458 SECT. cxcvii. They tell him the concern they were under about Jesus, 17 And he said un ner of communications And he joined himself to them, as it were by accident, and, after the usual salutation, said to to them, What manLuke them, May I inquire what are these matters are these that ye have XXIV. which you are conferring upon between yourselves, one to another, as ye 17 as you walk, and about which you seem to be so walk, and are sad? much concerned? for I perceive you to be earnest in discourse, and see that you appear with a sorrowful countenance. 18 very them, whose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast which are come to pass not known the things 19 And he said un deed and word before And one of the two, whose name was Cleo- 18 And the one of pas, answered and said to him, You seem to be come from Jerusalem, and though you may perhaps be no more than a stranger there, yet is it possible that you should be at any loss to know what is the subject of our conversation, and what it is that gives us such concern? Are there in these days? you the only person that sojourns in Jerusalem, and is unacquainted with the extraordinary things which have been done there in so public a manner within these few days, that they engross the conversation of the whole city? 19 And he said to them. What are those things that you refer to? And they said to him, Those that to them, What things? And they said unto relate to Jesus, who was called the Nazarene; a him, Concerning Jesus man who was a prophet of the most illustrious of Nazareth, which was character, and greatly powerful both in actions a prophet, mighty in and in words; for he wrought the most astonish- God, and all the peoing miracles, and taught the most instructive ple: and excellent doctrine, which raised him to the highest honour before God, and all the people of Israel, among whom he publicly appeared for 20 several months and years. And have you not 20 And how the then heard, how our chief priests and rulers deli- chief priests and our vered him up to the Roman governor, and com- to be condemned to pelled him by their importunity to pass a sen- death, and have crutence of death upon him, and so crucified him cified him : 21 between two robbers? And this must needs be an unspeakable affliction to us, who are two of that it had been he his disciples: for we not only thought him Messenger from God, as the old prophets were, but we verily hoped that he had been the Messiah himself, even the very person who should have delivered Israel from the power of their enemies, c One of the two whose name was Cleopas.] It has already been observed that Cleopas was the same with Alpheus, the father of James the less and Judas, who were tro of the apostles; (Luke vi. 15, 16.) See note on John xiv. 22, p. 309, and note b on John xix. 25, p. 413.- Some suppose that the other was Luke; but Dr. Lightfoot endeavours to prove it was a and rulers delivered him 21 But we trusted which should have redeemed Israel: and be. side. things were done. 22 Yea, and certain women also of our 459 Luke Who had been crucified, and was now reported to be alive. side all this, to-day is and have established the long-expected kingdom SECT. the third day since these of God among us: but now we are ready to cxcvii. give up all our hopes; for we have seen him on a cross instead of a throne: and besides all these XXIV. melancholy occurrences], though he had given 21 us intimations of his rising again on the third day, yet this is now the third day since these things were done, or since he was condemned and crucified, and we have not yet received any convincing evidence of his being risen from the dead. It is true indeed, some women among us, 22 of our society, have greatly surprised us with an nished, which were account they brought this morning; who tell early at the sepulchre: us, they were very early at the sepulchre in which he was laid, with an intent to embalm him; And, not having found his body there, they came 23 away in haste to acquaint us with it; and besides this they say, that they also saw a vision, or apparition, of angels, who affirmed him to be alive again, with some other strange and extra2+ And certain of ordinary, circumstance. Nay, and some men 24 them which were with too who were with us, of our own company, us, went to the sepul- went themselves to the sepulchre, and found [it] even so as the women to be even so as the women had said, that is, that had the body was gone, and saw the funeral linen company made us asto 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saving, that they had also seen a vision of an gels, which said that he was alive. chre, and found it e And say that they saw also a vision of angels.] According to the order in which the story is digested in the preceding section the women did not come to the disciples with the report of what they had seen between the appearance of the angels and that of Christ to them; but had first seen both, and therefore must undoubtedly have mentioned both: it may however be concluded, that (as Luke says on their relating what they had seen, ver. 11, their words seemed to them as an idle tale, and they believed them not) these travellers might apprehend that what the women took for an appear. ance of Christ was at most but a vision of angels (as some imagined with respect to Peter, Acts xii. 15); and what is added in the next verse, with relation to the men there spoken of [but him they did not see], may perhaps imply that the women pretended also to have seen Jesus himself But I am now inclined to acquiesce in Mr. West's solution of this difficulty, who supposes it was Joanna, and the other women with her, who only saw the angeis and did not see Jesus, that came with this report to the disciples; who, though the appearance of the angels to them at the sepulchre was after the two Maries and Salome were gone from thence, yet brought the news of it to the disciples before Mary Magdalene, and those to whom Jesus appeared, arrived with the account that they had seen the Lord. VOL. VII. laid For notwithstanding it is certain that Mary 3 M 460 He opens what the scriptures had foretold of Christ; cxcvii. 