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hull r , , ,""• '''"•''"'• '" '"'"'• """ «" **•'<> Desire ,
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THi; a)Aimrrinjvi:s opTHi: APosTUis OP .„.:s(s
INTKOIircTIO.N
By KliV. 1)AXIJ:l 3IARCH, D D
Author OF "Walks AM. H "vu, 1^.17.
oMEs OH Jt^,V" Night SctSHsiN THE
HE BiuLE," Etc.
TPOM DA.K TO DAWN," " HomEUh;;;;;"'- """•'•■ ■'°'' '^"'"^"'^ "°"^^-'
"^■^^'"^""ED WITH HAIP-TONCS OP
""""^'>l.'\^Ml(|^ .1,1(1 many Lii(|r:ivin.|s i„ rhc Text
THE BRADLEY-GARRETSON CO. Limited
TORONTO, ONT. LHIllEeG
BRANIFUKD, ONT
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W
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■^S-t'-ii.-;
INTRODUCTION
r-pi
HIS attractive and beautiful hook, with its clear and simple yet graphic
style, and .ts abundant illustrations, is an atten.pt to s t the^sa
ing, as he evidently does with his whole heart that lesus Chri.t ' r ]
fest n the flesh nnd thnt- <-i, i • ^'^'_^' "^"-^"^ Jesus L-hrist is God mam-
exhibit theMn nf , • ' '"•^^" °^ ^" '^^^ '■^^^'^^^^l ^^'^•■^ of God is to
fr.Hv 7 ^ ^' ^^°^^''^P^^>'' ''^•-^^"ment, or simple narrative is emploved
1 his Commentary does not assume that the Bible i<, n Wln^ i i. j
must needs be explained or i. will . t ^''"^ ^°°^' ^"^
Nor does it impT^hlt it i n IK f ^^/'"^'--stood by those who read it.
the artifices of t^il r ? ' """"^ "'"'' "^^ "^^^'^ interesting by all
le a tifices of the novelist or word-painter, or it will never be read Nor
vi
INTRODUCTION
Joes ,tg.vc ,ts readers the impression that the Bible is an antiquated and
obsolete work which must be modernized and improved, or it will have to ^ive
place to the fresher and more impressive thought of our own time On the
contrary It is the object of the author of this Commentary to show his readers
that the Bible is //.. book for all times, all places, and all circumstances ; that
It IS the most ong.nal, fresh, plain, and interesting book that ever has been or
ever will be written; and that its saints, its horoes, and its martyrs are repre-
sentative men for the whole human race.
The lesson of the sacred story is sometimes rehearsed anew, and in modern
phrase, not to give a clearer version of what was written in olden times but
to secure a change of position, and show the inspired picture in a different
light, that the reader may see it better and love it more. The best comment
IS that wh^h brings the reader's mind into closest contact with the word as
written. 1 hat word is ever so pure, simple, and expressive, that it needs only to
find entrance to the heart, and it will enlighten the eyes and convert the L\.
Many books have been written, and much learning expended, in the effort
to sluny that only those who were thoroughly versed in the languages in which
the Bible was onginaliy written, and in the history, social customs, and
manners, and the literature of the nations among which it had its birth, could
rightly understand it; but such an idea is utterly unworthy of the Christian
and savors of the bigotry and exclusiveness of the dark ages. " The greater
part of tne Scriptures, all that is necessary to show us the way of salvation is
w.th.n the comprehension of the simplest and humblest, and will educate and
elevate their minds as nothing else can. There are some passages which can
be mo-e clearly understood, and will receive added force, by a knowledae of
the circumstances under which they were spoken or written, and the habits
and customs of the people to whom they were first uttered; and in very rare
instances It IS possible that our English translation fails to convey the full
force of the original expression. Put even these exceptional cases are pro-
vided for ii-i this Commentary, which, while carefully avoiding all display of
learning, gives in simple and clear language the results of the profound and
extensive research of the past two centuries, on all points, where there is a
necessity for them.
The engravings and illustrations scattered so abundantly through this
book greatly increase its value. To young and old they teach more vividly
and impressively than words. No verbal description, however accurate and
minute, can be worth anything like as much to the reader as the plainest
picture of the thing described. One glance at the rudest outline of Jerusalem
wm fix Its form and situation more deeply in the memory than a whole volume
of verbal description,
latecl and
/e to give
On the
is readers
ces ; tiiat
s been or
re repre-
1 modern
imes, but
different
:omment
word as
s only to
the sold,
he effort
in which
ms, and
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hristian,
greater
ation, is
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lich can
edge of
i habits
sry rare
the full
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ite and
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f
INTRODUCTION
vi'i
\\\ I
tl.e Bible story • thev "ve vfrv f '^°'"''°""°"' ^"' "'=>' ''•= ^<=''i°'" <™<= to
patriarchs and sl,ow him ,he sheeo and ,1 ° " P"^""-'=-g'-°"ncls of tl,e
well and the fcntain. iu, as Isaac and T T"' ", """^"^ """^ "^= '"'''■ '!"=
Bethel and Shechen, He ' nT ."'"r ''"'" "'"=" =" Beersheba and
plain in ^he glow oJThe „ir ^tV™'; 1 ^tiri^t'""^'"'! "'7 "" ^"^
of the shepherd's tent. °^ "°''" ""^'^'' ^he shadow
pictorial t:;:fjr'r/,rhr:er" i ^" '^'°^= '"= ^^^ <" "- -*^ -
s!on of Bible times 1 nds a„d pi ''.""'"w "'?"'' '-''"S impres-
decription alone. The sae ed reLTd K , ■'"""' ''" «'""'" ^y ''^'i'^i
spiritual truths are so bo'nTup „ ca„hl vTr' "i ''Tr'' ''"'"' '°°'^' ""'I "»
tHe,r .neanin, and carry it with^^h^^rro ^r .T ™ '^7:/!:^' '''^T "'''
lessons of couracre and cormfnn^,. ^ r • i '"f J°"'^"ey of life. The great
such a companio°nable anTe e" da: , ,' , '^ ''' ^'-"^ """-''-
sympathy with saint, and heroe, t^ ''. ■" ," " '"''^""'''>' '"'■'"'" '"'o
the companions of h s bes hmr^ a! M °1 ' "'' """^"- ""= """^^ 'I-™
ti-eir lives. The hoi „,en o oW ' , ,"T '° '"''"''" ''''' ^''' ""%- ■'"
blessing of the father, des"ends tol T' I 7'"" "' '^= "^''"S "£=• "''"d 'he
The stj.le and tl,: whltl ion ^ ':r '™'", «^""--'"'°" '" «---"-■
so great and good a result The pn, r . "? ="■' "•=" '''"'='' t" ^<=<:"'-e
careful stndy'of its sacked lessons W iT"' " '""^ '"'" "'= '^•^"- -'' '^e
for th,. iousehold, ^'S'" " """' "^ »' "s'" -"hI instrt.ction
Daniel March.
VOLUME I.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Tbf P,r,„ AND I„„»cv OP ,js^ cnsnT
r"Ti;:-ir„r;j:r'"' ™^- '■■""'""-■"-■- i--«-.-.- : : : : ;
Christ's Sermon on the Mount
Miraculous Cures Performed hv CHRisT', .'
The Twelve Disciples Chosen
Jesus' Estimate of John the JUpti^t
The Pharisees' Enmity Against Chri'st
Seven Parables Explained, . '
The Martyrdom of John the Baptist
Christ Feeding the Multitude AND wIlkin-c/o; ;„r Sf\
CUR..O.TIE Daughter OF THE Syko-Phcex^cIa^^W
i'ETER s Confession of Christ, . . '
The Transfiguration, . . . '.
Jesus Teaches Humility, Kindnfss t^ril ,^^
Christ Receives Little cTuZ^. '"'''' ^'' ^«'^^''^^^-- ok Injuries,
The Conversation with the Rich' Young Man
The Lahorers in the Vineyard, .
Jesus Healing the Blind Man • • • •
The iRiuMPHANT Entry into Jerusalem,
IHE Marriage Supper,
Jesus Talks with the Pharisees,'
The Wickedness
Chris
OF the Pharisees,
The'ten" Vr"'" 'r^ D-TRUCTION O^ J.K,;, ',;,
IHE Ien \IRGINS~TiIE TATrMTc_T..„ ^^ .
THE PASSOVER AND m. S.;:^;^^ ^J J^^^^'^^'
Jesus IN the Garden of Geth-emane, '
The Sufferings and Death of Jesus,
The Resurrection of Christ
Description OF the Birth of' John "thk/bIpti^t
De CRiP„o. OF the Birth and Early Days" i^hki't" '
Description of Christ's Persecution at NazI eth "
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes ^^'''*'^™' • • •
The Raising of the Widow's Son
The PENirENT Woman,
The Seventy Disciples Sent Forth
Thk Tnquiking Lawyer,
n, ' "'•^J
XUE Good Samakita;v, ...
Ml)*
' . y
. . 18
. . 21
. . 24
• . 30
• • 37
. 38
• 30
. 42
• 47
• 49
• SI
• 53
• 54
• 58
. 60
. 61
• 63
• 65
• 65
• 70
• 71
• 75
• 78
■ 79
. 82
85
91
99
106
110
114
"9
120
121
122
"5
126
ix
COxVrEXTS.
Marih
xitt, rARABI.E np Ttjr. u.„.. T-. _ '
John the Baptist's Testimonv tc/ Ciu^.st
Account ok the Mark..oe at Can.
'-HRi.sTs Conversation with NicodeLus" .'.■.'.■.'
The Nom.EMAN's Sov Cv^l^ ™' ^^'"""'^ °^' s''^"^^'^'
Ho
;red.
TEsns r -''"^ ^" ™"^ ^"°^ ^^^^ Cured
Jesus Compares II,mself to Bread,
Christ the Fol-ntain or- Happ.mp..
Ax, A -■ Happiness, .
An Attempt to Stone Jesus
How A UKn, Born Blind, was CY-red,
Explanation of Christ-tiie Door
* * II.. ^
Tm R»„™„ or u^.,~:Z^""" "•'""'•'•'■
'1'he Story of t
•:oM the Dead,
f. , ^ ™'= Pkecious Ointment
Christ s Entrance into Jerusa, em. '
jKsus \\ ashing His Discipi.es' Feet
Explanation of the Parable of tii'e Vi'n;
The Lame Man Heai:ed'a;T.-^''^-^'''"'-'^""'"''^ ^-^^^ ^^
ND John Tr
Ananias' and Sap.-.hira's Deaths
p"« «»o jo„. T,;.7„;;r,;:r;s:,:;»^ ■ ■ •
ND Resurrection,
Peter and John Imprisoned and Released ' ' '
iHE Death of Stephen, . ^-'^^^ased,
The Persecution of Christians,
Simon Ma(;us, the Makman
Travels, Sufferings, and Success of Paul ^n,", p ' " "
How THE Apostles Settled Disputes, •"" ""''''
Paul s Preaching and Persecution at Thes'saloni;
nabas.
Paul's Extensive Preaching Tours,
His Own Lawyer.
Dangerous Voyage, Shipw
''enteen Epistles,
Paul His Own Lawyer. His Trial. At Jerusali
Commentary on the Sevf-'- ""' ^^'' ^^"'"''^ °*" ^'^^
f^M AND CeSAREA,
... x..-i.rLE. '''' "'' Journey to Rom
Commentary on Revelations,
Asia Minor-Scenes OF THE Labors of Paul P™';.;!
E, .
TAfiB
• . . 126
. . . 126
. . . 127
. . . 127
. . . I2S
• ■ • 135
. . . 139
• • . 141
. . 142
• • 143
• • 145
• . 146
• . I4S
• • 149
. . 150
• • 151
• • 153
• • 154
• • 154
• • '59
• • 159
• • 160
> • 162
' • 164
• 170
• 176
• 177
. 178
• 179
• I So
• iSi
• 1S2
• 184
• 186
' 190
• 192
• 193
■ 196
200
205
216
219
225
235
240
249
. . . 126
. . . 126
• . . 127
. . . 127
. . . 128
' ■ ' ^35
. . , 139
. . . 141
. . 142
• • M3
• • 145
• . 146
. . 148
• • M9
• • 150
. . 151
• • 153
• • 154
• • 154
• • 159
• • '59
• • 160
• • 162
• • 164
• 170
• 176
• 177
. 178
• 179
• 180
• 181
• 182
• 184
• 186
• 190
• 192
• 193
• 196
' 200
' 205
216
219
225
235
240
249
9S0
VOLUME I.
LIST OF LITHOGRAPH PLATES AND FULL-PAGE
HALF-TONE ILLUSTRATIONS.
"Suffer Lrm.r Ciulhrfn" (Lillwgraph),
Chkist Calling Fkteh an,, Andkew,
Chkist Pkeaciiikg on the Mount
A Cup of Cold Water,
"Behold a Sower," ^yr
"■' ' • • .
The Wlse and the Foollsh Vh<glxs.
The Widow's Mite,
• • •
The Annunciation of Chrlst, .
Christ in the Pharisee's .Mouse,
The Good Samaritan
' • • .
Christ in The Temple w.th the Doctors,
The Good Samaritan {Lithograph), .
The Good Shei-herd,
TiTE Prodigal Son,
Christ and the Woman of Samaria,
"In Mv Father's House Are Manv Mansions.
The True Vintj,
Mary Magdaleni at the Sepulchre.
iHE Return qk the PKui^ioAL Sun ^Luho^raph),
Pagb
Ff ontuf^itct
• 25
. 26
' 43
. 44
• 97
. 98
. 107
. 108
• 117
. 118
• 123
. 129
• 130
• '55
• 156
, 165
166
171
XI
VOLUME I.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS.
Nlti!:t ^"^^" ^^'''' ^^°"^'-^'' da Vinci),
NatMc I la,ns of Al.raham and Let, ^ ' '
Dav.d s Tomb at Mo„„t Zion. .
" An"d tt r,""' f '^^'"'^ ^^'^^"^ ^-"'the Field; '• '
B^"o;^;:2^-x-"-o.dA.o.^^^
Eastern Travelers, . . '
The Angel Appearing to Zacharia"3,
i no Infant John, .
John the Baptist Pn^achin;, ncpcntanec
Sermon on the Mount, '
Readers of the Je^vih Law
Mish Scribes in the Time'cf a;i;t,
Healing the EJind,
Wine Skins, ..,.."
Leather Bottles,
Pouring Wine Out 'of'aBmt'le,
Valley of Salt. Bet.-ecn Canaan and Fd;™
Pnson ,n which John was Beheadect'
Dancing ,n the East,
Ancient Harvesters, . .*
Black Mustard,
The High Priest Before the Avk
Jewish Baker in the Time of Christ,' .'
Iransfiguration of Christ,
The Jewish Shekel, . . '
Eastern Gold, . . . ,'
Eastern Silver, . ,
Form of Second Temple
Fig Branch,
Eastern Ivory Ornaments," .*
Eastern Tables, ...
Modern Hebron, . . * •
Ancient Eastern Lamps," [ ]
Ancient Wine-press, ... • •
Ancient Wine-press, .
One of the Gates of Jerusalem", ".
<-^''enng Salutation in the East
Christ Bearing the Cross, .
Interior of a Rock Ser.nl'chre, .'*''■■
Mourners,
Golden Candlestick.
• • •
• • •
• • •
■ •
rAot
• 9
. II
. 12
• 14
■ '5
■ '7
. i.S
20
2 '*
23
27
28
29
32
)3
,34
xu
■ • ID
• • ,56
• • 3S
• . 40
• • 41
• . 46
• • 49
• • 52
• • 55
• • 58
• • 6r
• . 62
■ . 64
• 66
• 68
• 69
• 71
• 73
• 76
• So
• 82
• 83
• S5
. 89
• 94
• 96
• ror
• 102
1
UST Olf ILLUSTRATIONS.
■
15
tAOM
.'
... 9
... II
:•'
... 12
• . . 14
1
. . . 15
. . . 17
"^
. . . i.S
' . . 20
i
• . 22
• • • 23
1
• . . 27
. . 28
t
• • -^9
(
• • J-2
• • )3
• • ,54
• • .55
1
• • ,30
• • ,5S
• • 40
• . 41
• . 46
• • 49
1 •
• • 52
• • 55
• 58
• 6r
. 62
*
• 64
. 66
• 6a
. 69
• 71
• 73
/
• 76
1
• 80
1 '■
• 82
• 83
r
• S5
S9
94
96
1;
1 .f
'01
loa
Simeon and Infant Saviotir, .
'1 uitlf-dovc, ....
Olive-press, ....
Mountains about Jericho,
Husks of Prodigal Son, ' . " .'
Ancient Signet Rings (i), ,'
Ancient Signet Rings (-.)'
Jacob's Weil, ....,'
"AnAngelWentDown,''etc
Tent, or Booth, "'
Sheepfold,
"But Mary Sat Still iuihc House""
"They Went Backward, and Fell 'to ti„.V " ', I, '
The Husbandman, . "'" Ground," .
f ^'':^'' High Priest Onenng Intense,
Ancient Messengers in the East
Eastern Millstones,
Slaves Grinding Corn, ..."
Ox-cart in Palestine, . . . , ]
Joppa, from the Southwest, ."
Temple Candelabra, ...'."
Ancient Jewish Idols, ." .'
Anci. nt Egyptian Idols," .*.","
Modern Jericho, ...
Part of Ancient War-galley
Map of Asia Minor, . . . '
Upper Chambers in Ori'en'tal" Hu'use
Ancient War-engine
Ancient War engine for" Throwing Stones
War-galley in Bible Times. ...
Brazen Laver, . .
The River Jordan "Near its Sourc'e
Syrian Tents, .... '
Sepulchral Cave in Je'rusalem, ." - '
Ashtaroth, the Philistine Goddess "
Table of Shew-bread,
Romans Carrying the' T;bie;f"shew.brJad",
Eas ern Women with Timbrels, Dancing,
Eastern Loaves of Bread
Eastern Baker Selling Thin Cakes,
m.
xiii
rAUR
. . . iir
■ • • "3
> . . 116
• .125
• . '3'
• • 13.5
• • '33
• • i3^>
• • '39
• • '44
• 147
• • 150
• •iS.i
• • '57
• . 161
• .16]
• . 170
• . 174
• • '77
• • '79
• • 1S4
■ . 188
.189
• '93
•195
•199
• 206
• 211
• 216
• 219
• 220
• 222
• 226
• 229
•231
•^33
•237
• 239
• 241
243
245
246
M^?-
voLijMB rr.
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
i •
John, the Rei,o\ fd Di
Simon 1'ktek,
Anukrw.
Jamks thk (;kea
Philip,
Tho.mas, ....
M^ATTHEW,
James the Less,
JUDE,
Simon Zei.otks,
Paui
CONTENTS.
PAGI
"
• • • 253
r, ....
• • • 297
• • • ^^^
• • • 373
• • -3^7
• • 399
• • 411
• • 425
• • 43'
•
•■••»,
• -445
. .461
'
• • 469
Jesus Christ,
J"'''", • . . ,
Simon Peter,
Andrew, . .
James the Great
i'liilip, . . . '
Bartholomew,
Thomas, . .
Matthew,
James the Less
Jude, ....
Simon Zelotes,
^aul, . . . ,
xiv
THE THORVALDSEN GALLERY.
rXGB
• .252
• -257
. . 296
• • 362
• -372
• .3«6
• -398
• • 413
■ .424
• 433
• 444
. 460
•471
PACt
• 297
• ^^^
• .v3
• :vS7
• .399
• 4"
• 425
43'
445
461
469
VOLUME If.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS.
Two Women (Jrinding,
" The IVari of (ireat Price,''
"And from that Hour tint iv" • 1
Syrian Shcei,, . . '"'''' '"""^ "" '""" "'« Own
TheRiverof theWatLrof I.iiJ
Clinst and the Trilnue Money. '
Mmint of Olives, . .
Jesus and Peter, ..."
Mount 'labor, in Galilee", .'
Mount 'labor, , . ,
Mount Sinai, ....'*
tastern Scenery, . . '
Unleavened liread, .'
figs, *
An Eastern Dining'room,
An Eastern Feast
H
onie,
™r' ''"•■■<'. "i« or «,„„:,;:"'•
The Heatitiful (late, . ,
Sea of Galilee, , ] ."
Valley of Jezrecl* ' " .' '.
Ananias and Sapphira
The High Priest in Robes."
Lydda,
/oi)i)a from the East, ."
Plains of Jericho, .'.".*.* *
Ruins of Cassarea, .
Kastern Scenerv, . ." • . . .
Mount Ephraim.
Peter Between 'IVo's;,M"iers," [ •"
Bethany, ....
Eastern Vine3ard, .'."." .' .'
Symbolic Union of the Old and m" 'n-
Ancient Judoan Ruins, . " '^''^'^'^^'ons, . . . _
ti backcioth, '
^™r:,r;:.±°"'™-''--^-Vo,;,A;a,o;r.-.: • • • ■ • •
orms of Crosses, .
Thorn-crowned Christ, "
Bethlehem. ' ' '
Jerusalem, . . • • • •
Herod Receiving Suppli'cants,
Country Around Samaria.
• • 26a
• • 265
. . 27r,
• 27.,
• 285
• 293
• 301
• 303
• 305
• 307
• 309
•311
• 315
• 3ifi
• 318
• 320
• 322
•324
•328
330
332
• • 333
• ■ 335
• • 337
• -339
• -341
• • 345
■ • 346
• 347
• 349
• 352
■ 354
• 355
• 357
• 359
• 360
• 364
•366
• 369
• 370
■ 374
376
37 s
381
XV
xvi
/./sr ()/.' ju.rs'n'ir/oxs.
Thorn rr.iwncfl Christ,
Su|.|)<.sc(l Kiiinsof Ca|'.n,u '.n, ".".'"
Worsliipinj,' Jiipiier
Fountain at Na/atvih, .....'
Anticiit VcsM Is, ......
i''t)Mntain at ("ana,
^'"i'"t T I.s in tlic k .(lis, '
Kasicrn Crcotin^' '.'.'"
Kastern Crowns
I'altn 'J'rec ' '
Jacob's WVIl, .
, , , ,
^lci)rew I'ricsts
A I.cvite
Koijin^'a I'riosi
lilnvinfT „f 'IVunipet at New iLln ' ' ' '
lictJKMJ, . • . .
.<uinsof il„. TiK.atrrat'Kphi-sMs
^f'^'^^'Hl^ Is a. .nn,in^.;()„r',.;a;
East.-rn So^^^i,
First Friits .*.'.'."
Shoos and Sandals,
Ea-stern Alod,.. of 'I'hresl.ing,"
rtoleniy I'hilatklj)liiis,
Ancient Hooks, ....,.'.
Sci-oll v.i J3,„,i<, _ _
Jewish Scrolls lJse<Ii.; Teaching U,o\'^nm;.
Nazareth, "^
Damascus,
I'racticing the Cnnniiig Arts, .' .'
Soothsayers
Diana, Jupiter, and Mineiva,
In the Stocks, ....
Ancient Athens, ....'.'
Corinth
Burning IJooks, _'
Miletus,
Brid-e near Tyre,
Sidon
^°'"^' • • • • • ^ • • ^ ^ ■ . : : . •
Caesar
Roman Centurion .... "
Crete
Ancient Shiji
The Con(iuerors
Roman Soldiers
Roman IJcturs ....
• y)5
• 401
• 403
• 4"5
• 4'7
• 420
• 422
• 430
• 432
• 439
• 439
•439
•442
. 448
• 453
•457
• 4 '''2
4^'5
468
470
473
• ^473
• • 474
• • 475
• 477
• 479
••pS,
• 4«3
•4«5
. 48''.
• 48a
• 491
• 494
• 496
■ 499
• 50 r
• 503
• 5i-'4
• 505
507
510
513
515
. . . ,,S4
. . . ,vS,S
• • • .Vj5
• . . 401
• . . 403
• • • 405
. . . 4,7
• • • 420
• • 422
■ • 430
• • 43-^
• • 4J9
• • 439
• • 439
• • 442
• '44^
• • 453
• • 457
• • |^'2
• • 4^'5
• . .\f>6
■ • 468
• • 4/0
• • 473
■ -473
• • 474
■ • 475
• 477
• 479
• 481
• 4«3
• 4«5
• 48'")
• 48a
• 49f
• 494
• 496
• 499
• 5or
• 503
■ 5i-'4
■ 505
507
510
513
515
THE LAST SUITER 1 i,y , ~~"
' J'liiinii pitinling.)
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTIILW;
The Bfrth and Infancy of Jesus Christ.
tC -.m^ opening; book of the N,-u- T .f
1-W «««R^,„ i„t„ tne ^ui Testament intro. uces
W'hen this b. ok tas I'n"'"' """''■""" ""^ "' "fe'^-
of 'He <^,^ Te^ta;;: r ,rif '^'^''\ "- '-
prophecies; the Jews h.cM <:°"'Pleted his
This, the openin.i. book of the >Jeu-T.^ ^
lO
Tim FAMILY COMMJiXTARY.
were i]o\v ruled i)v a vcrv wir'vpr' I-Jn^r ti i i
kinudcn which he would set up, and that tit In on p^op et,;;n'
the Gentiles uould be shut out from it '^ '
wa'''chH"'s"i:;:ior 'T'^'"''' r' "" °""^ ^°^P^'^' h°- <Jiff-cnt
Ui ists k^,,^aiom and mission from wliat they liad supposed- and
we shall also see what it really ^vas. This firJt book oo 'el
race, and tribe, the .nvat Redeemer 7 to V . IT '" '''°" '^°"' ^° ^ P^'^'-ticular famih ,
promise made in ti,e larde, wa to be amnlif e ' f '^^r'^'^-'S^^ -■• ^^e earb'er ages, the
Matthew we have the instorv of he 00^1,^ , v 'f ",'''' '° ''" "^'^ ^'^^l^^' according t,.
people ; of their final and co ch ive e tlon > V "' H ' '"/""^ °' '^"^'' ^° '^ ^^ ^'--»
dominion, and the offers of sa^^on Ta " t j^^^^^^^^ It t'the f ^•'"' "' ^' "^^■"^'°" °^ '^'^
glorious era; and yet, more than anv other ook of th New Te:"""";' ' ""^' "^' """
Epistle to the Hebrews, it connects itself with the O d T- / ' '''"''' ^"'"'''' '^''
ecies, in its genealogies, its references to Jewtll.s and ZV" T ■''''''''''"' °' ^'^"'^'^-
Old Testament forn.s of expression concerning th Messiah I o^t '' " ''I '°"'^'"^ "^^ °^
sermons of Christ, more of his miracles and . l! , "' "'°''' "^^'^^ discourses or
other gospels ; and it presents lu in a T^t^^t c X Zflli f ''7l''' ^'^" '^">' °^ ^'^^
purpose of showing their relations to one anotle ^d to h '^''°''fj!''^' ^"^ ^^''^ the distinct
twenty-eight chapters, and is particul-u Iv Ann.;. ^'"""'^ "^'J'^'' °^ '^'' Gospel. It has
lightly. It was probably wtimari fo t tV"'? r" ■^■"l"' "" "'^"^ ^'"^"^"^ '-^'^ ^"'
.ears .er the ascensio^of Chr.'and, :/a^:.^L!::lSir ^^^^^^ --
4.;r.r:;;";:i:;?xi^;:^;r',";-
5^-53; xxviii, 19. Read, also, "The Gospel according 'to Vr.ni f' '*° ^ '''""' ^3 ' ^>^vi.,
himself a
they had
elders or
:y openly
^harisees,
ocritical ;
'C a tein-
believed
the new
- and all
different
cd ; and
ospel is
'spel ; it
- kingly
low the
tice has
I u-as aftci-
lar family,
■ ages, tlic
wording to
wn chosen
ion of his
and more
haps, the
of projjh-
iit use of
courses or
ly of the
' distinct
I. It has
;(>nch but
or eight
he other
. 33> 44-
!,- xxvii,
'• Henry
i
MA 777 //sir.
been fittingly called " the Gospd of the rcjeetion." The word " C-os,„.r'
1..S bee, variously defined; it eomes Iron, the old n lo ^ ' ,
Signifies .rood neus tidings o,- I,; , •. ^nylo-baxon, and
NATIVE n.AIXS OF AilRAllAM AM, l.oT.
iMatthew, whose surname wnc; in,.;
much hated by the lews r\j\ alestinc. Ihcse publicans were
sonal or poll-tax licin 4' r ^''^'."^^^ ^^7"= °f ^••"•io"^ kinds: a per-
>'-- et^. in^;,:r uLr^s i;:reoi :ct:dt '^■:^-' r-"
naun,, when Jesus called him to leave t^ aM andtTl'^w^
13
THE FAMfLY CO.inr/hVTARV.
n<^ obeyed the divine call, became one of the u.o.fl - • .
for the use of the Jeuish discinlcs ^.h.i l ^^f^^^^'^-^ '^"^ recorded
of the Messiah. " ^ ''^'''' ^'' ^^^^^■^^' ^'^"^1 ^^aw. and knew
The first chapter of this <rosncl f.-llc ,,c- r
d'ctcd by tiK. prophets. Meisial, ^ .,^Lf''r'^''"r-
pnc,s,s.a,Kl Idnos of Israel ,vere anointe „■ " ! n "'; 'T"''"^'^'
^vould so pour his holy blessings upon the uk ', 1 '"I' T ''°''
were^et apart Tor their particn,ar^,,ee: ":; l^l^il^^f ^'^^
The Messiah, as
Jesus is called,
more especially
Ijore that name,
which is in other
words //ic auoiiif-.
cd, or the anointed
one. Christ is a
name which has
also the s a m e
meaning. None
were ever anoint-
ed with such an
abundance of mfts
andof o-raceas he
IMVID'S TOMB AT MOUNT ZIO\.
prophet, a priest, and a kino- at the snmo .; ^^''^' ^^"^ ^^'^^ ""
tauo-ht the way to heaven l?csl h s fn n "" ^''^^'''' ^''"^'^'^ he
to happen on'earth f^^'^^b c^ ^'^"-^ ^^''-'^ --
such an one as made all sacnfirT w'''^' "^^ "^ sacrifice, and
future, so that they as d ""1^^^^ 'l"'""'?- ''"' ^' "^ "-' '"
because he was to rei< n o e n. f ' "^' '''"''^'^^' ^"^' ^' ^•^>^^^.
yield him willing ISie^^^ ^ 1 ^^^f' -^' '^- -'^^ects shouki
the world. ""^ ^'"'"' ^^ ^°"^^' anci in all parts of
Matthew traces the line of Jesus Christ from M . I.
P-nused to Abraham, in the tw.fth chapte:^^,;^^ ^^
recorded
nd knew
-sccndcd.
siAii prc-
!Jroj)hcts,
that God
:liat they
- alone,
sial], as
called,
'j)ccially
name,
in odier
auoiiif-
noiiitcci
tST is a
:h has
s a m e
None
moint-
ich an
3 f gifts
-as he
was a
use he
1 \\'cre
e, and
use in
king,
hould
rts of
God
shall
A
M 1 11 IIIIW.
all the families of the earth be bless,:,l " if ,„. .. . '''
by Abraham that one should .t , r ' ""^'"'^'"'■'-^ "nderstooj
bLsalltheworld^lt r L 5"' f°'", '>""' -"' ^I>°"'^1 indeej
Matthew, then, in^h^ :^\|iVcrisf™rttA7'""r' '"^ '^'^■'""^■^•
,>roves, in the first place, that ^ ::: ^.^^ ^l^:^: '^
•sprang from Abraham Alcshkdi, for h(^
..ut,es-criLrb'ni,r^''r;'r ^^--^ ''""^■'"' --^ -' '•^ff-
the fan,ilies thaj „ lot^d '^ } ," L t ^ ' '" •■'""',''"^ ^"'^ ^° ^^'"^
the prcnise was made, and 1 t, 1 r^'/^'r f ""']? ^^"'^'^
^nttlL^iror^omS':;::,^^^-^ Pf cmar in tracing the
in orde? to demonstra e to 1 t T' ''"'' ^~'" ^^^^'^ '° Christ,
gree, that Chri" w fde ^e de^ ^n h s° ""f f 7',^"*"=" ^"^ '-"'-
themothers^,so,fromridand a':^^^^^^^^^^ fathers side, and on
38. .i..d ll,n, i„ ,l,is several names ,vere ?„ i' w j f, f " ''^™ ""'' "■"' '" ^^^- '^-
;- Gospel ,..„ „„, i„„.i,,<,,„„ ,„,^ ' ;,bK'i, :': "" "'■"V''''' ""'""-^P'^f .!»■
>l>^' first, u may be said that the Jews, lile all or 2,? ?■ ", '' '■■""'>■ """"'=''• '» '<»"<1 to
..".eial, of ,„eir royal families-.ie n s o" , ' f. , t'"'' '" '" f """ '"'"^^'"«'«" -""■
famrly senealogy, sl.cvin,. ,l,e collateral b,a„ t „ ,lh T'°° ' "' *'=°"''' ""-' ■""■•"' ™
' the mam line ran o,„ from »„„, „f hei,^ Ti k " '"''^'^'i<"> "•» '" !>« conlin„e.l,
'l>e» eives ,he line of royal saccossio,",, i 1„? ™ '"" "'" •="*' "'"' ""■'<'■» "nc I'a.
«i». the private or fan.iiy record ,ri,' a"" '" ' ;' f "-">«' »' "'^ '«"« "f Davi., ; ,.„;.
iTother ofSolomon, by the same mother (rChrorii,' T "''°'' '""'' ^'athan. the elder
»n the failure of the line of Solomon. Tha iL did M T '"'"' '" '"''"" "■' """StJom
"lio was written childless (Jeremiah v,ii Z^ \ , "' '" ""= '">= "' J'^'niali or Jechonia,
Neri, of the h„„se of Nathan, -vh v^ Vl her"of"e™';f ff T 'li' "='' '"»"-'' «'- »" "f
ha cap„vi,y. There is a mistake here in I ;■ ,!" "''if' "■= '^'-» ™ "'""S prince after
'»W s olhcial t,tle. Another Jewish law exnlai , ' ,'h: Z^^T'" I"" " '"•■"■» '"""-•■ '»" Zer.,1,.
son faded to have a son, , he son of hi, br.,th l,ec e 1 , h '"'"' '''"' »'«^" "•"I*'
or He,., .n the genealogy i„ f.,,,. ,,,.,, ,,„ ,„':r:f':,r'r:;.ris',"bylrar, "ir " ""'I
) J ij/ fctnciai tiadition, .said
■'f
THE FAMILY COXmiiNTARY.
,^^___ '"^"'^ ^^ ^^ ^"^ tJ^at uas unuiaiTicd; fc,
"^ " though Josq)]M\ a
the husband of
Mary, he was only
licr betrothed hus-
band—that is. he
^\"as only engaged
to her, as \\c sa)- ;
— }et that en^aoc-
nient, according to
the custom of'the
J<Avs, could not be
broken, and so he
^vas, to all intents
and purj)oses, by
law and right the
husband of Mary,
thoui^h she was a
virgin, or as yet not
in reality married.
Now, Jesus Christ
^\ as " conceived "
or formed "by the
Holy Ghost," or
the Holy Spirit. It
was the Holy Ghost
\\Iio formed the
body of the blessed
Son, ^\•ho was born
of the Virgin Mary;
and St. MattheA\-
■AM^ THIKE WERE SHEPHERDS ABmiNG IN THE FIELDS,
'i\
titold, Isa
LiTiccI; for
oscph w as
sband of
was only
tiled hus-
at is, he
cugagcii
< A\c say ;
- tnoagc-
^rdino- to
ni of the
<-! not be
id so he
1 intents
3ses, by
i^lit die
f Mmy,
- was a
i yet not
Harried.
Christ
X'ived "
' by the
St," or
'irit. It
^' Ghost
d the
)Iessed
s born
Mar)- ;
itth.ew
h was
married
MATTJ/EIV.
H|.okcn of the Lord by the prophet, sayh,,-, ISchold, a VM-,h, shall be
« .tl. cluld and shall brin;, f„,,|. , ,„„, ,„., ^,, ^,;,,| ^,^^ . ' J^
■">".a,K,cl wh,ch, bci„,. interpreted, is, God with us." ..(iod itl u "
means a:,^t„i_( ;od in Hesh, God in our nature.
ani' ' aajr' j:!:!'" ^"" ■ '"" ^^ •■' ^■^""' ''"' '"'^ ^'^"•' "- ""■ ^'--ah ;
was born, Joseph
went to live w ith
Mary.
T h e r e was a
third sign that
J e s Li s was the
Messiah — the an-
ointed and ex-
pected Saxiour,
and this St. Mat-
thew also i.ikcs
care to tell u.^. He
was "born ill I; ;th-
Icheni of Jn :^■a."
There were two
places called I Jelh-
Ichem, and the
place where Chri.-,t
was born was
called IJethicheni
of Judea, to dis-
lin-Liish it from
another Bethle-
hem in the tribe of Zebulon, which is mentioned in Joshua xix i,
J " ^X: ;T ^T T1' '^ '^^■■" ^^-^^^ ^>- mentioned In l^', .h-
of diee sh n .n ''"'''"- ^^'"^ P^'"^^^ of Judah: for out
Mic!:^ v.t "^" ' ^"^'""^'- ''''^'' ^'^-^^'^ -1^ -y P-Ple Israel"
AX1> Ti;i.: ..i.iU.^ ,U.- TJiK LUKD blluXE RULWD Al. t
mi:m.
i6
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
%
wise ,„on ca,„c is supposi.l to l,avc b ,,^ ''^''f '^^ """> "l"^!' thcs.
"f Judca. IK,c tl,.; sau- a woncLrfu s ""i'- ^•'■''"^^' "■^" '^'>' -^^t
^ "J It appeared to then to he ev^, I , ""'"''^ '" ""^ ^^'^'^'-ns
^7' 't .s supposed that they no v re« T^ ''''' ''^''''"""' ">-^ ^
"I'o l.ved in the Kas.,_wlncl, ,1 1" ' 'w '' 1'^''^'^^ °f Tialaan,,
'" then,,-" There shall eon,e . s" o t if I ?"' '""" ''••'"''^''' ^'"""
nse out of Jsrael.- Nu.nbers xxK ^f ■''■"•■°'^' ^'"^ ''' •"^'-■P"-- ^''all
Herod the Great-as l,e was eal'le I .1
and when the wise „,.„ inm,i eT ffT r '" '■''^'"'^^' "''^^ "'<-' Je^vs;
came to the ears of Herod rwl • t/',''' T"' '^'■"- ""^' "-- "ens
I"'"-" Herod was troubled for L tlm"' ?"'';'"' ^'''''^^^ -"'
and all Jenrsalem was troubled lesfl ,' '''°"''' '"'^^ '"'^ c^o"n •
-'-should have it. Chrfs 'ito 1 To n '"^ ■•' ^'^■'' "■^'- ■^'^-"
'l>e k.ng of the Je^vs, as Herod, ™sbufr' ■'" '■'^""^ "°' '° l^--'
'■-'gn, not over territories, but over hear ' i •■■ ''"'''"''" '^'".^'-'"
surrounding nations, but to overeo^e 'b /'"I '° T'"-'''' "°' ''-■
liell- vereome sin, death, and the powers of
But Herod did not underst-in.? n,-
-t about, if possible, to d^jl' 7J'l ''Tf^^^ -''■> -ft.ly
chief pnests and scribes ^he-e Qn- st'w , J , '" '"''"''■"' °f the
'•eferred hin, to the prophecy of A h tn 1 ; t.T'^' '"'"^ ^"^ 'h^^
°f Judea. So Herod sent for the W ' , '""'-=" B^thlchcnt
he had found out the place at vd T '"" ■■"'■"™"' ""^'" "-'
'henr to go and see the neu- kin nd u I?';,"''"!'""' •'"■^' ''^^ "'^'>-'
"■ere to let him know, that he mi-d.t" " ^"."'^'^ ^^'1 fo"nd hi„, they
::!i::^^^™i>ip jesus. Jut to'i!;v;°:;:*'' '""^ '"' '^'^ -•-" ''-g"
in books, A. u c -AnL T ^^^ ^^""'^ ^'^^"' '^^ '""""^inff of Rome ' r ' '"^•^''"■■^-'ie^> the
tf>e date when certain Roman gov
• I
len from the
^vhich these
Jiat lay cast
ic heavens,
li-'a. The)',
ncci there-
of Balaam,
icled down
q^trc shall
the Jews;
the news
alem w ith
i-'^ crown ;
^\ar about
lot to be
kin^t^- — to
■, not the
3Avers of
y craftily
<J of the
md they
thlehcm
icm that
^\•ished
ini they
design
'■■^-'les, the
Clinics see
'ary, that
christian
"■ing the
lan gov-
J
MATTHEW
an^ t;'o^r S,K's':;"^' "r ^^^- -- '-^ '"^'^ ---
When the wise ,„e„ I; , , '" ""'>',^'-^ '"i'-^ fro'» Jcrusalen,
-here " they sau- the you '! 1, , "^J^ ^'"^^ "-"' '" "- house,
'loun anel wor.hii.pe 1 hin^ ' 'fl, ^l "" '"""'^■^' ■•'"'I "'^y fell
I«rt of the worki, Ihen j,re,t Jrtl'. "^ '" ""^ '="^""" '» "'^t
'-"=-. tl.ey "opened the, t " ^ '•'W'™'-'^''^-')' ••'"^' -l^eeially
;<"lci, and frankineense a I 1:, ■.;,''"'' 'T^'""'"' ""'" '"'" «ifo:
bcin,. valuable yun.s f on A W l,/ "', f""^'"'^^"- ^"'' >")-.-rl> both
T;;;;j..on,e,rhavin,.:;:t::^:n;ar'^°^'^^'^--
''epartedfo,Mhei..o,™Ss."Tl"L';:S
>>'ay was that « hiel, they took and so h T
a cheam not to return to Herod
;~: r ssrnirr^^ir.sir-
feU nuo iv-)pt, which was not far from
Judea, and was out of Ilcrofr. i
<-! ^uL ui iicrous donnnion^ nnJ
there to remain till he shn„I \ ^"''' "^"^^
Lui lie snoiikl recc'ivp a i;i..> — -— -i.. .^
..-t ra,e; and^p ^^^ '^:,,:;-. -" '"'' "ot return, he was in a
resolved yet to earry his ,rick, - ^ ""' '" «et!,lehen,, he was
could not, indeed, llarn" let taftlf"' 'ff """ '"'° ^^«'-'- "^
-- of his „,ark he order dom of his'offi' T"'"'' '"' '° ■-"-
__; °'J^" ''fiieers to go to Bethlehem
«'.=« -y i. »a. MX ,,,„,. '■" '• "■ "•■■ > " f""' re- l^fore our era, thoush LewiraTdl^e
iS
riiH r.iMiLY comrnxTARY.
MLw inicL ot Ills own sons; no wondn- h.. k-. i i
I'-l .s t„ 1.1, the little infants n, VmZ ' ' ''""' '°
^\ hen H.,.,„l was clca.l, Joscpl, was a,ai„ spoke, tu by an ang.I i„
EASTERN IRWn.V.K^.
at Na"u;tir'' '"'"^ "'■'""' '" "'"'"' '" '^'^ '-^^1^' -^^' "■-' '^' 1^-
Account of John the Baptist, the Forerunner of Tesus Christ.
MATTHEAv III.
Muihe!'"' if "T"^ ^? ^''"' ^'•■'■"S "'^- M<=s=iah is stated by St
Mattheu. It ,s tl,at the Messiah was to have a forerunner- or as
great n.n used to have footmen or heralds going before "he; t'o ele:?
■I
4
MATTHEW.
19
the \vay for them, so Jesus was to be announced to tlie world by a
i.rophet. And " in those days came John the Baptist, preachin- in the
wilderness of Judea." This was "the voice of him that crietli' in the
wildcTness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord," which the prophet
Isaiah foretold in the fortieth chapter of his prophecy
John the Baptist-the name by which he is distinouishcd from John
the hvanirehst— was a priest of the order of Aaron, thou-h we do
not find that he ever ministered in the temple; but we shall have
occasion to notice more about him as we proceed through the four
Gosj els.
The subject on which John the Baptist preached was repentance-
the theme of his discourses was-" Repent ye, for the Kini-dom of
Heaven is at hand."
The dress of John the Baptist appears to have been sin-ular
enou.^di; but it was the dress in which the prophets usually appeared
-l)erhaps a camel's skin with the hair on it, or a -arment of hair
^vhlch was very rough ; for in such plain robes the prophets used to
dress. John s meat was also as singular as his dress, for he lix ed
chiefly on " locusts and wild honey."
It ai)pears that John, by his preaching, attracted great crowds " Hien
went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region round
about Jordan "; not that every person in Jerusalem and Judea, and
round about them, heard him at the same time, nor that every person
heard him at all, but Matthexv means that the crowds were great from
all parts of Jerusalem and Judea, and thjy were of all sorts, men and
women, young and old, rich and poor, Pharisees and publicans To
these he spoke in bold language, and warned them to flee from the
wrath to come I And he told them not to boast about Abraham beino-
their father-that is, not to boast that they were Jews descended from
Abraham ; but to bring forth good fruit, that is, good works, as a good
tree brings forth good fruit; and so, if they wished to be thou-dit the
children of pious Abraham, they must be pious like Abraham
Our Lord Jesus from his childhood till now, when he was almost
thirty years of age, had lain hid in Galilee.
•' It is supposed that John the Baptist began to preach and baptize
20
rjfii i\uur,Y CLUmiiNrARY.
'«l"i--l Imn.thou.h I, clj: ,:;,"; '"'"'^7',°^ ^hn; an.l J„l,n
^N'-'Ll Ma'l'VKlXG TO /.ACllAKIAS.
John also heard a voice speaking from heaven «• TJ.- •
Son, ,n whom I am well pieas^xl " ' ' '' '"Y beloved
^u.s was J.,us declared to Lethe Son of God
In this chapter you read of "the Pharisees and S.H ^
^naubces and badducees;" their
1
tcriiit^- on
and julm
too ^rcat
tliis was
Jokcd all
1 dices of
MATTliniV.
dt
' like a
- of a
3.- and
loved
their
"hcytcru" "^'™ °'™' ''" "''" ''"''"^'" ^^^ "■'" "^-^^ '^11 >■"" "'«'
The •• Pharisees" were a sect or set of men amon- the Icus ul,„
,.rufessec to observe the h.w of God ,„ore tha„ an>- oU.ers ; .|,"v I,,,,! J
a Krea shou- of their rehj^ion outu-ar.lly, anti took eare that cvcrybodv
shouki take notice of them when they praye.l, or cMcl anv religions ^l
vice. 1 h,y contnvcci, by these means, to ^ain the fa^ „V „f U,c ,„„lii.
tlic^best oftices. Ihcy tatight that men conki n,erit heaven, without a
The " Saclclucecs " were a sort of infidels. They beliexecl tl,at tlie
soul d,cd when the body was dead, and denied tlut li,e l,odv wo Id
. ise aj,am. As they believed there ,vas neither reu.ud nor ptm shm n
inanotlter world, they did not leave sinners to hun.ble themselve
before God, or to receive their deserts from him, but punished offe, do
against the law in the severest manner. While the Ph.arisces bel ev^^d
u. traditions, these people believed only in the written law of itosl
The Temptation of Jesus Christ.
MATTHICW IV.
Jesus,after his baptism, withdrew into the wilderness, for a period of
sting and prayer, before entering upon his ^vork as a di^•ine t ." her
known as Mount Quarantania, northwest of Jericho, a very wild and
forbidding region, inhabited only by wild beasts. H.rc at the end "f
.s forty ays of fasting, Satan, who was not quite certain t a la
«. ly God man, est in the flesh, assailed him with his sharpest tem|Z
ons. It IS probable that t^^■o at least, and perhaps all he three of
oim but in the weakened condition of the body of Jesus after this
ong fast, these visions might be the most trying o\ tei.ptati^n T e
fi St was an appeal to his creative power to furnish himself with food
it. he- S™ of Tod """""fT """ '""P'^'- ="--'-1^ "If tho"
be the Son of God. command that these stones be made bread." It
^W: l-AMli.Y (VA/.U/XTiA'y
-^:;A;::r;:.::T:;:;;!:!::^;;'v''---''-^
''■" !■> ^v, ,v ;„„.,l ,|,.,t , , 1 1 ' ■ ;';''■'" '"" live l,y bn.„| .,l,„„.
"' "-'> "I"'" liim t„ Unci us l„v„i
I ""'V"- "'"■••"^'^■^ '" produce baa, fr„„,
.ones, U,t only let them trust in </
he would provide for them. The „, 's
h--.^.h chapter of Deuteronomy, and
in tile llurd verse.
-Satan then carried Jesus in vision to iIk
Pnnacle or the top of the temple in J
■Mlcnr, uh.ch was not far off. \\'|,i/, ,„,
»as here, .standing over the holy citv of
c-rusa lem, .Satan proposed to hin, to'cast
",'■" '•• "- "■■■'""' in the 'zr ftd ^^H !;::';^'''^'\™««-'«'
^■lar-e o^er Ihce," .so that he r„„n T , ,■ " *''"''-' ^'^ ^noels
""-1 said .as true. J t di^ tK 'r r "^ "l-ther .hat Cods
■Sn-i|>ture,..It is written, Thou Inl L? ' ', ""'' '■■" ^'"^"•- '""-
t-"pt is to try, or put to the ts ,d u ''"' ■°"' "'^' ^'°''" T"
to .see if God can bring us o t of ,. tT T'" '° ■■"" ''""' ''•■'"^--■
from the si.vth chapter of Dent ono, v 7 m,'^°™ "'°"'^ ""'' <l"°'-l
Christ was still assailed ^"X° >', '^ "'" "•'"^'-'""' ^ersc.
very high nrotmtai , Jo^ ^ "'""' """ '" "»'" '° '■'
countries, and, while viewLt h' r , t' ! V''' °' '^' surrounding
^in..cloms of the world," '"alide™ ;' h-""' f™ "^^^ "-
domimon, if he would only serve hir--' ^". ."""'^ ""-ir ,.ast
iHl: l.MA.M Jnl|v
serve hini. l
ci
haps h
IS
suggestion was
-tl I Mad;
L|Kat the
"Hs into
• ; l)llt lie
Ml of tlir
•1(1 .lldllc,
1!\ this
US l)iT;i,l
>sc wlio
C |)()\\t |-
.ad Iroiii
i()(l, and
]xissa_<;c
find in
1)', and
1 to the
n Jcru-
liilc he
:ity of
to cast
s^cstcd
(iod's
from
■' To
an«^-cr
uotcd
to a
iding-
I the
MArn/n\\\
somclhin,^ like ll,i, that: ui,|, l,is mighty ,,„u-,t h. .I„u,l.l have all
I e „ „!., ,.,H,s unrkl „„„u,liately f,,,- |,is M,l,je.t. if he «„„l.l .,„.-
.>..., to hen- aM,„„., a„.l j.i.tily their rites, a,ul ^ive hcnor 1„ th. „■
':; '■^"'':, 'l'."-^- J-"- l-'l' '■■•lUe.l an.! drove the te,n|,ter auav.
I-' hesa„l:..„ettlK.e hu„ v. Sala,, : lor it is un.ten, !l,o„ .h,,
"'"^iHl.lhe l.oraihy<;oJ,a,„l him only .shall thou serve" 1 kre
^'a.st
was
JUllN Till': liAl'TlSl- I-KKA( IllXt; KKl'KM A.NcK
t'lrll^hZtWersf ^■^^^*' '■' "'^' '"" ^"■^'"- °^ I^-.tcrono,„y, a,Kl
. Tluis this vile enemy Mas clrixen away, anil offered no more s„..o-cs-
Christ r T ";•■" ''', """'' "'^^' "" ''r'i'rcssion npon the mind of
whlus e'vil °° °'^"'"/'"'^' "1^"" "">■ '"'"J--^. "hen we think and do
After this Jesus was comforted antl fed by angels
.'cs.is connnenced preaching soon after this, and a few months later
THF. FAirir.Y COmmXTAKY,
/"''" "■'•'^ "«t into prison. The eirlv hi V
t-'l'u-"aun, aiul its vicinity 0,1!,^ "''' °^ ""^ ^^^^^^^ "c,v i„
™lcs fron. Na..ret„; a^ l^^ ' , X^,"*^ "-' -Sea of (;,,„,, ^^
•••PPeanng there .oyive the li.h of fc J f'' '''^"'"''''■^'■"' ^"^""t his
^tandinjjs of men. " ' "' '^""" '"'^e to the darkened under-
Now it Wis tint T I
attend him o. his joC^s ^'n/his''?? '°""' '''-'P'-uho shouM
-nners to be saved by l,i„, Soo„\fter T "7'"^ "'™' '« ^^--"^
^vore fishermen also, and ,vere in f i'i -'.7 J--"""^'^ '•'nd John, ,vho
■ncndmg their nets, and he calTedl t^' ^""' ""-'''■ ''^'her Zebedee
also followed hi„,. '""^^ '° 'h<^'» '" the same way, and they
Jesus now proceerlpri ir. i •
"orked miraeL,o.1 ma rth:'"'\^"'' ''" '•"'^''"■- '<> 'his he
moans to do; and so S M tZ """^'' ''^>'°"'l 'he reach of natm I
'- was the Messiah-tt A;;"'^:^. ^" ^"''"'^ -'''-e tt
Jesus Christ's Sermon on the Mo«,t.
MATTHEW V, VI, v,i.
ji.eont-r trc.:t: :.Sr:ti:nt:f ''b, "™°" - "- -°-.
^eir need of a Saviour, a's a r^ i^prnn^'J 'Tf'' '°''^ " "° ^^
Whtle many a proud rich man, and ma wf ! '"' "^'"'^ °f '■■''a-ity.
be shut out or heaven, such a hunll^^^ ^'2,1^:: l^^i i^
Then he proceeds: "Rlessedar-^^h .1
co-fonedr that is, they that t"so;:ylr hT sL'°^ f^.'^"'^" "^
> or tftcir sins, and grieve that
LTC HI
out i
c\v
lis
uiKlcr-
ou Id
sh
iclcrful
1 after
idr
cw
rmcn
that
inn-
wh
o
th
lec,
ey
itural
^ that
Iht
ill
3 X
? X
5i C/5
a H
- O
S >
E r
(I) ^■'
° m
T 33
"33
voi,' x'nT-r""''"'''" °" ™E mount
you, I III l-eaven anH «,^4.,- ■""■!,
\
*
o wise
MATTHEW.
they h:u-c offended against a good (iod. shall ])e ,>ardo„cd ^>r Jesus
Chi ,st s sake. lessee! are the meek, for they shall inherit the ea th ^ •
anory persons, full of resentment at every affront, can nexer enjoy anJ
comfort of hie; but meek spirits, havin.- the ten.per of Christ r^^al v
blessec a e they whieh do hunoer and thirst after righteousness • for
^ s .1 c h.led-; those uho find then.selves ,mlty before Gc^
and Mth a desu-e strong as a hungry n^m has for meat, or a thirsty
man for drn.k look for aeceptanee with God through a better !'h?.
eousness, or better merits than their "^
own, shall be satisfied with the right-
eousness of the Saviour. " Blcslsed
are the merciful : for they shall obtain
mercy " ; those who show mercy and
kindness toward the bodies and souls
of their fellow-creatures, for Jesus
Christ's sake, shall receive mercy from
him. " Blessed are the pure in heart:
for they shall see God " ; and none else
shall see him in glory, but those whose
hearts or dispositions are made clean
and new by the Divine Spirit. " Blessed
are the peace-makers: for they shall be
called the children of God." Those
who do all they can to make men live
tTevt't'coT'T','; '"■-■ "-;' ?^'^"--'-- ■■'-• 'o stop strife ^vhenever
they sec ,t God uill bless, and tliey sliall be owned as Iiis eiiildren
who so str,k,ngly bear one of tlie marks of i,is iniage ; so you s hat
blessmg. Blessed are they which are persecuted for rifthteousness'
sake: forthe.rs ,s the kingdom of heaven." This means 1^X0^0
who are , 1-treated by wicked people, because they are reli,. ou shaU
be rewarded at last with the blessin..s of .dorv which ^
cntnrs f.vr,.„t ti, -'"»'' '" &'"')■ wnicli tlieir perse-
men hall evil ^^ ""'T "" "'^'^^ '^"^^y- "Blessed are ye when
men shall rev.le you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of
Sermon o\ the Mount.
\
s
28
TIIR FAMILY COMMENTARY.
evil against you falsely for my sake - Thnc i
"^itured names, or nanies inhmh 1 . "^ '"^'^^ ''^'''' ^^"^'^' ''I-
serve God in sincerity nil b! ^;^;^'l---h them, because they
ingglad.- if this is d.'e ' ^ ^\ '""' ^^^^'^ -^^' be exceed-'
so persecuted they the pro'nhet ' /'-rr ^^^^^^^^^ ^'^ heaven : for
"-- ^vl,o are U^^ ^"" °" '° ^'-- -'-t he expects from
He re,„ov.es everyg.ound of .ista.e about his doctHne.anc, sho.s
the peop e that his disciples must rever-
ence the holy law of God, and the truts
auyn by the prophets, and have a bctte
nghteousness or holiness than theScribes
and J harisees, ,vho were men that made
only an outside show of religion, uhile,
W GoT"' '''^^ "■■' "°' '-^' "-
To help you to understand better our
1-ords <l,scourse, I must just notice
these t\vo classes.
^^ The one class of persons is called
.^uibes. They wrote copies of the
Scriptures long before printing was
kno^vn m the ,>orld, and whatever they
Jewish history which Gods wonrdidlt'TSf'th"'' ","'"^" '" ""
explamed the Scriptures to th,. , ' ""'>' ^'^° '"'•■ad and
"leaning to them, while the neonle iTi ' f "''"^ *"''' °«'" ''^"'^'''^d
great reverence. Many of ,he7l t '"^ '■^"^' ^°"""'="i^ with
Lord often coupled them together "''' ''''"''^'^' ^"'' ^° °"
unlettatuotTplrtri'''' "'"' P"''"'^^"^- ^ P"bh-can we
not inn keepers, ^^^::::^^:^:z:;^^^T^ ""'"■•-- -:
-s of t e Jews, who were then su^'^ to tl .X' ^T "n1
' " •''-■"'^' ^"'' '" ^^"^-"»- "-■ taxes, very often 4^ h"e
Readkrs or r,,,.; Jkw,.s„ Law.
called ill-
-ausc they
be cxceed-
eavcn : for
the holy
)ects from
nd shows
Jst rever-
;he truths
e a better
le Scribes
lat made
>n, while,
love the
2tter our
t notice
; called
of the
ig was
^er they
in the
ad and
fancied
Ls with
so our
an we
s were
collect
re not
ed the
Matthew.
«9
11, *'
people, dealt hardly with tht>m -mrl f^ .1 r ,
In continumo- his sermnn r.,,.- t 1 pockets
for, as a father he nro,.|,l,.. r ^ address Cod as your lather;
be treated wi^, r I. t^e'-^yZ^^hl^t r'" '"" "'^ "'""' '"">'
heart, and over the hearts of nd? , "'^'>' ""-" "^■^'- >""'■
may be done amonj rn^a,.- ""'"'"■"' "'' "'"' '"'^ '-'> '-^
kmd; you acknowkdge that
you live by his bount)-, who
gives you daily bread; you
confess your sins, which are
debts to God, because they
have left you short in paying
God the duties you owe to
him, and you ask him gra-
ciously to pardon them, as you
pardon those \vho offend you
—which we hope you do ;
you ask God to preserve you'
and yon express yo H bel f tint Co"; T Tf' "'^° ''^ ''^^"'^"^
your desire to ..ive hin ono n T ^^ '" "''•" >°" '''^'^' •''"'1
-aying, .. For thine T^^Z^nT^ h' """''^ "" ^'''" "''"^
forever. An^en." An^e^ n^tS"'.. ^Z '" ""''"• """' '"^ S'^^'
i^^'^:^::zjs:'^^:":,:r:f-^ r-^ ^ei„, covetous.
JKWISII .SCKIIIKS IN T,„.: Tl.MK oK CllKKsT.
3"
Tim FAMILY COMMUNTARY.
llicreforc, much wiser t<j look for -x l-wt;,,
-tlic happiness of licaven the 1 '^ '""""" °'^ ''""'^'- '■'^^^^-
better tlK'nall the ri s |n't er """' "^ ^'°^ ^'^''^-^^^ '» ^^r
He then ,oes o^tV w r„ ^Ih ll^^^^n'^'' '" ""■- ™'^'- '
agamst thinl.,,. uncharitably of oth^.^r'T'"'""^ '" '""*''""'
body, against beinjf deceived by fal^ p ojhr s . ;""' r'V'" '" ^'">-
or teaehers,-and also against iedvi^^'-tlw^' '" '''" '"""'"'-^
Lastly, our dear Saviour concludes his ,
striking con,parison, taken from fiX^^, en ,^^"7 ^' ^ ""'''' '"'
the sea at fishing tinK-, build their huo" h f '7'"' '" ^' "'''
come and, in a moment s,ve, h n ""''"' "''"" ""= ^'"rms
the hopes of all th^se l- , , """''• ''"' ''^' '^"^ "^' "'I'
taught,-but never! ng'vbuhor::"'^'"'"', T"" '"■^"■'■"^' ""'•" '^^
them shall be like a wie\mn tl u ,"■'",'' '"' ''>''"«^ ^'"'' ''"
floods, rain, and uind Z!^/::';^^;'^ "^^ ^ ^ -'<• which
man fell not, for it u as f„nn,l.i '^ ^^' ^he house of the wise
foolish man fe I, and get wa t f 'If °? " 1°'^ ' '^' ''°'-^ °f the
sand. Christ hin s If is a a ock -"' . " ""' ""''''' "'"" "-
rested their hopes fo ee,nitv- l^t" "'''''' ""'"^'•""'^ '''''^' safely
P'easure is but' as ^m> !7n7.ho: t ^udd'' tt'r, t /'' !'"'- °'
mus at last lose everything, and be ruinecl forever ' ""''""''
ishl?"at hSg1:„11':,,^;r:,J™°^ -". the people were aston-
he said was so^ifcen r , w '.ri'VT ''"r"' «°°" ^ ^"
taught. And he still preache to n „ "' """^ ^^'"'''''' had
to us in his holy word Mav we '^f'""'''"^ ^e still preaches
Holy Spirit, reaci^ L ttach u^h: ?™ ^eek ' M '^ "" ■^''"' '^>' "'^
we shall find rest for our souls." '' '""''^ °' ^''''- ^"^
Miraculous Cures performed by Jesus Christ.
IMATTHKW VIII IX
followed him wherever he went. ''^''^' ^^^^^^^
MAJTIIEW.
sr treasure
-vcr is far
world.
I I't'ligion,
II to aii)-
prcachcrs
rctty and
o be near
le storms
i us, will
: w hat he
and do
:k, which
the wise
; of the
pon the
c safely
opes of
ippiness
: aston-
'od ; all
;es had
reaches
. by his
irt, and
31
like to
rowds
i
Matthew now tells us about a wonderful cure which Jesus per-
formed. A poor creature afflicted with leprosy earnestly cried to him
lor help. If we had seen him our hearts would have felt the greatest
pity for hnn, for the leprosy was a most miserable disease. We think
we see hmi, with his white skin covered all over with scurf, which had
It been taken off, would have shown a body full of raw wounds Per-
haps he could hardly drag along his swollen limbs, with deformed
jomts, the effect of his horrible disease ; and every one stood away
from hnn, lest he should be infected by him. But Jesus, whose
" Heart is made of tenderness,"
was ready at once to help him ; and if others pitied him, and could
not help, Christ both pitied and helped him, too. He touched him
and he was cured ; his word was enough to remove the disorder—" I
will ; be thou clean."
Matthew here tells us of another wonderful cure which he did \
Centurion, or officer in the Roman army, met him in a place called
Capernaum, where he was dwelling ; and, doubtless, having heard of
his fame and readiness to do good, he humbly asked him to cure his
servant. " Lord," said the officer, " my servant lieth at home sick of
the palsy, grievously tormented." It is not quite certain that Matthew
meant by the palsy, in this chapter, the disease which we call by that
name ; for the names of diseases, and the diseases themselves chan-e
from age to age ; but the disease was, at all events, very distressino-
and generally considered incurable; but Christ could cure it as weU
as he did the leprosy ; so he said, " I will come and heal him " The
officer thought it was too great an honor for Christ to visit him and
again humbly asked him only to command the disease to cro and it
would obey him, as readily as his soldiers did when he gave them the
word of command. This was great faith in his power, to believe that
he could cure the man, though the man was not there. But he knew
that Christ could see the man, though the man could not see him ; and
as Chnst delights in those who fully trust in him, he praised the man's
faith to his discples, to teach them to trust him with the same confi-
dence; and he told the Centurion to go home, and he would find his
33
Tim FAMILY COMMENTARY
«inic ,.crs„ns in a surprisiii"- h,u- -is
"'«"«'. they would prevent Christ froi,,
Samm. honor i,y curing these victi„,s.
I ut these uere nothing before him, for
lie cast out the devils ;vilh his ,>or<l ■'
1 cThaps you have seen the sea, and
>°- rou,h its ^va^•es are. Did you
" •'■ 'T " '" ••• •'^'"'"i ? It foams n ost
ft"-.ously, and its waves s,>ell like hi..^
mot,nta,ns It dashes against the rocks
as f,t would even crush them to pieces.
When th,s ,s the case the winds blo,v
ma force that scarcely anything can
"""■ , '" -^'"^l' a storm the di.sciples
"•ere ^vhen Clu-ist ^v.xs ,vith them In a
sh.p, cossmo. the sea of Tiberias into
the country of G.adara. \\--|,i,e t|„,,,
were a In, alarm, and "the .ship was
covered w,th waves/he was in a. sweeJ
divine po,ver was now fully strent'Lnc^rha' in '''"'' "'"]'' •""■"' '" '^'^
thinffs he di<l, immediatelvawole ■ ■ , ^ ^c-cn what womlerful
perish I ■• His tender hea^t' fel° pit" LT'- "'f' " ''°''' "•'™ "'^ ■ ^'^
- . this that ev'en th^wt,^ ^Tti: srob?,;™- ^-^ ^
nKAI.IN(; TIIK UlIND.
sclf-s:
MArruEw,
line
z:!>
■ 'hat tJu'
It is often
•irctl in a
ft licr.
Hxlics of
;■ \\a)', as
I'ist from
• victims.
him. for
s \\()rcl."
'^ca, and
^i<-l )ou
ns most
'l<e hi oh
le rocks
> pieces.
Is blow
ini;- can
isciples
m in a
IS into
c they
ij) was
. sweet
in his
iclcrful
IS : ^vc
tantly
i\as a
er of
pos-
e the
Jewish people used to make their tombs to bury their dead, and they
were so "exceedin^r fierce- that "no man might pass by that way."
The wicked spirits that were in these unhappy bodies were in a still
greater rage when they saw Christ approaching them, and they said,
What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God ? Art thou
comc^ hither to torment us before the time ? " Prom which question
It IS believed that wicked spirits will be more tormented after the day
of judgment than they ever yet have been. Since these devils found
that Christ would not let them keep possession of the bodies of these
poor men whom they tormented, they asked to go into a herd of swine
that they saw near them— for they
would rather torment these poor
animals than be prevented from
doing any harm at all. Now, as
these swine belonged to Jews,
and were kept contrary to God's
law, who would not allow them to
purtake of them, being reckoned
among the unclean beasts, Jesus,
to punish their owners, suffered the
devils to go into the swine, which
they so tormented that they " ran
violently down a steep place into
the sea, and perished in the waters."
The covetous Jews were very angry that they had lost their swine
hough two of their people had been saved from cruel torments by the
loss, and having besought Jesus to leave them, he went home ac.ain to
Capernaum. ^
Jesus having returned to Capernaum, another man, "sick of the
palsy. wa.s brought to him on his bed, or mattress, which in the East-
ern countries is very light and thin. Our Lord, seein- that the man
r • r tl '' ""'^^ '^^'^^^' ^" '^•^ ^^'"^"^-^ and^3ower ;: air
hrni, instantly gave h.m relief, both in soul and body.-he pardoned
his sins, and he sent him home, carrying the bed on which he was
brought Some of the wicked Scribes who were present, when they
Wine Skins.
^\
run FA.]f/rA' au/j//:xr. i/^ y.
new not that he was ..God ....^'^ o^ 'v .frZ'fl' ^^ ^
.ive sins, so nZ t:Ll't l^-.tit^ Z^ ^^ ^ T'^'r ^
palsy, "Arise and walk ' ^ ^ ^"^ ''"^ "'"'^ «^ the
■fitting takin..- taxes at .. tl r l , ' '""^ "'"""■'*• "^^ "'-■'^
touches the heart, sinners now leave 11 thei' I 'l '" ^'""^
are ready to .rive uo all their LVruf ."'^'"™^■"l connection. , and
y },HX up all then orldly gams, ,f they stand in their way
, anc follo>v the Lord Jesus Christ by openly
JKJ J^ professmg hnn, and declaring in their lives
^j^ j ^J whose they arc and whom they serve
^*^ ,/^? "'^' '^"" Jc-^"-^ at a feast given bv
Matthav to his friends, as aj.pears from the
tl>em good on this occas ',n ''"r °^ ^'f '/ ''^'"'''''■^ ''^ " '^''"1 '° ^o
"ould say. Hi eon°, a" 2r "'"Ty^ """ '° '"" "''^t ^'^ ''-d
".en greatly d sp " ' b e I? "?' "'' '•'^-S^'"— ■ - -' of
the monc/they 'could ft^ ^m'XXfp! .^i-^" "'^'-f 'V^^' ^"
themselves the best of „„.„ ? " "■'■■'■■^' "'^o thought
the people to be holy ,S, "it" l"'""'^' "'^" ""■'■^'' "'^ '-'^'^t
Lord del not go h ;e to L '•'"' '"'"''''"y- ^"' °"^
design to teach th^mthe'w^rrbrsred"^' ''"'''"'-■ ^"' -'" "^^
in In^eHcTtdt Iharrt''" "^-^'^'^I "'^^^ '° ^ "'^*°- "°* ^no-
Lord says, .. N therlo Z, t'°"' '''' "°' ""^'^-"'""-^ "• Our
bottles break an 1 the win r T '""^' '"'° "''' '^°«'^^. '='^<-' 'he
^rq-cd him
and they
sh." liut
ncc when
oil Id for-
± of the
lisciples ;
He was
Ill-house
I to him,
lis grace
onr, and
leir way^
openly
ir lives
ven by
om the
-d to do
is Lord
I set of
get all
hought
taught
hit our
ith the
vnown
Our
se the
i; but
He
active
John,
MATTIIIilV.
i5
rv'ere not fit to bear the severity of it any more than an old bottle
could bear nevv wine; and, in a verse preceding, than an old rotten
garment would bear mending with a strong, new piece. Now we can
see why an old garment must not be mended with a strong, new piece
of cloth, because the new piece would tear away the rotten part by its
strength and weight. But how can new wine hurt old bottles > An
old American bottle is as good as a new one, and perhaps, indeed,
better, because ,t is seasoned,-has been tried and found good. But
the bottles used in the Hast were made of the skins of goats or kids
which were taken off whole and dressed; all the legs but one, and the
neck, being tied up, were used until the leather became tender and
easily rent by strong pressure.
A certain ruler of the synagogue, where the Jews worshiped, had a
daughter lying dead; and, having heard of the
wonderful things which Jesus did, he believed that
he was able to restore his daughter, even from
death itself, and so went and worshiped him, and
asked him for his almighty aid. Jesus arose from
Matthews table where he was then sitting, and,
following the ruler, went with him to his house.
On his way to the ruler's house a poor woman
who had had "an issue of blood twelve years,"
and which she could get no one to cure, came
behind him, and, being full of faith in his power to cure her, she
thought she would touch the hem of his garment,-the fringe which
our Lord wore as a Jew.-and even that c^arment, hanoing about his
sacrt|d person, might be the channel of conveying the ^healing virtue
which he possessed to her poor diseased body. Jesus knew all about
what she was doing, and why she did it, and he graciously turned
Zt hee" Tl ^f ^^:D.-,Shter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath
made thee whole. He, indeed, had made her whole, but by her
be/icvnig in his power to heal her she had received the cure
Jesus then went to the ruler's house, and when he came there he
saw the minstrels and the people making a noise." This was a proof
that his daughter was really dead, for the minstrels were pipersWho
PouRiN(; Wine Out of a
UoTTLE.
36
Till- l-AWLV COmtEXTARY.
playuil "linn nfiil tunes, aiul the nois,- ui< .„ i
ing vvo,„c„, >vl,o ucrc '.Kvav r ] ' '" "'■" '"''"''■' '>>' "'o"™-
c-y over decease. ,s,' Soto's!;™ "',""!«."-■ J-- '" K'-m a.ul
■•'s Ihey had seen that she tw I \T , •"" «"';■-■ ■•'-•^"-•'-' her; hut,
"■'-'.^.. a Sleep; a,.a thot.,h ,^ t,.e;:;ir;t!:;;e:::;y™;a^:
VALLKY OK SALT. UETWEExV CANAAN AND EDc-M.
as l,e was to be of the familv n^ p , ■,°'" •■'"°'"'^'' Saviour,_and,
Son of David." He let th' m nl "l ""^^'''''--^d Cluist, "Thou
asked if thevrPnlKK! , . ' "' '"'" '"'° ">'- house, and th-n h-
Lord 'and T. ; "' ":' ~"''' ^'"■'- "'^"'- And they said "Yea
Lord, and, he havtng merely touched their eyes, they received sfhl'
by mourn-
Kroan and
id niourn-
nly slept;
licr; but,
'(Jr sa) in^ti;-
111 was no
lid awake
MATTIlliW.
37
nd she
m, and
- men
—and,
'Thou
len he
" Yea
sight'
The bhnd men had hardly left the house when the people hrou.du
Jesus . a dumb man possessed with a devil." It i. th uH.t th U U e
w.cked spn-.t had taken away his power of speech. •• A^ .
devd was cast out the dun,b spake: and the nudtitudes n.arvel!:
sa>.ng. It was never so seen in Israel.' - Moses, lilijah, and M..!, t
were grea prophets, and did wonderful things.-but so nuuu
ttrlrcfci r t"'' r'"' '"'"^'''"' ''''' ^'^^^•'^^'^••^•^ ^'--^'y ''^'1^---1
for h mse f. but were so r.gully held by the power of the sxna.-o-.ue
h": o su^" Pnesthood. that they hesitaled, and even'fea;;d: o
arbor such eonv.ct,on-nu.ch more, to give utterance to it, in a uav
that would be hkely to reach the ears of those in authoritv. Only tl ■
careful Bible student can properly estimate the force of this. ^
Christ's Twelve Disciples.
MATTni:w X.
We have here a list of the twelve apostles, which, for the sake of
memory, we put down in three eolun,ns, and diMde into three fours
1. Simon, called i ^tcr.
2. Andrew, his brother.
3. James, son of Zebedee.
4. John, his brother.
5. Philip.
6. l5artholomew.
7. Thomas.
8. Matthew.
9. Janus, son of Alpheiis.
10. Lebbeus, surnamcd Thaddeus,
11. Simon, the Canaanite.
12. T,|(]as Iscariot.
Th? n !?' ,' ' r™' ■'^''™°" ^'''' """^ '^"'1^'="'. "■^'■e brothers
The next wo, James, the son of Zebe.lee. and John, were also brothers
The las among the next four w-as Matthew, the writer of this ™s-
pe . and the last of the last four vvas Judas Iscariot, who afteru-ards
betrayed his Divme Master. ^e.uaius
In the first verse these are called t/Zsaji/cs, which means persons
from h,m In the second verse they are called ^M^-v, whirl, means
pcT ons who «.. sen. These twelve were chosen as Christ's disciples
vh -h r Tf .'\''™^' "■'* """'• "^^ -^^ 'he wonderful thin"'
which he d,d,and hear the divine doctrines which he taught; an^
38 j
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY,
had i«,/. * ""'""•'^ "'^ «/«^«^« as servants whom he
Christ's Estimate of John the Baptist.
MATTHEW XI.
John the Baptist was at this fim^ . / •
his imprisonment is .iven in hi f ? T P'''^^"- ^^^ -^"^e of
things which Jesus du^ "r ^owevtr ?n r ^'''^^^^''"- '^^^^" ^^^^^^^
desired that his disciples shouTd ,1 ° " ^" that place, and as he
pics should become acquainted with Christ he
sent them to hear from his own
hps what proofs he could give
that he was the long-hoped-for
Messiah. Jesus both told and
showed them what wonderful
thmgs he performed on the blind
the lame, the lepers, the deaf, the
dead ; and how he preached the
glad tidings of heavenly mercy
to the poor. These were proofs
enough.
Then, as soon as John's dis-
PH.SON ,. VVH,C„ J.„. ,,V,s „,„,.,,,.
ciples were gone, he took occn.Jnn f , '"'"'/^ ^^^^on as John's dis-
man, on whose foithfulL^n^rn. ] f "^^ ^' '"^^ ^--i
nVhat."said he. <' vvent y o ' jnT T/ -m ^^^'^^^^ '^^^' "^^"^
youwenttohear JohntiB'ts" .a' ^'fTr ^° ^^^^ " " -^--
They understood the n ean inrnf V ''''^ '''''''" ''''^ ^^e wind .>"
the Baptist was not a t mid^wf " '""'T' '''''''' '^'^^ ^^-^ John
;r.n,-r'"' -' " " -
* For full I'nforrmtfm r ^- —
«.U book, emiUed ..The' aX'^j'^;!!'""- '"=""■"-"'■ "'" '» "- -„„d d7p^;i;.7(
t they had
whom he
cause of
vondcrful
and as he
-hrist, he
his own
Lild give
oped-for
old and
onderful
le Wind,
Jeaf, the
hed the
^ mercy
: proofs
I's dis-
is good
tended
v\'hen
vind ?"
It John
hakini>
Tnings
ment ?
f they
ment of
•A
MATTHEW.
39
fhT'v^rr T ''f 'r'' '", °"' "■'"^" "'^-y «'^"' '« ^-^^ J°l'" the Baptist
tl cy had found thcnsdvcs mistaken, for he was c,t ite a plain n'in'
who was not eoncerncd to make a show of himself in the woddbm
to prepare the hearts of the people to reeeive Christ
Yet agam he asked, •• But what went ye out for to see > a prophet > ■
If tl.s had been their expee-nion, they had been even more hily
rS; t'lv r^;' r"" 'r ■"■•"•' "'^- '^™''"^'^' f-- - bearing Sr
t th r^ a nro f r '""'■' "'^'" ^' prophet, a person n.orc e.xeel-
Icn than a p,ophet,-h,s "messenger,' -one whom God had sent to
be the forerunner of his own Son when he eame into the worW to
preach glad tidmgs to the lost.
They had indeed heard the greatest man that ever was born- for
he was prophes.ed of by the prophets, and pointed to the very obiee
Thus you see that true greatness does not consist of riches or
.how, or ta ents, but it consists in our being servants of Christ knd
uJlL ^iT ■' ''""'"' °' '," ^^^™""' ='"" '^ '»--^ -''hii'-ine
tercou se with a,m. is raised to the most exalted rank. Indeed
hough John the Baptist was so great a man, Jesus said even of hfm'
Notw,thstand,ng he that is least in the kingdonr of heaven is greater
than he. The 1 ttle mfant m heaven is greater than John was for he
itVhtSo ■:;: aeatr" '^ '^^ ^™'" ^'' ^^-■^-'^ ^--r near and
The Pharisees' Enmity Against Christ.
MATTHEW XII.
to ?h? ^"'"^''^^ ''"^ ^''"' ™' S°'"S "^™".>h .-> corn-field on his way
lcked^"'^'°^"'' '".^ ^'' '^''"^'^'' ''^^ ''''' ™'h hin,, being hungry
plucked some ears of corn and ate them. Now, the Pharisees, though
outva,d th ngs wishmg people to think them the most pious men
m the world. So they found fault ^vith Jesus for letting his disciples
4o
THE FAMILY COMMENtAkV.
the Sabbath clay to kcqV^ t IT ^t tT"'' f 1^'' '^''' " K<='»'^'"ber
(See the twcntfeth chaptc oft^" ,' /''°" ^''^" ,""' "o any work."
of w,sdo„,, gave, them i prompt rep,; L - ^ '^ '''' "*'^' ^""
^'"y answer, for he ren>inded « cm h^ ' m ""^^ ^'«'''' ""' '"^ke
-- '>^ - htm,ry, and that ^.Z^^:LZZ ttt^
''"^>' to the priests, yet the
priest gave it to David and
his men. He also told them
to recollect that the priests
did work on the Sabbath
day, and that within the tem-
Ple too, for they could not
kill and sacrifice the beasts
without doing worV, and yet
they were not doing wrong.
This silenced them, and he
went to the synagogue.
When he arrived at the
synagogue they resolved on
renewing their attack upon
him ; and as there was a man
there with a withered hand,
they asked him if it was law-
ful to heal on the Sabbath-
day. This they did "that
UA.NCIXG IN THE I-AST.
they might accuse him," for thev evrn ^t^'v,. I*"" """y '"'' " that
to be given on the Sabbath Our Lord f .""f "° "'^^'^'"'^ "'a^
not lawful to .save a sheep on « e SabbSl d "'/^ ""?'=""=^ " »-
'no a pit; and, if a sheep, vhy not a man „ ^' '''''" " ^""^ ''='"»
value than a beast? " Wherefore -sTidh- ''^' '° ""* >""«
on the Sabbath days." We mv ni,/ , ' \ " ''^^'■"' '° ^o well
but we may relie4 .he pX"h ^ «P ^°'',- '"=" ^^V,
^n.ness and chant, Xhis ChrisV has' ^t ^ ^^^^
%%.
.'i
5 a sort of
Remember
any work."
always full
J not make
•hew-bread
0 be given
:s, yet the
)avid and
told them
le priests
Sabbath
the tem-
ould not
le beasts
, and yet
? wrong.
. and he
ie.
[ at the
»Ived on
k upon
s a man
d hand,
''as law-
abbath-
" that
ne was
it was
; fallen
1 more
lo well
It day
rks of
e sick,
MATTHEW.
for he said to the man, " Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretch • 1 ^
orth; and n was restored wliole, like as the other" "
I thitfi^s'e'h^t '::; IS 7 -^ '''"''''' 'y ^-" (-^ "-
^ ful for the good donet the Li .?",':?'• ,'"^'^"'^ "^ ''^''"^ ">-k-
him, deelari'ng that he hL br k ' t hel H. "'^f ?'"1 '^\^"""^
go in wickedness vvhen tl,eir liearte are h^ 1 n T'"' "'" "'™
I'harisees must have been not tT '''",'''-■"'=') ' Hovv bhnd the
such a cure but God o 5 'h s tweTr /'"' 7""= ^""''^ ''--^°-
from them, and mu!tiud..s followed hi ^t"'', "'"""■•"""' "^^
done, took their «i„.with 1 en "and h 7' , ? ''"■'"«■ "''"' '''^ ''^^^
indeed, a har abbat to I ' th se poor" t . "'" 'V '''''' '''^'
n^-mber it as iong as they lived How- ' ""^ """" ''^-
ever, "he charged them that they
should not make him known." He
did this, perhaps, for two reasons : the
one to prevent the Pharisees' havinn-
any more proofs of ivho he was, since
they had already refused to believe in
him from what they had seen ; and the
other to teach us that when we do
good we ought not to publish it abroad
■n every place like the Pharisees, who
did all their works ■• to be seen of men "
bH^Td^umb-'^r"' '"''' "" ••""^- P°™'wi.h a devil
th^ pLple'" • the^raMXTh'T ^" "^ '''' ^""^ ^'"""'^^^^
T^^ • , M ^ y ^^^^ *-^^t Christ was certa nlv " the Snn ..f
David, ' meanme the Mossinh f^r t,^ . ^umy me hon of
so Christ was his son Th p.^ • T" ^"^ 'P""- ^'^"^ ^^''^ ^^^"^
natelv set ncmlncf i.- " ' , ^ ^ ^^"^^"^ ^^^^'^ ^^s not obsti-
God TV ^ ™' """'^ '^^'^^^ ^^^^" ^^'^-^s done by the power of
God. This was so wicked that our Lord passes sentence al^uL^l
Ancu-.nt llAkV
•■■3 1 l.K.S.
one possessed with a devil,
43
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
u
hardened men, and since th jy sinned against the Holy Ghost— the
Spirit of (}od— in saying that the devil did what none but the Al-
mighty could do, he declared that such could have no pardon.
Some Scribes and Pharisees having now surrounded him, asked him
to give them some other signs, besides those which he had given
before they would believe in him. Christ would not gratify their vain
curiosity, but he tells them that they shall have one si-n more, and
that "asJor;as (or Jonah) was three days and three nights hi the whale's
belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth." By this ne meant his resurrection from the dead
—the greatest proof that he was the Messiah. Then, as he was speak-
nig of Jonah, he told them that they, the Pharisees, were so obstinate
and wicked that even the men of Nineveh would rise up against them
as witnesses in the day of judgment, and condemn them, for they had
repented at the preaching of Jonah, while they, the Pharisees, remained
impenitent, though a greater than lonas was there. Jonah is the
Hebrew name of that prophet, but Jonas the name he bore amoncr the
Greeks. ^
Parables.— The Sower : The Tares : The Mustard-seed : The
Leaven: Th-. Hidden Treasure: The Pearl: The Net.
MATTHEW XIII.
We now come to our Lord's parables ; and they are very interesting
mdeed, as well as instructive. But do you kno^v what a parable
means ? It is a sort of fable, and, by feigned stories, teaches us true
things. Parable sometimes has other meanings in Scripture, but this
IS the meaning of our Lord's parables. You have perhaps been
amused with yEsop s or Gay's fables, and they teach us many good
lessons about how we should conduct ourselves in going through the
world ; but our Lord's parables teach us how we may find a better
world. The finest fables are comparatively nonsense by the side of
Christ's parables. They are so simple, so natural, so tender, so beau-
tiful—and yet some of them are so grand.
The first parable in this chapter is that called " the Sowerr
r Ghost — the
but the Al-
rdon.
m, asked him
e had given^
ify their vain
n more, and
1 the whale's
ights in the
om the dead
I was speak-
so obstinate
igainstthem
for they had
es, remained
onah is the
i among the
zt^x The
e Net.
' interesting
a parable
les us true
ire, but this
■haps been
many good
hrough the
d a better
:he side of
r, so beau-
A CUP OF COLD WATER.
'And whosoever shall ^iv« ^ h , ^ WA 1 tR.
BEHOLD, A SOWER WENT FORTH TO SOW."-IVIatt. 13: 3.
mF
3.
MATTIfPAV.
45
Our Lord explains this ])arabic. The So7vcr u-nc; Mm • ir , •
also mean every nunistcrof hh .o.lch tin 'T^'^'^f^ ^'"^^^ '^ "^''^X
he preaches is the best JZ^^r^f^'"^ '^^ ^"^ "'""
become so numerous thnt tl-.^.,-^ ; . nearmg-, and these
enter. Then it irt^f^L'tirnrlr^^^.r ;;^ r ^ 'h
then the ^^^J^r::t:^:::t::z::^'^ t' ''-'■
.tin vain. The next parabl'e is ^r^X^^'-^y:::!'^'
may read ,t from the twenty-fourth to thirtieth "4^ ''°"
which a., that a:et:,e"°ho,r;" ^1 1 t^^ °^7r"-'' '°
knigdom of heaven, which xve mav , M, ' , ""' '°°' '" "^^
but there is a .,n,don, of tl; X^^^ A 'It; t^""™ r^''
wuhm the boundaries of this kingdom Christ n I ^°"^f '""■"
them to become his subierts • nn,itr , ' '" '"' S°''Pel, asks
kingdom fete ar nrfpa d Vor h r" 1'° '"^'"" '° "^'^ '^"'^ '" ""-^
ever, many that do ™t subn " to th ''^ T "" '''"'' '""' ''°"-
that do, an'd are hke b", s^^ , "ng rgood"^ ^7' ''"' ^^^
grow together now, but they will no^t ahvfvs Jro. t^ ^trTt'?"
of judn;ment is comino- and th-itwlll u fi i togttlier. The day
will be burned, and t^ ^od "m t H '^ ^^l-f '^ '^^^^" ""T"^^'
treasure in a storehouse. ^ ^' '''"''^^^ ^^'^^^^^^ '-^^
4 I.
46
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
Wc have then a short parable of " The Treasure." In the kingdom
of heaven there is a rieh treasure. The gospel is the field where it is
to be found. Here are "durable riches."
We have another parable of " The Merchantman." He was tryino-
to find out some goodly pearls, that he might gain by them ; and al
last he met with one, and parted with everything he had that he might
get it for himself.
" My heart exulting sings,
For I this precious pearl have found."
"Jesus Christ," says Mr. Henry, " is a pearl of great price, a jewel of
inestimable value, which will make those
that have it rich, truly rich, towards God :
in having him, we have enough to make
us happy here, and forever."
The parable of "The Net " follows next.
After explaining the wheat and the tares,
you will at once see the meaning of this
parable.
Then comes " The Householder." " Every
Scribe which is instructed unto the kin<r-
dom of heaven is like unto a man that is
a householder, which bringeth forth out of
his treasure things new and old." The
teachers among the Jews were Scribes.
Our Lord, therefore, was now bringing up
his disciples to be teachers, and he meant
by this that if they were good teachers, they would be like a good
householder, who had both old and new things to set at his table.
We are told, af the close of this chapter, that people were every-
where astonished at Christ's wisdom ; especially were they surprised
who heard him speak where he was brought up. His reputed lather
was a carpenter; and they said, "Is not this the carpenter's son?"
But the knowledge of Christ was that of the Son of God. Yet, because
he did not take the form of a rich man, but " for our sakes became
poor," the silly people thought it strange that he should know so much,
Black Mustaud
MATniEW.
ic kingdom
where it is
was trying
m ; and at
It he might
47
, a jewel of
iiake those
'ards God :
^h to make
Hows next.
I the tares,
ing of this
r." "Every
the kin<T-
nan that is
M th out of
)ld." The
e Scribes,
ringing up
he meant
ce a good
table,
sre every-
surprised
ited father
ir's son ? "
it, because
-s became
r so much,
and be able to each tI,o way to heaven even better than the learned
Scnbcs. "And they were oftended in l>i„,." They did not like lo be
taught by hnn,and so, as they despised his teaching, " he did not
many mighty worlcs there, because of their unbelief."
The Martyrdom of John the Baptist.-Christ Feeds the Muhitude.
—Christ Walks on the Sea.
MATTHIiW .\IV.
T 1"^"^'% """^ "y,' '" ■■"'"'"' '" ""^ ''''^P'-^"- i^ 'h^ martyrdom of
John the Baptjst I e was killed by Herod the Tetrarch. This wa
not the He^d who k.lled the infants of Bethlehem, but one of hi
on. I, a Herod was called Herod the Great, but //«i was called
Herod Ant,pas. \\'he,r h,s father died he divided the kin.^dom into
four parts aniong h,s four sons, and this son had Galilee, of which he
goven'ment' ""'^ "^'"'^^'"° "'"' *"= '^''' "" ^""'"' >"-' °f '^^
This Herod, like his father, was a bad man. His brother Philip
h.wmg lost h,s power and retired into private life, Herod lured away
his w. c Herodias, who, being a wicked woman, was easily induced to
eave i>h,l,p, an.l n,.,rry Herod. John the Baptist had boldly reproved
h.ni for this crane, and he cast John directly into prison, and indjl^
would have k.ile.l him at once; but as John wis esteemed by th
people as a great prophet, he feared that they might rise and rebel and
.so he contented him.sdf with confining him
alUhet,'"''/'"r ^^'•'^'''^to™'"-'^- Herod kept his birthday with
tl tst " th h' .r ^T^' '"'"' ""-^ ^^^ ^ "-'-y "--■ Among
he rest, the daughter of Herodias xvas there." She, too, had deserted
h r unfor unate ather. We are not then surprised tha she could be
g^nltyo he cruelty she aftenvards displayed, for she seenrs to have been
an apt scholar m following the wicked example of her mother. This
young creature danced before the court, and Herod was so much
st's u d ha' '° "^ "^ T'^°''' ""' declared, with an oathX
not tttl. '^"^\t7 "*^. '^^ ''''^'^' '^'" '" '^' '>="f °f his kingdom :
not that he would have given half his kingdom away, but this was an
48
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
Eastern method of spcakin- which allowed ihc person to whom it was
addressed to ask a very great favor. \ uii rememljer tliat Ahasiierus
made the same promise to Esther. Esther, however, saved many
ives by her reciuest; but this wretched )oun- creature asked for the
life of one of the most excellent of men ; she asked for the head of
John the Ba])tist. Her mother urged her on to make tliis request, but
she was as wicked as her mother in making it. When we are told to
sin, even a parent's commands are not to be obeyed, because God is
above our parents, and all sin is an offense against God. It was not
however, enough that she should ask the head of John the Bajjtist but
she must have it in a charger, or large dish. This was to satisfy her
mother that there was no delay, but that John vvas actually put to
death; and also to prevent Herod's changing his mind, that, on more
sober reflection, his heart should not shrink back from the murder
The Evangelists say, "the king was sorry; nevertheless, for his oath's
sake, he granted the request. Such an oath had better have been
broken than kept. The L\ccd was a far more wicked thing than break-
ing his word. However, he <' sent and beheaded John in\he prison • "
and the young Salome took the head and handed it to her mother who
satisfied her evil eyes with the sight of her faithful reprover's comite-
nance, quiet in death.
And now for a while Herod, Hcrodias, and Salome were most likely
at ease— for conscience often goes to sleep, but only to wake again in
a greater fright ; but at last it must have been let loose upon them like
a roaring lion, when (lod punished them for their sins. History tells us
that when Herod had put away his lawful wife to make room for Hero-
dias, Aretas, king of Pctrea— vvho was father of the former— made war
against Herod, and totally destroyed his army. Moreover, at the
mstigation of the wicked Herodias, he tried to dethrone his brother
Agrippa, who ranked higher than he, bearing the royal title, and not
that of Tetrarch. Agrippa, however, outwitted him. and procured his
banishment to Lyons, where he and Herodias disgracefully died
Salome is also reported to have come to an awful end, and if she had
a moment for ^bought she must have remembered her cruelty to Tohn
the Bantist; for going over the ice in winter, it is said the ice broke
MATTHEW.
vhoin it was
t Ahasucrus
■avccj many
skcd lor the
the head of
request, but
are told to
luse God is
It was not,
Ba])tist, but
) satisfy her
lally put to
at, on more
he murder,
ir his oath's
have been
tiian break-
le prison ; "
lother, who
r's counte-
most likely
e aj^ain in
I them like
ory tells us
I for Hero-
-made war
^er, at the
lis brother
-, and not
ocured his
ully died,
if she had
ty to John
ice broke,
49
and she slipped in up to her neck, and her head was cut off by the
sharpness of the ice. " Thus," says a great writer, " Ciod required lur
head for that of John the ilaptist, which, if true, was a remarkabi.
providence."
When Jesus he ird that John was cruelly put to death, he left the
place to avoid Herod, lor he had yet many works of mercy to do
i
THK IlKill I'Kn:ST OF THE JEWS BEFORE THE AKK.
JESLS IS .N,nv .Hu Whulk: VVokl./s Uich I'luiisr Before the Throne o,.- God.
before he should leave the world. On his departure, multitudes fol-
lowed hmi, and " he healed their sick."
Having led them into a desert place, the people were very hun-ry
and weary, and Jesus felt compassion for them, But there 'were '^no
less than "five thousand men. besides women and children;" and how
were so many to be fed ? All that the disciples had were five loaves
JO
run FAMILY COMMENTAKy.
and two fishes; and what were they .moni; so minv' VVl.l, T
nothmg was in,,,oss,.le, •• M. co,n,„a„dccUl °„u,u"u,dc o s down
> to hca u,, he bles:,ed and brake, and gave the leaves to his disei-
pies, and the chscples to the nudtitude." \\,n se ■ les ,s w mI ,
ta e a n.eal without lookin, t,p to ,,eaven fo,- a llssi.^ ::'„:;'
•^^l-etsibl-' "rhp'" "'"'r T'' "">■ '""' "" "^ ">^ ''-^ .".cnt: w e
1, If I , , ,^' ""'™'' ^' '""■"•■''■■ • ••""' "» ""- <:o"lcl l>avc done
tins If lie hail not had power from on hi.di
sea of"G'!hr.,.'"rr'ri' "'' '""'"■""'^■•-^'1 -■"' his <lisciples across the
sea of Galdee, while he went up into a mountain to pray
In the midst of this niVht the ship in whieh the dis'ipleswerc saihn..
^^^.s overtaken vvith a violent storm, and they ^vere in the greatest ^
Ser of o„,„j, to the bottom. The Je>vs diVided the ni.d into uZ
parts, reiievin. their guards on the w.i teh-towers ev . • ti re hot rs
r Xi;;^.;:-: :r' T!"'"' -'t^^- "^"' '" '"^ f°-*t:tch
went to the disciples, " walking on the sea "-another proo'P'of
.l.yine power, ^vho could make the sea, where he pleased to "ead s
solid as the cart itself The disciples were ntoi'e fi givtened -f the
appearance oChris^ t|„„ ,, ,^^ ^j^,^^ ^^^^ ". e k n v t
hem. And Pete, having asked his leave, went to me t n n, on tl e
water, for he could make it as firm for Peter as for hin f P
went a little way, but his faith in Christ's power fa^edhm ..n,:
began to sink ; and then he cried out " I ord s ,ve n e ,
was calm All the passengers and crew saw most plainly that lesiis
possessed nothing less than Almighty power, to do vhat Ic^JZ
then^^^came and ..rshiped him, saying. Of a truth thou art [he's^n
mifa^te."" "''' '™''' '■" ^'^""^^^"■'' ^^''-'- Christ performed more
Ul
MATTIIhlV.
With Jesus
to sit down
nd, lookinj^^
) his (iisci-
UDllId Hot
"And they
cnts twelve
have i-lone
i across the
'crc saih"n<r
latest dan-
t into four
hours, and
b watch of
lin^r, Jesus
oof of liis
) tread, as
cd at the
kindly to
111 on the
■If Peter
11, and he
!us caught
faith, and
p the sea
hat Jesus
did, and
the Son
led more
5J
Christ Cures the Daughter of the Syro-Phoenician Woman, and
Feeds the Second Multitude.
MAirilliW XV.
Jesus now left the land of C jnne.iret, and went into the coasts or
borders of Tyre and Sitlo'i, two .-.rineipal cities of Phcjenicia — a
renowned country at that time. And . woman of Canaan, or 1 Mio-nicia,
—for both names meant the ; ne,— met him. \'ou have probably
often heard her called the Syro-PlKjenician woman, a name j^dven to
persons in that part, because Phcenicia bordered on Syria, and, indeed,
it had formerly been a part of it by concpiest. This woman, it seems,
had heard of the fame of Jesus, and she believed, very strongly, that
he could help her out of the greatest distress.
She had a daughter grievously tormented by a violent disorder,
resembling madness, and the evil spirit ruled over her troubled mind
and body. The instant she saw Jesus she cried earnestly to him
to have mercy on her and cure her daughter ; and she called him
" Lord," showing her faith in his divine power, and " Thou Son of
David," owning him as the Messiah, the anointed great deliverer who
was to save from sin. Jesus, however, did not notice her ; but he knew
how great was her faith, and he wished to show it to his disciples.
Still she cried out, and still he was silent. The disciples then
entreated him to grant her request, and send her away. But he said
he was only sent " to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," meaning
that he intended to confine his own ministry to the Jews, and not then
to have anything to say to the Gentiles— the people who were not
Jews.
The woman was not, however, to be silenced; "she came and wor-
shiped him, saying. Lord, help me I " This was a veiy short prayer,
but it was a very fit one and a very earnest one ; and if you do but
offer up this prayer from your heart, it must and will succeed, and the
Lord will help you.
Jesus said, " It is not meet," or proper, " to take the children's bread
and to cast it to dogs." By the children he meant the Jews, the only
52
Tim FAMILY COMMILYrARY^
nation that maintained amonost tlicm anv c.i fi
the. heavenly Father ; by the )Z^^^^r' '^f' °' ^^^'
life wh.eh he preached, and which ^vas Lad to tl 1 7 "' ''''''' '^"^
by c/ogs the Gentiles, for so they we e o^ , behevino- soul ; and
--lean in their wonship \; ^ i",;'^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^-' J-v. bein, so
meant, for in this way the Tews snn f ., .' "'''" ^""^^ ''^'''^ ^'^
near then, she knew ^ei^ ;l;;^^;t ^n :!^^ ^^"^^^^^^^^ ^ ^^^ ^-^d
Well, she would not take any dcniil t;',,,. ,
-■Ip he,-, and .she stil, pl.adcd ,4h I l' ^T^u iTZo d'' ^'fT "'"''
'otheje... , an, no t^.Lra lo^t ^ t, 'J^^T ^^'T
c-,> '^i 1 icci tJiat I am a vi e
crca urc before Tl,ee ul.o knowest the
hca,t,_a miserable sinner.-yet as dosjs
'"ay p,ck up the crumbs, though they
"lay not s,t at their masters tabfe, so in
mei-cy grant me the sn.aliest favor and
i snail be ha|)py.
Christ had now fully shown her faith-
lic commended it, he granted her re-
quest, and he cured her daughter.
and persevering in prayer and tlnn i''^'"'^' *''•'"'''=' "' '"'"-" '=■■"■"=51
will at last have mercy^oi,' '" ' ^ """ '° '"■ " ^''^^'""^ Saviour
-foX llr'^rt^^^dtre ''''°" ''-' "'^^ '° "^^ ^ ^^ Galilee
"K-eat multitudes," n'd ,, S TV '"°m'""' '" ""^ ^'^"^J ^y
There were at th s tin e 4000 1 ?."' ' ■■"' '"''' "^ '^'''''^'^'■
children." After bein on th V""; '"""•" besides women and
little provision they mi. , .::;;;;':,: '°:,'""^ '-'y^' ■••-' -'"^^ '^e
">cnt; and here again Jespefo "Lj"';™' "7 "''"'"' ^°""= ■''^fr-h-
-ven loaves anda^ few litt 'fi !^ o th tt'Tl ""Ti%r' """"'P"^''
filled. And they took nn of h, hJ ^ ''"' ^" '^"' •■•"'' ^^ere
baskets-full." ^ P °'^ "''■ '''°'^'-'" ""eat that was left seven
After this he removed to Magdala, a place not far from Tiberias, an.
J«visH Bakku i.v Ti.E Time <„.• chri.st.
•4'
-w* *^at«-;
rship of God,
of truth and
ng ^oul ; and
vvs, bcino- so
icvv wliat he
as she lived
Christ could
lid she, ''yet
table." As
vors belong
I am a vile
nowest the
yet as dogs
"^ugh they
able, so in
favor and
her faith —
d her re-
ter. ■
)e earnest
IS Saviour
of Galilee
visited by
disorders,
men and
using the
- refresh-
Hiltiplied
uid were
:ft seven
rias, and
MATTHEIV.
Peter's Confession about Christ.
MATTHEW XVr.
When Christ came into the coasts of Cesarca Philippi he out his
chscplcs faith to the test; and, after asking .l,en, wha d e peope in
he asked the ^Ltion t'o^d to'lhe^^^^lf -Lt'/'^rj, -^1; t
might get a confession of their faith, after all tl ey had seen in do
Peter, who was always forward in speakin-r said •■ Thnn .7f ,h r ?
t^>e Son of the living God ! '■ that is,' thou art ille'anlin fby' S^
S^3,nt of God, to be the King of thy spiritual people Isra P- he true
Messial,, and not a mere man, but tl,e divine Son of God 'lesl ,
commended his faith, and for the information of th^ltip/e a" nd
Peter df Llv'^'t"'' ""T ""'^ '"'' "°' ^^ '"^ divine glory as
Peter d,d. On th,s rock, on the dignity and glory of Christ the Son
of God, as on a sure rode, will he build his church- on h m all be
i-evers rest who are what n,ake up his church, and hel with a is"
powers, shall not prevail against it. Christ to d Peter a o tin he
would g,ve hnn the keys of the kingdon, of heaven. VoJ know d at
o d you, ,n explaming the parables, v^hat the kingdon of '' " „
meant, and that ad that heard the gospel >vcrc in the boun laries oHhi^
kmgdo,„,so that it means the spiritual privileoI^wWd, ri ,,s i.n
o .«/.«„.,, and when Christ told Peter he w^u '^i e^,, hTvs
of the kmgdon, of heaven, and whatsoever he should bnd on card
had so nobly decared it; and what, under the guidance of hrs'iri,
I'
54
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
he dcclarcci lu be so, should be so, and whatsoever he declared not to
be so, should not be so.
Christ then commanded his disciples to be still for the present, and
not to make him known as "the Christ, the Son of the living God";
for, had they done so, the Jews would have proclaimed him as their
kino-, but he came into the world for a very different purpose than that
of reigning as an earthly monarch. From this time, therefore, he more
fully explained to his disciples why it was that he would not be an
earthly king, and that he must suffer, be killed, and raised again the
third day. Pi;ter, indeed, could not bear to hear of this, for he loved
his .Master, and could not without grief think of his suffering, besides
which he would rather have seen him king over the Jews. But our
Lord reproved him, and said, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" intimat-
ing that the evil spirit had suggested the thought of opposing his final
suffering, for with that he was to triumph over Satan's kingdom.
He then warned his disciples of the great dangers to which they
would be liable if they were true to his cause, and that they must
always consider themselves like men having a cross to carry, on ^\hich
they were to be executed, an allusion they well understood as a mode
of execution then in practice.
The Transfiguration of Christ.
MATTIIIiW ' \II.
Wc cnnie next to one of the most interesting and impressive scenes
inTAu- Saviour's life on earth. He had drawn from the willing lips of
Peter, and with the free assent of the others, the frank avowafof their
belief that he was the Son of God; he had told them, once and again,
the story which had saddened their hearts, of his coming death by
crucifixion at the hands of his cruel persecutors; and when they had
urged that this must not. should not be, he had calmly, but decidedly,
rebuked their lack of faith.
But his heart was full of tenderness, and that they might more
clearly comprehend the glory which he had left in coming to earth, and
the glory which should follow the completion of his plan of redemp-
i
ared not to
resent, and
'ing God";
im as their
e than that
*e, he more
not be an
again the
he loved
ig, besides
But our
! " intimat-
ig his final
lorn.
.vhich they
they must
\ on which
as a mode
ive scenes
ng Hps of
il of their
md again,
■ death by
they had
Jecidedly,
eht more
2arth, and
redcmp-
MATTHEIV.
tion, when he should return to heaven, he determined to give them
such a glimpse as they should be able to bear of the condidon of the
glorified saints
above, and of the
necessity of his
death, resurrec-
tion, and ascen-
sion.
For this pur-
pose he takes with
liim the three fav-
orite disciples,
Peter, James, and
John, and as the
evening shadows
are falling, leaves
the neighborhood
of Cesarea Phil-
ippi, in the ex-
treme north of
Palestine, where
he had been stay-
ing for several
days, and com-
mences the ascent
of one of the
southern slopes
of Mount Her-
mon. Wearily did
he and his chosen
tlisciples c 1 i m b
the lofty moun-
tain till at last, toward midnight, they are within full sight of the hi-diest
of the snow-clad summits of the mountain, which, under the bri<dit
hght of the moon, towers up nearly 9000 feet above the sea. Here
TRA\SKK;uRATIOX of CHRIST.
'^l
56
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
perhaps, beneath the friendly shelter of ^on. • ,
"■ithdrau. a little from thi to »° . r^V^t?"'"'"^ "'^^' "'^
tlirce disciples, mea.nvhile ,reiried wffh^i' , ^ ' '" '"■'''>'"■'■• The
clown, and a,-e speedily wr iZd in '" f '"- '"^' thc-mselvcs
conscious of an intense iXtth? I ' ^^""' ' ^^''"'^ "-T -■-
closed eyelids; and hld^dt l) '''"n"'' '""' ""^^''^ their
they gaze, astonished, a tee „',efo,"t;"'"'r°' "^"^ ^"■^"-'-
the moon, though that is ^^^J^^Z^^;:'- ^ '^"^^^^ ^'^f oi
™r'^:,X'd;!:'r ;:r ^i t " '^- ^'-^" "^^"
about th^n,. L that'gUSl e™ "^no Ulfor"^'^''^''^
are no longer soiled " J 'tf:.:;;'?';:^
exceeding white as snow," nor' brdiantl%r 1 ''«'"• "^'^'■"'"S.
Hemon-s summit abov^ thair a " h^ . ''^^ P"'= ^"""'^ °"
glows ,vi.h heavenly li^h tuT;*? J ^" "'^"'^^ P^"^°" "'"^
brilliantly, with the sam h ven^v Id T'' ?f' "^' "^°"S'' ^^^s
'"■■"• By a sudden intuitiorthe disc^'at " °" """^ "''-■ °''
Moses and Elijah, the greatest lat^'f^or,::; ^n?;;- ''""' ^'^
nowned and honored nf ^h.. ^ , ^"^ ^"^ ""i^st re-
one hrteen ..nZ^lJ Jl^ S'::-; ,' :„^-^,^- ;" h t,,^
SuH?;LTsi:s:rrLrarti::"r>^^^'^^^^^^^^^^
th^:iStra^r?Er=--^^
awake. As they gaze thev hL/ Tf f^"''^ '^ ^"^'^'^ •■""' intensely
talking, in tonesX^;ltXrci1;^^^^^^^
his coming death at Icrusnl,-,, n„ i 1 , ' they are speaking c
-ill therdoy acco^, r P I "' 4f ^th ''''"''''°" '^^'^ ''^
"notknowin.Mvhatles-,id"\. r' ' ^ """ '^'^''■'""^ vision, and
to be here: i> t t , [ ^ta" "h ""li " ''"I' " ''^ «°°'' ^^ ^
thee, and one for Moses a d "n ft F i*^'.'''- ';'-"-'-, one for
been that, in such goodlv eo„,pan; ^nd witlf' ' T""' '° '^'''"^
own glory around them, it ™s kr L^ f^;! ^ Treml^X-
1
ling cedar, he
prayer. The
^t themselves
liile they are
hroLigh their
leir a\vakiii<r^
'■ the h'ght of
t sky of the
'Ord, shinino-
atmosphere
•f weariness,
)oor, travel-
s that night,
t," "shining,
"e snows on
person ^hus
hough .^ss
ler side of
ize them as
c most re-
leaven, the
! now they
- above, to
ophcts.
