was not enjoined with respect to these predictions.

A little attention to the history will clear up these facts.

We read in Saint Luke of Christ's disciples, before ever he had chosen apostles; and it is said expressly, Luke vi. 13, "He called his disciples to him, and out of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles." And at ver. 17, they are distinguished from the company of the disciples who attend him. His twelve disciples or apostles are sent out to preach, Luke ix. 1. Seventy other disciples are sent with like commission, Luke x. 1. These last were disciples, though not apostles. This being the case, there is no reason to conclude that when the gospel tells us that our Lord made any declaration to his disciples, that such declaration was made to the apostles only. And it is observable that when the evangelists intend to distinguish the apostles from other disciples, they call them either apostles, or the twelve, and not simply disciples. Thus, Luke ix. 1, "When he had called the twelve disciples, he gave them power,' &c. Saint Matthew likewise denotes by the same character "his twelve disciples;" x. 1, and in the following verse calls them apostles. In the sixth of Saint John the distinction is most evident: at verse 66, we read, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." It follows: "Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?" The disciples then present at our Lord's discourse were more, probably many more, than the apostles. It is not therefore necessarily to be concluded that, when our Saviour foretold his resurrection to his disciples, none were present but the twelve apostles.

Let us now take the predictions as they are ranged by the Considerer. The first is made to the disciples, (Matt. xvi. 13, 21, &c.; Mark viii. 27, 31; Luke ix. 18, 22.) the second only to Peter, James, and John; (Matt. xvii. 1, 9; Mark ix. 2, 9.) the third to his disciples, (Matt. xvii. 19. 22; Mark ix. 29, 31) and the fourth and fifth were to the twelve apostles only, (Matt. xx. 17, &c.; Mark x. 32, &c.; Luke xvii. 31, &c.; Matt. xxvi. 20, 32; Mark xiv. 17, 28.) And it is observable that all the evangelists who mention the second prediction, take care to inform us that it was given to Peter, James, and John only; and all who report the fourth and fifth, say expressly it was given to the twelve only. How comes it then to pass that, in reporting the first and third, they leave it at large, and tell us that these predictions were made to the disciples? Is there not reason to suppose that they were made to more than to the twelve, who in the other instances are distinguished as the only persons present?

The Considerer observes on the third prediction, that Saint Mark says, "he passed through Galilee, and would not that any man should know it, for he taught his disciples, The Son of man is delivered," &c. "and shall rise the third day," (Mark ix. 30, &c.) On which the Considerer says, "Observe the reason why Jesus desired privacy was, because he told this to his disciples, and would have nobody else know it." That our Saviour told this to the disciples and not to the multitude, is admitted. But the question is who these disciples were, whether the twelve only, or others together with them; and the Considerer's observation is of no moment towards determining this point.

I do not pretend to affirm that the twelve may not be sometimes meant where disciples only are mentioned without any other distinction; but, for the reasons given, the Considerer has no right to take it for granted that all the predictions were given to the twelve only, and to raise speculations on this supposition.

eases.

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Had the Considerer known, what a due attention to the gospels would have taught him, the reason of our Lord's opening to his disciples and apostles the sufferings he was to undergo, he would not have suspected any deceit in his conduct. When our Saviour gathered disciples at first, and out of them chose twelve apostles, he sent them out to preach that the kingdom was at hand, and gave them great power over unclean spirits and all disAfter some time he inquires of them, what the world thought of him: they report to him the different opinions the country had of him. He then asks, But who say ye that I am?" Peter, in the name of the rest, answers, "Thou art the Christ." On which he began immediately (as the three evangelists expressly observe) to teach them what things the Son of man should suffer, and that he should rise the third day. Consider now what was the connection between Saint Peter's confession, and the prediction of the sufferings and resurrection of Christ, which so closely followed it. The disciples had preached the approach of the kingdom; had found, by the powers bestowed on them, what power their master had; and our Lord now perceived, on the confession of Peter, that they took him to be the Christ. He well understood what consequence this notion would produce; he knew the opinion of the Jews in general, and of the disciples too, was, "that

Christ abideth for ever," (John xii. 34,) and was to be subject to no power, but to exercise power and dominion without end, which they likewise apprehended to be temporal power and dominion. Our Lord, who took all proper occasions to disclaim temporal power, found it necessary now to guard the conduct of his disciples, who were very likely to give umbrage to the Jews, by the hopes they themselves conceived of seeing their Master a great temporal prince, To prevent these ill effects, he charges them, in the first place, to tell no man that he was the Christ; for such open declaration to the people, considering what notion they had of the Christ they expected, would have amounted to a claim of temporal power. In the next place, to moderate the expectations of his disciples, and to beat down the pride and vanity which would naturally arise from them, he tells them he was to suffer many things, and even death itself; but at the same time, to keep them from absolute despair, he gives them to understand that he should rise again.

This doctrine he began to teach on the occasion mentioned, as the evangelists particularly remark, intimating that it was frequently repeated and inculcated. So little were the disciples prepared to receive it, that Saint Peter rebuked his Master for talking about suffering: "Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee," (Matt. xvi. 22;) which explains another passage in the following chapter, very much abused by the Considerer, where our Saviour foretells again, "The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men; they shall kill him, and the third day he shall rise again. And they were exceeding sorrowful," (Matt. xvii. 22, 23.) He subjoins to this a pas

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sage from Saint Mark, where our Saviour tells the disciples, "The Son of man must be killed, and after he is killed, he shall rise again the third day:" and they understood not that saying, (Mark ix.) Hear now the Considerer: "It is equally strange,' says he, "that they should be sorry for what they did not understand, as that they should not under- . stand what they were sorry for." Was ever any thing so perverse? Is it not plain they were sorry to hear how much he was to suffer; and that the saying which they did not understand was his "rising again from the dead?" They could not conceive how Christ could die, nor what could be meant by his rising again. Is there any inconsistency in this? None, but to such as are wilfully blind.

Our Saviour found it necessary, on this occasion, not only to acquaint his disciples with the sufferings he was to submit to, but the people also, in order to prevent their having wrong notions of him and his kingdom, should they hear or suspect him to be the Christ; and therefore he adds immediately, "He called the people unto him, with his disciples, and said, "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me," (Mark ix. 34.) So far was our Lord from making a secret of his sufferings, or giving the people any hopes of a temporal deliverance !

But the Considerer supposes that the apostles were enjoined secresy, and forbid to publish these predictions; on the strength of which suppositions he argues, that the chief priests could know nothing of these predictions. The apostles are indeed enjoined secresy, not with respect to the death and resurrection of Jesus, but with respect expressly to this point only, that he was the Christ. Saint