640

JESUS appears to Five hundred Brethren in Galilee : Sect. 201. which will infinitely more than repay, not only their Labours, but their Sufferings too!

Ver. 18.

Happy Peter! who having worn out his better Years in the Service of Christ, couragiously stretched out his aged Arms, to be bound and borne away to Tortures and Death, and fhed the laft flow Ebb of his Blood as a Martyr for him, who had loved him and given himself for him.- -And V. 20,-23. not lefs happy the beloved Difciple, fo willing to hazard his Life in the fame Caufe; tho' he was not in Fact called to lay it down as a Martyr. Our gracious Lord, who fees every Purpose, and every Affection, as it rifes in the Heart, favourably accepts of the willing Mind, and will, thro' the Riches of his Grace, entitle them to the Reward of equal Sufferings, who have waited with a like Readiness, tho' they have not been called out to the Severity of the like Trial.

Sect. 202.

Matth.
XXVIII.16.

17

SECT. CCII.

CHRIST appears to the whole Body of the Difciples, at the
appointed Mountain in Galilee; and afterwards meets the
Apoftles feveral Times at Jerufalem, and difcourfes with
them concerning the Affairs of his Kingdom. Mat. XXVIII.
16, to the End. Mark XVI. 15,—— 18.
Acts I. 2, 3.

44,49.

MAT. XXVIII. 16.

18. Luke XXIV.

MAT. XXVIII. 16.

THEN the Eleven Dif

ciples went away into Galilee, into a Mountain

where Jesus had appointed them.

THEN, quickly after the late Interview that
Jefus had with his Difciples at Jerufalem,
the Eleven Difciples went into Galilee, to a cer-
tain Mountain not far from the Sea of Tiberias,
where Jefus had appointed to meet them." And
"he appeared to them, and to above Five hun-
"dred Brethren at once, who came together
"from all Parts of the Country on that impor-
"tant Occafion." And they feeing him, bow-
ed down and worshipped him; and tho' fome of him, they worshipped him:
the Company had doubted at first, yet they were
afterwards fully convinced (a). "And the
66 greater

17 And when they faw

but fome doubted.

(a) Tho' fome of the Company had doubted at firft, &c.] There is no Room to think, that this refers to fome of the Apostles, when Christ had fo lately fatisfied the most incredulous among them; nor is it eafy to imagine, how any of the rest of this Company could continue to doubt of the Truth of Christ's Refurrection, when they actually faw him, and that in the

Prefence

And after that, is feen of James, and then of all the Apoftles. 641

ACTSI.-2. [And] thro'

XXVIII. 17.

greater Part of them continued alive, as Wit- Sect. 202. "neffes of the Truth of his Refurrection for fe- N. Matth. "veral Years after (b); tho' others of them died "in a thort Time, and went to their glorified " and triumphant Lord in Heaven." See 1 Cor. xv. 6. Thus did he manifeft himself in Galilee to a confiderable Number of his Difciples at once; "and after that, he appeared to James (c), and then, (as we shall fee hereafter,) to all the Apoftles." See 1 Cor. xv. 7.

But tho' he fhewed himself thus openly to his Difciples, " he did not publickly appear at any "Time to all the People; nor indeed did he "fhew himself in any other Instance, to so large

an Affembly even of his own Disciples: But "in the feveral Appearances he made, he chiefly "conversed with the Apoftles, and confined his "Vifits to those Witneffes, that were chofen be"fore by GoD to atteft the Truth of his Refur"rection; who had frequent Opportunities of a "free Converfation with him, and, as we have "feen before, (Luke xxiv. 30, 42, 43. and John "xxi. 12, 13.) did eat and drink with him after "he rofe from the Dead." See Acts x. 41.

And at thefe Times of his converfing with Acts I. — 2. the them (d), he more particularly opened to them

what

Prefence of fo many others; a Circumftance, incomparably more convincing to each, than if he had appeared to any one of them alone. I therefore chufe to render and paraphrafe the Words, of de disagav, as above. Those learned Criticks, Albert, (Obferv. pag. 163, 164.) and Bos, (Exercit. pag. 13.) have produced many Inftances, in which or is put for And all the Difficulty is removed, if we allow a fmall Change in the Tense, and take the Rendering of the Pruffian Teftament, Even they who had before doubted; or, which is · much the fame, tho' fome had doubted.

τινες.

(b) Several Years after.] It is generally granted, that the First Epistle to the Corinthians was written at leaft Twenty Years after Chrift's Refurrection; and Paul there tells us, that the greater Part of these Five hundred then continued alive. And by the Way, it was a wife and gracious Difpenfation of Divine Providence to continue their Lives fo long, as each of them, wherever Providence led them, would be an authentick Witnefs of that important Fact, the Refurrection of our Lord, the great Fundamental of the Chriftian Faith.

