph to Bethlehem, and the consequent fulfilment of that prediction of Micah, which the Jews had long referred to, as an undoubted prophecy of the birtliplace of Christ. When Herod called the priests to- gether, to demand of tliem "Where Christ should be born," tliey assured him it was at Bethlehem, from the prophecy of Micah, (Mic. v. 2.) This authority, however satisfactory to a Christian, is not, I have heard, sufficient for the modern Jew, who is more inclined to depend on the testimony of his ancient rabbis. I re- fer him to Joma, f. 10. 1. apud Meuschen JV. T. ex Talmude, p. 19. (in p. 28. it is only a rep- etition of the same reference,) and the targum on Micah, Nn'tJ^D p13' 'Dip pn>" Ex to ante me prodibit Messias, ut faciat potentiam super Is- rael." — Apud Schoetgen, vol. i. p. 3. Note 22.— Part 1. on the genealogies of st. matthew and st. luke. The apparent discrepancies between the gen ealogies of St. Matthew and St. Luke, contained in this section, have given rise to much discus sion. The enrolment ordered by Augustus mus* have compelled every family to review their tables of pedigree, which were always preserved amonsr the Jews with more than usual attention we may therefore justly conclude that if any error had crept into the pedigree of Joseph and Mary, it would then have been rectified. In addition to this, we may observe, that St. Mat- thew and St. Luke publislied their Gospels at a time wlien the general tables of pedigree were still preserved, and when every genealogical table whicli professed to trace the descent oi one wlio claimed to be the expected Messiah, would be inspected with the most scrupulous and jealous anxiety. Yet we do not read that any objection to tlie accuracy of the Evange- lists was raised by their contemporaries. Satis- Note 22.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *29 factory solutions of the apparent differences have been given by Archbishop Newcome, Grotius, Whitby, South, Julius Africanus, and others, as well as Lightfoot, whose opinion on this point is generally the most approved. This learned divine supposes that St. Matthew wrote his Gospel more particularly for the Jews : he there- fore proves Christ to be their Messiah, the heir of the throne of David, by legal descent from Abraham and David. But St. Luke, addressing himself to the Gentiles, to whom the promise had been given before the Levitical dispensa- tion, proves the same Christ to be the predicted seed of the woman, the son of Adam, the son of God. From perusing the various schemes of the the- ologians who have discussed this point, we may, however, come to these general conclusions : — From Abraham to David the genealogies of St. Matthew and St. Luke coincide. It is commonly agreed that Matthew gives the legal, and not the natural, pedigree of Joseph. Matthew traces the descendants of David tlirough Solomon to Jechonias ; in whom the de- scendants of Solomon became extinct. The legal successor of Jechonias was Sala- thiel ; who was descended from David through his son Nathan. Hence Salathiel appears in Matthew as the son of Jechonias ; though he was really the son of Neri, as stated by Luke. Zorobabel had two sons, Abiud and Rhesa. Whether the line of Abiud became extinct in Matthan is disputed. It is agreed that from Heli upwards, in Luke's genealogy, the natural succession is given. It is disputed whether Joseph was Heli's ac- tual son, or his legal son, or his son-in-law. According to Julius Africanus (apud Euseb.) Joseph was the actual son of Jacob, and the grandson of Matthan. An opinion adopted by Whitby. According to Grotius, Joseph was the actual son of Heli, and the legal successor of Jacob. This makes Luke's genealogy the natural ped- igree of Joseph throughout. Lightfoot supposes that Joseph was the son- in-law of Heli, liis wife Mary being the daughter of Heli. All seem to agree that both Joseph and Mary were lineally descended from Zorobabel. Therefore from Zorobabel upwards their nat- ural pedigrees, as given by Luke, coincide. Whether the pedigree from Zorobabel down- wards, in Luke, be that of Joseph or Mary, is uncertain. Whether the pedigree in Matthew from Zo- robabel downwards be the real, or the legal de- scent of Joseph is uncertain. Dr. Adam Clarke, in his Commentan/, has de- voted much attention to this subject, and his conclusions appear so satisfactory, that I shall here lay them before the reader. VOL. II. 1. "Being (as was supposed) the son of Jo- seph." This phrase is used by Herodotus, to signify one who was only reputed to be the son of a particular person, tovtov nulg po/iiQeTui, " He was supposed to be this man's son." 2. Much learned labor has been used to rec- oncile this genealogy with that of St. Matthew, chap, i., and there are several ways of doing it : the following, wliich appears to me to be the best, is also the most simple and easy. 3. Matthew, in descending from Abraham to Joseph, the spouse of the blessed Virgin, speaks of sons properly such by way of natural gen- eration : Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob, &ic. But Luke, in ascending from tlie Saviour of the world to God himself, speaks ot sons either properly or improperly such ; on that account he uses an indeterminate mode of ex- pression, which may be applied to sons puta- tively or really such. " And Jesus began to be about thirty years of age, being as was supposed the son of Joseph — of Heli — of Matthat," &c. This receives considerable support from Raphe- lius's method of reading the original, i})i' (wj erofil'QsTO vlog ' Iwa^cf) lov 'Hll, " being (when reputed the son of Joseph) the son of Heli," &.c. That St. Luke does not always speak of sons properly such is evident from the first and last person whom he names : Jesus Christ was only the supposed son of Joseph, because Joseph was the husband of his mother Mary ; and Adam, who is said to be the son of God, was such only by creation. After this observation, it is next necessary to consider that, in the gen- ealogy described by St. Luke, there are two sons-in-law, instead of two sons. 4. As the Hebrews never permitted tlip names of women to enter into their genealogical tables, whenever a family happened to end with a daughter, instead of naming her in the gen- ealogy, they inserted her husband as the son of him, who was, in reality, but his father-in-law. This import. Bishop Pearce has fully shown, t'Oftl^eadui bears in a variety of places. Jesus was " considered according to law," or " allowed custom," to be the son of Joseph, as he was of Heli. 5. The two sons-in-law who are to be noticed in this genealogy are Joseph the son-in-law of Heli, whose own father was Jacob, Matt. i. 1(5. ; and Salathiel, the son-in-law of Neri, whose own father was Jechonias, 1 Chron. iii. 17. and Matt. i. 12. ; this remark alone is sufficient to re- move every difficulty. Thus, it appears, that Joseph, the son of Jacob, according to St. Mat- thew, was son-in-law of Heli, according to St. Luke. And Salathiel, son of Jechonias, accord- ing to the former, was son-in-law of Neri, ac- cording to the latter. G. Mary, therefore, appears to have been the daughter of Heli, so called by abbreviation for Heliachim, which is the same in Hebrew as Joachim. 30^ NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part I. 7. Joseph son of Jacob, and Mary daughter of Heli were of the same family ; both came from Zorobabel ; Joseph from Abiud, his eldest son, Matt. i. 13. and Mary by Rhesa, the young- est. See ver. 27. 8. Salathiel and Zorobabel, from whom St. Matthew and St. Luke cause Christ to proceed, were themselves descended from Solomon in a right line ; and though St. Luke says that Sala- thiel was the son of Neri, who was descended from Nathan, Solomon's eldest brother, 1 Chron. iii. 5., this is only to be understood of his having espoused Nathan's daughter ; and that Neri dying probably without male issue, the two branches of the family of David, that of Nathan and Solomon, were both united in the person of Zorobabel, by the marriage of Salathiel, chief of the regal family of Solomon, with the daugh- ter of Neri, chief and heretrix of the family of Nathan. So that Jesus, the son of Mary, re- united in himself all the blood, privileges, and rights, of the whole family of David, in conse- quence of which He is emphatically called, the Son of David. It is worthy of remark, that Matthew, who wrote principally for the Jews, carries his genealogy to Abraham, through whom the promise of the Messiah was given to the Jews : but St. Luke, who wrote for the Gen- tiles, extends his genealogy to Adam, to whom the promise of the Saviour was in behalf of all his posterity. V. 36. The insertion of the word Cainan has occasioned mucli difficulty ; as Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, and father of Sala, is not found in any other Scripture genealogy. The best solution, because it does not violate the text, is that Cainan was a surname of Sala, and that the names should be read together, thus — the son of Heber — the son of Sala Cainan — the son of Arphaxad. The opinion of Africanus, long received by t!ic Churcli, as the only legitimate mode of rec- onciling these difficulties, is as follows. The names of kindred among the Jews were reckoned in two ways. 1. According to nature, as in the case of nat- ural generation. 2. According to laAV, as when a man died childless, his brother was obliged to take his wife, and the issue of that marriage was accounted to the deceased brother. In this genealogy some succeeded their flvthers as nat- ural sons, but others succeeded who bore their names only. Thus neither of the Gospels is false : the one reckoning the pedigree by the natural, the other by the legal line. Tlie race both of Solomon and Nathan is so interwoven by those second marriages, which raised up issue in the name of a deceased brother, that some appear to have two fathers — liim, whose natural issue they were, though they did not boar his name ; and him, towliom, having died childless, the children of his wife and brother were ac- counted for a seed, assuming his name. If we reckon the generations according to Matthew, from David by Solomon, Matthan will be found the third from the end, who begat Jacob, the father of Joseph ; but if we reckon according to Luke, from Nathan the son ot David, then the third person from the end will be Melchi, whose son was Heli, the father of Joseph ; for Joseph was the son of Heli, the son of Melchi. Matthan and Melchi having suc- cessively married the same wife, the latter be- gat children, who were brethren by the mother. Matthan, descending from Solomon, begat Jacob of Estha. After the death of Matthan, Melchi, who descended from Nathan, being of the same tribe, but of another race, took his widow to wife, and begat Heli: thus Jacob and Heli were brethren by the mother. Heli dying without issue, Jacob married his widow, and begat Joseph, Avho, by Law, was accounted the son ot Heli ; because the Law required the seed to be raised up to the deceased brother. Matthew therefore says, very properly, Jacob begat Joseph, but Luke says Joseph was the son of Heli ; and it is worthy of remark, that St. Luke does not use the term begot or begetting, but traces this genealogy by putative, and not by natural sons. The late learned Dr. Barrett has studied this difficult subject with the deepest attention, and by a new line of argument has reconciled the apparent discrepancies of the two genealogies. After examining the hypothesis of Africanus, he rejects it on the principle that it refers wholly to the descent of Joseph from David, without proving that the son of Mai-y was the son of David. Dr. Barrett then states his own solution, viz., that Matthetv relates the genealogy of Joseph, and Luke that of Mary. Hence it appears probable, that, after Matthew had given his gen- ealogy to the world, another should be added by Luke, to prove that Clirist was fully descended from David, not only by his supposed father Joseph, but by his real mother Mary. Those who agree in this opinion may be divided into two classes. 1. Those who affirm, that the families of Solomon and Nathan met in Sala- thiel and Zorobabel, and afterwards divaricated, till reunited in the marriage of Joseph and Mary. 2. Those who assert that Salathiel and Zoroba- bel were distinct individuals, and that no union took place between the families previous to the marriage of Joseph and Mary. To the latter opinion he objects, as being contradictory to the divine promise, 2 Sam. vii. 7. 12. 10. ; for, ac- cording to tliis hypothesis, neither Mary nor Christ were descended from David by Solomon. He therefore proposes to support the other hy- pothesis, and to clear away its difficulties. As Irenreus, Africamis, and Ambrosius assert that Luke has some names interpolated ; to detect this error. Dr. Barrett divides tlio genealogy into four classes; 1. From God to Abraham. 2. From Abraham to David. 3. From David Note 22.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *31 to Salathiel. 4. From Salathiel to Christ. He examines these at length, and concludes there have been some interpolations, omissions, and transpositions. To give a satisfactory view of this subject, he introduces a synopsis of the prin- cipal various readings of MS. versions, &c. on Luke ii. 24-3L From this collation of authorities, after cor- recting the omissions and interpolations, he con- cludes with Irenseus, that these generations should be laid down in the following order. 1. Jesus. 2. Joseph, (or Mary, the daughter of Heli.) 3. Heli, the grandfather of Christ. 4. Matthat. 5. Levi. 6. Melclii. 7. Janna. 8. Joseph. 9. Matthias. 10. Amos. 11. Naum. 12. Esli. 13. Nagge, 14. Semel. 15. Joseph. 16. Juda. 17. Joanna. 18. Rhesa. 19. Ze- robabel. 20. Salathiel. 21. Neri. 22. Mel- chi. 23. Addi. 24. Cosam. 25. Elmodam. 2(1. Er. 27. Jose. 28. Eliezer. 29. Jorim. 30. Matthat. 31. Levi. 32. Simeon. 33. 35. Jonan. 36. Eliakim. Nathan. 39. David. 40. 42. Booz. 43. Salmon. Aminadab. 46. Aram. 47. Juda. 34. Joseph. 37. Mattatha. 38. Jesse. 41. Obed. 44. Naasson. 45. Esrom. 48. Pharez. 49. Juda. 50., Jacob. 51. Isaac. 52. Abraham. 53. Terah. 54. Nahor. 55. Serug. 56. Ragau. 57. Peleg. 58. Eber. 59. Sala. 60. Canaan. 61. Ar- phaxad. 62. Shem. 63. Noah. 64. Lamech. 65. Mathusala. 66. Enoch. 67. Jared. 68. Mahalaleel. 69. Canaan. 70. Enos. 71. Seth. 72. Adam. From the generations thus laid down, there will be found fifty-one names between Christ and Abraham, excluding the latter, which agrees both with Africanus and Ambrosius. Now let tliirty years be reckoned to each generation be- tween Christ and David, Salathiel will then ap- pear to have been born anno 570 before Christ, which will be found near the truth ; and David 1140. David was in fact born 1085 B. C, whence there appears an error of fifty-five years, or about the twentieth part of tlie time, in so many generations. But according to the received text of Luke, Salathiel must be born B. C. 630, and David 1260 ; this would be an error of 175 years, or a fifth part of the whole interval. Dr. Barrett endeavours to solve the principal difficulty by adopting the genealogy of David, as delivered 1 Chron. iii. In this chapter, and in the Book of Kings, the whole is laid down in the most accurate manner till the reign of jL'clionias, after which he supposes some errors have been admitted into the text, on account of many inconsistencies, chronological difficulties, and various readings, which he enumerates. From these considerations it appears, that those who are mentioned 1 Chron. iii. 18. were neither the sons of Jechoniah, nor of Salathiel, and consequently were the sons of Zerubbabel, as he has satisfactorily proved — that Pedaiah, or Peraiah, is the same who, in verse 21, is called Rephaiah, who is mentioned Nehemiah iii. 9., and that Jecharaiah is the same as Joachim, who, according to Esdras v. 5. was the son or Zerubbabel. Both these names, Pedaiah or Peraiah, and Jechamiah, occur 1 Chron. iii. 18., consequently a verse is transposed ; a thing not unfrequent in the Sacred Writings. He there- fore contends that the text of 1 Chron. iii. 18- 22. should be read in the following order : — Verse 18. And the sons of Salathiel, Zerub- babel and Shimei; and the sons of Zerubba- bel, Meshullam, Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister. Ver. 19. Hashubah, and Ohel, andBerechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushab-hesed. Ver. 20. And Malchirara, and Rephaiah, and Shenar, Jechamiah, Hoshamah, and Nedabiah ; six. Ver. 21. And the sons of Hananiah, Pelatiah, and Jesaiah ; the sons of Rephaiah ; Arnan his son ; Obadiah his son ; Shechaniah his son ; (reading, according to Houbigant, IJj) beno, for "J^ beni.) Ver. 22. The sons of Shechaniah ; Shemaiah ; the sons of Shemaiah ; Hattush, and Igeal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat ; six. He then shows the propriety of substituting 1J2' beno, his son, for 'J^i beni, sons, in ver. 21. supposing the latter to be corrupted. Dr. Barrett, having thus far made his way plain, proceeds to lay down a table of the re- gal line, taken from 1 Chron. iii., placing on each side the genealogies given by St. Matthew and St. Luke, that the general agreement may be more easily discerned. Matt. i. 1 Chron. iii. Luke iii. Saliithiel. Salathiel. Salathiel. Zorobabel. Zerubbabel. Zorobabel. First generation omitted. Another generation omitted. Rephaiah. Arnan, or Onon. Rhesa. Joanna, or Jonan. Aliiud. Obadiah. Juda. Eliakim. Shechaniah. Joseph, or Josuch. A third generation omitted. Shemiah. Xo corresponding Semei. generation. Mattathias. No corresponding generation. Maath. Fourth generation omitted. Xeariah. Xagge. Azor, wlio is also Azrikam, who is Esli, from whom From the above Eliocnai, descended .Mary descends Joseph Joanan Joanam. Naum, or Anuni. who espoused Mary. Dr. Barrett then proceeds to lay down the following propositions : — I. That Salathiel in Matthew is the same with Salathiel in 1 Chron. iii., both being descended from David through tlie same ancestors ; both lived at the same time, viz. of the captivity ; and both were born of the same father. II. That Salathiel in Luke is the same ivith Salathiel in 1 Chron. iii. 17., the same as in Mat- thew i. a7id consequently that Marjj the mother of Jesus, (lescejidiiisc from Salathiel in Liukc, de- scends lineally from David by Solomon, a r.adUt 32* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part I. of vast consequence according to the opinion of Calvin, loho asserts " if Christ ivas not descended from Solo7non, he cannot be the Messinhy Tak- ing for granted, then, that Salathiel in Matthew- is the same with Salathiel in 1 Chron. Dr. Bar- rett deduces the following consequences from his hypothesis. 1. Zernhhahel in 1 Chron. is the same with Zorobabel in Luke : as they agree in name, time, and in having the same father. 9. Rephaiah in 1 Chron. is the same with Rhesa in Luke, where a notable coincidence occurs in the names. 3. Arnan in 1 Chron. is the same with Joanna in Luke ; which appears probable from the great diversity of forms in whicli the name is written in ancient MSS. A. Obadiah in 1 Chron. is the same as Juda in Luke. In this name may be found that of Abiud, mentioned Matt. i. 13. who is the third from Zerubbabel ; whence it is evident, that in St. Matthew two generations are omitted. The MSS. in St. Luke also vary considerably in the name; some write it lo)adu, which answers to the Hebrew Joida, or even nnn;?' Obadiah; the same as Iddo, who returned with Zerubbabel. 5. Shechaniah in 1 Chron. is the same with Joseph, or Osech, between which names there is a considerable similitude. 6. Shemaiah in 1 Chron. is the same with Scmei in Luke. In tiiis place the names per- fectly agree. Thus, through six successive generations in the same line, the names either perfectly agree, or are manifestly similar ; each preserving the same order. Hence it may be legitimately concluded, that tlie preceding hy- pothesis is perfectly correct ; and that Salathiel in Luke is the same Avith Salathiel,! Chron. iii., especially when we consider that the time which elapsed between David and Christ was nearly bisected by the captivity ; so that the number of generations between them was divided into almost two equal parts by Salathiel. The two generations Avhich occur after Semei, in Luke, after Mattathias and Maath, of Avhich no trace is found, 1 Chron. iii. are rejected from the text of Luke as interpolations. Immediately after Shemaiah, the writer of 1 Chron. iii. subjoins Neariah, in which Dr. Barrett supposes he has found the person called Nagge in Luke iii. 25. as the names in the original languages do not materially differ. In some following observations Dr. Barrett thinks that the family of Salatliiel divided into two branches, one of wliich is traced by Mat- thew, tlie other by Luke. It is therefore not surprising that the genealogies of the two Evan- gelists should differ from this period. The Esli mentioned by Luke had a son called Naum, or Anum ; among the sons of Elioenai, mentioned in 1 Cliron. iii. was Joamain, or Joanam — names which considerably resemble those recorded by St. Luke. Having thus fixed the genealogy, by proving that Salathiel in Matthew and Luke is the same Avith Salathiel in 1 Chron. iii. 17. lie proceeds to inquire whether chronology will support him in the times of these generations. From examining the chronology, it appears that there is no place for the supposititious Pe- daiah, and that Naum begat Amos B. C. 290, himself being fifty years old. After Amos let tliirty years be computed for each generation, or a hundred years for three, the dates will then appear thus : — " Matthew. Luke. A.A.C. Azor bom B.C. 380 .. . A generation omitted . . Anotlier generation omit- ted Elioenai, or Egli,born . Naum Amos 380 340 290 260 230 200 ir.5 130 100 65 25 Mattathias Joseph Aciiini Eliud Eleazer Janna Melchi Jacob Josepli, husband of Mary Matthat Heli Mary, mother of Clirist Dr. Barrett then inquires, whether by the proposition it appears that Salathiel in Luke and Salathiel in 1 Chron. are the same person, provided the generations be traced up to David ; he acknowledges the difficulties of the inquiry, and that the utmost to be expected is, to show the invalidity of the arguments against it. Matthew states that Jechonias was the father of Salathiel : but Luke says, that JVeri was his father : this may be reconciled by supposing that JVeri was the maternal grandfather of Sa- lathiel, and hence, according to the custom ot the Hebrews, put down for his father. The truth of this hypothesis is next examined. It is a received opinion of the Jews, that Su- sanna was the Avife of Jechonias, and mother of Salathiel, which is confirmed by Biblioth. Clement. Vatic, tom. i. p. 290. and she was un- doubtedly nearly allied to the throne, from the magnificence in which she lived. (See the ac- count in the Scptuagint version of Daniel, com- pared with 2 Sam. xv. 1. 1 Kings i. 5.) He next inciuires into the genealogy of Neri, whom he supposes to be the same with Neariah, mentioned so -frequently by Jeremiah, and who was the father of Baruch and Seraiah. Baruch Avas certainly of an illustrious family, as we learn from Josephus, avIio calls him the son of Neri ; wliich Dr. Barrett establishes by several considerations, sliowing that Baruch, and con- sequently Neariah, sprang from Nathan the son of David. As nothing is related of the ancestors of Neariah, he again recurs to conjectures, which are chieflv the following : — Massciah, or Melchi, the father of Neriah, Avas probably the same mentioned in 2 Chron. xxxiv. 8. as governor of the city. It is also probable Simeon, the son of Juda, mentioned Luke iii. 30. is the same per- son called Maaseiah, the son of Adaiah, in 2 Chron. xxiii. 1., the two names being written JNoTE 23.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *33 with the same letters, and differing scarcely rjxcept in situation. It is well known to all biblical critics, that the names of the Old Tes- tament have been much corrupted, not only in different translations, but in different copies of the original. Admitting the above hypothesis. Dr. Barrett shows that the family of Nathan was concealed in an obscure situation, till the greater part of the family of Solomon was destroyed by the treachery of Athaliah ; when Maaseiah, or Simeon, moved with pity towards his relative Joash, by the assistance of Jehoiada, removed Athaliah out of the way, and set Joash upon the throne ; from wliich time the dignity of the family increased, till the line of Solomon be- coming extinct, Jechonias, his only remaining heir, took to wife Susanna the daughter of JVeariah. Supposing this hypothesis to be true, Dr. Barrett thus constructs his genealogical table, beginning at the division of the line of Solomon, omitting Melea and Mainan as inter- oolations. 1 Solomon. 1 Nathan. _ 2 llelioboara 2 Mattatha 3 Vbiah 3 Eliakini 4 Vsa 4 Jonan liliosaphiit 5 Joseph r. IplKjrnm 6 Jiidah, or Adaiah 1 Mi:iziah 7 Simeon, or MasseiaJi 8 Joa-iji 8 Levi 9 Amaziah 9 Matthat 1(1 IJz/iah 10 Jorim 11 fotliam 11 Eliezer 12 Ahaz 12 Jose Ki Hezekiah 13 Er 14 Manassea 14 Elmodam 15 Anion 15 Cosam 1(5 Josias 16 Addi 17 Jctioiakini 17 Melchi, or Maaseias 18 Jelioiaehin, or Jechonias 18 Neri 19 Susanna. Li treating of the ancestors of Mary, and the cojisanguiniti/ hetiveen her and Joseph, Dr. Bar- rett shows that the Virgin was not (as was for- merly supposed) descended from the tribe of Levi, but from the family of David ; and brings several additional arguments to prove that St. Luke traces the genealogy of Mary, and St. Matthew that of Joseph. According to the universal voice of antiquity, the father and mother of the Virgin were called Joachim and Anna. Dr. Barrett thinks it indis- putable that Joachim is the same name Avitli Heli, Lnke iii. 23. or Eliakim, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 4., which is rendered probable by the Virgin being called by some Jewish Avriters, Mary, the daughter of Heli. Thus it may be taken for granted, that Heli was the father of Mary, and maternal grandfather of Christ, and that he is considered by St. Luke as the real fatlier of Christ. He next considers the family of Anna, the mother of Mary. It is generally agreed tliat the father of Anna was named Matthan, and he is supposed by some to have been a priest — and as the daughters of the priests might intermarry with any tribe, it accounts for Mary's being the cousin of Elisabeth (who was really of tlie tribe of Levi), though her father Joachim, or Heli, was a descendant of the tribe of Judah. Dr. Barrett next proceeds to the family of Joachim ; but in this examination he finds very few documents to guide his inquiries. It how- ever seems probable that James, Joses, Simon, and Judas, mentioned in Matt. xiii. 55. and Luke vi. 3. as the brethren of our Lord, were in reality his cousins, being the sons of Mary, the wife of Alpheus, and sister to the Virgin. Concerning Cieopas, or Klopas, there are various opinions, but that conjecture of Calmet seems the most probable, that Cieopas was the husband of that Mary who was sister to the blessed Virgin, and father of James the less. Dr. Barrett thinks that these apparently dis- cordant systems may be harmonized into the following scheme : — MATTHAT JACOB. Cieopas died, childless : his brother Joachim married his wi- dow : the off- spring of that marriage was Mary the wife of Cieopas, or Al- pheus, mention- ed John .\ix.25., and mother of James, who is called the Lord's brother. Joachim, or Heli, married the se- cond time to Anna, whom Marv. from sprang Joseph, Alpheus, or Cieopas mar- ried Mary, »; Tov KA(07r<7, John xix. 25 whence sprangJarae?, Joses, Simon, and Juda. Jesus. Having thus investigated this difficult ques- tion, Dr. Barrett concludes by observing, that his principal object was to prove, by the agree- ment of the Evangelists, that Christ descended from David by the line of Solomon. To effect this he has formed a genealogical table of the family of David, according to the principal genealogical tables given in the Old Testament ; and to tliis test, supported by fair criticism and the comparing of MSS., he brings the table of descent given by St. Matthew and St. Luke, and finding that they both agree with his conclusions, he of course concludes that they necessarily agree Avith each other. From their mutual agreement witli the line of descents collected from the Old Testament, without any other collateral evidence, he further concludes, tliat the genealogies of St. Matthew and St. Luke are genuine, authentic, and accurate. Vide Dr. Adam Clarke's Comment, on Luke iii. (from whose abridgment of Dr. Barrett's work, the above is compiled), Whitby, and the commentators. NoTK 23.— Part I. It is not necessary to enter into the investi- gation of tlie question, whether these two chap- ters of St. Luke are genuine ; for the whole Gospels rest upon the same evidence : that is. VOL. IT. *:1 34* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part L they are now found in every manuscript and version extant, and were always received as authentic from the commencement of the Chris- tian sera. A class of writers, however, falsely assuming the name of Clu-istians, have framed to themselves many arguments against the truths contained in these and the first two chap- ters of St. Matthew ; and having persuaded themselves that the doctrines they contain are indefensible, they proceed to attack the authen- ticity of the chapters which assert them. Their principal reason for this conduct is, that a here- tic, named Marcion, used a copy of St. Luke's Gospel, in which these chapters were omitted. The whole question has been fully and most impartially examined by Dr. Loefler, and the conclusions of his careful investigation are these : — 1. The Gospel used by Marcion was anony- mous. 2. The four Gospels were all alike rejected by Marcion, who maintained the authenticity of his own anonymous Gospel in place of these inspired compositions. 3. His followers assert that Christ himself, and St. Paul, were the authors of Marcion's Gospel. 4. Irenseus, Tertullian, and Epiphanius, had no reason for regarding Marcion's Gospel as an altered edition of St. Luke's ; their assertion is mere conjecture", resting on absurd and frivo- lous allegations. The great difference of the two Gospels is inconsistent with this supposi- tion. 5. No reasonable motive can be assigned, which could have induced Marcion to use a garbled copy of St. Luke's Gospel ; the motives assigned by the fathers being inconsistent and sGlf-destructive. It is supposed, therefore, that he adopted some apocryphal composition, combining much of the matter given by St. Luke with his own ideas of theology and revelation. Vide J. P. Smith's Testimony to the Messiah, vol. ii. p. 13, 14. — Vindication of the two first chapters of St. Matthew and St. Luke, by a Layman. — See also Dr. Nares, Archbishop Lau- rence, and Mr. Rennell, on the Socinian JVeiv Testament. Note 24.— Part L In the first fourteen generations, the people of Israel were under prophets — in the second, under kings — in the third, under the Asmonsean priests. The first fourteen brought their king- dom to glory, under the reign of David ; the second to misery, in the captivity of Babylon ; and the third to glory again, under the Messiah- ship of Christ. The first division begins with Abraham, who received the promise ; and ends with David, who received it again with greater clearness. The second begins with the build- ing of the temple, and ends with its destruction. The third opens with a deliverance from tem- poral enemies and return from captivity, and terminates in their spiritual delivery from every enemy by Christ; to whom each successive generation pointed as the Prophet — King — and Priest of his people. — See also Lightfoot, vol. i. p. 418. Note 25. — Part I. This too might have been expected, that, when the Messiah was born, some visible ex- pression of angelic joy and sympathy would be demonstrated at the mercy of God displayed towards the human race. To the angels of heaven the system of redemption is representoJ as a subject of surprise and astonishment. Li the cherubic emblems the angels are drawn as bending over the ark ; and, in allusion to tlie cause of this position, we are expressly to];i " which things the angels desire to look into''." The address of the angel is formed with pe- culiar allusion to the plan of redemption. " Be- hold I bring you," who are Jews, the favored sons of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the chosen people of God — I bring you " tidings of great joy." But this great joy shall not be con- fined to you — it " shall be to all the nations ; ' for the desire of all nations is come — the Cln-ist — the Messiah is born. Although the Saviour of aU manldnd, he is more especially your Sa- viour. " Unto you is born," this very day, in a city of your former king, the " Saviour, which is Christ the Lord ;" or more properly Messiah, the Jehovah Angel of your fathers. At every step of our progress into the mag- nificent Avorld of the Christian revelation, we meet with new proofs of one wise scheme of Almighty Providence in accomplishing the sal- vation of man — " Lord! what is man that thou art mindful of him. Or the son of man, that thou so regardest him?" When the long-promised Christ is born, the universe seems to be agitated. The age of miracles, of prophecy, of supernatural vision, of angelic appearances returns. But to whom does the Almighty vouchsafe to i-eveal him- self ? not to Augustus at Rome, not to Herod at Jerusalem: not to the philosopher who de- pended on Ids reason, or the PJiarisee who relied on his traditions, and forgot the spirit ' Marsh's Michaelis, vol. ill. p. 150. "^ 1 Pet. i. 12. f(\-(i LitSvituvair "tyyiXoi nuQaxi'ifiii. KoTE 26.-28,] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *35 cf liis Scriptures! At the creation of the world the sons of God had shouted for joy (Job xxxviii. 7.) : at the reconciliation of the world, the joyful tidings were to be given to all peo- ple, and the sous of God again descend as the delighted and exulting messengers. They ap- pear to the shepherds in the field, to the hum- ble, the poor, and the unprejudiced. The world is buried in sleep and unconcerned, though God himself was present— the shepherds, re- moved from all temporal distinctions, are awake, watchful, and obedient ; and receive the good tidings of great joy, listening to the song of the heavenly host, saying, " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, Good-will toward men." The glory of the Shechinah, the visible mani- festation of the presence of God, is now be- held for the first time during many centuries', and the heavenly multitude were the attendants of our blessed Lord when he left the glory of his Father, to enter on the scene of his humili- ation and suffering, for which his mortal body was now prepared. The Logos, or the divine nature, might at this time perhaps have united itself to the body ordained to receive it. It might now only have left the glory in which it had tabernacled in heaven. That which was within the womb of the Virgin was human only: a human body, and a human soul. It ■was perfect man. That which was divine might have been only united to the body in this state, when the perfect child was born. Then the perfect God became united to the perfect man, " of a reasonable soul, and human flesh subsisting." Dr. Lardner, in his treatise. Whether the Lo- gos supplied the place of a human soul in the body of Chiist ? confounds the twofold nature. like unto us, sin only excepted. The name Christ, or the Anointed, was given him from above. He was now called Jesus, the Saviour, who in the likeness of sinful flesh was born to obey, and to atone. By the circumcision also he was taken, as a man, into covenant with his Father, whose glory he had so lately left. Note 27.— Part L Whiston, contrary to the united opinions of Lightfoot, Doddridge, Newcome, Lardner, Mi- chaelis, Pilkington, and others, has placed the offering of the Magi before the purification. If he had assigned sufficient reasons for this dif- ference, it had been entitled to more attention ; but it is certain that if the reputed parents of Christ had had the power, they would have had with it the most anxious wish to conform, with the utmost scrupulousness, to the Law on this occasion; had the Magi, therefore, presented their gifts before the purification, Joseph and Mary would doubtless have offered a lamb, in- stead of the sacrifice of the poorest of the peo- ple, a pair of turtle doves, or two young pig- eons. Note 26.— Part I. The Messiah being now born into the world as a man, became subject to the Law of Moses, that he might fulfil all righteousness, and there- by be able, as the perfect sacrifice, to redeem those who had violated that Law. At the usual time, therefore, and with the ceremonies ap- pointed for the Jews, he received the name which designated him as a man in all respects ' The expression in the original 5uta Kvalov ns- 5if';.ain,!fv avTuvg, is the same as the Hebrew TIDD mn- . the Shechinah, or emblem or token of the presence of the Divine Majesty, which appeared so often to the patriarchs in" the earlier ages of the world. Bechai in Lf'gcin, M. im. 1. " Apparitio Majestatis divina2 in Scriptura dicitur mn' T1DD> Gloria Domini, stilo vero sapientum Shechinah : et hue pertinent leca Exod. xxiv. 16. et Ps. Ixxxv. 10." — Sclioetgen. Hnru: Hchraica-. vol. i. p. 542, and p 261. — Jalkiit Ruheni, fol. 2. Note 28.— Part I. The prophecy of Simeon, who is supposed by Lightfoot to have been tlie father of the cel- ebrated teacher Gamaliel, completes the evi- dence in favor of the Messiahship of Christ, derived from the return of the spirit of prophecy. It is not certain whether Anna spake by the Spirit of prophecy ; or only expressed her con- viction of the truth, from hearing and studying the evidences already afforded to the reflecting and pious, in proof of the claims of our Lord. The glory of the second temple now appeared in it for the first time. The miraculous power of his Holy Father attended his entrance there ; and, though an infant, he was openly acknowl- edged by the inspired effusions of the most em- inent among the Jews for learning, piety, and obedience to the Law. The most satisfactory and irresistible evidence was given, on all oc- casions, to those who really waited in joyful expectation, for that Saviour who should give redemption to Israel, and deliver them, according to their own ideas, from the power of the Ro- mans. For among tlie Jews, the human and divine character and actions of the expected Saviour were much blended^ Every testunony ■'' '• I apprehend." says Bishop Blomfield, •• that the true stete of the case may be this — The Jews knew from their Scriptures that the promised Mes- siah was to be of the race of David ; they knew also that he was the Son of God, the same Being S6' NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part 1. which had satisfied and confirmed their fathers in the faith had now been vouchsafed to tliem : the spirit of prophecy — the vision of angels — the return of miracles and of dreams. If greater evidence than this had been afforded — if the more public and stupendous miracles afterwards Avrought by our blessed Saviour had taken place at this time, the silent and tranquil obedience of our Lord would have been inter- rupted, before the time, by the homage, the wonder, the persecuting hatred and jealousy, of the Jewish people. The time was not yet fully come, when his Divinity and power were to be publicly manifested. Before he preached to others, he became perfect himself. The root was planted in the dry ground of retired and obscure life, and from this unkindly soil it be- came the tree of life, yielding its fruits for " the healing of the nations." Note 29.— Part L One consolation the house of Israel may de- rive from the testimony of the Prophet Simeon : The child of whom he spake was set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel. It is not necessary to confine tlie meaning of the words to tlie primary reception or rejection of our Saviour by the Jews of that age. Christ is set both for the fall and rising again of tlie whole house of Israel. The time may not per- haps be far distant when the veil shall be taken from their eyes, and, in acknowledging a spirit- ual Messiah, they will no longer either expect, or desire, a mere temporal deliverer. Then wUl they restore tlie temple on Mount Sion, and all the nations of tlie world will again resort to Jerusalem, the joy of the whole eartli. " Glorious things shall be spoken of thee, thou city of God." Note 30.— Part I. " The Holy Family (says Archbishop New- come*^) return from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and not to Nazareth ; to which tliey did not re- tire till after their retreat from Egypt. Mary, who had guarded them in the wilderness, and wlio had descended in the Shechinah. That those two quiilifications should be at one and the same time united in the same person, was perhaps a doctrine of which they found it difficult to give a satisfac- tory account. They probably expected that the Messiaii would not manifest his divine character, till ho should have fulfilled all the particulars pre- dicted of liini, as the Son of David, and his king- dom should be fully establislied. This notion will perhaps solve some difficulties, wliich present them- selves after considering the treatises of Allix and Wilson." — Knowledge of Jeioish Tradition essential, vtc. p. 35, note. ° Notes to Harmony, fol. edit. p. 4. who attentively considered every circumstance relating to her Son, might prefer Bethlehem, from Micah v. 2., and from the remembrance of the angelic vision." But on this point there is much difference of opinion. Pilkington sup- poses'*, that tliey returned from Jerusalem into Galilee, to their own city, and not to Betldehem. Pilkington's Dissertation is curious, but the subject is not of sufficient importance to occupy further attention. The curious reader may peruse it at leisure. It seems natural to sup- pose, that if Joseph and Mary went from Beth- lehem to Jerusalem solely to perform the re- ligious ceremony prescribed by the Law, of presenting the child Jesus at the temple, they would as certainly return again to Bethlehem, as a man would return to his own house, if he left it merely to go to a place of worship. The concurrent testimony of antiquity also, which is never to be despised, as well as the letter of Scripture, Matt ii. 9, 10, IL, are un- favorable to Pilkington's theory. Note 31. — Part I. The Jews believed that the glorious reign of the Messiali should commence with a long series of calamitous events, which accounts for the agitation that the intelligence of his birth occasioned in Herod, and " all Jerusalem witli him." These expected visitations are enumer- ated, from the ancient traditions of the Jews, at great length by Schoetgenius (HortB Hebraic<s, vol. ii. p. 512, &c.) ; who, after relating many afflictions of a moral and religious na- ture, which would not have affected the mind of a man of Herod's character, mentions, that the Jews, in addition to tliese evils, anticipated — " Many wars " — (Bereschith Rabba, sect. 42, fol. 41.1. "Dixit R. Eleasar filius Abina: si videris regna contra se invicem insurgentia, iSjiS "13 2f n'tyo hw tunc attende, et aspice ad pedem Mes- sife ")— " Earthquakes "—(Sohar Exod. fol. 3. col. u. ex versione Sommeri, p. 81.) — " Revolts and insurrections of the better citizens " — (So- har JVumen. fol. 102. col. 407.)—" Scarcity of corn and provisions " — (Sola, fol. 49. 2 ; and Pesikta Sotnrta, fol. 58. 1.)—" Poverty ''—(San- hedrin, fol. 97. 2.)—" Plague ''—(Pesikta Rab- bathi, fol. 2. 1. and 28. 3.) with many others. It is curious to notice these traditions, as they all unite to prove that many causes might have combined to render botli Ilerod and all Jerusa- lem agitated at the announcement of the Magi. These coincidences also tend to demonstrate the utter impossibility, that the histories given us by the Evangelists can be otherwise tlian the authentic and genuine documents, which they are believed to be by the Church of Christ. '' See Pilkington's second Prcliminarij Disser- tation. P>ioTE 32,33.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *37 Note 32.— Part I. PiRKE Eliezer, c.3. applies this passage to the Messiah, niDnpo rniN-l^ni' "His goings forth have been from the beginning," that is, x^DJ xS;^ 1]? C3"7i;?n " When the world was not yet founded ;" and the Targum on Micah v. 1., the passage re- ferred to by St. Matthew — NH'tyn D)2' 'mp TJ?D, " From thee, before me, shall go fortli the Mes- siah." — Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 3. I quote this passage to show that the Jewish teachers inter- preted this passage of Micah in the same man- ner as the Evangelist St. Matthew : it is proba- ble, therefore, that the Evangelist in this, as in other instances, referred to the prophet in the manner usually adopted by his contemporaries. He appealed to them on their own principles. Note 33.— Part I. ON THE VISIT OF THE MAGI. Yet one additional evidence, that the Mes- siah had come, seemed to have been equally necessary with the others, and that also was granted. He was promised to the Gentiles ; and the Great Prophet had long since predicted, " The Gentiles shall come to thy light. And kings to the brightness of thy rising." Is. Ix. 3. The brightness of the rising of the morning star of the Gospel we have already seen. The rays of reviving prophecy, miracle, and an- gelic appearance, began to penetrate the dark night that had now overspread the Jewish Church. Yet the heathen world was in a state of still grosser darkness. The light was to beam upon it also in its meridian splendor ; we might an- ticipate, therefore, that one ray of his earlier glory would descend on the Gentile world. This was accomplished in the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem. That large tract of country extending from Mesopotamia on the north, Arabia on the south, and Persia on the east, was occupied in the earlier ages of tlie world by populous and pow- erful tribes, all of whom, according to their au- thentic and traditional history, professed the same religion, and were distinguished for their reverence of fire, which they considered as the most perfect representation of the Deity, and the worship of which was the most ancient form of idolatry. The philosophers and learned men of this region were called Magi ; and it is not improbable, that, as the whole territory originally professed the religion of the one true God, their adoration of the sun proceeded from their considering that body as a permanent Shechinah, or emblem of the Shechinah. The incipient error, from whatever source it origi- nated, gradually sunk into a grosser idolatry, and mingled nuich superstition witli the tradi- VOL. U. tional knowledge of a purer religion. Abraham himself, according to Maimonides, was educated in the Sabian faith (see Josh. xxiv. 2.), which he was afterwards considered to have purified and reformed. Its doctrines were generally re- ceived and propagated, and were supposed to liave originated in Chaldea: they were after- wards adopted in Persia and Egypt, where they became extremely polluted and debased. The Egyptians in a subsequent age abused their knowledge, and professed to dive into fu- turity by astrology and the other arts of divina- tion ; and from this illicit application of the Sabian doctrines arose the term Magi, or Ma- gician, when used in its opprobrious sense. The evidence of history (Mr. Franks* remarks) traces the Goetic arts to Egypt, as their birth- place, of which country were the first magicians mentioned in history. But it can be equally made evident by tlie testimony of a variety of profane authors, that the most ancient signification of this word was applied, as a term of distinction, to the philoso- phers and wise men of a much earlier age. By the word Magus, says Hesychius^, the Per- sians understand a sacred person, a professor of theology, and a priest ; and Suidas* tells us, that, among the Persians, the Magi are those who devote themselves to philosophy, and to the worship of the Deity. Dion, Chrysostom, and Porphyry assert the same : and many more authorities might be enumerated in confirmation of this opinion. The principal object to which the Magi, or the Chaldean, or Eastern philosophers in gen- eral, devoted their attention, was the study of astronomy. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, Balaam, the last prophet under the pa- triarchal dispensation, was summoned by the king of Moab, from Petorah, to curse them. Many suppose that Balaam, from his knowl- edge of astronomy, was himself a Magus : it is certain that he was much esteemed in that part of the country, where the Magians were so much celebrated. This prophet, it is well known, predicted, "There shall come a Star out of Jacob, And a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel." As astronomy was the favorite pursuit of the day, this promised star, from generation to gen- eration, would be anxiously looked for and ex- pected. The prophecy itself was, witliout any exception, the most peculiar and most impor- tant which had been given to the world. It was uttered at the most eventful period in the annals of the postdiluvian ages, on the estab- ' Franks' excellent prize Dissertation on the Magi, 8vo. Camb. J Hesych. voc. Ulayoi — iMuyor, Tor ^soaffiij xal ^tof.iiyor, yai liotit, oi TJiunai ovtok /.fyoion — ap. Bryant's Analysis of Ancient Mijthology. 8vo. vol ii. p. 40:l *■■ Apud Bryant, ut supra. 3S* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part I. lishment of the Levitical dispensation, and the overthrow of the patriarchal ; and it might therefore have been received by the Gentiles as a prediction of their restoration to the favor of their common Father ; Christ being uniformly spoken of as the Light of the Gentiles, who should bring all nations under his splendid do- minion. Elated with these hopes, at the ap- pearance of the long-desired star, we may suppose the wise men hastened to Jerusalem to make their eager inquiries respecting the newly- born Deliverer, to whom their traditions or purer knowledge had ascribed the name of " King of the Jews." By this confident inquiry, tJiese strangers be- came witnesses to the Jews of the coming of Christ, and, drawing from the Scribes a testi- mony respecting his birthplace, might them- selves receive an additional confirmation of his Messiahship. That they considered the infant as a royal child was evident from the gifts which they presented to him. It was the cus- tom of the East uniformly to make presents ac- cording to the condition in life of the person to whom they were offered. If they had judged from appearance only, a citron, a rose, or any the least gift, would have been sufficient for the infant of the poor Mary. But, mean as his ap- pearance Avas, they treated him as a royal child ; and even after they had discovered the poverty of his parents, they presented him with presents of the richest kind, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, such as the queen of Sheba presented to Solomon in his glory'. At Bethlehem, the place of his nativity, he was acknowledged king both by Jew and Gentile, and in both instances by means of a miraculous revelation. The Avail of partition Avas noAv about to be destroyed. Bishop Warburton"' has shoAvn that prophetic Avriting may be defined, a speaking hierogly- phic. Emblems and hieroglyphics had long been used before alphabetic Avriting ; and the phrases Avhich originated from these emblems are the foundation of all that beautiful and metaphorical style Avhich Ave still admire, as the ornament and strength of a language. The Avord Star, he proceeds to demonstrate, does not merely signify " a sovereign," or " ruler," but " a god." The metaphor of a " sceptre," he observes, was common and popular to denote a " ruler :" but the " star," though it also signified in the pro- phetic Avritings" a "temporal prince or ruler," yet had in it a secret and hidden meaning like- wise : a " star " in the Egyptian hieroglyphics denoted " God." Thus, in Amos v. 26., Ave read, " Ye have borne the star of your god ;" ' Harmcr's Observations, Clarke's edit. vol. ii. obs. 9. Pfeifferi Dahla Vexata Exotic. JV. T. Loc. •J. p. 887. '" Divine Legation, b. 4. sect. 4. vol. ill. p. 181. " ^4oT'in nan' ^■li'Yvnrioic: yputf I'.Kf lo; &EON atj- iialrn. Horapollo Ilicrog. lib. 2. cap. 1. that is, " the image of your god." Hence we conclude that the metaphor of a " star," used by Balaam, was of that abstruse and mysteri- ous kind, that it is so to be understood, and, consequently, that it related only in the myste- rious sense to Christ, the Eternal Son of God. Such is the testimony of this eminent Avriter ; and that the Joavs applied this emblematical prediction to their Messiah needs no proof. That the Magians remembered the traditions of their fathers is less certain ; yet even on this point Ave have some degree of evidence, col- lected from the remaining documents of that remote period. We are informed, that when an individual put himself at the head of a tu- multuary insurrection, he obtained many follow- ers by assuming an epithet derived from the ex- pected appearance of a long-predicted star". The idea, therefore, must have been very prev- alent and very popular, otherwise it would not have been adopted by an impostor. There is much difiiculty Avith respect to the question, " What the star in the East may have been ?" Lightfoot'' supposes it was the light or glory of the Shechiuali, Avhich shone round the shepherds, Avhen the angel brought them tidings of Christ's birtli, Avhich, seen at a dis- tance, assumed tlie appearance of a star — others suppose that it Avas a comet — others, a meteor, — Avhich is by far the most probable opinion, as it solves the phenomena, and is most consistent Avith the scriptural account. The circumstances related of many singular meteors also serve to confirm this solution'. Whatever, then, may have been the source of the knoAvledge Avhich induced the Magi to travel from the East to Jerusalem ; Avhether they Avere instructed by the traditions of their fathers, handed doAvn to them from the times of Balaam ; or directed by the traditional knowl- edge of their ancestors, received perhaps from Daniel and his countrymen ; or acquired from the perusal of the HebroAv Scriptures during the captivity — Avhether that Avhich guided them Avere a meteor, a comet, or a star, the wisdom and harmony of the dispensation of God is equally manifest : Christ Avas promised as the Saviour and Deliverer of all nations, and proofs of liis descent into this Avorld, to fulfil his high mission, Avere given to tlie pious Joav, and also to the Gentile. To both Avere declarations made, Avhile he Avas yet an infant, of his high official character. The Magi'', as Avell as the shepherds, Avere brought by divine direction to pay their homage to him, not as to one Avho had yet to earn the dignity ascribed to him, but Avho was already invested Avith it. In tlie poverty and seclusion of his humble condition, he re- " NDDID "13. _^ , , .. P Harmony, vol. i. p. 20.5, 437, 43? ; and vol. n. Horte Hebr. et Tnlm. p. lOit. ' Vide Mctforologij, Kiiojc. Brit. ch. v. No. 77. '■ Franks' Essat/. p. 1)5, 9(3. Note 34.-36.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *39 ceived unequivocal proofs of their belief m his exalted, and, probably, in his divine nature Such testimonies as these we can only attribute to the Deity ; imposture or collusion on his part, during a state of infancy, was a physical impossibility ; and it certainly appears impossi- ble to reconcile such evidences with the sup- posed viere humanity of Christ. It has been supposed by some, that the Magi were proselytes to the Jewish religion— and by others, that they were of the descendants ot the ten tribes. Dr. Doddridge justly calls this latter opinion " a wild hypothesis." The various opinions which have been, at dit- ferent times, proposed to the world, respecting the place from whence the Magi came, may be found in Calmet, Art. Magi, and m Franks Pnze Essay on the Magi. The more generally- received opinion is that of Sir Norton Knatch- buir, that they came from that part of Arabia which was conterminous to Judsea. Bryant's conclusions respecting the situation of Pethor agree very well witli tlie result of Sir N. Knatch- bull's arguments'. I have not here discussed the question re- specting the time when the Eastern sages came to Jerusalem : Lightfoot supposes it was one or two years after the nativity of our Lord : Arch- bishop Newcome thinks that it was near the end of our Lord's first year. Mr. Benson, m his System of the Chronology of the Life of Christ, (whose hypothesis is here adopted,) has examined the subject with much care, and ap- pears to have decided the controversy, that the Magi came from the thirty-ninth to the forty- second day after the birth of Jesus". The Jewish tradition informs us, that it was always expected that a star should appear at the time of the coining of the Messiah. Thus we read in one place of the much-esteemed 2iohar"— " The king Messiah shall be revealed in the land of Galilee, and to a star in the East," &c., and again""—" When the Messiah shall be revealed, there shall rise up in the East a cer- tain star flaming with various colors." Other traditions might be quoted. ages, imparted to Laban, Abimelech, Balaam, and Nebuchadnezzar. Vide Schleusner in voc. XQTifiaTlQt^—XQrii^ccTiiofiui, " oraculum, vel re- sponsum divinum accipio." See Luke n. 26. Acts x. 22. Heb. viii. 5., with other instances there cited Note 35.— Part I. The expenses of the journey of Joseph and Mary, who were too poor to pay even for the lamb required by the Law of Moses, we may justly suppose were defrayed from the off"erings of the wise men : their future exigencies, by the overruling providence of God, would be equally supplied. Lightfoot quotes, on this point, the Babylonian Gemara, which states that the Jewish families, assembled at this time in Eo-ypt, were so numerous, that the artificers sat by themselves in their companies— the silver- gi-niths— the braziers— the weavers, &c., so that if a poor stranger came into the city, he might know his own fellow-workmen, and betake him- self to them, and thence receive sustenance for himself and family. Lightfoot, vol. ii. Works, folio, p. 111. Note 34,— Part I. Xqri^uiiadhxsg. This expression seems to imply that the Magi were honored with a renewal of divine visions, such as had been, in earlier ' Sir Norton KnalclibuU's .Annotations on Diffi- cult Texts, p. (). on Matt. ii. IG. ' There are three renderings of the original phrase—'- We of the East have seen his star."— ^ We have seen his star in the East."—" We have seen its star at its rising." " Vide Lightfoot's Harmony, Newcome, note, p. 4. Benson's Chronology, and the references m Elsley. , ^.„ ■ , " Zohar in Gen. fol. 74. 3. Apud Gill in loc. " Zohar in Exod. fol. 3. 3. 4. Note 36.— Part I. The Evangelist here seems to apply the pas- sacre in Hosea xi. 1. in a very peculiar manner to "our Lord. This text is generally included among those prophecies which have a double sio-nification. It was referred in its primary sense to God's deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt; but in its secondary and fio-urative sense it is applied to Christ. " A type is fulfilled," says Dr. Whitby in loc, " when that is done in the antitype, which is done in the type." Israel, as a type of Christ, is called in the Old Testament. " My son, my first-born," Exod. iv. 22.— to fulfil the types, therefore, as well as the prophecies, it seems that our Lord should have gone down into Egypt. This country may be considered as a type of the world,— that " great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt," Rev. xi. 8. All the patriarchs successively went down into Egypt for protection and support, till at length the Israelites, the spiritual people of God, " were called from Egypt," by the power of their divinely-appointed Lawgiver and Deliverer. Eo-ypt and Israel may also be considered as types of the twofold character of man, the nat- ural, and the spiritual. The natural man is fed on the bread of Egypt alone ; he has no hope, nor fear, nor thought beyond this life, its ad- vantages, wealth, and honors. The spiritual man, by the grace and power of God, is so de- 40* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part 1. livered and called out of Egypt, or from tlie bondage and vanities of tliis life, that he keeps liimself unspotted from the world ; and lives not by the bread of Egypt alone, " but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Under the Levitical dispensation, all connex- ion and intimacy were prohibited between the Israelites and the Egyptians ; and every trans- gression of this prohibition, which seemed to imply a desire to trust to human wisdom and power, in preference to that which was spiritual and from above, was uniformly attended with failure or calamity. (See also Warburton's Divine Legation, on the Connection between Israel and Egypt.) St. Matthew, under the in- fluence of the Spirit of God, appears to apply the passage of Hosea to the Messiah according to this sense. Christ in his human nature, as our representative, went down into Egypt, to be nourished there ; and, like Israel of old, was called out of it by a divine intei-position. He was baptized in the river Jordan ; — tried In the wilderness forty days ; — and after the crucifixion of the flesh, attained the promised land, the Heavenly Canaan. The Israelites were baptized in the Red Sea, tried in the wilderness forty years, and because they did not crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts, forfeited the promised land, the typi- cal Canaan. Numb. xi. 4, 5, G, 33, 34, and xiv. 27. 29, &c. Midrash Tehillim, Ps. ii. 7., has these remark- able words, " I will publish a decree : " — this decree has been published in the Law, in the Prophets, and in the Hagiographa. In the Law " Israel is my first-born," Exod. iv. 22. In the Prophets, " Behold my servant shall deal pru- dently," Isa. lii. 13. In the Hagiographa, " The Lord said unto my Lord." All which passages the Jews refer to the Messiah ; and St Matthew, even if he had not spoken by in- spiration, would have been justified, according to the custom of his countrymen, in applying the passage in question to the Messiah. Note 37, — Part I. Because Josephus has omitted to notice the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem, wliich is related in Matt. ii. 16., the evangehcal narrative has been pronounced a " fabrication ! and a tale that carries its own refutation with it." Tliis assertion was first made, we believe, by Voltaire, whose disregard for truth, especially in matters connected with the sacred history, is sufficiently notorious. But the evidence for the reality of the fact, and consequently for the ve- racity of Matthew, is too strong to be subverted by any bold and unsupported assertions. For, in the first place, the whole character wliich Josephus ascribes to Herod, is the most evident confirmation of the barbarous deed mentioned by the Evangehst. Secondly, The Gospel of Matthew was pub lished about the year of our Lord 38, at which time there doubtless were persons living, who could, and, from the hostility then manifested against the Christian faith, who would have contradicted his assertion, if it had been false or erroneous : their silence is a tacit proof, that the Evangelist has stated the fact correctly. But, thirdly, the reahty of the fact itself (though mentioned in his usual scoffing man- ner) was not denied by the pliilosopher Celsus, one of the bitterest enemies of Christianity, who lived towards the close of the second cen- tury, and who would most unquestionably have denied it if he could"^. Fourthly, Matthew's narrative is confirmed by Macrobius, a heathen author, who lived about the end of the fourth century, and who mentions this massacre in the following terms : " Augustus having been informed that Herod had ordered a son of his own to be killed, among the male infants about two years old, whom he had put to death in Syria, said, It is better to be Herod's hog than his son''." Now although Macrobius is far too modern to be pro- duced as a valid evidence in this matter, unsup- ported by other circumstances, and although his story is magnified by an erroneous circum- stance, yet the passage cited from him serves to prove how universally notorious was the murder of the children in Bethlehem, which was perpetrated by the order of Herod. Fifthly, With regard to the silence of Jo- sephus, we may further remark, that no histo- rian, nor even annalist, can be expected to re- cord every event that occurs within the period of which he writes. Sixthly, Contemporary historians do not re- late the same facts. Suetonius tells us many things which Tacitus has omitted, and Dion Cassius supplies the deficiency of both. Seventhly, It is unreasonable to make the si- lence of the Jewish historian an objection to ^ See the passages in Lardner's Works, vol. iv. p. 122, 4to. y Macrob. Saturn, lib. ii. c. 4. The emperor, ac- cording to this writer, seems to have played upon the Greek words, ti , a hog, and v'ior, a son ; the point of the saying perhaps consists in tliis, that Herod, professing Judaism, was by his rehgion prohibited from killing swine, or having any thing to do with their flesh ; and therefore that his hog would have been safe where his son lost his life. Macrobius states this massacre to have been perpe- trated in Syria, because Judaja was at that time part of tlje province of Syria. Gilpin and Dr. Clarke, on Matt. ii. IG. The massacre of the infants is likewise noticed in a rabbinical work, called Tohloth JesJiii, in the folldwhig passage — " And the king gave orders for puttiag to death every infant to be found in Bethlehem ; and the king's messengers killed every infant according to the royal order." Dr. G. Sharp's first Defence of Christianity, &c p. 40. Note 38, 39.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *41 the credibility of tlie sacred writer, while there is equal and even superior reason to confide in the fidelity of the latter. Eighthly, Herod would naturally be supposed to take such precautions as he might think ne- cessary without being scrupulous concerning the means. JVinthly, Voltaire, either from ignorance or dishonesty, asserts that fourteen thousand chil- dren must have lost their lives in this massacre. If this were true, the silence of Josephus would be a very important objection to the veracity of St. Matthew's narrative : and with this view the assertion is made by Voltaire, who every where shows himself an inveterate enemy of revealed, and not unfrequently of natural, reli- gion. But as the children whom Herod caused to be put to death (probably by assassins whom he kept in his pay) were only males of two years old and under, it is obvious, according to Voltaire's statement, tliat more children must have been born annually in the village of Beth- lehem, than there are either in Paris or Lon- don. Further, as Bethlehem was a very small place, scarcely two thousand persons existed in it, and in its dependent district ; consequently, in the massacre, not more than fifty at most could be slain. In the life of such a tyrant as Herod, this was, comparatively, so trifling an act of cruelty, that it was but of small conse- quence in the history of his sanguinary govern- ment. Lastly, As the male infants that were to be slain could easily be ascertained from tlie pub- lic tables of birth, or genealogies, that circum- stance will account for the reputed parents of our Saviour fleeing into Egypt, rather than into any city of Judaja". Any of these arguments would be sufficient to vindicate the Evangelist's narrative ; but, altogether, they form a cloud of witnesses, * Lardner's CredihilUy, part i. book ii. ch. ii. sect. 1. p. 180-185. 4to. Volboth causEe cur Jo- sephus coedein puerorum Bethlemiticorum, Matt. ii. 16. narratam silentio prEeterierit, 4to. Gottingen, 1788, as analyzed in the Monthly Review, (O. S.) vol. Ixx. p. (517. Schutzii Jlrclucologia Hebraica,p. 52, 53. Vide Home's Critical Introduction, 2d edit, vol. i. p. G53-4. Among the Harrington papers, I find an unpublished letter of Dr. Lardner to Lord Barriugton, in which the learned writer argues at length, with his usual judgment and accuracy, against depending on the authority of Macrobius, in the following passage : — " I the less regarded it (the passage in Macrobius), because the objection relating to the slaughter of the infants, taken from the silence of Josephus, appeared to nie of no mo- ment. When we have but one history of the affairs of a country, and that history a brief one, the omission of some particular event is no difficulty. Josephus was a firm Jew, and there was therefore a particular reason for bis passing over this event ; because he could not mention it without giving the Christian cause a very great advantage. To write that Herod, at the latter end of his reign, bad put to death all the infants at BethlelKMU, under two years of age. on occasion of a report spread tlint the king of the Jews had been lately born there, VOL II. *6 abundantly sufficient to overbalance the nega- tive evidence attempted to be drawn from the silence of Josephus. Note 38.— Part I. '.^/ro diETOvc xal xutmtbqv). Sir Norton Knatchbull, in his Annotations on difficult Texts, has endeavoured to prove that it is not necessary to suppose from these Avords, that Herod killed all the children in Betlilehem who had com- pleted, but those only who had just begun, their second year, or who had just ended their first year. The Hebrew expression would have been nD^~\JB'~p Jilius duorum annorum. P. 6. Cambridge, 8vo. edit. 1693. Note 39.— Part I. Mr. Mann conjectures that Antipater, who was the heir apparent to the crown of Herod, when Christ was born, was one of the princi- pal advisers of the massacre at Bethlehem. He had already procured the death of his two elder brothers, to prepare his way to the suc- cession. His alarm would be as great as that of his father, when he heard that a king of the Jews was born. As this Antipater was exe- cuted only five days before Herod died, both might be referred to in the words of the Angel — " They are dead which sought the young child's life." The very same words are applied to Moses, under similar circumstances, Exod. iv. 19. Vide Doddridge's Family Expositor, 8vo. edit. vol. i. p. 86. would have greatly gratified the Christians, whom Josephus hated ; since it was well known that about thirty years after the slaughter, and the lat- ter end of Herod"s reign, Jesus (who was said to be born at Bethlehem), being tlien about thirty years of age, styled himself king of the Jews, and did many things, to say no more in proof of it." Dr. Lardner then proceeds to discuss, at some length, the time and occasion of Augustus's jest. That no argument against this part of the Gospel narrative can be derived from the silence of Jo- sephus, is ably shown also by Bishop Warbnrton, who mentions several verj' important omissions of this w^riter. See his Divine Legation of Moses, vol. iv. p. 281, 282. A German writer has written a whole treatise on the wilful omissions of Josephus. He makes them, if I remember rightly, sixty-two in number. The remark of Micbaelis, that histo- rians generally know little of the events of the thirty years immediately preceding them, and that on this account it was probable that Josephus had not heard of the slaughter of the innocents, does not appear sufficient to account for bis silence. It seems utterly impossible that Josephus could have been ignorant of this event. His silence was more likely to have been in this instance, as in others, wilful and interested. 42* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part L Note 40. — Part I. The reign of Archelaus commenced in- auspiciously ; for, after tlie death of Herod, before he could leave the kingdom to obtain the confirmation of his father's will from the emperor at Rome, the Jews behaved them- selves so tumultuously in the temple, in conse- quence of his having refused them some de- mands, that this king ordered his soldiers to at- tack them, on which occasion upwards of 3000 wore slain. It was, probably, from his knowl- edge of this circumstance, and a general appre- hension of the cruelty of the character of Ar- chelaus, that Joseph was afraid to return to his own country. Note 41. — Part I. St. Matthew seems in this passage to apply, as it were in a collective sense, all the prophe- cies in the Old Testament that refer to the ab- ject and low condition in which the Messiah should appear. Nazareth, whither Christ was now conducted, was the most contemned part of the Holy Land, agreeing well with that pre- diction — " He was despised and rejected of men." — " The Evangelist," says Lightfoot, "does not quote one prophet (ro grjdsr 6iu ribv TTqo- (fiTjTwv) but all. All the prophets do teach the vile and abject condition of Christ ; but none that his condition should be out of Nazareth. Christ seems destined to that abject place, to fulfil in a general sense these prophecies." This seems to be the best interpretation of the passage ; preferable to those which represent St. Matthew as playing upon the words '^^!i2, and IT J- Vide Lightfoot, Heb. et Talm. Exerc. vol. ii. p. 112. Note 42. — Part I. The canons of the Jewish LaAv required par- ents to instruct their children in tlieir intended trade at twelve years of age. It is probable, therefore, that this also was the period when they began to comply with the Law, Exod. xxxiv. 23. which required all the male children to present themselves at Jerusalem three times every year. As the Jews were accustomed to go up in (crvpodalg, Heb. nmx,) "caravans," in parties composed of great numbers, it cannot excite surprise that the Holy Child Jesus was not at first missed by Joseph and Mary. They found him, Lightfoot attempts to prove, in the hall, or room adjacent to that of the Sanhodrin, proposing and answering questions, as the Jew- ish youths were permitted to do, to the doctors of the law. There were in the temple, 1. The great Sanhedrin in the room Gazith, consisting" of seventy-one members, with the " nasi," or prince, or president, at their head ; and the fa- ther of the court, tlie " Ab beth den " on his right hand. — 2. Twenty-three judges in the gate of the court of Israel. — 3. Twenty-three judges in the gate of the court of the Gentiles. Sanhedr. cap. xi. hal. 2. In each of these it was permitted to ask questions concerning the LaAv. Instances are given in Lightfoot, from Hieros. Taanith, fol. 67-4. R. Gamahel said to a disciple, " To-morrow, in the consistory, do thou come forth and question me on this mat- ter." There was often a full audience of many people". The brief narrative of the Evangelist, which confines itself to the simple statement of facts, without either detail or embellishment, ought not to prevent us from considering the very pe- culiar circumstances in which the " Glory of the second temple " appeared in the house of his heavenly Father. He had now arrived at that age when the Jews were accustomed to instruct their children more fully in the arts of life, and the knowledge of their religion. At this period Christ showed himself to be perfectly versed in the Mosaic Law. Two remarkable circumstances noAv occurred : the death of Hil- lel, the most eminent of the Jewish expounders of the Law, and the banishment of Archelaus. By the first event the Sanhedrin was deprived of its greatest ornament ; by the second the power was more evidently shown to be in the hands of the Romans ; and another more de- cisive proof was afforded to the people that the sceptre was departing. Is it not probable that the appearance of our Lord in the temple, and his conversation there, might have been de- signed to prove to the doctors that there was One among them more learned than HUlel ; and that One also by his Avell-known pedigree from the direct line of David, Avas the heir to the long-lost and now vacant throne of Israel ? At his first appearance as an infant in the tem- ple, the spirit of prophecy revived ; — at Ms pres- ent appearance he showed himself to be wor- thy of the homage of liis people, as the learned successor of their most learned instructor, and as their laAvful sovereign, the heir to the crown of David. The conversation of Jesus must have made a deep impression upon the minds of all tliat heard it ; and must not only have excited the attention, but the curiosity and admiration of the Sanhedrin. That the object of our Lord's sitting among the doctors was something more than hearing or asking questions concerning the difficulties of the JoAvish LaAv, is evidently " Sep Lightfoot, Heb. and Tahii. Exerc. in Lukp, vol. ii. p. 3!H)-7. Liirhtfool thinks it is not impos- sible that our Lord had found admission into the very Sanliedrai, a circumstance of rare occurrence, permitted only in extraordinary cases. Note 43.-45.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *43 implied in his answer to the expostulation of his mother, " Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business ? " or, as it may be trans- lated, " Wist ye not that I must be in the house of God my Father ? " The Messiah did not come merely to excite the amazement, or to gratify the curiosity of the Jews. He came to impress some lesson upon them, suitable to the peculiar circumstances of the moment, and in accordance witli, or to the furtherance of, his divine mission. Lightfoot has shown the probability that Hil- lel had died some short time before our Lord visited the temple at this period. Should his opinion be erroneous, there might have been assembled round our Lord, when he conversed with the Jewish doctors, Hillel and Shammai, the two most celebrated rabbis of the Jews ; R. Judah and R. Joshua, the two sons of Bethira ; Jonathan Ben Uzziel, the author of the Chaldee Paraphrase ; and R. Jochanan Ben Zacchai. Before these distinguished men our Lord dis- played that knowledge of the Law which over- whelmed them with astonishment and admira- tion*. Note 43.— Part L The Spirit of prophecy came upon John when he was thirty years of age : this was the time appointed in the Law for the commencement of their ministry by the Priests and Levites. He preached in the desert, where the greatest multitudes passed ; — he wore a garment of camel's hair, the most coarse and common gar- ment, similar to that worn by the prophets of old, to express his contempt for the vanities and ostentations of life. His food was the spontaneous produce of the country, showing his self-denial, and the subjection of all his ap- petites ; — his days were passed in the wilder- ness, far removed from the world, preparing and preaching the way of the Lord. He avoided wine and strong drink, like a Nazarite, being sepa- rated and holy to the Lord, Numb. vi. 2, 3. He was to others the example of all that he taught. Whether the locusts he ate were the animals so called, prepared in the manner usual among the Jews, or whether it was a peculiar herb growing about that country (which seems more probable) is uncertain. Many have conjec- tured that the wild honey, the ftih ^yotor, ought to be read jiiliuyQluv, Avhich they ima- gine to be likewise a species of herb indigenous in Judsea. Witsius, however, considers this opinion as quite unfounded'^. * Doddridge, Ffl77J. £:r/josJtor, translates the word iSiCTraiTo, " they were in a transport of admiration." " 'jBiiorairo, obstupesccbaiit, mirahantiir. Verbum izinTiiiu de quacunque animi conimotione vehe- mentiori, imprimis etiam de admiratione summA usurpatur." — Rosenrnilller in loc. Had a messenger of a different character been chosen as the forerunner of tlie Messiah, the Jews would have been confirmed in their preconceived ideas of a temporal prince ; but the austerity of the Baptist's habits, his seclu- sion from the world, and his contempt of all its pleasures and distinctions, were in direct op- position to all those opinions, and ought to have contradicted them. Had he been the ambassa- dor of any worldly sovereign, he must have been invested witli all the external splendor and pomp which he was appointed to repre- sent ; — but as the ambassador of a spiritual Lord and a spiritual kingdom, all these tilings were laid aside ; — his robe of state was of camel's hair, — the luxuries of his table were the honey of the wilderness, — and the message that he brought from his Sovereign was an in- vitation to repentance and faith. Note 44. — Part L The desert in which St. John preached was not a barren and desolate wilderness'^. Ac- cording to Lightfoot he first taught in the wil- derness near Hebron% but afterwards removed towards Jordan, probably near Jericho ; a tract of country which was wild and desert, yet having in it several large cities. Jericho itself contained twelve thousand men, of the courses of the priests ; and the road from Jerusalem to that city, and to Peraea, especially near the time of the Passover, was frequented by great multi- tudes, about which time, it is supposed, John began his ministry. The country was very con- venient for food, and its valleys abounded in palm trees, which trees, if we may credit Dio- dorus Siculus-'", yield much wild honey. Note 45. — Part \. Lightfoot ascribes the first use of baptism to Jacob, when he admitted into his family and into the Church of God, the proselytes of She- chem, and other heathens. " Put away your " On the locusts eaten by John, see a curiouc criticism in verse, by Dr. Byrom, of Manchester — Byrom's Poems, in Chalmers's edition of the poets, p. 231 , vol. XV. '^ '■ Fuit enim in desertis, hoc est ruri, procui publicis scholis, procui auUi, procui Hierosolyma, proeul seducentium in frequentibus urbibus volup- tatum lenociniis." — Witsius, De VitdJohannis Bapt. Miscell. San: p. 501. ' Lightfoot, chorog. dec. to Mark, Works, vol. iii. p. 294., distinguishes between the wilderness ot Juda, and that of Judaea. ■^ <t>virai avroic, pr/to t<^v dirSQrtv, uiXi tto/.v to xaXoi'fityor ItYQ'Ov, c& /owiTat TTOToi iiev vSarog — " they have much honey from the trees, which they call wild honey, which they drink with water." — Diod. Sic. lib. 19. ap. Lightfoot. 44* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part i strange gods, and be ye clean, and change your garments." Aben Ezra interprets the word nnnm, Gen. xxxv. 2., " and be ye clean," to be nun li'm^Ii', "the washing of the body," or " baptism : " but this would not prove that the rite of baptism was then used as the com- mencement of a permanent institution. It might have been a useful and expressive ordi- nance of Jacob, but no more. The Israelites assert, that all Gentile prose- lytes were brought into their church by baptism. The question is, whether they were so initiated before the time of John, by a customary rite Avhich might be dispensed with at pleasure, or by a positive law. Lightfoot quotes Maimoni- des, who lived only in the fourteenth century, and whose authority, in the absence of other proofs, is not therefore decisive. — Lightfoot's Works, vol. ii. p. 117. We have no evidence to prove that baptism, among the Jews, was of divine appointment. It was principally administered to the Gentiles, who were considered after that ceremony as new creatures, and worthy of admission into the church. A Jew, if he had lived as a Gentile, even for a day, would undergo this ceremony, which makes it appear more like a legal wash- ing, or purification, than an ordinance divinely instituted. The Jews must have well under- stood this ceremony as emblematical of the in- troduction of a more perfect dispensation, which required the greatest purity of heart and life. When the Jews baptized the heathens, they admitted them into their own church, into a new religion ; and John now calls upon the Jews themselves to be baptized, and to become members of another church, under another dis- pensation different from that of Moses. In this then consisted, in some measure, the essential difference between the baptism of John, and that of any other teacher. The Law required the washing of polluted persons, on account of legal uncleanness: the baptism of John required the purification of those who were legally clean. It exacted obedience to the spirit, not to the letter of the Law. If we consider the Christian dispensation, therefore, as com- mencing with the preaching of John, we shall find there were three forms of baptism ; that of John, who baptized in the name of the Messiah about to come upon the earth ; — that of the disciples of Christ, when he was incarnated and living among them ; — and that of the Apostles, who received, at the ascension, an express com- mand from Christ himself to proselytize all na- tions, and to baptize them "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The ministers of the Church of God have ever since baptized in the same holy name, using the same form of words. — Vide Lightfoot's Works, vol. i. p. 465, 466. Note 46. — Part I. Malachi predicted of the Elias who was to come, that " He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children. And the heart of the children to their fathers^. The Angel predicted of John the same things. The event corresponded to the prediction. When John began to preach to Israel, the Jews were divided into three principal, and innumer- able smaller sects, differing both in religious opinions and ceremonies. The Pharisees and Sadducees were inflamed with the most bitter hatred against each other. The expounders of the Law were at variance. The dissensions in the synagogues disturbed the repose of fami- lies. Cliildren and their parents disputed : all was confusion. The ministry of the Baptist withdrew the people from under the banners of the leaders of these sects, and directed them to the One Great Teacher, who was now at hand to decide all controversies, and unite them to himself. — Witsius, De Vita Johan. Bap. : Misc. Sacr. vol. ii. p. 518. Note 47. — Part I. The different addresses of St. John to tnose who came to him, given in this section, could not have been delivered at one time. They may be supposed to contain the sum and sub- stance of his general preaching. We may observe, that all the exhortations of John refer to the spiritual dominion of the Messiah over the hearts and consciences of men. He never once speaks of it as a tempo- ral or earthly power. He exhorts to repentance and confession of sin, /.leiiivoiu, a total renew- ing of the spirit of the mind — a change of the whole man. In the same way all those of the present day, who have lived unmindful of their spiritual covenant with God, are called upon by the ministers of God's word to adopt that mode of returning to their Almighty Father, pointed out by the Baptist ; and, by a true repentance and confession of sins, to renew their baptismal vow, and become spiritual members of his spir- itual church. In Luke iii. 14. we read that certain soldiers came to John the Baptist, while he was preach- ing in all the country about Jordan, and de- manded of liim, saying, " And what shall we do ? " An important question in Christian mo- " Tho passao-e in Malachi, ch. iv. G., is supposed by Dr. Owen to have been both corrupted and al- tered by the Jews, both in the Hebrew copies, and in the copies of the Sejjtuagint, and to liave been originally exactly as three of the Evangelists have delTvered the citation of it to us. — Owen's Inquiry Into the Stale uf the Sepimigint Version, p. 54. Note *48.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. #45 rality. It has been asked, who these soldiers were ; for it does not appear that the Roman soldiers then stationed in Judsea were engaged in any war. Now it happens that the expres- sion used by the evangelical historian is not i^QaTimai,, or "soldiers," but c;()arev6fievoi, that is, men, who were actually under arms, or marching to battle. It is not to be supposed that he would use this word without a sufficient reason, and what that reason is we may readily discover, on con- sulting Josephus's account of the reign of Herod the tetrarch of Galilee. He tells US'*, that Herod was at that very time engaged in a war with his father-in law, Aretas, a petty king of Arabia Petrsea, whose daughter he had mar- ried, but who had returned to her father in con- sequence of Herod's ill-treatment. The army of Herod, then on its march from Galilee, passed of necessity through the country where John was baptizing ; and the military men, who questioned him, were a part of that army. So minute, so perfect, and so latent a coincidence was never discovered in a forgery of this or any other age'. Note *48. — Part I. ON the period that elapsed between the commencement of the ministry OF JOHN AND THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST. Much discussion has at various times taken place respecting the period which elapsed be- tween the commencement of the ministry of John and the baptism of Christ. Lightfoot (Harmony, p. 8. Works, vol. i.), and Newcome (Harm. not. in loc), suppose six months. — Bed- ford (Scrip. Chron.) the same. — Benson (Chron. of the Life of ChiistJ five months. — Dean Pri- deaux three years and a half. It is the general opinion, that about the same interval elapsed between the commencement of the ministry of the Messiah and of his forerunner, as had pre- viously elapsed between their births. Pilking- ton, however, has supposed there were about seventeen months between these events ; and, contrary to the united authorities of the most learned harmonizers, and perhaps to his general good judgment, he has adopted the fanciful theory of Whiston, who supposes thirteen months to have transpired, and that tlie bap- tism of Christ followed the calling of Andrew, Philip, and Nathanael, — the marriage at Cana, — the first driving of the buyers and sellers from the temple, and the conversations which were held, in the course of that period, in Je- rusalem, and with Nicodemus. It is after this '' Jospphus, Ant. .Tad. lib. 18. c. 5. sect. 1, 2. ' For the above illustrative coincidence we are indebted to Michaelis. vol. i. ch. ii. sect. 11 p. 51. last event, that Whiston inserts the baptism of Christ. Pilkington goes on to arrange, in ad- dition to these events, the baptizing by Christ himself of many disciples in Judsea, and his conversation with the woman of Samaria, — the believing of many of the Samaritans and Gali- leans, and the healing of the nobleman's son at Capernaum : it is not till then, that he proceeds to the account of the baptism of our Lord, and his subsequent temptation ; both of which events these two commentators concur in placing, as the Scripture expressly asserts, im- mediately after that event. Whiston's arguments, together with those of Pilkington and Marshall, in favor of the later date assigned to the baptism of Christ, may be thus enumerated and answered. 1. Eusebius asserts that the three Evangelists omitted the former part of Christ's ministry, which took place before the imprisonment of John. This assertion of Eusebius, as is easily proved by examining the several harmonies, is totally groundless ; the more public ministry of Christ certainly did not begin till that event: and even if it were correct, John no where de- clares that the date of the baptism of Christ was that which is assigned to it by Whiston. 2. It appears, from Matt. iii. 14., that Jesus baptized before his own baptism. In reply to this remark. Archbishop Newcome has observed, that John, acknowledging Christ to be the Messiah, exclaims, " I have need to be baptized of Thee," (by the Holy Spirit). 3. The baptism of Christ is placed after the history of John's ministry, and before his im- prisonment. The Evangelists, like the writers of the Old Testament, do not exactly observe the chrono- logical order, as Whiston supposes they did in this instance. As John was the forerunner of Christ, it might have been expected that they would follow the plan they have actually adopted ; that is, would put together all those actions of John which characterized the second Elias ; and would then proceed to the ministry of our Lord, beginning witli his baptism, in which he was solemnly anointed by the Holy Spirit to his high office. 4. It appears, from Luke iii. Ql., that Christ did not come to be baptized tUl all the rest of the people had been baptized. The expression, ^v tS ^annadr^fui, implies that Christ came to John while the people were still continuing to desire baptism from John ; it is not ftsTdc t6. Campbell translates the pas- sage, " Now when John baptized all the people, Jesus was likewise baptized." 5. The Baptist was imprisoned immediately after the baptism of Christ, Luke iii. 19, 20. But this observation has been already an- swered. Whiston assumes that St. Luke wrote in order of time ; whereas he has merely antici- 46* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part 1. pated the relation of the imprisonment of John, that he might better conclude for a time the history of the Baptist. To these arguments Pilkington adds, that John did not know Christ till he had seen the Spirit descending on him ; — but before his bap- tism, when the Spirit descended, he declared he knew him. To this the Archbishop replies : " John i. 31. 33., may be reconciled with Matt. iii. 14., by supposing that John, for wise reasons, knew not Jesus personally till he came to be bap- tized ; though he must have heard before of Jesus's name and wonderful birth, from liis own relations. God seems to have revealed to the Baptist, soon after he entered on his ministry, that the visible descent of the Spirit should point out to him the Messiah, John i. 33. When Jesus came to be baptized, Matt. iii. 14., it is probable John knew him by a supernatural impulse, as Samuel knew Saul and David, 1 Sam. ix. 17. and xvi. 12. ; and as Ahijah discov- ered the wife of Jeroboam, 1 Kings xiv. 5. See also Luke ii. 28. 38. ; and afterwards the sign foretold, John i. .33., confirmed the Baptist in his belief that Jesus was the Christ. Le Clerc's Paraphrase of Matt. iii. 14., is, ' Quod afflatu prophetico ab eo dicebatur: nam Jesum non norat.' — Harmony, p. 40. And F. Spanheim says, Duh. Evang. 2. p. 147, ' Nihil aliud pro- positum Joanni Baptistaj nisi ostendere se non ex familiaritate aliqua ante contracta Christum novisse ; sed ex mera revelatione ccelesti ; ade- oque nihil a se dari nee cognationi, nee ami- citiEE, nee gratiae, nee coUusioni alicui clandes- tinse.' The Baptist is not to be understood as saying, he did not know Jesus, but by a sign from heaven ; see Dr. Priestley's Harmony, p. 78. ; but that he knew him not, before he camt to be baptized, and that God had promised a sign by which he should be known ; wliich sign, in- tended for a full confirmation, was preceded by an inspired knowledge of Jesus." — Newcome, Harmony, notes, p. 6. These apparently inconsistent passages have been reconciled in various other ways. Hales, vol. ii. part ii. p. 731., is of opinion that John knew Christ personally, but was not informed of his dignity and office, till he was assured of it by a miracle. Lightfoot supposes that John knew not tliat Christ was in the world till he came to be bap- tized — when, knowing him by the Spirit, John forbade him ; — and the sign of the Holy Ghost, descending from heaven, was the sign given liim for assurance and confirmation. Vide Elsley on John i. 33. 1 have discussed this question at gT-eater length than to many will appear necessary ; be- cause Pilkington is one of my authorities, and has written a Dissertation expressly on the sub- ject. Note 48. — Part L The time had now arrived when the Messiah was to begin his public career, and to break forth from the obscurity of his lowly life. He commenced it in that manner which was most suited to his dignity as a spiritual Being, by an act of obedience to the established law of his heavenly Father, accompanied with the most fervent prayer. On this important oc- casion, in the presence of the assembled multi- tude, a voice from heaven declares him to be "The beloved Son of God, in whom he was well pleased." His divine mission now received the miraculous confirmation which had always satisfied the ancient patriarchs and fathers of the Jewish Church. It received the testimony of the " Bath Col," or " voice from heaven ; " and the visible glory of the Shechinah hovered over him. The question, whether the inauguration of Christ into his high office was not as public, and therefore as generally known, as that of Moses, will be discussed in the note to 2 Peter i. 16. Danzius, in a learned tract preserved by Meuschen, in his JV*. T. ex Talmude, has treated this curious and interesting subject at some length. Note 49. — Part I. Christ came to John to be baptized. He was baptized by John not of necessity, not for his own sake, but for ours. He was baptized that he might confer honor on John, sanction his ministry, and commend it to the doubting Jews. By this act he made himself the head of all who by baptism confess their sins, and are admitted into the Church. He sanctified baptism by thus subjecting himself to it, that man might not despise it as a useless or un- meaning ceremony. He would not that men should refuse to come to tlie baptism of their Lord, when he had not disdained the baptism of his servant. By baptism he shadowed out the difference between the carnal and spiritual state of man, and between our fallen condition and his own ; first mean, then glorious ; — first earthly, then heavenly ; — first mortal, then im- mortal ; — first buried under the earth, as the worshipper was buried under the water, and rising therefrom spiritual, changed, and glorious. Christ by his baptism renewed his covenant with his Father ; and fulfilled all righteousness, by complying with every law, which proceeded from the wisdom of God, and was designed only for the happiness and restoration of man. — Vide Witsius,Z>e Vita Johannis : — Miscell. Sac. vol. ii. p. 537. Note 50, 51.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *47 Note 50. — Part I, As a dove hovers over her nest with an un- dulating and gentle motion, so did the emblem of the presence of God wave and bend, and rise and fall over the head of our Saviour. Such seems to be the most defensible, as well as the most generally-received interpretation. It is consistent also with the analogy that may be found between the old and new covenants-'. At the beginning of the material creation the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters ; the Spirit of God, " dove-like, sat brooding on the vast abyss*'." Note 51. — Part 1. ON THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. [n order to understand the passage of the New Testament which is contained in this section, and is justly supposed to be attended with many difficulties, it is necessary to con- sider the Messiah under that name which is alike given to him in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, and in those of the Jewish traditions, wliich may be received with most confidence. Christ must be considered under the character of the second Adam, who came into the world to fulfil the same law which the first Adam had violated. That he might more evidently and effectually accomplish this ob- ject, it was appointed that he should be tempted like unto Adam, and undergo the same trial. i This view of the analogy between the action of the Spirit at the Creation, and at the baptism of Christ, I find confirmed by a singular tradition among the Jews. In a note in Brcsclth Rabba, sect. '2. fol. 4. 4. on Genesis i. 2. we read, " Et spiritus Dei : intelligitur Spiritus Regis Messiae, de quo dicitur, Isa. xi. ] . Et quiescit super ilium Spiritus Domini. Post quae verba allegata statim liipc addit R. Ephraim in Ir Gihboriin ad Genes, i. 2. romo ' Incubuit, sicut columha. qiicc volitat super nido, ilium uttingc/is, et iioii attiritrens.' Perffunt vero in Brescith Rabba : ' Quomodo vcro mlnis- tratur Spiritus MessiaB, et venit movens se super faciem aquarum .' Resp. Quando vos movebitis corda vestra, sicut aquas per posnitentiam ; quem- admodum dicitur," Thren. ii. I'J. ' EfFunde. sicut aquas, cor tuuin coram Domino. Intellio-itur Spiritus Mcsslte. Quum primum enim ille se super aquis legis commovit, statim facta est re- dcmptio.' " — Vide Sclioetgenii Hurm HehraiaB, vol. i. p. D and 10. This, tlien, is another instance of tlie wonderful fulfilment, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, of many of the singular traditions en- tertained among the Jews respecting their Messiah. '' Tlie word in Genesis nsniO without points, must be considered as a participle of Hiphil, the causative ; with points it is the participle of Pihel, the intensive ; a signification mucli more consistent botli with the sense of the passage in Genesis, and the description of the descent of the emblematical representation of the power of the Si)irit in the Evangelical narrative. If we consider the Messiah in this point of view as the second Adam, it seems possible that we shall more easily solve many of the difficulties which have been supposed to attend the literal interpretation of this interesting nar- rative. The Old Testament begins with an account of the preparation of the material world for the accommodation of the first Adam; tlie New Testament relates the preparation of the spiritual world, or Church, for the reception of the second Adam. When the time of his creation came, the first Adam was formed by the power of God out of the then unpolluted earth ; the second Adam was created by the same power of the Most High, in a similar state of innocence and perfection. When the first Adam was ushered into the world, he was a perfect man, and his Father blessed him. When the second Adam had at- tained to the fulness of manhood, he was, while submitting for our sakes to the rite of baptism, blessed from above : both were sinless ; both were, in a peculiar sense, the sons of God, and partakers of the human nature. The first Adam was placed in Paradise, and fell into the Wilderness. The second Adam was placed in the Wilderness, and regained that Paradise which his predecessor had forfeited. Adam was driven out of Paradise into the Wilder- ness, and banished from the tree of life. Christ was led or driven into the Wilderness by the same Spirit, to undergo the same trial, and by a sinless obedience to revoke the sen- tence of condemnation, open again the gates of Paradise, and regain the tree of life. In Him, we have another perfect man, as yet untouched by the Tempter. To Him therefore, as to the first Adam, the Evil Spirit makes his approaches from without, proposing his suggestions in a per- sonal conversation ; for as the nature of Christ, like that of Adam, was uncorrupted by sin, the wicked spirit had no immediate access to the heart. It was for this cause that Eve was tempted in a personal conversation ; so also was tempted the seed of the woman, who was to bruise the serpent's head. To shoM', however, still more clearly the evi- dent parallel that exists, between the tempta- tions of the first and second Adam, it will be necessary to examine the peculiar circum- stances of each event. According to St. John, all the sin that tempts mankind may be comprised in these three terms : — the lust of the flesh ; the lust of tlie eye ; and the pride of life ; and to these three may be reduced the temptations both of Adam and of Jesus. In the temptation in Eden these three principles of evil are evidently alluded to in the description of the forbidden fruit. In the temptation in the wilderness, Christ was tempted like unto Adam ; and in a more gen- eral sense, like unto all the children of Adam. 48* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part J. Adam was first tempted to the lust of the flesh by indulging his natural appetite for food, in a manner which was contrary to the express command of God. Christ was tempted to grat- ify his wish for food in a manner forbidden by the spirit of the law of God. He was tempted to supply himself with provision, by devoting that miraculous power which was given him for the benefit of mankind, and for the more effectual demonstration of the truth of his mis- sion, to the gratification of liis human nature. Adam was, secondly, tempted to the lust of the eye : " He took of the fruit, because it was pleasant to the eye." And the Evil Spirit en- forces the power of the motives to disobedience by perverting the understanding, in misrep- resenting Scripture itself. Our Lord was, secondly, tempted by the perversion of Scrip- ture itself, to indulge that feeling which is grat- ified by the admiration and homage of the world. He was invited by the Tempter to pro- claim himself at once, by the performance of a useless and ostentatious miracle, the prom- ised Messiah of the Jews. He was invited to encourage their false notions of a Messiah, and to obtain immediate possession of his promised kingdom, by throwing himself from the pinna- cle (or wing, or battlement, or royal portico, for the word nxEQvyior is thus variously ren- dered) of the temple, and claim the homage of the crowds assembled to worship there. For the Jews interpreted literally the prediction of Malachi iii. 1., and expected that the Messiah, by some extraordinary demonstration of his power, would suddenly come to his temple. The pilgrimage which our Lord came to undergo was one which was expressly and painfully opposed to all that train of feelings and dispositions, so pleasing to our fallen na- ture. Tlie Captain of our salvation was to be- come perfect through sufferings. He was to be poor, despised, insulted, and rejected. At the time when his painful career was begin- ning, he was tempted to avoid his appointed course of suffering, and to assume at once his destined honors, as the Messiah of Israel. No evil, he was assured, could happen to him, if he were the Son of God ; — for He shall give his angels charge over thee, — they shall bear thee up, and protect thee from suflfering and from danger, Adam was, thirdly, tempted to that kind of evil which most alienates the human race from their Creator ; he was tempted to the pride of life. " It was a tree to be desired, to make one wise." The wisdom which an evil spirit would recommend to the approbation of an account- able being must partake of his own nature ; it must be diffei-ent from that spiritual wisdom Mhich is from above, and of wliich Adam was a partaker. It was the wisdom of this world, wliich is elsewhere called " earthly, sensual, devilish." It is that human wisdom by wliich the pride and glory of life is attained, — by which ambition triumphs, and conquerors ob- tain their temporal crowns and kingdoms. To this temptation likewise, our Saviour is now subjected. The Devil takes him up into an ex- ceeding high mountain, " and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them," and promises them all to Christ on one condition only, that he will worship him, — that is, provided he will exchange his spiritual kingdom, which is to be purchased with the most excruciating agony and suffering, for the kingdoms of this world, all temporal power over every nation under heaven. In the second temptation he had invited Christ to obtain the homage of liis own people, and to gratify his vanity and ostentation by hearing and receiv- ing the acclamations of the Jews. In this he is solicited to become the sovereign of the uni- verse, the powerful chief of one great empire, embracing alike under his dominion the sub- dued pride of Rome, and the submission of all mankind. Thus was Christ, the second Adam, tempted in the same manner as the first Adam ; on the same principles, and by the same Tempter. But he was also tempted as we are. The ob- ject of Satan, from the creation of Adam to the present moment, is to render man unfit for a spiritual condition, by inducing him uniformly to act from natural, or earthly, motives. The Spirit of Evil does not desire to diminish the supposed happiness of man in tliis world ; he en- deavours to immerse him in the pursuit of worldly enjoyments, comforts, and vanities, in such a manner, that the soul becomes embruted and embodied in material objects. The Spirit of Evil so endeavours to sensualize and animal- ize the intellectual and moral faculties of man, that his inferior nature may be triumphant ; and consequently, that, when he shall be sum- moned into another stage of existence, he may be rendered totally unfit to be the eternal com- panion of God, the Judge of all, — of Christ the Mediator, — of holy angels, — and of perfect spirits. Other circumstances may be adduced to complete the parallel between the two tempta- tions. The first Adam fell through the act of eating ; the second Adam reversed the sen- tence of condemnation by tlie opposite act of fasting and mortification. Tlie first Adam was tempted in Paradise, surrounded by all the ani- mals of creation, over which he ruled in a state of innocence : the second Adam is described by St. Mark, i. 13., to have been in the wilder- ness with the wild beasts. He sat among them, as their acknowledged Lord, in the same state of innocency, as the first Adam had en- joyed before his fall. When the temptations were completed, we read in both instances of a most curious and impressive circumstance, M'hich in a wonderful manner completes this parallel. Note 51.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *49 When the first Adam fell, the angels of God Averc placed at the gate of the garden of Eden, to keep him from tasting the fruit of the tree of life. When the second Adam triumphed, angels came and ministered to him of that im- mortal food, which the flaming sword of divine Avrath had denied to the children of diso- bedience. For the passages in the Old Testament which prophesy the coming of Christ as the second Adam, compare 2 Sam. vii. 18, 19. with 1 Chron. xvii. Hi, 1 7. Wlien David desired to build the temple of Jerusalem, he was commanded to leave the performance of that task to his son, because he had liimself been throughout his life engaged in wars. The message to this ef- fect was delivered by the prophet Nathan, who consoles the king by declaring that from him the Messiah should descend. The king, on re- ceiving this communication from the diviue messenger, goes up to the tabernacle, and re- turns thanks to God for tlie promise. He thanks God that he has been regarded ac- cording to the law', or order'", or arrange- ment", of the Adam that is hereafter to be from above. Among the titles given in the Old Testament to the Messiah, collected by Dr. Pye Smith, in his valuable work on tlie Scripture Testimonij to the Person of the Messiah, I find this, " the A dam from above." He cites in support of the in- terpretation which he has there given of 2 Sam. vii. 18, 19. and 1 Chron. xvii. 16, 17. the learned criticism of Dr. Kennicott, from which, how- ever, he has in some measure departed, by ren- dering the word mm " order," instead of " law." Bishop Horsley translates it " arrangement." His criticism is very ingenious. The words in the original are as follow — 2 Sam. vii. 19. mn" "nx anxn mm nxn — 1 Chron. xvii, 17. CD^nSx nin' n'7;'on tunxn -imD 'm\Nii, &.c.; on which Dr. Kennicott observes, " From David's address to God, after receiving the message by Nathan, it is plain that David un- derstood the son promised to be the Messiah, in whom his house was to be established for ever. But the words, which seem most ex- pressive of this, are in this verse now rendered very unintelligibly, ' and is this the manner of man ? ' Whereas the words QTxn mm nXTl literally signify, ' and this is (or must be) the law of the man, or of the Adam,' i. e. this prom- ise must relate to the law, or ordinance, made by God to Adam, concerning the seed of the woman ; the man, or the second Adam ; as the Messiah is expressly called by St. Paul, 1 Cor. XV. 45-47, This meaning will be yet more evident from the parallel place, 1 Chron. xvii. ' Kennicott's (Postliumous) Remarks on the Old Testament, p. 114. '" Siuith's Scripture Testimony to tlie Person of the Mfssidli, vol. i. p. 184. " Horsley's Biblical Criticisms, vol. i. p. 350. VOL. II. ^T 17., where the words are now miserably ren- dered thus : ' And thou hast regarded me ac- cording to the estate of a man of high degree.' Whereas the words nSi'on anxn imD 'm'X-\l literally signify, ' and thou hast regarded mc ac- cording to the Adam that is future, or the man that is from above,' (for the word nSj^nn very remarkably signifies hereafter as to time, and from above as to place ;) and thus St. Paul, in- cluding both senses : ' The second man is the Lord from heaven ; ' and ' Adam is the figure of Him that was to come,' or the future, Rom. v. 14," It is upon this passage that Bishop Horsley has remarked (whether "imD or im3 be read in 1 Chron. xvii. 17.) " When these two passages are considered in their respective contexts, it is manifest that they are exactly parallel ; and both, when rightly understood, must render the very same sense. The varieties in tlie expres- sion being only such as the Avriter of the Book of Chronicles has introduced, according to his manner, for the sake of greater accuracy in re- lating the words of another, or to explain words and phrases that might seem doubtful in the narrative of the more ancient author. Hence it is to be inferred that the words mm in Samuel, and "im in the Book of Chronicles, are words of the very same import, and are to be referred to the same root, differing only in the gender, which is feminine in Samuel, and mas- culine in Chronicles. The writer of the Book of Chronicles probably preferred the masculine form to prevent the necessity of referring the noun to the root T^T, from which the feminine min may, but the masculine "im cannot, be de- rived. The true root, therefore, in the judg- ment of the inspired writer of the Book of Chronicles, was "im ; and the two passages may be thus expounded : — " 2 Sam. vii. 19. ' And tliis (namely, what was said about his house in distant times) is the arrangement about The Man, O Lord Je- hovah ! ' " 1 Chron. xvii. 17. ' And thou hast regarded me in the arrangement about tlie Man tliat is to be from above, O God Jehovah ! ' Tliat is, in forming the scheme of the incarnation, re- gard was had to the honor of David, and his house, as a secondary object, by making it a part of the plan, that the Messiah sJiould be born in his family. This is indisputably the sense of both passages, though far more clearly expressed by the later writer". Dr. Kennicott, not perceiving the identity of the two words mm and "^iri, was not aware that the two pas- sages render the very same sense, witli no otlier difference than the advantage of per- spicuity, and perhaps of accuracy, in reciting David's very words, on the side of tlie author of the Book of Chronicles. I owe, however, to " Smith's Scripture Testimony, &,c. vol. i. p. 185. 50* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Pakt L Dr. Kennicott the important hint, that Oixn, in Samuel, and nSynn trjnxn, in Chronicles, allude to Christ, and to none else ; which led me to the right understanding of both pas- sages." — Horsley's Biblical Criticisms, vol. i. p. 184. See also Arrangement of the Old Testa- ment, in loc. It is difficult to say why Bishop Horsley, after this confession, should have differed in another point from Dr. Kennicott, and translated rznxn by "the Man," instead of "the Adam." Dr. Pye Smith has very justly observed, from Dr.Kennicott's translation, that the inferences to be drawn from this passage are, that the Mes- siah would, at a period remotely future, descend from David, and that he would sustain a rela- tion to the human race analogous to that of the first man. In the New Testament also our Lord is called the Adam from above. We read these remarkable words, (1 Cor. xv. 47). "The first man is of the earth earthy, the second man is the Lord from heaven." Through the greater part of that beautiful chapter St. Paul draws a parallel between the first and second Adam. In the Epistle to the Romans (v. 14.) he calls the first Adam " the figure of Him that was to come." Compare also John iii. 31. and viii. 2.3. The Jewish traditions also affirm the same doctrine, and St. Paul, in this passage (1 Cor. XV. 47.) uses the very same expression which is found in the book Zohar on this subject: a cir- cumstance Avhich may be considered as afford- ing a proof of the real date of that curious book. It is said to consist principally of a re- cital of the expositions and doctrines of Rabbi Simeon^, the son of Jochai, who was the con- temporary of tlie Apostles, and probably kno^vn to St. Paul, himself one of the most learned of his day. The Messiah is there called xS'';-'S tZ3TX, " the Adam on high," and is said to have dominion over all tilings, as the first man, "the Adam below," nxnn CDIX, had by divine appointment over the inferior creation of this world. The same idea repeatedly occurs in the rabbinical writings. " Plura adhuc ibi habentur," says Schoetgenius, " sed hsec sufficiant." I have selected a few of the very curious traditions dispersed through his book', P Schoetgenius, Horm Hehraica, vol. ii. p. 271. ' In vol.i.p. ()70,of the Hora Hcbraicie — " Nom- ina ilia duo Judwis sunt familiaria. Nam Adamus primus semper et ubique fere auditptyxiH CDIX. et in libro Soliar 'XrOlp CDTX." — -'Soliar Genes, fol. 14. col. 53. Quum nondum consunimati essent septem ordines dierum superioruni, nondum absolutus erat xV vb CDTiX Adam superiius. Cum absolveretur 5<S'j,»-) supcrius, dictus est nxS'T lIDTN Adam superior: cum absolveretur inferius, dictus est ; — i-i>o nxnn Adam inferior. Et (luemadnioduni. postquam oiniiia absuluta sunt, Adamus interior donnnatur omnibus qutecunque in nnuuio creata sunt, sic Adam superior nSj Sj' Lvbii', omnibus omnino rebus doiiiinatur.'' — Sclioetffcn. llor. Heb. vol. i. p. 672. Jalkut Rulcni, fol. 147. ?>. im nx'^T "in I would here conclude the attempt to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was the one Messiah, from his being the second Adam, as the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Jew- ish traditions assert the Messiah to be ; but Mr. Jones has added some ideas on the time durino- which the temptation lasted, which may confirm the propriety of tlie reasoning now adopted. According to tradition, Adam and Eve are sup- posed to have been tried forty days in Paradise, Jones, in Ms interesting dissertation on the Temptation of Christ, arguing on this sup- position, concludes that the period of forty days will, from this circumstance, naturally occur in other transactions ; and particularly in this of our Saviour's temptation. The flood brought upon the world by sin committed in Paradise (Gen. v. 29.) lasted for forty days — and so long were the rains descending, that the sin and its history might be recognised in the pun- ishment. When the Israelites searched the land of Canaan, the second Paradise, they had a foretaste of it for forty days (Numb. xiv. 33, 34.), and the people who murmured at the evil report of those faithless messengers Avere con- demned to wander forty years (a year for a day) in the wilderness. — (Jones's Works, vol', iii. p. 173.) — To Avhich may be added many other symbolical coincidences. Moses, as the founder and the great lawgiver of the Jewish Church, fasted twice forty days and forty nights on Mount Horeb, when he first received the tables of the Law, and after they had been broken and were again restored. Elijah also, the re- former of the Jewish Church, by the same su- perhuman power, after he had crossed the river Jordan, fasted for the same number of days, and in the same wilderness, as Moses had for- merly done. x\re these mere coincidences .' Is it not rather probable that Christ, who came to fulfil the Law to the uttermost, and to estab- lish on it a more perfect dispensation, should be appointed to give the same evidence of his di- nxnn ' David superior et David inferior, 'n nxS-i' 'ptyNI ' superior est Deus primus,' piPN 'n nxnni ' et inferior est Deus postremus.' " — Schoetgen. vol. i. p. (573. In another passage of one of the talnmd- ical writings we read, that since the first Adam was in the transgression, the Messiali will be the last Adam to take away sin. JS'eve Scfwlom, fol. IGO. 2. citante Edzardo ad Beraclwth, c. 1. p. 176. apud Schoetgen. vol. i. p. (j71. In the commentary on Proverbs xxx. 4. we read — '• What is his name .' — the heavenly Adam, or the Adam from above— and what is his son's name .' the earthly Adam, the Adam from below." Sohar ad Genes, xxxix. 2. " In the hour in which Adam received the ccdestial image, all creatures came to him, and acknowl- edged him king of the earth.' Jalkut Riiheni, fol. 21. 1. Schoetgen. vol. i. p. (>73. iTPJl Xnj'ii'D nxS'i' NJpnn Cinw\ — "He was with the wild beasts." There is much curious matter also of a similar nature on those words of St. Paul, 1 Cor. XV. 49. l'Jy.i)ya Ti)V /(liy.tiv. ICixtii umv inovnavluv — " As we have borne the image of the earthy, wo shall also bear the image of the lieavenly." — Schoetgen. Hur. Heh. vol. i. p. G73. Note 5^.-54.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *5l vine mission, and to undergo the same prepara- tion as his typical predecessors had already folfilled ? Note 52. — Part I, Those who reject the literal interpretation of the account of our Lord's temptation, have laid great weight on this phrase, " in a moment of time," h crny/ufi /qovov, as demonstrating the whole scene to be a vision. The real state of the case seems, however, to be, that the Tempter conveyed, or took, or accompanied, our Lord to the mountain, and showing him in a moment of time the kingdoms of Judffia, which were then before him, suggested to him at the same moment the superior glory of all the other governments and dominions of the earth, the greatest of which (the Roman empire) was then at the height of its power. Bishop Porteus remarks on this passage, that Abb6 Mariti, describing this mountain, speaks of it as extremely high, and commanding the most beautiful prospect imaginable. It overlooks the mountains of Arabia, the country of Gilead, the country of the Ammonites, the plains of Moab, the plain of Jericho, the river Jordan, and the whole extent of the Dead Sea, These various domains the Tempter might show to our Lord distinctly, and might also at the same timejooin^ eut (for so the original word sometimes signifies), and direct our Lord's eye towards several other regions that lay beyond them, which might comprehend all the principal kingdoms of the Eastern world. According to tradition, the mountain on which our Saviour was tempted is called Q,uarantania. Maundrell describes it as exceedingly high, and difficult of ascent, hav- ing a small chapel at the top, and another about half way up, on a prominent part of a rock. Near this latter are several caves and holes, originally used by hermits, and by some even to this day, during the period of Lent, in imita- tion of the example of our blessed Saviour. The words of the Evangelists are so clear and distinct, in their account of this transaction, and it was so evidently a premeditated scheme on the part of Satan, availing himself of tlie first symptom of human weakness, beginning his attack at the moment that our Saviour " was an hungered ; " that, had we no other evidence, there can be no reasonable grounds for consid- ering the temptation in any other point of view than as a real contest. The temptation of Christ, as well as that of our first parents, must be considered as a real scene. We are not justified in making our present experience the criterion of trutli, and rejecting the positive testimony of Revelation, on account of theoretical difficulties. The whole question concerning the origin and con- tinuance of evil is involved in insuperable mys- tery. But we may with as much propriety deny the origin of evil, as refuse to believe in its remedy ; which it cannot be irrational to con- clude would be, in some manner, correspondent to the disease. TUl the next stage of our being has developed the unrevealed mysteries of the Deity who made mankind, we must be contented, like obedient children, to believe much that we cannot yet understand. NoTE 53. — Part L The Evil Spirit in this temptation is called by the three names which unitedly characterize him as the destroyer of man. He is at once their enemy [^uTuvag), their accuser {6 didfio- Xog), and their tempter (6 neigdl^ojv). Note 54. — Part L ON the difference in the order of the temptations as related by ST. MATTHEW AND ST. LTTKE. In tliis history of the temptation, St. Mat- thew's order is, 1. " Command that these stones be made bread." 2. " Cast thyself down from the temple." 3. " I wOl give thee all thou seest from this high mountain, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." — St. Luke's order is, the first temptation the same as St. Matthew; the third temptation is placed by him for the second, and the second for the third. But St. Luke does not affirm this order. He has only xal Avuyaywv, ver. 5 ; and xal r^yaysv, ver. 9. Whereas St. Matthew uses particles, which seem to fix his order ; as, jdre, ver. 5 ; and ■ndhv, ver. 8. Le Clerc says, " Hoc repugnan- tia haberi non potest, cum neuter evangelis- tarum profiteatur se, hac in re, ordinem temporis accurate secutum." — Newcome's Notes to his Harmony, p. 6, fol. edit. Dublin, 1778. Possibly the reason of the difference in the order of the account of the temptations given us in these two Evangelists, may be in some measure ascertained from a consideration of the respective purposes for which tiioy origi- nally composed their Gospels. St. Matthew wrote for the Jews of Judaea. The title of "King" was the most usual name given to the Messiah by the Jews. " Vulgatissimum est hoc nomen MessiiB, quem Judsei ubique vocant, n'i?'On "l'7'3," says Schoetgenius, Hor(E Hehr. vol. i. p. 13, and instances abound throughout his book. But he was not only considered as king of Israel, but king over all the world. Thus we read (ZoJiar Genes, fol. 128. col. 509. ad verba, Genes, xlix. 11. ex versione Sommeri, 52* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part L p. 96, apud Schoetgen. vol. ii. p. 638-9.) "So the King Messias will show favor to Israel, but he will be a terror to all people who profess not the true religion." St. Matthew, therefore, seems to point out to his Jewish readers, that Jesus, who was the true spiritual Messiah, first conquered all desire for the luxuries of life. — He then refused to declare himself, by any- useless though stupendous miracle, the ex- pected King of Israel, by proving himself at an unfit time, and in an unsuitable manner, the Messiah they expected ; for his course was that of toil and suffering, of neglected and lowly poverty and scorn, till the time came for the establishment of his spiritual kingdom. In repulsing the third temptation he showed his contempt of all worldly power, and wisdom, and distinction, till the promised period when the converted heathen should be given him for his spiritual inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for his spiritual possession. The Evangelist thus preserves the climax. He as- cends from one gradation of virtue to another, and shows how our Lord, by resisting the Tempter, attained to that height of excellence which ought to impress the mind with the greatest veneration. St. Luke wrote for the Gentiles of Achaia. He places before them the same triumph of Christ, and teaches the same doctrine ; that he conquered the desire of the pleasures of this life, the love of temporal dominion over the world at large, and all the dazzling glories and triumphs to which that dominion led. But he teaches this doctrine in the manner the most likely to impress the minds of his Gentile read- ers ; for which purpose he changes the order to preserve the appropriate climax, and the grada- tion of the power of the temptation. Christ conquered the desires of the appetite: this was the first temptation. In the second he was of- fered that which the Gentiles esteemed the highest point of human happiness — universal dominion over all the kingdoms of the world. And, lastly, he was invited to throw himself from the pinnacle of the temple, and to receive at once all those divine honors which tlie hea- then paid to their gods ; for such a demonstra- tion of divine power would have been immor- talized, and would have placed him above all their other deities. It is well known in what high estimation temporal ambition and sove- reignty were at that time held by the uncon- verted pagans. The well-known compliments which Horace, in various passages, pays to Augustus — " Quos inter Augustus recumbens Purpureo bibit ore nectar.' — CARM.lib. iii. Od.I^. or the " Praesens divus liabcbitur Augustus," &c. — Cakm. lib. iii. Od. 5. were not merely expressions of flattery which had only a courtly meaning ; but they may be considered as conveying the real opinion which the heathen world entertained of those who obtained universal empire ; they esteemed such as gods, and actually, as all ancient history proves, paid them homage and offered sacrifices to them and to their statues, as to gods. St. Luke, therefore, represents our Lord, not only as rejecting the sovereignty over the world, but as refusing to obtain, by a mere exertion of his power, all the servile homage and flat- tering pomp attendant on such an elevation. This, in the opinion of a heathen, would be the highest test of virtue. The inference in both instances would be the same ; he who per- formed all the great works recorded in the Evangelists alike contemned and declined those objects which, in the opinion of both Jew and Gentile, were the most highly to be prized and valued. From the narrative of the tempta- tion they would learn that Christ was the Lord and Giver of greater and more estimable bless- ings than the luxuries, the honors, or the most enviable distinctions and advantages of this life. Thus will the accounts of the two Evangelists be reconciled. Both relate the same facts, both enforce the same doctrine ; the order is different, because each considered the opinions and modes of thinking prevalent among those they addressed, and were anxious to impart the greatest interest to their narrative. It will be observed, that this interpretation is submitted to the reader, on the supposition that the popular interpretation of the -nuaug jug ^aai- Xeiug jov xSa/^ov (Matt. iv. 8.) be the correct read- ing ; that it is rightly rendered, " the kingdoms of this world," and that consequently the corre- sponding phrase in St. Luke, iruffwg jug ^uai- Xelug T7j5 olxovf.dvrjg (Luke iv. 5.), must have the same signification, and is not to be referred principally {o the kingdoms into which Judsea was at that time divided. The reading pro- posed by Michaelis in this passage appears conjectural, and Archbishop Laurence has en- deavoured to prove it unfounded. It is, how- ever so curious, that I shall append to this note both the remarks of the learned German, and the objections of his critic. The reader will then be able to decide. Michaelis is laboring to prove that the Gos- pel of St. Matthew was composed in Hebrew, and derives one argument in support of his opinion from Matt. iv. 8. Tlie Tempter con- ducts Christ to the top of a lofty mountain and shows him ndaag t&g ^iuadelug rov xdufiov. If we take this in a literal sense, the thing ia impossible: if it was a more illusion, there was no necessity for ascending a lolly mountain. Here then it appears, that some word was used in the Hebrew original wjiich was capable of more than one translation: perhaps VlNH, which signifies " the land," as well as " the Note 1.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. # 53 earth ; " or hzPi, which, as -well as dixDuiin^, may denote the land of Palestine : or thirdly, which is perhaps the most probable conjecture, it is not unlikely that St. Matthew wrote So "'^iH nrjSnn, that is, "all the kingdoms of the Holy Land," and that the translator mistook ''^'H for x::!i*, wliich in the Septuagint is sometimes rendered by xoa/Ltog. It is even possible, as •'^'H signifies literally " beauty," and xoajuog has likewise this sense, that the translation in ques- tion was occasioned by a too literal adherence to the original. Now all tlie kingdoms which existed in Palestine in the time of Christ could be seen from the top of Mount Nebo. St. Matthew, therefore, meant all the kingdoms of Palestine, wliich his translator converted into all the kingdoms of the world. — Marsh's Mi- cliaelis, vol. iii. part 1. p. 15.5. Archbishop Laurence contends, however, that there is no adequate proof that the Gospel of St. Matthew was compiled in the Hebrew lan- guage, and that no arguments can, or ought to be founded on conjectures of this nature. In reply to this remark of Michaelis, he observes that ''2'a is used for Palestine only in four in- stances, three times by Daniel, and once by Jeremiah, and each time metaphorically, as " the pleasant or agreeable land ; " and that the Seventy do not thus translate it either lit- erally or metaphorically : and it is not likely tliat an appellation of this peculiar description would have been adopted in a plain narrative. Neither could xoajuog, in the sense of " tlie world," be put for X3V, the proper meaning of which is " an army," and which is only translated x6a/uog by the LXX, when the host of heaven is mentioned ; or for '3^', in its literal significa- tion of " beauty, honor, and glory." But it is not necessary to interpret the word xoa/uog, in the sense of " the world." In Rom. iv. 13. the expression xlijQOfo^op tu x(jct//b is interpreted by Beza, of tlie " land of Canaan ; " and Glass, in his Philologia Sacra, expressly limits its meaning to denote the land of Canaan. — Ser- mon on Excess in Philological Speculation, note 12, p. 36. PART II. Note 1. — Part II. Michaelis and Lightfoot begin this part of the history at John v. 15. ; and Doddridge has placed ver. 15-18. by themselves, before the baptism of Christ. In the note to part i. sect. 2. I have mentioned the reasons for pre- serving tlie present order and preferring the authority of Archbishop Newcome. Having now been inaugurated by the waters of baptism, the testimony from heaven, the an- ointing of the Sjiirit, and the conquest over temptation, into his high office, the Messiah presents himself to his forerunner, who imme- diately hails him, as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. John, as a prophet, spoke under the influence of divine inspiration : in no other manner could he have obtained power to make the declaration. As our Lord had come into the world for the express object of expiat- ing the sin of man, there is an obvious ])ro- priety in the salutation of the Baptist. It seems to mean, that as far as man was con- cerned, all the other offices, characters, and attributes of the Holy One of God are of com- paratively inferior moment, unless he be con- VOL. II. sidered as the spotless lamb, that should die for mankind. The testimony of the ancient proph- ets had but gradually revealed the various perfections of the Messiali ; and the hope and faith of man had been continually excited and cherished by the wise and merciful ordinance, which appointed a succession of prophets, each of whom added some additional information re- specting him who was to come. This saluta- tion of the Baptist was the completion of all prophecy. From this time the voice of pro- phetic inspiration, under the Law of the old covenant, utterly ceased. The Messiah had come, and he was before them. The Lamb of God was preparing himself for the fearftil sac- rifice. In support of the doctrine of tlie atonement, there is more authority than for any other re- vealed in the Jewish or Christian Scriptures. It was taught in tlie beginning of the patri- archal dispensation, tlie first after the fall, in the words of the promise, and in the institution of sacrifices. It is enforced by the uniform, con- ciiiTent testimony of the types, prophecies, opin- ions, customs, and traditions of the Jewish Church. It is the peculiar foundation and 54* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part II. principal doctrine of the Cliristian Church, in all ages, which has never deviated from the opin- ion that the death of Christ on the cross was " the full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, obla- tion, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world." — See particularly Archbishop Magee On the Atonement, with the notes and disser- tations appended ; the commentators ; Outram ; and the principal authors referred to by Arch- bishop Magee. Dr. P. Smith's Sermon also on the Atonement is a valuable tract. Note 2.— Part II. The messengers from Jerusalem could not or would not understand the answer of the Baptist, when he told them he was neither Elias returned from heaven, nor Jeremiah risen from the dead, though he was the predicted voice of one crying in the wilderness. They demanded of him, therefore, by what authority he baptized. Though baptism had long been known and practised among them, it had been applied to the Proselytes only ; and they be- lieved that Elias and Jeremiah, the immediate precursors of Christ, were the only persons authorized to baptize the Jews themselves, for the purpose of forming a new and more select society, separated from the mass of the nation. — Rosenmiiller in jV. T. vol. ii. p. 309. Kui- noel, Comment, in lib. JV. T. Hist. vol. iii. p. 130. Joh. And. Danzius, in a very valuable trea- tise on the Baptism of Proselytes among the Jews, Avritten to illustrate this passage of St. John's Gospel, and the passages in Matthew, chap, iii., has considered at length the baptism of John. His treatise is bound up in Meuschen's JVov. Test, ex Talmude. As the work is not often to be procured, I have selected some of the points he discusses. To determine whether the baptism of John was divinely appointed or not, two inquiries appear to be necessary. 1. Was such a rite as baptism practised in the Jewish Church by divine appointment be- fore the time of John ? 2. If so, was the baptism of John distinct from that previously establislicd among the Jews ? In reply to these questions, Danzius affirms that the baptism of John was not totally distinct from that in use amongst the Jews, (p. 262. § 25.) Josephus speaks of baptism as a rite of long standing in the Jewish Church. John is rep- resented to have been more bent upon cor- recting the abuse of the existing institution than establishing a new one. Baptism was appointed by (lod himself, (p. 2G6. § 30.) It was tlie received opinion among tlic ancient Jews, that baptism was appointed thus, and had obtained in their nation from the promulgation of the Law. The sanctification enjoined (Exod. xix. 10.) is thought to have been baptism. (P. 288. § 7 and 11.) St. Paul, 1 Cor. x. 2., says,£i'TTjj'£(jD^i7jxtt) ivjr^da'kii.aari iSamlauvTO. These words may be taken literally, without any figurative signification. They were bap- tized, iv vetpilji, " in rain water," and if ^n- Xdiaari, " in the sea." (P.' 301. § 85 and 86.) The Jewish elders did not inquire into the baptism of John, as a thing the nature of which was new and un- heard-of amongst them ; — but 1st, Because he, on liis private authority, usurped a public func- tion, which belonged to three persons (trium- virati) commissioned by the Church. — 2dly, Because he baptized those for whom it might seem unnecessary, viz. Jews under the cove- nant, who had been baptized before in their ancestors, and needed not baptism as an in- itiatory rite for admission into the Jewish Church, (p. 305. § 102.)— And, 3dly, Because in his baptism he differed from their ancestors in the end proposed. The Jews believed baptism to have been in- stituted by God himself. If this opinion was true, and the baptism of John was not totally distinct from that in use among the Jews, John must be allowed to have been divinely commissioned to exercise that function. — See the treatise of Danzius. Gorionides, however, asserts of John, that he was the institutor of baptism. " This is he who (nS'3D niy;^) made, instituted, or practised bap- tism."— Lib. V. c. 45. (ap. Gill.) Note 3. — Part II. The events of the new dispensation were shadowed forth by the many circumstances un- der the former system of worship. St. John baptized at Bethabara. This place, the name of which denotes " a place of passage," is said to have been the very spot M^iere the Israelites, under the command of Joshua, advanced into the Holy Land. It was over against Jericho. There is reason to believe (vide Lightfoot in loc.) that St. John was baptizing in the very place, therefore, where the Israelites passed over ; and that our Lord was baptized in that spot where the ark rested in tlie bed of the river. These coincidences are so very appro- priate and numerous, that we shall do well to hesitate before we call them all accidental. Jerome'" and Origcn" have preserved the tradition that John baptized in Bethabara. The place was pointed out to strangers in their time. *" Dc locis llehraicis, fol. 89. 1. " Comm. in Johan. tom. 8. p. 131. Note 4.-6.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. #55 Note 4. — Part II. Note 5. — Part II. The observations of Lightfoot on the time •when, and the circumstances under which, this expression was used, deserve to be noticed. John, in his opinion, could not have selected a more characteristic expression than that of the morning and evening lamb that was of- fered at Jerusalem, 1. John addressed Priests and Levites, whose chief employment was to make a sacrifice of that lamb. 2. It was about the time of offering the sacri- fice when John used these words. 3. The lamb declared the innocency of Christ, in being without spot ; and the death of Christ, in being offered up. 4. It was pertinent to the doctrine of John ; for he had spoken of remission of sin to all who came near, and declared, when Christ came in sight, in what manner the sins of those who repented Avere to be forgiven, by the sacrifice of tJiis very Lamb of God, who should bear away the sins of the world, as the lamb offered in the temple took away in a figure the sins of the Jews. — Lightfoot, second part of the H»r- viony of the Evangelists, Works, vol. i. p. .529. " To take away sin " was a common phrase among the talmudists. — Brescith Rabba, sect. 22. fol. 23. 2. ad verba Caini, " Cainus Deum sic alloquitur : superna et inferna tu portas, S3ID nPN |'J< 'J^^'£3S1, sed peccata mea tu non portas." Eadem repetuntur in Deharim Rabba, sect. 8. fol. 200. 2. Jalkut Rubeni, fol. 22. 1. Tanchuma, fol. 2. 3. Jalkut Riibetii, fol. 30. 4. "Sx^K'"' nijnj* h^^D n'tyn, Messias portat pec- cata Israehtarum." — Schoetgen. vol. i. 325. In the Levitical dispensation, when a sacri- fice was offfered for sin, he that brought it laid his hand upon the head of the victim, according to the command of God, Lev. i. 4. iii. 2. iv. 4., and by that rite transferred his sins upon the victim, who is said to take them upon him, and to carry them away. In the daily sacrifice of the temple, the stationary men, who were the representatives of the people, laid their hands upon the unoffending lamb thus offered for them ; and those appropriated for the morning and evening sacrifice were bought with that half shekel, Avhich all the Jews paid yearly, etg XvToov TTjc ^vx^c avTWV l^ih'xanadcti tifqI Twr xjivx^v uvjiov, " as the price of the redemption of their lives to make an atonement for them." Exod. XXX. 12. 14. 10. This Lamb of God was to be oflfercd to take away at once the guilt of sin, and to put an end to the sacrifices required by the Law. Vide Whitby in loc, Lightfoot, vol. ii. p. 531. and Archbishop Magee, On the Sin Offering among the Jews. I beg to entreat every man who would desire to understand thoroughly the cause why Christ came into the world to pe- ruse this latter book. Kuinoel, comparing this verse with ver. 30., has discussed both passages at length, and de- cides, after an impartial examination of the va- rious meanings assigned to them by others, in favor of the generally-received opinion, that the Baptist intended to enforce on his hearers the Scriptural doctrine of the preexistence of Christ. — Kuinoel, /n lAbros Historicos JV. T vol. iii. p. 117-121. Note 6. — Part II. This expression of the Evangelist, " I knew him not," appears at variance with the psssage M.att. iii. 13., where John, knowing his superior- ity, declares, " I have need to be baptized by thee." There are several ways of reconciling this apparent diflference ; the most natural inter- pretation seems to be, that John, being made acquainted by his own parents with the miracu- lous circumstances that preceded the birth of his relation, and having known the extraordi- nary purity and holiness of his life, declares, " I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me ? " But although John knew him personally, he knew him not officially as the Messiah, till the promised token had been vouchsafed to him ; till a voice from heaven proclaimed him the beloved Son of God, and the Spirit descending like a dove hovered over him. The Jews in general must have known our Saviour personally, as the reputed son of Jo- seph and Mary, but they knew him not then, although he was in the midst of them, as the Christ ; nor shall they knoAv hun till the veil be removed from their eyes. See John xiv. 9. Some commentators suppose that John, when Jesus came to Jordan to be baptized of him, knew him to be the Christ by the same divine impulse which directed Simeon, when he hailed the infant Jesus in the temple as tlie promised Messiah. See also 1 Kings xiv. 1-7., where the wife of Jeroboam is made known to the prophet Ahijah. We have every reason to suppose that John must have had a personal acquaintance with our Saviour, from the con- nexion and intimacy between the two families, and that they would meet each otlier at Jeru- salem at the great festival three times a year ; but his Messiahship was revealed to the Bap- tist by some miraculous and indubitable evi- dence, for confirmation of his own faith, and tliat of all succeeding ages. — Hales' .inalt/sis, vol. ii. p. 731. Witsius, De Vita Johannis, ad fin. Miscel. Sacra, vol. ii. Archdeacon Nares interprets the passage, " I knew him not as the IMessiah." Doddridg3 endeavours to prove, that either accidentally, or providentially, tliey miglit very possibly have 56* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part II. been unknown to each otlier. — Archdeacon Nares's Remarks on the Socinian Version of the JVew Testament, p. 34, 35. Nonnus, Avho lived in the fourth century, has left a Paraphrase of tlie Gospel of St. John in Homeric verse. The principal use of this work in the present day is to show us the sense in which the more controverted passages of St. John's Gospel were understood at that period. Nonnus has thus paraphrased the ex- pression, " I knew him not," in verse 31. 'Eyi) 8e f/ir oii naoog eyi'MV 'O/it^uucnv, &LC.—Par. ch. i. 1. 108,109. The corresponding passage in verse 33 leaves out the word ofiftuair, line 118. go into Galilee ; we may conclude they attended him to that place, and then resumed their occu- pations, while Christ continued at Capernaum. Nathanael is supposed to have been chosen a disciple under the name of Bartholomew, in the same way as Peter received the name of Jona, or Cephas ; as throughout the whole of the evangelical writings he is always coupled with Philip, and (in John xxi. 2.) he is named, with other disciples who were all apostles. Note 7. — Part II. On the day following, John calls the atten- tion of his disciples to Jesus; and, as if he would remind them of the preceding conversa- tion, he again gives his testimony to the office of Christ, in the same words, "Behold the Lamb of God ! " and immediately these two disciples become the followers of Christ. In this circumstance also is another evident pro- priety through the ordinance of an overruling Providence. No persons could be so fitly chosen by God to be the first disciples of Christ, as those who had previously been followers of his great Forerunner. By this event our Lord at once united the Mosaical and Christian Dis- pensations. The disciples of John, who now besran to attend him, Avere witnesses before all Israel of the testimony of John, whom all ac- knowledged to be a prophet. Wherever he went, Christ was now, or was soon to be, ac- companied by those who were enabled to confirm his Messiahship, by the declaration of tlie last prophet of the Old Dispensation. This event also enabled his disciples to preach more de- cisively to the people the great truths which they received from John ; that repentance was the beginning and foundation of faith ; and that all who depend upon the Lamb of God as the atoning Sacrifice for mankind must be brought to him by the ministry of repentance. Andrew Avas the first who followed Christ, and the Evangelist St. John is supposed to have been the other. St. Peter was brought to Christ by Andrew his brother. It does not, however, appear, from the narrative, that they certainly forsook their occupations at this time, for we read, ver. 39., that they abode with him only that night; and in tlic next section, which is placed according to the order of St. John's nar- rative, we find that his disciples were at tlie marriage in Cana of Galilee, and we hear of no otlier disciples but these and Philip and Na- thanael, whom Christ met on his setting out to Note 8. — Part II. Peter, like Nathanael, received a title which, while it alluded to his own name, described also his future dignity, in being selected to preach the Gospel to the Gentile world. Christ had come to call the Gentiles to God, and he proves hy his address to St. Peter, that this great ob- ject of his mission was always before him. The members of the Church of Rome imagine that this name, given to St. Peter, proves that he was appointed head of the Universal Church, whose seat was to be at Rome. A solid foun- dation for this notion, however, cannot be laid, before some stubborn facts are removed, which are utterly inconsistent with this opinion. These are the parity among the apostles ; — the total absence of evidence that the Church, even in that early age, submitted in any one instance to St. Peter ; — the election of St. James to the episcopal office at Jerusalem ; — the man- ner in which St. Paul addressed St. Peter, and the uncertainty, indeed, whether St. Peter was ever at Rome, the seat of his supposed dignity. Vide Barrow's Inquiry ichether St. Peter luas ever at Rome. This is a posthumous Avork, and had not received the last correction of its author. It contains, hoAvever, a valuable collection of materials on this subject. The brief Introduc- tion to the work, by Archbishop Tillotson, to Avhom Dr. Barrow, Avhen dying, intrusted his manuscripts, also deserves attention. Note 9. — Part II. For some very curious remarks on this pas- sage, see King's Morsels of Criticism. The singular theory of the universe, and its govern- ment, proposed by this author, Avill interest, even Avhen it does not convince, all Avho engage themselves in these studies. Mr. King rejects the usual interpretation of this passage, and, after endeavouring to prove that the prophecy of our Lord Avas not fulfilled during tlic life- time of Nathanael, ho concludes "that this wonderful prophecy Avas a promise to Philip and Nathanael, and through them to all man- kind ; tliat the time would certainly come, Aviien Note 10, U.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *57 tliey should see a free communication between our heaven (that is, as he supposes, the sun) and the angels of God descending, and ascend- ing, and conversing with men." — King's Morsels of Criticism, vol. i. 8vo. p. 320. Note 10.— Part II. The remainder of the events in this part to the imprisonment of John, are harmonized in the same order by Whiston, Lightfoot, Mi- chaelis, Doddridge, and Newcome. Pilkington inserts before that event the baptism and temp- tation of Christ ; a difference which has already been considered. Note 11. — Part II. The third day means, either the third day from Christ's coming into Galilee, John i. 43. — or the third day from the conference with Na- thanael — or the third day from his disciples first following him — or the third from the com- mencement of the marriage feast, which usually lasted seven days. ON the miracle at the marriage in cana. The obscure life of Christ till he was thirty years of age had obliterated, in a great meas- ure, the impression produced upon the people by the circumstances which had attended his advent. But the time had now arrived for our Lord's manifestation of himself to the world. The voice from heaven had proclaimed him the Son of God, — his great Forerunner had ac- knowledged him as such, and an act of Omnis- cience had convinced and drawn to Mm a dis- ciple. The hour was now at hand when a more public testimony of his Messiahship was to be given, in the revival of miracles. Galilee was the place predicted, and appointed, (Isaiah ix. 1, 2.) See also the Jewish traditions on this subject, in Schoetgen, for the first display of the power and majesty of the Messiah ; and we accordingly find that his first miracle was wrought in Cana of Galilee. Lightfoot has endeavoured to prove, from tlie hints which are given in various parts of the Gospels, concern- ing the kindred and family of our Lord's mother, and particularly from this account of the festival, and of the manner in which she is represented as possessing more influence and authority than was usual for a mere guest, that this marriage took place at the house of Mary, the sister of the mother of Jesus, and wife of Cleophas (who was the same as Alpheus), and that the bride was of that family. I cannot but think it highly probable, that our blessed Saviour VOL. II. *8 wrought this his first miracle in the presence of all his assembled family and connexions, to confirm their faith before he entered upon his public ministry. The object of the miracle must be judged by its effect. The disciples whom he had taken from John saw and believed. It may be worthy of observation, however, that the Evangelist St. John, who has written the account of the event in his character of historian, is asserted to have been himself the bridegroom. Dr. A. Clarke, in his Preface to the Gospel of St. John, is of this opinion. Lampe', in his Prolegomena to his laborious work on St. John's Gospel, asserts the contrary, on the authorities of Ignatius, TertuUian, Au- gustine, Epiphanius, and Jerome. The best explanation I have met of this trans- action is that which is given by Rosenmiiller (in loc.) from Chrysostom", who supposes that the mother and brethren of our Lord were im- patient that he siiould perform some splendid action, and manifest himself to the world, that they might obtain some degree of honor through him. His mother, probably, intimated by some tone, voice, or manner, her desire that he should perform some of those wonderful mir- acles wliich he had sometimes wrought (as many conjecture) for the relief of the domestic pov- erty of his family. " It does not seem unworthy of our Lord's character," says Rosenmiiller in loc, " that he should have given this consolation to his mother and friends. The idea is sug- gested by the strong hope expressed by the Virgin Mary on this occasion. But as there is no other support for tliis opinion, it may be ac- counted for, from the conviction his mother en- tertained of his divine mission, and from the anxiety she would naturally feel, that her son should manifest himself as the promised Mes- siah. In reply to the suggestion, our Lord, in- stantly understanding her wishes, checks the half-uttered request, by giving her to under- stand that she was not to direct him in the ex- ercise of his divine powers, and that the period which her affection anticipated had not yet ar- rived. The words, ' Mine hour is not yet come,' are supposed to signify that his public demon- stration of himself was not to commence till John was imprisoned." Rosenmiiller and Kui- noel in loc. quote from Dion Cassius, lib. 51. the expression of Augustus to Cleopatra, to show that the words of ver. 4. are not to be understood in an unkind or harsh sense — Odgaet ci) yvvat., xal dvuvi' i^^ uyudui'. That the word yvrat, was used also as a title of honor among the more ancient Greeks appears from its use by .-Eschylus. ' Com. Evan. Sec. Johan. vol. i. p. 14. de Vita Jo- hannis privata. " " Ceterum non male Chrysostomus — optabat (Maria) et ipsa clarior fieri per filimn xal tu/u ti yui avdot'omror fTTtcn^rc, xa&u.Tto y.ut oi a9i/.(pui av- Tou, /.lyovTic' Sfiiov cifavTov tm xudiico, ^K/.uutvoi Ti/V a.To Toir &avuuTO)r Suiar xoiOTioinaodu'. i8* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IL .J2 ^a&vLcjvuiv uvaaaa IIiQaiSvjv vjtsqt uttj, JMfjTfq ij ^iq^ov ytQai'a, xatQs, JaotiH yi'vai. ^schyl. PerscB, line 160. Baa'J.tia yvvai, 7TQia(ivg ZltQnui?. lb. line 629. The general opinion, however, of the ancient fathers was, that our Lord used the language of reproof to his mother, as guilty of some indis- cretion or precipitancy in thus speaking; as desiring (jxalgcog il '^rjreli', xul iyxdmeiv tI mi' TTi'evjuuTixcop, says Chrysostom, as quoted by Whitby. Lampe also, in his Commentary on St. John, maintains this latter opinion, vol. i. p. 504. He supposes that our Lord used the Syriac term xnJX, instead of na^'X, which is the more honorable appellation. It seems most probable that reproof was intended, and it was clothed in the language of affection, kindness, and respect. We have now arrived at the first miracle of our Lord mentioned in the New Testament. It will be remembered, that all the writers of the books of the New Testament addressed themselves in the first instance to the Jews ; and as one object of these notes is to point out to the sons of Israel, in this their last captivity, the internal evidence, as it gradually arises be- fore us, that the Founder of the Christian Church was the predicted Messiah, it may be worth our while to draw some comparison between the miracles recorded in the Old, and those re- lated in the New Testament. I think it can easily be made to appear, that they are both supported by evidence of the same nature ; and, consequently, that if the former are received, the latter, on the same grounds, are not to be rejected. As I make no reference here to those who require arguments to overthrow the paradoxical opinion of Mr. Hume, " that no human testi- mony can prove a miracle," I shall not stop to consider this or any other speculation of modern infidelity. We may be contented Avith observ- ing, that " a miracle is an event, which is con- trary to experience and the established constitu- tion or cottrse of things, effected by poiver more than human." This regular course of things is generally known by the expression, " the laws of nature ; " the word " nature " being used as if it was intended to express some occult qual- ity, which is in itself independent of a creating or preserving Providence. In tliis sense of the word, there is no such thing as nature. " Na- ture," as Cowper has beautifully observed, " is but a name for an effect, whose cause is God : " and the uniform routine of circumstances in animal and vegetable life, in creation, &c. which we daily see, or experience, and on which we may always calculate, does not pro- ceed from any innate principle of life and mo- tion in the inert masses of which the visible universe is composed, but from the immediate and continued agency of that Onmipotcnco which first created them, and appointed the laws that now govern them. The various re- sults of this will of Omnipotence may, in one sense, as they are more than human power could effect, be called constant but unregarded miracles ; while the deviations from the uniform results thus commanded are only unusual, and therefore more regarded miracles. In both in- stances, the same active superintendence of an invisible agent is always discoverable. He who ordained the regularity of the universe, and appointed the powers and properties of its beings, can suspend the ordinary laws which govern this lower world. The credibility of the one class of uniform miracles depends upon the testimony of the senses and daily observa- tion: the credibility of the unusual miracles depends upon the evidence of the senses of those who behold them. If the miracles which at present are daily exhibited were from this moment to cease, and another uniform course of events were to demonstrate in another man- ner the power of God, then, indeed, the expe- rience of one generation would be contrary to the testimony of that which preceded it ; but this experience would not falsify the testimony of the former generation. So, also, we are no longer witnesses of the unusual miracles of God, yet we should act very irrationally to re^ ject them, and to disbelieve them on that ac- count, since they are transmitted to us by the concurrent testimony of the then existing gen- eration of credible and unprejudiced witnesses. The Jews, as well as others who believe in the authenticity of the Old Testament, and re- ceive it as a divine revelation, declare their conviction of the certainty that the public mir- acles recorded therein are true, principally for the six following reasons : — 1. The object of the miracles was worthy of its Divine Author. 2. They were publicly performed. 3. They were submitted to the senses in such a manner that men might judge of their truth. 4. They were independent of second causes. .5. Public monuments were set up and out- ward actions performed to commemorate them. 6. And this was done at the very time when the events took place, and continued afterwards without interruption. The miracles of Moses, of Elias, and others, recorded in the Old Testament, may be divided into those of a private and public nature ; each of which are to be received on different grounds according to the object proposed. The public miracles were designed to impress a whole tribe, or nation, or large body of men, with the conviction of a truth, or to confirm tliom in the profession of ihe true faith, in the days of in- difference, apostacy, and idolatry : those of a more private nature wore designed to convince individuals, or smaller bodies of men, of tlie same truths ; by relieving human wants, or sul- Note 11.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *59 fering's, by raising the dead, or in some cases by inflicting punishment, thereby demonstrating the divine mission of the prophet, and the importance and truth of all that he was appointed to teach. 1. Do tlie Jews believe in the miracles which were wrought by Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, because it was an object worthy of the Divine Being to save his people at the time when the prediction of his servant had announced their release ? How much more worthy of the divine goodness was tliat greater deliverance of the descendants of the same Is- raelites from a worse bondage than that of Egypt, — from the captivity of sin and death ! 2. Were the miracles of Moses, which effected this deliverance, publicly performed ? Was darkness brought upon the land? Were the fruits of the ground destroyed ? Was the river changed into blood, and was the Red Sea opened for their rescue ? And were all these tilings publicly and instantaneously performed ? Equally wonderful Avas the darkness at the cru- cifixion of Christ ; the feeding of a multitude witli seven loaves and a few small fishes ; and, above all these, the public resurrection of the dead to life. 3. Could the senses of the people perceive and know the miracles of Moses and of Elias ? So the miracles of Christ appeal to the scruti- nizing examination of the multitudes who wit- nessed them, 4. Were the accumulations of the waves of the sea, as the gathering waters on each side of the passing Israelites rose in heaps, instead of smoothly proceeding on their course, evidently independent of second causes ? So was the miracle of Christ, when he rose from his slum- ber in the endangered vessel, at the entreaties of his terrified disciples, to rebuke the raging of the winds, and the roaring of the sea, and command the elements to subside into a calm. What human power could have enabled Moses to divide the sea, or Joshua to roll back the tide of Jordan, or Elijah to part the river, and go through dry shod, or Christ to walk himself, and to enable Peter to walk, on the bosom of the deep ? They were the manifestations of the providence of the same God watchful over the same people. 5. Were public monuments set up, or outward actions performed, to celebrate the miracles that delivered Israel from Egypt ? Was the Passover appointed as a lasting memorial ? Equally is it demonstrable that the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was ordained as a contin- ual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ, and likewise the Christian Sabbath for a testimony of his resurrection : and, to come to the sixth criterion of public miracles, if the Passover was instituted at the time when the Exodus took place, to be continued from that day to the time of the true Paschal Lamb, we also, who glory in the name of Christians, can demonstrate, by the most indisputable au- thority, that the Sacrament of the Lord's Sup- per was instituted but a few hours before the death of our beloved Master, and has ever, from that period, been commemorated by his follow- ers in remembrance of his precious death. Let us refer also to other circumstances, and compare the character of the witnesses who have testified the truth of these miracles under the separate dispensations. The most decided impugner of the truths of Christianity, who re- ceives the Old Testament, will be satisfied Avith the evidence in favor of our sacred faith. In whatever point of view we consider these wit- nesses, we shall find them distinguished by the same characteristics. Their motive, circum- stances, and conduct, wonderfully correspond. It appears graciously designed by Jehovah, that the whole system of Revelation should be es- tablished on the same evidence — that if one was worthy of faith and acceptance, the other was equally so. Was Moses, the legislator of his people, ap- pointing for their government a new code of laws .^ So also Avas Christ the great Lawgiver of his people. If Amos was an ignorant and obscure man, " neither a prophet, nor a prophet's son," but a herdsman, and a gatherer of syca- more fruit, it cannot be necessary to show that the majority of the Twelve Apostles were equally unlearned, and so much Avithout preten- sion, that when the high priests desired to re- press the incipient daAvning of Christianity, they permitted them to remain at Jerusalem, as too inferior, both in rank and attainments, to excite either apprehension or suspicion. If the testimonies of Isaiah and Amos be received, and thereby, as a necessary consequence, de- monstrate the divine origin of the Old Testa- ment, Avhat reason can be assigned why St. John and St. Paul, and the Apostles, should not be equally regarded as credible witnesses to the truth of Christianity? Was Moses brought before Pharaoh, or Dan- iel before Darius, or the three children before Nebuchadnezzar, to appeal by the miracles that evidenced the superiority of Jehovah, to all the wise, and learned, and noble of tlieir oAvn day, and to confirm the truth of their religion for ever? So was Christ brought before Herod, before the Roman governor, and the assembly of tlie priests, Avho had heard of his mighty deeds. It Avas in the presence of the rulers of the people, that Christ raised the dead, and healed the sick, and created new limbs to tlie maimed ; while they, hating his doctrine, were keenly and maliciously intent upon all his ac- tions, to denounce him as an enthusiast, or to prove him an impostor. St. Paul struck the sorcerer Avith blindness at the tribunal of Paulus ; and St. Peter restored tlie lame man, who was knoAvn to all the heads of the priests, and the rulers of Israel. 60* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part II. Did Moses work his miracles in that place where detection would have been the most easy ? So did Christ, when he multiplied bread in the Avilderness, which produced only roots and herbs, the scanty provision of nature. Did the ancient Prophets so entirely and unani- mously agree with each other, that no contra- diction whatever is to be found between them ? So neitlier can any variation of doctrine be discovered between the testimonies of the Evangelists, and the writers of tlie Epistles. Was Isaiah tortured with the saw, and Jeremiah cast into prison? So also were the apostles and first martyrs crucified, stoned, imprisoned, or otherwise persecuted. If we believe, there- fore, the writers of the Old Testament, the same laws of reasoning and judgment require that we should give equal credence to those of the New Testament. Of botli it may be justly asked, " Why should men of various age and parts Weave such agreeing truths, or how or why Should all conspire to cheat us with a lie — Unasked their pains, unheeded their advice, Starving their gains, and Martyrdom their price." The writers of the New Testament, like the writers of the Old, express themselves with the artless simplicity of truth ; no real contradiction exists between them ; their deviation is only an additional testimony in their favor, as it proves there could have been no intended de- ception, where was no premeditated scheme, not even the reconciliation of apparent differ- ences. If the representation of this agreement be- tween the writers of the Old and New Testa- ments be not satisfactory to the Jewish reader, let him furtlier consider the singular contrast between his past and present condition. Unless the Messiah has really come, and the Jews have despised and crucified him, as we assert, by what means can they reconcile to themselves the fearful change that has taken place in their circumstances ? Let them tell the Christian, for what reason it is, that the sons of Abraham, so long the peculiarly favored children of God, who were honored with mira- cles, admonislied by prophets, directed by vis- ions, and visited by angels, should, for so long a period, be permitted to wander over the wliole world, a by-word, and the very scorn of all na- tions, without a king, a temple, or a prophet ? When their proud and noble city Avas destroyed, idolatry had long ceased. They were zealous for the letter of the Law — they venerated even the characters in which it was written, and the parchment on which it was inscribed. The gods of the Gentiles were abhorred. They ventured even to encounter the hatred of the merciless Caligula, rather than admit an image into their sacred temple. Jehovah was the God they worshipped with an enthusiastic adher- ence to the minutiae of their difficult and bur- thensome ritual. The most embarrassing of their appointed ordinances was their pride and boast. Wherefore, then, has God forgotten to be gracious ? They have endured, and suffered, and hoped, and prayed for mercy, for centuries ; they have called upon the Jehovah who from the beginning promised them a Messiah — yet no prophet has appeared — no miracle has been wrought in their favor. Since the destruction of their beloved Jerusalem, which took place forty years afler the crucifixion of their Re- deemer, they have been scattered over the face of the whole earth, an astonishment, and a proverb among all nations (Deut. xxviii, 37.) by the command of an overruling Providence, an undeniable evidence of the fulfilment of proph- ecy, in their own blindness of heart, and of the truth of Christianity. Can any cause what- ever be assigned for this standing miracle, this wonderful dispersion, so long and faithfully predicted by their great lawgiver (Deut. xxviii. 64-68.) than that which is given by inspiration itself? " He came to his own, and his own re- ceived him not ; " and they remain, as Moses foretold they should remain, "a sign and a wonder," till the day in which they shall say, « Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord\" " See the Letter of Mr. Hamilton to Dr. Her- schell, chief rabbi of the German and Pohsh Jews in London. Home's Crit. Introdiict. first edit. vol. i. p. 584, with his references. Limborch's Jlmica CoUatio cum erud. Jud. 4to. p. 172, where this learned writer shows that the divine mission of Christ is less dubious than that of Moses. " Quaero nunc : Si de alterutrius mirabilibus factis dubitari a quoquam possit, in quern magis alicujus artis, qua res non prorsus veras nee tantas ignaro populo per- suasit. cadere possit suspicio; an in virum doctum, aulicum, potentem, liberatorem populi e dura ser- vitute. et omnia pro nutu sue moderantem ; an in paupcrculum, contemptum, doctoribus populi invi- sum, magistratui exosuni, et onnii humana ope, ac favore destitutum .' Non solum ea in auctoribns et utriusque religionis fundatoribus est differentia ; srd in ipso populo, qui hffic accepit, et posteris tradidit. Tempore enim Mosis, populus diuturna et duris- simd servitute fractus non poterat non esse rudis, et icmarus valde, et, uti est oppressas plebis animus, paratior ad qusevis magnifica dc libcratoribus suis credenda, et de iis posteris suis majora tradenda ; quam ii, qui jam libertati assueti, patriis institutis iinbuti. legi. qiiani divinani babebant, addicti, nullo magno'bcneficio ab hoc suo Messiah in prnescnte hfic'vita affecti, nvdlo nmndano splendore, vel fe- licitate moti, et diversa plane expectantes ; quibus jcritur nihil aliud nisi rorum ipsarum claritas argu- mento esse posset, ut vel ipsi crcderent, vel aliis pro veris narrarent." This is admirably done. The whole work abounds with eloquence, as well as sound argument. Leslie, in his Preface, ac- knowledges his obligations to Limborch, and con- fesses that his work was principally compiled from the Amka CoUatio . Note 12.-14.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *61 Note 12.— Part II. A VERY curious but too forced and mystical an interpretation of this miracle Is given by Lampe, in which he endeavours to show, that by the bridegroom is meant the governor of the Jewish Church — the bride is the Jewish Church itself — the marriage is the Christian Dispensa- tion. The failing of the wine is the departure of the Spirit of God from the Jewish Church, which had begun to depart from the purity of the Law — the mother of our Lord is the heav- enly Jerusalem, bringing into the liberty of the Gospel the children of the Jewish Cluirch ; but she is reproved for impatience, not knowing the times and seasons, or the hour which had not yet come. The water is changed into wine, that is, Prophecy and the Law are changed into the Gospel : with much more of the same kind. Lampe, vol. i. p. 5 J 8-520. Note 13.— Part II. The expression, " not many days," is used in Acts i. 5. In that passage it denotes ten days only, being the interval between the Ascension and the day of Pentecost. Note 14.— Part II. We are informed by Josephus" that a stran- ger was not allowed to pass into the holy place, that is, into the second court of the temple, where the Jews and circumcised proselytes, when not legally unclean, were admitted. The third court was without the sacred limits, and divided from the other by little pillars, or col- umns, with this inscription — Mr) 6eit> Allocpvlov IrroQ TH \^yiit nuodvai, and the reason is as- signed, rb ydio devregov "eQOf '^'^^yiof ijcuXeiTO. This part of the temple was intended for the Jews who were unclean, and the devout Gen- tiles, the Proselytes of the Gate. Although the Jews held the Gentiles in the greatest contempt, stigmatizing them with the opprobrious epithet of " dogs," refusing all intercourse or familiarity with them, still we find them so inconsistent as to suffer them to carry on, even in tlie very precincts of their temple, in the courts appointed for tlie Gentiles, a traffic in oxen, sheep, and doves, which were required by the worshippers, for their sacrifices and purifications. In every age of the Jewish Church many Proselytes of the Gate united themselves to the congregation of Israel ; but in consequence of the constant *" De Bella Judaico, lib. 6. chap. vi. Mede's ll'ovlis, p. 44. fol. Camb. 1C77. VOh. II. merchandise going on, which must be attributed to the negligence of the governors of the templo, the devout Gentiles were at all times disturbed in their devotions ; and at the greater festivals must have been nearly or altogether excluded from the place of worship. It was worthy tlien of the Messiah to commence his public ministry by cleansing the temple, by driving from it the profane and worldly ; an action by which he declared himself at once the Lord of the temple, and the protector of all those from among the mass of mankind, who sought him in tlie way he had appointed. It was impossible that the composure of spirit, and serenity of mind, whicli are necessary to the duty of prayer"^, could have been preserved among the loud talking and disputing of buyers and sellers, the jingling of money, the lowing of oxen, and the bleating of sheep. Yet it was among these only tliat the Gentile worshippers could find admission. Our Lord's motive, in the second instance, for thus cleansing tlie temple, is given by St. Mark, xi. 17., which passage, says the learned Mede, ought to be translated — "My house shall be called a house of prayer to, or for all nations " — Ttaai ToTg WvEai'J. Though the Jewish Dis- pensation was not yet completed, the dawning of the New Dispensation had begun. It is in the plans of Providence as it is in the works of creation. The God of nature is the God of revelation. As in nature the seasons so beau- tifully and so gradually blend with each other, as the closing day insensibly changes into night, or the darkness of tlie night slowly gives place to the dawn of the morning, and the splendors of the rising sun, so do the various dispensations of an overruling and wise Provi- dence gradually and slowly accomplish his own prophecies, appealing to our reason, as the visible creation appeals to our senses. This action of our Lord was a visible and open man- ifestation of liis claim to tlie character of the Messiah "" ; and it was the most significant proof that the temple of Jerusalem must be purified or overthrown, and that the Gentiles should be admitted into the Church of God his Father. ^ That great master of our noble language, Jer- emy Taylor, in his second Sermon on tlie return of prayers, has this beautiful passage : — " Prayer is the peace of our spirit, the stillness of our thoughts, the evenness of recollection, the seat of meditation, the rest of our cares, and the calm of our tempest. Prayer is the issue of a quiet mind and untroubled thoughts ; it is the daughter of charity — it is the sister of meekness ; and he that prays to God with a troubled and discomposed spirit is like to him that retires into a battle to meditate, or chooses a frontier garrison to indulo-e in contemplation." — Taylor's Discourses, &c. vol. i. p. 88. Longman's edit. 1807. y Vide Mede's Sermon on this text, Works, fol. p. 44. ^ Vide Archbishop Newcome's notes to his Har- mony of the JVew Testament, p. 7. 62* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Pakt II. Note 15. — Part II. This final address of the Baptist cannot be understood unless we keep in view a peculiar custom which prevailed among the Jews. At every wedding two persons were selected, who devoted themselves for some time to the service of the bride and bridegroom. The offices assigned to the paranymph, or VT^^fW were numerous and important ; and on account of these, the Baptist compares himself to the friend of the bride- groom. The offices of the paranymph were threefold — before — at — and after the marriage. Before the marriage of his friend it was his duty to select a chaste virgin, and to be the medium of communication between the parties, till the day of marriage. At that time he continued with them during the seven days allotted for the wedding festival, rejoicing in the happiness of his friend, and contributing as much as possible to the hilarity of the occasion. After the marriage, the paranymph was considered as the patron and friend of the wife and her husband, and was called in to compose any differences that might take place between them. As the forerunner of Christ, the Baptist may be well compared to the paranymph of the Jewish marriages. One of the most usual comparisons adopted in Scripture to describe the union between Christ and his Church is that of a marriage. The Baptist was the paranymph", who, by the preaching of repentance and faith, presented the Church as a youthful bride and a chaste virgin to Christ. He still continued with the bridegroom, till the wedding was furnished witli guests. His joy was fulfilled when his own follow- ers came to inform him that Christ was increas- ing the number of his disciples, and that all men came unto liim. This intelligence was as tlie sound of the bridegroom's voice, and as the pledge that the nuptials of heaven and earth were completed. From this representation of John, as the paranymph ; of Christ as the bridegroom ; and the Church as the bride ; the ministers and stewards of the Gospel of God may learn, tliat they also are required, by the preaching of re- pentance and faith, to present their hearers in all purity to tlie Head of the Christian Church. " ■' Exeinplo e vitii," says Kuinoel, " communi deprointi) Johannes Baplista ostendit, quale inter ipsum ct Christum discrinien intercedat. Soipsum couiparat cum paranympho, Christum cum sponso ; quocum ipse Christus se quoque coinparavit, ut patot e locis. Matt. i\'. 15. et xxv. 1. Scilicet, 6 (p'if.oc Toij rvi.nf'iov, est sponsi socius, ei peculiari- ter addictus, qui Graecis dicebatur 7i una wu (fine, Matt. ix. 15. v/oc rov rv^upoiroi:. Hcb. pryiLV fiHus laRtitifB."— Com. in lib. j\'. T. Hist. vol. ill. p. ^27. ' " Applicatio totius roi est f';icillima. Christus est sponsus, Ecclesia sponsa. Ministri Ecch^siiB r"*"]':];''"!'^ 2 Cor. xi.iJ.eth.l. (jnnqno jDJianiics 15ap- tista. Hi in eo elahorant, ut Cliristo virginem pu- raiii et illabatam adducant, hue omnis oorum labor tendit, h\c le gaudent." — Schoetgen. Hotie Hc.bra- icte, vol. i. p. 340. It is for them to find their best source of joy in the blessing of the Most High on their labor-s — their purest happiness in the improvement and perfecting of the Church confided to their care'. Smaller circumstances and coincidences some- times demonstrate the truth of an assertion, or the authenticity of a book, more effectually than more important facts. May not one of those unimportant yet convincing coincidences be observed in this passage ? The Baptist calls himself the friend of the bridegroom, without alluding to any other paranymph, or rnjyia'. As the Jews were accustomed to have two paranymphs, there seems, at first sight, to be something defective in the Baptist's comparison. But our Lord was of Galilee, and there the custom was different from that of any other part of Palestine. The Galileans had one para- nymph only". Note 16.— Part II. The expression, "this my joy is fulfilled," 1^ %oigu -i] iuii nenh'iQOJTui, corresponds with the Hebrew expression nn'Sty nnoiy, a phrase which is used by the rabbinical writers to ex- press even the happiness of heaven; and which most powerfully delineates therefore the joy and rapture which tlie Baptist felt, and which a Christian minister ought to experience, when he perceives that his labors in the vineyard are attended with success. Schoetgen gives several instances of this application of the phrase. Sohar Chadasch. fol. 42. 2. " Quidnam agunt animse piorum in coelo? Resp. Operam dant laudi divinaj .nrD''Sniy« "jop nnn |'1:d et tunc gaudium coram te est perfectum." Ibidem, fol. 49. 4, " Et Deus S. B. gaudebit cum justis m'liy^ nnna gaudio perfecto." Siphra, fol. 188. 4. " Q,uamvis homo in hoc mundo gaudeat, gaudium tamen ejus non est perfectum. Verum seculo futuro Deus S. B. deglutiet mortem in ajternum HTin nnoivn nniX nn'ViJ' illud gaudium demum erit perfectum, q. d. Psalm cxxvi. 2. Tunc os nostrum risu, et lingua cantu implebitur." • Ketuvoth, fol. 12. 1. " Olim in Judaja duos CDTjLyity constituebant, unum sponso, alteram sponscE, ut illis nunistrarent, quando in Chuppam inorediuntur ; sed in Galiltca tale quid observatum non est." — Schoetgen. Hor. Heir. vol. i. p. 337. Lightfoot, vol. i. p. G05. I have not entered mi- nutely into all the circumstances of the comparison of the Baptist to the paranymph. They may be found at great length in Lampe, Comment. Evdnjr. sec. Jokan. vol. i. j). 072. Hammond in loc, Light- foot's Harmony, and Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 335, &c. Dr. Adam Clarke has given a copious abridgment of Schoetgen's remarks. Dr. Gill (in loc.) has in- serted a curious tradition, that Moses was the par- anymph to i)resent the Jewish Church to God. Note 17, 18, 19, 1.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *63 Note 17. — Part II. These words allude to the opinion enter- tained by the Jews that the Holy Spirit was given in measure only to the prophets. Vaikra Rabba, sect. 15. fol. 158. 2. Dixit R. Acha, iSpti'r^^ etiam Spiritus S. noii lutbitavit super prophetas, nisi merisurd qiiddam. Note 18.— Part II. LiGHTFOOT inserts the imprisonment of John immediately after the delivery of iiis decisive testimony to the divine mission and Messiah- ship of our Lord. He is followed in this order by Newcome, Michaelis, and Doddridge ; and on these united authorities I have inserted this event in its proper place. Lightfoot has so ar- ranged it, because no other speech of the Bap- tist is recorded respecting Christ ; and the EvangeUsts are unanimous in relating that our Saviour's journey into Galilee (the next thing they all mention) did not occur till after the imprisonment of John. Pilkington has made another disposition of tlie events already re- lated, and places the imprisonment of John after the temptation and baptism, Avhich he supposes did not take place till after our Lord's first visit to Jerusalem. It is not however necessary to discuss his arguments, as the date assigned by him, and Whiston, to our Lord's baptism, has been already considered. Note 19.— Part II. This account of the Baptist is confirmed by Josephus, who has related at length the history of this incestuous marriage between Herod the tetrarch, and Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip. The tetrarch had married the daughter of Aretas, a petty king of Arabia Petraea. Some time after, however, when he was at Rome, lodging in the house of Herod Philip, he became enamoured of Herodias, and persuaded lier to marry him, promising on her consent that he would divorce his present wife. Josephus takes care to conceal that John was imprisoned on account of his reproving the te- trarch's conduct, and represents Herod as pro- ceeding upon more general grounds. He de- scribes John as a good man, who persuaded the Jews to moral and virtuous living, to justice towards each otlier, devotion towards God, and to become united by baptism ; and as he had many followers, who were entirely devoted to him. the tetrarch deemed it advisable to seize and imprison him, before any revolt or insurrec- tion should actually begin. On this account he ordered him to be apprehended, and sent as a prisoner to tlie castle of Mechaerus, where he was afterwards killed. Soon after this event, Josephus adds, Herod's army was defeated and destroyed by Aretas, and the Jews considered the tetrarch's loss and defeat as a punishment from God for the murder of John the Baptist. It is possible there may be no real difference between the Evangelist and Josephus. The former relates the real cause of the Baptist's imprisonment, as part of the secret history of the court of Herod ; the latter gives the public and ostensible reason. It is indeed a common mistake among historians to impute great effects to proportionate causes : the most important events in history have arisen, and do arise, more frequently from the caprice, resentment, or other private motives of individuals, than from any well-planned, or long-intended system of politi- cal conduct''. Laing is of opinion that John was imprisoned twice by order of Herod. The arguments by which this opinion may be supported appear to have been so ably combated by Archbishop Newcome, that it is only necessary to refer the reader to his Harmony, p. 10. of the notes. It has been objected tliat the name of the brother of Herod the tetrarch was not Philip, but Herod. Griesbach (Luke iii. 19.) has omitted the word in the text, but placed 'InUmiov in the margin. The discrepancy is easily ob- viated by the supposition that Philip assumed the name of Herod to distinguish his family and descent. "^ See Lightfoot, vol. i. p. 591, 592. and Josephus, Aiitlq. lib. Id. cap. 7. PART III. Note 1. — Part III. The order of events hitherto adopted in this arrangement has been nearly the same as tliat proposed by the five principal harmonizers, by whose authority, as well as by an examination of the internal evidence, I have been princi- pally influenced. With this part the more difficult task arises of reconciling the clashing authorities of commentators, and assigning sat- 64* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part III. isfactory reasons for the place of every fact re- corded. The present section gives an account of the commencement of the more public min- istry of our Lord, after the imprisonment of John. That this is the proper place for the in- sertion of that event may be proved by com- paring John iii. 24. with Matt. iv. 12. and Mark i. 14. These passages are considered by all harmonists, as sufficiently demonstrating that Christ did not begin to preach till after the im- prisonment of John ; and it is worthy of remark, that our blessed Lord begins his ministry with the same words as his appointed forerunner (whose divine commission he thereby estab- lished), calling on all men to repent and to believe. Compare Mark i. 15. and Matt. iv. 17. I have inserted with Pilkington, in this section, many of the parallel passages, to render the preface to the narrative of our Lord's public ministry more complete and satisfactory. The more public ministry of our Lord may be properly said to commence with his preach- ing in Galilee. Though at his inauguration into his office at liis baptism, and yet further by his driving the buyers and sellers from the temple, he had manifested himself to the people, he does not appear to have assumed the pub- lic office of preaching and instructing the people, till John was cast into prison. The reason of this ordering of events seems to have been, that undivided attention might be now paid to the ministry of our Lord. The fame of the Baptist had gone through the country, pre- paring the way of the Lord ; his preaching was known to all ; and all held John as a prophet. The time was fulfilled when a greater Prophet than John the Baptist was to begin his minis- tration. The expectation of the people had been excited to the utmost by the declarations of the Baptist ; and, at the moment when the glory of the Messiah was anticipated, accord- ing to the sublime, though confused and im- perfect notions of the Jews, there appears among them the Being whom John had de- clared to be from above. He establishes no temporal kingdom, but he heals the sick, calms the ocean, raises the dead, demon- strates his connexion with, and knowledge of, an invisible world ; and instructs his hearers in other ideas of the kingdom of God, than they had hitherto entertained. Through a great part of this period, the Baptist, though in prison, was still alive, a faithful witness of his own prophecy — " He must increase, but I must de- crease." The beams of his setting sun still reflected their last lustre on the Stone which was now becoming the mountain to fill the whole earth. Note 2.— Part HL Idoi-atrt was introduced into the tribe of Dan, which in after ages was called Lower Galilee by Micah. The account is contained in the 18th chapter of Judges. The first who carried captive any part of the people of Israel was Benhadad, king of Syria, who subdued Sion, Dan, Abel-beth-Maachah, Cinneroth, and the land of Napthali, all of which were in- cluded in Galilee. A heavier calamity was brought upon the same country by Tiglath- Pileser, who again took the same towns, when they had begun to recover their prosperity, and sent the inhabitants as captives to Assyria. The account of the manner in which the tribe of Dan became possessed of part of the land of Palestine so far north as the most northern part of Galilee, is given in the 17th chapter of Judges. The town of Laish, after- wards called Dan, was situated on the north- west boundary of Naphtali, on the border of Syria'. Many of the Jewish traditions assert that Galilee was to be the place where the Messiah should first appear-^; but for the more complete statement of the reasons why Christ was to dwell in Galilee, and a critical discussion of Isa. ix. 1-3, &c. vide J. Mode's Works'. Isa. ii. 19. When he shall arise to smite ter- ribly the earth is expounded in the book Zohar, as referring to the Messiah. When he shall arise, S'Sjt N:i^ixn 'Sjn^, and shall be revealed in Galilee ; and other instances are given in Schoetgen''. The country beyond Jordan was called Gali- lee, though properly Peraja, Matt. iv. 15. Judas is called by Gamaliel, Judas of Galilee, yet Josephus calls him a Galilonite, of the city of Gamala. Peraea, called Galilee, because Canaan was divided into four tetrarchies — Judaea, Samaria, Iturea, and Trachonitis ; the remaining fourth was called Galilee, and included Percea. The great estates of Galilee are said to have feasted with Herod. But the palace of Hero- dium was in the extreme part of Peraea. It is not probable that the great men of Peraea would have been utterly excluded, Joshua xxii. 11. refers to a place in Pei-aea, and Lightfoot supposes that the word " Gali- lee " was derived from the name of tliat place', " Vide the maps of the tribe of Naplitali, and of Canaan, in Wyld's Scripture Atlag, an admirable compendium of sacrod jreography. ■f Suhur Genes. I'ol. 74. col. '29'i. Revelabitur Messias in terra Caliltea?. PesilUa Sotarta, fol. 58. 1 . ad verba Numer. x.\iv. 17. Sohar Exod. Ibl. J . col. 13. lUo die, cVc. S''?:"! NI'^XD '^jn^- ^ Discourse x.xvi. p. 101. See also Lowth's Isaiah on this passage. '' Vol. ii. p. 525, and vol. i. p. 11, &-c. ' Liolitfoot's JVorks, vol. ii. p. 3G3. Note 3.-5.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *65 Moses had predicted tliat Zabulon and Issa- char, which, with Naphtali, were tlie tribes originally settled in that tract of country, after- wards called Galilee, should call the people unto the mountain of the Lord's house, to offer sacrifices of righteousness, Deut. xxxiii. 19. — And Jacob had before predicted that Naphtali, the Galilean, should give goodly words. Gen. xlix. 2L Botii evident predictions of the dif- fusal of the Gospel in both places^. Note 3.— Part IIL Whejn it is remembered that the traditions of the Jews referred to Galilee as the place where the Messiah should be revealed — and that the prophecy of Isaiah was thus fulfilled — it seemed impossible to point out a spot on tho whole world, in which the ministry of the Messiah could commence with so much pro- priety as in Galilee of the Gentiles. This country was the first that had offended, and the first taken captive ; and, througli the mercy of God, it was the first to whom the words of par- don and reconciliation were offered. In the most minute circumstances, the beautiful har- mony of the Divine Dispensations is every where most evident. Note 4. — Part III. There is a remarkable coincidence here in the three most memorable events which had oc- curred at Samaria. At this place the first Pros- elytes were admitted into the Church of Israel, Gen. xxxiv. 29. and xxxv. 2. It was here that Christ first announced himself to be the Mes- siah, John iv. 20. ; and it was here also that the Gospel ■^^as first preached out of Jerusalem, afler the ascension of Christ. Lightfoot also* is of opinion, that in this address to the woman of Samaria, the prophecy of Hosea ii. 15. was ac- complished — " I will give the valley of Achor for a door of hope." He endeavours to prove that the valley of Achor ran along by the city of Sichem^ or Samaria. And thus Avhen our Saviour first begins to preach to strangers, and to convert them, it is in tliis very valley ; and so he makes it a door of hope, or of conversion, to the Gentiles. Our Lord might have had another object in view in thus addressing himself to the woman of Samaria. By his own example, he taught his followers the propriety, or necessity, of breaking down the distinctions then existing be- tween the Jews and the Samaritans ; and by so doing, he gives them an evident proof of his superiority over the Jewish teachers, who en- couraged the reciprocal enmity of the two na- tions. It may be observed here, that Samaria was the first city addressed after the Jews, when the persecution of the Church at Jeru- salem had scattered the early converts. The extinction of national hatred and prejudice was a convincing proof to the nation of Israel, that a new era had commenced. Philip the deacon had converted the Samaritans, and Peter and John were sent down from Jeru- salem to confirm their faith. It is not im- probable that St. John recalled to their remem- brance this first interview of our Lord, at the commencement of his ministry. The silence of the three first Evangelists on this remarkable circumstance may be accounted for from a consideration of the peculiar circum- stances of the Church and of Palestine, at the time when their Gospels were written. Each Gospel was written for one specific purpose, and addressed to one description of people. If St. Matthew had inserted it, the prejudices of the Jews, to whom he addressed his Gospel, would have been more higlily excited against the new religion. The Gospel of St. Mark, which with equal justice may be called the Gospel of St. Peter, was written for the use of the converted Pros- elytes, particularly those of Rome, who were but little interested in these national transac- tions ; or, as is more probable, St. Mark omitted it, because St. Peter was not present, as he did not become the constant follower of Christ till a period subsequent to this conversation ; and it is supposed that St. Mark has related those events only to which St. Peter was an eye- witness. St. Luke omitted it, for he wrote to the Gentiles of Achaia, who were likewise in- different to the controversies which prevailed between the Jews and Samaritans. St. John had been sent down from Jerusalem by the Church in company with St. Peter, and, as his own historian, could not fail to mention this circumstance in all its minuteness'. J Lightfoot's Works, vol. '' Works, vol. i. p. 596. VOL. II. 627. *9 Note 5. — Part IIL Christ did not himself baptize, because, — 1. It does not seem fit that he should have baptized in his own name. 2. The baptism of the Holy Ghost was more peculiarly his. 3. It was a more important office to preach than to baptize. 4. The early Christians valued tliemselves according to the eminence of the apostle or teacher who baptized them: his baptizing, ' Dr. Townson's Discourses, vol. i. p. 9. *F* 66* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part III. tlierefore, might have eventually originated schisms in the Church. — Beaiisobre's Annota- tions, ap. Bishop Gleig's Stackhouse, vol. iii. p. 29. Note 6. — Part III. Jacob had bought a piece of land of the children of Hamor, for a hundred lambs, Gen. xxxiii. 19. But, after the slaughter of the Shechemites, (xxxiv. 26.), he was forced to re- tire to Bethel, Bethlehem, and Hebron ; at which time the Amorites forcibly obtained pos- session of his land, which he was compelled to recover at an after period by war, with his sword and bow. — Lightfoot, vol. ii. p. 537. Note 7.— Part III. The Jews had more favorable thoughts of the temple built by Onias in Egypt than of that built on Mount Gerizim. Their respec- tive claims are about equal. The one was built by a fugitive priest, under the pretence that that mount was the mount on which the blessings had been pronounced ; the other also (that of Onias) by a fugitive priest, under pre- tence of a divine prophecy, Isaiah xix. 19. " In that day shall there be an altar to the LoKD in the midst of the land of Egypt." The Samaritans well knew, that Jerusalem was the place appointed by God for his wor- ship ; but they may have defended their pref- erence of Mount Gerizim, not only from its antiquity as the place of worship among their fathers, but because the Divine Presence over the ark, the ark itself, the cherubim, the Urim and Thummim, and the Spirit of prophecy, had all departed from the second temple at Jeru- salem. — See Lightfoot, vol. ii. p. 541. Note 8.— Part III. In Bishop Horsley's beautiful illustration of this passage in his twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth sermons, he has not taken into consideration the circumstance related at some length by Lightfoot, and proved with his usual learning, that altliougli the Samaritans received only as canonical books the Pentateuch of Moses, they held in great estimation the pro- phetical writings. Bishop Horsley's arginnent, therefore, that the Samaritan woman necessarily expected a Messiah from studying the books of Moses only, is not well founded. Bishop Bloni- lii Id, in his excellent Disscrlatiou mi the Tnii/i- tional Knoivledge of a Redeemer (notes, p. 172, 3.), has likewise made the same observation. The Samaritan woman, he observes, uses the word Messias, Avhich does not occur in Moses. But as Moses had clearly predicted Him, whom the prophets called Messiah, the Samaritans did not hesitate to use the prophetical designa- tion of that person wliom Moses had foretold. From tlie words of the woman, OlSoi ort Mea- alag eg/STui, Bishop Blomfield concludes that her countrymen were expecting the speedy ad- vent of the Messiah. Christ was first called Messiah in the Song of Hannah. — Vide Liglit- foot's JVorks, vol. ii. p. 511 ; and Bp. Blomfield's Dissertation, note, p. 172-3. Note 9.— Part III. This passage has much divided the commen- tators. It is one of those texts upon which much depends with respect to the chronology of the life of Christ. Some suppose that the words imply, that in four months' time would be the harvest, which took place at the Pass- over. On which supposition many harmonists have added another Passover to our Lord's min- istry. Lightfoot (vol. i. p. 603.) is of this opin- ion. Whitby supposes the phrase to be pro- verbial. We cannot certainly conclude from these words, whether our Lord alluded to the appearance of the people who might be then in numbers approaching him, or to the actual time of the year. The extreme weariness of our Saviour seems to favor more the supposition that the conversation with the woman of Sama- ria was held after the Passover, immediately before the corn was reaped, during the summer season, rather than in tlie depth of winter. Nor is it likely that the desolation of the scenery in winter Avould have recalled, by natural association, the beauties and the riches of the fields, when ripe and ready for the har- vest. Our Lord, as Bishop Law has proved, in his Tract of the TJfe of Christ, and as Arch- bishop Newcome, Jortin, and many others have shown, drew his comparisons and illustrations very frequently and generally from surrounding objects. — Vide Benson's Chronolof^j, &c. p. 247-9 ; Archbishop Newcome On our Lord^s Conduct ; Jortin's Six Discourses ; Law's Life of Christ, &c. Note 10.— Part III. Michaelis does not appear to have given so much attention to his Harnionj/ of the JVeio Testament, as we might have required from one whose authority is so great. He observes, on the contents of this sochi)n, " In pohit of cliro- Note 11.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *67 nology this does not belonor to the present place, not even according to St. Luke ; but I place it here, because St. Luke has introduced it immediately after the preceding history. Perhaps it belongs to No. 50, though I have not placed it there, because it does not exactly agree with the accounts quoted in that article from St. Matthew and St. Mark ;" that is, it is quite uncertain, in the opinion of Michaelis. I have followed the authority of Doddridge, Pilkington, Newcome, and Lightfoot, in placing it here ; and, independently of these authorities, the internal evidence is peculiarly decisive. Christ began his public ministry in his own country, and, after having traversed Judaea and Samaria, has arrived at the town where he was brought up, there to commence his teaching. Michaelis, however, it must be in justice ob- served, expressly declares, that his Harmony of the Four Gospels must not be considered as a chronological table; though Bishop Marsh is of opinion, from examining Michaelis's Ar- rangement, sect. 29-42, that he intended to arrange the facts in chronological order as far as he was able. See Marsh's notes to Michaelis, vol. ill. p. 67. Note 11.— Part HL The healing of the nobleman's son at Caper- naum is placed after the conversation with the woman of Samaria, by all the harmonizers. Af- ter staying two days at Samaria, he departed into Galilee (John iv. 43.) Archbishop New- come inserts those passages which I have placed as a preface to this chapter, after the account of the interview with the Samaritan woman. He is correct in this arrangement, as to the precise time in wliich the events occurred. I have, however, thought it advisable to place them before that event, as a preface to the gen- eral history of his ministry, which began after the imprisonment of the Baptist. It must, how- ever, excite some surprise, that Archbishop Newcome has not himself adopted this order ; as he has expressed (Notes to the Harmony, p. 9.) the same opinion wliich has induced me to adopt this deviation. To use his own words : " Matt. iv. 17., and Mark i. 14, 15., refer to a more solemn and general teacliing after John's imprisonment by Herod, and Jesus's departure into GaUlee ; and to a teaching according to the tenor of particular words. Though in Ju- daea and Jerusalem, Jesus showed his divine knowledge, taught, made disciples, and ordered Ids followers to be initiated by baptism, wrought miracles, and, Avhen he had purged the temple, intimated, among other important truths, that he was the Son of God; yet still he might, with great wisdom, choose a more remote scene for preaching publicly and plainly the comple- tion of the time for the approach of God's kingdom, and repentance followed by belief in the Gospel." He might have added, that his first declaration of his Messiahship to the wo- man of Samaria, in his way to Galilee, may be considered as a kind of prelude to his more solemn teaching ; and, as it happened on his way to Galilee, the detached verses which so briefly relate the ministry in Galilee may very properly be prefixed to the account of that min- istry. On consulting the map of Galilee, it will be seen that our Lord's direct road from Samaria to Cana in Galilee would be through Nazareth. He is supposed, however, by Archbishop New- come, to have gone by another route, in order to avoid that city for the present, that he might work his first public miracle at the same place where he had primarily manifested himself to the people. He then proceeds, as in the next section, to Nazareth, thence to Capernaum, Avhere he continued for some time, teaching in their synagogues. He calls four disciples, cures a demoniac, and Peter's wife's mother. He then proceeds throughout Galilee, heals a leper and a paralytic, calls St. Matthew, and goes up to Jerusalem to a feast, most probably not a Passover. Archbishop Newcome supposes the distance between Sichem, the capital of Samaria, and Cana, in Galilee, to be forty miles ; between Cana and Nazareth, ten ; between Nazareth and Capernaum, twenty-three ; between Caper- naum and Jerusalem, sixty-five. It is a very probable supposition of Lightfoot, that the word rendered in our translation " a certain nobleman " [jig Saai'Uxug), but which ought rather to be translated with the Syriac, «dSo T3J7, "one of the king's servants," de- noted one of those who took part with Herod the Great, and who was now a follower of his son, Herod the tetrarch. Lightfoot supposes that the preaching of John the Baptist had pro- duced some effect at the court of Herod, and that many of the courtiers were consequently acquainted with the mission of our Lord ; and that the nobleman who now sent to Christ, tliat his son might be healed, was Manaen (Acts xiii. 1.), who had been brought up with Herod ; or Chuza (Luke viii. 3.), Herod's steward, both of whom were among the earliest converts. Tliis miracle was greater than the first which had taken place at Cana, and demonstrated a higher degree of power. Our Lord by it showed tliat he possessed a power superior to that wliich had been claimed or exercised by any merely human prophet, or teacher sent from God. It is true that the degree of supernatural agency seems to be equal in one miracle to that of another ; but in this instance the divine attri- bute of ubiquity was evidently manifested. Ca- pernaum was distant from Cana about twenty- five miles. 68* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IH. Note 12.— Part III. This visit to Nazareth was certainly different from that mentioned below. It was before our Saviour went to Capernaum, Luke iv. lG-31. Matt. iv. 13. The other took place after the recovery of Jairus's daughter, when he left that city. Compare Mark vi. 1. xul t^riWer ixsidsr, i. e. from Capernaum, with Matt. iv. 13. Luke iv. 31. Note 13.— Part III. LiGHTFOOT supposes the words, " as his cus- tom was," refer to the usual attendance of our Lord on the public service, when our Lord lived at Nazareth as a private individual. He now enters the synagogue as an acknowledged Prophet, and, as a member of it, joins in the service and reads publicly there, which only members were allowed to do. Hence we find that this is the only place on record where our Saviour read publicly, although he preached in every synagogue where he came. It is not to be supposed that the public worship at that time was less corrupt than ours of the present period — nor that the conduct of the Jewish teachers was irreproachable ; we have, indeed, a lamentable instance to the contrary, v. 29. ; yet we find that our blessed Saviour did not separate himself, as too many have since done, and continue to do, on this account, from the appointed public worship, although there was much to be condemned in it. Our Lord's example also sanctions to us the use in all Churches of forms of prayer, or Litur- gies, and the public reading of the Scriptures. Christ complied with human forms, and joined in liturgical services : — are we wrong in follow- ing the example of our blessed Redeemer .'' Note 14,— Part III. It may be asked here, by what authority Christ was permitted to teach and preach in the synagogue ? The tribe of Levi alone possessed the priesthood, attended the service of the tem- ple, and was appointed to teach the people, as well as to superintend the schools or universities in their forty-eight cities. Josh. xxi. Deut. xxxiii. 10. Malachi ii. 7. Yet it sometimes happened tliat men of other tribes studied the Law, and became preachers, as well as the priests and Levites. Tlicy were ordained, when qualified, by the Sanhedrin to that office, they were or- dained to some particular employment in the public administration, and they might not go beyond tlie power they had received, or intrude upon tlie ministry of another. TJie Jews also had a law, tliat if any man came in the spirit of a prophet, and assumed the office of a teacher on that ground, he was always permitted to preach ; but the Sanhedrin was constituted the judge of his pretensions ; and he who was de- clared by them to be no prophet, and yet con- tinued to preach, did so at his peril. It was probably on this claim in the manner and office of a prophet, that our Saviour obtained permis- sion to address the people of Nazareth. Vide Lightfoot, vol. i. p. 614. Note 15.— Part III. It was the custom among the Jews to divide the Law into fifty-two or fifty-four portions for every Sunday in the year. When this was prohibited by Antiochus, a similar distribution of the prophets was substituted. The passage from Isaiah, read by our Lord, is the part of the Sacred Writings appointed to be used about the end of August ; and Macknight, with other harmonists, has therefore concluded that this circumstance fixes the date of the event re- corded'". The prophetical books were divided into five parts, to correspond with the five divisions of the Law, We may consider Genesis as cor- responding with Isaiah — Exodus with Jere- miah — Leviticus with Ezekiel, &c, : the twelve minor prophets were held as one volume, or quintane. It is of little consequence whether the portion of Scripture our Saviour fixed upon was or was not the proper lesson of the day ; for, in read- ing of the prophets, it was customary for "I'MSo, or reader, to turn from passage to passage, for the better illustration of his subject ; and in the twelve minor prophets he was permitted to refer from one to another — but, in all probability (see v. 20.), Christ was standing up as a member of the synagogue, appointed by the minister of the congregation, the reader of the prophets, or the second lesson of tliat day, according to an established custom. On these occasions the minister called the reader out, and delivered to him the Book of the Prophets ; lie himself standing at the desk with an interpreter at his side, to render into Syriac all that was read. " When Christ had finished, he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister," v, 20, He did all these things according to the estab- lished order of tlie Jewish Church". It is to be remarked here, that our Saviour closed the book before he came to that part of the prophecy where he is represented as declar- ing the day of vengeance. This applied to events of a subsequent date : whereas he con- '" Laiiiy's Jejcish Calendar, Aj)p. bibl. b. i. c. iv, p. 115. 4to. " Lightfoot's Works, vol. i. p. G15. Note 16, 17.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *69 fined himself to tliosc Avords only, Avhich the Jeu's referred more immediately to the Messiah, and applying them to himself, openly declared, ill the presence of all his early acquaintances, that he who had so long lived among them as their equal and their companion, was the pre- dicted Messiah, the expected Saviour of the Jewish nation. He asserts, that his public min- istry had begun ; that the Spirit of the Lord had descended upon him to preach the Gospel to the meek and to the humble, iTD'nj? ; to heal the broken-hearted ; to preach deliverance to the captives, whether Jew or Gentile ; the recov- ering of sight, or opening the eyes of the blind" and idolatrous Gentiles. So far this prediction was taken from Isaiah Ixi. 1, 2 . ; but tlie re- mainder is to be found in Isaiah xlii. 7. The first verse of Isaiah Ixi. ends with the words mp'npS uD'IIDx'?, "to those which are bound the opening of the prison." The verse inserted from Isaiah xlii. 7. begins with the last word of the verse, and seems quoted by our Lord either from association of ideas, or by actual reference to the passage, CD" J J' HpaS, &c., " to open the blind eyes." This solution of the ditficulty, which is agreeable to the established custom of the synagogue, which allowed the privilege of illustration from another passage of tlie same prophet, appears much preferable to that of Michaelis^'. Having thus asserted himself to be the Mes- siah, our Lord observed the wonder and aston- ishment excited by his words ; and, knowing tlie prejudices he had to overcome, as well as the inveterate obstinacy of his hearers, he de- clined giving them any other proof of his divine mission than that which had been already of- fered them, at the town of Capernaum. We have here an account of our Saviour's preaching for the first time in his own city of Nazareth. He asserts himself to be tlie Mes- siah ; he then declines working a miracle, though he had done so elsewhere. What was the cause of this refusal ? Our Lord's conduct on this occasion appears tome to afford one of the most powerful evi- dences of the truth of his lofty claims, and a most striking instance of that part of the plan of the divine government, which denies to man more evidences in support of any truth than are sufficient to satisfy an unbiased mind. As the commentators have not alluded to this idea, I give it witii diffidence ; but to me it appears satisfactory. Our Lord had lived at Na/areth nearly thirty years. At the end of that time, he commenced his office with supernatural evi- dences that his mission was from above. He Avorked miracles, to demonstrate this truth, in places where ho was less known than at Naz- areth, and between which and the latter city there must have been a constant communica- tion. The people of Nazareth had known liim from infancy, pure, holy, and undefiled ; a man like other men, sin only excepted. They had heard of his miracles ; they knew, from tlie tes- timony of others, that he had given undeniable proofs of his power ; and he now came among them to announce himself as tlieir Messiah, appealing to them by the purity and holiness of his life, and by applying to himself, and fulfilhng in his own person, the predictions of their prophets. He asserted himself to be the Mes- siah, and required them to believe, on account of their previous knowledge of his motives, life, and conduct, and by the power they ac- knowledged he possessed of working miracles. Nothing can more strongly demonstrate the unimpeached and unimpeachable holiness of the Son of God, than his thus presenting himself to the attention of his envious and jealous towns- men ; and by boldly asserting his Messiahship, challenging them to accuse him of sin, or of any evil, which might derogate from the necessary and entire superiority implied in his holy and lofty claim. Note 16.— Part III. That the Jews applied this passage, Isaiah Ixi. 1. and 42. to the Messiah, see the quotations in Whitby in loc, Schoetgen, vol. ii. p. 68 and p. 192, where Kimchi is quoted, as referring the words to the Messiah ; also p. 3, &c., where, in the chapter De JVominibus MessicB, the subject is fully discussed'. The Greek original of this passage hints at the reason for which our Lord was called Christ, and his doctrine the Gospel, isElvsKSv EXPIRE fis EYArrEAIZE20JI niaixoTg &c. " So the Chaldee Paraphrase, ap. Tin.jS I'^Jir^i^, ■■ revealing to the light." ^ Marsh's Michaelis, vol. i. p. 2:24. Lishtfoot, Note 17. — Part III. Dan. Heinsius in loc. in his Exercitationcs SacrfE, a book of great learning, now too mucii neglected, has made an Iambic line of this proverb : — Qegdnevaor d) lar^s xr^v uuvih vdaov. Lightfoot has rendered it in the Jerusalem language in' "'DX N'D.'^', and ([uotes the original proverb from Bereschith Rahha, sect. 23. and Tanchuma, fol. 4. 2. ir\-ijn H" "DN N'DK.— Lightfoot's ff'orks, vol. ii. p. 408. Dr. Gill in loc. quotes another of the same kind from Zohar in Exod. fol. 31. 2. 'D« ^'J ' See, on the subject of this note, Lightfoot, third part of tlie Harmonij of the Evangelists, vol. i. Works, folio. 70* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part III. Note 18.— Part III. Our Lord's conduct in selecting this topic is worthy of our particular consideration. In the very first address which he made to his fellow- townsmen, and through them to the whole of the Jewish people, he preached the deliverance of the Gentiles from their bondage and dark- ness. This doctrine was for some time inex- plicable, and, when understood, intolerable to his own disciples: but Christ was the Divine Being who was to redeem all his creatures, and we are assured, " Known unto God are all his ways, from the beginning to the end ; " and Christ, at the commencement of his ministry, declared at once the whole design of his com- ing ; as Elias was sent to the widow of Sarepta, in preference to those of Israel, and as Naaman the Syrian was the only leper healed in the days of Eliseus the prophet, so was Christ, a greater than these, commissioned to heal tlie diseases of those people and those nations who should believe on him. The transaction here recorded affords us a sufficient explanation of the motives of one part of our Lord's conduct, which has sometimes been considered as inex- plicable. He is represented as not informing the people, in various instances, of the full ex- tent of his claims ; as not calling himself the Messiah ; as charging those who were liealed " to tell no man ; " as keeping back from the people, and even from tlie Apostles, many things which they were desirous to learn. The ne- cessity and wisdom of this caution are here made evident. On this occasion, when he de- clared himself to be the Messiah, we see the service of the synagogue was hastily and inde- cently terminated by the fury of the people, who became intent upon tlie destruction of their teacher. His ministry would have been repeatedly disturbed by similar interruptions, if our Lord had not adopted this conduct. In what manner Christ delivered himself from tlie fury of his enraged persecutors, we know not. Whether they were overawed by some super- natural glory, or whether they were paralyzed by a sudden exertion of almighty power, we are not informed. The brevity of the account given us by the Evangelist, like the teaching of our Lord himself, only reveals to us what is essen- tial to faith and salvation : it never satisfies a useless curiosity. an undeniable testimony to his almighty power. Capernaum, from its situation, being surrounded with numerous and populous towns and villages, on the border of the sea of Galilee, or the lake of Tiberias, enabled him to remove with the utmost facility either by sea or land ; either for the purpose of instruction, or to avoid the per- secutions, the importunities, or the efforts of his adherents, to make him their king. It was here also he again met his first disciples, who, for some reason unknown to us, had resumed their former occupation. It is not improbable that they had been directed by our Lord to leave him after the miracle of Cana in Galilee. He did not require their presence at Nazareth, as he had not purposed to work miracles at that place. By dwelling at Capernaum he still con- tinued to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah ix. 1, &c., as that city was situated in the tribe of Nap- thali. That our Lord came to Capernaum after he left Nazareth is expressly asserted by St. Luke, chap. iv. 30, 31. The order of this section is the same with all the harmonists. Note 19.— Part III. The wisdom of our Lord's choice of Caper- naum (after he had left Nazareth) as his fixed place of residence, is evident on many accounts. He placed himself by so doing under the pro- tection of the nobleman whose son had been healed, John iv. 46., and whose presence was Note 20.— Part III. This event is inserted here on the united authorities of Lightfoot, Newcome, Doddridge, and Dr. Townson, who refers also to Grotius, Hammond, Spanheim, Dub. Evang. par. 3, Dub. 72, p. 338, Chemnitius, Cradock, and Le Clerc, to confirm his opinion. Osiander, as he was compelled to do by his plan, which has been already given, has supposed that the transaction recorded in Luke v. 1-12. was different from that related in the parallel passages, (Mark i. 16. Matt. iv. 19, &lc.) In reply to this part of his hypothesis, Spanheim remarks : " Non temere multiplicandas esse historias, quae esedem deprehenduntur, quod cum Osiandro sine necessitate faciunt Uli, qui nuHas iarE- gdiaeig, et ngoX^ipeig apud Sacros Scriptores admittunt." And it is as absurd to suppose that the inspired writers never followed the example of their predecessors in the Old Testament, and sometimes disregarded chronological order, as it would be to proceed to the opposite ex- treme, and to mangle the text with Whiston and Mann. The apparent differences between the Evangelists are well discussed by Town- son''. The narrative in this section is arranged on the plan of Doddridge's division of the same history. Eichhorn has supposed that the passages in this section do not refer to the same event ; he has not inserted cither tiie calling of Andrew, Peter, James, and John, or the miraculous *" Townson's Works, vol. i. p. 42, 43. Note 2L] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. #71 drauglit of fislies, among the events which are related by all the three Evangelists". Pilkington separates the account of the mi- raculous draught of fishes, from the calling of these disciples, for two reasons. One, because it is said in Mark i. 18., they forsook all, and followed him; and in Luke v. 1-11., they are represented as again pursuing their occupation — the other, because St. Peter calls our Lord ^ EniardTu. Both these objections, however, are obviated by Newcome, Doddridge, and Town- son. The word iniaTdtTa, which is used chap. viii. 24. 45., and ix. 33. 49., may imply only submis- sion of the apostle to our Lord, as his Master, without any actual previous obedience. It cer- tamly is used in the sense of overseer, or su- perintendent, but it was also applied by St. Luke as expressing more correctly the word '3"!, the usual epithet of respect among the Jews. In Mark ix. 5., we read 'Pu66l, y.al6v ianv -fj/iiag dde eh'ui. " Master, it is good for us to be here ; " and in St. Luke ix. 33., the very same words are given, excepting that ' Enic,(xTa " Master," is put in the place of 'FuUGh « Rabbi'." Michaelis has strangely placed this miracu- lous draught of fishes after the raising of the Avidow's son at Nain ; an arrangement for which there is not the least authority that I have been able to discover, although much time has been devoted to the attempt. It appears merely ar- bitrary, equally inconsistent witli the evangeh- cal account, and the decision of all the harmo- nizers. Nain Avas upwards of twenty miles from the sea of Tiberias. Yet Michaelis sup- poses that our Lord on the same day 'eft Caper- naum travelled to Nain, a distance of more than thirty miles, and, after raising the widow's son to life, proceeded to the sea of Tiberias, the nearest point of Avhich is distant twenty miles from Nain. Bishop Marsh, his learned editor, has been aware of this difficulty, as he remarks, " Our author has not assigned his rea- sons for each particular transposition, and the propriety of some of them may be justly ques- tioned." Michaelis, in his defence, I suppose, observes, there is no note of time to inform us when this event took place". The narratives of the three Evangelists are thus reconciled by Dr. Townson, Avho observes, tliis account (Luke v. 1-12.) Avill be found on a near inspection to tally marvellously with the preceding (Matt. iv. 18-22. and Mark i. l(>-20.) and to be one of the evidences that the Evan- gelists vary only in the number or choice of circumstances, and write from the same idea of the fact Avhich they lay before us. Every one laiows that the sea of Galilee and " Marsh's Michae'is, vol. iii. part ii. p. 193. ' Pilkington's Epau. Historij, Ac. " Marsh's Michaelis, vol. i. part i. p. 49. and vol. iii. part ii. p. 07. the lake of Gennesaretli are the same. And though St. Matthew and St. Mark do not ex- pressly tell us that St. Peter was in his vessel when he was called by Christ, they signify as much, in saying that he was casting a net into the sea; for this supposes him to be aboard, and our Lord in the vessel with him, as St. Luke relates. Tlic latter does not mention St. Andrew, either here or elsewhere, except in the catalogue of the apostles (vi. 14.) St. Luke furtlier tells us, that James and John, the sons of Zebedee, assisted Peter in landing the fish which he had taken ; and that when they, that is, the four partners, had brought their ships to land, they forsook all and followed Christ. And here also this Evangelist harmo- nizes with the two others. St. Mark says, that when Christ had gone a little further thence from the place where Peter and Andrew began to follow him, he saw James the son of Zebe- dee, and John his brother, who also were in a ship, as Peter had been when he was called, mending their nets, their nets being torn by the weight of fish Avhicli they had hauled to shore ; and straightway he called them — and they went after him in company Avith Peter and AndreAv. The tAvo accounts, that of St. Matthew and St. Mark on one side, and that of St. Luke on the other, thus concurring in the place and sit- uation in Avliich St. Peter Avas called, in the promise made to him, and tlie time Avhen he Avas called, speak e\'idently of the same voca- tion — consequently St. Matthew and St. Mark have abridged the story". This mannner of considering tlie narrative seems preferable either to that of NeAvcoiae, Whitby, or Hammond"" Note 21.— Part III. The wisdom of our Lord's conducu was emi- nently displayed in tl>e choice of liis apostles : they were generally chosen from the inferior ranks of life ; and most of them Avere fisher- men. If the disciples of Christ had been men of rank and distinction, of Avealth or eminence ; if they had been esteemed for tlieir knoAvledge, or literature, or political influence, these means might more or less have been employed for promoting the kingdom of the Messiah, Avhich nearly all the Jews imagined Avoidd be of an earthly nature. The success of the Gospel, too, Avould have been attributed, by its enemies " ToAvnson's Discourses, vol. i. p. 43, 4-4. '" To prevent trouble in noting the references to the five principal harmonies, from v/hich my au- thorities are principally selected, 1 will mention the editions referred to. Lightfoot's Works, folio edit. London, 1684. Archbishop Newcoine's Harinon>j, large folio, Dublin, 1787. Pilkington's Er<in<reJl- cal History, folio, London, 1747. Doddridge's Famiitj Expositor, 5 vols. 8vo. Baynes, London. Michaeliss IVorl.s (Marsh's), 8vo. 2nd edit. ]dG2. r2* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part III. at least, if not by the disciples, to mere human exertions. Hence Caiaphas inquired with so much solicitude of Christ, respecting his disci- ples (John xviii. 19.), from whose unpretending life less opposition was made to the first begin- nings of Christianity : for no danger could pos- sibly be apprehended from the efforts of such inferior and illiterate individuals. In addition to those reasons for selecting the apostles from the lowest occupations, it must be remembered, that men accustomed to a sterner and severer mode of life would be so habituated to dangers and anxieties, that they would not easily be daunted by them. By this choice, too, all pre- tence that the Gospel was advanced by mere human means was destroyed ; and it appeared from the very beginning, that not many wise, or noble, or mighty, were called. Note 22.— Part HI. ON THE TYPES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. There is one subject in theology which has generally escaped the attention of commenta- tors and writers — the types of the New Tes- tament. If we consider the design of Revela- tion, and the plan on which the former part of the inspired pages is written, it will not appear improbable, or unreasonable, that we may dis- cover the same union of types and prophecies in the New, as are to be found in the Old Tes- tament. A type is a designed resemblance between two events, one of which takes place before the other. The latter of these events is of so much importance, that it is usually the subject of prophecy. It may be observed also, respecting the types, that those circumstances recorded in the Old Testament, which are now known to be typical, were not generally understood in the complete typical signification at the time they took place. Thus we cannot be assured that the ofl^ering of Isaac by Abraham was regarded by his contemporaries as typical of the sacrifice of the Son of God. It was comprehended on a future day, and the resemblance between them was so complete, that we have internal evidence, as well as the testimony of authors, that the first event was a prophetical intimation of the latter : and we well know, that the latter was the ob- ject also of a great variety of prophecies. The design of Revelation is likewise to de- monstrate to the world, that all that can or shall take place is known to God ; and that every event among all the nations of the earth con- curs in accomplishing his predetermined will. That will is known and declared to be, the universal liappiness of the sons of Adam, ac- complished by means which sliall not clash with the freedom of human will and liuman action. The New Testament, like the Old, contains a great number of prophecies, many of v/hich have already been fulfilled, many are now ful- filling, many remain to be accomplished. The same Spirit of God dictated both covenants ; the design of the one revelation is uniform ; the plan we may naturally conclude the same ; and we may expect, therefore, that some events in the New Testament may be intended to typify those circumstances which are the subject of its prophecies. In the instance before us, we have a plain example of a prophecy which was delivered under circumstances which may seem to typify the event foretold. Christ assured his disciples that they should become fishers of men ; that is, they sliould be successful preachers of his Gos- pel. The words, in their simple meaning, must be considered only as a metaphor ; but the events Avhich took place at the time they were spoken will possibly justify us in supposing that they are to be interpreted as an intended re- semblance, or type, of the fulfilment of our Lord's prophecy. As the net drew up so great a multitude of fishes, so also should the apos- tles on a future day bring many myriads into the Church of God. Lampe^, in his work on St. John's Gospel, has indulged his imagination very fully on this subject. He certainly demonstrates that the several objects, means, and terms, which are used by fishermen, and concerning fishing, were interpreted by the ancients in an em- blematical sense, and similar interpretations may be found in the talmudical writers. I am abvays anxious to avoid any fanciful meanings of Scripture, as inconsistent with sobriety and sound judgment. The imagination is the worst and blindest guide in these things. But as the subject is curious, and may probably engage the attention of theological students, I have collected some instances, which may prove the reasonableness of the supposition in question. Lampe first refers to the Old Testament, to show the propriety of considering the act of fishing, &c. to be emblematical. We read in Ezek. xlvii. 10. " And it shall be that the fishers shall stand upon it [the river], from En-gedi, even to En-eglaim : they shall be a place to spread forth nets ; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea," &c. The prophet, in the whole passage, is comparing the future progress of the Gospel to that of rivers, giving life wherever they flow ; and this same emblem is adopted in many other passages of the Old Testament, Prov. xi. 30. Isa. xix. 9, 10, &-C. En-gedi and En-eglaim were situated at the north and south points of the Dead Sea. This sea then, as having covered the cities of the plain, which were consumed for their wicked- notes. Piologoniena ad Evaug. Johiiii. p. \'i, V-\. and Note 23.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *73 ness, may be considered as a most appropriate emblem of tlic state of the Heathen or Gentile world, and gives additional force to the passage : even that sea shoidd be so changed by the waters of the river of life, that there, even there, should be the spreading forth of nets, and abundant success to the labor of tlic fishermen. Archbishop Newcome translates the text more intelligibly than in our own version, which is rendered obscurely. The instruments of fishing, Lampe observes further, are the hook and the net. Men are said to be drawn as with the bands of a man : and it is tlie hook of judgment and restraint with whicii Isaiah represents Jehovah as re- straining the madness of Sennacherib. In the mode of fishing also, two tilings par- ticularly resemble the ministry of the Gospel. The persevering labor required, night and day constantly at work, and although frequently disappointed, still urging, persevering, and la- boring with the hope of success. The cunning and skill requisite in this pursuit, as pertaining to the Christian teacher, is well described in Matt. X. l(j. and 2 Cor. xii. 16. Ambrose remarks on this subject, " The apos- tolic implements are appropriately compared to nets, which do not kill their prey, but keep them and bring them from the darkness of the deep into the light of day." The talmudists also have used the same meta- phor. The teachers of the Law are called by Maimonides, Tcdm. Torah. p. 7. mm Tn. Petronius, Satyr, cap. 3., gives the same em- blem. The arbiter elegantiaram would be sur- prised to find himself in this company. Lampe quotes also from a hymn, preserved by Clemens Alexandrinus", in wjiich Clu-ist is thus addressed — ytXtsv fienonmv Tiov (TtULOHft'tov Htluy^? xax'iuc. Ki'fiUTog i/^nov Piscator hominum Qui salvi fiunt Pelagi vitii Pisces castos Unda ex infestA Tkvy.iqTi tail] HcXa'ttwr. Dulci viUl inescans. Plutarch also, in his Treatise on Isis and Osiris, affirms, that in the Egyptian hieroglyphics a fish was placed as an emblem of hatred. "Ey Zui yovv Iv T(5 nQon6l.b) toO Isqov Tug Adip'ag \v yeylvfifxivov ^Qitpog, yigMf, y.al juerci jovw legaS, f gpf t^c db l/dvc, inl nuai de iTCTTog TTOTftftiog. In the vestibule of the temple at Zai, an infant, an old man, a hawk, a fish, and a hippopotame were sculptured. Each em- blem had its appropriate meaning, and the fish represented hatred, l/Ovg de fuaog, CoansQ tigrj- Tttk diet TTJi' xhuluTja}'. It Avas possibly in allusion to the same Avell- laiown emblem, that the ancient Christians called themselves ^ IxOvg'. " Pad. lib. ?.. in fin. ' Vide Bingham's Ecclcs. Antiq. The reason he assigns is, that the word was compounded of the initial letters, 'Ir^aovc, XoiaToe, @tov Vfug, 2:uirio, VOL. II. 10 Pythagoras also, who obtained much of his knowledge from pure sources", prohibited the eating of fish. In the Epistle of Barnabas, ch. x., the wicked man is compared to fish. Muxdgiog dvrio, og ouK InoQSvdrj iv ^ovXij daeSibr, ttad^g ol l/Oveg nogsvorrui iv aa^jei fig tm ScxOrj. Arnold proves in his notes to the Sota of the deeply-learned Wagenseil, that voluptuaries and sensualists were represented by the emblem of fishes. Oppian, Halieut. lib. 2. 'I/Svai S' oiin Slxi] ufTaQi&fiiog, ovre Ti? aidcj? " Ov tpiXi'iTi]g' TTuvTsc Y^Q avuQOioi liAAiV.oiot ^voutyiig ni-cjovOiv, 6 di xoaTf'jwTiQog uiti ^airvr' a(pav(>oTiQovc a?.i.u> 3' iniyi'jjrtrai aXXog JJorvov ay<av 'iiiqog S' stiqw TcoQoi'vtv i3(a5>lv. Which is an exact description not only of the manner in wliich fishes are represented by naturalists, but an accurate account also of the mode of life pursued by men who are with- out religion, and in a state of nature like the fish of the sea ; they are regardless of shame, and law, and justice, and affection ; always at war, and preying upon each other ; the weaker the victims of the stronger'. Note 2.3.— Part III. This event is placed after the miraculous draught of fishes, on the united authorities of Lightfoot, Newcome, Doddridge, and Pilking- ton. Michaelis places it after the rejection of Christ by his countrymen at Nazareth. He supposes that this event, the choosing of the twelve apostles, the sermon on the mount, the cleansing of the leper, the healing of the cen- turion's servant, the restoration of the motlier- in-laAv of Petei-, and of many otiier sick per- sons, took place on one day, which he therefore calls the day of the sermon on the mount ; to distinguish it from the day in which various parables were delivered, which he denominates the day of parables. His reasons for this order, with the remarks of his learned editor, will be considered hereafter. It is here sufficient to observe he confirms the order proposed by the other harmonists, excepting that he places else- where the miracle which was given in the last section. Tlie scriptural authority for this arrangement is founded on Mark i. 21. After the calling of the four disciples, they immediately went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, which Dod- dridge (Fam. Exp. vol. i. p. 184.) supposes to have been the next day — evdiitig Tolg auSSuoiv FicjF.ldCov elg T))i' auvaytoyi]!'. on the authority of Optatus, vol. i.p. 3. 8vo. edit. '^ Vide .irrangrmcnt of the Old Testament, Period VII. part iv. note 40. '' See on this subject also, Jones On the Figura- tive Langwige of Scripture. 74* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IIL ON THE DEMONIACS. The event related in this section, since the time of the learned Jos. Mede, has given rise to much discussion. One class of authorities have supposed that the Demoniacs were merely madmen, others that the bodies of human beings were actually possessed, and controlled, and governed, and inhabited by wicked and impure spirits. Among the supporters of the first opinion we find Heinsius, Exercitationes SacrtP, on Matthew iv. 24. Jos. Mede% Dr. Sykes'^, Dr. Mead% Dr. Farmer-'^, Dr. Lardner^, Kui- noel, and Rosenmiiller'', on Matthew iv. 24. ; and in general all those writers of every sect who would believe that origin of the Scriptures, which appears to them rational. On the other side of the question may be placed the uniform interpretation of the passage in its literal sense by the ancient church, the best commentators, and all who are generally called orthodox, as desirous to believe the literal interpretation of Scripture, and the opinions of the early ages, in all points of doctrine, whether it can be brought to a level with their reason or not. It is quite unnecessary to attempt to refer to all these writers ; of those, however, of a later period, who have written on this subject, may be mentioned Macknight% Bishop Newton-'', Jortin* (who would hardly have been expected among this number), Campbell', Dr. Adam Clarke, in his Commentary, and many others. The sum of their argument is stated by Home™, Macknight", and Dr. Hales", with great fairness and impartiality. I have endeavoured to follow so good an example in tlie following brief summary of the respective arguments on both sides, beginning with those which are considered conclusive against the doctrine of demoniacal possessions. .1. The word demon properly signifies the soul of a dead person. It cannot be supposed that the speeches and actions recorded of the imagined demoniacs could be imputed to these. In reply to this, it is justly said, that the word " Worhs, 4th edit. fol. London, p. 28, &c. Ser- mon on John x. 20. and b. iii. ch. v. On the Demons of the New Testament. "^ Iiiijuirij into the Dnnoniacsofthe JVeio Testament. " ht(/ui.rij into the Diseases of Scripture. f Essay on the Demii/iiacs of the JVew Testament. ^ Remarks on Dr. Ward's Dissertations, Works, 4to. edit. Hamilton, vol. v. p. 475. and vol. i. p. 236. Discourses on the Demoniacs. f^ In Matt. * Essay prefixed to his Harmony, 4to. edit. p. J 72. ' Dissertation on the Demoniacs. '^ RemarliS on Eeclcsiastical Historij, Worhs, 8vo. edit. vol. i. p. !!»!». ' Essay on the Worth /fiufioloc, .'inlfUMv, and /t It ni II vnn — Prelim. Dissert, vol. i. p. ].'^2. 4to. edit, ol" the work on tlie Gospels. "* Critical Introduction, 2iid edit. vol. iii. p. 483. " Essay prefi.xed to the Uarm'inii. " Analysis of Chronologij, vol. ii. p. 704. See also Bishop Gleiir's edition of Stachhoase, vol. iii. J). 57. aiui Doddridge's Lectures, vol. ii. p. 431. Kippis' edition. does not uniformly denote the spirits of the departed. 2. Amongst the heathens, lunacy and epilepsy were ascribed to the operation of some demons ; demoniacs were therefore called larvati, and cerriti. Several answers may be given to this objec- tion. — One, that it is not quite impossible but that the heathens were right — Another, that the opinion of the heathens, whether right or wrong, is no proof that the Jews were in error ; for the demoniacs of Scripture are represented as differing from insane and epileptic persons. Compare Matt. iv. 24., where the duiuofitotierovg are opposed to the aeh/i'itt'Cofiivovg, the naqa- IvTixovg, and the rronctXaig vdaoig xul ^aadvoig avvexo/jii'ovg, and in Matt. x. 1. The power to cast out devils, or demons, by whatever name the evil spirits might be called, is expressly opposed to the power of healing all other dis- eases whatever. See Luke iv. 3S— 36. ; compare also V. 4L with v. 40., where the same contrast is observable. 3. It is argued that the Jews had the same idea of these diseases as the heathen, and the instance of the madness of Saul, and Matt. xvii. 14, 15. John vii. 20. and viii. 48. 52. and x. 20. are adduced to prove the assertion. These passages certainly prove that lunatics, epilep- tics, and demoniacs are sometimes synony- mous terms ; but this admission, however, will only show that they were occasionally identified ; the argument deduced from the con- trast between lunatics and demoniacs, in the passages quoted above, will not be destroyed. The literal interpretation is confirmed by the recollection of the source from whence the heathens derived their ideas of demons, and their philosophy in general. Pythagoras, as I have endeavoured elsewhere to prove, probably derived much of his philoso- phy, and many opinions and institutions, from the Jews in their dispersion, at the time of the Babylonish captivity''. He was of opinion that the world was full of demons'. Thales too, the contemporary of Pythagoras, and after them Plato and the Stoics, affirmed that all things were full of demons'". And it is well known that the priests, in giving forth their oracles, are always represented as being possessed by their gods". ^ Arrangement of the Old Testament, Period VIL part iv. note 40. ^ Elnu TTuiTU Ti)v «/()« i/'i'/for fi(,T/f(Mr aui Tot'- rovc ^altiurtts fs xai iqwus lofilifn^ai. Diog. Laert. lib. viii. § 32. ap. Biscoe, p. 285. "" Tor Ttdoiitn- d«ni(jrv)v tiXiIqij. Diog. Laert. lib. i. §. 27. ap. Biscoe. '' " They much mistake," says Mr. Biscoe"-, " wlio assert that Demoniacs abounded in the Jewish nation alone. We learn Iroin the writers of other nations, that they ahonnded elsewhere. If they were not always known by the name of DcMHoniacs, tliey were spoken of under several other names, whicii signify the same tiling, such a IIiflAinj of the .'Ic/s ciii'firmedf \i. •liH. Note 2:i:\ NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *75 4. Christ is said to have adopted the com- mon language of the people, which it was not necessary to change. He was not sent to cor- rect the mistakes in the popular philosophy of the day in which he lived. This argument takes for granted the very point to be proved. With respect also to the philosophy of the day, it would be difficult to show that our Lord sanctioned an error because it was popular. 5. No reason can be given why there should be demoniacal possessions in the time of our Lord, and not at present, when we have no grounds to suppose that any instances of this nature any where occur. In reply to this objection, it may be observed, that these possessions might then have been more frequent, that the power of Christ might be shown more evidently over the world of spirits, and that He who came to destroy the works of the Devil should visibly triumph over him. By this act of Almighty power he con- futed also the error so prevalent among the Sadducees, which denied the existence of an- gels or spirits (Acts xxiii. 8.), and which like- wise prevailed among many of those who were distinguished for their rank and learning at tliat time among the Jews. Lightfoot, when speaking on this point, sup- poses that the power of demons might be per- mitted to display itself in this peculiar manner while Christ was upon earth, because the ini- quity of the Jews was now at its greatest height ; and the whole world were consequently in a state of extreme apostacy from (Jod. He adds also, that the Jews were now much given to magic ; and to prevent his miracles from being attributed to this source, our Saviour evoked the evil spirits, to show that he was in no con- federacy with them. Those, on the contrary, who espouse the ancient opinion, not only adduce the arguments already mentioned in reply to the objections of their opponents, but maintain much that is laid down in the following positions, whicii have ever appeared to me decisive in favor of the popular opinion. L The heathens had an idea of beings supe- rior to men, but inferior to the one Supreme God. Cudworth' enumerates many instances. Among others he quotes Plato's expression, tliat Toc, (poi(io?.tj7iToi'^, ,-(i\9a)ifc', Bacchantcsf. Cerriti^ , Larvati'^, LymphaticiJ , JVocturnis Diis, Faunisqiie agitati'-'." ' Intellectual. System, vol. i. book i. ch. iv. p. 232. Birch's 4to. edition, London, 1743. b 'E> ) acTTfiUTai iVs. jcai evpvK'KcXrai CKaXoiivro, &c. scliol. in Aristoplian. Vesp. p. 503. c Plato /« P/i,rd. (I <^ot:^■'>f^.u')(l,- ri?c? (^cdijinnriTn;^ JEsch. .\gaiTiemnon, 1 149. e Scholia in Soiihoc. Antig. ad. v. 97.5. / Heroil. Melpnm. '^ 13. ff- IMut. Dc Qrac. drf. p. 414. h Plant. Aiiiph. act 2. scene 9. v. 71. Herod, lib. iv. § 79. i Plant. Mu-.n. act ,'). scene 4. v. 2. Bag. ,\mpli. v. 5,\&c. 3 \'\.n. .Kul. //(>/. lib. 25. s. 21. and lib. 27. s. 83, &c k II), lib. 30. .0. 24. there were dQujol xul yevvriiol Oeo), visible and generated gods ; and Maximus Tyrius, avvdcQ/oi'TFg QeZ, co-rulers witli God, &c. The Jewish and Christian ideas of angels and spirits are in some respects similar. Both be- lieve that these inferior beings may possess some influence by the permission of the Deity, in the concerns of mankind : and the opinion is neither hostile to reason or Scripture". H. The doctrine, of demoniacal possession.s is consistent with the whole tenor of Scripture. Evil is there represented as having been intro- duced by a being of this description, which in some wonderful manner influenced the immate- rial principle of man. The continuance of evil in the world is frequently imputed to the con- tinued agency of the same being. Our ignor- ance of the manner in which the mind may be controlled, perverted, or directed, by the power of other beings, ought not to induce us to reject the opinion. We are unable to explain the operation of our own thoughts, but we do not therefore deny their existence. HL The doctrine of demoniacal possessions is likewise consistent with reason. We ac- knowledge that a merciful God governs the world, yet we are astonished to observe that exceeding misery is every where produced by the indulgence of the vices of man. An ambi- tious conqueror will occasion famine, poverty, pestilence, and death, to hundreds of thousands of his fellow-men, whose lives are blameless and tranquil. If one man may cause evil to another, is it not probable that evils of a differ- ent kind might be produced by means of other beings, and the moral government of God re- main unimpeached ? We are assured that in the great {>eriod of retribution, other beings than man will be condemned by their Creator. The Scripture affirms this fact, that other ac- countable and immortal beings, superior to mankind, have been created, some of whom have not fallen ; while others, under the influence of one who is called Satan, or the Devil, aposta- tized from God, perverted the mind of man, are still persevering in evil, are conscious of their crimes, and are now reserved in chains of dark- ness to the judgment of the great day. A fu- ture state alone can explain the mystery of tlie origin and destiny of man, and his rank in the universe of God. The whole supposition, that the demoniacs spoken of in Scripture were madmen, is crowded with difficulties. But let us take for granted the ancient and orthodox- opinion ; let us believe Christ to be divine, and preexistent, conversant with tlie world of spirits, as well as with the world of men ; and if we tJien trace the progress of that evil lie was ap- pointed to overtlirow from the beginning to the end, how much more easy and rational is the belief, that he exerted over this demon the power he will hereafter display at the end of the " Locke's Essay, book ii. ch. ii. sect. 13. fin. 76* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part lii. world, Avhen apostate devils and impenitent men will be associated in one common doom ? IV. The facts recorded of the supposed de- moniacs demonstrate also that they were not merely madmen. The insane either reason rightly on wrong grounds", or wrongly on right grounds, or blend the right and wrong together. But these demoniacs reasoned rightly upon right grounds. They uttered propositions undenia- bly true. They excelled in the accuracy of their knowledge the disciples of Christ himself; at least, we never hear that either of these had applied to our Lord the epithet of the Holy One of God. They were alike consistent in their knowledge and their language. Their bodies were agitated and convulsed. The powers of their minds were controlled in such manner that their actions were unreasonable ; yet they ad- dressed our Lord in a consistent and rational, though in an appalling and mysterious manner. Our Lord answered them not by appealing to the individuals whose actions had been so ir- rational, but to something which he requires and commands to leave them ; that is, to evil spirits, whose mode of continuing evil in this in- stance had been so fearfully displayed. These spirits answer him by evincing an intimate knowledge both of his person and character, which was hidden from the wise and prudent of the nation. The spirits that have apostatized are destined to future misery — their Judge was before them. " Ah, what hast thou to do with us, in our present condition," they exclaim, " Art thou come to torment us before our time ? " And they entreat him not to command them to leave this earth, and to go to the invisible world"". The demons believed and trembled. It is an admirable observation of Jortin on this point, that where any circumstances are added concerning the demoniacs, they are gen- erally siich as show that there was something preternatural in the distemper ; for these af- flicted persons unanimously joined in giving homage to Christ and his apostles ; they all know him, and they unite in confessing his Divinity. If, on the contrary, they had been lunatics, some would have worshipped, and some would have reviled our Saviour, according to the various ways in which the disease had affected their minds. V. The other facts recorded of the demoniacs are such that it is impossible to conclude that they were madmen only. The usual and prin- cipal of these is that most extraordinary event of the possession of the herd of swine, by the same demons which had previously shown their malignity in the human form. It has ever been found impossible to account for this extraordi- nary event"', excepting upon the ancient and lit- eral interpretation of Scripture. » Luke viii. 28-31. " Ri'inurhs on Ecclesiastical History, Works, 8vo. edit. vol. i. p. Jtt9. '^ The Socinian version of tlie New Testament A singular instance of tlie ab.surdities into which some have been led, in their endeavours to overthrow the testimony of Scripture, and es- tablish some proposition in its place which may seem more rational, or, as they very strangely think, more philosophical, may be found in Lardner, vol. i. p. 2.39 ; who, among the various opinions wliich had been advanced on the sub- ject of the demoniacs, mentions one which en- deavours to account for the destruction of the herd of swine, by imagining that Christ drove the lunacy, and not the demons, from the man into the swine. VI. It cannot be supposed, as Doddridge ob- serves, that our Lord humored the madmen by adopting their language, and inducing his disci- ples to do the same. "Hold thy peace, and come out of him — What is thy name — thou un- clean spirit," &c. These are all expressions which imply truths and doctrines of infinitely greater moment than any which could be con- veyed to the minds of his hearers by flattering a madman, or increasing and encouraging tlie religious errors of a deluded and wicked gene- ration. Dr. Lardner, in his remarks on Dr. Ward's Dissertations, quotes a letter from his friend Mr. Mole, which accurately expresses the feel- ing that induced so many to reject what appears to me to be the plain narrative of Scripture. " This affair of the possessions is an embarrass- ment, which one would be glad to be fairly rid of," t&c. It is the part of reason to examine the evidences of revelation. When reason is satisfied of its truth, as it must be, its only re- maining duty is to fall prostrate before the God of reason and Scripture, and implicitly to be- lieve the contents of the Sacred Volume in their plain and literal meaning. This stage of our existence is but the introduction to and the preparation for another, and it seems therefore but rational and philosophical to conclude that some things would be recorded in revelation, Avhich should serve as links to connect the visi- ble with the invisible world. Among these may be considered such facts as the resurrection — the three ascensions — the visits of angels — the sud- den appearances of the Jehovah of the Old Testament — the miraculous powers of prophecy conferred upon the favored servants of God. Among these events also, I would place the fact of demoniacal possessions. As at the transfiguration Moses and Elias appeared in glory, to foreshow to man the future state of the blessed in heaven ; so also do I believe that the fearful spectacle of a hiunan being pos- sessed by evil spirits was designed as a terrible representation of the future punishment. The demoniac knew Christ, yet avoided and hated has no note on thi.-i part. With tlie iisval modesty, however, which characterizf^s the writers of this scliool, Evausou is ipioted to ])rove tlie whole his- tory of the Gadarene demoniac (Luke viii. 21-AO^ to be an interpolation. Note 24, 25.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *77 him. An outcast from the intellectual and re- ligious world, he grieved over his lot, yet he could not repent. In the deepest misery and distress, he heightened his own agony by self- inflicted torments. Tlie light of heaven, which occasionally broke in upon his melancholy dwelling among the tombs, served only to make more visible the darkness of his wretchedness, and embittered every anguish and suffering by the torturing remembrance of what he ivas and what he might have been. Although I have not met with the opinion elsewhere, I cannot but consider, that we are here presented with a fearful and overwhelming description of the future misery of the Avicked, by the visible power of the Devil over the bodies and souls of men. The account of demoniacal possessions may be regarded as an awful warning addressed to mankind in general lest they also come into the same state of condemnation. At the last day, when every eye shall see Him, and every knee bow down before Him, many, like the raving demoniac, shall hail the same Saviour, who died to redeem them, Avith unavailing horror and despair. Many like the demoniac will be compelled to acknowledge his Divinity — " We know thee, who thou art, the Holy One of God," — while tliey join in tlie frantic and piercing cry, " Art thou come to torment us ? " It appears to me also, that the demoniacs powerfully represent to us the state to which all the sons of Adam would have been reduced for ever, if the Son of God had not descended from heaven, to accomplish the wonderful plan of redemption which is revealed in the Inspired Writings. The experience of common life, in- deed, not unfrequently sets before us many de- plorable instances of the exceeding degradation to which the human mind may fall, when it be- comes the slave of the passions, uninfluenced by religious principle. We seldom sufficiently appreciate the incalculable benefit wliich has already accrued to the world from the influence of tlie Christian religion. With respect, then, to the demoniacs of the New Testament, we may conclude, that it is with this doctrine as with many others in the New Testament. The traditional, popular, lit- eral, and simplest interpretation is most proba- bly correct, for this very satisfactory reason, that the difficulties of the new interpretation are always greater than of that which is rejected. We have here the actions of the Saviour and the Destroyer. On one side we have the won- derful doctrine, that it has pleased the Almighty to permit invisible and evil beings to possess themselves in some incomprehensible manner of the bodies and souls of men. On the other we have Christ, the revealer of truth, establish- ing falsehood, sanctioning error, or encoui-aging deception. We have the Evangelists inconsis- tent with themselves, and a narrative, whicli is acknowledged to be inspired, and to be intended VOL. II. for the unlearned — unintelligible or false. Be- tween such difficulties I prefer the former ; and, if I cannot comprehend, I bow my reason to the Giver of reason, and confess with reverence the superiority of Revelation. The difference between Christianity and philosophy, or the mode of speculating which assumes that title, may be said to consist in this : — in matters of philosophy, the vulgar may be in error, and the speculatist may be right. But, in Christianity, the popular opinion is generally right. The speculator, the philosopher, Avho would fashion Christianity according to his own notions of truth and falsehood, of right, or wrong, gener- ally concludes with error. Note 24.— Part III. This section is placed here on the united au- thorities of the five harmonists, and on the Scriptural authority of Luke iv. 38. 'Afaarug, de ix rTjj avruyoiyrig, elariWev, &c. The cure of Peter's mother-in-law is placed by St. Mat- thew after the healing of the centurion's ser- vant. This miracle may have been wrought more particularly to confirm the faith of the apostles. Pilkington, who has observed the order of St. Mark and St. Luke, and rejected the sup- position of Osiander and Macknight, that St. Matthew wrote in order of time, has well de- fended the decision of the several harmonizers on this point. — Pilkington's Evang. Hist. &c. Notes, p. 17. Note 25.— Part III. [y placing the tour throughout Galilee, after the cure of Peter's wife's mother, all the har- monists are agreed. The scriptural authority is to be found in St. Mark, i. 32. ' Oiplu; 6^ yero- ftii'7]g. Michaelis adds here various other cures and miracles ; and Dr. Doddridge has come, in some respects, to the same conclusions. Neither are Lightfoot, Ncwcome, and Pilking- ton agreed in the texts they would combine together in this section. The Evangelists de- scribe tlie journeying? of Christ through Galilee in such very general terms, that it appears im- possible to appropriate every expression to its particular journey. Neitlicr does it seem ca- pable of demonstration that it was so designed. Our Lord now began to manifest himself publicly by his miracles, and to direct the attention of the Jews to his claims as their Messiah. *G* 78* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part III. Note 26.— Part III. ON THE MEANING OF ISAIAH liii. 4-12. The chapter of Isaiah, from which the Evangelist quotes the above passage, has been justly considered to contain a complete descrip- tion of the sufferings of Christ. Because the Evangelist has applied the words of the Prophet to the cure of diseases, the Socinian writers have endeavoured to prove that the doctrine of the atonement ought not to be, and cannot be, deduced from this passage of Isaiah. They utterly reject the propitiatory sacrifice, which is there represented as offered for the sins of men ; and for the purpose of doing away the force of the expressions which so clearly convey this idea, the adversaries of the doctrine of the atonement have directed against tliis part of Scripture their principal attacks. They have endeavoured to prove that Christ is not here described as an dJ'^K, or sacrifice for sin, and that the sacrifice itself is not truly propitiatory. They further argue that the word bear sins, signifies to bear them aivay or remove them ; and that consequently nothing more is meant here than the removing away from us our sins and iniquities by forgiveness. Archbishop Magee, in his invaluable work On the Atonement, has devoted much labor to the Unitarian objec- tion, and carefully analyzed every word in the whole passage. He candidly and fully, as an inquirer into truth ever should do, submits to the readers the difficulties in question, and concludes the discussion by establishing the propriety and certainty of the usual application of the passage to the sufferings of Christ, as the vicarious sacrifice for the sins of mankind. It would be impossible in the short space of a note to enter into all the elaborate criticisms of the learned Archbishop. His conclusions, which are most satisfactory, can only be here given. He understands ij'^n and CtadeveXag to relate to bodily pains and distempers, and 1]3^0'3 and viaov; to refer to diseases and torments of the mind — he refers the former clause signifying Christ's removing the sicknesses of men by miraculous cures, and the latter to his bearing their sins upon the cross, and he has adduced many examples in support of this in- terpretation. " Isaiah and Matthew," to use his own words, " are perfectly reconciled, the first clause of each relating to diseases removed — the second to sufferings endured. And by the same steps by Avhich the Prophet and the Evangelist have been reconciled, the original ob- jection derived from St. Mattliew's ap{)lication of the passage is completely removed, since we find tliat the hearing applied by the Evangelist to bodily disease is widely different from that wliich is applied to sins ; so that no conclusion can be drawn from the former use of tlie word, which shall be prejuflicial to its commonly re- ceived sense in tlie latter relation. " One point yet, however, demands explana- tion. It will be said, that the prophet is no longer supposed to confine himself to the view of our redemption by Christ's suflTerings and death ; but to take in also the consideration of his miraculous cures ; and the Evangelist, on the other hand, was represented as not attend- ing merely to the cures performed by Christ, with which alone he was immediately concerned, but as introducing the mention of his sufferings for our sins, with which his subject had no natural connexion. Now to this I reply (says Archbishop Magee) first, with regard to the prophet, that it is not surprising that so dis- tinguishing a character of the Messiah, as that of his healing all manner of diseases with a word, and which this prophet (in chap. xxxv. 5.) has depicted so strongly, that our Saviour repeats his very words (Batt's Diss. 2nd edit. p. 109.) and refers to them in proof that he was the Mes- siah (Matt. xi. 4. and Beausobre in loc.) — it is not surprising, I say, that this character of Christ should be described by the prophet. And that" it should be introduced in this place, where the prophet's main object seems to be to unfold the plan of our redemption, and to represent the Messiah as suffering for the sins of men, will not appear in any degree unnatural, when it is considered that the Jews familiarly connected the ideas of sin and disease, the latter being con- sidered by them the temporal punishment of the former (for abundant proof of this see Whitby on Matt. viii. 17. and ix. 2., Drusius on the same, Crit. Sac. tom. vi. p. 288., and Doederl. on Isaiah liii. 4. and Martini also on the same passage). So that He, who was described as averting by what he was to suffer, the penal consequences of sin, would naturally be looked to as removing, by what he was to perform, its temporal eflfects : and thus the mention of the one would reasona- bly connect with tliat of the other, the whole of the prophetic representation becoming, as Ken- nicott happily expresses it, ' Descriptio Messis benevolentissime et agentis et patientis.' (Diss. Gen. § 79.) "That the Evangelist, on the other hand, though speaking more immediately of bodily diseases, should at the same time quote that member of the prophecy, which related to tlie more important part of Christ's office, that of saving men from their sins, will appear equally reasonable, if it be recollected that the sole object in referring to the prophet concerning Jesus, was to prove him to be the Messiah ; and that tlio distinguishing cliaracter of tho Messiah was to give knowledge of salvation unto his people, by the remission of their sins (Luke i. 77.) So that the Evangelist may be considered as holding this leading character primarily in view ; and, at tlio same time, that he marks to the Jews the fulfilment of one part of the pro- Note 97.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. no phecy, by the healing of their bodily distempers, he directs their attention to that other greater object of our Saviour's mission, on which the prophet had principally enlarged, namely, the procuring forgiveness of their sins by his suf- ferings. And thus the present fulfilment of the prophecy was at the same time a designation of the person, and a pledge of the future more ample completion of the prediction. Cocceius gives this excellent explanation of the passage in question : ' He hath taken on himself (sus- cepit) our sorrows, or sufferings, eventually to bear them away, as he has now testified by the carrying away our bodily distempers.' " If, after all that has been said, any doubt should yet remain, as to the propriety of thus connecting together, either in the Prophet, or in the Evangelist, the healing of diseases, and the forgiveness of sins, I would beg of the rea- der to attend particularly to the circumstance of their being connected together frequently by our Lord himself. Thus he says to the sick of the palsy, Avhen he healed him, ' thy sins he forgiven thee^ (Matt. ix. 2.) And that bodily diseases were not only deemed by the Jews, but were in reality, under the first dispensation, in many instances the punishment of sin, we may fairly infer from John v. 14., where Jesus said to him whom he had made whole, ' sin no more, lest a ivorse thing come unto thee.'' It shonld be observed also, that what in Mark iv. 12., is expressed, '■and their sins should he for- given them,'' is given in Matt. xiii. 15., ' and I should heal them.'' See also James v. 15. and Isaiah xxxiii. 24., and observe the maledictions against the transgressors of the Law, in Deut. xxviii. 21. See also Grot, on John v. 14. and Pole's Sijn. on Matt. ix. 2." None will think this extract too long, who are aware of the great importance of the sub- ject in discussion. The researches of this learned writer afford another proof, if any were wanting, tliat in proportion to the extent of in- quiry, and the increase of our knowledge, will ever be the confirmation of the great doctrine of the Atonement and the Divinity of Christ. It is sincerely to be hoped, that no theological student will permit his library to be unprovided with this valuable work of Archbishop Magee On the atonement. NoTK 27.— Part III. The arguments of Newcome and Lightfoot have principally induced me to give this place to the cure of the leper, contrary to the authority of Doddridge, who has preferred tlie order of St. Matthew's Gospel, and arranged it after the Sermon on the Mount The expression in St. Matthew's Gospel, on which this opinion is founded, is in Matt. viii. 1. KutuGui'tv ds uuia dnu Tov VtoovQ — and jf«i iSov. The same ex- pression has induced Mr. Jones, in hi.s Vindica- tion of St. Matthew^s Gospel, to conclude that this Evangelist had observed the due order of time. But Archbishop Newcome justly ob- serves, that, according to St. Luke, this miracle was performed in a certain city (Luke v. 12); and that the expression in Matt. viii. 1. refers only to the multitudes following him ; and the words xul iSoi) are only used as an introductory phrase for the better transition from one part of the history to another. Many expressions apparently fixing the time of events, must be considered in this point of view, such as ll^wp dt — y.(tl lyipExo, xul iWu)!', xul ngoaeXOihr , sl- as'K66vTi 61, neqtnctxibv Se, xal uvolSug t6 VT/ifia — rdre, fieiu tuvtk, b*', if ruXg -h^^iquig ixetruig, i)' /nia tG)1' ijfteQCov'^. It may be observed also in support of the ar- rangement now adopted, that our Lord would not have said to the leper, if he had performed the cure in the presence of the great multitudes that followed him as he came down from the mount, " See thou tell no man : " neither is it probable that the leper, being so utterly un- clean, would be found among the crowd. Lightfoot also has remarked, that St. Mat- thew was solicitous to proceed at once to tlie Sermon on the Mount, for which purpose he mentions several miracles together, without at- tending to the order in which they took place. Eichhorn lias observed the same order. There does not appear to be sufficient reason for sup- posing that two lepers were cleansed. Both among Jews and Gentiles the leprosy has been considered as a most expressive em- blem of sin, the properties and circumstances of the one pointing out those of the other. The leprosy, like sin, begins with a spot, a sim- ple hidden infection, soon spreading over the whole body, and communicating its contagious nature to every thing which it can either touch or influence. This disorder, like sin, is hereditary, and was deemed incurable by mere human means. Among the Jews, God alone M'as considered able to remove it, and its cure was uniformly at- tributed to divine power. In like manner, the contagion of sin, its guilt and its consequences, can only be removed by the hand of God ; all means without his especial influence can be of no avail. In effecting the cure, our Lord asserted his sovereignty, by the phrase,, " I will — be tliou clean." Our Saviour begins by prcfguriiig his power to forgive sin in its fullest extent by the cure of the leper ; he soon afterwards publicly proclatms it in the case of the sick of the palsy, when he said, " But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath poAver on earth to forgive sin," &c. ^ Chemnitius. Ilnrm. prolog, p. 17, 18 ; Jones's Vindication of St. Mittheio's Gospel ; apud New- come's notes to tlie Ilarmo/n/, p. 1-1. 80* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part 111. Note 28.— Part 111. Note 29.— Part 111. Christ commanded the leper not to tell any man till he had shown himself to the priest, as a testimony unto them. He charges the man to be silent on the subject of his cure, that the jealousy of the Romans, or of the Jewish rulers, should not be excited ; and that his min- istry should not be disturbed and interrupted by the clamors of the people, who sometimes in their zeal endeavoured to make him a king. He directed him also to the priest, and to offer the usual gift. In the Levitical Law it was the office of the priest alone to testify that the dis- ease was cured. The man was sent, therefore, that the priest might look upon him, and declare him clean; and thus a legal proof might be given to the people, and a testimony be afforded to the priests themselves, that a Greater than the priest was among them, who could heal all diseases by a word, and even the disease of the leprosy. But if the leper who had been cured had told the priest, before he was pro- nounced clean, that he had been healed by our Saviour, his jealousy might have refused to ac- knowledge the completion of the cure ; and the man was therefore charged to be silent. Our Lord could not have offered a more evident proof of his Divinity than this cure of the leper ; for there was a prevalent tradition among the Jews, that when the Messiah should appear he should Ileal the leprosy. As some objections have been proposed con- cerning the propriety of our Lord's conduct in commanding the man whom he had cured of his leprosy to keep silence on the subject, 1 would direct the attention of the reader to the fol- lowing admirable observations of the learned Witsius. " Si ad ea quse sequuntur attendamus, mani- festum fiet, non esse indictum huic homini per- petuum silentium ; sed duntaxat usque dum purgationem sui purgasset sacerdotibus, eamque testatam fecisset doni imperati oblatione. Ni- mirum non modo volebat Jesus divinae legis re- tinens videri, quod erat revera : sed et miraculo suo fidem fieri ab ipsis sacerdotibus, et tum demum illud publicari. Ut autem tides ei fieret a sacerdotibus prffiveniendi erant, antequam fama miraculi in Galilsa facti ad Hierosolymi- tanorum aures perveniret ; ne sacerdotes, quorum ca notio erat, invidise veneno tacti, aut lepro- sum eum fuisse, aut a lepra bona fide curatum esse, negarent. Ideo eum Jesus Fvdiiog ii.a()(de, protinus faccssere jussit, no fama antoverteret, et silentium impcravit, donee se sacerdoti explo- randum stitisset, et permissum ipsi esset munus suum offerre ; quod non licebat nisi post solem- nem sacerdotis declaralionem. Ab eo tempore ius sanato fuit in urbem ingredi," &c. — Witsii, Meldcmata Leidensia, Dissert, v. p. 253. Where the harmonists are all agreed in the arrangement of any particular event, which very frequently occurs, it will only be necessary to refer the reader to those harmonists, by whose authority I am principally directed. The cure of the sick of the palsy is placed after that of the leper mentioned in Matt. viii. 2-4. by Doddridge, Newcome, Lightfoot, Pilkington, Eichhorn, and Bishop Richard- son, apud Usher's Annals, p. 821. For the reasons why the order of St. Mark and St. Luke is adopted here, instead of that of St. Matthew, vide Doddridge, Fam. Exp. vol. i. p. 245. Mark connects this story with that of the leper; the word evdiiog, says Archbishop New- come, fixes the order (Mark. ii. 2.) St. Luke does not specify the time, and St. Matthew, w4io seems to have deferred the narration of many facts, that the Sermon on the Mount might be introduced early to the Jewish reader, to whom he particularly addressed his Gospel, places several events between the cure of the leper and the paralytic. St. Luke relates the cure as happening only on a certain day, iyi- ve.TO i.p juia rwt' r^/.iegar. Our Lord asserts here, for the first time, his power to forgive sins, which he demonstrates also by another miracle, and declares himself greater than any prophet. He gradually reveals his mission as the minds of his hearers were able to receive it, and till the time should come when he should appear at Jerusalem before the rulers of the people. The Jews believed that all disease was the consequence of sin, r;' w"^^ ('"'l^' p^f, and that the diseases of the liody were not healed till the sins that occasioned them were forgiven. I meet in Schoetgen this quotation. JVcdarim, fol. 41. 1. "Dixit R. Chija fil Abba, nullus EBgrotus a morbo sanatur, donee ipsi omnia peccata remissi sunt. rSin-3 ND13 nSinn |\s* rni:nu' Sd S;' iS j'SnnK' n;?." a'T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 55. 1. Midrach Kohelet, fol. 70. 4. apud Gill on Matt. ix. 2. Kimchi too, on Psalm xli. 5. has observed : " When God shall heal the diseases of the soul, then, after the expiation of its sins, the body also shall be healed." The Jews believed, on their own principles, that he, who could thus display the attributes of Deity, was the Messiah. Our Lord appeals, therefore, on his usual plan, to their received opinions, and asserted his high dignity by actions. Wliitby, in Matt. ix. 3., supposes that the paralytic was suffering under the punishment of some j)articular sin, and the removal of the disease signified only the forgiveness of that particular offence. Whereas Lightfoot, on the contrary, argues that the restoration of the sick of the palsy was accompanied with the remission of all his past transgressions.— Mote 30, 3].] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *81 Vide Schoctgen, Hora HebraictB, vol. i. p. 93 ; Lightfoot ; Whitby and Gill in loc. Note 30.— Part III. LiGHTFOOT, Archbishop Newcome, and Doddridge, place the calling of St. Matthew in its present order, and separate that event from the feast which was given afterwards in his house. They reason, from Luke viii. 4L and Mark v. "22., that many events occurred, and much time elapsed, from the calling of Matthew to the visit of Jairus which took place at the feast. Matt. ix. 10-13. Michaelis, Pilkington, and Bedford, in his Saipture Chronology, unite these events. [s it not probable that our Lord proposed some useful lesson by thus calling Matthew from tJie Receipt of Custom ? The Jews ex- pressed the utmost contempt and hatred of all those of their countrymen, who accepted the office now hold by St. Matthew. In their opinion, vows made to thieves, murderers, and publicans, might be broken. These persons ■were regarded by them as profane — shepherds, alms-gatherers, and publicans — ,rj^n rSlDS iSn I'DDIOl VXn."!, Their repentance also was con- sidered very difficult. The Jerusalem Targum has the following canon, Dcmai, fol. col. 3. nnnn inix ?'nn ^nj nii-'j'^i? inn. " A Pharisee that becomes a Publican they remove from his order ; but if he leaves his profession they re- store him to his order again." St. Matthew appears to have been, from his official situation, which must have made him more generally known, the most suitable of all the apostles to become the writer of the first Gospel ; and he was an eyewitness also of what he records. The others, excepting St John, and perhaps St. Peter, who probably dictated, or at least super- intended St. Mark's Gospel, were men of but little education, and not much known to their countrymen. Our Saviour, by calling St. Mat- thew, intended perhaps to reprove the self- rigliteousness and arrogance of the Pharisees ; and to show them, that the most despised among men were preferred before them in the sight of God^ In addition to tlie reasons assigned by Light- foot for separating the invitation to the feast at the house of Matthew, from the call of that Apostle, it may be observed, at that feast our Lord spake in parables. But this mode of teach- ing was never adopted till the Scribes and Pharisees had imputed his castmg out of devils to the agency of an evil spirit. I have not thought it deserving of considera- tion, whether Matthew and Levi were different persons. It is the general, and, I cannot but think the correct opinion, that they were the ^ See Talmud in JVedarim, per. 3. halac. 4. and Sanhed. per.l. fol. 24. ap.Lightfoot, vol. i. p. 660. VOL. II. 11* same. I insert the words of Rosenmiiller as expressing my own opinion. "An diversa tantum sint nomina unius ejusdemque personae, an vero duo portitores simul vocati sint a Christo, equi- dem definire non ausim. Quum tamen Marcus et Lucas in plerisque cum Matthaeo consentiant, et alii etiam apostoli binomines fuerint (Simon Petrus, et Lebbseus Thaddseus) praeferenda esse videtur eorum sententia, qui Levin et Matthaeum diversa tantum esse nomina unius ejusdemque personae existimant." — Rosenmiiller, Scholia JST. T., vol. i. p. 193. Note 31.— Part III. on the number of passovers during our lord's ministry. There are four passages in St. John's Gos- pel which are considered by the majority of harmonizers, as intending to express the num- ber of Passovers, and the consequent duration of our Lord's ministry. They are the following — ii. 13., Kul iyyvg riv to nua/a jwv ^ laSulun', xal dvbSri elg 'leQaaoXv/ua 6 ' Irjaovg. The second is, v. 1., 3feT(i raCra ^*' hooT^i twp ' lada- Uiif, xul dviSrj 6 ' Irjaovg elg 'IeQoa6lv/iiu. The third, vi. 4., ^ Hv 6i iyyiig to ndtax"^ '^ Io^t^ rav 'ludulMV. The fourth, xi. 55.,^Hv de iyyvg ib nda/u Tar ' laSalotv. Upon the right construc- tion indeed of the second of these, tlie ques- tion of the duration of our Lord's ministry may be said to depend. The generally-received opinion is, that our Lord's ministry lasted three years and a half, during which time four Pass- overs were celebrated. The second of these passages, however, does not appear to warrant the supposition that a Passover is the feast in- tended, and consequently no argument can be deduced from these passages to ascertain the duration of our Lord's ministry. In all the other three passages, St. John uses the words to 7r(j.a-/jt, to express the Passover, in the second he uses only the word kogxifi. Now this, it is evident, does not assert that the feast here meant was a Passover. If we may judge from the other passages of St. John, without taking into consideration the other Gospels, we may say that the omission of the article demonstrates that he could not mean a Passover ; as the article is inserted in every other passage where the word ^o^r^ is used, as referring to the feast of the Passover. It is found also in tlie seventh chapter, where the same expression is given in reference to the feast of Tabernacles. On examining the other Gospels, we shall sec, tliat though St. Mark has once used the word without the arti- cle, when speaking of the feast of the Pass- over, and St. Luke also has done the same thing, yet St. Matthew, like St. John, has uniformly presen-ed it ; and so indeed have all the Evan- gelists, with these two deviations only. 82* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IIL Matt. xxvi. 2. to itAayfa ylvEjai. 