-y seem to
I intensely
^itants ar-
>eakini>- C'
whici. h^
ision, and
)od for us
3, one for
s to have
heaven's
n perma-
MATTHEW.
nently than to ^o back to Galilee or to Jerusalem, and to be sub-
jected to tlic cruel persecutions of the Scribes and Pharisees No
answer u-as made to the bold speech of the impulsive disciple, and
s.,c denly a bnght yet dense cloud overshado^vs the whole group
and a std deeper awe overwhelms them as they pass into the cloud'
and from the cloud proceeds a voice, tender, yet terrible in its tender-
ness, and ,t titters these ,vords: " This is my beloved Son, in ^^hon,
am well pleased: hear ye hint." The affrighted disciples fall upon
thcr faces, and so remain until Jesus comes and touches them and
says^ ■• Anse, and be not afraid." Then, lifting up their eyes, they see
their Lord and Master onl).,and in his ordinary apparel. These three
chsciples never forgot that scene. Two of them, John and Peter re-
ferred to It expressly in their writings,*and the third, the first apostolic
maryr,t was very soon aduHtted to .see the glory of his ascended
Lord m the sanctuary above. But the object which Jesus had in
v,ew to confirm the.r fa.th in hint as the Son of God, the Redeemer
froni s.n, and the one atoning Sacrifice, was accomplished. Thence-
..rth, m a higher sense than the othe. ..isciples or apostles, they were
h,s witnesses; for then., Moses and Elijah had appeared in adoring
reverence of then- Lord; for them they had spoken of his death
and -s,acnfice ; to them there had come "the voice from the excellent
g ory, proclann.ng Jesus as the Son of God; they had been, above all
others, the eye-witnesses of his luajesty.
As Jesus and his three disciples descended from the mountain in the
mornmg they found themselves suddenly translated from the glory of
he heavenly state to the cares, anxieties, and distre...es of this n.ortal
hfe. The nme d.scples who had been left behind in the vicinity of
Cesarea Phd.pp, had found their faith tested, and proved insuftlcfcnt
in a case of possession by evil spirits, accompanied by epilepsy It
had been brought to them by the father and some cavilling Scribes and
they had attempted to cast out the evil spirits, perhaps relying upon heir
own power, perhaps with but weak faith in the power of Christ and
had failed utterly. Taunted by the Scribes, surprised and mortified
= Mn i, 14; Revelation i, 14; 2 Peter i, 17, 18. f Acts
XII, 2.
58
THE FAMILY COMMENTALY.
'i'iiE Jewish .Siulkel,
J .mA,,
prayer and fast,„g to accomplish the desired nu-racie ^^ ^
In th,,s chapter we also road of Christ's pacing the tribute mone>.at
Capernaun,. 1 l„s was a half-shekel, paid yjarly, for the ■ crvL ,f tl'c
temple. As he was the Son of C<)d he
was not liable to pay a tribute, but le-t
oit.tnse should be taken on account of
his refusal, he preferred to do it Vet
It appc-irs he who had the world ,it his
cohimand chose to be so humblr i„d
small sum 'vherewifh fn ^f""' ^°[ """' "'"''"' ^^""^ ^^ ^ad not the
-^^^^^^^:^ worked a
K. • <-uust SO to do, to show his d r^r nirc: fii'if ;r
Ck* ,„d„ Hc^s», Kw«a Sdl,faM .oJ F„8i,^ <j
Injuries.
MATTHEW XVIir.
the.v t'-^.Ht^:Ter::t raf hi;: ■ r^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^-" ^^ -
about this subi^rf t-i r i -^ lalkmg to one i. t ;;; r
reign over the Tewr't ? "^ '"^ supposing that he won!.! 4
t.K';.seK.esl{:t":ho\t?SHt To bf his Th^f T""" ■^'"-^
ing his government. " '"' ''"''^ °^'"='' '" "^n^'o"
i
us appeared
J healed tlie
vate a in; Id
necessity of
ite monevat
ervice of the
1 of Cod he
ite, but, lest
account of
do it. Yet
vorld at his
"lumblc and
had not the
worked a
pics that if
)ut because
le knew all
idst of the
he wanted,
n, and pay
;er.
veness of
5ked hi; :
oi'cl knew
le ii i"thor
hi . ing.
vouN yet
d amonc
1 man:i >
Matthew. ^^
" Peter was always the chief speaker, and already had the keys .rjvcn
l^rm, and he expects to be Lord Chancellor or Lord Chambcrlafn of
tiic Household, and so to be the grealcst. Judas had the ba<.- and
therefore he expects to be Lord Treasurer; which, though nmv he
come last, he hopes will then denominate him f/ie gycafcst. Simeon
and Jude are nearly related to Christ, and they hope to take place
ot all the great officers of state, as princes of the blood John
IS the beloved disciple, the favorite of the prince, and, therefore hopes
to be the greatest. Andrew was first called, and, therefore, why should
he not be preferred ? "
Mr. Henry supposes that some such thoughts as these passed
between them when they asked Christ to settle the matter. /V little
child happened to be near, and Jesus took and set it in the midst
of them, and told them that unless they were as humble as that little
child they could never enter into his kingdom— the kingdom of
heaven; and that the humblest among them was the greatest.
Again, Christ here teaches us not to give offense. We should be
careful, as much as possible, to oftend nobody in any way But the
offense of which he here speaks is particularly against his humble fol-
lowers and servants. We must not despise one of these his little
children, how poor and despised soever he may be by a wicked and
sneering world.
Christ also here teaches us self-denial, to part with things that we
even dearly love, rather than lose our souls. He tells us that we
are to cut off our hand and foot and pluck out our eye rather thin
let them stand in the way of our salvation. He does not, however
mean that we should really do so, but he does mean that whatever
hinders it, if it be even as dear to us as these parts of our body we
must be ready to give it up. An amusement, though ever so delioht-
ful if It leads us into sinful habits and company, must be parted with
A friend and companion that would draw our hearts away from Christ
though we love him ever so much for his kindness in other respects'
must also be parted with. Many such right hands must be cut off and
many such right eyes must be plucked out.
Another thing here taught is forgiveness of injuries. A
this
IS a
Go
THE FAMILY COMM/LYTARy,
very hard thin- indeed to learn. When Christ f.ll- i
I\'f(>r\uicK,.,i f I 1 ^^"'-" '--'^"•''t talked on this snhcrf
i etcr u i.shed to know how many times ho mi.rhf h <t i , V ^"^J^^-^
and yet forgive hi,.. .« SevJ ^ t ^^'^ "^^^ -' LTT"^-^'
owS\t°":nhoXr::h ^^ ^. "^f ^- ^'°"' ^ ^'--' "-'
forgave hi,„ hi. d"b bu' a e In '"'"'''y *^°°'°°°)' "-' y^^ ^^
stetvard only a hundred ,lnr// ,'"!'!''''"' '''■'PP^"'"^ to ou-o the
kindlytreated byWs ordn„r^n°"'*3*''*°"i>''' ^' 1^^'' '^'••-" ^o
his pL fe.,ow4t:t r ?;, :^^ ti'rr^T^y^' ""^"'^ '"^^'^^
farthing. His lord, however heTrd of a H ^" ^ """^ ""''"' ''"^
was still due in law to n„nkh l, r V- ' ' "" "^'^ stewards debt
and threw ^n.'Z'^Zto °' '" ""^"^ '''= '^'^ "°''' "^ ^im
tai^rts/^fo^i: SLtrVS fr^^ -^r ^^ '"= '^" '"— '
to us from others ZT. t^ ° '^"''' ""-" '^""'''■'='1 P^'^'^ due
ready to ^^^^r^J^o^t^l!^';^::'^:^-- ^'^ *^^ ^^
if. that be not the ease, we shouM not'r r ev f^r elTirt"'' ''""
wise, blessinc- We have seen a hnrri ^ "'"'^f ^" '°'^'=^''. b"t, contrari-
ing kindness for injunes! '^^'^''-hearted man softened by reeeiv-
Ch.i3t receives Littk Children -Converses with a Rich Young
Man. ^
MATTHEW XIX, I3-30
in the same way for Christ is Tsr J ''" ""^^ "^'" ^° '^'"^ ^^^^%
ay. Chi 1st IS ascended up mto heaven, but they can
I
1 this subject
;<-! by aiiothcT,
." said Jesus,
hat any one
It wo should
steward that
and yet he
to owe the
lad been so
ruelly threw
him every
ward's debt
lold of him
n thousand
pence due
;n they are
; and, even
It, contrari-
by receiv-
1 Young
to Christ,
1 with the
2nds, who
-Ives very
hrist and
s exactly
they can
MATTHEW. f^^
take them in prayer, and. tliough Christ is in heaven, he can still bless
tliem there.
The disciples thouylit that these parents were troublesome, but
Chnst cl,d not tlunk so, nor will ho ever tl,ink you troubleson.^ fo
S^t"lt° Wl n ^^>'%"\Vhosoevorcon.eth unto „,e I will in nowise
cas out. \Vha he sa,d to the disciples he says now : " Suffer little
children, and forbKl them no,, to come unto me; for of such i
kmgdom of heaven.
Another thinj; here recorded is a conversation of Christ with a rich
young n>an. 1 h,s young man was desirous of goin.^ to heaven in
w,shed to know what he should do to enable hinUo get th re In tht
respect he was^ better than souk- people, wlu. hope to gol heaven
when they die but live all their days "^avtn
as if they cared nothing about it. He
called Christ "Good Master,"— or
good Teacher,— but Christ told him
there was no one good but God, and
as he only considered Christ as a
teacher, and did not see his divine
glory, he was wrong to give any
human being the title of good.
Jes^us told this young man, who had no notion of believin- in him
as a Saviour, but only thought of doing somethino- to become e-.-nvh^
happy, that if he would keep the commandments^.ll wJld be'S
The young man said that he had kept them all. He did indeed • but
knew httle of his own heart to say so, for a wrong tl^ou^^L th
commandments as well as a wrong w.rd or dted. He should, a
Mr Henry observes, mstead of saying. "All these have I kept what
ack yet ?• rather have said, with shame and sorrow, " Al the'se have
broken, what shall I do to get my sins pardoned ? " and thus have I
least, avoided his claim of self-righteousness '
Christ however, soon put him to the test. He proved that he was
an ido ater and sr hml-o fK^ - c ^ t ^y^ mai. iic was
-.-.ater, ana sc broke the very first commandment, "Thou
t.VSTKRN GOI.D.
have
no other gods before me." He did not, indeed,' bow
wrought out of gold and silver, as the heathen did, but
5 L
shalt
to idols
still he loved
(>2
THE FAMILY C0MM\\![RY.
1 m
11 ■ m i
1,^1 , . , '" «-"uu^n. J'-^us told hiin to sc cvcrvthinn hf.
•of"u^' l,Vr ' '^"°:' •■'"" """^^ """• N"' 'hat cJL? Xir
Tr r' ? "' '° '^"J"> "''■" 1"'^ providence riv.s us and be
thankful for ,t; but hero was a particular case «„ h n,„ ,h,
mans heart to the test, for ■ ^vhen the you Inn heard t^' ^■°""*''
c went away sorrowful : for he had grLt pos^^l s"^ d 1: cS
not give these up to enter nito life.
After the young man was gone, our Lord showed his disciples from
h,s example, how difficult it was for a rich man to enter S n
is easier for a camel to go through the eve nf ■, „. . ii .u r •
man to enter into the tingdonrof Cod^^^ ^M i^S a ^tVdlffi-
culty for a rich man, surrounded with
the snares of riches, to enter into
the kingdom— for this is what the
words mean.
This incident led Peter— who was
as impulsive as ever, and had, more-
over, some of the oriental disposi-
tion to extol his o \n sacrifices and
to seek to have them noticed and
forsaken all and followed thee" whar'T!,'; '"'' T"""'^.' ''' '"^^
nr fK.-. 1 i.- • . "ICC, wnat alialJ we hive there inrp?"
Ut this boastin<r inciu rv Mr R..r,r,, n , uicrctore r
a poor all that f-^hey L7fi"^"^J„:: ^^^^^^'^ 'V™'', '"J
qmtted a place in the custom-house- bu yZ^ t '* 'f 'f'"^'
had only left a kw boats nnri n » , 1 ' ''^' ""O"' "^ "" "'
fishing trade • and vet s ^ u'" Pf '" ^^^s of a poor
had beenlome mi|^ ,ting°".B!ho^ l'""": '''^' ''^ "' '''' "
However what thev Jm i ?5' ' '*'^ ^^"^ forsaken all!'"
little saifi^ewhtCelai'lr" t'"'^ '"' ^"'^ ^""^' ^"<=P'^ °f ^
hiwiuestion a, stwse; e ■ "d him"tr.'r'^ '"'/" ^"^"-^""^
in the future life nnd tlv.; , h"' '"'* rewards were mainly
«r.t shorbillSn'dteTa^LtulStZ."-''' '^^-'-^ ^ ''^
Eastkrn .Sii.vkr.
MATTHEW.
s heart to his
;vcrything he
irist requires
■s us, and be
t this young
that saying,
ind he could
sciplcs, from
leaven. " It
an for a rich
I great diffi-
)unded with
enter into
s what the
■ — who was
had, niore-
tal disposi-
:ri flees and
oticed and
d, we have
herciore ? "
it was but
ad, indeed,
St of th( 111
of a poor
it, as if ..
:en all I'"
:epts of a
answering
-re mainly
/es to be
63
The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard.— Christ foretells
his Sufferings.-~The two Blind Men.
MATTHEW XX.
This chapter contains four things, which we shall briefly notice in
the order in which tlicy stand.
First.— y/-^ Payable of the La^-mrs in the yiiicyanl
Here our Lord compares the kingdom of heaven— or the season of
proc iau.ung the gospel to poor sinners-to a person who kept house
and hired servants. Being in want of some to work in his vineyard
he "went out early in the morning to hire laborers." "And when he
had .greed w.th the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his
viney. -d. Our Lord here means a coin called the Roman penny
which . :s of more value than ours, and equal to about seventeen
cents of < T money; this, indeed, was low for wages, but they differ
very muui 111 all parts of the world, and even in our own country in
some parts no ing more than half what they are in others
Several hours after the householder went out, and findino- more
laborers wanting work he hired them also. Three hours after "that he
employed some more to uork, and three hours after that still more
And now it drew toward the end of the day. "An. about the elev-'
cnth hour, and within an hour of finishmg work, he, sec no some more
standing idle, hired them also."
After they had done their work he paid them, and gave every man a
jDenny ; so that you see he gave just as much to those he emploved
last as to those he employed first, though, of course, they had done
but \ ery little, while the others had done much work.
Those that had done much work began to complain on seeing the
others paid as much as the) were; but the good man of the house
told them they had no right to do so, for he had done them nov^xon^-
fj.-r?" kI° 7'^ ^""'.^ P^""^' """^ ^^ ^^"^ ^^'^^" ^^^"^ ^^^'^ pe""y •'
,..K..„„ ^^ ^j^y^j^ ^g j^^ j^,^^ p^^.^ ^^^^^ though
I
they had done less, he had a right to do as he pleased with h
Now, the Jcvvs were very jealous of the Gentil
IS own.
es, or nations not of
64
fi 'fli
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY,
tlic Jews, and so selfish tir.f fi,
of GoU be,,,, bcsto J; , ' ir'l:"', '"", '" "^-^'^ "^ ""^ «-=
"any ages, been ranked a„on. e ,^ '^' '''^•'"^^'^'^ I'ad, fo, so
was,tl,eref.Me,tore,„-ovetl,er?elfi I '^ °^ ^"''- ''''"•'^ P.'--.>Wc
"Sl't to do with all ,a,i.„ ; ,;"■"•"", '° ^'"™' "-' GocI l,as .
t-ches us that if l.c gives us .'n^neier'" '''""'-'^' •''"''■ ••"-■ "
of Leaven at last, it ,' not ace dil to '^i "1 '^^'T'^ "'^ ^^^S^
scrv,ces arc but poor at the bes ' ^2 V''^'"' 'l-ne-for otr
gcnei-osity and gn.ee. '^'•'''.-l^ut accord,,,^ to his oun great
llic second thin<' our T «.. i i
mint N^ r,„- +1,.. - . .
tei,ibl
^ event
tOKM OF SECOND TEJU'LE.
minds for the
fl' ills death.
petition made to hhn, tluough
tl>eir mother, by the sons oi
^obedee, James and John, ,vho
were two of his fi,-st disciples.
I was no less than that fhey
^sliould have the first places of
honor ,n his kingdom; for
death, they secncd cither not to understand. '"'' '^'" ""•'"> "^ ^is'
was most probable-.hat after L d 'a , t '' ,T .'° ^^^PPose-which
Judah, and beco,ne king of the J wf so h ^^ I''"""' "^^^ "'™"^ °f
nearest to him when hc^houl I be \in'° ^ """^'^ "'^' "^"^y ""ffl't sit
other on his left hand. The .1,;^^^°"' °" ^' "^*'"-'"d *e
al>vays consi.lered to be a nhce n , f '^ f'"''"" of rank ,vas
^ian king, of whom we reaci in s° r"' ' ''"' '^>'"'-^' "'<= S-'eat Per-
valued near his left hand b ".st ^'T' "^^'^ '° P'^^^ "'e guests he
and he thought that bei g , "^ nL^Tha."'" °" "^^' ^'■''' °f 0™
affect,on. '' ' '""'-'' "'^ar that was a great sign of his
y^^Z'^Xi""^^'"^ '° "'^ ^'"■bitious disciples ..Ve I
ye asic. They were pleasing themselves wi^luhe p^osplcrS:
;ar of the j^race
Iv't-s IiacI, ioi so
'i^'iis parable
tiiat God lias a
^ ; and, also, it
y the blessings
done — for our
liis own great
ffcn" ngs which
led to his dis-
Jrcpared their
-nible event
is a sino-uiar
lim, through
the sons of
I John, who
•^t disciples.
" that they
St places of
,'tloni ; for,
them of his
ose— ^vhich
e throne of
y might sit
ht, and the
rank \vas
Sfreat Per-
guests he
Jc of him,
igii of his
not what
:)f honoio,
MATTHEW.
f^5
when all the time there was nothing but m.ffrn'n.r K .r *i
they replied, "We are ablr " 'FN .1 ,^'^I'V ^^'^h? To this
th/dij,,i., at last, .ui^^ pai J 'iif e^^i [^ ^i,!^ t^::;:': '"'-'
grcaU,ono.; U,t that cu;:^;'' ^ ^ /^^^ V'' "w" l'^'
with hiMi, wc shall also rciVn with iiin, " -r'l i ' '. '""''■
of heaven were, however notTi; •! v "'^''"""'•■'' °f 'he kin,,<l<„n
by his Father, God wlo'i 's r t '. d™':":" '" ""• "^■^"' ^"'
th^ ..ide and cuHosity ,.ati«ej liu/n^llt^nM pl^. t'o" j^-
.:::f^^t;^t,:risr^..i-£^^^^^
fCid r-^' t! ■ :::; rz^i Tr °" "^' ,° ^-SJi'-L^n;
multitttde rebtikeTthL"^ S^^^^^^^^^^ "°' ''^"y- "The
perhaps, that they wt'-trout^o^e 'rcrhis^L^ni^f-did tTf^-
he,r hononn. him by eallin. hint " Lord," and "Son of David ••• ! ,
"Jesus had compassion on them and t,>„rl„.,i n, ' '^"'
diately their eye^ received ..du:!; t^::^^^^^" ■•'"'' ""-
Jestlltim ^al °" "■ ° '"'"'■ "-" ^- °^ D-i'" ■■■ is a cry that
Christ's Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem.
MATTHEW XXI.
The first thing which is related in this chanter i, th. » ■ ,
entry of Christ into Jerusalem ^ triumphant
they were to brin^ to him,'tW "did^' r^'^t: tot, -IndT ''''''
he had sad who l-np^v -,11 n • , / ' ^"^ ^^^'^e — as
his use. ^'p^r:^:^^;u:^^T^!:^'';z':zt "r^— -vfor
clothes, and they set him thereon. '' '"^ P"' °" "^'="' ^eir
J?
66
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
Chr St was followed by a multitude wherever he went Hi. r
m doing good caused many to go to him In r r. ' . ""^
others went to see this wonderful pt^r on Tl ^T""''^ ""^
which he was to ride some wid^ th " ^ ^^^^^^ ''^^^^^^^'^^l the way on
INTERIOR VIEW OF ANCIENT TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM^
means " Save Tb e/ch o^" 1 1 '""'1 '" ""' ^''^''''' ' " "--"^
David, the iMe siah 1 • 1 / If "'' "'' '''=''='-'^'' "^'='^' ">°" Son of
feast of trbcrntcles ^ "'"" """ "^^'^ "^^ "^ P™P'-= ^t the
by t;;:;hef ,\; •i'°Tdi'!;"'tr '"/""'?= '"''""' "■'^''^'' -- ^po'<-
Cometh unto thee me?L an /h ""^^'''' "^ ^'^'■°"' «^h°l'l. thy kin,.
an ass." The proXtt, "^ 1''^°" ''" '^'■'' """^ ' "" *<^ ""o^' "f
K„ c- • P™P"ccy here quoted is found in 7achariil, .V „ i
by S,o„ ,s .eant Jerusalem. Here Christ c,ai,^d ^^^t;^^^
;: ^ ■•'
■"""-^s^-WSreaaRv.
f
MATTHEW.
It. His fame
bc^nefits, and
d the way on
J some with
quantities of
X method of
e same parts
t. And the
67
1
s he that
Hosanna
u Son of
3le at the
as spoken
1, thy kintr
he foal of
■i
ix, 9, and
ity, being
1
King over his church, and in token of it he rode, as the judges of old
on an ass. At this time, indeed, the great, and they only, rode upon
horses ; so that Christ did not enter Jerusalem in worldly splendor
but still he entered it like one bearing a high dignity. And this fulfil-
ment of prophecy was one of the many marks which the prophets
gave, by which the Messiah was to be known. Had not Christ so
gone into Jerusalem, one of the marks to show him as the true Mes-
siah would have been wanting; while every mark which so distin-
guished him was a confirmation of his character and ofi^ce, and so
must establish our faith in him.
Another thing here recorded is Christ's entrance into the temple
or rather that part of its courts in which were daily sold frankincense'
oil, wme, and other requisites for sacrifice, such as doves, lambs and
oxen. It was near the time of the passover, and as many of these
were then wanted, the courts were well stocked. This custom was
most likely in imitation of the heathen, who did the same in their
temples. Among the traders were also money changers ; these were
persons who accommodated the people with proper coin for any forei-n
com which they had taken from any of the neighboring nations wfth
whom hey traded, and in so doing they overreached their customers
and were guilty of shameful extortions. All these things made our
Lord very indignant; he could not bear to see the house of God pro-
faned and such wickedness practised, and he cast out the dealers
and '< overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the 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 --a place as bad as the caves in which robbers hid who
infested Judea.
That Christ should have disturbed these people, and, though numer-
ous, have driven them out in the midst of their gains, and for the time
have spoiled their trade, is a proof that they were overawed by some-
thing m him, while, their own consciences being guilty, they were the
more easily affrighted when they were so attacked.
Returning in the morning to Jerusalem, having slept in the quiet
village of Bethany, which was only two miles from the city it is said
6S
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
the way. l,e would lunve refreshed hL,lf''"*'\''' ^'i '''" S""'"S in
had plenty of fine leaves tafpeL at ; Tl ' 'r^- '"'' "'""^"^ ''
nounccd sentence upon tl e tree L t In f . "° "'"' ^"'' ^^ P™"
>vard forever. And pre ent v thV fi » 'I' *>"""'" °" '^'' ^'"^-f°^-
teaches us also that mere show
IS not what Christ looks for, but
he expects us to bear something
good, if we profess to bring forth
the fruits of holiness.
The chief priests could not let
Christ alone, and as soon as he
had returned to the temple, and
began to teach the people the
way to heaven, they beset him
and wished to know who author-
ized him to do his work. Now
they might have easily seen by
the miracles that he did that he
was divinely authorized, and if
minds and thev had hnmhl,. . , T^ ''"""^^ ^'^'^ '^^^^" '" their
:ep^-ton,y;,ta;:rvx;:-^--^^^^^^
beil!Xhi<i uS ,';:::^t ';::' '^''^T", '"^ ^■^'"'^'' -''• ••' -
regarded ],i„, .;; mpe „";;"", '™' '"', "'^' '""'''^ ''-' -•""-y-^
against. So <:knst'Xj^' ^:^:^'"'^- ^"" ^o be ^PO^'n
heaven or of .en . One of t;^:;; "^ tstt" 'ZZ;^, tl
ROIJIJERS LYINi; IN WAIT.
- who was the
-e growing in
but, though it
. and he pro-
thee henccfor-
V-' This was
nation, which
)rcl, were like
fruit. And it
It mere show
looks for, but
ar something
to bring forth
s.
could not let
' soon as he
temple, and
' people the
V beset him,
who author-
^'ork. Now,
^ily seen by
(lid that he
zed, and if
n in their
, he would
lice of their
1 no direct
-m to keep
^nd, it was
lad always
be spoken
was from
y felt that
MATTHEW.
69
they could not say it was from heaven, for then Christ and the people
could justly have reproached them for not believing on him and for
persecutmg a prophet of God ; and yet, if they said it was from men
they would equally expose themselves to difficulty, since the people'
believed otherwise, and would have been enraged against them So
they told a talsehood, and said, " We can not tell." Then our 1 ord
told them that as they would not answer his question, he would ^not
answer theirs, and so he confounded them.
After this he instructed the people by interesting parables. The
first of these is usually called " The Two Sons." By this he tau-dit
the sin of pretending to works of righteous- ^
ness, and not doing them.
Our Lord afterwards said, " Hear another
parable " ; and then spoke the parable of
" The Husbandmen."
This parable was to show how they had
treated the servants of God whom he had ,. ^j
sent to them ; for they had ill-used and :M/Z
kili-d his prophets, one after another, and '^
in the end God had sent himself, the Son
of God, but they used him no better, and \\;,
were now conspiring to put him to death. ^|
We should have supposed that the
priests and Scribes would have felt
ashamed when they found that the parable described their wicked-
ness ; instead of which they even then sought to lay hands on him.
but at the time they were afraid lest the multitude should take his
part, as he was then high in favor with them "
There are two verses near the end of this chapter which we must
- explain. In the forty-second verse you read. -Jesus saith unto
lun. Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the
builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner > " This
• 'ul ; L " ' ' '''■^''^^ ^'^ ^"'"^" ''''"^'^^ in the hundred and
faithful men, of which it is fonn.d-is compared to a buikliny ; aad,
I I
70
(1!
>ii
I '11
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
Christ is d. support of al, hi ■ ch ch a d"^r ?? ,"^^ '^r,"'''"^' ^'^
upon h,„,. But tlie Je^vish buiide,^ th I ^ ''"'''''"*'' ''•■^'^
pncsts uould have had a churcl 't :;; L ^";'"' ''"^^--- -"
and so he was the stone uhicl, th, .li m 7''"'^ '''J'^"'^'' Christ;
nevertheless, the chief f^lati th ^0^^^^^^^^ ''"' ^^■'"* "-'
church, on which sinners in everv a J 'r X. '" '^'°"' °'- his
hopes of salvation. Ou Lord .1?' . '^^ ^'?^''^' '""=' '^"'1^ their
one, the forty-fourth, •Vhoso'r shall f T '" ','" "•-"' ^^^ ^ut
broken; but on whomsoever tM| Wl I ',°".''f ^'°"<^ ^1^^" be
Tl>e Jews knew very well wh4 :, Lo ell'"' "T, '° T" ''^^■"
"■ays of stoning criminals ■ the r,„ u , °- ^''''y ''a'-i two
them, the other was by throw „' them T" ''^""•°-"S atones upon
stones ; and as in botif ca ™s the V ^°'r *■" '"^* '^'"^-^ 'l"^™ "Pon
Jews that, as the person" In" onTh^f '1' '° ''^ '""™^'«' '" 'he
but only himself, L those w ,0^ oppls^d Z '°", ,7' '"'■' '"^^ ^'°-'
MATTHEW XXI I
•■SS-J:s::;i:^h:^^tC^^"°^™ ^^--eor
This parable ha<l a like meanin.,? with the hst Th. , , •
Chnsts kmsdomwere offered to the T, I ? . ^he blessmgs of
and ill-treated his servants wLinvte Ml, /""'^ "^^''''^ 'h^^""'
life. Their *v reriisilen, , I *-''" '° ^"''^ °" 'he bread of
armies, and thd^^c ^ t ™e Thf h "r '-^ =•"'"'"' '^^ "'^- ^oman
people on the hi..hwavs 000, -^ - "i" "'■""'' "*° ^^'''^ '''^ '^e
Cod, were then t r;n' al ou" bsf PK '•"'''''°"' ""■ '^"'^^^'^"^'^ °f
hear the glad ne.vs of Z^ ^^Z^' '"1 """=" '"^^ ^^^'^
servants, they ^vould accept ^hisM^lTT '^ '" '"""■"'
I mv itation and so hasten to the feast.
*»^^:mm^-mxktimt!m9^is%-
■«»«=>-Ui6a'tojsisre4*:s
building, and
e building, so
building rests
*harisees, and
jectcd Christ;
ut which was,
2ion, or his
t build their
-xt verse but
one shall be
to powder."
hey had two
stones upon
down upon
nated to the
t the stone,
ir own ruin,
•Ihng stone,
5 of Christ
e name of
essings of
:ted them,
- bread of
^e Roman
ere as the
>vledge of
2y should
is faithful
the feast.
MATTHEW.
n
We must now notice the conversations of our Lord with his adver-
saries. Mortified at his parables, the IMiarisees took counsel together
to try and catch him saying something that they might accuse him of
speaking against the emperor at Rome. The Jews had then a kin«^,
Herod; but he held his ( rown under the Roman emperor— the peopfe'
having been so far conquered as to pay tribute to him. So the Phari-
sees took with them some of Merod's cunning courtiers, and asked
Christ if it was lawful to pay tribute to Ccu'sar or not ?— that is
whether, according to the law of iMoses, they should pay tribute to a
heathen ? Now, if our Lord had said it was'lawful, the people would
have been enraged at him, for they did not like CiEsar, who was a
Roman, taxing them, who were Jew s ; and, if he had said it was not
lawful, they would have carried him before the Roman magistrates,
and have had him put
to death for teaching
rebellion against Cae-
sar's authority. By
such a subtle question,
therefore, any other
person would have
been liable to be en-
trapped ; but our divine Lord " perceived their wickedness, and said.
Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites ? Show me the tribute money!
And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them,
Whose is this image and superscription ? " meaning, whose likeness
was that stamped upon tlie penny, as the queen's'" head is stamped
upon the English coin, with her name and dignity around it. " They
say unto him Cdesar's. Then saith he unto"^ them, Render therefore
unto Cassar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the thine^s
that are God's." ^
Now, they could not say that he had taught rebellion against Caesar
for having his coin in circulation among them was a sign that they
were subject to his authority : and so he hinted as much as that they
were to give him his dues, while he left them to think what were the'
dues 01 Catsar. And they could not say that he had set Caesar above
EASilOKX iVoKV ORNAMLNTS.
73
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
GotaliZ tl\,t I Z ''"" ''-' ■"-' - '^'^ -- ti- „Ve to
domed the doctrine of the res rectio of H 1 'T '"'""''^ ""= J"'-
mdeed, they denied even a f '.u e s I o ° , " ^°''^^ "' ""^ ''••=' ^ay ;
died there >vas an end of the^foreTe ' m^"'?;"^^'', '"••" '''^^^ "-Y
^liould perplex our Lord in eaclin.! tV ? '' "^ "'°"«'" 'h'-" 'h^X
him about a cnrious case h ' , h'l l' \ "''"'^ '^ "'^^ 'l"-"™«^
Seven brothers had had I s'^e ^f M Z '' ""' '"'«'" ''"W-"-
then the second, on to tl,e a"t d so h " ':°""^ ^'>'"- ^"d
other, which they could do b" the 1 is ' :r'''T;"' '""" °"'-- "^'^^ "-
resurrection is to take nhr,. ,, i 7 ' ^''«="' '^aid they, if the
be in, for whose .Wfef,;"!^ ™'--- ^^'f^^-^^V ^^^'^ and tl^y J,'
them that they were quite ist en that th ' ''°"'' '" '"'''y' '«'^'
heaven, and that all there ^vere as LVh? '''' '"■''' "" "''"'y''"^ '"
those do„,estie comforts whi:h ar 2^^^' ^^''"^ ^''^ "-^ of
the resurrection, he referred to tl,^ i ^"''' '"'h '''-'spect to
sueh a way that they ^^^i l^]^! " ''f T ■^"■"^''"- '"
not read that which was spoken T^n ^ ""rad.ct him; •■ Have ye
God of Abraham, and the God of Is^T' '^<^r'' -••>■'•%'• I -" the
This was the lan^ua^e of God L v ' '' ■ "'' ^"'^ "^ J--"^"^?"
Abraham, Isaac, and Jaco w^rc ^he?:;,' f T ."•"'"« ''"'^■' -^
"God is not the God of tlK earb",t of t^i- . ^'°^^' "''''ed Jesus,
never to rise again, and tl,eir sS w e o t ir^' '' '/ "^"^ ''■'''
be called their God, Therefore Tod ;= ? '"""^" '"-' """''> not
are no, but of the iiving^t ,^:t^.,r' Zr""^' 1 ''' ''''■ " "°
d.rect answer on state matters ,vh» Xd .h \ r° "'°"''' S'^"-' "°
dom was not of this world ; bu u en d,eS.n ^''"'"'' '°' ^'^ ^'"S-
trutl., he directly declared i for he c it ^ , """' "'^P"'^''' "•' S''-'^
talityto lisht,-or to make thL ele r a °th ^'J "'? ^"'' ""™°-
gospel." The Sadducees supposed thnt ( u'^!" °^ ''"y^ "'^y the
died with it ; but Christ Rave them n ''" ""' ''°''y ^'"' the soul
that the soul did n .' i; understand the vervront-rv
- d,d n.. d,e. anu that the body would live with ," ^-j;;
MATTHEW.
time give to
left him.
ng the Jews
le last day;
t whi;n they
lit that they
questioned
ylit happen.
<Jying, and
ne after the
they, if the
id they will
reply, told
larrying in
le need of
respcet to
I'iptures in
' Have yc
I am the
' Jacob ? "
>ush; and
ed Jesus,
lese were
■^ould not
ead, who
g^v^ no
his king-
J a great
immor-
" by the
the s(ml
T f 1— ^ f. -
iLi dl \— —
'• The
n
spirit lives, but the spirit is not a perfect man, and so there shall be a
resurrection of the body to unite it to the spirit forever.
The Sadducees had nothing to say, and the people were all sur-
prised at the i)owerful teaching of Christ.
The Pharisees were much vexed to find that our Lord had so put
the Sadducees to shame, for they thought that he would gain all the
people over to him ; and, being jealous of his popularity, they resolved
o try what further could be done to confound him. So they set theix
heads together, and got a clever lawyer of their body to attack him.
But by a lawyer you must not understand one who practised the com-
mon law of the land, as our American lawyers do, but one who under-
stood well the law of Moses, and
was accustomed to be looked up to
by the people to explain it. The
question which the law)'er put to
Christ was, "Which is the givat
commandment in the law?" The
Jews were used to cpiibble and
dispute about a number of trifling-
things, and there were many opin-
ions among them on this question,
and so the lawyer hoped that by
obtaining an answer from Christ he
should set all those against him
who held the opinions which he opposed. But our Lord did not
hesitate one moment to reply, and he said that the great command-
ment ^N-as to love God with all the heart; and who could dispute
this— that God has the first claims on the love of his creatures ?
However, as all the commandments are great, he added "The
second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself",
and what could they say against that being a great commandment?
tor If all men were to be guided by it, no one would ever do
wrong to another. You know, indeed, that there are ten command-
ments, but all the rest are to prevent our oppressing or doing wrong
to our neighbor, and so our Lord made here two\rreat command-
Kasikkn Taiilks.
^"^ ^'^^^" I'AMILY COMMENTARY.
as much as tlns_th u' ^1^ .--'"T'" "' ^°'' "'^' ^^'>"'^ ■•"■^'"ifi^-J
love to ou,- na^,bo If Ubc of ^," ," , r' ""'"''' ~">">-«''»-' ; ^r
by l>in, ^vho trul;. loves God " '""■ "■"" "'">' ^^ '"'''"^^'i
he answered o,- pro o^ U . .'^ r^'x;!:"''^ '^'^'^''^''^ ""^"-■'■
think ye of Christ? Whose Z^-^t.^'^T"''^''"^'^''
Messiah, whom they were exueetin >■ H / , ^''"'' ""^""^ ''''^
this skilful lauyer oI,,"t to m e Ln ,1 ,"" "" f ""^ '^'^"'^''^ ^"'l
his question ; but what thev s . 1 , ' ° '"''''" '""''^ '''■'Ply to
answered: "Th SW^avt""' m" ""^ '""'= ^''"'' '^""''""^'e
the ieast about the^MeLia^r. hfrkn^^ d^ttr '1 """^^
out of it, Ld Xch they' fo Jut rffi",r'''=' another, whieh arose
them. How then d j; I "1'^;';'^^^ ,!V''t ' " ""^ ''''' ""'°
-id unto my Lord, Sit tl^o: T^li^^^::^' ^'"^•^^'^ ^^'^
enemies thy footstool > u n ■. ./ * ' "" ' ™^l^e thme
son ? " Tlte wc^c k auote, • ™ '•''" '"'"' '-°^''' ^ow is he his
The Jews umie ttcttst wo^rci: to'^ ,°'" 'rTr' "^""^ P^'-
understood ri.d«lv-t ou'h n , T'^ " ""^ Messiah, and they
When they saw hh ^^ noi: -^ Lri 'I t Z^T"" '"" ".^-^^'^^
among then,, ,vhich sho^ved him to\e a 1 ? "^'•'"y ™"-^des
Now, the Messiah wns t^ ? '^ extraordmary person,
was his son a ^r hTflesh Z'u''\ ''' ''"' °' '^='^'^' ^'"d ^° he
him: yet Dayid^cld M mt'f' '^^l^r"''^- f™-
speaking to hint, and telling hi.n to s t tin IsZt^ Z TT'''
power; and, in describing this David 7 of dign.ty and
was to come to pass saicr- The . '^''°' '*' '^'^^'"^ °f "hat
my right hand/'"^ Now if he ere n W ""'" "^ ''°^''' ^^ "^°" °"
he be his Lord ? Is a son lo I u r' f""' ''"^ ^^"''' "^"W eould
^P^harisees ..re pu^l^^^'Xirkt'd r^me':;:::^^^ ^''^
to be thetr Messiah, and did not see that the Messirh^^hri;^ ^b:
I
I
Rrcat com-
ic sig-nifiecl
idmcnt; for
•e exercised
"t he began
-d wlicther
^as, - What
means the
Jeople and
le reply to
:ould have
id learned
' to spring
question,
hich arose
saith unto
The Lord
ake thine
' is he his
h Psalm,
and they
Messiah
miracles
^ person,
id so he
nee from
resented
nity and
of what
thou on
w could
't. The
to come
as to be
not on)y man in his flesh, but also vuv Sov oi.- God thp T n.n tt-
m whom dwelt all the fullness of the GoZd b dii; '^Z'^^
, Messiah they could not make out how David called his son I ord and
I so could not answer Christ, and were put to shame and sile Le Thev
Lt7t trof^D '^^''": '•" "^^^ ^^ '^ ''^-'^ son aid Dav r
its:"" " «" =?rt;rri'';,-r ,:;
After this no man durst ask Christ any more questions.
Christ's Discourse Respecting the Wickedness of the Pharisees.
MATTHEW XXIII
wild"::' oTl"^f '•• '" "'^ "'"°""^ °f °"^ Lord respecting tl,e
Zm """■ ""-' P''''''-'''^^'' '^''^'■5=''-'^ he n>akes against
l^o^se ihefifm.~B„t all fhcir -^orts they ,/o to be seen of me,, ■ tl.r.
ganneds. Tlicy were fond of making a show of rchgion and did
everythmg before men, instead of secretly before God Tiry wo e
fhe' wr'; t' f'T^' T/'"" °f P-chn,ent, on their forehew^ aV o„
div ne 1!':" \ "'T' °" "'"^'^ "'^" "•^'«- -rtain ^vords o
emeX f ' ^ T ,"^\P^'°P'« Relieve how n,ueh they tried to
remember ,t And as the Jews wore fringes on the edo-e of their
gannents to distinguish them from the heathen nations -ound -.bouT
so they, to distinguish the„,selves fron. others of their own countrv-
men, wore broader fringes than others ^
Verse the tl,lrtee„th.-But woe ,mto yo„ Scribes and Pharisees
hPocntes tfor ye sh„t up the kingdo.n of ;,e.,n agai„st„" Tye
nathergo „, yourselves, neither suffer ye the,.. mat!re entering to go],
By woe ,s here meant sorrow, misery, and a threatening of drefd ^
pumshment for such great wickedness as hypocrisy. By the ktgdo
of heaven ,s meant, not heaven itself,-for happ.i; „o man ha pot
Hi
" Ik
Hi
JG
THE FAMILY COMVmXTARV,
lo Shu another out of hcavcn.-^but what is called " the gospel d.snen-
-tion or //.. tune of p^cackin, f,c .osfcl to per.shing s nners ^Is I
have before expkuned it to you. Now.by trying to prejudic L
people against ChrKst-the Messiah who came into the wor d to open
he gates of th.s kingdon. and to preach the gospel to the meek--
oTc ntent 'l ^"d" ''T '" ^'^''^ ^' ^'^''^ ^^"^ ^^^ ^'-'^ -^'.
not contented with refusing to enter in themselves. Ihev both ruined
themselves and others by persuading them not to enter in
ycyse the foH,tcenth.~iyoc nnto yon, Scyibcs amnVuinsccs, hyfo-
cyifcsl for ye
dcvoitr loidows
houses, (vid for
(1 pretence make
long prayer;
therefore ye shall
receive the greater
damnation. It is
said by s o ni e
writers that the
Pharisees, to seem
very holy, prayed
three times a day,
and three hours at
a time, so that
they must have
a cU^r p„f *t 1-1 prayed nine hours
a day. But they did not pray from the heart. They repeated
Xl't r f 7' -"-/-- of prayer, without Iheir' soufs'
bv heirn r TV"" "^'^ '^'^ '^'^' ^^'y ^^'^ "^^^e money
by their prayers, and this was their object, which was a vile abuse
selves and others. And, what was worse, under this pretence of
pZTvfdovvJ 1T"1 "''r' '"^^"'^^ ''''' is, they imposed upon
poor widows^fiom whom they very often took much of the money
MODERN IIEIiRON; SIIOWINC THE GREAT MOHAMMEDAN
MOSnUE.
HHB.O. w.. ^';- n-n's C.,,,,, „,,„,, „, ,,,„^^„ ^^ ^^
IT NOW Contains about 5000 Inhabitants.
I
I
^pcl ibspeii-
i 11 tiers, as I
cjudicc the
rid to open
he meek —
them ; and,
)(jth ruined
'sees, hypo-
foy ye
li'idoivs'
and foy
'lice fiiake
prayer ;
'e ye shall
^he greater
ion. It is
y some
that the
-s, to seem
ly, prayed
nes a day,
c hours at
so that
ust have
ine hours
repeated,
eir souls
le money
ile abuse
for our-
:tence of
ed upon
- money
I
I
UAiiJiiiu:
77
left to them for their support-by prctenclinn to pray for then, l„.tt,,r
than th.:>- could pray for themselves. ^^'
soever sl,n ,^ea, by Ike temple it is >,ot/,i,g ; b„f ■ Uo,oe,r skn}l I Z
"y t/ie go/d 0/ t/ie temfi/e. /,e ,\ „ M,l„r P,., ■<"-^'->- '■""H s,.u,y
nff,-r,.ift<.,f II f '•" '^ " """'"■ lee, aereaecustonie. to
otfei xKts o jjoia for t|,e use of the temple, and sometimes to swear
o, make oath that they uoui.l ,ivc eertain ,ifts. Nou-, if th y • de
";" ' '" >>« ain tinn,, ami merely said, " Uy the temple, • or in t le
of the teinp e, "I uall .lo it," the Pharisees sai.l they , ,i,ht bre k Z
i;-m,se I they pleased; but if they swore in the'iian'; of le
essels of he temple they must keep their oath saered. H t'^
Lord said this ,vas u.|eked, for one saered promise should be ke„ '
■mich as another; aud if there was any diffirenee in point o d ilv
botu.een the :,old conseerate,l to the temple and the temp e itse? 1 e
to he kept. I,u lie ^^-ho knows men's hearts saw th.u this was all
Inpocnsy, an.l th.it they made this distinetion, ,,s they did that r an
."K the atir and the ,ift upon it, from corrupt 'and hypoeal ieal
motues. Christ ea led these n,en blind guides, since they ret iS
to K^ude o hers in the w.ay to heaven and could not see it^l em^"ves
/.„f"T "•;'''"'^y-"'''--^-1"-oo n„to you. Scribes a,nl P,,^'
liypocnes forycpay tithe of mint ami anise andennmin ndtave
if »i ■ " , '"• ^ P"'-^ts and Levites the tenth part of the value
of everything that n,ade their inconre, even to these small herbs ancl
they d,d not lose by it, for the priests nrade them due re urns fo
setting this example. But they were unjust, unkind, and u if /to
others, and so while they minded trifling things that cost them
nothing, and turne.l to their advantage, they ne^^i^cted to do instil
and to be merciful, kind, and „ghteous"in thai de\l£ w^th oii:;:
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78
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY
Christ Foretells the Destruction of Jerusalem.
iMATTIIKW XXIV.
The temple of Jerusalem was a mo.t splendid buildin- and kinp
Herod had expended a j^reat deal for its improvement, so that it was
so grand that the Jews used to say. '. He who has not seen the temple
ot Herod has never seen a beautiful building."
The disciples one day. having taken particular notice of its fine
marble columns and curious workmanship, pointed them out to Christ
tha he might admire them too. Our Lord then told them, " There
shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown
down ; which really took place not a very long time afterwards,
though there was then no probability that so fine and firm a buildin.r
v.'ould or could be so easily destroyed. "^
The disciples were then more curious u, know when this wonderful
destruction should happen. Our Lord did not satisfy their curiosity,
but gave them warning how they might know xvhen it was coming on ;
that here should first be false prophets arising who should deceive the
people; and so it was. Then there should be wars ; and there were
ter ible wars for a long time between the Jews and the Romans, who
then ruled oyer them, as between them and several other nations.
There should also be "famine, pestilences, and earthquakes." There
should likexv^se be cruel persecutions and murders of the followers of
Christ ; and, finally, the gospel should be preached to all other nations
as well as to the Jews.
This would be a dreadful time. The Jews must then expect miseries
never known before in the whole world. God was about to punish
tliem for their many and great sins against him, but especially for the
greatest of all sins-that of rejecting and hating Jesus Christ, the only
Saviour. So dreadful would be the vengeance of the Roman armies
when once Jerusalem should be besieged, that the moment there was
an appearance of it. all Christians were advised to escape, and lose
not a moment but flee and hide themselves in secret places in the
mountains. If they were walking to cool uxemselves on the tops of
■JT'^^rrsr
, and king-
that it was
;hc temple
of its fine
to Christ,
11, " There
je thrown
ftcrwards,
buildinn^
.vonderful
curiosity,
ming on;
:ceive the
lere were
lans, who
nations.
There
owers of
r nations
miseries
) punish
y for the
the only
n armies
lere was
md lose
s in the
tops of
MATTHEW.
70
at a cMstance. ,t woul.l be unwise to risk delay by Roin.^ .f e tl-en
to escape at all. '° ' '''"'' >''''""''■ " ^™"'^' """'y ^^ P-^'^l'
„mT ^""T ''?''" '■' P'""'*'" ■''■ <:""iI»n»on about the fi^-tree . d
t t ^: a th,K.:'^' ""• '"'f' °f "^^- ^W-°-h of the sunnner.
one snould be taken and the other left "
The Parafck of the Ten Virgins.-The Parable of the Talents.-
The Day of Judgment.
MATTHEW XXV
. ™: tciiL" ss: v;rs -rr ? * r™
It refer, tn . . '; "•'"^^^'> called The Parable of the Ten Virmns "
It reters to a custom amonsj the Tews anrl -f;ii .• / ^"'^-
people in Eastern nations. When tr/^Ll I^lS^lS
1 ;
1'
^!
•
.So
run FAMILY CO M:\riiXTAKY.
Ri-ooni ^^ out at night to meet his wile, lie has his friends with
hnn and she has hers called here "ten virgins.- or young unmarried
woni n. lorciies and lamps are always carried in these processions
Our i ord represents five of the virgins as foolishly forgettinc.^ to tal^e
any o, w.th then.. When, therefore, the party uere alfin a bustle ^o
tnm then- lamps and to light those which had gone out while they
ad fallen asleep, and to go to meet the bridegroom on his arrival at
the house of her father, wher., th.e bride was, the foolish virgins had
no time to buy or get oil elsewhere,
and ask'xl the other virgins to supply
them, hut as the others had only
oil enough for themselves, they could
not spare any to their foolish com-
panions. So the foolish virgins had
to leave the company to get oil ; but
before they could get back the pro-
cession was gone, the party had
entered the bridegroom's house, and,
agreeably to their custom, the do'- '
was shut, and no further admittai:
given to any.
By this our Lord teaches us that if
wc are not prepared with grace or
holiness in our hearts wh':n Christ
comes to judgment, we shail be able
. . to get none after; and, as the foolish
virgms were shut out of the bridegroom's chamber, so must we in
such a case be shut out of heaven.
There is also another parable, which is known by the name of "The
Parable of the Talents."
The design of Christ in this parable is to teach us all to use our
tune, and abdities, and money, and whatever we have, diligently in the
best way we can, to promote his glory. These are our talents
intrusted to us to use properly. The talent was a fixed weight of
:nt was worth nearly fifty-seven thousand
ANCIKNT KaSTJ-.KN I. AMI'S.
gold
riciuls with
unniaiTicd
>roccssions.
uvj:; to take
a bustle >o
while they
; arrival at
'irgins had
elsewhere,
' to supply
had onlv
they could
'lish com-
irgins had
t oil ; but
: the pro-
)arty had
ouse, and,
the do'"
dmittai:
us that if
i^race or
:n Christ
1 be able
!ie foolish
1st we in
: of "The
) use our
:ly, in the
" talents,
'eight of
housand
MArrifFjv.
".ust be ansut "d f^b/ n Vr";? "r ""■'" «"'-' ""' '''^" -"
them wc must cxu.-rt tr, . ''"''"' '■""°"°"' "^' ("' 'i""i"Ji
and joys Ta 1 e 'alth "f" ,°""''':^" '^"^ "'""•'"'«■ l^'— ' '^
much as a tithe of it "' '""'' ~"'^ "°' I'uichase-no, „„t so
sinful world, ouri^LtcTlod ' ^'^'"f "" "^ J-"-'-" to that of our
in all his ffbry attenSc ^°' V"'''''^' '^'^ '''""'' ^'"'' «'>al eomin.r
tin-one. 1 11 ni.il of al . ^"f ' """ '"''"' "" '"'^ it"lK"'-n
appear beret: ;„l''r'V; 'r """' ''""' '"^ ''"'' '•-'
:>bout the hilly e^u-uHi : '(' 1 " .ii:: ^ tt '"rr''', ^^"^-^"'^
animals fcedincr to-cther Nr '': '"'"''^ f^^ 1"^!^" "> ''"th sorts oi
Scripture by the name of ^h T' '''l'"'""' '"'^ "f'^" '^■'""1 "'
cn,b'leu,s of nnocen ^^^ "T" "">' '•"" "x'"«'>' '" '- K<"'>l
™s causes, are^:;,;;:™'::^^;!;:::.^:;:-:::"^ ^-'^' ^-"
pi^!:^ZiXrattist;i;t'T r ^-t ''^^^■'-"■^'-•^ ■--'- --i"
of honor, and h 4k j af " -^t ', " ,'' '^^ '^""^""^"■^' ''■^ "^ l^'---'
or, to speak in ^t^^t^J^tT^'^" "\ """• ^""'"""'-^
approval and the wicked uit'h 1,- ""^'^\ 'h^^ righteous ^^■ith his
invite the righteous and sa to t^'^^'n '"^' '''■""" "^ "'" 'hen
duee them to 1 s eV enlv Ti . "'' T?'""' ^^ ^'^^^"'•" =""' '"'ro-
" Depart from n^^tS n:;-, tfn noti""'1 '' '"" ''^''
:n: ",f :: M^^r r-^:- --- - '^ -' -i"
my breth J; ye Cdo^: ^u^ , :."^ whiir„::,tt'r;i° V'^^'-^^
:::::k:So;; ■z.'^ri! ^^r -o>ve^h-:r':;^:i:sr^
punished ; for he will say to the
did It not to one of the least of these
g-uilty, " Inasmuch
as ye
ye did it not to me." " And
R2
run IwUIILY COMMENTARY.
these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righte
life eternal.'
ous into
The Passover.— The Sufferings of Christ.
MATIHi:w XWI.
When our blessed Jesus ea„,e into the uorld to save sinners he
new what Ite Itad to suffer. He uas to die that ^ve n,i,d,t live. An
now the tune of h,s death began rapidly to approaeh : .utd he toi<ll,i
d,sc,ples that .n two days the passover was !o be eaten, in ren e
branee of the eatmg of the lan.b at the eseape of the ehildren of Israel
out of Hfrypt, and that then he ^^■as to be
betrayed that he might be crucified.
The disciples soon foinid that it was but
too true— tliey must lose their beloved Lord
and Master. For •• the chief priests, Scribes
and elders of the people," who had so often
shown their haired to Jesus, because he ex-
posed their wickedness to the peo],le and
reproved them for their hypocrisy antl otiier
crunes, now assembled together in the palace
suited tl„f ,., ■ , f ""^ '"'^''' •"■'"'"'• '^''""' Caiaphas, and con-
ulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety and kil him Thev
however, d,d not like to venttu-e to do so just at the passov for thcT
lea,-ed lest there should be " an uproar an.ong tile people. T e
cople had reccved great benefits from Jesus many of 'them and
hen- fiaends, ,vho would travel from all parts of Jt.dea to the fea ha
h,cl Ik had .lone, and .t was, therefore, natural to suppose that if
£edt :::^^^"'"'^^ ^^°"' "-- '"^■^"-"^' --^-"-y '--'s
A few days before the passover Jesus came to Bethany a vilh.re
near Jerusalem, and was invited to eat at the house of Sim , he
eper-vcry l.kely one who had been a leper and whon, he ha re 1
he entcrtan Christ, and it is here related to his honor.
A.NCIKNT WlNE-l'RKSS.
;htcous into
MATTinuv.
^Z
sinners, lie
live. And
he t(jlcl liis
in remeni-
-n of Israel
Avas to be
it was but
3ved Lord
ts, Scribes,
d so often
Jse he ex-
^'ople and
and other
the palace
, and con-
n. They,
r, for they
le." The
hem and
feast, had
' miracles
ic that if
y insults
a villag-e
imon the
id cured,
11 events
pensive and the fri.r,-,nf =,„ ii " ^ ' ' "''" "'"*""■"' bein- cx-
present Some oT^ P';occed,n,^r Iron, it most grateful „, all
but christtn : h ; o i::';: :,: r'if v'r -t"^" ™^ ^^^^^^
^Vho she was is not !vc. I "■ ' , ''" ^"'"'"^"^'"1 I'"' ^-^^■
she n-as Mary the skf ■ f T, ' , '" ''"'''■ ''"'' '"''^'■•'' ""*
^ind act-he:^n;':rarti.::.i;;:f ::;:::^ ^"^ ^- - "^■■■
wa,-, however, well known and spread abroad
at that tmie; and wherever the f^ospel was
prcaehed th,s was mentioned to her praise
And no^^ the moment arrived ^^■hen the
siiHermgs of our -racious Saviour beran. One
of his disciples, Judas-the u retehed man t_
went to the chief priests and offered to deliver
up Chnst to then, for thirty pieces of siher-
the paltry price paid for a purchased servant
about eighteen dollars and fifty cents! Thev
durst not take Christ publicly for fear of the
L7 L e^l-" dif r l:^: r'"l \^- «^ ^^ Pnvate retreats,
for the most fa^n.bL :;;ZmU;' ""' ""' ^'"■^"=^' '^"^ ''^ ™'*^^
Jr^b:::7nr;i:rof";:::raS^^
livered from P • , } ""' ^^'"^ J'^'^" '" "^'"^ that they ^verc de-
AncIKNT Wj.NE.l'KKbS.
84
THE FAMILY COmiliXTARY.
:J
chtional s.^-n of the haste in uhicli tiic people were to escape; hut this
si^ni wius afterwards not used, and now they lay down, leaning on their
elbows, just as we do on a sofa, this bein- the fashion in 'the lews-
country, and is still s.) in that part of the world. While our blessed
Saviour took the passover. he said to his disciples, "One of you sliail
betray nie." So that he showed that he knew what Nvickcdness was in
the heart of Judas, and that he could have escaped from his treachery
li he pleased, but he came into the world to give his precious life a
ransom for smners.
His disciples were very sorrONvful, and all were afraid lest they
should be tempted to do so wicked a thing as to betray their beloved
l.()Kl, and they asked with great concern, "Lord, is it I ?" Then he
said to them, "He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same
shall betray me.'" They uould all do this, f(3r this was the way of
siting, taking it out of one dish with their fingers, and not with knives
-.nd forks, as we eat; but then this was to show how villainous the man
would be; for to eat together was the greatest sign of friendship, and
so his showed his conduct to be as bad as it possiblv could be Yet
Judas, in order to disguise himself before the other disciples, darin<.-|y
asked, " Master, is it 1 ? - and Christ said it was he. "^
Jesus then took bread and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to
the disciples, as is now done, after his example, at the Lord's Supper-
and in like manner he took the cup. W^hen he gave the bread he said,'
Ihis IS my body'— meaning this represents my bods —to be broken
for you ; it could not actually be his body, for his body remained the
same. So. also, he said when he took the cup, "This is mv blood
of the Aew Iesfame>ir-~i\,:,i is, this represents mv blood to be shed'
for sinners, and represents it by a different sign from that which has
been used; hitherto the blood of beasts was shed as the si-n that he
was to die, but now and henceforth wine, the blood or juice of the
grape, was to be the sign. Both of these-the bread and the wine-
were to be taken, and afterwards to be continued in the church, and
received by Christians in remembrance that Christ died for them— "for
the remission of sins " ; that is, the pardoning of sins
'; but this
;< on tlicir
the Jews'
r blessed
you siiall
:ss was in
treachery
JUS life a
lest they
beloved
Then he
the same
- way of
:h knives
the man
^hip, and
be. Yet
daringly
ve it to
Supper;
he said,
- broken
ined the
y blood,
be shed
iiich has
that he
; of the
wine —
xh, and
a — " for
MATTHEW.
85
Gethsemane.-The Sufferings of Christ.
through the narrow streets of
Jerusalem to the eastern gate,
which led to the Mount of OlTves!
On their way he continued his
lovmg exhortations and xvarn-
ings to them. "AH ye shall be
offended because of me this
night," he said; " for it is written
I will smite the Shepherd, and
the sheep of the flock shall be
scattered abroad. But after I
am risen again, I will go before
you into Galilee." How merciful
and gracious was our blessed
Lord in this! He knew that
these disciples, strongly as they
the. a,ain .i.K ^^1^1:1^!: ::^or'zt::i rcT
ONE OF Tin: GATES UE JERUSALEM.
II-
86
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
good, and would for the time overcome it. He therefore said, very
(luictly, " Verily 1 say unto thee, that tiiis night, before the cock crow,
thou siialt deny me thrice." So near was the time of Peter's fall
and disgrace, and yet so wholly unconscious was he of its approach.
"Though I should die with thee," he protested, "yet will 1 not deny
thee." Likewise also said all the disciples.
They had by this time descended the slo])e from the city gate to the
bridge which spanned the Kidron ravine, crossed it, and were ascend-
mg the opposite slope of the xMount of Olives. Their destination
was an inclosed garden or olive orchard, known as Gethsemane, from
the od-press which was near it, in which the oil was expressed from
the ripe olives which abounded in that vicinity. It was in one of the
secluded hollows of the western slope of the mountain, and was well
known to the disciples as a place where their Master often went to pray.
As they drew near to it Jesus began to be in great distress of mind,
and said to the disciples, while they were yet without the inclosure,'
"Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder." His anguish of soul
mcreased,and taking with him Peter, and James, and John, the three
who had witnessed his transfiguration, he entered the inclosure.
Turning to them with every feature indicating his agony of spirit, he
said, " My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death ; tarry ye
here, and watch with me." This craving and longing for human
sympathy is perhaps the strongest evidence \\-e could possibly have
that he, the Son of God, had taken upon him our nature ; that he was,
m reality, the Son of God and the Son of Mary, and ^\■as a man of
like passions with us, yet without sin, while he was also the Divine
Redeemer. Having made this touching appeal to the three disciples
lor sympathy, "he went a little farther [Luke says, "about a stone's
cast"], and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as
thou wilt." After this earnest petition, he rose and came to the three
disciples and found them sleeping, and said unto Peter, "Simon,
sleepest thou ? Couldst not thou watch with me one hour? Watch
and pray, that yc enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is will-
ing, but the flesh is weak." " He went away again the second time,
!*!»*» » 'iMfawu -^.mjt-
laid, very
)ck crow,
tcr's fall
ipproach.
not deny
tc to the
as ceil d-
stination
ne, from
>ed from
le of the
kvas well
to pray.
')( mind,
iclosure,
of soul
le three
iclosure.
pirit, he
:arry ye
human
)ly hav^e
he was,
man of
Divine
lisciples
stone's
if it be
, but as
le three
Simon,
Watch
is will-
d time,
MATTHEW,
87
1.C prayed more earnestly ; a,ul l.is s„ „. ,s . ' '" ^"' ^'•'^'"">'
of bloo.l, fallin. dona to the „ot„ul \ j , %, 1^' •^"•" '""l'^
asain to his disciples, and a,,m, found I .i ' '","•■,'''■ """^■
were roused thev uv,-,. c.,,!! ''"'I'' •""' "'"•" 'l^v
<lia not kno;; »r ^a^ :: ; 7''^^'; ,, ;p;> »;"■ SI..,, that d,ey
chosen place of H-ivstlin,,- , '"". ''. <lq'ait«l to his
oftheo!dri;;::5^j ^:;[::■t:^;r'rt;'■:^^'■'-
mi^dlt bo accomn ishci '^,J..,: "'•" "'^ JHinewill
time his p.aye;ts hi:; ;;,;:;'::i-:;;;^ -;;;■;;;; -''^^
weakened body ind th. nr-r ..i i , ^^'^'l-tl, x\as ^i-ucn to the
for the sa,.e yTx^;^::",::':::;!, ';;,;/-' -:' -■«-^nn,,
returned to his discii,l,.s I, . ' "i- t ^I'onld l,,llou. Now, as he
"uiUitudedos end ' fL^ " T fl ""' '""''^'^ ^"'"^ '^^ "-
and hrid..e u ul il. J h / ^ ' ' "'" "'" '" "'^ '^''1™" ■"•''vine
Addressing' hl^'di I s ' h Id ".i sh' T ^'"""^'"-^ '"' ^^^ J^'-
-St.' The a,ony .ii.ch'had ^o lush' ■;:■.;;;":::,:":' ^''^ >-'■
now needed not their witchfid . . .'f N"it«as i^one, and he
bestow. An..els had m ni t ■ ■■ l'' '""'"'" '^'^y "'"''^ "<"
watch over tt , 1^ I " i ," ' "" '' "'^ """' '''^ turn to
hourc,f ther ; ;ne te .ta rr"' " "■ " ^" ''"' ""^- ■■" "-'' ■ t'-
and therefore e s " ' | ^ T u""' ^ "/°^ "'■™' " '"" '"•'^-•"'
man is betrayed in'.o the'ha;:';,,^ ofM: "r ^T ' ;':' t ■"'" "^
behold, he ,s at hand that doth betrav uk- " ■'^"'"^''
death of the cross is etjet fro ,™ ' ,'"'""" ,™'' '■^'"""-"°"S
known from the fir t that e si 0 d htr'l r?'"''""' ' ''" '^^''
With his disciples, and With M^:SEiS;,';?t::-s;i;t^^
1'^
88
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
yet Without fear and witlioul distress; in the twelve or fifteen hours
which followed his arrest, amid tiie insolence and insults of priests and
rabble, of Roman soldiers and malefactors, amid the cruel tortures of
the thorny crown, the scour-in- and the terribly painful death of the
cross, he manifested not the slightest fear; his calm and di..nified
c emeanor awed hisjud-es, and on the cross his pardon of the'dvin.--
thief, his care for his mother, his sublime prayer for his murderers^md
his calm announcement of the completion of the work of redemption
all showetl a spirit incapable of fear.
Weakness and exhaustion of body may have had some, thou-di
probably but a sli-ht, intluence. 'Ihe previous week had been one of
Kreat excitement and weariness; vast multitudes hadlistened to his
teachin-s; even the (Ireeks. first fruits of the ( lentiles, had sought an
mterview with him; the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Ilerodians had
combined to entan-le h.im in his talk, and all had completely failed •
more than once the officers of the temple had been sent out to arrest
him, and had been prevented only by some sudden chan-e of base or
by his eloquence, which disarmed them. The knowledo'e on his part
of every step of Judas in betrayin- him had added to' his cares and
anxieties ; but none of these tr()ul)les could haxe so wei-hed down his
spirits or whelmed him in such deep distress. TJie -rcat cause of this
fearful an-uish svas that he, the Sinless One. to whom all sin was so
loathsome and hateful, was to .satisfy the divine law by takin- upon
himself the burden of the sins of the uhole world ; he, the <>uiltless
and Holy One, was to bear the -uilt and impurity of the sinncTrs of al'
the ages. He was to be wounded for our transoressions, to be bruised
for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was'to be upon him
and with his stripes we were to be healed. But under this terrible pres-'
sure It was not the divine nature that faltered; that had from eternity
determined on this plan of salvation, and had foreknown all its details •
It was the human body and the human soul which stretched its arms
outward and upward for svmpathy an<l comfort under this dreadful
load, and found it at last in sweet submission to the divine will
Once more, and but for a moment, in th(^ hou-s of torture which fol-
lowed, did this " horror of great darkness " fall upon the dying
en liours
icsts and
"turcs of
li of the
tli\;iiiriccl
rcrs.aiul
^•niption,
thoiiL^h
1 one of
d to Ill's
Ui;Iit an
;ins had
r failed ;
t) arrest
base, or
his part
res and
own his
J of til is
was so
it^*" upon
guiltless
-sof al!
bruised
)\\ hini,
le preS'
eternity
ietails ;
s arms
readful
le will,
ch fol-
dying
Ar.riTiuiw.
89
/^'.'ileenier; it w is wliil,. i, ^
I'"" forsake, „,c?' lUa til 'v ' ', '^'J' ^-"'l' '»>■ t^"'!. »liy lu.t
I""'. ^"Hl the racked artcl tortured bo K^sf' l""", ''''"' "^'"" "'"""■I
, Jiut wc, too, i„ this discussion of ,„ ' '" "'^' ""^'"^'^ "^ <l^''"h.
'•■■-- left the Saviour as "r • ' """"r^ '''"' ''"■''^•^ ^'^""Y.
'''•^■^v ni,h,atthc luacl of a r j^^' ^'''''"«-l>"l '"">. Judas „o
'->.|'lc'. the ui,l,t watch, a su ,,'"'"'"■'' "' "'^' ""'-- '" ^>>^
servants and han,crs-on .,f | ,, ! ' '•'' ^'""■"' -^ol'liers, and such
asscn,hlcd. The Ro„,an o er ' ' I " ," """'' "^^^ "'■"■^"-"'Iv
ten.|,le„.orc.s„.ords; the re f t , " ,''"'''''" "'^' "''"'-■^■'■•^ ^' "' '
c-l,els. Judas, uith an ,„",;'>' ""V'"'""' "'"' ^''^'^^ -'
onler that the officers ,ui '| L '"--.v, had proposed that in
rccosni.e Jesus he uouhl'^ o t. . 'ir,,,::
':' cVr "'^ '"'"• '^--^'n. •. - so
-:^fMldt,-S;';-r
'•S'S;:.t;rtSl'''''','V''^
J-"s reph-ed uith perfc t -^ t, :Co„,:;'■
l"''' "fricn.l,-. our versio,f s\-t ™ "';
:ri^.''^r^"'"-'n.foru.,,at:;rt''t',;;;;
items uluVhV h"' r""-'"''^ ■"'■^■^' '■' '^'^ "■""-"^"-■■•"--™k.:.~t.
crowd, awestruck, retrea e 1 nn 1 ''"°'"lf "'"' 'h--' '-"iswer that the
^Vhen they had 'rccovetcl' tie L d"^ f """" '''' '° '"^^ S™-''-
" Whom seek ye?" and a.nnh , '^"•■"" P"' ""= question
of Nazareth. %u.^7^^Z7:^r'' 'T' '""'''■ "J^-
of h,s disciples, said, "I have to ""^f '=f • •''"d especially tender
-^■^ me, let these ' (mVdrciptr: J "I ' '-- "l-^ = 'f therefore ye
soldiers ad^-anced to seize hijp Lf as 'Hr'^; ^^ '"^ ^°™^"
l^raveas ever, drew his sword ancl t off t ^t'r o/ ''"■P™^^""^
ine car of a servant of
i'
90
TlUi FAMILY COMMENTARY.
the Iii-h priest. Jesus instantly commanded him to put up his
sword uito its siieath, and apologizing to the soldiers for the rashness
of his follower, touched and healed the wound. While they were
bmdin<< him Jesus remonstrated with the multitude, sayino-, "Arc ye
come out as an:ainst a thief, with swords and staves, for to^'take me ?
I sat daily with you, teaehin- in the temple, and yc laid no hold on
me. But this is your hour ami the power of darkness." When the
Roman soldiers had bound his hands behind his back, and moved
forward with their prisoner to the hi-h priest's palace, all the disciples
tied, under the apprehension that the)- too would be arrested • but
John and Peter, loth to leave their Lord, followed on at a safe distance
and John first, and Peter later, entered the palace hall; Peter sittin<^
with the servants to see the kixm},. ^
In the meantime the priests and elders tried to obtain some wit-
nesses to testify that Christ had said somethin- in their hearin- that
was very wicked, and accordino- to the ir law deserxed death. \ow
none could say this in truth; so they were obli-ed to net false wit-
nes.ses ; that is, pay some bad men to say anythin- thev wished, to
justify them in pronouncing,^ sentence on him. These vile men then
declared that they had heard Christ say that he could destroy the
temple and rebuild it in three daxs. Christ had, indeed, said to the
chief priests, more than three years before, when he had driven the
traffickers and money-changers out of the lemple and they asked him
for a sign o{ his authority, " Destroy this temple, and in three days I
will raise it up " ; but this saying of his had reference to his own body
the temple which enshrined the living God, as the temple at Jerusalem
was supposed to enshrine the divine Shechinah ; and he had not said
that he could destroy that temple. But it was evident, even to them
that this testimony was worthless ; so the high priest tried if he could
get Christ to say something that would suit their purpose better and
adj^iircd him to tell them whether or not he was "the Son of God."
fesus. — that
V
of God." Then the high priest rent his
thou art right, — " I am the Son
spoken blasphemy, and that th
s clothes, declared he had
Had he not been the Son of God h
ere was no further need of
witnesses.
e w
ould, indeed, have spoken
'-cssi'ass*^..
t up his
raslincss
:icy were
"Arc yc
:;ikc mc ?
hold on
\1icn the
-1 moved
disciples
ted ; but
distance,
;r sittin<^
Dme wit-
■ing- that
I. N(nv,
alse wit-
ished, to
len then
itroy the
id to the
iven the
ked him
e da)s I
m body,
rusalem
lot said
o them,
le could
ter, and
f God."
the Son
he had
tnesses.
spoken
MATTHEW
seized the opportun^y Tf ;; ■ ' '"r:r,;'' r" .""•"■'"'■^' "->■ '>""■
And now the scrv .„ s^n " r ' ^"^ "^ ^'''''^ »'>'' ^^'ory.
flapped his cheeks In; tt'?'^ T;", '," "'^ '"^"^■- ^"-'^ """■
then, uho did it This us ,1 'J '"'"• •■'''^"' ''"" '« t-ll
wicked uho ,nake spo d, trJnl"' n' ^ ^"' ""■>• •'- ■■■^ '-'-■'">•
being a disciple; but Pet r ,s '"' °"'' '""' •"^"'^-l '"'" o''
and so deniil i H en e t h s "f"'"- '" "'^- -"-■ nay,
trance of the high pr st ■ | t^T "I """ '" "'^' '•"'■^'' "'^ -'"
another maid, and 'the , .'-o '\ r„'^\"'-'^ '^^'^ '"--cred by
After this some more persons ,,.- ' ■ "■•■"■ """""« "' t;in-ist.
followers, and theysai t ^hi ha t " "', i '"'"^ '"" °' ^'"-'■^
part of the eonn.ry. > t^^'^FT' ''^ """^ f''"'" "'^ sanK-
"- before, and sLd he kn^t ,7; a ri:n-h''''''t!''^- "'"■^^'
and su-ear show most nln'nlv th-,t tl, ; '"""^^ "'at curse
Peter took a most effec U and ? '''", ""' ^'^""^ '" Christ, so
Jesus had xvarned I ■ of s ? /m'"°'' '° ^''■^«""''^^- ''"'--'f-
shou,derowtwiceh?™url:; ;;:,/; J"'",;;- '-f^' ">e coek
to pass; the cock crowed-Petr-r rr.„ , • "'"■''" """' ^me
to break-he thought how wild rw^eer'": '"•"' "^'^ ■-^•->-
" wept bitterly." This was a si.^n tim he st 1 ' '^"""'^ ''''''>' ^'^
weeping bitterly ean ever ^vash "awav h f ""''^^'-■'y/'^P™ted ; but no
mine; //«,/ can only be do,'e bv Wt m T,' °^ ^'""'' ^'""^ ^"'-^ «f
which alone can brine, healin'toth '', '''°"'' °^ J^^"-^ Christ,
guilt and defilement, an^atl^ci;" et::::!: ^^^^^^^^ '^'^ -->' '-
The Sufferings of Christ.-His Deatli.
MATTHEW XXVir
92
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY
only sliow how much they desired to put him to death. About two
years before this the Romans, who had conquered the Jews, had taken
trom them the power to execute any. and tiierefore another council
was held to know what further to do. So they bound Jesus and led
hui: to Pilate, the Roman oovernor who was placed over them, in
order that he mi-ht execute the sentence which they had pa.ssed upon
hiin. ^ ^
Wliile this was doin- Judas' conscience became so troubled for
having basely delivered up his innocent Master that he went and
threw down the money which, for his wicked act, he had received from
the chief priests and elders, and he said, " I have sinned, in that I have
betrayed the innocent blood." But the priests, even more hardened
than he, said, " What is that to us ? see thou to that." As much as to
say, that is your concern, Judas, and not ours ; our end is served, and
so you may do as you please; and if you have betrayed the innocent
the fault is yours, and not ours.
Christ havin- declared himself to be the Christ or Messiah— the
Son of Cod,— the Jews thought they had excellent omunds on which
to accuse him to the Romans. They had a notion in their heads that
the Messiah was to be their king, as David and others had been before •
and so they thought that by Christ owning himself to be the Messiah
he professed also to be their king. This was their own fancy, for his
kingdom was not of this world, but spiritual; he never intended to sit
upon an earthly throne, but to reign in the human heart, makin- it
obedient to him from love. This fancy of theirs they told to PiTate
as truth ; and as the Romans would be jealous of any one claiming
the throne— as Herod was when Christ xxas born— thev thou<dit they
could bring a charge of treason against Christ. Pilate being hiformed
of this asked, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" Jesus said unto him,
''^1 hou sayest " ; meaning, « I am." He explained, as John ^ells us, to
1 ilate that his kingdom was not of this world, and Pilate understood
It. To the other flilse charges of the Jews he would make no reply
Now, there had been a custom introduced by the Romans— perhaps
to win the hearts of the lower orders of the Jews— to release some
prisoner at the time of the passover. So Pilate fixed upon Barabbas
MATTimn;
A^boiit two
had taken
cr council
IS and led
" them, in
ssed upon
iibled for
went and
:ived from
lat I have
hardened
mch as to
rved, and
innocent,
^iah, — the
on which
icads that
:n before ;
; Messiah
y, for his
ded to sit
iiaking- it
to Pilate
claiming
ght they
informed
into him,
lis us, to
derstood
lo reply,
-perhaps
se some
iarabbas,
a most notorious thief and
tlctennine which of the two" si
Christ. IJe believed Ch
murderer, and proposed to the J
lould b
as.
nst to be innocent, and
'c set at libert)', P.arabb,
cws to
;is or
whose life none could well wish
pioposed this Barab^
Saviour, whom he set
111 contrast to him, niiL-ht
to be sjjaretl, that th
c mnocent
priests and elders mnv.,.-,.,l f^ " "","' V"'"'" ^''^^^P'-"- ^'^^'t the chief
wood, w„ic„ ^^::::i::^^::^::^^^-^^^f "po„ .„.
was then lifted un nnrl ^^■h\. • i • ^^^^- T^^ti cros.^
servants, thieves robbers '^nl f °"'^ ^'"""^''""^ °" ^^-^'^^^^1
conscience in ^nvin-r ,,,) fh. h. ' / c^ '':'l"^'^' ''"'to quiet his o^^u
^11 giving up the mnocent Saviour to be nut \n J,.nfi i
pe..o„: and,,;iv;r:„;;::-ro - 'Cd:?r-;r^-^
evernKwhaL! r*.t'" V,'"' '\:^'^'''" 1^-- 'ho blame, ,vl,at-
e
sequ
Oh
ay happen from it. so let him di
nces, we are not afraid of them,
iserabi
c; we care nothing for th
c con-
7 I,
e people ! His blood was afterwards upon th
!l
pon them indeed !
94
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
gill
Nearly their whole nation were butchered, enslaved, driven into per-
petual banishment, and scattered among- all nations, as they are to this
day; and the Romans, whom they used as the tools to do their wicked
deed, were the men that afterwards executed the Di\ine vengeance.
" It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
Jesus was scourged, stripped, dressed in mockery in a scarlet robe,
like a pretended king ; a crown of thorns was made and put ujjon his
head, that his tender tem-
ples might be pierced and
made to bleed ; and a reed,
or cane, was put in his hand
as a sham scepter. All of
this the Saviour submitted
to with the greatest meek-
ness. Then, to finish their
mocker}-, the Jews bowed
their knee to him, and cried,
" Hail, king of the Jews ! "
Now they spit upon him
out of contempt, and smote
him on the head with the
reed, and finally took off his
mock robes and led him
away to be crucified.
On their way to the place
of execution they met with
a man of Cyrene, named
Simon, thought by some to
have been attached to Christ; and as they feared that our blessed
Lord could hardly live to be crucified, having suffered so much, they
made Simon carry the cross.
At length they came to a spot called Golgotha and there " they gave
him vinegar to drink mingled with gall; and when he had tasted
thereof he would not drink." Comj)assionate people usually mixed a
drink to cheer the spirits of the victims going to execution, and to
CHRIST BEARING THE CROSS.
into pcr-
rc to this
:ir wicked
mgcance.
rlct robe,
upon his
Jcr tcm-
rccd and
d a reed,
his hand
All of
Libmittcd
st mcck-
ish their
i bowed
nd cried,
: Jews ! "
pon him
id smote
with the
>k off his
led him
J.
:he place
net with
named
some to
blessed
ich, they
ley gave
1 tasted
mixed a
, and to
Vi
MATT/JEW.
^'ir griefs ; but none offered
stni)efy th
ncgar would have (luenclied h
nau
(1
to soothe the blessed Jesus
'■' ^'^"••^t. but gall mixed with it wa'.'
iseous ni(iee(
It was usual to write thr nffi.r, i •
to the c-oss. p„ate u^^t, If a.-i;"" xir;:";' " "■^^•^ ■•' ••'^-"
TIIK Jhws." "^^- -^"^-^ 1'' JHSI S, TJlli KlX(, or
">at passed byit ;:tV,,'/::;r'"f--.''"- "'°'' '■'■"'" J^-alcm
ouijl.t to shou- it by comin.r do n . ' "'" ■^"" "^ '^o'' '"^
-on to si,ow that he « tl.t So of r", 1' """' "^' ""^^ "-'-'1.
^™y. after their „,aiice ,ri s s '^ fi , \ ■ ^"' " """'^' '^^ '" ^'""ther
cl.icf priests and scibe 1 " u^ , d' t^:^ 'T '" """'^- '"-'
"ould conte doun fro„, the c " I h v u nV','"'' ^'"■•' '"''^ '" ^'^
pHests and seribes kne;,- thu 1 e h^ ' '"'''''" '"'"■ '''''^■«-
they ^vot,ld not belieNe 1, , "T'^'" """''^■'■'■^'' '""-^'^l-S >^t
of tl,eir iniqtntv an , , " ; i """■"'^>"-' «""' "!> the „,eas re
thieves also Leked i'i„" ""' «"'"■ ""^- "^ ""^ -'-ificd
a ^^tl;^t!::i!C^''? "'"= •^'•^^■^ "°-'-'^- -- on
Anu at the nintl, ho or t t' ?'T ""', '"T' "'■"' ^" "^ '--'■
"ith a loud voice, sayin ^. t Co, ' r " f ^'•"°°"." J<-'-^".^ cried
">o?" and so his ht,m n nat, f. ; ^'^ *^°:'- "''^ ''^'^' ""^" ^''^-'ken
that he eried out fro "Icin so thl" t "'"", "' r"' ^°™'-- "'-Kh'
in a spon,.e put upon a rlcd .n^ ^'' "r ''" "' '"'" '°"''^' ^'"'^^'^
and gave up'the Jho^t::;!',,^ -LJ;---' "^'^ =' 'oud vofee,
Uh. what wpr^ I-i.-c- c-„a-...-. . ,t. P'l'L.
were his suffe
great, but these were nothin
God to forsake him at that
'■Jng-s! His bodily sufferi
forsake him ? God hates
^S^ were indeed
g compared with those of Lis soul For
moment, how awful ! But why did God
I ri
\
sin. The innocent J
esus then bore our sins.
c/,
THE FAMILY COMMliX lAKW
Tlli
s w
II )>
:is the reason why he \ i\ hied to (Kalh. The jews were wicked
o\\ II cKcoicl aiul out ol Uk; hi,
ill ivilliii- him, ami tiid it all of tluir
r their own hearts; but the) could not ha\ e killed Christ it he I
o
iliee
lail
K'
not w illin-ly -iven iiiniselt to their malice and cruelly. And tliir. lli.it
ill his death he nn'ght bear the sins of all his people, lor he him.^eil
w.is innocent, and it was these sins that caused (iod to withhold his
comforts from him. Well may ue adore the blessed Jesus for .such a
display of love But, if he cried out beneath the wei-ht of manV
i;uilt, what must those sinners endure w ho will not belie\e in him and
be sa\ed, and so tloom themscKes to bear the weij;ht of their (jw n
..ruilt forever?
But besides the great darkness, the veil of the tem])le was rent from
top to bottom, the earth (|uaked, and
e\en the rocks were split asunder.
The thick tapestry veil was rent, as
a sign that all that was sacretl in the
ceremonies of the law was now o\ er,
and tho^^e ceremonies of no use; for
the great Sa\ iour and saciifice was
now ct)me, antl he had i"mi>hed his
work for guilty men. The earth
cjuaked, perhaps as a sign of the
drea.dful shaking which was soon to
Ijcfall the whole Jewish nation: and
the rocks were split asunder to shame the hearts of the people, more
haj-dened than those rocks.
These things convinced the soldiers who watched Jesus and the
centurion who commanded them that he was no common person; and
they were struck with fear, and said, "Truly, this was the Son of Cotl."
Many women also, who followed him from Calilee, were witnesses
of his crucifixion; among whom "was Mary Magdalene, and Marv the
mother of James and Joscs, and the mother of Zebedee's children."
On the evening of this day, when the Jewish Sabbath was al)out to
begin, the body of Jesus was obliged to be removed; and |oseph of
Arimathea, a rich man, and secretly attached to Christ, went to Pilate
I.NTERio'r OF A Rock Sei-ulchre.
1 1 nn»lt»itllil
J w ickcd
c in.ilicc
IH' ll.i'.l
lliis ili.it,
liiiu.-^e il
hold his
r Mich a
)f Hum's
him ami
cir (j\\ n
ill iVoiii
ctl, ami
IS under,
rent, as
(.1 in the
w ()\ cr,
isc; for
ice was
lied his
J earth
of llie
soon to
n: and
e, more
.ml the
n ; and
if Ciod."
tn esses
[ary the
■en."
bout to
sej3h of
) Pilate
"TI^E WISE AND THE FOOLISH VIRGIN<=
Then s.a,. the kin.Co. of heaven be U.eneci ...to ten v.,! n:.' --Matt. XXV.
In i
■'4i
THE WIDOW'S MITE.
'This poor widow hath cast more in, than ail t
Mark Xll, 4
iiey wliicn have cast Into the treasury.'
M.rrr/i/ar.
K
and bcygcd l,is body, vvhicli could n„f 1, . t i .
out permission l,ci, : ,iv ' , by 'r , " "" " ""' '""''-■'' " '"-
granted, ■■ he un>|med k , > de , I ^"""l'" S"^'^''-""'- l--'^c bein,
'I- J-vs ,ve,c n,a.lc in roc • , ^^ ''" T'"' "'^ ^^l'"'^'"- "I'
i lie (la\' lojlow ilKr fl,,. ,,k; r
(1. r.-;.ri.i,,- 1,,.. .1, .• . . I "^-^Ls .uKi I naiisccs went to rilaic,
The Resurrection of Christ.
^. ^At r,r :^'£ ':i'i!;" ^7r '^'^'-'^ - '""■'>--•"
<l."-'c and Mary, the w ie ', Vi ," ^ ^''' "' "^^ "'^-l^. -^'ary Ma,-
dcsirin,- to see thecle ^^ .i o Z irl ' T\ '," ""' ^^■'"'^'"■^' ^'i''
tlicre ^vas a ^reat earth., '. '"-" ''^l";-^^' l-"'-!. " And, beludd,
f."".lK.uen:and ca ;,;,,'' 'if °' "'^ '-°'-'' ^'^'=^'^-"'1"
»t ...on it. n,s c,nnt ifi'TLrr:'"' ""'"/'''= ''"^■'-•••'-'
white as sno,v : and for fear n^,- "^^ h.i^htnni- .^„d his raiment
as ,lead „,en." T e Kvo "'^ '^-P^'''^ <li^l shake, and became
a^cous n,en in the uo Id b . i:'? '^"'^^V'"'''"'"' ""•■ '""•^' »'-
the resurrection of Ch 'u. s, ^r'"', '^^■'^'"^'"^'' '" "'^ ''^■^■"^' If
™- ^^- i , no. .ill z;^:;^t::, '-'" "■'■^ -^^^ - -'"••^'-
-o tl.'r,\:ndZr;; ■:n:f^^^^^^^ "- An.el spo.e hindly
'^n the ,lad ne.,..s to t! e is ,1 V''' '''"■"' '■""'' '^"•^"'^ "'"" ">
l"s crucifixion and death, and' t^;^^ ,, ;::„n"f ,--"-.f '' ^"
meet them in Galilee. ^'^^"^ '^^^ ^^'^'^'''^' •'^('<>n
1
Iff
zoo
run J'AM/LY commxTARY.
The women ran with all speeil to tell the tlisciples, but on their way
Jesus himself met and saluted them; and they fell at his feet, and held
them, and worshiped him: and he rejjeated the orders to go into
(ialilee.
Hut what did the Roman soldiers do ? They were set to guard the
body of Jesus, and yet he had escai)ed. How eould they escape pun-
ishment for this ? They went into the city and told the simi)le story
how it hai)pened, and how terrified they were. "They showed unto
the chief priests all the things that were done"; how that there
had been a very great earthcpiake, and a very suri)rising appearance;
lor one like a young man descended from the clouds, whose ccnmte-
nance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow, which filled
them with astonishment and dread; that he rolled away the stone from
the sepulchre, and then sat upon it; and that some women coming to
the sepulchre were shown by him where the body had been laitl, but
was now gone ; and how that after they had recoveretl themselves
from the fright they had themselves examined the sepulchre, and the
body was certainly gone ; and sure they were that the women did not
carry it away, nor any others; all which they thought proper to relate
to the chief priests; i)artly on their own account, to clear themselves
from the charge of bribery, corruption, sloth, and negligence; and
partly that the chief priests might consider what further was best to be
done.
Now, it would not do to bring the guards to trial for letting Jesus
escape, for they would have defended themselves by tellinir the truth
lit ^ o '
ami only have spread the account of the resurrection more abroad.
So it was settled that a story should be made up that the disciples
came by night and stole the body away while the guards slept; and
the elders gave the soldiers a large reward to keep the resurrection
secret. But this story, after all, was a very poor one ; for it was not
very likely that the timid disciples, who all forsook Christ and fled,
would have stolen his body from the Roman soldiers ; nor that all the
guards would have been asleep ; and even if they had, it was more
than probable that some would have roused up, and the disciples
would then have endured their vengeance. And then it was very
heir way
[ukI hcli.1
go i n t(j
uard the
Lpc j)un-
>lc story
ccl unto
it there
:arance ;
coLi II te-
ch filled
ine from
iiiiiiL;' to
aid, but
mselves
and the
did not
o relate
mselves
:c; and
St to be
s^ Jesus
e truth,
abroad,
isciples
3t ; and
Tection
vas not
id fled,
all the
s more
isciples
IS very
MATTHEW,
should explain ^hcZiJto Li" ""'"' ""' ""= J"^''^'' ^'<'--^
under his noticcand ., I -'"an governor if the affair can.e
buHKiin, nature'ofh, '1:: ';;'■;: f/""'' -' '^ '"J"''"'- ''■'-■
that they could not prevent tl . ' '"'''"•■''" '°''' ''' "'-•• and
thou.!, hey were e v n\ '^^""f'^"^ oi our blessed Saviour,
aslejp or -make- If • ? "■'"'' '"' '°"''^- Either they were'
takcn^u.a;" If", leeri, ■■ "''>', f "?'"'' "-^)' ^-'f-' the body , be
it away? ^,o.!f c^ \ ; ;;;:',' :^l ^"7.;"-'t the diseiplls took
again, the evidence of the aoo t ' f • ""' ''°'^" ' ^'l'^"'
the clearest and n.ost po wer'^k u| MTr " ""'' -"^""'^"'^ "^
tial.and tin,orous creatures (J the '^ '^ ""■'-' ''°°'' ""'"""^"-
number of then, forbids collusion
for the witnesses to the resurrection
were very many ; (3) the facts they
aNovv were apparent to their oivn
eyes; (4) the concurrence of all
their testin,on>- ; (5) they gave their
evidence before Je,>s, heathens, phi-
osophers, rabbins, courtiers, and
lawyers; (6) they bore evidence
l^eiuK investi,k.d, or e f ^b'thr""'' ''T ^^"^""'"'^ "-
persecution of the Je!:L;;^,':Lri:L""" "■'"^"' '° '"^ ^"™'>- -^
cour^enS '^^Z'^^^Jt^^-ri^^'' '^•^>'' ''= ^ ^^"■•^"'^"' --
the third day; but ot he onlv ^ r '"' '''°'' ^"'"' "^'^ d-""' °"
ciples went into Ga ilee and L'T "'; T"''' '"' "^^ ^'^^ ^is-
and he commanded Ihem o tZiTetl^Z ^'" 1"^ '■"""^•="°"'
Sure ; to tell men the rrbd tlM "^ , "^ S°'P'^' '° '^^ery crea-
the glad tidmgs, or good news, that he had died to
MuUKNICRs.
f}
■ i
1.
102
^nn I'AMILY COMML.YTARV.
save sinners, and iha* vvhosoevcr bclicvtv! in him sIkhiUI never perish;
and that he had risen ^'^mn, and was therefore an l va-Hvin- Saviouri
t.) uiioni all sinners miyht f^^ok for salvation to iJie en(i of time!
When any jirofessed sincerely lo believe their messa-e, they were to
l)ai)tize them, in the name of the leather, and of the Son, and of the
Holy c;host— /. r., in the name of the blessed Trinitv; and this was
to show that in like manner the Holy S|)irit would i)urifv their hearts
who truly believed in him, and was to be a bold avowal before
the world that the\' were the followers of Ilim who was crucified. As
a fm-ther proof that those baptized were his followers, they were to do
all his holy commands, and then all of them mi-ht expect his blessin<'
and favor, "even unto the end of the world. Amen." *
jr perish ;
: Saviour,
of time.
/ were to
ul of the
this was
-ir hearts
1 1 before
led. As
L'rc to do
blessiny:
Ok «m
Tliiie il
GOSPI^L ACCORDING TO ST. ]\m
!'>• M.iii, iiihIit llic iliiu, ijnii ,,| (lie ,\
|mimIi' I'(|( r, ilir.Mi
I'll lull
Ih
<• • liiUii.in ( liiir.li uju,,, hi, amli,
, , • -'•Mil, Hrm lue o lUT two (i , 1, I ,,„ , 1 ' "" •"iiMi.niy, IS
N..-,,k.. „f the wii,i„j,s „f M„„l„.w „„| M,,k as..xi.,i„ " J I ; ; :"" '" ^"l'l'l<''"-U-ry U, ,1,. in. J...,,,,,
.l.-l„n,.U.,.,f „.e A,,..,,.. ■,,.,„ with,,.... . " r : 7" '' ,"' "" - '""•"-• -'■'■•• ">• '.-l^.'l «..li
"- ■•'•"' '" '"I ""• churches, an,. .Innn, .h- :',,:: -"'/'■"- ' -. -imin., .h.. i,
.-' - i ..Mh... Mau.|n.n,, ,h. hM ,,r ..vnh.nce ,h . ; C^^ H". w..'.,,...,,
"u. uf I...kes.i.„,,..,.-was n..dv..,l a, au.hcn.ic. «,„ ^i 1 7 ' '"""'' "'," "■^""" ''>' -' M" -l...-.„, in ih-
sHvos; ,his lat.or fac-t in.hK■in^; t'le ..a,lv .hurcl, .„ >^. ,v I ^ ' ', ' " '^""'"'-'l ^'^ >"' I' l..vlh.. Ap.„,l..s ihcm
"f ""• i '..ly Spirit, aiiil .taiuls h.,„rc. th. ,n " ■" """' """ ""-* '""''""'^' '' - " '
-y huinan c.,n,.pti.,n. ,t i, r.:Z:!Zru i: ZlZ^ZTri:"'' 'T'^'"": "-- ' ■' ".^Iut than
facts. It is (livid,.' - - ' --
fiMlliur |ia!liculais.
' -° -'- ' « " '-'■'- -^ --.:^ :;;:::; ;i:;;;^: ::: .„„,. ,
rries with it the M.inip
«hcr II
' r,(,iril ,,f
yARK is shorter than A[atthcu-, It is a r, Peti-
tion ol the same history hv another liand. Aith
icre and there some few facts not nicnti. lud
by Matthew. Some of these, therefore, ar. all
tiiat need be added in this place.
bi the/v//'/// chai.ter ue haxe the Panblc of
tliL- Seed, which appears to have bee n d -
ii vered at the .same time that the Parable of the
Sower Nvas. as we have read in AbUtheu bi :
was not mentioned by him with that pa.abK
liuis. that nothm- important mi-ht be lost
one hvan^eli.st has supplied what another
^^^ all that the other ha. tid""""'' '^ "^' ^" "^'^*^'"^^^^ ^'^ ^-^'^
•'^if^f::js.^:^c::2'i:!:-'-'" -
" ■■-'■^'•^^'^"::^'szzi^::t:?::^'i
103
104
Tim FAMILY COMMENTARY.
I ■. !
II !
spake plain." Most likely he might have once had his hearing, and had
learned to speak a little, but having lost his hearing early in life, he
could learn no more; but now with his hearing he learns also to
speak. This kind action of Christ made the people look upon him
with admiration, and they said, " He hath done all things well ; he
maketh both the tleaf to hear and the dumb to sj)eak."
In the eighth chapter is related the cure of a blind man at Rethsaida,
on whose eyes he sj^at, and he put his hand upon them. And the man
directly saw men as trees walking: he could not exactly make out
their shape from a tree. He put his hands on his eyes a second time,
and then he .saw clearly: teaching us, perhaps, to persevere in the use
of i^roper means. Hut both in this case and in that of the deaf man the
means were only signs ; they could never have cured the man if
administered by a common physician; these were miracles — things
not of a common kind, and showed that he \\ho performed them could
only be the Son of God.
In the last chapter we have some further particulars about Christ's
resurrection, and his encouragement to his disciples to preach his
gospel and work miracles in his name, which would prove that their
message was divine, and establish the truth of it at its beginning,
before all the world. They were to cast out devils, who then pos-
sessed the bodies of men, just as Jesus had cast them out; they had
to speak new languages which they had never learnt, so as to be able
to tell men of every country about the way of salvation through Jesus
Christ; they were to take up serpents without being bitten or endan-
gered by them ; if any attempt should be made to poison them,
the deadly potion, which would kill other persons, should do them no
harm ; and if sick persons were brought to them to be cured, they
should only lay their hands upon them and they would recover. You
must, however, remember that there was this great distinction between
the miracles performed ty Jesus and those performed by his disciples,
— that Jesus did all his by his own power, and without using any
other name ; but the power which the disciples had was not their own,
but only what he gave them, and they were to work miracles only in
his name. These miracles arc not now needed, because we have so
and had
II life, he
also to
)on him
ivell ; he
jthsaida,
Ihc man
lakc out
nd time,
the use
man the
man if
—things
m could
Christ's
ach his
at their
dnninof,
2n pos-
ley had
be able
h Jesus
endan-
! them,
lem no
d, they
. You
etween
sciples,
ir own,
inly in
lave so
MARK.
i"5
many proofs left us that they were done by the first ministers, and the
reh-ion of Jesus is everywhere spread and spreading without them
Mark further informs us more than Matthew, as he not only men-
tions Christ's command to his disciples, but the effect of their obe>in..
It, and preaching the gospel to every creature ; for " they went forth
and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirm-
mg the word with signs following." Amen.*
.\s the observance of the Christian Sabbath^ the first day of the week-instead of the Jewish
Sabba h-the seventh day, or Saturday-commenced soon after the ascension of Christ, it mav l,e
as well to explam the reason of the change here. The setting apart of one day in seven for\he
worsh.p of God ,s older than the Hebrew nation or the Jewish religion. It dates from the creation
o man; and at first was unquestionably, the seventh day, as that was the day of the completion
o the creative work. All nations which are wholly or partially civilized adhere to this practice
which ,s founded .n nature as well as in revelation ; but in the lapse of time thev have selected
d. ferent days ; so that almost every day of the week is the Sabbath of some nati'on. The Tews
adhered to the seventh day ; but the early Christians, and especially the Gentile Christians felt
that they should rather observe the first day of the week (our S.mday), since our Lord rose from the
grave on that day, and his resurrection was a cardinal point in their faith. Some of the [ewish
Christians, m the apostles' tin.e, observed both days ; bnt it was not easy to do this, and very earl v
the Christians were distinguished from the Jews as those who observed the first day of the week for
religious worship. God requires one-seventh of our time for his service, and that day is best for it
which commemorates the resurrection, and is most generally observed.
1
II
I i^
11^
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE
Ok, wrillen hy l,„kc, ,1„. u,M,,.u,i„„ of P.u,l ,l„,in^ l,i, ,„.,., nctiv. lai ,„s n,„l scvnv ..(IVru^s. I, was oxtan, U
a vnyarly ,,,m„.,1, n„.l wa, r-;oivnl as ot .Hvinr au>l„„i.y l.y ,l,e inlant du„ch f„„„ ,1:.. .i.ne „f i„ |,„l,lica,i„n
S...n. ,„Kvna,n,y ha,,,, about \.uU-: ,.a,ly l,is,..,y an,i hi, ,,oM,i„„ ,,„.,„„ ihc ^,ll„w,.,. „f rh,i-,. Ih.' a,„,iu„ of
the .\|,„sllc laul, a„,l th. oa,ly a,„l u„a„i„„H„ ,v.,.|,,i,,„ ,,1 th,; ( in.,,,! „l I ulr a, ,livi„clv i„-|a,v,l, ,,,,.1 ,1, i,,-,.,,.,,.
MHO Ihc. .Scptur.. n>„o„, a,.. Mo,,. M.ll,n..„i ,„„ol ol i,> l„.av,„ly o, ,.,„. H U„„i.,h,, mai.v ,.a,al,lc, .IKcou,..
.n.nulc,, a,„l rv.,,,. o„,i,.. .1 l,y th. (,..,,,.1, |„,,,.,li„u i,, uhil-, so,,,, ahva.lv ,c.onlc,| a,-c o,,,!:,,..!. The s,vl. of
l.i.k. „ .„.u,«,„shc.,l in,,,, ,l,at ..fo.hca New I,., a„„.,„|,..,„„.„ l,y i„ |,„rc.„.,s a„.l da.-i.al l„„.h, asi,!. f,',„ n,
o.ra„o,,al „>o ol llehrevv and Syriac „^o„,s. 1, i. divided .Ml., IwenlylV.ur chapter,, evide.uly written lor the inst.fc'
liun of (lentiie I hrisdans. y . v.
The Birth of John the Baptist.
LUKJi: I.
IIKI-: is thouL^ht to have been the same mentioned
by the Ai)()stle Paul in the last ehapter of his
epistle to the Colossians, where he speaks of
"Luke, the beloved physieian."
This I'\anL;elist tells us some particulars
about the birth of John the baptist which are not
mentioned by the other three — that his father
was a priest of the name of Zacharias ; that
his mothers name was Idi/abeth, and that she
was sprun-- from the race of Aaron ; that they
were both \ cry ^^ood j)eople, and walked toi,;ether
in the holy ways of Cod; and that John the Baptist was born when
they were "well stricken in years," or cpiite old.
This remarkal)le forerunner of Christ was born, like him whom he
was to honor and proclaim, in a very honorable and wonderful way.
John's father. Zacharias, was burnini^r incense in the temple, while the
people "were prayino- without." when an an-el appeared to him and
told hun that his son should be born, and that he must call him' John
—a name which means ///r on,rr ainf favor of Coi/ ; and du"s was to
show that God's <'race would b
c ujjon him in a very stril
vinu- manner.
ioO
II was extant at
il> |iiililicaliiiM.
rin- ~ai;( tiiJii iif
III iln iii-crtimi
k-.^, ili-coijiM'.--,
Tlu- siylc of
a.si'lc fiDiii its
lor iIk- iiisliuc-
cntioncd
r of his
icaks of
rticulars
1 arc not
s father
is; that
that she
lat tlicy
:oL;'cthcr
"11 when
honi he
fill way.
hilc the
iin and
m John
was to
iianncr.
i
H-,fi n .. "^"^^ ANNUNCIATION OF CHRrQ-r
Ha,., thou ,.at a.-t .„Mv favored. tHe Lo.-c, is wlt.T,L^,^f i
Luke .. 28, ^- '"^'^'^^ ^'-^ t'^o^ amon« women.-
CHRIST IN THE PHARISEE'S HOUSE.
"And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. "-Luke VII, 4S.
LLKIi.
IO'»
¥^
I.: uas t„ l,.sq,amtcd fron, the „,„l,l, like ,|,c ancient \a.a,-itcs(N,„n-
bl s. |':,'m i"^ ■■»-;I'- -">■ "..r strcng drink"; a„u C,eHi\u,ul,l
l-.Kl t„ tl.e l,,„-J then („„i. l|e..h.H,hi iKUethe >ame hcliness
-n.,e ,,u.eala.H,,a.,,Md^ai,^
• I- -'X'l told hn„ „^ N.r...n,e.,,nn„„,«hKhhe
"Jit I Kc better re,,.,,„ „, |,,|ieve that what he sa,d „.,uld eo,„e U,
I ass. Ihe aa.el t„l,l h„„ he shntdd be d.inii, till the ehild was born
■ " 1"S sh,.uhl l,e a .i,„, and, at the sa„,e tinte. a ,e,.,oof l.r hi
doubling- the niessa.ue «hieh (i<,d had sent
The |,e„,,le wondered that Zaeharias sh.nil.l ren,ain s., lont;- in the
Uliple and when he ea,ne out he ha.l lost his S|,eeeh, as the an-el
a sa,d. hl^abeth. Ins w,le, at length had a s.,„; and when he wa
to be en-e.„„c,sed at e,,ht days old, he had Ins nante ,iven to hin, It
"•as tisnal to „.-,n,e the s,.n after the father, a.ul the friends and rela-
tn^.s present w.Hdd have had hin, clled Zaeharias, bnt Kli.abeth
luvn,j. been ntfonned n, writin.^ by her luisband of all that had taken
P ace n, obedience to the eon.n.and of the an,,el wotdd have hin,
ailed John. he Ir.ends, howoer, asked the father what he wonid
c „n cal ed ; and he by si.ns asked for a w ritin.-tablet, or little
; V 1, ■'■'•'■ "■"';''■ """^-"-■'1 '" those davs,-and „,-ote
oiscttched L,,,on ,1, as the- then did, with an i,on pen, "His nan,c is
John. And they ,nai-\elled all."
No .sooner had Zach.arias obeyed he divine co,„n,an<l than his
ton-ne was unloose.l, and he spake as before.
rh,s event which cansed so .^reat w„n,ler amon^ all present, was
soon ,-cpo,-ted th,-o..yhou. the hill country of Jndea,whe,e they dwelt ■
an a„ that feared (a.d were hlled with a,ve at this extraordina,;
n,ti';h: l:;!'"""' ""'- " ^^^ ^'"- ""^" """-- >- -^ -^^ --'
IJisfathe,-, Zaeharias, was then " filled with the Holy Ghcst," or the
Holy Sp,r,t ,nsp„-ed him to prophesy about the con,in.< of Christ
An,l John ;^Tew up, but loved letircnient.and went into desct and
lonely places, no doubt Go.l holdiny swCet communion w,ih his spi,-it
no
Tim FAMILY COMMENTARY.
or talkin^r, as it were, with his holy mind ; and so he remained till he
came to proelaim Christ's coming, "preaching in the wilderness of
judea, as we have already seen in Matthew.
The Birth and Early Days of Jesus Christ.
LUKE II.
About the same time that John the Baptist was born Jesus ;vas
born also; John was born not more than six months before Christ
At this time Caesar Augustus, who was the second Hmperor of Rome
reigned over that empire, which had become so large from its con-
quests that it was called "all the world." Judea, you kno^v. was then
tributary to it, or paid taxes to the Roman government. But a par-
ticular sort of tax was now determined on by the Hmperor, which
IS called a poll-tax, or tax upon the head of every person; and
to make sure of all the subjects in the empire they were obli-^ed
to attend in person at an appointed place, and be enrolled,'' or
entered in a book.
It is a remarkable fact that the Emperor had resolved on this
tax twenty-seven years before; but disturbances in the empire dis-
tracted his attention, and it was only now, when all the world was at
peace, that he had time to attend to it. See here how Providence
overrules all things I Had he been able .o carry his purpose into effect
before, then the mother of Jesus would not have been there with
her husband Joseph, and Jesus would not have been born in Beth-
lehem but at Nazareth, where he was afterwards brought up. But
If he had been born at Nazareth instead of Bethlehem, then the pro-
phecy respecting him would not have been fulfilled, as recorded in
the fifth chapter of Micah and the second verse, and the fact that he
was the true Messiah w^ould have so far been doubtful. But here
the ambitious views of a Roman Emperor to fill his coffers with
money were made to bring about the fulfilment of God s promise to
nis church by bringing the parents of Jesus to Bethlehem, the place
prophesied of, where he was born.
At this time one Cyrenius was governor of Syria, which was an-
(1 till he
rncss of
III
ills was
: Christ.
Rome,
its con-
'as then
: a j)ar-
, which
n ; and
oblin;ccl
led, or
)n this
re dis-
vvas at
ndence
o effect
e with
Beth-
• But
le pro-
ded in
hat he
t here
; with
ise to
nlace
IS an-
'^^•^^■^1 to Judca, and he hid M,
^•^^' Hcnt to his own X \ '^^^^"''^.^^''»^'"t of the tax \n i
'° ,tro up .o J^ahldK™. • '"""^ ''•'"^'•■I'l' "a. nou a poor „,a„, t. ■;,';;,■
--.-sort of '"' '''^ '''--'■-' l^y >^W,. i J \
'"^^^^1 no- -place
""^y- He uas.
therefore, born antl
^^^l^■ed in a place
for the acconinio-
<Jation of cattle.
Now, there were
■'^onie shepherds
"^ the fields ncar
J^ethlehem who
^^'^^'•e on the hills
^vatchin- their
flocks at nio-ht to
preserve them
from beasts of
prey, when an
^n^el appeared to
them, surrounded
uith
^nimy ,yu ,x,,^, ,,,,,,^^^
a brio-ht
.^"'«'y. and told
heavens, and let all the hZ^ ^^^' t'' ""' '' ^^°^ "^ ^he hiX
"- ^o dwell upon earth l^C^^^ ^^^^^ '^-. ^r pe^Jt
.^leat peacemaker betu-ecn
il
H
>
fl
112 Till: I'AMII.Y COMMIiXTARY.
(nul and -uilty men. ami every kind of Ijlessing will proceed from
him.
And when the aw^cU departed the .she|)hertls went to I'.ethlehem
and saw Jesus, as the messenger had exactly described him, " wiapped
in swaddlinw- clothes," or bound closely uj), as was the custom in
many countries about a hundred years a-o, instead of infants having
theu- limbs free, as they are now; and he was " 1) ing- in a manner."
And the\- told every one they knew what wonderful things they\id
seen, and praised ( iod for his -reat mercy in sendin-- a Saviour into
the worhl. Let us |)raise him, too.
