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A. M. 4037.

Ann. Dom.

At the above-mentioned appearance of our Blessed Saviour, all the apostles (except &c. or 5442. Thomas †) were present; and when they recounted to him every particular that had Vulg. Er. 33, happened in his absence, so far was he from giving his assent to them, that he openly &c. or 31. declared, that unless he had the utmost evidence of sense, by putting his finger into the holes in his hands and side, he would not believe a word of what they told him. On the Sunday following, therefore, when in the same place, they were all met together, with the doors shut for fear of the Jews, and Thomas was with them, Jesus came, and, standing in the midst of them, saluted them, as formerly, with the blessing of peace. After that, turning to Thomas, he offered him the satisfaction which he desired, viz. the feeling his hands and his side, where the nails and the spear had pierced; which when the apostle had done, and upon conviction cried out in transport, " My God, and my Lord!" + our Saviour gave him to understand, that his believing, after such a demonstrative evidence, was neither so praise-worthy nor rewardable, as was the faith of those who had not the like conviction.

After this appearance to the apostles in a full body, they all resolved (pursuant (a) to their Lord's directions) to leave Judea, and return into their own province of Galilee.

coming of the Holy Ghost from heaven. After this
indeed, we find the apostles frequenting the syna-
gogue on the Jewish Sabbath, but, from the time of
their Lord's resurrection, they never did it (as they
did before)" according to the commandment," Luke
xxiii. 56. but " according to custom," or " as the
manner was," Acts xvii. 2. and therefore we have
reason to believe, that from the very first they look-
ed
upon the ancient Sabbath superseded by this other,
which from the beginning they called Kugun, the
Lord's day, and from the beginning employed in acts
of religious worship: To which purpose we find Ig-
natius exhorting Christians, not to "sabbatize with
the Jews, but to live according to the Lord's day, in
which our life arose with him," Epist. ad Mag. 9.
Stanhope on the Epistles and Gospels, vol. iii. and
Whitby's Annotations.

What might be the occasion of this apostle's ab-
sence is variously conjectured. Some are of opi-
nion, that as all fled from their master, when he was
apprehended in the garden, they did not so soon as-
semble again, but by degrees dropped in, one by one,
as they recovered from their fright; and that there-
fore, at this time, Thomas was not returned to the
company.
But others, from the natural temper of
this apostle (as it appears from the Scripture-passa-
ges, wherein he is concerned, to be very scrupulous
and hard of belief), do rather think, that taking of-
fence at the apostles easy credulity, as he deemed it,
and looking upon all that the women from the sepul
chre, and the two disciples from Emmaus had said,
as so many idle tales, he left the company in pure
disgust, not long before our Saviour came in. Cal-
met's Commentary, and Young's Sermons, vol. ii.

The manner by which the apostle might bring
himself to this resolution, might possibly be by some
such arguments as these: Jesus of Nazareth was
put to death upon the cross; and, being dead, was
laid and scaled up in a sepulchre, which was strictly
watched by a guard of soldiers: but I am told, and
required to believe, that, notwithstanding all this, he
is risen, and indeed alive. Now surely things suit-

able to the stated course of nature should be believed before such as are quite beside it; and for a dead man to return to life is preternatural, but that those who report this may be mistaken, is very natural and usual. Dead I saw him; but that he is risen I only hear. In what I see with mine own eyes I cannot easily be deceived; but in what I only hear, I may, and often am. Here being two things then proposed. to my belief, my reason tells me that I ought to chuse that which is more credible; but it seems more credible, that a small number of witnesses (frightened and disturbed as they are), should be deceived, or (as honest as once they were) may conspire to deceive me, than that one should rise from the dead; "and therefore, except, &c." Young's Sermons, vol. ii.

+ This is a noble confession of the apostle's faith, wherein he not only recognizes Jesus for the Messiah, the very same Lord to whom he had been a servant and companion, during the space of his ministry, but owns likewise, and proclaims his Divine nature. For the original here is in terms so strict, and with such an addition of the Greek article, as the very heretics and enemies to truth confess to be the charac ter of the word God, when taken in its most proper sense, and intended of the true God only. Nor can the words (if put for a note of admiration only) be of force sufficient to express any conviction in Thomas; because expressions of wonder, though they properly speak astonishment and surprise, do not always im ply belief, and may therefore import the strangeness without the truth of the thing; whereas our Saviour, in his answer to Thomas, "because thou hast seen thou hast believed," John xx. 29. accepts this as a full and sufficient declaration of his assent; and therefore, to make it such, we must admit of that paraphrase, which some ancient translations supply it with, by reading, "Thou art my Lord, thou art my God!" Stanhope on the Epistles and Gospels, vol. iv.

