answerable proofs which have yet been furnished of the truth of the Christian religion.

7. This book contains unanswerable evidence of the truth of the Christian religion. It is a record of the early triumphs of Christianity. Within the space of thirty years after the death of Christ, the gospel had been carried to all parts of the civilized, and to no small portion of the uncivilized world. Its progress and its triumphs were not concealed. Its great transactions were not "done in a corner." It had been preached in the most splendid, powerful, and corrupt cities; churches were already founded in Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, and at Rome. The gospel had spread in Arabia, Asia Minor, Greece, Macedon, Italy, and Africa. It had assailed the most mighty existing institutions; it had made its way over the most formidable barriers; it had encountered the most deadly and malignant opposition; it had travelled to the capital, and had secured such a hold even in the imperial city, as to make it certain that it would finally overturn the established religion, and seat itself on the ruins of paganism. Within thirty years it had settled the point that it would overturn every bloody altar;

close every pagan temple; bring under its influence the men of office, rank, and power; and that "the banners of the faith would soon stream from the palaces of the Cæsars." All this would be accomplished by the instrumentality of Jews of fishermen-of Nazarenes. They had neither wealth, armies, nor allies. With the exception of Paul, they were men without learning. They were taught only by the Holy Ghost; armed only with the power of God; victorious only because he was their captain; and the world acknowledged the presence of the messengers of the Highest, and the power of the Christian religion. Its success never has been, and never can be accounted for, by any other supposition than that God attended it. And if the Christian religion be not true, the change wrought by the twelve apostles is the most inexplicable, mysterious, and wonderful event, that has ever been witnessed in this world. Their success to the end of time will stand as an argument of the truth of the scheme, that shall confound the infidel, and sustain the Christian with the assured belief that this is a religion which has proceeded from the almighty and infinitely benevolent God.

CHAPTER I.

HE former treatise "have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

a Luke i. 1-4, &c.

The former treatise.-The former book. The gospel by Luke is here evidently intended. Greek, "the former logos," meaning a discourse, or a narrative. O Theophilus.-See Note, Luke i. 3. As this book was written to the same individual as the former, it was evidently written with the same design-to furnish

an authentic and full narrative of events, con

cerning which there would be many imperfect and exaggerated accounts given. See Luke i. 1-4. As these events pertained to the descent of the Spirit, to the spread of the gospel, to the organization of the church by inspired authority, to the kind of preaching by which the church was collected and organized; and as those events were a full proof of the truth and power of the Christian religion, and would be a model for ministers and the church in all future times, it was of great importance that a fair and full narrative of them should be preserved. Luke was the companion of Paul in his travels, and was an eyewitness of no small part of the transactions recorded in this book. See Acts xvi. 10, 17; xx. 1-6; xxvii., xxviii. As an eye-witness, he was well qualified to make a record of the leading events of the primitive church. And as he was the companion of Paul, he had every opportunity of obtaining information about the great events of the gospel of Christ. Of all. That is, of the principal, or most important parts of the life and doctrines of Christ. It cannot mean that he recorded all that Jesus did, as he has omitted many things that have been preserved by the other Evangelists. The word "all" is frequently thus used to denote the most important or material facts. See Acts xiii. 10. 1 Tim. i. 16. James i. 2. Matt. ii. 3; iii. 5. Acts ii. 5. Rom. xi. Col. i. 6. In each of these places, the word

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66

here translated "all" occurs in the original, and means many, a large part, the principal portion. It has the same use in all languages. This word often signifies, indefinitely, a large portion or number, or a great part.' Webster. That Jesus.-The Syriac version adds, "Jesus our Messiah." This version was probably made in the second century. Began to do. This is a Hebrew form of expression, meaning the same thing as, that Jesus did and taught. See Gen. ix. 20, "Noah began to be a husbandman," i. e. was an husbandman. Gen. ii. 3, in the Septuagint: "Which God began to create and make;" in the Hebrew, "which God created and made." and two," i. e. sent them forth. See also Mark x. Mark vi. 7, "Began to send them forth by two 32; xiv. 65, " And some began to spit on him;" in the parallel place in Matt. xxvi. 67, "they did spit in his face." To do.-This refers to his miracles and his acts of benevolence, including all that he did for man's salvation. It probably includes, therefore, his sufferings, death, and resurrection, as a part of what he has done to save men. To teach.-His doctrines. As he had given an account of what the Lord Jesus did, so he was now about to give a narrative of what his apostles did in the same cause, that thus the world might be in possession of an inspired record respecting the redemption and establishment of the Christian church. The history of these events is one of the greatest blessings that God has conferred on mankind; and one of the highest privileges which men can enjoy is, that which has been conferred so abundantly on this age, in the possession and extension of the word

of God.

ven.

