miraculously proved to them, by the renewal of the like miraculous and divine agency; by a miracle like his former miracles; and by a prophecy no less distinguished as his own. Was he now come? Against this misapprehension his prophecy concerning John expressly guarded. Speaking of John, he says, 'If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?' implying that he had not yet come, in the sense in which he had so often and so emphatically promised to come. It may be added, that the same prophecy was a safeguard also against another error respecting his coming; namely, that it meant his final coming to judge the world. For, at John's death, those who did labour under such a mistake, would naturally revert to another and the true interpretation.

One remark must not be omitted respecting Peter's conduct on this occasion. He alone proceeded to Jesus on the water, whilst the others went in a boat. This was a display of that improved faith, for want of which, on a former trial, he had begun to sink on that very lake. Having so lately been on the brink of ruin, and having thrice denied his Master, it is natural that this opportunity of showing his faith should have been given, and eagerly embraced.

* The original, ἔβαλεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, admits of being rendered either, according to our Bible translation, 'cast himself into the sea,' or 'cast himself on the sea.' I have adopted the latter as, on the whole, the more probable meaning. It can hardly be supposed that he girt on his fisher's coat for the purpose of going into the water, either to swim or to wade to the vessel.

JESUS APPEARS ON A MOUNTAIN IN GALILEE, TO MORE THAN FIVE HUNDRED BRETHREN AT ONCE.

(Eighth appearance.)

Matth. xxviii. 16—20.

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

I Cor. xv. 6.

After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

The main purpose of our Lord's so often appearing to his disciples was to satisfy them, and through them all mankind, of his real and full resurrection; his resurrection as to body and soul; and not only so, but the resurrection of the whole man in the same mysterious union as before with the divine nature. It is with a view to this, his entire and unqualified emancipation from the effects of death, in opposition to the many vain theories which heretics, in various ages, have invented respecting the person of the Redeemer, that the second Article of the Church of England contains that very specific statement of the truth impressed on the apostles' minds, two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and

Manhood, were joined together in one Person, never to be divided.'

In what way this truth was gradually established, by his appearing, from time to time, to his disciples, has been now sufficiently dwelt on. There was one appearance of our Lord, however, which would seem to have been, in some respects, of greater importance than all. Before his death, he spoke of this specially and only― After I am risen again,' said he, 'I will go before you into Galilee.'* At his sepulchre, the women who were there early on the morning of the resurrection, whilst seeking for his body, were reminded of this by an angel, and sent on a message to the disciples that they should see him in Galilee. He repeated this message himself to some of these women, to whom he subsequently appeared. A certain mountain had been named for this extraordinary interview. In what, then, consisted its importance?

First, it is to be observed, that although Jesus had now manifested himself, it may be, to all his apostles, since his resurrection; yet some might have been present on one occasion, some on another, so that an official summons, and an appointed hour of meeting, might have been requisite to secure the attendance and the evidence of all to the account in which they were afterwards to agree, whether in preaching or framing a document for after ages. It is said, indeed, more than once, that the eleven were assembled when

* Matth. xxvi. 32.

he appeared; yet, on one of these occasions, we know that Thomas was absent. The apostles were emphatically called 'the eleven,' or more commonly the twelve,' and a meeting of the eleven' or 'the twelve,' or the apostles,' would no more imply the presence of every member of the apostolic body, than a meeting of a vestry would imply the attendance of every member of the vestry. At all events, their presence as a body, from which no one should be absent, could only have been accidental. There seems to be good reason why they should, on some one occasion, be formally assembled, to receive as a body that evidence of which they were the joint depositaries.

In the next place, what display of our Lord's return among them as the Immanuel-as perfect man and perfect God-was given on the mountain in Galilee, is not specified. Whether, on that mountain, besides hearing and seeing him, they witnessed some display of his glory, like to that on the Mount of Transfiguration, we are not told; but it is certainly said, that before he came up to them and entered into communication with them, they saw enough to make them worship him. And this is the more remarkable, because when, on other occasions, he appeared to them, they seemed to have required some further proof or assurance, in order to enable them even to recognize him.

1

Lastly, more than the display of his full emancipation from the effects of the grave, was accomplished by this interview. It was then that he proclaimed his

sovereignty over his kingdom on earth and in Heaven, All power is given unto me in Heaven and in earth.' It was then he instituted his sacrament of baptism, and commissioned his church, in all ages, to baptize and evangelize all nations, Go ye, therefore, and teach* all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.' It was then, lastly, he revealed himself as present with his church, though unseen, as long as the world shall endure, 'Lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.'

It is to be observed that St. Paul's mention of our Lord's appearing to five hundred brethren at once, has been coupled with St. Matthew's record of his appearance on a mountain of Galilee, as if both related to the same occurrence. This is the generally received opinion, and it is, probably, correct.

If, however, the appearance noticed by St. Paul be a different one, his is the only record of it. In either view, what he states is, that most of those present on the occasion were living witnesses at the time of his writing. In either view, too, one purpose for which Jesus manifested himself to so large a body of his disciples, besides his appointed witnesses, was probably this. In the first propagation of the Gospel, almost all the original disciples must have been needed as preachers of the word-so wide was the field of con

* Literally and more correctly make disciples of.'