25 had said; but him 25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! SECT. laid in order there; but him they did not see : 27 And hereupon beginning from the writings of f O thoughtless creatures, &c.] The word avanla is by no means of so bad a sound as that of fools, by which we translate it: (see note mon Mat. v. 22, Vol. VI. p. 208.) Yet, as Dr. Bullock justly observes (in his Vindication of Christ's Resurrection, p. 174), if the prophecies of the Old Testament had been (as Mr. Collins pretends) only alle gorical, there could not have been room for such a heavy charge of stupidity against these disciples for not understanding them. It is, by the way, very weak in Mr. Collins, and some other deists, to urge the slowness of Christ's friends to believe his resurrection, as an argument that the proofs of it were defective: on the contrary, as Bishop Chandler well replies (in his Vindication of Christianity, p. 45, 46), their believing afterwards carries the greater weight; for it removes all suspicion of a collusion between Christ and them in his life-time; and also implies an impartial examination of the fact, and the strength of those proofs that vanquished this incredulity. Beginning from Moses, and all the pro either 26 Ought not Christ to have suffer. ed these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures, the things concerning him self. phets.] It is no way necessary (with Mr. Mede in his ingenious discourse on these words) to suppose that Christ's sufferings, resurrection, and exaltation, are each of them distinctly foretold in each of those parts of the sacred writings which are mentioned here. It is enough, if Moses gives some intimations concerning him, which succeeding prophets carry on; and if, when all their testimonies are taken together, all these events are expressed by some one or other of them. It was very unbecoming the character of an honest writer to represent our Lord as here attempting to prove his resurrection from scripture; which Mr. Collins pretends to have been the case. The precise point in view plainly was to convince them that there was no reason to be scandalized at the death of one whom they took to be the Messiah; nor in ge neral to look on the report of his resurrection as a monstrous and incredible tale, But that he was actually risen was to be proved another way; which accordingly our Lord immediately used by discovering himself to them. They And going in with them, in breaking of bread they know him. 28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 461 SECT. cxcvii. And by this time they drew near to the village Luke whither they were travelling; and when they XXIV. came to the house where they designed to tarry, 28 Jesus, like one that was a stranger, began to take his leave; and making no offer to turn in with them, he seemed as if he were going farther, intending indeed to do it, if he were not 29 But they con- prevented by their request. But they even com- 29 strained him, saying, pelled him by their friendly importunity to go Abide with us; for it is towards evening, in with them, saying, Let us prevail upon you and the day is far to continue this night with us, where we assure spent. And he went in you of a most hearty welcome: and as indeed we are so greatly delighted and edified with your company, that we cannot part with you, it may also be inconvenient for you to travel much farther; for it is now towards evening, and the day declines apace. And he complied with their request, and went in to continue with them. to tarry with them. 30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it and brake, and gave to them. And it came to pass, as he sat down to table 30 And they were so surprised at this circum- 31 They compelled him, &c.] It might be rendered, they pressed him : (see note: on Luke xiv. 23, p. 27.) Every body easily sees how little room there was for any proper compulsion in such a case as this. Probably one of them dwelt at Emmaus, or they were going to an inn, or to some friend's house, where they could use the freedom to introduce this unknown stran. ger, for whom they had so high a veneration. And was the thing that made the discovery, k Became invisible, and withdrew him- i Their eyes were opened] I see no rcason to conclude (with Cradock and Brennius) that his undertaking this office of breaking bread, or (with others) that some peculiar action or gesture in performing it, 462 SECT. cxcvii. Luke Reflections on Christ's interview And they said one to another, How strange is it that we should discover him no sooner! Sure we might easily have known him, even by that XXIV. inimitable spirit and energy in his discourses, so 32 peculiar to himself; for did not our very hearts glow, and burn within us, while he was talking to us by the way, and while he was opening the scriptures to us? 33 And they were not able to conceal such good IMPROVEMENT. Luke How delightful a close of so melancholy a day to these pious xxiv. travellers! a day surely long to be remembered by them and by 13, 14 us! They were on a journey; but they did not amuse themselves on it with any trifling subject of discourse. Their hearts were set upon Christ, and therefore their tongues were employed in 15 speaking of him. And behold, Christ himself, the dear theme of their discourse, makes one among them; he enlightens their 30, 31 eyes and warms their hearts, and at length makes himself known to them in the breaking of bread. So may we often be speaking of Christ, from the fulness of our hearts, when we go out, and when we come in! So may he still, in some degree, join himself with us in spirit, guiding our souls into Divine knowledge, and animating them with holy love! They bear an honourable and a just testimony to that great 19 Prophet whom God had raised up for them, as mighty before him both in word and deed. But they knew not how to see through 21 so dark a cloud: their hopes were almost extinguished, and they could only say, We trusted this had been he that should have redeemed Israel. Pitiable weakness! Yet too just an emblem of the temper which often prevails in the pious mind; when the Christian is ready to give up all, if deliverance does not proceed just in the method he expected. Yet was Christ even then delivering Israel 1 Did not our hearts burn within us?] This reading is far more expressive, as well as far more authentic, than that of some copies, which, instead of xatoμm here, have xxαupper, Was not our heart veiled? &c.— Compare Psal. xxxix, 3, and Jer. xx. 9. |