5. /<7j If TTj h0QTi\. xxvii. 15. xotrd 8e ioqi-riv. Mark xiv. 1. ~Hi' dh to n<x(T/ct, &c. 2. Mri if TTJ loQTTi. The exception referred to is, — Mark xv. 6. xutu ds toQT'fiv. Luke ii. 41. ttj toQTTq t5 TTvcaxoc. But in xxiii. 17. x«r' togrrji'. John in this instance only uses the word toQTrj, without the article. Compare the pas- sages John ii. 23. — iv. 45. — vi. 4. — vii. 2. — vii. 8. 10. 11. 14. 37.— xi. 56.— xii. 12. 20.— xiii. 1. 29. These passages, in which loori^ is without the article, may denote the feast of the Passover, and may in fact be considered as the same : and it may be observed, therefore, that the expression x«t' ^ooTTjj' is an idiomatical phrase, similar and equivalent to x«r' sTog, the construction of which depends on riag, or sxagog, understood. In this manner we must supply the ellipsis by St. Luke, who uses the expression xuiu nav (TixfiCncTov (Acts xiii. 27.), y.ui' loqTi\v therefore will mean xuto. naaup kogi-fir, or feast by feast ; as xur' tTog, signifies year by year: and as the propriety of the latter expression would be destroyed by the insertion of the article t6, so, to render the phrase xar' tOQT7]v, analogous in its construction, it was necessary that the arti- cle should be omitted. This therefore is done ; and though some MSS., since the time of The- ophylact, have inserted the article, yet the quo- tations from Origen have not the article, and Irena?us refers to the verse in such a manner that there is no reason for supposing that it was found in his MS. It is omitted too in the Codex Alexandrinus, Cod. Vaticanus, Cod.Bezse, and most of the Greek MSS". The course of St. John's history seems to imply rather that this feast was not a Passover. He relates that our Saviour remained in Judaea after the first Passover in his ministry, till he knew "how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John." He then left Judaea, and departed through Sa- maria into Galilee. He then went to Caper- naum (vide chap, iv.), and after this, says the Evangelist, was a feast of the Jews. It is therefore, Mr. Benson' observes, natural to im- agine that this was a feast of Pentecost, or Tabernacles ; because there lias been nothing related by the Evangelist which can imply so great a lapse of time, as intervened between Passover and Passover. On the other hand it has been argued, that the feast, mentioned in ver. 1, was a Passover, from what Jesus says to his disciples at Sychar (John iv. 35.) " Say not ye, Tliere are yet four months, and then cometh harvest." From this expression it is supposed that it then wanted " Vide Marsh's Michaelis, vol. iii. notes, p. ()0 ; Benson, p. 25^. t Chronology of Christ's Life, p. 245, 248, 240. four months to hai-vest ; that is, to the Passover, at which time the Jews' barley harvest began (Lev. xxiii. 11, &lc.) ; consequently the next of the three great feasts of the Jews would be that of the Passover ; and as Christ had so lately left Jerusalem for fear of the Jews, it is con- cluded, by those who maintain this opinion, that no other inducement but that of a great feast would have carried liiin thither so soon again. In reply to tliis, it is said, that our Saviour in these words merely alluded to a proverbial ex- pression among the Jews, that between the seedtime and harvest there elapsed a period of four months. And, from the context, we are still more induced to suppose it was a pre- vailing idiom, signifying there was no necessity for delay ; that the fields were already ripe, and ready for the laborers to begin their work, figu- ratively alluding to his reception among the Samaritans. The words, "lift up your eyes and look upon the fields, for they are w'ate already to harvest," seem most pointedly to re- fer to the actual appearance of the surrounding country ; for it does not appear probable, par- ticularly as our Saviour was accustomed to draw his illustrations from surrounding objects, that he would have adopted this metaphor had he been encompassed with the desolation of winter, or that season of the year which pre- ceded harvest. The history, therefore, of this portion of our Lord's ministry, is as follows : at his first Pas- sover he went up to Jerusalem, and continued in Judaea for two or three weeks after it, bap- tizing, " though he himself baptized not, but his disciples " (John iv. 2.) His rapid and ex- tensive success having excited the observation of the Pharisees, he thought it prudent to quit Judaea, and passing through Samaria in the midst of the harvest, impressed upon his disci- ples the readiness of the Samaritans to receive his doctrines, by an illustration very beautifully drawn from the scenes and operations which were passing before them. He then continued his journey into Galilee (it was but a three days' journey from Jerusalem to Galilee), and, after remaining there for a few weeks, returned again to Jerusalem, according to Cyril and Chrysostom, to celebrate the feast of Pentecost, or, according to others, at a somewhat later period to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles. The most formidable objection to tlie sup- position that the miracle at tlie pool of Bethosda, and the subsequent plucking of the ears of corn, took place at the feast of Pentecost, is given by Archbishop Newcome. Tliis author supposes tliat a whole year probably elapsed between the conversation with Nicodemus at the first Passover, and the miracle at Bethesda ; and lie gives a calculation of the probable periods that he supposes must have transpire I between the several events ; allowing tli'3 sliortest time possible for each. According to Note 31.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *88 this calculation, he makes it appear that four months and a lialf must at least be allowed ; and, as tlie Pentecost was only fifty days after the Passover, this statement alone will be suffi- cient to prove that the miracle at the pool of Bothesda could not have been wrought at Pentecost. I have endeavoured to compress bis reasoning within the sliortest compass. After the Passover in which Christ conversed with Nicodemus, we read, John iii. 22., that Christ remained in Judaja, and baptized, that is, his disciples who were with him baptized, (John iv. 2.) Now, as his disciples were not at that time with him (for Andrew, Peter, James, and John were not yet called), he must first have collected disciples before he baptized ; and as he continued there till he had baptized more disciples than John, it is not improbable that our Lord staid in Judsea for at least one month. To this it may be answered, that there were many who followed Christ, and many, though they had seen his miracles, who forsook him, whose names are not mentioned. The sacred narratives leave out so many events, and some- times glance so slightly at many of the most important, that it is not at all improbable our Lord may have been followed from Jerusalem by many, who professed themselves his disciples for a time, and baptized in his name, yet who left him as others had done, because he did not fulfil the expectations they had previously formed of the Messiah. Their notions were so contradictory, that we may very naturally suppose they were satisfied with the miraculous proofs he gave that he was more than a prophet ; but they were discontented with the continued subjection of their country to the Romans, and the poverty and lowliness of our Lord himself It is not necessary therefore to suppose that his twelve apostles, or any of them, attended him. Many who had seen, or had been assured of the miracle of the driving the buyers and sellers from the temple, might have followed him. The first intelligence of the open evident revival of miracles would have attracted the inhabitants of the surrounding districts in such numbers, that those Avho were baptized by Christ's dis- ciples would soon exceed those who were bap- tized by John ; and as the jealousy of the Jews would be soon excited, more especially as our Lord had now begun to be the object of public attention, there is no reasonable cause why a month should be the period of his residence in Judsea ; seven or ten days would be amply sufficient. The tour from Judaea, through Samaria to Galilee, Archbishop Newcome supposes must have occupied at least seven days. The dis- tance from Judaea to Samaria is about sixty miles, from thence to Cana fifty more. It appears from John iv. 40 and 4S, that our Lord remained at Samaria two days ; seven days, therefore, will be sufficient to allov^ for this journey. At Cana, Archbishop Newcome supposes, our Lord remained four days at least, to allow time for the nobleman of Capernaum (which was about thirty-five miles distant) to hear of our Lord's miracles, and to send the message to him respecting his son, the answer returned, &c. Four days, we may well suppose, would be occupied in the transactions related in John iv. 46. to the end. The archbishop allows eight days for the teaching in the synagogues, mentioned Luke iv. 15., and four for the sojourning at Nazareth, Luke iv. 16. His arguments on these points are satisfactory. Three weeks are allowed by this divine as the time of our Lord's remaining at Capernaum, Matt. iv. 13. ; because it is said, " He dwelt there." But it seems to have escaped his at- tention, that the expression in the original, xaTaxTjrrev eig Kunegvabju, does not uniformly mean, he took up his constant residence. The word xuToiiciu) sometimes denotes, to remain in a place for a short time, to reside as a guest. It appears probable that our Lord might have been invited to Capernaum, to the house of the no- bleman whose son he had cured. We leai-n, in Matt. viii. 20., that Christ had not where to lay his head, that is, he had no habitation which he could call his own. We are informed that he dtcelt at Capernaum : but the word, in the original, does not imply that he continued there for so long a period as three weeks. It is more probable that the house of the nobleman, who is supposed to have been Herod's steward, served but as a temporary residence ; from whence he might conveniently visit other parts of Gali- lee. When we remember the diligence witli which our Lord attended to the immediate design of his mission, it seems more likely that he staid at Capernaum three or four days ; after which he proceeded on his tour through Galilee, from whence, when he returned, he might again go back to Capernaum. This plan would fully justify the expression of the Evangelist, that " he dwelt there." In addition to the three weeks allotted by Archbishop Newcome for our Saviour's residence at Capernaum, a period of one month is assigned to his tour through Galilee. Tliis, however, is quite uncertain. Mark i. 38, .39. describes the same tour through Galilee, and relates the return of our Lord to Capernaum after some days, Mark ii. l.,ih'i]ufoil»'- an indefinite expression, which may possibly sig- nify a month, but may, with greater propriety, be supposed to denote a much less time. The circuit of Galilee may be considered seventy miles in extent ; if we allow ten miles a day, the tour round Galilee, till the return to Capernaum, when Matthew was called, and our Lord left Galilee for Jerusalem, will be fourteen days. Tlie whole time, therefore, between the conver- sation with Nicodemus, and the event we have been considering, may be easily comprised 84* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part III. within the compass of seven weeks ; and the feast at which the miracle at the pool of Be- thesda was wrought, might have heen, and most probably was, not the Passover but the Pen- tecost. Pilkington places tliis cure at the pool of Bethesda, or Beth-Chesda, immediately after the temptation (Evang. History, note to sect. 57.), supposing, as the event took place in Ju- daea, it was in the first visit there. But he has produced no authority for liis supposition, which may be considered as merely arbitrary. Note 32.— Part III. The authenticity of this passage has been much disputed among divines ; some having considered it as an interpolation, which was in- serted from the marginal notes, illustrative of the popular superstition. Doddridge, from Je- rome, supposes the pool to be partly mineral, and used for general bathing, and that it was endued with a miraculous power some time before the ministry of Christ ; and that after this miracle, or after the rejection, or the pas- sion of Christ, its virtue ceased. — Lightfoot remarks : to these waters flowing from Silojim, as a type of the Messiah, it might please God to give this miraculous virtue some time be- fore " He that was sent appeared," (John ix. 7.) ; that this pool was first laid by Solomon, Jose- phus, De Bel. lib. 5. cap. 13, compared with Nehemiah iii., and at first called Solomon's Pool, or now Bethesda, or the Place of Mercy, from its beneficial virtue. He adds, that the foun- tain Gihon (1 Kings i. 33.) is also named SiloJim, Ckald. Paraph, ad loc. Thus R. Solomon and D. Kimchi, Gihon is Siloam. The spring, di- vided into two streams, fed at some distance two pools of water, the lower pool, to tlie west of Jerusalem, called the Pool of Siloam, John ix. 7. Neh. iii. 15., and formed by Hezekiah, 2 Chron. xxxii. 30. ; and the upper pool, named the Pool of Solomon, or the Old Pool, Isaiah xxii. 11., to the southeast, which is this Pool of Bethesda. Solomon was anointed king at Gihon (1 Kings i. 45.), and the waters of Siloam were held in such estunation among the Jews, that the prophets made them a type of the kingdom of David and of Christ (Isaiah xii. 3. and viii. C), Avliich is thus explained by the Targum, or Chaldee Paraphrase : " The kingdom of David that rules them quietly." The Avhole of this transaction was typical of Christ. He is the true Bethesda, or House of Mercy, the fountain (foretold by Zech. xiii. 1.) open to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness, unto which all the poor, the blind, the impotent, ai-e invited to come, to receive health, and strength, and life eternal. Bishop Marsh, however, is of opinion (Inlrod. to JV. T. vol. ii. p. 732, note 118.), that the fourth verse is spurious, " from its being omitted in the Codex Bezse and the Codex Vaticanus, which are the two most ancient MSS. now ex- tant. It is likewise omitted in the Codex Ephrem (which is inferior in age to the Codex Beza?,)but written in the margin as a scholion ; it is written in more modern MSS. in tlie text, but marked with an asterisk, or obelus, as suspic- ious ; and in MSS. still more modern, it is writ- ten without any mark, which gives us (he con- cludes) the various gradations by which it has acquired its place in our present text, and a cer- tain proof that the verse was originally nothing more tlian a marginal scholion, and of course spurious." Verse four is likewise omitted in the Camb. MS. Copt, and is marked with an asterisk, or appears only in the margin of five, or six, of the Paris MSS. But in every other MS., and in all the versions, and Greek Scholi- asts, Clemens Alexandrinus, Jerome, and St. Augustin, its authenticity is established. — See Elsley in loc. and Mr. Penn's work on the Mo- saical Geology, the last in which the subject is discussed. Note 33.— Part III. This was contrary to the letter of the Law, Jer. xvii. 21, 22., and extremely so to the tra- ditions : for, according to them, he that carrieth any thing on the Sabbath, in his right hand or left, or in his bosom, or upon his shoulder, he is guilty. Talmud, in Lab. per 10. In this the man's faith was tried, for in taking up his bed he risked death or scourging. Our Saviour here assumes the power of a prophet, who, tlie Jews held, had a right to infringe the rest of the Sabbath ; justifying it from Joshua surround- ing Jericho seven successive days with the ark. — Grotius, Whitby, in loc. Note 34.— Part IH. In this verse our Saviour fully declares to the Jews his Messiahship. Schoetgen con- siders the verse to be a continuation of a con- versation which the Evangelist has omitted. The subject is the Sabbath. The words of our Lord, as the Jews perfectly understood, contam an assertion of his high office, in as plain terms as the plan of his ministry permitted. And none but a being who was invested with the offices and character of tlie Messiah, could have adopted such language without blasphemy. As my Father on the Sabbath day still continues the mighty works which are visible in the king- dom of his great creation, so do I likewise work in tlic spiritual kingdom which I am now es- Note '33, S6.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *35 tablishing in the world. Since the day when the world was made, the sublime scheme of Providence has been maturing. God, the Crea- tor, has been preserving tlie world, that his Church might be completed, and the spirits of mankind be admitted the companions of angels. God, the Son, has governed and directed the generations of Adam ; imparting to them grad ual revelations of his will, and appointing them institutions to preserve his mercy in their re- membrance. Whether He spake by the proph- ets, Himself, or his apostles. He, like the God of the creation, never ceases to benefit mankind. God, the Holy Spirit, from the moment when tlie Angel Jehovah ordained the institution of sacrifice after the fall, has ever continued to make his appeal to the hearts of men, per- suading and entreating them to accept the mercy provided for them by the mysterious atonement of the Divine Incarnate. The world was created and the plan of revelation was formed at the same time — they have their origin from the same God. His glory and the happi- ness of man are the objects with both ; they began together, they continue togetiier, but they will not end together. For as the soul is superior to the body, as God is superior to the universe, he has ordained that the body sliall die, and the earth itself shall perish. The heavens shall pass away, but the spirit shall triumph in the ruins of the universe. The world continues till the Church is completed. The scaffolding shall be destroyed when the temple of God is built. With this system of truth the Jews were well acquainted. They knew that from the time the visible world was made, the Angel Jehovah had constantly guided the Church of God ; and Christ, by the assertion in this verse, declared himself that Great Being who began to plan the happiness of mankind at the time when the Fatlier created the world, and who continued equally with the Father to work for their benefit. I use this term, "to work," because it is Avarranted by our Lord ; and shall not stop to discuss the questions whiph have been proposed by metaphysicians, on the causes of the actions of the Deity. It may, however, be added, that we cannot enter- tain a more lofty notion of the Deity, than that He is eternally blessing myriads of animated worlds. JJuveTai ovdinore noiwf 6 Qeug- u.l.V Sxmeo I'Siov to ycateiv nvQog, xul xi-ovog to i/jv- Xctv, ovTM xid Geov id Tioieli'. God never ceases from action ; but as it is the property of fire to burn, and of the snow to chill, so is ittlie property of the Deity to act and do. — Philo, De Alleg. lib. ii. apud Schoetgen. Hoi: Hebr. voL i. J). 354. Note 35.— Part III. Mr. Mann, in his Dissertation on the true Year of ChrisVs Death, has asserted that the sixth chapter of St. John ought to be placed be- fore the fifth. He imagines a connexion between John iv. 54., where we read, " This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee ; " and ch. vi. 1. " After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias." This alteration is very suspicious, as it is proposed to defend the hypothesis maintained in his work, that the ministry of Christ lasted only sixteen months, and in it two Passovers only were ob- served. Neither is the supposition at all war- ranted by the argument. For our Lord, as Doddridge (vol. i. p. 411.) has well remarked, frequently changed his place, and came back again to that which he had formerly visited. It is inconsistent too with his own hypothesis, because, according to that which he has adopted in the harmony, " Christ had crossed the sea to Gergesa, and dispossessed the legion, after the cure of the nobleman's son, and long before the passing over the sea, that is here referred to ( which was plainly not to Gergesa, but to the des- ert of Bethsaida), so that there is no shadow of a reason for such an unexampled transposition, which has no copy or version to support it." So far Doddridge, who refers to the subject in other notes in his Expositor, to which it is not neces- sary noAv to refer. VOL. II. Note 36.— Part III. The plucking of the ears of corn is men- tioned by St. Matthew as an isolated circum- stance. He has placed it in the midst of a tour througli Galilee, without asserting that it took place there. The phrase, on the contrary, with which the narration is introduced, will re- markably harmonize with the order assigned to it by the other Evangelists. St. Matthew does not say, ^j' ttj 'I'lUiQa, but eV tKelfa tq5 xaigQ ino- QevOi] 6 'Irjaovg lotg au(jGuai dtu twv arroQluon'. A phrase whicli by no means connects tlie pluck- ing of the ears of corn with the event related, either before or after that circumstance. It is re- lated by St Mark after the feast in the house of St. Matthew, and St. Luke follows the same ar- rangement, adding, that tiie ears of corn were plucked after some great festival. As there is no other festival mentioned in the New Testa- ment to which this allusion could be made, but that which is given in its chronological order in John v., I have followed the general authority of tlie harmonizers and placed this event in the present section. It is evident that the disciples did not pluck the ears before the Passover. It was particu- *H 86* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IIL larly forbidden to gather any corn before the sheaf of the first fruits had been waved in the temple ; the Jews would undoubtedly have re- proached them, had they cause for so doing, with this twofold violation of the Law, the plucking the corn before the time allowed, and the doing so also on the Sabbath ; whereas they confined themselves only to the latter charge. According to their canons", he that reapeth corn on the Sabbath, to the quantity of a fig, is guilty. And plucking corn is as reap- ing : and whosoever plucketh up anything from it while growing, is guilty. The Jews, in the days of our Lord, had, for the most part, lost sight of the spirit of their Law, and burthened the people with a number of severe and superstitious observances. Their traditional laws respecting the Sabbath were intolerably minute and wearisome. The greater part of them are collected by Dr. Wotton, in his work on the Misna, among which is the fol- lowing prohibition, which our Lord and his dis- ciples were accused of violating. It is to be found in the SchabbatM. nnin nnx'^o na-'ij/n nnx p,iion nSx D'^n irx nn« njDxSro \'yo He that doth several works under one principal head is guilty only of one sin. The Jewish masters divided works, as they relate to the Sabbath, into principal and secondary, or, as they called them, fathers and children of works. If a man does one principal Avork and twenty secondary ones, it is, according to them, but one sin, and consequently deserves one punish- ment : thus, to grind is a principal work. All dividing of things before united in their nature come under this head. The second section goes on to enumerate thirty-nine principal works forbidden on the Sabbath : the first eight of which are, soM'ing, ploughing, reaping, binding, threshing, winnowing, cleaning, grind- ing ; under which last term they included the action of our Lord and his disciples. But not only was this action forbidden in the tradition- ary law, it was prohibited likewise in that of Moses, Exod. xxxiv. 21. Our Lord, therefore, in his reply to the Jews, asserted his superiority over the traditions of the elders, and his power of dispensing with the Mosaic Law. He de- clares to them that he was Lord of the Sab- bath. He it was who had enacted this very Law of Moses, in one of those appearances which are justly called the preludes to his in- carnation", and lie now claims dominion over the Law which he had made. By the same ' Talm. in Scliah. per 7 ; and Maimon. Schab. per 7 and 8. '' Chap. vii. sect. J, last sentence, and sect. 2. Tliis work is now very rare and valuable ; its title is Miscellaneous Discourses relating tu the Tradi- tions and Usages of llic Scribes and Pharisees in our blessed Saviour s time. 2 vols. 8vo. 1718. The second voluinc contains a Iraiixhition of the Schab- hath and Erurin. ' Frciudia inrarnationis : vide Bisliop fSull't; Defin.-i() Fidel jVieciue, p. 7; Grabes edit. fol. power which enacted, he abrogated, or dis- pensed, with that Law, as it was interpreted by the rigid superstitions of the elders. He restored it to its true use ; allowing works of necessity and mercy to be wrouglit on that day, and declaring that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. To prove to them that such was the spirit, though not the letter of the Law, he refers them to their own customs for the justice of his assertion, to the example of David, the practice of tlie priests, and their own legal violations of that day, when it suited either their convenience or their in- terest-''. The plan of this work prevents me from direct- ing the attention of the reader to the devo- tional reflections, so evidently arising from the magnificent and interesting narrative of the conduct of our Lord during his more permanent incarnation ; or it would be easy to fill many pages to an indefinite extent. Yet I would earnestly desire to remind every clerical reader of the admirable sentiments quoted by Light- foot on this passage — the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless — rnu;' n-nn;r ;\s; CD'tynp aii/b j-^'nty. The ser- vile work which is done in holy things is not servile ; and SSd l^?^D03 nni? j'X, there is no rest at all in the service of the temple. The meanest office in the temple of God, the most laborious drudgery that aims in its result to be useful to man, is the most honorable and ele- vated happiness to which a human being can aspire. The clergy are especially called upon, in an age of religious indifference, to the active performance of their arduous duties. Their sacred calling dignifies the men. They are separated from among their brethren ; they are admitted into the holy of holies, in communion with God himself. The service of God is the highest honor, and it is a service which will continue for ever. The remembrance of the manner in which it is performed wdl remain with the consciousness that defies the grave. The happiness that arises from the recollection of a life devoted to these duties will increase with the enlargement of our faculties, and the gradual perfection of our nature in that immor- tal state of our existence, which has been pro- vided for mankind by the mercy of the Son of God. Note 37.— Part III. There are three explanations of this phrase, if uadduTW 5FiiTe()O7TQWT0). That of Epipha- nius and Beza, that the day here meant was tiie last day of the feast of the Passover. The 1770. See also Nares"s Reriew of the linj'rorcd I'ersioii. ■^ Lightfoot, vol. li. p. 185-(;, on this eliai)ter, HA. edit. IN oTE 38.-40.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *87 second, that of Scaliger, Lightfoot, Casaubon, and Whitby, that it was the first Sabbath after the second day of unleavened bread. The third, of Grotius and Hammond, that it was the day of Pentecost falling on a Sabbath. Tlie last opinion is adopted in the present arrangement. To ttiis opinion tlic greatest objection is, that the harvest would probably be over before the Pentecost : but Grotius remarks, that the wheat harvest was going on at the Pen- tecost, which on this account was called " the Feast of Harvest," Exodus xxiii. 16. Though loaves made of new bread were presented at Pentecost, this will not prove that the harvest was entirely gathered in. Tlie wheat plucked by the disciples might have been among the last ripe corn of that season^. tliis passage, is by no means conclusive against the opinion of Michaelis. " Preferenda esset sine dubio hsec explicatio si Marcus addidisset verbum yEYquTtral, vel i^'/et y] yQucpr^, ut Rom. xi. 2." — Bishop Marsh seems to incline to this opin- ion : but though the Evangelists generally adopt this mode of expressing themselves, it is not uniformly done. The contradiction is again variously reconciled by other commentators. Some suppose that Abiathar was the priest, and Ahimelech the high priest, and that Ahim- elech was called Ahimelech Abiathar, 3X, father understood ; and Abiathar was called Abiatliar Ahimelech, p, son understood ; and others re- concile the histories by supposing that they both officiated in the high priesthood, and the name of the office was indiscriminately applied to either. Note 38.— Part HI. Michaelis remarks on these words, "in the days of Abiathar the high priest," that tlie mode of quoting the books of the Old Testament is sometimes so rabbinical, tliat a critic, acquainted only with the Greek, cannot understand it: as the fact here related of David did not take place in the priesthood of Abiathar, but in that of his father Ahimelech. To account for this apparent inaccuracy, Michaelis'' considers the words, " in tlie days of Abiathar the high priest," as a mere rabbinism. The rabbis were accustomed to se- lect some principal word out of each section, and apply that name to the section itself. " Rashi, for instance, in his remarks on Hosea ix. 9., says, some are of opinion that the town here mentioned is Gibeon of Benjamin, in the concubine, or, as it is in our version. Judges xix. 14.,iyjS^i33 po'jn jr^J nr (Michaelis ought to have said n]':3J.) " The same Rabbi observes on Psalm ii. 7., SxTii'^ 'As is said in Abner, tiie Lord spake, through David I will deliver Israel.' Abenezra on Hosea iv.9., says, ■'S;' "jnD -inl«D,' As is said near Eh.' In this manner quotations are some- times made in the New Testament. Mark xii. 26., ox uviyi'MTS ir t-jj j^/^jAo) MMvak't;, inl jov (9(iroD- Rom. xi. 2. "// sx ol'Suze h' '//A/a il liysv ■f] yqncfi^- and the above mentioned passage in St. Mark, which has been thought to contain a contradiction, may be explained ' in the chapter of Abiathar,' or in that part of the Book of Sam- uel where the liistory of Abiathar is related." The remark of Rosenmiiller, in his note on ^ For other opinions, see Wotton's j¥/.<?m, vol. i. p. SGS-O ; Pilkiusrton's Erang. Hist, notes, p. 19 ; Hewlett's Comment, in loc. &c. Many others have been given, but- these seem to be most worthy ot attention. * Marsh's Michaelis, vol. i. p. 133; Rosenmtll- ler, Dr. A. Clarke, and others, in loc. Note 39.— Part III. This section is inserted here on the authority of all the harmonizers. It is placed next to the plucking the ears of corn by each of the Evan- gelists. Our Lord, by action and miracle, here enforced what he had already urged, the supe- riority of tlie spirit of the Law to the tradition of the elders. It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day appears to be in direct opposition to the very extraordinary decision of the school of Schammai. Let no one console the sick or visit the mourning on the Sabbath day. It was principally against the decisions of this school that our Lord spake ; for the school of Hillel had in some respects decided otherwise. By some canons of the Jewish Law, it was per- mitted to the people to prepare medicine, and to perform any service which was required for the actual preservation of life. Note 40.— Part III. This section is placed here on the concur- rent testimony of all the harmonizers. TIip scriptural authority is to be found in Matt. xii. 15. Christ withdrew himself for a time in con- sequence of the enmity of the Pliarisees and Herodians, which had been excited by his in- structions concerning the observance of tlie Sabbath. In this section we read, Mark iii. 11. — " Tr.- clean spirits, when they saw him, fell down be- fore him," &.C. Is it probable that if tlie.se were madmen only, tliey would be charged by our Lord not to make him known ? The ex- clamations and ravings of the insane are ever disregarded. There would be no meaning in this command, if we consider it as addressed to S8* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part III. those only who were deprived of reason. It must have been addressed to those who were capable of comprehending it, that is, to evil spirits, which were visible to Christ, though in- visible to mere men. It is easy on this inter- pretation, the only one indeed which is sup- ported by the express language of Scripture, to understand on what account the evil spirits trembled at his appearance. They had seen and known our Lord in his preexistent state — they knew the effect of his humiliation — they shrank back from the rays of his glory, though it was shrouded under the veil of his humanity. He refused to receive the testimony of evil spirits. His kingdom was to be established by the quiet submission of the human understand- ing to the silent but resistless evidence of miracle, prophecy, and his own blameless sub- mission to the will of his lieavenly Father. This view of the subject is confirmed by Luke iv. 41. as translated by Dr. Owen, ovx fI'u avT(xlaltXv,ori rfieiaav, " and would not suffer them to say that they knew him to be the Christ." Dr. Owen ap. Bowyer's Conjectures. Note 4].— Part III. It is to be remarked here, that our Saviour never undertook any important work without dedicating himself to God in prayer. After imploring the divine blessing, he authoritatively separates the chosen witnesses of the truth of his Gospel, and confirms his power by the per- formance of numberless miracles. When the twelve apostles were appointed, and his divine mission fully demonstrated, he declares the doctrines he came to establish in what is gen- erdlly called his Sermon on the Mount. Matthew (v. 1.) observes, Jesus sate down after he had ascended the mountain: Luke tells us that he stood on the plain. There is no in- consistency, however, between these narratives. Our Saviour might have stood up to heal the sick, and, to avoid the pressure of the multitude who sought to touch him (Luke vi. 19.), he prob- ably retired again to the mountain, and ad- dressed the assembled crowd seated. The various cures and miracles wrought by our Lord, we may well suppose, would have much increased the number of his followers. Note 42.— Part III. A BRIEF statement of the reasons which in- duce me to follow the opinion of Archbishop Newcome, Lightfoot, Pilkington, Michaelis, Bishop Richardson, and others, contrary to tlie authority of Doddridge and Bedford, may be found in Archbisliop Newcome's notes to the Harmony. Michaelis' observes, " that the Ser- mon on the Mount recorded by St. Luke is no other than that recorded by St. Matthew, ap- pears from the events which immediately follow it. Both Evangelists relate that Jesus after the sermon went into Capernaum, and healed the servant of a centurion ; a cure attended -with such remarkable circumstances, that I can hardly suppose it happened twice, and that too in the same city." It is objected by Bedford and others, that the discourse in Matthew is different from that in St. Luke, as the former is delivered by our Lord while sitting on a mountain, but the latter standing on a plain. Matt. v. 1. compare witli Luke vi. 17. But Dr. Clarke, on this latter place, has suggested " that Jesus might retire from them aguin to the top of the hill." And Dr. Priestley observes, " Matthew's saying that Jesus sate down after he had gone up the moun- tain, and Luke's saying that he stood on the plain Avhen he healed the sick before the dis- course, are no inconsistencies^." St. Luke principally relates those parts of this discourse Avhich were more peculiarly ad- dressed to the disciples. It is remarkable that he has mentioned only two of the beatitudes. Markland''" supposes that the discourses were the same, and delivered at tlie same time ; but one Evangelist chose to mention one part, and one the other, as is done in various other places. These two beatitudes mentioned by St. Luke were delivered to the disciples as such ; in which view, though we cannot certainly tell how the parts were connected by our Saviour when he spoke it, yet it may be supposed to have been something like this. " Happy are ye, though ye be very poor (Luke), especially those who are poor in spirit (Matthew). — Happy are ye, though ye be hungry now (Luke), especially those who hunger and thirst afler righteousness (Matthew)." The general interpretation of the word poor in St. Luke is usually considered to be given by St. Matthew. It seems more probable that our Lord used the words of tttCo/oi, and ol ttel- vwriES, xal diyiwvieg, and that St. Matthew wrote the expressions in their metaphorical, and St. Luke in their literal sense. Markland, how- ever, supposes that our Lord used the words mentioned by St. Matthew, tw TTi'ivftaTi, and xal diKonoavi'Tjv, and I have united on his sug- gestion the words of both Evangelists. As the high priest, passing through the Jioly place when he went up to the holy of holies to consult the oracle, heard the voice as of a man speaking from the mercy seat, so in contemplat- ing this portion of the New Testament, we seem to have passed on to the most spiritual ' Marsh's Michaelis, vol. iii. part i. p. 85. J lliirin. p. 8;^. Nfvvcoine's Notes to Harmony, fol. edit. p. 19. '^ Aj). Bowyer's Critical Conjectures, p. 204. Note 43, 44.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *89 communication of God to man. Freed from the types and shadows of the Mosaic Law, and rescued from the cloudy traditions and perver- sions of tlie Pharisees, the lif^ht of the sun of truth brealcs forth in all its splendor. We hear, from an infallible oracle, the utter overthrow and refutation of all the false glosses and rab- binical corruptions which had so long perverted tlie spirit of the divine Law. To enter into a long and labored examination of the various precepts contained in this address would be merely to transcribe tlie commentaries of Whitby, Lightfoot, Grotius, and others. The plan of this work precludes me from entering at length into the interpretations of a more general nature. It may, however, be useful to remark a circumstance which has not been much discussed by these commentators ; and that is tlie thorough contrast between the Messiali and the worldly teachers of tlie Jewish people. Tlie rabbis were accustomed to prefer as tlieir pupils and disciples, the talented, the learned, the re- fined, and the wealthy : Christ selected the rude and unlearned, tlie unpolished and the poor. The rabbis scorned to associate with the de- spised and hated publican ; Christ enrolled tlie neglected and hated publican among his chosen disciples. The wickedness of the nation in- creased, in spite of the learning of their teach- ers, because those teachers were corrupt, and proud, and worldly : the Church of Christ was established in holiness, because its first teachers, tliough ignorant and rude, were disinterested, humble, and spiritual. Rites and ceremonies had usurped tlie place of tlie prayer of the heart, and the homage of a holy life : Christ enforced the meaning of the Law, and exalted devotion and virtue above vows and sacrifices, and all the observances of superstition. The priests were endeavouring to make the Law worldly, the Messiah made it spiritual. They would have changed the Law of God into an encouragement of the propensities of the ani- mal or inferior nature of man : Christ taught them that the entire conquest of tliis nature was required by their Father in heaven. The priests encouraged, under the appearance of strict obedience to the Law, ingratitude to pa- rents, revenge, facility of divorce, and other evils : Christ commanded them to honor their parents, though they had vowed the dedication of their substance to God, Matt. xv. 5., he com- manded love to their enemies, and self dominion over the most powerful passions. He offended at the same time no prejudices — he taught them to pray in a selection from their own lit- urgical services ; he exhorts them to the fulfil- ment, even to the very letter, of their ritual LaM'. He taught in plain and simple language, such as liis hearers instantly understood, and the most ignorant and unlearned in tliis age (with but little exception, arising from the pas- sages particularly referring to the Jewish cus- VOL. II. *12 toms) can still thoroughly comprehend. Our Lord has here given a code of laws to the world, obedience to which will for ever annihi- late all superstitious dependence upon every other mode of aspiring to the favor of the Al- mighty, than by aiming at spirituality of motive and hohness of life. Not even the blood of the atonement will save that man from the effects of evil, who professes to believe and hope, with- out repentance and anxious exertion. Note 43.— Part HL The meaning of the word Elq-qvonoiol in this passage is thought by some to be — preachers of the new covenant, who reconciled the two dis- pensations ; who were not to enter upon the obscure and useless discussions of points of the ceremonial Law, but to preach the sublimer doctrines of the Gospel. In Ephes. vi. 1.5. and ii. 14. an allusion seems to be made to tliis idea. Vide Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 18. Note 44. — Part III. Schoetgen has favored the world with a laborious and learned treatise on this difficult passage. It was the peculiar characteristic of our Lord's teaching, tliat he drew his illustra- tions from common objects, which were either in all probability in the presence of his hearers when he addressed them, or were well known from their familiarity and firequency. Tliis passage contains an allusion to salt which has lost its savour, and is afterwards trodden under foot as useless. Now salt, generally speak- ing, may be said never to lose its savour ; nei- tlier can it be said to be trodden under foot. It is true, that Mr. Maundrell has informed us that, when he passed tlirough the valley of salt, he broke off" a part tliat had long been exposed to tlie rain and the sun, and it had perfectly lost its savour, though the inner part retained it ; and we may suppose tliat this useless salt was trod- den under foot. This, however, seems to be a much more recondite and abstruse meaning than we commonly meet in our Lord's addresses to the people ; neitlier woidd the poor and ig- norant, whom he was addressing, immediately perceive the aptness of the allusion. The in- terpretation of Schoetgenius, therefore, appears much more probable. The people would be familiarly acquainted with every custom con- nected with the temple service, and any allusion to any part of it would be readily understood and remembered. There was a kind of salt used in JudEea, which was principally composed of the bitumen obtained from the Asphaltite Lake. This salt, or bitumen, which had a fragrant 90* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part III. odor, was strewn in great quantities over the sacrifices, both to prevent inconvenience to the priests and to the worshippers from the smell of the burning flesh, and to quicken the action of the fire, that the sacrifice might be more quickly consumed. Great quantities of this bituminous preparation lay in its appointed place in the temple, and was easUy damaged. The virtue of the salt was soon lost by exposure to the effect of the sun and air, and it was then sprinkled over the pavement in the temple, to prevent the feet of the priests from slipping, during the performance of the service. Scho- etgen. HorcB HebraiccB, vol. i. p. 18-24. Note 45. — Part III. Our Lord here confers on his apostles the same epithet as the Jews bestowed on their most distinguished teachers. That is, he had decreed that his apostles should take the place of the corrupt teachers of the Jewish Law. The Messiah gave to his apostles, rude, ignor- ant, and despised fishermen and publicans, the rank and title of their proud countrymen — " Light of the world, cdSij? 1) " said the disci- ples of Rabbi Jochanan ben Saccai, " Why do you weep ? " &c. Schoetgen. Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 25. Note 46. — Part III. Here are three gradations of crimes men- tioned by our Lord, and three degrees of pun- ishment respectively annexed to each. The first is causeless anger, unaccompanied with any abusive expressions to aggravate it ; the second may be supposed to arise from the same source, increased by an exclamation, which denotes the triumph of vanity, mixed with in- sult and contempt ; the third seems naturally to rise one degree higher, and occasions the opprobrious epithet, " Thou fool." The two former, we may observe, are threatened with the temporal punishment or animadversion of the Jewish tribunals, the Council and the Judg- ment, which were now deprived of the power of life and death, and could therefore take cog- nizance only of minor offences. Now, it is highly analogous to our Saviour's reasoning to suppose, that the punishment an- nexed to the last crime would be of a temporal nature also, particularly as it can only be con- sidered as an abuse of speech, like that of the preceding, though in a more aggravated form. On tlie contrary, to imagine that, for the dis- tinction between " Raca," and " Thou fool," our blessed Lord should instantly pass from such a sentence as the Jewish Sanhedrin could pro- nounce, to the awful doom of eternal punish ment in hell fire is what cannot be reconciled to any rational rule of faith, or known measure of justice. But a critical examination of the original text will remove this difficulty. What we render " in danger of hell fire," is in the Greek, lEvoxog egui elg t^v yievvav ja nvgdg, " shall be liable to the Gehenna of fire ;" or, " the fire of Gehenna." It is well known that Gehenna is not a pure Greek word but a compound formed of y rj, land, and a proper name to correspond with the Hebrew expression the valley of Hinnom, or rather from the two He- brew words X"'J, « valley, and ir3Un, Hinnom, the name of its possessor. (See Schleusner in rievva, and Lightfoot's Chorogr. Cent. ch. xxxix.) In this desecrated spot the Jews burnt bones, the dead carcases of animals, the refuse and offal of the numerous victims, &c., and from the loathsome scene which this place exliibited, as well as from the fires which were kept constantly burning there, it was frequently used as the emblem or symbol of hell, and of hell torments in a state of eternity. But our blessed Lord may well be supposed to use it here in its literal sense, without any reference to its metaphorical meaning ; and this will serve to clear the text of its supposed difficulty. For, when we consider what immense quantities of half-putrid and offensive animal substances must have been consumed in that valley, to prevent contagion in so hot a climate, and in such a city as Jerusalem, we may witli cer- tainty infer that a great number of persons must be constantly employed in carrying all kinds of filth and offal to the spot, in supplying fuel, in attending on the fires, &c. Now this must have been the lowest, most degrading, and offensive employment, in the estimation of a Jew, to which any human being could be devoted ; and to this wretched state Christ declares, that he who indulges himself in the habit of treating his fellow-creatures with insolence and contempt is in danger of coming. It is a common saying, that a man would rather be thought a knave than a fool ; the appellation of " Thou fool," therefore, is attended with a degree of insult that is not easily forgiven ; and he who practises such abuses of the tongue must every wliere expect to find an enemy instead of a friend ; till at length he sinks to the most loathsome offices that can be allotted to him, in order to gain a wretched subsistence. Tiiis exposition derives further countenance from the use of the Greek adjective, eio^og, in the original, which, connected with tlie future, f g«f, may mean, shall be held, or bound, as a slave is to his master. — See Hewlett's Commen- tary in loc. Matt. v. 22. Note 47.-49.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *9i Note 47. — Part IIL It ha:^ excited surprise among some writers, that the Gospels sJiould be written in Greek instead of the Syriac, or Aramaic, or Syro-Chal- dee dialect. The observation will only apply to St. Matthew's Gospel ; the three other Evan- gelists addressed their Gospels to Grecian or Roman converts. But the necessity of adopt- ing the Greek language, as the dialect of all others most universally spoken, will appear from the remarkable fact, that the Jewish writers who were contemporary with our Lord, or the mmiediate successors of the apostles, have used many Greek words in their Hebrew, ap- parently without knowing that the Greek was foreign to their language. Many instances have occurred of this kind among the extracts I have met in Dr. Gill, Lightfoot, and Schoet- gen, though it did not seem necessary to ob- serve them. I have, however, collected some few. L TJooafpiqr^g to 8a^6v an, Matt v. 23. CDiy n3"pnS p-inn nx pSj;n rn Tanchuma, fol. 52.2. 2. ^'ladt, evvoHiv tcS (xvTidlxa uov. Matt. v. 25. ?''p'^t33X ^'tyinS Debarin Rah. § 5. fol. 257. L 3. ' Enl T« ^I'li-tujo;, Judsei retinent vocem Grfficam, nnO Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 235. 4. KvqiB //a, 'DX 'ID n'p Sfhemoth Rabba, § 46. fol. 140. 2. ap. Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 252. 5. Hvlrj, "H'iJ ;?"in b;; nnD p3J 'D Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 252. 0. 'YnoTiudior, iVlV |'m3'i3"'X Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 192. and pS nnU'^ pnDltJX Targum Jerusalem on Exod. xxiv. 10. 7. " Venit quidam servum emere cupiens, et dixit ad Dominum ejus : Servus iste,quem ven- dis Nin j-DHlSxp IX XlH |'DnjpXp num xa- xiJYi')Qog, an xuloicuyudog est? " — Schemoth Rab- ba, § 43. fol. 138. 3 ; Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 214. 8. 'AndfTTjaig, "jSo hw 'tOJDxS px^^r Ta7i- chuma, fol. 50. 1. Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 21C. 9. 2''t;(5«§ro»',Lukexix.20.n''"niD 'inT''}cn!n pecunias in sudario ligavit Ketuvoth, fol. 67. 2, &c. "niD3 pIV Rasche etBava Mezia, fol. 42. 1. Many others might be selected from the writ- ers who have endeavoured to illustrate Scripture from the talmudical writings ; but these are sufficient to justify us in asserting that the Greek language was in general use in Judcea, as well as in other parts of the Roman empire ; and was the language therefore most suitable to the designs of the Evangelists. rowed from, various phrases used in the litur- gical services of the Jews. Note 48.— Part III. Lightfoot and Schoetgen have shown, at length, that the various clauses of tlie Lord's Prayer were similar to, and were probably bor- NoTE 49.— Part IH. That the cure related in Matt viii. 5. is the same as that recorded in Luke vii. 1-11. is af- firmed by liightfoot, Newcome, Doddridge, and Michaelis. There is such a perfect agreement between the speeches and circumstances, that the great majority of the harmonizers have con- sidered the narrative of St. Luke as a more extended history only of tliat of St. Matthew. Pilkington supports the arrangement adopted by Newcome and the other harmonizers. There is, he observes, a seeming difference in the evangelical accounts, relating to the application which the centurion made to Clirist, in favor of his servant. St. Luke expressly saith, that the application was first made to Christ by the rul- ers of the Jews, and afterwards by some other friends of the centurion, whom he sent to Jesus ; whereas St. Matthew relates the matter as a conference carried on between our Saviour and the centurion himself in person. In order to reconcile which, some have supposed they are two several facts that are related. But I cannot think that the difference betwixt the evangelical accounts in this particular is suffi- cient to vindicate that opinion, as they agree in all the other circumstances ; and especially as they are easily reconcileable without such a supposition : for, (1.) Though St. Matthew relates that to be done by the centurion himself which he did by the mediation of other persons, yet we know this to be what is common in all writers, without any imputation upon their cor- rectness ; and that a message sent by another person, and an answer from him received, may be properly enough related, as what is trans- acted directly between the parties concerned. (2.) We find (in an instance that admits of no doubt) that St. Matthew sometimes chose to make use of tins way of expressing himself; for he tells us, xi. 3. that " John (when he was shut up in prison) sent two of his disciples to Jesus, and said unto him." (3.) St. Mark also, in the same manner, relates that " the sons of Zebedee came unto Jesus, saying," &lc. x. 35. Whereas Ave are particularly infonned by St. Matthew, that the application there mentioned, was made to our Saviour by the mother of Zeb- edee's children m their behalf. And the same allowances being made for latitude of expres- sion, there can be no difficulty in reconciling the accounts connected in this section ; for, though the particular circumstances were as St. Luke relates them, yet St. Matthew appears not to have expressed hunself in an improper or an uncommon manner. The scriptural authority for placing here the 92* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part III. cure of the centurion's servant, is taken from Luke vii. 1, &c. A curious specimen of the daring and un- allowable boldness of German criticism is given by Michaelis, in his Remarks on the probable Position of the Cure of the Leper, mentioned by St. Matthew as taking place after the ser- mon on the mount. He remarks, " St. Mark and St. Luke relate this fact on a totally dif- ferent occasion, because they were unacquainted with the time, and St. Luke even with the place where it happened'." Such criticisms are, or ought to be, destructive of all dependence on the author who proposes them. Note 50.— Part HL This event is inserted here on the joint au- thorities of Lightfoot, Newcome, Pilkington, and Doddridge. Michaelis, on what account it is difficult to say, has arranged it next to the departure from Capernaum, noticed Mark i. 35 -39. Bishop Marsh justly observes, "That the propriety of some of Michaelis's transpo- sitions might be called in question™." The Scriptural authority for placing this event in the present section is derived from Luke vii. 11. the day after. In the Sermon on the Mount the Messiah had asserted his authority as a lawgiver ; on coming down from the mountain he proves his power by healing the servant of the centurion, while he is at a distance from him ; and, im- mediately after, by the stupendous miracle of raising from the dead the son of the widow of Nain. One very impressive consideration on the subject of our Lord's authority over the laws of nature, as displayed in the resurrection of the dead, seems to have escaped the inquiries of commentators. He demonstrated the truth of his wonderful assertion — that he was the res- urrection and the life — that the dead should hear the voice of the Son of God, and that he would raise them up at the last day, &c., by his manifesting his power over all the grada- tions of corruption. Whether the daughter of .lairus Avas really dead or not has been disputed ; she was either on the point of death, or had just died. Her restoration in the first case would have been a proof that our Lord could arrest the departing spirit : in the second that he could restore that spirit to the body imme- diately. This was the first stage of death. His power was next shown in the raising to life the widow's son. In that instance the body had been dead for a longer period : though, as the interment in that country took place very soon after death, it is probable that corruption had ' Marsh's Michaelis, vol. iii. part i. p. 85. "' lb. vol. iii. part ii. p. G7. not begun. In the third miracle which our Lord wrought to demonstrate his power over the grave, the resurrection of Lazarus, corrup- tion had already begun — the body was return- ing to its elements — the earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. When the time had come that the Great Sacrifice was completed, the graves opened — the bodies of many who had expected the coming of Christ rose again, and after his resurrection went into the holy city. We cannot tell whether, in the interval between his deatli and resurrection, the mould- ering fragments of their decayed forms re- mained in their narrow prisons in the same con- dition as when the ground fii-st opened, or whether during that interval the scene which Ezekiel saw in vision Avas renewed ; we cannot tell whether the flesh and the nerves and the skin again covered the renovated bones ; and the scattered atoms were slowly and gradually reunited in one living mass — they rose from their graves as all mankind shall rise on the morning of the judgment day. And Avhen all these proofs of his poAver had been ejffected, the greatest was yet to come. Christ raised up his oAvn body, endued Avith poAvers and proper- ties more than human. Lord of death and of life, he manifested to his folloAvers, and he has re- vealed to us, that there are modes of existence and laws of body which we cannot comprehend. Sufficient only is disclosed to us to make us fear God and thank him for the hope of eternal life, through his manifested Son, the Lord of life and death. Note 51. — Part III. In one of the MS. letters of Lord Barrington to Dr. Lardner, I meet Avith an argument in favor of the cessation of consciousness between death and the resurrection, derived from this history of the raising to life the AvidoAv's son. Our Lord is represented as raising the youth to life from the deep compassion he felt at the sight of his funeral. Lord Barrington reasons, — that if the soul Avas conscious in an interme- diate state, then the Avidow's son, and La-zarus, and the bodies of the saints Avhich rose at the resurrection of Christ, and Avent into the holy city, Avere brought from a condition of great happiness to undergo a second time the mis- eries of an inferior state of being ; and their res- urrection AA'ould be rather a source of sorrow than of joy. I mention this circumstance, be cause the argument is frequently urged by the Psychoi)aniiychists. The reply, hoAvever, to the objection, may be derived ii-om a considera- tion of the cause, for Avhich these various re- storations to mortal life took place. It was not for tlie benefit of the deceased that their resurrection Avas accomplished, but for the JSoTE 52.-54.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *93 strengthening' the faith of the s])ectators of the miracle, and of the survivors and companions of tlie witnesses. If an objection be further pro- posed, that we never hear of any discoveries respecting the world of spirits from those who were raised from the dead, and that if their consciousness had not ceased, it is probable some of its mysteries would be disclosed ; we answer, that every animated being is provided by his Creator with those faculties only, which are adapted to the condition Avhich that Creator has assigned to him. The faculties which de- velope themselves in the next stage of our ex- istence may be so utterly different from those we at present possess, that if a human being were restored to life he might be unable to relate them, or convey an idea concerning them to others. We are unable, even from the hints in Revelation, to form any idea of the invisible world. We seem to require other faculties to comprehend that which is all spiritual, yet pos- sible in space ; Avhich defies all language, cal- culation, and comprehension. There is a beau- tiful idea in some Brahminical record concern- ing the Deity : — " I am like nothing human, with Avhich to compare myself." So there is nothing in this state of existence which can enable us to comprehend the invisible world : it could not be understood, and therefore, if the mortal faculties only were restored to those who were raised from the dead, the things which are unseen could not be clothed in human language ; they could not be remembered, they could not be imparted. MS. letter of Lord Barrington to Dr. Lardner, dated Dec. 18, 1728, communicated to me by his son, the late bishop of Durham. Note 52.— Part III. This message of the Baptist is placed here on the joint authority of all the five harmonizers, whose united labors form the basis of this Ar- rangement. The internal evidence, that it is riglitly placed, is deduced from the transition in Luke vii. 18. and the reply of our Lord to the disciples of the Baptist, in allusion to the miracle of raising tlie widow's son — the dead are raised (Luke vii. 22.) The commentators are divided in their opinion, whether tlie Bap- tist sent to Christ for his own satisfaction, or for that of his disciples. The opinion of those who espouse the latter of these appears much more probable, when we remember the Baptist's sol- emn testimony to Christ — the sign from heaven, and the miraculous impulse, which made John acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah". Witsius has some very curious remarks on the dancing of Herodias, the place where the Baptist was confined", &c. • " Vide Doddridge, vol. i. p. 301. " Vide Witsius, De Vita Jokannis, Exerc. Sacrte, vol. ii. p. 554. The Jewish writers mention the Baptist in language of respect and veneration. In ad- dition to the testimony of Josephus, who ob- serves that John was a good and pious man, who excited the Jews to the love of virtue, piety, and justice — pointing out the necessity of repentance, and enforcing, by baptism, habit- ual purity of soul and body. He imputes this imprisonment to the fear of Herod, his death to the instigation of Herodias, and the calamities that befel the army of Herod as the result of the divine vengeance for the death of the Baptist^. Rabbi David Ganz, the author of the cele- brated work on Chronology, which is generally received among the Jews, and which is merely an attempt so to falsify the ancient chronology, that discredit shall be thrown upon the system received among Christians, calls John the Bap- tist the high priest ; an error which is exposed in the notes by his learned editor Vorstius ; who supposes that the name by which the Bap- tist was known among Ms countrymen, and referred to by Josephus, was h2t2'3 qui baptiza- bat, vel baptista eraP. Note 53.— Part III. This was one of the tokens which was to dis- tinguish the reign of tlie Messiah, n^noty yiX rctyon "iSn 71*7710 CD"n — Terra in qua mortui resurgent, ea est, ubi principiurn regni MessicB observabitur. The appeal to the Jews is uni- formly made in compliance with the popular and well-known traditions and opinions. — Scho- etgenius, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 111. Note 54.— Part III. Every the meanest Christian, after the res- urrection of Christ, was better acquainted with tlie mysteries of religion, and the nature of the kingdom of the Messiali, than tlie greatest of tlic ancient prophets'". Matt. xi. 13. It was a saying among the Jews before the time of our Saviour, x'^X VX33r\J >'^ jSiD a'XDJD hD n^^y'Dn nn^S "all the proph- ets prophesied only till the times of the Mes- siah\" P Josephus, .'Int. Jtid. lib. 18. 1 11. D. Ganz, Clironol. Vorstius' edition, p. 89 and 284. This was the same Vorstiiis respecting whom King James I. wrote to the United Prov- inces that tliey should not harbour the proposer of so many obnoxious heresies. "" Vide Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 112. ' Berachoth. fol. 34. 2. and Schahhath, fol. 63. 1. Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 113. and Dr. Gill's Comment. in loc. 94 # NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part 111. Note 55.— Part III. ScHOETGEN is of Opinion that these words are to be understood in their usual sense. So many obstacles were thrown in tlie way of tliose who were invited to become disciples of Christ, that all who would receive his religion were required to resist with labor and persever- ing violence every difficulty that presented it- self. Every human power and institution were opposed to the establishment of the Gospel. Authority, manners, opinion, prejudice, were alike leagued against it. The Pharisees condemned the religion of Christ, as inconsistent with many of their inter- pretations of Scripture, as too spiritual, and as violating the laws and traditions of the elders. The Sanhedrin opposed it, as exciting tumults and dissensions among the people, and disturb- ing tlie public peace. The Roman soldiers and officers, both civil and military, were inclined to treat the apostles and their doctrine with contempt, and thus the whole power of the state was arrayed against them. The liingdom of heaven was violently at- tacked on every side, and those humble disci- ples who were anxious to gain admittance into it, were obliged to contend against all these difficulties, and to take possession of it by vio- lence, contrary to the opinions and the opposi- tion of the Pharisees, and the whole Jewish Sanhedrin. Luke xvi. 16. Among the passages from the talmudists, wliich Schoetgen quotes on this text, is Bera- choth, fol. 34. 2. and which is quoted also by Dr. Gill, the learned commentator and great ornament of the Baptist dissenters. All the inspired writers and prophets who were before John speak of the Messiah as one who was to come : John spake of him as one who is come ; and directed the people in plain terms to Jesus of Nazareth, as the Messiah, the Lamb of God. Since the time of John vision and prophecy have been utterly taken away ; and this is ac- knowledged by the Jews themselves, who say inSir a-'nSi^ nn«T xS y^ 2r\''yh ^na " Omnes Prophetee non nisi usque ad tempera Messise prophetarunt, sed de vita seterna. oculus non vidit,pr{Bter te, Domine," and from the day the temple was destroyed, hVl^D \S'3Jn 'D nxnj 7\ Bnva Bathra, fol. 12. L Since that time Abrabanel' confesses they have had no prophet. Schoetgen quotes also to the same effect. — Schcthbalt, fol. 03. 1. and fol. 151. 2. Pesachim, fol. 68. 1. Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 1. That John was a prophet may be gathered not only from the express declaration of St. Luke, that the word of God came to him in tlie wilderness ; but from the nature of his ministry, and his declaration to the people. John prophesied — « In Dan. fol. G3, 4. ap. Gill. 1. The approach of Christ, in the character of Elijah. 2. His preexistence and dignity, as the Eter- nal Son of God. 3. His atonement. 4. Rejection by the Jews, and adoption by the Grentiles. 5. Judgments on tlie Jews, and final separa- tion of the good from the evil, at the end of the world. 6. Christ's increase, and his own decrease. 7. He completed the chain of prophecies which predicted the coming of Christ, by point- ing out Christ personally at his baptism. Hale's Analysis of Chronology, vol.ii. part ii. p. 742. Note 56. — Part III. This section is placed here on the united authorities of Pilkington, Newcome, Lightfoot, Doddridge, &-c. The Scripture authority is derived from the evident connexion of v. 20. with V. 19. in Matt. xi. Michaelis places it after the mission of the twelve, preserving the order of St. Matthew. But Lightfoot has justly observed, that St. Matthew seems to have placed the events in the order he has adopted, on account of the similarity between the two events — the mission of the disciples of John, and that of the disciples of Christ. Note 57. — Part III. Pilkington, Newcome, Doddridge, Light- foot, Michaelis, and Whiston insert this section in its present place. The Scriptural authority is the order of St. Matthew, ch. xi. Note 58.— Part III. These tM'o sections are inserted here on the joint authority of the five harmonizers. The reasons from Scripture are well given by Light- foot, who observes, the invitation of the Phari- see seems to have had some reference to the words of Christ, — " The Son of man came eat- ing and drinking ; " and the words, " Come unto mo ye that are weary and heavy laden," might have induced the woman sinner to kneel and weep at his feet for mercy. It is the opinion of Lightfoot, that the Mary, the female penitent who now addressed our Lord, was Mary Magdalene and the sister of Lazarus. Pilkington has come to an opposite conclusion. He discusses the subject at some length. The questions he considers are, I. Where it was that Jesus dined with the Pharisee. Note 59, GO.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. ^95 II. Who it was tliat anointed Jesus's feet at that time. The answer of many commentators is, that it was at Bethany, at the house of Simon the leper, where Jesus now dined ; and that it was Mary Magdalene, the sister of Lazarus, who anointed his feet. And Tatian connects this account with that given by St. Matthew and St. Mark. 1. According to the present order of St. Luke's Gospel, this dining with the Pharisee is laid down between Christ's leaving Capernaum and his return thither again ; and if it was so, it cannot be the same as is mentioned by St. Matthew and St. Mark, which was only two days before Jesus was put to death. 2. Toinard supposes that it was at Nain that Jesus dined Avith this Simon the Pharisee : and indeed we have no account of his leaving that place, so that we may have reason to tliink that it was somewhere in that neighbourhood, and not at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper. 3. There is an account of a woman's an- ointing- the feet of Jesus with ointment and wiping tliem with her hair given by St. John. But that also appears to be a different account from this ; for that was in the house of Lazarus, as we may well collect from Martha's serving, &c., and this was in the house of Simon the Pharisee. 4. I can see no reason for supposing Mary Magdalene, and Mary the sister of Lazarus, and the woman here mentioned, to be one and the same person ; or, indeed, for supposing that any two of them are the same: for (L) Lazarus's sister, who lived at Bethany, could not, from any thing we can learn, properly be called Magdalene (the city whence that appellative is derived lying upon the sea of Galilee, and about ninety miles from Bethany)". — (2.) It is no where said, that Mary Magdalene anointed either the head or the feet of Jesus with oint- ment. — (3.) Lazarus's sister neither appears to have been a notorious sinner, as this woman was ; nor to have been ever possessed with devils, as is recorded of Mary Magdalene. — (4.) This woman appears, from this recital, to have been unknown to Christ, till she now came to him ; if then this had been Mary Magdalene, we might well expect to have had an account of the casting out of tlie seven devils before that of her sins being forgiven ; but here is only a report of this woman's being a sinner, not of her being possessed. Upon the whole, tlierefore,l think it the most reasonable to conclude, that tlie matter here related was transacted at Nain, or some place thereabouts ; and tliat the name of the woman who now anointed Jesus's feet is not recorded ; this being neither the sister of Lazarus nor Mary Magdalene. Note 59.— Part III. This miracle is placed by St. Mark upon the return of Jesus to the house. It is inserted in its present position, in addition to this authority, upon the testimony of Lightfoot, Newcome, Pilkington, Doddridge, and Michaelis. Dod- dridge has observed, with great propriety, " it is one of the most important rules for settling the harmony of the Evangelists, that where any one of tliem has asserted expressly that he fol- lows the order of time, we should in regard to him transpose others who do not assert equal exactness in that particular"." As the minute circumstances, witli which the casting out of the demoniac is described by St. Luke, agree so entirely throughout, with the relation of the same event in the other two Evangelists, I have transposed tlie account of St. Luke ; and am supported in this arrange- ment by Doddridge, Newcome, and Michaelis. Compare Matt. xii. 22-50. Mark iii. 20-35. Luke xi. 14-36. St. Luke, it will be observed, relates the event as an isolated fact — as a cir- cumstance which had taken place — but he makes no allusion to its time or order ; and it can be separated from his narrative without in- juring the context. It appears to have occurred to him by association. In ch. xi. 43. he men- tions the Holy Spirit, and this reminded him of the blasphemy of the Scribes and Pharisees. Note 60.— Part III. ScHOETGEN thus aualyzcs the address of our Lord to the Pharisees. The occasion of our Lord's address was to reply to the words (Matt. xii. 24.) and to the thoughts of the Pharisees (v. 25.) He effects the first of these objects by thus reasoning : — 1. Satan could not fight against himself, v. /^«J. (-ill* 2. Tlie Jews believed that devils could be cast out in the same way, v. 27. 3. This action of Christ declared that the Messiah was among them, v. 28. 4. It declared also that Christ was more pow- erful than Satan, the spirit of evil, v. 29. 5. And that Christ was the enemy of Satan, V. 30. 6. Because blasphemy against the divine conduct was unpardonable. He refutes their thoughts, secondly, by show- ing, 1. Their mind was depraved, v. 33-35 ; and, 2. That their reasoning must be brought into judgment. Schoetgen. Hor(e Hebr. vol. i. p. 123. V. 36. This word, TTar ^r;//« uQyor, seems to Lightfoot, vol. ii. p. 70. § ino. Doddridge, Fam. Expos, vol. i. p. 1S5. 96* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part III. imply much more than the usual meaning. When it is considered with reference to the cause for which it was spoken, it must mean every reproachful or blasphemous expression whicli man uses, &c. Note 61.— Part III. The position of Mark iii. 19, 20, 21. has been a source of much discussion among the fiarmonizers. Michaelis cuts the knot, which he finds it difficult to untie, and omits tlie pas- sage altogether. Doddridge places it before the account of the widow's son at Nain. But in this part of his Harmony, it appears that much embarrassment has been caused by his adopting the supposition that the sermon in Matt. v. 6, 7. is different from that in Luke vii. Newcome, Pilkington, and Lightfoot, have inserted it after the scene of the female penitent. I have fol- lowed their order, the scriptural authority for which is given by Pilkington, Avho observes, that St. Mark takes no notice of any occurrence from the time of the election of the twelve till he went with them into a house, slg olxov, meaning probably the house in Capernaum, where Jesus used to sojourn. The word is used in this sense by St. Mark in other places (Mark ii. vii. 17.), where one particular house seems to be referred to, though the article is omitted. Note 62.— Part III. The order of St. Matthew and St. Mark is followed in the placing of tliis section, on the authority of the five harmonizers. Note 63.— Part IIL The disciples of Christ were beloved by him more than his natural kindred. The spiritual affection towards those who were the children of God was greater than the natural affection towards those who were related to him by the ties of blood. Note 64.— Part III. The order seems to be so decisively settled by St. Matthew xiii. 1. ' Ev Sh tt] ''Xuigcc txelvrj ii.sXftC<)i', &c. that Doddridge, Pilkington, Light- foot, and Michaelis have placed it in its present position. Archbishop Newcome, however, has inserted before Matt. xiii. 1. various passages of St. Luke (xi. 37. fin. xii. and xiii. 1-9.) His arguments for so doing have not appeared to be satisfactory, and I have preferred therefore the concurrent testimony of the other harmonizers. Michaelis also places the parable of the sower after Luke viii. 1. ; but so much of his arrange- ment is put together without adequate reasons, that liis authority does not weigh so much with me as to induce me to reject, in this instance, the testimony of Lightfoot and others. In the present order of St. Luke we find, that the account of Jesus's mother and his brethren desiring to speak with him is men- tioned as what happened after he had spoken the parable of the sower, &c. ; whereas St. Matthew and St. Mark place it before the par- able. Now, though it is evident from this ob- servation, that the exact chronological order of facts is not strictly adhered to by all the Evan- gelists, yet it may appear also that the variation here is very inconsiderable : for we find, from all the accounts, that it was on the same day that the parable was spoken, and his friends came to him : and even a diary could not be esteemed very incorrect on account of such a transposition as this ; so far is an historian from being liable to be charged Avith impropriety, in taking a liberty which all writers liave freely indulged themselves in. I have here followed the order of St. Matthew and St. Mark, as the circumstances related seem to require us to do: for, (1.) The multi- tudes that hindered Jesus's mother and his brethren from coming at him seem to be those mentioned Mark iii. 19-22. ; and the reason why he would not go out unto them was proba- bly because he knew that they were come out to lay hold on him. (2.) When his mother and his brethren came, he was yet in the house ; for they stood without desiring to speak with him ; but we find, that, before he spake the parable, he went out of the house and sat by the sea- side ; and when he went into a house again, in the latter end of that day, he had sent the mul- titudes away. So that, had his relations come afler he had spoken the parable (as is said by St. Luke), they would have found no difficulty in getting access to him. — Pilkington, notes, p. 25. Note 65.— Part III. St. Luke relates, in a succession of ch.aptors, several events not mentioned by the other Evan- gelists ; and, with the exception of some few which are supposed, from internal evidence arising from minute coincidences, to be the same as those related by the others, much dif- ficulty has been generally experienced as to the order in wliicli these events are to be placed. Lightfoot begins at Luke xi. 23., and goes on NoTjj 6G, 07.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. •*91 to chap, xviii. 1-15. Pilkington from chap. x. 17. proceeds without one interruption, to chap, xiii. 1-23., when he inserts tlie events related by St. John, chap. x. 22, &.c. ; he then proceeds to Luke xiii. 23., and thence through the inter- mediate chapters to Luke xvii. 1-10. Michaelis goes from Luke x. 37. to Luke xvii., without the incorporation of other passages. Doddridge begins with Luke x. 17-24., and proceeds with- out interruption to Luke xviii. 1-14., excepting that he transposes Luke ix. 51-56. to the last men- tioned passage. Newcome has bestowed very great labor on these chapters ; he begins Luke x. 17-24., and, omitting from chap. xi. 14., to chap, xiii. 22., proceeds without interruption to chap, xvii. 1-10. From this brief statement it will ap- pear, that tlie larger proportion of these chapters ought to be continuously put together. The sev- eral alterations and transpositions proposed by these harmonizers will be considered in the va- rious notes in which the arrangements which have appeared most advisable will be defended. Archbishop Newcome seems to have departed, in some instances, from the order proposed by Lightfoot without sufficient cause. Note 66. — Part III. It will be observed, that our Lord did not speak to the people in parables till the Scribes and Pharisees had accused him of working his miracles by the power of an evil spirit. The Messiah then, in mercy and compassion to these hearers, and to all who were captious, began to address them in parables. Tliis is well ex- pressed in the translation of Matt. xiii. 13, 14. in the version published in 1729, 2 vols. 8vo. anonymously dedicated to Lord King, the then lord chancellor ; the name of the author has escaped my memory. " Therefore speak I to them in parables ; because they overlook what they see, and are inattentive to what they hear, neither will they comprehend. And in them is fulfilled that prophecy of Esaias, — ' By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand ; And seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, — And tlieir eyes they have closed ; Lest at any time they should see,' " &c. and in ver. 16, " happy are you that your eyes have sight, and that your ears have their hear- ing." The common idea, that our Lord spoke in parables, that the people miglit not under- stand liim, and tlieir condemnation be still in- creased, is as unfounded as it is blasphemous. The parallel passage in Mark iv. 12. must be interpreted likewise according to tlie tenor of the context. It is a prophecy fulfilled at the very time that our Lord was speaking, tliat though the people saw with their eyes the outward proofs of his divine power, yet they should not perceive the evidence arising there- from, that he was their Messiah. Dr. Adam Clarke has inserted, from Glassius, a very good dissertation on the nature and use of parabolical writing, at the end of his notes on Matt. xiii. He finds the following ten signifi- cations in Scripture. 1. The word parable means a simple com- parison. Matt. xxiv. 32-38. 2. An obscure similitude. Matt. xv. 13-15., whei-e Pharisaism is represented as a plant, &c. 3. A simple allegory, as in Matt. xiii. 4. A maxim, or wise sentence, as the cor- responding Hebrew word SlVD is used in 1 Kings iv. 22. 5. A bye-word or proverb of reproach, 2 Chron. vii. 20. Psalm xliv. 14. and Ixix. 11. Jerem. xxiv. 9. 6. A frivolous, uninteresting discourse, or a disregarded and despised address, Ezek. xx. 49. 7. A simple proverb, or adage, Luke iv. 23. 8. A type, illustration, or representation, Heb. ix. 9. ; where the first tabernacle is said to have been a figure, a parable, to last only for a time. 9. A daring exploit, an unusual and severe trial, a case of imminent danger and jeopardy. It may be doubted whether this part of Dr. Clarke's criticism is managed with equal judg- ment. There appears to be no proper authority for the use of the word in this sense. The in- stance he adduces, Heb. xi. 19., where Abraham is said to have received his son from the dead, it' 7tnQ(t66h], " he being in the most imminent danger of losing his life," does not seem satis- factory ; the common translation being un- doubtedly preferable. 10. The word parable signifies also a very ancient and obscure prophecy, Ps. xlix. 4. Prov. i. 6. Matt. xiii. 35. Note 67.— Part HI. These sections to the end of the part are arranged in their present order upon the con- current testimony of Lightfoot, Newcome, and Doddridge, and the regularity of the Scripture nan-ative. Pilkington has observed the same metliod, excepting tliat he has placed elsewhere the dining at tlie house of Matthew ; an event wliich he inserts after. the call of that apostle, and which has been already discussed. Mi- chaelis varies too but little from this disposi- tion. He seems doubtful where to place the ti-eatment received by our Lord at Nazareth (section 41), and supposes that this event took place but once : he reasons from the similarity of the two circumstances. See note on section 4, of this part. VOL. II. ns J8 * NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part III. Note 68.— Part III. ON THE PHRASE " THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." This phrase, " the kingdom of heaven," is used in the New Testament to denote the va- rious gradations of that dominion which the Messiah was about to establish. It sometimes aUudes to its commencement (Matt. iii. 2.) by the preaching, influence, and death of Christ ; sometimes it refers to its gradual progress, and the consequent setting up and establishment of the Christian Church, Matt. xiii. 47. ; sometimes it is used to express the future perfection and consummation of the happiness of mankind and of the Church in a future state. The word (?«- aiXelu, ought to be frequently translated " the reign," instead of " the kingdom." " Isaiah, Daniel, Micah, and others of the prophets, had encouraged the people to expect a time when the Lord of Hosts should reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, when the people of God should be redeemed, and made joyful in Messiah their king." — " This period was gener- ally understood by the phrases SaaileLu t5 Qea and [iaadela x(bv ovoavcbv the first approach of which was preached by the Baptist, and af- terwards by Christ." When the word there- fore refers to the time, it ought to be rendered the rdgn of God, the reign of heaven ; when to place, it should be translated hhigdorti^. We read also (Luke xvii. 2L) " the kingdom of God is within you." There is a dominion over the passions and the inferior nature of man, which may be justly called the kingdom of heaven, or the reign of divine power within us. And it is of little consequence to us, person- ally and individually, what may be the nature, origin, progress, extent, and consummation of all the plans of Providence, which shall estab- lish the kingdom of God in the world ; unless obedience to God, and faith in God, and the peace of God, be so known to us, that our na- ture become changed before Him. We may even assist to build up the ark which shall save a drowning world ; but, without repentance and faith, we, like the builders of the ark, may be destroyed by the deluge. I am aware that tlie original, i) ^uadelu toO 0S8 ivjbg v/Li(bv iant', may be translated, the kingdom of God is among you, or, is now being established in the midst of you ; and the imog is so used by Xenoph. Cyrop. 1. 1 ; and in the Anah. lib. 6. c. .5. § 5. we read hiog rrjc cpulu)'- yng, intra spatium, in quo exercitus erat. The word is used twice only in the New Testament ; in Matt, xxiii. 26., v/here it evidently signifies the inside of the cup, &c. ; and in this passage, LuKe xvii. 21., where it is contrasted with the '" Cami)beirs Preliminary Dissertation, vol. i. p. 140. outward pomp and show with which the Jews expected the reign of their Messiah would com- mence. The kingdom of God cometh not //sid 7iaQnTr]Q-i\aeb)c- Heinsius paraphrases the word " non venit prsestolando, aut exspectando reg- num Domini." Schleusner quotes from Suidas ivTOS' oi Xoyiajuol xul h'dvuriasig yal ndti'iu ra T^c yjv/>\; xi.ri\(iuT<r and the Alexandrian ver- sion translates the word 3"ip in the last clause of ver. 1, of Ps. ciii. by the word ivrdc, &c. ''3"'p ^31, where no other meaning can be as- signed but that which is internal : that is, the thoughts and motives of the heart. The phrase also, HD'Otyn mD^D, was used among the Jews to denote the influence of religion within the heart"^. The Jews had long spoken of, anticipated, and described the future reign of the Messiah by the phrase now in question. They had been taught by their ancient prophets to expect a Messiah who should restore the true religion, reform the Jewish people, atone for their sins, and release them from a foreign yoke. The apostles and our Lord used only the popular language when they adopted the term expres- sive of this dominion of the Messiah. TJiat the expressions (iuailela jov Oes — ^ucrLkela jwv ov- Quvav — Suailelu t5 '///ctS, did not refer only to the kingdom or dominion of Christ in the future world, is evident from the proclamation of the Baptist, Matt. iii. 2. r^yyixe y&Q i^ ^aailela, &c. and from the nature of the addresses of our Lord, such as in Matt. vi. 33., 'CrjislTE da ngmoy rrii' ^auiXeluv ly 0es, and those in the Lord's prayer, " thy will be done on earth," &c. As the treatise of Schoetgen is bound up with his larger work, and is rarely to be met with, I have made an extract from his observations on this phrase. The expression a'OBTI HIdSd, the same as 1^ ^aaiksla rw/' Bgavbtv, frequently occurs in Jewish writers ; in general it means the polity of the children of Israel under the old covenant, having God at its head. The kingdom of heaven is the same as the kingdom of God : in that kingdom tlie Jews were the subjects. Thus Josephus properly calls that government S-soxgajiu, § 1 and 2. To show that Jewish writers used the ex- pression in tliis sense, several quotations are brought, sect. 3. One is from Rabbi Schemoth ; " When they (the Israelites) came to Sinai, and received the kingdom of God" &-c. Our autlior supposes this " receiving the kingdom of God " to imply a confession of faith, tiiat may be re- peated for the greater confirmation tlierein. He quotes Sohar Genes. — " When a man goes to bed, he ought first of all to take upon lumsclf ^ Vide Schoetgen. Dissert, dc Regno Cwlorinn, Hor. Ilvh. vol. i. \>. 11 lit; Heinsius, Excrcit. Sacrw., p. \1'2\ Schleusner in voc. ivriiq- and Valpy's Greek Test, in Luke xvii. 20. NoTK C9.-71.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *99 the kingdom of licaven, and then repeat one or more prayers," § 4. It appears that when a man used the prayer KriscluTia, it was necessary first, suscipere reg- num ccdorum, § 5, in fine. This is the common meaning of the phrase, " kingdom of heaven," among Jewisli writers. Still they have used it (but rarely) in the sense of the times of the Messiah and the New Dispensation. Targum, Micah iv. J 7. "The kingdom of heaven shall be revealed unto them on Mount Zion, from this time to all eternity." But, independently of quotations from these writers, it may be shown, that the Jews used the expression in this sense ; otherwise John the Baptist, the Pharisees, and the hearers, would neither have used the phrase, nor understood it. Tiius a Pharisee (Luke xvii. 20.) asks, "When the kingdom of God should come," § 6. The expression took its origin from that pas- sage of Daniel, where it is said, " Unto him was given a kingdom, &c. and his kingdom shall not be destroyed," § 7. In the New Testament, the expression i^ ^a- ailbiu tS 065, means the Christian Church, or Dispensation. The Apostle (Rom. xiv. 17.) exhorts Christians not to condemn others about meats ; " For," says he, " the kingdom of God is not meat and drink ; " that is, the Christian Church under its King, the Messiah is not bound by the ceremonies enjoined under the Law, § 8. There is sometimes an ellipsis of r5 0e5, or tJ&v SQuvibv the word [iauiXela occurring alone. Thus Christ is said to have preached the Gos- pel of the kingdom, i. e. of the kingdom of the Messiah. The Jews are called viol iTJg ^(xaikslag, because the kingdom of Messiah was first sent to them, § 9. It also denotes subjection to the kingdom of Messiah, Mark x. 15. " Whoever does not re- ceive the kingdom of heaven," »Sz,c. § 10, It is not denied that " the kingdom of heaven" is sometimes used to denote eternal life, § 11. Note 69.— Part III. In this section Christ calls himself, for the first time, " the Son of Man." Note 70.— Part III. The best interpretation that I have met with of this wonderful history of the Gadarene de- moniac, and the loss of the herd of swine, is that of the celebrated Hutchinsonian divine, Jones of Nayland, in his Sermon on the Gadarene demoniac. " In the moral application," he re- marks," of this miracle, the sense is very plain ; for if sin is, in every man, what the devil is in a demoniac, then it is evident the same man may be under the dominion of a legion of vices and evil passions at once." The devil was per- mitted to go into the herd of swine to show the power of the Destroyer, and by a significant ac- tion make known to man the utter destruction of those who suffer themselves to be led captive by the Spirit of Evil. These unclean animals are a fit representation of the human race, in their fallen and degraded condition, and as such are often used in Scripture. See Matt. vii. 6. 2 Pet. ii. 22. Prov. xi. 22. Archbishop Newcome justly observes, of the apparent discrepancy between St. Matthew, who mentions two demoniacs, and St. Mark and St. Luke, who mention one only, that the rule of Le Clerc must be applied: — (^ui pliira narrat, pauciora compleditur ; qui pauciora memorat, plura non negat. One of the demo- niacs was remarkable, says Dr. Farmer, for his superior fierceness. Or Mark and Luke men- tion only one, because one only returned to ex- press his gratitude. Note 71.— Part III. ON AN OPINION OF MICHAELIS RESPECTING THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW. One of the boldest, most unwarrantable, and mischievous opinions of the German commen- tator, Michaelis, is, that the present Gospel of St. Matthew is a translation, and an erroneous trans- lation, of the Gospel which the Evangelist origin- ally wrote in Hebrew. Michaelis renders into Hebrew a few passages of the Greek Gospel, and varying the expression of the Evangelist, so as to suit Ms own ingenious but imaginary conjectures, he endeavours to prove that St. Matthew used the Hebrew words into which Michaelis translates his Greek, and that St Matthew's translator actually misunderstood the meaning of his original. The inspiration of St. Matthew is thus destroyed at once. The boldest conjectures of the most adventurous of our English critics sink into insignificance when compared with this effort. Bowyer and Mark- land would have been terrified. Even the ed- itors of the ^Yew and Improved Version would have seen, without regret, tlieir star-like lustre eclipsed by the superior splendor of this bane- ful meteor. Michaelis, however, has provided his reader with arguments against his own er- ror. In the preceding section he reasons against the possibility of proving the existence of any mistakes of translation in the Greek Gospel of St. Matthew ; and he there observes, " that no one can sliow any such mistakes ;" and, " if the Greek Gospel is a translation, the original is lost ; and therefore, a comparison between them, ichich alone can determine the question, cannot take place." I may observe here, that I-Ji- chaelis, though a learned and useful authoritv 100* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IV. in many instances, must be read with caution, and many of his conclusions rejected. Bishop Randolph wrote a tract on this subject, which did justice to the learned German, while it pointed out his errors". The opinion of Michaelis on the evangelical narrative of the raising of Jairus's daughter is contained in that part of his work to which I am now referring. In Matt. ix. 18. he observes, that " Jairus says of his daughter, dgji heXev- TTjaef, ' she is already dead ;' whereas accord- ing to St. Mark, v. 23., he says, ia/dno; txet, ' she is at the point of death ; ' and receives the first intelUgence of her death as he; was re- turning home accompanied by Christ. Various artifices have been used by the harmonists to reconcile this contradiction, and with very little success ; but as soon as we reflect on the words, which must have stood in the original, all diffi- culty vanishes on this head. For nHD nn;» may signify either, ' she is now dead,' or, ' she is now dying.' St. Matthew's translator rendered the word according to the former punctuation, whereas he ought rather to have adopted the lat- ter, as appears from what is related by the two other Evangelists." To this Archbishop Laurence, in his Sermon upon Philological Spendation, observes, that the 1^ d-vyuTijQ f^ov uQTi iTelEvTi/aBv , is sufficiently explained by commentators (in order to recon- cile it witli St. Mark's account) in the sense of " my daughter is (perhaps) by this time dead : " y See Bishop Marsh's Michaelis, vol. iii. part. i. p. 151-2, and Archbishop Laurence's notes to the Sermon on Philological Speculation, p. 34. but, even taking it in the strongest point of view, it can only be considered as one of those minute variations which tend to prove that the Evangelists did not write in concert. But, as Bishop Marsh remarks, it is not St. Matthew alone who on this occasion uses the past tense ; for St. Luke has the perfectly synonymous ex- pression aniOvrjanev. With the points, nn'D 3 pers. sing. perf. fsem. signifies mortua est ; and nrTD, past facm. signifies moriens' . I have rejected the points of the various Hebrew words used in the several quotations in these notes ; because the arguments which may satisfy us of their antiquity do not entirely prove their authority. In the fifth volume, 4to. edit. p. 332-372, of Lardner's Works, is a long and admirable vin- dication of tlie three miracles of our Saviour — the raising the widow's son, the daughter of Jairus, and Lazarus ; it is too long to abridge. Among the Barrington papers I find an in- quiry into the circumstances of this miracle. It is contained in a letter to Dr. Lardner, dated Dec. 30, 1729. Among the papers prefixed to the TJfe of Dr. Lardner, in the beginning of the first volume, is a reply throughout. As it is probable these papers of Lord Barrington may be eventually submitted to the approbation of the public, it is not worth while entering, at present, into any further discussion on this subject. ' Vide Bishop Marsh's note, Michaelis, vol. iii. part. ii. p. 156, 2nd. edit. PART IV. Note 1. — Part IV. Note 2.— Part IV. The various sections of this part are placed in the same order in which they are respect- ively inserted in the arrangements of the five harmonizors, by whom I am principally guided. Doddridge considers John vii. 1. as belonging to the same passages to which it is annexed by the others, though, for the sake of con- venience, he joins it with the rest of the chap- ter". Michaelis also places the calling of the twelve apostles in the order of St. Matthew, and inserts John vii. 1. at the head of various passages, which he considers supplementary to the accounts of the other Evangelists. " Vide notes and paraphrase, Doddridge's Fam. Expositor, sect. 98, vol i. p. 503. ON the christian ministry. Our Lord had now continued his ministry till the whole population of Judasa, Samaria, and Galilee had heard of his miracles and preaching. Many had followed him from place to place, and from these he selected Twelve as the con- stant witnesses of his actions. The word ixle- Xv/jiroi, which in our translation is interpreted " they fainted," is generally considered as an erroneous reading. It is rejected by Griesbach, and all the best MSS., versions, and fathers, who read iaxvKfiePoi, whicii may be rendered grieved, or mdancholi/ ; and this iTiterprotation is supported by tlic harmony. For it docs not ap- pear that our Lord was followed by the multi- tudes to any very considerable distance from their NOTF. 2.] NOTES ON Tin: GOSPELS. * 101 respective cities (Matt. ix. 36. compared with 35, and Mark vi. 6.), but tlint our Saviour's corn- passion was excited for tiie people, whom he saw to he grieved for want of proper instruction, and scattered abroad as sheep having no shep- herd. To remove this spiritual dearth, he gave the first connnission to his Apostles, to proceed to tlie house of Israel, and declare to them tliat their Messiah had come ; and to preach to tiiem the kingdom of God. Our Lord afterwards sent out the Seventy, to prepare the people for his reception ; enjoining tliem to preach in those cities only which himself intended to visit (Luke X. 1.) ; whereas the Apostles were commanded to preach to all the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The ordination of the Apostles to preach the kingdom of God leads us to consider the man- ner in which the Church, Avhich Christ had come to establish, was to be perpetuated among mankind until his coming again. The question, therefore, What plan of Church Government was instituted by our Lord and his Apostles ? cannot be esteemed unimportant. Tlie priesthood under the Mosaic economy was so publicly instituted, that its validity and divine origin were never disputed. The rebel- lion of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, proceeded only from envy at its _ exclusive nature ; and though the kings in after ages innovated during the prevalence of idolatry, and made priests of the loivcst, or, as it would be better rendered, of the common people ; the line of the succession was considered sacred, and none were admitted into the order of the priesthood, or acknowl- edged as priests by the people,who could not trace their descent from the sacerdotal house of Aaron. This regular succession of the priesthood, on the part of the Jews, has been sometimes sup- posed to form an objection to the Christian dis- pensation. " If the Christian religion be true," it has been argued, " its priesthood would have been divinely appointed, and its succession rigorously observed. The whole Christian world on the contrary, is divided on this point : it is to be presumed, therefore, that the claims of that religion are at least dubious, in which the origin of the priesthood is so uncertain, and its various pretensions and orders so jarring, that they are equally ridiculed and despised." In reply, however, to these objections, I do not hesitate to assert, from an impartial considera- tion of the testimony both of Scripture and an- tiquity, that the origin of the Christian priest- hood is as evident as that of the Levitical ; that its descent can be as distinctly traced ; that its regular succession has been preserved ; and that, consequently, as it was at the beginning appointed by divine authority, it is entitled to the highest veneration, and to the devoted at- tachment of Christians. The essential and imnmtable difference be- tween tlie arguments that are adduced for the support of the Christian religion, and tliose VOL. II. which are brought forward in defence of other systems, consists in tliis. The Christian religion is founded upon the evidence of actions, and undeniable facts, while every other system de- pends upon theory alone. The speculations of the philosophers of antiquity, the impositions of Mahomet, the reveries of the schoolmen, the inconsistencies of modern infidelity, tlie inven- tions and strange doctrines of various sects among Christians, are all distinguishable from the fundamental truths of Christianity. Tlie conclusions of uninspired men, on subjects of a religious nature, are generally founded upon abstract reasoning ; the truths of the Christian religion are so identified with some well-sup- ported facts, that the belief of the fact compels at the same time the reception of the doctrine. The five principal doctrines which may be said to constitute Christianity, and to comprise all its truths, and which are alike uniformly supported by facts, and the express words of Scripture rightly and literally interpreted, are, the doctrines of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Atonement, the Resurrection from the Dead, and the Establishment of the Christian Church, as the means of perpetuating the truth of these propositions in the world. The doc- trine of the Trinity is not only supported upon the general tenor of Scripture, as it may be collected from the fact that the inspired writers assign the attributes of the Deity to the three persons of the Godhead ; but from tlie fact also that the voice came from heaven, that the Holy Spirit as a dove, hovered over tlie Messiah, and that the Son of God was distinct from either of those which bore witness to him. The Incar- nation of Christ was declared in prophecy, and was proved by the facts which are recorded concerning his birth. The Atonement is proved by tJie concurrence of all the types and institu- tions of the Jewish law, and the fact of Christ'^ death fulfilling them all to the uttermost. Tlie Resurrection of the body was verified not only by the fact of Christ's resurrection, but by the restoration of the widow's son and of Lazarus. The Establishment of a Church in the world was demonstrated by the fiict of the peculiar care with which our Lord collected disciples, selected a certain number from among tliem, commissioned them to go forth and preach, ad- ded others to their number with different powers, and promised to be with them to the end (not, of the age, as many translate the word, but) of the world. The first establishment of the Christian Church is necessarily brought before us, then, by the subject of this section. The commission given to tiie twelve Apostles may be called the foundation of the Christian Church. The con- duct of the Apostles in their ecclesiastical gov- ernment, considered as a model, ought to be adopted by all Christian nations, who desire that Christianity should be preserved among 102* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IV. themselves, or diffused, and permanently con- tinued, among others. I have already attempted to prove that Jesus, the Messiah of tlie New Testament, was the Incarnated Jehovah of the Old Testament. He was the Lord and Guide of the Patriarchal and Jewish Churches. He lias uniformly been the religious legislator of mankind. He it was who walked with our first parents in the gar- den of Eden, and instituted sacrifice. When the world apostatized after the deluge, it was He who selected the family of Abraham. When the remembrance of their ancient religion be- gan to be effaced from tlie minds of the Israel- ites, it was the same Angel Jehovah who guided them through the Red Sea into' the wilderness, and soon after promulgated the Law from Mount Sinai. It was He who ordained those minute laws, those rigid observances, those ordinances respecting the priesthood, and the whole frame- work of the ecclesiastical and civil polity, which distinguished the Jews from all other nations ; and the very remnant of which, even to this day, unites them, notwithstanding their wide dispersion among the various nations of the v/orld. Can we, then, for a moment, suppose that this same Almighty Being, this Manifested God of mankind, should not be equally atten- tive, and provide equally for a still more glori- ous Dispensation, of which the other was only a type and shadow ? We have every reason to expect, that, in the Christian dispensation, some care would have been taken for the con- tinual remembrance of the great truths and ob- servances which the condition of man required. The revealed religion of God was perpetuated under the Patriarchal and Levitical dispensa- tions by human means. Though religion was of divine origin, mankind was appointed the guardians of its purity. The means which God ordained for the preservation of his religion in the Patriarchal dispensation, were the setting apart the firstborn of every family to minister in his service, and conferring on the heads of the tribes the spirit of prophecy. Adam, Seth, Enoch, Methuselah, and the other fathers of the Patriarchal Church were thus gifted. Noah and Shorn, after the deluge, obtained the same preeminence. There was always a body of men set apart for the service of God. To enter into the proofs on tliis part of the subject, which might be variously collected from Scripture, ancient history, tradition, and the customs among the early pagan nations, whose idolatry was but a perversion of primeval truth, would lead us far beyond the hmits of a note. The same means of perpetuating religion, which prevailed among the patriarchal families, were continued by the Divine Legislator among the people of Israel, with this alteration only, that one whole tribe was set apart for the ser- vice of God, instead of the firstborn of every family. The office remained tlie same ; tiie firstborn were redeemed, in remembrance of their original dedication to God ; and it was solemnly enacted, that no stranger, not of the seed of Aaron, should offer incense in the pub- lic worship. Every individual, of every family, was required to present the sacrifice of praise and prayer to God, and to comply with all the institutions of the Law ; while it was left to one selected tribe to perform all the public functions required in the temple worship. Thus did the Divine Legislator first impart to fallen man a revelation, and appoint means for its preservation. The Incarnated Jehovah has now granted to his creatures the most per- fect form of that same religion which began at the fall in Paradise ; and human means also, under the blessing of the same God, must pre- serve among mankind the consolations of his holy Gospel. Four forms of Church Govennnent are, in this our age, prevalent among Christians. Episco- pacy, Papacy, Presbyterianism, and Indepen- dency. From the time of the apostles till the present day. Episcopacy has been the most gen- eral church government ; and till the fifteenth century its apostolic origin was never disputed. Till the beginning also of the seventh century the supremacy of the pope over all Christian bishops was quite unknown. Boniface III. re- ceived the first title of Universal Bishop from the Emperor Phocas, as a reward for his sub- serviency and flattery to this basest of tyrants. With the exception of the ambitious heretic, Aerius, who, as Bishop Hall observes, was hooted not out of the church only, but out of the cities, towns, and villages, for the opin- ions he maintained, and, with the exception of a few dubious expressions of Jerome which are inconsistent with other parts of his works. Episcopacy prevailed, with the usurpation of Papacy alone, without the least opposition, in every Christian Church throughout the world, till Presbyterianism began to show itself under the protection of the Reformer Calvin. When the corruptions produced by the supremacy of the church of Rome indicated tlie necessity of a change, or reformation, in church government, the Catholic bishop of Geneva, Peter Balma, refusing to comply with some proposed altera- tion, was expelled with his clergy from that town. After tlie expulsion of the bishop, the two popular preachers, Farrel and Viret, who had greatly contributed to this measure, as- sumed the ecclesiastical and civil power. In this state of things, Calvin, in his way from France to Strasburgh, stopped at Geneva, and remained there at the invitation of Farrel. He then, with his two colleagues, proposed a new form of discipline, which he had lately invented ; but the people, being dissatisfied with the severity of his laws, expelled liim, -with liis princi])al associates, from their town. At the expiration of three years he was recalled ; and, Note 2.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. * 103 bein<r appointed to institute a form of ecclesi- astical disci])line, lie proposed, and finally es- tablished a systSm of church government, never before either known or practised, which is now distinguished by the name of Presbyte- rianism. When he first introduced this system, he expressed his highest veneration for re- formed Episcopacy, and defended his innova- tions upon the plea of necessity. Beza, and his other followers, gradually discontinued that mode of argument, and have sometimes asserted, in not very courteous language, that Presbyte- rianism is of divine right. It is now estab- lished in Scotland, where it was introduced by John Knox and his coadjutors, who were the friends of the Reformer of Geneva. Many of the exiles, who had fled to the continent in the reign of the persecuting Mary, adopted the same system, and endeavoured, on their return to England, to complete, as they supposed, the reformation in their own country, by recom- mending and enforcing the Presbyterian disci- pline. The labors of Cartwright and others, however, were rendered ineffectual, at least in England, by the exertions and vigilance of Whitgift, then archbishop of Canterbury, aided by the firmness of Elizabeth. This great Reformer, and celebrated com- mentator, of Geneva, did not anticipate the possible evils of his deviation from the conclu- sions to which his brother reformers in England had arrived. He erred only in proceeding to an opposite extreme from that of the church of Rome. His error in doctrine proceeded from a systematizing spirit, attempting to comprehend those subjects which humble men will shrink from, till their faculties are enlarged by the knowledge of another state of being. His bit- terness and intolerance were the vices of liis age. In all other respects he was both a wise and a good man. In proposing liis views to the world, he believed he was planting the tree of life. He would have wept to have known that he had substituted the upas of theological hatred, and controversy, and error, beneath wliose poisonous influence so many fair Churches have withered away. If he could have fore- seen this result, he would have united in the powerful sentiment of a father of the Churcli : " Nothing so grieves the Spirit of God, as the causing divisions in the Church ; not even the blood of martyrdom can atone for this crime : " — dudh' yun ovtm TTagotvypi rbv Qebv, wg iy.xkrj- ol:a' fittxioeO^ii'ui nSh fiaojiom uiitxx jctvTijv dvfuTia i^aXslcfeir ii)>' (xuuqilav. — Chrys. Horn. XI. in Ephts. See the notes to Archbishop Laurence's Bampton Lectures, p. 340, 341, On the Character of Calvin. After the original form of cliurch govern- ment had been thus boldly infringed upon, the minds of men became gradually reconciled to tlie innovation ; and the gradation to tlie next difference became in comparison easy. The Presbyterian polity had taught the world, that the presbyters of the Church were all equal in authority ; the next generation introduced another innovation, and discovered that if pres- byters were equal, they were also independent of each other. Mr. Robert Brown, of North- ampton, in the reign of Elizabeth, was the first who invented this system of Independency, which is totally without the remotest support from either Scripture or antiquity. The opin- ions of the Independents obtained great popu- larity in the subsequent reigns of James and Charles ; and were espoused by many of the more energetic spirits of that turbulent period, till they gradually superseded the newly-estab- lished Presbyterianism. From the reception which was given by the community to these innovations on the Chris- tian priesthood, the last stage of its degrada- tion was easy and natural. The office of teacher, the administration of the sacraments, the interpretation of Scripture, were, and still are, assumed at pleasure, by men of all ages, ranks, characters, and classes, without adequate preparation, responsibility, obedience, or author- ity. The civil law affords equal protection to all ; and the public repose of the community renders this necessary ; but the privilege which is allowed by the civil power is mistaken for the liberty of the Gospel of God. Mutual can- dor is granted to mutual error, while every term of obloquy and reproach, which the proverbial bitterness of theological hatred can suggest, is unsparingly poured forth to stigmatize the sup- posed bigotry and illibcrality of those who as- sert tlie ancient, uniform, universal belief of the primitive Church ; that the Christian minis- ter is subordinate to a higher order, to which alone was committed the government of the Church, and the power of ordaining and appoint- ing ministers. The question is not one of hu- man polity. It rests with us to inquire whether the Lawgiver of the Christian dispensation has, or has not, revealed to his creatures, a model of churcli government, to which it is the duty of every Christian society to conform. Should such a government be laid down in Scripture, it becomes at once obligatory upon all Christians. Time cannot destroy it, fashion can- not change it, opinion cannot prevail against it, nor the apostacy of nations invalidate it. No speculation can remove the foundation of its trutli. It will be as evidently discoverable as the Mosaic institutions. Its. principle will be as clear, its facts as evident, its origin as undo- niablc. If there is, or was such a government, its whole progress will be matter of record ; every innovation, every corruption, would be accurately registered, and so engrafted with the history of Cliristianity, that they could not be put asunder. The various forms of church government which we have now considered may be distinctly 104* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IV. traced to human invention. They have origi- nated in the circumstances of the times in which they commenced. Episcopacy only is traced to the days of tlie Apostles, and of their and our Divine Master ; and originated in his instructions, and their practice. But, that we may arrive at some certain con- clusions on the subject of church government, it will be necessary to refer to Scripture, and inquire into the facts which are there recorded. I shall here confine myself to a review of the manner in which the Church was established while our Lord was upon earth ; and defer to other notes the consideration of the nature of that government, by means of which the doc- trines of the Gospel were perpetuated, in the three periods after the ascension ; when the Church consisted of Jewish converts only ; when it was extended to the Proselytes of the Jewish religion ; and when it embraced the con- verts from idolatry throughout the whole Gen- tile world. The period from our Lord's birth to his bap- tism was marked by no recorded instances of divine power or sovereignty ; nor by the as- sumption of his ministerial dignity. His minis- try began by a public and solemn inauguration into his high office. " The heavens were opened, and the Spirit of God, as a dove, de- scended and lighted upon him ; and, lo ! a voice from heaven, this is my beloved Son : hear ye him ! " To fulfil every type, he was anointed, like the ancient Jewish kings, priests, and prophets, not with the material unction of oil, but Avith the Holy Ghost, and with power, Eph. iv. 7. Immediately after his inauguration, guided by the same Spirit, he overcame the great Enemy of his spiritual kingdom. He then began the office to which he was anointed, by preaching the Gospel to the people of Gali- lee, in the synagogues of his own city, Nazar- eth, Luke iv. 14-18. His laws were delivered in his own name : " I say unto you." He en- larged and refined the Law of Moses, and en- forced his precepts with the promise of higher rewards, and the threatenings of severer pun- ishments. He confirmed the truth of his asser- tions, and demonstrated the certainty of his Messiahship by stupendous wonders and mira- cles. By these means, and by his example, and his precepts, he collected multitudes of disci- ples, whom he baptized, not as John had done, in the name of another, but in his own name, John iii. 5. After a certain time had elapsed, he selected Twelve from his followers, and im- parted to them some of tire same powers and privileges which himself had received from the Father. He gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure all manner of dis- ease, Luke ix. 1. Mark vi. 7. Matt. x. 1-5. Some time after the twelve Apostles had been thus chosen, our Lord appointed other Seventy also. In some respects, their com- mission was the same as that of the Twelve ; in others there was a remarka.ble difference. The Twelve return to our Lord, and continue witli him to the end ; the Seventy return to give an account of their mission, and are again blended with the general mass of the brethren. The Seventy were more limited in their office. They were sent only to precede our Lord, in those towns whither he was himself going (Luke X. 1.) ; the Apostles had a more exten- sive and discretionary power, which extended to all the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The Apostles were ordained to be with our Lord (Mark iii. 14.) as his constant attendants; whereas the Seventy were only appointed to preach (Luke x. 1.) Before the inauguration of the Twelve, our Lord not only commanded his disciples to pray to God, to send laborers into his harvest, but he continued a whole night himself in prayer ; and even after the mission of the Seventy, they were always distinguished by the name of Apostles. Our Lord particu- larly addressed the Twelve more than the other disciples, expounding to them his parables, and revealing to them apart the mysteries of his kingdom (Matt. xx. 17, &c.) In two instances their powers were enlarged. At the time of the institution of the eucharist, the Apostles were commanded to commemorate his death, until his second advent to judge the world. When our Saviour was on the point of leaving earth, on the day of his ascension, he invested them with still higher powers. At first, like their Divine Master, they had been sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. His death destroyed the distinction between the Jew and the Gentile. All power was now given unto him, in heaven and in earth, and his last parting command to them was, to preach the Gospel to all nations. A kingdom was given to them, as a kingdom had been given to our Lord ; as he had ordained and appointed spiritual governors and rulers over the converts, to them also was committed the same delegated authority. Such were the two classes to whom our Lord, while upon earth, confided a share of tlie min- isterial office to which he had been commis- sioned from above. He was tlie prophet like unto Moses, in this, as well as in other respects, that he instituted a new priesthood, with new authority and powers. The Levitical priest- hood was now to be abolished, by the same Divine Lawgiver who had at first ordained it ; and another erected on its foundation, Christ himself being the chief corner stone. The next stage of the church, and its ecclesias- tical discipline, we shall consider, as I have ob- served, in future notes ; remarking only here, that the people had no choice, nor part, either in the appointment or consecration of the Twelve or the Seventy. They exercised no power, they conferred no right. Tiie discipline Note 3.-7.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. no5 of the Church was established by its spiritual head, Christ himself, and after his ascension it was delegated to his twelve Apostles. Note 3.— Part IV. After the return of the Jews from Babylon, when the Hebrew language was no longer spoken among the common people, the Jews adopted the custom to which our Lord here alludes. The Scripture was publicly read in the original, but the doctor of the law whis- pered the meaning in the cars of an inter- preter, or targumista, who publicly proclaimed what was communicated to him to the people. Our Lord here intimated to his disciples, that those things which were now revealed to them, such as the calling of the Gentiles, the aboUtion of the Jewish Law, not yet to be openly de- clared, and otlier doctrines, should be hereafter publicly promulgated. The houses of the Jews had Hat roof^, from whence they made proclama- tions to the people. Both Lightfoot and Scho- etgen have treated copiously on tliis subject. Note 4. — Part IV. ^ — J --J 1 Sc^&6a(/i, fol. 107. 2. ijip-o ;ii nn'pn 2\dv WD ^'H''! ^^V^ ■~ro.-<;'' Scild Deus S. B. et The Jews were of opmion, that a superintend- ing Providence protected the minutest objects. Ex nutrit inde a cornibiis unicorum, usque ad ova pedicidorum. Schoetgen quotes also Jalkut Ruheni, fol. 17L 2. " There is not the least herb on earth, over which tliere is not an appoint- ed guardian in heaven ;" and from R. Simeon's n3'"n 13D, part i. fol. G. 2. " A man cannot hurt his finger upon eartii, but it is cried out aloud in heaven." — Schoetgen. Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 104, 105. Note 5. — Part IV. It was a common saying among the Jews, "He that receiveth a learned man, receiveth tlie Sliechinah." Our Lord, therefore, in this, as in numerous other passages, which, from the general inattention to the opinions of the ancient Jews, are unnoticed, claims those hon- ors which Avere assigned by the people to the Angel Jehovah, the God of their fathers. — See Schoetgen. Hor. Hcb. vol. i. p. 106, 7. Note 6.— Part IV. about this time by tlie most eminent chronolo- gers. It cannot fail to strike the most unob- servant, that, at the moment in which the last prophet of the former Dispensation was doomed to perish, the Messiah, the common God of the two Dispensations, gave to the new description of teachers, Avhom he now appointed and sent forth for tlie first time, the authority and pow- ers of the teachers of the Jewish Church. Christ is the golden chain that binds the one universal Church. The Baptist preaches till Christ was manifested. The Baptist was pre- served in life till the kingdom of the Messiah was in some degree established. The time had now arrived when a new Dispensation, with a new priesthood, should commence ; and the last instructor of the people, under the old Dispen- sation, was now permitted to suffer, in order that undivided attention might be given to the long-expected King of the house of David. Note 7.— Part IV. Many of the circumstances in this miracle demonstrate the peculiar wisdom with which, as I have so often shown, our Lord uniformly acted, and are worthy of our attention. Christ here first showed that his power was superior to that of Elisha, who fed a hundred men with bread of the first fruits, twenty small barley loaves, and some ears of corn in the husk thereof, 2 Kings iv. 42, 43. The rabbis make these loaves twenty-two ; the loaf of the first fruits being one, and the ears of corn being equivalent to another loaf, and they suppose that two thousand two hundred men were fed by them; each hundred having their single loaf set before them, tff'^ nxo 'Op "jni nn Sd Our Lord therefore proved his power to be superior to that of Elisha ; for he fed one thousand men with one loaf; and, that there might be no ap- pearance of deception nor collusion, he made the whole number sit down in companies, (niilty nniiy in ranks, or in divisions, as trees in a vineyard), by fifties, and by hundreds, that the whole number might be accurately and univer- sally ascertained. The accounts of this miracle were published by St. Matthew and St. Mark, while tlie greater portion of the persons who liad been partakers of the miracle were livino-. None contradicted, or denied, or explained away, the account. It is scarcely possible to imagine a more wonderful proof of the creative power of Christ, than was displayed in this miracle. The loaves were of the small kind common in the country The fishes were, in all probability, also of that sort which were called by the Jews 'j'jio, which is interpreted by the gloss small fishes*. '' T. Bah. Cetubot, fol. 60. 2. and Sanhedrin, fol The death of John the Baptist is placed 49, 1. ap. Gill in John vi. 9. VOL. II. *14 106* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IV, Nonnus" calls them two fishes from the ad- jacent lake, broiled, or roasted, (or dried in the sun.) xul (jcy/indgov Stdv/movag l/dvug oXfjrjc, I/diiug dnTakEOvg diSvfidovug, &c. This small supply of provision was perceived to multiply and grow, either in the hands of the apostles as they Avere ministering them to the people, or in the hands of the people themselves, who, in all probability, saw the small fragments of bread or fish with which they had been pre- sented visibly increase while they held them in their liands, till the hunger of each was fully satisfied ; and sufficient was still left for others who might come after them. It was this im- mediate and actual proof of the presence of a Creator, which compelled the exclamation of the multitude, tliat their expected Messiah was come. Witsius has a curious remark on the grada- tion of Christ's miracles. His first miracle provided for a family tlie customary provision for a festival, not indeed absolutely necessary, yet much to be desired, when the mode of prolonging and celebrating the marriage cere- monies among the Jews is taken into consid- eration. He then satisfied the hunger of thou- sands, by multiplying their bread and a few small fishes. He proceeded to the curing of the siclv. He healed one who had been diseased twelve years, Mark v. 25. ; another eighteen, Luke xiii. 11. ; another thirty -eight years, John V. 5. ; anotlier from childhood. Matt. ix. 21. ; another from his birth, Jolin ix. 1. The pro- gressive order wliich our Lord observed when he demonstrated his power of raising the dead, in their various stages of corruption and decay, I have considered in another part of these notes'^. Note 8.— Part IV. Two hundred pence was the sum fixed upon for a virgin's dowry ; for the portion to be paid by a liusband to a woman who was divorced ; for the fine of the lesser modes of assault and of various offences. The expression therefore was used proverbially, to denote a large sum of money. See the references in Gdl on Mark vi. in loc. Note 9.— Part IV. Twelve baskets full- ^oitJfXK xocplpovg Trh]- geig. The well-known expressions in Juvenal, Sat. 3. V. 14. "^ Octavo edit. p. G5. ■^ Meletem. Leidens. Dissert. De Miracidis Jesii, sect. vii. p. 242. " Judeis, quorum cophinus foenumque supellex :" and in Sat. 6. v. 542. " Cum dedit ille locum, cophino foenoque relicto, Arcanum Judasa tremens niendicat in aurem :" have made the word xocplvovg in this passage a subject of greater curiosity than would at first sight appear reasonable. The first and general opinion is, that the cophinus here alluded to was a small basket constantly carried about by the Jews, in remembrance of their slavery in Egypt, Psa. Ixxxi. 6. which is translated in our version, — " I removed his shoulder from the burden : And his hands were delivered from tlie pots •" is rendered by Jerome and Symmachus, c/l j^fro^c avTOv y.oqlvov u.m]t.h'x-piaav. The Septuagint, instead of njljj^n (traiisibunt, or transierunt, ap. Arias Montanus) read nJTDrn which is followed by the Vulgate — ul /fF^f j aviar iv tw xoqr/*'o> idovXsvaav, LXX. Maiius ejus in cophino ser- vierunt. Dr. Gill quotes Nicholas de Lyra on this verse, to prove that the Jews carried bas- kets with some liay, in commemoration of their Egyptian servitude, and Schoetgen quotes Sidonius ApoUinaris, Epist. 7. 6. and Alcimus Avitus, lib. 5. v. 30. to the same effect. Another interpretation of the word xocplrog is that of Farnabius, who supposes that the Jews made that use of the hay and the cophinus, which Juvenal and Martial (lib. v. Ep. 17.) have alluded to, as an emblem of tlieir poverty and sufferings durinsr the last siesre of Jerusalem^ when they were reduced to the necessity of eating hay, in the terrible scarcity of provisions. But this explanation is evidently erroneous : the cophinus, as may be shown in numerous in- stances, being in general use before the siege of Jerusalem. Brenius imagines that tlie Jews made use of the cophinus at Rome, and elsewhere, for the sale of various small articles of pedlery ; and Buxtorf, that the basket, from the earliest period, was a part of their household stuff"; whence the expression Deut. xxviii. 5. ■]i>'JD "jn:; "blessed shall be thy basket and thy store." The bas- ket was used, he supposes, to bring the first- fruits to the priest, and the liay was provided to prevent the various offferings from touching eacli other. Schoetgen replies to these suggestions, that it was not possible all the Jews could be employed in selling ; neither would they have carried their basket'^ of first-fruits so uniformly to Rome, as to liuve excited the satire of Ju- venal ; neither were those who were now fol- lowing Christ going up to Jerusalem to offer their finst-fruits. He concludes, th.ereforc, with adopting the opinion of Reland, which is fol- lowed also by Schleusnor (in voc. y.oqlrog) that the cophinus was used by the Jews for carrying Note 10.-14.1 NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. noi about with them the articles of provision, &c. permitted by their Law, and that the hay served to spread under them, when they were com- pelled to sleep abroad in places inhabited by Gentiles. — See the whole Dissertation in Scho- etgen. Hora. HehraictK, vol. i. p. 133. Note 10.— Part IV. It is a good remark of Dr. Gill, that those •who desired a temporal Redeemer were un- worthy of his presence. All who follow Christ for power, show, popularity, wealth, or honor, or for any other purpose than to receive a spir- itual Messiah, are unworthy of him. Christ re- tired to a mountain, and declined all worldly honors. To have tlie power of praying, to be admitted as Christ was admitted into commun- ion with God the Father, is higher and more inestimable than all earthly distinctions ajid treasures. Note 11.— Part IV. Christ here demonstrated his power as the Lord of nature. He walked upon the sea, and when he entered into the ship the waves and tlie wind acknowledged him, and the ship was instantly at the place of its destination. Non- nus has given a beautiful description of this miracle: Christ, he tells us, walked upon the water with unwetted feet ; and when he came into the ship it moved as by a divine impulse, like a winged thought of tlie mind, without winds, without oars, self-moving to the distant haven. Xqhttov i6ip](TavT0 diaaTslxovTcc &uX6.aar]g, 'A^QOxov I'/t'og e/OfTU, ^arr^g 6.lbs d^iiv 68 ill] I' — Enel\)'eoSlvE'C naXftai OTcc v6og TTiegdeig, dfijuwf Si^a, v6a(fii' TjjlenoQOtg h^iveaaiv ofilkeev aiiOfi&Tr] VT\vg. — JVonnuSf p. 75. Note 13.— Part IV. We have here another instance in which Christ applied to himself an epithet given by the Jews to their expected Messiah. Midrash Koheleth, fol. 73. 3. "R. Berechia nomine R. Isaac dixit : quemadmodum Goel primus, sic quoque erit postremus. Goel primus riNT'Tin pn descendere fecit Manna, q. d. Exod. xvi. 4. Et pluere faciam vobis panem de cobIo. Sic quoque Go^'l postremus descendere facit Manna, q. d. Ps. Ixxii. 16. erit multitudo frumenti super terram." See Schoetgen. in loc. It is probable that our Saviour alluded to this tradition, as well as to the ideas of the rabbis, discussed at great length by Whitby, on John vi. 31, 37, &c. The comparison of food which nourishes the body and wisdom which nourishes the soul is common in many parts of Scripture. Thus Isaiah — " Ye that are thirsty, come buy wine, and milk without money, and without price. Wherefore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread ? " &c. Lightfoot quotes also Chajigah, fol. 14. 1. and Gloss, in Succah, fol. 52. to prove that bread was frequently used among the Jewish doctors for doctrine — nZ3nS inS'DN'n/eerf him with bread ; that is, make him take pains in the warfare of the Law, as it is written.— Lightfoot, vol. ii. 553. It may be observed here, tliat an acquaintance with the Jewish traditions would materially as- sist the theological student to form a more ac- curate notion of many subjects of controversy between the Church of Rome and the Protest- ants. This discourse of our Lord in John vi. has been much insisted upon by the Romanists, as defending and supporting the doctrine of tran- substantiation. This notion originated in the sixth century, and is founded on the literal in- terpretation of passages which were commonly tised by the Jeivs, to whom the Scriptures were addressed, and by the inspired writers who pri- marily wrote for their use, in a metaphorical sense. I do not observe that Fulke has noticed this point in his remarks on John vi. in his work on the Rhemish Translation of the New Testa- ment. See that work, p. 275-280. folio edit. 1633. London. Note 12.— Part IV. Markland (ap. Bowyer's Crit. Conjee, p. 9.5.) has justly remarked the difference between this confession (dh/Owg Qbh Ylbg fl) which is no higher acknowledgment tlian the heathen cen- turion and the soldiers made at the crucifixion ; and that of St. Peter contained in Matt. xvi. 16. m el 6 XQi!;bg, 6 Ylbg TOY Qsov TOY^^Conog, thou art the Christ, the Son of the One God, THE living God. Note 14.— Part IV. To prove that the Evangelist has here spoken with the utmost correctness, Schoetgen has quoted from Jevachim, fol. 101. 1. ity;' O'-DDm :n-(ir\ Sb'o inr annmo pn'n " Et sapientes fecerunt robur verbis suis, plus quam verbis Le- gis." Lightfoot also has given many others to the same purpose .nmn nanro trjnijiD 'im a':i"2n 108* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IV. " The words of the Scribes are more lovely than the words of the Law." — Hieros. Berac. fol. 3. 2. The error of the Pharisees Avas the same as that of the Romanists. They substituted un- authorized tradition in the place of their In- spired Writings, and ritual observances in the place of spiritual worship. The ordinances of external religion are only valuable, as they are the emblems and the appointed means of spir- itual blessings. While their proper value is set upon the records of history, the inquiries of the critical, the labors of the learned, the opin- ions of the judicious, the decisions of the early Church, and all the sources of accurate infor- mation, it ought never to be forgotten, neither is it forgotten by the Protestant Churches, that Scripture is the one unerring test of truth, to which every conclusion must be submitted. The Jews adopted many traditions, which were not only contrary to, but were very frequently hostile to Scripture. The Romanists have been guilty of the very same error. The Jbafs believed that a man might withhold assistance from his afflicted or poor parents, under the pretence that he had dedicated his substance (or corhan) to God, with many other absurdities enumerated at length by Lightfoot, Schoetgen, Meuschen, Gill, and others, and alluded to in many places by the Evangelist. The Roman- ists have set aside the plain and express au- thority of Scripture, and follow gradual inven- tions, which they dignify by the name of tra- ditions. They insist, for instance, on such points as these : — The mass without communi- cants — The denial of the cup to the laity — The prohibiting the reading of Scripture — The dis- tinction between latria and dulia, htTQsla and SovlsTa, in the worshipping of angels, and saints, and God — The use of images — The pray- ing in an unknown tongue — The mediatorial offices of the saints, and especially of the Vir- gin Mary — The assumption of the Virgin, an invention of a very late age — The seven sacra- ments — The doctrine of purgatory. The Church tliat teaches these doctrines is as justly worthy of the condemnation of our Lord as the Pharisees, who were his contem- poraries — " Ye make the word of God of none effect by your tradition." Much might be added on this and other topics connected with the discussions on the doctrines in controversy between the Protestants and Romanists ; but to do so would extend these notes far beyond their limits. See a work entitled, Jl Learned Treatise on Traditions, translated from the French of Du Moulin, by G. C, London, K):i9; particularly ch. 12 and \'i, p. 16.'5-223. Fulke's Defence of the English Translation of the Bi- ble, printed at the end of his observations on the Rhemish Translation, p. 29-33. Bisliop Hall's tract, entitled The Old Religion, in the ninth volume of his Works, 8vo. Pratt's edition, p. 287. and the Tracts against Poperij, Tit. \. p. 22. by Bishop Stratford. The Reformation Vindicated, &c. together with many other trea- tises in that admirable and inestimable collec- tion. On the Affinity between the Absurdities of the Pharisaical and Catholic Traditions, see also Chemnitius. Exam. Condi. Trident. Pars prior, p. 20-24. See also Schoetgen. HorcE Hebraicee, vol. i. p. 138. Note 15.— Part IV. Bishop Horsley and Dr. Jortin have written sermons on the subject of the Syro-phoenician woman ; in both of which there is a remark- able coincidence in plan and expression. Both have insisted, with great effect, on the nation of the woman ; on the manner in which Christ performed his first miracle on one who was not a Jew : which was so ordained by the provi- dence of God, that this woman " became one of the first pagan proselytes, and the mystery of the calling and the conversion of the Gen- tiles began in her to be gloriously unfolded ; " on the humility of the suppliant, and her ac- knowledgment of the wisdom of God in selec- ting the Jews to be his own people, while she retained her hope of mercy as a creature of God ; and on the absurdity of judging of the truth of past events by the test of the experi- ence of the present age ; both agreeing in the probability of the opinion expressed in a for- mer note, that the power of evil spirits, in the time of our Lord, was permitted to be more visibly displayed than in our own age. For the more particular explanation, therefore, of this narrative, and especially for the view which Bishop Horsley has given of the peculiar pro- priety of our Lord's conduct in making the manner in which he complied with the request of the Greek idolatress, a type of the mode in which the Gentiles should be received, see Jortin's fVorks, 8vo. London, 1810, vol. ix. p. 239, &c. ; and Horsley's Sermoiis, vol. iii. p. 134, and particularly p. 158, 9, and 164. Note 16.— Part IV. The Jews considered every nation but their own as dogs, and on tliat account refused to share in their hospitality, or to have any Inter- course with them, except that which had refer- ence to merchandise. R. Pirke Eliezer gives an illustration of this passage. In his twenty-niiitli chapter lie dis- cusses the eighth temptation of Abraham, Gen. xvii. 1. He endeavours to prove that Abraham circumcised his servants, and proceeds thus : '• Unde autem (probas) quod circumciderit (ser- NOTK 17.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. * 109 vos) illos ? quia dicitur : omnes viros domus suae, et natum domus circumcidit — cur autem circumcidit illos ? propter purificationem, ne contaminarent dominum suum cibo, ac potu suo. Q,uicunque enim comcdit cum prseputiato, is veluti cum cane edit. Uti canis non est cir- cumcisus, sic et prseputiatus non est circumcisus. Quisquis accedit ad prasputiatum, is veluti mor- tuum contrectat," &c. — Vorstius' Translation of R. Pirke Eliezer, p. 66. I ought to observe here, that Schoetgen, who refers in his notes on Apoc. xxii. 15., to this chapter of Pirke Elie- zer, quotes a part of it differently from any which is to be found in the translation of Vors- tius. As the Hebrew original is not in my pos- session, I cannot account for the variation ; but my copy of the Latin translation by Vorstius is corrected in various places from the Hebrew original, by a learned rabbi, and can, I think, be depended upon. Note 17. — Part IV. ON THE OPINIONS OF THE JEWS RESPECTING THE CHARACTER OF THE MESSIAH. The various works which were done by our Lord, as related in the preceding sections of this part, convinced St. Peter that Jesus was the Messiah. It certainly appears to us very extraordinary that this open confession of the Messiahship of Jesus had not been repeat- edly made before. The reasons seem to have been, that the various inconsistent traditions concerning the Messiah which were then prev- alent, and the opposite expectations of the peo- ple had so biased the minds of his disciples, that it prevented them from forming a correct judgment as to the dignity of their Lord and Master. They saw, indeed, and acknowledged, that Jesus was more than luiman, and they daily anticipated the establishment of the king- dom of the Messiah ; but before that event they expected the coming of Elias, various resurrec- tions of the ancient prophets, the reappearance of Moses and Elias, with other different signs and wonders, which have already been enumer- ated. Dr. Pye Smith observes, " that their no- tions of the Messiah were sublime, imperfectly understood, and inconsistent ; they attributed to him a superior nature, a preexistent state, and, to say the least, many of the characteristic properties of Deity''." When Christ was upon earth, the opinions of the Jews concerning the nature and person of their ardently-expected Messiah were by no " Scripture TeMimomj to the Messiah, vol. i. p. 464, and 4()6. Dr. Pye Smith has compressed into a very short compass tlie conclusions of Kuinoel (Comment in Librns .V. T. Hist. p. 84-91.) on the same subject. VOL. II. means uniform : some affirmed that he would be a mere man, endowed with peculiar powers and assistance from God — others that he would be a man, with whom a special power, emanat- ing from God, would be immediately conjoined — others maintained that he would be superior to their fathers, to all mankind, and to the an- gels ; that he existed before the creation of the world, and was employed by God as an instru- ment in the formation of the world, and pecu- liarly in the protection and religious institutions of the Israelitish nation. Schoetgen, in his second volume, has most amply and most learnedly discussed the sub- ject of the Messiah. His HoreB HebraiccB are an invaluable treasure to the theological student who desires to understand the New Testament. It is to be regretted that the work is so scarce, and that there is neither an abridgment nor a translation of it in our own language. The Jews seem to have entertained the same indefinite notions with regard to the Messiah, as the Christians of the present age entertain when they converse on the Millennium, or the second advent of our Lord ; on the restoration of the Jews, whether it will be temporal or spiritual ; or on the other sublime and elevating subjects of the prophecies of our own Scriptures, on which the primitive Church has come to no conclusion. The language of Scripture is so general, that it may be interpreted both literally and metaphorically ; and every Christian, who at all reflects on these subjects, anticipates some magnificent events, which he believes will certainly take place ; %vhile no two will be found exactly to agree in their opinions and speculations. Lightfoot remarks on this sub- ject :— From the Messiah tlie Jews expected pomp and stateliness, a royal and victorious kingdom — they see Christ appear in a low condition and contemptible poverty. From the Messiah they expected an advanc- ing and heightening the rites of Moses — they saw that he began to remove them. By the Messiah they expected to be re- deemed and delivered from their subjection to the Roman yoke — he tanght them to give Caesar his due, and to submit to the govern- ment God had set over them. By the Messiah they expected that the Gen- tiles should be subdued, trod under their feet, and destroyed — he taught that they should be called, converted, and become the Church-''. Bishop Blomfield, in his admirable disserta- tion^, has given us, at still greater length, an abstract of the notions entertained by the Jews of the Messiah's kingdom : — 1. They expected him to be of a nature far •^ Liorhtfoot's Sermons, Works, fol. vol. ii. p 1112. ^ On the Traditional KnmrJrdgr of a promised Re- deemer, Camb. ISlit, p. 10(>. fin. Ac. no* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IV. surpassing that of men and angels. One of the rabbis says, " The Messiah is higher than the ministering angels." To this notion the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews evidently alludes, i. 4. 2. They considered him to be " the Word of God," an emanation from the Supreme Being ; the Author of all created things. 3. They believed that all the transactions, in which the Deity was related to have had a communication with mankind, were carried on through the medium of his Word, the Messiah ; that He delivered the Israelites from Egypt, led them through the wilderness, supported and protected them. 4. They believed that the Spirit of the Lord was to be upon Him, and intimately united with Him ; and that it would manifest itself in exer- tion of miraculous power. To this our Saviour alludes. Matt. xii. 28. " But if I, in the Spirit of God, cast out devils, then is the kingdom of God come upon you." 5. They supposed that the Messiah would appear, not in a real liuman body, but in the semblance of one ; hv SoKr^aei. This notion found its way into the Christian Church, and was the distinguishing dogma of the Docetse. It is combated by St. John in several parts of his writings ; viz. " The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us," (John i. 14.), not only seemed to wear a Inmian form, but actually did so. Again, " Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God," (1 John iv. 3.) And it is not an improba- ble supposition of Professor Bertholdt, that the Evangelist had the same heresy in view, when he made particular mention of the blood and water which flowed from the side of Jesus, John xix. .34. 6. They expected that the Messiah would not be subject to death, John xii. 34. The multi- tude answered him, " We have heard out of the Law, that Christ abideth for ever." 7. Yet they thought that he was to offer in his own person an expiatory sacrifice for their sins, John i. 29. 8. He was to restore the Jews to freedom. Compare Luke i. G8. xxiv. 2L 2 Esdr. xii. 34. 9. And to establish a pure and perfect form of worship, Luke i. 73. John iv. 25. 10. And to give remission of sins, Luke i. 76. Matt. i. 21. IL And to work miracles, John vii. 31. 12. He was to descend into the receptacle of departed spirits, and to bring back to earth the souls of the Israelites, wliich were then to be reiinited to their glorified bodies ; and tins was to be the first resurrection. 13. The devil and his angels were to be cast into hell for a thousand years. 14. Then was to begin the kingdom of heaven, or of God, or of tlie Christ, whicli was to last a tliousand years. 15. At the end of that period of time, the devil was to be released from confinement, and to excite great troubles and commotions ; but he was to be conquered, and again imprisoned for ever. IG. After that was to be the second and general resurrection of the dead, followed by the judgment. 17. The world was to be renewed ; new heavens, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem were to appear. 18. At last the Messiah, having fulfilled his office, was to deliver up the kingdom to God, at whose right hand he was to sit for evermore. Note 18.— Part IV. ON THE CONFESSION OF ST, PETER. Our Lord had now, by his miracles, teaching, and conduct, so impressed on the minds of his Apostles the certainty that he was the Messiah, wiiom they had expected, that St. Peter makes the fullest confession of his faith, in the most energetic language. Our Lord immediately addresses him in that remarkable language, wliich has been said, by the Churcli of Rome, to be the immovable foundation of her un- doubted supremacy and her exclusive privileges, as the depository of truth, and of her conse- quent infallibility, as the director and in- structor of the world. The question therefore is, Whether the confession made by St. Peter was the rock on which the Church of Christ was to be founded, or whether the Apostle him- self was that rock ? The most eminent of the ancient Fathers have espoused the former opin- ion. Chrysostom'' interprets the passage t"^ nsTQCC — TOVTEUTi TTj nlaTFi TTJc ofwXoylac, "upon the rock, that is, upon the faith of his profes- sion." The most probable meaning of the passage appears to be that which shall comprise both of the controverted senses. St. Peter was always the most zealous of the apostles, and to him was reserved the honor of first preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles. The probable reason why our Lord addressed liimself particularly to Peter was, that he happened to be the first who liad acknowledged Him as the Christ the Son of the living God. St. Peter generally proved himself the chief speaker, and he continued to do so after our Lord's ascension, without, how- ever, assuming the least degree of authority over the rest of the apostles. The occasion of OTU- Lord's addressing Peter was the confession the Apostle had just made; and He maybe considered as speaking prophetically, when He '' Vide Elslcy in loc. who quotes Chrys. in Matt. xvi. Id. and torn. 5, or 163. NOTK 18.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *in said, pointing- to or resting his hand upon the Apostle, Tliou art Peter, and on tliee, as the first preacher to the Gentiles, and on this con- fession, which tlioii shalt preach to them, I will establish my Church.^Beza, Lightfoot, Bishop Burgess, in his treatise inserted in a collection of tracts lately published, and many others, among whom may be reckoned some of the popes themselves, have espoused this conclu- sion. Bisliop Marsh, however, in his work on the Comparison between the Churches of Eng- land and Rome ; (Jrotius, Michaelis, Wliitby, with Pere Simon, and the Romanists in general, have adopted the latter opinion. Among other of the Protestant writers who liave strenuously advocated the opinion that Christ and not St. Peter Avas the founder of the Christian Church, we meet with the venerable name of the late Granville Sharp. The as- sumption of supremacy over all the Churches of Clirist by the Church of Rome, filled him with astonishment. He was induced, in con- sequence, to pay particular attention to the passage upon which this arrogant claim was sup- ported, and the result of his examination is here annexed. The Greek word neiQag, he observes, does not mean a rock, though it has indeed a relative meaning to the word nsTQa, a rock; for it signifies only a little piece of rock, or a stone, that has been dug out of a rock ; where- by the dignity of the real foundation intended by our Lord, which he expressed by the pro- phetical figure of Petra (a rock), must necessa- rily be understood to bear a proportionable superiority of dignity and importance above the other preceding word petros ; as petra, a real rock, is comparatively superior to a mere stone, or particle from the rock ; because a rock is the regular figurative expression in Holy Scripture for a Divine Protector; 'i^So nn"' Je- hovah (is my rock), 2 Sam. xxii. 2. and Psa. xviii. 2. Again, my tiSk my God (is) my rock, 2 Sam. xxii. 2. and Psa. xviii. 2. and again, irn'?;-^ 'nrS^O "nir 'ni and who (is) a rock, ex- cept our God ? 2 Sam. xxii. 32. That our Lord really referred to this declara- tion of Peter, relating to his own divine dignity, as being the true rock, on which he would build his Church, is established beyond contra- diction by our Lord himself, in the clear dis- tinction which he maintained between the stone (rTBTQog, petros,) and a rock, (neTQ(t, petra,) by the accurate grammatical terms in which both tliese words are expressly recorded. For whatsoever may have been the language in which they were really spoken, perhaps in Chaldee or Syriac, yet in tliis point tlie Greek record is our only authoritative instructor. The first word, nsjQog, being a masculine noun, signifies merely a stone ; and the second word, TTFTOd, thougli it is a feminine noun, cannot signify any tiling of less magnitude and impor- tance than a rock, or strong mountain of defence. With respect to the first. The word TtSTQcg, petros, in its highest figurative sense of a stone, when applied to Peter, can represent only one true believer, or faithful member of Christ's Church, that is, one out of the great multitude of true believers in Christ, who, as figurative stones, form altogether the glorious spiritual building of Christ's Church, and not the founda- tion on which that Church is built; because that figurative character cannot, consistently with truth, be apjdied to any other person than to God, or to Christ alone. And tliough even Christ himself is sometimes, in Holy Scripture, called a Stone {hdog, but not TreTQog), yet when- ever this figurative expression is applied to him, it is always with such a clear distinction of superiority over all other figurative stones, as will not admit the least idea of any vicarial stone to be substituted in his place ; as, for in- stance he is called, " the head Stone of the corner," Psa. cxviii. 22. — " in Zion a precious corner Stone," Psa. xxviii. 10. by whom alone the other living stones of the spiritual house are rendered " acceptable to God ;" as St. Peter himself (previous to his citation of that text of Isaiah) has clearly declared, in his address to the Churches dispersed throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, where- in he manifestly explains that very text of Isaiah, as follows : — " Ye also," says the apostle, " as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, by (or through) Jesus Christ." 1 Pet. ii. 5. Thus plainly acknowledging the true foundation, on which the other living stones of the primitive Catholic Church were built, in order to render them "acceptable to God," as a " holy priesthood." From this whole argument of St. Peter, it is manifest that there cannot be any other true head of the Church than Christ himself; so that the pretence for setting up a vicarial head on earth is not only contrary to St. Peter's instruction to the eastern Churches, long after Christ's ascent into heaven; but also (with respect to the inexpediency and impropriety of acknowledging such a vicar on earth as the Roman pretender) is equally contrary to our Lord's own instruction to his disciples (and, of course, also contrary to the faith of tlie true primitive Catholic Church throughout tlie whole world) when he promised them that, " Wliere two or three are gathered together in my name (said our Lord Jesus, the true Rock of the Church), there am I in the midst of them," Matt, xviii. 20. So tliat tlie appointment of any vicar on earth to represent that Rock, or Eternal Head of the Church, v.hose continual presence, even with the smallest congregations on earth, is so ex- pressly promised, would be not only superfluous and vain, but must also be deemed a most ungrateful affront to the Benevolent Promiser 112* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IV. of his continual presence, sucli as must have been suggested by our spiritual enemies, to promote an apostacy from the only sure foundation, on which tlio faith, hope, and confidence of the true Catholic Church could be built and supported. A due consideration also of the second noun, TTSTQu, a rock, will demonstrate that the supreme title of the rock, M'hich, in other texts of Holy Scripture, is applied to Jehovah, or God, alone, most certainly was not intended by our Lord to be understood as applicable to his disciple Peter; but only to that true testimony whicli St. Peter had just before declared, concerning- the divine dignity of the Messiah — " Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." I have already remarked, that nsTga, a rock, is a feminine noun ; and a clear distinction is maintained between nsTQog, the masculine noun in this text, and the said feminine noun tcstqu, the rock, by the grammatical terms in which the latter, in its relatives and articles, is expressed, which are all regularly feminine throughout the whole sentence, and thereby they demonstrate that our Lord did not intend that the new ap- pellation, or nominal distinction, which he had just before given to Simon (viz, neiqag, the masculine noun, in the beginning of the sen- tence) should be construed as the character of which he spoke in tlie next part of tlie sentence ; for, if he had really intended that construction, the same masculine noun, nergng, must neces- sarily have been repeated in tlie next part of the sentence with a masculine pronoun, viz. inl joum TO) neTQii), instead of inl Tctinrj ttj niiQa, the present text ; wherein, on the contrary, not only the gender is changed from the masculine to the feminine, but also the figurative charac- ter itself, wliich is as much superior in dignity to the apostle Simon, and also to his new ap- pellative nsTQog, as a rock is superior to a mere stone. For the word ■neiqoQ cannot signify any thing more than a stone ; so tliat the popish application to Peter (or nnQog) as the founda- tion of Christ's Church, is not only inconsistent with the real meaning of the appellative, which Christ at that very time conferred upon him, and with the necessary grammatical construc- tion of it, but also with the figurative importance of the other word, TjerQu, the rock; inl TftvTrj jrj TiBTQa, " upon this rock," he declared the foundation of the Cluirch, a title of dignity, which, as I have already shown by several texts of Scripture, is applicable only to God or to Christ. And observe further, tliat the application of this supreme title (the rock) to Peter, is incon- sistent, above all, with the plain reference to the preceding context, made by our Lord in the beginning of this very verse — " And 1 also say unto thee," which manifestly points out, botli by the copulative " and," and the connective adverb " also," the inseparable connection of this verse with the previous declaration of Peter, concerning our Lord's divine dignity in the preceding sentence, " Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God ;" and thereby demon- strates that our Lord's immediate reply, ("And I also say unto thee," &c., did necessarily in- clude this declaration of Peter, as being the principal object of the sentence — the true foundation or rock, on which alone the Catholic Church can be properly built, because our faith in Christ (that he is truly " the Son of the living God") is unquestionably tlie only security, or rock, of our salvation. And Christ was also the rock, even of the primitive Church of Israel ; for St. Paul testi- fies, that "they (i. e. the hosts of Israel) did all drink of that spiritual drink, for they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ," 1 Cor. x. 4. And the Apostle, in a preceding chapter (1 Cor. iii. 11.) says, " other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." It would exceed all due limits to attempt to discuss at full length the controversies which have divided Christians, when the peculiar passages of Scripture upon which each contro- versy principally depends, passes under con- sideration. The observations of Granville Sharp, which I have now extracted, appear to be deserving of attention. The various points which separate the Catholic and Protestant Churches will soon perhaps compel the more serious attention of the Protestant world, by the general revival and increase of popery, and the reaction in its favor in a neighbouring country. And it may be considered the bounden duty of every theological student to make himself ac- quainted with the controversy existing between the Churches of England and Rome'. The political discussions respecting the ex- tent of the privileges which the state may con- veniently assign to tlie members of the Church of Rome, have of late years so entirely absorbed public attention, tliat they have almost super- seded the religious argument, which is by far the most important part of the controversy ; in- asmuch as mistaken religious principle is the root of that system of action, which originally excited the vigilance of the legislature, and still requires a watchful superintendence. Note 19.— Part V. ON THE MEANING OF MATTHEW Xvi. 19. Lightfoot has given us abundant proofs of the manner in which this expression was understood ' See on this subject tlie Trncts of the Bisliop of St. David's—the Tracts atrainst Pot crij. The ninth volume of Bishop Htill's Works. Bishop Bull's Reply to the. Bishop of Mf.aiix. Barrow's Pope's Suprcinacy, and many others. Note 19.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *113 among the Jews, and the manner in which it consequently ought to be understood among Christians. The phrase TnnSl niDxS "to bind and to loose," in the common language of the Jews, signified to prohibit, and to permit, or to teach what is prohibited or permitted, what is lawful or unlawful. Lightfoot then produces many instances, and goes on to observe : — by this sense of the phrase the intention of Christ is easily ascertained, namely, he first confers on the Apostles the ministerial power to teach what is to be done, and the contrary ; he confers this power on them as ministers, and on all their successors, to the end of the world. Their power was more extensive than that of others, because they received authority to prohibit or to allow those things that were ordained in the Law of Moses-''. In his Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations on St. Matthew'', Lightfoot produces many more instances where the words " to loose and to bind " are applied in this sense ; and he shows that these words were first used in doctrine and in judgments, concerning things allowed or not allowed in the Law. Secondly, that to bind, is the same with to forbid, or to declare forbidden. To think that Christ, he continues, when he used the common phrase, was not understood by his hearers, in the common and vulgar sense, shall I call it a matter of laughter, or of madness ? To this, therefore, do these words amount : when the time was come wherein the Mosaic Law, as to some part of it, was to be continued and to last for ever, he granted Peter here, and to the rest of the apostles (chap, xviii. 18.), a power to abolish or confirm what they thought good ; being taught this, and led by the Holy Spirit, as if he should say, whatsoever ye shall bind in the Law of Moses, that is, forbid, it shall be forbidden, tlie divine authority confirm- ing it ; and whatsoever ye shall loose, that is, permit, or shall teach that it is permitted and lawful, shall be lawful and permitted. Hence they bound, that is, forbad, circumcision to the believers ; eating of things offered to idols, of things strangled, and of blood for a time, to the Gentiles ; and that which they bound on earth was confirmed in heaven. They loosed, that is, allowed, purification to Paul, and to four otlier brethren, for the shunning of scandal, Acts xxi. 24. : and, in a word, by these words of Christ it was committed to them, the Holy Spirit direct- ing, that they should make decrees concerning religion, as to the use and rejection of Mosaic rites and judgments, and that either for a time or for ever. Let the words be applied, by way of para- phrase, to the matter that was transacted at present with Peter. "I am about to build a ■?' Licrhtfoot's Harmony of the JV. T., JVorhs, folio, vol. i. p. 238. * Vol. ii. p. 205. VOL. II. *15 Gentile Church," saith Christ, " and to thee, O Peter, do I give the keys of the kingdom of heaven, that thou mayest first open the door of faith to them : but if thou askest by what rule that Church is to be governed when the Mosaic rule may seem so improper for it, thou shall be so guided by the Holy Spirit, that whatsoever of the Law of Moses thou shalt forbid them, shall be forbidden ; whatsoever thou grantest them, shall be granted, and that under a sanction made in heaven." Hence in that instant, when he should use his keys, that is, when he was now ready to open the gate of the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts x.), he was taught from heaven tliat the consorting of the Jew with the Gentile, which before had been bound, was now loosed ; and the eating of any creature convenient for food, was now loosed, which be- fore had been bound ; and he in like manner looses both these. Those words of our Saviour (John xx. 2.3.), " Whose sins ye remit, they are remitted to them," for the most part are forced to the same sense with these before us, when they carry quite another sense. Here the business is of doctrine only, not of persons ; there of persons, not of doctrine. Here of things lawful or unlaw- ful in religion, to be detemiined by theApostles ; there of persons obstinate, or not obstinate, to be punished by them, or not to be punished. As to doctrine, the Apostles were doubly in- structed. 1. So long sitting at the feet of their Master, they had imbibed the evangelical doctrine. 2. The Holy Spirit directing them, they were to determine concerning the legal doctrine and practice, being completely instructed and en- abled in both, by the Holy Spirit descending upon tliem. As to the persons, they were en- dowed with a peculiar gift, so tliat, the same Spirit directing them if they would retain, and punish the sins of any, a power was delivered into their hands of delivering to Satan, of pun- ishing with diseases, plagues, yea, death itself: which Peter did to Ananias and Sapphira ; Paul to Elymas, Hymeneus, and Pliiletus, &c. Schoetgen' adds many instances to those collected by Lightfoot, that to loose and to bind signified to pronounce what was lawful and un- lawful ; clean and unclean ; condemned or per- mitted in the Mosaical Dispensation. From all which he infers, that among the Jews tliis power of binding and loosing w^s given to rabbis, or teachers, who were skilled in the Law, ' Our Lord only asserts in very general terms, that the Apostles had power to decide what was ap- proved or disapproved of God ; but the Jews tauirlit {Jalliut Simeoni. part i. fol. 22.5. 1.) whoever is ex- communicated one day on earth (althouarh he be then absolved) is not pardoned in Jieavenuntil af- ter seven days : he who is thus condemned on earth for seven days, is absolved in heaven at the end of thirty. Schoetgen, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 145-6. 114* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IV. and appointed to instruct the people, and that our Lord not only claimed to himself the same power which had hitherto been possessed by the Jewish teachers, but bestowed it upon his own disciples, and invested them in his new Dispensation with the same authority as that which had been hitherto exerted only by the Jewish teachei-s. The power of binding or loosing, of declaring ■what is lawful and what is unlawful, is evidently the highest power of governing ; and of im- posing laws for the guidance and direction of the spiritual society of the Church. It was the belief of the primitive Church, that this power was confided to the Apostles ; and, as far as the circumstances of the various Churches may require, was continued to their episcopal suc- cessors. The power of binding and loosing is generally called the poiver of the keys ; and con- sists of authority to admit into the Church, and to exclude from it ; and it implies, as the words of our Lord decidedly assert, the power to con- demn ^o?* sin, and to absolve yrom sin'". Note 20.— Part IV. ON OUR lord's explicit declaration of the nature of his kingdom. Having now, by the force of his miracles, elicited from his disciples the declaration that He' was the Messiah ; and having confirmed the truth of that declaration by the authority which he committed to the Apostles, our Lord pro- ceeded immediately to reveal more explicitly the real and spiritual nature of his kingdom. At this moment every erroneous opinion that the Apostles, with all the Jewish nation, enter- tained respecting the nature of the Messiah's kingdom must have received the fullest con- firmation, and have given birth to the highest expectations. Peter was promised the keys of tlie kingdom of heaven, with authority to bind and to loose, to give laws, to pronounce Avhat was clean and unclean. The temporal power and majesty of their Master, they supposed, were nov/ to be developed, and with it their own honor and aggrandizement. They had seen his miracles ; they had confessed their faith ; they believed in Him as the long-expected Messiah ; they anticipated the establishment of his kingdom, and their own immmediate eleva- tion to wealth and dignity. (Sect. 15.) It was under tliese circumstances (compare Matt. xvi. 20., with v. 2L) that our Lord began to check the rising hopes of his followers, by disclosing to them the object of his incarnation ; "* See also this subject fully discussed in Potter's CInirrh Gorcrnmcnt, cliap. v. p. :^3()-3m : Scott's Cliristian Life, folio edit, part ii. chap. vii. p. 492. that He, the Son of Man, who had so abun- dantly demonstrated his divine power, must go to Jerusalem, there suffer many things, to be rejected by the Chief Priests and Scribes, and, finally, be killed, and raised again the third day. Peter, who on all occasions was the principal speaker, and the most zealous of all the Apos- tles, could neither reconcile this assertion with all that he had so lately seen and heard, nor could repress his surprise and indignation at even the suggestion of such conduct. Our Lord, who knew the thoughts of liis heart, and who read there the lurking desire of ambition and power, reproved him before the Twelve for his errone- ous notions, and for his shrinking from the anticipation of humiliation and misfortune. He then, in allusion to liis own suff'erings, addressed the Apostles and the multitude, in the words of the latter part of the section. He assures his disciples of the absolute necessity of their taking up the cross, and of sacrificing even their lives for his sake and the Gospel's. He blends with these exhortations the assurance that He was the predicted Son of Man ; and that though he called upon them now to suffer with him. He would come again in the glory of his Fatlier, the glory of the Shechinah, with his holy angels, as Daniel had foretold ; and in his spiritual kingdom he would reward them for their cour- age and devotion. It is not improbable that our Lord perceived some expression of surprise, or incredulity, upon the countenances of his disciples ; for He immediately cautions them against unbelief. He repeats his declaration, that He will again come in his own glory, and in the glory of his Father, and tliat even the present generation should witness it ; for there were some who were present, who should not die till they had seen the Son of Man come in his kingdom. By the term " glory, " in these passages, 8o^a, the Jews understood the bright flame, and cloud, the glory of the Shechinah, in which the Angel Jehovah was accustomed to appear to the ancient fathers". There is a beautiful passage in Habakkuk, in which the prophet describes the appearance of the Shechinah which led the Israelites out of Egypt, into the wilderness of Paran : — " God came from Teman, And the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens. His brightness was as the light." In these expressions the prophet seems to " Sec on the identity of the glory in which our Lurd appeared, willi the g-loryof the Shechinaii ; Schoet- gen, lIorcE Hehraicu-, vol. I. p. 324 ; and particularly p. 542, on Rom. ix. 4, on the words ■■<al i, SCzu — " HAc voce intelligitur Shechina sive inajestas di- vina quie alias a Grtccis (V/;« vocabatur." See also Dan. Hcinsius, Ercrcitntioncs Sacrcc, p. 220 ; and particularly p. 108, inJokun. where tliis is prfved at jrreat lenotli. Witsins. Dc Glor:Jic Ulone /./i Mo/i- <c, Melet. Leidens. sect. 30. Note 21, 22.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *115 anticipate the description of the Evangelists. Bishop Horsley remarks, that the description of liabakkuk in this passage is that of the She- chinali ; and lie supposes that the expression, (Habak. iii. 11.) " At the light of thine arrows they went, And at tlie shining of thy glittering spear," refers to the darting forth of the rays of light from the body of the flame of the Shechinah, which might resemble that of the streamings of the Aurora Borealis. Whether the Shechinah in which the Angel Jehovah, the Lord Jesus, shall come to judgment, shall be of this de- scription, or whether it shall be as the self- revolving flame which was stationed at the gate of Paradise, or the bright cloud which on the day of the transfiguration overshadowed the disciples and their Lord, we cannot now decide. But of this we may be assured, that we shall all behold this Great and Wonderful and Divine Personage. Like his disciples, we must become his associates, or we shall be ban- ished from that Presence as unworthy of his sublime contemplation. Note 21.— Part IV. Bishop Porteus remarks, that this passage is commonly supposed to refer to the signal manifestation of Christ's power in the destruc- tion of Jerusalem. But, he continues, we know of no one of Christ's disciples that survived this event but St. John ; and our Saviour speaks of more than one. In the 27th verse we read, the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father, to reward every man according to his works, which undoubtedly relates to Christ's final advent. When, therefore, it immediately follows in the next verse, " there be some stand- ing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom ; " is it not most natural, is it not almost necessary, to understand these similar expressions as re- lating to the same great event ? Now as Christ could not here mean to say, that some of his disciples should live till the day of judgment, he only meant to intimate that a few of them, before his death, should be favored with a rep- resentation of the glorious appearance of Christ and his saints, as they should be seen in tlie air on that awful day. And this promise was fulfilled a few days after, when he was trans- figured before them on the mountain. The whole transaction is described in the same terms, as St. John in the Revelation ap- plies to the Son of Man in his state of glory in heaven (Rev. i. 13-1().) St. Luke calls his ap- pearance, after being transfigured, " his glory." St. John uses the same expression, " We beheld his glory, as of the Only-begotten of the Fatlier : " and St. Peter, the other witness, refers to it in a similar manner, 2 Pet. i. 16-18. Bishop Por- teus's Lectures, p. 56. Whitby reasons at some length against this interpretation of the account of the transfigura- tion. He would refer it rather to the day of judgment. On considering, however, the par- allel passages, as they are placed together in this arrangement, I cannot think his conclusions correct. The mamier in which our Lord ap- peared at his transfiguration, undoubtedly ap- pears to have been the same as tliat in which he will again descend from heaven. In this sense, his being glorified at the transfiguration may be considered the type of his future glory ; and Christ may be said to have come at that time in the glory of his future kingdom. Note 22.— Part IV. ON THE TRANSFIGURATION. Having now prepared the minds of his dis- ciples for his approaching sufferings and death, our Lord, for the greater confirmation of their faith in all the predicted trials that awaited them, determines to manifest himself to them in his glorified state : in that state, we may be- lieve, in which He was before the world began, in which He is at present, in which also He will appear to an assembled world. He sets before them, as his custom was, by a significant action, a demonstration of the truth of what He had told them, that some of them should see their King in his glory. The transfiguration of Christ, like his resurrection and ascension, appears as it were to draw back for a moment the veil from the invisible world. The impene- trable barrier is passed ; a light seems to dart from heaven to disperse the tliick clouds that hang over the valley of the shadow of death, and we are admitted into the presence of the Judge of the world ; and see, with the eye of faith, the spirits of the just made perfect, before we are called upon to resign this corruptible body to tlie shroud and to the tomb. Where the spirits of the departed exist, what their con- dition, or what their laws of consciousness, or means of happiness, man must die before he can ascertain. But it is not improbable that the invisible world is so mysteriously connected with this visible, diurnal sphere, tiiat the cessa- tion of our consciousness, as to present things, is but the commencement of our consciousness of all those unknown realities of the other world. Who can say, that we are not at this moment surrounded — that we are not at every period of our lives encompassed — with a crowd of angelic spirits, the anxious witnesses of our thoughts and actions ? 116* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IV. " Millions of spiritual beings walk the earth Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep : " and it is only the fragile veil of this body that prevents us from distinguishing them ; as soon as that is dissolved we shall become spirits among spirits. Bishop Porteus, in his beautiful and elegant discourse on this portion of Scripture, observes, that the evident tendency of the whole passage is to prepare the minds of his disciples for the cruel treatment which both He and they were to undergo, and at the same time to raise their drooping spirits, by setting before their eyes his own exaltation, and their glorious rewards in another life. The very mentioning of Christ's death, by such men as Moses and Elias, without any marks of surprise or dissatisfaction, was of itself sufficient to cause a great change in the sentiments of the disciples respecting those sufferings ; and to soften those prejudices against them, the removal of which seems to have been one of the more immediate objects of the transfiguration. He continues by re- marking, that the circumstance of Christ's assumption of this splendid and glorious ap- pearance at the very time Moses and Elias were conversing with him on his sufferings, was a visible and striking proof to his disciples, that those sufferings were neither a discredit nor disgrace to him, but were perfectly con- sistent with the dignity of his character, and the highest state of glory to which he could be exalted. The transfiguration of Christ may be considered as a visible and figurative represen- tation of Christ's coming in glory to judge the world, of a general resurrection, and of a day of retribution. For although the resurrection is not expressly mentioned in this transaction, it is evidently and distinctly implied ; because Jesus is there represented in his glorified state, consequently the resurrection must be supposed to have taken place. In the preceding section we read that when Christ should come again in glory, he would reward every man according to his works (v. 27.), and in confirmation of the truths of a resurrection, and a day of retribu- tion, Moses and Elias, two just and righteous men, who had for many centuries before de- parted out of this world, were brought back to it again in the possession of a state of glory. Elias, having been carried up into heaven with- out seeing death, most aptly represents those children of light who should be found alive at the last day ; and Moses shadows forth the glo- rious perfection of those blessed spirits who have died in the Lord, and who in the day of iudgment, their body and soul being united and glorified, will receive the reward of tlicir worlds. The glory of Christ, therefore, on the mountain was a symbol of his exaltation to be the Judge of the cartli, and the glory of Moses and Elias was an earnest of a resurrection, and of the re- wards and happiness prepared for the righteous in heaven. The other great purpose of the action on tlie mount was, to give a figurative signification of the abrogation of the Mosaical I^aw, and the commencement of the Christian Dispensation, upon which it was to be estab- lished. Moses and Elias, as the representatives of the Law and the Prophets, who had succes- sively testified of the promised Messiah, it appears to me, were now, in their glorified state, permitted to behold on earth the mag- nificent completion of all their predictions ; and by their farewell testimony to the truth of his Divinity afford to man the most powerful evi- dence that human reason could either receive or require. By their testimony they acknowl- edged the accomplishment of all their prophe- cies, and that the commencement of the Mes- siah's kingdom was established on the Law and the Prophets ; and when the disciples, in an ecstasy of happiness, desired to erect three tabernacles, God himself proclaimed, " This is my beloved Son, hear — hear ye him ! " Moses and Elias instantly disappear, overshadowed by the bright cloud, and Clu-ist alone remains the undivided object of all their worship. To Him alone are they to build their altars ; to Him alone are they to look for happiness and glory ; and He shall come again with his holy angels, and ten thousand times ten thousand shall stand before him. The great day which God has appointed for the duration of this earth is rapidly rolling round, Avith all its successive generations ; and He who created man in the morning of that day, shall descend again from heaven in judgment, when its hour of evening closes. His glory then will fill the skies, and these stupendous but inferior manifestations of his Godhead are but as the morning stars, which shall be lost in the glory of that mag- nificent sun which shall then beam upon the gathered universe. Inspiration itself seems to labor under the description of that day. Lan- guage fails before the glories and overwhelming splendors of the invisible world. " Eye hath not seen, nof ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, what God hath prepared for them that love him." The best treatise on the important event we are now considering, is that by Witsius, in the Meletemata Leidensia. It is too long to trans- late ; but as the book itself is not often to be mot witli, I shall subjoin an abstract of the reasoning of tlie learned author. The matter of his treatise is arranged under four general heads. 1. The circumstances. 9. Tlin glorifying. 3. Tlie adjuncts. 4. The sequel. Those again are subdivided, as follows : — The circumstances.^ — Time, place, persons. The glorilying. — Person and apparel ; con- Note 22.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *117 verse with Moses and Elias ; attestation from God the Father. Adjuncts. — Weakness of the Apostles ; indul- gence shown them by Jesus ; interruption by St. Peter. Sequel. — Fear of the beholders on his de- scent ; comfort imparted by Christ ; secrecy enjoined, and observed by the Apostles. The circumstances of the peculiar prophecy of tlie time in which our Lord was transfigured have been already noticed. The place is un- certain, but is generally supposed to have been Mount Tabor. The witnesses were few in number ; but tlioy were the same as were required by the Law to testify the truth of any fact. Peter, James, and John were selected as the most eminent among the disciples. The transfiguration took place while Christ ■was in the act of prayer. The nature of the change produced in the person, face, and garments of Clu-ist cannot be comprehended in this state of our existence. The transfiguration took place on our Lord's account as well as on our own. The weak- ness of his human nature might require such support. But it was principally for our sakes, that we might believe tiiat Christ was the true Messiah. The reasons why Moses and Elias appeared were, that Moses Avas the founder of the Jewish polity, and Elias was the reformer of tlie Jewish Church, and the most zealous of its prophets. Their presence implied, that the ministry of Christ was attested by the Law and the Prophets. Witsius then inquires. Were these persons really visible, or merely phantoms in their shape ? There is no difficulty about Elias, who having been translated in body, may easily be conceived to have come down from heaven to Christ on the mountain. But how did Moses appear, who died and was buried ? From the dispute between Michael and the Devil about the body of Moses, some imagine that his body was preserved from corruption, for the express pui-pose of being restored to him on this occa- sion. But however this be, his body certainly might have been restored to him ; and it seems most probable that such was the case. Whether he returned with Elias to heaven, or tarried upon the earth to accompany Christ in his ascent, is a question of curiosity, sect. 15. But how could the Apostles tell who Moses and Elias were ? Most probably either by divine revelation, or by some emblematical tokens, or by the conversation which passed between them and Christ, sect. 16. They appeared in glory, partly to do honor to their Lord, partly to give the Apostles an idea of glorified bodies, which they themselves should afterwards possess in heaven, sect. 17. They talked to our Saviour about his impend- ing death, not to point out to him what he had to suffer, but that they might assert the mo- mentous truth, that the salvation of the human race depended entirely on the death of Christ, sect. 19. Adjuncts. — Drowsiness of the Apostles. — This might have happened because it was night, or because they were fatigued with ascending the mountain, or from the length of Christ's prayers, sect. 20. Tiie proposal of Peter was inconsiderate, but proceeded from a love of his master and zeal for his service. It must be delightful, he tliought, to continue for some time longer in the enjoyment of such celestial society ; and with a view of discovering the will of the Lord, he said, " It is good that we should remain here," sect. 23 and 24. The bright cloud was a symbol of the Divine Presence, while it served to shroud God's glory. Its brightness was contrasted with the darkness and terror that accompanied the descent of Je- hovah on former occasions, pointing out the mild character of the New Dispensation. It also sei-ved to prevent the Apostles from looking into mysteries, by observing what became of the glorified bodies of Moses and Elias, sect. 30. The words tliat were heard to proceed from the cloud, are extremely emphatic al and impor- tant — " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear ye him." These words contain a declaration of the glorious nature of Christ, joined with an injunction to obey him — " Hear ye Him :" i. e. Hear Him alone ; where there is a tacit contrast witli Moses and Elias. Christ indeed came to confirm the Law and the Prophets ; but he came in a cliaracter so trans- cendently elevated, that the twinkling sparks of the Old Covenant were absorbed in the blaze of his Gospel, sect. 3^3. The sum and substance of the Gospel is con- tained in this concise declaration from above. We are herein told who and what He is, whom the Father appointed for the Saviour of the human race ; His Only Son ; the object of his love ; dear beyond all created beings, sect. 34. A most consoling truth ; since the only Sen of God, for our sakes, was consigned to such cruel tortures and so dreadful a death, sect. 35. Sequel. — Fear of the Apostles. — This might arise from the awful sound of the Voice which they heard ; but it was chiefly occasioned by visible symbols of the presence of the Divine Majesty, sect. 39. They saw no one but Jesus only. It was not fit that Moses and Elias should remain on the earth any longer, as their ministry was not to be confounded and mixed with that of Christ and with the apostolic functions, sect. 42. The Apostles were commanded by Christ not to divulge what they had seen till after his resurrection. The following reasons are as- sioTied : — Clirist was at tliat time in his state of llj NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. rPA»T i^. hmnDiatxHi, and he erer cfMndncted himself vith a modesty agieeahle to that state : He therefixe aroided ererr tTn«^ of dis|daT. The Aposdes were not jet qualified to pobl^i diese things, hy power giren them from above. If they had d(Mie so, they would not hare been b^ered by the Jew3, ontil after a mtxe pobfic demcnstza- ti<Mi of bis glofy. in his Fesmrection and ascen- sion, sect. 43. The fideli^ of the Apostles cm this occaaaai is ptaisewordnr : ahhoogfa tfaCT dilated widi each other what the lesonectkm finn the dead migte mean, y^ tiiey scropoloo^ obserred the injnnctkm cf secrecy, sect- 45. Such is the teief oodine of Witsiur learned IVtatiae am ffte Tram^gmiiam. He has oniit- ted, howerer, to notice tiie peculiar cirranEtance related Mark ix. 15., that the pe<^e who bdield oar &Tioar coming fitm die monntain were amazed at his ajqiearance. Doddndge a^^^~ widi the conjectore of Whitby, tint it is pr; :- able oor Ltwd's iace sh<Hie with rays of g'- : .— . as tiie face of Moses did when he came c from the meant. Pilkicgtrai likewise pn^cse^ die same idea, as if it was ^itirely his c^n. "Ihqpeto be excosed,- he says, -in offer j ac uaj ect u re to ilhistrate an esjse^min xias sectMH!, which hath goieialh- been passed over by die conmentaSiss without any remark. It is hoe said, that the people were gres.'ly amazed when tfa^ bddd Jesos coming onto them; and no sati^ctssT account hath beer: given of their sar[Htise cft astmi^mient : ^ I am induced to think, proceeded fi*: rays of die hearenly gl«y, whidh yet re ^ : ^ our Sarioar, and were TisiUe unto them. ^Vf cannot now well read of die ^eop- greatly amazed at the aght cf hrm. - recollecting what happoied to Moses, had been moxe iramediati^ in the Dirine Pres- ence: that, at his return to the pec^ie, the sJfin (^ his &ce ^mie so, tiat Aaroo and the chil- dren c^ Isael were afraid to coaie nigh hkn, £xod. xxxir. :jO. And the reader may fikewise oliserre, tliai the wad IziftscaSaoaa, widdi is here tran^ated, 'to be gready amazed,' is leed by St. Mark, in anodier place, to agnij^, par- *" '^'t, the beinv astonisjied andtenified at ^ -OS and sopesnatmal aT?peiraace," chao. xn.5i,6. Inadfitkm to these remziks,i£ mass be ob- enred, that there woe tradjtkms amoi^ &e Jews;, that Mcses and Bias dioDld letntn to earth during the reign of the Mesaah. — Schoet- gen, to prove dik, quotes D t i mm grft». sect. a &L 255. 2. and Tlndbaao, ici. '^ 1. Bans H h rm t t t, voL 1. p. 14S. It may be remarked here, that one ETangei- kt, in relating die traa^gnnticm, states:, dnt JesiK wait up into the nw w intain ax days after die pcerioas cooveisatioD (vide the pieoedi^ section]!, and by another that it was eight days. This ^screpancT is eaaly reconciled. St. Mat- thew marfa the iz---:^il : -- s: whereas SL Luke ::Ti : i^ on which the CC'Z- T -- :: - _- likewise on which - - i^-rr^ - : r : making diereby e _ - Thede^rfP- : l: - At appear to be get- pose, diat as S4. I ^ _-^ _ __.:^ _ ^ = :- cum^ance in the nndst of he nam- ~t. _ f disofiles were a^e^ dnrii^ the tii toaubJigiuation, and wUIe Moses and Z oonv^tang with our Laid. The pass : . Luke nm^ be conadeied as in a pE^- and seems to in^ that the Aposdes adeep most pnibaUy frvra frtigoe, tiiT t ascent, or, as otfaexs si^poee, from the length of time in vkidi oor Losd coBfiBned in faayex: Whatever migte have been die caose^ thqr were certainly awoke from their ledncgy by jloty that SDnunnded tke^ ^ vn his Omdem^talmmmf has afeo r ^ : : r tanaiia on the tiuh f eU, of the - - z^ He arranges Ins - --I'-ie.] C :: 3i!al thoi^his OB tke vaxi- : ".: ■- rLi_z^f:.::T beautiftl*. Note Ji— Paat IT. Tsz - 5s of the A is iJEPsd^d :hat xfK eon- .. And «-. vioch with exist feo- 7 obe3Fed. yeais afrer - Acq -rd -«)- tney by the u- getfaer it : : The prejudice contiBaed : : oar LonTs resmxection. > : xxL 2t'_ -sevexalthoosat- . . yet were all xeakias of &e Law." A: the sa^pMaoa that Si. Pa tanght otfaos to f - > ^^ Us life in most in occaamed h^ nr Acts xxl 2b No wonder, then. - - e alence on he A. - _ :: ^ s rainistiT, OB the SDbiect of the aJc e Law of Mcees. — ^Bt^up Portetf *s ijcd«nt, p. oo. * HalTs CmttmpUtitms, Wmis. Ftit.'s Lcadoa e«fiti«i. 10 Tofc. Svw. vmL n. f- 3r4- — See »L=o Pcr- teizs's W^ris. YoL T. kcfie 15. Dr. Hobes also, ki;^ De^ c£ WinrhpstPT. the CeOabor of the Sep- taagiBt, in a samon, jat^JLhc d at OxSxd. 14**, kisexpcessed the same opiuoas as &aee of Bishop Portevs. — ^Witesios. Mtltttmtitm Iriiwrntim^ Diss. ir. at Gmtf- im Mmb, p. 215.— Wiitbr i» l:c — Doddndse, Fmm- Enimt. sect. SO aad 91.— KIk.-r- ton. ErmmS Hist- r ' - ?5l. — Schoe< g ea, Hmrw AriraMW, vol. i- p- . ^ - Isorz 24.-3i] XOTIS OX THE GOSPELS. Note 24.-^a«t IV. *119 or rDirrrzil rarrir^, ro^bti hzi-i rx'i: tie liLiii f..T.---n:. : ~. tire ■^n: sai.e ^'3 life: tiie to joi^s^ Ite tnnt; ami ~ AsdosiBe of k:- Ms n. of li^ AsgaSa^, ovel, z^ saTinv 'vas lad fion ifesi. — .'. able — daer mdesslood it -< :<-.. cf tike atea»^ tTpea,«r: " _ and j^tiin i^ was not tiw Mti a g M y .1^ r • " vere Ihoc ~ - . 3»e vasfeD :.-- t^eir C4WHliv»en, a. stei. tsi it -win ewar fce, foci - asd tD all vlio asaof ""'^ tiiv, )agx— ipl m wSj zj tes: HnmaB icascs : : it i= fi 35 UZi- 103) k8sjas% :-rr tayrfates It "was. '»ri^ ' Exod. -^e ser- ISmx ^^—Pamt TV. CsextxK. Mes- XoTX 25.— PiST IT. H; CI our Ivara ■w~b5 £ t&e rfcaTartPiEiac tiat =€ Tse :. J. tk2 \n COC" ssT ortTB. ^ viack I caa pp: .-:??i Tfcy oo hoc -^ ~a»=*a'*r<» cf tke _ ers- a>e« -aat T< igt ^ S uifUuK . EbnHArmL-x, 120* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part IV. likewise to the Evangelists, as I will illustrate by the following instance: — St. Matthew, ch. xviii. 1-14., and^St. Mark, ch. ix. 33-50., relate the same transaction, but in dilferent points of view, and for that reason appear, at first sight, to contradict each other. St. Matthew says, " At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, and said, ' Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven ? ' " St. Mark, on the contrary, " He came to Capernaum, and being in the house, he asked them, 'What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way ? ' But they held their peace : for by tlie way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest." According to St. Matthew, the disciples themselves lay the subject of their dispute before Jesus for his de- cision : but, according to St. Mark, they even refuse to relate the subject of their dispute, though Jesus requested it, because they were conscious to themselves that it would occasion a reproof. The question is, how these accounts are to be reconciled. Without entering into the various solutions which have been given by the commentators, I shall only observe, that, as this transaction relates to a matter of dispute among the disci- ples, it has of course two different sides, and is therefore capable of two different representa- tions. Some of the disciples laid claim to the title of the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, among whom we may probably reckon Peter, Avith the two sons of Zebedee, James and John. These could hardly expect to escape a reproof, and were undoubtedly ashamed, when ques- tioned as to the subject of their dispute. Other disciples, on the contrary, may be considered as the party attacked, who, without claiming the first rank for themselves, might yet think it unjust to be treated as inferiors, since they all appeared to be equal. The latter had less reason to fear a reproof, since the pure morality of Christ, which teaches that every action must be estimated by the motives which gave it birth, was not then fully understood by his disciples. In their outward behaviour, at least, there was nothing unreasonable ; and, without being guilty of a breach of propriety, they might lay their complaints before their Master, and re- quest his decision. It is probable that St. Mat- thew was of this party, since a man, who was by profession a tax-gatherer, and never particu- larly distinguished himself among the apostles, would have hardly supposed that he sliould become the first in the kingdom of God. He relates the transaction, tlierefore, as one of that party to which he belonged. St. Mark, on the contrary, who derived information from St. Peter, considers the matter from an opposite point of view. Let us suppose the full state of the case to be as follows. Some of the disciples, who were of the diffi- dent party, and laid no claim to the first rank. bring the matter before Christ, with the same kind of indignation as was displayed by ten of the apostles on another occasion, Matt. xx. 24. Christ reserves tlie decision of tlie dispute till they were entered into the house, where they were accustomed to meet ; he then calls his disciples together, and inquires into the subject of their dispute, to which Peter, James, John, and those in general who had claim to pre- eminence make no answer. If tlie transaction was literally as here described, it is by no means impossible that Matthew and Mark might con- sider it from different points of view, and write Avhat Ave find in their Gospels Avithout the least violation of truth. The one relates one part and the other another part of the transaction ; but neither of them relates the whole. If Ave read a fcAv verses further in St. Mark's Gospel, we find a circumstance recorded of St. John, Avhich St. MatthcAV passes over in silence, and from Avhich it appears that St. John Avas more concerned in this dispute than most of the otlier disciples. He even ventured, when Christ, with a view of introducing a perfect equality among his disciples, said, "Whosoever shall receive one of tliese children in my name, re- ceiveth me," to doubt of the universality of this position, alleging, that persons of unexception- able character might appeal to the name of Jesus, and giving an instance of one Avho had cast out devils in his name, Avhom the apostles had rebuked, Mark ix. 37-38. This again occasioned replies from Christ; Avhich, though they are mentioned by St. Matthew, have in liis Gospel a different appearance, and are attend- ed with less perspicuity than they are in St. Mark's Gospel, because St. MatthcAv has not related the causes which gave them birth. — Marsh's Michadis, vol. iii. part 1. p. 6-9. Note 27.— Part IV. This is one of the most difficult passages in the NeAV Testament. Beza and Mr. Gilpin suppose it to mean, " Every Christian is purified by the difficult or fiery trials of life, in the same manner as {xul for &g, as in John xiv. 20. and Mark x. 12.) every sacrifice is salted Avith salt." Macknight would read, " Every Christian is salted and prepared (tti;^)) for the fire," (in the dative, as 2 Pet. iii. 7.) i. e. by tlie apostles for the fire of the altar, i. e. as a holy sacrifice to God. Whitby Avould render in this manner, " Every Avicked man shall be so seasoned by the fire itself, as to become unconsumable ; and shall endure for ever to be tormented." Grotius, "Every Avicked man shall be con- sumed, like the whole burnt sacrifice, yet Avith unquenchable fire." Liohtfoot and Doddridge, "He that is a true Note 28. 1.-3.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *121 sacrifice to God shall be seasoned with the salt of grace, to the incorruption of glory ; and every victim to divine justice shall be salted with fire, to endure for ever." Clarke, in his Paraphrase, thus interprets this verse, " For as every burnt oifering under the Law was first salted with salt, and tlien consumed by fire ; so every one who has been instructed in the doctrine of the Gospel, if when he is tried, he shall be found deficient, or not seasoned, he shall be destroyed by the eternal fire of the divine wrath." And he then observes in a note from Lc Clerc, that the emphasis of the comparison lies in the ambiguity of the word nSo"', Avhicli signifies both, shall be salted, and shaU be destroyed. As every sacrifice is salted, nSo', with salt, so every apostate shall be destroyed, nSo' (in the otlier signification of the word) with fire. Schoetgen supposes that an allusion is made to tlie salt, or bitumen, with which the sacrifices were sprinkled, that they might burn more easily. He also interprets the passage, " that as every sacrifice must be prepared for the altar, by the salt which was set apart for that purpose, so ought Christians to be imbued with the heavenly virtues, to become a living sac- rifice to God." He renders the word x«i by qucmadmodum, on the authority of Noldius. Schoetgen, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 249. Elsley, and Clarke's Paraphrase in loc. Note 28.— Part IV. In this passage also our Lord reasserts his Divinity. The Jews were accustomed to say, that the Shechinah was present where ten were assembled to study the Law. The Shechinah was considered as the emblem and the resi- dence of God. It was used also in some in- stances as the name of God. Our Lord here assumes to himself the powers and honors which the Jews attributed to the Shechinah. — Schoetgen, Hor, Heb. vol. i. p. 153. and Gill in loc. PART V. Note I. — Part V. Note 2.— Part V. There is very little difference of opinion be- tween the harmonizers as to the place of this section. Michaelis, indeed, does not attempt to insert it in its probable order, but connects it arbitrarily with the mission of the Twelve, as a parallel event. Lightfoot endeavours to prove that our Lord commissioned the Seventy, on his way to Jerusalem, to keep the feast of Tabernacles. He supposes, too, that they re- turned to our Lord within a very short time, even before Christ left Jerusalem. His prin- cipal arguments are derived from tlie expres- sion fisT& TuvTa, Luke x. 1., and that in John vii. 10., that he went not up to the feast openly : from whence he concludes that the Seventy had been previously dismissed. Pilkington places this event about the same time, partly on account of the latter argument. Doddridge and Newcome would refer it also to this period ; but at a longer interval, before tlie feast : and Doddridge observes, that tlie space between the feast of Tabernacles and the feast of Dedication affords but little time for his proposed circuit round Galilee after the mission of tlie Seventy. Lightfoot's last argument has con- siderable weight with all. VOL. II. *]6 Moses, in the Levitical dispensation, direct- ed that six should be returned from each of the twelve tribes (whether as a permanent or tem- porary council is disputed) to assist him in the government of the people ; and these seventy- two are generally called the Seventy. Light- foot, Selden, and Whitby assert that the San- hedrin were rightly called the Seventy, Moses himself being the president, and making the seventy-first. The same difference of opinion prevails respecting the number sent forth by our Lord. Origen and Epiphanius make them seventy- two ; Tertullian and Jerome seventy, as do also Clemens Alexandrinus and Irenseus. Note 3.— Part V. This section is placed here upon the united authorities of Newcome, Pilkington, and Dod- dridge. Lightfoot inserts John vii. 2. to 10. in his fifty-sixth section, before the mission of the Seventy ; and ver. 10. in a separate section with Luke ix. 51. to the end. He has done *K 122* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part V. this on the supposition that the Seventy were sent forth on the road to Jerusalem, but not in Galilee. The difference between Lightfoot and the other harmonizers, however, is so slight, that it seemed to require but little notice. I have placed Matt xix. 1. and Mark x. 1. at the end of this section, in their most probable natural order, and on the authority of Pilkington. Note 4. — Part V. The brethren of our Lord had long seen his miracles, and were satisfied, either that he was the Messiah, or a great prophet ; and they were desirous that his claims and miraculous powers should be manifested to the world. They could not reconcile the unostentatious and hiunble life of their Master with his extraordi- nary display of divine attributes. And, perhaps for a better confirmation of their faith under these doubts, they use every argument to persuade our Saviour to go to Judtea, that his wonderful works might be generally known and witnessed. But they understood not that his hour was not yet come ; and, to avoid giving offence, or attracting attention, he followed his brethren to the feast in the most private man- ner. This I consider the probable meaning of the passage. Diodati, Clarke in his Para- phrase, and Lightfoot, vary in their interpre- tation. Diodati supposes his brethren did not believe with sufficient firmness to enable them to undergo danger : Clarke, that his brethren imagined that he wished to become the leader of a party : Lightfoot, the same in eflfect as that which is here adopted. This section gives a lively picture of the divisions among the Jews respecting Christ. They saw his miracles — they heard his teach- ing — they were generally acquainted with his history. Yet they could not reconcile what they saw with their preconceived notions of the Messiah. They rejected his claims, and could not comprehend the spiritual meaning of our Lord's language. The Christian's peculiar happiness and privilege is to see fulfilled, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, all the various predictions of the ancient prophets, which appear at first sight so inconsistent and so irreconcilable. Note 5. — Part V. These sections are inserted here on the concurrent testimony of Lightfoot, Newcome, Doddridge, and Pilkington. They are inserted by Michaelis in an appendix, as belonging to the period which begins with the miracle of the feeding the five thousand, and ends with the request of the mother of Zebedee's children. Note 6. — Part V. The Jews, both from their traditions and their prophecies, expected that their Messiah should be born in Bethlehem. As our Lord's mother remained so short a time at Bethlehem afler our Saviour's birth, it is not surprising that they should have forgotten this circumstance, afler more than thirty years had elapsed. Note 7. — Part V. How beautiful is the contrast between the humility of our Lord, and the half-literary, half- spiritual pride of the Jews. Christ, whose knowledge of all things, both in heaven and earth, was superior to that of men and angels, and of which the human intellect cannot form an idea, even when it shall be elevated and enlarged in the next stage of our existence, condescended to tlie lowest of the people, and called all who were meek and lowly, " his friends." The Pharisees, on the contrary, mistook knowledge for religion, and believed in the future happiness of the learned, and the condemnation of the ignorant. Those who had not devoted themselves to the study of the Law were called inxn tZJ;*, the people of the earth ; and these were contrasted with the r-ijr tynip, the holy people: they considered the people of the earth as cursed''. All mankind, like the Pharisees of old, seem to be intent upon despising each other. The learned contemn the ignorant ; the gay, the sorrowful ; the rich, the poor ; and fashion violently breaks asunder the nearest and dearest ties of relationship, where the deficien- cy of wealth is felt. In this world, pride, rank, and affluence, claim the preeminence ; in the other, the highest rewards of heaven are prom- ised to the most humble and the most meek, whether they be rich or poor. God prefers the heart to the head ; piety, to parts and capacity ; and is much better pleased with the right use of the will, than the advantage of the understanding''. Note 8. — Part V. The genuineness of this passage has been much controverted. The arguments on each side of the question may be seen at great length in Kuinoer, who has decided in favor " Thoy had a saying, whinli is preserved in Pirlic Ahiith, c. ii. 5. TOH r~\xn ajf xS pithciiis non est plus. — Schnetgi'ii, Hor. Hcb. vol. i. p. 'M'hi. ' Spoken of Edward tlie Confessor, by Collier Ecclcs. Hist., vol. i. p. 225. ' Comment, in Libras Histur. N. T., vol. iii. p. 2SG Note 9.-11.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. 123 of its authenticity. Erasmus, Calvin, Beza, Grotius, Le Clerc, Wetstein, Semler, Schulze, Morus, Ilaenlein, Wegscheider, Paulus, Schmidt, and Titman have impugned its au- thenticity ; and, on the opposite side of the question, may be ranked Mill, Whitby, Ileu- man, Micha^lis, Storr, Langius, Detmersius, and others, with Lightfoot, Dr. A, Clarke, Mr. Nolan, and Mr. Home. Dr. Doddridge'' has justly observed, that the Pharisees who brought the woman to Christ wished to render him obnoxious either to the people or to the Romans. If he con- demned the woman to death, it would be con- sidered as intruding upon tlie judicial authority of the Romans : if he acquitted her altogether, it would be considered as sanctioning a viola- tion of the Jewish Law. On the propriety of our Lord's conduct, in the circumstances here recorded. Bishop Law ob- serves", when the woman said to be apprehend- ed in adultery is brought before our Lord, merely with a malicious view of drawing him into a difficulty, whatever determination he should give (ver. G.), we find him stooping down, and writing on the ground. Where it is ob- servable, that all that he does was in as exact conformity as the place would admit to the trial of the adulterous wife prescribed by God in Numb. v. 11, &c., where the priest was to stoop down and take some of the dust from the floor of the tabernacle (ver. 17.); and likewise write out of the curses denounced upon that occasion (ver. 25.) By that act, therefore, Christ de- clares himself willing to take cognizance of this affair, if tliey were willing to abide the consequence, viz. according to their own traditions, to be involved in the same curse if they proved equally guilty : on which account this way of trial was abolished by the Sanhe- drin about that very time ; since that sin, say the Jews, grew then so very common. It is like- wise probable that Christ might, by his coun- tenance and gesture, show those hypocrites how well he was aware both of their ill design in thus demanding judgment from him, and of their own obnoxiousness to the same punish- ment which Moses' Law appointed for that crime, and which, through a pretended zeal, tliey took upon themselves the power of exe- cuting, though they were no less guilty of the very same sin, as is most probably implied in his words to them. Note 9. — Part V. Our Lord here claims one of the titles given by the Jews to the Deity. Tanchuma, fol. 63. 3. and Bammidbar Rabba, sect. 15. fol. 229. 1. "* Famihj Expositor, vol. i. p. 527. ' Reflections on the Life of Christ, 12mo. 1803, London, p. 75, 76. note. The same work is gen- erally printed at the end of the Theory of Religion. The Israelites said to God, " Holy, blessed, Lord of the whole world, oSi;; Sb' nj Nin nnx. ' Thou art the light of the world.' " If our Lord applied the word in this sense, he made liimself equal with God. But the expression was some- times used also as a title of honor to Moses ; whom the Jews called aSipn mx, " the light of the world :" if our Lord referred to this custom, he made himself equal to Moses, as the founder of a new dispensation. — Schoetgen, vol. i. p. 366. and Tzerot Hamvwr, fol. 114. 3. ap. Gill, vol. iii. p. 474- Note 10. — Part V. Had our Lord been younger than the age at which the priests assumed tlieir office, the Jews would have charged him with presumption, ignorance, or vanity. His exalted love, his gen- erous compassion, his fervent piety would have been attributed to inexperience, to the sallies of imagination, or to the youthful ardor of the passions. His virtues would have been as- sociated in their minds with extravagance or romance, with enthusiasm or superstition. His pity and forbearance would have been consid- ered as the effect of mere feeling, or weakness ; his austerity as unnatural, presumptuous, and morose. Had our Lord, on the other hand, been an old man, it would have been said, He had lost all interest or concern in those objects and pur- suits which kindle the most active and extensive desires ; that he saw things with different views from human beings in general ; that he had outlived the remembrance of the peculiar trials and temptations of early life, and made not proper allowances for the infirmities of others. Some might have reminded him, that the wisdom and experience of age were incompatible with the sprightliness and gayety of youth ; others might have deemed his opposition to the vices and corruption of the times, as proceeding from the love of singularity, or desire of distinction. His patience and forbearance might have been attributed to a deficiency of energy and spirit ; and even his resignation in the hour of death, to the want of the power of enjoyment among the living ; and, if he had delayed the work of his ministry to a later period, the question would have been asked, why he had deferred so long the reformation of a sinful arid degenerate people. — See on this subject, a Sermon by Mr. Hewlett, On the Duties of Middle Life, vol. iii. p. 278. Note 11. — Part V. As the end of our Lord's ministry approaches, He proclaims, in still plainer language, that He possessed the attributes and characters of the Messiah. John, in the commencement of ii24* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part V. his Gospel, had asserted the preexistence of Christ ; and our Lord in this passage declares the same truth. It appears to me, that our Lord here alludes to his eternity, as well as to his preexistence. The passage may mean, " I not only exist at this moment; but before Abraham was, I exist." I am the self-existent ; the same Being which in your Scriptures of the Old Testament is known as the " I am," of your fathers. The schoolmen rightly represent the eternity of God as apundum sinns ; or, as Cowley expresses the idea, in his description of heaven — " Nothing is there to come, and nothing past, But an eternal Now does always last." And Dr. Watts— " God fills his own eternal Now, And sees our ages waste." And Archbishop King has well described the Deity, as having neither remembrance of the past, nor foreknowledge of the future, but as ieing ever existing in all places, and ever en- during throughout all time. Therefore what- ever has, or is, or can, or will be, form but One present. Sir Isaac Newton, in his Scholium Gcnerale, has expressed his notion of a Deity much in the same manner, but in the most sublime and expressive language. Alike con- scious of the past, the present, and the future, our Lord asserts that such is his mode of ex- istence, and claims the attributes of Deity to the same extent as they appertained to his heavenly Father. The general body of Christians have under- stood this passage as a plain declaration on the part of our Lord, that He did not begin to exist at the time when he assumed a human body in the form of an infant, but that he existed before the time of Abraham. It is the belief of the Christian Church, and it was the faith also of the ancient Jews, that the Word of God, their Messiah, existed before his permanent incarnation. He existed before the creation of the world, when he was One with the Father; He existed also after the creation of the world, as the Angel Jehovah. It will not be possible, in these notes, to discuss the various misinterpretations to which the Socinian writers have resorted to explain away the grammatical sense of this and other passages of Scripture, which assert the Divinity of Christ. The expression, however, " Before Abraham was, I Am," or before Abraham ex- isted, I exist, is so satisfactory and so decisive that it might have been supposed to have set the question at rest for ever. But the sup- porters of the Socinian heresy have, at various times, employed all their ingenuity and learning to give another interpretation to these words — and have presented the world with such a selec- tion of absurd and contradictory illustrations, as to draw upon them the undivided censure of their mildest opponent. Dr. Pye Smith, who seems to write every sentence of his reply to Mr. Belsham with a smile, an apology, or a bow, condemns the interpretation of this passage as trifling, and absolute folly. Archbishop Magee, in the higher tone of dignified rebuke, which becomes a champion of the truth, chastises the ignorance or blasphemy, of the Socinian heresy, with more unsparing severity. TJijlv 'AdQa&jn ■ysviadcti, iyo) elfii, are the words in the original. Tliis is translated by Socinus: "Before Abraham can be Abraham, the Father of many nations, I must be, that is, the Messiah, or Saviour of the world." Faustus Socinus, the nephew of the heresiarch, tells us, that his uncle obtained this meaning by divine inspiration — non sine rnultis precibus ipsius, Jesu nomine invocato, impetravit ipse. This interpre- tation, however, is relinquished by Socinians of a later age, who consider, with Grotius, that Christ meant only to assert that he was before Abraham in tlie decree of God^. Note 12.— Part V. These sections, from seven to eighteen in- clusive, with the exception of some few pas- sages, which on various authorities are placed elsewhere, are inserted here, on the united tes- timony of the five harmonizers, by whom I am principally guided. They contain an account of the actions of our Lord from the feast of Tabernacles to that of the Dedication. Several chapters of St. Luke relate events which are not recorded by the other Evangelists, and these are generally referred to the period which elapsed between the mission of the Seventy and Christ's apprehension. This period included both the feast of Tabernacles and the Dedication, and it is very difficult, perhaps im- possible, to ascertain precisely the exact order of the events here mentioned, and to decide at which of these feasts they took place. The difficulty is further increased by the question, whether St. John's Gospel is to be read witli these chapters of St. Luke, continuously from chap, vii. 11. to the conclusion of chap, x., or the eighth be divided from the ninth and tenth : that is, whether tlie healing of the man who was born blind, was effected by our Lord at the / Cowley's Davideis, book i. — Watts's Hymns. — Archbishop King's Sermons, published at the end of his 8vo. edit, of the Origin of Evil. — Sir Isaac Newton's Schoiiiim Generala, printed at the end of the Prinripi.a. — Allix, On the Judgment of the Jnc- ish Church against iJie Unitarians, chap. xv. Oxford edition, p. 1)^7, &c. — Dr. Pye Sinitli, On the Scrip- Ivre Tistimony to the Mr.-^siah, vol. ii. p. 186. — Magee, On the Moncment. piirticularly the notes to vol. ii. ])art ii. — Socinus cuntni Kntrop. toiii. ii. p. (578. ap. Suiith. — And for a further account of Wakefield's, Priestley's, :ui(l Belshain's criticisms, see Archbishop Magee, vol. i. p. bl-b8. Note 13.-15.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. * 125 feast of Tabernacles, or at the feast of Dedica- tion. I have principally observed the order proposed by Licfhtfoot, excepting that some passages are arbitrarily inserted elsewhere, on the authority of Newcome and others. Archbishop Newcome places John ix. 10, before these chapters of St. Luke. He then proceeds with the interruptions before alluded to, from Luke x. 17. to Luke xviii. 14. Doddridge inserts the cure of the blind man, John ix. 10., at the feast of the Dedication, as Lightfoot has done, but continues the chapters of St. Luke to chap, xviii. 14., not perceiving sufficient reason to change the order. Pilkington differs from Lightfoot, and arranges John vii. 11. to x. 22. before Luke x. 17., and continuing as far as chap. xiii. 23., he again proceeds to John x. 22. By this means he affixes the cure of the blind man to the feast of Tabernacles. Michaelis seems to have laid aside, in this part of his Harmony, every attempt to reconcile difficulties. He inserts these chapters of St. John in one supplement, and those of St. Luke in another. Note 13.— Part V. The Seventy receive their commission in Galilee, some time before the feast of Taber- nacles. The exact period of their going out, and of their return, is uncertain ; it is most probable, however, as the Jews were accus- tomed to go up to the feast, that they were pro- ceeding to Jerusalem, and met our Lord return- ing from the feast, in consequence of the oppo- sition of the Jewish rulers to his person and teaching. Note 14. — Part V. '/?*' TGJi v6fm ji yiyqanttti, ; n(bg dvayD'omxeig ; there seems to be some abruptness in this ques- tion. Our Saviour, in his reply to the lawyer, is supposed by Heinsius°, to refer him to the texts Deut. vi. 5. and Levit. xix. 18., which were joined together by the Jews, as a com- pendium of the whole Law, and repeated twice every day in the synagogue ; Kuinoel'% that tlie word ttS? must be rendered as tI, what^ as, " What readcst thou in the Law ? " and that he pointed at the same time with his finger to the lawyer's phylactery, on wliich the words of his answer were written. Whenever an opportunity presented itself, our Lord replied to every question proposed to liim by the Jews, by an allusion to their estab- lished laws and customs. ^ Excrc. Sacr. p. 153. '' Kuinool, In Lib. Hist. JY. T. Comment, vol. ii. p. !.5S. VOL. II. Note 15.— Part V. In attempting to discover the sense of a para- ble, we are required to take into consideration the purpose for which it was delivered, and the circumstances that occasioned it. We find here that the lawyer, wishing to justify himself, and considering that he had observed this Law, as far as it related to the Jews, whom only he acknowledges as his neighbours, inquires, "Who is my neighbour?" Our Lord answers the question by a parable, in which the duties we owe to our neighbour are forcibly defined, and the extent of those duties pointedly demon- strated. We are taught that not only our ac- quaintance, our friends and countrymen, are included under this term, but that our very ene- mies, when in distress, are entitled to our sympa- thy, our mercy, and our best exertions for their relief. The Jews held the Samaritans in utter abhorrence ; in order therefore to impress the mind of the inquirer more fully, our Saviour obliges the lawyer to reply to his own question ; for he was compelled to acknowledge that he who showed mercy on him was his neighbour. Our Lord, having represented to him the extent of the Law, commands him to follow the ex- ample of the good Samaritan, and to go and do likewise. The circumstances mentioned in this parable are, by many, considered as real ; the road from Jerusalem to Jericho lay through a desert infested by robbers, and which was prin- cipally frequented by priests and Levites, in their journeyings from the latter to the former place. The parable itself has been variously interpreted, and by some commentators it is supposed to relate only to the compassionate love of Christ (who was called by the Jews a Samaritan) to mankind. In whatever way we consider it, the duty it inculcates is most evident, and the parable must be regarded as a beautiful ex- emphfication of the Law "loving our neigh- bour as ourselves," without any distinction of person, country, or party. Jones, with other commentators, has given a fanciful illustration of this parable ; and several of the primitive fathers have adopted similar accommodations. They suppose the certain man to signify Adam — went down from Jerusalem, his fall — thieves, sin and Satan — half -dead, dead in the spirit, his better part — the priest, the moral — the Levite, the ceremonial, Law, which could not affiird relief — a certain Samaritan, Christ — the inn, tlie Church — the two-pence, the Law and the Gospel; or (as others conjecture, the two Sacraments), the Host, the Ministers of the Gospel, with this promise, that whatever they shall spend more in health, or life, or ex- ertion, shall be amply repaid, when Christ, tlie good Samaritan, shall come again in glory. Lightfoot has given the same interpretation. It is necessary here to remark, by way of caution, in the words of Glassius, in his fiftli 126* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part V. rule for the interpretation of parables, " non est opus nimia cura in singulis verbis anxium esse, neque in singulis partibus adaptatio, et accom- modatio ad rem spiritualem nimis uKQidwg qu(E- renda est" — Philolog. Sacra, lib. ii. part i. tr. 2. sect. 5. p. 336, &lc. See also, on the interpre- tation of Scripture, Van Mildert's Bampton Lectures, with the valuable notes. — Marsh's Lectures, part iii. Lectures 17, 18. — Glassii, Philologia Sacra, lib. ii. part ii. sect. 1. p. 263- 288.— Lightfoot's Works. Note 16.— Part V. This section is placed by Archbishop New- come before the account of the resurrection of Lazarus. As his arguments for so doing do not appear satisfactory, I have followed the authority of Lightfoot, Pilkington, Doddridge, and Michaelis, and liave preserved the order of St. Luke's Gospel. Note ] 7.— Part V. The excellence of our Lord's manner of teaching, and the wisdom of his lessons are so evident, in the present and the following sec- tions, that there can be no necessity for entering into any discussion on this portion of the Ar- rangement. The tenth section affords us a complete picture of the admirable manner in which our Lord deduced the most impressive lessons from the most common occurrences. In the eleventh, he gives to his disciples the same perfect and beautiful form of prayer which he had previously made known to as- sembled crowds. And it is probable he was requested to do so at this time by a new convert. In the twelfth, we hear his severe and just reproof to the Pharisees, who regarded only the externals of religion, and were pleased with the homage of the multitude, and their own outward sanctity. He also encourages his disciples to acknowledge Him, to fear God rather than man, who has no power over the soul ; and he warns them, that if they deny him against the witness of their conscience before men, they shall be denied before the angels of God — and that to blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, which was to impute the actions of Christ to an evil spirit, was an unpardonable offence, never to be forgiven. That he might not excite the indignation of the Pharisees, by the exercise of temporal autliority, he refuses (sect. 14.) to decide a controversy, when applied to for that purpose ; but takes advantage of tlie opportunity to reprove covetousness, and by a most beautiful and appropriate parable, proves tiie vanity and helpless insufficiency of earthly possessions, and the uncertainty of this life, in which alone we can enjoy them. In the fifteenth section, he especially charges his dis- ciples not to be of uncertain, anxious, wandering, unsettled, distracted mind (Luke xii. 29. fii] fiereb}QiQeade, vide Kuinoel in h. v.), but to place their faith and confidence in Him who provides even for tlie birds of the air and lilies of the field. The sixteenth section is a con- tinuation of the same address, exhorting to the punctual performance of every duty, as we know not when the Son of Man cometh. In the seventeenth he again reproves the fastidious and absurd manner of keeping the Sabbath, when an act of mercy was considered a viola- tion of the Law. Note 18.— Part V. There seems to be some allusion in this para- ble to the circumstances in which our Lord was now placed. He was proceeding to Jerusalem, where he intended, as his hour was approaching, to address himself to the rulers of the Jews, with as much boldness as he had hitherto spoken to the people. He foresaw the result of this conduct ; that it would lead to his painful death, and the accomplishment of the promises of God. The future was ever present to him. As the seed was committed to the ground, and became a great tree, so in the same manner would his kingdom begin from his death, and gradually increase and extend itself over the world. Note 19.— Part V. This section contains an account of the cure of the blind man at Jerusalem. In favor of the opinion that this miracle was effected at the feast of Tabernacles, we find Pilkington, New- come, Macknight, Cradock, Bisliop Richard- son, Le Clerc, &c. That it was wrought at the feast of the Dedication, the principal authorities are Lightfoot and Doddridge, whose opinion is here preferred. Archbishop Newcome's principal reason is, that the word TiuQdywv, in John ix. 1. seems to refer to the word naQriyev, used in chap. viii. 59. To this it may be replied, that there are most powerful reasons for believing with Wetstein and Griesbach, that the last seven words of this chapter (viii.) of St. John, and the word 7r«(j?i)'5J' among the number, were not originally part of tlie Sacred Text. Lampe, however, is very in- dignant at this supposition. But the autliorities of the two former critics, united to that of Erasmus, Grotius, Mill, Semlcr, and Kuinoel, are sufficient to justify our replying to Arch- bishop Newcome's argument in this manner. But waving tills supposition, that the last clause of .lohn viii. 59. is spurious, it may be replied Note 20,21.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *127 m the words of Doddridge, "it seems much more probable that Ttuquydiv might be used without reference to naqriyEv, than to suppose that when Christ was fleeing out of the temple in tlie hasty manner described, his disciples as he passed should stop him, for the purpose of putting so nice a question as that mentioned in John ix. 2. ; or that he should stand still at such a moment to discourse with them, or to perform such a cure, in a manner so leisurely, as it is plain this was done." — Fam. Exp. vol. ii. p. 71, sect. 130. The correspondence between nuoixyotv and ■naqriyFv might be mere coincidence ; if it was intended by the inspired writer, it would be a most unaccountable deviation from the beauti- ful simplicity of his usual language. The great attention excited by this miracle, and its effects, both on the Sanhedrin and on the people, appear to be the preludes to that more universal notice which our Lord obtained, when he went up to Jerusalem for the last time. On this supposition, the feast of the Dedication would be its more probable period. In Critical Remarks on detached Passages of the JSTew Testament, by the late French Lawrence, LL.D., M.P., &c., we meet with another argu- ment in favor of the arrangement now adopted. " In John X. 22, several MSS. of good authority read Tore, instead of de. It was then at Jeru- salem," &c. instead of " and it was. This favors the idea of those harmonists who suppose the meeting with the blind man to have taken place at the feast of the Dedication. After having been obliged to hide himself, that he might escape stoning, it is not likely that Christ should appear again at Jerusalem till he went tliither to attend the next public festival." Such is the remark of a most impartial critic. Even if the reading 5e, however, remain, the 22d verse of chap. x. may still refer to the event related in the preceding as well as in the subsequent passages. Michaelis refers the contents of these sections to the general period in which all the harmoni- zers place them; but he does not enter into any details. The propriety and wisdom of our Lord's con- duct in the various instances recorded in these sections, the excellence of his lessons, and tlie manner in which he gradually developed his character and claims, seem to be so plainly nar- rated, that it is not necessary to enlarge upon each incident. For reflections on the character of our Lord as a teacher, perhaps the best work extant is that of Archbishop Newcome, entitled. Observations on our Lord's Conduct ; the best on the elevation and dignity of our Lord's charac- ter is Craig's LAfe of Christ. Besides these, however, there are very many that may be read to the greatest advantage. Bishop Law, Taylor, Stackhouse, &c. Note 20.— Part V. The Jews believed in the doctrine of the trans- migration of souls — niiyDJ SuSj. Josephus* tells us that every soul was mcorruptible and im- mortal, and that the souls of the good passed into another body, while those of the unright- eous were eternally punished. Some suppose that it was in allusion to this opinion that our Lord was imagined to have been either Elias, or Jeremiah, or some one of the prophets. The cabalists tell us, that the soul of the first man occupied the body of David, and was afterwards preserved to inhabit the body of the Messias : they deduce this important truth from the certain evidence afibrded them in the letters which compose the name of the Protoplast lIDTx. These admirable logicians inform us, tliat the first letter X signifies Adam, the second T David, the third a the Messias ; and therefore the point is proved-''. For an account of the singular opinions of the Jews, alluded to in this verse, see Light- foot, vol. ii. p. 568-9. Note 21.— Part V. Jones gives a curious interpretation of this miracle. " That the miracle (he observes) might be more instructive, a very peculiar form was given to it. Christ moulded the dust of the ground into clay, and having spread it upon the eyes of the man, he commanded him to go, and wash off this dirt in the pool of Siloam. Here the reason of the thing speaks for itself. What is this mire and clay upon the eyes, but the power tliis world has over us in shutting out the truth ? Who are the people unto whom the glorious Hght of the Gospel of Christ cannot shine, but tliey whose minds the god of this world hath blinded ? So long as this vi'orld retains its influence, the Gospel is hidden from the eyes of men ; tliey are in a lost condition, and nothing can clear them of this defilement, but the Avater of the Divine Spirit sent from above to wash it away. This seems to be the moral sense of the miracle, and a miracle thus understood becomes a sermon, tlian which none in the world can be more edifying. Our Saviour himself gives the spiritual signification of it in words which cannot be applied to a bodily cure — ' As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.' The whole world, like this man, is born blind. I am come to give it light, in proof of which I give this man his sight." — Jones On the Figurative Language of Scnpture, Works, vol. iii. p. 153. See also Jortin's Remarks on Eccl. Hist. vol. i. ' Josephus, Dc Bell. Judaico. 1. xi. c. vii. ■' Vide Witsius, jlSgyptiaca, lib. i. cap iv. sect. 10, 11. 128* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part V. Note 22.— Part V. Sect, xxiii.-xxix. These sections are referred to the same place by all the harmonizers, except- ing that Archbishop Newcome has made various transpositions of some passages, and Doddridge places them all before the feast of Dedication, and prior to his arranging John ix. 19., that he may not disturb the order of St. Luke. Note 23.— Part V. The arguments which induced Pilkington to place this section in its present position appear to me sufficiently weighty to induce me to reject the authority of the other four, who would insert it elsewhere. Lightfoot places the conversation respecting divorce after Luke xviii. 30., as he will not break in upon the sup- plementary chapters of St. Luke. Newcome, upon very insufficient grounds, has placed this conversation after the account of the resurrec- tion of Lazarus ; separating the passages Matt, xix. 3-12. and Mark x. 2-12. from Luke xvi. 18. Newcome's note. His argument from Matthew xix. L and Mark x. 1. proves nothing, as these passages are the connecting links be- tween the former and the latter parts of Christ's life. Doddridge and Michaehs also consider the passages as distinct. I have adopted Pilkington's arrangement, because the order of the other Evangelists is not thereby disturbed ; and a reason is given for the conversation itself; which would other- wise, if confined to the account in Luke xvi. 18., appear to be strangely abrupt. " In the present order," says Pilkington, " the reason is evident" why the Pharisees came and tempted Christ with this question. He had just before declared that it was easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the Law to fail. Upon which they put the case of divorces to him; concluding that he would resolve it contrary to the then existing Law; or more properly, as Doddridge observes (note to sect. 135, Family Expositor), contrary to the received interpretation of the Law by the school of Hillel, who had taught the people that divorces might be permitted for comparatively trivial causes." St. Mark place this section after their account of the decision of our Lord respecting divorces. I follow their authority, therefore, in observing the present order. Lightfoot, Newcome, Dod- dridge, and Michaelis, have arranged the sections on the same plan. Note 24. — Part V. Pilkington is anxious, on all occasions, to preserve the order of St. Luke, and he has not therefore followed a rule of harmonizing, which in the great majority of instances is a safe guide. The concurrent order of two Evangelists is preferable to the arrangement adopted by one only. Both St. Matthew and Note 25. — Part V. Sect, xxxii., xxxiii. These sections con- tinue the order of the supplementary chapters in St. Luke's Gospel, which had been inter- rupted by the insertion of the corresponding passages from St. Matthew and St. Mark, in the last two sections. Tlie five harmonizers are unanimous in placing them in their present position. Note 26.— Part V. There is much difference of opinion among the harmonizers concerning the particular journey in which the conversation related in this section took place. Lightfoot supposes that the journey of Christ to Jerusalem, here mentioned by St. Luke, is the same with that in John vii. 10. Archbishop Newcome places it after the feast of the Dedication, sub- sequent to Christ's completion of his last pro- gress round Galilee, and before his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Newcome's arrangement of this section is here adopted, therefore, in preference to that of Lightfoot. Doddridge has referred this conversation also to the same period. Michaelis does not decide the point ; and Pilkington, in his aixxiety to preserve the order of St. Luke's Gospel, has not changed its position, but refers it to the same journey. If the word uvuXi\ii/ig, Luke ix. 51., as Schleusner, Doddridge, the ancient versions, and by far the greater majority of critics assert, signifies the ascension into heaven, it would fix the period of the circumstance in question to this last journey of our Lord to Jerusalem. Note 27.— Part V. Sect, xxxv.-xxxviii. These sections, whicli follow the order of St. Luke's narrative, are placed in their present position on the united autliorities of the five harmonizers, whose labors have principally assisted me in tliis Ar- rangement. Note 28.— Part V. This section resumes the order of St. Mat- thew and St. Mark, as well as continues that Note 9^-32.] NOTES ON THP] GOSPELS. =129 of St. Luke. The event related in it is placed laere by Lightfoot, who follows the order of St. Luke ; and by Newcome also, who makes the conversation on divorce, and the blessing the children, immediately to precede it. Dod- dridge, Pilkington, and Michaelis, give it also its present place. Note 29.— Part V. "In the New Dispensation which I have now begun to establish — Ye which have now fol- lowed me in my despised and afflicted state shall be exalted to glory in the triumphant reign of the Messiah, which shall be eventually established in the world." — See Bishop Blom- field on a Knowledge of Jewish Tradition essen- tial, &c., notes ; the discussion of Whitby on this point ; and the passage in Lightfoot, to wliich he refers. Note 30.— Part V. The expression here used is supposed to refer to the manner in which the Romans select- ed men for recruiting their armies. The honor of being chosen to serve their country in a military capacity was esteemed the reward of superiority. The consuls summoned to the capitol, or the Campus Martins, all citizens capable of bearing arms, from tJie age of seven- teen to forty-five. They drew up by tribes, and lots were drawn to determine in what order every tribe should present its soldiers. That which wastlie first order chose the four citizens who were judged the most proper to serve in the war ; and the six tribunes who commanded the first legion selected one of these four, whom they liked best. The tribunes of the second and third legions likewise made their choice one after another; and he that remained en- tered into the fourth legion. A new tribe pre- sented other four soldiers, and the second legion chose first. The third and fourtli legions had the same advantage in their turns. In this manner, each tribe successively appoint- ed four soldiers, till the legions were complete. They next proceeded to the creation of subal- tern officers, whom the tribunes chose from among the soldiers of the greatest reputation. When the legions were thus completed, the citizens who had been called, but not chosen, returned to tlieir respective employments, and served their country in other capacities. — See Clarke's Comment, in loc. the supplementary chapters of St. Luke. Tatian, Gerson, and some others agree in the same arrangement. After the feast of the Dedication, our Lord went to Bethabara, beyond Jordan, the place where John baptized (John x. 40). Archbishop Newcome supposes, that, as he remained there, and as St. John proceeds immediately to the resurrection of Lazarus, Mary and Martha sent to him while he was now at Bethabara. But this gives us no proof that many circumstances did not take place during our Lord's abode at Bethabara, and likewise, as probable, from the 13th to the 18th chapters of St. Luke, that he made another circuit through some parts of the country before he went to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead. It appears, from Matt. xix, 1. and Mark x. 1., that after our Saviour had performed many miracles, and given those evidences of his Divinity which were to precede his last journey to Jerusalem, he went beyond Jordan, and, we may reasonably conclude, to Bethabara ; at which place, according to Light- foot, he received the message from the sisters of Lazarus. Lightfoot further observes, that he remained in the place where he was when he heard of Lazarus' sickness, that he might die before he came to him, that God might be the more glori- fied by his raising (ver. 15.), so did he make sure to stay long enough after he was dead before he came, that the glory might be the more. Compare ver. 39, with these sayings of the Jews, Maym. in Gcrushin. per ult. " If one look upon a dead man within three days after his death, he may know him ; but after three days, his visage is changed." Again, Lerus. in Moed Katon, fol. 82, col. 2. " Tlu-ee days the soul flies about the body, as if tliinking to return to it ; but after it sees the visage of the countenance changed, it leaves it, and gets it gone for ever." Lightfoot's arrangement of the resurrection is the same as that of Bishop Richardson, and it is sanctioned by the learned Archbishop Usher, Lamy, Toinard, and others. Note 31.— Part V. The resurrection of Lazarus is placed by Archbishop Newcome after John x., and after VOL, II. *17 Note 32.— Part V. During our Lord's final journey to Jerusalem, he forewarns his disciples of his approaching sufferings and death in the fullest manner. He explicitly unfolds to the twelve disciples the spiritual nature of his kingdom ; but their understandings Avere so blinded by their own preconceived ideas of Messiah's power, that they knew not the things that were spoken. He was now about to perform one of the most convincing and stupendous of liis miracles ; and he embraces the opportunity to predict all that awaited him to his disciples. He declares that 130* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part V, h3 was going up to Jerusalem, not to assume the pomp and robes of royalty, as they but too fondly expected, but to be betrayed, to be in- sulted, to be scourged, and to be put to death. His disciples at this very moment, as is evident from the conduct of the sons of Zebedee in the next section, were ambitiously anticipating their temporal honors. Note 33.— Part V. PiLKiNGTON remarks on this passage : — Three Evangelists make mention of Jesus' giving sight to a blind man near Jericho ; but there are such different expressions, in their several accounts of this matter, as have induced several harmonists to conclude that different cures are related by them. 1. St. Matthew saith, "As they departed from Jericho, two blind men cried out," &ic. 2. St. Mark, " As he went out of Jericho, blind Bartimseus began to cry out," &c. 3. St. Luke, " As he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man cried out," &c. The most general conclusion from hence is, tliat the miracle recorded by St. Luke was dif- ferent from and previous to that mentioned by the other two Evangelists*. Another opinion is, that each Evangelist relates a different fact^ And a third, that St. Mark and St. Luke relate the former miracle, and St. Matthew the latter™. The accounts of the several Evangelists re- lating to this matter have been connected by the most ancient harmonists, and by some of the moderns" : but they have not given their reasons for so doing. Perhaps they may have been the same as have induced me to think that they have properly connected them, viz. L The series of the several circumstances mentioned by all the Evangelists. (1.) The blind man sat by the way-side, near Jericho. (2.) He called Jesus the Son of David. (3.) The multitude rebuked him. (4.) Jesus stopped and called. (5.) The question which Jesus asked, and the answer he received are the same in all the accounts. And (6.), they all agree that the blind man followed Jesus. 2. If Jesus had wrought a cure of this sort just before he entered Jericho, for which all the people gave praise unto God, it is not easy to imagine that the multitude would, immediate- ly after, rebuke another who called upon him in the very same manner. And though the accounts vary in some particulars, yet no where, I think, so much as to make it necessary to suppose that thoy are relations of different facts. For, * ChoniTiitius, Richardson, Lamy, Toinard, &c. ' Molinnnis, Garthwait, &-c. "• Ludolphiis. " Tatian, Ammonias, Calvin, Whiston, Lo Clerc, &c. 3. Though there were two blind men who received sight, as St. Matthew expresses it, and though St. Mark and St. Luke mention one only, yet the accounts cannot be said to be contradictory, allowing them to allude to the same fact. For the miracle is the same, in the cure of one as in the cure of many. Bartimeeus might be the more remarkable person ; and therefore the mention of the other be purposely omitted by the two Evangelists". St. Matthew and St. Mark say, that this was done at Jesus' departure from Jericho ; and St. Luke, that it was iy t&5 iyyiZeiv uvtop sig 'legi- /w, "As he was come nigh unto Jericho," (ac- cording to our translation), which seems to imply, that he was not yet arrived there : and this sense hath been affixed to the words, as far as I can learn, by translators in all times, and all languages ; from whence hath arisen the seeming difficulty of reconciling the several accounts. But if the words may be translated at large, " When he was nigh unto Jericho," then St. Luke's account is very consistent with the others, because it determines not whether it was before he came to Jericho, or at his de- parture from that place, that he wrought this miracle. And that the words will bear this construction, we may be easily convinced, by observing another expresssion of St. Luke, of the very same sort, xix. 29. xnl iyifSTo log riyyicrei' elg Bedcpayri xal B^dnvlav, translated again, " When he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany : " but it evidently appears that Jesus was gone from Bethany towards Jerusa- lem, when he sent out the disciples, &c. And all commentators are agreed, that though Jesus was then nigh unto Bethany, yet he was going from it. And understanding the Avords here in the same sense, St. Luke saith, that Jesus was now nigh unto Jericho, but going from it ; agreeably to the account which both St. Mat- thew and St. Mark give of tliis matter. Lightfoot observes, " He healeth one blind man as he entereth into Jericho, of which St. Luke speaketh, and another as he goeth out, of which the other two Evangelists speak. Mat- thew speaks of two healed as he came out of Jericho, comprehending, it may be, the story of him who was healed on the other side of the town. Mark only mentions one, because he rather aimed at showing the manner, or kind of the miracle, than the number." — Vol. i. p. 250. Doddridge very justly observes, that " this is improbable ; for the people would not reprove blind BartimpRus for supplicating our Lord to Ileal liim, if a cure so remarkable had been wrought but a sliort time before at the entrance into the town. " I have endeavoured so to harmonize the ac- counts of the Evangelists, that the scene may be most vividly presented to the reader. 1 ° Vide Poli Sijnop in loc. Note 34.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. 131 have adopted the opinion that two were healed — at the same time — but one was more known to the people, the mors remarkable of the two, and more earnest in the expression of iiis faith m Jesus, and in the miraculous cure that had been wrouglit upon him." Doddridge, Fam. Exp. vol. ii. p. 138. Newcome agrees with Doddridge in this opinion. In passing through Jericho, Clirist heals the blind men, and when he leaves that city is met by Zacchaeus, Luke xix. 2., which evidently places this event before the resurrection of Lazarus. Then follows the resurrection of Lazarus — Christ's retirement at Ephraim — the anointing at Bethany, and the entrance into Jerusalem. This is the order I have observed, in preference to that of Newcome, or Pilking- ton. The principal argument of Newcome is derived from John x. 40. compared with John xi. 54-56. ; but this is answered by the suppo- sition above mentioned, that Matt. xix. 1. and Mark x. 1. represent Christ as being in the same place as he is said to have been in John X. 40. ; and if the Evangelist's narrative is made our guide, it gives us greater space for the various circumstances recorded in St. Luke. Note 34.— Part V. The noble truth, the resurrection of the body, is so important to man, that it has been con- firmed by the most convmcing evidence, and the most undeniable facts. Our Lord gave life to the human body from the grave in all its various stages of corruption and decay. The body of tlie widow's son was restored within one or two days after his decease : for he was recalled to life as they were carrying him to the grave. The resurrection of Lazarus was the third instance, and it was attended with some striking peculiarities. The body had lain four days in the grave. In those warm climates, the terrible process of corruption and decay was always rapid. The flesh would have begun to mingle with its kindred elements. The rela- tions and friends of the departed were so sensi- ble of this, that they attempted to dissuade our Lord from going to the sepulchre. Although they knew that He had raised one man from the dead, they did not believe it possible that He could restore life to him, who for so many days had " said to corruption, — Thou art my father, and to the worm, — Thou art my sister and brother." Our Lord, however, proceeded to demonstrate his almighty power, and the great truths he had come down to teach, by the resist- less evidence of a public and undeniable fact. No sooner were the words uttered, " Lazarus, come forth," then he that was dead came forth. Unable to walk, for he was swathed, and bound botli hand and foot in his grave-clothes, ac- cording to the Jewish custom, he glided forth from the grave, and appeared among tlie aston- ished multitude. His body was unchanged — he was again to dwell with his family and friends, the same person as he had ever been. Like the daughter of Jairus, and the widow's son, he was again to resume his place in society, to fulfil the ordinary duties of life, and his body resumed the same functions and properties as it had ever possessed. And we are informed, by the history of the early Church, that Lazarus lived for many years, an unexceptionable witness of the truth of God, and the Divinity of Christ. The next great fact which demonstrated the resurrection of the body took place at the death of Christ. Wlicn He bowed his head and gave up the ghost, the vail of the temple was rent — the ground trembled — the graves were laid open — and, after his resurrection, the bodies of many holy persons arose and went into the city of Jerusalem, and appeared unto many. This attendant miracle is so briefly related, that we cannot safely deduce many conclusions. But that interpretation seems the most satisfac- tory, which represents the graves as opening at the resurrection of Christ, who is the first-fruits of them that sleep ; and that while his body continued in the grave, the same process which is described in the vision of Ezekiel, 37th chap- ter, took place on the bodies of those holy per- sons who went into Jerusalem after that Christ rose from the dead. The bones came together — the sinews were restored — the flesh revived — the skin covered it again — and the spirit returned — they breathed — they lived — they moved — and they appeared to many. From this miracle the disciples might have received the comfortable assurance that Death and Corruption had no power to resist the voice of tlieir Lord and Master; it ought to have taught them, that though scourged, persecuted, and crucified. He had power to lay down his life and to take it up again — and the same voice which called the spirit of Lazarus from the in- visible world, and bade it reanimate the cor- rupting body, shall again command the dust to live, and the dead to rise. The Scripture has given us a moral demonstration of the divine power of our Lord which shall effect this mighty work ; whenever the morning of tlie resurrec- tion shall dawn, all who have been committed to the ground will be included among those whose bodies have entirely decayed, mouldered into dust, or are in various stagoc of corruption, from the first stiffening of the limbs, to their mingling with their kindred elements. As the earth is covered with the dew of the morning, so, says the Scripture, shall it cast forth her dead. The sea shall give up her dead. The elements around us shall restore their borrowed atoms. Over tlie surface of the whole earth, the dust shall quicken into life ; and man from 132* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part V the opening graves shall ascend into the air, and be summoned in his body before the tribu- nal of the Most High, to be judged every man according to his works. The other Evangelists have omitted the res- urrection of Lazarus, because (it is supposed) that he was still alive when they wrote, and would have been rendered, by notice, more liable to persecution. The question is dis- cussed by Kuinoel, in loc, who comes to the same conclusion. We have hitherto been for- tunate enough in this country to have escaped from the contamination of the German theo- logical speculators on the miracles of Christ, &c. Should any student, however, have be- come in any degree entangled by them, he will find a most admirable antidote in the writings of Kuinoel. — See particularly on the Resurrec- tion of Lazarus. The resurrection of Lazarus was the last and most solemn appeal of a miraculous nature which he made to the Jewish nation before his apprehension. St. John is the only Evangelist who has related the miracle, and he proceeds to mention the consequences both to Christ him- self and to the Jewish nation. Immediately after the bystanders had reported the miracle to the Sanhedrin, they decided upon putting Jesus to death. He therefore retired to Ephraim, about twenty miles from Jerusalem, that he might escape the persecution of the Jews, who were anxiously bent on his destruc- tion, John xi. 54., and remained there with his disciples until six days before the Passover, when he went to Bethany, to sup with Lazarus, and was anointed by Mary. The internal evi- dence, arising from the conversation which the three Evangelists have recorded, seems to be decisive of the propriety of this arrangement. Our Saviour is represented as going up towards Jerusalem, conversing with his disciples, and predicting his sufferings and death. The res- urrection of Lazarus was the immediate cause of those sufferings ; for the public report of this miracle induced the Sanhedrin to take their most decisive measures against him. The op- portunity therefore seemed to be most fit for our Lord to demonstrate to his disciples that he knew beforehand the consequences of liis ac- tions, and that the time had come when he was to make a free-will offering of himself for the sins of the whole world. dominion of the Romans, and restore the king- dom to Israel. The cause of their apprehension seems to have been the meek and unostentatious preten- sions of our Lord, and his severe reproofs of the pride and hypocrisy of the Pharisees and rulers. They demanded a Messiah who should appear with the insignia, as well as the reahty of power, and who should not only continue, but even enhance to the utmost, the temporal do- minion of the Jews. As our Lord did not possess the external proofs of royalty, tliey Avould not believe that He would be able to oppose the Roman power, whose vengeance they would certainly bring upon themselves, if they should acknowledge any other political sovereign ; but as the resurrection of Lazarus was the cause of this assembling by the Sanhe- drin, it is evident that the miraculous powers of our Lord must have been known to that body ; and the supposition of Lightfoot, therefore, that they knew him, is not irrational : they probably knew him as a Prophet, but not as the Messiah. Note 35.— Part V. There is much difficulty in the reasoning of the Sanhedrin on this occasion. Why should they fear the Romans, even if they had ac- knowledged our Lord to be the Messiah ? Thoy believed that thoir .Messiah was to be a power- ful and mighty king, who would overthrow the Note 36.— Part V. Commentators are divided respecting the meaning of these words. In the former ages of the Jewish Church, the spirit of prophecy rested with the high priest. As this was the great year in which the object of the Jewish Dispensation was obtained, and the spirit of prophecy, according to the prediction of Joel, quoted by St. Peter, was abundantly poured forth ; it is supposed that the high priest was now inspired to utter certain words, with the full meaning of which he was unacquainted, as was frequently, and, in the opinion of the Jews, uniformly, the case among the ancient prophets. Others interpret the words according to the literal sense in which they were spoken by Caiaphas, and suppose that St. John gave them another siffnification. Hausenius, in his learned dis- sertation on this subject'', endeavours to prove that the words of St. John must likewise be in- terpreted literally, and that Caiaphas did actu- ally prophesy ; and as high priest foretell the necessity of Clu-ist's death. The question is admirably summed up by Hausenius, in liis seventeenth section. "Hoc mode et Saulus, cum suis inter pro- phetas relatus, majori violentia spiritus actus est. E quibus constat, modum, quo profano Caiaphffi vaticinium inditum est, omnibus fere, qui impiis obtigerunt, tenuiorem, lenioremque fuisse." He then proceeds in his last section to show that though this expression of Caiaphas must be considered as a real prophecy, yet the high ' PriiiU^d ill tlie collection of tracts which com- pose the 11th volume of the Crilki Sacri, p. 528. Note 37.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *133 priest himself was unworthy of the honorable name of Prophet. To this purpose he quotes the accurate conclusions of Origen ; and thus sums up his remarks — " Quamobrem bene ho- ruin, de quibus loquimur, congmens in unam sententiam divinatio descripta a Basilio est, catena, a Dan. Heinsio e MS. edita — tico; SI xul Balituu 7Tonq)tjTfv6t, )tul Ku'idcpug ; on xuxelfoi. %ovs neidoftirovg el'/ov, 6 fikv &g dcQ%i,eQsi>g, 6 di wg /iidci'Tig- oi yug i/zu/rji; KuduQ^nrjg, aide diav- yeia vov ivogavTog slg -f^edv xal tVj>' ixEidev dvfu/.uv anavTog- dlV oixoro/utxdg if uvioXg o X{)yog, 01) xuTix t^v (x^lav, dXXd. ngdg jt)V xaigdv. Idem de Bileamo judicium est R. Isaaci Abar- banelis ad Jos.xiii.27, m^nja IDtJlV no n'H ""D "•OD-inS Grotius* quotes several curious opinions of the ancients respecting the communion of their chiefs and superiors with an invisible world. Homer tells us that a dream was only to be de- pended upon when it occurred to Agamemnon. The Spartans esteemed those dreams only as prophetical which were presented to the Ephori. Oracular responses were given both to Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar, to Lamech and Balaam. And in the former dispensation it belonged to the kings, or to the chief magistrate, to consult by Urim and Thummin''. Dr. Lardner observes on these words, " By ■prophcsjiing — I understand foretelling the event ; which it was, in a peculiar manner, the office of the priest to do, when he was inquired of, or when God was inquired of by him, concerning any important matters under deliberation." See 1 Sam. xxii. 11-13. xxiii. 9-11. and 2 Sam. v. 22-25. He thus paraphrases the whole passage — " Caiaphas, who was the high priest at that time, when it came to his turn to deliver his opinion, said, ' You have liitherto talked very wealdy and ignorantly ; you may proceed in the case before you without hesitation. The taking away the life of this man will be so far from being ruinous to the whole nation in this country, and in other parts, as some of you fear, that it will be much for the advantage of the people of God, every where.' This, however, he said, not merely of himself, but being then high priest, he foretold the issue and event of their counsels, and of the death of Jesus ; and that it would come to pass that Jesus would die for that nation, and not for that nation only ; but that through his death he would gather to- ' Critici Sacri in loc, vol. vii. p. 221. and Joh. Priscfni Annotata, at the end of vol. vii. p. 35C. ' I may here take the opportunity of observing a contradiction in the folio edition of Liglitfoot's Works. In his Gleanings on Exodus, Lightfoot supports the opinion that the high priest heard a voice, when consulting the Oracle by Uriin and Thummin ; but in his sermons he advances the opinion that he was suddenly inspired b}' the Spirit of prophecy. — Vide Life of Lightfoot. pre- fixed to liiji iS'urks, folio edition. VOL. II. gether in one the children of God, which were scattered abroad^" The advice of Caiaphas is such, indeed, as might have been expected from an unprincipled and worldly politician. He recommends them to save the state, by sacrificing the supposed autlior of their apprehended danger. One man must die for the people — that is, the life of this Jesus, although he has performed mighty works, is of no value when compared with the possibil- ity of danger. The Evangelist certainly refers to this speech of Caiaphas, as if it had been spoken under a divine impulse, of which he was totally unconscious. Diodati, in his Annotations, writes — "God guided the tongue of the high priest; so that thinking to utter a speech according to his own wicked meaning, he pronounced an oracle ac- cording to God's meaning ; as the high priest had oftentimes inspirations from God." Exod. xxviii. 30. Numb, xxvii. 21. NoTK 37.— Part V. ON THE TIME OF THE ANOINTING OF OUR LORD AT BETHANY. Harmonists have been much divided on the proper place of the anointing our Lord at Beth- any. Some have supposed that this unction Avas performed twice, others but once. Light- foot and Pilkington have embraced the hypothe- sis of a twofold unction. Archbisliop Newcome supposes that there was one only, which he places two days before the Passover. Dod- dridge and Michaelis have concluded that our Lord was anointed once only, and refer the event to tlie sixth day before the Passover. Afler an attentive perusal of the several reasons adduced by each harmonist, I have adopted the opinion of Michaelis and Doddridge. Tlie German harmonist, in his chapter on the Rules to be observed in making a Harmony of the Gospels, has selected this event as the ex- ample by which to illustrate tlie position " that two or more relations may be very similar, and yet not the same ; and these must be carefully distinguished from each other." — "The follow- ing instance," he obsei-ves, " may serve to show the manner in which I apply the rules in ques- tion. The Evangelists, St. Matthew (chap, xxvi. 6-13.) and St. Mark (chap. xiv. 3-9.) have related that Christ was anointed in the week preceding his death, and all the commentators are agreed that both of them mean the same unction. St. John likewise (chap. xii. 1. 8.) jelates that Christ was anointed in tJie same week ; and the unction which he describes, is, in my opinion, tlie very same with that wliich ' Lardner's JForks, vol. i. 4to. edit. p. 211. 134* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part V. St, Matthew and St. Mark have recorded ; but, according to otliers, it M'as totally different, and happened four days earlier. Now that two dif- ferent unctions happened twice in the same week is more than I am able to believe. The two unctions above mentioned, if we consider as two, what I believe to be one, agree in the following circumstances : — " 1. Both happened at Bethany. " 2. In both cases Jesus was anointed, not by his host, but by a woman. However, as Christ was frequently at Bethany, these circum- stances are not so very remarkable. " 3. Both unctions took place, as I shall prove in the sequel, not in the house of Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, where we might soonest expect him, but at another house. " 4. Both happened in the last week before the suffering of Christ. " .5. In both cases the ointment was so ex- pensive, tliat the unction had the appearance of profusion. '• 6. In both cases we meet with the remark- able circumstance, that the ointment was not purchased for the purpose to which it was applied, but that it had been preserved for some time by the person who used it ; for the disci- ples were offended that the ointment was not sold and given to the poor ; and in the account which is given by St. John (chap. xii. 7.) it is expressly said by Jesus, ' against the day of my burying hath she kept this.' One might almost conjecture that it was the remainder of the ointment which Mary and Martha had purchased for the funeral of Lazarus : the thought presents itself at least, on reading St. John's description, as not improbable'. " 7. In both cases the unction is censured by the disciples. " 8. In both cases the ground of censure is the same. " 9. In both cases the unction is defended by Jesus, and the same answer given to the disciples. " 10. The expression, v&qSog maTixri, which is not only very unusual, and therefore obscure, but occurs in not a single instance either in the Septuagint, or in the New Testament, except on this occasion, is used both by St. Mark and by St. John ; the ointment therefore used in both cases was strictly the same. " These circumstances are too numerous and too particular, to have happened twice : not to mention the improbability that the disciples, after having been rebuked by Jesus six days before Easter, for having censured the unction, should presume to repeat their censure on a similar occasion, on the second day before Easter. For it contained a manifest disregard to Jesus himself, which they must have very sensibly felt, when he answered them, 'The poor always ' Marsli's Michaelis, vol. iii. part i. p. 23. ye have with you, but me ye have not always,' John xii. 8. ; and of which, therefore, they would hardly have been guilty only four days afterwards. " In the two accounts, which are given by St. Matthew and St. John, I perceive not the least variation, except that in some points the one is more copious than the other ; but their descriptions are so far from being inconsistent, that they have all the appearance of proceeding from two different eyewitnesses to the same fact. " 1. According to St. Matthew and St. Mark, a ivoman anoints Jesus ; according to St. John, he is anointed by Mary, and, if we may judge from what he says in the second verse, by Mary, the sister of Lazarus. This however is no con- tradiction, wlien one historian omits the name of the woman, the other mentions it. Nay, even from the very silence of St. Matthew and St. Mark, with respect to the name, may be de- duced an argument in support of the opinion, that the unction described by St. Matthew and St. John is the same. St. Matthew and St. Mark must have had particular reasons for con- cealing the name of the woman, since, accord- ing to their own relation, Jesus declared that what she had done should be preached in the whole world for a memorial of her. Now this cannot have happened unless she was the Mary mentioned by St. John: and it Avould follow, from the supposition of two different unctions, that the declaration of Jesus had remained un- fulfilled. Perhaps the real state of the case is as follows : — the two first Evangelists, who have made no mention of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, that they might not expose him to the persecution of the Jewish Sanhedrin, have probably, from the same reason, concealed the name of his sister Mary, who anointed Jesus with the ointment which remained after the inter- ment of Lazarus. St. John, on the contrary, expressly mentions it, because he wrote after the destruction of Jerusalem, and could there- fore have no reason for concealing tlie name either of Lazarus or Mary. "2. According to St. Matthew, tlie enter- tainment was given at tlie house of Simon the leper ; according to St. John, Lazarus was one of them who sat at the table with him(er? tSv (xi'uxsi/idi'Mr), and his sister Martlia served. Some commentators have considered this as a va- riation in the account, and have concluded, from St. John's description, that tlie entertainment was given at the house of Lazarus. But this is certainly not true, since no one in speaking of the master of tlie house would say, ' lie was one of those wlio sat at the table.' On the contra- ry, tliis very expression proves that he was only a guest, and that the entertainment was given at the liouse of a friend, in whicli his sister, who was a diligent housewife (see Luke x. 40.), prepared the table. NoTK 37.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. nn: " 3. According to St. Matthew, the woman poured the box of ointment on the head of Jesus ; according to St. John, she anointed his feet. But even this circumstance is not suffi- cient to prove two distinct unctions, though among all the variations it is the most consid- erable. That Mary did not leave the head of Jesus unanointed, we may take for granted, from the general practice of the East; but this is not related by St. John, who mentions only the more extraordinary circumstance, omitted by St. Matthew and St. Mark, that the woman anointed his feet. It is agreeable to John's peculiar manner to relate circumstances omitted by his predecessors. " 4. According to St. Matthew, the disciples in general, according to St. Mark, only some of them, had indignation, and censured the woman. This cannot be considered as a contradiction : for when St. Matthew says, in general terms, 'the disciples,' it does not necessarily follow that he meant all of them, without exception ; nor is it probable that all of them expressed their opinion. But St. John mentions Judas Iscariot, as the person who censured the action. Still, however, we cannot conclude tliat the Evangelists have described two different unc- tions. One of the disciples must have made a beginning, to whom others acceded, though probably not in the same words. This person is particularly named by St. John, who likewise adds the motive which induced him to cast the censure. Perhaps St. Matthew and St. Peter acceded to the opinion of Judas, but not St. John ; and hence St. Mattliew and St. Mark speak openly in the plural number, that they might not conceal the part which St. Matthew and St. Peter had taken in this unjust censure. " It is further objected, that the clear and certain marks by which the time is determined by the different Evangelists, prove two distinct transactions ; that St John mentions expressly the sixth day before Easter (John xii. 1.), and St. Matthew as expressly the second day before Easter (Matt. xxvi. 2.), as the day on which the unction happened : but the assertion appears to have no foundation. That St. John has deter- mined the date to be the sixth day before the Passover is not to be disputed. But St. Mat- thew is silent as to the day on which the unction happened ; and it is owing only to the modern division of Matthew's text into chap- ters, that we suppose he has determined the time. The Evangelist has not written, ' On the second day before the Passover Jesus was at an entertainment at Bethany ;' but after having related a discourse Avhich Jesus had made to his disciples, he adds, 'And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all those sa^angs, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and tlie Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified.' Im- mediately afterwards the Evangelist relates the plot which was formed against the life of Jesus inthe following manner : ' Then [tots) assembled together the Chief Priests and the Scribes, and tlae elders of the people, imto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and con- sulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him. But they said, not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.' Now the word t6t£, which is capable of a very extensive signification, no more determines this consultation to have happened on the same day on which Jesus delivered his discourse to the apostles, than that it happened in the same hour. " But even if we admit that both of them happened on the same day, it will by no means follow, that the entertainment likewise at Bethany took ])lace on that day ; at least the words witii which St. Matthew begins his nar- ration of it, ' Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,' contain no de- termination of time, and may as easily refer to a preceding as a present period. " Still, however, it might be objected, that though St. Matthew and St. Mark have not ex- pressly mentioned the day on which the unction took place at Bethany, they have at least as- signed to it a place in that part of their narra- tive where they were advanced, namely, to within two days of the Passover. Now this ob- jection presupposes that the Evangelists always wrote according to the order of time, which they certainly did not ; and if we only make a dif- ferent division of the chapters, and reckon to the twenty-fillh chapter the two first verses of the twenty-sixtli, the unction at Bethany, which is related in tire following verses, will have less reference to the time specified in those two verses." " The Jewish Sanhedrin had formed the resolution to put Jesus to death, but not on the feast day ; and it was the unction at Bethany Avhich afforded them the means of getting him into their power, though on the day which they had endeavoured to avoid. This may be gatliered fi-om St. Matthew's own relation, who, after having described tlae consultation of the Sanhe- drin, immediately relates the unction at Bethany, and tiien adds, ' Tiiat one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the Chief Priests, and said unto tliem. What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you ? ' (Matt. xxvi. 14, 15.) The account given by St. Ms^thew is in some measure obscure, because we do not perceive in what manner the circumstance of the unction excited in Jadas the resolution to betray his master. But this, we clearly learn, from the relation of St. John, from which it ajipears that Judas was properly tlie person who censured . the unction, under the pretence that the oint- ment ought to be sold for the benefit of the poor ; and that this specious pretext likevvise met with the approbation of other apostles. The true reason, as St. John expressly declares. 136^ NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part V. ■was the hope of having a further opportunity of defrauding the money-bag, which was entrusted to his care. The answer therefore of Jesus affected Judas in particular, Avhose guilty con- science augmented the severity of the rebuke. Under these circumstances, it is by no means extraordinary that Judas resolved to take re- venge, especially when we consider that he was already an apostate (John vi. 67-71.), and thought, perhaps, tliat, if contrary to his belief,. Jesus was really the Messiah, the measures concerted against him would be of no avail ; but that, on tlie other hand, if Jesus was an im- postor, he would meet with the fate he deserved. It appears, then, that the unction at Bethany, Avhich gave rise to the offer of Judas to the Sanhedrin, to betray Christ, is more properly arranged immediately before the relation of the effect which it produced, than it would have been, if placed at the beginning of the twenty- first chapter, to which it properly belongs, ac- cording to the merits of time"." It will be observed, that Michaelis, in these observations, has replied to the principal objec- tions which have been proposed by Lightfoot, Whiston, Whitby, Macknight, and others. Archbishop Newcome has reviewed these ar- guments in a long note on the subject. Bishop Marsh is not satisfied with these ar- guments of Michaelis. He observes that Matt, xxvi. 2. and Mark xiv. 1. bring their narrative down to the third day, and that the assembly of the chief priests was certainly held three days before the Passover, when Judas betrayed Christ ; but it does not therefore follow, as Bishop Marsh supposes, that the unction was on the same day. St. Matthew connects the two events, in order to point out the cause and the effect, Avithout distinguishing the precise time. St. Mark follows St. Matthew's plan, and for the same reason. The first day of unleavened bread is men- tioned in its order, after the parenthetical nar- ration of the causes of the betraying, and has no reference to the unction. Bishop Marsh justly objects to Archbishop Newcome's order, but proposes the opinion, that the unction took place on the Wednesday before the Passover. This learned theologian, however, does not rest this opinion upon the arguments generally made use of, but upon a supposed corruption of the original text of St. John. As the testimony however, of all existing MSS. is against this opin- ion. Bishop Marsh conjectures that the corruption in question was made at so very early a period, that no manuscript extant has the original read- ing. It is at all times painful to be compelled to differ from an autliority so eminent as Bishop Marsh ; but it is impossible to approve of any emendation of the text of the New Testament, which increases instead of lessening difficul- " Lightfoot has endeavoured to prove tlie siunc thing. ties ; and is unsupported by the authority ot one quotation, version, or MS. extant. The Scriptures must be treated with greater vener- ation. Bishop Marsh, in his note (No. 9.) to tliis section of Michaelis, also endeavours to prove that the day on which Christ was betrayed was the day of the unction. His arguments do not appear satisfactory. The question principally rests upon the precise meaning of the word Torf , which Michaelis would render " very soon after," and his annotator " immediately after." The authority of Dr. Dick, in his Essay on the Inspiration of the Scriptures, confirms me yet further in the conviction that the unction at Bethany took place six days before the Pass- over. — See Dick's Essay, p. 300, 301. Note 38.— Part V. It is not exactly known of what this {viigdog Ttianxfi) consisted which was poured upon the head of our Lord. The words occur but twice, Mark xiv. 3. " Tliere came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious," -^Ide yvfij exovaa ahxHuOTfjov fivQov, vuq8ov ■r[i(niy.r\Q nolvrelovg' and John xii. 3. " Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spike- nard, very costly," &c. 'Hovf Maqla XixSov- cra XLtquv fivQOv vufjdov niariy.r^g TToi-urlf/ov. Schleusner derives the word niaTixri from nlvci), bibo ; and supposes that the ointment could be poured out as a liquid. — He quotes, among other authorities, the same passage from iEschylus" as Heinsius does, to confirm his opinion. Others derive the word from niajiQ, and suppose that it merely signifies that the ointment was pure and unadulterated. With this opinion Heinsius agrees, and defends the interpretation from the Hellenistic interpretation of a verse in Isaiah xxxiii. 16. £l' TIC elg voaov niioi ovx '^v &li^rju^ ovdbv, oi)8t ^Qwaifior ov jt-^/ffroi', ovdi tt/ctto*''". Others, rejecting both these opinions, suppose the word is not Greek, but Latin, and that rdg- Sog niarixii is the same as nardus spicata, hoc est, ex spicis expressa, from 7iil';o), preino, unde TtiEcrit), by metatliesis niaiixii, as (ffi.6f)}, for Penula. Scaliger reads the word nTiaTut^, from TjTlaob), contundo. Nonnus keeps the word as it is in St. John, and gives no explana- tion. Lightfoot supposes the word to be de- rived from tlie Syriac t;pr:D'3 and interprets the whole plirase to signify an aromatic confection of nard, mastic, or myrobalane. Hartung^ is of opinion that the ointment in question was brought from Opis, a town near Babylon, " Heinsii Exercitationes Sacra, p. 21 i?. " Prom. Vinct. Glasgow edit, imputed to Por- son. line 478. "^ Ajjud Pfeifter, Erntirmiim K. T. locus xxii. at the end of the Dubia i'exatu, p. I'Ui. Note 39.