Alter this Jesus was ciiriiiuciscd, and by this rite became a Jewish
citizen, entitled to die covenant blessin-s jjromised to Abraham and
his seed. Then he wa^ redeem cd, another custom of the Jews; for
when God slew all the lirst-born of the li-yptians, he protected' the
Israelites, who. accordin-- to his command, ^ivcn through Moses, had
sprinkled the lintels and posts of their doors with the blood of the
Passover lamb ; and from that time he kept up the remembrance of
this mercy by demanding the first-born to be consecrated to him;
"for," said he, by Moses, "all the first-born of the children of Israel
are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every first-
born in the land of ligypt, I sanctified them for myself" Instead of
gi\ ing them up, howexer, to the serx'ice of the tabernacle,— which was
consecrating them entirely to God, as the Levites were, " the first-
born of man migiit be redeemed for five shekels," or about two
dollars and eighty cents of our money, which went to the service
of the sanctuary. As no mention is, however, made here of the per-
formance of this custom, it is supposed by some that " in case of
poverty the priest was allowed to take less, or perhaps nothing." Our
Lord's mother also pirsciifcd her offerings a further custom usual
on such an occasion. Mad she been able she ought to have presented
a lamb for a burnt-offering and a dove for a sin-offering; but as she
wi'.s poor, and not able to purchase a lamb, she took two turtle-doves ;
for so the Lord had ordered by Moses: " If she be not able to bring a
lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, ^r two young pigeons ; the one
for a burnt-ofi"ering, and the other for a sin-offering:' and the priest
from
LUKE.
shall make an atonement for her, and she shall f;e clean." This uis-
tom was to teach the Jeus, and us also, that we cught to thank C.d
for all our mercies, and that ue should express our unuurthincss of
thc;m by eonlessm- our sins— we must present the sin-offerin.--
together with the burnt-ofterin<,^ ^
While the infant Jesus was in the temple there came in a -ood old
man named Simeon, who had been anxiously waitin- for the comin<.-
of the Messiah; and God having shown him bv his'lloly Spirit tluu
the Saviour, whom his heart desired to see, had come, he took him up
in his arms, and blessed (;od that he had lived to see him. and said
he could now dejjart in ])eace, since he had
seen God's salvation. "One Anna, a pro- ^-
phetess, ' who was ei<;ht)-four years of a,i;e,
also entered the temple, and "gave thanks
unto the Lord, and sjKike of" Jesus "unto
all them that looked for redemption in Jeru-
salem."
Luke omits to tell us of the flight into
F.gypt; but that was told us fully'in ALit-
thev/.
After these things Joseph and Mary, with
the infant Saviour, " returned into Galilee,
to their own city, Nazareth."
And the child Jesus was brought up at
Nazareth, under the care of his parents, and
he "waxed," or grew, "strong in spirit," giving signs of a wonderful
mind and of great piety, for " the grace of God was upon him "
When Jesus was twelve years old his parents went up to the temple
to the feast of the Passover, in remembrance of the deliverance from
Egypt, and he went with them. Probably this ^vas his first Passover
and something now occurred which made the Lvangelist Luke take
notice of him at this age. For when the feast was over, and they re-
turned with a number of other families ih^t had gone for the same
purpose, Jesus remained behind. His parents did not miss him till
the end of the day; for, as he was amiable and beloved by all ^vho
Turtle-dove.
I
I
\i
I
t h
////;■ 1 AMILY COMMEXTARY,
knew him. they supposed that he was ain.,11- some of their frieiuls and
ac(|uamtances 011 the road ; ')iit not heaiin- anvthin- of him, they be-
came uneasy, and went hack the next chiy to Jerusalem, and it was not
till the thn-d day that the\ found him. J^,ut where was he? Not in
l>.u! company, f.,r he never stood in the way of sinners; nor was he at
l'la\-. lor he was of an a-e to learn, and he uas improving his time and
.L^ettmo- knowIed.i,rc from the doctors of the temple. " The teachers
of the laxv uere used to instruct the youn- there, and they were
allowed to ask any (luestions they pleased for the purpose of learning
Jesus had, therefore, placed himself at their feet, and was "both hea'r-
in- them and askin- them (juestions." "And all that heard him were
astonished at his understanding;- and answers."
His ]xu-ents uondered to fmd uhat he was about and to see
how much he was approved. And his mother -ently chided him for
havmg given them so much alarm for his safety ; but he replied " Wist
yc not," or know ye not, " that I was about my Father's business ?" or
"in my Father's house?"
His mother remembered this and other savin-s. and w^aited tosN-
what more wonderful would happen as he should o•r()^v up to become
a man.
So they returned to Nazareth, and there he lived, obedient to his
parents and growm- in favor " both with (]od and men"- his be-
havior, says the pious Dr. Doddridge, "bein- not only remark.oly
reli-ious, but so benevolent and obliging as to gain the favor and
atiection of all that were about him."
You will observe that most of these interesting facts about the birth
and early days of Jesus Christ are not mentioned by the Hvano-elists
Matthew and Mark and are only given us by Luke. "^
Christ Persecuted at Nazareth.
LUKE III, IV.
We shall now glance at some other matters mentioned by thi«=
Pivangehst which have not been before noticed, and run throu-h
many chapters. ^^
-SSSS'aBB
rMKH.
An.ipas, one of ht so s ' " ' ''7" '''^'.'^''-■'J ^"•'^■'•'"i^ dcatl,,//,w
-.other fourth pa h ; ;t" ' """'''-■/"'"^''"- /'/„/^ tctrarch of
the name whid vv ; o v ■ v / 7"""^'""'"" '""^ '>a<i,onWs~
/;vo... not u,at.t:i :;.:;: :h- :;;4:i,S'''-^ r""'. '''^-^^
uho had been hi-.h t,n\..f . ^V ^"''''^•^ ^^^ ^"^ time, but Annas,
--C five of his 's':^:: :;r nrr l ;r(ctH!,-^";'--'"^'^-^'^' - '-
priests when l„. uas not in o/M '''", (C.>ia,,has) appomteil hi-h
"■'-" they were hi^hprstrnr^lll'-^-^^'^^ ^'^ '^ generally ..u,:.!
somewhatclifferen. L^;.; r-'' 'V"' "' ''^^"- -^'-■. '""'
forefathers after the I esh V.,»7 . ' ' ° "'""'■ " ''" "'^r'^ ''is
-l""-n to Joseph an 1 lul, in •; Tf " '"""■' "■'■"'" Abmhan,
l>y adoption, , f I Jho u- .1 ; •;'*'™'''' ■■'■"'" J^^P''. ""= -".
Joseph to Adan t ; :,p;t r.hr 'm "' J"';'- ""■ "'•" '■^"'-•'- °'
- we. .to tHe ^^i:^^^^;^t:rTc^
II
L 1
'i '
:
i '
fc
i'lf
ii?i«^¥#"
TUli lAMIlA' COMMl-.MAKY.
read," (or this was a ioii^laiil i)ail of tin: Jrui>li u,)r.slii|,. ".\n,l
lluic \\a^ (Kli\civ.l imt.) him tiic Ix.ok (.I'lhc [.loplict I'.^aias," or
Jsiiah; the lorimi lH:in- tin; (ircck and the hitler \\\v Ilchrcw (br the
j.|-o|.hcts name— jii^t, lor instaiue. as l.oiii> INiih'ppe ua^ the I'lcneh
name for the kin- ol the I'reiKh, and \x\\\^ llndip the lai-h'>h name
lor the same kin- "And ulien he had oi-uied the lu.ok." or unrolled
the: \,,limie.— for the Hebrew Seriplinv^ were uritliii on Ion- pieces
W parehmenl. laMcned at each end on sticks, and so rollecfup,— he
lound the place where it was written as in the InrtN-first chaplcr of
luuah. and the hrst, second, and third verses, llaxin- read the pas-
sage, "closed the
book," and rolled
it up, he "sat
down," as the
jews used to do,
to [>reach, while
"the eyes of all
them that were in
the synaL;o-ue
were fastened on
him," beinc,^ very
curious to know
^\■hat he was .i^'oini,'-
to say about a text
^^■hich the\' knew
described the Messiah. And he then discoursed upon the passai,^
and told them that the Scripture was that dav fulfilled in their hearin-'
Ilis words were so full of orace. both in the precious truths whidi
he uttered and in the way in which he uttered them, that all his
hearers were exceedin-ly suri)rised ; but \et thev could not for-et that
lie was the son of the humble Joseph, and had been l)rou-irt up at
Nazareth under his care, "and they said. Is not this Iosej)h's son ?"
Jesus knew what they thounht. And lie said. "Ye ^\•ill surelv sav
unto nic this proverb, Physician, heal thN'seli." \oxx have worked
miracles abroad, now do so at home. "Whatsoever we have heard
:.\>i*
■r'-
■SWy'-v-^
^$^e&
Ol.UE-I'KESS.
"^^r-i
^^■■ai
il on
ijoin^''
i
i|
■• BUT A CERTAIN SAMARITAN HAD COMPASSION ON HIM." Lu
ke 10; 33.
CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE WITH THE DOCTORS
"And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers."-Luke II, 47.
■' 1
LUKE.
riQ
■m
WW!-.-. >(
.lone ,11 Capcrnau,,,. do also in tl.y country.- And l,c .aid ..v ,11
Isayuntoyou, noprophet is aoxptcd in l,is .„n « n v ul.i h ^^
anotlicr p,„vcrl,, ,„■ con„n„„ say n- iiv this h, ,r '"
;;;,:;:;;;:\;-;.";;r'"r'' ^^•''^'^zss::s:::z.
ii icathcn So nm- ii,... , I e- • • • >> 'i^ "^i v^} iicin aiui
-■ ana in '^^ ^L^;:^:; ;;:;::: ;:;i;:r;;:.,^:^:::^;^::7Tr
1--V .l,cy ..,. so lualcn.d that tl,cy woul.l not I ^ V „,'" '"'
1 1..S fa.tlilul address turned their iulnnration into r e ,-l '
7' 'V' '"!""""-- manner, u-ithout any rever e U Ihe ' ""
CWs Miracle of the Draught of Fishes.-Christ Raises the
W.dow s Son.-The Penitent Woman.
nr.'
the
I-rKF. v-ix.
While our Lord xsas at Caperna.un we' find l,i
s^^Cl in clomp' nnn.I f,-w^Ki^^ :„ .._
an^oiTuc, and instructi
im continiiallv en-
people at all oth(
attended by crowds, and
r o])portunities. \Vh
nt
ere he went he
.•~.
wa;
on one occasion they were so -reat that they
'•n
II il
i-o
77//i FAMILY COMMENTARY.
"pressed upon him to hear the word of God, as he stood by the lake
of Gennesareth." Seeing two fishing vessels near the shore he went
into one of them, and, pushing off a little way from the shore, he there
" sat down and taught the peoi)le out of tiie ship."
The fishermen who owned the vessels had been very unsuccessful
in their last night's labors, for they had tcjiied all the night and taken
nothing. WHien Christ had done preaching, and feeding tliem with
food for their souls, he now thought of their bodies also, and he desired
them to launch out into the deep, and let down their nets for a draught
of fishes. They had little hope of success, but, in obedience to Christ's
word, they were disposed to try. The nets were let down, and they
drew them u]) so full of fishes that one of them broke, and the fishes
taken so overloaded both the vessels that they began to sink. All
were astonished ; and Simon Peter, who was one of the party, with
his partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, fell down on his
knees, and cried out, " Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord "
—meaning that he was not worthy of the high honor of having Jesus
on board his vessel and of continuing in his presence. Jesus encour-
aged the timid man, and told him that he would emi)loy him in a far
nobler work, and that henceforth he should catch men. And so it
came to pass when— if we compare the gospel to a net— he caught
3000 souls at once by his preaching, as we shall read in the Acts'^of
the Apostles. Matthew and Mark have given no more of what hap-
pened at this time than merely that Christ sat down in the ship and
taught, so Luke has supi)lied what they omitted.
In the sixth chapter of Luke we find a beautiful discourse of our
Lord's, something like that which we call the Beatitudes, in the begin-
ning ot ALitthew. That, however, was delivered on a mount, and this
on a plain ; and on examining them and comparing them together, we
find them differing very much, though parts of the former' discourse
were re])eated in this, it being another assembly.
In the seventh chapter the Evangelist informs us of Christ's laising
to life the son of the widow of Nain. He was just at the momenl
entering into that city, and a number of his disciples and followers
were with him ; and on approaching the gate he met a funeral proces-
LUKE.
i2r
s.o„. J he dead person ^^as a young man-thc only son of a widow
Il>c custom was not to inclose the body in a coffin, as with us l^ to
tl>c co.pse u.tl, a cloth. The poor wido^. lolio^ved in great so ow
h son, by the arge concourse that attended the funeral ; but her
f, nds and neighbors could onl>- pity her. Jesus pitied her oo, for I c
ad a heart full of tenderness, as he has now; but he could do son e
1 .ng more for her than mere n,ortals-he had power e^■en ov' r dca , •
and so he ,sa,d kuully to the widow, "W'eep not. And he c m an i
touched the b,er, and they that bare hin, stood still, and he sai Voun
"'".Ir^Tu ''ri-^'l\-^'"' T '"^'""^ ''^' -' up,andVc "m
to speak , and he tlelivered hmi to his mother "
In the .same chaj.ter ^vc haxe also an account of a woman that had
been a notonous smner, who entered the house where Christ ns din
mg w,th one of the Pharisees. He, as usual, was engaged in p d in -
the words of mstruction, and she listened to hin, wTth the gr at^:.
,t cnt,on. hvery ^sord touched her heart, and as his feet lay bar on
the couch, accordu,g to custom, the tears fell in a shower fron. her c^",
tre s s of h T" ";T ■""■■ '"'•"'^■'"•'^ ""■^- -1" ^' "-■- -i""he
th In. he sir"'' " ;, '' '""■" ="°"' ''" "■^""•^-^ ' -J '!-". "°t
thmkmg heiself ivorthy to anoint his head, she kissed his feet an,l
poured upon then, some licpnd perfun,e. The Pharisefw st r"
01 such a class to approach Inm ; and though he did not speak Tesus
knew what he thought. And he told hinr there were two debtors •
anJ the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fift As X'
rthTit tit '''i "r" rf°' """>■ "^'^^^ "^-- ^--^ ■- -^
h"m"'..Pi!l , . P'"'-'^----'."the one who had n,ost forgiven
sense J,'^^' I ■ '"'^'"'''^ °"^ ^°"^ ' " "°^^ *°" h^-^' "O' ''a^ the
sense of pardon as this woman. My words touched her heart • she has
122
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
Some think that this is the same woman that we read about in the
twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew ; but many who have carefully studi d
their J3ible think otherwise, and for these reasons : the story told by
Matthew happened in Bethan)-, this in Galilee ; that in the house of
Simon the leper, and this in the house of Simon the Pharisee ; that
was but two days before the death of Christ, and this a considerable
time before; the ointment that woman poured was poured upon his
head, and this upon his feet.
In the second verse of the eiohth chapter we have mention made of
" Mary called Magdalene," or Mary of Magdala, so called, just as Jesus
was c.illed Jesus of Nazareth; for xMagdala was the place of residence
of this Mary, as Nazareth was that of Jesus. Out of this woman our
Lord cast seven evil spirits, which, I have before remarked, were
suffered then in an extraordinary manner to torment the minds and
bodies of men. Few persons can, without considerable reflection, form
the sh'ghtest idea of the gratitude and love toward Christ that must
have moved the poor afflicted creatures whose lives were converted
^ from misery to a full degree of health, and bodily comfort. Among
them not the least favored by this "Physician of all physicians" was
this Ma.y, who became a faithful follower of her Lord.
The Seventy Disciples sent forth.— The Inquiring Lawyer.— The
Good Samaritan.— Martha and Mary.
LUKE X.
In the tenth chapter we are told that, besides the twelve apostles
whom Jesus chose to be witnesses to his truth and to declare it to the
world, he also sent forth seventy disciples, who were to go in company
with each other, two one way ard two another way, and so with the
whole.
And now he mentioned the awful state of Chorazin and Bethsaida
— cities where he had preached and performed his glorious miracles,
so that the inhabitants, if they had reflected, must have seen that he
was the true Messiah, the Son of God, and have repented and believed
his words. Instead of which they rejected him, in spite of all the
\
sa-j^»*fti^«ii>j.'Ur^i««MSMs<tii^^^
-The
'■'t GOOD SAMARITAN
w
n
\\
S
th
tic
wa
cai
qui
nin
for(
pov
sho
stro
shoi
on
crea
ceiv(
but
sho
preac
AV'orcI
the J]
evil .s
to o-lc
\vitho
told tl
zens V
wh
tliat h:
ally kc
\Vhi
ere
j"^^.
LUKE.
words he spoke and the mi<duv J . , ''^
n-ssa,e u-as ^^^n^J^i^^^^^^^^^^ to p.ove that hi.
w-'re very wicked cities but th s. ^ ^''"''^- '^ > '"^' ''^'^^i >^'clon
f ion had never heard no'lru^hdnr" ^''^'' '^' ^>- -^
ti-\l-ople of Capernaum and l^ct k^ ^"^ '^ """ '"-'^' ^^"ou'n to
l:ncourao-cd by their divine " It ,- • ,
;^^v.ng^oneon their circuit, the,: u,^";, ^'""^^^f /^'^"^ ^'^^h ; and.
then- u-rcat success, and thitthcv hi "'^ ^"'^' ^i^^'''" ^Master of
tion of his authori V I ]!^1^ n ?'''" '''^'^ "^'^ ^'^■^■'•^ ''^t the n.en-
was. for rebelhon. ' ^ '^'^" ^^^^ ^^^^"^ '^^^^^ he saw Satan wh he
cast out of heaven
quick as h"^L;lit-
nJnS", and he still
foresaw that his
power on earth
should be de-
stroyed. They
-should trample
on venomous
creatures and re-
ceive no hurt;
'out much more
s h o u 1 d t h e
preach in o- of his
Avord break down
the power nhich
"•'thout his aid and mi.d.t' b tV f ' "^ "''-■>' ~^'l'' ^o notliinsj
'o'^i then that their na.^; ^t "^^^^ '-'-d to ^,o,-y .hen hf
-e^'s u-e,e often enrolled, or I eir n^ ^''''''" "''''"'' 'h'-"'^^ ci.i-
"•here they dwelt, so thc^; 4 e o ' T' "\Tl ''" "'^ ^""^^ "f cities
rsth^r----^^--i^Sri:t:;^:r
Wi.i.e onr Lord .as ta.in, to the seventy d,seip,es, a ,a.yer-or
WOUXTAIXS ABOUT JEKICHO,
r f
126
T//I1 FAMILY COMMENTARY.
one of the writers and expounders of the Jewish law-came to him
and said, "Master," or Teacher, "what shall 1 do to inherit eternal
lUe i Our J.ord asked him what he read in his own law. And he
said he found there that he was to love God with all his heart and his
neighbor as himself "Do this," said Jesus, "and thou shalt live "
Ihis is the grand proof of our religion: if ^vc truly love God and
endeavor to do the best sort of good to our neighbors. The lawxer
next HKiuired, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus told him in the
interesting /r/;7//Vc' of the Good Samaritan.
This parable begins at the thirtieth verse of this tenth chapter I
must merely tell you that the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was, and
still ,s. very dreary, and has always been a lurking-place for robbers so
that It was called the " bloody way "; that priests and Levites often
traveled that road, for some thousands of them lived at Jericho, and
they had frecpient occasion to go to Jerusalem; that the Jews' and
Samaritans hated each other greatly, and so the kindness of the good
Samaritan in relieving a poor injured Jew, while even his own pl'iest
and Levite cruelly passed him by, was so much the more to be ad-
mired ; and that the two pence mentioned by our Lord mean Roman
pence, which were worth about sexenteen cents each. We will end
all we shall say about this parable by the xxords of our divine Lord to
the lawyer; and when you meet with an enemy in distress, do not be
revenged upon him, but "go and do likewise."
This chapter closes with an account of a visit which Jesus paid to
Martha and Mary, two pious sisters who lived at Bethany, a villa<Te
about two miles from Jerusalem. ^
May my young readers all have grace to choose Mary's good part
and, like her, b) faith sit at Jesus' feet and hear his word I
Jesus teaches his Disciples to pray.— The Parable of the Rich Fool.
— The waiting Servants.
LUKI- XI, XII.
Our blessed Saviour often retired to pray; and he taught his dis-
ciples to pray what we call the Lord's Prayer, which is repeated here
"=»-*'*^'»— ■"■"^-'■■"^IIM-TrKf
LUKE.
"7
and w;,ich we have l.cfore seen in >\ sixth eliapter of Mitthew In
this, l,owevcr, are not mentioned all the Ihin^/u" 1" ft ' "
find many other prayers, or parts of prayers, ifs ip Z t '^^
And here he particularly reminds his disciples thit uhrn fh .
tl.cy must be in earnest. And he tells titem'ijK t i t of" t 'n^ ^:i
puree to be out of bread, and a friend should eonre to ee h 1 t i
le venmg, and he should be obliged to borrow son.e, as t e e„
used to do of each other, it nu;,ht happen that the house uould le
■nut up at which he n.ight knock. X^H .h.-n, what xvill it do" u'i
he go away? No, he will knock and knock again
By th,s our blessed Lord would teach his disciples, and us also that
r:rr;'nre'aS"-^;'"^^^.v'" '^■^■" °" ^"°'^'-"- ^^ "-'•-'
mcicy, and earnestly ask, as if we wanteil in.leed to have- and if ih.-
>;ans fr,end was obliged to gi^e him bread on account of hi ess m
h.m so much, then n.uch more ^voukl our gracious Father mc'en
give good thmgs to them that ask him
weouTt '7'f'' ','ri-r' '"'■•■ "■'"^■^ ""^"''"'"' "f"'' ''-'' r^ool, as
first e Oul\ \ T '°,""' '■' "'"'" "" ^^'^ '" "- tuentv-
nrst verse. Our Lord describes n it a rich imn ^^■h,. k. i i
arns, full of what his lands had produced, a:^! s^^e 'ick , Tt
the room of the old ones, and to make them larger. And then he
thought " How happy I shall bel I have many years yeCto I ve u i
my soul an body may be both at ease : so ll^l ea cirmk Inei
merry. But he never thought of thanking God for his wealth or Hn-
ng any o ,t out for his glory. So just as he fancied he had go ^11
things to h,s mmd,God sent death to him, and spake to hisconsdenc
by ,s ProvKlenee: "Thou fool, this night thy soil shall be requinof
thee r How unportant is gratitude to God I
In the thirty-fifth verse our Lord says, "Let your loins be crirdcd
about and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto mef tin
wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding " A no I
the Jews weddings took place at night. The servants, therefore, would
128
rim J-AMILV COMMEXTARV.
Ill
have to sit up for their masters, and must keep their huups trimmed
ready to li-ht them. If the lamps uviit out it uouhl i)e a si-n of
ue-iii^rcnce, or that, instead of uatehin- tiiey were asleep. Tile Gar-
ments bein- Ion- like a mornin- -own, it was also usual to tuek them
up ■A\u\ -ird them elose round the waist if anythin- needed to be
(juickly done. V>y mentioning tliese eustoms our Lord would show
the diseiples and us that, as his servants, we should aiua\s be ready
to meet him at his eominn-. Death, at his eomniand, wil'l take away
all that we have; but as one would watch a thief exj)ected to come at
midni-ht, so ou-ht we to be upon our watch, and then, when called to
die, we shall not be taken by surprise. The faithful steward, who uses
his tmie and talents for the divine -lory, shall be richly rewarded ; but
he who presumes on his Lords delayin- and does' wicked thin-s,
must suffer the most dreadful conseciuences. As the faithless and d?s-
obedient servant was, by the Jewish ])eoplc, scourged with stripes, so
shall all such receive the sorest punishment, and that j)unishment ^ hall
be the -reater for those who ha\e been tau-ht good thin-s and choose
to do those that are bad.
The Parable of the Ban en Fig Tree.— Of the Highest Seal.— Of the
Lost Piece of Money.— Of the Prodigal Son.
HKi: xiii-xxiw
My limits now obli-e me una\oidably to pass over many things in
this gospel which I should be glad to explain to you ; but there are
many parables given by this evangelist which we do not find in the
others, and as I wish particularl)- to explain them, I must beg )'ou to
place your Testament before you, and refer to and read them before
you read my short remarks, which I hope, by Gods blessing, will be
some help to you in the right understanding of them.
The first is f//e Banrii Fig Tree (Chap, xiii, 6-9).
Expiauatiou.— \\\^ tree referred to by our Lord was a sort of white
fig, which, if it did not bear fruit in three years, rarely bore any at all.
This tree represented the unbelie^•ing Jews, whom God had favored
with great privileges, and sent his prophets and his Son among them
r
triinmccl
sii;n of
riic t;.ii--
ick them
Jcl to l)C
Kl show
)c read)'
vc away
conic at
:all(j(l to
ho uses
cd ; but
things,
And cHs-
"ipcs, so
nt^ball
choose
-Of the
ung-s in
icre are
1 in the
}()U to
before
uill be
f white
^ at all.
avored
i them
/T'
'^
WV:.*^
r
I:.
SK^iSf
.,^-
THE PRODIGAL SON.
" His father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on hi . neck."-Lu;co XV, 20.
J
IMKIi.
»3«
to call then, to rc;,,c„t.„,cc; but .still they had not Klorificil him Still
. adbccn,,at,cntu,,,uhen,,an., h, n pn.nslu,! thun as tl ^
^l-n^.d,butann vain. His kn„l unc over thun nuist therefore
soon cease, and they be ruined like a tree cut down.
In the f.,urtcenth chapter front the seventh to the eleventh verses,
" c li.u e the parable of ///,■ ///;_,/„■.>/ Sail.
sef uu rtrv'':;,''"'^ '"'"" ""'"""'" ■•""'•"•^' - '•'"'•" ^^-^ ••'
. mrt , h ^^-^nx.nies are nn,eh greater. The Persians
will wccl-c themselves in at the taljle'
just at the place where they siii)j)ose
their rank entitles them to sit. The
master of the feast ma)-, hcnvever,
raise any one as hi-h up the table as
lie pleases. The Greeks hav e the same
custom at their wechlin- feasts, and if
an\- take places higher than they ou-ht,
they arc very likely to be ])u^t lower
tlown.
Our Lord here teaches us "that
P'-icle will have shame, and will at
last hcive a fall."
Tht Pyodigal Sou \. a most de-
lightful parable, fmni the eleventh
^crsc to the en of the fifteenth
chaptf r.
cliikiren ul lie the Gentiles were not so; and how they felt themselves
mc,rt,fied when our blessed Lord gave them to nnderstand that he
Z^.V T V'' al.,o ble.ssed in the Chris, the true Messiah I
she vs ns, also, how the sinner, clioosing his own way, goes afar from
God our common Father, and so from real ha|,piness And it poin^
r rlintl'n "'°1>"""'^ P"^""^ "■'^° """ "^-'^'^ through ' vej
restraint and have their own ,v.ay, ^^■hich most frequently brin-^s on
CaKi.II FrIMT (IIisKS O.. I'ROlii.lAI. .S„N) anu
Lkavks.
T,^>2
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
misery, and often ruin. It likewise teaches us at the greatest extreme
of misery and wretchedness not to despair, but to go to a merciful
God, who will look upon our tears, will hear our supplications, and
will yet receive us graciously into his tender mercies, through Jesus
Christ our Saviour.
The sixteenth chapter begins with the Unjust Steward, and it is
contained in the first eight verses.
Explanation.— ''T\\\?, world," says one, "is a house; heaven, the
roof; the stars, the lights; the earth, with its fruits, the table spread ;
the Master of the house is the holy and blessed God ; man is the
steward, into whose hands the goods of this house are delivered ; if he
behave himself well, he shall find favor in the eyes of his Lord ; if not,
he shall be turned out of his stewardship." We see in this parable
that one step of sin leads on toward another, and that he who begins to
cheat will soon easily go on cheating. Roguery is, however, sooner or
later discovered, and then it ends in the disgrace of the offender. Yet
bad as it is to act unjustly toward man, it is worse when we consider
that we can not do wickedly toward others without breaking God's law.
Such a steward must break the sacred command, "Thou shalt not
steal " ; and God marks those who wickedly break his righteous laws.
In the nineteenth and following verses we have the parable of tlie
Rich Man and Lazarus.
Explanation. — The expression " Abraham's bosom," used here, was
used among the Jews to express heaven. We must remember that
this is only a parable, and that the happy in heaven and the wicked in
hell are too far apart ever to talk with each other.
In the seventeenth chapter is a short parable which we call the Ser-
vant in the Field. It is to teach us that when we serve God ever so
diligently we have only done our duty, and have merited nothing
from his hands.
In the eleventh and following verses we read of ten lepers whom
Christ cured, but out of the ten only one gave him glory for what he
had done. Was not this ungrateful ? But ask yourself, How many
mercies have I received and have forgotten to praise God for them ?
" In everything give thanks," and bless the kind Giver.
LUKE.
extreme
merciful
ions, and
gh Jesus
md it is
iven, the
; spread ;
n is the
sd ; if he
\ ; if not,
; parable
)egins to
ooner or
er. Yet
consider
od's law.
.halt not
Lis laws,
le of the
lere, was
bcr that
icked in
the Ser-
ever so
nothing
's whom
what he
w manv
r them ?
^33
those r ,r,:: ;:x; ;:■ ;r,:i,:H:':^ir'">- "•" - "■ ■'-' -'-
eluded m the tenth and following verses.
The Pharisee represents those Avho think
there is merit in their perform - their
religious duties, and who hope to be
saved by them; while the publican
represents the humbh-hearted sinner
who feels no pride in praying, but only
feels his need of Gods mercy.
''God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble."
Ju cho. he wished much to see him. Pnit he was a very short n u
of fio_trec. Jesus looked up and called him by name to come
down, for he meant to go with him to
his house. Zaccheus was delighted at
this, but many were mortified, \and, no
doubt, many of the Pharisees, for they
said that Jesus was gone to be a guest
with a sinner. Yes, Jesus Christ "came
into the world to save sinners." And
by his o-race R. hn l i ""''' ^''' ''"'"'^ ""^ Zaccheus was touched
7JLT 1 ^ ^'''" '''' oppressive and unjust tax-gatherer
an had wronged those of whom he had collected, o enrich hm'eTf'
to those whom he had injured, and so to repent. Jesus saw that 1 e
was sincere. He knew, tc. that his heart was ready to re eiv i
as his Saviour. Zaccheus becoming blessed, would now be a bless g
Ancient Signet Rings.
(
134
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
to others. " This clay," said Jesus, " is salvation come to this house,
forasmuch as he also is the son of Abraham." Publicans, though
Jews, \vere reckoned by them but as heathens ; but now Zaccheus
is blessed with faithful Abraham ; like him, he would command his
children and his household to walk in the ways of holy obedience.
The salvation of Zaccheus was an example of Christ's design in
coming into the world, "to seek and to save that which was lost."
In this gospel there are also several particulars concerning the cruci-
fixion, the resurrection, and the ascension of Christ which are not found
in the other gospels. Among those relating to the crucifixion are:
his praying for his murderers, " Father, forgive them ; for they know
not what they do"; the petition of the dying thief, and his prompt
pardon by the Saviour; the commending his spirit into the hands of
his Father just before his death. In regard to the resurrection, we
have two angels ajjpearing to the women; Christ's appearance to the
two disciples going to Fmmaus; and to the eleven in Jerusalem. As
to his ascension, Luke gives a more particular account of it, both here
and in the first chapter of Acts, than any of the other Evangelists.
He is also the only Evangelist who gives the command of Christ that
th^y should remain in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit.
is house,
, though
Zaccheus
nand his
jcdicnce.
csign in
est."
he cruci-
ot found
ion are :
ey know
prompt
lands of
:tion, we
:e to the
nn. As
Dth here
ngeh'sts.
irist that
Spirit.
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN
have been not to repeat the incidents of thb^ n^ vol fT?-'"' "r"''*'""- '"^ '-P'- i-vriting it seenm
wuh .sumcient fullness , nor to de.scr,.. n.any o ^ L (h! mem'^' T' ""i "'"" '' '^"^'^"^'^ '^^ •^'--'> ^'v
other (.ospels), or recount l,is parables, which h.d ara< v h T T ■ '''^^''' "'' °^ "'''<-''' ="■« ""' found in the
and to the world, ./..y..„ J,, ,,, i.,„ ;'2/ ^';1 ;:":„;■;;; ''"' - :;--'-- - .he disciples at EphLlI
more.nttmate mtercourse with Christ enahlc.l hi,„ to know Ir fu ,. H "," ' T'''''"" "''''"^ ''^"'"''-« -''i^'' hi
prommence to those teachings of Christ in which hi i ^ " "'^ «>1'^'>- Kvangelists, and he gives special
this, his conversation with his earliest di pl^^ Ih K T ""'"'' "" """'"' ""^ den,o„s,ra,ed. Astns anc 'i
njiracle of healing the in,potent n.an 'af T ::;: ^";S:":;:r'T TT. '''"''"' ^'^ '"^ ^^^^^ ^
o her occasions at Jerusalem, at the raising of Laz.rus int le , , f '"' """ '""'^ "'°"^'->'"'' -"' °" ^ev.-ral
chsctples the evening before his ,„ .rayal. Ly 1 X'e ? ,?T',"; '''^•""^' -""* '-''- '"'-view with his
u ler account of the Saviour's , i„ ,,,,,. ^^an ^ o,,.,, ?, '" ""^ '""■'""' ""-" •'"'"> gives a n.uch
labors ■„ Galilee. Mis a^ , ,f ,„e Jia,. th crucmvi: ^d hTr""'"''"^ 'T """^"^ "^•^■"'''^•'' -'" '^ "^'^ -'"
pnncpal eye-witness of .1, .,., „,o,e ^„ ^^^ de," u^ t^, ^ e7"""T': "' '''"'^^ "'"' "^ ^"^ "^ '"« - "-
ins ma,n purpose-to demonstrate that •■ the Word w^ made ,«;,:, ^^ "'^' ""'^-^ ""^'"^^'-^^ ' "'-' "-^ also ai.U
accepted by the church as authen.io and inspired; o 1 te .^ ^ in i J' """"^'"" '''" *='^^'"-" '^ '""•^y^ '-"
hat ,t was wru.en in the second or third cen ury after Q ris and ' 1 T"' """' '""" '"'""'""' "^ ''-"■
. vKled ,nto twenty.one chapters. The last two ver" s o the we^^ t'T""" ' '"' ""'^ '""'■" ^''^'""'■^ '^'^''- " -
the elders of the church at Ephesus. at whose recp.est he g"; :^:;.t:'"''" "' ""'""' '" '^'^ '^"" '''""^'^ '^^
Account of John the Evangelist.-John the Baptfst^s Testimony to
Christ,
JOHN I.
HE Evangelist John was distinguished as "that
'^^ discp c whon> Jesus loved/' Jesus loved all hi
d.sc,ples, but John was particularly honored by
Vh; n't "'" ."'"■ ""' '"''""' "P°" his bosom
When Jesus shone m such glory on the "hi.d,
mountam," John was one of the three disciples ., a
saw h„„. He was, likewise, one of the th'Jee tha
saw h,s agony ,n the garden. To hin, also was
committed the care of Mnrv th,. m-,' r r
when he died on the crn« u,-., ■ , ^^ m^l'i'^r of Jesus,
136
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
As we find thini^^s in Mark and Luke which arc not in Matthew, so we
find things in John which are not in either of the other H\angelists.
John does not
re})eat the account
of the birth of
Jesus Christ, for
that had been suf-
ficiently done by
the other three
H V a n g e 1 i s t s ;
those who follow-
ed the first hav-
ing told us about
matters omitted
by him, that noth-
ing important
might be wanting.
And throughout
this Evangelist
the history of
what Jesus did is
not so much re-
lated as what he
said.
In the other
Evangelists we
are told about the
things which
Jesus performed,
from which wc
m u s t conclude
that he was more
than a mere man, for no man could do the miracles which he
did; and there are also expressions used at different times which
point out that he was a divine person. But John treats more
"lU: CAME TO XAZARETll, AND WAS SUajECT UMO THEM."
JOHN.
^^^ point, and begins his gospel by declaring that Jcl
Christ is here called " the Word." We will f..ll . , ,
he It IS that speaks all divine thin.s to us- u In '7 " ^^'■' ^'^""-^^
only through him. "^ ' ''^ ^"''^^' ^'^^ uord of Ciod
He who is called " the "\\7"r..-j " • i
-'ys John. .. was God. " "'" ^^"^''^ C^' • " --' "-• Uord/'
He was in " the becrinnin<r " • Jn fK. ) • •
fore he was f.on, ete™\;;VeTi ^ r "'"i^,:!:::;' ■^"'^ '"-
the begmnm-" as eternity is cilled I,?, T "*" "°' "'"
The world can not ,,ave 'JJft ^ ^'^J^, '^^'"!^'"^
because_as ,s elsewl.cre said of hin,_"he 1 h ) ,, f- '■""^'''
by hnn all thinj^s consist."* He must h! t T "" """«"• ^'"'i
because he ,nade the world; t jl' :,: ^;^ ^"^^^ "^ --H
by hnn ; and without him w,s J, ?, ^'""'^'' "^''^ '"'"I'--
Now, ,ve l,ave seen in G ne ^ tha^ ■ ! T^' ""^''-' "'^" "'^'^ ™'•'^''-■■■•
heaven and the earth" otts l" 1 '"-■«"'"!"»' God created the
WOK. •■is the sa„,e thltl tWrc'riled^.^G:;"" " ''- -''' ' ^^^
;i^rt::;:Tu:,;r-rii;,t:,;T"i ^t^^ <^— '^
fine statue, but all the nien in h^ n ''■ ^'^ '=•''" '"^^-^ a
alone must do this. But"m ti:;i l^'.^Cl ^ fl^^ '' "^^ ' ^^
And the Life was the Lirrht of men " Ti. ,
ni gross darkness without him We could h' 7 '""'' ^'''' ^^^"
______ '"^^J^ocould have known nothing about
*It has been well said that " while \tThi77~. ■ ', ~~
Luke traces it back to Adan, Joh ^ es bj "^ -If'T '" '""^'"^>^ °^ ^--^^ -''h Abrahanr;;;^
or the universe. To him the reatioT f n an Ln .T'""'"^'' ""''''' '^'^ "-'-" "^ >he e h
genealogy dates from eternity." Ou read; sh d a. ' ""'"" "^'^ "^'^"' -™-e H
mencement of this gospel and that of th: bo k t "1 ts^ "T 'm ^'■"'■'^^'■^^' ^'^^^^^^^^ ^'^ --
the new both start from " the beginnine " of n'l M ,' ^ "'"^ revelation of God's will and
- to the hill-tops, from whence we my see the L?'^ ^ )V'' ^'^ ^''^ '^^'^^^--t onl^ brings
ness -the coming of the light of the world -thn'"' " ''""'"^ ""' ^^^ ^^ "' ^^t o" s
see, from the walls of the Jerusalem bov ei^end !rair" "! i'"^' '" "" ^"^^^'■^' -'"S^' ^i' -e en
tr. r "• t^"' 'f 77 -"'^' -'^-■" ^weiirri^,r r ';'^' tnT r^ ^'^^ --^- °^ ^^"
uie unoic hL.toty of Gud's dealings with man—mcf " ^'-' ^^^Pt^'es, then, we have
Ood ,„ ,],„ period i„ the future when ,|,e ear h Id h, . ""' """"'«' '" ">= mi d of
•-'---™«n,e„dea..e.„.„fa„a:;?l:^-:™„r:,;^--.;^^^^^^^^^^
138
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
God and the way to heaven but through Jesus Christ. Where he is
not known even the wisest men did and still do worship carved fig-
ures of different materials, believing them to be God.
This " light shined in darkness, but the darkness comprehended it
not." " The world by wisdom knew not God." When Jesus Christ
appeared men could not see his glory ; they were even so blind that
the miracles which proved him to be no mere man could not convince
them.
" There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The
same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light— thiit all men
through him might believe. He" [John] "was not that light, but
was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world." The heathen have
the light of reason, which God gave to them; and we have the light of
revelation, or of the gospel, revealed— or made known to us— by his
Holy Spirit.
" And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us : and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full
of grace and truth."
Now, think a little on what John has here said. Though his lan-
guage, being about uncommon matters, is expressed in a way not
directly to be understood,— on account of our being so used chiefly to
common concerns,— yet by a little thought it becomes very clear.
The Word— which spoke the mind of God, and was God ; which
made all things, and is the life and light of all men— was borne witness
to by John the Baptist, who came preaching a few months before Jesus
openly showed himself in his ministry ; and that " Word " was the
Lord Jesus Christ himself, who " was made flesh " when he took our
nature and was born in Bethlehem ; who " dwelt " some time in the
world; whose "glory "the apostles saw— in the deeds he did, in the
Heavenly truths which he taught, in his transfiguration on the mount,
and in his ascension to glory, of which we shall hereafter read.
John attracted much attention by his bold and singular way of
preaching ; and the Jews made inquiries of him if he was the Christ—
the Messiah foretold by the prophets. John replied that he was not;
JOHN.
^l")
ere he is
"ved fig--
lended it
s Christ
lind that
:onvince
n. The
all men
ght, but
lit which
en have
light of
— by his
and we
her, full
his lan-
vvay not
hiefly to
iar.
; which
witness
re Jesus
was the
)ok our
e in the
1, in the
mount,
way of
'hrist —
as not;
hat he was only like the forerunner of a prince in his processions or
ravels, gomg before hi.n and saying, " Make straight the way of the
Lord, ^ remove every impediment out of the way to receive him ; or as
a kmgs servants say, " Make room." Men must turn out their sins
by repentmg of them, and so make room in their hearts for Jesus
Chnst He who was the Christ, was speedily coming to preach his
gospel, and he was far greater than John ; so much so that the latter
was not worthy of being honored as his servant, to unloose even the
straps ot his sandals-or shoes without the upper leathers, as worn in
the bast.
The very next day Jesus made his appearance, and John pointed to
hun anc sa.d.^' Behold the Lamb of God, ^vhich taketh away the sin of
the world ! This is he of whom I said.
After me cometh a man which is preferred
before me: for he was before me." But
why did John call Jesus "the Lamb of
God " ? Because he came into the world
to die for sinners. Every morning and
evening the Jews offered up a lamb in
sacrifice ; which sacrifice in the morninc-
took away the guilt of the night, while
that of the night took away the guilt of the
morningr. So God appointed, and so the Jews sacrificed. But Tesus
Chnst was now to be the Lamb slain. What those lambs did only in
type, or as a sign, he came to do in reality for all who by faith behold
him as "the Lamb of God "-the only Lamb that can take away sin •
or, in other words, the only sacrifice that can be truly effectual, and on
whose account alone all the old sacrifices were of anv use The Tews
would in vain have offered their lambs in sacrifice if Jesus Christ had
not died ; and the truly pious Jews believed this, and looked to some-
thing more that was to take place when the Messiah should finish his
work.
John moreover, declared that he knew nothing of Christ any more
than other people-there was no scheme between them that he should
make out Christ to be the Messiah, for he declared him to be such
Sandaus.
)
140
T//£ FAMILY COMMENTARY.
because he had seen the Holy Spirit rest upon him in some extraor-
dmary appearance, resembling a meek and innocent dove, yet at the
same time all glorious and divine. On this account he " bare record,"
or declared of Christ that he was " the Son of God."
John's disciples, on hearing this testimony, wisely left John, as John
wished, and followed after Jesus, and were soon joined by other dis-
ciples, whom Jesus added to them to be witnesses of what he said and
did.
After this Jesus soon gave his disciples a proof that they had not
been mistaken in following him as the true Messiah. IJathanael was
mvited by Philip to come to Christ, and to follow him.
Nathanael went to Jesus, and when Jesus saw him approaching he
-said, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile!" This
was a proof that he was more than a mere man, or how should he
have known anything about Nathanael, whom he had never before
seen ? By this he meant that Nathanael did not merely pretend to
serve God as an Israelite, but that he served him from his heart.
There was no guile or deceit about him, but he was truly sincere.
The good man was surprised at our Lord's knowledge, and asked
"Whence knowest thou me?" Jesus said, "When thou wast under
the fig tree I saw thee." This was probably some spot where Nathanael
retired to meditate and to pray, and where he was so shut out
from the world that he knew no eye could possibly see him but the eye
of God.
Nathanael needed no further proof that Christ was the Messiah, and
so he directly cried out, " Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the
king of Israel." That is, " My Master, thou art a divine person, thou
art the Messiah, prophesied of to rule over Israel."
Many suppose Nathanael to have been the same disciple which is
called Bartholomew ; because Bartholomew being called to be a dis-
ciple is never mentioned, and so they think that Nathanael must have
been the proper name of Bartholomew, for Bartholomew is not a
proper name, but signifies the son of Ptolemy. The Evangelists who
speak of Bartholomew never mention Nathanael ; and John, who men-
tions Nathanael, never mentions Bartholomew ; so that it is thought
JOHN.
X41
extraor-
et at the
record,"
as John
ther dis-
said and
had not
lael was
hing
he
" This
Duld he
" before
itend to
s heart.
2re.
1 asked,
t under
ithanael
lut out
the eye
ah, and
art the
n, thou
^hich is
I 2L dis-
st have
not a
5ts who
o men-
hough t
the one name is mentioned for the other; and, lastly, John seems to
rank Nathanael amon- the apostles, when he says that Peter, Thomas,
the two sons of Zebedee, Nathanael, and two other disciples havin<r'
gone a-fishing, Jesus showed himself to them. See the twenty-first
chapter and the second \ crse.
Marriage at Cana, in Galilee.
JOHN II.
We have here an account of the first of Christ's public miracles,
which he performed at a marriage feast at Cana in Galilee, to which
he and his disciples were invited, and his mother Mary was also there.
There being more guests than were probably at first expected, the
wme was soon consumed. Mary mentioned this lack of wine to Jesus.
Some think that Mary, having seen him perform some miracles in
private, now expected to see him perform another by supplying the
wme. And they suppose this because Mary could have no other
reason for mentioning it to him than that he should take notice of it,
and because he checked her for intimating it to him, probably to induce
him to work a miracle. "Jesus saith unto her, \\\)man, what have I
to do with thee? mine hour"— that is, my time for working any mira-
cle here—" is not yet come." I wish you just to observe, by the way,
that this language seems rather rude, and for us to say to any one,'
but especially to a mother, "Woman," would show a very great want
of respect; but it was a manner of speaking which in that society
implied no rudeness, for even princes addressed ladies of rank in
the same way, and serxvints employed the same word to speak to
their mistresses ; just as people now address a lady by the name of
Madam.
His mother left him to perform his own pleasure, and told the ser-
vants just to mind what he should say if he gave them any orders.
Now, there were six stone water-pots there, which had been used
tor water for various purposes, especially for purifying or washing the
hands and feet and the cups and platters. These water-pots, or jars,
learned men have reckoned, from the size of the measures used at that
i
112
run FAMir.Y commentary.
\
'.nc to have held about fifty-four gallons. "Jesus saith unto them,
fill he water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim
And he saith unto them. Draw out now, and bear unto the i-overnor
of the feast. And they baie it." When the governor had tasted the
uine, he was delighted with the flavor, but did not know whence it
came, and he said, •' Ex ery man at the beginning doth set forth irood
wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse but
thou hast kept the good wine until now."
Some persons have argued from this miracle that our Saviour
approved of the use of intoxicating wines ; but this is wron-r for the
common wines of Palestine were not as intoxicating as our dder, and
tlie Jewish peoi^le were very temperate ; and, besides, we have no war-
rant for thinking that this wine, miraculouslv changed from water by
our Saviour, contained any intoxicating principle ; though tastincr like
their wine, ,t was not the fruit of the vine, nor had it been fermented •
turthermore, to draw from this an argument in favor of indulgence in
intoxicating drinks is to contradict the spirit of Christ's teachings
He requires us to deny ourselves, take up our cross,— that is, avoid the
indulgence of selfish and sensual appetites,-and follow him. Doing
this, we are in no danger of using intoxicating drinks freely.
Christ's Conversation with Nicodemus.
JOHN III.
In this chapter we have an interesting conversation which our Lord
held with Nicodemus, one of the sect of the Pharisees, and " a ruler
of the Jews "; that is, a member of the great Sanhedrim.— a sort of par-
liament, consisting of seventy-one or seventy-two members,— and con-
sequently he was one of considerable authority in Jerusalem ; though
this parliament was perhaps now somewhat altered in its character
and allowed only to meddle with religious matters, the government
being under the Romans.
Nicodemus being afraid of incurring the displeasure of the Jews by
going to see Jesus, went to him -by night." He respectfully
addressed him by the name which the Jewish Doctors bore, and called
JOU.V.
'43
m R.l,b,. by way of distinction. lie told hin, ho believed hi,n to
be "a teacher come from God," and that he Itad given proof of it by tie
....racles wh.ch he had wrot,ght, and „ hich no a,n.n.on pc"son Im
" bom •l^:i;I"'' Tl •"''r "" "°' '""''-''' '° ^•''™ '^'■™- '^"' he ntust be
ad he had been born anew int., the world. He nu,st be cmite a d^-
fe.ent creature fron. ^^hat he had been. Me xvas born in s but he
"Ujs be born of the Holy Spirit, or he could never ente h aven
N "'Jemus could not understand hin, ; but Christ told hin, not to
n,a vel, o,- wonder, at ^vhat he said ; for as the wind ble^v which
way It would, never seen by our eves vet filt In i,.
bodies sn th,. I, ,-,.;„ c • •. , ■' ^ " "-^ "'"■'='■ "\"J" our
hea t of th i ^P'" ™-l<^ unseen, yet powerfully felt on the
an no ite '.' ™', " ''" ^' ''''"^- """■ '"'•" ^^ ^y nature he
metises r ;• "°^' \^"'"''-' ^' '°^"^ '"">• -' by nature he
In; htrin f II \ '"■''' ^" ^"'''''''' ''"""^-^^ ' -' ^y "•••fire he
cehghts ,n oily, so by grace he delights in that which is good This
Uiange of the n„nd is ec,ual to a new birth, for none can tm erstan
but those who have felt it; and those who have felt it now tl,a
they are "born again '-are "new creatures in Christ Jesul'
The Woman of Samaria.-The Nobleman's Son Cured.
JOHN IV.
There is a very pleasing little narrative in this chapter about a
wZcla^rr" "7 "-^^'-i'y-lled Sychar: jLb f:':: ly'
I ad purchased a piece of ground here, and gave it to his beloved son
Joseph ; and here was a well, which still bore the nan,e of jlob "
Jesus having occasion to pass that way on a journey, being hunerv
:::?• ^^f^y-'^' -' d°- by this wen jt,st at Ihe molen 'th^='
«on,.in of Samana went to ,t to draw water, and Jesus asked her to
g.ve l,,m some to drink. The won,an wondered at such a rentes"
from Jesus, he be.ng a Jew, and the Jews and Samaritans havfn^a'";
144
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
bitlcr tlislikc to each other; for the Samaritans had in various ways
endeavored to injure the Jews. Jesus then said to her, "If thou
knewest the gift of God,"— that is, that God has j^iven his own Son to
sa\ e lost men of every nation,—" and who it is that saith to thee. Give
me to drink ; thou wouhV'st have asked of liim, and he would have given
thee living water"; by this he meant the Holy Spirits influc'nces,
which, because they are refreshing to the thirsty soul of man in search
of peace and happiness, are often compared to water.
The woman did not understand him, and asked him how he could
draw water elsewhere, having neither well nor bucket at hand ; as if
he thought himself wiser than Jacob, who had drunk the water of that
well, and left it as a valuable gift to
his family.
Jesus told her that those who par-
took of that water would grow thirsty
again, but that which he could bestow
would afford full and everlasting satis-
faction.
Still the woman could not compre-
hend his meaning, and either suppos-
ing he might know of some extra-
ordinary water, or might be boasting
of what he could not give, she pro-
posed putting him to the test, and said, " Sir, give me this water,
that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw."
Jesus then began a conversation which convinced herthui he was no
common man, and told her all about her private concerns.
She then said, " Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet " ; and not
liking to talk about some things w^hich she had wrongly done, she
asked him to inform her which place of worship was most pleasing
to God, that in which the Samaritans worshiped on Mount Gerizim,
or that in which the Jews worshiped at Jerusalem.
Jesus told her that the time was now coming when no one place in
l)articular should be more holy thru another, but every spot would be
the same in the sight of God in which the worship was sincere ; for
Jacod's Well.
oils uays
"If thou
n Son to
^cc, Give
ivc given
illiicnces,
in search
he could
id ; as if
r of that
e gift to
vho par-
V thirsty
1 bestow
ng satis-
compre-
suppos-
e extra-
Doasting
ihe pro-
5 water,
:was no
ind not
3ne, she
)leasing
^erizim,
[)lacc in
ould be
^re; for
JOHN. ,,.
The woman further an,s^vcrccl him that she hdicvccl ,vliat he said
wa.snKl.t; but the Messiah was expected soon to cou.e, auU the,, he
wouki clear up all difficulties about the matter
Lnagine hmv surprised the won.an „u>st have beeu ^^hen Jesus said,
that speak unto thee a„, he." The disciples, however, ulu, were
gone away to buy food, now returned, and so the inter^■,ew ended
beemg Jesus thus engaged i- what appeared to be .u, intercMin.^
conversation w,th a Samar,lan ...man, the disciples were quit:
am-ed; but they would not t,-e th, liberty of aski.'g Jesus uhy L^
c ty, and told all her acquanUances there that she had seen the
Wcs ,ah ; for a person she had Ulked with had told her tl,e n>ost uon-
derfuHhmgs; and they must come along with her, and see and hear
While this was taking place the disciples begged of Tesus to eat of
k,,ownot of ; and h,s mmd was so intent on his work of doing ™od
wh,ch he called h,s meat, that he cared not about eating. The d sxi-
ples, however, were often dull of understanding, and so they were
now, for they thought that he had got some othermeat, and wond r d
how he cou d have procured it. Jesus then explained to then, h^
meanms : " My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to
fin,sh ,s work." It wanted then four „,onths of harves -ti e bu h^
nevertheless had a great harvest to gather in-„ot of barley bu o
ouls^ It was not a tuBe then to eat and to drink, but to w^rk ■ for
the bamantans were ready to receive hin, and to believe on him 'and
these were h,s precous fields, which were w^hite and rea<ly for haJ
MitTd'oVhr.." •'-^•^--"^ °f 'he Samaritans^f that city
r.fr^^ K- '" '"■""""''^ "I'"" '° ''°P ^' ^y*'-''- '"'o days, he then pro-
ceeded on h,s journey into Galilee ; and going again to Cana •■ whrr,.
he made the water wine." he performed another' mirade brcurinith:
A^'&o-: MTiKis^sa^i^i
146
T///I FAMILY COMMENTARY.
Sick son of a nobleman of Herod's court. This nobleman, hearing
that Jesus was there, took a journey from Capernaum to see him, and to
iinplore him to cure his son. Jesus knew how unbelieving the people
of Capernaum ^^'ere, and perhaps that the nobleman had been so him-
se f so Jesus reproved him and did not say he would cure his son, but
to d h„n .. Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe."
Ihe nobleman, however, urged him to return and save his child The
kind heart of Jesus could not resist the yearnings of the fond parent
over his beloved son, and he said, " Go thy way, thy son liveth." The
nobleman relied on his word and hastened home. But before he got
home some of the servants were sent on the road to meet him and to
tell him the joyful news that his son was recovered ; and on his inquir-
ing at what time it took place, he found it was exactly at the time which
Jesus had said.
Owing to this remarkable miracle, the second which Jesus performed
at Cana, not only did the nobleman believe, but all his fomily were
convmced that Jesus was the true Messiah; that is, "The Christ the
Saviour of the world."
Christ Cures the Disabled Man at the Pool of Bethesda.
JOHN V.
We now behold Jesus going, according to custom and in obedience
to the law, to the feast of the Passover at Jerusalem, on which occasion
a vast number of persons being assembled, he had the greater oppor-
tunity of doing good.
There was at Jerusalem a pool which, on accour' of some medicinal
properties in its waters, was a sort of bath, to which persons with com-
plaints of various kinds went in order to obtain a cure, and many had
been cured by bathing in it. It seems, however, that it was necessary
they should go in just at a certain time, when the waters were a<-itated
by an extraordinary cause. ^
Jesus arriving at the pool, saw a poor man there who had been dis-
abled during no less than tliirt) -eight years, and having no money to
pay any one to wait upon him and put him into the water whenever it
JOHN.
147
be.n:an to stir, some other person aKv:us hurried into the pool before
hnn just at the j^-oper nionient, and obtained eure instead of himself.
Jesus talked to him about his complaint, and learning his hard lot
asked hnn if he would like to be cured ; and then he commanded
h.m to take up his bed and walk. We have noticed a similar cure in
the nmth chapter of St. Matthew, and there told nou that the bed
AN ANCKL WENT I.OWN AT A ^^HTA,:^^,^W ,X InT^^TuE TuuL 7.^^ .KOL.LuTn^
used was a sort of mattress, or, we may add, if you have ever seen a
sailor s hammock, it was something of that kind, so that a man in health
could carry it wnhoutany ^rcat inconvenience.
This happened on the Sabbath day. Now, the Tews were verv strict
observers of the Sabbath, and so fai- they were right; and thex'would
not allow any one to carry a burden on that day. So, seein- this man
cariy.n- his bed, they told nim that he ^^•as breaking the Sabbath
14^
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
The man then excused himself for ^vhat he was doing, and intimated
as „,uel, as that he could not in that instance be doinjj ^v,•on.: fo he
wo had power to cure hin, had certainly a right to .rder him to clrll
Ills bed The poor man could not afford to lose his bed and he was
no gomg to reave it by the pool. He did not carry it for' ^pu p"
of busmess, but only from entire necessity. Besides, all wo.ks o
necessity and mercy are laxvful on the Sabbath
These were probably Pharisees, who, guessing that it was Jesus who
cured this n,an, endeavored thus to prejudice him, for they took e^rv
oi.,portunity to s1k»>- their hatred to our divine Lord ^
wcm'^nT/l'T'T''' '^r""^'"^^" it was Jesus who had cured him,
^e o h , -"T- °'''"*''"° ^'""l^f' "'-' they would raise the
lame of his divine Saviour; instead of which these wicked peoDle
only hated him the more, and sought to kill him by bringing hm
b:'^: thetrr''"^ --^'^^^- - '-« hu/cond^rntd for
As yet, hoxvever, they could only threaten to stone him or to use
mob violence toward him, for the plans afterward concocted by the
Phansecs and pnests for his destruction had not then been matured
Christ compares Himself to Bread.
JOHN VI.
Soon after the events mentioned in the last chapter Jesus had left
Jerusalem and gone into Galilee, and at Capernaum and Bethsaida and
n ncl r"u°VT' "'=" '"f ^^^ °' ^'^"■'^^'=' "^'^ '-S'" -d P-f^™ '
of r 1 f '"'^f "''"5? '•" ''•'^' '° "'^^ '"'"y region northeast of the Sea
of Gahlce for a short penod of rest and uiet, he had been followed
davsS """'""''V''" '"'' "^^'^^ ^"'' '^^"•«' "^-^ f-'- or three
.ys,finaly feeding five thousand men and many women and children
with five loaves and two small fishes, as you read in the fourteenth
chapter of M.mhew The people who had been fed thought hs an
hey Wlowed him across the sea to Capernaum, whither he had gone
the night after the miracle. Here he took occasion to tell them that
he knew they sought only their own gratifieation in following him, and
tha then motive w.s wrong; they thought Co make themselves rich
and great by following him, but they «cre mistaken
He then told them not to labor so much for the body as to for-et to
feed then souls: that to do this they must believe on bin, They
ungratefully replied that if he would rain manna from hcasen they
u-ould. Jesus replied that his Father had sent them bread Oom
heaven-the bread of life : they asked to be fed ^vith it. Then lesus
said, "I am the Bread of Life,- Yes, my dear young readers, hose
^vho believe in him find life for their souls. Bread sustains the body
and Christ only can sustain the soul.
Many of the Jews were so much displeased at the spiritual character
of Christ .s te.aehings that, though they had previously professed to be
his disciples, they now "went back and walked no more with him "
Jesus said to the twelve uhom he had chosen, •• Will ye also go away >"
Peter replied, " Lord, to whom shall vve go ? Thou hast the words of
11. r i r ^"'' "'^':,"°^^ ™'' ^'•'^ ^"'-'^ that thou art that Christ, the
bon ot the living God.
Chiist the Spring or Fountain of Happiness.-The Jews try to
stone air,st.-Christ gives Sight to a Man born Blind.
JOHN VII-I.X.
Jesus had left the province of Judea for that of Galilee, for while he
remained in Jewry, or Judea," the Jews .sought to kill him"; but he
soon afterward returned thither at the feast of tabernacles, vhen al
he males went to Jerusalem, and when the Jews erected tents o
ooths, in which they dwelt and ate their n,eals, in commemorlaLn o
1 Z 1 f 7 '" 'f'"' '■" ""= "■"^'^™'^^^- M-re Christ went
into the temple and taught the people ; and they wondered at the
ivine truths which he told them. He also repeated his rep oofs o
the Jews and they still tried to get a favorable opportunity to' kU
day of the feast he stood up and cried aloud, •• If any man thirst let
him come unto me and drink." You understand wha you have read
I -•' '*•]
»50
T//E FAMILY COMMENTARY.
j bout the nonian at the well : Christ here „,ea„s the same-that ali true
fe proceeds fron, h,m, and that if any „,an wished then to be hippy
by com,ng to hui, he could n.ake him so ; from him he could 2^\
be supp ,ed as a thirsty man could from an overflowing spring he
hould be br,mful of happiness, which he expresses by saving ,';
"out of h,s belly should ■• flow rivers of living \vater " Si^Tn "s'rna e
tr rije::' %Tv "^"'ir' "'^ ^''"-^^ "^^' '-^- - -- rm::::
migh^betrut"''"^' ' ^'""'^'' '^"' "°' "'^^ ™'^^= *^'
In the following chapter a «oman ,vas brought to him who had for-
saken her husband and lived with another man. This ^^as forbidde^
by the laws of God, and was to be punished
with death. The Jews brought this ^^■oman
to Christ, that he might say whether she
ought to be punished or not. Now, if he
had said that she ought, the)- would have
accused him to the Sanhedrim and to the
Roman government of taking upon hmis"lf
to sit in judgment without any author! i.
which would have been a high crime; r.id
,„„„, , , , , .'' ^^ '''"' ^^''-' she was not punishable, they
wo Id have accused him of contradicting the law of Moses I^
bo h cases, therefore, they would have taken an advantage of him ■
but with his usual wonderful wisdom, he defeated their design and
instead of answering their question for his opinion, he said "He that
.s without sin among j-ou, let him first cast a stone at her." Jesus
knew that her accusers were as wicked as she, and this answer made
them quite aslmmed of themselves ; so they all slunk away one by
one, leaving the woman with Christ, who faithfully and tenderly
admonished her to " go and sin no more " ^
as the light o the world," and "many believed on him," He .nlso
to hemXre "'^ <="\"'''°, '^^'^'-'"'^ ^° '^"•■■■■ged with what he said
to them, and especially when he spoke of his own eternal existence as
TkNT, (IK liciOTIl.
JOHN.
the Son of God, that they took up stones with which some builders were
repa,ru,,. the temple that they might throw then, at hin, ; bu Je't
esea,.ed a^atn front their hands, for his work on earth ^;•as 1{ "^
And as Jesus passed by from the temple he saw a man who was
born bhnd ; and he uet sonte clay with his spittle, and putti m it on
hrs eyes contntanded h t, to go to the pool of .Siloan, and uash I ere
The ntan accordingly obeyed him, " and washed, and cante seein ' "
Now, the puttmg of clay on the mans eyes could not .nve°him
s.ght nor could the washing in the fountain called Sio n -'^Int t™
was done to show us that we ought never to despise the use any
means, how snnple soever they may seem, if those means a d,v ne y
commanded. Praymg to God and hearing and reading the word of
God can never save our souls; but they are all m.-ans which we are
grace, ne is pleased to yive his blessing.
This miracle attracted much notice, for the man was a public beir^ar
and everybody knew him, and now e^•erybody asked, " ifno tl f he
that sat and begged?" Then the people wished o leriin wha
wonderful way he had got his sight ; and he told then,. Th P Ir ees
also soon heard about it, and th were also very innuisitive he
matter. The man told them the same story. Now, th , ad I ke
being still full of malice against Jesus, these wicked Pharisees said
that hough Jesus might ha^■e cured the man, yet nevertheless he w^
a bad man, for he had broken the Sabbath Some feu however
^,ought ditterently, an-, they „uarreled among themse v ; aCt '
As for he blind man, he made up his mind at once that Jesu was a
prophet, for he knew that no common person could do ihat he had
done to his heretofore sightless eyes.
The Pharisees then sent for the man's parents, to knou- if he had
really been born blind ; or, if so, whether perhaps some mean had no
to J^s Th"*" ''": " "■""' ''^>- ""=<''' ^'-'"^ ''^ cure ratht tl an
to Jesus The parents were as much surprised as the Pharisees h„t
as they knew nothing about the cure, they'were obligc-d t'Tr^hem
I>2
'Jim J-AMILY COMMIiXTAi:Y.
ag. n mqu.nngof the man; and, besides, had they known more about
, hey wore a ra,d to say wha- u,ey thought of Jesus, for the PhaHsees
ad tl,reatenod severely to punish any who should own that h was
tl e true Mess.ah : they vvere liable to be put out of the ssl^^^Zll
wh,eh was a sentenee that did not exelude' them fronrgoi'n toTe'
M^^agogue but ^vas only so ealled. ,t nas, howeve^^J; ^^^ e
After th,s sentence no one durst hire the punished perso, to work no
Tom him' '""^ ™"^ '^™'='"'' ^'^ ^'"-'^ -- -"'-^'^^ or urn'aw::
toll 'lir'r"'""'"" •''f' ■"• j''=^^'f™-<=. ^VoVc to the n-.an whowasct.red and
sinner But the man thought more highiv of him. n^ ^^l.o had
opened h,s eyes had thrown some h,ht of knowledge into h n,in
m. And after disputmg their opinion he at once asked themif thev
would become d,se,ples of Jesu.s. Th,.. ^v■as n,ore than their a L fous
and prouu sp,r,.s could bear, and they then reviled him and C itoo
The man, how n-er, reasoned well with them, and said it was v^^'
c araete ti '"' '°"" "°' ''•'''= "^ ''"^^'-^ ^'^ °f ChHs 'I
character, fo t ^va : plain enough that by no human power could he
have opened h,s eye. : "Since the world began was it not hea d that
any man opened the eyes of one that was bSrn blind "
liemg unable an>- longer to reason the point, they had recourse to
c s Z' "':' ' "f "■"'■ " ^°^' *°" ''-•■-' '° ^ - ? " and so thS
cast him out of the synagooue. -^
In this pitiable eondition'the Saviour sought for him and found him •
and he sa,d to hm, " Dost thou belie^ c in the Son of God ? "-tha Ts
Dos thou expect the Messiah ? Wilt thou trust in hint ? for in the
propheces he was called the Son of God, The poor mans h a t w s
Lord, tha I may beheve m him ? " Jesus then told him that he him
.elf was tne Son of God, and the mar, worshiped him.
jKKSswtisaaipiiaiift'-
JOHN.
153
Christ Compares Himself to a Door.-Christ, the Good Shepherd.
JOHN X.
it did so from
bad dcsiijfns —
he was a thief
and a robber.
^V e have
doors of en-
trance to our
houses, and
none but
thieves and
robbers think
of getting- in-
to them by
climbing up
to the win-
dows.
The allu-
SIIEErrOLD
sion was well understood bv the Tews TN . 1 ru
Now, the real shepherd would always enter in Sv f^.f ^
■s, by the proper way,-ana the .an wL r^^^;:", ^^e doort.^lS
i( !
It'*!
'54
TllR FAMILY COMMENTARY,
™io , " 1"-"''' "''"' """'^ '""■••'y^ "f^-" "'^ ^l°°'- "" I'-'H", n,s
na„K. , for ,„ Last, n, countries the shepherds know their sheep as
e k„o our dogs, and they give tl,e„, na„,es,ancl vvhen the>- are ea led
Ley w,li con,e to the shepherd out of the Hock and ansul- to their
names, as a dog we know will answer us. With the same fan,iliarity
went bcfo, e them, playmg some musical instrument. Hut if a strm-er
I ail civvtiy.
By the shcepfold Christ meant his clmrch, to which he ^^•as the onK-
ay of entrance, and he tells the Pharisees and people that ,vloev '
before clauncd to be the Messiah had deceived then, for he-Jest s-
out of this fold under his guidance would find happiness and peace
• f ,"' r?"") ''■'^'' " ' '■"" "'" S°°'' ^'"-'■''''•■'■J • "i*; t'ood shepherd
g veth his life for the sheep." So you read that David exposed i
hfe and fought with ^^■lld beasts to save his fathers floek. Christ or
good shepherd actually gave himself u,, to death that his sheep niight
no perish, unlike the hireling that cares not for them, and if h!s lif? is
t^^l'"'''''^^'^^''-^^^ -^ '-CS them to the
Thus he loved his church and gave himself for it. Amoi,.- the
Jews he had many sheep, whom he came to save ; but not ami,^
them only, but also among the Gentilc.s_an,ong the heathen ; that i:^
the nations that ,vere not Jews, of vvhich ,ve form a part. Jesus furthcT
says, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold ■ tt m ho
and on sf"' T\ ""' ''"" ^'''' '"^ ^"-^ ' ^"^ "^^^ ^^allbe one fold
and one Shepherd.
Christ raiseth Lazarus from the Dead.
JOHN XI.
At a vilhin^e called Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem, there
lived two sisters, Martha and Mary, of whom we have read in the
ariiio his
led them
sliecp as
irc called
to their
miliarity
Id times,
stranger
3ice and
the onl}
\hoever
Jesus —
t in and
peace,
lepherd
sed his
"ist, our
) might
s life is
to the
ng the
among
that is,
further
m also
nefold
, there
in the
CHRIST AND THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA
-Whosoever drinK.H. of the water that I shall ^ive him shall never thirst." -John IV, ,4.
y\
IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MAN
Y MANSIONS." John X
fV, 2.
rv
s:::!:st;'t:.:;:f ; ^ y '• "7"7 — > -an., a,u, Z
^".. .ill he ua. ...a This.,.,.;.;/;;;:/ ";,:r;;^;;:^,;;;-
'2--U.S, .,„U .sec ir tl,.y ,.a„, ,.,icv„, in hi': .n^i^.^lt '.'^
"iiL-T MAk^ >AT STILL IN THE HOUSE."
!l
{
^-»*»-
158
Tf/Ii FAMILY COMMENTARY,
a mourner in the house, as she did not know that Jesus had arrived ,or
she ha<l a most sincere love for liim. -"nvLd. lor
Martli., eomplained, "Lord, if thou hadst been here mv broil,,,- iv, 1
not died.' This proved how hi,h an opinion she d'oN, s ,t , o
save hmi ; and she seems to have had fa th -nou.d, u, bdi ■ i, , ,
that ne mi,,lu raise him fr.,m the dead. ^ ''"''"''"
After some further conversation with Jesus Martha hastened to , ,11
cr sister, who, suddenl>- leaving the house, was supposed t.,;
have gone to weep over her brothers grave, and 'si tliey lollo ved 1 e
As soon as Mary came to Jesus she also said, as her sister" nl s i'
"Lord, 1 thou iKulst been here, ,„y brother had not died ■ t^'
vvho had all the feelings of our nature, ,vas tenderly touched at the
affecting scene, and going to his sepulchre "Jesus wept Oh I ■
km.lness of his heart I Who could but love him I ' ' '"
Some of the Jews who did not like him reasoned wisely enouoj,
and said that smce he had opened the eyes of the bli'd s.'re 1 :
.-,mt as easily raise the dead ; but they said this in On r to rl
doubt whether he ever had done such a thing in reality as IrUi:;
Jesus now went to the cave, in which, according to a custom of the
the mouth of the cave. Jesus immediately desired the stone to be
lemoved, and " cried with a loud voice, La.arus, come forth And it
that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes "-
havmg several folds of linen wrappe-d about him. wWeh w nmh:;
CIS cm of those times ; " and his face ,vas bound about with a na, Un -
that IS, round the forehead and under the chin. Jesus then sa c^^to the
persons at the grave, •■ Loose him, and let him go "
This miracle made many more Jews believe in Christ ; but some
remained so astonishingly obstinate that still they would not beMeve
he was the Messiah; and, being filled with hatred^o Tin be an h
was becoming so popular, they went and told the Pharisees, probably
^^^t^"^ ""''' "^'^ - -'- ™-- - --^e ^him a„^
I
*
rived, for
'llicr had
jovvcr to
possible
d to call
■ JcW.s to
Acd llLT.
ad said,
ihouin^
d Jesus,
I at the
Oh, the
jnougli,
rely he
raise a
ide the
of the
r upon
to be
\nd he
les "—
nother
:in "—
to the
some
elieve
se he
^bably
n and
I
ycv/x
"-aclcs, an. tha /,,„,, '5 -^'"'"'"'K-I 'hat l,c clkl n.any
of their hearts that they Ih"! ",t ""' ' '"" " *""-' "'^^ Wi.ulnc.s
nor appear in r.ubhc icmn.nv V ^' '••'-•'•S nor worl< niiraeles,
obscuri city called h;,;;"!;;? ' '"" """ •'"'' '--i^'-' "' - 'ittlc and
Washes His DisdpL" Fe'et - M ''t ''""J "^^ven.-He
tender Address to h1^ oSieT °'' ^'~"' J"^-^- " Christ's
JOIIX XII-Xiv.
.<^^7z ptir o!nt,t:!;':r ^ "r t"'™'- — ^^ '"^
as he reclined at tl,e t ble i I? I '"^7''""' "" ""^ f^'' "' ^-l-Hst,
some notice was k f •„ L "^""" "f,^''"™ "^ '^-l-'. of uhich
Matthew. We are t^ Ter t n iT ul" ^l' '"-'y-^"' chapter of
who thus showed her aftl.ctio, "^ he I ord '' V^' "'''" "' '"•"••'™-^'
m.raculous restoration of her b,; h er ,, "\ , ! gratitude for his
tliat It was Judas Isc uiot „-l, . , ^ '^"^'^ ^'^o informed
n>ight have been sol .h ' Z^ T' °' '"" "'■''^'^•' '"^' ^-'"^ '^
to the poor. What he xdK .. '''""-" '''"'"' ^5' ' ^"'1 '.'ivon
be mtritsted to himli^l'^el: 1 tv:!! :',''^^' -'-^ °f ■'' ^^-"^
our Lords rebuke of his greedy sniri^ th' /i? "'',.™' '° ^"-'■y ^'
plot to betray his Master" m- P iri ee no "'™"''^'^'>' bej,'an to
h.s entry into Jerusalem, alread^de ch'k d in t,-'' T f'""'"'^ ^"^■'■
or Matthew, were so much displeased tfAu >■ ''"'"V' '^""P"''
the people that they wante.l to -m . ^"^^^ popularity among
who,, he had .aised C;he dei" "°' ""'^ "im, but Lazarus also'
i6o
rmi i'A.]fii. y a \MMiixr. ir ) :
.iiKl talk vv itli JoLis. 1 l,c>- Mere, pcrliaps, the first fruits of tint ibun
■::^:i::i *" -nf ^""" - "r" -^'^ '"-" '° •'^- •'■•oi ' i!;;' i
o the an.cl "-.'l'"V:^J"'-"« -Hi pnoi"K i" the court
nc people ax oicc from heaven, Iron, the excellcut i.|orv such aslrul
been heard belore, at his baptisn, an.l h,s trausliy'^uat ;„ nd ic
vo,cc saul n, re,,ly to his ,,ra, er, " I-athor, glorify th^ na ,!- , ,
bo h ,,on cd ,t a„<l will ,,orify it a,ain.-° Bt,t\,otwithstandin.!.h s
, , '7""'''''- , -""'He he would uot be the teu.poral ruler for whom
tmitccu, hat Jesus, n, order to teach his disciples humility uk ,„
pro.eu titeu. Iron, havin, such jealousies as they had hith to „
stcd toward one another in re,ard to the places thej- x^erc . oc u n"
ceedcd to wash h,s discples feet, and on their express,,., surprise h,-
aul to then, : " If I, then, your Lord and Master have Tvasl I t^
feet ; yc a so ought to wash one auothers feet. Vo. I ha „C
an exam,, e, that ye should do as I ha^.: done to >otr'' Son "e
lent Chnst,an people think that Christ intended to establish th s 4 '
ordutance to be ,,ractised by the chtu-ch in all ages, and th y |o t^
.se t accor.hngly. Others think that he nteant to teach us hitn i •
anc to show t,s that if we ,vere trtdy his disciples we wo.d< be wil i^ '
o do even hun.ble an.l n,enial things for those who are h s di ef
1" his nanie and for his sake. mscipics,
We also learn from this chapter, in relation to the wicked tnitnr
hat Chr,st pointed out Ju.las as hrs betrayer to the oth r 1 p " bv
saymg. n, ansner to the in<,uiry of John, " Lord, who is it ? ''" Het
ad come
inic, and
d to sec
at abun-
into the
1st of all
ic court
arino- of
1 as had
;ind the
' I ha\e
ig tiiese
1 belie V-
\e him
whom
IS, they
chapter
and to
mani-
uccupy
d i)ro-
rise he
1 your
'11 you
excel -
as an
prac-
iiility,
illing
:iples,
"aitor,
-s, by
He it
JOIIX.
ir,i
■s to ^^•hom I shall give a sop ■' (the unk.uene.l bread folded up and
. .,.|.c ..no the steu- or the gravy of the n,eat, ".hen I have dp
nnn,r :t:t; "'" '''''' "^ ^'^ '^ ^^ " ^ J^'-.' " '>o "' "'
After Jesus had tlu.s distributed the bread and the ^^ine he com-
menced a most touclnng and ten.ler discourse to his <iisciples' ans'v -
ni^ the,r quest.ons and re.noving U,eir doubts and fears. He tok t e ,
"IIILV WE.N
iACRWAKl), AM) I i;i.l. T( . TJIK (.Rt^CM). ■
of his de:uh and resurrection, and of his ascension to hcaN-cn to intcr-
te d, td :;'•, ;T, '"r T'"' "' "^ ""■>' ■'^l""'- "-■ C^-r-ter, to
teach and gu ,le them. In tlie progress of this discourse he gave them
c p u-ab e o the vine, of uhich we speak in the next chapter, and cS
I . beaufful address to them by a prayer of the decpLt earnestness
an tj,e „,ost tender p.athos, witl, and for them, in which, after ev"o t
Img the obedience and love ^^•hich they had manifested and would yet
mm^'s^mi.
162
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
m.
dii
manifest for him lie commended tliem, and all who should believe on
1 atncr. As the secne m the Garden of Gethsemane had already been
lly dcscnbed by the other evangelists, John does not dwell upon t
tl.ough hnuself an eye-witness of the agony of that hour- but he is
more full and mmute in his account of the circumstances ;f the ar e
and tr,al, as well as of the fall of Peter, of the ,vhole of which he was
e only observer on the side of our Lord. He dc s full sfa™
he hes.tation and un,villingness of Pilate to give judgmen tains^
he Savour, and the consciousness of his own misdeeds, h ch mLde
lum afraid to be just to his prisoner.
Tlie Parable of the Vine and Branches.
jon.\ .\v.
Christ here speaks the parable of the Vine. The wine which
ad just been .hunk at supper with his disciples afforded our d'ne
Lord an opporttm.ty of comparing hi„,self ^vith it. He had sa d he
was Bread and L.ving Water to them that believed on hin and now
I'luZ^dn,;: '"^ '™^ ^'"^■■' "^- ^'- -'"'- ^- 1^-"- to"d:
You know that most of the wines, and all those which were drunk
a th,s supper, ^^•ere made of the fruit of the vine-that is tl e rane
Chrrst compares himself to the vine, because he wished o how ,"
chscples how closely by faith they were united to him. He ' e efoe
compares them to branches ; and he says, "Every branch in u th t
beareth not rent he taketh away; and every branch that beare"h <1™'
e purgeth ,t that .t may bring forth more fruit. Fruit k tha w 1 ch
he tree produces of any real x-alue. Now, in like nana
branch united to the vine is expected to bring forth fruit, so 4ose «t
are by fa,d, united to Jesus Christ are expected to bring fort ,1^°
fruits. What te.se fruits are we n,ay learn from the like e^rL ons
fruit mif'^f, ""^ T'' Scriptures- fruits meet for repen nt:^
fruits untu ho mess-the fnuts of righteousness, which are by Tesus to
the praise and glory of God." "y Jtsus to
" — •-"-iir--~''"ninA»iiinitiniiiitiwiirw
clievc on
heavenly
ady been
I upon it,
mt he is
he arrest
li he was
!istice to
: against
ch made
JOHN.
163
e which
r divine
said he
nd now
• to the
drunk
grape,
ow his
erefore
le that
h fruit,
^\•hich
as the
5e who
I their
ssions
nee —
sus to
we^arrcutT/^'X'? 'f "^ '" ^'"•'^'' ^"^ "" "°' "ear .hose fruits
here meant prunin- The vine i. f-,L- n ." ^ P"'"^ '"y" '^
becomes Jea n ^ f"; 2 iT ■•■ ,'"" '""">' '^""^'^^^- ">^ ""''
root sends up ,0 hos Im f' " '"""^^• "'^^ ""^^ J"-- 'I-'
wi>ich they ;.ieir I trthi rts';:"'"' ^'"' '"^ ""'"«^'- '"^ "■-'
the knife is freely used to cut off the
•superfluous branches which are not
likely to bring- forth good fruit.
You must recollect all this is merely
the language of comparison ; that is,
"hive as the husbandman prunes the
vine, my heavenly Father u-ill prune
requires often .0 b lov d v ? " """'= " "'"'^' ''" "^ '>'•''
abide in n,e." Tin s too eh f ''"'', "" "'""' ''" >"=' ''"■'^' y^
f " • ' ' ^^^ ^'''^^\' from hun such lif(> -1^1-^,.^
o our increase here and our rejoicing hercater The Tf^
truth continually floHs into H,„K ,, ."••^"'•'^- The power of his
tl'i^ fruits are coml^lin^Sd" '^ "'^" ''''' '" ''""■ ■^"" "'-"«"
The Ilrsii.wDMAv.
itWiiiii
164
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
I
11 11
Christ^s certain Death from the Soldier Piercing his Side.-
His Appearances after his Resurrection.
JOHN XVI-\XI.
Wc have noxv o-(,„e through the principal passa-es of the four
iivangehsts : a le^v thrngs only remain in John of which it may be
necessary that we should take a short notice.
The first is in the imicfccufh c/iaptcr^ audhveuty-fffh mid fol/owiu^
vcyscs We here learn that three Mar)-s stood by the cross of Jesus
when he was na.led upon it. and dying- with his crucifixion: Mary his
motherMary his ..others sister-who was the wife of Cleophas-and
Mary Magdalene. As for our sakes the biessed Jesus became poor
he had nothmg to leax'e his mother; and as Joseph was without doub^
now dead, and she was getting old, he was affectionately concerned
for her that she should not uant for comfort and support in her last
dciys. I his, I thmk, ,s a most Icnely trait in the character of Jesus
Ihoughhewasthen in the deepest agony of body on the cross he
forgot his pams to think on his poor afflicted mother. He therefore
commended her to the care of his beloved disciple John. "' WV^man •'
said he -and )'ou remember that I have before told vou that this name
so spoken, was a title of respect.-" behold thy son I ^ As much as to
say " I am going awax- from earth, and thou canst therefore have this
body with thee no longer, but look upon John as thy son ; and I know
the kindness of his heart, that for my sake he will loxe thee and treat
thee as a son. And then he said to John, "Behold thy mother"-
meaning, '« behax-e to^^•ard her as a son ; take care of her ; comfort her
111 her o d age." Some writers say that Mary lived with John at Teru-
salem eleven years and then died ; and others say that she lived
longer and removed with him to Ephcsus ; but the Scripture gives us
no more information on this subject. Jesus knew that John loved
him. and ^vould therefore obey him ; and no doubt he behaved to her
as a kind son ' , the day of her death.
In the fliirfy-Jirst and folkn.iug verses of the same chapter ^ve also
read some particulars respecting the crucifixion of the blessed Jesus
=>:Tii
li'llllWiriM M I.I ■!
SSSBSSSSSSSSSSE'
J,<?i-^-tl
ide. —
the four
may be
^olloiuiiig
of Jesus
Jar)' his
as — and
le poor,
It doubt
nccrned
her last
f Jesus,
ross, he
erefore,
Oman,"
s name,
:]i as to
ve this
I know
d treat
)ther " ;
"ort her
t Jeru-
i X\\'q([
ivcs us
loved
to her
e also
Jesus
1
:**
"fi.
i^».ai.f.- ■*■-, ■" "
>s^yi X^.
MARY MAGDALENE AT THE SEPULCHRE.
As she wept, she stooped dcwn. and looked into the sepulchre." John XX, II.
Masm
JOHN.
tCij
•;l
''>%
*„v.
which ^ro not mentioned by the other Evan.ijelists. The Teu-s there
u-ere therefo.e afraid of a breach of thc1a^v on thit , ,v f "'r"''
to tirejeu-ish ,a. (Oe.teronon,, ...i, ., ;i:;fCy^;.'"™: '^J
on a tree «as not to remain all ni,,ht, but to be taken down that dav
and bur.ed. Among the Ron.ans the carcasses remained o be a tn
by b,rds; but the Jeus ^vere taught to consider then, a :fi' n" h^
;:!;:'r;ir::t:^^,rh"'°^^ ^--^'-^ "---'"'-^ <--
Now. this circumstance led to a certain proof that Tesus had re-.llv
>?aeto do 'w :?■ ",T "'" ""■>•"""■ ""^^^^ 1-n.ission o
^ieadai::^; th^tieit':::^^;:: b^^::':;^,:::,?^" '-t
spear pierced his Sid. and forthnitrTcametlCl'Jt^^^
trust in him may restL ^s .ord, •■ HriLlryeliriirallo.^
[(
f^
168
THE I'AMILY COMMENTARY.
And on these accounts the I Evangelist John is very particular, not oniy
in statnig^th.s fact, but ui adding that he had it not from mere hear-
say but that he hmiself saw it, being near the cross at the time, •' And
he tha s:uv it bare record,and his record is true; and he knovveth that
he saith true, that ye might believe."
The Evangelist John tells us of a very particular circumstance that
happened after the resurrection of Jesus. Thomas would not believe
what all the rest told him ; and declared that nothing should satisfy
h,m about the Saviour's resurrection short of seeing and touchin^r hi„'
li.mself : " Except, sa.d he. " I shall see in his hands the print of the
nads and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my
hands mto h,s side, I will not believe." Eight days after this Jesus
ai)peared an.ong the disciples, when Thomas was with them; and" he
said to Ihoinas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and
reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side ; and be not faithless,
but beheving. Thomas M-as astonished, and instantly confessed that
It was indeed his divine Master who was alive again ; and he said to
him, full of love, and gratitude, and praise, "My Lord and my God ! "
John also relates another appearance ^^•hich took place at the Sea of
I iberias. There were then present six disciples. Peter went a-fish-
mg, and not having succeeded, he, and his companions were desired
by Jesus, who stood unknown on the shore, to cast their net on the
right side of the shij), and then they caught so many that they were
unable to draw them up. John. " the disciple whom Jesus loved " in
a very particular manner, on seeing this miracle, said directly, " It is the
r J ;^»^^^I>'^^^ instantly, without waiting to get ashore in the ship,
cast off his fisherman's coat and swam ashore to meet Christ It is
said " He was naked," but this does not mean quite so, but only that
lie had thrown off his cumbrous upper garment ; so we call a person
stripped who has thrown off his coat, though he has many other gar-
ments remaining on him.
The other disciples soon after landed with the fish, and "they saw
a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread," which Jesus had
also miraculously prepared.
Jesus then invited the disciples to dine. This was " the third fc'ine
, not onjy
-re h car-
le, " And
ivcth tliat
nee that
t believe
d satisfy
ling- him
t of the
rust my
is Jesus
and he
ds ; and
aithlcss,
sed that
said to
' God ! "
: Sea of
a-fish-
desired
on the
:y were
ed " in
It is the
le ship,
It is
ily that
person
er gar-
ey saw
us had
70//1V.
iG)
thatjesus showoil himself to his liiscmlc^s" H,- I, M . '"'
by individuals or small ..rou„s l,„f t "^ ' ^'-"""''^'"" ^'^'-■"
shouod imnself to then, '^ " „nn' of'th" "'' "''"' ''""' ''^^ ''-'
And no^v he asked Peter , ^?^r u ''"■' '°''^'-"'^''-
asked hi,,, tlnee tin,es because he h ," "" '°'"='' "'"'■ ^nd ho
did this, perhaps, to htunW^ p Jtr .i":'!'"''" "'7 ""''''■ ''^
tin,e to show his disciples that h was y t a t™c"'H ■"' ' ^" ,"" '''"'''
should not rcp,.oach. since he had forgiven "hi,, fo^.f '' "'','"" ""^
he commanded him to feed his lanL "„,,;/" ;'^"-'' '"'-'''.••"'^"^^
young and the old of his sincere foil u .,■ , '''''• '"'•'"'"•''' ""•■
The Evangelist in conZZl^'^::;^:f^'''^'''^'^>^"^'<-
other things which Jesus did, the whi i h J ho I b "■' 'f" '""'^
one, " even the ^^■orld itself could not co, ti^n ? ^ , " '""'^
be written." John simply meant tl -,t ,h °''' "''" -''"'"'J
many „,o,-e conversations nn , w '■" 7'"" '"""^' '"°'-^' l"'"-')-^'--^.
of Jesus, which would Ime fill "™''''™"y'"°'-^' '^i"^' ^-t-
had they been reco°ded but ns '''" '"'"''"'^ """^^'-^ of vohunes
onoug/only arc're: Id' ,.^ :: '^1^^'';'^ ^ '^^ '''''' "'^"' ■"'•
adapted to the wants o e'l^'f.rw-ei;""' "'' -'^ ''"'"'" -"'
withstanding that every creatL'^.i;ff '' '"■""''>' '"^"^idual, not-
and estate. It clearly lull not '" "'°'' " '^'^^ '" "^''nd, bo.ly,
■•oundings, our capab^ifc 1 CsTo' i:" ""I!"'"" '" '"''■ ""'^ -'-
sive or elaborate revelation rtan L h ' ""■ ^"'' ™°''^ <•■^'^"-
within us the eonsciousnes" hat tnth /■"'"■ ^"'^ "'^ '=^-^" ^ear
our God, we have de"alt out t '''^■"«"'"= S°°dness and loxe of
everything-every it'L^r^-d-tto it^^';;7"'' '"''l' '™^"
regard to our souls or their etem.l r °'' "' '° '^^'^''^ '"
able to bear. We can e fane" he ^l"" '' p',"'' ^" '"^^ "'^ ->=
^«ssion tovvard us, in not bein i'^'-"'^^;^f' "^^^oved witheom-
ot DCH,^ able t. .onfide to our limited and
f
tyo
run FAMILY COMMHMAKW
narrow iinclcrstandini-s mure of thr ,n-<.nf t
look out, i„ our i,„a,rinal,o ,„ ,1^ , '""T"' "' ''"^' " -"'
|...n.cs u-ith rcJ„ici„,,Louin, that ^^^C ^,tZ. "^'l
liavc a more complete knowled-c of th. lif. it ^ '"- " '^^^"
of ChHst, as .cll'as a„ „ls ^lh::L^^ ^t^^f
JEWISU Jllui, l'^^^ OlFLKLNt; Ln
(JJ:.NbU,
1 truths of his
•''it clo\' n and
of our future
years \vc shall
and teach uies
^hiy this ])v
the ]jra)cr of
-■ftiv..
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'"- ^'^■^f-'N OF THt PRODlGAu SON^
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^
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
Or, a liistdry, by I.uke, of the ministry and laljors of the Apostles of C'hrist. This (ills tlic posiiion in Uie Now
Tustament of a needful supplement to the (iuspels and an ini|)ortant and indispensable inlrodnclion lo the Kpi-tles. It
l>eL;iiis with the ascension of the Messiah, and continues it> history t'lnou^h about thirty years, to the end of i!ie lir-t
iniprisuiu'ient of Paul at Rome, A. I). t')j. Its inspired character has never been doubted in the ( hri>ti,in ( luircli.
'I'he lirsi twelve chapters arc mainly <lcvoted to the spread of the (io^pel in rale-tine and to the i-.irn. s! labor- of IVlcr,
James, and John, and their associates, in Judea and Samaria. From the t'lirternlb chapter lo tl.c clo-i it is almost
exclusiv.-ly occupie(i with the work of t!ie Apostle I'aul as a niissicjiiary to the (ientiles. The graphic and interesting;
account of the descent of the ;"ily Sjiirit, and the conversion of thousands on the day of I'entecost, and, -uli-eipiently,
of the zeal, and niiracles performed by I'eter and John, of the martyrdom o"" Stephen, anil the conversion of Said an<l
i)f (-'ornelius, render it one of the most attractive lOoks of the New Testament ; and the career of the Apostle Paul, his
peril-, sacrilices, and triumphs, are not less enteiiaining and deliijhtful. Of all the inspired writers of tne New
Tcsiament, Luke possesses the greatest descriptive power and the most lucid and linished style.
Histot y of what the Apostles of Christ said and did immediately
after his Death, Resurrection, and Ascension.
ACTS I , I I .
T is generally agreed by writers on Scripture that this
book was written by the Evangelist I^uke. As "the
former treatise, ' or his Gospel, was written respect-
ing "all " — meaning a great number of things — " that
^amm^-^'lK^ Jesus began both to do and teach," as were also
\ ^BHififfi^ ^j^^ treatises of Matthew, Mark, r'litl John, so this
was written to relate the "acts," or what his faithful
servants did from the time of his death, and gives
the history of about thirty years,
I told you in my remarks on the tenth of Mat-
thew that "apostles " means persons who are scut; that is, in other
language, mcsjcngcrs. The first disciples were Christ's messengers,
as all good ministers must be, declaring to men the message of
mercy which he wished them to know when he said, " Go ve out into
all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature " ; tell every
creature the glad tidings— the good ncws—\\\\\d\ I have told you.
II Iv
'i:!i
174
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
li
Now \vc shall sec how the apostles obeyed their divine Master, and
what success attended their labors.
In this chapter we learn that Jesus appeared to his disciples at dif-
ferent times during forty days after his resurrection and tau<^ht them
many important "things pertaining to the kingdom of God " ; or, as
it means, the period of preaching the Gospel, commonly called "the
Gospel Dispensation " ; that he told them to remain together at Jeru-
salem, and to " wait for the promise of the Father " ; that the)- should
have another comforter when he was gone, — the HolvSi'Ikit, whose
comforts they should feel in their hearts ; that he siiould give them
such power that nothing should hinder or discourage them in preach-
ing the Gospel in all parts of the world.
While Christ was giving these instructions, he finally left them, as-
cending up into heaven in a way
like to that in which the prophet
Elijah ascended, " and a cloud re-
ceived him out of their sight."
Two angels then appeared, and, as
the disciples gazed with wonder at
the sky, they told them that in the
same manner Jesus should . ri
appear, meaning. at the time wi.en
he shall come to judge the world. The account of his being "taken
up " which is here given is that which we commonly call t/ic ascension,
and the event happened on the Mount of Olivet, a spot distant from'
Jerusalem "a Sabbath day's journey," or the distance allowed for a
Jew to walk on a Sabbath day, which was a mile, or perhaps some-
thing less.
After Jesus had ascended to heaven his disciples assembled together
in " an upper room," which was a retired place where they might pray,
having those women who had so much loved the Saviour joined with
them.
Peter now observed to those that were met together that as
they lacked one disciple of their full number since^ the treachery
of Judas, it was desirable to choose another, and they therefore
Ancient Mi:sskn(;i.ks in thk East.
tiiimMamiiaia&iiitmst
Master, and
iplcs at dif-
auglit them
od " ; or, as
called "the
her at Jera-
thc)- should
^iT, — whose
give them
I in preach-
ft them, as-
n in a way
he prophet
i\ cloud re-
leir sight."
ed, and, as
wonder at
that in the
ould . r,
time wiicn
ng "taken
• ascension,
istant from
3wed for a
aps some-
^d toijether
night pray,
Dined with
ir that as
treachery
therefore
ACTS.
huacllong, he burst asundtr i t mM ,'" , ''"''''' " ^"'' '"^'"'"8
so that he could not have p ,d 1"., fi n "7 '" "'^' ^'''■^'f Pnests,
P"rcl,ased a field with th.e , ,o " t Tm ' ^"'' "' "'^^^ ^"'"■"^"•'l
This field was on the brov of ;;°:; ""VT' "'"' '"'^ '-"^^l" it-
valley of Minnon,, soutinv°st of t ' f^ """"^'"' '" "'^ ''^^'P
tha;e. feel into that deep'Ld foil t il'^ ""''' ^"'''' '""^^">« '""-''
whicrtS:::.:^:;:;^ fiS-^-::; :- ;r "- -- '^e da, on
gratitude to God ; and that div o off ^'■''■"' "' ■' '"^'^" <>(
day of the feast of the I'ssov^ of^i'nf ! ' ""''^ ""^ "'^- — '
were all met together "in on° n ace , I'^i "'' '"^^''''^■^ "^csus
singular sound filled the hZe as, ho',, T " ^' "^^>' "■-■^' ^o n,et a
it, and flames, like fire ar , .. ? "'""«'' ^ "nid were rushin- through
the shape of' ton.ut,' r^" r°d" v^ded °^ tT ''''"'''''■ '^^^
token that "the Holy Ghost" whn. , ■ "'" •'' "'"-aculous
promised, to comfort, Jtren-nl IT- !""' , '"""^'"^^-^ J^^us had
come among then> i„ pro"? of whic t^ "^ ""' ''"''^'^■^- ''-' ""-
toogues" than their own. "^ ''^'S"" '" ■^l^^'-'l^ "itl> other
Now, you must know thnt if ,„ •
diligence to learn difl-er nt ^ . , ^rb:,: T"" ''""■•, '••"'' ^^'°'-' -d
languages at once; and the reason ,f\h ""^^^'''^^'l^'^''^ ^poke several
tell people of different countries who ""' ,"'"' "'^■>' ""«'" directly
great things that Jesus hTCVwr/l" ^n ""■""" '''•'"' "" ">'
sinners of mankind in everytm^; m 'h :t S^^"'^' "^ "™ ""•"
orr-id!- isVoTond r '"''^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ -■"-
dispersed,_had visLd CsJTt^r^;:^? "°""™ ^''^^'^
astonishment when they f^d Strdi;;Us ^s^r-
lyG
Tllli FAMILY COMMliNTARY.
languai^^cs of all the coLintrics whence they had come. Some of the
people of Jerusalem, who hated Christ and his disciples, mocked, and said
that they were drunk. They were more like drunken men themselves,
who could sui)pose that men could sj)eak other languages than their
own merely because they were tipsy ; and if they had not been full of
prejudice and hatred against Christ and his disciples, they would never
have suggested such a reason for this miraculous gift. The apostle
Peter, who from this time, as the oldest, and perhaps the most
thoroughly instructed in his Master's will and ]jurposes, took the lead
of the apostolic band, thought it best to preach to the multitude. And
"when they heard it, they were pricked in their heart"; that is, "the
word of God entered into them, which cut and laid open their hearts,
and the sin and wickedness of them"; and they felt as you have
perhaps felt when you have been detected in doing something you
ought not to have done, and perhaps something very bad indeed ; for
shame and guilt pierce and wound the soul, as a sword cuts and pains
the body. And they "said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles.
Men and brethren, what shall we do ? " Peter told them they must
" repent" — that is, their minds must be changed ; they must seek for-
giveness and pardon from Christ for the wickedness they had done,
and they must be " baptized," as a proof that they had embraced the
religion of Jesus, and then the Holy Ghost would work in their hearts,
and make them both holy and happy.
In the course of the day no less than " three thousand souls "
repented and believed, from the preaching of Peter, and were baptized.
The Lame Man Restored at the Gate of the Temple.— Peter
and John taken before the Jewish Sanhedrim.
ACTS III, IV.
Wc have here the account of a miracle wTought by the apostles
Peter and John. We are told that they went up to the temple at the
hour of prayer, and there they saw a poor man who was born lame,
and who was daily carried to the gate of the temple which was called
"Beautiful," on account of its being more handsome than the other
ACTS.
T-7
Some of the
<cd, and said
themselves,
;s than tlieir
been full of
would never
The apostle
js the most
)ok the lead
itude. And
that is, " the
their hearts,
s you have
lethinf^^ you
indeed ; for
ts and pains
;he apostles,
1 they must
ist seek for-
y had done,
ibraced the
their hearts,
ind souls "
:re baptized.
pie. — Peter
he apostles
mple at the
born lame,
was called
1 the other
gates. As he was unable to work hcn> h,.
alms of the charitable. As til tuo .n I " ^"" ''''' ^'^^""^
also to give hin. son.ethin; I i ," Zt"' "'"^'l'' '^' "^'^"' ^'^^^
by that supplication. .- l4r s i d S ""T"' ^"^ ^'' ""^'''''^'^ -^^'^
such as I \L; give I thee /th n '' f]'^ ^"'^' ^''''^ ^ "^^"^"^ '^^t
rise up and walk. A, M^ ^>k him l"7 ^"J" ."^''"^ °' ^--•^^'^'
"P : and imnKdiately h "h e " ^ " '■'^'' ^'''''^' ""'"'^ ^'^^-' ^^'"^
1-ping up. stood and J IJ': :':;::!.;;^^^^:i^^' ^^-^11. And he.
walking and leaping, and prmi^ cllj^^' '''' ^'^^"^ '"^^^ ^'^ ten,p,e,
woLi^rn :;;7lh;:; :;;:; ::r :;!^i:-^ ^ ^-- ""-^- of peop,. a,i
tunity of preaching a scTmnnV ^ "^^'^ ^^^^^^ embraced the oppc,,-
them to repent of their .shis, ,^
and to subnn't to Jesus as
the Saviour of sinners; that
Ahnighty Saviour, by whose
power lie liad performed this
cure.
The Jewish priests, who had
opposed Christ, now tried to
stop the mouths of his apos-
tles, so they laid hold of them
thousand so:i\reo:;ir^'^'^ ''" '"-"'"" "" '- ''-" fi-.
together their rul^ts crib ./""?'"• "'"" "'"■•^ ='^-">'''"'
asked by what pou^'r thev^^H f; ''"''''' ""^' "'-' '^l^^tlcs were
the devn, as t y ,0 , ht' o^bv'rV ' T' "'""'^^ "^^ *^' '^^^'l' -^
Holy Ghost filled Pc^r s helrtl fh th '' °' ''°'- ^' ""'^ ™°'"™' "-
preached, having the nders^d^ l^ '^ ■->«-
converted, but nevertheless they ,vcre l„d t Z, ^^'T "'"' "<"
bCdness or Peter and John.^' Jthe;;ecr:;:d" 'hlTSin^ ^
Eastern Mii.i.stonix.
17R
rilE FAMILY COAIiWiXTARY.
aiuoni; the timid disciples of Jesus, who once all forsook him and
lied. '
The apostles being set free, again joined their brethren, and told
them of their treatment and escape. Then they all united together
in prayer to God, to give them courage still to speak his word, and to
enable them to show it was his word by performing more miracles.
And God gave them another sign, as on the day of Pentecost — a
mighty shaking of the place where they were assembled, such as when
a house is shaken with the wind; and by this sign they knew that the
Holy Ghost would give them new power and energy, which imme-
diately was the case, " and they spake the word of God with bold-
ness."
! I
Ananias and Sapphira Struck Dead for Lying. — The Apostles
Peter and John thrown into Prison. — Released by an Angel.
ACTS V.
There were now above eight thousand Christians ; and, as they were
liable to great afflictions and persecutions in embracing the faith of
Christ, they all readily agreed to sell their possessions and to put all
their money into one common stock, and so help one another, just as
they might stand in need.
But a man named Ananias, and Sapphira his wife, while professing
to do as the rest did, gave only a part, and slyly kept back the rest.
Liars think they can not be found out; but God can always find them
out. And so he did here. It was revealed to Peter that Ananias had
kept back part of his money, and he told Ananias that Satan had got
possession of his heart, to do so wicked a thing.
Ananias was terrified at this discovery ; he was convicted of his sin,
and instantly fell down dead.
In about three hours after this Sapphira made her appearance, and,
not having heard of the death of her husband, she expected to ser
him among the disciples of Christ, received as one of his sincere and
liberal followers. Peter asked her for how much the land was sold
for which Ananias kept back the money. And she told him the same
)k him and
:n, and told
:cd together
/ord, and to
re miracles,
'entecost — a
jch as when
lew that the
/hich imme-
with bold-
le Apostles
n Angel.
IS they were
the faith of
id to put all
ther, just as
e professing
V the rest.
ys find them
Ananias had
tan had got
d of his sin,
arance, and,
cted to scf
sincere and
id was sold
m the same
ACTS.
J7«>
ic as Ananias, havin^'" arrrp<wl h-wk k* -l i
then rebuked he, oi- hrm » .' ''"''' "'" '"'l'"-^"'-'-^- I'^'^^
by seeing if it ^vxr o , "'il I ^'"' °' l'^' ""-' ""^""^ "' 'h^' '-'"-J
so base an action ad l"..;.:!," "r" '"'r T^''""" ••'<'"^"-
buried thy husbaul ■, e .t • , "^''"'''' 'l;^f|^-'' "f thetn uhici, have
fell she down str. h. ".J L Ws f't " , ''-1 ""'■>■ "'^" ""'' '''>-
the young men earn" r^. t^l^lj^^'"'' "" ''^^ «""^'^ ■•-'
buried IKT by her husband. An t fcar 'in " ""'7, '"" '"■"'■
and u,,on as many as heard thes £!l' AnT "'n " "'' """■^''•
These were awful exanmles of th f , , "■*■■" ""•'^'" "'''■y f'^^'-
P.:er could not have An -.sC's ' *'"' "^T '" '>"'- '"^
said: it was Gods hand tlm killed " " ""'"''' '>' "'''" '^
them.
The apostles continued workincr
miracles and preaching, "and be"^
lievers were the more added to the
Lord, multitudes both of men and
women." The people also. learning.-
what cures the apostles performed in
the name of Jesus, thronged to them
with their sick, and were happy if
they could get within reach of the
shadow only of Peters body, sup-
Worst deeds in^u^oA ^r i • n • ! ^ "'^*^' ^°"^ the very
%ZrT/' T "'">^ '"""<? ^^^^ '^'^'^ '-^"^1 the lame.
Si.AVKs tiKiNi :ng Corn.
agai
peopl
All that now happened to the apostles our Lord had foretold
as
tRo
THE FAMILY COMMHM'ARY.
Matthew informs us in tlic tenth chapter of his gospel : " lUit beware
of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, and tiiey will
scourge you in their synagogues. And ye shall be brought before
governors and kings for my sake." The apostles, therefore, rejoiced
" that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And
daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and
preach Jesus Christ." Thus, from morning to night, every day, they
continued at the work of preaching, and embraced every oi)portunity
to teach, even in the temple itself, as well as from house to house.
They made it the great business of their lives to exhibit Jesus to the
people as the promised Messiah ; also to clear from their spiritual
eyes, beclouded by the forms and ceremonies and customs of the
fathers, all that was dark and incomprehensible, so that they might
appropriate him to their souls.
ft
i I
The Death of Stephen. — Saul of Tarsus. — Persecution of the
Christians. — Simon Magus. — Philip and the Eunuch.
ACTS VI-VIII.
In the sixth chapter we are told that the disciples chose seven men
out of their number to take care of the poor among them, that they
should not be overlooked ; Stephen, who was afterward martyred, was
among those now chosen. It is one beautiful feature of Christianity
that it never overlooks the poor.
The disciples of Jesus still continued to increase in numbers, and
even many of the priests were at last converted.
Stephen was a man very " full of faith," and he " did great wonders
and miracles among the people." Like Peter and John, therefore, he
was dragged before the council ; and as there was no crime committed
by him to condemn him, false witnesses were procured ; and wicked
men, for the sake of a reward, made up a story against him, that he
had spoken blasphemous words against the temple and the law.
Stephen was quite calm and happy; "and all that sat in the council,
looking steadfastly on him, saw his face, as it had been the face of an
angel." The good man made a noble reply, and boldly told them of
i
^iit beware
1 tlicy will
ight before
)rc', rejoiced
line. And
teach and
y day, they
tpportiinity
J to house,
jsiis to the
ir spiritual
ms of the
:hey might
n of the
uch.
seven men
I, that they
-tyred, was
Christianity
nbers, and
at wonders
erefore, he
committed
nd wicked
m, that he
1 the law.
le council,
face of an
d them of
i
ACTS.
'I'-n so to the ht.art.Wth tt ' , T^^:'^'^ '"' ^'"^'- -"' -"
pack of .,o,,s, ..jj„a„„u „„' J ' "> "-- -,c ,|,,,, |i,, ,
I'lm out of tho city thcv si„„ . , , '^""'- ''"-"■ tlnusii,,..
1"^ kneeled a,u| , rayed foM,' ' "' "'"'"' "'^^ >^' -'""d hi,,,
"1-11 asleep I" St^,,!^, "•" l!^-^-""'-. •■'">! tl,e„ "fell ,,i'^
and death to the,,, is no p, , s h ' J, I ''. ",''"' "^^ ^'-i'' -^ '-<;
tl.c first Christian „,a,t>r ' ^'""'"'' ^"' "»'>■ - ''^st. Stepl,e„ was
a.it*^,ef i:;:;,!'^;::^;,^ J'-"-' -'-■^■"-> -> -...„«
Saul," and who u.s an e, ,y to ^ " 'T' T"' "'">-■ "■"- "■-
of the false witnesses tl .TtVl IM ';,'' '"f '"" "' "'^' ^'"'l'-
better stone the pious S ph™ ',1.7 ' "'" "">■ ""■■^'" "-
^loath.- which n,eans here ' at he t ', 'V' T" ™"*"""'^' '" ''-
at that time there was a ..reat ne,x V ' ''''"■'-' ' '" ''■ "And
wasatjerusale,,.; and h^; vl,*^^: 1~ JT I''' ^""-''"'■-L
regions of Judea and Sa,nu-i " fl , ' ^''"■'"'' """UKhout the
the fury o/their en ,^" t ' a ,o tT " T"" ""'>' ^""''' '" --''1-
^till to bear witness in W,:alf of ^^^ T' '^"T"'' ^" ■'^■"'•^•"-' '•
were ,nore active than this Sa„l • for .'i ?•", " '''•'''"'•■""o'-s none
falling on then, like a w d 1 '-t 1 r " ^'''"'' "^ "'^ ^l'"'''-''."
house, and haling men and wom^^l "t H^^'^'^'r '"'° ^-^-y
-•■ co,iin,ittcd them to prison " ' '''•'»«'"y "'en, by fo,ce,
more; for the disciples bcin.?driyenf,o, I / ''"''"'' '' ^'''"""' "^<=
preaching the word." An3 mon- 1 ""'1 ™' " ""■"' ^^-^ "here
great success was Phili./one nf T^ "''" ^''''"'^"^ ""h very
preached Christ unfo the peop e AnTtl""'n "■'".' '" "••""•■'■■'■' ■•-'
heed unto those things whIH p,.,^."''.,''^.^ ' ' "'."' °'"-- ^'^^rd oav:
miracles which he wrought. •• A
And there
mgs which Philip spake, he;
UlUL'-
was a man at Samari
nd there was
great
a, named Simon
g" and seeing the
joy in that a'ty."
n, whom wc are
jgj THE I'JMILY COMMliXTAKY.
iccustomcd to call Simon Maj^us; that is. Simon the magician or con-
jurer because he' used cunning arts like the magicians of hgypt.
