it may seem a groundless objection to us, was not so to many at that time, who knew not the spiritual design and meaning of the law, and, perhaps, had not the opportunity to hear our Lord vindicate himself. They urged this vehemently against the force of a notorious miracle, and not without some colour from the words of Moses himself, who had warned them to beware of false teachers, though they should confirm their doctrine by signs and wonders.

3. They reproached the freedom of his conversation. Jesus was of easy access, and condescended to converse and eat with any who invited him. He neither practised nor enjoined the austerities which carry the air of superior sanctity in the judgment of weak and superstitious minds. They therefore styled him a glutton† and wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners; that is, (as they intended it,) a companion with them, and a conniver at their wickedness. Nothing could be more false and slanderous than this charge, or more easily refuted, if the people would examine closely. But as it came from teachers who were highly reverenced, for mortification; and as Jesus was usually attended by many with whom it was thought infamous to associate, it could not but have great weight with the credulous and indolent.

4. They laid much stress upon the mean condition of his followers. They were mostly Galileans, a people of small estimation, and of the lowest rank fishermen or publicans; while, on the other hand, few or none of the rulers or Pharisees, who were presumed to be best qualified to judge of his pretensions, had believed on him. Those who are acquainted with human nature cannot but know how strongly this appeal to the judgment of persons eminent for their learning or station, operates upon minds who have no better criterion of truth. How could a Jew, who had been from his infancy superstitiously attached to the Pharisees, suppose that these eminently devout men, who spent their lives in the study of the law, would have rejected Jesus if he had been a good man?

5. When, notwithstanding all their surmises, multitudes still profess high thoughts of Jesus, beholding his wonderful works: they proceeded, with the most blasphemous effrontery, to defame the miracles they could not deny, and maliciously ascribed them to the agency of the devil. This pertinacious resistance to the conviction both of their senses and consciences, was the highest stage of impiety, and constituted their sin (as our Lord assured them) unpardonable. Not that any sin, considered in itself, is

* Deut. xiii. 1, 2, 3. † Luke vii. 34. John vii. 48. | Matt. xii. 24,

too great for the blood of Jesus to expiate; but, as they utterly renounced and scorned his mediation, there remained no other sacrifice, but they were judicially given up to incurable impenitence and hardness of heart. Yet it is probable that even this black assertion was not without influence upon some who were wedded to their sins, and therefore glad of any pretext, how unreasonable soever, to refuse the testimony of truth.

6. Another means they made use of, (the last we shall enumerate,) and not the least effectual, to intimidate the minds of the people from acknowledging Jesus, was the convincing argument of violence and ill treatment. Having the power in their hands, they employed it against his followers, and made an agreement, that whoever confessed he was Christ should be put out of the synagogue,* that is, excommunicated. This decree seems to have been made by the Sanhedrim, or great council, and to imply, not merely an exclusion from the rites of public worship, but likewise a positive punishment, equivalent to an out-lawry with us. The fear of incurring this penalty restrained the parents of the man born blind, and prevented many others,† who were in their hearts convinced that he was the Messiah, from owning him as such. They loved the world, they preferred the praise of men to the praise of God, and therefore remained silent and neuter.

From such motives, and by such methods, our Lord was resisted and opposed by the heads of the Jewish nation. The scribes and teachers, to whom the key of knowledge was by authority committed, disdained to use it themselves, and those who were willing they hindered. Had they been wise and faithful, they would have directed the people to Christ; but, on the contrary, they darkened the plainest Scriptures, and perverted the clearest facts, to prevent, if possible, his reception. In vain 'he spoke as never man spoke,' and multiplied the wonders of his power and love in their presence. In vain to them. They pursued him with unwearied subtilty and malice; traduced him to the people, and to the government, and would be satisfied with nothing less than his death. So obstinate and wicked is the heart of man; so fatal are the prejudices of pride and worldly interest. For, as we observed before, these tempers were not peculiar to the Jews; they are essential to depraved nature, and operate universally, where the grace of God does not make a difference.

*John ix. 22.

+ John xi. 42.

Mark xii. 13. They sent unto him certain of the Pharisees to catch him. A gauw expresses the art and assiduity of sportsmen, in the various methods they use to ensnare, entangle, or destroy their game. It well suits the spirit and design of our Lord's enemies, in the question proposed, and is finely contrasted by the meekness and wisdom of his answer.

To this hour the Gospel of Christ is opposed upon the same grounds, and by the like artifices, as were once employed against his person.

The doctrines which his faithful ministers deduce and enforce from the written word are no other than what he himself taught, namely, a declaration of his personal honours and authority, of the insufficiency of formal worship, in which the heart is not con cerned, of the extent and spirituality of the law of God, and of salvation, freely proclaimed to the miserable, through faith in his name. The self-righteous, the self-wise, and all who are devoted to the pleasures and honours of the world, have each their particular exceptions to these truths. The wisdom of God they account foolishness, and the language of their hearts is, We will not have this man to reign over us.' And the success of these doctrines, which is chiefly visible among such as they have been accustomed to despise, is equally offensive; yet so inconsistent are they, that if, here and there, a few persons who were before eminent for their rank, attainments, or morality, are prevailed on to account all things but loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord;' this instead of removing their first objection, excites their rage and contempt still more.