(a) Matth. xxvi. 32,—xxviii. 7.

end, Mark xi.

to the end, and

They had not been long there, before Peter and several others of them went a fishing From Matth. in the lake or sea of Tiberias, but after much toiling all night they caught nothing. In xx. 10. to the the morning, as they were making to shore, a person †2, unknown to them, being in- 15. to the end, formed of their ill success, advised them to cast their net on the right side of the ship; Luke xix. 45. which when they had done, they inclosed so great a number of large fishes, as made John xii. 19. to John suspect that the person on shore might possibly be their Master. This he no the end. sooner suggested to Peter, but Peter, impatient of delay, throws on his coat †3 and jumps into the sea, and gets to land, while the other apostles had much ado to hawl the vessel and the net so loaded with fish, safe to shore. The number of the fishes was an hundred and fifty: But (what was more surprising) at their landing, they found a fire ready made, fish broiling on it, and bread standing by. This notwithstanding, our Lord ordered them to bring some of those which they had caught, and having + asked them to sit down with him, he not only distributed to them, but ate + some of the bread and fish himself, to give them a still farther assurance of the reality of his resurrection.

When dinner was ended, he entered into conversation with Peter; and having thrice demanded † of him, if he loved him, and thrice received a declaration that he did, he

+ The apostles, as such, had nothing to do until the Holy Ghost should descend upon them; and, among the Jews, it was accounted a disgrace to be idle. Since fishing therefore was the ordinary occupation of several of them, in this intermediate time they thought it the best way to betake themselves to it, and that not only to keep themselves employed, but to supply their own want of necessaries likewise, until they should have a proper call to the ministry, when, in all probability, they gave over the labours of their secular employs, and devoted themselves entirely to that work. Grotius's Annotations.

+ By this, one would think that our blessed Lord, after his resurrection, was not a little changed in his outward appearance, since his apostles (notwithstand ing more interviews than one) could not so readily distinguish him, either by his voice or looks. Upon this occasion, however, he seems by his question, John xxi. 5. to personate one who might be come to buy some fish of them, and under that guise, (whilst they were busy and employed) might more easily pass upon them. Calmet's Commentary.

+3 The text tells us that he was naked before; but what is called naked signifies only to have part of the body uncovered, or to be without a gown or upper garment, according to the custom of the eastern people, and of the Romans, who, when they went abroad, or made any public appearance, wore a long upper garment, called in Latin toga. Of this kind was what the evangelist calls a fisher's coat; and from hence it seems pretty plain, that Peter did not swim, (as it is usually thought) but wade to land; since, if decency was the motive of putting on his coat, he could not have preserved that decency, had he come dripping wet (as he must have done, upon the supposition of his swimming) into his Master's presence. Howel's History in the Notes, and Calmet's Commentary.

+ The fire, fish, and bread on the shore were all created, and produced by Christ out of nothing, to evidence at this time his Divine power; but lest there

should be thought any delusion in these, he ordered
likewise some of the others that were just then taken
to be dressed; and that they might not take him for
an apparition only, he invited them to dine with him.
As therefore, by the miracle of creating and miracu-
lously catching the fishes, he proved himself to be
God; so by his present eating of the fish, he evi-
denced himself to be a man, and consequently teach-
eth us, that our exalted high priest continues our
kinsman in heaven. Hammond's and Burkitt's An-
notations.

+ It is not indeed said expressly, that at this time
he did eat; but since St Peter tells us that "they did
eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead,"
Act x. 41. and St Luke testifies, that, on another oc-
casion," he did eat before them," chap. xxiv. 42, 43.
as he did it then for the confirmation of his resurrec-
tion, it is hardly to be doubted but that he did it now
for the same end. Whitby's Annotations.

