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Thomas;

Thomas, one of the eleven apoftles, called Didymus, happened to be absent at this tranfaction; fo that, when the reft informed him of it, he plainly told them, that he should never believe it, till he had thruft his fingers into the prints of the nails, and his hand into his wounded. Appears to fide. Eight days after, being the twelfth of April, Jefus appeared again unto them, when Thomas was there, and invited him to take that full demonstration, which he had fo infifted on; but, being now fully affured without it, he fell at his feet, and confeffed him to be his Lord and his God: upon which he was difmiffed with this gentle reproof, "Thou believeft, Thomas, because thou hast seen; but bleffed are they that have not seen, and yet believe ." Some days after, they all left Jerufalem, and went according to his appointment into Galilee; where he appeared again unto them, and, after his ufual falutation, faid unto them, "All power is given me in heaven and earth. Go, therefore, and preach to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, &c ." Seven of them having gone to the fea-fide to fish, namely, Peter, John, James, Thomas, Bartholomew or Nathanael, and two others not named, having toiled all night in vain, Jefus manifefted himself again to them in the morning, by the kind and known token of a beneficial miracle; and, after they had dragged their loaded net to the fhore, condescended to eat and drink in their company.

to ferven others.

Having commanded Peter to feed his flock, he predicted the martyrdom of that apostle, and bid him follow him to a certain place. Peter perceiving that he was also followed by John the beloved difciple, feemed to take umbrage at this favourite, and asked if John too was to attend him. Jefus replied with marks of difpleasure, “If I will have him tarry till I come, what have you to do with it?" This answer was interpreted into a declaration that John fhould not die, but remain upon earth till the general refurrection.

Thus did Chrift, after his refurrection, manifeft himfelf, either to his whole church, or to fome of them more Appears to particularly, during the space of forty days, difcourfing them forty familiarly with them of his fpiritual kingdom, difpelling days. their doubts, allaying their fears, and comforting their hearts with the prospect of an eternal life to crown their painful and arduous race. At length, the appointed time of his departure drawing near, he gathered them together, d Matth. xxviii, 16, & feq.

John xx. 24, & feq.

to

to the number of about five hundred, and led them into a retired part of a mountain, where he again gave them fresh affurances of his never-failing love, care, and protection, to the end of the world; renewed his commiffion and miraculous powers to them, together with a promise of a plentiful effufion of his Holy Spirit to direct and fit them for their glorious work, the conversion of mankind f.

them.

Having finished his discourse, he bid them return to Jerufalem, where he would meet them before his afcenfion, as he accordingly did; and ordered them to remain there till they had received the promised Comforter, by Promifes whom they should be endowed with power from above, the Comanfwerable to their high commiffion. Great need they forter to ftill had of fuch a divine director, fince these last words filled them again with hopes, that their Mafter was now going indeed to restore the kingdom of Ifrael. Jefus was here again obliged to check their ambition and curiofity; but referred the further difplay of this important point to that promised heavenly inftructor. And now, having finished his glorious work, he led them forth toward Bethany, to the mount of Olives; where, in their full view, he afcended to heaven, leaving his bleffing upon them, Afcends and the comfortable affurance, that he was going to pre- into hea pare a place for them in his own kingdom. Whilft their ven. eyes were fixed ftill towards him, two angels appeared in bright apparel, and faid unto them, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up to heaven? The fame Jefus, whom you have now beheld afcending thither, fhall in the like manner come down again from thence & (W)."

g

f Mark xvi. 17, ad fin.

e I Cor. xv. 6. xvi. ver. ult. Luke xxiv. 46, ad fin. Acts i. 6, & feq.

(W) It will not be amifs to close this history of the Saviour of the world with the teftimony which we find concerning him in Jofephus; who, in the eighteenth book of his Antiquities, chap. 4. exprefsly fays,

At the fame time, there was one Jefus, a wife man, if at least he may be called a man, who was a great worker of miracles, and a teacher of truth to all that were defirous to learn it, and had a great

The

Mark

number of difciples, both of
Jews and Gentiles. This was
(or as St. Jerom read it, cre-
debatur, was believed to be)
the Chrift, whom Pilate,
through the envy of the heads
of our nation, caufed to be
crucified; but this did not hin-
der his difciples from cleaving
fted faftly to him. He was feen
by them three days after his
death, according to the prophe-
cies concerning him. The
Chriftian fect fubfifts to this

S 4

day;

Chrift's difciples tarry at

The difciples returned immediately to Jerufalem, where they spent their time in prayer, fafting, and fuch other exercifes as were most likely to qualify them for the recep Jerufalem. tion of the promised Comforter. They were about a hun

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dred and twenty perfons, probably exclufive of the women, among whom was the Virgin Mary 1. The place they used to affemble in, was a large upper room, where, a few days after their Mafter's afcenfion, Peter addreffed himself to the reft, and reminded them how neceflary it was, before they entered upon their grand commiffion, to choose a new member into the apoftolic college, from among those who had been converfant with Jefus from John's baptifm to that prefent time, to fill up the vacancy which the traitor Judas had made in their number. The propofal being approved, two candidates were offered, namely, Jofeph, furnamed Juftus and Barfabas (who is fuppofed by some to be the brother of James the Lefs, and, by others, the fame with Barnabas); and Matthias, who was one of the feventy difciples. After a short prayer to the Difcerner of all hearts, to direct them to the perfon whom he had made choice of, they caft their lots, and Matthias was chofen into the apoftolical miniftry i.

