282 Mark He names the apostles. SECT. gospel: And Andrew, and Philip, of whose 18 And Andrew, lii. first acquaintance with Christ we were before and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matinformed, (John i. 40, 43;) and Bartholomew; thew and Thomas, III. 17. and Matthew, or Levi, who had lately been and James the son of called from the infamous employment of a pub. Alpheus, and Thadlican, (Mat. ix. 9. p. 249.) and Thomas, who deus, [or Judas the brother of James,] and was also called Didymus, as having a twin bro- Simon the Canaanite, ther; and James [the son] of Alpheus, called [called Zelotes;] James the less, (Mark xv. 40) and Lebbeus, [LUKE VI. 14, 15, 16.-] whose sirname was Thaddeus, and who was [also called] Judas, or Jude, [the brother] of James'; and Simon the Canaanite, called also Zelotes; or the zealot, as having before professed a dis19 tinguished zeal for the law: And, worthy of 19 And Judas Isbeing mentioned in the last place, or rather cariot, [which also was the traitor,] which unworthy of being mentioned at all, otherwise also betrayed him. than with the greatest abhorrence, was Judas [LUKE VI.16. —] Iscariot, or a man of Carioth, (Josh. xv. 25,) that infamous abandoned wretch, who also was the traitor, that afterwards was so ungrateful to his Lord, that he even betrayed him, into the hands of his bloody enemies: he had professed himself, with secular and worldly views, a disciple of Christ; and though our Lord well knew him, yet, as his character was free from any visible ground of suspicion, in order to accomplish what was delivered in the sacred oracles, he was pleased to invest him with this holy office, and to place him among his apostles: (compare John xiii. 18.) f Lebbeus, whose sirname was Thaddeus, and who was also called Judas, or Jude, the brother of James.] That this person had all these names appears from comparing the catalogues given us in the places before us, and in Mat. x. 2-4. and Acts i. 13. Lebbeus being derived from LoB, which signifies the heart, and Thaddeus probably from THAD, a Syro-chaldaic word, which, as some critics tell us, signifies the breast, scem equivalent names, and may signify the hearty Judas; perhaps to distinguish him from that other Judas whose faithless breast and foul heart had brought a kind of infamy on the name; so that neither Matthew nor Mark use it when speaking of this apostle; and John takes particular care to prevent the confusion which might arise from the ambiguity of it. John xiv. 22. g Simon the Canaanite, called also Zelotes.] It is matter of some doubt with me whether he was called the Canaanite, as being a native of Cana in Galilee, as some have thought; or whether it be derived, as Dr. And Hammond thinks, from the Hebrew KANAD and signifies the same with Zelotes. But though we have many instances of extraor dinary zeal in Phinehas, Elijah, the Maccabees, &c. and read in ancient Jewish writers of the Judgment of zeal by which Stephen was murdered, Paul assaulted, &c. yet I cannot find any sect of men distinguished by that name till mentioned by Josephus (Bell. Jud. lib. iv. cap. 3. (al. 5.) § 9,) a little before the destruction of Jerusalem. If Simon had the additional name of Zelotes given him on account of his personal zeal for the law (which is possible,) he might probably be a Pharisee: but Mr. Fleming's conjecture that he was the father of Judas Iscariot, who is called the son of Simon (John xii. 4.) seems very precari ous, considering how common the name of Simon was. See Fleming's Christology, Vol. II. p. 167. h That even betrayed him.] It is plain that has great force here, if it be rendered even; or else it seems a mere expletive. i Uncicon Multitudes attend his preaching and his cures. he came down with multitude of people and Sidon, which came ses; 283 lii. LUKE VI. 17. And And after he had acquainted these twelve per- SECT. them, and stood in sons with his design, and had given them such the plain, and the private instructions as he judged convenient to Luke company of his dis- render their attendance upon him subservient to VI. 17 ciples, and a great the execution of their important office, he came out of all Judea and down from the mountain with them, and stood in Jerusalem, and from the neighbouring plain: and as the morning the sea coast of Tyre was now pretty far advanced, the crowd of his to hear him, and to be disciples [gathered round him:] and besides those healed of their disea- that had followed him for some time, and were now persuaded of his Divine mission, there was also still waiting upon him (as we observed above, Mark iii. 7, 8, p. 276) a great multitude of people from all parts of Judea, and particularly from Jerusalem, and even from the shore of Tyre and Sidon, which lay on the Mediterranean sea; who came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases : And they also who were infested 18 with unclean and wicked spirits, made their application to him; and they were cured of the terrible disorders which those malignant 19 And the whole beings