+ Our Saviour's words to Peter are," Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?" John xxi. 15. More than these, what? Some will tell us, that our Saviour, here pointing at the nets and fishingboats, demanded of Peter whether he loved him and his service better than his ordinary employment and occupation; but this is a forced and jejune exposition. The apostle, to be sure, before our Lord's being taken into custody, had been very liberal in his professions of love to him. He had promised to go with him to prison and to death; and to show how much he surpassed the rest of his brethren, "though all should be offended because of thee, says he, yet will not I," Matth. xxvi. 33. and yet, upon the approach of the first danger, he forgot all his promises, and behaved more ingloriously than the rest. It is in al lusion therefore to this, that our Lord begins this dis course with Peter; that he calls to his mind his former speeches, and contrary performances; and by thrice repeating this question," Peter, lovest thou me?" in respect of his three denials, and at first, adding the words "more than these," in regard to his

Ann. Dom.

Af

A. M. 4037, each time enjoined him to take care of the flock which he had committed to him. &c. or 5442. ter this, in a figurative speech, he signified to him by what manner of death he was Vulg. Fr. 33, to glorify God, even by crucifixion; but when Peter desired to know the fate of his &c. or 31. favourite apostle St John, instead of gratifying his curiosity, he required him rather to attend to his own concerns, and as he was to resemble him in the manner of his death, so to endeavour to imitate him in his deportment under it; (a) "If I will that he stay till I come t, what is that to thee? Follow thou me." This answer of our Saviour's, however, gave occasion to a report among the rest of the disciples, to that John was never to die; but (b) himself refuted that opinion in his Gospel, and by surviving the fate of Jerusalem, verified what our Saviour meant.

After this, our Lord having appointed a solemn meeting of as many of his disciples as could conveniently be got together, and named a certain mountain in Galilee +3 for that purpose, he there appeared, not only to the eleven apostles, but (c)" to five hundred brethren at once." Here he acquainted his apostles that all power, both in heaven and earth, was given to him; commanded them to instruct all nations, and to baptize them" in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," and to press them to the observation of all his precepts; foretold them what mighty signs †*

magnifying his love above all others, he now engages
him, by the sense and consideration of his fall, to a
better discharge, and a more constant expression of
his love, in converting men to the faith of Christ.
Whitby's and Hammond's Annotations.

*The occasion of his being put to death is gene.
rally reported to be-That he, assisted by St Paul,
had, at Rome, confounded the diabolical illusions of
Simon Magus: Whereupon Nero, who was a favourer
of magicians, being provoked, (or, as others think, to
ingratiate himself with the people of Rome, after he
had fired their city) gave orders for his being put to
death; which the prefects (in the emperor's absence)
took care to see executed upon him and St Paul at
the same time. The latter, as a denizen, was behead-
ed with a sword; but St Peter, who had no claim to
the like privilege, was sentenced to crucifixion. This,
and the torments preparatory to it, he underwent
with marvellous patience, and as a mark of his humi-
lity, requested, and obtained, to have his body fasten-
ed to the cross with his head downward, as judging it
too great an honour to suffer in the same manner and
posture that his Lord had done before him. Stan-
hope on the Epistles and Gospels, vol. iv.

(a) John xxi. 22.

i. e. Come in judgment to take vengeance on the Jews. For though there are but two personal advents mentioned in Scripture; the first when our Lord came into the world to redeem it, and the second when he shall return again to judge it; yet this is no objection against his intermediate advent, which was not personal by any visible descent of his from heaven, but virtual, and effected by his sending the Roman army against the Jews, and giving signs from heaven and in the clouds of their approaching ruin. So that the sense of our Saviour's words is," If my pleasure is that he live till the dissolution of the Jewish state:" And accordingly we find, that though Peter was put to death under Nero, yet St John continued even to the time of Trajan's reign, above an hundred years after our Saviour's birth, and so thirty

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This mountain is generally supposed to be Ta bor, the place where our Lord was transfigured. though some suppose it to be one that stood nearer the lake of Tiberias. Calmet's Commentary. (c) 1 Cor. xv. 6.

We are not to suppose, however, that our Lord promised the gift of miracles to every Christian convert; since this would have made miracles (which should only be employed on important occasions, where the glory of God or the good of mankind is concerned) too common, and consequently of no validity at all. So that this promise, though expressed in general terms, must necessarily be limited to the apostles and apostolic men. Of their casting out devils, healing diseases, and speaking with new tongues," we have instances almost innumerable. "Their taking up serpents" seems to be foretold by that Sybil, from whose oracles Virgil, very probably, borrowed this verse of his :

Occidet et serpens, et fallax herba veneni
Occidet..

