If these exceptionable declarations made by Jefus, were not intended to be understood literally; why were they fpoken in a manner to be fo conftrued? That they were fo, even by the Apostles themselves, is certain. Two of them, James and John (whom, it feems, he had not improperly named fons of thunder) profited fo much by this lecture, that fome time after, when the Samaritans refused to receive Jefus and his difciples into one of their villages, because they were going to Jerufalem: afked permiffion of their mafter, to call down fire from Heaven to confume them and in the true fpirit of Judaifm, quoted the example of the humane Elijah. St. John indeed does not record this circumftance; we could not expect it but St. Luke does, ch. ix. v. 52, 53, 54. as likewise the anfwer given by Jesus- And he turned, and re buked them, and faid, ner of fpirit ye are of. ye know not what manFor the Son of Man is not come to deftroy mens lives, but to fave 'them. And they went to another to another village." This reply, breathes a fpirit of humanity and the fubfequent act, is an example of forbearance. It is plain then, from these and many others of a fimilar kind; he meant not that scenes of fo horrid a nature should be exhibited in his days, by his orders, or with his permiffion. But as they were to be the queftions are-When were they to commence? And how long were they to con tinue? The difciples had reafon to expect them Chapter Verfe as the immediate confequence of their preaching: but the duration, could not, in their apprehen- fiftency. We will now return to Matthew's account of the lecture to the twelve, &c.-' He that x. " loveth father or mother more than me, is not ' worthy of me: and he that loveth fon or daugh ་ ter more than me, is not worthy of me. And ' he that taketh not his crofs, and followeth af * Vide page 51, 52. 37 38 ter Chapter Verfe ter me, is not worthy of me.' If this was faid to the twelve, and a compliance was expected from them only, it was well: but if it was faid to others, or the twelve commanded to teach it to mankind as a general rule or duty, it produced effects that were not well; and we are not furprifed to find fuch multitudes collected. The poor, the idle, the profligate; having nothing to lofe, flocked to a standard where there was fomething to be gained. But of the rich; men of bufinefs or in power: Pagan or Jewish priests: not a man do we read of: they had fomething to lofe and with refpect to gain, the former must have gone upon a forlorn hope indeed-' It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a < needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.' Matt. ch. xix. v. 24. St. 1 Matthew concludes this lecture- And it came to 'pass when Jefus had made an end of command xi. ing his twelve disciples, he departed thence to 'teach and to preach in their cities.' It doth not appear by Matthew's account, that the twelve separated themselves from their master to execute his commands. Mark, in his third chapter, fays-Jefus ordained twelve that they should be with him, and that he might fend them forth, to preach, to heal fickneffes, and to caft out devils but does not fend them forth till fome time after, in ch. vi. v. 7.- And he called unto him 'the twelve, and began to fend them forth by · two and two, and gave them power,' &c. with fome of the inftructions, but not a word of the offenfive matter mentioned by Matthew-' And they went out and preached, that men should repent. And they caft out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were fick, and healed them.' After giving an account of John's decollation, he tells us, the twelve (poffibly alarmed thereat) joined their mafter, gave him an account of what they had done, and what they had taught; and then withdrew with him privately into a defert place. But he does not inform us how Jefus employed himself during their absence. Luke in his 9th chapter gives nearly the fame account; and in his 10th chapter he (and he only) informs us that Jefus gave the fame inftructions and the fame powers to feventy others; fent them out two and two, that they returned to him again, and with great joy told him the devils were, through his name, subject to them. Upon which he replied-' I ' beheld Satan as lightning, fall from Heaven.' And added, Behold I give unto you power to ' tread on ferpents and fcorpions, and over all 'the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by C any means hurt you.' His exultation here feems equal to that of the feventy. They had through his name caft out devils: the Jewish hiftorians tell us, the name of Solomon had done as much. This was an art practifed long be fore, ' Chapter Verfe fore, indifcriminately by Pagans and Jews, but the too frequent ufe of it in thofe and after times by the Chriftians, brought it into difcredit, and in course it was gradually abandoned. What Jefus meant by faying-I beheld Satan as lightning, fall from Heaven, is a question not easily refolved. Did he really fee this, in his pre-existent state : or did he use this metaphor (borrowed perhaps from Ifaiah, ch. xiv. v. 12.) in exultation when he found the power of Satan fo fallen as to be controuled by men, poor and ignorant as the feventy were? Having examined the four records concerning the twelve difciples fent out to teach, &c. we will now return to St. Matthew's 11th chapter, wherein he informs us that John the Baptift, from his prifon, fent two of his dif -3 ciples to Jefus, asking him- Art thou he that 'fhould come, or do we look for another? This appears a very extraordinary queftion from John, after what he had faid and feen when he baptifed Jefus, Matth. ch. iii. v. 13 to 17, or in ftronger terms, John, ch. i. v. 32, 33, 34*. In anfwer, Jefus orders them to report what they 5 had heard and feen- The blind receive their fight, and the lame walk: the lepers are 'cleanfed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to 6 them. xi. And bleffed is he whofoever shall not * Vide pages 12, 13. • be |