but a

tachment to its precepts, fhall acknowledge me for his master, I will own him as my difciple in prefence of my Father at the judgment, and will claim for him the rewards which my Father has promised to fuch; whereas, whofoever does not thus confefs me before men, I alfo will not confefs him before my Father. There is unfpeakable majefty in this article of our Lord's difcourfe. Although he was now in the loweft ftate of humanity, he declared that his confeffing us before God is the greatest happinefs, and his denying us the greateft mifery that can poffibly befal us. (See on Mark viii. 38. § 71.) 34. Think not that I am come to fend peace on earth: 1 came not to fend peace, fword. 35. For I am come to fet a man at variance against bis father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-inlaw against her mother-in-law 36. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. Because the prophets have spoken glorious things of the peace and happiness of the world under the reign of Meffiah, Ifa. xi. 6. whom they have named, for that reafon, the Prince of peace, Ifa. ix. 6. you may imagine that I am come to put the world into that happy state forthwith, But it is not fo. For though the nature of my government be fuch as might produce abundant felicity, in regard my religion breathes nothing but love, men will not at firft lay afide their animofity, nor will they exercise a mutual friendship among themfelves as foon as the gofpel is preached to them. No; fuch is their wickedness, that they fhall make the gofpel itself an occafion of bitter diffentions, in fo much, that it will look as if I had come on purpose to fow difcord among men. For, as I told you before, the nearest relations fhall quarrel among themselves, on account of the doctrines of the gofpel, and profecute their quarrels with furprising virulence. The reader will be pleased to obferve, that thus to apply our Lord's words to Chriftians, is the moft unfavourable fenfe that can be put upon them, feeing they may as properly be interpreted of the unbelieving Jews and Heathens, who perfecuted their nearest relations to death on account of the gofpel. In neither fenfe however can it be thought, that they declare the end for which the Son of God came into the world. They only foretel what the effect of his coming would be. The glorious ftate of things predicted by the prophets was not inftantly to begin, but Chriftianity was for a feafon to be the innocent occafion of much mifchief. However, as thefe bad confequences

*Thefe bad confequences are by no means peculiar to Chriftianity.] The Deifts indeed boldly affirm, that the diverfity of religious opinions and worships which prevailed among the heathens, never produced either bloodshed or diforder, not broke in on the peace of mankind. But their affertion is false. It is true, we are not fo well acquainted with the reli gious difputes of the heathens as we are with our own; but the reason is, not that there were no fuch difputes, but that the hiftorians of thofe times

confequences are by no means peculiar to Chriftianity, they muft not be imputed to it, but to the wickedncfs of men.-37. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and be that loveth fon or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. He that preferreth the friendship of his nearest relations, though the sweetest of all earthly fatisfactions, to my religion, renouncing it that he may enjoy their good will, does not deserve to be called a Chriftian. He told them this very properly, after having declared that their bitterest foes fhould be the members of their own families.-38. And be that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me: Whofoever does not refolve to fuffer the greatest hardships rather than renounce my religion, is not worthy to bear my name. There is here an allufion to the customs of the Romans, who obliged criminals to bear the croffes on which they were to suffer, out to the place of execution. The figure therefore expreffes this fentiment with great energy, that no man can be a true Chriftian unless he is willing to endure all forts of perfecutions, together with the most shameful and painful deaths, for Chrift's fake, when called to it. So that