This man "bewitched," or astonished, the people with his tricks, and
they thought he was some wonderful person. Hut when they heard the
wonderful things about Jesus which Philip had to tell, and saw how he
cured the lame and the sick and others, they would no longer believe
in Simon Magus, but became disciples of Jesus; and Simon professed
to be a disciple also. _
The apostles at Jerusalem, informed of the great things that were
bein- done in Samaria, sent Peter and John to assist Philip in his work.
And^hey laid their hands on some of the disciples, as a sign of implor-
in'r the Holy Spirit to give them peculiar courage and abilities, that
Miey m«ght become fellow-laborers in their great work; and the Holy
Ghost gave them extraordinary powers, as had been done to the
disciples assembled on the day of Pentecost. Simon, seeing this, and
havinc. been left out of the number, oftered Peter money if he would
enable him to do the wonderful things which he saw the others could
do- that is, speak in different tongues and heal diseases and the like.
Here he showed that his heart was awfully darkened, or he must have
seen 'hat no monev could purchase such power, and that it could only
have been given from above. This Peter told him, and exhorted him
to repent, and pray God to forgive him for such wicked thoughts. It
is most likely that Simon Alagus. seeing he had lost his chance of
beiricr popular and of making money by his old tricks, wished now to
attrtin the same ends by means of the gifts of speaking and healing
ha/in«- no design to glorify Jesus by what he might say and do ; and
it is g'enerally believed that he died a bad man, for we never read of
h's heart having been changed.
But we have directly after a more pleasing account m the narrative
of the Ethiopian eunuch. ^
Philip having been ordered by an angel to take a journey on the
road from Jerusalem to Gaza, xvas traveling in obedience to the divine
command, when he met with an Ethiopian dignitary; an officer "of
great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had the
change of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship.'
\
m or con-
of lv-;yi>t.
tricks, ami
I heard the
aw 1k>\v he
;er believe
1 professed
that were
n his work,
of implor-
)ilities, that
\ the Holy
one to the
ig this, and
i he would
;hers could
id the like.
; must have
could only
:hortec] him
oughts. It
\ chance of
[led now to
ind healing,
nd do ; and
/er read of
he narrative
rney on the
0 the divine
1 officer " of
vho had the
to worship."
/\CTS.
'«.]
He vva.s now returning, and was sittin- reuh-n.^ in M i • ' '
was inclined, by a peculiar i.nnn...i ^'^'"".^^ '" 'us chariot. I'hilj,,
of God. to hold conve s^ion 1^ h ^'; ""'' 'V' '" '"'"' '^>- ^'^ ^l-' t
chariot, he found that " ^^ rj i„ '."'r^'^ "^'' approaching' his
^'^^^t is. Isaiah^the JnJt ^^tf (! ^r^ ri V'^ ''^'t^^ "^^^^^
name for the prophet And M,i , \ ^'''' ''^""■'" ^'^^" Hebrew
thou readest?'- ^ow tl. . u 1 'th"' ', " ^"^^^^^-'-t thou what
very humble man ; and .X tuT'^ '1 ";^ '" ^^ ^'"'•'"^' ^^ ^
could, especially about the S -on V ' "'r '"' '° ^^'^""^ ''^'^ ^''''^^ he
1 J "ivwui iiii, c5a\ our. he rci* ic/l <i ir
some „,an should ruMu „,c ? An,l I, ' , .? ' „.'.!"' .'"" '■ ^■•^^'-•1"
come up and sit wUh l,i„,;' Ac v. '," '"' "''" ''^' "'""''
the blessed Jesus bcinn led as ';,"'' V;'"'«, "'^- """I'l'-v about
lamb dumb before his theae, but h'' "'^-^'-'''.^h'-- aud like a
it spoke about the pro t 7 , m"''' "', '' '"^'^ '" know whether
explained it to l,i„, ind' reache,! T7 "'"" '"^'■■^°"- '''"''I' ">-"
"»' 'ho prophet wa e t " , j , ■'•T^" ^'^ ''""^" I"-' '"l' 1 bin,
P.-.tience of 'the suffer ^ji^ - irV'^'-rT".'^' '"-'^"--.-hI
^'"•ay the sin of the ^^■orld ' • nd shn' " f ^'"'' "'"^'' '^'l^eth
crucified, and so shed his nr^c'o s T ^ '"" """^ '^'^ "''''^ '"' '" l"-
'vas she<l upon the Jew h .It rs M ?•■ "'' ^" ""-' '^'"'l'^' I*""'
the command Riven t„ the scin^ i "' '''''"'" '•"^° '°'^' '""' °f
and to baptise them i^ In t 'of .h Th'"' f'^'' ••"' "^"'■°"-^'
the Holy Ghost. For. on ar H "V. , , "^ "' "^^ ^""- ••""> of
Htlnopian desired to be bioti.. ^ , '■" '"""^ "'"ci-, the
Jesus was the .Son of God 'am ,;r.f '^f''"'' '''^ ""^ ''^'-'f 'hat
one of his clisciples s^p li 'Y'-'^":"' ^"/"-^ ""hn^■ to become
-iractdously remived^;;^ 'VS^'al ™„ '''"^: ^ ""''
cumstancc which must have sntisfin.i „ , " ""''''''"■ ■' cir-
no inferior person but a me. '"""''''' """^ "''•" he was
way of salvition '.So thel eh'T 'T 'T """" '° "=-^* """ '^e
he had been favored wth such new of ^^ ,°"'"™'''' "^°'"'"f'' ">'•"
knowledge of Christ crucifi I T e ScrinuirH "' "'■'' *■"""" "^<--
some respect.able ancient writers do Zf-°'' ""' 'ell us. but
flourishing church in his own count v Tho u'T"'' '"""'"' '
try to make others know him also ' ''"°"' '^^"'' ^^'"
i84
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY,
Remarkable Conversion of Saul of Tarsus— Peter cures Eneas of
Palsy.— Raises Dorcas to Life.
ACTS IX.
We shall now hear more about Saul of Tarsus, whose history has
been interrupted by notieing" the persecutions of the Christians, and
the labors of Philip.
" Not satisfied with the murder of Stephen, and with the havoc he
made at Jerusalem," we learn here that Saul was " yet breathing out
threatenings and slaughter against the discinles of the Lord," and he
therefore went to the High
Priest and begged him to
give him authority to go to
Damascus, the capital city of
S)'ria, that he might there
search for the Christians,
and take all that he could
find bound to Jerusalem.
But the grace of God
stopped him, as it has many
a wicked person, in his career.
"As he journeyed, he came
near Damascus : and sud-
denly there shined round
OXCART. XrALKSTINKSUOWINUTHK COAL. ^^^^^^ ^^.^^^ ^ j.^j^^ ^^^^.
heaven : and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him,
Saul, Saul, why persccutest thou me ? " Now, you must observe that
Saul' did not know Jesus ; that Jesus was in heaven, and therefore he
could not persecute him in person; but Jesus so loves those who love
him that, in persecuting his sincere followers, he felt the cruelty of
Saul as if it had been inflicted upon himself. And Saul said, "Who
art thou. Lord? And the Lord said, T am Jesus whom thou perse-
cutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks," or goads, as a
stubborn bullock would against the spiked stick with which his driver
J \
ACTS.
i«5
Eneas of
listory has
slians, and
; havoc he
athiiii?' out
d, " and he
the High
:d him to
y to go to
lital city of
light there
Christians,
t he could
Lisaleni.
J of God
t has many
1 his career.
d, he came
and sud-
ned round
light from
T unto him,
ibservc that
;hcrefore he
>e w ho love
2 cruelty of
said, " Who
thou perse-
goads, as a
h his driver
1
^^ iiz^t^vt '" r '^'°-- ^-"'^ ^""" »-
bled hi,nse f, and sjj tike si " ""'"^ "■^'""^'^ "°^^ '^^■••"•
thou l,avo „c to do'' T,;. ^"rrr '"■^""' '■^""'> ^^■''••" "ilt
l>i.n fro,„ heaven had blin , "^If 'f^ '"" "^'^""' ""™
I'^J into Damascus as a , nl ^ ' '"' '"-' "''■' "'^''K^^' '" '"^
ho could ncithc ec nor '"""V.","^' "--■ ''"■',,, three days,
Saul hu„,bled and , ;-avn ..■ r; ■ '"'""^- ^'''^' '-""'• """' '^-■inu
name of Anania to ?el^, ':"''';'"'"T'"'"' =' '"-'I'l^' of th^
words to him. Ananias /'.r:,-';! '" ■^"'-■^'^ "'"f™''"S
and was afraid to .^o neu- I, „ ,' P^'-^-eutor Saul ,vas,
was one of his cho.£, "e L ' a ^^' '"'' "'" ""' •'•'"'
and such thin.^s so he \v™d 1 \ \t " '"" "■''■"'"'■^- ""« ""'s
the heart of Sa d an n d- •' "^%";^'^'^"'-- of his grace into
So Ananias wen^'^^'Ie e ^he^'s^^^^^ T"-- "'"-'-
s.«ht as he was co„,nK,nded to lo ncU M T '"'"'"' '"'" '°
the same time to his before darl-,.,?,' I ,^ ^' "''""' ■"■'''■'^ -^'S'" at
that cotdd ciuahfy hi,„ o .-e ct c^ r^ ' ""' '"'^"" '"'"' -•->">'"?
he was a .Saviour And S u w ' ' t,"""" ■''"^' ^''"^ "'-" -w
another disciple of Chris t "f ; ' "'""' '""^ '«l"i^^''l as
now joined hin.self to d.en '':,''•''","'''"•';■ ','"■ '•'">'''■ ^-"'
•Damascus. And there ■ Spread edCri"! :^^' "'' ""'" '•"
he is the Son of GotI " ' "' '" "'>-■ ^>'"agognes, that
thej'; •^Xm:;;:;:^ ::«aL';:;r ."^ 'r;'"-"" " '" °'"- -^
falHng upon hin,; an,^hey w, ',' ?' '' '"' ^^ '"^''''■"'^
^lay that'he mi.h't not eSp" ^o Ve tfl^: 1 '"';"^'^™^ "'■^"" -^'
■ns their vigilance, n.anacje 1 to ■ et L, o' ' f thT' "°'"'"'^''""'-
of one bein-r built on the citv wnM , ^^ '"y- ^'"' ""-■ ''ouse
a bacic windo,v and so ^ot awav fro, ,r'''' ''°"'" ''>' '^^ '^-'^^' f™"'
either of the gates ° ^ °'" *' "'^ "''"'°"' l«^^ing through
Saul then went to Jerusalem, but his name was so tcrrif, ; „
.*'W«»'sm:>»>™
1^ /I
'I
SIP
J I
-^ i
i^G
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
and so play the part of spy, and inform against them, and get them
to be imprisoned and put to death. At length Barnabas told the
disciples not to fear, and what wonderful things had happened to
Saul, " and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of
esus.
At Jerusalem, also, the new apostle met with the most violent
enemies, who seemed the more enraged against him because he was
a deserter from their ranks. Here the Grecians, as they are called, or
Jews that used the Greek language, and not Greeks, who were heathen,
" went about to slay him," and he found no rest until he went to his
own city of Tarsus. After this the churches were allowed for some
time to enjoy a little rest.
We now leave Saul at Tarsus, and return to notice what Peter was
doing. We are told that he paid a visit " to the saints which dwelt at
Lydda."
• Lydda, where Peter went, was a city about thirty miles from Jeru-
salem. Here Peter worked another miracle in the name of Jesus, and
cured a certain man named Eneas, who had kept his bed eight years,
and was sick of the palsy.
We are next informed about a good woman, whose name you may
often have heard mentioned, because her memory is held in great
repute on account of her being very charitable. Her name was
Tabitha in the Syriac language, and means a roe; and because a roe
in the Greek is called Dorcas, that was the name which she bore
among the Jews that spoke Greek. She lived at Joppa, a town now
called Jaffa. This excellent woman died, and was laid out. Peter
being then at Lydda, which was near Joppa, the disciples sent to him
to tetl him of their grief, and no doubt with a view to his restoring
her to life. Peter hastened to Joppa, and there he found the dead
body in an upper chamber, " and all the widows " to whom Dorcas
had been very kind and charitable " stood by him weeping, and show-
ing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with
them." It is from this circumstance that we call some of our societies
for giving clothes to the poor, Dorcas societies.
Peter ordered every one of the widows to leave the room, that he
1 get them
s told the
ppcned to
t name of
)st violent
ise he was
i called, or
re heathen,
/ent to his
1 for some
Peter was
ch dwelt at
from Jeru-
" Jesus, and
iight years,
e you may
id in great
name was
cause a roe
[i she bore
town now
Dut. Peter
sent to him
s restoring
i the dead
lom Dorcas
and show-
le was with
)ur societies
om, that he
ACTS.
might, in a more undisturbed way kneel rlnun . ^
havmg done so. he said to the dc;d bo/ 'S '^ "^f \ '''''
opened her eyes: and when she suv v?' , ' ''•'^^- ^"^^ ^^'^
her his hand, and lifted hup and Jh'';' ?' T "^^^ ^"^ ^'^ S-^'^
widows he presented her alive '" '" ' ^^'^ ^''^^^^^ '^'' ^^^^^^ ^nd
• co^Sr:^::::^.::;::;^ ^^^l:- - Jesus: and Peter
b-sily engaged in foliou' . 't 1' ""' ^""^"' ^1 ^---^'■. "o doubt
exhorting the disciples to cS.Zu fi ^^ ^ht;^ ^^ ^^ --• by
from which they would be liable to be sink n T '""''' '° ^''''''
which were to be expected from tl^^ envitt J.'s. "'^ P^^-"^--^
Cornelius's Drcam.-Peter's Vision.
ACTS X, XL
inere was a man livino- at Cp^iron ..
ippi. on the borders of Sv'ria wlt^s ' "'"'^"'^ '^'^"^^' ^^^^'"^^^ Phil-
a centurion, that is. a offi c^; ctnn "7' "T ''""'"'^"■^' ^"^^ ^-' --
Italians, su^ect to' the R^ma^ g^ l^f^^ '""t^' -"' ^^^ were
pious and charitable, and particuhrlv f i ; ' "'''" ^^'^^ ^^ry
while he was devoutly en' ed ho ^ '"'''"^^ '' '''^- ^°"
angel of God spoke to'hh ^i^^f ^ 1"',^'^ i^l '"'" l' ''''''' ^
in a dream by night, but in bro.r N ' , '. ' "^'"^ ^^^ ^"^^^^^'' "ot
''Thy prayers Ld thine l,ar^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ '^^^^^ --^ to him.
meaning that the pray rs which 1 el T' ?'" " "^""^^'^^ ^^^^^''^ ^-^ ; "
family, and the charitlb 4t ons h h r ? '" '''^^^' ^^^ himself and
love, were like sacrifice V oe^aT ^^T^' 'T "" ''''''^^'^ ^^
acceptance. And he desired Corn us to ' 'T"'"' ^^ ^''' '^''"^
tanner shouse.atJoppa. where Perrt^d,;" T" '', f '""" ^'^^
about those great thin<rs which u^. ,^';^"'' ^^^^'ter would teach him
sent two of his servant^sani 'it sTm •"""■' "' ^"'"""'"■^^- ^^« ^e
c .__....
ff
I
i88
T/l/i /■.Lir/LV COMM/iXTARY.
Jews, and Peter at that moment was prayint^, and fell into a trance;
that is, he lost all sense of what was going on, and felt as if he wcrf;
a happy spirit, departed from the body ; and he saw heaven opened,
and a large sheet let down to earth and spread out before him as a
table-cloth, in which were wild beasts and creei)ing things, as well as
tame beasts and fowls; and a voice desired him to kill and eat.
Peter, who had strictly observed the Jewish law, had never eaten
anything which it forbade and called unclean, anil he hesitated to
touch the offered food. The voice then said, " What Ciod hath cleansed,
that call not thou common." This vision seems to have been rei)eated
three times, to impress his mind the more strongly. Peter, on coming
to himself, could not think what
all this could mean ; but while he
was thinking upon it the messen-
uers from Cornelius arrived at his
tloor, and he was urged by a
secret impression of Ciod's Sj)irit
to meet them and go with them.
When Peter arrived at the
house of Cornelius, the good man
had assembled his relatives and
friends, supposing that some bless-
inir from God would attend this
Jori'A, l''R(tM nil'. Sdl'TllWKST.
'.•^
extraordinary meeting, and he wished them to enjoy it as well as
himself
On seeing Peter, Cornelius fell at his feet "and worshipped him,"
or paid him reverence. He was not a foolish heathen, who paid him
worship as if he h^cl been a god, but he paid him very high respect
as a servant of God, sent to instruct him. Peter, however, thought
that he paid him more reverence than he ought, and, fearing that he
might rob Christ of the honor which was really due to him, and none
other, he " took him up, saying. Stand up ; I myself also am a man."
And now Peter saw^ the plain meaning of the sheet with the
unclean creatures of which he was to eat. This was a sign to teach
him that although he was a Jew, yet he was now to unite with those
ACTS.
o a trance ;
; if he vvcr(i
en opened,
e hini as a
, as well as
ill and eat.
lever eaten
lesitated to
th cleansed,
en repeated
on coniinyf
think what
Hit while he
he messen-
rived at his
n\i;"ed by a
iods Si)irit
vith them,
ed at the
i: <>ood man
:latives and
some bless-
attend this
as well as
lipped him,"
u) paid him
ligh respect
ver, thout;ht
ini>- that he
II, .ind none
;uii a man."
^t with the
ign to teach
; with those
who would believe in Chrisf nf -.n • "'"^
Jew, to keep co„,pany, or eon^:" „;""''''"' """« '■°'' ^' '"^'" ">at i-s a
hath .shonn n.e that I shouh o ^^^T: "'"""'■ "'""" • ^"^ ^o^
Cornelius now told Peter oth^ ^ '""? ~""""" "'' ""^'^'an."
'hat his little con,pany v e' a.. b 7^^"'' '"^ '"^ ^™' f-' l>i-", and
wl.i^:la;od nnolu'speak ti;;;:,:; s t " "■'"" '-" ••'"y "ords
I oter then preaehed to this f.-ntil
he had preaehed to the lew an, """''""^ "'^ ^^'"'^ ''"^''^ "hieh
a.s a Saviour, assuring ti::;";;;,:,"'^""'-^°^-'' ""'" '° "^■"-^' '" J-us
"m every nation he that feareth"
Cod, "and ^vorketh righteousness
■weeepted with him"; and that
whosoever believed in Jesus should
receive remission, or enjoy the
Puttmg away of their sins, so that
hey should not be brought a..ains
'hemmthedayofjudgmentr
VVhde this honored apostle was
Preaehnig, the Holy c'host ■ also
came upon these Gentiles, as on
"le Jews assembled on the day of
Pen ecost^ They also were now
filled with zeal for the honor of
Christ, and could speak in tongues
they had never learned so as tn . i
any country, the great' tlhngs about' the' '° '''," "">' ""■«'^' "'-'• of
arcumcision," that is, the lews vvhn ' '"''"°"- " They of the
for they had no notion that tie rTn '^"'''"'- ''''"= astonished
thought that this blessing was lTZ:T'.rr "^^ "?'"'• ^^''^
persons, having received the Sphit wer5 , 'u '''="" °"'y- These
they were the disciples of Christ ''''° ''"P"'^^^' '« ^^ow that
The apostles, who were scattered nt th .•
Stephen, still continued "preacwt t . °' '^' Persecution of
their labors to the Jews onl/and to the r ''°''' ' ^"' '^'y ~nfined
,, j_ J y, and to the Grecians, or Jews which spake
Tkmple Candelabra.
■'■>*"'''-'^' ■
mtmMiummm
ii ii
TI/M FAMILY COMMENTARY.
^"^^ 1 11 wi iT,.ll.'nist Tews, which means
Grecian Jews. These apostles pre , j ^ ^.j unto the
and elsewhere: "and a great "^"^.^^'id a visit to the •
I ord " And Barnabas being sent from 3^-^"^ "• ' P , , ,,^ „ .^w
!;:: diseiples at Antioch, where ^^^^^^^^ Ld dis-
the grace of God," in its holy and happy ^^^'J^ „ . ^„j ,,hile he
positions of the V^^^^^^^^^^^Jt Lord." Barnabas
rttsir Ct tXpt:^. and they labored together for a
^::l :his"'i.rtt"" th': SSes were caned Christians first at
n'htleventh chapter closes by ^l^J^S^:::^:^.
Christians at Antioch, in sending -^^^'^^^^^Z: the spirit of
Judea. At this time Agabus, ^^h° ^^^"4^ j^^e all over the
iophecy, foretold that ^ <^;™"--^^ ^o' ^.Ldiu^ Lsar," a Roman
world, •-•^-^ --; °i^: Vn -ochNvhich was a fine city in Syri.
are rirrbelieve <^^;^:X:;^ 2 ^^^I^
^ lat ^T^:::^'^^"^ .- their wants, when the
time of need should come.
The Apostle PWs Imprisonment and Miraculous Escape.-
Herod's Miserable Death.
ACTS XII.
„ 1 1 „ T4<>rnd the Great slew the infants
The He-ods were all bad "^=","^.°,j;'the Baptist; and Herod
■| -
of our bl
essed Lord's apostles, he procec
if<ti»ittitvatimmmmsmmt'm»tt<-
lich means
IS, Antiocli,
;d unto the
visit to the -
or he " saw
'^es and dis-
id while he
." Barnabas
Tether for a
.tians first at
id act of the
r brethren in
the spirit of
i all over the
ir," a Roman
city in Syria,
isalem would
ition, but sent
nts, when the
5 Escape. —
ew the infants
St; and Herod
sv/ord," which
Jews that was
i on those who
murder of one
Dersecute Peter,
ACTS.
one another's guard, and so watchcV.imKv '",'"'""•' '''^'""''^
was impossible that he could esca e h ^ ■- '"-'" ^""' ''•'>•■ "
u'cro chained, and when he slent , L ^ "T' ""™^''-'' f"'' '"'^ ''^n.ls
him, one on each side and tl ' h "'^ ' ''' '"'' '"" ^°'^"^'''' V'"; by
Land of eachsoldilr '^"" °" '''^' ''^""' "-^ ^-'---l lo a
But nothing can withstand the power of rn,l. i , ,
tians met together to pray for ]W -v Y i ' "■'"" ""^ ^■''■■'■^-
prayers and sent his ajgel'to e 1 im free Th""' '"■' !"■"' '"^'^
happened was to have been Peter's In . /heverynight that this
next morning Herod intended to hav . ,'!'^ '"prison; for „n the
and to have put him to dead, as he- di t'T' '"'" '" ""^ ''^"l^'^''
appeared, surrounded ^vitl br Hune s "T' ^^'''"' "'^ ^"'y^'
he awoke Peter by toucl nl h f f- .'""'"'nated the prison,
fell from off his hands ■an^dhavi "! ' T""^ '^"" "''' " '"^ '^l'^""
he followed the ange, o'ut ^f tht fs^o^ 1 ' tifi'^"^- """ '"^, ■--'^"^.
S"rpr,smg that Peter scarcely believed ifl ",'" "", '"''''^" ^'"^
must be dreaming. When thevhni , , '■"'''■ '''"^ "'°"H''f he
or watch, they had to escnn. ,, ^ ^ad passed the first and second ^^•ard
a gate made o'f iron aSol^^t-c ttht "''^T: '^"^ °^ '"^ ■'^'-"'
the city. This gate opened ofltVn ^ , "''' ""'"■'■ ''""'^'='ly ii"o
from the hands of his' eneli Js Wh". '"°'' •'""' ^° '''^''^^ '-'-'Ped
during this time is not said "rhans a' le" ^ " ''''" "' ""•' -"'-''^
their sight was darkened so mt ch ' t„ 7 ' ■"'"' °""' "'""' °'
guish objects at the moment """^'" "''"■'•'^'y ^ distin-
The angel having left Peter in the street ho K. .
h..s astonishment, and comforted WmMf;,,,^'"-''" '" ^-■'^°«r from
posed to save him. Then w itl 1 1 ' ^^™' ''•■"' '■^■••'">- '"'-■r-
fellow Christians, who v re iu t Zn '% ""''' ''" '"^'"'"' '« ^''^
house of ..Mary the Itl efo ^^I'^h^T '" ^°^ '^'^y- '^^ "-
Havmg knocked for admission ,, surname was Mark."
-for that is the mean n^ of R oT T°'"'" """"' '^"-'='. - Rose,
-■thin Who was there, and onS:^^;^ Jol'e wt!' ''''' '"^
SO o\cr
come
^
,^, Tim FAMILY COMMENTARY.
with joy that she ran in and told the company instead of stopping to
let him in. Though they were praying, and no doubt praying for his
release, yet they could hardly believe that it happened so soon, and
they said to the young woman, " Thou art mad " ; and when she
assured them it was true that Peter was at the gate, they said, "It is
his angel " : they thought it was some heavenly messenger that had
assumed his form to bring them some news about him.
As Peter continued knocking they went and opened the door; and,
to their astonishment, they saw Peter himself, and he then told them
how he had escaped.
When daylight came, Peter being missed from the prison, the
soldiers were all in alarm ; and Herod, on being told what had hap-
pened, was so enraged that he ordered the poor soldiers to be put to
death, or executed, as we say, for their negligence.
Merod now left Jerusalem and went on a journey to Ccsarea, a city
about fifty-five miles from it. Here he was visited by some persons
of importance, who were sent from the people of Tyre and Sidon, to
reconcile him after some offense which he had taken, and on account
of which they feared he would make war against ihcm. This would
have been ruin to them, for they lived by merchandise, which they
could not then so extensively sell ; and, as they were not accustomed
to the labors of the field, they were also " nourished by the king's
country " — that is, received their food from it, especially their corn.
Herod appointed a day to receive the supplicants, as he sat on his
throne ; and, being very splendidly dressed with robes which Josephus,
the Jewish historian, says were richly worked with silver that sparkled
brilliantly in the sun, he delivered a speech to the ambassadors of
Tyre and Sidon, in the presence of a great multitude of people. The
foolish people, in order to compliment the king, cried out, "It is
the voice of a god, and not of a man." The more foolish king
was delighted with this praise, and instead of reproving them for
their blasphemy, in so extolling a poor mortal like themselves, he
silentlv heard and rejoiced in their flattery. But God can punish
kings that ofi"end him, as well as poor men ; and while this impious
king was setting himself up for a god, an angel secretly smote him
m
M«M>w*>Mlwnaitiu«tt&s^MiHi
opping to
ng- for his
soon, and
when she
lid, "It is
that had
loor; and,
told tlicm
)iison, the
had hap-
be put to
irea, a city
e persons
Sidon, to
)n account
'his would
,hich they
ccustomed
the kino's
:heir corn,
sat on his
I Joscphus,
it sparkled
ssadors of
)ple. The
Dut, "It is
lolish king
; them for
iselves, he
an punish
is impious
jmote him
ACTS.
10.5
i
" because he gave not God tlie .rlory " ;„ re,>rov;„ , ,i
"and he was eaten of uonns,' a„d died. ' "' ^ '""'^^""^ '^•^"''"•■'
The Travek, Sufferings, and Success of Paul and Barnabas.
ACIS \iii^ XIV
to ';';d.^S';:;:f "'^-istiut ^t "^'-'"- ^""- '"-"-
thenee ■■ they sailed to Cv m • • ^ ""''' ^' "'>' "'' ^y'''-'. '"'J
There they visite v^.^ "' /'""'""'/" ">^ Mech'.erranean Sea,
proceeded^topiUt:;;:;:::::^,-^^ ^'-' ti.-,.. the.
We arc here told that Saul was
also called Paul. It was common
to have two names of these kinds •
for Saul was the Hebrew name by
which this apostle was kno^vn amon<r
the Jews, but Paul was his Roman
name.
From Paphos they next "came
to Perga, in Pamj>h)lia," a country
in Asia, of which Perga was the
chief city ; and from Perga " they
came to Antioch in Pisidia," so
called to distinguish it from Antioch in Syria Her. M.
the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and ^^ \r^^^ ^"Z """/ '"'"
speak; and Paul preached a sermon to the .01 1 do '"T?
as foretold 4 the ^:t;^^ It^^J^^ ^: ^ ^[ ^-i^-
have a otlL onX ^il^Slltr ! ^ ^Z:.^^^^:^ 1
It, for they were jealous because the preacher had nt Tl ""^
attention. Then Paul and Rarnak MtL^^^^^^^^
recused to hear any more about ChrisUlS^i,:,^ ^^^ [^d
Anciknt JrwisH Inor.s.
.w^^^
n4
T///' FAMILY COmiENTARY.
iii
tidi^.^s to the Gentiles or heathen, which the heathen, at Antioch, were
gkid\o learn; and many of them heard the holy preachers and
believed.
The Jews then raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and
got some women, who had gained fame as devout women from their
attention to the laws of their religion, and who were also of rich
families, to help them in driving these servants of Christ out of the
city. So they shook the dust off their feet, as Christ had told them to
do if their message was not received in any place, as a sign of dis-
pleasure against it, and they "came unto Iconium," another place on
the borders of the country.
At Iconium they again went into the Jews' synagogue, and "a great
multitude," both of the Jews and also of the Greeks, believed their
divine message.
But the Jews and Greeks were now greatly divided among them-
selves ; some of them believed, and some of them did not believe,
notwithstanding all the divine proofs of the heavenly message; and
as parties rose very high, and it was determined by some that
they would even stone Paul and Barnabas, they left the place, that
they might carry the Gospel elsewhere, where the hearts of many more
would be ready to receive it.
They now^ "fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia," at no
great distance, " and there they preached the gospel."
Here a man, who was born a cripple, was sitting to hear a discourse,
when the apostle Paul, perceiving that he had faith in the truth of his
message, addressed him before all the people, and " said with a loud
voice. Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked."
The heathen people w^cre so astonished and delighted that they
said, " The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men." They
thought there were many gods, and that these were two of them.
They knew no better, not having the Scriptures ; and they took Bar-
nabas for Jupiter, one of their gods, and Paul for Mercury, another of
them ; and, according to their custom of worshiping and honoring their
deities, the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen
and n-arlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the
ACTS.
ioch, were
chcrs and
nabas, and
from their
so of rich
out of the
Id tliem to
ign of dis-
place on
d "a great
eved their
ong them-
ot believe,
Lsage ; and
some that
place, that
many more
nia," at no
I discourse,
ruth of his
mih. a loud
ed."
1 that they
en." They
o of them.
y took Bar-
another of
noring their
Dught oxen
ce with the
^')S
Pl'c..y, and sl^n \ " ^^ '''^ .""^"r''^' "■''^'' "'^T ''^-"-.l bias-
exhorted them to cast off if r '^'■'-^'"'"^ 'I'^X were only men, and
God, which ,"n c hcav,l l^ ", «"'''' "'"' '^^'''-•^'^- '" " '''^ livinj.
are therein" T c c; , ', "r- T ' "'' "" ^"'' ^'"'^ ^'" """-^ "> "'
vented fron, wor hi ! i;:;"; r^'y'r"? "T' "■'" ^'«^-">l'-
adoration of then, vha, oo'l' " ^-^'""tu'thstanding this servile
Antioch and Icon k, iouTd t Z T""i"''^"'''''''' '" ">"">■""'•>
fro,n those places ami s,o T'"'" ='1'"^"-^ ''ad been driven
had seen L ^2:^' ;!:t,X:' '"^'"-'"^^^ '''"' '-'""^ "'-
ihe lame man, and would then have
adored the apostles, n(nv were per-
suaded to stone Paul, so fickle were
they; and they hurt him so much
that he appeared to be dead, and his
body was dra^-ed by them out of
the city. He must have been dread- .. -^^^
^.Ily injured by this treatment; but ^Ip^"
God left the people without excuse ""^^"^ "
for future punishment in thus treat-
ing his servant, and tried the bold-
ness of Paul in his cause ; and when
next day ^' a^p.^j:::::::!:::^.^'':::^,;::^^ "--' ''-
-trt,:;t^2drirrr"-^ ''-;---
eomfort, and establk^ tit n ?' r ,""™' '''"^' ^""°*> '" i"^ n^ct,
™i^u not be S!:t:;:tr;r::^:r ^-' ^^'^--^ '^- "^^^
apo"t ' :vt't:ht"Xm™'^d "^"^r^^ '■"'" ^""-hes; and the
order, and appointed proneTne "7"^ ""'' ""™' ^^' "'^■" '"
the worship iraod:iTr^rot';:rari!;rn;:r;r^"' '° --^^^
Ancient ErivrTiAN Idols.
fff
I I
L\
I'/
///h h-AAlJ^^' 0\)m/iA/^lI^V.
Then they passed throu-h Tisicha, the country where Antioch was,
and eanie to l\un.iylia. lii Asia, and pi cached at I'erga in that country,
and thence went xmo Attalia, a seacoast town mh the borders of the
Mediterranean Sea. 1 hui ^hey took shiupini; an.l sailed to the other
Antioch, which was in Syria, and deli-hted the Christians there by
tellin- tlieni of tlieir travels, and of the great success which, notwith-
stand'hi- all opposition, had attended their preaching of the Gospel of
Christ—" and there they abode a long time with the disciples."
Disputes Among the Christians at Jerusalem Settled by the Apostles.
ACTS XV, XVI.
While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch, in Syria, some persons
from ^ TUS.V m came to Antioch and raised a dispute. Paul and Par-
Piabas, thcrc.^re, went to Jerusalem to settle the ([uestion.
The affaii being ([uietly settled, Paul and Barnabas now resolved on
revisiting all the places where they had preached the Gospel ; and Bar-
nabas wished John, whose surname was Mark, to accompany them ;
but he, having been their companion on a former occasion and left
them to bearUieir labors and dangers alone in a manner that did not
quite please Paul, who perhaps thought him timid, or not sufficiently
zealous, Paul did not wish to have his help. This caused a misunder-
standing between Pai.l and Barnabas, and so they parted company.
Barnabas, taking Mark with him, sailed to Cyprus, an island m the
Mediterranean Sea, and, as wc learn in the latter part of the f(Uirth
chapter, the native place of Barnabas. Paul, aecompanied by Sila^^,
took another route, and went through Syria and Cilicia, which was his
native country, and visited the churches or assemblies of Christians
whom he had before b; -aght, through his preaching, to receive the
religion of Christ.
Among the places visit.eu a(%- = a by the apostle Paul were Derbe
and Lystra. At the latt:! p^.c he foii ;d a young disciple named
Timothcus, or Timothy,— the same to whom he afterward wrote the
Epistles. The mother of this young man was a Jewess, but his father
was a Greek ; and so it happened that he was not circumcised. Now.
n
tioch was,
,t country,
urs of tlic
tlic other
tlicic by
, notwitli-
Gospcl of
s.
Apostles.
ic persons
1 and Bar-
isolvctl on
; and Har-
any thcni ;
n and left
at did not
sufficiently
misunder-
company.
and in the
the fourth
d by Sili'^,
ich was his
Christians
■eccive the
/ere Dcrbe
pie named
I wrote the
it his father
sed. Now.
ACTS.
i')/
wiuci. wore i : : ,ni : ."T""r"'' """■ '^^'"^^ -'■ -"^ j--
Crock, and thcrcloa | , V.'d "' •^''''"'''''' '"■" ''" '■^'"- -'s a
'-C raised ol^^cuj';;! ^^X^!;:^ """'"'^'' "'"'" '"'"• "-"^
ort:;!,;;^:;'::!;,:;^!:;,;'::'^"'' ':'-7«" - ^sia, a,., .,. ,.,„,„
- .o into m;:;::2,:!:^2X'::: ;:t^:%- r ''''-'■
prevented by a nirti, nl „■ ,•„, ■ ''' '"""■' 'j"' "^re
Spirit „f (;od. / I, ' :""'™ "';"'^ "" ">-'• "-'>ls by the
taken, and these,'' fey gone, ,he,r hVes uouid have been
;r-'- at M^iiruil'^r :;:r^^;t;:'^t!;f:a r
Koniaiis, now called Alexanchii "'''">' ""^ ^^^^
He loosed, or s i ; :^^V™' " '7^ '^"'^''^ ^"""'^^ '" ^
island in the Archil ' I, " ^ ' ^'^"^ ''"'''"' -^^n'oth aeia, 'an
-s a part of .Ma'e'id 1 " -^ ^ ^^e ^'> ^'-I»lis,a seapo -.uhieh
chief eity of that part of M, """"'^'^ '"^ "'-■"' on to i'hiir,pi, ihe
Here, on the ^nhdavh "''■''"'',''"''''"' '''''' '""^ ^la>--
tl.e Jews worsinped, nd^'is 7e T'^ """ "' ""-' ^"°'^ -l^'--
thither." ''"^'- '° "'^ "-o'lt™ «hich re,ortcd
pu^;:^^: i:a"r,:::i^ -an^d Lydi. she was a seller of
province of Asia, in Via Mi o" S^ " ^'"''''' ' ^"'^'^ "'^>^ '' ^'^-
true God, but knew nothi:; f" ,us cL^ Br"''^": 'I ''' ^"^
preached, the Lord onened f.-. '. ." ..!''' , ^"^ "°^^ ^'^^ ^^^^^^1 him
faith
truths
; and she received J
opened her heart, like a door, to I
Tcsus there, and embraced all
ct him into it by
spoken about hint by Paul. And she was bap
the
nn
tizcd, and
portant
received
tW''^
■ r.fm-i^'^f^^^i^^^f^j.
"T rsBirrmr-
IM
III!
I.
198
n/Ii FAMILY COMMENTARY.
the sacred messengers into her house, while they remained in that
neighborhood.
The apostles regularly went to a place used for prayer ; and a girl,
who knew their custom, followed them, as they went every day, and
cried after them, " These men are the servants of the most high God,
which show unto us the way of salvation." This girl was one of a
certain class of people of those days who pretended to be divinely
inspired, and who might possibly have been permitted to perform some
astonishing things by the aid of the devil, who seems to have had full
possession of her mind. By her predictions she gained much money.
It seems that she was not free, but belonged to masters who received
what she gained. Paul, perceiving what kind of a person she was,
was grieved at her condition, and, in the name of Jesus Christ, he
commanded the evil spirit to come out of her. " And he came out
the same hour."
Her masters were greatly enraged that they had now lost their
gains, for the girl could serve the devil no longer. They therefore
seized Paul and Silas, and carried them before the magistrates, accus-
\\\Z them of teachinor doctrines and customs contrary to the laws.
Then the magistrates had them stripped, by tearing off their clothes,
and commanded them to be beaten with rods, after which they were
cast into prison, and the jailer had orders to take the greatest care that
they should not escape. So he thrust them "into the innermost
prison " — one that, lying beyond others and having more bolts and
bars, was the more secure. And still, to add to their security, he put
their feet fast into heavy wood stocks, and thus they lay, as it is sup-
posed, in the most painful position, with their sore and naked backs
stretched upon the cold and dirty stones — the prisoners not sitting, as
in modern times, when the stocks are used, but being compelled to
occupy the most painful and unnatural position suggested by the
mode of punishment.
In this situation, which would have made most men groan and
weep, Paul and Silas, being comforted in their minds in an extraor-
dinary way, sang praises to God in the middle of the night : it is
thought that they sang one of David's Psalms, which is not unlikely.
in that
d a girl,
lay, antl
y,h (iod,
me of a
divinely
m some
had full
money,
received
she was,
hrist, he
ime out
)St their
herefore
^, accus-
lie laws,
clothes,
ley were
:are that
nermost
olts and
, he put
t is sup-
xl backs
tting, as
3elled to
by the
oan and
extraor-
ht: it is
unlikely.
ACTS.
i"s sword and ,vould avckU ed Iv'.r ?' '■ '""""^ '■'"'■ ''^ ''--
thyself no harm ; for we are alT ere T ,"''" "'" '° '""'■ " 1^°
sprang in and " came tremblntul alt'l ' ."■"["' '"'' "" ''i>''^''
ton, of showing respect, fell down' c"';: IV "^i'" f' ''^r "^^
them out of "' '"^*-' ^^^^^> ^nd bnnging
the inner
prison, he
began to talk
to them di-
rectly about
his poor soul,
and asked,
"What must
I do to be
saved?" The
apostles told
him to " Be-
lieve on the
Lord Jesus
Christ "land
they also preached to his whole familv Tl,. n • •,
stripes, which had perhaps bcoun n f V !" ^'''^'' ''"'^'^'^ ^heir
kindness. They had done o-ood tn\ ' ^^ '^''''''^ ^^^^""^ -'-Y
family, as well a^s saved his i odv 1 ', ""'' ''"' '° ^^" '^^"^^ ^^ '^^
self; and the least he could do fo^ ''"' '^""^ ^" '^'^'^^y J^'"-
comforting their bodies Tl I • V' '^ '^''''' '^''^' ^^"^'n'ss by
the Gospel from Uil" p^"^ 1^",?^-^ ^^ ""''''' ^-^^ ^^^ -ady to receive
declared their readies to ^.e 0^^^^ "^ T""''' '"'^ '^"'^^^'-' ^^-X
tized Then the Jailer toclk :^;^^t:::i::' ""''' ""V '''''' ^^^
^re them to re.esh their weaL ^oJ^^^^';;::;^'^^
MODERX JERRI la
Hiil
200
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
In the morning the magistrates thought that Paul and Silas had
had punishment enough, and so sent orders for them to be released.
But Paul, being a Roman citizen, now maintained his privilege,
teaching us that Christianity is not at all opposed to our claiming and
defending our civil rights — that is, those which belong to us as men
and citizens. "They have beaten us openly ^ncondemned," said he,
" being Romans, and have cast us into prison ; and now do they thrust
us out privily? Nay, verily; but let them come themselves and fetch
us out." The magistrates had taken upon themselves to do what they
were not authorized to do; for the magistrates were not to try
prisoners, but only to see that the lawless were seized and secured
and that the law was properly put into execution when the prisoners
were condemned. Paul, therefore, on account of others, as well as on
his own account, would not sanction such shameful proceedings ; he
did not, however, demand revenge upon them, though he might have
got them severely punished for what they had so unjustly done, but he
required that they should acknowledge themselves wrong, and, with
all respect, make amends to them by fetching them out. So the mag-
istrates, being now greatly frightened, went to the prison, and begged
Paul and Silas to forgive them, and that they would leave the city
as soon as possible, that nothing more might be said about the
matter.
When they had quitted the prison they paid another visit to their
kind hostess, Lydia, and then pursued their journey.
Paul Preaches at Thessalonica and is Persecuted There,
ACTS XVII, XVIII.
Paul and Silas, having passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia,
both considerable cities in Macedonia, " came to Thessalonica, a free
city of the same country," where the Roman governor resided. Here
there "was a synagogue of the Jews," and during three successive
Sabbaths Paul went in and reasoned with them about what the
Scriptures said of the Messiah, and proved that Jesus was he. His
facts and arguments were so forcible that, accompanied by the power
.*r«*«-B*---*^««.««^.W«^W(»«*'-**«**^^'9«e^^
ilas had
•eleased.
rivilcgc,
ling and
as men
said he,
;y thrust
nd fetch
hat they
t to try
secured
irisoners
zW as on
ngs ; he
^ht have
e, but he
nd, with
he mag-
. begged
the city
)OUt the
to their
ere.
pollonia,
:a, a free
I. Here
iccessive
v'hat the
le. His
le power
yicrs.
o{ the Soirif cf r^^j ^ 201
Jews weL :o™: "''"' ^'''' '"' '"■•">■ ^-'"'i'- .„o „ac. beco.ne
This enraged tlic unbelievin- lew.- nn^ ,1,
■ ^e at the house of J^son.J^tJTik2^^'7'''P''"''"'^ I^^" '°
been brought to trust in Clirirt vinT, , '"^"' """^^ !>-•>" Iiaci
-^aed hin, on, .vith othe foX "{ rV ^"°"' "°"-^=' -'^'
tliem with turnintr the world Z , °'^ ""= "'^V' ""'I ehar..e,l
wl.icl. ''-y visitedlnto eJ a 1:' ; he! 7;'',°^ '"^"■'■"^' -"^ P^^-'
hou;ever, acted on this occasion .;':*'"'-" . ^''^' ■"■•'^istrates,
Christians were accused of bein.. tro , ^ .' '"■°'"'"-''>'' '•'"^' ^^ "'ese
o them that they would noV"^ :^f:;;';->-;'y -^"hed pledges
"went into the synagogue of L'j , ''';r'™:'^' ""^' "'-- -'» they
received by the people? vvho heard Pan, , , ^.i' ^' ^^"^P^'' ^™-^ ■■e-dily
then exan,i„ed the Scriptures fothen'i "^ " "''"' '•'"^""■°"' -J
about te Messiah agree'd uith t = "r^':^' '°,"''= '^ "''-' "- said
■"any of them became true Christians "^ '"' ^'"'"'' ^"^ ™
to '''f .rce"a^'^:;;::::;-;/'-"^„- the^ — ^oilowed them
d'sturb the apostles, ' "nthtnkmg part of the people to
Jth;r^^sr::::u;;-;^S ^~ of .he way, because against
behmd to explain thi.^s fur he 'to 2 '^'^ ^""°"^""^™"''-'d
have many questions to ask abo t dr l^'T'l '°""'='''^' ^^*° ''°"M
Paul next went to Athens, a c v „ c! '' ^''"■^' ''"S^t and did.
■t-s kno^vledge and learning When he ' '^^f'^S^y ''^""ou.s for
gneved and provoked ,0 ^see th stum-di^v" f' .""" "'^ '^""' "-
standmg all their knowledge for the^^ ^ ^ P'°P'^' ""'"ith-
more images called gods dm al H ^ ™' '^"" "^ ''''o'==- it had
'"•"lorously said of it,1t was easier \" a""' °^ ^'''''' ^° that one
Here Paul, according to fct m '^ "i^ "°! "'.<^^'= '"••'" -■' "-
synagogue, and with " the devout pertr-o;;' f"" J™''^ '" "^-^
persons, or Jewish proselytes, who
'Am-:
,,,r*^¥%^«^'-«*»Jt,w
^■^fwa¥»--jit t TiinrrMiflifiiEBr*'"'
! I
203
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
had left heathenism and embraced Judaism ; and he also took every
opi)ortiinity of conversing about Christ with the Athenians, whom he
met in the great market-place.
In this city he was violently opposed by the heathen philosophers,
called Epicureans and Stoics.
The Epicureans were so called from their first teacher, Epicurus.
Though they believed there was a God, they were foolish enough to
believ'e that the world was made by chance, and that no Providence
* ruled over it. See how ignorant the wisest of men were without the
Scriptures 1 The Stoics received their name, not from their founder,
whose name was Zeno, but from a Greek word, stose, which signifies a
portico, or piazza, because it was customary for Zeno to walk under a
portico' and teach his scholars. He was wiser than the Epicureans,
since he believed that God did make the world: but he, like them,
denied that the Creator cared anything about it after it was
made; and so, instead of being ruled by His Providence, it was left
to Fate. .
These were the men with whom Paul had here chiefly to
contend. They were, however, disposed to hear him; for though
they despised him and called him a babbler, yet, as he brought
with him doctrines new to them,— and they were fond of " some
new thing,"— they thought at least that they should be amused.
There was at Athens a celebrated place called the Areopagus, " in the
midst of Mars' hill." This building was used as a court of law, and
was adapted to accommodate a large concourse of people. Here it
was determined that Paul should publish his opinions. It was a fine
opportunity, and he embraced it.
He told them that he had observed they were very superstitious, or
given to the worship of many and false gods; and that in passing
through their streets he had even seen an inscription— "To thi-:
UNKNOWN God" ; which perhaps meant the God of the Jews, of whom
they had heard, but did not know. Now, he came to tell them who he
w^as, and that instead of the world being made by chance, as some
amomr them believed, he it was who made all things and all men ;
and vviiose providence, so far from not noticing the world he made,
: every
lom he
Qphers,
)icurus.
ugh to
/idence
out the
Dunder,
nifies a
inder a
urcans,
I them,
it was
vas left
iefly to
though
Drought
" some
1.
" in the
law, and
Here it
IS a fine
tious, or
passing
To THIl
)f whom
I who he
as some
all men ;
le made,
ACTS.
~1
20^
even notices every individual, and fixes the boundaries of every nnns
We and the very spot where he shall reside. And as ue sp2 a",
mo ;Tsr'tLr:f '"'""' ;"'" "^ '^ ^'^ ^p'^"' -""■> '-I'x
niore absurd than to ni.aguie that stone carved into different ima.res
hould represent God-n>any of them being even unwor hy to re^e
sent men, whom God has made. For a lon.r whil,. rT, I , ^ '
with this idolatry, but now Paul decla:.ed le had n° ^^^J^Z
bear witness agan,st it, and called upon n.en everywhere o ri^t fir
he has determmed to judge the world, and Chris will be 1 e iud- e
who is now risen from the dead. ■' ^ '
On mentioning the subject of the resurrection the whole assemblv
seems to have been in a tumult. It was a doctrine either disbdin^d
or never thought of by the Grecian philosophers ' Some mo ked
and others said. We will hear thee again of this niatte^ So n t^ '
were not disposed to hear any mo,^ at that i nd r^ceiv d Ws
a t:X"us"etr'''''^/T' Z^-^' '"^-- ^-^ '^-^'*- wafn':
Ji- , "^'•''=^=- "Howbeit certam men clave unto him and
beheved; among which was Dionysius, the Areopagite,"-or a Iud J
m the court of AreonacTim ^ ^^a ^ i ^ ^' ^^ ajucige
others with them.' ' " '™™'''" "^"'"^ ^^"'^"'' ^"^
Paul ne.xt proceeded to Corinth, another Grecian city of consideri
wa made because the Jews were so violent in opposing the Chr' hns
that they caused continual disturbances It inLir. ,w i. , !
A,ui,a were of the same craft or trade JtenttrsTand," Tn
reason v.h.ch brought them together. It was no di grace amomnhe
evTv one' k"'' f"' ^'^er a disgrace to be without, and ThTrefo
every one was brought up to a trade, that he might never want the
means of procunng his livelihood ; and so the apostle P.au hou„h a
earned man, and brought up at the feet of the leirned Gamaliel-that
Tents, m hot countries, are very common and useful, and it wS
2,j^ rilE fjUriLY COMMENTARY.
by this trade that the apostle supported himself while preaching the
gospel.
While at Corinth Paul, as usual, visited and "reasoned in the syna-
gogue every Sabbath "' ; and here he was joined by Silas and Timo-
theus.
The Jews having refused to hear what he had to say about Christ,
Paul " shook his raiment," it being loose about him, as a sign that he
would shake them off and have no more to do with them, and went to
the Gentiles who were in the city. For this purpose he took up his
abode at the house of a man named Justus, who, though not a Jew^
was a sincere man, and worshiped the true God, having learned about
him from the Jews, his house being near the synagogue. His labors
were, however, not altogether useless among the Jews, for " Ciispus,
the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord, with all his house."
Many Corinthians also believed.
Paul was, indeed, particularly encouraged in his labors at Corinth,
for God told him in a vision, "I have much people in this city."
" And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of
God among them."
The success of Paul excited the enmity of the Jews, whose rage
against Christ was as bitter as it still is. They therefore rose up
against Paul, and accused him before Gallio, the Roman officer who at
that time presided over Achaia, in \.nich the conquered province of
Corinth was. Gallio saw their wicked rage, and told them that if Paul
had done any bad thing he would have taken notice of it, but as they
accused him only about religious matters, he had nothing to do with
such disputes, and so he drove the Jews away from his presence.
The Greeks, seeing how he treated the Jews, and knowing that they
were not now in high favor, immediately fell upon Sosthenes, the chief
ruler of the synagogue, and beat him severely ; so that the harm the
Jews wanted to do^ to Paul now fell upon themselves ; " and Gallio
cared for none of these things," but looked on with total indifference.
Paul's next journey was into Syria, and he took with him Priscilla and
Aquila. Then he came to Ephesus, the metropolis of Asia, where he
still reasoned with the Jews by entering into their synagogue.
^.«» hit»mM^''Mimttet>,immimmm
ACTS.
20X
Mavinj^r left Lphcsus he landed at Ccsarea, and visited the Christian
chureh there 1 hence he went to Antioeh. "and after he had spent
somc^ tniie there he departed, and went over all the eountry of Galatia
and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples."
While Paul was en-a.^red elsewhere Apolios visited Ilphesus.
This was a most eloquent Jew. who had been taught about Christ by
John the Baptist. Here he preached boldly, urging men. no doubt, to
repentance and faith in the Messiah. But Aquila and Priscilla, havin<^
been instructed by the apostle Paul, kne^v more than Apolios did, and
they therefore assisted in showing him " the way of God more
perfectly, and about Christ as the Saviour of sinners
After this Apolios visited different parts of Achaia and strencrth-
ened the minds of those who believed in Christ, and " he mi^rhtily
convinced the Jews, and that publicly, that Jesus was the Christ "
Paul's Extensive Travels to Preach the Gospel
ACTS XIX.
In the last chapter we learned that Apolios visited different parts of
Achaia, and here ue are informed that he also paid a visit to Corinth
which was the capital of Achaia. During this time Paul "passed
through the upper coasts," or countries to the north of Ephesus,
called I hrygia, Ionia, Mysia. Caria, and Lydia (see Asia Minor, at
the end of Acts), and then again to Ephesus. He here instructed
some of John the Baptists disciples, and baptized them "in the name
of the Lord Jesus"; and he "spake boldly" in the synagogue "for the
space of three months concerning the kingdom of Gcd"-that is, the
reign of Christ the Messiah.
However at length he gave over instructing the Jews in this plac^
since their hearts were so much hardened against Christ; and "one
lyrannus having a school of public instruction and disputation he
went there and taught his disciples about the way of salvation, and in
this manner he passed two years. Ephesus being a place of great
importance, and numbers of persons, both Jews and Greeks, visiting it
for purposes of trade and information, the doctrines of the apostle
1
&
•»
ao6
77/E FAMILY COMMRXTARY.
were heard by most of these, and so conve)'ed abroad and spread in
all the cities and towns of Asia.
Seeing- the wonderful things done by the apostle, some " vagabond
Jews" who strolled about from place to place, like our vagabond
mountebanks, to gain a livelihood by their tricks, and who were
"exorcists," or a sort of conjurers, tried to do a like thing in a similar
way. Among these were seven sons of a Jew, a "chief among
the priests " at Hphesus ; and they attempted to cast out evil spirits
from those who were tormented with them, and said, "We adjure yoa
by Jesus whom Paul preacheth." They, however, were soon proved to
be imi)Osters, to their in-
jur)- and shame, to the
honor of the apostle and
to the advancement of the
cause of Christ.
This affair was soon
spread over the city of
Hphesus, and produced a
great change in many per-
sons, both among the
Jews and Greeks. In-
deed, "many of them
which used curious arts
brought their books to-
gether, and burned them before all men; and they counted the price
of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver." This was a
glorious triumph over Satan in his own territories, for Hphesus was a
very wicked and idolatrous city, where magic was taught, and it was
a deadly blow to the wicked art when the books were destroyed by
which the people had learned how to perform it. The price of the
books burned has been reckoned, at the lowest rate, at about
eight thousand eight hundred dollars; but some think it was not less
than thirty-one thousand two hundred and fifty dollars. Rooks were
extremely dear before the art of printing was invented, and books on
curious arts were dearer than others.
I'ARr ()F ANcn:.Nr waruali.kv.
...mm.^m'Ma.Jtaiitmmigsmmimtim
ircad in
gabond
Lgabond
\o were
. similar
among
il spirits
urc )'Ol1
•ovcd to
heir in-
to the
itlc and
X of the
IS soon
city of
duccd a
any pcr-
niX the
s. In-
f them
Dus arts
)oks to-
die price
is was a
IS was a
d it was
oyed by
:e of the
it about
not less
nks were
Dooks on
ACTS.
20:
The apostle Paul „„„• l„„an to think about visitin^^ some otlar
par s a,H,, av.nj, decided to go through Macedonia ad A " ia
lanbolan of the cty of Corinth, as ue learn in the siuee
te Tthf c n";'"^^ r" ^"•""'^ «^'^-^ "'"'^ '^f '- visit, ;:;,''
to eav W "','" '''''"'" '"■"'■ ^^''"^ "'- apoMlewas about
eliin oM SUV f "T, "■^^\'— '■ " "" sn.al/ stir ■ about the
peoole cal ,.,{ ; < l"'^"'' "' '"'''^'''- "'''^1' "'- i-'ol^trous
S a tumult^", M ■,'"' "' '""'' "' "'^"- ^"^''""' --'-^ored to
exute a tumult and to drive hnn out of the city
Lcfore we notice this affair it may be necessary just to oive xou a
short ^account of this famous city of Hphesus anVof^;: 'c^l^b^rrtod
We have before said that Ephesus was the metropolis of Asia and
mcleed, ,t was the ,„ost famous place of trade i , all Asia M or
rhe ancent cty stood about fifty n.iles sot.th of Snurna Ins
lo g gone to decay, like n,any other once splendid citie o" the H t"
w -h all the"::":"' °' T- "'' ''^^ "'^- ''"^"'i"^' "^ '^--'^ '<> ^-t
world. It was near y as on*-- as St T^nl'^ r^.f^ i i • t ,
nearly as xvuh^ n. q/d v "" "' "^ Cathedral m London, and
iieany as wide as St. Pau s at its •rreatosf Iin-wlfli if
K,, 11, i^it-cULst uicacltli. It was SUnDOrffrl
by one hundred and tu-cnty-scven marble pillars, seventy fchlh
or twelve tm,es the height of our tallest m n, and these we ceithe;
mos curtously carved or highly polished. Fron, accot.n tv by
anu nt xvnters, th,s temple was Uvo h.mdred and twenty years in
buddmg, and ^vas continually improved for four luutdred ye us The
cbony,-a hard, black, and valuable wood,-and the people were weak-
ztm : '"'^ ^v"> '''"' °^ ^"'^^ -°'' --;:;;; o
oneof ,r, 7" by Jup.ter, a name by which they distingui-hed
Di na To ;;f " S°ds, and whom they supposed to be the father o
It had h r 1 ; '^"'^°''' ""-'y P''"''' '•■ K>-'=^' deal of reverence
It had been formerly placed in the trunk of an old elm, but, from the
i
I
"■ t^" ■--
"''4"*'ffr'^'^T?!^*fr'f^^"'.^- y^
"-iTTwiiMi--»if[rii'iiiii
r' .'.^
I'
anS
77//: hAMILY COMMENTARY.
honors paid to it. it was at length provided with this magnificent
building. All the inhabitants of Ionia went every year to Hphesiis
to solemnize a festival to " the great goddess Diana, " and wives and
children carried their offerings to her temple, many of which were
exceedingly rich and valuable. Priests who ofliciated on this occasion
were liberally maintained by the people; and the citizens, no doubt,
made much money by the gathering together of so large a number of
peoj)le, many of whom were wealth)-, and who remained during the
continuance of the sports which accompanied their offerings.
The throngs that yearly visited Hphesus furnished the silversmiths
with plenty of employment to make siher models of this famed
building, which the multitude so much venerated, and brought no small
gain to the craftsmen. One of these silversmiths in particular, whose
name was Demetrius, called together his fellow-workmen and told
them of the injury they suffered by the reduced sale of their silver
temples, in consequence of the apostle Paul having "almost thre.ugh-
out all Asia persuaded and turned away much people, saying, that
they be no gods which arc made with hands." And Demetrius
showed that the temple itself was in danger of falling into contempt
and neglect, owing to the success of the apostle's preaching. His
interested auditors felt the force of what he said, and " they v re full
of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"
Their noise and shouting roused the whole city, and, having put
many others in a rage against the apostle's preaching, the mob caught
Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul's companions, and rushed with
them into the theater, where public plays were acted in honor of
the goddess, and where, among other things, men were set to fight
with wild beasts ; and very probably it w^as intended to hurry the
servants of Christ thither to throw them to the wild beasts.
Paul, not in the least afraid, would have followed them into the
theater to preach the gospel even to this enraged multitude ; but the
Christians at Ephesus advised him not to expose himself to danger
and probably thought the people were not in a mind to attend to any-
thing he might say.
When the people were got together in the theater a great many of
ACTS.
anr)
niticcnt
Lphcsus
/cs and
li were
ccasion
doubt,
liber of
ing the
rsmiths
famed
o small
, whose
ul told
ir silver
in.ugh-
ng, that
metrius
)ntempt
T His
"^re full
ns!
ing put
• caught
jd with
Dnor of
to fight
irry the
nto the
but the
danger
to any-
them did not know why they were there, and as one asked another
what was the matter, all were in confusion.
In the meantime Alexander, who was a professed Christian was
dragged into the theater, the Jews helping to push him in. and so
unitmg m their wicked deeds with the Hphesian idolaters. Here
Alexander would have defended his faith, but when he attempted to
speak the mob drowned his voice, and cried out. "Great is Diana of
the Ephesians I " They knew that they could say nothing in their own
defense in reply to Alexander, and so for two hours he tried in vain to
speak and they roared out against him.
_ At length "the town clerk " interfered. (This was a person of some
mfluence and authority, and he hit upon a very good method to
restore quietness.) "Why/' said he, "you know 'that everybody
worships the goddess Diana-there is no need to dispute about thaf
and you know that her image came doun from Jupiter, and as nobody
can contradict it, what need is there of all this noise?" (This is just
what he would have said in English, for his words are to the same
purport.) "Besides," he added, "these men have done no harm to
our goddess; they have neither robbed the temple of her wealth nor
said anything that I know of against her dignity. However, if they
have done any harm, the law is read)' to appeal to; but if they have
not, the injury will fall upon your oun heads for disturbing the peace
and making this terrible uproar; and if you do not immediately de])art
quietly home you will all be in danger of being taken up as rioters"
Having spoken to this effect, the people grew a little cool. and. seein-
that they could do nothing to stop the doctrines of the apostle and
might injure themselves, they quietly departed to their homes. 'The
foolishness of their proceeding was thus quickly made very apparent
to the idolatrous multitude. In fact, there is nothing that can be
made to appear so ridiculous, even to the least reflective mind as the
enmity that would overcome truth by the merest outcry and passion
i In
nany of
ll
2IO
Tim FAMILY COMMENTARY.
Paul's Travels and Preaching. — His Arrest and Trial at Jerusalem. —
Taken to Cesarea and Pleads in his own Defense.
ACTS X.\-.\\VI.
We have now to follow the apostle Paul rapidly through some more
of his travels; and, except a few occasional remarks, shall merely
notice the jjlaces where he went, so as to explain their situation antl
importance, if they have not Iv'en noticed before.
Paul, havinp( taken leave of the disciples at P^jjliesus, now went into
Macedonia, and, havins^^ visited the disciples there, — at Phili])i)i,
Thessalonica, and Berea, of which we have lately read, — " he came
into (ireece," or, as some think, Achaia. Here he remained three
months, and was preparini;- to sail for Syria, when he heard that the
Jews were watchini;* for him to kill him if he went in that direction ;
and so he resolved not needlessly to put himself into danger, but
returned by land through Macedonia to visit the churches there. lie
was now accompanied into Asia by .Sopater, of Herea, and Luke, the
writer of the Acts, who includes himself as one of the party when he
speaks of " us " ; and Aristarchus and Secundus, of Thessalonica,
and Gains, of Derbe, and Timothy and Tychicus and Tro])himus, of
Asia, went on to prepare matters for the apostle's reception at Troas.
They sailed from Philippi, as the apostle had intended to do, and it
being a short way they reached Troas in five days. The apostle, how-
ever, was not many hours behind them, since he joined them there and
spent a Sabbath with them ; and they remained there altogether but
seven days.
The companions of Paul now took passage in a ship to go from
Troas to Assos, a city of Asia by the seaside ; and here the apostle,
having traveled on foot, shortly joined them ; when, having been
taken into the ship, they sailed for Mitylcne, a city in Lesbos, an island
situated in the /Egcan Sea, now known by the name of the Archi-
pelago, being that part of the Mediterranean Sea which divides Greece
from Asia Minor. Thence they continued their course " over against
Chios," another island in the ^gean Sea, and the next day they
f
t(
Ol
««««■««&)« ««rti.^WJ8»ftlfi»»*«WS
ACTS.
213
o nncd ^t T ■'■ "''"'' '" "" "™^ =^^' ^"J -shored or
stopped at l,ooyll,u,„,a smr.ll island near San.os, for there was a
bay here convenient for vessels to anchor in; and t e next Lrev
canK o M, ctus, the chief city of Ionia. On his way to tl,is pi e P u^
passed by Ephesus, for he l,ad deternnned to sail past it "be nse he
r: feTs't Tv T '™^, '" ^"'^•■' "'^'""S to ^e 'at Jerusa'r rt
fn . th °7>'"'^"«'. "'at he might have an opportunity of preach-
mg the gospel to a great number of Je^^ s, out of all countries whom
he knew would come to that feast '-ountncs, whom
sen^'forThe'ell ""''■ "'"" '""'^"' '"""^ f''"'" '^l'"^--. 'he apostle
sent lor the elders or managmg members of the church in tint citv
t ur p.olcssion of faith m Christ; and he told them this was the last
nne he shotdd see then,, for he knew that he was about to -o he^
L:rd";:su f""",-'' ■'^r ""'^"^ ■•'"^' ^ '^■•-"" f- the ll
tlten h kneded r" T """ """"^ '° ''^ ''°"'" "'^ "f^''- "-"
fe oru .r "", ""' '""^■"' "'"' "■^■'" ••"'■" ^Ve are not told
most n t r. "" "'■••>■ '-"«■>■ suppose that it ^^as one of
P to r'f'' "^:"' ■■'"'' '^"''^'' '"■••^^■'^'■•^ "'••""•'•'« ^ver offered
1 to Go I, for he seemed to love the liphesians nuxst sincerely -.nd
ad fe7'^ p""'-""' /°'- "-ir happiness; "and they all we^t 'so
and fell on Paul s neck, and kissed hin,." In this way Hsau fell on
acobs neek,an.l Joseph on his brother Benjamin's ; Vw" as yot"
have heard before, the Hastern uay of sho^vinj great iffection. '
Hav ng parted «-,th these elders, who accon,panied Paul to the shir,
a d c d not cave hin, till the very last n,oment, he and h co
pan.onssaded straight for Coos, or Cos, another island in the yl4'an
w kh" ad : r IT' ""^ '''''''' '^"™'^-^' =• -^brat^dtk ;
called the Colossus of Rhodes, which cost twelve years of the sculn-
ors abor and fc.8,000. Its height .as seventy ™bits. o 05
I was esteen,ed one of the seven wonders of the world AsVhv
a ong ,taston,shed all beholders, for few men with their arms ft etched
out couki embrace the thumb. sircicnea
They ne.xt proceeded to a place called Patara, a city of Lycia
i I
■t I
ii-V
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
which was a country of Asia Minor, bounded on the south by the
Mediterranean. Here they found a ship for Phoenicia, and thither they
sailed, and passing Cyprus stood for Syria, and landed at Tyre, the
chief city of Phoenicia. Having met with some Christians here, they
stayed to establish them in their faith, and were with them seven
days.
Then they sailed from Tyre to Ptolemais, a city of Galilee, on the
seacoast, where they remained with some fellow-Christians during
one day. y\nd the day following Paul's company stoj)pcd at Cesarea,
" and entered into the house of Philip the Evangelist," — undoubtedly
the same who had baptized the eunuch, — and there they took up their
abode while they remained in that place. It is worthy of remark that
Philip had four daughters who had the gift of prophecy, or were
inspired by the Holy Spirit to foretell events which should happen to
the Church of Christ.
While the apostolical travelers were at Cesarea the prophet Agabus
arrived from Judea, and foretold the treatment Paul would meet \\'\\\\
from the Jews at Jerusalem ; at the same time, taking the girdle which
fastened Paul's robes around his body, he expressed it by the signifi-
cant siun of bindin<j his own hands and feet. This made Paul's com-
panions weep and entreat him not to go to Jerusalem ; but the holy
servant of (iod, bent upon the conversion of men, would not be
dissuaded from his purpose on so important an occasion, when thou-
sands of Jews would be collected together at the feast, and he
answered, "What mean ye to weep and to break my heart? for I am
ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name
of the Lord Jesus."
Shortly after this the p^rty took their carriages — or, rather, " their
baggage " — and went to Jerusalem, accompanied by some disciples of
Cesarea and one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, who happened to
reside at Jerusalem and who accommodated them at his house.
When Paul visited the temple the Jews "laid hands on him," and
treated him so cruelly that they would have killed him had not the
Roman commandant rushed in among them wnth some soldiers and
rescued him. He, however, supposed from their treating Paul in this
li by the
thcr they
Pyre, the
ere, they
ni seven
2, on the
durin<Tf
Cesarea,
Dubtcdly
up their
lark that
or were
;ippen to
Agabus
lect with
le which
2 signifi-
il's com-
:he holy
not be
m thou-
and he
for I am
he name
r, " their
ciples of
pened to
e.
im," and
1 not the
liers and
jI in this
manner that he mi'dit hiv. u , • ^'-^
him to be bound tvi.,;: ^ r^^ °'^f--''''"'pvrong, and „.de,.d
fulfilled. "•'• '^"^ ■'■o "k- prophecy of Ayabus uas
w.tl. the co„„„an,lant, who fe Ld h"" T '",'"• ''^''^ ^^ --er e"
"■•« had done inuch „, "hi^^ ' ,1 V"'^^'" ""'. ""^ '^»Ptian robber
'-operate „,e„. had lately ;„':' ^^""'^'^"'^^ , h' -our thousand
"'on n,fonned hin, ,hat I wa „ , t Tf'"""^ -""">'. Paul
sus, no mean city in Ciliri-, ^ ,' ' ""■ '"-' ™^ ^^ citizen of -l-ir
people, which he chd r^l'P'"''' '" ^'^ ■'"'-cd to addrcls t J
eastle. He then told the t m "" ' , '''^' "' "'^^ ^^^nt to tl,e
Gamaliel." a learned Jew" „ ' ^ "^ ^™"^''' "P "at the feet of
scholars then sat beneath tl n mac ,'^ Tr'^'l; ''" '"^'^"^^i-"^. as
as any Jew could be in beh if oT "V ,''"'' been as zealous
verted on his uay ,o Damascus a he """' "' "'^" ^' "'•'^ ^°n-
Chnst,ans;and that now he >^"'an a os 1 f,'"^' '" '""^^"^' "'^
preach to the Gentiles. This they co d 1 ,^"""' ^''"^'' ^^''^ '«
hcntselves to be the only plprwhom r ° ■■"'■ '"'''''' ''""'^^
d.v,ne message; and now a-X t^^ev I , """''' ''°""'- "'"' ^
tumult. The chief captain tllu o er IP, °"' ■'"' ^ '■•'f^'e and
"'h'le they were bindi g hin h sdd " ,'° ^' ^'^™^««1 ^ '""t
was a great cri„,e to scourge sch a J "' ' '^"'"'''" ^'"■^"'' ^'"'1 it
"■•-« a free city, and Paul't „' xl if '°" ■"''''°"' ^ '^i^''' 'tarsus
born free; .so Paul escap.rbe . : "'' "'r"'' °'' ''"■•^"■^' ''e -as
greatly frightened that he ^i '"Xui?' ?""' ""' ''"'^''^ "-
ofiense against the Ron.an law to bind a' "' "-""^^ ■'"so a great
On the morrow Paul ,vas tnl "'^ '*°"'''n ctizen.
eil.or Jewish Sanhedrin, WhuTh^ '' ""^ ^'"'^'^ '^'-'^ -d coun-
the high pries, Ananias com ,5 ^'V":"'""''^ '° "'^'^^^ ">em,
face, which the apostle resen e . ' '° '"'^'^ '^''" '•> ^lap in the
the priest a w,hitid wall, n,:;;;:,;!.:;;',;!:'?"" °/'he law.ani called
'" pocri
\v
id within. The j
God sh..h priest, when he aeknowled
it. but he was not aware that he was f
hyp
^^^vs then reproved h
pd that he would not have d
was the high priest
looking fair
im for reviling
one
<)
2l6
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
The apostle, finding that the Jews would not hear him, wisely be-
thought himself to divide his enemies among themselves; and as one
thing which had offended the Jews was his preaching the resurrection
of Jesus, he called out that he was brought there for professing his
hope iii the resurrection of the dead. Now, the Sadducees denied
that there was any resurrection, but the Pharisees believed it, and
immediately, as Paul had foreseen, they fell out among themselves;
and the Scribes in the council,
^^=s^^^p?^*^ ^^ who were Pharisees, declared
that Paul was unjustly accused.
As the parties became vio-
lent. Paul's life was in danger
amongst them, and the chief
captain, now fearing the con-
sequences of his being injured
as a Roman citizen, commanded
the soldiers again to rescue him
and take him into the castle.
Here Jesus appeared to him in
a vision, and told him he must
preach his gospel yet at Rome.
Above forty of the Jews, en-
raged at the deliverance of the
apostle, now took a solemn
oath that they would neither
eat nor drink till they had killed Paul, and they proposed to the chief
priests and elders that if they would make an excuse to have him once
more before the council they would take care that he should not again
escape alive. How^ever, God defeated their wicked purpose, for, pro-
videntially, a sister of Paul's had a son at Jerusalem, who, having
learned the intended plot of these men, went himself and informed the
apostle, who sent him to tell the chief captain. The captain then ^ost
no time to protect him, but ordered a body of soldiers to take him at
night to Cesarea, a place which was seventy-five miles from Jerusalem,
ard where Felix resided, who was governor of Judea. The captain,
Ui'i'KR CiiAMi;i:Kb IN ORitMAL House.
SIMi
ACTS.
'isely he-
ld as one
urrection
ssing- his
s denied
i it, and
mselves ;
I council,
declared
accused,
une vio-
\ danger
he chief
the con-
j injured
imanded
scue him
le castle.
:o him in
he must
It Rome,
fews, en-
ce of the
solemn
. neither
the chief
him once
lot again
for, pro-
I, having
rmed the
then ^ost
:e him at
:rusalem,
captain,
217
whose name was Claudius Lysias, also sent a favorable letter to Felix,
which you may read in the twenty-third chapter.
At Cesarea Paul was kept for five days in " Herod's judgnient hall,''
or court for holding trials. At the end of this time Ananias, the high
priest, and the elders had traveled from Jerusalem, accomijanied by an
orator, or sort of counsellor, named Tertullus, for the i)uri)()se of
prosecuting Paul. Tertullus, ai)i)earing in court, delixered a very
flattering speech to Felix, and then accused Paul of being "a i)estilent
fellow, and a mover of seditions," and " a ringleader of the Naza-
renes," a name of contempt given by the Jews to the Christians,
derived from Jesus being brought uj) at Nazareth. Paul, in re])lyi
defended himself with great eloc|uence, and his si)eech agreed with
what the captain had said about him in his letter. Felix would not,
therefore, hastily condemn him, but put off the business till he had
inquired and thought more about it, and had seen the chief captain,
who could more particularly explain what he knew of die matter. In
the meantime he ordered a centurion to keep guard over Paul, but
allowed him to go unfettered and to see any of Ws friends.
Some days afterward, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, he sent
for Paul and had some private conversation with him " concerning the
foith in Christ." His wife was a Jewess, the daughter of Herod
Agrippa, who was eaten by worms, and sister of the king called
Agrippa; and probably Felix wished to satisfy his curiosity and that
of his wife about the new faith, which she could better understand
than he, knowing something about the prophecies of the Messiah.
Paul's reasoning was most powerful ; and while he took this oppor-
tunity of striking at some vices which he knew had disgraced the
character of Felix, and showed him that, though a rider himself, he
must be judged at last for all his crimes before the Judge of the whole
earth, the guilty " Felix trembled," and then put off the conversation
for another opportunity; but he lulled his conscience to rest and never
met Paul again, except on common matters, when he hoped he might
in some manner bribe him to gain his liberty.
In this unjust way was Paul kept a prisoner during two years, when
Porcius Festus was appointed governor of Judea in the room of Felix.
j-awataeUai^J:-
(f
2lS
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
n
Felix did not even then set the apostle at liberty, but left Paul bound,
to please the Jews. This was, however, of no advantage to him, for
he was himself accused by some of the Jews of oppressive conduct,
and taken before Cesar to answer for his own real offenses; and had
it not been that he had a brother named Pallas, who had great influ-
ence in the court, he would have been severely punished.
The new governor, Pestus, arriving at Jerusalem, the Jews had
great hopes that they should now accomplish their wicked purj)Oses
against Paul ; and " the high priest and chief of the Jews " even
beg'oed it as a fa\or of Pestus that he would send Paul back to the
Sanhedrim at Jerusalem to be tried, where they would not have failed
to have murdered him. Pestus, however, thought he would first go
to Cesarea and inquire into the merits of the case, and he wished the
Jews to acconijjany him thither and bring forward their charges against
Paul. On reaching Cesarea he took his seat as judge, and the apostle
was brought before him; but his accusers were not able to prove any-
thing against him. Notwithstanding this, the wicked governor, who
ought to have set him free, proposed, after all, to send him before the
Sanhedrim, wishing by so doing to gratify the great persons among
the Jews. Paul, however, again took shelter under his rigiits as a
Roman citizen, and demanded that he should at once go before the
emperor, — Nero, then in the seventh year of his reign, — which com-
pletely defeated the malicious schemes of his adversaries and left no
means of evasion for Pestus.
Agrippa, who ruled over the northeastern portion of Palestine, with
the title of king, and his sister Bernice, came over to pay a visit to
Pestus and congratulate him on his new dignity. Pestus told Agrippa
how much he was perplexed about Paul ; that he had been tried before
him and appeared to be an innocent man ; but that, as the matters in
di:^:pute were chiefly things which concerned the Jews, and which he
did not well understand, he had wished to have sent him before the
Sanhedrim, but Paul had resolved to appeal to Cesar.
Agrippa, being a Jew, had his curiosity excited, and wished to ex-
amine Paul himself; so he was, on the next day, brought before the
public court, where Agrippa and Pestus and Bernice and all " the
5a:
».»j»i.i.ii.i.|ii<,i»i!l><IW|!!y^
ssa
ACTS.
s?i9
il bound,
) him, for
conduct,
and had
cat influ-
cws had
purposes
vs " even
:k to the
Lve failed
I first go
shed the
s against
e apostle
ove any-
nor, who
cfore the
s among
lits as a
tefore the
ich com-
d left no
:ine, with
I visit to
Agrippa
^d before
latters in
vhich he
cfore the
d to ex-
2forc the
all "the
chief cai)tains and principal men of the city " were assembled t()«<ether.
Festus then openly declared his opinion of Paul's innocence; but
smce he had ap|,calcd to Cesar, he said he must now send him to
Rome, but he rcall)' did not know what to say to the emperor as an
excuse for sending him thither. lie had, therefore, assembled this
court for advice, and especially wished for that of Agrippa, an illus-
trious person, and who was capable of entering better into the matters
in dispute.
After Festus had spoken Agrippa told Paul he might speak; when
the apostle again elociuently pleaded his own cause, stated his early
life, his conversion, his mission to the (ientiles, his sufferings from
the Jews, and the doctrines which he preached. At length he was
suddenly interrupted by Festus,
who said, with a loud voice,
"Paul, thou art beside thyself;
much learning doth make thee
mad." To whom Paul replied
that he was perfectly in his
senses, and his doctrines were
the words of truth. The apostle
also so closely pressed his ad-
dress upon Agrippa that he forced him to cry out, "Almost thou
persuadest me to be a Christian." Paul said to the king, " 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."
After breaking up the council Agrippa told Festus that if Paul had
not appealed to Cesar he should certainly have advised his bein<.- set
at liberty, for he was without doubt an innocent man. ""
Paul's Dangerous Voyage to Rome.— His Miracles at Melita.
ACTS XXVII, XXVIII.
Paul was now given in charge of Julius, a Roman centurion, and
sent on board a ship of Adramyttium to sail for Rome. Adramyt-
tmm was a seaport town in Mysia. a part of the province of Asia
Ancient War-engi.ne.
"T^'-
"y'lnafcuiiii ' ..
^iiS.
77//: FAMILY COMMENTARY.
He w.-is accompanied in his voyag'e by a Christian brother named
Aristarchus. They touched at Sitlon, a famous city of I'htx^nicia,
where Paul having some friends, Julius handsomely allowed him per-
mission to go and visit them. Thence they sailed under the island
of Cyprus and crossed the sea of Cilicia and Tamphylia, and then
came to Myra, a city of Lycia. Here the centurion found a ship of
Alexandria which was bound for Italy. Alexandria was the chief city
of Egypt, built by Alexander the Great immediately after his contjuest
of Egypt, and it was peopled with Greeks. It had many magnificent
buildings and a library — built by Ptolemy Philadelphus, one of the
kings of Egypt — containing 700,000 \'olumes, which was, unfortunately,
burnt in a war between Julius
Cct;sar, who ^\'as the Roman dic-
tator, and Pompcy, a great Roman
general.
In order to make a short cut to
Italy, the master of the ship now
stood toward Cnidus, a place in
Asia Minor; but the wind being
contrai'y, he altered his course, and
so sailed below Crete, one of the
noblest isles in the Mediterranean
Sea, which is now better known
by the name of Candia, and then he passed over against Salmone,
known latterly by the name of Cape Salmone, a piece of land in the
island of Crete. They next came to a place called the Fair Havens,
near Lasea, a city on the seashore of Crete.
Having lost much time in sailing slowly against the wind or stop-
ping at the Fair Havens, the captain wished to proceed on his voyage,
although the time of the year was now very unfavorable. Paul
advised the centurion not to proceed, for there was great danger ; but
the captain persisted, and in the end found he had done wrong in not
taking the apostle's advice. Rash people have often to repent of not
taking kind and wise advice, when it is too late.
As the haven was not commodious to winter in, they proceeded on
Anciknt War-icngine for Tiirowinc Stonks.
iMyiiiiaMiNlliii' ''' " — ^ — ^^
ACTS.
r named
'hcunicia,
him per-
ic island
md then
I ship of
:hief city
concjuest
gnificent
le of the
tunately,
n Julius
nan dic-
t Roman
>rt cut to
hip now
place in
id being
arse, and
le of the
erranean
r known
^almone,
id in the
Havens,
or stop-
voyage,
I. Paul
ger; but
ig in not
It of not
ieded on
i>-<i
wind ™r: r;rt- ''"r'"'' ■•' '"^■^" °^ ^^^'^-^ "- ">« ••' '--ah,c
diftcult) they secured their boat to go ashore; and th.-v na^sc<l r, , s
so darkened by this storm inrl fiv.f w , ^i-'i me skits were
see none of fhJ h i r "'''"^^ ^''^>''' ^^^^'^^ ^hey could
wen" and in '''^^ ^°'^'''' ""^^ ''^^''■^'^°^*'' '^"^^^ "«t whither they
ho,v.ver, no. they must be shipwrecked, but the^r ],>: ^uM all
On the fourteenth nig],t the seamen found, by soundintr that thev
were approaching some land, and so to prev nf be m' vfeded thev
cast anchor. In sounding, a wei.^ht attirl ed f„ , . • ^^'^^^^'^ ""^y
sea a„, , .^e depth to^lhich Tt'si^ll^a Vthrm"
Icnots on the rope, the sailors know whether they are nea lanT Th.
cable and thrown into the sea, and its flukes burying themselveTin
he sandy or gravelly bottom of the sea, it holds the ship so that t
an not be easily moved from its place or drift upon the rocics or sand
In this case four anchors w-ere cast, to hold the 'ship the more firmly
The sadors now attempted to escape for their liv' s, and w re s" al-
''-**•• — -^^^^SSESS ?
•1 I
223
'/y//' FAMILY COMMEXTARY.
\\v^ off with the boat, when Paul dcchircd that their continuance was
absolutely necessary to sa\e the rest; so the soldiers cut the rope by
which the boat was tied to the ship and let it go, that the sailors
might not get into it.
They had now all fasted a long time, and the apostle urged them
to eat before the siiip was wrecked, ami to g.ither a little strength for
the toils they would have to undergo; and tli-n he solemnly gave
God thanks before them ali, and began himself to eat. We ought
never to take our food without giving (lod thanks; for, as good
Mr. Henry says, we can not put a morsel of food into our mouths till
God first puts it into our hands.
The namber of the crew and passengers was 2/6. Having satisfied
their appetites, the last
thing which they could
do to lighten the '-hip
was to throw away the
wheat and provisions ;
this they now did.
At daylight they saw
a little creek of water,
with a shore, and taking
up the anchor, hoisted a
sail and tried to run the
ship in. In doing this they ran upon some sands where two seas
met, and the fore part stuck fast, but the hinder part was broken by
the furious waves.
The soldiers now proposed to kill the prisoners lest any of them
should escape and they should be answerable for them, and the
apostle Paul was to have been killed among the rest. But the cen-
turion, who by this time greatly respected Paul, opposed the wicked,
cruel, and ungrateful scheme ; he therefore ordered those who could
swim to escape to the shore, and that the others should ride on boards
and broken pieces of timber from the ship, and escape the best way
they could ; and so they all got " safe to land."
The place at which they landed was called Melita, which has gener-
WAR-UALLi;v 1\ lill.'LE TIMES.
ACTS.
incc was
rope by
; sailors
L'd them
nijth for
ily j;ave
c ought
IS good
iLiths till
satisfied
the last
y could
he ship
,vay the
visions ;
l1.
Iiey saw
water,
1 taking
oisted a
run the
,vo seas
3ken by
3f them
uid the
he cen-
wicked,
o could
boards
est way
gener-
2^.^
ally been supposed to be the island now called Malta Ikre th!-
nauve. u.ugh uncivilized, showed the shipwrecked UKu-ine. ^.-^
la ;^ -ulness and as it was rainy and they were fatiguecfan
, '^'Z '^^''.'^^^^' '^'-^^^ gathered a bundle, and while he was layin- it on
t hi: ;ri '^'tu r:' ) 'r^ ''■'^■^" '^ ''^ ^^^^^^ --^^ ^-'-5
pon nis Hand. I he bite of this scr],cnt is exceedin-dv venomous
-Kl ,ts po,son the n.ost dangerous. Vhe natives. bei,;;!\- " s ^
^ rr :;::d:r:r" 't^ -^ i>aui. who.: t^.;r::i;
shpw^ek h 1 1 "^^ now punishing, though he had escaped
snipu cck. laul shook off the reptile into the fire, and they all
looked on expectu^g to see him fall down dead; but vhen tl 'sw
he l.ad received no hurt, they then looked upon hin. as no lels tlm I
rec^ved^t!!"^ ^'r^' ^''"■"'' """^'^' Publius. who very hospitably
rccuvcd the unfortunate strangers. But his hospitality w s well
pa.d; fort e fuher of Publius. laying at the time sick of tfl^
apostle and lis companions were much respected durino- their stiv
and received help for their voyage. "^ ^ ^ '
Here they remained during diree months, when thev sailed in a
s .p of Alexanclria. which had wintered in the isle. T c)' n " t L ded
at Syracuse, a famous city in Sicily, where they stopped threlvs
t^r rtrtmVonr 'ti ^'°-t '''J''- ^'^'--' ^^^
oi mm as a prisoner for the cause of Christ.
'^"^^
22\
run I'AMiL y a >MM/:.\r. i/< i :
Oil arrivini;' at Rome Paul was allouid to have an a|)arliiicnt to
himself, that he miL;ht not l)e annoyed by the common prisoners;
])erhai)S lie owed this favor to the kindness of Julius, the centurion,
who liatl behaved toward him very handsomely throuj^diout his whole
voyas^e. He liatl, however, a soldier with him, and accordini^ to the
Roman custom this man was constantly chained to the apostle, as
men are handcuffeil to_L,''etlier in our country.
Here Raul sent for the Jews at Rome, and told them how unjustly
lie had been treated by their brethren and how he had been obliL;ed
to appeal to Cesar; and he informed them aljout Christ, the true
Messiah; and lindint;- them disposed to hear him he met many that
visited him and instructed them in the Cospel, and numbers of them
believed in Jesus. " And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own
hired house, and received all that came in unto him, j)reachiny^ the
kingdom of (iod, and teaching' those thini;'s which concern the Lord
Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbiddinsj^ him."
In these facts we have constantly j^resented to our minds the faith-
fulness of this threat and valiant worker in the establishment of
Christianity; and therein, too, are reminded of the similar energy and
steadfastness of others of the apostles, shown in their unconcern for
the threateninL;s and persecutions directed against them. It seems
tiuly wonderful that those who were selected to do the work of the
Master were not only inspired and strengthened for it, but were also
filled with a boldness that shrank not from the face of kinijs and
emperors and turned not away from the gaze of death. This espe-
cially appears in the case of several who, unlike Paul, seemed influ-
enced by ignorance and temerity.
incut to
•isoiicrs;
nturion,
is uliolc
^ to the
(istlc, as
unjustly
ol)li<;cd
he true
:uiy ihiit
of them
Ill's own
linj^^ the
le Lord
le faith-
uent of
rti'V and
cern for
t seems
of the
ere also
i<j:s and
is espc-
;d influ-
THE nnsTLts
Aki. euers ether to parlia.l.r |,cr.so„s .„ cln.rdu.s , or are what arc .so,„,.,i,„,.s calle.l '• cir.ular letters" to tl,e
Churc he. ■„ «e,.eral. It „ l,..|„.vc.,l they were all written l.y Apostles, ,u„l, in.l.e.l. e.uh has th. .Kune ol „„ A,,„stle
a -i .;| I . -o.p,„„ that to the ll..|,r,.v. a„.. the ,wo asen,,..., to Jol,,,. V.n, i, „:„„..,| a. the writ,, o, ,|,i„.! „ 1
he, .. 1 „. l.,|„stl,.s were certainly .hvn.ely n.,pi,e,l. The .lunches, in the early tnn, ,. u, .u,.! th-n, a, the wo„l of
(.o,li „,„! ,,,.„h..r heretus nor oppos.rs of the anei..nt ohurehe. .lenie.l that they we,,, th.- „„„„„. u.iun., of the
Apcstles a,„l the plan, tr„,h, of . hri^tianity. All the Kpistles. execptin« the several nn-nt '| al-ove. heein with
.jatnes of te wr.ter a,„l of ,h„s.. to wl , th. Kpis.le is n.l.lresse.l ; then follow, the sal„ta„ then thcletfr. a 1
hen the in,hv„l„al messages. it ,s ..ve.ywh.re a«,e,.l to that this pa,t of ,h. N, w Testan.en, -|„.„s ,1„. lull.ln,..,, of
the ancent prophee.es even more than .hat is .;,lh.,l the historical par,. Tl„.c Kpis.hs „No contain a n„n,l,..,
of wonderful pr„phec,es. thus provin, that they wee in.pi.d |,y onr ( ,n,l, who alone see.the end Iron. ,h. heginniny
..^
The Epistle to the Romans.
'^l-^^^^^'"^ J^I^i^tle is placed first in the li^t of the I-pistles,
m ^E^)^i)r«)I)ably because Rome was a place c' very -reat
»L impt.' ce; but the Hpistles to the 'rhessafonlaiH,
('< nnthians, and the first lipistle to Timothy, that
to litus, and perhaps some others, were all written
before it.
It is generally thou.i,dit that the Apostle Paul had
never seen the Roman Christians when he wrote to
them, but he felt a ^rreat interest in them ; and they
must haxe Joxcd him very much for it. for thc\ traveled from thirty
to fifty miles hom that city to meet him when he was iroin<r as a
prisoner there. '^
You are not to suppose from the title that the people to xvhom this
hpistle x\as xxritten vNere native Romans, some of them were so and
U'erc converted from heathenism; but they were mereh- persons
dwellm.^^ m Rome, most of ^^•hom were converted Jews. The \postle
calls them neither Jews nor Romans, but addressed them as "all that
be at Rome, beloved of God, called to be Saints."
The chief desiu-n of this Hpistle was to show these dwellers at Rome
and us, how a poor smner may be justified or accounted righteous and
225
M.m^-
2ZG
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
good in the sight of God. Then, as in the other Epistles, after having
explained the grand subject he had in his mind, he exhorts the Chris-
tians to practise various duties. These duties are named frequently
in his various Epistles, and are such as obedience to parents and
rulers, respect to ministers, kindness and charity toward one another,
and love to all saints.
The First and Second Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians.
Corinth has been noticed when we treated on the Acts. It was a
large and crowded city, and the
capital or chief city of Achaia ;
and Achaia was a province of
Greece. The apostle Paul was
at this place about two years,
and, having converted many
Jews and Gentiles, and left them
united together in a Christian
church, he now wrote to them
to correct some wron<>- thin<'s
which he heard were practised
among them.
Corinth was celebrated for
its games, called the Isthmian
games, because the place itself
stood on an isthmus, or neck
of land joining two larger
bodies of land, as we are told
in the geographies. These
games were practised every fourth year. There were other games
of a similar kind celebrated in Greece, called the Olympic, Pythean,
and Nem.-can. Those who engaged in these games were trained
for twelve months before ; and they had suitable food and exercise,
to prevent them from growing too fat or too indolent, and so be-
coming unfit to endure the hardships they had to undergo ; for they
ISrazen Layer.
EPISTLES.
er having
;he Chris-
requcntly
cnts and
J another,
hians.
It was a
', and the
' Achaia ;
ivincc of
Paul was
vo years,
d many
left them
Christian
to them
g- things
practised
ated for
Isthmian
Lce itself
or neck
D larger
are told
These
:r games
Pythean,
I trained
exercise,
d so be-
for they
23:
had to run, to ^vrcstlc, to leap, and to box. The boxers used their
arms, frequently beating the air, as if they were beating their onno-
nents, that so the)- nught be skilful and strong. The path of 'I-
raeers was marked out by ^^hite lines or posts; he who did not keep
w,dtm then,, though he uas first at the goal, or winning post, lost th'e^
prize. Garlands or erowns made of leaves of pine, olive, laurel or
ixirsley.vereg.ven to the conquerors by the judges appointed to de-
Large nun.bers of speetato. . were present to see these g'uues, ^^hieh
d.eny as n.ueh attention in Greece as the greatest sights do an, .n.r us
aga,nst s,n ,n order to obtam superior honors. So you ,vill, fron
kno,vmg what has been here n,entioned about them, understand his
meanmg ,n many parts of his Epistles where otherwise it uould not
have appeared quite plain. The following texts are among those in
wh,c, the aj^ostle alludes to these games: : Cor. ix, ^r. g1 v
7. Phil. 11, i6: 111, 13, 14; Heb. xii, i. ■ *. v.
The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians.
Galatia was a ,,l■„^•ince of Asia Minor, and this Epistle was not
cChn" ;^V""i^'r"^ °^-'">' p«-- ^-'y - town, butt ;
Christians in the uhole province. It is not certain by whom their
sever.^1 churches uere founded, but it is thought probable that thev
were founded by the apostle. The reason why d,e l^pistle w..s\vritte^
was this . some couNerted Je,vs had joined the Galatians, and not
avmg a clear knouledge of the Gospel of Christ, had taught them
they must, in beconung Christians, attend to some things ,^hiel, wer^
SI h" ■: "'"'f'?" f "" J"^" '"'''■ - Christ had done . v'^
vith all he rites of the Jewish Church,_which were only shadows or
types .and figures of the spiritual worship of his new ehurel,,-this was
d great mistake, and tae apostle wrote to correct it
23S
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians.
Some account of the city of Ephcsus has been given in the remarks
on the nineteenth chapter of the Acts. The apostle Paul went to this
city after he had been at Corinth, but he made only a short stay. The
next time he visited it he found twelve disciples, and made many
more. He continued two or three years, and formed a Christian
church, to whom this Epistle was written. The apostle foresaw that
teachers of untruths would spring" up after his death, and his design
in writing to the Ephesians was to fix their minds in the pure truths
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians.
You read something about Philippi in the commentary on the six-
teenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Philippi was a Roman
colony, which had, for several reasons, received great favors from the
Roman emperors and senate. It was situated in Macedonia, a country
near Greece. The Gospel was first preached here by the apostle Paul.
The design of this Epistle was to exhort the Philippians to live in
love toward one another, and to comfort them under those troubles
which they were called to endure from the persecutors of the
Christians.
The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians.
Colosse was a city in Asia Minor, which perished by an earthquake
with several other cities. Soon after this Epistle was written a new
city was built on its ruins. It is not known how the Christian faith
reached this place, and it is thought by some that the apostle Paul was
not known there in person, because in the second chapter and first
verse he seems to imply that they had not seen his face in the flesh ;
but this language is not cjuite certain, and does not exactly state any
such thing. Some, therefore, think that the apostle Paul did preach
here, for during three years that he dwelt at Ephesus he employed
himself with so much zeal and diligence that we are told in the nine-
■..v,iuM»*iiemssimi«--£j^is
EPISTLES.
329
remarks
It to this
ay. The
le many
^^hristian
saw that
s design
re truths
the six-
. Roman
from the
country
tie Paul.
) live in
troubles
of the
•thquake
I a new
ian faith
^aul was
md first
le flesh ;
tate any
] preach
nployed
lie nine-
teenth chapter of the Acts that " all they that dwelt in Asia heard
the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." This, like some
of the Epistles, is chiefly written to warn against making mistakes in
religion and to encourage to constancy in the profession of faith in
Christ. It is to be noticed that this Epistle and that to the Ephe-
sians are very much alike, from which it is thought that they were
both written at the same time, while the same inspired thoughts were
fresh in the mind of the apostle.
The First and Second Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians.
Thcssalonica was a very large and flourishing city, where trade was
free, and th ripital of Macedonia. The place is now called Salonica
Here the ; tie came after
he had been at Philippi, and
stayed there about three
wrecks, and preached every J_
Sabbath day. Many Jews, f
Greeks, and chief women of
the place readily received
the glad tidings of salvation
which he declared, and the
foundation was laid of a
Gospel church. The wicked
Jews, who despised the
apostle's message, raised a
mob and assaulted the house '"" "'"" ■^'""''' ""''^ '" '""'^'^''^•
of Jason, where Paul and Silas were, and thev were sent away for
safety by night out of the city. Timothy was soon after sent by the
apostles to comfort and instruct the converts at this city. He was
pleased with what he saw, and took back to the apostle a report of
the faith and charity which appeared among the Thessalonians. The
apostle then wrote the Eirst Epistle, and some months afterward he
also wrote a second, comforting the Christians in their troubles and
urging them to hold fast their profession.
230
THE FAMILY COALUENTARY
The First and Second Epistles of Paul to Timothy.
Timothy was remarkable for hi:, early piety and acquaintance with
the Scriptures. The apostle in writing to him says : " From a child
thou hast known the Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus." Timothy s mother,
Eunice, was a Jewess, and his father was a Greek, \\1ien in his
travels the apostle Paul came from Antioch the second time to Lystra,
Timothy was so warmly recommended to liim by the church in that
place that he took him with him as a traveling com.panion. He was
set apart for the work of an Evangelist, in order to be a fellow-
laborer with Paul in preaching the Gospel. The apostle evidently had
a tender regard for him, and these Epistles were written to him to
give him useful advice in the work of the ministry.
The Epistle of Paul to Titus.
Titus was a Greek, to whom the apostle Paul had been the honored
messenger of preaching the Gospel, and he had not received it in vain.
Paul dearly loved him, and employed him much in assisting him to do
his work; we read of his sending him to Corinth, to finish a collection
there 1 ) assist the poor saints at Jerusalem, and to Dalmatia, to
inquire after the saints Micre and to comfort them. We do not read
in the apostle's history that he ever was at Crete, but from this
Epistle it is thought that he was, for he says to Titus, " I left thee at
Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that arc wanting and
ordain elders, or ministers, in every city, as I had appointed thee."
Crete is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and is now called
Candia. This island has a considerable number of inhabitants, and
is remarkable for producing no ferocious or poisonous creature. This
Epistle was evidently written to teach Titus how to choose good men
for pastors, and how to act himself as a minister of Jesus Christ.
m^.:,mMi*i'^.Miimii:i3oam>xtimL
EPISTLES.
23T
The Epistle of Paul to Philemon.
This is a very short but a very interesting Epistle. It is, in fact a
story about Onesimus, a converted slave, who ran away from his
master Philemon, whom some think he robbed, and then went
to Rome, where he
heard the apostle Paul ^^:g<i«^ ^- - .. .^^
preach, when his ^,,^*^^— "^^ =^^^=^
heart was chani-ed. ^^"^ .. ■ -s«^^=-.
The kind apostle
then wrote this most
tender Epistle to
Philemon, whom he
knew, begging him to
take his slave back
into his service, for
Onesimus was now
become a truly good
man, and what loss
Philemon had sus-
tained by his absence, the apostle assured him he was quite ready
to pay. It is supposed that Philemon lived at Colosse.
The Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews.
This does not bear the name of the apostle Paul, but, if not written
by hmi. It manifests much of his spirit. The design of writin^r it was
to explain to them— the converted Hebrews, or Jews— the sup^eriority
of Christ to Moses, to Joshua, or Aaron ; to prove that in his priesthood
ana death all the work of the priests was completed ; that he had
made a perfect offering for sin; and that from henceforth there
was no other way in which salvation could be expected but throuirh
Christ ^
SYRIAN TENTS.
ij
1 I
233
77//: FAMII.Y COMMENTARY.
m
The General Epistle of James.
The Epistle of James is ealled "general " beeause it was not written
to any particular person. It was addressed "to the twelve tribes
which are scattered abroad." These were not Christian Jews scattered
abroad by i)ersecLition, but Jews who had been scattered over all
countries by the captivity, numbers of whom never returned, in conse-
quence of Cyrus' decree, but remained among the Gentiles. The
author of this Iipistle is thought to be James, the brother of Jude,
known by the name of James the Less, probably because he was
less in stature or younger than James, the son of Zebedee, who
was slain by Herod. Some of the Jews here addressed were pious
men and some not. This is clear from the difterent sorts of address
which we find in the lipistle, some consoling and comforting, others
warning and rebuking.
The First and Second Epistles General of Peter.
These Epistles, like that of James, were addressed to scattered Jews,
"strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Caj)|)adocia, Asia,
and l^ithynia." These might include some remains of the ten tribes
carried captive by the Assyrians and of the two tribes carried captive
by the Babylonians ; but more especially are the Epistles addressed to
suffering Christians, chiefly converted Jews and some Gentiles, who
were scattered abroad in the early persecutions of the Christian
Church.
The apostle Peter was more especially sent to minister to the Jews,
as the apostle Paul was to the Gentiles ; and Peter, meeting with a
fnithful brother, Silvanus, who had been the companion of Paul, takes
an opportunity of sending a letter by him. chicfiy addressed to the
converted Jews dispersed among the (kntile countries where he with
Paul and others traveled, the design of which was to show that both
taught the same glorious doctrines. This was the First Epistle.
The Second Epistle was to urge those to whom the apostle wrote
to be anxious after divine knowledge, to fix their minds on the Gospel,
, ..jiumsnSiimila^tMm
EPISTUIS.
23.^
to guard them a.<,rainst teachers that would instruct tliem in error, and
to warn them of the approaching- end of all thin-^s.
The First Epistle General of John.
The author of tliis Epistle .vas John, the son of Zebedee, the disciple
whom Jesus loved ; he was the youn-est of the apostles and surx ived
them all. The design of writing it was to promote brotherly love
to warn agamst doctrines that alloued men to live in sin, and to
give clear notions of the nature
of God and of the divine glory
of Jesus Christ. There is an
anecdote of tliis apostle worthy
of being remembered, both by
young and old, whom the vener-
able John was used to address
alike by the tender names of
little children. It is said in
some early histories that he
spent his last days at Ephesus,
where he died; and that when
he was too old to walk he was
carried to the place of worship in the arms of some of the disciples
He could then only speak a few words ver\- feebly, and these words
always were, " Little children, love one another."
The Second Epistle of John.
This you see, is not called " general." It was written to a pious
^dy. The object of it was to urge this pious lady to hold fast her
Christian faith, to avoid error, and to love God and those who loved him.
The Third Epistle of John.
This Epistle was to a particular person also. His name was Gaius
or Cams, and, most likely, the same mentioned by the apostle Paul for
Ski'ui.cmkal Cave in Jkrusalkm,
234
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
i '
his kindness in rcccivint;- and lodging and entertaining good people.
See the sixteenth ehapter of Romans, near the end. In this Epistle
John speaks of one " Diotrephes," who was a very haughty man, which
was not a proper mark of a Christian, and of one " Demetrius," who
had a good report of all men, as every Christian should have, as far as
respects his life, temper, and behavior. The former he mentions that
Gaius may not imitate him, and the latter he holds up as an excellent
example. We should always imitate the example of the truly wise
and good.
The General Epistle of Jude.
This is also an epistle written to no particular person, but chiefly
designed for the Jews who believed in Jesus Christ. Jude, or rather
Judas, was the son of'Alpheus, and brother of James the Less, or the
younger. He was also called Lebbeus and Thaddeus, for it was a
frequent custom in those days to have two or more names; so Peter
was sometimes called Simon and sometimes Cephas.
■^aiWBiawiTiiilffiiY-ri'ilWil
cople.
Lpistlc
which
" who
far as
5 that
client
f wise
:hicfly
rather
or the
was a
Peter
REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
^^ OxMITIAN, a Roman tyrant, banished the Apostle
- John, for bcin- a Christian, to a solitary and rocky
island called Patmos, about thirty miles from the
western coast of Asia Minor. The good man is
never alone, for God is with him ever>-where. Here
God favored John with wonderful visions of uhat
i^f^J^^^^ ^'^"^"''^ hereafter happen to the Church and the
\ ^^llfe • '''jJ^ wor 1 d .
The first three chapters of this book contain a
sort of preface, addressed to the seven Churches in
rru .• o J. r.^?''' ^Minor— namely, Ephesus, Smyrna, Percramos.
Thyatira. Sardis Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The remaining chapters
are accounts of his vision. "" ^
We shall first notice the seven Churches in Asia. These w^ere not
the only Churches in Asia Minor; for there were Churches in Phryma
Pamphyha, Galatia, Pontus, Cappadocia, etc., which were also in Asia
Minor, but the Apostle knew and wrote to these seven Churches "in
particular. The first w^as Ephesus, of which we have made men-
ion on several occasions. The second is still known as S,,vym the
largest and richest city of Asia Minor. It contains about one hundred
ana ninety thousand inhabitants, the largest number of which are
1 urks; the rest are Greeks, Jews (of whom there are eleven thousand),
235
«36
THE FAMILY COMMIiSTARY.
w
Armenians, Roman Catliolics, and Protestants. It is a beautiful city,
but Ircciucntly ravaged by the plague, and has suffered by repeated
earth([uakes.
The third Church named is that of Pcygatnos. This city is now
called Bergamo. It must in John's time have been a city of great
importance, for it then had a manuscript library of 200,000 volumes,
which Antony and Cleopatra, queen of Hg)pt, sent lo Alexandria. It
has now 14,000 inhabitants of different nations, but the houses are of
wood, and look sm:dl and mean.
The fourth Church named is lliyatira. This place is situated in
the miilst of an extensive i)lain, which is nearly surrounded by moun-
tains. Its houses are low, and chiefly of mud or earth. It now looks
poor and mean. It was anciently, and still is, famous for dyeing,
es|)ecially in scarlet.
The fifth Church mentioned is Sardi's. This famed city was once
the capital of King Croesus, the richest monarch that ever lived. He
was defeated by C\ rus in the plain before the city, when it passed to
the Persians. After the Persians were defeated by Alexander the
(ireat it surrendered to him, and then in time to the Romans. It was
destroyed by a terrible earthc[uake in the reign of Tiberius, the Roman
Hmperor, who rebuilt it. Afterward the different nations of Goths,
Saracens, and Turks, one after another, ruined it in their wars, and it
is nothing but desolation. A mere sprinkle of ruins of its former
greatness remains. No Christians dwell on the spot: two Greeks
only were lately living there to work a mill, and a few wretched Turk-
ish huts were scattered among the ruins.
The sixth Church addressed w^as in Philadelphia. The Turks call
this place Allah Shehr, or " city of God." There are now about three
thousand houses on the spot, covering a space of ground running up the
slope of three or four hills. The streets are filthy and the houses mean.
The seventh Church was that of Laodicca. There were two places
so called in Asia Minor. This place is more desolate than any of the
others, having been completely ruined by earthquakes. Its ruins cover
three or four small hills, and are of very great extent, consisting of an
aqueduct, theater, amphitheater, and other public buildings.
:mmift»*»emmm^^m
A'mv-L-ir/OM
^37
Some remarkable fuifilments of what God said l)y the apostle John
must also be noticed
The Hphesians had j;one back
in their religion, which is what is
meant by leavmg their first Ion e. (iod threatened them by his prophet
and he told them that he would remove their "candlestick out of its'
place 11 they did not repent. By this he meant that he would take
the li-ht of the Gospel away from them; and he did so. Hphesus is
now a forlorn spot— it is no more. Its ruins are of vast extent.
Sm\ rna was mentioned in terms of
approval, and no judgment was de-
nounced against it. So, thou<<h they
have but little Go.spel li-ht, V^t the
candlestick has not been wholl) re-
moved out of its place, and the city
itself is still large and nourishing. Of
this Church the venerable Polycarp was
one of the pastors. In the year one
hundred and sixty-two, about seventy
years after this Book of the Bible was
written, a persecution broke out against
the Christians at Smyrna; and the
Roman Hmperors, who had then
dominion of those parts, treated them
with shocking cruelty because they
w^ould not serve their idols. The
gray-headed Polycarp was marked for
destruction. His friends concealed
him in a village, but they were put to the torture to make them tell
where he could be found. The old man could not bear that they
should all suffer for him, and delivered himself up, saying, "The will
of the Lord be done." When he was brought before' the proconsul
one of the governors of Smyrna wished him not to be injured and'
when he Nvas examined, made signs that he should -cieny he was Poly-
carp, but Polycarp would not tell a falsehood. He then urged him to
deny Christ, and promised him safety. " No," said the brave old man.
15 1,
ASHTARdTir, Till, rmi.ISTINE GoDDESS,
«3S
THE I AMILV COMM/LYTARY.
"fourscore and six years have I served Christ; neither hath he ever
wronj^rcd me at any time; how tiien can I deny my Saviour and
King?" He was threatened with being thrown to the wild beasts,
being burned and tornK ,ited, but he stood unmoved, saying, " You
threaten me with fire, which shall last but an hour, and is cjuickly
quenched ; but you are ignorant of the everlasting fire of the day of
judgment, and of those endless torments w hich are reserved for the
wicked I But why do you delay? appoint me what death you please."
