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or to neglect doing it, on pretence of resting on the Sabbath-day?—" But they held their peace." Angry at their obstinate malice, and grieved at their incurable blindness, which would not receive His gracious assistance, He spake the word with His accustomed majesty, and the cure was performed.

SECT. XXXVI.—Christ in danger from the Pharisees and the Herodians.-Matt. xii. 14-21; Mark iii. 6—12; Luke v. 11. THE Course pursued by our Lord was calculated, as doubtless He supposed it would be, to startle the prejudices, and to excite the passions of the Jews, more particularly in regard to the observance of the Sabbath. It is said, that they "were filled with madness;" and that "they took counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy Him." No party or sect of this name occurs in any of the Jewish writers; and it is only known to have existed by having been mentioned in three places in the New Testament, none of which throw any light upon their distinguishing tenets and opi

nions.

Some read the expression, "servants of Herod'." They were probably Jews, attached to the governor's family, and were, in consequence, as bitter against Jesus as the Pharisees, though for a different reason; the one party being churchmen, and the other civilians or statesmen. In this place, therefore, the

9

Bishop Pearce.

10 Dr. S. Clarke.

1 Pictorial Bible.

Evangelist may intend no more than to show the danger to the person of Christ, from the combination of opposed parties against Him. It is probable that our Saviour thought that such a combination was too hazardous, for He now quitted Jerusalem. Sensible of His danger there, He retired again to the neighbourhood of "His own city;" but, not discouraged by the designs of His enemies, He continued to prosecute His important work. Immense multitudes, from various and distant parts of Jewry, followed Him, which came to hear Him, and

66

to be healed of their diseases "."

SECT. XXXVII.-Christ chooseth the Twelve Apostles.Matt. x. 1-42; Mark iv. 14-19; Luke vi. 13-16. ATTENDED thus with crowds wheresoever He moved, our Lord felt that weakness of our nature, which sighs for occasional retirement ; and "He went out into a mountain to pray." It was a needful part of the great design on which our Lord came, that He should ordain a certain number, "who should be with Him, and whom He might send forth to preach." He was Himself to prove His Divine power, to correct prevailing errors, and "to bring life and immortality to light;" but then the Gospel was to be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem: such was the design; and the instruments were now to be prepared who should put

2 Dr. Robinson.

this in execution. passed the night in prayer, preparatory to the office He was now about to execute. Surely, it was a most important office ;-important to His own designs; important to the religion He was to establish; important to all future generations of men. Christ herein gives us an example, which we ought all to imitate. Nothing of singular importance, nothing of extraordinary moment, either to ourselves, or others, ought to be resolved upon, or undertaken, without prayer to God, without a solemn act of previous devotion. After such a preparation, very early in the morning, Jesus called to Him His disciples, or stated followers, who, by their previous acquaintance with Him, had been, in some measure, trained up to His service; and out of them He "chose whom He would," who were to act like chief officers, or principal ministers under Him; and these He named Apostles,—a name signifying "persons sent forth," called His disciples, because they learned from Him". He named twelve agreeable to the twelve tribes of Israel, that, as they had been the beginning of the Church of the Jews, so these should be so of the Universal Church of Christ'. These twelve "He calleth to Him." He invited them to form a company, who should attend Him, and

Our Saviour seems to have

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learn from Him, that they might be qualified for the commission they had to execute. invitation was not resisted. Such influence was exercised upon their hearts, that, at His summons, they "left all, and followed Him." He reminds them of this afterwards: "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you." They were drawn by the Spirit to Him, as the sun attracts the plant, and its branches toward it, in a manner that cannot be diverted. The men whom He chose seem to have been, in the main, of an honest, sober, and inoffensive conversation; but were of mean abilities, and low station; having neither worldly wisdom, nor eloquence, nor wealth, nor interest, nor friends among the great. And for this proceeding two reasons may be assigned: first, that the power of God might the more eminently appear in establishing a pure and holy religion by instruments so mean, and, as to all appearance, so utterly unqualified for the purpose; secondly, that He might avoid giving any just offence to the civil government, and convince the public that He was influenced by no temporal motives, and had no selfish ends to serve by the assistance of men, who were few in number, and who could neither plead for Him, nor fight for Him3.

To these Apostles, it is recorded, Christ gave power to heal all manner of sickness and disease.

8

Archbishop Sumner.

9

Dr. Jortin.

The circumstance of His delegating to the Apostles, from His own authority, the power of performing miracles, manifests His Divine origin in a manner and degree far superior to the instances of all other prophets commissioned by God'. Christ stands unrivalled and alone in this, as in many other respects; for no other prophet, true or false, ever pretended to confer on others Divine power, whatever they might exercise, or claim to exercise, in their own person 2.

SECT. XXXVIII.—Christ preacheth from the Mount.— Matt. v. vii.; Luke vi. 17-49.

WHEN the Apostles had received their commission, Jesus came down with them into the plain, and He was immediately surrounded, as usual, with vast multitudes, imploring relief. At His command their requests were satisfied, and that so freely, that when they even "touched Him, there went virtue out of Him, and healed them all." Nor were the doctrines of Jesus less salutary than His miracles 3. He, the great Teacher of the world, did, at this time, deliver from the mount, near Capernaum, that Evangelical discourse, which not only shows forth the sacred mysteries of faith and eternal life, but evidences a thorough acquaintance with all the learning, doctrines, and traditions of the Jews of those times; and

1 Dr. Whitby.

2

Bishop Porteus.

3 Dr. Robinson.

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