did not think them worth mentioning. Yet fome flagrant inftances are accidentally preferved, by which we may judge of the reft. Socrates, one of the beft of the heathens, was put to death by the Athenians, the wifeft and moft learned of all the Greeks, for teaching the unity of God, as we are told, and the fpirituality of the worship that is due to him. Ariftotle, the philofophet, was impeached likewife for his opinions, and obliged to flee from Athens, left he fhould have incurred the fate of Socrates. Antiochus Epiphanes raised a moft violent and bloody perfecution of the Jews in their own country on account of religion, wherein many thousands perished, who would not fubmit to the idolatrous worship which he fet up in the temple of Jerufalem. The emperor Claudius banished the Jews from Italy for their religion, pretending that they were feditious. The religious quarrels of the Egyptians, the fury with which they profecuted them, and the difturbances which they occafioned, are well known. See Juven. Sat. XV. And, to name no more, was there ever any perfecution raised by Chriftians, either against one another, or against infidels, more bloody, cruel, and extensive than the ten perfecutions carried on by the heathen Roman emperors, at the inftigation of the philofophers? It is not to the purpose to reply, that these were perfecutions of men who fet themselves 10 overturn the eftablished religions of the countries where they lived. For while they attacked them with the force of argument only, they ought to have been repelled by no other weapon. And if they could not be thus quelled, their adverfaries, inftead of perfecuting them, ought to have yielded to truth. Whilft the accounts of thofe perfecutions ftand on record, it must not be a little impudence that is able to bear the Deifts out in affirming, that the ancient heathen religions never infpired their votaries with a spirit of perfecution. Yet it will not reflect any dishonour on Chriftianity, though it should be allowed to have occafioned more diftur. bances than any other religion. On the contrary, it is rather a proof of its fuperior excellency. For if Chriftianity animates the perfons who believe it, with greater zeal for truth, it is because it approves i felf better worth the contending for. Its evidences are clearer, and its tendency better than thofe of any falfe religion; and therefore no wonder that men have efpoufed its intereft more heartily.

that the case in short comes to this: He that makes shipwreck of faith and a good confcience to fave his life, fhall lofe that which is really fo, his everlasting happiness; whereas, he that maintaineth integrity at the expence of life and all its enjoyments, shall find what is infinitely better, a bleffed immortality. 39. He that findeth his life fhall lofe it; and be that lofeth his life for my fake fhall find it. 40. He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and be that receiveth me, receiveth him that fent me: Whofo acknowledgeth you as my apoftles, and hearkens to you as fuch, acknowledges and obeys me; and he who does fo, really acknowledges and obeys God who has commiffioned me to reveal his will to men, even as I now send you on the fame errand. 41. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, fhall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, fhall receive a righteous man's reward: He who obeys a prophet as a perfon commiffioned by God, to reveal future events and to teach men their duty, who reverences him as God's meffenger, and who affifts him in the execution of his office, fhall receive a reward of the fame kind with that which is promifed to prophets, on account of their having turned many to righteoufnefs. And he who refpects and encourages a righteous man, fhall receive the reward due to righteousness, of which this is an excellent inftance.-42. And whofoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones (see on Matth. xi. 25. $43.) a cup of cold water only, water in its natural state without any preparation, which certainly is the leaft favour imaginable, in the name of a difciple, verily I fay unto you, he shall in no wife lofe his reward. He who doth any good office whatever to the meaneft of my difciples, though it should be but the small service of handing a cup of cold water to them, fhall not go unrewarded. The above is the common interpretation of this paffage. But other commentators think it improper to interpret these promises of the rewards of the life to come, because the offices to which they are annexed may poffibly be performed by very bad men, who on fome occafions honour and cherish the fervants of Christ, as Herod did John Baptift. Befides, the promifes thus underflood, would not have animated the difciples fo powerfully in the difcharge of their duty, under the difficulties they were to meet with. Wherefore, if the circumftance of mens fuffering perfecution, for having done fuch good offices to the minifters of Chrift, which Le Clerc has fupplied here in order to obviate this difficulty, is not admitted, we must understand these rewards actively, of the temporal bleffings, which the apoftles, as prophets and righteous men, were empowered to confer on the families who fhewed them hofpitality. As prophets they could heal the fick in those families, and raise their dead. As righteous men, they could affift them in the management of their

affairs,

affairs, by giving them prudent advice in difficult cafes, also might keep them back from fin by their religious conversation and example; and in both capacities might draw down many bleffings on them by their prayers. (See ver. 13. of this chapter.) You are to meet, faid he, with great oppofition, but I will engage men to befriend you; for all who do you any kindness, fhall even in this life be fo rewarded by your miracles and prayers, that they hall be confirmed in their good will to you; and others observing how God has blessed them, fhall be excited to imitate their humanity. Calvin thinks this text teaches, that the rewards of the good offices mentioned, will bear a proportion to the dignity of the perfon receiving them. L'Enfant imagines, that our Lord alludes to the old cuftom of carrying prefents to prophets when perfons went to confult them, I Sam. ix. 7. But whatever fense we put upon the paffage, the declaration and promises here made, joined with verfe 14. where our Lord threatens to punish thofe who fhould reject his meffengers, were excellently calculated to comfort them, under the profpect of the bad reception he told them they were to meet with, while employed in preaching the gospel *.