(c) After that, he appeared to James.] It is probable, this was James the Son of Alpheus, who was ftill living when the Apoftle Paul wrote his First Epistle to the Corinthians, whereas the other James, the Son of Zebedee, had fuffered Martyrdom fome Years before. (As xii. 2.) But the Circumstances of this Appearance are no where recorded, nor have we any credible Account, where, or when it happened; only we learn from the Order in which it is placed by the Apoftle Paul, that it was after Chrift's Appearance to the Five hundred Brethren. See Note (b) on Luke xxiv. 34. pag. 622.

(d) And at thefe Times of his converfing with them.] As I have inferted what is faid in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, of our Lord's Appearance to the Five hundred VOL. II.

Mmm m

Brethren,

642

Acts I. -2.

He explains the Scriptures to them in his Vifits at Jerufalem ; Sect. 202. what was the Nature of their Office; [and] thro' the Holy Ghoft [he gave] the Holy Spirit, which was given not by Meafure Commandments unto the Ato himself, and which he had lately breathed poftles whom he had chosen : into them, be gave Commandments and Inftructions to the Apostles whom he had chofen, how they were 3 to act: To whom alfo he gave abundant Evidences of his Refurrection, and fhewed himself to be alive after he had fuffered Death, by many infallible Tokens, being feen of them at Times for the Space of Forty Days after his Refurrection, and speaking to them of the Things which related to the Kingdom of GOD.

Luk.XXIV.

44.

45

And these his laft Interviews with them were chiefly at Jerufalem, to which by his Command they returned from the Mountain in Galilee; and Jefus alfo came thither, and made them repeated Vifits: And on one of thefe Occafions, he spake unto them, faying (e), Thefe [are] the Words which I fpake to you, and these the Intimations that I often gave you, while I was yet dwelling among you, that all the Things must be exactly fulfilled, which are written in the Scriptures concerning me, both in the Pentateuch which is called the Law of Mofes, and in the Books of the fucceeding Prophets, and in the Pfalms and other Poetical Books of the Old Teftament.

3 To whom alfo he fhew

ed himself alive after his PasProofs, being feen of them Forty Days, and fpeaking of the Things pertaining to the Kingdom of GOD.

LUKE XXIV. 44. And [Jefus came, and fpake unto them, faying,] These are the Words which I fpake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all Things muft be fulfilled, which were writand in the Prophets, and in the Pfalms concerning me. [MAT. XXVIII. 18.—]

ten in the Law of Mofes,

45 Then opened he their Understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures,

And at the fame Time he not only in Words expounded to them the Senfe of the Sacred Writers, but also by a fecret Operation on their intellectual Faculties opened their Minds, that they might understand the Scriptures in their Reference 46 to him. And in a moft convincing Manner he enlarged upon the important Subject, and Thus it is written, and thus faid to them, When you confider all thefe Things, you must certainly perceive, that thus it was

writ

46 And faid unto them,

it

Brethren, and to James; fo I have thought it proper to introduce in this and the next Section, what relates to this Story in the Beginning of the Acts, (Chap. i.—2,—12.) which renders it more compleat, and finishes the Account which the Sacred Writers give us of the Hiftory of our Lord to the Time of his Afcenfion.

(e) On one of thefe Occafions he spake &c.] I ufe this indeterminate Form of Expreffion, becaufe I fee no Mark, by which we can particularly afcertain the Time when the following Difcourfe was delivered; only I think it very plain, it must be after their Return to Jerufalem, (fee Luke xxiv. 49.) and confequently a very few Days before our Lord's Afcenfion.I have thrown all that the Three Evangelifts fay of thefe Difcourfes into one continued Difcourfe. tho' perhaps fome of them might be delivered at different Times.

(f) Beginning

and tells them, that all Power was committed to him.

MAT. XXVIII. —18.

643

written, and thus it was neceflary that the Mef-Sect. 202.
fiab should fuffer, and should rife again from the
Dead, as I have done, on the Third Day;

And

that, in Confequence of this, and on this great
Foundation, Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins
fhould be preached in his Name, and by his Au-
thority, to all the Nations of the Earth, beginning
first at Jerufalem itself, tho' polluted with the
Blood of the Prince of Life (f).

Luk.XXIV.

47.

You know indeed, (added he,) how cruelly the Matth. All Power is given unto me Jews have treated me, and how ungratefully they XXVIII.18.

in Heaven, and in Earth.