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *137 whence spices and unguents were exported, and that the true reading, therefore, ought to be dniuTtitri;. Lampe^ and Cloppenburg, however, reject this interpretation, for tlie best of all reasons when tlie language of the New Testa- ment is under consideration, because the word is not to be found in any manuscript or version extant ; and the latter derives the word from the name of Pista, a Persian city, mentioned by JEschylus, TudE f^h' VltQawv TWf ol^o/nii'dif ' ElluH' ii uluv Jliaiu -auXhtui, — PerscB, line 1, 2. on which the Scholiast observes, uyfoovot d' ort 7i6hg laii JJeqcrap eawdev Jliaieiiju xu- lovjiiBvi], I]!' (jvvy.oipu; 6 TTOirjTTic ntUTU eq)ij — the only objection to this opinion is, that nard does not grow in Persia. It might, however, be im- ported from India, and manufactured there for the use of the merchants. Abulfeda is quoted both by Lampe and Pfeiffer, to prove that Pista was the meti'opolis of Caramania, a large and flourislaing city on the river Indus. Pfeiffer, after reviewing these various opinions, comes to the same conclusion as Luther and Kuinoel [Com. in Hist. lib. JV. T. in Mark xiv. 3.) that it signifies unadulterated, or pure, and is derived from nlaiig. He quotes Casaubon's observation, that Trianxug signifies that which can be depended upon, or which de- serves confidence. Eusebius [Demons. Evang. lib. viii.) calls the wine of the Eucharist, xfja/ju mariKOv rijg xuit'rjg 8ia0r\xrig. Note 39.— Part V. ON ZECHARIAH IX. This prediction of Zechariah, four hundred years before the event, announced to the people of Israel, that the King of Jerusalem, contrary to the universal custom of his own and of every otlier nation, should enter into his royal city, without any outward pomp and splendor ; that he should ride upon the humblest of animals ; himself the meekest and lowliest of men, yet the Saviour of his people, and, as such, be re- ceived by them with the loudest rejoicings and acclamations. We are assured, by the Prophet Malachi also, that the Messiah should certainly visit the second temple at Jerusalem. Let me now, then, appeal to the Jew who receives the Old Testament, and entreat him to search the records of the history of his fathers, and there find if any prophet, priest, or king, or ruler of Israel, before the destruction of the second temple, ever entered into Jerusalem, as Jesus of Nazaretli is here represented to have done ; and which of all these rulers of Israel united so many of their ancient prophecies in his own person. Of all tlie long train of Persian, Gre- cian, Roman, or Jewish rulers, to whom can y Vide Lampe On John xii. 3. vol. ii. p. 8125, note. VOL. II. *18 we apply the prophecy of Zechariah, and assert that he rode into Jerusalem humble, royal, and a Saviour, visiting and appearing in their temple ? Ezra was in their city when the ])rophecy was delivered'. The successor of the Persian conqueror was reposing in his palace. Nehemiah went up to Jerusalem at- tended by the captains and cavalry of the king of Persia, (Nehem. ii. 9.) When he arose pri- vately in the night, he was accompanied by few only of his train, and though he rode, it was not in the manner described by the prophet" ; and of this his second entrance noth- ing is recorded*. Did the governors of Syria, under the Persian sovereigns of Judaea, visit Jerusalem in such lowly state? Was the prophecy fulfilled in Bagoses, when he espoused the cause of the usurper of the high priesthood, and imposed a fine upon the priests for every offering that was brought to the temple? Did any Persian emperor ever enter Jerusalem ; or can it be supposed that the prophet alluded to any ofliicer who bore an inferior title"" ? If it be imagined that Zechariah predicted the conquest of the Grecian conqueror, when, meeting the high priest Jaddua, he venerated, amidst the astonish- ment of his attendants, the name of Jehovah, glittering on his tiara<^ ; let it be remembered that - Vide on the date of this prophecy, «&c. Ar- rangement of the Old Testament, Note 2G, Period Vlft. part ii. and the references in the note. " n3 3D-I 'jx iB'X nnnnn-ax o 'dj; |\^ Neheni. ii. 12. whereas the predicted King of Zechariah was to enter tlie city, — •nunx-p Ti'-Sn nnn-S;' 22^ '■ Vide Jlrrangcment of the Old Testament, Period VIII. part iii. sect. v. * "Sub praesidibus hisce alii niinoruni ordinum rna- gistratus fuere ; qui aliquando □'liy principes, Ezra ix. 1, 2. alias O'lin, nobiles, magnates, patricii, Neh. iv. 14. nonnunquam et r\13X ''liy principes patrum, seu familiarum, dicuntur, Ezra viii. 2'J. A quibus distinct! fuisse videntur, quos CD-JpT seniores, ahquando et CD'JJD secundarios sive subalternos judices, sacra historia nuncupat. Quibus quandoque jungitur civium omnium ccetus nSnjn nSnp congregatio magna. Quorum ordi- num diserta mentio Neh. v. 7. contendi cum amn nobilibus, et cum tD'jJO secundariis judicibus, Junius vertit antistitibus, et indixi illorum caussa rsSnJ nSnp congregationem magnam, Ezra x. 8. memoratur a'Jptn Cr!'"1»n ni';' senatus princi- pum et seniorum, deinde nSuH Snp congregatio deportatoe multitudinis. Sub auspiciis ducis seu prajsidis provinciaUs crat Hierosolymis secundarius quidam prcefectus, seu legatus ipsius prcesidis, ex tribu Benjaminis : ut colligi potest ex Neh. xi. 9. Ibi enim dum enumerantur Benjaminitoe Hiero- solymis habitantes, laudatur Juda fihus Senuse ■^'I'n hy nDtyo Secundarius supra civitatem." — Witsius, Historia Hicrosol. Excrc. Sacrm, p.'2Ul, sect. 23. <i " Alexander enim, ut vidit e longinquo can- didatum populum, et sacerdotes in amictu byssino, pontificemque in stola hyacinthina auro distincta, tiaram in capite gestantem cum preefixa lamina aurea insculpta nomine Jehova?, solus ad eum accedens, nomen illud adoravit, ac salutavit Ponti- t38* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part V. Alexander was at the head of his army, neitlier meek, nor poor, nor humble*. Do the pages of history unfold^any similar event, which occurred in the lives of either of the Ptolemies ? whether of Lagus, who entered the city on the Sabbath, as an enemy and a conqueror, and took away many thousands of the people as his prisoners ? or of Philadelphus, who reversed the decree, and restored them to their own country? or of Ptolemy Philopater, who marked the wretched Jews with the ivy-leaf, in honor of Bacchus, and sacrilegiously attempted to enter the sanc- tuary ? can we trace a similitude between these men and the King of Israel, at whose coming the daughter of Zion was invited to rejoice greatly ? Let us turn our attention to another dynasty, and search among them also for this meek and humble Saviour, and King of Israel. Did An- tiochus the Great protect the people ? It is true that they welcomed, with acclamations, his army and their elephants ; but where do we read that this king entered Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of an ass ? Did Seleucus Philopater fulfil the prediction, when he sent Heliodorus to plunder the temple : or was his brother, the cruel oppressor, the savage murderer, and the foulest idolater of all the enemies of Israel, more meek and humble, when he profaned the temple, and slaughtered the people on the Sabbath ? If we look to the history of the Maccabean family, we may still proceed in vain to find one among them whose character- istics, as a leader of Israel, correspond with this prediction of the prophet. Mattathias ex- cited the people to resistance in defence of their religion. Judas entered Jerusalem in triumph, purified the temple, and dedicated it again to tlie worship of Jehovah ; as a religious and devout man, he, perhaps, might be called meek and humble ; but where is it recorded that he entered into Jerusalem sitting upon a colt, the foal of an ass ? Shall we apply the prediction to the idolatrous Bacchides, who captured the holy city, and murdered the zeal- ous Maccabee ? or to any of the sons of the Asmonaean family ; whether it be the pious Simon, his warlike son, or to the weak and profligate Aristobulus, who first assumed the diadem, and surnamed himself the King of the Jews ; or to his fierce and cruel brother, Alexan- der Jannseus ? If it is possible not to turn in disgust from the unnatural contests of this man's sons, we might inquire if either of these were the meek and holy King of Israel, before or after the Romans entered Jerusalem on the Sabbath, and assisted the royal Jew to slaughter ficem. Judffiis uno ore Alcxnndruin consalutan- tibus, et in orbem cingentibus, Syrite Reges et rn- liqni obstupiierunt, vix crcdcrites reg-ein ineiitis essecoinpotein." — Witsius, ubi sup. sect. 23. p. 292, 4to. edit. ' Joscphus, Jlnt. b. xi. cli. viii. his countrymen on that holy day ? Pompey, who spared the gold of the temple, and Crassus who followed him, and despoiled it : Gabinius, and Cffisar, and Antipater, with all the mingled tribe of Parthian, Roman, and Jewish con- tenders, who next crowd the scene, may be considered as alike falling short of the descrip- tion of the prophet. We are now brought to the days of Herod the king, the contemporary of Jesus of Nazareth, the tributary dependant on Rome, the fierce, implacable, and haughty murderer of his M'ife, his people, and his children ? Is this the portrait of the expected king of Israel ? Was the destroyer of Ma- riamne, the flatterer of Augustus, the slaugh- terer of the innocents at Bethlehem, was he the meek and humble Saviour, who was to ride into the city among the acclamations of the people ? Was Herod the king, who died amidst the deep and indignant curses of a suffering people ? was he wjio was smitten of God, hateful to his own family, and abhorred by his subjects, was this the king for whom Zion Avas to rejoice, and the daughter of Jerusalem to be glad ? Surely neither this man, nor his tyrannical son, nor his family of tetrarchs, nor the corrupt and sanguinary governors from imperial Rome, can appear as candidates for the title of the true King of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth. None but the Prophet of Galilee, who worked miracles, who fulfilled every prophecy, who was so poor, that he had not where to lay his head; so humble, that he washed the feet of his disciples, whom the people more than once endeavoured to make their king ; and who was now received among them with acclamations and hosannas, none but He accomplished this prediction of Zechariah, and entered into Jerusalem, — " Just — and having salvation ; Lowly — and riding upon an ass. And upon a colt, the foal of an ass." Brethren of Israel, you acknowledge the miracles of Christ, although you impute them to magic-^'. Your fathers bore witness to his blameless life, and to the union in his person of many of the characteristics of your expected Messiah. Whenever your promised Shiloh shall appear, he must manifest himself in the same manner as Jesus of Nazareth has already done ; he must appear in the second temple, and accomplish in his own person all the pre- dictions of your ancient prophets. That this prophecy of Zechariah related to the King Messiah, you are presented with proofs, not from the writings of the Evangelists (wliom we indeed believe, like your ancient prophets, to be inspired), but from tlie writings of your own tahnudists'. For of none other can it be said, / See the Toliloth Jean, in Wagcnseil's Tela JglLtid. ^ R. S. quoted by Munster, in tlie Critiri Sucri, n^ij^ron ito '7;' ;-4^;-{ nni^"? iiiTJx \s* impossibdo Note 40. 1.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. =139 out of all the rulers or conquerors of Jerusalem, from the building of the second temple after the Babylonian captivity, to its overthrow by Titus ; of none other can it be said, that he entered uito the holy city, riding upon an ass, amidst the acclamations of the multitude, and the hosannas of the children. Note 40. — Part V. If the theological student will refer to the original of Zech. ix. 9. he will observe that the expected King of Israel is called ;'ii'lJ1 pny. est ut interpreterls dc alio quam de Messiah. So Clarius— and Grotius quotes also Abenczra and Ralihi Saadia Gaon, as referring this passage to the Messiah. " Eidem Messia; ,qui asino vectus est,et humilem so exhibuit, singularem in ipsa humilitate magnificentiam tribuunt." Sohar JVumer. fol. 83. coll'Sti'i. ubi mystice commentantur ad verba Deut. xxii. 10. Nonarabis cum bove,et asino simul. Ille estasinus,n^Sl' d'^II'TdS HW'^D NDSo ron,cui in- eidens Rex Messias dominaturus est. — Et hoc quod scriptum est Zaehar. ix. 9. Pauper et insidens asino. Hue pertinet illud R. Joseph! in Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 2. 'Veniet Messias, et ego dignus habebor, qui sub umbra stercoris asini ejus sedeam,'" «fec. — Schoetgen, Hor. Heh. vol. ii. p. 543. Bres- cith Rabba ad Genes, xlii. 2. apud Raymundum Martini, part. iii. distinct, iii. 16. 1. "^SrD NO'tl'D S«-i&" ""K;in"7 rD'Sii'n'"? rriyon Quando Mes- sias Hierosolymam venict ad rediincndum Israel- itas tunc ligat asinuni suum, cique insidet, ct Hierosolymam venit, n^'Ji'D nvr ir^y^ utsemet ipsum in humilitate gcrat.q. d. Zach. ix. 9. pauper et insidens asino. See Schoetgen, Horo' Hebraicce, vol. ii. p. 59. De Messiah, lib. ii. contlnens loca veteris testamenti quiE Judroi antiquiores potissi- mum de Messiah interpretati sunt. Schoetgen, vol. ii. p. (54. Schir J\'aschirlm Rabba, fol. 7. 3. ad verba Cantic. 1. Sohnr Levit. fol. 28. col. 112. Schoetgen, vol. ii. p. 219. Dr. Gill's references to the talmudical writers on the application of this passage to our Lord, are — T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. and 99. 1. Brescith Rabba, fol. G6. 2. and 85. 3. Midrnsh Koheleth, fol. ()3. 2. Zohar in Genes. fol. 127. 3. and in Num. fol. 83. 4. and in Deut. fol. 117 1. and 118. 3. Raza Mehimna in Zohar in Lev. fol. 38. 3. and in Num. fol. 97. 2. Modern testimonies : — Sarchi in Isa. xxvi. 6. Baal Hatu- As the word >'ij'i: is a passive participle, Gro- tius would render it salvatus, and expresses his surprise that this should have escaped the atten- tion of the commentators. Drusius, his con- temporary, who was a much more learned man, has anticipated this remark, and replied to it. He also observes, that the word ;;iyu is used as an epithet; but his rule of interpretation, as applied to this form of speaking, is, that where a passive participle is thus taken, it implies action''. Sebastian Schmidt renders the vrords, Justus, et servatus ille ; and in the margin of our authorized translation, " saving himself." With respect to the reading of the Aldine MS.' ao')';u)P avToiig, it is not supported by the original, which reads xn jTB'ini ; had the read- ing of the first word been ]^^V), as Grotius and Houbigant propose, and the word xin omit- ted, and the pronominal affix inserted in its place, □>'ii/ri, the uvrovg might be admitted. In the absence of all authority from manu- scripts, however, no conjectural emendation can be admitted-'. Grotius has committed a singular error in supposing that this prophecy can refer to the entrance of Zerobabel into Jerusalem ; as Zero- babel had long been in the city after the return from the captivity, before the prophecy was written*. rim in Exod. fol. 88. 2. Abrabanel. Mashmia Jeshua, fol. 15. 4. '' Vide Drusius' and Grotius' Annotations in Zech. ix. 9. Critici Sacri, vol. v. • " Juxta LXX. sic legimus, XuCqc aipuSoa, 3rya- TfQ ^lojv xi[(JV(yoe, SvyaTiq ' JeosOuXijU • idov 6 ^arit- ?.fvg OB fO/fTai (701 Slxuioc; xal awtun- aihovc, Tionvg, xal fJii(ti(iiiy.coQ iTii rTiot^vytov, xai n<o).ov rior. Gaude vehementer, filia Sion ; proedica, filia Hie- rusalem ; ecce Rex tuus vcniet tibi Justus et sal- vans ipsos, mansuetus, ascendens super subju- galem, et pullum novum. Interpres legisse vide- tur arrog, cum Aldina editio habeat ai-Torg. Porro quod hie est salvator, Hebroeis estj,'lJf1J, alludens ad nomen Jesu — Unde locum hunc Judaei juxta historian! referunt ad Christum." — Erasmus ap. Crit. Sacri, vol. vii. p. 714. i Newcome's Minor Prophets, in Zech. ix. 9. '' Vide Grotius in loc, Critici Sacri, vol. v. PART VI. Note 1. — Part VI. The several circumstances mentioned in tlie sections of this chapter, which relate our Lord's conversations, when for the last time he visited Jerusalem, as well as the nature of the questions proposed, present us with a most lively portrait of the manners and opinions of the Jews at this period. Schoetgen, and the other writers, who have proposed to explain the New Testament from the talmudical writings, have bestowed much labor on the illustration of some of the 140* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VI phrases, &c. adopted by the Evangelists ; but, in general, the discourses and conversations of our Lord are so plain, that none can misunder- stand them — so short, none can forget them — so perfect, none can add to the force of their instruction, or the eloquence of their language. To add many notes would be " to throw a per- fume on the violet." The differences between the harmonizers of the Gospels, with respect to the contents of this and the following parts of this arrange- ment, are of little importance. In general they are agreed. The principal differences in this part refer to the number of times in which the buyers and sellers were driven from the temple — the question whether our Lord ate the Passover the same day as the Jews — and the precise time in which the discourses in St. John were delivered. Note 2. — Part V. Ride on because of the word of truth, of righteousness, and of judgment. Enter into thine holy city, thou King of Glory. So amidst the acclamations of angels didst thou return to thy Father. So shall tlie spirits of the just attend thee, when thou shalt again at the end of the world go up, from the dissolution of nature, to thy Father and our Father, to thy God and our God. The hour was approaching when the mysterious sacrifice, reconciling the heaven and the earth, was to be offered ; and Jesus, knowing that all things were to be ac- complished, went on to the scene of his suffer- ings amidst the homage of the people, and appealing to the rulers of Israel, by his fulfil- ment of the most peculiar of their prophecies, which they had applied to their expected Messiah. He entered into Jerusalem to fulfil the proph- ecies — to resign himself to the will of his Father — ^to become the victim for the sins of man — and no one action, after he entered the city, was inconsistent with the humble yet sublime cliar- acter which he had assumed, as the powerful deliverer, and the passive sacrifice. That there might be no possibility of a renewal of the former scenes, when the people anxiously desired, by force, to make Him a king, He discontinued the miracles by Avhich He had hitlierto demonstrated his authority and power. Every evening He withdrew from the city to solitude, to prayer, or to converse with his dis- ciples on the Mount of Olives. He thus obvi- ated the very possibility of suspicion" that ho was actuated by the desire of temporal aggran- dizement. " That is, among the Jews of liis own time. But see tlie German critics quoted, and we may trust, refuted by Kuinocl, Comment, in lib. Hist. .IV. T. in Matt. xxi. and by Rosenmilller, in his Scholia on the same chapter. Note 3.— Part V. It was a law among the Jews, that if any person, even of the most inferior rank, addressed another in any well-known passage from their liturgical services, the person thus accosted was bound to reply. They were particularly accustomed to apply the 118th Psalm to this purpose ; the 25th verse of which was used at the feast of Tabernacles. The 24th verse is an introduction to the expressions of joy, the hosannas which the people sung — and it is not improbable, therefore, that the words of both these verses were sung on the occasion of our Lord's entrance into Jerusalem. The people dividing themselves, and, according to the custom which had prevailed among them from the very earliest ages, which was contin- ued by the primitive Churches, and is still pre- served in the services of the Episcopal Church, repeating alternately the clauses of the pas- sages they quoted. It is well known that the Evangelists have not been careful to relate minutely every incident which occurred when they record a fact; and we cannot therefore argue from their silence that no other passage was sung than the hosaima of the 25th verse. It seems more probable that the introductory verse would have been likewise added, in which case we may conclude that the rhythmical di- visions would be preserved, and the burthen, or chorus, or song of triumph, with which our Lord was Avelcomed, might be thus arranged — This is the day which the Lord hath made, We will be glad and rejoice in it. Saying— We pray thee, O Jehovah, save us, we pray ; We pray thee, O Jehovah, prosper us, we pray. A rhyming ending of this kind was likely to dwell on the memory of the devout Jews. The ending of the last hne but one, however, is the term from which the word is actually derived, XI nj^li'in, "Save now, we beseech thee." This passage seems to have been the principal acclamation with which our Saviour was sa- luted ; while many of the multitude added the expressions mentioned by St. Luke. Tlie conduct of the Pharisees, in reproving the people for thus crying out their hosannas, instead of uniting with them according to their own institutions, must be imputed to their hard- ness of lieart, and a determination to oppose to the utmost the claims and pretensions of the Prophet of Na7.ar(^th and of Galilee, for — JudcE- orum, d Phansa'onun fuit, his pueris respon- dere ; idque ex inslitnto mrtjorum suorum. Fe- nun (I x).ijr)oyiicQ(Vjt ■ipsonnn hoc nolin't pcrmiitere. — Schoctgen, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 170. Note 4, 5.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. Note 4. — Part VI. , Note 5, — Part VI. *141 Manx, in his work, On the true Time of Chrisfs Life, is of opinion that the buyers and sellers were driven once only from the temple. Some harmonizers conclude that they were now, the second time, driven out, on the day of his triumphant entry, others on the day after. I have preferred the arrangement pro- posed by Pilkington and adopted by Doddridge ; both because the literal interpretation of the narrative appears to support the opinion ; and it is probable that the repeated opposition of our Lord to the traffic which so much benefited the priests, by wliose permission the merchants sat in the court of the temple, contributed to his apprehension. It is not likely that one repulse from the temple would have been sufficient to banish them entirely from so lucra- tive an employment. The general opinion is, that the buyers and sellers were three times expelled from tJie temple. Once at the first Passover, and twice at this time. St. Matthew's account runs thus : — on the day of the triumphant entry, Jesus went into tlie temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought, &c. St. Mark mentions that Jesus, at his trium- phal entry ,went into the temple, and when he had looked round about upon all things, he went out of the city. Dr. Lightfoot observes [HorcE Hcb. in loc), that the word negiGleipd^evog, Mark xi. 11. signifies not, — " a bare beholding, or, looking upon," but, — " a looking upon with indignation, reproof, and correction." And he supposes the word, so understood, to allude to the casting the buyers and sellers out of the temple, at the time spoken of by St. Matthew. At his return the next morning, he cursed the barren fig tree, and he again cast the buyers and sellers out of the temple. It is not improbable, that the traders and money-changers should be returned to the temple again, though they were cast out the day before ; and it may well be expected that, if Jesus found tliem there, he would drive them out again : so far the supposition of there being two facts related is very probable. And, be- sides, we may observe, that St. Mark mentions a restraint, that either was not laid upon the people the day before, or, at least, is not men- tioned by St. Matthew, viz. that he would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel thi-ough the temple : an additional circum- stance, which makes it appear still more prob- able that Jesus cast them out twice, at the several times mentioned by the two Evan- gelists. — Pilkington, notes to the Evangelical History, p. 47, 48. Where, or on what day, these Greeks came to see Jesus is not particularly recorded. But, as in St. John's present order, this account immediately follows that of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we have some reason to con- clude that it was on that day and in that place ; and therefore I have thought it necessary to arrange this, and the three following sections, amongst the transactions of that day, and be- fore Jesus departed out of the city, as men- tioned Matt. xxi. 17, 18, and Mark xi. 11, 12. It may farther be observed, that there are some notations in these sections, which seem to point out the time of their coming, and the place where Jesus was. It is probable He was now in the temple, whither the Greeks, if they were devout strangers, or Proselytes of the Gate only, could not be pern)itted to come ; they being allowed to go no farther than the court of the Gentiles. They therefore applied to him, to desire him to vouchsafe to come out of the temple to siiow himself unto them. But, instead of complying with this request, a greater evidence was vouchsafed them ; a voice came from heaven, in their hearing, which said, " I have both glorified ray Name, and I will glorify it again," referring to the name of God being glorified just before Jesus went into the temple, in the hosannahs of the people. The observation of Dr. Lightfoot is worthy our remark ; Christ was thrice attested from heaven, according to his threefold office. King, Priest, and Prophet. At his baptism, when he was anointed and entered into his ministry, as the great High Priest — at his transfiguration, for the great Prophet to whom all must hearken — and now for the great King, when he had newly fulfilled this prophecy, — " Rejoice, O Sion ! behold thy King cometh," &c. Lardner, Vossius, and Salmasius are of opinion that the Greeks here spoken of were idolatrous Gentiles ; Whitby, that they were Proselytes of the Gate ; and Doddridge, Prose- lytes of Righteousness. Heuman and Semler suppose that they were Jews, whose constant residence was among the Gentiles. It seems most probable, as they were now at Jerusalem, that they had come up to be present at tlie feast of the Passover, and therefore that they were of that class of persons who are elsewhere caUed aeGo^iBvm. The word here used is "Elhjyeg — " et quan(iuam," says Kuinoel, " h. 1. non additum legitur ae66fieyoi, ex usu tamen loquendi N. T. quandoque, ut Hieronym. in Matt. xxvi. scribit: mutata re pristinum nomen manet ; v. Glassius, Phil. Sac. p. 7. Sic quoque qui. Act. xiii. 42. tu y6i')j dicuntur, v. 43. nomi- iiKntur aeSoiifioi 7Tgoai\).vToi. Commode ergo et h. 1. Proselyti'simpliciter dici potuerunt 142* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VI. "Eli.ijveg.'''' — Kuinoel, Comment, in lib. Histor. JV. T. vol. iii. p. 525. ON Note 6.— Part VI. THE "bath col," or VOICE FROM HEAVEN. One of the most ancient tokens of the more immediate or more manifested presence of God, was the utterance of an audible voice from heaven, in the manner here described ; this voice was called by the Jews the Bath Col, or the Daughter of the voice. It was generally at- tended, as in this instance, with thunder. The Jews, who were accustomed to read and to hear that it Avas in this manner their fathers were accustomed to liold communion with God, said, an angel spoke ; the Greeks, who were not so well instructed, thought that it thundered. Vitringa'', who has written a treatise express- ly on this subject, has endeavoured to prove that the Bath Col was delivered in four various forms. The n"D*3T Sip, gentle, low, and as in a whisper. In this manner Job was addressed, when the :;?oty« Sipl norDI ^T]; njjS njion " an image glided rapidly before mine eyes, I perceived silence, and a voice." That is, a low and still voice whispered from the silence. The second kind of Bath Col was an articu- late but subdued tone : as Moses heard the voice as of a man speaking to him from the mercy- seat. This also was in a gentle tone, but not so low as in the former instance. Maimonides describes it from the traditions of the Jews, as a low tone of voice, such as that wliich a man uses when he prays aloud, and is alone. The third was, the usual tone of a man speaking, as when the Bath Col called to Sam- uel. He thought that Eli had called to him ; and, in the same way, God conversed with Moses, " as a man converses with his friend." The fourth, and principal, and most frequent, was that form of the Bath Col, which was a deep and loud sound, pt' Sip and LZ)^S^p' at- tended with thunder, and which is described in various passages of Scripture, as well as in the verse now under consideration. Vitringa produces a number of curious illus- trations of this mode of revelation from the an- cients ; among whom were preserved the wrecks and remnants of the original patriarchism, once the true religion of the assembled sons of Noah, before the corruptions of idolatry had again established vice and error among mankind. Spencer'' has given the same account. The Bath Col was a voice which proceeded from heaven, by the ministry of an angel: it was so called, because the voice was generally attend- ed with thunder, which demonstrated its super- * Obscrr. Sacrrr. vol. ii. ]). 252, &c. "^ Dr. lj(rH}}is Hrhneor. Dissert, vii. Dc Urim et Thuinmi.iii , vol. ii. p. 923. natural origin ; and from which it proceeded as from the womb of its mother. Ex tonitru, tan- quam ex utero mairis su(p., prodierit, are the words of Danzius, in his treatise De Inaugura- tione Christi, &c. Danzius'' and Harenburgh" both quote Tosaphoth Cod. Sanhedr. (scil. f. 11. a.) to prove that many suppose that they did not hear a voice coming irom heaven, but that one voice seemed to proceed from, or be the echo of another. It sometimes liappens that a man heard a voice as from a distance, which ap- peared as an echo. Maimonides-'' is of opinion, that the Bath Col was merely an imaginary voice, which the in- dividual seemed to hear, in consequence of some notion suddenly and vividly impressed upon, or occurring to his imagination. This opinion is common among many of the Jews at present ; at least, if I may be allowed to say so, from having heard it strenuously defended in a con- versation on the subject with one of the most learned Jews in this country. It is an opinion, however, which is not only contrary to the whole testimony of Scripture, which relates, as facts, the sudden voice to Adam, Moses, Elijah, Samuel, and others ; but it is at variance with all the general interpretations of the talmudical writers ; and is vehemently objected to by the learned Abrabanel, who asserts the ancient belief, that the Bath Col was of supernatural origin ; and he adduces, among other instances, the voice to Samuel, and the Law on Sinai, which must be considered as miracles, worked upon the air itself, so as to produce an audible and distinct sound, as of a voice, which cannot possibly be resolved into a deception of the im- agination. Abrabanel likewise challenges the Christians to produce in their favor this proof of the truth of their religion. The fiFTaSiuvib^Fv efTFvdsv, "let us depart hence," of Josephus, (in Hebrew, pno pIDJ,) when he describes so eloquently the prodigies at the siege of Jerusalem, appears to me to be the last sound of the Bath Col in the Jewish dispensation; the last sigh of the Spirit of prophecy in the Mosaic Church. Note 7. — Part VI. If we regard this fig tree, as a mere emblem, or type, we shall find a beautiful and perfect harmony thro;ighout the whole narrative. The ^ '' Dfi Innucrnratione Christi, &c. ^ Jolinn. Cliristopli Harenburorh, De Mirarulo Priiter.osUili, in tiie Kllh volume of the Critici Sacri, p. ."i74. He has defined the Bath Col also from the .Ferusalem Targum. npD3 xSp m3 I^'ith f'ol ■prodiit ^"^y^-^-^ xSp inSntyXI 'XinX Uro rx ter- ra et auditinn est in 'c(Elis. — Jenisalrm Ttir^uiii, in Num. xxi. 7. Pirke Tosaphot, In Sanhedrin, c. i. art. 20. defines it iD'no XVV trJ'Oiyn p Xi*V ^YJ2 "irx S'p qi'inn r<rrederetu:r tonitru c r.uilo vox alia ex iUo /irodinis. f Apud Vitringam ut supra, p. 352. Note 8, 9.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. # 143 religion of tlie Jews had now become merely external, it flourished only in appearance : it possessed the leaves, but not the fruits of holi- ness. The fig-tree, therefore, became the most apt representation of the state of the Jews at that time, and of their consequent destruction, or withering away. Had it been the season of figs, and the fruit already gath- ered, the tree would not have been so appro- priately the object of a curse, or so expressively a type of the Jewish nation. In this, as in many other instances, our Saviour predicted the future by a significant action, or sign, before he judged it expedient to declare it publicly. The parable of the fruitless fig-tree (Luke xiii. 7.) bears the same signification. Another illustration is given of this parable, in reference to the first establishment of the Levitical priestliood. When an opposition was made to the divine ordination of Aaron, the Levitical priesthood was ratified and confirmed by the mu-acle of a dry rod, which in one night budded, blossomed, and brought forth fruits. Now, when it was about to be removed, because it had ceased to flourish, or to yield its ap- pointed produce, its fate was prefigured by a contrary miracle, by an apparently flourishing tree reduced as it were, in one night, to a dry rod, for ever barren. The choice of this tree, as an emblem, cor- responds with other parts of Scripture, Jer. xxiv. 2. Luke xiii. 6. Micah vii. 1. Cant. ii. 11-13. Note 8.— Part VL The words y.nior); avxotv (" the time of figs,") signify tlie time of gathering, i. e. the Jig harvest. Wetstein's observations are worthy of notice : he says, that if Christ, when ap- proaching a fig-tree at the season when figs are ripe, had found nothing but leaves, this would not have afforded a decisive proof that the tree was barren, and deserving of a curse : for had it been ever so fruitful, all the figs might have been previously plucked off". But since before the fig harvest it had abundance of leaves, it might be justly expected to have figs also. Lightfoot remarks, that this cursing injured no one, since, as we learn from St. Matthew, the tree grew by the way side. Note 9. — Part VL Dr. Hales having taken for granted that the temple was cleansed on the Tuesday, and not on the Monday, has preferred the order of St. Mark, and made some minor alterations in the position of these events. The foundation of his reasoning is removed by the arguments of Pilkington, which are inserted in the note to section 3, (Note 4, p. 141-2.) In Matt. xxi. 13. when our Saviour drove the buyers and sellers out of the temple, he said to them, " It is written, ' my house shall be called a house (not the house) of prayer,' but ye have made it a den of thieves ;" or, if it be read with an interrogation, " And have ye made it a den of thieves?" 'YjusTg de uvwv inoir^auiE ^TJH- A.4I()N AJI^TJIN; then the indignation will be increased, from the opposition between " God " and " ye." The same is related by Mark xi. 17. with the same two worAs, amf^Xuiov XrjCTTai', and so by Luke xix. 46. It may be asked, why the temple should be said by our Saviour to be made (T7l/^lalOl' Iriajwi', a cave of robbers ; was it because there were some who bought and sold in it ? or because the money- changers, or those who sold doves, sat there .' None of those persons could be called h^arul, latrones, or public robbers: nor did their bu- siness lie in a:jt\lutu, spelunca:, dens or caves, so as to cause the temple, in which they were, to be called (ttii^miov. St. John, however, in his account of tliis matter, mentions a circum- stance, without the knowledge of which, the reason of this expression, a7ri\haov Ir^aim', in the other three Evangelists, and in Jer. vii. 11. whence it is taken, could not have been under- stood, and very probably that is the reason why it is mentioned by him, chap. ii. 14, 15. "and (Jesus) found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep, {B0A2 xul nPOBATJ,) and doves, and when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen." Now it is well known to those who are moderately versed in antiquity, that the l-r^axul were wont to bring into their om\luiu, or caves in the rocks, the oxen and sheep which they had stolen. Such an one was Cacus in Virgil, JEneid. viii. 193. who stole Hercules' oxen, " Hie spelunca fuit vasto submota recessu," &c. who is called by Propertuis, iv. 10. " metuendo Raptor ab antro," i. e. ATjarV/c inb (mrjXulou. Hence a7Tr^lulOf Ir^aiixov in Heliodorus ^thio- pic, v. 2. See Plutarch in Seiior. p. .'576; and Josephus often in Bello Jiidaico, and in ,^nliq. xiv. XV. p. G51. ed. Huds. where he makes men- tion of Atjotwj' Tit'Wf ii' (T7ri]).cnol; y.uTOtxovi'Toir. So that our Saviour had just reason to resent then- profanation of his Father's house ; as if he had said, — God hath declared in the Scrip- tures, my temple shall be a place of prayer, have ye (supposing it to be read with an inter- Togation) the boldness to convert it to the use which robbers make of their caves, and to turn it into a receptacle and stall for oxen and sheep ? But nobody, I imagine, could have known the meaning and propriety of the words ani\).(aoi' and ?.r^amr, if St. John had not informed us that oxen and sheep were brouglit into the 144* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VI. cemple to be sold ; whereby the prophecy of Jer. vii. 11. Mrj anr\kuiov Irjaiibv 6 ol'xog /iw (to which our Saviour alludes) was fulfilled ; for the temple could not have been called ajTrilawv ATjcTTOJ;', had not oxen and sheep been brought into it. See Bowyer. Note 10.— Part VI. CD'"in ipU' ^"in was the epithet attached by the Jews to any of their learned or eminent men, who excelled in explaining the difficulties of Scripture^. Peter was told, if he had faith he should be able to remove mountains, &c. It is difficult to perceive the immediate connexion between the surprise of Peter and the exhortation of our Lord. It may possibly refer to the power which was afterwards given to the apostles to interpret the Scriptures in their spiritual sense, and to change the religion of the world. Such is the supposition of Witsius, that St. Peter understood that Christ, by the withering away of the fig tree, intended to signify the de- struction of the Jewish Church ; and that Christ alluded, in Mark xi. 2.3. to that apostle becom- ing the means of throwing the mountain (the temple) into the sea (the world) : that is, that St. Peter should be chosen to open the doors of the Church to the Gentile world''. Note 11.— Part VL To prove that the Jews refer this passage to tlie Messiah, Schoetgen quotes Rasche ad Mi- cah V. 1. and Abrabanel ad Zachar. iv. 10. — Schoetgen, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 174. Note 12.— Part VI. Bishop Warburton endeavoured to show that the doctrine of the resurrection could not be proved from the Law of Moses ; he omitted, in this paradoxical attempt, to confute the ar- gument whicli may be derived from the tradi- tional interpretation of their Scriptures, by the Jews. The Sadducees, like sects in all Church- es, became a party, by rejecting tlie common faitli of their countrymen, and by affiscting a sin o-ularity of opinion. The Jews were accus- tomed to censure all who denied that the resur- rection could be proved from the Law : " Hi sunt qui partem non habcnt in seculo futuro ; qui dicunt. Legem non esse de coelo, n^Tin |'« ^ See Lightfoot, 8vo. edit. vol. iii. p. 135. '' Witsii Mdet. Ltidens. dr.ficu Mated, sect. xv. mmn p □"'nnn et resuiTectionem non pro- bari posse ex lege' ". The Sadducees asked the question that follows, for the purpose of ridiculing the doc- trine of the resurrection. In our Lord's an- swer, he not only rectified their opinions, but so explained the doctrine, as to overthrow the erroneous decision of the Pharisees on the same point, who had decided tliat if two brothers married one woman, she should be restored at the resurrection to the elder, or to him to whom she had been first married-'. Note 13.— Part VI. That the expected Messiah should be the son of David was a thing well known among the Jews, and universally acknowledged, see John vii. 42. ; and is a most powerful proof against them that the Messiah is come. Tlieir families are now so perfectly confounded, that they cannot trace back their genealogies with any degree of certainty : nor have they been capable of ascertaining the diflTerent families of their tribes, for more than sixteen hundred years. Why then should the Spirit of proph- ecy assert so often, and in sucli express terms, that Jesus was to come from the family of David, if he were to make his appearance when the public registers were all demolished ? Is it not evident that God designed that the Messiah should come at a time when the public genealogies might be inspected, to prove that it was He who was prophesied of, and that no other was to be expected ? The Evangelists, Matthew and Luke, were so fully convinced of the conclusiveness of this proof, tliat they ap- pealed to the public registers ; and thus proved to the Jews, from their own records, that Jesus was born of tlie family mentioned by tlie prophets. Nor do we find that a Scribe, Pharisee, or any other, ever attempted to invalidate this proof, though it would have essentially served their cause, could they have done it. But, as tiiis has not been done, we may fairly conclude it was impossible to do it. Clarke in loc. Note 14.— Part VL Our Lord, no longer under restraint from fear of apprehension, as he was now on the • Avoda Sara, fol. 18. 1. Sanhcdrm, fol. 90. 1. Ap. Schoetgen. Tlora: llcb. vol. i. p. 17G. J The same idea, that in the resurrection, &c. Matt. .xxii. 30. is fonud in Masserli(tli Dcrech Ercz, in JalLiit. Rubcni, fol. J 31. 1. n'7J*'3S r\2'V/' |'N in ccelo non scdciit (:id niensam) n'\~iki'1 dSon nSi neque mlunt aid bibunt ; rT'^TI n'n£) nSi ncquc libcrus geiieraiit,'' &c. It likewise occurs in Bera- cholJi, Ibl. 17. i. and in Sulair Er.od . fol. 48. col. 190. and Jalkat Rubcni, fol. 178. 2. Note 15.-17.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. = 145 point of offering Himself a willing victim, re- proached the Pharisees in the strongest terms, an the presence of all the people, for their shameful pride and hypocrisy, and for their wilful misapprehension of the spirit and intent of the Law of Moses. In this passage he seems particularly to allude to lie custom prevalent among the more ostentatious of them, but con- demned by others, of covering their head and eyes, lest they should look even upon the wickedness of the world, upon wicked men, or upon any thing which might incite them to evil. In consequence of this practice, they would sometimes strike against a wall, and cover them- selves with blood. The talmudist who describes it, »:anN 'J3 nn-iS nSx nn'oiy □k/'? s^'?! €os hoc non fecisse ad gloriam Dei, sed ul ho- mines deciperent Vides (Schoetgen udds) erg-o JudfBos avTOxaTax()lTOvg, et veritatem verhofum servatoris etiam inimicorum ipsius tvstimonio comprobatam'' ." It must, however, be remem- bered, that the Pharisees did but disguise the traditional truth received from their ancestors. Bishop Blomficld has admirably discussed this subject with great skill and learning. His con- clusions may be expressed in that of Schoetgen. "Quamvis vcro Christus Pharisaeos tantopere refutat, non tamen existimandum est, ipsum omnes Judseorum doctrinas absolute rejecisse. Credibile quippe est, in antiquiore Judaeorura Ecclesia circa et post Esrae tempora multa viguisse veritatis antiqua; ac nondum depravatae vestigia. Veritatis, inquam, illiusque tum quo<l ad dogmata, tum quod ad mores spectat, con- sideratse. Qusecunque ergo cum ceconomia nova et perfectione, quam a nobis Christus re- quirit, conveniebant, ilia omnia retinuit. Unde non mirum, multa a Lightfooto et nobis ex Pan- dectis Judffiorum adferri potuisse, quae cum doctrina Salvatoris omnino conveniunt. Anti- quiores Judrei eadem statuerant, sed fermentum Pharisaicum, quod vehementer urget servator, omnia polluerat." — Schoetgen, vol. i. p. 27. Note 15.— Part VI. Whe.\ a Gentile was converted to Judaism, he was said to have come nr^tPn "aJD nnn, " under the wine's of the Shechinah." In usinff thir5 expression, therefore, our Lord agaii) as- serted his Divinity, and reminded the Jews of tiie doctrine he had before taught Nicodemus, tiiat tlie people of Israel themselves were re- quired to enter into his kingdom as new crea- tures, as proselytes to a New Dispensation. — See many instances in Schoetgen. Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 208. The remark of Dr. Hales on this passage, '' Anich. fol. 127. 4. ap. Schoetgen. Hora Hc- Iraica, &.C. vol. i. p. 205. Bishop Blonifield's Tract, Knowledge of Jewish Traditions essential to an accurate Interpretation of the New Testament. VOL. II. *19 appears to me to be too refined and hypercritical, and censures unjustly the translation in the au- thorized version. He observes, " the word in the original is ogvig, which is generic ; and surely more applicable to that noblest of birds, the eagle and his brood, than to the ' hen and chickens ' of the English Bible." And he sup- poses that our Lord, " as the tutelar God of Israel, alludes to his former comparison, in the divine ode of the parent eagle, training his young brood, after he had brought them on eagles' wings to himself, to Mount Sinai'." This learned writer, however, has not taken into consideration, tliat the comparison of the hen and chickens was known from the earliest times to the Jews, and was frequent and familiar among them ; and that this humble metaphor was much more suited to tlie genius and nature of the Christian religion. When the tribes of Israel, under the guidance of the God of their fathers, departed from the wilderness, with the fierceness and fearlessness of youthful and im- petuous warriors ; when they seized upon their divinely-conquered provinces, and triumphed in the spoil of their enemies, they were as justly, as they were sublimely, compared to the young eagles soaring from their inaccessible heights at the call of their parent, and darting like lightning upon their ignoble prey. The comparison of our Lord is consistent with the nature and design of his more perfect Dispen- sation of reconciliation and love. His disciples, like their Master, were to be meek and lowly in spirit, and they were to be sheltered and nourished under the saving wings of their kind and merciful Protector. Note 16.— Part VI. The ancient Jews were accustomed to call the temple n'3n "the House," to show its great superiority to any other building. They called it likewise "Domus Sanctuarii," n'3 l&'npon, and O-nSu' n":3, " Domus seterna'"." And tliis liouse, or temple, which has now, for near eighteen centuries, continued desolate, in fulfilment of the prophecy in the next verse, shall be again rebuilt, and on the mountains of Israel the tribes shall again plant the olive and the vine, and offer up their praises and thanks- giving in a more glorious temple than that of Solomon. Glorious things shall be spoken of thee, thou city of God ! Note 17.— Part VL A curious law, which prevailed among the Jews at that time, prohibited one mite, as we ' Hales's Analysis of Chronology, vol. ii. part 2. '" Schoetgen. Hor. Heb. vol. i. d. 210. 146* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part YL translate the word l^mbv, to be put into the treasury. The poor widow, therefore, in cast- ing two mites, her little all, into the treasury, gave the smallest sum permitted by the Law. :npix bty 'pnxS nDna CDnx jn'' nS non ponat homo Ismbv in cistam eleemosynarum. — Bava Bathra, fol.10.2. ap. Schoetgen, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 250. Note 18.— Part VL on the destruction of jerusalem. In the ancient times of the world, when all mankind began to apostatize from the faith of their fathers, it pleased the true God to select the illustrious ancestor of the now scattered sons of Israel, to maintain and perpetuate the true religion. Thus, for a long series of ages, the God of Nature demonstrated to the whole world that He was the God of the Church also, by the most stupendous miracles in favor of the chosen family of Abraham. P''or them the sea was divided, the tides of rivers were stopped, and the waters rose up in heaps. Fountains broke forth in the desert ; decay ap- proached not their garments, nor fatigue their limbs. The god of the idolaters stood still in the temple of heaven, and the moon paused in her course at the voice of a mortal. For them the fire descended from heaven. God himself reigned over them, enthroned in a pillar of fire at night, and a cloud by day. He was their King, He was their Deliverer. What- ever were their wanderings or deviations from his institutions ; continued miracles and the Spirit of prophecy demonstrated the perpetual superintendence of a presiding Providence. Tiie records, handed down from their fathers, have been faithfully preserved ; and we are there assured that the same power which ordained these wonders for the family of Abraham in the olden times will never leave them nor forsake them: « Can a woman forget her sucking child ? " — " Yea, they may forget, Yet will I not forget thee ! " Is God unchangeable ? " Is he a man, that he should lie ; Or the son of man, that he should repent .'" To what condition are his people reduced ? Nearly two thousand years have elapsed sinoe their holy city was burnt with fire, and their nation scattered among their insulting Gentile brethren. To the intolerable sufferings of the sons of Israel during this long period, it is not necessary to make further allusion: they are stamped on every page of history. The .Tews are still dispersed over every part of the known world. " Among us, but not of us," thoy wander over the earth, banished from their holy city, from that city whicli was the joy of th© whole earth, the residence of their prophets, the seat of the greatness of their kings, tlie home, and the capital, as they fondly believed^ of their expected Messiah. From the con- templation of the former splendor and present depression of the house of Israel, I would request the modern Jew, who believes in the truth of those Sacred Books which have been transmitted to him from his illustrious an- cestors, to propose to himself this question. Whether it is probable that the God of their fathers should thus consign the peculiarly favored family of Abraham to exile and misery the most intolerable, for so long a space of time-, without some adequate cause ? Is it probable that Jerusalem, the holy city, the city of tlie Great King, should be burnt with fire, and be trodden under foot of the Gentiles, and no warning voice be given, either by miracle, or by prophecy ? When the Chaldeans polluted the sacred territory, and destroyed the carved work of the first temple, Ezekiel denounced the coming vengeance ; and Jeremiah wept night and day for the transgression of the daughter of his people. When a greater and more lasting punishment Avas about to be inflicted, was it not to be expected that a prophet should arise among the people of God, to appeal to them, with the stern dignity of Ezekiel, or the tender yet majestic eloquence of Jeremiah ? The books of the Christian Scriptures alone solve this difficulty, and assure them that this expectation was not unreason- able. They tell them that the Greatest of all prophets appealed to them ; the Son of David addressed them, but they would none of his reproof; He foretold, in his very last predic- tion, with sympathizing energy, the fearful destruction that awaited their beloved city, and its unbelieving inhabitants ; offering at the same time the means of salvation to the faithful few. At this time the Jews, through all ranks and classes, Avere zealous for the Law of their fathers; so that they were willing to perse- cute every one, even of their own nation, who spoke but with indifference of its sanctions. Must not, then, some unacknmvledgvd and pro- porfionnte crime have been committed, which could thus call down the just judgment of the God of their fathers ? The Christian Scrip- tures alone can solve the mystery, and vindicate the unchangcableness of the God of Israel. Here is related the hitherto unrepented and proportionate crime. They rejected their long- promised Messiah ; they crucified the Lord of life ; tlipy nailed liim to the cross ; they clam- ored for his blood. For this their holy city is left unto them desolate ; for this thoy have been for so ninuy centuries the scorn and outcasts of ninnkind. 'V\\n fall of Jerusalem, the misfrios of its inhabitants, anil tlie evils thai Note 18.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *1/17 147 Isave so long jrtirsxietl the sons of Israel, have been uniformly regarded as monuments of the trutli of Christianity, and the most undeniable and solenm appeal to tlie Jewish nation. And as this prediction of our Lord is the most remark- able in the New Testament ; so also are the destruction it predicts and the present condition of the Jews, without any exception whatever, ihe most calamitous, and the most striking, and, on all known principles of action, the most imlooked-for, unaccountable events in history. Let us now consider the occasion on which the predictions were spoken. When our Saviour pronounced his patlietic lamentation over Jerusalem, he was in the temple, sur- rounded by the multitude and his own disciples ; when he left it, " his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple, how it Avas adorned with goodly stones and gifts." They seemed, by this action, to infer that such a magnificent edifice could not be destroyed. But, as our Saviour had prophesied its total ruin and desolation, they were anxious to know Eiore of these tilings, and, as soon as he had disengaged himself from the multitude, they came unto him privately, as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives ; and entreated Him to tell them, when will these things be, and what the sign of his coming and (r^s avvxeXelug tov (itlil)yo;) of the end of the world ? From tliis question, it appears evident that the disciples viewed the coming of Christ and the end of the world or age, as events nearly related, and which would indisputably take place together : they had no idea of the dissolution of the Jewish polity, with its attendant miseries, as really signified by, or included in, either of these events. They imagined, perhaps, a great and awful change in the physical constitution of the universe, which they probably expected would occur within the term of their own lives; but they could have no conception of what was really meant by the expression which they employed, the coming of Christ. " From their very childhood," says a judicious and penetrat- ing commentator, " they imagined that the temple would stand to the end of time : and this notion was so deeply fixed in their minds, that they regarded it as impossible for the temple to be overthrown, while the structure of the universe remained. As soon, therefore, as Christ told them that the temple would be destroyed, their tiioughts instantly ran to the consummation of all things. Thus they con- nect with the destruction of the temple, as things inseparable, the coming of Christ and tho end of the world." Rosenmiiller observes on tiiis passage, " it is certain that the phrase, ■>) avvTileia lov alcbtog, is understood in the Now Testament (Mutt. xiii. .39, 40. 49. xx?iii. 20.) of tlie end of the world. The disciples spoke according to the opinions of their country- men, and believed that thn end of tliis world. and the beginning of a new one, would follow immediately upon the destruction of the temple"." The coming of Christ, and the end of tlte world, being therefore only different expres- sions to denote the same period as the destruc- tion of Jerusalem, the purport of the disciples' question plainly is, When shall the destruction of Jerusalem be — and what shall be the signs of it ? The latter part of the question is the first answered, and our Saviour foretells, in the clearest manner, the signs of his coming, and the destruction of Jerusal-em. He then passes on to the other part of the question, concern- ing the time of his coming. History is the only certain interpreter of prophecy : and by a com- parison of the two, we shall see with what stu{>endous accuracy the latter has been ac- complislied. Our blessed Saviour foretells, as the Jlrst sign of his coming, tliat there should be false prophets (Matt. xxiv. 4, 5.), adding (Luke xxi. 8.), " the time draweth near :" and we find, in a very short time, this prophecy began to be realized. Very soon after our Lord's decease, Simon Magus appeared, and bewitched the people of Samaria, &c. Acts viii. 9, 1 0. See also Acts xxi. 38. Of the same stamp and character was also Dositheus, the Samaritan, who pretended that he was the Christ foretold by Moses. About twelve years after the death of our Lord, when Cuspius Fadus was procurator of Judaea, arose an impostor of the name of Theu- das, who said he was a prophet, and persuaded a great multitude to follow him with their best effects to the river Jordan, which he promised to divide for their passage ; " and, saying these things," says Josephus, "he de- ceived many :" almost the very words of our Lord. A few years afterwards, under the reign of Nero, while Felix was procurator of Judaea, impostors of this stamp were so frequent, that some were taken and killed almost every day. Jos. Ant. b. XX. c. 4. and 7. It was a just judg- ment for God to deliver up that people into the " " Discipuli communi Judasorum occupati errore arbitrabantvir, Messiain prtEsentein Gentium vic- torem cxtiUiruin, atque triumphoruni suorum cele- britate uiiiversuni, qua patet, orbem esse impletu- rum ; porro ex ejus victoriis profundissimam pacem reo-ni ejus esse extituram, in qua felicissiina futura esset eoriiiu, qui in partes reo;ni ejus venirent, apostoloruin et discipuloruni conditio : turn denique uuain verani relisrionem. sublato omni dissensu, idololatriV ct fals'i prophetiA subniotfi. orbem ter- raruni esse occupaturam. Ilauc vero TiaQnaiut' ilkistratura esse signa quaedam hiculenta, vel ex- traordinarios quosdam eventus. quibus adesse jam eum ad regnnm ejusmodi capessenduni constet, recepta tuiu fuit, et hodie adluic est Judaeoruin opinio," &c. — RosenmOller, Scholia in Matt. vol. i. p. 4t);)-70. — Rosenmiiller refers in this last sen- tence to the custom said to be observed among the Jews of opening- their windows in a thunderstorm, ill exiTPCtalion of their Messiah. 148* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part YL hands of false Christs, who had so wilfully re- jected the true one. The next signs given by our Lord are, " Wars and rumors of wars," &c. These may be seen in Josephus (b. xviii. c. 9. Wars, b. xi. c. 10.), especially as the rumors of wars, when Caligula ordered his statue to be set up in the temple of God, which the Jews having refused, had every reason to expect a war with the Romans ; and were in such consternation on the occasion, that they even neglected to till the ground: but their fears were soon dissipated by the timely death of that emperor. " Nation shall rise up against nation." This portended greater disturbances than those which took place under Caligula, in the latter times of Claudius, and in the reign of Nero. It foretold the dissension, insurrections, and mu- tual slaughter of the .fews, and those of other nations, who dwelt in the same cities together ; as particularly at Csesarea, where the Jews and Syrians contended about the right of the city, which ended in the total expulsion of the Jews, above 20,000 of whom were slain. The whole Jewish nation, being exasperated at this, flew to arms, and burnt and plundered the neighbour- ing cities and villages of the Syrians, making an immense slaughter of the people. The Syrians, in return, destroyed not a less number of the Jews. At Scythopolis they murdered upwards of 1.3,000 ; at Ascalon they killed 2500 ; at Ptolemais they slew 2000, and made many prisoners. The Tyrians also put many Jews to death, and imprisoned more : the people of Gadara did likewise; and all the other cities of Syria, in proportion as they hated or feared the Jews. At Alexandria the Jews and hea- thens fought, and 50,000 of the former were slain. The people of Damascus conspired against the Jews of that city, and assaulting them unarmed, killed 10,000 of them. " Kingdom against kingdom." This portend- ed the open wars of different tetrarchies and provinces against each other. That of Jews and Galileans against the Samaritans, for the mur- der of some Galileans going up to the feast of Jerusalem, while Cumanus was procurator. That of the whole nation of Jews against the Romans and Agrippa, and other allies of the Roman empire ; which began when Gessius Florus was procurator ; and that of the civil war in Italy, when Otho and Vitellius were contending for the empire. It is worthy of remark, that the Jews themselves say, " In the time of tlic Messiah, wars shall be stirred up in the world ; nation shall rise against nation, and city against city." — Sohar Kadash. Again, Rab. Eleasar, the son of Abina, said, " When ye see kingdom rising against kingdom, then expect the immediate appearance of the Messiah." — BerasMth Rabha, sect. 42. " There shall bo famines and pestilences, and eartliquakes in divers places." And we find a famine foretold by Agabus (Acts xi. 28.), which is mentioned by Suetonius, Tacitus, and Euse- bius, which came to pass in the days of Claudius CsBsar ; and was so severe at Jerusalem, that Josephus says (Ant. b. xx. c. 2.), many died for lack of food. Pestilences are the usual attend- ants of famines ; as the scarcity and badness of provisions generally produce epidemic disor- ders. There were several earthquakes likewise in those times to M'hich our Lord refers ; par- ticularly one at Crete, in the reign of Claudius ; one at Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, and Samos ; one at Rome, mentioned by Tacitus ; and one at Laodicea, in the reign of Nero, in which the city was overthroAvn, as were likewise Hierapo- lis and Colosse ; one at Campania, mentioned by Seneca ; and one at Rome, in the reign of Galba, mentioned by Suetonius, in the life of that emperor. Add to all these a dreadful one in Judsea, mentioned by Josephus ( Wars, b. iv. c. 4.), accompanied by a dreadful tempest, violent winds, vehement showers, and continual light- nings and thunders : which led many to believe that these things portended some uncommon calamity. " That there shall be fearful sights and great signs from heaven" (Luke xxi. 11). Josephus, in his preface to the Jewish War, mentions, that a star hung over the city like a sword ; and a comet continued a whole year. The people being assembled at the feast of Unleavened Bread, at the ninth hour of the night, a great light shone about the altar and the temple, and this continued for half an hour. The east- ern gate of the temple, which was of solid brass, and could hardly be shut by twenty men, and was fastened by strong bars and bolts, was seen at the sixth hour of the night to open of its own accord! Before sunsetting there were seen, over all the country, chariots and armies fighting in the clouds, and besieging cities. At the feast of Pentecost, when the priests were going into the inner temple by night, to attend their service, they heard first a motion and noise, and then a voice as of a multitude, saying, "Let us depart hence." What Jose- phus reckons one of the most terrible signs of all was, that one Jesus, a country fellow, four years before the war began, and when the city was in peace and plenty, came to the feast of Tabernacles, and ran crying up and down the streets, day and night: " A voice from the East, a voice from the West ! a voice from the four winds! a voice against Jerusalem and the temple ! a voice against the bridegroom and the bride ! and a voice against all the people !" Though the magistrates endeavoured, by stripes and tortures, to interrogate him, they could ob- tain no answer but the mournful cry of, " Wo;-, woe to Jerusalem I" and this he continued to do for several years together, going about tlie walls, and crying with a loud voice, " Woe, >voa to the city, and to the people, and to t!i3 Note 18.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. * 149 temple !" and, as he added, " Woe, woe to my- self," a stone from some sling or engine struck him dead on the spot ! These were indeed fearful signs and wonders ; and there is not a more credible historian than the one who relates them, who appeals to the testimony of those who saw and heard them. But an additional evidence is given to his relation by the Roman historian, Tacitus, who presents us with a summary account of the same occur- rences ; and as " the testimonies of Josephus and Tacitus confirm the predictions of Christ, so the predictions of Christ confirm the wonders record- ed by tliese historians"." But these were only the beginnings of sorrows (Matt. xxiv. 8.), and from the calamities of the nation in general, Christ passes to those of the Christians in particular (Matt. xxiv. 9. Mark xiii. 9.-11. Luke xxi. 13-15.) We need look no further than the Acts of the Apostles for a melancholy proof of the truth of their predictions. But although the followers of Christ's religion were persecuted beyond meas- ure, it is a remarkable fact, and a signal act of Divine Providence, that none of the Christians perished in the destruction of Jerusalem. So literally was that assertion fulfilled, "There shall not a hair of your head perish." And, not- withstanding the persecutions and calamities of the Christians, it was prophesied, " This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall tlie end come." And accordingly we find from the writers of the history of the Church, that before the destruction of Jerusalem the Gospel Avas not only preached in the Lesser Asia, and Greece, and Italy, but as far north- ward as Scythia, as far southward as Ethiopia, as far eastward as Parthia and India, and as far westward as Spain and Britain. Agreeably to this, Eusebius'' informs us that the apostles preached the Gospel in all the world, and some of them (probably either St. Simon or St. Paul) passed beyond the ocean to the Britannic isles. Theodoret likewise affirms, that the apostles had induced every nation and kind of men to embrace the Gospel, among whom he reckons particularly the Britons ; and St. Paul himself declares, the Gospel "is come into all the world, and preached to every creature under heaven;" and (in Rom. x. 18.) he elegantly applies to the lights of the Church these words of the Psalmist, — " Their sound went into all the earth. And their words unto the ends of the world." And all this was fulfilled to convince every nation of the crying sin of the Jews, in crucify- ing the Lord of glory, and of the justice of God's judgment upon them. And then came " Jortin. P Demonst. Ernncr. lib. ill. cap. 5. sect. 112. edit. Paris, 1(;28. and Theodor. Serin, ix. tom. iv. p. (ilO. edit. Paris, 1642. ap. Jortin. VOL. II. the end, the time of the destruction of Jerusa- lem, and of the Jewish polity, when the abomi- nation of desolation stood in the holy place. The verses (1.5 and 16 of Matt, xxiv.) are ex- plained by the parallel passage in Luke xxi. 20,21. The Roman army is the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, chap, ix. and xi., and it is so called, from its ensigns and images, which were abominations to the Jews ; and Josephus informs'' us, that after the city was taken, the Romans brought these ensigns into the temple, placed them over against the eastern gate, and there sacrificed to them. " Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains." This counsel was remem- bered, and wisely followed by the Christians afterwards. And we find it accordingly most providentially ordered, that Jerusalem should be encompassed with armies, and yet that the Christians should have favorable opportunities of making their escape. Josephus (sect. iv. p. 1102. edit. Hudson) tells us that Cestius Gallus, in the 12th year of Nero, if " he had been in- clined to break through the walls of the city by force, would instantly have taken it, and put an end to the war ;" but, contrary to the expec- tation of all, and without any just cause, he departed. Vespasian was deputed in his place, as governor of Syria, and to carry on the wars against the Jews ; and when he had subdued all the country, and was preparing to besiege Jerusalem, the death of Nero, and soon after- wards that of Galba, compelled him, from the disturbances and civil wars that ensued in his own country, to defer for some time his plan of operations against Jerusalem. These ap- parently incidental delays enabled the Chris- tians to provide for their safety ; and Eusebius and Epiphanius inform us, that all who believed in Christ left Jerusalem, and fled to Perea, and other places beyond the river Jordan. Jose- phus also remarks, after the retreat of Cestius Gallus, " Many of the illustrious Jews departed from the city, as from a sinking ship." After this period, when Vespasian was confirmed in the empire, Titus surrounded the city with a wall, thirty-nine furlongs in dimensions, strengthened with thirteen forts, so that, Jose- phus says, " with all means of escaping, all hope of safety was cut off" from the remaining Jews." So marvellously did our blessed Sa- viour insure, by his prophecy, deliverance to those who believed on him, and had faith in his promises : and so always " The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations," 2 Pet. ii. 9. Our Saviour makes use of the ex- pressions in Mark xiii. 15. and Matt, xxiv, 18. to signify that the departure of the Christians must be as sudden and hasty as Lot's from the destruction of Sodom. * Antiq. lib. xviii. cap. U. sect. 3. ed. Hudson. 50* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VL " For then shall be great tribulation." No history can furnish us with a parallel to the calamities and miseries of the Jews : rapine, murder, famine, and pestilence within ; fire and sword, and all the horrors of war without. Our Lord wept at the foresight of these calamities ; and it is almost impossible for any humane person to read the relation of them in Josephus without weeping also. St. Luke, chap. xxi. 22., calls these the days of vengeance, that all things wliich were written might be fulfilled. These were the days in which all the calami- ties predicted by Moses, Joel, Daniel, and otlier prophets, as well as those foretold by our Sa- viour, met in one common centre, and were ful- filled in the most terrible manner on that generation. These were the days of vengeance in another sense, as if God's judgments had certain periods and revolutions ; for it is re- markable, that the temple was burnt by tlie Romans in the same month, and on the same day of the month, on which it had been burned by the Babylonians. See Josephus, JVar, b. vi. c. 4. Josephus computes the number of those who perished in the siege at eleven hundred thousand, besides those who were slain in other places, Wai; b. vi. c. 9; and if the Romans had gone on destroying in this manner, the whole nation of the Jews would in a short time have been utterly extirpated ; but, for the sake of the elect (the Jews), that they might not be entirely destroyed, and, for the sake of the Christians particularly, the days were shortened. Josephus relates, that the Jews themselves first set fire to the porticos of the temple, and then the Romans ; when one of the soldiers, neither waiting for the word of command, nor fearing to perpetrate such an action, but hurried on by a divine impulse, threw a burning brand in at the golden window, and thereby set fire to the buildings of the temple itself. Yet Titus was still for preserving the holy place, but the anger and hatred of his soldiers against the Jews overcame their reverence for their general ; a soldier in the dark set fire to the doors, and thus, as Josephus says, "the temple was burnt, contrary to the will of Caesar." The Romans burnt the most extreme parts of the city, and dug up the foundations of the walls, reserving only three towers, and a part of the wall, as a memorial of their own valor, and for the better oncanipnient of tlie soldiers. Afterwards, we read in tlie Jewish Talmud, and in Maimonidcs, that Terentius Rufus, who was left to command tlic army, did witli a ploughshare tear up the foundation of the temple ; thereby signally fulfilling tlie prophecy of Micah, iii. 12. Euscbius too affirms, that it was plonghod up by the Rinnans, and that he saw it lying in ruins. So literally were our Saviour's words accomplished, in the ruin and desolation of the city and of the temple. Joseohus further asserts, that there was no part of Judaea which did not partake of the calamities of the capital city. The Romans pursued, and took, and slew the Jews every where, fulfilling again that prediction, " Where- soever the carcase is (the Jewish nation, morally and judicially dead), there will the eagles (the Romans, whose ensign was an eagle) be gathered together." Jerusalem also, according to the prediction of our Lord, was to be trodden down by the Gentiles. Accordingly it has never since been in the possession of the Jews. It was first in subjection to the Romans, afterwards to the Saracens, then to the Franks, next to the Mamelukes, and now to the Turks. Thus has the prophecy of Christ been most literally and terribly fulfilled, on a people who are still pre- served, as continued monuments of the truth of our Lord's prediction, and of the truth of the Christian religion''. We have hitherto considered this passage as relating to the destruction of Jerusalem only, which was its primary application ; but, like every other prophecy, it had its literal and typical signification. Our Saviour loses sight, as it were, of his former subject, in the con- templation of the end of the world, and the general judgment. " It appears," says Bishop Newton, "next to impossible, that any man should duly consider these prophecies, and their exact completion, and, if he is a believer, not be confirmed in his faith, or if he is an infidel, not be converted." As soon as the Gospel is preached to every creature now under heaven, and the fulness of the Gentiles be accomplished, then shall the Son of Man come in the clouds of heaven, to take vengeance on his enemies ; and with great power and glory bring deliverance, as in the days of the de- struction of Jerusalem to those who believe in Him, and trust in his promises for salvation and mercy*. Note 19.— Part VL Even upon the Unitarian hypothesis, our Lord was the Greatest of prophets ; and as Daniel had been able to fix the time of the first advent, it must naturally excite surprise, that the Messiah did not know the time of his own *" Bishop Nowton On the Projihccks. * For a further comparison of this g-reat propliocy , and its primary fulfilment, see Archbishop Ne\y- coiiie's Life of Christ, who endeavours to ex|)laiii away many of the prodiou^s related by Jose- phus, — Jortin's Errlesiaxtinil Hiftorij. Mr. Gis- borne's work lately puhlinheil. — Bishop Horsley's Srnnons, on the applieatioii of the Prophecy to the end of the world. — The various Coimnentators ; and Dr. Adam Clarke's notes to the chapters in St. Matthew. — Dr. Hales on the four Hypotheses of the various Interpreter.'! of these Prophecies. — JIiKilijsis, vol. ii. part. ii. p. PJ70. Note 20.-93.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *151 second advent. The best mode of resolving- the difficulty appears to me to be that which makes nidei' equivalent to the causative of ^n' ; in which case the verse may be thus rendered : " But the hour of the second advent, neither man, nor angels, nor I the Messiah, have made known to the world : my Father only shall reveal it, by the suddenness of that day of judgment, in which He has appointed the Son to manifest himself in the glory of the Father." Note 20.— Part VI. In this and the two following parables, our Saviour insists upon his unexpected and sudden judgment. It is here described as a thief ready to steal into the house, if not constantly watched. This comparison is frequent ; Luke xii. 39. 2 Pet. iii. 10. Rev. iii. 3. and xvi. 15. As these parables were at the time exclusively addressed to the disciples, they must be sup- posed to refer primarily to their ministry. They are, however, equally applicjible to all Chris- tians — " What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch !" Mark xiii. 37. Luke xii. 41. Note 21.— Part VI. This is one of the passages on which many excellent men have endeavoured to establish the doctrine of a personal election to eternal life : whereas the expression is a mere Hebraism. The Jews believed that there was a temple in heaven prepared for their nation before the foundation of the world ; and in allusion to this received opinion, this expression is here used, iiioifiaafibvrjv, " Heb. Jpins — Tanchuma, fol. 61. 4. Templum superius, sc. cceleste, :oSlJ'n nh\^ n;' |pinn amw quod prcepara- tum erat, anfequam inundus crearefitry The whole parable abounds with Hebraisms. — Schoetgen, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 219. Note 22.— Part VI. The priests in this instance feared the people, and therefore delivered our Lord to the Roman governor, Avhose power and authority would prevent the possibility of a rescue. Such is the opinion of Schoetgen, who quotes Sanhednn, fol. 89. L Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 224. Note 2-3.- Part VI. The question concerning the anointing at Bethany has been already discussed. I have placed the account of Judas going to the chief priests to betray Christ in this section, on the authority of Michaelis and Doddridge, who suppose that several days elapsed between the anointing at Bethany, and Judas' betrayal. Bishop Marsh, on the contrary, supposes that the assembling of the chief priests, the anoint- ing at Bethany, and the betrayal by Judas, were simultaneous, or, more properly, continuous actions. " That the rebuke," he observes, " which Judas Iscariot received from Christ at the anointing in Bethany, determined him in his resolution to betray his Master ; that Christ's rebuke, therefore, and Judas's revenge were cause and effect, and that the account of the one is very properly joined by St. Matthew (and also by St. Mark) to the account of the other, I readily admit with Michaelis, in opposi- tion to Dr. Priestley, who says, in his Observa- tions on the Harmony of the Evangelists, p. 100, that the verses of Matt. xxvi. (j-lS., which contains an account of the anointing, ' stand very awkwardly in their present situation.' But I cannot agree with him in the opinion, that several days elapsed between the anoint- ing at Bethany, and Judas going to the assembly of the chief priests with an offer to betray Christ ; and consequently that the account of the anointing at Bethany belongs to Matt. xxi. according to the order of time. For whoever reads in connection Matt. xxvi. 1-11. must per- ceive that these three facts, 1st, Assembling the chief priests and elders at the house of Caia- phas ; 2dly, The anointing of Christ at Bethany ; and 3dly, Judas's departure from Bethany, to go to the assembly of the chief priests, are represented by the Evangelists as fiicts im- mediately connected one with another ; and not as facts which were separated from each other by the intervention of all those transactions, which had been recorded in several preceding chapters. St. Matthew having mentioned, in ver. 2, that ' after two days was the Passover,' immediately adds, in ver. 3, rore avvi\-/dri<Tui' ol dgXiegsTc, x. t. I. And St. Mark says (xiv. 1.), ~Hv 8^ TO Tjiia/u y.id tu li.%vuu ueru di'o ^\uioac' xnl ItriTovi' ol Lco/tFoeTg, x. t. X. Botli St. Matthew and St. Mark, therefore, represent the assembly of the chief priests as held on the third day before the Passover ; and though Michaelis will not allow any determinate mean- ing to Ti'iTF in St. Matthew's account, we cannot explain away what is said by St. Mark. St. Matthew then proceeds, in ver. 6, Tov 8t \lr:aov yevofiirov it' Brfiuvla, if olxlct. JSl'iono; tov Iettqov, y.. T. X. And St. Mark, ver. 3, K(d bvTog uvTOv ii' Bifiarla, iv itj olxla ^iuotrog TOV Xfttoov, y.. t. X. They then relate the anointing, with Christ's conversation on it, which being ended, St. Matthew continues, in ver. 14, Toie TToofvOelc el; rCor dwdexn, 6 Xeyo- fiFvoc " lovSitg 'T(Ty.((0(i!)T>i;, nooz tov; diOXiFqel;, 152* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VI. sine- X, T. X. And in St. Mark, in ver. 10. Kal 6 'lovdag 6 'loxuQionrjg, elg tCjv dadexa, dmr^We nQog Tovg dp/ffoftc, x. t. I. Then again it is evident that both St. Matthew and St. Mark represent Judas as going immediately from the anointing at Bethany (a village not more than two miles from Jerusalem) to the assembly of the chief priests and elders, which was held during the anointing, and which did not break up before the arrival of Judas." — Michaelis, vol. iii. part iv. p. 24. In reply to this argument, I would suggest the total absence of proof from the words of St. Matthew, that the Evangelist intended, as the bishop supposes, to represent these events as continuous. Three circumstances are re- corded ; the meeting of the priests, the anoint- ing, and the betrayal ; and the point in dispute must be decided by the meaning of the words which are thought to connect them as tliree several events which took place at the same time. The two first verses of Matt. xxvi. ought to have concluded the preceding chapter. The expression which ends ver. 2, is the sentence which completed our Saviour's predictions con- cerning Jerusalem, and the illustrative parables which followed them. From narrating the discourse of our Lord, the Evangelist proceeds to his actions, using the word rdre, a word of very indefinite signification, which may not improperly be translated, "about that time." He relates the fact, that about the time when our Lord finished his predictions, the chief priests, awtj/drjoui', " were assembled together." He tlien, somewhat abruptly, proceeds to give an account of the cause of our Saviour's be- trayal by Judas to this assembly of the priests, which he imputes to our Lord's reproof of his apostle's disguised covetousness. In ver. 14, the Evangelist introduces the effect of this reproof by the same word tots, and it seems intended to imply, not that Judas went that moment to the priests, but that he went about that time, or as soon as possible, to the council of the chief priests ; and by introducing the consequence of our Lord's reproof thus ab- ruptly, St. Matthew seems to hint that the assembly of priests, to whom Judas applied, was now sitting at the very time when our Lord had finished his predictions. Bishop Bar- rington, apud Bowyer, would insert Matt. xxvi. 6-13. as a parenthesis. But Bishop Marsh observes, with reference to the argument from the word jotf, that even if this be insufficient to prove that Michaelis is mistaken, yet we carmot explain away wliat is said by St. Mark — ^f 8e t6 7ida%<x xul tu atvfidc (.lEiii 8vo f^f^iol<g, &c. who, as well as St. Matthew, represents the assembly of priests as meeting three days before the Passover. In reply to whicli it may be answered, that it is acknowledged a meeting of the priests was then held ; but tlie question is whether the anointmg took place at that time : and here we are again brought to the word rdie, Matt. xxvi. 14., and to an expression in St. Mark, xiv. 10., which does not even allude to the exact period at which the betrayal took place. 'loiidug unrjXde nqbg joiig uQ/teQHg, &c. The Evangelist appears to relate the reproval at Bethany as the cause of the treason of Judas, without referring to the time that this offence should be committed. Tore — non proprie vidttur adverbium esse, sed accusativas neutriiis generis, elliptice positus, ut plene dicatur negl jots to fiaQog /gdt'ov, id quod colligi potest ex loco Lysise, Orat. vi. cap. 2. od ■d-uv/uacrrop, ei rdie rug /noglag i^ixOTiTor, ^v a» ov8b rd -fj/uiregn avTWv (pvXuTTFiP tdvruufda. It is true it is generally used in the New Testament adverbially, but as frequently in its general, as it is in its more definite significa- tion. The word occurs one hundred and fifty- six times in the New Testament ; and if we refer to any passages taken in their consecutive order, we shall find that this preceding remark is correct. Thus we meet it in Matt. ii. 7, 16, 17, and iii. 5. In the two first and last of these it is used in the more general sense, and many would interpret the third passage in the same way ; and so it must be interpreted in the great majority of the passages in which it occurs. If we refer to the Septuagint, which is generally supposed to use the Greek words, in precisely the same sense as the New Testa- ment, we shall find that the remark of Michae- lis is amply justified. Thus the Septuagint render the Hebrew xTin r\];2, Isaiah xx. 2. by the word rdre. Note 24.— Part VI. ON THE qUESTION, WHETHER OUR LORD ATE THE PASSOVER IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST? Before we enter upon the discussion of the difficult question, Whether our Lord ate the last Passover witli his disciples, before the institution of the holy Eucharist, it will be useful to consider the manner in which the Jews were accustomed to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt, by the celebration of the Passover. Lightfoot has collected a vari- ety of passages from Maimonides and the Jewish writers, describing the manner in which this feast was observed. In reference to the reclining attitude in which the Evangelists represent our Lord at the last supper, he has collected, among otliers, the following illus- trative passages: — Sjx' nS Sj^Tz^'^tV 'j;?lS'3X ^D'ly i;' Pesach, cap. x. hal. 1, And again, R. Levi saith, " It is the manner of slaves to eat standing ; but now let them eat lying Note 24.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. * 153 along, tliat it may be known that they are gone out of bondage to liberty." — " We are obliged," says Maimonides, " to lie down when we eat, that we may eat after the manner of kings and nobles." Lightfoot then proceeds to give an account of tlie manner in which the paschal supper was conducted. It began, 1st, With presenting a cup of wine mingled with water to each as- sembled guest, over which the master of the family, or some one deputed for that purpose, pronounces a benediction : — " Blessed be He that created the fruit of the vine ;" and then he repeats tlie consecration of the day ; that is, they give thanks, and drink up the wine. 2dly, They washed their hands, after which the table was crowned with two cakes of unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and the paschal lamb roast- ed whole ; wliich three things were appointed by the Law. To these were added the remains of the Chagigah, or peace offerings of the pre- ceding day, and other meats, with the sour sauce, called nDlin or charoseth, which was thick, and intended to represent the bricks their ancestors made in Egypt. Then the person presiding takes a small piece of lettuce, which lie eats, and those with him, blessing God for the fruits of the earth ; and afterwards a piece of unleavened bread, dipped in the bitter herbs. 3dly, All the dishes were removed from the table, and the children were instructed in the nature and intention of the feast, the sig- nification of the bitter herbs, unleavened bread, &c. generally from Exod. xii. 20, &c. and Deut xxvi. 5-11. ; and this explanation was called the Hagannah, 1 Cor. xi. 36. 4thly, After this preparation the supper was again set before them, when each person lifted up in his hands, first the bitter herbs, and then the unleavened bread, and joined in declaring that they ate them in commemoration of the bondage, and great deliverance of their fathers in Egypt ; and ended by calling on all to sing praises to God, in the 113th to the 114th Psalm, and having blessed tlic Lord, they drank off the second cup. 5thly, The hands are again wash- ed, and the master of the house, or the officiat- ing person, takes the two unleavened cakes, breaks one, and places that which is broken on the other. He then blesses it ; and putting some bread and bitter herbs together, they dip them in tlie same sauce, and again bless God. After the sa,nie manner they first give thanks over the flesh of the Chagigah of the fourteenth day, and partake of it ; and then over the lamb, and eat of it : after which they may lengthen out the supper, and partake of what they please, taking care only to conclude with a small piece of the paschal lamb ; as much, at least, as an olive : after which they were not allowed to take any more food that night. Gtlily, They again wash their hands, and the master VOL. II. *2() of the family says the blessing of tlie meat, over the third cup of wine, which they tlien drank ; and this cup was commonly called the cup of blessing, xnJiJT XD3N, to which allusion is made 1 Cor. x. 16. A fourth cup of wine is mingled, over which they continue the Hallel (or hymn of five Psalms), beginning where they left off, at the 115th to the 118th Psalm; and finish with a prayer. After the destruction of Jerusalem, a small piece of unleavened bread was substituted as the ApJiicomen, or last morsel, instead of the paschal lamb ; for whicli purpose a piece of the broken cake was re- served under a napkin ; probably because there was no temple in which the appointed victim could be sacrificed. It is impossible for ua now to ascertain, whether our Saviour made use of this fourth cup or not ; we are only informed, by the Evangelists, that our Lord and his disciples sang a hymn (Matt xxvi. 30. Mark xiv. 2().) before they went to the Mount of Olives. We are now brought to the consideration of that most difficult and perplexing question, " Whether our Lord ate of this Passover with his disciples on the evening preceding his cru- cifixion." The Evangelists, in relating this part of our Saviour's life, use some expressions which at first sight appear contradictory to each other. St. John, for instance, seems to differ from the other three, as to the time that the Jews partook of the Passover, and supposes that they did not eat it on the same evening as our Saviour and his disciples ; while they all agree that the night of tJie day in which Christ ate the Passover (or Avhat is called the Pass- over) was Thursday. Our Lord is further said to command his disciples to prepare for eating the Passover, and that he had earnestly desired to eat this Passover with them. Yet we read, tliat on tlie day after that on wliich our Lord and his disciples had thus celebrated the Pass- over, the Jews refused to go into the judgment- hall, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. Now it was appointed by the Law, that all tlie people should eat of tlie Passover on the same day. There appears therefore to be some contradiction or difficulty which requires explanation ; and tlie particu- lar attention of tlie harmonizers and commen- tators has been consequently directed to this point. The latest tlieologians who have devoted the greatest attention to this subject are Dr. Clarke, in his Treatise on the Eucharist, and Mr. Benson, in his work Oil the Chronology of the Life of our Lord. They have so thoroughly investigated the subject, that little more will be necessary than to take advantage of tlieir labors. Four opinions have been advanced by various tlieologians, the last of wliich seems to be most consistent with the accounts of the Evangelists, 154* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part Vi. and to reconcile all the difficulties and appar- ent contradictions. The first is, that Christ did not eat the Pass- over on tlie last year of his ministry. Tiie second, that he did eat it that year, and at the same time with the Jews. The third, that he did eat a passover ; but one of his own institution, very different from that eaten by the Jews. The fourth, that he did eat the Passover that year, but not at the same time with the Jews. The arguments in support of these four different opinions, are clearly and briefly sum- med up by Dr. A. Clarke, in his Introduction to his Discourse on the Eucharist. In favor of the first opinion. That Christ did not eat the Passover, it is observed, " The Jews ate their Passover on the next day." St. John does not call the supper which Christ ate with his disciples a Passover supper, but, on the contrary, says it was before the feast of the Passover — ttqu ttj^ Io^ttjj toD n^a/u, by which Dr. Wall thinks he means the day be- fore the Passover, or, as we should say, the Passover eve. " Now this was the same night and same supper," says Dr. Wall, "which the three do call ' the Passover,' and ' Christ's eating the Passover ;' I mean, it was the night on which Christ was (a few hours after supper) appre- hended, as is plain by the last verse of that thirteenth chapter. But the next day (Friday on which Christ was crucified) St. John makes to be the Passover day. He says (chap, xviii. 28.), the Jews would not go into the judgment- hall on Friday morning, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover, viz. that evening. And chap. xix. 14., speak- ing of Friday noon, he says, it was the pre- paration of the Passover. Upon the whole, John speaks not of eating the Passover at all ; nor indeed do the three speak of his eating any lamb. Among all the expressions which they use, of ' making ready the Passover ; ' ' prepare for Me to eat the Passover ; ' ' with desire liave I desired to eat this Passover with you,' &c. there is no mention of any lamb carried to the temple to be slain by the Levites, and then brought to tlie house and roasted ; there is no mention of any food at the supper besides bread and wine ; perhaps there might be some bitter herbs. So that this seems to have been a com- memorative supper, used by our Saviour instead of the proper paschal supper, the eating of a lamb, which should have been the next night ; but tliat Ho himself was to be sacrificed before that time would come. And the difference be- tween St. Jolm and the otliers is only a dif- ference in words and in tlie names of things. They call that the Passover whicli Christ used instead of it. If you say, wliy then does Mark, xiv. 12., call Thursday the first day of unleav- ened bread, when the Passover must be killed ? we must note their day (or vvxdt\fiEoov) was from evening to evening. This Thursday evening was the beginning of that natural day of twenty-four hours, towards tlie end of which the lamb was to be liilled ; so it is proper, in the Jews' Avay of calling days, to call it that day." The second opinion is. That he did eat the Passover that year, and at the same time with the Jews. The late Dr. Newcome, arclibishop of Ar- mag.li, is of a very different opinion from Dr. Wall ; and, from a careful collation of the passages in the Evangelists, concludes, " that our Lord did not anticipate this feast, but par- took of it with the Jews on the usual and na- tional day." " It appears," says he, " from the Gospel history (see Mark xv. 42., and xvi. 9.), that our Lord was crucified on Friday. But the night before his crucifixion, on which he was betrayed (1 Cor.xi. 2.3.), he kept the Passover, and that he kept it at the legal time is thus determined. In Matt. xxvi. 2., and in Mark xiv. 1., it is said that the Passover, xid rdc ac^v/uu, were after two days ; or on the day followmg that on which Jesus foretold his sufferings and resurrection to his disciples, Matt. xvi. 21, &lc. Mark viii. 31y &c. and Luke ix. 22, &c. " The Evangelists, proceeding regularly in their history (Matt. xxvi. 17.), and in the par- allel places (Mark xiv. 12, &c. Luke xxii. 7,. &c.), mention is made of this day, and it is called the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover, i. e. by general cus- tom : and St. Luke says, that the day came, which, ver. 1, was approaching, when the Pass- over must be killed ; i. e. by the Law of Moses. The 14th of Nisan is tlierefore meant ; which is called nQonri i'QvfibJv, the first of unleavened bread. " During the week, therefore, of our Lord's passion, the Law of Moses required that the Passover should be slain on Thursday after- noon ; but our Lord partook of it on the night immediately succeedmg ; Matt. xxvi. 19, 20. ; and the parallel places, Luke xxii. 14, 15. ; and therefore he partook of it at the legal time. " Mark xiv. 12. Luke xxii. 7. equally prove that the Jews kept the Passover at the same time with Jesus." To the objection (John xviii. 22.), That the Jews avoided defilement that they might eat the Passover, the bisliop answers, " That they meant the paschal sacrifices offered for seven days ; and they spoke particularly in reference to the 15th of Nisan, wliicli was a day of holy convocation." To tiic objection taken from John xix. 14., That the day on which our Lord was crucified, is called 7i(ti)<x(jxsvr^ tov JIua/it, the prepara- tion of the Passover, he replies, " That in Mark Note 24.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. ^155 XV. 42, 7T(i(j(iaxFvr], preparation, is the same as 7iooa(xh'()ujoi', the day before the Sabbath; and so in Luke xxiii. 54. ; therefore by TTuQuay.evri inv flia/a, we may understand the preparation before that Sabbath which happened during the paschal festival." This is the substance of Archbishop Newcome's reasoning, in liis //(»•- mmiy and Notes. See the latter, p. 42-45. To this it is answered, That the opinion which states that our Lord ate the Passover the same day and hour with the Jews seems scarce- ly supportable. If he ate it the same hour in which the Jews ate theirs, he certainly could not have died that day, as they ate the Pass- over on Friday, about six o'clock in the evening ; if he did not, he must have been crucified on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, and could not have risen again on the first day of the week, as all the Evangelists testify, but on the second, or Monday, which I suppose few will attempt to support. On this, and other considerations, I think this point should be given up. But others argue thus : — " That Christ intended to eat a Passover with his disciples on this occasion, and that he intensely desired it too, we have the fullest proof from the three first Evangelists. See Matt. xxvi. 1-3. 17-20. Mark xiv. 12-16. Luke xxii. 7-18. And that he actually did eat one with them must appear most evidently to those who shall carefully collate the preceding Scrip- tures, and especially what St. Luke says, chap, xxii. 7-18. ; for when Peter and John had re- ceived their Lord's command to go and prepare the Passover, it is said, ver. 13., 'they went and found as he had said unto them ; and they made ready the Passover,' i. e. got a lamb, and pre- pared it for tlie purpose, according to the Law. Ver. 14. ' And when the hour was come (to eat it) he sat down, i^viireae, and the twelve apos- tles with him.' Ver. J 5. 'And he said unto them, Witli desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suifer ;' where it is to be noted, that they had now sat down to eat that Passover whicji had been before prepared, and that every word which is spoken is pecu- liarly proper to the occasion. ' With desire (says our Lord) have I desired, jovto to IJaGx^ (jTw/fiJ', to eat this very Passover;' not iadlsiP TO n&crxoc, to eat the Passover, or something commemorative of it, but tovto to flila/u, 'this very Passover : ' and it is no mean proof that they were then in the act of eating the flesh of the paschal lamb, from the use of the verb cpuyslt', which is most proper to the eating of flesh ; as iadleiv signifies 'eating in general,' or 'eating bread, pulse,' &c. The same word, in refer- ence to the same act of eating the Passover, not to the bread and v/ine of the holy supper, is used, ver. 16. ' For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, ov fti] cpuyo) ^S avrov, I will not eat of him or it,' viz. the paschal lamb, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God; i. e. this shall be the last Passover I shall celebrate on earth, as I am now about to suffer, and the kingdom of God, the plenitude of the Gospel Dispensation, shall immediately take place.' And then, according to this Evangelist, having finished the eating of the paschal lamb, he in- stituted the bread of the Holy Supper, ver. 19., and afterwards the cup, ver. 20., though he and they had partaken of the cup of blessing (usual on such occasions) with the paschal lamb im- mediately before ; see verse 17. Whoever carefully considers the whole of this account, must be convinced that, whatever may come of the question concerning the time of eating the Passover, that our Lord did actually eat one with his disciples before he suffered." The third opinion which we have to examine is this — Our Lord did eat a Passover of his own instituting, but widely differing from that eaten by the Jews. Mr. Toinard, in his Greek Harmony of the Gospels, strongly contends that our Lord did not eat what is commonly called the Passover this year, but another of a mystical kind. His chief arguments are the following : — It is indubitably evident, from the text of St. John, that tlie night on the beginning of which our Lord supped with his disciples, and instituted the holy sacrament, was not that on which the Jews celebrated the Passover ; but the pre- ceding evening, on which the Passover could not be legally offered. The conclusion is evi- dent from the following passages. John xiii. 1. " Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew," &,c. Ver. 2. " And supper (not the paschal, but an ordinary supper) being ended," &c. Ver. 27. "That thou doest, do quickly." Ver. 28. " Now no one at the table knew for what intent He spake this." Ver. 29. " For some thought, because Judas had tlie bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy what we have need of against tlie feast," &c. Chap, xviii. 28. " Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment : and it was early ; and they themselves Avent not into the judg- ment hall, lest they should be defiled ; but that they might eat the Passover." Chap. xix. 14. " And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour." Now, as it appears, that at this time the disciples thought our Lord had ordered Judas to go and bring what was necessary for the Passover, and they were then supping together, it is evident that it was not the paschal lamb on which they were supping ; and it is as evident, from the unwillingness of the Jews to go into the hall of judgment, that they had not as yet eaten the Passover. These words are plain, and can be taken in no other sense, without offering tliem the greatest vio- lence. Mr. Toinard having found that our Lord was crucified on tiie sixth day of the week (Friday), during the paschal solemnity, in the thirty-third 1 NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VI. year of the vulgar sera, and that the paschal moon of that year was not in conjunction with the sun till the afternoon of Thursday, the 1 9th of March, and that the new moon could not be seen in Judsa until the following day (Friday), concluded that the intelligence of the qxiaig, or appearance of the new moon, could not be made by the witnesses to tlie Beth Din, or Sen- ate, sooner than Saturday morning, the 21st of March. Mr. Toinard therefore supposes, that our Lord substituted a Passover, for the Passover ; and instituted the holy Eucharist, in place of the paschal lamb ; and thus it will appear, he ate a Passover with his disciples the evening before his death, the mystical Passover or sacra- ment of his body and blood ; and that tliis was the Passover mentioned by St. Luke, which he so ardently longed to eat with his disciples before he suffered. On this hypothesis, the preparation of the Passover must be considered as implying no more than, 1st, providing a con- venient room ; 2ndly, bringing water for the baking on the following day, which would not have been then lawful ; 3rdly, making diligent search for the leaven, that none might remain in the house, according to the strict Law of God, Exod. xii. 15-20. xxiii. 15. and xxiv. 15. These, it is probable, were the acts of prepara- tion the disciples were commanded to perform. Matt. xxvi. 18. Mark xiv. 13, 14. Luke xxii. 8- 11., and which, on their arrival at the city, they punctually executed. Matt. xxvi. 19. Mark xiv. 16. Luke xxii. 13. Thus every thing was pre- pared, and our Saviour was offered up — the sacrifice of the real paschal lamb was attended in every respect with the very same ceremo- nies as had been appointed in the old covenant to precede the sacrifice of tlie typical victim, thereby fulfilling every tittle of the Law, and bringing in a new and more perfect dispensa- tion, wherein should be no more shedding of blood. Lightfoot agrees with Toinard in his hypothesis ; his words are, speaking of the tliird cup, or the cup of blessing — " And now was the time wlien Christ, taking bread, instituted the Eucharist ; but whether was it after eating those farewell morsels, as I may call them, of the lamb, or instead of them ? It seems to be in their stead, because it is said by St. Matthew and St. Mark, iadioi'TMv aimv, &c. 'As tliey were eating, Jesus took bread.' Now, without doubt, they speak according to the known and common custom of that supper, that they might be understood by their own people. For all Jews know well enough, that after the eating of those morsels of the lamb it cannot be said, as they ivere ealins;, for the eating ended with those morsels. It seems therefore more likely, that Christ, when they were now ready to take those morsels, changed the custom, and gave aboi'.t morsels of bread in their stead, and institutiMl the Sacrament" The fourth opinion is, That our Lord did eat the Passover tliis year, but not at the same time with the Jews. This opinion appears to be that which is most consistent with Scripture. I can only say, Avith Mr. Benson, " I have witli great care examined the arguments produced on both sides in this controversy, and my ulti- mate conviction is, that whilst the words of St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke necessarily compel us to believe that the majority of the Jews sacrificed the paschal lamb on the same day with our Saviour, the expressions of St. John lead us irresistibly to the conclusion, that many of the Scribes and Pharisees, and other leading characters amongst them, did not sacri- fice it until the evening of the following day — until after our Saviour himself had been cru- cified. Two passages produced from this Evan- gelist may, and perhaps ought, to be otherwise interpreted ; but a third is, I think, quite con- clusive. I allow that the phrase nqi) Trjg iogrrig jov ndax*^} in chap. xiii. 1., means that it was the preparation of the paschal Sabbath, or that Sabbath which occurred in the paschal week. But no critical distortion appears to me capable of giving to chap, xviii. 28. xul aiiol ovx el(jr]Kdov elg to -nquimqiov , Iru fir^ fuarOwai-i', (xXV h'u cpijiyotat rd ndia/u — any other meaning or translation than this, ' And they themselves went not into the judgment-hall, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the paschal offering,' the sacrifice of the Passover. The word 77do-/«, when alone, is not always used exclusively for the paschal lamb, but often in a more enlarged and extended sense, for the whole feast of unleavened bread ; but the phrase cf-uysTv t6 fldca/a, though used by each of the first three Evangelists, and more than once, is never applied except to the eating of the paschal offering itself, at tlie time appointed in remembrance of the Lord's Passover in Egypt. The inference, therefore, from the words of St. John above quoted is, that the Priests and Pharisees did not eat this Passover at the same time with the rest of the Jews ; and this difference may be accounted for on the supposition that our Lord was crucified Julian Period 4742." Tlie Passover was commanded to be cele- brated in the first month, Nisan, or Abib, which corresponds to the months of March and April in the Christian year. It was to be killed " in the fourteenth day of the first month ; at even is the Lord's Passover," Levit. xxiii. 5. "the whole congregation of Israel shall kill it in tlie evening." If our Saviour then ate of the paschal lamb with liis disciples, he would cat it on the day when the Passover ought to be killed, on the evening after tlic fourteenth. It will be admitted, tliat if our Lord had de- termined upon observing tlie Passover, and if tliere is in trutli any difference between the Jews and our Saviour du the day on wliich it Note 24.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *157 was to be eaten, the error would be not on the part of Jesus himself, but of the Jews who differed from him. Neither his character, con- duct, nor sentiments, will for a moment permit us to believe tiiat he disobeyed, in the slightest degree, the ordinances of the Mosaic Law, in deference to any traditions which existed among the Scribes and Pharisees. If He re- fused to follow, upon this occasion, the practice of tlie high priests, and others among the Jews, his refusal must be referred to some deviation in their practice from that which had been formerly prescribed to their forefathers. Our Lord was right, and they were wrong. Wliat- ever rules might have guided them, He at least would have eaten the Passover on the day, "when the Passover ought to be killed," l^v f "EJEI ■&vea6ai lu fluaxa, (Luke xxii. 7.) It is well known that the months of the Jews were lunar months, but in what manner they were measured and dated, whether from the phasis or appearance of an illuminated portion of the moon's disk, or from tables in which her mean motion was calculated, and adapted to tlie piu-pose ; or by some faulty and inaccurate cycle of their own, or by some other method altogether different from these, is a point upon Avhich tlie most learned have disputed in every age ; and which, I apprehend, can never be settled with any degree of satisfaction, from the remaining scanty and inadequate liints which form the only materials for our judgment. Mr. Mann, De Ann. Christ, cap. xx. 23., argues very strongly for the antiquity of the astronomical method of computation at present in use amongst the Jews, and contends that it was the method adopted so early as the times of our Saviour. Epiphanius, H(Br. 5L cum animadv. Petavii, on the other liand, broadly asserts that the Jews, in our Saviour's time, followed the calcu- lations of a faulty and inaccurate lunar cycle, by means of which they anticipated, in the year of his crucifixion, the proper period for the celebration of the Passover by two days. Peta- vius defends this opinion ; and he and Kepler have both, with much labor, endeavoured to draw out a set of tables upon the principles which Epiphanius has laid down ; but tliere is so much obscurity, and even contradiction, in the passage in whicli that father treats upon the subject, that it would be quite impossible to say whether they are right or wrong in their conclusions. The rabbinical doctors (and Maimonides in particular) have referred to a third method, and stated that the ancient Jews reckoned the be- ginning of their months from the phasis of the moon, and that tlieir present mode of calcula- tion was not introduced until after tlie final dispersion of the nation. Before tliat period, they assert, that there were in Judaea several aviii^QiK, or committees (as we sliould term VOL. TI. them), under the general superintendence, and, as it were, branches of a central committee fixed at Jerusalem. The members of this com- mittee were in possession of certain tables, containing calculations of the motions of the moon, which being inspected, it was thence determined when the new moon ought and would most probably appear. They sent out some approved and steady persons to observe whether the moon did appear at the time at which they expected her appearance, or not. If these persons beheld the phasis on the night after the twenty-ninth of the current month, they immediately proclaimed the new moon : thus determining what would otherwise have been the thirtieth day of the current month, to be the first of the succeeding one. If the watchers did not return with intelligence of the observation of the phasis before the night after the thirtieth day of the current month, tliey fixed the commencement of the succeeding month on the following day, making the current month consist of thirty days. In other words, they determined the current montli to consist of twenty-nine or thirty days, according as their watchers did, or did not return with intelli- gence of having seen the new moon before the conclusion of the thirtieth day. After the central committee had thus fixed the day of the new moon, messengers were sent to the several cities within the distance of a ten days' journey from the metropolis, to announce the fact. The council at Jerusalem, however, did not settle for themselves, and their own practice, whether the intercalary month should consist of twenty-nine or thirty days, until the conclusion of that month and the appearance of the new moon of the suc- ceeding month Nisan, liad pointed out which number of days it ought to consist of. Hence it is evident that there might, and would some- times be, a difference between the members of the Jerusalem council and the rest of the Jews, in their mode of reckoning the first day of the month Nisan. If the council announced to the nation at large an intercalary montli of twenty- nine days only, and afterwards found out tliat tliey were wrong in their calculations, and that it ought to have consisted of thirty days, it is evident that in that year the persons composing and adhering to the practice of the council would differ from the rest of the Jews in count- ing the first, and therefore the fifteenth day of Nisan. What was the fifteenth of Nisan to tlie one, would be tlie sixteenth to the other ; and perhaps some circumstance of this nature, at present unknown to us, may have occasioned the diftcrence, if there really was any differ- ence, amongst the Jews, as to the day of tlie celebration of the Passover in the year of our Lord's crucifixion. Perhaps from this very cause we may explain why, as is sup- posed bv many, our Saviour and his disciples, *N 158* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VI. and the generality of the Jews, sacrificed the paschal lamb on the evening of the Thursday, and the Scribes and Pharisees, and others, not until that of the Friday in passion week ; in other words, why our Lord considered the Friday, and others the Saturday, as the fifteenth day of Nisan ; but, without insisting further upon this, it is plain that the proclamation of the time of the new moon's appearance did not always determine the Jews in fixing the first day of the month, and more especially that it did not always do so with regard to Nisan. This is sufficient to show, that we are still in such a degree of ignorance with regard to the method of calculating the Jewish months and years, as to prevent our deciding with absolute certainty upon the day on which the Passover took place in the year of our blessed Saviour's crucifixion. The learned Cudworth, in his admirable Treatise on the Jeivish Passover, has proved, from the Talmud, Mishna, and some of the most reputable of the Jewish rabbins, that the ancient Jews, about our Saviour's time, often solemnized as well the Passovers as the other feasts, upon the ferias next before and after the Sabbaths. And that the Jews in ancient times reckoned tlie new moons not according to astro- nomical exactness, but according to the cpuaig, or moon's appearance ; and, as this appearance might happen a day later than the real time, consequently there might be a whole day of difference in the time of celebrating one of these feasts, which depended on a particular day of tlie month; the days of the month being counted from the cp/xaig, or appearance of the nev/ moon. As he describes the manner of doing this, both from the Babylonish Talmud, and from Maimonides, I shall give an extract from tliis part of his work, that my readers may have the whole argument before them. " In the great, or outer court, there was a house called Beth Yazek, where the senate sat all the 30th day of every month, to receive the witnesses of the moon's appearance, and to examine them. If there came approved wit- nesses on the 30th day, who could state they had seen the new moon, the chief man of the senate stood up, and cried ti/npo, mekxiddash, « It is sanctified ;" and the people, standing by, caught the word from him, and cried Mekuddash! viehuddash ! But if, when the consistory had sat all the day, and there came no approved wit- nesses of the pliasis, or appearance of the new moon, then they made an intercalation of one day in the former month, and decreed tlie fol- lowino- one and thirtieth day to be the calends. But, if after the fourth or fifth day, or even before the end of the montli, respectable wit- nesses came from far, and testified tliey had seen the new moon, in its due time, the senate were bound to alter the beginning of the month, and reckon it a day sooner, viz. from the thirtieth day. " As the senate were very unwilling to be at the trouble of a second consecration, when they had even fixed on a wrong day, and therefore received very reluctantly the testimony of such witnesses as those last mentioned, they after- Avards made a statute to this effect — That whatsoever time the senate should conclude on for the calends of the month, though it were certain they were in the wrong, yet all were bound to order their feasts according to it." This, Dr. Cudworth supposes, actually took place in the time of our Lord, and " as it is not likely that our Lord would submit to this perversion of the original custom, and that following the true tp<'xaig, or appearance of the new moon, confirmed by sufficient witnesses, he and his disciples ate the Passover on that day ; but the Jews, following the pertinacious decree of the Sanhedrin, did not eat it till the day following." Dr. Cudworth further shows from Epiphanius, that there was contention, ■d-oQvBoc, a tumult, among the Jews about the Passover, that very year. Hence, it is likely that the real paschal day observed by our Lord, his disciples, and many other pious Jews, who adopted the true cpaaig, phasis, was only the preparation or antecedent evening to others, who acted on the decree of the Sanhedrin. Besides, it is worthy of notice, that not only the Karaites, who do not acknowledge the authority of the Sanhedrin, but also the rabbins themselves grant, that where the case is doubt- ful, the Passover should be celebrated with the same ceremonies, two days together ; and it was always doubtful when the appearance of the new moon could not be fully ascertained." In corroboration of this opinion, Bishop Pearce supposes, that it was lawful for the Jews to eat the paschal lamb at any time, between the evening of Thursday, and that of Friday ; and that this permission was necessary, because of the immense number of lambs which were to be killed for that purpose, as in one year there were not fewer than 256,500 lambs offered. See Joscphus, War, b. vii. c. ix. sect. 3. In Matt. xxvi. 17. it is said, " Now the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread ( Tf^ de ngdnri iu)v (xtvfiMi'), the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, ' Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover ? ' " As the feast of Unleavened Bread did not begin till the day after the Passover, tlie fifteenth day of the month (Lev. xxiii. 5, 6, Num. xxviii. 16, 17.) this could not have been properly the first day of that feast ; but as the Jews began to eat unleavened bread on the fourteenth day (Exod. xii. 18.), this day was often termed the First of Uuleavoned Bread. Now it appears that the Evangelists use it in this sense, and call even the paschal day by this name. See Mark xiv. 12. Luke xxii. 7. Mr. Benson's profound and sagacious reason ing on tlic time of our Lord's crucifixion, can Note a4.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *159 only be appreciated by those who are acquaint- ed with the difficulties of this subject, and have followed his argument through all its ramifica- tions. It is to be regretted, that the learned men who have endeavoured to decide this point, have not sufficiently examined the data, wliich enabled Mr. Benson to come to his very satis- factory conclusions. That the reader may per- ceive the discrepancies to which I allude, I here subjoin from Bowyer the various decisions of former chronologers. "It has been computed," he observes, "that from the twentieth to the fortieth year of Christ, the only Passover full moon which fell on a Friday, was April 3, A. D. 33, in the year of the Julian Period 4746. And yet Mr. Mann, in support of his hypothesis, computes it to have been so likewise March 22, A. D. 90, .Julian Period 4739. Differences there will be, while some calculate by astronomical full moons, others by cycles ; and while we know not whether the Jews kept the true or the mean full moons ; or what cycle they followed. That which prevailed in the time of Epiphanius, Dodwell observes, De Cyclis, p. 429, was diffi?r- ent from the Calippic, the Hippolytan, and from what the Jews now follow ; from which last, however, Scaligerand Mr. Mann compute. And even, if we knew the cycle, what certainty could we expect when Maimonides and other writers tell us, that in a backward season they occasionally intercalated a month, tliat tlie harvest might be ripe enough to have the first fruits of it offered on the second day of the passover' ? ' Vide Dr. A. Clarke On the Eucharist, second edit. 1814, p. 9-15. Benson's Ckroaologij of the Life, of Christ, ^.''^12, &c. — Bowyer's Critical Con- jectures. — Clarke's Commentary on the passages in St. Matthew, in which the account of the last Passover is given. — Cudworth's Treatise, printed at llie end of the Intellectual Si/stem. — Jackson's Chronology, vol. ii. p. 19. " Sir Isaac Newton, in his Observations on the Prophecies, p. 163, mentions another Jewish rule for calculating the time of the Passover. To avoid the inconveniences of two Sabbaths together, which prevented burying their dead, and making ready fresh meat, &c. they post- poned their month a day, as often as the third of the month Nisan was Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday ; and this rule they called, nN, Mu, by the letters N*, n, ), signifying the 1st, 4th, and 6th days of the week, which days we call Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. "Postponing therefore (a day in) the Pass- over months above, the 14th day of the month Nisan, (which, A. D. 31, fell on Tuesday, March 27,) will fall on Wednesday, March 28 "In A.D. 32, (which fell on Sunday, April 13,) will fall on Monday, April 14. " In A.D. 33, (which fell on Friday, April 3,) will fall on Friday, April 3, likewise. " In A.D. 34, (which fell on Wednesday, March 24, or rather, for the avoiding the equi- nox, which fell on the same day, and for having a fitter time for the harvest, on Thursday, April 22,) will fall on Friday, April 23. "In A.D. 36, (which fell on Tuesday, April 12,) will fall on Wednesday April 13. "In A.D. 36, (wliich fell on Saturday, March 31,) will fall likewise on the same day." Here the 33rd and 34th are both years on which the Passover fell on a Friday ; and Sir Isaac Newton determines for the 34th, two years after 32, when the Passover fell very late. I shall subjoin the several computations of the paschal full moons, by Roger Bacon, in his Opus Magnum, p. 131. Jos. Scaliger and Nic. Mann, De veris annis JV. D. Jesii Chrisii, &c. p. 239. R. Dodwell, De Cyclis, p. 848. Mr. Fer- guson in his Astronomy, Sir Isaac Newton On the Prophecies, and Lamy in his Harmony, by which the reader will judge with what variety they have all been certain. Julian Period- A.D. Roger Bacon. Day of Month. Week. Mann & Scal. Dav of Month. Week. Dodwell. Day of Month. Week. Ferguson. Day of Month. Week. Sir I. Newton. Day of Month. Week. Lamy. Month. Day. Ho. Mat. 4739 4740 26 27 March 21. 5 March 22. C April 20. 7 April 20. 7 April 9. 5 April 9. 4 April 9. 4 April 10. 5 4741 4742 4743 4744 4745 4746 28 29 March 29. 2 March 29. 2 March 28. 1 INIarch 30. 3 March 29. (i 8 .Mat. April 17. 1 April IG. 7 April 16. 7 April 17. 5 April 17. C 30 31 32 33 April 0. 4 April 5. 4 April 12. 4 April ti. 4 April 6. 10 55 Vesp. Marcli -^7. 3 Mar.li 2G. 2 March 2,;. 2 -March 27. 3 March 28. 4 March 27. 2 10 April 13. 2 April 11. 2 April 12. 7 April 15. 3 April 14. 2 April 14. 12 Mat. April 3. 4 April 3. 6 April 4. 7 April 3. 4 April 3. 6 April 3. 5 50 Vesp. 4747 4748 4749 4750 4751 34 35 36 March 23. 4 March 22. o March 24. 4 April 22. .I April 23. 6 March 23. p. ob. 018F. April 11. 2 April 11. 2 April 23. 4 April 11. 2 April 13. 4 April 11. 11 10 Mat. i .March 30. 5 48 Vesp. 37 38 1 April 18. 2 38 1 April 8. 5 58 Mat. To which might be added the calci lations of Bedford and Hales. 160* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VI. Note 25.— Part VI. It is not certain where this section ought to be inserted. Michaelis and Newcome place the washing of the disciples' feet after the pre- paration of the Passover, and the promise of Judas to betray Christ; Pilkington and Light- foot before those events. Michaelis represents the washing as taking place before the feast of the Passover. The rest of the iiarmonizers principally arrange it at the supper at Bethany. and had not time then to listen to or correct their erroneous inferences, Ixixroi^ ian, absur- dum est, quod profertis, desinite tarn anilia pro- fari. — 'Ixupvi' iari, eadem est cum T'l, sufficit tibi, qu(B a Judobis adhibetur, quoties ab altera absurdum quid prqfertur, qui iaccre debebat, &c. — See Lightfoot and Schoetgen, vol. i. p. 313. Note 30.— Part VI. Note 26.— Part VI. This is also a Hebrew phrase. Among the instances collected by Schoetgen is a senti- ment which ought to be deeply engraven on the memory and the conscience of all who can appreciate tlie privilege of possessing and studying the Scriptures. " Quicunque scit Le- gem, etnonfacit illamCDSi;rS Nv abuf h nun, melius ipsi esset, si non venisset in mundum." " If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." Schemoth Rabba, sect. 40. fol. 135. 1, 2. apud Schoetgen, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 225. Note 27.— Part VI. This was the most solemn manner of express- ing an affirmative. "Berachoth Hier. citante Wagensiel M Sota, p. 1001. Zipporenses quferebant, numquid R. Judas mortuus esset? Filius Kaphrse respondit, jinnos pnx, vos dixistis." Schoetgen, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 225. Note 28.— Part VL " When thou art converted ;" when thou hast recovered from that fall which I foresee. Note 29.— Part VI. This part of Clirist's address to his disciples has been much misunderstood. From ver. 35, our Lord's intention may be supposed to be, to remind them that all their wants had been hitherto supplied. But now, as he was about to be removed, he forewarns them that it would be hereafter necessary for them to act for them- selves, and to provide against danger and diffi- culty. The disciples interpreted this literally, as appears from ver. 38, when our Lord sliglitly censures their misapprehension, by "it is enough," and so closes the conversation. He was about to enter the scene at Gethsemane, ON THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST. A FEW hours only before his death, our bless- ed Saviour instituted the holy Eucharist. He knew that the long and progressive series of prophecies, visions, types, and figures, which had predicted his incarnation and sufferings, were now on the point of being accomplished. He knew that the Mosaic Dispensation was on the point of being completed, witli all its typical ceremonies and observances. A new and spiritual kingdom was to be engrafted on it, with other rites and other sacraments. The holy of holies was soon to be thrown open ; and man, sinful man, through the atoning blood of a Redeemer, was to be permitted to hold there the highest communion with his Maker, in commemoration of the exceeding great love and all-sufficient sacrifice of his only Son. That we may endeavour to arrive at a clearer comprehension of this great mystery, and those holy memorials, which our Lord instituted " for the continual remembrance of his death," it will be advisable to refer to the Jewish feasts in the Levitical Law, which evidently prefigure the great sacrifice of Christ, which was to be offered as an atonement for the sins of man. In pursuance of this plan, we will consider the nature of the Jewish feasts, and the analogy which the Christian feast of the Lord's Supper, in which we eat and drink the body and blood of Christ, bears to tlie ancient rite among the Jews of feasting upon things sacrificed, and eating of those things that were offered up to God. The Jewish sacrifices are generally di- vided in the following manner. First, Such as were loholly offered up to God, and burnt upon the altar ; these were the holocausts, or burnt offerings. Secondly, Such as were not only offered up to God upon the altar, but of which the priests also had a part to eat; and which were again subdivided in the sin offerings, and the trespass offerings. Third- ly, Such as were not only offered up to God, and a portion bestowed on the priests also, but of wliich tlie owners themselves had a sliare likewise: these were called tZD'oS'ii?, or peace offerings, which contained in tliem, as the Jew- ish doctors speak, pSn' \r\2'\ pSni a:j''7 dSh hl'2'~> " a portion for God, and the priests, and the owners also." Note 30.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *161 The first of these, perhaps, to signify some especial mystery concerning Christ, were whol- ly offered up to God, and burnt upon the altar ; yet when they were notTn'V n"J3ip, offerings for the whole congregation, but for any particu- lar person, there were always peace offerings regularly annexed to them, that the owners, at the same time when tliey offered a sacrifice to God, might feast upon that sacrifice. The second of these were not eaten by the owners, but by the priests; to show that the owners, being for the present in a state of guilt, for which they now made atonement, being not worthy, the priests, acting as their mediators to God, and as their proxies, did eat of the sacrifice for them. Thirdly, In the peace offerings ; because sucli as brought them had no uncleanness upon them (Levit. vii. 20.), and so were perfectly reconciled to God, and in covenant with him ; therefore they were in their own persons to eat of those sacrifices, which they had offered unto God as a federal rite between God and them. These sacrifices were considered to bring peace to the altar, to the priests, and to the owners ; as they each separately partook of them. Throughout Scripture we find that the eating of the sacrifice was a due and proper appendix unto all sacrifices ; and that it is mentioned continually as a rite belonging to sacrifice in general ; see Exod. xxxiv. 15. Numb. xxv. 2. Psalm cvi. 28. Exod. xxxii. 6. 1 Sam. ix. 13. and xvi. 2-11., with many others. Profane writ- ers likewise frequently mention this custom, as being always observed by the heatlien in their sacrifices. Homer alludes to it. Plato, in his second book De Legibus, ca.\\s these feasts 'Eogral fierd. ^£10 1', feasts after divine worship offered up to the gods. Plutarch also reports of Cati- line and his conspirators, ore xaiadvaarreg ^vBqmtiov, iyevauvTO iwv aagxwv, that sacri- ficing a man, they did all eat somewhat of the flesh ; using this religious rite as a bond to con- firm tliem togetiier in their treachery. From the universal prevalence of this rite, then, we have every reason to consider it as having been, from the very earliest period, divinely appointed and originally a part of the primeval religion ; typifying the atoning sacrifice of the future Messiah, who expressly declares, " Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you," .John vi. 51-56. " Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us ; therefore let us keep the feast (that is, the pas- chal feast, upon this sacrificed Christ) with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth," — 1 Cor. V. 7, 8. Wherefore I conclude that the Lord's Supper is a feast upon a sacrifice, or Eptdum ex Oblatis, in the same manner as the Jewish feasts upon sacrifices under the Law, and the feasts upon 'EUJIAOOYTA (thinsrs offer, d to idols), among the heathens. And this I think will be proved by a reference to the VOL. II. *21 tenth chapter of 1 Cor. from the 13th to the 22d verses, where St. Paul supposes these three are parallels, and that a perfect analogy exists be- tween them, or else the whole strength of his argument fails. Again, Under the Law, the eating of the feasts upon God's sacrifices was considered as a federal rite between God and those that offered them, in the same way as tlie ancient Hebrews and other eastern nations ratified and sealed every covenant by eating and drinking together ; and, among them, it was accounted a most heinous offence to be guilty of the breach of a covenant thus confirmed. Salt, as the natural appendix of all feasts, was always put upon every sacrifice, and was re- garded as a symbol of friendship and kindness ; from whence the ancients called it Amicitice, Symbolum. And from this custom the proverb- ial expression among the Greeks originated — "Alug xai TQ(j.7Te'Q(t, " salt and the table;" and among whom the violation of a covenant of salt was considered as the violation of the most sacred league of friendship. Several pas- sages of Scripture are illustrated by the appli- cation of this custom, Lev. ii. 13. Num. xviii. 19. 2 Chron. xiii. 5. Further, when God de- livered the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt, he manifested himself in a peculiar manner among them ; and while they sojourned in tents in the wilderness, He commanded a tent, or tabernacle, to be built, that he might sojourn with them also. But when the Jews took possession of their land, and built them houses, God would have a fixed dwelling place ; and his moveable tabernacle was turned into a standing temple. And, to make the analogy more complete, it was furnished witli things suitable to a dwelling place — a table, with a candlestick : the former always furnished with bread, having dishes, spoons, bowls, and covers, belonging to it ; and the candlestick having its lamps continually burning. There was also a continual fire kept in the house of God upon the altar. And, to carry the resemblance still furtlier, meat and drink were brought into the house of God ; for besides the flesh of the beasts offered up in sacrifice, which were partly consumed on the altar, and partly eaten by the priests, as a portion of God's family, and so to be maintained by him, there was a rnrncah, or meat offering, and a libamen, or drink offering, which were always joined to the daily sacrifice. The sacrifices, then, being God's feasts, they that did partake of them must be considered as his convivfP (guests), and in a manner to eat and to drink with Him. That sacrifices were thus regarded as a federal rite in Scripture is proved in Levit. ii. 13. in Num. xviii. IV. and 2 Chron. xiii. 5. where it is called " the salt of the cov- enant," and " a covenant of salt," to signify that as men ratified their covenants by eating and drinking, to which salt was a necessary 162* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VI, appendix, so in the same way God, by these sacrifices and feasts upon them, did ratify and confirm his covenant with those that were par- takers of them ; who, as it were, might be con- sidered as eating and drinking with Him — God's portion of the covenant being visibly consumed by his holy fire on the altar, which was always kept burning there. — See Levit. ix. 24. 2 Chron. vii. 1. Fire likewise, the symbol of the Lord's presence, fell frequently on the victims offered to the Lord, as a visible demon- stration of his acceptance of his portion, and of his entering into covenant with the offerers. — See Gen. iv. 4. xv. 17. Judges xiii. 20, &c. As we have now shown that the sacrifices of the Levitical Law, with the feasts upon those sacrifices, were regarded as federal rites between God and men, in like manner the Lord's Supper, under the Gospel dispensation, which we have already proved to be Epulum Sacrificiale (a feast upon a sacrifice), must also be considered as Epulum Fcederale, a federal feast of reconciliation and amity between God and men, by which we are taken into a sacred covenant, and an inviolable league of friendship with Him. In comparing this account of the ancient mode of celebrating the Jewish feasts M-ith the institution of the Holy Sacrament given by the inspired writers, it is to be re- marked, that when Christ instituted the eucha- ristical feast, he said, "This is my blood of the New Testament " — " This cup is the New Tes- tament in my blood ;" that is, not only the seal of the old covenant, but the sanction of the new covenant. The confirmation of the old covenant was by the blood of bulls and of goats (Exod. xxiv. 5. and Heb. ix. 19.), because blood was still to be shed. The confirmation of the new covenant was by a cup of wine ; because under the New Testament there is no further shedding of blood, Heb. ix. 26. x. 18. Again, our Lord says of the cup, "This cup is the New Testament in my blood ; in the same way as the cup of blood in the Levitical Law (Exod. xxiv. 6.) was the Old Testament in my blood. There all the articles of that cov- enant being read over, Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and sprinkled all the people with it, and said, " This is the blood of the covenant which God hath made with you ;" and thus that old covenant or testimony was established. In like manner Christ, being now about to bring in another and more perfect dis- pensation, having published all the articles of the new covenant, confirms it by the breaking of bread, saying, " This is my body in the New Testament, or Covenant, in the same sense as the paschal lamb has been hitherto my body in the old dispensation, Eat ye all of it." He then takes the cup, saying, " This is my cup in the New Covenant, in the same sense as the blood of bulls and goats have been my cup in the old covenant, Drink ye all of it ; having your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience," Heb. X. 22. The legal sacrifices were but types and shad- ows of the true Christian sacrifice ; and were, therefore, with their feasts, constantly renewed and repeated : but now that Christ, as a lamb without blemish, and without spot, foreordained before the foundation of the world (1 Pet. i. 20.), has been sacrificed for us, there remain no more typical sacrifices, but only the feasts upon the One Great Sacrifice, which are still, and ever will be, symbolically continued in the Lord's Supper. " He that eateth my flesh, and drink- eth my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." John vi. 56. There are still many other resembling cir- cumstances between the Jewish Passover and the Christian Eucharist. The Passover was of divine appointment, and so is the Eucharist. The Passover was a sacrament, and so is the Eucharist. The Passover prefigured the death of Christ before it was accomplished — the Eu- charist represents, or figures out, the death now past. As he who in the Jewish Law did not keep the Passover bore his own sin, and was to be cut off from Israel, Exod. xii. 15. Num. ix. 1.3., so he also who neglects the Holy Eucharist in the Christian dispensation,renounces all in- terest and benefit in the atonement and sacri- fice of Christ, and shall also bear his own sin. As the Passover was to continue as long as the Jewish Law was in force, so the Eucharist is to continue till Christ shall come to judge the world. The same forms and expressions were likewise observed in botli institutions. In the paschal supper the master of the house took bread, and gave thanks to God ; so did Christ. It was customary for him after- wards to break it, either before or afler the benediction, and to distribute it to his family, as it does not appear tliey were permitted to take it themselves. That these forms were observed by our Lord is evident. In the same manner, at the paschal feast, the master was accustomed to take a cup of wine, pronouncing a blessing over it ; so likewise did Christ. In both cases the blood was a token or sign of the covenant entered into between God and man, which was at once ratified by pouring out the blood of the lamb, and by feeding on the flesh of the sacri- fice. " If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." It is far beyond the limits of a note to enter into the various interpretations of Scripture given by the Socinian and Papist, in defence of their peculiar errors. As tlie doctrine of tran- substantiation, however, the principal error of the latter, is founded on the words, " This is my body," I would wish to direct the attention of my readers to the true scriptural signification of this passage, which the Romanist interprets literally, and the Protestant figuratively. To find out the meaning of any passage jn Note 30.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *163 Scripture, our only safe plan is, to make the Scripture its own interpreter, that is, to examine in what sense similar modes of expression, with that under discussion, are used in the Sacred Writings. In tlie present instance we must recollect our Lord spoke a dialect of the same language in which the Old Testament was written. If we discover therefore parallel ex- pressions in the Old Testament to that which is now used by our Lord, we are warranted, by all the rules of criticism, to interpret the latter in the same manner as we interpret the former. Both are to be literally, or both figuratively in- terpreted. The Hebrew, Syro-Chaldaic, and Aramaic dialects, have, generally speaking, no word which expresses, " to denote," " to signify," "to represent." The inspired writers of the New Testament, following the idiom of the Hebrew language, although they wrote in Greek, abounded with expressions derived from the language of their country. Even in our own language, although we have terms enough to fill up the elhpsis, the same form, or idiom of speech, is common. Suppose a man, on enter- ino' into a museum enriched with the remains of ancient Greek sculpture, has his eyes at- tracted by a number of curious busts, and on inquiring what they are, he learns, that this is Socrates, that Plato, a third Homer; others Hesiod, Horace, Virgil, Demosthenes, Cicero, Herodotus, Livy, Caesar, Nero, Vespasian, &c. Is he deceived by this information ? Not at all : he knows well that the busts he sees are not the identical persons of those ancient philosophers, poets, orators, historians, and emperors, but only representations of their persons in sculpture ; between which and the originals tliere is as essential a diflference as between a human body, instinct with all the principles of rational vi- tality, and a block of marble. Innumerable in- stances are found in Scripture where this manner of speaking is observed. In Gen. xli. 26. it is said, " The seven kine art (i. e. repre- sent) seven years." " This is (i. e. represents) the bread of affliction." "The ten horns are (i. e. signify) ten kings," Dan. vii. 24. " They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock ivas (i. e. represented) Christ," 1 Cor. x. 4. In Rev. i. 20. " The seven stars are (i. e. represented) the angels of the seven churches : and the seven candlesticks are (i. e. represent) tlie churches." In Matt. xiii. 38, 39. "The field is (i. e. represents) the world: the good seed are (i. e. represent or signify) the children of the kingdom : the tares are (i. e. signify) the children of the wicked one," &lc. In John vii. .36. we find Tig 'E2TIN oinog 6 Idyog ; " What is this saying ?" (i. e. its signifi- cation.) In John X. 6. "They understood not what things they were" liva ^HN, (i. e. their signification). Acts x. 17. Ti iif "EIH ib oQuf^a, "What this vision might be;" properly rendered by our translators, " What this vision should mean." Gal. iv. 24. " For these are the two covenants," Avrav yuq EI2I Svo dtuOriicui, i. e. these signify the two covenants. Luke xv. 26. " He asked, tL EIH ravia ; what these things meant.'" And very many others might be quoted to the same purpose. These passages appear to be so evidently parallel witli that be- fore us, that we conclude they are to be inter- preted in the same manner, and that our Lord therefore intended, when he took the bread, to say, "this bread represents, or signifies, my body ;" and consequently that the conclusion of the Romanist, who supposes that the bread is changed into the real body, and the wine into the real blood of Christ, is founded on error. To give an idea of the many dogmas that necessarily at- tend the doctrine of transubstantiation, I tran- scribe the eighth lesson of the Catechism for the use of all the Churches in the French Empire, pub- lished in 1806, with the bull of the pope, and the mandamus of the archbishop of Paris ; which is exactly a counterpart to all tliat have been pub- lished from time immemorial in the popish churches : — " Q,. What is the sacrament of the Eucharist ? " A. The Eucharist is a sacrament which contains really and substantially the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the forms and appearance of bread and wine. " Q,. What is at first on the altar, and in the chalice ? Is it not bread and wine ? " A. Yes : and it continues to be bread and wine till the priest pronounces the words of consecration. " Q. What influence have these words ? " A. The bread is changed into the body, and the wine is changed into the blood of our Lord. " Q. Does nothing of the bread and wine remain ? " A. Nothing of them remains, except the forms. " Q,. What do you call the forms of the bread and wine ? " A. That which appears to our senses, as color, figure, and taste. " Q,. Is there notliing under the form of bread except the body of our Lord? " A. Besides his body, there is his blood, his soul, and his divinity ; because all these are in- separable. " Q,. And under the form of wine ? " A. Jesus Christ is there as entire as under the form of the bread. " Q. When the forms of the bread and wine are divided, is Jesus Christ divided ? " A. No : Jesus Christ remains entire under each part of the form divided. " Q,. Say, in a word, what Jesus Christ gives us under each form. " A. All tliat he is, that is. Perfect God and Perfect Man. 164* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VI. " Q-. Does Jesus Christ leave heaven to come into the Eucharist ? " A. No : he always continues at the right hand of God, his Father, till he shall come at the end of the world, with great glory, to judge the living and the dead. " Q,. Then how can he be present at the altar ? " A. By the almighty power of God. " Q. Then it is not man that works this miracle ? " A. No : it is Jesus Christ, whose word ia employed in the sacrament. " Q,. Then it is Jesus Christ who consecrates ? " A. It is Jesus Christ who consecrates ; the priest is only his minister. " Q,. Must we worship the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist ? " A. Yes, undoubtedly ; for this body and this blood are inseparably united to his divinity. " The priest, in giving tlie consecrated wafer to the communicant, says, ' Behold the Lamb of God ! Behold Him who taketh away the sin of the w^orld !' Then he and the communicant repeat thrice, 'Lord, I am not worthy thou shouldst enter my roof; speak, therefore, but the word, and my soul shall be healed,' the communicant striking his breast in token of his unworthiness. Then (says the Directory) having the towel raised above your breast, your eyes modestly closed, your head likewise raised up, and your moutli conveniently open, receive the holy sacrament on your tongue, resting on your under lip ; then close your mouth, and say in your heart, ' Amen, I believe it to be the body of Christ, and I pray it may -preserve my soul to eternal life.'" — Ordinary of the Mass, p. 33. May God grant that such absurd superstitions may never again become a part of the religion of England ! This note has been principally collected from Dr. Cudworth's learned Treatise on the Lord's Supper, at the end of the Intellectual System, 4to. vol. ii. See also Dr. Adam Clarke's Dis- course on the Holy Eucharist ; and Lightfoot On the Divine Origin of Sacrifice. And on the typical meaning of the Passover, the Abridg- ment of the learned Witsius's Remarks, in Home's Critical Introduction, 1st edit. vol. i. p. 150-154. Note 31.— Part VL Various interpretations are given to this pas- sage : some commentators suppose it was ac- complished when Christ ate and drank with his disciples after his resurrection. Acts i. 4. x. 41. John xxi. 13. Luke xxiv. 30, 43. ; others that the word kingdom here signifies the Gospel-state. The most probable signification seems to be, that he will no longer commemorate this, or any other deliverance, till he celebrates togeth- er with his apostles tlie great day of redemption in tlie future world. The expression drinking ivine indicates feasting, under which the future happiness is often represented in Scripture— Isa. xxii. 13. and Ivi. 12. Matt. viii. 11. and xxii. 4. The wine is called new, figuratively express- ing tliose unknown heavenly festivals prepared for man in his state of immortality. The king- dom of the Father here seems particularly to refer to the future state after the final judg- ment : for then, and not till then, is the kingdom delivered up to the Father, 1 Cor. xv. 24-28. ; and in no part of the New Testament is Christ's kingdom between his resurrection and ascension called the kingdom of his Father. "^^n' ^QTt, or better, linuQjl, omnino, I will not at all drink of the fruit of the vine, &c. Aris- tophan. Plut. act. ii. scene 2. TOvg de^iovg, xul cracpgovag, (jcnagrl nXovrr^craL Troi-qaio, gnavos et frugi homines omnino divites faciam. See Matt. xxvi. 64. and Rev. xiv. 3. Jo. Alberti, JVot. Philol. Bowyer, Crit. Conj. p. 124. and Hammond in loc. Note 32.— Part VI. From tlie expression, "Arise, let us go hence," it may be inferred that our Saviour now left the room, and went to the Mount of Olives, when the conversation and exhortations related in the following sections were con- tinued. Note 33.— Part VI. The scene of the first temptation was in the garden of Eden ; there Adam fell, and brought sin into the world. To complete the parallel, the second Adam, in the garden of Gethse- mane, submitted to his last and fearful tempta- tions, when all the powers of darkness were let loose against him (Luke xxii. 53.) ; and, by a perfect obedience, revoked our sentence of con- demnation. In the temptation in the wilder- ness, we read that the Devil departed from him only for a season. In this hour of agony he renews his assault with better hopes of success ; and our Saviour, as soon as he enters the gar- den, appears conscious of his power, although not visible to mortal eye : He said to the disci- ])lcs, "Sit ye here, while 1 go and pray yonder; ]>ray ye also not to enter into temptation." After the temptation in the wilderness, we Note 34.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *165 read that an Angel ministered to him ; and now, in this honr of despondency and suffering, there appeared an Angel, strengthening him. Note 34.— Part VI. " If we consider," says an eminent divine, " the circumstances of Christ's agony in the gar- den, it is evident it was the effect of some more powerful cause than merely a natural fear of his ensuing agonies and death ; for he bore his death far better than his agony. He had no sooner entered on the scene of his trial, but ' he began to be sorrowful,' to ' be sore amazed,' to ' be very heavy,' which words, according to their original signification, declare him to have been suddenly oppressed with a mighty dejec- tion of spirits, which, arising from some fearful spectacle, or imagination, overwhelmed his soul with an unknown and inexpressible anguish. They intimate, tliat at this dark hour, he was assaulted by devils, who exercised all their power and malice, to tempt him to renounce his merciful design. If we consider the warning our Saviour gave his disciples, when they en- tered the garden with him (Luke xxii. 40.), of the extraordinary danger they were in of falling into temptation, it seems very probable that he expected, and found there an extraordinary con- course of tempters, or evil spirits ; for he repeats the same admonition when he finds his disci- ples asleep, saying, ' Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation,' (Matt. xxvi. 4L) And since his sufferings in his agony are de- scribed with more painful circumstances than his sufferings on the cross, we have just reasons to conclude they were inflicted on him by more malignant and more powerful executioners ; and, consequently, that he endured the torments of men only on the cross, but of devils in the gar- den. His body was crucified on the cross ; liis mind in the garden. As Adam had offended in both, so Christ suffered in both. " The unaccountable drowsiness, which seized the disciples at this period, may also have been produced by the agency of infernal spirits, for the purpose of having our Saviour alone during their conflict with him, thereby hoping to gain a greater advantage over him. St. Luke im- putes this drowsiness to sorrow ; but it is not probable that mere sorrow aIo7ie should 7iecessi- tate three men to fall asleep together, under the most awakening circumstances. Why did it not as well force tliem to fall asleep afterwards, when their liord was apprehended, condemned, and crucified ? at which time they were doubtless more sorrowful than they were at Gcthsemane. May it not then be possible that some secret influence was added to the causes assigned by the Evangelist, and that our Sa- viour, experiencing in himself the power and malice of Satan and his emissaries, admonished his disciples, who were much less capable of re- sisting, to be upon their guard, lest they in tlieir turn should be tempted also"." Christ, as we have already shown (note 51, p. *47), began his incar- nate life as the second Adam, in the very spot to wliich the disobedience of tlie first Adam had driven him. In a typical point of view, we may now consider the second Adam as having re- deemed, by his perfect innocence and obedi- ence, tlie possession of that garden from which the first Adam had been expelled; and liere again the Devil (for he had only departed from him for a season) assailed him with all his powers of darkness, torturing his suffering and afflicted spirit with the most dreadful phantoms and apprehensions ; and endeavouring, by every art of malice and invention, to divert him from his glorious purpose of laying down his life for the world. The expression, " My soul is ex- ceeding sorrowful, even unto death," 7isqIIv7i6; iajiv -fi \pvxi\ fiov, may infer, "his soul had been struggling under some mortal pang, and the pains of hell had got hold upon it." God permitted him to be assailed with the utmost force of temptation to which his assumed nature could be exposed. "For in that He himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to suc- cour them that are tempted." Some consider that the infernal spirit suggested the most agonizing and wicked delusions, such as it is not lawful for man to utter ; nor possible, with- out Satanic agency, for man to conceive. Cal- vin believes that the wrath of God was so poured out upon him, that the atonement could only be completed by his undergoing that agony; which, in the future world, is prepared for the impenitent. In my own opinion, the parallel between the first and second Adam, which, we find from the Holy Scriptures, has been so minutely and re- markably observed, here closes. The second Adam, ffom the wilderness into which the first Adam fell, traced back step by step, by a most divine life, the condemnation of the first Adam, till he aiTived again at the scene of his dis- obedience, where, as the substituted victim. He submitted to that spiritual suffering and death, which had been pronounced against the first man. He submitted tlie offending nature to the tree of the cross, reconciled justice with mercy, and restored to the human race, through the influence of his spirit, the capability of regaining that spiritual state of blessedness and glory in which the first Adam had been originally created. By Christ's death, He hath destroyed him tliat hath the power of death, that is, the Devil, (Heb. ii. 14.) And hence the Apostle tells us, that unsubdued by infernal attacks and tempta- tions, "He swallowed up deatli in victory." " Scott's Christian Life, pp. 449, 450. 166* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VII. He despoiled principalities and powers, and made an open show of them, triumphing over them. Satan, as lightning, falls from heaven ; his kingdom is taken away from liim ; and man, believing man, is ransomed from his malignant power, and by the intercession of the Mediator, and the influence of the Holy Spirit, is restored again to the favor of his God. Note 35.— Part VI. The whole of this transaction shows that our Lord had perfect power over his enemies, if he had chosen to exert it, (Matt. xxvi. 53.) By a look, the guards, Avho attempted to seize him, were smitten to the ground. When Peter afterwards struck the servant of the high priest, and smote off his ear, the Roman sol- diers, who were never resisted with impunity, would doubtless have revenged themselves on the disciples, if they had not been supernat- urally protected — He had power to lay down his life, and to take it again : but he completed the mysterious sacrifice, and man was saved, and the Scripture fulfilled. PART VII. Note 1.— Part VII. Note 3.— Part VII. The Annas here mentioned is called by Josephus, Ananus. He had been deposed from the pontifical office by the Roman power ; but his influence on that account had been rather increased than lessened among his countrymen. Under these circumstances, however, he could not with prudence openly interfere ; but, from the passage before us, we may infer the great authority he still possessed ; and it is more than probable that he privately suggested every measure that had been already devised against our Lord ; and that on the present occasion he still continued to direct by his counsel and advice. — See John xviii. 24. Although Annas was deprived of the office of high priest, the Jews still acknowledged him as such, as we find from Acts iv. 6., where he is so called. His influence was so great, that he saw five of his own sons successively in possession of the high priesthood; and several also of his sons- in-law, among whom was Caiaphas. This was only done by the high priest in cases of blasphemy. Note 2.— Part VII. This passage of Daniel, to which our Lord refers, was always considered by the Jews as a description of the Messiah. Our Saviour, therefore, now in his lowest state of liumilia- tion and depression, asserted his claims as the Messiah, who should appear again in the clouds of heaven, as the judge of the world. — Sohar Genes, fol. 85. col. 338, &c. Dan. vii. 13. NT xn'li'O XdSo "This is the king Messiah." — Schoetgen, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 233. Note 4.— Part VII. Christ was first arraigned before the high priest, then before the whole Sanhedrin (Mark XV. 1.), before both of whom he was accused of blasphemy, and on this charge was by both condemned, Matt. xxvi. 65, 66. He was next taken before the Roman governor, as guilty of sedition, and acquitted, John xviii. 38. xix. 4, &c. When the Jews therefore saw this, they were compelled to acknowledge the real grounds of their prosecution : " We have a Law, and by our Law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God." But, finding that tliis charge also was disregarded by Pilate, who was still inclined to acquit him, (for blasphemy against the God of the Jews was not considered by the Romans to be a crime,) they, in despair, make a personal attack upon Pilate himself, and threaten, if he does not comply with their demands that he be crucified, to accuse him to Tiberius (whose suspicions and jealous nature was generally known) of remissness in duty, and negligence in the suppression of sedition and rebellion. Intimidated and ovorcome by tliis menace, he yields to their nnportunate solicitations, and condemns a man, whom he publicly acknowledges to be innocent, to the isrnoininious death of a common malefactor, that lie may screen himself from the malice of his accusers. Note 5.-7.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. * 167 Some objectors to Christianity have argued, that the Jews could not have believed in the reality of the miracles of our Saviour, or they would not have delivered him up to the Roman governor. They deem it scarcely possible that a whole nation would cry out for the scourging and crucifixion of a man, who gave sight to the blind, healed the sick, and raised the dead to life. It is implied in this objection, that the contemporaries of Christ discredited his mira- cles, because he was rejected and crucified ; whereas tlie Jews of every age have contended, that miracles afford no proof of the divine mis- sion of a prophet who teaches false doctrines, such as they suppose Jesus to have taught; and consequently, according to their notions, he might have been persecuted and crucified by their ancestors, while the reality of his miracles was fully admitted. They even go so far as to assert, that in their Law against false prophets, Deut. xiii." the clause in ver. 6, was framed for the individual case of Jesus Christ, and that it pomts to him in particular. " This is Jesus," say they, " who denied his father, saying, that he had a mother, but not a father ; that he was the Son of God, and that He himself was also God." Maimonides may be supposed to give the general opinion of the Jews, when he affirms that the miracles of a prophet, who recommends the worship of other gods, are no criteria of the trutli of his pretensions, " Be- cause the testimony of the understanding, which proves the falsity of his professions, is of more weight than that of the eyes which see Ms miracles'*." The Jews saw and acknowledged the miracles of Christ, but imputed them to the agency of evil spirits (Matt, xii.24. Luke xi. 15.) permitted by God to try the firmness of their faith, and the constancy of their obedience to the Mosaic Law, Deut. xiii. 3. : on tlie other hand, they heard him assert his own divine nature — the latter they considered as blasphemous ; and the supposed impiety and impossibility of this claim, in their opinion, overturned the weaker evidence of undisputed miracles wrought in its support : they weighed what to them appeared opposite evidences, and the preponderance of that side on which their prejudiced opinions had placed the greater weight, accounts for the persevering conduct of the Sanhedrin, and the persecutino- infidelity of the peopled Bishop Blomfield has justly observed, that the sum of the offence given by our Lord to the Chief Priests was, his laying claim to the title of the Messiah : a title to which they did not " See Fagius On Cliuhl. Puraph. Deut. xiii. in the Critlci Sacri, and on Deut. xviii. 15. vol. ii. p. 87, and 123. ^ Maimonides PrcBf. in Misnam, p. r?. od. Suren- liusii ap. Wilson. " See on the subject of this note, Wilson's Method of explaining tlie JVeic Testfimcnt, first and second chapters. imagine that any mere human being, as Jesus seemed to be, could have any right. Could he but have convinced the leading Jews of the justice of these pretensions, they would not have objected to his assumption of divine at- tributes. The fact is, that for any man to pro- fess himself to be the Messiah was considered as an offence against their Law, inasmuch as by so doing he made himself the Son of God. " We have a Law, and by our Law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God." This remark fully answers that objection to the Divinity of Christ proposed by Dr. Priestley, who maintains the position that tlie Jews did not expect their Messiah to be a divine personage ; which point is inconsiderately allowed by Mr. Wilson, in his answer to this great advocate of Unitarianism'*. Note 5.— Part VH. This section is arranged in its present order on the plan of Pilkington. Note 6.— Part VH. St. Matthew, in recording the accounts of the sufferings of our Lord, has omitted to mention that the soldiers and servants blindfolded him ; yet he relates the indignity which immediately followed that insult, " Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee ? " These words, according to Markland, have an imme- diate reference to the preceding action. When Christ was blindfolded, they ask him in derision, and according to the custom of a well-known game, if he can now tell by his prophetic spirit who it was that struck him. There is a bur- lesque sarcasm in the word nQO(pi'irevaor, which signifies " to prophesy," or " to guess," or " to tell." — Another sarcasm is implied in the word XotaTE, both being intended as sneers at Jesus being accounted a prophet, which could not have been so strongly expressed if the word li^of had been used instead of Trgaqn^Tevaor, as if they had said, " O thou Messiah, thou great propliet, tell us by thy prophetic spirit who it is that struck thee ? " — Vide Prelim. Observ. to Bow- yer's Conjectures, p. 36. Note 7.— Part VIT. Archbishop Newcome has placed the three denials of St. Peter immediately after the ap- <' See Bishop Blomfield "s Dissertation on the Knoicledge of a Redeemer before the .idrent, p. 115; and Wilson nt supra. 168* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VII- prehension of our Lord ; Pilkington, after he had been beaten and insulted by the servants and soldiers. Not only do the arguments of the latter writer appear to me to be most satis- factory, but there seems to be internal evidence that Pilkington is more correct. The courage, that made Peter recover first from the general consternation that had seized upon all the disciples, would not forsake him without a cause, merely because he had entered into the palace. He probably expected a different re- sult to the examination, and imagined that our Lord would have miraculously delivered him- self from the power of his enemies ; and he therefore willingly waited among the servants " to see the end." But when he saw, equally to his surprise and horror, for the first time, that our Lord was thus grievously treated, his con- fidence began to waver and his faith to fail. At this moment the servant who kept the door, and had left her charge to approach to the fire, knew iiim by the blaze of the fire (as Dr. Townson ingeniously translated the word qoSj, Luke xxii. 56.), and challenged him as the dis- ciple of the despised Nazarene. I cannot account for Archbishop Newcome's silence, in his notes to the Harmony, respecting Pilkington's order of the denial of Peter. He frequently refers to Pilkington. Note 8.— Part VII. The Jewish doctors distinguished the cock crowing into the first, second, and third. The first was called. i3Jn nx'-'p — the second n^WtV^ — when he repeats it. The third tySa^'iyS — when he does it the third time, as in Mark xiii. 35. Luke xii. .38. This custom was observed also by heathen nations. According to St. John, xiii. .38., St. Luke, xxii. 34., and St. Matthew, xxvi. 35., our Saviour predicts " the cock shall not crow," that is, shall not have finished his crowing, " before thou deny me thrice." Lightfoot* reconciles the words of these three Evangelists with those of St. Mark, by suggesting, that as the hour approached when the event was to take place, our Saviour specifies more particularly the time, and says, Mark xiv. 30. "Verily I say unto thee, that this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice." Pilk- ington supposes, that the words, "the cock shall not crow before thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me," should be taken literally, signify- ino- that the cock should not crow at all before thou shalt thrice deny me ; and he concludes, there is a double signification attached to these separate predictions, and a double accomplish- ment of them. lie argues, according to St. ' Vide Lifrhtfont on John xiii. 38. Worhs, vol. ii. folio edit. Dr. Briglit's. John's Gospel, that these words were primarily fulfilled by St. Peter, v.hen he was admitted into the palace. The first denial was made to the damsel who kept the door, and had per- mitted him to enter. It is very natural to imagine that a clamor would be raised against Peter upon her accusation ; as the people would conclude that the damsel who kept the door, and let him in, must have good reason for her suspicion ; and accordingly St. John tells us, that the servants who were warming them- selves at the fire witli Peter, again questioned liim about this matter, and that he denied being a disciple of Christ the second time. Imme- diately upon, or soon after this, Malchus's kinsman recollected seeing Peter in the garden with Jesus, and charged him therewith ; but Peter denied it a tliird time. And St. John observes, that upon this immediately the cock crew. And thus it appears how those words of our Saviour were verified, " Before the cock crow (at all), thou shalt deny me thrice." St. Jolm, having thus shown the accomplish- ment of these words of our Lord, takes no notice of any other of Peter's denials, but of these three only, which were made at the fire, whereas the other Evangelists take notice of denials made after these ; and so show us the propriety of that other expression, " Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice." They consider the several particular denials at the fire made at the same time, and in the same place, only as one general denial : and so St. Mark tells us, that, after Peter had denied at the fire, and was gone out into the porch, the cock crew the first time ; and this appears to be the same crowing Avhich St. John speaks of, as immediately succeeding Peter's three several denials of his Master there. The second general denial was made in the porch. This evidently appears from the ac- counts both of St. Matthew and St. Mark. And, from what is related, we must conclude, that the denial there was not single, but that many then charged him together (as they had done before, and as we may easily imagine they would do, in such a riotous assembly), and that he again there denied to them all. For St. Luke tells us, that a man charged him, and said, " Thou art one of them ;" and he replied, and said, " Man, J am not." St. Mark, that he denied what a maid was insinuating, " that he was one of them:" and St. Matthew, that "lie denied with an oath, I do not know the man," upon a maid's affirming that he was with Jesus of Nazareth. The place of the third general denial is not specified, any farther than that it was in tlie same room or court where Jesus was, who "turned and looked upon Peter." The time of it is said by St. Mark, to have been a little after tlie second, (//fi« juixqAi:) St. Matthew makes use of the same expression ; and St. Note 9.-12.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *169 Luke particularly mentions, that it was " about the space of one liour after." This also ap- pears to have been a general accusation, and so must have been a general denial ; for though St. Luke only mentions one man's charging Peter at this time, yet St. Matthew and St. Mark tell us, that they that stood by charged him with being a Galilean, and a disciple of Christ, and that in such a pressing manner, that " he began to curse and to swear he did not know the man." And upon tliis St. Mark tells us, that " the cock crew a second time :" before which Peter had denied " Christ at three several times, and in three several places ;" and so had remarkably fulfilled the second significa- tion of the prediction, " Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice." If it shall appear that there is nothing forced or misrepresented in the relation of this matter, then it must be allowed that the evangelical accounts are so far from being contradictory or inconsistent, that they greatly illustrate each other, and show the true meaning, and the full accomplishment of what our Saviour foretold with respect to this event-^. Note 9.— Part VIL Pfeiffer, in the last treatise of his Dubia Vcxata, endeavours to prove that the common dialect, both of Galilee and Judsea, was not Hebrew, but Syro-Chaldaic, or Aramaic, mixed with Greek, and that they differed only in accent and pronunciation. The learned men, of both countries, understood and conversed in pure Hebrew. The Galilean dialect consisted in a corrupt and confused pronunciation of the common Syro-Chaldaic, and this dialect was the vernacular language of the apostle. Schoetgen', among others, mentions, Bres- cith Rabba, sect. xxvi. fol. 26. 3. pnilV nS'Sj!] N'VN X'vnS in Galilaa serpentem, qui alias J^Tn dicitur, vacant X'VX id pro V\ usurpent X. Home and Pfeiffer, as well as the two last- mentioned authorities, have collected similar instances. Note 10.— Part VII. I AM induced to place this section here, be- cause it does not appear that tlie Sanhedrin re- turned to their council chamber in the temple after our Lord had been condemned by Pilate, and we must therefore refer the repentance of •Tudas to his condemnation by the Sanhedrin in the temple. f Pilkington, Notes to the Evangelical History, D. 55. ^ Schoetgen, vol. i. p. 235. VOL. II. *22 Note 11.— Part VIL The account of the death of Judas is attend- ed with some difficulty. The manner in which Weston reconciles St. Matthew and St. Luke seems to be the most preferable. St. Matthew says drrtj'/lKTO, " he hanged himself," and St. Luke that he 7TQrjV7)g yEi'6f.t£vog, "falling head- long," as we have translated it (Acts i. 18.), "burst a.sunder in the midst, and his bowels gushed out." Some suppose Judas to have fallen on his face after hanging, by the break- ing of the rope. Others, that he was choked witli grief, and burst asunder. Weston renders the passage, Matt, xxvii. 5., " he stran- gled himself, and the rope failing, he fell head- long, and his bowels gushed out." This solu- tion appears to be more satisfactory than any other. See Weston apud Bowyer's Critical Conjectures, p. 128, 129. See also the refer- ences in Archbishop Newcoiiie's note, and the commentators. Note 12.— Part VII. The words quoted here are not in the prophet Jeremiah, but in Zechariah xi. 13. But St, Jerome says, that a Hebrew, of the sect of the Nazarenes, showed him this prophecy in a Hebrew apocryphal copy of Jeremiah; but probably they were inserted there, only to countenance the quotation here. One of Col- bert's, a MS. of the eleventh century, has Za^fiQiop, Zechariah ; so has the later Syriac in the margin, and a copy of the Arabic, quoted by Bengel. In a very elegant and correct MS. of the Vulgate, in the possession of Dr. A. Clarke, written in the fourteenth century, Zachariam is in the margin, and Jerimiam is in the text ; but tlie former is written by a later hand. Jere- miah is wanting in two MSS., the Syriac, later Persic, two of the Itala, and in some otlier Latin copies. It is very likely that the original read- ing was di& Tov nQOcpi]Toi', and the name of no prophet mentioned. This is the more likely, as Matthew often omits the name of the propliet in his quotations. See chap. i. 22. ii. 5, 15. xiii. 35. and xxi. 4. Bengel, Dr. A. Clarke, and Home approve of the omission. " It was an ancient custom among the Jews," says Lightfoot, " to divide the Old Testament into three parts ; the fii-st, beginning with the Law, is called The Law; the second, begin- ning with the Psalms, was called The Psalms; the third, beginning with the propliet in ques- tion, was called Jeremiah ; thus, tlien, the writ- ings of Zechariah and the other prophets being included in that division that beg-an with Jere- miah, all quotations from it M-ould go under the name of this prophet." If this be admitted, it solves the difficulty at once. Lightfoot quotes * o .70* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Taut VJL Bava Bathra, and Rabbi David Kimchi's pref- ace, to the Prophet Jeremiah, as his autliori- ties ; and insists that the word Jeremiah is per- fectly correct, as standing at the head of that division from which the Evangelist quoted, and which gave its denomination to all the rest''. Note 13.— Part VII. ON THE QUESTION, " WHETHER THE JEWS, AT THE TIME OF CHRIST, HAD THE POWER OF INFLICTING CAPITAL PUNISHMENT ? " Much discussion has taken place on the question, Whether the Jews, in the time of our Lord, retained the power of life and death? Lightfoot, Dr. Lardner, Doddridge, and others, have strenuously defended the negative ; Biscoe is the principal author, of late date, who has adopted the affirmative. Two kinds of arguments have been used to prove that the Jews were deprived of the power of inflicting capital punishments : one taken from the Roman laws, or the nature of the Roman government ; the otlier from certain passages in the New Testament. The judge, according to the Roman laws, exerted in criminal affairs the Impenum merum; in civil causes, Iinperium mixtum. Proconsuls and presidents of provinces, as Pilate was, pos- sessed both these powers. They were the representatives of, and next to, the emperor, in their respective provinces. The arguments by which the position is de- fended, that the Jews had not the power of life and death at this time, are thus proposed and answered by Biscoe'. 1. There was a Roman law, which states, that the municipal magistrate cannot do those tilings which have more of imperium than of jurisdiction ; the municipal magistrates not having it in their power to enforce their orders. Ans. It cannot be proved that this law exist- ed at the time in question : and even if it had, there is sufficient grounds for concluding it was confined to the municipes, who were Roman citizens, and therefore to be tried and punislied by magistrates of the first rank ; and that it did not extend to the provincials, who were less re- garded, and left more under the power of their own magistrates. 2. The power of inflicting capital punish- ments could not be exercised by any magis- trate, unless it were given him by some special law or constitution ; therefore this power could '^ Vide Dr. A. Clarke's Comment, in loc.,Li£rht- foofs Ihiriiiony, PiUn;m's 8vo. edit. vol. ii, p. 157, 158, and the note on the Prophecies of Zechariah, in the Jlrrfnnrnncnt of the Old Testament, Period VIII. part ii. Note 20." ■ Biscoe On the Acts, vol. i. p. 116. not be transferable to magistrates who held a delegated jurisdiction. Ans. Nothing is more certain than that many cities, and some whole countries, had ob- tained from the people and emperors of Rome, the privilege of being governed by their own laws, and by their own magistrates, in a greater or less degree. The Carthaginians, after the second Punic war, had the power of executing their own laws, even in capital punishments ; and many other instances might be enumerated. Why may we not, then, suppose that the people of Judaja were equally favored ? It may indeed be shown, from many things recorded in history, that the Romans were more peculiarly disposed to be favorable to the Jews. 3. According to the civil law of Rome, the presidents alone possessed the Merum Imperium, or the power of sitting in judgment on, and ex- ecuting criminals, in those provinces over which they were placed. Ans. This is taking for granted the tiling that is questioned. It is acknowledged that the Jewish magistrates had the power of inflicting lesser punishments ; but how could this be, if the cognizance of all criminal causes was solely in the president, and not the least part of this power could be delegated ? The Jewish magis- trates must have received their power to exe- cute these minor punishments either by some special law, or, which is more probable, (aa there is no record of such law in their favor,) they, like other nations, were allowed the privi- lege of their own laws. We now proceed to the arguments from the New Testament, 1. The most plausible of all is, that saying of the Jews to Pilate, " It is not lawful for us to put any man to death" (John xviii. 31.), which is represented as an ample acknowledgment from the Jews themselves, that they had not at that time the power of inflicting capital punisli- ments. Ans. The context proves that these words do not imply that the Romans had deprived them of the liberty of judging men by their own Law, but show, on the contrary, that they had the option of trying Jesus themselves, or of giving him up to tlie Roman governor. For Pilate had only a moment before said, " Take ye him, and judge him according to your Law." Their answer is evidently a refusal of the governor's offer ; and if we interpret the words in any other way, we are naturally brought to the conclusion, that Pilate, when he said, " Judge him according to your Law," spoke in mere mockery, and intended to remind them of their subjection, which is not probable, as lie was then called upon to act in his official ca- pacity. Something more therefore must be un- derstood than what is expressed ; and nothing I think can be so reasonably supplied to make Note 13.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *171 the sense complete, as that which regards the time in which the conversation took place, namely, the first day of tlie Passover week, and the preparation for tlie Sabbath — " It is not law- ful for us to put any man to death during this holy festival.'''' In the same manner it was not lawful for them to go into the judgment hall (John xviii. 28.) Pilate, who had been long governor, must have been well acquainted with their customs, and must have perfectly compre- hended their meaning. St. Augtistine, Cyril, and several other ancient fathers, put the same construction on these words, which agrees exactly with tiie rule laid down in the Talmud. The Mishna says expressly that capital causes, in which the criminal was condemned, were always to be finished after the trial began, for which reason these trials were never to begin the day before the Sabbath, or the day before a festival ; neitlier is it probable that the Jews, who Avere forbidden to do any servile work on the Sabbath, would put a criminal to death at this holy season, in honor of which a prisoner was wont to be released to them. If, in answer to this, it be affirmed, that some prisoners were reserved to the time of their great feasts, that the exemption might be the more public, it is true that three or four instances of this kind are recorded ; but it does not seem probable that even these executions took place on their prin- cipal festivals, which were as strictly observed as their Sabbaths ; but on their Moed Katon, or lesser holidays ; between the first and last days of their great feasts, which, by divine appoint- ment, were kept with the greatest solemnity. The day on which our Lord was put to death was the first day of the Passover week, and the 15th day of the month. It was unlawful for them to try him on the 14th, or to put him to death on the 15tli (Levit. xxiii. .5, 7.), and the next day was the Sabbath : therefore the Jews must have reserved him in custody for some days, before they could have executed him according to their own laws. But such delay would have been dangerous in the extreme, as they feared the people might attempt a rescue, (Luke xxii. 2. Matt. xxvi. 5.) They therefore used every argument, even to threatening, with Pilate, to procure his condemnation. An addi- tional evidence in favor of this side of the question is given us in the words of St. John (xviii. 31.), who, when tlie Jews reject the offer of Pilate, saying, " It is not lawful for us to put any man to death," adds, " that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, sig- nifying the death he should die." If we do not consider the subject in tliis point of view, the prediction of our Lord (John xii. 32, 33.), which foretells the manner of his death, ceases to be a prophecy, for if the Jews no longer retained the power of inflicting capital punish- ments, there could not be much difficulty in specifying the particular death of a criminal according to the Roman laws. 2. Pilate says to our Lord, " Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and power to release thee ? " which words are said expressly to declare, that Pilate was the su- preme and only judge who was invested with the power of pronouncing sentence of absolu- tion or condemnation. Ans. It is granted, that Pilate was judge and governor of Syria, in this and every other case, within the province of Judaea ; but this does not prove that he was the only judge ; nor does it from hence follow that the Jews had not the privilege of trying and executing their own criminals. 3. Again, the Jews say to Clirist, " Moses in the Law commanded that such should be stoned: but how sayest thou?" It is added, " Tliis they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse liim ; " which is interpreted thus : — " If he had determined, the woman taken in adultery should be stoned, according to the Mosaic Law, they designed to accuse him to the Roman governor; because, if the Jews were prohibited from the use of their own laws, this act might have been considered as sedi- tious : If, on the contrary, he had decided that she ought not be stoned, they would have accused him of derogating from tlie Law of Moses, and have thereby lessened his influence among the people." Ans. This is taking for granted the point to be proved, without one word being said in its confirmation. It is probable the only snare here laid was to obtain from our Saviour some- thing in derogation of the Law of Moses. He had so often preached the doctrine of forgive- ness to the greatest extent (Mark iii. 28.), that the Pharisees might have hoped he would have committed himself, by deciding against the execution of the Mosaic penalties in tliis in- stance ; and thereby have furnished them with matter of accusation against him, both before the Jewish magistrates and the people ; and, if necessary, before Pilate also. Many more arguments are adduced by Biscoe in support of his opinion. " It cannot be denied," he says, " that in the Acts of the Apostles there is one very plain instance in the case of the protomartyr Stephen, of tlie coun- cil's sitting and hearing witnesses (Acts vi. 12, to the end), and that his execution was per- formed according to the Law of Moses. Com- pare Deut. xvii. 5, 6, 7. with Acts vii. 58, 59. He is cast out of the city, and the witnesses throw the first stone. Some, even here, bring in tlie objection, that there is no relation of any sentence pronounced ; but surely an histo- rian seldom enters into detail of a trial ; he confines himself to the most remarkable circum- stances. Common ceremonies are omitted, as 72* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VII. being too generally known to be mentioned. And these particulars of St. Stephen's trial would never have been recorded, had it not been for his noble speech, and to show us the frame of mind of the Apostle Paul at that time. If indeed the Jews did not possess the power of putting- Stephen to death, if he should be found guilty, for what purpose did they meet together ? If they did, the thing contended for is granted ; and it is of little import whether the sentence was actually passed or not." Again, it is related that Peter and the other apostles were brought before the council (Acts v. 27.), who, it is expressly said, "took counsel to slay them" (Acts v. 33.), and would doubtless have put their design into execution, had they not been dissuaded from it by Gamaliel. Is it prob- able that St. Luke, who mentions all these pro- ceedings should not have once intimated that they exceeded their power in so doing, if the Romans had prohibited them from exercising their own punishments 1 But, on the contrary, we find the high priest and the elders asserting their authority in open court, in the presence of the Roman governor himself, who was seated as a judge, without any reproof on his part. Ter- tullus declares to Felix, in the case of St. Paul, whom " we took and would have judged accord- ing to our LaAv," (Acts xxiv. 6.) If the exer- cise of their Law had been taken from them, what possible construction could have been put upon such a declaration, but open rebellion against the Roman states .^ and could any magistrate have suffered it to pass unnoticed ? St. Paul himself acknowledges the power of the Jewish council (Acts xxiii. 3.), and it is evident from the accusation that his was a capital cause. It may be further observed, in support of this opinion, that the four Evangel- ists are unanimous that the Jews attempted to prosecute our Saviour for the capital crime of Sabbath-breaking, that they might put him to death, Matt. xii. 10. Luke vi. 7. John v. 9, 10, 16. ; and Mark, chap. iii. 2., says, " They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day ; that they might accuse him ;" but evidently not before the Roman governor, for it would have been difficult to have convinced him that the performance of a wonderful and beneficent action on the Sabbath day was worthy of death. Who then can doubt that our Saviour was to be prosecuted before the Jewish council, who took counsel hoAv they might destroy him ? (Matt. xii. 14.) and he only avoided the impending danger by removing from thence to the sea of Galilee. (Mark iii. 7. and John vi. 1.) " After these things Jesus walked in Galilee : for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him," John vii. 1. If the Jews had not sought to take away the life of Christ by judicial proceedings, why should lie avoid Judaja, and all places subject to their jurisdiction .' Had they meditated his destruction by a private hand, or by making interest with the Roman governor to execute him, he might have been as secure from these dangers by withdrawing into some of the re- moter parts of Judaea, as by removing into Galilee. But it was well known to the people of Jerusalem that the Sanhedrin were lying in wait for him ; and that he was under prosecu- tion for capital crimes. When he appeared at the feast of Tabernacles, they said, " Is not this he, whom they seek to kill ? " — " Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?" John vii. 25-27. And afterwards we find several bystanders wished to apprehend him, but did not, because his hour was not yet come, (John vii. 30.) They seem to have been re- strained by some supernatural influence. From the obvious construction of these passages, we have reason to infer that the Jewish magistrates executed their own laws in capital cases. After the resurrection of Lazarus, we read, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered a council, and determined to put our Saviour to death, (John xi. 47, 53.) And a short time afterwards we are told, the chief priests con- sulted how they might put Lazarus also to death, (John xii. 10.) But what gives addi- tional weight to this argument is the fear of the people, so frequently expressed. Matthew (xxi. 46.) says, "when the chief priests and Pharisees sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude ; " also (Matt. xxvi. 4, 5.) Mark, xi. 18., also relates, that the Scribes and chief priests sought how they might destroy him ; " for they f tared him, because all the people were astonished at his doctrine ;" and again, "they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people." (Mark xii. 12.) See also Luke xix. 47, 48. and xx. 19. and xxii. 2, If the Jews had meditated the destruction of our Saviour by any private hand, or in any extra- judicial manner, or if they had intended to use their influence with the governor, to prevail upon him to pronounce a sentence of con- demnation, — if sufficient evidence was wantinar to establish his crime, why had the chief priests and Pliarisees so much reason to fear the people ? The instigators and actors in these cases might perhaps have had some reason to fear; but to suppose that the whole body of Jewish magistrates should be so affected, when the discovery was so improbable, seems wholly incredible. Who could force the assassin to acknowledge his guilt, when the magistrates of course woidd not ? It must, therefore, be an act of the great council of the Jewish nation, and not any secret means of destruction, which is referred to, in those places of the Gospels, where this general fear is expressed ; for we read, the chief priests, tlic Scribes, and the elders locre afraid of the people. They were Note 13.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. * 173 afraid to put Jesus to death, in the same manner, and for the same reason, that Herod was afraid to put John the Baptist to death, " they feared the multitude," (Matt. xiv. 5.) And this fear, finally, induced them to lay snares for him in his discourses, that they might draw from him something contrary to the Roman state, and make him obnoxious to the Roman governor, (Luke XX. 19, 20.) And when cur Saviour was at last unexpectedly delivered into their hands, their precipitate and unusual conduct showed the greatness of their alarm. Our Lord was seized, examined, and convicted, by the high priest and Sanhedrin in one night. They would have executed liim by their own Laws, had it not been the day of the Passover, when " it was not lawful for them to put any man to death :" and tiiey feared a tumult among the people too much, to detain him in prison till they could exercise this power. They therefore lost no time in delivering him up to Pilate, well knowing, that, by this step, all responsibility was taken from them : and, in case of any disturbance, the assistance of all the military force of the province would be called out. They accuse him to Pilate, not only of blasphemy, but sedition ; and he at last is so intimidated, that, contrary to his conscience, he is compelled, as Caesar's representative and friend, to take cognizance of the oifence, and put Christ to death, after the Roman custom ; and thus our Lord's prediction was fulfilled. The talmudists mention many instances prov- ing that the power of inflicting capital punish- ments was retained by the Jews : the Gemara expressly asserts that the four capital punish- ments inflicted by the Jewish council or magis- tracy were in use during the forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem ; though, accord- ing to the talmudists, they were much inter- rupted. But even this was owing, as Josephus has shown, to the corruption and maladminis- tration of the Roman governors ; who Avere induced by bribes, or the share of plunder, to use their influence to protect criminals from those punishments denounced against them by the Jewish laws. Even Felix himself em- ployed robbers to murder Jonathan, the high priest, for having reproved him for injustice ; and after this time murders were not only frequent, but committed with impunity. The corruption of this governor is hinted at, Acts xxiv. 26. Josephus also asserts tliat Albinus dismissed all malefactors for money ; and that Gessius Florus was sharer with such in their unlawful gains. Josephus never alludes to the supposed loss of their power by the Jews ; on the contrary, he observes, that the Sadducees are cruel above all the Jews in matters of judicature', Tore 'TovSiilovc. — P. 89G, b. 37. vol II. and at that time they had been fifty years under the Roman power. Josephus asserts also, that in cases of dispute concerning the Mosaic Laws and institutions, the power of inflicting capital punishment was left to the high priest*". In speaking of the Essenes, Josephus ex- pressly affinns, " that if any one speaks evil of any of their legislators, he is punished with death'. Such is a brief abstract of the reasoning of Mr. Biscoe on this subject, which appears sat- isfactorily to refute the principal arguments of Lardner on the other side of the question. Lightfoot, in his Talmudical Exercitations, after a long discussion on the question. Whether the Jews at this time retained the power of life and deatli ? remarks, that it is the received opinion, that the Romans divested the council of their authority, and took away from them the power of inflicting capital punishments. And this argument is defended from that tra- dition of the talmudists, which says, that the Great Council removed from the room Gazith, where alone they could pass a sentence of death, forty years before the destruction of Jerusalem ; from which it is inferred, that the power of judging in cases of life and death could not proceed, because the lesser councils were not permitted to sit on capital judgments, unless the Great Council was in its proper place and capable of receiving appeals ; the room Gazith being near the Divine Presence, half of it within, and half without the holy place. In answer to this assertion it is observed, " But if this indeed be true, 1st, What do then those words of our Saviour mean, ' They will deliver you up to the councils ' ? 2d, How did they put Stephen to death ? 3d, Why was Paul so much afraid to commit himself to the council, that he chose rather to appeal to Cssar?" "The talmudists excellently well clear the matter, and the reason was this, 'tys JT lim \VD p'oS "hy t^"?! pnvn in'^ because they saw murderers so much increase, that they could not judge them: they said, therefore, 'It is fit that we should remove from place to place, that so we may avoid the guilt of not judging right- eously in the room Gazith,' which engaged them to do so. The number and boldness of thieves and murderers were so great, and the authority of the council so weak, that tliey neither could nor dared put them to death." And again it is said, in another talmudical tradition, " Since the time tliat homicides mul- tiplied, the beheading the heifer ceased, SotaJi, fol. 47. 1 ; so in the case of adultery: and since the time that adultery so openly advanced * Joseplms, .intiq. xiv. 10. 2. Bell. Jud. 1. vi. 2.4. ' A"<r p.an<f>^iii'oti TIC fi'c toTtov, xuXuilen^at Sa- r^Tco.—De Bell.' Jud. 1. 2. c. 8. sect. ix. *o* 174* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VII. under the second temple, they left off trying the adulteress by the bitter water, &c. Maimon. in Sotah. chap. iii. So that we see the liberty of judging in capital matters was no more taken from the Jev/s by the Romans, than the behead- ing of the heifer, or the trial of the suspected wife by the bitter waters was taken away from them, which no one will affirm." " The slothfulness of the council destroyed its own authority ; the Law slept while wicked- ness was in the height of its revels ; and prim- itive justice was so out of countenance, that as to uncertain murders they made no search, and against certain ones they framed no judg- ment. Tlie Sanhedrin, from mere inactivity, or a foolish tenderness towards an Israelite, as a seed of Abraham, so far neglected to pun- ish bloodshed, and other crimes, that wicked- ness grew so untractable, that the authority of the council trembled for fear of it, and dared not kill the killers. In this sense that saying must be understood. ' It is not lawful for us to put any man to death ;' for it is evident, when they make this assertion they do not deal fairly with Pilate ; for their authority of judging liad not been taken from them by the Romans, but lost by themselves, and despised by the people. Under these circumstances it was only ex- ercised when there was no danger to be appre- hended. They were happy enough to use it when they had the opportunity of judging, persecuting, and torturing poor men and Chris- tians ; and they would certainly have con- demned our Saviour to death, had they not feared the people, and if Providence had not otherwise determined it." Lightfoot mentions many other circumstances which took place after Judsea had long been subject to the Roman yoke, which clearly affirm the opinion, that the authority of the council in capital matters was not taken away by the Romans ; and he agrees with Biscoe in supposing that it was gradually, from various causes, relinquished by tlis Jews themselves, and that it imperceptibly lapsed into the hands of the Romans'". The Romans were always the ruling power wherever their conquests extended. Tiiey varied in the privileges they granted, but uni- formly retained in their own hands the influence of the sword. The consequence would natur- ally be, tiiat on all important occasions nothing could be done without their sanction or conni- vance. The Municipia and some provinces were certainly allowed nominally to be gov- erned by their own laws and customs : but this very permission seems to have introduced such irregularities into the government, that they petitioned to have the anomalous privilege "* Tlehrew and Tahnvd. Exerrit. vol. ii. p. 248. 249. removed, and to become at once subject to the Roman laws. Tlie reason evidently was, that the power of the sword, the influence of the Roman name, and their unavoidable interfer- ence in the government of their native magis- trates, had greatly interrupted, and oftentimes suspended, the practice of their national laws ; and such, as it appears to me, was the situation of Judsea, at the time of our Lord's condem- nation. The power of life and death had not been formally abrogated by the Romans ; but the grant which secured to the Jews their own rights and privileges had been gradually set aside by the influence of the Roman authority, which had in some measure superseded the Jewish magistracy". Note 14. — Part VII. Some time before this reconciliation, Pilate had dedicated some shields of gold to Tiberius, and placed them in the palace of Herodium. The Jews, under the sanction of Herod, peti- tioned Pilate for their removal, but in vain. They determined therefore to appeal to Tibe- rius, and for this purpose sent a deputation to the emperor, at the head of which were the four sons of Herod. This act seems to have been the cause of their difference, as it was regarded by the Jews and by Herod as a viola- tion of their religion ; and Herod was not reconciled to Pilate till the Roman governor, desirous not to assist the Jews in the condemna- tion of our Lord, acknowledged the power of Herod, by sending to his tribunal at Jerusalem the holy Jesus. Dr. Townson justly observes, tliat it is prob- able both Pilate and Herod occupied different parts of the palace called Herodium, which " See Bowyer's Critical Conj. p. 318 ; Doddridge, Rosenmiiller, the discussion of Lardner, in his Credihititij. &c. Lightfoot, in his TuLmudical Ex- ercitutUms upon the Acts, observes, on the occasion, of the Sanhedrin granting letters to Paul to go to Damascus, that the power of life and death was not yet taken from the Sanhedrin. Selden is of opinion, that the power of the Sanhedrin to pun- ish capitally was only much interrupted and dis- used at the time of the crucifixion. Krebsius, quoted by Rosenmiiller. is of opinion that the power of inflicting capital punishments, in cases of offences against religion, was lofl to the Jews; but in civil offences it was taken away — " in criminibus autem aUis, e. g. seditionis, tumultus, perduellionis, et, ad laesam majestatem CsBsaris pertinentibns, illud jus iis non fuisse concessum." Kninoel bas adopted also tliis conclusion of Biscoe — " Mihi perplacet Augustini et Clirysostomi ratio, ctiam Sendero probata, qua Juda!orum verba v. .31. ad diem referniitur hoc sensu ; ' nobis non licet quenquamsupplicioafiicereob religionem dicifesti ; ' crv^i vn'nw .lur^uny.n;]^ rov 7ru«/«, xix 14-42. quam eamdem ob causam, neque pnrtorium ingressi erant coll. v. 28." — Kuinoel iii Jvluin. xix. 31. Note 15.-18.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *175 some time before had been built by Herod the Great. It consisted of two distinct spacious building's, one of which was named Csesareum, and the other Agrippeum: it stood near the temple'. Note 15.— Part VH. HoTTiNGER has written a treatise on this passage, De ritu dimittendi reum in festo Pas- chafis ; wliicli is bound up in the tliirteenth volume of the Critici Sacri. He opposes the opinion of Whitby, that a prisoner was released only at the feast of the Passover. He con- siders the custom (quoting Grotius and Ger. Vossius) as contrary to the stern inflexibility of the Mosaic institutions ; " Erat siquidem divina per Mosen lata lex X'^>Q^S olxrtQjuwf, sine omni misericordia, Heb. x. 28. Nee cuiquam homini data ignoscendi potestas, non Regi, non Synedrio, non populo," sect. x. and xx. This deviation from their established Law is a proof how much the Levitical institutions had been relaxed from their appointed rigor and severity. The origin of this emancipation is unknown. Note 16.— Part VH. It is very probable that the chief priests and elders who "persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus" (Matt, xxvii. 20.), had placed their own creatures and dependents as near as they might legally approach (John xviii. 28.) the door of the judg- ment hall, that they might obtain the release of Barabbas, and secure the destruction of Jesus ; for immediately after, they clamorously demanded the crucifixion of Christ ; so anxious were the chief priests for the immediate con- demnation of our Lord, and so fearful lest his innocence should protect him from their malice. Note 17.— Part VII. The guilt of condemning our Lord must almost entirely rest upon the unhappy nation whom ho had designed to save, (John xix. 11.) Pilate made five successive effbrts to deliver Jesus from their inveterate hatred, and Avas induced, at last, unwillingly to yield him up, from tlie appreliension of his own personal safety. He was afraid, that, if he did not com- ply with the violent and clamorous importuni- ° Philo leg. ad Caiinn, vol. ii. p. 589. ed. Mangev ap, Townson. — See also Hales's Anahjsis, vol. ii. part ii. ties of the Jewish rulers, there would be a commotion among the people, who were se- ditiously inclined, and were assembled at this time in great numbers, from all parts of Judaea, for the celebration of the Passover. In all probability Pilate was not provided with suffi- cient force to ensure perfect tranquillity on these great festivals : their very solemnity would be considered as the best guarantee for the observance of propriety and good conduct. Note 18.— Part VII. ON MARK XV. 25. AND JOHN XIX. 14-16. This is one of those passages in which the Evangelists are supposed to be inconsistent. St. Mark says, chap. xv. 25. " It was the third hour, and tiiey crucified him : " St. John tells us, " It was about the sixth hour ; and Pilate delivered him to be crucified," John xix. 14-16. Various modes have been adopted to reconcile these apparent differences. One, and that tlie most usual, and at all times the most objection- able, is the supposition of a false reading. It is urged, that in ancient times, all numbers were written in manuscripts, not at length, but Avith numeral letters, it was easy for )', three, to be taken for g, six. Of this opinion are Gries- bach, in his elaborate edition of the New Testament, Semler, Rosenmiiller, Doddridge, Whitby, Bengel, Cocceius, Beza, Erasmus, and by far the greater part of the most eminent critics. Besides the Codex Bezre, and the Codex Stcphani (of the eighth century), there are four other manuscripts, which read tq'tt], the third, in John xix. 14. as well as the Alex- andrian Chronicle, which professes to cite accurate manuscripts — even the autography of St. John himself. Such also is the opinion of Severus Antiochenus, Ammonius, and some others, cited by Theophylact on the passage ; to whom must be added Nonnus, a Greek poet of Panopolis, in Egypt, who flourished in the fifth century, and wrote a poetical paraplirase of the Gospel of St John, and who also found tqIttI in the manuscript used by him''. Others have supposed, that the Evangelists have adopted different methods of calculation. Notwithstanding the authorities above adduced, they observe that none of tlie ancient transla- tors read " the third hour " in John : they tliere- fore solve the difficulty (imperfectly it must be confessed) by considering the day as divided into four parts, answering to the four watches of the night. These coincided with tlie hours of three, six, nine, or twelve ; or, in our way of reckoning, nine, twelve, three, and six, which also suited the solemn times of sacrifice and P Vide Home's Ivirodvct. 176* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VII. prayer in the. temple. In cases, they argue, in which the Jews did not think it of conse- quence to ascertain the time with great accura- cy, they did not regard the intermediate hours, but only those more noted divisions v/hich hap- pened to come nearest the time of the event spoken of. Adopting this method of reconcilia- tion, Dr. Campbell remarks, that Mark says, " it was the third hour," from which we have reason to conclude that the third hour was past. John says, " It was about the sixth hour," from which he thinks it probable that the sixth hour was not yet come. On this supposition, thougli the Evangelists may, by a fastidious reader, be accused of want of precision in regard to dates, they will not, by any judicious and candid critic, be charged with falsehood or misrepresentation. Who would accuse two modern historians of contradicting each other, because, in relating an event which had happened between ten and eleven in the forenoon, one had said it was past nine o'clock ; the other that it was drawing towards noon^ ? There is, however, in fact, no real difference between the Evangelists ; and this is fully shown by the admirable reasoning both of Dr. Townson and Pilkington. If we review the whole of the transaction which took place at the crucifixion, and endeavour to assign their respective periods to each, it will be found that St. John calculated his time by the Roman or Asiatic method, from mid-night to mid-day, and from mid-day to mid-night. If we allow the sixth hour, mentioned by St. John, to mean the sixth hour in the morning, it will suit the place in which it stands admirably well, which the third hour would not. The night was divided into twelve hours, or four equal watches. Of the latter division we have several traces in the Gospel. St. Mark thus enumerates them: oi//^ i] fipaorvxTlov, i) dlsxrogocpiot'lug t] nQuii, Mark xiii. 35. ; the cock crowing was from twelve to three, and the last from tln-ee to six. The six o'clock of St. John was the end of the TiQCtit. Let us examine the division of time from the beginning of the (uley.TOoocpMrlcx, cock- croioing, to the end of the ttomi, last watch. The apprehension in the garden appears to have been made about ten o'clock on Thursday night, and Jesus was then led away to Annas. About eleven he was sent to Caiaphas. About midnight Peter denied him tlie first time, at the first cock-crowing. Soon after midniglit he was condemned by the high priest, &c. ; after that he was abused by the officers and sei-vants, and Peter denied him a second time. About three in the morning, i. e. at the second cock- crowing, Peter denied him the third time. About four, " as soon as it was day," the San- )iod:-in met ; and in a little time they again con- ' Campbell, on John xix. 14. demned him. About five, "when it was early," they led him away to Pilate ; and, " about the sixth (Roman) hour," i. e. between six and nine o'clock in the morning (for when mention is made of a Roman watch hour, viz. the third, sixth, ninth, or twelfth, it often includes the whole space of time contained in that watch), Pilate gave the final sentence against Jesus ; and, in consequence thereof, they led Jesus away, and crucified him " at the third (Jewish) hour," i. e. about nine o'clock in the morning, or between that time and the commencement of tlae next watch. The events that happened between his being first taken before Pilate, and his final condem- nation by the Roman governor, would occupy about two hours and a half; many things favored, and many demanded expedition. If Caiaphas did not send to Herod and Pilate when our Lord was first brought prisoner to liis house, he would probably despatch messengers to them as soon as he was condemned in the Council. To the former, to request he would watch over his Galilean subjects, lest they should make a disturbance in favor of Jesus ; and to Pilate (who gave the soldiers to assist in the apprehension of Christ), to acquaint him with their intention of bringing the prisoner before him. As this was the time of the Pass- over, when a great concourse of a mutinous nation was assembled at Jerusalem and its ad- joining villages, it was the duty of Pilate and Herod to exert the utmost vigilance, even with- out the occurrence of any unusual event The rulers of Judsea might, perhaps, at this time have been alarmed at the intelligence of the ac- clamations of the people, some days before. It cannot therefore excite surprise, that on such an occasion as this, Pilate, and quickly after him Herod, was early up, and ready to receive the Jewish rulers as soon as they appeared. The first time they continued but a little while with Pilate ; for when he was told tliat Jesus belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he forthwith sent our Saviour to him. Herod and Pilate came but seldom to Jerusalem, and on these occasions they Avere, in all probability, accom- modated in the Herodian palace, which was very extensive, and consisted of two spacious and distinct buildings. Josephus in conse- quence calls it not a palace, but palaces. This superb edifice, as well as the tower Antonia, Avhich was a palace and tower together, stood near tlie temple, and connnunicated with it. Little time therefore being lost in removing from place to place, (the high priest being also lodged near the temple,) the first exam- ination before Pilate, and the interview with Herod, might come within such compass, as that our Lord might be remanded to Pilate by five in the morning, at which time it was broad day-ligiiL There was a great eagerness for a speedy Note 19.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *17T determination on one side, and a necessity for it on the other. The Jewish rulers, jealous of delay, and of a variable multitude, pressed on while circumstances favored. Pilate well knew the seditious spirit of the nation, restless under a foreign yoke, and rendered confident by their great increase of numbers in conse- quence of the Passover. He twice interrogated Jesus in the prsetorium, with the sound of their outcry, as it were, in his ears ; and found it requisite to determine speedily whether he would appease them by compliance, or repel them by force, which on the present occasion would not have been expedient. This brings us, then, either to the sixth hour in the morn- ing, or to the sixtli hour of mid-day. But the latter construction corresponds neither with the other Evangelists, nor upon the whole with St. John himself, John xviii. 28., the detail of whose narrative conveys no idea of so mucJi time. We come to the same conclusion by a cal- culation of the time mentioned by the other Evangelists. The hour of crucifixion is given by St. Mark, chap. xv. 25., whose testimony is confirmed by those of St. Matthew and St. Luke. It was the third hour, or nine in the morning. Let us consider, first, from this given hour, by a retrograde calculation, what time the procession from the prtetorium to Mount Calvary, and the act of crucifying our Lord probably occupied ; secondly, before this procession began, what time he was detained in the pra;torium after Pilate had delivered him to be crucified ; and, thirdly, how long the sen- tence of deatli was delayed after Pilate sat down on tlie tribunal. 1. Although Mount Calvary was near to the city, the procession must liave been slow. Christ was weakened by his agony in the garden, and by the pain and loss of blood he sustained from the cruel scourging, and from tlie insulting mockery of the soldiers. It was usual for the people to ill treat the criminals who went to crucifixion. He himself carried his cross to the gate of the city, and although it was there laid on Simon the Cyrenian, he had still farther to go, and an eminence to as- cend. To this procession, and tlie necessary preparations for the crucifixion, we cannot allot less than an hour, and this brings us to eiffiit in the morning. 2. Before he was led forth, the two robbers were to be condemned ; for in cases where no appeal lay to the emperor, or Roman senate, the examination for atrocious offences was little more than nominal ; and the speedy sen- tence of the judge was followed by the imme- diate punishment of the criminal. Probably, while our Saviour's trial was pend- ing, these malefactors were brought from the prison to the hall, where the soldiers kept guard tliat they might be in readiness. In this place, VOL. IT. *-28 perhaps, the penitent thief might have wit- nessed the deportment of Jesus, while he was scourged and insulted by the Roman soldiers ; and might have conceived that sense of his meekness, holiness, and majesty, which pre- pared him for the grace of a perfect confession of faith, upon the cross. To tlie time employed in the trying, condemning, and scourging of these men (according to the Roman law), may we not reckon another full hour? In the meanwhile Christ was guarded by the soldiers ; into whose hands therefore he was delivered at seven, or rather earlier. l\ When Pilate had taken his seat on the tribunal, to pronounce sentence of death on Christ, he was interrupted by the message of his wife ; still hesitating — he again expostula- ted with the Jews, and declared the innocence of Jesus ; and, when he could prevail nothing, he washed his hands before the multitude, and then decreed his condemnation. These various particulars might altogether occupy about anotlier hour, and they bring us again to the same point — within half an hour of six. Here then the computations meet, whether we reckon from the proi, or back from the third hour: by either account, Pilate " sat down in the judgment-seat" between six and s^ven in the morning. The conjecture of Grotius, adopted by Dr. Randolph and other learned men, is very ingenious, but is unsupported by authorities. The Jews, he observes, divided the day into four quarters, as they did the night ; each con- sisting of three hours ; and, whatever was done within the space of one of these quarters, might be reckoned to the hour at which the quarter began, or at wliich it ended. The second quarter began at the third hour, about which time it was supposed our Lord Avas con- demned, and it ended at twelve ; about which time he was crucified. St. John mentions the time of his condemnation, St. Mark of his cruci- fixion. St. John distinguishes the beginning of the second quarter of the day by its latest term, the sixth hour ; and St. JMark the conclu- sion of it, by its earliest term, the third hour. But this hypothesis appears much too forced to be tenable. Note 19.— Part VIL There is no greater difference between the meaning of the words xoxyArrjv and Ttogcpvoovv, than there is if one Englisli reader should say a red robe, and another a reddish robe ; or than if one French author should use the word rouge, and another rougeatre. — Pilkington, notes to sect. 442. 178* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIL Note 20.— Part VII. Thorns were the first produce of the earth after the fall of man, and they were worn by our Lord, as a part of his punishment. They were the first fruits of the curse, and were appropriately placed on the head of the Sacred Victim. Bishop Pearce and Michaelis are of opinion that the crown of thorns was not intended to be an instrument of punishment or torture to his head, but rather to render our Lord an object of ridicule; for which cause they also put a reed in his hand, by way of sceptre, and bowed their knees, pretending to do liim homage ; and that the crown was not probably of thorns in our sense of the word. Mark xv. 17. and John xix. 5. term it Axdcvdivov OTicpuvov, which might be translated an " acanthine crown," or wreath formed out of the branches of the herb acanthus, or bear's-foot. This is a prickly plant, though not like thorny ones, in the com- mon meaning of that word. Some are of opinion that the plant was simi- lar to that which we call holly : they say that it was selected on account of its resemblance to laurel, with which conquerors were crowned ; and they think that the opinion has given rise to the name ; holly, quasi holy, in reference to the use made of it on this occasion. by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (ch, xvi. 13.) which was written many years after the Gospel of St. Mark. Note 21.— Part VIL Our Lord would not reveal his dignity to Pilate, because he would not have believed hun, and because, as a judge, Pilate was only concerned with his innocence : neither had the time come for an appeal to the Gentiles. Note 22.— Part VIL By comparing these two passages we obtain one of those innumerable minor yet important proofs of the authenticity of the Scriptures, which demonstrate the impossibility of their being forgeries. St. Luke, who wrote for the Gen- tiles of Asia, merely mentions tlie name and country of Simon, who was probably known to the early Christians by character. St. Mark, however, who addressed himself at the dictation of St. Peter (by whose name therefore this Gospel miglit more properly be called) to the converts at Rome, adds, that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus, the latter of whom being a well-known member of the Roman Church, inquiries might be made by the people, of Rufus himself, respecting the circumstances of tlie crucifixion, which he in all probability would Irive received from his father. Rufus is saluted Note 23.— Part VII. ON MATTHEW XXVII. 34. AND MARK XV. 23, The Jews always gave wine with incense in- it, to stupify and intoxicate the criminal. The custom originated in the precept (Prov. xxxi. C), " Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish," i. e. " to him who is condemned to death." It would appear from the preceding narrative, that three potions were certainly offered to our Lord, two when he arrived at Golgotha (Matt, xxvii. 34. and Mark xv. 23.), and the third after he had been for some time on the cross. The first draught, vinegar mingled with gall, was most probably offered to him in malice, and derision of his sufferings ; our Lord refusing to drink of it, the intoxicat- ing draught, which was usual on such occasions, was then presented ; but he declined tasting of either, and drank only of the third, the vinegar, or posca, the common drink of the Roman sol- diers ; and which was placed in a vessel near the cross for their accommodation. He was faint and exhausted in body ; and though his powers of mind were the same, he required that his humanity should receive the refreshment proffered to him by the bystander. Although, as we have seen, there appears no difficulty or discrepancy in the accounts of St. Matthew and St. Mark, Michaelis does not hes- itate to assert, that there exists a manifest con- tradiction. He has consequently endeavoured, by conjecture, to reconcile the supposed difference, and has had the singular misfortune to be refuted by himself; by his editor, Bishop Marsh, who has substituted an equally unten- able conjecture ; and, lastly, by the critic of both. Archbishop Laurence. After comparing the two accounts of St. Matthew and St. Mark, Michaelis decides that St. Mark has given the correct history, and that St. Matthew's Gospel, which was originally written in Hebrew, Avas inaccurately translated into Greek. He sup- poses that the words used in the Hebrew Gospel of St. Matthew, were such as agreed with the ac- count given by St. Mark, and at the same time were capable of tlie construction which was put on them by St. Matthew's Greek translator. Sup- pose St. Matthew wrote XTirDD «'Sn, which signifies " sweet wine with bitters," or " sweet wine and myrrli," as we find it in Mark ; and Matthew's translator overlooked the yod ^ in N'Sn ; he took it forxbn, wliich signifies "vine- gar ; " and "bitter," ho translated by /olr), RS it is often rendered in the Scptuagint. Nay, St. Matthew, lie proceeds, may have written INOTE S4.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. 179 X'7n, and have still iiicant to express " sweet wine ;" if so, the difference only consisted in the points ; for the same word, wjiich, Avhen pronounced " halii," signifies " sweet," denotes as soon as it is pronounced " hala," " vinegar." The translator of St. Matthew's Gospel mis- understood the words of the original, but St. Mark has given the true account. In this criticism, Michaelis may be considered as having refuted himself; for he tells us (p. 151.), that as the Hebrew original of St. Matthew is lost, a comparison can never be instituted between that and the Greek version ; and this comparison alone can decide the question, if there is any variation between them. It must be observed in answer, it is not possible to ascertain certainly whether St. Matthew wrote in Hebrew or not. Bishop Marsh has remarked, that the pro- posed Chaldee reading of Michaehs cannot possibly have given rise to the expression in St. Mark's text : neither is the construction of t^'Sn correct. Having pointed out the weak- ness of the other parts of Michaelis's criticism, the learned Bishop has proposed a similar eluci- dation upon the same principle of conjecture. He supposes that the original Chaldee text was ^^1103 D"Sn N"ion ; and that Nion, which means wine, was confused with Xi'on, vinegar; and likewise xmo, myrrh, with XTiO, gall. In refutation of these hypotheses. Archbishop Laurence observes : " This strange confusion of Avords, whether attributable to a transcriber or translator, is greater than seems Ukely to liave happened," Aware of the objection, Bisliop Marsh afterwards proposes another illustration, and presumes that the Chaldee text ran thus, xiran uD'D3 Ninn which may be ren- dered, vinum conditum myrrhd. Yet he adds, that as Tnn, when a participle, has the signifi- cation of turbidum fieri, as well as that of vinum, when a substantive: and as n3'D3, when a substantive, means acetum, as well as conditum, when a participle, upon this construc- tion the words may be translated, acetum turha- tum felle ; still supposing, as in the preceding instance, «^10 to be mistaken for NTio. "With respect however to this suggestion," says Arch- bishop Laurence, " may it not be fairly ques- tioned whether a'D3 in ancient Chaldee really signifies " vinegar." No such meaning is affixed to it in Buxtorf's Lexicon Chaldaic. et Syriac, nor in the Syrochnld. Diction, annexed to the Antwerp Bible. In the elder Buxtorf's Lexicon Chaldaic. et Rabbinic, this sense is indeed given to it; nevertlieless, not as the ancient Chaldee sense, but as one of a more recent date, as one to be found only in the Rabboth and the Jerusalem Talmud. The time of the compilation of the Rabboth has been fixed by the Jews to about the year 300 after Christ ; but some Christians place it at a later period. Wolf observes, "Fatendum hoc est. pro antiquitate rei alicujus demonstranda non satis tuto ad Rabboth provocari posse, cum nullo argumento constet, quo tempore haec vel ilia narratio aut expositio subnata sit''. Tlie Jerusalem Talmud is said by Buxtorf to have been composed about the year 2.30, or, according to others, about the year 270 (Wolfii Bib. HebrfRa, vol. ii. p. 683) ; but Lightfoot, in his Horm Heb. in Evang. Matthm, contends, that it was not written until the fourth century*. Schoetgen also, among the apparent contra- dictions of the New Testament, enumerates this between St. Matthew and St. Mark, with respect to the potion offered to our Lord upon the cross. St. Matthew, he observes, tells us, they gave him vinegar, mingled with gall, o^og jusTik xolri; fie/niyf^iyov (Matt, xxvii. 34.) St. Mark, that they gave him ia/nvQi'icr/uiy'Of ojfov (Mark xv. 24.) Schoetgen would reconcile the t\»o passages by saying, ut myrrha una cum felle dicatur udmixta potui, atque vinum fuisse acidum, quod indistincte vinum, et acetum ap- pellari solet. He then goes on to show, that the sour wine was indiscriminately named wine or vinegar ; and the wine offered to our Lord might in like manner be called either wine or vinegar. I cannot but conclude, after an attentive perusal of these and some other criticisms, that the simplest mode of interpreting the passages in question is the best, as being equally con- sistent and satisfactory. The first potion was probably given to our Lord in derision ; the second, the stupifying draught usually adminis- tered to criminals ; and the third called for from the suflTerings of the moment. The hyssop mentioned by St. John in the next verse, may perhaps be considered as possibly to allude to one of the types, which were permitted to point out Christ as the typical paschal lamb. The Jews .always commenced this feast by the eat- ing of bitter herbs dipped in vinegar, which was considered as emblematical of purity : see Psalm li. 7. It must be observed, that in Matt, xxvii. 34., instead of o^og, many MSS. read oJpov. The posca, or common drink of the Roman soldiers, was known by each name : they both convey the same sense'. Note 24.— Part VII. ON THE SUPERSCRIPTION ON THE CROSS. The Christian world is deeply indebted to the accurate and learned Dr. Townson for his *" BihliothecaHehr(Ea,\o\.\\.'p.\A2G,o.Ti. Rabboth. * Cent. Chorograph. c. 8] . p. 144. ' Sec Archbishop Laurence's Sermon on Excess in Ph'lol oijira! Speculation, p. 39, notes. Marsh's Michaelis, vol. iii. p. 159, and part. ii. p. 127-8. Sch letgen, Horw Hebraicw, vol. i. p. 236. Adam darkens Commentary. Home's Critical Introduc- tion, second edition, vol. iii. p. 115. 180* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIL ingenious criticism on the title placed by Pilate on the cross. The apparent discrepancy be- tween the accounts of tliis title given by the Evangelists, had been urged as an objection against the inspiration and veracity of the sacred v/riters. The superscription on the cross was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin ; and as the Evangelists all mention the title differently. Dr. Townson conjectured that it was possible it might have slightly varied in each language. As St Luke wrote for the Gentiles in Achaia, it is probable that he would prefer mentioning the Greek inscription. As St. Matthew addressed the Jews, it is likely therefore that he should use the Hebrew. And as St. Mark principally wrote to the Romans, he would naturally give the Latin inscription. I have observed in my arrangement the order proposed by Dr. Townson. He remarks, tlie Evangelists all mention this superscription, but every one with some difference, except in the last words. The King of the Jews. We may reasonably suppose St. Matthew to have recited the Hebrew : — THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. And St. John the Greek : — JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS. If it should be asked, why " the Nazarene " was omitted in the Hebrew, and we must assign a reason for Pilate's humor, perhaps we may thus account for it : He might be informed that Jesus in Hebrew denoted a Saviour (John xi. 49-51.), and as it carried more appearance of such an appellative, or general term, by stand- ing alone, he might choose, by dropping the epithet, The ATazarene, to leave the sense so ambiguous, that it might be thus understood : — THIS IS A SAVIOUR, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Pilate, as little satisfied with the Jews as with himself, on that day, meant the inscription, wliich was his own, as a dishonor to the na- tion ; and thus set a momentous verity before them, with as much design of declaring it, as Caiaphas had of prophesying, that Jesus should die for the people (John xi. 49-51.) The am- biguity not holding in Greek, the Nazarene might be there inserted in scorn again of the Jews, by denominating their King from a city which they held in the utmost contempt, (John i. 46.) Let us now view the Latin. It is not as- suming much to suppose, tliat Pilate would not concern himself with Hebrew names, nor risk an impropriety in speaking or writing them. It was tliought essential to the dignity of a Roman magistrate, in the times of the republic, not to speak but in Latin on public occasions (Vale- rius Maximus, b. ii. c. ii. § 2.), of which spirit Tiberius the emperor retained so much, that in an oration to the senate, he apologized for using a Greek word ; and once, when they were draw- ing up a decree, advised them to erase another that had been inserted in it. (Sueton. in Tiben, c. 71.) The two words were monopoly and emblem. And though the magistrates in general were then become more condescending to the Greeks, they retained this point of state with regard to other nations, whose languages they esteemed barbarous, and would give them- selves no trouble of acquiring. Pilate indeed, according to St. Matthew, asked at our Lord's trial, "Whom will ye that I release unto you, Barabbas, or Jesus, which is called Christ?" And again, "What shall I do with Jesus, which is called Christ ? " But I judge this to be re- lated, as the interpreter by whom he spake de- livered it, in Hebrew. — (See Wolfius on Matt, xxvii. 2.) For if the other Evangelists have given his exact words, he never pronounced the name of Jesus, but spake of him all along by a periphrasis : " Will ye that I release unto you The King of the Jews ? " " TFhat will ye then, that I shall do wito Him whom ye call The King of the Jews ? " Thus he acted in confer- ence with the rulers, and then ordered a Latin inscription, without mixture of foreign words, just as St. Mark repeats it: — THE KING OF THE JEWS, which is followed by St. Luke, only that he has brought down This is, from the above super- scription, as having a common reference to what stood under it. THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. It is very possible that a better account may be given of the three forms of the inscription ; but I think I am well founded in asserting that there were variations in it, and that tlie shortest was that of St. Luke, in the Latin. — Townson's Works, vol. i. p. 199. S. Roger has published a Dissertation on the Title on the Cross, and comes nearly to the same conclusions as Townson, who does not however refer to, nor appear to have seen Iiis treatise. He supposes that the inscription varied in each language, and that they might have been written on three several tablets in tliis manner : — Note 25.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. 181 OYTOH e:^ tin BJSIAEY2 TJIN lOYdAISlN. HIC EST JESUS REX JUDiE- ORUM. Luke xxiii. 38. Matt, xxviii. 37. John xix. 19. He mentions many opinions on the imrif^incd difficulty — " Alii enim duos Evangelistas Mat- thasum et Ijiicam duo verba ovT6i iariy, non ex titulo descripsisse, sed sententise perfi- ciendffi gratia adjecisse. Alii vero Marcum et Johannem dicta verba neglexisse ; prasterea tres reliquos cognomen JVazareni ; Marcum ct Lucam vero nomen proprium .TESUS omisisse, quamobrem ex onmium Evangolistarum descrip- tionibus tres conformes formant inscriptiones, hoc modo: an-in'ri fip '"'.X^^. ly^] ^^^ oviig iaiiv 'Ifjanvg 6 Mut<'i^(jiiog 6 SuatXevg ' lovSaluii/. Hie est Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judseorum." — See the Dissertation ap. Crit. Sac. vol. xi. p. 241, &c. Note 25.— Part VH. on the necessity of the atonement. He hangs upon the cross, for us, and for our salvation ! The Son of God dies for the restor- ation of man ! The manifested God, who was present at the creation of this scene of his glory ; who, for the sins of one generation of man, brought the deluge of waters upon the earth ; He who was seen in the firmament, commanding the fire to descend upon the Cities of the Plain ; the Dweller between the cheru- bim, the Form which tabernacled in the moving flame, guiding his people through the wilder- ness ; the King of glory, the Lord of angels, the Ruler of the universe, " the Man that was the Fellow of Jehovali," the future Judge of the word, He hangs upon the cross, and offers himself a willing sacrifice for the sins of an offending world. That this Holy and Mighty Being should die as a man, amidst the indigni- ties and cruel mockings of the higlier as well as of the lower ranks of liis people for the sins of those who pierced him, and of all who in ages to come should believe in this wonderful atonement, is a mystery so truly sublime, that tlie intellectual powers of man, while in the body, cannot fully comprehend its effects and benefits. This Wonderful and Holy Being, whose mysterious death we are now contem- plating, is revealed to us, not merely as the Lord of mankind, but as the Superior of angels. Evil spirits knew Him, and fled : good spirits ministered to Him. He spake of the invisible VOL. II. world, as of the scene of existence to which He had been accustomed, and of angels and devils as his obedient or rebellious subjects. It is evident, therefore, that the actions of our Lord, while in his state of humiliation, were the subjects of attention to an innumerable host of intellectual and spiritual creatures who, we may suppose, are all more or less interested in tlie heavenly sacrifice. Angels in humble sub- mission desired to look into this great mystery ; fallen spirits retained the malignity of their evil nature, saw, believed, and trembled. They fell from their high estate by their own pride and ambition, without external temptation, and they are left to the consequences of their wilful dis- obedience. Man, having been created of a compound nature, and liable to evil, did not, like them, fall away by his own original, innate perverseness, but by the enticements of a supe- rior and evil spirit. For man Christ died — for man there is hope of salvation, and at this solemn moment the seal was affixed to his par- don. Now was the sentence of eternal punish- ment pronounced upon the evil spirits. Satan fell as lightning from heaven ; and the captivity of hell was led captive. The voice of mercy confirmed the angels in their obedience, and taught them also that there was no more sacrifice for sin : and the human race were emancipated from the bondage and degradation of the Fall, and exalted to become, with the angels, the sons of God. Thus was moral order, which had been disturbed through the dominion of evil, by the sin and disobedience of the first Adam, restored to the whole universe by the triumph- ant sacrifice of the second Adam. Sufficient, therefore, is revealed to us to con- vince us of the necessity of this great atone- ment, and to demonstrate to us the holy indig- nation of the Almighty God against sin and sinners. We all carry about within us the sad marks of our fallen nature. The remembrance of some past sin continually arises to embitter our happiness, and to convince us that we have no power to help ourselves. Man requires some other atonement, some other intercession. His former sins cannot be cancelled by peni- tence or reformation", the only offering he has it in his power to make ; " the convert and the sinner are the same individual person ; and as " Balguy, as quoted by Archbishop Magee, p. ')4, vol. r. " 182* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VII. such, must be answerable for his whole conduct His sentiments of himself can only be a mixture of approbation and disapprobation, satisfaction and displeasure. His past sins must still, how- ever sincerely he may have reformed, occasion self-dissatisfaction : and this will ever be the stronger the more he improves in virtue. Now, as this is agreeable to truth, there is reason to conclude, that God beholds him in the same light." Therefore man's redemption must be accomplished by other than himself It is further evident that the blood of bulls and of goats could not take away sin ; they were not of the same nature and origin as man, and therefore incapable of making an expiation for the sin he had contracted. These were only the types and figures of a more perfect sacri- fice — of that holy victim who was appointed before the foundation of the world. Neither could the sacrifice of any ordinary man make satisfaction for us, because it is clear he would only suffer that punishment which his own sins had deserved ; and no satisfaction can be made for others, by suffering that which justice re- quires for our own offences. No ordinary man could raise himself from the dead, or procure that redemption for another, which he could not obtain for himself Neither could any or- dinary man make satisfaction to the violated laws of God by a life of sinless obedience. He only who had power to lay down his life, and take it up agam, could procure for man a resur- rection, and deliver him from the eternal death his sins had incuiTed. He alone, who took upon him human nature, that He might set us an example of human virtue, "who knew no sin," who was perfect and spotless, the Lamb of God, could satisfy the purity of divine justice or reconcile it with his mercy, and the economy of his government. Throughout the Avhole system of the divine dispensations, the Father uniformly acts by tlie ministry of tlie Son, and the Son by the ministry of the Holy Ghost. Had the divine acceptance been wanting to the oblation of our Lord's body, whatsoever virtue it possessed in itself, it would have been in- capable of procuring the pardon of sin, or of redeeming man from its punishment and power. Whatsoever he purchased for us, he purchased of the Father by compact, or agreement" ; and He is now exalted to the right hand of God, to make there his mysterious intercession for the sins of his people. As the second Adam, the blessed Lord took our humanity ; he restored it to its original dignity and innocence, and then made a sacri- fice of it upon the cross, as a vicarious atone- ment for the sins of the first, and through him of all mankind. He was nailed to the accursed tree, the emblem of Adam's transgression, and was crowned with a crown of thorns, the first " See also Whitby, and Scott's Christian Life. fruits of his disobedience. The religion which he died to establish was of an internal, spiritual nature. It was a life of holiness and self-sacri- fice. It required the crucifixion of the whole animal and inferior nature ; and that the motives, and even the thoughts of the heart, should be brought into subjection. It required a new birth, a new life, of which baptism is the beautiful emblem, teaching us, that as infants are washed immediately on their natural birth, so must the children of God, with Ciirist, be born again through the grave and death of sin, into the spiritual kingdom, by water and the Spirit. If, during the progress of life, the animal is allowed to triumph over the spiritual man, then the sin of the first Adam still cleaves to us, and the sacrifice of the second Adam pleads for us in vain. The animal life perishes with the body ; the accountable life exists through eternity. If the natural man be spirit- ualized by tlie subjugation of the flesh, he be- comes pure and holy, the companion of angels ; but if he be polluted and degraded by his con- tagion, he then defiles himself, loses the divine properties of his first being, and is fitted only for association with devils and evil spirits. To this fearful condition man was reduced by the fall of the first Adam. To revoke this curse, Christ, the second Adam, became our atonement, by the sacrifice of the whole of the offending, but, in him, sinless nature, upon the tree of the cross : demonstrating to all tlie world, that the sacrifice of self is the Avay of salvation, and the most acceptable offering that man can render to liis Creator. Deeply do I pity that blind man, who prefers rather to trust to his own merits, than by faith in the great atonement to hope for salva- tion through the blood of Christ. Deeply do I feel for him, when he shall be called upon to appear before tlie judgment-seat of a rejected Saviour, with all his imperfections, all his frail- ties, and all his violations of duty upon his head, to answer in an unknown state of incon- ceivable glory, before men and angels, for the sins committed in the body ; having spurned the sheltering protection of that MAN who is both a covert from the wind, and a refuge from the storm. How can he hope to escape the wrath of God pronounced upon every offender against his holy laws, when his own beloved Son, as our substitute, who alone bore our sins, underwent such dreadful agonies, both in body and soul ? He, who has declared himself of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, has also de- clared, as fully and plainly, and as repeatedly, that " without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins :" and what blood can have been shed for their remission, but the blood of Christ ?. Bisho]) Watson, in speaking of that arrogant and dogmatical theology, that decrees tlie re- jection of the doctrine of atonement, as incon- Note 26, 27.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *183 sistent with the divine attribute of mercy, uses tlie following just observations :—" We know assuredly that God delighteth not in blood ; that he hath no cruelty, no vengeance, no ma- lignity, no infirmity, nor any passion in his nature : but we do not know whether the requi- sition of an atonement for transgression may not be an emanation of his infinite mercy, rather than a demand of his infinite justice. We do not know whether it may not be the very best means of preserving the innocence and happiness not only of us, but of all other free and intelligent beings. We do not know whether the suffering of an innocent person may not be productive of a degree of good, in- finitely surpassing the evil of such sufferance ; nor whether such a quantum of good could by any other means have been produced""." Note 26.— Part VII. Our Lord, at the time when he made the gracious promise to the criminal on the cross, was reduced to the lowest state of degradation and contempt. He was deserted by all but his beloved disciple, Ids mother, and two other holy women, who were standing by the cross, the weeping and agonized spectators of his suffer- ings. His disciples had forsaken him and fled. The assembled multitude of his enemies and persecutors embittered every pang, by then- cruel and exulting mockeries. The Evangelists mention all kinds and classes of people, as if for the purpose of demonstrating the universal rejection of our Lord by the Jewish nation. The people stood beholding — and the rulers with them, deriding — the soldiers mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar — the passers hj reviled him, and railed on him — the chief pi'iests mocked him, with the scribes and elders — even the very thief on the cross reviled him, and joined in the common mockery. At this moment of general insult and rejection, the penitent thief alone declared his belief in the innocence of the holy Jesus, and made a public confession of his faith in the divine sufferer. Our Lord's answer to the penitent thief fully declared tliat, although in his human form he was faint and dying, enduring the extreme of pain and torture, he was the Lord of the invisi- ble world, and still retained his divine attribute, the power of forgiving sins. The assembled people loudly and unanimously demanded of him to prove his former pretensions by a miracle. They called upon him to come down from the cross to save himself, and they would believe^ him. They seemed to consider this as a fair challenge. They supposed it impossible " Tico Apolagies, Sz,c. pp. 466, 467. that any one, who possessed the power, would not use it under such trying circumstances. They therefore required him to release his body from torture, from the nails, and the wood, and come among them. But, ever consistent with himself, and faithful to the duties of his divine mission, instead of complying with their wishes, which were confined to temporal objects, he showed the nature of his kingdom by the prom- ise of salvation to a repentant soul. The Jews had frequently threatened to kill Christ, because he asserted his power to forgive sin. " Who can forgive sins," they exclaimed, " but God alone ?" and therefore, according to their own acknowledgment and belief, he still persevered in his divine claims ; and at the point of death proclaimed that their long-promised God was before them, obscured in tlie form of a man. The forgiveness of the penitent tliief may be considered as revealing to us that God's mercy may be extended to the last moments of life ; but we have no reason whatever to pre- sume that it shall be so with any of us. No human being can ever again be placed in the same situation as this criminal. We cannot be called upon to follow our Saviour to Calvary, to witness his dying agonies ; to hear the bitter tauntings of the rabble, and, in the midst of derision and suffering, to declare our faith in a crucified Saviour. When Christ shall again become visible to man. He will be seen in his glory, and all the holy angels with him. Let no man therefore be guilty of delaying repent- ance, with the hope of eventual salvation, be- cause the penitent thief was forgiven at the last. The account of the pardoned criminal is related by one Evangelist only, as if the Holy Spirit foresaw the perversion of the passage. " One instance only," to use the language of a celebrated divine, " of the acceptance of a dying repentance is recorded ; one, that none might despair, and only one, that none might presume." Note 27.— Part VIL ON OUR lord's exclamation ON THE CROSS. Dr. Edwards thinks that the words were repeated twice. The commentators have been much divided as to their signification. Rosen- miiller considers the words of our Lord as an expression of suffering and of prayer, which he appropriated to himself. Such also is the opinion of Dr. Pye Smith, Avho both in his excellent Discourse on the Monemcnt, nnd in his work On the Person of Christ, considers the words as connected with the sequel and general design of the Psalm, of which it is the com- mencement, and expi-essing the extinction of all present and sensible comfort. Such also is the generally-received opinion, and the writers 184* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VII. in the Critici Sacri, on Matt, xxvii. 46. interpret the passage in a similar manner. Liorhtfoot, however, has proposed another interpretation of our Lord's exclamation ; he would read it, not, " Why hast thou forsaken me, or left me to the feeling' of any spiritual desertion ;" hut, " Why hast thou left me to such hands, and to such cruel usage ?" Dr. A. Clarke is likewise inclined to favor this interpretation. The exclamation of our Lord (Matt, xxvii. 46.) he would thus render: " How astonishing is the wickedness of those persons, into whose hands I have fallen." God is said in Scripture to do, what he permits to be done, and no decisive argument can be drawn therefore from tlie expression to prove that he was deserted by his Father. He con- firms this interpretation from Mark xv. 34. ; the words of which passage, he observes, agree pretty nearly with this translation of the Hebrew — Elg il he eyaaiiXiTtsg ; "to what (sort of persons, understood) hast thou left me ?" A literal translation of the passage in the Syriac Testament gives a similar sense : Ad quid dereliquisti me ? " To what hast thou abandoned me ?" And an ancient copy of the old Itala version, a Latin translation before the time of St. Jerome, renders the words thus : Qiiare me in opprobrium dedisW? "Why hast thou abandoned me to reproach ?" " It may be objected, that this can never agree with the Ifarl, ' why,' of Matthew. To this it is answered, that Ivail must have here the same meaning as els ri, as the transla- tion of nroS, lama ; and that if the meaning be at all different, we must follow that Evangelist Avho expresses most literally the meaning of the original : and let it be observed, that the Septuagint often translate nnS by li'ail, in- stead of elg il, which evidently proves that it often had the same meaning. Whatever may be thought of the above mode of interpretation, one thing is certain, that the words could not be used by our Lord in the sense in which they are generally understood. This is sufficiently evident ; for he well knew why he was come unto tliat hour, nor could he be forsaken of God, in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. The Deity, however, might restrain so much of its consolatory support, as to leave the human nature fully sensible of all its sufferings ; so that the consolations might not take off any part of the keen edge of his passion : and this was necessary to make his sufferings meritori- ous. And it is probable, that this is all that is intended by our Lord's quotation from the twenty-second Psalm. Taken in tliis view, the words convey an unexceptionable sense, even in the common translation""." Note 28.— Part VII. In John xix. 28. we read, " Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst ;" and now, that he hath taken the vinegar, he said, " It is finished," that is, this act was the last circumstance that remained to be fulfilled of all the ancient prophecies and predictions. He took the proffered cup of vinegar, and thereby closed and sealed, by his blood, the Levitica] Dispensation, and brought in a more perfect one. " They gave me gall for my meat. In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." Ps. Ixix. 21. Even the most minute circumstances of our Saviour's life and deatli were foretold by the Spirit of prophecy many centuries before his birth, and they have all been literally and ab- solutely fulfilled. See the eloquent passages of Taylor, Horsley, and Porteus, on this section. Note 29.— Part VIL It is singular that our translators have not observed the three modes of expression which the Evangelists have here adopted. Mark and Luke say ISinvevae, " he expired." John xix. •30. nuQsdo)xe to nrevjuu, "he yielded up his spirit." Matthew xxvii. 50. ucprixe to nvevfia, " he dismissed his spirit." The spirits of mere men are in general violently separated from the body, in a way over whicli they can have no control : it was for our Lord only to die as the Prince of Life, by an act of supernatural power, and to separate, at his own pleasure, and at his own command, the spirit from the body. ' Edwards, <ap. Doddridge in loc. Smith's Z)«5- course on the Atonement, p. 34, 3.5 ; and Scripture Testimony, &c. vol. ii. part i. p. 357. Rosfnmtlller in loc. Lightfoot, 8vo. edit. vol. viii. p. 167. A. Clarke, in Matt, xxvii. 40. Note 1.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. # 185 PART VIII. Note 1.- Part VIII. ON THE BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD. When our first parents disobeyed the com- mand of God, we are told, that their " eyes were opened." The word in the original lan- guage", wliich is thus rightly translated, is ap- plied to the breaking forth of a flower from its calyx. The proper meaning, therefore, of the passage seems to be, that as a flower bursts fortli at the appointed season from the dark- ness and imprisonment of the enclosing calyx, so did our first parents enter upon an entirely new mode of existence, when they had taken of the forbidden fruit. We are unable to form any adequate idea of their condition in a state of innocence. Our notions are so uniformly derived from experience, that we cannot, from the intended indcfiniteness of the language of Scripture, represent to ourselves the primeval innocence and happiness of a sinless state. Whatever it might have been, the narration of the Fall assures us of this important fact, that their condition in their new existence arose out of the state of their minds, in their former paradise. They desired evil before tliey com- mitted an act of sin, and thus began an unfit- ness for remaining in a spiritual and perfect state: they accomplished the act which was forbidden, and thus completed that unfitness. The account of the Fall shows us that the prin- ciple of evil being admitted into the heart, and ruling there, renders man unfit for the im- mediate presence of God, in a spiritual or heavenly condition, and therefore banishes us from heaven by its own nature : and those, therefore, who die under its influence, carry with them into an invisible state, an eternal incapacity for the enjoyment of that place or state, to which Christians will be exalted. As our first parents carried with them, into the new and fallen condition, into which sin had brought them, the memory of their transgres- sion, the consciousness of the justice of God, and all the same powers of reasoning, will, " np3 from an Arabic root, '• protuberavit flos, vel prtssius, rosa quae crepantem jam calycem ef- findit, indequo eininore, ct protuberaro incipit. Hinc transfertur ad oculus, nominatim catuli, quum eos prima vice aperit qua velut calyce effiso patent, nam tunc vibrantissima catulorviin acies, deindo hominum, quorum oculi protuberante acie perspi- caces facti sunt." jYova V. T. dams, Johim. Henric. Meisner, vol. ap. Gen. iii. T). VOL. 11. *24 reflection, and the other intellectual faculties, which tliey had before exercised and perverted — in like manner shall all their descendants enter upon their future life, with the conscious- ness of their relative situation with respect to the Almighty, with the memory of the actions done in their state of probation, and with all the powers and faculties which now enable tliem to think, act, and reason. If the soul be immortal, its properties and powers must be immortal also. The man continues the same, both in the present and future stages of his existence, so long as the same consciousness, memory, and powers are united'. The doctrine of the resurrection of the body is one of the most important in the Inspired Volume, and as such a visible demonstration of its truth has been vouchsafed to us in the Patriarchal, the Levitical, and Christian Dis- pensations. The resurrection of the body of Christ is an earnest of our own resurrection, and shows us in what form we shall arise from the dead: for we are assured that we shall be Uke unto him. As the second Adam rose from the dead with a real body, so shall he also "cause the fashion of our body of humiliation to be made like unto his body of glory, according to the energy of his power, subduing all things to himself." The resurrection shows to us the manner in which we shall be clothed with a body, which shall be suited to the invisible world. It has completed the chain of evidence which convinces us of our immortality. It demonstrates, by an undeniable fact, the cer- tainty of our future existence, and the unjus- tifiable folly of those who live in this stage of their being without preparation for the next. It is the one indissoluble link which unites heaven and earth. In proportion to the importance of this fun- damental doctrine has ever been the discussion respecting its evidence and truth. Various objections have been at various times adduced, for the purpose of impugning the truth of the different accounts of tlie resurrection given by * 1 have not thought it necessary to allade liere to the curious questions whicli have been agitated, respecting the nature of the body of Adam before he fell ; and whether we shall rise from the dead in the same form, or whether the resurrec- tion body will be surrounded witli a glory, such as clothed the form of the man who is represented by Ezekiel as appearing between the cherubim. — See on these poiat.s. Lord Barrington"s Essay on the Dispensations, 1732, p. 11, note. ■^ Horsley's Four Sermatis on the Resurrection, p. 210. *p* 186* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIIL the Evangelists. These may be all classed under the separate heads of — difficulties arising from the conciseness and studied brev- ity of the Evangelists — from the accounts of the angels, whether they were the same or different — from the terms used by the Evangelists to denote the respective times, when the several parties who attended at an early hour at the sepulchre set out, or arrived there — and like- wise the difficulty which arises from the de- scription of the tomb. These objections will be discussed in the notes to this part, which has been arranged after a most careful and repeated investigation of the several plans of harmonies, proposed by the principal writers on the subject. It may, however, be necessary to premise, with respect to the first principal diffi- culties now mentioned, that the Evangelists wrote without any intention of giving a harmo- nized narrative of all the occurrences which took place on the morning of the resurrection. Each mentions more particularly the circum- stances which he considered most important to be known by those whom he addressed ; and, in most instances, one seems to supply what the other had omitted. The intention of St. Matthew was, to coun- teract the impression produced by the falsehoods of the high priests, and the keepers of the sepulchre. St. Mark notices those things of which St. Peter, under whose inspection his Gospel was written, must have been an eye- witness : and St. Luke takes up the narrative of events on the day of the resurrection where St. Matthew lefl off, and introduces another party, who came later to the sepulchre ; and adds some things which took place on that day, which St. Mattliew had omitted. John added some events in which himself had been more especially concerned, and which he had wit- nessed. The second difficulty, the appearances of the ansfels, has been considered as the most im- portant, but without just reason. We are un- acquainted even with the laws of animal life ; we know of some facts, and deduce some in- ferences, but of the laws of life we still remain ignorant. It ought not, therefore, to excite surprise that we cannot comprehend the laws of angelic life. These beings might have be- come visible or invisible at pleasure ; or they might at pleasure have altered their appearance. The same angel spirit who assumed a terrible countenance to overawe the guards might have put on a mild and tranquil aspect when he ad- dressed the women. Other angels might have been attending, though they were invisible while their companions spoke : and though a short time only elapsed between the arrival of the second party, and the departure of the first, no diffi- culty can be justly drawn from the inquiry, whether it was the same angel or another? The general conclusion, however, is, that the angels of St. MatthoAv and St. JMark were different. The angel mentioned by Matthew, xxviii. 1., sate in the porch of the tomb, and had assumed a terrible appearance to overawe the guard; but the angel, Mark xvi. 5., was another witlitnside the sepulchre, in the inner apartment. The two angels spoken of by John, XX. 11., were seen some short time after those mentioned by Matthew and Mark (Matt, xxviii. 1. and Mark xvi. 5.), but whether they were the same, or different, cannot possibly be ascer- tained. Neither can it be determined whether the angels Avho manifested themselves to the second party of women, recorded by St. Luke, xxiv. 4., were the same or different. They are represented as appearing like lightning, with a raiment white as snow — as young men clothed in long white garments, the appointed guar- dians of the crucified body of their Lord, and the happy spectators of his glorious and tri- umphant victory over death, and the powers of darkness. The third difficulty, respecting the time, will be discussed in the notes to the seventh section. The fourth difficulty is local, and has arisen from want of sufficient attention to the particu- lar structure of the holy sepulchre ; which con- sisted of two parts, the porch, or anti-chamber, from which a narrow passage led into the inner vault, or tomb, where the body was deposited. Matthew critically distinguishes T(i(poc, "the tomb," from fifTjiieloi', "the sepulchre," in general. The other Evangelists use /nrriiiia, and fii'TjueTor indiscriminately''. This difficul- ty will be more particularly considered in tJie notes to the twelfth section. In reply, however, to all the general objec- tions which have been made to the minor cir- cumstances here alluded to, we may assert, with the utmost boldness and confidence, that we have abundant and every requisite evidence to convince us of the truth and certainty of the fact, of the resurrection of the body of Christ. It would be impossible to enumerate the many writers who have illustrated this subject, and demonstrated the certainty of the fact. The last" who has discussed it has considered the various proofs, as they may be derived, — 1st, From the prophecies of Jesus, that at a certain time he was to rise from the dead. 2d, From the fact that at this precise time his body was, by the confession of all who had access to know, not to be found in the sepulchre in which it had been laid, although the most effectual precaution had been taken to prevent its removal. 3d, From the positive testimony of the dis- ciples, that afler this time they frequently saw him, conversed witli him, and received from ■^See Schleusner,Cranfield, and Townson's notes. * Cooke's Hew <if the Evidence of the. Resur- rection. Note 1.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. * 187 him those instructions upon which they acted in publishing his Gospel. 4th, From the success which attended their preaching, founded upon the alleged fact that he had actually risen. All of which arguments are considered at great length, in an admirable and forcible man- ner. Mr. Home-'' too has summed up the col- lective evidence in support of this great event with his usual perspicuity. " If we peruse," he observes, " tlie history of that event with care, we must conclude either that Christ arose, or that his disciples stole his body away. The more we consider the latter alternative, the more impossible it appears. Every time, in- deed, that our Saviour attempted to perform a miracle, he risked his credit on its accomplish- ment : had he failed in one instance, that would have blasted his reputation forever. The same remark is applicable to his predictions : had any one of them failed, that great charac- ter which he had to support would have re- ceived an indelible stain. Of all his predic- tions, there is none on which he and his disciples laid greater stress, than that of his resurrection. So frequently, indeed, had Jesus Christ publicly foretold that he would rise again on the third day, that those persons Avho caused him to be put to death, were acquainted ■with this prediction ; and, being in power, used every possible means to prevent its accomplish- ment, or any imposition on the public in that affair. " After the crucifixion and death of Christ, the chief priests applied to Pilate, the Roman governor, for a watch, and sealed the sepulchre in which the body was deposited. By this guard of Roman soldiers was the tomb watched ; and on the resurrection of Christ, they went and related it to the chief priests, wlio bribed them •with money, promising to secure their persons from danger, and charged them to affirm, that Christ's disciples stole his body away while they were sleeping, (Matthew xxviii. 11-15.) This flight of the soldiers, their declaration to the high priests and elders, the subsequent conduct of the latter, the detection and publi- cation of their collusion with the soldiers by the apostles, and the silence of the Jews on that subject, who never attempted to refute or to contradict the declarations of Christ's disci- ples — are all strong evidences of the reality and truth of his resurrection. A few adchtional considerations will suffice to show the false- hood of the assertion made by the chief priests. " On the one hand, the terror of the timid dis- ciples, who were afraid to be seen, and tlie paucity of their number; on the other hand, the authority of Pilate and of the Sanhedrin ; the great danger attending such an enterprise as the stealing of Christ's body, the impossibil- / Introduction to the Critical Sturhj, ikc. vol. i. p. 595, &c. ity of succeeding in such an attempt, both from the number of armed men who guarded the tomb, and also from the lightness of the night, it being the time of full moon, at the great annual festival, when the city was full of people, and many probably passed the whole night (as Jesus and his disciples had done) in the open air, the sepulchre also being so near the city as to be enclosed within the waUs ; all these circumstances combine to render such an imposture as that, which was palmed upon the Jews, utterly unworthy of credit. For, in the first place, is it probable that so many men as composed tlie guard would all fall asleep in tlie open air at once ? 2. Is it at all probable that a Roman guard should be found off their watch, much loss asleep, when, according to the Ro- man military laws, it was instant death to be found in such a state ? 3. Could they be so soundly asleep as not to awake with all the noise which must necessarily be made by re- moving the great stone from the mouth of the sepulchre, and taking away the body ? 4. Is it at all hkely that these timid disciples could have had sufficient time to do all this, without being perceived by any person ? How could soldiers, armed, and on guard, suffer themselves to be overreached by a few timorous people? 5. ' Either,' says Augustine, ' they were asleep or awake : if they were awake, why should tliey suffer the body to be taken away ? If asleep, how could they know that the disciples took it away ? How dare they, then, depose that it ivas stolen ? ' From the testimony of the ene- mies of Christianity, therefore, the resurrection of Christ may be fully proved. " Further, the conduct of the priests and elders towards tlie soldiers evidently implies a convic- tion that our Saviour was actually risen. They were now certain that he was not in the tomb. If there had been any suspicion that his dis- ciples were in possession of the dead body, these rulers, for their own credit, would instant- ly have imprisoned them, and used means to recover it, which would have quashed the report of his resurrection for ever. There can be no doubt, therefore, of their conviction that he was actually risen from the dead. If Jesus had appeared to the priests and rulers, it could have served no good purpose, as they were already convinced of the fact, but would not acknowledge it to the people. Supposing that his appearance to them, after his resurrection, would have changed their minds, and induced them publicly to confess tlie truth, tlie testimony of the priests and rulers would have been very suspicious to posterity ; it would have been said that they were influenced by some politi- cal motive. Besides, this would have weak- ened tlie testimony of the disciples ; for the men who bribed the soldiers could secretly have bribed them; therefore the support of the priests and rulers would have rendered the declaration 188* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIII. of the chosen witnesses suspicious. Theii* inveterate opposition to the cause, and violent persecution of the Christians, remove all sus- picion of priestcraft and political design. If the disciples had agreed to impose upon the world in this affair, common sense would have directed them, first to spread the report that our Lord was risen from tlie grave, and then to employ an individual, whom they could trust, to per- sonate him, and to appear before the multitude in such a manner and at such times as would not endanger a discovery : as our Lord never appeared to the multitude after his resurrection, this removed all suspicion that the disciples had contrived a scheme for deceiving the people. " These considerations show that our Saviour's appearance, after he rose from the dead, only to a competent number of witnesses, who were intimately acquainted with him before his de- cease, is a circumstance highly calculated to es- tablish the truth of his resurrection to posterity. " The character of the apostles also proves the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ ; and there are nine considerations which give their evidence sufficient weight, viz. " 1. The condition of these witnesses. — They were not men of power, riches, eloquence, or credit, to impose upon the world. They were poor, and mean, and despised : they were also incredulous of the fact itself. It is evident, that though our Saviour foretold his resurrec- tion, yet after his death the disciples did not expect it, and therefore were with difficulty convinced of its reality. But as it was a subject of the highest importance to them and to the world, they obtained the fullest satisfaction of its truth. Intimately acquainted with his person after his resurrection, they felt his body, fre- quently examined his person, renewed the private conversations which he had with them before his decease, and enjoyed an intimacy with him, as removed the possibility of their being deceived. "2. The number of these ivitnesses. — This was more than sufficient to establish any fact. When St. Paul published a defence of our Lord's resurrection, he declared to the world that Jesus appeared to five hundred witnesses at one time ; and he appealed to a number of them, who were then alive, for the truth of his assertion. Could all those men agree volun- tarily to maintain a vile falsehood, not only altogether unprofitable, but also such as involved them in certain dishonor, poverty, persecution, and death ? According to their own principles, either as Jews or Christiaas, if this testimony, to which they adhered to the last moment of their lives, had been false, they exposed them- selves to eternal misery. Under such circum- stances, these men could not have persevered in maintaining a false testimony, unless God had wrought a miracle in human nature to enable impostors to deceive the world. "3. The facts, which they themselves avow: — not suppositions, distant events, or events re- lated by others, but real facts, which they have be- held with their own eyes. " That which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of Life declare we unto you." (1 John i. 1. 3.) " 4. Observe the tribunals before which they gave evidence. The members of these tri- bunals were Jews and heathens, philosophers and rabbis, courtiers and lawyers. If they had been impostors, the fraud would certainly have been discovered. " 5. The place in ichich they bore testimony. — It was not at a distance where it would have been difficult to detect them if they asserted a false- hood ; but at Jerusalem, in the synagogue, in the prgetorium. " G. The agreement of their evidence. — These Avitnesses were separated from one another : many of them were imprisoned, separately examined, severely tried, and cruelly tortured, yet they all agreed in every part of their testi- mony. In no instance whatever did they con- tradict either themselves or one another ; but cheerfully sealed with their blood this truth, — that they saw and conversed with Jesus after he was risen from the dead. Every person, possessed of common sense, must see the absolute impossibility of this agreement among the witnesses, if the subject of their testimony had been a falsehood. " 7. The time when this evidence was given. — It was not after the lapse of several years, but only three days after our Saviour's crucifixion, that they declared he was risen — yea, even before the rage of his enemies was quelled, and while Calvary was yet dyed with the blood they had shed. If the resurrection of Christ had been a fraud, it is not likely that the apostles would have come forward in open day, and thus pub- licly have affirmed it. " 8. Consider the motives, which induced them to publish the fact of Christ's resurrection : — It was not to acquire fame, riches, glory, or profit. — By no means. On the contrary, they exposed themselves to sufferings and death, and proclaimed the truth from a conviction of its importance and certainty. "9. Lastly, the miracles performed by these witnesses in the name of Jesus, and in con- firmation of their declaration concerning the resurrection of Jesus, are God's testimony to their veracity. No subject was ever more public, more investigated, or better known, than the transactions of tlie apostles. St. Luke, an historian of great character, who witnessed many of the things which he relates, published tlie Acts of the Apostles among the people who saw the transactions. It would have blasted Ills character to have published falsehoods whicli nuist instantly be detected ; it would have ruined tlie credit of tlic Church to have NOTK 1.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. * 189 received, as facts, notorious falsehoods. Now the Acts of the Apostles were written by St. Luke, received by the Church, and no false- hood was ever detected in tliat book by Jew or Gentile. The primitive fathers attest its trutli and authenticity, and heathen authors record some of the important facts which are related by the sacred historian. In the second chapter, we are informed that the apostles, who were known to be unlearned fishermen, began to speak the several languages of those people, who at that time were assembled at Jerusalem from different countries. When the people were astonished at this undoubted proof of inspiration, the apostles thus addressed the multitude : — ' Ye men of Israel, hear these words ! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you, by miracles and signs (which God did by him in the midst of you), as ye your- selves also know — this Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses.' To the gift of tongues, as a proof of inspiration, was added a number of undoubted miracles, in con- firmation of this testimony concerning Jesus Christ, which are related in the Acts of the Apostles, and were published among the people who witnessed them." Though these arguments are apparently sufficient to satisfy the most determined skeptic, we are by no means contented to rest' the merits of this cause upon general statements alone. As the Evangelical narrative has been so frequently objected to by the opponents of Christianity, many writers who have been as willing as the most resolute skeptic to abandon the cause of Christianity, if they had deemed it on inquiry to be unworthy of support, have devoted so much attention to this part of the inspired history, that every incident recorded, and every word that relates it, have been repeat- edly examined with the most acute and diligent attention ; and the result has been, to place the authenticity of the sacred story on the firmest foundation. The principal embarrassment in the history of the resurrection arises from the account of the time at which the women came to the sepulchre. It was long supposed that tliey came there together, and a great difficulty was consequently felt, as to the one angel men- tioned by Matthew and Mark, and the two men- tioned by St. Luke. Lightfoot has endeavoured to reconcile this apparent discrepancy, by sup- posing that they saw one angel, as they went together, sitting on the entrance stone, and another in the inside ; a solution which appears bv no means satisfactory. The reasoning by which the later harmonizers have concluded that there were two, and not one party of women only, will be given in the notes to the second section. By one of those singular coincidences which sometimes occur, three competent and learned men were engaged at the same time in study ing the scriptural account of the resurrection. These Avere Pilkington, a country clergyman, wliose work is a monument of patient investiga- tion ; Doddridge, the well-known author of the Family Expositor ; and West, a layman ; whose Treatise on the Resurrection will always be valued by those who would understand the evidences of their religion. These three writers, unknown to eacii other, all came to similar conclusions respecting two companies of women. Mr. West's work was actually published when Pilkington's was ready for pub- lication ; and the latter has directed his reader to correct one of his sections, in consequence of Mr. West's observations on the resurrection. The section itself had been printed off. Dr. Doddridge had but just published the part of his Expositor, containing the Gospels, and at the end of his postscript to this part of his work, he tlianks Mr. West for the advantage he > had derived from his labors, and points out in what respects they had differed from each other. The only variation with respect to the two parties of women is, that Doddridge supposed them to have left the city by different ways, and therefore that they did not meet till they arrived at the tomb. As it may seem necessary to give some account of the several theories of the three authors who have so deeply studied this subject, (before the plan I have adopted be considered,) I shall give here the abstract of the harmonies of the resurrection proposed by West, and by Dr. Townson ; the elaborate work of the latter being a correction, and a more systematic arrangement of the whole account laid down by the former. To these I shall add that of Mr. Cranfield, of Trinity college, Dublin, who, in a prize essay on the subject, proceeded with great attention once more through tlie whole mass of reading necessary to enable him to decide on some minute points in which he differs from Dr. Townson. In the disposal of each event in this Arrangement, no notes will be requisite where the harmonizers are agreed ; where they differ, the reasons will be assigned. I have endeavoured to express in the titles to the sections, the conclusions to which I have been led from the perusal of these authors. The best abstract of Mr. West's plan is that compiled by Dr. Doddridge, in the postscript to the first part of the Family Expositor. " During the time of our blessed Redeemer's lying in the grave, several of the pious women who had attended him from Galilee, together with some of their female friends and acquaint- ance at Jerusalem, agreed to meet at his sepul- chre early on the morning of the third day, to embalm the body. Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, Salome, and Joanna, were principal persons in this appointment : the chief care of preparing, that is, pounding, mixing, and melting 190* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIII. the spices, was left to Joanna and her company, who were to be there about sunrising ; whereas the two Marys and Salorn^ (of whom Matthew and Mark chiefly write) came thither, tt^wi, be- fore the appointed time early in the morning, or as the day dawned, in order, ^^P0)OTjo■«(, to view the sepulchre, that they might judge whether they and their companions could be able to remove the stone which closed it, or whether it would be necessary to call in other assistance, as they then knew nothing of the guard which was set upon it. While these three women last mentioned were on their way, Jesus arose, when the angel had opened the sepulchre and sti-uck the guards into amazement and conster- nation ; the consequence of which M'as, that some of them went to the Jewish rulers, and joined in contriving and propagating the sense- less falsehood of the body being stolen, and others went into other parts of the city, and told the matter as it really was. In the mean time, the angel disappeared, and Mary Magda- lene, approaching the sepulchre, discerned from some distance that the very large stone tliat stopped it was rolled away, and, concluding from thence that the body was removed, left the other Mary and Salom6 to wait for Joanna and her company, while she herself ran to Peter and John, to acquaint them with what she had discovered. While she was gone, these two (the other Mary and Salom6) went toward the sepulchre, and entering into it, saw, to their great astonishment, an angel, who told them that Jesus, whom he knew they sought, was not there, but was risen from the dead, and gave it them in charge to go and acquaint his disciples with it, and to let them know that he would give them a meeting in Galilee. The greatness of their consternation prevented them from saying any thing immediately to any one, even to some of their own company, who might pass and repass within their view at least, and so occasioned a delay which left room for some other circumstances. Just as they were on their return, Peter and John came (perhaps passing by them at some distance,) and Mary Magdalene followed them. John at his first arrival only looked into the sepulchre ; but when Peter came and entered it, John went in too, and from the circumstances in which he saw things, believed that Jesus was risen ; though the angel (who could appear or disappear at pleasure) did not render himself visible to either. They returned to the city ; and Mary Magdalene, who was now alone, stooping down to look into the sepulchre, saw two angels; but (perhaps imagining they were two young men, whom curi- osity or accident might have brought thither) took little notice of them, and continued Aveep- in? in deep thought and distress, till Jesus appeared, and made himself luiowu to her in those very remarkable words, John xx. 17., which Mr. West illustrates with some very peculiar observations". Leaving her very suddenly, our Lord appeared to the other Mary and Salome, whom he permitted to embrace his feet, comforted them under their fear, and renewed the assurance the angel had given them, that he would meet his disciples in Galilee. While these things were passing at some distance, and the scene at the sepulchre was clear, Joanna and the women who brought the spices (and of Avhom Luke only writes) came, and entering into the sepulchre, at first saw no one in it, till the two angels, who a few minutes before had appeared to Mary Magda- lene, made themselves visible to Joanna and her attendants, and assuring them of the resur- rection of Jesus, reminded them how it had been foretold by himself, with the previous circumstances of his sufferings, but gave them no charge concerning the information to be carried to the apostles ; that having been com- mitted to the others. Yet (as it was natural to suppose they would) some of this second company ran to the city, and, by whatever accident it happened, reached the eleven, and some other disciples who were with them, before the two Marys and Salome arrived, telling them (which was all they could tell them), that they had seen a vision of angels, who asserted that Jesus was alive. Peter, on this, ran a second time to the sepulchre (Luke xxiv. 12.), and not entering as before, but only stooping down and looking into it, he saw no angels, or any thing else but, xd dddnu xelftEi'a fi6va, ' only the linen clothes lying ' there, on which he returned ; and just on liis making that report, the two disciples who went that day to Emmaus, or some from whom they received their information (Luke xxiv. 22-24.), left the place before the arrival of the two Marys and Salom6 ; who retarded, as was hinted above, by some unknown accident, (perhaps by guess- ing wrong as to the place where they might «■ '• Mr. West observes, that this text, ' I am not yet ascended,' &c. comprehends in a few words a variety of most important hints, wliich have not commonly been taken notice of in them ; particu- larly that our Lord intended by them to recall to the minds of his disciples the discourse he had with them three nights before, in which he explained what he meant by going to the Father (John xvi. 28.) ; and by twice using the word ' ascend,' de- signed to intimate, that he was to go up to heaven, not merely in spirit, as the pious dead do. but by a corporeal motion and translation, and that it would be some time before he took his final leave of earth by this intended ascension ; all wliich weighty ex- pressions and predictions concur with a thousand otlier circumstances to show how impossible it was tJiat such an apprehended appearance shoidd liave been merely tlie result of a disordered imagination ; a consideration which Mr. West illustrates at large, as he also does tlie mistaken apprehension of llie disciples, wlio, when some of their companions, whose v(>racitv they conld not suspect, testified they had seen the Lord. tliouq;ht his body was not risen, but that it was only his spirit thai appeared to them. " Note 1.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. * 191 find the largest company together,) at last, how- ever, reached them, and made abundant satis- faction for the little delay (for all might perhaps have passed in an hour), by assuring them, not only that they also had seen an angel, who informed them of their Lord's res- urrection, but that Jesus himself had appeared to them, and had even permitted himself to be touched by two of them." This is Mr. West's scheme of this important story ; and the reader will perceive, tliat it chiefly differs from that of Dr. Doddridge in these two circumstances : — That it supposes the women to have made two different visits to tlie sepulchre, and, in consequence of that, two distinct reports ; whereas his unites them, (though he does not suppose they came all together, but that they met there) : and that it also makes Peter to have run to it twice, of "which there can be no reasonable doubt, though Dr. Doddridge, before he perused Mr. West's plan, had incorporated Luke's account with that of .Tohn, relating to his running thither with John, on Mary Magdalene's first report. Dr. Townson prefaces his plan by observing, that the chief difficulties which occur in the evangelical history of the Lord Jesus, from his death to his ascension, are found in the morn- ing of his resurrection. The events related of it fell within a short space of time, and were nearly coincident, or quickly successive to each other. They are told briefly, and but in part, by the Evangelists, with few notes of time or order in the Gospel relative to another. It can- not therefore excite surprise, that learned men have judged variously of their connexion, and have pursued different methods of reducing them into one narrative. Many of them have succeeded so far as to show by a very probable arrangement, that the Gospels are wholly recon- cileable with each other. This is an important point ; yet what may suffice to prove that there are not characters of disagreement in the facts recorded, may not quite satisfy us that they are altogetlier rightly methodized. Mary Magdalene is mentioned by St. Mat- thew, St. Mark, and St. John, as going early to the sepulchre on the first day of the week. St. Mark joins two others with her ; Mary the mother of James, and Salome the mother of Zebedee's children. He names these three ; and his context will not allow us to suppose that there was any other person of their party. St. Luke, who speaks of a greater number of women going to the sepulchre, has so guarded liis account of them as not to include the three just mentioned ; and what is said by him of their vision and behaviour at the sepulchre is totally unlike any thing that is related of the two Marys and Salome. If these things can be made to appear evident, from a comparison of the Evangelists, we must then, in justice to them, consider the women as going to the sep- ulchre in a less and larger company. I shall now subjoin, however, a summary of the arrangement proposed botli by Dr. Townson and Mr. Cranfield, and add a table of Scripture passages. The reader will be then able to perceive, at one view, the variation of tlie Ar- ranger from both, and his agreement or dis- agreement with either. The following is a summary of Dr. Townson's proposed arrange- ment : — Section I. — Friday Evening. Our Lord's disciples, and the women that had followed him from Galilee, were not absent from his crucifix- ion, " They stood beholding afar oflT." Only his Virgin Mother, Mary her sister, mother of James and Joses, and Mary Mag- dalene, with the disciple whom Jesus loved, and to whose protection he then recommended his motlier, are mentioned as venturing to approach his cross. But when Joseph of Arimathea had obtained leave from Pilate to inter the body, the Gali- lean women in general followed it to the sepul- chre, and saw where and how it was laid. They then hastened to the city, to purchase and prepare spices tliat evening, for anointing it as soon as might conveniently be done after the Sabbath ; which, as beginning about sun- set, was then coming on. But Mary Magda- lene and the other Mary, two of those who had been standing by his cross, did not depart with the rest. They continued " sitting over against the tomb." Section II. — Saturday. — Towards the close of this day, which was the Jewish Sabbath, the chief priests and Pharisees, with Pilate's per- mission, set a guard upon the sepulchre, which Avas to secure it till the end of the third day. The same evening, when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, who had lost their opportunity before, bought their share of spices, with the concurrence of a tliird, Salome, the mother of Zebedee's chil- dren, who had probably been engaged the fore- going evening in attending and supporting the mother of our Lord, whom he had recommend- ed to the protection of her son, tJie beloved disciple. Section III. — Sunday Morning. — Very early tlie next morning, and probably before the time settled for opening the sepulchre, these three women hastened to visit it by themselves. The two Marys set out before it was daylight, I presume because they lodged further from the sepulchre than Salom6, whom they called upon to accompany them ; and while they were on their way, an angel descended, and rolled away the stone that closed the entrance of the tomb, and Christ arose. 192* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIII. The guard, terrified at the sight of the angel, retired from the sepulchre as he approached it, and, when they were a little recovered from their consternation, quitted the garden in which it stood. Tlie women arrived when the soldiers were gone, and at tlie rising of the sun. On drawing near to the sepulchre they perceived that the stone was rolled away : and Mary Magdalene, concluding that the body was removed, hurried back to tell Peter and John. When she was gone, the other Mary and Salome came to a resolution of examining more exactly ; and ventured into tlie sepulchre, in the first part of which, it being divided into two, they beheld an angel sitting on the right side, wJio bade them not be afraid, assured them that Jesus was risen from the dead, and sent a mes- sage to his apostles by them. Having heard liis speech, they hastened out of the sepulchre and to a distance from it, with fear and great joy- Soon after came Peter and John ; and, having inspected the tomb, without seeing the angel, or speaking to the women that had seen him, departed. Section IV. — Sunday Morning. — Mary Mag- dalene followed, as fast as she was able, and when they went away, staid beliind weeping at the sepulchre ; then, after a little pause, stooped down, and looked into the tomb, where two angels were sitting, who asked her why she wept; to whose question having returned an answer expressive of her anxiety about the body of our Lord, she drew back, and saw him standing by her, but at first did not perceive who he was. He quickly made himself known to her, and sent a message to his apostles by her. Section V. — Sunday Morning. — Mary Mag- dalene, in going to communicate her happy in- telligence to them, fell in again with her two friends, the other Mary and Salome. In their way Christ met them, and bid them " All hail !" He then permitted them to embrace his feet, and repeated the substance of the message to the apostles, which the angel, seen in the sep- ulchre, had delivered to the two latter. While these things were doing, a party of the guard came into the city to the chief priests, by whom, and a council of the elders called together, they were instructed what re- port they should spread on this occasion. Sf.ction VI. — Remaining Transactions of Sunday Morning. — Another company of women, at the head of whom was Joanna, came now to the sepulchre. Some of these had been ready to set out early for it. But while they were collecting their whole party, and proceeding slowly in waiting for each other the time, which they had probably agreed on for meeting there to anoint the body, might be a little past. They therefore ex- pressed no wonder, as had the former party, at seeing the tomb open. Their surprise was, when they had entered and searched it, not to find the body of the Lord Jesus ; when two angels stood by them, and assured them that he was risen, and reminded them of a prophecy concerning his own death and resurrection, which they had heard him utter in Galilee. The women recollected the prophecy, and went and reported " all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest." Other evidences of the Lord's resurrection had been laid before them by the two Marys and Salom6, but to little purpose. So strong Avere their prejudices, that the words of the women seemed to them as idle tales. Yet St. Peter was so struck with their ac- counts, that he ran to the sepulchre, to see if he could there behold the angels of whom they had spoken. Section VII. — Sunday Afternoon and Eve- ning. — It is not said in what time of this day our Lord appeared to St. Peter ; but it was probably after Cleopas and his companion were set out from Jerusalem. These two were joined on the road by a stranger, whom they discovered at Emmaus to be the Lord himself. On this discovery they hastened back to Jeru- salem, to the apostles assembled privately with some others of the disciples, and found them in possession of the fact respecting St. Peter. They then began to relate their own story, when the Lord himself stood in the midst of them, and having composed their minds, alarmed at his appearance, and having satisfied their doubts, left them full of joy that they had seen the Lord. Section VIII. — The six Days following that of the Resurrection. — It is not recorded that our Lord showed himself to any of his disciples during this interval. He seems to have left them to the testimony of those who had seen him ; and they endeavoured to persuade their brethren of tiie reality of his resurrection, but without working a thorough conviction in their minds. Among those who had been absent when he appeared on Sunday night, was St. Thomas, who spoke liis own and the sentiments of others in declaring, that nothing short of ocular demonstration could clear up his doubts. Section IX. — The Octave of the Resurrec- tion. — On this day the apostles were assembled probably in the same plac-o, ])lainly at Jerusa- lem, and with others of the disciples, when the Lord came to them as before, the door being again fastened, and reproved them, at least in addressing himself to St. Thomas, " for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they Note 1.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. =193 believed not them which had seen him after lie was risen." St. Thomas with all humility con- fessed his offence, and no more difficulty re- mained with him and those of the company who were in the same situation. It is likely that our Lord now appointed the time and place in Gali- lee, where they should see him again. Section X. — The time in ivhich the Disci- ples were in Galilee. — The apostles then left Jerusalem, and went into Galilee ; and it seems as if they were allowed to communicate the de- sign of their going to many of the followers of Christ, and that a multitude of them resorted to the mountain in Galilee, where he had promised to meet them. As soon as tliey beheld him, they paid their adoration to him. Some, how- ever, that had not seen him before, and then saw him at some distance, were not without their doubts of his bodily presence. But he graciously came and conversed with them, and satisfied all, that it was he himself, risen from the dead. He then declared, that all power was given unto him in heaven and in earth. Section XL — The Disciples still in Galilee. — Before the disciples quitted Galilee, our Lord again showed himself to seven of them, by the lake of Tiberias. He there signified in what manner St. Peter should die, and that St. John should long survive. Section XH. — From the Return of the Dis- ciples to Jerusalem to the Ascension. — The dis- ciples went back to Jerusalem, earlier I pre- sume than was necessary to prepare for the feast of the Pentecost (Acts xx. 16.), and that therefore they went by a divine direction. While they were assembled there, Christ in- structed them in the things pertaining to the kingdom of God ; and when the fortieth day, including that of his resurrection, was come, he led them out as far as to Bethany ; and he lifted up his hands and blessed tliem ; and, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven, and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. The disciples having paid their adoration to him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and passed tlieir time in the temple, praising and blessing God, and preparing their hearts for the promised descent of the Holy Spirit upon them, who was to enable them to go forth and preach the glad tidings of salvation successfully to Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. Mr. Cranfield has arranged his Harmony in twelve sections, the titles of which sufficiently explain the alterations he proposes in the dis- position of events given by his learned prede- cessor. Section L — The women (Mary Magdalene, VOL. II. *25 Mary the mother of James, and Salomt) set out to view tiie tomb — an angel descends — opens the tomb — Christ rises from the dead. Section H. — The women arrive — and see the stone taken away — Mary, concluding that the body of Christ had been removed, runs to inform the disciples — the other two women remain behind — the transactions at the tomb during Mary Magdalene's absence. Section HL— Peter and John, in conse- quence of Mary Magdalene's report, set out with Mary Magdalene for the sepulchre — they examine the tomb, and depart — Mary Magda- lene stays at the tomb — Christ appears to her. Section IV. — Mary Magdalene goes with tlie message she received from Jesus, and falls in with the other Mary and Salom6, who were waiting for her at some distance from the sep- ulchre — Jesus appears to the three, and sends a message to the disciples — as they are going, the watch report to the chief priests — the trans- actions at the tomb. Section V. — Besides the three women already mentioned, another company of Gali- lean women arrive, afler these events, at the sepulchre — what then took place at the tomb — Luke collects briefly the testmiony of both parties — the disciples continue incredulous — some of the disciples visit the tomb. Section VI. — Christ appears to St. Peter — the two going to Emmaus — who go to the dis- ciples — Christ appears to all. Section VII. — The rest of the disciples are incredulous — particularly Thomas. Section VIII. — Christ appears to all — Thomas believes. Section IX. — Christ appears to the disciples in Galilee. Section X. — The disciples still in Galilee — Christ appears to them at the sea of Tiberias. Section XL — Christ appears to all the apostles at Jerusalem. Section XII. — Christ leads his disciples as far as Bethany — commissions them to prosely- tize all nations — and ascends to heaven. It is not necessary to insert here tlie plan of the Arranger ; it is given in the titles to the respective sections. If these titles should be regarded by any as too minute, he would reply, his object has been to examine every incident, and every supposed difficulty in the fullest manner. 194* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIII^ TOWNSON. Section I. Friday Evening. — Resurrection. Matt. Mark Luke John xxvii. 55. XV. 40. xxiii. 49. xix. 56. 41. 25-27 57. 42. 50. 38. 43. 51. 58. 43. 52. 38. 44. 45. 38. 59. 46. 53. 38. 39. 40. 60. 46. 53. 41. 54. 42. 47. 55. 56. 61. Section IL Saturday — Conclusion of the Sab- bath — Sabbath over. Matt. Mark Luke John xxvii. xvi. 62-66. 1. Section IIL Easter Mornins. Matt. Mark Luke John xxviii. 1. xvi. 2. xx. 1. 2-4. 2. 3. 4. L 2. 5. 5. 6. 6. 7. 7. 8. 8.- 2-9. Section IV. Sunday Morning. Matt. Mark Luke Cranfizld. Section I. Friday Evening. — Resurrection. Matt. Mark Luke John xxviii. 1. xvi. 2. xx. 1. 2. 3. 4. xxvii. 52. 53. Section II. Saturday — Conclusion of the Sab- bath — Sabbath over. Matt. Mark Luke John xxviii. xvi. xx. 3,4. 1,2. 5-8. 5-8. Section III. " Easter Morning. Matt. Mark Luke John xvi. xxiv. 12. XX. 3-6. 14. 9. 14-17. John XX. 10-17. Section V. Matt. Mark Luke John xxviii. xvi. 9. xx. part of 17, 18. 9-15. Section VI. Matt. Mark Luke John xvi. xxiv. 1-10. 10. 10. 10. 11. 11. 12. Section IV. Sunday Morning. Matt. Mark Luke John xxviii. XX. 18. 9-15. Matt. Arranger. Matt. Section V. Mark Luke John XVI. XXIV. 1-9. 10. 10. 11. 11. 24. Section VI. Mark Luke John xvi. 12. xxiv. 34. XX. 13-16. 12. 16-35, 19 36-40. 19 40-43. 20 23 Section I. — Part VIII. From the Death of Christ to his Ascen- sion into Heaven. Matt, xxvii. 57-60. Mark xv. 42-46. Luke xxiii. 50-54. John xix. 38, to the end. Section II. Mark xv. 47. Luke xxiii. 55. Section III. Luke xxiii. 56. Section IV. Matt, xxvii. 61. Section V. Matt, xxvii. 62, to the end. Section VI. Mark xvi. 1. Section VII. Matt, xxviii. 1. Mark xvi. part of ver. 2. John XX. part of ver. 1. Section VIII. Matt, xxviii. 2-4. Section IX. Matt, xxvii. part of ver. 52, and ver. 53. Section X. Mark xvi. part of ver. 2, and ver. 3, 4. John XX. part of ver. 1. Section XL John XX. 2. Section XII. Matt, xxviii. 5-7. Mark xvi. 5-7. Section XIII. Matt, xxviii. 8. Mark xvi. 8. Section XIV. John XX. 3-10. Section XV. John XX. part of ver. 11. Section XVI. John XX. part of ver. 11, ver. 12, 13, and part of ver. 14. Section XVII. Mark xvi. 9. John XX. part of ver. 14, and ver. 15-17. Section XVIII. Matt, xxviii. 9, 10. John XX. 18. Note 1.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *195 TOWNSON. Cranfield. Arranger. Section VII. Section VII. Section XIX. Evening of Easter-day. Evening of Easter-day. Matt, xxviii. 11-15. 1 Cor. Mark Luke John Matt. Mark Luke John Section XX. XV. xvi. xxiv. XX. xvi. XI. Luke xxiv. 1-3. 4,5. 34. 12. 13-33. 34-36. 37-39. 40. 41,42. 43. Section VIII. 19. 19. 20. 20. 21-23. 13. Section VIIL 24,25. Section XXI. Luke xxiv. 4-9. Section XXII. Mark xvi. 10. Luke xxiv. 10. Section XXIII. Mark ivi. 11. Luke xxiv. 11. Section XXIV. Between Easter and next Sunday. Between Easter and next Sunday. Luke xxiv. part ofver. 12. Matt. Mark Luke John Matt. Mark Luke John Section XXV. xvi. 13. XX. 24. 25. xvi. 13. IX. 24,25. Luke xxiv. part ofver. 12. Section IX. Section IX. Section XXVI. Mark xvi. 12. Luke xxiv. 13-32. First day after the Resurrection. First day after the Resurrection. Section XXVII. Matt. Mark Luke John Matt. Mark Luke John Mark xvi. 13. xvi. 14. XX. xxviii. Luke xxiv. 33-35. 14^ 26. 16-18. 27. Section XXVIII. 14? 28. Luke xxiv. 36-43. 29. John XX. 19-23. Section X. Section X. Section XXIX. Matt. Mark Luke John Matt Mark Luke John John XX. 24, 25. xxviii. xxi. 16-18. Section XI. Section XI. 1-24. Section XXX. Mark xvi. 14. John XX. 26-29. Matt. Mark Luke John 1 Cor. Mark Luke Acts Section XXXI. xxi. XV. xxiv. i. Matt, xxviii. 16, 17, and 1-24. 7. 44^9. 49. 4. 5. part of 18. Section XXXIL John xxi. 1-24. Section XII. Section XII. Matt. Mark Luke John Matt. Mark Luke Acts Section XXXIIL xxviii. xvi. xxiv. XX. xviii. xvi. xxiv. i. Acts i. 4, 5. 44-48. X. 50. Luke xxiv. 44—49. 19. 1.5. 18. 15. 6,7. 20. 16. 18. 2. Section XXXIV. 20. 49. 17. 18. 49. 19. 20. 15. 16-18. 50, 51. 19. 52. 20. 52, 53. 9-11. Matt, xxviii. part of ver. 18, ver. 19, 20. Mark xvi. 15, to the end. 19. 50. 12. Luke xxiv. 50, to the end. Acts i. 6-12. 19. 51. John 52,53. XX. Section XXXV. 20. 30, 31. 30,31. xxi. 25. John XX. 30, 31, and xxi. 25. xxi. 25. 196* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS, [Part VIIl. It does not appear necessary to enter into any detailed examination of the harmony pro- posed by Hales, Newcome, Macknight, or Doddridge. The first of these agrees generally with Townson — Newcome's plan is among the number studied by Cranfield, as are also those of Macknight and Doddridge. Since Mr. West's publication indeed, the differences have been very few, and are so entirely questions of opinion, that their decision does not in the least affect the veracity of the Evangelists''. Thus — it cannot be made evident at what exact time our Lord showed himself to St. Peter on the day of his resurrection, but all are agreed as to the fact. We may, in short, consider the question respecting the consistency of the four Evan- gelists, to be completely set at rest by the labors of these learned authors. They have lefl little more to be done by their successors than to incorporate the results of their labors, and thus make their researches and their dis- coveries familiar to the common reader. They will always be enumerated among the most eminent illustrators of the Sacred Volume. They have consecrated their jewels to the service of God, and their offerings will ever shine among the most brilliant ornaments of his holy temple. Note 2.— Part VHL Mark xv. 42. oi/ztog ysvo/^iivtjg, " tlie early evening being now come," or "being imme- diately past," for the word yevofiivi^g has both these meanings. The early evening began at three in the afternoon, and continued till sun- set ; or till about six, and a little after. The late, or second evening, began at six, and lasted till nine. Both evenings are called ()(///« : but St. Luke describes the earlier evening by a periphrasis, and that which began at sunset by the proper name among the Greeks, taniqa, Luke xxiv. 29. Note 3.— Part VHI. In Isaiah liii. 9. we read, — " He made his grave with the wicked. And with the rich in his death." On referring to the original, it will be ob- served that the word □"J'K'1 may be the dual ^ When this part of the work was going to press, I procured a work entitled The JVetc Trial of the Witnesses. It revives many of the exploded and long-answered objections — urges no new remarks — and does not appear worthy of more especial notice. Assertion supplies the place of argument, as is usual in the great majority of books of this nature. number, and that j?iyi is the singular. The construction therefore may be, "His death shall be with two criminals, and with one rich man'." This rendering adds great force to the prophecy. The peculiar providence of God ordained, that our Lord should suffer on a day succeeded immediately by the Jewish Sabbath, and in a place where an honorable disciple of his had a sepulchre, so lately hewn in the rock, that no one had ever been laid in it. These things decided at once where the body should be de- posited, when leave to dispose of it had been obtained by Joseph. His own new sepulchre was nigh at hand. Had it been at a distance, the case would have been altered. The follow- ers of our Lord would have been inclined to carry his body first to the house of some friend, where they would naturally suppose they could perform the ceremonies previous to interment with more honorable tokens of respect. But while they had been studying to complete them with order and decorum, the Sabbath would have come on ; and then, wherever the body was, it must have remained till that day of rest was over, and the third was begun, on which he was to rise from the dead. A providential concurrence of circumstances compelled them to take it directly from the cross to a place that best suited the great event of the third day ; and where, in tlie mean while, tlie Jewish rulers had access to it, and before the beginning of that day set a guard upon it, as a testimony against themselves. If Joseph of Arimathea had not begged the body, it would have been buried in the common grave with the male- factors. In making this request, it is not prob- able that he could have been actuated by tlie idea that he was thereby fulfilling a prophecy. We must consider tlie circumstance as one of those minute and apparently accidental events, which demonstrate to us that the providence of God overrules all the actions of man to the accomplishment of his own purposes. Note 4.— Part VIIL ON THE OPINION THAT "TWO PARTIES OF WOMEN VISITED THE SEPULCHRE." As these are the first passages in which the different women are severally referred to, we may take the opportunity of inquiring whethei that opinion may be considered as correct, which has within the last century been so stren- uously defended, — that there were two parties of women who attended at the sepidchre. We ' See Doddridge in loc. and Schoetgen on the manner in wliich the ancient Jews interpreted the passage, Hor. Hih. vol. ii. p. Tj-VJ. r)53.— Lightfoot's Harvwnii, 8vo. edit. vol. iii. p. LG8. Note 4.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *19-i must first examine the accounts of the number which were present at the crucifixion, and at the interment of the body. The women named in this part of the Gospels, besides the Virgin Mother of our Lord, are these : — Mary Magdalene, whose name occurs in all the Gospels, and, except John xix. 25., is con- stantly mentioned first. Mary the mother of James the Less, and Joses, supposed to be Mary the ^vife of Cleo- pas, the sister of our Lord's mother, John xii. 35. ; and if so, the Evangelists all speak of her. Salome, the mother of Zebedee's children ; compare Matt xxvii. 50. with Mark xv. 40. St. Mark only has given us her name. Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, mentioned by St. Luke only, viii. 3. and xxiv. 10. The blessed virgin mother of Christ having been recommended by him, while she stood by his cross, to the protection of St. John ; the mother of this his beloved disciple seems pointed out by that recommendation, as the proper person to attend and support her in the extremity of her grief, and to be with her at his abode, when he had conducted her thither ; and it is further probable that Salom6 bore this part in tlie melancholy offices of that evening, because St. Matthew mentions only tlie two Marys, with whom she is naturally joined, as sitting over against the tomb after the inter- ment ; St. Mark also mentions only these two on that occasion ; whence we presume that she was not with them when they followed the body to the sepulchre. The Galilean women, who had attended the body of our Lord to the sepulchre, and seen how he was laid, then went back to the city, to prepare spices and ointments before the com- mencement of the Sabbath, that they might be ready for use on the morning after it. To pre- pare these spices was probably little more than to purchase them, according to a remark of Dr. Lardner ; for in so populous a city as Jerusa- lem, where there was a constant, and often a sudden demand for them, they would be sold ready compounded. Short, therefore, as the time was before the Sabbatli began, it would be sufficient for this purpose. And that the women did so employ it is manifest from St. Luke, whose words literally translated run thus : — " And the women also which came with him from Galilee followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid ; and being returned, prepared spices and ointments. And tliey rested indeed the seventh day, according to the commandment ; but on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they went into the sepulchre, carrying the spices which they had prepared." — Luke xxiii. 55, 56. xxiv. L On which words Grotius observes, that nothing can be clearer than that the spices were purchased by these women on the evening VOL. II. before the Sabbath, and not after it. But this, which is so clear of the GalOean women in gen- era], is to be understood with an exception of three of them; Salom6, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James. It is probable, as hath been shown, that Salom6 was not in the procession to the sepul- chre ; and it is no less probable, that the two Marys did not quit it with the other Galilean women. Matt, xxvii. 59-Gl. The words of St. Matthew seem to imply, that even after the closing of the sepulchre, they still lingered near it, till it was too late to purchase their spices that evening. Tlic fact is certain that they purchased none till the Sabbath was past. Let us now consider the objections which have been, or may be made to this arrangement. It may be said, if we divide the women into two parties, it is not easy to apprehend how they could have been at the sepulchre without any sight of each otlier ; since all the Evangel- ists assign nearly the same time for their coming thither. It is to be remembered, that the verb sQXOfiai, used by the Evangelists, bears the sense of " going " as well as " coming ; " and it here means, the time when the women went from their several houses ; in which case there is no difficulty in conceiving the means that may have kept the two parties asunder, as long as we suppose it requisite. Let us but consider the situation of certain places in Jerusalem, and we shall find it not only possible, but probable, that these things should have fallen out as they have been stated ; and indeed tliat tliey could not well have hap- pened otherwise, if we may rely on a map of that city, not of arbitrary construction, but com- piled from ancient documents. In Zebedee's house, Salom6, whetlier then his wife or widow, would abide with her son St. John. It stood very near to that which the map of Dr. Town- son, which is here referred to, calls the Dung- gate ; which opened the nearest way to the sepulchre from that part of the town. In tliis house would be deposited the spices prepared on the preceding evening by her, Mary Mag- dalene, and the other Mary, as the most con- venient place from which they might be taken to the sepulchre. Her friends, the two Marys, who had staid at the sepulchre by themselves on Friday evening, probably lodged together, in an interior part of the city, at least more remote from the Dung-gate, and on that account went forth before it was clear daylight, that they might be in good time at Zebedee's house ; from which, when all things were ready, they and Salome proceeded to the sepulchre, so as to be there at the rising of the sun. The lodgings of Joanna, whose husband was steward to Herod, we may fix in or near the palace ; tlie direct way from which to the sepulchre was through the Gate of the Valley. It is seen, at once, that this palace and Zebedee's house 198* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIII. were in different quarters of the city. They, therefore, Avho started from either, had little inducement to make such a round, as would be necessary to call at the other ; when it was supposed tliey would all meet at the sepul- chre. The map of Dr. Townson shows also, that the distance from Herod's palace to the sep- ulchre was at least twice as much as from Zebedee's house. If, therefore, the three women that went from the latter to the sep- ulchre, and reached it about six, were half an hour ia going, they who set out from the palace, at the same rate of walking, twice the distance, would be there half an hour later. But we can hardly beheve them to have been thus expe- ditious, as to have arrived but half an hour after the first party. Early in the morning, as Joanna and one or two of her friends were prepared to set out, they had to wait for others, who might live at some distance, or not be quite so punctual ; and, when they were col- lected, the women of Galilee, and the women of Jerusalem, if any of them were slow walkers, the rest could get on no faster, if they were to keep together in a body. We may therefore well allow near an hour between the arrivals of the two companies at the sepulchre ; and this is amply sufficient for all that is supposed to have happened in the interim. The errand of the women, who had seen an angelic vision, was to the apostles ; of whom, St. John would dwell in his own house, that had been his father Zebedee's. Nor was St. Peter's far from him, John xxii. 2. To these the women would first repair, as Mary Magda- lene had before. And wherever the rest of the apostles were to be found, unless the path towards their lodgings lay through the Gate of the Valley, which we have no reason to suppose, the company that first retired from the sepul- chre could not meet the other advancing towards it. Herod's palace may be admitted to have been where the map places it. It may seem more questionable, how the site of Zebe- dee's house, originally, we may imagine, an obscure building, could be recovered, when the whole city had been razed to its foundations. But Jerusalem stood on the risings and sink- ings of very uneven grounds, intersected as well as encompassed with walls, the bases of which would remain ; and thus the parts into which it had been distributed, and the contents of each division, were more easily recollected and ascertained, than if the like calamity had befallen a city built on a plain. And the Chris- tians who had retired to Pclla, and the moun- tains beyond Jordan, before the siege, being returned to it after its destruction, would be guided by certain standing marks to the struc- tures which they had before liold in veneration. And to rebuild them as near as might be in the old places, and call them again by their old names, might be no unpleasing consolation to those who resettled in the fallen city. Nor from the desolation of Jerusalem to the present day has the succession of its Christian inhab- itants been ever long interrupted ; often as it has changed its masters, and suffered by its conquerors, Romans, Persians, Saracens, Mamalukes, and Ottomans. If fable had added its conceits to traditionary truths in these mat- ters, yet I do not find that it has interested itself about Zebedee, or told any thing of him that required his presence, or an abode for him at Jerusalem. The true reason why a house is assigned him in it seems to have been, that he really had one, the same probably which his son, St. John, called his own house (John xix. 27.) ; it might come to them from their ances- tors ; and Zebedee, though he resided in Galilee, might feel the usual reluctance to part with his inheritance, and that in the holy city. It might even be more valuable to him and his friends, at the great festivals, and on other occasions, than the price of a dwelling in such a part of the city. In order therefore to illustrate this plan, Dr. Townson has given in his elaborate work a very satisfactory map of Jerusalem, on which we may rely, as it is not one of arbitrary construc- tion, but compiled from ancient documents, by Villalpandus. In this map are distinctly pointed out the site of the house of Zebedee, of St. Mark, of St. James, and St. Thomas. Villalpandus was a learned Spaniard of Cor- dova, well known for the Commentary on Ezekiel, and Designs of Solomon's Temple ; and celebrated by many authors of name for his skill and accuracy in these researches. Among other eminent men who have adopted his to- pography of Jerusalem as the most satisfactory, is Bishop Walton, in his Polyglott. These four houses that are numbered in Dr. Townson's map, and did not come properly under the consideration of Villalpandus, are from the view of Jerusalem, given by Cotovicus, an eminent civilian of Utrecht, who visited Palestine in the year of our Lord 1598. Though in this view he sets down the Dung- gate not as it stands in Villalpandus, but as in the present city, much changed in situation and shape from its ancient form ; yet he places the houses in question precisely as they are dis- posed in Villalpandus's map, near to a line by which he distinguishes the course of the wall that divided tlie old city from Mount Calvary. Herman Witsius says of him, that he examined Jerusalem with curious eyes. And so certainly thought a traveller of great note, who was there about twelve years after him, our coun- tryman, Mr. George Sandys. For the draw- ings of Cotovicus of the temple, of the holy sepulchre, and other parts of Jerusalem, are closely followed in Sandys' Travels ; and the praise which Mr. MaundrcU bestows on the Note 4.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *199 latter for exactness in these matters belonsfs equally to the other. The map of Villalpandus, with the addition of the houses from Cotovicus, illustrates the in- cidents of the morning of the resurrection, as if it were fabricated for that very purpose. And yet we may venture to affirm, that these learned men had not the most distant idea of the use to which their designs are applicable. Their notion, it may be presumed, was the same as was generally entertained, that the women all went to the sepulchre in one company, which is not particularly favored by either place sep- arately ; and, when they are thus united, is rather discountenanced by them ; for hence it appears, while all the women were hastening to the same place, how much time some of them must lose by going to join the others, for the sake of setting out with them. The history not being framed to tally with the map, nor the map with the history, their undesigned agree- ment adds to the credibility of both. Leaving, however, all arguments of tliis na- ture, let us consider the more authentic evidence derived from the sacred narrative itself, that tlie women were divided into two parties. These, for the sake of method and clearness, shall be reduced under certain heads. 1. St. Mark's account of the women that Avent to the tomb on the morning of the resur- rection, does, in just construction, exclude all but those whom he names. He speaks of these women, or some of them, in the five following places. First, " There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less, and of Joses and Salom6 ; " XV. 40. Secondly, " And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid ;" xv. 47. Thirdly, " And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James and Salom6, bought sweet spices, that they might go and anoint him ;" xvi. 1. Fourthly, " And very early in the morn- ing of the first day of the week they go unto the tomb ; " xvi. 2. Fifthly, " Now Jesus, having risen early the first day of the week, appeared first to Mary Magdalene ;" xvi. 9. 2. St. Luke's account does not include the women named by St. Mark; it bears tokens of being the description of an entirely distinct company. In speaking of the women that attended the body of Christ from the cross to the tomb, St. Luke does not say, the women also that came with him from Galilee ; but, as we shall find if we consult the original, " women also that came with him from Galilee" (Luke xxiii. 55.), there being no article accompanying yvi'ulxF;, which therefore allows us, with good reason, to conjecture that he intended to com- prehend only the majority, not the whole com- pany of these women, in his subsequent account of them ; nor at present does he mention any of them by name. He speaks of them as fol- lows : " And women also that came with him from Galilee followed after, and beheld tlie tomb, and how his body was laid ; and, being returned, prepared spices and ointments." 3. The accounts given of the conduct of the women, when they arrived at the tomb, imply a first and second company. And besides the vision to Mary Magdalene alone, there were two angelic appearances and speeches, each to a different set of women, in the tomb. St. John says, that when Mary Magdalene saw the stone taken away from the tomb, " she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, 'They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him,' " xx. 2. As these words evi- dently imply that the other women who came to the tomb with Mary Magdalene felt the same disappointment and concern with her in the same situation ; so also they clearly show, that, before the women entered the tomb, they were very well assured that tlie body of Jesus was not in it. They imply another thing : that so early was the arrival of the women at the tomb, that they had not the smallest idea that any of his friends would be there before them to get it open. But this will receive still greater confirmation from the two subsequent positions. 4. The accounts given of the behaviour of the women in the tomb are accounts of two different parties. The women, whom St. Matthew and St. Mark speak of, were affrighted, not only at the first sight of the angel, but after he had done speaking to them. Both Evangelists repre- sent them as hastening away from his pres- ence, by going out quickly, and fleeing from the tomb. But the women described by St Luke were calm and composed ; and if they had recovered such presence of mind while the angels were yet speaking, there is no reason to imagine that, having heard such happy intelligence, tliey were then seized with a sudden terror, and fled from the tomb trembling and amazed. St. Luke's words certainly convey no such idea of their departure from it. 5. The speech of the two angels, considered as spoken to a subsequent company, has an obvious propriety. It would be presumption to affirm, antece- dently, what the two angels ought or ought not to have spoken ; but when we have their speech before us, we may examine and judge, whether the circumstances of it suit better with the whole company of the women, or with one part of them, not exactly in the same situation with the other. If the women did not visit the tomb all together, the gomg thither of Joanna and 200* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIII. her party has been rightly placed, after Mary Magdalene had left it a second time, and when our Lord had showed himself to her. And but a short space intervened between this going thither, and his meeting the two Marys and Salome, saying unto tliem, "All hail!" At tills juncture it was that the two angels were addressing themselves to Joanna and those who had just searched the tomb with her. When tlierefore Christ was not only risen, but had ap- peared in that body which the Father had raised from the grave, it might well be asked of those, who were much perplexed because they found not his body where it had been deposited, " Why seek ye the living among the dead ? " In every point of view, then, the division of the women into two distinct companies, going successively to the tomb on the morning of the resurrection, corresponds exactly with the evangelical accounts of the incidents of that morning. It embraces all the circumstances related of the women, and of the angels seen by them, and unites the whole into one intel- ligible, consistent history. See, both for this and the subsequent notes on the following sections, Cranfield's Harmony of the Resurrection, and Dr. Townson's Dis- courses, with their references. Note 5.— Part VIII. We read, in Matt, xxvii. 59-61, " And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock : and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And (or. But) there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sitting over against tlie sepulchre." The words seem to imply an opposition between the departing of Joseph, and the abiding of the two women ; and that this sitting over against the tomb was sub- sequent to the closing of it with a great stone. This solemn act could not force them away from the object of their grief. They still lin- gered as near to it as they could, sitting on the ground. And in this posture of mourning they continued, till reverence for the Sabbath obliged them to retire ; when it was too late to prepare their contingent of spices. — Dr. Townson, vol. ii. p. 86. the morning when he arose, sufficiently proves that they had not anticipated any other obstacle to the embalming the body, but that which might be occasioned by the size of tlie stone. They were utterly unprepared to meet with a guard, or to find the seal of the Sanhedrin on the tomb. This conduct, however, of the rulers of the people, was attended with many important ad- vantages. They satisfied themselves that the dead body was safely lying in the tomb, before they proceeded to place the seal. Their testi- mony, therefore, that our Lord was really dead, must have corroborated in the strongest manner the great truth of the resurrection, and that our Lord had risen, as the apostles declared ; for no common power could have eluded the jealous caution of the rulers, or have escaped the pro- verbial vigilance of a Roman guard. Their sealing the sepulchre also prevented the viola- tion of the tomb, by any of the guard themselves, who might have been tempted to steal tlie spices in which the body was enclosed. Note 6.— Part VIII. This conduct of the Pharisees and chief priests compelled them also to become unwilling witnesses of the resurrection of our Lord. Tlie attempt of the women to enter the sepulchre on Note 7.— Part VIII. The word riydoacruv properly signifies not "they had bought," but "they bought." The Vulgate renders it " emerunt." Mary Magda- lene and the other Mary had staid at the sep- ulchre till it was too late to buy their spices ; but both they and Salom6 took the earliest op- portunity of procuring them after the Sabbath was over; that is, after six o'clock in the evening of Saturday, the day preceding the resurrection. The word was rendered " had bought," by our translators, on sufficient au- thority ; for the perfect tense is sometimes used in tliis manner. — (See Chandler on Matt, xxviii. 17.) It is, however, most probable, that they supposed this translation to be absolutely necessary to render the Evangelists consistent with themselves. In Luke xxiii. 56., they read that the spices were prepared before the evening of the Sabbath. They supposed, according to the general notion, that there was one party only of women ; and imagined there would be an absurdity in so translating Mark xvi. 1., as if that one party had procured additional spices after the Sabbatli. Whereas it is by a scrupu- lous adherence to the plain meaning of the Scripture tliat all difficulties are removed. The comparison of these two passages might alone have been sufficient to show that there were two parties of women. This seems to have escaped the attention of Mr. Valpy ; who, in his valuable edition of the Greek Testament, ob- serves, that the word ought to be rendered as if it was pretorpluperfect. His argume'it is derived from Luke xxiii. 5G., which refers only to the other party of women. Note 8.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *•: •201 Note 8.— Part VIII. on the time whex the womex set oct for, a>'d arrived at, the sepulchre. We now come to the question concerning the time wlien the women set out for, and reached, tlie sepulchre. This difficulty, like all others, vanishes on a careful examination of the language of tlie Evangelists. Lightfoot" has attempted to illustrate the various expressions of tlie Evangelists, which describe the time when the women came to tlie sepulchre, from the distinction of twilight among the rabbins. His reasoning is founded on the old supposition, that there was but one party of women; and is, besides, arbitrary and unsupported by authority. To inquire more accurately into tlie time, we must endeavour to ascertain the full meaning of the terras which are used by the Evangelists. The words of St. Matthew are, oif't db auSSdrwr, t^ inttfotaxovaij elg fdav aaQS&rwv, ^Ids. "Late after' the Sabbath, at the dawning of the first day of the week." TVj i,TKpw(7xoi'ai7, " at the dawning," is used for (Tvv T-^ £0) ^TTKpiorrxovcrri, "along with the dawning morn." 'Hide — the proper meaning of this word seems to be, that they set out from their homes at this time. The word sg/ofiat signifies both, " to go to," or, " set off" to," as well as, " to arrive at," any place. Mark xvi. 1, 2. lov diuysvofiivov auSSdrov, Xlui' 7T0u)t TT]g fiia; au66<j.rwv. " After the Sabbath was thoroughly past, very early on the first day of the week." Here diuyBvotiivov aaSSurov, is explanatory of Matthew's dipe auSSdiMi' : 8ia in composi- tion strengthening the signification. IJcjuji in- cludes the whole time of the early watch ; and, " The distinction of twilight among the rabbins is thus given by Lightfoot; — 1. NiniyT XhV'N " The hind of the morning, the very first percept- ible light of the dawn, the women went towards the sepulchre." 2. pSS nS^n ^1! "I'D-kJ-n " when the difterence between purple and white may be distinguished." 3. minn IIN'ii'O '-when the east begins to lighten." 4. nonn "J3 " sun-rise." According to tliese four phrases we may interpret the evangelical narratives. St. Matthew saj-s. r^- inicpuxixui'av,, "as it began to dawn." St. Johii says, .Toiut' axoria: trt oyojj?, " early in the morn- ing, while it was yet dark." St. Luke's expres- sion corresponds to the third, oq&qov j*Ja^f oc, " very early in the morning ; '" and St. Mark uses a phrase corresponding to the fourth, Jlay ttqm'i, " very early in the morning ; " and yet araTtu.avToc rot) ■i/^iov, '• at the rising of the sun." — Lightfoot's Works, Dr. Bright's edit. vol. ii. p. 359. * The word oi/t ought to be translated •• after." " late after," or ■■ long after ; " for the Sabbath among the Jews ended on the Saturday night, when it could not be dawning towards the first day of the week. Schmidius has quoted Plut. in \uma, hxi'i rod ;iLxnif.h-K /oi'irov, '■ after the time of the king ; '■ and Philostratus, 6\i'i rwr Toouxox-, " after the Trojan war." — See also Bos. Exercit. ap. Bow- yer, p. 134. VOL. II. *26 to mark the dawn, Mark adds Uav, "very," which is especially put elliptically for iwvxov lluv, by Mark himself, i. 35. " very far in the night." The nqbit was the epithet given to the last watch, from three in the morning to sLx ; the time therefore implied by St. Mark was proba- bly about four o'clock, or a little after. Luke expresses the time, t-j] dl fua wv aafityiicuv oodoov ^adiog. " On the first day of the week, while the rising [sun] teas deep" sunk bcneatli the horizon. The morning twilight begins as soon as the sun arrives within eighteen degrees below the horizon, for then the smallest stars disappear. This phrase also is used by the best classical writers : Aristophanes, Thucydides, Aristides, &c. use it, and Plato explains it, ~H oi ngoit 'hi ianv ; nav^ /hsp ovv — oqdqog (iadvg. "Is it not yet early — surely it is — the rising [sun] is deep." — Crito, p. 32. It is not, however, of so much importance to consider, in this place, the passage of St. Luke, as he relates the time at which the second party proceeded to the sep- ulchre". John expresses the precise time of the nQut or " early watch," differently from Mark. Tf^ de aia twj' aaSSdcTCJi', ttquA, axorlag Mri ovaijg. " On the first day of the week, early, lohile it tvas still dark.'" This is more definite than St. Mark. Uxojlu should not be rendered " dark," as in our translation. It is a diminutive of axordg. ITqodI, in' r^oT, ol aiv TEv/sai- -d^cog/i/- dePTsg. "Early about morn, they armed with tlieir weapons," where I'.-r' ifil seems to be a contraction of inocpojaxovai^g ?w, " sublucente Aurora." The first part only of tlie second verse of Mark xvi. is inserted in this section, on the supposition of Townson, and more particularly of Cranfield, who considers the latter clause only to relate to tlie arrival of the women at the sepulchre, while the former refers to the time of their leaving home''. The principal difficulty in reconciling these various accounts arises from the expression here used by St. Mark, the word eQ/ofiia being supposed, by commentators, to signify both to arrive at the sepulchre, or to leave their owti homes to go there. "Those who support the latter opinion," says Mr. Cranfield, " have no doubt tlie best of tlie argument, and have of- fered very probable reasons for the justness of their plans'." However, as some have objected to tliis opinion, it may be proper to see how far the setting out of tlie women admits of incon- trovertible proof, by a comparison witli one text 30. ' Vide section x. and note. ^ West On the Resurrection, third edition, p. 38, ' See Godwin's Moses and .^aron, lib. iii. p. 81, 82; and Bishop Newcome's Harmony of the Gos- pels, notes, p. 58. 202* NOTES ON ™E gospels. [Part VIH and the other ; in order to wliich, it is necessary that we should first bring in view the following words of St. Mark, Kc/l liuv nqwl — aq'/oviai inl TO fiVTjfielor, xvi. 2. The word nquA signifies the last quarter of the night, called the morning watch, consisting of the three hours next before the rising of the sun, and ended at it-''. The phrase Uav ttqwI, must denote the beginning, or not long after the beginning, of this watch, and also the dawning of the day ; as will easily appear from another passage in the same Evangelist, which is ngtufi, evwxov Uur, chap. i. 35. The word ewv/ov, as it stands here, I suppose to signify the darlmess of the night ; and St. Mark appears to have used it explana- tory of A/a^ TiQoil. The meaning, therefore, of the whole phrase seems to be, towards the end- ing of the night, or near the dawning of the day ; and perhaps the words may admit of a more proper translation than that we find in the established version, viz. " Very early in the morning, towards the dawning of the day." It might hence be fairly concluded, had we no other argument to go upon, that Uav it gait (xvi. 2.) signifies somewhat the same time as Xiuv ngu)t (i. 35.) But that the phrase alludes to the dawning of the day appears evident from the parallel place in St. John, where the words axorlag sti oijay^g, are designed to show in what part of his ngait the act of the women took place. It is also worthy of regard, that St. Matthew likewise, in the parallel passage, speaks of the act of the women as taking place at the dawn. The word Uav, therefore, is used in a very emphatic and significant sense, and every way concurs to show that St. Mark meant to point out by it, the early part of the morning watch, or the beginning of the dawn. But the same Evangelist (xvi. 9.) has dropped the very significant llnr, and only says, that Jesus arose Ttgoil. This variation of expression, in respect of diflferent facts, denotes that Avhat the one de- scribed as taking place liav ttqo)!; " very early in the morning," did happen prior in time to that which took place, ngMi; only " early in the morning." The dropping of an adjunct of a superlative sense, and using the word of posi- tive import only, by itself, is a strong indication of this. When the women now arrived at the sepulchre, they were almost instantly acquaint- ed by the angelic vision that Jesus was risen. He arose therefore before the women arrived : but his resurrection took place ttoidT, only " early in the morning ;" consequently St. Mark has used the verb {Qxofitti,, to express some other act of the women which took place Hup jTOL'rf, "very early in the morning," before Jesus arose ; and what can this be but their setting out from their homes ? Now the rest of the Evangelists express, by the same verb, an act of the same women which took place at break ■^ See Cranfield's observations in loc. of day, a point of time exactly parallel with the U(xi' 7TQML of St. Mark : but this cannot be their arrival, because the distance of the sepulchre from Jerusalem was such, as to render it alto- gether impossible that they could be there in- stantaneously. They therefore speak of the setting out of the women ; and this is agree- able to the series of St. Matthew's narration. We shall only observe, that the Evangelists have left us to infer the arrival of the women from their subsequent contexts ; in which it is so clearly implied, that there was no necessity for them to give us any express information about it. The words of the section, then, may be thus paraphrased : — Matt, xxviii. 1. After the Sabbath, Mark xvi. 2. at about four in the morning, the first day in the week, John XX. 1. while it was still dark, Matt, xxviii. 1, as the dawn of the first day of the week was beginning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary left their home, Mark xvi. 2. and go to the tomb, Matt, xxviii. 1. to view the tomb. Note 9.— Part VIII. Bishop Horslet has supposed that the women saw the descent of the angel, and tlie rolling away the stone ; but it is evident that this opinion is erroneous, for they did not arrive till it had already been removed. Compare Mark xvi. 4. Markland^ observes on these words, asiafidg iyipszo fiiyag, "there had been a great trembling among the soldiers," not an eartliquake. Hesychius aeia/A6s- TQO/uog. Note 10.— Part VIII. Matt, xxvii. 52, 53. — Kal ttoIM aiouura — ^lyigdr/. Kul t^eXdot'Tcg tx Twr juiij/uelun' fierdc j^p fyegaip aviov, eiar^Wov Flgjy-^p aylup noi-ip. This seems to be the best way to read this pas- sage. When he yielded up the ghost, the graves opened : and after his resurrection the bodies of those who had been dead went into Jerusalem, and appeared to their friends. They wore the first-fruits of the resurrection''. The Jews believed, that in the time of their Messiah, the bodies of their patriarchal ances- tors sliould arise from the dead. It is demand- ed, Why did the patriarchs so earnestly desire to be buried in the land of Israel ? Because they died in that land, and in tiiat land they shall ^ Markland ap. Bowyer, p. 135. '' Grotius apud Bowyer's Critical Conjectures, p. 132. Note 1L] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *203 live again in the clays of tlieir Messiahs And again, the promised hind is called mon in^S "the land of their desire," because the patri- achs enjoyed there many blessings. Jacob desired to be removed to that land, because he and his ancestors should there live again, m the days of the Messiah — n'?nn □''H cnrTiy 'JDO There is another tradition to be found also in the book Sohar, wliich speaks in such an evi- dently scriptural manner on the subject of the future resurrection, that it is most probable it has been borrowed from the writings of St. PauV. There is certainly no absurdity in the suppo- sition of Fleming, that many of the saints of the Old Testament might have now risen, and been miraculously revealed to some of the more de- pressed of our Lord's disciples. Neither is it impossible that this might have been a part of the expectation of Abraham, when he rejoiced to see the day of Christ, and he saw it, and was glad*. Klopstock, in his Messiah, has made a most beautiful use of the opinion, that the bodies of the patriarchs, and others of the Old-Testa- ment saints, arose at this time. How great must have been the astonishment of the people and of their rulers, when they passed by the sepulchres of the dead to behold them open, and the bodies that had been buried visible, and slowly and gradually, perhaps, recovering from the repose of death! Here would have been seen the venerable figure of some aged patriarcli, bursting the cearments of the tomb, the folds and wrappings of the em- balmer. There, miglit be seen the beloved form of some cherished cliild, or parent, over whose recent grave the flowers had not yet ceased to bloom, who was still lamented, and still wept, bearing witness to the great event. It is not impossible that many of those who had beheld the actions, and believed in the words of the Son of God, while on earth, were now re- stored to life, and were permitted to appear to their friends, as an undeniable evidence of the truth of Christ's resurrection, and of his con- quest over death and the grave. The tombs of tiie rich and the poor opened to the gaze of the astonished spectator: "the corruptible put on incorruption, and the mortal assumed immortal- ity." The bones were seen to come together ; the sinews and the flesh to unite and to revive. The monuments of marble, the sepulclu-es of * Brescith Rabba, sect. xcvi. fol. 93. 4. and Schnnoth Rabba, sect, xxxii. fol. 131. 2. ap. Schoet- gen, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 237. J Sohar Chadasch, fol. 45. 1. " Ubi de Messia sermo est, quod tempore Jubilsei venturus sit, quando buccina clangent : et a clangore, et sonitu buccinarum, evigilabunt Patres nostri in medio spcluncsG, snn3 ppSnDM et surgent in spiritu, et veniont ad cos," ap. Schoetgen. * 111 the unpublished papers of Lord Barrington, in a letter to Dr. Lardner, I find some very curious and original ideas on this subject. rock, shook and were rent asunder. The mouldering dust, by a silent and mysterious process, assumed again its form and features, and acknowledged the power of an invisible Conqueror over the last great enemy of man. The combat between death and life was again renewed, and death was swallowed up in vic- tory. Scenes, such as these, but ten thousand times moresubhme and wonderful, are reserved for those that shall be alive in the latter days upon the earth ; when the trump of the Arch- angel shall sound, and the Mediator, attended with all the company of angels, in the glory of his Father, shall receive the full recompence of Ids sacrifice : for his voice shall call the dead from their graves, and, amidst tlie wreck of humanity, announce to the astonished living, that the reign of immortality has begun, and that the triumph of their God is complete. The veil which hides the future world from the intrusion of man, seems to be partly removed when we read this passage. Time may engrave his changes upon us ; the eye may lose its bril- liance, the limb its activity, the frame its strength ; but, God be thanked for the consola- tion of a Christian, and the hope of a resurrec- tion to life ! The religion of Him who died for man, and laid waste the empire of death in that moment when he yielded to its sceptre, can support us through the miseries of this state of trial, and bear us safely through the valley of darkness and corruption. This religion is the only solid foundation of hope, or happiness, both here and hereafter. Note 1L— Part VIH. I HAVE adopted the emendation of text in this passage proposed by Mr. Cranfield, after a care- ful consideration of the reasoning of Archbishop Newcome and Dr. Benson. The text requires only to be pointed differently ; and, without any alteration of the Greek Vulgate text, the whole passage is made consistent. The original reads thus: ver. 2. ILnv Tr^/i TTJg fxiag aaSSuTbiv {q- ^ovrat inl t6 f/VTjfj.Eiov, divuTeQ-avTo; tov i^lov : ver. 3. xul eXeyof ngog, x. t. I. If we place a period at /urijueToi', and read the beginning of ver. 3. witli the latter part of ver. 2, as one sentence, the narrative is complete, and the difficulty arising from the impossibility of uniting Xluv ttqcoI: with uvaTsllavjoc tov i\}.iov, vanishes. I have done this. The former part of the verse is in Section VII ; it reads thus — Ver. 2. They came unto the tomb. 3. And they said to each other, 2. About the rising of the sun, 3. Who shall roll away, &c. The same reading was in the harmony' of Am- ' Vide Milliuni in loc. edit. Kusteri. 204* NOtl^S 0T< THE GUfcSPELS. [Part VIII. monius : et orto jam sole dicebant ; and in the ^thiopic version. I shall subjoin Mr. Cranfield's remarks on the criticisms which have been proposed to remove the difficulty, and to which he rightly objects. Mark xvi. 2. — this place, as it stands in the re- ceived text, has created great embarrassment to the commentators and harmonists, owing to the difficulty of reconciling the descriptive divuielhiVTog lov i^Uov, with the descriptive Xiuv TiQMi. For this question is obvious. How can the dawning of the day be at the rising of the sun ? or, in other words. How can two hours before sunrise be no space of time ? Such is the natural question that arises from perusing the received text of the above place ; and there- fore, as this text labors under so great an in- consistency, there must be a fault in it ; but, as it is not possible that so gross a blunder (lying within the small compass of thirteen words) could escape the notice of St. Mark, who ap- pears, in many instances, which it is needless to point out, to be a clear and circumspect writer, the received reading cannot be genuine. Two ways have been proposed for removing the diffi- culty. It has been said, that if we adopt the reading of Beza's MS. which is dvuTilXovTog, oriente^, the seeming inconsistency in St. Mark will thus be reconciled ; for Uav nqoSt cannot admit o^ dvaTellavjOQ. To which I must reply, that neither can it admit o^ iivaxsllovTog, unless it can be proved that this word signifies the dawning of the day ; a sense which surely no accurate person will attempt to assert it possessed of. The word must signify, at least, that the upper limb of the sun was very near the sensible horizon, and therefore, as there can only be the difference of a few minutes between the times denoted by this reading and that in the received text, I think it very immaterial which we follow. Another way proposed to remedy the dif- ficulty is, that sQxoi'Tui should be taken with lluv TTQoil, in the sense of "going," or "setting out," and always understood with uvaielhicrTog t5 i)Uov, in that of " coming," or " arriving." The ellipsis, however, which this opinion intro- duces, is certainly very harsh and unusual ; and, I think, too farfetched for being adopted, as it does not seem to flow in an easy manner from the context of the Evangelist ; for Uap nooit and ivarelXavTog toO ^illov are evidently made by the common reading of the place, to be both connected with the same verb, e^/orTin ; and therefore the proposer of this solution should have offered one important amendment to make good his opinion. What this is may easily be seen by part of what follows. In the most ancient MSS. there is no distinction of words ; no space left between every two words. but all the letters in one line are close together. This being the case, we have warranty to point the text so as to exclude out of it the sen- tence in which Uay nomil is, which may be done by placing a period or full stop imme- diately afler the word fu'rjfjetov. This would entirely remove the difficulty ; for then <ivu~ Tslluvzog jov i\Uov would have no connection with lluv TiQwi, and it would clearly appear, that the two descriptive phrases related to different times, for which, in all probability, the Evangelist intended them both, &.c. Note 12.— Part VIII. Looking up they saw with surprise, v^ccopoiio-ij', that the stone was rolled away, r^v yd^ ^iyag acpodQa, " for it was very great." This was the cause of their surprise. — See Bowyer, p. 181. Note 13.— Part VIII. ON THE FORM AND DIMENSIONS OF JEWISH SEPULCHRES. The distance of the holy sepulchre from Jerusalem was not one mile. It is necessary to remember this fact to account for the rapid going and coming of the agitated and anxious followers of Christ. Mary Magdalene, as soon as she discovers the stone is rolled away, leaves her companions, without approaching to examine the sepulchre, to inform St. Peter and St. John of this unexpected occurrence ; no doubt hoping to receive some explanation from them, or to have the benefit of their exertions in this unlooked-for event. Other difficulties in the account of the resur- rection arise from our not sufficiently under- standing the form of the sepulchres which were used by the Jews. The form of the sepulchres among the Jews is thus prescribed by the rabbis" — "He that selleth his neighbour a place of burial, and he that takes of his neighbour a place of burial, let him make the inner parts of the cave four cubits, and six cubits ; and let him open within it [013 'n eight sepulchres. They were accustomed, says the gloss, to bury the same family in the same cave ; whence if any one sold his neighbour a place for burial, he sells him room for two caves, and a floor in the middle. "jID is the very place where the body is laid." It cannot, however, be supposed that every "' Bishop Newcome's Harmony of the Gospels, " Bava Bat lira, cap. vi. Hal. ult. ap. Liglitfoot notos, p. .')4 ; Benson on 1 TJicss. ii. 7. note N. and Cliomir. Crntury, Works, vol. ii. p. 8'J, i)0. Dr 2 Thess. ii. 13. Bright's edition. Note 13.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *205 person who might wish to purchase a burial place, if he desired it for himself alone, was compelled to conform to this law. It will be observed, that nothing is said of Joseph of Arimathea requiring this sepulchre for his family, it seems indeed to have been peculiarly his own for his own use. The rabbins (says Dr. Townson) prescribe that a Hebrew sepulchre should have a court before it, through which you are to pass to the door tliat leads into the cave or proper place of sepulture. They direct the court to be made of six cubits, or nine feet square". There is an area or portico of the prescribed dimensions before that which is now called the holy sepulchre, and which seems not ill entitled to the name wliicli it has long borne. For though in the reign of the Emperor Adrian the sepulchre of Christ was buried under a vast mount of earth, and on this mount was set up an object of pagan worship in despite to the Christians, yet the place was pointed out to them by these very signs of idolatry standing over it ; and when this mountain of earth, with all that had been erected over it, was about two centuries after cleared away, by order of Constantine the Great, then, as Eusebius expresses it, " the cave, the Holy of Holies, obtained a similitude of our Saviour's resurrec- tion ;" which words allude not only to tlie burial and resurrection of the blessed body that had lain in this sepulchre, but also to the form of the Jewish sanctuary. For the title of Holy of Holies given to the cave imports, that it had a holy place before it, and was divided into two, like the sanctuary. It is therefore an indirect testimony of Eusebius, a native of Pal- estine, where he lived many years, concerning the platfonn of our Lord's sepulchre. Let us now examine the form of it by the Evangelists. St. Matthew tells us that the angel "rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it," (Matt, xxviii. 2.); St. Mark, that tlie women saw this angel, or "young man clothed in a long white garment (xvi. 5.) sitting on the right side." But they did not perceive him till they were entered into the sepulchre. He had therefore not rolled the stone out of it, but to one side of it ; yet he had rolled it from the door. The door therefore was in a partition tliat divided the sepulchre in two ; and the whole of the inward division was not visible to those who stood in the outer. The angel said to the women, "Come, see the place where tlie Lord lay," (Matt, xxviii. 6.) They were there- fore standing where they did not command a sight of that place ; yet they were within the sepulchre ; for as soon as he had finished his speech to them, they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre. Mark xvi. 8. So St Mark " Nicolai de Srpulchris Hehraorum, lib. ill. cap. ii. p. 178. VOL. II. says ; and so also St. Matthew, rightly under- stood ; for his words are, " they departed quickly from the sepulchre," (Matthew xxviii. 8.), means evidently they departed quickly out of the sepulchre ; as the same mode of expression is translated in other passages. Thus the real, as the reputed sepulchre, consisted of a place of sepulture, and an enclosed court or area, as did often the sepulchres of the Greeks. Mrrifiu, or ^vrjfiflor, is tlie general name given by the Evangelists to the tomb ; but T6i.cfog is the word used by St. Matthew. The fiitj/neTov, or whole of the sepulchre, consisted of the rdqpoc, or place where the body was deposited, and the axinrj, or outer court''. The sepulchre is called in tlie original Mne- ma, or Mnemeion, by all the Evangelists ; but St. Matthew has besides another word on this occasion in Greek, Taphos ; and his use of this word carries such marks of discrimination, and he is so little apt to deal in a variety of terms, when one will precisely answer his intent, that it may be justly concluded that St. Matthew em- ploys two words, because one of them some- times expresses his meaning more exactly than the other, and that they are distinct in his accep- tation of them, as much as with us a " church " and its " chancel." What was in the Taphos was within the Mnemeion ; but what was in the Mnemeion was not therefore within the Taphos. The Jewish rulers, who would take what they judged the most certain measures to retain the body of Christ in their possession, requested a guard for tlie Taphos, (Matt, xxvii. 64.) The Taphos they secured by sealing the stone, (ver. 6G.) The two Marys sat over against the Ta- phos on Friday evening, (ver. 61.) The women went to visit tlie Taphos, as the great object of their care, early on Saturday morning, (Matt, xxviii. 1.) In this therefore the body had been laid ; but because they had not been in it, when they saw the angel, and as soon as he had done speaking to them fled away, they are said to have " departed quickly out of tlie Mnemeion." (ver. 8.) Now if the two words are of different application in St. Matthew, it is plain there was a difference in the places to which they are applied'. Mr. Cranfield objects to this opinion of Dr. Townson, that tlie angel appeared to the first party of women, in the outer couit, sitting on the stone, on the right side. He endeavours to prove at some length, that the angel was witliin, in the inner part of the tomb. As this question, however, does not appear of much importance ^ Potter's .Antiquities, vol. ii. book iv. chap. vii. p. 221 . tliird edition. ' The inner part of the tut;tifior was also called /M>;iifror, thus xal. To ut>;iifror r'o jov ^ vy 01 se ar to- iiaTor uyoix^^r*.^ phrase wJiich evidently restrains 1/ ii;i(f ror to the signification of nothinjr more than the mere tomb, in which the body of Augustus was laid. ♦ Xiphilini Epitome DionU, p. 523. ap. Cranfield. 206* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIII. to the history, I shall merely refer to the dis- cussion of the point — it will be found in p. 548, observations on section i. Note 14.— Part VIII. Their emotion and agitation were so great that they were confused and overpowered with the mingled sentiments of astonishment, incre- dulity, fear, and delight. What will be our own overpowering emotions when we shall behold the same Saviour in glory, on our own resur- rection from the dead ! Note 15.— Part VIII. I HAVE preferred the decision of Townson and West, to that of Dr. Lardner and Mr. Cran- ficld, with respect to the insertion of Luke xxiv. 12. as parallel with this passage of St. John. West's arguments on this point induced both Pilkington and Doddridge to alter their harmo- nies according to his arrangement. There is reason to believe that the Evangelists have ob- served, in the events they severally record on the subject of the resurrection, an exact order of time. But this is an exception, if St. Luke and St. John botli describe the same going of St. Peter to the sepulchre : for that in which St. Peter and St. John went together was be- fore any report of the women concerning a vision of angels. Wlien St. Peter went with St. John, it was in consequence of his interview with Mary Magdalene ; it is expressly asserted that he descended into the sepulchre, and saw the linen clothes lie ; he went at this time to be satisfied that the body was actually removed. In the visit mentioned by St. Luke, it appears that his object was to ascertain if he also could see the angels who had been visible to the women, mentioned Matt, xxviii. 8. The two visits of St. Peter are represented as proceed- ing from different motives, and the circum- stances attending them are related as having taken place at separate parts of the tomb. See Townson, Cranfield, West, and theu- references. Note 16.— Part VIIL The disciple whom Jesus loved came first to the sepulchre, and whei. he had stooped (stand- ing on the floor of the outer apartment, that lie might look into the burying-place), saw the linen clothes lie ; yet went ho not in. But Peter went in, &c. that is, from the floor he went down into the cave itself, where the rows of graves were, TDID, in which, however, the body of Jesus only had been deposited. St. Peter entered and examined the tomb, St. John went in also ; and he says of himself, " And he saw and believed''." What he saw was the same that St. Peter did : but what did he believe ? An answer to this, I trust, we shall be able to collect from some circum- stances in the history. When Peter went into the tomb he saw the linen clothes, xElfisroc, lying at full length, as when the body was in them ; and the napkin, h'TEivXiyfiivov, folded up in wreathes in the form of a cap", as it had been when it was upon our Lord's head. The Apostle, &sutQET, accurately viewed, with some degree of contemplation, the burial clothes lying thus in such remarkable order : and it is no wonder he was astonished at this state of the tomb, which he could not account for ; and though it might have seemed to him to border somewhat on the miraculous, yet it does not appear, from this part of the history, that he had any idea of the reality of our Lord's resiu-rection'. The astonishment of Peter excited the atten- tion of John, who then went down into the sepul- chre, and on seing that the body must have miraculously slipped out of its grave clothes, wliich lay in their right order, he saw and be- lieved. St. John's belief, then, of the resurrection arose from what he saw ; " He saw and be- lieved :" but, at the same time, he honestly and candidly acknowledges his " slowness of heart to believe the sure word of prophecy ;" and seems in a manner to reprehend himself for grounding his belief merely on what he saw, when he should have founded it rather on the unerring prophecies of Scripture, which were written for his learning; but he adds, as an apparent apology, "that they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead." The interpretation contended for seems to flow in a natural and easy manner from the context of the Evangelist, and shows the inutility of ^k before inlaTsvaev in the Cambridge MS. or version ; the Latin transla- tion of which has no negative particle". But however we must be allowed to assert, that neither a report nor insinuation of the resurrec- tion was necessary to John's believing it; he might have believed the resurrection, and did believe it, as the context of the Evangelist shows, without any prior report ; and he in- ferred it, as he reasonably might, from the state of the tomb, which afforded to an impartial and tlioughtful mind, a very strong presumptive argument of the reality of that miracle. When St. John therefore entered the tomb, and accurately examined the linen clothes, a new '' John XX. 8. ' Luke xxiv. 12. ' Luko xxiv. 25, 26. " See Doddridge's Family Expositor. Note 17, 18.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *20T combination of ideas must have extorted from iiim a belief which he could not have had before ; a belief of something more momentous than the report that the body had been taken away : and what belief could this have been but of the resurrection ? We may observe also, that St John's believing the resurrection from what he saw is contrasted witli his not knowing, and therefore not believing, it from Scripture. If it be said, that when the women told the eleven of the resurrection, the apostles disbe- lieved -them, and received their report as idle tales, and that this account therefore is incon- sistent with St. John's believing the resurrec- tion, it may be answered, it is not necessary to suppose that St. John made a public declaration of his belief; he might have thought it prudent to keep it inwardly to himself; for, " he might have believed that Christ had risen again, though this faith or belief was yet weak, and stood in need of some further proof to confirm it." Therefore, while the women were report- ing their glad tidings, and most of the Apostles scoffing at them as idle tales, St. John, who had no positive certainty of the truth of what they asserted, might have held his peace, and said nothing either for or against them ; in which case, it might have been then presumed, that he was in the same mood of thinking as the others, though he takes care himself to tell us, that he was not". Note 17.— Part VIII. " Mart," says Lightfoot, " stood at the sep- ulchre without; that is, within tlie cave, on the floor, but without that deeper cave, where the lOID, or 'places for the bodies,' were deposited." She had followed the disciples, but they had left the sepulchre immediately after they had satisfied themselves of the absence of the body. She now arrived tlie second time at the tomb, and disappointed at finding they had left it without communicating the result of their inquiry, she weeps at the supposed profanation of the sepulchre by the unknown hands which had removed the body of her Lord, and at the scene of misery, anguish, and death, to which she had been witness. That Mary was now alone is evident from the manner in which St. Mark, xvi. 9., describes the appearance of our Lord to her, as well as from the way in which the same narrative is told at greater length by John, XX. 11-14. Note 18.— Part VIII. The doctrine of the ministry of angels, so " See on this verse Archbishop Newcome, ap. Bowyer's Conjectures, p. 329. much esteemed by the primitive Church, as well as by the most eminent and pious Chris- tians of all ages, has now become one of those which, without any one well-founded argument, is to be reasoned away. The repeated appear- ances of angels, both in the old and new dis- pensations, seem designed to point out to us the near, though mysterious, connexion of the invisible state with that which we now inhabit. And what can be more consolatory to the be- liever than the idea which this and other pas- sages of Scripture appear so much to corrobo- rate, than the belief that the angels of heaven are around us, the ministering spirits of God, for our good, watching over us, and fulfilling the wisdom of his providence 7 Why should this opinion be disclaimed ? Angels were present at the creation ; they have been repeat- edly manifested to man. To Isaiah the sera- phim appeared veiling their faces with wide- spreading wings. The fonn that was visible to Ezekiel had the semblance of a lambent flame, enveloping what seemed its body. To the women they appeared in shining garments, and to the keepers at the sepulchre as lightning, with raiment white as snow. They are the happy possessors of that blessedness to which the spirits of the departed hope to be admitted. And tliey shall be again visible in their thou- sands of thousands, at that magnificent and glorious triumph, when the Ancient of Days shall sit on the throne of his glory, and the assembled universe be summoned before his high tribunal. Is it impossible, then, that they are the invisible, yet efficient agents, in many of those innumerable events which are attended witli moral and religious benefit to individuals and to tlie world ; which are but too generally ascribed to incidental circumstances, or to the well-laid plans of human policy ? The soul of man is gifted with powers and properties which are distinct from the human body, and which it possesses in common with superior beings. I cannot believe, therefore, that idea to be irrational, which represents the manner of our present union with the invisible world by the following ingenious and curious image. Suppose a number of lighted lamps were placed in a room, one of which only was covered with an earthen vessel, the lamp so encumbered, as soon as the covering was either broken or removed, would find itself in the same state and condition Avith the other lamps. So it may be with the accountable spirit of man. The earthen vessel of the body may be broken by violence, or silently destroyed by sickness or age, but, as soon as the veil or the covering of the body is removed, tlie unfettered spirit finds itself the companion of kindred spirits, which, though now unseen, are continu- ally surrounding it. The time is not far hence, when we shall know, even as we are known; in 208* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIII. the mean time, the very attempt to speculate upon these things, elevates and purifies the mind'". Note 19.— Part VIII. ON THE RESURRECTION. As woman brought death into the world, a woman was made the first witness of the resur- rection of life. Of the manner of Christ's existence after he arose from the dead Ave can form no adequate conception. The manner of the resurrection of the same body was, and is, one of the most mcomprehensible difficulties of Christianity ; and our Lord therefore has con- descended to teach the doctrine, not, like the generality of his other doctrines, by arguments and reasoning, but by repeated facts, and those of the most undeniable nature. And he taught it, lastly, by his appearing to his disciples after his resurrection. Before that time our Lord had lived among his disciples as a man among his companions. He was in all points like unto them, sin only excepted. After that event his body, though to appearance the same as it had ever been, as- sumed various properties and powers which it had not before possessed. We read, that when the disciples had assembled in a room, the doors of which were shut for fear of the Jews, Jesus suddenly stood in the midst. On tlie evening of the day of his resurrection, he joins himself to two of his disciples as they were going to Emmaus. He enters into conversation with them. He talks of the Scriptures and of him- self till their hearts burn within them. But their eyes were holden and they did not know him. When they came to their own home, he sat down with them, and then it was, in breaking the bread, that he made himself known ; but at the very instant, when they were filled with joy, he became invisible : he vanished out of their sight. Before his resurrection our Lord had conversed familiarly with his disciples ; after that event he was seen only occasionally among them, in a more solemn and mysterious manner. His great object on these occasions seems to have been, to increase their faith, and to convince them that the same body they had beheld committed to the ground, was now raised to life again in a glorified form. He proves to them that a door, or a wall, or the sides of a grave, could not oppose his progress. He passes through solid matter as through the yielding air, yet he had still a body which they could touch and handle, bearing tiie marks " On the subject of angels, see Whoatley's Ser- mons ; Haiiunond On the Angelic Life, a very curious and valuable work ; a Sermon of Bishop Bull's, «&c. of the spear and the prints of the nails. The day of his ascension arrives, Christ ascends by his own power. No horses of fire, no chariots of fire elevated him. Of himself, he raised himself, a Divine and Glorious Being, into the blue firmament of heaven ; and he ascended where he still remains, with his Father, and our Father, with his God, and our God. This doctrine of the resurrection of the body, which our Lord and Saviour thus taught by action, is explained in the Epistles of St. Paul, by the most powerful and eloquent reasoning. " Some man will say, how are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come ? That which thou sowest is not quickened except it die ; and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not tlaat body that shall be, but bare grain." That is, as the laborer may commit to the ground, in the winter or in the spring, the seed of a flower, or a grain of wheat, which in the course of its appointed time rises from the ground in a different and superior form, with the beautiful blossom, and the fragrant flower ; so also the mouldering body, which is commit- ted to the ground, may be called the seed of that body which shall be raised from the grave in glory. We are removed from the sight of our nearest kindred and our dearest friends. " Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust." But the pale and corrupting corse, the cold clay, the fading features, and the icy limbs shall burst from the tomb of earth, and be clothed with the beauty of holiness ! " It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body ; it is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption ; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory ; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." It is sown as the bare grain, and the worthless seed ; but after the winter of the grave is over, when the dead, small and great, shall stand before God, the bodies of men shall be raised in the same form, and invested with the same nature and properties, as that with which their Divine Master arose from the tomb. " Our vile bodies shall be made like unto his glorious body." More than tliis the Scripture does not reveal. Why it was that neither Mary Magdalene, nor the other disciples going to Emmaus, nor his own apostles at the sea of Tiberias, were not at first able to recognise our Lord, tliough they afterwards knew him, is among those mysteries which we shall under- stand hereafter, when we ourselves shall arise from the errave, and renew our former friend- ships in our glorified bodies. Note 20.— Part VIII. "Mary Magdat.exe is here said to have turned herself back; and afterwards, in ver. Note 21.-23.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *209 IG, again to liave turned herself. Schacht, in his Harmony of the Resurrection, proposes, as a solution of the difficulty, the supposition, that in the first instance she only turned her liead, and in the second her whole body. Or, he adds, after her address to Jesus as the gardener, slie may again naturally enough have directed her attention to the sepulchre. This is from Koecher. I prefer the former solution." — Dr. F. Laurence's Remarks on Scripture, p. 73. Note 21.— Part VIIL on the words, " touch me not." M-^i fiov U7TT0V. Mr. Chandler would trans- late this, " Embrace me not, — hold me not." And he produces many examples from Horner, Xenophon, and Euripides, Hec. ver. 339, aipat- fU]TQd;, " embrace thy mother." ' AvaSi6rjxa he would translate as a present tense, as it must mean, he says, John iii. 13., when Christ had certainly not ascended. He quotes Homer also in tlie first Iliad, ver. 37, for the similar use of another compound from the same primi- tive verb, 0? Xqvai]v dfjcpi6i6r]xug : he would then join this, not with the preceding, but with the following sentence ; and the whole sense will be, " Hold me not ; for I am not yet going to ascend to my Father: but go unto my brethren, and say unto them, I do ascend (for I sliall shortly ascend) unto my Father and your Father, unto my God and your God." He brings many instances of the present tense (as (xradalrut here) being used to signify what is shortly to be done. Vogelius has here a very ingenious conjec- ture of ^1^ 00 nioov, "be not afraid," for ,«?] fiov uniov, " touch me not." This approaches so near to the traces of the letters, and, besides, so resembles the first address of Christ to the women in Matthew, and of the angel to the women in Matthew and Mark, "Fear ye not, be not affrighted ;" that, if it were supported by any manuscript authority, I should willingly adopt it. But the Sacred Text should not be altered on conjecture only. Bowyer, in his Conjectures, proposes ,«»], /[iov ciTTTOv. " No ; (I am not the gardener, as you suppose ;) touch me." And for this he quotes Paulus Bauldrius, in Neoceri Bibliotheca. But it seems to me too farfetched a reading, and inconsistent with Mary's previous recognition of Christ, in the appellation of Rabboni. Koecher observes, that Michaelis proposes to make it an interrogation, " Do you not touch me ? " as inviting that test of his real appear- ance. Kypke, in his Observations (he says) explains the passage as a prohibition of adora- tion until after his ascension. On the whole, I continue to adhere to Chand- voL. II. *27 ler's explanation; to which I would add, that uu(f)ifjif)ijX(xg is explained by the Pseudo Didy- mus, as 7TSQi6i()tjxag, vnsQUu^FTg, clearly givino" it a present signification, and showing that the other compounds of the same verb are used in the same manner. Thus too the preterpluper- fect tense of the simple verb is used by Homer to denote merely past time, as equivalent to the aorist of other verbs, d' Oljkvfjin^i'Sis ^eGrixei, Iliail u. 221 ; which the same scholiast interprets by dLuelTjlvOei, inoQEidrj. Aristophanes has (Jfffrjxwc tifqI axvfxvolg, which the scholiast explains by insQUux^v arxvfirolc. St. John has a similar form of another com- pound of (iali'b), used for the present tense, chap. V. ver. 24. dnd /usTuGiStjxei' iy. rod Onrdi.- rov elg ji\p tw^jf. Some of the Latin MSS. in this place translate fiSTctGiSrixEv by " transit ;" and some Greek MSS. of inferior note and modern date, feeling a supposed incongruity, read ;Me^«ff^jo•eT«^, as thinking the future more consistent with the rest of the context. Homer has fie&rjxe, or f?fj?rjxfr, in the sense of a simple, present, or past, and that in a con - nexion, which so marks it, six or seven times, and never otherwise. — Dr. Laurence's Remarks on Scripture, p. 73-75. Note 22.— Part VIH. That Mary Magdalene rejoined her two friends when Christ appeared to them seems to be most probable, from comparing Matt, xxvii'i. 9. with John xx. 18. Dr. Townson translates St. Matthew's words, they were going to tell [to report] to the disciples ; and St. John, Mary Magdalene cometh to tell [to report] to the disciples. He speaks of her, not as arrived among them, but on her way to tliem. It may be made probable too by the behaviour of the women. Mary would have told them, if she thus rejoined them, that Clirist had actually appeared to her ; and they would have been thereby prepared to meet him, with that com- posure which they seem to have done. Imme- diately on seeing him, they embraced his feet and worshipped him. Wlien the others saw him, they did not know him, and were terrified. This conduct appears to be the result of some preparatory disclosure. Note 23.— Part VIII. The absurdity and folly of this story are admirably displayed in Mr. West's treatise. No complaint was made against the soldiers, no punishment inflicted on the disciples, no alarm had been given when the poor, dispirited disciples came to roll away the stone, and break 210* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Paut virr. the seal, and profane the sepulchre; all the sixty soldiers and their commander were with one accord asleep, although at the same time the penalty of sleep was death ; and the noise of rolling away the stone could not awake even one of the party. And this overpowering sleep had seized them, when they had been placed here for one night only, for the special purpose of securing the very tomb which was thus pro- faned ! But it was in this instance, as it is in the general conduct of men : reasoning, which would disgrace an idiot in the common occur- rences of life, is amply suiBcient to excuse us to ourselves, for denying or disbelieving the solemn truths of Christianity. Note 24.— Part VIII. The reasons which have induced West, Townson, Cranfield, Doddridge, Horsley, New- come, Gleig, Pilkington, and I believe every Avriter since the time of West, to conclude that two parties of women came to the sepulchre at different times have been already noticed. At present let us inquire, according to this hypo- thesis. When the second company arrived at the tomb ; whether between the two visits of Mary Magdalene to it, or after the second ? For the following reasons, their arrival seems rightly placed after she left the sepulchre the second time : it is certain that no one was there earlier than she was, and therefore they who did ac- company her, but made a distinct visit thither, and as the case requires, neither saw her nor her friends, nor was seen by them, must have come during her absence. Her first absence was when she ran to tell Peter and John : but then she left the other Mary and Salom6 be- hind, Avho went into the sepulchre and saw and heard the angel. When they were fled away, came the two apostles ; and these were followed by Mary Magdalene returning. The time, therefore, between the departure of the other Mary and Salom6 from the sepulchre, and the coming of John and Peter to it, seems too short an interval for the arrival and departure of the other women in such manner, that both parties might keep clear of all sight of each other. And the more we prolong this interval, the less probable we make it that Mary Magda- lene, after she had seen the Lord, should have rejoined her two friends, when he showed him- self to them also. And yet it appears so much the sense of St. Matthew, and I think of St. John, that she was with them, tliat it is a point by which we ought to abide, unless there are cogent reasons to the contrary. As I am not aware of any such, I espouse the opinion which seems the most likely, that Mary was gone the second time from the sepulchre before Joanna and her company got to it. Note 25.— Part VIII. A great difficulty has been found in this passage of St. Luke xxiv. 9, 10. by those com- mentators who consider the tenth verse to be explanatory of the preceding verse. The five verses preceding tlie ninth give an account of the appearance and speech of the angels to the women of whom St. Luke has been speaking. The ninth informs us, that these women came and reported all "these things " to the apostles, and all the disciples. The tenth is supposed to be explanatory of the ninth ; and therefore that the women named in it had been at the sepul- chre together, had there seen the vision of the angels, and then had come as one company to the apostles and all the disciples. On a larger view however of this history, another construction may be judged necessary. Gerhard"^, Benson^, Macknight", Lardner", Pilkington', and Dijddridge", have all concluded that " these things are to be taken distribu- tively ; that Mary Magdalene reported some things, and the other women reported the rest. They believe that, though St. Luke has, in the tenth verse, put the v/hole account of what the women related together, the Evangelist refers to that which was related by Mary Magdalene, as well as by the second party of women." The evidences of the resurrection, then, which the women could produce were these : — 1. The appearance of the angel to Mary the mother of Joses — of two to Mary Magdalene — of Christ to Mary Magdalene — liis second ap- pearance to the women — the two angels who stood by the women, when they had been in the tomb and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. It will be observed, from this statement, that each of the women had something different to relate. The expression of St. Luke, " these things," must be referred to the various col- lected reports they had all brought. Tlie expression therefore in the ninth verse, UTrTJj'- yedap jama tkxvtu, must refer to the report of Joanna, whose account he had been immediate- ly relating, and ul eleyov — tuvtu, to the whole company. See this point discussed at length by Townson, Cranfield, and others. Note 26.— Part VIII. I HAVE not discussed the question whether the 16th of Mark, after ver. !), is genuine. It ^ Harmon. Hi star. EvanrrrL de Rcs^irrectione Christi, cap. i. p. 240. col. 1, Ac. V Summarij View of tlir. Eridetices of Christ's Resurrection. Lond. 174.5, 8vo. p. 25. " Hannoiuj of the Four Go.<!pcIs, sect. 150, p. 663, second edition. '^ Ohscrvtitioii.s- 071 Macknight, 4to. p. 44. * Notes, p. 61. *■ In loc. Note 27.-30.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *211 is certainly omitted in many manuscripts of great authority, or it is marked with an asterisk, or separated from the preceding part of the Gospel. It relates nothing inconsistent with the accounts of the other Evangelists, and appears to have been drawn up as an epitome of the various appearances of our Lord. Mr. Cranfield has labored much to prove that this verse refers to the first visit of St. Peter mentioned by St. John. Dr. Townson, on the contrary, has defended the present order of St. Luke, and concludes that the Evangelist here relates the second visit of St. Peter to the sepulchre, when our Lord manifested himself to him. It is certain that Christ appeared to Peter about this time ; for when the two dis- ciples came from Emmaus to the other disciples, this very circumstance was the subject of their conversation. This fact is further confirmed by St. Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 5. He was afterwards seen by the other apostles. into another state, and that our bodies shall be made like his at the day of the resurrection. Philip, iv. ad fin"*. Note 27.— Part VIIL I HAVE placed this clause by itself, as it was most probably on his return from the sepulchre, after he had received the accounts of the women that our Lord appeared to St. Peter. His desire to see our Lord, and perhaps to implore his forffiveness, as well as that characteristic eagerness and ardor, by which he was on all occasions distinguished, excited in him the desire to make his second visit to the sepulchre to examine it, to be again convinced that the body was removed ; and in the hopes of meet- ing our Lord, if Christ would condescend to meet him. Cranfield very beautifully observes, " St. Peter had denied his Master, and had his Master showed himself to any other of the men before he showed himself to him, might he not have thought his repentance ineffectual, his reconciliation impossible, and consequently be plunged into despair ? Though his fall was attended with inconceivable aggravation, yet the magnanimity and mercy of his Saviour was still greater, and knew no bounds." Note 28.— Part VIIl. These sections are arranged in their present order upon the concurrent testimony of all the harmonizers, as well as the internal evidence. Every thing recorded in them affords a new source of wonder. Christ, in his glorified form, passes through the folded or barred-up doors, as if his body were like the light, or the air, and yet he appeals to his disciples to satisfy themselves that he was not a spirit, but pos- sessed of material and solid flesh. We are assured that with this same body he ascended Note 29.— Part VIII. This desponding sentiment, " We trusted that it had been he that should have redeemed Israel," &c. must have been the general opinion of our Lord's disciples. All their hopes were buried with him in the sepirichre. They thought it impossible that he whom they had lately seen bleeding, and expiring on the cross, " the very scorn of men, and the outcast of the people," should by his own power break the bands of death, and rise again in greater beauty and perfection, " For as yet they knew not the Scriptures." The Scriptures represent, in many passages, that "it behoved Christ to suffer." This was typified in the patriarchal age, by the offering up of Isaac — in the Law, by the brazen serpent — by the sacrifice of the animals, particularly by that of the paschal lamb. In the prophets : — 1. Isa. liii. 5, 7, 8. — 2. Daniel's prophecy, Dan. ix. 25, 26. " the Messiah shall be cut off." — -3. Zech. xii. 10. " they shall look on me whom they have pierced." — In the Psalms ; Ps. ii. 1-3. XX. 1-18. xvi. 10. " Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell ; Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." It was intimated that he should rise again the third day — Isaac the third day was released — sacrifices eaten the third day. The resurrec- tion does not seem to be alluded to in the Prophets, except in the type of Jonah, and in Isa. liii. and Zech. xii, 10. But on the prophe- cies and types fulfilled in the sufferings of Christ, see the sermon of Joseph Mede on Luke xxiv. 32. Hales's Analysis, vol. ii. part 2 ; and West On the Resurrection. Note 30.— Part VIIL It has been supposed that this verse ought to be read interrogatively, for, in Mark xvi. 13., we learn that the apostles did not believe the testimony of the two disciples from Emmavis, wliile it is here asserted that they were saying, ^ See Kuinoel, where the different opinions con- cerning the body of Christ are briefly summed up. See also Bishop Horsley's Sermons on the Resur- rection. Sermon Fourth. I am contented with the facts of Scripture, and dare not indulge in the various conjectures which present themselves on these subjects. The reader who is fond of such sjioculations on these points, may peruse the works of King (Aforsels of Critin'sm), More, Fleming, Flavel (On the Soul), Thomas Aquinas, Prima Pars, Question 50, to the end of Question tio. 212* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIII at the very time when the disciples from Em- maus came into the room, " The Lord has risen," &c. This difficulty is removed, if we suppose that our Lord had appeared to St. Peter, and they were expressing their incredulity at the moment the disciples arrived from Emmaus, in the language of this passage, " Has the Lord risen, and has he indeed appeared unto Simon ^ " Note 31.— Part VIII. This verse of St. Mark has generally been supposed to refer to our Lord's appearance to his disciples on the evening of his resurrection. But St. Luke and St. John both describe the first appearance of Christ to his disciples, and neither of them gives the least intimation of any thing like reproof, which they then heard from the mouth of their affectionate Lord. The whole of his discourse and behaviour to them was directed at that time to the composing of their troubles, and the satisfying of their doubts. Reprehension was reserved for the following Sunday, when a whole week having been al- lowed them to examine and compare the proofs of his resurrection, and to call to mind his own predictions and promises concerning it, they who continued incredulous were become more worthy of blame. Then if he said no more by way of reproof than what he said to St. Thomas, it was a reprehension of the rest of the com- pany who were in the same state of mind : and it is sufficient to justify St. Mark's expression, " He upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart." St. Mark says, "He ap- peared unto the eleven," and it was of conse- quence to inform us that he was seen by the apostles ; but when he adds, " And he upbraided them with their unbelief," lie extends his view to all those whom he had spoken of as incred- ulous in the preceding verse Note 32.— Part VIII. The first appearances of our Lord to his apostles appear to have taken place uniformly on the first day of the week ; and from their consequent observance of that day, originated the Christian Sabbath. Note 33.— Part VIII. ON THE exclamation OF ST. THOMAS, AND ON THE WORD nPO^KYNER. The disbelief of the apostles is the means of furnishing us with full and satisfactory demon- stration of the resurrection of Christ. Through- out the divine dispensations, it is to be observed, that every doctrine, and every important truth, is gradually revealed ; and here we have a conspicuous instance of this progressive sys- tem. An angel first declares the glorious event! The empty sepulchre confirms the women's report. Christ's appearance to Mary Magdalene showed that ho was alive — that to the disciples at Emmaus proved that it was at least the spirit of Christ, by his expounding the prophecies, and breaking of bread — that to the eleven showed the reality of his body, and the conviction given to St. Thomas, proved it the self-same body that had been crucified. The resurrection was testified by the conviction of the senses. The ear heard it, and blessed — ■ the eye saw it, and gave witness — the hand was satisfied with feeling — the intellect was fed upon the heavenly teaching — and the Holy , Ghost descended in confirmation of the holy truth. The miracle of the draught of fishes gave evidence of the continued existence of the same divine and almighty nature, which had been displayed before the crucifixion, and the Spirit of God was manifested in opening the Scriptures, till their hearts burned within them. Every possible demonstration was vouchsafed that man could receive, or God bestow. The wounds which had been inflicted upon the body of Christ were still visible, bearing testimony to his identity, unclosed, yet free from corrup- tion. Incredulity itself was satisfied, and the convinced Apostle exclaims, in the joy of his heart, " My Lord and my God." The question whether St. Thomas, at the moment of his conviction, intended his address to our Lord as an act of religious worship, must be decided by a consideration of the conclusions from which it must have originated. St. Thomas had denied the possibility of tlie resur- rection. Our Lord convinced him of his error ; then he expressed himself in these remarkable words, "My Lord and my God." "So far," says Bishop Horsley, "as the disciples be- lieved in Jesus as the Messiah, in the same degree they understood and acknowledged his Divinity. In the first interview of Nathanael witli our Lord, when he proved to him his omniscience, he exclaimed, ' Thou art the Son of God,' thou art the Divine and expected King of Israel. When the miraculous draught of fishes convinced St. Peter of the power of Christ, he addressed him as liis ' Lord.' When the Angel Jehovah appeared to tlie pntriarchs of old, tliey all worslnppcd and paid their homage in tlie same manner, and witli similar expressions to those used by tlie Evangelists. It was some sudden proof of divinity in the mysterious Personage wlio addressed them, which elicited tlie langnaj^-e of homage and adoration." The exclamation of tlie Apostle was, '0 Note 34.-37.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *-213 KuQio; unv, y.ul 6 f)s6i fiov, in the nominative, which is frequently put for the vocative, in pure as well as in Hellenistic Greek. It seems, however, preferable to read the passage, av el understood, "Thou art my Lord, even my God;" or, as the word Kvoioz corresponds to the principal names given in the Old Testa- ment to the manifested God of Israel, it would be better to interpret the exclamation accordingly, as if he had said l^'hSx nin% or, as the Jews were accustomed to omit the ineffable name, and substitute 'jnx in its place, he might have used only the latter a'nb« 'jnx. It seems, however, more probable, that on the present occasion he would omit the substituted term, and express himself in the very language of the Scriptures, rLZJ^nSx mn*. Tliis was the name given to the manifested God of the Old Testa- ment, and the exclamation of the Apostle, there- fore, may be more fully rendered, " Thou art the Lord Jehovah, the manifested God of my fathers." It is true that the word nQoaxwiot, in the original, which is rendered by our translators by the term "worship," is used by the Evange- list to denote civil respect, or the homage due to persons of rank and dignity. But the word is one of general import; and the cases in which it must be understood of religious adora- tion on the one hand, or of civil homage on the other, can be discriminated only by attending to the circumstances in each instance. To assist in determining the true sense in the ex- amples under consideration, let the following remarks be considered : — L Out of sixty places in which this word occurs in the New Testament, there are only two or three in which it indisputably bears the inferior sense ; there are forty-three in which it is manifestly to be understood of religious worship; and the remaining instances are those of application to Christ, the genuine import of which we are desirous of ascertaining. 2. Our Lord, during the whole of his public ministry, evidently made it a principle of his conduct, to disavow and refuse all earthly eminence. The repeated attempts which were made to invest him witli the regal dignity he inflexibly discountenanced. Even when he was accosted with an epithet which he might have accepted very inoffensively, he rebuked the person who gave it, because he perceived it was the language of adulation rather than of sincere conviction — "Why callest thou me good?" On tlie contrary, he never refused acknowledgments of spiritual supremacy. He openly claimed to be called Lord and Master, the Son of God, and the King of his Church. A translation of the New Testament into Hebrew has been lately published by tlie London Society for Promoting the Conversion of the Jews ; in this translation the words of St. Thomas are rendered literally 'hSni 'Jnx. This Hebrew translation, so far as I am able to judge, appears to be executed with ability and faithfulness* Note 34.— Part VIII. Beza reads this passage, oiSt idlcxTaaav, " they did not doubt any longer." The Prus- sian version reads, ngoaexcvi/auv avT(^, ol ds idtuTaaav, "they worshipped him, even those who had doubted." In which sense it should be ol Tf . Grotius interprets it, " but some had heretofore doubted." Bishop Pearce conjec- tures, that those who doubted did so because they might be at a greater distance from him than others, and therefore could not so well distinguish. Note 35.— Part VIII. St. Matthew's words are, teal rfQoaeMwv 6 'Iijoovg iliilijaBv avrolg ; implying, that when our Lord first appeared to them it was at a distance : nqoaeWiav is rendered by Grotius, " accedens." — See Townson, p. 1G7, and Bow- yer, p. 136. Note 36.— Part VIII. The contents of this section are very curious and important. So little did the apostles an- ticipate their future elevation, as the reformers of the religion of the world, that they had abso- lutely returned to their former occupation as fishermen of Galilee. Humble and unambitious, they appear to have as much forgotten all the splendid hopes and expectations of the past, as they were ignorant of their future high destinies. Note 37.— Part VIIL These words may either refer to the third appearance which St. John relates, or the tliird appearance Christ made to the apostles, when all, or most of them, were together. He mani- fested himself to ten of them (John xx. 1!).) ; again to eleven of tlicm (ver. 26.) ; and at this time to seven (see ch. xxi. 2.) But when tlie accounts of all tlie Evangelists are collated, we shall find that our Saviour distinctly re- • Horsley's Letters in rephj to Dr. PriestJnj, p. 239. Sermon on the Adoration nf our Lord Jesus Christ, vindicated from the charge of Idolatry. By Dr. Pye Smith. 8vo. 1811. 214* NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. [Part VIII. vealed himself eleven times after his resur- rection. Note 38.— Part VIII. Peter was now in the act of girding on his dry clothes, and our Lord, according to his custom, spoke from the object before him. Note 39.— Part VIII. This command was given for the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah (ch. ii. 3.) — " For out of Sion shall go forth the Law, And the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem." On the feast of Pentecost the publication of the Law on Mount Sinai took place ; and on its approaching anniversary a New Dispensation was to be delivered to the world, the substance and substitute of the former figurative economy. The injunction of our Lord evidently shows an appointed analogy between the Old and New Dispensations. The time when this address was spoken by our Lord cannot be exactly as- certained. There is reason, however, to believe that what is related in this and the following section took place when the apostles were re- turned to Jerusalem, after they had seen Christ in Galilee, with this order, " to tarry in Jerusa- lem:" the instructions contained in the last chapter of St. Luke, from the end of the 43d verse, are considered as more nearly connected, in point of time, than with the transactions which immediately precede them, as given by that Evangelist. The harmonists likewise refer to this period (the latter part of the forty days), and all that is related by St. Matthew, in his last chapter, from the 18th verse ; and also what is mentioned by St. Mark in his concluding chapter, from the end of the 14th verse. Note 40.— Part VIII. The arrangement of the contents of this section has been principally made on the plan proposed by Mr. Cranfield, which appears to me to be preferable to that of Dr. Townson. Note 41.— Part VIII. Cranfield is of opinion, that from ver. 18. of Matt, xxviii. — from ver. 1.5 to 19 of Mark xvi. — and from ver. 50 to 52 of Luke xxii. must be referred to the address of our Lord to his disciples, on the occasion of his ascen- sion into heaven. The speech of our Lord in St. Matthew, he observes, begins thus : " All power is given to me in heaven and on earth." Some harmonists have made this clause to have been spoken on the mountain in Galilee, separat- ing it from the remaining part of the speech ; but, whenever it was uttered, the rest of the speech must have been spoken on the same occasion, by reason of the connective particle oiiv. Our Lord here declares all power in heaven and on earth to be given to him at his resurrection ; in consequence of which power, he proceeds to tell his disciples, that he had the authority and right to commission them to convert, baptize, and instruct the world : " Go ye therefore," that is, in consequence of this power, or absolute authority. On the above clause our Lord founds his authority to commission his disciples : it was, therefore, rather unskilful to destroy the force of the argument by dismembering the speech. Now, as we learn from St. Mark, that our Lord did not commission his disciples till he led them out to his ascension, so, as we are not aware of any reasons to the contrary, we think it best to assign this passage in St. Mat- thew to the time of the ascension. Indeed, the passage itself furnishes internal evidence that it was spoken on this occasion : it implies that the disciples were fully instructed, and that our Lord was now going to take his final leave of them. We say, final leave ; for the words, " Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world," can have no other meaning than this, "Though I am going now to ascend with my body into heaven, and therefore shall be no longer visibly upon earth ; yet will I always be spiritually with you, and your successors, and direct the Church, even unto the end of the world." This seems to me a strong indication that the passage in question can have been spoken on no other occasion than that of the ascension. It is observable, that the Evangelists were more careful in giving us the words of our Lord, than in noting on what particular occa- sions they were spoken. The speech in St. Matthew, for instance, one might think, at first view, was given on the mountain in Galilee. He indeed says, that our Lord spoke then unto his disciples ; but I cannot apprehend that he would commission them so soon, and give them to understand that he was then about to take his final leave of them, and ascend into heaven. For the ascension did not take place till what we may call long after the appearance on the Galilean mountain. St. Matthew, then, not thinking it material to notice what particular words our liord ?.poke on the mountain in Gali- lee, only says, "That Jesus came up and spake unto his disciples." This was enough to show us, that he of consequence removed the doubts of those of his disciples who had not beheld him till then after his resurrection. We may Note 42.-44.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *215 render and point tlie 18th verse in the following manner: "Then Jesus came up, and spake unto them." We may understand this clause as the ending of the transaction on the mountain in Galilee, so far as we have it recorded. And as our translators have rendered, in innumerable in- stances, the participle as if it were a verb, so we may be allowed the same liberty here, es- pecially when the true meaning of the Evange- list and the just method of harmonizing seem to require it: and render Is-/o)p, not literally, "saying," but, "he saith." This therefore may begin a new paragraph continued on till the end of his Gospel ; which paragraph we are under the necessity of supposing was meant by St. Matthew to relate to the ascension. Had the Evangelist written xal liyei, the matter would not be capable of dispute. But, on the other hand, when we discover sufBcient reasons to assure us that this paragraph refers to our Lord's last appearance to his disciples, and, consequently, that its place should not be regu- lated by the word Xiyoif ; and when we also take into account the manner of the Evangelists in several instances, how they, by reason of their close adherence to brevity, seem to bring into one view, as belonging to one and the same transaction, things whicli, on a minuter inspection, we find to relate to different trans- actions ; the liberty may be allowed to the harmonist of departing from the usual transla- tion of the original reading, so far as he may judge it necessary. The passage in St. Luke contains internal evidence that it must be under- stood of no other than our Lord's last appear- ance to his disciples on Mount Olivet-'^. Note 42.— Part VHL We must not understand Sivafiig, which we translate " power," in this verse, as we do i^oua[a, which is translated by the same word in the preceding verse. In the former, the infinite authority of God over all times and seasons is particularly pointed out: in the other, the energy communicated by him to his dis- ciples, through which they were enabled to Avork miracles, is particularly intended. Note 43.— Part VHl. The difficulty of this verse, when collated with tlie accounts given by the other Evange- lists, is thus removed by Dr. Lightfoot. L In Luke xxiv. 50. we read, " He led them out as far as Bethany," and in this passage (Acts i. 12.) that when the disciples came back from the place where our Lord had ascended, "they / Cranfield's Observations on Toicnson,&c. sect, xii. p. 75, 76. returned from Mount Olivet, distant from Jeru- salem a Sabbath-day's journey." But now the town of Bethany was about fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem (John xi. 18.), and that is double a Sabbath-day's journey. 2. Josophus tells us, that Mount Olivet was but five furlongs from the city, and a Sabbath- day's journey was seven furlongs and a half. — Antiq. lib. xx. cap. vi. "O aul t^j tiuIfio; &vTiicqvg i(£lf.iEvo>', itnixfi' oidcdiu Ti^jre .""which being situated in front of the city is distant five furlongs." These things are all true : — 1. That the Mount of Olives lay but five furlongs distant from Jerusalem. 2. That the town of Bethany was fifteen furlongs. 3. That the disciples were brought by Christ as far as Bethany. 4. That when they returned from the Mount of Olives, they travelled more tlian five furlongs. And, 5. Returning from Bethany, they travelled but a Sabbath-day's journey. All which may be easily reconciled, if we would observe, that the first space from the city was called Beth- phage, which part of the amount was known by the name "to the length of about a Sabbath- day's journey," till it came to that part wliich is called Bethany. There was a Bethany, a tract of the mount, and also the town of Bethany. The town was distant from the city about fifteen furlongs, i. e. about two miles, or double a Sab- bath-day's journey : but the first border of this tract (which also bore the name of Bethany) was distant but one mile, or a single Sabbath- day's journey. Our Saviour led out his disciples, when he was about to ascend, to the very first region or tract of Mount Olivet, which was called Beth- any, and was distant from the city a Sabbath- day's journey. And so far also from the city itself did that tract extend itself which was called Bethphage: and when he was come to that place where the bounds of Bethphage and Bethany met, and touched one another, he then ascended ; in that very place where he got upon the ass when he rode into Jerusalem, Mark xi. 1. Whereas, therefore, Josephus saith, " that Mount Ohvet was but five furlongs from the city," he means the first brink and border of it. But our Evangelist must be understood of the place where Christ ascended, where the name of Olivet began, as it was distinguished from Betiiphage. Note 44.— Part VIII. ox THE VISIBLE ASCE>SIO.\ IN EACH OF THE THREE DISPE>'SATI0>'S. It has been supposed by Grotius, that the Gospel of St. John was originally terminated at the end of the 23 verse of chapter xx., and the remainder of the Gospel was added by the 216* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part VIII. Church at Ephesiis. This opinion, however, is rejected by Wetstein, Michaelis, and Whitby. It is remarkable, that in each of the three Dispensations a visible ascension of the body has taken place, — some holy personage has been visibly taken up into heaven. In the first of these periods, between the Creation and the Deluge, Enoch was translated: "He was not," say the Scriptures, " he did not die ;" for "he walked with God, and God took him." During the second period, from the Deluge to the Advent of our Saviour, Elijah was visibly taken up into heaven : — " It came to pass as he and Elisha still went on and talked, that, behold ! there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." During the third period, which has continued nearly two thousand years, in which we and the whole Christian Church now live, and which will be concluded only by the day of judgment, Christ, our Lord, while in the act of blessing his dis- ciples — " and while they beheld, was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight." He ascended into heaven, and he now sitteth, till he shall again come to judge the living and the dead, at the right hand of God. Whatever were the sundry ways and divers manners in which God, by his Prophets, appealed to the Jewish world ; whatever reception we ourselves may give to the precepts and the sanctions of his Evangelists and Apostles, who have more especially written for the Christian Dispensa- tion, this is undeniable, that God, in every age, has made most abundant provision to demon- strate to all the certainty of another life and another state of being. In the great mercy of our Almighty Creator, this solemn truth has been enforced by three visible ascensions into heaven, an earnest to the world of the certainty of that great day, when all the Church of God, from the days of Adam, till the sounding of the trumpet of the Archangel, shall assemble before the judgment-scat of Christ. As surely as Enoch, and Elijah, and our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, so also shall we ascend from our graves, to give an account of the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or bad. Where is now tlie body of Christ, which ascended in a visible and tangible shape ? Wherever body exists, it must exist in refer- ence to place, and heaven cannot therefore be merely a state or condition. There must be, then, in some part of the universe of God, a place in Avhich the glory of the Deity is more immediately and peculiarly manifest, where the body of Christ now is, the real " Holy of Holies." There is the seat of that liappiness which is peculiarly prepared and destined for the faithful followers of Christ. There is the abode of angels ; there are the spirits of the just made perfect; there is God, the Judge of all. To that place, and to the state and con- dition of happiness which is enjoyed there, every son of man may arrive, to whom the in- vitation of divine mercy has been extended, Tliere is our home — here is our pilgrimage. There is our Father — here we are pilgrims and strangers. There is the Son of God, our Brother, and our Friend — here we live among fallen creatures, a cold and selfish world. There is peace, and repose, and rest — here is vexation, turbulence, and sorrow. Frail indeed is the veil of mortality which separates us from that holy mansion of God our Father ; and poor and contemptible are the toys and follies that bind us to earth, and prevent us from anticipat- ing, with serene and rational confidence, the summons to the invisible Avorld that most assuredly awaits us. He that numbers the very hairs of our head, in whose book all our members are written, will not leave us nor forsake us in the grave. He shall separate our corrupted and mouldering bodies from the con- fused mass of atoms, by which they may be surrounded, with as much faithfulness and truth as the loadstone will draw to itself the smallest filing of steel from the innumerable grains of sand by which it may be encompassed. Why then should it seem a thing impossible to you that Christ should raise the dead ? The voice of inspiration has declared, — " Thy dead men shall live. Together with my dead body shall they arise, — And the earth shall cast out the dead." (Isa. xxvi. 19.) And that same glorified body, which the disciples saw ascend, shall at the last day descend, and conduct us from the grave and gate of death to the glorious home of holiness and purity, to the new Jerusalem, the city of the living God. Note 1,2.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *217 PART IX. Note 1.— Part IX. This JVbfe is the "Preliminary Observa- tions " to Part IX. See page 199. Note 2.— Part IX. ON THE appointment OF MATTHIAS. From this event many have inferred the right of popular interference in the election of ministers. He indeed must be a superficial reader who draws this conclusion, which an accurate consideration of the history directly invalidates. The election was made under peculiar circumstances which can never recur ; before the platform of the Church was decisive- ly established ; before the apostles had received power from on high ; and when their number was confessedly incomplete. If the number of names, which were together about an hundred and twenty, had been designed to comprehend the whole Church of that period, and the women, who followed Christ from Galileo (and for whose exclusion on tliis occasion there is no satisfac- tory reason), are included in the number, the eleven apostles and the seventy disciples, who would not separate before Pentecost, will form a very considerable part of the congregation. But in the interval between the resurrection and the ascension ol' our Lord, the Church was so numerous, that above five hundred brethren (1 Cor. XV. 6.) could be collected at one time and place to see him ; and the circumstances of his appearance to his disciples were not such as to afford an opportunity of assembling them for a particular purpose, nor Avould they at this crisis be forward in declaring themselves ; nor is it probable that any of them would return to his home before the feast, which he came to celebrate at Jerusalem. St. Peter, however, standing up in the midst of the hundred and twenty disciples, that is, to less tlian a fourtli part of the brethren, addressed himself only to the men and brethren, an exclusive salutation of the apostolic college, as some have supposed, but which appears to be an indiscriminate man- ner of addressing an audience, whether of ministerial persons specifically, of disciples generally, or even of Jews and heathens. Its precise application must be determined from other relative expressions in the apostle's dis- course. Now the repeated use of the pronoun VOL. II. *28 us (Acts i. 17, 21, 22.), in speaking of Judas, who was numbered with us ; of the men, who have companied with us ; of the Lord Jesus going in and out among us, and of his being taken from us, and of the new candidate's being a witness with us of his resurrection, seems to imply in the speaker a peculiar connexion and identity of office with the persons whom he was addressing ; and indeed the allusion to the ascension exclusively confines his meaning to the apostles. It is also worthy of remark, that in the address of the apostles to the multitude of the disciples on the day of Pentecost, this particularity of persons is actually observed : "Look \E out seven men, whom we may appoint over this business," (Acts vi. 3.) Again, the apostle speaks of Judas as having obtained part of this ministry, of this ministry with which you and I are entrusted, and which in the subjoined prayer is described as the ministry and apostleship, or ministry of the apostleship, (Acts i. 17, 21.) He speaks like- wise in a demonstrative manner of certain persons, who were present (ver. 21.), and out of whom the election was to be made, as dis- tinguished from those whom he was addressing, and who were to make the election ; and whom he supposes to be acquainted with the circum- stances which rendered it necessary to supply the place of Judas from among those who had been their constant companions from the begin- ning, (Acts i. 22.) To be a witness of the resurrection is an expression frequently appro- priated in the Scriptures to the apostles, and to them alone ; and to be made a witness of the resurrection with us is to be raised to the apostolate with us. It may also be supposed, tliat the electors were possessed of equal authority with St. Peter, and placed the same reliance on their own judgment as on his recom- mendation ; he maintained the necessity of substituting one for Judas ; they nominated two candidates, and left tlie ultimate choice to the Searcher of hearts ; while in the election of the deacons seven men were required by the apostles, and seven men were accordingly elected. Hence it may be concluded, that tlie persons whom St. Peter addressed, and who were to elect the candidates, were the apostles themselves. The choice of tlie electors was however limited; they were not to elect any new and inexperienced convert, but one of those who had companied witli them all the time that the Lord Jesus had gone in and out among them, a description highly appropriate to the seventy ; and if the application to them be ad- 218* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX mitted, and if it be maintained, in opposition to the preceding argument, that St. Peter's dis- course was addressed to them in connexion with the apostles, the natural conclusion will be, that the seventy nominated, and the apos- tles approved ; and Barsabas and Matthias nmst both be included in the number of the seventy. But whatever was the capacity of the electors, whether apostles or the seventy, or both acting in concert, they appointed two ; they did not presume to supply the vacancy by the nomination of an individual successor ; they did not before the effusion of the Spirit esteem themselves competent to judge of the respec- tive merits of the candidates, whom they pro- posed ; they commended their case in earnest prayer to God, and left the matter to his arbi- tration and decision ; and with this diffidence in their own judgment, and this reference of the whole affair to the divine pleasure, it is most inconsistent to suppose that they would appeal to the opinion of an indiscriminate mul- titude. The election was concluded by lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and in devout acquiescence in the divine preference, without any imposition of hands, which on other occa- sions was the form of ministerial ordination, he was numbered with the eleven apostles. The inferences from this history must be drawn with care and deliberation ; the circumstances of the Church were peculiar : St. Peter's dis- course was not addressed indiscriminately to the people ; the powers of the electors were limited, and they were exercised in dependence on the divine will ; the persons elected were persons of experience in the service of the Lord ; the choice was decided by God, who may have ruled the votes of the electors not less than the fall of the lots. Matthias there- fore became an apostle by the will not of man, but of God ; he was translated from an inferior condition, which was therefore distinct from the superior one to which he was admitted ; he was numbered with the eleven by virtue of the divine preference ; and every trace of popular election and of ministerial ordination is ex- cluded*. Mosheim'" concludes, from the mode of ex- pression here adopted by St. Luke, that the successor of Judas was not chosen by lot, as is generally supposed, but by the suffrages of the people. St. Luke says, xul e8u)xuv ylif^Qovg aiiwv ; but Mosheim thinks, that if the Evange- list wished to say they cast lots, he would have written xal eSnXof j^Arjooj', or xh]QHC. But as it is impossible to reason from what the Evan- gelist ought to have written, rather than from what he has written, we cannot place much confidence in his remarks, particularly when " Morgan's Platform of the Christian Church, p. 29, &c. * Vidal's Translation of Mosheim, note, p. 13G, vol. i. we consider the manner in which the Jews usually express this idea ; their phrase being (see Levit. xvi. 8.) ^TIJ tnj, which corresponds to the Greek word xP.Tjoot:, used by the Evange- list ; they gave, or cast forth the lot. As the foun- dation of Mosheim's argument is thus removed, it cannot be necessary to examine his infer- ences. The correct interpretation of a passage of Scripture destroys a whole legion of errors". Note 3.— Part IX. This passage. Acts i, 19., ought to be in a parenthesis, as being spoken by St. Luke. " Esse hunc versum pro additamento Lucse habendum, satis dilucide verba ipsa decent. Q,uorsum enim Petrus Apostolis dixisset, Judse triste fatum omnibus Hierosolymitanis inno- tuisse ? quam absona fuisset etiam vocis Akel- dama, omnibus prsesentibus satis notse, inter- pretatio ! Accedit etiam quod ager ille baud dubie hoc nomen successu demum temporis accepit. Est igitur hie versus parentheseos nota a reliquis sejungendus. (ixeWa^d, Syr. Chald. xm bpn ager csdis, scil. cruentus, diy^bs ouixnrog, Matt, xxvii. S"^. Note 4, — Part IX. The word EnavliQ, hahitaiion, in this pas- sage corresponds with the Hebrew m'D, which signifies the house appointed for the shepherd who is commissioned to take charge of the fold. Hence it is rendered in the authorized transla- tion by a secondary meaning: the original sense of the word, however, would have better expressed the idea of the office and authority which Judas had abdicated. The first part of the verse is quoted by St. Peter from Ps. Ixii. 26. and in the Alexandrine version we find the same word, ysi'ijdr'iTM i] irruvhg nvrwi' i^^rjuir)- fiivi^ xal iv TOig axTjvw/nuaii' uinihv firi iuro) 6 xuTOixwv. Hesycliius, Enuvhg — /ndrdQu ^oCot', TJ oXxrjfm, TJ AvX^, ?) uiQaTone8ta, xul -r) noi/ueti.- xij aiX-q. The word i7Tiaxom]v, therefore, ought to be so interpreted, as to correspond with the former part of tlie verse : it implies an office in which the possessor exercises authority and control over those subject to his charge. ° See Kuinoel, Com. in Lib. Hist. JV. T., sect. 2. in loc. and Sclilousner in voc. yXroos. '' Kuinoel, Comment, in Lib. Hist. JV. T. vol. iv. p. 18. See also Pfciffer, Diihia Vnata, Cent. 4. on the word Jiceldama. Doddridge, also, with otlier critics, places this verse in a parenthesis. Note 5.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *219 Note 5.— Part IX. ON the divinity of CHRIST. That our blessed Redeemer was here ad- dressed in the words " Thou, Lord ! who searchest the heart," may be inferred from the fact, that St. Peter had used the term " Lord " (ver. 21, 22.) immediately before this invoca- tion, when he assuredly spoke of the Messiah. In the election of presbyters afterwards, in the several churches, the apostles commended them " unto the Lord, in whom they had be- lieved," (Acts xiv. 23.) That Lord was unques- tionably Christ. In the Apocalypse, (ii. 23.), our Saviour expressly and formally assumed the title — " All the Churches shall know, that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts." Upon this passage of Scripture alone we should be justified in offering up our prayers to Christ, as " our God, and our Lord," as our only Medi- ator, and our only Saviour. The Divinity of Christ appears to me to rest upon this solid and unchangeable foundation — that the inspired writers seem throughout the whole of their pages to take it for granted. They are only anxious to prove Jesus of Naza- reth to be the expected Messiah, which title implies his Divinity ; and this point being gained, they consider it as a truth which re- quired no additional argument. Whenever the course of their reasoning led them to touch upon the subject of the real nature of the Mes- siah, their very inspiration seems to be insuffi- cient to clothe in adequate language their exalted ideas of his glory. When they attempt to describe Him, it is in the same words as they use when they speak of the Supreme Being. When they address Jesus the Christ, the Mes- siah of the prophets, the same humble adoration is observed as when they worship God the Father Almighty. The truth of this mode of representing the argument will appear from the following very brief statement of the as- criptions of glory which are alike applied to the Father Almighty, and his only Son, our liord. The comparison may be illustrated by the following table, given us in a late learned and elaborate work: — To God. To Christ. 1. Evloyla, Evloyla, Blessing; the utter- ance of gratitude from the universe of holy and happy beings, for all the divine bestowments. 2. dd^cc, ^6^tt, Glory; the manifesta- tion to intelligent beings of supreme excellence. 3. 2o(pltt, Soqtlu, Wisdom ; the most perfect knowledge combined with holi- ness and efficient power in ordaining, disposing, and ac- tuating all beings and events to the best end ; and this especially with re- spect to the salva- tion of mankind. 4. Tifiri, TiM, Honor, worth, valve, dignity, irdrinsic ex- cellence, supremeper- fection. 5. ^vvttfiig, ^vfttfiig, Potver ; ability to ef- fect completely and infallibly all tlie purposes of rectitude and wisdom. 6. 'Taxvg, ''laxv?, JW?"g-?i<,- power brought into action. 7. Sbntjqltt, SoiXTjqlu, Salvation; deliver- ance from sin, and all evil, and bestow- ment of all possible good. 8. Ei%aQt,axlay TVianksgiving ; the tri- bute from those who have received the highest blessingSj to the Author of all their enjoyments. 9- IJlovtog, Riches ; the fulness of all good ; the posses- sion of all the means of making happy. 10. KQ&Tog, Dominion; supreme power and goodness triumphing over all enmity and opposi- tion. The seven principal perfections are attributed to each. The eighth thanksgiving is given to God, and not to Christ ; yet there is evidently nothing in this ascription more peculiarly divine than in the preceding, and the same is applied to Christ in other words, the most full and expres- sive that can be conceived. The remaining two are attributed to Christ and not to God ; a ' plain proof that the inspired writer was under no apprehension that he might be dishonoring the Father, while ascribing infinite possessions and supreme empire to the Son. On comparison with another passagp , we find the very same notation of worthiness, or digni- ty, attached to the Father and to the Saviour ; in tlie one case it is, "Worthy art Thou, O Lord ! to receive the glory and the honor and the power;" and in the other, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive the power and 220* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessings." — See Smith's Messiah, vol. ii. part ii. p. 565. Note 6.— Part IX. El; juv idnop ibv I'diov. If we are right in in- terpreting the language of the New Testament in the same sense as it was understood by those to wliom it was addressed, and no canon of criticism seems more certain, we must adopt the common rendering of this passage — " That he might go to his own place." It was a common sentiment among the Jews, that " He that be- trayeth an Israelite shall have no part in the world to come." And Lightfoot quotes another similar expression from Baal Turim, in Num. xxiv. 25. " Balaam went to his own place, that is, into hell ; " and from Midrash Coheleih, fol. 100. 4. It is not said of the friends of Job, that they, each of them, came from liis own house, or his own city, or his own country, but from his own place, tz:rnjD lS Ti^HJi:' aipOD, that is, " from the place provided for them in hell." The gloss is, " from his own place," that is, " from hell, appointed for idolaters." The Alex. MS. reads dixaloy, instead of i'diof, which would strengthen this interpreta- tion. Many passages from the apostolic fathers are quoted by Whitby, Benson, and Kuinoel, to prove that this expression was used by them also in this sense. 'EttsI ovv tHoq t« nQ6.- yUaxtt e/si, inlxELTUi lu dvo, o/uov o je S'd- vuTog, Kid ''I'Qon^^, teal axaarog elg ruv \'diov jonov fiillei. xMQEli', quia igitur res Jinem habeiit, in- cumbent duo simul, mors, et vita, et unusquisque in proprium locum iturus est. — Ignatius in Ep. ad Magnes. c. 5. and Clemens Rom. Ep. 1. ad Corinth, p. 24. ed. Wottoni. — Poly carp in Ep. ad Philip, c. 9. — Epist. Barnab. sect. 19. After such evidence we may agree with Dr. Dod- dridge, that the interpretation of Hammond, Le Clerc, and Q^cumenius, is very unnatural, when they explain it of a successor going into the place of Judas. Note 7.— Part IX. ON THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY GHOST ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST. The sins of man and their evil designs occa- sioned the confusion of tongues ; tiie redemp- tion of man brought with it the revocation of that judgment in the wonderful gifts of tlie Holy Ghost, which are recorded in this section. In the former instance men were leagued to- gether for the purpose of propagating a false religion, but were miraculously frustrated in their plans by the interposition of Almighty God, who rendered them suddenly unintelligi- ble to each other : in the latter case, when the true religion was to be delivered to the world, and its appointed ministers were assembled in obedience to a divine command, at Jerusalem, the sentence of condemnation Avas revoked : the Holy Spirit descended in testimony of the divine truth ; and, by a miraculous diffusion of tongues, empowered the meek and lowly of the earth to communicate the glad tidings of salvation " to every nation under heaven." The same miracle that first separated mankind, was now made the means of their reunion. All were invited to acknowledge the same God, and again to become members of the One True Religion. A sensible demonstration was given of the presence of the Holy Spirit. It took place before a mixed multitude assembled from every part of the civilized globe, who by this providential arrangement became witnesses of the fact, and spectators of the divine commis- sion given to the apostles. Fire had always been considered by the Jews as an emblem of the visible presence of the Deity ; the people of Israel now saw it descend in the form of cloven tongues upon the despised followers of the crucified Jesus. They saw it descend upon them on the anniversary of the same day, when the Law which was to bring them to Christ was first delivered to them : nor could any out- ward form be more appropriate or figurative to represent the gift and powers it was intended to convey. It likewise intimated to the Jews that God had now appointed the day of Pentecost to be commemorated for the introduction of a New Law, and a New Dispensation, which was solemnly ratified by the eflfusion of the Spirit of God. The glorious covenant of redeeming grace was fully and finally disclosed, the Holy Ghost testifying the exaltation and Divinity of Christ, by the accomplishment of the promise which our Lord had given. "This is He that shall testify of me." In his Godhead, Christ could only be known by the evidence of the Holy Spirit — in his manhood, the knowledge of Him was imparted by the testimony of the apostles. "When we consider (to use the language of an eminent modern divine) the magnitude of the commission intrusted to the apostles to teach all nations, and their acknowledged incompetency to carry it into effect, we can thus only be struck with tlie immense disparity between the end to be at- tained, and the means by which it was to be accomplished." The previous conduct of the apostles, during the last trying scenes of our Saviour's life, shows tliat they were by nature eminently unfit to fulfil the important duties to wliicli they were now called ; tlie selection therefore of Note 7.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *221 these ignorant and timid men was the best evi- dence that all human aid was laid aside, and that the Gospel was to be established, not by the " wisdom of men, but of God." Natural means were rejected, that spiritual things might be made manifest by the Spirit. He, the most energetic of our Saviour's apostles, who on the first appearance of danger shrank from the scrutinizing glance of a maid-servant, and three times, even with oaths and curses, denied the Holy One of Israel, now, armed with the Spirit of truth and of power, speaks before the aston- ished multitude as the ambassador of God, and was the instrument of adding in one day to the newly- formed Church three thousand souls. " Is this," says Dr. Hoylin, " the illiterate fisher- man.' Is this the carnal disciple, who pre- sumed to rebuke his Lord, when he first men- tioned the cross to him.' Is this the fugitive, apostate, abjuring Peter .' " Nor were the other disciples in any way more distinguished for their courage and firm- ness. By one, Christ was betrayed, and by all he was deserted and abandoned ; yet such were the men ordained of God to " go into all the world, and to preach the Gospel to every crea- ture." But God's strength was to be made perfect in weakness, and the ordinary and extraordinary influences of the Holy Ghost descended to supply all the natural deficiencies of the chosen followers of Christ. As men, they were commissioned to bear their human testimony to the truth of those facts, of which they themselves had been the eyewitnesses ; but of spiritual things, the Holy Ghost was to testify, cooperating with them in their labors, and supplying them with those graces which were then only necessary in, and therefore limited to, the apostolic age. Under the different titles ascribed to the Holy Ghost, they were qualified and prepared to undertake the great Avork to which they were devoted. "The Comforter" administered to their fearful and pusillanimous nature super- natural strength, fortitude, perseverance, and consolation — " As the Spirit of Truth," he illu- minated their dark and uncultivated minds, and gave repaired energy to their slow comprehen- sions, " teaching them all things, and bringing all things to their remembrance." As "the Witness " he was continually with them, re- newing their corrupt hearts and aifections, and disposing them to holiness and purity of life. He endowed them with spiritual gifts, with the word of wisdom, of knowledge, and of faith, and " worked with them, to confirm their word with signs following" (Mark xvi. 20.) These signs may be considered as the more visible and extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, and were, if we may be allowed to say so, necessary to distinguish the divine wisdom and knowl- edge of tlie apostles from human acquirements, VOL. II. and from human superiority. In Judaea only, their low origin and neglected education would either be known or believed; in other countries some further testimony was requisite to confirm their important declarations, than that which had wrought such a miraculous change on them at the day of Pentecost. For this purpose, therefore, the " gifts of healing and working of miracles " were added to the word of wisdom and knowledge. They possessed the power of restormg the dead to life, and by a word con- signed the living to the grave (Acts v. 9, 10, &c.), their very shadows had virtue in them, the sick were recovered from handkerchiefs that had only touched their persons. Thus was the Gospel established as far as related to the human nature and actions of Christ, by the testimony of man ; but to his Godhead by the "testimony of God" (1 Cor. ii. 1.), and by "the demonstration of the Spirit and power." The former was demonstrated by holiness of life, by unrepining martyrdom and patient suffering; the other by miracle and inspiration. These were the great credentials of our faith, and the hallowed evidences on which our holy religion rests. When, however, the Church through these means was established, and the canon of Scripture, through divine knowledge and prophecy, was completed, the necessity for inspiration and miracle gradually ceased. " But," observes Mr. Nolan, " from these lively oracles, the Spirit still speaks the same lan- guage which it dictated to the Prophets and the Evangelists, wliile the Sacred Text still perpet- uates the remembrance of those miracles which were openly wrought by the apostle and saint, to evince the divinity of our religion. To those who still require inspiration and miracles as evidences of its truth, the word of revelation lies open ; and the religion which it details affords the most convincing proofs of super- natural intervention ; prophecy, of itself, suffi- ciently proclaims the source from whence it sprang ; and Christianity exhibits in its estab- lishment a standing miracle." In the present day the gifts of tongues would be disregarded, and considered as useless when languages may be so easily acquired. Those infidels who now scorn the evidence of prophecy which has declared the glorious triumph of Christianity over all the persecuting opposition of its powerful opponents, and who see it progressively extending over the uncon- verted world, would in all probability doubt even if a miracle were wrought in their favor. What indeed can be a greater evidence of the truth of Revelation than the living miracle of the perpetual preservation of the Jews, as a distinct body, separated from their fellow-men, holding in their hands the Hebrew Scriptures, and bearing testimony of their divine origin, and of their own perverse blindness and con- 222* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. demnation ! Of such men 1 would say, "Though one rose from the dead, yet will they not be persuaded." The extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, being vouchsafed for one especial purpose only — the benefit of the Christian Church, as soon as that Church was estabhshed, and the canon of Scripture completed, were gradually with- drawn ; though the ordinary operations, with- out which no child of Adam can " be renewed unto holiness," are to be continued for ever, «' even unto the end of the world." This was the consoling and gracious promise our Lord gave to his disciples before he was visibly parted from them. He informs them of his de- parture, and at the same time declares, " I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you : " and again in another Evangelist, " Lo ! I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." This most merciful promise was at first given to the apostles, and through their ministry to the universal Church ; Christ him- self having appointed outward means of grace, by which he has engaged to maintain a con- stant communion with his Church, through the operations of the Holy Ghost. The spirit of Christ through the Holy Ghost still acts in the administration of holy orders, in the study of the revealed word, in public and private worship, and in the sacraments (1 Cor. vi. 11. John vi. 5i5, 63. 2 Tliess. ii. 13. Ephes. V. 25, 26, &.C.) These are the means of grace by which the ordinary operations of the Holy Ghost are imparted ; and these are the sources from which alone we have reason to expect those continued and spiritual gifts which are essentially necessary to the renovation of fallen man, and his reconciliation with God. Every amiable feeling and affection, every virtue, and every grace, are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. He alone, by a secret and inter- nal operation, changes and transforms the "spirit of our mind," and enlarges and improves every faculty of our soul, healing all its sick- nesses. He checks the solicitations of sense, counteracts our natural propensities, arms us against the flatteries and allurements of the world, and against those spiritual enemies which are ever on the watch to assail our weak- nesses, and to tempt our virtue. " He," to use the words of the eloquent Barrow, " sweetly warmeth our cold affections, inflaming our hearts with devotion towards God ; he qualifieth us, and encourageth us to approach the throne of grace, breeding in us faith and humble con- fidence, prompting in us fit matter of request, becoming our Advocate and Intercessor for the good success of our prayers." He is our only Comforter and Intercessor on earth — through Him alone we can attain to " that most excel- lent gift of charity Avhich never faileth, which believeth all things, and hopeth all things," sur- viving the wreck of time, the perfection of man here, and his happiness hereafter^. A variety of opinions have been advanced respecting this miracle of Pentecost. The most rational and the most general is, that the gift of tongues lasted during the ministry of the apos- tles ; and that as soon as the purpose for which it was given was accomplished, it was gradually withdrawn. Others contend tliat it was but temporary, and intended to answer only an immediate purpose ; that the miracle was not wrought upon the apostles themselves, but upon the people only, who were suddenly enabled to understand in their own various dialects, the words which were spoken by the apostles in the Galilean language. Others attempt to do away the miracle alto- gether. Eichhorn suggests, that to speak with tongues, means only, that some of the apostles uttered indistinct and inarticulate sounds ; and those who uttered foreign, or new, or other words, were Jews who had come to Jerusalem, from the remote provinces of the empire, and being excited by the general fervor of the people, united with them in praising God in their own languages. Herder is of opinion that the word yXwaau is used to express only obso- lete, foreign, or unusual words. Paulus conjec- tures, that those who spoke with different tongues were foreign Jews, the hearers Gali- leans. Meyer, that they either spoke in terms or language not before used ; in an enthusiastic manner, or united Hebrew modes of expression, with Greek or Latin words. Heinrichsius, or Heinrich, that the apostles suddenly spoke the pure Hebrew language, in a sublime and ele- vated style. Kleinius, that the apostles, excited by an extraordinary enthusiasm, expressed their feelings with more than usual warmth and elo- quence. Such are the ways in which the modern German theologians endeavour to remove the primitive and ancient belief in the literal interpretation of Scripture. " Thinking them- selves wise, they become fools." Learning, so perverted by the inventions of paradoxes, which can tend only to darken the light of Scripture under the pretence of illustrating its sacred contents, becomes more injurious to the conse- crated cause of truth than the most despicable ignorance, or the most wilful blindness. The errors of ignorance, the fancies of a disordered imagination, the misinterpretations of well- intending theories, are comparatively harmless, when contrasted with the baleful light which renders the Scripture useless, by producing doubt in the attempt to overthrow facts. Byroin of Manchester, also, and others, have ' See Nolan's Sermons on the Operations of the Holif Ghost ; also Faber On the ordinary Operations of the Hohf Spirit, being Evidences to the Authen- ticitij of their oinn Prophecies. JSOTE 8.] NOTES ON THE ACTS, *223 endeavoured to lessen the force of this miracle, by representing that the influence of the Spirit was not so imparted to the apostles as to enable them to speak in various languages, but that when the apostles addressed the multitude in their native Galilean dialect, the Parthians, Medians, &c vi^ho were present, understood them each severally in their own language. It is well remarked by Thilo, that if this had been the case, the words of St. Luke would have been ^«A,5o-f*' uvrol, uxovot'Tuit' >)/(Coi', TuTg iifie- ji^aig ylwaauig, whereas his expression is, lalovfiotv uvTWv TixTc r)fiFTiQutc ylutaautc, uncle ctiain patel, miraadum hoc nonfuisse in audien- tibus, sed in apostolis loquentibus. He then goes on to prove that they spoke successively the various languages of the hearers and spectators of the miracle — they began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance, icadih: TO nvEvfJu tdldov avTolg [unoGToloig] unocfStyyeadai, non idldov uvioTg {uxQOUTalg) fiattxuuai. B. Schmidius — Syrus, loquebantur lingua, et lingua, i. e. pluribus Unguis^. Note 8.— Part IX. The words here used by St. Luke, xal Iv Tc5 crvfinXijQiiodiu tj)»' rj/itiQuv ttji,- nevrexoairig, are thus happily translated by B. Dn. Erasmus Schmidt (in not. ad loc.) et cum compldum esset tempus usque ad diem festum Pentecostes : — " And when the time was fulfilled, even up to the day of Pentecost." The Jews reckoned the day of Pentecost to begin fifty days after the first of Unleavened Bread, which was observed the day after the paschal lamb was offered. The law relative to this feast is found in Levit. xxiii. 15, 16. Perhaps the Evangelist is thus particular in pointing out the time, on account of the striking analogy that exists between the Old and New Dispensations in this and other great events. In the former, tlie paschal lamb of the Passover was broken and fed upon, in remembrance of the great deliverance of the children of God from the hands of their tempo- ral enemies, by whom they were detained in bondage and subjection. In the latter, at the celebration of this figurative feast, Christ our Passover was slain to deliver all that would be- lieve on Him from the great enemies of their salvation, Satan, sin, and death, and to rescue their spirits from the unhappy thraldom of these cruel taskmasters. He died for us that we might be spiritually fed by his body and blood. / Salmasius was of opinion that the miraculous gifts lasted but for one day. — See the Dissertations on this event in the Critici Sacri — Kuinoel, Comm. in Lib. Hist. JV. T. vol. iv.— Nolan On the Holy Ghost — and Faber On the ordinary Operations, &c. In the former Dispensation, at the day of Pente- cost, God gave his Law on Mount Sinai, with thunder and lightning, fire, storm, and tempest, with all the awful demonstrations of an off'ended Deity. In the fulness of time, at the feast of Pentecost, God again manifested himself, and revealed a more perfect Law — on both occa- sions circumstances characteristic of the pecu- liar nature of the Law were observed — the same divine power was demonstrated, but in the latter instance divested of its terrors. On both occa- sions tiie presence of God was manifested by the sound of rushing winds supernaturally excited, by fire descending from heaven, and, as some suppose, by the sudden thunder which accompa- nied the Bath Col. The account of St. Luke is so very brief, that we cannot be certain whether the latter proof of the presence of God was given ; but it is the most probable opinion, and is very strenuously defended by Haronburgh, in the 13th volume of the Critici Sacri'. At the Passover, Christ proved his human nature by submitting to the most ignominious death to which that nature could be exposed : at the day of Pentecost he gave evidence of his divine nature and exaltation, by miracle, and by power, and by fulfilling to the utmost the promise he made to his disciples while with them upon earth (John xiv. 16-18.), " He liumbled himself that he might be exalted." In the Jewish tabernacle God testified his acceptance of the first sacrifice that was of- fered on the holy altar by the descent of fire from heaven. When Christ made a sacrifice of his body on tlie altar of the cross, thereby abol- ishing all burnt offerings of bulls and of goats, the apostles, as priests and ministers of his new covenant, as the living sacrifices acceptable to God, received a similar token of divine appro- bation, by fire from heaven resting upon them in the form of fiery tongues. Thus are all the mysteries of Omnipotence shadowed out as " through a glass darkly," and thus, may we not suppose, that the last revelation given to man by St. John typifies, in like manner, those eter- nal realities of the New Jerusalem, of which we can form no higher idea than the Jews of old entertained of the glorious privileges and bless- ings, of which we are now the happy partakers in the Christian dispensation ? ' The opinion is principally founded on the words in Acts ii. 6. r'tvoufi »;c (?* tPc (foirf,? rwrr^c, which both Harenburgh and Schoetgen would render in tliis manner, (fmu;? rertc tonitru. Sx scBpe vox l-,lp in Hcbmo , et vox Graca, Apoc. i. 15. — X. 3. Schoetgen refers also to Heinsius. in Aristarcho Sacro, c. 14? and 25. Doddridge defends the com- mon translation by observino-r that it was not the sound of thunder or rushing wind which collected the people together, but the miraculous effusion of tongues. This, however, must still remain a matter of doubt, as we are only informed in the sacred narrative, that when the multitude came together, they were confounded to hear every man speak in his own language. 224* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. NoTK 9.— Part IX. Various opinions have prevailed respecting the place where this miracle occurred. The temple, the house of Mary the mother of John, of Simon the Leper, of Joseph of Arimathea, of Nicodemus, have each been alternately fixed upon. Tliis point must ever remain in a great degree a matter of doubt ; I am, however, in- duced, by the arguments of the celebrated Joseph Mede, to think that tliis miracle took place in an upper room of some private house, set apart for religious services, rather than in the temple which was so soon to be destroyed, and its figurative service superseded by a spiritual worship and purer discipline. It is not probable that the despised followers of the crucilieJ Jesus should be allowed, as an associated body, to assemble together in the temple, for the purpose of joining in a new act of devotion, by those priests who had so short a time before been the persecuting instruments of their blessed Master's condemnation and crucifixion'^. Note JO.— Part IX. Markjland supposes that instead of " these men are full of new wine," the passage should be read, "these men are, without doubt, under the strong inspiration of the goddess rlevxd." He would read yleuxovg as derived from jlevKog, " must." For the sake of ridicule, the person or goddess I'levxd) (Gen. 60s, ovg.), formed as C-)ulloj, .^ijf 0) (Poll. viii. 9. Segm. 10.) is used. So likewise \4eiEanit, and Evaaro), DecE Politiccc. Those who opposed the apostles intended by this expression to sneer at the mean appearance and obvious poverty of the fishermen of Galilee, as no one opened their vessels of last year's yleiixog, so early as June, unless impelled by necessity'. This, however, seems to be a strange re- mark : the witnesses of the miracle at Pentecost were Jews ; and, though some of them who were Hellenists had resided in Greece or Rome, it does not appear probable that tliey would make an allusion to the mythology of the hea- thens in preference to their own traditions ; in which they read that tliere was a demon called Dlp'Tip which possessed those who were drunk with new wine, wliich gave the drinker not only wit and gayety, but the power of speaking other languages-'; and to this agent we may justly suppose the Jews would have ascribed the elo- quence and fluency of the apostles, if they had '^ See Schoetgen ; and Mede's Dissertation on the CInirches of the Apostolic Jige. ' Bowyer in loo. i See Lightfoot, Pitman's edition, vol. viii. p. 377; fol. ed. ii. 644. attempted to account for the effects of the Holy Spirit by any supernatural influence. But as we find that this was not the case, and as the conjecture, that a reference was made to the heathen mythology, can only be derived from the word ylevxog, the present translation of the passage may be considered as giving its genu- ine signification*. Note 11.— Part IX. St. Peter here particularly addresses himself to these heqov (ver. 13.) who represented the apostles as drunkards to the Jews of Judsea and Jerusalem, because those who were assembled from distant parts might not have been so well acquainted with the prophecy of Joel (ii. 28.), which he now declares to have been fuUy ac- complished on tliis occasion. And he urges upon those who hear him this predicted promise of the Holy Spirit, as a glorious evidence of the exaltation and resurrection of the crucified Jesus, who was " both Lord and Christ." Let those who doubt the inspiration of Peter, com- pare what he now is with what he formerly was, the weak and timid disciple, who deserted and denied his best Friend and gracious Master. The prophecy of Joel was not applied to the great effusion of the Holy Spirit by St. Peter only; the traditions of tlie Jews record its reference to the same event, in the days of the Messiah. Schoetgen quotes on this subject the following paragraphs from Tanchuma, fol. 65. 3. and Bammidbar Rabba, sect. 15. When Moses placed his hand upon Joshua, the holy and blessed God said nin CdSu'I, that is, in the days of the Old Testament — one prophet prophesies at one time, but N3n aSi;^'?, in the days of the Messiah, all the house of Israel shall prophesy, as is said in Joel ii. 48. Likewise from Midrasch Schochaiiof in Jalkut Simeoni, part i. fol. 221. 2. and fol. 265. 4. on Numb. xi. 29. The people assembled therefore at the fes- tival of Pentecost, who were acquainted with this prediction and its traditional interpretation, were now the spectators of its actual fulfilment, and were appealed to by tradition, by prophecy, and miracle, to acknowledge the Divinity of Christ, and the real nature of liis mission. The words "last days," in ver. 17, is shown by Schoetgen to refer to the days of tlie Messiah, by two references to the Book Zohar, ri'inxj "'Xn^nty lDVI O'DTI Diebus postremis, die sex- to, qui est millenarius Septimus, nn^^in Tl'"' TD quando Messias veniet ; nam dies Dei S. B. sunt * Hesychius ap. Schoetgen, rXtvxoq to anu- CTuyuaxiiC riTLKiwkfjg, 77(i/r xar>i^ >i, iUud.iptod ah uva distillat, untrquum calcctiir. See Schoetgen, Mora HehraiccB, vol. i. p. 411, and the Dissertation on the word rXtvyui, in the Critici Sacri. Note 12.-15.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *225 milk annV. Genes, xlix. 1. where Jacob said, " I will tell you what shall take place in the latter clays" — iZD""D'n nnnx*? vocavitipsos, quia voluit ipsis revelare xn'tyo ypjinem MessicE"". frequent exhortations to the wealthy to be rich in good works ; but not the least intimation that they were required to sell their possessions. It must have been a voluntary sacrifice to have made the offering acceptable. Note 12.— Part IX. ScnoETGEN remarks on this passage, that in all the rabbinical writers he has never met with the application of this passage to the Messiah. We have reason, therefore, to suppose it was applied now for the tirst time. The Apostle at the moment of inspiration, when the remem- brance of Christ's wonderful resurrection was still fresh in the memory of the people, asserts, by that strongest and most irrefragable argu- ment, that this prophecy also related to Christ, and was by him alone fulfilled, for " his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corrup- tion." The veil", that had been for so long a period spread over the face of Moses, was now to be gradually withdrawn, and through the Spirit of God spiritual tilings were to be com- pared with spiritual. The expression i^ yXCoaaa fiy, in ver. 26, in the original is rendered by ^•^^2D, my glory — this word is often used for ""tyaj, my soid. Note 13.— Part IX. Bishop Horsley was of opinion that the cloven tongues remained upon the apostles after they went down among the people. This he tliinks is alluded to in the expression, " that which ye now see and hear," ver. 33. If so, another beautiful analogy exists between the giving of the Law to Moses, when " the skin of his face shone, while he talked with him," (Exod. xxxiv. 29, 30.), and the communication of the Law to the apostles, when the fire of heaven again rested upon man. Note 14.— Part IX. That this unbounded liberality was not com- manded by St. Peter is evident from his address to Ananias, Acts v. 4. And that it was not in- tended as a precedent is equally clear from all the Epistles, in which frequent mention is made of a distinction between the rich and poor, and >■ Sohar Genes, fol. 13. col. 52. ^ Ibidem, fol. 12G.col. 499. ap. Schoetgen, vol. i. p. 413. " " Auditores apostoli docuerant, accedenle jam teslnnonio Spiritus Sancti, quod hue usque, vela- men Mosis habentes obtectum, nonduni perspexe- rant."' — Schoetgen, vol. i. p. 414. VOL. II. *29 Note 15.— Part IX. In the opinion of the learned Joseph Mede, the words here translated "from house to house," would have been better rendered " on the house." In his curious Dissertation on the Churches for Christian Worship in the Apostles' Times, he observes, that the early Christians, not having stately structures as the Church had after the empire became Christian, were accus- tomed to assemble in some convenient upper room, set apart for the purpose, dedicated per- haps by the religious bounty of the owner to the use of the Church. They were distinguished by the name 'Avdysov, or ' YtieqQop, (an upper room,) and by the Latins Ccenaculum, and were generally the most capacious and highest part of the dwelling, retired, and next to heaven, as having no other room above it. Such upper- most places were chosen even for private devo- tions (Acts X. 9.) There is a tradition in the Church that the room in which the apostles were in the habit of assembling was tlie same apartment as tliat in which their blessed Lord celebrated with them the last Passover, and in- stituted the mystical supper of his body and blood for the sacred rite of the Gospel. The same room in which on the day of his resur- rection he came and stood in the midst of his disciples, the doors being shut, and having shown them his hands and his feet, said, "Peace be unto you," &c. (John xx. 21.) The same in which eight days (or the Sunday after), he appeared in a similar manner to them being together, to satisfy the incredulity of Thomas, and to show him his hands and his feet. The same hallowed spot where the Holy Ghost de- scended, imparting to them wisdom, faith, and power. The place where James, the brother of our Lord, was created by the apostles Bishop of Jerusalem : tlie place where the seven dea- cons, whereof St. Steplien was one, were elect- ed and ordained : the place where the apostles and elders of the Church at Jerusalem held that council, the pattern of all councils, where the first controverted point was decided : and after- wards the place of tJiis Comacvbim was en- closed with a goodly Church, known by the name of the Church of Sion, upon whose top it stood, to which St. Jerome, in his Epitaphium Paulce (Epist.27.) applies those words of the Psalmist, — " Her foundations are in the holy mountains ; The Lord lovetli the gates of Sion More than all the dwellings of Jacob." Ps. Ixxxvii. 1, 2. ^26* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. St, Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem, calls it the Upper Church of the Apostles, and he states, "the Holy Ghost descended upon the apostles in the likeness of fiery tongues, here in Jerusa- lem, in tlie Upper Church of the Apostles," — Cyril, Hierosol. Cat. 16. Should the tradition be true, it is evident that this Canaculum, from the time that our blessed Saviour first hallowed it, by the institution and celebration of his mys- tical supper, was devoted to a place of prayer and holy assemblies. And thus, perhaps, should that tradition, which the venerable Bede men- tions, be understood ; that this Church of Sion was founded by the apostles ; not that they erected the structure, but that the building-, from the time it was made a Ccenaculum by our Saviour, was by his apostles dedicated to a house of prayer. The Greek words xar' o?xo>', used in this pas- sage (ver. 46.), and rendered in our translation "house to house," may be interpreted like if oi'xa, " in the house ;" and Ave find it is so ren- dered both by the Syriac and Arabic, and like- wise by the New Testament in other places, Rom. xvi, 3-5. 1 Cor. xvi. 19. Coloss. iv. 15. Philemon i. 2. And we, moreover, find this Ccsnaculiim called Oixoc, in the second verse of this chapter. And the same phrase, breaking of bread, is used a little before in the 42d verse, which is wont to be understood of the commu- nion of the Eucharist ; and by the Syriac inter- preter is expressly rendered by the Greek word fr actio euchansticB ; and again at chap. xx. ver. 7, according to that of St. Paul, the bread lohich loe break, &.c. Why should it not then be so used here ? And if this interpretation is admit- ted, it follows that the passage in question must be intended to signify, that when the apostles had performed their daily devotions in the temple, at the accustomed times of prayer, they immediately retired to this Canacvlum, or upper room, where, after having celebrated the mystical banquet of the holy Eucharist, they afterwards took their ordinary and necessary repast with gladness and singleness of heart. It further proves, that the custom of the Church to participate the Eucharist fasting, and before dinner, liad its beginning from the first consti- tution of the Christian Church. When we consider even to our own day how many spots tradition has transmitted to us as the scene of some eventful history, I cannot but receive the hypothesis of the excellent Mede as probable, and consistent with reason and Scripture. We know that the oak of Mamre was venerated till the days of Constan- tino, and can we say it is not probable that the sepulchre of the Son of God — ^the last room that he visited — which he consecrated by his presence after the resurrection, asd by the descent of the Holy Spirit, in testimony of his exaltation, should not be commemorated by his devout and faithful followers? Who doubts that Edgar was killed at Corfe Castle, or Wil- liam Rufus in the New Forest? The particular spots where the martyrs were burnt in Canter- bury, in Smithfield, and at Oxford, are still pointed out by tradition : and many instances of a simi- lar nature might be collected from the histories of every country. Whence then arises the supposed improbability, that the early Chris- tians would cherish the memory of the wonder- ful events in which they were so deeply inter- ested"? Note 16.— Part IX. It seems difficult to intei-pret these words in their literal sense, when we remember the numerous miracles of our Lord, and the abund- ant proofs the Jews received that he was their promised Messiah. The uyvolu, here referred to, would be better rendered by the word error, or prejudice, as Whitby proposes, Lightfoot again endeavours to show that the ignorance here spoken of, consisted in their mistake of the place of our Lord's birth, and in their ex- pectations of a temporal, instead of a spiritual, kingdom. Wolfius would point the passage differently ; he thinks the expression Skjttsq xnl ol ao/oi'Tsg iiiwr, refers not to ayvoiav, but to inQdS:uTe, and the meaning is, therefore, scio vos ignorantia adductos, ut faceretis, sicut duces vcstn, scil. : sn^aSav. It is my opinion that St. Peter, in this passage, intended to intimate to the Jews that their conduct and condemnation of the Holy Jesus proceeded from their igno- ranee of their own prophets, with whom they ought to have been better acquainted. The sense of the passage appears to be this : " Ye did it without knowing what ye were about." The following verse corroborates this interpre- tation^. Note 17.— Part IX. The words, " when the times of refreshing shall come," commentators suppose should be rendered, "that the times of refreshing may come." This opinion is defended by the follow- ing parallel passages, where the same word OTTMg fxv is used : Ps. ix. 14. o5;to)» &v i^utyj'e/iw — the Hebrew is, mDDN j^^'oS. "That I may show forth," &c. Psa. xcii. 7. oixMg ixv i^oko- dQSvdwai. Heb. tDnDtynS, "That they may be destroyed for ever." Ps. cxix. 101. S)nb)g &f ° Sco the whole Dissertation in Mode's Works, p. 321, &c. P Wolfius, ap. Kiiinoel. Vommrnt in Lib. Hist. vol. iv. p. 121. Other explanations are given by Kuinoel ; but as they appear very forced, they are omitted. Note 18.-20.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *227 q,v).dSi<i. Heb. mOK/N tJ^'^S, " That I might keep." Acts xv. 17. onwg &v ix'Qijn^^imtvi, " That they mijjht seek," &c. So in the same verse, " Repent and be converted, that your sins may he blotted out, otimq fxv eldwai, that the times of re freshing //iflfT/ come''" &c. Markland has made the same remark, but proposes to connect onMg Av with inl/iQbioey, ver. 18. putting [jueTuforiaaTS &fAUQiluc) in a parenthe- sis : — " Those times which God before liad showed, he hath so fulfilled — that times of refreshment may come : onMg &v for ?>'«''." Tiie times of refreshing appear here primarily to refer to the blessings which should accompany the extension of the dominion of the Messiah, if he were at lengtli acknowledged by his people. The words have been severally applied to the preachers of the Gospel — the influences of the Spirit — and the intervening period between this time and the destruction of Jerusalem, which was allotted to the Jews for repentance and conversion. From the arguments of the Apostle, compare ver. 16 with 19, 20, and 2(5, the cure of the lame man may, I think, be considered as a sig- nificant action, or miracle ; whereby St. Peter ■wishes to demonstrate to the Jews, while their first impression of surprise and astonishment lasted, that the same faith in the Holy One and the Just, which " hath made this man strong," and recovered him to " perfect soundness " of body in the presence of them all, was only a shadow or figure of its efficacious power in healing the diseases of that nation, and restoring it to its former spiritual elevation and dignity, if they would be persuaded, even now, to ac- knowledge as their Messiah the Prince of Life, whom God raised from the dead. Note 18.— Part IX. The Greek word nqoxe^i^qvyfiivov, here translated, " which before was preached," is rendered in nearly forty MSS. as if it signified TTQOxexeiQKTfth'ov i^mr, "who was before or- dained for you, or foredesigned " — i5/<i/' being read with an emphasis. The meaning there- fore of the expression is, "That God may send Jesus Christ, who was before designed for you, in the predictions of the Law and the Prophets'." Note 19.— Part IX. L\ the unpublished papers of the first Lord Barrington, tlie noble author endeavours to ' Lightfoot's Exerc. on the Acts. Pitman's edit, vol. viii. p. 388 ; fol. ed. ii. G51. ' Markland ap. Bowyer in loo. * Markland ap. Bowyer, and Whitby in loc. prove, at great length, that the earliest notion which men had of immortality, was their resur- rection and restoration to the paradisiacal state. The notion of immortality entertained by the patriarchs was their resurrection in the land of Canaan, and eternal possession of that land in a glorified condition. He sup- poses that the expression of St. Peter in this passage is an allusion to the anticipated re- storation of mankind to their former condition of innocence and happiness : and his opinion is confirmed by the peculiar metaphors under which St. John, in the Apocalypse, describes the future state. Lightfoot would render the word d.7ioxaxttaT6.aig, by "accomplishment," instead of "restitution." By whatever word we express the idea, it is still the same. St. Peter refers to the eventual completion of the happiness of mankind, by the universal es- tablishment of Christianity, and the blessings of its influence ; a period which all tlie prophets have anticipated in their sublimest visions, which the best men, in all ages, have delighted to contemplate, and which, in our own day, we have reason to hope, is progressively advancing. Note 20.— Part IX. ON THE PARALLEL BETWEEN MOSES AND CHRIST. As St. Peter has applied this passage to our Lord, it will be unnecessary to examine the arguments by which some writers would apply the prediction of Moses to the long line of prophets that came after him'. It is sufficient for us to know, that even when taken collec- tively, tliey were not like unto him in so many points as Jesus of Nazareth". Jortin gives the following parallel : — The resemblance between Moses and Christ is so great and striking, it is impossible to con- sider it fairly and carefully, without seeing and acknowledging that He must be foretold where he is so well described. First, and which is the principal of all, Moses was a lawgiver and the mediator of a covenant between God and man. So was Christ Here the resemblance is the more considerable, be- cause no other prophet beside them executed this high office. The other prophets were only interpreters ' " Hunc locum quidam de Josna, alii de pro- phetis in genere enarrant. Sed prophetje non erant Mosi per omnia similes. Nam Moses vide- bat Deum in speculari lucido ; prophetre. in non lucido. Pra;terea Moses videbat Deum facie ad faciem, loquebatur cum eo ore ad os : non sic reli- qui propheta;. Debet igitur peculiariter accipi de Christo, qui fuit scopus omnium prophctarum," &c. — Drusius in Deut. xviii. 15. Crit. Sacri. vol. ii. p. 131. " Jortin's Remarks on Ecclesiastical History, vol. i. p. 282, et seq. y28* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. and enforcers of the Law, and in this respect were greatly inferior to Moses. The Messias could not be like to Moses in a strict sense, unless he were a legislator. He must give a Law to men, consequently a more excellent Law, and a better covenant than the first. For if the first had been perfect (as the Author of the Epistle to the HebreAvs argues) there could have been no room for a second. 2. Other prophets had revelations in dreams and visions, but Moses talked with God, with the A6yog, face to face. So Christ spake that which he had seen with the Father, Num. xii. 6-8. All the prophets of the Old Testament saw visions and dreamed dreams — all the prophets of the New were in the same state. St. Peter had a vision ; St. John saw visions ; St. Paul had visions and dreams. But Christ neither saw visions, nor dreamed a dream, but had an intimate and immediate communication with the Father — he was in the Father's bosom — and He, and no man else, had seen the Father. Moses and Christ are the only two in all the sacred history who had this communication with God. — Bishop Sherlock, Disc. 6. 3. Moses in his infancy was wonderfully preserved from the cruelty of a tyrant — so was Christ. 4. Moses fled from his country to escape the hands of the king — so did Christ, when his parents carried him into Egypt. Afterwards, " The Lord said to Moses in Midian, ' Go, re- turn into Egypt; for all the men are dead which sought thy hfe,'" Exod. iv. 19. So the angel of the Lord said to Joseph in almost the same words, " Arise, and take the young child, and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead which sought the young child's life," Matt. ii. 20. pointing him out, as it were, for that prophet which should arise like unto Moses. 5. Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to sufl^er affliction — Christ had all the kingdoms of the world offered him by Satan, and rejected them ; and when the people would have made him a king, he hid himself, choosing rather to suffer affliction. 6. " Moses," says St. Stephen, " was learned, InHiSeiidr], in all the Avisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds ; " and Josephus, Ant. Jud. 2. 9. says, that he was a very forward and accomplished youth, and had Avisdom and knoAvledge beyond his years ; Aviiich is taken from Jewisli tradition, and which of itself is highly probable. St. Luke observes of Christ, that "he increased (betimes) in Avisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man ; " and his discourses in the temple Avith the doctors, Avhen he was tAvelve years old, were a proof of it. The difference Avas, that Moses acejuired his knoAvledge by iunnan instruction, and Christ by a divine afflnlus. To both of them might be applied Avhat Callima- chus elegantly feigns of Jupiter, — 'OSi; d' av>l(itina?, xaxivoi Si rot j}A5-ov lovXoi, 'AXX' in nutSvb? icov iffOaaauo tcuvtu zikcia. 7 Moses delivered liis people from cruel oppression and heavy bondage — so did Christ from the worst tyranny of sin and Satan. 8. Moses contended Avith the magicians, and had the advantage over them so manifestly, that they could no longer Avithstand him, but were forced to acknowledge the divine power by which he Avas assisted — Christ ejected evil spirits, and received the same acknowledo-- ments from them. 9. Moses assured the people Avhom he con- ducted, that if they Avould be obedient, they should enter into tlie happy land of promise ; — Avhich land was usually understood, by the Aviser JeAvs, to be an emblem and a figure of that eternal and celestial kingdom to which Christ first opened an entrance. 10. Moses reformed the nation, corrupted Avith Egyptian superstition and idolatry — Christ restored true religion. 11. Moses Avrought a variety of miracles — so did Christ ; and in this the parallel is remark- able, since beside Christ "there arose not a prophet in Israel like unto Moses, Avhom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and Avonders Avhich the Lord sent him to do." 12. Moses Avas not only a laAvgiver, a prophet, and a worker of miracles, but a king and a priest. He is called a king, Deut. xxxiii. 5., and he had indeed, though not the pomp, and the crown, and the sceptre, yet the authority of a king, and was the supreme magistrate ; and the office of priest he often exercised — In all these offices the resemblance betAveen Moses and Christ Avas singular. In the interpretation of Deut. xxxiii. 5. I prefer the sense of Grotius and Selden to Le Clerc's. The parallel be- tAA-een Moses and Christ requires it, and no objection can be made to it. The apostolical constitutions also, if their judgment be of any Aveight, call Moses " High Priest and King;" T0»' uo/iFQiu yul ScxaiX^a, vi. 3. 13. Moses, says Theodoret, married an Ethi- opian woman, at which his relations Avere much offended ; and in this he Avas a type of Christ, Avho espoused the Church of the Gentiles, whom the Jcavs were very unAvilling to admit to the same favors and privileges with them- selves. But T should not choose to lay a groat stress upon this typical similitude, thougli it be ingenious. 14. Moses fasted in the desert forty days and forty nights, before he gave tlie LaAV : so did Elias, the restorer of the Law : and so did Christ before he entered into his ministry. 15. Moses fed the people miraculously in tiie Avilderness — so did Christ vvitli bread and with doctrine ; and the manna Avliicih descended Note 20.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *229 from heaven, and the loaves which Christ mul- tiplied, were proper images of the spiritual food Avhich the Saviour of the world bestowed upon his disciples. John vi. 31, &ic. 16. Moses led the people through the sea — Christ walked upon it, and enabled Peter to do so. 17. Moses commanded the sea to retire and give away — Christ commanded the winds and waves to be still. 18. Moses brought darkness over the land — The sun withdrew his light at Christ's crucifix- ion. And as the darkness which was spread over Egypt was followed by the destruction of the firstborn, and of Pharaoh and his host — so the darkness at Christ's death was the forerunner of the destruction of the Jews, when, in the metaphorical and proplietic style, and accord- ing to Christ's express prediction, " the sun was darkened, and the moon refused to give her light, and tlie stars fell from heaven," the ecclesiastical and the civil state of the Jews was overturned, and the rulers of both were destroyed. 19. The face of Moses shone when he de- scended from tlie mountain — the same happened to Christ at his transfiguration on the mountain. Moses and Elias appeared then with him ; to show that the Law and Prophets bare wit- ness of him ; and the Divine Voice said, " This is my beloved Son, hear ye him !" alluding most evidently to the prediction of Moses, " Unto him shall ye liearken." 20. Moses cleansed one leper — Christ many. 21. Moses foretold the calamities which would befal the nation for their disobedience — so did Christ. 22. Moses chose and appointed seventy elders to be over the people — Christ chose such a number of disciples. 23. The Spirit wliich was in Moses was con- ferred in some degree on the seventy elders, they prophesied — and Christ conferred miracu- lous powers on his seventy disciples. 24. Moses sent twelve men to spy out the land which was to be conquered — Christ sent his apostles into the Avorld, to subdue it by a more glorious and miraculous conquest. 25. Moses was victorious over powerful kings and great nations — so was Christ, by the effects of his religion, and by the fall of those who persecuted the Church. 26. Moses conquered Amalek by lifting and holding up both his hands all tlie day — Christ overcame his and our enemies when his hands were fastened to the cross. This resemblance has been observed by some of the ancient Christians, and ridiculed by some of the mod- erns, but without sufficient reason I think. 27. Moses interceded for transgressions, and caused an atonement to be made for tliem, and stopped the wrath of God — so did Christ. 28. Moses ratified a covenant between God vol,. II. and the people, by sprinkling them with blood — Christ with his own blood. 29. Moses desired to die for the people, and prayed that God would forgive them, or blot him out of his book — Christ did more, he died for sinners. 30. Moses instituted the Passover, when a lamb was sacrificed, none of whose bones were to be broken, and whose blood protected the people from destruction — Christ was that Pas- chal Lamb. 31. Moses lifted up the serpent, that they who looked upon him might be healed of their mortal wounds — Christ was that serpent. " As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him sliould not perish, but have eternal life." The serpent, being an emblem of Satan, may not be thought a fit em- blem to represent Christ; but the serpents which bit the children of Israel are called Jieiy serpents, seraphim. Now, "sunt boni angeli seraphim, simt mali angeli seraphim, quos nulla figura melius quam prestare exprimas. Et tali usum primum humani generis seductorem putat Bachai.^^ — Grotius. Therefore Clirist, as he was the great and good Angel, the Angel of God's presence, the Angel, y.ai' i^o/i^r, might be represented as a kind of seraphim, a bene- ficent healing serpent, who should abolish the evil introduced by the seducing lying serpent ; and who, hke the serpent of Moses, should destroy the serpents of the magicians : as one of those gentle serpents who are friends to mankind. " Nunc quoque nee fugiunt hominem nee vulncre ca'dunt, Quidque prius fuerint, placidi meminere dra- cones." Elo'i Si TieQi 0f,'j?aj iQo'l Z(fitg, ur&QwTl tov ovdauoig Herodotus, ii. 74. 32. All the affection which Moses showed towards the people, all the cares and toils which he underwent on their account, were repaid by them with ingratitude, murmuring, and rebellion, and sometimes they threatened to stone him — the same returns the Jews made to Christ for all his benefits. 33. Moses was ill used by his own family ; his brotlier and sister rebelled against him — there was a time when Christ's own brethren behoved not in him. 34. Moses had a very wicked and per\'erse generation committed to his care and conduct ; and, to enable him to rule them, iniracidous powers were given to him, and he used hia utmost endeavour to make the people obedient to God, and to save them from ruin ; but in vain: in the space of forty years they all fell in the wilderness except two — Christ was given to a generation not less wicked and perverse ; 230* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. his instructions and his miracles were lost upon them ; and in about the same space of time, after they had rejected him, they were de- stroyed. 35. Moses was very meek, above all the men that were on the face of the earth — so was Christ. 36. The people could not enter into the land of promise until Moses was dead — by the death of Christ the kingdom of heaven was opened to all believers. 37. In the death of Moses and Christ there is also a resemblance of some circumstances. Moses died, in one sense, for the iniquities of the people ; it was their rebellion which was the occasion of it, which drew down the dis- pleasure of God upon them, and upon him (Deut. i. 37). Moses therefore went up in tlie sight of the people, to the top of Mount Nebo, and there he died when he was in perfect vigor, when his eye was not dim, nor Avas his natural force abated — ^Christ suffered for the sins of men, and was led up, in the presence of the people, to Mount Calvary, where he died in the flower of his age, and when he was in his full natural strength. Neither Moses, nor Christ, as far as we can collect from sacred history, was ever sick, or felt any bodily decay or infir- mities, which would have rendered them unfit for the toils they underwent; their sufferings were of another kind. 38. Moses was buried, and no man knew where his body lay — nor could the Jews find the body of Christ. 39. Lastly, as Moses, a little before his death, promised the people "that God would raise them up a prophet like unto him " — so Christ, taking leave of his afflicted disciples, told them, " I will not leave you comfortless ; I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter." It is only necessary to add, in the words of an eminent divine, (see Clarke's Evidences of JVatural and Revealed Religion), that the cor- respondencies of types and antitypes, though they be not of themselves proper proofs of the truth of a doctrine, yet they may be very reas- onable confirmations of the foreknowledge of God ; of the uniform view of Providence under different Dispensations ; of the analogy, har- mony, and agreement between the Old Testa- ment and the New. The analogies cannot, without the force of strong prejudice, be con- ceived to have happened by mere chance, with- out any foresight or design. There are no such analogies, much less such series of analo- gies, found in the books of mere enthusiastic writers living in such remote ages from each other. It is much more credible and reason- able to stippose what St. Paul affirms, that, in the uniform course of God's government of the world, " all these things happened unto them of old for examples, jin(x, or types. 1 Cor. X. 11., and they are written for our admo- nition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." And hence arises that aptness of similitude in the application of several legal performances to the morality of the Gospel, that it can very hardly be supposed not to have been originally intended. Bishop Horsley" has proposed a criticism, which may add another circumstance to the parallel between Christ and Moses. We read in Numb. xii. 3. "that the man Moses was very meek." With what truth this character might be ascribed to Moses, see Exod. xii. 11-14. V. 22. xi. 8. xxxii. 19-22. Numb. xi. 11-15. xvi. 15. and xx. 10-12. Schultens renders the passage ; " Now the man Moses gave forth more answers than," &c. i. e. more oracular answers : " erat responsor eximius prcB omni hoviiner If this remark is just, our Lord would be like unto Moses in this point also : Christ being himself the divine oracle by whom Moses had spoken to the people'". Note 21.— Part IX. The names of the pastors here mentioned show us the powerful opposition against which the infant Church had to contend. The San- hedrin — the aged Ananus, or Annas, who by his influence secretly directed every public meas- ure, and as many as were of his kindred — were gathered together against them. The John and Alexander here spoken of appear to have been, next to Annas and Caiaphas, the princi- pal and most eminent persons in Jerusalem. John, according to Lightfoot, is probably no other than Rabban Johanan, the son of Zaccai, frequently mentioned in the talmuds. It is said of him, that he had been tlie scholar of Hillel, and was president of the council after Simeon, the son of Gamaliel, who perished in the de- struction of the city, and that he lived to be a hundred and twenty-three years old. A re- markable saying of his, spoken by him not long before his assembling with the rulers and elders, mentioned Acts iv., is related in the Jerusalem Talmud thus : Forty years before the destruc- tion of the city, when the gates of the temple flew open of their own accord, Rabban Joha- nan, the son of Zaccai, said, " O temple, tem- ple, why dost thou disturb thyself? I know tliy end, that thou shalt be destroyed ; for so " Horsley's Bihiical Criticisms, vol. i. j). 160. He refers to Kennit-ott's Remarks, p. 57. " See the treatise on tiic passage in the i:]tli vol. of the Crltici Sarri. p. 4'.VJ, &c., to Fagius's Rc- 7n(irf;s, vol. ii. p. V2'^, and to the frequent notices of tlie same te-ttin himhorv.h's Jlinica Collatio cum erud. Judffio. Note 22.-25.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *23l the prophet Zechariah has spoken concerning thee, — ' Open thy doors, O Lebanon, That the fire may devour thy cedars.' " He hved to see the truth of what he had foretold^ The Alexander here mentioned is supposed by some learned men'' to be Alexander the ala- barch, or governor of the Jews who dwelt in Egypt ; and were he at Jerusalem at the time, nothing would be more probable. For the assembly here spoken of does not seem to be the ordinary council of the seventy-one, but an extraordinary council, composed of all the chief men of the Jewish nation, from every part of the world, who happened thou to be at Jerusa- lem ; and several such, it is likely, there might be upon the account of some feast. Josephus says of this Alexander, that he was the noblest and richest of all the Jews in Alexandria of his time, and that he adorned the nine gates of the temple at Jerusalem with plates of gold and silver". Note 24.— Part IX. This section presents ua with a picture of what every Christian Church ought to be, and what every Christian Church will probably be, when the fulness of the Spirit shall be poured out in tlie last days, and the consummation of all things arrive. Here we meet with no factions or divisions on tlie part of the people — no jeal- ousy — no party spirit — no desire of distinction disturbed the pure harmony of the primitive Church. The apostles, as the spiritual fathers of God's household, without opposition, superin- tended all things, and directed the disposal of the extensive and benevolent contributions of the faithful. The first law of their divine Master was fulfilled — mutual and holy love was the sacred bond of tlieir union, the ruling principle of their life and actions. But in these days ot luxury and refinement, self engages all our thoughts, and all our cares — no other interest can be admitted, and the exploded doctrine ot Christian love is alike ridiculed and despised. Note 32.— Part IX. Note 25.— Part IX. See the Dissertation on this text among the tracts bound up in the 13th vol. of the Critici Sacri. De LAmitibus Obsequii Humani. By Samuel Andreas, or Andre, or Andrews, p. 595-604. Note 23.— Part IX. 2vvTfi^dtj(Tav — TTQOWQias yBviadai, this ought to be in a parenthesis, the construction being suspended through several verses, and not being resumed till ver. 29. The construction lies thus: dianoia, aii 6 0sdg, v. 24. av 6 (noT^) elnlbi', ver. 25. x«i t& vvv, IHqie, Mntds inl rdc dcneddi;, ver. 29. " Lord, thou art God, who hast made, &c. — who [formerly] by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, &c. and now, Lord, behold tlieir threatenings"." The beauty and truth of this affecting appli- cation of the prophecy must strike every reader. ^ Vid. Lightfoot, vol. i. p. 209, and p. 277, 282, vol. ii. p. 6.52. y Baron. ^Irinal. xxxiv. p. 224. Liorhtfoot, vol. i. p. 277, and 760. ' jintiq. 1. xviii. c. 7. § 3. fin. 1. xix. c. 5. § 1. fin. 1. XX. c. 4. § 2., and De Bell. 1. v. c. 5. § 3. See Biscoe On the Jlcts, and Schoetgen, vol. i. p. 420. " Markland ap. Bowyer. From these words it is evident that the crime of Ananias was something more than an ordi- nary act of deception. It was a direct sin against the Holy Ghost. It was a distrust ot his power. It was an attempt to impose upon the Holy Spirit himself, an endeavour to dis- cover if the secret things of the heart were manifest to Him. It was therefore necessary that a severe and exemplary punishment should be inflicted on the first offending person, to convince others of tlie continued presence, and of the divine power of that Holy Spirit under whose influence the apostles acted, and who worked with them for the dissemination of the Gospel. Ananias is here said to lie to God, because he lied to the Holy Spirit, which had descended upon the apostles ; hence it is clear, that if he that lieth to the Spirit lieth to God — the Holy Spirit must be God. Ananias ap- pears to have been further tempted to this sin in the expectation that as he insisted it was the whole of the purchase money, both he and his wife for the future would be provided for from the common funds of the Church ; while at the same time they retained a portion for their private purposes. Doddridge calls it an affront directly levelled at the Holy Ghost himself in the midst of his astonishing train of extraordi- nary operations. This display of divine power had its intended effect (Acts v. 11, 14, 15.), it preserved tlie Church pure, and protected it from those hypocritical professors, who, had it not been for fear of a similar punishment, might 232* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. have been induced to join the apostles, in the hope of those temporal advantages which the contributions of the primitive converts afforded. Note 26.— Part IX. These verses, from 12 to 17, as they stand in our Bibles, are considered as intermingled and confused, and as such have been variously arranged by commentators. In their present dis- position I have adopted the plan of Dr. Adam Clarke, as the most natural and the most con- sistent with the intention of the previous mira- cle, and the effects which it produced. Bishop Sherlock, however, is of a different opinion, and, in a communication which he made to Bowyer, states that they ought to be divided tlius — After verse 11, go on to ver. 14 " And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. 12 And they were all witli one accord in Solomon's porch. 13 And of the rest durst no man join him- self to them ; but the people magni- fied them. 12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people. 15 Insomuch that they brought fortJi," &c. By the ol uTtuvTsg, ver. 12, Bishop Sherlock would understand " the new converts ; " by the ol loiTtol, ver. 13, "the unconverted." — See Bowyer. the name of Rabban, a title of the highest emi- nency and note of any among their doctors; and concerning him is this saying, " From the time that Rabban Gamaliel the Old died, the honor of the Law failed, and purity and Phari- saism died." He is called Rabban Gamaliel the Old, to distinguish him from his grandson, who was also called Rabban Gamaliel, and the great-grandson of this grandson, who was also called by the same name, and had the same title, and were both of them, as the talmudists say, presidents also of the Council. They tell us that Rabban Gamaliel the Old died eighteen years before the destruction of Jerusalem', that is, in the year of our Lord 52, about eighteen years after the convention of the council, before whom the apostles were brought, as related in the Acts. We read also in Josephus, of Simeon, the son of this Gama- liel, as being one of the principal persons of the Jewish nation about three years before the destruction of Jerusalem. Note 29.— Part IX. It was a common saying among tlie Jews, □•''pnn'? HDiD CD'nty OB'S a'^rw n^i? Sd owme consilium, quod ad gloriam Dei suscipitur, prospero cventu gaudebit. — Schoetgen, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 424. Note 30.— Part IX. ON THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF THE OFFICE OF DEACON. Note 27.— Part IX. Tov ivdQibnov TOVTOv — tyxn iniX. Few cir- cumstances more fully display to us tlie utter contempt in which the Jews held our Lord and his followers than this expression. They would not even pronounce his name. Note 28.— Part IX. We read. Acts v. 34., that a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in great reputation among all the people, was one of the Jewish Council, or Sanhedrin. This agrees exactly witli what is delivered in the Jewish talmuds. We are informed by them, that Gamaliel, the son of Simeon, and grandson of Hillel, was president of the Council ; that lie was a Pharisee ; that he was so well skilled in the Law, that he was the second who obtained We now read the first account of the elec- tion of any order of men in the Christian Church from among its own members. The apostles and the seventy had been ordained to their sacred work by their Divine Master him- self. The increased number of converts now made additional assistance necessary, and the manner in which the Seven were set apart de- serves both the attention and imitation of every society united together in the name of Christ. It is the misfortune of tlie Christian Church, that every, even the most minute point, has been made the subject of controversy ; we must therefore begin our inquiry into the nature of the office to which the Seven were appointed, by endeavouring to ascertain from what body of men they were selected, before they were set apart by the apostles. It has been ques- tioned whether they were of the seventy — of ' The talmudists say, he succeeded his father, and was president of the Council. See Biscoe On the Acts, vol. ii. p. 5i20. Note 30.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *233 the hundred and eight, who, together with the apostles, composed the number of the hundred and twenty upon whom the Spirit fell at the day of Pentecost — or, of the general mass of converts, now added to the Church. Lightfoot" supposes them to have been of the hundred and twenty. These, he observes, were they that were of Christ's constant retinue, and " companied with him all the time that he went in and out among them ; " and who, being con- stant witnesses of his actions, and auditors of his doctrine, were appointed by him for the ministry. These are they that the story mean- eth all along in these passages, " They were all together " — " They went to their company " — "Look ye out among yourselves" — "They were all scattered abroad, except the apostles " — "They whicli were scattered abroad preach- ed," &c. The Jews say, " Ezra's great syna- gogue was of a hundred and twenty men." And their canons allow not the setting up of a Sanhedrin of three and twenty judges in any city, but where there were a hundred and twenty men fit, some for one office and employ- ment, some for another"^. If we may give credit to Epiphanius, the seven deacons were of the number of the seventy. If this was the case, and if they had been made partakers of the miraculous gifts, they were already invested with the power both of preach- ing and administering the sacraments. No im- position of hands, therefore, was necessary to set them apart for this office. Tlie fact seems to be, that the difficulties and embarrassments arising from the incipient disputes between the widows of the Hellenists and of the Hebrews, mio'ht have increased so much, and excited so much dissension and unkindness, that it became necessary to select some of the next rank to the apostles, and appoint tliem for this express purpose. Tlie general opinion however is, that the deacons were chosen from among the gen- eral mass of believers. The second and the following verses are thus paraphrased by Hammond — " And the twelve apostles, calling the Church together, said unto them. We have resolved, or decreed, that it is no way fit or reasonable, that we should neglect the preaching of the Gospel, and undertake the care of looking to the poor. "Therefore do you nominate to us seven men, faithful and trusty persons, the most eminent of the believers among you ; that we may con- secrate or ordain them to this office of deacons in the Church, and intrust them with the task of distributing to them that want out of tlie stock of the Church ; and in the choice of them let it be also observed, that they be persons of eminent gifts and knowledge in divine matters (soever. 10.), who consequently may be fit to be "^ Lightfoot's Works, vol. iii. p. 182. Pitman's edition. <* Hares, p. 50. sect. 4. ap. Whitby. VOL. II. *30 employed by us in preaching the word, and receiving proselytes to the faith by baptism. (Chap. viii. 5. 12.) " And by that means we shall be less dis- turbed, or interrupted, in our daily employment of praying and preaching the Gospel." The general opinion, as it is here expressed by Hammond, certainly is, that the deacons were selected from among the mass of believ- ers ; and that the Greek words to ttITiBo; rSr fiitOtjTai', here rendered "the multitude of the disciples," refers to the community or society of Christians, called sometimes Ttdrreg, the all (1 Tim. v. 20.), nkelovFc, the many (2 Cor. ii. G.) and sometimes XgidTidvoi, Christians, or Fol- lowers of Christ ; and also Matt, xviii. 17. ' Exyth]uUt, the Church. From whatever body of men the deacons were selected, the narrative before us informs us of two important facts. The utmost caution was used on the part of the apostles to prevent the admission of inferior or unworthy men into the offices of the Christian Church. The apos- tles, the heads of the Church, prescribed v tlie qualifications for the office, the people chose the persons who were thus worthy, and the apostles ordained them to the appointed office. Every Clmrch we infer, therefore, is entitled, and is bound to follow this plan of conduct. Its ecclesiastical heads are the sole judges and directors of the qualifications required for the fulfilment of any sacred office ; the persons who are to fill those offices must be taken from the general mass of the people, and they are then, when thus known and approved, to be set apart by prayer, and laying on of the hands of those to whom that power is rightly committed. Till they are thus set apart, their own qualifications and the general approbation of the people do not constitute their right of admission to the offices of the Christian Church. If Scripture is to be our guide in matters which concern Christian societies, as well as in those which interest us as individuals, these are the direc- tions it has for ever given to the Churches of Christ, in every nation, wherever its sacred pages have been imparted. The apostles alone called the Church together, and gave them directions to look out from among them seven men of good report, specifying at the same time their necessary endowments and numbers ; and reserving to themselves the power of appointing them to the sacred office. And when we consider that the gifts of the Holy Ghost were one indispensable qualifica- tion, and may be regarded as the preelection to some sacred function ; no possible authority can be derived from this portion of Scripture to sanction the laity in taking upon themselves the choice and appointment of their respective ministers. The same rules wiiich were on the present occasion prescribed, we have reason to suppose, were observed likewise in the nomina- *T* 234* NOTES ON THE ACTS [Part IX. tton of bishops and deacons in other Churches. For in St. Paul's Epistles to Timothy and Titus, we read that he desires the bishop who ordains, to inquire most particularly into the character of those who were admitted into the high sacred functions. In Titus (i. 6.), for a bishop, seventeen necessary qualifications are enumerated ; and in Timothy (iii. 2.), fifteen. The same inquiries and the same discipline (compare ver. 6. and 10.), although the former are not so particularly spe- cified are also required before the election of deacons, ( 1 Tim. iii. 8.) " They," says the Apostle, "that have used the office of a deacon well, purchase to themselves a good degree," that is, a degree towards the order of presbyter. We are now to inquire into the nature and extent of the diaconal office. If we refer to the Scripture on this subject, we shall find that Philip, one of the deacons, preached and bap- tized, (Acts xxi. 8. and viii. 12. 29. 40.) ; and that St. Stephen also, who was another, preached, and did great wonders and miracles among the people, (Acts vi. 8. 10.) ; " and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake." Whether PJiilip and others of these deacons preached and bap- tized, not in their character of deacons, but as Evangelists, or as belonging to the Seventy, has been a subject of dispute. It is clear that before their ordination, the apostles themselves were engaged in the ministry of the tables ; for the treasure of the Church being laid at the apostles' feet, distribution of it was made to every man according as he had need, (Acts iv. 35.) That work, therefore, which the apostles themselves performed, till an increase of duties compelled them to appoint others to officiate for them, cannot in any way be regarded as inconsistent Avith the high commission which they received to teach and to baptize all nations. The office of the deacon is mentioned by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Philippians, as a spiritual and perpetual office, then settled in the Church, they being the appointed attend- ants on the bishop, as we read in Epiphanius\ A bishop cannot be without a deacon. Through- out the whole history of the Acts of the Apostles they are never once called Ministers of the Ta- bles, although thoy are said to be appointed for that work — no other name is given to them but that of deacons; and St. Jerome (To. 5. F. 251. K.) speaks of them as the ministers not only of the priests, but also of the widows and tables. And when it is remembered that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were particularly conferred upon them, the order of deacons, like that of the apostles, may be considered of divine insti- tution, and decidedly ecclesiastical, established for ever in the Christian Church. Tlie evidence of the fathers is no less clear ; their writings are to be valued not only for ' Hares, p. 50. sect. 4. ap. Whitby. their testimony to the opinions of the primitive Church, but for their statements of facts. The customs of the contemporaries of the apostles, or their successors in the next age, when those customs were universal in every country where Christianity was established, are related by the fathers ; and they have ever been esteemed, therefore, as useful chroniclers, and as our best guides in all questions concerning the faith or discipline of the early Cluirch. When the fathers are unanimous in asserting the preva- lence of a custom in the day in which they lived ; when they describe it as universal ; when they declare it to have prevailed in the age of the apostles ; and when their testimony is confirmed either by the positive affirmation of Scripture, or is alluded to in Scripture, or is supported by rational inference from the lan- guage of Scripture, we are justified in pronoun- cing such opinion, custom, or practice to have been either instituted, or at least sanctioned by the apostles. If there be any thing of a doubtful nature in the passages of Scripture, which relate the opinion or practice in question, the corrobo- rating evidence of the fathers must be considered as decisive of any discussion arising from the subject. This authority of the primitive fathers will enable us to ascertain the real nature of the diaconate which was now instituted, and became an ordinance for ever in the Christian Church. In answer to those Avho consider that the order of deacons is only a temporary or civil office, instituted for the serving of tables, it must be urged, as Bishop Pearson'^ rightly observes, that the tables of the apostles were common and sacred. Justin Martyr^ mentions them as attendants on the bishops at the Agapa or Love Feasts, when the Eucharist was also celebrated ; and that they distributed the bread and wine (after its consecration by the bishop) to the communicants. St. Polycarp'', in his Epistle to the Philippians, (p. 17. edit. Oxon. / " [tu or do quidam in Erdesin singular is jam turn inipositione vmnuum instiiutus est. Actus qui- dem, ad qucm instituti sunt, nihil aliud est, quain dtuxorur Toa^ctLUig, ct constituti sunt iniTut'Tti? Tt;g y()f[a:,qu(B consistebat iv ti^ Siunov'trc rt^i z«^f;,i(Foni). Offici.um taincn non ftiit mere civile, ant aconorni- cum, sed sacrum ctiam, sive Ecdesiastlcu.m. Mensie enim Discipulnrum tunc temporis communes, et S'lcriB ctiam fuerc; hoc est in commnni comHcfti Sacrnmcntum Eacharist/m celebrabant," &c. — Pear- soni in Jlcta .^postal. Lcctione, p. '^'.i. Schoi'tgcn has decided in iavor of the opinion which is appar- ently best supported by Scripture, that tlie deacons were of two khids, of tables, and of the word. The deaconship or ministry of tables ceased after the first dispersion, and Philip then resumed the deaconship of the word. '• Post (hamnxj'uv vi ro ccssabat <hu>;ijita T//? rua:ii':>ic, ct Pliil//)]ius postra rrsinncbat Sntxuriar roti Ad/oi,'." — Schoetgen, llonc Hcbniiccc, vol. i. p. 42S. ^ El' YuntaTi-nnyTtK Tov 7ri>oictTMToi ui xu^.ui'tifyoi /iiilixoroi fiiStiitnir '/.y.anTioTi'n: .i uouiTi'ir fieraXa^iCr. — Justin Martyr, .■?/*r'/. 2. p. 07. ed. Paris. '' Polycarp exhorts the deacons, that they con- duct themselves blameless, ' S2g Giuxi it XotnrcZ JiLiXoroi y.iii oi'x aidQi'/jtuiy. Note 30.] MOTES ON THE ACTS. *23: 1G44.) exliorts the deacons to beliavo themselves unblameably as the deacons or ministers of God in Christ, and not of men, St. Ignatius' also, in his Epistle to Vie Trallians, has these words — " AxiA deacons, being the ministers of the mystery, or rather of tlie mysteries, of Jesus Christ, ought by all means to please all men, for they are not dispensers of meat and drink, but ministers of tlie Church of God." St. Cyprian-' writes {Epist. 65. Ord. Pamd.) "But deacons ought to remember, that the Lord chose apostles, that is, bishops and governors ; but after the Lord's ascension into heaven, the apostles constituted deacons for themselves, to be attendants upon tiiem as bishops, and upon the Church." Many similar references might be given ; but it is only necessary here to add, that tliey were ordained by the imposition of hands by the apostles, in the very same manner as priests were ordained ; and that this solemn ceremony could not have been used, had the deacons been designed only for civil and temporary purposes. Mosheim has endeavoured to show tliat the seven deacons were not the only persons ap- pointed by the apostles to take charge of the poor, as there must have been curators for that office long before tliis period, in consequence of the increasing numbers of the Church ; and there must, therefore, in fact, have been dea- cons before there v/ere any such by name. He argues, that these ministers having been select- ed from amongst the indigenous Jews, who in number far exceeded the foreign ones, it was found that they were not strictly impartial, but were apt to lean a little more than was right in favor of their fellow-citizens, and those of their own country, and discovered a greater readiness in relieving the widows of native Jews than the others. The foreign Jews, whom St. Luke terms Greeks, being much dis- satisfied at this, and murmuring greatly against ' /til 5i y.al Tuv: Siaxuvovg liirac uvdrtjOiutv Xoiarov '/(;rto{i, xaTtc narra rqurruv o:(jfOx(tv. oi' y<^Q fiuinroir y.ai noX(ov ilai Sucxoroi, af./. fxx?.>jnlixg (^sov t'm^Qirat. Sior ovr atiTi^tv tu i'/y.XiliiaTu <f!v/.uTTiO-9ai w! jivo (f'/Jyc^'- -^P- Crit/ci Sacri, vol. viii. nnnot. Scipionis Gentilis, In Philem. p. 846. Hughes, in his learned preface to Chrysostom On the Priest- hood, reads here uxax,]{iiov, but he prefers the present reading, which is defended on the authority of tlie old interpreters of the passage, p. 6L Bishop Pearson reads uvaxti'Hvn-, Lectiones in Act. p. 54. •' Cyprian thus speaks concerning deacons — " Mcminisse autem diaconi dcbent, quoniam .jpos- tolos, id cM, Episcopos ct Prcepusitos Doiniiius elfgit : Diaconos autcm post ascensum Domini in caliis Aposloli sibi constitucrunt, Episcopatus sui, ct Ecclesite Ministros." In the Constitutions of Clemens are prayers for the deacon, in which these words occur — y.araiiwaov avrov ttciQiOToK ijiTot'y- yi;rTuir« T/, )' iyxttQi'^Sii^ffav avT'oy /tiaxoviar ccroln- Toj; auiunriat, aifyxAi^'ruic, jititoioe aitoifii'^rui Sal^ttov. The deacons being accustomed to be advanced from the diaconate to the presbyteral office, which was thus called a degree, from the passage I Tim. iii. 18. — ui xaXr'ig .^/luzuiiVuiTfc paSuor suuror? xu'/.uv .1 fOiTroiovvTat. the Hebrews on account thereof, the apostles convoked the members of the Church, and com- manded them to nominate seven men of approved faith and integrity, to whom tlie management of the concerns of the people might without appre- hension be committed. The people complied witli these directions, and chose by their suf- frages the appointed number of men, six of them being Jews by birth, and one a proselyte of the name of Nicolaus. These seven deacons, as we commonly call them, were all of them chosen from amongst the foreign Jews. This ho thinks is sufficiently evident, from the cir- cumstance of tlieir names being all of tliem Greek; for the Jews of Palestine were not accustomed to adopt names for their children from the Greek, but from the Hebrew or Syriac languages. From these circumstances Mosheim believes that these seven men were not entrust- ed with the care of tlie whole of the poor at Jerusalem ; for can any one suppose, he con- tinues, that the Hebrews would have consented that the relief of tlieir own widows and poor should be thus committed to the discretion of the Jews of the foreign class ? The native Jews would in this case have been liable to experience tlie same injustice from the foreign brethren, as the latter had to complain of, whilst the alms were at the disposal of the Hebrews ; and instead, therefore, of at once striking at the root of the evil which they pro- posed to cure, the Apostle would, by such an arrangement, have merely applied to it a very uncertain kind of remedy. Besides, the indi- genous Jews made no complaint against those who had hitherto managed the concerns of the poor ; and consequently there could be no neces- sity for their dismissal from office. It appears, therefore, clear beyond a doubt, that those seven men were not invested with the care of the poor in general, but were appointed merely as curators of the widows and poor of the foreigners or Greeks ; and that the others con- tinued, under the guardianship of those, who, prior to the appointment of the seven, Avere entrusted with the superintendence and discre- tionary relief of the whole. Champ. Vitringa saw the matter evidently in this light, as is plain from his work, De Synagoga, lib, iii. part ii. cap. 5. p. 928. As to the reason which caused the number of these men to be fixed at seven, I conceive that it is to be found in the state of the Cliurch at Jerusalem, at the time of their appointment. The Christians in that city were most likely divided into seven classes ; the members of each of these divisions having a separate place of assembly. It was therefore deemed expedient that seven curators should be appointed, in order that every division might be furnished with an officer or superin- tendent of its own, whose immediate duty it should be to take care that the widows and tlie poor of the foreigners should come in for an 236* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. equitable share of the alms and benefactions, and to see that due relief was administered according to the necessities of the different individuals'^. Lightfoot', Dr. Clarke, and many others, have attempted to assimilate the rDJ3£3 of the Jew- ish synagogue with the Christian deacons, now appointed. There does not appear to be any other resemblance than this, that one part of their duty Avas common to both — the charge of the poor. That the office of deacons among the Christians was more than this, has been shown both from Scripture, and its only right interpreters on these matters, the early fathers. Note 31.— Part IX. LiGHTFOOT remarks on this verse, "It is so constant an opinion of the ancients, that the most impure sect of the Nicolaitans derived their name and filthy doctrines from the ' Nicolas ' here mentioned (see Rev. ii. 15.), that so much as to distrust the thing would look like contradicting antiquity. But if it were lawful in this matter freely to speak one's thoughts, I should conjecture (for the honor of our Nicolas), that the sect might rather take its derivation from xSl3''J JVecola, 'Let us eat together;' those brutes animating one another to eat things offered to idols. Like those in Isa. xxu. 13. i-Dn THyJl'-iiyj Sn'J. 'Let us eat flesh and drink wine"'." ' As the Nicolas here spoken of was a deacon appointed by the apostles, and therefore must have been filled with the Holy Ghost, it is not probable he should have apostatized so far from the true faith, as to have become the founder of a sect whose doctrines were so disgusting in their nature, and so repugnant to truth, as to bring down the strong condemnation of our Lord in the book of Revelation already re- ferred to. * Mosheim on the affairs of the Christians be- fore Constantine. — Vidal's Translation, vol. i. p. '203, &c. ' Lightfoot, vol. iii. p. ISO, Pitman's edition ; and Dr. Clarke in loc. They appoint, says Liijht- foot, quoting from talmudical authority, not less than tliree Parnasin ; for if judgment about pecu- niary matters were judged by three, much more this matter which concerneth life is to be managed by tliree : and in each, doctrine and wisdom were required, that tliey miglit be able to discern, and give right judgment in things both sacred and civil. The |Tn chazan, and t.vnti' shamash, were also a sort of deacons. The fir.st was the priest's deputy ; and the last was in some cases the deputy of this deputy, or the sub-deacon. See on the subject of tiiis note, Whitby, Hammond, Arch- bisliop Potter's TreAitisc on Church Government, and tlieir numerous references to the fathers, in addition to those here selected. '" Lightfoot, vol. viii. p. 434. Note 32.— Part IX. ON THE DATE OF THE MARTYRDOM OF ST, STEPHEN. The chronologers of the New Testament have generally assigned the martyrdom of St. Stephen to the year 33 or 34 of the vulgar sera, from the supposition that our Lord was crucified in the year 33. In this arrangement the opinion of Benson has been adopted, which places the death of Christ in the year of the vulgar seta 29, and of the Julian period 4742. This hypothesis will, I trust, be found consis- tent with the general opinion respecting the date of the martyrdom of Stephen. St. Luke not having given us in the Acts of the Apostles express data for the chronology of either of these great events, several arguments seem to warrant and justify the dates here affixed to the different portions of the Sacred History, from the ascension, 29, to the martyrdom of St. Stephen, 33. It will be observed tiiat these dates are as follow : — The establishment of the Christian Church, by the miracle at Pentecost, and first ac- cession of converts 29 The increasing prosperity of the Church, after the healing of the cripple 30 The increase of the Church, in consequence of the death of Ananias and Sapphira. ... 31 The increase of the Church, in consequence of the imprisonment and release of the apostles 33 Persecution and death of Stephen 33 It must be remembered that St. Luke, who was the author of the Acts of the Apostles, was principally anxious to relate the chief circum- stances of the life of St. Paul, and those actions of St. Peter, which were introductory to the preaching of the Gospel among the Gentiles. In many instances, tlierefore, he has not only studied brevity, but has passed over a variety of important journeys and circumstances famil- iarly alluded to in St. Paul's Epistles. He almost wholly omits what passed among the Jews after St. Paul's conversion — the dispersion of Christianity in the East — the lives and deaths of the apostles — the foundation of the Church at Rome — St. Paul's journey into Arabia and other events. It may therefore excite surprise that the Evangelist, who is in general so emi- nently concise, should so frequently repeat similar expressions, unless we consider them as relating to distinct occurrences in the Church. We find for instance in Acts ii. 47. after the feast of Pentecost, "the Lord added to the Churcii daily such as should be saved." Acts iv. 32. after the healing of the cripple — the nuiltitude of them that " believed were of one heart and of one soul." In Acts v. 14. after the death of Ananias — Note ^2.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *237 " believers were tlie more added to tlie Lord, multitudes both of men and women." And, after the release of the apostles. Acts vi. 7. — "the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly ; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith ; " all whicli expres- sions and different events seem to imply, that a much longer period than one year elapsed before the dispersion of the Church at Jerusa- lem and the martyrdom of St. Stephen ; and this supposition has induced me to place the latter with the generality of commentators in the year 33. I cannot but think that Daniel's celebrated prophecy of the seventy weeks describes with much accuracy the gradual establishment of Christianity at Jerusalem, in the progressive manner apparently related by St. Luke. I'ri- deaux makes the seventy weeks, or four hun- dred and ninety years, which were to elapse between the going forth of the decree to build the city, and the confirming of the covenant, to commence with the year of the Julian period 4256, which he considers as correspondent with the year 458 before Christ, the first seven weeks tenninating with the complete establishment of the Jewish Church and state, forty-nine years after. Threescore and two weeks were then to elapse, after which Messiah was to be cut off, Dan. ix. 26., and this brings us to the year 4739 of the Julian period, and 26 A.D. Thus far we are agreed. There now remains to conclude the prophecy, the One week, or seven years. In this week (see Dan. ix. 27.) the covenant is to be confirmed — " and in the midst of it he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." Prideaux assigns to these seven days, or years, the fol- lowing events : — J. P. 4739 The first day of the week — the ministry of John begins to confirm the cove- nant. 4742 The middle of the week — the ministry of Clirist. 4746 End of the seventieth week — Christ is crucified. Highly as I respect the authority of Prideaux, I cannot coincide in this arrangement of events, by which he would interpret this wonderful prophecy. Daniel appears to me to assert, in the most express manner, tJiat the sacrifice shall be caused to cease in the midst of the week, and it could not possibly cease till our Lord, tlie typified Sacrifice, was offered up. It is further declared, that the covenant shall be confirmed through the whole week. These considerations have induced me to give a more literal interpretation of the passage, which seems to me also corroborated by other chro- nological calculations. I consider, then, tlie prophecy to be fulfilled by the following ar- rangement of events, which I would substitute for those given by Prideaux ; and by which his hypothesis is made to harmonize with that of Benson, Hales, and others : — J. P. A.D. 4739 26 First day of the week— Christ's ministry begins, and the cove- nant is confirmed. 4742 29 In the half-part or middle of the week — the Messiah is cut off, and the sacrifice is caused to cease by the death of Christ. He confirms his covenant by sending down the Holy Spirit. 4743 30 The covenant is further confirmed by the second great efi'usion of the Holy Spirit. 4744 31 The death of Ananias and the rapid increase of tlie Church prove the truth of the covenant. 4745 32 The covenant is more fully con- firmed by the complete establish- ment of the Church, the conver- sion of the priests, &c. 4746 33 The last year of the seventy weeks begins, and the covenant is rati- fied by the blood of the first martyr. Then, and then only, the Jews began to fill up the measure of the iniquities of their fathers, by resisting the testimony of the Holy Ghost. The seven- ty weeks having now expired, they are permitted to persecute the Church of Christ even unto death, drawing down upon them by their abominations and cruel- ty, the destruction of their city and sanctuary, the desolation predicted both by our Lord and his prophet;?. In addition to the arguments already given in favor of the present arrangement, which makes nearly four years intervene between the death of Christ and the martyrdom of Stephen, I must add the authority of Tacitus ; who states that after the death of Christ his religion was for a time suppressed, but that it afterwards broke out, not only in Judsea, but through the whole world. This latter clause seems to me evident- ly to refer to the first persecution of the disci- ples, when they were obliged to fly from Jeru- salem, and carried with them tlie Gospel in every direction. Some time must have elapsed before the Church could have been so fully established, as to have become obnoxious to the Jewish rulers, its founders being tlie most despised and humble of men. The passage from Tacitus refers to the persecution of the Chris- tians by Nero — " Quos, vulgus Christianos appel- labat. Auctor nominis ejus Christus, qui Tiberio imperitante, per Procuratorem Pontium Pilatum, supplicio affectus erat. Repressaque in prse- 238* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. sens, exitiabilis superstitio rursus erumpebat, non modo per Judeam, originem ejus mali, sed per urbem etiam, quo," &c. Note 33.— Part IX. ON THE SYNAGOGUE OF THE LIBERTINES. Various opinions have been entertained respecting the synagogue of the Libertines here mentioned. Mr. Horne supposes, and so likewise do Bishop Marsh and Michaelis, that the word AiSeQiiPoc is evidently the same as the Latin Libertini. " Whatever meaning Ave affix to this word," says Bishop Marsli, " (for it is variously explained), whether we understand emancipated slaves, or the sons of emancipated slaves, they must have been the slaves, or the sons of slaves, to Roman masters ; otherwise the Latin word Libertiiii would not apply to them. That among persons of tliis description there were many at Rome, who professed the Jewish religion, whether slaves of Jewish origin, or proselytes after manumission, is nothing very extraordinary. But that they should have been so numerous at Jerusalem as to have a synagogue in that city, built for tlieir particular use, appears at least to be more than might be expected. Some commentators, there- fore, have supposed that the term in question, instead of denoting emancipated Roman slaves, or the sons of such persons, was an adjective belonging to the name of some city or district ; while others, on mere conjecture, have proposed to alter the term itself But the whole difficulty is removed by a passage in the second book of the Annals of Tacitus, from which it appears that the persons, whom that historian describes as being libertini generis, and infected (as he calls it) with foreign, that is, with Jewish super- stition, were so numerous in the time of the Emperor Tiberius, tliat four thousand of them, who were of age to carry arms, were sent to the island of Sardinia; and that all the rest of them were ordered, either to renounce their religion, or to depart from Italy before a day appointed. This statement of Tacitus is con- firmed by Suetonius, who relates that Tiberius disposed of the young men among the Jews then at Rome (under pretence of their serving in the wars), in provinces of an unhealthy climate ; and that he banished from the city all the rest of that nation, or proselytes to that reli'non, under penalty of being condemned to slavery for life, if they did not comply witli his commands. We can now therefore account for the number of Libertini in Judaea, at the period of which Luke was speaking, wliich was about fifteen years after their banisiiment from Italy." Bishop Marsh has, however, omitted to observe that these four thousand TAbcHini were sent to the island of Sardinia as soldiers — coerce7idis illic latrociniis ; and they were not expected to escape from that place — et si ob gravitatem cceli interissent, vile damnum. Bishop Pearce looks for the Libertines in Africa. He observes that the Libertines, the Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, are here joined, as having one and tlie same synagogue for their public worship. And it being known that the Cyrenians (chap. ii. 10.) lived in Lybia, and tlie Alexandrians in the neighbourliood of it, it is most natural to look for the Libertines also in that part of the world. Accordingly we find Suidas, in his Lexicon, saying upon the word AtSsQilvoi, tliat it is ovofxa tov Wvovg, the name of a people. And in Gest. Collationis Cartha- gini halritcB inter Catholicos et Donatistas, pub- lished with Optatus's Works, Paris, 1679 (No. 201, and p. 57.), we have these words : — '' Victor episcopus Ecclesise Catholicaj Libertinensis dixit, ' Unitas est illic ; publicam non latet con- scientiam.' " From these two passages Bishop Pearce thinks that there was in Lybia a town or district called Libertina, whose inhabitants bore the name of AiSeqjlvoi, Libertines, when Christianity prevailed tliere. They had an episcopal see among them, and the above-men- tioned Victor was their bishop at the council of Carthage, in the reign of the Emperor Honorius. And from hence it seems probable that the town or district, and the people, existed in the time of which Luke is here speaking. They were Jews, no doubt, and came up, as the Cyrenian and Alexandrian Jews did, to bring their oflferings to Jerusalem, and to worship in the temple there. Cunseus, in his Rep. Heb. ii. 23., says, that the Jews who lived in Alexandria and liybia, and all other Jews who lived out of the Holy Land, except those of Babylon and its neighbourhood, were held in great contempt by tlie Jews who inhabited Jerusalem and Judaea, partly on account of their quitting their proper country, and partly on account of their using the Greek language, and being (^uite ignorant of the other. For these reasons it seems probable that the Libertines, Cyrenians, and Alexandrians had a separate synagogue (as perhaps the Cilicians and those of Asia had), the Jews of Jerusalem not suffering them to be present in tlieir syna- gogues, or they not choosing to perform their public service in synagogues where a language was used which they did not understand. — Annal. lib. ii. c. 85. Marsh's Led. part vi. p. 70. In Tiberio, c. 36. Home's Addenda to the 2d edit. p. 743, and Dr. A. Clarke in loc. Note 34.— Part IX. ON ST. Stephen's apology before the sanhedrin. In this address of St. Stephen to the Jews, lie seems desirous to prove to them by a refer- NOTK 34.] Nv.TES ON THE ACTS. *239 once to tiic lives of their venerated ancestors, the error of their prevailing expectations and opinions. From the promise given to Abraham (Gen. xvii. 8.), they expected that God would put them in possession of the land of Canaan, that is, the enjoyment of this present world. As this prediction had never been entirely fuliiUed (Numb, xxxiii. 55, 5G.), the .lews were led to suppose it would receive its full completion in the person of the Messiah ; and to this notion perhaps may be attributed tlieir deep-rooted and preconceived ideas of the temporal nature of Christ's kingdom. When our blessed Lord, tlierefore, rejected all eartlily power and dis- tinction, and left tliem still under the dominion of the Romans, they concluded he could not be the predicted Son of David. St. Stephen begins by endeavouring to con- vince them of their misapprehension on this point of the sacred promise, by demonstrating to them tiirough a recapitulation of the history of the patriarchs, that such could not liave been the meaning of tlie Drcdiction : for even their father Abraliam (he argues) to whom the land was first promised, " had none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on." The other patriarchs in the same manner passed a life of pilgrimage and affliction, and never attained to the blessed inheritance. Abraham, the father of the faithful, and the friend of God, had no possession till his death ; tlicn only he began to take possession of his purchase, clearly intimat- ing the spiritual signification of the promised Canaan. Moses had a prospect of that land, but he died before he could attain to it, and all those who came out of Egypt with him, without even a glimpse of it, fell through unbelief in the wilderness. The righteous only hath liope in his death. The eminent characters here brought forth by Stephen, may be considered (as Mr. Jones of Nayland remarks) as signs so exactly suited to the thing signified, as if the truth itself had been acted beforehand. In Josepli we see a man, wise, innocent, and great, hated by his brethren, and sold for a slave to heathen Egyptians. In his humiliation he was exalted. Heathens, to whom he had been given over, bowed the knee before him — his own family were preserved from perishing — he be- came the saviour of all — administering to them bread, the emblem of life — and to him every knee bowed, both of his own kindred and stran- gers. He was tempted and triumphed ; he was persecuted and imprisoned under a ma- licious and false accusation ; he was not ac- tuallv crucified, but he suffered with two malefactors, and promised life to one of tliem, and delivered himself by the Divine Spirit that was given to him. He was seen twice by Jiis brethren ; the first time they knew hnn not, but the second he was made known unto them. And thus we trust it will be at some future day, when tlic brethren of Jesus Christ shall become like the brethren of Joseph, sensible of their crime, and say with them in the bitterness of their souls, " We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear ; therefore have all our evils come upon us." The parallel between Moses and Christ is so exact, and has been so fully proved (Note 20, p. *227.) even from their very birth, that it is here unnecessary to make any further allusion to it. It is evident the Jews considered the arguments of St. Stephen in this light, otherwise they would not have been so violently exasperated against the speaker. Having thus demonstrat- ed from these typical characters, that thus it behoved Christ to suflfer, and having accused the Jews of following the same persecuting and rebellious conduct which led tlieir ancestors to refuse Moses, saying, " Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us ? " St. Stephen, in the next place, notices another opinion, of which they were more particularly tenacious, their own exclusive privileges, which persuaded them into the belief that it was utterly impossible that the Gentiles should ever be admitted into the same covenant with themselves. From tJie history of the past the inspired Disciple now deduces the possibility of the event ; and illus- trates it by recalling to their memory the fact that the tabernacle of witness, the first Church of the Jews which was appointed in the wilder- ness, had been given to the Gentiles, for Joshua had carried it with him into Canaan, when the latter wei"e in possession of the Holy Land. A significant action, testifying that both Jew and Gentile, through the Captain of their salvation, should be made partakers of the same temporal and spiritual blessings. Afterwards, in allusion to the idea they entertained, that their temple and Law were of perpetual duration, to continue even unto the end of the world, St. Stephen declares to them that God does not dwell in temples made with hands, and immediately re- proaches them for not understanding tlie spirit- ual signification of their appointed worship and ordinances. It is evident, then, througli every part of this discourse, that the object St. Stephen had in view, was to represent to his countrymen the nature of Christ's religion, and to set before tliem, in the most touching manner, his suffer- innfs and their own conduct, which was an aggra- vated completion of the crimes of their ancestors. " For which," says tlie Martyr, v.-ith indignant eloquence, " which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted ? and t!iey have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One ; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers." The truth and justice of the dying Stephen's appeal was too severely avenged, and too bitterly felt for the Jews not to have had a perfect knowledge of 240* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. its intention and individual application ; and unless it is considered in this light, it will be difficult to account for the powerful sensation it occasioned". The destruction of the Jewish temple imparts this impressive lesson to every Christian nation and individual, that the trueness of a Church does not constitute its safety, but that the con- tinuance of the divine blessing is only secured by the maintenance of a pure faith and con- sistent conduct. The temple itself was to be esteemed and valued as the habitation of the Divine Presence, making the building holy — in the same way that our bodies are sanctified and purified, and are made the temples of the Holy Ghost, by the indwelling spirit of grace within us. If with the Jews, as individuals, we resist the holy influences of God, his presence will be withdrawn from us, and we shall bring down upon our earthly tabernacle the same fearful and inevitable destruction which was poured down upon the temple of Jerusalem. We shall be delivered over to the hand of the enemy. Note -35.— Part IX. In Exodus xii. 40. it is said the Israelites were to be sojourners four hundred and thirty years, reckoning from Abraham's leaving Chal- dea, when the sojourning began ; here four hundred years is mentioned, reckoning from the birth of Isaac, thirty years after Abraham's departure from Chaldea. — See Gen. xv. 13, and Josephus, ,/lntiq. ii. 152, and ix. 1. Markland ap. Bowyer would read this verse in the following manner — that his seed should sojourn in a strange land (and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil) four hundred years. He observes, it seems to be St. Stephen's purpose to relate how long they were to be sojourners and in a foreign country, rather than liow long they were to be in bondage and affliction, which they were not four hundred years : they were in Egypt only two hundred and fifteen. The parenthesis is the same as if it had been aul uvxb dovlo)6i\ae- int, xul nuyutOi'iaeTai, which is very common; doukwaovaiv relates to the Egyptian treatment of the Israelites ; xuxiooovair, to that they met with in Canaan, previous to the famine which compelled them to go into Egypt. The dnvhb- uig is very plainly distinguished from the xu- xutotg in the next versi>. Tliis opinion incidentally corroborates the interpretation given to Stephen's address. See last note. " See Jones's admirable Letter to Three Con- verted Jews, vol. vi. p. 212. Notf. 3G.— Part IX. Of the two burying-places of the patriarchs, one was in Hebron, which Abraham bought of Ephron, Gen. xxxiii. 16. (not as here said of the sons of Emmor) ; the other in Sychem, which Jacob (not Abraham) bought of the children ot Emmor, Gen. xxxiii. 19. Jacob was buried in the former, which Abraham bought ; the sons of Jacob in the latter, which Jacob bouglit. There are many ways of reconciling these dis- crepancies : Bishop Barrington would point the 15th and 16th verses thus — x«i tTslevTrjaei' uvTog xocl ol nuT^oeg rjfmi', xal f.iejeiidrjauv elg ^v/iiA- xal ^ridrjuuv h' tc5 fii^Tq/iuTi, o (bvTJffaro 'A^Qaiin, X. T. l. Markland is also of the same opinion. Dr. Owen states, the Old-Testament history leads us to conclude that Stephen's account was originally this — "So Jacob went down into Egypt, and there died, he and our fathers ; and our fathers were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre," o ^vriaocTo TtjMTJc, uoyvQlov, which he (Jacob) had bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor, the father of Sychem." Markland supposes, that putting a comma at (jtQyvQiov, and ttoqu being interpreted from, may solve the difficulty, and would read — " And were carried over to Sy- chem: and AFTERWARDS FROM among the descendants of Emmor the father, or son of Sychem, they were laid in the sepulchre which Abraham had bouglit for a sum of money." This reconciles St. Stephen's account with that which Josephus [Antiq. ii. 8.) relates of the patriarchs, viz. that they were buried in Hebron, being carried out of Egypt, where they died, first to Sychem, and from Sychem to Hebron, to the sepulchre which Abraham had bought. ,It scarce needs proof that naou with a Gen. expresses motion from, as (xnedrjuijactg tihq' rifio)!', peregre a nobis profedus es, Lucian Her- mot. p. 528, and i^tiXOov rnxQU tov TiuTQug, John xvi. 28. The language hints that the transla- tion of the patriarchs from Sychem to Hebron was made after the time of Emmor, under some of his descendants, nagu twv vlwy ^E/n/nog. Sychem, the person here spoken of, might per- haps have his name from the city near which his father lived; but is mentioned here only incidentally, having nothing at all to do with the narration. — See Gen. xlix. 29, &c. For the other illustrations of this passage, see Bowyer's Crit. Conjectures, p. 345j &c. and Elsley, vol. iii. p. 332. Note 37.— Part IX. ON TUE star OF THE GOD REMPHAN. St. Stephen here alludes to a passage in the book of Amos, chap. v. 25, 26, which is rendered with some variation in the Septuagint. Note 37.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *241 The words of the original in our Hebrew Bibles are — "i^TDa ''S ant^jH nnjni CD^nDTn They are tlnis translated — "Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel ? But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch, And Chiun your images, The star of your God which ye made to yourselves." By the Septuagint — M>i arpdyiu xocl &vcrl(tg nQOaiivbyxaii /toi, olxog ^ la^u^^X, TeaauQ&xovTa %TTi iv ttJ i()^ifj(ii; xul lifsX&fieTe xr^p aKrjvrip jov Mol-bx, fwi TO aajQov tov ■&eov ifiibp 'P(xiq)dci', TOvc Tvnovg uvidtv, ovc inoir^Gaxs iuxnolg. The quotation in the Acts is evidently from the Septuagint, from the original in which it does not materially differ. The words olxog ^Ia^ar]l in the Acts, are placed after iv ttj i^riufo, and in the Septuagint after nQoar/viy- xuti /not. In tlie Septuagint we read 'Palcpav, 'Pef^(fiav, rovg rinovg, Ovg ^noi'/iame nqooKWElv ctiroTg, The Hebrew word jVD (Chiun) in Amos, is rendered by the Septuagint 'Putcpap (Raiphan), and in the Acts 'Pf/<qp(i)^ (or Remphan). Various hypotheses have been proposed, to account for this difference. Some have supposed that the Hebrew letter D, from the transcriber having omitted to insert the lower part of it, has been changed into r\, consequently the word Avith the points was read Rephan. Pfeiffer*^ has discussed the subject, and col- lected from various authorities much informa- tion. I learn from him that Drusius, with Justin and Theodoret, agree with the opinion already given, and tliink that the word 'Pecpup is a cor- ruption of xeqpdr, which was so written by tlie error of the transcribers, who mistook 3 for i, and read (Amos v. 26.) pn for jVD. Grotius would read Remphan, and Petit, Re- phan ; both consider it as a name of Saturn. Pfeiffer quotes also Kircher, T. 1. JEdip. JEgypt. Synt. 4. c. 22. p. .387. who considers that ' Pijcpup was the Coptic name of Saturn. Dr. Hales proposes the following translation : "Did ye offer unto me (alone) sacrifices and oblations, pure and undivided in the wilderness. For forty years, O house of Israel? (Nay verily) But ye (then) carried in procession the shrine of (tlie sun), Your king, and of the dog-star, your god ; ' Vitringa, Ohservationes Sacra, vol. ii. p. 6. ' Dubia Vexata, p. 948. and in Acts 'PBfxcpdp. In the Septuagint the remainder of the clause is read — 'Palcpup, jovg xvnovg avribv ovg inoiriauTe invToTg' xal fjejoixt^ vfiag inixEiPu ^a/:taaxov. In the Acts — 'Pefi- q}&p Tovg xvnovg, ovg inoiriaaxe ngoaxvpEiP uiroig- xal fie.roixiib -bfiug inixeipa Baftvlm'og. Vitringa' would account for the difference between the Hebrew and the Septuagint by supposing tliat the copyists of the Inspired Writings frequently placed the poetical parts of the Old Testament in the proper order of their clauses ; which he considers to have been not only metrical, but frequently rhythmical. Many instances might be found to support this opinion, and to prove its probability. Vitringa arranges the second Psalm on this plan. The 145th I remember liaving seen elsewhere dis- posed in a similar manner. He concludes that the verses in the Hebrew of Amos were arranged in their poetic order, and that the Septuagint translators read these clauses not in their right order from right to left, but from the higher line to the lower, and thus caused the variation in question. He would thus arrange both the original and the translation : — □ddSid ni:)D nx anxtyji Kul dpeldSexs xr^p axijpr^p xov Mold^ □ D'nSx 3DO Kul xd fxvxQOP xov ^eov ifioyp. Your images, which ye made for yourselves to worship, and ye do so still. Wherefore I wOl carry you away beyond Damascus, (nay even) beyond Babylon." Amos V. 21-27. Acts vii. 42, 43. Dr. Kales'* endeavours to prove that Chiun was the dog-star ; and that the Hebrew words 2D)3, |VD, ought to be read as one compound word, corresponding with the Greek 'Aaxowog xvwp, or Aaxq6xvpoQ, the dog-star: whence he supposes that the Greek xvwp is derived from " CJiiun." He then wishes to show that Chiun and Remphan, or Raiphan, or Rephan, were the same. Archbishop Newcome'' thinks, that the order of the words in the Septuagint is preferable to tliat in the Hebrew. Their collocation in the Hebrew, he observes, is unnatural, and points out a mistake in the copies. He would render the passage — " Nay, but ye bare the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun, your images, the star of your god, whicii ye made to yourselves." Newcome mentions a MS. 612, wliich places tlie Avords tlius : — " Chiun, your god, the star [of] your images." He interprets the word Chiun, after Spencer^', as a n^me of Saturn, and remarks the reading o^'Peutfup in o and of ' Pe/jqpEP,' Pcucpar ,' Pucpar,' Pe(f(F(^r,' Piq:a, Acts vii. 43. where the MSS.vary, may be accounted "i Hales's .Analysis of Chronology, vol. ii. p. 450. ' On the Minor Prophets; on Amos, v. 26. / De Legibus Hebra-orum, p- 666. VOL. II. *3l 242* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. for two ways; rvD ma)' have been read jr"i, there being a similarity in the two initial letters : or Rephan, the Egyptian name for Saturn, may have been used by translators who lived in Egypt, as an equivalent term to Chiun. Selden supposes this god Chiun might have been represented as a star with certain symbols of distinction'. Lightfoot'' has also a long criticism upon this word. Before his time the word Taiqp&p had been generally interpreted as if derived from the Hebrew XDl, a giant. Lightfoot would rather derive it from |VD"l or nat, tveak, and lueakness ; after giving his reasons for so doing (see Lightfoot, vol. viii. p. 434.), he proceeds by saying, " Be it therefore tliat Moloch is the sun, or Remplian or Chiun should be Saturn, we read of the introduction of Moloch into the land of Israel, but of Chiyun not at all, only in the prophet Amos, and here in the mention of Remphan. When I read that in 1 Kings xii. 30. ' That all the people went to worship the calf in Dan ;' and observe farther, that Dan was called Panias, I begin to think that 'I'ur, Phan, in Puiqav, Rephan, and 'Pe/uiftav, Remphan, may have some relation with that name ; and that Dan is mentioned rather than Bethel, because the idolatry, or calf of that place, continued longer than that of Bethel." Mr. Faber', the last author who has treated on these subjects, states, we are told by Aben Ezra, that Saturn or Chronos was styled by the Arabs and Persians Chivan ; which is palpably the same as the Chiun of Amos. But Chiun, or Chivan, seems to be only the Buddhic title Saca, or Sacya, in a more simple shape: for since the Chinese distinguish their god Fo, or Buddha, by the name of Che-Kya, or the Great Kya, Avriting the Indian appellation Sacya in two words instead of one, it is probable that Sacya is a compound term, denoting the illus- trious Cya or Chiun. Such are the various hypotheses of these learned men to reconcile the apparent discrep- ancy between the Hebrew, the Se])fuagint, and St. Luke. The conclusion to which we may most safely come seems to be, that Rephan, Remphan, and Chiyun, were all well-known names given to the same idol-deity ; it was consequently a matter of indifference which St. Stephen mentioned in his address. There is no greater variation between his account, timt of tlie Septuagint, and the Hebrew, than tliere would be between three writers who severally asserted that the Duke of Wellington, the Prince of Waterloo, and the Duke of Ciu- dad Rodrigo, gained the battle of Waterloo. It is almost impossible to believe that the people of Israel, wliile their God was among them, leading them through tlie wilderness, ^ Selden, ii. :J4. '' Lightfoot's Works, vol. viii. p. 434. ' Origin of Pagan Idolatry, vol. viii. p. 491. could have fallen down to images or idols, unless they had believed in some common prin- ciples, which alike prevailed both among them- selves and the idolaters. It is well known to every reader of Scripture and primitive history, that there were many doctrines, rites, observ- ances, and ceremonies, regarded with equal veneration by the Jews and pagans. It appears from the testimony of antiquity and the re- searches of Bochart, Gale, Stillingfleet, Bryant, and Faber, that the leading doctrines of all the ancient religions were the same ; and the several rites thus common to all, are to be traced to that period when mankind were few in number, and the primitive religion conse- quently but little corrupted. Among the ob- servances which appear to have been thus common to the earliest inhabitants of the earth, were the general adoption of moveable arks, and of the cherubic emblems. These were preserved by the idolaters, who added to them in proportion as their innovations multiplied upon the patriarchal religion, till at last they resorted to rites, which are described at large by various authors. The worship of the golden calf was the first act of idolatry on the part of the Israelites ; this they Avould perhaps have justified to themselves, on the plea that the calf to which they bowed down was only the repre- sentation of their own cherubim. Probably the next act of idolatry was this here mentioned by St. Stephen. Moloch, or Remphan, or Chiun, (for they are all the same personage,) was the compound idol, originally designed to represent the great father, or Noah, which was after- wards made the emblem of the sun, the god of Tsabaism. Without professedly forsaking the worship of Jehovah, the Israelites hoped to unite another god witli hmi, and by so doing gave his glory to another. This was the beginning of their idolatry, and turning to worship the host of heaven ; and was the cause of their not offer- ing those sacrifices which their Law required. Mr. Faber has endeavoured to prove that the star of Remphan, or Moloch, was the diluvian star of the Persic Mithras, or Tashhter, Astarte, Typhon, and Dardanus. He attempts, in his learned and most interesting work on the origin of that idolatry, to show that " in the theology of the Gentiles all tliose deities whose history traces them, in tlieir human capacity, to the great father, or Noah, were venerated in their celestial character as the sun. The compound word Remphan, or Ram-phan, may either (he observes) signify the lofly Phanes, or may pos- sibly be the name of the Indo-Scythic Rama, united with that of Plumes, or Pan." This deity is rightly judged, by Seldon and Beger, either to be the same as Saturn, or to be imme- diately connected witli iiim, under the appellation of Chiun-''. He believes the origin of the notion .' Fabor ut su]). vol. ii. p. 86. Note 38.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *243 of this star, whicli was nearly tlie same as that of tlie Dioscuri, or Cabiri, had its beginning from the traditional opinion that a star shone during the deluge, thirty days and nights, while the waters were increasing : for which he gives many authorities. If Mr. Faber's hypothesis be well founded, the Israelites, in venerating tlie god Moloch, or Remphan, imagined they were commemorating their ancestors, and the event of the deluge. The fact perhaps may be as he supposes ; but the motive of their conduct can be attributed only to their carnal nature. They thrust Moses from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt. Idolatry not only permitted but countenanced vice ; and the Israelites were pleased with the first apology they could discover for the gratification of their passions. I have already, in another place* remarked the apparent difficulty respecting the conduct of the Israelites in worshipping the golden calf immediately after they had left Egypt, when the wonderful miracles which their tutelar God had wrought must have been still impressed on their minds. We learn, from this quotation of St. Stephen, that they worshipped also the host of heaven, and adopted many of tlie idolatrous rites and emblems of the Sabianism of the Egyptians. Note 38.— Part IX. ON THE MEANING OF THE WORDS " EI£ ^lA- TArA2 ArrEARN." Schoetgen', Whitby"', Grotius", and others would consider this passage as referring to the attendance of the angels at the promulgation of the Law on Mount Sinai. The Jews founded this opinion on the use of the word O'n^X in the Pentateuch, instead of nUT ; which word, though it is a common name for God, is applied to the angels. Compare Ps. xcvii. 7. with Heb. i. 6., and Ps. viii. 6. with Heb. ii. 8. The Jews were also accustomed to say of Moses, O'DxSon Si*N nS;r — "He ascended to the angels, who neither eat nor drink, and with whom therefore he neither ate nor drank"." Parkhurst would interpret the passage with reference to the fire and lightning and thunder, ^hich attended the giving of the Law. The learned Lightfoot, however, would interpret the phrase with reference to the succession of angels, i. e. messengers, or prophets, who suc- cessively appealed to the Jewish Church. I * ^Irran^cmcnt of the Old Testament. JJote 1, On the Idolatry of Jeroboam. Period VI. Part I. Sect. i. ' HoriB Hehraicce. vol. i. p. 738. "* Whitby in loc. " Ap. Critici Sacri, vol. viii. in loc. " Midraseh in Jalkut Simeoni. Part II. fol. 11^.. — '2 ap. Snhoptgen. would not, he observes^, render this 'AyYilujy, by the Hebrew word Q'DNbo, "angels," as the Syriac and Arabic interpreters have done ; but by CD'niSli', "messengers;" so T3V H'Siy is "Ayyelo; 'Eyxhjcrln;, "the angel," or "mes- senger of the Church." The Jews have a trifling fiction, that those Israelites that were present at Mount Sinai, and heard the Law pronounced tiiere by God himself, sliould have been like angels ; that they should never have begot children nor died ; but, for the time to come, should have been like to angels, had it not been for that fatal and unfortunate crime of theirs in the matter of tlie golden calf If elg Siantyiig 'AyyO-mv might admit of this passive construction, " that men migiit be disposed in the same predicament or state with the angels ;" then I should think our blessed martyr might, in this passage, remind them of their own opin- ion, and the more smartly convince tlieni of their ^I'ofiiu, " transgression of the Law," even from what they themselves granted. As though he had said, " Ye have received a Law, which you yourselves confess would have put men into an angelical state ; and yet you have not observed it." But if this clause will not bear that interpre- tation, it is doubtful in what sense the word 'Ay'/Bl(x)v must be taken ; and whether elg dia- raydcg, " unto the dispositions," be the same with (Jfd diaxuym', or dta diarayrig, "by the dis- positions, or disposition." That expression in Gal. iii. 19. agrees with this; diuTuyelg (Ji' dyyikoy, " ordained by angels ;" and in both these places it would be something harsh to understand by angels those heavenly spirits strictly and properly so taken ; for what had they to do in the disposition of the Law.? They were present indeed at Mount Sinai, when the Law was given, as many places of the Holy Scriptures do witness ; but then they were but present there ; for we do not find that any thing farther was done or performed by them. So that the thing itself makes it necessary, that in both places we should understand by angels the " messengers " of God's word ; liis prophets and ministers. And the particle elg may retain its own proper force and virtue, that the sense may come to thus much ; viz. "ye have received the Law unto the dispositions of messengers," i, e. that it should be propounded and published by ministers, prophets, and others : and that according to your own desire and wish, Exod. XX. 19. Deut. V. 25. and xviii. 15, 16., and yet )'e have not kept the Law, Ye desired proph- ets, and ye had them, yet which of those proph- ets have not you persecuted ? If the severe language of the martyred Ste- phen was justly applicable to the Jews, because they rejected the testimony of tiieir prophets or the Law, which had been preached to tliem P Works, vol. viii. p. 4.%. 244* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. by the angels of heaven; how much more deserving of condemnation must the Christian be, who rejects not only all these evidences, but the teaching of the promised Redeemer, and his holy apostles ! Resisting the Holy Ghost was the crime of the Jews ; they refused to believe upon sufficient evidence, and perse- vered in evil against reason and conscience. If we look upon the Christian world, on every side is presented to us the same fatal conduct. All are blessed with the knowledge of the Gospel, and the divine evidences by which it has been established. The grace of God is given to us. The Spirit of God has come down to us and upon us. It is within and around us appealing, warning, reminding, entreating us, as a kind and affectionate friend, to obey its power, to submit to its influence. Note S9.— Part IX. The Great High Priest, who had passed into the holy of holies to intercede for man, looked down from heaven, and opened the veil of the firmament, that his first martyr might gaze on his exaltation and glory. The bystanders were too much engaged with the work of destruction upon earth to look up to heaven ; and even if they had so done, it is by no means certain that the appearance of the Shechinah would have been manifested to them also. It is re- lated by St. Luke as a fact, and not as a vision ; neither is it unphilosophical to believe that He who had visibly ascended into heaven, and had promised to prepare a place there for those who love him, should impart to his holy and suffering servant, in his hour of martyrdom, a prospect of those celestial scenes to which his spirit would soon be admitted — the exceeding great reward of the righteous. We do not yet understand the nature of the universe of God. The blue expanse that encir- cles our planet on all sides prevents us from see- ing much of space in the day time. Our view is then limited to the sun, whose distance is comparatively small. In the night our view is bounded by the magnificent fretwork, with which the God of Cliristianity and of creation has spangled the beautiful arch above us. The distance of the visible stars is so great, that the intellect of man is bewildered in the attempt to comprehend it. If we call in the assistance of the telescope, we add to our wonder and em- barrassment, and when we seem to have arrived at the very verge of the visible creation, our reason still convinces us, tliat the telescope of the greatest power has taught us but little. The wildest flight of imagination, which delights itself with the theories of stars whose light has not yet arrived at the solar system ; and of in- numerable clusters of constellations, invisible to man, which extend to infinity, appears but the calm and sober effort of reason, when the subject of its thoughts is " so great a God, as our God'^" The Christian, however, must propose these questions to himself: " Amidst all this waste or worlds'", where is the heaven of his religion ? Where is the abode of the body of Christ, which visibly ascended into another place through the firmament above us ? " The Christian cannot be defrauded of his consolations by the powers or the telescope, nor the loftiest flights of imagin- ation. The God who made the noble universe, gave also Christianity to man, to direct him to an existence in a state of immortality. But if there is a state, or condition, there must also be a place in which we shall dwell ; and that place, we are repeatedly assured, is the same which the body of Christ now possesses. It St. Stephen was permitted to see the Shechi- nah in that place, his visual faculties must have been so strengthened that the inconceivable distance between earth and heaven was, as it were, annihilated. St Stephen, filled with the Holy Ghost, saw, in the flesh, his blessed Redeemer. The heaven of heavens was brought near to man, and the first Christian martyr was enabled to behold it, as a pledge and earnest of his own immortal happiness ; and through him a pledge to all those who by the same faith shall offer themselves living and acceptable sacrifices to God. When we con- sider the sublime and glorious realities to which we are destined, and the manner in which life and immortality have been secured to us by the crucified Saviour, the manifested God of man- kind, surely we lose sight of our great and in- valuable privileges when we permit ourselves to be enthralled by the pleasures and attractions of this evil world. The faith of a Christian has done very little for man, if it does not enable him to break the chains which kept the heathen in bondage, and deliver him from the galling tyranny of unrestrained passions. Witsius, who has permitted few points of theology entirely to escape him, has remarked on the circumstance of St. Stephen seeing the heavens opened*. Note 40.— Part IX. Many commentators have attempted, from a comparison of this expression with that in St. ' Psalm Ixxvii. 13. '■ " Look down — thro' this wide waste of worlds, On a poor breathing particle of dust — Or lower — an immortal in his crimes," »fcc. Young's JVight Thoughts. * " Neque incredibilo vidcri debet, quod is qui dcdit homini solertiani et artem longinquatanquani propiora, ct parva tanquam longe majora, telesco- Note 41, 42.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *245 Paul's Epistle to Philemon, in which he stylos himself Paul the Aged, to discover the probable age of that Apostle at this time. Otliers again think, that tlie latter passage ouglit to be rendered Paul the Jlmhassador. No argument for the former supposition can be safely de- duced from the expression here referred to, as vE&piog, or ve&vicncog, is used with great lati- tude. In the Septuagint, which is the best lexicon for the signification of words in the New Testament, the Greek word vsdiPiaxog is used for soldiers, 2 Mace. xii. 27., or men of mature age. It corresponds also with O'ti'JX, men, Josh. ii. 1. and 2S ; and, among tlie clas- sical writers, it is used in the same manner. Kuinoel quotes Piiavorinus to prove that it described any age between twenty-three and forty ; and his authority is confirmed by Dio- genes Laertius, 8-10. and Xenophon, Q/r. viii. 3, &c. where the word ve/xviaxog occurs, and <ii'))o, § 11. is immediately after used as an equivalent expression. Note 41.— Part IX. That the exclamation of Stephen is sufficient to prove his belief, and the belief therefore of the early Church in the Divinity of Christ, appears further from the manner in which the Jews were accustomed to speak of death. Their common saying was, "That was the most easy death, when the Shechinah received the spirit of the just man." Schoetgen quotes Jalkut Ruheni, fol. 86. 2. " Justi perfect! non moriuntur ab angelo mortis, sed tantum per np'l^'V osculum; nam nzityaj Snpo nj'O'.i'n ipsa Shechinah animas eorum suscipit'." " I shall always insist," says Bisliop Horsley, in his answer to Priestley, "that the blessed Stephen died a martyr to the Deity of Christ. The accusation against him was ' his speaking blasphemous things against the temple and the Law.' You have forgotten to add the charge of blasphemy against Moses and against God.' The blasphemy against the temple and the Law, probably, consisted in a prediction, that the temple was to be destroyed, and the ritual Law of course abolished. The blasphemy against Moses was, probably, his assertion that the authority of Moses was inferior to that of Christ. But what could be the blasphemy against God ? what was there in the doctrine piorum ct microscopiorum ope, ocuHs sistendi, Stcphano earn oculorum aciem dederit, ut e terra prospicere potuerit ea quae gererentur in cqeHs. Vidit autem Jesum ad dexteram Dei constitutum ; id est ornatum Rogia, Deoque proxima, imo et Divina, Majestate ac Gloria; et fortassis etiam localiter ad dextraiu splendid! illius fulgoris. qui oculis ipsiusobjeclus erat." — Witsius, De Proplutis in Evang. Luiidtitis. — Miscel. Sac. p. 322. ' HortB HebraiccE, vol. I. p. 442. VOL. II. of the apostles which could be interpreted as blasphemy against God, except it was this, that they ascribed divinity to one who had suffered publicly as a malefactor ? That this was the blessed Stephen's crime none can doubt, who attends to the conclusion of the story : ' He looked up steadfastly into heaven,' says the inspired historian, ' and saw the glory of God,' (that is, he saw the splendor of the Shechinah ; for that is what is meant when the glory of God is mentioned, as something to be seen), 'and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.' He saw the man Jesus in the midst of his divine light. His declaring what he saw, the Jewish rabble understood as an assertion of the Divinity of Jesus. They stopped their ears; they over- powered his voice with their own clamors ; and they hurried him out of the city, to inflict upon him the death which the Law appointed for blasphemers. He died as lie had lived, attesting the Deity of our crucified Master. His last breath was uttered in a prayer to Jesus ; first for himself, and then for his mur- derers. ' They stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, " Lord Jesus receive my spirit ; " and he cried witli a loud voice, " Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." ' It is to be noted, that the word, God, is not in the original text, which might be better rendered thus : — ' They stoned Stephen, invocating, and saying,' &c. Jesus therefore was tlie God whom the dying martyr invocated in his last agonies, when men are apt to pray, with the utmost seriousness, to him whom tliey conceive the mightiest to save"." It is well observed by Kuinoel, that if St. Stephen had invoked God the Father, the Evangelist would have written xvqis tov 'Itjctov. A similar expression to that of the dying martyr is found Apoc. xxii. 20. where we read tg/o^ xvQie 'Irjaov. We ought not therefore to read QfO!' after inixaXoii/nevor, but to understand the former words t6»' xvqiov ' iTjaovf". Note 42.— Part IX. These chapters are most carelessly divided in our Bibles. The first clause of ver. 1. evi- dently belongs to the preceding verse. The account of the burial of Stephen seems to be more appropriately introduced immediately after the narrative of his martyrdom, rather than parenthetically, in tlie history of the subsequent persecution"". " Horsley's Letters in reply to Dr. Priestley — Lett. xii. p. 232, 8vo. edit. " Kuinoel, In Lib. Hist, vol iv.p.2nO. See also Dr. Pye Smith's excellent ciiticism on this passage. '" See Bishop Barrinoton, Beza. and Markland's observations, ap. Bowyer. 246* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. Note 43.— Part IX. The apostles were protected by the especial providence of God, to continue to build up the Church at Jerusalem till the time arrived for the general dispersion of Christianity throughout the world. The secondary causes of their safety during the heat of the present persecu- tion are unknown. They were not, as some have imagined, too obscure to be noticed, for they had already repeatedly incurred the public censure of their rulers : nor can we suppose that the high priest, or his coadjutors, were afraid of inflicting the same punishment on them as on others. They seem to have been preserved by an Almighty Providence, to promote the unity of the Cluirch, by directing and governing the remnant of those who were left at Jerusa- lem. For unto the Jews first the Gospel was to be preached. Lightfoot endeavours to prove, that those who were obliged to fly from that city, and went every where preaching the Gos- pel, were the hundred and eight who together with the apostles made up the hundred and twenty mentioned at the beginning of the Acts. His reasons are : — That tlie Evangelist commences with the history of the hundred and twenty and pursues it throughout. By instancing Philip, he shows what class of men is understood, when he says " they were scattered." The term EvuyyeXi'iidfiei'ot., is never applied to any other than to preachers by function. Persecution would first look to the preachers. Many of the common Christians were left at Jerusalem"^. Note 44.