And from St Paul it appears that this promise was li-
terally fulfilled, when, after a viper had fastened up-
on his hand for some time, he shook it off into the
fire, without receiving any hurt, Acts xxviii. 5. and
as to the drinking of deadly poisons, we have it re-
corded by Papias, of Barsabas sirnamed the Just; by
Ado in his Martyrology, of the Cæcilian soldier; and
by Gregory of Tours, of Sabinus bishop of Canoso;
that they three did this without any mischief to them-
selves. But as miracles of this kind were more liable
to exceptions than such as were performed upon un-

and wonders would attend those who were true converts to his religion; and promised From Matth. them his daily protection † and assistance, even unto the end of the world.

xx. 10. to the end, Mark xi.

to the end, and

Forty days was the time preordained for our Lord's continuance upon earth after his 15. to the end, resurrection. These days were now almost expired, when the apostles (according as Luke xix. 45. they were ordered), with some of their select friends, returned to Jerusalem, and there John xii. 19. to assembled themselves in a private place. Our Blessed Saviour came to them; and, a- the end. mong other things, (a) relating to the government of his church, gave them particularly in charge, that they should not depart from †2 Jerusalem until they had received that miraclous effusion of the Holy Ghost +5 which he had promised, and would shortly send down upon them. This effusion of the spirit the apostles imagined might possibly be an introduction to his temporal dominion, which still ran in their heads; and therefore they asked him whether he intended, at that time, to restore the kingdom to Israel? But he checked their inquiry, and gave them to understand, that, after the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them, they would have juster notions of these matters, and be sufficiently enabled to be the authentic witnesses of his life and actions* all the world

believers, (men being apt to think that there might be some antidotes against the venom of these beasts, or the pernicious effects of these draughts), it must be owned that Providence thought fit to be more sparing in affording these. Calmet's Commentary, Hammond's and Whitby's Annotations.

+ Our Saviour's words are,-" Lo, I am with you always to the end of the world," Matth. xxviii. 20. where we must observe, that this promise was made, not to all Christians in general, but only to those whom Christ authorised to teach and baptize in his name, as the words themselves, and the occasion of speaking them, plainly shew: And it contains a full declaration of our Lord's intention, that they should always be succeeded by others in the same office. For since the apostles all died within the compass of fourscore years after this extensive promise was made, it could no ways be fulfilled but by our Lord's being with their successors in the Gospel-ministry until the world's end. For what some imagine that the curriλúa to άivos relates to the end of the Jew. ish age or economy, which lasted (as they say) to the destruction of the temple under Vespasian, and so confine this promise to the persons of the apostles only, is void of all foundation, unless we can suppose that all sacred functions were to cesse; neither baptism to be administered, nor the Gospel preached, after the destruction of Jerusalem; which is false in fact: And therefore, if we may be allowed to explain the design and meaning of this promise by the manner of its completion, we must conclude that our Lord here engages himself to BE PRESENT with his ministers, both by his special grace and his authority, after the end of the Jewish economy, as well as till that time: And hence we may assure ourselves, that the ministry of the word and the administration of the sacraments are a standing and perpetual ordinance, to continue in the Christian church throughout all ages; and that all the faithful ministers of Christ, in what part of the world soever God shall cast their lot, and in what time soever they shall hap. pen to live, may comfortably expect Christ's gracious presence with their persons, and his blessing upon their labours. Archbishop Potter's Church Govern

ment, c. iv. and Burkitt's Annotations. (a) Acts i. 3.

+ Of all places the apostles would least of all have chosen Jerusalem to tarry in, had not our Lord positively commanded them to continue there. For Jerusalem was now a place justly abhorred and detested by them, as reeking fresh with the blood of the holy and innocent Jesus; and yet Jerusalem is the place chosen by Christ for the pouring forth of his Holy Spirit upon his apostles; because there was the greatest company of spectators to behold it, and to be wrought upon by it; and because there had been the scenes of his greatest humiliation, and therefore there he was minded to shew forth his power and glory. Burkitt's Annotations.