The proconsul was astonished. He then commanded the crier to
proclaim three times that Polycarp owned himself a Christian, and he
was sentenced to the flames. In the midst of the flames he thus
prayed to his Father in heaven: "O God I the Father of thy beloved
Son, Jesus Christ, and through whom we have received the knowledge
of thee I O God, the Creator of all things, upon thee 1 call, iliee I
confess to be the true God ; thee I glorify ! O Lord, receive me, and
make mc a partaker of the resurrection of thy saints, through the
merits of our Great High Priest, thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to
whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory for-
ever, Amen." Here was courage more than mortal ; God helping his
servant to put on the martyr's crown : and here was fulfilled what God
said to Smyrna, " Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a
crown of life."
The rest of this book is very difficult to explain, and '"^n only in
part be understood by those who are of riper years txuC. vho well
study and pray over it. This book, like the Projjhecies, is written
in dark terms on purpose, because otherwise all the world would
know them ; and this book and the Prophecies are only designed to be
a guide to those who w^ish to know the mind of God and to mark
his providence in his dealings with his Church.
We can not, therefore, attempt to do more than to tell you that most
of the language here used is the language of signs ; that is, certain
things are used to signify other things. John in his inspired visions
saw all that he Stntes; but then whal" hp sawonlv renrpsf^ntf^d »'ealitif«:
in other forms.
In the eighth chapter the seven seals which were opened and the
,,jmimimutmi>stMfiami0.tikitti^
Rr.VfXATfOM.
839
seven trumpets which were to he blown are descriptions of sc\ en
periods of Christ's Church on earth and of the divisions of those
periods. They tell of the setting Uj) of Christ's kin-dom in the
world; of the triumphs of Pa<;anism and rise and fail of Popery
and other great errors; of the final triumph of the Gospel, the happy
state of the Church of Christ, the Day of Judgment, and the eternal
blessedness of the saints.
May we, dear young readers l)e found anion- the hapi)y numl)er
adormg Jesus, "the Lamb of Go('," who died for sinners, and singin-r
forever, " Salvation to ou- ikxl. vhich sitteth upon the thronc'lmd
unto the Lamb!" And ni : a e, more than this, so try to do' and
finish our life's work that we sliall reap the reward set before us in
one of the most beautiful of the Old Testament prophecies: "And
they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and
they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever."
i«-\^
'I ABLE OF SUEW-liKEAD.
i I
ASIA MINOR.
The Scene of the Labors of the Apostles Paul, Peter, and John.
N the fulfilment of our purpose of furnishing all necessary
assistance to our readers for understanding,^ and
beini^ profited by the word of God, we have thought
it best to give such a description of the regions in
which the Gospel was preached by the apostles and
especially by Paul, John, and Peter, as should
enable those who may read the Acts of the Apostles
and the Epistles to know definitely where, and
under what difficulties, they performed their labors.
The missionary labors of Paul commenced at
Antioch (which was his Christian home in a higher
sense than Jerusalem), and extending at first to his native city. Tarsus,
and his native province, Cilicia, led, in his successive missionary
journeys, to his traversing five of the seven provinces which then
comprised the peninsula now known as Asia Minor, and his subsecpient
visits to Macedonia, Attica, Achaia, and eventu.nUy Illyricum, and his
compulsory residence in Rome. That he extended his labors in later
life to Spain, and perhaps to other portions of western Europe, is
possible but not certain; but we can only, in this place, concern our-
selves with his work in Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece. The
Apostle John, after many years of active labor in Jerusalem and Judea,
subsequent to the destruction of Jerusalem, continued his work in
Ephesus and its vicinity, and after the martyrdom of Paul and Timothy
continued their work in the Roman province of Asia, the western
province of Asia Minor, of whi h Ephesus was the capital. The seven
churches of Asia were all in this province. He was banished by
Domitian to the isle of Patmos in the yEgean Sea, at no great
240
AS/A MAYOR.
24 1
distance from Ephesus, but returned to that city after the death of
the t\rant. The Apostle Peter, aside from occasional visits to
Antioch, spent the earlier years of his ministry in Palestine, but
finally crossed the Tigris into Mesopotamia, and at Hdessa, Nisibis,
and P>abylon preached, founded schools, and wrote his epistles, visitino'
also Ephesus and Corinth, and ending his ministry by imprisonmen't
and martyrdom at Rome.
It \\ill be seen, then, that the regions which we have to describe in
connection with the apostolic labors, as recorded in the New Testament,
are Asia Minor, Macedonia and Greece, and Syria and Mesopotamia!
Let us first understand where Asia Minor is. If you will look at any
good map of Asia, or, what will be better, at any of the recent maps
of the Turkish empire, )-ou will
notice that the Alediterranean Sea
extends almost due eastward to the
Syrian coast, and that the coast line
runs nearly from north to south, as
the eastern boundary of the great
sea. Now look flirther north on the
same map, and about 350 miles to the
north you will find the Black Sea,
which in old times was called the
Euxine Sea. Runnincr vour finoer
westward, along the south shore of
the Black Sea. you come to the Bosphorus, or strait leading into
the Sea of Marmora, in which Constantinople is situated. Passing
down this strait, into and through the whole length of the Sea of
Marmora, which in Bible times was called the Propontis, you come
to another strait now called the Dardanelles, but in former times the
Hellespont, which leads into a sea full of islands, called the yligcan
Sea or Archipelago, which is really a part of the Mediterranean. If
you have followed my directions carefully, you will see that you have
passed around three sides of a peninsula or tract of land bounded
by water on the north, the west, and the south sides. This great
peninsula, nearly 700 miles long from east to west, and about" 400
Romans Carrying th?; Tai;i.|': ur Siikw-hrkad.
243
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
\
■'i
miles wide, is Asia Minor. It is separited from f.yria and Armenia
on the east by the mountains of the lofty Taurus range. Its history
for the past LnVo tliousand years has been full of interest; some of tiie
most renowned cities of the world, such as ancient Troy, Kphesus,
Tarsus, and Smyrna, were within its boundaries; many of the largest
and most influential of the early Christian churches were founded here
bv the apostles and their successors ; for five or six hundred years after
tile Christian era, the churches of Asia Minor exerted a powerful
influence over all Christian Europe. At a later period the country
fell into the hands of the Turkomans, and finally was conquered by
the Ottoman Turks, who have held it to the present time, and have
reduced much of it to the condition of a desert. It is still, however,
the most populous and wealthy part of their empire.
But we have only to describe the country as it was in the time of
the apostles. If you will look again at the map (our map of Asia
Minor in this book), you will see in the northeast corner of the Medi-
terranean Sea that there is a gulf projecting into the land ; this is called
the Gulf of Issus, and that part of the Mediterranean below it, the Sea
of Cilicia. From the south a river flows down from the Syrian Moun-
tains, and discharges its waters into this Cilician Sea ; it is the river
Orontes, and a few miles above its mouth you will find the city of
Antioch. That city did not belong to Asia Minor, but was one of the
capitals of Syria. It was a very rich, beautiful, and populous city.
Here the disciples of Christ were first called Christians, and the Chris-
tian church of Antioch, soon after Paul's time, had 100,000 members
and 3000 pastors and teachers. At thi point were started the first
Christian missions to the heathen. This was not far from A. D. 45.
Previous to this time, Paul (or, as he was then called, Saul) had
spent considerable time in his native city of Tarsus in Cilicia, preach-
ing the Gospel, and probably establishing churches in that city and
its vicinity, among the refined and intelligent people who had made it
noted for its learning-. But the first missionaries sent out from
Antioch were Saul, or Paul, Barnabas, a converted Levite from
Cyprus, and his nephew John ^lark (the evangelist), a native of Jeru-
salem. Passing down the Orontes to Seleucia, the magnificent port
1* s (
AS/A MINOR.
S'l.l
from
of Antioch they sailed from thence to Salamis, on the island of
Cyprus, and eomnienecd tlicir labors among the kinsn-.en and friends
0 Barnabas. After spendin,^. a few days there they passed along the
on hern coast of the island, which was then very populon^, to
. p OS, at ,ts western end. Paphos was a large and very wicked ity,
uho ly gnen t,p to the worship of the hcatlien goddess Venns ; here
1 an , by a mnacle caused a Jewish magician who was opposing the
work of Chr,st to become blind, and the word preached was blessed
o the conyerston of many of the people of Paphos. We have
recently had the most convincing proofs of the idolatry of the people
o Cyprus, m the discoveries made by General di Cesnola of temples
idols, shrmes, amulets, and votive offer-
ings, at Paphos, which is now in ruins,
and in other parts of the island.
Without visiting the northern por-
tion of the island, Paul and his com-
panions sailed directly i'rom Paphos to
Terga, a city of Pamphylia, situated on
the river Cestrus, on the main land, MSW/f i «\lC-4 /H*,*
northwest from Paphos. Here they ' ' '
first entered Asia Minor, Cyi)rus being
a separate Roman province, governed
by a proconsul, or officer appointed by
the Roman senate. Asia Minor, as
we no^v■ call this peninsula, consisted at the time it was visited
by laul and his companions of seven Roman provinces, which
beginning at the- west, were named Asia, Bithynia, Galatia, Pam-
phydia, Cihca, Cappadocia, and Pontus. These provinces, some
of then, under other names, had been independent kingdoms
before the tunc of Alexander the Great, and some ol them had
continued to be tributary kingdoms, first to Alexander and his
successors, and afterward to Rome, until near this time. We find the
okl names remaining, though without definite boundaries, in the west-
ern provinces at the time of Pauls journeys through them. Thus
Antioch in Pisidia is spoken of (in distinction from the Syrian
Eastkrn Womkn with TiMimELs, Dancing.
,i
244
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
Antioch), Pisidia bcin<; the old name for the northern part of the
province of Pamphylia, as Lycia (whose chief cities, Myra and Patara,
were visited by Paul at a later period) was, of the southern i)art of that
province. Iconium, Lystra, auu Derbe are said to be cities of Lycao-
nia, that being the former name of the southwestern part of the
province of Galatia. Phrygia was tlu old name of the eastern half
of the province of Asia, and the Phrygians, like the (;alatians, were a
tribe or nation of different origin from the people who surrounded
them.* Mysia was the former name of a tract in the north of the
province of Asia, and extended to the shores of the Hellespont and
the Propontis, the present Dardanelles, and Sea of Marmora. Of
these seven provinces, Paul, in his several missionary journeys,
traversed five. There is no evidence that he ever entered Pontus or
Bithynia, though he attempted to go into both. These two provinces,
forming the entire northern districts of Asia Minor, have for their
northern boundary the entire southern shore of the pAi.xine or Black
Sea, and the now important cities of Trebizond, Tocat, Batoum, aj !
Erzeroom are within their limits.
Of the southern and western provinces, Cilicia was his native
province and often the scene of his labors ; Cappadocia, north of
Cilicia, was visited and crossed in his second and third journeys ;
Galatia was traversed and its principal cities visited in his first,
second, and third journeys ; and to the churches in Galatia his Epistle
to the Galatians was addressed ; f Pamphylia was crossed in his first
*The Galatians were of the same stock as the Gauls, or inhabitants of France, and the resem-
blance between the two nations was very strong in form and figure, in language and in their excita-
bility and emotional tendency, and their fickleness and levity. The Epistle to the Galatians gives
many illustrations of these traits of character.
t Paul's first visit to the cities of southern Galatia, or Lycaonia, as the region is called in A.c«<-,
xiv. 6, was connected with his early experiences of the hostility and malignity of the unconverted
Jews, which grew in intensity with every subsetjuent year of his life. Driven by their persecutions
out of Antioch in Pisidia, where he had established a large and growing church, he was followed
by his persistent foes to Iconium, and after long and successful labors there, forced to fly from a
mixed uuib ul Jews and Gentiles to L\stra, where a miracle of healing wrought bv him caused
the heathen inhabitants to attemjtt to pay divine honors to him ; but Jewish malignity again pre-
vailed, and he was stoned by the mob. Escaping with his life by a miracle he went on to Derbe,
where he was not molested, and after planting a church there he went back to Lystra, Iconium,
^S/A MINOR.
2-15
journey, both in going and returning, and its two principal cities,
Perga and Attalia, visited; in his third journey he spent some time at
Patara, and crossed thence to the island of Rhodes; in his last
journey recorded in the Acts, that from Jerusalem to Rome, he
touched at iMyra, in the southern i)art of the province, and was there
transferred to another shij). The province of Asia was the scene of
his longest and most arduous labors. In three of his missionary
journeys he i)assed through ))()rtir,ns of its territory; in his first
journey visiting some of its eastern cities ; in his second, traversing
the northern part, or Alysia, stopping for some time at Adramyttium,
Assos, and Alexandria Troas,
from whence he first entered
Europe ; in his third journey
he entered the province from
Galatia, visiting Philadelphia
and Sardis, making his head-
quarters for two or three years
at Ephesus, and preaching and
organizing churches at Trogyl-
lium and Miletus, and possibly also visiting Crete, whither he after-
ward sent Titus. Mitylene, in the island of Lesbos, was visited,
possibly twice in these journeys, and very possibly Samos also. Lao-
dicea and Colossal, to the churches in both which cities he addressed
epistles (the so-called Epistle to the Ephesians having been probably
a circular letter written to the several churches in Asia; see Colossians
iv, 13-16), had not been visited by Paul in either of these journeys,
nor, apparently, had Hierapolis, a large city ne,^r Laodicea, noted for
Eastkkn Loavks of 1!ri:ad.
and the Pisidian Antioch, and confirmed the discijiles in their faith. In his subsequent journeys
(his second and third) he returned first to Derhe, I.ystra (where he found among the converts his
young but greatly beloved companion, Timothy), and Iconium, and thence proceeded through the
mountain passes into the ancient Phrygia, now tlie eastern part of the province of Asia, and after
planting some churches there turned northeastward to Pessinus and Ancyra, cities of Galatia, to the
churches in which the Epistle to the Galatians may have been addressed. In his third journey he
is supposed to have visited also Tavia, another Cialatian city, almost on the border of Pontus.' It
is supposed that there were Christian churches in Pontus at this time, for among the 3000 converted
at the day of Pentecost were Jews from Pt)ntus. Acts ii, «.
jfrv/^l
246
THE l'\,.,nLV COMMENTARY.
Its mineral sprinjjs. Philemon, to whom a short epistle is also
addressed, was a convert under Paul's preach n<;, perhaps at Hphesus,
and seems to have been the founder of die church at Colossal.
His second and third missionary journeys extended into Hurope ; in
the second he went, by way of Samothracia an.i Nea{)oIi.-„ to Philippi,
the chief city of eastern Macedonia, where he and Si' .;, were im-
prisoned in violation of the Roman law, and the next day, ifter a
miracle and the convej-.^ion of the jailer and his family, were released
with honor by the terrified magistrates. The epistle of Paul to the
I'hdippian church was one of ll:.; a.-iilts of his labors here. From
thence they proceeded to Amphipojis and Apollonia, and without
miich delay went forward to Thessal') iica (tlie Salonika of the present
day), where their labors were abun-
dantly blessed. The church at Thcs-
salonica became one of the largest and
most efficient of those planted by the
apostle in I<uroi)e. To it were ad-
dressed two of his ej)istles. Driven
from this city by the persecution of the
Jews, Paul and Silas went on to Berea,
where another church was planted.
These Macedonian churches were re-
visited several times by the apostle, and
there is reason to believe that after his acquittal at Rome he went
to Macedonia, and from thence into Illyricum (the present Dalmatia
and Montenegro).
From Berea Paul went alone by ship to Cenchrea, where he planted
a church, and thence to Athens ; and in that chief city of the GreeV
learning and philosophy preached Christ before its most brilliaii:,
scholars. His success here, however, was not so great as in C rjn, .
which he next visited, and where he ren; ;;:ed nearly t\\o year ;M.,i
founded a church, which was for several centuries the largest and n, . t
influential in Greece, To th-'s church his two longest epistles are
addressed. His labors at this period were not confined to Corinl-
Other cities of Achaia had the benefit of his zealous efforts. More
Eastern Baker Selling Thin Cakes.
..iimiMiin*ii.i«i-'-iMm<pri.rt»ji
AS/A Mf.VOR.
2-17
than once he visited ILphcsus, an.l co.uimicd his watch-care over (he
cnurches „ Asn. I„ his last return „, J.rusalen, he was unable ,.,
stop at Uphesus but met the elders of ihe l-phesian church at Miletus
and gave then, h,s parting blessing^ If our readers have lolloued on
our excellent map of Asia Minor, these journeys of the Apostle J'a.d
hey can not fa,l to have forn.ed a ^ery clear idea of he region
traversed by this early missionary. "
Let us now briefly refer to the labors of the Apostle John in the
provmco of_As,a, at a considerably later date. As the chief pastor or
bshop at Lphesus, the apostle's age an<l infirnnty of body seenr to
havc^restricted hnn to a much narrower sphere of action than that of
the Apostle Paul. Still the province of Asia was at this tinre very
populous, and the great church at Hphesns.and the large an.l flourish-
mg ones at Irogylhum, Miletus. I.aodicea, Ilierapolis, Colossa-, Phila-
dcph,a, Smyrna, Sardis,Thyatira. Pergamos, and Mitylenc. all of them
str nrnf t'"'' "^^^T |°°'""^--.">iK'>twell require all his waning
sticngtl. To seven of these churches he addressed those letters
dictated by our Lord and recorded in the Revelation. Those
churches, so flourishing and prosperous at that time, were .a fexv cen-
turies later extinct, and the cities themselves are nearly all now in
fuins. ^ "
The journeyings of Peter outside of Palestine ^vere pcrhai.s less
extensive than those of Paul, lie vvas often at Antioch, ,'as probably
or a time m Cormth, from which he departed in con. eqnence of the
attempt of Jewish partisans to make out that there was a conflict
between his teachings and those of Paul. There is a possibility, but
veryhttle probability, that he visited Rome at this time; his later
years were spent in Mesopotamia, prob.ably in Edessa and Nisibis
.vhere he is sam to have founded schools of Christian disciples, and
m Babylon, from whence his epistles were vvritten. In the year of his
death he w-as taken to Rome, where, after being at liberty for a short
ime he was sentenced to death, and was crucified, tradition says, with
his head downward. His intercourse with Paul, in the later years of
his ministry, „.as frequent and cordial. There is no reason to .suppose
indeed, that .t was ever otherwise, except on the occasion at Antioch'
348
THE FAMILY COMMENTARY.
when Paul, tliough much younger, " withstood him to the face, because
he was to be blamed." Galatians ii, 1 1-19.
Of the journeyings and missionary labors of the other apostles we
have no certain knowledge. Two of them, James, the son of Zebedee,
and James, the brother of our Lord, died in Jerusalem, one slain by
Herod Agrippa I, the other by the Jews. Jude, the brother of James,
from certain passages in his epistle, is supposed to have been with or
near Peter in Mesopotamia. Of the rest we have only vague and
conflicting traditions.
^^..MtmmmttiaMimMml^immtmiimi
xause
es wc
lin by
ames,
ith or
2 and
CHRONOLOGY OF NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS.
DATE.
A. I).
38-61
61
63-64
64
97
DATE.
A. I).
52
52
56-57
57
58
58
61
62
62
63
63
64
64
65
Place Where Written and Autikirs.
HISTORICAL BOOKS.
TITLE.
AUTHDk.
Gospel of St. Matthew, St. Matthew,
Gospel of St. Mark ! st. Mark. .
Gospel of St. I. like st. I.uke, .
Acts of the Apostles I St. Luke
Gospel of St. John i St. John,' '. .
THE PAULINE EPISTLES.
TITLE.
95-96
Published in 97.
First Kpistle to the Thessalunians, .
Second Epistle to the 'riiessalonians,
p]l)istle to the Galatians, ....
First Kpistle to the Corinthians,
Second Kpistle to the Corinthians,
Kpistle to tiie Romans, . .
ICpistle to the Kphe.sians,
Epistle to the Philippians, ,
I'^pistle to the Colossians, .
Kpistle to Philemon, . . .
Kpistle to the Hebrews, . .
First Kpistle to Timothy, .
p]pistle to Titus,
-Second Kpistle to Timothy,
AUTHOR.
St. Paul,
St. Paul,
St. Paul,
St. Paul,
St. Paul,
St. I'aul,
Revelation,
St. Paul,
St. Paul,
St. Paul,
St. Paul,
St. Paul,
St. Paul,
St. Paul,
St. Paul,
St. lohn,
THE GENERAL EPISTLES.
DATE.
A. D.
61
63
65
65
97-98
97-98
97-98
TITLE.
Epistlf of St. James,
AUTHOR.
St. James,
First E.,i;:.le of St. Peter, | St. Pe
.'ter,
St. Peter,
St. lude,
Secon( Kpistle of St. Peter,
lOpistle of St. Jude,
First Epistle of St. John, j st. John,
Second Epistle of St. John, | St. John'
rhip: Epistle of St. John, ; St. John,'
WIILKE WRITTEN.
Jerusalem.
.Mexandria.
Rome.
Rome (probably).
ICphesiis.
WIll.RK WRirrKN.
Corinth.
Corii.tii.
l''l)liesus.
J'^phesus.
Philippi.
Corinth.
Rome.
Rome.
Rome.
Rome.
Rome.
Laodicea.
ICphesus (probably).
Rome (probably;.
Pat in OS.
WHERE WRITTEN.
I Jerusalem.
Babylon.
; I5abylon.
Syria.
' K])hesiis.
: Kphesus.
j Ephesus.
■^
«49
PARABLES OF JiiSUS CHRIST.
Il
i'LACE.
Galilee,
Galilee,
?'/(/, .
Galilee,
Galilee,
Galilee,
Galilee,
Galilee,
Galilee,
Galilee,
Galilee,
Galilee,
Capernaum
and 7'ia
Capernaum,
Jerusalem,
via, . .
via, . .
Capernaum,
7>ia, , .
Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, via,
via,
via,
via,
via, .
via, .
via, .
via, ,
via, .
7'ia, .
via, .
via, .
via, .
via, .
Jerusalem,
Jerusalem,
Jerusalem,
Jerusalem,
Jerusalem,
Jerusalem,
Jerusalem,
Jerusalem,
SUHJECT.
Mote and Beam,
I'oundation of Rock and Sand,
The Two JJel)lors,
The Darren Fig Tree, . . . .
Tiie Sower,
Wlieat and Tares,
Seed Cast in tlie Grouini, . . .
The Mustard-seed,
TEXT.
T.iil-
T,uk
ic vin.
Matt, xviii, 23-35.
Luke X, 30-37.
I.uke xiv, 7-12.
Luke xi, 5-13.
Luke xi, 24-26.
Luke xii, 16-21.
John X, i-i.S.
Luke xii, 3,-39.
riie Leaven
Tile Huried Treasure
Pearl of Creat Price,
Casting of the Net,
Parables of the Lost Sheep, . . .
The Merciless Debtor,
Good Samaritan,
Chief Seats at the Wedding, ....
The Midnight Friend,
Return of Unclean Spirit, ....
The Rich Fool,
The Shepherd and Siieep,
The Faithful .Servants,
The Faithful Steward, ^ Luke xi., 42- iS.
The Closed Door, j Luke xiii, 24-27.
The Great Supper, ' Luke xi. , 16-25
P.uilding a Tower, Luke .viv, 28-30.
A King Going to War 1 Luke xiv, 31-33.
The Lost Piece of Money | Luke xv, 8-9.
Tiie Prodig.d Son : Ti \ xv, 11-32.
The Unjust Steward Luke xvi, 1-8.
Rich Man and Lazarus, Luke xvi, 19-31
The Unjust Judge,
Pharisee and Publican,
Laborers in the Vineyard
Ten Servants and Ten I'ounds, . .
The Two Sons,
The Lea.sed Vineyard,
The Marriage F'>ast,
The Fig Tree
Faithful and False Servant, . . .
Wise and F"oo!ish Virgins, ....
The Talents,
Sheep and Goats,
Matt, vii, 3-5 : i.ui,,- .,. , ^.42
Matt, vii, 2.(-.7 ; l.uke vi, 48-49.
Luke vii, 41-50.
Luke xiii, 6-9.
Matt, xiii ; ^Iark iv
Matt, xiii, 24-30.
Mark iv, 26-29.
Matt, xiii, 31-32;
Luke xiii, 19.
.Matt, xiii, ;^^; Luke xiii, 20-21
Matt, xiii, 44.
Matt, xiii, 45-46.
Matt, xiii, 47-50.
Matt, xvi
Mark iv, 30-32 ;
1 2-1 , ; and Luke
XV.
3-7'
I-uke xviii, 1-8.
I-uke xviii, 9-1. j.
Malt. XX, I
I-uke xix, )
Matt, xxi, :;2.
Matt, xxi, 3_, 46.
Matt, xxii, 1-14.
Matt. xxiv. 32.
Matt, xxiv, 45-51.
Matt. XXV, 1-13.
Matt. XXV, 14-30.
Matt. XXV, 31-46.
250
^2•
8-49.
-21.
XV, 3-7-
uriiiTi-^
(I
M
THE
APOSTLES OF JESUS
BY MRS. CLERE
into an the cities and C w e ; i: f tt TT'' ""' T '' "'"^'"'^^'°"^'^' ^^'^ '" «°
ordained twelve men whom 1 e 7.1^ ''"f ' "'^"^''•■^' '^ ^^^-'^ "^^ ^-''el ; but out orthem all he
ruUy instruct themt th my ^^ : Irutd' \r ^'°"" '' ''"' '™' ^"' '^^' '^ ■"'«'^' --
in his temptations and toXn o H '7 """■ """■" '''" ''^^^ "'^° ^""^"^^ ^'^ ^im
(Luke xxii .8) ; e a „r: J TT t ""'"°"' " ^'^ ^•^"^- '^^ »PP°inted unto him.
roll, is not include? Vtr;.' ;:,::: '^^ "^"' "'^" '-' -^ ^^'^ -^'-'-^ -<^ ^^^ transmission
Matthias to take his place bu as he 7 •" ^ .'/"'"'"' "'"'"' "'" "' "^''^'^ ^"•="^'°"' ^'^'^^'^'^
weifth apostle. ' ' '' "-"' '"""'' '''''''' ^"'^ «"' ""' ^-1. ^^ - here reckooed .. th.
253
wfeiipF^'fl^^WWlBP^Wf
r. I
THE THORVALDSEN GALLERY
OF
CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES.
jERTEL THORVALDSEN (1770-1844), a very able Dan
:'|^ ish sculptor, was the son of an Icelander who had settled
in Copenhagen, and there carried on the trade of a wood-
carver. While very young, Bcrtel Thorvaldsen learned
to assist his father ; at the age of eleven he entered the
Copenhagen School of Art, and soon began to show his
exceptional talents. In 1792 he won the highest prize,
the traveling studentship, and ui 1 796 he started for Italy.
On the 8th of March, 1797, he arrived in Rome, where
Canova was at the height of his popularity.
Thorvaldsen's first success was the model for a statue, which
was highly praised by Canova, and he received the commission
to execute it in marble for Thomas Hope, a wealthy English art patron. From
that time Thorvaldsen's success was assured, and he did not leave Italy for
twenty-three years. In 18 19 he returned to Denmark, where he was received
with the oreatest enthusiasm. He was then commissioned to make the colossal
series of statues of Christ and His Apostles, which are now in the 'TM-uekirke"
(The Church of our Lady") m Copenhagen. These were execu' ed after his return
to Rome, and were not completed till 1838, when Thorvaldsen again returned
to Denmark. He died suddenly in Copenhagen, 1844, and bequeathed a great
part of his fortune (or the building and endowment of a museum in Copen-
haeen, and also left to fill it all his collection of works of art, and the models
of all his sculptures — a very large collection, exhibited to the greatest possible
advantage. Thorvaldsen is buried in the courtyard of this museum, under a
bed of roses, by his own special wish.
A very prominent critic says about Thorvaldsen : " He belonged to the
Scandinavian race , its genius and character were his. This race of the extreme
North, simple and proud, kind and hospitable, has in all ages delighted in noble
things. The poetry of its earliest bards was warlike and chaste. It was indeed
the pure and vigorous sap of the Scandinavian race which flowed in the veins
of the Danish artist.
" His works will always maintain a high rank in the esteem of man, not
only because they are the highest and most complete expression of the ten-
dencies of the age, but also because they are the product of an original mind —
of genius true and individua',"
20r
t
t
c
t
ERY
ible Dan
ad settled
f a wood-
n learned
tered the
> show his
icst prize.
1 for Italy,
le, where
;ue, which
)mniission
n. From
Italy for
s received
e colossal
ruekirke"
his return
returned
id a great
in Copen-
he models
t possible
I, under a
ed to the
e extreme
d in noble
^as indeed
the veins
' man, not
f the ten-
al mind —
ST. JOHN,
• HE BELOVED DISCIPLE. THE APOSTLE, PROPHET, AND EVANGEUS7
HIS LIFE. CHARACTER, AND EXAMPLE.
N THIS wonderful book, the New Testament, the
life, the teachings, the sufferings, death, resurrec
tion, and ascension of the divine Redeemer
necessarily and appropriately occupy the firs'^
place; and are followed by a history of the
origin and development of the church of the
Redeemed, which he founded. But in his work
and mission here on earth, and in the work which
he committed to his disciples to be done after his
ascension, we find three persons named with
especial honor, and their labors narrated with particular
care and minuteness. These three were; Peter, bold, impulsive,
warm-hearted, but fickle and wayward in his early career ; the apostle
of the circumcision ; John, ardent, manly, loving and beloved, and
modest and retiring in his disposition; but with strong prejudices
and ambitions; the man who had understanding of the visions of
God ; Paul, stern, resolute, uncompromising, and heroic, yet tendei
and sympathizing with those who were in sorrow ; the great apostle
to the Gentiles. All of the three were apostles, though one received
his commission from his risen and ascended Lord. All contributed
to the number of the inspired books of the New Testament; Peter,
according to generally received tradition, furnishing to his young
companion, Mark, the material which was wrought so skilfully intc
the second gospel ; and, in his later years, writing those two general
iti I. 255
i
-;««s^^^V
xr^r^
mll^r^rmmv^n;^:^'^¥^'^*,^ ■
h r
1 1
f I
2^<t
Tin; .irosTLiis oi-- jEstis.
.pistlc. to the churches, which are so full of instruction, reproof, and
consolation; John, writing, first, that remarkable collection of
prophecies and warnings, which we know as the Apocalypse, or
Book of Revelation, and, some twenty years later, the fourth Lspel
so full m .ts demonstrations that Jesus Christ is the Son of God: and'
<ater stdl, when he had upon his head the snows of nearly a himdred
years, those three epistles, which fitly and fully round out the gospel
he had given to the church ; Paul, in the midst of his arduous and
mcessant labors x^nting thirteen and perhaps fourteen epistles to the
churches which he had founded, and the individuals converted uncle.
h.s preaching: epistles which contain in themselves a whole body ol
-iivinity, and are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and
.or mstniction m righteousness. Thus, with the exception of the
Gospels of Matthe^v and Luke, the Acts, the short Epistles of James
and Jude, an<l possibly the Epistle to the Hebrews, the whole New
Testament was written by these three men, and the book of Acts is
almost wholly occupied with the record of their labors
Of these three mighty leaders of the sacramental host, the pillars
n the life of Peter; we have traced, in following the sacred record,
the abundant labors, toils, sacrifices, trials, and triumphs, of the heroic
and undaunted Paul; and it now only remains to us to portray as
well as we may, the exquisite beauty of the life and character of "the
disciple whom Jesus loved."
In doing this we must of necessity go back to his birth and
childhood, and see for ourselves what were the circumstances by
vhich these were surrounded: for the early training has often much
o tlo Mith the later character and life of the man.
Galilee, the region in which James and John, Peter and Andrew
ind mdced most of the apostles, were born, was, in the time of
our Lord, very populous, and its population, far from being uholly
Jewish was made up of a great variety of nationalities. This was
particularly true of the cities and towns around the sea of Galilee or
Jake of Gennesaret, as it was often called. Here might be fomid
jostling each other in the narrow streets, Syrians from Damascus.
Mj^gj^ji"! ij.— 'i—mi'i .p»wif ir
proof, and
-ction of
ilypse, or
^h gospel,
jod; and,
L hundred
ic gospel
uous and
es to the.
:ed undei
: body of
:tion, and
n of the
of James
olc New
f Acts is
le pillars
irticulars
1 record,
le heroic
)rtray, as
of " the
irth and
nces by
:n much
;\ndrcw,
time of
wholly
his was
LlileCj or
; found
iiascui.
V
t]
o
to
cc
fo
nil
ha
M;
att
Cr(
um:"! «iiiii.»)ii)'!nii) immrm^im'VifS
Mmmgrngm
ST. JOHN, THE BELOVED DJSCJELE.
Greeks from Antioch A^in at- , , ^^^
the Eastern desert o,ferran ""of"", ",' ''''"''' '^'^^- -^^^bs from
from the regions aro:nd he Dead "a'th '"'"""'^ ^"^ "°^'^''-
Minor, Galatians, Phry.rians r,! i ' ' ''"■'™' ''*^-^ "f Asia
Mysians and lonians!" and ^^''^ ^ t;iiicians, Lycaonians,
carpenters, farmers, t nt^mak r """I "'" """ ^^ "^l'^""™
gatherers, and usu;ers, l" I v^ t T'''"'"' '^^"^*-'^^' '->'-
one-third or one-half rf the nn' , T "■'''' "'^^'^ "P Perhaps
villages of the hills they were' n'u h ' ^'''"'^ '" "'^ '°^™^ -''
>n povver and authority though uT, ""serous. Above all
'B:r::h:ft^;"'? r-i '^'-^ -^-^ «:r ""'^^^' -- '^^- ^-^
J3ut wnat the Galilean Tew<? lnri-!..i •
their ardent patriotism, and tTei abl /" ;""!^:^''' "^^^^ "''''dc up in
was the habit of the proud and . , /'''S'°"= ^'•■^'- 'Jhoi'^h it
speak slightingly of T Galit^T""'' '^^""''' °^ J^^^^'-'n to
dialeet,andto'reUenUhem 11 ::„^„rth"f"'\''^-'^ P^™"^^
no occasion for such reproaches Th r n '^''' "'"" ""^ ''^"Y
speak Greek, while the Jew of lud J w. i "*" ■'''" '°"'^ S'=""^"y
wider culture which he thu nhl Tl " '«"°'"^"' "^ " • t° the
knowledge of the Old Te ta,ne„^ c"'"; ^' "^'^"^ ^ ">°st thorough
in the families and synasoZlT o^'"^^''''- "'"' ''''"^ '^^^t, both
where else in Palestine.*^ Cehaj^ T' ^""^f^''^ """ ^ny-
thorough provision for a good General T ""''" '^'"^ ^^'Y
of that time; and the rabbis oahe^l' ",'""°" '" ^" '^-^ ^'"^ies
everywhere schools and colle^^es f "^ . ■''""'''™' ^""^ "Established
the elders known as the oral or itill'f T'"°"''? ""'■''= "'^'''''""^ °f
to burden the consciences n dcvo^ T' ^'"' '"^'''^ *'=y sought
commandments of m. „.'' Nowh r^m T.''"^ fo-" doctrines the
found men more zealous for the aw „. T ^"^ "-^''^ '» be
n>ent, tortures, and dta h for th t^ ^ "'"'' ■ '^^ '° '"''*"'' '"P"'"""
Galilee. And with th n ^d Lou J f"']- f""" ^™°"« "'« Jews of
hand in hand. They we're Te I ' ' - " "' ^'''"^""^ '''"'
Maccab.-^an h.afhr^lZllT' brave and patriotic soldiers of the
attack and ;onqu r an . m 'of /'" f ^ °'7'^fe-'. -"d who would
Comwel. s Ironli:, thrir/ ^i '.rLt' f "'"''" u ™^" ''^^^
^ feO into battle singing the Psalms
26o
THE APOSTLES 01- JESUS.
ii s r ii
its
of David, while, with giant strokes, they hewed down their enemies
And when tiieir country came under the power of the Romans, they
were resdess and constantly rising in insurrection. To them, the idea
of a coming Messiah was ever present, and as they would only
recognize the rule of God himself, through his priests, their idea of
Ihe Messiah was, that though he should possess divine, or at least
archangelic attributes, he should be to his chosen people a deliverer
^Tom the Roman despotism, and should rule and reign over them, as
a temporal prince, and high priest on the throne of David, exalting to
positions of trust and power in his kingdom or government those
devout and patriotic Jews whom he might select as best quaiitied for
&uch a service. That the Messiah would be a spiritual prince, that hi^
dominion was to be over the minds and souls of men ; that he would
nave nothing to do with the administration of temporal power, and
that the Gentile believer would enjoy equal privileges with the Jew
vvho trusted in him, both in this life and the life to come, and that he
vas to redeem to himself a chosen people, a spiritual Israel, from all
nations that dwelt on the face of the earth— were ideas which the
Galilean Jew was incapable of comprehending, until his heart was
enlightened from on high ; and even then, he would ever and anon
turn back to his old belief in a temporal Messiah.
The country or region of Galilee, which comprised the ancient
territory of Issachar, Zebulun, Asher and Naphtali, was, in the time
of our Lord, surpassingly beautiful. The combination of lake, river
and sea, of elevated mountain slopes, broad fertile plains, and valleys
dad in living green, made up landscapes of remarkable loveliness.
The hills were terraced almost to their tops ; and the latitude, which
was that of Florida, was rendered more diverse in its temperature and
its productions by the varying heights of surface found Vvithin a few
miles. Little Hermon, the loftiest mountain west of the sea of Galilee,
was about 4000 feet above the sea ; Tabor and Carmel, the one over-
looking the sea of Galilee, the other the Mediterranean, were about
iuroo iev,t auuvc uic ivicuiLcnaiican, vvniic tne sea 01 Ltaiiiee was 635
feet below that level Yet the mountain slopes are not usually
precipitous, and on some of these plains, valleys, and hillsides, were
i
iMmmmMim-AM^J''''*^^^'^**'^' ""** ■
I
enemies
ns, they
the idea
Id only
idea of
at least
leliverer
^hem, as
dting to
It those
itied for
that hii
2 would
ver, and
the Jew
that he
from all
lich the
art was
d anon
ancient
le time
:e, river
valleys
eliness.
;, which
jre and
1 a few
Galilee,
e over-
; about
ras 635
usually
;s, were
67, /0///V. THE BELOVED DISCIPLE a6r
to be found the fruits, grains, flowers, and forest trees of most of the
temperate and semi-tropical countries of the world.
In the small city of Bethsaida, on the northwest shore of the sea of
Galilee, resided at this time two Jewish families, both strict observers
of the law. and remarkable, even among their countrymen, for their
patriotism and devotion. The names of the heads of these families
were Jonas and Zcbcdee. or Zabdai, as his Jewish neighbors preferred
to call him. hach had two sons ; those of Jonas were named Simon,
afterward called also Peter or Cephas, and Andrew; those of Zabdai
James and John. Neither family was abjectly poor; that of Zabdai
was, for the time and place, comparatively wealthy; ownin<r not only
some property at Bethsaida, but also a dwelling at Jerusalem Both,
in accordance with the Jewish custom, that every man must have a
ti-ade or calling, pursued the business of fishing in the lake or sea of
Galilee, at that time a profitable occupation, followed by many of the
inhabitants on the shores of the lake. The sons of Jonas were some-
what older than those of Zabdai, but the two families were very
intimate. They were all taught to read the law before their sixth
year, and were then sent to the synago-ue school, where they
remained till they were fourteen or sixteen, and acquired a good
general education. If either of the four ever attended the hioher
schools or colleges of the rabbis, of which there was one at Scpphoris
some eighteen miles away, and possibly one also at Capernaum, it
must have been John, whose disposition for study was strongly
marked, and who in later years was a scholar of good repute. As
they grew up the young men adopted the calling of their fathers, and
were for a time in partnership. Of the two sons of Zabdai, James, the
elder, was about the age of Jesus, while John was four or five years
younger. Their mother, Salome, a woman of great energy and
perseverance, and withal of an earnest and devotional spirit, was
according to the universal tradition of the early church, a kinswoman
of Mary, the mother of our Lord, though there is a difference of
opmion as to what was the exact relationship. Some believe h^r to
have been a daughter of Joseph by a former wife, while others, "with
more probabdity, regard her as an elder sister of Mary. The intimacy
'k
■■! 'I I
:n
»«n;u:- A, JiiaaBFfiSS«BJIIiKf ■ li^^"-
2C>2
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
between »h< two families may not have been kept up during th^- Juld-
-<'o<l o/ i.hc sons of Zabdai, as Nazareth was among the hills, twelve
>r fifteen miles from Bethsaida; but that John, and probably' James,
^ere an.onu the earliest disciples of Jesus, that Salome had become
well acquainted with Jesus, and claimed fiom hin) th. privileges o/
Ji
if
'Mil
TWO WOMEN GRINDING
kinship for her sons, and that, apparently after her husband's death
she devoted her time and her property to ministrations to the bodily
welfare of our Lord, and, with the constancy and love of a faithful
woman's heart, followed him to the cross and the tomb, we know from
the gospels.
John and iiis brother James had undoubtedly, in accordance with
ST. JOh :. THE nEI.OVLD D/SCIPLE. ar.j-
the custom of tl,c devout Jews, gone up to tl,e to„,|,le at Jerusalem
at the , .eat feasts, and especially at the passover from tl e 1m
they attamed the,,- twelfth year. The journey, the son^s of I, r
pH«r,mage, the firs, sight of Jerusale,,,, a,ul of the te,„ple,"vhich
then nea,-,ng ,ts co,,,pletion, the architectural beauty o ,1 e ln,il 11
J hn.and these ,mpress,ons would be re,ide,-cd more pennanent by
h s ubsequent v,s,ts. That they did thus impress him is evident, no^
only from h,s eager ,nc,uiries of his Divine Master conce,-nin,: tle
temple and the cty, and their predicted destruction, but al "'"^i, a
greater degree f,o,n his vivid descriptions of the New Jerusalen" th
U gates of pearl ,ts walls of precious stones, and its streets of '.ol
all w,-,t ten at a tune when both the city and the temple of Jerusa^cn
were totte,-,ng to their downfall. jcusaicm
But as they attained to the years of manhood, and the ,-umors bc^an
to gather strengtl, that the Messiah, so long pro.nised, was con mg"
"meradT "^^ ',"''r' =''^-^'>- "P°" '■•<•■ -tl.; that the fulness <J'
t,me had co„K^ and that possibly from their own kindred (for ru,™rs
he cars of Salome) was to spring that blessed one, the Hone of
t rt of''?'-''"'"" f ""°^^ '^'^"' "■■"' ^-""-fi-' -^ g^nfie
tnc lacc oi every mother of thr- tnK,. . r t i i r
., ^ "wiHci ui me tribe ol Judah for centur es •
M:::iariv"""r "T" '° r'* ^^»^^'^ ^'^ "- ^i-vn «; the
Mcss,an,c day In the.r early childhood had come into their
71TT7 \ ''■"'• '"'™"^ """■ ^ '^-° "f "- Maccaba^an typ
sons If r n ''"' "'"' '''= "'^' -^'^°"'^' '''^"^•^f I^.-="--l; and the
sons of Gahlee, ever eager for freedom, had gone out to swell his
anks by thousands, in the expectation that they should sue ed in
lh,-ow,ng off the Rcnan yoke; but the R, n,an legions under Cv renins
Ta hTe beflii th ' "'"".'''' '' ""= "'"' ^''"^ °f '^^"'^- Would
such a fate befall the com,ng, the promised Messiah ? Not if he were
mdeed the chosen of God, the great deliverer, who, as the; read Se
n
' " ■'" "' »*aHB^BB«6I
! ' [*
y
Mi
264
rj//i APOSTLF.S OF JF.Sl/S.
pr(j|)hecies, was to be their champion against the Roman hosts, The
bloo.i tiirillcd through the veins of these sons of Zabdai, as they
thoLiglit of the coming of this prince Messiah ; for they were young
ml brave, they loved their country and their faith, and as Galilean
Jews they were willing to fight to the death under a gallant leader
to throw off the Roman yoke, and to restore the sway of Jehovah ove»
the chosen people of God.
Tell me not that this fervid, warlike spirit is inconsistent with th*
character of the pure, gentle, lamb-like John I John was a Galilear
and a Pharisee; to him there was no holier cause than that ol
insurrection against the hated Roman, no duty more sacred than
that of fighting for his country, his faith, and his God, For these he
would have fought to the death, 'vould have endured the severest
tortures, or suffered death on thu: < r,)ss. There was nothing weak,
cowardly, or effeminate aboul; this yom\g man. We shall see evidence
enough of this further on.
But just at this time there comes intelligence to him which changes
the whole current of his thoughts A great prophet and reformer has
appeared at the fords of the Jordan— perhaps the upper ford, only
thirty-five or forty miles distant; he is urging upon the people tha»
they should repent and be baptized as the indication of their purposf
to begin a new life; and as a reason for this repentance and baptism
hitherto only required of proselytes to the Jewish faith, he tells then
that the kingdom of heaven is at hand; that the Messiah is comine
speedily, and this repentance must precede his coming This
reformer's name is John, and because of his practice of baptizing
he is called "John the Baptist;" he is of priestly family, though he
does not himself engage in the work of the priesthood, but appears
like one of the old prophets; most of all like Elijah, whom in his
rough dress and his coarse and sparing diet, his earnestness, and his
fearful denunciations of sin and hypocrisy, he strongly resembles
John, and Andrew, his friend and townsman, resolve at once to go
and listen to this new prophet. Passing along the plain of Gennr-
saret, on the western shore of the lake, they soon come to the Jordan
valley, with its rough and volcanic rocks, its frequent cataracts, and its
"THE PEARL OF GREAT PRIPF "
>Ce" MatL 13: 46.
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266
THE APOSTLES OF fESUS.
thick, jungle-like forests. By what road they find their way to the
wider plain at the ford we know not, but they reach if at last, and
listen with intense interest to the ringing appeals of this " voice from
the wilderness." Their own life, which they had deemed so pure and
blameless, now presents itself to them as full of sin; and with
repentant hearts, and an earnest desire to do the will of God, they
f)resent themselves to the prophet for baptism. They are accepted
and seal their vows before God and men in the waters of the Jordan
To the major part of the multitudes who listened to the preaching of
John the Baptist, his constant references to him who should come
after him, one far mightier than himself, the latchet of whose sandals
he was not wor''.y to unloose, were but imperfectly comprehended.
They knew, indojd, that the Messiah was soon to come, and that
these words probably referred to him, but they believed that the
Messiah was to be a temporal prince ; and while they were impressed
with the earnestness of him who proclaimed himself as merely the
forerunner of this Messiah, they half believed that he was himself the
long predicted prince, and that ere long, casting away his rough robe
of camel's hair, and abandoning his scanty desert fare of locusts and
wild honey, he would appear as the glorious Messiah, the King of
kings; and till this transformation took place, having taken all the
steps of preparation for his coming which they knew, the confession
of their sins and baptism^ they were content to await, at their own
homes, the commencement of his reign. But there were some who —
reverencing and honoring the son of Zacharias as a true prophet and
the forerunner of the Messiah, and believing that his holy and
abstemious life, his humble and devout spirit, and his evident
consecration to the service of God, had given him a clearer insight
into the mysteries of the future— desired a nearer intimacy with him,
and sought from his lips fuller instruction and information concerning
this coming Messiah. Among the most earnest and eager of these
were the two yc ...g Galileans, John and Andrew, whom he had so
recently baptized ; and their simple and ingenuous natures, and their
evident desire for instruction, won the heart of the great reformer.
In his wild desert life, John the Baptist had been a zealous student
fl
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^7: JOHN, THE BELOVED DISCI PIM. ^^^^
Of the Scriptures, and God had revealed to him. as he always doos \
those who seek wisdom from above in an humble spirit much o( th
cha.-acter and work of the Divine Redeemer. To hJm J "^ va th
Light of the World, the Ancient of Days, the Jud^ w o To 1
Jiscnmmae between the wheat and the cLff. the pur^e aJLv at
ut fc that T '•' "°\ '-''' "^"^^'^^ ^^- P'- ^' -^- o"
T^l . . /''''' ''^' '^^ °"^ •'^^^^•'fi^<-^ ^he atoning lamb whon
tt siW fh" ''^'^^rlT^'' ^^^^" ^^P'^^^' -ho should take aw
ntVvals of hir .•''" "^^ "^^" h^ communicated, in th
wo;dltith the 1 ^''''. !"^' *° '^^ '"" ^^^^^P^^^' -h« ^'-"k in his
words with the deepest interest He told them, moreover that six or
frrhK^ T''^ ''"^ '^' ^^"^^ '^ h- ^- baptism e 'whom
from his wondrous grace and dignity he believed to be the Messhh
be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? "but that this oracious
b cl''e:ht^o"fu,fil'^,"!';.''^"^" '' ^° ^^ ^° --' f-^'- i
Decometh us to fulfil all righteousness " " It had been revealed to
him he said, "that he should be able to recognize the Mess[4 vvh.n
he should be called, to baptize him. by the des^cent of thf^ Spirit
in the sembla.ee of a dove, and its resting upon his head " Wher
he baptized this mysterious person, not only was the e thi manrta
tion of the descent of the Holy Spirit in visible form, bu ttl" reaven.
pleased Then John the Baptist knew that on him had heel
conferred the highest honor which had ever been be tow d on mo ta)
man. that of administering baptism to the Son of God rndTom
tl.s .me he had ever been ready to testify that the Hope of' I^
On the next day after this interview with the two disciples Tesus
who had but just returned from the mount of the temptatt passed
near where John was baptizing, and John immediately pointed him
the^amb If'Gor^"";!?^;^''' ^^^^^ "^'^^ u'ords."Beh M
the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the woridi" He
then explained briefly what he had already stated more fj.lly to 2e
4 i
268
777/1 APOSTLKS OF JHSUS.
two disciples, of the circumstances attending Christ's baptism. It is
hardly pi-obabie that Andrew and John were present on this occasion;
but the next mornmg John was standing near the river's bank with the
two disciples, and Jesus again passed, ard he pointed him out to them,
.saying, " Behold the Lamb of God." This was enough for them ; their
eyes were greeted with the sight of the long-expected Messiah
liagcrly, yet timidly, they followed his footsteps, and presently he
turned and said to them in that gracious voice of his, " What seek
ye.''" Awe-struck, yet encouraged, they answer his question by
another, " Rabbi, where dwellest thou ? " His answer was still more
gracious, "Come and see." Thus encouraged they followed to his
temporary home, and as it was but ten o'clock in the morning,* they
had nearly the whole day for their interview with him. What a visit
that was! How did the hearts of these young men burn within
them as they realized that they had thus held converse with the
Messiah, he whose coming patriarchs and prophets, kings and holy
ones, in all the ages, had so longed to see, .- y et had died without the
sight. It docs not seem that either John or Andrew ever doubted,
from that time, that Jesus was the Messiah, though it was not till long
after that they fully realized who and what the Messiah was.
Much as they had been drawn to John the Baptist, and greatly
indebted as they were to him for :hus bringing them to Christ, they
had now found a new and higher love, a Master to whom they were
drawn by a stronger and more enduring tie. Henceforward they
were the disciples, not of John, but of Christ. And their zeal
constrained them, as the love of Christ has always since done,
to bring their friends to him. Andrew sought for his brother Simon,
who was among the multitude who were listening to John, and
having found him, brought him at once to Jesus, saying only, "We
have found the Messias." Jesus welcomed him with a new name,
Cephas, or, in its Greek translation, Peter. John, with that modesty
*John says in his gospel, "It was about the tenth hour," but it is to be observed that, unlike
ihe other evangelists (probably from the fact that his gospel was not written till some years after the
lestrnction of Jerusalem), John always uses the Roman reckoning, which made the day begin fcf
midnight, instead of the Jewish, which began at six o'clock in the morning.
ii*Jum»t!li':Miii.'-^
■■f
1\
ST. JOHN, THE BELOVED DISCIPI E ^,
James was any,,<,cre within liis reach, at the fords n ,1,71
he may very well have h,.pn 1,„ r i t ?, '"" Jordan, aj
T * V ', ' "'" ^""°"n':cment, "We have found the ALsiah '
horn •:, clf "-™;"r' ""^ "^''^' ^'^y'" leave Bethablr for -s'li
hhn On ^.■.::' ■'" ""^ '""'P''^^ "•'-'- ''^"y'"-' '° aceon,pany
invited tt'i::",;- r cTn^a'^'Tf ^^- ^"^ '"'^ ^■-"^'- "-'
vvcuuing at Cana, asmall town not far from N'.7i.v.th
whici Mn'': r;r' "" t^"^ °^ ^^^"^'''^"^' '"^ water -uoi: '•
After' ^^rerjr;t:r;;:, ti 'r^r- ""'^'^>"'""-
Capernaum, then .he pr n p"l d of e T"^ ""' "'^ '^'"''"'^^ '°
Jerusalem to the e^^f t^epa Lver'T"'" ^^'"'^'--- g--"S to
.im. through the Jordantl^rarjeas^rnrB^irl'^l"^^^^
beet ofl'o'; '° ",°" "°'T "^~"^"'> S^--"'- J°hn had doub^ s"
=rv.it a^nLt^: e^'-^" ^^- -"- '---
climbed therut^^ed Hiff!f I ■ "'"''' '"^" 'P^'^'^:" ^"^ «= "»-7
have leaped of oytfthrTeSf: '° J""^^'?'?"'^" "'^ '--' ■"-'
Olivet for for thifi ! ' '"'' '" ^'°'" fr°m 'lie height ol
thatlL vistn at :h rds'^f' h^""''•' !'''°^^r°'"'' " '^^ ^^
be fulfilled, "The Lo d Is ,n h' "^ ,'"'P"''' P^P''^' ^^^^^ ^^out to
silence before him "Bu alas Ithoi; 'T'V ''' ^" "^^ ^^^"^ ''^^P
had recognized the I nH r f ,S'' ^ ^'"^ '""''''"' '°"'=' "^e John,
their worfhi, anf hott yet^re?!'"^ ;T" "T"'^ '° ^'^^ '^''^
consider The priests an 1^1, °' ''"°''- '"' P'^°P'« '"^ "°»
pncsts and Levites, who ministered at the altars and
270
riiF. AposTi.iis or jj-sus.
perf,. ,„.d the service of the sanctuary, were wholly unaware that he.
to when, that temple was dedicated, had come dow^ from the ter^ple
not made wah hands and had deigned to grace this earth y house
mm not The, e was, however, one scene in connection with this
passover feast, which „,ade so vivid an impression upon John tht
more than fifty years later, he describes it as if it had oZred bu the
day before Jesus, on In's arrival at Jerusalem, had entered the t ml
as us nghtful heir It was his Fathers house, the one te nple n the
w.de world consecrated to the pure worship of Je ovalT and e
there ,„ ,ts courts were lowing oxen, calves and heifers, Vheep and
goats, lan,bs and kids; and on one side great numbers o doves and
fof ^de f , "' ''^'^ P™^' '■''"^'='f '''"' ^--'d '° ^'^ brought thae
o sale from Ins own extensive dove-cotes on the Mount of Olives
.nd he barganung of the men who had these in cl>arge with the ea.er'
bibe^'of",:":"^' ""r"'"' ^°"'"^'°"^ ^''"-"^ ^^
oabblc of the ,uoney changers, Jewish usurers, who made lartre
-on n,,ss,ons by exchanging shekels of the sanctuary, ,vhich aione
^.ould be pa,d for the temple dues, for the Roman, Greek and ofte'
(oretgn corns, brought by the Jews of the dispersion who t ronged to
erusalem at these times from all parts of the Roman enZ A |
th.s trafhc was forbidden by the law, but the Jews, a d espe'cLlly d
pnes s, were proverbially greedy of gain, and Annks, the hi dfpri t
Srcu,:™" '"' ^■°" """ '" "" '^°"°--°f Godor'tl^purftJoT^lre
All this desecration of the temple was apparent to Jesus at a glance
md ,t roused h,s righteous indignation. Seizing some of the small'
..ords or bands of rushes, which bound the animak to be sacrificed he
a^ rl t?" 'r'° ^ "°"'^^ °'" ""'P' '-'"'' ^' 'he dignity and sub h
anger of the divme nature gleamed forth from those eyes ordinan v
so nu d and gentle, he drove the animals and their owners' otfofl^e
temple area, and mto the streets of Jerusalem; poured out the
dot:f"TaT":rT'"",!'" '^■^■^^•^"'^ ^^'^^ unto' them tha si
aoves, "lake these thino-s henrp* mil— --^ ^ r- .1 . t
1 - i-ii!ii^.>, iiciiLG, make iiuL my Fathers hniis;^^ an
house of merchandise- The venders of this m'lrchanjise, and the
2 that he,
ic temple
ily house
received
with this
ohn that,
d but the
e temple
le in the
and yet
leep and
>ves and
,dit there
Olives ;
he eaoer
was the
le large
h alone
id other
nged to
re. All
ally the
I priest
^ of the
glance,
e small
ced, he
iublime
iinarily
of the
ut the
at sold
use an
id the
ST. JOHN, THE BELOVED DISCIPLE
271
money changers, awe-struck by his evident ri-hf t,, , ^ \
fearing to encounter those terrible ev^.fl 1 • , '^^'""^^"d. ^nd
no resistanrp or . turiDle eyes, fled m haste, and ventured
•uthorityto t us cnVe T'^ ^^ '^"^^°">^ ^■^'" "^ P'oof of his
:i iv^ Liiub urivc out those who desecritrd fli<. t >.,, i n-
'Cl^ly ^v•as a memorable one- "Destmv fM ^ 7 , '''''• ""
I will raise it im " Ti ' ^'-^"^°y ""^ temple, and ni three days
cal d 7e worw' intle^.i^t ""' "'^ f " ""■«'"^' '° ">™> ' l'^' -'- ''"J
beautifu temple o He^dTn'th" '.'""'"^■'f '■^"" '''••^'■^^ •''"-^ 'h«^
needful to "o so but h. ,''^^' "' ""''^'^ ''°"'-=' ''^^ '' been
words. The temple of HnT ' k'^.'^ "'' ''""^■^ "'^■^'"'"S '" '"^
in whose Hoi ' Jh^L thai K 1 "'^ °"'"-'J ----,. or shell.
shechinah; so^lt:Thet^d^:L':^t:: v^L^s^d^r^^
come to earth in human form • hi. K..^ proiessed to woiship, had
within three days afte Ts te^ue i™ ^f '" "■"°''' """^'^""^ "^"''y
by the priests or by John u thld 1 stenert^^r'^i;:?"' '"^^""f"
272
THE APOSTLES OF JESf/S.
thus early to his cause, to become one of the chief officers of his
Tcahii, 1 here may liave been, also, some desire to know more of this
kmcrdoin of heaven or of God, of which both Christ and John the
Baptist had so much to say, and a lurking suspicion down in the
depths of his heart that even he. with all his strictness of ritual
observances was not quite perfect, and that this great Teacher mi-^ht
be able to fill an aching void which he found in his heart John vvas
present at this interview, and his interesting narrative of Christ's
metnod of laying bare the needs, cravings and experiences of a self-
righteous soul, though written after the lapse of half a century, show
hat even then he had a very clear conception of the omniscience of
tiis Divine Master. The stay of Jesus at Jerusalem was brief; he had
declared himself as the Messiah, by his deeds and miracles, and had
awakened the active enmity of the Pharisaic or priestly party thereby
^nd not being desirous of further provoking their hostility at this
time, he withdrew quietly to one of the towns of Judaea, north of
Jerusalem, where, very soon, the people flocked to him to receive
mstruction, in even greater numbers than had attended the preaching
:>f Joh. the Baptist, Here, under his direction, his disciples, and John
among the number, administered baptism to those who acknowledoed
him as the Messiah, and ere long his personal following had exceeded
that of his forerunner. An incident which occurred at this time, and
ss recorded in the Gospel of John, indicates very clearly that neither
jea.ousy nor envy had any place in the soul of John the Baptist
.K.nie of his disciples, who had been having an angry discussion with
the Pharisees about the oral law and the traditions of the rabbis came
to John the Baptist with a grievance, which had evidently been
aggravated by the taunts of their adversaries : " Rabbi," said they •• he
that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness,
beho d the same baptizeth. and all men come unto him." John
calmly replied, " that he had always declared that he was not the
Christ, but only his forerunner: and that, as the Christ or Messiah was
now come, his own mission was drawing to a close. Christ must
increase, he must decrease, and that he rejoiced in this result" He
contmued with an ascription of praise to Jesus, fully recognizing his
■j'Ui>*tA»MtlltlltaMsa^mi
Sr JOHN, THE BELOVkD DlSClPlk
10
later IhAd' 1 ''!S '"t'^''';'" ^^ '^' ^'^^^'■'-^^^^^' ^-^"J - f^^vv month^
later DLlicadcd. The hostility of the enemies of rhrl -f
stron<rly manifested th-,f K,. i r. t • ^"^"11^^ ot Christ was so
Tf T„ 1 -^ ™' "^'' ''y =*0""-' means entered the t,.m„l,
a Jerusa en, at night, and strewed dead n,ens bones in the «
£.S=gs:S|iH
nt to expose himself ^ wmen ne sau
thJ'nnr"''' ^°"™'y' """^ ''"'■'"g ""^ ^"^sencc of his disciples in
he ne,ghbonng e,ty to purchase provisions, that Jesus eld th^^
conversation w th the Samririfor, t '' ^ ^"^'
two days, while the firsf fruUs liVZ^lV'^'^"' '"'
gathered in and the foundation laidtr 'lTexLsi"rr<:'
S:d':n aStTarvl^^^^" ''''' '^'^ -"^ J°^" ^^ ^-
274
THE APOSTLES OF JHSUS.
j/ healing, and blessing the multitudes who thronged around nitt.
in Capernaum, Bethsaida, Chora/Jn, and the other populous towns of
the plain of Gennesaret. His home, at this time, was at Capernaum,
whither Andrew and Peter certainly, and James and John probably,
had removed. During this period of six or eight months, before
Jesus again visited Jerusalem, he was very active Besides his labors
It the towns and cities around the lake, he iiad delivered his sermon
on that mount which, from its double peak, was known as the Morns
of Hattin; had visited and taught the people on the eastern and
northeastern shores of the lake; had selected and commissioned his
twelve apostles, and had made, either in person, or by his disciples,
whom he sent out two and two, a circuit of the Galilean towns. In all
this time, except possibly a very few weeks, John was his constant
companion, and received, perhaps in larger measure than either of the
other apostles, constant instruction from his lips. Peter, Andrew and
James, who were next to him in their intimacy with their Lord, had
for a time, and until they received a second call, resumed their fo'rmei
occupation; but after they were chosen apostles, they too were
constantly in attendance upon him, or engaged in missionary labors
performed at his command. The two sons of Jonas and the two sons
of Zabdai hold the first place in all the lists of the apostles, and were
undoubtedly the first chosen by Jesus. Of the four, Peter, both from
age and impulsiveness, was the acknowledged leader, though John
was the most beloved and cherished An English writer of great
ability, Professor Plumptre, draws a very nne distmction between the
relation which these two disciples held to the lord : " Peter," he says,
'•was the friend of Chnst as the Messiah, the first to acknowledge his
divine character, and to adore him as the Son of God ; John o^n the
other hand was the friend of Jesus; clinging with the most intense
affection to his humanity, and recognizing him as the incarnate
Saviour." It is a somewhat remarkable commentary on these ideas,
that the gospel which is regarded as containing in substance Peter's
narrative of the life of Christ, speaks of him most frequently as the
Son of man, and is most definite in its descriptions of his earthly life;
while the Gospel of John is almost wholly occupied with the
I
- .mmmitAaiat'mimHS
•iiiui mrr.
towns oi
pcrnaunv
probably.
Ls, before
lis labors
) sermon
le Horns
tern and
oned his
disciples,
s. In all
constant
ler of the
Irew and
,ord, had
ir formei
00 were
y labors
wo sons
nd were
Dth from
gh John
Df great
^een the
he says,
-dge his
on the
intense
ncarnate
e ideas,
Peter's
^ as the
lily life;
ith the
^7 /rV/.V, T//^ liELOVP.D Dl<sCIPr H
■ .oJ, tl. Word who was witl. God and who was Cod," Imt wh.
"was made Iksh and dwelt anion.' us "
.o ^>!lf ll'"' '"'T i'l""^ "^ ""-^ 'li^tinction, it cannot be denied tha'
heir M •/ .? ''"^ ^°'"' ''"' granted a closer special intin.acy witl
the.r Master, than to any other of the apostles. They were ^^ith hin
." the chan,ber of death (Mark v, 37) ; in the glorious sc no
™nsfigura„on (Matt xvii, ,); when he forewarned then of
Jesruct,on o Jerusalent (Luke xxi, 7); and in the agl o
r.ethsen,ane (Matt xxv,, 36-56) ; John was the disciple who recLe
next to esus at the passover feast, and at the Loci's sunnc-r hc-n
.nst,tuted, and it is noteworthy that when Jesus had deck red o
uvelve, m that sad hour, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one o
yo„ shah Letray ,n," and the other disciples Jere ciueLo'nin, "rord
a tcrnble en,pta ,on. John alone, of them all, does not ask this
question; the union of soul betwx-en hin, and his M° tcr is t
perfect love castcth out fear." He knows that it is imnossibfe fo.'
hin. o betray Christ, and though not boastful like Pete he ooks u,^
frankly and lovingly into the eyes of Jesus, and when .Vtervhc
understood the intimacy of his relation to Christ beckons to hi ■
he asks with perfect confidence, " Lord, who is it I"
And yet. we grieve to say. that ardent as was his love for lesus h
could not maintain his watchfulness for even an hour! whe, h s Lo ;
was passmg through that fearful agony in the garden of G tl cnnne
cht cTu'eT",, """ -"It of intense weariness and sonw to
this cause Jesus, m mercy, attributed it ; but he was more self
rrrLord hH r- rr""^ "' "-^"'-■•P'- ^'"ea^re^
Av, • . "^ followed him to the palace of the hi* ori,.st
and havtng been in former years acquaint with the L ' l^-^ s he
read, y obtained admission, and seems to have been the ofyo '
Indt.;"^ n^^ ""T^"^ "^^ ^""^"^ '"^■••^o'h before the hi.Vpries
.nd before Pdate: for thoug', Peter was. for a short time ii ut
ante-room of the palace he .as in such fear, and so f™qu n, t
_^ ^ "''"^' '^'-^ ^«'"P''i"'ons being those nol.Ic ucnun
'^ '" ^vho, nu)i( coura
geousthaiianyof
tlK' clioscn apos
tics except John
^^■c^(. • last at tho
cross and earliest
at the grave , '
and It was there,
amid his dying
agonies, that
Jesus committed
to this faithful
disciple the sa-
cred trust of car-
ing for that deaj
mother whose
heart was so reni
with sorrow
On the morn
ing of the rcsur
rection. when tht
first tidings came
that the grave
had been de-
spoiled of Its
prey, John and
Peter set out fo.
the sepulchre
and for once
John's real sur-
'^'"' ™» ™^c?ioS^L?!--- ™- •- u:xI,Ts
sepul>.h,c. His recognition of h,s r.s.r Urd was perfect, and m diat
ST. JOHN, THH BELOVED DlSCfPLI.
•hat our I ,,„J, l,y ',|„„, ," ch n. n , '""^' " '^^^ "' ""^ ""'e
■no the ,narty,, crown «„; ^I'rVT'' ''"■'""'^'•■^ ''••"-
I'assed „ver several incid „ts n s e f." ■''" ''" ""^'^■■■- ^^ '"-
■l>ow n,ost conclusively th.-^t M , Vs ' ^
'aturc. „.|,ich adapts itsel cnidv m '° '' ""P^^'^^iWe, plastic
-..a witiK,.,. i-Lsin«'a„; pti ve 'c ;:i;Tr °^ ••' ^''°"-''-'
■ontrary h, u'as a man oFgrcat cner vnn I f J ' °^'"- «" "«=
full of strong prejudiees. fct" i^ t'd ^ ° f ""^ " k ''""^ "^'''^•^'
wd even recunmg to them a.nTn Vn I ''"''"^"y 1"^ '-arly ideas,
been den,onstrated to hi rim |,eseV^r'"r''''" ""'■■ ''"'^''y '-^
iisposition uere in the end so on etelv r " ^';"'"' ••'"'' P'^^™'--
»n example to the church in Til a" s n ^.n?,^''''"'-'^' ""^ '° ""^^^ 1>™
md of good report, is due „ tt fi ■" ''^' P"'^ -'"^ '"vely
oontrollino .nnu'.nee\w,ich Jesus veSe "^ " V'° "'^ ""'"'^""S -"''
■ban over any other of hi c^' L?, 'n 1°'". f'"' '" ' ^""'•^■'- ''<=e^«
•«octi„„ whieh this intense lZnn;'r''',"'""^P'^'^'--' to 'he
- -"Land .h,eh made "t li ^ V,^;;: J"; ''"" '",<^ ''r '°P=d in
""".t,- Hinch uould please hi. on 1 m ''" ^'^'^^^ "'"^'^
'ecause he hath first lived us ^^'" "^^e love him
.n.n:a:d^;trdt^:;;:e'n"ar ■■ \t ''-" -^ -- —^
ame into his presence at a Ince ,vhen h '7 1 ''"^ """ -ho
«o be apostles, named them /?!,' ""^ '^"'='' '^"«=^ ^"^ John
mdicative of their ch a eT ^ler^""' "'""l"' "'""''-■" ^ ''"^
*h.ch ,nelis and disapp cl r ,vhe L ■"'• "°' ^'^' "'^ "^^^^ ^'"'"1
-' ■'^■<- those eloud' a, 1", 'I "l/T f^" ^^-tly upon ,t
iosc oi day arxj, clad
more beautiful th
that he athxvart the western
•n hues of purple and crold md v
--"-iodine; rather, they we^ret^^^^^^^^^^^
^^y at th'
violet, ninlvi
th
rcatoo-
278
6 l-S'
THE APOSTL/iS OF JESUS.
L
iggecf
ing clouds, heavy with the comint; rain ;inr) fr^„. . u
Hft5 leap the live thunder and the swift r w " '"''°'' '"•'Sg^'
'o. the right, like the old pr^ph ^ .™1''^' ' "'rl"''"'""' ' ^^■'""■^■"'
natures, who would "not hand^ th^ word o ^'^".S' '•'^™'=-^ '»"-'"-
.K,ns^ T ey w r n" to nt ., "' T""" "" °- «' "'-'X li-ita
^vho wer^ alreadvTo n™ ? ""'>' '° "'^'' J'"'"'''''' brethren
and mssion of Chris th ' "" '"'°™'=' """""'"« "'^ ^l''-"-'-
,nH , '^^'°"°' ^hust, they were to proclaim him as the Messiah
o til n" tI" "r"'"'' '°/"'°^"' '" "'^ -"- 'he si„,pl r m ra e
o hcahng Tliey knew and comprehended but little o the schem,
of .alvat,on, but what they knew they toId correctly ol their ett^
nnnv haV'r?"' h"'.""' '° -''-"^"^' ^"'--"■•>' ''•-"«'■ ° 'a
n ns vhic hid ta ': ^°'''' ""''''''' '"' "'^" "^ "-i''^.''
^ubjecrtrli'thj "hH^^^^^^ 'r"r '" r "^'^ ^^^
joy at this result of , hi 1 1, ■ ^ '''-■'"''""« "'<=''' ^^uberanl
occasion 0 i:er"; InTth""'^ "'"'"'"' ""•'" "'^' "^'^^ "^'^
rhey proceeded wlM, l?^' "'''""' '''■''■'' "''''"«" '" '''^aven
ncy proceeded with their report, and here it ,s John that speaks
n!^Tz :::z: tT' r '''"' '" '^^ "••"- -'^ ^rfor ;
Porbid1"m Tot for , ■ '"'' "' '°"°"''-'"' "°' "= " J-"= ^•-'
udiue, mat can lightly speak evil of me "
'nbr.ed"anT?n f ™? '!'^''°""" "' '"^ ^P°^"^= ^^^ -'"-•'^'
« ended also, cTvr'^^'cJ'''' "' ""'' ™""' °^ ^'^''•'<^'^- «hicK
^tended also tc Tyre and Sidon and to th half-heathen villages of
Sr. JOHN, THE liELOVhD DISCIPLE.
explanation of th^t 5 we^' d^ i sL^:::.t' hi;' """^^ '" '"'
as they journeyed bv hi^ >.l,1. "7 mstruc cd by him in private; yel
the mo.s{ eommon dfemo o h r '^ '" "^'^ '"""''^"-■P^' ^^^at was
debate P not the satu , ' „ t ^7'^" TT''' °' ^'^^^
claimc.l the gosnel not tl„ . ., / "" '° "'""" 'hey I'ro-
banishment oTthe s"n "id °"°' ''"J"''"'' "^ ^"'' - ""^
<hese. It was whicl of h K T, f^'-y^^here so rife. None of
the h. ,est tat on n L '^°"''^ ^^ '^^ S^'^^"^^'' ^"ould oecupy
■I-or^said arteC"S Tm,'" r"" '^"'^'■'y '° Christ
have thereiorr' tL fe"h" Tht ""'''" ^ "'"' ^''^" -
Messiah was to be a temporal prince,
wlio should deliver them from the sway
of the hated Romans, and should there-
after reign in great glory and power over
the Jews, sitting on the throne of David
was thoroughly ingrained into their
mmds; Jesus, they were sure, was the
Messiah, and they were daily looking for
h.s assumption of kingly power, and
when the multitudes were disposed, with
loudaeclauvi. to take him by force and make
::^'::;' ';;rdi;t t;:':' ''""'"-' r "- '''"-'' •« >^^'^' - '^eir
'h? ofced th one t'lC v o T^d' T","'^''^, '"-" ''""''' '' '-' '^-•■P'
entitled to the besi ae;s in h.s r < "^ "" '" ''"' '""'' ^-^
what should be ti^ 'dIvS of ht'lteT >'"n ""' °"'/i^"^-^'""" "-•
James and lohn who hid Z , "" P^'"*^"' '" "''""^ that
spirit of CI, is \; o ,„d^rV° '^"*°f 'h^- -eek and humble
i^ingdomw^snot j^i woHd tT,.r '"""'' '^>' '""' ""' ''is
over the hearts and mLr 'meT ^VlhTthe^'r,"' ^'°^^'"'™^"'
be renewed before any one couWenter ,t slionl , "'''"" ""'^'
unseem^ w.ngle, b^t so it J "%: ^^^^^^^tl!:: ^
SYRIAN SHKEP.
h
\f
I I
1*' 'I
7y/y? APOSTLES OF JESUS.
time, for the encouragement of the twelve, " Verily, I s.-.y unto you
that ye wh,ch have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of
man shall s,t m the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve
Lrke^hn^''"^ '^Ti'"' '"""' "' '""'''■ A^-l --y -e that hath
forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife or
ch, dren or ands, for my names sake, shall receive an hundred-fold
characte' T'h"' '"'''.''''"S/'^-" Overlooking the wholly spiritua
,tn . P™'""'' '"'' "'^''"^'"S i' '0\dy as the guarantee of
tcmpora advancement soon to come, the disciples looked forward
eagerly to their several shares in the offered rewards. Among the
^velve none had been nearer or apparently dearer to Christ, than the
two sons of Zabdai, and their ambition was roused to obtain the
highest places in this new kingdom.
Accordingly they communicated their wishes to their mother
Salome, who had followed Christ throughout Galilee, and had
.ninistered to h,m of her substance or property. The mother was
not less ambitious tor her sons than they were for themselves ; and the
three came to Jesus when he was alone and offered their request the
mother urging and the sons seconding it. At first she desir;d a
ertam thing of him but seemed reluctant to name her request, but
vhen Jesus said to her, " What wilt thou ? " she answered, ■■ Grant that
In tLTJ'™ r"i -'"T "'• "'^ °"' "" "^y "S^' ^^'^- ^"'l 'he other
on the left, in thy kingdom." The immediate right and left hands of
the monarch were the places of highest honor; and thus these two
young men desired for themselves-for they repeated the request-
the highest positions in that kingdom, which they persisted in believ-
ing he was about to found in Palestine. The reply of Jesus was a
sterner rebuke than he had yet given to any of his disciples, yet it
was administered in love. "Ye know not," he said, "whit ye ask
Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be
baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" Utterly
Ignorant of the sorrow and suffering which these significant word^
included they repl:ed confidently, "We are able." Jesus said unto
hem, "Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized ,vitl, ; but to sit on my right hand and on
-.u;**,.-r„»...*«;»)^^*;.!^.v-«w^-;;Aa«i^ij*^^
57: JOHN. THE BELOVED V/SLIPIM. jg
^y left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to tliem for whom
U,s prepared of my Father." The other members of the apostolk
,hT» .r''/7 '^ ^Sf'"' ^' *'■' '■'1"^^' °f "•= t"° brothers: not
*at they had any clearer ideas of the spiritual character of th,
kmgdom of Christ but that they regarded this as an elTort, on thr
part o James and John, to steal a march on them and prefer a
prior c ami to the dignities of the new kingdom. And this was afte,
hese two discples and Peter had witnessed the glories of th
Ws' mfcifixlon"; '"' ' '"' "''''' "' """""'^ =" "><= f"""^-'' '''^f-'
We may notice incidentally, that even the crucifixion and resurrec
t.on of our Lord did not wholly dispel this idea of the temporal
kmgdom of the Messiah from the minds of his disciples. The two
disciples vvho went to Emmaus, on the day of the resurrection, said to
Jesus, of himse "We trusted that it had been he which should have
oulhTth T ' '^'' ";^"™ "'^ Roman power; and the question
put by the eleven to our Lord, on the very day of his ascension, afte,
having received from his lips the great commission, shows with whal
tenacity they still clung to the idea of a temporal kingdom: "Lord
wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom unto Israel?"
One more example of the fiery spirit and the abiding prejudi-es of
James and John, will show how much need there wts of a deepe.
«nct.fication in their hearts ; when Jesus had commenced that last
lourncy toward Jerusalem, which was to close with his arrest and
TmahTr' S T"'J'"" '"' ■'°''" '"'° ^ ^'"^S^ °f 'h^ Samaritans
to make ready for his stay over night: but the inhabitants, suppo---.
that his intention was to go to Jerusalem, refused to receive him"
This was churlish ; yet had it occurred in any Jewish villan-e the
disciples wou d have found some excuse for it, but it was the°h'ated
Samaritans who had refused shelter to the Messiah ; and the loyalty
of the brothers to their Master joined with their hate of these people
and they asked and we may easily believe that it was John who put
the question: "Lord, wilt thou thit we rnm-^n-J fi,. , , ^
,,„ , , ' "'"• ^"-^ mat we commaiiu fire to come down
from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?" But lesus
turned _and rebuked them, and said. "Ye know not what manner of
282
rilE APOSTLES OF JESUS,
spirit yc are of f-or the Son of man is not come to destroy men s
Jvcs uut to save them." And they went to another village
VVe lm^^lu multiply these instances, which illustrate the narrow and
sorcl.d views which, at times, gained the ascendancy over the minds
o the twelve disciples, and James and John nearly as much as the
others, up to the very day of the ascension ; but what we have ali^eady
adduced are sufhcient to show that, notwithstanding all the preaching
and teaching of Chnst. notwithstanding their daily personal inter-
course with h,m for three years, and the powerful influence he exerted
over them, they were still under the bondage of Jewish prejudices, of
|3ersona and unhallowed ambition, and of a zeal not accordi.u^ to
knowledge, T hey were not as yet wholly sanctified nor consecrated
for the work in winch they were to engage. Our Lord knew this and
hence he commanded them to remain at Jerusalem, until they should
receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost
They obeyed, and after ten days of earnest prayer, the pronnsed
descent of the Holy Spirit came, and they s.crUL^ to enl. upon
dieir great work A wondrous change had come upon them all
They were m the city of Jerusalem, and it was the feast of Pentecost
one of the great Jewish feasts, when, from all parts of the Roman
empire the Jews of the dispersion came up to Jerusalem and
presented themselves at the temple Fifty days befbre. these eleven
apostles, and the believers who were now with them, had fled
affrighted, at the arrest of their Master; f^ir from attempting, any
resistance or rescue, they had concealed themselves, and met bu.
stealthily with barred and bolted doors, lest they also should suffei
arrest. Their Master had been crucified by Roman authority, at the
urgent sohcitadon of the Jewish Sanhedrim , and their hopes had
fallen to the dust But he had risen from the dead, and though he
had not, as of old, led them through the streets of Jerusalem and the
villages of Galilee, showing himself openly to the multitudes his
resurrection and his ascension had put new faith and courage 'into
their hearts, and this mysterious but all powerful influence which they
now experienced had consecrated them to their work, and they were
ready for any labor, any sacrifice, which might be required of them
-A*f^l»^lXffvt,!#l^l^imiiSlltlSS^^i^-
I
ST. JOHN, THE BELOVED DISCIPLE. 283
The most timiel of the apostolic band was now ready to face thr
•Sanhedrim, or the Roman authorities, charge upon them the murdc
o[ Jesus, and defy their power. To the multitudes who thronged th=
Jewish capital, they preached boldly the crucified and risen Christ, an.
urged them to repent and believe on him.
And if this change had come upon all the disciples, it was especialh
marked in the case of Peter and John. Peter was, as before the
crucifixion, the leader, but his boastful spirit was gone; he was meet
and humble, yet full of zeal, courage and energy, and henceforth hi?
chosen associate was John , together the two preached unto the people
administered bai)tism to the new converts, performed miracles in thf
name of Jesus Christ, charged home upon the rulers their responsi
bility for the death of Christ, stood undaunted before the Sanhedrim
endured their threatcnings without alarm, and without yielding for s
moment to their demands; suffered imprisonment, and were beater
with rods, but rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer sham*
in and for the Master's name. Meanwhile, the church, which they, ii
accordance with their Master's command, had founded at Jerusalem
had grown so rapidly that it numbered many thousands of joyfu'
believers; it was fully organized, and had been consecrated by th*
blood of its first martyr, and a violent persecution had scattered manv
of Its prominent members; but Peter and John remained at Jerusalen
and cared for the remainder of the flock. Now came one of tho^.^
questions which tested the completeness of the change wrought ir
them. Philip, one of the seven deacons (not the apostle), had lef
Jerusalem in consequence of the persecution, and gone to Samaris
where he had preached Christ with great success,— the recollection o'
the Saviour's visit there undoubtedly rendering the people mor^
ready to receive the gospel. He had baptized great numbers, an.
was in need of assistance Thereupon, the church at Jerusalem sent
their two chief pastors to aid Philip in his work. Peter and John
hastened on this mission of love, received the Samaritans warmly as
brethren in Christ, and ere they returned preached the gospel in many
of the Samaritan villages And yet this same Jolm.'only six years
^'U-AXX>■i^\■'mZ,J• 't
284
before, had dcsirccl to call d
T///- .tPOSTU-S OF J/.SUS.
own fire from heaven
of theSf
id
^anunl.,,, \-,lla,^cs f„r a real ,„■ fancied sliVht
Oilier events, foll.nvin,^- (hick and fa.st,'™vc evidenco nf H,
had become l',n| tl.c- m.ifl . , -'iw^tles, Saul the persecutoi
IVter and Ja ' t" ' h "' T ""^''^^^.'-'".-ly ''7 J'*" and
rron, heaven, an.l it , I i ;e , t '^ """" °' ""-' '""'^ '^■' ''-™
Iho church <,r Corneh ' "'"^^'■^■o'> and admission into
-:.e^,e and ;;r;:t:,e'r:h\;^t:r:";rrL^^^^^^
deliverance, ami it came Peter IrfV T ..•. . V ^^ ^''^''''■'
-ained at his ,.ost. and' the ;"se::^:r TJ"'' '' ""''■ '"' ■""■"
of i::\t;:"n';;}::^:;:;:^'''>'7^---? - ■--■ '^•"' very shv^ record
Gentile chu!;t.:';;n;t :r: :;ruv; nttT,''°"^ ''"""^^■" "-^
have heard fron, ,„„, as uvli a CnPeerb h /""/,"' T ''''"''
from Jerusalem I'uil s,„-,l-. f t ,' ' "'^ "'^"' ''eixirture
reiioihip to H.;;;!^::;;,^;,^^- -r^^
^ed, destru^;;: ;nrt-£ t; ti^o: r:^^-rr
r > uic apostle among- the number, took refiKxr .'n i>..ii.
niountam fastness on the east sido of fK /t . ^^ ^"''' ^
Tiile-s south of theseao r.lil ^ , •^'''''''"' ^'^^"^ ^'^^^^teen
:on. and 1^ i " .^ ^' " ^J^r^ ^^ '^^^ ^^"'^^ ^^ ^^^ been
order of V ^"' ■ ■?"^" '"'""" *"' "^"^"' ^' Ep''^^"^ he was, by the
order, „f N,,,o, ban.shed to the h'ttic rocky islet of Patmos, aboS
--«iiu«.«» ■.,*ttfi«»H,'..;ii»i»f.i«»i(s,
y/ JOHN, Tllh lihLOVhD DJSC/PLh.
38s
">■- or four y..r.s, tcn„iL^:\,,"|,t" :;;::,' 'T' '"T"""^
■lun,,,. his c-xilo ,„. tl,is island that h w otc h i, • ^7v ' ■"''
'ri which, after ilctailiim' the view he InTof I, , ■ '''"^■'■■'■"""'
. view fa,. „.,... s.l„i,i^e a„„ Te^h:: i .^ U Jl'Xf ^ fT
Witnessed on Mount Ilcnnon -.f th,. f.- r '. ^'^^ '''"^'^ '^^ 'lac
which 1,0 .■ec,,,,,i.ed at ^sil^r;'::^'';;'''"''- "","'^" """ "
received from him i,> .1, . . ■'> "'•H'l'- I-»hI, lie ,t;ives llie nicssa-e!
Asia, ntess^ w,- r n^ "Zr'i'r'''^ ^"""'"^ "' "'^' I"™' °'
heaven, a„d . " e a', h .r tl"" T"",'"' /" "^' "" '^''"'^■^ "'
-""10 on the eath be H I '""'J'"'-'"^'"^ "'''^l' ^^•-■'•- tc
-uture progress :fhe'ct,;:i,-?;;i.XH'''''^'' 'T ^'^""' "^ '"^
nnal destruction of the pa.la ^ ! ':«, ^ hi^ I ■ '","''^""' •'""
•et, and the books were opened he le ,1 , ^', ''''""" '"''
raised from their ..raves an ,. , r ', '" '""' -''•■"■ ^^'^''c
portrayed; the ni^nrV. t irin'T^ln b, f^'l'" '[^'V"-^"'^- ="'
-•ehearsedin his hearin.r • ,w. k' '' ■"'"'' "^ '"-^ were
the final destruaion of fh'. t , "'Tr''"'"' "'^^ "''"^"'"•■'l K'-'ri^s
able beauty of Te n°w e us., ""'m "" ""^''-^^''>'^ -"I indescrib-
i^i-oceeded fron/L throne of God ,"'"' 'f, "" "'''•""^'-' "'"^'^
stones, whose gates vv re pe rl^ ^ 7T """' "'^^ "' '"^^'""^
^'old,were shovvn to hhl^^^T -n " ''""''' ''""'' "' 1'""
pure as crystal, its bant: sh u L b^the rt TfT' ',"■ Z?"' " ','"■
"'anner of fruits, and yielded ils fn t ' "'" '^^"'^'
illuninated by the divine tt r''^ '""""'' "'^ ^^''o''^
Lord God Ahniohtvand the^^n,'"' "'f'"- "° '^'"l'''-'' ^'"^-^ the
were also presente'Jtritritrv- it ""'^ '^''^'^^'^ '" ^--'"'
.o.l-ti;r^^r^--l-t--^e
'■^ """ '" tlicsc visions, which
nomufan. The date of the banfshmen ttns 1T ''"' "" ^""'''>- '" ^"^^ '^^ <^f
Revdafon was written before or after the fa 1 of "X ' ti"'"'^;^ ^^''"""' "^ '^"'^^'>''- ^'
'he Idea that it was written before tliat event ■' "'^''"' ^'^^ ^^'^'g'^' ^' ^vulence seerns to fevfi,
Wi\
286
Tv/Zi Ji'OSTU:s; of jesus.
ransformcd it into the very gate of he:iven ; nor that, when recalled
0 his apostolic work at liphesus, he should have left with reluctance
ts ru^geil ciifls.
Hut there was yet much for him to do. Paul and Peter, his own
>roLher James, and James, the Lord's brother, that James ihe Just who
lad so loiio and ably presided as the chief pastor of the church at
Jerusalem, had all gone, through the martyr's chariot of fiie, to theii
lome abcn-e. 'lo him there was given a longer service, mori'
abundant trials, but at last a peaceful and quiet death. Mo
probably returned to iiphesus about the beginning of the year a. l
THE RIVER OF THE WATER OF LH'E.
69, and though not far from sixty-eight years of age, " his eye was no*
iim, nor his natural force abated." Vigorous and active, he visited ir
;urn the fifteen or twenty churches of the province of Asia, counsellci'
:heir i)astors. and very possibly extended his apostolic labors ti
>ete, to Cenchrea, to Athens, to Corinth, and to the churches o(
^lacedonia. The destruction of Jerusalem, and the wide dispersior
)f the Judcuan Christians, many of whom migrated to Asia Minoi
Vlacedonia and (Greece, must have greatly increased his labors, sine;
to most of them he was personally known.
There seems to be good reason to believe the testimony of the
eArly father^, some of whom were in direct communication witli the
ST. JOHN, THE ntiLOVED DlSaPLh.
2^7
now venerable apostle, that his gospel was written about A. D. 85 o<
86, at the reciuest of the elders of the ehurch at liphesus, who
though possessing the other gospels, tlesired to preser\ e his recollcc
tions of his l)elovecl Master, and to obtain from him also thos<
particulars which had not been recorded by the others. His owr
purpose in writing it seems to have been, not so much to supplement
the other gospels, though he does this incidentally, as to j)r()vc, in this
life of Jesus, that he was the Christ, the Son of (iod, (iod manifest in
the flesh. Having this object in view, he divides his gosjiel into two
parts: the first, extending from the first to the- thirteenth chapter,
consists of a series of proofs or signs that Jesus was the predicted
Messiah, the appointed Saviour of the wodd; or, in other words, it is
a record of what Jesus made known of himself to convince the
unbelieving; the second part, extending from chapter thirteenth to
the end of the book, consists of evidence that Jesus is the Saviour of
the world, derived from his intercourse and discourses in private with
his chosen friends, and especially as seen in tie great sacrifice offered
by him, and its acceptance for the salvation o' the world. When wt
consider that this gospel must have been written wlu.n he wah
eighty-five or eighty-six years old, and possibly nearer ninety; that ite
detail of these conversations and discourses of Christ is very clear and
minute, and not marred in the slightest degree by the garrulity of ok-
age, and that the style of its composition is suj)erior, even, to that ol
the accomplished and learned Paul, while the Greek, in which it is
written, is as pure as that of the best classic Greek writers ; wc car
come to no other conclusions than these : that John was intellectual 1\
a man of remarkable genius and extensive culture, and that he wa^
-specially inspired of the Holy Spirit to write this and the othei
books which he contributed to the New Testament.
The Gospel of John is, indeed, so far as any book or document car
be, one of the main pillars of the Christian system. More than an\
other ' the books of the New Testament it is devoted to thf
doctrines of the divinity of Jesus Christ and of the Trinity in unity
and hence it has been the citadel against which infidelity anr
rationalism have made their most vigorous and determined assault^ .
r'ji
V
THE AposTu:s of jhsus.
but they have assailed it in vain: it stands to-day unliarnicd, as it ha^
.tood through all the Christian ages, and as it shall continue to stand
iiitil the last foe shall have hurled his last missile against it.
Hut. though already past the allotted age of man, John had still
work to do for the Master he loved, and for the church of (iod. Ik
was, It IS supposed, past his ninetieth year when he wrote the three
epistles which bear his name. They show on their pages evidence of
advanced age. but not of senility or weakened mental powers The
tlieme of the first epistle is fello7uship, the union of believers with
God and his Son Jesus Christ, and their union with one another
Like all of Johns writings, it is thoroughly systematic. He treats
first of the nature of fellowship, in both its aspects ; second, of its fruit
holiness; third, of its law. truth; fourth, of its life, love; fifth, of its
root, faith. In reading it we are often reminded, by the vigor and
almost explosive force of its language, that this old man. whose head
has been whitened by the snows of almost a hundred winters has not
yet wholly lost that fiery zeal which gave him, in his youth 'the title
of Boanerges, a "son of thunder." His heart, great and loving as it
is, has been sorely wounded by the professions of false disciples who
cbim to be the children of God, and to be perfect and sinless, while
their lives are impure and their hearts full of malice, bitterness and
hate; and he denounces them in such terms as these: "If we say that
we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not
the truth. . . If we say that we have no sin. we deceive our-
selves, and the truth is not in us. . . If v.e say that we have not
sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. . . He that
saith. I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is'a liar and
the truth is not m him. . . Who is a liar but he that denieth that
Jesus IS the Christ? He is Antichrist, that denieth the Father and
the Son. . . He that loveth not his brother abideth in death '
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no
murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." The honor of his blessed
Lord was assailed, and this loving and gentle disciple was roused to
wrath and denunciation, as he was in his youth, when a word was said
agamst him whom he loved. And yet, in other portions of this epistle
ST 10} iN, THk BhLOVhD DISCI PIE.
2Rq
as it has
to stand,
had still
Dd. He
he three
lence oj
•s. The
LTS with
another,
e treats
its fruit,
h, of its
^or and
se head
has not
the title
wg as it
es, who
s, while
2SS and
^ay that
do not
/e our-
ave not
Ke that
iar, and
ith that
icr and
death,
hat no
blessed
jsed to
as said
epistle,
how tender and sweet is his spiriti " Herein is Une. not that wc
loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation
for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to !jvc one
another." . . •• There is no fear in love ; but perfect love casteth
out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made
perfect in love."
The second and third epistles are short, and addressed to individual
disciples. They were probably written at a date still later than the
first, but breathe the same spirit.
The exact date of the death of the loving and venerable apostle is
unknown; different authorities differing more than twenty )'ears in
their dates; but the most probable conjecture seems to be that he died
at Hphesus, in the third or fourth year of Trajan, and after passing his
hundredth year.
Jerome relates that when, in extreme old age, he was too weak to
walk into the church, he was still borne tliither; and unable to delivei
a long discourse, he would lift his trembling hands and simply say.
" Little children, love one another;" and repeat these words again and
igain When asked why he constantly repeated this expression, hi?-
inswer was, "Because this is the command of the Lord, and nothin^^
•s done unless this thing be done."
So passed away the last and most Christ-like of the apostles
From the day of his Lord's ascension to that in which he too joiner
the assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written ir
the book of life, there is no stain or blemish on his character. Hi.^
life, for that period of more than seventy years, was as pure and
spotless as any recorded in the Scriptures, except only that of the
Blessed One, to whom through life he clung in adoring love
Innumerable are the legends which have come down to us concernin^^
this holy servant of God ; some of them are absurd and puerile, and
unworthy to be recorded, as they are totally at variance with hii
character. These are probably the inventions of idle monks, who. ir
the fifth and sixth centuries of our era, spent their abundant leisure ir,
the concoction of all manner of legends concerning the apostles, anr'
even concerning Christ himself. A
18 L
few are deserving of notic*.
M
■s
^
iqio
TffK APOSTLES OF JESUS.
-iccau'e of their apparent liannony with tlic spirit of the apostle and
•ecau.o. from their cui-'-er date, there is a stron-er possibility of 'their
n.ith Whether true or not. tliey are not inconsistent with lii.s
naracte;
The tradition of his shipwreck on his first voya-e to Ephesus wlien
>iear that port, is not improbable, for tiie .ligean sea was often a
tempestuous one, and its many rocky islands, and its harbors and
roadsteads so liable to be filled up with silt from ih. mountain
streams, made shipwrecks there very frequent. The legend that he
^as taken to Rome, and, by the orders of Nero, or some other
Koman tyrant, plunged in a caldron of boiling oil, from which he
ciiierged entirely uninjured, rests only on the doubtful authority of
rertulhan, and is believed by many of the most careful critics to be a
misinterpretation of the words of some earlier writer.
One of the most beautiful, as it is one of the most probable of these
traditions, is that which relates that, as he was visiting the church at
Pergamos, he saw a young man in the congregation to whom he wa^
powerfully drawn, and that, turning to the pastor of the church, he
said. " I commit this young man to you, before Christ and 'the
congregation." The minister accepted the charge, took the youth
home, instructed, and finally baptized him. Subsequently he fell into
bad company, led a profligate life, and at last, renouncing all his
religious professions, joined a band of robbers, and became theii
captain. After some years John again visile i Pergamrs. and while
there, made mquiry of the pastor concerri;.g the young man whom he
had committed to his charge. The minister sighed heavily, and his
tears flowed, as he replied. " He is dead." " Dead I " said John • " in
w^^t way did he die ? " •• He is dead to God." answered the pastor
he .e- .mc godless, and finally a robber, and is now with his
comp.,. ioas m the fastnesses of the mountains." The venerable
apostH hearing Vuis. started at once, and saying, M must go
after this lost sheep." procured a horse and guide, and went to the
mountain in which was the robbers' haunt. Being seized as he
had expected, by the band, he demanded to be carried into the
presence of their captain The outlaw chief, rcco mizin ' John i^ he
and of a tender
full of stron<r
\'c been some-
ways, whicli,
ST JOHN Tfih m-Lnvuo or^ctpt.h
M>pro.-ic'.cd. attempted to fly; but John hastened after him. crying.
Why do you flee from me? Stop! stop! Do not be afraid. If
•eed be. I will lay dovvn jny life for you, as Chn t laid down his life
:or us Believe. Christ hath sent me to you." '1 - robber stopped
threw away his arms, and began to tremble afl w. p bitterly. John'
filially let him back to the chureh. of which he .ubsocpiently .eeame
one of the pillars, demonstrating the genuaienes of hi. penitence and
conversion by his holy life and earnest zea..
It remains that we should seek to ascertain what are the lessons to
be drawn from the cha. icter and example of .i.s beloved and
eminently holy servant of Christ.
We have seen that, thou; h possessed of rare gi
md loving nature, he was in his vouth impufsix
prejudices, and ambitious. \ ct withal, there must
ihnig very attractive in him. s. .me winning . harm in , .ay. waicn
^v'th h.s strong affections and his pure and truthful u. position, drevv
the human heart of Jesus to h.m in a love which mai^v waters could
no quench lie was the mo t loyal to Jesus of all iNe disciples
ind he gives this grand rea^ )n for his loyalty: "W love him
^ecause_ he hath first loved i ." Mis fidelity to his Lord was
unquestioned and unquesticmab'e. No doubts of the perfect and
abiding love which existed bei veen them ever caused a shadow
upon his brow, or for a moment b clouded his spirit.
And yet it required three year, of instruction and training by the
divine Master, and the death, resurrection, and ascension of that
Master to rid him of his expectations of the tem])oral reign of the
Messiah, to overcome his narrow and bitter prejudices, and to control
^is vehement and passionate nature.
But when the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, had come, and imparted
Its sanctifying and elevating influences to his soul, he was created
anew m Christ Jesus Me was no longer a Boanerges, a "son of
thunder but J' a son of consolation." He had power with God ane
prevailed Where miracles were needed for the confirmation of th.
truth, tney were wrought in the name of his Master; but to those with
^hom he was brought in contact his pure and holy life vvas greater
292
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
than any miracle. Both Peter and John had been 'with Jesm as the
^.anhcdnni perceived (Acts iv, 13), and from him they had learned far
better than the Jewish rabbis could have taught them, to rebuke sin
but to love and labor for the sinner; and by a pure and holy example
to enforce the truths they preached.
We cannot suppose that any man, except our adorable Redeemer
has ever trod our earth who was perfectly free from sin, but it is
worthy of notice that the inspired writers, wIk), under the ..uidance
of the Holy Spirit, noticed so freely the errors and shortcominos of
even the purest and holiest, and were most severe of all upon "their
own sins, nowhere, after the day of our Lord's ascension, pass a word
of censure upon John. Peter, the great apostle of the circumcision
was led astray in his course in regard to the Jewish and Gentile
disciples at Antioch; and even Paul, with his zealous and fervent
spirit and his overcoming^ faith, was not wholly exempt from thos^
mfirmities of the flesh, which at times led him to cry out "Oh'
vvretched man that I am! W^io shall deliver me from the body 0/
this deaths But John dwelt perpetually in that hiohcr atmosphere
o. the divine love. No cloud obscured the Sun o> Righteousness
from his vision; and cheered by its blessed rays, toil for his Lord
was a delight, pain was a pleasure, and he could say with the poet--
"Iven sorrow, touched by thee, grows bright
With more than rapture's ray;
As darlviie-ss shows us worlds of light
We never saw by day."
Nor can we doubt that the visions of God which were set before
him in Patmos were among the minor rewards, the "hundred-fold in
this life," which were given to him for his unfaltering fliith and hi^
undying love for his Redeemer. To L.' n, as to Daniel, the message
might have come. " O man, greatly beloved, fear not,"
And when this " disciple whom Jesus loved " was at last received
into the mansion prepared for him above, does it transcend the grace
of our blessed Lord to suppose that the position which he ignorantlv
^ought on earth, in the days of his early ambition, was reserved foi
him m the heavenly kingdom > That, havin- drank of the cup of
Jrh!
^ ■'•II .,--
•"■■' -"""'""■'"
fs, as the
arned far
uukc sin,
example
idccmcr,
but it is
•uidance
nino-s of
)on their
^ a word
incision,
Gentile
fervent
11 those
t, "Oh!
body of
osphcre
ousness
is Lord
oet —
; before
•fold in
ind hi^
lessagf
-ceived
3 grace
orantly
^ed foi
cup of
293
294
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
1 1 It
Christ's earthly sufferings, and having undergone his baptism of sor-
rows, this saint of God, so greatly beloved, was called, not as a matter
of right, nor because of any claim he could bring, but of the free grace
of the Redeemer, to sit at his right hand as one of the prime ministers
of the now glorified and reigning Messiah? If such is his blessed
lot, no seraph of the heavenly host will utter with more melodiou?
notes the new song, or with a more reverent and adoring spirit will
ascribe "blessing, and honor, and glory, and power unto Him thai
sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."
The lessons of this beautiful life, then, are briefly these: That,
however pure and amiable are our natural dispositions, we need to be
taught of Christ, and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit, before we
can do our Master's work effectively.
That, since Christ hath loved us and given himself for us, the only
measure of our love for him should be his love for us ; and that the
nearer we attain to a perfect and all-absorbing love for him, the fewer
will be the clouds and doubts over our pathway, and the more perfect
and complete our peace and joy.
Thit it is only to those who, by long and constant trust in Chnst
have won this peace which passeth all understanding, that the heavens
are opened and they are permitted to know the blessedness of the
redeemed in glory, while they are still within this earthly tabernacle.
That if we would have an open and abundant entrance administered
to us into the New Jerusalem above, w:^ must imitate the example of
the obedient, faithful, loving, and holy John, and, like him, be known
to all around us as the disciples whom Jesus loves. God has prom-
ised, " He that overcometh shall inherit all things ; and I will be his
(Sod, and he shall be my son."
May God give to each of the readers of this book grace thus to
overcome.
9
1
"9
1
jm oi sor-
s a matter
free grace
ministers
is blessed
[nelodiou?
spirit will
Him thai
:r."
ie : That,
eed to be
before we
, the only
1 that the
the fewei
>re perfect
in Chnst
e heavens
iss of the
lernacle.
ninistered
:ample of
)e known
las prom-
all be his
e thus to
Bsai
■K i-IJ
,^^^<mMai-»mmmi!l2miik'AMt...
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
SIMON PETER.
N the western shore of the Sea of Galilee lay
Bethsaida, a city deeply interesting to ai)
Christians as having been the birth-place of
several of the Apostles, and afterward the
scene of many of the mighty works of Jesus
Here in a dwelling perhaps scarcely better than
he stable at Bethlehem, the great Apostle Simon
cter first sa;v the light. How little would the
uio': tlJ™'V"' "" '''"' ""^S'"^' - «^^y looked
looKe<i-for U^" """'''""'"' '"'"'• ^"'^ Apostle of the long
lars of them havin, been handed dot' t's' Hi^ C To "" ""'""■
poor, and is trenerilW b,.l,„„„^ . i. , ^"^ J°"^ ™s very
readily suppose th/' . ^'^' '"^'=" ^ ^*=™^" ' ^"^ -= may
dangerous' ^"h^g""^',": ZltuZZ'^''' ^°'^' 1"'="='' '^™ '" '"'
when Tesus wn, L ">o"gh' 'hat Simon was about ten years old
i-ake" iTTib! 1- . ,r tr: '.^I'Tth 't t^ ^^^^^^ '-'^^^ - '^'
herds of Bethlehem and t.M I "^"'^ ^ord appeared to the shep-
vvas born No d"ine 1 . "" "^^ J^^''"' "^^^^ "^^' '^^ Saviour
No divme intimation, so far as we know, had the fisher-
»97
298
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
■t
?*^l
men of Gaiilee that night of the birth of the Redeemer. But perhaps
they, to \\ horn every star would be familiar, pointed out to each other
a brilliant meteor they had never seen before. Ah I little thought they
then that that star was guiding the sages of the East to the cradle of
the infant Saviour. In after years, when the events of that wondrous
night became known, they would often, perhaps, remind each other of
the star of Bethlehem. In the sacred history, years intervene between
that time and the period when Simon is first introduced to us. Years
they were to the poor fisherman of toil and hardship, still not without
their blessings. Domestic ties had Simon formed, and there was a
dear wife, and it is believed children, to welcome him home after his
nights of labor. He had quitted the parental roof, and had removed,
It IS supposed, on the occasion of his marriage to Capernaum. But
thoughts higher and nobler than those connected with the pleasures
of the domestic hearth, or the dangers and hardships of his calling,
occupied the active mind of Simon. A mighty preacher had appeared
on the banks of the Jordan who proclaimed that the Messiah was at
hand. The glorious news reached the ears of the sons of Jona.
Andrew, and it is believed Simon also, went to hear the Baptist in the
wilderness. Certain it is that the brothers were among the first to
welcome Jesus when he appeared to John and his disciples, they
believing him to be the Christ, the Saviour of the world. It was
Andrew who had first the honor of conversing with Jesus, but no
sooner had he left the presence of our Lord than he sought his " brother
Simon, and saith unto him. We have found the Messias, which is,
being interpreted, the Christ." * Willingly did Simon accompany his
brother to the place where Jesus was, who no sooner saw him than he
said to him, "Thou shalt be called Cephas."! Cephas in Syriac
means a stone or rock; Petros in Greek also means a stone or
rock; and so Simon was sometimes called Cephas, but much
more generally Peter. This name was given him by our Lord
as an honorable title, denoting i;he firmness and constancy for
which, through the grace given him. his faith would be generally
I '
* John i. 41.
tJohn i. 42.
HM««^iiii»JLII— lBlu")B^WajaHIHi»
SIMON PETER.
299
ii '
not-^d, and which would distinguish his labors and sufferin<Ts in lIk
cause of Christ.
Peter did not at his first interview remain long with our Saviour
Oh, what joyful news had the poor fisherman to tell his dear ones al
home when he returned to Capernaum. Can we not imagine his wife
listenmg m wondering silence to her husband's account of his meeting
with the Lord, while her aged mother would pray that she might, ere
she closed her eyes in death, be blessed with the sight of him^whom
prophets and kings had long desired to see ?
We hear nothing more of Peter for a year, but we may suppose
that though during that period he continued to pursue his calling as a
fisherman, he spent much of his time in the society of Jesus. Nay, it
is not at all improbable that our Lord made the abode of Peter hi<^
home whenever he stayed in Capernaum, even before the time when
he miraculously cured Peters mother-in-law. During this year Jesus
had been actively employed in his ministry, not alone in Capernaum,
but in the region round about, preaching the gospel, healino- the sirk'
and casting out devils. His fame had spread not only throughout
Galilee, but in the countries beyond, and multitudes flocked after nim
wherever he went. We read that they not only followed him, but
" pressed upon him " * in their great anxiety to hear the word of God
In Jerusalem, the people heard of Jesus, and went to Galilee to hear
hmi. In Syria, the people heard of Jesus, and went to Galilee to hear
him. The Tyrians and Sidonians left their coasts and flocked to the
shores of Tiberias to listen to the tidings of salvation. Distance with
these poor sinners seemed to be no consideration. How different it
is with many professing Christians at the present day! Let the house
of God be only a mile or two from their homes, and their constant
excuse for not attending upon his service is that the length of the way
is wearisome.
Our Saviour one day, to avoid the crowd, stepped into a boat which
lay on the beach. This boat belonged to the brothers Peter and
Andrew, but they were not in her. They were, however, near on the
16
* Luke V. I.
Il
1
W> 1
il
l/(
;
1 -
I I t
i
< 1
■ ' !
t
i
Ijr
WiiM-tii
W
■lil'
300
r/Zf APOSTLES OF JESUS.
shore, w.ishiii^r their nets after a night of fruitless toil. Jesus asked
Peter to " thrust out a Httle from the land. And he sat down, and
taui;ht the people out of the ship." =^ After he had done speaking, he
told Peter to launch the boat into deeper water, and let the net into
the sea. Peter replied that he had been toiling all night, which is the
best time for fishing, and had caught nothing. However, as Jesus had
bidden him, he let down the net.
" ' The livelong night we've toilM in vain,
But at thy gracious word
I will let down the net again : —
Do thou thy will, O Lord I'
" So spake the weary fisher, spent
With bootless darkling toil,
Yet on his Master's bidding bent
For love and not for spoil."
Ills obedience was well rewarded, for immediately the net enclosed
so many fishes that they could not draw them up into the boat, and
they beckoned to their partners, James and John, v ho were in another
ship, to come and help them. When all the fishes were drawn up
they filled both the ships. Peter was so struck with the divine power
of Jesus, that he fell down at his feet and exclaimed, " Depart from
me; for 1 am a sinful man, O Lord!"f Pie felt himself altogether
unworth}' of being near so great a personage. But Jesus said, " Pear
not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." |' y\nd how did he suc-
ceed ? If you will look at the second chapter of the Acts of the
Apostles, you will see that he was in one day the blessed means of
bringing three thousand souls to the Lord Jesus Christ.
From this time Peter became the constant companion of our Saviour,
who soon gave him another proof of his divine power and favor. It
was this : The home o^ Peter, at that time the honored abode of our
Lord, vvas visited by fever. Peter's wife's mother, who, it would appear,
resided with her daughter and son-in-law, was seized with the deadly
* Luke V. 3.
t Luke v. 8.
\ Luke V. 10.