— Part IX. The word ilvi-ialvejo, in this passage, which our translators have rendered " he made havoc of the church," properly signifies, to ravage as a wild beast, to destroy as a beast of prey. It is used in this sense in the Septuagint, Dan. vi. 2*2. liovTSg ovy. ilv^ir^vavT6 /.le, "the lions have not devoured, hurt, or torn me," and Psalm Ixxix. 13. ^Xv^f^vuTO air^v avg ix dgv/uov, " The wild boar from the wood hath spoiled, or laid waste this vine." For quotations to the same effect, from classical authors, see a pro- fusion in Wetstein in loc. In the first edition of this Arrangement I gave, from Vitringa, a concise view of an in- genious theory, by which he attempts to prove Uiat there are, in the liistory of Samson, several remarkable typical allusions to some of the leading incidents in the life of St. Paul. He arranges his imagined resemblances under three heads. The events of Samson's life which preceded the encounter Avith tlie lion — the combat itself — and the consequences which * liightfonfs Wor/(s. vol. viii. p. 122. followed. The numerous coincidences which the ingenuity of this writer has led liim to remark, are extremely fanciful ; and as I find no allusion in the New Testament to this sup- posed type, I do not think the mere ingenuity of the parallel a sufficient reason for giving a more particular account of it in tliese pages. Vitringa is not the only writer who has dis- covered some allusion to St. Paul in the Old Testament. Witsius^ has quoted Cocceius, who has followed with some variations the authority ofTertulhan, Ambrose, Jerome, and St. Augus- tin, in applying to St. Paul (Gen. xlix. 27.) — " Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: In the morning he shall devour the prey, And at night he shall divide the spoil." The fathers would thus explain this proph- ecy — Paul, in the morning of his life, like a wolf devoured the Church; and in the evening, or the decline or latter division of his life, divided the spoils of the Gentiles, delivered from the dominion of Satan, with Christ and his Church. The interpretation of Cocceius is more elegant — He observes that the Israelites, as a nation, had their rising and their setting ; and on each occasion Benjamin was conspicu- ous. Saul was the first king of the nation, and defeated their enemies ; another Saul, in the decline of the state, divided the spoils taken from Satan, the Jews, and the Gentiles. Wit- sius, however, rejects both these interpreta- tions, and shows that the predictions were more probably fulfilled in the history of the tribe of Benjamin. The wolf also is used as an emblem of corrupt and erroneous teachers rather than of the faithful and zealous. Though Witsius rejects these supposed mean- ings of the passage, he inclines to the opinion of Jerome, Theodoret, Nicolaus a Lyra, Pelli- canus, and others, that Psalm Ixviii. 28. is rightly applied to the Apostle of the Gentiles. He prefers the Junian version — " Illic sic Ben- jamin, parvus, et dominator eorum ; principes Jehudae, et ccetus eorum ; principes ZebuUonis principes Naphtali." The first part of this passage may refer to St. Paul, the latter to the other apostles, who belonged to the districts of Zabulon and Naphtali. Altinguus, in his Trea- tise De Schiloh Dominatore, lib. v. cap. 20, and in his Comment, on the Psalm, Oper. tom. ii. part iii. p. Ill, ap. Witsi., has revived and de- fended this opinion. It is not impossible that the verse ought to liave been thus interpreted: Bishop Home, however, has not noticed it. Note 45. — Part IX. The apostles (Acts viii. 1.) had not yet left Jerusalem. This Philip, therefore, must not be " See VitrinrriB Ohserv. Sacra, vol. ii. p. 479- 492. Witsius, 'be Vitd Pauli Meletem. Leiden, cap. i. sccl. viii. p. 5. Note 46, 47.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *247 confounded with the apostle. It was the dea- con, who, after his mission to Samaria, went to his own house at Csesarea, where St. Paul was afterwards received. (Acts xxi. 8.) The first effect of the Gospel of Christ was the removal of hatred and jealousy, and all the hateful and debasing passions. For centuries the Jews had refused to hold any intercourse with the Samaritans — for centuries they had been objects of detestation to each other. The Gospel is given to the world — the Jew becomes the friend of the despised Samaritan, and preach- es to him the truth of God. Odious as the Samaritans were to the Jews, they were the offspring of common ancestors ; and perhaps on this account they were the first invited to be- come members of the Messiah's kingdom. The Gospel is preached as men were able to bear it, first to the Jew, then to the Samaritan — next to the Proselytes of Righteousness — tlien to the Proselytes of the Gate — and lastly, to the idola- trous heathen. Note 46.— Part IX. Simon Magus appears to have been one of the first who arrogated to himself the loftier names which were appropriated to the anticipated mys- terious Being who was at this time universally expected upon earth. In several MSS. of the greatest authority, as well as in the principal of the ancient versions, is this remarkable reading — ovTog ioTiv 1^ dvvttfiig lov Qsov i^ yalovfisri] ^eydclr], " this man is the power of God, which is called, or which is, the Great^." And the inspired writer here informs us, that he con- founded and astonished the people, and took advantajje of their ignorant wonder to assume these extraordinary honors. He deceived the people by his great skill in various tricks and juggling", assisted probably by his superior knowledge oT the powers of nature. Ecclesias- tical history has handed down to us a large collection of improbable stories respecting this man''. Arnobius, a writer of the third century, relates that he flew into the air by the assistance of the evil spirit, and was thrown to the ground by the prayers of St. Peter. Others tell us that he pretended to be the Father, who gave the " " Ceterum in codd. ABODE, al verss. Copt. if^th.Armen. Syr. post. Vulg Ital. legitux; i/ xa- Xoviiivt] ufyidii quae vocatur, i. qute est {y.uXtinSai SBBpius id. qd. lUui) et hanc vocem xaXfiviifi)j in ordinem recepit Griesbachius. Recte. Facile enini ea a librariis, quibus superflua videretur, omitti potuit. Sensus, sive ea addatur, sive omittatur, eodem redit." — Kuinoel, Com. in lib. Hist. JV. T. vol. iv. p. 300. " Vide Kuinoel, lit sup. p. 299. — Schleusner in voc. Ka/fi'Di. RosenniLlller, &c. * See Vidal's notes to Mosheim, on the Affairs of the Christians before Constantine, vol. i. p. 328, and Dr. A. Clarke in loc. Law to Moses ; and that he was the Messiah, the Paraclete, and Jupiter, and that the woman who accompanied him, who was named Helena, was Minerva, or the First Intelligence ; with many other things equally absurd, which are collected by Calmet, to whom the reader is referred'. Justin, and after him Irenseus, Tertullian, Eusebius, Cyril, and others of the fathers, have asserted that Simon Magus was honored as a deity by the Romans, and by the senate itself, who decreed a statue to him in the isle of Ty- ber, where a statue has since been found with this inscription — " Seinoni Sanco Deo Fidco, Sacrum Sext. Pompeius Sp. F. Mutianus do- num dedit." Some suppose tliis to have been the statue to which Justin alluded ; but as it does appear to have been erected by the senate, the most able critics have rejected the idea of Magus' deification by the Romans. Dr. Middleton, not perhaps the best autliority, for he endeavoured to reject all he could find reason to discredit, treats the story witli con- tempt ; while a modern author'', who is no less venturous, espouses the opposite opinion, and defends it at great length. This ingenious speculatist indeed attempts to prove that Jose- phus and Philo were Christians, and that primi- tive Christianity was a system of Unitarianism. They were certainly as much entitled to the name of Christians as the modern Unitarians ; both disguising their Christianity with equal skill. It does not however appear necessary to enter further into the subject, nor to discuss the conclusion of Vitringa, that there were two Simon Magus'. I shall only add, which is more to the purpose, that Wolfius, Krebs, Rosen- miiller, and others, are of opinion that the Simon here mentioned is the same as the person spoken of by Josephus as persuading Drusilla to leave her husband, and to live with Felix, the procurator of Judaea". Note 47.— Part IX. ON CONFIRMATION. It is the custom at present among many who profess Christianity, to despise every ordinance of which they do not perceive the evident util- ity. They must comprehend the causes and the reasons of an institution, or it is treated with contempt. In all enactments of merely human origin this conduct is defensible, because expe- rience proves to us that human laws are made to accomplish some known and definite benefit; and if they fail in that object, they are consid- ered useless. Yet no human legislature will ' Calmet's Dictionary, Art. Simon Magus. •^ Dr. Jerem. Jones's Ecclesiastical Researches, chap. xii. p. 310, &c. ' Wolfius, CiiriB Philologica:, vol. ii. p. 1125. Josephus. Jlntiq. xx. 5. 2. 248* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Paut IX. permit its laws to be disobeyed with impunity, even in those cases where they have evidently failed in their purpose ; for the will of an indi- vidual is required to submit to the authority of the state : and there are few cases in which the resistance of an individual can be justified upon the plea of his inability to discover the reason- ableness or propriety of a law. If we are thus required to act in matters of common life, the same principles of conduct are more binding when applied to the Divine Law. We are in jreneral able to discover the causes for which it pleased God to appoint to the Jew the observances of the Mosaic Law, and to the Gentile the lighter yoke of the Christian code. TJie divinity of both covenants was ratified and confirmed by miracle and prophecy, and man in both instances, without any appeal being made to his reason, was required to yield unreserved obedience, because it was the will of God ; for, as the Apostle says, " we walk by faith, not by sight." One very remarkable characteristic alike dis- tinguishes the Mosaic and Christian institu- tions : in both it is to be observed, that although on any peculiar and extraordinary occasion the supernatural influences of the Holy Spirit might be imparted to some favored individuals ; they were never bestowed in ordinary cases, unless the appointed means of grace were observed on the part of the worsliipper: thereby affording the highest sanction in favor of the outward ordinances, both of the Jewish and Christian religion. If in the former dispensation the pen- itent would entreat for pardon, he brought his sacrifice. If a child desired admittance into the Church of God, it must be either by circumcision or by baptism ; if he would renew in his youth the promises which had been made for him in his childhood, he feasted on the sacrifice of the pasclial lamb, or on the body and blood of Christ, in the feast of the Christian sacrament. The means of grace are attended with the influences of the Spirit of God, and he who obeys the will of God always partakes of the blessing. The passage of Scripture which is contained in this section is the first account in the Chris- tian covenant of a new means of grace, wliich was sanctioned by an evident impartation of the divine influences. Peter and John went down to Samaria to impart to the new proselytes the gifts of the Holy Spirit; the evangelists who converted them, not having authority to perform the higher functions of the apostolic order. The same Almighty Being who instituted the out- ward means of grace, withheld the gifts of his Holy Spirit till they could be communicated by his chosen servants in his own appointed way. If we are required to deduce moral inferences from other passages of Scripture ; if the con- duct of God to his ancient Church be still justly made a source of encouragement, and a motive to perseverance to Christians at present, on what grounds are we to reject the inferences that naturally arise from such facts as those now before us ? Are we not right in conclud ing that this action was intended not only for the peculiar benefit of the Samaritan converts, but for an example to all the Christian Churches, from that age to the present ? The enactments of Christianity are to be found in the conduct of Christ and his apostles ; their practice is the best model for the right government of the Churches. From this conduct of th^apostles the ancient primitive Church has uniformly required, that those who are admitted as infants into the Christian Church by baptism, should in maturer years be confirmed in their Christian profession by prayer and imposition of hands. Though the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit were conferred only by extraordinary men, appointed for that especial purpose, it was believed that liis ordi- nary gifts might be imparted by the authorized ministers who were set apart for the service of the sanctuary. As the miraculous gifts were requisite at the first formation of the Christian Church, so now, when the Christian religion is fully established, its ordinary influences are equally necessary to enable man to recover the lost image of God, of which he had been de- prived by the fall. It is but too usual with a certain class of religionists to undervalue the external rites of Christianity : but it is our duty to examine whether any, and what rites were observed by the apostles, and to follow their authority ; rather than to inquire into the rea- sonableness or propriety of the apostolic insti- tutions. The Roman Church has erred by adding to the enactments of Scripture ; the op- posite extreme is to be no less avoided, of de- preciating or neglecting its commands. That Church is most pure whose discipline approaches the nearest to that which was practised by its divinely-appointed founders, and is recorded for our example in the New Testament. I conclude this subject by availing myself of the high authority of the pious and eloquent Bishop Home, who observes, speaking of Mr. Law, (vol. i. p. 214,) that although "the govern- ment and discipline of the Church will not save a man, yet it is absolutely necessary to preserve those doctrines that will. A hedge round a vineyard is a poor paltry thing, but break it down, and all they that go by will pluck oflT her grapes. And no sin has been punished with heavier punishments for that reason, than throw- ing down fences, and making it indifferent whether a Christian be of any Churcli or none, so he be but a Christian, and have the birth of the inspoken word. But if Christ left a Churcli upon earth, and ordered submission to the ap- pointed governors of it, so far as a man resists, or undervalues this ordinance of Christ, so far he acts not like a Christian, let his inward light bo what it will." Note 48.-50.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *24^ Note 48.— Part IX. The expression "which is desert," in the opinion of Glassius^ and Sclioetgen^, refers to the way and not to the Gaza itself. Kuinoel'' approves of the opinion of Heinrich and Was- senburgh, that the clause was not found in the original text, but was subsequently introduced. Note 49.— Part IX. The name of the eunuch is supposed to have been Indicli\ It is probable he had but lately embraced the Jewish faith. Candace is a name common to the female sovereigns of that part of the country. A passage from Pliny is quot- ed by Benson and others to prove this — " Reg- nare fceminam Candacen, quod nomen multis jam annis ad reginas transit ." If this remark of Pliny be just, and it is con- firmed by a passage of Dio Cassius, quoted by Kuinoel, the authority of Strabo may be admit- ted to strengthen the Scripture account. He tells us — TovTbtv 8h ^(t«»' K(d nl ttjc (iaaillaarjs OTQcmjYol Trig Kuvdikxrjg, i^ xaO' 7)/Ltug -fjQ^e xwr Jldi6n(x)i' (i)'(5^<x7j Tig yvvrj, lib. 17. Pearson, however, is of opinion that this authority is of little weight*. Note 50.— Part IX. ON THE DIFFERENT READINGS OF ISAIAH Uii. 7, 8. This quotation has been usually classed among those which are taken from the Septua- gint, and not from the original Hebrew. The difference between the Hebrew and the Sep- tuagint appears at first sight to be considerable ; that between the Septiiagint and the Acts is very slight. It is indeed most probable that the Ethiopian would be reading that version which was in the most frequent or general use among the Hellenistic Jews in Egypt, a coun- / Glassius, Grammat. Sac. Tract. 2, de Prono- mine. p. 712, of his collected works, and 190 of the separate work — " i:il tij u(V>r r^v xaraliaivovnav fV/fo ' Iinovaalui it; raiixv, uvTrj inrlr '^(iijuoc — ad viam, qufe a Jerusalem descendit Gazam ; airtj h;RC, seu (\ivv est deserta. Quse scil. via, vocatur deserta.quia noii fuit admoduni trita, ob intercur- rcntes Casii montis solitudines, secundum Stra- bonem, lib. xvi. Hujus autem admoneri Pliillp- pum necesse fuit, alioqui communem et magis tritain viam alteram ingressuruin." ^ Schoetcren, Hor(E Hebr. vol. i. p. 442. h Lib. Hist. jV. T. vol. iv. p. 311. i See Kuinoel, In Lib Hist. JV. T. vol. iv. p. 313, and Pfeiffer, Dub/a Vexatn, p. 930. J Plin. lib. vi. c. 29. ap. Benson, Pfeiffer, &c. * P*>arson, section in Act. Apost. p. 72. VOL. II. *3-2 try which bordered so nearly upon his own; and where the Septuagint version had been sanctioned by the Alexandrian Jews, and originally made under royal authority. Pezronius' thinks the present reading is corrupt in the Hebrew, and the Greek version rigiit. Alex. Morus"* is of opinion that the original reading of the Hebrew was npS 1~ j,"V3 lOStyn — "in his aflliction he was taken from liis judgment:" to which reading Wolfius would as.sont, altering only the position of the two last words. The latter critic supposes that n was read for 3 , and the 1 should be joined to the preceding word. " Sic enim reddi," he observes, " Ebraja possunt: propter angustiam et a judicio sublatus est, sive sublatum est judicium, quod idem plane est: nam cujus toUitur judicium, ille judicio seu condemnationi eximitur." Doddridge conjectures that there must have been another reading in the copy used by the Septuagint translators. He considers this read- ing to have been not npS DDt^OOl li'^'D as the original now stands, but npS LJiJtyo ni'V-— this supposition, however, 'is unsupported by manuscripts. After a careful examination of these autliori- tics, I cannot but think that the only alteration requisite is in the pointing of the first clause ; and that the Septuagint have properly expressed the moaning of the Hebrew. If a pause is placed after the words ^v t-;] TUTTEtrdiost, and after -!YJ;D, the Greek would read thus, "He opened not his mouth in his humiliation." With respect to the Hebrew, it may be observed that the prefix d is sometimes used in the sense of "because of," "by reason of," Exod. vi. 0., and the proper interpretation of -)':;■% from the same root is " to restrain," « confine," &c. The word therefore implies affliction or humiliation, and may be rendered "because of restraint," or "because of affliction or humiliation." With respect to the second clause, " and from judg- ment," it is evident that the sense is the same even as the passages now stand. "And he was taken from judgment," is the Hebrew phrase, signifying, "he was removed from, or deprived of, a just judgment." "His judgment was taken away" is the translation of the New Testament and Septuagint, that is, " His just judgment was not allowed him." The same circumstance is expressed whether we say that a criminal Avas deprived of a fair trial, or a fair trial was not allowed him : nor would the varia- tion in tiie language justify tlie charge of inac- curacy, if the two phrases were indiscriminately- used. If these remarks shall be thought cor- rect, we may avoid all recourse to the unwar- rantable mode of inventing a various reading to reconcile a supposed discrepancy. ' JIntiq. Tempor. restit. p. 107. ap. Wolfii. Cur. Philolocr. vol. ii. p. 1134. *" Ap. Wolfium ut supra. 250* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX, Hebrew. npS M3tynni nyjrn V3 nna- nS English Translation of the Hebrew. He was taken and from judgment from prison his mouth he opened not. Septuagint. ^qOjj •^ xglaig uvtov if rrj jans^vdmst to ardjua dcvoiyst ovx. Greek Testament, ^qdri ■^ XQlaig avrov iv rij xanEivibaei cxviov to arSfta uvioCi dvolyst oix. English Translation of the JV. T. ^ LXX. was taken away his judgment in his humiliation his mouth he opened not. Proposed mode of reading the above, so as not to alter either the Hebrew or the Sep- tuagint: — place the pause after li'^ro, and tk- neuvijiaei, rendering the former phrase by the words " because of restraint or affliction ; " or " humiliation ;" giving the full signification in the second clause of the word DDiya, in which case it will appear evident, that the meaning of both expressions will be the same. Hebreiv — He opened not his mouth, because of< Ai\- ? '-, and from a just judgment he I affliction ^ ' J J & was taken away. Sept. and JV. T. — He opened not his mouth in his humiliation ; and his just judgment was taken away. Note 51. — Part IX. Bishop Lowth remarks on the parallel pas- sage of Isaiah liii. 8. — " My learned friend Dr. Kennicott has communicated to me the follow- ing passages from the Mishna, and the Gemara of Babylon, as leading to a satisfactory explica- tion of this difficult place. It is said in the former, before any one was punished for a capital crime, proclamation was made before the prisoner by the public crier in these words — rV noVi xn' nor ^h ]}-\v^ 'n So— 'qui- cunque noverit aliquid de ejus innocentia, veniat et doceat de eo.' — Tract. Sanhednn. Surenlms. par. iv. p. 2-33. On which passage the Gemara of Babylon adds, that ' before the death of Jesus, this proclamation was made for forty days ; but no defence could be found.' On which words Lardner observes, ' It is truly surprising to see such falsities, contrary to well- known facts.' — Testimonies, vol. i. p. 198. The report is certainly false : but this false report is founded on the supposition that there was such a custom, and so far confirms the account above given from the Mishna. The Mishna was composed in the middle of the second century, according to Prideaux; Lardner ascribes it to the year of Christ 180." Casaubon has a quotation Iroin Maimonides, which further confirms this account ; Exercit. in Baronii Annates, Art. 86. Ann. 34. Num. 119. " Auctor est Maimonides in Pirck 13. ejus Libri ex opere Jad, solitum fieri, ut cum Reus, sententiam mortis passus, a loco judicii exibat ducendus ad supplicium, praecederet ipsum p'^.D'ri xriQv^, prseco ; et hsec verba diceret. llle exit occidendus morte ilia, quid transgressus est transgressione ilia, in loco illo, tempore illo, et sunt ejus rei testes ille et ille. Qui noverit aliquid ad ejus innocentiam probandam, veniat, et loquatur pro eo." Now it is plain from the history of the four Evangelists, that in the trial and condemnation of Jesus no such rule was ^observed, (though, according to the account of the Mishna, it must have been in practice at that time :) no procla- mation was made for any person to bear witness to the innocence and character of Jesus ; nor did any one voluntarily step forth to give his attestation to it. And our Saviour seems to refer to such a custom, and to claim the benefit of it, by his answer to the high priest, when he asked him of his disciples, and of his doctrine — " I spake openly to the world ; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort ; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me ? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them : behold ! they know what I said." John xviii. 20, 21. This, therefore, was one remarkable instance of hardship and injustice, among others, predicted by the propliet, which our Saviour underwent in his trial and sufferings. St. Paul, likewise, in similar circumstances, standing before the judgment-seat of Festus, seems to complain of the same unjust treat- ment ; that no one was called, or would appear to vindicate his character. " My manner of life [riif ^nhair fwv, nn) from my youth, which was at first among my own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews : which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify ; that after the straitest sect of our religion 1 lived a Pharisee." Acts xxvi. 4, 5. Tn signifies age, duration, the time, which one man, or many together, pass in this world ; in tliis place, the course, tenor, or manner of life. The verb -y)-\ signifies, according to Castell, " Ordi- natam vitam sive ietatom egit, ordinavit, ordine constituit." In Arabic, " Curavit, administra- vit." — Lowth's Isaiah, notes, p. 240. Note 52.-55.] NOTES ON THE GOSPELS. *251 Note 52.— Part IX. We have been so accustomed, and that rightly, both on the internal evidence, and on the testimony of the Jewish and Christian Churches, as well as on that of the contents of tliis section, to apply the words of Isaiah to our Lord, that many readers will be much surprised to hear that various other interpretations have been given, even by Christian theologians. There is a long list of names of authors men- tioned by Kuinoel, with the opinions they have espoused. Doederlein, by the "servant" of Jehovah (Isai. lii. 13.), of whom the prophet conthmes to speak in the ensuing chapter, understands the Jewish people. Others, the pious Jews ; others, the converted Gentiles ; and others, the prophets after the captivity. Some suppose it to mean Cyrus ; Grotius imagines Jeremiah to have been designed. Many approve the decision the trcEisurer of Candace was about to arrive at, and conclude the prophet himself to have been meant. Some refer the words to Hezekiali, others to Uzziah. See Kuinoel, In Lib. Hist. JV. T. p. 3J7., and Doddridge's note in loc. Dr. Hammond too has intimated, that this prophecy might have been fulfilled in some one who lived shortly after Isaiah. The Jews interpret it "of the afflictions of Israel ;" but see Schoetgen, vol. ii. Note 53.— Part IX. This verse is wanting in a great number of manuscripts. Griesbach, Matthsei, Michaelis, and others, would expunge it from the canon. In the manuscripts where it is found it is read variously. Whitby would retain it ; observing, that the verse was probably omitted, in later times, because it opposed the delay of baptism, which the catechumens experienced before they were admitted into the early Church. Note 54. — Part IX. The reading in the Alexandrian and some otlier manuscripts is, " the Holy Spirit fell upon the eunuch, but an angel of the Lord took away Philip," which is probably the true reading. Note 55. — Part IX. ON THE date, design, AND ORIGINAL LANGUAGE OF ST. Matthew's gospel. This section gives an account of the state of the infant Church at this time, and may be con- sidered as an introduction to the histoiy of St. Paul. By him the new converts had been com- pelled to fly from Jerusalem, and he was now persecuting them even to strange cities ; not only to Damascus, but to other adjacent towns. I would refer to this period the publication of St. Matthew's Gospel. Both the fathers and heretics of the early Church have unitedly acknowledged that the first Gospel was written by this Evangelist, and at an early date. It was very improbable that a long space of time should be allowed to elapse, without any attempt on the part of the apostles to supply the converts with a published account of the life and suffer- ings of the blessed Jesus ; particularly as those converts who had not seen the miracles of our Lord, or of his apostles, were prevented by the furious persecution which was now going on, from regularly attending the Christian assem- blies. Indeed, there seems to be strong ground for believing that not only the Gospel of St. Matthew, but also those of St. Mark and St. Luke were written soon after the commence- ment of some persecution or other of the Chris- tian Church. The Church consisted, at this time, solely of Jewish believers, and the first Gospel was primarily intended for the instruc- tion of the Jews in Jerusalem and in Judaea. This purport was as uniformly asserted and believed, as its early composition. " His Gospel, doubtless," says Dr. Townson, " was designed for the benefit of the universal Church, as well immediately by the history and doctrine of Christ, as mediately by a right institution of the Jewish believers, who were to be the first teachers of the Gentiles. But the Holy Spirit under whose influence it was written, seems to have guided, or left St. Matthew to recite many particulars more directly relative and interest- ing to the Jews. This is meant by saying, that he wrote for their instruction. And tliis was the sense of antiquity." We read in Justin Martyr's Apology, that the Jews circulated among their brethren, their own invented account of the resurrection (Matt. xxviii. 13.) imputing the removal of the body to the spoliation of the tomb by the apostles. This circumstance affords an additional proof of the great probability that St. Matthew would publish his Gospel at an early period, and address it to the Jews, to counteract the errone- ous statement of the authorities at Jerusalem. As St. Matthew had held a public office under the government, it was most probable that he was selected to write the history of his blessed Lord's life, as being more known than the other disciples, and therefore the most likely to excite attention. Bishop Tomline remarks, that the apostles, immediately after the descent of the Holy Ghost, which took place only ten days after the ascen- sion of our Saviour into heaven, preached the Gospel to the Jews with great success; and 252* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. surely it is reasonable to suppose that an au- thentic account of our Saviour's doctrines and miracles would very soon be committed to writing for the confirmation of those who be- lieved in his divine mission, and for the conver- sion of others ; and more particularly to enable the Jews to compare the circumstances of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, with their ancient prophecies relative to the Messiah : and we may conceive that the apostles would be desirous of losing no time in writing an ac- count of the miracles which Jesus performed, and of the discourses which he delivered, be- cause, the sooner such an account was published, the easier it would be to inquire into its truth and accuracy ; and consequently when these points were satisfactorily ascertained, the great- er would be its weight and authority". On these accounts the learned prelate assigns the date of St. Matthew's Gospel to the year 38. " The sacred writers," says Mr. Home, from Avhom I extract the principal part of the remain- der of this note, " had a regard to the circum- stances of the persons for whose use they wrote, and we have therefore an additional evidence for the early date of this Gospel, in the state of persecution in which the Church was at the time when it was written ; for it contains many obvious references to such a state, and many very apposite addresses botli to the injuring and to the injured party". During this calamity, the members of the Christian Church stood in need of all the support, consolation, and assist- ance, that could be administered to them. But what comfort could they possibly receive, in their distressed situation, comparable to that which resulted from the example of their suffer- ing Master, and the promise he had made to his faithful followers ? This example and those promises St. Matthew seasonably laid before them, towards the close of this season of trial, for their imitation and encouragement, and de- livered it to them, as the anchor of their hope, to keep them steadfast in this violent tempest. From this consideration Dr. Owen was led to fix the date of St. Matthew's Gospel to the year 38. " Dr. Lardner^, however, and Bishop Percy', think that they discover marks of a lower date in St. Matthew's writings. They argue from the knowledge which he shows of the spirit- uality of the Gospel, and of the excellence of the moral above the ceremonial Law ; and from the great clearness with which the com- prehensive design of the Christian dispensation, as extending to the Avhole Gentile word, togeth- er with the rejection of the Jews, is unfolded in this Gospel. Of these topics they suppose the " Elem. of Christ. Theol. vol. i. p. 391. ° See this proved at length in Dr. Owen's Ohser- rations on the Four Gospels, pp. 1. '21. 8vo. 171)4. '' Works, 8vo. vol. vi. pp.57, 58; 4to. vol. iii. pp. 163, 164. « Keij to the Neio Test. p. 55. 3d edit. Evangelist not to have treated, until a course of years had developed their meaning, removed his Jewish prejudices, and given him a clearer dis- cernment of their nature. " This objection, however, carries but little force with it. For, in the first place, as Dr. Townson has justly observed, with regard to tlie doctrinal part of his Gospel, if St. Matthew ex- hibits a noble idea of pure religion and morality, he teaches no more than he had heard frequently taught, and often opposed to the maxims of the Jews, by his Divine Instructor. And when tlie Holy Spirit, the guide into all truth, had de- scended upon him, it seems strange to imagine that he still wanted twenty or thirty years to enlighten his mind. If he was not then fur- nished with knowledge to relate these things as an Evangelist, how was he qualified to preach them to the Jews as an apostle ? " In the next place, it is true that the pro- phetic parts of his Gospel declare the extent of Christ's kingdom, and the calling and acceptance of the Gentiles. But these events had been plainly foretold by the ancient prophets, and were expected by devout Israelites to happen in the days of the Messiah'' ; and in those pas- sages which relate to the universality of the Gospel dispensation, the Evangelist merely states that the Gospel would be successfidly preached among the Gentiles in all parts of the earth. He only recites the words of our Saviour without any explanation or remark ; and we know it was promised to the apostles, that after Christ's ascension, the Holy Spirit should bring all things to their remembrance, and guide them into all truth. Whether St. Matthew was aware of the call of the Gentiles, before the Gospel was actually embraced by them, cannot be ascertained ; nor is it material, since it is generally agreed, that the inspired penmen often did not comprehend the full meaning of their own writings when they referred to future events ; and it is obvious that it might answer a good purpose to have the future call of the Gentiles intimated in an authentic history of our Saviour's ministry, to which the believing Jews might refer, when that extraordinary and unexpected event should take place. Their minds would thus be more easily satisfied ; and they would more readily admit the comprehen- sive design of the Gospel, when they found it declared in a book, which they acknowledged as the rule of their faith and practice^ " Once more, with respect to the argument deduced from this Evangelist's mentioning '■ Thus Zacharias, the father of the Baptist, speaks of Clirist as coming " to give light to tliein that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death," (Luke i. 7!).) wliich description includes the Gen- tiles ; and Simeon expressly calls him '• a light to lighten tlie Gentiles," (Luke ii. 3-2.) » Bisliop Tomline's Eltmmts of Christ. Theol. vol. i. p. 302. ^•] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *253 prophecies and prophetic parables, wliich speak of the rejection and overthrow of tlie Jews, it may be observed, tliat if this argument means, that, being at first prejudiced in favor of a kinsfdora to be restored to Israel, he could not understand these prophecies, and therefore wouhl not tJiink of relating them if he wrote early ; — though the premises should be admit- ted, we may justly deny the conclusion. St. Matthew miglit not clearly discern in what manner the predictions were to be accomplished, yet he must see, what they all denounced, that God would reject those who rejected the Gospel : hence, he always had an inducement to notify them to his countrymen ; and the sooner he ap- prised them of their danger, the greater charity he showed them'. " Since, tlierefore, the objections to the early date by no means balance the weiglit of evi- dence in its favor, we are justified in assigning the date of this Gospel to the year of our Lord 37, or at the latest to the year 38. "Tlie next subject of inquiry respects the language in which St. Matthew wrote his Gos- pel, and which has been contested among critics with no small degree of acrimony ; Bellarmin, Grotius, Casaubon, Bishops Walton and Tom- line, Drs. Cave, Hammond, Mill, Harwood, Owen, Campbell, and A. Clarke, Simon, Tille- mont, Pritius, Du Pin, Calmet, Michaelis, and others, having supported the opinion of Papias as cited by Irenacus, Origen, Cyril, Epiphanius, Chrysostom, Jerome, and other early writers, that this Gospel was written in Hebrew, tliat is, in the Syro-Chaldaic dialect then spoken by the Jews. On the other hand, Erasmus, Pa- rasus, Calvin, Le Clerc, Fabricius, Pfeiff'er, Dr. Lightfoot, Beausobre, Basnage, Wetstein, Rumpceus, Whitby, Edelman, Hoffman, Mol- denhawer, Viser, Harles, Jones, Drs. Jortin, Lardner, Hey, and Hales, Mr. Hewlett, and others, have strenuously vindicated the Greek original of St. Matthew's Gospel. A tliird opinion has been offered by Dr. Townson, and some few modern divines, that there were two originals, one in Hebrew and the other in Greek. He thinks that there seems to be more reason for allowing two originals than for con- testing either ; the consent of antiquity pleading strongly for the Hebrew, and evident marks of originality for the Greek. "The presumption, however, is unquestion- ably in favor of the opinion that St. Matthew wrote in Greek ; for Greek was the prevailing language in the time of our Saviour and his apostles. Matthew, too, while he was a collec- tor of customs, and before he was called to be an apostle, would have frequent occasions both to write and to speak Greek, and could not dis- cliarge his office without understanding that language. We may therefore consider it as highly probable, or even certain, that he under stood Greek. Besides, as all the other Evange lists and Apostles wrote their Gospels and Epistles in tliat language for the use of Chris- tians (whether Jews or Gentiles) thoughout the known world ; and as St. Matthew's Gospel, though in the first instance written for the use of Jewish and Samaritan converts, was ulti- mately designed for universal dissemination, it is not likely that it was written in any other language than that wliich was employed by all the other writers of the New Testament. This presumption is corroborated by the numerous and remarkable instances of verbal agreement between Matthew and the otiicr Evangelists ; which, on tlie supposition that he wrote in Hebrew, or the vernacular Syro-Clialdaic dia- lect, would not be credible. Even those who maintain that opinion are obliged to confess that an early Greek translation of this Gospel was in existence before Mark and Luke com- posed theirs, which they saw and consulted. The main point in dispute is, whether the present Greek copy is entitled to the authority of an original or not: and as this is a question of real and serious importance, we shall pro- ceed to state the principal arguments on botli sides. "The modern advocates of the Hebrew- Gospel, above enumerated, lay most stress upon the testimonies of Papias (bishop of Ilierapolis, A. D. IIG), of Irenceus (a. d. 178), and of Origen (a. d. 230) ; which testimonies have been fol- lowed by Chrysostom, Jerome, and others of tlie early fathers of the Christian Church. But these good men, as Wetstein has well observed, do not so properly bear testimony as deliver their own conjectures, which we are not bound to admit unless they are supported by good reasons. Supposing, and talcing it for granted, that Matthew wrote for the Jews in Judaea, tliey concluded that he wrote in Hebrew" : and because the fathers formed this conclusion, modern writers, relying on their authority, have also inferred that Matthew composed his Gos- pel in that language. " It only remains that we briefly notice the third opinion above mentioned, viz. that there were two originals — one in Hebrew, the other in Greek, but both written by St. Matthew. This opinion, we believe, was first intimated by Dr. Whitby", and is adopted by Dr. Hey, Dr. Townson, Bishop Gleig, and some otiier modern divines. The consent of antiquity pleads strongly for the Hebrew, and evident marks of originality for the Greek. Bishop Gleig thinks, that St. Matthew, on his departure to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, left with tlie Church at Jerusalem, or at least with some of its membei-s, ' Dr. Townson's Dlscovrses, n-orl:^-, vol. i. pp. IIC, 117. VOL. II. Disc. iv. sect. 4. " Wetstenii JVov. Test. tom. i. p. 224, note. " Preface to St. Matthew's Gospel, vol. i. p. 1. 254 * NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. the Hebrew or Syriac memorandums of our Lord's doctrines and miracles, which he had made for his own use at the time when the doc- trines were taught, and the miracles performed ; and that the Greek Gospel was written long after the apostles had quitted Jerusalem, and dispersed themselves in the discharge of the duties of their office. This conjecture receives some countenance from the terms in which Eusebius'", when giving his own opinion, men- tions St. Matthew's Gospel. 'Matthew,' says that historian, 'having first preached to the Hebrews, delivered to them, when he was pre- paring to depart to other countries, his Gospel composed in their native language; that to those, from whom he was sent away, he might by his writings supply the loss of his presence"".' This opinion is further corroborated by the fact, that there are instances on record of authors who have themselves publisJied the same work in two languages. Thus Josephus wrote the History of the Jewish War in Hebrew and Greek^. In like manner, we have two origi- nals, one in Latin, the other in English, of the Thirty-nine Articles of the Anglican Church, and also of Sir Isaac Newton's Optics. As St. Matthew wanted neither ability nor dispo- sition, Ave cannot think he wanted inducement to "do the work of an Evangelist" for his brethren of the common faith, Hellenists as well as Hebrews ; to both of whom charity made him a debtor. The popular language of the first believers was Hebrew, or what is called so by the sacred and ancient ecclesiastical writ- ers : but those who spoke Greek quickly became a considerable part of the Church of Christ. " From a review of all the arguments adduced on this much-litigated question, I cannot but prefer the opinion which, indeed, best harmo- nizes with the consent of antiquity, — that St. Matthew wrote first a Hebrew Gospel for the use of the first Hebrew converts. Its subse- quent disappearance is easily accounted for, by its being so corrupted by the Ebionites that it lost all its authority in the Church, and was deemed spurious, and also by the prevalence of the Greek language, especially after the de- struction of Jerusalem, when the Jewish lan- guage, and every thing belonging to the Jews fell into the utmost contempt. It also is clear that our present Greek Gospel is an authentic original, and consequently an inspired produc- tion of the Evangelist Matthew, written (not as Bishop Gleig and other writers suppose, long after our Lord's resurrection and ascension, but) within a few years after those memorable and important events'"." "" Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. lib. iii. c. 4. ^ Lib. i. pref. sect. I, 2. y Dr. Hey's JVorrisian. Lectures, vo]. i. pp. 28, 29. Bishop Glei;ff's edit, of Slachhouse, vol. iii. p. 112, Dr. Townson's Works, vol. i. pp. 30-32. - Home, Crit. hitrod. vol. ii. pp. 238-243. This view of the probability that the Gospel of St. Matthew was written in both languages appears to me to be most correct. It is possible that the real state of the case might be this. When the persecution began, or was beginning, St. Matthew, who perhaps might have already committed to writing the memorable events of Christ's history, might have distributed among his own countrymen, the converts of Jerusalem, an account of the transactions and teaching ot our Lord; but as the persecution was not con- fined to Judcea, but extended to Gentile cities, the converts who had taken refuge in them would be naturally anxious to have the Gospel in that language which Avas most generally understood, that the glorious works of redemp- tion and salvation might be made known unto them as well as unto us. It is probable, there- fore, that the Hebrew Gospel was first used, while the converts remained in Judsea, or at least during the continuance of the Pauline persecution ; and that it might have been given about six years after the ascension, when the persecution was beginning ; in the year 34 or 35, the date which is here assigned to it. The Greek Gospel might have been given about two or three years later, when the converts returned to Jerusalem, and required inspired histories of our Lord to be sent to their breth- ren at those cities in which their safety had been secured. This hypothesis will reconcile some few of the discrepancies which have embarrassed many inquirers in their research into the early history of the Church. It accounts for the early disuse, and non-appearance of the He- brew Gospel — it agrees with the early date assigned by Dr. Townson, Bishop Tomline, and Dr. Owen, who refer the writing of St. Matthew's Gospel to the year 37, or 38, — it corresponds with the internal testimony in favor of a very early date, and is supported by the reasoning of Bishop Tomline and Dr. Owen. Note 56.— Part IX. St. Luke not having specified the time of Paul's conversion, and the apostle himself not having done it in his Epistles, the opinions upon it vary much. Some place his conversion in the year of the crucifixion, or at the beginning of the following year; others seven or eight years after, in the second year of Claudius. I have preferred the opinion which steers between these two extremes, and place the conversion of St. Paul at the year 35, about the time that war was declared between Herod, the tetrarch of Galilee, and Aretas, king of the Arabs". " Spanheiin, Dc Conv. Paul. p. 197. Pearson, Lardncr, Hales, Home, and olliers. Note 57.-60.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *255 This epoch does not seem attended with any difficulty. It agrees very well with " the four- teen years" that the Apostle reckons between his conversion and the third voyage that he afterwards made to Jerusalem. It furnishes, moreover, some very natural reasons, why being at Damascus he was immediately in safe- ty there, and why he afterwards retired into Arabia, rather than into any other place, and why upon his return from Arabia he no longer found protection at Damascus ; and it is the date which is generally adopted. Herod and Aretas quarrelled, for the reasons mentioned by Josephus, Jlntiq. lib. 18. cap. 7, and they came to an open war in the year .30. Herod's army was defeated. The Romans took his part ; but the death of Tiberius, which hap- pened in the month of March, in the year -'37, stopped the Romans, who were marching against the Arabs. Vitellius, who was commander of the Roman army, heard the news of his death at Jerusalem during the feast of the Passover. Note 57.— Part IX. Efinvkov 6.7TeiXrig y.ul cpovov — Wetstein, Kuinoel, Clarke, and others have quoted among other passages from the classical writers, to illus- trate this sentence — Theocrit. Id. 22. 82. Eurip. Bacch. 620. Aristoph. Equitt. 435. Oppian Vtnat. 4. 190. Homer, Riad, v 8. Aristaenet 1. Ep. 5. Achill. Tatius, 2. p. 65, &c. &c. The use of the expression in these authors may be adduced as one among many other proofs, that St. Luke, the writer of the Acts, was a learned man, and one therefore who was more likely to examine into the truth, origin, and nature of the religion he liad embraced than many of the more ignorant converts. Note 58.— Part IX. The authority of the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem was very great, so that not only the Jews who inhabited the land of Israel, but the Babylonian and Alexandrian Jews received its decrees, and obeyed them with reverence. They ac- knowledged the Sanhedrin as the bulwark of the oral law. They more especially submitted to its authority in accusations of heresy, and trial of false prophets, which the Sanhedrin alone was supposed competent to consider. The Romans, to Avhose power the whole of Arabia at this time submitted, granted to the Jewish council the power of imprisonment and scourging, not only over the Jews of Palestine, but over other synagogues, which willingly, in religious matters, yielded to the control of the Sanjiedrin. — See on this subject the note at the end of chap. ix. sect. xxxv. Note 59.— Part IX. This expression was common among the ancient Jews. We read in Is. xl. 3. the phrase nin"' ^\'^^^ — and among the later Jews, "Iilb Q'li'Un secundum morem Christianorum. — • Schoetgen. vol. i. p. 444. Note 60.— Part IX. ON THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL. If St. Paul had been asked before he left Jerusalem for Damascus, by one of those de- spised Christians whom he was now on his way to persecute, "What proof do you require to convince you that Jesus is the Messiah ?" it is not improbable that he would have replied, " I demand that evidence which was given to my fatliers, the evidence of the manifested Shechi- nah, the presence of the Angel Jehovah, and the audible voice from heaven." From education, reason, or prejudice, we all generally adopt some criterion of truth, to which every proposition is brought. This was his criterion: and what must have been the feelings of tliis relentless persecutor, when the very evidence he required was vouchsafed to him — when He, the despised, the insulted, the crucified Jesus, in the glory of the Shechinah — from heaven itself— reproved the blindness of his zeal, and convinced him that the same Holy Being who had suffered on the cross, was the Angel Jehovah, the long- expected Messiah of the Jews I The simple words, " I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest," how severely must they have penetrated and wounded the heart of this zealous offender ! In a moment, he was overwhelmed and convicted of the excessive guilt of his conduct, and the majesty of the God of his fathers. The blind- ness that was inflicted upon him was typical of that spiritual darkness which was the cause and origin of his crime ; it was a trial of his faith and repentance ; and his recovery from it was intended to prove to him and to the world, that a man is in darkness and the shadow of death till he has received that true light which ligliteth every man that cometh into the world. The scales which had concealed from his view the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ fell from his eyes — he saw and believed, and the Holy Ghost gave him power to discern spiritual things. How fearfully will the sons of Israel mourn and lament, when this Holy Being shall again reveal himself from heaven in the glory of the Shechinah, and reprove them for their want of faith and hardness of heart ! The history of St Paul offers them the highest hopes and conso- lations ; it shadows out to them the darkness of 256* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. their spiritual state, tlie necessity of a baptism of repentance, and the forsaking of their former sins and errors, and the restoration of their sig-lit. At his second coming the glory of Israel shall be made known unto them— their hearts shall be changed, and they shall look on him whom they have pierced. Lord Barrington and Whitby are of opinion that St. Paul did not now see our Lord. The former derives liis argument from the expression (ver. 5,) " Who art thou, Lord ? " Whitby ob- serves, that in the Old Testament men are often said to have seen the Lord, when they only saw the glory, the symbol of his presence (Exod. xxiv. 10-12. Deut. iv. 12, 15.), and that in the parallel accounts of his conversion in other parts of the Acts, St. Paul mentions only having seen the glory that shone round him, and not the person of our Lord. He adds, that if the words imply that the person of our Lord was seen, it must have rather been in the way than in the heavens. It would however be easy to show that the ancient Jews usedthe wordnr JEi', which is here rendered (jrwc, to express not only the glory which surrounded the Divine Personage, which appeared to the patriarchs, but also the Great Being himself; and it seems most probable that his countrymen would understand tlie expres- sion in that sense. The general opinion, how- ever, appears to be most correct, which affirms, that at this time the visible manifestation of the person of Christ was made to the Apostle. Wit- sius'' defends the general opinion with much skill and energy: Doddridge does the same. Macknight espouses the same side of the ques- * " Sed quo mode visus est Jesus ? An per angelum, vices ejus sustinentem ? Nequaquam. Neque enim angeli est ea sibi verba sumere qua? propria sunt Jesu. An in synibolo, quo mode Israolilce Deuui viderunt ad montcm Sinai ? Non sufficit. An in visione ut Jcsaias? Nee hoc satis facit. An oculis corporis ? Sic abitror. Debuit enim Paukis hoc quoque apostolatus sui argumen- tutn habere, quod Cliristuiu, in persona, quod aiunt, oculis suis conspexerit. Ceterum ubi nunc Chiistus ? An in coelo ? an in aiire viciniore ? Equidem nescio. Nam quod Act. iii. 21. dicitur, quern oportet coeli capiant usque ad tempora rosti- tutionis omnium, intelligi potest de ordinaria Jesu in ccclis mansione : qua non impeditur tamen qtio minus per extraordinariam aliquam oecononiiam, in ai!rem terrte viciniorem ad exiguum tempus descenderit. Sed et in coelis nianens videri Paulo potuit, per miraculosam facultatis elevationem, remotisque Dei virtute omnibus impedimentis. q\io niodo Stephanas nuper in terra positus, coelis apertis, viiiit Jesum stantem ad dexteram Palris, Act. vii. 55. Qua luce significabatur gloria ap])a- rentis Christi, (juiest stella ilia matutina, oriens ex alto, sol jiistitirt^, hix ad illuminationem gentium, et gloriam populi Israelitici ; et qui se luce veluti atnictu operit. In e;\ luce, ipso sc conspiciendum prffibebat Jesus. Sic enim Paulo Ananias, Act. ix. 17. rursus xxii. 14. et Jesus ip.sc Act. xxvi. J;i. ti'g TovTo (u((i,9i;i' noi. — Witsii Mclrtew. Lcidens. de Vit. Panli, p. 17. — Mankniglil on the Epistles, vol. vi. p. 41(i.— Kuinoel, In L'b. Hst. JY. T. vol. iv. p. ;3:2:>. — Do<ldri(lgi''s Fainihj Exposi'or — Dr. A. Clarke, and Wliitby in loc. tion : Saul, he observes, arose from tlie earth, and with liis bodily eyes beheld Jesus standing in the way. We are absolutely certain, that on this or some other occasion, Saul saw Jesus with the eyes of his body ; for he hath twice affirmed that he saw Jesus in that manner (1 Cor. ix. 1.), " Am I not an apostle ? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord ?" (chap. xv. 8.) " Last of all [wqpdij xixftol) he was seen of me also, as of an abortive apostle." Now it is to be observed, that this appearance of Jesus, Paul places among his other appear- ances to the rest of the apostles, which, witliout all doubt, were personal appearances. Besides, if Saul had not seen Jesus in the body, after his resurrection, he could not have been an apostle, whose chief business was, as an eyewitness, to bear testimony to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. I acknowledge, that if we were to form our opinion of this matter solely upon the account which Luke hath given of it (Acts ix. 3-6.), we could not be sure that Saul now saw Jesus. Yet if we attend to the words of Ana- nias, both as recorded in this chap. ver. 17, " The Lord Jesus who appeared to thee (6 6(f- 6s tc 001, tvho ivas seen of thee) in the way ;" and as recorded Acts xxii. 14. "The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou sliouldest see that Just One, and sliouldest hear the voice of his mouth :" also, if we consider the words of Christ, "I have appeared unto thee for tliis very purpose, to make thee a minister, and a witness of those things which thou hast seen ; " and that Barnabas declared to the apostles, how he had seen the Lord in the way (Acts ix. 27.), I say when all these expressions are duly at- tended to, we shall have little doubt that Saul saw Jesus standing before him in the way (ver. 17.), when in obedience to his command he arose from the ground. But not being able to endure the splendor of his appearance, or perhaps the better to express his reverence, he fell to the earth anew, and remained before him in that posture, till Christ ordered him to arise a second time, and go into the city, where it should be told him what he was to do, (Acts ix. 6.) Then it was that on opening his eyes he found himself absolutely blind. This I suppose is a better account of Saul's seeing Jesus, after his resurrection, than with some to affirm, that he saw him in his trance in the temple, or in his rapture in the third heaven, for on neither of these occasions did Saul see Jesus with his bodily eyes ; the impression at these times having been made upon his mind by the power of Christ, and not by means of liis external senses, so that he would not have been qualified by such a vision to attest Christ's resurrection from the dead, I know that Paul hnd another corporeal sight of Jesus, namely, after lie hnd made his defence brfore the council, (Acts xxiii. 1 1.) But as the First Epistle to the Corinthians, in which Paul Note G1.-G3.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *257 affirmed that he had seen the Lord, was written before he was favored with that second corpo- real sight of Jesus, he cannot be tliought in that Epistle to have spoken of an event which had not then taken place. It cannot be necessary to discuss here the absurd hypothesis of Kuinoel, who endeavours to show that there was notliing miraculous in the conversion of St. Paul, whom he would represent as journeying to Damascus, thinking of the lesson of moderation taught him by Gamaliel, and of the arguments he might accidentally have heard in favor of the Messiahship of Christ, when sudden thunder in a clear day alarmed him, and he imagined that he heard a voice : the whole of the three several narratives in the New Testament of St. Paul's conversion overthrow this absurd theory. His sudden loss and recov- ery of sight, and the consequent coaununication of the Holy Spirit, by a person divinely appoint- ed, were' indisputable evidences as to the reality of the appearance that had befallen him on his way. That St. Paul was neither a hypocrite, an enthusiast, nor a dupe, has been too admirably proved by Lord Lyttleton to require further illustration, Note 6L— Part IX. The expression here used is supposed by some to be proverbial, signifying the injury and hurt they are likely to receive who resist supe- rior power, more especially as relating to God. To confirm this opinion, many classical authors are referred to. Euripides in Bacch. 5. 794. Col- umella, Dt Re Rustica,2.2. 26, &lc. and Pindar, Pytli. 2. 173, who asserts we must not contend against God, but bear the yoke he puts on our neck mildly, and not kick against the goads ; that is, remarks the scholiast, not to fight against God, being only men. The great Bochai-t re- jects the idea that tlie expression is derived from any other authority than that of Scripture itself. Moses uses it when he says Jeshurun waxed fat (et recalcitravit) and kicked against the Law (Deut. xxxii. 15.), and also God himself (1 Sam. ii. 29.), " why kick ye against my sacri- fices ?" The clause is retained in the Vulgate, the Arabic, ^thiopic, and Armenian versions, although it is not inserted in others, or in tlie Greek manuscripts. Griesbach likewise re- jects it. it is said that the men that were with me heard not the voice. Dr. Hammond remarks, that the word qiuifri signifies thunder, and he would rec- oncile the two texts by reading, " They that were with me heard the voice of the thunder, but heard not the voice of him that spake unto me." The word (pLuvi) is often used in this sense in the Old Testament, Exod. ix. 23, 27, 33, 34. XX. 18. Ps. xviii. 13, &c. In this verse the word seems to be used in the same sense as chap. ii. 2. (see the note in loc.) with reference to the thunder which usually accompanied the Bath Col, or Voice from heaven ; in chap. xxii. 9. it more particularly relates to the Voice itself, which the attendants of St. Paul, in consequence of their alarm and confusion, did not hear, or if tliey did, without rightly understanding it. Bcza, Vatablus, and Clarius, think that the attendants heard Saul's voice, but not that of Christ. Dr. Benson, as Ccxovbiv often signifies to understand, supposes these attendants were Hel- lenist Jews, who did not understand the Hebrew, which was the lanjjuajre in which Christ ad- dressed Paul. Dr. Whitby and Dr. Doddridge that tlie Voice from heaven was taken for thun- der. — Doddridge, vol. ii. p. 3G. For further solutions of the difficulty, see Wolfius, CurcB Phil. vol. ii. p. 1138. Lord Bar- rington, Dr. Weston, and others, ap. Bowyer, and the commentators. The Jews say that God three times spoke to Moses, Aaron being by and not hearing the voice ; in Egypt, Exod. vi. 28. ; in Mount Sinai, Num. iii. 1. ; and in Levit. i. 1. The same mode of expression is used in Scheinotk Rabha, sect. ii. fol. 104. 3. in Exod. ii. 2., " The angel of the Lord appeared to him." Why is it thus said so expressly rSx to him be- cause other men were with him, but none of these saw any thing but Moses only. So also in Dan. x. 7. Note 62.— Part IX. This verse bears tlie appearance of differing from the parallel passage, chap. xxii. 9., where VOL. II. *33 Note 63.— Part IX. He lost his sight from the glory of that light. Michaelis, in Richteii Chirurgischer Bibliothek, b. vi. p. 732, ap. Kuinoel, relates, that an African struck with lightning lost liis sight, but recov- ered it suddenly. In the Critici Sacri is a treatise on the blind- ness of St. Paul, considered in its origin, con- tinuance, and cure. Jortin remarks, that the miracle by which St. Paul was instructed and converted has been thought by some to be of the emblematic and prophetic kind, and to indicate the future calling of the Jews ; so that Paul the persecutor, and Paul the apostle, was a type of his own nation. St. Paul, though the apostle of the Gentiles, 258* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX, never cast off his care for his own brethren, and always expressed himself on that subject with the Avarmest affection ; and he alone, of all the writers in the New Testament, hath spoken clearly of the restoration of the Jews ; he ear- nestly wished for that happy day, and saw it afar off, and was glad. St. Paul was extremely zealous for the Law, and a persecutor of the Christians — so were the Jews. St. Paul, for opposing Jesus Christ, was struck blind ; but upon his repentance he re- ceived his sight — so were the Jews, for their re- bellion, smitten with spiritual blindness, which shall be removed when they are received again into favor. St. Paul was called miraculously, and by the glorious manifestation of Christ himself, and was instructed by the same Divine Master: such will perhaps be the conversion and the illumination of the Jews. St. Paul was called the last of the apostles — the Jews will certainly enter late into the ChurcL St. Paul was the most active, laborious, and successful of all the disciples : such perhaps the Jews also shall be after their conversion. But these are rather conjectures of what may be, than discoveries of what must come to pass". Note 64.— Part IX. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON CONVERSION. From the manner in which the conversion of St. Paul is related by St. Luke, many have been led to suppose that all those who are really Christians must receive and retain some sensi- ble impression of their conversion ; and conse- quently remember the exact time or moment in which it took place. Others again argue, that St. Paul was selected from the rest of mankind, as Abraham, Moses, the Prophets, and the Apostles were, for the especial purpose of pro- moting the designs of Providence in effecting the redemption of mankind ; and therefore that it affords no sanction for the expectation of any sudden or miraculous conversion for others. Both parties insist with equal earnestness and sincerity in enforcing the doctrine of Scripture, that " without holiness no man shall see tlie Lord:" but one would look for conversion in some momentary operation of the Spirit of God, witliout any previous preparation in the heart or conduct of the individual ; the other, on the contrary, would rather seek it in the study of the Scriptures, and in tlie due observance of "^ See Jortin's Remarks on Ecclesiasliral TUstory, Works, vol. ii. p. 14 ; and Mede's iVorks, book v. p. 801, 802, as well as book iv. epist. xvii. p. 768. Jortiu does not mention Mede, wlio lias considered the parallel at greater length. the progressive and appointed means of grace which are given to all, as necessary to salva- tion, and which are always attended with the influences of the Holy Spirit. The former, who believe that God more fre- quently impresses the mind by some sudden impulse, do not deny that it may sometimes happen, that individuals may be so educated and brought up, that they shall be sanctified from the womb. Thus the celebrated Annes- ley, the nonconformist divine, declared tliat he never remembered to have been converted. On the other side it is equally acknowledged, that it may please the same God who miracu- lously converted St. Paul, to impress in the most unexpected and peculiar manner the mind of any individual, at any time it may seem good to his Providence to do so. He would not, for instance, assert that it was impossible that Constantino beheld a cross, or that Colonel Gardiner heard a voice in the air, or any other circumstance of this nature'^ ; but his general belief is, that since the canon of Scripture has been completed, the sacraments are the effect- ual and divinely ordained means of grace by which the Holy Spirit is conveyed to man for his renovation ; and that sufficient evidence is given to all men for tlieir establishment in the faith, without any extraordinary or preternatural interference in their favor. Christianity, it must ever be remembered, is not a system of theoretical opinions, but a sys- tem of positive institutions. If so, we may expect miracles at the establishment, but not in the continuance, of the dispensation. In one sense of the word every thing is a miracle, both in the natural and moral world. The growth of a plant is to us an unaccountable event ; but we see that it is gradually brought to perfection, by the sun and rain from heaven — these are the appointed laws of nature. In the same way the divine influences of the Holy- Spirit, by the appointed means of grace, grad- ually operate on the heart, till it brings forth the fruits of perfection, and the perfect man is formed. It is certain that the great Creator of the flower or the herb might by a word com- mand them to grow either on the waves of the sea, or on the floor of a room, but as this would be deviating from established laws, we do not anticipate such an occurrence. In the same manner it is not generally to be expected that the Almighty Creator will depart from his own appointed means of salvation to effect the recovery of sinful man, who refuses to be nour- islied by tlie common blessings from on high. It is not now to be expected that the heavens will again opon, tlio Shocliinah appear, tlie Bath Col be heard, or the lu)ly flame kindle on holy heads ; these indisputable evidences of divine '' Jortin's Remarks on Ecclesiastical History, Works, vol. ii. p. 159. Note 64.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *259 majesty, are reserved for the consummation of all things. In the mean time, God the Creator and Saviour, who provides for the lilies and the flowers of the field, has in his mercy ordained provision for the soul as well as the body of man — " My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." Without the care and the labor of man the food for the body would be lost in the ground ; without the use of the revealed means of grace, the fruits of the Holy Spirit would be looked for in vain. Break up therefore the fallow ground of your hearts (Hosea x. 12.) for it is time to seek the Lord, that the showers and tlie latter rain may not be withholden (Jer. iv. 3.) The real question to be decided then is, Whether he is most right who expects the influences of the Spirit to be conveyed to him through the means of tliose solemn ordinances which God himself has ordained, gradually accomplishing that change of heart, without which spiritual happiness cannot be attained ; or whether that opinion is to be preferred, which leads to the anticipation of some sudden impression producing the same effect independ- ent of an humble attendance on the means of grace, in obedience to the divine will. I am convinced, that if Christians who be- lieve in the doctrines of the Trinity, the Incar- nation, the Atonement, and the absolute neces- sity of inward holiness, from the influences of the Divine Spirit, as well as outward morality, were to examine impartially some controverted logomachies, they would not so much differ. If certain systematic words were not so fre- quently resorted to, there would be much less misapprehension and bitterness. Let us place this subject in more general propositions, and we shall then perceive how slight is the difference which divides these contending parties. It will be acknowledged by all, that a due re- gard at least is necessary to external religion for the sake of its Author; but that this very regard to the divine ordinances, if it does not proceed from obedience and love to Him who ordained them, and faith in their spiritual effects and sig- nification, becomes presumption and hypocrisy. Man at his creation was made perfect ; the spiritual triumphing over the inferior nature. When he fell, the earthly or animal nature pre- dominated. As his descendants we are made partakers of the same earthly and animal na- ture — we are born with it — its existence consti- tutes our original sin, and we are subject to its everlasting penalties. The system of revelation is the plan for restoring man to God, by renewing within him that spiritual nature which he lost by the fall of his first parent. The manner in which this important object is to be accomplished has ever been the same. It is faith in the atonement of one Redeemer, the manifested God of the patriarchs, Jews, and Christians, producing holiness of life. The manner in which this faith is made effectual has ever been the same. Outward means of grace were instituted from the mo- ment of the expulsion from paradise. Where these external ordinances have been observed througii faitli, and in compliance with the revealed will of God, his influences have uni- formly been imparted, and a spiritual change ot heart imperceptibly and gradually accomplished. The Spirit of God however is not confined to means. The Omnipotence of God is not limit- ed to the measures he has himself revealed or ordained. It is impossible therefore not to believe that the death of a friend or relative, a lingering illness, or any other affliction or cir- cumstance, may not, through divine grace, be made the instrument of salvation, and turn our hearts from this world to serve the living God. But few will hesitate to join with me in the conclusion, that the divine blessing is to be more generally found in those significant and solemn institutions, which The Way — The Truth — and The Life Himself appointed. This is not tlie place to enter further into this controversy. The ancient fathers, the reformers in general, and the Church of Eng- land make the commencement of our accep- tance with God (by whatever name, conversion or regeneration, we may call it) to begin with baptism ; and affirm that the influences of the Holy Spirit continue with the Christian through life, to renovate him when he falls, to preserve him in temptation, and to support him in death, unless those influences are quenched by wilful, repeated, deliberate, and persevering sin. This system, which makes our Christian life begin with certain feelings in maturer years, makes the question concerning baptism so very im- portant. The reestablishment of the ancient union among believers, depends on our estimate of tlie benefits attendant on that first and most solemnly commanded ordinance — whether it is merely an useful rite, or an appointed means of grace ; — or, as it is defined in the Church Cate- chism, an outward sign of an inward grace. The system which refuses to confine the begin- ning of our Christian life to baptism, is thus described by a once distinguished writer — "Regeneration has its degrees. Its first step is contrition, and that softening of the heart by which a man is brought to a sense of sin and misery ; and under the influence of wliich he earnestly desires deliverance. The second is a knowledge of Christ, by which whoever is convinced of the sufficiency of Christ to deliver him, denies himself, and flies to Christ, and by a living faith is united to him, and with a filial confidence of deliverance depends upon him ; and a filial love towards God is kindled in his heart, by the power of which he serves God with unfeigned obedience, and a holy life. The first step is called the spirit of bondage, and it is properly the eff'ect of the Law; the 260* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. second is the spirit of adoption, and it is the proper effect of the GospeF." The learned writer then proceeds to illustrate this hypothe- sis by the instance of Cornelius. I think it is evident, that the Scriptures of truth no where command us to liave this train of feelings to become acceptable to God. Faith and obe- dience, — or faith, obedience, and repentance are required: and it is impossible, in general, for the Christian who has been baptized, and has received a religious education, and knows God from his infancy, to say when he begins to have faith, and to have become acceptable to his Maker. Few men can pass through life without many feelings of sorrow for sin, of humility before God, of desire to become more holy. No human being can declare himself spotless before his Creator. But all these emotions are the result of our knowledge of God, and his Son, which are given us by the means of grace ; and they proceed from the Holy Spirit which attends them. They are common to all men at all ages ; they are expe- rienced by children at the first dawn of reason, and by the aged at the close of life. Since the Scripture and tlie means of grace have been given, I believe that all pretensions of this nature are very dubious ; though I dare not say that the Father of tlie spirits of men may not visibly communicate his will to some favored individuals, when he pleases. I believe only, that he has not done so ; because the Law of Christ is sufficient to guide any of his creatures to future happiness. Dr. Doddridge relates the anecdote of Colonel Gardiner, as if ' " Habet regeneratio suos gradus. Primus gradus est contritio et emollitio cordis, qua quis adigitur ad sensum peccati et miserise ; quo sensu gravatus sitit et esurit liberationem. Secundus gradus est, agnitio Christi, quS. quis de sufficientiA Christi ad liberandum convictus, seipsum abnegat et ad Christum confugit, eique v'lvk fiducia cordis inseritur, et cum filiali fiducia liberationis in ipsum recunibit, et fiUalis in Deum amor in corde ejus accenditur, cujus ductu et iinpulsu servit Deo ingenua obedientia et novft vita. Primus gradus vocari solet spiritus servitutis, et est proprie efFec- tus legis : posterior spiritus adoptionis, et est pro- prie etFectus Evangehi. Fieri potest ut Cornelius habuerit primum gradum regenerationis, scil. ut fuorit contritus corde et onustus sensu miserise, sitiensque gratiam, eamque quasrens ; sed non novit veram viam inveniendi et verum medium quffirendi, sed sine dubio eani quaesivit per propria opera et honestam vitam ; quse tamen opera Deus propter veram contritionem cordis non asperna- tus, sed se iis moveri passus est, ad dandos niajores regenerationis gradus ad salutem necessaries. Non enim est contra sanam theologiam. quod primitias gratioe regenerantis bene usurpatte sint causaB impetrantcs gratiam majorem. Habenti enim dabitur ut abundanlius liabeat, Matt. xiii. 12. Moralibus virlutibus, quibus homo seipsum ab aliis per Hberum arbitriuin naturale nonnihil discernit, nuUis proniissionibus alligata est gratia regenera- tionis salvifica: sed initiis gratia' regenerantis bene usurpatis est alligata, Job. vii. 17. Et pra!cipue contritum cor habet inagnas proniissionos, Psal. li. 19. Isa. Ivii. lo." Stres. apud Cradock's ^Apostolical Harmony, p. 59. the circumstance might possibly have been the vivid suggestion of his own mind. The hour was midnight — he was confused with intem- perance — the cause of his watchfulness was criminal — he had received a religious education ; and the silence and solitude, and the possible reproaches of his conscience led him to some associations of ideas respecting tlie crucified Saviour, whom he had forgotten. At such a moment he saw, or thought he saw, the cross in the air, and heard the appeal of the imagined figure before him. This appears to me to be the natural result of those laws of mind which God has given to every man. These natural reflections were made the means of grace ; for the impression was never erased from his mind. The Spirit of God "prevented him, and put into his mind good desires ; " and the consist- ency of his subsequent life proved that He, who giveth grace to man, was present at the hour of temptation. But it would be the most intolera- ble presumption, that any man should delay repentance till his mind was affected in a similar manner. With respect to the cross of Constantine, I subjoin the criticism of Jortin; and I am in clined to agree with this eminent divine, that there was possibly no miracle in this case also ; though the result of the victoiy was most im- portant, as it decided whether Christianity should become the religion of the Roman em- pire. "A. D. .311, Constantine being disposed to protect and embrace Christianity, which his father had greatly favored, and about to fight Maxentius, prayed to God for his assistance. As he was marching, he saw in the afternoon, in the sky over the sun, a shining cross, with this inscription (roiira >■/««) joined to it. The sight astonished him, and the army which ac- companied him. This he related to Eusebius with his own mouth, and sware to the truth of it at a time when many of the soldiers were living." " \4fiq:l /necn]/j6Qiy&g rjUov aqag, ^St] Trig ■^juigag anoy.Urovaijg, aiioTg ocpdal/uolg Idsli' e(f)rj iv MiiruT ovonvw vneqy.Eljtevov tov 7]lLov aTttVQH xQon(nov ex tponug avviajdtfiEvnv, yQucfi'lv 78. uvm avvricfdui., liyovaui', lovno v'.xa. Horis diei meridianis, sole in occasum vergente, crucis tropaeum in ccelo ex luce conflatum, soli superpositum, ipsis oculis se vidisse affirmavit, cum hujusmodi inscriptione : Hac vince." — Eu- seb. Fit. Const. 1. 28. Concerning this story there have been these opposite opinions — That it was a miracle wrought in favor of Constantine and of Christianity : that it was a pious fraud, a mere stratagem of Constantino's, to animate his soldiers, and to engage the Christians firmly on his side. Fabricius, as an honorarius arbiter^ comes between both, and allows the fact, but rejects the miracle. Bihl. Gr. fi. 8. " There is," says he, " a natural appearance, a ' solar halo,' Avhicli sometimes represents a lucid cross, and this is so rarely seen, that it is no wonder if Note 65, 66.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *-26l Constantine and they who beheld it with him accounted it miraculous, especially at that junc- ture. If this were no miracle, yet it tended to the service of Christianity, and to bring about the great revolution that then happened. There are in historians, ancient and modern, and in the Philosophical Transadioris, descriptions of such phenomena, and also of lucid circles or crowns, accompanying them. Fabricius gives an ac- count and a representation of some. Thus far all goes well enough ; but the great difficulty is the inscription [rovm pIxu), for which Fabricius offers this solution, that youcp') means a ' picture,' as well as a ' writing,' and that liyeir, when applied to a picture or image, means, ' to denote,' or ' imply,' and that tiie words of Constantine and Eusebius may be thus interpreted, that by this he should conquer ; which image was a lucid crown, a representation or symbol of vic- tory. To this I add, that Eusebius, by not using the words (jtoixfIu, or ygufifiuTtx, nor mentioning in what language it was written, seems to speak rather of an emblem or picture, than of a writing. Add to this, that in the standard wiiich Con- stantine ordered to be made in the form of a cross, in memory of this omen, he placed a crown of gold and jewels on the top of it, and a cypher denoting the name of Christ, but not the Avords rovm I'lxoc. Euseb. Vit. Const. 1. 31. Amongst the Panegyrici Vetercs, the eightli is in praise of Constantine, and celebrates his victory over Maxentius, but says not a word of the cross. The author of this panegyric was a pagan. The ninth also, composed by Mazarius, is silent concerning this prodigy. One of the panegyrists speaks of a last omen, by which he might mean the cross. See Tillemont, H. ties 'Empires, 4. G32. Not. But, afler all, it seems rather more natural to interpret ygacp^v Myov- aav of a writing, than of a picture." Note 65.— Part IX. The word '^73 was commonly used by the Jews to denote either man or woman. St. Peter calls the woman the weaker vessel. St. Paul, alluding to the preachers of the Gospel, observes, " We have this treasure in earthen vessels." Schoetgen quotes the book Zohar on Exod. on Ruth ii. 9. nin^ Sd jvpin N''p'ny prx |'Sx — "the iust are here understood, who are called the in- struments or vessels of the Lord." — Schoetgen. Hoi: Heb. vol. i. p. 446. Note 66.— Part IX. St, Paul, m Gal. i. 16, 17., speaking of his conversion, writes, " Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood, but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus." Pearson argues from this, that he did not preach in the synagogues at Damascus till after the three years which he passed in Arabia. Michaelis, on the contrary, would connect ver. 20 with 19, on account of the word evOiu);, which word by Dr. Wells is referred to the return of St. Paul to Damascus. He thinks the passages are to bo parapiirased tluis : — " After he had received meat he was strengthened." Presently after which (according to Gal. i. 16.) he went into Arabia, and having been there instructed in the Gospel, by the revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal. i. 12.), he returned again to Damascus. " Then," or " now," was St. Paul certain days with the disciples at Damascus, and straightway (namely, after his return out of Arabia) he preached Christ in the synagogues-'". Sclilcusner is of opinion that the word av/n- 6i6ut(t)p is to be understood before this clause. See, on the full meaning of this word, Kuinoel, Schleusner, and others. Biscoe sufficiently shows that St. Paul, as a rabbi, or authorized teacher of the people, was privileged to preach in all synagogues wherever he went. St. Luke has not noticed this journey ; and as St. Paul has merely mentioned it in his Epistle to the Galatians, without relating any thing that he tlien did, we cannot speak of it with any degree of certainty. St. Jerome has determined that the Apostle did not exercise any ministerial function, and he supposes that by a dispensation, unknown to us, or by an express command of God, he remained silent (Gal. i. 12.)». It is very likely that it was in this retreat that he acquired by the reading of the Sacred Writings, and by the inspiration of tlie Holy Ghost, tlie knowledge that he after- wards displayed. It is further to be observed, that there had been in Arabia Petrsea, where St. Paul had retired, a sect of " Jewish Cliris- tians," Avhich Epiphanius calls Sampseans''. They adhered in all things to the Jews. There were some of them who abstained from eating the " forbidden animals." This was a sect of Esseans', who had embraced Christianity, but who appeared to have only the name of Chris- tians ; they studied the Law of Moses, and Avere remarkable for their hospitality, and sim- plicity of life and manners. •'" Geocrraplni nf the A'eic Testament, part ii. p. 20, 21,;ip. Lardner. ^ " Lucam idcirco dc Arabia prfptcrisse quia for- sitan nihil dignum Apostulatu in Arabia perpe- trarat. Nee hoc segnitiaj Apostoli cieputanduni, si frustra in Arabia fuerit. sed quod ahqua Dispen- satio et Dei praeceptum fuerit ut taceret." — Hier. Com. in Ep. ad Gal. i. 17. '' Epip. Hreres. Liv. 53. ' Tetav. Ill JS'atis ad Ilceres. 1!\ Ossenorum. 262* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. Note 67.— Part IX. In 2 Cor. xi. 32. St. Paul mentions as the cause of this stratagem, that the governor of Aretas kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison for the purpose of apprehending him. Damascus in Syria had been reduced to a Roman province by Pompey the Great, after the war with Mithridates. A difficulty there- fore arises, how could Aretas, king of Arabia, be in possession of Damascus and appoint an ethnarch? In the last year of Tiberius, Are- tas had waged war with, and defeated Herod Antipas, for the injury he had done to his wife, the daughter of Aretas. Herod, enraged at his defeat, appealed to Tiberius, who commanded Vitellius, the governor of Syria, to attack Aretas, and send liim dead or alive to Tiberius. Vitellius prepared to obey, but marched his troops back to their winter quarters, on receiving intelligence, while he was at Jerusalem, of the death of the emperor. At this interval Aretas made an irruption into Syria, and took Damascus, and kept possession of it for some time. Note 68.— Part IX. The war between Herod and Aretas, the little communication between distant cities, the seclusion of St. Paul in Arabia, the agitation of the Jews on account of the death of Tiberius, the deposition of Caiaphas by Vitellius, as well perhaps as the desire the priests would natural- ly feel to suppress the account of the failure of their decree against the Christians of Damascus — sufficiently explain why the apostles at Jeru- salem were ignorant of St. Paul's miraculous conversion, till it was announced to tliem by Barnabas. The commentators suppose that St. Paul, during his present sojourn at Jerusalem while praying in the temple, fell into that ecstasy or trance mentioned Acts xxii. 17-21. Hales^ translates the word ^f uTrooreAu, " I will send thee forth as an extra apostle to the remote Gentiles, selecting thee, ^|«(ooi\«f»'oc of, from the people of the Jews, and from the Gentiles, to whom (the latter) I am now going to send thee forth, pvv unoaiillut, to turn them from darkness unto light, and from the jurisdiction of Satan unto God, in order that they might re- ceive remission of sins, and an allotment among those that are sanctified by faith toward me." Note 69.— Part IX. I SHALL here take the opportimity of observ- ing to the Jew who may disbelieve that Jesus i Hales' Jinal. Chron. vol. ii. part ii. p. 1190. of Nazareth was the true and expected Mes- siah, that the declarations of the New Testa- ment are not only supported by miracles of the same, or of greater, extent and wonder than those of Moses (which I have attempted to show in a former note) but that every testimony which demonstrated the truth of the Mosaic dispensation was vouchsafed in support of the Christian revelation also. — If miraculous gifts were imparted to the Sanhedrin, on its first establishment (Num. xi. 25.), they were likewise granted at the early meeting of the infant Church of Christ, as a pledge of the presence of his Holy Spirit. — Were ecstasies and visions permitted to the prophets of the olden Church, so likewise were they in the apostolic age. St. Paul had Iiis vision in the temple ; and again the Lord appeared to him and comforted him, (Acts xxiii. 11.) To St. Peter a sheet descended from heaven for the purpose of un- folding to him the great truth that the Gentiles also were to be made partakers of the Gospel blessings. — If a superhuman knowledge of God and of the invisible world be an internal proof of the inspiration of the writers of the Old Tes- tament, which of these can bear any comparison with the discoveries of the unseen state revealed in the transfiguration, when the bodies of men were seen as they will appear in glory at the last great day — or in the resurrection of our Lord, when the same body assumed new and mysterious properties — when angels were its guardians, and the bodies of the dead arose ? Have any of the inspired anticipations of the old prophets exceeded those of St. Paul, who was exalted to a state where he heard things which it was not lawful for man to utter ? or have they equalled the more glowing and sublime representations of the Apocalypse, when the beloved disciple, wrapt in the highest visions, describes the perfection of the spiritual temple, and the removal of the curse from mankind ? — Did the Urim and Thummim mysteriously com- municate the will of God to the suppliant priest ? Christ himself hath spoken to us in the fulness of the Godliead bodily, and has committed to us the lively oracles. — Was the voice from the mercy-seat heard by the privileged lawgiver of Israel ? Did it whisper in Eden, or speak in thunder at Sinai ? Was it heard by Elijah in the wilderness, or by Daniel in Babylon ? So also did it thrill into the ears of the priests and the people in the temple, carrying convic- tion to the inquiring Greeks. It proclaimed, at the baptism of Christ, from the mercy-seat of heaven, " This is my beloved Son." It arrested the persecuting Saul, breathing out vengeance and slaughter. — Were the angels of heaven the visitors of Abraham at iiis tent, or of Jacob at Mahanaim ? So were they also the glorious ambassadors from heaven, announcing the ad- vent of the Prince of Peace, the promised Mes- Note. 70.-79.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *263 siah. — Was the prophet the discerner of spirits, when he inquired of his servant, " Went not mine heart with thee, when tfie man turned again from his chariot to meet thee?" So likewise did Peter penetrate into the deepest recesses of that covetous heart, which he declared to be in tlie gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. — Was Gehazi struck with leprosy ? So also was Elyiiias with blindness, and Ananias with instant death. — Did Moses foretell the eventual dispersion of Israel nearly two thousand years before it took place ? So also do the apostles of the New Testament unanimously predict their future union and reestablishmcnt in tiic Holy Land. — Did the Prophet Elisha raise to life the son of the widowed friend of his poverty and persecution ? So also did the Apostle St. Peter bid Tabitha arise ; and restored from the dead the benefactress of the poor and destitute. — These facts rest on the same species of evidence, and were given for the confirmation of one common system of divine truth, to demonstrate the beautiful harmony that pervades the two covenants, and to convince both Jew and Gen- tile that the God of both their dispensations is the same God, neither ought his children to be any longer divided. If the mission of Christ was not confirmed by such stupendous judgments as those which Moses inflicted, v/hen the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and his coadjutors and all their company, and they went down alive, and the people fled at tlie cry of them ; or by such judgments as caused that equally fearful exclamation, " If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven to consume thee," and the fire descended — it must be remembered, that the new dispensation was one of mercy — tliat our Saviour came to seek and to save those that were lost — and that his whole object was to remove the curse of sin, and all its attendant afflictions, diseases, and miseries. His apostles inflicted death on two individuals only for the unpardonable crime of sin against the Holy Ghost ; they demonstrated their power in a manner more consistent witli the dispensation they were commissioned to estab- lish, by relieving the infirmities and sicknesses of men, and redeeming them from him Avho had the power of death, that is, the devil. Note 70.— Part IX. The trade of a tanner was esteemed by the Jews so contemptible that all those who fol- lowed it were required to mention the same before their marriage, under the penalty of the nuptials becoming void.' It is recorded in the Mishna, that after the death of a man whose brother exercised the trade of a tanner, the the wise men of Sidon decided, tliat the widow of the deceased was permitted to decluie inter- marrying with that brother. This custom explains to us tlie probable reason why the Evangelist might have been so particular in relating so apparently a trivial cir- cumstance, as the lodgings of the apostle. St. Peter took up his abode with the most mean and despised of his own countrymen, although at this time, witliout divine interposition, he would have refused to preach to Cornelius, an honorable Gentile. — See Schoetgen, vol. i. p. 447. See various ordinances among the Jews, ap. Wetstein in loc, expressive of contempt for the occupation of a tanner. Note 71.— Part IX. Dr. Lard.ner, contrary to the decision of the generality of commentators, has endeavoured to show that the rest, or peace, or prosperity, which the Church now enjoyed was not to be attributed to the conversion of St. Paul, but to the effects produced among the Jews by the command of Caligula, which directed the statue to be placed in tiie temple of Jerusalem. — See Lardner's Credibility, vol. i. p. 97-100, and Hales' Chronology, vol. ii. part ii. p. 1191. Note 72.— Part IX. ON THE STATE OF THE PRIMITIVE CHDRCH, AND ON THE APOSTOLIC OFFICE. We have now proceeded through the history of the Church of Christ during the time that it consisted only of Jewish converts. We have witnessed the appeal of the merciful Saviour of the world to his chosen people, in tlie wonder- ful operations of the Holy Spirit. But the veil was still upon their eyes, and although the Jewish converts may be considered as the first fruits of the Christian Church, yet t!ie Sanhe- drin, the leaders of tlie people, and by fiir the greater part of the nation still persisted in their blind rejection of Him " to whom gave all the prophets witness." At tliis period the infant Church presented to the world wherever they were scattered, wheth- er in Jerusalem or in the provinces, tlie inter- esting spectacle of unbroken " unity and godly love." There were no controversies, no heart- burnings, no mutual jealousies, to disturb that holy calm, the fruit of righteousness ; they obeyed to the utmost that new commandment given to them, "Love one another." When any occasion of dissatisfaction occurred, such for instance as the complaints of the Grecians on account of their widows, tlio wound was immediately healed, and the commands of their 264* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX. appointed heads were respected and obeyed. They were one fold under one shepherd. They continued steadfast in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in frequent celebration of the communion, and in thanksgiving and prayers. They were united in doctrine, practice, and discipline, the three great and only preservatives of real unity and true piety among men. I. The articles of their doctrine may be easily summed up — They believed that Jesus was Lord and Christ, that is, that he was the Divine Personage, the manifested God of the patriarchs, the true Messiah, Acts ii. 36. — They believed in the necessity of repentance for the crucifixion of the Prince of Life, and of conversion from Judaism to Christianity, as well as from sin to holmess. Acts iii. 38. — tlie resurrection of Christ, Acts ii. 31. — the eleva- tion of Christ till the time of the restitution of all things, Acts iii. 2\. — that Christ was the prophet like unto Moses, Acts iii. 22. — the (eventual) overthrow of the Jewish dispensation. Acts vi. 14. and as we find also from the speech of St. Stephen — the doctrine of the atonement of Christ, Acts viii. 32-35. — and salvation to man by Clirist alone ; for " there is no other name given under heaven, whereby we can be saved." That they believed in the necessity of personal holiness, and of the influences of the Holy Spirit, is evident from the manifestations of the Spirit, under which they so immediately lived, and which, on every fit occasion, they imparted, (see Acts iii. 26.) These were the articles of their faith, established on the facts related in the Gospels, of whose truth they must have been convinced from the testimony of eye- witnesses. The great majority of Christians in all countries, however they may have added to the simplicity of the Christian Creed, beheve in these, the fundamental and essential doctrines of their faith. But tiiis agreement, which ought to have been a sacred bond of union among Christians, has not protected them from those various divisions and controversies wliich make the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. The twelve articles of the Apostles' Creed may be collected from the teaching of St. Peter in the first chapters of the book of the Acts. (See Bishop Pearson's divisions.) L I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. Acts iv. 24. n. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, Acts ii. 38. ni. Which was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, Acts i. 14. IV. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was cruci- fied, dead, and buried, Acts iii. 1.3. and iv. 27. V. He descended into hell : the third day he arose again from the dead, Acts ii. 27, 31. and iii. 1.5. and iv. 33. VI. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, Acts iii. 13, 21. and v. 31. VII. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. Acts iii. 21. VIII. I believe in the Holy Ghost, Acts ii. 38. and v. 32. x IX. The holy Catholic Church, the com- munion of saints. Acts i. 8. and ii. 39. and iii. 26. X. The forgiveness of sins. Acts ii. 38. and V. 31. XI. The resurrection of the body — (this is implied in the resurrection of Christ, see Art. V.) XII. And the life everlasting. This is im- plied in the belief in the ascension — see Art. VI. II. The practice or religious conduct of the Church of Jerusalem Avas consonant with their knowledge. Personal religion Avas the criterion of their faith. They were in frequent com- munion. Their prayers were many — their ad- herence to the doctrines of the apostles was steadfast — their boundless liberality was found- ed upon its most acceptable source, self-denial and tlie sacrifice of the things of the flesh — their motive was the will of God. Peace and joy in God, love to each other, personal holi- ness, and consequent happiness, characterized this holy communion, and Paradise seemed again restored to this favored portion of man- kind. Since this golden age has no Christian Church been so perfect or so prosperous. Never, it is to be feared, will the same felicity be revived till that millennial period, which the wise and good have always anticipated in that petition, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven ;" when the curse of sin shall be removed from the earth, and the nations shall become the inheritance of the anointed of God ; and the uttermost parts of the earth shall be his possession*. '' Vitrino-a gives a beautiful description of the union of the Church at Jerusalem : " Primas Ec- clesise Christianae, Deo per prfpconium Christi atque Apostolorum et copiosam distributionem do- noriim Spiritus Sancti lucerne tenebris producente, formosa erat et splendidisshna facies. Omnia, ut vere solent, ridebant. Doctrinae suae constabant castimonia. Nihil in cultu, nihil in sacratissimis reli^ionis symbolis adulterinum ; reoriminis forma optima et eccIesisE indoll convenientissima. Dis- ciplina; vigebat exercitium incorruptae. Diaboli adversus ccclesiam ferocientis impetus setenus a Deo cohibebantur, ut per satellites suos, principes mundanos, cursum Evantjelii non sufflamen atterit. Haereticis nullus adhuc durn in ecclesia locus. Et, quod optimum et maxhinuu et post doctrinae sin- ceritatem praecipuam in ecclesia considerationem meretur, excellebat divina ilia credentium a>vi apostolici societas, quibuslibet virtutibus Chris- tlanis, et perfusa erat largo imbre donorum Spiritus Sancti. Hie conspicua erant fides illibata, vegeta, corroborata, omnia tontans. omnia potens, zelus pro divina gloria et cnussa Cliristi Regis ardentissimus, nulla metuens pericula, nullis languescens malis ; charitas rara, inaiidita, et quasi su|)ergro.ssa limites lege pra'seriptos ; gratissima animoruni concordia, iuncta simphcitate, omnes de nialo snspiciones ex- cludenti ; mansuetudo, benignit.as, humilitas, et qu£e Note 7'}.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *265 III. The union and happiness wliich were so eminently enjoj^ed by the Church of Jerusalem, under the j;ovornnnent of the apostles, must h;i,vc been materially promoted by the obser- vance of one system of discipline. The Church of the Jews established by Moses was one religious society, comprising the whole nation. When the same God, who had given the Mo- saic Law, imparted tlie new dispensation to his chosen people, the first object of Christianity seems to have been, to continue to preserve the whole nation as one religious society. For this purpose tliey were for many years publicly ap- pealed to, by the teaching, miracles, and fulfil- ment of the prophecies by our Lord. They were next appealed to by the apostles, and their attempts were also fruitless. Then only it was, that the nation of the Jews, considered as a people in their corporate capacity, represented by their senate and legislature, rejected tlie God of their fathers. The exertions of the apostles were next directed to save as many of their nation as would believe from the errors of their blinded countrymen, to become the found- ers of tliat new religious society which was to bo extended among all nations. The especial providence of God preserved from dissensions the infant Church thus composed, till the period of its more ample enlargement arrived. The converts at Jerusalem, therefore, were so con- firmed in the truth of then- creed, and were so perfectly governed by their apostolical rulers, that when the period of their dispersion came, they carried an uncorrupted and an uncontro- verted faith over the world. And as every society must be governed by some authority, they would have taken with them that plan of polity, which the apostles would have established. The question, therefore, of the mode of Church government observed by the apostles becomes interesting and important, as it will point out to us that plan by which the Christian Church was intended to continue as one religious society : for as the Jews were thus united as one Churcli into one religious society, so it was designed that the whole world should become one holy and catholic Church, of which each nation should become a separate branch. In all inquiries of this nature, it is our first plura in Christiano homine prffidicanda sunt. His virtutibus elegante harmonia intexta orant dotes scieiitia?, sapientia;, prudentise, sanctitatis, pro- phetiiE, linoruarum, charisiuatum irfnyflac, miracu- lorum, quae Imnc poclesia? prinirevfE statum divinum prorsus efficiebant ac coelestem, eique magnam apud exteros conciliabant reverentiain. Rectores. om- nibus necessariis virtutibus donisquo instructi. sua erga plcbem officia diligent^r observabant. absque afliectato in earn imperio ; plebs Christiana rectoribus cum bonorc prrestabat obsequiuin ; vel potius. om- nes ut fratres se uni regi et domino. Cliristo Jesu, arctissimo amoris vinculo compacti subjiciebant, ab ejus liperentes ore, ejusque ducti spiritu." — Vi- tringa, Obsfiri\ Sacra, lib. iv. cap. vii. p. 001. VOL. II. *34 duty to refer to facts before we proceed to in- ferences. These are recorded in the nine first chapters of the Acts, and from them certain in- ferences have been deduced. An apostle was elected from among the brethren to fill the place of Judas — we infer therefore that the apostolic office was superior to that of the disciples. The persons who sold their lands for the benefit of the poor placed the proceeds at the disposal of the apostles. — It has been inferred, therefore, that the apostles not only directed the general concerns of the Church, but ordered even the management of the contributions. The primitive Church believed, from this in- stance, that the benefactions of the members of a Church, for religious purposes, should be con- signed to the charge of the governors and rulers of those Churches, and not be distributed at the caprice or pleasure of private individuals. The election of deacons has been already considered. They were chosen from among the people, presented to the apostles, and appointed to the service for which they were required, after they had been approved by the twelve. — The primitive Church has uniformly considered the election of the seven deacons and their appointment by the apostles, to be the right mode of ordination among Christians for ever. The conduct of Christ and his holy apo.stles, the men who were moved by the Spirit of God, was believed to be as binding among Christians as the institutions of the Law of Moses were obli- gatory among the Jews. After the death of Stephen, the great body of the Church, as has been before observed, was dispersed all around Jerusalem. The apostles alone continued in that city ; and we read, in consequence of the great success of Philip the deacon and evangelist in Samaria, the tAvelve sent down two of their number to impart to the new converts the gift of the Holy Ghost. Whether this was done merely to strengthen the new converts — or to confirm them in the usual sense of that word — or to ordain elders foi the purpose of supplying the incipient congre- gations—or to bestow the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, (for all these have been inferred,) it is not necessary to decide. The important fact is certain ; the ministerial function was con trolled and subject to a superior ecclesiastical authority, which was demonstrated by the ful- filling of more solemn duties than subordinate preachers were empowered to perform. Chris- tian teachers exercised government over other Christian teachers, and likewise over their converts, without either the permission or the interference of the people. And from the re- corded fact, we are justified in concluding that this system of ecclesiastical discipline was uni- formly observed by the apostles, and, as such, nmst be the best model for their successors. Before the Gentiles, or the Proselytes of th9 ^66* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part IX Gate, were invited to become members of the Christian Church, St. Paul was miraculously converted. Three years after which he preached Christ in the synagogues, apparently without either tlie sanction of an apostle, or the request of the people. This illustrious convert, although he cannot be admitted as a general example, had also authority for what he did. He was (as Biscoe, On the Acts, p. 271, has proved) an ordained elder, doctor, or teacher, among the Jews, and possessed the privilege of preaching in the synagogues. In addition to this human ordination, he was miraculously filled with the Holy Ghost as a qualification for his high office. He was set apart by the Divine Head of the Church himself, who appeared to him from heaven, and commissioned him to go to the Gentiles. We are now brought to the most important part of the subject — the nature of the authority which was thus exercised by one class of Chris- tian teachers over both the other teachers, and the first converts ; or, in other words, of what nature was the apostolic office, and what kind of government therefore is to be exercised in the Christian Church ? It will appear, from the united testimony of the Scripture itself, and the authority of some of the most learned theo- logians who have adorned the Christian world, yet who have been adverse to the episcopal regimen, that the word apostle was well known among the Jews, and that it denoted an officer of high influence and authority, who exercised a delegated power over the ministers and people of separate and distant congregations. Though the Jews were dispersed throughout tiie world at the time of our Lord, their numerous congregations were under the control of the high priest and Sanhedrin ; and the persons who were sent by them were called their apostles. While every separate congregation was gov- erned by its own rulers of the synagogue, or councils of ten, or three, or twenty-three, the whole Jewish Church, through all its depart- ments, was subject to the authority of the heads of the Church at Jerusalem, and the Romans protected the Jews in exercising the right of governing their own countrymen'. The Jews, ' Lightfoot's Works, Pitman's edition, vol. iii. p. 196. "* " Frincipem vero post patriarchas dignitatis locum obtinebant illi quos Apostolos vocabant, nisi nos fallit Epiphanius, lib. 1. toni. 2. Uteres. XXX. §. 4. TIooaiSQerovni yuQ Toi 7lUTQiaQ/>l, y.tx'i ovv avriu noXXdxig, y.al iv vvxri, xul iv i^uiija, nvrt/MC, Siuyovni, 8ia to (iV!,i^ov)^tviiv, xai uru(ptiiiir uxhu> ilx xuTu vuftuv. Assident enim hi patriarchal, etcum eo srepius diu noctuque continue versantur : quod ci- dem a consiliis sint, acde iis reforant qua3 ad logein pertinerc videbantur. — Est enim aurum coronarium, quae diversarum ordinescuriaruiii vel aiiiore proprio, vel indulgentiarum lajtitia, vcl rebus prospere gestis, aduioniti, in coronis aurcis signisquo diversis obtu- lerint. Lege iv. Cod. Theod. de Aur. Coron. Witsii. Exere. Sac. xii. Dc Historia Micros, p. 3i3. Sue- therefore, were accustomed to submit to the con- trol of the Sanhedrin, and would not, when con- verted to Christianity, object to a continnance of that form of government to Avhich they had thus submitted. We will, however, consider the word in all its significations. I. The word apostle, unoaiclog, says the learned Witsius, literally signifies one who is sent forth. It was used among the Greeks for the word — II. nqea^Evg (jcnoaTsXlS/nevoc, fisaiTTjg fi^tj- yr]g evsxa, i. e. an ambassador, one sent forth, a mediator to make or establish peace. III. More especially, 6 aTQUTTjybg xwrd n}.ovv 7rs/it7T6uEvog, the leader sent on a naval expedi- tion. — Htsychius. IV. Nviicpaywyvg, one sent to bring the bride to the house of her husband. — Phavorinus. In all which senses it is singularly descriptive of the office of the apostles — they were minis- ters of peace, and commanders of that great expedition which was directed to the isles of the sea, and to the Gentile world ; which in Scrip- ture is frequently represented under the emblem of the sea. It was their high office also to pre- sent the Christian Church as a chaste virgin to Christ. In Hebrew, the word dndaToXog, or apostle, corresponds to the titles inSd, mS'i^, or n'S»- "jxSn is frequently used, not only of angels, but of prophets and priests. Hag. i. 13. Mai. ii. 7. In this sense St. Paul calls Christ the apostle of our profession (adding the word (i^jj-tf^Fiic), Ttjj ojuoloylag ijfiiby — of our, that is, the Chris- tian profession, in opposition to the high priest of the Jews. It corresponds also to the word r\)h^. The Jews had their 113^ n'Siy or Snp, ^nduTolovg Trjg ixxhjalag, who brought the decrees of the high priest to the synagogues at Jerusalem, and the tithes and victims to the priests, and principally collected for the temple service the tribute of the half-shekel, which was required by the Law of Moses from the whole population. The word, in this sense, was adopted in the Christian Church. It was more especially used to denote the ambassadors and assistants of the patriarchs of the Jews"'. cedit vox, mSlV quam sibi attribuit Ahias, 1 Reg. xiv. 6. yS« mSw 'ZJIJX ubi LXX. \Jn6aTo/.uv vertunt. Habebant etiam nn^ftT'Sty, vel ,^rp, anooTuXovc Tf,c ixxkijn'iac, nuncios, coetus, qui man- data deferrent ad synagogas Hierosolyniam, vel victimas et decinias ad sacerdotes : ma.xime qui SiS(>a/iio\\ semisiclum, tributum quotannis e.v leo-e in sacrarium differendum, exigerent. Dein collap- sis Judajoruni rebus retenta tainen in synagoga vox, ^-fnociToXwr, est; talesque signato dicobantur, qui patriarchal assessores et legati erant. ejusque iy- xi'xXiu, ynuutiara. circulares litcras ad svnagogas deferebant pecuniis per capita colligeiidis. s])eci- atim auro coronario, corona; scilicet patriarchali ornanda-, quod loco di(h-agmi e.xigebant patrian-hre in partibus t-,ini orientis, quam occidentis." — Wits. Mflet. Leid. j). 22. Note 72.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *267 In the Jerusalem Talmud {Smihed. fol. 18. col. 4.) we are presented with the form of the betters whicli were issued by the Sanhedrin ; from which we learn that the expression " to the brethren," was in common use, and referred to the Jews, whether priests or not, who had authority in the provinces ; and to whom the Sanhedrin gave the power to put its decrees in force. It must however be observed, says Lightfoot", that it was not the awe of the power of the Sanhedrin, so much as the innate ambition of the Jews to continue as one people, which made them obedient. And the letters therefore which St. Paul received from the Sanhedrin to the brethren at Damascus, we must suppose not to be imperative, but declar- ative and persuasive. This remark of Light- foot is no doubt correct ; and it proves the point under discussion : that authority was exercised over the synagogues of the Jews, and tliat the persons who were deputed to exercise it were called apostles: and, we may add too, that the same desire of union among themselves, which induced the foreign Jews to submit to the juris- diction of their high priest and Sanhedrin, ought to be a prevailing motive to union among Christians. " The word apostle," says Mosheim", " it is well known, signifies a legate, an ambassador, a person entrusted with a particular mission. The propriety, therefore, with which this appellation was bestowed by Christ on those friends whom he thought proper to select for the propagation of his religion throughout the world is manifest " Schoetgen. HorcB Hebraica, vol. i. 937, who has added this also to his quotations. " Sic ex JVedarim apud R. Samuel Ben David,SxiDjy TDn ''HiSty IN Lian pn •'niSty "jno "jn infoi. 28. 2. NJOmij num sacerdotes apostoli proprie an vero apostoli Dei .' Quid inde vero ^ resp. Si dicimus, eos esse apostolos propriA auctoritate venientes, non necesse est, ut sacerdos sit Justus. Si vero dicimus, eos esse apostolos Dei, necesse est, ut justi sint." " " Convenit prseterea quoad vim significationis cum titulo II^Tf n^Sty, nomen '^nugokoc rtj? ixxXtj- oiac, Legatus ecclesiiE, quod Paulus bis, nisi fallor, adhibuit in epistolis suis, an quoad usum, dubium. — Imo in ecclesiis Christianis nulli fuerunt legati coBtus ad Deum piaster Episcopos et Presbyteros, vel prffiter presbyteriorum presides. Clerus antiquis- Bimffi ecclesiae Christianae constitit tantum prcsby- tcris et diaconis. Legati ecclcsiarum, quales in synagogis medii erant inter pra^fectos et diaconos, in ecclesiA Christiana nulli fuerunt, turn quia offi- cium legati ccclesise ("113 vn'StV) ut pluriniuni in antiquis synagogis non fuit statum et solenne, sed quibusvis viris in synagoga honoratioribus et rerum sacrarum peritis libere conunissuni, turn quia ille precandi actus, qui a legatis ecclesias in syna- gog& prajstabatur proprie ab ipsis synagogae priefec- tis pra!standus erat, et haud dubie in multis syna- gogis, ubi doctorum copia non aderat, exercitus est. Cum igitur in priniis ecclesiis Christianis omnia quam simplicissimo modo composita fuerint, opus non erat extraordinariis ejusmodi precandi ad Deum legatis, sed prffistabat omnino ut hie actus a prffiside presbyterii ceu a legato tam presbyterii quam ecclesias totius,perageretur." — Vitringa, De Synag. Veter. lib. iii. pars 2. p. 912. from this its common acceptation. But the reader will perhaps discover a peculiar force in this term ; and more readily perceive the motives which probably induced our Saviour to apply it to those whom he sent forth, when he is inform- ed, that, in the age of which we are now treating, this appellation was appropriated to certain public officers of great credit and authority amongst the Jews, who were the confidential ministers of the high priest, and consulted with by him on occasions of the highest moment. They were also occasionally invested with par- ticular powers, and despatched on missions of importance, principally to such of their country- men as lived in foreign parts. The collection of the yearly tribute to the temple, which all the Jews were bound to pay, was likewise entrusted to their management ; as were also several other affairs of no small consequence. For since all Jews, however widely they might be dispersed throughout the various regions of the world, considered themselves as belonging to one and the same family or commonwealth, of which the high priest residing at Jerusalem was the prefect and head ; and as the members of every inferior synagogue, however distant or remote, looked up to Jerusalem as the motlier and chief seat of their religion, and referred all abstruse or difficult matters, and any contro- versies and questions of moment respecting divine subjects, to the decision of the high priest, it was absolutely necessary that this supreme pontiff should always have near him a number of persons of fidelity, learning, and authority, of whose services he might avail himself in commimicating his mandates and decrees to those Jews who were settled in dis- tant parts, and in arranging and determining the various points referred to him for decision." The learned writer then goes on to show the great probability that the officers who were thus entrusted with this delegated authority were called apostles. In the first place, St. Paul himself evidently intimates such to have been the case in the opening of his Epistle to the Galatians, when he terms himself an apostle, not an (xvdQiOTTU)r, "of men," nor^f' ui'ftoti)7T0)r, " by men," but of God himself, and his Son Jesus Christ, Gal. i. 1. What necessity could there be that this inspired writer should thus accurately define the nature of his commission, and so particularly mark the distinction be- tween himself and an apostle invested with mere human authority, if the Jews, to whom that Epistle is principally addressed, had been strangers to that other kind of apostles com- missioned by men, namely, apostles sent by the Jewish high priest and magistrates to the dif- ferent cities of the Roman empire ? This interpretation was long since given to tlie words of tlie apostle by St. Jerome, Comm. ad GalaUts, tom. ix. opp. p. 124. edit. Francof. "Usque hodie," says he, "a patriarchis Judse- ^268* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part. IX. oruin apostolis mitti (constat) : ad distinctionem itaque eoriira qui mittuntur ab hominibus, et sui qui sit missus a Christo, tale sumpsit exordium : ' Paulus apostolus, non ab hominibus, neque per hominem.' " These words of St. Jerome, who resided in Palestine, and was every way skilled in Jewish affairs, must necessarily be allowed to weigh strongly in favor of the above state- ment respecting the apostles of the high priest. The meaning they convey indisputably is, that, in the time of St. Paul, it was the practice of the Jewish high priest to send forth apostles, after the same manner as the Jewish patriarchs were accustomed to do at the time he (St. Je- rome) wrote : and there appears to be no reason whatever which should induce us to question the credibility of what is thus said. But let us return to the words of St. Paul, in which there is something worthy of remark, which, if my memory does not fail me, says Mosheim, has never hitherto attracted the attention of any commentator. St. Paul says, that he is an apostle, not of men, neither by man. He there- fore clearly divides human apostles into two classes ; viz. those who were commissioned merely by one man, and those who were invest- ed with their powers by several. Now what docs this mean? Who are these men, and who that single man, who, in St. Paul's time, were accustomed to send amongst the Jews certain persons, whom it was usual to distin- guish by the appellation of apostles? The single man of whom Paul alludes, could, I con- ceive, have been none other than the great high priest of the Jews ; and the several men, wlio had also their apostles, were unquestion- ably the archonies, or Jewish magistrates. The learned well know that justice was administered to the Jews who dwelt in the different prov- inces of the Roman empire by certain magis- trates, or vicegerents of the high priest, who Avere termed, after the Greek, archonies, con- cerning whom a curious and elegant little work was published by Wesseling, ./Id Inscripl. Beren, Traject. ad Rlien. 1738, in 8vo. I take the meaning, therefore, of St. Paul to be, that he neither derived his commission from those inferior magistrates, to whom the Jews who dwelt without the limits of Palestine were sub- jects, nor was he delegated by the cliief of their religion, the high priest himself. That these archontes had under them certain ministers, who were termed apostles, mucii in the same way as the high priest had, is clear from Euse- bius, who says — ^^''.4noaT6Xovg dt. elairi xal vvf edog dcnif loudaloig di'Oftdt^eif rovg jA. iy- nvxha YQaiLtu(tT(t Ttttod ifhv \4PX()I\'^TS11V «(j(w»' iniKoi.n'Co^tii'ovi. Aposlolos etium mmc Judfzi COS appellare solent qui archontum suorum liiteras circttinqunque deportare solent.^^ — Com- ment, in Esaiam, cap. 18. in Montfauconii Col- lectione nova Patr. Gr(Bcor. torn. ii. p. 4'24. Mosheim goes on to prove, tiiat tlin uver.siun of the Jews to Christianity mustliave prevented them from borrowing this title from the Chris- tian Church. As the high priest had probably twelve apostles, to correspond with the number of the tribes, he supposes our Lord appointed twelve also, in allusion to the same. This however is uncertain''. The learned Vitringa', who had endeavoured to identify the officers of the Christian Church entirely witli those of the synagogue, writes, that he is doubtful of the meaning of the words 113^ n'Sr. I cannot suspect this eminent theologian of disingenuousness, or I should be inclined to suppose that his ignorance in the present instance could be accounted for in no other Avay ; for he expresses himself on other occasions with sufficient decision. St. Paul, in two passages of his Epistles (2 Cor. viii. 23. and Phil. ii. 25.), decidedly applies the expression " Apostles of the Churches," to Epaphroditus and Titus, both of whom, ecclesiastical history informs us, were bishops. Vitringa (p. 913) Avould apply the term exclusively to the collec- tors of the money provided by the Churches for the necessities of their members ; and to this sense it is also limited by Witsius, Benson, Doddridge, and the divines in general who object to that form of Church government which existed in the early ages of Christianity. It is certain the office of the apostle embraced with this other duties of a much higher and important nature : and these several duties, Avith the high authority attached to them, must be included in our definition of the office of an apostle. Bishop Taylor has placed this part of the subject in its proper light. Now these men were not called 'AtiootoIoi, messengers, in respect of these Churches sending them with their contributions: — I. Because they are not called the Apostles of these Churches, to vit, whose alms they carried ; but simply ' ExxXrjalon', of the Churches, viz. of their own of which they were bishops. For if tlie title of apostle ^ Bishop Jeremy Taylor On Episcopacy, p. 19, small 4to. edit. Oxford, 1()42. See the dissertation of Petit, Critici Sacri, vol. ix. and principally pp. 1183-1186, on this subject. ' Hi assident patriarchn^, et cum eo assiduo diu noctuque degunt, consulendi gratii, et ea, quas secundum legem fieri debent. suppeditandi. Hot- tingerus verba Epipliaiiii sic interpretntus videtur, ac si cuique patriarchie unus solunimodo fiierit apostolus, sed mihi quidem longe comniodius sic cxponenda videntur i)ost alios, quod cuique patri- archiE plures fuerint seuatores, ajiostoli dioli. qui ab ipso subinde plen'\ cum auctoritate leoati sunt ad synagogas suna ditionis visitandas aut reforuian- das. Et certc, stante adliuc republica, srepe a Sy- uedrio in gravioribus negotiis niissi sunt legati in lias aut illas oras terra; Canaan, aut ad synagogas extra (/anaanein, qui pro arbitrio et aiuplitudine potestatis. sibi concessa. de repuhlif::"i ptntnebnnt; qiii]i))e e.ujus lueiiioranda r(di(|uit ex'Mnpla, Josephus ill llistoria Vila^ sum." — Vitringa, /)(• Sijnng. I ct. lib. ii. cap. X. p. 577. Note 72.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *269 had related to their mission from these Church- es, it is unimaginable that there should be no tsrm of relation expressed. 2. It is very clear that although they did indeed carry the benevo- lence of the several Churches, yet St. Paul, not those Churches, sent them : " And we have sent them with our brother," &c. 3. They are called Apostles of the Churches, not going from Corinth with the money, but before they came thither, from whence they were to be de- spatched in legation to Jerusalem : " If any inquire of Titus, or the brethren, they are the apostles of the Church, and the glory of Christ." So they were apostles before they went to Corinth, not for their being employed in the transportation of their charity*". Vitringa proceeds further to assert, in the most positive manner, that there were not in the Christian Churches any ambassadors of this nature ; and tliat the only ministers were bishops and presbyters, which were the same, and dea- cons. It is most true that there were no officers in the synagogue itself bearing the title of apostle, and confined exclusively to the performmg of the religious service of one par- ticular synagogue ; and it is the very point which I have been endeavouring to establish, and on which the whole question depends. There were, however, among the Jews, officers of this name, whose duty it was to superintend the synagogues at the command of the high priest ; in allusion to which, it is highly proba- ble that Christ, our Great High Priest, distin- guished his chosen disciples by the same appel- lation when he invested them with a similar power of superintendence over their converts ; implying that those whom he had appointed should have the same influence and authority over his Churches, as the apostles of the high priest and Sanhedrin possessed over the syna- gogues. The apostles of Christ were not min- isters of single congregations ; the apostles of the high priest did not confine themselves to the superintendence of one synagogue. The jurisdiction of both extended over countries and districts. As the necessity of government for the new societies made the apostolic office essential in the period when the Church was most pure, so is a similar power of government and superintendence essential at present. It has always been required ; and we find accord- *■ " Synedrii Hierosolymit.ini tantaerat apnd ex- teros quoque Judaicos auctoritas, ut placitis ejus et prajceptis obtomperareut, prnssertim quando age- batur de falsis prophctis et doctrina avitte religioni contrari;\ ; et in regionibus illis cxteris in (luibns synag-ogaj erant, qure sponte synedrii auctoritatein iiuiiosccrcnt, Roinani, eoruinque exeni])lo tctrarcliw ot dynastiE, concesserant syiiedrio potostatom, do Judwis in criiniiiibiis ad roligionem spectantibiis, quajstioiioin habondi, eosque paniendi : " — Joseph. jint. 14. 10. U). l5. Vitringa, De Syiiagoga Vet. p. 8C)G. Witsius, Mclctem. Lei.dcns. p. 23. et Wolfiiis ad p. 1 . add. not. ad Matth. 2G. 66. Kuinoi'l, In Lib. Hist. jY. T. vol. iv. p. 330. VOL. 11. ingly, though the name of apostle was discon- tinued with the twelve and St. Paul, that the power of ordaining, confirming, and governing, was preserved in the purer ages of our faitii, before the papacy usurped upon the primitive episcopacy ; or the foreign reformers rejected the latter, in their eager and justifiable abhor- rence of the former. Vitringa, however, acknowledges, in another place', that the Sanhedrin sent out persons with ample powers to superintend the syna- gogues out of the precincts of the Holy Land. St. Paul calls Christ the Apostle and High Priest of our (i. e. the Christian) profession, (Ileb. iii. 1.) He was an apostle, as having received a delegated authority from God over his worshippers ; for we read, God anointed him to preach the Gospel to the poor. He was the High Priest, as lie himself sent out apostles, with the same delegated authority as he had received over liis Christian Ciuirches. His own words are, " As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you." That the Sanhedrin, about the time of our Lord's mcarnation, possessed and exerted the * Philo in Leg. ad Caium, p. 1014. D. E. p. 1033. A. Augustus, hearing that the first-fruits were neglected, wrote to the governors of the provinces in Asia to permit the Jews to assemble for banqueting ; for that these were not assemblies of drunkenness and debauchery (alluding plainly to tlie diuam, forbidden in the decree of Caius Caesar), to cause riots and disturbance, but were schools of sobriety and righteousness ; of men studyingvirtue, and bringing in their yearly first-fruits, of wiiich they offer sacrifices, sending holy messengers to the temple at Jerusalem, Then he commanded that none should hinder the Jews from assembling, con- tributing their money, or sending to Jerusalem after their country manner. Then follows a letter of Norbanus, containing an epistle of Augustus to him, '• That the Jews, wherever they are, should, according to their ancient custom, meet together, bring in their money, and send it to Jerusalem." — Ibid. p. 1035, D. E. 1036, A. B. We have the letter of Augustus Ccesar to Norbanus in Jos. Jin- tiq. 1. xvi. c. 6. § 3. " The Jews, wherever they are, by an ancient custom, are wont to bring their money together, and to send it to Jerusalem : let tlieni do this without hindrance." In consequence hereof, Norbanus wrote to the Sardians (Jos. ibid. § 6.) and Ephesians, that whoever should steal the sacred money of the Jews and fly to an asylum, should be taken from thence and delivered to the Jews, (in order to be prosecuted and punished,) in the same manner as sacrilegious persons were to be dragged from all asylums. Jos. jintiq. 1. xvi. c. 6. § 4. He sent also to the magistrates of Cyrene, putting them in mind that Augustus had wrote to Flavins, the pra-tor of Lybia, and to otliers, who had the care of that province, that the Jews might send their sacred money to Jerusalem without let or hindrance ; commanding the Cyrenians to re- store what had been stopped, or taken away from the Jews under jjretence of tribute, and to prevent the like hindrance for the future. Ibid. sect. 5. Augustus decreed, that the stealing of their sacred books, or their sacred money, out of the places in which they were wont to be" deposited in their sy- nagocrues. sho\ild be sacrilege, and the punishment^ confiscation of o-oods. Ibid. sect. 2. Vid. et De Bell. Jitd. 1. vi. c. 16. sect. 2. p. 1284, fin. 270* NOTES ON THE ACTS. FPart X. privilege of sending out apostles is amply de- monstrated by several Roman laws. The Jews were allowed, says Mr. Biscoe, to meet to pay their first-fruits, and to send them, together with whatever money they pleased, to Jerusa- lem for offerings, and to appoint proper officers to carry it. They were suffered also to deter- mine all disputes and controversies among themselves in a judicial way. They were not only thus indulged in the use of their own cus- toms and laws, but, what is much more, if any laws of the country, where they inhabited, in- terfered with their customs, they were dispensed witli, and not obliged to comply with those laws. Thus, for instance, they were dispensed with in not attending courts of judicature, or giving bail on their Sabbaths or feast-days. Thus may it be sufficient to show, that when the Gospel was preached to the Church, while it consisted of Jewish converts only, the author- ity which was exercised by the apostles was not a new thing, nor inconsistent with the man- ners and customs of the people under their former Mosaic discipline. The same principle of government was adhered to, that order, unity, and faith might still prevail. But instead of the persecuting letters and the armed bands, which were the credentials of the apostles of the former economy, the chosen apostles of the Legislator of a better dispensation were known by the influences of the Spirit, by holi- ness, purity, patience, and love. They were armed only with the power of truth and mira- cles, and they proclaimed the Messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth, and the glad tidings of sal- vation to all mankind. The Spirit of God attended, with its visible influences, the out- ward means of grace ; the Christian priesthood and the Christian people were united in one faith and one discipline ; the religion of the heart, which alone is spiritual and efficacious, was preserved by a steadfast adherence to the prescribed rites and forms of me apostolic Church ; for the primitive Christians believed that He who gave the wine of the kingdom to man provided also the earthen vessels by which its spirit was preserved. PART X. Note 1.— Part X. ON THE PROSELYTES. In the arrangement of this part of the pres- ent work, it will be perceived that I have adopt- ed, in opposition to the authority of Drs. Lard- ner, Doddridge, and Hales, the opinion of Lord Barrington and Dr. Benson, that the Gos- pel was preached to the Proselytes of the Gate before it was addressed to the idolatrous Gen- tiles. That the whole controversy may be fully and explicitly placed before the theological student, I shall submit to him the generally- received opinion respecting the Proselytes, on which Lord Barrington's hypothesis is grounded, and Dr. Lardner's objections, with the manner in which those objections may be removed. It will then be necessary to enter into the various reasons and authorities by which tlic opinion of Lord Barrington is supported and corroborated. Prideaux" gives the following account of the supposed different classes of Proselytes. He states, there were two sorts of Proselytes among the Jews. 1st. The Proselytes of the Gate. 2d. The Proselytes of Justice (rigliteousness). The former they obliged only to renounce " Prideaux, Connection, vol. iii. p. 436. idolatry, and worship God according to the law of nature, which they reduced to seven articles, called by them the Seven Precepts of the Sons of JVoah. To these they held all men were obliged to conform, but not so as to the Law of Moses. For this they reckoned as a law made only for their nation, and not for the whole world. As to the rest of mankind, if tiiey kept the law of nature, and observed the precepts above men- tioned, they held that they performed all that God required of them, and would by this service render themselves as acceptable to him, as the Jews by theirs ; and therefore they allowed all such to live with them in their land, and from hence they were called DWin CD'-iJ, i. e. So- journing Proselytes, and for the same reason they were called also nj'B? TJ, i. e. Proselytes of the Gate, as being permitted to dwell with those of Israel within the same gates. The occasion of this name seems to be taken from these words in the fourth commandment, — " Nor thy stranger that is within thy gates ; " which may as well bo rendered, " Thy proselyte that is within thy gates;" that is, the Proselytes of the Gate, that dwell with thee. For the Hebrew word irer, which signifies n. stra7i!i^er, signifieth also n proselijte, and both in this place and in the fourth conunandment denote the same thing. For no strangers were per- PioTE 1.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *271 mitted to dwell within their gates, unless they renounced idolatry, and were proselyted so far as to the observance of the seven precepts of the sons of Noali. Though they were slaves taken in war, they were not permitted to live with them within any of the gates of Jerusalem on any other terms ; but, on their refusal thus far to comply, were either given up to the sword, or sold to some foreign people. And as those who were thus far made proselytes were admitted to dwell with them, so also were they admitted into the temple, there to worship God ; but were not allowed to enter any farther than into the outer court, called the court of the Gentiles. For into the inner courts, which were within the enclosure, called the chel, none were admitted but only such as were thorough professors of the whole Jewish religion. And therefore, when any of these sojourning prose- lytes came into the temple, they always wor- shipped in the court. And of this sort of prose- lytes, Naaman the Syrian, and Cornelius the centurion are held to have been. The other sort of proselytes, called the Prose- lytes of Justice, were such as took on them the observance of the whole Jewish law. For although the Jews did not hold this necessary for such as were not of this nation, yet they refused none, but gladly received all who would embrace their religion ; and they are remarked in our Saviour's time to have been very sedulous in their endeavours to make converts, and when any were thus proselyted to tJie Jewish religion, they were initiated to it by baptism, sacrifice, and circumcision, and thenceforth were admitted to all tlie rites, ceremonies, and privileges that were used by the natural Jews. It was on this generally-received opinion that Lord Barrington'' framed his hypothesis, which demonstrates, beyond a doubt, the separate manner in Avhich the Jews, the devout Gentiles, or Proselytes of the Gate, were severally con- verted to the Christian faith. The holy Gospel, like the grain of mustard seed, was of gradual development, and progressively revealed to the world. We have already seen that the Gos- pel was first preached to the Jews, and that the first Christian Church was established at Jeru- salem. The period in which the Gospel was confined to the Jews, and Proselytes of Righ- teousness, who enjoyed all the privileges of the former, is supposed to commence, according to Lord Barrington, at tiie year 29, and end in the year 41. The second period, when the Gospel was preached to the Proselytes of the Gate, begins at the year 41 to 45. The third, when it was preached to the idolatrous Gentiles, is from the year 45 to the year 70, which brings us to the end of the Jewish age, and the destruction of the Jewish state and nation, wliicli implied ' Preface to the Miscell. Sac. p. xiv. &c. the abolition of the Law of Moses, relieved the Jews and the Proselytes of the Gate from their adherence to those Laws, and consequently destroyed the distinction of the three periods ; all men being then bound only to the faith and obedience of the Gospel, and a subjection to the laws of those countries in which they respectively resided. The more minute divis- ions of the noble author it will not be necessary to notice, as they appear to me less corrobo- rated than the others, and are not referred to in the present arrangement. Dr. Lardner's proposition, in reply to this hypothesis of three divisions, is — There was but one sort of proselytes''. He then proceeds to describe them by the usual characteristics universally acknowledged to belong to Proselytes of Righteousness — they were called " Strangers, or Proselytes within the gate," and " Sojourners," as they were allowed to dwell or sojourn among the people of Israel. They were so called because they could not possess land ; the whole of Canaan being, by the Law of Moses, appropriated to the twelve tribes only. 1. In defence of this hypothesis. Dr. Lardner quotes Exod. xii. 48. Lev. xvii. 8. Num. ix. 14. and XV. 15, 16., all of which ordain a perfect similarity between the Israelite and the sojourn- ing stranger. — Answer: These passages appear to prove that there were certain proselytes, or sojourners, who were not, however, permitted to partake of the Passover, or offer sacrifice, unless they were circumcised. 2. He is of opinion, that no strangers, but those who thus conformed implicitly to the Law of Moses, were permitted to dwell in Canaan ; with the exception of travellers or mercantile aliens, whose abode, however, was not to be con- sidered permanent. — Answer : This is assuming the point to be proved. 3. Dr. Lardner supposes that Eph. ii. 13. contains an allusion to the custom of receiving strangers as perfect proselytes in the Jewish commonwealth. — Answer: This may be, but the general opinion that there were two kinds of proselytes is not thereby overthrown. 4. The word proselyte, Dr. Lardner observes, is of Greek origin, equivalent to str(tns;er, long since become a technical word, denoting a con- vert to the Jewish religion, or a Jew by religion. — Answer : It exactly corresponds to the Hebrew word ~\J, which means stranger and convert. 5. They are called, in the fourth command- ment, "thy stranger within thy gates." — .In- swer: This passage is quoted by Prideaux (Conn. vol. iii. p. 43G) to prove the opposite opininn. G. The Jews, agreeably to the Law of ^losos, reckoned there were only three sorts of men in the world : Israelites, called also home-born, or natives; strangers Avithin their gates; and ' Lardner's JVorUs, Hamilton's 4to. edition, p. 3<)3. 272* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part X. aliens — or otherwise there were but two sorts of men, circumcised and uncircuincised, Jews and Gentiles, or Heathens. — Answer : The Proselytes of Righteousness were always con- sidered as naturalized Jews, and enjoyed all tlic privileges as such — or it may bo otherwise answered, that the strangers Avithin the gate might refer to the two kinds of proselytes. 7. Dr. Lardner next asserts, tliat the word proselyte was always understood in the sense which he gives to it by ancient Christian writ- ers. In support of his argument he adduces the authority of Bede, Theodoret, Euthymius, and Christian Druthmar, who all define a prose- lyte as one who, being of Gentile original, had embraced circumcision and Judaism : and tliat the notion of two sorts of proselytes cannot be found in any Christian writer before the four- teenth century, or later. — Answer: We have the internal evidence of Scripture in our favor. The best Jewish writer, Maimonides, mentions them, as well as other Jewish records. 8. Cornelius is not called a proselyte in the New Testament. — Answer : But he is described by those characteristics attributed to Proselytes of the Gate. 9. The apostle refused to preach the Gospel to Cornelius, because he was uncircumcised, (Acts xi. 3.) — Answer: The Proselyte of the Gate, like every other uncircumcised Gentile, was regarded as polluted and unclean. Light- foot, who calls the Proselytes of the Gate, Sojourning Strangers, observes, from the Jerus. Jebamoth, fol. 8, col. 4, that a sojourning stran- ger was as a Gentile to all purposes. 10. The apostles were commissioned to preach the Gospel in " Jerusalem, in all Judsea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth." In these, and all other places, one and the same character comprehends all Gentiles. — Answer : There seems to be a striking differ- ence between the commission of St. Peter, who was more particularly the apostle of the circum- cision, and the commission of St. Paul, who was the chosen vessel of Christ, to bear the testi- mony of the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts ix. 15.) The words " I will send thee for hence to the Gentiles" (Acts xxii. 21.), demonstrates the nature of his appointment, and the character of those nations he was commanded to visit, which were beyond dispute idolatrous. St. Peter, to whom the keys of the kingdom of heaven had been committed (Matt. xvi. 19.), is peculiarly employed for the admission of the devout Gentiles ; and the conversion of Corne- lius has ever been considered as the first fruits of the Gentiles, in whom tiiey were all typically cleansed and sanctified. If, however, St. Peter had been generally sent to the Gentiles, why was St. Paul so miraculously set apart for that purpose ? 11. Dr. Lardner gives this remark of Sueur, speaking of St. Paul's vision of the sheet, " God thereby showed unto his servant, that hence- forward he would have all the people of the world, without exception, called to partake in his gracious covenant in his Son Jesus Christ, and to the knowledge of salvation by him." It was so understood by the primitive Christians, the apostles, and evangelists. — Answer : Granted : but this by no means opposes a grad- ual conversion, but seems rather to corroborate it. Providence, in all his dealings with man, has ever observed a progressive system ; the divine dispensations have been always gradual- ly unfolded. Although the apostles were com- manded to evangelize all nations, it appears they did not comprehend the full extent of their mission : a vision was necessary to convince St. Peter that it was lawful for him to converse with, or to preach the Gospel to, an uncircum- cised Gentile. This vision established the divine intention, that the Gentiles should all be admitted into the Christian Church ; and after the prejudices and scruples of this zealous Apostle had, by the intervention of Almighty power, been overcome, and a devout Gentile had been received into the Christian Church, St. Paul, by a similar intervention, by a trance in the temple, obtained his commission to teach and to preach to the distant and idolatrous Gentiles. The vision of the sheet demonstrated the conversion of the heathen world, and it must have acted as an encouragement to St. Paul, who was made the chief instrument of its accomplishment. Dr. Lardner, in another volume, adduces similar arguments against this hypothesis, which do not, however, appear more satisfactory. Dr. Lardner then proceeds to argue against the opinion of Lord Barrington and Dr. Benson, that the conversion of tlie idolatrous Gentiles was unknown to the Churcli at Jerusalem. As I have not espoused this part of the theory of these two eminent theologians, it is not neces- sary to enter further into the question. Dr. Lardner, however, has omitted to mention (what appears to me the principal objection), that it would have been impossible to have concealed the circumstance of tire conversion of the Gen- tiles, as the Jews went up yearly from the provinces to Jerusalem, and some of them must have knoAvn, and would, witliout doubt, have communicated the exertions of St. Paul. Joscphus'" tells us that all the worshippers of God, from every part of the world, sent presents to the temple at Jerusalem. His expression is the same as tliat which is used in Scripture^, "" Jlnt. 1. 14. vii. ap. Lardner. vol. v. p. 501. •'^ ffio/iot'ti fro/, sell. nf/Jd((fioi riiv (^dir vocabantur Proschjti Porter., v. 13. IR. 26. 43, &c. Kuinoel, Comment, in Lib. JV. T. fTist. vol iv. p. 359. He quotes also tlio passage from Miohaelis, mentioned below, vol. iii. Art. clxxxiv. of Smitli's English transbition. It may be proper here to set before the reader, at one view, the various names given Note T.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *273 which Dr. Lardner arbitrarily interprets as referring- to the Proselytes of Righteousness : and he would render the word ^ed^fXEvoi by " Worshippers," or " Proselytes of Righteous- ness "only — ndfTuii' Tur xotra TTj*" olxovfiii'Tji' '' lovSulhn; y.id (TeSoiiit'iov lov Of dr. But when we consider the very extensive manner in which the word aeSoiievoi, is used in the New Testament, it is not reasonable to confine it to this very limited sense : in addition to which there is an evident distinction made in different parts of the Acts between the Jews (the Proselytes of Righteousness being always considered as such), and the devout persons by whatever name they were distinguished. — See Acts xvii. 4. 17. and xiii. 43, 50. Doddridge principally objects to the theory of two sorts of proselytes on the same grounds as Dr. Lardner, whose arguments he strenu- ously supports in opposition to those of Borring- ton and Benson. In his note on Acts xi. 20. he would refer the word 'Ell^viara; to the idolatrous as well as to the believing or devout Gentiles. Dr. Hales^ has professed himself to be con- vinced by the arguments of Dr. Lardner and Doddridge. Among tiie many eminent autliori- ties who agree in the opinion which I have adopted, that there were two sorts of proselytes, may be ranked Selden', Witsius", and Spencer, who defends this side of the question at great length, in his De Legibus Hebrcsorum. Mich- aelis' justly observes, whoever also acknowl- edged the revealed religion of the Jews to be divine, was not according to it under the least obligation to be circumcised. This is a point which is very often misunderstood, from cir- cumcision being always represented as a sacra- ment equivalent to baptism, and from its being m the Scripture History to those Gentiles whom the Jews had turned from idols to worship the true God. " AvSQii tvXa^iic, ii. 5. IInoni',HvTtn, ii. 10. Proselijtes. This name was given also to those Gentiles who received circum- cision, and who were Jews in every respect except in their descent. "ylvSi)sg ei-asiiUc. x. 2. 7. <t>o(iovueroi Tof 0tov, X. 2. xiii. 16. 26. Sc^ii'nifroi. Sa^uiitroi nQoai\Xvrot, xiii. 43. Worshipping Proselytes. 2t(i6uevoi 'E/.?.>jvt<:, xvii. 4. Worshipping Greeks. Stfiuuerot rov 0bov, xviii. 7. 77goafp/('i(E)oi ToJ Wfc5, ii. xi. 5. ad Dcum ncce- dentes. This is the" name proselyte, a little changed. — Macknight, Ep. vol. vi. p. 311. ^ Hales's jlnalysis of Chronol. vol. ii. part ii. 1198. " De Jure jXat. et Gent. lib. ii. ap. Witsii .Mgyp- tiaca, lib. iii. cap. xiv. sect. 9. " Sunimademum est, actus omnimodos, qui viciniorum gentium idolola- triam ejusve ritus omnino saperent; aut imitari vi- derentur, tametsi idoli cultus procul abesset, ex Jure interveniente, non vero communi seu naturali, Troselytis domicilii, ut ex civiU Israelitis, inter- dictos." " JEsri/pt. lib. iii. cap. xiv. sect. ix. p. 226, «fec. * On the Laws of Moses, vol. iii. p. 64. VOL. II. *35 inferred without any authority from the Bible, and merely from that arbitrary notion, that since the time of Abraham, circumcision became universally necessary to eternal happiness. Moses has no where given any command, nor even so much as an exhortation, inculcating the duty of circumcision upon any person not a descendant or slave of Abraham, or of his de- scendants, unless he wished to partake of the Passover: and in the more ancient ordinance relative to it, mention is made only of Abra- ham's posterity and servants, (Gen. xvii.) In none of the historical books of the Old Testa- ment do we any where find tlie smallest trace of circumcision being necessary to the salvation of foreigners, who acknowledged the true God, or requisite even to the confession of their faith ; no, not so much as in the detailed story of Naa- man (2 Kings v.); in which, indeed, every cir- cumstance rather indicates, that the circum- cision of that illustrious personage can never be supposed. In later times, indeed, long after the Babylonish captivity, there arose among the Jews a set of irrational zealots, with whom tlie Apostle Paul has a great deal to do in his Epistles, and who insisted on the circumcision even of heathens, as necessary to salvation. But they were opposed not only by the Apostle, but also even before his time, and without any view to Christianity, by other temperate but strictly religious Jews. Vitringa" acknowledges the distinction. The learned Drusius-^, Calmet", Lightfoof , with the best English commentators', Danzius'', in a very learned treatise, as well as Schoet- genS who has drunk so deeply of the fountain ' Ohserv. Sacr<B, vol. ii. p. 47. ■^ In the Critici Sacri. ' Calme t, Art. Proselyte — plY 1J and 3a?i,-\ ij. / Lightfoot, Harm, of the jV. T. vol. i. p. 286. " Whitby, Hannnond, and otliers. '' Danzius, in his treatise Cura Hehraorum in conquirendis Proselytis, apud Meuschen J\''ov. Test. ex Tnbnude, p. 668. * Schoetgen Hora Hchraicm, vol. i. p. 454. " Quamvis Judsei," says Schoetgen, " de proselytis non tarn bene sentirent, prout ex scriptis eorundem hinc inde constat, Deus tamen eosdem charos habuit et prfficlara sa>pe de iisdem testatus est. Ratio ejus rei est, quod Israelitee niulta et maxima miracula Dei viderant, ct tamen fidem ipsis habere nolebant : proselyti contra, qui ipsi miraculorum divinorum testes non erant, et eis tamen fidem adhibere non detrectarunt. Hinc ilia nondna quibus in his actis insigniuntur : dicuntur enim ivXa^ttQ, c. ii. 5. viii. 2. Ofi^vuiioi ; c. xiii. 43. 50. xvi. 14. ifo^oi'inrot tov f^fov, ex. 2. xiii. 16. 26. Ipsi tamen Judcei non- nunquam claro veritatis lumine convicti veritatem quoque ductu sacrarum litterarum confessi sunt : quorsum pertinet locus in Bammidbar Rahha. sect, viii. fol. 196. 4. ad verba Psalm cxlvi. 9. Domi- nus custodit peregrinos : Multusest Deus in custo- dia ipsor\un, ne a se rocedant. Grati Deo sunt proselyti, nam Scriptura eosdem sfepenumero Isra- elitis wquiparat, q. d. Jesa. xli. 8. Et vos Israel servus meus, et Jacob. &c. De Israelitis dicitur, qviod Deus illos amet,Malach. i. 2. Dilexi vos, dicit Doiiiinus ; idem de pmsid^-tis, Deuter. x. 18. Et amat proselytum, ut dot ipsi panem et vestes." 274* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part X. of talmudical knowledge, agree with Lord Bar- rington, and have collected many testimonies to prove the same point. In the Critici Sacri, vol. i. p. 155, sect. 14, are two dissertations by John Frischmuthius, On the Seven Precepts of Noah, who endeavours to prove tliat there were two sorts of proselytes. He quotes the words of Mairaonides, upon which alone, as Dr. Lardner supposes, the Avhole question originated-'. We learn from these treatises, that Deut. xiv. 21. was interpreted of the Proselytes of the Gate, by R. Mose Bar. Nachman, p. 156, sect. xx. ; while others of the ancients considered it as referring to the Proselytes of Justice. Kimchi says it denoted both, or either ; and this seems the most prob- able opinion. The question, indeed, seems never to have been doubted till Lardner pro- posed his objections to Lord Barrington's hy- pothesis, which, as we have now seen, is cor- roborated by the best and most learned au- thorities. It is certain that in the time of the apostles there were a large class of persons who were neither Jews nor idolatrous Gentiles, and who, if they were not called Proselytes of the Gate, and received among the Jews in that capacity, were at least worshippers of the one true God — observed the hours of prayer — gave alms, and built synagogues, because they de- sired to please God — they must have been known, esteemed, and beloved by the Jews for their actions, although they refused to associate with them, because they were uncircumcised and Gentiles. After the Gospel had been made known to the Jews and Samaritans, to whom could the blessings of the new dispensation with more evident propriety have been revealed than to those devout Gentiles who worshipped the God of Israel, and devoted themselves and their wealth to his service ? God has ever imparted his spiritual knowledge to men, in proportion to their purity and lioliness of life — " He that doeth my will sliall know of the doctrine whether it be of God." The fulness of time for the admission of the Gentiles into tlie Church, as revealed long before by the prophets, had now arrived. The wall of par- tition was now broken down, and the devout Gentiles, as a pledge or an earnest of the ap- proaching conversion of the whole heathen world, were admitted even into the holy place, the sanctuary of their God. The beautiful prayer of Solomon, on the ded- ication of the temple, is another strong evi- dence in support of the hypothesis of different sorts of proselytes. Dean Graves* remarks, " We find the principle here stated, publicly and solemnly recognized: 'Moreover, concei-ning a stranger that is not of thy people Israel, but / Vol. i. p. 155. sect. 14. * Graves On the Pentateuch, vol. i. p. 237 Cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake ; (for they shall hear of thy great name^ and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched-out arm ;) when he shall come and pray towards this house ; hear Thou in heaven thy dwelling- place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for : that all people of the earth may know thy name to fear thee, as do thy people Israel ; and that they may know that tliis house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.' And again, at the conclusion of this devout address, the monarch prays, ' Let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require ; that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.'" In this remarkable passage, which is the more decisive as it contains a solemn recognition of the principles and objects of the Jewish law, proceeding from the highest human author- ity, and sanctioned by the immediate approba- tion of God, whose glory filled the house of the Lord, during this solemn supplication, we perceive it is clearly laid down not only that the Jewish scheme was adapted and designed to make ' all the people of the earth know that the Lord was God, and that there was none else ; ' but also that the stranger from the re- motest region, who should be led to believe in and to worship the true God, was not only per- mitted, but called and encouraged to pray to- wards the temple at Jerusalem, to join in the devotions of the chosen people of God, and equally with them hope for the divine favor, and the acceptance of his prayers, without becoming a citizen of the Jewish state, or submitting to the yoke of the Mosaic ritual or civil law. For the words of Solomon evidently suppose, that the stranger, whom he describes as thus supplicating God, remained as he had originally been, ' not of the people of Israel.' " From 2 Chron. ii. 17. it appears, Solomon found in Israel strangers of such a rank of life as were fit to be employed in assisting to build the temple, 153,600. These (as the commen- tators agree, vide Poll Srjnopsin, and Patrick) were proselytes to the worship of the true God, and the observance of tlie moral law, though not circumcised. Patrick observes, " These were the relics (as Kimchi thinks) of the Amorites, Hittitcs, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, mentioned aftorwnrds chap. viii. 7. But th^^y were not idolators, for then David would not have suffered them to dwell in the land. Bi'.t they worshipped God alone, though they did not embrace the Jewish religion wholly, by being circumcised. Thc^so David had num- bered, that he might know their strengtli a;id their condition, which did not proceed from such Note 2.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *275 vanity as moved him to numljer his own people ; but out of a prudent care that they might bo distinguished from Jews, and be employed in such work as he did not think fit to put upon the Israelites." The institution of the Mosaic Law Avhich admitted the Gentile proselytes into a part of the temple, called from this circumstance the •Court of the Gentiles, may be adduced as another conclusive argument to prove the truth of this proposition. They were admitted to show that they had not been forsaken by their Merciful Creator, but that all those who would forsake idolatry should be taken into covenant with him as well as the Jews. The constant predictions of their prophets of the eventual reception of the Gentiles ought to have removed the strong prejudices and objec- tions of the Jews on this subject. Note 2.— Part X. In that admirable collection of tracts which ■compose the thirtee.nth volume of the Critici Sacti, the reader will find a dissertation on the vision of St. Peter by Bernard Duysing. The whole of this discussion is well worthy of peru- sal. After examining many critical points, he gives the following explanation of the principal ■circumstances of the Apostle's vision. The word axevog, vessel, which corresponds with the Hebrew "iSd, denotes every kind of vessel, and it is interpreted therefore by the word 6d6vrj, sheet, or any thing woven from flax. Camerarius would render the word odovi] by mappa, a table napkin — Daniel Heinsius, by a shepherd's bag, or sack, in which they were accustomed to put food, platters, or trenchers, and other things. The sheet was full of fourfooted and wild beasts, creeping things, or reptiles, and fowls of the air. Duysing is of opinion that every thing which is included in these various de- scriptions was unclean : and he strongly objects to the opinion of Hammond, that the clean and the unclean were here blended together. St. Peter was commanded, from the animals before him, to slay, and sacrifice, and eat. If they had been mingled together, as Hammond sup- poses, the Apostle might have selected a proper victim, and his answer would not have been correct If it be said the clean animals were rendered unclean by contact, the Levitical Law (Lev. xi.) teaches us that it was the dead body, and not the living body, that rendered unclean what was otherwise pure. The whole object of the vision was to enforce on the mind of the Apostle a new doctrine, which related to the Gentiles only, and not to the Jews and Gentiles together. It was a type of the Christian Church, sepa- rated from the world, which included every kind of people. It was bound at the four corners, signifying that the whole world should be received into the universal Church of Christ ; and it corre- sponded with the four horns of the altar, and the oxen that supported the brazen sea, which were turned to the four quarters of the heavens. It was not without design that the sheet de- scended from heaven, in the same manner, as the new Jerusalem is represented in tlie Apoc- alypse. The Church, though it exists in the world, is not of the world ; it is of celestial origin. It is a kingdom which is opposed to the kingdoms of this world, which are uni- formly described as wild beasts rising out of the earth, or out of the sea, aspiring to attain to heaven. Like its remarkable type, the tower of Babel, which inverts the natural order of things, the false Church has its foundation on earth, and in vain attempts to reach to heaven. For every one who considers the subject will acknowledge that the laws to be observed in the Church must proceed from God, and ouglit not to be planned by man under any plausible reason wliatever. The drawing back of the sheet to heaven was designed to teach us, that the Church which has its origin from heaven will return victorious thitlier. In this representation the condition of the believing Gentiles is described : they were now about to constitute one Church with the believing Jews, and were to be made with them partakers of the heavenly inheritance. The vision of St. Peter is considered in the same manner by Jones of Nayland. " This act of grace," he observes, " in the divine economy, was signified to St. Peter, by a new licence to feed upon unclean beasts. Peter could not have entered the house of Cornelius according to the Mosaic Law, which he had always observed, because it commanded the Jews to keep themselves separate from heathens in their conversation ; as in their diet they abstained from unclean beasts. But when God had mercy upon all, and the Jew and Gentile became one fold in Christ Jesus, then this dis- tinction was set aside." Mr. Jones thus ex- plains the vision : — " The living creatures of all kinds Avhich were presented to St. Peter were the people of all nations ; the linen sheet which contained them signified their sanctification by the Gospel ; and it was knit at four corners to show that they were gathered together from the four quarters of the world, and brought into the Church." He further observes — " The heathens were taken into the Church on con- dition that they should put off their savage manners, as the unclean creatures had before put off their natures and became tame, when they were admitted into tlie ark of Noali, a figure of the Churcli. This change was again to happen under the Gospel ; and the prophet •276* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part X. foretells the conversion of the heathens under the figure of a miraculous change in the natures of wild beasts. See Isaiah xi. 6. The moral or spirit of this law is as much in force as ever." Commentators generally translate the words ■d^vaoi' xul cpdys (v. 13.), "sacrifice and eat," rather tlian " kill and eat." Adam Clarke ob- serves — " Though this verb is sometimes used to signify the slaying of animals for food, yet, as the proper notion is to slay for the purpose of sacrifice, it appears to be better to preserve that meaning here. Animals that were offered in sacrifice were considered as given to God : and when he received the life, the flesh was given to those who offered the sacrifice, that they might feed upon it : and every sacrifice had in it the nature of a covenant, and cove- nants were usually made by eating together of the flesh of the sacrifice offered on the occa- sion ; God being supposed to be invisibly present with them, and partaking of the feast. The spirit of the heavenly direction seems to be this : — The middle wall of partition is now to be pulled down ; the Jews and Gentiles are called to become one flock, under one Shepherd and Bishop of souls. Thou, Peter, shalt open the door of faith to the Gentiles, and be also the minister of the circumcision. Rise up ; already a blessed sacrifice is prepared : go and offer it to God, and let thy soul feed on tlie fruits of his mercy and goodness, in thus showing his gracious design of saving both Jews and Gen- tiles by Christ crucified." Duysing thus defines the trance or ecstacy which St. Peter fell into. " Per txaruuiv, se- cundum H. Stephanum ab iStdTu/nai dictam, intelligamus mentis quasi dimotionem ex statu suo naturali, per quern animse cum corpore commercium, sensuumque usus ad tempus ita suspenditur, ut homo illorum ope nihil extra se positum percipere possit, sed tota mente in imagines intus objectas convertatur." — See Critici Sacri, vol. xiii. p. 610-620. Jones's Works, vol. iii. p. 44, 45. Clarke in loc. Note 3.— Part X. There is no name given under heaven, by which men can be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ. This is the truth which has been con- firmed by miracles, prophecy, and other most incontrovertible evidence. So amply has this truth been demonstrated, that no speculations or theories of our reason, which clash with it, can be received ; however plausible the argu- ments on which they may rest. Without this belief, our religion is degraded into a fine sys- tem of morality, and one half of the Scripture is useless and unmeaning. Some freethinkers have grafted a dangerous error upon this declaration of St. Peter to Cornelius. Rejecting the Gospel dispensation, they endeavour to undervalue or exclude Chris- tianity; maintaining, that to fear God and to work righteousness are the only duties essen- tially necessary to salvation ; and that these were as " old as the creation," inculcated by natural religion, and adopted by the Patriarchal, Heb. xi. 6. Job xix. 25., and by the Mosaical, Matt. xxii. 40. This may be refuted, and it should seem fully and satisfactorily, — 1. By the case of Cornelius himself, who, though he possessed these requisites, was further, by a special revelation, required to embrace Christianity. 2. By the general commission to the apostles to publish the Gospel throughout the whole world, upon the further terms of faith and bap- tism in the name of the Trinity. 3. Upon both accounts, therefore, Peter re- quired Cornelius to be baptized or admitted into the Christian Church, and entitled thereby to its higher benefits and privileges. 4. Paul has clearly stated the higher privi- leges of Jews above the Gentiles, and of Chris- tians above both, in his doctrinal Epistles to the Romans and to the Hebrews. 5. Natural religion, if opposed to revealed, is a mere fiction of false philosophy. That " the world by [human] wisdom knew not God," is a fact asserted by St. Paul, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, (i. 21.) Such knowledge being too wonderful and excellent for the attainment of mankind, by the confession of the patriarchs and prophets (Job xi. 7. xxxvii. 23. Ps. cxxxix. 6.), and of the wisest of the heathen philosophers. 6. The Patriarchal and Mosaical dispensa- tions were only schoolmasters to the Christian, designed to train the world gradually for its reception in the fulness of time ; as subordinate parts of one grand scheme of redemption, em- bracing all mankind, instituted at the creation, Gen. iii. 15., and gradually unfolding to the end of the world, John iii. 16. Rev. i. 18. Note 4. — Part X. The construction of this passage is difficult, and it has consequently exercised the ingenuity of the commentators. Toy loyoi' ^p dnidTeiXE loTg vloTg 'laQuiiX, are the words. Some suppose the accusative is here put for the nominative ; others, that there is an ellipse of the preposition x«r(i. Erasmus and Schmi- dius would connect TUf XSyof with oYdare in tlie next verse, and read, obrug iaii nuvTutv xvoiog, in a parenthesis, repeating ^r^ua as synonymous witli Xuyoi' : in which case the passage would Note 5.-8.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. nn be read, " The word which God sent to the children of Israel, announcing peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), ye yourselves have known, the word I say, which," &c. Piscator (ap. Bowyer) would read to/' loyoi' for y.uTU TUf Aoj'Oi', " according to the word " which he sent to the children of Israel. Stol- bergius would rather put ro*' Idyof oi', for o/' Xiyoy, as idp Hqtov o>' xXiofisp, 1 Cor. x. 16. — TO*' l/i-j'oi' ov dinOi/nijf vfuf, Hag. ii. (5. Stolber- gius, De Solcbcismis JV. T. p. 61-64. ap. Bowyer. Doddridge renders it, " the message " wliich God sent— Dr. Clarke, " the word." Boisius supposes, that dxoiiaMTe oilv, or some similar phrase, is to be understood before toj' Xuyov'-, arrived at Antioch, preached to the Greeks. Aa St. Luke has inserted this account immediately after the narrative of St. Peter's visit to Corne- lius, and his defence of that measure before the Church at Jerusalem, we may consider this preaching to the Greeks at Antioch, as the result of his public declaration of the vision he had seen: which would be justly considered as a command from God to those who were commissioned to preach, to go to the same description of persons as those whom St. Peter visited. The Jews (ver. 19.) seem purposely contrasted with the Greeks (ver. 20.), and the Evangelist designs to show that the preachers of the Gospel obeyed the command of God, and visited the devout Gentiles of Antioch, Note 5.— Part X. To the question, Why was not Christ after his resurrection shown to all the people ? it has been answered, 1. Because it was impossible that such a thing could be done without mob or tumult. Let it only be announced, " Here is the man who was dead three days, and who is risen from the dead !" what confusion would be the consequence of such an exposure ! Some would say, " This is he :"' others, " He is like iiim," and so on ; and tlie valid testimony must be lost in the confusion and multitude. 2. God chose such witnesses, whose testimony should be unimpeachable ; the men who knew him best, and who, by their depositions in proof of the fact, should evidently risk their lives ; and, 3. As multitudes are never called to witness any fact, but a few selected from the rest, whose knowledge is most accurate, and whose veracity is unquestionable ; therefore God showed not Christ risen from the dead to all the people, but to witnesses chosen by himself, and they were such as perfectly knew him before, and who ate and drank with him after his resurrec- tion, and consequently had the fullest proof and conviction of the truth of this fact"'. Note 6. — Part X. This section seems to prove, in the most decisive manner, that the Gospel was preached to the Proselytes of the Gate, or to such devout Gentiles as Cornelius, before it was preached to the idolatrous Gentiles. We read, in Acts xi. 19., that the dispersed in the persecution of Stephen preached the Gospel to the Jews only. In ver. 20., that these same men, when they ' See Bowyer's Crit. Conjecfwrcs, Wolfius's Cxira Ph'doUigiccB in loc, and Doddridge's Fami/ij Ex- positor. '" Clarke in loc. ; and see Paley, and the writers on the Resurrection VOL. II. Note 7.— Part X. After the interview of St Paul and St. Peter at Jerusalem (Acts ix. 31, 32, dieQ/dfisyog Sii ndcfiMv, says St. Luke), St. Peter went to visit all the Churches of Judaia, Galilee, and Sama- ria. He goes to Lydda, where he cured Eneas (ibid. ver. 33, 34.) who was a paralytic. After that he was called to Joppa (ibid. ver. 30.), a maritime city of Judsea, where he raised Dorcas. He stops at Joppa, and lived there a long time. From Joppa he goes to Caesarea (Acts x.), where he converts Cornelius, and stops with him some days, (ibid. ver. 48.) Upon the report, spread at Jerusalem, of St. Peter's having eaten Avith the Gentiles, he returns into that city, and defends himself before those of the circumcision, (Acts xi. 18.) This voyage of St. Peter's, liis preaching in the provinces of Judaea, Galilee, and Samaria, the long sojourn he made at Joppa, with the other events recorded by St. Luke, occupy a space of about three years, during which time St. Paul preaches in Cilicia. Note 8.— Part X. Dr. Benson" endeavours to show that the Christians received their holy and honorable designation by a divine admonition ; and Wit- sius that it was solemnly proclaimed in the Churches that such was to be their title". Erasmus'' considers the word xoVjUuTlam to be used for diofiii'^eadut, as do also the otlier writ- ers in the Critici Sacri. See, however, the references and remarks of Wolfius'. Vitringa'' endeavours to prove from tliis pas- " Benson's Planting of Christianity, 2d edit. p. 248, note. " Melet. Leid. De Vitd Pavli, cap. ill. sect. 5. p. 39. P Critici Sacri, vol. viii. p. 219. ' Woliius, Ciira Philologica, vol. ii. p. 1166. '^ See his discussion, De Synag. Veteri, lib. i. pars 1. cap. 3. p. W'i, &c. 278* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part X. sage, that the word " Church " here refers to the place where a congregation of Christians assembled for worship ; or, rather, to that body of people which could assemble in one place. This is but one, out of many instances, in which this learned writer, in his zeal against episco- pacy, has proved nothing, by attempting to prove too much. We are not acquainted with the numbers of the Church at Antioch ; but we know that at Jerusalem the thousands of con- verts could not be assembled in one place, yet they are still called the Church. The Codex Bezct supposes that the name was given by Saul and Barnabas, and renders the 25th and 29th verses thus : — " And hearing that Saul was at Tarsus, he departed, seeking for him ; and having found him, he besought him to come to Antioch ; who, when they were come, assembled with the Church a whole year, and instructed a great number; and there they first called the disciples at Antioch, Christians." The word x^rji-iaiiaai, in our common text, which we translate " were called," signifies, in tlie New Testament, to appoint, warn, or nomi- nate, by divine direction. In this sense the word is used. Matt. ii. 12. Luke ii. 26. and in Acts X. 22. If, therefore, the name was given by divine appointment, it is most likely that Saul and Barnabas were directed to give it ; and the name Christian, therefore, is from God, as well as that grace and holiness which are so essentially required and implied in the character. Before this time, the Jewish con- verts were simply called, among themselves. Disciples, i. e. scholars, believers, saints, the church, or assembly: and by their enemies, Nazarenes, Galileans, the men of this way, or sect ; and by other names, which are given by Bingham". Note 9. — Part X. ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH OF JE- RUSALEM AFTER THE HERODIAN PERSECU- TION, AND ON THE EPISCOPATE OF ST. JAMES. The situation of the Church at Jerusalem was greatly altered by the Herodian persecu- tion. It had hitherto been directed and governed by the joint council of the apostles. But, after that event, we learn from ecclesiastical history, tliat the superintendence of the Church was confided to James, the Lord's brother. It asserts tliat he was the first bishop of Jerusa- lem. The catalogues of the bishops of Jerusa- lem, which are extant in the early Christian writers, all place James at their head. In the first chapters of the Acts, St. Peter is constant- ly spoken of as the chief apostle, and the prin- ' Bingham's Ecd. Antiq. vol. i. book i. Dr. A. Clarke in loo. cipal person in the Church of Jerusalem ; but from the twelfth chapter of that book, which is the first place wherein James is mentioned with any character of distinction, he is constantly described as the chief person at Jerusalem, even when Peter was present. For when St Peter was delivered by the angel out of prison, he bid some of the disciples go show these things, that is, what had befallen himself, to St. James, as the head of the Church ; and to the brethren, that is, the rest of the Church. Again, when St. Paul arrived at Jerusalem from his travels in preaching the Gospel to foreign countries, being desirous to give an account of the success which God had given him, the day following he went in to St. James, as the bishop of that place, and all the elders, who were next in authority to him, Avere present. In the synod which was held at Jerusalem, about the great question. Whether the converts from Gentilism should be circumcised, St. Peter delivers his judgment as one who was a member of the assembly : but St. James speaks Avith authority, and liis sentence is decisive. The name of James is placed by St. Paul before Peter and John: "James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars." And some of the Church of Jerusalem who came to Antioch, are said to be " certain who came from James ; " which implies that James was the head of that Church, other- wise they should rather have been said to come from Jerusalem, or from the Church of that place. From all this together it plainly appears, that the Church of Jerusalem Avas under the peculiar care and government of James. The unani- mous testimony of the fathers affirms that St. James was made bishop of Jerusalem. Hege- sippus, who lived near the time of the apostles, tells us, that James the brother of our Lord, received the Church of Jerusalem from the apostles, (Enseb. hb. ii. cap. 23.) St. Clement is quoted by Eusebius as asserting the same thing, (lib. ii. cap. 1.) Jerome, Cyril, Augus- tine, Chrysostom, Epiphanius, Ambrose, and Ignatius concur in their evidence. In interpreting those passages of Scripture, Avhich men of equal judgment, equal piety, and equal knoAvledge have rendered differently, there are but three Avays of deciding — one is, to rely on our OAvn judgment, Avithout regard to any commentators or interpreters — another, to rely on those modern theologians Aviio disre- gard the testimony of antiquity — and the third, to inquire into the conclusions of the fathers, and the ancient defenders of Christianity. The last plan Avill seldom lead us into error. The fathers of the Church are unanimous on all those points Avhich peculiarly characterize true Chris- tianity. They assert the Divinity, the Incar- nation, and the Atonement of Christ: and thus bear their decisive testimony against tlie modern reasoners on those points. They are unani- mous in asserting that the primitive Churches Note 9.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *279 were governed by an order of men, who pos- sessed authority over others who had been set apart for preaching and administering the sacraments : and certain privileges and powers were committed to that higher order, which were witliheld from the second and third. The reception of the canon of Scripture, the proofs of its authenticity and genuineness, rest upon the authority of the fathers ; and there are cus- toms of universal observance, which are not in express terms commanded in Scripture, and which rest upon the same foundation. We are justified, therefore, on these and on many other accounts, in maintaining the utmost veneration for their unanimous authority, which has never in any one instance clashed with Scripture — which will preserve in its purity every Church which is directed by them, and check or ex- tinguish every innovation which encourages error in doctrine, or licentiousness in discipline. The labors of the early fathers, therefore, are in many respects invaluable. They could not have been mistaken in their evidence upon some points, which must be considered as the great landmarks of the Christian Church, and which will ever continue to preserve in their purity the doctrines and institutions of the reli- gion of our common Lord. The Holy Scripture only alludes to the eleva- tion of the Apostle in the passage before us. St. Peter directs his friends to go and tell James of his deliverance ; James, according to the best and most generally-received opinion, presided in the apostolic council ; when St. Paul went up to Jerusalem (Acts xxi. 17, 18.), the brethren received him gladly, and the next day he went in unto James, all the elders being present. "For what other reason," says the admirable and judicious Mr. Scott, " should Paul go in to James more especially, or upon what other account should all the elders be present with James, but that he was a person of the greatest note and figure in the Church of Jerusalem .•' and as he is called an Apostle, that he was peculiarly the apostle of that Church. This, from Scripture, is probable ; the unanimous tes- timony of the fathers of the Church to this opinion makes it certain ; and it would be diffi- cult to learn why this large class of men, whose honesty, piety, and freedom from any erroneous bias are universally acknowledged, should have conspired without any possible motive to de- ceive the world by useless falsehood." The remarks of Mosheim on this point seem to be deficient in accuracy and judgment. He acknowledges that all ancient authorities, from tlic second century downwards, concur in representing James the younger, the brother of our Lord after the flesh, as the first bishop of the Church of Jerusalem, having been so created by the apostles tliemselv^s ; and quotes Acta Sandor. Mens. Maii, tom. i. p. 23. Tillemont, Memoires pour servir a VHistoire de VEglise, tom. i. p. 1008, et seq. He then proceeds to observe, — " If this were as truly, as it is uni- formly reported, it would at once determine the point which we have under consideration, since it must close the door against all doubt as to tlie quarter in which episcopacy originated. But I rather suspect that these ancient writers might incautiously be led to form their judg- ment of the state of things in the first century, from the maxims and practice of their own times, and finding that, after the departure of the other apostles on their respective missions, the chief regulation and superintendence of the Church rested with James, they without further reason concluded that he must have been appointed bishop of that Church. It appears, indeed, from the writings of the New Testament, that, after the departure of the other apostles on their travels, the chief authority in the Church of Jerusalem was possessed by James. For St. Paul, when he came to that city for tlie last time, immediately repaired to that Apostle ; and James appears thereupon to have convened an assembly of the presbyters at his house, where Paul laid before them an account of the extent and success of his labors in the cause of his Divine Master, (Acts xxi. 19, 20.) No one reading this can, I should think, entertain a doubt of James's having been at that time in- vested with the chief superintendence and government of the Church of Jerusalem, and that not only the assemblies of the presbyters, but also those general ones of the whole Church, in which, as is clear from ver. 22., was lodged the supreme power as to all matters of a sacred nature, were convened by his appointment. " But it must be observed, that this authority was no more than must have devolved on James of course, in his apostolic character, in con- sequence of all the other apostles having quitted Jerusalem ; and that therefore this tes- timony of St. Luke is by no means to be con- sidered as conclusive evidence of his having been appointed to the office of bishop. Were we to admit of such kind of reasoning as this — the government of the Church of Jerusalem was vested in James, therefore he was its bishop ; I do not see on what grounds we could refuse our assent, should it be asserted that all the twelve apostles were bishops of that Church, for it was at one time equally imder their government. But not to enlarge unnecessarily, the function of an apostle dif- fered widely from that of a bishop, and I there- fore do not think that James, who was an apostle, was ever appointed to, or discharged, the episcopal office at Jerusalem. The govern- ment of the Church in tiiat city, it rather appears to me, was placed in the hands of its presbyters, but so as that nothing of moment could be done without the advice and author- ity of James ; the same sort of respectful deference being paid to his will as had formerly 280* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part X. been manifested for that of the apostles at large. But although we deem those ancient writers to have committed an error, in pro- nouncing James to have been the first bisliop of Jerusalem, it may without much difficulty be demonstrated that the Church of that city had a bishop sooner than any of the rest, and consequently that the episcopal dignity must have taken its rise there," &c. If the unanimous testimony of Scripture and of the fathers can be set aside by such reas- oning, which assumes as a postulate, that the witnesses are all in error, there remains no other guide to direct us in theological research than our own caprice or imagination. Whitby, Cave, Lardner, and others, have asserted that James, the Lord's brother, was truly and strictly an apostle, being the same as James, the son of Alphaeus, one of the twelve. Bishop Taylor, and I believe the great majority of the Protestant as well as Romanist divines, relying on the authority of Eusebius, consider him to have been a differ- ent person, and to have been elected bishop of Jerusalem, with the title of apostle. Dr. Lardner's reasoning on the ruestion. Whether St. James, the Lord's brother, was the same as James the son of Alphaeus, one of the twelve, has left the point doubtful. Jerome calls this James the thirteenth apostle. The judicious Hooker was of opinion that the apostles were dispersed from Judaea about this time, and that James was now elected bishop or permanent apostle of Jerusalem. He v/ould attribute the public setting apart of St. Paul to the apostolic office, to make up again the number of the twelve, for the gathering in of the nations abroad. He supposes, too, that Barnabas was appointed apostle instead of St. James, who was killed by Herod ; and Dr. Hales has approved the supposition. It is curious to observe that Dr. Lardner calls James, the president, or superintendent, carefully avoiding the word bishop : and in another passage (vol. i. p. 293.), he observes, "James abode in Jerusalem, as the apostle residentiary of that country." If he was presi- dent and apostle residentiary in Jerusalem, as the superintendent of the Church, which now consisted of many thousands and myriads of converts, it is difficult to imagine the reason why this learned anti-episcopalian should not have adopted the appellation of the fathers, and have called him bishop of the Church at Jerusalem. This, however, is by no means the only instance of disingenuousness on these subjects, on the part of Dr. Lardner. Neither is his amiable coadjutor. Dr. Doddridge, en- tirely free from censure in his mode of treat- ing the questions of Church government'. ' See the references and quotations in Scott's Christian Life, folio edition, p. 475, chap. vii. part Note 10.— Part X. ON THE CONTINUED AGENCY OF ANGELS. The German commentators of the self- named liberal class endeavour to explain away every miracle recorded in the New Testament, by representing them as natural events, which have only been considered as miraculous by the misapprehending of the Hebraisms of the inspired Avriters. I have not thought it worth while to stop in my way through the New Tes- tament paradise, to pick up these poisonous weeds. They are unknown to the English reader in general, and I trust will long re- main so. The explanation, however, of Hezelius, which I find in Kuinoel, is so sin- gular, that it may appear doubtful whether, in his eagerness to remove the opinion of a mi- raculous interference by an angel, he does not establish a still greater miracle. He thinks that a flash of lightning penetrated the prison in the night, and melted the chains of St. Peter, without injuring him. The apostle rose up, and saw the soldiers who guarded him struck prostrate to the ground, by the force of the lightning. He passed them, as if led by the flash of lightning, and escaped from the prison before he perceived that he had been liberated by the providence of God. So completely, however, has the skeptical philosophy of the day pervaded society, that even among professed Christians, he would now be esteemed a visionary, who should ven- ture to declare his belief in the most favorite doctrine of the ancient Church. The early fathers regarded the ministry of angels as a consoling and beautiful doctrine, and so much at that time was it held in veneration, that the founders of Christianity cautioned their early converts against permitting their reverence to degenerate into adoration. We now go to the opposite extreme, and seldom think of their existence ; yet what is to be found in this be- lief, even if the Scriptures had not revealed it, which is contrary to our reason ? We believe in our own existence, and in the existence of a God : is it utterly improbable, then, that be- tween us, who are so inferior, and the Creator, who is so Avonderful and incomprehensible, infinite gradations of beings should exist, some of whom are employed in executing the will of the Deity towards finite creatures ? Does not God act even by human means in the visi- ble government of the affairs of the earth ? ii. a work once highly popular, for the singular union of fervent piety, sober judgment, extensive reading, and good principles. — Archbishop Potter's Church Government, p. 91 . — Moslieim On the Affairs of the. Christians bifurc Constantine, vol. j. p. ii29, 2:!(). — Lardner's Sitpplevicnt to the Credibility, Works, Mo. \o\. iii. p. :?t<-2, 3!)3 —Hooker's Eccle- siastinil Polity, book vii. sect. iv. p. 84(). folio edition of 17:23. — Hales"s.^««/. vol. ii. part ii. Note 10.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *281 what absurdity, then, can be discovered in the opinion that the spiritual nature of man should be under the guardianship of spiritual beings ? Tliis, in fact, was a doctrine universally re- ceived till it became perverted and degraded by vain and idle speculations, — till it became so encumbered with absurdities, that the be- lief itself was rejected. Some writers on this subject went so far as to imagine they could ascertain the orders of a hierarchy, and could even assert the numbers in each rank. Others changed the office and ministry of angels, in- vesting them with independent control over the works of God, an opinion strongly and justly reprobated by the most eminent authorities". And because in the original Hebrew that which executes the will of the Deity is sometimes called an " Angel," whether it be winds or storms, fire or air ; many again have transformed the angels in the Old Testament into obedient elements, accomplishing the designs of Provi- dence. According to which hypothesis, the aged patriarch must have prayed that the bless- ing of an element miglit descend on his grand- children. The Messiah must have been created a little lower than the winds and the floods, who in like manner were commanded to worship him ; and again, when the superiority of Christ is declared, the passage must be rendered, — " To which of the elements said he at any time. Sit tliou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool." Leaving all such fan- tastic and unreasonable interpretations out of the question, let us turn to that interpretation of Scripture on tliis point, which has been acknowledged by all classes and divisions of Cliristians, from the time of the apostles to the present day. From the evidence of revelation, we have grounds for believing that angels are spirits, superior to mankind, some of whom have lost, while others have preserved, the state of happiness in which they were primarily created, and that these are now opposed to each other. With the precise cause of the fall of the evil angels we are not made acquainted. We know only that they retain the remem- brance of their original condition ; that they are powerful, though under restraint ; that gradations of superiority and influence exist among them ; tliat they acknowledge a superior head, and that thev are destined to eternal punishment. Of the good angels we learn, that they con- tinue in their primeval dignity. They are endued with great power, and because they are employed in the constant execution of the decrees of Providence, they have received the name of messengers or angels. They are called the armies and the hosts of heaven ; in innumerable companies they surround the " See Horsley's Sermon on the Watchers, vol. ii. last Sermon, and generally on this subject — Ham- mond — W heatly — Aquinas . VOL. II. *36 throne of Deity ; they are made partakers of his glory, and rejoice to fulfil his will. Their office, as ministering angels to the sincere and accepted worshippers of our com- mon God, is more fully and accurately related. Through the whole volume of revelation we read of tlie agency of superior beings in the affairs of mankind. They were stationed at the tree of life in Paradise. In Jacob's vision of the ladder, they are represented as ascend- ing and descending upon earth. They ap- peared to the patriarchs, to Abraham, to Lot, to Jacob, and they were made alike the ministers botli of the vengeance and mercy of God. They were intrusted with the destruction of the cities of the plain. "And the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of Sen- nacherib a hundred and fourscore and five thousand," (2 Kings xix. .35.) God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it — who was seen between the earth and the heaven having a drawn sword in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. In the New Testament they an- nounced the birth of Christ, and of his fore- runner ; they became visible to the shepherds, and proclaimed the glad tidings of salvation to the senseless world. They are interested for, and sympathize with man ; for " there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenleth." They were the watchful and anxious attendants of Christ in his human nature. They ministered to him after his triumph in the wilderness, and his agony in the garden. As they announced his birth, so, also, they proclaimed his resurrec- tion, his ascension, and his future return to judgment. They were made the spiritual means of communication between God and man. They were the divine witnesses of the whole system of redemption. By an angel Joseph was warned to flee into Egypt, (Matt. ii. 13.) By an angel Cornelius was directed to the house of Peter, (Acts x. 3-22.) By an angel that Apostle was released from prison. And by the ministry of an angel, were sig- nified to St. John those things that should be hereafter. In this last and mysterious revela- tion, the agency of superior beings is uniformly asserted, and they are represented as fulfilling the most solemn and important decrees of Om- nipotence. They are represented as standing on the four corners of the earth, as having the seal of the living God, as offering on the golden altar the incense and prayers of the saints, as holding the key of the bottomless pit, and as executing tlie vengeance of God upon the visible creation, and upon all those who have not the seal of God upon their foreheads ; all which, though metaphorical expressions, imply the probable agency of these invisible beings in the affairs of the world. And when time shall be no more, tliese holy beings who liave sympathized with man here, and been the wit- nesses of his actions, and tlie infinite mercies *x* 282* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Pari X. of his Almighty Creator and Redeemer, will be the accusing or approving spectators of the sentence passed upon him in eternity ; for our Saviour has expressly declared, that " who- soever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God. But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God." Note II.— Part X. ScHOETGEN has shown that the ancient Jews believed the angels sometimes assumed the form of a man, and has collected some curious in- stances to this effect The Gentiles, as well as the Jews, thought that the gods sometimes assumed tlie appearance of some particular individual, and spake, when thus disguised, with the same tone by which that individual would be recognized. This superstition is well described by Homer — 'AXX'a UoatiSuuyv EiOuntvoi KuXxavxi Stiiag y.al uTtiQia (ftoi-ijr. Iliad, N. 43, 45. See also Schoetgen in loc. Note 12.— Part X. ON THE QUESTION CONCERNING ST. PETEr's visit to rome, and the writing of st. mark's gospel. We may be permitted to express our regret, that the evangelical narrative has not here given us the slightest allusion to the place where St Peter secreted himself from his per- secutors. The word in the original is of the most indefinite kind. Dr. Lardner is of opinion that it refers only to some one of the houses in Jerusalem, or an adjacent village or town, and that the Apostle soon returned to the city upon the death of Herod Agrippa, which took place at the end of the year. Some commentators have been of opinion that he went to Antioch, others, to Rome. Dr. Lardner observes, that there is no good foundation for either of these opinions. That there is any foundation for the former, I am not prepared to say. The inter- view between St. Peter and St. Paul at Antioch, which is mentioned Gal. ii. 11-16., occurred some time after this, and after the council at Jerusalem. That St. Peter took refuge at Rome appears to me the most probable. The silence of Scripture leaves us to the evi- dence of tlie fathers. With respect to this con- clusion, that St. Peter went to Rome ; and the jealousy of Protestants on this point, because the Romanists would establish upon this fact, the alleged supremacy of St. Peter, Dr. Lard- ner justly remarks, it is not for our honor, or our interest, either as Christians or Protestants to deny the truth of events, ascertained by early and well-attested tradition. If others make an ill use of facts, Ave are not accountable for it. While it appears to me not improbable that he took refuge from the Herodian persecution with some of the friends of Cornelius, there is no evidence that he founded the Church at Rome, nor even addressed hintself to the Gen- tiles in that city. He would have considered himself guilty of a violation of the law of God if he had now done so. It was with the utmost difficulty St Peter could be convinced, even by a vision from above, that the kingdom of heaven was to be open to the proselyted Gen- tiles; much less can it be believed that he would preach at this period to the idolatrous citizens of Rome. " The Church of Rome," says a learned pre^ late of our own day, " was established as a Christian society during St. Paul's first visit, by the communication of the spiritual gift, which he intimates. It is evident that no other of the apostles had any share in this first estab- lishment but St. Paul; whatever may be said of St Peter's episcopacy of twenty-five years. For the Epistle to the Romans appears to have been written not long before the apos- tle's first visit. And at that time his language to them certainly implies that no other apostle had been there before him : ' Yea, so have I strived to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation".'" (Rom. xv. 20.) St Peter had fulfilled the prediction of our Lord, that he should open the kingdom of heaven to the Gentiles, when he preached to Cornelius and his family. The Roman centu- rion had been now admitted into the Christian Church; he was probably one of those by whom prayer was made without ceasing for St Peter's liberation, and we may justly conclude that he held this Apostle in the highest venera- tion. Though Cornelius had not the power to release St. Peter from prison (the Jews being very jealous of the interference of the Romans in all matters connected with religion), it is not unlikely that more effectual protection could be afforded by a Roman m a case of persecution, than by any of the suffering Church. It is certain that the Romans had great influence at this time ; for we read that when Herod was enraged with the people of Tyre, their embassy made Blastus, the king's chamberlain, their friend. Blastus was a Roman. The Romans did not hesitate to engage in tlie service of the " Bishop Biir^ess's Inquiry into the Orinin of thn Christian Church; reprinted in The Chiirrhmaa armed against the Errors of the Times, vol. i. p. :il'J. Note 12.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *283 tributary kings and sovereigns dependent on the empire'". It is not improbable, tlaerefore, that the Apostle, when he went to another place from the house of the mother of Mark, would take refuge among some of the Gentile converts ; and, as the indignation of Herod was so great, that he condemned the soldiers to death from whom Peter had escaped, it was but natural to apprehend that the Apostle would soon be condemned to a similar fate. None of the Jews would shelter him, as they took part with Herod against the infant Church. Under these circumstances, it appears not unhkely that the Gentile converts would provide for his effectual safety, by sending him among some of their own friends at Rome, who were cognizant in the real history of the extraordi- nary events that had taken place in Judsea. Tlie same evidence which induces me to come to this conclusion, compels me to beli-eve also, that St. Peter took with him to Rome the writer of the second Gospel, which bears so much internal as well as external evidence, that it was addressed to Roman converts. We read (Acts xii. 12.) that when St. Peter went from prison he proceeded to the house of Mary the mother of Mark. He staid there but a short time, and it is not, I think, improbable that St Mark accompanied him, to aid him in case of danger. It will, however, be necessary to examine the hypothesis of Dr. Lardner, on the other side of the question, that the apostles did not leave Judsea till after the apostolic council. His first argument is derived from the fact that all the apostles were present at the council of Jerusalem: and he concludes that they could not have been to other countries before that time, from the total want of evidence on the subject It may, however, be answered, that no argu- ment can be derived from the silence of the inspired or heathen writers. We acknowledge the apostles to have been present, in all proba- bility, at the council of Jerusalem ; the question is, whether they did not leave Jerusalem be- tween the years 44, when the Herodian perse- cution was raging, and the year 49 or 50, when the council was held. Peter was well acquaint- ed with the persecuting and cruel spirit of Herod — he had seen James the brother of John killed with the sword — he was himself appre- hended and imprisoned, and while he remained in the city he continued exposed to the most imminent danger. Was it not, under these circumstances, more probable that he should absent himself from Jerusalem during the reign of this monarch, and that he did not return to his own country till his death, when Judaea was governed by the Roman procurators ? Biscoe ^ Wetstein in loc, and Kuinoel, In Lib. .V. Hist. Comment, vol. iv. p. 419. has well shown that the heathens protected the Christians in the exercise of their religion, against the fury of the Jews ; and we read many things in the Acts of the Apostles which prove the same point. Dr. Lardner then proceeds to observe, 1. " That it was fit and proper, and even expedi- ent, that the apostles should stay a good while in Judaea, to assert and confirm the truth of Christ's resurrection, by teaching, and by miraculous works, and do their utmost to bring the Jewish people to faith in Jesus as the Christ 2. " As this was fit, it is likely that they had received some command from Christ himself, or some direction from the Holy Ghost, to stay thus long in Judsea. 3. "There were considerations that would incline them to it, and induce them to do what was fit to be done, and was agreeable to the mind of Christ One was the difiiculty of preaching the Gospel in foreign countries. This would induce them to stay in Judfea, till the circumstances of things facilitated their fartiier progress, or cailled them to it. Another tiling was their affection for the Jewish people, tlieir countrymen, especially those of Judaea, with whom they had been brought up, and among whom they dwelt, together with a per- suasion of the great value of the blessing of the Gospel. " This last consideration, I apprehend, would induce them to labor in Juda;a, with earnest desires and some hopes of bringing all, or, how- ever, many, to faith in Jesus. This influenced Paul also to a great degree, and for a good while. Nor was he without hopes of persuad- ing his brethren and countrymen to what appeared to himself very certain and very evi- dent. So he says in his speech to the people at Jerusalem, Acts xxii. 17-20. He assures them, that Avhilst he was worshipping at Jerusa- lem, in the temple, he had a trance, or ecstacy : that he there saw Christ, who said to him, ' Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jeru- salem ; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.' Paul pleaded, that they must needs pay a regard to his testimony, who was well known to have been for some while very zealous in opposing his followers, and was now convinced and persuaded. But the Lord said unto him, ' Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.' This trance, or vision, seems to have happened in the year 44, after that Paul had preached at Antioch with great success among the Gentiles. Nevertheless, he had an earnest desire to make one attempt more among tlie Jews of Judsa, where was the body of that people ; and if they could have been persuaded, many abroad would fol- low their example. And it required an express and repeated order from Jesus Christ, in vision, to induce him to lay aside that design, and to 284* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part X. proceed to preach to the Gentiles in remote parts." To all which it may be replied, 1st, That the apostles had now continued in Jerusalem till a Christian Church was established — the Gospel had been preached to the Jews, and confirmed by miracles and the most undeniable evidence ; but the Jews persisted in the rejection of their Messiah. 2. To the second, The command of Christ to his apostles to continue at Jerusalem is not recorded : and even had it been given, it would prove only that the appointed time had expired. 3. The Herodian persecution prevented the apostles from following their own plans ; and the Jews themselves, by their unrelenting bitter- ness, took away from them the power of accom- plishing their first great object, that of offering salvation to and converting their own country- men, and their very lives depended upon flight. They could find no difficulty in preaching the Gospel in other countries, because they were endued with the gift of tongues for tliis express purpose ; in addition to which, they would have been admitted into the Jewish synagogues in every country. The conversion of Cornelius proves that the predicted time for the admission of the Gentiles had arrived; the Church was established, and the Jews had beheld the apostolic miracles ; they had been appealed to in vain, and there was now no necessity for the longer continuance of the apostles at Jerusalem, who were conse- quently instructed by a vision, that the time had come when they were to preach to the Gentiles. Dr. Lardner's last argument is quite extraor- dinary. He believes that the apostles were under no necessity of leaving Jerusalem during the Herodian persecution, because they were under miraculous protection. He forgets that James, one of the twelve, had been killed already ; and it seems to me, that St. Peter was miraculously released from prison, that he might escape the same fate, by following the example of the rest of his brethren, and seeking safety in flight. This opinion is confirmed by the little evi- dence remaining to us in ecclesiastical history. The general conclusion to which we are led by the fathers is, that the apostles left Jerusalem twelve years after the ascension of our Lord. He ascended A. D. 29. The twelfth year therefore brings us to the beginning of tlie reign of Claudius ; the very period when Herod Agrippa took possession of the kingdom of Judsea, He lost no time in giving proofs of his zealous Judaism, and we may believe that he would lose no time in demonstrating his sin- cerity, by renewing the persecution ; in the course of which the apostles were obliged to leave Jerusalem. Clement of Alexandria"^, about 194, quotes a work, entitled, The Preaching of St. Peter. " The Lord said to his apostles. If any Israohte will repent, and believe in God through my name, his sins shall be forgiven. After twelve years go ye out into all the world, that none may say, ' We have not heard.' " Eusebius mentions that ApoUonius (undoubt- edly in part contemporary with Clement, and placed by Cave at the year 192 — by Lardner at 211, as near the time of liis writing against the Montanists) relates, as from tradition, that our Saviour commanded his apostles not to depart from Jerusalem for the space of twelve years. The same liistorian, in his Ecclesiastical His- tory, writes, " Peter, by tlie du-ection of Provi- dence, came to Rome in the reign of Claudius to contend with and overcome Simon Magus ; " and, in his Chronicon, that after he had been at Antioch he went to Rome in the second year of Claudius, i. e. the year of Christ 44. Those who espouse this opinion, suppose the Gospel of St. Mark to be written about tliis time. The same opinion also is maintained at the end of the Arabic version, and of many ancient manuscripts of this Gospel, particularly one mentioned by Dr. Hammond, two referred to by Father Simon, and thirteen cited by Dr. Mill, by The- ophylact also, and others of the Greek scholiasts. Considering this supposition as correct, it by no means implies that St. Peter continued long at Rome, as the Romish Church assert. There is internal evidence to the contrary ; for we find St. Paul does not salute him in his Epistle to the Romans — neither did he meet him on his first coming to Rome, in the beginning of the reign of Nero. St. Paul does not mention St. Peter in any of the Epistles he wrote from Rome ; and in his Epistle to the Colossians, St. Peter's name is not mentioned among his coadjutors. In the work of Lactantius (or of L. Csecilius according to Le Clerc), it is said Peter came to Rome in the time of Nero, and made many con- verts, and formed a Church — an account which at once confutes the fable that he had been there twenty-five years as bishop of Rome, on which assertion the supremacy of tlie pope is founded- The probable conclusion therefore is, that St. Peter took refuge at Rome, during the Herodian persecution, to which place he was accompanied by St. Mark, and after staying there some short time, Peter, like the rest of the apostles, superintended the Hebrew-Christian, and not tlie Gentile, Churciies ; travelling from place to place, till he returned to Jerusalem, to be present at the apostolic council. That St. Peter was martyred at Rome (a cir- cumstance which many Protestant writers have discredited, from the fear of giving countenance to the unfounded, and therefore absurd, doctrine ^ Clem. Strom, lib. vi p 636. Cave's Flistoria Litcraria, torn. i. p. 5. Grahe's Si)iv. torn. i. p. (i7 Ap. Lardner, vol. ill. p. 1C7-8. Note 12.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *285 of the pope's supremacy), has been asserted by Ignatius, Dionysius, Irenseus, Clement, Tertul- lian, Caius, Origen, Cyprian, Lactantius, Euse- bius, Athanasius, Ephraim, Epiphanius, Jerome, Chrysostom, and many others^. The quota- tions from the works of eacii of whom may be seen in Lardner. It is impossible to resist evi- dence to this extent. Nor does the fact of St. Peter's martyrdom at Rome enforce upon us the doctrine attached to it by one division of the Christian Cliurch. We are now to inquire into the probability of St. Mark's accompanying tlie Apostle to Rome, and what evidence there is for his having writ- ten his Gospel about this time, at the request and for the use of the converts in that city. It will appear, I tliink, that the internal evidence arising from the Gospel itself, and from the concuiTent testimony of the fathers of the Church, unite in affirming this to be the origin and object of his Gospel; although, as it will appear, it was not officially committed to the Churches in general, till he was settled at Alex- andria, as the bishop of the Church in that city. Michaelis has collected, in a very perspic- uous manner, the different circumstances relat- ed of St. Mark in the New Testament. He observes, " It appears, from Acts xii. 11., that St. Mark's original name was John ; the sur- name of Mark having probably been adopted by him when he left Judaea to go into foreign countries ; a practice not unusual among the Jews of that age, who frequently assumed a name more familiar to the nations wliicli they visited, than that by which they had been dis- tinguished in their own country. That St. Mark wrote his Gospel in Rome, with the assistance and under the direction of St. Peter, agrees extremely well with the contents of the Gospel itself, and may serve likewise to explain several particulars, which at first sight appear extraordinary. For instance, where St. Peter is concerned in the narration, mention is some- times made of circumstances which are not related by the other Evangelists, as at chap. i. 29-33., ix. 34., xi. 21., and xiv. 30. And on the contrary, the high commendations which Christ bestowed on St. Peter, as appears from y That St. Peter was certainly at Rome is fully proved by the learned Pearson, in his Dissertation, De Scrie et Successione Primorum Rovue Episcopo- uiii, Diss. i. cap. vii. " Roma3 fuisse S. Petrum pro- batur veterum Testimoniis," p. 33. Cave, however, remarks upon the theory of his going to that metrop- olis upon the present occasion — -'Quod vero de hoc Romam adventu somniant, gratis omnino dictum est. Altuin de eo apud veteres silentium. Silet imprimis historia apostolica, quee de hoc aliove ad- ventu ne verbulum habet," &c. — See Cave, Histo- ria Litcruria, vol. i. p. 8. Bishop Burgess quotes with approbation the opinion of Bishop Stillingfleet, which is founded on a passage in Lactantius, that St. Peter was never at Rome till the period of his martyrdom. Stillingileefs Origines Britannictc.ioX. edit. p. 48. — Barrow On the Pope's Supremucij. folio edit. p. 83. Matt. xvi. 17-19., but which the Apostle, through modesty, would hardly have repeated, are wanting in St. Mark's Gospel. At chap, xiv. 47. St. Mark mentions neither the name of the Apostle, who cut off the ear of the high priest's servant, nor the circumstance of Christ's healing it. We know that this apostle was St. Peter, for his name is expressly mentioned by St. John ; but an Evangelist, who wrote his Gospel at Rome during the life of St. Peter, would have exposed him to the danger of being accused by his adversaries, if he had openly related tlie fact. Had St. Mark written after the death of St. Peter, there would have been no necessity for this caution. "Further, as St. Mark wrote for the imme- diate use of the Romans, he sometimes gives explanations which were necessary for foreign- ers, though not for the inhabitants of Palestine. For instance, chap. vii. 2., he explains the meaning of xotvulg -/eqai: and ver. 11. of >ioo- (}(iv. In the same chapter, ver. 3, 4., he gives a description of some Jewish customs ; and chap. XV. 42. he explains the meaning o? nuQuoxFvi\. At chap. XV. 21. he mentions that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus, a circumstance not mentioned by the other Evangelists ; but to St. Mark's readers the circumstance was interesting, because Rufus was at that time in Rome, as appears from Romans xvi. 1.3. See also Wetstein's notes to chap. vii. 2G. xi. 22." St. Mark has more Latin words than the other Evangelists ; and these numerous Latin- isms not only show tiiat his Gospel was com- posed by a person who had lived among the Latins, but also that it was written beyond the confines of Judtea. That this Gospel was designed principally for Gentile believers (though Ave know that there were some Jewish converts in the Church at Rome) is further evi- dent from the explanations introduced by tlie Evangelist, which would have been unneces- sary, if he had written for Hebrew Christians exclusively. Thus, tlie first time the Jordan is mentioned, the appellation " river," is added to the name, Mark i. 5., and instead of the word " mammon," he uses the common term /ot\uuTie, " riches." Again, tlio word " Gehennn,^^ which in our version is translated "hell," (ix. 43.) originally signified the valley of Hinnom, where infants had been sacrificed by fire to Moloch, and where a continual fire was afterwards maintained to consume the filth of Jerusalem ; as this word could not have been understood by a foreigner, the Evangelist adds the words " fire that never shall be quenched," by way of explanation. These particularities corroborate the historical evidence above cited, tliat St. Mark designed his Gospel for the use of Gen- tile Christians. Lastly, the manner in which St. Mark relates the life of our Saviour is an additional evidence that he wrote for Gentile Christians. His nar- 286* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part X. rative is clear, exact, and concise, and his exor- dium is singular ; for while the other Evange- lists style our Saviour "the Son of Man," St. Mark announces him at once as " the Son of God," (i. 1.) an august title, the more likely to engage the attention of the Romans ; omitting the genealogy of Christ, his miraculous concep- tion, the massacre of the infants at Bethlehem, and other particulars, which could not be essen- tially important in the eyes of foreigners. Many things seem to prove that St. Mark's Gospel was written, or dictated, by a spectator of the actions recorded. Chap. i. 20. They left their father in the ship with the hired servants. i. 29. The names of James and John, omitted by Matt. viii. 14., are mentioned, i. 33. The crowd at the door. Com- pare Matt viii. 16. and Luke iv. 40, 41. i. 35. His disciples seeking Christ when he had risen to pray. See Luke iv. 42. i. 45. The conduct of the leper after his cure. See Matt. viii. 4. and Luke v. 14, 15. ii. 2. The cure of the paralytic. See Matt. ix. 1. Luke v. 18, 19. Mr. Jones, in his work on the Canon, notices many circumstances omitted by St. Mark, which reflected honor on St. Peter. Compare Matt. xvi. 16-20. with Mark viii. 29, 30. Matt, xvii. 24-26. and Mark ix. 30-a3. Luke xxii. 3J, 32. John xiii. 6. and xviii. 10. compared with Mark xiv. 47. See, also, John xxi. 7, 15, 18, and 19. Dr. Townson, too, has fully proved, from a variety of minute incidents not noticed by the other Evangelists, that St. Mark's Gospel must have been either written or dictated by an eye- witness. Chap. iii. 5. Christ's looking round on the people. See Matt. xii. 10-13. Luke vi. 6-10. iii. 17. The names omitted by the other Evangelists are mentioned, iii. 21. This is peculiar to St. Mark. iv. 26. Parable of the growing corn, so applicable to the call of the Gentiles, peculiar to St. Mark, iv. 34. Compared with Matt. xiii. 31-34. iv. 36. " Other little ships " with them, iv. 38. " He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow," are omitted by the others. The particularities mentioned by St. Mark in his account of the Gadarene demoniacs, see Matt. viii. 28-34. Mark v. 1-19. Luke viii. 26- 39. — The number of the swine — the mentioning of the very words which our Lord spake to the daughter of Jairus, " Talitha cumi," (ciiap. v. 41.) — the blind man casting away jiis garment. (chap. X. 50.) — the mentionmg of the names of those who came to him privately : (chap, xiii. 3.) all which minutiae could have been known only to a spectator and hearer of our Lord's words and actions. The Gospel of St. Mark contains much in- ternal evidence that it was written at the time when the devout Gentiles were first admitted into the Church. In chap. vii. 14-23., the spirituality of the Law is compared with St. Peter's address to Cornelius. Chap. vii. 24-30. The Syro-Phoenician woman received ; a Greek having faith in Christ — so Cornelius was not a Jew, but ac- cepted. Chap. xii. 1-12. The parable of the vine- yard, descriptive of the calling of the Gentiles : the event wliich had now taken place. Chap. xiii. Prediction of the fate of the temple — the result of the rejection of the Jews. In chap. xiv. 24. is the expression, " My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many;" which Dr. Lardner refers to the call- ing of the Gentiles. Chap. iv. 30-32. The grain of mustard- seed, descriptive of the rapid progress of the Gospel which St. Mark had witnessed. Chap. xvi. 15. " St. Mark," says Dr. Lardner, " evidently understood the extent of the apos- tolic mission." Dr. Townson observes further, in confirma- tion of the opinion that St. Mark wrote for the Christians at Rome, " St. Mark having fol- lowed St. Matthew in saying qiQaysXhoaug, (Mark xv. 15.) then speaks of the prsetorium : " And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called prsetorium. — Avlfi, and prmtorium, as here used, were synonymous terms in Greek and Latin, and denote the palace of a governor or great man." — "This is certainly a better proof that he composed his Gospel at Rome, than that he composed it in Latin. ' For what trans- lator,' as Dr. Mill justly asks, ' would have ren- dered the Latin word ' spiculator' (or specula- tor), by ansKovlixTixtQ, which would so easily have been expressed in proper Greek .^' St. Mark attends to the Roman division of the day in relating our Lord's prophecy to St. Peter, (xiv. 30.) ' Verily, I say unto thee, that this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.' " St. Mark, to explain the meaning of tliis day,' adds, ' even in this night ; ' as the prediction was delivered before midnight, but fulfilled, probably, between two and three in the morning, these being parts of one and the same day in Judaea, but not at Rome''." The testimony of the fathers confirms the ^ See Bishop Marsh's Michadis, vol. iii. part i. p. i2]'2; and vol. i. chap. iv. sect. x. p. 1G:1 — Dr. Campbell's i)reface to Mark, vol. ii. p. S2, 83.— Home's Critical lutrodiictiun, on Mark.— Dr. Town- son's Works, vol. i. p. 151-178. Note 12.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *287 internal evidence, that St. Mark wrote his Gospel at Rome, under the inspection of St. Peter ; and that it was even dictated by that apostle, and might with great justice have been called, as it has actually been, the Gospel of St. Peter. Eusebius, Hislor. Eccles. lib. ii. c. 15, asserts that the Gospel of St. Mark was composed at Rome, in the reign of Claudius, at the request of the people in that city. He refers to Clem- ens, Sixth Book of Institutions, as his authority. Clement of Alexandria (1!M), says, that Peter's hearers at Rome entreated Mark, the follower of Peter, to leave a memorial with them of the doctrine which had been delivered to them by word of mouth, nor did they desist till they had prevailed with him", Clement states that Mark's Gospel was writ- ten at Rome, at the request of the Christians there, who were hearers of Peter. Tertullian observes (900), the Gospel of St. Mark may be considered as that of St. Peter, whose interpreter he was. Origen, Peter dictated his Gospel to him. Eusebius (315), Mark is said to have recorded Peter's relation of the acts of Jesus. And all things in Mark are said to be memoirs of Peter's discourses. The synopsis attributed to Athanasius, fifth century, says, the Gospel of St. Mark was dic- tated by St. Peter at Rome. Gregory Nazianzen — Mark wrote his Gospel for the Italians, or in Italy. Ebedjesu — the second Evangelist is Mark, who preached (or wrote) in Latin, in the city of Rome. Theophylact (1070), and Euthymius(llOO),— the Gospel of St. Mark was written at Rome, ten years after Christ's ascension. These testimonies seem to be sufficient to prove the early date of St. Mark's Gospel, and that it was probably written at Rome for the use of the proselyted Gentile converts, under the inspection of St. Peter. There are two considerable objections to this early date of St. Mark's Gospel. One that he is said (Acts xii. 2,5.) to have gone to Antioch with Saul and Barnabas ; the other, the allu- sion to the progress of the apostles, in the last verse of his Gospel. In reply to the first, it may be said, that it is probable he would leave Rome immediately on hearing of the death of Herod, and arrive there at the time when Saul and Barnabas were about to return to Antioch ; which event is placed by Dr, Lardner at this period. It appears from the manner in which ver. 8. of chap. xvi. so abruptly terminates, and the evident commencement of a new summing up of the evidence, that some extraordinary interruption took place while St. Mark was composing his Gospel. The verse terminates with the words icpoSovvio y(xQ ; and many critics (as I have already shown in the notes to the eighth part of this Arrangement) have, from the rapid transition to the subject of the following verse, impugned the authenticity of the remaining verses of St. Mark's Gospel. I am inclined to impute this abrupt ending of the eighth verse of the sixteenth chapter, and the subsequent introduction of the contents of ver. 9. to the circumstances I have just related. In all probability St. Mark returned to Jeru- salem after the death of Herod with his unfinished Gospel ; that he afterwards accom- panied Saul and Barnabas, on their return to Antioch, (Acts xv. 35-37.) ; and after having attended the latter on his journey, he was finally settled at Alexandria, where he founded a church of great note. We are told by Jerome — Mark, at the desire of the brethren at Rome, wrote a short Gospel, according to what he had heard related by St. Peter. Taking with him the Gospel he had composed, Mark went to Egypt, and founded a Church at Alexandria. He died in the eighth year of Nero, and was succeeded at Alexan- dria by Anianus. Chrysostom — Mark wrote his Gospel in Egypt, at the request of the believers there. Eusebius also relates of St. Mark, that lie went into Egypt, and first preached tliere the Gospel he had written, and planted there many Churches. And in another chapter he says, that in the eighth year of Nero, Anianus, the first bishop of Alexandria after Mark the apostle and evangelist, took upon him t!ie care of that Church''. The accounts are so brief, that the exact period of his leaving Barnabas and residing at Alexandria carmot be ascertained. The last verse of St. Mark's Gospel, which contains an allusion to the progress of the Gospel, is sup- posed to be of a later date than the rest of the history, which has given rise to a doubt as to the authenticity of the last twelve verses ; but if we suppose the Gospel was first published at Rome, and completed at Alexandria, and tiie last twelve verses added there, we can have no difficulty in accounting for this difference of date. The conclusion to which Dr. Townson has arrived, after considering the evidence in favor of the early date of St. Mark's Gospel, does not materially differ from that which I have been now advocating. He supposes that St. Mark's Gospel was published in Italy ; but tliat St. Mark came to Rome by himself, studied the state of the Church there, returned to Asia, and, in conjunction with St. Peter, drew up his Gospel for the benefit of the converts in * Ap. Lardner's JVorl,s, vol. iii. p. 177. vol. p. 552, and vol. iii. p. 179. '' Euseb. Eccles. Hift. lib. ii. cap. 16, and 24.— Ap. Lardner's Supplement to the Crcdibilitij. 28S* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part X. that city. Dr. Towneon has adopted this per- plexed theory, to avoid the opinion tliat St. Peter came to Rome in the reign of Claudius. Lord Barrington assigns to St. Mark's Gospel the date I have now adopted. After considering the whole evidence respect- ing the Gospel of St. Mark, I cannot but con- clude that it was written at a much earlier date than has been generally assigned to it by Prot- estant writers. The Gospel of St. Matthew was written in the first persecution, when the tidings of salvation were preached to the Jews only. The Gospel of St. Mark was published during the second persecution of the Christian Church, when the devout Gentiles, such as Cornelius, were appealed to. Both were mer- cifully adapted to these two stages of the Church's progress. The Gospel of St. Luke was addressed to the Gentiles of Asia, aft.er the first Neronian persecution ; and that of St. John was the supplement to the rest, and com- pleted and perfected the canon of the New Testament. Each was fitted to the condition of the Church at the time of their respective publication ; and they now form unitedly one sublime and perfect system of truth, the im- movable foundation of the temple of God. Note 13.— Part X. The transpositions in the order of the sacred narrative which I have thought it advisable to make in this, the preceding, and the following sections, have been adopted from a considera- tion of the circumstances of the Christian Church at this period. The first persecution of the Church by the Sanhedrin was terminated by tlie conversion of St. Paul ; the second per- secution, which had now begun, was the work of Herod Agrippa, the great favorite of the Emperor Claudius. Dr. Lardner is of opinion that the previous repose of the Church con- tinued only a year, or a little longer, and that the disturbances of the Church began in the year 41, when Herod was invested by Claudius with full power. He observes — "From tlie very beginning of his reign, especially from his arrival in Judsea, and during the remainder of it, the disciples must have been under many difficulties and discouragements." The Jews and their new sovereign, who was very rigid and punctual in his observances of the Mosaic Law, were alike disposed to harass the Chris- tians, as an increasing heresy. The persecution, therefore, which had ceased for a time, would soon be openly renewed ; and as James had been put to death, and Peter thrown into prison, I consider this [see note 11, Part X.) to have been the moment when the apostles for the first time left Judiea, and not, as Dr. Lardner supposes, about the year 49 or 50, after the apostolic council. Two circumstances related in the sacred narrative confirm me yet further in this opinion, and seem to justify the trans- position I have here made. One is, that we read for the first time that prophets, who appear to have been next in order to the apostles, went down from Jerusalem to An- tioch ; the other is, that when Paul and Bar- nabas arrived at Jerusalem, in consequence of their mission from the Church at Antioch, after the prophets had foretold the famine, the Church sent their contributions to the elders, and not to the apostles, (chap. xi. 30.) ; and that St. Paul, in his account of his coming up to Jerusalem on this occasion, tells us that he found none of the apostles at Jerusalem, but James, the Lord's brother, (Gal. i. 19.) — See Lardner's Supplement to the Credibility, chap, vi. on the time whe-n the apostles left Judaea. Note 14. — Part X. One manuscript only, the Cambridge mann- script, reads here, " as we were together," from which it has been inferred, that St. Luke was now with St. Paul. This, however, is not suffi- cient authority to enable us to conclude against the general opinion of the Church, and the concurrent testimony of manuscripts, that this Evangelist certainly joined St Paul till his arrival at Mysia, (Acts xvi. 7.) This prophecy of Agabus resembled those of the ancient prophets, not merely in the cer- tainty but in the manner of its fulfilment. It was accomplished in the first'' and second year of Claudius. A second famine^ was in the fourth year of Claudius, when Helena, queen of the Adiabeni, sent assistance to the Jews. A third famine-'' was in the ninth year of Clau- dius. A fourth^ in the eleventh year. The most severe of these happened between the fourth and the eighth years of Claudius, under the government of Cuspius Fadus, or under that of Tiberius Alexander, perhaps under both. There is some reason to imagine, that a famine was beginning to be feared in Syria, about the time of the death of Agrippa, the father, or the elder. St. Luke says that this prince, forming the design of making war upon the Tyrians and Sidonians, they sought a peace; which they wanted, "because they obtained their provisions from the king's country." These nations, who had the sea open, would have had no fear of a famine, if tliere had been plenty of provisions elsewhere. <^ This is mentioned , wilii its causes, by Dio Cas- sius, 0. p. 949. Ed. Reimar. ap. Kuinoel, In Lib. Hist. J\'.T. Comment., vol. iv. p. 399. " Scaliger, Jlnimadv. ad Euseh. p. 192, and Whitby in loc. / Scaligcr, ut sup. &c. p. 79. «" Sueton. Vit. Claud, c. 18. See Walchius, Dissert, de Agaho vate. Note 15.-17.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *289 Note 15.— Part X. It is now that we first meet with the dis- puted word presbyter. It occurs in the last verse of Acts xi. The corn collected by the Church at Antioch, for the relief of tlie breth- ren in Jerusalem, was sent to the presbyters, or elders. The word to nQsaSuriQiop occurs in the New Testament three times — in Luke xxii. GO. Acts xxii. 5. and 1 Tim. iv. 14. The signification of the word must be ascertained from tlie interpretation given to it in the time of the inspired writers. The term presbytery was applied to an united body of men, and the word presbyter was given to the members of which it was individually composed. In the first of these passages it refers to the Sanhe- drin, and it is well translated by Dr. Campbell, " the national senate." In the second it has the same meaning. In the third it is used by St. Paul to denote the collected body of the elders, or ministers, who assisted at the ordina- tion of Timotliy. As the Jewish Sanhedrin, with their head, consulted for the benefit of the Jewish nation, 60 might the Cliristian presbyters, with their head, consult for the public welfare of the Christian Churches. The members of the Sanhedrin were not equal in authority to the nasi, neither were the presbyters of the New Testament, reasoning on the same analogy, equal in authority to him who was their na^i, or prince ; that is, the apostle, or his successor. But the presbytery who governed the Chris- tian Church at Jerusalem, and to whom St. Paul went, had no civil power; their authority was exclusively spiritual ; and their head, or nasi, or prince, must, therefore, have possessed powers of a spiritual nature, superior to those which were possessed by the general body. And this appears to have been the case from the unanimous testimony of antiquity. The privilege of preaching, teaching, and many other things was common to all ; the power of ordaining and deciding was reserved for one. Thus Timothy was ordained ivith the concur- rence and sanction of the presbytery, or general body of ministers ; but he was not ordained by them, but by St. Paul. This, tlien, explains the meaning of tlie word in the third passage, in which the word presbytery occurs, and enables us to ascertain with greater precision the import of the word presbyter in this pas- sage, where it is used with reference to the officers of a Christian Church. But we are enabled to learn the precise meaning of the word presbyter not only from tlie phrase " the presbytery," but from its usual acceptation both among the Jews and Gentiles. It sometimes occurs in the usual sense of " older in years," as contrasted with the word " younger," I Tim. v. 1. Sometimes it denotes the elders or predecessors of the existing gen- voL. II. *37 eration, who had exercised authority as teach- ers, or were remembered for their exertions, talents, or wisdom, (Matt. xv. 2. Mark vii. 3, 5. Heb. xi. 2.) It is a name of dignity, denoting the members of the Sanhedrin, the rulers of the synagogues, and leaders of Israel in gen- eral. It chiefly signifies those among the Jews, who in their several cities were the heads and chiefs of congregations assembled for religious worship ; and from this use of the word it was adopted by the writers of the Acts and the Epistles, to describe those who were ordained to officiate in sacred things ; to admin- ister the sacraments, to instruct and rule and control their respective congregations, under the direction of a superior head, to whom they were responsible, and to execute every eccle- siastical duty except those few of a higher nature, which were reserved for the acknowl- edged superiors, by whom they had themselves been appointed to the exercise of their spiritual functions : their power was so great in these departments, and their office was so important, that they are honored with the epithet of bishop, or episcopust, which in subsequent ages was exclusively confined to those who imparted the presbyteral power. Whitby, however, is of opinion that the elders here mentioned might not even be Chris- tians, but the elders of the Jewish synagogues, or the TtQaroi lihv 'Isgoaolv/ulrcov, the chief men of Jerusalem, to whom King Izates sent relief at the same time ; or if they were Christians, they might still be the elders of the syna- gogues, the Christians then retaining the Jewish rites. To tlie first of these opinions it may be answered, that in ver. 29, we read that the relief which the Church at Antioch sent to Jerusalem, was intended for their own brethren. The second opinion is conjectural, but not probable. The elders of the syna- gogues who were converted, might have been admitted among the elders of the infant Church, Whether the Christian Church Avas entirely constructed on the model of the Jewish syna- gogue, as Grotius asserts, will be considered in the notes to the next part of this Arrange- ment. Note 16.— Part X. See the account in Josephus, Antiq. 19. 7. 2. Note 17.— Part X. ON THE TIME WHEN ST. PAOL WAS APPOINTED TO THE APOSTOLATE. I REFER the vision seen by St. Paul in the temple, mentioned in x\cts xxii. 17-21., and 290* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part X the commission he then received to preach to the Gentiles, to this period of his history, princi- pally on the authority of Lord Barrington and Dr. Benson, who maintain also that this vision was the same as the ecstacy alluded to in 2 Cor. xii. 2., though Dr. Doddridge would rather refer this vision to St Paul's first return to Jerusalem. Dr. Lardner discusses at some length the question when St. Paul Avas made an apostle, and concludes that he was appointed to the apostolic office on his conversion : one of his principal arguments is, that he began to preach so soon after that event. That the ultimate object which our Saviour proposed to St. Paul was mentioned to him at his conversion is evi- dent from his own narration, Acts xxvi. 17, 18. But it is equally certain that he did not exer- cise the apostolic functions till the Holy Ghost separated him for the work to which he had been called, and till he had been ordained by the laying on of hands. With respect to Dr. Lardner's remark, that Paul was made an apostle, it is only necessary to observe, what, perhaps, the learned writer would not acknowledge that there were various duties attached to the various orders of ministers in the service of God. The deacons, evangelists, and elders, might preach as well as the apos- tles ; but to the apostles only belonged the power of governing, and controlling, and su- perintending the Churches, the ordaining of elders, &c., which things St. Paul did not attempt to do, till he returned from Jerusa- lem to Antioch. As the essay of Lord Barrington on this sub- ject is not in the hands of many students of Scripture, I have added an abridgment of it. The learned writer defines an apostle to be one who was a chief and primary minister of the kingdom of Christ, who was commissioned by God to testify the great facts of Christianity, as far as he was personally acquainted with them ; particularly that of the resurrection ; and who was endued with superior courage in times of danger, and with extraordinary powers of working miracles, and imparting the Holy Ghost. It is the object of this essay to fix the precise time when Paul received his commission, which Lord Barrington supposes to have been at his second visit to Jerusalem, when he saw Christ in a trance, A. D. 43. In support of the opinion that at his conversion Paul was not made an apostle, the noble author argues, after discuss- inn- the question whether St. Paul saw Christ personally at his conversion, and deciding it in the negative, that St. Paul only preached to Jews, or Proselytes of the Gate, before his second journey to Jerusalem, and was not till that time properly an apostle : he seems to have acted only as a prophet or teacher, liaving only received a prediction that " God had chosen him that he should know his will." His preaching to the Jews does not prove his apostolic commission, for he was to be the apos- tle of the Gentiles ; nor can this term (Gentiles) be applied to the Proselytes of the Gate.. These were obliged to submit to all the Laws of Moses ; and by Gentiles, in Scripture, are meant those who served false gods. They are described as those who are " carried away or led after dumb idols ; without God, without hope, under the power of the wicked one." St. Paul is said to have " opened their eyes, and turned them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God." This could not be applied to the Proselytes of the Gate, who had the knowledge of God's Law, and are said to be of clean hands, and a pure heart, &c. ; and, indeed, the word used in Acts is always applied to idolatrous Gentiles, unless particularly re- stricted in sense by some other word. It seems that it was not known to the Church, nor indeed to the other apostles, that St. Paul had received a commission to preach to the Gentiles till his third journey to Jerusalem, of which they would probably have been informed, had that com- mission been given very long before ; and he appeals to the being acknowledged as a fellow- apostle by his enemies. None of his Epistles were written till some time after the year 43, and till that period he neither preached or acted with any boldness. His journey to Ara- bia, hnmediately after his conversion, Lord Barrington explains thus — He merely preached to Christian Hebrews in an adjoining country to Judaea, who were protected by Aretas, king of the country, in opposition to Herod, with whom he was at war ; and here it is not proba- ble he ever preached to proselytes, for Cornelius and his family are said to be the first-fruits of the heathens (or proselytes), who were converted about the year 41, and St. Paul's journey to Arabia took place in A. D. 35. The account St. Paul gives before Agrippa (Acts xxvi.) has been adduced as an argument that he was appointed an apostle at his conver- sion ; but is it not more likely that he would give a brief and perhaps obscure relation of this event before the king, than that the two ac- counts of the circumstance (Acts ix. and xxii.) should be incorrect ? and in both these places it seems to specify that no commission was received. If, indeed, the Gentiles were con- verted so early as has been generally supposed, they would have formed part of the Christian Church before Peter preached to the Prose- lytes of tlie Gate, which would destroy tlie wise order in which Christianity was spread — the order our Saviour had before preached — and agrees also to his prediction, as related in Acts i. 8, &c. first to the Jews of the Holy City, then in Judaea, then in Samaria, to the Prose- lytes, and lastly to the Gentiles. Again Paul says, that at first (after his conversion) he preached "the faith he once destroyed," and Note 18.-1.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *291 that afterwards he committed the Gospel he .preached to the Gentiles. He did not change his name to Paul till ten years after his conver- sion, and he altered it then from a Jewish to a Roman name. He is always placed after Bar- nabas, till a short time after his second journey to Jerusalem, and the contrary from this period. Lastly, it is not probable that Christ gave him his commission at the time of his first journey to Jerusalem, for he says, himself, " When I was come again to Jerusalem," Acts xxii. 17. ; and this may be better seen by comparing Acts ■ix. 2G. and Gal. i. 18. with Acts xi. 29, 30. and xii. 25. At Paul's second journey to Jerusalem, he received from Christ an apostolic commission. Lord Barrington says, we may be sure this was •the first time Paul saw the Saviour, from the .particular emphasis he lays on the vision, Acts jcxii. 18. He speaks of this revelation to the Corinthians in his Second Epistle to them, which was written about the year 58, as having taken place fourteen years preceding, and seems to point out that he then received his commission as apostle of the Gentiles (2 Cor. xii.), which account agrees well with the pre- -diction of Ananias. He speaks of it as a ^' high vision and revelation," something where- of he might boast and glory — a mystery now to be made manifest — a revelation of importance — Colos. i. 27. Eph. iii.) where it appears St. Paul thinks it the greatest of all his revelations. Lord Barrington supposes that he had some view of the glory of heaven, for his encourage- ment in the difficulties he had to encounter, and makes a singular conjecture concerning the "thorn in the flesh," of which St. Paul speaks in his relation of his vision to the Corin- thians, which he supposes to have been some bodily infirmity caused by the heavenly glory, which was too great for him to bear ; as stam- mering, or a convulsive motion in the muscles of his face, which made him fear that the Gen- tiles, who paid great regard to eloquence and outward appearances, would despise him, as Moses was afraid of appearing before Pharaoh for the same reason. He therefore besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him ; but after he was assured that Christ's strength should be made perfect in his infirmities, he gloried in his weakness. There were none of the apostles at Jeru- salem at Paul's second journey there, probably that it might be manifest that he received his mission from no man ; and of this circumstance he often particularly informs us, that he re- ceived his message from Christ alone'^. Note 18.— Part X. Mr. Fleming would place this passage after the account of the death of James, and in the interval between the committal and the deliver- ance of Peter from prison. Dr. Lardner, whose authority I follow, adheres to the present order of the sacred text, and argues that the commis- sion of Barnabas and Saul was not given till after the death of Herod^ '' See Hales's Analysis, vol. ii. part ii. p. 1211. — Miscellanea Sacra, Essay iii. — Doddridge's Family Expositor, notes on Acts xxii. and Dr. Lardner. » Flem. Christology, vol. ii. p. 230, and Lard- ner's Credibility, booki. chap. ii. sect. ii. vol. i. — Ap. Doddridge's Family Expositor, vol. iii. p. 88. PART XI. Note 1. — Part XL ON THE OCCASION OF ST. PAUL AND BARNABAS RECEIVING THEIR APPOINTMENT TO THE APOSTOLATE. The learned and judicious Hooker" has con- jectured that Barnabas and Saul were now set apart for their apostleship, to supply the vacan- cies in the original number, one having been killed by Herod, the other appointed bishop of Jerusalem. Dr. Hales* approves this opinion. It " Hooker's Eccles. Polity, lib. vii. sec. 4. p. 337. ' Hales's Anal, of Chronol. vol. ii. pt. 2. p. 1083. is much to be regretted that the seventh book of the Ecclesiastical Polity is one of those which we cannot be certain received the last corrections of their author, or indeed were cer- tainly written by him. The conjecture, how- ever, is that of one who had carefully studied the Scripture narrative, and is by no means improbable. As St. Paul and Barnabas had been already peculiarly set apart to their high office, we cannot attribute their authority to the prophets and teachers in the Church at Antioch, who here officiated by an especial command of God, through the Holy Spirit. St. Paul expressly declares that he was not an apostle by man. 292* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part XI We are assured, too, in another passage of Scripture, that "without all doubt the less is blessed of the greater:" if St. Paul, therefore, had derived his commission as the apostle of the Gentiles from the Church at Antioch, the prophets who set him apart must have been either superior or equal to him. They were not superior, for the apostles were always ranked above any other class of ministers in the Christian Church — if they were equal, they must have been elevated themselves to the rank of apostles, as a learned divine has at- tempted to prove". The apostles were, in one sense of the word, each of them apostles to the whole world : but inasmuch as each took his peculiar department, he might be called the apostle of that district or division of their Lord's vineyard. Thus we are assured that the twelve took each of them his province, and ecclesiastical history gives us the name of their several districts. It is not improbable that when the Holy Spirit had sep- arated them for the apostolic office in general, that St. Paul and Barnabas consented to be- come the apostles of the Church at Antioch in particular. That Church had lately bestowed an honorable title upon the followers of Christ It was the principal society which did not con- sist of merely Jewish converts, and as St. Paul was set apart as the apostle of the Gentiles, it does not appear unreasonable to suppose tliat he would be willing to add to his influence the sanction of this venerable Church. The Church of Christ was at this time truly catho- lic. It formed, as it ought ever to have done, and as it will again at the coming period of its promised prosperity, one great society. It was united through all its congregations under the authority of its superior pastors, who assembled in council to decide upon any matter in which all were interested. There was no supremacy either of St. Peter, or any other of the apostles, and no schism or heresy among its people. The condescending of St. Paul to become the apostle of the Church at Antioch, so far as it might be useful to the catholic Church to act with their sanction, does not imply that their authority was superior to his. His object may have been to obtain in those places which were under the influence of Antioch, a better or an easier introduction than he would have other- wise experienced. This consideration appears to solve that great diflSculty which many have experienced, in reconciling the apostolic com- mission of St. Paul by the Holy Spirit, with his being set apart by ecclesiastical officers of an inferior description. Among the prophets who wore now in the Church at Antioch, we read of one Manaen. " Scott's Christian Life, part ii. ch. vii. p. 491, folio edit. Joseph, ^ntiq. lib. xv. c. 10. sec. 5. Lightfoot, vol. ii. p. 685, and vol. i. 288-2008. ap. Biscoe On the Acts. " There is an account in Josephus of one Manaen," says Dr. Biscoe, " an Essene, who foretold concerning Herod the Great, that he should be a king, wliilst he was yet a boy at school : and when it actually came to pass that he was king, being sent for by Herod, and asked how long he should reign, whether ten years ? he answered. Yes. — Twenty years ? Yes ; thirty years. Upon which Herod gave him his right hand, and from that time held in great esteem such as were of the sect of Essenes." Mr. Zachutus, a Jewish writer, says, that this Manaen was vice-president of the Sanhedrin under Hillel, and that Shammai suc- ceeded him ; that he went oflT into Herod's family and service with fourscore eminent men ; that he uttered many prophecies, foretold to Herod when he was yet very young, that he should come to reign ; and when he did reign, being sent for, foretold that he should reign above thirty years. The talmudists also say, " That Manaen went out, and Shammai suc- ceeded him. But whither went Manaen ? Abai says, he went into the service of the king, and with him went fourscore pair of disciples, clothed all in silk." It is very probable that a son of this Manaen, or some nephew, or other kinsman to whom he gave his name, was educated in the family of Herod the Great. The young Manaen might be of the same age, and have the same preceptors and tutors as had Herod Antipas, one of the sons of Herod the Great, and for that reason be said to be brought up with him in particular. This Herod Antipas was, after his father's death, tetrarch of Galilee, and is the person who put John the Baptist to death. Josephus says, of the flrst named Manaen, that he was reputed a man of an excellent life. The talmudists tell us, that when he left the vice-presidentship of the San- hedrin to go into Herod's service, he went into all manner of wickedness. May they not have fixed this infamy upon him from his having shown some mark of esteem for Christ and his followers ? or from the younger Manaen's becoming a Christian ? Note 2.— Part XI. Sergius Paulus was the first convert of the idolatrous Gentiles. He was a magistrate ; and, by his conversion and influence, the preaching of St. Paul would probably excite still greater attention. The conversion of a magistrate, as the first-fruits of the idolatrous world, may be intended to show unto us that the Divine Author of Christianity appeals in a more especial manner to those who are vested witli authority and power, to embrace iiis re- ligion, and to sanction and protect it to the utmost. Note 3.-5.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *293 " It is obsen^able here," says Bishop Marsh, " that the Evangelist Luke, relating these trans- actions of Paul in Cyprus, gives to Sergius Paulus, the Roman governor of that island, the Greek title of ' AvOvnarog, which was applied only to those governors of provinces who were invested with proconsular dignity. And on the supposition that Cyprus was not a province of this description, it has been in- ferred, that the title given to Sergius Paulus in the Acts of the Apostles, was a title that did not properly belong to him. " A passage, indeed, has been quoted from Dion Cassius, who, speaking of the governors of Cyprus, and some other Roman provinces, applies to them the same title which is applied to Sergius Paulus. But as Dion Cassius is speaking of several Roman provinces at the same time, one of which was certainly governed by a proconsul, it has been supposed that, for the sake of brevity, he used one term for all of them, whether it applied to all of them or not. That Cyprus, however, ought not to be excepted, and that the title which he employed, as well as St. Luke, really did belong to the Roman governors of Cyprus, appears from the inscription on a coin belonging to Cyprus itself, and struck in the very age in which Sergius Paulus was governor of that island. It was struck in the reign of Claudius Csesar, whose head and name are on the face of it : and in the reign of Claudius Csesar St. Paul visited Cyprus. It was a coin belonging to the people of that island, as appears from the word KYIJPIflJV on the reverse; and, though not struck while Sergius Paulus himself was gov- ernor, it was struck, as appears from the in- scription on the reverse, in the time of Proclus, who was next to Sergius Paulus in the govern- ment of that island. And on this coin the same title, .-/A^9F/7,^T'02', is given to Proclus, which is given by St. Luke to Sergius Paulus'^." That Cyprus was a proconsulate, is also evident from an ancient inscription of Caligula's reign, (the predecessor of Claudius), in which Aquius Scaura is called the proconsul of Cyprus^. Note 3.— Part XL The word Elymas is derived, by Pfeifter, from the Arabic 0"Si?, sciens, sapiens. See his Diibia Vexata, p. 943. Loesneri Observ. ad JVov. Testam. e Philone Alexand. p. 204, and Kuinoel. '^ Bishop Marsh's Lectures, part v. p. 85, 86. An engraving of the above noticed coin may be seen in Havercamp's edition of the Thesaurus Mo- rellianvs, in the plate belonging to p. lOG. " Gruteri Corpus hiscripliumim, toni. i. pars ii. p 360, no. 3. edit. Grsevii. Amst. 1707. VOL. II. Note 4. — Part XL It is uncertain on what account the name of Paul is used by St. Luke through the remainder of his narrative instead of SauF. Some have supposed that Paul was the Roman name, given him from his birth, with his Jewish patronymic, Saul. Others, that it was a token of his humility ; the word " Saul" meaning " beloved," or " desir- able ; " and " Paul" denoting " weak," or " little." Others, and it is the most general opinion, that the name Paul was assumed by the Apostle in memory of the conversion of the proconsul Sergius Paulus : — " A primo ecclesise spolio proconsule Sergio Paulo victorise suae trophsea retulit, erexitquc vexillum ut Paulo, ex Saulo vocaretur^." Others, that it was assumed as a name more pleasing to the ears of his audiences among the Gentiles. Note 5.— Part XL ON THE OFnCERS AND MODES OF WORSHIP IN THE SYNAGOGUES. The learned Mr. Biscoe^ observes, that St. Paul, as a Jewish doctor, or teacher, was priv- ileged to teach in the synagogues. We cannot sufficiently admire the manner in which the providence of God ordained that every thing should contribute to the success of the new religion. The whole world was under one gov- ernment, the protection of which ensured tlie common safety of the Jews and Christians under their own laws. When the Jews per- secuted the Christians the Romans did not in- terfere, because they considered, at first, the Christians as a Jewish sect, and probably as very little better than criminals. The divisions between them must have been soon observed by the idolatrous Gentiles, and would naturally excite their curiosity and attention. The Jews had hitherto been united among them- selves, and had met with no opposition from their own nation in the public profession of their religion, till the Christians proclaimed to them, and to the world, the advent of the long-promised Messiah — the abolition of the Mosaic Law, and the establishment of a more perfect dispensation, in which all mankind were alike interested. These novel and impor- tant truths, together with the miracle which the Apostle had so lately wrought, were sufficient to secure to him the regard and consideration of the heatlien, and convince them at least of his superiority and power. For God " ordereth ^ See, on this point, Witsii Melet. Lridcns. p. 47. ^ Jerome, lib. i. ap. Kuinoel. In Lib. Hist. JV. T. Comment, vol. iv. p. 457. 9. v. '' Biscoe 071 the Acts, vol. i. 27L *• * 294* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part XI. all things according to the counsel of his own will." Lightfoot, Vitringa, Grotius, Selden, and many others, have endeavoured to prove from this, and other passages, that the ministers, and the modes of worship, in the primitive Christian Cliurches, were derived from, and were entirely assimilated to, the officers and services in the Jewish synagogues. As the first places of wor- ship among the Christians were either the tem- ple, the synagogues, or the I'megibu, or upper rooms, so frequently mentioned in the Acts, it is by no means improbable that many of their customs would be derived from their former faith and worship ; but it cannot be proved that the Christian Church was the mere transcript of that which preceded it. We have abundant reason to believe, that the modes of worship among the early Christians were, in many respects, totally dissimilar to those of the synagogue. The learned Joseph Mede% as I have shown above, has defended the opinion at great length, that there were churches, ixxXrjalai., properly so called, even in the apostolic age. He con- siders this word to mean churches, or places for worship, from its opposition to olxlai, their own houses. See 1 Cor. xi. 22. The vjTEQaor, or canaculum, on Mount Sion, where the apostles are said to have assembled when the cloven tongues descended upon them, was afterwards enclosed. When it is con- sidered to Avhat a great variety of purposes the " upper rooms," mentioned so often in the Acts of the Apostles, were applied, it appears that the opinion of Mede is most probably correct, that these were the places at first set apart for holy meetings ; and, in process of time, as the multi- tude of believers increased, some wealthy or devout Christian gave his whole house or man- sion, while he lived, if he could do so, or be- queathed it at his death, to the saints, to be set apart for religious uses. After this, as the Church increased, structures were built for regular worship. Mede quotes a passage from Philo, to prove « Mede's Worlcs,hook ii. p. 319. Treatises con- cerning Churches ; that is, appropriate places for Christian worship, both in and ever since the Apostles' times. See also p. 323, fol. edit. " Erant autem ilia privata i ntocaa, loca a Jndaeis semper sac.ris usibus dcstinata, saltern ex quo Daniel pro- phcta ascendisse in coenaculum ad orandiim diee- retur : xul af ^uniMts arfviyiiirat aihui ir tok J'/te- Qcomc xarirarri ' I(r\nvaa\t[ii . ut et Sara filia Raguelis dicitur descendisse ix rov vnsnwnv, ubi oraverat. Unde Judffii sapientes suos appellabant n"' wi* ^J3 flios cfrnaadi. In oo cclebrabant Pascha, Marc. Aiv, 15. Et ipse, vohis demonstrahi.t, aiwyaiov, ccma- cu.liim crrande stratum,. In eo corpora mortuorum lavata prius reponebant, ut de Dorcade Icgimus, Act. i.x. 37. Quam cum lavisscnt, posucrunt ram in canarulo. Unde et Petrum veniontem dicunlur addu.xisse in catnacuhirti. Quare Aposfoli ab as- censione Domini reversi Tlierosolyma, icrtfir,nav n'c rit vnfQwnr, ubi erant perseverantes unanimitur in oratione' et supplicatione. Act. i. 1!5." — Pearson. Lectiones in Acta .tpostol. p. 31 . that the Essenes at Alexandria, who were probably the first Christians at that place, as- sembled for worship in sacred places, called SefiPEia, He reasons also from St. Paul's sal- utations to the Churches in the houses of various believers. These remarks on the places where the early Christians met, will at least prove tliat there was nothing so peculiarly sacred in the syna- gogue, that they should confine themselves to its walls, or be fettered by its institutions. The Jews were required to erect syna- gogues wherever ten men, free and of full age, fSnjI pnin ■'J2, could assemble for worship, whether it was in the towns or villages : but in the city they were always required to be men of leisure, that is, of competence and respecta- bility, a" jSt3 3 mtf^J/'. Vitringa and Lightfoof difl^er on the qualifications of these ten men ; but their opinions on this point do not affect the conclusion, that there is no custom similar to this in the Christian Church ; for in the Gospel it is expressly declared, "Where two or three are met together in His name, He is tliere in the midst of them." The consecration of the synagogues, it is true, was made by prayer — prayer also is used in the consecration of the Christian churches. But this resemblance is too general to entitle us to assert that the Christians, in consecrating their places of worsliip, paid exclusive regard to the service of the synagogue. The accounts of the ancient churches given by Eusebius, further prove to us that the early Christians had regard to the model, or ground plan of the temple at Jerusalem, rather than to the synagogue. With the exception of the pulpit, which was common to both, the difference was remarkable. The synagogue was sur- rounded and filled with benches, all looking to the veil, which enclosed the ark, or chest, Avhere the sacred books were deposited. The upper- most seats of the synagogues fronted the people, and on them were seated the rulers of the sy- nagogue, the rabbis, and the principal men. The Christian churches, on the contrary, were di- vided into three parts. 1. The JVarthex, or anti- temple, where the penitents and catechumens stood; 2. The JVaos, or temple, where the J Liffhtfoot supposes that these ten men were thus divided: Three were the aQ/iowdyvyYot, ■who had the principal management of the synagogue ; one was the Jin? the cpiscopus, or bishop of the synagogue; three wore deacons, who managed the poor. The eighth he will not so confidently affirm, but he believes was the pJIIH, the interpreter. The ninth and tenth were united with another of the congregation, and were the triumvirate which governed the rest. But see on these points Vi- tringa. Jlrchisyvairnirvs, p. 22, «S:c. and Pettit's Ohscrrations. p. 2.'"). " Moderatoribus Synagogorum, minus recte annumerantur. CD'jStO^ mK-'I' decern otiosi, &C. tales aiiteiii non erant, nisi in urbi- bus majoribus." Iken. Autiq. Hehraicce, part i. cap. ix. De Si/nagogis, sec. 9. Note 5.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *295 communicants had their respective places ; and, 3. The Bona, or sanctuary, where the clergy stood to officiate*. Should this description be correct, it demonstrates that the Christians re- jected the innovation of the synagogues, and restored the purer temple model. In the synagogues were laid up not only the sacred books, and the box for alms, but liglits for burning, trumpets and horns for proclaiming fasts, Sabbaths, &c. None of which things ■were admitted into the Christian churches. But while we assert that these customs were excluded, we cannot but acknowledge tliat there is a similarity in some instances, wliich perhaps could not be avoided, as the early worshippers of Christ had been so long under the jurisdiction of the Jewish discipline. But these customs must not be, as they too often are, mistaken for institutions ; for in many instances we find them condemned by the inspired writers. Thus St. James, chap. ii. 3. declaims against the prece- dency which was allowed to the rich, who probably took the upper seats which were granted to the Jewish rulers in the synagogue, &,c. St. James was the apostle of the circum- cision ; the places of worship, therefore, in his district, would be more likely than others to be conducted on the model of the synagogue. The persons in the synagogue, who were in- vested with office and dignity, were first the nDJDn tyxi, the ruler of the synagogue, the (i^/(CTu»'tij'w/os of tlie Gospels. There were several of these in one synagogue. They di- rected its internal economy', gave permission to strangers to preach, and were respectable for age or influence, and decided inferior causes. These offices we find were all divided in the Christian Church. Its civil concerns were managed by the deacons, as is implied in the purposes for which they were originally set apart. So, likewise, no Christian minister could ever give another person permission to preach, unless he had been previously ordained to that office. It is singular to observe how often Vitringa is compelled to acknowledge that his parallel between the ministers of the synagogue, and the first Christian ministers, entirely fails'". The ruler of the synagogue wore a sudm-ium ; * Bingham's Eccles. Antiq. vol. iii. book viii. chap. 3. ' nDJDH n3T |onnj vs hy no jdh tyNi-^-" The rult'r of the synagogue is he by whose voice the business of the synagogue is settled." R- Solomon, In Jinnnt. ad SotcB, cap. vii. sec. 7. ap. Vitringa, Jlrchisynagogus, p. 728. "^ " Ecclesiatamen Christiana primteva, hunc ti- tulum synagogae rehquit. Prtppositos suos non vo- cavit u<)/oi Tcis T/;c fxxXt;alag : sed potius prcsby- teros, episcopos, pastores, duclorcs ; idque ob banc manifestam rationem, quiaecclcsia novi foederis nul- 1am fert «!,)/m , nullum iinperiuin." — De Syniii^. J'cte- re, lib. iii. pars i. cap. 9. p. 728. •' Prseter hunc titu- luin, alius quidom quantum mihi constat, in scrip- tis N. T. non reperitur, qui directe ad proefecturam synagogtE respicit." — Vitringa, £>e .ircldsyn.ap. De Vitringa confesses that he is ignorant whether the Christian minister was ever known to wear it also". His attempts to prove its use in the Christian churches, seem to me to be quite un- successful. Again, the ruler of the synagogue was sometimes called the pastor of the congre- gation ; but he who in this capacity had the power of inflicting stripes, and other corporal punishments, was not exactly such a shepherd as Christ would desire to instruct his flock. The rulers of the synagogues were called by various names, expressive of various degrees of power and honor. They first answered Amen to the prayers — they appointed the reader of the Scriptures — the reciter of the prayers — per- mitted any stranger to preach, a privilege ex- ceedingly useful to the apostles, and who were thus legally permitted to address the Jews before they spoke to the Gentiles. There were many in each congregation according to its magnitude ; they were equal, in the opinion of Vitringa, though not in the opinion of Gro- tius. In short, they seemed to have filled the various and opposite offices of churchwar- den, parish clerk, and justice of the peace ; they were partly civil, partly ecclesiastical ; an union of characters unknown in the Christian church in any period of its iiistory. Yet this is the officer whom Vitringa would assimilate to the principal minister in the Christian church, and Christian congregation. Instead of the divine and simple appointment of bishop, priest, and deacon, he would encumber the primitive Church with all the customs of degen- erated Judaism, and surname them the institu- tions of Christianity : and all this is written in pure zeal for the presbyteral government, in opposition to that of episcopacy. Another officer of the synagogue was the 11D^i* n'Sty, or angel, or messenger of the con- gregation. It was his duty to offer up prayers for the whole congregation. This name has been applied in the Revelations to the heads of the Churches in Asia. It has therefore been inferred by Lightfoot, who wished to assimilate the rites of the Christian Church to those of tlie synagogue, that the name and office of the bishop, or episcopus, were the same as those of the sheliach fzibbor, which he identifies with the chazan. His remarks are fully confuted by Vitringa". Sij7iag. Vetcri. lib. iii. parti, cap. i. p. 611. — " Syrus interpres toij; '^-In/tavvaytoyovQ, apud Lucam vertit per xniyjDT Xu'ii^p ; presbyteros Synagoga;." I have, however, shown that there is no analogy whatever between these and the Christian minister. Vitringa, X)e Sijnag. Vet. lib. iii. ])art viii. cap. l.p 614. " " Episcopi vero an in primis ecclesiis pro unyi- ffviaywycii , more svdaria airitarint, etjo equidem fa- teor me ignorare," &c. For the meaning of the phrase sudaria agitariiit, I must refer the reader to the treatise itself. " De Stjnag. Vetcri, lib. iii. pars ii. cap. 3. p. 909. 296* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part XL The ^)2"!i ^■'St^^ says a learned Hebraist, was, — 1. To be an example and an instructor. 2. To begin the prayers. 3. To recite the prayers before the ark, in ■which the Law was placed in the synagogue. 4. He recited some peculiar prayers. 5. Read the Law, 6. Ordered what was to be done in public worship. 7. After service, directed the priest when to bless the people. 8. And, if the priest was absent, he blessed them himself. 9. Blew the trumpet at the beginning of the new year. 10. Scattered ashes on the fast days. A loud and clear voice — integrity of life — devotion and earnestness — a large family — suit- able age — were required^. The jrn, chazan, is generally supposed to have been of inferior rank ; the same as the inrjQSTijg, who took the book from the reader ; as we are told was done in the case of our Lord, wlien he preached for the first time in the synagogue of Nazareth. He was an attendant only, and does not appear to have been at all analogous to the Christian minister. The C3"D]1£3)Who took charge of the poor, &c. have been already noticed. The next description of officers in the service of the synagogue, were the 0''jpT, or elders. We will yet further inquire what is meant by this word among the Jews, and then what was denoted by its synonym nQsaSvieQot,, among the Christians. It will, I tliink, appear that there is not sufficient analogy between them to war- rant a conclusion that one was a counterpart to the other. Both were distinguished by the same name, as both were considered entitled to deference from their age, authority, rank, and piety. They were so named, because they Avere supposed to possess the influence of age'. Their offices, however, were in all respects dissimilar. The word □'JpT, or presbyter,or elders, among the Jews, was alike used to describe their learned men, the members of the Sanhedrin and tlieir literary men. And as education was universal, and a certain proficiency in their sacred litera- ture was deemed essential to all men of respec- tability, it may be considered as a word appli- cable to eminent men in general, who were not distinguished by some more particular title. The title was likewise extended to those, who for their aknowledged superiority and piety, were known by the name of uD"'nDnn, or "tlie wise men." It also denoted the powerful men, P Schoetgen. Hora HeJiraiae, vol. i. p. 1089. ' Sallust says, the deliberative partoftlie Roman legislature were called fathers — vel atute, vcl ciirtc similitudinc. — See Note 15, Part X. of this Ar- rangement. Matt. xxvi. 3., or the men of influence and authority''. From this general meaning of the word the Sanhedrin was called the Presbytery, Acts xxii. 5. Age was peculiarly honored among the ancient Jews* : and tlie word which ex- pressed seniors, or elders, was consequently used as an appellation of dignity. Such were the significations of the word "elder" among the ancient Jews : we shall see that the word was never used in this very ex- tensive sense to denote those persons who were set apart for the service of the primitive Church. The Christian elders were persons appointed to fulfil certain specific duties, of a very diff'erent kind and nature. They were prophets, evange- lists, teachers, interpreters of tongues ; they had been endued, for the most part, with that great diversity of spiritual gifts, which must have fitted them for the infinitely higher duties than the Jewish elders ever fulfilled, even if they had not been further dedicated to the service of Christ by the laying on of the hands of the apos- tles. As the word presbyter designated the most honorable class among the Jews, it was transferred to the Christians, as the most sig- nificant and appropriate appellation for pious, holy, and gifted men. Their offices were dif- ferent ; their names the same. One custom among Christians is more evi- dently derived from the synagogue. The Jews ordained elders by a triumvirate, or by three elders ; with imposition of hands, prayer, and fasting. In the same manner, three bishops are necessary to consecrate a bishop ; a circum- stance which seems to confirm tiie opinion, that the episcopal polity was established in large towns. Every synagogue was required to have its consistory of twenty-three or twenty-four elders. But a synagogue was to be built wherever only ten men of leisure could be found to form a congregation. Some syna- gogues therefore would not be able to supply the consistory. It appears not improbable, therefore, that tlie consistory would be estab- lished in the principal synagogue of a city, and the smaller synagogues refer their civil and ecclesiastical causes to this tribunal. The apostles followed tliis plan, and ordained in every city those who might ordain others. As the Christian presbyters were endued with miraculous powers, with the gift of tongues and of healing, with the spirit of prophecy, &c., it would be absurd to imagine that they were to form a council in every Church, as assistant lay counsellors to the officiating minister or presbyter. Dr. Ilam- ^ See, on this point, Vitringa, De JVominibus Precfcctorum Sijnagogce it Ecclcsia: — De Syiiag. Veteri, lib. iii. pars i. cap. 1, p. 614. ' Fleury's Manners of the ancient Israelites, by Clarke, p. 162, and Schleusner on the word n^tfo- Note 0.-8,] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *297 mond's liypothesis is more probable than this. He thinks " that the apostles ordained only the two orders of bis!iop and deacon ; of wliom the bitihop was placed in every city, witli power to ordain presbyters under him, as occasion re- quired." When we remember tlie wonderful gifts witii wJiich the early converts were honored — the exceeding dignity attaclied to the word presbyter — and the rapid increase of con- verts in tlie first three centuries, which the Holy Spirit would have foreseen and provided for, it cannot appear impossible, but rather probable, that the apostles ordained both bishops and presbyters, although the distinct and strict meaning of these words was not originally attached to them. The apostles, for instance, set apart Timothy and Titus, with power to ordain elders ; that is, with powers which were granted exclusively to bishops ; but it does not appear that this appel- lation was assigned to either of these eminent disciples. The persons to whom the power of ordaining was committed, did not themselves assume any title, but were indiscriminately called presbyters, bishops, evangelists, or disci- ples. Their office, however, was eminently superior to those to whom the power of ordain- ing had not been committed ; and in the fol- lowing age, after the death of the apostles, they were distinguished by the peculiar appellation of bishop, as the power and authority of the apostles seemed to devolve upon them. At this time an evident distinction was made between bishop and presbyter; and here we clearly trace the three orders of the Christian ministry ; first in the apostles — bishops, or pres- byters, and deacons — and, after the death of the apostles, in bishops, presbyters, and deacons. And as these three orders were so evidently set apart by the Holy Spirit of God for the service of the Christian Church, it is advisable to look for the origin of the Christian priesthood from God, and not from man. It was appointed by the delegated ambassadors of Christ, and not from the customs of the synagogue. The subject is too extensive to be further discussed in a note. The reader wlio has leisure is referred to the laborious and learned volumes of Vitringa, Lightfoot, and Grotius. It is, however, well worthy the attention of the theological student. trymen: and their doctrines seem to be all comprised in this address of St. Paul. He reminds them of the former mercies of God to the family of Abraham, and the prediction that their Messiah should be descended from David ; and asserts that this Messiah was Jesus of Nazareth. He appeals to the well-known fact of the resurrection of Christ from the dead, as the principal evidence of the truth of his decla- ration, and concludes with enforcing that one important truth, in which the whole human race are so immediately interested, that forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed through Him alone; and that Christ alone can justify the Christian, not only from those offences, from which they were typically purified by the ceremonial Law, but from those sins also for which that Law had made no provision. For Ave have now the comfoitable hope that all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men, through the mercy and intercession of Christ, on the condition of sincere repentance, amendment of life, and faith in the great atonement. Note 7.— Part XI. The word in the original ought rather to have been rendered, for forty years " he carried them in his arms, in the wilderness, as a nurse." It is used in a similar sense in the Alexandrian septuagint version, Deut. i. 31., sjQocpocf^Qrjaut as KvQiog, wg el'Tig iQoq)Oq)OQr^aui avOqatTcng tow vlbv uirov. " The Lord thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son," is the translation in the authorized version. For iTgo-ioqii'ioijaep, the common reading which our translators have rendered " He bare their manners," Griesbach would insert iTgo(poep6Qi]aev, as the undoubted reading. He is supported by the authority of Pfafflus, Casaubon, Hammond, Mill, Matthai, Ernesti, Rosenmiiller, and Valckenaer. Ap. Kuinoel, In Lib. Hist. .V. T. Comment, vol. iv. p. 445. See, however, Whitby in loc, who does not consider the alteration necessary ; and interprets the words in the present Greek Vul- gate, m the same manner as if Griesbach's reading had been adopted. He quotes Origen as explaining ^TQ07TOcp6(jrj(jEi', hy uqiioZeodia ah Tioog TO uadereg, "to accommodate himself to the infirmities of children." Note 6.— Part IX. This oration of St. Paul, the last he addressed peculiarly to the former objects of bis patriotic affection, is most worthy the attention of the sons of Israel at present Nothing can be added to tlie arguments which the apostles have addressed in their reported sermons and their invaluable epistles, to their beloved coun- voL. II. *38 Note 8.