+ The reasons assignable for this wonderful dispensation, are, 1st, To enable them to be powerful witnesses of our Lord's resurrection, Luke xxiv. 48. and consequently that he was the true Messiah, or the prophet who was to come into the world, and was to be the Saviour of it: And therefore St Peter speaks thus to the Jews, "Ye have killed the Prince of Life, whom God had raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses," Acts iii. 15. 2dly, To enable them to give an exact account (as far as Divine wisdom saw it necessary) of what our Saviour did and taught: and therefore himself tells them, that "the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father, should testify of him, and bring all those things to their remembrance which he had said unto them," John xv. 26.xiv. 26. And, 3dly, To make them able ministers of the New Testament, i. e. able to acquaint Christians with all saving truths, and to teach them all things that Christ had commanded to be observed, throughout all the ages of the church; and upon the strength of this promise, all Christians, in all ages, have believed, that the apostles and writers of the New Testament, both spake and wrote as they were moved or directed by the Spirit of God, and accordingly have received their doctrines, "not as the words of men, but as they were in truth the word of God," 1 Thess. ii. 13. Whitby's Annotations.

*Thus the apostles preached in the most considerable cities of the then known world, as at Antioch,

Ann. Dom.

A. M. 4037, over; and with these words he led all the company out of the city, to that part of &c. or 5442. Mount Olivet which was nearest to Bethany; and there, as he was lifting up his hands, Vulg. Er. 33, and giving them his benediction, † while they continued all in an adoring posture, he was parted from them gradually, taken up in a cloud, and carried triumphantly into heaven †2, where he now sitteth at the †3 right-hand of God, (a) " God blessed for ever." Amen.

&c. or 31.

Alexandria, and even at Rome itself, as well as at Jerusalem and Samaria. They taught at Athens, and Corinth, and throughout all Greece, in such towns as were most learned, most corrupt, and most idolatrous. It was in the presence of all nations, of Greeks and barbarians, of the learned and the ignorant, of Jews and Romans, of princes and their people, that the disciples of JESUS CHRIST gave witness of the wonders they had "seen with their eyes, heard with their ears, and touched with their hands," and particularly of their Lord's resurrection: Which testimony they supported, without any interest, and against all the reasons of human prudence, even to their last breath, and sealed it with their blood. Such was the establishment of Christianity! Fleury's Church History.

+ The custom among the Jews was, to give the benediction to a good number or congregation of people, with an elevation and extension of the hands, as appears from the practice of Aaron, Lev. ix. 22. But to any particular person, the blessing was given with the imposition of hands, as the example of Jacob, with regard to Ephraim and Manasseh, plainly shews, Gen. xlviii. 14. Calmet's Commentary.

This must be understood of his human nature only, because the Divine nature fills all places, both in heaven and earth, and is, at all times, incapable of that which we properly call motion. The same body of Christ therefore, which was born, and suffered, and died, was actually carried up thither, and so our Saviour's ascension was no immaginary and figurative, but a real, proper, and corporal ascent into heaven, and that in the most elevated part, and noblest signification, that this word, at any time does, or can possibly admit: And therefore he is said to have" entered into the holy place," Heb. ix. 12. and to have “ascended up far above all heavens," Eph. iv. 10. into

the " presence of God, and where he was before," John vi. 62. So that, "whatever heaven is higher than all the rest which are called heaven; whatever sanctuary is holier than all which are called holies; whatever place is of greatest dignity in all those courts above, into that place did our Saviour ascend, where, in the splendour of his Deity, he was before he took upon him our humanity;" as our learned Bishop Pearson fully and elegantly expresses it; Art. 6. ofthe Creed, and Stanhope on the Epistles and Gospels, vol. iii.

+3 This is one of those expressions wherein the Holy Ghost condescends to our capacity, by attributing to God the parts and gesture of a human body. The hand is the chief instrument of exerting our strength, and therefore often used to denote the power of God. The right-hand is the usual place of honour and respect, and therefore this denotes the highest dignity. Sitting, in like manner, intimates a state of ease and rest, and is properly the posture of those that are in power and authority, of kings upon their thrones, and magistrates in courts of justice; and therefore" Christ's sitting at God's right-hand" implies thus much,-"That the same bliss, glory, and power, which, as the Son of God, he did, before his incarnation, enjoy with his Father, from all eternity, his human nature is now made partaker of in the highest heavens: That this God-man is invested with an absolute authority, and boundless dominion, and does now, in both natures, rule, as he shall one day judge, the whole world; and that till that day come, it is the duty of us, and all mankind, to reverence and obey, to trust in and pray to him, as our only head and king, our rightful and universal Lord. Stan hope on the Epistles and Gospels, vol. iii. (a) Rom. i. 25.

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