S/A/O.V PETl'R.
r.-ialady. No time, however, was lost in Iettin<r Jesus know of her ill-
ness, lie was in the eity, healin|.r the sick and casting out devils, but
he no sooner heard of the calamity which had befallen Peter's house-
hold, than he went to the bedside of the sick woman, "and stood over
her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her/'^f' Yes, it left her I Not,
as you might think, weak, and needing rest, but so well that she could
MOUNT OF OLIVES.
at once wait upon Jesus and his disciples, for we read that " immediately
she arose and ministered unto them." f
Not long after this Jesus chose his twelve Apostles. The word
Apostle means a person sent forth. To these favored ones, among
whom was Peter, our Saviour gave "power against unclean spirits, to
* Luke iv. 39.
f Luke iv. 39.
• If"
mm\
■ rr ■ ;i
302 77/// IPOSTUiS OF JLSUS.
cast them out, and to ncal all manner of sickness and all mann.-r of
disease." -' Intimately associated with Jesus were all the Apostles hut
tiu-ec of them were si.ecially selected by our Lord to be his constant
companions. They were Peter. James, and John, who were often allowed
to remain with their divine Master when he desired the other Apostle^-
to leave him. or withdrew himself from them. The first time he showed
this mark ol kivor was when he restored the dau-hter of Jairus to life
The story -is this : There was a -rcat man, a ruler of the synai-ooue of
Capernaum, called Jairus. lie had a dauohte.; about twelve years of
anre, whom he lox'cd very much. Now this riear child was very ill
indeed dyin- Jairus had, of course, heard of the wonderful things'
Jesus had done; so he went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee where
our Lord was, anti fell down at his feet, entreating him to go directly
to his daughter and lay his hands on her, that she might live. Jesus
at once went ^^•ith him, his disciples accompanying him, and a great
number of people following. Beibre the anxious father however
could reach home, a servani; met him with the tidings that his daughter
was dead. This was sad news, but Jairus had a friend near xxho muld
at once cheer him with the words, "Be not afraid; only believe "f
Jesus allowed no one to proceed any further with him, excepting Jairus
Peter, James, and John. Wlien they reached the ruler's liouse the'
minstrels were piaying, and the ])eople making lamentations for the
dead, as was the custom in that country w^hen any one of great conse-
quence died. Jesus told them that the maid only slept, but "they
laughed him to scorn." % Did their eyes deceive them ? Could those
stiffened limbs and pale and rigid features belong to any but one from
whom the soul had departed ? No I they could not believe that she
only slept. Soon, however their scorn was to be turned into astonish-
ment. Jesus put them all out, and with only the father and mother of
the maid, and Peter, James, and John, he entered the room where the
damsel lay, and, taking her by the hand, "said unto her, Talitha cumi-
which IS, being interpreted. Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise And
straightway the damsel arose and walked." § Can you be surprised to
*Matt. X. I.
t Mar'.: v. 36.
X Mark v. 40.
§Mark v. 41, 42.
inn^T of
■itlcs, hut
constant
allowed
Apostles
showctl
s to life.
(3gUC of
^cars of
very ill,
I thin_L;s
-, where
directly
Jesus
a great
owever,
:iiigiiter
0 could
icve."-|-
• Jairus,
use, the
for the
consc-
; "they
1 those
e from
lat she
^onish-
:her of
^rc the
. cumi ;
And
sed to
SIMON PETER.
303
read that "they were astonished with a great astonishment ? "* lY-ter
ought by this time to have had most perfect confidence in the ])ower of
Jesus under all circumstances; but soon his faith was tried till it
wavered. He was one night with the other Apostles in a ship on the
sea of Galilee. It was dark. They were: toilin-- in i()\\in<. ; for the
wind was against them. Jesus was not with then'i ; he was on a moun-
tam, praymg. A violent storm arc--, and Peter and his friends were
m great danger. They continued in this state of fear and distress
till after three o'clock in the morning, when thev saw a figure walking
on the ragmg sea towards them. This figure was none other than
Jesus, but they did not know him. Their terror was very great for
they thought it was a spirit. Jesus came '^
close to the shij) in order that they might
see him distinctly; but still they did not
know him, and they cried out with fear.
The Saviour immediately said, " It is I ;
be not afraid." f No sooner did Peter
hear the voice of his beloved Master,
than he begged to be allowed to go to
him. Jesus gave him permi^•.sion. Peter
got out of the ship, and walked on the
sea towards Jesus; before, however, he
reached him, he began to be afraid. Per-
haps a high wave arose between them, and prevented him for a
moiiient seemg the Lord. Be that as it may, his faith wavered; and
as he lost his faith, he lost his footing, and began to sink Then in
an agony, he cried out, "Lord, save me! "J Jesus stretched out 'his
hand and caught him; at the same time reproving him for his want
of faith. Jesus and Peter entered the ship; the wind ceased, and
immediately the ship reached the shore. Then all that were in the
ship worshipped Jesus, and said, " Of a truth thou art the Son of
God." )^
I am sure you will suppose that the disciples could not help think-
JliSUS AM) I'KlEk.
* Mark V 42,
fMatt. xiv. 37.
X Matt. xiv. 30. § Matt. xiv. 33.
>l I
.^04
Tltn APOSTUIS OF JESUS.
ini; Jesus was, indeed, the Son of (lod ; and yet, the very next day
alter he had been \valkin;< on the sea, he tokl then* that some r)f them
did not believe; l)Ut Peter assured hiin that he and the rest of the
Apostles believed that he was the Christ, the Son of the living (iod.
Our Lord knew better than Peter ditl what was in the hearts of those
about hiin, and aithoui^h he did not tell them all he knew, he replied,
"Have not I chosen you twelve, ?sA one of you is a devil ?"=*= Judas
was amons^'- them.
One day, when Jesus was walking with his disciples, he said to
them, " Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am ? And they
said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, p:iias ; and
others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them. Put
whom say ye that I am ? And Simon Peter answered ami said,
Thou art tiie Christ, the Son of the living (kjd. And Jesus
answered and said unto him, Plessed art thou.'simon Par-jona : for
flesh and blooil hatii not revealed it unto thee, but my P'athcr which
is in heaven. And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my Cluirch ; and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. And I will givo unto thee the keys of the kingdom
of heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound
in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed
m heaven." •)■ Our Saviour here confirms to the son of Jona the title
he had before given him, "Thou art Peter," a stone or rock. Jesus
then goes on to say, "and upon this rock (that is upon the confession^
which Peter had made that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living
God) I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail
agamst it." The last few words are understood by some to mean that
all the assaults and attempts which the powers of darkness can make
against Christ's Church shall not be able to overthrow it. And by
others the expression, "gates of hell, ' is understood to signify death
as the entrance into hades, or the place of departed spirits. Securely
as these gates may be barred, they shall have no power to confine
*J*^'^"^'- 7°- fMatt. xvi. 13-19.
JThis view is favored by the changing of the Greek word/^/w in this text into /«ra.
SIMON PHTER.
next day
of tlicni
it of the
in^ God.
of those
repUed,
•' Judas
said to
uid they
as ; and
L'm, But
nd said,
d Jesus
ma : for
-i" wiiich
ul uj)()n
hall not
in^doni
^ bound
.: loosed
the title
Jesus
fession^
e living
prevail
L'an that
n make
And by
y death
ieeurely
eonfine
-19.
etra.
305
Christ's departed saints ulun the ardun-el shall sound the Hump of
judgment, but all that are within tlu.se gates shall hear the voice of the
Son of God and come forth. \ ou are aware, I suppose, that all who
were not Jews were called!, entiles. G.ul intended die Jewish reli-.ion
only for his own peculiar people; but the religion of Jesus Clirist'was
for the whole world, Jews and Gentiles. Christianilv broke down the
nnddle-wall ol partition between them, and the kingdr.m of heaven
was opened to all believers. Now. the kevs of the kingdom of heaven
bcmg given to I'eter by uur Lord, means that it ..hould be his happs
b^
MiiLN T TAIJOU, IN liALIli;!';.
lot to be the first to open the door of Christ's kingdom to the Gentile^
and persuade them to enter in. and become participators in the glorious
privileges of the gospel. In the seventh verse of the fifteenth chap-
ter of the Acts of the Apostles we find Peter reminding the members
of the council of the Apostles of this. But the way being opened by
Peter, preaching to and baptizing the Gentiles was not confined to him
as you will read hereafter. The expression, "Whatsoever thou shalt
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shall
loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven," means that Jesus gave Peter
power to retain or do away with whatever portion of the Mosaic lau
11 ;
!!» ;
306
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
relating to ceremonies the circumstances of his religion might require
The power which is here confined to things was afterwards extended
by our Lord to persons (John xx. 23). The authority given to Peter
was not restricted to him, but was given to the other Apostles also.
" Whatsoever j|/£? shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven : and
whatsoever j^ shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,"'*' said
our Saviour, when conversing with his disciples on a future occasion.
In the Talmud, a book highly valued by the Jews, the words to bind
and to loose are used in the same manner as above, namely, to retain
or do away with anything. The extended expression of our Lord
relates to the authority the Apostles possessed as the representatives
of Christ. The Apostles themselves had not, except when the power
was specially given to them, an infallible insight into the characters
of men ; but they were kept from error in stating the way of salvation,
and in administering the discipline of the Church. In such cases
their decision was confirmed by their great Master in heaven.
When Jesus first told his disciples that he would have to suffer
many things, and be put to death at Jerusalem, Peter, who could not
bear to hear him say so, rebuked him with the words, " Be it far from
thee," f or, God forbid it. Peter and the rest of the Apostles had still
a hope that Jesus would reign as a great king in this world. But
Jesus, turning to Peter, said unto him, "Get thee behind me, Satan ;
thou art an offence to me, for thou savorest not the things that be of
God, but those that be of men." J Satan here signifies an enemy, and
the word offence a hinderance ; so our Saviour meant to say that Peter,
led away with human weakness, would place a hinderance in his way,
and tempt him from the path of sorrow which he must tread if man-
kind were to be saved.
A few days after this the transfiguration on the mount took place.
Within about two hours' walk from Nazareth is Tabor, a mountain
rising out of the valley of Esdraelon (Jezreel), and celebrated in the
Old Testament history as having been the spot selected by Deborah
whereon Barak was to assemble his army of ten thousand men before
*Matt. xviii i8.
t Matt, xvi- 2 2.
J Matt. xvi. 23.
sm^-m
SIMON PETER.
l<^7
giving battle to Sisera. This mountain is supposed to have been the
one on which our Saviour was transfigured. It is described by
modern travellers as being about a mile in height, and its sides rugged
and precipitous. The shai)e of the mountain is that of a cone'with
the top cut off, the summit being a plain about a mile in circum-
ference.
"And it came to pass, about an eight days after these sayings, he
took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to^'pra)-.
And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his
raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with
hun two men, which were Moses and Hlias: who appeared in glory
and spake of his
decease, which he
should accomi)lish at
Jerusalem. But Peter
and they that were
with him were heavy
with sleep." =^ The
apostles slept though
it was day. Perhaps
the journey up the
steep and rugged
mountain had taxed
their strength too
much, and when they reached the top they yielded to the sense of
fatigue. Oh, what conflicting feelings must have been theirs when
they awoke, and beheld the glorious sight of Christ transfigured I
Amazement, joy, and devotion would fill "their breasts as they looked
upon their beloved Lord, clothed with divine splendor, and attended
by two heavenly beings. But, alas! what did their ears hear ? That
the face of their dear Master, then shining as the sun, must be insult-
mgly spat upon by his enemies, and disfigured by cruel blows ; that
his temples, then radiant with glory, must be pricked with a tho.ny
MOUNT TABOR.
m i
I I '
I J*' 'i^-
•308 77/ii APOSTLES OF JESUS.
crown ; that his varments, then glistening- with celestial brightness,
must be stripped from off his holy body, and be divided among rude
soldiers ; and that, as he was then seen between Moses and Elias, he
would afterwards be seen between two malefactors.
No two such fitting comi)anions as Moses and Elias could have
been found in heaven to attend upon our Saviour when he was glori-
fied upon earth, the one representing the law and the other the
prophets. Both of tiiem were noted throughout their lives for. their
faith and holiness; both were types of Christ; both fasted forty days;
both suffered much for the glory of God ; both divided the waters;
both were the messengers of God to kings ; both heard the voice of
God in Horeb, and both were wonderful in the mode of their depart-
ure from this world.
Moses and Elias appeared as attendants upon the glorified Jesus,
to show the agreement of the law and the prophets with Christ, and
their fulfillment in him.
It is evident that the impression made upon Peter by what he saw
on the mount was greater than that produced UjoOii him by what he
heard, for he (supposing that Christ had begun to reign on earth, and
that Elias had come as Malachi had foretold he should) said, " Lord,
it is good for us to be here ; if thou wilt, let us make here three taber-
nacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias."* It
was the deeply-rooted opinion of all the disciples that, even after the
introduction of the gospel, the whole of the Mosaic law, both moral and
ceremonial, would be retained in conjunction with the law of Christ.
Now, one of the designs of the transfiguration was to show Peter,
James, and John that they were in error on this point. When they
I woke, and saw Moses, the Jewish Lawgiver, and Elijah, or Elias, the
chief of the prophets, talking with Jesus, they would naturally con-
clude that they were right in their opinion; so Peter, ev^er ready with
his speech, proposed that all three, Jesus, Moses, and Elias, should
make the holy mount their place of abode. But even while he yet
spake, a bright cloud, the Shekinah, or Divine presence, overshadowed
* Matt. xvii. 4,
Ml
iSMins
3^htness,
ig' rude
ilias, ht
Id have
LS glori-
hcr the
'or. their
y da)'s ;
waters ;
Aoice of
depart-
1 Jesus,
ist, and
he saw
wlvdi he
rth, and
" Lord,
e taber-
,." * It
Jter the
)ral and
Christ.
r Peter,
en they
lias, the
ly con-
dy with
should
he yet
adowed
S/MON PETER.
them. "And, behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him Y\nd
when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were son^
afraid." * Moses and Elias vanished. St. Mark tells us that -suddenly
when they (Peter, James, and John) had looked round about, they saw
no man any more, save Jesus only."t There stood their unrivalled
and undisputed sovereign, whom they were to hear, not Moses nor
Ehas, but he whom (;od had just declared was his beloved Son.
fhey were to hear him and him alone, the great Prophet and Teacher
of the Church of God. They were to adore him and him alone
as their Saviour,
and obey him and
him alone as their
Lawgiver and
King.
Much migdit be
written upon this
subject that could
not fail to interest
you. I must, how-
ever, confine my-
self to a few re-
marks. Tabor has
been called the
Gospel Sinai, and
the resemblance between the transactions which took place on the
two mountains, Sinai and Tabor, is striking. On the former the
law vvas given by God to Moses ; on the latter, God preached the
gospel to the three disciples. When Moses went up into Sinai
not even the priests were allowed to go up with him; when Jesus
went up Tabor, his attendants were not suffered to accompany
him. except the three favored ones as witnesses. On Sinai the
face of Moses shone when God talked with him; on Tabor che
MOUNT SINAI.
* Matt. xvii. 5, 6.
t Mark ix. 8.
310
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
face of Jesus shone as the sun. Out of the midst of a cloud on Sinai,
Moses heard the voice of God ; out of the midst of a cloud on Tabor,
Peter, James, and John heard the voice of God. But there was this
difference, the cloud on Sinai was a thick one, that on Tabor a bright
one. There was darkness in the law, but light in the gospel. The
people at the foot of Sinai trembled when they heard the thunderings
and the noise of the trumpet, and saw the lightnings and the mountain
smoking. Peter, James, and John feared when they entered the cloud
on Tabor And, lastly, Moses encouraged the people with the words,
" Fear not ; "* and Jesus comforted the three Apostles with the words,
"Be not afraid."!
So lone: as the world endureth will these two mountains remain as
monuments of the terrible majesty and the exceeding great love of our
Father in heaven. Neither you nor I, dear reader, will probably ever,
like some of our more privileged countrymen, ascend Sinai or Tabor.
But we are all, I trust, journeying to the heavenly Zion (which is far
better), where we shall see the blessed Jesus, the glorified Redeemer,
attended not only by Moses and Elias, but by a great multitude which
cannot be numbered. Oh, may we then be ready to exclaim, " Bless-
ing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever ! " |
The venerable Bede tells us that, in accordance with Peter's wish,
there were afterward built three churches on the top of Tabor, which
in later times were held in great veneration.
Peter, James, and John remained with our Saviour all night on the
mountain. The other Apostles were in the valley below. And you will
agree with me, if you will read the ninth chapter of St. Luke, that it
must have been a most welcome sight to the nine, that of Jesus descend-
ing Tabor with the three greatly favored ones ; even Judas would be
glad to see the Lord to help him with the rest out of a difficulty.
Shortly after this our Saviour and his Apostles arrived at Capernaum,
and " they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said. Doth
not your Master pay tribute ? He saith. Yes." § The tribute of half a
* Exod. XX. 20.
t Matt. xvii. 7.
J Rev. V. 13.
§ Matt. xvii. 24, 25.
SIMON PETER.
311
The
shekel (equal to thirty cents of our money) was conimantled by God
to be paid annually by every Jew above twenty years of age. This
money was to be devoted to the service of the tabernacle (and of course
afterward to the service of the temi)le), and with it was bought every-
thing that was necessary for public worship. No sooner had Peter
answered the tribute gatherers than he went into his house where
Jesus was. Our Lortl, though inside the dwelling, knew what had
passed in the street, and before Peter could speak said, "What thinkest
thou, Simon ? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or
tribute ? of their
own children, or
of strangers ?
Peter saith unto
him. Of Strang-
ers. Jesus saith
unto him, Then
are the children
free." =f- When a
king subdued a
country, and laid
a tribute upon
the inhabitants,
he did not tax
his own people
or children who
might happen
afterwards to live in that country, but the strangers whom he had con-
quered. So Jesus argued that, as earthly kings did not receive tribute
from their own people or children, so he, the Son of God, was exempt
from paying tribute to God.
Jesus was by this time well known in Capernaum as a great prophet.
The people were enraptured by his preaching, and astonished at his
miracles. The story of the restoration of the daughter of Jairus, no
EASTERN SCENERY.
*Matt. xvii. 25, 26.
312
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
doubt, had spread rapidly from housr to house. The death of the
beloved ehild of the ruler of the synagogue would cause no little sensa-
tion in the city. What, then, must have been the effect upon the minds
of the people when they heard that she was miraculously restored to
life ? This miracle was followed by many others, and we cannot won-
der that the tribute gatherers hesitated about demanding tribute from
the Lord Jesus. Our Saviour did not wish to give offense by appear-
ing to despise the temple, and not to respect the authority which had
originally commanded this tribute to be paid. And as he and his poor
host had no money, or at least not sufficient, he said to Peter, « Go thou
to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up ;
and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of
money : =»= that take, and give unto them for me and thee."f St. Matthew
(the only Evangelist who mentions this miracle) says no more on the
subject; but we infer, even from his silence, that Peter did as he was
commanded by our Lord.
It was not every poor Jew who had a divine Master near him to
miraculously provide him with the means of paying the tribute ; and
doubtless many were often unprepared to meet the demands of the
collectors, although all, when they could, would cheerfully give
money that was de\'oted to the maintenance of their beautiful and
beloved temple. How different must their feelings have been when,
after Jerusalem had fallen into the hands of the Romans, and its '
glorious temple had been destroyed, they (so Josephus, the Jewish
historian, tells us) were compelled to pay every year into the
Capitol in Rome the same sum they had annually paitl to the
Temple in Jerusalem.
After the miracle of the fish and the tribute money, St. Matthew
relates Christ's discourse with his disciples about humility and forgive-
ness, and tells us that Peter asked Jesus how often he should forgive
his brother. "Lord, how oft," said the Apostle, "shall my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him ? till seven times ? Jesus s;iith unto
him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times ; but, Until seventy times
* A stater, or shekel of silver, value sixty cents.
f Matt. xvii. « ^,
mam
SIMON PETER.
313
seven. Jesus meant Peter to understand that, however often liis
Christian brother oftended or harmed him, he was to for-ive him if he
repented of what he had done, and sought his for-ivenes^s Our I ord
then illustrated what he had said by the beautiful parable of the kintr
and his servants, whieh you can read in the eighteenth chapter of St
Matthew's Gospel.
One day a rich young man, a ruler, came running to Jesus and
vvhen he had reached him, he "said unto him.Ciood Master, what good
thing shall I do, that I may have eternal lifeP-f Our Saviour told
him that he must keep the commandments. He inciuired Which >
Jesus answered, "Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt noi commit
adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness
Honor thy flither and thy mother: and thou shalt kne thy nei<vhbor
as thyself.":!: The young man replied, "All these things have fkept
from my youth up : what lack I yet ? " ,^ " Then Jesus beholding him
loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: co thy way
sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou'shalt have
treasure in heaven : and come, take up the cross, and follow me - 11
Several times before had Jesus given this invitation, and it had alwav."
been accepted. To Peter and Andrew he had said, "Follow mc"%
and they forsook all and followed him. Our Lord called James Lnd
John, we may suppose, with the words, "Follow me;" "and thev
immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him " ='= =<= Philip
and Matthew heard the same gracious words, and needed not a second
mvitation. But the young rich ruler whom Jesus loved refused to
obey the voice of the divine Redeemer. True, he felt sorrowful nay
more, grieved, but still he went away. He longed to follow Jesus' and
to obtain eternal life, but he loved his earthly treasures more than the
Saviour or his own precious soul. He went away, and never again
m all probability, saw Jesus. Upon our Saviour remarkino- after the
young ruler had gone, how hard it was for a rich man, o?'one who
trusted in riches, to enter the kingdom of God, Peter asked him what
* Matt, xviii. 21, 22.
11 Mark x, 21.
t Matt. xix. 16. t Matt. xix. 18, 19. § Matt. xix. ao.
% Matt. iv. 19
■* Matt. iv. 22.
314
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
rcvvaRl he and his companions sliould have who had forsaken all and
followed hniL Our Lord answered. "There is no man that hath left
house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children
or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, hut he shall receive a hun-'
ch-ec fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and
mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world
to come eternal life.-^ "Verily I say unto you. that ye which have
followed me. m the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the
throne of his olory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, iud-dne- the
twelve tribes of Israel.- t This promise Jesus repeated to ht. Apos-
tles on the n.<.ht of his betrayal. The promise made bv Christ to his
ollowers of temporal blessings in such abundance, mu^t not be taken
iterally. it means that more, a hundredfold more, than houses or
brethren, or sisters, or fathers, or mothers, or wives, or children, or
lands, should those who had forsaken all for his sake have in the peace
of conscience, the fellowshij) with God, the communion with the saints
and the glorious and blissful prospect of heaven which they should
enjoy. The chief promise of our Saviour to his fliithful followers
re ates to their future state, and by-and-by. in the day of r:generation,
when God shJl make all things new. and when Christ shall come with
his holy angels, and shall sit in the throne of his glory, the Apostles
shall be seated upon thrones "judging the twelve tribes of Israel " that
IS. the Jews. The Apostles will bear witness to the acceptance of the
gospel, or Its rejection, by the twelve tribes, and they will join in the
justness of the sentence the Lord Jesus will then pronounce Here
IS, doubtless, an honor spoken of to which other saints are not to be
raised. Our Saviour evidently alludes to the custom of princes hav-
mg their great men ranged around them as assessors or assistants
when they sit in judgment or council.
In writing the life of Peter, so far as it is recorded in the sacred
narrative. I must confine myself as much as possible to the events in
which he IS individually mentioned. But it must not be forgotten that
in doing this. I omit many, very many, deeply interesting scenes in
which he, as one of the twelve, took a part.
(
r
i
t
]\
u
b
P
* Mark x. 29, 30.
t Matt. xix. 28.
SIMON fETER
and Bethany, at the Mount of otl vh J '.^ ";'"^ '" "^■^''l''>'^«'=
disciples (supposed to have been m'er au ' n - ''"' '"" "^'"'^
Mie village over a-ainst you h, M Y J ^' '''^■'"^'' *'''>^' '"'^
find a colt tied, wher o /et iv nns.'t I '°r """',"r ^'^ ^'""
And they brou-ht him to tI, >, ', ''^'"' """' "' ''''"•
the colt, .^d they set j"us tit " ' " '' "^' ""■''■ «"™^'"'^ "1'°"
on. And as he went, they spread
their elothcs in the way. And
vvlien he was eome ni^rh^ even
now at the descent of tlie Mount
of Olives, the wliole multitude of
the disciples began to rejoice and
praise God with a loud voice for
all the mighty works that they
ine sight of our Saviour enterinrr Terusilem nn..M f .i i
of the mnhlhirl^ n„.i • r ^ Jt-iusaiem amidst the hosannas
01 tne multitude, and riding upon an ass, must have confirmed in the
minds of many wavering Tews the {?^ci: fhnf t ^"'' ''^^^i. '■^- the
indeed the long-lookedir Me^ '^^^ Nazareth w^as
that Zechariah in the pa sa^e th ' F '^r"' '^'''^" understood
prophetess of Israel, ,n her exquisite hymn of thanksgiving t the
UNLEAVENED BREAD.
te
* Luke xix. 30-38.
h I
316
T//£ APOSTLES OF JESUS.
d.^Iivcrancc of Israel from Jabiii and Siscra, describes the chief {-o-'er.
nors of Israel as ridin- ci, white asses. Jair "jud<,^ed Israel twenty
and two )ears. and he had durty sons who rode on thirty ass colts ^'*
Another juclcrc we .cad of, Abdo.i, "had forty sons and thirty nephews
that rode on threescore and ten ass colts/'f But from the buildin^r
of the temple after tiie Babylonian captivity to its destruction by Titus
no one but Jesus ever entered the oatcs of Jerusalem sittin.,. upon an
ass and attended by a multitude proclaiming him kin<<. And yet the
rulers of the cit)'. Nvitn the priests and scribes, would not acknowledge
the Messiah when he did come. Pride and envy made them willfully
blnid; and msteau ot welcoming dieir lon^-looked-for kinjr when he
at length appeared, as their prophets had said he should/ they only
"sought how they might kill
him."!'
The humble village of Beth-
any had the honor of affording
a resting-place for our Saviour
during the last few nights which
preceded his arrest in Gethse-
mane. The Mount of Olives
^ „ , , '-'^y Ijetween Jerusalem and
Bethany, and the morning after Jesus had entered tlie city in
triumph, saw him and his disciples passing over Olivet on their' way
to Jerusalem. Jesus, we read, "was hungry: and seeing a fig tree afar
off havmg leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon;
and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of
figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it. No man eat
fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it \^ On the
following morning, as they passed by the same spot, " they saw the
fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, calling to remembrance
saith unto him. Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is
withered away."|| When you have read the words "the time of figs
Fi(;s.
* Judges X. 3, 4.
§ Mark xi. 12-14.
t Judges xii. 14.
U Mark xi. 20, 21.
X Luke xxii. 2.
-ir—r--
SIMON PETER.
1^7
figs
scaso,, for h-s o be on the tree, an,l may have uonderecl ^^■|,v Icsns
LZi ""' '"-«^'h-'-"'S o( fi.,.s, and as the fl, tree
lent 2n 1. T ''"'^' "" '""' "" ""-■ "'^^ "■•''• ^'" --^'^
ot r I onM, ""' "''■"' ^^'''^""'"- "'^- ''^''^'>" '-«!" ''-- I--.
it an tl , T '''•^'^'■'''""" "|'"» "■ "^"- ■'^^'""ur eonsequently crsed
IXL '""""I'^l'^ly withered a,vay. This uas a parable
pa-Jonmd. Jestis wished h,s diseij^les to understand the fiir tree as a
X'io;: :['::„'"' '"^ j^-^.^" ";""-"■ -'-" "•■"' "-- 1^-'^"-
ncs nd th t li •' ,7'' l'"\^^^^'."^">'^ ''^■->vos but not the fruits of holi-
ness, an that hU- the h„ tree ,t should be su.ldenly cursed and rooted
ou . ete, d.d not live to see the fulfillment of the pro|,hecy but one
at least of his companions did. ' ^'
Three ilays after his public entry into Jerusalem, Tcsus tokl Peter
PH h!°r'of ..f;-","^^ "'^' ^•"^' "-y -"''' "-' --- can'yinr:
pitcher of w.tter. I hey were to follo^v him, and if he went into a house
^tey were to go m also, and say to the n,aster of the hous °n^"e
ciplts . I he guestchamber was a room set apart for eonio inv
Apartments m Jerusalem ,vere not, at the season of the iVssovr S
the cty would be crowded with strangers from all part ) to be I tt ,t
were a the service of any who wished to partake of the feast m
made ready the Passover. In the evening Jesus widi hi- ^-.-A
Wes^sa^dow^^to^th^p,,3over.^^""w^^^
^ Mark xiv. i^.
3i«
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
Jesus knew that before the next eveniii-- he vvouKl be in paradise; but
his poor disciples would be scattered and friL-iUcned as sliccp having
lost their shepherd. Tlie (east of tiie I'assover, you will renieniber,
was a festival kc\A in commemoration of the dei)arture of the Israelites
out of Hi^ypt, and took its name from the destroying- angel passing
over the houses of the Israelites, when the first-born of the I<gyptians
were slain. The feast consisted of a lamb, roasted, u hich was eaten
with bitter herbs. These bitter herbs were dipped into a .sauce called
charoseth, which was composed of dates, figs, or raisins, l)eaten into a
pulp, and tlvi mi.xed with vinegar and other ingredients to the con-
sistency of thick mustard.
^^^^
.Vf'
This sauce wa.^ a memorial of
the clay with u hich the Israel-
ites made bricks in ligypt, and
the herbs of the bitter trials
they there enduretl. The
guests at the feast of the
Passover also dipped the
unleavened bread in the cha-
roseth and then ate it. It is
supposed that it was in this
sauce that Christ dipped the
sop w liich he gave to Judas.
The Jews observed the fol-
lowing ceremonies at their solemn feasts: When the party who
were to partake of the feast met they were first to salute each
other either wMth a bow or such words a., "Peace be unto thee,"
or by kissing one another. Paul calls the last mode of .salutation
a "holy kiss,"* and Peter "a kiss of charity,"-}- or love. The
next ceremony was washing the feet. This was only done once, ex-
cepting at the feast of the Passover, when the feet were washed both
before and after the feast. This office was performed by servants and
the meanest of the family. Indeed, the very vessels which had been
AN EASI1;rn 1)I\L\UK(J0.\1.
* J Cor. xvi. 80.
1 1 Peter v. 14.
smoN p/iriiR.
3'i^
used for th(; purpose were coiisidciccl n ilc 'piirv uvrr r-.Il .1 .. -.
pots. The i.sahn.st u is.nn, to shou- his conl'; ;^ " the J ^
peojJiL U) iiiL vilest servitik e. Alter the icv\ »-,..• > ,.. i i -i
1—1 u,„.„ ti,c,„ and u,,.„ .1,,,. I,.. I of u ; :, vi :: ,""
crcatcst the fruit of L v ' Xt!' ^ ^'"'\ '■" f ""■ "'"■'''• "'-''
nanus and said, Let i,s ble.ss hnn who hath fed „s will, his ,nv„ and
of whose goodness we h've" Tlirmll ti, . . """ nis cmn, and
be he of vdvw,. n, , u ""- ■'^'"-■'•''' answered. •■ lilessed
t ml "in soft 1 ' """■ '^'•^>-^'-"'-- -''i^'"l'-- Kuests said to
wor;i!;;:;''atV :,~ !r;,:;'T;:V':T'';^'''T''^^
■ittlc of the wine passed it ,-0.,:^ t t^l^.'tif: ^l!^ ^
^~ tT "7 °" "f^'"'"- "^^-^ ^^■'-" institfJing t K o ;
* Ps. Ix. 8.
fPs. xxxiv, 9, 10.
320
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
You will, I think, after reading this account of the feast of the Pass-
over, better understand the transactions of our Lord and his disciples
at " the last supper." We read that after Jesus had sat down with the
twelve Apostles " he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat
this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say unto you, I will not
any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And
he took the cup, and gave thanks and said, Take this, and divide it
among yourselves; for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of
the vme, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread
and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying. This is my
body which is given
for you ; this do in
remembrance of me.
Likewise also the
cup after supper,
saying, This cup is
the New Testament
in my blood, which
is shed for you."*
Jesus did not, as
you will have ob-
served, when he
instituted the sac-
rament of his most
, , , . blessed body and
blood, appomt a new rite, but appropriated an old one to answer a
new purpose. His followers were no longer to eat the consecrated
bread and drmk the consecrated wine in remembrance of the deliver-
ance of their forefathers out of Egypt, but in remembrance of their
dear Master, who, by dying for them delivered them from spiritual
bondage, a bondage far worse than the Egyptian one. The feast of
the Passover was restricted to Jews, but all Christians, whether Jews
or Gentiles, may partake of the gospel feast. Jesus invites all his dis-
AN EASTERN FEAST.
* Luke xxii. 15-20.
^.^^antmnmie ttuMime
SIMON PE TER.
cipies to come to the holv mmn^^r n -. ,
ti.on. refuse so gracious'at iS.on ^A..'' ^rT\ ""' ='"\'"
It IS unheeded. In vain k tl,» t . ; °''''" '°° "■"« 'hat
Christ point to the bri'd and wll'' r"'^'^' '^^'' ™-^^engers of
touching scenes cLnetwrr """"""^ their ilocks of all the
"This d^o in reL^r e ' 'm • ' Ttr"' 'l""-^' '>'"« ~™"-'''
such vital importance to U,e souls If h "1 "''"'"' '" " '^"^^ "^
result? Many verv minv .= . ^ '''^"''^''^ ' ='"'' what is the
backs upon tisaTrcd feast a^°?,:;^ the pleaders arc silent, turn their
been listening ,o ' °"^'' " ''"' ^" ''"« '^l« 'hey had
outer™itt."Tht ^r^fter ^' ^r ^™^^ ^-^ '°°^ °^ ■-=
way when the bearervv^^d o a;;Tor'r'o:rVT''. '" '" '''
some water into a basin =nH K / 7 ^'""'''^ '^en poured
wished to set them an eva "f, f," '° *"'"' ""'^ '"^'^'P'^^' f^'^'- He
they ought to w^; oL'aX' te ^ "oti:'"''' 'f^ ''""' *^'
assist each other in anv wZ L ', "■ "■°'''''' ^^ "'i'^'ng to
When he came to PeterVe Losr^H " '"" '^""^ ""S^t be.
thou wash my feet>- hIw rZ [ '" '•>«tomshment, "Lord, dost
this question"^ He loved and r^ ''f I' ° ."" ™P^'"°"-'' I'-^'™
own unworthincss too mud, to r ,'"' ^"'"' ^''''''' ^"^ ^1' his
office for him. Bu our I ord in T "'""' '° P"^^'""" ^"^ ^ "^"'^1
"What I do thou ^noTesS r;tt U slu /" ^T' "; ^^"'^
Peter ought at once, after hearing this to We ilin h°T ^"'^^'''"f
ceed with the ceremonv as o„r « , ^ allowed Jesus to pro-
was a hidden n,:::-;,^ ' fn what hr" tf' '"""'^"^'^ "'^' *ere
obstinate in his refusal Ind said tT' . '," ^'°- '^"' ^'''" ^^'
Jesus answered hin,, •' f I vvash h;e nit t^ f ""'•" '"'^'^ "^ f^^''"
This vvas an awful tl rcat With; . T ''^" "° P'^"-' ^^'tli me.-J
"If I wash /A. not tni fsufe'^H ""''''""""' "P"" ''^'"'^ "^'nd
renewed by my sphit rle^ent d 1 "■' T^'^'-''' '" '"^ ""^^ and
no part wifh me. ' A eTat once '^ 7 '"""^'"''^ '"^ '"''■ "'^'°^ ^ast
only, but also my hands an i my head ' "T "";'.^°"'- "°' "^ f^'
■___ "> '"='"'• S He would rather be washed
John xiii. 6.
tjohn
XIII. 7.
t John xiii. 8.
§ John
XIII. 9.
r~
322
TH£: APOSTLES OF JESUS.
all over than not to belong- to the Saviour. "Jesus saith unto him,
He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every
whit."-'' In consequence of it being- the custom for the people of the
East in our Lord's time to go abroad barefoot or with thin sandals, the
feet required to be washed much more frequently than other parts of
the body. So a pardoned sinner, diough pardoned completel)', has
still pollutions daily contracted to be daily washed away.
When Jesus had sat down again, he told his Apostles that one of
them should betray him. The discii)les looked at each other, wonder-
ing which of them could do such a wicked deed. They were very
much grieved, and each began to say, " Lord, is it I ? " f " Now, there
was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
Simon Peter therefore bc> k-
oned to him, that he sh. 'M
ask Vvho it should be of whom
he spake. He then, lying on
Jesus' breast, saith unto him,
Lord, who is it? Jesus an-
swered, lie it is, to whom I
shall give a sop, when I have
dipped it. And when he had
dipped the sop, he gave it to
Judas Iscariot." \ The traitor very shortly after this left the room,
and then Jesus told his disciples that he would before long leave
them. Peter asked him where he was going to ? Our Lord said,
"Whither I go thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt
follow me afterwards." § Peter would remember these words when he
was, like Jesus, fastened to the cross. But, not knowing his future fate,
he said, "Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my
life for thy sake." || Jesus answered him, with a countenance and
voice more expressive of pity than severity, " Wilt thou lay down thy
life for my sake?"** As much as though our Lord had said. Ah,
ROMANS AT TABLE IN TIME OF PAUL.
* John xiii. 10.
§John xiii. 36.
f Matt. xxvi. 22.
II John xiii. 37.
J Jolin xiii. 23-26.
* * John xiii. 38.
SIMON' PETER
323
Peter, this is sooner said than done. Life is not so rcadilv „„fP 1
out, Lord, save mc. * Be not so confident now. ■•Vurilv vuiilv
i : ^,- ^'"' '°" ™"<='^ confidence in liis oun strength so not
wuhstanCng what Jesus had said, he declared, that th, t^f ' ^J
yet wdl not I, | |,e sa.d. He doubted tlic faith and courac»e of other
but had no doubt about his own. ° •
TIte paschal hymn having been sung by our Saviour and the eleven
Apostles, they all went to the Mount of Olives, ^vhere Jesus with ,m,w
sweet words, comforted and instructed his sorro^ving d sdn caZ
after ofifermg up a fervent prayer for them, -he ^vcnt for w th his
discples .ver the brook Cedron."§ ..And they came o a ll ce
wh,ch was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disdnles*^ Sit
ye here, wh, e I shall pray. And he taketh with hin Pe ,nj
heavy | And now our Saviour suffered that bitter agony «l>ich
tne grouncL He was takuig upon himself the sins of mankind
He knew he was going to be sacrificed, to suffer a slow ■ nd no t
painful death, and he prayed that if it were possible the nn, T
ni-dtt kneehnJil a ' T '"' """'^ "^-"^"^"^ °" ^''^" ''^-^ful
wl .„ ^ ^?"^ °" "''^ Sround, how must we hate sin I
J^t inTeTardir" " ^'"' ^•^"^-'"" -'-- ^ ^^ -"■ 'hink ^f'
" Go to dark Gethsemane,
Ye that feel the tempter's power,"
And Jesus, who is now reigning in all his glorious majesty in heavfn'
w, 1 send the Holy Spirit to contfort and strengthen you '
^^Whilejesus was passing through such dreadful sufferings, his wearied
* Matt. xiv. 30.
II Maik xiv. 32, 33.
20 L
t John xiii. 38.
* * Luke xxii. 44.
tMark xiv. 29.
1 1 Luke xxii. 42.
§John xviii. x.
324
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS
disciples had fallen asleep. Our Lord went to them and said to Peter
♦V.imon, sleepest thou? couldest thou not watch one hour? Watch
ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready,
but the flesh is weak. And again he went away, and prayed, and
spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep
again (for their eyes were heavy), neither wist they what to answer
him. And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on
potter's field, or field of ni.OOD,
now, and take your rest; it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the
Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go;
lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.'* We can easily suppose how
Peter, James, and John would start to their feet. But we can scarcely
imagine their surprise and horror when they saw Judas leading armed
Mark xiv. 37-43.
SmON PETER
, ,. , ■ 32s
soldiers to the spot where their dr-ir AT-.^f
-T H,. i,i,h ,nj, named «;,:,,::■■.:,■: ,::';T"f 'T ^ "•:"■"
was so indignant .hat he struck Male! us vi hi -^'T'- f '
".tending to kill him, bt,t ho only cut off s c n T I ''"'"^'>'
Peter for using his suord, and to' cl Ig th c ; of H "" 'T7''
hiin. The disciolcs fl<>rl t> f 1 * Alalchus he hea cd
return and fonoTtsustd is ^ip oTIl^ ^^^^^^^^^ --'"""" ^
was taken to the palace of Caiaph s tl ;. li 1° ,' ! ^ , r '^^ '""''
be tried by his cruel iud...... a„„i ,■ ■ ' ' "'"'"•' ''^' "''■■ '"
John) also follow d s b ;„d^r '"'■^^''.''''''^ ''"''''"■^"' '" ''- ^' '--'
we fid, stood futile and cl." '"'", """ "'^ ^^^^- l'^'-'
disciple, who was to: 'mt',r .:;:;:; 7!^'"^;^ "-"■' '"^ -"-
kept the door, and brought in Pet "V'^; '"^,' \'"'" '"^ '''■''
thought it, to be allowed to en tr 1 "hce i;™;'' ',""'"':"■ ''^■'^■'■
self-reproach he v.^uld have escanrd if ^ , • ''' '""'-''">' ""^'
the cold without " And wh,', H r , • '^i; '■"""'""' ^'"'^■^'"'K- i"
the hall, and we're ^^^^^'^^^^^ ^ ^'^ --^i- "f
Butacertain maid beheld him a.ta'bv tie fir T" "'""';« ""^'"•
upon him, and said. This man ^vadso wit him ' "^ T',''"^?''^ '?''"'
saying, \Von,,,n, I know l,in, not. And te TittI ^ !' '"',"' '^™'
l>ii". and said, Thou art also of then. An V " r """"'^■'' ^'^™
And about the smce nf .?,, i r ^"'' ^^''^'' -'^''"J.'^'-'". I am not
saying. Of a t^th' Is 1 lo at';t:i:,r;:;;:^ r't""- ">- ^"^^"-^^•
And Peter said, Man, I l.now not wlm t'ou s "est A , " ' ^'l'''"'"-
while he yet spake, the cock cre^.. ^nd the Lo , .u^nr^ir'f''
And Peter went ^ut^^fd^:; but^T ^f^!^^ T 'l^
pierced h,s heart. And well might he weeo I H r-^' ',' ''"*
apostle, and a .special favorite, had deni d 1 "beloved k^ '^"'f'' '"
viourand Redeemer Peter Jh„,i * r '^'-'°^™ 'blaster his Sa-
bered how, a few our.sb for '1 ?"!^'?'? ,'-■"'•'--- He ren.enr-
hours before, when Jesus toki
iiim that his faith might not foil, he had d
him he Iiad prayed for
eclared that he was ready to
*Joh' tviii. i6.
fl.uke
XXII,
55-62.
I
326
T//B APOSTLES OF JESUS.
go with his clear Lord to prison and to death, and how, when the time
of trial came, he had bent as a reed in the wind. His faith was
assaulted, it gave way, but it did not utterly fail. He repented, and
became again the faithful and affectionate disciple he was before.
With the remembrance of his fall, which lasted through his life, Peter
never forgot the Saviour's injunction, "When thou" art converted,
strengthen thy brethren."* By his faithfulness, his preaching, hi.s
courage, his love, his devotion, his zeal, his firmness, his patience, his
humility, and, lastly, by his cheerfully submitting to death on the cross,
Peter strengthened his brethren.
After his fall and repentance we hear nothing more of Peter till the
resurrection morn. The holy women who had gone to the sepulchre
with spices to anoint the body of Jesu3, saw an angel, who said unto
them, "Go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before
you into Galilee, there shall ye see him as he said unto you."f Why
was Peter specially mentioned ? That he might be comforted by the
assurance that his dear Master had forgiven him and still regarded
him with favor as one of his chosen ones. How Peter spent the
hours which intervened between his denial and his meeting with the
women, we know not. But most probably he was bowed down to
the earth with grief, not only on account of the condemnation and
death of his beloved Master, but also on account of his own baseness.
Neither do we know where he went to when he left the palace of Caia-
phas, but we may suppose that the gentle and affectionate John took
his humbled and penitent brother to his own home, for we find these
two disciples running together to the sepulchre after Mary Magdalene
had told them that the body of Jesus was gone. " And the other
disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he,
stooping down, and looking 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,
r
ii
n
o
a
1
T
SIMON PETER.
the time
iith was
ted, and
before,
fe, Peter
inverted,
ling-, his
2ncc, his
he cross,
r till the
jpulehre
lid unto
h before
Why
1 by the
egarded
)ent the
A'ith the
lown to
ion and
aseness.
Df Caia-
in took
d these
j,'dalene
e other
\nd he,
et went
mt into
in, that
a-apped
lisciple,
327
I
I
which cnme first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed "* Thev
takc,^ away. They did not believe that Christ had risen ind ve tl„.v
could scarce y have supposed that the grave-clotherof le L' wo ^
nib penitent Apostle we are not mformed
Pcler'and'the' T T^' '"," '°"^' " "■" ^""'^^^ ""-' -"nxction that
mer and the d,sci|,les saw Jesus by appointment in c;alilee- but
certainly ,t ^vas more than eiyht days, for it vvas after ei. h h.; tin
our Lord appeared to the Apostles in a roon. in Jc 'u^ le ? . „
1 omas was ...h them, and this occurred before the n/ceti , i la ilee
iaboi, and ,t ,. supposed that many disciples besides the Apostles
aw esus on the mountain; indeed, it is 'ti,„u,ht by son e t tW
Jesus was see, of above hve hundred brethren at once." f St M ,t-
oubted It ,s conjectured that the reason why some doubted was
cou r,; iTdT:" f ' 'T"' '''■^'^""'^ ^'•"'" J-- "- "'"'- -J
eouiu not as ciistmctly see him.
Once .a^ain vve find I'cter on the sea of Galilee eno.-,.re<l in his old
nule of fislnuK Several of the Apostles were w,th him A i
lon,^ they toded, and caught nothing. •■ But when the mornin. w "
■";:a"i:;^"Tf°°'T"'''""r"^ '^^ '"^ '"-'"'- ^^ -tt;
meat? T^ /,''"' '"'"' ""'" "^^'"' Cl'il'li-en, have ye any
meat ? They answered Inm, No. And he said unto then,. Cast the ne^
on the ngh s,de of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast tl c efore
and now they uere not able to draw it for the n,u tit" fishe '
Inerefore that discple whom Jesus loved saith tm.o Peter It is the
Lord. No;v, when Simon F '
* John XX. 4-8.
1 1 Cor. XV. 6.
JMatt. xxviii. 17.
328
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS
o ufs . • . " ° ■'""^' ^'°' ""' ^™= "^l^^d') '-""d ^'i'l "»t himself
• U I f ,; 1 • ^ ■■"P=>t'ence and eagerness ^voulcl not let him
I rn en T ?"'^r ,' ","''" ''^^'"'^ ""' "-"'^'^ ^™-^ ^ close-fitting
"it; ' n^m'c T'" ;"" '''•''°''' "'"'^'^ "'^y «-''^'' ="-"' 'heir
waists M, tmic of ^^•ork or aetion. When they had not this „/,p„
■■WHE.V THE .MOR.N,.VG WAS NOW COME, JESUS STOOD ON THE SHORE.'.
garmen on they were spoken of as being naked. David we read
daneed before the ark uneovered or naked, uhieh means he on y Zt
h>s tun,c when he daneed, and that he had put off his royal robes
the wf "r r , ' ''1 '"' ^°"'' '"^ ^^™'^^ AP-"^ -d'=d ' ough
the water to Jesus, and we ean imagine him with feelings of raptufe
■ John xxi, 4-7,
it himself
)t let him
s naked "
>sc-fitting
ider gar-
out their
lis iippcy
e read.
y wore
?s.
irough
ipture,
SIMON PETER.
brch'"'ln7h"""' *:'■'"'",""« '"""'-■'' '^'•■^"■■^ '- «-■'■"- on t'h!
buch In the mca,n,„>c tlio other diseiples reached the shore in a
little ship, draggmg the net uith fishes. When thev Im e,l th -v
a fire of coals, "and fish laid .hereon and brea i ''^\u;al /':; .,7
loudy provKied. Jesus told then, to bn'ng the fish thcT n 1 a ," , '
The ever-ready and active Peter " went up^.nd dreu t fe " ," i
w e o"";:,f ,::• ^'" '"""''■^f ■•'-' fif'y --' "- : and for all .
ctcr, Jsnnon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these > I [p
sa, h unto hm. Yea, Lord; thou knou-est that I lose ee le'sai h
unto h,n,. Feed my lan,bs.-t Peter did not now ■ ume to av
It e^ovod Jesus more than the other Apostles did, in,t ^ eal . Z
o his ^? , ,f ^""'' "■''" '■'^^"•«' "°' "'^^ all-searching eye
o 1 ,s Saviour, but could appeal to his Cnniscience to confir.n the
trutl of h,s smcer,ty. Three tin,es did our Saviour ask him h \me
questjon, thus reminding Peter of his threefold denial on I "h
^me Jesus rece.ved the same answer. No u-onder Peter w grie^'d
But m order that he might knos. that he svas forgiven and Ihat
m to Iced h,s flock. Me was to mstruct and guide all of Christ's
fold. To feed the lambs, by giving then, the sincere milk of the ord
by comfortmg the feeble-minded, and sunportin..- the u ■• ill '
nl^^e's'^nd'^n""' '"^'"^ 'V'^^ ™" ^^^^^ '^^^^^^C. ^
of the 'r orT ri'"^^ "''•''," '° ^'■°" '" S'-'-"^^- ••""' i" ""= '^"o-ledge
of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This commission had been
,if.ven ,n other svords, to all the Apostles, and Peter on y recced ,^
now from the lips of Jesus that he might know he w.astl . ":'ed
oi nis death. Venly, verdy, I s.ay unto thee. When tho.i wast \ouno-
hou gu-dest thyself, and walkedst svhither thou wonldest : bu w en hou
bhalt be old, thou shalt stretch fo-*!- 'i-- ■---'- ■ ■
thy hands, and another shall gird
John
XXI.
tJohn
XXI. ii-i-
tJohn
XXI. 15.
'
330
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
thcc, and carry thee whither thou wouldcst not. This spake he sicrnj,
fyin- by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken
this, he saith unto him, Follow me."* Two years before had Peter as
now stood on the shore of Galilee, with his fishing net miraculously
filled with fishes, and listening to thi gracious words. "Follow me"
Where to. Lord? might the poor fisherman have asked. To where
poverty, sickness, ignorance, and vice dwell ; to the solitude of the
#
THE RIVER JORDAN.
barren wilderness and the lonely mountain, to prison, and to Calvary
would be the reply. " Follow me," said the risen Saviour. How >
mig^it the Apostle have asked. By walking in the paths of active
obedience, by obeying my precepts, by imitating my example. Follow
me to the cross, from whence thou shalt follow me to my glorious
home above, and there occupy the throne awaiting- thee
■John
xxi. i8, i(
S/MOU PETER.
The prospect of suffi
331
.„,, :. ■„ , ■ , I^"""' '^^'-'" ""to '''-■•'til for Chrisfs sake di,l not
txLtv . L "H ' '"■?"""" "f I'i^ ">^'>ty'l"m, only betrayed
anxiety to know what would befall his eon,,,anion, |ohn. "Then
vh To'l"'^ ^^•^'^ 'I- 'lisci,.le who„, Jesus loved following.;
t bit ?,"m T ;r '''"'^'^' ■'^"I'l'^^' '">^' «"''. '■-••'. "Inch is hJ
hall this man do? Jesus saitl, unto him, If I will that he tarry till [
o lo ^hV" T1 r,™"'"" °^"''' ^"'' ""' '-^"'""I'l haveeno^ih
to do il ho attended to his own duty.
We are not told how lony Jesus remained ,vitl, the Apostles on the
sl^re of Gahlee. But it is esident that Peter and his e, „p nio s Ik
not pursue the.r trade of fishing, for we next find the ek.- n v^itl o
Savour near Jerusalem. .And Jesus "led then, out as far s to
to pass while he blessed them, he w.is parted from them .uul carried
"P;"to I'eaven "t " And ^vhile they looked steadfastlv toward I ven
as he went up, behold two n,en stood by them in ulut; a,,,,- w ^
h, same Jesus, which ,s taken up from you into heaven shall so come
m hke manner as ye have seen him go into hea^•en.■■ t These an." s
were merei ully sent to the Apostles to instruct and console them a a
cond tion. 1 hey were not only con.soled. but cheered, for .St I uke at
erLt i^: ° '" '■°''"' "-'"^ "^ "'^' " "'^>- -'--'I '° Jerusalem tith
Tc^^s'^fn^tn'tr T''"''' f J^n,sal.M according to the command of
Jesus until the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them Thev ind
many of the disciples met in an upper room where they "all contfn'ued
with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Ma^
the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And ■ ' ' -
iiiose days T'eter
*John xxi. 20-22.
17
tLukexxiv. 50. 51. |Acts. i. 10, n. § Luke xxiv. 52.
33>
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
tood up m the m,*t of the disciples,"* and addressed then, on the
subject of electm,. a„ Apostle in tlu: place of the traitor Judas
When the Apostles ha,l received the gift of the MolyGhostand had
begun to speak many lan.,ua,^es. the people said they ha.l been U^
oo much wu,e. Peter boldly defended hin.self and his frien Is Zi
spoke w,th such pou-erthat three thousand of his listeners beauue
of Chris"'' ""'l'""'l«. I'-ter now gloried in being a follower
•I-he first miracle recorded as having been performed by the Apostles
after the conversion of the thre, thousand was the healing of the
crippled beggar, St. Luke Uvho ^^rote the Acts of the Apostles) gives
the followins;- account of it:_"Now
Peter ami John went up together
into the temple at the 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 gate of the temple which is called
Beautiful, to ask alms of them that
entered into the temple ; who seeing
Peter and John about to go into the
temple asked an alms. And Peter,
fastening his eyes upon him with
, JoJin, said, Look on us. And he
ga e heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I
have ^ve thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, is
hL un- H '^ .'•' ?"' ''^ ^>^ '''' ''^ ^^--'' --^' I'ft-'
s tenotr A 1 'T\ ■"'■'' '"' ^''' ^"^^ '-^"'^'^ bones received
strength. And he leapmg up stood, and walked, and entered
and they knew that ,t was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate
'i'iUi UEAUTirui, OATF
♦Actsi. 14, 15.
.^amumm&^mmmmtm.
J
111 on the
IS.
:and had
-n takin^.^
luls, and
l)ccame
follower
Apostles
5^ of tlic
is) gives
— " Now
togctlicr
f prajcr,
X certain
> womb
daily at
is called
-■m that
) seeing
into the
1 Peter,
m with
\nd he
them.
1 as I
th, rise
lifted
iceived
:ntered
raising
God:
il gate
I
S/MO.V PF.TnK.
'•( the temple: nn.l they were filled «ith won.ler „, r
'hat whieh ha.1 h..|,|,e„ecl unto hi„, ,ul " , , ■""■'^^■■"^■"' •-"
was heale,! held I'eter and l„l,„ I, , ''"'"^ '"''" "'"^1'
in the poreh tlntiscdl ^ 'T'''" ''"' '".^"-•"'er unto them
that t,!is nlt;:':,::;:!r'r^r:'';r^:'''''r['r7' '^""""■'^'
perhaps ,or ,„any years, had the 'o , " : \,' >,'^'^ ^7 ''""'
the habit of seein.r this „„„r „,.,n " 'l'^'\-^' "'e temple heen in
''*'-in 'u's birth, a period -Strength, and he who had
• i iorty years, been a ■
helpless cripple, now
walked. Those who
have been always bless-
ed with the use of their
linibs can scarcely im-
agine the gratitude and
joy of this poor man,
when as if testing the
new power just given to
him he went into the
temple "walking, and
leaping." Often per-
haps had he seen the
blessed Jesus enter the
name of Jesti^Ch Hst'^orNLS";- 1 r^ ntvV' ■■ hi ''''' " '" '\
JttaXter ofr r^\vti::;f„.r;t s^ ^^^ ^"•" ^-^ ■■-
"" ^^" ^^^ci It witnout benig struck
SEA OF GAIJLEE.
♦Acts iii. i-u.
i'; :'i
(I
334
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS
With the boldness and courage of the once timid Apostle ? He spoke
to a vast assembly, to many who only a kvj weeks before had joined
in the cry. "Crucify him, crucify him.- ^ and who hated and despised
the very name of Jesus of Nazareth. These the dauntless Apostle
accused of being murderers, of having killed the Prince of Life He
then told them that it was through faith in Jesus that the man whom
they both saw and knew had been made strong. With irresistible
arguments he exhorted them to repent. The result was that very
many became Christians, and that the company of believers now
numbered five thousand men. But the priests and Sadducees, though
strongly opposed to each other in their religious belief, united in their
opposition to the Apostles. Peter and John were seized and pu^
into prison. On the morrow they were brought before the rulers
elders, and scribes, "and when they had set them in the midst, they
asked. By what power, or by what name, have ye done this > " f Peter
was filled with the Holy Ghost, who both strengthened and instructed
him. The words of Jesus never fail. He had told his disciples that
they should be brought before kings and uilers for his sake, and that
he would give them a mouth and wisdom which all their adversaries
should not be able to gainsay nor resist. \\^ith inspired words Peter
answered his judges. He told them the simple truth, and the priests
elders, and scribes could say nothing against it. They were at a loss
to know what to do, so they ordered all to leave the council-chamber
while they consulted together. They agreed to threaten Peter and
John and then let them go. " And they called them, and commanded
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 right in the
sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, VKhve ye
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard
So when they had further threatened them, they let them go finding
nothing how they might i)unish them, because of the j^eople • for all
men glorified God for that which was done." | "And b-ing let go
they went ^o their own company, and reported all that the chief priests
*Luke xxiii. 21.
t Acts iv. 7.
J Acts iv. 1 8-2 1.
SIMON PETER.
335
and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted
up their voice to God with one aceord, and said, Lord, thou art God
which hast made heaven, and eartli. and the sea, and all that in them
IS ; who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the
heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things ? The kings of the
earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against 'the Lord
and against lus Christ. For of a truth against thy hc^ly child Jesus'
whoni thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the
Genti es, and the people of Lsrael, were gathered tooether, for to
do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined 'before to be
done. And now,
Lord, behold their _ .^...
threatenings : and ---v- ^->
grant unto thy ser- ^'^v^ \_
vants, that with all - "^ -"
boldness they may >*
speak thy word, by
stretching forth thine
hand to heal ; and that
signs and wonders
may be done by the
name ofthy holy child
Jesus. And when they
had prayed, the place
was shaken where
rhnT"*" '■'f^,"'"'^'^'' toy^""^^; ^"^1 tl'ey ^verc all filled with the Holy
Ghost * Oh, what a thrilling seene this must have been! Where
■t took place we do not exactly know, but most probably the same
was st,ll the n,eetms-place of the followers of the crucified One
a^estTf ""'-'S'"'^ "'i'h "■'''•" ^°"^t^™>tion the disciples heard of the
arres of Peter and John, and how they would inune.liatelv convene
together, and vv,th prayer and supplication entreat the- Lord to
VALLEV OF JEZkEKL.
* Acts iv. 23-31.
336
THE APOSTLES OP JESUS
protect h,s servants. Their prayers were answered. Peter and
John, unfettered a,.I free, joined them. The two Apostles soon told
the,r story and then the whole assembly lifted up their voiees to God
Wvvouldgady know whose voices joined in that fervent prayer
We are not told, but we may reasonably suppose, that in addition to
tie Apostles, most .f not all the seventy disciples were of the com!
I any Salome, the mother of John, was perhaps there, and the other
devoted won,en ,vho had followed Jesus fron, Galilee. And poss blv
the mother of Jesus, who had trembled for the safety of 1,^ y
the e'srand°''' "T^ ''" f "^ '" ^'^^^ '" P^^^^^ ^^ P"- "
the res , and perh.aps Lazarus and His sisters were there and
many whom Jesus h.ul healed of their infirmities; and possibly 'some
o the mothers who had taken their little ones to the Saviou to be
bkssed by hun fonued part of the co.npany. Far above the noi v
aty, far above the loftiest pinnacle of the ten,ple, their voices rose k^
heaven the.r prayer was heard. "The place was shaken where 'thy
were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Hoy
_ We noNV come to a very, very sad story. The followers of Tesus
increased rap.dly and the majority of them being poor, -as many a
were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and briuglt the prices of
the thmgs that were sold, and laid them do^vn at the Apostles' feet and
distribution was made unto every man according as he had need "*
There ^vere among the belie^.e|•s a man and his ,vife nan.ed Ananias
""^^^!PP'";'-''."^^'^o. though professing to be disciples, had not the grace
of God ,n heir hearts. They had landed possessions, ^vhich thc/soM
avowed J :or the same purpose as the rest, not wishing to appear
behind their companions in zeal and benevolence. But they were no
w hng to part with all their money; so they agreed between tl em-
elves to give the Apostles only a portion of it. They were quite at
hberty to do so i they chose, and as they had not faith enough to trus
m the Lord providing for their future wants, they only acted with com-
mon worldly prudence. Had they brought a part of the money and
*Actsiv. 34, 35.
SIMON PETER.
337
said they w,l mgly gave so much, all might have been well : thev would
but have had the reputation of not being wiiolly .'.isinterested.' Graee
might ere long have been given them, and the)- ^^•ould then have been
both ready and willing, from the purest motives, to lend a// they
possessed to the Lord. But covetousness and vainglory tempted them
to eomm.t a fearful sm. They took part of the n.oney to the Apostles
declaring it was all their estate had produced. One of the extraordi-
nary gifts of the Holy Ghost was the power of discerning spirits -
tnat IS, of seeing the inward purposes of men s hearts. Peter at this
time possessed this power, so when
Ananias laid the money at the
Apostles' feet, " Peter said, Ananias,
why hath Satan filled thine heart to
lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep
back part of the price of the land ?
While 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
thine heart? thou hast not lied unto
men, but unto God. Ananias hear-
ing these words fell down, and gave
up the ghost : and great fear came
on all them that heard these things.
And the young men arose, wound
him up, and carried him out, and
wh'^^^,''™■•^ ^"'^ ," ™' "''°"' ""= ^1'=^'=^ °f *'■'='= hours after,
when his wife, not knoxving what was done, came in. And Pete^
answered unto her Tell me whether ye sold the land for so mueh ?
And she said. Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is
It tha ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord >
behold, the feet of them which have buried t!>y husband are at the
door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his
ound'l 'h '.'' "J? "' ^'°^' '■ ^"'^ "'^ y"""^' ■"^" -"^e in, and
found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
ANANIAS AND SAITUIRA.
iv
V i
'-,i
33^
T/f/i APOSTLES OF JESC/S.
And great fear came upni all the church, and upon as many as.
heard these thinors." *
The speedy and awful display of God's vengeance upon this guilti
pair was necessary to prevent the intrusion of hypocrites into the
society of the believers. The desired effect was produced, for very
shortly after the account of this transaction we read the words, " and
of the rest durst no man join himself to them."f Many hypocrites
would doubtless have made an effort to join the disciples, from no
other motive but the prospect of being maintained out of the believers'
treasury. But with the terrible fate of Ananias and Sapphira before
them, they dared not attempt to pollute the assembly of God's saints
with their presence. Peter charged Ananias with having lied to the Holy
L-rhost, and directly afterwards says, " Thou hast not lied unto men, but
unto God," thereby showing that the Holy Ghost is God. The young
laen, weread, wound Ananias up and buried him. These last sad duties
were also performed for Sapphira. In their graveclothes the corpses
were wound, and, as is the custom still in ho\ eastern countries, were
buried almost immediately after thei" souls had departed.
The judgment of the Almighty . )on Ananias and Sapphira was
nnmediately followed by numerous acts of mercy, as though to invite
people to love Christianity, and so join the believers without fear.
Many w^onders were wrought by the Apostles, insomuch that the
people " brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds
and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might
overshadow some of them." J It is not said that his shadow a/^e^
the sick, neither are '.ve told that it did not. But if God did make use
of the shadow to display his power and goodness, there was nothing
to marvel at, more than at the fact that the handkerchiefs and aprons
which had touched Paul's body werr -. d as instruments to cure
diseases and cast out devils. Multituc.^s ik "ime believers. Then the
high priest, an ungodly man, if nou a Sadducee, rose, and they thai
were with him, and, seizing upon the Apostles, " put them in the com-
mon prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison
* Acts V. 3-n,
t \cts V. 1.3.
J Acts V. 15.
SfMON PETER.
many as
is guilty
into the
for verb-
is, " and
'pocritcs
from no
elievers'
1 before
s saints
lie Holy
nen, but
- young
d duties
corpses
-s, were
ira was
3 invite
ut fear,
lat the
)n beds
' might
aired
ike use
lothing
aprons
o cure
len the
\y thai
2 corn-
prison
339
doors and brought them forth."* The next niornhu- the Anostle^
were found m the temple teaching the people. The hi., prtst h d
cScrt;cV:;tt';::^s''^r;d"hi"«''' '^'^ "r '^-''•^""-
the eharge made agaiL ' ^'^"^'"'^ '"^ -'"1—- boldly replied to
them, which so enraged
their judges that the Apos-
tles would have been put
to death; but, by the ad-
vice of one of the council
(Gamaliel), they were only
beaten, and commanded
not to speak in the nax.:e
of Jesus, and then set at
liberty. "And they de-
parted from the presence
of the council, rejoicing
that they were counted
w^orthy to suffer shame for
his \. .le. And daily in
the temple, and in every
house, they ceased not to
teach and preach Jesus
Christ." f
The Church now began
to be much persecuted.
The blood of the first
martyr, Stephen, had been
shed ; and Saul of Tarsus
was imprisoning all he
X^ ^"^ 'W^^
rilL; HIGH !;.iK;.r IX KOUKS.
could lay hands upon who would not der > thit Tosus .f v^ .u
wa. t^e Messiah. The believers were ^St^:]^^^.
they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of jXa and
21 L
♦Acts V. i8, 19.
t Acts V. 41,42.
340
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
Samaria, except tlie Apostles."-^' " Thercrorc tlicy that were scattered
abroad went i^veryvvhere preaching the word."f God brought good
out of evil, foi as the disciples were di.persed, so was the Gospel.
Among tliosc \\ho went to Samnria w.is Pliiilp — no! the Apostle of
that nanie, for he was with the other Aj}ostles at Jerusalem, but Philip
the deacon. About that time there was in Samaria a very wicked man
called Simon, better known us Simon Ma^/us or Simon the sorcerer,
who so bcwitclied the people with his diaboliccd arts that they believed
him to be a deity. But when Piiilip .appeared among them and
preached Jusus, and the Samaritans saw that unclean spirits obeyed
hii voice, and that those who were ahlicted with diseases were healed
by hhi\, tliey believed what he taught "concerning the kingdom of
God, a^'J the name of Jesus Christ: diey were baptized, both men and
women." J Simon Magus could not help believing like the rest, and
he was likewise baptized.
" When the Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria
had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might
receive the Holy Ghost. (For as yet he was fallen upon none of
them : only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then
laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And
when Simon saw that through laying on of the Apostles' hands the
Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying. Give me also
this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy
Ghost." § Simon's greedy eyes at once saw the rich harvest in store
for him, if he could only by laying on his hands endow men with mi-
raculous powers. What would not even the nobles and princes of the
land offer him for his services, besides the honor that would accrue
to himself! Yes, avarice and pride would be abundantly gratified if
Peter would sell him the gift of Go But Peter, with the greatest
indignatj:.' , refused him his reoi'est He felt the most thorough con-
tempt for ' ch a character, and, \i,uh i.is usual zeal, said, "Thy money
perish with thee, because thou has; thought that the gift of God may
♦ Acts nil. I.
f Acts viii. 4.
J ".''t?; viii. 12.
(Acts viii. 14-19.
SIMON PETER.
341
cattcrcd
ht good
Gospel.
)stle of
,t Philip
:cd man
iorccrcr,
relieved
jm and
obeyed
healed
dom of
len and
est, and
Samaria
.1 John:
Y might
lone of
Then
t. And
inds the
lie also
le Holy
in store
vith mi-
:s of the
accrue
tified if
greatest
gh con-
money
id mav
19.
oe purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this
matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of C^od."* Peter then
exhorted Simon to repent, who besought the Apostle to pray for him,
not that he (Simon) might repent, but that the judgment denounced
upon him might be averted. There is no further notice of Simon
Magus in the sacred writings, but ecclesiastical history speaks of him
as the father of all heresy. To the end of his days, he remained in
the bonds of iniquity. He was by birth a Samaritan, antl, travelling
into Egypt, there studied oriental philosophy. He returned to
Samaria, eminently skilled in medicine, astrology, and other abstruse
sciences. He made use of his knowledge to impose upon his country-
men. He was the bitterest
enemy to the Church. He -—'l-
allovved that Jesus was a divine
person, but not equal to himself
" I am," he says, in one of his
books, " the word of God ; I am
the beauty of God; I am the
Comforter; lam the Almighty;
I am the whole essence of God."
He taught the people not to
trouble about doing what are
called good works, and pretended
that men could not be saved unless they offered to God abominable
sacrifices. He is spoken of as the first of the false Christs our
Saviour prophesied should rise up.
Peter and John preached the gospel in Samaria, and then returned
to Jerusalem. But, before following them there, I am tempted to
linger witn Philip, and dwell upon one of the most interesting scenes
St. Luke has recorded in his Acts of the Apostles : " 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." f
♦Acts viii. 20, 21.
f Acts viii. 26, 27.
342 THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
** ' Twas silent all and dead.
Beside the barren sea,
Where Philip's steps were led,
Led by a voice from thee — .
He rose and went, nor ask'd thee why,
Nor stay'd to heave one faithless sigii."
"And, behold, 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." =»= Ethiopia, now Abys-
sinia and Nubia, was one of the great kingdoms of Africa, governed
at the time of which we are reading by a queen. Eor long the queens
of Ethiopia had been called Candace, as the kings of Egypt were
called Pharaoh, and the emperors of Rome, Cassar. Now, the treas-
urer of Candace had been converted to the Jewish faith, probably by
Jews from Alexandria. This pious nobleman allowed neither the
cares of his high office, nor the attractions of the court, nor the long
and tedious journey of many hundred miles, to prevent him going up
to Jerusalem to worship in its holy temple. Most probably, when
there, he heard of the crucifixion of our Saviour, and of the super-
natural occurrences which took place at his death. And he might
have listened to the preaching, and have witnessed some of the mim-
cles of the followers of him whom the priests, the scribes, and the
elders had crucified. We can imagine this Ethiopian lord, in his
chariot, entering Jerusalem, full of pious rapture at the sight of the
glorious temple, and we can imagine him leaving the city on his return
home, full of earnest thought about all he had heard and seen. The
greatest treasure he possessed, the holy Scriptures, he had with him in
his chariot. And as he rode, he "read Esaias the prophet. Then the
Sph-it said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And
Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias," f
The Ethiopian had approached the deserted Gaza, the forsaken city.
Perhaps, as he was journeying from Africa to Jerusalem, he had, when
passing the same spot, ordered his charioteer to stop, while he, with th©
♦ Acts viii. 27, 28.
t Acts viii. 28-30,
4fr*%
SIMON PETER.
343
sacred roll in his hand, climbed the mountain on which Gaza stood,
and rambled among the desolate ruins so full of scriptural associations.
But now, other thoughts filled his mind than those connected with the
once mighty city. Me was pondering over the words, " 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." ■'= God's ever watchful eye was upon the Hthiopian. He
saw the longing of his heart to know the truth, and satisfied it. Philip,
under divine guidance, overtook the chariot, and, hearing the eunuch
reading, said to him, " Undcrstandest 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." f The Ethio-
pian then asked the Hvangelist of whom the prophet spoke in the
passage quoted above, " 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 woiv 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, believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded th* chariot
to stand still : and they went down both into the water, both Philij:)
and the eunuch ; and he baptized him. And when they were come uj)
out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the
eunuch saw him no more: -u :ie went on his way rejoicing. But
Philip was found at Azotus." J The sudden and miraculous disap-
pearance of Philip would naturally confirm the faith of the new con-
vert, as it would show him that a messenger had indeed been sent by
God to instruct and baptize him. Rejoicing, he returned to Candace's
court, carrying with him that pearl of great price, with which all the
treasures entrusted to his care were not worthy to be compared. He
is not again mentioned in holy writ, but ecclesiastical history tells
us that in his own country he preached Jesus, and suffered death for
* Acts vii.i. 32, 33.
f Acts viii. 30, 31.
X }.ci^ viii. 34-40.
344
THE APOSTLES OP JESUS.
Fl-r'V''-^''''.fP''"''^^'""^ that the Church he established in
hthiopi . ll()uri-;hc(i for several ages.
^ With regard to Philip, after his miraculous removal from the Ethio-
If t-r r r "■'' '" "" ^••^^^^^^ility. he resided for the remainder
insnirl 'l ^T'^ '' " "'"^ ^^' '''' ^'^'"^^ ^'^^ ^^^•^^^'"^^''^ ^^^^^ his four
inspired daughters twenty-six years after he had baptized the Ethio-
To return to Peter. After he and John had preached the gospel in
many villages of the Samaritans they went back to Jerusalem II ith-
crto the number of the Apostles had been limited to twelve, ;>ut about
this time another was added to their company. Saul of Tarsus was
miraculously converted, and chosen by the Lord to be one of his Apos-
tics Then had the ch irches rest throughout all Judrea. and Galilee
and Samana, and were edified ; and walking in the fear ot the Lord'
and in the comfort of the Iloiy Ghost, were multiplied."t : ae crreat
reason why the believers were suffered by their persecutors to l„we a
ittlc peace was that political troubles at that time wholly (,.cupied
the mind of the Jewish nation, so that the followers of Christ cou'
meet together witaout molestation. During the calm Peter traveled
about visitmg the breth en, first in one place, and then in nnoth.r.
He came uown also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there
he found a certain man named /Eneas, which had kept his bed
eight years, ..la was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him
^meas, Jesus Christ maketh liiee whoL . anse. and make thy bed'
And he arose immediater % Are we to suppose that .4^neas had
never for the period r ,ip-bt years quitted his bed of suffering ? It is
very possible that it as .en so. Cases have occurred under our
own notice in which mvalids have lin., red for years in a hopeless
state of sickness, and have been scarcely .ble to endure the very
slightest movement, much less the removal from one couch '. , another
This might have been the sad condition of poor ^neas when Peter
tound him. No longer, however, was he to be a burden to his frienHc:
* Acts viii. 40.
fActs ix. 31.
tActsix. 32-34.
lished
in
le Ethio-
he came
:inaindcr
his four
e 11
o-
ospel in
Ilitii-
at about
sus was
is Apos-
Galilce,
e Lord,
le great
liave a
ccupied
t ecu
raveled
nothiT.
d there
lis bed
o him,
ly bed.
:as had
' It is
ler our
)peless
e very
lother.
Peter
iends :
I
SfM0}7 PETER.
345
Jesus Chnst maketh thee wliole." said the Apostle to him. and
then commanded hnn to arise and make his bed. The palsied limbs
which had so long lain useless became at once supple and full of vicror
.4ineas must make his bed to prove how complete was his cure, "and
H ' r-i M^^^'''?"'"^ •^^^••-•^ (^^haron) saw him, and turned to
the ord. - Not in the.r o^yn names did the Apostles work miracles,
but m the name of Jesus Chnst. Our Saviours divinity is shown by
the manner m which he performed miracles. He was the Lord of
nature and when nature hear<l his voice she obeyed him. " Peace, be
still, he said to the raging elements, ''and the uind cease.!, and there
was a great calm."t
"Be thou dean," he .- '^
^\'\ to the leper, "and ' ^
mmediately the lep- 1
losy departed from him,
and he was cleansed." J - .4
"Young man. I say
unto thee arise," he said
to the dead son of the
widow of Nain, "and
he that was dead sat up
and began to speak." §
"Come forth," he suid
to the putrefying corpse
of Lazarus, "uKl he that was .lead can,e forth, bo„n<I hand an.l foot
w,th gravc-c othos; || How different generally was the lan,ua..e of
atd t'^k * ■■ '," T "•""^' "' J*^"'^ ^'^"^' °f Nazareth ris'e ty
^ A. 21 '"''''• "J"'"' ^'""''' '"'•^'^'^^'l' *'-■'-■ whole," tt Pete,
a,d to the bed-r,dden ^neas. "Brother Sa 1, the Lord, ^ven Jesus
hat appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hati, sent me, tha
V.~hl"e'^ ■" ?•"!.' ""-■ ='Sh'."n said Ananias to the blind and
nuiiiDiea convert in Damascus.
JOPPA i.ROM TIIK EAST.
♦Acts ix. 35.
IJJohn xi. 44.
tMark iv. 39.
* * Acts iii. 6.
X MarK I. 42.
t \ Acts ix. 34.
§ Luke vii. 15.
J I Acts ix. 17.
3;6
I! I
i
if
I' -tit
#^4-
Hill
r//y^ APOSTLES OF JESUS.
About ten miics from Lydda was a town called Joppa. Here there
IV cd a disciple, a woman rich in ^ood works and noted for her charity
icrnam. was Tah.lha. which in Svriac means a gazelle, an animal
•^'na.kahlc for its beautiful eyes; indeed, the. .^•azellc or antelope was
rc^ranlcd a. the cnihl.m of beauty. Tabidia wis by th.- (ireeks called
Yj^as.i!:e.IatKrna::,c I \,,. the (Ireck f,r a gazelle. Whether or
nni ia.;,M.i or 1 )>Mvas was so luiued nn account of the beautv and
ri.AIXS OF aCRICHo.
bea utifu u-rr ," / """"' '-''>■• '"" "-^ ^"' '^"°- "'■•>' her life was
beautiful Ulule IVtcr was at Lydda this charitable uoman, whose
hicf en,ploymcnt api^ears to have bee,, to help the destitute, siekened
and died. With lovuig hands the eorpse was prepared for its burial,
^nd laid m an upper chamber, "and forasmuch as Lvdda was ni.rh to
Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sentlmto
him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them
SfXrn.W PETER.
crc there
r charity.
n animal
l()l)t' was
ks called
lethcr or
iut\- and
m
ife was
whose
:kcned
burial,
iigh to
it unto
them.
347
Ihen Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they
brou-ht Inm into the upper chamber: and all the widows stooil by
him weepm;<,and showin- the coats and garments which Dorcas made
while she was with thein."='= The clothes which the mourners showed
to the Apostle had doubtless been made by Dorcas for charitable
purposes. "Hut Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and
prayed ; and. turnui- hnn to the body, said, Tabitha, arise. And she
opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he uave
her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and
widows, he presented her alive." f On the boM.ni nf her Saviour
labitha had rested from her labors; tlicreforc it uas more for the
good of others than for her .)\mi. that she was roii.^ed fiXMii that peaceful
sleep. How v.uuld the l.;:-.icn-
K I . \ S 1
i.-Aiu:.\.
tatioii^ l\a^c, and t!;c wi.;u\v.>'
hearts nj..irc, \\\\ -x '\\; •;' i_ ,• ..
stoi-etl t(j life an 1 !i'.,ii;'i, .' I
her weej)ini;- hicii '.-, a> I'-jv rj-
entered the chaiii!;jr. Tiu ciica
of this nu'racle was tli;it niai:y
belic\-ed in the Lord.
IV'ter sta}ed some tiiric in
Joppa, and lod-ed with one Siaion a t:inner. So fu" the oospcl
had been preached to Jews only; no <,thers had been tau-dit or
invited to become disciples of Christ. Hut the time had now
arrived when he. who had appeared that he mi-ht be -the .dory
of his people Israel," should also be "a li^ht to lighten" the
(.entiles. J; It was unlawful for a Jew to have anythin- to do in
matters of religion with a Gentile or unclean person. The Jewish
prejudices were, however, to give ^^■^.y under the religion of that gospel
which was for Gentile as well as for Jew The first G^entile convert was
Cornelius, a centurion of the Roman army. He lived at Qe.sarea and
was a "devout man, and one that feared God with all his house which
gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in
18
'■^ Acts i.x. 38, 39.
I Acts ix. 40, 41.
I Luke ii. 32,
348
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
a v,s,on, evKlemly about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God
■ on M,g ,n to hnn, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he
boke on ln,n, he was afraid, and said. What is it, Lord ? And h sa d
before God ^''r"'' "'/""^ '"''"" ''"' ^"'"^ "1> ^r a memorial
before God, And no;v send men to Joppa, and eall for one Simon
w^,ose surname ,s Peter: he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, vZe
^ sc ,s by the sea-s,de: he shall tell thee what thou oughtes to do
Ami «hen the angel whieh spake unto Cornelius was departed he
^vtlv rd "r '-"-'-'",— '^.-d a devout soldier'oflem
tht unto d ] ^°'"'"7"y' -'^l -h- h^ had declared all these
'3 r ;"' ''"' "'"" '" J°PP^-"* Cornelius, who is sup-
posed to have been a men,ber of the great Roman family of the
Corneln, was one of a elass of persons ealled •• proselytes of the gate "
He was a eonvert from heathenism who had adopted the Hebrew
cted th r ; ":,' '°t"" '° ""■ ^°''"' '^"'- "' -- -' -- -
eiscd theiefore, though a x>orslnpper of the true God, he was, in the
eye of the Jew a Gentile. The Ethiopian eunueh w^s one o t",ose
-ho are called "proselytes of righteousness." He had not on y
en.braeed the Jewish faith, but had adopted its ceremon.es. n"w
although tornehus d.d not observe the ceremonies of the Jews he
evidently conformed to some of their customs. He observed their
hours of prayer, for ^ve read that ■• he prayed to God alway," which
u^ed'in H %T"^ J""'' '■""" °f '^">^^- ""^ "- word'hour
used n the B.ble, you must not understand what we call an hour that
js s.xty n,uu,tes. By an hour was ,neant any allotted portion of i
The Jews d.v.ded the day into greater and lesser hours. Of d^'
former there were four, nan.ely, the third hour, which was fron, six
0 clock m the ,norn,ng till nine; the sixth hour, which was from nine
till twelve ; the nnuh hour, which was from twelve till three in the after-
noon; the twelfth hour, which was from three till six in the evening
You ^^,u\ have observed these divisions of the day in our I ord^'
parab.e of f^e aborers in the vineyard, as recorded in the twentieth
chapter of St. Matthew. In that parable our Saviour called the last
* Acts X. 2-8.
S/AfOJV PETRR.
2l of God
when he
id he said
memorial
e Simon,
2r, whose
-St to do.
arted, he
of them
all these
i is sup-
/ of the
le gate."
Hebrew
circum-
s, in the
3f those
ot only
Now,
[ews, he
-d their
" which
lour, as
)iir, that
3f time.
Of the
om six
m nine
e after-
/ening.
Lord's
entieth
he last
349
hour the eleventh, to teach us that though God in his mercy accepts
laborers into his vineyard eleven hours of the day, yet he seldom calls
any at the twelfth, as that is the hour in wliich rather to discharg^i
servants than to admit new ones. The lesser hours were twelve in
number, and these were regulated by tlic time of the rising and setting
of the sun. In summer the hours would be longer than in the winter,
The night was divided into four greater hours or watches. The first
w a t c h w a s
from six till
nine o'clock
at night. The
second watch
was from nine
till twelve.
The third
watch, or
cock-crowing,
was from
twelve till
three in the
morning, and
the fourth or
m o r n i n <jf
watch was
from three till
six. "Arise,"
said Jeremiah,
"cry out in the night, in the beginning of the watches."* " If he
shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch," | said
our Saviour. "And about the fourth watch of the night he cometh
unto them, walking upon the sea." % These passages will suffice to
confirm what I have said. Our Lord alludes to all four watches in
the following verse: "Watch ye therefore: for yc know not when
EAS'ri'.KX SCKNKKY.
* I^am. li. 19.
\ fjiikc xii. .38.
X Mark vi. 48.
350
I, J
ii
4
THE APOSTLES OF /ESrZ
the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at cock-
crowmg-, or in the morning." *
Cornelius^ sent three messengers (who were doubtless worshippers
o the true God) to Peter. Their route lay through the lovely vale of
Sharon, which extended from tearea to Joppa, a distance of about
thirty miles. In this -.alley blossomed the beautiful rose, and the lily
of which Israel's king had sung. The messengers did not reach their
destination till near noon the next day. They must have rested for
the night in one of the many villages which studded the valley
Perhaps they might from time to time have stayed to listen to the
account of the miracles wrought by him to whom their master's mes-
sage was sent. Each stranger they met would be able to tell them
something about Jesus, ^vhose gospel the Apostle was preaching in
Joppa. And ere they neared the city, possibly the truth had dawned
upon their minds, that he who had died upon the cross in Jerusalem
and in whom all Sharon and Lydda believed, was indeed ///r/;- Saviour'
Peter, you have read, lodged, while staying at Joppa, with a tanner
a man who prepared the skins of animals for domestic use. The trade
of tanning was held in great abhorrence by the Jews, because those
who followed It had so constantly to come in contact with dead bodies
which rendered them ceremonially unclean. So infamous was the
occupation considered by the Jews, that if a tanner did not announce
Ills calling before his marriage the contract was void. Simon the
tenner of Joppa, was compelled to live at the sea-side, not only because
his business required a great quantity of water, but because the law
lorbade him carrying on his trade within the walls of the city It was
on the flat roof of the despised tanner's dwelling that P<^ter was pray-
ing when the messengers of Cornelius were drawing nigh to Joppa
As the Apostle prayed he " became very hungry, and would have
eaten : but while they made ready, he fell into 'a trance, and saw
heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had
been a 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
* Mark xiii.
35-
SIMON PETER.
35 »
beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a
voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and cat. But Peter said. Not so, Lord;
for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And
the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath
cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the
vessel was received up again into heaven." ^ There were in the vessel
pigs, hares, camels, swans, owls, vultures, storks, and many other crea-
tures which were called unclean, and there might have been many ani-
mals called clean, which the Jews as a rule were permitted to eat, for
the holy story tells us that the vessel contained "all manner of four-
footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls
of the air." But Peter would consider it unlawful to touch even them,
because they would have become unclean by their contact with unclean
animals. " Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which
he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cor-
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, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee
down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them." f
Peter went down to the messengers, who told him their errand, and
from whence they had come. Then Peter, with some of the brethren,
at once set off for Csesarea, and reached there the following day. In
the meantime the centurion had called together his kinsmen and
friends, and was anxiously waiting for the arrival of the Apostle.
"And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at
his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying. Stand
up ; I myself also am a man. And as he talked with him, he went
in, and 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 to come unto one of another nation : but God hath
shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean,
ihereiore came I unto you witliout gainsaying, as soon as I was
♦ Acts X. 10-16.
t Acts X. 17-20.
352
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
sent for: I ask therefore for what intent yc have sent for me > " *
Cornelius told Peter his vision. "Then Peter opened his mouth,
and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons :
but m every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness
IS accepted with hiui.-f The Apostle at once preached Jesus to
the devout centurion and all his household. And as he was declaring
unto them the way of salvation the Holy Ghost fell upon then^
and they began to speak with other tongues. The brethren who
had accompanied Peter from Joppa were greatly astonished to find
that the gift of the Holy Ghost was bestowed unon uncircumcised
Gentiles. Then I^eter said, "Can any man forbid water, that these
MOUNT EPHRAIM.
should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as
x,..ir .. „.. ■> And he commanded them to be baptized in the name
well
as we ?
ot the Lord. % Thus did Peter exercise the power of the keys §
given to him by the Lord Jesus, and opened the door of Christ's king-
dom to the Gentiles. The believers from Joppa could afterwards bear
witness to what had passed in the house of Cornelius, and were useful
as witnesses when Peter had to defend himself to the Apostles and
brethren in Judea for having eaten with uncircumcised men. After
* Acts X. 25-29. t Acts X. 34, 35. I Acts X 47 48
§ It is in_ consequence of our Lord having said to Peter, " I will give unto thee the keys of ,W
i^gtTl *" '' ^^^^''' '''"■ '^^' "'''' "'''' '^P°"'^ is generally represented in pictures carry-
fS££^.^
ssi^stirsisfmmim-iiaa
.«><P»>«»ttM»WMMr
'
SIMON PETER.
3S3
Peter had visited the newly-planted churches he went back to Jerusa-
lem. " Now about that time Herod the kin- 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. And when he had apprehended him he
put him in prison, and delivered him to four cjuaternions of soldiers
to keep him; intending- after Iiaster to brin- him forth to the people
Peter therefore was kept in prison : but prayer was made xvithout ceas-
ing of the Church unto God for Jiim. 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 fir.t 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 nassed on through
one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him."*
" Then all himself, all joy and calm.
Though for a while his hand forego,
Jus. as it touch'd, the martyr's palm,
He turns him to his task below."
He went first " to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose sur-
name was Mark, where many were gathered together praying And
as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken
named Rhoda. And 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
afhrmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel " f
'•' Acts xii. i-i
;(«
354
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
»?■ i:
^^-v
Herod, it seems, was determined to secure his intended victim,
Peter was not only imprisoned, but was fastened by two ciiains to two
soldiers, while two more soldiers guarded the door of his prison.
Four fresh soldiers were provided for each watch, but all in vain. In
the night, while Peter was sleeping, the angel of the Lord entered the
prison, awoke the captive, and raised him up. The chains fell off
from Peter's hands, and he was soon prepared to follow the heavenly
messenger. After passing the first and the second ward they came to
theironoutergateof the prison, which opened of its own accord and let
them pass into the city. When the angel had conducted Peter safely
through one street he left him. The lil)cr;ited Apostle at once went to
his friends. In the prison,
Peter, under sentence of death,
sle])t i)cacefully, but his anxious
fri; !k1s rested not. They met
in the bouse of Mary, the mother
c^f Mark the Iivan;,elist, and
liici-e ni,Jit and chi\- pra)-ed for
tiio captive Apostle. We are
Hut tcjjd who were Mary's
guests, but they were truly a
party of mourners, and many
of them were perhaps already
marked by their enemies for slaughter. No small praise is due
to the mother of xMark for opening her doors at such a time to
the persecuted flock, and sheltering them from the bloodhounds
of the tyrant. No idle threat they knew was Herod's. The head of
the dauntless and zealous James had fallen beneath the stroke of the
executioner, and Peter's hours they believed were numbered, if even
then he had not met with a cruel death. We can imagine how many
of the devoted band would start and turn pale, when, in the solemn
stillness of the night, a knocking was heard at the gate. How would
each with anxious eye gaze upon the maiden Rhoda when she ap-
peared to announce who was standing without ! " Peter ! " each would
exclaim. " It cannot be Peter." And when Rhoda assured them that
PETER liEI'WEEX 1 WO .SOLDIERS.
.,^.m,mmtmm.%mttimstim
SIMON PETER.
35$
victim,
s to two
prison,
lin. In
^red the
fell off
eavenly
came to
and let
:r safely
went to
prison,
f death,
anxious
ley met
mother
St, and
L)ed for
iVe are
Mary's
truly a
I many
already
is due
ime to
bounds
lead of
of the
if even
' many
iolemn
would
he ap-
would
m that
it was indeed Peter, they, believing that death alone had set the captive
free, said, " It must be his angel." It was an ancient opinion that every
good man had a guardian angel appointed him by God, to take spe-
cial care of him till his life's end ; to direct him in his way, to guard
him from danger, and to deliver him in distress. We know from the
Holy Scriptures that these heavenly beings haVe an interest in the
welfare of men, for Paul asks, "Are they not all ministering spirits,
sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation ? " =^- A
superstitious notion also prevailed among both Jews and Gentiles, that
on the death of a person his guardian angel often appeared to his
friends in the form
of the deceased. Not
long did the friends
of Peter remain in
doubt. " Peter con-
tinued knockintj: and
when the)' had opened
the door, and saw him,
thcv were astonished.
But he, beckoning un-
to them w ith the hand
to hold their peace, "W..,,^^^
declared unto them ^ m 'n i|iiiiiiiiiiwiiHiiiiii"iniH" ' jit
how the Lord had bethanv.
brought him out of
the prison." f Peter knew that as soon as Herod had discovered he
had escaped, he would search for him in every direction, so, for his
own safety, as well as for that of his friends, whose lives would be
endangered if they harbored him, he went away. The unfortunate
soldiers who had the charge of Peter in prison were by Herod's
command put to death for allowing their prisoner to escape.
We hear nothing of Peter for several years. We then find him
taking a icading part in the counci] of the Apostles, which was con-
'J^.:
'■.^^^>Mm*»'
* Heb. i. 14.
t Acis xii. 16, 17.
22 L,
I
'
355
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
vened for the purpose of discussing matters connected with the cere-
monial law. A full account of this important meeting you will find in
the life of James the Less. Nothing more can be gathered of the
history of Peter from the pen of St. Luke, but in the second chapter
of Paul's Epistle to the Galatians we find that Peter was with
Paul at Antioch, and there met with severe censure from the great
Apostle of the Gentiles. After Peter's vision of the vessel from heaven
filled with unclean beasts, he, knowing that the partition wall between
Jew and Gentile was broken down, ate and drank familiarly with the
Gentile converts wherever he met them. This he did at Antioch until
some Jewish brethren, sent by James the Less, Bishop of Jerusalem,
arrived at the Syrian capital. Peter, fearful of offending the new
comers, separated himself from the Gentile converts as though it were
unlawful to hold communion with them. This strange conduct pro-
duced many evils, and undid much that had been done. The Jewish
zealots were confirmed in their error, the Gentiles were filled with fear
and dissatisfaction, and the old feuds and prejudices between Jew and
Gentile were revived. All the Jewish converts in Antioch followed
Peter's example in their conduct toward the Gentile brethren, and even
Barnabas was led away to act in the same manner. Peter was indeed
much to blame, and Paul, as he tells the Galatians, " withstood him to
the face." * The word " withstood " in the original Greek is a military
term signifying to stand against, either by force of arms as among
soldiers, or by dint of argument as among disputants. It is a word
of defiance, and signifies an opposition, hand to hand and face to face,
not yielding a hair's-breadth to the adversary. No answer, it would
appear, did the humbled and doubtless penitent Apostle return. In
love was the rebuke given, and in love was it received. A iaw years
afterward, very shortly before his crucifixion, Peter in his second
epistle, when mentioning Paul, speaks of him as " our beloved brother
Paul." f We therefore are assured that no ill feeling was borne by
Peter toward his candid, courageous, and resolute reprover.
It is not known with certainty where Peter labored after he left
♦Gal. ij. II.
1 2 Peter iii. 15.
SIMON PETER.
357
left
Antioch, but as he addressed his first epistle " to the stran<^ers scat-
tered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia," *
it is supposed that he had journeyed into those countries. He wrote
from Babylon. This is generally understood to mean Rome, the
ancient Assyrian capital of that name being then deserted by men, and
a habitation only for wild beasts. Peter and John (the latter in the
Book of Revelation) gave to Rome the name of Haln Ion, figuratively
to signify that it would resemble Babylon in its idolatry, and in
its opposition to, and persecution of, the Churcii of (iod; and that,
like Babylon, it will be utterly
destroyed.
From Paul's words, " Have
we not power to lead about
a sister, a wife, as well as
other Apostles, and as the
brethren of the Lord, and
Cephas?"! it is believed that
Peters wife accompanied him
in his missionary journeys.
Clemens Alexandrinus, who
lived in the second century,
tells us that Peter's wife suf-
fered martyrdom, and that her
husband, seeing her on the way
to execution, rejoiced that she
was counted worthy of so great
an honor, and calling her by name he encouraged her, and " bade
her to be mindful of our Lord. Such," continues Clemens, "was
the wedlock of that blessed couple, and the perfect disposition and
agreement in those things that were dearest to them/' Clemens also
says that Peter had children; the name, however, of only one,
PetroniMa, is mentioned by early writers.
Peters two divine epistles are supposed to have been written, the
EASTERN VINEYARD.
* I Peter i. i.
1 1 Cor. ix. 5.
3S8
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
■'!. !
I
k. *
first in the year 64, and the second in the early part of the year 65.
In the first he eiicourai;es the Christian con\ crts to bear with fortitude
all the trials they would have to undi r^o, and excites them to the
practice of particular duties, and to beautify and adorn their holy pro-
fession by a holy and becoming conversation. In the second epistle
he confirms the doctrines and instructions he delivered in the first, and
cautions the Christians against false teachers, whose tenets and prac-
tices he largely describes, and he warns the believers to disregard
those profane scoffers who made or should make a mock of ChHst's
coming to judgment. Both of the epistles evidently show their divine
origin.
The time arrived when Peter was to follow Jesus. Calmly, as though
he were only about to take off his raiment for the night, he speaks of
his approaching death : " Knowing that shortly 1 must put off this my
tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed uk ." * Not in
the !:,a,.:ucd story must we look for any particulars of the death of
Pete? ;.>e}ond those foretold l)y our Savi( ur. It has been generally
believed, from the works of TertuUian, Origen, and other early Chris-
tian writers, that Peter suffered martyrdom at Rome about the year 65.
It was in the persecution against the followers of Jesus raised by that
monster of iniquity, Nero, that Peter was put to death. One cannot
read without shuddering of the cruelties inflicted by the tyrannical
emperor upon the Christians. But can we \\onder that he had no
mercy upon those who openly condemned his religion, when he had
no pity for those of his own creed, or even for his own flesh and blond ?
He put to death his mother and his brother-in-law, and murdered his
beautiful wife Octavia when she was only twenty years of age. His
second wife fared no better, for she fell a victim to his brutal violence.
Indeed, the wretched young man, who was but thirty years old when
he committed suicide, seemed only to delight in cruelty and every
vice. The holy Apostle was crucified, and, it is said, according to his
own request, with his head downward, as he did not consider himself
worthy to suffer in the same posture in which his Lord had suffered
* 2 Peter i. 14.
S/MOX PETER.
359
year 65.
fortitude
\\\ to the
oly pro-
1 epistle
irst, and
id prac-
isrc'^ard
Christ's
ir divine
thous/h
eaks of
this my
Not in
eath of
snerally
^ Chris-
^ear 65.
by that
cannot
■annical
had no
he had
blood ?
:red his
I. His
iolencc.
d when
I every
\ to his
limself
u fie red
}
before hitn. From our Saviour's predictions we must conclude that
Peter submitted to all tile degrading and horrible practices inflicted
upon cnminals who were doomed to the most JKHominious and cruel
death, that of the cross. It was the custom at Rome to put the necks
of those who were to be crucified into a yoke, and to stretch out their
hands and fasten them to die ends of it, and havin- tlius led them
SYMBOLIC UNION OF THE OI.l) AND NEW DISPENSATION.
through the city, they were carried out to be crucified. Fcr thirty years
or more had the Apostle been looking forward to this last short jour-
ney. How would he, when taking it, recall the words of Jesus " When
thou Shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall
g-ird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not."* Nature would
in
* John xxi. 18.
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360
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
shrink from the contemplation of the torture of the cross, but the
devoted mar yr would likewise recall other words of the Sav our
encouragmg h„n to faithfulness even unto death, and would poss.^,'
he assurance that the cro^v„ of life would soon he his. Anled a
vh P^f °f,^?'^^""°"' I"-- (filled with love and veneration for him
feanng not the pan, h,s enemies might inflict upon him) prayed i„
h,s deep humiliation that he might suffer in a still more agoL 1
posture than that in which his executioners would have plafed h m
His last reques ,vas granted. So died this great and good Apostle
His body was ouned in Rome, and we are told that over the spot
was built a small church. This has long since disappeared an Mn
ts place st:.nds the magnificent Romish cathedral, vvhich l,as f^^
beauty, brrome one of the wonders of the world
'.H'
ANCIENT JUDEAN KUlNb.
5, but the
Saviour,
I possess
nived at
for him
disc, and
)rayed in
gonizing
:ed him.
Apostle,
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ANDREW.
HAVE related the principal events in the life of
1 ^ter. I will now give you a short account of his
brother, Andrew. This Apostle was, before our
baviour began his ministry, a disciple of John the
Baptist. He was, as you are aware, the son of
poor parents, who were unable to give their chil-
dren the advantages of education. Andrew was a
fisherman, and found leisure to go into the wilder-
ness to hear John preach. He became not merely
a lis.entT to, but a companion of, and an attendant
upon, the Baptist. How may many of us blush when
Tne riV /'r^^-'""^"-' ^""'^y^^^^ -"-^— not an ea^
one. a life of hardship is that of a fisherman-often ni^^ht and dav
must he la or for his bread : and we know that the po f men on th'e
Vet some of them thought not of fatigue nor of danger but traveled
many a weary mile to hear the preacher in the wildernes Do a,l
tic Word of Lue? Alas! no. Though Gods messengers are nro
laiming the gospel almost at their very doors, businessrp eaTurf "
mdolence make them too often refuse to listen
How long Andrew had been a disciple of the Baptist before he saw
01 nis d sciplcs. one of whom was Andrew. We can picture to nnr
seh.s the Baptist, clothed in sackcloth, or. as the Biblfe^es it
having .<his raiment of camels hair,"t and his two companions." in the
*John i. 35.
363
fMatt. iii. 4.
lij
3^4
THd APOSTLES OF JESUS.
mean attire of poor fishermen, waiting for him whom prophets and
kmgs had long desired to see. The precise spot where they stood is
not known. It might haxe been where Joshua, the type of Jesus, more
than fourteen hundred years before, had led the Israelites over the
Jordan into the promised land ; and perhaps many of those who had
been hstenmg to John that day had, on their return home, to walk
over the very ground on which the ark of the covenant rested when
their ancestors marched to the gates of Jericho. Or it micrht have
been within sight of the Sea of Galilee, for John not only baptized
near Bethabara, but in all the region round about Jordan, and possibly
he and his disciples were contemplating the lovely lake so soon to be
hallowed by the presence, and rendered
famous by the mighty works, of Jesus.
Evening approached. The tops of the
mountains were tinged with the glow of
the settinfr sun. Can we not imagine a
scene of so much beauty being in unison
with their feelings, as John and his disciples
stood and waited for the appearance of the
Holy One? Jesus drew near, and, as he
passed them, John said, " Behold the Lamb
of God ! " =^— the Lamb so soon to be sacri-
ficed as an acceptable offering for the sins
. . . ^ ^ , °^ mankind. No sooner was the attention
of Andrew and the other disciple (supposed to be John) called to
Christ, than they left their master and followed Jesus, who turned
round and spoke to them, asking them whom they soui^ht " Thev
said unto him, Rabbi (which is to say, being interpreted." Masterl
where dwellest thou? He saith unto them. Come and see
Ihey came and saw where he dwelt and abode with him that
day; for it was about the tenth hour:"i that was two hours
before nigin. After his visit to Jesus, Andrews first act was to
seek out Peter, and tell him the joyful news, "We have found the
-■"U^
IN SACKCLOTH.
* John i. 36
tJohn i. 38, 39.
ANDREW.
hets and
stood is
ius, more
over the
who had
to walk
ed when
■ht have
baptized
possibly
Dn to be
endered
Jesus.
of the
^low of
agine a
unison
lisciples
i of the
, as he
: Lamb
e sacri-
he sins
tention
lied to
turned
" They
raster),
3 see.
n that
hours
vas to
id the
36s
Messias."* thus becoming the first preacher of the gospel. Not
content with this, he took Peter to Jesus. Every sincere Christian
must sympathize with Andrew, whose warm heart prompted him to
lose no time in letting his brother be a participator in his happiness.
Surely it is a blessed privilege to be the instrument of leading even
one soul to Christ. The brothers visited Jesus together, but only
remained with him for a brief space of time. They must earn their
hvmg by fishing a little longer, and so they returned to their home at
Capernaum. This occurred soon after our Lords temptation in the
wilderness, and not long before John was east into prison by Herod.
The Baptist's work was accomplished when a mightier than he had
come forth: and, having prepared the way for the Messiah, he must
shortly rest from his labors.
We hear no more of Andrew by name for a year, and then he and
his brother received the summons to follow Jesus. A full account of
the miraculous draught of fishes you will have read in Peter's life
It was Andrew's boat, as well as Peter's, which was honored by being
made the pulpit of the Saviour, when he preached to the people who
were on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. And Andrew received with
Peter, the promise, that if he forsook all, and followed Jesus, he should
become a fisher of men. Soon after this he was chosen as one of the
Apostles.
^ Only a icw times is Andrew mentioned individually in the Holy
Scriptures ; and yet, as one of the Apostles, a full account of him
would occupy a volume. Was he not on the Sea of Galilee when
there arose a great tempest, while Jesus, who was also in the ship, was
asleep? And did not Andrew, with the other disciples, awake 'him
exclaiming. "Lord, save us, we perish? "f You know they did not
appeal for help in vain. Did not Andrew, at the command of Jesus
go forth to preach the gospel and heal the sick ? And cannot we
nnagine his sorrow-stricken countenance, when he and the other
Apostles returned to Jesus, after the cruel execution of his former
master ? W^as he not present at the raising of Lazarus ; and did he
♦ John i. 41.
19
fMatt. viii. 15.
i^ THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
not shortly aftenvard stand, though "afar off,"* watching in bitte,
gr,ef the crucfix.on of hin. for whose sake, a few years later he cheer!
fully endured the
most cruel tor-
tures ? But, in-
deed, I have not
space in this book
to remind you of
one-half that An-
drew did and saw.
He is especially
mentioned in the
account of the
miracle of the
loaves and fishes,
as telling Jesus
^vhat provision
there was for the
multitude who
had followed them
into the wilder-
ness to hear the
Saviour preach
and to be cured of
their infirmities by
him. Afterward,
Andrew, with
Philip, told Jesus
that some Greeks
desired to see him.
The disciples seem
to have hesitated
"THERE WERE ALSO WOMEN LOOKING ON AFAR OFF."_Mark
XV. 40.
,u 4. .1 . to nave nesitated
about the propriety of taking these Greeks or foreigners to Jesus, for
*Luke xxiii. 49.
ANDREW.
3^7
il.
not idolatrous
ic feast), yet they were most likel
though they were
gone up to worship at .... ..a.^;, y^. uwcy ucc mosi uKely u
were called proselytes of the gate. Our Lord had forbidden his
Apostles to go into the coasts of the (ientiles. On this account,
probably, Philip and Andrew consulted Jesus before ushering the
Greeks into his presence. Jesus said to them, " The hour is come
that the Son of man should be glorified ; "=i^ or, in other words, he
would soon be manifested both to Jews and Gentiles.
When Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple, Andrew, with
Peter, James, and John, asked him privately, " Tell us, when shall
these things be, and what shall be the sign when all these things shall
be fulfilled ? "f Jesus replied that nation should rise against nation,
that there should be earthquakes, famines, pestilences, and fearful sights
and great signs. Did the four Apostles who (luestioned Jesus witness
the fulfillment of these predictions ? Not all. Andrew had sealed his
faith with his blood, it is supposed, before the heaviest judgments of
God descended upon the wretched Jews. Peter was crucifi'ed, as you
know, by Nero. This wicked emperor committed suicide before Titus
Vespasian entered Judea with his army. James survived our Saviour
only fourteen years ; but John not only lived till the destruction of
the temple, but thirty years afterward. He was pa hably, at the time
when Jerusalem was besieged, residing at liphesus. Deeply would
he mourn over the fearful sufferings of his fellow-countrymen, although
he knew they had, by their rejection and crucifixion of Christ, brouglit
all the calamities upon themselves. Can we not imagine one terror-
stricken Christian after another arriving at Ilphesus, each brin-inu
accounts more harrowing than the last. \'ews traveled comparatively
slowly in those days, but too soon would the Apostle hear that the
Romans were at the gates of Jerusalem, and that the inhabitants uere
suffering from sedition, famine, and pestilence; that the Jews who
escaped out of the city were caught by their enemies, and were
crucified outside the walls in such multitudes that wood enough could
not be found for crosses (fearful retribution for having crucified the
* John xii. 23,
t Mark xiii. 4.
368
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
Lord of Kloryl); that mothers, according to tlie prediction of Moses*
many hunchec years before, were rendered so desperate by famine that
they devoured their own children ; that in one night two thousand
Jcu ,sh deserters were cut open by the Syrians, who suspected that they
1; dr I I'"'' "m ' r ^ ',"'■•■'"' °^ "''"^'y'^S '•' away; and that six
come the fearful news of the burning of the temple, and that all who
had taken refuge m ,t fell victhns to the flames, or were slaughtered
fallen and the Romans were m full possession, slaying all they n,et
and burnmg the houses, and that the streets ran so with gore that the
hrcs of the burning buildings were, in many places, quenched with
men s blood. But the heart sickens at the mere recital ol such hormr
vtorUrt' ™' ""*"'^'""" '"'^' '^ ™^ "ot ^ince the beginning of the
To return to Andrew. After the ascension of our blessed Lord
which Andrew with the rest of the Apostles ^v•itnessed, his name only
occurs once more m the holy writings, ^vhen he is sin,ply mentioned
as being m the up,,er room in Jerusalem, uhere he and others assem-
bled for prayer and supplication. After this ^ve only know what hap-
pened to h„n as one of the twelve; and fron> the period when the
Apostles dispersed we kno^v absolutely nothing of him that is of
divme authority. The conmiission the Apostles received from their
great Master was to go into all the ^vorld and preach the uosnel It
was generally believed by the early Church that the Apostles agreed
betwec-n thcm,selves, under the special guidance and direction of th,.
Ho y Ghost, which parts of the world each should take. Andrew it is
said, preachcxl to the inhabitants of Sebastopol ; and Nieeph'orus,
patriarch of Constantinople, tells us he founded a church in that city
then called Byzantium. An early writer says, it was at a place called
Ratra;, a city of Greece, that his labors ended. A great man, named
^geas, came to l>atr;e, where St. Aiulre>v ,vas teaching the people
^geas, who was the proconsul of Achaia, was an idolater, and he was
♦Deut. xxviii. 56, 57.
fMatt. xxiv. 21.
ANDRKW.
;nra<,^C(l to find that multitudes had bi
.^69
rtcd from hcathc
c^
jii conv'i
to Christianity. He tcld Andrew that if he would not sacrifice to the
.-■ods. he should suffer death upon the cross. Andrew refused, and
was put mto prison. The people were so indignant that they would
have released him, but the Apostle begned them not to prevent him
I obtaining the crown of martyrdom. The next day /Egeas condemned
him to death. Andrew, it would appear, had cured the wife and
brother of ^geas of dreadful diseases, and had been the instrument,
m God's hands, of converting them to the faith of Christ. This made
/Egeas more angry with Andrew, and he ordered him to be scourged
by seven men, who, in turns, whipped his naked body. This torture
he bore without a murmur. The proconsul then commanded that he
should be tied to a cross— not nailed— that his death mi-ht be more
hngermg and tedious. The cross on which
he suffered was in the form of the letter X.