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was

He was taken up into a cloud, and is represented as having been borne or carried to heaven. (Ver. 9.) After that, &c. - This whole passage has been variously rendered. The Syriac renders it, "After he had given commandment unto the apostles whom he had chosen by the Holy Spirit." So also the Ethiopic version. Others have joined the words "through the Holy Ghost" to the phrase taken up," making it mean that he was taken up by the Holy Ghost. But the most natural and correct translation seems to be that which is in our version. Through the Holy Ghost.—To understand this, it is necessary to call to mind the promise that Jesus made before his death, that after his departure the Holy Ghost would descend, to be a guide to his apostles. See John xvi. 7-11, and the Note on that place. It was to be his office to carry forward the work of redemption, in applying it to the hearts of men. Whatever was done, therefore, after the atonement and resurrection of Jesus, after he had finished his great work, was to be regarded as under the peculiar influence and direction of the Holy Ghost. Even the instructions of Jesus, his commission to the apostles, &c., were to be regarded as coming within the department of the sacred Spirit, within the province of his peculiar work. The instructions were given by divine authority, by infallible guidance, and as a part of the work which the Holy Spirit designed. Under that Spirit the apostles were to go forth; by his aid they were to convert the world, to organise the church, to establish its order and its doctrines. And hence the entire work was declared to be by his direction. Though, in his larger and more mighty influences, the Spirit did not descend until the day of Pentecost, (Luke xxiv. 49, comp. Acts ii.,) yet in some measure his influence was imparted to them before the ascension of Christ. (John xx. 22.) Had given commandments. Particularly the command to preach the gospel to all nations. (Matt. xxviii. 19. Mark xvi. 15-19.) It may be worthy of remark, that the word "commandments," as a noun in the plural number, does not occur in the original. The single word which is translated "had given commandments," is a participle, and means simply "having commanded." There is no need, therefore, of supposing that there is reference here to any other command than to that great and glorious injunction to preach the gospel to every creature. That was a command of so much importance as to be worthy of a distinct record, as constituting the sum of all that the Saviour taught them after his resurrection. The apostles. -The eleven that remained after the treason and death of Judas. Whom he had chosen.-Matt. x. Luke vi. 12-16.

VER. 3. To whom also he showed himself after his passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God;

d Luke xxiv. John xx. & xxi.

He showed himself. The resurrection of Jesus was the great fact on which the truth of the

gospel was to be established. Hence the sacred writers so often refer to it, and establish it by so many arguments. As that truth lay at the foundation of all that Luke was about to record in his history, it was of importance that he should state clearly the sum of the evidence of it in the beginning of his work. After his passion.—After he suffered, referring particularly to his death, as the consummation of his sufferings. The word "passion," with us, means commonly excitement, or agitation of mind, as love, hope, fear, anger, &c. In the original the word means, to suffer. The word "passion," applied to the Saviour, denotes his last sufferings. Thus, in the Litany of the episcopal church, it is beautifully said, "by thine agony and bloody sweat; by thy cross and passion, good Lord, deliver us." The Greek word of the same derivation is rendered "sufferings" in 1 Pet. i. 11; iv. 13. Col. i. 24. By many infallible proofs.-The word rendered here "infallible proofs " does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. In Greek authors it denotes an infallible sign or argument, by which any thing can be certainly known.-Schleusner. Here it means the same-evidence that he was alive which could not deceive, or in which they could not be mistaken. That evidence consisted in his eating with them, conversing with them, meeting them at various times and places, working miracles, (John xxi. 6, 7;) and uniformly showing himself to be the same friend with whom they had been familiar for more than three years. This evidence was infallible, (1.) Because it was to them unexpected. They had manifestly not believed that he would rise again. (John xx. 25. Luke xxiv.) There was therefore no delusion resulting from any expectation of seeing him, or from a design to impose on men. (2.) It was impossible that they could have been deceived in relation to one with whom they had been familiar for more than three years. No men could be imposed upon, and made to believe that they really saw, talked with, and ate with, a friend whom they had known so long and familiarly, unless it was real. (3.) There were enough of them to avoid the possibility of deception. Though it might be pretended that one man could be imposed on, yet it could not be that an imposition could be practised, for forty days, on eleven, who were all at first incredulous. (4.) He was with them sufficient time to give evidence. It might be pretended, if they had seen him but once, that they were deceived. But they saw him often, and for the space of more than a month. (5.) They saw him in various places and times where there could be no deception. If they had pretended that they saw him rise, or saw him at twilight in the morning when he rose, it might have been said that they were deluded by some remarkable appearance. Or it might have been said that, expecting to see him rise, their hopes and agitations would have deceived them, and they would easily have fancied that they saw him. But it is not pretended by the sacred writers that they saw him rise. An impostor would have affirmed this, and would not have omitted it. But the sacred writers affirmed that they saw him after he was risen; when they were free from agitation;