occasioned. And the whole multitude of 19 multitude sought to these unhappy people endeavoured at least to touch him; for there of touch him; for so extraordinary were the mirahim, and healed them cles of this day, that in some instances, where 18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. went virtue out all. our Lord did not so much as take any apparent IMPROVEMENT, WHEN we consider how much the church in all ages has been Luke indebted to the labours of the apostles, and how much we ourselves vi. 13. owe to them, we shall see great reason of thankfulness to our wise and gracious Master, who was pleased to assign this work to his servants, and so eminently to qualify them for it. It is observable, that before he sent them forth, he chose them to be with him in a i Unclean spirits.] It seems to me an excessive refinement in the learned editors of the Prussian Testament to distinguish (as they do in their note on Mat. x. 1.) unclean spirits from other evil spirits which might possess men; supposing the word only to signify such kind of spirits as drove men to well among the tambs, by which they be more came ceremonially unclean. How little it 284 SECT. lii. Reflections on the choice of the twelve apostles. more constant attendance on his person and ministry. May all who succeed them as preachers of the gospel, be such as have intiMark mately known Christ themselves, and have been accustomed to iii. 14. spiritual converse with him; that they may with the greater ability, zeal and efficacy, recommend him to others! Luke We may assure ourselves that these his future ministers had no vi. 12. inconsiderable share in those petitions in which, with unabating fervour and intenseness of devotion, our Redeemer spent this memorable night. And if we have any regard for the support of religion in the rising age, let us likewise be earnestly praying both for them that are already in the ministry, and for such as are preparing for it. This surely ought to be the frequent care, not only of those who have the tremendous charge of educating such as are ere long to be intrusted with the honour of the gospel and the care of souls, but of those who are now struggling with the glorious labours and trials of that important office, and even of all those private christians, who cordially love the interest of their Master, and wish the salvation of their fellow creatures. SECT. liii. Let us unite our cries to him who has engaged to be always with his church even to the end of the world, and say, "Light up, O Lord, a brighter and a stronger flame in the lamps of thy sanctuary! Polish these arrows of thy quiver, that they may pierce deep into the consciences of men! Let thy priests be clothed with salvation, that thy saints may shout aloud for joy! And pour forth upon them so plenteous an unction of thine Holy Spirit, that the odours of thy grace may by their means be diffused around throughout all thy tabernacles; like that of the fragrant oil, which was poured on the head of Aaron, in such rich abundance, that it not only ran down on his beard, but reached even to the skirts of his garments! Amen, and Amen." SECT. LIII. Christ, in the audience of his new-chosen disciples, and of the multitude, repeats in the plain many remarkable passages of his sermon before delivered on the mount. Luke VI. 20-36. LUKE VI. 20. LUKE VI. 20. his eyes on his disciples, AND [Jesus] lifting up his eyes on his disci- AND he lifted up ples, who surrounded him, and more espeLuke cially directing them to his apostles whom he had VI. 20. lately chosen,said unto them, Happy are you who are and said, Blessed a Said unto them.] Hardly any thing nies surprises me more, than that so many of that I have observed in the common harmo- them make this discourse to be the very ser mon dom of God. The poor, hungry, mournful, and persecuted happy. 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now; for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye laugh. 285 SECT. liii. Blessed be ye poor; are enriched with Divine knowledge and grace, for yours is the king- though your circumstances in this world are poor and mean; for the kingdom of God, in all its tran- Luke scendent and eternal giories, is yours, and you VI. 20. are hastening on to the full possession of it. Happy are you who are now hungry and desti- 21 tute of all the comfortable accommodations of that life, if you feel that nobler appetite by which weep now; for ye shall the religious soul longs after improvements in holiness; for you shall ere long be filled with the most substantial and valuable blessings. Happy are you who now mourn under a sense of sin, or under that wholesome discipline of affliction by which God reduces his wandering children, and trains them up to superior virtue; for all your sorrow shall pass away like a dream, and you shall ere long laugh and rejoice in a complete deliverance from it. (See Mat. v. 4.) Happy are you when men shall hate you, and per- 22 ate secute you; when they shall separate you [from their assemblies,] as unworthy of communion