Apostle to doubt for the greater confirmation of the faith and the various doubts recorded of the disciples are so managed in the narrative, as that no circumstance should be wanting to prove the resurrection. The proofs were let upon them by degrees, as they were able to bear them, yet so artificially, that every fresh instance confirmed and added something to those that went before. The empty sepulchre, confirmed the women's report; Christ's appearance to Mary Magdalene, showed He was alive; that to the disciples at Emmaus, proved that it was the Spirit of Christ Himself, by expounding the prophecies, and breaking of bread; that to the Apostles, showed the reality of His body; the conviction given to St. Thomas, proved it the self-same body that had been crucified: so that we have great reason to praise God for suffering the disciples to doubt so much, and so long; since by their not believing, "because they had seen," there is the greater assurance afforded to us, "who have not seen, and yet have believed ".' SECT. CLXXIII.—Christ's Disciples depart into Galilee.— Matt. xxviii. 16-20. 5 99 THE solemnities of the Passover among the Jews lasted through all the eight days of unleavened bread. The Apostles, therefore, and disciples, who had come up to Jerusalem from Dean Stanhope. Galilee, their native country, not merely to attend upon their Master, but, in obedience to the law of Moses, to keep the Passover, continued, as they were obliged to do, at Jerusalem, till the end of that festival, which was the day Jesus appeared to them a second time, St. Thomas being with them. As soon, therefore, as the paschal solemnities were over, it was natural to suppose they would return into Galilee, which was the native country of the greatest part, if not of all His Apostles and disciples: there they dwelt, and necessarily had to support themselves and their families by means of their labour. Our Lord had Himself promised them before His death, and bade the women tell the disciples after His resurrection, “that He would go before them into Galilee "." He had, indeed, given them the Spirit, and had ordained them to the ministerial office; but they had nothing now to do at Jerusalem: and among the Jews it was accounted a disgrace to be idle. Since fishing, therefore, was the ordinary occupation of several of them, they thought it best to betake themselves to it in the intermediate time, until they should receive the promise "of the Comforter, whom He would send unto them from the Father"." The time of their entering upon the Apostolical office, and of preaching the Gospel to the world, was 6 West. 7 Grotius. not yet come; neither were they yet fully prepared or qualified for that important work. Before they set out upon their great work of preaching, it was necessary that they should be fully instructed in the doctrines they were to preach, and in the several functions of the Apostolical office; and that they should thoroughly understand the intentions of their Master, and have some view of the means and assistances by which they should be enabled to perform a task apparently so much above their abilities. In order to all this, many inveterate prejudices, relating to the law of Moses, and the Jewish nation, were to be rooted out; the scheme of God, in the universal redemption of mankind, was to be laid open to them; many human affections, reluctances, and terrors, were to be subdued; and their hearts to be fortified with courage and constancy, together with a disregard and contempt of hardships, perils, pains, and death: and some hopes and encouragements were to be given them, to support them under the prospect of those difficulties and dangers which they were to expect in propagating the Gospel. To these several purposes, nothing could more conduce than frequent visits from their Lord, by which His resurrection might be confirmed, and of which every appearance was a fresh proof and an unquestionable evidence of His power. Add to this the weight and authority derived to His precepts and instructions from their being delivered by Himself in person, by the great Captain of their salvation, present before their eyes, who, having fought with the powers of darkness, had triumphed over sin and death, and who could with the same power assist those who should fight under His banner, and reward their toils, their sufferings, and even their death, with an everlasting and immortal crown. And if nothing could more effectually bring about all these great effects, than Christ's frequently meeting His Apostles, it will very evidently appear that no place could be more proper for those meetings than Galilee, where they resided, and could at all times occupy themselves and meet together without any fear of the Chief Priests, or their Roman masters, who might have given such interruptions to those meetings, and thrown such obstacles in the way of them, as would have necessitated the interposition of our Lord's miraculous power to prevent or remove them. From these considerations, it is inferred that, from the appearance of Christ to St. Thomas, and the other disciples, just considered,-all the "infallible proofs that He showed, after His resurrection;" "all the commandments unto the Apostles, whom He had chosen, that He had given ;"-all the remainder of the "forty days in which He had been seen by them," and "the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, that He had spoken," to them-were in Galilee ; from whence they did not now again remove, until they were commanded to go again to Jerusalem, and there continue to wait for the promise of the Father'. He had given them the Spirit in measure, but the full effusion of it was reserved for the day of Pentecost'. They had been by this ordained to the ministerial office, but they had as yet no duties assigned to them. Since, therefore, fishing was the ordinary occupation of several of them, they thought it best to betake themselves to it in the present time, not only to keep themselves employed, but to supply their own necessities, and the wants of those dependent on them'. SECT. CLXXIV.—Christ appeareth at the Sea of Tiberias.— John xxi. 1-25. THEY had not then long returned from Jerusalem into Galilee, when it is recorded that Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, and John, and perhaps Philip, and Andrew, went a fishing "at the sea of Tiberias;" but after much toiling all night, they caught nothing. In the morning, as they were making to shore, a Person', whom in the twilight probably they could not distinguish, addresses them as one might do, 8 West. 1 Archbishop Newcome. 3 Stackhouse. |