Thefe inftructions were afterwards repeated to the apoftles more briefly, when they were actually fent out, Mark vi. 8. Luke ix. 2. § 58, For it does not appear that they went away immediately upon receiving their commiflion. They heard Jefus a confiderable time after they were ordained apoftles. And indeed it was neceflary that they thould do fo, in order to learn more fully the doctrines of the gospel which they were to preach. It is probable, therefore, that they did not depart till they went by two's, an account of which we have in the paffages quoted. Wherefore, the evi. dent propriety of this fuppofition, as well as the order of the hiftory, renders it abundantly probable. Yet if the reader fhall think that the word rs, used by Matthew, ver. 5. fignifies fomething more than an order given to go forth in due time, he muft fuppofe either that Jefus fent his apottles out twice, or that Matthew gives the hiftory of their miffion along with that of their commiffion, as he might very properly do, notwithftanding their miffion did not happen till feveral months after. His words will cally bear this interpretation, as he only fays, these twelve fefus fent forth, and commanded them, faying, without determining particularly the time when he fent them forth. For that they did not go away immediately after their ordination, may be gathered from this, that we find them accompanying Jefus in his next tour to Nain, Luke vii. 11. § 41. See the note on that paffage. Befides, we find the difciples with him in the journey which he took immediately after to the paffover.

XLI. Jefus goes to Nain and raifes a widow's fon from the dead. Matt. xi. 1. Luke vii. 11,-17.

OUR Lord having thus delivered to the apoftles their commifhion and inftructions, fct out with them, probably that very evening, on a new tour through the cities and villages, propofing to preach to as many as would hear him, and to work miracles of healing on those who should apply to him. Mat.xi. 1. And it came

to

to pass when fofus bad made an end of commanding his twelve difciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. He chose to begin his journey in the cool of the evening, that he might travel more commodiously; for Luke affures us that the day after the apoftles were elected he arrived at Nain, a town fituated about a mile or two fouth of Tabor, and near Endor. (See Reland's Paleftin. Illuftrat.) In this journey, he was attended by a crowd of difciples and others. Luke vii. 11. And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain, and * many of his difciples went with him, and much people. When Jefus, and the multitude that attended him, came to the gates of Nain, they met the corpfe of a youth whom much penple of the city were carrying out to burial, accompanied by his afflicted mother bathed in tears. 12. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold there was a dead man carried out, the only fon of his mother, and she was a widow; and much people of the city was with her. This woman, being a widow, had no profpect of more children; wherefore, as he was her only fon, the lofs fhe fuftained in him was very great. Hence the fympathy which the received from her relations and acquaintance was fingular. In teftimony of their concern for her, a crowd of people much greater than was ufual on fuch occafions, attended her while fhe performed the laft duty to her beloved fon. This circumftance the evangelift takes notice of to fhew, that though there had been no perfons prefent at the miracle but those who attended the funeral, it was illuftrious on account of the number of the witneffes. Jefus, whofe tenderness made him susceptible of the ftrongest impreffions from occurrences of this kind, knowing that the mother's affliction was bitter, and the occafion of it real, was greatly moved with compaffion at the forrowful scene. 13. And when the Lord faw her, he had compaffion on her, and faid unto her, Weep not. Nor was his fympathy vain. He refolved to turn their mourning into joy, by raifing the young man from the dead. And he could do this with a good grace, because having met the funeral by accident juft as he was finishing a journey, it plainly appeared that there was no collufion in the cafe. Befides, the multitude of people attending the corpfe, as Dr Lardner has remarked, entirely prevents all fufpicion, that the person carried out was not dead; fince to manage with fuccefs a fraud, in which fo many must have been concerned, was abfolutely impoffible. The miracle therefore being liable to no objection, Jefus

* Luke vii. 11. Many of his difciples went with him.] I fuppofe the apoftles were of the number of the difciples here faid to have made part of his retinue, because it is not to be imagined that he would fuffer the chofen witneffes of his miracles (Acts x. 39.) to be abfent, when fo great a miracle was to be performed as the refurrection of a perfon from the dead; nay, was to be performed publicly, in the prefence of all thofe who were carrying him out, in order to bury him.