A cross in this form is called " St. Andrew's
cross." The martyr was composed and
cheerful. When he saw the cross in the
distance, as he was being led to execution,
he exclaimed, " O cross, most welcome and
long-looked for; with a willing mind, joy-
fully and desirously I cou..- to thee, being the scholar of him who
did hang on thee: because I have been always thy lover, and have
coveted to embrace thee."* The people were so struck with his forti-
tude that they cried out he was an innocent and good man, and un-
justly condemned to die. He hung on the cross two days, instructing
the people all the time, and then fell asleep in Jesus. His body Vvas
taken from the cross and embalmed, and was then buried with honor
by, or at the expense of, a lady named Maximilla. When a corpse
was embalmed, it was filled with spices and perfumes, called aromatics,
which prevented it from going to decay, and caused the most fragrant
exhalation to issue at times from the tomb. Jerome tells us that An-
drew s body vVas afterward taken to Constantinople by the Emperor
FORMS OK CROSSES.
* Vid€ Foxe's "Acts and Monuments."
M
370
T//£ APOSTUiS OF J/SSC/S.
Constantinc, who was a Christian. lie buried it in a church he had
built in honor of the Apostles.
In the union flai^ of Hnj-Iand, Irehind, and Scotland, the last-named
kinj^nloni is represented by the cross of St. Andrew, he haviiiL^ been
in Romish times, regarded as Scotland's patron saint.
TIIORN-CROWNED CHRIST.
he had
■named
C been.
JAMBS, THE GRKAT.
HO docs not long to go to Palestine, and
tread the ground hallowed by the footsteps
of Jesus ? Surely no part of the Holy
Lan'V Bethlehem and Calvary excepted, is
moiv interesting than the Sea of Galilee!*
It is the same beautiful lake it was when
our blessed Lord frequented its shores, and
when those poor fishermen, but great Apos-
tles, you are reading about, cast their nets
into its waters. You have heard how two
of those Apostles received the crown of
martyrdom. James did not follow Peter and
Andrew to the martyr's tomb, but went before them. He was,
the Evangelists tells us, the son of Zebedee and Salome. He was
born in Galilee; in what part is not exactly known. But as Peter
and Andrew, James and John were partners in business, they all prob-
ably belonged to the same city, Bethsaida. James, the son of Zebedee,
is frequently called "James the Great." Perhaps this title was given
him because he was much older than the other Apostle of the same
name, who is often styled "James the Lees."
Zebedee, though a fisherman, was not very poor, for when Jesus
called James and John to follow him, they left their father Zebedee in
the ship " with the hired servants."! The Jews say that Zebedee had
many servants, but be that as it may, whatever were the brothers'
worldly prospects, they, like Peter and Andrew, forsook all to become
the disciples of Jesus. Happy are those who are able and willing to
♦ In the Hebrew language all lakes are called seas.
. 373
f Mark i. 20
!L.._
374
TH£ APOSTLES OF JESUS.
m
■"flSSS
J
give up al that hinders them from walking in the path whither Tcsus
would lead them! What faith these fishermen had in the Saviour!
1 hey did not stay to ask him any questions as to how they were to live •
what dangers and diffieulties they would meet with ; or what duties
at home they ought rather to attend to. With them it was simnlv-
Jesus ealls, and we obey the call. Zebedee was too old to oo, but he
did not stand in the way of his sons' departure; and their mother
we know, was a believer in Jesus.
Some months after his call, James was promoted to the position of
an Apostle, with power to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the
dead, and cast out
devils. He was one
of the peculiar favor-
ites of our Lord, be-
ing often, like Peter
and John, allowed to
remain with him
when the other
Apostles were ex-
cluded. He was
present at the rais-
ing of the daughter
of Jairus, and at the
transfiguration, and
, r ^ , ^^''^^ '^^■^t'l Jt^sus in the
garden of Gethsemane. The Saviour gave him and his brother
John the name of Boanerges, or the sons of thunder. He knew
that their zeal would be so great, that, fearing notliino-, they
would, as It were, thunder the gospel into men's ears, startlin- and
arousing all who heard them. Some have thought that the ^name
Boanerges was given them because they wished to call down fire
from heaven upon the Samaritans for not receiving Jesus When we
read this incident in the lives of these brothers, we must admire their
zeal and devotion to the Saviour, which made them feel such indigna-
tion at the want of respect shown to him. Jesus, however, reproved
BETHLEHEM.
her Jesus
Saviour I
re to live;
hat duties
simply —
i'o, but he
" mother,
)sition of
raise the
cast out
was one
iar favor-
^ord, be-
ke Peter
lowed to
t h hi m
other
ere ex-
e \v a s
:he rais-
laughtcr
d at the
)n, and
us in the
brother
e knew
g, the)
ing- and
e name
wn fire
1ien we
re their
idigna-
;proved
/AA/BS, THE GREAT. 375
them. Love anc' forbearance were what he taught, not revenge.
Elijah had indeed called down fire from heaven, but it was to save
his life ; the Apostles were only led by human passion, and knew not
what spirit they were of. Jesus told them he had come to save men's
lives, not to destroy them.
It was soon after Jesus had informed his disciples of his approach-
ing death and resurrection that Salome, the mother of James and
John, knowing that our Lord had promised to his Apostles that they
should sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, came
to him and made this request, "Grant that these my two sons may sit,
the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom."*
She thought Jesus would shortly reign as a king on earth, and was
anxious to secure the places nearest his throne for her sons. Our
Lord told her that she had mistaken the nature of his kingdom,
which was a heavenly, not an earthly one ; and the most honorable
places in it were not his to give, but they would be given to those for
whom they were prepared by his Father. As a mere man, or medi-
ator, Jesus could not promise his disciples places in heaven, but as
God he could; for at one time he said, "/appoint unto you a king-
dom ; "f " /give unto them eternal life."]; When the other Apostles
heard of Salome's request, they were very indignant. Jesus, however,
called them unto him, and told them that, if they wished to be great
and honorable, there must be no strife or selfishness among them, but
they were to be meek and lowly, and ever willing to minister to the
wants of others ; to be ready to drink the cup of sorrow he drank of,
and in all things to follow the example he set them of humility, love,'
and patience.
After the transfiguration on the mount, and the scene inGethscmane,
we hear but little more of James individually in the Bible. He was
one of the congregation of the faithful who assembled in Jerusalem
after the ascension, and from that time his name does not occur in the
Scriptures, until his death is recorded by St. Luke ; though, for the
fourteen years he lived after his divine Master had ascended into
*Matt. XX. 21.
2S I4
f Luke xxii. 29.
t John X. 28.
3/6
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
h'
'■\
I It i
'i .
heaven he labored indefatigably as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus On
h.m a cloven tongue of fire sat on the day .of IVnteeost.and hespoke
with other tongues as the Spirit gave hin, utterance, and many wonders
and s,gns were done by him. He was, ^vilh the other Apostles, im-
prisoned by the high priest and the Sadducecs, but the Lord was his
keeper .and m the night the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors
and set i„m and hrs eo.npanions free. No fear had the son of thunder
Oft e ternble Sanhcdrun and its instruments of to, ttue and death,
but he re:,o,ced that he w.is counted -vorthy to sufier for Christ's sake
JERUSALEM.
Though the rch-gion of Jesus spread rapidly, there were still in Teru-
salem multitudes of Jews who would o-ladly have seen the whole body
of believers extenuinated. The kino- of the Jews at that time was
Herod Agnppa the iMVst. He was the grandson of Herod the Great
vvho slew the uinocents, and being a favorite with the Emperor Clau-
dius, he was made king of Judea, Samaria, and Abilene. He was a
zealous supporter of the Jewish law, and a stanch upholder of the
rites and institutions of his country. Being withal a cruel and ambi-
tious prince, he was very willing to please the majority of his subjects
Jesus. On
J he spoke
ly wonders
ostles, im-
rtl was his
son doors,
:)f thunder
uid death,
ist's sake.
^*i
-^
in Jeru-
ole body
ime was
le Great,
3r Clau-
e was a
r of the
d ambi-
subjects
JAMES, THE GREAT. 37,
by harassing the Christians. In the persecution raised by him against
the followers of Christ, the holy Apostle James, the zealous and earnest
preacher, was called upon to drink his share of the bitter cup Christ
had drunk before h'"m. The prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled, "Ye
shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism' that I
am baptized with." * The following is the short account St. Luke gives
us of the death of the first Apostolic martyr :— " 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." f In the
history of the early Church we learn a few more particulars. Clemens
Ale.xandrinus says that as James was being led to the place of execu-
tion, the soldier who had accused him before the tribunal was so struck
with the courage and constancy displayed by the Apostle, that he fell
at his feet and implored forgiveness for what he had said against him.
James raised him up, and embracing him, said, " Peace, my son, peace
be to thee, and the pardon of thy faults." The soldier publicly pro-
fessed himself to be a Christian. He was immediately condemned to
death, and was beheaded with the Apostle.
Not for James the martyr would the band of believers weep, but for
themselves. He was safe with Jesus, they had yet to pass through
the fire which was fast kindling around them. In the Church there
was mourning. The Jews were pleased, and the politic king "pro-
ceeded further to take Peter also. Then were the days of unleavened
bread." j- The mighty zealot of the IVIosaic law, the observer of all
legal ceremonies, he who was never absent from the daily sacrifice,
knew that it was unlawful at that season to put any one to death, so
he had Peter imprisoned in chains, intending after Easter to bring
him forth, doubtless with the design of further pleasing the Jews by
beheading him as he had done James. His rage was great when he
found Peter had escaped out of his hands, and he had no mercy upon
the unfortunate soldiers who guarded the prison. Shortly afterward
Herod went to Ca^sarea, not to trouble himself about the Christians,
but to make war against the Tyrians and Sidonians. His mind being
* Matt. XX. 23.
f Acts xii. I, 2.
J Acts xii. 3.
378
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
:|! i
fully occupied with the cares of state, schemes of worldly ambition
and legal ceremonies, Herod probably scarcely bestowed a passing
thought upon the miseries he had brought upon the followers of Jesus
But God heard the cry of his chosen ones, and his avenging hand
soon fell upon their persecutor. The Tyrians and Sidonians, know-
ing that It would be greatly against their interest to be at war with
Herod, desired peace, so they « made Blastus, the king's chamberlain
their friend,"* probably by bribery. Herod was persuaded to give
them an audience. In the morning, he entered the theater magnifi-
cently attired in a robe of cloth,
woven with silver, and having
ascended a throne he made an
oration to the people. The
rays of the morning sun, dart-
ing upon his shining dress,
caused it to be so dazzlingly
bright that " 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." f
He was carried to his palace
HEROD RECEIVING SUPPLICANTS.
by his attendants, where, after enduring the most racking torture for
hve days, he died.
Enraptured by the glorious prospect before him, the blessed martyr
James, would scarce feel the stroke of the executioner which hurried
his happy spirit to paradise. Slowly, as if to prove how utterly
worthless wealth and rank are in the hour of suffering and death the
wretched Herod sank into hell. " Let me die the death of the riUt-
eousI"J ^
It is remarkable that the Herod who slew the infants of Bethlehem
i
♦ Acts xil. 20.
fActsxii. 22, 23.
X Num. xxiii. 10.
JAMES, THE GREAT.
370
y ambition,
1 a passing
srs of Jesus,
iging hand
ians, know-
at war vvitli
bamberlain,
ed to give
sr magnifi-
'be of cloth,
ind having
le made an
3ple. The
; sun, dart-
ling dress,
dazzlingly
»ple gave a
the voice
of a man.
e angel of
n, because
the glory :
worms."!
his palace
torture for
sd martyr,
:h hurried
•w utterly
death, the
the right-
Jethlehem
and the coasts thereof died, very shortly after that barbarous act of
cruelty, of a disease very similar to that which attacked his grandson
in the theater of Caesarea. A short sketch of the life of Herod the
Great, though not immediately connected with our subject, must be
so interesting that I cannot refrain from giving it. When Herod was
made king of the Jews, the beautiful though wicked Cleopatra, queen
of Egypt, was in the height of her power, and Herod was not a little
mixed up with her affairs, although she failed in her attempts to capti-
vate him. It was about the year 37 b.c. that Herod ascended the
throne of Judea, and from that time till his death domestic crimes and
troubles formed a great portion of his history. He had a very beauti-
ful and noble-minded wife, named Mariamne, whom he loved most
ardently ; but his happiness with her was of short duration, for, hav-
ing three years after his marriage willfully caused her brother, Aristo-
bulus, a very handsome young man, to be drowned while bathing, all
her love for Herod turned to indignation and loathing. She upbraided
her husband with the murder of her beloved brother, and refused to
be reconciled to him. Herod became angry, but his love for Mari-
amne was so great that he could not long bear any resentment
toward her. She, however, had a bitter enemy in Salome, Herod's
sister, who did all she could to procure her destruction. Salome
accused the innocent Mariamne of the worst crimes, and succeeded
in bringing her victim before judges who were resolved upon con-
demning her. Mariamne was executed, meeting her fate with heroic
firmness. No sooner was she dead than all Herod's ardent love for her
returned, and he was seized with the most violent remorse for having
caused her death. His agony of mind was so great that it seemed as
if divine vengeance had fallen upon him. Frequently would he call
for her and loudly lament her loss. He sought to divert his mind in
feasts and assemblies, but to no purpose, and he would desire his ser-
vants to call for their late royal mistress as if she were still alive and
could hear them. At length he ceased to give any attention to public
affairs. About that time a pestilential disease carried off the greatei
part of the people, and many of his best and most esteemed friends
were among the victims, and all men suspected that this calamity had
'(
I j
380
been brounfht
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
thci
Miriamn." »PO" them by the anger of God for the murder of
s:r%r';r.' r --p^-^-- donned t^,:;.r,tr;,::
mcatcr. ihe plot, however, was discovered md H<.r^ 1 r 1
«ona, oru„ ,.M,', 1 I ,'» "» ™P«'«i™cl.ro ,ho„ ,„„
* Luke xxi. 5.
fActsiii. ^,
■iMiu.'i. juongg^sBaittMi
JAMES, r/fli GREAT.
381
murder of
he retired
Contrary to
"cd, but his
e mask of
Jews were
lim in the
found it
rebelhon.
converted
name of
m by dif-
unate, but
^ Jews at
coneih'ate
e greatest
iand men
^ul edifice
liere were
ng, more
Ics speak
doors of
red veils
^ golden
There
d silver.
5sed the
and was
3ng the
old and
itiful,"f
1. The
latej of
gold, so that when the sun rose ui)c)n it, it reflected such a dazzling
luster that the eye of the spectator could not bear its radiance. But it
is quite impossible for me to enter into a minute description of this
magnificent and immense work of art. Though Ilerod was said to
have finished the temple, yet the Jews continued to add to its splendor
many years after that monarch's death, which explains what the Jews
said to Jesus, " Forty and six years was this temple in building, and
wilt thou rear it up in three days ? " *
While the temple was in course of erection, Herod's domestic
troubles increased rather than diminished. His two sons, Alexander
and Aristobulus, inherited the lofty spirit of their mother, Mariamne,
and no doubt they often felt bit-
terly toward their father for the
share he had in their mother's death.
Their wicked aunt, Salome, hated
them as she had done her sister-
in-law, and did all she could to
incense Herod against them. At
last they were by Herod's orders
strangled in prison. They were
both married men. The younger,
Aristobulus, was the grandfather
of Drusilla and Bernice, who are
mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as being at C^esarea when Paul
was a prisoner there. Another of his sons Herod ordered to be led
to execution when he himself was dying, but this son richly deserved
his punishment. The miserable king had entered upon the last year
of his life when our Saviour was born. " Now when Jesus was born
in Pjcthlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there
came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that
is born King of the Jews ? for we have seen his star in the east, and
are come lo worship him. When Herod the king had heard these
things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he
CDLMRV AROUND S.AMARIA.
John ii.
20,
W I
382
IE]
r//£ APOSTLhS OF JESUS.
had ^rathcred all the chief priests and scribes of th
he d
c people together,
cKuulod Of them where Christ should be born. And they said'
_ linn, In Hethlehcm of Judea: for thus it is u.ri»„n L .,...
prophet, Anil thou Bethlehem, in the lami of'jud
anion;,' the princes of Juda : for out of
us It IS written by the
a, art not the least
that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod
thee shall come a Gov
ernor.
called the wise me
n, m
when he had privily
a„„en-,.l A , M TT'^ °' """" ''"iK™tly what time the star
a peaied. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search
chhgently for the young child; and when ye have found him biw
mc word agani, that I may come and worship him also."* oh how
.ke the treacherous Herod I He who could sport with his broth^-r-in-
lavv after ho had made all the arrangements for his murder, and could
persuade the unsuspecting youth to plunge into the water and swim
mt n rrr'^ "V7' r'""^' '° *°^™ ''™' »"'! '^°"'J afterward
etend to be overwhelmed with grief at the untimely death of Aristo-
bu us ^^■ould find no difficulty in professing to the sages of the east
a x.cty to ^vorsh,p the mfant Saviour. Well might Jesus have called
im a fox, as he did his son, Herod Antipas. How Joseph and Mary
escaped w,th the babe into Egypt, and remained there until the death
tolT\T "'^'''" ^'""^^ ^^"^^ >"= =^^^ «>^t he was
mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and
lew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts
thereo , front tv,o years old and under, according to the time which he
had diligently inquired of the wise men." f If ,ve did not know that
everything related ,n the Bible is true, we should doubt the pos t
b.l.ty of a civilized n.an being guilty of such atrocity, which remains
an "npa'-al eled instance of cruelty, if one of the last acts of the
^vre ched Herod were not equal to it. Not long after the murder
of the innocents, Herod was seized with a dreadful disorder, which
caused the most excruciating agony-worms fed upon him, and his
breath became so loathsome that no one «*o could avoid it ver'ured
near hini. The more he suffered the fiercer he grew, and a few davs
before his death, leeling that his end was near, he sent for all the pri'nl
* Matt. ii. 1-3.
fMatt. ii. 16.
James, the great.
383
toj^rethcr,
they said
n by the
the least
Governor,
d ])rivily
the star
id search
m, bring
Oh, how
3ther-in-
id could
nd swim
fterward
f Aristo-
the cast
e called
id Mary
le death
he was
th, and
: coasts
hich he
ow that
: possi-
emains
of the
murder
which
nd his
ntured
N days
e prin-
cipal men of the Jewish nation wherever they lived. Under pain of
death they weie to obey the summons. A great number accordingly
assembled at Jericho, where Ilerod was then staying, and were imme-
diately, by the king's command, shut up in the hippodrome. Herod
then sent for his sister, Salome, and told her that, as he knew his death
would be the cause of great rejoicing, he was determined that it shou!"*
be also the cause of great mourning. Me therefore onlered her that
she should, as soon as he had breathed his last, have all the nobles
who were confined in the hippodrome shot with darts, and then there
would be greater mourning at his funeral than had ever been heard of
at the funeral of any king before him. This barbarous order was given
only five days before he died. One ineffectual attempt he made to
commit suicide, and shortly after expired. Such was the end of Ilerod
the Great. Alas for human greatness I He was carried to his sepulcher
on a golden bier, which was inlaid with precious stones and covered
with purple. On his head was placed a diadem, and above it a crown
of gold. His mortal remains were thus, with all the pomp of royalty
carried to their last resting-place, but whither had fled his black and
guilty soul ?
I must not omit to say that Salome did not obey Herod's orders, for
she, as soon as he was dead, set all the nobles who were confined in
the hippodrome at liberty.
Whether or not devout men, as in the case of the first martyr,
Stephen, were permitted to carry the Apostle James to his burial, we
know not. The stranger who visits Jerusalem is shown a slab upon
which, it is said, St. James laid his head when he was about to receive
the stroke of the executioner. But if we only reflect a little, we can
scarcely suppose that the poor persecuted Christians could have pre-
served this memorial of the murdered Apostle ; or if they did for a
few years, how could they, after Jerusalem had been razed to the
ground, and presented to the beholder only a confused mass of ruins,
say on what particular stone James had been beheaded ?
It is more than probable that James the Great never preached the
gospel out of the Holy Land, though the Spaniards say that he visited
Spain. They regard him as their patron saint, and represent him in
J.S4
THE APOSTLES OF JliSUS
stir;,? '^- ^YT' "" """^^-^ ''^'"^' ^'""'1-' with ccalop
c-H to s'7' ""■" "' t™" "'^^•-- '■""'"■"• ■""' -"ty cinn-chcs cledi-
cscalop
ic Order
L's (Iccli-
t. James
fs'\
Eal
hi [)■
FJ
I if i '^
'I'- J
fi;
! ; i ii
III
,11
f
I
I
ii
i
■aiFMi"'.i.iic;aaii;
PHILIP.
OE unto thcc, Chorazin ! woe unto thoe,
Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had
been done in Tyre and Sidon which have
been done in you, they had a great while
ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and
Sidon at the judgment than for you."*
How must three at least of Christ's listeners
have trembled when they heard this den\jn-
ciation from the lii)S of one who never
spake but the truth I Peter and Andrew
were, as you know, born in Bethsaida ; and St
John tells us that " Philip was of IJethsaida, the city of
Andrew and Peter." j- Doubtless all these Apostles had rela-
tions and friends near and dear to them in the doomed city —
relations and friends whom they had, perhaps w ilh tears, attempted
to lead to Christ, but who had refused to listen, and continued
hardened and impenitent. Capernaum was also included in the
anathema of our Saviour. "And thou, Capernaum, which art
exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down 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 in the day of
judgment than for thee."]; How literally all that Christ foretold has
come to pass! Bethsaida was then a rich and populous city — now
five or six poor cottages, part of a large cistern, the ruins of a church,
*I-.uke X. 13, 14.
•j-Jolui i. 44.
i^7
I Malt. xi. 23, 24.
388
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS
\m.
brother to Jesus.
" The day follow-
ing Jesus would
go forth into Gali-
lee, and findeth
Philip, and saith
unto him, Follow
me."* So Philip
was the first
chosen of the
Apostles; for
though Peter and
Andrew had con-
versed with Jesus
before Philip had
seen him, yet they
were not invited
SUPPOSED RUINS OF CAPERNAUM.
to follow our Saviour till some months afterwnrd Ti '""^'^^^
f on given as to how it was thaT PI il 1 1. x ? '' "° "^P^^"^"
lowed him, excepting thrh. r ^l "'" °^'>^"^ J^^"^ ^"^ fol-
"^ ^^^- ^ 1""P tioes not seem for
♦John i. 43.
tJohn i. 44.
PHILIP.
335
one moment to have hesitated about what he should do, or to have
questioned who it was who called him. No sooner was he elected
than he began his labor of love. He "findeth Nnthanael, and saith
unto him, We have found him of whom Moses m the law, and the
prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." * It is
evident from this passage that Philip was well acquainted with the
writings of Moses and the prophets; and it has been further state ' by
ancient writers that he had received an excellent education. Some
months after his call to the disciplcship, he was promoted to the
dignity of an Apostle. His name does not frequently occur in the
holy writings.
Before our Saviour fed the multitude in the wilderness, he said to
Philip, "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this
he said to prove him," f or try his faith. " Philip answered him. Two
hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one
of them may take a little."J" It was no small quantity of bread that
Philip named as being insufficient to distribute even sparingly among
the company. A Roman penny, considered as equal to fifteen cents
of our money, would make their two hundred pence equal to about
thirty dollars with us. Besides, bread is now fully ten times dearer
than it was then, so that in reality, according to our present ideas,
Philip remarked that over three hundred dollars' worth of bread
would not be sufficient for each to have a little. What a vast
multitude there must have been! How many persons we do not know.
There were five thousand men, but we are not told how many women
and children. Every circumstance connected with this miracle is
deeply interesting. John the Baptist had shortly before been beheaded
in the Castle of Macherus, which was not far from Bethabara. His
faithful disciples (some of them now Apostles of Jesus) were near the
scene of his execution, and took up his body and buried it, no doubt
at great personal risk. Who can but admire the courage and devotion
of these good men, for they had reason to fear that the malice of
Herodias would not be confined to John, but would be also extended
*John i. 45.
tJohn vi. 5, 6.
J John vi. 7.
390
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
\l. \
? H
hLlcL-a'S Sf "vv: T,'"" ^'"™^^^"' ""'^ P-f--'^ they
Apostles l,ad been sent out, two a,,d two bv I J '"^"''- '^^''^
heal the siel<, and ca.t out deWls P m'J.-^ "' " ""Tt "'^ 8"°^P'=''
and John to the neighborhood oZ^^^TT'^\''^'^''''''''
ne,^lected not the work lesus had ,rL.„ , . ' '° "''■"■ '^'"''^ '^ey
same time visit spots dear .1 1*^ " '° ''°' "'^'y ^""'''"t the
">.nist.y. Their lib! cu , to n atr^^'l ":'"' "'^ ^^»"^''=
belove.l n,aster was put to del .nd f7 ,'°"''""°"- ''"'^^'^ '^te
inj,' to Jesus to tell hi „ the sad t^" m"^ , "° "'"' '" '''''■^'™-
have to travel before thev .„■ ^' u !"^ '■" '°"° ""'^ ^™"W they
every journey h.t^:re Snf:rv:?L'„:'r'""-°^^'"'"^^'- ''"'
where their Lord was All th ■ 11^ . "■ ^ ''""'"^ ^' the place
san,e time, and ■'KathLd tl en 1 ' ? 'l" "='='"'■ ^^'"""^d at tl,.
out both ;■„ bodyat i„r::tultT*" ""'"J---"* Worn
the wearied ones^vould'^e^h: St ^o^^'uT-'cr^*"'"^" "
selves apart into a desert place, and rest " wlil' ■ ' x, r^f y°"'-
entered a ship, and sailed to .no her part oh -"'', ,"''^ ''""''
landed, and ascended one nf m, ' '" ^'^"''"-'' ^^'''crc they
the lake, "an • ," IJ^ T^T "'^" ^'°P^ S^""^ 1°^" to
. 'uiu LuciL lie sat with his d sn'nlp^ "t tj , ,
res ed I cannot tell, but I fear only a shorU e P h ^°"^' "'"^^
had assisted at the burial of Inl,n I i ?! , P<;rhaps those who
Baptists last n.o„,e: " X :' "e f ■"I'^^'f ^ "^^ ^^-t of the
great com,,anyl comi, ,r t t f , '' '"' '=>''==^' '"""J ^-^ a
enter the lu'p^and ™ f an ZT f^ "'f '"'°'^''-' ''-•"' ^-" them
which Jesus ind his pie ■ d rled (vf ''""' '° "" ^'^^ '°
this v.ist concourse hurrv n ftn ^ k u ^ ''^" "^ ^'''"■""r beheld
been if he ha^ ^c aled 1 Tf , r ' .'^°r,^-t.-->ble ^v•ould it have
that before he :^::t:t:Z^^r^it^tt'- FTT''''
so pressing, with their wants that he an iL's d'cin es'Z ' 1 '''"
SO much as to cat -"11 l^nf n.. ^. t j- ^'^^'P^^s "had no leisure
not allow hin. t^ d^s pp L the nSud^ ''''' ''^^''
^'^ ^'^^ mulutudc, who " were as sheep not
*Markvi.3o. tMarkvi.31. J John vi. 3.
§Johnvi. s. 11 Mark vi. 31.
PHILIP.
391
Tied, they
probable,,
er. The
e gospel,
Andrew
lile they
Id at the
Baptist's
leir late
hasten-
-ild they
ee; but
le place
\ at the
Worn
:ome to
e your-
e band
re they
own to
g they
ie who
of the
saw a
i them
ace to
)eheld
; have
efind
been
'isure
/ould
p not
I.
having a shepherd,"* therefore he came down the mountain and met
them, " and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them
that had need of healing." f So interested were the multitude in all
Jesus was doing and saying that they appear not to have noticed the
flight of time, and evening found them still in the desert, far from their
homes, listening to the great teacher. Our Saviour must indeed for
the time have fascinated them. They had traveled on foot many
miles, bringing their sick and children with them, and had passed a
whole day without having anything to eat, and yet they complained
not of hunger, nor of fatigue. The twelve disciples at length inter-
fered, but not until it was too late to dismiss the people to their homes
fasting. The only plan that suggested itself to their minds was to
send the multitude to the villages and towns near there, to lodge for
the night and buy victuals, and this they advised Jesus to do. But
he said, "They need not depart; give ye them to eat." j" The poor
disciples confessed that they had but five barley loaves and two small
fishes. How homely was the fare of Jesus and his Apostles, — dry
bread and a little fish. Surely we ought not to complain if our table
be not provided with dainties. After a little further conversation with
Philip and the rest of the disciples, Jc ;us told them to make the men
sit down on the grass. He directed them how they were to be seated,
in companies of hundreds and fifties — one hundred facing another
hundred, and fifty across each end. Thus arranged, all would be
more easily served, and the number more readily ascertained. How
the women and children wjre placed we are not told, but we know
they were not overlooked. Not one out of that vast multitude refused
to follow the directions of Jesus, but, in perfect order, seated them-
selves on the grass, as they were told, though doubtless many looked
at the five loaves and two fishes, and wondered if that were all the
food provided for them. " 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." § Many agents,
doubtless, were employed in this stupendous miracle. The loaves
* Mark vi. 34.
t Luke ix. 11. |Matt. xiv. 16.
§Luke ix. 16.
^SSR
M
I
392
T//£ APOSTLES OF JESUS.
the space 7ahn"f\ '' °'' ''°'' '°"''' '^^'='^--- '"-". i"
••A„H tL I r ';°"'''' '"^' ''^^^^^' th^^^and hungry peoi/le'
appease^d. Clo°/v a '^:rtHr efo"e r^'". ''^" T^'^^ --
long fast Thev w^r^ n t i ,, ''>' '"'«'''" '° '^''eak their
the Me sL th->^ t.r^'fT ""'"'• '" ""'^'"^«' "'•« J^-^»' -as
the dosh," f "°''' °^ ^'^"'P ^y "ame in the holy writin-^s tiH
' ^--^"'^g amazed in themselves beyond measure, and
*Luke ix, 17.
PHILIP.
303
tvho must
e men, in
r people ?
lien, and
iger was
eak their
ly. The
- twelve
lultitLide
-sus was
relieving
nonarch.
: of this
■ earthly
3 across
)r more
; of the
by all
i is still
sad."
ngs till
ubtless
)n, was
s, alsOj
which
es and
Dstlcs I
about,
i with
sd the
nVacle
2, and
wondered."* Then think of that fearfifl night when Philip and the
rest forsook Jesus, and fled from Gethsemane ; and the nights of sorrow
that followed, till that evening when their risen Lord appeared in the
midst of them and said, " Peace be unto you." f
The Greek proselytes, who wished to see Jesus, addressed them-
selves to Philip, who, with Andrew, delivered their message to our
Saviour. Both of the names, Andrew and Philip, are Greek. Why
these two Apostles had not names common among the Jews given
them is not known, but probably they may have traveled into the
neighboring districts, such as Caesarea, where Greek was the language
spoken by the mixed population, and found it advisable to adopt
Greek names so long as they sojourned in those parts, and afterward
retained their adopted names. This appears probable from the fact
of the Greeks, when they wished to speak to Jesus, addressing them-
selves to Philip, who immediately consulted Andrew, and these two,
after telling Jesus that certain Greeks desired to see him, evidently
introduced the foreigners to him. It would seem as though Philip
and Andrew alone among the Apostles knew the Greek language.
When Jesus was comforting and encouraging his poor disciples,
just before the last supper, and was speaking of his Father, Philip
said, "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." J Strange
request to fall from the lips of a chosen servant of the Lord, and one
who was well acquainted with the Holy Scriptures. Had he not read
how God had said to Moses, " Thou canst not see my flice : for there
shall no man see me, and live?" § And had not Jesus declared that
" no man hath seen the Father "? || On Philip betraying this ignorance,
our Saviour returned him this gentle reproof, " 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? 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 my-
self; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." * *
*Mark vi. 51.
§Exod. xxxiii. 20.
24 I.
•j- John XX. 26.
II John vi. 46.
\ John xiv. 8.
* * John xiv. 9, 10.
394
THE APOSTLES OE jr.SUS.
" No man hath seen God at any time ■' * A n ,1,
appearances of the Deitv wer^ , , f 1 1 \, . " "•''"''cstntions or
sons of the Holy Trin [v T '"''^'V''^''''^ '^""' """ ''^ ""-' tl-^e pcr-
Israehtes through ^^Mat,"" ^sT'-p'^ "^' " ™^ -"° '^■"'l-
t-npt Christ, as° sonK^ o^ n " L tl,^"" "^■'' " ''^"'"■- '^' "^
serpents." t He it was wh7n '^'"l^t'^'l. and were destroyed of
and to Moles He m^tldT",/" ^\''"''""' '° '^^•■'^' '° J-ob,
the angel who so oi^^ ,^,, j't' ""''^•'- ™'-'°"^ 'i'les. He was
captain of the Lord of h<^?^ rapp°r T t'","";"" '""'^ °""-'^-^- ^s
;s he ealied Jehovah, tran Jiat i ^ " K^ir 'aT;.? J;;'""- «'''^-
times by that great name in the rh„ , , • , '' "" '''''"' "" '1°^'^"
interview with^Vbraha n i tt tt^ :t^ ^""A'" '''"-'"' "^ "-
us that God the Father never h "s . ""■'• ^^ ''°'-<' '''^^"'■^■s
and Jehovah is a na e^n ™ ^^nTo th" '° f"^ '" •" '•" '•'">' "•'-•
fined to the crreat bein,r w^o „f 'T^ "'" ^"^els, but is al,vays eon-
God therefore is the fei o °i , ""''T" '''"^' '"''•""•■ T'"= Word of
was favored ^.ith a vsio oft Almi'r? r' V'"" '""^"^' ^^--^^
"In the year that l<i„g L.i' Idted 'f ^'' '""^^"'''""- '•"'^l 1>-H,tifu!.
upon a throne, high and 1 ft' Inn , 'T' " ' ''^ "'^' •'°'-^' ■'^'■'"•"'J
In the fifth vese of t^cSttlfr" T •"'"" ""-'"'^ teu,ple," J
the Lord of hosts " Th, F ' e'"' ''"'"'■^" ''^ '^^'""'' " Tho Kingt
whom the prophe; s J th ?• ""■ J°'" '^"^ "^ "'•" "- P--"
things said' liai:,Xn sJrWs,d:.°"'''r'°r^''''^'- "T'--
what marvelous love dkl thi mi.^rtv P^' ""1, 'P'^' "^ '""'"§ "''•
Lord of hosts display when he ./f^i"' "'" «'■'•'''" J'^'"^''. 'his
'ess infant in the 'taW o B h , em^'w^t";' 1 ' "'f' •''"" '>^''^-
the labors of the humble llo ''"■'" ^""'' •''"^1 shared
poor fishern e and m „ :d w ;; ]™ ""' ^'^'^•^'"' - ''- -n,panions
He was the VV;rd who ""r 1 1 h ?r"'f °^ "^'-" ^°"^ °f ^•'•"'hl
to the slaughter He the PrL T?'''^'' f "^ ^'^'^ ^«'= ''-■^ «^ '^ ht„,b
n^ocked, an! then fS'e^S foT alS rrandtiu' ' ^'^" "''""'
open to us the rates of P-inrU... fi ,' '^" ^"^ ^'''^'^^ "^^' ^o
* John i. 1 8.
1 1 Cor. X. 9.
Jlsa. vi, 1-3.
9 John xii. 41.
stations or
tlircc pcr-
0 led the
^r let us
troycd of
to Jacob,
He was
^ers. As
). Often
: a dozen
nt of his
1 assures
my time,
ays con-
A'oi-d of
t Isaiah
eautiful.
.1 sitting
mj)lc."J
le King,
person
" These
§ Oh,
ah, this
d help-
shared
•anions
earth I
1 lamb
upon,
us, to
ni the
ain to
PHILIP.
395
receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and
glory, and blessing." * " Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power,
be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever
and ever." f
Philip is mentioned as being with the rest of the Apostles at Jeru-
salem after the ascension, and after then his name does not occur in
the Holy Scriptures.
He is often confused with Philip the deacon, who preached and
baptized in Samaria It was
generally believed by the an-
cients that Philip was married,
and it was said by some that
he had daughters, who resolved
never to marry; but the women
alluded to were, doubtless, the
four daughters of Philip the
deacon, "virgins which did
prophesy." :j: The Apostle
Philip, in the distribution of
the different parts of the world
that was made by the Apostles
under the divine direction, had
— so we are told by Nicephorus
and others — Upper Asia given
to him as the sphere of his
ministry. There he labored
with the greatest diligence,
baptizing the converts, healing the sick, planting churches,
and appointing ministers. After remaining in those parts some
years, he went, we are told by the same authority, into Phrygia,
now part of Turkey in Asia, where he, like Peter, followed his
divine Master, and was crucified. It was in a city of Phrygia,
named Hierapolis, now called Aleppo, famous for ius wealth and
WORSHH'PING JUPITER.
*Rev. V. 12.
f Rev. V. 14.
J Acts xxi. 9.
396
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS,
JI
iclolatry that he suffered martyrdom. Clemens Alexandrinus savs
the ,„hab,ta„ts of llerapolis wore acldieted to the grossest ido7a!
try. hihp was much distressed at seeing them so dekided -.nd
rr f 7r ""^f ;, '"^■" '^" r^ -^^^^ ^-"^'^ - '■'' ^-''^-
edge of Jesus. He then pomted out to the people the folly of their
tlK Gospel to then,. They became quite ashamed of their idolatry
and many of them turned to the Lord. But as was usually the as^;
the rulers of the people rose up to oppose them : so the magistrates
of H.erapohs se.^ed upon Philip, put him into prison, and then I oj
h,m unmercfully whipped and scourged. He was then crueifid and
whde hangmg on the cross, stoned to death. It is said tint at hk
execution, the earth began to quake under the feet of e 1 d re •
and they m the.r terror acknowledged and beuaded their sin, wS
ceased Ph.hp had a constant and faithful companion in his be-^oved
s.ster Mar,an.ne. She, assisted by St. Bartholem'ew, took the martwed
Apostle down fron, the cross, and buried him in or near Hierapor
Surely here could not be many scenes more interesting for a painter
to depict than the burial of Philip. It would probably bt- nigh hen
he devoted sister and her friend, the holy Bartholomew, per o med
Im bs (for he had been fastened to a cross by the cruel Phrygians but
had when the earth quaked, been taken down and set at liberl] c;uM
but littk. assist Mariamne in the melancholy task of arranging decenuj
the disfigured body, bruised and broken as it would be They Ta d
enemie" '°'"'' ^"'' '*'= "^^'^ '"""^ «-'-■ P-y«=d ^r 'their
" Then cheerly to their work again,
With hearts new-braced and set
To run, untired, love's blessed race,
As meet for those who, face to face,
Over the grave their Lord have met."
!
nil us says
^cst idola-
Lidcd, and
he knovvl-
\y of their
preach in<^r
r idolatry,
y the case
I^hristians,
agistrat^s
then had
ified, and,
lat, at his
urderers;
in, which
irthquake
; beloved
martyred
apolis.
a painter
;^ht when
srformed
raunded
ians, but
V), could
Recently
hey laid
Dr their
...V.
u
I
BARTHOLOMEW.
i
-Mf^
OV cannot have read the hfe of Phih'p without
wishin^r to hear more of his fellow-hiborer,
the holy Apostle Bartholomew, who is also
known by the name of Nathanael. It is not
distinctly told us in the Bible that Nathanael and
Bartholomew were the same person ; but there
can be little doubt of it, for Matthew, Mark, and
Luke speak of Bartholomew, and say nothing
of Nathanael, and John speaks only of Nathanael
and never mentions the name of Bartholomew.
The three first Kvanirelists place Bartholomew
among the Apostles, and couple him with Philip as John did Philip
with Nathanael. And it would seem Nat/ianacl was one of the
twelve, from the fact of St. John speaking of him as bein-,. with the
disciples Peter, Thomas, James, John, and two others, who are sup-
posed to be Andrew and Philip, on the Sea of Tiberias, when " Jesus
stood on the shore "* after his resurrection; and then John expressly
tells us that this was "now the third time that Jesus showed himself
io his disciples after that he was risen from the dead."t It was
evidently only to the Apostles that our Saviour had appeared on the
two previous occasions the Evangelist alludes to. The first was on
the evening of the day Jesus rose from the dead, when all were
assembled in a room but Thomas, "one of the twelve."! The second
was eight days afterward, when "again his disciples were within, and
Thomas with them."§
The word Bar, in Syriac, signifies son of, hence Bar-Tholmai, or
♦John xxi. 4.
tjohnxxi. 14. t John XX. 24.
399 _
§ John XX. a6.
, > I
K)'
40O
Barthc
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
this
lolomevv, means son of Tliolmai or Tholom
Apostle nuoht be spoken of as Nathanael Bart o om
mai. Peter was sometimes r-,n„,) n t "'"'"°'°"'^". "' "ar-ttiol-
the blind beggar Cre.!l?TJ°"-'''=^°"°fJ°"^- Bartim.x-us,
magieian StlCl Tuek with M , "?'• '" *^ ^"'^'^ °f '!>'=
son^of a man of" e ™ t o su ' vr'n!," "^''f "«-J--."t
with more particulars otheHfr J ^ "'^' '"= ''^'' '^'^'=" ^^'^'°'^'^
so call hin:t,j::iri ^ f ; s^r.r^'°T-^^^^ ^^ ' -^'^
works of aneient writers- but the m I »> / ^':"Pt">-es and the
fail to inspire every one 'wi th! . " ^"°"'" "^ '^"" ^^'""°'
Our Lord himse^rpoimed In, %^'''' "'' ""''P''' *"°' '"^ ^''^"^'^^•
cerity, by sayin' Behold an 'i > '' ^ '''."'™ °^ ^''"1'"^''^ -"^ ^^-
-UaLwor;:;':Sn;:rs^^
but little i known St lohn^- if ?"!', ' '^'""'^' ''^^''' "' P'°''<=ssion
and some have sunoos ^i I . "" ''" '"'''' "°^ ^ana in Galilee ;"§
the Ptolemt "riC tl oVri n'r"''^'' ''°"' '^ "°"^' ""--'y. --
relations were in huniler f T ^^'°"''' """ '^^ ^"^ ^'^ "^^^
callingwasthelie a ir '»•'"''■'•. '' """^ 'ik^ly that his
LakeiGaiiieeXt:: ^::j::ir;^:t'- ^^ ^-^ '- - '^^
t.J to foltv~t':haf h?'"''V"' "" =°°"^^ ^-^'-<' "- '-nVta-
"We have found L f ,'°"^'^' °"' Nathanael, and said to him
doubted. He vv;is nnf .Vv«^. .. r i , J^^^P^i- || -But Nathanael
stated re,atingt:r^SX't1:^VaV^^^^^^^
he exelaimed, "Can t£"nv ^odll ' "°'°"°"''^ "'"'='^'^'' P'^'^' '"'•"
For thirtv years hn^r ^ ^ . '"- """"^ °"' °f Nazareth ?" + +
_____1___^ '''"'"='• '^''° ''^'='' only four miles off, had never
* Mark x. 46.
II John i. 45.
fActs xiii. 6.
* * John vii, 42.
J John i. 47.
tt John i. 46.
§John xxi. 2.
that this
^ar-ThoI-
irtinicxus,
'C of the
-Jesus," t
I favored
if I may
and the
1 cannot
haracter.
and sin-
leT'J A
n Jesus,
of any
Dfession
.lilee;"§
y, even
n's near
that his
on the
invita-
;o him,
)phcts,
hanael
ts had
was to
where
:e that
?"tt
'elt in
never
'
BARTHOLOiMEW. 491
even heard of him till now. So strong was the prejudice against the
Nazarencs, that no one looked for goodness among them, and the
holy family of Joseph passed their days unnoticed and uncared for by
the short-sighted world around them. Most likely Nathanacl had,
from his boyhood, been accustomed to visit Nazareth. He might
more than once, perchance, have passed the workshop of the carpenter,
Joseph, and have seen the master and a comely youth busily employed
with their tools, but he saw no more. Had he known who the youth
was, he would have prostrated himself before him, exclaiming, " My
Lord and my God;"* or perhaps he maght, before entering the city
have stopped at a well to quench his thirst, and while resting there, a
matron may have come to the fountain,
accompanied by a youth, who, with
affectionate care, assisted his mother
to raise some water, and then, lest the
burden should be too heavy, helped to
carry the jMtcher back into the cit\-.
Such a novel sight in Nazareth would
excite the wonder and sympathy of the
pious and warm-hearted Nathanael ;
and we can fancy him following this
pattern of filial love to his humble
home. Perhaps he would have entered
the dwelling, poor as it was, but he
had no right to intrude upon the privacy of even a despised
Nazarene, and he would pass on, wondering whether there were not,
after all, some good in Nazareth. Had he known who that youth
was, he would have knelt before him, exclaiming, " Rabbi, thou art the
Son of God ; thou art the King of Israel." f Or pr-haps on one
occasion of his visiting Nazareth, a funeral procession may have passed
him, and first among the mourners he may have observed a newly-
made widow, supported by her son. Out of reverenc^^ for the dead,
Nathanael may have stood with head uncovered till the melancholy
FOINTAIX AT XAZA Kl-.TI I.
*John XX. 28,
f John i. 49,
y^
402
train had
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
gone by. But had he known who the son n{ fK. k- /■
mourner was, he would, i„ solemn awe, ha.e bowed his Lad to th
dust wh,Ie the Holy One passed. There is abundant scope for the
miagmafon m pieturing scenes connected with the privl We nf
our Sav,our, but those I have drawn are not altoje herTmt tive
esus we know, probably worked at his reputed fathers trad tl he wa"
th , ty years of age, for he is not only called •• the caroenter s sn„ " * T\
"the carpenter ;"t and the well now called the vSTwel "'stout
s.de of Nazareth, still remains. Lord Lindsay, in his " Let ers on tt
Holy Land, says, "Every scene of our Saviours life at Na a,°tht
marked by chapels and churches. There is a well, however named a te
e V,rg,n, to the east of the city, which we gazed at with ev^ent" te It
It s^ll supphes Nazareth with water, and thither, w-ithout a doubt clme
the Virgm mother and her Saviour son dav ifter H,„ ,a
we also saw the daughters of Naz^tt 'com '^'' AnS;;!!"' ^'^
may suppose, died and was buried in Nazareth some t me^b Sre Z
Saviour conimenced his ministry. There can be no doubt tht Ma v
■ vear Z I ' '"'' " '" '"="'=™'l ^^e had been so for some
yeans. But I must proceed with the history of Nathanael as thr IT
cS: ,Ts t° 'T ''^ ""-'T "' '''' AP-'e's SeTvit v tt
ymst calls hmi. He received no direct reply to his nne<.tiAn ur
ftere any good thing come out of Nazareth ? Philip saith unt'o h
Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to hm and saith to him
Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no rruile I Ztl u'
Jewish writers tell us that devout persons frequently offered uo
their prayers under the shade of fig-trees Prohahlv Mnti , ^
so occupied when Phiiip found him,Ld ::ok h™ t'^e^s:-"' "^^
" In his own pleasant fig-tree's shade,
Which by his household fountain grew
Where, at noon-day, his prayer he made,'
To icnow God better than he knew."
*Matt. xiii. 55.
fMark vi. 3,
IJohn i. 46-48.
BARTHOLOMEW.
' the chief
lead to the
pe for the
ite life of
laginative.
till he was
5on,"* but
1, just out-
ers on the
azarcth is
imed after
It interest,
'ubt, came
■ water, as
'seph, we
efore our
hat Mary
g'ned her
for some
the only
^iew with
)n, "Can
nto him,
1 to him,
lel saith
aid unto
fig-tree,
sred up
lael was
403
Our Lord's knowledge of his secret devotions, though at too great
a distance to have seen him with his bodily eyes, convinced Nathanael
that it was indeed the Messiah who stood before him ; and in an ecstasy
he exclaimed, " Rabbi, thou art the Son of God ; thou art the King of
Israel." '^ Our Saviour, pleased with his ready faith, said, " Because I
said unto thee I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou ? Thou
shalt see greater things than these. Verily, verily, I say unto you.
Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending
and descending upon the Son of man." f Greater things than ChrisVs
knowing he had been at prayer under the fig-tree should Nathanael
see in the miracles our Lord in-
tended shortly to perform, and _^ .= -^^1^^^-=-..
which would so convince him of
the heavenly nature of Jesus, that
he would in imagination, if not in
reality, see angels descending upon
our Saviour, and ascending again
when their mission was accom-
plished. How greatly those holy
beings rejoiced in the prospect of
man's redemption, and, in an inferior
sense, assisted in the mighty task, we
have abundant proof At the annun-
ciation, at the birth, after the tempta-
tion in the wilderness, in Gethsemane, after the resurrection, and at
the ascension, we find these holy messengers were employed, and in
visible forms. Within three days after his introduction to Jesus,
Nathanael witnessed the first public miracle our Saviour performed.
" 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 disci-
ples, to the marriage." % The twelve were not all there, of course,
several of them not having yet seen Jesus ; but Nathanael is gener-
ally believed to have been one of the disciples invited to the marriage
ANCIENT VESSELS.
* John i. 49.
t John i. so, Si.
IJohn ii. I, a.
I
21
404
Bk->i
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
wine was exhausted Ind. the nift!::; of T " "' f"^' ""•'^ °^- ''=
have no wine losu. s-.ith . , ^,? -^ "^ '^'""^ ""to him, They
'l-e ? Mine houit ot J ttl ■' *' 1^ "' ^^'^' '^^^'^ ' '° ^'° ^'^
of Mary only as the n Jk 'anT^owly ^^^^l^t in T"', 1 *'"'
receiving the hcavcnlv messio-^. fi. ^^'^e.m.-.tirst in humble faith
conveniences of a ^Ix^^^T ix^ZTT''^' rt''"''^ ^" ""= '"-
own hon,e; then, under the guidte of L 1 fl ""t? °' ""^^
Jesus into a forei.rn countrv^n "''.^'jo' Joseph, fleeingwith the infant
years afterward lard nlwl™ ' ^™fl 'X of atyrant; then, a few
and lastly, as a d\^::^:ri; ^^^^^^^ '''' ^^ '-' ^''^'^
we can scarcely imaoinc her on^ of n " ^ \ ^r^cxfi^A son,-that
no less true tl4 shet^i o e o « e XraHh ^' ''■'''• '"' " '^
and not merely tolerating the festive sfeneLt f ™"'™^' °^ ^""''''
and bridegroom, but takhig an a Ive Tart in the ?"'-^ '° ""= ^^'■'''-■
cntns into the feelincrs of thVl ? ^T u '=""^'''amment. She
app.'a's tojesus to let, h im ' \T^^'\ *' "''"•^ ''^ ^'^hausted, and
.'-n, possii4 in a whhtrlh^t r '^- ^^^^ *''' ^^^'y '^" her
ten Nathanil, whj'S'w b rin"^ "own T^ "'' 1^ "°'
more could be procured > S„r,.K, M I "'^ '^^'°"' ^^'i<=nce
the ntiraculous po^v" of Tes t ^7^^ """m 'V'™ '"'"'=^-^'='' ^°'"^ "f
now hoped he Would bv tl ' '^",.'^"'^''''= ^ome at Nazareth, and
groon, fton, his Twl w rd' o tio t1"'" • '^°""' ""'^^'^ *•= l'^'-''-
of Jesus to Mary that a i^r "0°:; ra"^^ rh:r:irt,t';'' '" "" '^"'^^^^^
respect; he only wished her to „n,l . \ , ' "' '"" ""=ant no dis-
"I'on his Public'^n, nis ry he could noT" T' ""' '"'^ "ow entered
word won' an was in 2se dav used TT ^ '"r^'^^' '° ""''■ ^he
and our Lord, when dil°'hv ^1" , T '•' °^ "^' '^'S'^^^' ^anl<,
fearful agonies addrct^M *= ,, ^ ''*^''"°" ^°' ^'^^ '" ^s las
thy son !■■ f Mar , .r. rf"" f "'°'™"- " ^oman, behold
she receive! fl>::!rbu?pi:t f/L So tr^^^^' '' '"^ ^^^'^
lere six
'John
11.
3' 4*
tJohn
xix. ?6,
IJoh
n n.
BARTHOLOMEW.
405
it is sup-
over the
ini, They
' do with
to think
3le faith
1 the in-
s of her
le infant
n, a (cw
it child ;
1, — that
3ut it is
f Cana,
e bx-ide
. She
-d, and
;e]l her
ihe not
t'hence
me of
h, and
bride-
nswer
o dis-
itcred
The
rank,
s last
shold
reply
atso-
i six
"^^Aik
waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews." *
The vessels were placed for the guests to wash their^hands in before
sittmg down to the feast, as it was contrary to their custom to sit
down to meat with unwashen hands. Jesus told the servants to hli
the waterpots with water. "And they filled them up to the brijn
And he saith unto them. Draw out now, and bear unto the governor
of the feast." f The water was, as you are aware, turned into wine.
This miracle, no doubt, confirmed the faith of Nathanacl, and the
other followers of Jesus, for it is said, "This beginning of miracles
did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory ; and his
disciples believed on him."+ Among the ruins of Cana may still be
seen large stone pots of the same description as those used in our
Saviour's time for purification. We
hear nothing more of Nathanael till we
find him, under the name of Bartholo-
mew, ranked among the Apostles, when
he not only saw, but, in the name of
Jesus, did many mighty works. Devils
trembled at his voice, and dared not
disobey him. Disease vanished at his
touch, and the soul returned to the
stiffened corpse when he commanded it.
His life, from this time till the ascension of our Lord, was one
continued scene of self-denial and danger. His Master was
"despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief" § And Bartholomew, his faithful follower and servant,
endured the same indignities and trials. Twice he escaped ship-
wreck, only by a miracle each time. Often doubtless, like hi:^
Lord, he had nowhere to lay his head. From city to city ht
accompanied Jesus, and shared with him the hatred and contempt of
his wretched countrymen. He was one of the little band who
took refuge in Bethabara when the Jews sought to kill Jesus: and
he, with the rest, tried to persuade our Saviour not to go to Bethany
FOUNTAIN AT CANA.
♦John U. (J,
tjohnii. 7, 8.
J John ii.ij.
§ Isa. liii. 3.
4o6
when Lazaru
astounding words
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
was sick. He was at the last
supper, and heard the
One of you sliall betray me ; " * and, like
... others,
sang on earth ^^^:t^^ZZ7c\ ^°'"!f '" "^'^ '"^' ''>'"" ^e
Gcthsemane, and unless ho we , n„ r./ "" "''"" "'S^"^' '^'^ "^^ fro™
afar off behdd nj^"he erne fiv r f '^^^"^'"'^"^es who stood
nothing more of him till „„fin . ■ . """'' ^''-''^es, we know
■ of the/ews," \ 1 ™ t "room T "f ""• °"'" ^'^^'>'^^' " ^^ ^-^
midst of tlem iKtll tlu "' T "^^''^.f =" Lord appeared in the
saw a spirit; but t'su 'l^d Tl '"'''"'f' '°'" '''"^ "'°"Sht they
"showed^hem his';::dsr;;;f 1 '^T* -;!t:;t ":^^
Savour again appeared to the diseiples in Jefusa -m ' T, 1 T "'^'
the room m ^^'hich tlievwere isspn,l-,lpri , ^ ,""■ '"^ doors of
beh-eve securely fastened vet T ^7\ dosed, and we are led to
them, and said.'/Cet',„ :;:„•• t'rLY'tr' ^" "^ '"''^' "^
Nathanael, with some of the nT ^r • V °''">' afterward we find
Lake of dalilee Therj ""''^^^'^^''^^.o"^^ more on the hallowed
called Didy„;usrand';:aX„^a:7or'St^f 'cTl '"^",^f ^"°™-
Zebedee, and two other of hisr!,-. i e *^""''''=<'' ^"d ^he sons of
I go a fishing. ThTsatttrh "w 7" ''""^"■'''""'^ ''-">•
went forth, and entered mo 1 ' ,.^''° S° ^""^ thee. They
'hat is when he is mentioned in t°,e liTdv n of th ^°''''^'' •^"^
to the command of Jesus, remain d n Jc sdcm, IZ:^' '"°?"^
Holy Ghost upon them A f^ Jt^risaicm till the descent of the
* John xiii. 21. ,
II Mark xvi. 14.
t Mark xiv. 19.
**Lukexxiv. 40.
t John i. 29.
1 1 John XX. 26.
§John XX. 19.
JlJohnxxi. 2, 3.
BAKTHOLOMRW.
I of self-denial an
407
life was one continued scene 01 seii-ueniai ana danger, but no one
in the least acquainted with the history of the early Church and sup-
pose that his labors or his troubles ceased till he had laid down a life
devoted to the spread of the Gospel. Socrates, of Constantinople, in his
" History of the Church," says that he worked among the most cruel
and barbarous heathens on the borders of Africa, near Abyssinia, then
called Ethiopia; and Eusebius tells us that more than a hundred years
afterward a great philosopher and Christian, named Pantaenus, became
a missionary, and in his journeyings arrived at the scene of Bartholo-
mew's labors, and there found a copy of the Gospel according to St.
Matthew, which, according to tradition, St. Bartholomew had left behind
him. Has ever traveler since found on the shores of the Red Sea
such a peerless gem as that manuscript, carrying as it did the tidings
of salvation to millions of immortal creatures ? After Bartholomew
had been some time in this part, it appears from the history that he
removed further north; and now it was that at Hierapolis he worked
with Philip. You will remember that the Phrygians were perfectly
blinded with idolatry, but the devoted and zealous Apostles succeeded
in convincing many of their errors, which so enraged the magistrates
that they seized upon Philip and Bartholomew, and crucified them.
The life of the latter, however, was saved in consequence of the people
being made sensible by the earthquake that God's vengeance was upon
them. He was taken down from the cross alive, his heavenly Father
having more work for him to do ; but Philip's labors were ended, and
he rested in the Lord. How Bartholomew assisted Philip's sister,
Mariamne, to bury the martyr, I have already told you. After making
one more effort to convert the inhabitants of Hierapolis, they left the
city. What afterward became of his interesting companion I know
not ; but probably she is among the noble army of martyrs near the
throne of her Saviour, in her robes of spotless white. From Hiera-
polis Bartholomew removed a little further to the east, and went into
Lycaonia, where Chrysostom assures us he established the Christian
religion ; and, having crossed Cappadocia, he finally reached Armenia,
and there, according to Sophronius, his labors ceased. While preach-
ing to the inhabitants of a city, called Albanople, he was seized by the
4o8
BARTHOLOMEW.
IZ^r'r "^•^^'•'•'"^'■^''"•-"'•■^. wl- treated his victim with the .nntes.
The bunal-placc of this Apostle is iinccrtiin Tf i. c.
otting then- destruetion ; bt,t it was the fearful traijedy thu eon,
n.a!Lr 'o^f ^rB:r2±r::r rt^-t^httT^ -^^^^-r " '^^
the citizens were ordered to appear in the Hn.r'. ,... numPcr of
.o.d ,e han,e ; At r^^-Ct:l/Z::£:t:i^-'^
were rung, torches were put into the windows, and chains placed
B-^RTirOLOMEW.
409
ed by
across the streets, and the bloody work bcj^an. The murderers
spared neither age nor sex. Many were slain in their beds, and the
headless bodies were thrown through the windows. The badge worn
by the inhuman monsters engaged in this tragedy was a white cross
in their hats ; and they were encouraged by the priests, who each held
a sword in one hand and a crucifix in the other. Surely the angels
must have wept to have seen the sacred emblem of our salvation thus
polluted. The massacre lasted a week. Seventy thousand fell vic-
tims to the fury of the ambitious and cruel Catherine de Mcdicis.
Many visitors at the palace were slain ; and one goldsmith boasted of
having killed four hundred persons with his own hands. Though
Catherine de Medicis was the prime mover of this fearful massacre,
the heads of the Church in Rome must have been privy to it, for the
news of its accomplishment was eagerly expected in the papal city,
and when it arrived was received with acclamations, and the firing of
cannon announced to the neighboring villages that the bloody work
had been done in Paris. The Pope went to church in procession,
performed high mass with all the splendor of his court, and ordered a
Te Detmi to be sung in celebration of the event. By his order, a
picture of the slaughter was painted, and still hangs on the walls of
the papal palace. A medal was also struck in commemoration of the
event, the one side of it presenting the head of the Pope, and the
other the exterminating angel, with the sword and the cross, destroy-
ing the Protestants, and having this inscription in Latin, "Slaughter of
the Huguenots, 1572."
taeaa
THOMAS.
HE more we study the lives of the Apostles, the
greater must be our regret that so little is known
in reference to their youthful days. Such noble,
self-denying, and brave men must in their boy-
hood have given many instances of the courage,
love, and devotion for which they were afterward
so eminently distinguished. It is true that the
grace of God powerfully influenced them after
"they had been with Jesus."* But can we imagine
Peter as a youth being anything but warm-
hearted, energetic, and generous, as ready to plunge into the Sea of
Galilee to save the life of a companion, as he was when a man to leap
from his boat and wade through its waters to his dear Lord ? And
how many affecting stories might not the mother of John have told of
the gentleness, goodness, and filial love of her child ! But there were
no printed books in those days ; and though there might be a few
biographers, they would only think of writing the life of a Herod, a
Pilate, or a Caiaphas, Poor fishermen, however exalted their virtues,
would be quite beneath their notice.
We are told the birthplace of many of the Apostles, but as to what
city Thomas was a native of, or who his father was, we are left in total
ignorance. It is supposed that Thomas was a Galilean, and that
his parents were very poor indeed; but, being pious, they carefully
instructed him in the knowledge of the holy writings. It is thought
that his father was a fisherman, and that he himself was brought up to
the same occupation. The Evangelists do not mention him till they
•2.-. L
* Acts iv. 13.
ama
412
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
g^vc the list of the Apostles, a.ul then always couple him with
Matthew. At the coniina.ul of Jesus, 'riiomas went forth to preach to
men that they should repent, to cast out devils, and to anoint with oil
those that were sick, and heal them. Hut. from the time of his ordiin-
tion to the Apostleship. he is not individually mentioned in the Scrip-
tures untd he was at Hethahara with Jesus shortly before the crucifix-
ion. A touchm<r instance is then ^iven of his willingness to die with
h.s dear Master Our Lord had. with his disciples, ^^one up to Jeru-
salem. He had, by his preachin- o^(cxu\c,\ his unbelievin-^ country-
men, who three times attempted to stone him; but "his hour was not
yet come, and he escaped out of their hands, and went to Beth-
abara. beyond Jordan, where John had baptized. While he was there
with the Apo.stles. he received a message from the sisters of Bethany
tellmg hmi that their brother Lazarus was sick. « Now Jesus loved
Martha and her sister, and Lazarus." f but he did not at once hasten
o the beds.de of his friend ; not because he was afraid of the Jews
(Bethany bemg only two miles from Jerusalem), nor because he was
indifferent, but "that the Son of God might be glorified.-j- He mi.rht
have transported himself instantly to Bethany, and raised Lazarus at
once from h.s sick couch, or even have given the word at Bethabara
and the disease would have vanished; but the hardened Jews might
have said that the complaint had suddenly taken a favorable turn • and
so our Saviour waited till Lazarus ^vas dead. Can ^ve not imagine
the state of painful suspense the sisters were kept in ? Jesus had re-
ceived their affecting message. " Lord, behold he whom thou lovest is
sick. ^ They did not ask him to come, for they felt sure that if he
knew they were in trouble, he would hasten to their assistance ' His
reply, "This sickness is not unto death," || would, for a time, assure
them. But the disease gained strength, the pulse became weaker and
symptoms of death appeared. Oh, how often would Martha leave her
dying brother, and with eager gaze look in the direction from whence
Jesus should come I but still there were no signs of the Great Physi-
cian. The death dew stood on the forehead of the loved one and
*Johnvii. 30. tJohnxi. 5. JJohn
XL
4- § John xi. 3. || John xi. 4.
liiin with
0 J) reach to
int with oil
Ills orch'na-
thc Sciip-
hc crucifix-
to die with
ip to Jciii-
g country-
jr was not
: to Ikth-
: was there
f Bethany,
:sus loved
ncc hasten
the Jews
se he was
He might
-azarus at
[icthabara,
-ws might
turn : and
't imagine
s had re-
i lovest is
that, if he
ice. His
le, assure
aker, and
leave her
1 whence
at Physi-
one, and
— ■■!<
xi. 4.
Mary,
in an agony of grief,
THOMAS.
lid
415
nr^f f^ f T ' - ° ' f^'i-y — oh, how fervently ! — for Tcsus
not to tarry; but there was no sound of his coming. At lenrth e
parting l<,ss was given, the eyes were closed, the hetrt ec.. ed to beat
and the bereaved sisters sat down to weep beside the ope of S
bro her. Jesus knew all that was passing in that house of mounin-
he heard the prayers and sighs of Martha and Mary, and saw t le oui
At length he sari to h.:. Iisciples, •• Let us go into ludea Krain Hk
cl-saples say unto him, M.aster, the Jews of late soug t toXe the
h^rf "'t,*°", "f'^rr ^^"•"" ' ""^^"^ '''"^^^--'' Arc- there otwve'
hours m the day ? If any man walk in the day he stumblcth not
because he seeth the light of this xvorld. But if k man wa IkL the
n.ght, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him."* J t me nt
thenr to understand that, until the time had arrived for hinfto " ml e
h,ssoul an offering for sin,"t the Jews had no power o take ht
Afterward, he sa,d, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I nav
:M d 'In ■■ °' i7- rT':" f' ''' '''^^''' L-''- 'he sleep h^
Shall do well, t Thus d.d the disciples try to persuade lesus no to
go, fearmg that they would fall into the hands of the Jews ,Ytheyven
ured near to Jerusalem. " Then said Jesus unto them^ plain yLazC
IS dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there to the inlen
which .s called Didymus, unto his fellow-disciples. Let us also ™ tha
we may die with him " §_that is. with Jesus. Vl>e cour 'e of -n^^t
.nspired the rest of the Apostles, and the devoted party le t Belnb" a
bu did not reach Bethany till Lazarus had been in'the grave foud^ys'
Bethany was only six miles from Bethabara. Whv did lesus uZ.Zn
he way.^ "That the .Son of God might be glor fi d" eS
Lazarus immediately after his death, the Jews might 1 ave said hat
Lazarus had on v been in a tnnr^ ar. u v i •,, ^
beoun its work Tn .^ ' ^'^ '''"^'"^ ^''^ corruption had
bt un Its work. In the meantniie, we can imagine that so lon<r as
then brothers corpse remained in the house, fu hope u^uld%o
be cxtmguished n. the bosoms of the sisters. Doubtless, thcj
♦John xi. 7-10. flsa. liii.
10.
tJohn
xi- II, 12. § John xi. 14-16. II John xi. 4.
4i6
m
h
I fi
T//B AWSTL£S OF JESUS.
had heard how Tesus har^ .-^ *
the widoWsson/andcoufdhe ToMf Te '"' ^f"^'^ ''='"^'^'- -d
brother back again? But hour a^r .""'' *'^'''=' S'^-^ 'hem their
One day only was the copse suffered to""' ''""'^' '"'' '^^ ^-'^'•' "°'-
.■t carried to the tomb. And now he s-T""";! '," '^' '^°"^^' '^en was
mdeed parted forever from Lazarus on T" ^■f''''^ "'^' '^ey were
amiable family had many friends vvhn f '"*' °^ *^" Srave. This
and Mary, to comfort them concerl.'tr fr"-/--''"'^- " to Martha
mourning passed away, and Then a "ifr °"'''-" * ''°"'- ''^^^ of
city, and soon the neJs spread thatTe us '"'"'=" "'^P™^*^'' '^e
heard of it, but only Martha wen t J'";'\ .^'•''^ "^o^mg The sisters
face had she formerly wet: nmTBeInv''7\'''-''°"'«'J°^
broken accents, she salutes him ^ *, ^ethany; but now, in heart-
hadst been here, my brothertd ^ d e'd "T"a 'd" 'J ''°"'' ' "-"
were not quite abandoned, she continued "But it '^T' '' '' ^°P'
whatsoever thou wilt ask of God God xviM T' "'"' "^^" "°w,
unto her, Thy brother shall nWarn m f."' "u"'"*^- J^="= ^^''h
that he shall rise again in th r<^fr "ectionTth^T .""'° ''''''' ' '^"°-
unto her, I am the resurrection andThli Y u ^" ^^>'- J-^^"^ ^aid
though he were dead, yet hall he iv '•' i" '?'' ''^"^^^"^ '" ^e,
beheveth in me shall neve die R r "".^ whosoever liveth and
hhu. Yea, Lord: I behev th t tho aTl rT "" i "'" ^^'* -'°
which should come into the wold •+ If ^\".^'' 'he Son of God,
confession of her faith, " she weTt It' . ""' ^"" ^"^ ^°"'P'ete
secretly, saying. The Mas er i otraJcLMM T"'u ^''^ '''' ^'''^
she heard that, she arose qu fclv ami c ^"'i ""''■ ^' ^°°" =»=
hopes fluttered in the breasts of fh. T' ""'° ^'"'"^ ^hat new
Martha had told Ma^, .'"1^,° h t FeT r T ""^ •''"^""' '° J-^sl
much reason she l/d to dtkd the f f '°'"'- ^''^ i^""' how
near. But the mourners whom M.rv i^l r'"°"''"^' "'^' 1^^ ™s so
that she had gone to th; grave ^o^ f' '" ""^ ''°"se. supposing
Mary had reached the placrwhee tIT'' "^'^'■V°"«-'=d her When
•--siste^^e^.,,-^^^
*Johnxi. ,9. tJohnxi. 21.
J John xi.
^^ 27. §Johnxi. 28, 29.
THOMAS.
'ghter and
them their
came not.
e, then \vas
they were
ive. This
to Martha
ir days of
'ached the
he sisters
'it, joyous
in h cart-
el, if thou
> if hope
vtn now,
'US saith
1, 1 know
:sus said
► in me,
eth and
ith unto
of God,
^mplete
-r sister
5oon as
at new
Jesus I
vv how
tvas so
posing-
When
t, and,
rother
)
417
had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews
also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was
troubled, and said, Where have yc laid him ? They said unto him,
Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he
loved him! "=^
Jesus wept : the sisters wept : and the Jews wept. Were the Apostles,
do you imagine, unmoved spectators of so much sorrow ? Thomas had
proved his love to Jesus by coming, as he supposed, to die with him.
Would he not weep with Jesus? Peter was ready to lay down his life
for his dear Lord's sake : would he not weep with Jesus ? And the
best beloved disciple, would he
not weep when Jesus wept ? And
Bartho'rir;fj\\- and Philip, and the
rest, a' ' : : the hypocritical Judas,
how would their hearts melt with-
in them! They moved to the
grave. It was cut in the rock,
and a stone was placed at the
entrance. Jesus gave orders for
the stone to be removed. This
was done, and at once revealed
the corpse, closely wrapped in
linen bandages, the legs bound
together, and the arms bound to
the sides. "And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said. Father, I
thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou
hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by 1
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.
And he that was dead came forth, boutid hand and foot with grave-
clothes."! What must have been the feelings of those who, after
hearing the command of Jesus, saw the body immediately begin to
move, then leave the tomb and stand before them ? We can readily
ANCIENT TOMBS IN THE ROCKS.
* John xi. 32-36.
t John xi. 41-44.
41 8
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
suppose how they grazed in ^il^nf
"" 'he voice of Jesi 1 "et "1^"^'",™' "T" '"^ ^P^^'^' "S"-
aroused them. Vain would if h . '^ ''™ ^"'l 'et him go " *
of the sisters, the "veT:" ' awe of The'T' 'm'""''^ '"^ g-'^^de
f^:^arfer~r^^^
"ATlerrt^rrw^dT-^^^^^^^^^^
butweca„\erdi,ysuppL Jt L:rar^ '° ■^'^ ''-e;
pests. How would the sisters on ' '''"''P'^^ became his
Wing joy, bring out the g m 'nts of T^ t 'S^ """-^ ^'h 'rem-
carefully put away, to be kc^, as p ciou rdic'^^T' u"'''^'' "'^y ^ad
removmg all signs of mourninrfror,h? ' t,"'' "''="■ ^"^r hastily
"stthn" t^rr^^^^'^^^ '■ ''''''' ' '-'^
interesting event. The re afon Ih .f^l' ^" ^''°""' °f '^is deeply-
silent on the subject problbrwas ttt T'": "^''^^ ^"^ L"-^- -ere
La^arus (who, we are told Z ISv wriJ V^7 ^™'^ "'^'^ Gospels,
was raised from the dead) was ahve and I u -f ['>' ^'^^''^ ^"^ he
the miracle, have been exposed To f I' '^ '^'^ ^""^ recorded
hatred of the Jews. But, when St JolTl "r'!^' '"^ "^"■^ -^
X°S:^ "VZ:itL^^^^^^^^ -."^". each
addressed as Thomas, but in Gre:k al D Tdymus" '"" '" ^^''"'^ '^'^
a place for you. And if I go anrprtpa e ! n 'T ' ^° '° P^^P^^
agam, and receive you unto myself th! V "^ '°' y°"' ' *'" eome
also. And whither I go ye know' nH^^''" ^ ^'"' 'here ye may be
— ____^_y^^^^^^ the way ye know. Thomas
♦Johnxi. 44.
THOMAS.
tral finrure
419
*
him go,
gratitude
k'onder of
^ered the
ption, but
is home;
came his
ith trem-
;hey had
r hastily
■ a feast
deeply-
^e were
jospels,
ifter he
^corded
ce and
-azarus
d time
s, each
uld be
i them
d: ye
many
epare
come
ly be
omas
saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest ; and how can
we know the way ? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life : no man cometh unto the Father but by me." * Thomas
was still thinking of an earthly kingdom, and an earthly palace, and
wished to know the way that led to them ; but Jesus explained to
him that he was the way, and it was only through him that they could
reach their home — a heavenly one.
After this, we do not hear of Thomas by name till the evening of
the day Christ rose from the dead. " 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 and stood
in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he
had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then
were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord." f Thomas was not
with them. What occasioned his absence we know not. Perhaps
since that night, when, like scattered sheep, the disciples fled from
Gethsemane, he had not been seen by any of his companions, so
knew not of their arrangement to meet together ; or perhaps, though
aware of their design, fear of the Jews prevented him, even at night,
leaving his hiding-place. We are simply told that " Thomas, one of
the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came." %
It would seem, however, that but little time was lost before he was
informed that the Lord had appeared to the Apostles. But he would
not believe. " Except," said he, " 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." § Strange indeed was his
incredulity. Had not Jesus himself said to his disciples, as they were
going up to Jerusalem, that he would rise from the dead " the third
day?" II And could he, after the wonderful miracles he had seen per-
formed, imagine anything impossible with Christ ? And, moreover,
he had the declaration of te7t men who had, for more than two years,
been the constant companions of Jesus, that they had seen him, and
he had showed them his hands and his side. So deeply rooted was
♦ John xiv. 1-6. t John xx. 19, 20. J John xx. 24. § John xx. 25. || Mark x. 34.
420
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
over and over again how irsusVr """? P™'""^ ''"^^ ''^^^''-
then to the womfn who lad be „ at th^"'''? J° ""^^^ ^-%^^\^r...
*-sciples on their way to 'nlZsLd^^^^^ 'V^^ '-
seen him. How fat;)l th.« k..^ r , ^^ ^^^" ^'one had
Tu .<■ ' '•"^•^ hardness of behVf wnni ri k i
Thomas if the comoassinnnf^ t. u i "'^ ^^^^ been to
^-er th, finder, and behoM I, han^srarreth^hlSh^S
,^"l,"'™f">'"'°™yside:andbeno;
faithless, but believing. And Thomas
answered and said unto him, My Lord
and my God. Jesus saith unto him,
Thomas, because thou hast seen me,
thou hast believed : blessed are they
that have not seen, and yet have be-
lieved."* No sooner was Thomarcon-
vinced than his unbelief was changed
'nto rapture ; and he confessed that it
vvas not only his Lord and Master who
Not much more r-,„ h» fto°d before him, but his God.
Thomas from the Ho^Scr ptfr^s'^H °' "' ""^ "' "^"^ ^P-"«
Lake of Galilee when lesus s n'd ^l ^"^ °"' °^ "'^ P""^ °" "'^
and who. when they reached the sh !■ T^' '"'^ ^'' resurrection,
-ay suppose that Je^ chose a TeldtrsnoT^ Tv"^^'""' ^^
stray pedestrian may perchance whnl! T "' ""' '■'^P^^*' but a
* John XX. 26-29.
EASTERN GREETING.
'»v^
THOMAS.
421
e proof of
ave heard,
lagdalene,
) the two
ilone had
been to
' prove to
ad!
Thomas
3d in the
IS, Reach
hy hand,
d be not
Thomas
Vly Lord
nto him,
een me,
ire they
lave be-
las con-
hanged
1 that it
ter who
Apostle
on the
ection,
. We
, but a
:, have
as he
id the
iighty
God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace," * and the Saviour
of the World.
After the ascension we find Thomas, with others, in a large upper
room in Jerusalem, where they " continued with one accord in prayer
and supplication,"! and from that time he is not spoken of by name in
the Bible. Thomas labored at first in Judca, and afterward, Origen
tells us, he traveled into Parthia. He subsequently, Sophronius and
others inform us, preached to the Medes and Persians, and other
nations. After man}' journeys, it appears that he reached India.
Nicephorus says that at first he was afraid to venture among these dark-
colored and cruel heathens, but he was encouraged by a vision that
God would be with him and help him, so he not only entered India,
but journeyed far into the country. He was, through the divine bless-
ing upon his ministry, most successful in bringing the people out of
the grossest darkness into the clear light of the gospel, winning them
by his gentleness, patience, and persuasive powers to the obedience of
Christ. It was at a city called Malipur, in India, that he began to
erect a place for divine worship, when he was forbidden to complete
the building by the priests and Segamo, prince of the country. But,
after performing several miracles, the work was suffered to proceed,
and Segamo himself became a Christian. The idolatrous priests
now began to see that their calling was in danger ; so they resolved
to put Thomas to death, vainly imagining that, if the leader were
destroyed, the new religion would soon die away. Not long had the
murderers to wait before an opportunity occurred for them to carry
out their wicked design. Outside the gates of Malipur was a tomb ;
who was buried there I know not, but one would suppose some dear
friend of the Apostle, for to this tomb Thomas was in the habit of
retiring, and, probably because it was a quiet and secluded spot, he
there held communion with his God. It was while engaged in prayer
in his favorite retreat that the Brahmins and their armed followers
attacked him. They shot him with their arrows, stoned him, and at
length one of the priests ran him through with a lance. His disciples
* Isaiah ix. 6.
•f Acts i. 14.
n
49.2
Tim APOSTLES OF JESUS.
sacred building was aften d iCvo^m it h' '°'^ "■•"■'^^- ^-^^
great magnificence. Tlie ChristiZTftK , ''''^""^ ^ '='""•'='' "f
the body of Thomas was wi?h ''It ' ^"' ''^' ""'^ '^'="'^™' 'h^'
Frea, governor of the Coist f f : f"^ "'' ''^ D°" ^^m^n^el
that Prince Sogamo wliom T,,^?™",'"^ ' '"" " ^^^» '"^'^"vered
verting had bee'n buHed'm thJtr;ra:e '"" '^^ ~ °^ --
lnd,a, 'un^dDr th^S ^ TZ ^1 '""^ ^^ "-°^ '•"
scene of Thomas's deat tLc^ p! f ^ ^^^'' ""'' '''''^'^ ""-'^'^ 'he
tablets were brouc^ht to h m ,>• th ^°""S"ese say that some brass
they could scarcdy be rea AT '"7""'°"' "" *•='" ^ -""-' tha
tha. they contained a :;o;ttion 1 1 r^ a' ^^''^ ^f"'^
■"in. It gave L acZ t ; thn "" '"'"P""^'^'' "^^^ '^-"^^ Bra !
his death, and stated hat t,a IrosrhaH T'^T '" '""^^ P^'^- -^
yea?:r:;eSi:;;i;xf::^"h":';™-^'^
Christians: no less, soL sav han fiff ' ''"'' '""'^^ S'' ^homass
successors of the disci,!?; "Th/m:" '"'Z'^^l" '^'^'^^^"'^ f^r-iUes,
very poor, were governed bv oat inr.T , u ? '''"' "churches, were
sacraments, and Served .mnvtfX ^''"'T' '''''""^ '^e two
The date of Thomas's h"^»k ^^'°"' °^ "'^ Church.
that this Apostle, TvwLatfitt the "'l'""""- ^'"^^— -7^
of all the Apostles, becrme throu U r^''.^''' ^"^ '"°^' incredulous
his scruples, and the poTer of thf dfi"e '''"''T'"'''"S to satisfy
invincible of them all "" S'^"^' 'he most active and
^e before
tyr. The
liurch of
ieve, that
Hmanuel
scovered
of con-
iceroy in
near the
le brass
:ent that
covered
a piece
a cross
i Brah^
^ts, and
•rial of
Lindred
omas's
milies,
, were
le two
says
'ulcus
atisfy
: and
jL
.__., )
MATTHB\V.
OLEMN indeed must be the thoughts of the
traveler as he strolls on the shores of Galilee.
Perfect stillness pervades the scene. Not
even a ripple on the beautiful lake disturbs
the silence around him. Not a single boat
gliding across the sea varies the picture. In
solitude he may stand and contemplate the
mountains that afforded a retreat to the blessed
Jesus from the noisy throng, and the waters that were
j^^>iS* ever ready to obey the voice of their divine Master. But
how different must it have been when our Saviour walked
by the sea-side, and multitudes followed him I Look at an ancient
map of Palestine, and you will sec how many flourishing cities raised
their proud heads on the banks of Gennesaret. What a busy scene
the lake must have then presented I Vessels of every description
were sailing from one side to the other. Boats for passengers, and
ships for merchandise ; fishermen's boats, and doubtless often boats
full of pleasure-seekers from Capernaum, Bethsaida, Tiberias, and
other places.
No wonder that the publican, or tax-gatherer, who had the good for-
tune, speaking in a worldly sense, to be stationed on the shore of the Sea
ot Galilee, carried on a flourishing trade. It is the history of one of these
Roman servants you are about to read. But, first, I must explain
what a publican was. He was a collector of the customs, or tribute,
from the Jews and others for the Romans, under whose yoke the Jews
then were, and had been for sixty years before the birth of Christ.
These collectors were called in Latin publicani (publicans), because
they gathered public payments. The taxes were looked upon by the
425
426
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
often employed then, as <lepu e Thl H ' "''''" °*^" P'^''^''^.
'n great detestation and conte n.pt fo h;"^"'! ""'''^^"-^ ^--' ''I'l
was re<iuirecl by ,he Ro.nans, b ' ti ed e7 " °"'^ '°"^^"='' ^^^at
■ng money for themselves. Anode rtr\°''P?'''""'''y "^ ^^'°«-
them was, because they had, tC ° Lv oH.^ ^ "'' ^^^ '"''^'-'^
Entiles, a Jew thinking it a dis,r ace to / , u'"'' '° ""'^ ^^i"' ">e
Gentile, So n.uci, „ie the Ravish n '""'' °' "^^^ ^I'^'^k to, a
countrymen, that it was con de/edtnlaw?n 'f"'' ''"'°""' "^^ "'->
«-' act of kindness, ,o sit at mc-at or to / '^°'' ""^ °"^ '° ^'o 'hem
miKht even cheat a l>ublican wTthout h '' '""' ""=■"■ ^ Jew
not allowed .o hold iny comnTunion w^r^' P"""'^" '^' "' =">d L
In short, a pttblican was shunned detsted^'r """''"' "' "^''S'on-
■ng directions to his disciples told th? 1 '^/''"=^- J^^"^' '"giv-
against one of them, he was to r orlvM •"■'' " ^ ^^'^'^'^^ fespas'sed
no efi-ect, he tnust do so befor wimesses ',Tu'' ' ''"' '' "''' had
tmued hardened, the injured mnmuT^T e' "ff-^nder still con-
'he church ; but if he neglect o hear thh ^"^ ^"'°"'' " "" '' "'"°
as a heathen man and JuiffcZ'* f ^ *"'''• '•-•' ^m be unto thee
the Rabbins, " Take not a wife^; of thaVr' ", '°T"'°" P''°^^^'' '^^ong
'■can, for such are all publicans or vt'"'"^*''^' '" "nereis a pub!
publicans were generally peo^iu of '^''■'°"'- ^''"gh the Roman
tation for honesty. So confi? d was thel"'".''' ''"^ ''^'' "° -P"-
extortion, that when one of them ^K "'""".'character for fraud and
Vespasian, proved an exception To 'he'^u^^ '^ '^"^^^ °^ '"^ Emperor
erected to his memory with this int ! ' ^ "'^'"'^ certain statues
--_______ ^ " ""'^^^ b^ made known. Read
xvuj.
MATTHEW.
n'y the loss
constantly
ans, knovv-
wn people,
were held
-cted what
of ex tort-
despised
'■ with the
peak to, a
^y their
tlo them
A Jew
and was
rt-^h'gion.
5, in giv-
-spassed
that had
till con-
! it unto
ito thee
' among
' a pub-
Roman
• repu-
id and
nperor
statues
lican."
ITS go
orded
Read
4»7
his own word? " And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man,
named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom : and he saith unto
him. Follow me. And he arose, and followed him."* What aston-
ishment must this event have caused in the minds of those who were
standing by I Can we imagine the scene ? In a counting-house on
the shore, near Capernaum, sat Matthew, busy collecting the taxes due
upon merchandise and passengers about to be taken across the lake.
Probably he appeared wh'riiy absorbed in his profitable business, and
heedless alike of the sc( rn and hatred of his fellow-countrymen, and
any reproaches of his o.'-n ccnscence, as he extorted money both for
his masters and for him;; 'f But who can tell what was passing
through his mind ? Perhaps, as he sat there, he was reflecting upon
the wonderful things that were happening at Capernaum, ?nd possibly
he had listened to our Lord's discourses, and his heart had been
touched with love for, and admiration of, the divine Teacher. We
know, however, no more than the Jews who unwillingly paid him the
tribute money, and saw in Matthew only a vile tax-gatherer. A man
in humble garb approached the spot. He looked upon Matthew, an(^
simply said, "Follow me."f
"At once he rose, and left his gold,
His treasure and his heart
Transferr'd, where he shall safe behold
Earth and her idols part. "
What marvelous power h.ul that meek stranger exercised ? would
the wondering Jews ask, as they looked upon the vacant seat and
the neglected heaps of money. They did not reflect that he
who could heal the sick, and raise the dead, could, with a word
or look, give spiritual life to a heart dead to all but worldly gain.
With a cheerful and willing spirit did Matthew sacrifice all for
Christ. So overflowing with thankfulness was he at having found
the Saviour, that he made a great feast in his own house, inviting
his friends to meet Jesus and his disciples, and to rejoice with him.
Jesus became the guest of Matthew, and sat down with publicans and
:
* Matt. ix. 9.
f Luke V. 27^
(Sif**
428
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
iji
II
Sinners. You wnlII.^ k
were afflicted with the disea e nf' '' "f '""'" '° '"-■'•'I 'hose >vho
themselves righteous, they ou'L not'to 1^ ','" '^''^"^^- ^"^^^
sinners rather than themselves L"s.l' ^'--'=" '^"''Priser. at finding
The follo>ving year Mitth. ^'^^'«"'-s companions. ^
"•- no special lZ^:tZ^^^''^ '" ^P-"^. ^om which
rest of fhe holy band, preichTd ... " .'"Scripture. He, like t le
dev s, and took part in' o^Sn estd^T ' '^"'^■' ''" ''''■ -^' «
Lords l,fe, the last of which was .t't , .'""^^esting scenes of our
when Jesus, while blessing tl^l loos "^ '°°^ P''-"^^ »" Olivet
Matthew was also called Levf rf ' """T^"^ '"'° heaven. '
was born, but he was believed to havf h"°' °'™ '"'"'^'y ^^^ere he
father's name was Alphsus and ,„ . " "" "^"'^'^ °' Galilee His
a publican. The fathe^of Mat C ''Z '"''°'"' '"« "^ also v"
Ap-us,thefatherofJames th LL Aft"°' '^ ^°"''°""<''=d with
E' ted t1 "-^ ^"^ ^-™ J"^- fo Vhryctt '-'"''''"•
'ir., fk . eonvertmg the Gentiles H ^ ^ ""^ """"e, and
first that was penned) chiefly for his J w7sh iZT"'" ^'" ^"^P"^' ('^e
hat Jesus was the pro.nised Me s/aht *'''"■ '" " ''^ P'^^^s
countrymen in the Old Testament q, ^"°''"'S the faith of his
Pomting out that Jesus of Naz™ eth vv ''h"'"'^ "^^^'"^ ''- Gospel by
rom whom was to spring thrMc' s ^ (Z TT ^^"^ ^^ '
o Isaiah.) He shows, in mai ,/ in=t ' , ""^ eleventh chapter
h.s Gospel werethefufillml'of r'-"'"' ""^ events related in
'° be true. When speaS;: 1 f^^f J^'^ ^^ ^^'-"-'^l"
of the prophecy of Isaiah, ..lehofd . rgfn^slTl' l' ''T''" "^^
— ■ ___^ ^'" ^"^" be with child and
♦Lukev. 31, 3a.
MATTHEW.
admireti the
y Pharisees
'ts why he
' them, and
Ksician, but
' i>inners to
' he is with
those who
considered
at finding
om which
e, like the
■» cast out
'S of our
n Ohvet,
;n.
ivhere he
ee. His
also was
led with
cension,
3re, and
pel (the
pioves
of his
spel by
» Jesse,
'hapter
ited in
edged
' them
% and
429
shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which
being interpreted is, God with us."* He told them that Jesus was
born in Bethlehem, and that the chief priests and scribes said that
Christ must be born there, for the prophet Micah had written, " And
thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the
princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that
shall rule my people Israel." | John the Bnptist, who, in the wilder-
ness, proclaimed to the Jews that the Messiah was at hand, was,
Matthew said, the same spoken of by the Prophet Esaias, "The
voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the
Lord, make his paths straight." J Jesus, he wrote, " came and dwelt in
Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon
and Nephchalim : that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
Esaias the Prophet, saying. The land of Zabulon, and the land of
Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the
Gentiles ; the people which sat in darkness saw a great light ; and to
them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung
up." § When he recounted the miracles of Jesus, how he healed th/*
sick and cast out devils, he reminded his countrymen of the prophecy
of Esaias, " Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." ||
The method of teaching adopted by our Lord was, he wrote, a fulfill-
ment of prophecy. " All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude
in parables ; and without a parable spake he not unto them : that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open
my mouth in parables ; I will utter things which have been kept secret
from the foundation of the world." * * Jesus entered Jerusalem upon
an ass. St. Matthew reminded the Jews of what Zechariah had
prophesied. " Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh
unto thee, nicek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an
ass." f f Thus this Evangelist lost no opportunity of pointing out the
fulfillment of prophecy in the life and ministry of Jesus. And what
believer in the Old Testament could, after reading St. Matthew's
x\
* Matt. i. 23.
II Matt. viii. 17.
fMatt. ii. 6.
X Matt.
111. 3.
§ Matt, iv, :3-i6.
**Matt. xiii. 34, 35. ff Matt. xxi. 5.
430
tiii
11
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
P". whm h. h^, b, k" ~ "' » ;'»»"1 « N«|d.to, I. eh"
PALM. TREE.
indeed the
account of
acre of the
^'s wife, the
J the brib-
risen from
lovvn; but
in Ethio-
nieans of
Clemens
so.
^ark and
'cfore the
■ iasL
JAMES THK IvKSS.
Y no means the least important of the Apostles was
i James the Less, who was also called James the
Just, He was considered a model of virtue ; and
Josephus, the Jewish historian, speaks of him as a
"wonderful person, celebrated of all others for
righteousness." It is not known what place he be-
longed to, excepting that in the Talmud it is said
James was a native of Sechania. No trace, how-
ever, of even the site of a town of that name can be
discovered, so you must be content with simply knowing
that he dwelt in Palestine. It is needless to surmise in
what part of the Holy Land the deeply-interesting family of whic^
James was a member resided. His mother was sister to the Virgin
Mary, so her home, before her marriage, must have been at Sepphoris,
a large city near Nazareth, as Anne and Joachim, the supposed parents
of the Virgin, are said, by early writers, to have resided there. But
this does not tell us where James lived before Christ began his
ministry. He and his cousin, the blessed Jesus, might have been
companions from their infancy, or they might only have seen each
other when they and their parents met at the annual feasts m Jeru-
salem. James the Less was one of the four sons of Alpha^us or Cleo-
phas and Mary. His brothers — Joses or Joseph, Simon or Simeon,
and Jude or Judas (the last an Apostle) — are all mentioned in the Gos-
pels, and are spoken of as our Lord's brethren. The word "brethren "
in the New Testament must not always be understood as meaning
sons of the same parents, as it is sometimes used when a remoter
relationship is intended.
No record is left of James's call to the discipleship, and his name
2(! L 431
432
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
^^^^^Jl^tlJ^ Z^ -, -"■^^"- •••" Apostle,
of the twclveselected by ou"savi;" to ," '"k '' '''"''"'^' "^^^ ^''^o"-^
came off more than
conqueror through
him who loved him.
The Saviour, after
his resurrection, hon-
oi'cd James with a
special interview;
but what passed on
that occasion, or even
where the meeting
took place, we are not
told in the Bib- Not
oneoftheEvar-^clists
speaks of the event,
but St. Paul tells us
that Jesus '<was seen
of James; then of all
the Apostles."* There
was, so early as the
first century, a sect of
Judaizing Christians
(afterward called
Nazarenes),who5; ^ :
JACOB'S WELL.
the Gospel of St. Matthew in Hebrew b„t ,^''f"="^^^)'^^ho'i -■
cannot be considered of undoubted Tuthor tv Th"""* '° "' '"■''
g>ve of the interview between our I ord f ^"''""' '"'^J'
stance which led to it k = T '' J'™'^''' '""^ "^e circum-
____^^^|e^.t, .s, accordmg to Jerome, that the latter took a
* I Cor. XV. 7.
I
p*
w.
f/t
JAMES THE LESS
u'ould eat bread no mo" oil he f,^"^^^'"™' °f «"= Lords Supper, he
thatafterhisresurrec ion '^'^'^ ^'='^" J"-'^"^ risen from the dead ; and
saying, .. Eat thy bre d nj b othc^ fo: 'the S ^"r " '° *^ ^P''^"^'
from among them that sleep ■ °" ""^ '^^" '^ '™'y "^«
Partrt;^e\rrilprt,e^°an;/r -^ --^ ^■•-■•"."ished
character, regarded as a oersnn ^V!^ ' '"'°"'" """ ^'"^ ^>^^^i<^'i
Christian Chureh He wa 1 p-'^r''"'' ""P^^'^ce in tl,e early
supposed, left bind him ant, ' '^^^*°P °f ■''^^"salem. Jesus, it is
appointed to this ho^rblep;;''"" "'^' '- wished James to be
of m!:;^ a^ h- " ^:i^:T- '"^ 'r-- °^ «-> '"^ -«-
friends an aeeount of hilmirL, I '""°" ^^ ""-' ^"^el, he gave his
these things unt^ {amef d t^ bX: "V''^" ''''■ "^-' ^'^w
Cht.eh andpartieulirlyJame^h:btCofit """'"'"' ''" ""^°''^
deference whieh ^^^^^^Tll!::^ '^^:-lJ^ «t'""' '''
';":nd' :rE: ~tV"'- ^^r'-"-" 'Suhjr^h!
cannot be sa^ed" f' ^he a lTd""":'v "" "' •"^""^'- "^ "--• X^
discussion with thise ctit ,! '"^ ™"Vanion, after a lengthy
law with faith n a rist^X^^^ T """^ "^ —--1
Apostles and elders abou the q'est.fp "P '°. J<=™='^'"" '« consult the
us that he " went up by ZZlZX"' ""'^ '''^ f^'' I'^'"' "^"^
received by " Janies cXs and Vl' "''^°™P^""-'d by Titus, and were
the churchftolhon; ■ they de did aU T 'T"' '° ""' ^''"^''^ " § "^
them."|| A council was tlen held in l^l ^"'^ ''"'' ^'°"^ ^"'"^
I.^ addressed the ass^ 'Cr^n^L^ I^ '"^r 'n^'
l!!::i::^^;^^;i^JI-^^ eager eyes would be fi^TJup^^t'
*Actsxii. 17. t Acts XV. I. |Gal. ii. 2.
§Gal. i. 9. I! Acts XV. 4.
436
ft! H
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
^^^^^^^t^tL!^;^'--' -'f ^-^ ^—1 to hear .he
Han... ha. i^t. .s^? ::r::^z:^ '^^:^i^ -^^
hearken unto me- mm<^^r. " /e- t^ ^vicn and brethren,
the first did v^^ '.if Ge" ili. ." "'"^ " "^'"' '''""''^'■^^ "°- God a
name. And to Is g^ee rwo.d^tf T °' "^'•'" ^' ^^^'^ f"-- '''■^
After this I will return anrlwin-L P^-ophets; as it is written,
whieh is fallen down ind I win h" ,. '^""" "'^" '"'^^''■"^^''^ °f I^^'vi^L
trouble not them which fmn, ,J fu ^ ^ sentence is, that we
but that we Suntolhem thnT^ t ^™"''^' "^-^ '""'"^^ '° God:
and from fornkation LdT:! H '^ ''"? ^™'" P°"""°"^ °f 'dels,
Moses of old ^:^i^vz^^::xf;:::^r r°"'- '^°^
'"/•*"-er James had given his sentence Petpr lr>i,n r. r i,
nabas, and the rest rerardp,) tl,„ • . , ' ^ '"■ •'^''"1, Bar-
Apostles deemin. hZ , ^"'"1 '' '""'"''■ "^''^ ^^'^t of the
position whici: "his m^:. :;; ri::s ;"'■ '^ ^'^r °^ ""^ ^-^''^ '"■^">
of his brethren "Then nl.t! ^ v '^u , """f"'"''' '" ""= -^'''""atio.,
whole church, ^o sen^d eho-^rmen of tlelr't^^ ''''''' '''' "-
with Paul and Barnabas- namt-^v T T '^"'"Pany to Antioch
Silas, chief men among tie' bretit' ■ "L H, '"'■""™'^ ^^'''^'''' '"^^
after this manner- Th^e Anos lei 1 u ''^ "''■°"-" ^'''"' ^y th<--">
ing unto the br: hren vhlc'h a of t e'ctrf"' '".'""" ^"^"^ ^■-•'-
and Ciiieia: Forasmuch „rhavehe->rfthtV"."''T-';''"^' ^^^'"
from us have troubled vo„ ,, • l" f '^^ t certain which went out
Ye must be cir^um sed^ a tV;^^^^^^^^ ^-^ -">^. ->-«,
a~to^:^- Lr " - """ -
♦ Acts XV I J j,^
» hear the
Paul, aiul
brethren,
w God at
2 for his
> written,
f David,
)f, and I
ord, and
:)i'(-\, who
l<s from
that we
to God:
of idols,
•d. For
ig read
ion was
il, I3ar-
of the
rv hiL'h
matioii
ith the
^ntioch
Ls, and
/ them
greet-
Syria
nt out
aying,
3 such
h one
s and
Lord
/AAf/iS THE LESS.
437
Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also
tell you the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy
Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these neces-
sary things ; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from
blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if
ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well." *
This decree of the council of Jerusalem set the question about cir-
cumcision completely at rest. No Gentile was required to be circum-
cised, nor was obedience to any part of the ceremonial law enforced
upon them as necessary to salvation. There were, however, certain
customs, in themselves indifferent, which few Jews, even after they had
become Christians, could be induced to lay entirely aside. Of this
nature was their dislike to eat any animal with the blood in it, or that
had been strangled, or any meat which had been offered in sacrifice to
idols. As regarded these things, the Gentile Christians had no such
scruples. But the letter from the council advised that the Jewish pre-
judices in these matters should be considered, in order thi'i .;. e Jews
might not, when they sat down to their meals, be shocked by seeing
the Gentile converts pay no regard to so positive a command of Moses.
The letters were written, and every precaution, we may suppose,
was taken to guard against any mischance that might happen to
travelers passing through a country at that time infested by banditti,
and overrun by a conquering enemy. But before the great Apostle
and Barnabas took their departure from Jerusalem, can we not imagine
them, in company with Peter, John, and James, paying • ha^Ay visit to
places, oh, how dear to the devoted followers of Tesus — Gethsemane.
Calvary, Olivet, Bethany, and many other spots would possess an
irresistible charm to the enthusiastic Paul. But the zealous mission-
ary, anxious to return to his great work, would not linger; and soon
he and his three companions were far from the holy city, wending their
perilous way to Antioch. Three hundred miles had they to travel. It
is probable they took a direct route ; and, if so, they would pass the
lofty Gibeon, and perhaps gaze at the rock upon which, more than a
♦ Acts XV 22-29.
■■in,M
438
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
they arnVod at Nain thcv,„rh "■"'"'"' "f^ •'^^'maria. When
which twenty years iX":;" tf ^ "''. "^ "■^- ^'-"^ ">-^
-.rned when Jescs restored t to life I ' T"r ^°" "'^'^ •^^'"^
-T„,ay have .a.ed ,„.on tlovelv I T ;/-'"« "'^ °' '"^^-'-.h
W00.I of those ,vho tool, no eedo ■;;"'; ■^~" "^^^ ">■"' "'"' "•':
"">c they >vould reach th.. foot o th ■ " '^ ""'■'^'^ ^'^"^ ''i''- I"
-non: and „„„, .hr„,„h' ch^ry d 7"'''"^' ■"°""'-'- °f I-l-
woary travelers directed their c^l: to dt' < , °r ''"'"'"- "'•"■-■ "-
to them would be the siffht of th M,,^, Y °'""'- °''' ''"^ W'^'crime
banks I The rest of their ,ou m ', ' "^''- ''''^' "^ vine-covere J
- *e splendid city of^An^ r C'';™;' f'^y ^^^ ^ water, and
view, can we not i,„a.ine the dejf, ht " ,^ ^''''' ^"'''' "Pon their
pcndous walls, the ™;o-eo,, ' , '^ °\ ^''''' ^"'^ J^'l-s. The stn-
baths, colonnades,S:;i;° : ' "' ' '"'"! °'' ^'''•^'■"'>' ">^- ''>-tc
cypresses, above which twei'^^rr^ L°\'r"'^' '"^'•"-' -"
"-'' to then,. ij„t Paul an •utbar,'' ""' ■''>''''"-^' "-'=
beaut,es of Antioch, so one obe all ' n' '"''"■'^■'■^ '° '^e
clunch of the Christians. The new I "°"' '''''"'' then,-,he
ooked-for travelers had arrived ml . ;'•'■"':' '"'•" "'^ •"'-^'■o"sly-
'° >ear the decision of " the o e of ,."";"""^ ?"'^'^'>' --"'W-l
l".'W.cly read, the contents of wl ic , fille:l t ''"f '"■ '"''^ '^^'- "as
V. h joy. Ages have passed nee th ., ""''' °' '''"^ "^"^n^rs
bt.t the sentence of Ja,„es con n '.,'"'"'. '"°'''-''-''' ""0 dt,st,
o( the faithful, who still rejoice in 1 ,lh "" ' "^^^ ~"«^c,,,a,i. .
made his people free. ^ ""- '^''''''y >' -'^^ ^th Christ hath
coJncjj,^:!:';' ■; aS': rj"r:^a!:nf an",t "'■" '"^^ '^^«^^ '"'- "-
and all the elders, to whom ' he de r;d "^^''T "■'^^''-~""'='' ''>■ James
^wrou,ht amon, the GentiL^byt^r::: ,^1^ "^^ ['/''"Ss Cod
— ^•"- — - — - — -'•• -fjiJi. uicre were
♦Actsxxi. 19.
t
a
h
IIEHkEW IRIKSTS.
JAMES THE LESS. .„
433
those in the city who no sooner heard of his arrival than they sought
l^ 1. ^""- , 'P' ^'^'1^^'' ^^^^^ '^'^^'^ '-^U^'^lly. and " nian> thousands of
Jews ■ had become Christians. But still the infant Churc h was in
tile midst of foes, who, though with good
reason distracted and terrified at the fearful
state of their country (famines, wars, mas-
sacres, and robberies desolating every part
of it), could yet consult with one another
how best to overthrow the religion of Jesus.
The Jews were not i)erni.aed \o slay Paul;
and he was sent a prisoner to Cresarea'
guarded by tu.3 hundred .oldiers. two hundred spearmen, and seventy
horsemen. The Scribes and Pharisees ^v■ere enraged because tl"d^
intended victnn had escaped out of their han<ls, and
then- malice was turned against James.
Ananus was then high' priest. lie was a bold, mer-
ciless man, and undertook to put James to death but
It was fully four years before he accomplished his pur-
pose. Peli.x, Nvho kept Paul in prison two years at
CTsarea,was on account of his unpopularity removed
from his post, and was succeeded by Festus, who, two
years after he was appointed governor, died. It was in
the mterval between the death of Festus an-1 the arrival of Albanus
the new governor, that Ananus took upon himself to call together the
Sanhedrim, which was the chief council of th.- Jews
formed of seventy members, over whom the high priest
usually presided. The Sanhedrim was composed of
priests, doctors of the law, and elders. These vvere " the
chief priests, and the scribes, and the ciders," f who met
at the palace of Caiaphas to consult how they mi<rht
tak. Jesus. Before the ,e judges James was brought,
and was by them condemned to death. They wished
however, to have some plausible reason for killing him, so, Ilegesippus
r-f
\
i^
.^
V
^
•is--
- B
t^ L
~^-
=^
A LI-;\ HE.
ROBING A
PRIEST.
* Acts xxi. 2o.
fMatt. xxvi. 3,
440
THE AlVSTUiS OF //iSUS,
c
an ecclesiastical historian who liv.,! in h, i
-Serines and ..„a,,s..s „:;,■:;; 1; t^::::^:^zi '"'r -"■ '■''
""i.^ly sai.l t„ l,i,„, " \Vc beseech th ., . , ' "'''^■' •""' "I"-
"-- in J-us as tl/ouyl^he ;; \ ' c^lt"" '" ''7'''^' ^^ ">^y "^e-
V^'n>W; that they be not deee ved , '™ P^y tl'«, I'ersua.le the
'"•" "•"" rna> Jt be n , ''t ^h " "'',"" ""^ ''"'"^ "'' "'^ '-"I'l^
I-Ple." |an,es u-as t u i' i ' ' , '^' h"?'^ "'^'>' ''" ''-'"I ''y all I.e
''■7'i''.-thatthenul:;j:'t :;;, ;:';;:t^
^"i^J'ii'ntcd Apo.tlc then saiJ uiih ■ i ''"'"■ '^"'^- '^^^i^'
nie of Jesus he Son f "'^ '■^''^'' " ^^^'^''^ ^lo you ask
;;■ .... ..;,i:'::.;:,;r— « r i;;i- r,;r;*;;-
I'liansecs vv^re s„ enra.^ed if ,hi. ,h , Z. „ -Scribes and
l'"">acle„nuhichhc St.; Th ': ,"^, """« J-n.es fton, the
-I. ■•'sin, npon hi. i;::; ^ he ; V""o l':! r Tr ""' ''""' ^
seech thee t., U,v^Wc then, for th T *^"''' '■'"'"^'■' ' l^-'"
<^"-.H,.s, instead o( be : ;,ft ' 7j?7 ""' "•''•" "'^^ <1°-" Bt,t his
»■••. pravin- for them Ii„i l,iin 1 . i , '^J"'\a"'' "gntecnis man who
atones ,;pon their 1 v hn J on "^ T'""' '''7 "''' '' '^''--'- °f
li.i"<l a club uhi.h he^„ ,V I'll on-;, who was a fuller, havin^• in his
"- '.-a With ■; aid' z il ':,.t "t/ "T'\ '"^- ^'^-"^ -
si.xdi year of his a-e hn.es , I , i, 7 ""'"■■''■'""'" '"'"'-•'y-
"l-id. n.eans " th^drfen an Vt" ' ' ^■' '■"'° <^'"'''^ "'^ O"''^'".
name ,vas given him bv th/ T'"' °^ u'' '"■'"P''^" This latte
••'" ' I'.'ppiness of the nt-on d^"'' YT" "''^ ^°""'^'='-^^ "''= safety
slain ah, „t the r "' '""/•^l^^'"' "P°" his prayers, James wa^
'" ''»^ ^ ™c city Cn' ,! • ,^ ::: r^ -^^'^ J'^-- «- ^-t had
tells n. testified their respc.t or t m tiK F '"'T '' ^ "^^"">P"^
"lent o^er tl,c s„ot where he^l-T f ^^ P'*'='"' '' """""
highly vaU,ed, !,.t it d , ,t bn Txi t tr'ei ht '"'" """"^'■•^' --
Ron,ans, .vhen they took the Sd'^fo^ed if '"" '"""■'""■' *^
jAAffiS Tim LFSS.
'Wui cun-
tllcy bc-
iuadc the
c temple
y all the
IK of the
n. 'i'he
you aslv
ht hand
Many
i<J cried,
x\s and
oni the
killed;
r, I be-
Hut his
^K^'iinst
Jiother
:ed the
1 who
iver of
in his
tic on
incty-
^liam,
latter
safety
s was
t had
ppiis
onu-
was
the
44t
The death of James was a j^Tcat ^rief to all upright men, even to
those who were not Christians, and when the hand of (]od was so
heavy upon the Jews, they believed, so it appears from Josephus, that
the fearlul calamities that befell them were the effects of the vengeance
of the Almighty for their having barbarously murdered James tlie Just.
He was buried, according to Gregory of Tours, on the Mount of
Olives, m a lomb he had himself built, and in which he had interred
the "just and dcx out - •'= Simeon, and Zacharias the father of John the
P>ai)tist. Jam<s, the son of Cleophas, was called James the Less, prob-
ably because he was lower in stature and younger than James the
Cireat, and these titles were given them by way of distinction.
