and their uneafinefs under the Roman yoke, were the immediate occafions of their rebelling against the authority, to which they were then fubject; and the fame principles that induced them to reject and crucify Jesus, brought upon them their utter and final deftruction." Lardner, Vol. vii.

P.

60.

CHAPTER

CHAPTER III.

ON THE CONDUCT OF THE DISCIPLES.

How far the Disciples refembled their countrymen.-Who they were.-Addrefs of Jefus to them after they were chofen. Their ignorance of their Master's real office, and diftruft of his power.-Conduct at the transfiguration.Difpofition to interpret the prophecies literally.-Candid reprefentation of their own conduct, a proof of their veracity.-Disputes, who fhould be the greateft.-Triumphant entry of Jefus Chrift into Jerufalem.-The laft fupper. The garden.-Apprehenfion of Jefus.-Sentiments and conduct of the Difciples at that event.-Circumftances attending the refurrection.-Difciples at length convinced, boldly preach a crucified Meffiah.-How this change is to be accounted for.-Some remnant of their old prejudices and mistakes.-Converfion of Cornelius.— Reflections upon that event.-Edict of the council at Jerufalem. Conclufion warranted by these facts, and others harmonizing with them.

FR

ROM the deep root which national prepoffeffions had taken among the Jews, and from the nature of their expectations concerning the Meffiah, it ceases to appear extraordinary, that fo large a portion of the nation should difregard, or disbelieve, the credentials produced by Jefus in favour of his divine commiffion. It feems, however,

neceffary

neceffary to inquire into the conduct of those perfons, who formed fo fingular an exception to the generality of their countrymen; by not only readily admitting the teftimony of Jesus, but by persevering, in spite of every difcouragement, and every danger, to preach to the world at large the doctrines, which Jefus had taught. The motives which shall appear, upon strict inquiry, to have directed their conduct, must assist us in determining how far the Gospel is true and if their actions fhall be conformable to what might be expected from men in their peculiar circumstances; and if they shall themfelves be found capable of forming a right judgement of the facts, to which they bore witness, and actuated by no wrong bias whatsoever; we cannot refuse their evidence, as credible and competent witnesses.

Now we should naturally expect, at first, to meet the same fort of opinions, and prejudices, in these men, as in their countrymen. We should expect that these opinions would occafionally appear, and these prejujudices often start forth. We should expect to observe marks of disappointment, when their worldly and carnal views of the Mef

fiah

fiah were discountenanced, and their own hopes, founded upon those wrong concep→ tions, baffled and crushed. We fhould expect to find thefe deeply-rooted prepoffeffions gradually and flowly worn out of their minds, by the indubitable proofs, which Jefus gave, of his being really the character, which he profeffed to be: we should expect to fee them often returning to the charge, as it were, and then retiring at fome fresh exertion of miraculous power; rising again into full ftrength, when any event occurred, which might feem to confound all their expectations; and not completely fubdued, till after a feries of divine agency, which no preconceived opinions whatsoever could poffibly withstand. In short, we should expect to find them resembling the reft of their countrymen, except in the opportunities they had of observing more narrowly the character and works of Jefus, and in having difpofitions, not fo inveterately hostile to every fpecies of evidence.

THESE, doubtlefs, would be our expectations; and if, in the accounts, which are left of the conduct of the more immediate followers of Jefus, we meet with these

marks

marks of truth and of nature, we are bound, in reafon and in equity, to receive their recorded teftimony.

BEFORE we enter upon a minute examination of their conduct, we may observe that Jefus, in the choice of his difciples does not appear to have been influenced by the circumftance of neighbourhood" or affinity. One of them, indeed, is called his brother (which is the term for a coufin*, near or remote); but many of the others appear to have been total strangers to him, till they were induced, from what they saw or heard, to pay a more earnest attention to his difcourfes, and to become the attendants upon his miniftry. It is moreover remarkable, that the generality of his kinfment, as well as his neighbours, appear to have difputed his right to the title of Meffias. When his friends heard of his affuming the public office of a teacher, it is expreflly mentioned, that "they went out to lay hold on him: for they faid, he is befide

*This ufe of the term was not confined to Judea. Ajax, fpeaking of Achilles, fays,

Frater erat: fraterna peto. Ovid. Metam. xiii. 31. + Bp. Law has fome very fagacious obfervations upon this fubject, in a note to his Reflections on the Life and Character of Chrift. Vid. p. 304. Edit. 6.