LUKE XXIV. 48. And ye are Witneffes of thefe Things.

have rejected me; but their outragious Malice
has now done its utmoft, and my Heavenly Fa-
ther has not only rescued me from their Hands,
but is exalting me to all that Height of Dignity
and Glory, which the Sacred Oracles have fo pa-
thetically defcribed: For all Authority is now
given unto me, both in Heaven, and on Earth;
and in Accomplishment of what was promised to
the Meffiah, I am raised to a Kingdom, which
comprehends both the upper, and lower Worlds,
and entitles me to the Homage of Angels, as well
as of Men. And yet, tho' I could fo eafily Luk.XXIV.
command the Ministry of thofe more glorious 48.
Creatures, it fuits beft with the Scheme of my
Gofpel to make ufe of you; who shall accordingly
be Witnesses of all thefe Things, by publishing the
certain Knowledge that you have of the impor-
tant Truths of my Death and Refurrection (g);
and who are therefore to look upon it as the great

Bufinefs

(f) Beginning at Jerufalem.] As for the Grammatical Conftruction of the Greek Word apaμevov, it would be foreign from the Design of these Notes, to enter into it farther, than to refer the learned Reader to Elfner, (Obferv. Vol. i. pag. 288.) and Raphelius, (Annot. ex Herod. pag. 276, 277.) and to the Original of Luke xxiii. 5. xxiv. 27. and Acts x. 37.)

It was both graciously and wifely appointed by our Lord, that the Gospel fhould begin to be preached at Jerufalem; graciously, as it encouraged the Repentance of the grea.eft Sinners, when they faw that even the Murtherers of Chrift were not exempted from the Offers of Gofpel Mercy; and wifely, as hereby Christianity was more abundantly attested, the Facts being publifhed juft on the Spot where they happened; and as the vaft Concourfe of People of various Nations, prefent there at the Feast of Pentecoft, would contribute greatly to its more speedy Spread.

(g) You shall be Witnesses of thefe Things.] That this was the grand Bufinefs of the Apofiles, is evident, and the ingenious Author of Mifcellanea Sacra, (Effay iii. pag. 17,-23.) has taken great Pains to fhew, how the Title of Witneffes, and the Office of testifying, is in the Sacred Writings appropriated to the Apofties. Yet after all, tho' it was indeed effential to the Apoftolick Office, that they who bore it, fhould be able to testify the Facts as of their own perfonal Knowledge; yet it is certain, that a great many others, who were not Mmmm 2

Apostles,

644

Luk.XXIV.

49.

He bids them tarry at Jerufalem, till they receive the Spirit;

Sect. 202. Business of your Lives, to fpread the Notices and Evidences of these Facts. And that you may be fully qualified for fo high an Office, behold, I am fhortly to fend upon you the great Promife of my Father, relating to the miraculous Effufion of the Holy Spirit upon you. (Compare Joel ii. 28. and Acts ii. 16, 17.) And as the Divine Wisdom fees fit to honour this Place, finful as it is, with the first View of this furprizing Appearance, I charge you not to go from hence, before you have received thofe Gifts and Graces you fhall be furnished with for the Discharge of your Miniftry; but do you continue here in the City of Jerufalem, till you are invested with this Power from on high (b); whereby you will be enabled to bear your Teftimony, in fo advantagious and convincing a Manner, that no Falfehood or Sophistry will be able finally to ftand before you.

Mark XVI. 15.

And further be faid to them, When you fhall thus be furnished, go forth into all Parts of the World, and preach the Gospel to every human Creature under Heaven, to whom Providence may lead you, 16 whether Jew or Gentile. And take care, that you deliver it with becoming Serioufnefs; and let them fee to it, that they receive it with proportionable Regard; for it is a Matter of infinite Importance. And accordingly I now folemnly declare, that he who fincerely believes your Teftimony, and in Token of that cordial Faith is baptized in my Name, and continues to maintain a Temper and Conduct fuitable to that Engagement,

49 And behold, I fend

the Promife of my Father the City of Jerufalem, unupon you but tarry ye in til ye be endued with Power from on high.

MARK XVI. 15. And

he faid unto them, Go ye preach the Gospel to every Creature.

into all the World, and

16 He that believeth, and is baptized, fhall be faved:

but

Apostles, were able to testify the fame; and it was their Duty, and no doubt their Care, to do it, as Providence gave them an Opportunity: And Apoftles had many other Duties incumbent upon them, for the Edification of the Church, and in order to the Performance of them were furnished with extraordinary Gifts and Powers, for which they would have had little Occafion, had it been their only Bufinefs to testify thefe Facts.

(b) Continue in the City of Jerufalem, till you are invested &c.] This Paffage utterly overthrows Mr. Whifton's Affertion, that all this Difcourfe was delivered on the Night Chrift rofe from the Dead; and that the Afcenfion related by Luke in the Conclufion of this Chapter, is not that at the End of Forty Days, when he quitted this Earth to return to it no more, but a previous Afcenfion, which was made on the Refurrection Day. For nothing can be more certain, than that the Apostles did quit Jerusalem between Christ's Refurrection and the Defcent of the Spirit, and went into Galilee by Christ's Appointment, which was fignihed to them by the Angel, and by himself too..

When