And as the motives of their hatred, so their methods of expressing it are the same. They are not ashamed to adopt and exaggerate the most vulgar misconceptions; they set the Scripture at variance with itself; and, while they pass over the plainest and most important passages unnoticed, they dwell upon a few texts of more dubious import, and therefore more easily accommodated to their sense; with these they flourish and triumph, and effect a high zeal in defence of the word of God. They reproach the pure Gospel as licentious, because it exposes the vanity of their singularities and will-worship; and are desirous to bind heavier burdens upon men's shoulders, which few of themselves will touch with one of their fingers. They enlarge on the weakness and ignorance of those who mostly receive the new doctrine, and intrench themselves under the sanction of learned and dignified names. They even venture to explode and vilify the evident effects of God's grace, and ascribe the agency of his Spirit to enthusiasm, infatuation, and madness, if not expressly to diabolical influence. And lastly, so far as Divine Providence permits, they show themselves actuated by the primitive spirit of oppression and violence, in pursuing the faithful followers of the truth with censures and penalties.

But let who will rage and imagine vain things, Jesus is the King in Zion. He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.' VOL. II.

36

There were a happy few in the days of his flesh who beheld his glory, trusted on him for salvation, and attended him amidst the many reproaches and sufferings he endured from sinners. Of these, his first witnesses, we are to speak in the following chapter. His Gospel likewise, though opposed by many, and slighted by more, is never preached in vain. To some, it will always be the power and wisdom of God; they know in whom they have believed, and therefore are not ashamed to appear in his cause against all disadvantages. Supported and encouraged by his Spirit, they go on from strength to strength, and are successively made more than conquerors, by his blood, and the word of his testimony.

CHAPTER IV.

Observations on the calling and characters of our Lord's Apostles and Disciples, previous to his Ascension.

FROM what has been observed in the preceding chapters, it is evident, that those who assert a principle of free-will in man, sufficiently enabling him to choose and determine for himself, when the truths of the Gospel are plainly laid before him, do thereby, (so far as in them lies,) render the salvation of mankind highly precarious, if not utterly hopeless and impracticable. Notwithstanding God was pleased to send his own Son with a gracious message; notwithstanding his whole life was a series of wonders, and all his actions discovered a wisdom, power, and goodness, answerable to his high character; notwithstanding the time, manner, and design of his appearance and sufferings had been clearly foretold; yet, so far as judgment can be made from the event, he would certainly have lived and died in vain, without influence or honour, without leaving a single disciple, if the same grace that provided the means of redemption had not engaged to make them effectual, by preparing and disposing the hearts of sinners to receive him.

In the account given us by the evangelists of those who professed themselves his disciples, we may discern, as in miniature, the general methods of his grace; and comparing his personal ministry with the effects of his Gospel in all succeeding times, we may be assured that the work and the power are still the The choice he made of his disciples, the manner of their calling, their characters, and even their defects and failings; in a word, all that is recorded concerning them is writ

same.

ten for our instruction, and is particularly useful, to teach us the true meaning of what passes within our own observation.

First. Several things are worthy our notice in this view, with respect to the choice of his disciples.

1. They were comparatively very few. He was, indeed, usually attended by multitudes in the different places where he preached, because he spoke with a power they had never met with before, and because he healed the sick, fed the hungry, and did good to all; but he had very few constant followers. Those who assembled at Jerusalem, after his ascension, are said to have been but about one hundred and twenty ;* and when he appointed his disciples a solemn meeting in Galilee, informing them before-hand of the time and place where he would come to them, the number that then met here is expressed by the apostle to have been more than five hundred. We can hardly suppose that any who loved him, and were able to travel, would have been absent upon so interesting an occasion; but how small a company was this, compared with the many thousands among whom he had conversed in all the cities and villages through which he had passed, preaching the Gospel, and performing innumerable miracles for more than three years? Well might the prophet say, foreseeing the small success he would meet with, Who hath believed our report, and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?' But since he, in whom the fulness of grace resided, had so few disciples, it may lessen our surprise that his Gospel, though in itself the power and wisdom of God, should meet with so cold a reception amongst men as it has in fact always done.

2. Of those few who professed a more entire attachment to his person, a considerable part, after attending him for some time, went back and walked no more with him. They were but superficially convinced, and rather struck with the power of his words and works, than deeply sensible of their own need of him. When, therefore, upon a certain occasion, he spoke of the more inward and experimental part of religion, the life of faith, and the necessity of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, so many were offended at his doctrine, and forsook him, that he said unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?' which seems to imply, that there were few but these remaining. Therefore, though we

*Acts i. 15.

+1 Cor. xv. 6. The word brethren there used does not prove that none but men were present at that time, any more than that, because the apostles, in their public preaching, addressed their hearers as 'men and brethren,' there were therefore no women amongst them, or the women were not considered as having any interest or concern in the Gospel Ministry.

1 John vi. 66, 67.