it [seem to die] die [by being committed to the ground,] it bringeth forth much fruit." itz a I have shewn why our Lord, in the spirit of prophecy, gave Simon the name of PETER. And he not only foretold that this apostle should be in a peculiar sense the ROCK on which he would build his church, but also that "the gates of hell," the fear of death in all the shapes which the most cruel persecutors could devise," should not prevail against it." And accordingly, though the infernal doors have so frequently been opened to receive the disciples of Christ, the terrors disclosed by them have never prevented the reception, the extension, and the bold profession of the gospel. Our Lord thus predicted the righteousness which his gospel would naturally tend, and actually contribute, to advance; and the vices which it would abate "I beheld Satan as lightning fall or suppress. from heaven." d Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointed Jesus with a precious ointment three days before his crucifixion; probably thus intending to shew her last act of respect to him, as he had foretold to his disciples, on that very day, that at the passover he should be delivered up to be crucified. When some murmured at this deed, our Lord commended it with the following prediction, "Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also what b Matt. xvi. 18. z John xii. 24. a p. 190. The Scholiast on Homer, Il. I. 312, Εχθρός γάς πύλησι has this note, τῶ θανάτῳ, περιφρασικῶς. Christian Religion, p. 144, &c. fib. 13 and Mark xiv. 9. d Luke x. 18. Matt. xxvi. 2. AS A DIVINE INSTRUCTOR. this woman hath done be spoken of as a memorial of her." Accordingly, three of the evangelists have transmitted down this fact to all ages of the church. When Peter drew his sword in the garden of Gethsemane," Jesus said to him: put up again thy sword into its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish by the sword." Here the learned 1 Dr. Priestley observes, that "this prophecy seems to have been verified whenever Christians have had recourse to arms in order to defend themselves from persecution; as in the case of the Hussites in Bohemia, and the Huguenots in France." We may, perhaps, apply the words to religious wars in general; and observe that they have been fulfilled by the unhappy events of the Crusades, and by the deaths of Zuingle in Switzerland, and of Gustavus Adolphus, the head of the evangelical union, in Germany. Christianity is very far from promising a special protection to those who have recourse to violence and arms in support even of truth and right. They must expect to be involved in the natural consequences of such actions. When our Lord assured his apostles, and their successors in the church, "that he would be with them always, even unto the end of the world," cooperating with their pious endeavours by his providence and by his spirit, he in effect foretold that his religion would be a perpetual one. When Peter observed to our Lord, "Behold we have left all and followed thee," Jesus replied, * Verily I say unto you [my disciples,] that ye who 8 Matt. xxvi. 52. English Harmony, p. 227. i Matt. xxviii. 29. have followed me, in the future renovation of all things, when I the Son of Man shall sit on my glorious throne, shall be eminently exalted, and shall become judges of the twelve tribes of Israel, condemning their unbelief by your faithful and upright conduct." What particular honour will be conferred on the apostles at the great day, the event only can shew: but it does not appear necessary to understand the words as if they were to be assessors with Christ. It is plain that spiritual happiness and exaltation are elsewhere expressed under the ideas of temporal Faones: "I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my ther hath appointed unto me: that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Our Lord added, and I shall not separate the clause though with respect to the time of its accomplishment it is not rightly placed, " And every one, Comp. Matt. xii. 27, 41. Luke xi. 19. m Luke xxii. 29, 30. " Matt. xix. 29. and p. p. The passage in St. Mark seems interpolated· There is a needless repetition in νῦν, ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τέλῷ. Nuy is wanting in Beza's ms. but I think that it is genuine, and that the words ir T naig T&T were added from St. Luke as explanatory of it. I have long been persuaded that μετὰ διωγμῶν, διωγμό, οι διωγμόν, for the three readings occur in mss. is a marginal gloss. But I could never acquiesce in any exposition of this passage, till I saw Bishop Pearce's curious remark, that the words οἰκίας, καὶ ἀδελφὸς, καὶ αδελφᾶς, καὶ πατέρα, καὶ μητέρα, for so some mss. read, καὶ τέκνα, καὶ ἀγρές, are only a differ ent reading of the same clauses in Mark x. 29. intended, as I conceive, to shew that oxíar was read plurally, and that in the other branches of the sentence xai occurred throughout for. So that St. Mark's text will stand thus: "who will not receive an hundred fold now, and in the world to come everlasting life:" which will make him parallel to the other evangelists. See Dr. Owen on Mark x 30. Bowyer's Conjectures, 4to. who is almost confident that the clause is an interpolation. AS A DIVINE INSTRUCTOR. who hath left houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields for my name's sake, and for the gospel, or the kingdom of God, shall receive many fold, or an hundred fold, in this present time, and in the world to come shall inherit everlasting life." Christ assures his disciples that their temporal losses, at that time, would be abundantly compensated by peace of mind, joy in the Holy Spirit, exultation and triumph in the discharge of their duty, good offices from the well disposed, and, particularly, by their exemption from the fearful vengeance which impended over the unbelieving Jews. Of the prophecies enumerated, those which refer to the propagation and perpetuity of the gospel, to its promotion of goodness and suppression of vice, to the captivity of the Jews, and to the wide fame of Mary's respectful and pious act, are at this time accomplishing. There is a difficulty in our Lord's prophecy, uttered after his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, " Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." The unbelieving Jews are addressed; to whom our Lord did not appear after his resurrection. But the Jews shall acknowledge and worship him, either at his future appearance when they are restored to their own land, or when he sits on his glorious throne to judge the world. Matt. xxiii. 39. Our Lord thus expressly prophesies of the general resurrection and judgment: " The hour cometh in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice; and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of condemnation. "The Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels: and then he shall reward every man according to his works." "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels." And again, in that awful and affecting passage which is thus introduced: "But when the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations." As the rest of our Lord's predictions have been so exactly accomplished, and are even now accomplishing before our eyes, let us live as becomes those who believe that his prophecies relating to the future judgment will also be accomplished in their season. I shall make a few short observations on our Lord's prophecies; and on the nature of the evidence for Christianity arising from them. He left to his apostles the splendid office of foretelling many remote events of his church; and the world soon beheld the completion of his prophecies, P John v. 29. 9 Matt. xvi. 27. Mark viii. 38. |