James the Less was the author of one of the epistles in the holy
volume: when he wrote it is not exactly known, but it is supposed to
have been during the year before his martyrdom. Great errors had
arisen in consequence of the misinterpretation of the doctrine of justi-
fication by faith, as taught by Paul, many believing that moral duties
were not necessary, and had, consequently, given themselves up to
all manner of evil courses. But James in his epistle undeceived
them, for he told them they must be " doers of the word, and not hear-
ers only;"-}- they must bridle their tongues, and not deceive their own
hearts ; that they must relieve the afflicted, and keep themselves free
from the vices of the world ; be " peaceable, gentle, and easy to be
entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without
hypocrisy." J For unless their faith led them to practice these virtues,
It was dead, and their religion vain ; in other words, that they had no
proper faith nor real religion at all; for if the tree be made good, it
must produce good fruit; and if the fountain be made pure, it must
send forth pure water. Li the latter part of his epistle, he alludes to
the approaching destruction of Jerusalem, and exhorts the Jewish
Christians to be patient, and to stablish their hearts for the coming of
the Lord. ^
James remained bishop of Jerusalem until his death. He had
charge of the mothei church about thirty years, during which time he
* Ivuke ii. 25.
f James i. 22.
23
J James iii. 17.
442
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS
labored with the Prcitr^t .in;
such .ucccss that th j os st IT '"' '■^'"^f'""«=-. Preaching with
nobles in J.™.„„„ '^^l "a jr ";?r'"-^-"d "any of the
piety was most fervent, and sincere nr^ "'-'gesippus says that his
stantly retired to the t n^t top rfo'rm hi"T '"-^''^''s^"". -^ he eon-
m such veneration by the'peopir ronton"""""" "^ "^^ "^^'^
he wrought, but because of his hoHnLs ^ T ""' °' '^' ""'^^^''-'^
hm wherever he ,vcnt, deen n^ " 11 r'V^'''^'y f°"°^^'=''
t 'e hen, of lu's garment A^d "aer h s l"^r V^''^'''-'^^' '" '""^'' '^V'-'"
tl'e episcopal chair in ,vhich he ut to s " ""'^'"' "'™"°"^ "''•"
regarded ahnost as sacred hI ch.rit „?' '""''""' ''''''"''• ^"'^
and hunulity admired by even one /, ,*^r'' '''"'^ ''^^ temperance
and honored, that ahiiost all [erusilr.n "''"'•'''•.'"= ™^ ^o much beloved
James the Just. J'-^-alcm united m giving him the title of
M h\
BUmiNG OF TRUMPET AT NEW
MOON
5.dSL_'l
caching with
many of the
lys that his
and he con-
fe was held
the miracles
ey followed
touch even
■ntions that
served, and
■cniperance
ch beloved
the title of
JUDE.
I
■4^:
^;^T^^|v LESSED, indeed, were Alphaeus and Mary in
their children. The history of their first-born
you have just read. Simon, or Simeon, was, upon
the death of his brother James, unanimously
elected bishop of Jerusalem. Alphaeus and Mary
had, there can be little doubt, long before this
honor was conferred upon their son, closed their
eyes in death. But we may be assured that he,
who was thought worthy of so high a trust, would
be, so long as his parents lived, the joy and comfort of
their hearts.
Joses is generally believed to have actively devoted himself to the
service of the Lord Jesus ; and Jude, you know, was an Apostle.
Blessed as Alpha^us and Mary were in their children, no less so
were the brethren, "James and Joses and Simon and Judas,"*
in having such j^ious parents. I cannot tell you so much of the father
as of the mother of Jude, but no one can suppose that Alph^eus was
aught than a true follower of Jesus. He had trained up his family " in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord ; "f and perhaps he was not
less eminent than his dear partner, for piety, courage, and devotion.
AlphcEus, or Cleophas, was one of the two favored disciples whom
our Saviour walked with after his resurrection. lie and his companion
were on the road to Emmaus, a village about seven miles from Jeru-
salem. As they walked they conversed about all the strange things
that had happened. " While they communed together and reasoned,
Jesus himself drew near, and vvcnt widi them; but their eyes were
* Matt. xiii. 55.
t Eph. vi. 4.
445-
( )l
If
446
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
holden, that they should not know him " * Onr <5o,m 1 j ,
u^at was the subject of the,V convers^ion, an^^hyT ^^..tlo' IT
•■And the one of them whose name was Cleophas, answer! nt sat
the thin"; y T ""'^ ' ^'""^" '" Je™salem,'and'hast no T;" n
the things which are come to pass there in these days ? •' + Jesus Tskld
them, What thmgs ? And they told him all about the m glty works
Jesus of Nazareth had done, and that he had been crucified Id hot
astonished they were at the account they had heard of his resur c on
Then Jesus upbraided them with their unbelief "and bein n' "t
Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in alUhe sc°rin
tures the things concerning himself And they drew ni^h unto the
village, whither they went: and he made as though he would hi
gone further. But they constrained him, saying. Abide wi h u ft i
IS toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to n rv
with tnem^ And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with h m he «k
bread and blessed it, and gave it to them. And the r eves ,«^e
opened, and they knew him: and he vanished out of t e siX Zl
hey said one to another. Did not our heart burn within us while h'
talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the sir ies
And they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem "i The
companion o Cleophas is supposed by many to have been Luke
of hnseT T ^'"^' "'"''u °^ "^' ''''^'' °^ J"^^- b"t his mother was' one
of those holy women who went with Jesus about Galilee, throu-^h everv
city and village, mmistering unto him of their substance" The e
pious women likewise followed our Saviour on his last jou ne^^on
Galilee to Jerusalem, to attend, so far as lay in their power to W
tmporal necessities^ It must not be supposed that they devoted
themselves exclusively to Jesus ; doubtless, the Apostles aL nrt ci
pated in the benefits of their thoughtful care. Tu'o, a ea t o Xse
females had sons in the little band who accompanied our Lord and
ch"' '•"1"'/'°"'= T"'' '^1 "^^- '° -^P-' *he wants of 'thet
children. I need scarcely remmd you how much courage and self-
denial were required to act as Mary and her friends did. Home and te
t - ,
♦Luke xxiv. 11;, i6.
fLuke xxiv. i3.
J Luke xxiv. 27-
33-
JUDL
AM
isked them
ere so sad
leering, said
not known
esus asked
jhty works
1, and how
:surrcction.
ginning- at
the scrip-
1 unto the
ould have
us : for it
in to tarry
n, he took
eyes were
ght. And
, while he
:riptures ?
."J The
-uke.
■ was one
gh every
• These
ney from
ir, to his
devoted
) partici-
of these
)rd; and
of their
nd self-
- and its
comforts must have been forgotten ; and often, footsore and weary, they
would reach a city only to be treated by its inhabitants with contempt;
and, like the blessed Jesus whom they served, would have nowhere to
lay their heads. Let us hope that in Jerusalem they met with friends
who could hospitably entertain them. Johanna, the wife of Chuza,
Herod's steward, had ministered to Jesus of her substance in Galilee.
She, too, had followed our Saviour to Jerusalem, where, perhaps,
she had wealthy friends who offered a temporary home to her and her
companions. Joseph, the counselor, who was " a good man and a just,"*
and the wealthy Nicodemus, would neither of them, surely, refuse
to shelter such true handmaidens of the Lord. These brave women
were faithful to the last. The disciples of Jesus forsook him when
the hour of trial came, and many of them did not venture to return to
him. But Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary the wife of Clcophas, and
Mary Magdalene were with our Saviour on Calvary. Most probably
they had formed part of that great company who, weeping and lament-
ing, followed Jesus to the place of execution, and then stood afar off
beholding the crucifixion. Love, however, conquered fear ; and, re-
gardless of the rude soldiers and the cruel and excited mob, the three
Marys, with the Apostle John, took up their position at the foot of the
Cross. Through that day of agony these devoted and loving women
were supported from above. Human nature alone could not have
sustained them beneath such a weight of sorrow.
John took the mother of Jesus at once to his own home ; but the
other Marys remained on Calvary, and attended the funeral of Jesus.
The evening of that terrible day arrived. The dead body of Christ
hung upon the cross, and the people had returned home ; and a pit,
doubtless, was prepai-^d in Golgotha, in which were to be flung the
three corpses. But one of them must be rescued from such an igno-
minious grave, for the prophet had said, "He made his grave with the
wicked, and with the rich in his death." f Joseph of Arimathasa, an
honorable member of the Sanhedrim, " being a disciple of Jesus, but
secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away
;il
r if
448
Tm AlVsn.ES OP JESUS.
the body of Jesus ; and Pilate rave liim Imve u„ ., .
and took the body of Je^^iis \J,hT., "«. came, therefore,
at the first eame to jesus by n^^ t and \T" t" ^"°'''"'"^' ->"^h
and aloes, about a hundred'; t .Iht™?" T^^'uT "' 'T'
aceording to the Jewish eu'stom, prepa d for [t b.ll":,"""'
wrapped with the aromatic spiees in linen elot^L N t? T , T
sacred c.,rpse to be carried. Joseph had a"„e:t:^„,r,™t*f
^t^e r f:,t\":i.? r, "■ t- '"'"" ^'^-^ ™^ '•^'■"-' ^
vas luiiLu against the door of it. "And M■^r^r m, . i i
and Mary the „,other of Joses beheld .T.. l7wX'r ^
Jesus was entombed. Tlie
_^^^^^"^^r"%^.___ ^^i'jL)ath dawned; and Joseph,
N'codemus, and the two Marys'
left the sepulchei*. How they
spent the Sabbath we are
not told. Perhaps, after a kw
Iioiirs' rest, Mary, the mother
of Jude, sought her sister, the
Virgin, to sympathize with
;ind comfort her; or perhaps,
in perfect retirement, she
pondered over all that had
happened.
In the meantime the chief
the permission of Pilate, made the sepuleSilS d'^l^h^ se^u^rb!;
sealing the stone, and setting a guard of soldiers to u-.f a ^
tWewish Sabbath was ove^ ^|.ry, th: w;^^^*?:;:^^;:^!:!
Icne, and Salome, the mother of Tames and Tohn uL. L ^ '^^k^^-
which they prepared by mixing the::nt: a? mtm^''mhl:f;r
intended to embalm the body of Jesus the funeral rites h , , ^
hastily performed on the FrLy ev nine and wln.iT^''''" '"^
dawn, while it was yet dark tlX wit fh'e oth ^^ "'S"" '"
^_ ^ '^' ^"^y- ^^'t" tn^ other women, went to the
inrruK.sDA.
= J'Jhn xix. 38,39.
t Mark xv. 47.
JUDE.
449
therefore,
nis, which
of myrrh
was then,
and was
* had the
vn out of
id, and a
agdalene
5 ]aid."f
-d. Tlic
J Joseph,
vo Marys
low they
we are
ter a {<l\v
mother
stcr, the
?e with
perhaps,
nt, she
lat had
»e chief
ad, with
cure by
>oon as
Jagda-
spices,
lis they
-en too
gan to
sepulchcr. One cannot but be struck with their courage. The Apos-
tles had hidden themselves for fear of the Jews. The counselor
Joseph was a disciple, but secretly, for fear of the Jews. Nicodemus
visited Jesus, but under cover of the night, for fear of the Jews. The
women, however, who followed Jesus from Galilee, feared nothing
human. Love with them had cast out fear. The night was dark and
stormy, but occasionally the moon would emerge from behind a cloud,
and throw a faint and sickly light on the surrounding objects. Per-
haps, when they had passed through the gate of the city, it showed
them Calvary, with its three crosses, on one of which so lately hung
the Prince of Life. A shudder, it may be, passed through them as
they looked upon the instruments of death, but the only anxiety they
felt was with regard to the stone. "Who shall roll us away the stone
from the door of the sepulcher ? " * they said among themselves.
They knew not of the seal and the watch. Did they, one naturally
asks, feel the earthquake ? Or were they startled by soldiers, in wild
terror, rushing past them ? Both were possible, but still they were not
to be shaken from their purpose. When they reached the garden, the
sun had risen to shed his light and heat alike upon the holy women,
the fond disciples, who in the city mourned and wept, and upon the
hardened, cruel Jews, The Sun of Righteousness had also risen —
the Prince of Love and Peace. " the bright and morning star, ' f to his
beloved ; but, to the Jews, with a self-invoked curse upon their heads
— a God terrible in his vengeance. The women approached what they
supposed to be the abode of the dead, and beheld with surprise the
stone rolled away. What would they think ? Two of the party had,
only a few hours previously, seen the door of the sepulchcr made secure
by this very great stone. Who had rolled it away ? Perhaps the
Jews, whose malice extended beyond the grave, were rifling the tomb,
in order that they might insult the remains of Jesus. If so, what mercy
could a party of females expect, if they fell into their hands? But
whatever were their thoughts, they pressed on, and entered the gloomy
vault, a room, caoable of holdinu ten nersons. Thev ff^nnd
if
1 5.
* Maik xvi. 3.
t Rev.
xxii. 10.
4S6
SitmAaa-
TH£ apostles of JESUS.
The body of J(
were
em in shinin«,r oarments." ='=
Jesus was gone, and, "ii
thereabout, behold two men stood by ..._ „..,.
Now they were afraid, and bowed down their faces'to'the earth The
angels told them that Jesus had risen from the dead, and that they
should see hmi in Galilee. '< And they departed quickly from the
sepulcher, with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples
word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them,
saymg, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and wor-
shiped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid : go tell my
brethren that they go into Galilee, and there they shall see me " f
I know but little more of Mary the mother of Jude. Afr-r the as
cension she was with the disciples in a large upper room in Jerusalem
where they assembled for prayer and supplication, and from that time
there is no authentic account of her, but through all ages she must
be regarded as a pattern of devotion, self-denial, and courao-e
Beyond the fact that he was the son of Cleophas andViry the
sacred history gives no information about Jude till he was ordained
an Apostle. As our Lords cousin, he had probably known Jesus all
nis life : but this is simply conjecture.
You will have observed that Jude is called by Matthew Lebk-eus
arid Thaddaeus, by Mark Thaddaeus, and by Luke and John Judas
The last name had, as being that of the vile traitor, become odious to
the disciples, so the two first evangelists avoid it. Thadd^eus means
the same as Judas, and Lebbaeus signifies <' lion-hearted " St John
and St. Luke wrote their Gospels some time after the other evangel-
ists, so that, as the feeling of dislike to the name of Judas would as
time wore on become weaker, they had less hesitation in usino- it
It has been supposed, but not with any degree of certai^'nty that
Jude was born near Mount Carmel. Like several of the Apostles he
IS seldom mentioned by name in the sacred history, but as he was
eminent for his firmness and boldness, we cannot doubt that while
attending upon our Saviour he had many opportunities of provin^r his
zeal and devotion.
* Luke xxiv. 4,
t Matt, xxviii. 8-10.
Wmim
I perplexed
garments." ="
-•arth. The
i that they
y from the
lis disciples
s met the 111,
t, and wor-
go tell my
me." f
fter the as-
Jerusalem,
1 that time
i she must
■ge.
Mary, the
s ordained
n Jesus all
i Lebba^us
*hn Judas,
odious to
eus means
St. John
r evangel-
would as
ngit.
ainty, that
jostles, he
as he was
hat while
■oving his
JUDE.
45*
At the last
supper, - aen Jesus, after telling his disciples that he
must leave them, was comforting them, ho said that he would manifest
himself to them that loved him. "Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot,
Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us and not unto
the world ?"* Jude was like the rest, thinking that Jesus would reign
as a temporal monarch, and he could not understand how a king,
exalted on a throne, and ruling the nations, should show himself only
to a small company of faithful servants. Jesus told him that the
manifestation of himself would be his dwelling in the hearts of true
believers, and that the Father would, through his intercession, send
the Holy Spirit to teach them, and make those things plain which
were now difficult for them to understand.
After our Lord's ascension, Jude preached the Gospel in different parts
of Judea and Galilee. He then, it is said, went to the cities of Arabia,
and afterward into Syria, and from thence, Nicephorus adds, to Edessa,
a city of Mesopotamia, about nine miles from the Euphrates. At the
last place he found the seeds of Christianity had already been sown
by one of the seventy disciples, of the name of Thaddccus. This
Thadda^us had been sent, Eusebius relates, by Thomas to Edessa,
very shortly after the ascension. There he healed diseases, wrought
miracles, and taught the religion of Jesus with such success that the
governor, Abgarus, and his people, became converts to the faith. King
Abgarus offered him costly gifts, but Thaddseus refused them with
scorn, telling him they had little reason to receive from others what
they had freely relinquished and given up themselves. Nearly three
hundred years afterward there was found among the records of the
city of Edessa a full account of this matter. Jude at Edessa perfected
what Thaddaeus had begun, and by his preaching and miracles con-
firmed the souls of the faithful. His principal labors, it seems, were in
Persia, where it is understood he suffered martyrdom. The manner
of his death is unknown, and the time of it uncertain ; but it is
generally believed he survived his brother James some years.
luu r-v... e>iLi_ii i.ia.\\, iudu inc zsViv- \, ij,pibtic ui juue m me ISew
■John
x'v. 22.
27 L
45-
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
ill
Testament. It is supposed to have been written after the destrL^tion
of Jerusalem, and was addressed to ail Christians. He in the plainest
terms warned them against the vile doctrines of certain heretics who
troubled the Church. Jude exposed and denounced those " dreamers,"*
as he called them. "Clouds without water, carried about with winds;
trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the
roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wan-
dering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." f
Jude was one of the married Apostles ; but who his wife was, I
cannot tell you. There is an interesting account given of two of his
grandchildren. Hegesippus states that the wicked Emperor Domi-
tian, fearing a claimant might arise for the throne of David, and
the Jews rally round him, ordered all to be killed who were of the
stock of David. He was informed that there were in Judea some of
the kingly line, in the persons of lude's grandchildren, remaining, and
he commanded that they shoun* be brought to him. The Emperor
first asked them what was I;' . ; manner of life. They replied, hus-
bandry. He next inquired .*on,.crning the kingdom of Christ, and
when it should appear. To this they replied that it was a heavenly
and spiritual, not a temporal, kingdom, and that it would not be mani-
fested till the end of the world, when he, coming in glory, should
judge the ([uick and the dead. Domitian, hearing this, dismissed
them unbound, and, by edict, stayed the persecution then moved
against the Christians. These grandsons of Jude afterward presided
over churches, and lived until the time of Trajan.
It can scarcely be considered out of place here to give a brief
account of Simeon, the brother of Jude, whose life was by no means
less interesting than those of the rest of his family. Eight years after
he had been appointed to preside over the affairs of the mother church,
Jerusalem was besieged by the Romans. Simeon, however, warned
by our Saviour, was one of those who noted the signs of the times.
The earthquakes, famines, wars, and pestilences which were desolating
the country, he knew were only the forerunners of greater woes. The
• Jude 8.
tJude 12, 13.
JUDE.
IcstjLvt.ion
ic plainest
relics who
•earners,"*
ith winds ;
up by the
me ; wan-
br ever." f
/ife was, I
two of his
•or Domi-
lavid, and
ere of the
a some of
ining, and
i Emperor
plied, hus-
;^hrist, and
I heavenly
t be mani-
ry, should
dismissed
^n moved
\ presided
'e a brief
no means
^ears after
ler church,
zx, warned
the times,
desolating
oes= The
453
" fearful sights and great signs " * from heaven, which so perplexed the
people, were to the Christians intimations that they must prepare for
their flight. Of these " fearful sights and great signs " Joscphus, in his
"Wars of the Jews," gives a most interesting account. lie speaks of
a star that resembled a sword, which stood over the city for an entire
year; and that before the Jewish rebellion, at the feast of unleavened
bread, " on the eighth day of the month ^'" >an,f and at the ninth hour
of the night,:}: so great alight shone nd the altar and the holy
house, that it appeared to be bright daytime, which light lasted for
half an hour Moreover, the eastern gate of the inner
RUINS OF THE THEATER AT EPHESUS.
couit oi the temple, which was of brass and vastly heavy, and had
been with difficulty shut by twenty men, and rested upon a basis
armed with iron, and had bolts fastened very deep into the firm floor,
which was there made of one entire stone, was seen to be opened of
its own accord about the sixth hour of the night." § Joscphus also
speaks of chariots, and soldiers in their armor, being seen in the
heavens. He also says that, at the feast of Pentecost, "as the priests
were going by night into the inner court of the temple, as their custom
* Luke xxi. ii. \ Part of March and April. % Three o'clock in the morning. § Midnight.
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(A
Z.
454
' Hi
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
II
i
vvas, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the first
place they felt a quaking and heard a great noise, and after that they
heard a sound as of a great multitude saying, • Let us remove hence ' '•
Tacitus, the Roman historian, who lived in the first century gives
a similar account of these "fearful sights and great sio-ns"* from
heaven He says that "armies were seen engaging in the heavens,
arms glittering, and the temple shone with the sudden fire of the
clouds ; the doors of the temple opened suddenly, and a voice greater
than human was heard that the gods were departing, and at the same
time a great motion of their departing."
The Jewish historian also speaks of a man who, between seven and
eight years before the destruction of Jerusalem, went to the temple
and began on a sudden to cry aloud—" A voice from the east, a voice
from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem
and the holy house, a voice against the brir grooms and the brides
and a voice against this whole people ! " Th:s was his cry as he went
about by day and by night in all the lanes of the city. In vain did
the rulers try to silence him. He was whipped till his Dones were
laid bare. He shed no tears, but at every stroke of the lash he cried
I" Woe, woe to Jerusalem." For seven years and five months, though
beatcL every day, his melancholy cry still sounded through the city
till the enemy besieged it, when it ceased; for, as he was going round
upon the wall, he cried out with his utmost force, "Woe, woe to the
city again, and to the people, and to the holy house I " And just as
he added at the last,— "Woe, woe to myself also!" there came a
stone out of one of the engines, and smote him, and killed him
immediately.
Simeon, with a multitude of Christians, fled from Jerusalem, but not
says Epiphanius, till they had been warned by an angel that they
must depart. The enemy unwittingly favored their departure
Josephus says that Cestius Callus, who was at that time before the
walls of Jerusalem, raised the siege and retired, when he could with
ease have taken the city. The short-sighted Jewish historian knevK
♦Luke xxi. ii.
JUDE.
455
not the cause of this strange conduct on the part of the enemy ; but
Simeon and his flock were aware that a power the Roman commander
could not resist directed his movements, and they would thank God
for opening the way for their escape. Even as their forefathers fled
from Egypt, did the Jewish Christians flee from Jerusalem when the
signal was given. He that was on the house-top went not down into
his dwelling to fetch anything, however precious, but hastily pressed
from one roof to cmother till he reached the walls of the city. And he
that was in the field went not home to fetch even his clothes (the
upper garments which he would not wear over the tunic when working
in the fields), but took advantage of his position at once to make his
escape. Not only did the Christians avail themselves of the oppor-
tunity of the withdrawal of the Roman army, but many of the principal
unbelie\ ing Jews did so also. Doubtless, the latter fled in all direc-
tions, but the way the Christians werj to take had been pointed out by
a divine guide. To the mountains of Percea the followers of Jesus
directed their steps. Oh ! what a touching sight it must have been, the
venerable bishop and his flock — composed of the aged and infirm, the
sickly and the strong, mothers with new-born infants, children of all
ages, youths and maidens, and tl.ose in the prime of life— slowly
traversing the banks of the Jordan, to Pella,the Zoar of the Christians !
How often would n-iany of the travelers pause on their way, and, with
clasped hands and streaming eyes, implore God to protect the friends
they had left behind, guilty as they were. Many, many prayers would
be offered for parents, husbands, wives, children, brothers, and sisters,
who remained in the doomed city. Many supplications that, if they
must perish, they might be led to cry at the last hour for mercy, in the
name of Jesus, and that their pardon might be sealed in his blood.
Past the enemy's camp and the banditti's lair, over rocky steeps and
dismal swamps, the Lord guarded his servants , not one Christian, it
is said, perished. Jerusalem and her temple were utterly destroyed,
only three towers and part of the wall were allowed by the Roman
general to remain standing. The magnificent city, whose fame had
extended over the world, was " dug up to the foundations," Josephus
tells us, " and there whs nothing to make those that came thither believe
4S6
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
it had ever been inhabited." The vial of Gods venireance was fullv
poured out. ^
When the war was ended, Simeon, and, doubtless, many of his
flock, returned to Jerusalem. Possibly, as their journey back drew to
Its close, they ascended the Mount of Olives, and. from the spot where
Jesus forty years before stood when he wept over the city, they gazed
upon the vast ruins before them. Vainly would they look for tne
splendid temple of polished marble, which, like a mountain of snow
had been wont to dazzle their eyes with its brightness. Where was
the gorgeous palace of Herod ? and where the judgment hall of
Pilate ? and where, to the Christians how dear, the large upper room
in -.vaich had been instituted the holy supper of the Lord, and in which
the Christians assembled after the ascension of their Lord > Gone
gone for ever. And as they gazed upon the wreck, and thought of
their desolated homes and lost friends, they would, like the captive
Jews of old, sit down and weep.
Jerusalem was still dear to the Jewish Christians, and they with
their venerable bishop, made the ruined city their home. And now
we might have supposed that Simeon would have been permitted to
pass the remainder of his days in peace. No fear now of encountering
hoary-headed sinners who had joined in the cry, " His blood be on us
and on our children,"* and who to the last hated the followers of him
whom they crucified. No fear now of the cruel scribes and Pharisees
who had slain his brother, and thirsted for his blood also. God's ven-
geance had overtaken them, and they would trouble him no more.
But God willed that his aged servant should be still further tried
The Gnostics, a vile sect, who held many of the doctrines of Simon
Magus, became the bane of the Christians. With the most absurd
tenets, they admitted that Christ came from God to free the world
from evil, and thus they proved a great stumbling-block to those whose
faith was not established. Of course, Simeon opposed these false
teachers with all his might, and they resolved to destroy him Euse-
bius says that the Emperor Trajan was, like his predecessor. Domitian
♦ Matthew xxvii. 25.
JUDE.
457
very fearful of the Jews revolting, and rallying round some leader of
the family of David, so he sent down a command that whoever could
be found of the stock of David should be put to death. This was an
opportunity the Gnostics seized upon to accomplish their wicked
purpose, so they accused Simeon of being a descendant of David.
A journey of a hundred miles or more had the venerable bishop, then
one hundred and twenty years old, to take in order that he might
appear before Atticus, the governor of Syria. He was examined by
torture for several days together, and endured his sufferings with the
greatest firmness, till they were terminated by death on the cross.
Thus died the venerable Simeon, the last, in all probability, of that
holy family, the history of which cannot fail to interest those who sym-
pathize with the pious, the zealous, the faithful, the self denying, the
generous, and the brave.
SEALS AND SCROLLS AT BEGINNING OF OUR ERA.
SIMON ^ELOTES.
WICH only is the Apostle Simon mentioned b>
name in the Scriptures, and then but in company
with all the other Aj)ostles, and yet he is supposed
to have been one of the first disciples of our Lord
Very little indeed is known of his history before
Christ be<ran his ministry, or after the ascension,
and yet if a book were written, called " Simon
Zelotes," containing a full account of all his actions
— all he heard and all he witnessed as a chosen
disciple of the Lord Jesus— one volume would not
contain what would have to be related. Ho\v many mighty works of
our Saviour must he have witnessed, and how many beautiful dis-
courses from the lips of the divine Teacher must he have listened to?
Was he not one of the guests at the feast Matthew maa ?' Did he
not at the command of Jesus preach the Gospel, heal the sick, cleanse
the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out devils ? Did not Simon help
to distribute the bread and fish to the five thousand men, besides
women and children, and afterward to four thousand men! besides
women and children ? Was not his life twice saved in storm's on the
Sea of Galilee by the mighty power of Jesus ? Was he not with our
Saviour at Bethabara when Lazarus died? and did he not go to
Bethany to be present at the raising of him whom Jesus loved? Did
he not form part of the triumphal procession when our Lord publicly
entered into Jerusalem ? Were not his feet washed by the holy Jesus
before the last supper, and did he not receive from the hands of the
Saviour the sacred emblems of his most blessed body and blood ?
But I cannot even simply enumerate all the interesting events that
Simon, as an Apostle, must have been connected with
46;
.63
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS
Matthew and Mark speak of him as Simon, the Canaanite; and
Luke calls him Simon ZeJotes. There is a difference of opinion as to
why he IS called the Canaanite, or why Zelotes. Some think that the
word Canaanite is, in our version of the New Testament, wroncrly
spelt, and that it ought to be Cananite, or a native of Cana; for as
Jesus hved only four miles from Cana in Galilee, it is more than
probable he knew many of its inhabitants, and that from amonjr them
he would select some of his Apostles. Others are of opinion that
bcmg called the Canaanite is no proof that he came from Cana but
that the title was given him by our Saviour, to denote his great zeal
m Hebrew, those versed in the language tell us the word Cana has
almost the same letters and the same sound
as the word for zeal has, and that it was not
unusual in such cases to use one word in
place of the other. Our Lord was in the
habit of giving names to his disciples, ex-
pressive of some peculiar characteristic of, or
circumstance connected with, them. Simon,
the son of Jona, he surnamed Peter, or a rock!
James and John he called Boanerges, or sons
of thunder; therefore, it would not be singular
if the Apostle Simon had a title given him
, . , . ^ denoting his burning zeal, his great love for
his Master, and his eager wish to advance Christ's religion in the
world. The disciples of Christ have not now n.mes conferred
upon them, denoting their peculiar gifts, but do not all bear one
itle-that of Christian? a name given originally, as some suppose,
by heathens to the followers of Christ. Let us ask ourselves
vvhether we are so living that, if we were in the society of idolaters
they would— judging from our actions and conversation—pro-
nounce us to be Christians? Alas! too many bear the title
but. whether at home or abroad, have no resemblance either to the
great author of their faith, or to those first disciples who not onlv
glonea m being called Christians, but in suffering for the sake of him
whose name they bore. Let all those who are ashamed of their title
EASTERN SOWER.
SIMON ZELOTES.
4'>3
think of the martyr Attains, mentioned by Eiisebius, who was led
about the amphitheater at Rome, that he mi<^dit be exposed to the
hatred and derision of the people. But he triumphed in this, that -i
tablet was carried before him with the inscription, "This is Attains,
the Christian." And of Sanctus, who. being often asked by the presi-
dent what his name was, what his city and country, and whether he
was a freeman or a servant, only replied that he was a Christian, con-
siderin<;' this name to be country, kindred, and everythin;^- to him
And let them think of all the noble army of martyrs, who gladly en-
dured every kind of torment rather than disown the name of Christian.
With regard to the title St. Luke gives Simon, that of Zelotes, or
the zealous, some have thought that it was conferred upon him by our
Saviour, as being of the same signification as that of Canaanite.
Others are of opinion that Simon had, before his call to the disciple-
ship, been one of the sect called Zealots, who regarded themselves as
the immediate successors of Phineas, who, in his zeal for the honor
of God, slew Zimri and Cozbi — an act which " was counted unto him
for righteousness unto all generations for evermore." * The Zealots
took upon themselves to protect the law and the religion of the Jews,
and considered that they were at liberty to execute capital punishment
upon offenders without bringing them before the Sanhedrim. For
example, if a blasphemer cursed God by the name of any idol, the
Zealot who next met him might iimediately kill him. By degrees
the Zealots so abused their privileges that they committed all kinds
of wild extravagances, and became the pest of the commonwealth
They were continually advising the people to throw off the Roman
yoke, and succeeded in creating the greatest confusion Josephus
writes in bitter terms of them. He says that, instead of being zealous
in good undertakings, they were zealous in the worst actions. Mercy
was with them unknown. They trampled on all the laws of man, and
laughed at the laws of God. According to his account the Zealots
were one main cause of the greatest calamities that befell Jerusalem.
When the Romans were about to besiege the city, the Zealots created
* Ps. cvi. 31.
4«4
THE AI'OSTl.ES OF JESUS.
only turn,, ts and factions within the walls, and, with the help of rob-
be, s, murdered twelve thousand of the nobility and prineipal IToi
U,e cty for the sa e of plun.ler. Ha<l the Jewish historian Zl[
Christian, he woliUI, when recounting this barbarous act of the Zealots
have reminded his readers of the prophecy of the Christian bishop the
eyercd and beloved James, ■■ Go to now, ye rich men ; weep and howl
u ,ted"^n7"'''"" ""' ''■•■'" ^™"= "P°" y°"- Y°- "'^h- are coT-
nip cd, .and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is
cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you 'nd
sha eat yotir flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasures Ct ir
for the last days "* The Zealots, we may readily suppose were ^^
so corrupted at the tune when our Saviour selected his Aposles We
need not therefore, think of Simon, if he were of that sect, as hav^^^
ofihe- 'for;^ ^^ ''"'' '''" '""" '-'' J-"- -S-"^'' - 'he curs?
After the ascension we find Simon Zelotes, with the rest of the
Apostles w.aiting m Jerusalem "for the promise of the Father " +
comfort ess, I or, as the more literal translation is, "I will not leave
you orphans. After the ascension the disciples were indeed orphans
{ ul n T' f " "' T "T""' '"'^ "^-^ ""'y <^''-'' "- Comfort" :
had not yet come. In a large upper room the Apostles and disciples
numbering about one hundred and twenty persons, met for pnayer^ind
supplication, .and most prob.ably here, and in the temple,l,ent the
grca er part o the ten d.ays ^^■hich intervened between th ■ ascensfon
of Christ and the descent of the Holy Ghost ^^ctnsion
Among those mentioned as being in the upper room for pr,ayer and
supphcation was U.ry, the mother of Jesus. When last wc' hLd o
cr, S . John had taken her to his own home. No account is given in
the holy story of the interviews she had with our Saviour after his res-
urrection ; but It cannot be supposed that, while so many others were
being comforted and cheered by the special notice of their risen Lord
the bereaved mother would not at least be equally favored Afte^
* James v. 3.
t Acts i. 4.
t John xiv. 18.
S/AAhV /LLOTES.
465
the Pentecost, she, as it were, disap[)cars, as she is never ai;ain men-
tioned in tlic Sciiptiircs. Considerinj; her position, very few facts
relating to Mary are recorded in the Hii)le, and no account whatever is
given of her death. God dealt with her as with Ah)scs, of whom it is
said "no man knowetii of his sepulcher unto this da)."^*' Some are
of opinion that the Virgin suffered martyrdom, and diat Simeon, in
his propiiecy, " A sword shall i)ierce through thine own soul also." +
had reference to the mode of her death. Hut the prediction more
probably alludes to excessive grief, which pierces like a sword, and
which Mary specially endured when she stood by the cross beholding
her dying son. To the dregs she drained her cup of misery. The
FHiST FRUITS.
loved one who had for thirty years blessed her peaceful home in
Nazareth, and for whom she felt both natural and heaven-born love,
the pride and glory of her life, her son, her Saviour, and her God,wasi
before her eyes, nailed to the accursed tree. Oh, the agony of the
poor mother, so near and so helpless ! Surely many swords must
have pierced her gentle breast.
To return to Simon. Ten days after our Lord's ascension, he, with
the other Apostles, received the gift of the Holy Ghost. "And when
the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all, with one accord, in
one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a
* Deut. xxxiv. 6.
f Luke ii. 35.
\. '■
466
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
[ •
.1
^i
I
rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sit-
tmg. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire
and ,t sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance. * 10
The Pentecost was, as you are probably aware, a Jewish festival kept
in commemoration of the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. It was
also called the day of first-fruits, because on this day the Jews offered
thanksgivings to God for the bounties of harvest, and presented to him
the first-fruits of the wheat harvest in bread baked of the new corn.
This festival was typical of the
miraculous effusion of the Holy
Spirit upon the Apostles and
the first-fruits of the Christian
Church. At the feast of Pente-
cost, the number of Jews assem-
bled at Jerusalem would be very
great— collected from nearly all
parts of the world; and they
who, at the Passover, had seen
Jesus crucified, would have now
convincing proof that he was
the Lord of glory, the prom-
^1 . ,. , , ised Messiah. OnWhit-Sundav.
2ZT" r !, ''' !^\ ^'''""^ "^ '^' "^»y Ghost upon the
Apostles. la the early church this was the great day for baptisms
because on it the Apostles were baptized with the Holy Ghost
and tho three thousand converts received the holy rite on the
cTdidat"^: f 'V"; ""'' Whit-Sunday, or White-Sunday, because
candidate, for baptism were arrayed in white garments. When the
Apostles were endowed with the supernatural power of speaking many
ZZnZ: T'"^' ''.^'''^ "^^ "^^"^^ ' ^"^ h^ -ho had then
"IV, gitt ut them to unite aii as one in Christ.
* Acts ii. 1-4.
SHOES AND SANDALS.
SIMON ZELOTES.
467
With what joy would the news spread among the faithful, that the
Comforter had come, and that the Apostles had obtained the promised
gift. Jesus was then, they knew, not only risen, but glorified ; and so
his disciples felt fresh power and courage. As Iambs among wolves,
they had been pent up in Jerusalem ; but now they had no fear of
their enemies, and endued with the power of the Holy Spirit, boldly
came forth and declared their faith. Great was the success of their
first day's labor. Three thousantl became converts, and were baptized,
" and they continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fellow-
ship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." "^
Simon remained with the other Apostles until their dispersion
throughout the world, when he, Nicephorus in his history of the
Church tells us, went to Africa, and, ar ■ ig the most barbarous nations^
preached the Gospel. After then, it is said by the same writer, Doro-
theus and others, that he sailed westward, and finally reached Britain.
Supposing this to be true (and it is not improbable, for it is certain that
Christianity was introduced into Britain in the time of the Apostles), how
dear should the name of Simon Zelotes be to the English people !
When we read of the Apostles traveling over every part of the world,
and preaching in all the cities, we must be forcibly struck with the
wisdom and goodness of God in conferring upon them the gift of
tongues. Even now, with all the advantages of books, it takes the
diligent student years to acquire a perfect knowledge of a foreign lan-
guage. How much more difficult would it be with the Apostles, in
whose days printing was unknown ? Picture to yourselves Simon or
Paul in England without the gift they had received on the day of Pen-
tecost. Miracles they might perform, but what would be the result, if
they could only speak in their native language ? Doubtless, the sick
would flock after them to be healed, the dead would be brought to
them to be raised to life, and crowds, out of curiosity, would attend
them ; but not a soul would be led to Christ. And how did the
Britons treat zealous Simon, who had left his home, friends, and all he
most valued on earth, and h.ad traveled many, many miles to convey to
* Acts il. 42.
468
THE APOSTLES OF JESVS.
the heathen the glad tidings of a Saviours love ? They crueified him I
EASTERN MODE OF THRESH I N(;.
ied him I
precious
Simon
PAUL.
N the New Testament we read the account of the
life, of the death, of the resurrection, and of the
ascension of our blessed Saviour ; also of the de-
scent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, and
of their first labors, before Saul of Tarsus is men-
tioned. And how is he introduced to us ? As a
violent persecutor of the followers of Christ, as-
sisting the murderers of Stephen in their bloody
^M\ " ^^^^^- ^^"^ himself tells us that he was "con-
-^1 ' senting unto his (Stephen's) death, and kept the rai-
ment of them that slew him." * Who was Saul ? Let
Saul himself answer the question: "I am verily a man which' am a
Jew, born m Tarsus, a city in Cilicia."t It was no mean city then
that Saul boasted as his birthplace— famed as Tarsus was for its learn-
mg, magnificence, and the beauty of its position. There he spent his
youthful days. Amidst the heights of Taurus, and by the fall of the
Cydnus, how often had the young Cilician wandered, gazing upon
scenes full to hmi of associations that roused every feeling of ambition
m his ardent bosom. Often would he tread the battle-fields of Alex-
ander and Caesar; and how often, as he gazed upon the broad Cydnus
would he think of that gorgeous pageant of beauty and luxury, when
Cleopatra sailed up the river to meet Antony at Tarsus. Saul did at
length, become a soldier, but not under any earthly commander, and
obtained conquests far greater than did ever Alexander.
He was not an only child ; possibly his parents had many sons and
daughters, but of one dear sister alone we read, whose son, in after
* Acts xxii. 20.
28 L
t Acts
xxn.
469
JM
,
7X>
470
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
years, was the instrument of saving his uncle's life. The father of
Saul was a Jew. a true descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Bcnia-
mm. Why he left the land of his fathers we know not; but in his
foreign home he continued a strict Pharisee, and. doubtless, an honest
one. who tried to serve God as his ancestors had done. In his own
persuasion he trained his son, who lived after the straitest sect of his
religion, a Pharisee. The study of the Old Testament Scriptures
would not, therefore, be neglected in the education of Saul The
ycung Jew was likewise taught a trade, that of tent-making, accordin^r
to the Jewish maxim, « He who teaches not his son a trade, teaches
him to be a thief" But for a nobler calling was Saul destined by his
parents than that of tent-making. Among the learned of their own
nation they hoped to see their son hold a high position. Tarsus
boasted of possessing one of the three greatest
universities in the world, and so we may suppose
that, at an early age, Saul took his place among
the students of his native city. Why he did not
complete his education at home is a matter for
conjecture, but probably the rigid Pharisee dreaded
the influence unbelieving Gentile youths might
exercise over the mind of his son, and so sent him
to Jerusalem to be "taught according to the perfect
manner of the law of the fathers."* With what emotions would
the ardent Saul gaze for the first time upon the holy city I How
eagerly would each part of it be visited as the scene of some fact of
sacred history I Little thought he then, that in a few years he would
gaze upon many of the same spots with feelinos of veneration
increased tenfold, because they were associated with the life and
death of the Lord Jesus.
Saul's teacher was Gamaliel, a learned doctor of the law a man of
eminence, and '< had in reputation among al! the people '' f He is
generally believed to have been a son of the devout Simeon who took
the infant Jesus in his arms in the temple. The young Cilician soon
PTOLEMY PHILADEL-
PHUS.
* Acts xxii. 3.
fActsv. 34.
father of
of Bcnja-
)ut in his
an honest
his own
i-xt of his
Scriptures
lul. The
according
e, teaches
-d by his
heir own
Tarsus
greatest
■ suppose
e among
did not
atter for
dreaded
IS might
sent him
e perfect
s would
! How
e fact of.
e would
neration
life and
man of
He is
ho took
in soon
PAUL
4/:>
ANCIENT HOOKS.
"P bigoted, narrow-minded, and utterly " "'"'>' ''"^' ^^"^'-' ^''"l grew
unable to tolerate any religious sect that
differed from his own. Such was the
future Apostles state of mind when he
ceased to be a pupil of Gamaliel, and, as
IS supposed, returned to Tarsus. Nearly
four hundred miles north of Jerusalem
lay his distant home. Can we not im-
agine the accomplished scholar nausin-
now and then, on his long journey, to
exrmime places of particular beauty or
■nterest.' If he trayeled by land, the
'rp^tib°;.:::f.:; ^rir;*:/- -t or his 1... and as he
templation of a scene of such grandeur and
ovelmess as the Lake at all times presented,
i'crnaps, as he .sauntered along its banks he
siw a weather-beaten fisherman, ^^■\ih two
mtenigent-lookingyoung men, washing their
nets m the shallow water; and not far from
them another group, composed of a matron
with a gentle youth, watching her husband
ana eider son busily preparing for their night
of to.l.^ How little would the proud .-Tnd
Icarnea young Pharisee imagine that ere
four youths (Peter ,^ ndr^T^^"''' had passed away, he and those
SCROLL OR BOOK
474
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
the years that intervened from the time he left Gamaliel's sclujol till
he appeared as a persecutor of the followers of Jesus ; but, probably
lie hved with his parents at Tarsus, perfecting himself in Hebrew,'
Greek, Latin, the Jewish law, and the arts and sciences.
How important in the world's histor>' were those few years I The
blessed Redeemer had become a sacrifice for the sins of mankind, and
his faithful disciples were teaching the doctrines of the cross through-
out Judea. Fondly had the chief priests, the scribes, Pharisees, and
all the difierent sects, hoped that, with the death of their leader, the
Nazarenes, as they called the believers in Jesus, would be crushed •
but how much they were mistaken. " 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." =»=
The enemies of Jesus became
more and more alarmed ; they
no longer hesitated, and perse-
cution was resorted to. With
all the violence peculiar to his
sect, Saul hated the Nazarenes.
We have reason to belie\e that
he had never seen Jesus, so
that only in a perverted form
did he perhaps hear the doctrines of the holy One; and he had no.
opportunity of witnessing the divine graces of the Saviour, which
inspired many a bigoted Jew with feelings of love, awe, and admiration
No sooner did Saul perceive that his religion was in danger, than
studies, home,— all were forgotten but his zeal toward God, ^\•hich
made him think that he " ought to do many things contrary to the
name of Jesus of Nazareth." f He scorned the idea that the son of a
poor carpenter, who chose a few fishermen as his most intimate friends
should be the Messiah— the Prince of Peace he and his forefathers had
looked for.
JEWISH .SCROLLS USKI) IN TFACHING THE
VOUNG.
♦ Acts vi. 7.
fActs xxvi. 9.
PAUL.
475
'-^
^;jie~»i*-.a*^"^'
. onncd to take charge of the money for the rehef of the |,„„r, ;,s
I as o preach the Gospel and bapti.e the converts. He wai a n,a„
„;,;,"" •■'"' 'T"; ^':"'"'"' -'"^l R'--t wonders and n.iraeles
; 1 r^U ,""' '" ' "■ ^''^^' ■^'^■|'l>-> -K'""l with „,en of
h en ' ""'■ T'""^' '^■''"'" '"''''' '^'^' '"• I-''>^'1« Saul, who
was then at Jerusalem, was one of those who disputed xv ith him But
r", it r^r' r'\ "^ ^'""'"^•' ""'"' ■-' ■■'■'-' "- --lo" n^
^ ' " ,'^f "■''";'' ''^ ^,^'^-l'l'^") ^l«ke." t Before the .Sanhedrim was
accuser Ste^-^ ^f^"' '''' '^^'' ^^"--^ ^^ P— '• "ho
speaking- blas])hcmy
aL^ain.st the holy place
and the law. He was
calm, "and all they that
sat in the council, look-
ing steadfastly on him,
saw his face as it had
been the face of an
''i"gt'l."J- Stephen's
eloquent and spirited
defense you will find
in the seventh chapter
of the Acts of the
Apostles. At the close of it you read how he accused his jud-^es
of bemg stiff-necked and uncircumcised of heart betrayer a'nd
murderers of the just One, who had received the L^ had Tot
kept ,t This enraged h,s enemies to such a degree that they
Ghos . looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glon^ of God
and Jesiis standmg on the right hand of God. and said. ^Behold 1
a^d :f GT"Vh^""f ' ^"' '^' '°" ^' "^^" ^^-^-g - the .nth
hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice; and stopped
r^-'^
t-rfSu~1=-
f.^^5#».>i..
— ^'-jSSSi^^' "
NAZARirni.
* Acts vi. 8.
I Acts vi. 10.
JActs vi. 15.
476
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
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
youns^r nian's feet, whose name was Saul. And tiicy stoned Stephen,
calling- upon God, and sayini,^ Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he
kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to
their chari^e. And, when he had said this, he fell asleep." =i^ " Devout
men carried Stei)Iien to his burial, and made great lamentation over
him."f Where the place of his interment was we know not ; perhni)S
the rich counselor, Joseph, provided a tomb for the mangled remains of
the martyr. A cavern is still shown in the valley of Jehoshaphat, into
which it is said the murderers of Stephen dragged their victim when
life was extinct. How bitterly must Saul afterward have mourned
over the share he had taken in Stephen's murder ! Often, perhaps,
even before his conversion, the angelic face of the martyr haunted him,'
and he marveled at the courage, firmness, love, and forgiveness of the
follower of One whom he regarded as an impostor. But whatever his
thoughts were at the time of Stephen's death, his heart was not
softened, for he afterward "made havoc of the church, entering into
every house, and haling men and women, committed them to prison." J
He himself says: "And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and
compelled them to blaspheme ; and being exceeding mad against them,
I persecuted them even unto strange cities." § His fury and mis-
guided zeal were insatiable ; for, having harassed the poor Christians
at Jerusalem in every way, and driven them from the city, he must
needs follow them as far as Damascus, in order that he might bring
them bound to Jerusalem to be punished. Perhaps many of those
who were assembled in the upper room after the ascension were then
in prison, victims of Saul's frenzy, or had fled far away from Jerusalem.
How many homes must have been made desolate by the bigoted
Pharisee ! How many families would only dare to worship the cruci-
fied Lord secretly, for fear of Saul of Tarsus I How would his name
strike terror even into the hearts of the brave women who followed
Jesus from Galilee to Calvary ! How would the sisters of Bethany
♦Acts vii. 55-60.
f Acts viii. 2.
J Acts viii. 3.
§ Acts xxvi.
II.
PAUL.
^77
tremble for the life of their dear brotlicr. if they saw tnc persecutor
approaehin- their peaeeful village! But it uould take too long to
enumerate half of the miseries Saul, in his blinded zeal, brought upon
the believers.
It was about the year a.d. 35, a few months after Stephens martyr-
dom, that "Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter a-ainst
tlie disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him
letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that, it he found any of this
way. whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound
unto Jerusalem." =!•■ His request was complied with; and he and a
few attendants left Jerusalem for Damascus. No inclination would he
DAMASCUS.
feel to linger on the way; yet, eagerly would he note every group of
travelers he passed, and, if his suspicions were roused, he would most
probably pause to inquire the object of their journey, and not unlikely,
if they proved to be followers of the crucified One, he had them'
seized and carried to the nearest prison, there to await his return from
Damascus, when they would help to swell the number of those he
hoped to lead into the council chamber to hear their doom. In a
lew days, his long journey of one hundred and thirty miles drew near
its close. Perhaps some fugitives, who had seen him on the road,
* Acts ix. I, 2,
*78 THh APusl'Lhs <^F JESUS.
had reached Damasct/. >>efore hi.n, and had told the belicvrrs tlicre
that the merciless 8aul oi Tjrsus was approaching the city If so
hovv would the trembhn.. disciples seek for places of refuge wherein'
to lie concealed so long a. Iru: fierce persecutor rcnmined in the
Syrian capital. Possibly, from tiie roofs of houses here and there
anxious eyes gazed along the banks of Abana and Fharpar. to catcli
the first glimpse of the dreaded one I Oh, how many prayers would
ascend to heaven, that God would protect his children, and not let
them be delivered as prey into the hands of the destroyer I
It was mid-day when the travelers' journey was suddenly checked
They were within half-a-milc of Damascus. The burning sun was
directly over their heads, and, doubtless, they looked forward with no
litt e pleasure to procuring rest, shelter, and refreshment within the
wall, of the city. Even the over-zealous Saul would, probably be
thinking tha nz r< ist rest awhile before presenting his letters and
commencing his search for the Nazarenes, when ^"suddenly there
shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth
and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul. Saul, why persecutest thou'
me? And he said. Who art thou. Lord? And the Lord said, I am
Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the
pricks. And he, trembling and astonished, said. Lord, what wilt thou
have me to do ? And the Lord said unto him. Arise, and go into the
city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."* In a moment
Saul was a Christian. He never was a hypocrite. He had believed
as he had professed, that Jesus of Nazareth was an impostor; but
now. from the evidence of his own senses, he was convinced of his
error. He had seen Jesus in his glorified human nature, and had
conversed with him. This would have been sufficient to have
checked him in his persecution of the disciples ; but more than this
was accomplished. The powerful o-ce of the Saviour had changed
his heart and quickened him to spini ;■. iife.
Saul's companions were speechle-is ^ Mm terror: *hey saw the light
but nothing more, and heard not, oi dia m\ understand, what paf^.ed
* Acts ix. 3-6.
PAUL ^75
between the Lord Jesus and Said. When tlic nvw convert arose Woxw
the ground lie was sightless, and was led by his companions into the
city. I'or three days he remained blind .md fastin^-, and probably
nei(lecteil by men. No sympathy now would he have with unbeliev-
ers, or they with him, ami the brethren would not dare to api.roach
him until they h.id some better evidence of his sudden and recent con-
\crsioi) Mian his own words. At the end of three days the Lord ap-
peared unl(. a disciple, named
Ananias, a very devout man,
supposed to have been one of
the seventy, and "said unto him,
Arise, and go into the street
wiiich is called Straight, and in-
quire in the house of Judas for
one called Saul, of Tarsus; for,
behold, he prayeth, and hath
seen in a vision a man, named
Ananias, coming in, and putting
his hand on him, that he might
receive his sight." ^'= Ananias
hesitated. He knew Saul's
reputation as a persecutor, also
what had at that time Ijrought
him to Damascus ; but the Lord
told him that he wa^ now a
chu.^en vessel, to preach the
gospel both to the Jews and
Gentiles. So Ananias went to the house where Saul was, and laid
his hands upon him, and told him that the Lord had sent him to
him, that he might receive his sight, and be filled with the Holy
Ghost. "And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been
scales: and he received his sight forthwith, and arose, and was
baptized."! He at once joined himself to the disciples, "and
PRACTICING THE CUNNING ARTS,
as
* Acts ix. II, It
fActs ix. iH.
480
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
S'God.'* P"""'" ''''"^' '" '"^ ^>-S°g"-. "--t he is the
it if'niT' 'f' '"'" "' ""^ P'"'™' ^^^y' ^ "'^h ='"d beautiful city In
it IS still the street called Straight, which is about three miles in leno-th
runmng, direct line across the city from east to w^t" N I fh '
eastern gae,s a house, said to be the one which belonged to ludas
where Saul lodged after his conversion. There is in ifa very sma M
closet, xvhere, according to tradition, the Apostle passed the Ihree dav
he remamed b ind, and without food, Thlre is afso, in Str ight St eet
a fountain, which ,s believed to have supplied the water for Sauls'
annually walkmg m procession to the scene of Sauls conversion and
there reading the history of it. conversion, and
Saul did not stay long in the Syrian capital after he was baotizeH
but went into Arabia, where he preached the Gospel fo three yars'
and then returned to Damascus, and taught openly'^n the syna—
"and confounded the Jews which dwell at Damascus nrovin^^w
his IS very Christ." f Unable to withstand his argm ien s the Mt
became enraged and resolved to kill him. Saul, nowing Ih
design, concealed himself, and his enemies watched the gals by day
and by night, that he might not escape. It is evident fh't no little
WrhThTr"''^'' '" ''^"^^^"^ '^'"^'^ conversion of I u to
faith he had been once so indefatigable in attempting to crush In
h.s second epistle to the Corinthians, when recounting thvriois
trials ,,e had gone through, he said, '.In Damascus, ±gove no
under Aretas, the king, kept the city of the Damascenes with'a "rri
■.on, desirous to apprehend me." % Vain, however, were all the efforts
of the governor and his soldiers, for the Lord had a mighty work fo
his servant to accomplish. "Then the disciples took Wn b nthT
and let ,m doun by the wall in a basket"/ The window or port-
ho.e m the parapet of the great wall of Damascus, through wi^ht
^ aid, Saul escaped, ,s still shown, and is called St. Paul's Gate
Without any human friend to accompany him, and surrou ded ^■
»AcKix. 20. tActsi.. „. JiCor.xi. 3,.
§ Acts ix. 35.
he is the
city. In
in length,
Near the
to Judas,
'ery small
hree days
:ht Street,
"or Saul's
point of
sion, and
baptized,
ee years,
agog-ues,
'ing that
the Jews
ng their
i by day
no little
j1 to the
ish. In
various
overnor
a garri-
- efforts
I'ork for
V night,
)r port-
hich, it
s Gate,
ied hv
PAC7L.
481
dangers of almost every description, Saul of Tarsus commenced his
journey back to Jerusalem. He had, however, one friend near him,-
the Lord Jesus, who never left him by night nor by day; and he
could, with sincerity say, " I will fear no evil, for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."=*=
The weary journey was accomplished. Oh. how welcome to the
rave er would be the first glimpse of the glorious and snow-^vhite
temple ! But no friend greeted him as he entered Jerusalem. Mis
lormer associates would have shunned him. even if they had reco-
nized.in the humble, penitent pilgrim, the once proud and spirited
Saul of 1 arsus. And the disciples either had not heard of his conver-
sion, or did not credit it, for, when
he wished to join them, "they were
all afraid of him, and believed not
that he was a disciple." f Barna-
bas, however, "brought him to the
Apostles, and declared unto them
how he (Saul) had seen the Lord
in tile way, and that he had spoken
unto him. and how he had preached
boldly at Damascus in the name of
Jesus."J The fears of the disciples
were at once removed, and Saul
"was with them, coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And
he spake boldly m the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed
against he Grecians : but they went about to slay him."S Fifteen
days only did he remain at Jerusalem. While he was prayincr one
day in the temple, he fell into a trance, and the Lord appeared
unto him. and told him to leave Jerusalem quickly for he must\ro far
away unto the Gentiles. Saul may have hesitated to go out of the
city for the brethren, we read, knowing the evil designs of the Jews
" brought him down to Cassarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus "11 We
cannot help wondering how he was received by his relatives and
SOOTHSAYERS.
* Ps. xxiii. 4. t Acts ix. 26. X Acts ix. 27. § Acts ix. 28. 29.
Acts ix. 30.
482
I
i
THE APOSTLES OF JESVS.
f ends at Tarsus. Did the ng,d Pharisee (supposing him to be stil!
ahve) disown h>s son .' And did his mother and sister shed tears ol
sorrow and joy when they once more beheld him ? Or had sonic
w^lfof ^r:'"r '^^f",P^^^t'"° ^'^"'' '=™^''''^'' '■■' Tarsus, and the
whole of Sauls famdy been illuminated by the olorious lirfit of fl,.
•-ast, and that, in sweet communion with his kindred, Saul spent the
hree or four years he remained in his native city. Rdations we
know, he had who were Christians, some of whom had en,bracld «"
faith before his conversion. But where these lived I cannot tell
thlTcitr ".l'7''T" '^'"' T'' '^" ^P'-^"^ '" *^ brethren of
andnwfH: ' =7=' "Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen
and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the Apostles «ho
also were in Chiist before me."* rtposiies, «no
The history of Saul, from this time till his separation from
Barnabas, you have read in the life of James the Less. One fact
however. I omitted to note, which is this, after Sergius Pauhis the
Governor of Cyprus, had been converted, the great Apostle is always
spoken of in the saered history as Paul. There are various conjecture^
as to the reason of this change; one of which is, that he himself took
the latter name in honor of the noble convert, Sergius Paulus; but it
.s very probable that, as Saul was a Jewish name, and Paul a Roman
he"ls%''rii''f '•''''■'"'" " ^™^ ='"°"S the pagan Romans
he was henceforth chiefly to labor.
After Paul and Barnabas had parted, the former, accompanied by
Silas, went through Syria and Cilicia, and then came to Derbe and
1 ystra. At Derbe the Apostle met with Timothy, and chose him for
his companion The father of Timothy was a Greek ; but his mother
Eunice, was a Jewess, who had, with her mother and son, been con-'
verted to Christianity during Pauls previous visit to those parts. The
remembrance of the unfeigned faith of Timothy's gnmdmother, Lois,
and of his mother, Eunice, filled Paul with joy : so he tells Timothy in
his second epistle to him. I have not space to write at length of the
* Rom. xvi. 7.
PAUL
483
to be still
1 tears ol
lad sonic
5, and tlu
:ht of the
were tlie
spent the
tions, we
raced the
not tell
^thren of
kinsmen
ties, who
an from
)ne fact,
Lilus, the
3 always
ijectures
elf took
; but it
Roman
Romans
nied by
be and
him for
mother,
;n con-
;. The
r, Lois,
othy in
of the
most excellent Timothy. Paul truly loved him, and from remarks he
several times made, it is evident that he hiL;hly esteemed him.
Through various countries the three journeyed, leaving at each city
they came to a copy of the decree of the Council of Jerusalem Their
route was directed by the Holy Ghost, who forbade them, alter they
had been throughout Phrygia and Galatia, preaching in Asia. When
they reached Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia ; " but the
Spirit suffered them not,"* so they went to Troas. It was here that
Luke, the Evangelist, is believed to have joined them, as the word we,
for the future, often takes the place of t/icy. Luke (who wrote the Acts
of the Apostles) was a physician ;
and, as Paul had, in Galatia, been
attacked with sickness, it is possible
he accompanied him, in order that
he might not only assist in the
ministry, but attend to the health
of the great Apostle. At Troas
"a vision appeared to Paul in the
night : there stood a man of Mace-
donia, and prayed him, saying.
Come over into Macedonia, and
help us." f This was Paul's call
to Europe. He obeyed the call ;
and, with his companions, Timothy,
Silas, and Luke, embarked upon
the /Egean Sea. Only one island they touched at before they reached
the port of Neapolis; from thence they proceeded to Philippi, the
capital of Macedonia.
There were so few Jews at Philippi that they had no .synagogue, but
only an oratory by the river side, wherein they conducted their ser-
vices, or, as St. Luke expresses it, " where prayer was wont to be
made.";|: In this humble building, to a few poor women, was Christ
first preached in Europe ; and the first convert we read of was Lydia,
DIANA, JUl'ITI-R AND MINERVA.
* Acts xvi. 7.
I Acts xvi. 9.
I Acts Kvi 1 3.
484
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
a seller of purple dye. She was baptized, with her household and
constrained Paul and his companions to become her guests Daily
would It appear that Paul and his fellow-laborers went to this place
of prayer, and they were often followed by a damsel who was a Pyth-
oness, that IS, a sort of witch, who, being- possessed with a spirit of
divination cried out, " These men are the servants of the most high
God, which show unto us the way of salvation.'"* But Paul needed
not Satan to be his witness, and he commanded the demon to come
out of her, "and he came out the same hour.-f Her masters who
had profited much by her diabolical arts, were very indignant when
they found their trade was spoiled ; and they caught Paul and Silas
and, taking them before the magistrates, falsely accused them. Most
--.ruelly were tiie devoted missionaries treated ; their clothes were torn
off, they were beaten with many stripes, and then thrust into a dark
cold and damp inner prison. No sleep visited the suffering captives'
If their bleeding wounds were not sufficient to prevent them closing
their eyes, the painful position they were compelled to be in (as it is
supposed that not only their feet, but their hands and their necks were
confined in the stocks) would prevent them resting. And how did
they pass the long, tedious hours. In prayer ? Yes ; but not, as you
might imagine, interrupted by bursts of grief, for "at midnight Paul
and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God ; and the prisoners heard
them. ^ Perliaps thieves and murderers, waiting for their doom on
the morrow, heard the heavenly strains, and wondered what new
sounds they were that made them weep who had never shed tears
before; and the le.ss guilty criminals possibly listened with clasped
hands and streaming eyes to music which, they knew not why melted
their hearts within them. Only the stern jailer slept ; but soon he was
to be awoke, not only from his temporal, but his spiritual sleep, for
"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 were loosed. And the keeper of the prison'
awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out
* Acts xvi. 1 7.
t Acts xvi. 18.
JActs xvi. 25.
PAUL.
48:
his sword and would have killed himself, sui)posino- that the prisoners
had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, savin- Do thyself
no harm : for we are all here. Then he called for a linht, and sprang
in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas and
brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved ? And
they said. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved
and thy house. And they spake unto him the x\ord of the Lord and
to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of
the night, 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 magis-
trates have sent to let you go ; now therefore
depart, and go in peace. But Paul said unto
them. They have beaten us openly, uncon-
demned, being Romans, and have cast us
into prison ; and now do they thrust us out
privily? Nay, verily, but let them come
themselves, and fetch us out. And the
Serjeants told these words unto the magis-
trates, 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 so the noble and
brave Paul and Silas were brought out of prison bv the friohtencd and
humbled magistrates, who were indebted solely to the Christian for-
bearance of their late victims, that they were not punished for the
breach of the law in having scourged Roman citizens.
Paul and Silas shortly after this departed from Philippi, leaving
Timothy and Luke in charge of the infant church there. At Thessa-
lonica, Paul reasoned with the Jews in their synagogue. He reminds
IN THE STOCKS.
* Acts xvi. 26-
39-
n
ifi
Tf
{
I ■
I,
n>i
486
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
the Thessalonian disciples of this in his first epistle to them, " Even
after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye
know, at Philipi)i, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the
gospel of God with much contention.'" =^ Some unbelieving Jews,
however, of the lowest class, collected a mob, and set all the^city in
an uproar, assaulting the house of Jason, where Paul and Silas lodged;
but the brethren sent away Paul and Silas by night to Berea. Here
ANCIENT ATHENS.
the great Apostle was much encouraged, for the Jews of Berea
•'received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the
Scriptures daily, whether these things were so. Therefore many of
them believed ; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of
men, not a few." f The Jews, however of Thessalonica ifollowed
♦Thess. i. 2.
f Acts xvii. II, 12.
'•~.''S^ymi$';jx, '-I'ljmum
111, " Even
ited, as ye
) you the
ing Jews,
he city in
s lodged;
I. Here
PAC/L
48;
mi
I ---/^^r*^^
)f Berea
hed the
iiany of
and of
bl lowed
^-'lu! and Silas to Rcrca, and stirred up the people a-ainst tliem.
I 1^' iMVthrcn immediately sent Paul away, but Silas and Timolhv
ithe latter must have joined his two friends again, remained at P,erea
' nder the care of an escort. J-ui! traveled south till he arrived at
Athens, when his friends from Berca left him, and returned home
conveymg a message from Paul to Silas and Timothy that thev
should come to him with all speed. In a strange citv, perhaps still
suHormg from the ill-treatment he met with at Philippi. no wonder
aul longed for the society of his faithful and tri.-d companions Idle
However he could not be. He disputed in the synagogue and in the
'^'•'iket daily. He was accused, among other things, of being a setter
lorth of strange gods, because he preached unto the people Jesus and
tlie resurrection. They took him to the Areopagus, on Mars' Hill. th(-
pnncpa court of justice in Athens. The Areopagus was an ancient
and celebrated tribunal held on a hill of rock, in some of the caverns
o which the Puries (spirits supposed to be charged with the infliction
ot divine vengeance) were reputed to dwell. The Areopagites, who
were the chief men of the city, judged murderers and all immoral
persons. I hey also rewarded virtue, and were particularly active in
punishing those who set up strange gods. More than four hundred
years before Paul was brought to this tribunal. Socrates, havinc. been
accused of the crime of introducing strange deities into the state, was
condemned by the Areopagites to drink the cup of hemlock.
_ Paul, we are told, stood in the midst of Mars' Hill. How impres-
sive the scene must have been ! Hie undaunted Apostle beneath the
blue canopy of heaven, at the top of the rock, facing his noble judcres
who occupied seats hewn out of the stone. Before the prisoner was
spread a glorious prospect of mountains, islands, and seas; and be-
hind him arose the lofty Acropolis, crowned with all its marble tem-
ples. Having been asked to explain the new doctrine of which he
had spoken, he replied that, in passing through their city, he had ob-
served an altar with this inscription. "To the unknown Cxod "* He
then, in a few simple words, told his listeners who the unknown God
* Acts xvii. 23.
29 L
4S8
run APOSTLES OF JESUS.
was whom they i<;norantly worshiped, that he was no otlier than the
great God, tlie creator of all tilings, the Lord of heaven and earth, who
dwelleth not in temples made with hands, " neither is worshiped with
men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all
life, and breath, and all things." f= The remainder of Paul's address
to the Athenians you will find in the seventeenth chapter of the Acts
of the Apostles. The effect produced upon his listeners was that some
mocked, "and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter," f
and some believed. Among the last was Dionysius, the Areopagite,
who is said to have been afterward made Bishop of Athens, and to
CORINTH.
have been burned to death in that city in the year a.d. 93. The palace
he occupied previous to his conversion stood close to Mars' Hill, and
upon the site of it a church was afterward built, which is now a ruin.
Another person, mentioned as having been converted in Athens, was
a woman, named Damaris, supposed by some to have been the wife
of Dionysius. Paul, it seems, was allowed to leave Athens without
further molestation. He went next to Corinth, and there abode with
a Jew of the name of Aquila, and his wife, Priscilla, who had been, with
* Acts xvii. 25.
f Acts xvii. 32.
PAUL.
4Sy
a «i[rcat number of Other Jews, banished from Rome by the limperor
Clauilius. They were tent-makers, and, as Paul would not be burden-
some to them, he wrouyiit at his old trade for his daily brcLid. It was
in Corinth, and most probably in the house of Aquila and Priscilla,
that he wrote the first of his epistles, which was to the Thessalonians.
Shortly after he wi"ote, also in Corinth, his second epistle to the Thes-
salonians. The friendship he at this time formed with the excellent
A([uila and Priscilla lasted until his death. On the Sabbath days he
reasoned in the syna^^ogues, but the unbelieving Jews opposed him so
violently that he shook his raiment, and said unto them, " \'our blood
be upon your own heads: I am clean. Prom henceforth I will j^o unto
the Gentiles."-^ The Lord, however, appeared to Paul in a vision in
the niu^ht, and said, " Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace,
for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee ; for I
have much people in this city. And he continued there a year and six
months, teachini^' the word of God among them." f lie made use of
the house of a convert, of the name of Justus, to preach in, though still
living with Aquila and Priscilla. There can be no doubt that Paul
worked at tent-making during the whole of the time he stayed at
Corinth ; and, possibly, notwithstanding this, he suffered from want, as
a famine was then prevailing throughout Greece. He was, however,
cheered by the arrival of Silas and Timothy from Macedonia, who
brought him relief from that country. St. Paul, in his second epistle
to the Corinthians, says, " And when I was present with you, and
wanted, I was chargeable to no man ; for that which was lacking to me,
the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied." X
Among those who believed in Corinth was Crispus, the chief ruler
of the synagogue. The conversion of such an influential person
enraged the Jews more and more, so they made an insurrection, and
took Paul before Gallio, the pro-consui, but he would not listen to
them, and drove them from the judgment seat. And the Greeks took
Sosthenes (probably the successor of Crisp'js), the chief ruler of the
synagogue, " and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio
* Acts xviii. 6.
•{•Acts xviii. 9-11.
X 2 Cor. xi. 9,
490
THE APOSTLES OF JESOS.
cared for none of those things.-^ lie did not consider it his province
o interfere ,n tiie disputes between the Jews and the Christians.
\Vell, perhaps, it wouM have been for hini if he had concerned hini-
•se in the matter, and given Paul an opportunity of defending him-
se t be ore iiun. f„r lie was talented and amiable, and might have been
ed to believe m Jesus. It may not be uninteresting to you to know
that Galho was the elder brother of Seneca, the philosopher. IlaviuLr
planted the church in Corinth, Paul sailed to Hphesus, Ac.uila and
1 riscilla accompanying him. The yVpostle did not remain Ion.- at
bphesus, but left his traveling companions there, and went up to Jeru-
salem. to one ol the feasts. After a very short stay in the holy city
he paid what was, probably, his last visit to Antioch. Many years had
1 aul labored as a servant of Christ, but still he thought not of resf
and after staying at Antioch some time, he set out on his third mis-
sionary journey. I le directed his course toward F.phesus. You will
remember that he left Aquila and Priscilla in that city. This worth /
couple did all they could to promote the S])read of the Gospel ; and
while they were at Ephesus during Pauls absence, " a certain lew
named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in
the Scriptures, came to P:phesus. This man was instructed in the
way of the Lord ; and, being fervent in the spirit, he spake and tau. nt
diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue : whom, when Aquila
and nscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded
unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed
to pass into Achaia. the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to
receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had
be heved through grace : for he mightily convinced the Jews, and that
publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ "f
For three months, Paul taught in the synagogue at Ephesus ; but
meeting with great opposition from the Jews, he left the synagogue'
and, taking with him those who had been brought to Christ, he, in the
school of one Tyrannus, instructed them and others, "and this con-
* Acts xviii. 17.
t Actsxviii, 24-28.
province
iristiaiis.
led Ivi Mi-
ng hini-
ive been
to know
Having
lila and
long at
to Jcru-
o\y city,
:ars had
of rest ;
rd niis-
'ou will
worth /
si ; and
in Jew,
ghty in
in the
taii^nt
f John.
Aquila
)unded
sposed
•les to
:h had
id that
i ; but,
jogue,
in the
s con-
BURNING BOOKS.
491
40-
THE AfViTLES OF JESUS,
tinned by tlic space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia
heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and (ireeks. And God
wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul : so that from his body
were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases
departed from them, :intl 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 men ; and they counted the price of them, and
found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word
of God and prevailed."*
Three years did the great Apostle remain at Ephesus, lodging in all
probability with Aquila and Priscilla, and working with them at the
trade of tent-making. Shortly before he left the city, a circumstance
occurred which rendered it impossible for him to remain longer there
with any degree of safety.
The great pride and glory of Ephesus was the temple of Diana, a
short description of which will not be out of place here. I must, how-
ever, first speak of the false deity for whom this splendid house was
prepared. It is difficult to say who she was, as, some hundreds of
years before Paul was at Ephesus, she had, according to tradition,
fallen from heaven. The priests said Jupiter had sent her. Those
who had no faith in her said that she had been made by men who, as
soon as she was finished, w^ere put to death or banished by the priests,
♦ Actsxix. 10-20.
mm
PAUL
493
A)rfear they should bctravhcr humble orij^in. As she presented, u^ion
her first appearance, a sliapeless form tliat re(|uirecl a stretch ot the
ima^inatit)n to re,^ard as an\ thin;< like human, and in which (br>n she
is re|)resentetl on ancient coins, she probably did fall from heaven, and
was neither more nor less than an aerolite, or meteoric stone. I sup-
j)ose it was sufficient for superstitious peo|)le that the priests saic/ that
the lumj) of stone was a goddess, and Ju|)iter's gift. She was magnifi-
cently adorned, and I should imagine, when she took possession of
her temj)le, Jui)iter himself woukl scarcely have recognized her. This
temple, for beauty and costliness, became one of the seven wonders of
the world. It was built entirely of marble, of such pure whiteness
that it dazzled the eyes of the beholder; and was four hundred and
twenty-nine feet long, and two lumdred and twenty broad. The shrine
of the goddess was surrounded by a colonnade, open to the sky, com-
posed of a hundred and twenty-seven columns of Parian maible,
sixty feet high, each weighing a hundretl and fifty tons, and each the
gift of a monarch. Inside, it was decorated with cedar, cypress, gold,
jewels, and precious stones, pictures, and statues. One picture alone
was worth twenty talents of gold. ■= One of the statues was of pure
gold; and the altar was most magnificent. The roof was supported
by columns of green jasper.
The silversmiths of Ephesus made multitudes of cabinets or chap-
lets, little shrines, in the form of the temple, with an image of Diana
in each of them. These, and probably silver medals of the splendid
temple, they sold to strangers, for the false deity had numerous wor-
shipers in various parts of Greece. At one season of the year in
particular, crowds from all parts of Asia, and of Europe, went to
Ei)hesus, to the great annual festival in honor of Diana, and fortunate
would any stranger deem himself who could purchase a silver shrine
or medal.
The natural consequence of the spread of Christianity was the
decline of the gainful trade of the silversmiths. One of these, Deme-
trius, called his fellow-craftsmen and their workmen together, and told
♦1187,550.
494
THE APOSTLES 01' JESUS.
chem that, through the preaching of Paul, not only was their trade in
danger, but the great goddess Diana would be despised, and they
"cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians." =i^ The whole
eity was soon in confusion. The multitude seized tuo of Paul's com-
panions, Gaius and Aristarchus, and rushed with them into the theater
probably with the design of casting them to the wild beasts. The
brave and noble Paul, hearing of their danger, would have forced his
way into the theater, but the disciples prevented him, knowin<r that
the people would at once thro\v him to the wild beasts, which were
MILETUS.
kept there for the amusement of the populace. The confusion was
very great, the majority not knowing the reason of the tumult For
two hours nothing could be heard but the cry, " Great is Diana of the
hphesians." When the mob had become a little calmer, the town-
clerk addressed the people, and succeeded in appeasing them. But it
was no longer safe for Paul to remain at Ephesus, so he left the city
and went into Macedonia.
Jiidea was, at this time, in a fearful state. Evils of almost every
* Acts xix. aS.
)mtimmmfmmmi>,^.^.m,
PAUL.
495
description,— famine, wars, and banditti.— were desolatint.r the country
l<roni Macedonia, Paul went into Greece, where he met Titus, who
had brought great contributions from the church at Corinth for the
poor Christians in Jerusalem. Paul was determined himself to carry
the assistance to his suffering brethren in Judea. He was about to
sail for Syria, when he heard that some Jews were lying in wait to kill
hnn; so he went back into Macedonia, and embarked, with several
others from that coast to Troas. W^hile at Troas, the indefatigable
Apostle preached, on the Sabbath, in an upper room, till midnight.
One of his listeners, a young man named Eutychus, who had become
drowsy, fell from the window in which he had been sitting, and was
taken up dead. "And Paul went down, and fell on him, and, embrac-
ing 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."*
Pauls companions had proceeded on their journey, while he remained
an hour or two longer at Troas, instructing and comforting the con-
verts. He went on foot and alone along the shore to Assos, where,
according to arrangement, the company were waitintr for him He
and his friends embarked on the /Egean Sea. Their^ourse lay past
the most lovely scenery. They first cast anchor at Mitylene. the capi-
tal of the beautiful island of Lesbos (now Mitylene). Sailing- from
thence, they next touched at Chios, and arrived the next day at Samos
Paul must, when approaching Samos, have been within a very few
miles of Ephesus, in which city he had many dear children in the
Lord, whom he longed to see; but he "had determined to sail by
P-phesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted
•f it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost "f
At Miletus the travelers landed. Ephesus was thirty miles from .is
city, and Paul sent, desiring the elders of the church of Ephesus to
come to him. They obeyed the summons. We can imagine how
affecting would be the meeting. A year before, Paul had been oblig.^d
80
♦Acts XX. lo-ia.
t Acts XX. 1 6.
496
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
to hastily leave them, to avoid the fury of the enraged worshipers of
Diana, and now he knew it was very probable that they would see his
face no more. PI is touching, beautiful, and affectionate farewell ad-
dress to them you have often read in the twentieth chapter of the
Acts. When he hatl ceased speaking, " 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."*
We hear but little more of Ephesus in connection with St. Paul.
This once magnificent city, that was considered the metropolis of Asia,
and was called by Pliny the or
BRIDGE NEAR TYRE.
nament of Asia, is now a perfect
wreck: all is silence and desola-
tion around it. The splendid
harbor, that was wont to be filled
with vessels from all nations, is
now a pestilential marsh, the sea
having retired from it. Noble
ruins are all now that remain of
the theater, and the very site of
the temple is uncertam. The
call of the partridge may now
be heard where the multitude cried "Great is Diana of the
Ephesians!" The only relics that have been preservea of the
magnificent temple of Diana are eight of the green jasper columns
which supported the roof of the shrine of the false goddess. These
were removed to Constantinople, and may still be seen in tne great
Mosque of St. Sophia. The few wretched inhabitants of Ephesus,
chiefly Greeks, live among the ruins, some occupying the vaults
of the once gorgeous edifices, and some the sepulchers hewn out of
the precipices. You will remember that the glorified Redeemer sent
a message by John to the angel, or bishop, of Ephesus, accusing
1« Acts XX. 6-38.
-'i^jpyftTiT
PAUL
497
)f h
1(
the church of that city of having left her first love, or, in other
words, of having declined in religious fervor, and threatening to
remove her candlestick if she did not repent. She did not repentrand
her light is wholly extinguished ; for not a single resident Christian
remains at Ephesus, to read either the message from heaven, or the
epistle of the great Apostle to its church.
To return to Paul and his companions. On the shore of Miletus
the parting kiss was given, but the weeping elders of Ephesus acajm-
panied their beloved father in God to the ship, and even then were
unwilling to say farewell. The voyagers sailed straight to Coos, and
from thence to Rhodes.^^' and from Rhodes to Patara, where they found
a vessel about to sail for Tyre. In her they took passage, and accom-
plished in safety the voyage of four hundred miles. At Tyre they
found some disciples who had the gift of prophecy. These foresaw
what would befall the Apostle at Jerusalem, and tried to persuade him
not to go up to the feast ; but he was not to be deterred from his pur-
pose. Luke says, "And when we had accomplished those days, we
departed, and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with
wives and children, till we 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 aga.n." f The next
port they stayed at was Ptolemais (Acre), where they found some
disciples, and abode with them one day ; the next day they landed at
Caesarea. Philip, the deacon, received the weary travelers, and they
remained with him many days, his four pious daughters, doubtless,
with affectionate care, attending to their comfort Here another
prophetic voice warned the great Apostle not to go to Jerusalem.
Agabus, of whom you have heard before, arrived at C^sarea. and went
* Rhodes was celebrated for the Colossus, a gigantic brazen image, which was made about ,oo
years b.c. This huge statue was 126 feet high, and each finger was as large as a man It was
used as an observatory, a winding staircase running to the top. It only stood fiftv or sixty y<.ars
when It was thrown dovvn by an earthquake ; and for 894 years it remained where it fell' conse'
quently, when St. Paul visited the island, the monster was lying on the beach. At length the
brass was sold to a Jew for $183,920.00, and the great Colossus was carried away in fragments oa
nine hundred camels. f Acts xxi. 5, $.
498
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
to the house of Philip. When he saw the pilgrims, "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. And
when we (Luke continues) heard these things, both we 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 Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased,
saymg, The will of the Lord be done. And after those days, we took
up our carriag.-s, and went up to Jerusalem." * The word carriao-cs
here means bagnra-e, ^
Welcome, indeed, to the suffering Christians in Jerusalem was the
sight of Paul and his fri-nds. One day was spent, we may suppose,
in mutual inquiries, congratulations, and condolences; and we read
that the day following, the strangers went to the house of James the
Bishop, where all the elders met him. After saluting them, Paul told
them how God had blest his labors among the Gentiles, for which
they glorified the Lord. They then informed him that in Jerusalem
there were many thousand Jewish converts, who had a great venera-
tion for the law, and that they had heard that he (Paul) had preached
against the ceremonies o{ the law, and consequently, as soon as his
arrival was known, multitudes would come together to hear if this
were true. It was agreed, in order that the Jewish converts might be
convinced that they had heard a false report, that he should join him-
self to four men who had taken a vow, probably for deliverance from
sickness, or from some great danger, and that he should ])erform the
usual ceremonies in such a case. This Paul agreed to; but the next
day, when he went into the temple with the four men to make their
offerings, some Jews from Asia stirred up the people, and a tumult
was raised against the devoted Paul. He was seized, and dragged
out of the temple, and would have been murdered by the excited
mob, if the chief captain of the garrison had not, with his soldiers,
* Acts xxi. ii-ij.
PAUL.
rescued him. Supposing Paul to b
439
, , , , , • ' -^ - " ^^' ^ common malefactor, the captain
orc.red a double chain to be put upon him. and that he should be
taken to tne castle. So violent were the angry Jews that the soldiers
haa to bear tne Apostle iu their arms to prevent him being torn to
pieces. AS they were going into the castle, Paul begged the gov-
ernor to allow hmi to speak to the people. •' And when he had given
hnn iicense. Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto
the people." =^ In perfect silence the assembly listened to his defen x^
until ne scokc of his mission to the Gentiles, and then they " lifted up
their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth ; for it
IS not fit that he
should live. And as
they cried out, and
cast off their clothes,
and threw dust into
tiie air, the chief cap-
t.iin commanded him
to be brought into
tiie castle, and bade
that he should be
examined by scourg-
ing, that he might
know wherefore they
cried so against him.
And as tlicy bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that
stood by, Is ,t awful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and
unco„demned?"t When the chief captain heard that Paul was a
Koman, he gave orders that he should not be whipped. The freedom
of the cty of Rome was Paul's by birthright, he having inherited it
from h,s ancestors. The next day the Apostle's chains were knocked
off and he was taken to the Sanhedrim. As he stood before his sev-
enty judges, he must have thought of the holy Stephen, who, tweptv.
four years before, had, on tb- same spot answered his accusers "And
SI DON.
♦ Acts.vxi. 40.
t Acts xxii. 23-35.
SOO
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, T have
lived in all good conscience before God' until this day." =f= This bold
assertion of his innocence so enraged the high priest, that he com-
manded them that stood by to smite him on the mouth. Paul's spirit
was roused at this new insult, and, not knowing that it was the high
priest who had spoken, he said, " God shall smite thee, thou whited
wall ; for, sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me
to be smitten contrary to the law?"f Twelve years afterward,
Ananias was slain, when Jerusalem was besieged. Paul perceived
that his judges were composed of Pharisees and Sadducees, and
being wise as a serpent, though harmless as a doxe, he cried out,
" Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. Of the
hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question." J In the
last icw words he had touched upon the doctrine that caused the
greatest dissension between the two sects. " For the Sadducees say
that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; but the
Pharisees confess both." § So the latter wished to release Paul.
"And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing
lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded
the soldiers to go down, and to take him. by force from among them,
and to bring him into the castle. And the night following, the
Lord stood by him, and said. Be of good cheer,' Paul, for as thou
hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at
Rome." II
Forty vagabond Jews bound themselves by an oath that they would
eat nothing until they had killed Paul, but the nephew of their intended
victim heard of the plot, and he went into the castle and told Paul,
who desired one of the centurions to take the young man to the chief
captain. This was done ; and when the captain had licard how that the
Jews were lying in wait to kill Paul, "he called unto him two centu-
rions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to CcTsarea, and
horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third
hour of the night ; and provide them beasts, that they may set Paul
♦ Actsxxiii. I. fActsxxiii. 3, JActs xxiii. 6. § Acts xxiij. 8. || Acts xxiii. 10, 11.
PAUL.
5"!
on, and bring him safe unto Felix the oovcrnor." * Claudius Lysias,
the captain, also wrote a letter to l-elix, telling hini what Paul was
accused of, and why he had sent him. When the soldiers with their
prisoner arrived at C.esarea, they delivered the letter to Felix, who,
when he had read it, asked Paul what province he was of, and, on
being- told he was a Cilician, decided to wait till his accusers' arrived.
Alter live days, Ananias the priest came to C;esarea, bringing with him
ROME.
a famous orator, named Tertullus, to speak against Paul. This man
said that Paul was guilty of sedition, heresy, and profanation of the
temple. Paul defended himseK, and proved that he xvas falsely
accused. Most eloquently did he plead his own cause. But Felix
refused to give judgment in the case till he had seen Lysias. "And
* Acts xxiii.
23. 24-
502
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty,
and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or
come unto him." * For two years Paul remained a prisoner at Q-esa-
rea; and doubtless Philip, his four daughters, and many others, >.ot
only belonging to Caesarea, but Ptolemais, Tyre, Sidon, and the
neighboring places, availed themselves of the privilege of visiting him.
Luke was almost his constant companion. Felix often sent for the
Apostle to commune with him. At the first interview, Paul, knowing
the character of the wicked man in whose presence he stood, reasoned
of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. The conscience
of the unjust, cruel, immoral, and covetous governor was roused.
"Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I
have a convenient season, I will call for thee." f Frequently after-
ward did he call for his prisoner; but, alas! not to learn from him the
way of salvation, but to endeavor to corrui)t him, for he hoped " that
money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him." J
He probably bore in mind that Paul had brought alms and offerings
from the Macedonian Christians for their brethren in Jerusalem.
Felix was removed from his office, and Porcius Festus, a just and
honorable man, succeeded him as governor of C^esarea. Three days
afterward, business called Festus to Jerusalem. The high priest and
the chief of the Jews at once asked him, as a favor, to send for Paul,
wickedly intending to lie in wait for the Apostle on the road and
assassinate him. Festus did not comply with their request; but, when
he returned to Caesarea, took some of Paul's accusers with him.' The
Apostle being brought before the judgment-seat, the Jews laid many
and grievous complaints against him which they could not prove.
Paul asserted his innocence. " 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 ?" § The Apostle, knowing
what would be the consequence if he were sent to Jerusalem, told
Festus that he was a Roman, and ought to be judged by the laws of
Rome; and he, then, solemnly appealed unto Caesar.
♦ Acts xxiv. 23 t Acts xxiv. 25. X Acts xxiv. 26. § Acts xxv. 9.
PAUL
503
Some time afterwards, Kint^ Aj^rippa, son of Ilcrod Aj^Ti'ppa, who
put James tho Great to death, came to Qusarea, with his sister liernice,
on a visit to the new governor, wiio told them all about Paul. " Then
Agrippa 'said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. T(3-
morrow, said he, thL)U shalt hear him. And on the morrow, \\hen
Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into
the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the
city, at Festus' commandmeut Paul was brought forth," '■"' chaineil to the
soldier who guarded him. The Roman method of fettering criminals
was to lix one end of a chain on the prisoner's right arm, and the
other to the left arm of a soldier. The fact of jvablicly wearing this
chain, and being coupled with a soldier, was considered very disgrace-
ful, and the ignominy would naturally occasion the
desertion of former friends. Paul experienced the
truth of this, and to Timothy, in his second epistle,
speaks with gratitude of one who clung to him
notwithstanding his humiliating bonds. "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. The Lord
grant unto him that he may find mercy of the
Lord in that day."f In extreme cases the prisoner
was fastened with two chains to two soldiers. Peter was thus con-
fined when he was "sleeping between two soldiers";}; in prison.
Paul, also, was fastened to two soldiers when the Jews in Jerusalem
wanted to take him.
To return to Caesarea. When Paul was brought before Festus and
Agrippa, the former began by stating the prisoner's case, and that he
did not know what to say in writing to Caesar when he sent Paul to
him. " Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak
for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for
himself.*' § After telling the king that he had been brought up a
C.li:.SAR.
♦Acts XXV. 22, 23.
30 L
f 2 Tim. i. 16, 17. JActsxii. 6. {^ Acts xxvi. i.
504
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
Pharisee, he gave him the history of his conversion. Fcstus, being a
heathen, knew nothing of Moses, the prophets, or the expected
Redeemer, and beheving Paul to be a person deceived by his
nnagmation, he became impatient, and interruptin^r \uv^^ ^^\(.,\ out,
"Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning dotliniake thee mad.'
Hut he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus ; but speak forth the
wc-ds of truth and soberness. For the king knuvveth of these
things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that
none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not
done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets ? I
know that thou believest. Then
Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost
thou persuadest me to be a Chris-
tian. 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." =^ I low start-
ling must h. ve been the effect of the
noble prisoner's words ! His voice,
his expression, his whole attitude
would speak for his sincerity, as
he raised his chained hand, and
prayed that they, his enemies,
might be altogether such as he was, except those bonds. All the
inward peace which passeth understanding, all the joy in his blessed
Saviour, and all the hope of an immortal crown, he prayed his
enemies might share with him, but not his fetters. How truly did
Paui obey the precept of his divine Master, "Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray
for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."f
When the great Apostle had ceased speaking, the royal party arose
and left the place of hearing. They retired to commune with one
ROMAN CENTURION.
♦ Acts. xxvi. 24-29.
fMatt. V. 44.
PAUL
50s
as
.-^' - -^
!.r* V* -lK
another, and Paul went back to prison to commune with his God
Ihc knig. the governor, the officers of state, tiie magistrates, and the
prmcipal men of Cacsarea, unanimously pronounced Paul to be inno-
cent, and he would have been at once set at liberty if he had not ap-
pealed unto Caesar. We cannot help wonderin- whether any of that
assembly who had listened to Paul were not only almost, but alto-
j^^ether, persuaded to be Christians. Possibly some were, and after-
ward testified that, as far as they were concerned, the Apostles prayer
was answered, but Agrippa and Festus were not of the number; and
1 ernice if history may be relied upon, many years after Paul had
changed his fetters for an immortal crown, was living, not only in an
unconverted state, but in open
sin. -*--.__,-
.._^f*~=' ■ ' ■ •• « ■- .'
It was decided to send Paul ^^^■■:. \. %
to R(Mne in the charge of a
centurion, of the name of
Julius, who accordingly em-
barked from CcEsarea with the
Apostle, Luke, Timothy, and
Aristarchus : the last one of the
two Christians who were car-
ried by the mob into the theater
at Ephesus. After a sail of
eighty miles, they reached
Sidon, where Paul was allowed to go on shore to visit his
friends. They next crossed the Sea of Cilicia, and, consequently,
passed Pauls native country. At Myra, a city of Lycia. they
cast anchor, and the prisoners, among whom, doubtless, were
many malefactors of the worst description, were removed to a
large Alexandrian corn ship, which was about to sail for Italy
When they had arrived at Fair Havens, a harbor of Crete 'the
wind being very boisterous, and sailing dangerous, Paul, who was
owing to his many voyages, an experienced sailor, said to those who
had charge of him, "Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt
^"^ much ^'^•"^— ^ -"'■ — '-- -'■ ' ' '• • -"-
CRETE.
and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of
our
$o(S
THE APOSTLES OE JESUS.
lives."* The centurion, however, gave more heeil to the captain, who
thought they might try antl reach Phenice, another port of Crete, it
being more convenient to winter in than Fair Havens. A soft south
wind favored their leaving Fair Havens, and they sailed from thence.
But not long after there arose a tempestuous north-east wind, called
Huroclydon, which bore down all before it, and they were forced to let the
ship drive at the pleasure of the wind. They threw out some of die
lading and tackling of the ship. For fourteen days they continued in
this state, neither sun nor stars appearing for a great part of the time.
•'But, after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and
said, Sirs ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed
from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now, I ex-
hort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's
life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this 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 of good cheer ; for I
believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit, we
must be cast upon a certain island. f "
On the fourteenth night, as the ship was being driven up and down
in Adria (the Adriatic J Sea), the sailors, fearing lest it might be
dashed lo pieces on the rocks, cast four anchors, and intended to make
their escape in a boat, and leave the passengers to their fate. Paul, see-
ing this, told the centurion and the soldiers that, unless the sailors re-
mained in the ship, they could not be saved. He meant them to under-
stand that, though God had promised that not one of those in the ship
should perish, he expected them to use every effort for their own preser-
vation. The mariners, consequently, were not suffered to forsake the
vessel. When the day began to dawn, Paul besought all to take some
meat, as, for the past fortnight, they had been so overcome with fear
♦ Actsxxvii. lo. fActsxxvii. 21-26.
Jin St. Paul's time the name Adriatic was not com ed, as it is now, to that portion of the
Mediterranean which flows between Dahnatia and Italy, butwcis given to the whole sea lying be-
tween Greece, Italy, and Africa, including tlip Sicilian and Ionian Sea
PAUL
507
*i
und horror at their position, that they had been unable to take their
ordinary food. Paul was now the counsellor to whom every one
looked up. llis directions were followed, and when he spoke words
of comfort, all were cheered. \Vhat a scene it must have been on
that H-yptian vessel at break of day I Between two and three
hundred terror-stricken wretches, with pale and hai^gard faces, resting
their entire hope upon one man, and he a jjrisoner in chains. With the
tempest ra-in-- around him, and the sea rollini,^ mountains hij^h, the
holy Apostle " took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them
all, and, when he had broken it, he began to cat: "=*-' they all took some
meat, and were much refreshed. " And when they had eaten enough,
they lightenetl the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea." f . Day-
light revealed to them that
they were near land, so they
took up the anchors, and let
the ship run aground, "And
the forepart stuck fast, and re-
mained unmovable, but tli
hinder part was broken with
the violence of the waves.
And the soldiers' counsel was
to kill the prisoners, lest any
of them should s' > 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 that they escaped all safe to
land,"+ and found themselves on an island called Melita (Malta)
They were received kindly by the inhabitants, who, because it was
wet and cold, made a fire for them. Paul assisted in the work, and
having gathered a bundle of sticks, laid them on the fire. A viper
was among them, and it no sooner felt the heat than it sprang out
ANCIENT SHIP.
* Acts xxvii. 35.
t Acts xxvii. 38.
X Acts xxviL 41-44.
$08
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS,
of the flame, and fastened on the Apostle's hand. " And when the
barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among
themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath
escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook
off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm." * The people, when they
saw his hand did not swell, or that he did not drop down dead, thought
then that he must be a god. The Greeks and Romans called all
foreigners barbarians, which accounts for the inhabitants of Melita being
thus styled by St Luke. They were not barbarians in the sense in
which we use the word, for, when Paul was in Melita, its inhabitants
were in a high state of prosperity and civilization.
The governor of the island hospitably entertained Paul and his
friends for three days. His humanity did not go unrewarded, for his
father " lay sick of a fever, and of a bloody flux, to whom Paul entered
in and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him."f It is said
that Publius became a Christian, and that he died bishop of Melita.
Certain it is that Paul planted a Christian Church in the island, which
became famous for its steadfastness in the faith. No mention is made
as to how Luke, Timothy, and Aristarchus conducted themselves dur-
ing the shipwreck, but we may rest assured that with them all was well,
and that they exerted themselves to the utmost to assist and comfort
their fellow-passengers. They, doubtless, labored with Paul in Melita,
and the inhabitants were not ungrateful, for, Luke says, they " honored
us with many honors ; and when we departed, they laded us with such
things as were necessary. " % Three months did they remain at Melita,
and then embarked in an Alexandrian vessel, called Castor and Pollux,
which was bound for Italy. In due time they reached Syracuse, the
capital of Sicily, where they stayed three days. From thence they
sailed to Rhegium, now Reggio, the capital of Calabria, and the next
day arrived at Puteoli, a beautiful seaport, situated about one hundred
miles south of Rome. The Castor and Pollux had now reached her
destination, and the Apostle and his companions, having found
brethren, were permitted to remain with their Christian friends seven
♦ Acts xxviii. 4, 5.
+ Acts xxviii. 8.
J Acts xxviii. 10.
garni
TAUL.
509
days, after which they proceeded toward Rome. The disciples in the
city had heard of their approach, and some went to meet them as far
as Appii Forum, a distance of about fifty miles, others waited for them
at the Three Taverns, a village situated about thirty miles from
Rome. When Paul saw these devoted Christians, " he thanked God
and took courage." =^ Not only was he rejoiced to meet them, but he
was cheered by their zeal and energy. It was also a relief to him to
find that the followers of Jesus had so much liberty.
Touching, indeed, must have be 1 the sight of Paul's first entrance
into the capital of the world. No herald announced his approach.
No acclamation of a multitude told that he had arrived ; but a greater
conqueror than had ever passed through the gates, with captive princes
following his chariot, now might be seen in the form of a prisoner
chained to a soldier, and attended by a band of pilgrims, who tri-
umphantly conducted the mighty Apostle into the city. Paul was not
treated in Rome like an ordinary prisoner. It is supposed that the
centurion Julius spoke favorably of him, for, while the malefactors were
secured in the common jail, he was allowed to live in his own hired
house, but still chained to the soldier who guarded him. Paul's great
desire, expressed in his epistle to the Romans, was now accomplished :
" For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual
gift, to the end ye may be established ; that is, that I may be comforted
together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me." f
After three days, Paul called the chief of ihe'jews together, and told
them the cause of his coming to Rome ; that he had been guilty of no
violation of the laws of their religion, yet he had been delivered into
the hands of the Roman governors, who found him innocent of any
capital offense, and would have acquitted him, but the spitefulness of
the Jews was such that he was obliged, in order to clear himself, to
appeal unto Caesar, and that he had sent for them to let them know
that it was "for the hope of Israel," J or, in other words, for preach-
ing the Messiah and a future state, he w.as bound with that chairt
The Jews replied that they ! ad heard nothing evil of him, either by
♦Acts xxviii. 15.
fRom, i. II, 13.
*Acts xxviii. aQ.
S'o
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
letters from Judea or through friends of theirs who had come to Rome;
but they wished to be informed about the religion which was every-
where spoken against. A day was accordingly appointed ; and Paul
discoursed with them from morning till night about the doctrine of
Jesus, proving from the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament
that he was the Christ. "And some believed the things which were
spoken, and some believed not." * The latter left the Apostle with a
solemn warning from his lips sounding in their ears, and the assurance
that henceforth he would turn to the Gentiles. For two years Paul
remained in Rome, employing himself constantly in preaching and
wniing, no one forbid-
ding him.
f lere St. Luke abrupt-
ly closes his history; but,
from St. Paul's epistles,
we find that great suc-
cess attcnd'xl his (^i-'aul's)
labors in Rome, many of
high rank becoming be-
lievers, some of whom
belonged even to Nero's
court. "All the saints,"
he says, in his epistle to
the Philippians, "salute
you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household."! Among those
who did Paul great service during his first imprisonment in Rome
was Onesimus, a slave belonging to Philemon, a wealthy citizen
of Colosse, who had been converted to Christianity by St. Paul's
ministry. Onesimus ran away from his master and went to Rome,
carrying some valuables with him. He attended Paul's preaching
in that city, repented of his sins, and acknowledged his faults to
the Apostle, who instructed him in the doctrines of the Gospel, and,
after he had given evidence of his faith in the Lord Jesus, baptized
THE CONQUERORS.
* Acts xxviii. 24.
f Philip, iv. 22.
PAUL.
5"
.-f
him. Paul would have willingly kept him near him, but he thought
it would be an act of injustice to Philemon to do so, accordingly he
sent Onesimus back to Colosse with a most earnest and affectionate
letter to his master, begging him to receive his slave again into his
family, and offering to make full compensation for any loss Philemon
had sustained through Onesimus. We are not told what was the
result of this epistle, but we may reasonably suppose that Paul was
right in his conjecture, when he said, "Knowing that thou wilt also do
more than I say."* There was a bishop of Ephesus, named Onesi-
mus, and it has been supposed by some that he was the pardoned
slave^ of Philemon. The epistle to Philemon, written oy " Paul the
aged,"f is considered a masterpiece of its kind. We find, from the
first and twenty-fourtl verses, that Timothy, Mark, and Luke M^ere
with him when hr : , ;te it.
During Paul's :..b. miprisonment, the Philippians, knowing that he
would be in want of common necessaries, raised a sum of money for
him, and sent it by Epaphroditus, their bishop, who became danger-
ously ill in Rome. Upon his recovery, he returned to Philippi, carry-
ing with him the epistle of Paul to the church of that city. Did ever
any father write in stronger terms of endearment to his children than
the Apostle did to the Philippians ? " Therefore, my brethren, dearly
beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord
my dearly beloved." % Such a passage as this shows how deep and
earnest his affection was for them. In Rome, he also wrote his
epistles to the Ephesians and the Colossians, and it is supposed
that about this time he wrote (possibly from Rome) the epistle to the
Hebrews.
His first trial before Nero took place, it is believed, in the early part
of the year 63. Calm and dignified, the noble Paul stood in the pres-
ence of the cruel and profligate young emperor. There is no record
left of the particulars of the trial ; but, contrary to the expectation of
many, he was acquitted. It is conjectured that the Jews dared not to
appear against him. If this were true, they showed their wisdom by
* Philem. ver. 31.
f Philem. ver. 9.
J Philip, iv. 1.
27
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1
i
1
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1
B
1
m
■ «
WUi
R
Wm
1
II
1
512
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
keeping out of the way of a monster who seemed ready to devour all
who crossed his path.
There is some doubt as to the course . le indefatigable Apostle took
after he quitted Rome, but the prevailing opinion is, that he went at
once to Jerusalem, accompanied, when he set off on his long journey,
by Timothy and Titus. The latter, however, he left in Crete, of which
island Titus was bishop. Having visited the churches in Judea, the
venerable Apostle and his beloved Timothy went through Syria,
Cilicia, and Asia Minor. They continued some time at Colosse ; and
here Paul, probably, again met Philemon and Onesimus. Paul left
Timothy at Ephesus, and proceeded ^o Macedonia, visiting the
churches. From Macedonia he wrote his epistle to Titus, and
alsr his first epistle to Timothy, giving his friends full instruc-
tions for their conduct as bishops of the Church of God. After
visiting Greece, Crete, and other places, he directed his course west-
ward. It is supposed that after remaining some time in Spain, he
preached the Gospel in Britain. Clement, bishop of Rome, in his
epistle to the Corinthians, a part of which has been handed down to
us, says that Paul traveled to the extreme west, and carried salvation
to the islands that lie m the ocean, by which he means the British Isles.
When the Apostle was first a prisoner in Rome, Britain was suff"ering
much from the ambition of the Romans. Caractacus had been, a few
years before, defeated and ca-ried a prisoner to Rome. While Paul
was there, the Britons revolted under Boadicea, London was burnt,
and several thousands of Romans perished. Ten thousand warriors
were at once despatched from Rome against Boadicea, who was de-
feated, and eighty thousand Britons were massacred. Paul, who had
friends in the imperial city of all grades, from the prison to the palace,
would doubtless hear the particulars of these sad events. How would
his lofty spirit sympathize with the noble Caractacus, and how would
he long to comfort the afflicted Boadicea by leading her to the fountain
of healing waters. Perhaps he may have become personally acquainted
with some of the illustrious Britons who were in Rome at the time he
WIS. But this is mere conjecture.
it was ia the eleventh or twelfth year of Nero's r^ign that Paul was
PAUL.
513
again a prisoner in Rome ; but not as before permitted to live in his
own hired house, but cast into the common prison. He knew that
he would not again escape out of the lion's mouth. In his second
epistle to Timothy, which was written at this time, he says, " I am now
ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand " * He
then entreats his beloved son to hasten to him. Whether Timothy
ever again saw his revered friend and preceptor or not, I cannot say.
The enemies of Paul were resolved to put him to death. He went
through a form of trial, for he tells Timothy that, at his first answer,
all men forsook him. The cruel Nero had struck terror into the hearts
of even the brave Chiistians, for every
species of to'ture that the wretched tyrant
could conceive they were made to endure.
In the year a. d. 64, a great fire broke out
in Rome, which raged for six days, and
there were strong suspicions that the
emperor himself was the cause of it, many
of the buildings not being according to
his fastidious taste. His subjects were
justly indignant with him, so, to screen
himself, he laid the blame of the calamity
upon the Christians. The consequence
was that the devoted followers of Jesus
were most mercilessly persecuted. Some
were burnt; others stabbed with forks;
some sewn up in skins of beasts, and then devoured by dogs ; many were
flayed alive ; in short, every species of crueltv was practiced upon them
Persecution still raged in the city, when Paul arrived; and he was
forthwith thrown into prison. That he was a Christian was a sufi^cient
crime ; but it has been said that Nero was chiefly enraged at him be-
cause he had converted to the faith a favorite lady of his abandoned
court, who henceforth refused to have any intercourse with him How
long Paul remained in prison is not precisely known ; but, we may be
ROMAN SOLDn<:R.S
* 3 Tim. iv. 6.
-^14
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
assured, that when his hour of release came he was ready, and in trutl
he could say, " I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,
[ have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me al
that day." *
In the church cf St Mary, beyond the bridge, in Rome, a pillar stood
so late as the sixteenth century, to which, it was said, the great Apostle
was bound when he was scourged, though," as a Roman citizen, he
ought to have been spared that degradation He was sentenced to be
beheaded. The scene of his martyrdom was Aquae Salvice, three miles
from Rome. As he was being led forth from the city, it is said that
three of the soldiers who guarded him became converts to the faith,
and were, a few days afterward, by Nero's command, put to death.
Arrived at the fatal spot, Paul solemnly prepared himself, and then
cheerfully submitted to the stroke of the executioner, and so entered
into his rest
" 'Tis past, 'tis o'er ! — now rest how sweet,
His trials all are fled !
Before tlie Saviour's mercy-seat
(His livelong work of faith complete).
The conqueror bends his head."
By the death of Paul the Christian Church lost its brightest
luminary. One whose faith, devotion, learning, humility, temperance,
disinterestedness, kindness, charity, zeal, patience, and fidelity were
unequaled. No danger, no weariness, nor pain ever caused him to rest
from his labors. Above every difficulty he rose triumphant, though
the trials he passed through were far greater than those which ordi-
narily fall to the lot of man. He himself gives a catalogue of the suf-
ferings he had endured up to the time he wrote his second epistle to
the Coiiiithians, which epistle was sent two or three years before he
was shipwrecked on the coast of Malta. He says, «' Of the Jews five
times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods,
once was I stoned, thrice I sulYered shipwreck, a night and a day I
* 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8.
PAUL
S15
have been in the deep; in journeyinj^rs often, in perils of waters, in
perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the
heathen, in perils in the city, in i>erils in the wilderness, in perils in the
sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in
watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
nakedness." * But these things were of little consequence to one who
could with truth say that he took pleasure in infirmities, in persecu-
tions, and in distresses for Christ's sake, and that he counted not his
life dear to himself, so that he might finish his course with joy.
The execution of Paul took place, it is believed, on the 29th of
June, A.D. 66, in the sixty-eighth
year of his age. He was buried
in the Via Ostiensis, about two
miles from Rome. Over his
grave, Constantine the Great
built a stately church, upon a
plot of ground which Lucina, a
noble Christian matron of Rome,
had, long before, settled upon
the church. He adorned it with
a hundred marble columns, and
beautified it with the most ex-
quisite workmanship. This edi-
fice was afterward taken down
by the Emperor Theodosius, and
a larger and even handsomer church was built in the room of it
This was further beautified by the Empress Placidia.
Space will not permit me to dwell at length upon the writings of
Paul ; I must therefore confine myself to a few remarks. There are
fourteen epistles of his in the New Testament. The first, according
as they are placed, is that addressed to the Romans, though it was by
no means the first the Apostle wrote. When the Church in Rome was
founded is not precisely known, but certain it is that, when Paul sent
ROMAN LICTORS.
* 2 Cor. xi. 24-27.
5i6
THE APOSTLES OF JESUS.
his epistle to the Christians of that city, their faith was spoken of
" throughout the whole world." ^^ The Apostle wrote from Corinth,
and the date of the epistle was about the year a.d. 58. It was in-
trusted to the care of Phoebe, a deaconess, who lived at Cenchrea a
port near Corinth. She carried it to Rome. From St. Pauls words
in tlie beginnin.<,^ of the sixteenth chapter, we gather that Phcebe was a
rich lady of inlluence, who devoted her time and wealth to the service
of Jesus. The design of the Epistle to the Romans was cliicfly to
settle certain differences which existed between the Hebrew Christians
and the Roman or Gentile Christians, and to prove the important
doctrine of justification by faith.
The First Hj^isde to the Corinthians was written at Ephesus f about
the year a.d. 57, during the feast of the Passover, as may be -inferred
from the remarks of the writer in the fifth and sixteenth chapters.
When Paul left Corinth he committed the care of that Church to
Apollos, who, you will remember, was instructed at Iiphesus by Aquila
and Priscilla. After the departure of the Apostle the members of the
Church in Corinth became divided, some saying they were of Paul,
and others of Apollos. False teachers also crept into the Church, and
many of the Corinthian converts became affected by very loose notions
of morality. Paul was informed of these things, and wrote to them an
earnest and affectionate letter, full of love, reproof, and instruction,
promising to visit them when he passed through Macedonia. But he
delayed doing so longer than he had intended, partly from a wish to
hear how they had received his epistle before seeing them. After
leaving Ephesus he went to Troas, hoping there to meet Titus and
learn from him tidings of the Corinthian Christians. He was, how-
ever, disappointed ; he says, " I had no rest in my spirit, because I
found not Titus my brother : but taking my leave of them, I went from
thence into Macedonia." J There Titus met his spiritual father, whom
he cheered by his account of the manner in which he had been received
* Rom. i. 8.
t The subscription which is found at the end of each of the epistl
relied
the fil
epistles IS not in every case to be
upon. They did not form part of the original epistles, but were added, it is supposed, about
til CO
ntury
t 2 Cor. ii. 13.
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