— Part XL The Apostle seems here to contradict the account in 1 Kings vi. 1. " And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is 298* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part XI the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord." Sir Norton Knatchbull, in his Annotations upon difficult Texts, has considered the various solutions proposed by learned men of the diffi- culty before us ; and concludes, that the words of tlie Apostle should not be understood as meaning- how long God gave them judges, but when he gave them ; and therefore proposes that the first words of this verse, Kal /usjic 7UVTU (hg EiEijv jSTQuxoaloig x«i 7isvri\y.oi>ju, should be referred to the words going before, ver. 17., that is, to the time when the God of the children of Israel chose their fathers. Now this time, wherein God may properly be said to have chosen their fathers, about four hundred and fifty years before he gave them judges, is to be computed from the birth of Isaac, in whom God may properly be said to have chosen their fathers ; for God, who had chosen Abraham out of all the people of the earth, chose Isaac at this time out of the children of Abraham, in whose family the cov- enant was to rest. To make this computation evident, let us observe, that from the birth of Isaac to the birth of Jacob are sixty years ; from thence to their going into Egypt, one hundred and thirty ; from thence to the Exodus, two hundred and ten ; from thence to their entrance into Canaan, forty ; from tliat to the division of the land (about which time it is probable they began to settle their govern- ment by judges), seven years ; which sums make four hundred and forty-seven, viz. GO-f- 130+210-1-40+7=447. And should this be reckoned from the year before the birth of Isaac, when God established his covenant be- tween himself and Abraham, and all his seed after him. Gen. xvii. 19., at which time God properly chose their fathers, then there will be four hundred and forty-eight years, which brings it to within two years of the four hundred and fifty ; which is sufficiently exact to bring it within the Apostle's (bg, " about," or " neai-ly." Some have made the period four hundred and fifty-two years ; which, though two years more than the Apostle's round number, is still sufficiently reconcilable with his qualifying particle wg, " about." And, it may be added, that the most correct writers often express a sum totally, but not exactly. Calmet has paraphrased these passages nearly to the same sense ; the text may be thus con- nected, ver. 19. And having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot, about one hundred and fifty years after. And afterwards lie gave them judges, to the time of Samuel the prophet. The paraphrase of Calmet is the following : — " The God of this people of Israel chose our fatliers in the person of Abraham ; he promised him the land of Canaan, and four hundred and fifty years after this promise, and the birth of Isaac, who was the son and heir of the promise, he put them in possession of that land, which he had promised so long before'." Lightfoot remarks on this passage : — " Amongst the many things that are offered upon this difficulty, I would choose this ; that in this number are reckoned the years of the judges, and the years of those tyrants that oppressed Israel, computing them disjunctly and singly : which, at first sight, any one would think ought to be so reckoned, but that 1 Kings vi. 1. gives a check to a too large computation. " The years of the judges and tyrants, thus distinguished, answer the sum exactly : — Tlie Judges. The Tyrants. Othniel 40 Chushan 8 Ehud 80 Eglon 18 Deborah. .. 40 Sisera 20 Gideon 40 Midian 7 Abimelech.. 3 Ammon 18 Tola 23 The Philistines 40 Jair 22 Jephthah... 6 In all.. Ill Ibsan 7 Elon 10 Abdon 8 Samson ... 20 Eli 40 In all.. 339 So that reckoning three hundred and thirty- nine, and one hundred and eleven together, the sum amounts exactly to four hundred and fifty." vol. ii. p. 689. fol. ed. Note 9.— Part XL The construction of this verse is difficult. The word XQb'avTeg should be taken with TOVTOi', and ixyvoi'iaui'Tsg, with rug cpuivixg. In which case it would run thus — They that dwell at Jerusalem, in condemning Him, not having known the voices of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath day, have fulfilled (the prophecies). But see more on the passage in Knatchbull, Hammond, and the references and discussion in Kuinoel, //; Lib. Hist. JV. T. Com- ment, vol. iv. p. 455. Note 10.— Part XL The sure mercies of David are everlastinfr life, of which the resurrection Avas a pledge, ' Hebrew and Tahniidical Exerc. on the Acts, Lightfoot. vol. viii. p. 4()(3. See Dr. A. Clarke in loc. — Whitby — Doddridsjo — Bowyer's Crit. Conj. and particularly the Critici Sacri on 1 Kings vi. 18. JN'OTE 1 1.-12.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *299 and the blessings of the redemption of Christ an earnest, even in this world. The expression T<k oaiu, "holy," or "just things," is the word used by the LXX in Isa. Iv. 3. and in other places, for the word CD'TDH, " mercies." The covenant wiiich God established with David, 2 Sam. vii. 11, 12., which is explained by Ps. Ixxxix. .3, 4, 28, 29, 3(5., implies that the house of David should never be extinct. It should endure as the days of heaven, and as the sun, to all generations. As far as relates to this earth, his family has long been extinct; the prophecy must tlierofore receive another inter- pretation. Note 11.— Part XI. In this verse there is a great number of various readings; instead of "when the Jews were going out of the synagogue," several manuscripts of great repute, with all the Syriac, the Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Vulgate, and Italian, read, " As they were going out, they entreated that these words should be preached unto them in the course of the week," or the next Sabbath, so that, according to this well- accredited reading, the words ix Trig uvyaywyrig T0»' ' lovSaloif, are left out in the first clause, avrwv being put in their place, and ra. edfij, " the Gentiles," is wholly omitted in the second clause. The most eminent critics approve of this reading ; indeed, it stands on such authority, as to render it almost indubitable. Of the avTWv, " them," which is substituted for the first clause. Professor White says, lectio indubie- gemdna ; this reading is undoubtedly genuine — and of the la Wvi] fie, he says, certissime dc- lenda ; they should certainly be expunged. We are therefore to understand the words thus : that " as they were going out," on the breaking up of tlie assembly, some of them desired tliat they might have these doctrines preached to them on the ensuing week, or Sabbath. Note 12.— Part XI. ON THE SYSTEMS OF CALVIN AND ARMINIUS. "As many as were ordained to eternal life believed." The word reTayfiitoi, here rendered by our translators " ordained," has been more accurately interpreted by Dr. Hammond " dis- posed." The word properly signifies to mar- shal (as for a fight), to constitute, order, appoint, &c. See the very learned note of Dr. Ham- mond in loc. Mr. Scott defends the common translation. Dr. Doddridge selects the word " determined," or " resolved, " to obtain eternal life. Mede translates the word as denoting the Proselytes of the Gate. Limborch and Mains (apud Eisner, Cntici Sacri, vol. xiii. p. 621), would render it " predestined " or " preordained." Eisner would interpret it by " destined," or, " appointed before." Sir Norton Knatchbull would connect the words etc 'C,b}^v with tlie verb, not the participle, and read the passage inlarsvaup, oaoi -fiauv lexay/xhoi, elg ^w?;*' uUitvior, " and as many as were collected together believed in everlasting life." -\p\ which is translated by the LXX, avvdtyo), is rendered by others Tu.nof.uxu as Exod. xxix. 33. This interpretation, Kuinoel justly observes, is imwarranted and unsupported by authority ; neither is ^wi]J' al(bviov ever used to denote tlie Christian doctrine ; nor TTiaTEvsiv sis t^ut^f cMfior, to become a Christian. It is certainly time that the great question which once absorbed all other points of theology, the Aaron's rod of divinity, should be consid- ered in its true light. Prone to extremes, we seem determined to avoid one error by flying to another. The horror with which the Calvinist and Arminian regarded each other, about the time of the Synod of Dort, however ludicrous, in some measure still continues to prevail in existing Christian societies. Both parties are agreed in the same principles, or premises, both err in their conclusions. Both acknowledge that the future must be known to the Deity, and that man must have sufficient possession of the powers of his will to make him an accountable being. If God foresees all things, he must foreknow the eventual destinies of men — further than this we cannot penetrate ; the difficulties that crowd upon us are utterly inexplicable if we permit ourselves to speculate on the sub- ject. We can only arrive at some few very general conclusions, and there we must rest. We may be assured that every man who is ad- mitted into the visible Church on earth will be hereafter received into a future state of happi- ness, unless he wilfully renders himself unfit for it. No man will be condemned to misery because God has decreed it. The truth is, that we call upon our reason to comprehend God, and we are soon bewildered. Our guide is revelation. Our plan of studying that revelation must be to believe in tlie facts recorded, and make those facts the interpreters of the doctrines. We have had Calvinistic systems, and Arminian systems, deduced by forcing passages from their context, and by the most violent perversions of tlie simplest texts, of which the peculiar primary meaning has never once been regarded. The Scripture is appealed to with confidence by both the Pelagian and the Calvinist, and both are confuted from the same book. The formu- laries of the Church of England are appealed to with equal confidence by both classes of re- ligionists ; and nothing, perhaps, can more fully prove the Scriptural nature of its services, than the same result to both of these contending parties. JOO* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part XI All who are received into heaven are elected and predestinated, as it were, by the foreknowl- edge of God, to that end ; and all are received into heaven who accept the Gospel of Christ ; all are enabled to accept it by the same plan of mercy which proposed the system of redemp- tion to mankind. The Gospel is offered to all ; the same grace is promised to all. Those who resist its influences gradually quench the Divine Spirit, while those who are led by it, to them is imparted grace upon grace. Thus the salvation of man proceeds from God, who is the Author of it, and who in his infinite mercy vouchsafes the assistance of his Holy Spirit, and appeals to him by every motive which can affect the will or influence the heart. The atonement of Christ is the condition of our acceptance, and the Spirit of God is the means of our acceptance ; working in us a complete change of nature, sub- duing the flesh with its affections and lusts, till the old man or the inferior nature dies in us, and all things become new, Christ living in us, (Gal. ii. 20.) Thus neither the Calvinist nor the Pelagian can claim Scriptural authority in favor of their tenets, without admitting the de- ductions of his opponent. Both are right in their premises, both are wrong in their conclusions ; because both exclude a great part of truth to favor a preconceived hypothesis. Note 13.— Part XI. It is difficult to ascertain what this language or dialect might have been. Jablonski, who has written a very learned treatise on the subject, reprinted in the thirteenth volume of the Critici Sacri, and more lately in the first number of the new edition of Stephens's Thesaurus, endeavours to prove that it was a Greek dialect, in great measure derived from the Assyrian, and mingled with Syriac. Guhlingius (ap. Kuinoel) wishes to show that it was originally derived from the Greek : but by intermingling with the surround- ing nations, the language, in the course of time, and by negligence, became corrupted, Grotius thinks it was the same as that of the Cappado- cians. — See the treatise of Jablonski, and Kui- noel, In Lib. JV. T. Historicos Comment, vol. iv. p. 482. Note 14.— Part XI. The various particulars of this remarkable narrative ; the opinions of the ancients on the incarnations of their gods ; the reason why Bar- nabas was considered as .Tupitcr, and Paul as Mercury ; the opinion of Clirysostom on the vehement and effectual manner in wliich the people, &c., are discussed at length in two trea- tises of the Critici Sacri, vol. xiii. by Christoph. Frederic. Boerner and Jo. Jacob. Pfizer, to which the reader is referred. Note 15.— Part XI. It is probable that the Jews persuaded the people that the apostles were magicians. The account which Mr. Faber has given in his valuable treatise On the Origin of Idolatry, of the rise of the superstition here alluded to, is confirmed by all the researches I have been able to make. Note 16.— Part XL The original is xeiQOTOvriauvrsg de aizolg ngeaSvTigovg xar' ixxh/alar. The word x^iQO- Toviu), literally interpreted, signifies " to stretch forth the hand;" and it was used to denote the action by which the ancient Greeks, in their military councils, expressed their approba- tion or disapprobation. Thus we read in Xeno- phon, Anab. lib. iii. 3, 22, xal or© SoxbI xavia dvuTSti'drut ri^^v %hqoi. ^AviTSivov unavieg — From this signification of the word it was after- wards used, as in this passage, in the derived sense, " to appoint, constitute, or ordain." — See Dr. Hammond's learned and conclusive note on this subject. Hesychius, ap. Scloleusner, renders the word in this sense x^igoTove^y Kadtaiav. iprjcplaeiv : and Suidas interprets XeiQOTOv/iaavTeg, by the synonym i)i)^e^(xf.iei'oi. See also Wetstein, JV. T. tom. ii. p. 198. Note 17.— Part XL This verse is not to be read parenthetically, but as a continuation of the declaration of St. Paul and Barnabas — "They declared what great things God had done to them ; but (said they) there have risen up some of the sect of the Pharisees who have professed their faith in Jesus," &-C. Beza was probably the first who observed tliis ; and his ancient manuscript gives a hint of it. Nothing, says Markland (ap. Bow- yer) is more certain. At the end of verse 4, afler /ubt' uii&r, put only a comma. Note 18.— Part XL ON the time of the council of JERUSALEM. In Gal. ii. 11, 12, &c. we read that Peter apostles repressed the intended homage of these was reproved by Paul for consenting, at the Note 19.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. * 301 instigation of the Judaizing converts, to press upon the Gentiles the observance of the cere- monial Law. Doddridge would place this occurrence after the present council of Jerusalem ; Dr. Hales, relying on the ingenious remark of Basnage, before that event. Peter (says Basnage) would in all probability have opposed every attempt to establish the works of the Law among the idolatrous Gentiles, if the present apostolic decree had been then enacted. In this point of view the speech of Peter on this occasion may be considered as a noble retraction of his former conduct. It is probable that St. Peter came to Antioch from Rome, Antioch being peculiarly under Roman protection. The general tradition is, that St. Peter was bishop of Antioch seven years. The efforts of the false brethren (Gal. ii. 4.) "who endeavoured to persuade the faithful of the Gentiles, that unless they were circumcised they could not be saved, occasioned the council of Jerusalem, to which St. Paul and Barnabas were sent. (Gal. ii. 1.) Titus accompanied them. (Gal. ii. \.) We have reason for think- ing that tliey took him with them in the room of John, surnamed Mark (Acts xiii. 13.), whom they had left in Pamphylia. This third voyage of St. Paul to Jerusalem (Acts XV. 4.) is placed about tlie forty-ninth year of Christ, and ninth of Claudius ; it being evidently the voyage of which the Apostle speaks (Gal. ii. 1.), " fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem." The epocha of fourteen years being dated from his conversion. This " fundamental date," as Dr. Hales very justly calls it, has been adopted by Petavius, Pearson, Barrington, Lardner, Paley, Michaelis, Hales, and the great majority of commentators. All of wliom unite in referring the apostolic council to the year 49, It has, however, been much disputed, upon the grounds of the ambiguity of the original expression, — eneiju diu dsxuTeaauQMv irwf TTuliv ui'iStji' ffc 'legoadi-v/iKt, Gal. ii. 1. It has been contended that these " fourteen years " are rather to be counted from Paul's visit to Jerusalem, three years after his conver- sion, A.D. 35+.3=A.D. 38 (Gal. i. ]8.), which would give the date of the council, A.D. 38-|- 14=A. D, 5'i, three years later. And this has been adopted by Jerome, Usher, and others, and A. D. 51, by the Bible Chronology. But it is more natural to refer them to the fundamental date of his conversion ; especially as another ETieiTa intervenes (Gal. i. 21.), to break the connexion with the first visit to Jeru- salem, (Gal. i. 18.) Lardner observes, that the expression didi, signifies " about," or " during," and that the fourteen years are current, not complete. If so, the date of the council should be A.D. 35-|-13 =A.D. 48, which, perhaps, is rather more correct. VOL. II. But Paley doubts whether the visit to Jerusa- lem might not have been different from that at the time of the council, from the following dif- ferences in the circumstances of both, [HortB PaulintB, p. 195-207.) 1. Titus is mentioned as accompanying Paul and Barnabas, in the Epistle, but not in the Acts. But Titus is plainly included in the definite expression of their attendants, and " certain other of them," (Acts xv. 2.) The name of Titus is nowhere found in the Acts. 2. Paul is said to have gone up to Jerusalem by revelation (Gal. ii. 2.), whereas he is repre- sented as deputed by the Church of Antioch in the Acts. Both these accounts are consistent ; thus Peter was sent for by Cornelius, but the Holy Spirit directed him to go with the messengers, (Acts X. 20.) 3. Paul communicated his Gospel to the Gentiles, " privately to them which were of reputation," or the pillars of the Church, Peter, James, and John (Gal. ii. 2-9.), for which there seemed to be no occasion, since this formed the subject of his public mission, (Acts xv. 4.) But Paul's particular mission, as an extraor- dinary apostle to the remote Gentiles, Acts xxii. 21. {f/axQ&f i^anoGtelib), would have been offensive to the mother Church in general. The public avowal of it afterwards, at Jeru- salem, occasioned great offence to the Jew- ish zealots, and much persecution to the Apostle, (Acts xxii. 22., &c. and xxvi. 21.) 4. The last and chief difficulty is, that in the Epistle no notice is taken of tlie deliberation and decree of the council of Jerusalem, which formed the business for the sake of which they were sent thither from Antioch. But Paley himself has furnished satisfactory answers to tliis : — 1. It was not agreeable to St. Paul's manner to defer much to the authority of the apostles, with the chief of whom he reckoned himself equal ; as receiving his commission not from man, but immediately from Christ himself, (Gal. i. 1.) 2. The authority of the council of Jerusalem would have little weight with the Gentile Gala- tians. He, therefore, argues the point with them upon principle. 3. The decree did not go the length of the Epistle, for the latter abrogated the Mosaic institution, even to the JeAvs themselves, in the case of justification by faith. — See Hales's j^nal. of Chron. vol. ii. part ii. p. 1110. Note 19.— Part XI. This quotation seems to be taken from the LXX's version of Amos ix. 11, 12., which reads, 302* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part XL "the residue of mix," or " Edom," wMch latter word is used to this day by the Jews, as a convertible term with a IN, to express the pagan, heathen, or Gentile world. Many refer- ences to prove this point might be selected from the Jewish prayers which are now used in their synagogues. Note 20.— Part XL ON THE APOSTOLIC DECREE RESPECTING BLOOD, &C. To eat things offered to idols was a Gentile rite". To eat the flesh of animals, without pouring off the blood, and to partake of the blood, were also common observances". The expression, nfixior xQtus, alludes to the manner in which the Gentiles prepared their food. They were accustomed either to enclose the carcase of the lamb, or animal, in an oven, or vessel, and dress it in its own vapor or steam ; or otherwise so to kill it, that the blood should not be shed, but remain in it. They were sometimes (Cic. pro Mursena) accustomed to kill fowls by suffocation. With respect to the last command, it is evi- dent that offences of this kind were regarded as of no consequence among the heathen. I interpret the word ttoovbIu, with our translators of the Bible, not thinking it worth while to consider here Michaelis's criticism on the passage. The writer who has paid more attention to this subject during the last century than any other, is Lord Barrington, who supposes that the decree was made for the Proselytes of the Gate alone : that is, as we have already ob- served, for those Gentiles by birth, who quitted the heathen idolatry, but did not fully embrace the Jewish religion ; and who, on account of their forsaking paganism, and abstaining from the four things here mentioned, were permitted to dwell in Palestine, and had several civil privileges allowed them, with liberty to join in all acts of worship in use before the Law, on condition only tliat they conformed to the laws of society, and tliose laws here enjoined. In the fourth essay of the Miscellanea Sacra, Lord Barrington endeavours to prove that the decree was not binding upon any but Christians, who had been Proselytes of tlie Gate, and to them only, while the Jewish polity lasted ; and therefore it abridges no other Gentile Christians " See Homer, Odyss. F 473, and N 2(5. Viro-. Ed. 3. 77, A:c. " 1 lorn. Odyss. 18. v. 25. — Schootgen. flora: llchr. vol. i. p. 4()1, quotes — Apicius, De Arte. Coqiiin. 1. viii. c. 8. — See, too, Tacit. Annal. xW. 47. The instance of Catiline's practical allusion to customs of this nature is well known of the liberty which the Gospel intended to give. By things offered to idols, which are pro- hibited in the first article, he understands any meat or drink offered to an image or idol, but especially such as had been offered in the idol's temple. By blood is meant the blood separated from the flesh, which was generally done with the greater beasts, and either drunk by itself, or mixed with other liquors, or flour, or spice, &c. By the third proposition is understood crea- tures strangled or suffocated, with design to keep the blood in them, in order to be eaten ; which was generally done in fowls, birds, and game : and I imagine every animal was under- stood to be strangled, which was not slain in such a manner as to have its blood " poured out," (Levit. xvii. 13.) And by the last article Lord Barrington understands uncleanness of every kind, the abominations practised by the heathen in their worship to their idols. That these things are forbidden to the Prose- lytes of the Gate will appear from the 17th and 18th chapters of Leviticus. The address of the letter is not to all Gen- tiles indiscriminately, but to the Gentiles which are turned unto God in Antioch, S3n-ia, and Cilicia. The direction would probably have included the Gentiles also in Pamphylia, Pisidia, &c. had they not been brethren of another sort, and that the decree did not concern them. St. Paul delivered the decree to the Churches in Lystra and Derbe, to be kept by them : but though it was intended as a general rule for Proselytes of the Gate, wherever they might happen to be scattered abroad, yet it Avas only addressed to the bretliren in Syria and Cilicia. But Lord Barrington supposes that there is a transposi- tion, and that the 5th and (3th verses of the ICtli chapter should be added to the end of the 15th ; being thus read, the order of narration will appear more proper. However, even if this is not the case, and the decree were addressed to all the Gentiles, it is extraordinary tliat it was not carried farther on to Rome, Greece, &c. Why arc these things forbidden, he observes, more than eating swine's flesh, or other unclean things, but because they were forbidden to the Proselytes of the Gate ? even the order of the decree is the same as the prohibition in Leviti- cus, and it is not the order in which they are mentioned by St. James. Why forbid to the Gentile converts at Antioch what was allowed to the Corinthians .5 (1 Cor. x. 25, 27, 81. vii. 10, 28.) Tims it is evident that all Gentile Chris- tians are not bound to observe the decree, and therefore it is not probable that it should be more necessary for the Gentiles of Antioch than tiiose of Corinth. As Christ's kingdom is nfit of this world, his Note 20.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *303 doctrine and laws make no diiference in civil regulations. He that is subject to heathen powers must be so still. He that is married must not seek to be loosed. Christian parents must love heathen children. Christian children must obey heathen parents, &c. Also (1 Cor. vii. 18, 20.) the principal character of the Chris- tian religion is an entire freedom to comply with all customs in which there is no moral turpitude. In tliis the decree agrees, for it is only a list of abstinences that Avere enjoined on Proselytes of tlie Gate, in virtue of the obe- dience they owed to the civil law of Palestine. St. Paul, so far from enjoining these absti- nences to the idolatrous Gentiles, expressly declares tliat nothing is unclean of itself (Rom. xiv. 14, 20. Tit. i. 1.5. 1 Cor. x. 25, 27.); and no where, in any Epistle to the idolatrous Gentiles, does he insist upon or even mention the decree : indeed, his argument (Gal. v. 2.) expressly forbids a compliance with the Jewish customs. His reasoning is, that if a Gentile considered circumcision to be necessary to salvation, he laid a weight upon an obedience to the Law of Moses, which was in effect renouncing the mediation of Christ, and seeking to be justified by an observance of that Law by which " no flesh living could be justified." A Jew might be circumcised, and obey all the Laws of Moses, and yet not renounce Christianity ; indeed, St. Paul bids the Jews continue Jews ; that is, obey the laws of their country as the laws of their country, but not seek justification from an observance of them. If this hypothesis be true, the authority of this decree only lasted as a civil regulation, while the Jewish polity lasted, and therefore the advice founded upon it must cease with the existence of tlie Jewish nation, and, indeed, never could have been addressed to tlie idolatrous Gentiles. Origen (continues Lord Barrington) was of opinion that the four prohibitions contained in the decree were particularly addressed to Prose- lytes of the Gate, though he imagined the decree itself to be addressed to all Christians. The reason why these things were forbidden to the Proselytes of the Gate was, that they were at that time the chief enticements to and concomitants of idolatry. And as renouncing idolatry was the only reason why any one should desire to become a proselyte, and the only reason the Jews should grant it (as an idolater being guilty of high treason under a theocracy ivas not to be sufiered to live), Moses expressly forbad those things which accom- panied idolatry, and were likely to tempt them to a commission of the crime. That the decree only related to the Prose- lytes of the Gate is attempted to be proved by many other considerations, to which the reader is referred. Lord Barrington further considers the Church at Antioch to have been at first desicjned bv God, in his Providence, and continued all along as a Church made up of Proselytes of the Gate, to prepare Paul and Barnabas for preaching to the idolatrous Gentiles ; and the Jewish Chris- tians for receiving the news of whole churches being composed of those who had been idol- atrous Gentiles ; and to be in some sort, if I may so express it, the mother Church of the idolatrous Gentiles, as Jerusalem was of the Jews. For as the apostles and apostolic men were sent from the Church at Jerusalem to convert Jews, Samaritans, and Proselytes of the Gate, to which, afterwards, they returned to give an account of their success ; so Avere the Apostles Barnabas and Saul sent on their first peregrination by the Church at Antioch, to convert the idolatrous Gentiles to the faith (Acts xiii. 2, 3, 5.), and return thither at the end of it, and "rehearse all that God had done with them." (Acts xiv. 26, 27.) Moreover it is to be observed, that Paul set out from Antioch on his second and third peregrination (Actsxv. 22.), and perhaps Barnabas and Mark did so likewise, (Acts xv. 39.) It is also highly prob- able, that after his first imprisonment at Rome, when he went up to Jerusalem, he might from thence go again to Antioch, as his custom was every other time he went up to Jerusalem after his becoming an apostle ; in which case we have grounds for inferring tliat he set out again from that place on his fifth journey which he undertook as we learn from other passages of Scripture ; though St. Luke does not carry the history of St Paul so far. Before having written tliis note, from the un- assisted study of Scripture, I had come to the same conclusion, in opposition to those who Avould refer the Apostle's journeyings from Jerusalem. Antioch was a city extremely well suited to these desiofns of Providence. It was situated in Syria, a country that was thought by the Jews to be of a sort of middle nature, between the holiness thev ascribed to Palestine, and tlie pollution of other countries ; and like the Pros- elytes of the Gate, being neither lioly nor pro- fane", it became consequently a region fit for a great Church of the Proselytes of the Gate converted to the faith. If this should be al- lowed, it accounts for the rise of the question — For it does not seem probable tliat Jews should require heathen Gentiles, who had never dwelt or sojourned in Palestine, to be bound by Moses' Law — which they considered as obliga- tory only on themselves, or on tliose who Avould become Jews. And, indeed, I have some doubt whether at any time the zealots insisted on the necessity of tlie idolatrous Gentiles observing the Laws of Moses, as they did in relation to the Proselytes of the Gate. Tliis hypothesis agrees with Peter's argument, which is entirely taken from the case of Cornelius, from which " See Reland's Sacred Jlntiquides of the Hebrews. 304* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part XI. he deduces that as the Holy Ghost was given to this devout proselyte, on the observance only of these four precepts, and not of any of tlie other Laws of Moses ; in like manner the same conditions, and no others, should be required of the Proselytes of the Gate, who had been con- verted to Christianity at Antioch. There was a famous Jewish university at Antioch, and we learn both from Josephus^, and the Roman laws^, that it was full of Jews, and of Pros- elytes of tlie Gate, who were always numer- ous where there were many Jews, and com- prehended generally most of the well-disposed Gentiles, who did not go entirely over to the Jewish religion. The Proselytes of the Gate at Antioch had been first converted to Chris- tianity by the men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who were among those dispersed at the first perse- cution that ensued upon Stephen's martyrdom, and are called Grecians, which should be rather rendered Gentiles, reading 'Ellijvag, and not ' E}.}.TjviaT(iQ. And that they were devout Gen- tiles is further evident from the phrase, that, on the preaching of the men of Cyprus and Cyrene, they are said " to turn unto the Lord," they having been turned unto God already. However correct and ingenious this system of Lord Barrington may be, and the opinion of the majority of commentators, who justly sup- pose that the abstaining from the four things was made to conciliate the Jews to their newly- adopted brethren of the Gentiles ; it appears to me highly probable that a more spiritual mean- ing also may have been intended in the pro- hibition. It may be tliat the Apostle had a higher object in view, by instituting these four laws for their Gentile converts, and that these enactments contain a complete summary of Christian doctrine and practice. The prohibition against idolatry does not seem to me to have been designed merely to for- bid the offering of idolatrous worship to images of wood and stone ; but to condemn also the induljrence of those vices which were sane- tioned by the heathens, who had appointed a god or a goddess as the presiding patron of every vice. The prohibition to eat the blood of the animal that was permitted to be used for food, might have been designed not only against luxury, as Delaney imagines ; nor to prevent certain idolatrous practices, as Spencer and Young have represented. It is well known, that the blood of the animal that was to be offered in sacrifice, and afterwards eaten by the worshipper, was poured out at the altar ; so was it necessary that he who would approach to God with acceptance, must sacrifice the in- ferior and animal nature, and offer unto God a spiritual homage. The blood aptly typified " De Bell. Judaic, lib. vii. cap. iii. sect. 3. " Grotius in proleg. ad Luc. also that Divine Sacrifice, whose blood was poured out, and who gave his life as a sacrifice for many ; and thus the meaning of the prohibi- tion to abstain from blood would be, " Remem- ber Him who shed his blood for you ; and die unto the world, with its affections and lusts, drawing near to God with a pure and contrite heart." The abstaining from things strangled might have had a similar meaning. In these the blood was not poured out, and the sacrifice could not be accepted. This still declared, that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin — that the sacrifice of flesh is required of all of us that we may become new creatures. The last command to abstain from impurity requires no observation. I am confirmed in this view of the meaning of the apostolic decree, by the consideration that all the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic Law had a spiritual as well as a typical signi- fication. They were designed to keep the Jews as a distinct people, and to serve as a wall or partition between the Gentiles and themselves ; but they all afforded, likewise, a moral instruction, and thus became the school- master to bring them to the Christ, who was to come : in the same way these enactments might have been formed to enforce the remem- brance of that Messiah who had now appeared, and Avas exalted to the right hand of God. It cannot be necessary to stop here to refute the conjecture of Bentley, that instead of noQ- vduQ in this passage, we should read xotQ^lu?, as this emendation is unsupported by the author- ity of any manuscript. Neither does the inter- pretation of the word nograiu, by Michaehs, who refers it to flesh offered to idols, and sold in the shambles, appear worthy of farther notice. Dr. Delaney has endeavoured to prove that the prohibition to eat blood is still binding upon the Churches of Christ ; and Dr. A. Clarke has embraced his opinion. I cannot say their rea- soning appears to be conclusive. The argu- ments of Dr. Hammond, Dean Graves, and others, appear much more supported — tliat the prohibi- tion has ceased upon this principle, that laws are no longer binding, when the reasons for their enactment cease to exist. If at some future day, when it shall please God to bring about the accomplishment of his prophecies, and receive the Jews into his Church again, the eating of blood and of things strangled shall prove a stumblingblock to the converts, it will then, perhaps, and not before that time, become the duty of Clu-istians to obey the decree of the apostohc council. Grotius* asserts that the converts were ^ In the treatise, De Sanguine ct Siiffocato, of J. Geo. Dorschaius, ap. Crilici Sacri, vol. -xiii. p. 451 -400. Spencer, De Legibus Hcl/r(CorHm.—De\a.ney's VF. 91.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *305 bound to abstain from blood, because it was so ordained to all tlie sons of Noah. He quotes from Tertullian, that the Emperor Leo con- sidered it unwholesome, and prohibited it by an edict. He further argues, that the observance of a command so easy was not liable to the charge of superstition, and that the eating blood made men fierce and savage. He then endeavou rs to prove that the Christians were not commanded to abstain from blood, merely lest the Jews should be offended, which he would prove from the fact, that the converts abstained from blood, where no Jews were present, a circumstance which rests upon the authority of Eusebius and Tertullian. Grotius proceeds to demonstrate this point from the apostolical constitutions. DorschcEUS replies to these assertions, that the precepts of Noah obliged only the Proselytes of the Gate — that it is even doubtful if these precepts are otlier than a rabbinical tradition — it is doubtful if all the precepts of Adam and Noah were binding on mankind in general. He asserts, it is not true that Christ took nothing from the precepts of Adam and Noah, and only added to them new precepts. He then invalidates the authority of Tertullian, and the Emperor Leo ; and in reply to tlie two last observes, that the facility of obedience is no criterion of the reasonableness of a command, and ridicules the opinion that eating blood in a state prepared by cookery can be injurious. Dorschffius then attempts to show that it was by no means an universal opinion among Chris- tians, that they were to abstain from blood, and refuses to depend on arguments drawn exclu- sively from the apostolical constitutions. Witsius has shown, in his discussion on the council at Jerusalem, that the more reflecting Jews believed that the pious among the heathen mio-ht be saved without circumcision. And he observes, that the discussion at the council of Jerusalem does not weaken the claim of the apostles to inspiration. They were unanimous, but it was necessary to satisfy tlie consciences of their converts. Note 21.— Part XL ON THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS, TITLES, AND OF- FICES, IN THE CHURCH OF ANTIOCH. The Part of this Arrangement of the New Testament, which we have now concluded, con- tains an account of the first preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles by St. Paul, wlio was Treatise in Revelation eramined %cith Candor. — Young's Rdigion designed to prevent Svperstitioii, 2 vols. Svo— Barring-ton's Miscellanea Sacra. — Witsius, De Vitd Pauli Melctem. Leidens. cap. iv. sect. iv. and vi. VOL. 11. *39 miraculously elected from his brethren for that particular purpose. In the former stages of the infant Churcli, we have hitherto found that an authority was exercised by one instructor over another, and that the higher order possessed powers which were not enjoyed by the lower. The Gentile Churches were principally founded by the Apostle St. Paul ; and the question therefore respecting the constitution of these Churches divides itself into several branches, first, whether any or what control was exercised by the Apostle himself over the Churches in general under his jurisdiction ; and, secondly, whether there are any proofs that he delegated to others the powers he had himself exerted. These points appear to be at once decided by two passages of Scripture, the one in Acts xiv. 23., where we read that the apostles Barnabas and Saul ordained them elders in every Church ; and the otiier in Titus i. 5., where St, Paul tells Titus — " I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee ; " and he then proceeds to descant on the necessary qualifications of him, on whom the honor of ordination should be conferred. The Church at this time was one society, and it was subject throughout to tlie superintendence of the apostles. The apostles at Jerusalem till this time took care to superintend all the converts : they com- missioned Barnabas to go as far as Antioch, where the greatest number of proselytes was assembled. He obeyed, and visited the several Churches as far as Antioch, and confirmed the converts in their faith. The account of his mission is so briefly related, that we are in- formed only in the most general terms of the manner in which he exerted his autliority. But tiiis instance proves that the apostles possessed tlie right of superintendence over the Churches out of Judaea, as well as those in their own country, or they could have had no authority to send one of tlieir number to the Church of Antioch. The title "Prophets," which is given in this passage to Judas and Silas, and is applied to a class of teachers inferior to the apostles, nat- urally leads us to inquire concerning the nature of the gifts that were imparted to the Church at this time, as well as tlie consequent gradations in tlie ministry which those gifts were intended to produce. Even m the bestowment of these holy gifts an order and distinction was observed, which clearly points out a distinct gradation of rank in eccle- siastical government. We will begin with the apostles, who were distinguished above all the others by the most excellent gifts and powers : next to whom were placed the prophets, who Avere inspired men, foretold future events, and were also preachers of the Gospel : while others, from the portion of grace they had received, necessarily were considered of subordinate rank. 306* NOTES ON THE ACTS, [Part XI There is ever an harmonious uniformity in the plans of Providence enforcing the same divine truths. " As at the first setthng of the Church of Israel in tlie wilderness," says tlie deeply-learned Lightfoot, " so it was in the first settling of the Gospel. The first fatliers of the Sanhedrin in the wilderness were endued with divine gifts, such as we are speaking of; but when tliat gen- eration was expired, those that were to succeed in that function and employment were such as were qualified for it by education, study, and parts acquired. So was it with this first age of the Gospel and tlie ages succeeding. At the first dispersing of the Gospel, it was absolutely needful that the first planters should be fur- nished with such extraordinary gifts, or else it was not possible it should be planted, as may appear by a plain instance — Paul comes to a place where tlie Gospel had never come : he stays a month or two and begets a Church ; and then he is to go liis way and to leave them. Who now in this Church is fit to be their min- ister ? they being all alike but very children in the Gospel : but Paul is directed by the Holy Ghost to lay his hands upon such and such of them ; and that bestows upon them the gift of tongues and prophesying ; and now they are able to be ministers, and to teach the congre- gation. But after that generation, when the Gospel was settled in all the world, and com- mitted to writing, and written to be read and studied, then was study of the Scriptures the way to enable men to unfold the Scriptures, and fit them to be ministers to instruct otliers ; and revelations and inspirations neither needful nor safe to be looked after, nor hopeful to be attained unto. And this was the reason why Paul, coming but newly out of Ephesus and Crete, when he could have ordained and qualified ministers with abilities by the imposition of his hands, would not do it, but left Timothy and Titus to ordain, though they could not bestow these gifts ; because he knew the way that the Lord had appointed ministers thenceforward to be enabled for the ministry, not by extraordinary infusions of the Spirit, but by serious study of the Scriptures ; not by a miraculous but by an ordinary ordination." 1. The apostles, then, were expressly chosen and appointed by our Lord himself, Johnxvii. 18. XX- 21. Acts i. 24, 25. 2. They had all seen Christ in the flesh. aiiiOTiTin (Acts i. 8.), and so became witnesses of his resurrection, 1 Cor. xv. 5, 7. 3. They were personally instructed by our Lord, Luke xxiv. 45. John xx. 22. Acts ix. 4, &.c. 4. They were infallible in their teaching, John xiv. 20. and xvi. 13. Luke xii. 11, 12, Matt. X. 19, 20. 5. They were the common instructors of the world. Matt, xxviii. 19. Mark xvi. 15. 6. They had the poAver of imparting to otliers the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Acts vi. 6. and viii. 15, 17. 7. They were endowed with miraculous powers. Matt. x. 1. Acts iii. 6. 8. They had miraculous power to punish of- fenders, Acts v. 8, 9. 9. Their wonderful success in their ministry was miraculous. Acts xi, 14, &c. In all these respects St Paul was equal to either of the apostles. 1. He was called by Christ himself, Gal. i. 1. 2. He saw Christ, 1 Cor. ix. 1. 3. Was taught by Christ, Gal. i. 12. 4. Was infaUible, 2 Cor. xiii. 3. 1 Thess. ii 13. and iv. 8. 5. Teacher of the world, Acts xiv. 27. 1 Tim. ii. 7. 6. Imparted the Spirit, Acts xix. 6. 1 Tim. iv. 14. 7. Miraculous powers. Acts xix. 11, 12. and xxii. 9. 8. Power to inflict punishment, 2 Cor. x. 8. Acts xiii. 11. 9. And no apostle was more successful in his ministry. Acts xxvi. 20, 22. 1 Thess. i. 5, &c. Rom. XV. 17-19. It is exceedingly difficult to define with ac- curacy the precise powers of the miraculous gifts, and the exact titles of the ministers who were severally endowed with them, and the functions which they individually performed in the Church. Grotius, Vitringa, Lightfoot, and many others of the most learned, have discussed the subject, and have come to different conclu- sions. The principal theologian of later days, who has written on this part of the sacred nar- rative, is Lord Barrington, with whom Dr. Hales, with the exception of some trifling differences of opinion, is generally agreed. The former has arranged the gifts of the Spirit, the offices of those persons on whom they were confirmed, and their different titles, in the fol- lowing manner : — Note 21.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *307 TABLE. Ver. 28. The possessors of which he re- spectively appointed 1. Juyog aoffiiag"', the word of 1. Uqwrov a/ioarulovg, apostles, wisdom. 1 Cor. xii. ver. 8, 9, 10. To one is ijiven Ver. 29, 30. They are repeated with some variation, are all 1. 'AnonxoXoi, apostles. 2. Joyo? yvticrtws*, the word of knowledge. 2. JsvTtQuv TiQOipijrag, prophets. 2. IlQo(fijrai, prophets ; that is, such prophets as were at the same time apostles. 3. niaxii', faith. 3. Tq'nov iiduaxalovg, teachers. 3. /iiSaaxai.01, teachers. 4. XaQtafiara ^auartuv, the gifts of healing'*. 4. "' Enitia Svvu^tig, miracles. 4. JvvufLttg, workers of miracles. 5. 'Et'CQYi'iuara, Swutietav, work- ing of miracles*. 5. Elra xaQ'Ofiara Lttuarwr, heal- ing. 5. XaQlo/iiaTa iafiur tor, healing. 6. ITooiprirsia^, prophecy. 6. 'AvriXi'/tpsig'^, helps. 7. Jtaxoiaiig nrtv^uraiv^ , dis- 7. Kv^egvi'iOttg*, govern- cerning of spirits. ments. 8. riiti y^.tijodwr, divers kinds of tongues. 9. ' Eiiiitjrfiuc yAuxJTfo), the in- terpretation of tongues. \ 8. rh I to »; Y^i^oocov^, diversities of tongues. 6. rXwoaaig XaXovrrtg^, speak- ers of tongues. 7. JtiQfitjvsvovTfg, interpreters. " That Xuyoc oo<p'iag signifies the knowledge that was the peculiar gift of an apostle, see the second Essay in the Miscellanea Sacra. '> That Xiiyog yvwaiujg signifies the knowledge peculiar to the highest rank of prophets, see the second Essay. "^ By nlarig, Mr. Locke here understands such a full persuasion of the truths which the teacher tauoht, as enabled him to speak with the assurance and authority that became a teacher or a doctor, (jjocke in loc.) ; and that faith stands for a firm persuasion or assurance may be seen in many other places; see 1 Cor. xiii. 2. Matt. xvii. 20. Mark iv. 4U. Luke xvii. G. Rom. xiv. 22, 23. James v. 15. << Gifts of healing, ver. 30., may signify the gifts that were beneficial to men's bodies, as teaching was to their minds ; and might, perhaps, be exer- cised on the illuminating prayer of faith. The reason of the gift of healing being given may have been — 1. That it had been sometimes given to prophets under the Old Testament. 2. That it was beneficial. 3. That it was necessary to cure the distemper inflicted by the power of the apostles in the exercise of discipline in the Church. * Working of miracles being distinguished here from the gifts of healing, may signify something that implies a greater power ; as raising the dead ; laying storms ; turnino- water into wine ; feeding iiuiltitudes with a small ijuantity of provisions, &c. These two gifts are evidently transposed in the three lists. / By nQocfrjTelu here may be understood, that lower sort of prophecy, of which St. Paul chiefly treats (I Cor. xiv.), and which Lord Barrington considers as branched out into lower revelations, exhorting, praying, and singing in the Spirit. Tliough I apprehend the same word, nnmely, nqinfiitiia, Rom. xii. (>. and Eph. iv. 11., means the higher sort of prophecy, as it stands there before the gift of teaching ; whereas here it is placed after it. ^ As prophecy takes in lower revelations, ex- hortation, praying, and singing in the Spirit ; so, perhaps, Snxxtnong rtmiuawy may signify the particular gift which those had who were most able to judge, whetlier those several performances proceeded from the Spirit or no ; see 1 Cor. xiv. 29. where the "Apostle says, " Let the prophets speak, two or three at a time, and let the others judge," (or discern), ^luxpotTuKTuv. Where judg- ing, or discerning, follows prophesying, as Siaxqiang nrivfiuTwv follows 77yo(p;Tf(o: here ; see also 1 Cor. ii. 15. where the spiritual man is said to judge, or discern, even the things revealed by the higher prophets. '' 'Ai'TiXi'iXf'tig in the second list (helps) may answer to prophecy ; inasmuch as those who had the gift of lower prophecy were the persons that chiefly assisted, or helped the Christians in the public devotions. ' Kv^fijyilristg stands here, as I suppose, for dis- cerners, or triers of spirits. * Perhaps the apostle makes yirr; y).u^ao<7,v, in the second list, answer both to tongues and to the interpretation of tongues in the first. ' And perhaps y^.wrtaaic ^ct^SoOiTfc, in the third list, may comprehend prophec}', discernment of spirits, and the gift of tongues in the first list ; in- asmuch as these were generally the subjects those spoke of who had the gift of tongues. For we may always observe, throughout the history of the Acts, that those who had the gift of tongues prophesied, or spoke, the wonderful things of God, or magnified God : and St. Paul, in the fourteenth chapter, seems to intimate, that at least many of those who had the gift of tongues, could prophesy, in the sense I have explained it ; because he bids them prophesy rather than use the gift of tongues. St. Mark uses the gift of tongues even in something a larger sense than this ; and puts it for all the illumination which was ever uttered hj the gift of tongues (Mark xvi. 17.). as is plain from his not mentioning any other gift of illumination there. St. Paul places this gift last, except the interpreta- tion of tongues, because it was of the least use and benefit in the Church, 1 Cor. xiv. 19-23., and in order to beat down the folly of the Corinthians, who prided themselves so extravagantly in it. 308* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part XI. Dr. Hales objects, in this arrangement of Spirit nearly in the same manner as Lord Bar- Lord Barrington, to the supposition that " helps " rington. He thus contrasts the nine gifts de- answer to "prophecy," and "governments" scribed in ver. 8-10. with the ecclesiastical to " discerning of spirits." offices enumerated here : — Bishop Horsley has classed the gifts of the GIFTS. OFFICES. 1. The word of wisdom Apostles n mu J CI 1 J r> , ( i. e. expounders of the Scrip- 2. The word of knowledge Prophets ] ^^^^^ J^^^ qj^ Testament. 3. Faith Teachers of Christianity 4. Miracles Workers of miracles 5. Healing Healers ^ _ , . J. ,. ^^ , < djTtljjii/ctc, such as Mark, Tych- 6. Prophecies or predictions Helps \- o • 7. Discerning of spirits Governments, xvSeQvi^aeig 8. Tongues ) r^a t -^u ^ „ T . ^ .- r^ )■ Gifted with tongues m various ways. 9. Interpretation of tongues ^ ^ j The fourth and fifth gifts — miracles and heal- sessed many of them, and sustained several of ing — seem, he observes, to have changed places these characters, which were not stated, distinct in the 9th and 10th verses. Miracles, it seems, offices, and might be called " helpers," in ref- must take place as the genus, and healing must erence to their great dexterity and readiness to rank below it as the species. Accordingly in help those in distress ; and " governments," in ver. 28. miracles or powers are mentioned before regard to that genius for business, sagacity in healings, with this slight alteration, the list of judging the circumstances of affairs, and natural gifts in ver. 8-10. seem to answer exactly to the authority in the councils and resolutions of list of offices in ver. 28. societies, which rendered them fit to preside Dr. Doddridge and others, in consequence of on such occasions, the difficulty which has been experienced in the This opinion is in some measure defended attempt to classify these gifts, Jiave been of by Mr. Morgan, who has made the subjoined opinion that the same persons might have pos- arrangement of the holy gifts, titles, and offices. OFFICE. TITLES. GIFTS. Eph. iv. 11, 12. Rom. xii. 6-8. 1 Cor. xii. 28-30. 1 Cor. xil. 8-10. , « , , , , . ^Knitting ^ r Apostles r Word of wisdom Apostles } together f Apostles He that ruleth < Miracles < Miracles p ot tiie I f Governments (.Discernnig of Spirits V. tearnts J T, . CEdifving :> r> u . <• r. u C Propl'ets r Word of knowledge Pf ^by- S „(. ,hi b^ay i P^°P^*='' Prophecy S ^.-^ ^^. ,,^^,5 S y^^^y ^^'^ I of Christ S ^ cxhorteth ^ Speakers with tongues I Kinds of tongues C Work of > E^a"Se- C He that teachelh Teachers C Faith Deacons ) the Minis- V !jf% ■< h'^T'! ^ ,h ^ Helps ^Prophecies V r leach- ) He ha giveth ^Interpreters interpretation of tongues. V. •' J eis V. He that shovvelh mercy ^ f ^ r The writers in the Critici Sacri are very un- cfavioomiQ is derived ; >c«i (focveoami airoTc, satisfactory on this subject. Though Lord Bar- which is the literal rendering of CDhS "H'Sjl rington appears to have given the best explan- " I will reveal unto them." Our translators ation, much light will be thrown on the meaning have rendered the word " The manifestation of of the various gifts, if we endeavour to ascertain the Spirit." I cannot but believe that the full from the Septuagint, the received signification meaning of the whole passage is, "That to him of the words which are used to express them, who has been favored with the miraculous gifts This version was generally adopted during the of the Holy Spirit, in whatever degree they apostolic age, and must have been well known may have been imparted, the power is also by the persons to whom St. Paul addressed the granted of manifesting to others the nature and Epistle in which these gifts arc enumerated. extent of those gifts." The miraculous gifts enumerated by St. Paul The whole clause of this passage in Jeremiah are all described (1 Cor. xii. 7.) by one term, i; is ; nnxi CJ^hw ninr !=Dn'7 'H'Sr which our q)aviQwaig Tovni'Bv/iiaTOs. The word qxxriQomig translators have literally and justly rendered — is not found in the LXX, but in Jer. xl. G. of "I will reveal unto them the abundance of the division in the Oxford edition of the Sep- peace and truth." In whiclithey are supported tuagint, which corresponds to chap, xxxiii. ver. by tlie authority of the Septuagint ; which, how- G. of the authorized English translation, and the ever, does not in till instances givo the accurate Hebrew, we meet with the word from which meaning of the Hebrew. Dr. Blaynoy rejects Note 21.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. * 309 the literal interpretation, and translates the passage " I will also grant their prayer for peace and truth." He defends this rendering by observing, "ini> signifies to pray in a devout, fervent manner. Hence mnj,' may well be construed a devout and fervent prayer ; and to manifest to any one his petition seems to be the granting of it." The learned author should have been fully warranted in thus interpreting the phrase mn;' "H'^J , " to grant a prayer." It is not sufficient, in endeavouring to ascertain the meaning of a passage in Scripture, to inquire what may be the possible sense ; but what is first tlie literal, and then the secondary meaning. If we render the word mn;» by " fervent prayer," instead of " abundance," we are still unwarranted in rendering the word -n'Sj " I will grant," which is unsupported by any authority. Even if we adopt its usual primary meaning " I will reveal," and translate the rest of the passage as Dr. Blayney proposes, we shall obtain only a probable signification. The prophet is predicting the future prosperity of Jerusalem, and its temporal recovery of wealth {■/itQiafi&nxn' \ differences \ diuxopiojy > or / of ii'BQytjjii&TUjy } diversities ) ^iniQiaeig is only used in the New Tes- tament in this passage. It frequently occurs in the Septuagint in the same sense in which our translators have rendered it. It corresponds with the Hebrew word np'7nro 1 Par. xxiv. 1. and xxvi. I, 12, 19. "The divisions," or " classes," which would be possibly a better word to express the meaning of the apostle than either " differences " or " diversities." The word yJiQicr^a. does not occur in the Sep- tuagint. It is, however, derived from •/uoituouvu, which is frequently used. Its evident meaning is a spiritual gift, or endowment of the mind, which could not be mistaken for the natural or culti- vated talent of the teacher, upon whom it was conferred. — See Rom. i. 11. 2 Cor. i. 11. 'Jiuxorla does not occur in the Septuagint, but it is found in 1 Maccabees, xi. 58., where it is used to describe the service or furniture which Antiochus sent to Jonathan the high priest, for the service of the temple, in addition to the golden vessels — uneoreilei' ui'rtu /ovoij- fi(XTu xal Siity.orlnv. Schleusner quotes from Athena)us, lib. v. t. ii. p. 342, a passage in which diuxovlui. is used to denote the instru- ments which are in daily use. In the New Testament the word is repeatedly used to describe tlie general office or ministry consigned by our Lord to the apostles and teachers of the Church, (Acts i. 17. xx. 24. xxi. 18. Rom. xi. 13.) The services they were com- manded to perform were the appointed means of grace, for tlie perpetual and common service of the Church. 'ErtQyiifia is not to be found in tlie Old Tes- and prosperity. From this prediction he passes, as is usual, to a more spiritual promise, and prophesies the full manifestation of their devout prayer for peace and truth in the latter days. Peace and truth were spiritual blessings, of which the restoration of the Jews from their captivity was highly typical and illustrative. Neither is it improbable that the apostle alluded to this prediction when he used the word cpuvi- QMdis, which is only found twice in the New Testament, in the Epistles to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. xii. 7. 2 Cor. iv. 2. I cannot, however, remember any authority for thus rendering the word ninj*. Buxtorf supports the sense given by our translators, who, it should ever be remem- bered by the proposers of new meanings, were among tlie most eminent Hebrew scholars of a very learned age. The gifts which are thus represented as bestowed for the common benefit are first arranged under three general heads, (1 Cor. xii. 4-G.) and are then divided into nine particulars. The three general heads are — {gifts •\ / same Spirit administrations \ but the < same Lord. operations .) ' same God. tament, but in the Apocrypha only, Ecclus. xvi. IG. see Compl. It is derived from iregyiu), and is well translated by Macknight, " In-work- ings." It is used but twice in the New Testa- ment. Is it not possible, as these in-workings are ascribed to God the Father, that they may mean both those ordinary influences which proceed from the Holy Spirit of God, by which we alone can become the children of God, and say, " Abba, Father," and the right effiirts of reasoning and the natural powers of the mind, which God, as the Creacor, has implanted in all human beings ? They appear to be different from the ;fao/fj««Tf< of the Spirit, and to be dis- tinguished from them. It will be observed that the various gifts which build up the Christian Church, though they are all called the gifts of the Spirit, are ascribed in their arrangement by St. Paul, to the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. This is done, however, in such a manner, that the character under which each has been revealed to mankind is carefully preserved. The Father is the Creator of man ; to him is assigned the internal, natural energy or operations which he originally implanted in the human creation, or creature, and itjwn which, a.nd ivith which the Spirit of God acts. The Son of God is the Redeemer ; to him are ascribed the ministra- tions or offices which himself established as the appointed means of grace. The Spirit of God is the Sanctifier ; to him are assigned the gifls which produce holiness within, and convince the world of the truth of the Gospel, of right- eousness, and judgment. And all these are 310* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part XI. rightly said to be the gifts of the Spirit, as it is the Spirit of God alone, which, by its sacred office, overrules and changes the natural ener- gies of will, understanding, and all the powers of mind which God has given us, and which makes all the means of grace appointed by Christ effectual ; and by pouring into the soul of man its own purifying, consoling, peaceful influences, makes us spiritually fit to become for ever the companions of superior beings. From this general classification of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or of the Holy Trinity, we proceed to the particulars. The first is A6j'og aocplag, which seems to have been peculiar to the apostles. The word ooqla is repeatedly used in the LXX. It cor- responds to T\y2, Prov. ii. 3. and iii. 5. under- standing — to r\;^l, knoivledge, Prov, i. 7. and to noDn, wisdom, Isa. xi. 2. where crocflu is de- scribed as one of those gifts of tlie Spirit which should rest upon Christ. In the enumeration in the passage in Isaiah, are three Avords, which in various other passages of the LXX are ren- dered by (Tocplu, T\'::)2r\iT\yi, Hi'T, and which are in this place respectively rendered by the LXX, aoffUt, avveaig, and yv^iiaig. This circumstance might appear, at first siglit, to destroy the validity of any argument as to the meaning of the word aocplug from the LXX, if we did not take into consideration the difficulty which the Septuagint translators unavoidably found in discovering a variety of phrases to express the synonymous terms in the Hebrew. Some further light may be thrown upon the meaning of the word aocfta, in this passage, if we consider the use of tlie word noDn, to which it corresponds in Isa. xi. 2., in the description of the Sephiroth of the Jewish Cabbala'. The learned Vitringa is of opinion, that the Sephi- roth was an emblematical description of the Messiah. Whether this hypothesis be tenable, we cannot now stop to inquire. The first of the ' Lib. i. cap. cxi. p. 151. 3. " in^ coronam se- quuntur ordine nrDDH et TWI sapientia et intelli- gcnlia, quas ad caput referendas esse, res ipsa loquitur. Quis ignorat, binas hasce virtutes Do- mino nostro Jesu Christo frequenter admodum attribui in Codice sacro .' En verba Jesaiae, nnji nj'Di nnDH nn mrr nn vS;% et quicscet super ipso splritus JehovcB : spiritus sapieyiticE et ivtel- ligenticE. n03n solet jungi TWI, vel njnn aut J^il, Ut et Paulus noif'iav xai (pnorijaiv aut yiihniv sropc conjungit. Sapientias comes est prudentia et circumspectio, qna secundum sapientias regulas per ainorein et tiniorem Dei, reprobatur malum, et eligitur, quod optimum est, in bona conscientia. El alibi : jn-D est prudentia, (pfHivt^aig. De.\teritas judicandi et eligendi secundum veri et boni con- scientiain. Nam prudentia ulitur sapientia, h' 7inaxToi:. Hinc jungunturnr^l rTODH, oo<f"'" xi-'i. (fin'iyijnic. Prudentia mater est snpieiitiffi. Sapien- tia est virtus intellectus, qua res intelligimus in cansi.s et finibus : prudentia judicii, qua res et actus ad fines illisconvenicntes disponiinns, etdirigimus." — Vitringas Dissert, seninda de Sephiroth Cablinlis- tarum. Obscrv. Sacr. lib. i. cap. x. vol. i. p. 128, &c. See also Burnet's jlrchteologio! Philos. p. 48. ten Sephiroth was the nn3, or crown, which was placed on the head of the personage, whom Vi- tringa has represented as the emblem of the Messiah. The two next were nn^n and nrs, wisdom and prudence or knoivledge. The word aocplu is likewise used in the Apocryphal book of The Wisdom of Solomon, to express, as Schleusner conjectures, the art of governing: in which sense it is peculiarly ap- plicable to the apostles. Ugog v/iiag ovr, o') Tutjovvoi, ol Xdyoi fiov, Iva juxxOtjis aoqjlav — " Unto you, O rulers ! my words are addressed, that ye may learn wisdom." As the word is used in these various significations, each of them so pe- culiarly applicable to the powers and gifts with which the apostles were endued, we may con- clude that each sense was intended to be com- bined by the apostle in the passage before us. " The word of wisdom," therefore, would imply all supernatural intelligence, and the highest endowments of mind, by whatever name they may be distinguished ; together with the skill, talent, and power of governing, as wise men, the Churches they had already planted. The next gift of the Spirit is yvaaig. This is a gift inferior to wisdom"*. It corresponds to n^n. As it was the gift possessed by the prophets of the New Testament, it must denote the knowledge of future events ; and, as they were teachers also, it probably included the learning that was usually acquired by industry, the experience given by time, age, and long intercourse with the world, and other talents, demanded by the circumstances of difficulty or danger in which they were placed. Lord Bar- rington supposes that these prophets were like- wise apostles. It does not appear that his proofs are decisive. The third gift of the Spirit is nicnig, faith, and it was tliat which was imparted to the didijLaauloi, or teachers. The word nlarig is too well known to require explanation. In the New Testament it is variously used to denote con- viction, firm belief, or unfeigned assent to the truth of Revelation. It denotes also the pro- fession of religion, 1 Cor. ii. 5. and xv. 14. 2 Pet. i. 5, &c. and the mass or collected body of truths and doctrines taught by the apostles. Acts vi. 7, &c. 2 Tim. ii. 18. and iii. 8. Titus i. 4. 2 Pet. i. 1. Jude 3. All these we may justly assign to the first teachers of Christianity, Avho were neither hon- ored with the apostolic nor prophetic gifts. They would all firmly believe, profess, and practise the doctrines and the duties of their new religion. The 8i86.axuloi were not en- dowed with the same degree of inspiration as the prophets. niang, in the LXX, corresponds to the word "* Etymol. ined. ap. Schleusner, Lexicow m JV. T. — "/roifiic oofp/ac HiatffQeTat, yiwfTis fiiv tan To etSi- rai rlx (iira. ooipia Si xul to to: oj-Ta ytvwaxtiv, xai TO T/'r rmv ai Ti-Tf-TToi'Tor Xi'atr ini.arao-9ai. Note 21.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *311 ;dN ; see Deut. xxxii. 20. where it is rendered " faith" by our translators. The primary mean- ing of the word (on, is steadiness, or firmness, constancy and stability, God is called in Isa. Ixv. 16. J OX ■'hSn, "The God of truth," or " faithfulness." Another meaning is given to the word jrox, in Nehem. ix. 38", where it seems to signify " a sure or firm treaty." The Septuagint translate the phrase diuTidififdu nloTiv. Our translators render the word n JON, adjectively. Their ver- sion of the passage is, " we make a sure cove- nant." In the book of Ecclesiasticus (chap. i. 33. and xl. 12, &c.) we meet with nlang, in the same sense in which it is used in the New Testament. In these senses tlie word may be considered applicable to tlie passage before us. It was necessary that the teachers of the new religion should have " stability and con- stancy," as well as belief and purity ; neither was it less necessary that they should enter into covenant with God, in consideration of the fulfilment of his promises in Christ ; as the legislator of Israel had done, when he had re- capitulated the mercies of God to himself, his people, and tlieir common ancestors. The fourth of these sacred gifts requires no discussion : the gift of healing was the power of curing diseases ; the most common, though at the same time not the least wonderful of these mighty powers. Some confusion has been occasioned by the word Svyd/naic, which is used in two different senses, in verses 28 and 29. But on referring to tlie Septuagint, it will be seen that the word is there used in the same manner. It corresponds to HD, strength, poiver, &c. 1 Paral. xxix. 2. 2 Par. xxii. 9. and Esther ii. 18. to T3>', a servant. The persons invited by the king of Persia to his banquet, mentioned in this passage, were the great officers of his court, his higher and confidential servants. The officers of the Christian Church were peculiarly honored, and received the same appellation wliich designated the companions of a sovereign. The fifth is evidently transposed in the three lists. The word hi^yruu does not occur in the LXX, though it is found in Ecclus. xvi. 16. as we have observed. It seems to refer to the highest possible enlargement of the natural faculties, by which tlie teachers of Christianity were enabled to perform wonderful cures. They were supernaturally instructed, perhaps, to anticipate the knowledge and discoveries of a future age ; and to effect, likewise, wonderful healings of disease, by an agency superior to any efforts of medical science, past, present, or future. In the next division of the miraculous gifts, " In Arias Montanus' Bible, in the Septuagint, and in our own Bibles, this passage is chap. ix. ver. 38. But in Bagster's small Hebrew Bibles it is Nehem. x. ver. 1 . " prophecy," nQOcprjietu, and " the discerning of spirits," are classed together with 'Avjilrnpeig, " helps," and KviteQVTliaeig, " governments ;" which titles are equivalent, according to the arrangement in the third list, with rlaaaaig kuXUPTEg, " speakers of tongues," This division, as we may judge from the order which has hitherto proceeded regularly from the apostles to the lower gradations of tlie ministry, and tlie inferior gifts imparted to them, ought to signify something inferior to the gifts and titles which have been already enumerated. If we may, as we propose, fix the meaning of these much- controverted words from the LXX, we shall find this opinion most singularly confirmed. The word TTQOopijTela is used in the LXX for the Hebrew '^vr\, "vision," or " ecstacy," 2 Paral. xxxii. 32. Dan. xi. 14., which was a lower de- gree of inspiration than that whicli was given to Moses, who talked with tlie Divine Leader of Israel " face to face ;" and consequently loAver than was imparted to the apostles, who were honored in the same manner by the Sacred Oracle himselP. Lord Barrington's opinion, therefore, though derived from other consider- ations, that a lower degree of prophecy is here understood, appears to be correct ; as is, like- wise, his additional remark, that in the word prophecy must be included the gift, of teaching. As a necessary consequence, or as the insepar- able attendant of this gift, was the power of discerning of spirits ; which was the talent or faculty of discerning both the truth and cer- tainty of what was spoken by other prophets, and likewise of ascertaining the thoughts and secrets of the hearts of those who might enter the Christian assemblies, and consequently of knowing the precise mode of teaching which his circumstances might demand. The persons who possessed these lesser gifts of prophecy, and knowledge of the thoughts of men, are called dcvTili^ii/jetg, and xv6eQv/^aeig. The first of which answers to mt>', " help," Ps. xxi. 19. (ap. LXX) and xxii. 19. of the English version. " The word y.vihqvr^aeig,^'' says Lightfoot, " is used by the LXX to translate r\lS:;nn (Prov. i. 5. xi. 14. XX. 18. and xxiv. 6.), which word imports not the act, but the ability to govern ; and the words (i/T/A7Ji//f/c and xv6FQrr[aetg, in 1 Cor. xii. 28, 29, 30., imply helps to interpret tlie languages and sense of those who spake with tongues''. " " Alter Revelationis interna? modus est. — quo vigilantes rapiuntur in ecstasin. cessante ad tempiis usu sensoriornm o.xU^rorum, dum a spiritu divino, aut Angelo Dei jussu imagination! exiiibenlur et altc infiguntur imagines quaHiam, sive figurae rerum mystica; et prophelicfp ; aut Deus ipse, vel angelus, verba veluti cum iis faciens. eos de prae sentibus aut futuris edocet. Hac specie Deus se prfBcipue prophetis, ccrtc illustrioribus, manifestum fecit, diciturque ea stylo Scripturte V. T. M'n visio 6c7ToxuXv<t'i(:.'' — Vitringa, Ohscrr. Sacnr. lib. vii. cap. ii. p. 7. '' Life of Lightfoot, by Strype. Tlie Assembly 312* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part XT. The speaking with tongues was the gift more commonly imparted than any other, as we read in the narrative of the conversion of Cornelius and his household. It was, therefore, of inferior estimation to those which were more rare. This consideration harmonizes with tlie rest of this perplexing division both of the miraculous gifts, and of those on whom they were conferred. The speakers with tongues were the assistants to the higher ministers, and were often of in- ferior degree ; they possessed the ability to govern, and were thus prepared for the higher offices in the Church ; they received the lower gift of prophecy, and the discerning of spirits. The last of these miraculous gifts requires no discussion. It appears to refer to a further di- vision of a still lower and inferior miraculous endowment. The converts who were baptized with Cornelius spake with tongues. I should conclude, from tliis division of the miraculous gifts, not that every convert was able to speak every known language, but only a certain num- ber : and, with respect to the interpreters here mentioned, we may conclude that they were persons who repeated to some of the people, in their own language, those addresses of the apostles which were spoken to another portion of the congregation, in their native tongue. As the Jews were every where dispersed, the con- gregations of the primitive Christians must have generally consisted of the Israelites who spake the Aramaic or Syriac dialects, and of the na- tives of the countries where they sojourned. In commercial towns there would be frequently assemblies, composed of strangers from the most opposite quarters of the world, to whom these divisions of the miraculous gifts would be the most convincing of all arguments. Whatever might have been the nature of the miraculous gifts which were imparted by the Spirit of God to the first teachers of the Gospel, it is certain they were all subject to the apostles, and the apostles to each other, in council. Their powers were not derived from the people, though they were imparted for tlie instruction of the poorest, and meanest, and most despised among them. They were accountable to God and to his apostles. The caprice of the multi- tude was not their rule of action: and while they sedulously labored for the common benefit, they never derived their doctrines from those whom they were ordained to superintend and teach; nor did they allow their separate con- gregations to dictate to them as to the doctrines they were to inculcate. The flocks did not then choose their shep- herds ; the children did not ordain their spiritual fathers. Free from all inferior motives, unam- of Divines wishotl to justify thclay eldership of the Presbyterians from the word xv^fon'.aiic, in tliis passage, which Lightfoot answered by the above criticism. bitious of honor and popularity, careless of wealth, undaunted by persecution, unsubdued by danger and difficulty, the first teachers of the Gospel regarded with equal affection the favor or the hatred of the rich and poor. Bold, zealous, firm, and holy, their lips preserved knowledge, and the people learned the Law from their mouth. Happy is that Church whose clergy are thus devoted to the service of the people committed to their charge — who are faithful in the discharge of their sacred duties, " not with eyeservice, as men pleasers, but with singleness of heart, as unto God." Such were the gifts, titles, and offices, by which the Christian Church was now united. It formed, at this time, wherever it was dis- persed, one large society. The persons who presided over it (and no society can exist with- out some order or form of government), derived their authority not from the people, but from God. These divinely-appointed heads, in the process of time, ordained fit persons, who were generally known to and approved by the people, among whom they lived, to the office of teacher. If these teachers deviated from the form of sound Avords and the apostolic doctrine, they were responsible to the authority which had empowered and commissioned them to teach: and the apostles themselves, as in the instance of St. Peter, were controlled by their equals in power. Christ was the invisible Head of the Church, and the supremacy of Peter, or of Rome, was unknown ; all was rightly and efficiently organized for the building up, in this evil world, the outward and visible Church of Christ, by which the invisible and the spiritual Church, as in the days of Noah, might be conducted safely to the kingdom of Christ and God. Wicked and inconsistent Christians, as we learn from the Epistles, were members of the visible Church even m the apostolic age — it is so at present. God alone can separate the good from the bad at the last. It is our duty, while we are in the body, to continue to build up the visible Church ; to establish and to insist upon external religion, the means of grace, the right administration of the sacraments, the purity, honor, and independence of the Christian priest- hood ; and to maintain, " in spite of scorn," its scriptural government in the world. Thus, by obedience to the example of the apostles of God, we may bring many millions of our for- saken brethren of mankind from among every nation under heaven, witliin the visible Church on earth, and lead them, by the power of the Spirit of God, to the spiritual Church above'. ' Lord Biirriiigton's M'iscrllanfa Surra, vol. i. p. l()(i, ]()7. This treatise is one of the tracts in the collection of Bisliop Watson. — Jl;ilcs's .'hi(ilijsi.s of Cfinmoloiri/, vol. ii. part ii. p. iJGd.— Dodch-idge's FamUij K'rpositor, vol. iv. p. 67.— Morgan's PUit- fonii of the Christian Church. Note l.-G.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *313 PART XII. Note 1.— Part XII. The principal reason whicli prompted St. Paul to commence his second apostolical journey at this time, was probably his learning that the Churciies in the provinces were divided in opinion ; and that the harmony of the infant Church was disturbed on account of the contro- versies on the subject of conformity to the Mosaic Law. Tiiey were anxious to ascertain, nwc e/ovai, quomodo se habeant, ac constantes sint in profitenda dodrina. Note 2.— Part XII. Their dispute about John Mark, is a proof of human infirmity, which cannot be justified, though it admits of extenuation, Tiiere was some breach of charity between them ; on one side it may be said that Paul's zeal carried him too far, and on the other that Barnabas was too indulgent to his kinsman — 6 Jlavlog i'^r'iiei. rd dlyaiov, 6 Baqpdfiug t6 qnldfOgouTioy. This rup- ture, liowever, did not end in hatred, as appears from the manner in which Barnabas is mentioned by Paul in his Epistles. Barnabas went to Cyprus, and Paul into Syria and Cilicia. — Wit- sius, Meletcm. Leidens. de Vita Pauli, cap. iv. sect. 15. Note 3.— Part XII. It is probable that St. Paul went from Cilicia to Crete, and having preached there, left Titus to complete his work, and to ordain elders. — See Witsius, Meletenu Leidens. de Vita Pauli, cap. v. Note 4.— Part XII. The fourth and fifth verses of chap. xvi. are added to the end of chap. xv. on the authority of Lord Barrington, whose opinion is advocated by Dr. Paley and Dr. Clarke. — See Miscellanea Sacra, Paley's Horee PaulincB, and Dr. Clarke's Commcjdary. Note 5.— Part XIL In order to judge rightly of Paul's conduct in this affair, which some have censured (as they \ OL. II. *40 do other things in Christianity), because they did not understand it, we must recollect that he always openly avowed, " That the Gentiles were free from the yoke of the Mosaic ceremo- nies, and that the Jews were not to expect sal- vation by them : " and he also taught, that they were not in conscience obhged to observe them at all, except in cases wliere an omission of them would give offence. But because his enemies represented him as teaching people to despise the Law of Moses, and even as blas- pheming it, he therefore took some opportuni- ties of conforming to it publicly himself, to show how far he was from condemning it as evil ; an extravagance into which some Chris- tian heretics early ran. And though, when tlie Jewish zealots would have imposed upon him, to compel Titus, who was a Greek, to be circumcised, even while he was at Jerusalem, he resolutely refused it (Gal. ii, 3-5.), yet here he voluntarily persuaded Timothy to submit to that rite, knowing the omission of it in him, who was a Jew by the mother's side, would have given oflTence ; and being the more desir- ous to obviate any prejudices against this excellent youth, whose early acquaintance with the Scriptures of the Old Testament (2 Tim. iii. 15.) might render him peculiarly capable of preaching in the synagogues with advantage ; which, had he been uncircumcised, would not have been permitted. Grotius observes, " This was probably the beginning of Luke's acquaintance with Timothy, though Paul knew him long before." — See Doddridge's Family Expositor, in loo. Note 6.— Part XIL Much service would be rendered to the world by any student who would write a history of Samothrace. This island was the earliest Euro- pean seat of the ancient idolatry M-hich over- spread Europe from India, Canaan, and Egypt. Mr. Faber has prepared tlie way for the successful prosecution of all researches of tliis nature. I have not the means of ascertaining what progress has been made of late years in those branches of knowledge, which were so successfully culti- vated by Sir William Jones, and various mem- bers of the society over which he presided. It is, however, to be hoped, that great additions will eventually be made to our present inlbrma- tion on the early history of the world, from the Sanscrit records. *AA 314* NOTES ON THE ACTS. [Part XIL Note 7.— Part XII. " This passage," says Mr. Home, " has greatly exercised the ingenuity of critics and commen- tators. It may, more correctly, be thus ren- dered : — Philippi, a city of the Jirst part of Macedonia, or of Macedonia Prima ; and this is an instance of minute accuracy which shows that the author of the Acts of the Apostles actually lived and wrote at that time. The province of Macedonia, it is well known, had undergone various changes, and had been divided into various portions, and particularly four, while under the Roman government. There are extant many medals of the first province, or Macedonia Prima, mostly of silver, with the inscription, MAKE J ON JIN UPJl- TH2, or, the first part of Macedonia, which confirms the accuracy of Luke, and at the same time shows his attention to the minutest par- ticulars. It is further worthy of remark, that the historian terms Philippi a colony. By using the word xoXutria (which was originally a Latin word, colonia), instead of the corre- sponding Greek word unoixiu, he plainly inti- mates that it was a Roman colony, which the twenty-first verse plainly proves it to have been. And though the critics Avere for a long time puzzled to find any express mention of it as such, yet some coins have been discovered, in Avhich it is recorded under this character, particularly one, which exphcitly states that Julius Caesar himself bestowed the dignity and privilege of a colony on the city of Philippi, which were afterwards confirmed and augmented by Augustus." — Introduction to the Critical Study of the Scriptures, vol. i. p. 227. Note 8.— Part XII. ON THE NATURE OF THE SPIRIT OF DIVINATION IN THE PYTHONESS. I HAVE already observed upon the folly of making our present experience the criterion of truth. The ago in which we live is undoubt- edly, for the most part, by God's mercy, delivered from the terrible spectacle of human beings evidently possessed by evil spirits. But evil still exists amongst us, although in a less avowed and terrible form, and it still but too frequently and too effectually withdraws our hearts from the service of our Maker. If it appeared to me to be warranted by the sacred text, I would willingly interpret this passage with Michaclis, Heinrich, Kuinoel, Benson, and many others, and believe that the damsel at Piiilippi was either an impostor, a ventriloquist, insane, diseased with melancholy, or overpowered with her own fancies ; but I cannot render the plain language of St. Luke in any but the literal manner. My reason shall always submit to Scripture ; and I cannot wrest the words of this Scripture to any other mean- ing than the usual one, that an evil spirit had influence over the mind and body of this person^ enabling her to utter oracular responses. The priestess of Apollo at Delphos, when placed on the tripod, uttered confused words and phrases, among strange contortions and gesticulations. Her words were interpreted by the priests, and were considered prophetic The damsel at Philippi, when agitated by the evil spirit, by which she was possessed, was probably much convulsed, uttered her oracular responses with various contortions and gesticu- lations. It was either on account of this parallel between her actions, appearance, and language, and those of the Pythian priestess, that she is here said to have the spirit of Python ; or because the evil spirit by which she was actuated was of the same nature and power as that which prompted the priestess of the pagan deity. The damsel at Philippi is generally supposed to have been one of the byyuajQl/iivdot. — that is, she spoke from the inside, as a ventriloquist, in the same manner as the priestess of Apollo spoke from the tripod. Biscoe has reasoned with much justice on the (juestion, Whether this narrative proves that an evil spirit possessed this damsel or not ? He sufficiently shows that it cannot be considered as a trick on the part of the girl, or that the apostles discovered the imposture, and reproved the deceiver. " Supposing this woman's speaking inwardly," he observes, " as from her belly or breast, were a trick of her own acquiring, and no ways ow- ing to any demon or spirit that spake from witliin her, how could St. Paul's saying those words, 'I command thee to come out of her,' discover the trick, reveal the secret, and convince the by-standers that she was a mere impostor, and had no spirit of divination within her : would it not rather convince them, that, in his opinion, she bad such a spirit within her ? But let us suppose, wliat is not so much as hinted in the text, that St. Paul spent much time in preaching to the people, and showing them that this woman, by a particular formation of tlie organ of speech, and by long practice, had gained a habit of speaking so as no one should see her lips move, and the voice should seem to come from her breast ; I am yet at a loss to know how this could deprive her masters of their gain : for surely this would go but a little way towards convincing the people, tliat she could not really predict things future. Her reputa- tion was established; there was a general belief that she did foretell things, and a groat concourse of people after her to make inquiry into their future fortunes. It is expressly said, that 'she brought her masters much gain by sootlisaying.' The showing that it was possible for her, by long practice, to attain the art of speaking inwardly, would no ways dissuade Note 8.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *3ll persons from following her, so long as they retained a notion that she really prophesied. We will advance, therefore, one step further, and suppose that St. Paul not only discovered her * trick " of speaking inwardly, but that he also argued against lier being adiviner or prophetess, and plainly laid before them, that she usually made her answers in ambiguous and general terms ; that they much ofteuer proved false than true ; and that it was owing to mere accident, if at any time there seemed to be truth in what she had said. If we judge of the experience we have of mankind, we cannot reasonably suppose tliat these arguments should immediately prevail with all the by-standers, or indeed any consid- erable part of them, to lay aside the opinion they had entertained of this woman's girt. However, we will suppose that all the by-stand- ers were at once convinced of the truth and weight of the Apostle's argument. Would they immediately be able to spread the same persua- sion among all' the inhabitants of Philippi ? And if all Philippi had believed her an impostor, might not her masters have sent her to another city, where, by the practice of the same arts, she might still have brought them much gain. The plain truth therefore is, St. Paul prevented her future prophesying ; or, if the word ' trick ' pleases better, he wholly disabled her from doing the ' trick ' any more. He cast out the spirit which spake within her, so that she was lieard no more to speak as from her belly or breast. Her masters soon perceived that she was no longer inspired or possessed, that she could now utter no more divinations or prophe- cies ; and therefore, all hopes of their gains from her, whether in Philippi, or any other city, were wholly gone." After all, it is a dispute among learned men, whether she did speak inwardly, as from her belly or breast". They say the words do not necessarily imply this meaning, but only in general, that she was possessed of a spirit of divination or foretelling things to come. And they urge, that when she followed St. Paul, and said, " These men are the servants of the Most High God, which show unto us the way of salvation," she spake out with a loud and distinct voice. If this were the case, what " trick " had the woman, that St. Paul could dis- cover to the people ? Vid. Wolfii Cur. m loc. Another thing, which demonstrates the absur- dity of this interpretation, is the rage of the " Probabilis tamen est sententia Delingii Obs. Sac. part ii. p. 201. Wolfii curis ad h. 1. VVal- ■cliius observes — " Femaiam illam fyyadrniKiix'^cir nuinero non esse adsnribendam, cum Lucas v. 17. verba distincte prolataei tribuat, cum cam secutam esse dicat Paulum ejusque comites, atque adeo per id siguificet earn per plateas et cursitando vaticina- tam esse : lYyaorQiuv&oi vero vel insidentescuidani loco, vel prostrati in terra oracula sua ediderint." — V. Walchii Diss. 1. De Servis, etc. sect. 7. Kuinoel, vol. iv. p. 540. multitude against St. Paul. For no sooner had the masters of tlie girl accused him and Silas to the magistrates, but, it is said, "that the multitude rose up together against them," v. 22. Had he, as this interpretation supposes Mm to have done, convinced the whole city of Plulippi that tliis maid-servant was an impostor, and could foretell things future no more than any other person, no doubt they would have taken part with St. Paul, and not with the masters of the girl. They would have thought themselves obliged to him for having discovered the cheat, and preventing their future expense in needless and fruitless applications to one who could only amuse and deceive them, but not foretell any thing future. If they were incensed against any person, it is natural to suppose it should have been against the girl and her masters, for having imposed upon them, and tricked them out of their money. But that they should take part with the masters of this impostor against the person who had discovered the fraud, is so contrary to all the experience we have cf man- kind, that it is a demonstration of the absurdity of this comment. On the other hand, if we take the story in the plain and literal sense, how natural is it, that the multitude of tlic city should side with the masters, as being fully persuaded that it was not only a great piece of injustice done to them by the Apostle, but a public injury of a very heinous nature ; as they had hereby lost what they esteemed an oracle, to which they might apply upon all urgent and doubtful occasions ! Nor is there any the least hint in the text of a change in the multi- tude, as though they had been first for St. Paul, and afterwards, by some secret management, brought over to side with the masters. We may justly, therefore, conclude with the majority of commentators, and the concurrent testimony of the Church, tliat this also was a demoniacal possession, and being so, that it afforded another instance of the influence the evil spirit maintained over mankind, till the power and mercy of the Saviour delivered us from the bondage and tyranny of the destroyer. The object of the evil spirit, in bearing testi- mony to the truth of the Apostle's preaching, is well explained by a modern commentator. " The evil spirit," he observes, " well knew that the Jewish Law abhorred all magic, incanta- tions, magical rites, and dealings with familiar spirits ; he tlierefore bore what was in itself a true testimony to the apostles, that by it he might destroy their credit, and ruin their use- fulness. The Jews, by this testimony, would be led at once to believe that the apostles were in compact with these demons ; and that the miracles they wrought were done by the agency of these wicked spirits ; and that the whole was the eifect of magic ; and this of course would harden their hearts against the preaching of the Gospel. The Gentiles again, when tliey 31 A* lO' NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XII. saw that their own demon bore testimony to the apostles, would naturally consider that the whole was one system ; that they had nothing to learn, nothing to correct ; and thus the preaching of the apostles must be useless to them. In this situation, nothing could have saved the credit of the apostles, but their dis- possessing this woman of her familiar spirit; and that in the most incontestable manner : for, what could have saved the credit of Moses and Aaron, when the magicians of Egypt turned their rods into serpents, had not Aaron's de- voured theirs ? And what could have saved the credit of these apostles, but the casting out of this spirit of divination, with which, other- wise, both Jews and Gentiles would have believed them incompetent''? " tion : there was neither a servile deference paid to antiquity, neither was there any capri- cious, or useless, or jealous removal of ancient customs, merely because they were established. Note 9.— Part XII. This passage is generally quoted as one of those whicli prove the identity of the service of the primitive Church with that of the synagogue. In the instance of i-eading the Scriptures in both, the parallel certainly exists. This sub- ject, however, having been already in some measure considered, I shall merely observe, in this place, that we never read that any one of the primitive churches had such an officer as the Archisynagogus, or were governed by the ten, the twenty-three, &c., neither were the primi- tive churches built by tho side of rivers ; and many other points of dissimilarity might be shown. Some writers, indeed, have gone to the oppo- site extreme, and derived the principal customs which prevailed among the early Christians from the heathen institutions established among them. The fact seems to be, that as the Jew- ish synagogues were necessarily the first places of worship, very many useful customs were derived from the Jewish synagogue-service: and, as the number of the Gentile converts increased from the heathen worship, some cus- toms might be derived from them also. The Churches, in things indifferent, were left to their own discretion : there was, however, a general similarity of worship, as Avell as an unity of faith, among all the primitive Clmrches. As at the Reformation, our church-service was not formed upon the model of the service of the Romisli Church, yet our Reformers wisely retained whatever was useful ; so were many customs of the synagogues preserved. The worship of God was placed upon a right founda- * See on the subject of this note, Dickinson's Delphi Phmnicizantcs — tiie beginning of Faber's Oritrin of Pagan Idolatry — the references in Kui- noeT — Biscoe On the Acts, vol. i. p. i:>8, &c. — Whitby — Hammond — Dr. A. Clarke, and on W\e manner in which the Pythian priestesses received their inspirntion, and tlie treatise on Saul and the Witch of Endor, in Ihe Critici Sacri. Note 10.— Part XII. GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE EPISTLES, AND ON THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. Revelation is the language of heaven spoken by the lips of men ; and no where tlirough the volume of Scripture do we more legibly read its characters of light, than in the portion to which we have now arrived — the Epistles of St. Paul. It is here that the dis- coveries are made which complete the perfec- tion of the Christian dispensation. The preach- ing of Christ was past — the generation of wit- nesses who heard him speak " as man never spake," was rapidly dying away ; the reign of the Holy Spirit had begun, and the divine teaching was recalled to the minds of the Evangelists, and the deepest mysteries of God were imparted to the apostles. In tlie Gospels we read what Christ in his humiliation declared on earth — in the Epistles are recorded what Christ on his throne of glory spake through the Spirit from heaven. Why should it excite our surprise, therefore, that all those who passion- ately long, or serenely hope, for their eventual attainment of the promises of God, should be so much attached to this portion of their holy Revelation ; when others again, of a different character, who seem unable to appreciate tlieir sublime excellencies, would altogether exclude them, as abounding with observations and directions which were primarily of a temporary nature only, and consequently, as tliey assert, irrelevant to the Christians of the present age ? On this principle nearly the whole of our Scriptures may be rejected as useless ; for all the sacred books, either wholly, or in part, were first written to answer some temporary object, however profitable they may have been for instruction, reproof, and doctrine to the cath- olic Church for ever. Man is the same in all countries. However his customs and habits may differ, the same principle of evil within him every where prevails — as tlic body is the same in one nation as in another, though th(> manner of his clothing and the ornaments of his dress may vary. It is to the principle with- in, " to the inner man," tliat tlie Scripture is addressed ; and if, theref(n-c, we meet, either in the Old or New Testament, with any passages wliich refer to customs that are now obsolete, wo mny consider the appeal of inspiration as directed to the motives of action ; and we siiall then find that all Scripture is of luiiversal appli- cation, and is written for our iuolriu iiim in NOTK 10.] INTRODUCTION TO THE EPISTLES. *317 righteousness. It proceeds from the Father of spirits, and is by him revealed to the spirit of man within him. Here it is that we are presented with a pic- ture of the heart of man, and of the human nature with which we are born into the world, so faithful, that wlien we look within us, we acknowledge its justice with indignation, with sorrow, or remorse ; yet so vivid, so animated in its coloring — its impression so powerful, that we never cease to remember the terrible portrait of ourselves which is drawn by the inspired pencil. Here it is that the supernatu- ral energy of inspiration triumphs. We may call in to our aid the flatteries of our self-love, and arm ourselves with speculations on the dignity of human nature, and the infinite, un- covenanted mercy of God — We may palliate vice, and endeavour to satisfy ourselves that the natural or animal man may become a participa- tor of a spiritual existence without change or repentance, or divine influence : if, however, we contemplate the likeness of ourselves as the character of the heart is drawn in these divine compositions, we shall deeply feel the absolute necessity of the same Spirit of God, which inspired tiiese holy writers, to cleanse the thoughts of our hearts within us, that we may perfectly love and worthily magnify Him. Here it is that we read in a clearer and fuller manner, than in any other part of the Sacred Volume, the mysteries of the world to come — the nature of our future existence — the recesses of the human heart — the majesty of the Son of God — the intimate union which may be formed, while we are still on earth, between the human soul and God its Creator — and the unspeakable consolations which Christianity alone can afford us in the prospect of death, and the hour of our most painful sufiierings. It would be easy to detail these at great length : each of them appeals to the heart, as the Angel Jehovah, when he followed our first parents in the recesses of the garden, and exclaimed, " Where art thou ?" In the devotional parts of St. Paul's Epistles, a voice from heaven, as the trumpet of the archangel, seems to appeal to the reader, " Where art thou ? what are thy employments ? to what world art thou going ?" The errors which distracted the Church in the apostolic age, are the same in principle as those which have always flourished, and which are abundantly prevalent in our own day. Even now the advocates of natural religion, and the assertors of human reason, like the Gnostics ' of tiie apostolic age, embarrass themselves and their readers with vain philosophy, and crude speculations on the existence of God, the nature of the soul, the origin of the world, or the eternity of matter. Antichristian metiphy- sicians still deserve the censure of " profane and vain babblings." The Greek, the Oriental, and .[ewish philosophy, united all their jargon VOL. n. to oppose a system of spiritual religion, which did not, and could not, amalgamate with tlieir metaphysical theories ; and every deistical dream which has been since invented is uni- formly opposed to the same object. Revelation is the only guide to the reason of man ; when its bright ligiit is obscured or disregarded, man must always stumble on the dark mountains of error. Did the Gnostics " forbid to marry, and com- mand to abstain from meats ?" The Apostle, in condemning them, passes his censure upon those corrupters of Christianity, who still in the Church of Rome inculcate the same doc- trines. Did any profess to consider Christ as inferior to the Father? The Apostle is more especially urgent upon this fundamental point to enforce on the Church : That the Christ who took upon him our nature, is over all God blessed for ever. Did otliers maintain that Christ came into the world not to expiate the sins of man, or to appease the wrath of an offended Deity, but only to communicate to the human race the long-lost knowledge of the Su- preme Being .^ The Epistle to the Hebrews satisfied the ancient Church of the folly, ab- surdity, and wickedness of this wilful blind- ness, and condemns, in language which modern courtesy would shrink from as illiberal and bigotted, the presumption of the German spec- ulatist, and the blasphemy of the half-reason- ing Unitarian. All metaphysical inventions which clash with the common-sense opinions which have originated in Scripture respecting God, tlie soul, and the compound nature of man, the origin, continuance, and eventual con- quest of evil, are alike condemned by the in- spired Epistles. Among the various errors of the apostolic age, which are censured in their different com- positions, we meet with no traces of that fatal error which has been reserved only for mod- ern presumption : we find no denial of the mi- raculous evidences upon whicli Christianity is founded, or of the facts which it records, as the basis of the doctrines it enforces. This effort of the enemy of the Church was reserved for the fjresent critical and enlightened age, in which that reasoner is considered the most wise, who departs farthest from the only true wisdom ; and who, bewildered in the clouds and mists of error, " puts darkness for ligiit, and light for darkness." If we turn to those subjects in which man may imagine himself to be more personally interested, as an immortal being, to the dis- coveries which it has pleased the Spirit of God to make to us by his apostles concerning the Saviour of tiie world, we might transcribe at great length tlie lofty titles and magnificent de- scriptions with wliich the inspired language of the apostles describes Him, " who is the bright- ness of liis Father's glory, and tlie pxpress 318* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XII. image of his person" — " the exact impression of his manner of existence" — " the image of the invisible God, in whom dwelleth the fuhiess of the Deity" — " who is highly exalted" — " at whose name all created things shall bow, whether ui heaven or in earth ; visible or invisible" — "the object of tlie worship of angels" — "the Judge of the world." He is here described as " The One who was before all things:" as "the manifested Saviour, from the creation to the judgment." In these Epistles we are confirmed in the belief of our own resurrection — in the assur- ance tliat " this corruptible nuist put on incor- ruption." They corroborate the events related in the Gospels, and are the most decisive evi- dences we can possess of the rapid increase of Christianity. In them we hear, as it were, the angel of God declare, that " time shall be no more." We see the Saviour of the world resign his mediatorial kingdom to his Father, that God may be all in all — the harvest of the Church gathered in — the eternity that is past united to the eternity that is to come, and man made partaker of a heavenly and glorious im- mortality. With respect to the crime of dividing or dis- turbing the Churches, the apostolic Epistles every where abound with the most explicit injunctions on this point — "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you ; but tliat ye be perfectly joined togetlier in the same mind, and in the same judgment : for it hath been declared unto me, of you, my brethren, that there are contentions among you. Submit to those that have the rule over you, for they watch for your souls, as those that must give an account ;" with many other passages to the same purpose. Still farther: there are various portions of the Epistles, which incontrovertibly relate to our own times, and to times yet to arrive : those portions, namely, which are predictive. Of this description are the Epistle of St. Jude ; a part of the Second Epistle of St. Peter ; of St. Paul's Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, and of both his Epistles to Timothy ; and of the Epistles of St. John. It is needless to name other passages, or to enlarge on those prophecies which have been specified ; for who will deny them to pertain to the faith and the practice of the present age ? We must not, however, regard the Epistles as communications of religious doctrines not disclosed before : as displaying the perfection of a system, of which merely Uie rude elements had been indicated in the writings of the four Evangelists. The object of tlie Gospels seems supposed to be almost exclusively this : — to prove, by a genuine narrative of miraculous facts, that Jesus Christ was tiie promised Re- deemer: and thus to lay ground for the belief of the doctrinal truths, which he should after- wards reveal by tlie Holy Ghost in the Epistles. " Is this opinion," says a learned modern", " consistent with antecedent probability ? Does it appear a natural expectation, that our blessed Redeemer ' in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,' to Avhom the 'Holy Ghost was given without measure,' should restrict witliin such scanty limits his personal communications of divine truths to his disciples ; that he should thus restrict such communica- tions to his apostles during the whole period of his public ministry, before his crucifixion and after his resurrection ? Is this opinion easily reconcilable with the declarations of the in- spired writers, that, while our Lord ' dwelt among them, they beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth' (John i. 14.), and that 'after his passion he was seen of them forty days, speaking of the things pertaining to the king- dom of God?'" (Acts i. 3.) To bring the point in debate to the speediest issue, we will inquire, what are the new articles, what is the new article, of faith revealed for the first time in anyone of the Epistles? What are the articles of faith, what is the solitary article, on which any one of the Epistles throws such additional light, as in any degree to war- rant an assertion, even with any ordinary ben- efit of hyperbole, that the Epistle imparts a religious doctrine not previously and clearly revealed in the Gospels, nor in the antecedent Scriptures of the Old Testament, which are continually receiving in the Gospels the plain- est and the strongest sanction of our Lord ? Is it the doctrine of the unity of God ? A claim will not be advanced as to that article. Is it the doctrine of the union of three Divine Persons in one Godhead ? Has the Old Testament, then, maintained silence on that article of faith ? Have the Gospels maintained silence ? I mean not to multiply testimonies. But is there no passage in the writings of Isaiah, which styles tlie predicted Saviour " the Mighty God," " God witli us ? " is there no passage in the Gospels which avers, that " In the beginning was the Word," that " the Word was with God," that " the Word was God ? " Is there no pas- sage in which our Lord affirms concerning him- self, " Before Abraham was, I am ;" " I and my Father are one ?" Docs no Gospel pronounce blasphemy against the Holy Gliost unpardon- able ; or unite that Divine Spirit with tlie Fath- er and the Son as the God to whom we are dedicated in baptism ? Is it the agency of our Lord in creating the universe ? The first chapter of St. John's Gos- pel answers the question. "^ See^ Gisborne's First Sermon on the Episllc to the Colossiaiis, p. 13, &c. Note 10.] INTRODUCTION TO THE EPISTLES. *319 Is it the propitiatory sacrifice of our Saviour ? Have our copies, then, of the Old Testament lost the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah ? Do our copies of tlie Gospels no longer speak of " the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world ? " of " the good Shepherd who came to lay down his life for the sheep," " to give his life a ransom for many ? " of one who " came down from heaven to give his flesh for the life of the world ? " Is it the universality of the offer of redemp- tion ? If the references in the preceding para- graph have not rendered an answer superfluous ; does no Gospel instruct us tliat Christ " was lifted up " on the cross, " that whosoever be- lieveth in Him should not perish, but have ever- lasting life ? " Is there no Gospel still record- ing his final command to his apostles to " go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature ? Is there no Gospel still recording his accompanying assurance — "He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved ? " Is it our Lord's exaltation in his human na- ture to glory ? He replies, by his Evangelists, " I ascend to my Father ;" — " All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Is the deficient article, the corruption of human nature ? Not while tlie Old Testament emphatically records, that after the fall, the sons of Adam were born in his image — no longer that of God. Not while it records the declara- tions of the Most High, before the deluge and after it, that "the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth ;" or his averment by the lips of Jeremiah, that " the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Not while the fifteenth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel, or the seventh chapter of that of St. Mark, retains the catalogue of sins pronounced by our Saviour to be the offspring of the heart. Not while St. John's Gospel produces his words : " As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine ; no more can ye, except ye abide in me :" — " without me ye can do nothing." Is it the necessity of the entire renewal of the heart by the Holy Spirit ? Not if the third chapter of St. John's Gospel be part of the canon of Scripture. Is it justification by faith in tlie blood of Christ? Not while the corruption of human nature, and the necessity of a complete renewal of the heart by the Holy Spirit, are doctrines of the Old Testament and of the Gospels. Not while the Old Testament continues to exhibit the example of the father of the faitliful, who " believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness ;" who "saw by faith the day of Christ, and rejoiced to see it." Not while the Almighty proclaims by the Prophet Habakkuk, that "the just shall live by his faith." Not ■while the passages already noticed respecting the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God, and the consequences of believing in Him, shall be found in tiie Old Testament and tlie Gospels. Is it the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, the glory of heaven, the damnation of hell ? On each of these points the Gospels are acknowledged to speak with decisive clearness. Can it be necessary to pursue the inquiry further ? There is yet a topic, the omission of which would expose me to the charge of keeping out of sight the example, held, in the estimation of many pious men, to be the most adverse to my present argument. By certain of our brethren, the Calvinistic tenets are deemed to be signally developed in parts of the Epistles. And it is natural that persons regarding those tenets, not merely as religious verities, but as the basis of Christian comfort and of Christian usefulness, should be led to think and to speak of the 'Epistles as containing the previously undis- played perfection of Christianity. A deliberate, and, as I would humbly hope, an honest com- parison of " spiritual things with spiritual" (1 Cor. ii. 13.), has not discovered to me Calvin- istic tenets in any part, of the Sacred Volume. But our brethren, who have formed an opposite conclusion concerning the divine plan of re- demption, may be the more easily induced to an exact appreciation of the Epistles, when they recollect that there are various passages in the Old Testament and in the Gospels which the Calvinistic divines consider as satisfactory proofs of their own system. " I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth," (John xvi. 12, 13.) This address of our Lord to his apostles is commonly alledged in support, of the assertion, that additional doc- trines were to be propounded in the Epistles. That such cannot be the meaning of the pas- sage, the preceding inquiry as to the several articles of Christian belief has proved. If the Epistles do not contain any new article of faith, to new articles our Saviour did not allude. Nor in the articles of faith stated in tlie Epistles does there appear to be any point, which would be offensive to the known prepossessions and incli- nations of the disciples. To what particulars, then, did our Saviour allude ? To truths not indeed new, for the Scriptures of the Old Tes- tament had announced them, for repeatedly had he inculcated them himself; truths which, like his predictions of his own sufferings, and death, and resurrection, the apostles had frequently heard from him, and still disbelieved ; truths in the hisxhest degree offensive to their prejudices and their desires : that Christ was to be a light to lighten t!ie Gentiles, no less than the glory of the people of Israel: that the peculiar privi- leges of the Jews were at an end : that the Samaritan, the Greek, and tlie Barbarian, were to stand on a level with the Israelite in tlie Chris- tian Church, in the grace of the Gospel, in the kingdom of God. Allusion appears also to be intended to other very unexpected and unwel- 320* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [' xn. come facts ; that Christ did not purpose to en- throne himself in worldly sovereignty, and to constitute his apostles the great men of the eartli : that it was not His will to restore at that time the kingdom to Israel. On the subject of the former class of par- ticulars the narrative of the Acts of the Apos- tles proves how great was the need of the instructive interposition of the Holy Ghost ; and with what energy the instruction was imparted. When the persecution, commencing with the death of Stephen, scattered the Christians from Judcea rs far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and An- tioch, they " went every where preaching the word to none (however, as it is emphatically added) but unto the Jews only," (Acts viii. 1, 4. and xi. 19.) When the Ethiopian was to* be converted, it was the Spirit that said unto Philip, " Go near, and join thyself to this chariot," (Acts viii. 29.) When tlie messen- gers of Cornelius came for Peter, " the Spirit said unto him, ' Go with them, doubting noth- ing: for I have sent them,'" (Acts x. 20.) The language of Peter to Cornelius was that of a man recently overruled and enlightened. " God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean." — " Of a truth I per- ceive that God is no respecter of persons : but in every nation, he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted with Him," (Acts x. 28, 34, 35.) On his return to Jerusalem, when the Jewish converts reproved him for having as- sociated with the household of a Gentile, how did he vindicate himself? "The Spirit bade me go with them." — " What was I, that I could withstand God ?" (Acts xi. 12, 17.) When the hearers confessed the decisiveness of the au- thority, their expressions of submission were equally those of surprise : " Tlien hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life," (Acts xi. 18.) With respect to the speedy restoration of the kingdom to Israel, an event connected in the minds of the apostles with an earthly sovereignty on the part of Christ, and with earthly aggrandizement on their own ; though they pressed our Lord on the point to the very time of his ascension, and tlien received from Him a reply, which, while it denied precise information, left them in suspense, (Acts i. 0, 7.): yet after the descent of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, we hear no more of the expectation. On the contrary, we hear the Holy Ghost negativing it by the inspired writ- ino-s of the apostles. St. James, in his conclud- ing chapter, apparently alludes to the impending destruction of Jerusalem. St. Paul anticipates the downfall, when he describes the Jews as "filling up their sins ;" and the wrath of God as " coming upon them to the uttermost." (1 Thess. ii. IG.) And the same Apostle, when led by his argument to dilate on tlicir approach- ing dispersion and their subsequent restoration, treats of the two events in a manner which implies, that it was by a long interval that they vv'ere to be separated, (Rom. xi.) The post, then, which the Epistles occupy in the sacred depository of Revelation is not that of communications of new doctrines. They fill their station as additional records, as inspired corroborations, as argumentative concentrations, as instructive expositions, of truths already revealed — of commandments already promul- gated. In some few instances a new circum- stance, collateral to an established doctrine, is added : as when St. Paul, in applying to the consolation of the Thessalonians the future resurrection of tlieir departed friends, subjoins the intelligence, that the dead in Christ shall rise first to meet the Lord in the air, before the generation alive at the coming of our Saviour shall exchange mortal life for immortality. In the explication of moral precepts, the Epistles fi-equently enter into large and highly bene- ficial details. And as one of their principal objects at the time of their publication was to settle controversial dissensions, to refute liere- sies, and to expose perversions of scriptural truth, they in consequence abound in discus- sions illustrating the nature and the scope of sound doctrine ; and guarding it against the false and mischievous interpretations of the ignorant, of the subtle, of the unholy. So he who rejects one portion of Scripture rejects all, for " all Scripture is given by inspiration of God." The New Testament contains twenty-one Epistles, which are generally divided into two classes, those of St. Paul, and the Catholic Epistles. The latter are seven in number, and consist of the letters of St. James, Peter, John, and Jude ; these, as their title implies, were addressed to Christians in general. The re- maining fourteen were written by the Great Apostle of the Gentiles ; and they have been religiously preserved and enrolled from the earliest periods among the number of the Sacred Writings. It has been a matter of doubt, whether St. Paul be the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews ; but there are so many forcible reasons for attributing it to this Apostle, at least the matter of it, that its authenticity seems to be fully substantiated. With respect to the other thirteen, they are incontestably acknowl- edged as St. Paul's. It is true they have been rejected by various ancient heretics, by the Cerinthians'', and par- ticularly by the Ebionites, who looked upon this Apostle as an apostate and forsaker of the Law ; but this is not surprising, as they were tlie dis- ciples of some false teachers, who maintained the necessity of the ceremonial Law. Marcion* •i Iron. lib. i. c. 2G. Origcn. Jidvnr. CcJs. 1. 8. in fine. Euseb. Hist. Ercl. 1. 3. c. 27. Epii)lian. HcBres. 'iO. sect. xvi. and xxv. Euseb. Hist. Ecd. 1. 4. c. -29. ' Tortul. Contr. Marc. 1. 5. Epiph. Hares. 42. Note 10.] INTRODUCTION TO THE EPISTLES. # 321 received only ten epistles of St. Paul, and de- stroyed many passages of them that overturned his impiety. The Gnostics rejected the two Epistles to Timothy-'', because the Apostle evi- dently alluded to these teachers in tlicse words — " That they had erred concerning the faith," (1 Tim. vi. 20, 21.) But although each of these heretics have rejected tlie Epistles of St. Paul, either wholly or in part, they have not ventured to deny that thoy were his ; so that their testimony is united to that of the whole Church, in attrib- uting them to this Apostle. Moreover the same style, the same doctrine, tlie same spirit, though they have been written after the space of fifteen or sixteen years, are throughout perceivable. Antiquity has made mention of some other works attributed to St. Paul. Eusebius speaks of a book entitled. The Acts of St. Paul, which in one place hte ranks among the doubtful' Scriptures, and in another among the supposed'' Scriptures. There Avas likewise an Epistle to the Laodiceans, which was in existence in St. Jerome's time, and which he affirms to be re- jected by every one'. Marcion had one of them of the same title ; but there is no doubt but that was the Epistle to the Ephesians, which was inscribed to the Laodiceans, in his Apostolic, that is to say, in his Collection of St. Paul's Epistles. There has also been brought from Asia, in these-'' latter ages, a Letter from the Church of Corinth to St. Paul, and an Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. But the Armenians, through whom these two compositions have come down to us*, acknowl- edge themselves that they arc apocryphal. There are also the Epistles of St. Paul to Sen- eca, and of Seneca to St. Paul, which St. Jer- ome', contrary to his usual discrimination, seems willing to receive, although they are generally deemed spurious, and are without any marks of veracity. Eusebius was either not acquainted with them, or it is imagined did not consider them as worthy of mention. But with respect to the Epistles of St. Paul'", the sanie ■'' Clem. Alexand. Strom. 1. 2. p. 383. ^ Euseb. Hist. Ecc. 1. 3. c. 3. '' Ibid, c. 25 — ir Tofc riSoig. We have nothing remaining of this book but a fragment of a line or two, in the Latin version of a work of Origcn, en- titled Prinriplcs, lib. i. c. 2. ' Hieron. De Scrip. Ecc. in PaiiJo. We have even at this present day an Epistle of St. Paul to the I.,aodicenns, which is nearly of the size of the Epistle to Philemon ; but it is"do\xbtful whether it be that which St. Jerome had seen. J Usser in Notis ad Epis. Isrn. ad Tral. pag. 70. «■■ Cotelin Notis ad Const. Apost. lib. vi. c. 2G. p. o54. These two Epistles were printed in Armenia, and translated into Latin by Mr. Wilkins, a learn- ed Englishman. They are very short, and bear juaniiest marks of being supposititious. ' Hieron. Dc Scrip. Eccl. in Seneca. '" Hist. Ecc. lib. iii. c. 25. — xul ravra tifv ir ono- ?.f,Yoriiiioic. Eusebius in this place speaks of four Gospels, of the Acts of the Apostles, of thirteen Epistles of St. Paul (for we must not here include the Epistle to the Hebrews), of one of St. John, and of one of St. Peter. VOL. II. *4i historian testifies, that they were universally acknowledged to be the work of that Apostle. The Epistles of St. Paul are addressed to some Churches or to some individuals with the view of instruction and edification, as Provi- dence furnished the occasion or the subjects. They record the doctrine the apostles preached ; the first heresies that arose in the Church ; the decision of various questions proposed to St. Paul ; some prophecies relative to future events ; excellent precepts of morality ; a sublime sys- tem of divinity ; the government of the apos- tolic Church ; the progress of the Gospel throughout the world ; the gifts that the Holy Ghost infused on its ministers, or rather on the faithful ; lastly, fine examples of zeal, courage, patience, disinterestedness, humility, charity, hope, and faith. It must also be remarked, that the Epistles of St. Paul, as Dr. Paley has proved at large, serve to authenticate the history of the Acts, as the history of the Acts in their turn corroborate the Epistles ; which is of no trifling consequence in establishing the veracity and authority of these sacred writings. The excellent Epistles of St Paul have been preserved for us with great integrity, as may be seen by comparing the ancient versions, and the quotations of the old fathers, with the ori- ginal text. The several readings or variations ^lat have been collected from different manu- scripts, are not by any means so numerous as tiiose that are found in the manuscripts of the Gospels ; which perhaps may be attributed to the copyists, who having in mind the expres- sions of a different Evangelist, might easily refer them to that which tliey were transcribing. They seem indeed to have done it sometimes designedly, in order to clear one passage by another. This has less frequently happened in St. Paul's Epistles ; and among these various readings that remain, Ave dare assert, that tliere are none of them that can do any injury, cither to the authenticity of those divine ivrit- ings, or to the apostolic doctrine wliich they inculcate. These Epistles have been long ranked in the order in which they at present stand. Epi- phanius", who censures Marcion for having over- turned this order, informs us that in his time the Epistle to the Romans was the first in all the authentic copies. He remarks only, that the Epistle to Philemon, which Avas the last in most of the manuscripts, was placed the thirteenth in some others ; and that in some the Epistle to the Hebrews Avas the tenth, and preceded the Epistles to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. It is certain that the Epistles are not chrono- " Epiph. Hcrcs. 42. The Epistle to the Gala- tians Avas the first in the Apostolic of Marcion: the Epistle to the Romans A\'as the foui'tb only. It is not known AA^hat order this heretic pursued, for he placed the Second Epistle to the Thessalonirns after the Epistle to the Romans, thougli tisey arr; certainly more ancient. 322* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIL logically arranged". The Epistle to the Gala- tians appears to have been the first written of them all : the Epistle to the Romans the eighth or ninth. The latter has probably been placed first, either on account of the preeminence of the city of Rome, or on account of the excel- lency of the Epistle itself, which has always been looked upon as St. Paul's masterpiece, and the most polished of the apostolic monu- ments. The Epistles were spread by slow degrees from one Church to another. St. Paul com- mands the Colossians (Coloss. iv. 16.) to send to the Laodiceans what he wrote to them, in order to be there read in the Church, and to cause to be read in theirs those they should receive from Laodicea. There is no doubt but that the Churches of the metropolitan cities sent authentic copies of the letters addressed to them from the apostles, to others of their province. Hence these letters passed to Churches more remote. The Christians, %vho diligently sought after those of tlie martyrs, did not assuredly neglect those of the apostles. It is evident, from the letter that Polycarp wrote to the Philippians, that they asked him for those of St. Ignatius. " I send you," says Polycarp, " the letters that Ignatius has written to me, and in general all those that I have, as you have commanded me''.*' He means the letters that Polycarp, who was at Smyrna in Asia, might have collected, either from the apostles, or from the disciples of the apostles ; for he adds, " that they might be of use in strengthening them in patience and faith." Witli respect to the time in which the Epistles of St. Paul began to be dispersed, it is very difficult to mark it precisely, since there are very few complete records of that time remaining. Clement of Rome, who was con- temporary with the Apostle, has written a letter to the Church of Corinth, which is preserved, in which he speaks of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the same Church. " Receive," says he, " the Epistle of the happy Apostle St. Paul, what he has written to you at the time that you were only beginning to receive the Gospel'." He afterwards mentions the divisions with which the Apostle reproaches the Corinthians on ac- count of Cephas, Apollos, and himself. There " St. Chrysostom has also rcMTiarked the same, in his Frf face to the Epistle to the Romans ; and he adds, that, in the arrantrement of the prophets, the chronoloj^ical order has not been pursued. ^ Polycarp. Epis. ad Philip. Tliis passage of Poly carp's letter is mentioned by Euseb. Ecc. Hist. lib. iii. c. 36. ' Clem. Ep. ad Corinth, sect, xlvii. The Greek expression is tv an/ri roii fr'ayj-fx/ui;, which I un- derstand to mean, •'■ From the beginning of the ])renchinir of the Gospel at Corinth." St. Paul makes use of the same expression in the like sense, (Pliil. iv. ].').) See also the o7th and 4l!lh sections of St. element's Epist. and compare 1 Cor. .\ii. and xiii. are, moreover, in this letter of St. Clement^ some quotations, or manifest imitations of the Epistle to the Hebrews'', which prove, doubt- less, that he had seen that Epistle. St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, and a dis- ciple of the apostles, has- written more letters, which Eusebius* mentions, and of which, in these later ages, we have found the MSS., which do not appear to have been at all altered'. Writing to the Ephesians, he tells them, " You are the companions" of the faith of Paul, who has been sanctified, who has suffered martyr- dom, who has obtained the highest happiness, and who, throughout his Epistle, makes honor- able mention" of you in Jesus Christ." There is also another letter of St. Polycarp, the dis- ciple of St. John, where he quotes this remark- able passage of 1 Cor. vi. 2. " Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world"" ?" There are moreover in it some instructions for the deacons and deaconesses, evidently copied from those which St. Paul gave to Timothy and Titus respecting those persons. In general, Polycarp speaks of St. Paul's Epistles to tlie Churches that knew God, at a time" when there was not as yet any Christian Church at Smyrna. This is what he sends to the Philippians re- specting the Apostle, " Neither I, nor any of my equals, were able to obtain the knowledge of the happy and glorious Apostle Paul '(\ ho has been aforetime among you, those who lived then have seen him in person ; who has taught you the clear and true doctrine most exactly ; and who being absent Avrote some letters to you, all which can now edify you in the faith, if you attentively consider them." These testimonies evince the Epistles of St. Pan] to have been propagated at the period here spoken of. There is also a very decisive proof that they were dispersed before this period, as St. Peter, writing to the faithful Jews who were scattered through Asia Minor, speaks to them not only of the Epistles that the Apostle had addressed to the Churches of Asia, but even of those that he had written to others^, as of works that were known, and *" Sect. xii. xvii. xxxvi. and compare them witli Heb. ix. 31. 37. and i. 3-7. * Euseb. Err/. Hist. lib. iii. c. 30. ' Ignatms ad Epbes. sect. xii. " ^I'liinaTat. " Wiiat is here translated by mnking an honora- ble mention, is in the original iMi;t(0) tn'fi ?'iur,r. Moreover there is to bo found in the same Epistle some quotations from 1 Cor. and among others these words (chap, i.) nuv nu(fi',? ; ,7or rTi,"(,T>,r/,'; ; '• Where is the Scribe .' where is the jirofound and subtle reasoner.' " '" Epist. Polycarp. ad Philip, sect. iii. See also sect. i. iv. vi. in the same Epistle ; and compare Epb. ii. 8. and 1 Tim. vi 7, 10. Gal. iv. 7. Rom. xii. 17. and xiv. 10, 12. ■'■ The Latin versioii has (the Grei^k text oi" a l)art of this better being lost.) .Xos avtnti non no- rcriimii.^. which is und<M-stood of th(^ Church of Smyriin. ofothers ofPclycnrp himself '•' 2 Pel. iii l'>- I*"'- ^'- l'("ter appears in partic- NoTic 10.] INTRODUCTION TO THE EPISTLES. *o 3-23 •^vhich tliey might then peruse. It is likewise evident, in reading- these compositions of the first ages of Christianity, tliat the Epistles of the apostles were communicated innncdiately to the neighbouring Churches by those who had received them, and passed slowly to the Churches more remote. Eusebius has ob- served*, that Papias, bishop of Jerusalem, has tiuoted the earliest Epistles of St. Peter and St. John. Polycarp refers often to the first Epistle of St. Peter. Each of them was in Asia. There are, however, no evident quota- tions from tlie Epistle to the Romans, which having been sent into the west, passed very late into the east, and therefore could not have been so early recognised. The eloquence of St. Paul does not consist in the style only. It consists in the sublimity of thoughts, in the force of reasoning, in the ad- mirable use he makes of the Scriptures, in the boldness and brilliancy of expression, in the justness of images, and in the multiplicity and beauty of figures. He is animated, cogent, rapid, compact; frequently abrupt; often led away from his subject by an accidental word or expression, and returning to it again without the usual forms of connection : in other places he is pathetic, affecting, moving, and ever displaying that tender love and unction of the Holy Spirit, with which he was aflfected. He knew how to unite authority with com- placency, and all tlie meekness of the Apostle St. John, with the severity of the Baptist; but, as has been remarked, his style is in many places extremely negligent". St. Jerome speaks on this point with great freedom'' ; he gives him, nevertheless, in other respects, the greatest praise ; as well as Eusebius", who does not hesitate to declare that St. Paul has surpassed all the other apostles, both in thought and ex- pression. His excessive zeal leads him into many particularities. He abounds in broken sentences, and the most constrained metaphors, which occasion many and repeated difficulties. 'To account for his own declaration of himself, that when he sliould be rude and as an idiot witli respect to speech, he was not with respect to knowledge'', it must be remembered that he ular to mean the Epistle to the Hebrews in tlie l.^th verse ; for though it were addressed to the Hebrews of Judfea, it related, in general, to all the faithful of that nation. He speaks in the I6th verse of some other Epistles of St. Paul — " In all his Epistles," &c. * Euseb. Hist. Ere. lib. iii. c. 3!). in fine. " See some exainjjles of it — Rom. ii. 2t). xi. ](>. Eph. ii. 1-5, etc. '' Hieron. Comment, in Ep. ad Epius. cap. 3 Initio Eplst. 151. ad Algas. Qurest. 10. ' Euseb. Hist. Ecc. lib. iii. c. 24. ttuitoiv iv na- ^anxsvii Xuyo'V SviardaTurog, roi[uani te ixavoiTaTog. Clement of Alexandria often gives the title of " this Illustrious Apostle," " this Divine Apostle," to St. Paul — yuratuc '^-I i onro/.u:, ,9fff,TfO(oc '.^-Ljio- cruXog. Strom, lib. i. p. 316. ii. p. 420, &c. '^ 2 Cor. xi. G. Indeed. St. Jerome observes on was born in tlie city of Tarsus% where the Greek language was not very pure, and that the Hebrew, or Syriac language, being as familiar to him as the Greek, his style was consequently less polished ; and is frequently mixed M-ith Hebraisms, which render it a little harsh. He makes use also of some Greek particles in a sense we may term Hebraic, on which account they have not always determinate significations. Many of the illustrations of St. Paul are traceable to his private life and circumstances. Tarsus, where he was born, was one of the most celebrated places of exercise then in Asia; and, as Dr. Powell observes, apud Bow- yer, p. 432, there is no matter from which the Apostle borrows his words and images more than from the public exercises. He frequently considers the life of a Christian as a race, a wrestling, or a boxing ; the reward which good men expect hereafter, he calls the prize, the victor's crown ; and when he exhorts liis disci- ples to the practice of virtue, he does it usually in the very same terms in which he would have encouraged the combatants. From the Apostle's country we descend to his family, and here we find anotiicr source of his figurative expressions. His parents being Roman citizens, words or sentiments, derived from the laws of Rome, would easily creep into their conversation. No wonder then that their son sometimes uses forms of speech peculiar to the Roman lawyers, and applies many of the rules of adoption, man- umission, and testaments, to illustrate the counsels of God in our redemption. Nor are tliere wanting in St. Paul's style some marks of his occupation. To a man employed in making tents, the ideas of making camps, arms, armor, warfare, military pay, would be familiar; and he introduces these and their concomitants so frequently, that his language seems to be such as might rather have been expected from a soldier, than from one wlio lived in quiet times, and was a preacher of the Gospel of peace. When we consider these things, with tlie others that have been already mentioned, there will remain nothing that is peculiar in St. Paul's manner of writing, of which the origin may not easily be discovered. He par.sues an idea that presents itself, and leaves for a moment the main one to return to it again afterwards. With tliis, there are frequent ellipses, or words understood, which must be supplied either by what has preceded, or by what follows. In the parallel which he this passage — •• lllud, quod crebro diximus, etsi imperitus seruione, non tamen scientia, nequaquam Faulum de huinilitate, sed de conscientiae veritate dixisse, etiam nunc approbamus." Hieron. ubi supra. He allows, nevertheless, St. Paul to pos- sess Syrian or Hebrew eloquence. "^ •• Quern sermoneni cum in vernaoula lingua habeat disertissiinuni, quippe Hebra»us ex Hebrai-is, et eruditus ad pedes Ganialielis, \'iri iu lege doc- tissimi. so ipsuui interpretari cupiens involvitur,'' &c. 3M* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIl". draws, in the.niiii chapter of" the Epistle to the Romans, between AJani, the author of sin and condemnation, and Jesus Christ, the Author of justification and life, his style is so concise and so elliptic, that a mere litei-al translation, with- out any supplement, would be not only barbarous but unintelliii'ible. It is the same in the four- teenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Cor- inthians, where the turn and the construction of the orig-inal is obliged to be changed, and some words added in italics (that the reader may be able to distinguish what does not belong to the text), before the Apostle's meaning can be properly understood. The subjects of which he treats add also to the obscurity of the Epistles of St. Paul. He discusses things which were only known at his time, and he answers some objections, which he sometimes only mentions. All this, however, is no reason M'hy the meaning of St. Paul may not be sufficiently clear in every essential point. The only thing necessary, is to find out whether every interpretation that can be given to the words is true in the end, and agrees with the doctrine of Christianity. The obscurity again that is met with in these Epistles arises, very often, from commentators, who press some words too far, which they lay as foundations on which they build ill-founded systems, because they do not pay sufficient attention to the design of the author, and to the general system of religion, which ought to serve as a light to clear up dark passages. St. Paul had been brought up in the school of Gamaliel, and had been instructed in all the learning of the Jewish theology. This was tiie knowledge in highest esteem among the nation. " We reckon as wise among us," says JosephuS''', " those only who have acquired so tliorough a knowledge of our Laws, and the Holy Writings, as to be capable of explaining them ; v.iiich is a circumstance so rare, that scarcely two or three have succeeded in it, and deserved that honor." This knowledge, however, is what St. Paul has termed Judaism, in which he testifies himself, that he had made very great progress, Gal. i. 14. Hence it is that so many more vestiges of this theology are visible in his writings, than in those of the other apostles ; and that many of his arguments against the Jews are drawn from their own books', and from their own expositions of Scripture. His quotations from the Old Testament are, for the most part, taken from the Septuagint version. This version was received by the Jews, who were called Hellenists, and who were dispersed among the Greeks, speaking tlieir lano-uage. It is to these Jews, and tlic Gentiles / Joseph. Jliitiq. lib. xxii. last chapter. ^ " Haud inusitata res est passua in Novo In- struinento, quia Christus et Apostoli Judieos c suis ipsoruin Scriptis et concessionibus rcdarguaat." Lightfoot, toni. ii. p. 117. who had embraced the Gospel, that St. Paul has written all his Epistles, except the Epistle to the Hebrews. But besides tlie quotations from Scripture, tliere ai"e some others that, according to the testimony of the ancients, are taken from some apocryphal book of the Jews. The apostles having a "spirit of discrimination," had the power of separating the true from the false, that was to be met with in those books, and they quoted them without mentioning the books themselves. However, we may here make use of a very wise observation of St. Jerome'', that it is by no means necessary to refer always to those apocryphal books, in order to find out St. Paul's allegations ; that it cannot be found in the same terms in tiie canonical books, because in quoting Scripture he sometimes unites many passages together, without distin- guishing what is taken from one prophet from that wliich is taken from another, and because he rather relates the sense than the words. Plis interpretation of the Old Testament is most commonly mystical, and what St. Jerome calls sensus reconditi, hidden meanings. The Jews, who studied the Holy Scriptures, were persuaded that beside the sense that naturally presented itself to the understanding, there was a concealed sense, a spiritual sense, which was the principal object of their study. They were consequently very much infatuated with alle- gories, in which they were imitated in a danger- ous degree by some of the Christian teachers and fathers. This method of explaining the Scriptures being authorized, the Apostle has made use of it under the divine direction. The Jews could apply only to their Sacred Books their own particular and ordinary knowledge, whereas the apostles had received the spirit of prophecy, that is to say, the gift of explaining the ancient oracles, and they trusted their interpretations less to reason, than to a demon- stration of spirit and power. They had the key of those sacred sayings, those " hidden mysteries," whose mystical senses, however vague and uncertain before, were made yalid in the mouths of the apostles, on account of the gifts of prophecy and miracles. We must discriminate in the passages which St. Paul quotes from the Old Testament, be- tween those that arc only allusions and appli- cations, and those which are mentioned as oracles, which serve as proofs. Thus, when the Apostle applies to Gospel justification, what Moses has said respecting the Law, " Say not '' "Hoc autein tolnin nniic idoo observavimus, ut etiani in ceteris locis siciibi testiinonia quasi de prophetis et de vetori testamento ab apostolis usur- pata sint, et in nostris codicibus non habentur, nequaqnam statim ad Apocryphoruru incptias et deliraiaeuta recurranms ; sod sclainus ea quidem scripta esse in veleri testamcnlo, sed non ita ab apostolis odita, et sensual uiagis usurpitum, nee fioik' nisi a stndiosis posse ubi scripta sunt inve- niii." — Hieron. Comin. in F.u. ad Efh. ch. v. b. i. Note 10.] INTRODUCTION TO THE EPISTLES. *325 in your hearts, or in yourselves, Who shall ascend to heaven ? " it cannot he imagined that tliifi is a prophecy, of which lie discovers the ]!rf)foiind and concealed sense. It is a mere application of what has been said of the Law, to the Gospel : but a very beautiful and just ap])lication. Tlie same may be observed of these words of the nineteenth Psalm, " Their words are gone out to the ends of the earth," which were said of the stars, and which St. Paul applies to the ministers of the Gospel. From the internal evidence afforded by the Epistle itself — from the general testimony of antiquity — and tlie arguments botJi of Michaelis and Macknight, I am induced to place this Epistle to the Galatians before the others ; and assign the year 4.9 or 50 as its date. Semler quotes and approves tlie opinion of another German writer, that the Epistle was written before the council of Jerusalem. I iiave not been able to procure the work to which he alludes, neitlier can I discover sufficient argu- ments to confirm his opinion. Various opinions have been entertained by tlie learned, as to the date of this Epistle. Theodoret thought it one of those epistles whiclithe Apostle wrote during his first confine- ment at Rome, in which he is followed by Lightfoot and others. But seeing in the other epistles which the Apostle wrote during his first confinement, he hath ollen mentioned his bonds, but hatli not said a word concerning them in this, the opinion of Theodoret cannot be admitted ; because there is notliing said in the Epistle to the Galatians of St. Paid's having been in Galatia moi-e than once. L'Enfant and Bcausobre think it was written durin"- his lonp- abode at Corinth, mentioned Acts xviii. 11., and between his first and second journey into Galatia. This opinion Lardner espouses, and assigns the year 52 as the date of tliis Epistle. The author of the 3/i,sce//anea Sacra, who is followed by Benson, supposes it to have been written from Corinth. Capel, Witsius, and Wall, say it was written at Ephesus, after Paul had been a second time in Galatia. See Acts xviii. 23. and xix. 1. Fabricius thought it was written from Corinth during the Apostle's second abode there, and not long after he wrote his Epistle to the Romans. This likewise was the opinion of Grotius. Mill places it after the Epistle to the Romans, but supposes it to have been written from Troas, while the Apostle was on his way to Jerusalem with the collections ; to which he fancies tlie Apostle refers, Gal. ii. 10., and that the brethren who joined him in Avriting to the Galatians (i. 2.) were those mentioned Acts-xiii. 1. Beza, in his note on Gal. i. 2., gives it as his opinion, that the brethren who joined St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians, were the eldership of tl;e Church at Antioch, and that it was writt'^n vol.. IT. in that city, in the interval between Paul and Barnabas's return from Paul's first apostolical journey, and their going up to Jerusalem to consult the apostles and elders concerning the circumcision of the Gentiles. Tertullian, as Grotius informs us in his Preface to the Gala- tians, reckoned this one of Paul's first epistles. Macknight's opinion is, that St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians was written from Antioch, after the council of Jerusalem, and before Paul and Silas undertook the journey in which they delivered to the Gentile Churches the decrees of the council, as related Acts xvi. 4. To this date of the Epistle he is led by the following circumstances : — the earnestness with which St. Paul established his apostleship in the first and second chapters of this Epistle, and the things which he advanced for that purpose show that the Judaizers, who urged the Gala- tians to receive circumcision, denied his apos- tleship ; and, in support of tlieir denial, alleged that he was made an apostle only by the Church at Antioch, and thathe had received all his knowl- edge of the Gospel from the apostles. This the Judaizers might allege with some plausi- bility, before Paul's apostleship was recognised at Jerusalem. But after Peter, James, and John, in the time of the council, gave him the right hand of fellowship, as an apostle of equal authority with themselves, and agreed that he should go among the Gentiles, and they among the Jews, his apostleship would be called in question no longer in any Church, than while the brethren of that Church were ignorant of what had happened at Jerusalem. We may therefore believe, that immediately after the council, the Apostle would write his Epistle to the Galatians, in which he not only gave them an account ( f liis having been ac- knowledged by the throe chief apostles, but related many other particulars, by M'hich his apostleship was raised beyond all doubt. This argument, however, does not prove that the Epistle was necessarily written, as the learned author supposes, at Antioch, though it miglit be written not long after the council. Macknight's second reason is taken from the inscription of the Epistle, in which it is said, that all the brethren who were with St. Paul joined him in writing it. For as the only view which any of the brethren could join the Apostle in writino- to the Galatians. was to attest tlie facts which ho advanced in the first and second chap- ters, for proving his apostleship, the brethren who joined him in writing- it mw-t have been such as knew the truth of these facts. Wherefore they could be neither the brethren of Corinth, nor of Ephesus, nor of Rome, nor of Xi'*''fi-3» "or of any other Gentile city, where this Epistle has been dated, except Antioch. As little could they be the brethren who accompanied the Apostle in his travels among the Gentiles, as Hammond conjectures. For none of them, except Silas, *BB 326* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XII. had any notice of the facts advanced in this Epistle, but what they received from the Apostle himself; so that their testimony was, in reality, the Apostle's own testimony. The only breth- ren who could bear effectual testimony to these thing-s were those who lived in .Tudtea and its neighbourhood, particularly the brethren of An- tioch, who, by their intercourse with those of Jerusalem, must have known what happened to St. Paul there, as fully as they knew what hap- pened to him in their own city, where he had resided often and long. I therefore have no doubt that the Epistle to the Galatians was written from Antioch, and that the bretliren who joined St. Paul in writing it, Avere the brethren there, whose testimony merited the highest credit. For, among them were various prophets and teachers, whose names are mentioned. Acts xiii. 1., with others of respectable charac- ters, whose place of residence, early conversion, eminent station in the Church, and intercourse Mit!i the brethren in Jerusalem, gave them an opportunity of knowing St. Paul's manner of life before his conversion. His being made an apostle by Christ himself — his being acknowledged as an apostle by his brethren in Jerusalem — his teacliing uniformly tliat men are saved by faith, without obedience to the Law of Moses — his having strenuously maintained that doctrine in tlie hearing of the Church at Antioch — his hav- ing publicly reproved St. Peter for seeming to depart from it, by refusing to eat with the con- verted Gentiles ; and that on being reproved by St. Paul, St. Peter acknowledged his miscon- duct, by making no reply. All these things tlie brethren of Antioch could attest, as matters wliich they knew and believed ; so that, with tlie greatest propriety, they joined the Apostle in writing the letter wherein they are asserted. Dr. Macknight, however, has omitted to ob- serve that the circumstances of St. Paul's con- version, preaching, and call to the apostleship, were known to all the brethren, whether of Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, or any other place ; and therefore the testimony of any who were well acquainted with these facts would be sufficiently satisfactory to the Galatian converts. It is not necessary therefore to suppose that the brethren who are mentioned in the inscription of the Epistle, must have been of Antioch. Dr. Macknight's third argument for the early date is derived from the omission by St. Paul of his usual command, that the persons to whom he wrote sliould " remember the poor." Tliis is evidently an unsafe mode of reasoning. When the Apostle wrote his Epistle to the Galatians, he had heard of the defection of some of them from the true doctrine of the Gospel. This defection he represents as having hap- pened soon after they were converted, Gal. i. G. " I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Ilim wlio called you into the grace of Christ." But if the Epistle to the Galatians was written either from Rome, during the Apostle's first confinement there ; or from Corinth, during his eighteen months' abode in that city ; or from Ephesus, where he abode three years ; or from Troas, in his way to Jerusalem with the collec- tions, the defection of the Galatians nmst have happened a considerable time after their con- version, on the supposition that they were first called when Paul and Barnabas ^yent into their country from Lycaonia. Wherefore if the Apostle's expression, " I marvel that ye are so soon removed," is proper, the Epistle to the Galatians could not be written later than the in- terval between the council of Jerusalem and the Apostle's second journey into the Gentile coun- tries with Silas, when they delivered to the Churches the decrees of the council. These arguments seem to prove, that the Epistle to tlie Galatians was written soon after the council of Jerusalem : the exact time seems, however, to be more satisfactorily ascertained by Michaelis, who has assigned it to some part of this second apostolical journey, before St. Paul came to Borea, where the brethren appear to have left him. St. Paul's first visit to the Ga- latians was not long after the council which had been held in Jerusalem, as appears from Acts xvi. 4, 5, 6. " And as they (namely, Paul and Silas) went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Je- rusalem. And so were the Churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. Now, when they had gone throughout Phrygia, and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia," &c. From this passage we see that St. Paul preached the Gospel in Galatia ; for the pro- hibition was confined to the Roman proconsular province of Asia, to which Galatia is here op- posed. This is further confirmed by Acts xviii. 23., where St. Luke relates, that St. Paul again visited Galatia, strengthening his disciples, so that converts must have been made on his first visit'. Now let us follow St. Paul on his first journey from Galatia to Berea, in Macedonia, where he seems to have arrived in the same year, and we shall be convinced that he wrote his Epistle to the Galatians upon this journey. When he left the Galatians he was accom- panied by several brethren, namely, by Silas (or Silvan\is), Acts xv. 40. by Timothy, chap, xvi. 3., and perhaps by others. This circum- stance is particularly to be noted. . They trav- elled through Mysia to Troas, ver. 8., Avhere St. Paui liad a remarkable dream, which induced him to go into Macedonia. Before he left Troas, St. Luke was added to St. Paul's other compauions, and in their company he travelled i Macknight's Preface to the Galatians, vol. iii. p. 84, &c. — Marsh's Mkhadis, vol. iv. p. 9. chap, xi. — Hales's .hialijxis of C'lirunologii, vol. ii. part ii. p. 1117. NOTK 10.] INTRODUCTION TO THE EPISTLES. *3->7 to Philippi, ver. 11, 19., whore he preached tlie Gospel, ver. 13-40., and thence to Thessalonica, chap. xvii. 1-9. ; here some of the brethren appear to have left St Paid, and he travelled with Silas alone to Berea, ver. 19. When he was no longer in safety here, he left Galatia, Silas remaining, and went to Athens, so that when he arrived in that city, none of the brethren were with him, in wjiose company iie had travelled from Galatia. Now St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians is written not only in liis own name, but in the name of all the brethren who were witli him. Who, then, were these brethren 1 Were they known or unknown to the Galatians ? St. Paul would hardly have written to them in the name of the brethren who were with him, without determining wlio those brethren were, unless they had been the same wlio attended when he left Galatia, and who therefore were known to the Galatians without any farther description. Consequently this Epistle must have been written before St. Paul separated from these brethren, that is, before he left Thessalonica. " Whether it was written in this city, or before he arrived there, I will not," says Michaelis, " attempt to determine ; but it certainly was written during the interval which elapsed be- tween St. Paul's departure from Galatia, and his departure from Thessalonica." Again, St. Paul, in the two first chapters, gives the Galatians a general review of his life and conduct from his conversion, to the apos- tolic council in Jerusalem, and at the farthest to his return to Antioch. Here he breaks off his narrative. It is probable, therefore, that from that time to the time of his writing to the Galatians, nothing remarkable had happened except their conversion. Lastly the suppo- sition that St. Paul wrote to the Galatians at the period whicJi I have assigned, accounts more easily than any other for St. Paul's men- tioning to the Galatians, that he had not obliged Titus to undergo the rite of circumcision, namely, because he had obliged Timothy to submit to it immediately before his first visit to the Galatians ; and St. Paul's adversaries had appealed, perhaps, to this, in support of their doc- trine, that the Levitical Law sliould be retained. "The particular year of the Christian aera," continues Michaelis, " in which the Epistle to the Galatians was written, it is difficult to determine with precision ; though we are especially interested in the date of this Epistle, because it appears from chap. iv. 10., that the Galatians were on the point of celebrating the JewisJi sabbatical year, and in that of their seduction by the Jewish zealots, of leaving their lands uncultivated for a whole year, though the Law of Moses on this article could not possibly extend to Galatia." '•What Michaelis conjectured," says Dr. Ilalos, " but was not able to establish, from the discordant systems of chronology in his time, may be now proved. The first year of our Lord's public ministry, A. D. 28, was a sab- batical year, and also a jubilee." Therefore A. D. 49, which was 3X7 = 21 years after, was also a sabbatical year. It is more probable, however, that the Epistle was not written during the sabbatical year itself, in which Paul attended the conned of Jerusalem, (Acts xv. 2.) but ratiier the year after, A. D. 50, during the Apostle's circuit through the Churches of Syria and Cilicia, to confirm tliem in the faith, and to communicate to them the apostolical decree, (Acts XV. 36-41. and xvi. 4.) and to this year 1 have assigned it. To understand the design of this Epistle, we must take into consideration certain opinions which were prevalent in the apostolic age. The Jews believed that God demanded im- plicit obedience to the Law of Moses — that this obedience would justify them, or place them, witli respect to God, in the same situation in which they would have been, if they had not transgressed ; and it had the power of obtaining for them also eternal life. They thought that man was not so fallen, but that he was of ium- self able to obey the Law, and thus fulfil the conditions on which eternal life was promised. These opinions were so blended in the minds of the Jews with undoubted truths, that it would have been difficult to have answered them satis- factorily, unless by divine inspiration. The Apostle, however, proves by irrefragable argu- ments, both here, in his Epistle to the Galatians, and in his Epistle to the Romans — that the justification of man could not be accomplished by his own obedience. It was utterly impos- sible that man could fully and satisfactorily obey the demands of a law, which was designed rather to convince men of sin, and enforce upon them the conviction that something more was necessary to obtain the favor of God, and that the ceremonies of their Levitical Law were only typical of some better and more perfect salvation: the Law was as a servant, leading them as children from the painfulness and bondage of school, to the glorious liberty of the sons of God and heirs of heaven. In opposition to this Judaizing heresv, St. Paul addresses the Galatians, and endeavours to convince them, by a masterly train of argu- ment, that the doctrine of salvation by faith alone is the doctrine of Scripture. After having establislied his apostolical commission against the attacks of the false teachers, he asserts, that as the Law has no power to give life, it is useless to compel tlie Gentdes, or tlie Christian converts, to conform to the full observance of the ceremonial Law. He assures them no flesh can be justified by the Law, but by the faith of Christ Jesus, for if righteousness come by the Law, then Christ shall be dead in vain ; and he proves t!ie superiority of the new covenant, by 323*' NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XII. refemng to those gifts they had received from the Holy Spirit since their admission into the Christian dispensation. He further assures them, that the Christian covenant was founded on the promise given to Abraham and to his seed, which was made and confirmed by God in Christ, four hundred and thirty years before the Law ; therefore it was not possible that the Law should disannul or make the promise of a redeeming Saviour of Isaac's line of none effect. If, then, the Gospel was preached before unto Abraham, and we through him (and not through the Law are to be blessed), M'e must inquire into that faith which rendered this eminent father acceptable in the sight of his Almighty Creator. " He believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Christ himself declares, that Abraham saw his day afar off, and was glad — like the holy ma,rtyrs of the Christian dispen- sation, the faithful Abraham was called to give an evidence of his integrity, by the most painful of all human sacrifices — -he was required not indeed to offer up himself, but his son, his only son, the beloved companion of his age, in whom all the blessings and promises of God were to be fulfilled, and from whom the Saviour of the world was to be born — without any revelation as to the manner in which this apparently contradic- tory command could be made to agree with the former important predictions. His faith was "the substance of things hoped for — the evi- dence of things not seen." He understood the promise conveyed in those gracious words — "In tiiee shall all nations be blessed." He knew that the same Almighty Being who gave life could restore it; and in this foith he acted ; he took the knife, and in the full assurance of faith, the father prbpared to become the slayer of his only son, " accounting," as the Apostle tells us, " that God was able to raise him up even from the dead," (Heb. xi. 19.) Abraham was justified by his faith, and by works was his faith made perfect ; and if we would become his children, we must give the same evidence of our sincerity and faith. We must declare our faith by our works. Macknight remarks on this subject, referring to the Epistle of St. James, that faith and works are inseparably connected as cause and effect ; that faith, as the cause, necessarily produces good works as its effect, and that good works must flow from faith, as their principle ; that neither of them, separately, is the means of our justifi- cation, but that, when joined, they become effectual for that end. Wherefore, when in Scripture we are said to bo "justified by faith," it is a faith accompanied by good works. On the other hand, when we are said to be justified by works, it is works "proceeding from faith." Therefore, in this Epistle, St. Paul must be considered as arguing against the possibility of salvation or justification by works of the Tiaw, while he enforces, by tlie example of Abraham, the necessity of good works on the principle of a well-grounded or justifying faith on the Son of God. This doctrine of justification, however, has been infinitely discussed and controverted — many depreciating good works in favor of faith alone ; but this error frequently arises through want of a proper consideration of the Apostle's arguments. It is dangerous, so far as it checks exertions, and insidiously draws men from those outward forms which are the landmarks of religion. Under the pretence of encourag- ing, it destroys internal religion ; by represent- ing it as a system of pious feelings, which are independent of those outward ordinances which were ordained by Christ himself. The Avhole system of revelation corroborates the view here taken of "justification by faith." It is illus- trated by all the eminent characters of the Old Testament, and is confirmed in the New, by the parables and actions of our Lord himself. It will excite surprise among those who are interested in theological studies, that I have made little or no use of the labors of two writers, who of late years have paid great attention to these Epistles — Mr. Belsham, and Dr. Semler of Halle. My reasons shall be briefly given : — I am unwilling to occupy the time of the reader with difficulties and objections, which are not generally knov.-n, merely to refute them. Both these theologians have deviated so widely from the beaten track, that the Chris- tianity whicii they have deduced from the Inspired Writings bears no similarity to that whicli is received, and has ever been received, by the Christian Church. The Protestant Churches have been long divided upon the question of Church government ; the Church of Rome, and the Protestants in general, have been divided concerning several articles of faith and discipline ; but all these have hitherto maintained, and I trust will long maintain, the doctrines of the Atonement and Divinity of Christ ; the Inspiration of Scripture, and its freedom from error. Both of these writers deny tlie whole of these fundamental truths. Semler considers the Ne-v Testament as any other uninspired book, and expresses his surprise that we should pay regard to the Jewish mytho- logy, which abounds in it ; and Mr. Belsham reproves St. Paul for false and incorrect rea- soning. It is not my wish to direct attention to these works ; one quotation from each, which I now subjoin, will sufficiently justify me in saying, that as the principles upon which vre proceed are so diametrically opposite, it will be better to rt^serve for another opportunity the discussion of the good or evil to be found iu their labors'. } '•■ Nemo porro retinet aut tuctur istiun cxplica- tionein beneficii, quo Cliristus nos afFecit, siiscepto isto supplicio crucis : quo diabolum fefellisse et Note 11.] NOTES ON THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS. *329 Note 11.— Part XII. ON ST. Paul's silence respecting the apos- tolic DECREE. That is, as St. Chrysostom observes, "by- setting up tiiat Law which I allow God lias abolished;" for if, as the Apostle argues, the •TcAvish Law can give salvation, then Christ is the minister of sin, as encouraging us to seek justification through him ; or, as the preceding verse (17,) may be read without an interroga- tion — " If we be sinners in seeking to be justi- fied by Christ, then Christ is the minister of sin." God forbid. But as a Christian 1 am dead to tiie Jewish or ceremonial Law, and I live by the faith of the Son of God, who gave himself for me. — See also Pyle's Paraphrase, vol. ii. p. 14. " As the professed design of tlie Epistle was to establish the exemption of the Gentile converts from the Law of Moses, and as the apostolic decree pronounced and confirmed that exem.ption, it may seem extraordinary," ■says Dr. Paley, " that no notice whatever is taken of that determination by St. Paul on the present occasion, nor any appeal made to its authority. Much, however, of the weight of this objection, wjiich applies also to some other of the Apostle's Epistles, is removed by the following reflections : — 1. It was not St. Paul's manner, nor agreeable to it, to resort or defer much to the authority of the other apostles, especially whilst ho was insisting, as he does generally throughout this Epistle insist, upon his own original inspiration. He who could speak of the very chiefest of the apostles in such terms as the following — ' Of those who seemed to be somewhat (whatsoever they were it maketh no matter to me), God aceepteth no man's person, for they who seemed to be some- what in conference added nothing to me ' — he, I say, was not likely to support himself by their decision. 2. Tlie Epistle argues the point upon principle ; and it is not perhaps more to be wondered at, that in such an argument St. Paul should not cite tlie apostolic decree, than it would be that, in a discourse designed to prove the moral and religious duty of observing the Sabbatli, the writer should not quote the thir- teenth canon. 3. The decree did not go the »ength of the position maintained in the Epistle ; the decree only declares that the apostles and vicisse, mortisquc istud tam antiquum imperium disjccissc, ct priini peccati funestain poenam sus- tulisse dicebalur ; licet antiqua sit, et multa per se- cula continuata fuerit ilia explicatio. multisque de- clamandi artificiis exoniiita. a Grscis Latinisque rhetoribus." — Soniler. Prnlevom. ad Galatas. p. 202. — Belsliam, On the Epistles—" Such is the train of the Apostle's reasoning, the defect of which need not be pointed out." — Vol. i. p. 112. "This ar- gument of St Paul appears to me irrelevant and in- conclusive." Vol. i, p. 10.5, with many others. VOL. II. *12 elders at Jerusalem did not impose the obser- vance of the Mosaic Law upon the Gentile converts, as a condition of their being admitted into the Christian Church. One Epistle argues that the Mosaic institution itself was at an end, as to all effects upon a future state, even with re- spect to the Jews themselves. 4. They whose error St. Paul combated, were not persons who submitted to the Jewish law because it was im- posed by the authority, or because it was made part of tiie law of the Christian Church ; but they were persons who, having already become Christians, afterwards voluntarily took upon themselves the observance of the Mosaic code under a notion of attaining thereby to a greater perfection. This, I think, is precisely the opinion which St. Paul opposes in this Epistle- Many of his expressions apply exactly to it — ' Are ye so foolish ? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect in the flesh ? ' (chap, iii. 3.) 'Tell me, ye that desire to be under the Law, ye do not hear the Law ? ' (chap. iv. 21.) < How turn ye again to tlie weak and beggarly elements whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage 7 ' (chap. iv. 9.) It cannot be thought extraordinary that St. Paul should resist this opinion with earnestness ; for it both changed the character of the Christian dispen- sation, and derogated expressly from the com- pleteness of that redemption, which Jesus Christ had wrought for those that believed in him. But it was to no purpose to alledge to such persons the decision at Jerusalem, for that only showed they were not bound to these obser- vances by any law of the Christian Church. Nevertheless they imagined there was an efficacy in these observances, a merit, a recom- mendation to favor, a ground for acceptance with God, for those who complied Avith them. This was a situation of thought to which the tenor of the decree did not apply. Accordingly St. Paul's address to the Galatians, which throughout is adapted to this situation, runs in a strain widely different from the language of the decree — ' Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the Law,' (chap. V. 4.), whosoever places his dependence upon any merit he may apprehend to be in legal observances. The decree had said nothing like tliis ; therefore it would have been useless to have produced the decree, in an argument of which this was the burden. In like manner as contending witli an anchorite, who should insist upon the severe holiness of a recluse, ascetic life, and the value of such mortifications in the sight of God, it would be to no purpose to prove that the laws of the Church did not require these vows, or even to prove that they expressly left every Christian to his liberty. This would avail little towards abating his esti- mation of their merit, or towards settling the point in controversy." *BB* 330* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XII. Note 12.— Part XII. We are all justified by a religious faith in the promises of God, like that of faithful Abra- ham, producing good works ; and not by the rigid observances of all the rites of a typical law, which exacted an undeviating conformity, under the penalty of death, whicli it liad not the power to redeem. Had the Jewish dispensa- tion continued, the Gentiles could not have been united with the Jews, as the children of promise, but must have remained with them the children of law, and of bondage. Note 13.— Part XII. Lord Barrington, in an ingenious disser- tation on this much-discussed passage, sup- poses the word Christ here signifies " anointed," as it does in Ps. cv. 15. " Touch not mine anointed," (rendered Xgiato^g, according to the LXX), and Heb. xi. 26. That the seed, or the one seed. Gal. vi. 16., signifies all those of the works of the law, and of faith, who are made one by being anointed with one Spirit, or by being baptized into one Spirit, as the one Spirit of the one Lord (Mediator), and of one God, even the Father. But the covenant, or the promises that God made to Abraham, he made to his seed, (Gen. xiii. 16., xvii. 7, 8., and xxii. 18.), then it cannot be two seeds ; for, says he, that one seed is Christ, or the two different sorts of people, Jews and Gentiles, considered as one, being anointed with the same spirit, and therefore the promises and blessings belong to the Gentiles, who are of the one seed of faith, and have by it received the Spirit, as well as the Jews. If then it should be asked, why was the law added ? St. Paul answers, it was added to show the Israelites the punishment due to transgression, that tliey, see- ing themselves so manifestly concluded under sin, by the frequent breaches of the numerous laws they were under, which were often fol- lowed by death, might be led by the Law to the Gospel, which promised them righteousness and life. But this law was only added till that one seed should come, to whom the promise of life and blessedness is made ; which one seed is composed of a body of Jews and Gentiles, by one faith in one God, through one Lord, and by one Spirit. The believing Jews receiving the Spirit first after Christ's ascension, and after- wards the Gentiles, both idolatrous and devout. "Now," argues the Apostle, "tlio law was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator," (v. 10.), Moses. But still, says he, tlie law could not vacate the promise made to Abraham, and his seed : because Moses (as Mr. Locke first showed us) was only the mediator at t!ie giving of the Law at Sinai, therefore only one of the parties concurred to that of Abraham's covenant, which was between God and Abra- ham, and his one seed of faith in God's promises ; therefore the covenant of works entered into with Moses, and the carnal seed of Abraham, could in no way disannul the covenant of promise made unto Abraham, and his spiritual seed of all nations. If then we are one (seed) in Christ Jesus ; that is, by faith in God, through Christ Jesus, then are we Abraham's (one) seed, to whom the promise was made, (Gen. xii. 3.) as explained Gen. xvii. 7, 8. and confirmed xxii. 18., and (consequently) heirs according to that promise. If it should be objected against the sense I have given to the word Christ, (ver. 16, 17.) viz. anointed, the seed anointed by the Spirit ; I answer, that it is not an uncommon thing to find St. Paul keep his term and vary his sense. But I must observe, that it is not likely that he has done so in this chapter. He here varies his term, and his sense together ; for there are very good copies that give us other readings in these verses; ver. 13. some copies read xvgtog, ver. 24. XgiaTdv ' Itjaovv, ver. 27. some copies read as ver. 24., and ver. 29. is read with the same addition. " I prefer," says Lord Barrington, " these readings to Stephens's, which our translators followed •, because I find, that whenever St. Paul designed to denote Christ's person by the name Christ, in every other verse of this chapter, he adds Jesus to it ; an addition that he does not always make elsewhere ; as if he designed to reserve the word Xgiatdg, to denote this one seed anointed by the Spirit, whether Jews or Gentiles ; and so added Jesus to Christ every where else in the chapter to prevent mistakes." " Mediator non est unius partis sed duarum, earumque dissidentium. Cum igitur Moses Mediatorem ageret inter Deum et populum, hoc ipso testatur — esse dissidium inter duas istas partes. Deus autem unus est. Isque semper idem, semper sibi constans. Dissidium igitur illud non Dei, sed hominis, mutation! deputan- dum est." — Jac. Capellus, ap. Cradock, Apost. Harmony, p. 148. Note 14.— Part XII. In the extracts from Photius, at the end of tlie fifth volume of Wolfius, Cura PhUologica, p. 737, is a curious illustration of this passage — ti'dvjua d^ TO Tiirvftu to uyiof liyeTai iwi' Tiiarm', oi3x Co; ifidirior, uXV ib:; irdvrTui aldiign; TO TivQ. nvx eiwflFi' TieQiiHiOMuevog, ^IV olog Si' l')lou- oviu) yOLQ, &c., and it is very certain tliat if we, by tlie assistance of the grace of God, can ever be said to j)ut on the Spirit — to put on Christ — to be clothed witli the Spirit, &c. it can only be then, when the whole man is so embucd with a Ae.MXG to fear God, and to love Note 15.-18.] NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. *33l iiiul serve liini, tliat the inferior or animal nature slmll be conformed into that more spiritual na- ture, to which we are commanded to aspire. Note 15.— Part XII. By a very ingenious conjecture, which has been already alluded to, Michaelis reckons, that these years (Gal. iv. 10.) meant Jewish sabbatical years ; and that the Galatians were then on tiie point of keeping such a year, by leaving their lands uncultivated ; though the Mosaical Law, designed for tlie Holy Land, certainly did not extend to Galatia. But the year A. D. 49, the year of the first apostolic council held at Jerusalem, on tlie question, Wiiether tiie Gentile Church was bound to ob- serve the Law of Moses ? he suspected was a sabbatical year, and the same in which the Epis- tle itself was written. — Marsh's Michaelis, Intro- duct, vol. iv. p. 11. Hales's ^nal. vol. ii. p. 1117. Note 16.— Part XII. That is, from the Christian covenant, unless you are circumcised, and follow the opinions of the Judaizing teachers. Note 17.— Part XIL " Many," says Bishop Marsh, " have endeav- oured to prove, that the Mosaic history is mere allegory, by appealing to this passage. Since an allegory is a pictin-e of the imagination, or a fictitious narrative, they conclude that St. Paul himself has warranted, by his own declaration, that mode of allegorical interpretation, which they themselves apply to the subversion of Scripture history." If the pretext, which infidelity thus derives from the words of our authorized version, had been afforded also by the words of the original, we might have found it difficult to reply. But as soon as we have recourse to the words of the original, the fallacy of the appeal is visible at once. If St. Paul himself had been quoted, instead of the translators of St Paul, it would have instantly appeared, that the Apostle did not apply, as is supposed by English readers, the title of allegory to any portion of the Mosaic history. Tiie word \4lhjyotjla has never been used by St. Paul, in any one instance, through- out all his Epistles, nor indeed does it occur any Avhere in the Greek Testament, nor even in the Greek version of the Old Testament. At the place in question, St. Paul did not pronomice tlie history itself an allegory, he declared only that it was allegorized. His own words are "Axivulaiif a.).hjyoQov/j.Eyu, which have a very different meaning from the interpretation of them in our authorized version. — On the subject of this passage see Schoetgen. Hor. Hebi: vol. i. p. 747. Vitringa, Obser. Sacrce, vol. i. lib. i. cap. 18. p. 215. Note 18.— Part XII. on ST. Paul's plan of preaching. The wisdom of St. Paul's conduct, in varying his manner of address, according to tlie persons to Avhom he spoke, and the circumstances in which he was placed, renders him the model by which every minister of God, and particularly every one who assumes the arduous office of a missionary, should form his own plans of action. When he spoke to the Jews, he reasoned with them from their own Scriptures, referring them to the Law and the Prophets ; when he pleaded before Agrippa, he availed himself of the king's inward convictions (which St. Paul, as a dis- cerner of spirits, discovered), as well as his known acquirements in the Jewish Law. But the wisdom of the Apostle's conduct will be further conspicuous by a review of the circumstances in which he found himself at Athens. In ver. 16. we read — " His spirit was stirred within him." The original may mean rather, "He was vehemently agitated, on beholding the idolatry of the Athenians." He did not, however, proceed rashly and unadvisedly. He made use only of all the opportunities which lawfully present(!d themselves. He began (ver. 17.) by endeavouring to attract the attention of the Athenians in the most gradual manner, first, by his usual custom of appealing to the Jews ; then, by conversing with those devout persons, or Proselytes of Righteousness, who frequented the synagogue, and worshipped Jeho- vah, yet would not comply with the whole Mosaic ritual. And having thus in some measure made himself known, he proceeded to the public places of resort ; where he was well assured he should meet with many persons, who, on seeing that he Avas a stranger, would question him on various subjects, according to their usual custom. "The market-place" (ver. 17.) is an expres- sion which ought rather to have been rendered " the Forum," or " Agora." Of these there were many at Athens, but tiie two most celebrated were the Old Forum in the Ceramicus, which extended both within and without the town on one side, and the New Forum, which was out of tlie Ceramicus, in the place which was called Eretria. It is probable that the Evangelist refers here to the latter. There was no forum, 332* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XII except these, which was called " the Forum," as some epithet was always given to the others, to distinguish them from each other. We learn from Strabo that in the time of Augustus, that forum which was called "The Forum," was removed from the Ceramicus to Eretria, and it was there that the greatest assemblage of persons was always collected. We read, too, in the next verse, that while St. Paul was thus con- versing in the forum, certain of the Stoics and Epicureans encountered him. The forum Ere- tria was opposite the porch in Avhich the Stoics held their disputations. The conversations of St. Paul having now attracted attention, some of the more distin- guished philosophers of tlie Stoics and Epicu- reans were induced to question him. The Epi- cureans were Atheists. According to them the world was made by chance, out of materials which had existed from eternity. Acknowledging, from complaisance, the gods, who were publicly worshipped, they excluded them from any con- cern in human affairs ; and affirmed, tliat regardless of the prayers and actions of men, they contented themselves with the enjoyment of indolent felicity. They pronounced pleasure to be the chief good, and the business of a wise man to consist in devising the means of spend- ing life in ease and tranquillity. All genuine motives to the practice of virtue, and all just ideas of virtue itself, were banished from the philosophy of the Epicureans ; which made self-love the sole spring of our actions, and gave loose reins to the sensual appetites. The system of the Stoics was of a different character ; they believed tlie existence of God, his government of the universe, and the subsis- tence of the soul after tlie death of the body. But they confounded the Deity with his own works, and supposed him to be the soul of the world. If on the subject of Providence they expressed many just and sublime sentiments, they connected with it the doctrine of fate, or of an inexplicable necessity, the immutable decrees of which, God, as well as man, was compelled to obey. Their notions respecting the soul were very different from the Christian doctrine of immortality ; for they imagined, that in the future state it would lose all sepa- rate consciousness, and be resolved into the Divine Essence. Unlike the herd of Epicureans, they placed the happiness of man in the prac- tice of virtue, and inculcated a comparatively pure and exalted morality ; but the praise to which this part of tlieir system entitled them was forfeited by a spirit of pride, strained to the most audacious impiety. Can we be surprised that among such men the stranger Hebrew, one of a despised people, whose personal appearance is supposed to have been by no means in his favor, who ven- tured in his conversation to differ from the decisions of the gay and the proud, should be treated with contempt ? 'J^lie word a:TeQjuo).6- yog (babbler), by which they expressed their bitter ridicule, is very expressive. It is said that the term anEQuoXoyog was originally applied to a bird tliat picks up seeds in the highway ; it was then used of mean persons, that were used to pick up the refuse of things that had been brought to market ; then it came figuratively to denote those who retailed the sayings of other men. The Apostle, we may suppose, was gradually led, from his conversing and questioning, to more lengthened discussion, for it is said he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. Many indeed have been of opinion that St. Paul was taken by violence to the court of Areopagus, and compelled to plead his cause before the assembled members, to whom appeal Avas made in all matters of religion ; and cap- ital punishment was inflicted upon all who, upon their private authority, introduced the worship of new gods. There does not, however, appear to be sufficient proof in support of this opinion. It seems more probable, tliat the philosophers, who crowded round him, removed him for their own convenience to an eminence on the Mars' Hill ; as a higher part of the city, where the principal persons who would interest themselves in any novel philosophical discussion, might assemble, and listen without interruption. Through tlie whole of the narrative there is no appearance of a trial. We read neither of accusers nor judges ; nor does St. Paul argue as if he was defending himself against any charge''. Amidst this assemblage of philosophers, dis- puters, senators, statesmen, and rhetoricians, stood the despised and insulted stranger ; sur- rounded by the professed lovers of pleasure on one side, and the proud supporters of the per- fectibility of human reason and wisdom on the other. St. Paul, without the smallest com- promise of his personal dignity, or the least '•■ Bishop Pcarce, and the majority of commenta- tors, support the general opinion, that St. Paul was taken violently (so they render the word (,7 //.ai-ioKj- riii, (Acts xvii. lit) see Luke xxiii. 2(>. and Acts ix. 27.) to the court of Areopagus, as a teacher of strange gods, to be there tried as a criniinal. Bishop Warburton, and Kuinoel, whose work is before me, and whose reasoning I have adopted, espouse the contrary opinion. It has been said that there is so little appearance of a defence in St. Paul's address, because he was not permitted to conclude, being interrupted when he had merely finislied his introduction. It seems to me on the contrary, that the Apostle was jierniitted to conclude, as the ad- dress is complete, as we now receive it. Markland observes on the words i:i ikfjivfiftoi te ui'tuv, not irilk riohticcov fear (tifr'a |'*/uc, ver. 26.), but, in a fririirlhi manner; proliably tniXa[iiiiifiiii r/^e /fj''?, as hcinir desirous to hear ichat he had to say. This further appears from the language i'jyuyov, tliKif conducted him, not eiXxuv, ihaj dragtrcd him, though this is not certain ; and from (hnuuf^a y)T."iru(, taay 111c kiiow ? — Markland ap. Bowyer's Critical. Conjectures, p. ]G4. NOTK 18.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *333 dopai'ture trom the purity of his faith, endeav- ours to conciUate the good will of his assembled hoarers, by commencing at the points on which they are all united. By taking advantage of the professed igno- rance of the Athenians, he shields himself from the power of that law which considers the introduction of a new God into the state as a capital offence, and avails himself of that ac- knowledgment to declare the nature and attri- butes of tiiat God, who was already sanctioned by the state, although confessedly unknown. He offends no prejudice, makes no violent opposition — he keeps back all that was difficult or mysterious in his own beloved and holy faith, till those who heard him might be able to bear it. He appealed to them ft-om their own prin- ciples and practice, however deficient the for- mer, or corrupt the latter. Ho united at once zeal, judgment, faithfulness, and discretion. He declared the unlarown God, whom the Athenians ignorantly worshipped, to be the great Creator of the world, in whom, and by whom, all things were made, and exist. From the visible proofs of his Providence in his government of the world, lie leads them to the consideration of his spiritual nature ; and thus condemns the idol- atrous worship of the Athenians, while he gradually unfolds to his philosophical audience, the important truths of their accountablencss and immortality, which were demonstrated by the fact of Christ's resurrection from the dead. The same mode of reasoning is to be observed in all St. Paul's Epistles. With tlie Jews, he constantly alludes to some acknowledged prin- ciples of tlieir belief, and endeavours to over- come their prejudices against Christianity, by explaining to them the spiritual intention of their own Law; and by referring them to the declarations of their own prophets. With tlie Gentiles, on the contrary, he begins by asserting those simple and evident truths which must be acknowledged by all ; and having once estab- lished the existence and attributes of a God, and the necessity of a moral conduct, he grad- ually reveals those great and important doctrines Avliich are the very basis of Christianity. In all the pursuits of life, in all the acquirements of science, there must be some progressive initia- tion, some previous introduction. Is it, then, to be believed, that the highest attainments to Avhich human intellect and human wisdom can as])ire, the knowledge, both of God, and of the immortal accountable spirit, requires no such elementary preparation ? Our Saviour has set the question at rest, by beautifully inculcating this system of instruction, and the gradual de- velopment of his Gospel in his parable of the man who should cast seed into the ground ; in which we read, as in the usual course of vege- tation, the seed of the word of God must first produce " the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." This system of revelation has been adopted throughout the whole economy of Providence', from the fall of Adam till the present day ; it was acted upon by the apostles, and unless it be persisted in, the great work of evangelizing the world can never be so effect- ually, consistently, or advantageously carried on, and must consequently fall short of our highest and fondest hopes or expectations. The conduct of St. Paul at Athens is a model for the missionary to foreign lands. He proves to us that whatever be the zeal, the talents, the piety, the disinterestedness, of a minister of Christ, sobriety, prudence, and discretion must direct all his actions if he would succeed in his holy warfare. The Apostle obtained the victory at Athens by the blessing of God upon these humbler means. He succeeded by reasoning with the Athenians on their own principles, and thereby directed his successors in the vine- yard to proceed on a similar plan of action. Does the self-devoted missionary hazard his life among the learned and intelligent idolators of Hindostan ! would it not be possible to de- monstrate to the Brahmin that the facts which are recorded in the first books of Scripture, are j)robably the foundation of his religion ; and that tlie corruptions of those truths may be sev- erally traced to various periods of a compara- tively late date ? Might it not be shown that their belief in the incarnations of Chrishna, for instance, originated in the general expectation of the one incarnate God, who has now appeared among men, and established a pure faitli ? Could not the imagined atonements of their self-inflicted tortures be traced to the perversion of the great truth, that " without shedding of blood there is no remission," but that a greater and more perfect dispensation now prevails ? The Buddhist believes in the doctrine of an incarnate spiritual being : could not this truth be gradually explained witliout ofl^ence, and the true Incarnate be pointed out ? The Mahommedan acknowledges that Christ is a great prophet : on tliis confession could not another be grafted, and the infatuated follower of Mahomet be led to acknowledge tlie divine nature of the Son of Man ? The grossest idolater believes in his superi- ority to the brutes : could not even this convic- tion be made the means of imparting to him the great doctrines of his accountablencss and im- mortality .'* It is, however, an easy task to sit at home and form plans for the conduct of the noble- minded servants of God who have hazarded their lives unto death, and met the spiritual wicked- ness of the world in its own high places. Han- nibal smiled with contempt when the tlieoretical tactitian lectured on the art of war. We who ' See various notes on this subject in the Jlrrange- mnit of the Old TestinnetU. and Lord Barringtnn's Essaij OH the Dispensations ; also, Law's TUeoiij of Reli<rion. 834* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XII- remain in our homes in Europe may be called the pretorian bands of Christianity. Tiie mis- sionary, like the legionary soldier, goes forth to the defence of the frontier, to combat with the barbarian enemy. Peace be with the ministers of God, and may the days of the kingdom of universal righteousness come ! But the Scrip- ture is the common charter, and it prescribes system, discipline, and regulation to the best, as well as conquest over the worst, feelings. The cause of missions would no longer be the source of misapprehension among many, if in the teach- ing of the missionary, they were all united in doing good in the appointed way. Happy too Avould it be for mankind, if every Christian society could be bound together, as one holy family, by one law of union — if tiiey were sub- ject to the same accountableness and discipline, as the best security against their own infirm- ities, and the errors as well as the vices of the world". Note 19.— Part XII. ON THE ALTAR AT ATHENS, AND THE EXIST- ENCE OF GOD. Whether this altar at Athens was raised, as some have told us, to the unknown God, whom the philosophic Athenians invoked in the time of a pestilence, after they had uselessly paid their adorations to all the greater and lesser deities of their pantheon ; or whether it was raised to Pan, M-hom they had liitherto neglected, or to the God of the Jews, wliom the Athenians thus described from the manner in which the Jews spoke of Jehovah, as unutterable and in- comprehensible — is equally uncertain. Dioo-enes Laertius tluis accounts for the erection of this and other altars, bearing the same inscription — " The Athenians being afflict- ed witli pestilence, invited Epimenides to lus- trate their city. The method adopted by him was to carry several sheep to the Areopagus, whence they Avere left to wander as they pleased, under tlie observation of persons sent to attend them. As each sheep lay down it was sacrificed on the spot to the propitious God. By this ceremony it is said the city was relieved ; "* See on this note the Dissertation, De Gesds Pauli, in IJrhe Mieniensium. ap. Critiri Sacii, vol. xiii. p- G61. &c. and the next to it on the same subiect by J. Ludov Schlosser, and Kuinoel, who refers to Meursii Diss, de Ceramiro gemino, sect, xvi. and Potter's Antiquitifs. I may remark here, that it is with Treat satisfaction that, I have observ- ed the very high rank wliicli the English theolo- ijians seem to hear among th(> continental divines. Everv where among the refei-euces of Kuinoel, Wolfius, Carpzovius, Walchius. Michaelis, and otliers, whose names do not immediately occur to me 1 have observed tlie respect paid to our tlieolo- ^ical writers. but as it was still unknown what deity was pro- pitious, an altar was erected to the unknoivn God, on every spot where a sheep had been sacri- ficed"." Some have maintained that the in- scription ought to be translated : '■'■To a God un- known.^^ Athens at tliis time was filled with idols ; and Pausanias asserts it to have con- tained more than all the rest of Greece. Wit- sins supposes that the Athenians had obtained some obscure notions of the God of the Jews through the medium of commerce. The doctrine of the existence of one God the Creator of the world, is the foundation of all religion : it is the immutable and solid founda- tion upon which the whole structure of faith must be raised. The disputes of the last cen- tury respecting matter and spirit seem to have restored much of the quibbling of the ancient schools of philosophy. A Creator, witliout a creation — a king, with- out subjects — a God, without an object either of his wisdom or his benevolence, his love or his power — a ^ijfiiovQyo; ut'sv jS)p drj/utovoyrj/juTMi', and a Jlavjoy-QinMq civsv i5>v xguiov/usfuji' — is certainly a mystery which overwhelms the faculties of man. But the opposite difficulty, that this beautiful frame of the visible creation is eternal, and therefore self-existent ; and by unavoidable consequence, independent of a Deity, is much more incomprehensible. Igno- rant as we undoubtedly are, and limited as are the powers of our reason, the Aveakest under- standing can discover the infinitely greater probability that this magnificent and beautiful world should have been created by some wise and powerful God ; rather than its suns and stars should have kindled their own lamps, or the flower have formed its own fragrance, and every proof of design visible throughout the universe, should be an effect without a first and adequate cause. If we deny the true origin of the world, that it was produced from nothing by the sovereign will of an omnipotent Being, we are reduced to the necessity of embracing one of the following hypotheses", each of which are alike repugnant to reason and revelation. Either the world must have existed from eternity as it now is, or matter is eternal, though not in its present form, and the Deity has merely reduced it to order, and fashioned the creation from preexistent substance. The great argument upon which this hypothesis rests, is the celebrated axiom. Ex nihilo nihil Jit. The difficulties involved by tliis hypotlicsis " See Home's Critical liilroduct. vol. i. p. 241 ; but on the subject of the altar erected at Athens to the unknown God. see Wolfius, Cura; Pbilolog. in loc. Witsius, Melctcm. Lcidtins. Dc J'it. Pavli. p. 84. Whitby, and the references in Kuinoel, where the quotations from Lucian, Pliilostratus, Diogx-nes Laertius, and Jerome, who all mention this altar, are collected. " Stillingfleet's Origines Sacnr, b. iii. chap. 12 sect. 2. p. 2t)G. fol. edit. Note 19.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *33^ are greater than those of the other. The Deity thiid introduced, as forming the visible universe from this eternal collection of matter, is limited in his power by something which is independent of liimself Either the Deity must or must not be omnipotent ; if he is om- nipotent, preexistent matter is not necessary to the formation of his worlds ; if he is not omnipotent, he must be subject to, and inferior to that wliich he cannot control ; and the intel- ligence wliich can frame a world, is indebted to inert masses of which it is composed. His power must be infinite, to enable him to gov- ern, and at tJie same t'me it is not infinite, for he is dependent upon matter, and cannot exe- cute his will. If matter be eternal, it must be unproduced, and therefore of necessary existence : it must have caused itself, and be possessed therefore of infinite power: it compels God to be subject to its laws, instead of receiving its laws from God, witli many other absurdities. Another hypothesis which presents itself to our choice is, that the world arose from a for- tuitous concourse of atoms ; an idea which appears to me as absurd as to suppose, that many thousand alphabets miglit be fashioned by chance into an Iliad ; yet this would be easier than that they should form one limb of an animal, or one blale of grass. If these hypotlieses will not please, the last is perhaps more plausible, that the universe originated from the eternal laws of motion and matter. Such are the inconsistencies to which men are compelled to have recourse, when they forsake the fountain of living waters, and hew out to tliemselves the broken cisterns of false philosophy and science. If there are laws to matter, who is the lawgiver ? As every house is builded by some man, so He who built all things is God : this is the only rational conclu- sion of Scripture and common sense, which have never yet been at variance. Setting aside, therefore, all ideas of the eternity of matter, whether in its present or in any other state, we receive the lesser difficulty — tliat God reigned alone supreme before the borders of the world stood, or the innumerable company of angels were gathered together. The Christian, then, who believes that a period has been when the Omnipotent alone existed, will not shrink from the questions of tlie boldest inquirer^. He will not shrink from the question — "If the world were made by a Deity, why was it not made by him sooner.' or, since it v.-as unmade, why did He make it at all ? Cur mmuli (ndificator repente extiterit innumefa- hilia ante st^cida dormierif ;^ " " How came this builder and architect of the world, to start ^ Cudworth's Intellectual System, h. i. ch. 2. sec. lii. ' \elleius ap. Cicer. De j\'atura Dcorum,\\h. i. caj). 9. up on a sudden, after he had slept for infinite ages, and bethink himself of making a world ? Was something wanting to his happiness? Was he completely happy without tiiis new world ? Then, ' wanting notiiing,' he made superfluous things'" ? " To these, and all such questions, we may answer — Although God was perfectly happy in himself, he created the world from his overflow- ing goodness, that other beings, from the arch- angel to tlie lowest scale of created life, misrht be happy likewise. He created all things for his own glory, and of that glory the happiness of sentient beings is permitted to form a part ; if they had not been created, the sum of happi- ness would have been diminished. To the question, " If God's goodness were the cause of his making the world, why was it not made sooner?" we might with equal propriety in- quire. Why was not the world an eternal ema- nation from an eternal cause ? why was it not self-existent ? As far as our faculties can com- prehend God, we shall find that there is as great an impossibility that the world should be eternal, as that two and two should make five. If it was created, it must have had a besrinninar. Time, which is well defined by Locke to be only a measured portion of eternity, began at the commencement of tlie world ; before which there was no sooner or later, which are indeed but terms to express the succession of ideas in the minds of finite beings. With the Deity is neither change, contingency, nor succession. To him the world was equally present, whether made or unmade. Space is the theatre, and eternity the duration of his agency in the uni- verse ; neither may we comprehend if any other causes may influence the divine will, than those which have been revealed to us. In this stage of our existence we are enabled to dis- cover, both from revelation and reason, that the \isible world was commanded to exist, and it existed. The curiosity of presumption which proposes the inquiry, for what reason the world was not created a millenary earlier or later, can- not be satisfied with any answers of speculative philosophy. When, however, we have established the certainty of the creation of the world, we are taught that the world itself is one great delusion, that matter does not exist. " The existence of bodies," says Berkeley, " out of the mind, perceiving tliem is not only impossible, and a contradiction in terms, but were it possible, and even real, it were impos- sible we should ever knoAv it" Or, in other words, when I am not in London, London does not exist. Religion, affection, law, duty, science, and all the arts of life, are founded on facts ; but of the certainty that any one single ^ in;^fv i/.y.iinvtv xfiu.'V fiif/J.tr frrtyriiQfn- mtaztni — ap. Cudworth, where see much more on this in- teresting subject, b. i. ch. .5. 33G rt* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XH. fact has taken place, which the mind has not perceived, we have no demonstration, and con- sequently our belief in their reality may be erroneous. "Thus the wisdom of philosophy is sot in opposition to the common sense of mankind. Philosophy pretends to demonstrate that there can be no material world ; that every object is merely a sensation in the mind, or an image of those sensations in the memory, and imagina- tion ; having, like pain and joy, no existence, unless thought of. Common sense can conceive no otherwise of this opinion than a kind of metaphysical lunacy, and concludes that too much learning is apt to make men mad'," &c. It is, indeed, with some difficulty that men of sober judgment, unsophisticated by the de- lusions of these grave absurdities, can believe that men of talent and learning have been thus misled. The arguments by which the system of Berkeley is defended are to be found in Reid's Inqitby into the Human Mind; Beattie On the Iminutability of Truth ; the Philosophical Essays of Dugald Stewart, with the Notes and Illustrations, p. 548, 549, 1st edit. 4to. and the Appendix to part second of Doddridge's Lec- tures, edited by Kippis. The subject is too extensive to be entered upon largely in this place. I shall content myself with mentioning the quibble upon wliich the whole controversy hinges. "All our knowledge," says Berkeley, "is gained by the senses : but by the senses, we have knowledge of nothing, but our sensations : but our sensations are qualities of the mind, and have no resemblance therefore to any thing inanimate." This system confounds two things, which are entirely distinct from each other ; sensation and perception. Extension, figure, motion, are ideas of sensation, or they are not. If they are sensations only, Berkeley cannot be refuted, though he may be rejected ; if they are, how- ever, ideas, accompanying sensations, as Hutch- eson describes them, and Reid asserts, the ideal system is the dream of a visionary. Tlie word properties is generally used to express with greater accuracy the idea we may form of the creation of the world from nothing. " Matter," says Locke, " is the adherence of certain qualities in some unknown substratum." The idea of this imagined substratum is now exploded. If we define matter to be the ad- herence of properties, we may understand in what manner a visible creation might be formed, where no material substance had hitherto ex- isted. God commanded this union of properties to take place. Extension, solidity, and motion, ' Vido Reid On the JJnvuin Miml, cli. v. sor,. 7. On the Existence of tlie Material Worki. Reid lias written an admirable hook. He docs not tliink it necessary to be a skeptic, to prove ]iis right to the title of philosopher. were combined with color, variety, and order. As modern chymistry can dissolve water into its component airs, and the hardest substances into gases invisible to the human eye, and by other processes can change that which was before invisible to the eye, and imperceptible to the touch, into hard, solid', and tangible bodies ; so, to compare great things with small, it is easily conceivable that Omnipotence might call every object of our senses to life, without previous material, as the chymist presents to the two senses of sight and touch an object hitherto imperceptible to both. As a rustic could not comprehend how the man of science could perform this apparent miracle, neither can the most studious researches of the learned penetrate the veil which conceals the wisdom of Omnipotence. There is however some slight analogy between the manner in which the limited skill of an educated man can astonish an ignorant mind, and that incomprehensible wis- dom, before which the genius of Newton, and the sagacity of Aristotle, are more inferior than the prattlings of an infant to the sublimest efforts of these lofty intellects". Note 20.— Part XIL Bishop Barrington suggests that this quo- tation might have been made, with a slight variation, from the beautiful hymn of Cleanthes to the Supreme Being, and not, as is generally supposed, from Aratus. He refers to H. Steph. Poesis Philosoph. p. 49, and Fabricii Bibl. Grac. vol. ii. p. 397. See also Cudworth's Intellec. Systein, vol. i. 4to. edit. (Birch's), p. 432. The passage is from the fourth line — KvSlar' tt&avuro)v, noXvwrviif, Tiuyxoaric attl XiVQ, (pvOiioq o:Q)rt}yi vuitov iiiTu nuvTU xvfiiQVMV Xai'of. 2s yuo uacii &tuic SrrjToiai nQociavdctr. 'Ex aov ylxQ yiroc infiiv, viXov filinniu '/.a/uiTig Movror, 'ilaa tdiii rt y.ai %(infi SviIt' ini yaiav. Duport, the once celebrated Greek professor, who translated tlie Psalms into Greek verse, has translated this hymn into very elegant Latin verse. I subjoin his version of the above lines. " Magne Pater Divuni, cui nomina multa, sed una Omnipotens semper virtus, tu Jupiter autor ' Hardness is the property which resists the touch with greater power. Solidity, that by which on(- body exckides another from the place it occu- pies. Gold and water are equally solid : though gold is hnrder thnn water. Vide Locke. " Vide the quotations from Hutelieson — Crouzaz, (the man who was so unjustly ridiculed by Pope) — Baxter's Immntirinlitij of the Soul, and from D'Alembert's Elemcns cle la Phllosophie, article Mel.aphyslque : with the subsequent observations of Mr. Dugald Stewart, in nolo F. to the Philo- sophical Essays, p. 552. Note 21.-23.] ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. *337 Naturm, cert'i qui singula lege gubernas, Rex salvp. Te ncinpe licet inortalibus ccgris Cunctis coinpellarc ; omnes nainquo tua propago Nos sumus, BDternae quasi imago vocis, et echo Tantum, quotquot hunii spirantes repimus." dwelt in Rome. However it may be, St. Paul came to Corinth about the year 51 : and the proconsulship of Gallio'', before whom the Apostle appeared, agrees with this period. Note 21.— Part XII. Note 22.— Part XII. SuETOXius has made mention" of this ban- ishment, without taking notice of the time of it. Neither Tacitus, Josephus, nor Dionysius say any thing of it. It is certain Claudius was not partial to the Jews ; he would have driven (Dion. lib. GO. p. GG7.)them out in the beginning of his reign, had ho not been in fear of a dis- turbance, ff)r they were very numerous. The edicts which he at first made in their favor, were the effect of his esteem and gratitude to Agrippa. (Joseph. Antiq. lib. xv. c. 4.) We cannot perceive, by any means, that they excited any troubles in Rome during the reign of Clau- dius. There were some under the government of Cumanus, in Judfea'", and, if it were on that account that Claudius banished them, this ex- pulsion will have been about the year 51. If they were banished at the time the astrologers were, [Set. Calvisi ad An. Pearson Annul. Paul. p. 12.) it will have been in 52. But was it not, perhaps, to appease* the Roman citizens, op- pressed by an extreme famine in Rome'-' in the year 51 ? Under similar circumstances, the emperors obliged every foreigner to leave Rome. If this conjecture be true, we shall see the reason why neither Josephus nor Tacitus have mentioned this expulsion of the Jews. There was nothing that fixed any stigma upon them, since it was common to all other foreigners who " •' JudfEos Impulsore Chresto assidue tuniul- tuaiites Roma expulit." — Sueton. in Claudio, c. "^G. If Suetonius here understood our Lord Jesus Christ, he has committed a very gross error ; but if he understood any cliief of the Jews, whom he named Chrestus, it is a person entirely unknown to the historians. " Cumanus succeeded Tiberius Alexander at the time of the death of Herod, king of Calchis. This prince died the eighth of Claudius. Joseph. Antiq. lib. XX. cap. 3. or the Wars of the Jews. lib. ii.c. 11. The troubles in Judiea must have happeno<l in 50 or 51 . Jose))h. Antiq. lib. xxii. c. 5. But it is very h ird to attribute this expulsion of the Jews to the troubles of Judtea. Josephus and Tacitus, who mention the disturbances, would have said what was the punishment of them. Tacit. .^nnaJ. lib. xii. c. 54. Moreover. Clnudius. who punished Cumanus v.'ho sncrific'f-d the tribune Celer to the Jews, would he liave banished tliem from Rome for a matter which was of service to them ,-' ^ This is the opinion of H. do Valois. Auct. in Euseb. Hist. Ecrl. lib. ii 2. 2S. Augustus, says this author, had done the same, and his successors very oflen made use of the same practice, when Rome was afflicted with a famine. ^ There was an excessive famine at Rome in the year .51. insomuch that the people beinc: verv much prpssed. Clandivis could scarcely save him- self in his palace. The present reading of this passage in the Greek vulgate, is avvsl;(STO tw nvevuun. Gries- bach admits into the text, instead of 7(3 nt-ei- fiuri, 7(3 i-6-/a, on the authority of the Alex- andrian and other MSS. The passage, there- fore, with this reading, may mean, " He was affected witli the report which Silas and Tim- othy had brought to him from Macedonia." The Vulgate translates it, instabat verba, "pressed, or urged the word." The late Dr. Gosset wovdd read A^yca, with Griesbach, and translate the passage witli Krebsius — magna orationis vi disputahat. Bishop Pearce would paraphrase the passage thus: — "And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Mace- donia, Paul set himself together with them, wholly to the word ; i. e. he was fully employed now that he had their assistance in preaching the Gospel (called word, in chap. iv. 4.xvi. (J. 32. and xvii. 11.)" St. Luke seems to have intended to express here something relating to St. Paul, which was the conseqTience of the coming of Silas and Timotheus. We may therefore re- gard both these interpretations as correct He pressed, or urged the word, afler the arrival of Silas and Timothy, to the Jews in his preaching ; and in his great anxiety on their account, he enforced it in his Epistle to the Thessalonians. VOL. II. ^43 Note 23.— Part XII. Silas and Timothy, with St Paul, had preached tlie Gospel to the Jews at Thessaloni- ca, in the synagogues of that place, (Acts xvii. 2-4.) They were interrupted in this work, and compelled to leave the city, by the persecution there raised against them ; they then proceeded to Berea, whither they were followed by the same unbelieving Jews. St. Paul then went to Athens, but Sila-s and Timothy remained at Berea, till they received orders from Paul to follow him to that city, (Acts xvii, 15.) Timotli)'-, we learn (1 Thess. iii. 2.) was then immediately despatched to Thessalonica, and it is most probable Silas accompanied him, as they generally were commissioned two and two, ' Art. xviii. v. 12. Claudius banished Seneca, the brother of Gallio. He recalled Seneca as soon as he married Asrippina, whicli was in the ninth year of his reign. Tacitus, .'???;». lib. .xii. c. 8 It is very probable, indeed, th.at this was not till ailer Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, Pears. Ann. p. 13. * CC ;]3S* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XII. according to the first appointment of our Lord. It is not, however, expressly asserted how Silas was employed at this time ; they botli rejoined Paul at Corinth, (Acts xviii. 5.), and it is natural to suppose they there gave liim a full account of their labors: when, as we read (Acts xviii. 5.) "he was pressed in spirit;" or, as it may be read, "he was deeply affected with the account brought to him by his coadju- tors," which, fi-om tlie nature of the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, and the previous occurrence which occasioned St. Paul's separa- tion from them, it appears probable, related to the unceasing persecutions to which the Thes- salonians were exposed. Under the influence of this impression, I believe the Apostle to have composed this Epistle. That it was written from Corintli, during his present residence, in the year 51, or soon after, may be considered as almost the unanimous opinion of commenta- tors ; although the particular occasion is dis- puted. The general object of the Epistle is certainly to confirm the Thessalonians in their faith, by enforcing the evidences of the Chris- tian religion, while he opposes some opinions held by the heathens. The immediate design of St. Paul in writing this Epistle, seems to have been to supply tlie converts with arguments against the reasonings of the philosophers and men of learning, who might have endeavoured, as mere theoretical speculatists have uniformly done, to argue against facts, by suggesting their improbability — or have called the doctrines of Christianity foolishness — its precepts severe — its discipline superstition. The exceeding utility of this Epistle to the preachers of Christianity is par- ticularly evident. In all his Epistles, or, as they may be called, his written sermons, he uniformly enforces Christian morality, upon Christian principles ; but in this Epistle he enters into the evidences on which these prin- ciples were founded. In the Greek Vulgate, the present reading of Acts xvii. 4. is rco*' ae6ouei'o)i> ' ElXi\t'Mv nolv nlridog, which is rendered by our translators " Of the devout Greeks, a great multitude." The Codex Alex, and Codex Bozjb, with some others, read rwc ueijo^iii'MV v.al ' Ellr'it'nn', which Dr. Paley would render — " those who wor- shipped the true God, and of the Greeks" — that is, of those who liad been previously heathens, [I Thcss. i. 9.) He would infer, from the passage thus translated, that the Church at Thessalonica consisted of some few Jews, many who worshipped the one true God, and many of the heathens, and of the chief women. It was highly necessary therefore that St. Paul, under these circumstances, should strengthen tlie faith of these his converts, who had " turned to God from idols," by every possible argument and encouragement. Note 24.— Part XIL the holy scriptures intended for all. St. Paul addresses himself to the whole Church in many of his Epistles — in tliose to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians^ Pliilippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians ; but here he does it in a most solemn and peculiar manner — adjuring them " by the Lord, tliat it should be read to all the holy brethren." From this deviation from his usual manner, it is con- jectured that the Apostle might have had some cause of suspicion. It is possible that at this time the Scriptures were prohibited from the people at large, and that the adjuration of the Apostle was directed to the " mystery of iniquity which then began to work." (See 2d Epist. chap, ii.) In the Romish Church, the Scriptures are, in general, withheld from the people ; or suffered to be read under such restrictions, and with such notes, as totally subvert the sense of those passages on which this Church endeavours to build her unscriptural pretensions. It is gener- ally alloAved that the Vulgate version is the most favorable to these pretensions ; and yet even that version the rulers of the Church dare not trust in the hands of any of their people, even under their general ecclesiastical restric- tions, without their counteracting notes and comments. Surely truth has notliing to fear from the Bible. When the Romish Church permits the free use of this book she may be stripped, indeed, of some of her appendages, but she will lose nothing but her dross and tin, and become, what the original Church at Rome was, "beloved of God, called to be saints," and have her faith once more " spoken of throughout the whole worid," Rom. i. 7, 8. She has in her own hands the means of her own restoration ; and a genuine Protestant will wish, not her destruction, but her reformation : if she consent not to be reformed, her total destruction is inevitable. It is evident, from this passage, that the Epistles of St. Paul were not designed merely for the teachers of the Churches. The Spirit of God, which gave the Scriptures of the Old Testament for the common benefit of the Jeiv- ish Church, was now completing tlie New Tes- tament for the use of all mankind. Wherever, therefore, the doctrines of Christianity are to be inculcated, the Scriptures are to be in tiie pos- session of the people. Their perusal is one means of grace. In this opinion all descrip- tions of Protestants arc united. It is curious to observe the manner in which oi>posite errors meet. Tlie Romisli Ciiurch prohibits the universal perusal of tlio Scriptures, and tlie learned Semler, the Unitarian tlicologinn, has IS'oTK 25.-2S.] ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE TfiESSALONIANS. *339 argued that the Epistles were not designed for the pL'ople at large"'. There has been, it is true, of late years, much discussion respecting the manner in which the Scriptures ought to be distributed. That tlie common people, however, should receive them, and read and study them, is the opinion of all Protestants. One class of reli- gionists would distribute them in every way possible, whenever an opportunity presents it- self; and would unite for that purpose every description of persons, whatever be tlieir theo- logical opinions, as in any other cliaritablc labor. Another class, however, have decided that in all our attempts to do good, regard must be paid to tlie means, as well as to the end ; and that the indiscriminate union, for religious purposes, of tlie maintainers of every opposite opinion, sanctions error. The only controversy, therefore, between Protestants is — not whether the people should read the Scriptures, but by whom they should be given to the people. Note 25.— Part XII. The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians is generally supposed to have been written by St. Paul a few months after the former. It is dated from the same place, Corinth ; and Silvanus and Titus are both mentioned in the introduction. It was most probably written a little before, or a little after, the insurrection of the Jews at Corinth, when St. Paul was dragged before Gallio (Acts xviii. 12.), as the Apostle, in 2 Thess. iii. 2., seems either to apprehend, or anticipate this violence, or else prays to be de- livered from these unreasonable and unbelieving persecutors. It has been already shown, that the majority of the Church of Thessalonica had been converted from among the idolatrous Gen- tiles, and that the First Epistle was addressed to those who had been so, and had become Christians. It seems no less evident, that the present Epistle was sent to the same persons, from the various allusions it contains to the First Epistle. St. Paul having been informed that some " " Communis fuit doctrina. sed non fuit in omnium manibus e|)istolaruin aut librorum aliorum exempluin : doctrina tradebatur a presbyteris, qui doctriniC auctoritatein dcrivabant ex his libris, quos ab apostolo alii atque alii acceperant. Itaque recte quideni cpistola; dicuntur destinari ecclesiw seu ecclesiis, sed intelUoitur doctrina, quam presbyteri, et doctores ex libris, vel ppistolis apostolorum'hau- liunt; et Christianis, per partes coinmodas, imper- tiunl. Manserunt igitur omnes libri sacri in mani- bus clericorum, seu ministrorum ; quidam trade- bantur lectoribus ; alii presbyteris et episcopis tan- turn patebant. Quod vel istis narrationibus de tradi- toribus confirmalur; nemo ex laicis unquam tradi- tor fuit. quia esse non potuit : nee enim libros sacros inanibus siiis ipse unquam usurpavit." — Semler, Prolegomena ad Galntus. p. 2!). expressions in his First Epistle had been either perverted or misunderstood by the Thessalo- nians, (see ] Thess. iv. 15, 17. and v. 4, 6.), who supposed the end of the world and the coming of Christ to be at hand, immediately addresses them for the purpose of refuting this error ; which, while resting on apostolical authority, would be alike injurious to his Christian con- verts, and to the continued propagation of the Gospel. Grotius would rather refer this Epistle to the year of our Lord 38, in the second year of the reign of Caligula ; but his arguments are overthrown by the fact that Silvanus and Tim- othy, who joined with St. Paul in the introduc- tion to this Epistle, were not converts to the Christian faith till long after the death of Caligula ; and Timothy was but a youth (1 Tim. iv. 12.) when St. Paul wrote his First Epistle to him, in the year of Christ 57, or 58, and of Nero 4; and seems to have been converted by St. Paul and Barnabas, in the year of Christ 46, and of Claudius 6 ; and not to have become the companion of Paul till about four years after ; at which time Silvanus also became his fellow- laborer. The same learned divine has also en- deavoured to prove that this was not the Second Epistle to tlie Thessalonians, their order being inverted — but on this point he is sufficiently refuted by its own internal evidence. Note 26.— Part XII. In the former Epistle (1 Thess. i. 3, 6-10. ii. 14. and iv. 9, 10.) the Apostle thanks God for the beginnings of their faith, love, and patience — in this and the following verses he mentions their increase. In 1 Thess. i. 9. he speaks of their ready reception of tlie Gospel. St. Paul and his fellow-laborers now glory in them. Note 27.— Part XII. Dr. Macknight has very satisfactorily proved, against Grotius, Locke, and others, in his Preface to this Epistle, that St. Paul and the other apostles did not expect the day of judgment in tlieir own age. Note 28.— Part XII. popery the predicted apostact. Whe?? the religions opinions of a large body of tiie community have become the subject of frequent discussion in the legislature of a coun- try, the judgment which the theological student may either form or express, concerning those 340* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XII. opinions, will unavoidably appear to connect itself with the political discussions of the day. In considering this passage of Scripture, and in adopting- that interpretation which Benson and various other Protestant commentators have given of St. Paul's prophecy of the apostacy from the purity of the Church, and of the power of the Man of Sin, I have no wish to obtrude my opinion on the political question, whether the state would be justified in granting legislatorial privileges to a certain class of subjects ; I con- fine myself to the religious or theological part of the question, as all Protestants ought in some measure to consider it, and cautiously avoid any further allusion to the political part of the subject. The rapid increase of the grossest supersti- tions of popery within the last half century has rendered it an imperious duty on all who are convinced of its fatal tendency, to examine its pretensions, and expose their danger and fallacy. This system of error has extended so widely among mankind — it has prevailed so many cen- turies — its characteristics are so opposite to those which distinguished tlie Church of Jeru- salem, the perfect model of a Church (as Churches ought to be established among every nation), that we may justly suppose the Spirit of prophecy, which instructed liis servants the apostles in the things that were to take place in his Church till the second advent, would have related to them the principal features of this chief corruption of Christianity. Many passages are to be found which, in the opinion of the Protestant divines, and before them of the early opponents of the corruptions of the Church of Rome, fully and satisfactorily con- firm this opinion. The objectors to the Prot- estant interpretation of the passages in question affirm, that they are merely descriptive of the various sects and heresies which disgraced the Church of Christ in the days of the apostles. But this solution would by no means set the controversy at rest. Even if we suppose that the Apostle did not prophesy the rise and pro- gress of the Church of Rome, but merely of various sects of Gnostics, &c., his condemnation of the practices and opinions of those sects would be still our warning against similar cus- toms and errors wherever they prevail. If, for instance, St. Paul, in his Epistle to Timothy, censures those teachers in a Church who forbid to marry ; the Gnostics, or other heretics, who taught this absurdity, are not more certainly condemned on this account than the Church of Rome, which still enforces the same unrequired austerity : and the same mode of reasoning is applicable to various false doctrines, which need not at present be enumerated. It is not, however, against particular errors only, that we may thus anticipate the denun- ciations of the Spirit of prophecy. As the ancient " dark idolatries of alienated Judah" were described and condemned as systems of delusion and falsehood ; so also has the same Spirit of prophecy described the mass of errors which characterize the corrupt and seducing superstitions of the unaltered and unalterable Church of Rome. One of the principal pas- sages which delineates this church, is this second chapter of the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, which has been amply discussed by Dr. Benson. This laborious writer has examined, with true liberality and candor, the various interpretations of this chapter, and concludes with embracing the general opinion of the Protestant writers, that the Church of Rome is described and condemned by the Spirit of prophecy, in the language of St. Paul. As the subject in the present, and indeed in every age, till the second coming of Christ, is of so much importance to all Chris- tians, I shall freely subjoin a few of the prin- cipal topics of his admirable dissertation, with their corroboration from other authors. He begins with examining the various inter- pretations which have been given of this prophecy. Grotius would persuade us that Caius Caligula, the Roman emperor, was here predicted; whereas this Epistle was written about twelve years after his time. Dr. Hammond would refer it to Simon Magus and the Gnostics ; but the former had already appeared, and was therefore already revealed. Others suppose it foretells the persecution of the Christians by the unbelieving Jews, before the destruction of Jerusalem. But as the other parts of the jirophecy do not agree with this interpretation ; tlie unbelieving Jews never having been united under one head, or leader, or never having been able to exalt themselves even to imperial dignity, much more above " all that is called God, sitting in the temple of God, sliowing himself to be God ;" this explanation entirely fails. Dr. Whitby, and some others, Avould have the unbelieving Jews who revolted from the Romans, and the Jewish converts who apos- tatized from the Jewish to the Christian re- ligion, to be here signified. Whereas it is evident that one sort of apostacy is only here mentioned — an apostacy from the true re- ligion — as the word i!cnoaTuulu implies in other parts of Scripture. The Apostle confines liimself to this point, and intimates that this apostacy would be carried on and supported by pretended miracles, and all the deceit of un- righteousness, and it would prevail among those persons " who believed not the truth," but preferred a lie, and " luul pleasure in un- righteousness." The unbelieving Jews could not have apos- tatized from the Christian religion, because they had never embraced it — M'aliomet never professed the Ciiristian religion, he therefore could not be called an apostate. This predic- tion, however, lias boon considered as relating Note 98.] ON THE II. EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. *341 to liim, as lie was the cause of the apostacy of many Christians, and his religion was partly built upon tho ruin and corruption of Chris- tianity ; on which account he is said by some " to sit in the temple of God." It is likewise •stated that Mahomet was also a man of sin — a prophet — (and in allusion to the prophecy of St. John, which is considered the same as that of St. Paul,) that Constantinople, the residence of the Grand Turk, his successor, stands upon seven hills. To this it is answered, that Rome also stands upon seven hills — and that Con- stantinople is not the city which in St. John's time reigned over tho kings of the earth ; whereas these two marks are both united in St. John's prophetic description of the spiritual Babylon. (Rev. xvii. 9. xviii. 2.) The man of sin was also •' to come after the working of Satan, with all powers, and signs, and lying v/onders." That is, with open and great pre- tensions to miracles, wliereas few miracles are ascribed to Mahomet, wliich are entirely re- nounced by their learned men ; and Mahomet, in his Koran, lays no claim to the power of working miracles. The M'riters in the communion of the Church of Rome would refer this prophecy to the reformation from popery, to the falling away of the Protestants from the Church of Rome ; whereas it does not appear that there was a Christian Church at Rome, when St. Paul wrote his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, nor are tho Protestants united under one common and visible head upon earth ; nor do they pre- tend to establish their doctrine by miracles. As we have rejected these interpretations, the next thing is to point out the Apostle's meaning ; and I think it may be said, that no prophecy could be more exactly accomplished than this has boon in the bishop of Rome, and his adherents. This apostacy is plainly of a religious nature, and has been predicted by Daniel in the old dispensation, by St. Paul in the new, and by St. John in the Revelation, (chap. xvii. 1.) In the original it is distinguished as the apostacy ; the article being added to give it strength, on which account it is supposed to allude to some previous prophecy, and that St. Paul referred to the prediction of Daniel (chap, vii. 25. and xi. 30.) is clear, as he has adopted the same ideas and expressions. Tho article is also placed before "the man of sin," (or, as it may be rendered, " the lawless one,") to give it a similar emphasis. This phrase may relate cither to a single man, or a succession of men ; but as it was used in Daniel in relation to the latter, there are good grounds for considering it in the same sense here. The comparison between these two prophecies of Daniel and St. Paul is well given by Macknight in the following passages. 2 Thess. ii. 3, 4. " And that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. Who opposeth VOL. II. and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped ; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." Dan. vii. 21, 25. " And the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them." — " And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High." Dan. xi. 36. " And the king shall do accord- ing to his will ; and he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods." Dan. viii. 25. " He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes." 2 Thess. ii. 7, 8. " Only he who now letteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed." Dan. vii. 8. " I considered the horns, and behold there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots." 1 Tim. iv. 1, 3. " Giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." — " Forbidding to marry." Dan. vii. 25. " And he shall think to change times and laws : and they shall be given into his hand." See Dan. viii. 24. Dan. xi. 38. " In his state he shall honor the God of forces" (Mauzzin), gods who are pro- tectors, that is, tutelary angels and saints. Dan. xi. 37. " Neither sliall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women." 2 Thess. ii. 8. " Whom the Lord shall con- sume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightnes.^ of his coming." Dan. vii. II. "I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake : I beheld, even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burnino- flame." Ver. 26. "And they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it to the end." Dan. viii. 25. " He shall be broken without hand." It will be now necessary to examine the par- ticular clauses of tiiis extraordinary prediction. The Apostle first foretells, that, before tiie coming of the Lord, there will be a falling away, or an apostacy. And, accordingly, we find the members of the Church of Rome, in- stead of relymg on one Mediator between God and man, liave substituted the doctrine of demons, that is, of the spirits of men, who have departed this life ; and, not considering the atonement and intercession of Christ all- sufficient, they make to themselves other media- tors and other advocates — invoking tlie Vu-orin Mary and the saints, more frequently than God himself They have succeeded Rome in the seat of empire, and have also apostatized to hei imagery and idolatry. When the grand apos- J4-2* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XII. tacy had arrived at its height, then was to be revealed one who should be deservedly called the mail of sin, on account of his wickedness, and the son of perdition, because of the great and terrible punishment which should eventually be inflicted on him. The man of sin began accordingly to be revealed as soon as the Roman emperors and the heathen magistrates lost their power. As soon as Constantine became a Christian, the power of heathen Rome was restrained, and the Christians ceased to be persecuted ; then it v/as that " the man of sin" gradually exalted himself; then it was that the worship of saints and angels was introduced, robbing God of tJie honor due to his name. Celibacy was recom- mended by feigned visions of angels, and cer- tain kinds of meats prohibited ; miraculous cures were attributed to the bones and relics of the martyrs ; and departed spirits returned to earth, in order to prescribe particular forms and ceremonies, for the relief or mitigation of their sufferings in purgatory. By these decrees, and by these artifices, "the man of sin" was first revealed. The Apostle continues by describing him as opposing, and exalting lumself above, all tliat is called God ; sitting in the temple of God. The word ■b^fog, used here without an article (in opposition to 6 Oidg, the supreme Deity), sig- nifies a god, a name given in Scripture to princes and magistrates (Ps. Ixxxii. 6.), and par- ticularly to the Roman emperors, whose title in the time of the Ajjostle was oeSuaio;, and wlio are here signified by aiSua/nu, as God is by the word Qhov. If, then, we thus interpret the word, St. Paul here declares that " the man of sin" would exalt himself above all the great of the earth, and even above the imperial dignity. And in this point of viev/, all jiistory bears record of the signal fulfilment of this prophecy. The bishop of Rome has been styled a god, v/ho ought not to be called to an account ; the supreme deity upon earth, by whom princes raign, and upon whom tlie right of kings de- pends. The bishop of Rome has dethroned princes, absolved subjects from their allegiance, and made emperors his vassals ; treading upon the neck of one king, and kicking oflT the im- perial crown of another with his foot. He sits also in the temple of God, showing himself tJiat he is god. The temple of God is here supposed to signify the Christian Church, as it is not probable it referred to the temple of Jerus:ilem, whose approacliiug destruction was Icnown to the Apostle. By this prophetic inti- mation we are taught to expect that " the man of sin" would profess himself a Christian ; and we consequently find that tlie bishop of Rome exalted himself above all other bishops, and centred in himself all ecclesiastical authority and influence, claiming hifallibility, and nnatlie- matizing all those who did not full into his un- principled plans and intrigues ; till at last he succeeded in establishing a spiritual and civil tyranny over the whole Cliristian world. The obstacle that impeded tlie revealing of " the man of sin" is generally supposed by the ancient fathers to be the Roman empire. (See also Rev. xiii. and xvii.) The cautious manner in which the Apostle hints at it, avoiding even the mention of the restraining power in writing, although he had previously declared it to the Thessalonians, strengthens this suggestion. And it is a remarkable circumstance, that so much was this the general opinion of the primi- tive Christians, that they were accustomed to pray for the continuance of the Roman empire, being well convinced that the moment the Roman empire was dissolved, " the man of sin" would be revealed. That this part of the ])rophecy was not misunderstood is clear from the event ; for, in proportion as the power of the empire decreased, the power of the Church increased, till at last " the man of sin" was fully revealed. The Roman empire, the obstructing power, began to be " taken out of the way," when the barbarous nations made their first in- cursions ; after which the western empire was divided into the ten kingdoms, prefigured in Daniel's vision as the ten horns of the fourth beast, when the bishop of Rome made himself its sovereign, and became at the same time the predicted little horn which had " the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things." In process of time he obtained possession of three of the divided kingdoms of the western empire ; fulfilling the prophecy of the little horn pluck- ing up by the roots three of the horns of Daniel's fourth beast; and he assumed the title of the Vicar of Christ, and pretended that Christ had transferred to liim all his divine authority. But unlike Jiis holy Master, he called down fire from heaven on all who ventured to differ from or oppose him ; and by his cruel and bloody per- secutions, he wore out the saints of the Most High, and was drunk witli the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus, (Rev. xvii. G.) He assumed uncontrollable and supreme powerj inventing new ceremonies and conditions of salvation, opening the gates of heaven, and shutting them at his pleasure, according to his own avarice and caprice, or to the wealtli and relative situation of the supplicant, "making the word of God of none efiect by their tradi- tions." Tiie coming of " the man of sin," or the lawless one, is "after tlie working (or en- ergy) of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness." This prediction is abund- antly fulfilled by the records of every age, whicli fully prove the many pretences to mira- cles made by the Church of Rome. This Clnu'ch, indeed, from its oarIii;st infancy, lias been supported by feigned miracles and visions, impostures and arliiices of various kinds. Even NoTK 99.-31.] ON THE II. EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. *343 in our own day thr- miracles of the Church of Rome liavo revived. The mystery of iniquity, we read 2 The.is. ii. 7., began to show itself in tlie Apostle's time ; idolatry was stealing into the Church, (1 Cor. x. 14.), and a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, (Colos. ii. 18.), adulterating the word of God, (2 Cor. ii. 17. iv. 2.), a vain observation of festivals, and distinctions of meat, (Gal. iv. 10. 1 Cor. viii. 8.) with many other innovations and corruptions. May we not add to these beginnings, that system of ignorance wliich Avas essential to the success of the Romish superstitions and ob- servances, which induced the necessity of keep- ing the Scriptures from the common people ; and had not St. Paul suspected that this Epistle wouhl not have been read to all the Church of Thessalonica, is it probable he would have com- manded it to have been done in so solemn a manner ? We, who have lived to see the won- derful accomplishment of this prophecy, by the concurrent testimony of history, must consider it as another evidence of the truth of Revela- tion, and one safeguard against the attacks and innovations of popery. It is tiie fashion, in- deed, of the present day, to make loud boasts of liberaUty and candor, and to suppose that the Church of Rome is too enlightened to retain any longer the former persecuting spirit, or more irrational dogmas. A great change is said to have taken place — But in what is the Church of Rome changed ? Has it abated any one of its lofty pretensions to infallibility, miracle, or the possession of exclusive truth ? Has any council been called to repeal one objectionable dogma of their religious faith ? Has any bull from their spiritual fatlier commanded them to prefer their allegiance to their sovereign, as Christian subjects, to their imaginary duty to the Roman pontiff? Are the poor alloAved the free use of the Scripture ? Are they allowed to read and to meditate on the Word of Life ? The members of the Church of Rome are still kept in the same darkness, still bound by the same spiritual tyranny, and actuated, even at the present day, by the same mad, cruel, and ferocious fanaticism. They declare their Chm-cli unalterable, and are themselves un- altered. The causes which first compelled our ancestors to preserve their liberties and religion by vigilant jealousy of the members of the Church of Rome, exist in their original force — The Papist remains t!ie same — the Protestant alone is changed, and has become, it is to be feared, too lukewarm and too indifferent. Under the well-meant dis- guise of universal charity and toleration, he welcomes the enemy to the citadel with bows and smiles. He feels himself enlightened, and supposes the Papist is equally so. He forgets that infallibility or unchangeableness is the very foundation of the creed of the Romanists, precluding thereby all possibility of reforma- tion. The errors of the Church of Rome are not merely to be attributed to the darkness and superstitions of any particular age, but are interwoven with the very frame-work of this corrupt religion. Unless the pages of history are written in vain, and the experience of the past is to direct us no longer, the statesmen of a Protestant country are required to preserve to the present generation, and to hand down unimpaired to our posterity, tliat code of laws which secures to the majority of the people of England a pure religion and well-defined liber- ties ; and provides also for a succession of rulers who shall maintain the same, so long as it shall please God to continue the power, the splendor, or even the existence of the monarchy. Note 29.— Part XIL In his First Epistle to the Thessaloniaus, chap. iv. II, 12., St. Paul had exhorted some disorderly Christians not to be unruly and sloth- ful. He here enlarges on the subject, and reproves them more sharply, as not having attended to his former admonitions. Some understand by "the tradition which they had received," the example of St. Paul and his com- panions. Perhaps he had both these arguments in view ; in either case the reading remains tlie same. Note 30.— Part XIL This verse appears to corroborate the idea already hinted at in chap. ii. ver. 2. which seems to intimate that the Thessalonians had been led to misinterpret St. Paul's Epistle by some spurious writing, as he here teaches them how to distinguish his genuine Epistles from tliose which might be forged. Had there been no letters of this description, tokens of authen- ticity would have been unnecessary. Note 31.— Part XIL Froji the accounts of Roman authors, Gallio appears to have been a man eminent for his talents and literary attainments ; and his char- acter is represented in the most amiable light- His conduct on this occasion deserves a mixture of applause and censure : his liberal turn of mind was evinced in his refusal to punish a man for his religious opinions only, and his willingness to permit the Jews to think as they pleased, and settle their disputes among them- selves. We must, however, reprobate the contemptuous indifference witli which he treated 344*- NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XII. matters of such stupendous moment. Sosthenes, the ruler of the sj^nagogue, appears to have been favorably disposed towards Paul. On this account, perhaps, the Jews incited the Greeks to beat him. Some, however, suppose, that this Sosthenes was one of the most clamorous among the Jews for the punishment of Paul, and that the Greeks, standing round the tribunal inflicted this punishment on the ringleader, as the most effectual way of quelling the tumult. Gallio was to blame for permitting this violation of the laws immediately under his own eyes. — See Witsius, Meletem. Leidens. cap. vii. sect. iv. &c. Note 32.— Part XII. ON THE DATE OF THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. The Epistle to Titus is placed thus early in the arrangement of the apostolic letters, on the united authority of Dr. Hales and Michaelis. The araruments of these eminent theologians appear to be strengthened by the consideration that there is no allusion to St. Paul's sufferings or approaching death — to his age or imprison- ment: all of which things are frequently men- tioned in these Epistles which we have more decided reason for referring to a late period of the Apostle's life. The verbal harmony be- tween this Epistle and that to Timothy may be accounted for from the circumstance, that they were both written on similar occasions, and for the same purposes. — Compare 1 Tim. i. 1-3. with Titus i. 4, 5.; 1 Tim. i. 4. with Tit. i. 14.; 1 Tim. iv. 12. with Tit. ii. 7-1.5.; and 1 Tim. iii. 2-4. with Tit. i. 6-8. Titus was a Greek, and one of Paul's early converts, who attended him and Barnabas to the first council of Jerusalem, A. D. 49, and afterwards on his ensuing circuit. (Gal. ii. 1-3. Acts XV. 2.) During St. Paul's stay at Corinth for a year and a half, the first time, about A. D. 51, and A. D. 52, it is most likely that he made a voyage to the island of Crete, in order to preach the Gospel there ; and took with him Titus as an assistant, whom he left behind him to regulate the concerns of that Church. (Tit. i. 5.) Shortly alter his return, probably to Corinth, he wrote this letter of instructions to Titus, how to conduct himself in his episcopal office, with directions to come back to him at Nicopolis, where he meant to winter. (Tit. iii. 12.) The superscription supposes that this was Nicopolis, a city of Macedonia, but tliis is cer- tainly a mistake, for by this is meant, Nicopolis on the river Nessus, in Thrace, built by the Emperor Trajan, after this period. Furtlicr, St. Paul, when he wrote, was just returned from a voyage, therefore the city must have been not far from the sea ; hence it could not have been Nicopolis ad Hccmum, or ad Istrura, though so imagined by Theophylact : still less the Nicopohs in Armenia, or any other in the middle of Asia Minor. Neither might it be the Nicopolis in Egypt, near Alexandria. His residence in that case would have been prob- ably in Alexandria itself. The most celebrated city of this name lay in Epirus, opposite the promontory of Actium, and was built by Augus- tus, on his victory over Antony. This appears to be the Nicopolis here intended. The Acts are, indeed, equally silent on St. Paul's visit to Nicopolis ; and many have sup- posed that both events took place after the close of that liistory ; but the time between his first and second imprisonment at Rome scarcely admits of it. It is certain that St. Paul made many voyages before the close of the history of the Acts, when Luke was not with him, and which lie has not recorded, as 2 Cor. xi. 26., an Epistle written soon after his departure from Ephesus, (Acts XX. 1.) It is probable that this Epistle to Titus was written before that Second Epistle to the Corintliians. St. Paul spent a year and a half at Corinth, (Acts xviii. 11.) and three years at Ephesus. If we are hence to suppose, that four years and a half Avere devoted to those two cities alone, the assertion (2 Cor. xi. 25.) is irreconcilabl with St. Luke's narrative. But that the Apos- tle did make an excursion during this interval, and returned to Corinth, appears from 2 Cor. xii. 14. xiii. 1. where he terms "the third time," what we usually call his second visit. If, then, St. Paul's voyage to Crete was from Corinth, the Nicopolis, where he passed the winter, and expected Titus, was certainly that in Epirus. It is true, that in returning from Crete, Epirus lay out of his way ; but he might have been driven tlicre by a storm ; and perhaps suffered one of the three shipwrecks ho has mentioned. In tills case he would have passed the winter in that city, and " preached the Gospel," as he says (Rom. XV. 19.) " round about unto Illyricum," previous to his coming to Corinth the second time, when he wrote the Epistle to the Romans. That ApoUos took part in the conversion of the Cretans agrees with this hypothesis, for Apollos appears to have come from Ephesus to Corinth, before St. Paul left that city. (Acts xviii. 24. and xix. ] .) It is most probable, there- fore, that St. Paul's voyage to Crete, his stay in Nicopolis, and his Epistle to Titus, all belonged to this period. The two other opinions, and the objections to them, may be seen in Michaelis. " This opinion of Michaelis," says Dr. Hales, "is much more probable than the period as- signed by Lardner, namely, during Paul's second visit to Greece ; or the latest, by Paley (follow- ing the Bible chronology), during Paul's tliird visit, between the time of his leaving Rome the first time, until his return and m:irtyrdoni there. Note yJ.J ON THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. *345 For the second circuit is described so particu- larly in tiie Acts, that there does not seem to be time or place for this voyage, and wintering at Nicopolis, and still less in the last circuit, as we may collect from the incidental account of it in the Second Epistle to Timothy, written by Paul during his second imprisonment at Rome, shortly before his death." Hence there is no date so controverted as that of this Epistle, according to the different hypotheses of St. Paul's voyage to Crete. Michaelis reckons, that " in the chronological arrangement of St. Paul's Epistles, it should be placed between the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians (A. D. 52.), and the First Epistle to the Corintliians, (A. D. 57.) Accordingly it is here dated about the autunm of A. D. 53, sup- posing that Paul adhered to his intention of Avintering that year at Nicopolis, whence he might have visited the regions of Epirus, Dal- matia, &c. bordering on lUyricum, which he notices, Rom. xv. IS). They are unnoticed in the Acts, and may therefore best be assigned to this early part of Paul's ministry, when there is full room for them." Lardner dates this Epistle A. D.56; Barrhig- ton, A. D. 57 ; Whitby, Pearson, Paley, and the Bible Chronology, A. D. 65. Lardner, as usual, states his opinion with diffidence — " It appears to me," he observes, " very probable, that at this time Paul was in Illyricum and Crete ; but I cannot digest the order of his journeys, since St. Luke has not re- lated them." — (Vol. vi. p. 287.) And Michaelis has well described the gradual change of his opinion from the received till the last, in which he rested. " In the first edition of the Intro- dudion" he observes, " I described the Epistle to Titus as written after St. Paul's imprison- ment at Rome. In the second edition I wavered in this opinion. When I published the tliird edition, I thought it highly probable that the Epistle was Avritten long before St. Paul's voyage as a prisoner to Italy (when he only touched at Crete, and the centurion rejected tlie advice of wintering there. Acts xxvii. 7-12.) and at present (in the fourth edition, 1780,) I have no doubt that this Epistle was written long before St. Paul's voyage as a prisoner, to Italy." Vol. iv. p. 32, Marsh's Translation. Paley, in his Horre Paulince, gives the fol- lowing hypothetic route, as he terms it, of the Apostle's last journey. " If we may be allowed to suppose that St. Paul, after his liberation at Rome, sailed into Asia, taking Crete in his way, and that from Asia and from Ephesus, the capital of that country, he pro- ceeded into Macedonia, and crossing this penin- sula, in his progress, came into the noiphbour- hood of Nicopolis, we have a route which falls in with every thing. It executes the intention expressed by the Apostle of visiting Colosse Philemon, ver. 22.) and Philippi (Phil. ii. 24.) voi^. II. *44 as soon as he should be set at liberty at Rome. It allows him to leave ' Titus at Crete,' (Tit. i. 5.), and'Timothy at Ephesus, as he went into Macedonia,'(l Tim. i. 3.), and to write to both not long after, from the peninsula of Greece, and probably the neighbourhood of Nicopolis; thus bringing together the dates of these two letters, and thereby accounting for that affinity between them, both in subject and language, whicli our remarks have pointed out." " It is really a pity," says Dr. Hales, " tliat so simple and consistent an hypothesis throughout, including a great number of independent cir- cumstances without contradiction, should be destitute of soUd foundation." The Second Epistle to Timothy (which Paley acknowledges was written during Paul's second imprisonment), in the last chapter, completely overturns liis hypotliesis. 1. There is no notice taken there of any voyage by sea to Asia : but not to rest on this negative argument, let us trace the actual route through Corinth, Troas, and Miletus, and proba- bly through Colosse and Philippi. 2. Titus could not, then, be left in Crete, for he was actually in Dalmatia, near Illyricum, (2 Tim. iv. 10.) 3. Timothy was not left at Ephesus, because the Apostle did not visit Ephesus ; he sailed by it on his last journey to Jerusalem (Acts xx. IG.), though he stopped at Miletus, in its neighbour- hood, and there told the presbyters of Ephesus, whom ho sent for, that they should see his face no more, wliich afflicted them with great grief, (Acts XX. 17-38.) Paley supposes that the Apostle said this rather despondingly, than by the Spirit, (p. 32G.) But we can see no good reason for the contrary ; for what inducement could he have to revisit a city where he had been already so ill treated and persecuted, only to provoke fresh persecution ? When he was forced to quit EpJiesus, in the uproar raised by the shrine- makers of Diana, (Acts xix. 25-40.), he seems to have taken a last farewell of them there {doTTiaa&iuevo;), Acts xx. 1. Paul, it is true, left Trophimus sick at Miletus, tlie last time, (2 Tim. iv. 20.) But why should he communicate tliis intelligence, if Timothy was now at Ephesus, in that neighbourhood, es- pecially as Trophimus was an Ephesian (Acts xxi. 21*.), and must have had intercourse with his friends there ? But Timothy was not at Ephesus, he was rather in the nortliern part of Asia, in Pontus, perhaps with Aquila and Priscilla, (2 Tim. iv. 19.) who were of that country, (Acts xviii. 2.) And from Pontus, Timothy's route to Corinth, where Paul left Erastus, (2 Tim. iv. 20.), lay directly through Troas, whence he was commissioned to bring with him the letter-case or trunk, tlie books, and especially the parchments, which the Apos- tle had left behind him there, (2 Tim. iv. 13.) 4. Nicopolis, near Actium, was quite out of 346 * NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIL tlie route to Rome from Corinth, therefore the Apostle did not visit it, and certainly had not time to winter there on his last journey. 5. The resemblance between the Epistles to Titus and Timothy, which Paley, indeed, has ingeniously and skilfully traced, does not re- quire that they sliould be written about the same time. It may naturally be ascribed to the sameness .of their situations and circumstances in the discharge of their respective episcopal functions'. Note 33.— Part XIL In this Epistle to Titus, a complete and per- fect rule for the formation and government of Christian Churches is laid down. A Christian teacher goes into a country with which he has no natural alliance, and by authority delegated to him by an inspired a])Ostle, he is appointed to ordain a class of men for the public service of the Church. "The less is blessed of the greater." As Titus set apart the elders of the Cretan Churches, we infer that elders are to be set apart for the service of other Churches, and by a similar authority. If Scripture is given to us for use and instruction, we are required to be guided by its directions. If, however, as we are sometimes told, the circumstances of mankind are such in the present day, that Scriptural precedents are to direct us no longer, we declare one part, at least, of Scripture to be useless ; and that part, too, which the primitive Church, and, after it, Christians in all ages, have esteemed most valuable. Note 34.— Part XIL This is the same person who is mentioned in the Epistle to the Ephesians, chap. vi. ver. 21., and in that to the Colossians, chap. iv. ver. 7. Note 35.— Part XII. It is uncertain whether St. Luke here refers to St. Paul or Aquila. Witsius supposes the vow to relate to Aquila, as being more zealous of the Jewish rites and ceremonies tlian St. Paul, who refused to consider tiie Mosaic Law as any longer binding. Others, however, would rather interpret it of St. Paul ; and impute to him the >> See Dr Halcs's Jlnalysis of Chronology, vol. ii Dart ii. p. 1118.— Elsloy, vol. iii. p. yi)7.— Mi- chaelis vol. iv. p. 32. — Paloy's Jlora Paulince, chap. xiii. No. 2. observance of a vow from prudential motives that the Jews might not consider him as the enemy of the Law of Moses. Witsius observes, that it is absurd to suppose the Apostle would' bind himself by that yoke, which he was so anxious to break away ti-om tlie neck of others j but that he made certain compliances with the legal ritual, to avoid giving offence to the more ignorant or prejudiced among his countrymen. See Acts xxi. 26. This also was the opinion of Calvin. Many commentators understand this vow to be that of the Nazarite. To the objection that the Nazarite was compelled to shave his hair at the door of the tabernacle, when the Israelites were in the wilderness, and in the temple when they had taken possession of Canaan (Numb. vi. 18.), Grotius replies, that these laws, as well as many others respecting sacrifices, were not binding upon the Jews out of Canaan. The testimony of Maimonides is quoted to prove this point. Yet the difficulty in question seemed so great to Salmasius, that he endeav- oured to show that the vow could not have been that of the Nazarite ; but that either St. Paul or Aquila had made a vow that they would not shave the head till they had arrived at Cenchrea. This, however, is very improbable ; it was use- less in itself, and not required by existing circumstances. A very curious inteqiretation of the passage is given by the learned Petit. He would refer the words " for he had a vow," not to the pre- vious cutting off of the hair, but to a previous vow which the Apostle had before made, which was now the cause of his proceeding to Jerusalem. He supposes that St. Paul, while he resided among the Corinthians, let his hair grow : long hair being much valued among the Greeks. But when he was about to return to Jerusalem, he cut off his hair, and prepared himself for his own country. Among the Greeks he had be- come a Greek, and among the Jews he sliowed himself a Jew, 1 Cor. ix., tliat he might by all means win them to Christ''. The vow, by others, is supposed to have been the same as that mentioned by Josephus. Be- renice, he tells us, went to Jerusalem to perform her vows to God. For it was the custom with those who had labored under any disease, or had met with difficulties and afflictions, to pass thirty days in prayer before they sacrificed their victims; during which they abstained from v^^ine, women, and shaving the hair. The cus- tom prevailed among tlie heathen, of offering the hair to the gods after any great calamity''. " Witsius, Mdctein. Lddcns. de V'tt. Pauli, cap. vii. sect. 15, &c. "i See the whole subject discussed in Kuiiioel and Witsius. Note 3G.— 1.-4.. NOTES ON THE ACTS. *347 Note 36.— Part XII. It does not seem necessary to make any observations on the condition of the Christian Church at this period. The very fact of St Paul's journeying from Church to Church, and province to province, to superintend the con- verts, implies the only truth which it is at all necessary to prove ; that the ministers or elders of the Churches were ordained, and the Churches themselves directed and ruled, by a power which was superior to that of the stationary teachers. If the rulers of the Church of Christ liad been as anxious and as clamorous for truth, during the last three centuries, as they have been for liberty, liberality, toleration, or any other popular cry, tlie worshippers of Christ would have been more united against the ancient superstition which preceded, and the unscriptural innovations which followed, the Reformation. Toleration and candor are the second class of Christian blessings. Truth and union are the first. That Church and nation alone are happy in which tliey flourish together. PART XIII. Note 1.— Part XIII. In one of the early numbers of the Quarterly Review is a very curious article, in which an attem]Jt is made to prove the identity of the Apollos of the Acts, with Apollonius of Ty- anea. Note 2.— Part XIII. The publicity witli which the apostles preached the new religion is justly considered a decisive proof of their conviction of its truth. They uniformly appealed to tliose audiences wlio were most capable of examining the evi- dences of Christianity, and were at the same time prejudiced against its doctrines. Even after the crucifixion of our Lord, the apostles and believers went to the temple, the most public place, and in the most public m;inner taught and worked miracles. Jerusa- lem, the seat of the doctors, the judges of religion, was the first place in which, by the command of their Lord, the disciples preached Christ crucified. They were therefore not afraid to have their cause tried by the most rigid test of Scripture, and in the very spot too where that Scripture was best understood. When the same apostles carried this Gospel to heathen countries, did they go to the villages nniong the less informed, or comparatively ignorant Greeks, in order to form a party, and protect themselves by the favor of the multi- tude ? They went to Csesarea, to Antioch, to Thessalonica, to Athens, to Corintli, to Ephc- sus, to the very places where learning flourished most, where sciences were best cultivated ; where imposture was most likely to be detected. and where the secular power existed in the most despotic manner, and could at once have crushed them, if they could have been proved to be impostors, or if they had not been under the immediate protection of Heaven ; for it is evident that these holy men feared no rational investigation of their doctrines. They preached Christ crucified, where it was the most solemn interest of the Jews to dis- prove their doctrine, that they might exculpate themselves from the murder of Jesus Christ. They preached the same Christ, and the vanity of idolatry, where idolatry existed in the pleni- tude of its poM-er ; and where aU its interests required it to make the most desperate and for- midable stand against those innovators. See Dr. Clarke's note. Note 3.— Part XIIL They had not heard of the miraculous descent of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Note 4.— Part XIII. Lightfoot was of opinion, that the school in which St. Paul preached was a Beth .Mid- rash, in which the Jews were instructed. Ros- enmiiller, on the contrary, witli whom Kuinoel agrees, supposes this to be improbable, as St. Paul had been ejected from the synagague on account of the Jews ; and those who attended him would, consequently, have separated themselves from the Jewish assemblies, into a place set apart from them. Suidas mentions a sophist of the name of Tyrannus — aoq:iaTr^; — 313* o NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIIT. Tiegl OTufffWJ' xal duxiQeaeoig hiyov ^i&lUx dexu. Whether this was the person referred to in the Acts is uncertain. Note 5.— Part XIII. The study of magic was prosecuted with so much zeal at Ephesus, that Ephesian incanta- tions were proverbial ; and the " Ephesian let- ters " were certain words, which were believed to have sovereign efficacy in charms and invo- cations. About this time magic, although for- bidden by the Mosaic Law, was lield in much esteem among the Jews, who excused them- selves for its practice by ascribing the books they retained on this subject to their King Solomon. " The vagabond Jews " here men- tioned had, in all probability, been long engaged in the pursuit of magical rites and incantations ; but finding that the name of Jesus possessed power infinitely superior to any they could com- mand, they attempted a trial of its efficacy in the present instance, using it as a substitute for their usual forms of exorcism. The result clearly proved the vanity of magic, and demon- strated beyond a doubt, that the miracles of the Gospel were perfectly independent of that un- holy science, and were performed by a power which demons, while they trembled, acknowl- edged and obeyed. It served to convince the Ephesians of the truth of that Gospel which was attested by the manifest power of God, evidently working with the apostles. It brought magic into contempt in its strongest hold — the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified, and the people gave the best proofs of their contrition by burn- ing their curious volumes, see ver. 19. As the miracles of Moses baffled the pretensions of the Egyptian magicians, the same Holy Spirit, " from whom no secrets are hid," enabled the apos- tles to conquer the deceivers of their own age. The Ephesian characters, or letters, appear to have been amulets inscribed with strange or barbarous words. They were worn about the person for the purpose of curing diseases, ex- pelling demons, and preserving from evils of different kinds. The books brought together on this occasion were such as taught the science, manner of formation, use, &c. of these charms. Suidas, under 'Ecpicna yqixfijiaxa, " Ephesian letters," gives us the following account : — " Certain obscure incantations. — When Milesius and Ephesius wrestled at the Olympic games, Milesius could not prevail, because his antag- onist had the Ephesian letters bound to his heels ; when this was discovered, and the letters taken away, it is reported that Milesius threw him thirty times." The information given by Hesychius is still more curious : — " The Ephesian letters, or char- acters, were formerly six, but certain deceivers added others afterwards ; and their names, ac- cording to report, were these : Askion, Katas- kion, Lix, Tetrax, Damnameneus, and Aisian It is evident that askian signifies darkness : kataskian, light ; lix, the earth ; tetrax, the year ; damnameneus, the sun ; and aisian, truth. These are holy and sacred things." The same account may be seen in Clemens Alexandrinus, Strom, lib. v. cap. 8. where he attempts to give the etymology of these different terms. These words served, no doubt, as the keys to different spells and incantations ; and were used in order to the attainment of a great variety of ends. The abraxas of the Basilidians, in the second century, were formed on the basis of the Ephe- sian letters ; for those instruments of incantation are inscribed with a number of words and characters equally as unintelligible as the above, and in many cases more so. — See Dr. Clarke's Comment, in loc. and Kuinoel. Note 6.— Part XIIL The date of this Epistle is ascertained from the Epistle itself St. Paul, on leaving Corinth, as we have already seen, proceeded to Asia, and visited Ephesus, Jerusalem, and Antioch. Leaving this metropolis of the converted Gen- tiles, he passed through Galatia and Phrygia, and returned to Ephesus, where he remained three years. During the latter part of that time, St. Paul wrote this Epistle to the Corin- thians, as we learn from the internal evidence of 1 Cor. xvi. 8., where we read, " I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost " — and that it was written at the preceding Passover, is further certain from the expression, (1 Cor. v. 7.) "Ye are unleavened," that is, " ye are now celebrat- ing the feast of unleavened bread." St. Paul left Ephesus, A. D. 57, in which year, therefore, this Epistle must have been written. The sub- scription of the Epistle purports to have been written at Philippi, but as this assertion is at variance with the Apostle's words, it cannot be correct. Michaelis would explain the discrep- ancy by interpreting the word diio/noai (xvi. 5.) to mean, " I am noiv travelling through," in- stead of " my route is through Macedonia," which it evidently m.oans". Corinth itself was a place of considerable trade and opulence, containing a great variety of people — its inhab- itants were naturally quick and ingenious, and it abounded in philosophers and orators, who boasted of their human learning and accom- plishments. It was the residence also of many Jews, as we find in Acts xviii. 4., and to them St. Paul first addressed himself; but finding their opposition to tlie Gospel imremitting, he turns to the Gentiles (Acts xviii. G.), of whom " See Michaelis, vol. iv. p. 43. Note 7.] ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. *349 the Churcli ivas principally composod. On St. Paul's departure from Corinth, he was succeed- ed by Apollos, who preached the Gospel with great success, (Acts xviii. 24-28.), to whom also may be added Aquila and Sosthenes. (Acts xviii. 3. 1 Cor. i. 1.) False teachers, however, soon arising, the peace of the Church was disturbed, and great disorders ensued. Some Gentile converts set themselves up for teachers, confounding the Christian doctrine with their own piiilosophical speculations, and, out of respect to the oratory of Apollos, called them- selves his disciples. On the other hand, some of the Jewish converts contended strenuously for the observance oftlie Mosaic ceremonies, and styled themselves tlic followers of Cephas, that is, St. Peter, the apostle of the circumcision ; while many of the native Corinthian converts still continued addicted to that uncleanness and lasciviousness ivhich had been common to them in tlieir heathen state. Two factions were raised in the Church, and the Apostle was called upon to fight against Jewish superstition, heath- en licentiousness, and all the sophistry of human learning, which were alike leagued against him, derogating from his authority. On hearing of the lamentable state of his newly-established Church, it appears that the Apostle sent Timothy and Erastus to the Corin- thians, as his messengers and fellow-laborers in the Gospel, intending shortly to visit tliem him- self (Acts xix. 22.) ; but before he could accom- plish this, he received messengers from Corinth, with a letter from the Church, requesting his advice and directions on various subjects, which had been the occasion of so many ani- mosities and divisions among them (1 Cor. vii. 1, IG, 17.), and on which those who remained steadfast to him were anxious to obtain his opinion. Tliis Epistle appears to have been written in answer to these applications — St. Paul vindicates his apostolic character from tlie aspersions of the opposing parties, for the satis- faction of those converts who still adhered to him — he endeavours to lessen the influence of the false teachers, by pointing out their errors and licentious conduct — he applies suitable remedies to the various disorders and abuses which had so abundantly crept into the Church, and he gives satisfactory answers to all those points on which he had been consulted. NoTK 7.— Part XIII. ON THE ERRONEOUS TRANSLATION OF VER. 9. Many have concluded, from this passage, that the Epistle of St. Paul, in which this pre- cept was contained, has perished. A little at- tention however to tlie passage will place the whole matter in a very different point of view. VOL. II. In the first place we must remark, that the words which are here translated " in an Epistle," ought, without any doubt, to be rendered, « in the," or " in this Epistle," such being the sense of the article in the original. Accordingly we find in the beginning of the chapter the very precept in question: " It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you." As, therefore, the company of such offenders, " like a little leaven, would leaven the whole lump," the Apostle commands them "to purge out therefore the old leaven," i. e. those fornicators whose society would corrupt and defile them. Lest, however, they should so far mistake the command, as to withdraw tliemselves entirely from the world, the Apostle explains himself, and informs them that liis injunction does not extend to fornicators among the heatJien, for with such, in the ordinary intercourse of life, they must associate, but that it applies only to their Christian brethren. " 9 I wrote to you in an Epistle not to com- pany with fornicators. " 10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortion- ers, or idolators, for then must ye needs go out of the world. " 11 But now have I written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idol- ator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extor- tioner — with such an one no not to eat." As an additional proof of an error in the trans- lation, we are to observe, that the identical word which in the ninth verso is translated " I wrote," in the eleventh verse is translated, " I have written." Let the latter tense be adopted, as it ought to ,be, in botli verses, and with the addition of the demonstrative article, tlie sense of the passage will be perfectly clear, without having recourse to the improbable supposition of any previous epistle. The following para- phrase of the verses in question, which very nearly coincides Avith that of Mr. Jones, may, perhaps, be thought satisfactory. "91 have written to you, a little above, (ver. 2.), in this letter, that you should separate yourselves from those who are fornicators, and because you may be in danger of being polluted by them, that you should purge them out from among you, as the old leaven, (ver. 5, 6.) " 10 Do not, however, mistake me : I do not mean that you should separate from such among the heathen as are fornicators, extortioners, or idolators : for if you were to do so, you might as well go out of the world. " 11 But this is the meaning of what I have written to you ; that you should not hold any communication, nor admit to the supper of the Lord, any among your Christian brethren, who are offenders in these points." There are many passages indeed in this Epistle which lead us to think that it was the * DD 350* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIII first communication of tlie Apostle to the Co- rinthians, since his departure from them. In the beginning both of the second and of the fifteenth chapters, he recalls their attention to his residence among them, and to what he then said and did, as if he had sent tliem notliing, which might either Ijave refreshed their faith, or renewed their obligations. Now as in the Second Epistle, he refers perpetually to the first, we might .fairly suppose that in this Epistle, which we now call the first, he would Jiave re- ferred also, in a manner equally decisive, to his former one, if any such had ever existed. Such a reference, indeed, would have been especially necessary, as, if we suppose a former epistle, we must also suppose that the offence, against which he forewarned them, had been subse- quently repeated ; he would not, therefore, have failed to have charged them with direct diso- bedience to his positive command. So far, however, from this being the case, it appears from the very expressions which he uses, that he had but recently heard of the oflfcnce. This circumstance of itself militates against the sup- position of any previous epistle ; for if the crime had prevailed to such a degree, as to have already required the interference of the Apostle, he would not have written the second time, as if he had but just heard of the accusation from common report, " It is reported commonly that tliere is fornication among you." Besides, the very words in which he passes his judgment of excommunication against the offender (ver. 3, 4, 5.), lead us to believe that it was now passed for tlie first time. The supposition, therefore, of a lost epistle is groundless ; nor do the words of the Apostle, when fairly examined, lead to any such conclusion''. Note 8.— Part XIII. on the plenary and perpetual inspiration of st. paul. It has been said, by many very respectable divines, that St. Paul did not consider liimself to have been always inspired, but that he has distinguished between those parts of his Epistles which were dictated by the Spirit of God, and those that were not This is the only chapter in any of his Epistles where this may at first sight appear to be so ; a little attention, however, will show that the notion is founded on a total misconception of the mean- ing of the Apostle ; who, so far from denying his plenary inspiration, vindicates its existence to the very utmost. Tlie Corinthians, it appears, had written to '■ See the late lamented Mr. Piennell's tract On Insptratlon. Also the subject discussed in Home, and the references, p. 14!'