their company, and shall with them; and shall reproach you in their private reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, conversation, and cast out your names as infamousfor the son of man's ly evil in their public acts of civil or ecclesiastical judgment, on account of your professed adherence to the Son of man (see John is. 22-34), for that glorious and sacred Person is able abundantly 23 Rejoice ye in that to repay all you can suffer for him: And 23 day, therefore, far from being dismayed and overwhelmed 22 Blessed are ye when men shall hate you and when they shall separate you from sake: mon on the mount recorded at large by Matthew in his fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters. That was delivered by Christ, sitting on a mountain (Mat. v. 1); this (as it seems from ver.18) standing in a plain; and, which weighs yet much more with me, there is such a difference in the expression, when the parallel passages come to be compared, that it seems evident the evangelists have not related it exactly, if they meant to give us the some. On the other hand, there appears not the least difficulty in supposing that Christ might here repeat a part of what he had delivered some inonths before to another auditory, and probably at some greater distance than just in the same neighbourhood. (See note bon Luke v. 12, p. 241, and note b on Mat. v. 1, p. 199.) For it is plain from other instances, that this is nothing more than what he often had occasion to do. (Compare Mat. ix. 32-34 with Mat. xii. 22-24, and xvi. 21 with xvii. 22, 23, and XX 17-19.) And indeed, since it is certain from Mat. vii. 28, 29, that what that evangelist has recorded as the sermon on the VOL. VI. mount was all delivered at once; they who b Who are now hungry-If you feel that c Sparate you from their assemblies.] Grotius's excellent note on this clause well deserves a most attentive reading; containing a most learned dissertation on the various kinds of excommunication among the Jews. LI d Generally 286 We are to love our enemies, and to do good to all: SECT. whelmed with trouble and distress at such abuses day, and leap for joy; liii. for behold, your reward Luke and assaults, be glad in that day, and with holy is great in heaven: for alacrity even leap for joy; for, behold, your in the like manner did VI. 23. reward in heaven is great in proportion to your their fathers unto the sufferings on earth: For thus their fathers did prophets. 24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye 25 Woe unto you to the prophets of old, who now are in seats of distinguished glory. (See Mat. v. 11, 12.) 24 But there is, generally speaking, cause to denounce a woe to you who are rich; for so en- have received your snaring are the circumstances in which you are consolation. placed, that it is much to be feared you have already received all your consolation (compare Luke xvi. 25.) and will be so taken up with the transient pleasures of time as to forget and for25 feit everlasting blessedness. There is generally reason to say, Woe unto you who are now filled that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe to the full, and pampered with all the most unto you that laugh luxurious dainties! for you shall ere long suffer now! for ye shall hunger, and fall into a state of indigence and mourn and weep. misery, aggravated by all the plenty which you have enjoyed and abused. Woe unto you who spend your lives in mirth and gaiety, and are so vain as now to laugh off every solemn and awful thought! for you have reason to expect a portion in those doleful regions where, without intermission and without end, you shall mourn 26 and lament. And again, I may generally say, in so corrupt an age as this, Woe unto you when all men speak well of you! for such universal so did their fathers to applause is seldom to be gained without sinful the false prophets. compliances; and thus did their fathers to the false prophets of old, who soothed them in their idolatries and other crimes with smooth addresses and vain assurances of security and happiness. 27 26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for you which bear, Love You, my disciples, if you would approve your 27 But I say unto fidelity to God and to me, must act in a very your enemies; do good different manner, by which you will certainly to them which bate expose yourselves to hatred and persecution: you; But I say unto you, and to all that hear me this day, Far from entertaining sentiments of malice and purposes of revenge, love even your enemies, 28 and do good to them that hate you: Bless them that in the malignity of their hearts revile and curse you; and cordially and fervently pray for spitefully use you. them that most spitefully harrass and abuse you. (See Mat. v. 44.) d Generally speaking.] Compare Mat. xix. 23, 24. It is most evident that such expressions as these in scripture are to be And, 28 Bless them that curse you; and pray for them which de taken with some limitations, otherwise they would be contrary to fact in some instances. |