When fifty days from Chrift's refurrection were expired, a term which ushered in the grand feast of Pentecost, whilft the difciples were all affembled at their usual place, fuddenly there was heard a mighty found from heaven; a vehement wind filled the room, and there appeared cloven tongues of fire fitting upon their heads. They were i Acts i. 15, ad finem.

n Acts i. 14.

day; they call themselves by
his name, and acknowlege him
for their head."

This paffage, however, is
faid to be furreptitious, as nei-
ther St. Justin nor Tertullian
make any mention of it; and
yet it is quoted by St. Jerom
and Eufebius. The principal
objection against it is, how Jo-
fephus could exprefs himfelf
in fuch a manner concerning
Christ, and yet live and die a
Jew. To which may be added
another difficulty; to wit, how
he could acknowlege him the
promifed Meffiah, after he had

once complimented the Roman emperor with that title. Those who want to fee what has been written on the fubject, may confult the following authors: Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. lib. i. cap. 11. Huet. Demonftr. Evang. prop. fect. 11. Arnold. Differt. de Loc. fup. an. 1661. Prid. Calmet. But thofe, who believe it to have been foifted in by fome pious Christians, will find it till much more difficult to account how they could get it inferted in all future copies, and fupprefs all the old and genuine ones,

all

tongues.

all filled with the Holy Ghoft, infpired with the knowlege who are of foreign tongues, and endowed with all other fuperna- endowed tural gifts, to qualify them for the converfion of mankind. with the They fet themselves immediately about this great work, gift of Jerufalem being then filled with people, from all parts of the world, both Jews and profelytes, who flocked thither, as ufual, to that grand folemnity. Thefe, curious to know the particulars of that wonderful event, came to them in great crouds, and were beyond measure furprised to hear fuch poor illiterate Galilæans exprefs with fuch energy, the most fublime mysteries of the gofpel. Whilft fome, ftruck with amazement at what they faw and heard, were questioning what the iffue of fuch a prodigy would be; others afcribed their raptures to fome excefs of new wine, which they fuppofed the apostles had drank that morning. Which notion, when Peter underftood, he first exploded the fuppofition, by reminding them, that it was but the third hour of the day, or nine of the morning; whereas the Jews never eat or drank till after that hour, when the first public prayers were over; and then proved to them from the Scriptures, that there was nothing in this extraordinary change, but what had been plainly foretold by one of the prophets. From that fubject, he proceeded to thofe other oracles, which had prefignified the death and refurrection of Chrift, the true Meffiah; all which he explained with fuch powerful eloquence, that three thoufand of his audience were immediately converted to his doctrine ".

healed.

Peter and John, repairing to the temple as ufual, at the An old evening hour of prayer, healed a poor cripple, who fat cripple begging at the gate. This incident drew immediately a great concourfe of people about them, to the place called Solomon's porch; where Peter affured them, that they had wrought the miracle by no other power than that of Jefus Chrift, whom their elders and rulers had through ignorance condemned to the crofs. He concluded with fuch a powerful difcourfe on the danger of an obftinate and ungrateful unbelief, and on the unfpeakable benefits of a speedy faith and repentance, that five thoufand more were added to the number of their converts "X).

But

A&ts ii. 8, & feq. 1 Joel ii. 28, & feq. conf. cum Ifai. xxix. 19. & feq. xliv. 3, & feq. cum Acts xi. 15, & feq. m Acts ii. 37, ad fin. n Acts iii. 1, & feq. (X) Thus did this new church of Chrift daily improve,

not in the number only, but
in the zeal and fervour, holi-

nefs

Peter's Speech to the fanhedrim.

Apoftles forbid to

preach

Chrift.

Inspired with frefb

zeal.

But the oppofition of the priests and rulers against Chrift's religion did not expire with the death of its divine author. This new and fignal miracle on the lame man, the number of converts it drew after it, the zeal, boldness, and eloquence, of the apoftles, all contributed to awaken their fears, and put them upon fresh means to fupprefs what they called this new and dangerous fect. The apoftles, and the cripple, being brought before them, Peter demonstrated to them from the Scriptures, that Jefus was that chief corner-ftone, which was long fince foretold to be rejected by the builders, and was now become the foundation of the new covenant, fince there was no name given under heaven, by which men might be faved, but that of Jefus Chrift, crucified indeed by them, but raised again by his own victorious power. The fanhedrim, afraid to use violent means, or to inflame the admiring multitude, contented themselves for the prefent, with forbidding them to preach any more in that name; to which injunction Peter replied, "We have received a contrary command from God, and you may eafily judge which of the two ought to be obeyed P."

At his return to his collegues, having acquainted them with what had paffed, they joined unanimoufly in prayer to God, to ftrengthen their faith, courage, and miraculous power, that they might boldly go on in their ministry, and preach his crucified Son notwithstanding all oppofition and difcouragements; upon which they felt their upper room violently fhaken, and their hearts inspired with fuch zeal, that neither threatenings nor perfecutions, racks, tortures, nor deaths, could put a stop to their preach. ing.

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