-152. the Apostle to know his opinion, first, concern- ing marriage and the duties of the married state, with reference perhaps to the peculiar circumstances of the Church under its impend- ing troubles. To this inquiry the Apostle in substance replies, that a state of celibacy was good, but that as the power of continency Avas not universal, it was better for those who felt so disposed, to enter into the marriage state, and for those who were alreadj' married to live together. " But," says he, " I speak this by permission, and not of commandment," ver. 6. The sense of which words is clearly this, that the Gospel gave no command either with re- spect to marriage, or to an abstinence from it — but that it permitted every man to act as from his own self-experience he might think to be best. Tlie commandment then, and the per- mission, have reference not to the writing of the Apostle, but to the conduct of the Corinthians. The next point, on which the Corinthians had consulted him, related to the preservation of the marriage bond among those Christians wlio were already married. " Unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord ; Let not the wife depart from her husband," &c. ver. 10- Here, then, there was no latitude of permission, but a positive command from Christ himself, in whose code of morality this preservation of the marriage bond formed a very new and striking feature. To Christ himself therefore he refers, who. Matt. V. 32., had most decisively forbidden all divorces excepting in the case of adultery. The Corinthians knew the command of the Lord too well to need that it should be either reiter- ated or reinforced by himself; nor was it any dis- paragement of his apostolical power to appeal to the words of his heavenly Master. The third point on which they had consulted him was this — whether the marriage of a be- liever and an unbeliever ought to be dissolved. This being a new case, he writes upon it at some length. " To the rest speak I, not the Lord, if any brother hath a wife that believeth not," &c. ver. 12. As therefore this was an extraordinary circumstance, respecting which Christ had not left any command, St. Paul pro- ceeds to supply the deficiency, and gives a very decisive opinion, that no separation ought to take place on the part of the believer. So far indeed is he from undervaluing his power, that in the full persuasion and consciousness of his inspired authority, he concludes, " And so ordain I in all the Churches," ver. 17. The fourtli point, upon which they had con- sulted him, respects those who had never yet been married. Upon tliis point lie thus com- mences his decision : " Now concerning virgin?;, I have no commandment of tiie Lord ; yet I "•ive my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy to be faithful," ver. 25. As tlien Christ had left no command upon the point, the Apostle proceeds to decide the matter upon his Norr. n.-IO.] ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. *351 own aiuliority. But how dofis lie decide it ? Not ns aa ordinary man, — but as " one who iiad obtahied mercy to be faithful." Tlie word which is translated "faithful," signifies in this, as in various other places, "worthy of con- fidence or credit." The same term, both in the orig-inal and in tlie translation, is applied to God himself, 1 Cor. i. 9. "God is faithful." Again we find, Tit. i. 9. " The faitliful word," i. e. tlie Gospel. In 1 Tim. i. 12. we find the word pecuharly applied to the inspired min- istry, " I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithfid, putting me into the ministry." When there- fore, St. Paul speaks of his having " obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful," he asserts tlie grace and authority of an inspired minister and apostle, and as such he pronounces his solemn determination and judgment. Such a judgment was not his own private opinion and decree, but it was the determina- tion of a mind divinely assisted and inspired. This the Apostle again asserts, in the words with which the subject is concluded. " She is happier, if she so abide, after my judgment, and I think also that I have tiie Spirit of God." These latter words, wliich many have imagined to imply a doubt or hesitation in the mind of St. Paul respecting his inspiration, are, if rightly understood, the strongest affirmation of it. Some have considered the doubt as an iron- ical expression, with a view to put his adver- saries to shame. But in reality he Iras ex- pressed no doubt or hesitation at all. The mis- conception has arisen from the double meaning of the English word " think ;" which ordinarily expresses a degree of uncertainty in the mind of the speaker, with respect to the fact in ques- tion. Whereas the word, in the original, sig- nifies " I am of opinion," or " I profess,'' imply- ing thereby a very high degree of confidence and self-persuasion. This language, therefore, so far from impeaching his inspiration, is even stronger than if it were only a simple affirma- tion of the fact. It is an asseveration upon the credit of his own personal knowledge and assurance. Before we dismiss this chapter from our con- sideration, we may remark two other circum- stances, which are both of importance with respect to our present inquiry. First, that when St. Paul says, " To the rest speak I, not the Lord," he refers to Christ personally, and to his ministry upon earth. The influence of the Holy Spirit is in these words neither mentioned nor alluded to. There is no distinction, there- fore, drawn between Paul when inspired, and Paul when uninspired ; nor is it asserted that in the one case he spoke with the Spirit, and in the other without it. The distinction is this — that in tlie one case there existed a di- rect command of Christ, but that in the other there did not. The inspiration of the Apostle, tlien, is not the point in question. We may remark, secondly, that in this chapter, as indeed in other places, the term " I speak," is applied by St. Paul to his writing. This is a strong argument, if any indeed were wanting, for con- sidering his preaching and his writings as armed with the same autliority, and as dictated by Uie same Spirit. From this chapter, therefore, we may con- clude tliat St. Paul unequivocally asserts his plenary and perpetual inspiration, that he enter- tains no doubt, nor admits any qualification, either as to its influence or its extent. He claims it every where, and that claim, as Chris- tians, we must admit". Note 9.— Part XIII. This passage has frequently been consid- ered as one principal support of the Socinian opinions. This mistake has arisen from not carefully attending to the Apostle's argument. He is speaking of the many nonentities whom the heatlien worship, and then adds, in contra- diction, " To us there is but one God, the Father (or producing generating cause), of whom arc all things." Here he contrasts their theism with the Gentile polytheism — but many of the wiser heathens had attained so far towards the truth, and therefore he adds, (to distinguish betwLxt the Christian and philosophic theist,) " and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Avhom are all things ;" that is, (" by whom God made the worlds, or by whom he gave tiie ministry of reconciliation,") " and we by him ;" tliat is, by him we are that in which we differ from other men, purified and sanctified. The passage has not the least reference, one way or another, to the question of Unitarianism, and is only tanta- mount to the commencement of the creed, " I beheve in God the Father, &c. and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord." Note 10.— Part XIIL Mr. Locke observes on this passage — " What the meaning of these words is, I confess I do not understand." The generality of conunen- tators, after Mode and Heinsius, suppose the word " power" to signifj' " veil" — either from the Hebrew T"i~, root mi — or to distinguish them from the unmarried — or as an acknowl- edgment of their husband's authority. — See Mr. Slade's excellent work on tlie Epistles, where the criticisms of Michaelis, Whitby, and others, are well summed up. "^ See Mr. Rennell's tract On Iiisjnraticm, and his references at the end. 352* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIII. Note 11.— Part XIII. Benzelius (as quoted by Macknight in loc.) tiiinks that in this alleo-orv the foot signifies the common people in the Church ; the liand the presidents ; the eyes the teacliers ; and the ears the learners. The Apostle affirms, (continues Macknight,) that tiie eye and the head, the two principal members of the body, need the service of the inferior members (ver. 21, &.c.) to teach such as hold the most honorable offices of the Church, not to despise those who are placed in the lowest stations. For, as in the body, the hands need the direction of the eye, and the eye the assistance of the hands, so in tlie Churcli they who follow the active occupations of life, need the direction of the teachers ; and, on the other hand, the teachers need the sup- port of the active members. Were Ave to interpret this part of the allegory strictly, so as by "the head" to understand Christ, it would be equally true of him in quality of head of the Church, as it is of the head of the natural body, that he could not say to any of his members, " I have no need of thee." All the members of the Church are necessary to render it complete, and fit it for supporting itself; not excepting such members as are un- sound. For by censuring them, and cutting them off, the sincere are powerfully instructed, corrected, and strengthened. — Macknight on the First of Corinthians in loc. Note 12.— Part XIII. On the slirines of Diana — the Asiarchs — the ■worshippers of Diana, I'eujxoQoi — and other sub- jects mentioned in this section, see Biscoe, and his numerous references. Note 13.— Part XIII. brief account of timothy, and of the first epistle to Hiivr. Paul and Barnabas, in the course of their first apostolic journey among the Gentiles, came to Lystra, a city of Lycaonia, where they preached the Gospel for some time, and, though persecuted, with considerable success. — (See Acts xiv. 5, G.) It is very likely that they here converted to the Christian faith a Jewess, named Lois, with her daughter Eunice, who had mar- ried a Gentile, by whom she had Timothy, and Avhose father Avas probably at this time dead ; tlie grandmother, daugliter, and son, living to- gether. — (Compare Acts xvi. 1-3. with 2 Tim. i. 5.) It is also probable that Timothy Avas tlie only child ; and it appears that he had been brought up in the fear of God, and carefully in- structed in tlie JcAvish religion, by means of the Holy Scriptures. — (Compare 2 Tim. i. 5. Avith 2 Tim. iii. 15.) When the Apostle came from Antioch, in Syria, tlie second time, to Lystra, he found Timothy a member of the Church, and so highly reputed and Avarmly recommended by the Church in that place, that St. Paul took him to be his companion in his travels. Acts xvi. 1-3. From Avhich passage we learn, that although Timothy had been educated in the Jewish faith, he had not been circumcised, because his father, Avho was a Gentile, Avould not permit it. When the Apostle had determined to take him Avith him, he found it expedient to use that precau- tion ; not from any supposition that circum- cision Avas necessary to salvation, but because of the JoAvs, Avho Avould neither have heard him nor the Apostle, had not this been done ; they Avould not have received the Gospel from Tim- othy, because he was a heathen ; and they would have considered the Apostle in the same lio-ht because he associated witli such. Timothy had a special call of God to the Avork of an evangelist, Avhich the elders of the Church at Lystra knowing, set him solemnly apart to the Avork, by the imposition of hands, (1 Tim. iv. 14.) And they Avere particularly led to this, by several prophetic declarations relati\'e to him, by which his divine call Avas most clearly ascertained. — (See 1 Tim. i. 18. and iv. 14.) After this appointment by the elders, the Apostle himself laid his hands on him ; not perhaps for the purpose of his evan- gelical designation, but that he might receive those extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, so necessary, in those primitive times, to demon- strate the truth of the Gospel, (see 2 Tim. i. G, 7.) Yet it is not probable tliat Timothy had two ordinations ; one by the elders of Lystra, and another by the Apostle ; as it is most prob- able that St. Paul acted with that TXQeafiviefjlov, or eldership, mentioned 1 Tim. iv. 14., among Avhom, in the imposition of hands, he Avould un- doubtedly act as ciiief Timothy, thus prepared to be the Apostle's fellow-laborer in the Gospel, accompanied him and Silas, Avhen they visited the Churches of Phrygia, and delivered to them the decrees ot the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, freeing the Gentiles from the LaAV of Moses, as a term of salvation. Having gone through these countries, they at length came to Troas, Avhere St. Luke joined them, as appears from the phraseology of his history. Acts xvi. 10, 11, &c. In Troas a vision appeared to St. Paul, direct- ing them to go into Macedonia. Loosing there- fore from Troas, they all passed over to Neapo- lis, and from tiiencc went to Pliilippi, Avhere they converted many, and planted a Christian Church. From Pliilippi they went to Tliossa- lonica, leaving St. Luke at Pliilippi, as appc;irs Note l-'l.] ON THE EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. *^r^ 353 from his changing the phraseology of Ills history at verso 40. We may therefore suppose tliat, at their departing, they committed the converted at Philippi to tlie care of St. Luke. In Tliessa- lonica they were opposed by the unbelieving .Tews, and obliged to flee to Berea, whither the Jews from Thcssalonica followed them. To elude their rage, St. Paul, who was most obnox- ious to them, departed from Berea by night, to go to Athens, leaving Silas and Timothy at Berea. At Athens Timothy came to the Apos- tle, and gave him such an account of the afllict- ed state of the Thessalonian converts, as induced him to send Timothy back to comfort them. After that, St. Paul preached at Athens ; but with so little success, that he judged it proper to leave Athens, and go forward to Corinth, where Silas and Timothy came to him, and assisted in converting the Corinthians. And when he left Corinth, they accompanied him, first to Ephesus, tlien to Jerusalem, and after that to Antioch, in Syria. Having spent some time in Antiocli, St. Paul set out with Timothy on his third apostolical journey ; in which, after visiting all the Churches of Galatia and Phrygia, in the order in which they had been planted, they came to Epliesus the second time, and there abode for a considerable period. In short, from tlie moment Timothy first joined the Apostle, as his assistant, he never left iiim, except when sent by him on some special errand. And by his affection, fidelity, and zeal, he so recommended himself to all the disciples, and acquired such authority over them, that St. Paul inserted his name in the inscription of several of the letters which he wrote to the Churches, to show that their doc- trine was one and the same. The Apostle expressed his esteem and affection for Timothy still more conspicuously, by writing to him those excellent letters in the canon which bear his name ; and which have been of the greatest use to the ministers of Christ ever since their publication, by directing them to discharge all the duties of their function in a proper manner. The date of this Epistle has been a subject of much controversy, some assigning it to the year 56, 57, or 58, which is the common opinion ; and others to 64 or 65. I have adopted, with Dr. Doddridge, the hypothesis which seems to have prevailed most generally, that it was written about the year of our Lord 57 or 58, when St. Paul had lately quitted Ephesus on account of the tumult raised there by Demetrius, and was gone into Macedonia, Acts xx. 1. This is the opinion of many learned critics, ancient and modern, particularly of Athanasius, Theo- doret, Baronius, Ludovic, Capellus, Blondel, Hammond, Grotius, Salmasius, Liglitfoot, Ben- son, Lord Barrington, Michaelis, and others. On the other hand, Bishop Pearson, and after him Rosenmiillor, Macknight, Paley, Bishop Tomline, &c. endeavoured to prove, that it VOL. 11. *45 could not be written till the year 64 or 65, between the first and second imprisonment of St. Paul at Rome ; and L'Enfant, without any hesitation, embraces this hypothesis. It is uni- versally allowed that St. Paul must have written tins First Epistle to Timothy at some journey which he made from Ephesus to Macedoniaj having in the meantime left Timothy behind him at Ephesus ; for he expressly says to Timothy (1 Tim. i. 3.), "I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia." Bishop Pearson, accordingly, in order to prove that the date of this Epistle was as late as he supposes, having observed that we read only of three jour- neys of St. Paul through Macedonia (viz. Acts xvi. 9, 10. and xx. 1, 3.), endeavours to show that it could not be written in any of these, and must consequently have been written in some fourth journey, not mentioned in the history, which he supposes was about the year 65, afler St. Paul was released from iiis imprisonment at Rome. That it was not written at the first or third of tiiese journeys is readily allowed, and it appears from the whole series of the context in both places ; but it is the second that is generally contended for. The Bishop supposes tliat the Epistle was not written at this second journey, because it appears from Acts xLx. 22., that St. Paul did not leave Timothy then at Ephesus, having sent him before into Macedonia, and ap- pointed him to meet him at Corinth. (See 1 Cor. iv. 17. and xvi. 10.) To this it is answered, that though St. Paul did not indeed send Timothy from Ephesus, yet, as we are told tliat St. Paul made some stay there after that (Acts xix. 22.), Timothy might be returned before the tumult, and so the Apostle might, notwithstanding, leave him behind at Ephesus, when he himself set out for Macedonia. (For, it should observed that he changed his scheme ; and, before he went to Corinth, where he had appointed Timothy to meet him, he spent some time in Macedonia ; from whence he wrote his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, in company with Timothy, who came to him in his return from Corinth, and continued with him whUe he remained in these parts.) Now that Timothy returned to Ephesus before the Apostle departed will indeed appear very probable, if (as Mr. Boyse argues from Acts xx. 1. compared with xix. 8, 10.) St. Paul spent /Aree 7/eara at Ephesus and in the neighbouring parts, and sent Timotliy away nine months before tiie tumult : which would leave him time enough to perform his commission, and return to Ephesus before the Apostle had lefl it. (See Family Expos, vol. iii. sect. 43, note, p. 189.) To which it may be added that it appears fi-om 1 Cor. xvi. 10, 11., which Epistle was written from Ephesus, that St. Paul expected Timothy, after his journey to Macedo- nia and Corinth, would return to him at that city. The Bishop further objects to the Epistle's being written at this second journey, mentioned *Dr>* 354* NOTES ON THE ACTS' AND EPISTLES. [Faut XI rr. Acts XX. 1., that when the Apostle set out he proposed to go into Macedonia, and to visit the Churches there and in Greece ; which must necessarily take up a considerable time ; where- as, in his Epistle to Timothy, he speaks of his intention to return very soon, (1 Tim. iii. 14. and iv. 13.) But it is natural to suppose that some unforeseen accident might detain him longer than he designed, and being disappointed of some assistance he expected from Macedonia, he might afterwards send for Timothy to come to him ; who, as the passage by sea might be accomplished in a few days, might arrive at Macedonia before the Apostle wrote his Second Epistle to the Corinthians. The Bishop further argues, that it appears from the Epistle to Titus, as well as from some passages in his Epistle to the Philippians and to Philemon, that St. Paul actually made another journey into those parts after his imprisonment at Rome ; in which journey he left Titus behind him at Crete, which lay in his way from Rome, (Tit. i. 5.) Now it must be allowed the Bishop, that the supposition that Salmasius makes is not at all likely, that St. Paul touched at Crete when he was going from Achaia to Macedonia, for then he carried a collection with him (1 Cor. xvi. 1, 5. Acts xxiv. 17.), and therefore it was not probable he would go so much out of his way ; and when he was about to sail into Syria, and heard that snares were laid for him (Acts xx. 3.), it is not to be supposed he would go into the mouth of them, or that he would take up his time in preaching at Crete, when he was in haste to be at Jerusa- lem (Acts XX. 16.), or that he would winter at Nicopolis (Tit. iii. 12.) when winter was passed, and he desired to be at Jerusalem before the Passover. But then it had been observed, that perhaps the Epistle to Titus might be among the first St. Paul wrote, and his voyage to Crete one of the many events before his going up to the council at Jerusalem, which, in his history of the Acts, St. Luke, not being in company with him when they occurred, had entirely passed over, and of which there are notwith- standing some traces in St. Paul's Epistle, par- ticularly 2 Cor. ii. and Rom. xv. 19 ; or if it be allowed that the Epistle to Titus was written by St. Paul after his first imprisonment, it will not follow from thence, that the First Epistle to Timothy must have been written at the same time. This is a brief account of the arguments for Bishop Pearson's hypothesis, that this Epistle was written about the year G5, with their re- spective answers. In favor, however, of the later date assigned to this Epistle, it has been farther observed, that Timothy was left in Crete, to oppose the following errors : — 1. " Fables" invented by the Jewish doctors, to recommend the observance of the Law of Moses, as necessary to salvation. 2. Uncertain " genealogies," by which individuals endeav- oured to trace their descent from Abraham, in the persuasion that they would be saved, merely because they had Abraham for their father, 3. Intricate " questions,'^ and strifes about some words in the Law ; perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, who reckoned that which produced most gain to be the best kind of god- liness. And 4. " Oppositions of science falsely so called." And these errors, it is said, had not taken place in the Ephesian Church before the Apostle's departure ; for, in his charge to the Ephesian elders at Miletus, he foretold that the false teachers were to enter in among them after his departing, (Acts xx. 29, 30.) "I know that after my departing, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your ownselves, shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." The same thing, it is said, appears from the two Epistles which the Apostle wrote to the Corinthians, the one from Ephesus, before the riot of Demetrius, the other from Macedonia, after that event ; and, from the Epistle which he wrote to the Ephesians themselves, from Rome, during his confinement there. For in none of these letters is there any notice taken of the above-mentioned errors, as subsisting among the Ephesians at the time they were written, which cannot be accounted for, on the supposition that they were prevalent in Ephesus^ Avhen the Apostle went into Macedonia after the riot. It is inferred, therefore, that the First Epistle to Timothy, in which the Apostle de- sired him to abide in Ephesus, for the purpose of opposing the Judaizers and their errors, could not have been written either from Troas or from Macedonia after the riot ; but it must have been written some time after the Apostle's release from confinement in Rome ; when no doubt he visited the Church at Ephesus and found the Judaizing teachers there busily employed in spreading their pernicious errors. But it may be answered, that it is not certain what errors were alluded to in Acts XX. 29, 30. ; and the errors alluded to in 1 Tim. i. every where prevailed. Again, in the First Epistle it is said, the same persons, doctrines, and practices, are repro- bated which are condemned in the second. Compare 1 Tim. iv. 1-G. with 2 Tim. iii. 1-5. ; and 1 Tim. vi. 20. with 2 Tim. ii. 16.; and 1 Tim. vi. 4. with 2 Tim. ii. 14. The same commands, instructions, and encouragements are given to Timothy in tlie First Epistle as in the Second. Compare 1 Tim. vi. 13, 14. with 2 Tim. iv. 1-5. The same remedies for the corruptions which had taken place among the Ephesians are prescribed in tlie First Epistle, as in the Second. Compare 1 Tim. iv. 14-16. witii 2 Tim. i. 6, 7. ; and, as in the Second Epistle, so in the First, every thing is ad- dressed to Timothy, as superintendent both of the teachers and of the laity, in the Church at Note 13.] ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. *355 Ephesus ; all which imply, tliat tiie state of things amonor tho Epliesians was the same when the two Epistles were written : conse- quently, that the First Epistle was written only a few months before the Second, and not long before the Apostle's death. It is answered, that the Church at Ephesus might require a repetition of the same remonstrances, though many years elapsed between the sending of the two Epistles. To the late date of this First Epistle there are three objections, which appear to me to be decisive : — 1. It is thought that, if the First Epistle to Timothy was written after the Apostle's release, he could not witli any propriety have said to Timothy (chap. iv. 12.), " Let no man despise thy youth." In reply to which it is said, that Servius Tullius, in classing the Roman people, as Aulus Gellius relates (lib. x. c. 28.), divided tlieir age into three periods ; childhood, he limited to the age of seventeen ; youth, from that to forty-six ; and old age, from that to the end of life. Now, supposing Timothy to have been eighteen years old, A. D. 50, when he became Paul's assistant, he would be no more than 32, A. D. 64, two years after the Apostle's release, when it is supposed this Epistle was written. Where- fore, being then in the period of life wliich, by the Greeks, as well as the Romans, was consid- ered as "youth," the Apostle with propriety might say to him, " Let no man despise thy youth." It is not, however, probable, that St Paul alluded to the artificial distinctions of the Roman law, instead of the actual age of Timothy. 2. When the Apostle touched at Miletus, in his voyage to Jerusalem with the collections, the Church at Ephesus had a number of elders, that is, of bishops and deacons, who came to Jiim at Miletus (Acts xx, 17.), what occasion was there, in an Epistle written after the Apostle's release, to give Timothy directions concerning the ordination of bisliops and deacons, in a Church where there were so many elders al- ready ? It is answered, the elders who came to the Apostle at Miletus, in the year 58, may have been too few for the Church at Ephesus, in her increased state, in the year 65, Besides, false teachers had then entered, to oppose whom more bishops and deacons might be needed than were necessary in the year 58, not to mention that some of the first elders having died, others were wanted to supply their places. Of this, however, there is no scriptural proof, and the positive assertion of the Epistle is needlessly set aside. Dr. Paley defends the later date, from the superscription of the Second Epistle to the Co- rinthians, which is spurious, from the apparently short interval between St. Paul's leaving Ephe- sus, to go into Macedonia, and the writing the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, in the be- ginning of which Timothy is joined with St. Paul ; to which it may be answered, that Tim- othy might have left Ephesus for a short time only, and soon returned. He endeavours to overcome the insuperable difficulty in the opmion that the Epistle was written so late, that it necessarily implies that St. Paul visited Ephesus after his hberation at Rome, which appears contrary to what he said to the Ephe- sian Churcli, that they should see his face no more. Dr. Paley finds only some presump- tive evidences, that the Apostle must have visited Ephesus ; the Epistles to the Philippians and to Philemon were written while the Apostle was a prisoner at Rome ; to the former he says, " I trust in the Lord, that I also myself shall come shortly ;" and to the latter, who was a Colossian, he gives this direction, " But withal, prepare me also a lodging, for I trust tliat, through your prayers, I shall be given unto you." An inspection of the map will show us, that Colosse was a city of Asia Minor, lying eastward, and at no great distance from Ephe- sus I Philippi was on the other, i. e. the western side of the Jiigean Sea. Now, if the Apostle executed his purpose, and came to Philemon at Colosse, soon after his liberation, it cannot be supposed, says Dr. Paley, that he would omit to visit Epiiesus, which lay so near it, and where he had spent three years of his ministry. As he was also under a promise to visit the Church at Philippi shortly, if he passed from Colosse to Philippi, he could hardly avoid taking Ephesus in his way. Arguments of this theoretical nature ought to weigh but little, when they defend a propo- sition which seems opposed to the plain and literal meaning of Scripture. When St. Paul told the elders of Ephesus, that they should " see his face no more," it was so solemnly an- nounced, that it may be considered as spoken by the Spirit of prophecy, with Avhich he was gifted. Macknight has argued at great length that St. Paul spoke his strong persuasion only. Dr. Paley, in adopting the same hypothesis, does not, however, mention his name. Nothing can be asserted positively upon this subject. I have preferred the early date for this reason, that the allusion to the youth of Timothy — the fact that TimoUiy was directed to ordain elders, whom St Paul afterwards met — and the solemn dec- laration, that he should see their face no more, appear to be so plainly decisive, that 1 can admit no theoretical arguments to overthrow what seems to me the unforced deduction from Scripture, that the Epistle was written after St. Paul went from Ephesus, and left Timothy there, wlien he went into Macedonia. There is no mention of St. Paul's going from Ephesus to Macedonia but once, and that is in the passage after which I have inserted this Epistle, after tlie riot of Demetrius, (Acts xx. 1.) This was the consideration which induced Theodoret, 356* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIII. among the ancients, and among the moderns, Estius, Baronius, Capellus, Grotius, Lightfbot, Salmasius, Hammond, Witsius, Lardner, Pear- son, and others, to support the opinion, that the Apostle speaks of that journey in his First Epistle to Timothy. — See Home, Clarke, Paley, Macknig-ht, Lardner, and Doddridge. Michaelis has endeavoured to prove that this Epistle was principally written against the Essenes, or Therapeutse. His references do not appear to support his hypothesis. These people, even if they sometimes came into towns, could not have been there in sufficient numbers to endanger the faith of the Christian communi- ties. We have at least no proof of this fact. Josephus indeed asserts, that they were numer- ous in every city ; but their principal habitation being in the deserts, it is improbable that those who entered the towns should have deviated still further from their customs, and have be- come the active partisans of Judaism, which the false teachers are represented to be ; they were no doubt included among the various false teach- ers whom St. Paul condemned ; but they were not the exclusive objects of his censure. — See Michaelis, vol. iv. c. xv. sect. i. ii. iii. p. 75. Note 14.— Part XIII. The priests under the Law were required to be without bodily infirmities (Lev. xxi. 17, &c.), typical of that spiritual purity which was the essential qualification of the ministers of the Christian dispensation. Note 15.— Part XIIL He did not, however, go there immediately ; he passed through Macedonia (ver. 1 .), in which he informs us (2 Cor. vii. 5-7.), that he suf- fered much, both from believers and infidels ; but was greatly comforted by the arrival of Titus, who gave him a very flattering account of the prosperous state of the Church at Cor- inth. A short time after this, being still in Macedonia, he sent Titus back to Corinth {2 Cor. viii. 16, 17.), and forwarded by him the Second Epistle, which he wrote to tliat Church, as Theodoret and others suppose. Some time after he visited Corinth himself, according to his promise (1 Cor. xvi. 5.); this was his third voyage to that city, (2 Cor. xii. 14. and xiii. 1.) Note 16.— Part XIII. on the date of the second epistle to tiik corinthians. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians was occasioned by the accounts whicli llic Apostle had received after the reception of the First. This is fully proved by the internal evidence. It was written soon after the arrival of Titus from Corinth, who communicated to the Apostle the submission and good disposition of that Church. He had the satisfaction of learning, that, in conformity to the directions contained in his First Epistle, the incestuous person had been excommunicated ^2 Cor. ii. 5-11. and vii. 11.), and that many were anxious for his return, and were zealous in the vindication of his office against those who had calumniated him, (chap, vii. 7-11.) The faction, however, headed by their false teacher, still continued their corrupt practices, and endeavoured, as much as possi- ble, to undermine the Apostle's authority and influence. To understand the force of this Epistle, it Avill be necessary to bear in mind the opposite characters to whom it was written. To those Christian converts, who had shown a ready obedience to his former letter, and who remained steadfast in his doctrine, St. Paul addresses himself, in this his Second Epistle, in terms of commendation and encouragement ; while, on the other hand, he attacks, in order to weaken, the faction which the false teacher still continued to form against him. He confutes tlie objections and revilings of his opponents with the most masterly reasonings ; exposing them to contempt and threatening them with punishment. This distinction between the two prevailing parties at Corinth is evidently referred to in 2 Cor. i. 14. and chap. ii. 5., and reconciles the otherwise apparent inconsisten- cies of this Epistle, in which he vindicates himself with more boldness, and reproves his adversaries with more severity than in the first which he addressed to them. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is generally supposed to have been written about a year after the former ; and this seems to be supported by the words (chap. ix. 2.), " Achaia was ready a year ago ;" for the Apostle, having given instructions for that collection to which he refers in these words at the close of the preceding Epistle, they would not have had the forwardness there mentioned, till a year had elapsed, as the Apostle had purposed to stay at Ephesus till Pentecost (1 Cor. xvi. 8.) ; and he staid some time in Asia, after his pur- pose to leave Ephesus, and go to Macedonia, (Acts xix. 21, 22.), and yet making here hi.^ apology for not wintering in Corinth, as he thought to do (1 Cor. xvi. 6.), this Epistle must have been written afler the winter; and con- secjuently, when a new year was begun. " It tlierefore," says Dr. Whitby, " seems to have been composed after his second coming to Macedonia, mentioned Acts xx. 3. For, 1. It was written after he had been at Troos, and had left that place to return to Macedonia : no"' that was at his second going tliither; {f^pe chap. ii. 12.) 2. It was written whi.'n Tiiiirilliy Note U.] ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. *35-' was witli him : now, when he left Ephesus to go into Macedonia, Timothy went not with him, but was sent before him, (Acts xix. 22.); but at his second going through Macedonia, Timothy was with him, (Acts xx. 4.) 3. He speaks of some Macedonians, who were likely to accompany him, chap. ix. 4.) Now, at his second going from Ma- cedonia, there accompanied him Arlstarchus, Secundus, and Gains, of Thessalonica, the me- tropolis of Macedonia, (Acts xx. 4.) 4. The post- script says, that this Epistle was written from Philippi, where St. Paul was till the days of unleavened bread, (Acts xx. (3.) ; it therefore seems to have been sent from thence to them by Titus and some other person, not long before St. Paul's coming to them ; which lie speaks of as instant (2 Cor. xiii. 1.), and that which he was now ready to do, (2 Cor. xii. 14. According to Dr. Liglitfoot, he did so in his jour- ney from Philippi to Troas, he sailing about from Philippi to Corinth, to make good his promise, whilst the rest that Avere with him (Acts xx. 4.) went directly to Troas, and there waited for him." « The opening of this Epistle," Dr. Paley remarks, " exhibits a connexion with the history of the Acts, which alone may satisfy us that the Epistle was written by St. Paul, and by St. Paul in the situation in which the history places him. Let it be remembered, that in the nine- teentli chapter of the Acts, St. Paul is repre- sented as driven away from Ephesus, or as leaving Ephesus, in consequence of an uproar in that city, excited by some interested adver- saries of the new religion. ' Great is Diana of the Ephesians.' And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed, for to go into Macedonia. When he was arrived in Macedonia, he wrote the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, which is now before us, and he begins his Epistle in this wise : ' Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all com- fort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God' — ' For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, inso- much that we despaired even of life ; but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead : who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver ; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver t«.' Nothing could be more expressive of the circumstances in which the history describes St. Paul to have been, at the time when the Epistle purports to be written ; or rather, nothing could be more expressive of the sensations arising from these circumstances, than this passage. It is tlie calm recollection of a mind emerofed from the confusion of instant danger. It is that devotion and solemnity of thought which follows a recent deliverance. There is just enough of particularity in the passage to show that it is to be referred to the tumult at Ephesus. 'We would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia.' And there is nothing more ; no mention of Demetrius, of the seizure of St. Paul's friends, of the inter- ference of the town clerk, of the occasion or nature of the danger which St. Paul had escaped, or even of the city where it happened ; in a word, no recital from which a suspicion could be conceived, either that the author of the Epistle had made use of the narrative in the Acts, or, on the other hand, that he had sketched the outline, which the narrative in the Acts only filled up. That the forger of an Epistle, under the name of St. Paul, should borrow circum- stances from a history of St. Paul then extant, or that the author of a history of St. Paul should gather materials from letters bearing St. Paul's name, may be credited : but I cannot believe that any forger whatever should fall upon an expedient so refined, as to exhibit sentiments adapted to a situation, and to leave his readers to seek out that situation from the history ; still less that the author of a history should go about to frame facts and circumstances fitted to supply the sentiments which he found in the letter. — See Paley, Home, Macknight, Dr. A. Clarke, Whitby, and Bishop Tomline. Note 17.— Part XIII. In this passage, the Mystics imagined that St. Paul was drawing the parallel between two different kinds of interpretation. Construing, therefore, " litera," in the Latin Vulgate, by "literal interpretation," and "spiritus," by " spiritual interpretation," they inferred that the Apostle had condemned the former, and recom- mended the exclusive employment of the latter. Now the Apostle, according to his own words, was drawing a parallel of a totally different description ; a parallel, which had no concern whatever with interpretation. He was drawing a parallel between the Law of Moses, and tlie Gospel of Christ. The former does not, the latter does, afford the means of salvation. This, and this only, is what St. Paid meant, when he said, " that the letter killeth,but the spirit giveth life." It is true, that he applied the term rQufifiu to the former, and the term Ilrevun to the latter. But he added explanations of these terms, which remove all ambiguity ; the Law of Moses he called rQuufta, as .dtaxovlu iv youuutican', or as being .Jtaxorla iyjFTVTntiiiiytj it' Xldotg : the Gospel of Christ he called Flvevfin, as being ^luxovlu tov IIvsviiuTog iv doSr^. Now, as these explanations are not only Greek 358 # NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIII. explanations, but Greek explanations of Greek terms, they are absolutely incapable of being transfused into any version. They can be un- derstood only with reference to the words of the original. It is therefore impossible that any one who expounds this passage from the words of a translation, should expound it in the sense of the author. But as the Mystics, like other members of the Church of Rome, expounded from an authorized version, they fell into an error, which a knowledge of the original would have prevented. They fell into the error, of supposing that literal or grammatical exposition not only might be, but ought to be discarded ; and hence they acquired such a contempt for every thing not spiritual or allegorical, that the plain and literal meaning of a passage was re- garded as a sort of husk or chaff, fit only for the carnally-minded, and not suited to the taste of the godly''. Note 18.— Part XIII. The original word in this passage xaxorcTQi- t6fiei'ot, in the opinion of Locke, Macknight, and others, should be rather translated " reflect- ing as a mirror," instead of " beholding as in a glass." Both meanings may be united. The mirrors of the ancients were made of polished steel, and reflected therefore upon the counte- nances of those who looked upon them a lumin- ous effulgence, or glory. The Apostle beheld as in the mirror of the Scriptures the glory of Christ, and tfiis glory shone upon the face of the Apostle. Moses veiled the glory which had shone upon his face. The Apostle, on the con- trary, would not veil his face ; but by contem- plating more and more the glory of Christ, en- deavoured to diffuse the knowledge of that glory to the world. The superiority of the Law of Christ to that of Moses, is admirably shown by Whitby, in his notes to this chapter. The glory appearing on Mount Sinai made the people afraid of death, saying, " Let not God speak to us again lest we die," Exod. xx. li). Deut. xviii. IG. And thus they received " the spirit of bondage again to fear," Rom. viii. J 5. ; whilst we have given to us " the spirit of power and of love, and of a sound mind-," 2 Tim. i. 7. ; " and the spirit of adoption where- by we cry, Abba, Father !" and to this differ- ence the Epistle to the Hebrews alludes, chap, xii. 18-24. Moses, with all his glory, was only the min- ister of the Law, written on tables of stone : the apostles are ministers of the Gospel, written on the hearts of believers. Moses gave the Jews ^ See Bishop Marsh's Lectures, part iii. p. 107. Cainb. 1813. only the letter that killeth ; the apostles gave the Gospel, Avhich is accompanied with the Spirit that gives life. The glory which Moses received at the giving of the Law did more and more diminish, because his Law was to vanish away ; but the glory which is received from Christ is an in- creasing glory; the doctrine and the Divine influence remaining forever; and as the Law was veiled under types and shadows, the Gos- pel was delivered with great plainness and perspicuity. Again, the Jews only saw the shining of the face of Moses through a veil ; but we behold the glory of the Gospel of Christ in the person of Christ, our Lawgiver, Avith open face. They saw through a veil, which prevented the reflection, or shining of it, upon them; and so this glory shone only on the face of Moses, but not at all upon the people. Whereas the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ, shines as in a mirror, which reflects the image upon Christian believers, so that they are transformed into the same image, deriving the glorious gifts and graces of the Spirit with the Gospel from Christ the Lord and distributor of them, (1 Cor. xii. 5.) ; and so the glory which He had from the Father, He has given to his genuine fol- lowers, (John xvii. 22.) It is, therefore, rather with true Christians, as it was with Moses him- self, concerning whom God speaks thus : " With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even appa- rently, and not in dark speeches ; and the simil- itude [xr^v do^uv KvqIov, the glory of the Lord) shall he behold," (Num. xii. 8.) For as he saw the glory of God apparently, so we with open face behold the glory of the Lord ; as he, by seeing of this glory, was changed into the same likeness, and his face shone, or was dsdoSacriuii'y, " made glorious ;" so we, beholding the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. iv. 6.) are changed into the same glory. But though this may in some measure be enlarged to the Church in general, in which these gifts were exercised, I think it chiefly, and more eminently, refers to the apostles, mentioned ver. 12. Note 19.— Part XIII. The expressions used by the Apostle in this passage arc all Jewish, and sjiould be inter- preted according to their use of them. Schoet- gen has entered largely into the argument here employed by the Apostle, and brought forth much useful information. He observes, first, that tlie Hebrew word ty^S, which answers to the apostle's tTzevdvaaaOat, " to be clothed," signifies " to be surroimded, covered, or invested with any thing." So, " to be clotlied with the uncircumcision," signifies "to be uncircumcii-ed." — Jalkut itzt6eni,f. 163.2. NoTK 20, 21.] ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. *.359 We read in the book Zohar, on the word (Exod. xxiv. 18.) " Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount." He went into the midst of the cloud, as if one put on a garment : so he was clothed with the cloud, -li^D^nx "o: '3n xtynSn tynSnxn jxod W33>3 ; and in Zohar Levit. fol. 29. col. 114. '• The righteous are in the terrestrial paradise, Avhere their souls are clothed with lucid crowns," 2d. The word n'3, " house," in Hebrew, often denotes "a case," or "clothing." So in the Targuni of Onkelos, "3^' n'a, " the house of the face," is a veil; and so !I3";?3:^X n'::, "the house of the fingers," and T n'^, " the house of the hand," signify g-/oves ,• tZ3'''7JT n"::,"the house of the feet," shoes, &c. Therefore, olxrjTi^oiof inevSvaaadut,^'' to be clothed on with a house," may signify any particular qualities of the soul ; what we, following the very same form of speech, call a hahit ; i. e. a coat or vestment. So we say the man has got a habit of vice, a habit of virtue, a habit of swearing, of hu- mility, &c. 3d. The Jews attribute garments to the soul, both in this and the other world : and as they hold that all human souls preexist, they say that, previously to their being appointed to bodies, tliey have a covering which answers the same end to them, before they come into life, as their bodies do afterwards. And they state that the design of God, in sending souls into the world, is, that they may get themselves a garment by the study of tlie Law, and good works. By this garment of the soul they mean also the image of God, or being made holy ; the image which Adam and all his posterity have lost, and of which being now deprived, they may be said to be naked. They assign also certain vehicles to separate spirits, and believe that, upon tlie death of the body, the angel of death takes off the garments of tliis mortal life, and puts on the garments of paradise. — See the dissertation in Schoetgen. Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 092-702 ; and Clark in loc. distinction between meats and animals, for the purpose of inculcating a mental sanctification and purity ; separating his chosen people from the company of heathens and idolaters, and any thing that defileth. Note 20.— Part XIIL This expression, " unequally yoked together," evidently alludes to the ceremonial law of the Jews (Deut. xxii. 10. and Levit. xix. 19.), which prohibited their ploughing with an ox and an ass together, and gives its full and spiritual interpretation. See also ver. 16. where the promise given to the Israelites (Levit. xxvi. 11, 12.) was now realized by the Spirit of God dwelling in them by his miraculous gifts. In ver. 17. the spiritual signification of the law of the clean and unclean animals (Levit. xi. 25.) is again clearly revealed. God ordained this Note 21.— Part XIIL ON THE MEANING OF THE WORDS TPITON TOY TO EPXOMAI. " Do not these words import," says Dr. Paley, " that the writer had been at Corinth twice before ? Yet, if they import this, they overset every congruity Ave have been endeav- ouring to establish. The Acts of the Apostles record only two journeys of St. Paul to Corinth. We have all along supposed, what every mark of time, except this expression, indicates, that the Epistle was written between the first and second of these journeys. If St. Paul had been already twice at Corinth, this supposition must be given up ; and every argument, or observation, which depends upon it, falls to the ground. Again, the Acts of the Apostles not only record no more than two journeys of St. Paul to Corinth, but do not allow us to suppose that more than two such journeys could be made or intended by him within the period which the history comprises : for, from his first journey into Greece to his first imprisonment at Rome, with which the history concludes, the Apostle's time is accounted for. If, therefiire, the Epistle were written after the second journey to Corinth, and upon the view and expectation of a third, it must have been written after his first imprisonment at Rome, i. e. after the time to which the history extends. When I first read over this Epistle, with the particular view of comparing it with the history, which I chose to do without consulting any commentary what- ever, I own that I felt myself confounded by the text. It appeared to contradict the opinion which I had been led, by a great variety of circumstances, to form, concerning the date and occasion of the Epistle. At length, how- ever, it occurred to my thoughts to inquire, whether the passage did necessarily imply that St. Paul had been at Corinth twice ; or whether, when he says, 'This is the third time I am coming to you,' he might mean only that this was the third time that he was ready, that he was prepared, t!mt he intended, to set out upon his journey to Corinth. I recollected that he had once before this purposed to visit Corinth, and had been disappointed in his purpose ; which disappointment forms the subject of much apology and protestation in the first and second chapters of the Epistle. Now, if the journey in which he had been disappointed was reckoned by him one of the times in which ' he 3G0* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIII. was coming to them,' then the present would be the third time, i. e. of his being ready and prepared to come ; although he had been actually at Corinth only once before. This conjecture being taken up, a farther examina- tion of the passage and the Epistle produced proofs which placed it beyond doubt. ' This is the third time I am coming to you.' In the verse following these words he adds, 'I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present the second time ; and being absent, now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare.' In this verse the Apostle is declar- ing beforehand what he would do in his intended visit : his expression, therefore, 'as if I were present the second time,' relates to that visit. But, if his future visit would only make him present among them a second time, it follows tliat he had been already there but once. Again, in the fifteenth verse of the first chapter, he tells them, ' In this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit.' Why a second, and not a third benefit? why deviiQur, a.nd not, jqirrjv X''jLqi'V, if the tqIiov eoxoftui, in the thirteenth chapter, meant a third visit? for, though the visit in the first chapter be that visit in whicii he was disappointed, yet, as it is evident from the Epistle, that he had never been at Corintli fi-om the time of the disappointment to the time of writing the Epistle, it follows, that if it were only a second visit in which he was disappointed then, it could only be a visit which he proposed now. But the text, which I think is decisive of the question, if any question remain upon the subject, is the fourteenth verse of the twelfth chapter ; ' Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you;' ' Idov, tqItov hol/iitDg Exo) iWelv. It is very clear that the tqItov tjolfiwg IxM IWhv of the twelfth chapter, and the tqItov tovto ag/nfiat, of the thirteenth chapter, are equivalent expressions, were in- tended to convey the same meaning, and to relate to the same journey. The comparison of these phrases gives us St. Paul's own expla- nation of his own words ; and it is that very explanation which we are contending for, viz. that iqItov tovto sqx(\>^c^I' does not mean that, ' he was coming a third time,' but that, ' this was the third time he was in readiness to come,' tqLtov tjolfXMg exoi. Upon the whole, the matter is sufficiently certain ; nor do I propose it as a new interpretation of the text which contains the difficulty, for the same was given by Grotius long ago, but I thought it the clearest way of explaining the sul)jcct, to describe the manner in which tlie difficulty, the solution, and the proofs of that solution, successively presented themselves to my inquiries. Now, in iiistorical researches, a reconciled inconsistency becomes a positive argument. First, because an impos- tor generally guards against the appearance of inconsistency ; and secondly, because when apparent inconsistencies are found, it is seldom that any thing but truth renders them capable of reconciliation. The existence of the diffi- culty proves the want or absence of that caution, which usually accompanies the consciousness of fraud ; and the solution proves, that it is not the collusion of fortuitous propositions which we have to deal with, but that a thread of truth winds through the whole, which preserves ev- ery circumstance in its place." Paley's HorcE Paidince, chap. iv. No. 11. Note 22.— Part XIII. ON THE DATE AND OCCASION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. This Epistle is supposed by some to have ob- tained the first place among the apostolical writ- ings,on account of the excellency of its doctrines; and by others, on account of the preeminence of the city to which it was addressed. Various years have been assigned for its date. The most probable is that supported by Bishop Tomline, Lardner, Lord Barrington, and Ben- son, who refer it to 58. Its internal evidence satisfactorily proves that it was written at Corinth, at the time tlie Apostle was preparing to take the contributions of the churches to Jerusalem, (Rom, xv. 25-27.) He also men- tions to the Romans the name of the man with whom he lodged at the time he wrote to them at Corinth (Rom. xvi. 23.), as well as that of Erastus, the chamberlain of that city, (2 Tim. iv. 20.) We find it was dictated by St. Paul in the Greek language to his amanuensis Ter- tius (Rom. xvi. 22.), and was forwarded to the Church at Rome by Phebe, a deaconess of Cenchrea, which was a port at Corinth, (Rom. xvi. 1.) It is uncertain at what time tlie Church of Rome was planted. On the day of Pentecost there were " strangers of Rome, Jews and Prose- lytes," among the witnesses of the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost. It is probable, indeed we may say certain, that these persons would, on their return to Rome, relate both to the Jews, and to those of the Gentiles with Avliom they were acquainted, the wonderful events which had taken place. There were many thousands of Jews at Rome at tliis time. Josephus informs us [Anfiq. Jud. lib. xviii- c. 12.), that their number amounted to eight thousand; and Dio Cassius (lib. xxxvii. c. 17.), that tliey had obtained the privilege of living tliere according to tlieir own laws. There was also a continued intercourse between the Jews who remained in their own country and the Jews of the provinces. The tribute money to the temple was regularly paid by the latter, and tlie messengers, or anostlcs of the Sanhedrin, Note 22.] ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. *361 were as regularly sont from the former. The events which occupied the public attention •of the .Jewish nation, the memory of the mir- acles of Christ, his crucifixion, and asserted resur- rection, with the subsequent firmness and work- ing of miracles by his former followers, would have become familiar to a larg'e proportion of the Jews and proselytes at Rome, and the man- ner in which the faith of the Romans is repre- sented (Rom. i. 8.), as being celebrated over the whole Avorld, as well as the mention of the various eminent members of the Church of Rome, prove to us also that the Gospel of Christ had been fully established among them, though it is uncertain by what means. I have endeavoured to show in a former note the probability that St. Peter visited Rome about the time of the Herodian persecution, after he had escaped by miracle from his prison ; and that he was attended by St. Mark. Many arguments concur also to prove that this Evangelist wrote his Gospel under the inspec- tion of St. Peter, for the use of the newly-con- verted proselytes of the Romans. An opinion prevailed very generally among the Jews, tliat the Holy Land was to be the exclusive scene of the great events wliich should attend the establishment of the Messiah's kingdom. Of all the apostles, St. Peter appears to have been most devotedly attached to the peculiar senti- ments of his own people. It was with difficulty he could persuade himself, even when a vision from heaven commanded him to go to a Gentile, that it was his duty to visit Cornelius. Though he had preached the Gospel to the Samaritans at Lydda, and in the provinces of Judsea, the tJiought does not seem to have occurred to him, that the Gospel was to be preached out of Judasa to the Gentile nations. For these rea- sons I think we are justified in concluding, that, though he might have taken refuge in Rome, lie did not preach there to the people, nor estab- lish a Church. There certainly appears to be sufficient reason to believe that he went to Rome, but there is no proof v/hatever that ho had at tliis time, at least, attempted to plant a Church. If he had done so, he would doubt- less have imparted the gifls of the Holy Spirit, as he had already done when he went down to confirm the Samaritans, afler the preaching of Philip : but St. Paul tells the Romans, that he longed to see them, that he might impart unto them some spiritual gifl. That St. Peter had not planted the Church of Rome, is implied also in Rom. xv. 90., that St. Paul wished to confine his ministry to those places which had not been visited by other apostles. He wished, however, to see Rome, and we may conclude therefore that St. Peter had not established the Church in that city. The design of this much-controverted Epistle is fully laid down in the sixteenth verse of the first chapter, in which the Apostle affirms the VOL. II. *46 perfect efficacy of the Gospel to salvation, both to the Jew and Gentile. At the time the Epistle was written, the great controversy of the Church originated from an erroneous inter- l)retation of the promise of God made to Abraham. The Jews supposed obedience to the moral Law of Moses, with the atonement and purifications of their ceremonial law, were a sufficient atonement and justification ; and, as the chosen seed of Abraham, they con- sidered themselves alone entitled to be hcii-s of the promises of God, and the benefits of the kingdom of the Messiah. These exclusive claims rendered them unwilling to receive the Gospel which maintained the inefficacy of their own Law, admitted the Gentiles to the same privileges with themselves, and declared that faith in the promises of God without circum- cision was the condition of salvation. The object of the Apostle throughout the Epistle is evidently to confute these deep-rooted preju- dices, and to convince the Jews that the Gospel of Christ, and not the Law of Moses, was the appointed means of salvation. These contests between the Jews and Christians were carried to such a height at Rome, that the contending parties were banished in the eleventh year of Claudius from the city, (Acts xviii. 2.) Among these Avere Aquila and Priscilla, who, coming to Corinth about the time that St. Paul first visited that place, and being of the same occu- pation with him, received him into their house. There is reason to suppose, therefore, that they made St. Paul acquainted with the disordered state of the Church at Rome, and that he ad- dressed this Epistle to the Romans as soon as the Church was again reestablished in that city, during his second visit to Corinth. The Christians at Rome were divided into three classes, — the native Jews who resided there, and in all probability first preached the Gospel to their countrymen ; tlie proselytes to the Jewish religion ; and the idolatrous Gen- tiles, who had been converted to the faith of Christianity. The unbelieving Romans, who were great admirers of the philosophy of the Greeks, con- sidered the light of nature as a sufficient guide in all matters of religion. Many converted Jews joined the unbelieving Jews in affirming that the Law of Moses was more efficacious than the Gospel of Christ ; while the Gentile converts, rejoicing in tlieir freedom from the bondage of the Law, regarded their Jewish bretiiren as superstitious and bigoted : and to these various parties the Epistle seems to be addressed, as well as to the Church itself; to the Jew first, and then the Gentile. Dr. Paley, with his usual perspicuity, has shown that the principal object of the argumen- tative part of the Epistle, is "to place the Gentile convert upon a parity of situation with the Jewish, in respect of hi.3 religious condition, 362* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIH and his rank in the Divine favor. The Epistle supports this point by a variety of arguments, such as that no man of either description was justified by the Avorks of the Law, for this plain reason, that no man had performed them ; and it became therefore necessary to appoint another medium, or condition of justification, in which new medium the Jewish peculiarity was merg^ed and lost; that Abraham's own justification was antecedent to the Law, and independent of it ; that the Jewish converts were to consider the Law as now dead, and themselves as married to another ; that what the Law in truth could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God had done by send- ing his Son ; that God had rejected the un- believing Jews, and had substituted in their place a society of believers in Christ, collected indifferently from Jews and Gentiles." There- fore, in an Epistle directed to Roman believers, the point to be endeavoured after by St. Paul was, to reconcile the Jewish converts to the opinion tliat the Gentiles were admitted by God to a parity of religious situation with them- selves, and that, without their being obliged to keep the Law of Moses. This Epistle, though directed to the Roman Church in general, is in truth a Jew writing to Jews : accordingly, as often as his argument leads him to say any thing derogatory from the Jewish institution, lie con- stantly follows it by a softening clause. Hav- ing (chap. ii. 28, 29.) pronounced that " he is not a Jew which is one outwardly in the flesh ; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh," he adds immediately, " What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there in circumcision ? Much every way." Having in the third chapter, verse 28., brought his argument to this formal conclusion, "that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the Law," he presently subjoins (ver. 31.), " Do we then make void the Law tlirough faith ? God forbid ! Yea, we establish the Law." In the seventh chapter, when, in verse 6., he had advanced tlie bold assertion, that " now we are delivered from the Law, that being dead wherein we were held," in the next verse he comes in with this healing question, " What shall we say then ? Is the Law sin ? God forbid ! Nay, I had not known sin but by the Law." Having in the following words more than insinuated the inefficacy of the Jewisli Law (chap. viii. 3.), " for Avhat the Law could not do, in tliat it was weak tlirougli the flesli, God sending his own Son in tlie likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh," after a digression indeed, but that sort of a digression which he could never resist, a ra])- turous contemplation of his Christian hope, and which occupies the latter part of this chapter ; we find in the next, as if sensible thnt he Iiad said something that would give offence, returji- ing to his Jewish brethren in terms of tlie warmest affection and respect: " I say the truth in Christ, I lie not (my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Gliost,) that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart ; for I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh \vho are Israelites, to whom per- taineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the promises ; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came." When in the thirty-first and thirty-second verses of the ninth chapter, he represented to the Jews the error of even th& best of their nation, by telling them that " Israel, wliich followed after the law of righteousness, had not attained to the law of righteousness, because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the Law, for they stumbled at that stumbling-stone ;" he takes care to annex to this declaration these conciliating ex- pressions : " Brethren, my heart's desire, and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved ; for I bear them record, that tliey have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." Lastly, having (chap. x. 20, 21.), by the appli- cation of a passage in Isaiah, insinuated the most ungrateful of all propositions to a Jewish ear, the rejection of the Jewish nation, as God's peculiar people, he hastens, as it were to qualify the intelligence of their fall by this interesting exposition : " I say, then, hath God cast away his people (i. e. wholly and entirely) ? God for- bid ! for I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which lie foreknew ;" and follows this thouglit throughout the wliole of tlie eleventh chapter, in a series of reflections calculated to soothe tlie Jewish converts, as well as to procure from tlieir Gentile brethren respect to tlie Jewish institutions. We must be careful not to confine our views of St. Paul's argument in this Epistle to the narrow limits within which Taylor of Norwich, the Socinian writers in general, and tlie pre- sumptuous reasoners of this school, have en- deavoured to do. These men have rejected the very foundations of the Apostle's argument, the doctrines upon which Christianity rests, and without which tlie Scriptures are devoid of meaning, — the doctrines of the atonement of Christ, and the fall of man. Sender, indeed, still furthor degrades the Apostle's argument, by the supposition that St. Paul wished to sub- stitute Christianity merely as a purer and more intelligible system of morals than the Law of Moses, but less burdensome, tedious, and unat- tractive. Dr. Taylor's system is well described by the present Archbisho]) of Dublin to be a mere adaptation of Scripture phrases. The general principle of his theory is, that God, having rejected the Jews, has admitted all v.ho believe NoTK 23, 24.] ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. *363 in Christ into the same relation to himself" which the Israelites once held ; and the peculiar terms ■which he used to describe the condition and privileges of tlie Jews were used in the New Testament to describe the state and privileges of the Christian converts : whereas the terms, which are used in the Old Testament to de- scribe the privileges of the Jews are to be inter- preted with reference to their peculiar sitnation as the subjects of the visible tlieocracy. The same terms, when used in the Gospel, refer to the spiritual advantages conferred on Christians by the new covenant. The Law was the shadow or emblem ; the Gospel is the accomplishment of the designs of God ; and the same terms, when applied to the two covenants, will conse- quently have a different meaning. Dr. Taylor degrades the Christian, and elevates the Jewish scheme, by making, as an excellent critic has observed, "the Law the enduring dispensation, and the Gospel a mere dependency upon it." In an excellent work by Mr. Mendham, en- titled Clnvis Apostolica, the argument of Dr. Taylor is well analyzed and refuted. I have not room here to enter into a large variety of curious and difficult matter, arising from the comments of various learned writers on this Epistle. The opinions of Bishop Bull on the defect of grace to the Jew under the Mosaic dispensation, the precise ideas which the Jews formed of the effects of their Law in procuring or assisting their justification, and many others require examination ; and their more ample dis- cussion would well repay the labor of the theo- logical student. With respect to the analysis of this Epistle, which is now submitted to the reader, T may be permitted to say tliat it is the result of an anxious examination of the labors of my learned and respected tutor, Mr. Young, Doddridge, Scarlet, Dr. Taylor, and his follow- ers, Mr. Belsham, Mr. Scott, and Whitby ; and to the works of these writers, as well as to the Quarterly Review of Mr. Belsham On the Epistles, No. 59, I must refer the reader. The commentators and the various writers on this Epistle have exhausted the language of eulogy on its structure, argument, and language. Nothing need be added to these well-deserved praises. The Epistle is indeed a masterpiece of beautiful reasoning, surpassing all human wisdom ; it evidently bears the stamp of divine inspiration ; it enforces, in an irresistible man- ner, all the fundamental doctrines of Chris- tianity, gradually unfolding, from the fall of our first parents, the great mysteries of redemption, and fully displaying the wisdom and goodness of God in his dispensations towards man. Every argument that the ingenuity of man could devise against the Gospel system, the Apostle himself advances in the person of the unbelieving Jew, and answers in the most satisfactory and con- vincing manner. Guided by divine inspiration, he has happily anticipated and removed every doubt and difficulty that can be raised to the truths of Revelation ; he has communicated to man the hidden counsels of God ; and, by a long and convincing train of argument, has fully demonstrated that the Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation, and tliat there is no other means under heaven by which men can be saved. Note 23.— Part XIII. Having demonstrated that all mankind were subjected to sin and death by the sin of one man, the Apostle interrupts the analogy he is about to draw between Adam and Christ, for the purpose of establishing the doctrine of ori- ginal sin. The Apostle proves this point, by affirm.ing that deatli reigned from Adam to Moses, that is, before the promulgation of the Levitical law ; that it reigned over those, who, not having received any promulged law threat- ening temporal death, were not capable of sin- ning afler the manner of Adam's transorression : that it was passed upon all, consequently upon infants and idiots, to Avhom sin could not be imputed, as they were without the power of comprehending the knowledge of law ; there- fore all mankind were necessarily subjected to death, not only for their own actual sin, but for the original sin and transgression of their first parents. St. Paul appears particularly desirous to prove this point, as it affords a strong addi- tional argument for the claims of the Gentiles; " For if (as Mr. Young observes) the effects of Adam's transgression extended to all univer- sally ; surely we shall not dare to limit the effects of Christ's merits to a part of mankind only." Notes to the Sermon 07i Original Sin, p. 255. From the fall itself, sentence of death was passed on all mankind through the trans- gression of Adam; and the free gift of justifi- cation and life was restored through Christ. The plan of our redemption was coeval with, or rather was decreed before, the trangression of our first parents, and, like the evil which was then introduced, it extends to all, promot- ing the superior happiness of man, and the glory of God. By these irresistible arguments the Apostle still endeavoured to enforce on the minds of the Jews, that salvation was not con- fined to their Church and only obtained by the Mosaic Law, but that it was equally offered to all nations, through the obedience and righ- teousness of Jesus Christ. Note 24.— Part XIII. Here the comparison of the Apostle is natur- ally preserved — the Greek word 6ifnf)Pin signi- 3G4 # NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIH ties the daily pay of a Roman soldier. The Greek word yuoiauu, translated in this passage " a free gift," Estius thinks (as mentioned by Macknight) may be rendered " a donative," wliich the Roman generals voluntarily bestowed on their soldiers, as a mark of favor. Eternal death being the natural consequence or reward of sin — Eternal life not the natural reward of righteousness, but the free gift of God through Christ. The word i).evde(yu)dst'Tf:C, v. 18, denotes the act of giving liberty to a slave, called by the Romans emancipation. Note 25.— Part XIII. One of the objections of the opponents of Christianity may be removed, by considering the account of tliis miracle at Troas. It has been frequently said that the Evangelists pub- lished their Gospels some years after the events they relate had taken place ; and if their narra- tives had been Avritten at the time, or imme- diately after, their histories would have been more credible. The proof they require is atforded in this passage, and in the remainder of the book of the Acts. St. Luke speaks of him- self as the companion of St. Paul. He was an eyewitness of the miraculous events he has re- corded, and he wrote and published them in Asia, immediately after he had left St. Paul, among the very persons in whose presence this miracle had been v/rought. St. Luke was prob- ably present among the congregation when Eutychus was raised to life ; an event which took place at Troas in 58. He heard the proph- ecy of Agabus, at Csesarea, in the same year ; he saw the miracle at Melita, two years after, in the year GO ; he was with St. Paul during his two years' imprisonment at Rome, and he pub- lished his Gospel immediately after, in tlic year 63, in Asia. He could not have completed his narrative sooner. No avoidable delay Avliatever appears to have elapsed ; the earliest possible invitation to the objectors and enemies of Christianity was made ; and neither Jew nor Gentile, in spite of their prejudices or hatred against the Gospel, ventured to assert that tlie miracles he recorded were not true, or that the narrative itself was a forgery. See, for the time of the publication of St. Luke's Gospel, Dr. Lardner's Supplement to his Credibility, vol. iii. p. 187, 188 ; and Home. Note 26.— Part XIII. Two things are observable in this passage. The power or control of one Christian teach(.'r over others is distinctly mentioned ; and the general body of Christians over whom the sev- eral presbyters presided in their separate con- gregations, is called by the collective term " the Church." We infer, therefore, that the power over the Church at Ephesus did not rest with St. Peter, as the universal bishop ; and, that several congregations unitedly form one Church, and this Church, as represented by its elders, submitted to the authority and influence of a teacher, who did not hold the pastoral charge over one congregation. Such are the prece- dents for church government given us in Scrip- ture ; and as the laws of God or man continue to possess their authority so long as the neces- sity continues which caused their first enact- ment ; and the necessity of a government over the various societies of Christians in different nations is still great and evident, I am unable to discover on what account the precedents of Scripture, which are the laws of Christ and his apostles, are to be rejected at present. Some parts of Scripture direct our conduct as individ- uals ; but God is the Lord of kingdoms, societies, and churches, as well as of individuals ; and the happiness of communities, as well as of individ- uals, would as certainly be preserved by their obedience to the laws of our Saviour. Dr. Hammond was of opinion that the apostles first appointed in every church bishops and deacons only, and that the bishops were to ordain presbyters for the several congregations, as might be required. This opinion, however, does not appear to be well founded. It is con- troverted by Whitby, and ridiculed by Scott. It must be observed here, that tlie persons for whom St. Paul sent to Miletus, are called, in verse 17., "elders," nQeaOuiiQOvg irj; ixxXi/alug : and in verse 28., " overseers," or " bishops," v/uag — ideio BTTiaxdnovg : from whence it has been very naturally inferred, that the name bishop originally signified tlic same as presbyter. This cannot indeed be doubted ; but all inferences deduced therefrom, which clash with other pas- sages of Scripture, must bo rejected. If we infer from this that there was no authority or superintendence in the churches, we contradict the evidence of Scripture, and of the primitive churches, as well as the testimony of our reason, whicji must convince us tliat every society must be governed by some laws, and their adminis- trators. Identity of names by no means proves identity of office. This will be evident if we consider the manner in which the same epithets are given to the same persons in Scripture, where their offices, ranks, &c. are evidently distinct. Thus Christ is called (Isai. ix. 5.) CD iS^'Tk^' '" Prince of Peace;" and Michael, who is by many su])posed to be Christ, is called (Dan. xii. 1.) the ^:-^ir] Tk7n ; and yet the kings of Persia and Grecia are each of them called by the same name. The same word is attribiitjd to tlje captain of the host (1 Sam. xii. 9.); to the governor of a city (2 Chron. xviii. 2.").) ; to tlie princes of Note 27.-29.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *36 o the tribes (1 Cliron. xxvii. 22.); to tlie chief of tiie Levites(l Chroii. xv. IG, 27.) ; to the gover- nor of the sanctuary, ( 1 Chron. xxiv. .5.) So like- wise the term "l^'xi, a head or chief person, is spoken of God (2 Chron. xiii. 12.) ; of king Jelioshaphat (2 Chron. xx. 27.); of Jeiioida, the liigh priest (2 Clu-oii. xxiv. G.) ; of other priests ; of a chief man of a tribe ; of a judge of Israel ; of the chief door-keeper of the temple ; of a chief captain. The same difference of mean- ing is to be found in the words najid, prince, and 7iasi, ruler or prelate. " By all wjiich it ap- pearetli evidently tliat the same term may be used of men, much differing in place and de- gree, and having an imparity in their callings." — See the last tract in the Bibliotheca Scriptorum of Dr. Hickes, p. 418. See also Bingham's Eccles. Antiq., and Archbishop Potter's Church Government ; and others on the words presbyter, bishop, and elder. Note 27.— Part XIII. The Alexandrine manuscript, and some others, read " the church of the Lord ;" but JMicliaelis is clear, tliat Osov is the true reading, on the principle that the reading which might occasion a correction, is more probably right, than that wliicli is likely to arise from one. Now, '<■ his blood," that is, " the blood of God," is an extraordinary expression, if not in the real text ; but had that been xvqIov, it is incon- ceivable how any one should alter it into Q^ov. Instead of which, there are several different readings : xuolou, /()i,(ttov, xvqIov x)'eov, d'sou huI xuolnv, y.vnlnv xal I'/f ofi : all of which seem to have been alterations oil account of the difficulty of the true reading ^eov, which gave occasion to such a wish to alter it. Michaelis, vol, i. c. vi. sect. xiii. p. 33G, also " the Church of God," is a phrase very frequent in the New Testament, as 1 Cor. i. 2.'; x. 32. ; xi. 22. ; xv. 9 ; 2 Cor, i. 1. ; Gal. i. 13. ; 1 Tim. iii. 5. ; but the " Church of the Lord" is never found in it. Whitby ap. Elsley, vol. iii. p. 317. See the whole subject discussed at length in Kuinoel, Comment, in Lib. M T. Hist. vol. iv. p. G78 ; and in Dr. Pye Smith's work on the Messiah. Note 28.— Part XIII. By the Spirit they apprized St. Paul of his danger, if he went up to Jerusalem. Note 29.— Part XIII. WiTSius, in his Life of St. Paul, chap. x. has endeavoured to show the prudence, inno- AOL. II, cence, and wisdom of the Apostle's conduct on this occasion. St. Paul was accused of having exhorted the Jews to forsake the Law of Moses, and for- bidden them to circumcise tlieir sons. In this charge there was a mixture of truth and false- hood — St. Paul did not exhort the Jews to forsake the substance of the Mosaic Law, nor did he expressly enjoin them to relinquish even the ceremonial part. But it must, however, be confessed, that in his arguments addressed to the Gentile converts, in which he describes the rites and ceremonies of the Law as mere shadows of better things to come, the inference might fairly be drawn, that he did not consider these rites and ceremonies as any longer bind- ing to the Jews themselves. Why, then, did the apostles at Jerusalem, who knew all this as well as St. Paul, entreat him to purify himself, shave his liead, and bind himself by a vow ? Why did St. Paul liimself comply with their request? A modern scholar, of considerable literary attainments, but whose name Witsius docs not mention, so strongly felt the difficulty attending this question, tliat he was induced to doubt, in toto, the divine authority of tlie Christian religion. Witsius, however, is of ojiinion, that the con- duct of the elders on this occasion, as well as that of St. Paul himself, was fully justitiod by existing circumstances. Tht; great mass of the Jews were at that time so bigoted in favor of the ceremonial Law, that tlie full light of the Gospel was too strong for their eyes to bear at once. The temple was standing, and they were daily spectators of the sacrifices there offered up. St. Paul, whoso maxim it was to "become all things to gain all men," adopted a prudent but innocent artifice — this was a fit occasion for employing tiie wisdom of the serpent. Gilpin, Paley, and others, have blamed James and the presbytery of Jerusalem, for giving this advice, and St. Paul for following it ; as sacri- ficing the truth of the Gospel to the prejudices of the Jewish zealots : for why, say they, should St. Paul offer propitiatory sacrifices (as in this case. Num. vi. 14.), inasmuch as by re- specting the type he showed disrespect to the antitype, Christ? This surely was not an indifferent matter, and his submitting thereto savoured of unjustifiable compliance, and a temporizing spirit. But this censure seems to be unfounded, for — 1. The apostles had no scruple of conscience in conforming to the Jewish I'ites. St, Paul celebrated the feast of Pentecost now, and tiie Passover at his fourth visit to Jerusalem, (Acts xviii. 21.) And yet this highest Jewish rite was virtually superseded, when " Christ our Passover" was sacrificed on the cross, according to St, Paul's own doctrine, (1 Cor, V. 7, 8.) And the apostolic decree did not prohibit the Jewish ritual to the zealots ; it 3G6 NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIII. only exempted the Gentile Christians from it, as unnecessary to salvation. 2. The doctrine of St. Paul was perfectly conformable to the apostolic decree, and to the Gospel ; he maintained the insufficiency of all rites, Aviiether of tlie " circumcision" or tlie " uncircumcision ;" whetlier of Jews or Chris- tians, without a " new creation," or regenera- tion of the inward man ; without an operative " faith" in Christ, " productive of love" to man (Gal. v. G. and vi. ir>.) witiiout " circumcision" of the heart in spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, " but of God," (Rom. ii. 28, 29.) 3. Were not the apostles and St. Paul, on tliat occasion, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit ? See Witsius, De Vita PauU, cap. x.—Melet. Leiden, p. 109, &c. and Hales's Analysis of Chronol. vol. ii. p. 1242. Note 30.— Part XIII. It has been a question much agitated among the learned, how St. Paul's ancestor became free of the city of Rome ? St. Paul saying, in Ills answer to Lysias, " But I was free born," Acts xxii. 28. Vid. Gron. not. ad Joseph, p. 41- 46. Never, certainly, was there a dispute more needless, since it is so very plain from many unquestionable autiiorities, that the freedom of the city of Rome was attainable by foreigners in various ways. By merit: thus two whole cohorts of Cameritians ; thus Heracliensium Legio, and many others, mentioned by Tally, pro Balbo, c. 22. By favor:- thus the cohort garrisoned at Trapezus, spoken of by Tacitus, Hist. 1. 3. c. 47 ; thus Alaudarum Legio, so often mentioned by Cicero, Suet. Jul. 24. 2. Nothing is more certain, than that the Jews as- sisted Julius Cajsar with their forces, Jos. Antiq. 1. xiv. c. 8. § 1,2, 3, which he also very gratefully acknowledges. Ibid. c. x. § 2, 7. The like they did by Mark Antony, ibid. c. 15. § 8. Can it be supposed that many of them did not at that time, either by merit or favor, procure the freedom of the city of Rome ? or was it Anti- pater alone who had that honor conferred on him ? Ibid. c. 8. § 3. By money : as in the instance of the centurion. Hence, probably, it is that we read of so many Jews free of the city of Rome, who dwelt in Greece and Asia. Ibid. c. X. § 13, 11, 1(1, 17, 18, 19. By being freed from servitude : very great numbers be- came citizens this way, througli the covetous- ness or vainglory of their masters, as well as from their own merit. Vid. Dionys. Ilalic. Ant. Rom. 1. iv. c. 24. Suet. Aug. c. xlii. n. .3. That multitudes of the Jews, in particular, became free this way appears from Tiberius enlistino- four thousand freed Jews at one time, and sending them to Sardinia. Compare Suet. Tib. c. xxxvi. n. 2. Tacitus, 1. 2. c. Ixxxv. n. 4. Jos. Antiq. 1. 18. c. iii. § 5. It has been generally believed, however, that the inhabitants of Tarsus, born in that city, liad the same rights and privileges as Roman citizens, in consequence of a charter or grant from Julius Caesar. Calmet disputes this, be- cause Tarsus was a free, not a colonial city ; and he supposes tliat St. Paul's father might have been rewarded with the freedom of Rome for some military service ; and that it was in consequence of this that St. Paul was born free. But that the city of Tarsus had such privileges appears extremely probable. In chap. xxi. 39., Paul says, he was born at Tarsus in Cilicia ; and in this chap. ver. 28, he says, " he was free-born ;" and at ver. 25, he calls himself a Roman ; as he does also chap. xvi. 37. From whence it has been reasonably con- cluded that Tarsus, though no Roman colony, had this privilege granted to it, that its na- tives should be citizens of Rome. Pliny, in Hist. JVnt. lib. v. 27, tells us, that Tarsus was a free city. And Appian, De Bello Civil, lib. V. p. 1077, ed. Tollii, says that Antony made the people of Tarsus free, and discharged them from paying tribute. Dio Cassius, lib. xlvii. p. 508, edit. Reimar, further tells us, " Adeo Cffisari priori, et ejus gratia etiam poste- riori, favebant Tarsenses, ut urbem suam pro Tarso Juliopolin vocaverint." Philo, De Virt. vol. ii. p. 587, edit. Mang. makes Agrippa say to Caligula, " You have made whole countries, to which your friends belong, to be citizens of Rome." These testimonies are of weight sufficient to show that St. Paul, by being born at Tarsus, might have been free-born, and a Roman. — See Biscoe On the Acts, Bishop Pearce on Acts xvi. 37., Dr. A. Clarke, and others. Note 31.— Part XIH. ON ST. Paul's declaration that he was IGNORANT THAT ANANIAS WAS HIGH PRIEST. St. Paul's ignorance that Ananias was higli priest, has presented some difficulty, and oc- casioned much discussion. The former modes of considering the subject are given by the learned Witsius". How, it is demanded, could Paul be mistaken in tiio person of a man so exalted in rank as the high priest? And, if ho was mistaken, can his excuse be considered as sufficient .-' Tlie Jews were forbidden to revile their ruler ; were tliey tiierefore permitted to revile the rest of their countrymen ? In reply to this, some explain the words, "not to know," ■' Wilsius, De Vitd Fault, cap. 10. ap. Mdrtcm. Lcidensia . Note 32.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *367 as equivalent to " not to acknowledge." I do not acknowledge liim for high priest — our Great High Priest is Jesus Christ: him only can I allow as such. Tliis, however, does not appear satisflictory to Witsius, and he proposes two elucidations, leaving liis reader to choose be- tween them : — 1st. It is very possible that St. Paul was not acquainted with the person of the high priest. For St. Paul had been for some time absent from Judsea ; and the office of high priest being completely at the disposal of the Roman gov- ernor, changes were very frequent ; so much so, that, as Joseplius informs us, tliere had been three high priests in the covirse of one year. It may furtiier be observed, that Ananias did not wear liis pontifical robes, which were worn only in the temple. 2dly. We may suppose that St. Paul was not mistaken in the person of the high priest, but liappening to have his eyes turned another way when the command was given, he was not aware from whom the expression proceeded, but at- tributed it to some other member of the San- hedrin seated Avith the high priest upon the bench. Le Clerc, and the most learned of the English interpreters, incline to this explanation. But what can justify the harshness of Paul's reply (v. 8.), supposing it addressed to any in- different individual ? It is answered, tliat Paul's words amount to a prophetic denunciation, and not an imprecation — Tunreip ue /nkllei. This was proved in the event ; for, as Grotius ob- serves, Ismael Phabi succeeded to the high priesthood soon after ; whether on account of the death or the removal of Ananias is uncertain. Michaelis* has solved the difficulty, however, in a very satisfactory manner. On this passage it has been asked, 1. Who was this Ananias.' 2. How can it be reconciled with chronology, that Ananias was at that time called the high priest, when it is certain, from .Tosephus, that tlie time of his holding that office was much earlier? And 3. How happened it that Paul said, " I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest," since the external marks of office must liave determined whether he were or not? " On all these subjects," says Michaelis, " is thrown the fullest light, as soon as we examine tlie special history of that period ; a light which is not confined to the present, but extends itself to tiie following chapters, insomuch that it can- not be doubted that this book was written, not after the destruction of .lerusalem, but by a person who was contemporary to tlic events which are there related." Ananias, the son of Nebedeni, was high priest at the time that Helena, queen of Abiadene, supplii'd the Jews with corn from Egypt, during tlie famine which took place in the fourtli year 6 Michaelis, vol. i. p. 51-51. Home, i. IIC-IIS. of Claudius, mentioned in the eleventh chapter of the Acts. St. Paul, therefore, who took a jour- ney to Jerusalem at that period, could not have been ignorant of the elevation of Ananias to that dignity. Soon after the holding of the first council, as it is called, at Jerusalem, Ananias was dispossessed of his office, in consequence of certain acts of violence between the Sa- maritans and the Jews, and sent prisoner to Rome, whence he was afterwards released, and returned to Jerusalem. Now from that period he could not be called high priest, in the proper sense of the word, though Joseplius has some- times given him the title of do;^tfofv;, taken in the more extensive meaning of a priest, wlio had a seat and voice in the Sanhedrin ; and Jonathan, though we are not acquainted with the circumstances of his elevation, had been raised in the mean time to the supreme dignity of the Jewisli Church. Between the death of Jonatlian, who was murdered by order of Felix, and the high priesthood of Ismael, who was invested with that office by Agrippa, elapsed an interval in which this dignity continued vacant Now it happened precisely in this interval tliat St. Paul was apprehended in Jerusalem ; and the Sanhedrin, being destitute of a president, he undertook of his own authority the discharge of that office which he executed with the greatest tyranny. It is possible, therefore, tliat St. Paul, who had been only a few days in Jerusalem, might be ignorant that Ananias, who had been dispossessed of the priesthood, had taken upon himself a trust to wliich he was not entitled ; he might therefore very naturally exclaim, ''I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest." Admitting him, on the other hand, to have been acquainted with the fact, the ex- pression must be considered as an indirect re- proof, and a tacit refusal to recognise usurped authority. A passage, then, which has hitherto been in- volved in obscurity, is brought by tliis relation into the clearest light; and the whole history of St. Paul's imprisonment, the conspiracy of the fifty Jews, with the consent of the Sanhedrin, their petition to Festus to send him from Cajsa- rea, with an intent to murder him on tiie road, are facts which correspond to the character of the times, as described by Joseplius, who men- tions the principal persons recorded in the Acts, and paints their profligacy in colors even stronger than those of St. Lu!ce. Note 32.— Part XIIT. It is probable these conspirators laid them- selves under all the curses tliat were usually denounced in an excommunication. It was usual among the Jews, for private persons to 868* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIII. excommunicate both tliemselves and others". From their perverted oral tradition, they made it a rule that a private person might kill any one -who had forsaken the Law of Moses, of which crime St. Paul was accused. They therefore applied to the Jewish magistrates, wlio were chiefly of the sect of the Sadducees, and St. Paul's bitterest enemies, for their connivance and support (v. 14.), who gladly aided and abetted this manner of taking away his life, and, on its failure, determined themselves after- wards to make a similar attempt, (Acts xxv. 3.) 'J'heir vows of not eating and drinking were as easy to loose as to bind ; according to Light- foot (vol. ii. p. 703), any of their rabbles or wise men could absolve them. Note 33.— Part XIII. We learn from this epithet, that the word JVazarene was ap])lied to the Christians as a term of contempt in the time of the Apostles. Tertullus evidently meant the Christians in general, who being followers of the despised Nazarene, probably obnined this appellation from the very first. It does not, however, ap- pear that this name was assumed by the Chris- tians themselves. They were called among themselves « the Brethren," " They of the Faith," and " the Faith," till at lengtli, when they became more numerous, and received a large accession of converts from the Gentiles, Christian became the general name ; and the Hebrew Christians, who still perhaps bore the name of Nazarenes among the Jews, were distinguished among Christians by the names of " the Hebrews," and "They of the Circumcision." If this epithet was generally applied to the early Christians by their enemies, it is not necessary to prove that tlie Nazarenes, to whom Tertullus alluded, were believers in the Divinity of our Lord, and in those doctrines which are now embodied in the formularies and creeds of the Church. Long after the death of the apostles we read of a class of religionists wiio were called Naza- renes ; who blended in their ecclesiastical regi- men the Jewish rites and Christian precepts, and maintained various opinions respecting the person of Christ, which are defensible neitlier from the Scriptures, nor the decisions of the primitive Ciiurch. Dr. Priestley attempted to ]u-jve that these Nazarenes, and another sect, the Ebionites, who likewise advocated errone- ous notions on this important subject, were the same ; and tliat they were the remnant of the Church nt Jerusalem, maintaining, in depression and neglect, the pristine faith in its ancient " Selden, Or Jure Nat. 1. iv. c. 7 and 8. pp. 472 and 478 ; and Or Sijncd. 1. i. c. 7. p. 82;), fin. 8;5i) and 857. Biscoe, 278, vol. i. purity. Bishop Horsley, on the contrary, as- serted, and made his assertion good by the best remaining evidence, that the name of Nazarene was never heard of among Christians them- selves, as descriptive of a sect, before the final destruction of Jerusalem by Adrian ; when it became the specific name of the Judaizers, who at that time separated from the Church of Je- rusalem, and settled in the, north of Galilee. The name was taken from the country in which they settled ; but it seems to have been given in contempt, and not without allusion to the earlier application of it by the Jews, to the Christians in general. The object of this epi- thet was to stigmatize these Nazarenes as mere Judaizers, who endeavoured to retain the Jewish observances, while they professed Christianity, and thus to degrade and corrupt the Gospel. The Hebrew Christians, properly so named, left Jerusalem during the siege, and retired to Pella, whence they afterwards removed and settled at ^Elia. Neither were the Nazarenes the same as the Ebionites ; as Epiphanius, Mosheim, and others, speak of them as separate communities. Such are the opposite statements of these con- troversialists ; and the result of their discussion has given another proof to tlie world, that the Unitarian opinions are as utterly unsupported by antiquity as tliey are by Scripture ; and that the common vulgar Christianity of the system rightly called orthodox, and which is in vain endeavoured to be used as a term of contempt, is the one, true, and ancient faith, upon which the hopes of a Christian must be founded. The Divinity and Atonement of Christ are the un- changeable basis of the Christian's confidence that his repentance is accepted by his Creator. — See Horsley's Letters to Priestley, pp. 174-180, &c. and Bingham's Ecdes. Antiq. 8vo. edit. vol. i. p. 13, lib. i. cap. "2. § 1. See also Semler ap. Archbishop Laurence's work On the Logos of St. John, p. 76. Note 34.— Part XIII. There are two modes of arranging the con- struction of this verse. Either, " When Felix heard these things he deferred them, and said, that after he had acquired a more perfect knoM'l- edge of that way, and Lysias being come, he woidd take full cognizance of the business ;" or, "When he heard these things, having," &c. as in our translation. Beza and Grotius state, that Felix liad two points, the one of law, the other of fiict, to determine. The first was, whether the new sect of the Nazarenes was against the Law of Moses ; the other, wliether Paul was raising a tunndt. On tlio first, the learned were to be consulted ; on the other, Lysias Avas the most conclusive witness. Hence Note 35.-37.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *369 delay was entirely proper. Whitby cannot al- low that the text will bear this construction, and holds witli the English version, that Felix had already gained a knowledge of the Christian way by his residence at Caesarea, where Cor- nelius was converted, and Philip the deacon, and many disciples resided, chap. xxi. 8, 10. Elsley, vol. iii. p. 330. Note 35.— Part XIII. For the probable date of Felix's recal to Rome, see the remarks on Section ii. Part XV. Note 36.— Part XIII. A freeman of Rome, who had been tried for a crime, and sentence passed on him, had a right to appeal to the emperor, if he conceived the sentence to be unjust; but, even before tlie sentence was pronounced, he had the privilege of an appeal in criminal cases, if he conceived that the judge v/as doing any thing contrary to the laws. Ante sententiam appdlari potest in criminali negotio, si judex contra leges hocfaciat. An appeal to the emperor was highly respect- ed. The Julian law condemned those magis- trates, and others, having autliority, as violators of the public peace, who had put to death, tor- tured, scourged, imprisoned, or condemned any Roman citizen who had appealed to Caesar. Lep-e Julia de vi publicd damnatur, qui aliqud potestnte prmiitus, Civem Romanum ad Impera- iorem appdlantem necarit, necarive jusserit, tor- seiit, verberaverit, condemnaverit, jji publica vin- cula duci jusserit. This law was so very sacred and imperative, that, in the persecution under Trajan, Pliny would not attempt to put to death Roman citi- zens who were proved to have turned Chris- tians ; hence, in his letter to Trajan, lib. x. Ep. 97, he says, " Fuerunt alii similis amentiae, quos, quia cives Romani erant, annotavi in urbem re- mittendos." " There were others guilty of sim- ilar folly, whom, finding them to be Roman citizens, I have determined to send to the city." Very likely these had appealed to CEBsar. — See Grotius ap. Dr. Clarke, and Bishop Pearce. VOL. II. *47 Note 37.— Part XIII. St. Luke here relates that, " when St. Paul was sent from Caesarea to Rome, he was with the other prisoners committed to the care of Julius, an officer of the Augustan cohort," that is, a Roman cohort, which had the honor of bearing the name of the emperor. Now it appears from the account which Josephus has given in his second book on the Jewish war'', that when Felix was procurator of Judsea, the Roman garrison at Caesarea was chiefly com- posed of soldiers who were natives of Syria. But it also appears, as well from the same book", as from the twentieth book of his An- tiquities-'', that a small body of Roman soldiers was stationed there at the same time, and that this body of Roman soldiers was dignified with the title of SEB^ASTH, or Augustan, the same Greek word being employed by Josephus, as by the author of the Acts of the Apostles. This select body of Roman soldiers had been employed by Cumanus, who immediately pre- ceded Felix in the procuratoi-ship of Judaea, for the purpose of quelling an insurrection. And when Festus, who succeeded Felix, had occa- sion to send prisoners from Caesarea to Rome, he would of course entrust them to the care of an officer belonging to this select corps. Even here then we have a coincidence, which is worthy of notice — a coincidence which we should never have discovered, without consult- ing the writings of Josephus. But that which is most worthy of notice is the circumstance, that this select body of soldiers bore the title of Augustan. This title was known of course to St. Luke, who accompanied St. Paul from Caesarea to Rome. But that, in the time of the Emperor Nero, the garrison of Caesarea, which consisted chiefly of Syrian soldiers, con- tained also a small body of Roman soldiers, and that they were dignified by the epithet Augus- tan, are circumstances so minute, that no im- postor of a later age would have known them. And they prove incontestibly, that tlie Acts of the Apostles could have been written only by a person in the situation of St. Luke. "i Bell. Jud. lib. ii. cap. 13, sect. 7. ' Antiq. Jud. lib. sx. cap. G. / Bishop Marsh's Lectures, part v. pp. 82, 84. Home's Addenda to 2d edit, of Crit. Introduct. p. 741. 370^ NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIV PART XIV. Note 1. — ^Part XIV. the south of the island of Clauda, or Gaudos^ which lies opposite to the port of Phenice, the Aristarchus is mentioned, Col. iv. 10., as place where they proposed to winter. See St. Paul's fellow-prisoner ; and in Philemon 24, Kuinoel, Comm. in Lib. Hist. JV*. T. in loc. the as his fellow-laborer. No records remain to Dissertation on St. Paul's Voyage. — Ap. Class. enable us to elucidate his history Journ. No. 38, p. 202, and Bryant. Wolfius quotes at length the passage in Boisius, referred to by Kuinoel. Note 2.— Part XIV. For a very curious and interesting account of the ships of Alexandria, and the trade in corn between that place and Puteoli, see Bryant's treatise on the Euroclydon, Analysis of Mythol- ogy, vol. V. p. 343, 349; and Hasaeus' treatise in the Critici Sacri, De JVavious Alexandrinis, vol. xiii. p. 717, &c. Note 3.— Part XIV. There is some obscurity in this expression. Commentators are divided, whether the wind arose against the island or the ship. By the words y.uT' kuttjc, Boisius and Wolfius under- stand 7r50J5>«g, "the ship." Boltenius refers it to TO nlolov, ver. 10., and thinks that uvTrig is put for uvjov. Kuinoel is of opinion that the island is referred to. Schleusner on this passage (voc. |5(iUw) inter- prets the words v.ux' uvTr\; to mean the ship. It seems, however, evident that the island is meant, from the grammatical construction, and that it refers to ir^v K()i]tijv, in the preceding line. Our translation points, though ratlier obscurely, to the same meaning (" There arose against it"), which is rather more clearly ex- pressed in the Rheims translation, (" A tem- pestuous wind, called Euro-Aquilo, drove against it"), and the Vulgate (" Misit se contra ipsam, Cretam, scilicet, ventus typhonicus"), and Cas- talio's version (" In earn procellosus ventus im- pegit"), agree in the same manner. This acceptation of the signification of this passage contradicts the idea that the wind Euro- clydon blew from a northerly quarter, as it must in such case have driven the vessel from the island, and not towards it, as it appears to have done. The course of the wind from the south-east would impel tlie ship towards the island of Crete, though not so directly but tliat they might weatlier it, as they in fact did, and got clear, tliough it appears that they incurred some risk of being wrecked, when running under, or to Note 4.— Part XIV. ON THE WIND CALLED EUROCLTDOW. This wind is generally supposed to be that tempestuous and uncertain wind which blows from all directions, and is called a Levanter. " The Euroclydon," says Dr. Shaw, " seems to have varied very little from the true east point ; for, as the ship could not bear up, uvjoffdul/ieXv, loof up, against it, ver. 15., but they were obliged to let her drive, we cannot conceive, as there are no remarkable currents in that part of the sea, and as the rudder could be of little use, that it could take any other course than as the wind directed it. Accordingly, in the de- scription of the storm, we find that the vessel was first of all under tlie island of Clauda, ver. 16., which is a little to the southward of the parallel of that part of the coast of Crete, from whence it may be supposed to have been driven ; then it was tossed along the bottom of the gulph of Adria, ver. 27., and afterwards broken to pieces, ver. 41., at Melita, which is a little to the northward of the parallel above mentioned ; so that the direction and course of this particu- lar Euroclydon seems to have been first at east by north, and afterwards pretty nearly east by south." Tlie learned Jacob Bryant" examines at great length the decision of Dr. Bentley, who en- deavoured to prove that the Euroclydon was the same as Euro-Aquilo in tlie Vulgate ; and, though it is not found in any table of the winds among cither the Greek or Roman writers, nor in the temple of the winds of Andronicus Cyr- rhestes at Athens, that it corresponded to the wind C(Bcias, Kaixlmg. Mr. Byrant contenda ■^ Bryant's .Analysis of Mijtholoirij. vol. v. p. 330 -341 ; Shaw's Travels, 4to. j-dil. jT. :!2!'. edit. 2. p. 331. Disxcrlatioii on. St. Puiil's J'oijnge, Sic. No. 38, of tlie Class. Journ. Etyin. M.iv(f(oy y'un ianv i, tow uruiuv ftqi I, (?(_. u .^"("',. y<; Kui ii oox/.i'ihnr ya/.fiTai, and Hesychius n.iqu.'ji- li niyu: !trfiio{. The Alexandrian MS. and the Vulgate read for n'oozXi'i^oi — n'Qaxv- Acoi', Euro-Mfjuilo, ap. Kuinoel. Note 5.-7.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *371 there was no such wind as Euro-Aquilo. An anonymous writer, No. 38, of the Class. Journ., has drawn up the argument in a very satisfac- tory manner. The Latin Vulgate translation, that of Castalio, and some others, render tlie word Euroclydon, by Euro-Aquilo, a word found no where else, and in- consistent in its construction with the principles on which the names of the intermediate or com- pound winds are framed. Euro-notus is so called, as intervening between Euro and Notus, and as partaking, as was thought, of the qualities of both. The same holds true of Libo-notus, as being in- terposed between Libs and Notus. Both these compound winds lie in the same quarter, or quadrant of the circle, witli the winds of which they were composed ; and no other wind inter- venes. But Euros and Aquilo are at ninety degrees distance from each other ; or, accord- ing to some writers, at fifteen degrees more, or at 105 degrees ; the former lying in the south- east quarter, and the latter in the north-east ; and two winds, one of which is the east cardi- nal point, intervene, as Csecias and Subsolanus. The Carbas of Vitruvius occupies the middle point between Eurus and Aquilo, in his scheme of the winds ; but this never had, nor could have, the appellation of Euro-Aquilo, as it lies in a different quarter, and the east point is interposed, which could scarcely have been overlooked in the framing of a compound appellation. The word Euroclydon is evidently composed of Eurus, or Evqoi;, the south-east wind, and Klvdtx}f, a ivave, an addition highly expressive of tlie character and effects of this wind, but, probably, chiefly applied to it when it became typhonic or tempestuous. Indeed the general character under which Eurus is de- scribed, agrees perfectly with the description of the effects of tlie wind which caused the distress related in the account of this voyage. Note 5.— Part XIV. The island on which St. Paul was shipwrecked was in Adria. Kuinoel, and the commentators who adopt the general opinion, that St. Paul was Avrecked at the African Malta, interpret Adria, in a very wide sense, of the sea between Greece, Italy, and Africa, in such manner, tliat the Ionic, Cretic, and Sicilian seas, are com- prehended under that appellation. Byrant, in his dissertation above referred to, limits the application of the word to the waters of the gulf, still called the Adriatic. The Adriatic Sea in early ages comprehended only the upper part of the Sinus lonicus, where was a city and a river, both called Adria, from one of which it took its name. It afterwards was advanced deeper in the gulf; but never so engrossed it as to lose its original name. It was called for many ages promiscuously, the Adriatic and Ionian Gulf. Thucydide3(lib. i.), Theophras- tus (Hist. Plant, lib. viii. cap. x.), and Polybius (lib. ii. p. 102, edit. Casaub. Par. 1009), confirm Mr. Bryant's opinion. Polybius informs us, tliat the Ionian Gulf reached south to the promontory of Corinthus, in Bruttia, where was the commencement of the Sicilian Sea; but even this, which was the remotest point south of the Adriatic, was never supposed to extend as far as Malta in the Mediterranean. Strabo says expressly, that the Adriatic Sea is bounded by Panormus, and a port of Crismor, and by the Ceraunian mountains, which lie in about forty degrees north latitude, and upwards of four degrees to the north of Malta; and in another place, that the Ceraunian mountains, and the Promontorium Japygium form the boun- dary or mouth of tlie Ionian Sea (book vi. p. 405, Oxf edit.) And Ptolemy, so far from accounting Malta to be an island of the Adriatic Sea, reckons it to be a part of Africa ; and Pomponius Mela inclines to the same arrangement : the latter writer speaks of Corcyra, which is in latitude 39° 30^ north, (nearly half a degree to the south of the Ceraunian mountains,) as being situated in the neighbourhood [vicina), not in the Adri- atic Sea ; so that he probably meant to assign the same limits with Strabo. Note 6.— Part XIV. See on the rudder-bands, Pocock's Travels, vol. i. p. 135. Bishop Pearce in loc. and the explanations and quotations in Kuinoel. Note 7.— Part XIV. di66Xu(T(Tog is properly (says Bochart) an isthmus, or a narrow strait between two seas ; but it here seems to mean (says Kuinoel) an oblong drifl or heap of sand, a sand-bank. Mr. Bryant, however, objects to this interpretation. The j67iog didulocaaog (says Bryant) is noth- ing else but the natural barrier of a harbour ; where this is wanting, they make an artificial one, called a mole, or pier; otherwise there can be no security for sliipping, the harbour being little better than a road without it. Such a barrier or headland was here, which they en- deavoured to get round, and failed. This may be learned from the context — neQinsaovieg dt elg i6nni' dtddii-acraor, inihy.eiXui' t>]i' I'uvv : where the word ixTTeadvrsg was before : it signifies falling upon a place in taking a round or circuit. The mariners saw a bay, into which they had a mind to run their ship ; but they mot witli a small promontory, that pro- 37-2* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIV. jacted and fonned the entrance into the bay, and Tvhich was washed on each side by the sea. This impeded them, and in endeavouring to get round it, their ship struck and stood fast. Mr. Bryant confirms this interpretation of the word by the authority of Chrysostom. See Kuinoel in loc, and Bryant's Dissertation, p. 397. Note 8.— Part XIV. ON THE ISLAND OF MELITA. Many commentators have been of opinion that St. Paul was wrecked at Meleda or Mehte, in the Adriatic, and not at Malta, in the Med- iterranean. Kuinoel mentions Rhoer as the principal continental divine who has defended this opinion The most celebrated treatise, however, with which we are acquainted, is that of Mr. Bryant, who has defended this opinion at great length, with all his usual learning, and more than his usual judgment; and in the general opinion, I believe, has been supposed to have established his position. I shall again refer to the summary of his arguments, and the just remarks of the anonymous writer I have before referred to, on this subject. I am of opinion, he observes, that the island Meleda, last mentioned, is the one here alluded to. My reasons are as follow : — " The island of Meleda lies confessedly in the Adriatic Sea, which situation cannot, without much strain on the expression, be ascribed to the island of Malta, as I have before shown (Note 5.) Me- leda lies nearer the mouth of the Adriatic than any other island of that sea, and would of course be more likely to receive the wreck of any vessel that should be driven by tempests towards that quarter. Meleda lies nearly N. W. by N. of the south-west promontory of Crete, and of course nearly in the direction of a storm from.the south-east quarter. Tlie man- ner in which Melita is described by St. Luke agrees witli the idea of an obscure place, but not with the celebrity of Malta at that time. Cicero speaks of Melita (Malta) as abounding in curiosities and riches, and possessing a remarkable manufacture of the finest linen. The temple of .Tuno there, which had been pre- served inviolate by both the contending parties in the Punic wars, possessed great stores of ivory ornaments, particularly figures of Victory — antiquo opere et SKinmri arte perfectfcy " Malta," says Diodorus Siculus, " is fur- nished with many and very good harbours, and the inhabitants are very rich, for it is full of all sorts of artificers, among whom there are ex- cellent weavers of fine linen. Thoir houses are very stately and beautifully adorned. Tho inhabitants are a colony of Phoenicians, v/ho, tradiii^r as merchants as far as the Weotern Ocean, resorted to this place on account of its commodious ports and convenient situation for a sea trade ; and by the advantages of this place, the inhabitants presently became famous both for their wealth and merchandise." It is difficult to suppose that a place of this description could be meant by such an expres- sion, as of an island called "Melita;" nor could the inhabitants, Avith any propriety of speech, be understood by the epithet " bar- barous." But the Adriatic Melite perfectly corre- sponds with that description. Though too ob- scure and insignificant to be particularly noticed by the ancient geographers, the opposite and neighbouring coast of Illyricum is represented by Strabo as perfectly corresponding with the expression of St. Paul. The circumstance of the viper or poisonous snake that fastened on St. Paul's hand merits consideration. Father Giorgi, an ecclesiastic of Melite Adriatica, who has written on this subject, suggests very properly, that as there are now no serpents in Malta, and as it should seem were none in the time of Pliny, tliere never were any there, the country being dry and rocky, and not affording shelter or proper nour- ishment for animals of that description. But Meleda abounds with those reptiles, being woody and damp, and favorable to their way of life and propagation. The disease with wliich the father of Publius was afflicted (dysentery, combined with fever, probably intermittent) affords a presumptive evidence of the nature of the island. Such a place as Melite Africana (Malta), dry and rocky, and remarkably healthy, was not likely to produce such a disease, which is al- most peculiar to moist situations and stagnant v/aters ; but might well suit a country woody and damp, and probably for want of draining, ex- posed to the putrid effluvia of confined moisture. The following are the principal objections, with their answers, to Mr. Bryant's and Rhoer's hypothesis: 1. Tradition has unvaryingly as- serted this as the place of the Apostle's ship- wreck. — Tlie tradition cannot be traced to the time of the wreck. 2. The island in the Vene- tian Gulf, in favor of which Mr. Bryant so learnedly contends, is totally out of the track in which the Euroclydon must have driven the vessel. — The contrary has been shown, (see Note 4.) ti. It is said, in verse 11. of this chapter, that anotlier ship of Alexandria, bound, as we must suppose, for Italy, and very probably carrying wheat thither, as St. Paul's vessel did (chap, xxvii. 38.), had been driven out of its course. — The same Levanter wliich drove one from its course, might have driven tho other also. 4. In St. Paul's voyage to Italy from Melita, on board the Alexandrian ship that had \viiiL(.Te<i ihirc, he and his cuiiijKUiioiio landed Note 8.] NOTES ON THE ACTS. *373 at Syracuse (ver. 12, 13.), and from thence went to Rheginm. But if it had been the Illy- rian Melita, the proper course of the ship would have been first, to Rhegiunn, before it reached Syracuse at all ; whereas, in a voyage from the present Malta to Italy, it was necessary to reach Syracuse in Sicily, before the ship could arrive at Rhegium, in Italy. This is the strong- est argument; but see Note 11. The learned Dr. Gray, author of the inval- uable Key to the Old Testament, in his work on the connection between the sacred writings and the literature of Jewish and heathen au- thors, favors the opinion of IVFr. Bryant, and confirms its probability by a similar incident in the life of Josej)hus, who was wrecked on his way to Rome, in the Adriatic Sea, in the same year with St. Paul. " The account in the life of Josephus," says Dr. Gray, " written by himself, appears to relate to this voyage, and seems to prove that Josephus was a companion in a part of it with St. Paul. There are, indeed, difficulties which interfere with this opinion, which, as the subject is of some moment, may be proposed for critical investigation." The relation is as follows: — "After the twenty-sixth year of my age, it happened that I went up to Rome on the occasion that I shall now mention. At the time when Felix was procurator of Judsea, there were certain priests of my acquaintance, good and worthy persons, whom on a small and trifling occasion he had put into bonds, and sent to Rome to plead their cause before Ceesar. For these I was desirous to procure deliverance, and that especially because I was informed that they were not un- mindful of piety towards God, even under their afflictions, but supported themselves with figs and nuts : accordingly I came to Rome, though it was often througli great hazards by sea, for our ship being wrecked in the midst of the Adriatic Sea, we that were in it, being about six hundred in number, swam for our lives all the night, when, upon the first appearance of the day, a ship of Gyrene appearing to us, by the providence of God, I and some others, eighty in all, preventing tlie rest, were taken up into the ship : and when I had thus escaped and come to Puteoli, I became acquainted with Aliturus, an actor of plays, a Jew by birth, and much beloved by Nero, and through his interest became known to Poppea, Caesar's wife, and took care, as soon as possible, to entreat her to procure that the priests might be set at liberty." " The dates," says this learned writer, " might bo shown so far to correspond, that there would be no objection from this source. It is not improbable that Josephus, who was of sacer- dotal descent, and brought up in the strict pro- fession of the Pharisaic opinions, should have Rdt au interest in the welfare of St. Paul, wlio Via.. II. was a Pharisee, brought up at the feet of Ga- maliel, and who might be called a priest, as he was a doctor of the law, and assumed the character of a preacher of righteousness. What Josephus says of Felix having, as procurator of Judfea, sent the persons spoken of to Rome, may be inaccurately stated, or may relate to some order first given by Felix to this effect, but the execution of which was delayed by the change of governors. This would accord with the account of St. Luke, and would not be in- consistent with what is further stated by him, that St. Paul was detained two years in con- finement, and that Festus, not long after his arrival to take possession of the government, examined Paul at Csesarea ; and after having again heard his defence in presence of Agrippa, directed him to be conveyed to Rome. Jose- phus, then speaking of the imprisonment and sending of St. Paul to Rome, ascribes both the measures to their first author, whose unpopular government was the subject of very general complaint, and whose proceedings were most likely to be traversed at Rome. The piety and resignation which the historian ascribes to his companions, accord well with the character of St. Paul ; and the circumstance of their supporting themselves by figs and nuts, may help to explain wliat is stated in the Acts, that the " passengers fasted fourteen days ;" that is, had no regular food. It might have been by means of the interest of Aliturus, that St. Paul was allowed tlie liberty of residing at his own house at Rome. The other difficulties which occur are not so easily removed, and present a fair subject for discussion. It is stated by Josephus tliat there were six hundred persons in the ship in which he sailed, though in the vessel in which St. Paul was wrecked, there but two hundred and seventy-six. The number, however, mentioned by Josephus is so great, as to lead us to suspect some mis- take, since it is not by any means credible that trading vessels at that time were accustomed to contain, or capable of accommodating, so great a number of persons. With respect to tlie difference between the account in the Acts, and tliut of Josephus, as to the circumstances of the escape, it is to be considered whether Josephus, and the seventy- nine with him, might not have been separated from those, who swam to shore at Melita, and have been taken up in the ship of Cyrene, being the persons who first cast " themselves into the sea," as is related in the Acts ; and whether the remainder of the crew, who, Jose- phus states, were swimming with him all the night, and of whose subsequent fate he says nothing, might not have reached the land to- gether with St. Patil. Wliy, when Josephus afterwards, upon this supposition, must have re- ceived the account of St. Paul's escape with the rest, lie should omit to record it, can be ex- *FF 374 * NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIV. plained only from a reluctance which he might feel, to confirm or report the miraculous circum- stances which demonstrated the divine coun- tenance to St. Paul's mission, which, if he had admitted, he must have been a convert to Christianity. He certainly speaks inaccurately in one instance, representing himself and his companions to have swam all the night, which, without a miracle at least, could not have been literally effected ; another difficulty, and per- haps the greatest, is, that St. Paul expressly says, that they all escaped safe to land, and that when tliey escaped they knew that the island Avas called Melita, which seems to imply, that they all reached the same island. It is possible, however, that the Apostle, by the word " all," refers to the immediate antecedent in the verse, speaking distinctly of those who followed the first division. The integrity of the miracle, and the declar- ations of St. Paul, that there should be no loss of any man's life, and that not a hair should fall from the head of any of them, are equally es- tablished, whether the whole crew reached the land, or some only, while others were taken up into a ship. If Josephus was one of the breth- ren, whom the Apostle found at Puteoli, he might have been delayed on his voyage from Melita, or detained at Puteoli by Aliturus, till St. Paul arrived there ; if the circumstances should not be thought to be satisfactorily recon- ciled, there are still so many concurrences, that the accounts must at least be allowed to bear a very remarkable resemblance to each other, if not to refer to the same event ; for let it be con- sidered that in both accounts the prisoners are represented to iiave been put into bonds by Felix, upon a trifling occasion, and in both to have appealed to C?esar. In both relations, men of extraordinary piety and excellence are exposed to shipwreck in the Adriatic in the same year ; and in both they wonderfully es- cape ; by a remarkable providence, in both his- tories thev arrive at Puteoli ; and in both in- stances the prisoners are, by an unexpected indulgence in some degree, set at liberty, in consequence it should seem, of interest made with the emperor. — Johan. Fred. Wandalinus considers Malta, in the Mediterranean, as the scene of St. Paul's shipwreck, p. 773, in a dis- sertation in the 13th vol. of the Critici Sacri. Note 9.— Part XIV. Mr. Bryant fully proves that the people of Malta, in the Mediterranean, could not be justly called "barbarous." On this point the testi- mony of Diodorus Siculus (sec Note 8.) is decisive. Mr. Bryant, after some extracts on the magnificence of the temples at Malta, goes on tu contrast the description of tiie African Malta, given by the classical writers, with the brief but forcible account of the Adriatic Melite in the New Testament. The island is situated in the Adriatic Gulf, near the river Naro, in the province of the Nestioeans, an Illyrian people. What is the character of these Illy- rians ? Barbarous beyond measure ; so that they are seldom mentioned without this denomi- nation. Thucydides, speaking of Epidamnus, says, it was " in the neighbourhood of the Tau- lantii, a barbarous set of people, Illyrians." — Hist. lib. i. Polybius says, that in his tune "they did not seem so much to have feuds and quarrels with any particular nation, as to be at war with all the world." — Hist. lib. ii. p. 100, edit. Casaub. Item excerptae Legationes, sect. cxxv. Diodorus seldom mentions them but he terms them barbarians. Speaking of the Lace- dsemonians giving them a remarkable check, he says (lib. xiv. p. 464, edit. Stephan.), loO nollou 'd'Qij.aovg enavaav lovg ^aqG&Qovg. One Illyrian nation was called the Dardanians ; of whom Nicolaus Damascenus [2vvayo)yri nuQuS6S.i<ii> rfiittv) mentions an odd rule, which, I believe, no otlier body politic imposed upon itself: they were washed only thret; limes — when tliey were born, when they married, and when they died — tqIq tf Tcu j?/q) Xovoi'iui judrop, otui' yivwvTut, Kid lTriy(j.fioiQ, Kul Ti^lEviibvTeQ. Strabo speaks of the country as naturally good, but neglected and barren, " on account of the savage dispo- sition of the inhabitants, and the national turn to plunder." They are represented as rude in their habits, and their bodies disfigured with marks and scarifications, by way of ornament, (Strabo, vol. i. p. 484, edit. Amstel. 1707); not given to traffic, and ignorant of the use of money. (Schol. in Dionys. Ueoirjy. ad vers. 97.) They are described as extending to the Danube north, and eastward to Macedonia and Thrace ; comprehending a villainous broth- erhood under different denominations. (Liv. lib. X. cap. 2.) lllyrii Liburnique et Istri, gen- tes ferre. Such were the Scordisci, a nation bent on ruin ; who are said to have made a beautiful country for seven days' journey a desert. Add to these the Bessi, so supreme in villainy, that the banditti looked up to them, and called them, by way of eminence, " The Thieves." (Strabo, vol. i. p. 490, edit. Amstel. 1707.) In short, it is notorious that all the tract of Illyria, from the city liissus north-west, was termed ''iXlvQig Ba()(>aQi)(l^: partly on account of the ferocity of the inhabitants, and partly to distin- guish it fromtiie Hellenic, where the Greeks had made their settlements. It is observable, tliat the islands upon this coast were noted for a despe- rate race of freebooters ; and, wJiat is most to the purpose, Melite and Corcyra particularly swarmed witii pirates. They so far aggrieved the Romans by their repeated outrages, tliat (Appian. De Bella IHi/rico) Augustus ordored the island to be sacked, and the iniiabitant^ to Note 10.-13.] ON THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. *375 be put to the sword. This in great measure was executed. So that, when the Apostle arrived in these parts, the island must have been very much thinned, and the remainder of the people well disciplined. Syracuse would have been the smallest devia- tion possible. Note 10.— Part XIV. It was the custom with the ancient Greeks and Romans, to place the image or picture of the deity, to whose care and protection they committed the ship, at the stern, and to place the sign, by the name of which the ship was called, at the head''. It is a dispute among learned men, whether the tutelar deity were not also sometimes the sign, and for that reason placed both at head and stern. There are undeniable instances in ancient authors, wherein some of the heathen deities are placed at the head. And it is not very likely, that such ships should have other deities at the stern, than tliose to whose tutelage they were committed. Of this sort is the ship which carried Paul to Italy. It had Castor and Pollux, two heathen deities, at the head, and doubtless, if any, had the same also at the stern, as the tutelar gods, protectors, and patrons of the ship, these being esteemed deities peculiarly favorable to mariners. Note 11.— Part XIV. An argument has been brought in favor of the opinion, that the island here in question was the island of Malta, " from St. Paul's calling at Syracuse, in his way to Rhegiuni ; which is so far out of the track, that no example can be produced in the history of navigation, of any ship going so far out of her course, except it was driven by a violent tempest." This argu- ment tends principally to show, that a very in- correct idea has been formed of the relative situations of these places. The ship which car- ried St. Paul from the Adriatic Sea to Rhegium would not deviate from her course more than half a day's sail by touching at Syracuse, and the delay so occasioned would probably be but a few hours more than it would have been, had they proceeded to Syracuse in their way to the straits of Messina, from Malta, as the map will show. Besides, the master of the ship might have, and probably had, some business at Syra- cuse, which had originated at Alexandria, from which place it must have been originally in- tended the ship should commence her voyage to Puteoli ; and in tliis course the calling at * Vid. Hammond in loc, Virg. .■Encid. 1. 10. v. J57. ICCu et 171. Ovid, Dc Trist. Elrg. 9. v. 1, 2. Pcrs. Sat. 6. v. 30. Note 12.— Part XIV. Dr. Lardner has shown that this mode of custody was in use amongst the Romans, and that whenever it was adopted, the prisoner was bound to the soldier by a single chain: in reference to which St. Paul, Acts xxviii. 20., tells the Jews, whom he had assembled, " For this cause, therefore, have I called for you to see you, and to speak with you, because that for the Hope of Israel I am bound with this chain," t:^*' aXvaiv tuvttjv neglxstjuui. It is in exact conformity, therefore, with the truth of St. Paul's situation at the time, that he declares of himself (Eph. vi. 20.), TTQeaSsvui iv ulvaei. And the exactness is the more remarkable, as akvaig^ a chain, is no where used in the singu- lar number to express any other kind of custody. When the prisoner's hands or feet were bound together, the word was dea^iol, " bonds," Acts xxvi. 29. When the prisoner was confined between two soldiers, as in the case of Peter (Acts xii. 6.), two chains were employed ; and it is said upon his miraculous deliverance, that the "chains" {uXvasig, in the plural) "fell from his hands." — Paley's Horee PaulinrB. Note 13.— Part XIV. ON THE DATE AND OCCASION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. The Epistles which follow in this part of the Arrangement -were written by St. Paul during his imprisonment at Rome. This will appear from the allusions which are repeatedly made by him to that event. In this Epistle to the Ephesians we meet with — "I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles," chap. iii. 1. "I therefore (the prisoner of the Lord) beseech you,'' chap. iv. 1. "For which I am an ambassador in bonds," chap. vi. 20. ; and we know that Tychicus, by whom the Epistle was probably sent, chap. vi. 21.. as the subscription affirms, was with him during his first imprisonment. As St. Paul does not speak of the probability of his release, we may con- clude, with Dr. Lardner, Bishop Tomline, Mr. Home, and others, that it was written in the early part of his imprisonment. Many learned men have doubted whether this Epistle was sent to the Church at Ephesus. They tliink that the propor direction is, The Epistle of Paul to the Lnodiceuns ; and sup- pose it to be the same which the Apostle men- tions Coloss. iv. 16., " When this Epistle is la* 376 NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIV. read among you, cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans ; and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea." Dr. Paley's arguments in the affirmative are entitled to much regard. " Although it does not appear," he observes, "to have ever been disputed that the Epistle before us was written by St. Paul, yet it is well known that a doubt has long been entertained concerning the persons to whom it was ad- dressed. The question is founded partly in some ambiguity in the external evidence. Marcion, a heretic of tlie second century, as quoted by Tertullian, a father in the beginning of the third, calls it. The Epistle, to the Laodi- ceans. From what we know of Marcion, his judgment is little to be relied upon ; nor is it perfectly clear that Marcion was rightly under- stood by Tertullian. If, however, Marcion be brought to prove tliat some copies in his time gave ' Ev Aao8t,Hela in the superscription, his testimony, if it be truly interpreted, is not diminished by his heresy ; for, as Grotius observes, 'cur in ea re mentiretur nihil erat causae.' The name 'Ev ' Eqiiaa, 'In Ephesus,' in the first verse, upon which word singly depends the proof that the Epistle was written to the Ephesians, is not read in all the manu- scripts now extant. I admit, however, that the external evidence preponderates with a mani- fest excess on the side of the received reading. The objection, therefore, principally arises from the contents of the Epistle itself, which in many respects militate with the supposition that it was written to the Church of Ephesus. According to the history, St. Paul had passed two whole years at Ephesus, Acts xix. 10., and in this point, viz. of St. Paul having preached for a considerable length of time at Ephesus, the history is confirmed by the two Epistles to the Corinthians, and by the two Epistles to Timothy. ' I will tarry at Ephesus until Pente- cost,' 1 Cor. xvi. 8. ' We would not have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia,' 2 Cor. i. 8. ' As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia,' 1 Tim. i. 3. ' And in how many tilings he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest well,' 2 Tim. i. 18. I adduce these testimonies because, had it been a competition of credit between the history and the Epistle, I should have thought myself bound to have preferred the Epistle. Now every Epistle wliich St. Paul wrote to tlie Churches which he himself had founded, or which he had visited, abounds with references and appeals towhat had passed during the time that he was present among thnm ; wliere- as there is not a text in the Epistle to the Ephesians from which we can collect that he had ever been at Ephesus at all. The two Epistles to the Cor- inthians, the Epistle to the Galatians, the Epistle to the Philippians, and the two Epistles to the Thessalonians, are of this class ; and they are full of allusions to the Apostle's history, his recep- tion, and his conduct whilst amongst them ; the total want of which, in the Epistle before us, is very difficult to account for, if it was in truth written to the Church of Ephesus, in which city he had resided for so long a time. This is the first and strongest objection. But farther, the Epistle to the Colossians was addressed to a Church in which St. Paul had never been. This we infer from the first verse of the second chap- ter : ' For I would tliat ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.' There could be no propriety in thus joining the Colossians and the Laodiceans with those 'who had not seen his face in the flesh,' if they did not also belong to the same descrip- tion. Now his address to the Colossians, whom he had not visited, is precisely the same as his address to the Christians, to whom he wrote in the Epistle which we are considering: 'We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,' Col. i. 3, 4. Thus he speaks to the Ephesians, in the Epistle before us, as follows ; ' Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,' chap. i. 15. The words 'having heard of your faith and love,' are the very words we see, which he uses towards strangers ; and it is not probable that he should employ the same in accosting a Church in which he had long exer- cised his ministry, and whose faith and love he must have personally known. The Epistle to the Romans was written before St. Paul had been at Rome ; and his address to them runs in the same strain with that just now quoted : ' I thank my God, through Jesus Christ, for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world,' Rom. i. 8. Let us now see what was the form in which our Apostle was accustomed to introduce his Epistles, when he wrote to those with whom he was already acquainted. To the Corinthians it was this : ' I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ ; ' 1 Cor. i. 4. To the Philippians, 'I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,' Phil. i. 3. To the Thes- salonians : ' We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers ; remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love,' 1 Thess. i. 2, 3. To Timothy : ' I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day,' 2 Tim. i. 3. In tliese quotations it is usually liis remembrance, and never his hearing of them, whicli he makes the subject of his thankfulness to God. " As great difficulties stand in the way, sup- Note 13.] ON THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. *377 posm;^ the Epistle before us to have been ■writ- ten to the Cinirch at Ephesus ; so I think it probable that it is actually the Epistle to the Laodiceans, referred to in tlie fourth chapter of the Epistle to tiie Colossians. The text whicli contains tliat reference is this : ' When this Epistle is read among you, cause that it be road also in the Church of the Laodiceans, and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea,' Col. iv. 1(3. The Epistle from Laodicea was an Epistle sent by St. Paul to tiiat Church, and by them transmitted to Colosse. The two Churches were mutually to communicate the Epistles they had received. Tiiis is tlie way in which tlie direction is explained by tlje greater part of commentators, and is the most probable sense that can be given to it. It is also probable that the Epistle alluded to was an Epistle which had been received by the Church of Laodicea lately. It appears, then, with a considerable degree of evidence, tliat there existed an Epistle of St. Paul nearly of the same date with the Epistle to the Colossians, and an Epistle directed to a Church (for such the Church of Laodicea was) in which St. Paul had never been. What has been observed concerning the Epistle before us shows that it answers perfectly to that character. " Nor does the mistake seem very difficult to account for. Whoever inspects the map of Asia Minor will see, that a person proceeding from Rome to Laodicea would probably land at Ephesus, as the nearest frequented seaport in that direction. Miglit not Tychicus then, in passing through Ephesus, communicate to tlie Christians of that place the letter with which he was charged ? And might not copies of that letter be multiplied and preserved at Ephesus ? Miglit not some of the copies drop the words of designation ' Ef Tf| AuoSmelq, which it was of no consequence to an Ephesian to retain ? Might not copies of the letter come out into the Christian Church at large from Ephesus ; and might not this give occasion to a belief that the letter was written to that Church ? And, lastly, might not this belief produce the error which we suppose to have crept into the in- scription ? "And it is remarkable, that there seem to have been some ancient copies witliout the words of designation, either the words ' In Ephesus,' or the words 'In Laodicea.' St. Basil, a writer of the fourth century, has this very singular passage : ' And writing to the Ephesians, as truly united to him who is through knowledge, he (Paul) calleth them in a peculiar sense ' such who are ;' saying, to the saints wlio are, and (or even) the faithful in Christ Jesus; ibr so those before us have transmitted it, and >ve have found it in ancient copies.' Dr. Mill interprets (and, notwithstanding some objections that have been made to him, in my opinion, rightly interprets) these words of Basil, as declaring that this father had seen certain VOL. II. *48 copies of the Epistle in which the words < in Ephesus' were wanting. And the passage must be considered as Basil's fanciful way of explaining what was really a corrupt and defec- tive reading ; for I do not believe it possible that tlie author of the Epistle could have ori- ginally written uyloig lolg olaiv, without any name of place to follow it." Such are the arguments of Dr. Paley on this side of the question. All the ancient fathers and Christian writers, with Bishop Tomline, Home, and many others of our best critics, have espoused tlie contrary opinion, which is well represented by Dr. Lardner, wlio observes, " That this Epistle was sent to the Church at Ephesus, we are assured by the testimony of all catholic Christians of all past ages. This we can now say with confidence, having ex- amined the principal Christian writers of the first age, to the beginning of the twelfth cen- tury, in all which space of time there appears not one who had any doubt about it. Of these testimonies, that of Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, in the end of the first century, is very remark- able. In a letter which he wrote to the Ephe- sians from Smyrna, in his way to Rome, he says (chap, xii.), ' Ye are the companions in the mysteries of the Gospel of Paul the sanctified, the martyr, deservedly most happy ; at whose feet may I be found, when I shall have attained unto God, who, nuayj imarlyl-ri (for oA/y tmaT^liq, as Tiaaa olxodojut), Eplies. ii. 21. is first for okij,) throughout all his Epistle, makes mention of you in Christ.' The Greek piirase signifies honorable mention, (Matt. xxvi. 13. Mark xiv. 9. Acts x. 4.) Ignatius means, that St. Paul commends the Ephesians throughout the whole of the Epistle, without blaming them, as he did in iiis letters which were addressed to some others, by calling them companions or partakers of the 7nijsteries of the Gospel of Paid, he alluded to those passages in the present Epistle of the Ephesians, where the Gospel is represented as a mystery made known to the Apostle, and by him to them. Ignatius having thus described the Epistle to the Ephesians, there can be no doubt as to the genuineness of its inscription ; for it is by some supposed that the Epistle of Ignatius was only written forty-five years after that of the Epistle to the Ephesians." Michaelis has shown, at considerable length, that the omission of the word ohaiv, " who are," was the subject of Basil's implied censure, as being hostile to the inference he wished to deduce, and not the omission of the words ^i- ' Eqpiaa. And as this father, in another passage of his writings, expressly cites the Epistle to the Ephesians" witliout any hesitation, it is ■" Stoch, Dc Epislolis .ipostolorum nan deperdi- t'ls. pp. 101, et seq. Michaelis, vol. iv. p. 128- 14G. Lardner's Works. 8vo. vol. vi. pp. 416-4.5(5. 4to. vol. iii. pp. 342-362. Macknight on Col. iv. 16. Bishop Middleton On the Greek drticJe. pp. 378* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIV. evident that in his time (the latter part of the fourth century) this Epistle was not considered as being addressed to the Laodiceans. The passages quoted by Dr. Paley admit of easy and satisfactory interpretations, which directly refute his hypothesis. It will be recol- lected, that four or five years had elapsed since St. Paul had quitted Ephesus ; he might there- fore with great propriety express (in i. 15.) his complacency on hearing that they continued steadfast in the faith, notwithstanding the various temptations to which they were exposed. Again, the expression (in iii. 2.) (ei'j'c i^xovaure zriv olxorofilui') which many translate and under- stand to mean, " if ye have heard of the dis- pensation ;" more correctly means, " since ye have heard the dispensation" of the grace of God, which had been made known to them by St. Paul himself. Consequently this verse affords no countenance to the hypothesis above mentioned. The same remark applies to chap, iv. 21., where a similar construction occurs, which ought in like manner to be rendered, "since indeed ye have heard him," &c. With respect to the direction given by St. Paul in Col. iv. 16., that the Colossians should cause the Epistle which he wrote to them to be " read also in the Church of the Laodiceans, and that they should likewise read the Epistle from Lao- dicea," it is highly probable (as Rosenmiiller has remarked) that by " the Epistle from Laodi- cea," St. Paul meant a letter addressed to him by the Church of Laodicea, in answer to which he wrote the letter addressed to the Colossians (as being the larger Church) desiring that they would send it to the Laodiceans, and get a copy of tlie Epistle which the latter had sent to St. Paul, in order that the Colossians might better understand his reply. Michaelis and Haenlein, after Archbishop Usher and Bengel, get rid of all the difficulties attending this question, by supposing the Epistle to have been encyclical or circular, being ad- dressed to the Ephesians, Laodiceans, and some otlier Churches in Asia Minor. But it could hardly be circular in the sense in which Mi- chaelis understands that term : for he supposes that the different copies transmitted by St. Paul had iv ' E(fium, " at Ephesus," ^v ^landixelq, " at Laodicea," &c. as occasion required ; and that the reason wjiy all our manuscripts read iv 'Ecpiau), is, that when the books of the New Testament were first collected, the copy used was obtained from Ephesus: but this (Bishop Middleton observes) seems to imply what can- not be proved, that the canon was established 508-518, who observes, that if ever there were an Epistln from St. Paul to the Laodiceans, it is lost ; for tliat which is extant in Fabricius and Jones's work On the Canon, (to vvliicii we may add Pri- tius,) is universally allowed to be a forgery ; yet the loss of a canonical writing is of all suppositions the most improbable. — See Tlorne'a Crit. Introduct. by authority, and that all copies of this Epistle not agreeing with the approved edition were suppressed. Dr. Macknight is of opinion, that St. Paul sent the Ephesians word by Tychicus, who car- ried their letter, to send a copy of it to the Laodiceans, with an order to them to communi- cate it to the Colossians. This hypothesis will account, as well as that of Michaelis, for the want of those marks of personal acquaintance which the Apostle's former residence might lead us to expect, and on which so much stress has been laid ; for every thing local would be purposely omitted in an Epistle which had a farther destination. Dr. Lardner enumerates a variety of passages which apply better to the Ephesians than to any other people ; particularly those which show that the Apostle was well acquainted with those whom he was addressing (see chap, i. 13.) : also at the end of the chapter, where, after speaking of Christ as filling all his mem- bers with his gifts and gi-aces, he adds, (chap, ii. 1.) " And you who were dead in trespasses and sins." Chap. iv. 20. " But ye have not so learned Christ." Ver. 21. " Seeing ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus." Now, could the Apostle say these things, unless he had been well ac- quainted with the persons to whom he wrote ? or rather, unless they had been instructed and endowed with the spiritual gifts by himself? Farther, if the Apostle had not been well ac- quainted with the persons to whom he was writing, and if they had not been his own con- verts, would they have taken such an interest in him, as to make it proper for him to send Tychicus to make known all things to them concerning himself? (chap. vi. 21, 22.) The salutation sent to the brethren in Laodicea (Coloss. iv. 15.) is a strong presumption that the Epistle in the canon inscribed to the Ephe- sians was not to the Laodiceans. For the Epistle to the Colossians being written at the same time with the supposed Epistle to the Laodiceans, and sent by the same messenger, Tychicus (Eph. vi. 21. Coloss. iv. 7, 8.), is it probable, that in the Epistle to the Colossians, tlie Apostle would think it needful to salute the brethren in Laodicea, to whom he had written a particular letter, in which he had given them his apostolical benediction ? We will finish the argument in the words of Dr. Chandler, who observes, " It is not material to whom the Epistle was inscribed, whether to the Ephesians or Laodiceans, since the authority of the Epistle doth not depend on the persons to whom it was written, but on the person who indited it, which was St. Paul, as the letter itself testifies, and all genuine antiquity confirms." That this Epistle was designed for the use not only of the Athenians, but of all the breth- ren in the proconsular Asia, not excepting thoso Note 14.] ON THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS. *379 to whom the Apostle was personally unknown, may be inferred from the inscription of the Epistle, and from its concluding benedictions. " The saints in Ephcsus, and the believers in Christ Jesus," appear to describe different persons ; the latter may relate to all the be- lievers in the province of Asia. A distinction is also made in the benediction, (chap. vi. 23, 24.) " Peace be to the brethren" (at Ephesus), and then " grace be with all them who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity," that is, with all the faithful brethren in the proconsular Asia. That a considerable intercourse existed between the Churches of the proconsular Asia and that of Ephesus is evident from the First Epistle to the Corinthians, which was written from Ephe- sus, where, instead of mentioning the Church of Ephesus by itself, as saluting the Corin- thians, the salutation is from the Churches of Asia in general, comprehending Ephesus among the rest, (1 Cor. xvi. 19.) St. Paul usually addressed his letters to the Churches in the great cities, yet they were designed, as the inscriptions prove, for all those of the neigh- bourhood. We may further add, that the per- fection of the moral admonition delivered in this Epistle, and the catholic manner in which other matters are treated corroborate the opin- ion that it was intended for the brethren of the province of Asia, which accounts for the omission of those allusions to particular persons and circumstances, which might have been ex- pected, had St. Paul been addressing only a Church planted by himself in a city where he had so long resided. Dr. Lardner places the Epistle to the Ephe- sians at the beginning of St. Paul's first im- prisonment. He proposes, in support of his opinion, the two following arguments : that Timothy, who joined the Apostle in his letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, is not mentioned in this Epistle, from which he infers that Timothy had not yet joined him at Rome. Dr. Macknight, who supposes it was written after the Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon, observes, that it is possible Timothy might only have lefl Rome for a short time, and refers to Heb. xiii. 23. Dr. Lardner's second argument is that already noticed, that the Apostle does not express an expectation of an early release, as in the Epistle to the Philippians. Macknight, how- ever, is of opinion, that no inference can be drawn from this circumstance. The Apostle, he observes, in his Epistle to the Colossians, makes as little mention of his release as in his Epistle to the Ephesians. And yet all allow that that Epistle was written and sent with the Epistle to Philemon, in which the Apostle expressed the strongest hope of that event. He did not think it necessary, it seems, to men- tion his enlargement in his letter to the Colos- sians, because he had ordered Tychicus to inform them of it (iv. 7.) " All things concern- ing me, Tychicus will make known to you." For the same reason he may have omitted men- tioning his release to the Ephesians, as may be inferred from Eph. vi. 21. "But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus will make known to you all things." The phraseology here deserves notice, " that ye also may know ;" which he thinks implies, that at this time the Apostle had ordered Tychicus to make known all things con- cerning him to some others, namely, to the Colossians ; consequently that the two Epistles were written about the same time ; and as Tychicus and Onesimus, to whom the Apostle delivered his Epistle to the Colossians and to Philemon, were to take Ephesus in their way, he gave them his letter to the Ephesians like- wise, and ordered them, when they delivered it, to enjoin the Ephesians to send a copy of it to the Laodiceans, with directions to send a tran- script, taken from their copy, to the Colossians. Tychicus and Onesimus, therefore, taking Ephe- sus in their way, delivered the Apostle's letter to the Church in that city, as they were direct- ed ; then proceeded with the letter to the Co- lossians p.nd to Philemon, which, when they delivered, their commission was at an end. Such are Dr. Macknight's arguments. It is evident, however, that this mode of reasoning is very inconclusive. I have placed the Epistle therefore at this period, and have been guided by the arguments of Dr. Lardner, which have been before considered, and which is consistent with the order of the Sacred Canon. From the frequent use of the word " mystery," and from other reasons, Macknight, Dr. Chand- ler, and other commentators, have supposed that St. Paul intended to illustrate the truths he enforces in this Epistle, by referring to the mysteries of Diana, which were celebrated at Ephesus, in the temple of that name. Dr. Macknight has largely discussed this subject. I have not adopted his opinions, as they appear to require farther confirmation. The allusions of St. Paul to the service and ministers of the Jewish temple seem to be made without any ref- erence to those of Diana. See the argument of Warburton and Leland in Macknight's Preface"*. Note 14.— Part XIV. Adam is expressly called in Scripture " the figure of him that was to come ;" and the circumstances which attended the formation of Eve were equally a figure of the creation of the "I- See Macknight's Preface, Paley's Harai Paur Una, Home, Michaelis, Bishop Tomline, Dr. Lard- ner, and their numerous references ; not only for this, but for the introduction to each of the Epis- tles.' 3S0* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIV. Church, of whom Eve was the common mother. As God took from Adam, while insensible in a deep sleep, part of himself for the formation of Eve, that she might receive a spiritual life ; so did God revivify the human body of our Saviour from the deep sleep of death, for the purpose of conferring spiritual life on mankind. And as Adam gave his flesh for the woman, so did Christ his flesh for the Church, And as the wife is made one flesh with the husband, so must the Church be spiritually united to Christ, and be made one with him through the Spirit, for which purpose he has incorporated the human with the divine nature, that both may be united by the same holy Spirit. Woman was created and brought to life from the side of Adam, and the Church was created or regener- ated by the piercing of the body of Christ. Note 15.— Part XIV. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. St. Paul planted a church at Philippi, A. D. 50, the particulars of which are related in Acts xvi. 9-40. part xii. sect. 8, of this Arrangement ; and it appears from Acts xx. 6. part xiii. sect. 12. that he visited them again, A. D. 58, though no particulars are recorded concerning that visit. Of all the Churches planted by St. Paul, that at Philippi seems to have cherished the most tender concern for him ; and though it appears to have been but a small community, yet its members were peculiarly generous to- wards him. For when Christianity was first planted in Macedonia, no other church contrib- uted any thing to his support, except the Philip- pians ; who, while he was preaching at Thessa- lonica, the metropolis of that country, sent him money twice, that the success of the Gospel might not be hindered by its preachers becom- ing burdensome to the Thessalonians, (Phil. iv. 15, 16.) The same attention they showed to the Apostle, and for the same reason, while he preached the Gospel at Corinth, (2 Cor. xi. 9.) And when they heard that St. Paul was under confinement at Rome, they manifested a similar affectionate concern for him, and sent Epaphro- ditus to him with a present, lest he should want necessaries during his imprisonment, (Phil. ii. 25. and iv. 10, 14-18.) The more immediate occasion of the Epistle to the Philippians was the return of Epaphrodi- tus, one of their pastors, by whom St. Paul sent it, as a grateful acknowledgment of their kind- ness in sending him supplies of money. From the manner in which St. Paul expressed himself on tliis occasion, it appears that he was in great want of necessaries, before thoir contributions arrived ; for, as he had not converted the Ro- mans, he did not consider himself as entitled to receive supplies from them. Being a prisoner, he could not work as formerly ; and it was his rule never to receive any tiling from the Churches where factions had been raised against him. It also appears that the Philippians were the only Church from whom he received any assistance, and that he conferred this honor upon them, because they loved him exceedingly, had preserved his doctrine in purity, and had always conducted themselves as sincere Christians. There is not much controversy concerning the date of this Epistle ; it was probably written in the end of A. D. 62, and about a year after that to the Ephesians. Dr. Paley conjectures the date by various intimations in the Epistle itself. " It purports," he says, " to have been written near the conclusion of St. Paul's im- prisonment at Rome, and after a residence in that city of considerable duration. These cir- cumstances are made out by different intima- tions, and the intimations upon the subject pre- serve among themselves a just consistency, and a consistency certainly unmeditated. First, the Apostle had already been a prisoner at Rome so long, as that the reputation of his bonds, and of his constancy under them, had contributed to advance the success of the Gos- pel. (See chap. i. 12-14.) Secondly, the ac- count given of Epaphroditus imports that St. Paul, when he wrote the Epistle had been in Rome a considerable time; 'He longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick ;' (chap. ii. 26.) Epaphroditus had been with St. Paul at Rome ; he had been sick ; the Philippians had heard of his sickness ; and he again had re- ceived an account how much they had been affected by the intelligence. "The passing and repassing of these advices must necessarily have occupied a large portion of time, and must have all taken place during St. Paul's residence at Rome. Thirdly, after a residence at Rome, thus proved to have been of considerable dura- tion, he now regards the decision of his fate as nigh at hand: he contemplates either alter- native, that of his deliverance, (chap. ii. 23, 24.) ' Him (Timothy) therefore I hope to send pres- ently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me ; but I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly ;' that of his condemnation, (ver. 17.) 'Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.' Tliis consistency is nat- ural, if the consideration of it be confined to the Epistle. It is farther material, as it agrees with respect to the duration of St. Paul's first im- prisonment at Rome, with the account delivered in the Acts, whicii having brought the Apostle to Rome, closes the history, by telling us that he dwelt there two whole years, in his own hired house."— Hor. Paul. p. 249. It is remark- able that this is the only Epistle that is free from the reprehensions and censures of the Note 1G, 17.] ON THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. *3S1 Apostle. The Philippians throughout are com- mended fur the excellence of their conduct, Avitli the exception of the caution, or perhaps slio-iit reproof, given (chap. ii. 3, 4.) on the sub- ject of vainglory and strife on the exercise of their spiritual gifts, which, as St. Chrysostom observes, " is a strong proof of the virtue of the Philippians, who gave their teacher no subject of complaint whatever." Note 16.— Part XIV. Commentators differ as to the person here spoken of; some consider the expression " yoke- fellow" to allude to Epaphroditus, the bearer of the Epistle, others that Syntyche (ver. 2.) was a man, the husband of Euodias, and was here referred to ; and another conjecture is, that Euodias and Syntyche were both female pres- byters, and that the husband of one of these women is the person alluded to by the Apostle, and that he is called a " true yoke-fellow" on account of his excellent character as a husband. Others, again, think that the jailor was intend- ed, who was one of St. Paul's chief converts at Philippi, and assisted him in the work of the Gos- pel. If none of these suppositions are admitted, it may have been addressed to some pailicular bishop or deacon mentioned in the salutation. The Clement referred to in this verse is sup- posed to have been the same who was after- wards bishop of Rome, and who wrote an Epistle to the Corinthians, which is still extant. Note 17.— Part XIV. ON THE DATE AND OCCASION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. This Epistle was written about the same time with that to the Philippians, towards the end of the year 62, and in the ninth of the Em- peror Nero. That the two Epistles were written about the same time is rendered probable by the follow- ing circumstance ; in the Epistle to the Philip- pians (chap. ii. 19.) St. Paul purposes to send Timothy to Philippi, who was then with him at Rome, that he might know their state. As Timothy joins in the salutation in the beginning of this Epistle, it is evident that he still con- tinued at Rome, and had not yet been sent to Pliilippi ; and as St. Paul wrote the former Epistle nearly at the close of his first imprison- ment at Rome, the two Epistles must have been written a short space from each other. By whom Christianity was first planted at Colosse, there is no certain information. To prove that St. Paul was not the first preacher. two passages are adduced. The first (chap. i. 4.), " having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus," is supposed to imply that he had only heard of their being converted by some other teacher. But the Apostle might express himself in that manner, and still have been the minister of their conversion ; for it was his constant practice to make inquiries concerning the faith of those whom ho had brought to the knowledge of the Gospel ; being particularly anxious to ascertain the influence which the Judaizing teachers had gained over his converts. It is therefore only probable, that when Epaphras came from 'Co- losse to the Apostle, that he would inquire con- cerning their state, and being informed that the greater part of them remained steadfast, that he would address them as "having heard of their faith." The Apostle used the same language to other persons and Churches, of whose con- version there can be no doubt that he was the instrument. The second passage from this Epistle, which is thought to prove that he never preached the Gospel in Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis, is chap. ii. 1. "I would that ye knew how great a conflict I have for you, and for them at Laod- icea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh." But this by no means im- plies that the brethren in Colosse and Laodicea had not seen the Apostle, when he thus ad- dressed them ; for, as Theodoret has observed, the Apostle's meaning is, that his conflict was not alone for the converted Gentiles in these places, but " for as many as had not seen his face in the flesh ;" for all the converted Gen- tiles every where, and in every age of the world. That this is the true meaning of the expressions, is further evident (he remarks) from the next verse, where the Apostle does not say, "tiiat your hearts may be comforted," as he would have done, if the Gentiles of Colosse and Laod- icea had been of the number of those who had not seen his face in the flesh, but " that their hearts," namely, those who have not seen my face in the flesh " may be comforted," as well as yours. It is further advanced, that the Apostle himself speaks of Epaphras as the spiritual father of the Colossians, chap. i. 7. " As ye also learned of Epaphras." But this seems rather to intimate that they had been taught the knowledge of the Gospel, not from the Apostle alone, but also by another, by Epaphras, a faithful minister of Christ, and fellow-laborer with the Apostle. Besides, if Epaphras had alone converted them, the Apostle, as Lardner remarks, instead of saying, chap. iv. 12., " Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Clirist, salutetli you," would liave said, " Epaphras, in whom ye believed," or some expression to tlie like purport. Dr. Lardner, Bishop Tomline, and others, arc of opinion that the Church at Colosse was founded by St. Paul ; and they ground their suppositions on the following considerations : o ;82* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIV that St. Paul was twice in Phrygia, in which country were the cities of Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis ; that he does in effect say, that he had dispensed the Gospel to the Colossians (chap. i. 21-25.), and that it appears, from the terms of affection and authority discoverable in this Epistle, that he did not address them as strang-ers, but as acquaintances, friends, and converts, (chap. ii. 5. and iv. 7, 8.) The Apostle also wrote the salutation with his own hand, as he did to the other Churches planted by him- self, and who knew his own writing ; whereas in the Epistle to the Romans, who were stran- gers to him, the salutation was written by Tertius. Dr. Lardner observes, that the Colossians were converted by an apostle is further proved from chap. ii. 6, 7. " Seeing then ye have re- ceived Christ Jesus the Lord, walk ye in him ; rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." This the Apostle could not have written to them, if their only teacher had been Epaphras, or any other who was not an apostle. See also chap. i. 6., which things, Dr. Lardner observes, demonstrate that the Colossians Avere converted by an apostle, and in that capacity he bears testimony to the fidelity of their own pastor, (chap. i. 7.) It is most probable, therefore, that the Churches in Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis were planted by St. Paul, with the assistance of Timothy, for which reason he is joined in the salutation of this Epistle. Macknight supposes that, before tlieir conversion, some of the Colossians had embraced the doctrines of Pythagoras, and others those of Plato, and that the Judaizers, to recommend the Law of Moses, affirmed that the former derived his discipline, and the latter his dogmas, from the .Tewish laws. It is certain that the abstinence from animal food, and the fastings and severities practised on the body, recommended by the Pythagorean precepts ; and the doctrines of Plato, concerning the agency of angels in human affairs, and the honor which is on that account due to them, are expressly condemned by the Apostle in this Epistle. As the Jewish teachers artfully suited their arguments to the opinions and characters of those they addressed, they might have pressed on the minds of the Colossians, to prove the ministry of angels, that angels conducted the Israelites into Canaan, and that the Law of Moses was given by their ministry. To those who were tinctured with the Platonic philosophy, they affirmed that it was arrogance in sinners to worship God without some mediator, and therefore they exhorted them to offer up their prayers to God through the mediation of angels, which was more acceptable to him than the mediation of Christ ; who could not be supposed to have the same power with God as the angels, wlio were employed by him in the government of the world ; and as the heathens and Jews were particularly attached to propitiatory sacri flees, we may conjecture, although not men tioned by the Apostle, that these false teachers, since there were no sacrifices appointed by the Gospel, taught that the Jewish sacrifices and purifications were to be continued as the means of justification. The whole scope of the Apos- tle's letter is to show the folly and vanity of these errors, by establishing the contrary truths. Lardner remarks, that in the Epistle which John wrote, by the command of our Lord, to the Church of the Ijaodiceans, traces of the same errors may be found, which the false teachers endeavoured to disseminate throughout Phrygia. For example, to sliow that angels are not supe- rior to Christ in dignity and power, and that they are not to be worshipped, he asserts his own power as governor of the world, in nearly the same words as St. Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians, (Rev. iii. 14. Coloss. i. 18.) See also the condemnation of the false teachers, who were puffed up with their pretended knowl- edge, and a corruption of the Law of Moses (Coloss. ii. 18. Rev. iii. 47.) ; and whereas St. Paul said to the Colossians (chap. ii. 10.), " Ye are complete in him, which is at the head of all principality and power ;" Christ said to the Laodiceans (Rev. iii. 18.), "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire," &c. Although the worship of angels was repressed for a time by the Apostle's Epistle to the Colossians, it aflerwards prevailed among them to such a degree, that the council which met at Laodicea, the capital of Phrygia, found it necessary to condemn that idolatry by their thirty-fifth canon, as Theodoret informs us, in his note on Coloss. ii. 18., which thus stands : " Christians ought not to leave the Church of God, and go and name angels, or gather assemblies. If, therefore, any one is found to practise this secret idolatry, let him be anatliema, because he has left our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and has turned to idolatry." This council is supposed to have been held, A. D. 363. Its last two canons de- clared what sacred books were to be publicly read in the Churches. From the similarity in the doctrine and phra- seology of this Epistle to that of the Ephesians, many have considered it as an epitome of the former ; yet, though there is a great similarity, which may give us reason to suppose the Apostle considered the two Churches in some things nearly in the same state, the Epistle to the Colossians relates to corruptions which are not even hinted at in the other Epistle. The general agreement of expression and sentiment between these two Epistles, and their having been forwarded by the same mes- senger (Rph. vi. 91. Coloss. iv. 7.), have induced many to supjioso they were written at the same time. In their arrangement I ha,ve been guided by Dr. Lardner, who considers this argument Note 18.-20.] ON THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON. *383 as not decisive, because Tychicus may have been sent twice from Rome into Asia by the Apostle, with letters, during a confinement of two years ; and because other reasons may have induced him to have written the same things to these Churches. He considers, as has been already observed, that as Timothy, who was joined with St. Paul in the Epistles to the Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, is not united with him in liis Epistle to the Ephe- sians, he had left Rome, and did not return to that city till after the Epistle to tlie Ephesians had been written. Epaphras, who was sent by the Colossians to comfort the Apostle by the assurances of their affectionate regard under his imprisonment, and to bring them back word how matters went with him, became so obnoxious to the Roman magistrates, that he was imprisoned by them (Philemon, 23.) on account of his exertions in the cause of the Gospel ; on this account Tychicus and Onesimus, whom the Apostle had converted and sent back to Colosse, were made the bearers of this Epistle. pensation — we are all called upon to fulfil the spirit of the Mosaic Law. Note 18.— Part XIV. The Apostle, in this expression, seems evi- dently to refer to the Jewish law, in allusion, perhaps, to Numb. v. 23. But as the Gentiles seem also to be included by him, the handicrit- ing of ordinances must signify the law of con- science, the transgression of whose precepts subjected the Gentiles to death. The law of conscience may be regarded as comprised in or united to the Law of Moses, by which these precepts were more generally promulgated, and rigorously enforced, subjecting alike all man- kind to the curse of eternal death, which curse was abolished, or blotted out, by the death of Christ. We must otherwise suppose that the Apostle, by changing the form of his words, you into us, in this instance, addressed the Jews, confining this expression to their Jewish ritual, which was now by the death of Christ blotted out, and entirely abolished ; thereby intimating that neither Jew nor Gentile was bound any longer by its observance ; that it was now entirely cancelled, as other bonds were, by being struck through with a nail ; that, as it no longer existed to separate Jews and Gentiles, they were all admitted to the same equal privileges, the same condition of salva- tion, through faith in Christ Macknight, how- ever, is of a different opinion, and supposes that the moral and not the ritual precepts of the Law of Moses, to which the curse was an- nexed, were blotted out ; but as Christ expressly (Icclnrcs lie came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil it ; its moral precepts, engraven on our coaociences, must be binding under every dis- NoTE 19.— Part XIV. This expression is variously translated. Commentators suppose it alludes to the first elements, or principles of science ; to the first beginnings of piety, or the first principles of religion and philosophy. Locke refers it to " the Law ;" and Dr. Clarke observes, that the observances of Jewish rites and ceremonies were only rudiments, first elements, or tlie alphabet out of which the whole science of Christianity was composed. We have often seen that the ivorld, and this world, signify the Jewish dispensation, or the rites, ceremonies, and services performed under it. Note 20.— Part XIV. ON THE DATE AND OCCASION OF THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON. Philemon, to whom this Epistle is addressed, was an inhabitant of Colosse, as appears from St. Paul's mentioning Onesimus in his Epistle to the Colossians (iv. 9.) as one of them, and also from his saluting Archippus in this Epistle (ver. 2.), who appears, from Col. iv. 17., to have been a pastor of that Church. Philemon seems to have been a person of great worth as a man, and of some note as a citizen in his own coun- try ; for his family was so numerous, that it made a Church by itself, or at least a consider- able part of the Church atColosse,(ver. 2.) He was likewise so opulent, that he was able, by the communication of his faith, that is, by his beneficence, to refresh the bowels of the saints, (ver. 6, 7.) According to Grotius, Philemon was an elder of Epliesus ; Beausobre and Dr. Doddridge suppose him to have been one of the ministers of the Colossian Church ; and from St. Paul's requesting him (ver. 22.) to provide a lodging for him at Colosse, Michaelis thinks that he was a deacon of that Church. These opinions appear to have been founded on the inscription of this Epistle, where St. Paul calls him a fellow-laborer. But this appella- tion, as Drs. Whitby, Lardner, and Macknight have remarked, is of ambiguous signification ; being given not only to those who were em- ployed in preaching the Gospel, but also to such pious individuals, of either sex, as assisted the apostles in any manner. Hilary, the dea- con, expressly calls him one of the laity ; Theo- doret, Oi^cumenins, and Theophylact appear to be of the same opinion. Philemon was most probably a converted Gentile, and, from the 19th verse of this Epistle 384 * NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [P ART XIV. it is generally supposed that he was converted under the ministry of St. Paul ; but, from the Apostle's saying, in the 5tli verse, that he had heard of Philemon's faith in Christ, it is a dis- puted point with commentators. We learn, from this Epistle, that Onesimus was the slave of Philemon, whom he had prob- ably robbed ; though Macknight and Dr. Lard- ner are of opinion that St. Paul's expression, in ver. 18, docs not insinuate tiiat Onesimus had robbed liis master of any thing but his service, and tliat he then ran away as far as Rome. Whether he repented of what lie had done, and voluntarily went to St. Paul, or in what other manner they came to meet there, we have no information. But the Apostle, during his con- finement "in liis own hired house," opened a way to the heart of the rude slave, converted him to the Christian faith, and baptized him. It also appears that St. Paul kept Onesimus with him for some time, to wait upon himself, until Onesimus, by his conduct, confirmed the truth and sincerity of his conversion. During his abode with the Apostle, he served him with the greatest assiduity and afi:ection ; but, being sensible of his fault in running away from his master, he wished to repair that injury by returning to him. At the same time being afraid lest, on his return, his master should inflict upon him the punishment of torture, or death, which by the law or custom of Phrygia he was empowered to do to a fugitive slave, he entreated St. Paul to write to Philemon in his behalf, and request him to forgive and receive him again into his family. The Apostle there- fore wrote this Epistle to Philemon, " in which, with the greatest softness of expression, warmth of affection, and delicacy of address, he not only interceded for Onesimus's pardon, but urged Philemon to esteem him, and put confi- dence in him as a sincere Christian. And because restitution, by repairing the injury that lias been done, restores the person who did the injury to the character which he had lost ; the Apostle, to enable Onesimus to appear in Phil- emon's family with some degree of reputation, bound himself in this Epistle by his handwriting not only to repay all that Onesimus owed to Phil- emon, but to make full reparation also to Phile- mon for whatever injury he had done to him by running away." To account for the solicitude expressed by St. Paul in this Epistle, in order to obtain Onesiuius's pardon and procure a thorough reconciliation, it is not necessary to suppose, with some critics, that Philemon was keen and obstinate in his resentments, or of that rough and intractable disposition for which tlie Phrygians Avere proverbial. The contrary is insinuated by the Apostle, who has in other places commended his benevolence and charity. It is most probable, as Dr. Macknight has conjectured, that Philemon had a number of slaves, on whom the pardoning of Onesimus too easily might have had a bad effect ; and therefore he might judge some punishment necessary as an example to the rest. At least St. Paul could not have considered the pardoning of Onesimus as an affair tliat merited so much earnest en- treaty, with a person of Philemon's piety, benevolence, and gratitude, unless he had sus- pected him to have entertained some such intention. Whether Philemon forgave or punished One- simus is a circumstance concerning which we have no information. From the earnestness with which the Apostle solicited his pardon, and from the generosity and goodness of Phil- emon's disposition, the eminent critic above cited conjectures that he actually pardoned Onesimus, and even gave him his freedom, in compliance with the Apostle's insinuation, as it is interpreted by some, that " he would do no more than he had asked." For it was no un- common thing, in ancient times, to bestow free- dom on those slaves whose faithful services had procured for them the esteem and good will of their masters. The primitive Christians preserving this Epistle, and placing it in the Sacred Canon, Dr. Benson remarks, are strong arguments to induce us to believe that Phile- mon granted the Apostle's request, and received Onesimus into his house and favor again. As Onesimus was particularly recommended by Paul to the notice of the Colossians (ch. iv. 9.), it cannot be doubted that they cheerfully received him into their Church. In the Apos- tolical Constitutions", Onesimus is said to have been bishop of Berea ; but they are a compila- tion of the fourth century, and consequently of no authority. Wlien Ignatius wrote his Epistle to the Ephesians (A. D. 107), their bishop's name was Onesimus ; and Grotius thought that lie was tlie person for whom St, Paul interceded. But this, as Dr. Lardner-'^ remarks, is not cer- tain. Dr. MilF has mentioned a copy, at the conclusion of which it is said that Onesimus suffered martyrdom at Rome, by having his legs broken. That this Epistle was written from Rome, about the same time with those to the Philip- pians and Colossians, is proved by several coin- cidences. " As Ihe letter to Philemon, and that to the Colossians, were written," says Dr. Paley, " at the same time, and sent by the same messenger, the one to a particular inhabitant, the other to the Ciiurch of Colosse, it may be expected that the same, or nearly the same persons, would be about St. Paul, and join with him, as was the practice, in the salutations of the Epistle. Accordingly we find the names of Aristarchus, Marcus, Epaphras, Luke, and Demas in both Epistles. Timothy, who is joined with St. Paul in the superscription of " Lib. viii. c. 46. / Works. 8vo, vol. vi. p. 381 ; 4to. vol. iii. p. 324. «■ Nov. test. Millii et Kusteri, p. 513. Note 21.] ON THE EPISTLE TO PHILEMON. *385 the Epistle to the Colossiaiis, is joined with him also in this. Tychicus did not salute Philemon, because he was the bearer, with Onesiinus, of" the Epistle to Colosse, and would undoubtedly there see Philemon." That when the Apostle wrote the former Epistle, he was in bonds (Col. iv. 3, 18.); which was the case also when he wrote this (see ver. 1. 10, 1-3, 23.) ; from which, and various other circumstances, Vv'e may conclude that they were written about the same time, in the ninth year of Nero, A. D. 62. As some have thought it strange that a private letter, of a particular business and friendship, should have been admitted into the Sacred Canon, not only as a genuine production of St. Paul, but as also designed by the Holy Spirit for the edification of the Church, it will be necessary to show the important lessons and duties it enforces. In a religious view, and upon a spiritual account, it sets before church- men of the highest dignity, a proper example of attention to the people under their care, and an affectionate concern for their individual welfare. It teaches us that all Christians, in their rela- tionship to God, are on a level. Onesimus the slave, upon becoming a Christian, is the Apos- tle's dear son, and Philemon's brother. Chris- tianity makes no alteration in men's civil affairs. By Christian baptism a slave did not become a freedman ; his temporal estate or condition was still the same ; and, though Onesimus was the Apostle's son and Philemon's brother upon a religious account ; yet he was obliged to be Philemon's slave for ever, unless his master voluntarily gave him his freedom. Servants should not be taken, or detained from their own masters, without their master's consent, (see ver. 13, 14.) We should love and do good unto all men, and make restitution where we have injured. We should not contemn persons of low estate, nor disdain to help the meanest slave, when it is in our power. The Apostle has here set us an example of benevolence, con- descension, and Christian charity, wliich it will well become us to follow. He took pains with and converted a slave, and in a most affection- ate and earnest manner interceded with his master for his pardon. We should be grateful to our benefactors. This St. Paul touches upon very gently, (ver. 19.), where he intimates to Phil- emon that he owed >mto himself also : and therefore, in point of gratitude, he was obliged to grant his request. We should forgive the penitent, and be heartily reconciled to them. The Apostle's example teaches us to do all we can to make up quarrels and differences, and reconcile those who are at variance. The bishops and pastors of the Christian Cluirch, and all teachers of religion, have here the most glorious example set before them, to induce them to have a most tender regard to the souls of men, of all ranks and conditions ; teaching VOL. II. 49 them not to despair of the souls of the wicked, but to do every thing in their power to convert them. It furnishes a noble example also of the influences of Christianity, which, if properly understood, and its doctrines properly applied, becomes the most powerful means of the me- lioration of men : the wicked and profligate, when brought under its influence, are trans- formed by it into useful and worthy members of society. It can convert a worthless slave into a pious, amiable, and useful man ; apd make him not only happier and better in him- self, but also a blessing to the community. The anxiety which the Apostle showed for the welfare of Onesimus, in return for his affectionate services, could not fail to cherish good dispositions in the breast of Philemon. We do a man a great kindness, when we even engage him in acts of mercy and benevolence. From this Epistle we learn what sort of man the Apostle was in private life. He has here displayed qualities which are in the highest estimation among men ; a noble spirit, arising from a consciousness of his own dignity, con- summate prudence, uncommon generosity, the warmest friendship, the most skilful address, and the greatest politeness, as well as purity of manners : qualities which are never found either in the enthusiast or impostor. There is something very persuasive in every part of this Epistle, yet the character of St Paul prevails in it throughout. The warm, affectionate, authoritative teacher is interceding with an absent friend for a beloved convert He urges his suit with an earnestness, befitting perhaps not so much the occasion, as the ardor and sensibility of his own mind. Here also, as every where, he shows himself conscious of the weight and dignity of his mission ; nor does he suffer Philemon for a moment to forget it: " / might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient." He is careful also to recall, though obliquely, to Philemon's mem- ory, the sacred obligation under which he had laid him, by bringing him to the knowledge of Christ ; "I do not say to thee, how thou owest to me, even thine own self besides." — See Adam Clarke in loc. v. 8. Note 21.— Part XIV. The term " prisoner," in this verse, is sup- posed by commentators not sufficiently to express the situation of St. Paul at Rome, and that the Greek Avord S^afuo; should be trans- lated, bound ivith a chain ; which it not only sigm- fies, but describes more accurately the circum- stances of the Apostle, who, from being confined for no crime against society, but for heresy in the Jewish religion, was allowed to live in his *GG 386* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPIS'l'LES. [Fart XIV, own hired house, with a soldier who kept him. To this soldier he was tied with a chain, fixed on his right wrist, and fastened to the soldier's left arm ; which being of sufficient length, permitted them to walk together without diffi- culty, wherever the labors of the Apostle directed him. Note 22.— Part XIV. The word Onesimus signifies " useful," or "profitable," from ofr^fii, "to profit," or "to help ; " which has induced some commentators to suppose, that both here, and in ver. 20, the Apostle makes an allusion to the signification of the name of his convert. Note 2a.— Part XIV. The apology made here by the Apostle is very similar to that of Joseph for his brethren, (Gen. xlv. 5.) Note 24.— Part XIV. ON THE DATE AND OCCASION OF THE EPJSTLE OF ST. JAMES. This Epistle of St. James, with those bear- ing the names of the apostles, Peter, Jude, and John, have been generally distinguished by the appellation of Catholic, for which various reasons have been assigned. Salmeron and others have imagined, that they were denominated Catholic, or General Epistles, because they were designed to be transcribed and circulated among the Christian Churches, that they might be perused by all ; for they contain that one catholic or general doctrine, which was delivered to the Churches by the apostles of our Saviour, and which might be read with advantage by the universal Church of Christ. In like manner they might be called canonical, as containing canons, or general rules and precepts, which concern all Christians. Others are of opinion that they received the appellation of Catholic, or General Epistles, because they were not written to one person, city, or church, like the Epistles of St. Paul, but to the Catholic Church, Christians in gen- eral, or to Christians of several countries, or at least to all the Jewish Christians, wherever they were dispersed over the face of tlio earth. CEcumenius, Leontius, Wiiitby, and others, have adopted this opinion, which, however, does not appear to be well founded. The Epistle of St. James was indeed written to the Christians of tlie twelve tribes of Israel, in their several dispersions ; but it was not inscribed to tlie Christians in Judasa, nor to Gentile Christians in any country whatever. The two Epistles of Peter were written to Christians in general, but particularly those who had been converted from Judaism. The First Epistle of John, and the Epistle of Jude were probably written to Jewish Christians ; and the Second and Third Epistles of John were unquestionably written to particular persons. A third opinion is that of Dr. Hammond, adopted by Dr. Macknight, and others, which appears the most probable. He supposes that the First Epistle of Peter and the First Epistle of John, havintr from the beo-inninjj been re- ceived as authentic, obtained the name of calho- lic, or universally acknotvledged, and therefore canonical Epistles, in order to distinguish them from the Epistle of James, the Second of Peter, the Second and Third of John, and the Epistle of Jude, concerning which doubts were at first entertained. But their authenticity being at length acknowledged by the generality of the Churches, they also obtained the name of catholic, or universally-received Epistles, and were esteemed of equal authority with the rest. They were also termed canonical by Cassio- dorus in the middle of the sixth century, and by the writer of the prologue to these Epistles, erroneously ascribed to Jerome. Du Pin says, that some Latin writers have called these epis- tles canonical, either confounding the name with catholic, or to denote that they are a part of the canon of the books of the New Testa- ment. The denomination of Catholic Epistles is of very considerable antiquity, for Eusebius uses it as a common appellation in the fourth cen- tury, and it was probably earlier: for St. John's first Epistle is repeatedly called a Catholic Epistle by Origen, and by Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, Of these Epistles, two only, viz. the First Epistle of St. Peter and the First Epistle of St. John, were universally received in the time of Eusebius ; though the rest were then well known. And Athanasios, Epiphanius, and later Greek writers, received seven Epis- tles, which they called catholic. The same ap- pellation was also given to them by Jerome. Although the authenticity of the Epistle of James, the Second of Peter, the Epistle of Jude, and the Second and Third Epistles of John, were questioned by some ancient fatJiers, as well as by some modern writers, yet we have every reason to believe that they are the genuine and authentic productions of the in- spired writers wliose names they bear. The primitive Christians were extremely and neces- snrily cautious in admitting any books into their canon, whose genuineness and authen- ticity tliey had any reason to suspect. They re- jected all the writings forged by heretics in the Note 24.] ON THE EPISTLE OF ST. JAMES. *387 names of the apostles, and therefore, most as- suredly, would not have received any, without .subjecting them to a severe scrutiny. Now, though these five Epistles were not immediately acknowledged as the writings of the apostles, this only shows that the persons who doubted had not obtained complete and incontestable evidence of their authenticity. But, as they were afterwards universally received, we have every reason to conclude, that, upon a strict examination, they were found to be the genuine productions of the apostles. Indeed the ancient Christians had such good opportunities for ex- amining this subject, they were so careful to guard against imposition, and so well founded was their judgment concerning the books of the New Testament, that, as Dr. Lardner has re- marked, no writing which they pronounced genuine has yet been proved spurious ; nor have we at this day the least reason to believe any book to be genuine which they rejected. The order in which these Epistles are placed varies in ancient authors ; but it is not very material in what manner they are arranged. Could we fix with certainty the date of each Epistle, the most natural order would be ac- cording to the time when they were written. Some have placed the three Epistles of St. John first, probably because he was the beloved disciple of our Lord. Others have given the priority to the two Epistles of St. Peter, because they considered him as the prince of the apos- tles. Some have placed the Epistle of James last, possibly because it was more lately re- ceived into the canon by the Christian Church in general. By others, this Epistle has been placed first, either because it was conjectured to have been the first written of the seven Epistles, or because St. James was supposed to have been the first bishop of Jerusalem, the most ancient and venerable, and the first of all the Christian Churches ; or because the Epistle was written to the Christians of the twelve tribes of Israel, who were the first believers. There have been a variety of different opin- ions, both as to the author of this Epistle, and the tin»e in which it was Avritten. The argu- ments of Macknight and Lardner, who attribute it to James the Less, are generally considered satisfactory. In the catalogue of the apostles (Matt. x. 2. Mark iii. 16. Luke vi. 14. Acts i. 13.) we find two persons of the name of James ; the first was the son of Zebedee (Matt. x. 2.), the second, in all the catalogues, is called the son of Alphseus ; one of tliese apostles is called (Gal. i. 19.) the Lord's brother. Wherefore as there were only twelve apostles, and as James, the son of Zebedee, so far as we know, was in no respect related to our Lord, the apostle called James, the Lord's brother, must have been James, the son of Alphseus, called also James the Less, or younger, whose relation to Christ will appear by comparing Mark xv. 40. with John xix. 25. In the former passage, Mark, speaking of the women who were present at the crucifixion, says, " There were also women looking on afar off": among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less, and of Joses, and Salom6." In the latter passage, John, speaking of the same women, says, " There stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene :" wherefore our Lord's mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Cleophas, mentioned by John, is, in all proba- bility, the person whom Mark calls Mary, the motlier of James the Less, and of Joses : con- sequently Iter sons, James and Joses, were our Lord's cousins-german by his mother. And as the Hebrews called all near relations brethren, it is more than probable that James, the son of AlphcBus, who was our Lord's cousin-german, is James the Lord's brother, mentioned Gal. i. 19. Three circumstances confirm this opinion. 1. James and Joses, the sons of Mary, our Lord's mother's sister, are expressly called the brethren of Jesus, Matt. xiii. 55. Mark vi. 3. ; James, the son of our Lord's mother's sister, being distinguished from another James, by the appellation of the Less, Mark xv. 40. There is good reason to suppose that he is the James M'hom Mark, in his catalogue, distinguishes from James, the son of Zebedee, by the appel- lation of the son of Alpliseus. It is true, Mary, the mother of James and Joses, is called the wife of Cleophas, John xix. 25. But Cleophas and Alplioeus are the same name, differently pronounced ; the one according to the Hebrew, and the other according to the Greek ortho- graphy. 3. Of the persons called the brethren of Jesus (Matt. xiii. 55.), there are three men- tioned in the catalogue of apostles, James, and Simon, and Judas. They, I suppose, are the brethren of the Lord, who are said, as apostles, to have had a right to lead about a sister or a wife, &c. (1 Cor. ix. 5.) Jerome likewise thought James, the Lord's brother, was so called, because he was the son of Mary, our Lord's mother's sister. Lardner (Canon, vol. iii. p. 63.) says, "Jerome seems to have been the first who said our Lord's brethren were the sons of his mother's sister;" and that this opin- ion was at length embraced by Augustine, and has prevailed very much of late, being the opinion of the Romanists in general, and of Lightfoot, Witsius, Lampe, and many of the Protestants. On the other hand, Origen, Epi- phanius, and other ancient writers, botli Greeks and Latins, were of opinion that James, the Lord's brother, was not the son of the Virgin's sister, but of Joseph, our Lord's reputed father, by a former wife, who died before he espoused the Virgin. Of the same opinion were Vossius, Basnacre, and Cave, among the Protestants ; and Valosius among the Romanists. Epipha- 388* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIV. nius and Theophylact supposed that Joseph's first wife was the widow of Alphseus, who being Joseph's brother, Joseph married her, to raise up seed to him ; and therefore James, the issue of that marriage, was fitly called the son of Alphseus, and brother of our Lord. James the Less, the son of Alphseus, there- fore, we conclude to have been not only the Lord's near relation, but an apostle whom, as is generally supposed, he honored in a particular manner, by appearing to him alone, after his resurrection, 1 Cor. xv. 7. These circum- stances, together with his own personal merit, rendered him of such note among the apostles, that they appointed him to reside at Jerusalem, and to superintend the Church there. This appointment, Lardner says, was made soon after the martyrdom of Stephen : and in support of this opinion he observes, " that Peter always speaks first, as president among the apostles, until after the choice of the seven deacons." Every thing said of St. James after that implies his presiding in the Church of Jerusalem, (Canon, vol. iii. p. 28.) For example, when the apostles and elders at Jerusalem came together to consider whether it was needful to circum- cise the Gentiles after there had been much disputing, Peter spake, (Acts xv. 7.), then Bar- nabas and Paul, (ver. 12.) And when they had ended, James summed up the whole, and proposed the terms on which the Gentiles were to be received into the Church (ver. 19-21.), to which the whole assembly agreed, and wrote letters to the Gentiles, conformably to the opinion of James, (ver. 22-29.) From this it is inferred, that James presided in the council of Jerusalem, because he was president of the Church in that city. Chrysostom, in his Homily on Acts xv. says, " James was bishop of Jerusalem, and there- fore spake last." In the time of this council Paul communicated the Gospel which he preached among the Gentiles, to three of the apostles, whom he calls pillars, and tells us, that when they perceived the inspiration and miraculous powers which he possessed, they gave him the right hand of fellowship, mention- ing James first, (Gal. ii. 9.) " And perceiving the grace that was given unto me, James, Cephas, and John, who were pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship." This implies that James, whom in the first chapter he had called the Lord's brotlier, was not only an apostle, but the presiding apostle in the Church at Jerusalem. In the same chapter Paul, giving an account of what hap- pened after the council, says, (ver. 11.) '-When Peter was come to Antioch, before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles ; but when they were come he withdrew, and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision." This shows that James resided at Jerusalem, and presided in Uie Church there, and was greatly respected by the Jewish believers. The same circumstance appears from Acts xxi. 17., where, giving an account of St. Paul's journey to Jerusalem, with the collections from the saints in Judaea, St. Luke says, (ver. 18.) " St. Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present." Farther, the respect in which James was held by the apostles, appears from two facts recorded by St. Luke ; the first is, when St. Paul came to Jerusalem, three years after his conversion, Barnabas took him, and brought him to Peter and James, as the chief apostles. Compare Acts xxi. 18. with Gal. ii. 9. The second fact is, after Peter was miraculously delivered out of prison, about the time of the Passover, in the year 44, he came to the house of Mary, where many were gathered together praying, (Acts xii. 12.); and when he had declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison, he said, " Go, show these things to James, and to the brethren," (ver. 17.) These particulars are mentioned by Lardner, and before him by Whitby and Cave, to show that James, the Lord's brother, was really an apostle, in the strict acceptation of the word : consequently that Eusebius was mistaken when he placed him among the seventy disciples. — Eccles. Hist. lib. vii. c. 12. That the Epistle of James was early es- teemed an inspired writing, is evident from the following fact : — That while the Second Epistle of Peter, the Second and Third of Jolm, the Epistle of Jude, and the Revelation, are omit- ted in the first Syriac translation of the New Testament (the Peshito), which was made in the beginning of the second century, for the use of the converted Jews, the Epistle of James has found a place in it, equally with the books which were never called in question. This is an argument of great weight ; for cer- tainly the Jewish believers, to whom that Epistle was addressed and delivered, were much better judges of its authenticity than the converted Gentiles, to whom it was not sent, and Avho perhaps had no opportunity of being acquainted with it, till long after it was written. Wherefore, its being received by the Jewish believers is an undeniable proof that they knew it to be written by James the apostle ; whereas the ignorance of the Gentile believers, con- cerning this Epistle, is not even a presumption against its authenticity. That tlie converted Gentiles had little knowl- edge of the Epistle of James in the first ages may have been owing to various causes, such as that it was addressed to the Jews, and that the matters contained in it were personal to the Jews. For, on these accounts, the Jewish be- lievers may have thought it not necessary to communicate it to the Gentiles: and when it was made known to tliem, they may have scrupled to receive it as an inspired writing, NOTK '^4.] ON THE EPISTLE OF ST. JAMES. *389 for the following reasons: — 1. The writer does not, in the inscription, take the title of an apostle, but calls himself simply James, a servant of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ. — 2. Many of the ancients, by callinor the writer of this Epistle James the Just, have rendered his apostleship doubtful. — 3. As they have done likewise, by speaking of him commonly as bishop of Jerusalem, and not as an apostle of Christ. It is not surprising, therefore, that this Epistle was not received generally by the con- verted Gentiles ; consequently that it was not often quoted by them in their writings. But afterwards, when it was considered that this Epistle was from the beginning received by the Jewish believers, and that it was translated into the Syriac language for their use, and tiiat St. Paul, though an apostle, sometimes contented him- self with the appellation of a servant of Christ (Philip, i. 1. and Philem. ver. 1.), and sometimes took no appellation but his own name (1 Thess. i. 1. and 2 Thess. i. 1.); and that the Apostle John did not, in any of his Epistles, call himself an apostle, the title which the author of the Epistle of James had to be an apostle, was no longer doubted ; but he was generally acknowledged to be James, the son of Alphceus, and the Lord's brother, and his Epistle, after an accurate exam- ination, was received as an inspired writing. So Estius tells us, who affirms, that after the fourth century no Church nor ecclesiastical writer is found, who ever doubted of the authority of this Epistle ; but on the contrary, all the catalogues of the books of Scripture published, whether by general or provincial councils, or by Roman bishops, or other ortho- dox writers, since the fourth century, constantly number it among the canonical Scriptures. With respect to what is remarked by Euse- bius, that there are not many ancient writers who have quoted the Epistle of James, learned men have observed, that Clement of Rome has quoted it four several times : and so does Igna- tius, in his genuine Epistle to the Ephesians (sect. X. xii. xvii. xxx.), and Origen, in his thirteenth homily on Genesis, sect. v. That it was not better known is easily accounted for, as observed above, from the circumstance of its being particularly addressed to the whole Jewish nation, for the purpose of correcting the errors and vices which prevailed among them at the time it was written. On this account the Gentiles would feel themselves comparatively but little interested, and would therefore be less anxious to obtain copies of it. The seeming opposition of the doctrine of this Epistle to the doctrine of St. Paul, concerning justification by faith, without the works of the Law, may have occasioned it also to have been less re- garded by the most ancient writers. Michaelis is of a diiferent opinion respecting the author of this Epistle. " All things con- sidered," says he, " I see no reason for the VOL. II. assertion, that James, the son of Zebedee, was not the author of this Epistle. One circum- stance affords, at least, a presumptive argument in favor of the opinion, that it was really writ- ten by the Elder James, and at a time when the Gospel had not been propagated among the Gentiles, namely, that it contains no exhorta- tions to harmony between the Jewish and Gentile converts ; which, after the time that the Gentiles were admitted into the Church, became absolutely necessary. Had it been written after the apostolic council of Jerusalem, mentioned Acts xv., and by the younger James, we might have expected that at least some allusion would be made in it to the decree of that council, which was propounded by the younger James in favor of the Gentile converts as their brethren." On this controverted and uncertain point, I have followed the majority of commentators, and have considered James, the Lord's brother, as the author of this Epistle. His history is fully and ably collected by Dr. Lardner, from the writings of the ancient fathers ; and to his labors the reader is more particularly referred. He concludes this part of his labors with ob- serving, that the time of the death of James ma)' be determined without much difficulty : he was alive when St. Paul came to Jerusalem at the Pentecost, in the year of Christ 58 ; and it is likely that he was dead when St. Paul wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews, at the beginning of the year 63. Theodoret, upon Heb. xi. 37., supposes the Apostle there to refer to the mar- tyrdoms of Stephen, James the brother of John, and James the Just. According to He- gesippus, the death of James happened about the time of the Passover, which might be that of the year 62 ; and if Festus was then dead, and Albinus not arrived, the province was without a governor. Such a season left the Jews at liberty to gratify their licentious and turbulent disposition, and they were likely to embrace it. The Epistle, therefore, as the work of James the Less, must have been written about this time, A. D. 62. As it concludes abruptly, it has been considered as a posthumous writing, left unfinished by the premature and violent death of the Apostle''. Bishop Tomline, and others, are of opinion that this Epistle was addressed to the believing Jews who were dispersed all over the world ; Grotius and Dr. Wall, to all the people of Israel living out of Juda?a. Michaelis con- siders it certain that St. .Fames wrote to persons already converted from Judaism to Christianity; but at the same time he believes, as the Apostle * Benson's Preface to the Catholic Epistles. Michaelis, vol. iv. p. 20)0-271. Pritii Introd. ad jyov. Test. p. 02-^5. I>ardnt'r"s U'or/,s, Svo. vol. vi. p. 465-468; 4to. vol. iii. p. 366, 3t)7. Rosen- millier, Scholia, vol. v. p. 317, 318. Home's Crit' ical Introduction, vol. iv. *GG* 390* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIV. was highly respected by the Jews, in general, that he designed that it should also be read by the unbeheving Jews, and that by this intention he was influenced in the choice of his materials. Dr. Benson is of opinion that this Epistle was addressed to the converted Jews out of Palestine ; but Whitby, Lardner, (and after them Mack- night,) think it was written to the whole Jewish nation, both within and without Judaea, whether believers or not. Tliis opinion is grounded on some expressions in the first ten verses of the fourth chapter, and in the first five verses of the fifUi chapter, which they suppose to be applicable to unbelievers only. It is true that in the fifth chapter the Apostle alludes to the then impend- ing destruction of Jerusalem, and the miseries which soon after befel the unbelieving Jews : but Bishop Tomline is of opinion, that the Apostle alludes merely to the great corruptions into which the Hebrew Christians had fallen at that time. It does not appear probable that James would v,-rite part of his Epistle to believers, and part to unbelievers, witliout any mention or notice of that distinction. It should also be remembered, that tliis Epistle contains no general arguments for the truth of Christianity, nor any reproof of those wlio refiised to embrace the Gospel ; and there- fore, though his lordship admits that the inscrip- tion, " To the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad," might comprehend both unbelieving and believing Jews, yet he is of opinion that it was intended for the believing Jews only, and that St. James did not expressly make the dis- crimination, because neither he, nor any other apostle, ever thought of writing to any but Christian converts. " The object of the apos- tolical Epistles," he further observes, " was to confirm, and not to convert; to correct what was amiss in those who did believe, and not in those who did not believe." The sense of the above inscription seems to be limited to the believing Jews by wliat follows almost imme- diately, "Tlie trying of your faith worketh patience," (i. 3.) And again, "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons," (h. I.) These passages could not ho addressed to unbelievers'. The Epistle itself is entirely different in its complexion from all those in the Sacred Canon ; the style and manner are more that of a Jewish prophet, than a Christian apostle. It scarcely touches on any subject purely Christian. Our bhssed Lord is only mentioned twice in it, chap. i. 1. and ii. 1. It begins without any apostolical salutation, and ends without any apostolical benediction. In short, had it not been for the two slight notices of our blessed Ijord, we had not knov.-n tliat it was the work of any Christian writer. It may be considered a sort of connecting link between Judaism and Christianity, as the ministry of John Baptist was between the old covenant and the new^. Note 25.— Part XIV. The Greek word dlipv/og signifies one who has two souls — one for heaven, the other for earth — the man who desires to secure both worlds, but will give up neither. Some suppose St. James alludes to those who were divided in their affections and minds, between the Levit- ical rites and the Gospel of Christ ; equally unwilling to renounce the benefits of the latter, and to give up the long-established institutions of the former. It was a usual tenn among the Jews, to express the man who attempted to worship God, and yet retained the love of the creature. — Rabbi Tanchuma, fol. 84. 4. on Deut xxvi. 16. said, " Behold the Scripture exhorts the Israelites, and tells them, that when they poured out their prayers before the Lord, x'7 nnnh" 'nty CDh'? 7\'T\'' they should not have two hearts, one for the holy, blessed God, and the other for something else." The expression occurs in Ecclus. i. 26. xugSla dtaari. Note 26.— Part XIV. Among the Rabbins there is this saying, " Evil concupiscence is at the beginning like the thread of a spider's web, afterwards is like a cart-rope." — Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 2. Note 27.— Part XIV. This expression is supposed by commentators to signify the doctrine which has been implant- ed — the lio-ht within — the natural, innate, or eternal world ; comparing the Gospel to a seed, or to a plant, which is here said to be engrafted in their minds. But I cannot but believe that the Apostle refers rather to the Mosaic Law, the Gospel of Christ being engrafted on the Law ; for Christ came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfil them. (See James ii. 23 ) The ritual law he fulfilled by his sacrifice and death, and the effects result- ing from them — His blood cleansing us from all sin — the Great High Priest offering up his intercession and prayers fi)r us in the Holy of Holies — and the moral law he fulfilled in his pure and holy life ; for in him there was no sin ; he was the true paschal lamb, without blemish, and without spot — he realized every ' Bishop Tomline's Elements of Christian Theol- 0({ii, p. 472. J See Home, Macknight, Lardner, Benson, Dr. A. Clarke, and the commentators. Note 28.-30.] ON THE EPISTLE TO ST. JAMES. * 391 tittle of the Law, and was the great end and object of it. Its types, ceremonies, and festivals were only the figure and representation of Him that was to come — they were now finished, com- pleted, and blotted out for ever, dying with him on the cross. In ver. 2~) of this chapter, the word " perfect," which is used in opposition to the Mosaic Law, whicli was imperfect, seems to be applied to the Gospel, in a sense which corroborates the opinion here advanced. It intimates that the Gospel, or the Law of liberty, was made perfect by bringing to per- fection the whole system of the Jewish Law ; engrafting on it the fulness of salvation, and giving us liberty from its burdensome rites, and ability to overcome the power and dominion of sin. See Clarke in loc. or Schoetgen, Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 1016-1020. Note 28.— Part XIV. In Pirke Aboth, cap. v. 14, it is said there are four kinds of men who visit the synagogues : 1. He who enters, but does not work. 2. He who works, but does not enter. 3. He who enters, and works. 4. He who neither enters, nor works. The first two are indifferent char- acters ; the third is the righteous man ; the fourth is wholly evil. — See Schoetgen. Hor. Heb. vol. i. p. 1015, and Dr. Clarke in loc. Note 29.— Part XIV. In the tract Shnbbath, fol. 70. 2. where they dispute concerning the thirty-nine works com- manded by Moses, Rabbi Jochanan says, " But if a man do the whole, with the omission of one, he is guilty of the whole, and of every one." It was a maxim also, among the Jewish doctors, that if a man kept any one commandment faith- fully, though he broke all the rest, he miglU assure himself of the fevor of God ; for while they taught that "He who transgresses all the precepts of the Law, has broken the yoke, dis- solved the covenant, and exposed the Law to contempt ; and so has he done who has broken even one precept," (Mechilta, fol. 5. 1. Jalkitt iSmeoJit, part i. fol.5l).2.)they also taught, that he who observed any principal command, was equal to liim who kept the whole law, [Kiddushin, fol. 39.) and they give, for example, "If a man abandon idolatry, it is the same as if he had fulfilled the whole Law," (ibid. fol. 40.) To correct these erroneous vacillating doctrines, seems to liave been the object of the Apostle. Adam Clarke has collected from Schoetgen many rabbinical doctrines, or traditions, to illus- trate this Epistle, which bears evident internal proof that it was written by a Jew to Jews. — Note 30.— Part XIV. That particular and great sins were supposed to be the causes of extraordinary diseases among the Jews is evident from many passages in Scripture :— Dent, xxviii. 15, 21, 22, 27. Ps. xxxvii. 9, &c. ; and cvii. 17, 18.; John v. 14..; and when the bodily disorder was cured, the sin was said to be forgiven, 2 Chron, vii. 13, 14. Isa. xxxiii. 24. Matt. ix. 29. Luke v. 20, &c. 1 Cor. xi. 29, 30, 32. It is also expressly declared by St. John, in his First Epistle, chap. v. 10, 17. "there is a sin unto death, and a sin not unto death," the latter of which is described in the present case ; for " the prayer of faith," or of prophetic impulse, was to be exerted in favor of the latter in both instances. The confession recommended (verse 16.), was not auricular, or for the purposes of absolution, but was required as a proof of a sincere repen- tance before the miraculous cure was attempted, tliat by an acknowledgment of his sins the penitent might obtain the pardon and prayers of the injured parties. The miracle could not be performed if the sick person was not sufficiently penitent (John V. 10.), or if the elders had not the prayer of faith, or if the continued sickness or death of the afflicted person tended more to the glory of God : and it is furtiier certain tliat neither the apostles nor elders could work miracles but when the Spirit saw proper, and by an impulse intimated it to them (Phil. ii. 26, 27. ; 1 Tim. v. 23. ; 2 Tim. iv. 17.) The oil was used as a sensible token to the sick person, and to all present, of the miracle about to be performed. It was applied in anticipation of a recovery from some great bodily disease, and not for the cleansing of tlie soul in the last agonies of death, when there is no hope of life. It is probable that our Saviour appointed this outward sign when he gave commission to his disciples to heal the sick (Matt. x. 8. Luke ix. 2.), for we read, Mark vi. 13., that they made use of it. It could not therefore last tifter the divine gifts were withdrawn ; and where no miraculous interference is expected, its obser- vance becomes a superstition. It might have been ori<xinally prescribed on these occasions as emblematical of the peculiar mercy and favor of God, in allusion to tlie custom of anointing their prophets and kings in tlie old dispensation. It was always much esteemed by the Jews for its healing qualities, and was used by them as the natural means of recovery, in which sense some supposed it was applied by St. James, intimating that natural means are made efficacious only by the prayer of faith and the divine blessinar. 392* NOTES ON THE ACTS AND EPISTLES. [Part XIV. Note 31.— Part XIV. ON ST. LUKE S GOSPEL. The Gospel of St. Matthew, as has been shown, was most probably written during the first or Pauline persecution of the Church, when the Gospel was preached to the Jews only. That of St. Mark under the inspection of St. Peter, in the second or Herodian persecu- tion, when the Gospel was preached to the proselytes. The fitness of these Gospels to the periods, to which the best remaining testi- mony refers their publication, is an additional evidence that they were then made known. The time had now arrived Avhen the Gospel had been preached over the greater part of the world, by the most learned and most labo- rious of the apostles of our Lord. St. Paul had now preached to the idolatrous Gentiles for many years, and it is not probable that the nu- merous converts of this description, who were now added to the Church, should be left without an authentic statement of the facts of Chris- tianity. St. Luke had been long the companion of St. Paul, as he was a learned man, being a physician. He was evidently well qualified to give an account of the labors and travels of the Apostle, and to write also an account of the life of their common Master. Whether Luke was, according to Dr. Lardner, a Jew by birth, and an early convert to Christianity ; or, ac- cording to Michaelis, a Gentile (see Coloss. iv. 10, 11, 14., where St. Paul distinguished Aris- tarchus, Marcus, and Jesus, who was called Justus, from Epaphras, Lucas, and Demas, who were of the circumcision, i. e. Jews), or whether he was one of the Seventy, is uncertain. He is the only Evangelist who mentions the commis- sion given by Christ to the Seventy, (Luke x. 1-20.) It is likely he is the Lucius mentioned Rom. xvi. 21., and if so, he was related to the Apostle Paul, and is the Lucius of Cyrene, who is mentioned Acts xiii. 1., and in general with others, Acts xi. 20. Some of the ancients, and some of the most learned and judicious among the moderns, think he was one of the two Avhom our Lord met on the way to Emmaiis, on the day of his resurrection, as related Luke xxiv. 13-85. ; one of these was called Cleophas, ver. 18., the other is not mentioned, the Evangelist himself being the person and the relator. St. Paul styles him his " fellow-laborer," (Philemon, ver. 24.) It is generally believed that he is the person mentioned, Col. iv. 14., " Luke, the beloved physician." All the an- cients of repute, as Eusebius, Gregory Nyssen, Jerome, Paulinus, Euthalius, Euthymius, and others, agree that he was a physician ; but where he was born and where he exercised the duties of hi3 profession are not known. He accompanied St. Paul when he first went into Macedonia, Acts xvi. 8-40. ; xx. ; xxvii. and xxviii. Whether he went with him con- stantly afterwards is not certain, but it is evi- dent he accompanied hmi from Greece, through Macedonia and Asia, to Jerusalem, where he is supposed to have collected many particulars of the evangelic history ; from Jerusalem he went with Paul to Rome, where he staid with him the two years of his imprisonment. This alone makes out the space of five years and upwards. Though there have been various opinions respecting the date of St. Luke's Gospel, it has generally been referred to this period. Dr. Owen and others refer it to the year 53, while Jones, Michaelis, Lardner, and the major- ity of biblical critics, assign it to the year 63, or 64, which date appears to be the true one, and corresponds with the internal characters of time exhibited in the Gospel itself. But it is not so easy to ascertain the place where it was written. Jerome says that Luke, the third Evangelist, published his Gospel in the coun- tries of Achaia and Bceotia. Gregory Nazian- zen also says, that Luke wrote for the Greeks, or in Achaia. Grotius states, that about the time when Paul left Rome, Luke departed to Achaia, where he wrote the books we now have. Dr. Cave was of opinion that they were at Rome before the termination of Paul's captivity ; but Drs. Mill, Grabe, and Wetstein affirm that this Gospel was published at Alexandria in Egypt, in opposition to the Pseudo-Gospel, circulated among the Egyptians. Dr. Lardner has ex- amined these various opinions at considerable length, and concludes that upon the whole, there is no good reason to suppose that St. Luke wrote his Gospel at Alexandria, or that he preached at all in Egypt : on the contrary, it is more probable that when he left Paul he went into Greece, and there composed or fin- ished and published his Gospel, and the Acts of the Apostles. That St. Luke wrote his Gos- pel for the benefit of the Gentile converts, is affirmed by the unanimous voice of Christen- dom ; and it also may be inferred from his dedicating it to one of his Gentile converts. This indeed appears to have been its peculiar design ; for, writing to those who were far re- mote from the scene of action, and ignorant of Jewish affairs, it was requisite that he should descend to many particulars, and touch on various points, which would have been unneces- sary had he written exclusively for the Jews. On tliis account he begins his history with the birth of John the Baptist (Luke i. 5-80.) as introductory to that of Christ ; and in the course of it he notices several particulars men- tioned by St. Matthew (Luke ii. 1-9, &c.) Hence also he is particularly careful in specify- ing various circumstances of facts which were hiofhly conducive to the information of stran- o-ers, but which it would not have been neces- sary to recite to the Jews who could easily supply them from their own knowledge. Note 1. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. *393 PART XV. Note 1.— Part XV. ON THE ORIGIN AND DATE OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. We are informed by some of the early fathers, that the Ebionites not only rejected the Epistles of St. Paul, but reviled the Apostle him- self as a Greek and an apostate. As the Ebion- ites would probably retain by tradition many of the opinions of tlie Hebrew Christians, we may infer that liis own countrymen reproached St. Paul with the same appellations. They would charge him with abandoning his prin- ciples, and following tlie general custom of apostates, of opposing with virulence and bitter- ness the religion he had once defended. St. Paul well knew that it would be useless to assert his sincerity to those who still retained the opinions he had relinquished ; or to place before them the essential difference between forsaking from caprice or interest the religious system in which a man has been educated, and forsaking it from a deep conviction of its falsehood, founded upon a deliberate, impartial, and serious examination of its evidences. In his imprisonment at Rome he had repeatedly discussed with the Jews the question of Chris- tianity, and in many instances without effect. Where we do not convince, we generally incur reproach ; and this was evidently the case with St. Paul. He did not therefore attempt to remove the impressions which had been cir- culated to his prejudice ; he wrote only a full and explicit statement of the doctrines and truths of the Christian religion contained in this masterly Epistle to the Hebrews. Here he proves the Deity of Christ, and the superior excellency of his Gospel when compared with the institutions of Moses, which were now abolished. That he might not excite prejudice against this masterly compendium of Christian truth, he omits liis usual style of address. He mentions neither his name nor his apostolic functions. Addressing the Epistle to the Hebrews generally, in whatever part of the world they were to be found, though more especially the Hebrews of Palestine, he writes anonymously, and neither directs his Epistle from any place, nor sends it to any particular Church by a special messenger. The omission of his name, too, is further satisfactorily ac- counted for by Clemens Alexandrinus _ and Jerome. St. Paul would here intimate that as Jesus Christ himself was the peculiar apostle to the Hebrews (as acknowledged in this Epistle, chap. iii. 1.), St Paul declined through humility to assume the title of an apostle. — See Lardncr, vol. ii. p. 211, vi. p. 41], 412. To which Theo- doret adds, that St Paul being peculiarly the apostle of the uncircumcision, as the rest were of the circumcision, (Gal. ii. 9. Rom. xi. 13.), he scrupled to assume any public character when writing to their department, that he might not be thought forward or obtrusive, as if wishing " to build upon another's foundation," which lie always disclaimed, (Rom. xv. 20. Lardner, ii. p. 412.) He did not mention his name, messenger, or particular persons to whom it was sent, because, as Lardner judiciously remarks, such a long letter might give umbrage to the ruling powers at this crisis, when the Jews were most turbulent, and might endanger him- self, the messenger, and those to whom it was directed. But they migiit know the author easily by the style and writing, and even from the messenger, without any formal notice or superscription. Clement of Alexandria, Jerome, Eutlialius, Chrysostom, Theodoret, Theophylact, and other fathers, were of opinion that the Epistle to tlie Hebrews was sent more particularly to tlie con- verted Jews living in Judjea, who in the Apos- tle's days were called Hebrews, to distinguish them from the Jews in the Gentile countries, who were called Hellenists or Grecians, (Acts vi. 1. ix. 29. xi. 20.) The opinion of these learned fathers is adopted by Beza, Louis Capel, Carpsov, Drs. Lightfoot, Wliitby, Mill, Lardner, and Macknight, Bishops Pearson and Tomline, Hallet, Rosenmiiller, Scott, and others. Mi- chaelis considers it as written for the use of the Jewish Christians at Jerusalem and in Pales- tine ; and observes that it is a question of little or no moment, whether it was sent to Jerusalem alone, or to other cities in Palestine ; because that tliis Epistle, though it was intended for the use of Jewish converts at Jerusalem, must equally have concerned the otlier Jewish con- verts in that country. This very ancient opin- ion is corroborated by the contents of the Epis- tle itself, in which we meet Avitli many things peculiarly suitable to the believers in Judaea. 1st. In this Epistle the Apostle does not, ac- cording to his usual practice, make frequent exhortations to brotherly love and unity, be- cause it was sent to Christian communities in Palestine, which consisted wholly of Jewish converts. It is true that the author speaks of brotherly love (xiii. 1.) where he says, " Let brotherly love continue ;" but he speaks only in general terms, and says nothing of unity VOL. II. *50 394* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES. [Part XV. between Jewish and heathen converts. More- over, he uses the word " continue," wliich im- plies that no disunion had actually taken place among its members. 2dly. The persons to whom it was addressed were evidently in imminent danger of falling back from Christianity to Judaism, induced partly by a severe persecution, and partly by the false arguments of the rabbins. This could hardly have happened to several communities at the same time in any other country than Palestine, and therefore we cannot suppose it of several communities of Asia Minor, to which, in the opinion of some commentators, the Epistle was addressed. Christianity enjoyed, from the tolerating spirit of the Roman laws and the Roman magistrates, tliroughout tlie empire in general, so much religious liberty, that out of Palestine it would have been difficult to have effected a general persecution. But, tlu-ough the influence of the Jewish Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, the Christians in that country underwent several severe persecutions, especially during the high priesthood of the younger Ananus, when St. James and other Christians suffered martyrdom. 3dly. In the other Epistles of St. Paul, more particularly those to the Ephesians, Pliilippians, and Colossians, we shall find there is no appre- hension of any apisstacy to Judaism, and still less of blasphemy against Christ, as we find in the sixth and tenth chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrews. The two passages of this Epistle (vi. 6. ; X.29.), which relate to blasphemy against Christ, as a person justly condemned and cru- cified, are peculiarly adapted to the communities in Palestine ; and it is difficult to read these passages without inferring that several Chris- tians had really apostatized and openly blas- phemed Christ : for it appears from Acts xxvi. 11., that violent measures were taken in Pales- tine for this very purpose, of which we meet with no traces in any other country at that early age. Neither the Epistles of St. Paul, nor those of St. Peter, furnish any instance of a public renunciation of Christianity and return to Judaism : and if such an occurrence had taken place, it could not liave escaped their most serious attention, and would have extorted their most severe reproofs. The circumstance, that several, who still continued Christians, for- sook the places of public Avorship (x. 2.5.) does not occur in any other Epistle, and implies a general and continued persecution, which de- terred the Christians from an open confession of their faith. Under these sufferings tlie He- brews are comforted by the promised coming of Christ, which tliey are to await with patience, as being not far distant, (x. 2.5-38.) This can be no other than the promised destruction of Jerusalem (Matt, xxiv.) of whicli Christ liimself said, (Luke xxi. 28.) " When these tilings be- gin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads ; for your redemption draweth nigh." Now this coming of Christ was to the Christians in Palestine a deliverance from the yoke with which they were oppressed : but it had no such influence on the Ciiristians of other countries. On the contrary, tlie first pei'secution under Nero happened in the year 65, about two years before the commencement of the Jewish war, and the second under Domitian, about five-and- twenty years after the destruction of Jerusalem 4thly. According to Josephus several persons were put to death during the high priesthood of the younger Ananus, about the year 64 or 65 (See Heb. xiii. 7.) 5thly. The declarations in Heb. i. 2. and iv. 12., and particularly the exhortation in ii. 1-4., are peculiarly suitable to the believers of Jiida?a, where Jesus Christ himself first taught, and his disciples after him, confirming their testimony with very numerous and conspicuous miracles. 6thly. The people to whom this Epistle was sent were well acquainted with our Saviour's sufferings, as those of Judaea must have been. This appears in Heb. i. 3. ii. 9, 18. v. 7, 8. ix. 14, 28. X. 11. xii. 2, 3. and xiii. 12. 7tlily. The censure in chap. v. 12. is most properly understood of Christians in Jerusalem and Judsea, to whom the Gospel was fir^t preached. 8thly. Lastly, the exhortation in Heb. xiii. 12-14. is very difficult to be explained, on the supposition that the Epistle was exclusively written to Hebrews who lived out of Palestine ; for neither in the Acts of the Apostles, nor in the other Epistles, do we meet with an instance of expulsion from the synagogue merely for be- lief in Christ ; on the contrary, the apostles themselves were permitted to teach openly in the Jewish assemblies. But if we suppose that the Epistle was written to Jewish converts in Jerusalem, this passage becomes perfectly clear, and, Dr. Lardner observes, must have been very suitable to their case, especially if it was written only a short time before the com- mencement of the Jewish war, about the year 65 or 66. The Christians, on this supposition, are exhorted to endure their fate with patience, if they should be obliged to retire, or even be ignominiously expelled from Jerusalem, since Christ himself had been forced out of this very city, and had suffered without its walls. If we suppose, therefore, that tlie Epistle was written to the HebreAvs of Jerusalem, the passage in question is clear : but on the hypothesis, that it was written to Hebrews who lived in any other place, the words " Let us go forth unto him with- out the camp, bearing his reproach," lose their meaning. The " apjiroaching day," chap. x. 25., can signify only the day appointed for the de- struction of Jerusalem, and the downfal of the Jewish nation ; but this event immediately con- cerned only the Hebrews of Palestine, and could have no influence in determining the conduct of the inhabitants of any other country. Note 1.] ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. *395 Michaelis, in an elaborate dissertation (vol. iv. p. 186-268.) has endeavoured to set aside the authenticity of this Epistle, by the following positions : — 1. That the style is so very different from that of St. Paul in his genuine Epistles, that he could not possibly have been the author of this Greek Epistle, p. 252. 2. That it was originally written in Hebrew, but whether by St. Paul or not is doubtful, p. 2.57. 3. That it was early translated into Greek, but by whom is unknown, p. 247. " An hypothesis," says Dr. Hales, " at once so dogmatical and skeptical, calculated to pull down, not to build up or edify ; to unsettle the faith of wavering Christians, and to rob this most learned and most highly-illuminated Apos- tle of his right and title to the most noble and most finished of all his compositions, and this too upon the paradoxical plea of its acknowl- edged excellence, both of style and subject (which none assents to more cheerfully than Michaelis, p. 242, 243, 247.) imperiously demands our consideration;" fortunately, this copious writer has furnished materials in abundance for his own refutation, from which we shall select a few. I. Objections drawn from dissimilarity of style are often fanciful and fallacious. On tlie contrary, a striking analogy may be traced between this and the rest of St. Paul's Epistles, in the use of singular and remarkable words and compound terms ; in the mode of construct- ing the sentences by long and involved paren- theses, &c., with this difference, however, that tliis being more leisurely written, and better digested in his confinement, is more compressed in its argument, and more polished in its style, than the rest, which were written with all the ease and freedom of epistolary correspondence, oflen in haste, during his travels. The following remarkable instances of ana- logy we owe to Michaelis. Ch. X. 33. 9eaTQi'c6fi£vot, is an expression perfectly agreeable to St. Paul's mode of writing, as appears from 1 Cor. iv. 9. But since other writers may likewise have used the same met- aphor, the application of it in the present in- stance shows only that St. Paul might have written the Epistle to the Hebrews ; not that he really did write it, p. 256. But it is answered, there is a propriety in its use here that fits no other writer but St. Paul ; and this by Michaelis' own confession. It is here applied to the Apostle's public persecutions ; " exposed on a theatre to public revilings and afflictions," exactly corresponding to his complaint to the Corinthians, in the parallel text, Qiargof iye- vr^dr^uev ru K^dfuo, " We were made a spectacle unto the world;" and how? the same Epistle will inform us afterwards ; " after the (bar- barous) custom of men, I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus," in the public theatre (1 Cor. XV. 32.), literally, not figuratively ; according to the judicious remark of Benson, supported by Michaelis himself, who assures us, that St. Paul's deliverance from the lion's mouth at Rome afterwards (2 Tim. iv. 17.), was " not from suffering death by the sword, but from being exposed in the amphitheatre to wild beasts as several Christians had already been, and in a very cruel manner," for which he refers to Tacitus, Annal. 15. 44. in his note, p. 176. Ch. X. 30. ' Ejjol E)cdlxT]aig, iyih dfTcinodwao), is a quotation from Deut. xxxii. 35. which differs both from the Hebrew text and from the Sep- tuagint ; and this passage is again quoted in the very same words, Rom. xii. 19. This agreement in a reading which has hitherto been discovered in no other place (see the new Orient. Bibl. vol. v. p. 231-2-36.) might form a presumptive argument, that both quotations were made by tlie same person ; and conse- quently, that the Epistle to the Hebrews was written by St. Paul. But the argument, says Michaelis, is not decisive; for it is very possi- ble, that in the first century there were manu- scripts with this reading, in Deut. xxxii. 35. from which St. Paul might have copied, in Rom. xii . 19., and the translator of this Epistle in Heb. x. 30., same page, 256. A more decided instance of skepticism is rarely to be found. To any other the "pre- sumptive argument" would appear irresistible, not to be overturned by a bare possibility, but a very high improbability ; since this remarkable rendering is to be found in " no otiier place," but in these two passages, as he himself ac- knowledges. The present Septuagint reading is found in both the Vatican and Alexandrine, and was probably therefore the original reading of the first century. The Apostle's rendering, in both places, is more correct and critical than tlie Septuagint, in the first clause if '^we'^a ixdtxri(jao)g, which is only a paraphrase, not a translation, like his i/jol ixSlxr^cn;, of the Hebrew !IDp3 'S, and in the second the joint rendering dciTanodthau) is founded on a various reading, □Sii'N, supported by a parallel verse, Deut. xxxii. 41., and followed not only by the Septua- gint, but by the Syriac, Vulgate, and Chaldee. It is therefore greatly superior to the present Masorete, cdSk/I, " and recompense," supported only by the Arabic version, and followed by the English Bible, evidently for the worse. And tlie i^postle has further improved upon the Septuagint, in the common term umtTiodihaot by tlie emphatic prefix '/?-/o), which makes it stronger, as appropriated to the Almighty, than even the original Hebrew, which wants the personal pronoun. II. Michaelis asks, " Why did tlie author of the Syriac version translate this Epistle from the Greek, if the original was in Hebrew ?" p. 231. 396* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES. [Part XV. The Syriac version was the earliest of all, written in the apostolic age, and in the day of the Apostle Adseus, Thaddseus, or Jude, accord- ing to the judicious Abulfaragi, and near the end of the first century, according to Michaelis, vol. ii. p. 30. If, then, this most ancient ver- sion was translated immediately from the Greek, surely the presumption is infinitely strong, that there was then no Hebrew original. This argument, indeed, furnished by himself, seems decisive also to prove the canonical authority of the Greek Epistle in the judgment of the Syriac translator; for why should he adopt the Epistle, unless written by tlie Apostle to whom the voice of the Church had assigned it? Surely John or Jude the apostle would not have suffered it otherwise to have been admit- ted into the Sacred Canon, either of the Greek or Syriac Testament. Assuming it, however, to have been written in Hebrew, Michaelis draws the following objection from a supposed blunder of the trans- lator into Greek, to show tliat he could not possibly be St. Paul, which most completely recoils upon himself, and proves irrefragably that the Greek was the original, and written by the Apostle. Ch. xii. 18. Ov ydcQ nqoaeXijXvdme ilJjjXucpoj/nii'ca OQSi. — ver. 22. \4l}.d nqoaeh^liduTE ^mv ooei. "Here," says he, "the expression oqev ipi/lu(f,u)juh'U), monti palpabili, which is opposed to Smv ooei, is certainly a very extraordinary one ; and I am wholly unable to give a satis- factory account of it, except on the supposition that the Epistle was written in Hebrew, But on this supposition the inaccuracy may be t;asily assigned. Sinai, or the mountain of Moses, is that which is here opposed to Mount Sion. Now the expression ' to the mountain of Moses,' is in Hebrew niyo nnS. This word n&rD the translator misunderstood, and, instead of reading it niyo, and taking it for a proper name, either read by mistake i^'n, palpatio, or pronounced by mistake T\\o'0, palpatio. Hence, instead of rendering ' to the mountain of Moses,' he rendered ' to the tangible mountain.' " But this " mountain of Moses" is a creation of his own brain. For " Sinai in Arabia," the mountain here meant by the apostle, pursuing his former allegory. Gal. iv. 24-26., is no where so styled in Scripture, but rather " the moun- tain of God," Exod. iii. ], &c, "the mountain of the Lord," Numb. xxx. .33., or the holy place," Ps. Ixviii. 17., because it was honored v/ith the presence of the God of Israel. To call it, therefore, by the name of Moses, or indeed of any mortal, would have been sacri- lege. To M'hat, then, did the Apostle refer in the remarkable form iiirXiafcofiircp ? Evidently to the divine injunction to the people and their cattle, not to ascend or touch it, beyond the prescribed limits near its foot, under pain of death, Exod. xix. 12-24. Alluding to this awful command, the Apostle beautifully con- trasts the terrors of the Law delivered on the earthly Sinai, not to be touched under pain of death, with the superabundant grace of the Gospel, promising to the faithful eternal life in the heavenly Sion ; to which, by an admirable anticipation, he represents them as already come [TTOoaehjlvOui f). Micliaelis was rather too fond of displaying his Oriental learning, and never surely was there a more unfortunate specimen than this. III. He is not less unfortunate in his last quotation : he rested this principally on the tes- timony of Origen, who, according to Eusebius, Hist. Ecchs. b. vi. cli. xxv., " held that the mat- ter of the Epistle was from St. Paul, but the construction of the words from another, who recorded the thoughts of the Apostle, and made notes, as it were, or commentaries of what Avas said by his master," p. 246. Having delivered his own opinion, Oiigen adds, " If then any Church (or whatsoever Church) holds this Epistle as Paul's, it should be commended, even upon this account ; for it was not without reason the primitive worthies have handed it down as Paul's ; but who wrote the Epistle (in its present form) truly God in- deed knows. The historical account that has reached us is various and uncertain ; some say- ing that Clemens, who was bishop of Rome, wrote the Epistle, others Luke, who wrote the Gospel and Acts," p. 247. Michaelis here thinks that by laro^iu fig ■ftfiag (fOuaaau, Origen meant " oral accounts," and he contends that " neither of these contra- dictory accounts can be true, for the style of the Epistle to the Hebrews is neither that of St. Luke, nor that of Clement of Rome ; and the latter especially, if we may judge from what is now extant of his works, had it not even in his power to write an epistle so replete with Jewish learning," p. 247. What noAv is the force of Origen's evidence, supposing that his opinion is fairly and fully related by Eusebius, which may be doubted ? Why surely, that St. Paul was the original author of the Epistle, as confirmed by primitive tradition. The oral account upon which he founded his conjecture was vague ; and Mi- chaelis has satisfactorily shown, that it could not be true in either case : what then remains by all the rules of right reasoning ? Unques- tionably, that, rejecting the oral account as false, we should embrace the primitive tradi- tion as true, and consequently admit that no one but the Apostle himself could be the author of an Epistle so replete with JewisJi learning, who was educated at the feet of Ga- maliel himself (Actsxxii. 3.) and disputed with the first Jewish rabbis of the age, in Asia, Greece, and Rome. By the failure, therefore, of the paradoxical NOTK 1.] ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. *397 li)'pothesis of Michaelis, in all its branches, the positive evidence is still further strength- ened ; we may now rest assured, that the Epistle was written in Greek, not in Hebrew, by St. Paul himself, not by any one else. The Epistle itself furnishes us with decisive and positive evidence that it was originally written in the language in which it is now extant. In the first place, the style of this Epistle throughout manifests that it is no translation. It has no appearance of constraint, nor do we meet with those Hebraisms which occur so constantly in tlie Septuagint version. The numerous paronomasias, or concurrences of words of like sound, but which cannot be rendered in Enghsh with due effect, are also a clear proof that it is not a translation. See in Heb. V. 8, 14. ; vii. 3, 19. ; ix. 10. ; x. 34. ; xi. 37. ; and xiii. 14. (in the Greek.) Hebrew names are interpreted ; as Melckis- edek, by " King of Righteousness," (vii. 2.) and Salcm, by " Peace," which would have been superfluous, if the Epistle had been written in Hebrew. The passages cited from the Old Testament in this Epistle, arc not quoted from the Hebrew, but from the Septuagint, where that faithfully represented the Hebrew text. Frequently the stress of the argument taken from such quota- tions relies on something peculiar in that ver- sion, which could not possibly have taken place if the Epistle had been written in Hebrew. And in a few instances where the Septuagint did not fully render the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, the author of the Epistle has substituted translations of his own, from which he argues in the same manner, M'hence it is manifest that this Epistle never was extant in Hebrew. See Dr. Owen's Fifth Exercifation on the Hebrews, vol. i. p. 46-53, folio edition. Calvin, and several other divines, have laid much stress upon the rendering of the Hebrew word berith by dtu6>\yi/, which denotes either testament or covenant : and Michaelis acknowl- edges the weight of this argument, to prove that the Epistle to the Hebrews was originally written in Greek. Among the Jews there were several dialects spoken, as the East Aramscan or Chaldee, and the West Aramaean or Syriac ; which suflTered various alterations from the places where the Jews were dispersed; so that the original Hebrew was known comparatively to few, and those who were conversant in Syriac might not be acquainted with the Chaldee. If therefore this Epistle had been written in biblical Hebrew, only a few could have read it ; and in either of the otiier dialects, a part only of the Jews could have perused it. With regard to the objection, that the Apostle's name is not at the beginning of this Epistle, Clement of Alexandria, who is followed VOL,. II. by Jerome, observes, that Jesus Christ himself was the peculiar Apostle to the Hebrews, (aa acknowledged in this Epistle, iii. 1.); St Paul therefore probably declined, through humility, to assume the title of an apostle. He did not mention his name, messenger, or the particular persons to whom it was sent, because (as Dr. Lardner judiciously remarks) such a long letter might give umbrage to the ruling powers at this crisis, when the Jews were most turbulent, and might endanger himself, the messenger, and those to whom it was directed. And. as he was considered by the zealots as an apostate from the religion of their fathers, his name, instead of adding weight, might have prevented the Judaizing and unbelieving Jews even from reading his Epistle. The author, however, would be easily known, witliout any forma] notice or superscription ; and the omission of the Apostle's name is no proof that the Epistle to the Hebrews was not written by St. Paul : for in the three Epistles of St John, which are universally acknowledged to be tlie productions of an inspired apostle, the name of the writer is not inserted. The first Epistle begins in the same manner as the Epistle to the Hebrews ; and, in the other two, he calls himself simply tlie elder or presbyter. That the Apostle, how- ever, did not mean to conceal himself, we learn from the Epistle itself: " Know ye," says he, " that our brother Timothy hath been sent abroad, with Avhom, if he come shortly, I will see you"," (Heb. xiii. 2^3.) The objection there- fore, from the omission of the Apostle's name, necessarily falls to the ground. The passages which have been adduced as unsuitable to the apostolic mission, and whicli have been cited as proofs that tliis Epistle could not therefore have been written by St Paul, are Heb. ii. 1, 3. and xii. 1. It is here con- sidered that the writer speaks of himself as one not at all distinguished, and in the second passage, according to Grotius and Le Clerc, as one who had received tlie knowledge of the Gospel, not himself from Christ, but from liis apostles. To this it is again replied, that it was usual with St. Paul to join himself to those with whom he writes, particularly when he is mentioning any thing that is unpalatable or dishonorable to them (see Tit. iii. .3., and fre- quently in Romans); and in this verse (chap, ii. 3.) he does not imply that he received the knowledge of the Gospel from those who heard Christ preach, but that the salvation which was given to St Paul by tlie Lord, was confirmed to him by the preaching of the apostles ; and St. Paul often appealed, as well as the other " Michaelis thinks it highly improbable that St. Paul would visit Jerusalem a^ain. and espose his life to the zealots there. But surely, Dr. Hales re- marks, he might revisit Judcea without incurring that danger. See .Analysis of Chronology, vol. ii. book ii. p. 1130. * HH 398* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES. [Part XV. apostles, in this manner to the testimony of eyewitnesses in confirmation of things made known to himself by revelation, (Acts xiii. 30, 31. ; 1 Cor. xv. 5-9. ; 2 'J'im. ii. 2. ; 1 Pet. i. 12. ; Jude 17.) — See Macknight's Preface to the Hebrews. With regard to the objection, that this Epistle is superior in point of style to St. Paul's other writings, and therefore is not the produc- tion of that Apostle, we have already remarked that this may be accounted for by the circum- stance that it was one of St. Paul's latest writ- ten Epistles, composed in his mature age, and after lono- intercourse with the learned Gentiles. But " there does not appear to be such a supe- riority in the style of this Epistle, as should lead to the conclusion tliat it was not written by St. Paul. Those who have thought differ- ently have mentioned Barnabas, Luke, and Clement, as authors or translators of this Epis- tle. The opinion of Jerome was, that ' the sentiments are the Apostle's, but the language and composition of some one else, who com- mitted to writing the Apostle's sense, and, as it were, reduced into commentaries the things spoken by his master.' " Dr. Lardner says, "My conjecture is, that St. Paul dictated the Epistle in Hebrew, and another, who was a great master of the Greek language, imme- diately wrote down the Apostle's sentiments in his own elegant Greek ; but who this assistant of the Apostle was, is altogether unknown." But the writings of St. Paul, like those of other authors, may not all have the same de- gree of merit ; and if it should be considered thai the Epistle to the Hebrews is written with greater elegance than the other compositions of this Apostle, it should be remembered that there is nothing in it which amounts to a marked difference of style ; but, on the contrary, there are the same construction of sentences, the same style of expression, and the same sen- timents expressed, in this Epistle, which occur in no part of the Scriptures except in St. Paul's Epistles. There are also the striking peculiarities wliich distinguish his writings, the same abrupt transitions, returning frequently to his subject, which he illustrates by forcible arguments, by short expressions, or sometimes by a single word. Tlie same elliptical expressions to be supplied either by the preceding or subsequent clause, with reasonings addressed to the thouglits, and answers to specious objections, which would naturally occur, and therefore required removing. The numerous resemblances and agreements between this Epistle and those of St. Paul's acknowledged productions, have been collected at great length by Braunius, Carpzov, Lardner, and Macknight, from whom Home has made the following abridgment. 1. "Coincidences between the exhortations in this Epistle and those in St. Paul's other letters. See Heb. xii. 3. compared with Gal. vi. 9. 2 Thess. iii. 13. and Eph. iii. 1.3. ; Heb. xii. 14. with Rom. xii. 18. ; Heb. xiii. 1, 3, 4. with Eph. V. 2-4. ; Heb. xiii. 16. with Phil. iv. 18. See also Acts ii. 42. Rom. xv. 26. 2 Cor. viii. 24. and ix. 13. 2."Instances of agreement in the style or phrases of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and in the acknowledged Epistles of St. Paul. See Heb. ii. 4. compared with Rom. xv. 19. 2 Cor. xii. 12. and 2 Thess. ii. 9. ; Heb. ii. 14. with 2 Tim. i. 10. and 1 Cor. xv. 26. ; Heb. iii. 1. with Phil. iii. 14. and 2 Tim. i. 9. ; Heb. v. 12. with 1 Cor. iii. 2. ; Heb. viii. 1. with Eph. i. 21. ; Heb. viii. 5. and x. 1. with Col. ii. 17. ; Heb. x. 33. with 1 Cor. iv. 9. ; Heb. xiii. 9. with Eph. iv. 14. ; Heb. xiii. 10, 11. with 1 Cor. ix. 13. ; Heb. xiii. 20, 21. with Rom. xv. 33.xvi. 20. Phil.iv. 9. 1 Thess. V. 23. and 2 Cor. xiii. 11. 3."In his acknowledged Epistles, St. Paul has numerous allusions to the exercises and games which were then in great repute, and were frequently solemnized in Greece and in other parts of the Roman empire. In the Epistle to the Hebrews we have several of these allusions, which are also expressed with great elegance. Compare Heb. vi. 18. xii. 1-4, 12. with 1 Cor. ix. 24. Phil. iii. 12-14. 2 Tim. ii. 5. iv. 6-8. and Acts XX. 24. 4."In the Epistle to the Hebrews there are interpretations of some passages of the Jewish Scriptures, which may properly be called St. Paul's, because they are to be found only in his writings. For example. Psalm ii. 7. " Tliou art my Son : to-day I have begotten thee ;" is ap- plied to Jesus (Heb. i. 5.) just as St. Paul, in his discourse to the Jews in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia, applied the same passage of Scripture to him, (Acts xiii. 33.) In like man- ner, the explication of Psalm viii. 4. and of Psalm ex. 1. given by St. Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 25, 27., is found in Heb. ii. 7, 8. So also the ex- plication of tlie covenant with Abraham, given Heb. vi. 14, 18., is no where found but in St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, (iii. 8, 9, 14, 18.) 5."There are, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, doctrines which none of the inspired writers have mentioned, except Paul. In particular, the doctrines of the mediation and intercession of Christ, explained in Heb. iv. 15, 16. and vii. 22, 25. are no where found in the books of the New Testament, except in St. Paul's Epistles, (Rom. viii. 34. Gal. iii. 19, 20.) The title of Mediator, which is given to Jesus, (Heb. vii. 22. viii. 6. ix. 15. xii. 24.) is no where applied to Jesus except in St. Paul's Epistles, (1 Tim. ii. 5.) In like manner none of the inspired writers, except St. Paul, (Heb. viii. 1-4.) have informed us that Christ offered the sacrifice of himself in heaven ; and that he did not exercise his priestly office on earth, but only in heaven. 6." In the Epistle to the Hebrews, we find Note 1.] ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. *399 such enlarged views of the divine dispensations respectinof religion ; such an extensive knowl- edge of the Jewish Scriptures, according to tlieir ancient and true interpretation, which St. Paul, no doubt, learned from the celebrated doctor, under whose tuition he studied in his younger years at Jerusalem ; such a deep in- sight also into the most recondite meanings of these Scriptures, and such admirable reasonings founded thereon, for the confirmation of the Gospel revelation, as, without disparagement to the other apostles, seem to have exceeded, not their natural abilities and education only, but even that degree of inspiration with which they were endowed. None of them but St. Paul, who was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, and Avho profited in the Jewish rehgion and learning above many of his fellow-students, and who, in his riper years, was intimately acquainted with the learned men of his own nation (Acts ix. 1, 2, 14. xxvi. 4, 5.), and who was called to the apostleship by Christ himself, when for that purpose he appeared to him from heaven ; nay, who was caught up by Christ into the third heaven : was equal to the subjects treated of in this most admirable Epistle." And, as Dr. Hales remarks, it is a masterly supplement to the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians, and also a luminous commentary on them ; showing that all tlie legal dispensation was originally de- signed to be superseded by the new and better covenant of the Christian dispensation in a connected chain of argument, evincing the pro- foundest knoAvledge of both. The internal ex- cellence of this Epistle, as connecting tlie Old Testament and the New in the most convincing and instructive manner, and elucidating both more fully than any other Epistle, or perJiaps than all of thorn, places its divine inspiration beyond all doubt. 7."The conclusion of tliis Epistle has a re- markable agreement with the conclusions of St. Paul's Epistles, in several respects. Com- pare Heb. xii. 18. Avith Rom. xv. 30. Eph. vi. 18, 19. Col. iv. 3. 1 Thess. v. 25. and 2 Thess. iii. 1. ; Heb. xiii. 20, 21. with Rom. xv. 30-:3;3. Eph. vi. 19-23. 1 Thess. v. 23. and 2 Thess. iii. 16. Heb. xiii. 24. with Rom. xvi. 1 Cor. xvi. 19-21. 2 Cor. xiii. 13. Phil. iv. 21, 22. ; Heb. xiii. 25. with 2 Thess. iii. 18. Col. iv. 18. Eph. vi. 24. 1 Tim. vi. 21. 2 Tim. iv. 22. and Tit. iii. 15." We may justly therefore conclude, with Carpzov, Whitby, Ijardner, Macknight, Hales, Rosenmiiller, Bengel, Bishop Tomline, and al- most every other modern commentator, and biblical critic, that the weight of evidence, both internal and external, preponderates so greatly in favor of St. Paul, that we cannot but consider the Epistle to the Hebrews as written by that Apostle, and that the tradition preserved in the Church is correct; that tliis work is an inspired composition of the great Apostle of the Gen- tiles. It is acknowledo-ed to be St. Paul's production by the Apostle Peter, in his Second Epistle, (iii. 15,16.); from which passage it is evident, that St. Peter had read all St. Paul's letters ; and that St. Paul had written to those Christians to whom St. Peter was then writing, that is, to the believing Jews in general, (2 Pet. i. 1.) ; and to those of the dispersion mentioned in 1 Pet. i. 1. ; and as there is no evidence to prove that this Epistle was lost, there is every reason to conclude that it must be that which is now inscribed to the Hebrews, both these Apostles having treated on the same subjects.* If, then, St. Paul, as we believe, was the author of this Epistle, the time when it wns written may easily be determined, for tlie sal- utation from the saints in Italy (Heb. xiii. 24.), together with the Apostle's promise to see tlie Hebrews shortly, plainly intimates that his im- prisonm-ent was then terminated, or on the point of being so. It was therefore written from Italy, perhaps from Rome, soon after the Epis- tles to the Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon, and not long before St. Paul left Italy, viz. at the end of A. D. 62, or early in 63. Of this opinion was Mill, Wetstein, Tillemont, Lardner, Macknight, and the great majority of critics. Dr. Lardner thinks it was probably written from Rome. St. Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians was written at Ephesus ; nevertheless he says (chap. xvi. 19.) "The churches of Asia salute you." So now he might send salutations from the Christians of Italy, not excluding, but in- cluding, those at Rome, together with the rest throughout that country. The argument of L'Enfant and Beausobre, that St. Paul was not yet set at liberty, because he requested the prayers of the Hebrews, that he might be re- stored to them the sooner, appears to me not of any weight. Though St. Paul was no longer a prisoner, he might request the prayers of those to whom he had written, that he might have a prosperous journey to them, whom he was de- sirous to visit; and that all impediments of his intended journey might be removed ; and many such there might be, though he was no longer under confinement. St. Paul was not a pris- oner when he wrote his Epistle to the Romans, yet he was very fervent in his prayers to God, that he might have a prosperous journey, and come to them, (chap. i. 10.) For determining the time of this Epistle, it may be observed tliat, when the Apostle wrote the Epistle to tlie Philippians, the Colossians, and Philemon, lie had hopes of deliverance. At the writing of all these Epistles, Timothy was present with him : but now he was absent, as plainly appears from chap. xiii. 23. This leads us to think that this Epistle was written afler them. And it is not unlikely that the Apostle had now obtained that liberty which he expected when they were written. Moreover, in the Epistle to the Philippians, 400* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES. [Part XV. he speaks of sending Timothy to them, (chap, ii, 19, 23.) "But I trust in the Lord Jesus, to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, Avhen I know your state. (Timothy, therefore, if sent, was to come back to the Apostle.) Him, therefore, I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me." It is probable that Timothy did go to the Philippians, soon after writing the above-men- tioned Epistle, the Apostle having gained good assurance of being quite released from his con- finement; and this Epistle to the Hebrews was written during the time of that absence, for it is said, Heb. xiii. 23., " Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty, or has been sent abroad." The word is capable of that meaning, and it is a better and more likely meaning, because it suits the coherence. And I suppose that Timothy did soon come to the Apostle, and that they both sailed to Judtea, and after that ■went to Ephesus, where Timothy was left to reside with his peculiar charge. Thus this Epistle was written at Rome, or in Italy, soon after St. Paul had been released from his confinement at Rome, in the beginning of the year 63. And I suppose it to be the last written of all St. Paul's Epistles which have come down to us, or of which we have any knowledge. The occasion of writing this Epistle will be sufficiently apparent from an attentive review of its contents. The .Tews did every thing in tlieir power to withdraw their brethren, who had been converted, from the Christian faith. To persecutions and threats, they added argu- ments derived from the excellency of the Jewish religion. They regarded the Law of Moses as given by the ministration of angels ; that Moses was far superior to Jesus of Nazareth, who sufibred an ignominious deatli ; tliat tlie public worship of God, instituted by their great legis- lator and prophet, was truly splendid, and worthy of Jehovah : while the Christians, on the con- trary, had no established priesthood, no temple, no altars, no victims, &c. These arguments, being both plausible and successful, and supported by the Doctors, Scribes, and Elders of Jerusalem, the Apostle, who was himself a doctor most learned in the Law, wrote this Epistle to prove that the same God who gave the former revelations of his will to the fathers of the Jewish nation, by his prophets, had in these last days spoken to all mankind by his Son ; consequently that these revelations, emanating from the same divine source, could not possibly contradict each other. The Epistle may be considered as the key to the Old Testament, unlocking all its hidden mysteries, and may be divided into three sep- arate heads. First, that which relates to the person of the Son of God, as it had described him in the Old Testament. Secondly, to show that the religion of the Gospel is the same under both Testaments, being shadowed out in the Old. And thirdly, to prove that the Church of Israel was a figure of the Church of Christ. Note 2.— Part XV. The word uiiyaafju signifies splendor in itself. The word (jc7Tcti')Yua/.iu, here used, is derived from it, and signifies the emitted, or proceeding splendor; or, as it is expressed in the Nicene Creed, " light of light." As the light proceeding from the sun, although of tlie same essence, is distinct from the sun, so there is one person of the Fatlier, and another of the Son. The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten ; of the same essence, bearing the very impression of his substance. Note 3.— Part XV. The Apostle here endeavours to prove that the Law did not rest in temporal promises, or as the seventh article expresses it, that " both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life was offered to mankind by Christ. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign, that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises." The Gospel was preached before to Abraham (Gal. iii. 8.), and the Israelites were called out of Egypt under Moses, to take possession of an unknown promised land ; so are Christians, under the Gospel, called by Christ, the Law- giver of the New Testament, out of the Egypt of this world, that they may prepare for an un- known and heavenly country. The revealed will of God has been made manifest from the foundations of the world, the nature of man being unchanged, and Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. The histories of the eminent men of the Old Testament prefigured the divine life and character of the promised Messiah, and the chosen people of God illustrated in their history the warfare to Avhich Christians are exposed, and the blessings of which they are made partakers in the Gospel. Note 4.— Part XV. Adam Clarke remarks, " the Law and the Word of God in general is repeatedly compared to a two-edged sword among the Jewish writers, nV3 'Ht^ 3 -\n, 'the sword with two mouths.' By this sword the man himself lives, and by it he destroys his enemies." See also Schoetgen. In Ephesians vi. 17. the doctrine of the Gospel NOTF. 5.-10.] ON THE EPISTLi: TO THE HEBREWS. *40l is called "a Sword of tlie Spirit;" and in Revelation i. 16., the Word of God is spoken of as " a sharp two-edged Sword which went out from the moutli of Christ." See Isaiah xi. 4. As the Apostle is representing throughout, that the Gospel was described by the Law, as a body is by its shadow, there is reason to sup- pose that in the expression here used, botli the Old and New Testaments were included. Note 5.— Part XV. Commentators are much divided as to the signification of this verse, some supposing these bitter supplications of Christ to be offered to save him from lying under the power of death, from which fear he was delivered ; or as some interpret it, he was heard for his piety : and others refer them (which appears to me tiie most correct opinion) to his agony in tlie gar- den. As the second Adam, I have already shown that tlie Devil, who had departed from Christ for a season, was then permitted to assault him with all the powers of darkness, and with the whole weight of temptation to which the human nature could be exposed. At tliis unconceivable spiritual agony and conflict, the weakness of man showed itself, and he earnestly prayed that tliis trial might be spared him ; but as the representative of man, it was appointed for him to submit to that agony of spirit which sin without an atonement had passed on all mankind. As both temporal and spiritual death were pronounced on the fall of the first Adam, so did the second Adam, in accomplishing our redemption, suffer and tri- umph over both. — See notes 33, 34, part vi. p. 164, 165, 166. Note 6.— Part XV. The Apostle is supposed in this analogy to refer to the great spiritual advantages enjoyed by the Jews, and to foretell as a punislnnent of their abuse of them, and their apostacy, the approaching destruction of their city and tem- ple, whicli took place about seven years after — they were therefore "nigh unto cursing." Note 7.— Part XV. Fulfilled seven years after, in the destruc- tion of the temple and Jerusalem. Note 8.— Part XV. St. Cyril gives the following interpretation : — Although Christ is but one, yet he is under- VOL. ii. -51 stood by us under a variety of forms — He is the tabernacle, on account of the human body in which he dwelt — He is the table, because lie is our bread of life — He is the ark, which has the law of God enclosed within, because he is the word of the Father — He is the candlestick, because he is the spiritual light — He is the altar of incense, because he is the sweet-smell- ing odor in sanctification — He is the altar of burnt-offering, because he is the victim by death on the cross for the sins of the whole world. Macknight observes on this subject — "By introducing these things into the inward taber- nacle, which represented heaven, and by placing them in the manner described, the Holy Ghost may be supposed to have signified, that in iieaven the knowledge and memory of the divine dispensations to mankind, and God's interpositions in behalf of nations and individ- uals, will be preserved, and be the subject of devout contemplation, not only to the redeemed, but to the angelical hosts, represented by the cherubim ovei'shadowing the mercy-seat." — 1 Pet. i. 12. Eph. iii. 10. Note 9.— Part XV. Doddridge supposes that St. Paul here refers to the manifestation which God made of himself upon Mount Sion, as being milder than that upon Mount Sinai. "Sion," he proceeds, " was the city of God. In the temple, which stood there, cherubim were the ornaments of the walls, both in the holy, and most holy place, to signify the presence of angels. There was a general assembly and congregation of the priests, which were substituted instead of the first born, of whose names catalogues were kept. There was God, a supreme Judge of con- troversies, giving forth his oracles. The high priest was the mediator between God and Israel (compare Luke i. 8-10.), and the blood of sprinkling was daily used." Note 10.— Part XV. Some commentators suppose that this pas- sage refers to the approaching destruction of Jerusalem, and the abolition of the political and ecclesiastical constitution of the Jewish state — the one signified by the earth, the latter by heaven. Others, to the dissolution of all things, to the new heavens and earth — to the future state of glory. The Jewish state and worship are in all probability described b)^ the prophets as the heavens, because they were established by God, and because the tabernacle, witli its worship, were typical of heavenly things. — See the Dissertation of Lord Barring- *HH* 402* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES. [Part XV. ton, at the end of the Essay on the Dispensa- tions. *NoTE 21.— Part XV. ON THE DATE AND OCCASION OF THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. The Second Epistle to Timothy is peculiarly valuable to the Christian Church, on account of the singular contrast it affords between the persecuted, yet confident and happy Christian, and the ferocious, abandoned, and profligate Roman. Nero was at this time Emperor of Rome. Immediately before the burning of the city, he had offended and disgusted the Chris- tians with those dreadful scenes of indescriba- ble crime, which are related in the Annals of Tacitus. From these he proceeded to set fire to the city, then to persecute the Christians, and, possibly before the martyrdom of the apostles, to execute many of the most illustri- ous senators of Rome, for the conspiracy of Lucan, Seneca, and Piso. Many of the latter, indeed, met death with courage and serenity, thougli unblessed with any certain hope of futurity. With the Christian only was found love and good- will to all mankind, and a patience and cheerfulness and triumph in the hour of death, as infinitely superior to the stoical calmness of a pagan, as the Christian martyr himself to the hero and the soldier. After such scenes this Epistle was probably written ; and St. Paul expressed among them that sublime language of hope and exultation which compels every Christian to exclaim, " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my latter end be like his")—" I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my depart- ure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course : I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of life." It is, however, a matter of dispute, whether this Epistle was written during St. Paul's first or second confinement at Rome. Estius, Ham- mond, Lightfoot, and Lardner, think it was the confinement mentioned by St. Luke, for the two following reasons : first, it is evident from 2 Tim. iv. 11., that when St. Paul wrote this letter, St. Luke was with him. Wherefore, as St. Luke has spoken of no imprisonment of St. Paul at Rome, but the one with which his history of the Acts concludes, the learned men above mentioned infer, tliat this must be the imprisonment, during which the Apostle wrote his Second Epistle to Timothy. But the answer is, St. Luke did not propose in the Acts to give * Notes 11 to 20 are inserted in the Sections to which tliey belong, as fiUing up the Gospel History, of which no inspired records remain. a history of the life of any of the apostles, but an account of the first preaching and propagation of the Gospel. Wherefore, having related how the Gospel was published, first in Judsea by the apostles Peter, James, and John, and by the evangelists Stephen, Philip, and Barnabas ; and then, in many heathen countries, by St. Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, and others ; and by St. Paul, in his own hired house, during his two years' confinement at Rome ; he ended his histoiy at that period, as having finished his design. It is evident, there- fore, although St. Luke has written nothing- farther concerning St. Paul, this can be no proof that St. Paul's ministry and life ended then, or that St. Luke was ignorant of his after transactions ; any more than his silence con- cerning St. Peter afler the council of Jerusa- lem, is a proof that the ministry and life of this Apostle ended at that time ; or that his silence concerning any particulars mentioned in St. Paul's Epistles, is a proof that these things did not happen, or, if they happened, that they were not known to St. Luke, Secondly, it is said, that if this Epistle was written during an after imprisonment of St. Paul in Rome, Timotliy must have been so old, that the Apostle could not with propriety have exhorted liim to flee youthful lusts, (2 Tim. ii. 22.) But, it should be considered, that in tlie year 66, when the Apostle is supposed to have been a prisoner at Rome the second time, Timothy may have been only thirty-four years of age, which, both by the Greeks and Romans, was considered as youth. These are the arguments on which the writers above mentioned have founded their opinion, that St. Paul wrote his Second Epistle to Timothy during his confinement at Rome, of which St. Luke has given an account in his history of the Acts. Other learned men hold, that the Apostle wrote this Epistle during a second imprisonment at Rome, and support their opinion by the following arguments : — 1. At the time the Apostle wrote this Epistle, he was closely imprisoned, as one guilty of a capital crime (2 Tim. ii. 9.) "I suffer evil {fiixgi ds(Tf4Cbf) unto bonds, as a malefactor." The heathen magistrates and priests, consider- ing St. Paul as an atheist, because he denied the gods of the empire, very probably also sup- posing him to be one of the Christians wlio, they said, had set the city on fire, confined him in close prison, with his hands and feet in fet- ters, as a malefactor. His situation was very different during his first imprisonment. For then, (Acts xxviii. 30.) "he dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all tluit came to him, (ver. 31.) preaching the king- dom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." This mild treatment was probably owing to the favorable account Note 21.] ON THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. *403 ■which Festus gave of him to the Emperor, ((Acts XXV. 25. xxvi. 31.) and to what Julius the centurion, who brought him to Rome, said of him, when he delivered him to the officer appointed to receive the prisoners from the provinces — the centurion's esteem of St. Paul is mentioned Acts xxvii. 42, 43. 2. The Roman governors of Judaia, by whom St. Paul was tried for his life, declared at his trials, that no crime was alleged against him, but only holding his opinions, which his accus- ers said were contrary to their religion, (Acts XXV. 18, 19.) They likewise declared, that he had been guilty of no crime against the state, (Acts xxvi. 31.) Heresy, therefore, being the only crime laid to the Apostle's charge, and that cir- cumstance being made known by the governor of Judffia to his judges at Rome, they must have had a very favorable opinion of his cause. In the former Epistle the author confidently looked forward to Iiis liberation from confine- ment, and his speedy departure from Rome. He tells the Philippians (chap. ii. 24.) " I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly." Philemon he bids to prepare for him a lodging; "for I trust," says he, "that through your prayers I shall be given unto you." (ver. 22.) In the Epistle before us he holds a lan- guage extremely different : " I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand : I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day," (chap. iv. 6- 8.) Phil. i. 14. « Many of the brethren in the Lord, being assured in my bonds, have become much more bold to speak the word without fear." At this time also he had the service of many affectionate friends, such as St. Mark, Timothy, St. Luke, Tychicus, Aristarchus, and others mentioned Col. iv. 7, 10, 11, 12, 14. But ■when he wrote his Second Epistle to Timothy, his assistants were all so terrified by the rage of his accusers and judges, that not so much as one of them, nor any of the brethren in Rome, appeared with him when he made his first answer, (2 Tim. iv. IG.) And after that answer was made, all his assistants fled from the city, except St. Luke, (2 Tim. iv. 11.) During the Apostle's confinement in Rome, of which St. Luke has given an account, Dcmas was Avith him (Philemon, ver. 24.), and Mark, as his fellow-laborers, (Col. iv. 10, 11. Philemon, ver. 24.) But when he wrote his Second Epistle to Timothy, Demas had forsaken him, having loved this present world, (2 Tim. iv. 10.) And Mark was absent ; for the Apostle desired Timothy to bring Mark with liim, (2 Tim. iv. 11.) From these circumstances, it is evident that the Epistle to the Colossians and to Phile- mon, and the Second to Timothy, were written by the Apostle during different confinements. To invalidate these arguments, Lardner sup- poses, that on St. Paul's an-ival from Judaia, he was shut up in close prison as a malefactor, and expected nothing but instant death. That being in the greatest danger, all his assistants, except St. Luke, forsook him, and fled for fear of their own lives ; that in this state of despondency he wrote his Second Epistle to Timothy ; that the emperor having heard his first defence, mentioned 2 Tim. iv. 16., entertained a favor- able opinion of his cause, and by a written order, appointed him to be confined in the gentle manner described Acts xxviii. 16., so that after- wards his assistants returned ; and that he preached the Gospel to all who came to him, and converted many. Dr. Paley remarks, these particulars are all resolvable into one supposition, viz. that tiiis Epistle was not written during St. Paul's first residence at Rome, but in some future imprison- ment in that city. The Epistle touches upon names and circumstances connected with the date, and with the history of the first imprison- ment, and mentioned in letters during his im- prisonment, and so touches upon them, as to leave what is said of one consistent with what is said of others, and consistent also with what is said of them in different epistles. It is supposed by the generality of commen- tators that Timothy was at Ephesus when this Epistle was addressed to him; but Michaelis'' is of opinion that Timothy was most probably in some part of Asia Minor, because the Apostle, towards the end of chapter i. mentions several persons resident in that country, and because Troas, where Timothy was to call (chap. iv. 18.) does not lie in the way from Ephesus to Rome, to which place Timothy was to make haste to come with the cloak, books, and parchments before winter, (chap. iv. 21.) These objections are removed by considering that the Apostle referred to the Asiatic Christians, who were then at Rome, and had professed a friendship for him, yet had in his affliction forsaken him. Onesiphorus, who so diligently sought out the Apostle in his close confinement at Rome, had before ministered to him at Ephesus (chap. i. 18.), and that he still continued a resident of that city is proved by chap. iv. 19., where his family are saluted, which is strong evidence in favor of Timothy being at this time at Ephesus. Hymenaeus also, mentioned chap. ii. 17., was one of the Judaizers of Ephesus, (1 Tim. i. 19, 20. ; compare also 1 Tim. i. 5, 6, 7. with 2 Tim. ii. 22., &c. and chap. iii. 6, 7, 8.); and when Timothy was desired to call at Troas, he was only directed to follow the same route which the Aposile had himself taken when he left Ephesus for Rome. — (See Acts xx. 1-5. 2 Cor. ii. 12.) Alexander the coppersmith, spoken of chap. iv. 14., is the same Avho is mentioned * Michaelis. vol. iv. p. 161-164. 404* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES. [Pakt XV. Acts xix. 33., and again 1 Tim. i. ^0. ; and although some have supposed that the mischief the Apostle refers to occurred at Rome, it is much more probable he alludes to what had formerly taken place at Ephesus, (compare Acts xix. .33. 1 Tim. i. 20. with 2 Tim. iv. 14, 1.5.) ; and this supposition naturally accounts for St. Paul's caution. Timothy being at Ephesus furnishes us also with a reason why St. Paul, who so strongly enforces his instructions and regulations for the ordination of bishops and deacons in his First Epistle, does not mention the subject in this. Timothy having fully exe- cuted the Apostle's former orders in that Church, there was now no occasion for repeating them. Tychicus (chap. iv. 12.) is considered as tlie bearer of this Epistle, who was sent by St. Paul to Ephesus, for the purpose of releasing Tim- othy, (see also Titus iii. 12.) From these observations we may conclude, with the general consent of the primitive Church, that St. Paul visited Rome and suffered imprisonment there at two difierent periods, and that his second imprisonment terminated in martyrdom. It is supposed that St. Paul went to Rome the second time from Crete about the year 65, on account of Nero's persecution of the Christians, whom he had accused of setting fire to Rome, for the purpose of strengthening and comforting them ; and that he was beheaded by having his head cut off with a sword, which was the punishment inflicted on the freemen of Rome, while the others were given to the wild beasts', on the 29th of June, A. D. 66. A short time previous to his martyrdom this Epistle was written. To use the words of Dr. Benson, " He had hitherto travelled about to plant churclies, where he had never been, or to revisit the churches which he had planted. He was now to enter upon another and a very different snene. But as he lived piously, he died bravely. When he was not permitted to act any more, his prin- cipal concern was not for himself, but for the true Christian doctrine after his dissolution. He, therefore, addressed Timothy with the air and solemnity of a dying father, enjoining him, as he ever expected to meet his great and glo- rious .Judge in peace, to preach the pure Chris- tian doctrine, with zeal and frequency, when he himself was laid in the silent dust, and should preach and direct him no more. And having devolved the work upon one, in whom he could BO fully confide, he suffered martyrdom, during the power of Helius Cfesarianus (Nero being absent at Greece), the vilest prefect of the most tyrannical prince that ever lived. Imagine a pious father, under sentence of death for Iiis piety and benevolence to mankind, writing to a dutiful and affectionate son, that he might see and embrace him again before he left the world — particularly that lie might leave with him Ids '^ Lactarit. de Mori, pcrseculorum. c. 2. et Euseb. Histor. Ecdes. 1. 5. c. 1 . edit. Reading, p 207. dying commands, and charge him to live and suffer as he had done — and you will have the frame of the apostle's mind during the whole of this Epistle." Note 22.— -Part XV. St. Paul himself, a little before his death, has here clearly instituted a Gospel ministry. This was done by divine inspiration, and a suc- cession of authorized teachers has perpetuated the true Gospel doctrine, from that time to the present period. Note 23.— Part XV. ox ST. PETER, AND ON THE DATE AND OCCASION OF HIS FIRST EPISTLE. St. Peter, the apostle, was born at Bethsaida in Upper Galilee. He was the son of Jonas, Jonah, or John, and was a fisherman upon the lake of Gennesareth, following in all probability the trade of his father. His call to the apostle- ship by our Saviour, with his brother Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist, who heard him point out Jesus as the Lamb of God, is record- ed by three of the Evangelists. Macknight observes, about that time Peter had left Betli- saida, and had gone to Capernaum, with his wife, who is thought to have been of that town. From Andrew's accompanying his brother thither, and living with him in the same house, it may be conjectured that their father was dead. With them Jesus also abode, after he took up his ordinary residence at Capernaum ; for he seems to have been pleased with the disposition and manners of all the members of that family. Thus, as Lardner observes, it appears tliat before Peter became an apostle, he had a wife, was the head of a family, had a boat and nets, and a furnished house, and main- tained himself by an honest occupation. (Matt. xix. 27.) The Apostle St. Paul seems to insin- uate, that Peter's wife attended him in his travels, after our Lord's ascension, ( I Cor. ix. 5.) He Avas the most zealous of all tlie apostles, and was conspicuous for the strength of his faith. He was more forward than the rest of the dis- ciples, and was the first to answer the questions put to them by our Saviour. On tlie confession of his faith (Matt. xvi. 13-1().) it is supposed by some that our Lord invested Peter with privileges and powers superior to the rest of his disciples ; but the following clause, " Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven," &c. mentions privileges, wliicli are declared to belong to all the apostles. (Matt, xviii. 18. .lolm XX. 21-23.) It cannot be said that the Note 23.] ON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER. *405 Church of Christ was built on Peter alone, for it is expressly asserted by divine revelation to have been built on the foundation of all the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone. Peter, in deliver- ing his own sentiments, expressed those of all the apostles ; and our Lord, in addressing his reply to Peter, intended that it should be equally extended to them all. Lardner remarks on the Canon, p. 102, that Cassian, supposing Peter to be older than Andrew, makes his age the ground of his precedence among the apos- tles ; and that Jerome himself says, " The keys were given to all the apostles alike, and the Church was built on all of them equally. But for preventing dissension, precedence was given to one. And John might have been the person, but he was too young : and Peter was preferred on account of his age." The only peculiar distinction conferred on St. Peter was, that after the descent of the Holy Ghost he should be the first to declare the Gospel to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. That he re- ceived no superior power of preeminence over the other disciples is evident from our Lord's declaration — "One is your master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren." Tlie First Epistle of Peter has been ever considered as authentic — it was referred to by Polycarp, Clemens Romanus, and the Martyrs of Lyons — it was acknowledged by Theophilus, bishop of Antioch, and quoted by Papias, Ire- nseus, Clemens Alexandrinus, and Tertulliain. Commentators, both ancient and modern, are divided in opinion as to the description of per- sons to whom these Epistles of St. Peter were addressed. Eusebius, Jerome, Didymus of Alex- andria argue that they were addressed to Jewish Christians, dispersed through the countries men- tioned in the inscription. Beza, Grotius, Mill, Cave, Tillemont, have followed the same opinion. But others suppose it to have been written to Gentiles also. Bede, in his prologue to the Catholic Epistles, says, that St. Peter's Epistles were sent to such as were proselyted from iiea- thenism to Judaism, and afterwards to the Chris- tian religion. Wetstein supposes they were written to the Gentiles — Barrington and Benson, to the Proselytes of the Gate — Lardner, Estius, Whitby, Macknight, and Adam Clarke, that they were sent to all Christians in general, Jews and Gentiles, residing in Pontus, Galatia, Cappa- docia, &.C. That both the Epistles were sent to the same people is evident from 2 Peter iii. 1. ; and it is also certain, tliat many things are mentioned in the First Epistle which can apply only to the Gentiles (chap. i. 14, 18, 20, 21. ii. 9, &c.) Compare with these expressions Rom. ix. 24, 25., where St. Paul is unquestionably speaking of Gentile converts. See also chap. iv. 3. It is also to be remarked, that those to whom the Apostle writes, principally consisted of the converts of St. Paul ; as we are informed in the Acts of the Apostles that St. Paul had been ni Galatia, and the other countries men- tioned in the inscription. St. Peter corrobo- rates this, by observing (2 Peter iii. 15.) " that his beloved brother Paul had written unto them," referring, no doubt, to his Epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians, and Colossians, the greater part of whom were Gentile converts. The most probable conclusion appears to be, that St. Peter's two Epistles were sent to all Christians in general, living in those countries, the majority of whom had been converted lyr St. Paul from heathenism to Christianity. The passages which are considered inconsist- ent with the supposition that this Epistle was written both to Gentiles and Jews, are found in chap. ii. 9. and ver. 12. The Ibrmer contains the honorable appellations which were peculiarly appropriated to the Jewish people ; but as the Gentiles were now to become God's chosen people as well as the Jews, these titles belonged equally to them. The latter passage refers only to the unbelieving Gentiles. See a simi- lar passage, 1 Cor. x. 32. It remains for us now to inquire from what place this Epistle was written; for on this point also commentators are much divided. From St. Peter's sending the salutations of the Church from Babylon, it is by many believed that he wrote his First Epistle from that place. Pearson, Mill, and Le Clerc are of opinion that the Apostle speaks of Babylon in Egypt. Eras- mus, Drusius, Beza, Lightfoot, Basnage, Beau- sobre, Wetstein, Cave, and Benson, suppose he writes from Babylon in Assyria. But, according to Lardner, there is no mention made of any church or bishop at the Egyptian Baby- lon during the first four centuries ; and the Assyrian Babylon was almost deserted in the time of the apostles. QCcumenius, Bede, and other fathers, Grotius, Whitby, and the learned of the RomLsh communion, think that by Baby- lon Peter figuratively signified Rome. And this opinion is corroborated by the general testimony of antiquity, which. Dr. Lardner remarks, is of no small weight. Eusebius'^ relates, on the authority of Clement of Alex- andria, and Papias, bishop of Jerusalem, that St. Mark's Gospel was written at the request of Peter's hearers in Rome; and t'lat "Peter makes mention of St. Mark in his first Epistle, which was written at Rome itself And that he (Peter) signifies this, calling that city figuratively Babylon, in these words, ' the church which is at Babylon, elected jointly with you, saluteth you. And so doth Mark my son.'" This passage of Eusebius is transcribed by Jerome, who adds, positively, that Peter men- tions this Mark in his First Epistle, figuratively denoting Rome by the name of Babylon ; "the church which is at Babylon," &c. It is gener- <* Hist. Ecdes. lib. ii. c. 15. 406* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES. [Part XV. ally thought that Peter and John (Rev. xvii. 18.) gave to Rome the name of Babylon, figuratively to signify, as it was not expedient to do so more openly, that it would resemble Babylon in its idolatry, and in its opposition to, and perse- cution of, the Church of God ; and that, like Babylon, it will be utterly destroyed. Silvanus, or Silas, the bearer, was " the faith- ful brother," or associate of St. Paul, in most of tlie churches which he had planted. And though he was not at Rome with the Apostle when he wrote his last Epistle to Timothy, in all probability he soon after returned, and might have been sent by St. Paul and Peter jointly, to confirm the churches in Asia Minor, &c. which he had assisted in planting. But Silvanus, St. Paul, and St. Peter had no con- nexion with Babylon, which lay beyond their district ; and, therefore, they were not likely at any time to build upon another's foundation. It is supposed that the Gospel was preached in Persia, or Parthia, by the Apostle Thaddeus, or Jude, according to Cosmas ; and Abulfaragi computes, that the ancient Syriac version of the New Testament was made in his time, and probably by his authority, for the use of the Oriental churches'". The Jews were fond of mystical appellations, especially in their captivities ; Edom was a frequent title for their heathen oppressors ; and as they were first taken captive to Babylon, it is very probable that Rome, the principal scene of their second captivity, which so strongly resembled Babylon in her " abominations, her idolatries, and persecutions of the saints," should be denominated by the same title. And tliis supposition is confirmed by a similar ex- pression in the Apocalypse, where the mystical application is unquestionable, (Rev. xiv. 8. xvi. in. and xviii. 2, &c.) There is every reason to suppose (see Lardner) that Jolm borrowed it from Peter ; or rather, that both derived it by inspiration, from the prophecy of Isaiah, (xxi. 9.) It is considered from the expression (chap, iii. IG.) as St. Peter had seen all St. Paul's Epistles when this was written, that the latter Apostle was dead ; at least if St. Peter wrote from Rome, as is more generally supposed by the ancient Christian writers. For when St. Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy from Rome, a short time before his death, he did not mention the name of Peter, which he would not have omitted had he been in the city at that time. From nch it is argued, that if St. Peter wrote his first Epistle from Rome, he must have done so after St. Paul's martyrdom, consequently not sooner than the year 60, or 67, about three years before the destruction of Jerusalem : for St. Paul was put to death in * Lardner, 8vo. voL v. p. 272, 4to. vol. iii. p. 55. Michaelis, vol. ii. p. 30. the twelfth year of Nero, corresponding to A. D. 66 ; and we are told tliat when he wrote his Second Epistle, which was a short time after the first, he was old, and near his end, with the pros- pect of soon dying a martyr for the truth of Christianity. Had he been put to death, as Gro- tius supposes, after the destruction of Jerusalem, the authenticity of the Second Epistle is de- stroyed. His argument is founded on 2 Pet. iii. 12., which he interprets as referring to the end of the world, which was to follow, accord- ing to a prevalent opinion, the destruction of Jerusalem. But as the Apostle himself con- futes this idea (chap. iii. 3.) it is not necessary further to discuss the question. Macknight remarks, as the design of this Epistle is excellent, its execution, in the judg- ment of the best critics, does not fall short of its design. Ostervald says of the First Epistle of Peter, " it is one of the finest books of the New Testament:" and of the second, " that it is a most excellent Epistle, and is written with great strength and majesty." Erasmus's opinion of Peter's First Epistle is, " It is worthy the I'rince of the Apostles, and full of apostolical dignity and authority." He adds, " It is (verbis parca, sententiis differta) spar- ing in words, but full of sense.'' Lardner obser\'es that Peter's two Epistles, with his dis- courses on the Acts, and the multitudes who were converted by them, are monuments of a divine inspiration, and of the fulfilment of Christ's promise to Peter and Andrew, " Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Note 24.— Part XV. Macknight considers the salvation of Noah in the ark typical of baptism, in the three fol- lowing particulars : — " 1st. By building the ark, and by entering into it, Noah showed a strong faith in the promise of God concerning his preservation by the very water which was to destroy the antediluvians ; so by giving our- selves to be buried, in the water of baptism, we show a like faith in God's promise, that though we die and are buried, he will save us from death, the punishment of sin, by raising us from the dead on the last day. 2d. As the pre- serving of Noah alive, during the nine months he was in the flood, is an emblem of the pres- ervation of the souls of believers while in the state of the dead ; so the preserving believers alive while buried in the waters of baptism, is a prefiguration of the same event. 3d. As the waters of the deluge destroyed the wicked an- tediluvians, but preserved Noah, by bearing up the ark in whicli he was shut up till the waters were assuaged, and he went out of it, to live again on the earth ; so baptism may be said to destroy the wicked and to save the righteous, as Note 25.] ON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PETER. *407 it prefigures both tJiese events : the death of the sinner it prefigures by the burying of the bap- tized persons in the water ; and the salvation of the righteous, by raising the baptized person out of the water to lead a new life." Macknight further observes, "that Noah gave the answer of a good conscience towards God (which was the baptism signified by the deluge), by entering into the ark, in the firm bt'lief that God, according to liis promise, would preserve him and his family — Baptism, under- standing thereby the answer of a good con- science, noiv saveth us also, through the resur- rection of Jesus Christ: because, if Christ had not risen, being an impostor, he could not have saved any one." — Macknight in loc. As Noah prepared the ark for believers, so Christ pre- pares his Church for Christians to conduct them in safety through the waves of this troublesome life, in which so many perish — and as Noah was preserved in the general destruc- tion of sinners and the world, and brouglit into a new creation ; so shall Christians, at the gen- eral judgment and dissolution of all things, be preserved, and admitted into a new state of being ; carried safely with Jesus Christ through the waves of death, triumphing over them. Note 25.— Part XV. ON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF ST. PETER. Many doubts were entertained by the an- cients whether St. Peter was really the author of this Epistle. Eusebius reckoned it among the (xfTilFYdueru, or books not generally received as canonical. Seniler thinks tue superior influ- ence of that party in the Church which advo- cated the admission of the idolatrous Gentiles, prevented its general reception. This opinion requires confirmation. We have the most sat- isfactory evidence, as Mr. Home has well ob- served, of its genuineness and authenticity. This Epistle, as well as the former, although its genuineness, as has been already observed, was doubted by some of the ancients, expressly claims St. Peter as its author. At the same time it is proved that this, with the four other Catholic Epistles, not universally acknowledged as inspired writings, were very early known, and upon full and impartial inquiry, their authen- ticity was established beyond a possibility of doubt. There is a remarkable coincidence between this and the First Epistle of St. Peter; and the writer appeals to facts and circum- stances which evidently refer to that Apostle. The writer styles himself Simon Peter, wliicli is the Hebrew form of writing, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. St. Luke has distin- guished hitn by the same name (chap. v. 8.), and John has done so seventeen times in his Gospel, as Macknight observes, perhaps to show that he was the author of the Epistle which begins " Symeon Peter, a servant and an apostle." The writer calls himself an apostle both in the inscription and chap. iii. 2. ; and in ver. 15. of the same chapter, he calls St. Paul his beloved brother, and commends his Epistles as Scriptures, or Inspired Writings. He also declares that he was with Jesus at his transfig- uration, and alludes to the prediction of our Saviour (John xxi. 19.) where Jesus foretold to St. Peter by what death he should glorify God. Some commentators have supposed that the First and Second Epistles of St. Peter were not written by the same person, because the style in which they are composed differs ; but this difference seems confined only to the second chapter of the Second Epistle, tlie first and third cliapters resembling the First Epistle — which circumstance would more naturally lead to the conclusion that the Second Epistle was written by two different authors, rather than that botii the Epistles were. But this diversity of style is more easily accounted for by sup- posing that many expressions in the second chapter, which is distinguished from the others, were borrowed from the Gnostics, whose doc- trines the Apostle was exposing and confuting. Thus, in 2 Pet. ii. 17., the Gnostics are called " clouds agitated by a tempest ;" and we are informed that the Manicheans, who held many similar doctrines with tiie Gnostics, taught that there were five good and five bad elements, and that one of the latter was called " tempest." Tliey speak also of darkness under the name of ;<fqpoc, which word occurs several times in this chap- ter. The Epistle of St. Jude also abounds with unusual figurative expressions, which may be accounted for after the same manner. On the other hand, Macknight remarks, if the subjects treated of raise an author's indignation and abhorrence, he will use an acrimony of style expressive of these feelings. For the Apostle, whose love to his Master was great, and who had the feeding of Christ's sheep committed to him, regarding the false teachers as the most flagitious of men, wrote that chapter against them with a bitterness which he would not have used in correcting teachers who had erred through simplicity. The arguments of Grotius against the genuineness of this Epistle, on ac- count of its difference of style and sentiments, are not worthy of notice, as he proposes, with- out the slightest authority, to expunge some words ; and on no better grounds to consider others as interpolations. Michaelis remarks, that the deluge, which is not a common subject in the apostolic epistles, is mentioned both in 1 Pet iii. 20. and in 2 Pet. ii. .5. ; and in both places the circumstance is noted, tlia' eight persons only were saved, though in neither place does the subject require that the number should be particularly specified. The author of the First Epistle had read St. Paul's 408* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES. [Part XV. Epistle to tlie Romans ; and the autlior of the Second Epistle speaks in express terms (chap, iii. 15, 16.) of the Epistles of St. Paul. Now, no other writer of the New Testament has quoted from the New Testament ; consequently we have in these Epistles a criterion from which we may judge that they were written by the same author. From chap. i. 14., it is evident that this Epis- tle was written a short time before St. Peter's death. It appears to have been written from Rome likewise, not long after his first. For, as Lardner (Can. iii. p. 253,) observes, "It is not unJikely, that soon after the Apostle had sent away Silvanus with the first Epistle, some came from those countries to Rome, where there was a frequent and general resort from all parts, bringing hiin an account of the state of religion among them, which induced St. Peter to Avrite a second epistle, for the estab- lishment of the Christians, among whom he had labored ; and he might well hope, his last dying testimony to the doctrines which lie iiad received from Christ, and had taught for many years with unshaken steadfastness, would be of great weight with them." It was evidently written under the impression of soon dying a martyr for the truth he had maintained ; and ecclesiastical history informs us that the Apos- tle finished his course by being crucified with his head downwards, in the year 68, tlie four- teenth of the Emperor Nero. The Second Epistle was written to the same communities as the first — to the whole of the Christian brethren dispersed in the countries mentioned in the inscription of the former epistle. (Compare 1 Peter i. Avith 2 Peter iii. 1.) Its design was the same, to comfort them under their persecution, by the most powerful arguments and considerations. I shall conclude by observing, in the words of Dr. Macknight, that " in speaking of the matters contained in the Second Epistle of St. Peter, T must not omit observing, that in it, as in the First Epistle, there are discoveries of some important facts and circumstances, not mentioned at all, or not mentioned so plainly, by tiie other inspired writers. Such as, 1. That our Lord was trans- figured for the ])urpose of exhibiting not only a proof of his greatne.-^s and power, as tlie Son of God, and Judge of the world, but an exam- ple of the glory in which he will come to judg- ment; an example also of his power to trans- form our corruptible mortal bodies at the resur- rection, into the likeness of his own glorious body, as it appeared in the transfiguration. 2. That the destruction of the cities of the plain by fire, was intended to be an example of that destruction by fire from the presence of the Lord, which will be inflicted on the wicked after judgment. (Compare .Tude, voi-se 7.) 3. That in the last age of the world scoffers will arise, who, from the stability of the present mundane system, will argue that the world hath existed as we see it from eternity, and that it will continue for ever. 4. That after the judgment, this earth, with its atmosphere, shall be set on fire, and burning furiously, the elements shall be melted, and the earth, with all the works of God, and man thereon, shall be utterly destroyed. That after the present heaven and earth are burnt, a new heaven and a new earth shall appear, into which, according to God's promise, the righteous shall be carried, there to live in unspeakable happiness; an event which St. Peter himself, in his discourse to the Jews (Acts iii. 21.), hath termed 'the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.'" These supernatural discoveries could onl}' liave been revealed by the Spirit of God — by an Apostle really inspired as St. Peter declares himself to have been. The strong internal evi- dence, therefore, of this Epistle, must of itself be sufficient to prove its authenticity. From the whole tenor of the Epistle it is evident the Apostle is confuting the dangerous errors of those who ,perverted the doctrine of justification by free grace through faith, without the works of the Law, so as to make it a pre- tence for gratifying the lusts of the flesh with- out restraint. The false teachers endeavoured to persuade their disciples that Christ had pur- chased for them the liberty to indulge all their passions and appetites. And in order to circu- late their impious doctrines, they arrogated to themselves authority and illumination superior to that of Christ, or of his apostles. — See Dr. Macknight and other commentators. Note 26.— Part XV. Since we are told (1 Cor. xv. 24.) that after the judgment Christ will deliver up the king- dom to his Father, theeverlastino- kingdom here referred to, signifies the kingdom which Christ erected by what he did in the flesh, and which by the government which he now exercises, he will at length fully establish. This kingdom will continue after he has delivered it up to his Father throughout all eternity, when God will be all in all. — See Macknifjlit in loc. Note 27.— Part XV. ON THE ATTESTATION GIVEN TO THE DIVINE MISSION OF OUR LORD AT HIS BAPTISM. In a note on our Lord's baptism, I mentioned a treatise of Danzius, printed in Meuschen, jYov. Testamentum ex Tahnude. In this dis- Note 28.] ON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PETER. #409 sertation Danzius labors to show that the circumstances attending the baptism of Christ, which he considers as his initiation to his min- istry, were not less convincing than those which accompanied the promulgation of the Law on the mount, and attested the divine commission of Moses. The Jews are fond of contrasting the obscure beginning of Christianity with the splendid beginning of their own religion. Tlie thunders and lightnings, the fire on the mount, and the voice of Jehovah, were witnessed by the whole nation assembled round Mount Sinai, whereas, say they, what attended the initiation of Christ was comparatively done in a corner. St. John alone, it is said, heard the voice from heaven, and saAv the Spirit descending in the form of a dove. To this Danzius replies, that although the divine attestations in favor of Christ were not attended with those circum- stances of terror amidst which the Law was promulgated on Mount Sinai, yet they were not less solemn and convincing ; that it is not true that only John beheld them, for they were beheld also by the assembled multitude, who had just been baptized. The reason why the circumstances of teiTor were omitted, was the express promise of God, that when he should send them a prophet like unto Moses, he would remember their request, in which they begged that they might not again hear the voice of God, nor see that great fire any more, lest they should die, (Dent, xviii. 15. &c.) If, however, it should be here objected, that Christians assert the voice of God to have been heard at Christ's baptism, Danzius replies, the voice heard on this occasion was " minimi qui- dem terribilis et horrisona : non tamen tenuis et remissa nimis ; sed cum jucunditate quadam, terror! vei-borum conveniente, satis sonora et penetrans" p. 348, § 23. The miraculous appearances at Christ's bap- tism, Danzius asserts, excluded all doubt, even more strongly than those on the Mount ; for on this latter occasion the people were at a dis- tance, and restrained by boundaries, while on the former there was no such restraint, some of the crowd being near enough to be in actual contact with Christ liimself. To prove that a multitude was present at Christ's baptism, and was not only present, but heard the voice and saw the glorious light and the Spirit descending, it is necessary to compare the accounts given by the four Evangelists. That multitudes -were present at the time will be readily granted, from the expression used by St. Luke — iv Tc5 ^anxiaOrivai, anavxa tov Aotoi". That they also saw the miraculous appearances and heard the voice, are not so immediately ap- parent, as it not expressly asserted by any of VOL. II. *52 the. Evangelists, but must be inferred by care- fully comparing their several accounts. Indeed, one strong argument may be drawn from the nature of the case ; as it is doubtless reason- able to suppose that all this was done to con- vince the people of the divine commission of the person whom they had just seen baptized. The account of St. Luke is couched in such words as exclude no one from participation in the sight ; because he ascribes it to no one in particular, but only recounts the wonderful ap- pearances, and it is natural to suppose that he means they were witnessed by all present The words of St. Matthew may, without difficulty, bear the same meaning. The words of St Mark alone contain a difficulty. He uses the singular verb tide, and connects it with the foregoing verb iBumladtj, by the particle xul, whence, according to the rules of grammar, the subject of slSf, is the same with that of iduir- rlaOrj. Which being admitted, it follows that Jesus alone saw these miraculous sights. To this it is replied, that xiel is here -used as the Hebrew v which is often used between two words, having different subjects, of which the latter is not expressed in the nominative case. The subject of side, then, may be John. The following words favor this explanation, for we find in' aijbv, and not ^9' ktvidv, or ^<jp' avrov as it should be if Jesus were the subject of fiJs. But Danzius is inclined to carry this still fur- ther — " We are not told (says he) that Jesus vidit, or Johannes vidit, but ' ascendens e flu- mine vidit;' now it is certain that not only Jesus went up, or John alone with him, but all the people who had been just baptized ; why, then, may not 6lvuSuIvmv be taken distributively or collectively? so as to mean that unHg 6 lubg, universus ille popidus ascendens vidit Jissos ccelos," &c. ? For an answer to an objection which may be drawn from these words of Christ (John v. 37.\ " Ye have never heard the Father's voice," I have omitted to notice the very tedious inquiry about the Sip T\2j as I have already discussed this point. Note 28.— Part XV. Not any prophecy of Scripture is of self- interpretation, or is its own interpreter, because the Scripture prophecies are not detached pre- dictions of separate, independent events, but are united in a regular and entire system, all ter- minating in one great object — the promulgation of the Gospel, and the complete establishment of the Messiah's kingdom. — Horsley's Sermons, vol. ii. p. 13-16. * II 410* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES. [Part XV. Note 29.— Part XV. ON THE EPISTLE OF ST. JUDE. JuDE, or Judas, the writer of this Epistle, is considered by the generality of commentators to be the apostle of that name mentioned in the catalogue of the apostles given by St. Luke, chap. vi. 14, 15. and in Acts i. 13., and by St. Matthew, chap. x. 3., and Mark iii. 18., as Lebbeus and Thaddeus; from whence it is naturally inferred, as the Evangelists unite in confining the number of the apostles to twelve, that Jude, Lebbeus, and Thaddeus, was the same person, known by these different names. As he expressly declares himself to have been the brother of James, he may have borne the same relation to our Lord as James did. His call to the apostleship is recorded by St. Luke, chap. v». 13., and he is mentioned also by John, xiv. 21-23. Therefore, as the promise con- tained in this passage implies, as an apostle, he was endowed with the spiritual gifts of the Holy Ghost, Christ through the Spirit dwelling with him. Lardner supposes that James was originally an husbandman, from the expression in the Apostolical Constitutions, " Some of us are fishermen, others tentmakers, others husband- men." He conjectures that the latter part of the sentence peculiarly referred to St. Paul and St. Jude ; which supposition is further cor- roborated by Hegesippus, as quoted by Euse- bius, who asserts, " That when Domitian made inquiries after the posterity of David, some grandsons of Jude, called the Lord's brotlier, were brought before him. Being asked con- cerning their possessions and substance, they assured him that they had only so many acres of land, out of the improvement of which they both paid him tribute, and maintained them- selves with their own hard labor. The truth of Avhat they said was confirmed by the callous- ness of their hands." From which account, if it may be relied upon, it necessarily follows tliat tliis Apostle was married, and had children. Jerome, in his Commentary on Matthew x. 35., says, "That the Apostle Thaddeus, called by the Evangelist Luke, Judas the brother of James, was sent to Edessa, to Abgarus, king of Osroene." And Eusebius (Ecd. Hist. 1. i. c. 13.) says, that Thomas, one of the twelve, sent to Edessa, Thaddeus, one of Christ's seventy disciples, to preach the Gospel in those countries. The canonical authority of this Epistle has been disputed, particularly because the Apostle is supposed to have quoted the apocryphal book of Enoch. To which objection it is replied, there is no good evidence tliat in Jude's time there was any book extant entitled Henoch, or HenocWs Prophecy. The book that existed in the second and third centuries of that name is generally supposed to have been composed on the mention of this prophecy by Jude, and wa& consequently always regarded as a forgery. We cannot conclude, from the reference made by Jude, that such a book necessarily existed. For throughout the apostolical writings, there are many facts alluded to which are not related in the Jewish Scripture : — the sin and punish- ment of the evil angels, 2 Peter ii. 4. ; Noah's preaching righteousness to the people before the flood, 2 Peter ii. 5. ; Abraham's seeing Christ's day, and being glad, as declared by Christ himself, John viii. 56. ; Lot's vexation at the iniquity of the Sodomites, 2 Peter ii. 7. ; the emblematical purpose of the slaying of the Egyptians by Moses, Acts vii. 25. ; the names of Pharaoh's magicians, 2 Tim. iii. 8. ; Moses' exclamation on the mount, Heb. xii. 21. ; with many others ; which things seem to prove, be- yond a doubt, tliat the inspired writers of the Old Testament did not record all the revelations made to them by God any more than they related every event in the lives of those persons whose histories they have written. Some explication was given with the revelation, which, bemg of the greatest importance, waa transmitted by uninterrupted tradition from father to son ; and the Spirit of God taught the apostles to discern those which were authentic. Macknight observes, " The Spirit of God, who inspired the evangelists and apostles, may have directed them to mention these traditions in their writings, and to allude to them, to make us sensible that many important matters, an- ciently made known by revelation, have been preserved by tradition. And more especially, that the persuasion which history assureth us hath prevailed in all ages and countries from the most early times, concerning the placability of the Deity, the acceptableness of sacrifice, the existence of the soul after death, the resur- rection of the body, the rewards and punish- ments of the life to come, with other matters of a like kind, was founded on revelations concerning these things, which were made to mankind in the first age, and handed down by tradition. The truth is, these things being matters which, by the utmost efforts of their natural faculties, men could not discover, the knowledge and belief of them, which prevailed among all nations, whether barbarous or civ- ilized, cannot be accounted for, except on the supposition of their having been originally dis- covered by revelation, and dispersed among all nations by tradition. Wherefore, in no ago or country, have mankind been left entirely to the guidance of the light of nature, but have enjoyed the benefit of revelation in a greater or in a less degree." But granting that Jude really quoted from the book under consideration, it no more proves that he was not an inspired writer, than that St. Paul was not one, because he makes use of the Note 29.] ON THE EPISTLE OF ST. JUDE. *411 heathen poets, Menander and Epemenides, 1 Cor. XV. 33. ; Titus i. 12. Neither do such allu- sions establish the credibility or correctness of the whole work, but of that part only which they immediately employ. The preceding observations apply with equal force to ver. 9, in which the Apostle is supposed to cite an apocry- phal relation, or tradition, concerning the Arch- angel Michael disputing with Satan for the body of Moses. This is, by some writers, referred to a book called the " Assumption, or Ascension of Christ," which in all probability was a forgery much later tlian the time of Jude ; but Drs. Lardner and Macknight think it much more credible that the Apostle alludes to tlie vision in Zech. iii. 1-3. In further illustration of this verse, we may remark, that it was a Jewish maxim, that "it is not lawful for man to prefer ignominious reproaches, even against wicked spirits." Might not the Apostle, then, have used it merely as a popular illus- tration, without vouching for the fact, of that sober and wholesome doctrine, " not to speak evil of dignities," from the example of an archangel who did not venture to rail even at Satan, but meekly said, " The Lord rebuke thee .9" The Epistle itself was acknowledged, and generally received, as soon as it was fully as- certained to have been written by the Apostle Jude, the brother of James, and cousin-german of our Lord. It is found in all the ancient cata- logues of the sacred writings of the New Tes- tament ; it is considered genuine by Clement of Alexandria, and is quoted as St. Jude's pro- duction by Tertullian, by Origen, and by the greater part of the ancients mentioned by Euse- bius. See Lardner's works, 4to. vol. iii. p. 440-443. Its authenticity is confirmed by the subjects discussed in it, which are in every respect suitable to the character of an apostle of Jesus Christ ; and, as Dr. Macknight truly observes, there is no error taught, no evil prac- tice enjoined, for the sake of wiiich any impostor could be induced to impose a forgery of this kind upon the world. The other objection to the authenticity of this Epistle arises from the omission of the word aposile. The writer calls himself the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of our Lord ; probably from a desire to show at once that he was a different person from Judas Iscariot. For if he had styled himself an apostle simply, he would not have been distinguished from that traitor ; and, as the brother of James, he has fully established his claims to the apostleship, and his relationship to our Lord. James (chap. i. 1.) has also used the same man- ner of expression ; so likewise has St. Paul, in his inscription to the Philippians. And the word apostle is omitted by the latter in his Epistle to Philemon, and in his Epistle to the Thessalonians ; and St. John, in his Epistles, dots not use the word apostle, nor make any mention of his own name. Yet no one, on this account, has supposed that tehse Epistles are not genuine. Commentators differ as to the persons to whom this Epistle was addressed. Estius and Witsius suppose that St. Jude wrote to Chris- tians every where, but more especially to the converted Jews. Dr. Hammond, that the Epis- tle was addressed to Jewish Christians, with the design of cautioning them against the errors of the Gnostics. Dr. Benson, that it was written to Jewish believers, particularly to those of the western dispersion. But from the inscription (Jude 3.), Drs. Lardner and Macknight, Bishop Tomline, and Dr. A. Clarke, concur in thinking that it was written to all, without distinction, who had embraced the Gospel. The only rea- son. Dr. Macknight remarks, which has induced commentators to suppose that Jude wrote to the Jewish believers alone, is, that he makes use of arguments and examples taken from the sacred books of the Jews. But St. Paul, we have seen, followed the same course when ^vriting to the Gentiles ; and both apostles did so with pro- priety, not only because all who embraced the Gospel acknowledged the authority of the Jew- ish Scriptures, but also because it was of the greatest importance to make the Gentiles sen- sible that the Gospel was in perfect unison with the ancient revelation. It is generally supposed, from the internal evidence of this Epistle, that it must have been written after St. Peter's Second Epistle. Estius and Witsius consider that it was written in the latter part of the apostolical age. CEcumenius is of opinion that Jude (ver. 17.) alludes to Peter in his Second Epistle, and Paul in almost all his Epistles ; from which he infers, that Jude wrote late after the decease of the apostles. Dr. Mill fixes its date to the year 90, principally because the false teachers, whom St. Peter describes as yet to come, are mentioned by Jude as already come. But on a comparison of tliis Epistle with the Second of St. Peter, there does not appear to be such a remarkable difference in their phraseology, as will be suffi- cient to prove that St. Jude wrote his Epistle so long after St. Peter's Second Epistle, as Dr. Mill supposed ; though it proves, as most critics agree, that it was written after the latter. The very great coincidence in sentiment and style between these two Epistles renders it likely that they were written about the same time ; and, since we have seen that the Second Epistle of St Peter was in all probability written early in A. D. 65, we are induced, witli Lardner, to place it towards the close of the same year, or perhaps in A. D. 66. Bishop Tomline, however, dates it in A. D. 70 ; Beausobre and L'Enfant, between A. D. 70 and 7.5 ; and Dodwell and Dr. Cave, in 71 or 72. There is a striking similarity between this 412* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES. [Part XV. Epistle and that of the second chapter of the Second Epistle of St. Peter ; which Estius and Benson account for by supposing that Jude wrote it after he had seen that of St. Peter, sometimes copying his very words; compare 2 Pet. iii. 3. with Jude, ver. 17, 18. Macknig-ht is also of this opinion, and remarks upon it, " The Spirit may have directed Jude to write upon the same subject with Peter, and even in the words which Peter used, to give the greater authority to both Epistles ; and that the con- demnation of the false teachers, and the exhor- tations which the two apostles addressed to the faithful in their time, might have the more weight with them, and with Christians in suc- ceeding ages, when they found these things delivered by both, precisely in the same terms." Lardner conjectures on the contrary, and perhaps with greater probability, (Canon, vol. iii. p. 353.) "It seems very unlikely that St. Jude should write so similar an Epistle, if he had not seen Peter's. In that case, St. Jude would not have thought it needful for him to write at all. If he had formed a design of writing, and had met with an Epistle of one of the Apostle's very suitable to his own thoughts and intentions, I think he would have forborne to write. Indeed, the great agreement in sub- ject and design, between these two Epistles, affords a strong argument that they were writ about the same time." Note 30.— Part XV. Archbishop Tillotson'' supposes that this difficult passage is illustrated by Deut. xxxiv. G. He conjectures that Michael was employed by God secretly to bury the body of Moses, to defeat the malignant purpose of the Devil, who, could he have discovered to the Jews where Moses was interred, would have encouraged them to pay idolatrous honors to his remains, and they might have made him an occasion of idol- atry after his death who had been so great an enemy to it in his lifetime. Beza and Estius are of the same opinion. Macknight refers it to the vision of Zech. iii. 1., where the same words are used ; he observes, " In Daniel's prophecy (chap. x. 13-21. and xii. 1.) Michael is spoken of as one of the chief angels who took care of the Israelites as a nation. He may, therefore, have been the angel of the Lord before whom Joshua the high priest is said to have stood, ' Satan being at his right hand to resist him ;' namely, in his design of restoring the Jewish Church and state (which is typified in this chapter), called by Jude ' the body of Moses,' just as the Christian Church is called by St. Paul, ' the body of Christ.' Zech- ariah adds ' and the Lord," that is, the angel " Vol. ii. p. 158. of the Lord, as is plain from ver. 1., ' said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan ! even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee ! ' " Adam Clarke considers this as the most likely interpretation of the passage ; and it will appear, he continues, the more probable, when it is considered that among the Hebrews the word " body" is often used for a thing itself; so in Rom. vi. 6., aibfia jr^g (xjuugrlag, " the body of sin," signifies sin itself; so the body of Moses may signify Moses himself; or that in which he was particularly concerned, viz. his institutes, religion, &c. It may be added, that the Jews consider Michael and Samuel, one as the friend, the other as the enemy, of Israel. Samuel is their accuser, Michael their advocate. And as Michael is represented (Dan. xii. 1.) standing up in defence of the children of Israel ; and again, in Rev. xii. 7. as fighting against the dragon (called ver. 9., the Devil and Satan) and liis angels. Whatever interpretation we give to the passage, it is only rational to infer a con- tinued and persevering opposition is made by the great adversary of man to frustrate the plans of Omnipotence for their salvation ; and that heavenly spirits protect and minister to the children of light and preserve them from the powers of evil, and the children of darkness. Note 31.— Part XV. Jones, in his Figurative Language, p. 158, has the following observations on this passage : " The Church that went from Egypt to Canaan gives us an example of every thing that can happen to the Christian Church, from the be- ginning of it even to the end of the world. The same evil which happened in the Church of Moses was found in the Church of Christ. Corah and his company had no dispute about tlie object or form of divine Avorship ; they questioned none of the doctrines of the Law ; they rose up against the persons of Moses and Aaron, that is, against tlie civil and ecclesias- tical authority ; contending that themselves and the congregation had an equal right ; that Moses and Aaron had taken too much upon themselves ; and, by exercising an usurped au- thority, were abusing and making fools of the people. This was their sin, and they main- tained it to the last, and perished in it. It was the dispute of popular power against divine authority ; and wherever the like pretensions are avowed by Christians, and the same argu- ments used in support of them, there we see the gainsaying of Co7-ah." Note 32.— Part XV. Dr. Doddridge remarks on this verse — " Mr. Blackwall /'Sorr. C/ctss. vol. i. p. 164.), has shown Note 35.] ON THE DESIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE. *413 by adequate authorities, that nQOF(f^revcTs tov- Totg may be rendered prophesied against these (see ver. 4.) Some have thought the coining of the Lord here mentioned, was liis coming at- tended with angels, to bring on the deluge. If it refers to his coming to the universal jwlg ment, it is a most remarkable testimony to a future state ; not indeed in the Mosaic economy, but previous to it. And perhaps Moses omitting this (as I think it ahnost certain he knew it) is to be resolved into tiie restriction under which he wrote, agreeably to the principles which the learned Dr. Warburton has so largely stated in his Divine Legation,''^ &-c. *NoTE 35.— Part XV. ON THE DESIGN AND PLAN OF THE APOCALYPSE. " The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." After the deluge, and before the corruption of man became again universal, the receiving of the divine influence by the spirit of prophecy was common to the heads of the patriarchal families ; and when the descendants of Abraham were set apart from the rest of the nations, to preserve the knowledge of the true God, a continued succession of prophets, from the time of Abraham to Malachi, predicted, with gradually increasing clearness, the mi- nutest events of the life, death, and sufferings of Christ, and the fortunes and enlargement of the visible Church, in a manner which, to the ancient Jews themselves, must frequently have appeared contradictory and incompre- hensible. As the same contest between good and evil, which commenced with the fiiU of man, is still proceeding in the world, the observer of the plans of divine wisdom might naturally infer, that the same testimony of Jesus would in some manner be continued. The office of the ancient prophets was twofold: they were the instructors and preachers to the people, and they were empowered to work miracles, or to foretell future events, to demonstrate the divine authority of their mission : and, as the proba- bility of the distant fulfilment of their predic- tions was not uniformly effectual with the multitude, they predicted circumstances which should take place within a short time, and thus left tlie people without excuse if they longer rejected the divine annimciation of distant predicted events. The Christian Church was provided with a succession of prophets in the first of these offices, but of the second it is left entirely destitute. No man has appeared in the Christian Church, since tlie death of the last of the Apostles, who has been able cer- * Notes 33 and 34 are inserted in the fx'xt. VOL. II. tavaly to predict the future ; and yet the two former dispensations abounded with this proof of the divine origin of the one true religion. It does not seem probable that the best, and perhaps the last Dispensation, should be thus deprived of one important branch of evidence, unless some adequate substitute were provided in its room ; and we know of no other than the Book of the Apocalypse, which we might therefore infer, would abound with predictions to be gradually fulfilled, even if we had not been informed that it was a volume of prophe- cies. We are justified, therefore, in considering this book, with Lowman, Clarke, and others, as designed to supply the place of that continued succession of prophets, which demonstrated the continued providence of God to the Jewish and patriarchal churches. The superiority of prophecy over miracles, as an evidence of Christianity, has been assert- ed by Bishop Warburton, and by many learned writers, as a continually increasing evidence. The great peculiarity of the prophecies of the Old Testament, is their gradual development of the system of truth, as the world was able to bear it. The first prophecy of the seed of the woman, that is, of some one family of the descendants of Eve, was less definite than those which predicted in their order that he should descend from Abraham, from Isaac rather than from Esau.; from Judah, than from the other patriarchs ; from David, and so on till the annun- ciation of Malachi, that the Lord whom they sought should come while the second temple was standing. Another peculiarity was, that the ancient prophets announced, in very general terms, in the boldest and most figurative lan- guage, various events which have never yet taken place, relative to some more glorious state of the Church, the punislmient and over- throw of its enemies, the final restoration of the Jews, and the universal establishment of happiness and innocence among mankind. If we are justified in expecting a book of proph- ecy, in the place of a succession of prophets, in the Christian Church, we may anticipate also the clearer prediction of the same events, and their gradual development. The majority of commentators on the Apoc- alypse generally acted on these principles of interpretation. They discover in tliis book certain predictions of events wliich were ful- filled soon after they were announced ; they trace in tlie history of later years various coin- cidences, wjiich so fully a,<;ree with various parts of the Apocalypse, tliat they are justly entitled to consider them as the fulfilment of its prophecies ; and by thus tracing the one God of Revelation thmuirh tlie clouds of the dark ages, through the storms of revolutions and wars, through the mighty convulsions which at various periods have agitatinl the world, their interpretations, even Avhen they are most con- *ll* 414* ON THE DESIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE. FPart XV. tradictory, when they venture to speculate con- cerning the future, are founded on so much undoubted truth, that they have materially con- firmed the wavering faith of thousands. Clouds and darkness must cover the brightness of the throne of God, till it shall please him to enable us to bear the brighter beams of his glory. In the mean time we trace his footsteps in the sea of the Gentile world, his path in the mighty waters of the ambition and clashing passions of man. We rejoice to anticipate the day when the bondage of Rome, which would per- petuate the intellectual and spiritual slavery of man, sliall be overthrown, and the dayspring of united knowledge and holiness bless the world. Among other predictions of the future glory of the Jewish Church, which shall be fulfilled in the latter ages of the world, and the subject of which we might expect to meet with in the Apocalypse, we may observe the following : — 1. The Jewish Church shall possess its own land, Jer. iii. 18-23. Ezek. xxxvii. 21, 22. Amos ix. 14, 15. 2. It shall possess all the earth, Obad. comm. XV. 19, 20. Jer. xxxi. 38-40. Isa. xxvii. 12. and Ixv. 10. 3. It shall dwell secure, Isa. Ix. 18. Hosea u. 18. 4. And that for ever, Ezek. xxxvii. 25. Amos ix. 15. 5. The land shall be more fertile than ever, Ezek. xxxvii. 35. Hosea ii. 21, 22. Joel iii. 18. Amos ix. 13. Zech. xiv. 10. 6. It shall have more inhabitants, Isa. xlix. 19-21. Ezek. xxxiv. 31. and xxxvi. 37, 38. 7. It shall be one united and perfect kingdom, Ezek. xxxvii. 22-24. Hosea i. 11. 8. Uniformly flourishing, Dan. vii. 27. 9. The Church shall be eminent and illus- trious, Isa. iv. and xxiv. 23. and Ix. 1, 2. Dan. xii. 3. Jer. iii. 16, 17. Joel iii. 19, 20. 10. And this as to its external form, Isa. xxiv. 23. and xxx. 26. and Ix. 20. and Ixii. 1-4. Zech. xiv. 6, 7. 11. Free from all unholiness, Joel iii. 17. Zech. xiv. 20, 21. 12. Sincere and pure in its doctrine, Ezek. xxxvii. 23. Hosea ii. 16, 17. and xiv. 8. Zech. xiii. 2, 3. And this representation of the universal Church is depicted in the Apocalypse in the most vivid colors. Rosenmiiller has drawn up, in a general manner, the opinions of those commentators who have interpreted the Apocalypse on the principles now laid down. Those who consider the Apocalypse as a prophecy and scenical exhibition of what shall happen to the Christian Church to the end of the world, lay down as a proposition, which comprises the subject of the whole book: — The contest of Christ with his enemies, and his final victory and triumph over them. See 1 Cor. xv. 25. Matt. xxiv. Mark xiii. Luke xxi. ; but what is but briefly hinted in these Scriptures, is detailed at large in the Apocalypse, and repre- sented by various images nearly in the follow- ing order : — 1. The decrees of Divine Providence con- cerning what is to come are declared to John. 2. The manner in which these decrees shall be executed is painted in the most vivid colors. 3. Then follow thanksgiving to God, the Ruler and Governor of all things, for these man- ifestations of his power, wisdom, and goodness. After the exordium, and the seven epistles to the seven Churches of Asia Minor, to whose angels, or bishops, the book seems to be dedi- cated (chap. i. ii. iii.), the scene of the visions is opened in heaven, full of majesty, and John receives a promise of a revelation relative to the future state of the Church, chap. iv. v. The enemies of the Church of Christ, which the Christians had then most to fear, were the Jews, the heathens, and the false teachers. All these are overcome by Christ ; and over them he triumphs gloriously. First of all, punish- ments are threatened to the enemies of the kingdom of Christ, and the preservation of his own followers, in their greatest trials deter- mined ; and these determinations are accom- panied with tlie praises and tlianksgivings of all the heavenly inhabitants, and of all good men, chap. vi. to the x. The transactions of the Christian religion are next recorded, chap. xi. to chap. xiv. 5. The Christians are persecuted, — 1. By the Jews ; but they were not only pre- served, but they increase and prosper. 2. By the heathens ; but in vain do these strive to overthrow the kingdom of Christ ; which is no longer confined within the limits of Judaea, but spreads among the Gentiles, and diffuses itself over the whole Roman empire, destroying idolatry, and rooting out superstition in every quarter, chap. xii. and xiii. 1-10. 3. False teachers and impostors of various kinds, under the name of Christians, but enemies of the cross of Christ ; more intent on promoting the interests of idolatry, or false worship, than the cause of true religion (chap. xiii. 11-18.), exert their influence to corrupt and destroy the Church ; but, notwithstanding, Christianity be- comes more extended, and true believers more confirmed in their holy faith, (chap. xiv. 1-5.) Then new punishments are decreed against tlie enemies of Christ, both Jews and heatliens ; the calamities coming upon the Jewish nation, before its final overthrow, are pointed out, (chap. xiv. and xv.) Next follows a prediction of the calamities which shall take place during the Jewish war; and the civil wars of the. Romans, during the contentions of Otlio and Vitellius (chap. xvi. 1-16.), who are to suffer most grievous punishments for tlieir cruelties against the Christians, (chap, xvii.) The Jew- Note 35.] ON THE DESIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE. *41; ish state being now finally overthrown (chap. xviii.) the heavenly inhabitants give praise to God for his justice and goodness ; Christ is congratulated for his victory over his enemies, and the more extensive progress of his religion, (chap. ix. 1-10.) Opposition is, however, not yet totally ended ; idolatry again lifts up its head, and new errors are propagated ; but over these also Christ shows himself to be conqueror, chap. xix. 11-21. Finally, Satan, who had long reigned by the worship of false gods, errors, superstitions, and wickedness, is deprived of all power and influ- ence ; and the concerns of Christianity go on gloriously, chap. xx. 1-6. But, towards the end of the world, new enemies arise, and threaten destruction to the followers of Christ ; but vain is their rage, God appears in behalf of his servants, and inflicts the most grievous punishments upon their adversaries, chap. xx. 6-10. The last judgment ensues, ver. 11-15., all the wicked are punished, and the enemies of the truth are chained, so as to be able to injure the godly no more ; the genuine Chris- tians, who had persevered unto death, are brought to eternal glory ; and, freed from all adversities, spend a life that shall never end, in blessedness that knows no bounds, chap. xxi. and xxii. — See Rosenmiiller. Mr. Faber has supposed that much of the imagery of the Revelation is taken from the ancient mysteries : and Eichhorn has represented it as a drama : and tlie most strange and singu- lar opinions have prevailed respecting its plan and interpretation. Though I have adopted that system of explanation, which represents the continued superintendence of God over his Church, there are four other principal hypoth- eses : — 1. The Apocalypse, in the opinion of Wet- stein, contains a prophetical description of the destruction of Jerusalem, of the Jewish war, and the civil wars of the Romans. 2. The second is the general opinion of the fathers ; that it contains predictions of the per- secutions of the Christians under the heathen emperors of Rome, and of the happy days of the Church under the Christian emperors, from Constantine downwards. 3. The third is adopted by the generality of Protestant writers ; that it contains prophecies concerning the tyrannical and oppressive con- duct of the Roman pontiffs, the true antichrist ; and foretells the final destruction of poperj'. 4. The fourth is adopted on the other side, by the papal writers, that it is a prophetic declaration of the schism and heresies of Martin Luther, those called Reformers, and their successors ; and the final destruction of the Protestant religion. This fourth has been illustrated and defended a-t largo by Bishop Walmsley, in a work called the History of the Church, under the feigned name of Signior Pastorini ; in which he en- deavours to turn every thing against Luther and the Protestants, which they interpreted of the pope and popery ; and attempts to show, from a computation of the apocalyptical numbers, that the total destruction of Protestantism in the world will take place in 1825, or 1828 ! The plan of Wetstein is the most singular of all these. He supposes the book of tlie Apocalypse to have been written a consider- able time before the destruction of Jerusalem. The events described from the fourth chapter to the end, he supposes to refer to the Jewish war, and to the civil commotions which took place in Italy, while Otho, Vitellius, and Ves- pasian, were contending for tlie empire. These contentions and destructive wars occupied the space of about three years and a half, during which, Professor Wetstein thinks, the principal events took place which are recorded in this book. On these subjects he speaks, particularly in his notes, at the end of which he calls his ' Ai'uxEcfuhtUiiaig, or synopsis of the whole work, which I proceed now to lay before the reader. This prophecy, which predicts the calamities which God should send on the enemies of the Gospel, is divided into two parts. The first is contained in the closed book ; the second in the open book. I. The first concerns the earth and the third part, i. e. Judsea and the Jewish nation. II. The second concerns many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings, chap. x. 11. i. e. the Roman empire. 1. The book written within and without, and sealed with seven seals, chap. v. 1. is the bill of divorce sent from God to the Jewish nation. 2. The crowned conqueror on the white horse, armed with a bow, chap. vi. 2. is Arta- banus, king of the Parthians, who slaughtered multitudes of the Jews in Babylon. 3. The red horse, ver. 4. — the Sicarii and rob- bers in Judcea, in the time of the proconsuls Felix and Festus. 4. The black horse, ver. 5. — the famine under Claudius. 5. The pale horse, ver. 8. — the plague which followed the robberies and the famine. 6. The souls of those who were slain, ver. 9. — the Christians in Judeea, who were per- secuted, and were now about to be avenged. 7. The great earthquake, ver. 12. — the com- motions which preceded tlie Jewish rebellion. 8. The servants of God from every tribe, sealed in their foreheads, chap. vii. 3. — the Christians taken under the protection of God, and warned by the prophets to flee immediately from tlie land. 9. The silence for half an hour, ch. viii. 7. — the short truce granted at the solicitation of King Agrippa. Then follows the rebellion itself. 416* ON THE DESIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE. [Part XV. 1. The trees are burnt up, ver. 7 — the fields and villages, and unfortified places of Judsea, which first felt the bad effects of the sedition. 2. The burning mountain cast into the sea, which in consequence became blood, ver. 8. and, 3. The burning star falling into the rivers, and making the waters bitter, chap. viii. 10, 11. — the slaughter of the Jews at Cffisarea and Scythopolis. 4. The eclipsing of the sun, moon, and stars, ver. 12. — the anarchy of the Jewish common- wealth. .5. The locust, like scorpions, hurting men, chap. ix. 3. — the expedition of Cestius Gallus, prefect of Syria. 6. The army with arms of divers colors, ver. 16, 17. — the armies under Vespasian in Judsea. About this time Nero and Galba died ; after wiiich followed the civil Avar, signified by the sounding of the seventh trumpet, chap. x. 7, 11. xii. 15. 1. The two prophetic witnesses, two olive- trees, two candlesticks, chap. xi. 3, 4. — teachers in the Church, predicting the destruction of the Jewish temple and commonwealth. 2. The death of the witnesses, ver. 7. — their flight, and the flight of the Church of Jerusa- lem to Pella, in Arabia. 3. The resurrection of the witnesses, after three days and a half, ver. 11. — the predictions began to be fulfilled at a time in which their accomplishment was deemed impossible ; and the doctrine of Christ begins to prevail over Judaea, and over the whole earth. 4. The tenth part of tlie city fell in the same hour, and seven thousand names of men slain, ver. 13. — Jerusalem, seized by the Idu means ; and many of tlie priests and nobles, with Annas the high priest, sifrnified by names of men, i. e. men of name, slain by the zealots. 5. The woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head, chap. xii. 1. — the Christian Church. G. The great red dragon seen in heaven, with seven heads, seven diadems, and ten horns, ver. 6. — the six first Csesars, who were all made princes at Rome, governing the armies and the Roman people with great authority ; especially Nero, the last of them, who having killed his mother, cruelly vexed the Christians, and after- wards turned his wrath against the rebellious Jews. 7. The seven-headed beast from the sea, having ten horns, surrounded with diadems, chap. xiii. 1. — Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, who were shortly to reign, and who were proclaimed emperors by the army. 8. This beast, having a mouth like a lion, the body like a leopard, and feet like a bear, ver. 2. — avaricious Galba ; rash, unchaste, and inconstant Otho ; Vitellius, cruel and sluggish, with the German army. 9. One head, i. e. the seventh, cut off", ver. 3. — Galba. 10. He who leadeth into captivity, shall be led into captivity ; he who killeth with the sword, shall be killed with the sword, ver. 10. — Otlio, who subdued the murderers of Galba, slew himself with a dagger ; Vitellius, who bound Sabinus with chains, was himself afterwards bound. 11. Another beast rising out of the earth, with two horns, ver. 11. — Vespasian and his two sons, Titus and Domitian, elected emperors at the same time in Judsea. 12. The number of the wild beasts 666, the number of a man, Teitan, Titan, or Titus : T, 300. E, 5. 1, 10. T, 300. A, 1. N, 50. making in the whole &i6. But some very respectable MSS. have 616 for the number ; if the N be taken away from Teitan, then the letters in Teita make exactly the sum 616. 13. A man sitting upon a cloud. M'ith a crown of gold upon his head, and a sickle in his hand, chap. xiv. 14. — Otho and his army, about to prevent supplies for the army of ViteUius. 14. An angel of fire commanding another angel to gather the vintage ; the winepress trodden, whence the blood flows out 1600 fur- longs. — The followers of Vitellius, laying all waste with fire, and the Bebriaci conquering the followers of Otho with great slaughter. Then follow the seven plagues : — 1. The grievous sore, cJiap. xvi. 2. — the dis- eases of the soldiers of Vitellius, through in- temperance. 2. The sea turned into blood, ver. 3. — the fleet of Vitellius beaten, and the maritime towns taken from them by the Flavii. 3. The rivers turned into blood, ver. 4. — the slaughter of the adherents of Vitellius at Cre- mona, and elsewhere, near rivers. 4. The scorching of the sun, ver. 8. — the diseases of the Vitellii increasing, and their ex- hausted bodies impatient of the heat. 5. The seat of the beast darkened, ver. 10. — all Rome in commotion through the torpor of Vitellius. 6. Euphrates dried up, and a way made for the kings of the east, and the three unclean spirits like frogs — the Flavii besieging Rome with a treble army ; one part of which was by the bank of the Tiber. The shame of him who is found asleep and naked. — Vitellius, ver. 15. — Armageddon, ver. 16. — the prfetorian camps. 7. The fall of Babylon, ver. 19. — tlie sacking of Rome. 1. The whore, chap. xvii. 1. — Rome. 2. The seven kings, ver. 10. — Cfcsar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, and Galba. 3. The eighth, which is of the seven, ver. 11. — Otho, destined by adoption to be the son and successor of Galba. Note 35.] ON THE DESIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE. *417 4. The ten horns, ver. 12-16.— -the leaders of the Flavian factions. 5. The merchants of the earth, chap, xviii. 11. — i. e. of Rome, which was then the empo- rium of the whole world. 6. The beast and the false prophet, chap. xix. 20. — Vespasian and his family, contrary to all expectation, becoming- extinct in Domitian ; as the fiimily of the Cresars, and of the tlu-ee princes, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius. 7. The Millennium, or a thousand years, chap. XX. — taken from Psalm xc. 4. a time appointed by God, including the space of forty years, from the death of Domitian to the Jewish war, under Adrian. 8. Gog" and Magog going out over the eartli, ver. 8. — Barchochebas, the false Messiah, with an immense army of the Jews, coming forth suddenly from their caves and dens, tormenting the Christians, and carrying on a destructive war with the Romans. 9. The New Jerusalem, chap, xxi. 1, 2. — the Jews being brought so low as to be capable of injuring no longer, the whole Avorld resting after being expiated by war, and the doctrine of Christ propagated, and prevailing every where, with incredible celerity. It does not appear necessary to enter into any confutation of this scheme, which is founded upon the hypothesis that the Apocalypse was written before the Jewish war. This opinion too has been lately defended at great length by Mr. Tilloch, who has adopted Sir Isaac New- ton's idea, that the Epistles contain quotations from the Revelations. Mr. Tilloch has man- aged this part of his argument with great skill, but the arguments for the later date are so much more satisfactory, that I cannot assent to the supposition of the early date. Mr. Tilloch's collections of parallel passages between the Apocalypse and the Epistles, however, appear to prove, that the apostles in general were well acquainted with the subjects concerning which St. John prophesied, but that they knew them by the influence of the same Holy Spirit, which dictated them to St. John. The exjiressions in question, therefore, were common to all the inspired writers of the New Testament, If the evidence for the late date of the Apoc- alypse were not so decisive, I should liave gladly assigned a much earlier period for its composition ; more especially as the destruction of Jerusalem appears to have been an opportu- nity so favorable to appeal to the afflicted, yet desperate sons of Israel at that dreadful time, and to have elevated their hopes to another and more enduring city, which hath immoveable foundations, the New Jerusalem, which the prophet saw coming down from heaven. After a very careful perusal both of Michaelis and Mr. Tilloch's objections, it appears most probable that the generally-received opinion is most correct, that St. JohnAvas banished into Patmos VOL. II. *53 towards the end of Domitian's reign, by virtue of his edicts for persecuting the Christians ; and that he had the Revelations contained in the Apocalypse during his exile ; though the book itself could not have been published until after the Apostle's release and return to Ephosus. The unanimous voice of Christian antiquity attests, that St. John was banished by the order of Domitian. Irenaeus, Origen, and other early fatliers, refer the Apostle's exile to the latter part of Domitian's reign, and they concur in saying that he there saw the Revelation. In- ternal evidence likewise supports this conclu- sion. For, in the three first chapters of the Apocalypse, the seven Asiatic Churches are described as being in that advanced and flour- ishing state of society and discipline, and to have undergone those changes in their faith and morals, which could not have taken place if they had not been planted for a considerable time. Thus, the Church of Ephesus is censured for havinf left; "her first love." That of Sardis "had a name to live, but was dead." The Church of Laodicea had fallen into lukewarm- ness and indifference. Now the Church of Ephesus, for instance, was not founded by St. Paul until the latter part of Claudius's reign ; and when he wrote to them from Rome, A. D. 61, instead of reproving them for any want of love, he commends their love and faith, (Eph. i. 15.) Furtlier, it appears from the Revelation, that the Nicolaitans formed a sect, when this book was written, since they are expressly named; whereas they Avere only foretold in general terms by St. Peter, in his Second Epistle, written A. D. 65, and in St. Jude's Epistle, which was written about A. D. 65 or 66. It is also evident from various passages of the Revelation, that there had been an open perse- cution in the provinces. St. John himself had been banished into Patmos for the testimony of .Jesus. The Church of Ephesus (or its bishop) is commended for its " labor and patience," which seems to imply persecution. This is still more evident in the following address to the Church of Smyrna (Rev. ii. 9.), " I know thy works and tribulation," d-Uipiv : which last word always denotes persecution in the New Tes- tament, and is so explained in the following verse. Lastly, in Rev. ii. VS., mention is made of a martyr named Antipas, who was put to death at Pergamos. Though ancient ecclesiastical history gives us no information concerning this Antipas, yet it is certain, according to all the rules of language, that what is here said is to be understood literally, and not mystically, as some expositors have explained it. Since therefore the persecution, mentioned in the three first chapters of the Apocalypse, cannot relate to tlie time of Claudius, who did not per- secute the Christians, nor to the time of Nero, whose persecution did not reach the provinces, 418* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES OF ST. JOHN. [Part XV^, it must necessarily be referred to Domitian, according to ecclesiastical tradition, Domitian's death is related to have happened in September, A. D. 96. The Christian exiles were then liberated, and St. John was permitted to return to Ephesus. As, however, the em- peror's decease, and the permission to return, could not be known in Asia immediately, some time must intervene before the Apostle could be at liberty either to write the Apocalypse at Ephesus, or to send it by messengers from Patmos. We conclude, therefore, with Dr. Mill, Le Clerc, Basnage, Dr. Lardner, Bishop Tomline, Dr. Woodhouse, and other eminent critics, in placing the Apocalypse in the year 96 or 97. The occasion of writing the Apocalypse is sufficiently evident from the book itself. St. John, being in exile in the island of Patmos, is favored with the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ to him, and is repeatedly commanded to commit to writing the visions which he be- held. (See Rev. i. 11, 19., ii. 1, 8, 12, 18. iii. 1. 7, 14. xiv. 13. xix. 9. and xxi. 5.) The scope or design of this nook is twofold ; first, generally to make known to the Apostle " the things which are," (i. 19) ; that is, the then present state of the Christian churches in Asia ; and secondly and principally, to reveal to him " the things which shall be hereafter," or the con- stitution and fates of the Christian Church, through its several periods of propagation, cor- ruption, and amendment, from its beginning to its consummation in glory. " The prophecy of the Revelation," says Daubuz, " was designed as a standing monument to the Church, to know what destinies attend it ; and that, when men should suffer for the name of Christ, they might here find some consolation both for them- selves and for the Church : for themselves, by the prospect and certainty of a reward ; for the Church, by the testimony that Christ never forsakes it, but will conquer at last." In endeavouring to ascertain the probable meaning of this mysterious book, I have con- sulted some of the works which have lately appeared, as well as of Mede, Lowman, and Mr. Faber. I know the danger of attempting to fix the interpretation of the book ; and how indelibly it fixes the stigma of deficiency of judgment on the unsuccessful interpreter. Calvin and Whitby were considered wise, for their prudence in declining all attempts to explain the Apocalypse. Tlie learned and laborious hierophant, whom I have principally selected from among the thronging guides, wlio have presented themselves to conduct me through the labyrinth, is the great master who has explained to us the origin and progress of the heathen idolatry. Mr. Faber seems to have solved more difficulties, answered more objec- tions, and thrown a brighter lustre on some of the more involved passages, than any other author whatever. He has not escaped, how- ever, the usual fate of tJiose who venture to comment on the Revelation. He has failed in some instances, and neither his learning, inge- nuity, originality, nor talent, can rescue him from the consequences — a suspicion of a want of judgment. While this eminent theologian is my chief guide, I take the counsel of all whose suggestions appear worthy of attention, and not unfrequently decide for myself, wliere their directions either clashed or were contra- dictory. Note 36.— Part XV. The last and most interesting accounts of the origin of Mahometanism, its progress, and its temporary check by the Crusades, are to be found in Mr. Charles Mills's eloquent and in- teresting works, the Histories of Mahometanism, and of the Crusades. Note 37.— Part XV. ON THE DATE AND OCCASION OF THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN. The place which has here been assigned in this Arrangement to the Epistles of St. John, will excite much surprise among those who have been accustomed, with the generality of commentators, to fix an earlier date, and arrange them before the Apocalypse. In the absence of all positive and decisive evidence of the precise year in which they were written, we are unable to depend, with satisfaction, upon the conjectural arguments by which both an early or a late date may be defended. Many reasons, however, have suggested themselves, which appear to be sufficient to justify the con- clusion whicli I have here adopted, that tlie Epistles of St. John were written immediately before the compilation of his Gospel, and after the Revelation, at tlie close of the life of the Apostle, and consequently at the termination of the apostolic age. When the Holy Spirit inspired the various writers of the Old and New Testaments, it im- parted only the instructions and prophecies which were necessary for the benefit of the universal Church. It did not so interfere with the natural or acquired talents of tlie favored persons, whom it elevated above the rest of mankind, that their peculiar or characteristic modes of expression should be necessarily altered. Isaiah was a nobleman and a courtier, and his refined and polished language declares his education, as well as his native genius. Amos was a herdsman ; and though there is Note 37.] ON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN. *419 the same superhuman internal evidence that the Spirit of prophecy rested on him also, though none of the prophets has more magnifi- cently described the Deity, though his senti- ments are elevated, and his diction splendid, he is still distinguished by the use of images which are drawn from rural life, and by phrases which are not characteristic either of the study of the schools of the prophets, or of the courtesy of a king's palace. Every one of the sacred writers is distinguished from his inspired breth- ren by some internal proofs of his vocation, or habits, or education : and if the external evi- dence of the truth and authenticity of the va- rious books of Scripture were not taken into consideration, sufficient arguments might be adduced in their defence, from a careful com- parison of the contents of the sacred books. This consideration will possibly assist us in the attempt to discover, from internal evidence, whether it is not probable that the Apocalypse was written before the Epistles of St. John. The former book abounds with Hebraisms, and with images derived from the Jewish traditions and peculiarities. Though neither the Septua- gint nor the New Testament is written in purely Attic Greek, not one book of either volume is so full of the solecisms in question as the Apocalypse ; whereas the Epistles and Gospel of St. John are written both correctly and elegantly. It is true that the three books are proved to be the work of the same author, by their general agreement, both in style and expression; and Wetstein, Home, and Dr. Lardner, have collected numerous instances of tliis coincidence : but the chief barbarisms of the Apocalypse are to be found neither in the Epistles, nor in the Gospel of St. John. In this respect they are remarkably distinguished from each otlier ; and while the common adoption of certain forms of speech demonstrates the whole of the books in question to be the work of one writer, the insertion of so many peculiar idioms and Hebraisms in the one appear to justify our conclusion, that it must have been written at a period when the author was not so well versed in the elegances and purity of the language in which he wrote. He seems as if he thought in one language, and wrote in another ; or, as if he had attempted for the first time to \vTite in a language in which he made a subsequent improve- ment. This, in literature, is not an unfrequent case. The triple sentence, for instance, and the balanced periods, which so remarkably charac- terize the style of the Rambler, and the Lives of the Poets, were perceptible in the early works of Dr. Johnson, and afford internal evidence that they were written by him ; while the grossness and puerility of his Marinor jYor- folciense, are such as he would have blushed to have acknowledged in his maturer years. In the early poems of Milton we may trace, and that not faintly, " the towering thought," and tear " the living lyre," of the days of his ripened genius ; yet he could not have written, at that splendid period, the pretty conceits which adorn or disgrace his juvenile Poems on the Passion and the Nativity. But it is notordy the internal evidence which induces me to place the Apocalypse before the Epistles of St John ; the circumstances of the Apostle's life sufficiently account for the more frequent adoption of Hebraisms in the former book. He was a native Jew, and prob- ably continued within the precincts of the Holy Land longer than any of the apostles. Neither he, nor any of the Twelve, appear to have left Palestine during the Pauline persecu- tion. When James was made bishop of Jeru- salem, in the Herodian persecution, after the Apostle James was beheaded, and Peter had been cast into prison, it is probable, as I have endeavoured to show in the notes to the 10th part of this Arrangement, that all the apostles left Jerusalem, and John among the number. He was present however at the council in that city, and there could not have been time, during that short interval, for the establishment of the Churches in Asia, which are said to have acknowledged him as their founder. It seems probable that he continued either in Jerusalem, or within the precincts of Palestine, till the destruction of the city. Throughout that part of the Acts of the Apostles which relates the travels of St. Paul, St. John is not once men- tioned ; and no salutation is sent to him in any of the Epistles which St. Paul wrote from Rome to the Churches of Asia ; not even in his Epistle to the Ephesians, nor in the Epistles wjiich, in the latter part of his life, he wrote to Timothy in Ephesus. I agree therefore with the opinion of Macknight and others, that John probably remained in Judsea till he saw Jerusalem encompassed with armies, and observed the other signs of its approaching ruin, foretold by his Divine Master. Lampe (Prolegomena to St. John's Gospel, lib. i. cap. 3.) is of the same opinion, and fixes the time of his departure m the last year of Nero; in which he is confirmed by the Chronicon Pas- chale. During the whole of this period he would have conversed in his native language, among his own people : neither can we assign any reason for liis adopting the Greek language, or for cultivating it with peculiar attention at this period. Baronius and Dr. Lardner would place the retirement of the Apostle from Judeea after the martyrdom of St. Paul and St. Peter ; this would make a difference of a few years only. A more important question is, whether St, John lived exclusively among the Greek cities of Asia, in the interval between the overthrow of Jerusalem, and his banishment to Patmos in the last year of Domitian. This cannot be satisfactorily decided. The learned Mill places 420* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES OF ST. JOHN. [Part XV some dependence upon the tradition, that this Apostle travelled into Parthia and India. His First Epistle was called by Augustine, the Epistle to the Parthians ; and the Jesuits' Letters, cited by Baronius, affirm that the people of a town in India believed the Gospel to have been preached there by St. John ; and the same is asserted, as I find in a note in Lampe, by the people of a town in Arabia. It is not probable that he would immediately establish himself at Ephesus ; as Timothy, who is generally declared by the ecclesiastical historians to have been bishop of that place, was probably still alive. Others, Avhose opinion is strongly condemned by Lampe, have been of opinion that St. John did not take up his residence at Ephesus till near the end of the reign of Domitian. This opinion seems to be most supported by the little remaining evidence which can enable us to come to any decision on a point so obscure. The apostles were commanded to preach throughout the world ; and they would probably have adopted that plan, which they are said to have done, that each should take his peculiar district, and to that direct his attention. As part at least of Asia Minor had been placed under the care of Timothy, it is not unlikely that St. John would have travelled to other parts of the East before he came to Ephesus, to reside there. The course of his travels might have been from the east of Judaea to Parthia, and round from thence to India, and returning by Arabia to Asia, he there preached, and founded the Churches of Smyrna, Pergamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadel- phia, Laodicea, and others. These he might have established at the conclusion of his route. In Parthia, India, and Arabia, he would not have required the Greek language, and during the short period which elapsed between his arrival in Asia, and his banishment at the latter end of the reign of Domitian, he would have been more likely to have acquired that kind of language which we find in tlie Apocalypse, than the more polished style of the Epistles and the Gospel. The former shows less ac- quaintance with the language than the latter ; and the fact is fully accounted for, if we sup- pose that the Apostle, when he wrote the Apoc- alypse, had not had so frequent intercourse with the people, as at a subsequent period ; and this course of his travels explains the causes of this fact. If we may thus decide respecting the travels of St. John after the destruction of Jerusalem, we reconcile many of the various traditions of antiquity, and account for the difference be- tween the language of the Apocalypse and the other Avritings of the Apostle. I have taken no notice of the joiirnoy Avhich Ensobins tolls us he took again to Palestine, after tiie destruc- tion of Jerusalem. Lampe considers it as very uncort^iin, nnd there is no corroborating authority to support it. Neither can we venture to assert the trutli of the story, that the Apostle Avent to Rome towards the end of the reign of Domitian, and was there cast into a caldron of boiling oil. That he Avas sent to the island of Patmos, and there Avrote the Apocalypse, cannot be doubted ; and the arguments of Lampe confirm the gen- era] opinion, that he Avas banished to that island in the fifteenth year of the reign of Domitian, and not of Claudius ; and Avas recalled soon after in the reign of Nerva. The uniform tradition of antiquity assures us, that the Apostle returned to Ephesus after the termination of his banishment to Patmos, and continued there till his death, in the third year of Trajan, and probably in the hundredth year of his OAvn age. After his return from Patmos, he resided constantly at Ephesus, and spoke, as Ave may justly conclude, the Greek language only. This practice Avould have given him a fluency and knoAvledge of that tongue to a greater dejrree than Avhen he Avas at Jerusalem, or associating Avith the people of various countries ; and it Avill sufficiently explain the reasons Avhy the style of the Epistles should so much resemble that of the Gospel of St. John, Avhich Avas undoubtedly the last of the inspired books which Avas added to the canon of Scripture. Thus in his Gospel St. John does not content himself with simply affirming or denying a thing, but denies its con- trary to strengthen his affirmation ; and in like manner, to strengthen his denial of a thing, he affirms its contrary. (See John i. 20. iii. 36. v. 24. and vi. 22.) The same manner of express- ing things strongly occurs in this Epistle. (See chap. ii. 4, 27. and iv. 2, 3.) In his Gospel also, St. John frequently uses the pronoun, ovioc, uvTi/, TovTO, this, in order to express things emphatically. (See chap. i. 19. iii. 19. vi. 29, 40, 50. and xvii. 3.) In the Epistle the same emphatical mode of expression obtains. (Com- pare chap. i. 5. ii. 25. iii. 23. v. 3, 4, 6, and 14.) It does not therefore appear to me improb- able, that these Epistles Avere Avritten as late as the year 95 or 90, toAvards the very close of the apostolic age. As this opinion is by no means generally adopted, it will be necessary to take some notice of the arguments by Avhich Dr. Hales, Mr. Home, and other learned divines, Avould assign an earlier date to this Epistle. The expression in chap. ii. 18., " It is the last hour," is said to be more applicable to the last hour of time of the duration of the JeAvish state than to any later period, especially as the Apostle adds — " And as ye have heard that antichrist is coming, even so now there have been many antichrists ; Avhence Ave knoAV that it is the last hour:" in which passage the Apostle evidently alludes to our Lord's predic- tion concerning the springing up of fiilse Christs, false teachers, and false prophets, Note 37.] ON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN. *421 before the destruction of Jerusalem, (Matt. xxiv. 5-25.) The expression, however, the " last time" may allude, not to the destruction of that city, but to the close of the apostolic age. Michaelis would support this argument for the early date of this Epistle, by observing that St. John's Gos])el was opposed to heretics, who maintained the same opinions as are opposed in tliis Epistle ; which tenets he has confuted by argument in his Gospel ; wliereas in the Epistle he expresses only his disappro- bation. Michaelis tlierefore concludes that the Epistle was written before the Gospel ; because if St. John had already given a complete con- futation when he wrote this Epistle, he would have thought it unnecessary to have again declared the falsehood of such opinions. This opinion of Michaelis appears to be correct ; but the date of the Epistle is not ascertained by its having been written before the Gospel. Again, the expression (chap. ii. 13, 14.), " Ye have known him from tlie beginning," applies, it is said, better to the disciples, immediately before Jerusalem was destroyed, than to the few who might have been alive at the late date which some critics assign to this epistle. In the verses just cited, the fathers or elders are twice distinguished from the " young men" and the "children," by this circumstance, that they had seen him during his ministry, or after his resur- rection. Thirty-five years after our Lord's resurrection and ascension, when Jerusalem was destroyed, many such persons might have been alive ; whereas in 98, or even in 92, there could not have been many persons alive of that de- scription — In reply to this argument we may observe, that some of those who had seen the miracles of our Lord, might have taken refuge with St. John at Ephesus. To these two arguments for the early date of St. John's First Epistle, Dr. Hales has added the three following, ivhich have not been noticed by any other biblical critic : — 1. As the other apostles James, Jude, Paul, and Peter, had written Cutholic epistles to the Hebrew Christians especially, it is likely, that one of the principal ^^ pillars of the church," the greatest surety of the mother Churcli, tlie most highly-gifted and illuminated of all the apostles of the circumcision, and the beloved disciple, would not be deficient likewise in this labor of love. — This is true ; but the labors of these apostles might have been the very cause why St. Jolm should delay writing. 2. Nothing could tend so strongly to estab- lish the faith of tlie early Jewish converts as the remarkable circumstances of our Lord's cruci- fixion, exhibiting the accomplishment of the ancient types and prophecies of tiie Old Testa- ment respecting Christ's passion, or sufferings in the flesh. These St. John alone could record, as he was the only eyewitness of that last solemn scene among the apostles. To these, VO£,. II. therefore, he alludes in the exordium, as well as to the circumstances of our Lord's appearances after the resurrection ; and to tliese he again recalls their attention in that remarkable refer- ence to " the tvater" at his baptism ; to " the water and blood" at his passion, and to the dis- missal of " his spirit" when he commended it to his Father, and expired, (chap. v. 5-9.) — This argument really appears to be but of little weight ; the early converts had the other Gos- pels in their hands ; and there does not seem to have been any necessity for St. John's writing ten or twenty years earlier. 3. The parallel testimony in the Gospel (John xix. 35-37.) bears witness also to the priority of the Epistle, in the expression, " He tliat saw hath testified" {fie/naQTvQrjxa), intimat- ing that he had delivered this testimony to the world already ; for if now, for the first time, it should rather be expressed by the present tense junQTVQEl, " testifieth." And this is strongly confirmed by the Apostle's same expression, after giving his evidence in the Epistle, " This is the testimony of God, which he hath testified [fiFfiuQTvQijxe) concerning his Son," (ver. 9.), referring to the past transaction, as fulfilling prophecy. — It is acknowledged that the Epistle was written first : but this does not settle the date. " Though tliis composition is called an Epistle, nothing is to be found hi it," Bishop Horsley has observed, " of the epistolary form. It is not inscribed to any individual, like St. Paul's to Timotliy and Titus, or the second of the two which follow it, ' to the well-beloved Gains' — nor to any particular Church, like St. Paul's to the Churches of Rome, Corintli, Ephesus, and others — nor to the faithful of any particular region, like St. Peter's First Epistle to ' the strangers scattered througliout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, nor to any principal branch of the Christian Church, like St. Paul's to the Hebrews — nor to the Christian Church in general, like the Second of St. Peter, ' to them that had obtained like precious faitli with him,' and like St. Jude's ' to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.' It bears no such in- scription : it begins without salutation, and ends without benediction. It is true, the writer some- times speaks, but without naming liiniself in the first person — and addresses his reader without naming him in the second. But this colloquial style is very common in all writings of a plain familiar cast : instances of it occur in St John's Gospel ; and it is by no means a distinguishing character of epistolary composition. It should seem that this book hath for no other reason ac- quired the title of an Epistle, but that in the first formation of the canon of the New Testament it was put into the same volume with the didactic writings of the apostles, which, with this single exception, are all in tlie epistolary form. It is indeed a didactic discourse upon the principles * JJ 422* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES OF ST. JOHN. [Part XV of Christianity, both in doctrine and practice ; and whether we consider the sublimity of its opening with the fundamental topics of God's perfections, man's depravity, and Christ's pro- pitiation — the perspicuity with which it pro- pounds the deepest mysteries of our holy faith, and the evidence of the proof which it brings to confirm them ; whether we consider the sanctity of its precepts, and the energy of argument with which they are enforced — the dignified simplicity of language in which both doctrine and precept are delivered ; whether we regard the importance of the matter, the propriety of the style, or the general spirit of ardent piety and warm benevolence, united with a fervid zeal, which breathes throughout the whole compo- sition — we shall find it in every respect worthy of the holy author to whom the constant tradition of the (^Jhurch ascribes it, ' the disciple whom Jesus loved.' " Admirable as these observations of Bishop Horsley are, tliis eminent theologian has omitted to observe, tliat the solemn and yet affectionate charges it contains to mutual love and charity seem more especially to constitute this compo- sition what it is generally called, a Catholic Epistle. It may be considered as the last advice of the surviving Apostle, enforcing the dying injunctions of his and our Divine Master. It is limited to no nation — it is equally addressed and is equally suitable to all mankind, that they love one another It is the precept which, if observed, will ever be the criterion by which the true Christian will be distinguished, without which, faith, and hope, and profession and prac- tice, will be incomplete and unavailing. Note 38.— Part XV. GENERAL REMARKS ON THE SECOND AND THIRD EPISTLES OF ST. JOHN. The Second and Third Epistles of John may be regarded as an epitome of the First Epistle, containing very little which is not to be found in the former. The thoughts and style of both are so similar to those of tlie First Epistle, that almost all critics attribute them to St. John ; and suppose in all probability they were written about the same time as that Epistle. Various reasons have been assigned to account for the doubts entertained of their authenticity by the prim- itive Church. Michaelis thinks they originated from the address, in which the author neither calls himself John, nor assumes the title of an Apostle, but simply names himself " the el- der" (o TTQacfduTFQog): whicii title the Apostle John might witii great propriety assume, as, by reason of liis great age, he was probably the only remaining Apostle. It is however most probable, that, being letters to private persons they had been kept by the descendants of the families to Avhom they were written, and were not discovered till long after the Apostle's decease. In which case, on their first discovery, all the immediate vouchers for their genuineness must have departed this life ; and the Church of Christ, vigilantly on its guard against imposture, hesitated to receive them into the number of canonical Scriptures, until it was fully ascer- tained that they were divinely inspired. The Second Epistle is cited by Irenasus, and received by Clemens of Alexandria. Origen mentions all tliree Epistles, and remarks that the Second and Third were not allowed to be genuine by all persons. Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, speaks of them as being ascribed to St. John. The Second Epistle was quoted by Alexander, bishop of Alexandria ; and the three Epistles were received by Athanasius, by Cyril of Jerusalem, by Epiphanius, by Jerome, by Ruffinus, and all those writers who received the same canon of the New Testa- ment that we do. Commentators are greatly divided respecting the person to whom the Second Epistle is addrevssed. Some suppose it to have been writ- ten to an individual, others to some particular Church. Archbishop Newcome, Wakefield, Macknight, and the translators of our authorized version, make ixlcttTri to be an adjective, and render the inscription " to the elect (or excellent, or chosen) Lady ;" the Vulgate version, Clemens of Alexandria, Calmet, Wolf, and Wetstein, consider txlsxTij to be a proper name, and trans- late it, " To the Lady Eclecta ;" Schleusner, Rosenmiiller, and Benson, take KvqIu to be a proper name, and the Epistle to be addressed to Kyria the Elect. Michaelis supposes KvqIu to be an ellipsis of KvQia ' Exxlrjala, which, among the ancient Greeks, signified an assembly of the people held at a stated time, and was held at Athens three times in every month ; and that, since the sacred writers adopted the term 'EnHlijaUt, from its civil use among the Greeks, KvqIu 'ExxXtjala might here mean the stated assembly of the Christians, held every Sunday ; and thus ttj ixXey.rf^ xvolcc, with ixxhjalci, understood, would signify, " To the elect Church or Community which comes together on Sundays." He acknowledges, however, at the same time, that he cannot pro- duce any instance of such ellipsis. Of these various hypotheses, that of Beza, whicli estab- lishes the authorized translation, appears the most probable. He observes, in his note on the inscription, " Some think Eclecta a proper name, which I do not approve, because in that case tlie order of the words Avould have been KvQiq 'Exlexrri, ' to the Lady Eclecta.' Others think this name denotes the Christian Church in general. But that is disproved, first, by its Note 39.] ON THE SECOND AND THIRD EPISTLES OF ST. JOHN. *423 beinw a manner of speaking altogether unusual ; secondly, by the Apostle's expressly promising, in tlie two last verses, to come to her and her children ; thirdly, by sending to her the salu- tation of her sister, whom he also calls Eclccta. I therefore tliink this Epistle was inscribed to a woman of eminence, of whom tliere were some here and there, who supported the Church with their wealth, and that he called her Elect, that is, excellent, and gave her the title of KvQla, 'Lady,' just as St. Luke gave to Theo- philus, and St. Paul gave to Festus, the title of Kqutkttoc, ' Most excellent.' For the Chris- tian religion doth not forbid such honorable titles to be given when they are due." Macknight thinks this Epistle was written to confute the errors of Basilides, whicli were propagated by his followers, in the latter end of the first century. These false teachers affirmed, that Christ was a man in appearance only, conse- quently that his death and sufferings were not real, but only in appearance. Therefore, as this doctrine concerning the person of Christ did away entirely with his atonement and vicarious sac- rifice, John particularly cautions tiiis lady and her children against receiving into her house those teachers who taught it (ver. 7.), that they might not be exposed to their licentiousness, or the danger of being deceived by them, or assist them in spreading their errors. It is uncertain where this lady lived — but as the Apostle mentions his intention of visiting her soon, it is conjectured she resided near Ephe- sus, from which place this letter was written. Some suppose the Elect Lady was deaconess of some Church, at whose house it is probable the apostles and evangelists were hospitably provided for and accommodated, in their differ- ent journeys. Note 39.— Part XV. ON THE THIRD EPISTLE OF ST. JOHN. This Third Epistle of St. John is supposed to be addressed to a converted Gentile. In the history of the Acts, and in tlie Epistles, five persons of tliis name are mentioned — A Gains of Macedonia (Acts xix. 29.) ; a Gains of Derbe, a city of Lycaonia, or Isauria (Acts xx. 4.); a Gains who Avas St. Paul's host at Corinth (Rom. xvi. 23.); a Gains whom this Apostle baptized at Corinth (1 Cor. i. 14.), supposed to have been the same as the preceding ; and the Gaius to whom this Epistle is inscribed, who is by some considered to have been a convert of the Apostle John, as he numbers him among his children; and therefore a different person from the others mentioned of the same name. The majority of modern commentators, however, are of opinion, that the Epistle was more probably written to the Gaius of Corinth, who was conspicuous for his hospitality and kindness to the preachers of the Gospel. But it is impossible at this time to distinguish with any degree of certainty between tliese individuals. Commentators are also equally divided as to the character and official situation of Diotrephes. Bede and Eras- mus, with Michaelis, suppose him to have been the founder of a new sect. But Lamy observes this is not probable ; for had he preached false doctrines, St. John would certainly have cau- tioned Gaius and the Church agaiast them. Grotius, Le Clerc, and Beausobre conjecture, that Diotrephes refused to receive (being a Gentile convert) Jewish Christians, lleuman thought he was a deacon. Lardner, with many others, imagines him to have been a bishop, who desired to rule every thing in his Chureh ac- cording to his own pleasure ; and that he re- strained the deacons from employing any part of tlie funds of the Church in reheving the bretliren and strangers, casting them out of the Church if they persisted in entertaining or relieving them. Likewise, from ver. 9., where St. John appears to assert he had written to the Church, and insinuates that Diotrephes would not acknowledge his apostolical authority, hav- ing assumed a preeminence of episcopal power, he had suppressed his letter, and had prevented it from being read, according to the usual man- ner, in the public assemblies, for the direction and instruction of the people. On which account, with the additional consideration of his persecuting conduct, it is more probable that John wrote this Epistle to Gaius after the brethren had informed him of the letter, and of the hospitality and kindness of Gaius. From these arguments it is reasonable to suppose, that he was either a turbulent and ambitious elder, or bishop of the Church of wjiich Gaius was a member; and that, being a converted Jew, he violently opposed the admission of die Gentiles, and became the leading opponent of tlie apostles. Commentators also differ much in their opin- ions concerning the brethren and strangers mentioned ver. 5. It is generally supposed, from the circumstance of their having praised tlie liberality of Gaius, in tlie presence of the Church, that they were tiie rulers of that Church over which John was supposed to preside, which was the Church of Ephesus. And as this Apostle desired Gaius to assist and forward them on their journey (ver. 6.), that they were going out a second time to the Gentiles. The strangers likewise are variously described — Grotius and Lampe think them believing Jews, driven out of Palestine by their unbelieving brethren, or by the calamities of the Jewish war. Benson, with many others, considers them Gentile converts, whom Diotrephes re- fused to receive, because they did not observe the rites of the Mosaic Law. He is led to tliis 424* NOTES ON THE EPISTLES OF ST. JOHN. [Part XV. conclusion from tlie recorded fact, that Diotre- phes did not acknowledge the authority and apostleship of St. John (ver. 9.) ; and he thinks that none but the Judaizinff teachers denied the authority of the apostles. Macknight says, with respect to the stran- gers, without determining in this place whether they were expelled from their native country for the faith and profession of the holy name of Christ (which was the opinion of Heuman) or not — " I suppose that having come to the place where the brethren, of whom the Apostle speaks, dwelled, they joined them in their journey ; which I think was undertaken for the sake of preaching Christ to the Gentiles. If I am right in this conjecture, the strangers as well as the brethren were preachers, as above observed. For, if they were only persons in want, it was no commendation of them ' that they went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles ;' because stand- ing in need of alms, it was their duty not only to receive, but even to ask alms for the support of their life from the unbelieving Gentiles ; especially as in many places there may have been no Christians to whom they could apply for relief: whereas, if they were preachers, they were greatly to be praised, when, in imitation of the Apostle St. Paul, tliey supported them- selves by their own labor, and took nothing from their Gentile converts on the score of main- tenance, lest it might have marred the success of their preaching. In short, if these brethren and strangers had not been preachers, the Apostle could not with propriety have said (ver. 8.) ' We therefore ought to receive such, that we may be joint laborers in the truth.' For the terms 'laborers' and 'joint laborers' are always, in apostolical writings, applied to preachers of the Gospel, or to those who in some way or other assisted the preachers of the Gospel. These things Lardner did not attend to, when he said, ' I see nothing that should lead us to think preachers are spoken of, but only persons in want.' " Benson and Rosenmiiller agree in supposing Demetrius to have been one of the brethren mentioned in this Epistle, who went forth to preach to the Gentiles, and that he was the particular bearer of this letter. This opinion appears more probable than that which main- tains that he held some sacred office in the Church of which Gains was a member, for had that been the case, it would have been unneces- sary to have mentioned his piety and exemplary conduct to the good and hospitable Gains. The authenticity of the Third Epistle of St. John has been discussed in the preface to the Second. There is reason to suppose they were both written about the same time, at Ephesus, over which Church John is thought to have presided, when he was eminent for his great age ; and that they were received at the same time into the Sacred Canon. END OF THE NOTES. M25 INDEX THE FIRST. PART I. From the Birth of Christ to the Temptation. SECTION. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X XI XII XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. CONTENTS. General Preface. The Divinity, Humanity, and Office of Christ. Birth of John the Baptist. The Annunciation. Interview between Mary and Elisabeth. Birth and Naming of John the Baptist. An Angel appears to Joseph. Birth of Christ at Bethlehem. The Genealoffies of Christ. The Angels appear to the Shepherds. The Circumcision. The Purification — Presentation of Christ in the Temple, where he is acknowl- edged by Simeon and Anna. The Offering of the Magi. The Flight into Egypt. Slaughter of the Children at Bethlehem. Joseph returns from Egypt. History of Christ at the age of 12 years. Commencement of the Ministry of John the Baptist. SCRIPTURE. The Baptism of Christ. The Temptation of Christ. Mark i. 1. Luke i. 1-4. John i. 1-18. Luke i. 5-25. Luke i. 26-38. Luke i. 39-56. Luke i, 57, to end. Matt. i. 18-25. Luke ii. 1-7. Matt. i. 1-17. Luke ill. 23, to the end. Luke ii. 8-20. Luke ii. 21. Luke ii. 22-39. Matt. ii. 1-12. Matt. ii. 13-15. Matt. ii. 16-18. Matt. ii. 19, ioen<Z. Luke ii. 40. Luke n.A\,toend. Matt. iii. 1-12. Mark i. 2-8. Luke iii. 1-18. Matt. iii. 13,<o cwd. Mark i. 9-11. Luke iii. 21, 22, and part of 23. Matt. iv. 1-11. Mark i. 12, 13. Luke iv. 1-13. PLACE. Be. V. iE. Julian Period Jerusalem. 6 4708 Nazareth. 5 4709 Hebron. •• Nazareth. , ^ Betlilehem. Jerusalem. , , Temple of , . Jerusalem. Bethlehem. , , .... Egypt. V. • • • ■ Bethlehem. M. • • • ■ Egypt. 3 4711 Nazareth. Jerusalem. 7 4720 The Wilder- 26 4739 ness of Ju- dtea. Bethabara, • • • • • • where the ark had rested. The Wilder- • • • • ness. Page. 47 47 48 49 49 50 51 51 51 52 53 53 54 54 54 55 55 57 57 PART II. From the Temptation of Christ to the Commencement of his more public Ministry after the Imprisonment of John. I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. Further Testimony of John the Baptist. Christ obtains his first Disciples from John. Marriage at Cana, in Galilee. Christ goes down to Capernaum, and continues there some short time. The Buyers and Sellers driven from the Temple. Conversation of Christ with Nicodemus. John's last Testimony to Christ. Imprisonment of John the Baptist. John i. John i. end. John ii. John ii. 19-34. 35, to 1-11. 12. the John ii. 13, to the end. John iii. 1-21. John iii. 22. to end. Matt. xiv. '3-5. Mark vi. 17-20. Luke iii. 19, 20. Bethabara. 26 4739 Cana. Capernaum. Temple of Jerusalem. Jerusalem. Judasa. 27 • • • • 4740 ■ • • • 59 59 60 60 60 61 62 62 VOL. II. *:; 54 *jj* 4^6* INDEX THE FIRST. PART III. From the Commencement of the more public Ministry of Chi'ist to the Mission of the twelve Apostles. SECTION. CONTENTS. SCRIPTURE. PLACE. V. JE. 27 Julian Period 4740 Page. 63 I. General Introduction to the History of Matt. iv. 12-17. Judaea. Christ's more public Ministry. Mark i. 14, 15. Luke iv. 14, 15. 11. Christ's Conversation with the Woman of Samaria. John iv. 1-42. Samaria. • • 63 III. Second Miracle at Cana in Galilee. John iv. 43, to end. Cana. .. 65 IV. First public Preaching of Christ in the Synagogue at Nazareth, and his Dan- Luke iv. 16-30. Nazareth. •• 65 ger there. ■ V. Christ sojourns at Capernaum. Luke iv. 31, 32. Capernaum. , , • .■• • 66 VI. The miraculous Draught of Fishes, and the Calling of Andrew and Peter, James and John. Matt. iv. 18-22. Mark i. 1(3-20. Luke V. 1-11. Sea of Gali- lee. • . .... 66 VII. The Demoniac healed at Capernaum. Mark i. 21-28. Luke iv. 33-37. Capernaum. •• 67 VIII. Peter's Mother-in-law cured of a Fever. Matt. viii. 14, 15. Mark i. 29-31. 67 Luke iv. 38, 39. IX. Christ teaches, and performs Miracles and Cures throughout Galilee. Matt. iv. 23-25. viii. 16. 17. Mark i. 32-39. Luke iv. 40, to end. Galilee. 68 X. Christ cures a Leper. Matt. viii. 2-4. Mark i. 40, to end. 69 Luke V. 12-16. XI. The Paralytic cured ; and the Power of Christ to forgive Sins asserted. Matt. ix. 2-8. Mark ii. 1-12. Luke V. 17-26. Capernaum. • • 69 XII. The Calling of Matthew. Matt. ix. 9. Mark ii. 13, 14. 70 Luke V. 27, 28. XIII. The infirm Man healed at the Pool of Bethesda. John V. 1-15. Jerusalem. •• 71 XIV. Christ vindicates the Miracle, and asserts the Dignity of his Office. John V. IGjtoend. 71 XV. Christ defends his Disciples for plucking the Ears of Corn on tlie Sabbath day. Matt. xii. 1-8. Markii.23, to end. Luke vi. 1-5. In a Pro- gress. .... 72 XVI. Christ heals the withered Hand. Matt. xii. 9-14. Mark iii. 1-6. 73 Luke vi. 6-11. XVII. Christ is followed by great Multitudes, whose Diseases he heals. Matt. xii. 15-21. Mark iii. 7-12. 74 XVIII. Preparation for the Sermon on the Mount — Election of the Twelve Apostles. Mark iii. 13-19. Luke vi. 12-19. Galilee. -• 74 XIX. The Sermon on the Mount. Matt. V. vi. vii. and viii. 1. 75 Luke vi. 20, to end. XX. The Centurion's Servant healed. Matt. viii. 5-13. Luke vii. 1-10. Capernaum. '• 80 XXI. The Widow's Son at Nain is raised to life. Luke vii. 11-18. Nain. ., 81 XXII. Message from John, who was still in Prison, to Christ. Matt. xi. 2-6. Luke vii. 19-23. On a Tour. •• 81 XXIII. Christ's Testimony concerning John. Matt. xi. 7-15. 82 Luke vii. 24-30. XXIV. Christ reproaches the Jews for their Im- penitence and Insensibility. Matt. xi. 16-24. Luke vii. 31-35. 82 XXV. XXVI. Christ invites all to come to him. Christ forgives the Sins of a female Peni- Matt. xi. 25,^0 ejifZ. Luke vii. 36, to the 83 83 tent, at the House of a Pharisee. end. XXVII. Christ preaches again throughout Galilee. Luke viii. 1-3. Galilee. .. 84 XXVIII. Christ cures a Demoniac — Conduct of the Scribes and Pharisees. Matt. xii. 22-45. Mark iii. 19-30. Luke xi. 14-28. Capernaum. .... 84 XXIX. Christ declares his faithful Disciples to be his real Kindred. Matt. xii. 46, to the end. 86 Mark iii. 31,^0 cra*^. Luke viii. 19-21. INDEX THE FIRST. *427 SECTION. CONTENTS. SCRIPTURE. PLACE. v. 27 Julian Period 4740 Page. 86 XXX. Tarable of the Sower. Matt. xiii. 1-9. Galilee. Mark iv. 1-9. Luke viii. 4-8. XXXT Reasons for teaching by Parables. Matt xiii. 10-17. 87 ^v./\.y\.x> A *.& Vb \J\J9 ^L J A A • ^ \J .M- w m Mark iv. 10-12. KJ 4 Luke viii. 9, 10. XXXTT Explanation of the Parable of the Sower. Matt. xiii. 18-23. 88 2^.^^^\.XXt Mark iv. 13-23. Luke viii. part of ver. 9, and 11-17. XXXIII. Christ directs his Hearers to practise what they hear. Mark iv. 24, 25. 89 Luke viii. 18. XXXIV. Various Parables descriptive of Christ's Kingdom. Matt. xiii. 24-53. 89 Mark iv. 26-34. XXXV. Christ crosses the Sea of Galilee, and calms the Tempest. Matt. viii. 18-27. Ma.rkiv.3o, to end. Luke viii. 22-25. Sea of Gali- lee. " ' ' • ' • 91 XXXVI. Christ heals the Gadarene Demoniac. Matt.viii.28,toere<Z. Mark V. 1-20. Luke viii. 20-40. Gadara. • • • • • • 92 XXXVII. Christ dines with Matthew. Matt. ix. 10-17. Mark ii. 15-22. Luke V. 29, to end. Capernaum. • • • . • • 93 XXXVIII. Jairus' Daughter is healed, and the infirm Woman. Matt ix 1. 18-26. 94 Ma.Tkv. 21, to end. Luke viii. 40, to •» the end. XXXIX. Christ restores two blind Men to Sight. Matt. ix. 27-31. On a Tour. • • • • 96 XL. Christ casts out a dumb Spirit. Matt. ix. 32-34. • . 96 XLI. Christ returns to Nazareth, and is again ill-treated there. Matt. xiii. 54, to the end. Mark vi. 1-6. Nazareth. • • Proba- bly early in the year 97 XLII. Christ preaches again throughout Galilee. Matt. ix. 35, to the end. Galilee. 28 4741 97 PART IV. From the Mission of the Twelve Apostles to the Mission of the Seventy. I. Christ's Mission of the Twelve Apostles. Matt, x.and xi. 1. Mark yi. 7-13. Luke ix. 1-6. Probably in Galilee. 28 4741 97 II. Death of John the Baptist — Herod de- sires to see Christ. Matt. xiv. 1-12. Mark vi. 14-29. •• * • • ■ 99 Luke ix. 7-9. III. The Twelve return, and Jesus retires with them to the Desert of Bethsaida. Matt. xiv. 13, 14. Mark vi. 30-34. Luke ix. 10, 11. John vi. 1, 2. Desert of Bethsaida. 101 IV. Five thousand are fed miraculously. Matt. xiv. 15-21. Mark vi. 3.5-44. Luke ix. 12-17. John vi. 3-14. On the way to Jerusa- lem. . • • a 101 V. Christ sends the Multitude away, and prays alone. Matt. xiv. 22, 23. Mark vi. 45, 46. John vi. 15. Probably near Jeru- salem .... 102 VI. Christ walks on the Sea to his Disciples, who are overtaken with a Storm. Matt. xiv. 24-33. Mark vi. 47-52. John vi. 16-21. Galilee. .... 103 VIT Christ heals many People. Matt. xiv. 34-36. 103 T XI. • Mark vi. 53, Zoenrf. VIII. Christ teaches in the Synagogue of Ca- pernaum — his Conversation there. John vi. 22, to the end, and vii. 1. Capernaum. •• 104 IX. Christ converses with the Scribes and Pharisees on the subject of Jewish Tra- Matt. XV. 1-20. Mark vii. 1-23. 105 ditions. X. Christ heals the Daughter of the Ca- naanite, or Syro-Phoenician Woman. Matt. XV. 21-28. Mark vii. 24-30. Tyre. •• .... 107 XI. Christ goes through Decapolis, healing and teaching. Matt. XV. 29-31. Mark vii. 31, to Decapolis. •• 108 • the end. 428* INDEX THE FIRST. SECTION. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. CONTENTS. Four thousand Men are fed miracu- lously. The Pharisees require other Signs — Christ charges them with Hypocrisy. Christ heals a blind Man at Bethsaida. Peter confesses Christ to be the Messiah. Christ astonishes the Disciples by de- claring the Necessity of his Death and Resurrection. The Transfiguration of Christ. The Deaf and Dumb Spirit cast out. Christ again foretells his Death and Re- surrection. Christ works a Miracle to pay the Half- shekel for the Temple Service. The Disciples contend for Superiority. SCRIPTUKE. 32, to 1-10. ]-12. 11-21. 22-26. 13-20. 27-30. to Matt. XV. the end Mark viii. Matt. xvi. Mark viii. Mark viii. Matt. xvi. Mark viii. Luke ix. 18-21 Matt. xvi. 21, the end. Mark viii. 31, to end, and ix. 1. Luke ix. 22-27. Matt. xvii. 1-13. Mark ix. 2-13. Luke ix. 28-36. Matt. xvii. 14-21. Mark ix. 14-29. Luke ix. 37-42, and part q/" 43. Matt. xvii. 22, 23. Mark ix. 30-32, and part of 33. Luke ix. 43-46. Matt. xvii. 24, to the end. Matt, xviii. 1, to the end. Mark ix. part of 33, to the end. Luke ix. 47-50. PLACE. V. 28 » a Julian Period 4741 • ■ • • On a Mount by the Sea of Galilee. Magdala. Bethsaida. Caesarea- Philippi. Galilee. Capernaum. •• * • ■ • Page. 108 109 110 110 110 111 113 114 114 115 PART V. From the Mission of the Seventy Disciples to the triumphal Entry of Christ into Jerusalem, six Days before the Crucifixion. I II III. IV, V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. The Mission of the Seventy Disciples. Christ goes up to the Feast of Taber- nacles. Agitation of the public Mind at Jerusa- lem concerning Christ. Conduct of Christ to the Adulteress and her Accusers. Christ declares himself to be the Son of God. Christ declares the Manner of his Death. The Seventy return with Joy. Christ directs the Lawyer how he may attain eternal Life. The Parable of the good Samaritan. Christ in the House of Martha. Christ teaches his Disciples to pray. Christ reproaches the Pharisees and Law- yers. Christ cautions his Disciples against Hy- pocrisy. Clirist refuses to act as Judge. Christ cautions the Multitude against Worldly-mindedness. Christ exhorts to Watchfulness, Fidelity, and Repentance. Christ cures an infirm Woman in the Synagogue. Christ begins his Journey towards Jeru- salem, to be present at the Feast of the Dedication. Luke X. 1-16. Matt. xix. 1. Mark x. 1. John vii. 2-10. John vii. 11-52. John vii. 53, and viii. 1-11. John viii. 12-20. John viii. 21, to the end. Luke X. 17-24. Luke X. 25-28. Luke X. 29-37. Luke X.38, to end. Luke xi. 1-13. Luke xi. 37, to the end. Luke xii. 1-12. Luke xii. 13, 14. Luke xii. 15-34. Luke xii. 35, to the end, and xiii. 1-9. Luke xiii. 10-17. Luke xiii. 22, and 18-21. Galilee. Jerusalem. 28 4741 Near Jeru- salem. On a Tour. Uncertain. Journey to- wards Je- rusalem. 117 117 118 119 120 120 121 122 122 122 123 123 124 124 124 125 126 127 INPEX THE FIRST. *429 SECTION. CONTENTS. SCRIPTURE. PLACE. v. M. 28 Julian Period 4741 Page. 127 XIX. Christ restores to Sight a Blind Man, who John ix. 1-34. Jerusalem. is summoned before tJie Sanhedrin. XX. Christ declares that He is the true Shep- herd. John ix. 35. to the end, and X. 1-21. 128 XXI. XXII. Christ publicly asserts his Divinity. In consequence of the Opposition of the John X. 22-38. John X. 39, to the 129 130 Bethabara. , , '. '. . . Jews, Christ retires beyond Jordan. end. XXIII. Christ, leaving the City, laments over Jerusalem. Luke .xiii. 23, to the end. Near Jeru- salem. •• 130 XXIV. Christ dines with a Pharisee — Parable of the great Supper. Luke xiv. 1-24. 130 XXV. Christ's Discip es must forsake the World. Luke xiv. 25, to the end. On a Tour. •• 131 XXVI. Parables of the lost Sheep, and of the lost Piece of Silver. Luke XV. 1-10. 132 XXVII. XXVIII. Parable of the Prodigal Son. Parable of the unjust Steward. Luke XV. \\,tothe end. Luke xvi. 1-13. 132 133 XXIX. Christ reproves the Pharisees. Luke xvi. 14-17. , , • • • a 133 XXX. Christ answers the Question concerning Divorce and Marriage. Matt. xix. 3-12. Mark X. 2-12. 134 Luke xvi. 18. XXXI, Christ receives and blesses little Chil- dren. Matt. xix. 13-15. 134 Mark X. 13-17. Luke xviii. 15-17. XXXII. Parable of the rich Man and Lazarus. Luke xvi. 19, to the end. •• • • • • 135 XXXIII. XXXIV. On Forgiveness of Injuries. Christ journeys towards Jersualem. Luke xvii. 1-10. Luke ix. 51, to the 135 136 end, and xvii. 11. Luke xvii. 12-19. XXXV. XXXVI. Christ heals ten Lepers. Christ declares the Lowliness of his King- dom, and the sudden Destruction of 136 137 Luke xvii. 20, to the end. Jerusalem. XXXVII. XXXVIII. XXXIX. Christ teacheth the true Nature of Prayer. Parable of the Publican and Pharisee. From the Conduct of the young Ruler, Christ cautions his Disciples on the Luke xviii. 1-8. Luke xviii. 9-14. 137 137 138 Matt. xix. 16-29. Mark X. 17-30. Dangers of Wealth. Luke xviii. 18-30. XL. Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard. Matt. xix. 30, and XX. 1-16. 139 Mark X. 31. XLI. Christ is informed of the Sickness of La- zarus. John xi. 1-16. 140 XLII. Christ again predicts his Sufferings and Death. Matt. XX. 17-19. Mark X. 32-34. Luke xviii. 31-34. 29 4742 140 XLIII. Ambition of the Sons of Zebedee. Matt. XX. 20-23. Mark X. 35-45. On the way to Bethany. ■ • 141 XLIV. Two Blind Men healed at Jericho. Matt. XX. 29, to the end. Mark x. 46, to the end. Luke xviii. 35, to the end. Jericho. 142 XLV. Conversion of Zacchseus, and the Para- ble of the Pounds. Luke xix. 1-28. 143 XLVI. The Resurrection of Lazarus. John xi. 17-46. Bethany. • • • • 144 XLVII. The Sanhedrin assemble to deliberate concerning the Resurrection of Laza- John xi. 47, 48. Jenasalem. 145 XLVIII. rus. Caiaphas prophesies. The Sanhedrin resolve to put Christ to death. John xi. 49-52. 145 XLIX. John xi. 53. 145 L. Christ retires to Ephraim, or Ephrata. John xi. 54. Ephraim. • • • • 145 LI. State of the Public Mind at Jerusalem, immediately preceding the last Pass- over, at which Clirist attended. John xi. 55, to the end. Jerusalem. ' * • ■ 145 LII. Christ comes to Bethany, where he is anointed by Mary. Matt. xxvi. 6-13. Mark xiv. 3-9. John xi). 1-11. Bethany. • * * * 145 LIII. Christ prepares to enter Jerusalem. Matt. xxi. 1-7 Mark xi. 1-7. Luke xix. 29-35. John xii. 12-18. 1 On the way to Jerusa- lem. 146 430* INDEX THE FIRST. PART VI. From Christ's triumphant Entry into Jerusalem,, to his Apprehension — Sunday, the fifth Day before the last Passover. SECTION. CONTENTS. SCRIPTURE. PLACE. V. m. 29 Julian Period 4742 Page. 148 I. The People meet Christ with Hosannas — Matt. xxi. 8-9. On the road Christ approaches Jerusalem. Mark xi. 8-10. Luke xix. 36-40. John xii. 19. to Jerusa- lem. II. Christ's Lamentation over Jerusalem, and the Prophecy of its Destruction. Luke xix. 41-44. Near Jeru- salem. 148 III. Christ, on entering the City, casts the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple. Matt. xxi. 10-13. Mark xi. yart of ver. 11. Luke xix. 45-46. Jerusalem. .... 149 IV. Christ heals the Sick in the Temple, and reproves the Chief Priests. Matt. xxi. 14-16. 149 V. Some Greeks at Jerusalem desire to see Christ— The Bath Col is heard. John xii. 20-43. 149 VI. Christ declares the Object of his Mission. John xii. 44, to the end. 150 VII. Christ leaves Jerusalem in the Evening, and goes to Bethany. Matt. xxi. 17. Mark xi. part of ver. 11. Bethany. .... 150 VIII. Monday — Fourth Day before the Pass- over — Christ, entering Jerusalem, again curses the barren Fig tree. Matt. xxi. 18, 19. Mark xi. 12-14. Near to Je- rusalem. • • > • 150 IX. Christ again casts the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple. Mark xi. 15-17. Jerusalem. 1.51 X. The Scribes and Chief Priests seek to destroy Jesus. Mark xi. 18. Luke xix. 47, 48. 151 XI. Christ retires in the Evening from the City. Mark xi. 19. 151 XII. Tuesday — Third Day before the Passover — The Fig tree is now withered. Matt. xxi. 20-22. Mark xi. 20-26. Road to Je- rusalem. 151 XIII. Christ answers the Chief Priests, who inquire concerning the Authority by which he acted — Parables of the Vine- yard and Marriage Feast. Matt. xxi. 23, to the end, and xxii. 1-14. Mark xi. 27, to end, and xii. 1-12. Luke xix. 1-19. Jerusalem. 152 XIV. Christ replies to the Herodians. Matt. xxii. 15-22. 155 Mark xii. 13-17. Luke XX. 20-26. XV. Christ replies to the Sadducees. Matt. xxii. 23-33. Mark xii. 18-27. 155 Luke XX. 27-40. XVI. Christ replies to the Pharisees. Matt. xxii. 34-40. 156 Mark xii. 28-35. XVII. Christ inquires of the Pharisees concern- ing the Messiah. Matt. xxii. 41, to the end. 157 Mark xii. 35-37. Luke XX. 41-44. XVIII. Christ severely reproves the Pharisees. Matt, xxiii. 1, to the end. J 58 Mark xii. 38-40. Luke XX. 45, to the end. XIX. Christ applauds the Liberality of the poor Widow. Mark xii. 41, to the end. 159 Luke xxi. 1-4. XX. Christ foretells the Destruction of Jerusa- lem, the End of the Jewish Dispensa- tion, and of the World. Matt. xxiv. 1-35. Mark xiii. 1-31. Luke xxi. 5-33. • • • • 160 XXI. Christ compares the Suddenness of his Second Advent to the Coming of the Matt. xxiv. 36, to the end. 163 Deluge. Mark xiii. 32, to the end. Luke xxi. 34-36. XXII. The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Vir- gins. The Parable of the Servants and the Talents Matt. XXV. 1-13. Matt. XXV. 14-30. 164 164 XXIII. INDEX THE FIRST. *431 SECTION. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. XXVII. XXVIII. XXIX. XXX. XXXI. XXXII. XXXIII. XXXIV. XXXV. XXXVI. XXXVII. XXXVIII. XXXIX. XL. XLI. XLII. XLIII. CONTENTS. Christ declares the Proceedings at the Day of Judgment. Christ retires froai the City to the Mount of Olives. W^cdnesday, second Day before the Cru- cifixion — Christ foretells his approach- ing Death. The Rulers consult how they may take Christ. Judas agrees with the Chief Priests to betray Christ. Thursday — The day before the Cruci- fixion — Christ directs two of his Disci- ples to prepare the Passover. Christ partakes of the last Passover. Christ again reproves the Ambition of his Disciples. Christ, sitting at the Passover and con- tinuing the Conversation, speaks of his Betrayer. Judas goes out to betray Christ, who pre- dicts Peter's Denial of him, and the Danger of the rest of the Apostles. Christ institutes the Eucharist. Christ exhorts the Apostles, and consoles them on his approaching Death. Christ goes with his Disciples to the Mount of Olives. Christ declares himself to be the True Vine. Christ e.vhorts his Apostles to mutual Love, and to prepare for Persecution. Christ promises the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Christ intercedes for all his Followers. Christ again predicts Peter's denial of him. Christ goes into the Garden of Geth- semane — His Agony there. Christ is betrayed and apprehended- The Resistance of Peter. SCRIPTURE. Matt. XXV. 31, to the end. Luke xxi. 37, 38. Matt. xxvi. 1, 2. Mark xiv. yart of ver. 1. Matt. xxvi. 3-5. Mark xiv. yart of ver. 1. ver. 2. Luke xxii. 1, 2. Matt. xxvi. 14-lG. Mark xiv. 10, 11. Luke xxii. 3-(). Matt. xxvi. 17-19. Mark xiv. 12-16. Luke xxii. 7-13. Matt. xxvi. 20. Mark xiv. 17. Luke xxii. 14-18. John xiii. 1. Luke xxii. 24-27. John xiii. 2-16. Matt. xxvi. 21-25. Mark xiv. 18-21. Luke xxii. 21-23. John xiii. 17-30. Luke xxii. 28-38. John xiii. 31, to the end. Matt. xxvi. 26-29. Mark xiv. 22-25. Luke xxii. 19, 20. John xiv. Matt. xxvi. 30. Mark xiv. 26. Luke xxii. 39. John XV. 1-8. John XV. 9, to end, and xvi. 1-4. John xvi. 5, to the end. John xvii. Matt. xxvi. 31-35. Mark xiv. 27-31. Matt. xxvi. 36-46. Mark xiv. 32-42. Luke xxii. 40-46. John xviii. 1, 2. Matt. xxvi. 47-56. Mark xiv. 43-50. Luke xxii. 47-53. John xviii. 3-11. PLACE. V. M. 29 Julian Period Jerusalem. 4742 •• •• •• Garden of Gethsema- ne. •• I'age. 165 165 165 166 166 166 167 167 163 169 170 170 171 171 172 172 173 174 175 176 I. II. III. IV. PART VII. Fro77i the Apprehension of Christ to the Crucijixion. Christ is taken to Annas, and to the Pal- ace of Caiaphas. Peter and John follow their Master. Christ is first examined and condemned in the House of the High Priest. Twelve at Night — Christ is struck, and insulted by the Soldiers. Matt. xxvi. 57. Mark xiv. 51-53. Luke xxii. 54. John xviii. 12-14. Matt. xxvi. 58. Mark xiv. 54. Luke xxii. 55. John xviii. 15, 16. Matt. xxvi. 59-66. Mark xiv. 55-64. John xviii. 19-24. Matt. xxvi. 67, 68. Mark xiv. 65. Luke xxii. 63-65. Jerusalem. 29 4742 177 178 178 179 432* INDEX THE FIRST. SECTION. VI, VIL VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII, XXIII, CONTENTS. Peter's tirst Denial of Christ, at the Fire, in the Hall of the High Priest's Palace. After midnight — Peter's second Denial of Christ, at the Porch of the Palace of the High Priest. Friday, the Day of the Crucifixion — Time, about three in the Morning. Peter's third Denial of Christ, in the Room where Christ was waiting among the Soldiers till the Dawn of Day. Christ is taken before the Sanhedrin, and condemned. Judas declares the Innocence of Christ. Christ is accused before Pilate, and is by him also declared to be innocent. Christ is sent by Pilate to Herod. Christ is brought back again to Pilate, who again declares him innocent, and endeavours to persuade the people to ask for his release. Pilate three times endeavours again to re- lease Christ. The Jews imprecate the punishment of Christ's Death upon themselves. Pilate releases Barabbas, and delivers Christ to be crucified. Christ is led away from the Judgment- hall of Pilate to Mount Calvary. Christ arrives at Mount Calvary, and is crucified. Christ prays for his Murderers. The Soldiers divide and cast Lots for the Raiment of Christ. Christ is reviled, when on the Cross, by the Chief Priests, the Rulers, the Sol- diers, the Passengers, and the Malefac- tors. Christ, when dying as a Man, asserts his Divinity, in his Answer to the Penitent Thief. Christ commends his Mother to the Care of John. The Death of Christ, and its attendant Circumstances. SCRIPTURE. 66, to . 3-10. 2, and Matt. xxvi. 69, 70. Mark xiv. 66-68. Luke xxii. 56, 57. John xviii. 17, 18, 25-27. Matt. xxvi. 71 , 72. Mark xiv. 69, part of 70. Luke xxii. 58. Matt. xxvi. 73, to the end. Mark xiv. part of 70, to end. Luke xxii. 59-61. Matt, xxvii. 1. Mark xv. part of ver. 1. Luke xxii. the end. Matt, xxvii Matt, xxvii. 11-14. Mark xv. 1-5. Luke xxiii. 1-4. John xviii. 28-38. Luke xxiii. 5-12. Matt, xxvii. 15-20. Mark XV. 6-11. Luke xxiii. 13-19. John xviii. 39. Matt, xxvii. 21-23. Mark xv. 12-14. Luke xxiii. 20-23. John xviii. 40. Matt, xxvii. 24, 25. Matt, xxvii. 26-30. Mark xv. 15-19. Luke xxiii. 24,25. John xix. 1-16. Matt, xxvii. 31,32. Mark xv. 20,21. Luke xxiii. 26-32. John xix. part of V. 16, and v. 17. Matt, xxvii. 33, 34, 37, 38. Mark xv. 22, 23, 26, 27, 28. Luke xxiii. 33-38. John xix. 18-22. Luke xxiii. part of ver. 34. Matt, xxvii. 35, 36. Mark xv. 24, 25. Luke xxiii. part of ver. 34. John xix. 23, 24. Matt, xxvii. 39-44. Mark xv. 29-32. Luke xxiii. 35-37. Luke xxiii. 39-43, John xix. 25-27. Matt, xxvii. 45-51, 54-56. Mark xv. 33-41. Luke xxiii. 44-49. John xix. 28-37. PLACE. Jerusalem. 29 On the way to Calvary. Mount Cal- vary. Julian Period. Page. 4742 179 180 180 181 181 181 182 183 183 184 184 185 186 186 186 187 187 187 187 INDEX THE FIRST. *433 PART VIII. From the Death of Christ till his Ascension into Heaven. SECTION. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. CONTENTS. Joseph of Arimathaja and Nicodemus bury the Body of Christ. Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, and the Women from Gahlee, observe where the Body of Christ was laid. The Women from Gahlee hasten to re- turn Home before the Sabbath began, to prepare Spices. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary continue to sit opposite the Sepulchre till it is too late to prepare their Spices. The Sabbath being ended, the Chief Priests prepare a Guard of Soldiers to watch the Sepulchre. The Sabbath being over, Mary Magda- lene, the other Mary, and Salome, pur- chase their Spices to anoint the Body of Christ. The Morning of Easter-day — Mary Mag- dalene, the other Mary, and Salome, leave their Homes very early to go to the Sepulchre. After they had left their Homes, and before their arrival at the Sepulchre, Christ rises from the Dead. The Bodies of many come out of their Graves, and go to Jerusalem. Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, and Salome, arrive at the Sepulchre, and find the Stone rolled away. Mary Magdalene leaves the other Mary and Salome to tell Peter. Saloni6 and the other Mary, during the absence of Mary Magdalene, enter the Porch of the Sepulchre, and see one Angel, who commands them to inform the Disciples that Jesus was risen. Salome and the other Mary leave the Sepulchre. Peter and John, as soon as they hear the Report of Mary Magdalene, hasten to the Sepulchre, which they inspect, and immediately depart. Mary Magdalene, having followed Peter and John, remains at the Sepulchre after their departure. Mary Magdalene looks into the Tomb, and sees two Angels. Christ first appears to Mary Magdalene, and commands her to inform the Disci- ples that he has risen. Mary Magdalene, when going to inform the Disciples that Christ had risen, meets again with Salome and the other Mary — Christ appears to the three Women The Soldiers, who had fled from the Sep- ulchre, report to the High Priests the Resurrection of Christ. The second Party of Women, from Gali- lee, who had bought their Spices on the Evening previous to the Sabbath, having had a longer Way to come to the Sepulchre, arrive after the Departure of the others, and find the Stone rolled away. SCRIPTURE. Matt, xxvii. 57-60. Mark xv. 42-46. Luke xxiii. 50-54. John xix. 38, to the end. Mark xv. 47. Luke xxiii. 55. Luke xxiii. 56. Matt, xxvii. 61. Matt, xxvii. 62, to the end. Mark xvi. 1. Matt, xxviii. 1. Mark xvi. part of vcr. 2. John xx.pt.ofv. 1. Matt, xxviii. 2-4. Matt, xxvii. part of V. 52, and v. 53. Mark xvi part of V. 2. and v. 3, 4. John xx.pt. ofv.l. John XX. 2. Matt, xxviii. 5-7. Mark xvi. 5-7. Matt, xxviii. 8. Mark xvi. 8. John XX. 3-10. John XX. part of ver. 11. John XX. pt. ». 11, 12, 13, 4/- pt. 14. Mark xvi. 9. John XX. part of V. 14, and 15-17. Matt, xxviii. 9, 10. John XX. 18. Matt, xxviii. 11-15. Luke xxiv. 1-3. PLACE. V. JE. 29 Julian Period 4742 • • ■ • Jerusalem. The Sepul- chre. Jerusalem. Sepulchre. Jerusalem. Sepulchre. Jerusalem. Sepulchre. Jerusalem. Sepulchre. •• — Jerusalem. Sepulchre. • > Page. 189 190 190 190 190 190 190 191 191 191 191 191 192 192 192 192 192 193 193 193 VOL. II. *55 •^KK 434* INDEX THE FIRSr. SECTION. XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. XXVII. XXVIII. XXIX. XXX. XXXI. XXXII. XXXIII. XXXIV. CONTENTS. XXXV. Two Angels appear also to the Second Party of Women, from Galilee, assuring them that Christ was risen, and remind- ing them of his foretelling this Fact. Mary Magdalene unites her Testimony to that of the Galilean Women. The Apostles are still incredulous. Peter goes again to the Sepulchre. Peter, who had probably seen Christ, de- parts from the Sepulchre. Christ appears to Cleopas, and another Disciple, going to Emmails. Cleopas and his Companion return to Jerusalem, and assure the Apostles that Christ had certainly risen, Christ appears to the assembled Apostles, Thomas only being absent, convinces them of the Identity of his resurrec- tion Body, and blesses them. Thomas is still incredulous. Christ appears to the Eleven, Thomas being present. Christ appears to a large Number of his Disciples on a Mountain in Galilee. Christ appears again at the Sea of Tibe- rias — His Conversation with St. Peter. Christ appears to his Apostles at Jerusa- lem, and commissions them to convert the World. Christ loads out his Apostles to Bethany, within Sight of Jerusalem, gives them their final commission, blesses them, and ascends visibly into Heaven ; from whence he will come to judge the Living and the Dead. St. John's Conclusion to the Gospel His- tory of Jesus Christ. SCRIPTURE. Luke xxiv. 4-9. Mark xvi. 10. Luke xxiv. 10. Mark xvi. 11. Luke xxiv. 11. Luke xxiv. j)t. 12. Luke xxiv. pt. 12. Mark xvi. 12. Luke xxiv. 13-32. Mark xvi. 13. Luke xxiv. 33-35. Luke xxiv. 36-43. John XX. 19-23. John XX. 24, 25. Mark xvi. 14. John XX. 26-29. Matt, xxviii. 16,17, and part of 18. John xxi. 1-24. Luke xxiv. 44-49. Acts i. 4, 5. Matt, xxviii. part of 18-20. Mark xvi. 15, end. Luke xxiv. 50, end. Acts i. 6-12. John XX. 30-31, and xxi. 25. PLACE. V. M. 29 Julian Period 4742 Sepulchre. Jerusalem. Sepulchre. Jerusalem. On the way to Emmails. Jerusalem. • • A mountain in Galilee. Sea of Tibe- rias. Jerusalem. Bethany. •• • ■ • ■ • • • • Page. 193 193 194 194 194 194 195 195 195 196 196 196 197 197 198 PART IX, From the Ascension of Christ to the Termination of the Period in which the Gospel ivas preached to Proselytes of Righteousness, and to the Jews only. I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. After the Ascension of Christ the Apos- tles return to Jerusalem. Matthias by lot appointed to the Apostle- ship in the place of Judas. Descent of the Holy Spirit on tlie Day of Pentecost. Address of St. Peter to the Multitude. Effects of St. Peter's Address. Union of the first Converts in the primi- tive Church. A Cripple is miraculously and publicly healed by St. Peter and St. John. St. Peter again addresses the People. St. Peter and St. John are imprisoned by Order of the Sanhedrin. St. Peter's Address to the assembled Sanhedrin. The Prayer of the Church on the liberation of St. Peter and St. John. The Union and Munificence of the prim- itive Church. Deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. State of the Church at this time. An Angel delivers the A])ostles from Pri- son. The Sanhedrin again assemble — St. Pe- ter asserts before them the Messiah- ship of Christ. Acts i. 1-3, and rcr. 12-14. Acts i. 15, to the end. Acts ii. 1-13. Acts ii. 14-36. Acts ii. 37-42. Acts ii. 43, to end. Acts iii. 1-10. the Acts iii. 11, to end. Acts iv. 1-7. Acts iv. 8-22. Acts iv. 23-31. Acts iv. 32, to the end. Acts v. 1-10. Acts V. 11-16. Acts V. \"-^lQ,part ofver. 2L Acts V. part of 21, Jerusalem. 29 4742 30 4743 31 4744 32 4745 204 204 205 205 206 206 207 207 208 208 209 209 209 210 210 210 INDEX THE FIRST. *435 SECTION. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. XXVII. XXVIIl. XXIX. XXX. XXXI. XXXII. XXXIII. XXXIV. XXXV. CONTENTS. By the Advice of Gamaliel the Apostles are dismissed. The Appointment of the seven Deacons. The Church continues to increase in number. St. Stephen, having boldly asserted the Messiahship of Clirist, is accused of Blasphemy before tlie Sanhedrin. St. Stephen defends himself before the Sanhedrin. Stephen, being interrupted in his Defence, reproaches the Sanhedrin as the Mur- derers of their Messiah. Stephen, praying for his Murderers, is stoned to Death. General Persecution of the Christians, in which Saul (afterwards St. Paul) par- ticularly distinguishes himself. Philip the Deacon, having left Jerusalem on account of the Persecution, goes to Samaria, and preaches there, and works Miracles. St. Peter and St. John come down from Jerusalem to Samaria, to confer the Gifts of the Holy Ghost on the new Converts. St. Peter reproves Simon Magus. St. Peter and St. John preach in many Villages of the Samaritans. The Treasurer of Queen Candace, a Pro- selyte of Righteousness, is converted and baptized by Philip, who now preaclies through the Cities of Judaea. Many of the Converts, who had fled from Jerusalem in consequence of the Per- secution there, preach the Gospel to the Jews in the Provinces. Saul, on his way to Damascus, is con- verted to the Religion he was oppos- ing, on hearing the Bath Col, and seeing the Shechinah. Saul is baptized. Saul preaches in the Synagogues to the Jews. St. Peter, having preached through Judsea, conies to Lydda, where he cures .^neas, and raises Dorcas from the dead. The Churches are at rest from Persecu- tion, in consequence of the Conversion of Saul, and the Conduct of Caligula. SCRIPTURE. PLACE. Acts V. 34, to the Jerusalem. end. Acts vi. 1-6. Acts vi. 7. Acts vi. 8-14. Acts vi. 15, and vii. 1-50. Acts vii. 51-53. Acts vii. 54, to the end, and viii. part of ver. 1. and ver. 2. Acts viii. part of ver. 1, and ver. d. Acts viii. 5-13. Acts viii. 14-17. Acts viii. 18-24. Acts viii. 25. Acts viii. 26, to the end. Acts viii. 4. Acts ix. 1-9. Acts ix. 10-19. Actsix. 19-30. Acts ix. 32, to the end. Acts ix. 31. Samaria. Gaza. Provinces of Judaea, &c Near Da- mascus. Damascus. Palestine. 32 34 35 Julian Period 4745 4746 4746 or 4747 4747 4748 4751 to 4753 Page. 211 211 212 212 212 214 214 215 215 215 215 216 216 216 217 217 217 218 218 PART X. The Gospel having note been preached to the Jeics in Jerusalem, Judcca, Samaria, and the Provinces, the time arrives for the Conversion of the devout Gentiles, or Prose- lytes of the Gate. I. II. III. IV. V. St. Peter sees a Vision, in which he is commanded to visit a Gentile who had been miraculously instructed to send for him. St. Peter visits Cornelius, a Roman Cen- turion. St. Peter first declares Christ to be the Saviour of all, even of the Gentiles who believe in him. Cornelius and his Friends receive the Holy Ghost, and are baptized. St. Peter defends his Conduct in visiting and baptizing Cornelius. Acts X. 1-16. Caesarea and Joppa. 40 4753 219 Acts X. 17-33. Caesarea. .... 219 Acts X. 34-43. Acts X. Ai,to the end. Acts xi. 1-18. ooo 990 Jerusalem. •• 221 436* INDEX THE FIRST. SECTION. CONTENTS. SCRIPTURE. PLACE. V. 41 Julian Period 4754 Page. 221 VI. The Converts who had been dispersed Acts xi. 19-21. Judaea and by the Persecution after the Death of the Prov- Stephen, having heard of the Vision inces. of St. Peter, preach to the devout Gentiles also VII. The Church at Jerusalem commissions Acts xi. 22-24. Jerusalem .... 222 Barnabas to make Inquiries into this Matter. and Anti- och. VIII. Barnabas goes to Tarsus for Saul, vt^hom he takes with him to Antioch, where the Converts were preacliing to the devout Gentiles. Acts xi. 25, 26. Tarsus. 42 4755 222 IX. Herod Agrippa condemns James, the Brother of John, to death, and im- prisons Peter, who is miraculously re- leased, and presents himself to the other James, who had been made Bishop of Jerusalem. Acts xii. 1-18, and part of ver. 19. Jerusalem. 43 4756 222 X. The Converts at Antioch, being fore- warned by Agabus, send relief to their Brethren at Jerusalem, by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. Acts xi. 27, to the end. Antioch. 44 4757 223 XI. The Death of Herod Agrippa. Acts xii. part ver. 19, and 20-23. Cassarea. 223 XII. The Churches continue to increase. Acts xii. 24. Palestine. • • .... 223 XIII. Saul having seen a Vision in the Temple, in which he is commanded to leave Je- rusalem, and to preach to the Gentiles, Acts xii. 25. Antioch. 45 4758 223 returns with Barnabas to Antioch. PART XL Period for preaching the Gospel to the idolatrous Gentiles, and St. Paul's First \ Apostolical Journey. I. The Apostles having been absent from Jerusalem when Saul saw his Vision in the Temple, he and Barnabas are separated to the apostolic Office by the Heads of the Church at Antioch. Acts xiii. 1-3. Antioch. 45 4758 224 II. Saul, in company with Barnabas, com- mences his first apostolical Journey, by going from Antioch to Seleucia. Acts xiii. part of ver. 4. Seleucia. • • • • • • 224 III. From Seleucia Saul and Barnabas proceed to Salamis, and Paphos, in Cyprus, where Sergius Paulus is converted ; be- ing the first known or recorded Convert Acts xiii. part of ver. 4-12. Salamis and Paphos. 224 of the idolatrous Gentiles. IV. From Cyprus to Perga, in Pamphylia. Acts xiii. 13. Perga. • • • * • • 224 \ V. From Perga to Antioch in Pisidia — St. Paul, according to his custom, first preaches to the Jews — they are driven out of Antioch. Acts xiii. 14-50. Antioch in Pisidia. 46 4759 225 VI. 1 From Antioch in Pisidia, to Iconium, in Lycaonia — the People about to stone them. Acts xiii. 51, 52, and xiv. 1-5, and part of ver. 0. Iconium. " • • • • • 226 VII. From Iconium to Lystra — The People attempt to offer them Sacrifice, and afterwards stone them. Acts xiv. S-\d,and part ver. 20. Lystra. • • • • • • 226 VIII. From Lystra to Derbe. Acts xiv. last part ver. 20, part ver. 47 4760 227 i 0, and ver. 7. : IX. St. Paul and Barnabas return to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Pisidia, or- daining in all the Churches. Acts xiv. 21-23. Lystra, Ico- nium, An- tioch. • • .... 227 X. They proceed through Pisidia, Perga, and Attalia in Pamphylia. Acts xiv. 24, 25. Pisidia, Per- ga, Attalia. 48 4761 227 1 XI. They return to Antioch, and submit an Account of their Proceedings to the Church in that Place. Acts xiv. 26, to the end. Antioch. ■ " • • . • 227 XII. Dissensions at Antioch concerning Cir- cumcision, before the commencement Acts XV. 1, 2. 49 4762 228 of St. Paul's second apostolical Journey. INDEX THE FIRST. *437 SECTION. XIII. XIV. CONTENTS. St. Paul and Barnabas go up to Jerusa- lem to consult the Apostles and El- ders on the Dispute concerning Cir- cumcision — Decree of James and of the Church therein. St. Paul and Barnabas return to the Church at Antioch, with the Decree of the Church at Jerusalem on the Sub- ject of the Necessity of Circumcision. SCRIPTURE. Acts XV. 3-29. Acts XV. 30-35. PLACE. Jerusalem. Antioch. V. Julian Period 49 4762 •• Page. 228 229 PART XII. St. Paul's Second Apostolical Journey. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X, XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII XVIII After remaining some time at Antioch, St. Paul proposes to Barnabas to commence another Visitation of the Churches. St. Paul, separating from Barnabas, proceeds from Antioch to Syria and Cilicia. St. Paul proceeds to Derbe, and Lystra in Iconium — Timothy his Attendant. They proceed from Iconium to Phrygia and Galatia. From Galatia to Mysia and Troas. From Troas to Samothracia. From Samothracia to Neapolis. From Neapolis to Philippi, where the Py- thoness is dispossessed, and the Jailor converted. From Philippi, through Amphipolis and Apollonia, to Thessalonica, where they are opposed by the Jews. St. Paul writes his Epistle to the Gala- tians, to prove, in opposition to the Ju- daizing Teachers, that Faith in Christ, and not their imperfect Obedience to the ceremonial Law, was the Cause of their Salvation. From Thessalonica to Berea — The Causes for which the Bereans are fa- vorably disposed to receive the Gospel. From Berea, having left there Silas and Timothy, St. Paul proceeds to Athens, where he preaches to the Philosophers and Students. From Athens St. Paul proceeds to Cor- inth, where he is reduced to labor for his Support — Silas and Timothy join him there. St. Paul, writes his First Epistle to the Thessalonians, to establish them in the Faith, (when they were exposed to the Attacks of the unconverted Jews.) by enforcing the Evidences of Christianity. St. Paul, being rejected by the Jews, con- tinues at Corinth, preaching to tlie Gentiles. St. Paul writes his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, to refute an Error into which they had fallen concerning the sudden coming of the Day of Judg- ment — He prophesies the Rise, Pros- perity, and Overthrow of a great Apostacy in the Christian Church. St. Paul, still at Corinth, is brought be- fore the Judgment-seat of Gallio, the Proconsul, the Brother of Seneca. St. Paul, having left Corinth for Crete, is compelled on his Return to winter at Nicopolis, from whence he writes his Epistle to Titus, whom he had left in Crete, with Power to ordain Teachers, and to govern the Church in that Island. Acts XV. 36. Acts XV. 37, to the end, and xvi. 4, 5. Acts xvi. 1-3. Acts xvi. G. Acts xvi. 7-10. Acts xvi. pt. of 11. Acts xvi. pt. of li- Acts xvi. 12, to the end. Acts xvii. 1-9. Epistle to the Galatians. Acts -xvii. 10-14. Acts xvii. 15, to the end. Acts xviii. 1-5. First Epistle to the Thessa- lonians. Acts xviii. 6-11. Second Epistle TO THE Thessa- lonians. Acts xviii. 12-17, and part of ver. 18. Epistle to Titus. Antioch. Syria and Cilicia. Derbe and Lystra. Phrygia and Galatia. Mysia,Troas Samothrace. Neapolis. Philippi. Thessalo- nica. 50 51 4763 • • • a ■ • • • 4764 Berea. Athens. Corinth. • • 52 4765 ■ Crete, Nicopolis. 53 4766 229 230 230 230 230 230 230 231 232 232 238 238 239 239 243 243 246 246 *KK* 438* INDEX THE FIRST. SECTION. CONTENTS. SCRIPTURE. PLACE. V. 54 Julian Period. 4767 Page. 248 XIX. St. Paul proceeds to Cenchrea. Acts xviii. part of ver. 18. Acts xviii. 19. Cenchrea. XX. From Cenchrea to Ephesus, where he Ephesus. .. 248 disputes with the Jews. XXI. From Ephesus St. Paul proceeds to Ctes- area, and having saluted the Church at Jerusalem, completes his Second Apostolical Journey, by returning to Antioch in Syria. Acts xviii. 20-22. Csesarea, Jerusalem, Antioch in Syria. 248 PART XIII. The Third Apostolical Journey of St. Paul. I. St. Paul again leaves Antioch, to visit the Churches of Galatia and Phrygia. Acts xviii. 23. Galatia and Phrygia. 55 4768 249 II. History of Apollos, who was now preach- ing to the Church at Ephesus, planted by St. Paul. St. Paul proceeds from Phrygia to Ephe- sus, and disputes there with the Jews. Acts xviii. 24, to tlie end. Ephesus. • • • • 249 III. Acts xix. 1-10. 249 IV. St. Paul continues two Years at Ephesus — the People burn their magical Books. Acts xix. 11-20. 56 4769 250 V. St. Paul sends Timothy and Erastus to Macedonia and Achaia. Acts xix. 21, part of ver. 22. 250 VI. St. Paul writes his First Epistle to the Co- rinthians, to assert his apostolic author- First Epistle to THE Corinth- 56 4769 or 250 ity, to reprove the Irregularities and ians. proba- Disorders of the Church, and to answer bly the Questions of the Converts on vari- 57 4770 ous points of Doctrine and Discipline. VII. St. Paul continues at Ephesus — a Mob is occasioned at that Place by Demetrius. Acts xix. part of ver. 22, to end. 268 VIII. St. Paul leaves Ephesus and goes to Ma- cedonia. Acts XX. 1. Macedonia. •• 269 IX. St. Paul writes his First Epistle to Timo- thy, to direct him how to proceed in First Epistle to TiSlOTHY. 57 or 4770 Of 269 the Suppression of those false Doc- 58 4771 trines and Corruptions which the Jew- ish Zealots were endeavouring to estab- lish in the Church of Ephesus, over which he was appointed to preside. X. St. Paul proceeds from Macedonia to Greece, or Achaia, and continues there three Months, Acts XX. 2, and part of ver. 3. Macedonia, Achaia. " ■ • • • • 275 XI. St. Paul, having been informed of the re- ception his First Epistle had met with from the Corinthians, writes his Second Epistle from Philippi, to justify his apostolic Conduct, and vindicate his Authority, both of which had been impugned by a false Teacher. Second Epistle to the Corin- thians. Philippi 58 4771 275 XII. St. Paul returns from Achaia and Corinth to Macedonia, sending his Companions forward to Troas. Acts XX. part ver. 3, ver. 4, 5. Macedonia. .... 289 XIII. St. Paul, in his way from Achaia to Ma- cedonia, writes from Corinth his Epis- tle to the Gentiles and Jews of Rome — to the Gentiles, to prove to them that neither their boasted Philosophy, nor their moral Virtue, nor the Light of human Reason — and to the Jews, that neither their Knowledge of, nor Obe- dience to, the Law of Moses, could justify them before God ; but that Faith in Clirist alone was, and ever had been, the only way of Salvation to all Mankind. Epistle to the Romans. Corinth. 289 XiV. From Macedonia St. Paul proceeds to Troas, where he raises Eutychus to life. Acts XX. 6-12. Troas. .... 314 XV. From Troas to Asso^ and Mitylene. Acts XX. 13, 14. Assos and Mitylene. •• 315 INDEX THE FIRST. *439 SECTION. CONTENTS. SCRIPTURE. PLACE. v. 58 Julian Period Page. 315 XVI. From Mitylene to Chios. Acts XX. j)t. of 15. Chios. 4771 XVII. From Chios to Sanios, and Trogjlhum. Acts XX. j)t. of 15. Samos and Trogyllium. •• 315 XVIII. From Trogyllium to Miletus, where St. Paul meets, and takes his Farewell of, the Elders of the Church at Ephesus. Acts XX. part of 15, to end. « Miletus. .... 315 XIX. From Miletus, to Coos and Rliodes and Patara ; whence St. Paul, together with St. Luke, the writer of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, sails in a Phoenician Vessel to Syria, and lands in Tyre. Acts xxi. 1-3. Coos, Rhodes, Patara, Tyre. 316 XX. St. Paul and St. Luke continue at Tyre seven Days. Acts xxi. 4-6. Tyre. •• .... 316 XXI. They proceed from Tyre to Ptolemais. Acts xxi. 7. Ptolemais. ^ ^ ■ ■ . ■ 316 XXII. From Ptolemais to Cffisarea, to the House of Philip the Evangelist — Agabus pro- phesies the near Imprisonment of St. Paul. Acts xxi. 8-14. Cassarea. 316 XXIII. St. Paul and St. Luke arrive at Jerusa- lem, and present themselves to St. James and the Church. Acts xxi. 15-2(3. Jerusalem. .... 317 XXIV. St. Paul is apprehended by the chief Captain of the Temple, in conse- Acts xxi. 27-36. 317 quence of a Mob, occasioned by some of the Asiatic Jews, who met St. Paul in the Temple. XXV. St. Paul makes his Defence before the Populace. Acts xxi. 37, to end, and xxii. 1-21. 318 XXVI. On declaring his Mission to preach to the Gentiles, the Jews clamor for his Acts xxii. 22. 319 Death. XXVII. St. Paul claims the Privilege of a Roman Citizen. Acts xxii. 23-29. •• 310 XXVIII. St. Paul is brought before the Sanhedrin, who are summoned by the Captain of Acts xxii. 30, and xxiii. 1-10. 319 the Temple. XXIX. St. Paul is encouraged by a Vision to persevere. Acts xxiii. 11. 320 XXX. In consequence of the Discovery of a Conspiracy to kill St. Paul, he is re- moved by Night from Jerusalem, through Antipatris to Cfesarea. Acts xxiii. 12, to the end. Antipatris — Ccesarea. 320 XXXI. St. Paul is accused of Sedition before Felix, the Governor of Judaea — his De- fence. Acts xxiv. 1-21. CsBsarea. .... 321 XXXII. After many Conferences with Felix, St. Paul is continued in Prison till the ar- Acts xxiv. 22, to the end. 322 rival of Porcius Festus. XXXIII. Trial of St. Paul before Festus— He ap- peals to the Emperor. Acts XXV. 1-12. 60 4773 322 XXXIV. Curious Account given to Agrippa by Festus, of the Accusation against St. Paul. Acts XXV. 13-22. .... 323 XXXV. St. Paul defends his Cause before Festus and Agrippa — their Conduct on that Acts XXV. 23, to end, and xxvi. 323 Occasion. XXXVI. St. Paul, being surrendered as a Prisoner to the Centurion, is prevented from Acts xxvii. 1. 325 completing this Journey, by returning to Antioch, as he had usually done. PART XIV. The Fourth Journey of St. Paul. I. St. Paul commences his Voyage to Rome as a Prisoner. Acts xxvii. 2. On the voy- age to Rome. 60 4773 325 11. The Ship arrives at Sidon, from whence it proceeds to Cyprus. Acts xxvii. 3, 4. Sidon and Cyprus. . • 325 III. After changing their Ship at Trye. they proceed to Cnldus, Salmone in Crete, Acts xxvii. 5-8. Cnidus, Sal- ^ , • • • ■ 325 mone, La- and the City of Lasea. sea. 440* INDEX THE FIRST. SECTION. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XL xn. XIII. XIV, XV. CONTENTS. St. Paul warns the Master of the Ship of the Danger they were in — They at- tempt to reach Phenice in Crete. The Ship is wrecked, but the Lives of all on board are.^aved, as St. Paul had foretold. They land on the Island of Melita. After three Months they sail to Rome. St. Paul arrives at Rome, and is kindly received by the Brethren. St. Paul summons the Jews at Rome, to explain to them the Causes of his Im- prisonment. St. Paul writes his Epistle to the Ephe- sians, to establish them in the Christian Faith, by describing, in the most ani- mating Language, the Mercy of God displayed in the Calling of the Gentiles through Faith in Christ, without being subjected to the Law of Moses, and to enforce upon them that Holiness and Consistency of Conduct, which is re- quired of all who have received the Knowledge of Salvation. St. Paul writes his Epistle to the Philip- pians, to comfort them under the Con- cern they had expressed on the Sub- ject of his Imprisonment — to exhort them to continue in union and mu- tual love, and to caution them against the Seductions of false Teachers, who had begun to introduce themselves among them. St. Paul writes his Epistle to the Colos- sians, in reply to the Message of Epa- phras, to prove that the Hope of Man's Salvation is founded on the Atonement of Christ alone ; and, by the Establishment of opposite Truths, to eradicate the Errors of the Ju- daizers, who not only preached the Mosaic Law, but also the Opinions of the Heathen, Oriental, or Essenian Pliilosophers, concerning the Worship of Angels, on account of their suppos- ed Agency in human Affairs and the necessity of abstaining from animal Food. St. Paul writes his Epistle to his Friend Philemon, to intercede with him in favor of his Slave Onesimus, who had fled from the Service of his Master to Rome ; in which City he had been converted to Christianity by Means of the Apostle's Ministry. St. James writes his Epistle to the Jew- ish Christians in general, to caution them against the prevalent Evils of the Day — to rectify the Errors into which many had fallen, by misinterpreting St. Paul's Doctrine of Justification, and to enforce various Duties. St. Paul remains at Rome for two years, during which time the Jews do not dare to prosecute him before the Emperor. SCRIPTURE. Acts xxvii. 9-13. Acts xxvii. 14, to the end. Acts xxviii. 1-10. Acts xxviii. 11, to part of ver. 14. Acts xxviii. part of V. 14 to 16. Acts xxviii. 17-29. The Epistle to THE EpHESIANS. The Epistle to THE Philippi- ANS. The Epistle to the colossians. The Epistle to Philemon. The GENERAL Epistle of St. James. Acta xxviii. 30, 31. place. On the voy- age to Rome. Melita. Voyage to Rome. Rome. Jerusalem. Rome. 60 61 62 Julian Period 4773 4774 4775 Page. 325 326 327 327 327 328 328 338 345 351 352 359 INDEX THE FIRST. #441 PART XV. From the Commencement of the Fifth and last Journey of St. Paul to the Comple- tion of the Canon of the whole Scriptures — With a brief Survey of the History of the Christian Church to the present Time. SECTION. CONTENTS. SCRIPTURE. PLACE. Vulj. JExa.. 62 Julian Period Page. 360 I. St. Paul, while waiting in Italy for Tim- The Epistle Italy. 4775 othy, writes the Key to the Old TOTHE He- or or Testament — the Epistle to the He- brews. 63 477G brews — to prove to the Jews, from their own Scriptures, the Humanity, Divinity, Atonement, and Interces- sion of Christ — the Superiority of the Gospel to the Law — and tlie real Ob- ject and Design of the Mosaic Institu- tion. II. After his Liberation, St. Paul visits Italy, Spain, Britain, and the West. Italy, Spain, Britain. 63-4 4776-7 381 III. He then proceeds to Jerusalem. Jerusalem. , , • • • • 384 IV. From Jerusalem to Antioch in Syria. Antioch. 65 4778 384 V. From Antioch to Colosse. Colosse. 384 VI. From Colosse to Philippi. Philippi. 384 VII. From Philippi to Corinth. Corinth. .... 385 VIII. From Corinth to Troas. Troas. 385 IX. From Troas to Miletum. Miletum. .... 385 X. From Miletum to Rome. Rome. 385 XI. St. Paul is imprisoned at Ronie in the general Persecution by Nero. 386 XII. St. Paul, in the Anticipation of the near The Secoud Italy. 65 4778 386 approach of Death, writes liis Second Epistle TO or or Epistle to Timothy, exliorting him, as Timothy. 66 4779 his last request, to the faithful Dis- charge of his Duty, in all times of Apostacy, Persecution, and Dissen- XIII. sion. St. Peter writes his first Epistle to the Jews, who, in the time of Persecu- tion, had taken Refuge in the hea- then Countries mentioned in the In- scription, and also to the Gentile Con- verts, to encourage them to suffer cheerfully for their Religion ; and to enforce upon them the Necessity of leading a holy and blameless Life, that they may put to shame the Cal- umnies of their Adversaries. The First Epistle GENERAL OF St. Pe- ter. Rome. • • 391 XIV. St. Peter, under the Impression of ap- proaching Martyrdom, writes to the Jewish and Gentile Christians, dis- persed in the Countries of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, «fcc., to confirm the Doctrines and Instructions of his former Letter, to caution them against the Errors of the false Teachers, by reminding them of the Judgments of God on Apostates, and to encourage them under Persecution, by the Con- sideration of the happy Deliverance of those who trusted in him, and the final Dissolution both of this World and of the Jewish Dispensation. The Second Epistle GENERAL OF St. Pe- ter. Italy, or Rome. 66 4779 398 XV. Jude writes his Epistle to caution the Christian Church against the danger- ous Tenets of the false Teachers, who had now appeared, subverting the Doctrine of Grace to the Encourage- ment of Licentiousness ; and to ex- hort them to a steadfast Adherence to the Faith and Holiness. The gener- al Epistle OF Jude. Probably Syria. 403 XVI. Martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul. Rome. .... 405 XVII. Destruction of Jerusalem. Jerusalem. 70 4783 406 VOL. II. # 56 442* INDEX THE FIRST. SECTION. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. CONTENTS. St. John writes the Apocalypse to supply the place of a continued Succession of Prophets in the Christian Church, till the second coming of Christ to judge the World. St. John writes his First Epistle to con- fute the Errors of the false Teachers, and their different Sects — against the Docetas, who denied the Humanity of Christ, asserting that his Body and Sufferings were not real, but imagi- nary — against the Cerinthians and Ebionites, who contended that he was a mere Man, and that his Divinity was only adventitious, and therefore separated from him at his Passion — and against the Nicolaitanes, or Gnos- tics, who taught that the Knowledge of God and Christ was sufficient for Salvation ; that being justified by Faith, and freed from the Restraints of the Law, they might indulge in Sin with Impunitj' — He cautions Christians from being seduced by these Doctrines and Practices, by condemning them in the strongest Terms — He contrasts them with the Truths and Doctrines of the Gospel, in which they had been instructed, and in which they are exhorted to continue. St. John writes his Second Epistle to caution a Christian Mother and her Children against the Seductions and pernicious Errors of the false Teachers, supposed to be a sect of the Gnostics. St. John writes his Third Epistle to Gaius, to praise him for his steadfast faith and kindness to some Christian Brethren and strangers, and to recommend them again to his protection and benevo- lence — to rebuke and to caution him against the presumptuous arrogance of Diotrephes, who had denied his author- ity, and disobeyed his injunctions, and to recommend Demetrius to his atten- tion, and the imitation of the church. St. John sanctions the Books of the New Testament, and completes the Canon of Scripture, by writing his Gospel, at the Request of the Church at Ephesus. Brief View of the Condition of the Jews, the Stations of the Sanhedrin, and its Labors before the final and total Dispersion of the Nation ; with an Outline of the History of the visible Church, from the closing of the Canon of Scripture to the present Day; and the Prospects of the permanent Hap- piness of Mankind, in the present and future World. SCRIPTURE. The Book of Revelation. The First Epis- tle OF John. The Second Epistle of John. The Third Epistle of John. PLACE. Patmos. Ephesus. V. 96 Julian Period 4799 Page. 407 429 437 438 439 443 *443 INDEX THE SECOND ON THE PLAN RECOMMENDED BY TORSHEL* SHOWING IN WHAT PART OF THE ARRANGEMENT ANY CHAPTER OR VERSE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT MAY BE FOUND. SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. MATTHEW. Part. Section. Page. 51 MATTHEW. Part. Section. Page. i. 1. I. IX. xiv. 15-21. IV. IV. 101 2-17. • • IX. 52 22, 23. V. 102 )8, to end. , , VII. 51 24-33. VI. 103 ii. 1-12. , , XIII. 54 34-36. VII. 103 13-15. , , XIV. 54 XV. 1-20. IX. 105 16-18. • a XV. 54 21-28. X. 107 19, to end. ■ • XVI. 55 29-31. XI. 108 iii. 1-12. ^ ^ XVIII. 55 32, to end. XII. 108 13, to end. , , XIX. 57 xvi. 1-12. XIII. 109 iv. 1-11. , , XX. 57 13-20. XV. 110 12-17. III. I. 63 21, to end. XVI. 110 18-22. , , VI. 66 xvii. 1-13. XVII. 111 23-25. ■ • IX. 68 14-21. XVIII. 113 V. vi. vii. , , XIX. 75 22, 23. XIX. 114 viii. 1. • • XIX. 80 24, to end. XX. 114 2-4. ^ , X. 69 xviii. XXI. 115 5-13. • • XX. 80 xix. 1, 2. n. 117 14, 15. , , VIII. 67 3-12. XXX. 134 16, 17. , , IX. 68 13-15. XXXI. 134 18-27. .. XXXV. 91 16-29. XXXIX. 138 28, to end. , , XXXVI. 92 30. XL. 139 ix. 1. , , xxxvni. 94 XX. 1-16. XL. 139 2-8. • • XI. 69 17-19. XLII. 140 9. , ^ XII. 70 20-28. XLIII. 141 10-17. XXXVII. 93 29. to end. XLIV. 142 18-26. , , XXXVIII. 94 xxi. 1-7. LHI. 146 27-31. ^ , XXXIX. 96 8, 9. I. 148 32-34. , , XL. 96 10-13. V III. 149 35, to end. , , XLII. 97 14-16. IV. 149 X. IV. I. 97 17. VII. 150 xi. 1. , , I. 97 ]>i. 19. VIII. 150 2-6. III. XXII. 81 20-22. XII. 151 7-15. , , XXIII. 82 23, to end. XIII. 152 16-24. , , XXIV. 82 xxii. 1-14. XIII. 152 25, to end. , , XXV. 83 15-22. XIV. 155 xii. 1-8. • • XV. 72 23-33. XV. 155 9-14. , , XVI. 73 34-40. XVI. 156 15-21. , , XVII. 74 A\, to end. XVIL 157 22-45. XXVTII. 84 xxiii. XVIII. 1.58 46, to end. .. XXIX. 86 xxiv. 1-35. XX. 160 xiii. 1-9. • • XXX. 86 36. to end. XXI. 163 10-17. XXXI. 87 XXV. 1-13. XXII. 164 18-23. , ^ XXXII. 88 14-30. XXIII. 164 24-53. XXXIV. 89 31, to end. XXIV. 165 54, to end. • • XLI. 97 xxvi. 1, 2. XXVI. 165 xiv. 1-12. IV. II. 99 3-5. xxvn. 166 13, 14. •• III. 101 6-13. V. XLII. 145 * See Introduction to the Old Testament. 444* INDEX THE SECOND. SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. MATTHEW. Part. Settion. Paire. 166 MARK. Part. Section. Page. 97 xxvi. 14-16. VI. XXVIII. vi. 7-13. IV. I. 17-19. • • XXIX. 16() 17-20. VIII. 62 20. , , XXX. 167 14-29. II. 99 21-25. • • XXXII. 168 30-34. III. 101 26-29. , , XXXIV. 170 35-44. IV. 101 30. • • XXXVI. 171 45, 46. V. 102 31-35. • • XLI. 174 47-52. VI. 103 36-46. • • XLII. 175 53, to end. VII. 103 47-56. • • XLIII. 176 vii. 1-23. IX. 105 57. VII. I. 177 24-30. X. 107 58. • ■ II. 178 31, to end. XI. 108 59-66. . , III. 178 viii. 1-10. XII. 108 67, 68. • • IV. 179 11-21. XIII. 109 69, 70. , . V. 179 22-26. XIV. 110 71, 72. • , VI. 180 27-30. XV. 110 73, to end. . . VII. 180 31, to end. XVI. 110 xxvii. 1. • • VIII. 181 ix. 1. XVI. 110 2. • • X. 181 2-13. XVII. 111 »-10. , , IX. 181 14-29. XVIII. 113 11-14. . , X. 181 30-32, par< 33. XIX. 114 15-20. XII. 183 Part 33, to end. XXI. 115 21-23. • • XIII. 183 X. 1. i II. 117 24, 25. • . XIV. 184 2-12. XXX. 134 26-30. • * XV. 184 13-16. XXXI. 134 31, 32. • • XVI. 185 17-30. XXXIX. 138 33, 34. , . XVII. 186 31. XL. 139 35, 36. • • XIX. 186 32-34. XLII. 140 37, 38. • • XVII. 186 35-45. XLIII. 141 39-44. • • XX. 187 46, to end. XLIV. 142 45-51. • • XXIII. 187 xi. 1-7. LIII. 146 Part ver. 52. • • XXIII. 188 8-10. V I. 148 Pt. ver. 52-3. VIII. IX. 191 Part of 11. III. 149 54-56. VII. XXIII. 187 Part of 11. VII. 150 57-60. VIII. I. 189 12-14. VIII. 150 61. • . IV. 190 15-17 IX. 151 62, to end. • ■ V. 190 18. X. 151 xxviii. 1. • • VII. 190 19. XI. 151 2-4. . • VIII. 191 20-26. XII. 151 5-7. • • XII. 191 27, to end. XIII. 152 8. • • XIII. 192 xii. 1-12. XIII. 152 9, 10. • • XVIII. 193 13-17. XIV. 155 11-15. • • XIX. 193 18-27. XV. 155 16.17, pM8. • • XXXI. 196 28-34. XVI. 156 PM8,<o end. ■ • XXXIV. 197 35-37. 38-40. xvn. XVIII. 157 158 MARK. 41, to end. XIX. 159 i. 1. I. 1. 47 xiii. 1-31. XX. 160 2-8. XVIII. 55 32, to end. XXI. 163 9-11. • • XIX. 57 xiv. Part of 1. XXVI. 165 12, 13. XX. 57 Part of 1,2. XXVII. 166 14, 15. III. I. 63 3-9. i LII. 145 16-20. • , VI. 66 10, 11. V j^. XXVIII. 166 21-28. VII. 67 12-16. XXIX. 166 29-31. * • VIII. 67 17. XXX. 167 32-39. . , IX. 68 18-21. XXXII. 168 40, to end. • . X. 69 22-25. XXXIV. 170 ii. 1-12. • • XI. 69 26. XXXVI. 171 13, 14. XII. 70 27-31. XLI. 174 15-22. . . XXXVII. 93 32-42. XLII. 175 23, to end. XV. 72 43-50. XLIII. 176 iii. 1-6. • . XVI. 73 51-53. V] fi. I. 177 7-12. , , XVII. 74 54. II. 178 13-18. • • XVIII. 74 55-64. III. 178 19-30. . . XXVIII. 84 65. IV. 179 31, to end XXIX. 86 66-68. V. 179 iv. 1-0. . • XXX. 86 69, part of 70. VI. 180 10-12. XXXI. 87 Pt. 70, to end. vn. 180 13-23. XXXII. 88 XV. Part of 1. VIII. 181 24, 25. . . XXXIII. 89 Part of 1-5. X. 181 26-34. . . XXXIV. 89 (Ml. XII. 183 35, to end. , . XXXV. 91 12-14. XIII. 183 V. 1-20. , , XXXVI. 92 1.5-19. XV. 184 21, to end. , , XXXVIII. 94 20, 21. XVI. 185 vi. 1-6. •• XLI. 97 22, 23. XVII. 186 INDEX THE SECOND. *44; SCRIPTURE. MARK. XV. 24, 25. 26-28. 29-32. 33-41. 42-46. 47. xvi. 1. Part of 2. Part of 2-4. 5-7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15, to end. LUKE, i. 1-4. 5-25. 26-38. 39-56. 57, to end. ii 1-7. 8-20. 21. 22-39. 40. 4\, to end. iii. 1-18. 19, 20. 21, 22, p<. 0/23, Pt. of 2-3, end. iv. 1-13. 14, 15. 16-30. 31, 32. 33-37. 38, 39. 40, to end. V. 1-11. 12-16. 17-26. 27, 28. 29, to end. vi. 1-5. 6-11. 12-19. 20, to end. vii. 1-10. 11-18. 19-23. 24-30. 31-35. 36, to end. viii. 1-3. 4-8. 9-17. 18. 19-21. 22-25. 26-39. 40, to end. ix. 1-6. 7-9. 10, 11. 12-17. 18-21. 22-27. 28-36. 37, part of 43. Part of 43-46. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. Part. Section. Page. 186 VII. XIX. • • XVII. 186 ^ ^ XX. 187 .. XXIII. 187 VIII. I. 189 , ^ II. 190 • • VI. 190 , . VII. 190 , , X. 191 • • XII. 191 • • XIII. 192 • • XVII. 192 , ^ XXII. 193 • • XXIII. 194 • • XXVI. 194 • • XXVII. 195 , , XXX. 196 • ■ XXXIV. 197 I. I. 47 , , III. 48 , , IV. 49 , ^ V. 49 , , VI 50 • • VIII. 51 • • X. 52 , ^ XI. 53 • ■ XII. 53 • • XVI. 55 , ^ XVII. 55 • • XVIII. 55 II. VIII. 62 , , XIX. 57 I. IX. 51 , , XX. 57 III. I. 63 , , IV. 65 , , V. 66 , , VII 67 , , VIII. 67 , , IX. m • • VI. 66 , , X. 69 , , XI. 69 , , XII. 70 , , XXXVII. 93 • • XV. 72 , , XVI. 73 , , XVIII. 74 , , XIX. 75 , , XX. 80 , , XXI. 81 , , XXII. 81 • • XXIII. 82 , , XXIV. 82 , , XXVI. 83 , , XXVII. 84 , , XXX. 86 , , XXXII. 88 , , XXXIII. 89 , , XXIX. m • • XXXV. 91 , , XXXVI. 92 , , XXXVIII. 94 IV. I. 97 . , II. 99 , , III. 101 . , IV. 101 XV. 110 , . XVI. no • • XVII. 111 , , XVIII. 113 XJX. 114 SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. LUKE. Part. Section. Paire. ix. 47-50. IV. XXI. 115 51, to end. V. XXXIV. 136 X. 1-16. I. 117 17-24. , , VII. 121 25-28. » a VIII. 122 29-37. • • IX. 122 38, to end. • • X. 122 xi. 1-13. XI. 123 14-36. iii. XXVIII. 84 37, to end. V. XII. 123 xu. 1-12. , , XIII. 124 13, 14. . . XIV. 124 1.5-34. , , XV. 124 35, to end. , , XVI. 12.5 xiii. 1-9. . , XVI. 125 10-17. . , XVII. 120 18-22. , , XVIII. 127 23, to end. , , XXIII. 130 xiv. 1-24. , , XXIV. 130 25, to end. , , XXV. 131 XV. 1-10. • • XXVI, 132 11, Zo end. , , XXVII. 132 xvi. 1-13. , , XXVIII. 133 14-17. • • XXIX. 133 18. ^ , XXX. 134 19, to end. , , XXXII. 135 xvii. 1-10. ^ , XXXIII. 135 11. XXXIV. 136 12-19. • • XXXV. 136 20, to end. ^ , XXXVI. 137 xviii. 1-8. , , XXXVII. 137 9-14. ■ • XXXVIII. 137 15-17. , , XXXI, 134 18-30. , , XXXIX. 138 31-34. • • XLII. 140 35, to end. , , XLIV. 142 xix. 1-28. • , XLV. 143 29-35. LIII. 146 36-40. vi. I. 148 41-44. . , II. 148 45, 46. , , III. 149 47, 48. , , X. 1.51 XX. 1-19. , , XIII. 152 20-26. • • XIV. 155 27-40. , . XV. 155 41-44. , , XVII. 157 45, to end. , , XVIII. 158 xxi. 1-4. , , XIX. 159 5-33. , , XX. 160 34-36. , , XXI. 163 37, 38. , , XXV. 165 xxii. 1, 2. , , XXVII. 166 3-6. , , XXVIII. 166 7-13. , , XXIX. 166 14-18. , , XXX. 167 19, 20. • • XXXIV. 170 21-23. , , XXXII. 138 24-27. , , XXXI. 167 28-38. XXXIII. 169 39. , , XXXVI. 171 40-46. , , XLII. 175 47-53. XLIII 176 54. vVi. I. 177 55. .. II. 178 56, 57. , , V. 179 58. VI. 180 59-62. , ^ VII. 180 63-65. IV. 179 66, to end. , ^ VIII. 181 xxiii. 1-4. .. X. 181 5-12. , , XI. 182 13-19. , , XII. 183 20-23. XIII. 183 24, 2-5. XV. 184 VOL. II. '^LL 446* INDEX THE SECOND. SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. LUKE. Part. Section, Page. 185 JOHN. Part. Section. Page. 173 xxiii. 26-32. VII. XVI. xvii. VI. XL. 33. , , XVII. 186 xviii. 1, 2. • . XLII. 175 Part of 34. , . XVIII. 186 3-11. XLIII. 176 Part of 34. , , XIX. 186 12-14. VII. I. 177 35-37. , • XX. 187 15, 16. • . II. 178 38. « . XVII. 186 17, 18. • • V. 179 39-43. , . XXI. 187 19-24. , , III. 178 44-49. • • XXIII. 187 25-27. « . V. 179 50-54. VIII. I. 189 28-38. ■ • X. 181 55. . • II. 180 39. • . XII. 183 56. . • III. 190 40. • • XIH. 183 xxiv. 1-3. XX. 193 xix. 1, part of 16. XV. 184 4-9. XXI. 193 Pt. of 16,17. XVI. 185 10. • • XXII. 193 18-22. • • XVII. 186 11. , . XXIII. 194 23, 24. , • XIX. 186 Part of 12. . • XXIV. 194 25-27. • • XXII. 187 Part of 12. • . XXV. 194 28-37. XXIII. 187 13-32. • . XXVI. 194 38, to end. VIII. I. 189 33-35. . . XXVII. 195 XX. Part of 1. • • VII. 190 36-43. • . XXVIII. 195 Part of 1. . • X. 191 44-49. • . XXXIII. 197 2. • • XI. 191 50, to end. XXXIV. 197 3-10. • , XIV. 192 Part of 11. XV. 192 JOHN. Part of n, 12, i. 1-18. I. II. 47 13;pt.ofU. XVI. 192 19-34. II. I. 59 Pt. of 14-17. XVII. 192 35, to end. . . II. 59 18. • . XVIII. 193 ii. 1-11. • • III. 60 19-23. • • XXVIII. 195 12. IV. 60 24, 25. • • XXIX. 195 13, to end. V. 60 26-29. XXX. 196 iii. 1-21. , , VI. 61 30, 31. • • XXXV. 198 22, to end. • , VII. 62 xxi. 1-24. • • XXXII. 196 iv. 1-42. III. II. 63 25. • • XXXV. 198 43, to end. , . III. 65 V. 1-15. XIII. 71 ACTS. 16, to end. • ■ XIV. 71 i. 1-3. IX. I. 204 vi. 1, 2. IV. III. 101 4, 5. vni. XXXIII. 197 3-14. , , IV. 101 6-12. , , XXXIV. 197 15. • • V. 102 13, 14. IX. I. 201 16-21. VI. 103 15, to end. , , II. 204 22, to end. VIII. 104 ii. 1-13. a , III. 205 vii. 1. , , VIII. 104 14-36. , , IV. 205 2-10. V. II. 117 37-41. , , V. 206 11-52. • • III. 118 42, to end. , , VI. 206 53. IV. 119 iii. 1-10. , , VII. 207 viii. 1-11. , , IV. 119 11, to end. , , VIII. 207 12-20. . . V. 120 iv. 1-7. , , IX. 208 21, to end. , , VI. 120 8-22. , , X. 208 ix. 1-34. , , XIX. 127 23-31. , , XI. 209 35, to end. , , XX. 128 32, to end. , , XIL 209 X. 1-21. , , XX. 128 V. 1-10. , , XIII. 209 22-38. , , XXI. 129 11-16. , , XIV. 210 39, to end. XXII. 130 17, part of 21. XV. 210 xi. 1-16. XLT. 140 Part of 21-3-3. • , XVI. 210 17-46. , , XLVI. 144 34, to end. , , XVII. 211 47. 48. , , XLVII. 145 vi. 1-6. , , XVIII. 211 49-52. , _ XLVIII. 145 7. .. XIX. 212 53. , , XLIX. 145 8-14. , , XX. 212 54. , , L. 145 15. , , XXI. 212 55, to end. LI. 145 vii. 1-50. ^ , XXI. 212 xii. 1-11. LII. 145 51-53. , , XXII. 214 12-18. , , LIII. 146 54, to end. , , XXIII. 214 19. VI. I. 148 viii. Part ofl. , , XXIII. 214 20-43. , , V. 149 Part if 1 . , , XXIV. 215 44, to end. , , VI. 150 2. , , XXIII. 214 xiii. 1. , , XXX 167 3. , , XXIV. 215 2-16. , , XXXI. 167 4. XXX. 216 17-30. . . XXXII. 168 5-13. , , XXV. 215 31, to end. , , XXXIII. 169 14-17. XXVI. 215 XIV. , , XXXV. 170 18-24. XXVII. 215 XV. 1-8. , , XXXVII. 171 25. , , XXVIII. 216 9, to end. , , XXXVIII. 172 26, to end. XXIX. 216 xvi. 1-4. XXXVIII. 172 ix. 1-9. XXXI. 217 5, to end. •• XXXIX. 172 10, part of 19. •• XXXII. 217 INDEX THE SECOND. *447 SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. ACTS. Part. Section. Page. 217 ACTS. Part. Section. Page. ix. 19-30. IX. xxxni. xxii. 30. XIII. XXVIII. 319 31. XXXV. 218 xxiii. 1-10. • • XXVIII. 319 32, to end. XXXIV. 218 11. , , XXIX. 320 X. 1-16. I. 219 12, to end. • • XXX. 320 17-33. II. 219 xxiv. 1-21. , , XXXI. 321 34-43. III. 220 22, to end. • • XXXII. 322 44, to end. IV. 220 XXV. 1-12. , , XXXIII. 322 xi. 1-18. V. 221 13-22. , , XXXIV. 323 19-21. VI. 221 23, to end. , , XXXV. 323 22-24. VII. 222 xxvi. XXXV. 323 25, 26. VIII. 222 xxvii. 1. , ^ XXXVI. 325 27, to end. X. 223 2. XIV. I. 325 xii. 1, part of 19. IX. 222 3, 4. , , II. 325 Ft. of 19-24. XI. 223 5-8. ^ , III. 325 24. XII. 223 9-13. , , IV. 325 25. XIII. 223 14, to end. V. 326 xiii. 1-3. xi. I. 224 xxviii. 1-10. ,. VI. 327 Part of A. II. 224 11, topt. 14. ., VII. 327 Part of ^^-12. III. 224 Pi. 0/14-16. ^ ^ VIII. 327 13. IV. 224 17-29. • • IX. 328 14-50. V. 225 30, 31. XV. 359 51, 52. VI. 226 xiv. 1-5, part of 6. VI. 226 ROMANS. Part of 6. 7. VIII. 227 i. 1-7. XIII. XIII. 269 8-W,pt. of 20. VII. 226 8-17. , , 290 Part of 20. VIII. 227 18, to end. 290 21-23. , , IX. 227 ii 1-3. , , 291 24, 25. X. 227 4-10. , ^ 291 26, to end. XI. 227 11-16. , , 291 XV. 1, 2. XII. 228 17-24. , , 292 3-29. XIII. 228 25, to end. , , 292 30-35. XIV. 229 iii. 1-8. , , 292 36. XII. I. 229 9-20. , ^ 293 37, to end. 11. 230 21-26. .. 293 xvi. 1-3. III. 230 27, to end. 294 4, 5. II. 230 iv. 1-12. 294 6. IV. 230 13-22. • • 295 7-10. V. 230 23, to end. .. 295 Part of n. VI. 230 V. 1-11. , ^ 295 Part of 11. VII. 230 12, to end. 296 12, to end. VIII. 231 vi. 1-11. • • 296 xvii. 1-9. IX. 232 12-14. 297 10-14. XI. 238 15-18. 297 15, to end. XII. 238 19, to end. 297 xviii. 1-5. XIII. 239 vii. 1-6. 298 6-11. XV. 243 7-12. ,. 298 12-17, pt. 18. XVII. 246 13-24, part Part of 18. XIX. 248 of 25. 299 19. XX. 248 Part of 25. 2;)9 20-22. XXI. 248 viii. 1-4. , , 299 23. xiii. I. 249 5-11. 300 24, to end. II. 249 12-17. 300 xix. 1-10. III. 249 18-23. 300 11-20. IV. 250 24-28. 301 21, part of 22. V. 250 29, to end. 301 Pt. 22, to end. VII. 268 ix. 1-5. 302 XX. 1. VIII. 269 6-9. 302 2, part of 3. X. 275 10-13. 302 Pari 0/3,4,5. XII. 289 14-18. 303 6-12. XIV. 314 19-29. 303 13, 14. XV. 315 30, to end. 304 Part of 15. XVI. 315 X. 1-3. 304 Part of 15. XVII. 315 4-13. 304 Pf. 15,<oc7i<Z. XVIII. 315 14, 15. 305 xxi. 1-3. XIX. 316 16, to end. 305 4-6. XX. 316 xi. 1-6. 305 7. XXI. 316 7-10. 306 8-14. XXII. 316 11-16. 306 15-26. XXIII. 317 17-24. 307 27-36. XXIV. 317 25-32. 307 37, to end. XXV. 318 33, to end. 308 xxii. 1-21. XXV. 318 xii. 1-8. 308 22. XXVI. 319 9, to end. • • 308 23-29. XXVII. 319 xiii. 1-10. 309 448* INDEX THE SECOND. SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. ROMANS. Part. Section. Page. 310 II. CORINTH. Part. Section. Page. 281 xiii. 11, to end. xni. XIII. vii. 2-4. XIII. XI. xiv. 1-12. • 310 5, to end. ^ , 281 13, to end. • 311 viii. 1-15. 282 XV. 1-7. . 311 16, to end. 283 8-13. • 311 ix. 1-5. 283 \A, to end. • 312 6, to end. 283 xvi. 1-16. • 313 X. 1-6. 284 17-20. • 314 7-11. 284 21, to end. • 314 12, to end. 285 xi. 1-6. 285 I. CORINTH. 7-15. 285 i. 1-3. xni. VI. 250 16, to end. 286 4-9. 251 xii. 1-6. 267 10-16. 251 7-11. 287 17, to end. 251 12, to end. 287 ii. 1-5. 252 xiii. 1-4. 288 6, to end. 252 5-10. 288 iii. l-9,pff7<o/10. 253 \\, to end. 289 Part of 10-15. 253 16, to end. 254 GALATIANS. iv. 1-5. 254 i. 1-5. xn. X. 232 6-13. 254 6-10. 232 14-17. 254 W, to end. • • 233 \S, to end. 255 ii. 1-10. • • 233 V. 255 1\, to end. ., 233 vi. 1-8. 256 iii. 1-5. • • 234 9, to end. 256 6-18. • • 2.34 vii. 1-17. 256 19, to end. • ■ 235 18-24. 257 iv. 1-11. 235 25, to end. 257 12-20. • ■ 235 viii. 258 21, to end. ^ , 235 ix. 1-14. 259 V. , , 236 15, to end. 259 vi. 1-10. • • 237 X. 1-12. 260 \\, to end. • • 238 13-22. 260 23, to end. 261 EPHESIANS. xi. 1. 261 i. 1-14. XIV. X. 329 2-16. 261 15, to end. ,. 329 17, to end. 262 ii. 1-10. 330 xii. 1-30. 262 11, to end. 331 31. 263 iii. 1-12. 331 xiii. 263 13, to end. 332 xiv. 1-25. 264 iv. 1-6. 332 26, to end. 265 7-16. 333 XV. 1-11. 265 17-24. 333 12-22. 266 25-30. 334 23-28. 266 31, to end. 334 29-34. 266 V. 1-14. 334 35-44. 267 15-20. 335 45-49. 267 21, to end. 336 50, to end. 267 vi. 1-9. 336 xvi. 1-4. 267 10-20. 337 5, to end. 268 21, to end. 337 II. CORINTH. PHILIPPIANS. i. 1, 2. XIII. XI. 275 i. 1-11. XIV. XI. 338 3-7. 275 12-20. • • 338 8-11. 275 21, to end. 339 12-14. 276 ii. 1-11. 340 15, to end. 276 12-16. 340 ii. 1-4. 276 17. to end. 341 5-11. 277 iii. 1-11. 342 12, to end. 277 12-16. 342 iii. 1-6. 277 17, to end. 343 7, to end. 278 iv. 1. 343 iv. 1-6. 278 2-9. 343 7-11. 278 10-20. 344 12, to end. 279 21, to end. 344 V. 1-10. 279 11-15. 279 COLOSSIANS. 16, to end. 280 i. 1-14. XIV. xn. 345 vi. 1-10. 280 15-23. , , 346 W, to end. 281 24, to end. .. , , 346 vii. 1. 281 ii. 1-7. • • • • 347 INDEX THE SECOND. *449 SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. SCRIPTURE. PLACK IN ARRANGEMENT. COLOSSIANS. Part. Section. Pase. 347 TITUS. Part. Section. Page. 247 ii. 8-15. XIV. XII. iii. 1-8. XII. XVIII. i<)-ia. , , • • 348 9. , , 248 20, to end. , , , , 348 10, 11. , , 248 iii. 1-11. . , . • 348 12-14. . . • • 248 12-17. , , , , :M9 15. , , • • 248 18, to end. , , , , 349 iv. 1. . . , , 350 PHILEMON. 2-C. • • • , 350 1-7. XIV. XIII. 351 7, to end. •• • • 350 8, to end. ■ • • • 352 I. THESS. HEBREV^S. i. 1-4. XII. XIV. 239 i. 1-3. XV. I. 360 5, to end. , , ■ • 240 4, to end. ., 360 ii. 1-13. , , 240 ii. 1-5. , , 361 14, to end. • • 240 6-9. • • 361 iii. 1-5. , , 241 10, to end. .. 362 6, to end. , , 241 iii. 1-6. ,. 363 iv. 1-12. , , 241 7, to end. ., 363 13, to end. , , 242 iv. ]-13. , ^ 364 V. 1-11. , , 242 14, to end. • • 364 12, to end. , , 243 V. 1-10. , , 365 11, to end. , , 366 11. THESS. vi. 1-3. .. 366 i. 1, 2. Xll. XVI. 243 4-12. 366 3-5. • • ^ , 244 13, to end. 367 6. to end. , , 244 vii. 1-10. .. 367 ii. 1-12. , , 244 11-17. 368 13, to end. , , 245 18-24. .. 368 iii. 1-5. 245 25, to end. • • 369 6, to end. , , 245 viii. 1-5. .. 369 6, to end. .. 370 I. TIMOTHY. ix. 1-10. 370 i. 1, 2. XIII. IX. 269 11-15. a • 371 3, 4. , , 270 16-22. • • 371 5-10, p<.o/ll. 270 23, to end. ., 372 Part 11, 12-17. 270 X. 1-4. • • 372 18, io end. 270 5-10. • • 373 ii. 1-7. 270 11-18. .. 373 8, to end. 271 19-25. 373 iii. 1-7. 271 26-31. 374 8-13. 271 32, to end. 374 14, to end. 272 xi. 1-7. • • 375 iv. 1-11. 272 8-19. • • 375 12, to end. 272 20-31. 376 V. l-i(). 273 32, to end. 377 17, to end. 273 xii. 1, 2. 377 vi. 1, 2. 274 3-13. 377 3-10. 274 14-17. 378 11-16. 274 18-24. 379 17-19. 274 25, to end. 379 20, to end. 275 xiii. 1-6. 379 7-16. 380 II. TIMOTHY. 17-21. 380 i. 1, 2. XV. xn. 386 22, to end. 381 3-12. , , 386 13, to end. 387 JAMES. ii. 1-7. . , 387 i. 1-12. XIV. XIV. 353 8-13. . , 388 13-18. 353 14-21. , , 388 19, to end. 3.54 22, to end. • • 389 ii. 1-13. 354 iii. 1-5. . . 389 14, ^0 end. 355 6-9. , , 389 iii. 1-12. 356 10, to end. , , 390 13, to end. 356 iv. 1-8. 390 iv. 1-10. , , 3457 9-15. • • 391 11, 12. 357 16-18. , , 391 13, to end. , , 358 19, to end. , , 391 V. 1-6. , . 358 7-12. • • 358 TITUS. 13, to end. • • 359 i. 1-4. XII. XVIII. 246 5-9. , , • • 246 I. PETER. 10, to end. , , , ^ 246 i. 1, 2. XV. XIII. 391 ii. 1-8. , , ,. 247 3-12. • . 392 9, to end. . ! _ 247 13-21. , 392 VOL. II. *57 *LL* 450* INDEX THE SECOND. SCRIPTURE. PLACE ] N ARRANGEMENT. SCRIPTURE. PLACE IN ARRANGEMENT. I. PETER. PaH. Section. Page. 393 REVELATION. Part. Section. Page. 408 i. 22, to end. XV. XIII. ii. 12-17. XV. XVHI. ii. 1-10. 393 18, to end. 409 11-17. 394 iii. 1-6. 409 18, ^0 end. 394 7-13. 410 iii. 1-7. 395 14, to end. 410 8-17. 395 iv. 410 18, to end. 396 V. 1-3. 411 iv. 1-6. 396 4, to end. 411 7-11. 396 vi. 1, 2. 412 12, to end. 397 3, 4. 412 V. 1-4. 397 5, 6. 412 5-11. 398 7, 8. 412 12, to end. 398 9, 11. 412 12, to end. 413 II. PETER. vii. 413 i. 1-11. XV. XIV. 399 viii. 1-5. 414 12, to end. , , 399 6, 7. 414 ii. 1-9. , , 400 8, 9. 4)4 10-16. • • 401 10, 11. 414 M, to end. , , 401 12. 415 iii. 1-7. • • 402 13. 415 8-13. •- • 402 ix. 1-11. 415 14, to end. , , 403 12, to end. 416 X. 416 I. JOHN. xi. 1-14. 417 i. 1-4. XV. XIX. 430 15-18. 417 5, to end. 430 19. 418 ii. 1-6. 430 xii. 418 7-17. 431 xiii. 1-10. 419 18, to end. 432 11, to end. 419 iii. 1-8. 433 xiv. 1-13. 420 9-17. 433 14, to end. 420 18, to end. 434 XV. 1-4. 421 iv. 1-6. 434 5, to end. 421 7, to end. 435 xvi. 1. 421 V. 1-12. 436 2. 421 13, to end. 436 3. 421 4-7. 422 II. JOHN. 8, 9. 422 1-3. XV. XIX. 437 10, 11. 422 4, to end. •• • • 437 12-16. 17, to end. 422 423 III. JOHN. XV. XIX. 438 xvii. xviii. 423 424 JUDE. xix. 1-10. 425 1, 2. XV. XV. 403 11, ^0 end. 42;5 3-11. , , ■ ■ 403 XX. 1-6. 426 12-16. , , , , 404 7, to end. 426 17-23. , , 405 xxi. 1-4. 427 24, to end. • ■ • • 405 5-8. 9, to end. 427 427 REVELATION. xxii. 1-9. ., 428 i. 1-3. XV. XVIII. 407 10-15. 428 4-8. , , 407 16-19, part 9, to end. . • • • 407 O/20. 429 ii. 1-7. . , • • 408 Part of 20, 8-11. • • • • 408 and 21. 429 *451 INDEX THE THIRD, SHOWING THE PLACE IN THE TEXT WHERE THE NOTES ARE REFERRED TO, THE SUBJECT UPON WHICH THEY ARE WRITTEN, AND THE PAGE IN WHICH THEY ARE TO BE FOUND. No. of Note. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1(J 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 *48 48 49 PART. SECTION. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VII. VIII. IX. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. xi'v. XV. XVI. XVH. XVIII. XIX. SUBJECT. 40 4'1 49 49 50 50 51 51 51 51 51 51 51 51 51 .52 52 52 53 53 53 53 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 55 55 55 55 55 56 56 56 56 56 57 Mark i . I . On the place of this verse Luke i. 1-4. On the ])liipe of these verses, and on St. Luke's Gospel Luke i. '4 Luke i. :) Dissertaliiju on the Logos .lohn i. 15-18. On tJi." arrangement of these three verses On the Miraculous Events which preceded the Birth of the Messiah On the Doctrine of the Miraculous Conception On the Salutation of Mary Luke i. 3i) Luke i, Luke i. Luke i. Matt. i. Matt. i. I^Iatt. i. Matt. i. Luke ii Luke ii Luke ii Luke ii 41. 7A- 18. 20. On Prophetic Dreams. 21 oo T.... 2 2 On the Genealogies of Christ Luke i. and ii Matt. ii. 17 On the Angels appearing to the Shepherds. Luke ii. 21 Luke ii. 24 Luke ii. 26 Luke ii. 34 On the Return of the Holy Family to Bethlehem. Matt. ii. 3 Matt. ii. 6 On the Visit of the Magi , Matt. ii. 12 , On the Flight of Joseph and Mary into Egypt., Matt. ii. 15 On the Slaughter of the Children at Bethlehem. 16 20 22 23 41 , to the end. 2 Pa 'age of Notes. Matt. ii. Matt. ii. Matt. ii. Matt. ii. Luke ii. Luke iii. Mark i. 4 Luke iii. 3 , Mark i. 2 Mark i. 5 On the Period that elapsed between the Commencement of the Ministry of John and the Baptism of Christ On the Commencement of Christ's Ministry Matt. iii. 15. On the Baptism of Christ *2 *4 H *4 *16 *17 *18 *23 *24 *24 *25 *25 *25 *25 *26 *27 *27 *27 *28 ^-28 *28 *33 *34 ^34 *35 *^35 *35 *36 *36 *36 ^37 *37 *39 *39 *39 *40 *41 *41 *42 *42 *42 *43 *43 *43 *44 *44 *45 *46 H6 452* INDEX THE THIRD, No. o Note. 50 51 52 53 54 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 PART. SECTION. Page of Text. 57 57 58 58 58 59 59 59 59 59 59 59 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 62 62 62 62 62 63 63 63 63 63 63 64 64 64 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 66 66 66 66 66 67 67 68 68 69 69 69 70 71 71 71 71 72 72 72 73 73 74 74 75 75 SUBJECT. Page of Notes. *47 *47 *51 *51 *51 *53 *54 *54 *55 *55 *55 *56 *56 *56 *57 *57 *61 *61 *61 *62 *62 *63 *63 *63 *63 *64 *65 *G5 *65 *66 *66 *66 *66 *66 *67 *68 *68 *68 «68 *69 *69 *70 *70 *70 *71 «72 *73 *77 *77 *78 *79 *80 *80 *81 *81 *84 *84 *84 *85 *85 *86 *87 *87 *87 *88 •"88 *89 I. II. lii. XIX. XX. I. • • if. lii. IV. V. VII. viii. L II. • • • • lii. IV. V. VI. vYi. VIII. IX. X. xi. XII. XIII. xiv. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIIT. XIX. Matt. iii. 16 On the Temptation of Christ Luke iv. 5 Luke iv. 13 On the Difference in the order of the Temptations as related by St. Matthew and St. Luke On the Further Testimony of John the Baptist John i. 25 John i. 28 John i. 29 John i. 30 John i. 31 John i. 36 John i. 42 John i. .51 On the order of the Events in this and the following Sections. John ii. 1, On the Miracle at the Marriage at Cana On Ijampes interpretation of John ii. 1—11 John ii. 12 On the Buyers and Sellers being driven from the Temple On the final Testimony of John the Baptist to Christ John iii. 29 John iii. 34 On the Place of this Section On the Imprisonment of John the Baptist On the Place of this and the following Sections, and on the Commencement of Christ's more public Ministry Luke iv. 14 Matt. iv. 15 On Christ's Conversation with the woman of Samaria. John iv. 1-42 John iv. 2 John iv. 5 . . . . . . . . John iv. 20 John iv. 25 John iv. 35 On the Place of this Section On the Healing the Nobleman's Son at Capernaum. John iv. 43, to the end On Christ's Visit to Nazareth Luke iv. 16 Luke iv. 16 Luke iv. 18. On Christ preaching in the Synagogue at Nazareth. On the Nazareth Prophecy. Isaiah Ixi. 1 and 42 Luke iv. 23 Luke iv. 2.') . . Luke iv. 31 . 32 On the Place of this Section Mark i. 17. On the Choice of our Lord's Apostles On the Types of the New Testament On the Place of this Section, and on the Demoniacs On the Place of this Section On the Place of this Section Matt. viii. 17. On the Meaning of Isaiah liii. 4-12 On the Place of this Section, and on tlie Cure of the Leper... Mark i. 44 On the Place of this Section, and on the Power of Christ to foririve Sins On the Place of this Section, and on the Calling of Matthew. On the Number of Passovers during our Lord's Ministry John V. 4. On the Healing of the Impotent Folk at the Pool of Bethesda John V. 8 John V. 17 On Mr. Mann's opinion as to the place of the 5th and 6th chapters of John .... On the Pluckino" the ears of Corn Luke vi. 1 Mark ii. 26 On the Place of this Section On t)ie Place of this Section, and on the Casting out of the Unclean Spirits Luke vi. 12 On the Place of this Section, and on the Sermon on the Mount Matt. V. 9 INDEX THE THIRD. ^453 No. of Note. 44 PART. SECTION. P;ige of Text. III. XIX. 76 45 , , 76 46 , , 76 47 . a 76 48 , , 77 49 XX. 80 50 • • XXI. 81 51 81 52 •• XXII. 81 53 .. 82 54 , . xxiii. 83 55 , . , , 82 50 • • XXIV. 82 57 , , XXV. 83 58 •• XXVI. 83 nn .. XXVIII. 84 60 • . , . 84 G] , , , , 84 62 . , XXIX. 86 63 , , , , 86 64 , , XXX. 86 65 , , , , 86 6G , . , , 87 67 • • XXXI. 87 68 XXXIV. 89 69 , . XXXV. 91 70 , , XXXVI. 92 71 •• XXXVIII. 94 1 IV. I. 97 2 •• •• 97 3 98 4 , , 99 5 • • 99 6 , , IT. 99 7 , , IV. 101 8 , , 101 9 , , 102 10 , , V. 102 11 , , VI. 103 V2 , , 103 13 , , VIII. 104 14 •• IX. 106 15 X. 107 16 , , 107 17 • • XV. 110 18 110 19 , , , , 110 20 •• XVI. 111 21 111 22 XVII. 111 23 , , , , 112 24 XIX. 114 25 , , XX. 114 26 , , XXI. 115 27 ^ ^ 115 28 ^ J 16 1 V. I. 117 o , , 117 3 II. 117 4 , , • • 118 5 III. 118 6 , , 119 7 119 8 , , IV. 119 9 V. 120 10 , , VI. 121 11 • • •• 121 SUBJECT. Matt. V. 13 Matt. V. 14 Matt. V. 22 On the Gospels being written in the Greek language Matt. vi. 9, «fcc On the Place of this Section On the Place of this Section, and on the Raising to Life the Widow's Son at Nain Luke vii. 15 On the Place of this Section, and on the Message of John the Baptist to Christ Matt. xi. 5 Matt. xi. 11 Matt. xi. 12 On the Place of this Section On the Place of this Section On tlie Arrangement of the Events recorded in this and the following Section On the Place of this Section On the Address of our Lord to the Pharisees On the Place of Mark iii. 19-21 On tlie Place of this Section Matt. xii. 50 On the Place of the Event related in this Section On the Arrangement of this Section Mark iv. 2 .. On the Arrangement of this and the remaining Sections in this Part On the Phrase The Kingdom of Heaven Matt. viii. 20 On Christ's healing the Gadarene Demoniac On an opinion of Michaelis respecting the Gospel of St. Matthew On the Arrangement of the Sections of this Part On the Christian Ministry and the Mission of the Twelve Apostles Matt. X. 27 Matt. X. 29 Matt. X. 40 On the Death of John the Baptist On the Miraculously Feeding of Five Thousand Matt. xiv. 16 Mark vi. 43 On Christ's Praying alone On Christ's W^alking on the Sea Matt. xiv. 33. Of a truth thou art the Son of God ! John vi. 35. I am the Bread of Life Matt. XV. 3. Why do ye transgress tlie Commandment of God by your Tradition .' On the Healing of the Syro-phojnician Woman Matt. XV. 26 On the opinions of the Jews respecting the Character of the Messiah On the Confession of St. Peter. Matt. xvi. 16 On the Meaning of Matt. xvi. 19 On our Lord's explicit Declaration of the Nature of his King- dom Mark ix. 1 On the Transfiguration Matt. xvii. 9 On Clirist's Foretelling his Death and Resurrection On Christ's Payin<r Tribute. Matt. xvii. 24, &c On the Disciples' Dispute for Superioritj' Mark ix. 49 Matt, xviii. 20 On the Mission of Ihe Seventy On the Number Seventy On the Place of this Section John vii. .5 On the Place of this Section John vii. 42 John vii. 48 On the Genuineness of this Section John viii. 12 John viii. 58 John viii. 58 Page of Noteb. *89 '90 **90 *91 *91 *91 "92 *92 *93 "93 *93 *94 *94 *94 *94 *95 *95 *96 *96 *96 *96 *96 *97 *97 *98 *99 *99 *99 *100 *100 *105 *105 *105 *105 *105 *105 *105 *107 *107 *107 *107 n07 *108 *108 *109 *110 *112 *1]4 *115 *115 *118 *119 *119 *119 *]20 *121 *121 *121 *121 *122 *122 *122 *122 *122 *123 *]23 *123 454' INDEX THE THIRD. No. of Note. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 •30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 i) 10 11 PART. VI VII Pa?e SECTION. of Text. 121 VII. 12] VIII. 122 IX. 122 X. 122 , , 122 XVIII. 127 XIX. 127 , , 127 . . 127 XXIII. 130 XXX. 134 XXXI. 134 XXXII. 135 XXXIV. 136 XXXV. 136 XXXIX. 138 139 XL. 140 XLI. 140 XLII. 140 XLIV. 142 XLVI. 144 XLVII. 145 XLVIII. 145 LII. 145 , , 145 LIII. 147 , , 147 I. 148 148 148 III. 149 V. 149 149 VIII. 150 151 IX. 151 XII. 151 XIII. 153 XV. 1.55 XVII. 1.57 XVIII. 159 159 159 XIX. 1.59 XX. 160 XXI. 163 , , 163 XXIV. 165 XXVII. 166 XXVIII. 166 XXX. 167 XXXI. 167 XXXII. 168 , , 169 XXXIII. 1(59 , , 169 XXXIV. 170 , , 170 XXXV. 171 XLII. 175 , , 175 XLIII. 176 I. 177 in. 179 , , 179 . . 179 IV. 179 , , 179 V. 179 , , 180 Vll. 180 IX. 181 181 SUBJECT. On the Places of these Sections, (vii.-xviii.) On the Return of the Seventy Luke X. 26 Luke X. 29 On the Place of this Section Luke X. 42 Luke xiii. 19 On the Restoring a Blind Man to Sight John ix. 2 < John ix. 6 On the Place of these Sections, xxiii.-xxxix , On the Place of tliis Section On the Place of this Section , On the Place of these Sections, xxxii. and xxxiii , On Christ's Journey to Jerusalem , On the Place of these Sections, xxxv.-xxxviii , On the Place of this Section Matt. xix. 28 Matt. XX. 16 On the Time and Place of this Section , On Clirist's Predicting his Sufferings and Death , On the Healing two Blind Men at Jericho On the Resurrection of Lazarus John xi. 48 John xi. .51 On the Time of the Anointing of our Lord at Bethany On the Precious Ointment On Zechariah ix. 9 John xii. 16 On Clirist's Entry into Jerusalem Matt. xxi. 9 Mark xi. 10 On the Casting out of the Buyers and Sellers from the Temple On the Greeks desiring to see Christ, John xii. 20 On the " Bath Col," or Voice from Heaven On the Cursing the Barren Fig-tree Mark xi. 13 Christ again casts the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple... Mark xi. 23 Matt. xxi. 42 Luke XX. 27 Matt. xxii. 42 Matt, xxiii. 26 Matt, xxiii. 37 Matt, xxiii. 38 Mark xii. 42 On the Destruction of Jerusalem Matt. xxiv. 36 Matt. xxiv. 43 Matt. XXV. 34 Luke xxii. 2 On the Betrayal of Christ On the Question, whether our Lord ate the Passover immedi- ately before the Institution of the Eucharist John xiii. 5 Matt. xxvi. 24 Matt. xxvi. 25 Luke xxii. 32 Luke xxii. 38 On the Institution of the Eucharist Matt. xxvi. 29 John xi V. 31 Matt. xxvi. 36 On Christ's Agony John xviii. 6 John xviii. 13 Matt. xxvi. 64 Matt. xxvi. 65 Matt. xxvi. 65 On tlie Place of this Section Matt. xxvi. 68 On Peter's Denial of Christ On the Time of the Cockcrowing Luke xxii. 59 On the Place of this Section On tlie Death of Judas Page of Notes. *124 *125 *125 *125 *126 *126 *126 *126 *]27 *127 *128 *128 *128 *128 *128 *128 *128 *129 *129 *129 *129 *130 *131 *132 *132 *133 *1.36 *137 *139 *139 *140 *140 n4i *141 *142 *142 *143 *143 *144 *144 *144 *144 *144 *145 *145 *145 *146 *150 *151 *151 *151 *151 *152 *160 *160 *160 *160 *160 *160 *164 *164 *164 *165 *166 *166 *166 *166 *166 *167 *167 *167 •^168 "169 *169 *169 INDEX THE THIRD. *455 No. <.f P:iSe Nole. 12 PART. SECTION. of Text. VII. IX. 181 13 •• X. 182 14 XI. 183 15 XII. 183 16 XIII. 183 17 XIV. 184 18 XV. 184 19 184 20 184 21 , ^ 184 22 XVI. 185 23 XVII. 186 24 186 25 XIX. 186 20 XXI. 187 27 XXIII. 188 28 188 29 188 1 VIII. I. 189 2 189 3 , ^ 189 4 II. 190 5 IV. 190 6 V. 190 7 VI. 190 8 VII. 190 9 VIII. 191 10 IX. 191 11 X. 191 12 , , 191 13 XII. 191 14 XIII. 192 15 XIV. 192 16 , , 192 17 XV. 192 18 XVI. 192 19 XVII. 192 20 192 21 192 22 XVIII. 193 23 XIX. 193 24 XX. 193 25 XXI. 193 2(5 XXII. 193 27 XXV. 194 28 XXVI. 194 29 , ^ 194 30 XXVII. 195 31 XXX. 196 32 , ^ 196 33 • • 196 34 XXXI. 196 35 , . 196 3() XXXII. 196 37 , , 196 38 , , 197 39 XXXIII. 197 40 XXXIV. 197 41 , , 197 42 , , 198 43 , , 198 44 XXXV. 198 1 IX. 199 2 II. 204 3 , , 204 4 , , 204 5 (i •• 205 205 7 III. 205 8 , , 205 9 •• 205 SUBJECT. Matt, xxvii. 9 On the Question, whether the Jews, at the time of Christ, had the power of inflicting Capital Punishment Luke xxiii. 12 On the Release of Barabbas John xviii. 40 Matt, xxvii. 25 On Mark xv. 25. and John xix. 14-16 On the Purple Robe, John xix. 2 On the Crown of Thorns John xix. 9 Mark xv. 21 On Matt, xxvii. 'M. and Mark xv. 23 On the Superscription on the Cross On the Necessity of the Atonement On Cln-ist's Answer to the Penitent Thief. On our Lord's Exclamation when on the Cross John xix. 30 John xix. 30 On the Burial and Resurrection of our Lord Mark xv. 42 Matt, xxvii. 60 On the opinion that " Two parties of Women visited the Sepulchre." Matt, xxvii. 61 On the Guard of Soldiers Mark xvi. 1 On the Time when the W^omen set out for, and arrived at, the Sepulchre Matt, xxviii. 2 Matt, xxvii. 52, 53 On the Punctuation of this Section Mark xvi. 4 On the Form and Dimensions of the Jewish Sepulchres Mark xvi. 8 John XX. 3 John XX. 8 John XX. 11 John XX. 12 On the Resurrection. Mark xvi. 9 John XX. 16 John XX. 17. On the words, " Touch me not." John XX. 18 Matt, xxviii. 13 Luke xxiv. 1 Luke xxiv. 9, 10 On the Genuineness of Mark xvi. 10, to end On the Place of Luke xxiv. 12 On the Arrangement of these Sections Luke xxiv. 21 Luke xxiv. 34 Mark xvi. 14 John XX. 26 John XX. 28. On the Exclamation of St. Thomas, and on the word TTooaxvrivj Matt, xxviii. 17 Matt, xxviii. 18 John xxi. 1-24 John xxi. 14 Jolin xxi. 18 Acts i. 4 On the Arrangement of this Section On the Arrangement of this Section Acts i. 8 Acts i. 12 John XX. 30. On the Visible Ascension in each of the three Dispensations Preliminary Observations On the Appointment of Matthias Acts i. 19 Acts i. 20 Acts i. 24. On the Divinity of Christ Acts i. 25 On the Descent of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost... Acts ii. 1 Acts ii . 1 Paffe of Noiei. *169 n7o *174 '*175 *175 ^175 *I75 *177 *178 *178 *178 *178 *179 *181 *183 *183 *184 *184 *185 *196 *196 *196 *200 *200 *200 *201 *202 *202 *203 *204 *204 *206 *20C> *206 *207 ^207 *208 *208 ^209 *209 *209 *210 *210 *210 *211 *211 *211 *211 *212 *212 *212 *213 *213 *213 *213 *214 *214 *214 *214 *215 *215 *215 199 *217 *218 *218 ^219 *220 *220 *223 *224 456* INDEX THE THIRD. No. of Note. 10 11 12 13 14 15 1(3 17 Id 19 20 21 22 23 24 2.3 26 27 28 2iJ 30 31 32 33 34 35 30 37 3:i 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 50 57 58 59 60 61 62 (53 M 65 6() 67 C>8 C9 70 71 7-> PART. IX. X SECTION. III. IV. VI. viii. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XVI. XVII. xviii. xix. XX. XXI. XXII. XXIII. xxiv. XXV. XX VI. XXIX. XXX. XXXI. XXXII. XXXIII. XXXIV. XXXV. I. lii. VI. VIT. VIII. IX. Pa^e of Text. 205 205 206 206 206 207 207 207 207 207 207 208 208 209 209 210 210 211 211 211 211 212 212 2J2 212 212 213 214 214 214 214 214 215 215 215 215 215 215 216 216 216 216 216 210 216 216 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 218 218 218 218 218 218 219 219 220 220 220 221 222 222 222 SUBJECT. Acts Acts Acts Acts Acts Acts Acts Acts Acts x'\cts Acts Acts Acts Acts Acts 13. 14., i. 33.. i. 45.. i. 46.. 17. 19 20 21 22. On the Parallel between Moses and Christ V. 6 V. 1 9 V. 28 V. 37 Acts V. 4 On the Arrangement of Acts v. 11-16 Acts V. 28 Acts V. 34 Acts V. 38 On the Origin and Nature of the Office of Deacon Acts vi. 5 On the Date of the Martyrdom of St. Stephen Acts vi. 9. On the Synagogue of the Libertines Acts vii. 2. On St. Stephen's Apology before the Sanhedrin.. 16 '.!!"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! 43. On the Star of the God Remphan 53. On the Meaning of the words E{g diuTayixg Acts vii. Acts vii. Acts vii. Acts vii. ^^^•/yJAoir Acts vii. 56 Acts vii. .58 Acts vii. 58. On the Exclamation of St. Stephen.. . . Acts viii. 2 Acts viii. 1 Acts viii. 3 Acts viii. 5 < . . . . 9 17. On Confirmation 26 27 32. On the different Readings of Isaiah liii 33 7, 8.. Acts viii. Acts viii. Acts viii. Acts viii. Acts viii. Acts viii. Acts viii. 34 Acts viii. 36 Acts viii. 39 Acts viii. 4. On the Date, Design, and Original Language of St. Matthew's Gospel ' On the Conversion of St. Paul Acts ix. 1 Acts ix. 2 Acts ix. 2. " Any of this way." On the Conversion of St. Paul, Acts ix. 3 9. General Observations on Conversion. 15 20 25. 26. 41. 43. Acts Acts ix. Acts ix. Acts ix. Acts ix. Acts ix. Acts ix. Acts ix. Acts ix. Acts ix. On the Rest of the Primitive Churches from Persecution Acts ix. 31. On the State of the Primitive Church, and on the Apostolic Office On the Proselytes Acts x. 10 Acts X. 35 Acts X. 36 Acts X. 40 Acts xi. 19 On Barnabas's Journey to Antiocli Acts xi. 26. On the Christian Designation On the Government of the Church of Jerusalem after the Herodiiiti Persecution, and on the Episcopate of St. James.. . Fao^e of m)ies. *224 *224 *225 *225 *225 *225 *226 *226 *227 *227 *227 *230 *231 *231 *231 *23] *232 *232 *232 *232 *232 *236 *236 *238 *238 *240 *240 *240 *243 *244 *244 *245 *245 *246 *246 *246 *247 *247 *249 *249 *249 *250 *251 *251 *251 *251 *254 *255 *255 *255 *255 *257 *257 *257 *258 *261 *261 *262 *262 *262 *263 *263 *263 *270 *275 *276 *276 *277 *277 *277 *277 *278 INDEX THE THIRD. *45T No. of Note. PART. 10 X. 11 12 13 14 15 IG 17 18 1 XI. 2 3 4 5 G 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 IG 17 18 19 20 21 1 XII. 2 .. o O , , 4 5 .. 6 ., 7 8 9 10 • • 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 • • 20 21 , , 22 . , 23 , , 24 , , 25 , , 26 , , 27 , , 28 . , 29 , , 30 , , 31 , , 32 , , 33 . , 34 , . 35 , , 36 , , 1 XIII. 2 SECTION. IX. X. xi. XIII. y. III. VII. IX. XIII. XIV. I. II. III. VI. VIII. IX. X. XII. xiii. xiv. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XXI. II. Pase of Text. 222 223 223 223 223 223 223 223 223 224 224 224 225 225 225 225 225 225 226 226 227 227 227 227 228 228 228 229 229 229 230 230 230 230 230 231 231 232 232 234 234 235 235 235 236 236 238 239 239 239 239 239 243 243 244 244 244 245 245 246 246 247 248 248 249 249 249 SUBJECT. Acts xii. 7. On the continued Agency of Angels Acts xii. 10 - On the Question concerning St. Peter's Visit to Rome, and the Writing of St. Mark's Gospel On the Arrangement of this Section Acts xi. 27 Acts xi. 30. On the word Presbyter Acts xii. 2'3 On the Time when St. Paul was appointed to the Apostolate.. Acts xii. 25 Acts xiii. 3. On the Occasion of St. Paul and Barnabas re- ceiving their Apj)ointmcnt to the Apostolate Acts xiii. 7 Acts xiii. 8 Acts xiii. 9 Acts xiii. 14. On the Officers and Modes of Worship in the Synagogues On the Oration of St. Paul, Acts xiii. 16-50 Acts xiii. 18 20. 27. 34. 42. 48. 11. 12. 19. 23. On the Systems of Calvin and Arminius Acts xiii. Acts xiii. Acts xiii. Acts xiii. Acts .xiii. Acts xiv. Acts xiv. Acts xiv. Acts xiv. Acts XV. 5 Acts XV. 10. On the Time of the Council of Jerusalem Acts XV. 17 On the Apostolic Decree respecting Blood, &c Acts XV. 32. On the Spiritual Gifts, Titles, and Offices, in the Church of Antioch Acts XV. 36 Acts XV. 39 Acts XV. 41 On the Arrangement of this Section Acts xvi. 3 Acts xvi. 11 Acts xvi. 12 Acts xvi. 16. On the Nature of the Spirit of Divination in the Pythoness Acts xvii. 2 General Introduction to the Epistles, and on the Epistle to the Galatians Gal. ii. 18. On St. Paul's Silence respecting the Apostolic Decree Gal. iii. 11 Gal. iii. 16 Gal. iii. 27 Gal. iv. 10 Gal. iv. 17 Gal. iv. 24 Acts xvii. 17. On St. Paul's Plan of Preaching Acts xvii. 23. On the Altar at Athens, and the Existence of God Acts xvii. 28 Acts xviii. 2 Acts -wiii. 5 On the First Epistle to the Thessalonians 1 Thess. V. 27. The Holy Scriptures intended for all. On the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians 2 Thess. i. 4 2 Thess. i. 7 2 Thess. ii. 12. Popery the predicted Apostacy 2 Thess. iii. 6 2 Thess. iii. 17 Acts .xviii. 17 On the Date of the Epistle to Titus Titus ii. 15 Titus iii. 12 Acts xviii. 18 Acts xviii. 22 Acts xviii. 24 Acts xviii. 28 Pa^e of Noied. *280 *282 "282 *288 *288 *289 ^289 *289 *291 *291 *292 *293 *293 *293 ^297 *297 *297 *298 *298 **299 *299 *300 *300 *300 *300 *300 *300 *301 *302 *305 *313 *313 *313 *313 *313 *313 *314 ^314 *3]6 *316 *329 *330 *330 *330 *331 *.331 *331 *331 *334 *336 *337 *337 *337 *33S *339 *339 *339 *339 *343 *343 *343 *344 *346 *346 *346 *347 *347 *347 VOL. II. *^ 58 *?.rvi 458* INDEX THE THIRD. No. of Note. PART. SECTION. Text. 3 XIII. III. 249 4 250 5 IV. 250 6 VI. 250 7 , , 255 8 •• 257 9 258 10 , , 261 11 263 12 VII. 268 13 IX. 269 14 271 15 X. 275 16 XI. 275 17 , . 277 18 ,. 278 19 , , 279 20 .. 281 21 •• 288 22 XIII. 289 23 296 24 , ^ 298 25 XIV. 314 20 XVIII. 315 27 315 28 XX. 316 29 XXIII. 317 30 XXVII. 319 :j1 XXVIII. 319 32 XXX. 320 33 XXXI. 321 34 XXXII. 322 35 , , 322 36 XXXIII. 322 37 XXXVI. 325 1 XIV. I. 325 2 III. 325 3 V. 326 4 , , 326 5 , , 326 6 , , 327 7 , , 327 8 VI. 327 9 , , 327 10 VII. 327 11 327 12 VIII. 327 13 X. 328 14 , , 336 15 XI. 338 16 , , 343 17 XII. 345 18 , , 347 19 , . 348 20 XIII. 351 2i , , 351 22 , , 352 23 . , 352 24 XIV. 352 25 , , 353 26 , , 353 27 , . 3.54 23 354 29 . , 355 30 , . 359 31 XV. 351) 1 XV. I. 360 2 360 3 364 4 3(54 5 3(;5 f) 36(i 7 , . 370 SUBJECT. Acts xix. 2 Acts xix. 9 Acts xix . 13 On the First Epistle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. V. 9. On the Erroneous Translation of this Verse 1 Cor. vii. 6. On the Plenary and Perpetual Inspiration of St. Paul 1 Cor. viii. 6 1 Cor. xi. 10 1 Cor. xii. 16 On the Shrines of Diana Brief Account of Timothy, and of the First Epistle to him. . . 1 Tim. iii. 13 Acts XX. 2 On the Date of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. 2 Cor. iii. 6 2 Cor. iii. 18 2 Cor. V. 2 2 Cor. vi. 14 2 Cor. xiii. 1. On the Meaning of the words Tqitov tovto hQ/ouai On the Date and Occasion of the Epistle to the Romans Rom. V. 14 Rom. vi. 23 Acts XX. 12 Acts XX. 17 Acts XX. 28 Acts xxi. 4 Acts xxi. 26 Acts xxii. 28 On St. Paul's Declaration that he was ignorant that Ananias was High Priest, Acts xxiii. 5 Acts xxiii. 12 , Acts xxiv. 5 Acts xxiv. 22 Acts xxiv. 27 Acts XXV. 11 Acts xxvii. 1 , Acts xxvii. 2 , Acts xxvii. 6 Acts xxvii. 14 Acts xxvii. 14. On the wind called Eurodydon , Acts xxvii. 27 Acts xxvii. 40 , Acts xxvii. 41 Acts xxviii. 1. On the Island of Melita Acts xxviii. 4 Acts x.xviii. 11 Acts xxviii. 12 Acts xxviii. 16 On the Date and Occasion of the Epistle to the Ephesians. . , Ephesians v. 32 On the Epistle to the Philippians Philippians iv. 3 On the Date and Occasion of the Epistle to the Colossians. . . Colossians ii. 14 Colossians ii. 20 On the Date and Occasion of the Epistle to Philemon Philemon 1 Philemon 11 Philemon 15 On the Date and Occasion of the Epistle of St. James James i. 8 James i. 15 James i. 21 James i. 25 James ii. 10 James v. 1.5 On St. Luke's Gospel On the Origin and Date of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Hebrews i. 3 Hebrews iv. 8 Hebrews iv. 12 TIcl)rews v. 7 Hebrews vi. 8 Hebrews viii. 13 Pag« of Notes. *347 *347 *348 *348 *349 *350 *351 *351 *352 *352 *352 *3o6 *350 *356 *357 *358 *358 *359 *3.59 *360 *363 *363 *364 *364 *365 *365 *365 *366 *360 *367 *368 *3(i8 *369 *369 *369 *370 *370 *370 *370 *371 *371 *371 *372 *374 *375 *375 *375 *375 *379 *380 *381 *381 *383 *383 *383 *385 *386 *386 *386 *390 *390 *390 ''391 '^391 *391 *392 *393 *400 *400 *400 *401 *401 *40I INDEX THE THIRD. *459 No. of Note. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 2G 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 PART. XV. SECTION. 11. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. xiii. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. Page of Text. 370 379 379 381 384 384 384 384 385 385 385 385 386 386 387 391 396 398 399 400 400 403 404 404 404 405 406 407 415 429 437 438 SUBJECT. Hebrews ix. 5 Hebrews xii. 22 , Hebrews xii. 26 On the Travels of St. Paul Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject Same subject On tlie Date and Occasion of the Second Epistle to Timothy.. 2 Timothy ii. 2 On St. Peter, and on the Date and Occasion of his First Epistle 1 Peter iii. 21 On the Second Epistle of Peter 2 Peter i. 11 2 Peter i. 16. On the Attestation given to the Divine Mission of our Lord at his Baptism 2 Peter ii. 20 On the Epistle of St. Jude Jude 9 Jude 11 Jude 14 On the Martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul On the Destruction of Jerusalem On the Design and Plan of the Apocalypse § 26 On the Date and Occasion of the First Epistle of John General Remarks on the Second and Third Epistles of John... On the Third Epistle of St. John Pai of oies. ■am Nou *401 *401 *401 381 384 384 384 384 385 385 385 386 386 *402 *404 *404 *406 *407 *408 *408 *409 *410 *412 M12 *412 405 406 *413 *418 *418 *422 *423 *460 INDEX THE FOURTH. Page. Abarbanel, on the Bath-Col *142 Abiathar, the High Priest, Michaehs on *87 Achor, valley of, a door of Hope, meaning of *65 Acclamations of the children, &c. when Christ entered Jerusalem *140 Adam created in the image of God, but his son was born in his own image '^lO , Christ shown to be the second, from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Jewish traditions *47 , why the second was tempted in Gethsemane *1G4 Adria, where St. Paul was wrecked *371 ^ons, of Cerinthus *11 Africanus. on the genealogy of Christ *2'.) Aldine MS., on a reading in *13D "Allegory, which things are an," Bishop Marsh on this passage *331 Allix, Dr. sometimes inaccurate *5 Alexandrian Jews obedient to the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem *255 Altar at Athens *334 Ananias, on his High Priesthood *366 , the nature of his crime *231 Analogy between the claims of human and divine Laws *247 Analogies in Scripture, not from chance .... "230 Analysis of our Lord's address to the Phari- sees, on casting out Devils *9o Angel Jehovah, the Logos of St. John *4 Angels, renewal of their visits to man to be expected at tlie coming of Christ *34 " , by the disposition of," meaning of the expression *243 , present at the reconciliation as at the creation of the world *3.') ascending and descending, interpreted by King as a literal prophecy *56 , the agents of the Deity *207 at the tomb of our Lord *207 attendant at the giving of the law *243 , probability of their continued agency "280 Angel of the congregation — his duties in the Synagogue, service and qualifications *295 Angelic appearances, prove our nearness to the invisible world *207 Annas, influence of, at Jerusalem, when Christ was apprehended *\6Ci Anointing with oil, on this custom *391 Antipater, son of Herod, probably an adviser of the massacre at Bethlehem "41 Antioch, Church of, whether St. Paul was its Apostle *291 , composed of Proselytes of the Gate *303 Antioch, well situated to become the principal Gentile Church *303 , spiritual gifts, offices, and titles, in the Church of '. *30r> Apocalypse, its design, plan, &c *413 , its various interpretations *4I3 Apollonius and Apollos, whether the same . . *347 Apostles, why chosen from the lower ranks of life *71 , chosen *88 Page, Apostles, connected the two dispensations . . . *105 unable to comprehend the causes of Christ's death *119 , office of, well known to the ancient Jews *265 of the High Priest and Sanhedrin, meaning of *266 , when they left Judaea after the as- - cension of Christ *283 , when St. Paul was appointed to the office ^289 , their safety in the first persecution. '*246 , had power over other Churches. *305 , their qualifications "305 Apostolic decree, on the *302 , spiritual meaning of *304 , why not mentioned by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians *329 writings early known, and widely circulated 439 Archelaus, commencement of his reign *42 , banished about the time when Christ at twelve years old went up to Je- rusalem *42 Aretas, king of Arabia, defeats the army of Herod Philip ^63 Arguments in favor of Christianity, how different from those in favor of other systems *101 against Christianity have been all refuted 199 Arminians and Calvinists, in what respects they agree *299 Arnobius, on Simon Magus *247 Articles of faith in the Church of Jerusalem ^264 '• Ascended, I am not yet," &c, explained. . . *]90 Ascension, place of our Lord's *2\o Ascensions, three '*215 Atliens, wisdom of St. Paul's conduct at .... *331 , on the altar there, noticed by St. Paul *334 Atonement, the chief doctrine of the Bible . . *53 , on the *1]9 , necessity of an, for sin *]81 Augustus, expression of, to Cleopatra "57 " Augustan band," on the *369 Auricvilar confession, not an apostolic custom *391 Authority of ancient writers preferable to modern conjecture *3 of our Lord, to preach at Nazareth *63 exercised in every stage of the Church ''SOS of the ministers of the early Church, not from the people, but from God *3]2 " Babbler," Acts xvii. 18 *332 Babylonian Jews obedient to the Jewish San- hedrin *255 Baptism, origin of, among the Jews *43 , whether a permanent institution among the Jews *44 , of John, in what respects diiferent from that of others *44 , three forms of ^"44 , time of Christ's *45 , reasons and meaning of Christ's , . . *96 INDEX THE FOURTH. *46l Page. Baptism first practised as a permanent insti- tution by John *24 , typified l)y the preservation of Noah *4UG , our Lord's, Danzius on the attestation then given to liis Divine Mission *408 Baptize, wliy Clirist did not ''^JJ Barabbas, his release, how obtained *175 Barnabas (tiie father) compares wicked men to fish *73 Barrett, Dr. on the genealogies of Christ *30 Barrington, tiie first Lord, on the image of God and Adam • *!'•) . on the cessation of consciousness between death and the resurrection ... *i)2 , papers unpublished communica- ted by the late Bisliop of Durham *19 , on tlie resurrection of the body *iy5 , on the earliest notion of immor- tality "227 , opinion on the proselytes, con- firmed by the most eminent theologians . . *270 , on the meaning of the word Apos- tle "290 , on the Apostolic decree *302 , on the miraculous gifts *3()7 . on Galatians iii. 1(3 *330 Barrow's, Dr. Isaac, inquiry if St. Peter was ever at Rome *56 Basilides, origin of his opinions *12 , nature of his opinions *13 , liis age *'12 , his errors refuted in the Second Epistle of St. John "423 Baskets, on the twelve *10() Bath-Col, its kind and degrees "142 , defined "142 Believe, men must believe much that cannot be compreliended "19 Belsham on the miraculous conception *22 on the Epistles, reasons for esteem- ing lightly this work *328 " Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf," applied by Witsius to St. Paul "246 Benson, Mr. proposed reading of Luke ii. 2. *28 on the last Passover ^156 chronology confirmed by the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks *236 Berlieley on the non-existence of matter .... ''33.5 Bethabara, where John baptized, the place where the ark rested "54 " Bind and loose," meaning of these words *112 Biscoe on the power of life and death among the Jews *170 Blastus, chamberlain of Herod, was a Roman *282 Blayney"s, Dr. interpretation of Jer. xxxi. 22 *22 " Blessed with faithful Abraham," Gal. iii. 9. ''330 Blind men at Jericlio, &c '^ISO Blind Pharisee, custom alluded to *144 Blomfield, Bishop, on tlie Chaldee para- phrases, &c "5 . on the Messiah expect- ) *3.5 ed by the Jev.'s in the time of Christ 5 *i^^ "■ , on the Samaritans *()() , on Matt. xix. 28 *129 , on the teaching of the Pharisees "145 , on the condemnation of Christ *167 Blood, prohil>ition to eat, whether now bind- ing *304 Body of Christ after the resurrection *207 Body, resurrection of it, a mystery to be more fully revealed *20S Books burnt at Ephesus *348 Bowyer, on the expression •• den of thieves" *143 Brahmins and Budhists might be appealed to on their own principles *333 " Breathing out threatenings," a similar phrase often found in classical authors *255 Page. Brenius on the Cophinus of the Jews *106 Bretliren of Christ, why not believers in his claims , *122 Britain, probably visited by St. Paul 361 Bull, Bishop, his Defensio Fidei JViccf.n(B, the great storehouse of argument against Uni- tarianism *14 Burgess, Bishop, on St. Paul's visiting Britain 382 Burying places of the Patriarchs *240 Buyers and sellers, liow often driven from the temple *]41 Byrom, on the gift of tongues *222 Cain.vn, this name the same as Sala *30 Caiaphas, on liis prophecy *]:'2 Caligula, account of iiis interview with Philo *6 , not the " Man of Sin" , *340 Calvin, liis character; history of his estab- lishment at Geneva *102 's interpretation of Jer. xxxi. 26 *22 Calvinistic tenets not taught in tlic Epistles *319 Calvinists and Arminians, in what respects they agree *299 Camel's hair, garment of, a dress of the ancient Prophets, «S:c *43 Campbell, &c. on Mark i. 1 ^\ , on the Demoniacs *74 Candace, a common name of the Ethiopian Queens *249 Canon completed by St. Jolin 439 Capelluson Gal. iii. 20 *330 Capernaum, why our Lord fixed on, as a residence "70 Carpocrates, his opinions *I2 Carpzovius on the Logos *9 Castalio on the word " Jesus" *26 Catholic Epistles, why so called, account of *386 Causes of our Lord's condemnation *1G6 Popery and Mahomctanism 449 the corruptions of Christianity .... 449 Celsus reproaches the Christians for calling Christ the word of God *6 Centurion's servant, healing of the *91 Ceramicus at Athens *331 Cerinthians opposed by St. John *10 Cerinthus began to disturb the Church in the time of ^St. John *10 , his age and opinions '^lO , origin of his opinions *11 Chaldee paraphrases attribute to " The Word," the attributes of the Angel Jeho- vah *5 " Chickens under her wings," on Dr. Hales's remarks upon *145 Children, among the Jews, required to learn a trade, and study the law at thirteen years of age *42 Chiun, meaning of this word *241 Christ and Moses, parallel between *227 genealogies of, accordinff to St. Mat- thew and St. Luke, reconciled *28 assumed the titles given by the Jews to the Messiah *107 by what authority he preached at Naza- reth ""68 commenced every important work with prayer *88 decided against the school of Scham- mai *87 declared himself the Messiah at Naza- reth *69 , deity of. peculiarly taught in the Epis- tles '. *317 did not separate from the public ser- vices of his countrymen *6ii dines with the Pharisee, «S:c *94 enacted the law of Moses, and claimed dominion over it *8G entering Jerusalem, reason of *14U 462* INDEX THE FOURTH. Page. Christ, events at his birth *28 , how he dehvered himself from the people *70 in his humiliation before Pilate, de- clares himself to be the Messiah *1C6 known in his pre-existent state by the evil spirits *87 not to be followed for earthly pur- poses *107 , on the atonement of, upon the cross *181 , opinion of Cerinthus respecting *10 procures greater blessings than Adam has lost *363 sanctioned no error because it was popular *75 sent out the Apostles on the death of John n05 sympathizes with human sorrow *401 the enactor of the Jewish law *105 the guide and head of the Church in its three stages *104 the Lord of angels and of men *399 the second Adam *47 , why first called Messiah *6(3 , why he did not openly declare himself the Messiah *70 , why he lived at Capernaum *70 , why not shown to all the people after his resurrection *277 , wisdom of, in refusing to work a mira- cle at Nazareth *69 Christian dispensation supported by every species of evidence which confirms the Mosaic *262 Christianity a system of institutions, not of theoretical opiniojis *258 , meaning of the word 446 , no relio-ious system comparable to it : 199 Christians, how or why this name was first conferred on the followers of Christ *278 , primitive, considered the Logos and the Jehovah Angel to be the same. . . . *15 , primitive, why called I'x&vq *73 , the most unlearned, know more than the ancient prophets "93 Church, Christian, apostolic commission, its foundation *104 , history of it while Christ was upon earth * 103 , criterion of the purity of a *248 , duty of every, to follow the apostolic custom in appointing officers, &c *233 o-Qvernment, history of the innova- tions in *-102 , its four prevailing forms *102 , in the safety of one, in what it con- sists *240 , its first union, and purity *231 of Christ, how to be perpetuated *]02 of Christ, truly catholic in the apostol- ic, iind will be so in the millennial age. . . . *292 ''' Church of God," on this phrase *365 of Jerusalem gradually established . . . *237 of Rome described and censured by St. Paul *339 , its asserted supremacy un- scriptural *111 , jealousy of, among Protes- tants, just and reasonable ^343 , to be condemned for its tra- ditions *108 , unaltered and unalterable.. *342 Church service, how altered at the Reforma- tion *316 Churches in the time of the Apostles, on the *225 , rules for their government *346 Chuza, Herod's steward, supposed to be the nobleman at Capernaum *67 Page. Circumcision not necessary to a sojourner among the ancient Jews *271 , reason of Christ's *35 Clarke, Dr. A., on the demoniacs *74 genealogy of Christ. . . *29 laborers in the vine- ' yard *129 last passover *154 Claudius, Emperor, date of his banishing the Jews from Rome *337 Cleansing of the Temple by Christ, an asser- tion of the Messiahship *61 Cleanthes, hymn of, quoted by St. Paul *336 Clemens Alexandrinus, hymn of, to Christ.. *73 , on the divinity of Christ *15 Clemens on St. Mark's Gospel *284 on the time when the Apostles left Judffia *287 Clergy particularly addressed by Matthew, xii. 5 *86 , their true dignity *86 Cloven tongues, how long they remained on the Apostles *225 Cocceius on Matt. viii. 17 *79 on the two Sauls *246 Colossians, Epistle to, date, origin, &c *381 Commission, last, of Christ to his disciples. . . *2J4 Community of goods not intended, &c *225 Comparison between the witnesses to the old and new dispensation *58 Conception, a miraculous, opinion of the ancient Jews on this subject *18 , miraculous, objected against by Socinians, Deists, &c. who reject the divinity of Christ *22 , of a perfect being, necessary and reasonably to be expected . . *18 , typified in the Old Testament *20 Condition, past and present, of the Jews, contrasted *60 Confession of St. Peter more ample than that of the Centurion *107 Confirmation derived from the practice of the Apostles *247 Confusion of tongues healed at Pentecost ... *220 Congregation waiting for Zacharias *17 Consciousness, on the cessation of, between death and the resurrection *92 Conspirators against St. Paul, their vow *367 Constantine, on the circumstances of his conversion "260 Contrast between the teaching and disciples of our Lord and the Rabbis of his age *89 Controversies among Christians, how divided *101 Controversy has been held on all points of theological inquiry *232 Conversion, whether sensible impressions on the mind are essential to *258 Cophinus of the Jews *106 Corah, on the gainsaying of. *412 Corinthians, first Epistle to, date, &c *348 , second Epistle to, its date, cause, &c. *356 Corinth, its character, people, &c *348 Cornelius probably protected St. Peter after his release from prison *282 Correspondences between types and anti- types confirm the truth of doctrines *230 Corruptions, Christ conquered the gradations of. *92 Corruptions, first, of Christianity 449 Cotovicus', map of Jerusalem, on *198 Council of Jerusalem, date of *300 does not weaken the claim to divine inspiration *305 Cranfield's harmony of the resurrection *191 Creation, incomprehensible *19 INDEX THE FOURTH. *463 Page. Creation of the world '334 Creed, articles of the Apostles', taught in the sermons and teaching of St. Peter in the Church at Jerus ilein *2G4 Crenius on the Cophinus of the Jews *]06 Criticisms, verbal, utility of *15 Cross, concerning the superscription on it... *]79 Crusades, Mill's interesting work on the .... *418 Cudworth on fixing the time of the Passover *ir)8 Cyprian, on the office of Deacon *234 Cyrenius ; on the difficulty arising from the insertion of his name *28 DEBmoniacal possessions a j)icture of what man might have been, without redemption *77 • consistent with rea- son ^75 distinguished from diseases *74 present a picture of the future misery of man *77 Dtemoniacs, discussion concerning *74 known in other countries than Judaea *74 Dajmon, meaning of *74 Damascus, how possessed by Aretus *262 Danzius, joh. And. treatise on Baptism *54 , on the attestation given to the divine mission of our Lord at his baptism *408 Darkness that fell on St. Paul, typical *255 Daubuz on the Apocalypse *418 Deacons, caution in appointing them *233 , from whom selected *233 , nature and extent of their office. . . . *234 , their qualifications *233 Death, Christ's power over, gradually taught *!J2 Deity of Christ peculiarly taught in the Epistles *317 Delaney on the prohibition to eat blood *3(M Demiurgus of Cerinthus *11 "Den of thieves, " on this expression *143 Desert, nature of the, where John preached.. *43 Despise, men despise each other *122 Devotional reflections not included in the plan of this arrangement *86 Dialects of the East have no word for " de- note," &c ^IGS Difficulties of Scripture sometimes removed by adherence to the literal meaning *2()1 Diodati on the prophecy of Caiaphas *133 Disbelief, Apostle's, of the resurrection, occa- sioned a demonstration of that truth *212 Disciples, dispute for pre-eminence on the.. *119 of Christ and of the Jews contrasted *89 , first, why taken from the disciples of the Baptist *56 were unfit for their office till the day of Pentecost *220 Discipline, why necessary to a Church *248 Diseases considered by the Jews as the con- sequents of sin *80 Dispensations, Jewish and Christian, for a short time co-existent *G1 , the same Spirit of God assist- ed the members of both, «fec *248 '• Disposition of Angels," on the expression. *243 Distance between Jerusalem and the sep- ulchre *204 Divinity of Christ taken for granted in the New' Tcstnmcnt *219 of Churches condemned in the Epistles *318 of the law among the Jews *G8 Docetae, origin of their opinions *11 , their opinions *11 Doddridge on John i. 31 *55 the pool of Bethesda *84 proselytes *273 DorscliJBUs on the prohibition to eat blood... *30o Page. Dogs, name applied by the Gentiles to the Jewg *108 " Double-mindi'd man," meaning of the ex- pression *3no Dowry of a virgin, two hundred pence *]C(! Draughts offi?red to our Lord on the cross *]78 Dreams, prophetic, dift'erent from monitory. . "2G , imparted to heathen princes ^^20 , revived in favor of Joseph *2G , their nature *2G , vouchsafed to the Pa- triarchs *2G Drusius on Zech. ix. 9 *139 Duysing on the vision of St. Peter *275 Duport's translation of the hymn of Cleanthes *33G Ebionites, a sect of the Docetce *11 rejected the Epistles •'320 similar to the Simonians *1 1 Ecclesiastical Polity, the seventh book of, doubtful *291 Editions of the five harmonizers principally referred to in this work *71 Education and study necessary to qualify men for the office of teachers, after the cessation of miraculous gifls *30G Egypt, number of Jews in. at the time of Christ's birth *39 a type of the world "39 , intercourse with, prohibited '40 Eichhorn on the gift of tongues '222 miraculous draught of fishes "70 Elder, difference between the Jewish and Christian *2!)G — :: , meaning of this word ''•J89 Elders of the Church *3G4 Elias expected to baptize the Jews them- selves *r)4 Elisha, power of, inferior to that of Christ. . . *]05 Eloquence of St. Paul *'.\2'\ Elymas, meaning of this word ^293 Emblems and hieroglyphics, the origin of prophetic language *38 Enffedi and Eneglaim, Ezek. xlvii. 10. situa- twn of *72 English theologians much esteemed by the continental divines *334 '•' Engrafted word," meaning of *390 Enrolment of Augustus, compelled accuracy in the tables of pedigree *23 ordered by Augustus, possibly the same as itTToyQaipl of St. Luke *27 Ephesian letters, &c *343 Ephesians, Epistle to, its date, cause, Sec *375 Epicureans of Athens, account of *332 Epilepsy ascribed to the power of daemons . . . *74 Episcopacy prevailed fifteen centuries with- out interruption *102 , the only form of church govern- ment sanctioned by Scripture *102 Epistles, causes of their obscurity '324 , how distributed *321 , not of temporary use to the Church. *3IG , their inestimable value *31G number, order, preservation, &c. *320 , whether St. Paul wrote to the Corin- tliians before his first Epistle *o49 Errors of the apostolic age still exist *317 Eucharist compared with the Passover *1C2 . its institution *1 GO Euroclj-don, on the wind ^^370 Eusebius on St. Mark's Gospel "287 the Canon 440 early places of worship *294 time when the Apostles left Judiea *287 Eutychus raised to life, on this miracle *363 Evening divided into late and early *196 Evidence of every kind which supported the 464* INDEX THE FOURTH. Page. Mosaic, was afforded to confirm also the Christian dispensation *2G2 Evidences of Cliristianity, never denied in the Apostolic age *317 Evil, if w^e are not delivered from its power, we cannot be saved from its consequences. *26 Existence and eternity of God and Christ *123 Experience, many things contrary to, not con- trary to philosophy. *26 Faber defends the divinity of the Angel Jeho- vah i'J on natural religion 201 the Apocalypse *418 word " Remphan " *242 Facts, Christianity founded on *]01 " Fall of man," meaning of the expression . . *18 Family, Holy, return to Bethlehem, not to Nazareth, after the purification "36 Fathers, Apostolic, their testimony to the di- vinity of Ciirist *14 , the early, when their testimony is val- uable and decisive *234 unanimous on the essential truths of Christianity *284 Farmer, Dr. on the demoniacs '*74 Farnabius on the cophinus of the Jews *106 I'lo- tree cursed, meaning and circumstances Sf that event *142 " Figs, time of," on this expression *143 Fire descended at Pentecost on the Apostles as on the sacrifices '*223 " — J salted with," meaning of the expression *12U First Parents, their state at the fall *18."> " Fishers of men," meaning of the expression *72 Fishes, kind of, with which the five thousand people were fed ^lO.^ Fleming on the persons who rose with Christ "203 Forms of Church-government now prevailing *102 " Forsaken me, why hast thou," on this ex- pression *183 " Four hundred and fifty years," and Acts xiii. 20 ,./297 " months, and then cometh harvest," meaning of • <>o Fourteen generations, on the, of Matt. i. 17. . *34 » years after," Gal. ii. 1 *301 Freeman of Rome, his right of appeal "3G9 " Fruit of the vine," how not drank again by Christ *]G4 " Full of new wine," Markland and Lightfoot "^224 Gaius addressed by St. John *423 Galatians, Epistle to the, its date *325 design *32G Gale's Court of the Gentiles, a valuable work *15 Galilee, Christ began his ministry there *64 , dialect of *]<P , idolatry began there - '"04 . pointed out^'in the Jewish traditions as the place where the Messiah should appear *64 , the wonderful consequences to the world of our Lord's commencing his minis- try there *fi4 Gallio, an amialdo and literary man *343 Gamaliel, Acts v. 34 *'23 Ganz, R. Da^id, his mistake concerning John the Baptist *^^ Gardiner, Colonel, on his conversion *25S " Gaza which is desert," opinions on this pas- sage "249 Geinara, account of 445 Genealogies, Jewish, so confused, that the MessiiUi could not now be known from them '144 of Clirist *28 " Generation, who shall declare his," «S:c. ... ''2.'0 Gentiles, tlieir conversion predicted by our Lord in liis first public address *70 Page. German critics confound the personal and conceptual Logos *8 theologians injure the cause of reli- *222 gion *222 Gerizim, how the Samaritans defended their worship there *66 Gethsemane, agony in the garden of *I64 Gift of tongues, on the ^220 place where this mir- acle, &c *224 , various opinions on this miracle *221 Gifts, the miraculous, difficult to define *30t^ ~, how arranged, &c *307 , in the Church at An- tioch *306 Gisborne, on the Epistles *318 Glassius, on " Gaza which is desert " *249 Gleig's, Bishop, illustration of the mode of preserving the accounts of our Saviour's miracles *3 Gnosticism condemned by the Apostles, simi- lar to various modern errors *3] 7 Gnostics, their opinions *12 God, belief in his existence the foundation of all religion *334 " — , the mighty," (Isa. vii. 9.) rendered by Horsley, " God, the mighty man " *20 Gospel, its first effects to remove hatred, &c.. *247 , progress compared to that of rivers. . *72 , preached by the converts to the pros- elytes first *277 , probable that one would be written early *2.5l , superior to the law *358 Gospels, many spurious works published with tliis title *2 ! why written in Greek *91 , written in various persecutions *392 Government, why necessary to a Church *248 Grace, when man may fall from *258 Graves, Dean, on the prayer of Solomon. . . . *274 Graves, opened at the Crucifixion, but the bodies did not rise till after the resurrec- tion of Christ *202 " Grave with the wicked," &c. this passage explained *196 Gray, Dr. on St. Paul's shipwreck *.373 Greek, propriety of the Evangelists writing in that language *91 Greeks who desired to s,'"? Christ *141 Grotius on " the man of sin " *340 miraculous conception *24 prohibition to eat blood *304 prophecy of Caiaphas *133 Zech. ix. 9 *139 Guards who seized Christ, struck to the ground *1 6G " Guilty of all," meaning of *391 " Habitation be desolate," meaning of *218 Hales, Dr. criticism on Matt, xxiii. 37, object- ed to *145 , on St. Paul's visiting Britain 383 , on the Apostleship of St. Paul *291 date of St. Paul's trance .... *2r)2 Epistle to Titus '^344 proselvtes *273 word Remphan *241 Half-shekel for the temple service, on the... *119 Hall, Bishop, on the Transfiguration *118 Hammond, Dr. on the Elders of the Church. '304 : " man of sin " *340 " Handwriting of ordinances," meaning of the expression • •^°'' Happiness of man the object of revelation. . . *72 Harmonists principally consulted in tliis ar- rangement * Hansenius on the prophecy of Caiaphas *132 INDEX THE FOURTH. *465 Page. *401 St. « Heard in that he feared," meaning of . . Hearing, and liearing not the voice, at Paulas conversion, various solutions ot this ^^_^ « hS % the' fath'eVs' to the children," &c. meaning of the expression Heathen address.-d by St. John. •••••••■,; ■,' " .- admitted into the Jewish Clmicli by Imao-ination, a bad guide in interpreting Scrip- ture baptism. 44 Hebrews, Epistle to the, cause, aaie, ue.ig.., ^^^^^^ date, design, &.C Hebron ■alway'sVeneVated by the If^elites . *24 -, many remarkable events occurred ^^^ tliere sing Jlar' allusion to, in the teinple- scrvice Henrich on the gift of tongues .... • • • • • Heinsius, Danief, his work too much neglected , Iambic line oi , . on the Demoniacs • • • _. glory at the transfig- uration Herder, on the gift of tongues . . . - • • • Heresies, many ancient, occasioned by wrong notions of the Logos - of the apostolic age St. John wrote Herod Agrippa, death of. . . ••:••••• ' • ' " and Pilate , cause of their difference . . . his alarm when he heard against which causes of *-24 "•222 *69 *69 *74 *114 *222 *ll *10 *289 *174 *36 Page. *72 Immortality, earliest notion of it in the world «227 Imprisonment of John, date of, various opin- ions concerning : V ' 1 *i r: Incarnations, idea of, perverted by the pagans lo Independency, its origin r'^'r^"\ -y lo ndich, the name of the Eunuch of Candace. 249 Infidelity , its effects on revolutionary France . 2 2 _ rejected in England ^"^ Infidels, opinions of some principal ^"^ Influences of the Holy Spirit always necessa- ^^^^ ry • • ' ■ attendant on ^ Z *'>48 the use of the means of grace. -*^ Insane, the, different from Demoniacs '* Introduction to St. John's Gospel, its impor- tance • • • • •.• Irenaeus's account of ISasilides . . . • • • • • • • the reasons why St. J onn wrote his Gospel • . testimony to the divinity ■ ■ shall be with child, of Christ Isaiah vii. 9. " a virgin meaning of the expression n5 *12 *10 "15 *20 Jairus"s daughter healed *2E 278 *386 *43 *63 446 *291 *252 ^a that Christ was born ;•.•-• - • • • • Hieroglyphics and Emblems the origin of pro- ^^^ Hiu'eh U JleSd RabbiVdies about the time when Christ, at twelve years of age, went up to Jerusalem 1' " W Historians err in assigning proportionate causes to great events. • • • • • • • • History of the Church to the present day . . . Hooker on the time of St. Pau 's apostleship Home on St. Matthew's Gospel. • • • Horsley, Bishop, incorrect in his account of ^^^^ the Samaritans ,'",' \"\ a'' «oit; , , on St. Stephen's last words. 24o , on the cloven tongues .••••• 226 exclamation of St. " . *2r2 Thomas ; • •;•_•:; Vt'„",I. ' *23U *308 *368 James made Bishop of Jerusalem • • • , St., Epistle of, its date, cause, &c.. . . ^-wu ___J , his advice to St. Paul ' -^^a Jebb, Bishop, on the speech of Mary Jehovah, Angel, the Logos ot St. John. ..... \ rendered by tlie Chaldee paraphra " Word of the Lord " ■ •^ sers o 109 "Jeremy the prophet," Matt, xxvii. 9 ^^ Jericho, a populous city ......••• • -. • • ' Jerome! St. on the date of St. Paul s preachmg Jbl on St. Mark's Gospel ...........••• Jerusalem, Church of, its union, doctrine, dis. cipline, and practice • • • • • • ;, * ' * ;;,V " ^ circumstances of its fall fulfillec ^^^^ 287 '263 the predictions of Christ. ^^" . , on the destruction of • ^^•*^. why permitted to be destroyed. .. . 14b Jesus, as the son of Mary, wn« heir to the meekness of Moses . . miraculous gifts Nazarenes Shechinah "*! 14 Syrophenician woman *108 on Unitarianism *^j " Hosanna," meaning of the word 14t) Hosea xi. 1, how applicable to Christ . .^ . . 6J Hettinger, on releasing a prisoner at the Pass- over to be Hour, on the, when Christ was g^^^^ ;';_"%i75 " Esfis left unto 'the d^^olate,'" meaning of ^^^^^ .^^:sri::^;;hv;o,;^'•&e:m;anh^g;>f^ :io5 " House which is from Heaven," meaning of 3.>^ Human means necessary to preserve religion 102 Humility of our Lord •;••••• \\ Hypotheses on the origin of the world ... ... •^ to account for coincidences in the was heir throne of David , meaning of the name , opinion of Cerinthus respecting i^ Jew depends on his Ilabbies •. Jews, ancient, on a miraculous conception appealed to by the similarity of the deuces which confirm the Christian Mosaic dispensations • • • circulated false accounts of the resur- rection '. 1 ' ' * , ouiltof Christ's death rests upon them ' opinion of the modern, on the Bath Col .•••■■■■■■?" ', " J , past and present opinion of, contrasted evi- and *29 *2G *18 262 257 175 — , predictions of their future prosperity — ', their final and total dispersion ideas of the Messiah . •^142 *58 «414 446 "109 ^2-30 334 Gospels God, otherwise *26 *185 242 234 Ideas can be suggested by than through the medium of the senses . . Identity of man, in what it consists : contin- ues in the invisible state Idolatry, on the ancient Jewish lo-natius, on the office of Deacons . . Ignorance less injurious to truth than pervert- ^^^^ ed learning • • • • Image of God, and of Adam, difference be- ^^^ tween VOL .II. ^^ John (Acts iv. 6.) the same as Rab. Johanan. Baptist, his dress, food, message, place of preaching, persons he addressed, his ^^^ japtibin, c-^-.-- — '^jj^yggg of his death. *105 ' proofs that he was a prophet. . . ■ of the selection of. propriety as the forerunner of Christ . why he sent messengers 94 ^43 to Christ ix 1—35, on the place of • • ' last testimony to Christ, meaning of. St. belief of the resurrection design of " da Epistles of >*93 *126 *62 *206 *10 - on the date of his^ Gospel • ^^*4 supposed to have been the bride- groom at the marriage at Cana in Galilee . . *57 466* INDEX THE FOURTH. Page. John, St., time of the death of 442 Jonathan ben Uzziel, author of the Chaldee paraphrase, might have questioned our Lord, when twelve years of age '43 Jones on the rehgion of Philo and Josephus.. '247 Gadarene demoniac *y9 good Samaritan *125 restoration of the bhnd man, &c. "127 Jortin, Dr., on the parallel between Christ and Moses *227 Conversion of Constantine *2G0 . demoniacs "74 Syrophoenician woman. ... *108 Joseph, the Patriarch, nature of his dreams. . "26 Josephus's account of John the Baptist *63 confirms the history of John's im- prisonment *63 on his omitting the slaughter at Bethlehem MO remark on a passage in his works, in reference to the Bath Col ^142 whether wrecked with St. Paul . . . *o73 Journey, causes of St. Paul's second apostoli- cal.. *313 " Joy, this my, is fulfilled," meaning of the expression "tj2 Judas, on the manner of his death *1(>9 Jude, object, &c. of his Epistle *410 Justin Martyr on Simon Magus *247 the office of deacons ^234 Kennicott, Dr., on Isaiah vii. 9 *20 '• Kick against the pricks," on this phrase. . . *257 "Kingdom of Heaven," meaning of the ex- pression *98 opened by St. Peter when he preached to Cornelius *284 King's morsels of criticism *''j(3 Kleinius on the gift of tongues *222 Knatchbull, Sir Norton, on the slaughter at Bethlehem *41 star in the East *39 Knowledge, Pharisees mistook it for religion *122 Krebsius on the power of life and death among the Jews *174 Kuinoel on John i. 30 *oo the Baptist as the Para- nymph, &c *62 St. Paul's conversion *2r)7 St. Stephen's death *245 the demoniacs *74 the power of life and death amono- the Jews "174 the term, " The Son of God " . . , *21 ''■ Lamb of God," Lightfoot on this expression ^55 Lamb of God, the principal name of Christ. . *55 Lampe, curious and fanciful interpretation of the miraculous draught of fishes '*72 , on the mystical interpretation of the narrative of the marriage at Cana *()1 Land purchased by Jacob, difficulty concem- ino", reconciled ()(> Laodiceans, Epistle to the *375 Lardncr, Dr.. confounds the twofold nature of Christ in his treatise on the Logos *3i3 on the authority of Macrol)ius ; from the Barrington papers *41 date of St. Matthew's Gospel *2.^'2 proselytes *271 .. time when the Apostles first left Judfea *282 , date of the Epistle to Titus *344 : prophecy of Caiaphas *]33 demoniacs *74 , solution of the difficulty, Lukeii.2 *28 huge, Laurence, Abp., remarks on Michaelis on Matt. iv. 8 -aS' on Michaelis's remarks on St. Matthew ■ ] 00 on tlie Chaldee paraphrases. *G on the draughts ottered to our Lord on the cross , . '"178 Law, Bishop, on the propriety of Christ's con- duct in the affair of tJie adulteress ^123 of Moses and the miraculous gifts im- parted at Pentecost *223 , Mr., on Church government *24S Laws are only binding while the reason of their first enactment still continue *304 Lawyer, on our Lord's answer to *125 Lazarus, on the place of the resurrection of. . "129 , why the account of his resurrection is given by St. John only *132 Leper, when cured, why commanded to con- ceal it *80 Leprosy a type of sin *79 , on the cure of *79 Leslie's Appeal to the Jews, chiefly taken from Limborch - (jO Lesson of the day, whether Christ read the, in the synagogue of Nazareth *68 " Letter killeth." meaning of "357 Libertines, (Acts vi. 9.) who are meant by this word *238 Lightfoot, a contradiction in his works • *133 , conjecture of, respecting the lesson read in the Temple, on the day v/hen Zach- arias was struck dumb *17 on demoniacs *75 on the Nicolaitans *236 effect of the preaching of John the Baptist ^67 — genealogies of St. Matthew and St. Luke *2y Jewish expectation of the Messiah *10O modes of worship among the early Christians *294 office of Deacons *236 pool of Bethesda *84 power of life and deatli, &c. *173 words " bind and loose " . . . . *112£ on " these men are full of new wine," (Acts ii. 13.) *224 supposed the star in the East to be the Shechinah, which appeared to the shepherds "38 Light of nature never taught true religion 203 the world, a title of the Rabbis, con- ferred on his disciples by our Lord *90 , what is implied by *123 Limborch on the superiority of the mission of Christ to that of Moses *60 Linen clothes, how they were lying in the sepulchre *206 Liturgical services sanctioned by our Lord. . *68 Locusts eaten by John the Baptist *43 Logos, idea of, traced by Gale to the times of Pythagoras *15 Logos, in what sense the Jews understood Johni. 1. 18 *5 of Philo, both conceptual and real, wily *7 , propriety of the word to describe a manifested God *10 , same as the Angel Jeliovah *5 , the twofold notion of, produced many heresies *10 , whether referred to in Luke i. 2 *4 , wliethcr united to the human nature at the birth of Christ *3.") Lord's Prayer, clauses of in the Jewish litur- gies "91 Lowth, Bishop, on Isaiah liii. 8 *250 INDEX THE FOURTH. *467 Page. Luke published the genealogy "^ Christ whi J the tables of pedigrees were still pre- ^^ served. St . account oi • • • ___!_- alludes to the origin of the name *3 *68 ::^i:^cJr;^ii;";;;ici;ci";w;;d-;;;d by ^^ St. Matthew and St. Mark on the Gospel ot ......••••• •■ when he joined Page. Matt. iii. 1-3. reconciled with John i. 31 *55 V. 22. explained •,.-•••' *Zi Matthew and Levi, whether different persons 81 the first Gospel ^ , . ^ , ^, St., date of his Gospel A written ior *81 251 *3 on tlie tune St. Paul 288 •;;;y brief hi soine part of the Acts *23G lievers . _ Gospel written lor Jewish be- originally both in Greek and Hebrew, or Syiochaldaic - in what language his Gospel -why his preface was written. Lunacy ascribed to the power of dsEmons. . . Macedonia, chief city of Macknight on faith and works on the demoniacs ••'••. Epistle to the Galatians. , typical nature was written. *74 *314 *328 *74 *325 '406 *412 ^25G -iir Lord :'.''.'' iwi„tf Magee's, Abp., admirable criticism on^att ^^^ vTii. 17. ....••••.•, • • -^^ • ;^ • '^{y\^e probable origin of his Gospel, publislied the genealogy ot •253 *253 <254 of Noah's preservation — on Jude 'J.. . . on the time Christ, while the tables of pedigree were ^^ still extant. '---- ii;;;;-;f •p:r;;cuU;n «252 why selected to write the first ^ Gospel "251 when St. Paul saw wrote'early to contradict the Jewish story of our Lord's resurrection^ ; [ >^7 '..... *74 Matthias, election of, &c Mead. Dr., on the demoniacs ........... • • • Means of grace appointed ^T-n/heJ-f '"^^J to convey the influences of the Holy Spirit on the advantages &,c. Magi, honored with a renewal oi uiv^..^ ^^^ J^t°on'\h;ir*'Vi;iV,'"c;untr;;* object in ^_^^ comino- to Jerusalem, «&c '. j ' ," V MagSrate, reason why the first idolatrous ^^_^^ convert was a "■■.■■," *-xa{) Mahomet not the " man of sin ^-^^^ Maimonides on the Bath <;^o| . . . . • • time of the Passover loa Manaen supposed to have been the nobleman at Capernaum, and early converted. . . . . . - ^^W ___.,^account o^^^-^ — -g^; p^^i^ ^^,^ ^^^^ Church of Rome •••••••••. «^r, Mann on the place of^John vi ^^^^ Manifestation of the topirit • • • Manuscripts, authority of -cessary in eveiy proposed alteration of the text of the New ^^^ Testament • • • '/■'!' " ^-^4 Mavcion,used an apocryphal composit^n. . . ._^4 Mirket-place or Forum at Athens, on the .... ^^- inarkei piau _ ^^ —-.bably not correct *224 separated from the context ; * *OlO xvi. 9, &c. on Its genuineness ~U. «4 ^irnimstances of his hte • • • ■*oo 259 247 *23 225 Mede Joseph, on the salutation _; on the Churches in the apostolic age . -^ demoniacs • ■ early places of Christian wor- MediatoVial kingdom 'to be resigned . . . .^. . " xMediator not of one," &c. (Gal. m. 20.) Ca pellus on this text .: • • • • ■••;;• * eekness of Moses, (Num. xn 3.) on the M'eSr'o; MaUaTnatiVes of, not barbarous !______, where St. Paul was wrecked Mendham's Clavis Apostolica. •••••••• spiritual, idea of, constantly '294 *408 *330 *230 ^374 *372 *3G3 pre- the ^26 Markland on Acts ii. 13, probably not correct Mark i. 1, whether to be St., circumstances -. ,. . , j u„ his Gospel written or dictated by *286 a spectator of our Lord s act ons ^^^ __J object of his Gospel ^^^^ ._ probable date of his Gospel • ^° '^ - ■ - KJo rinanpl WaS WnttCIl at *235 whether his Gospel was written at Rome Marriao-e at Cana in Galilee :\'""e "^ Bxarriap C ^ ^ interpretation of this narrative - • • • • • • • Marsh Bishop, censures Michaeiis • • • M arsn,Jiisn p, ^^ ^^_^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ evangelist borrowed from a common document . on John v. 4 • . • • • on the draughts offered to our Lord on the cross *57 *71 *84 n78 Messiah, sf- - ™ , <. served in the New Testament. Metaphysical errors condemned ^y ^ ^^^%^^^ mfolh%: int^p^^teci "b; 'thJ R;bbis;'as-by ^^^ _!!_^rppoVed b; L-owth -and HdeV "t; ^^^ allude to Isaiah vii. 'J. •••,••;•••■ *a\2 Michael and Satan, di^P^^e be^twe^n^. .^ . - . • Michaeiis, his Harmony of the New iesta ^^^ j!f!Lr^:ss^S^;^i.gth; mi;a;;A;;; ^^^ ^!!!^^";S^ftlist.-Vc^n-wi^e^^^ ao-ainst Cerinthus . • . • ^g^ " - on Mark ii. 20 ^^.g . St. Paul's preaching 201 on the dispute of the disciples, &c^ 119 . draughts offered to our ^^^^ __!fl^i!^i!^5i;;iVto u;.^ Gdati^n;::: ^327 proselytes............ ••••,^^3 Libertines •••;•• J:^?^ title of Sergius Paulus *293 unction at Bethany Peter and St. Paul unction at too little regard 134 405 Mfrv"how' ti;;" coukn "of ' EuVabeth, though notof tlie tribe of Levi. ■ the Virgin, why she went hein with Joseph • • • • • • • Masora and Masorites, account of the Matter, on the existence of to Bethlc- '33 *28 445 "334 pays 100 uLuc itg>».- to anci _^l%nw'a«;ntabi;" "remarkV ;f," on St. ^^^ Matthew's Gospel M " [{^'^ ' 77.. ... "88 Evangelists • •••••,■ ' ' ti'cle *2 MiddletSn. Bishop, on the Greek article ^^^^ ; on Simon Magus. • - . • • ■■;•;••• " *4i8 Mills on Mahometanism and th^ Crusades. . Ministers of God the parany mphs ot^ the ^^^ Church . - • • V;," ■ ■ 'i' * different from of the early Churcn, uiuc ^^^ those of the Synagogue .. V -^-(j;;';,;;;;;. Ministry of Chv.st, tune of, from tne *46S INDEX THE FOURTH. Page, sation with Nicodemus to the miracle at Bethesda *81 Ministry, propriety of the age at which Christ's began *123 Miracle at the pool of Bethesda, at the feast of Pentecost *82 , Christ's first, probably wrought be- fore his own family *57 defined *58 , second, at Cana of Galilee, its im- portance *67 , why not wrought at Nazareth *69 Miracles, comparisons between those of Mo- ses and of Christ "58 , Jewish and Christian, supported on the same evidence and reasons *o8 , object of *58 of Christ, why rejected by the Jews . *167 of Moses and Elias, how divided. . . . *58 , reasons of the Jews for believing, the same as that of the Christians *59 , their revival to take place in Galilee *57 Miraculous gifts expected by the Jews in the time of Christ *224 Mishna, account of 445 , on the Sabbath *8G Missionaries, St. Paul's conduct at Athens the model for ^333 to reason with men on their own principles *333 Mission of Christ as demonstrable as that of Moses *409 Mite, or Lepton, Jewish law concerning it. . . *]46 Mnemeion different from the Taphos *20.5 Mahometanism, Mills's interesting work on.. *41S " Moment of time," Luke iv. 5 ^51 Morgan on the miraculous gifts "308 Moses and Christ, parallel between *227 , the paranymph of the Jewish Church. *(>2 Mosheim on James being Bishop of Jerusa- lem *27!> on the election of Matthias *218 office of Deacon *235 word Apostle *267 Nares, Archdeacon, on John i. 31 *55 Luke i. 2 *4 Natural religion defined 200 " Nature," meaning of this word *58 ( *368 " Nazarene," meaning of this word ? ^.^ Nazareth, despised part of Palestine *42 New articles of faith not taught in the Epis- tles *31S Newcome, Archbishop, on our Lord's more public teaching , , *G7 the denials of St. Peter ""] (57 last Passover . *l.j4 word Rem- phan *24] Newton, Bishop, on the demoniacs *74 , Sir Isaac, on the time of the Pass- over *159 Nicolaitans, origin of the name '*236 Nicopolis, when visited by St. Paul *244 Noah, on the typical nature of his preserva- tion *40(i Nonnus's paraphrase of John i. 31 ^56 on Christ Viralking on the sea *107 on the fishes which fi-d the 5000 *106 , utility of his paraphrase on St. John *.56 Notes of this Arrangement designed to illus- trate the wisdom and propriety of Christ's conduct *3 not necessary to illustrate our Lord's addresses to the Jews, before his apprehen- sion *140 Nye, Stephen, on t ho Logos *y Page. Oak of Mamre, venerated in the time of Eusebius *24 Obedience to human and divine law, «&c. . . . *247 Offerings, various, among the Jews, account of "^JGO " Offspring, we are his own," whence taken. "336 Ointment of spikenard, vaQdog nioTiy.^, vari- ous meanings of. *136 Old Testament, Epistle to the Hebrews the key of *400 Onesimus, account of him ^384 Onias, temple of, equal in authority to that of Samaria *66 Operations of the Holy Spirit, ordinary, con- tinue for ever "221 Opinions in the apostolic age *327 Oppian quoted, on fish considered as emblems *73 Opposition against the infant Church *230 to the early Churches 448 " Ordained to eternal life," «fcc. Acts xiii. 48. *299 Order of the narrative of the Temptation, why different in St. Matthew and St. Luke *A1 Ordinary influences of the Spirit always necessary *248 Original sin, meaning of *18 Origin of Pagan Idolatry, by Mr. Faber, an admirable and useful work *15 the Papal usurpations 4.50 the visible world *334 Osiander on the word Jesus *26 Osiander's plan condemned by Spanheim... "70 Paley on St. Paul's silence on the apostolic decree *329 llie council of Jerusalem *.301 the Epistle to Titus *345 Paley's solution of the difficulty, Luke ii.2. . *28 Papacy, date of its supremacy *102 Parable, meaning of the word "97 Parables, when our Lord first spoke in *97 Parallelisms in the Old and New Testaments *25' Paranymph, John the Baptist the, of Christ and the Church *62 one only, at the Galilean mar- riages *62 Paraphrases, Chaldee, Bishop Pearson on the *5 on the Logos *5 on the origin and cor- ruptions of. *5 Passover compared with the Eucharist *1C0 , manner of its celebration *152 , whether Christ ate of the last *153 Passovers, number of, in our Lord's ministry. *81 , passed by our Lord when on earth *81 Patriarchs, why they desired to be buried in Canaan *202 Pauline persecution, St. Matthew's Gospel probably written at that time *254 Paul, St., addressed his Epistles to all the people *338 appeals to Cresar *369 as a Jewish doctor, was privileged to preach in the Synagogues *293 causes of his second apostolical journey *313 conduct at Athens the model to all missionaries *333 conversion, a type of the future conversion of the Jews *257 on his silence respecting the apos- tolic decree in his Epistle to the Galatians. *329 date of his conversion *254 dispute concerning Mark *313 eloquence *323 his age at the death of Stepiien .... *245 his probable design in being set apart by the Church at Antioch *292 his removal to Cassarea *3()7 INDEX THE FOURTH. Paul, St., illustrations, traceable to his private _i!!lll' is' imprisoned tiie'second time under Nero Page. 323 405 *371 *469 Page. . is wrecked at Melita. ^f •_ t.,t;r>.ic Xro •^■^* learning, quotations, martyred at Rome . ._ on his conduct at Jerusalem. io-norance of Ananias ^ ZZZ- plan onus preaching at Athens . . possessed all the apostolic qualihca- ' Lord's Messiahship 406 *3G5 *3GG "331 ^306 tions Pirke Eliezer, illustration of Matt. xv. 2G. from .■"■■*.* » Place, go to his own," meaning ol. . . . . • • • • Places of worship among the early Christians "294 Plalo, source whence he derived his idea ot a ^'."[hought ail' things full of dsmons Pleroina orCcraithus. • • • ■ • • Plucking the ears of «^o'^"' P^'^^^]' ;_^_ _\'"^ ^gS event , '■ *ua - corn considered as reaping eo Plutarch quoted, on tish as an emblem i^ '220 *15 *74 m the proof of our _ afforded, which he might have demanded. . . trance in the temple, dale ot • travels after his lirst imprisonment when made an Apostle • • taken to Areopagus by whether to Saul 2.^5 *2t32 3S2 ^289 "?32 *293 Polycarp on the office of deacons. . . ... • • • • • Pool of Bethesda, miracle at, authenticity of the passage lu which it is related *84 ni2 lorcG why this name was given Paulus, a German critic, on ^he twofold ^^ Logos ^.^oo - on the gift of tongues ^ '< Peacemakers," meaning oi the term ^ OJ Pearce, Bishop, on the Libertines ~ Pea sok, Bishop, on the olHce ot Deacons... 234 fedigre^ of Joseph and Mary must been well known and accurate oeeii wLii „ , Ghost was then have ■^•23 Pentecost, why the Holy ^^'^"^^ _ ^^^^ _ ^'_ ..222 PefSon's'of God'preciicated of Christ. .... ?< ptmission, this I speak by," on this phrase Persecution, time of, referred to by bt. ^^__^ Matthew Peter, St., whether hi his supremacy over s name Cephas proved the other Apostles which the 219 ^350 56 Popery, its" revival will compel attention to the ancient controversies .. . . . - • ■ • • • • • • • • . has increased within the last tew _I!!^!'its i,rincipies Veiisured in Scripture . . the enslaver and curse of mankind.. Popular election of the Clergy not proved iVom the election of Matthias ^-^J' Bishop, on Mark ix. 1- ••;••••. V " ".L of the Apostles the best guide to ^^^^ >264 Jewish *340 *-340 451 ., whether the rock on wnicn '"^ ^^^^ Church is founded ,••••;•• * ' " ' ri .l;" *f ^ on the time when he saw Clirist ^^^^ after the resurrection. • deliverance from prison Porteus, Practice Christian Churches. Church at Jerusalem Prayer, the Lord's, clauses of in the Jewisn ^ _ ^ liturgies *,;i Bishop Taylor on • • • -. . of Christ began at the imprison- ^^^ Preaching _- -,. ^i • ment of John, reasons for this .. ... of St. Paul no proof ot his Apos- tleship Clirist in his, known by evil ^290 how ex- plained 'by the liberal German cominenta- ^^^^ " ■"wlier'e lie took refuge miraculous release from prison . did not remain after his rid" orisrin *1 *2 *9 nsi *103 *103 *289 long; at Rome, on *282 *284 4')5 his first journey to that city martyred at Rome , Epistles of, their date, origin, desiifli, &c , __!_•., observations on the genuineness of his second Epistle. •• Petronius Arbiter, on fish, as an emblem .... Pfeiffer, on the word Jesus dialect of Galilee i^J word Remphan ^2 1 1 har<Ted with hypocrisy I'ij " " 14;) *383 *63 *404 *407 ^73 *27 Preexistence, Christ in nis, b.iiu»v.x ^j ^ ^ ^^^ spirits Preface to the Gospels ........••• • • • • • of St. Luke variously interi)reteU of St. John, its precise object . . . '^ Prepared before the foundation ot the wo Presbyterianism, date and causes of its oi , its progress Presbytery, meaning of this word " pSse/i^the Spirit," (Acts ^vni. 5.) mean- ^^^^ PddfauV.'DeanVonVhe"'seVent> weeks, re- marks on his interpretation ^^-^ account of the proselytes. ^^'" Priesthood, Jewish, publicly instituted. .... Oi [ J its succession sacred Christian, its origin, descent, and succession, as clear as that of the Jews .. . Patriarchal, Levitical, Christian . ' Christian, its present degradation at the Passover, origin ot. . 101 Pharisees cl--„ _ , on the leaven ot Philemon, Epistle to, its date origin, &c. Philip assumed the name of Herod the Deacon * 101 102 103 175 ■375 449 must not be confounded with the Apostle •.•:•••••'•• Philiimlans, Epistle to, its date, origm, &c. . . PhiloT^he^ Ivho fashion Christianity to pre- conceived ideas, generally wrong Philo, some account of •••••.••• interview of, with Caligula ' passages from, on the Logos ' confounds the personal with a concep- tual Lo<ros, and is thus equally^ depended upon by the Unitarian and . writers ". ' ' " V i" • i"- * , former popularity of his works. ., on prophetic and monitory dreams . . . . 2b <; Physician, heal thyself," a Jewish proverb . . 69 Pilate -and Herod, cause of their d.fterence .1/4 Pilkington, on the miraculous draught of ^^^ fishes VOL. II. and Trinitarian 246 380 *77 *6 *6 *7 *8 *9 26 Prisoner released Prisoners, mode of securing them Procrress of the Papal corruptions. - • • • Prophecies accomplished by events appaient- 1 V incidental • ' ' ' Prophecy, the spirit of, when descended upon ^^^ aj!!l!!L'.l uAtous'of 'Christ,'"' 'meaning of this *28 insult ™ ■'.■'" i " ' better evidence of miracles Prophetic dreams, observations on. . . ^167 .. ^413 .. ^25 Prophetical books, how'divided by the Jews . *68 Propriety, peculia^, of Christ's actions pointed ^^ out in the notes ' ' ' ' Proselytes of Shechem, the first persons^ bap- ^^^ _^_-Vcont'r'ov'e'r;;' c'o'n'c'e'riiing', 'between Lord Barrington and Dr. Lardner • ^7U _r_-of the gate, apostolic decree ad- ^^^^ P^SSird;;tri;;;';^'-iMainea _i!!!.ljl';f"Go'd,"h'ow' shown 'in the Pfo- "^on ofihe firsl teaching of Christianity -29. Prudence required in Missionaries *NN *333 470* INDEX THE FOURTH. Page. Publicans considered by the Jews as profane persons *81 Publicity of the Apostles' preaching *347 Punishment, capital, whether permitted to the Jews *170 " Put on Christ," this phrase illustrated *330 Pythagoras thought all things full of dtemons *74 conversed with the Jews in the captivity 201 Pythoness really possessed *314 Quotations in the New Testament sometimes on the rabbinical plan *87 Quotation (Acts viii. 32.) the same in the Septuagint and Hebrew *249 Rabbi, how rendered in Greek "71 Rabbins, celebrated, who probably questioned Christ when twelve years of age *43 Rabbinical mode of quoting Scripture *87 Reger on the title on the cross *180 Reading, no new, of the New Testament to be received, unless on the authority of MSS. *28 Reason alone never discovered a true religion 201 Reasons of the Jews for believing the ancient miracles, of the same nature as those on which the miracles of Christ are credible . . *58 " Receiveth you, receiveth me," an assertion of our Lord's divinity *105 Reformation of the Church service, plan of. . ''316 from Popery, not "the man of sin" *341 , its good and bad effects 451 Regeneration, (Matt. xi.x. 28.) *129 Rejecters of Christianity have no foundation of hope *401 Religion, object of, under its three forms *19 Reniphan, meaning of this word *241 Rennell, Mr., admirable observations on inspi- ration *2 on the Canon 440 Repentance, meaning of John's preaching . . *44 the foundation of true faith .... *5G Restoration of the Jews possibly very near. . *36 Resurrection gradualh^ taught *92 expected in the time of Christ. . *93 of the body taught in Scripture by facts *131 • , importance of the doctrine . *185 , difficulties in the accounts of. . *186 , evidence in its favor complete *]87 , West, Townson, and Cran- field, on *189 , scene among the tombs of Ju- dT!a, at the *203 , in the time of the Messiah ex- pected by the Jews *202 Revelation, design of *72 • the only means of discovering the will of God 203 defined *316 the only guide to man *31G Revival of miracle and prophecy at the com- ing of Christ *17 Revolution of souls, a Jewish opinion *127 Rivers, progress of Gospel C(>m]);ired to *72 Robe of Christ, how called purple and scarlet *177 Rolling away of the stone from the mouth of the sepulchre before the rising of the sun . *203 Roman Emperors prevented the early power of the man of sin *342 Romans. Epistle to, its date, place, object, &c. ''360 Romanists keep the Scriptures from the people *333 Rome, ri.ih Church. Rosenmiiller on the Apocalypse *414 demoniacs *74 name of Matthew *81 • Mark ii. 2() "87 " Rudiments of the world," on the exjjre.ssion *383 Page. Sabbath, Jewish traditionary laws respecting, very burthensome and superstitious *86 Sabbatical years referred to *33J Sacrifices, account of the Jewish *160 , federal rites between God and man *161 Sacrifices, legal types of the sacrifice of Christ *162 Salt losing its savor, meaning of *8y "Salted with fire," meaning of the expres- sion *120 Salutation, meaning of the *23 Salvation of man never certain till death *258 by faith alone the doctrine of Scrip- ture . *327 Samaria, proselytes to the Jewish Church first admitted there *65 , Christ first announced his Messiah- ship there *65 , first addressed after the Jews *(i5 Samaritans highly esteemed the prophetic writings *QQ Samaritan, on the good *'125 Samothracc, history of, much wanted *313 Sanhedrin, account of *42 , Christ admitted into, when twelve years old '^2 , why they apprehended the Ro- mans if they acknowledged our Lord *132 , of Jerusalem, authority of, very great over the distant Jews *255 permitted by the Romans to govern the distant synagogues *255 in the wilderness, endued with miraculous gifts *30.5 its places of meeting ailer the fall of Jerusalem 444 Sampseans, a sect of Esseans *261 Satan and Michael, dispute between them. . . *412 Saturninus, origin and nature of his opinions *12 Saul, why called Paul *293 Schoetgen on the study of the Jewish writers *5 glory at the transfiguration *118 leaven of the Pharisees *145 expression " it is enough " . *160 draught offered on the cross *179 expectation of the miracu- lous gifts *224 office of deacon *234 " Gaza, which is desert " *249 Scott, Dr., on the Episcopate of James *279 Schools of Hillel and Schammai, on the Sab- bath *87 Scripture read by Christ at Nazareth *68 , fanciful interpretations of, incon- sistent with sobriety of judgment *72 to be read by all *339 the test of truth *108 , warning to those who study it .... *]60 Sealing of the tomb assisted to prove the res- urrection *200 " Searcher of liearts," an epithet applied to Christ, proving his divinity *219 Second Sabbath after the first *86 " Seed of the woman," meaning of the ex- pression *19 " Seeds as of many," (Gal. iii. 16.) meaning of the expression *330 Selden on the power of life and death among the Jews *174 word Remphan *242 Semler, on the distributing Scripture *33i) Sepulchre, form of, among the Jews *204 of Joseph, a prophecy fulfilled by its nearness to the city *^]96 Sergius Paulus the first idolatrous Gentile cmivert *292 Sermon on the Mount, aiul on the Plain *88 Service of God the highest honor *SQ Seventy, their mission and time "121 INDEX THE FOURTH, *471 Page. Sharp, Granville, on the supremacy of the cliurch oi' Rome *111 . his rule with respect to the Greek article *15 Shechinah appeared to the shepherds *35 , Bishop Horsley's description of. *115 appeared to St. Stephen *244 Paul *^55 Sheet in St. Peter's vision, a type of the Church *275 " Shiloh," meaning of the word *27 Shi])s adorned with images ";?75 Shijuvreck, on St. Paul's *Li70 SiliMice of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, on the hoiiiage,of Samaria ^(55 Simeon, prophecy of ^'Xt Simon, father of Alexander and Rufus *1 78 Simon Magus, on *^47 Sleep of the soul, not proved by the restora- tion of the widow's son *92 Smith, Dr. P., on the Angel Jehovah *5 miraculous conception *J20 Jewish expectation of a Messiah *109 Socinians reject the two first chapters of St. Luke *33 Sojourning of Israel 400 years *240 Soldiers to whom John preached *44 " Some doubted," on this expression *213 Son of God, in what sense applied to Christ, and to men in general *19 Son not knowing the day of judgment ^150 Sota, fishes considered an emblem in *73 Soul, revolution of *1*27 Spencer on the Bath Col *]42 Spices, wlien brought by the women ^200 Spirit of God, analogy between the action of, at the creation and at the baptism of Christ *46 " Spirit given by measure," meaning of *G3 Spirits, evil, knew Christ in his preexistent state *87 Spirit of prophecy, last sigh of, in the Jewish Church *142 Christ resigned, not taken from him *]S4 God ever present with Christians. .. *243 Spirit imparted to the Samaritans by the Apostles only *248 of God, its influences principally attend the means of grace *2o9 , on its sole existence *33G " Spirit giveth life," meaning of *357 Star expected to appear at the birth of the Messiah *37 Students, to study the evidences for the divin- ity of Christ "10 Stoics thought the world full of Deemons . *74 of Athens, account of *332 Stealing the body of Christ, on tliis story *209 State of the world at the coming of Christ . . . 443 close of the Apos- tolic age 444 Stephen, time of his martyrdom *236 , design of his address to the Jews . . *239 , how he saw the heavens opened. . . *244 , on his dying exclamation ^245 Straightway, he preached Christ, »Scc *2G1 Study and education essential to Christian teachers *306 " Suffered he their manners " *297 Suflorings of Christ, were predicted in the Old Testament *211 , under what circum- stances they were first preached to the Apostles *109 Superscription on the cross *179 "Sure mercies of David" *298 Sykes on the Dfemoniacs ^74 Syro-Phenician woman *108 Synagogues, account of, where to be built, &.c. *294 Page. Synagogues, service, some customs adopted from -295 Syracuse, on St. Paul's landing there *375 Table of evidence for the divinity of Christ. . ^\G Tacitus confirms the opinion that the Church was gradually established *238 Talmudists on the power of life and death *171 Tanner, how esteemed among the Jews *2tJ3 Taphos ditierent from the Mnemeion *204 Targums of Onkelos, and Jonathan hen Uz- ziel, when and where written ^,5 Targums, their authority '5 Taylor on the Epistle to the Romans *3G2 , Bishop, on the word '• Apostle " *2()8 Taxation commanded by Augustus, &c *27 Teaching of our Lord *12G Temple, courts of, how divided '^61 of God, meanest office in, honorable *8() Temptation of Adam and Christ compared.. . *47 Christ, as the second Adam . . . *47 , a real event *51 , why related differently by St. Matthew and St. Luke *51 at Gethsemane, mean- ing of *164 Tertullian on St. Mark's Gospel *287 Testament, New, written on tlu; same plan as the Old *72 Theophilus of Antioch, on the divinity of Clirist *15 , Luke i. 3. whether a real character *4 Theory of Lord Barrington on the proselytes *271 Thief, on Christ's answer to the penitent. . . . *lf^:3 Third day, (John ii. 1.) on the *57 " Third tune I am come to you " *3.j9 Tiiorns, on the crown of *178 Thessalonians, First Epistle to, its date, &c.. *337 , Second Epistle to, its date, «tc. *339 " Through ignorance they did it " *22G Thomas the Apostle, on his exclamation ^212 Tilloch on the Apocalypse *417 Tillotson, Archbishop, entrusted with the posthumous works of Barrow *412 on Jude 9 *56 Time of events, in the New Testament, fixed by very general expressions *79 " Times of refreshing, " on the *226 Timothy, why circumcised by St. Paul *313 , his life and charactt-r *352 , First Epistle to, its date, &c *353 , Second, .ditto *402 Title on the cross *] 79 Titus, Epistle to, its early dale, &c *344 Toinard on the last Passover *lo5 " To us there is one God " explained *;ijl " Touch me not," on this expression *209 Townson, Dr., reconciles the accounts of the miraculous draught of fishes *7] on the originality of the Evangelists *2 hour of the crucifixion "^176 title on the cross ^179 harmony of the resurrection. *J91 date of St. Matthew's Gospel *254 Traditions of the Romanists and Jews com- pared "108 , Jewish, on the second Adam *50 ; Sabbath *84 , in what manner censured by Christ *5 Trance, or ecstasy of St. Peter defined *275 Transfiguration, on the *]]5 represents the manner in which Christ shall judge tlie world *] 16 Transubstantiation *1G3 Translators, our, of the Bible, learned He- braists *309 Trent, council of, tlie perpetuation of the errors of the dark ases 457 *472 INDEX THE FOURTH. Page. Trinitarian writers, on Philo *7 Truth, more valuable than toleration *347 Twilight, distinctions of, among the Rabbis. . *201 Types, whether any in the New Testament. . "72 , meaning of this word *72 Typical events, not understood as such, when they took place *72 Unbelieving Jews not " the man of sin " *340 Unction at Bethany, time of *133 Unitarian writers guilty of wilful misrepre- sentations both of Scripture and arguments *15 consider Philo as a Plato- nist "8 Unitarianism the oiFspring of Gnosticism. . . . *12 Universe agitated at the birth of Christ *34 Valentinians, their opinions *]2 Veysie on the origin of the first three Gospels *3 Vicar of Christ upon earth, appointment of, useless, &c *111 Villapandus's map of Jerusalem *198 Vinegar mingled with gall. Matt, xxvii. 34... *179 Violence, how sutfered by the kingdom of Heaven *94 Vision of St. Peter, meaning and nature of*275 Vitellius, general of Tiberius's army against Aretas *255 Vitringa, his account of Basilides and the Valentinians ^13 's account of the design of St. John's Gospel n3 endeavours to prove that prophecy and miracle did not entirely cease with Malachi ''H 's dissertation on the Bath Col *]42 on the word Remphan *241 's comparison between St. Paul and the young lion *246 on Simon Magus *247 on the word " Apostle " *2G7 on the modes of worship among the early Christians *294 on the similarity between the Minis- ters of the early Church and the Syna- gogues '^Jo Vorstius, editor of R. D. Ganz, obnoxious to James I "93 Vow of St. Paul in Cenchrea *346 Wall, Dr , on the last Passover *154 Warburton, Bishop, on the Shiloh of Judah . *27 on prophetic writing .... *38 omitted to reply to the arguments on the Resurrection, from the Jewish traditions *144 Watson, Bishop, on the Atonement **182 " Way, any of this," a common phrase *25.5 Weeks, propliccy of the seventy, confirms the chronological arrangement of the present work *236 West's harmony of the Resurrection *1H9 Wetstein on the Apocalypse *415 " Where two seas met " *371 Whitby on Mark ix. 1 *115 Page. Whitby on the man of sin *340 Widow, on the liberality of the poor '*146 Wilson on our Lord's condemnation. ...'.... ^167 Wine mingled with myrrh, (Mark xv. 23.) on this passage *178 Wings of the Shechinah, proselytes said to be received under *145 Witnesses of the old and new dispensations distinguished by the same characteristics . . *59 Witsius on the Logos, (Luke i. 2.) *14 commanded silence of the leper *80 gradation of Christ's miracles *]06 Transfiguration *llt5 barren fig-tree *144 on St. Stephen seeing the heavens opened *244 of opinion that St. Paul saw the She- chinah *256 on the word Apostle *266 on St. Paul's ignorance of Ananias. . *3(j6 Woman, used as a title of honor *57 of Samaria, why our Lord talked with her *65 taken in adultery, on the authentici- ty of that passage *122 Women, whether two parties of, went to the sepulchre *196 , time when they set out to, and arrived at, the tomb *201 , arrived after the stone had been rolled away *202 , why the first witnesses of our Lord's resurrection *208 when the second party came to the tomb *210 united report of, to be taken distrib- utively *210 "Word ye know," (Acts x. 37.) on this phrase *27G " Work, my Father worketh hitherto, and I," explained ''*84 Works relating to the Sabbath, how divided by the Jews *86 World shall only last till the Church is com- pleted *85 why not created sooner *335 Worship, how divided by the Jews *25 , among the early Christians, wheth- er derived from the Synagogue *293 , among the early Christians, wheth- er derived from the Synagogue '^SIG Wotton's Misna illustrates the Jewish laws on the observance of the Sabbath *86 Wyld's Scripture Atlas, useful, &c *64 Young on Adam's transgression *3G3 Zacharias, on the circumstance of his being struck with dumbness *17 — , his prophecy the death-song of the Jewish Church *25 Zechariah's prophecy, fulfilled only in and by Jesus of Nazareth, who is thereby proved to be the Messiah *137 THE END. p RETURN TO DfI^'^^^SE LOAN DEPT. Tbis book is due on the e date tc ^l^^biect to it„«.edTate recall. on die date to whicrref "'^i^ ^^^^^^ Renewed bookf - • • renewed. or LD 21 A- (A9562S10H76B rr^.p^neral Library YD 263 ?G TteoloEical, Relipiis and SBniay Sclool Booh. Hochestei*, IS. Y. f «■ ::^^'-. I