470 cxcix. Reflections on Christ's appearance when Thomas was present. SECT. I do not only now acknowledge thee to be Jesus my Lord, infallibly risen from the dead, but I confess thy Divine knowledge and power, and XX. 28. prostrate myself before thee, as the great incarnate Deity, the glorious Emmanuel. John 29 Ver25 26 Jesus says to him, Thomas thou hast believed, because thou hast seen me, and hast received these sensible demonstrations of my resurrection, and it is well: but still more happy are they who have not seen me themselves, and [yet] have believed on the credible testimony of others; for they have shewn a greater degree of candour and humility, which renders the faith it produces so much the more acceptable f. IMPROVEMENT. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not lieved. seen, and yet have be WE most evidently see in this instance of Thomas, as well as in many circumstances of the story mentioned above, how far the apostles were from being rashly credulous in the important fact of Christ's resurrection. It is apparent, they erred in the contrary extreme; yet our gracious Lord condescended to satisfy scruples which were carried to an extravagance. He renewed his visit, and at the same time renewed his salutation too, Peace be unto you was still his language; nor did he only speak, but act, as one who wished it, and was determined to give it. What peace must it administer to the mind of this good man 27 when his Lord said, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands and reach hither thine hand, and put it on my side; and be not faithless, but believing! Evidently did he hereby shew, not only that he was risen from the dead, but that he circumstantially knew those events which had passed in his bodily absence, and needed e My Lord, and my God!] The irrefragable argument arising from these words in proof of the deity of our blessed Lord (which so many good writers have stated at large,) Cannot be evaded by saying, that these words are only an exclamation of surprise, as if he had said, Good God, is it indeed thus! For it is expressly declared he spoke these words to him; and, no doubt, Christ would severely have reproved him if there had not been just reason to adress him thus. f Happy are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.] If it be queried, Why a greater blessedness is pronounced on those who believe on more slender evidence: it may be answered, that our Lord by no means intended to assert, that every one who believes without seeing, is happier than any one believing on sight; for then the meanest Christian now would be more happy than the greatest of the aposties; but only, that where the effects of that faith were equal, it argued greater simplicity, candor, and wisdom, to yield to reasonable evidence without seeing, than could be argued merely from having believed on sight, after sufficient evidence of another kind had been proposed. It was therefore in effect telling Thomas "It would have been more acceptable to him if he had not stood out so long :" and it was doing it in such a manner as would be most calculated for the comfort and encouragement of believers in future ages, to whom, in many of his speeches to the apostles themselves, our Lord expresses a most obliging and affectionate regard. a Some Jesus appears to several disciples as they were fishing. 471 needed not human information. Let us then ever behave our- szcт. selves as in the presence of Christ. Let us act, and speak, and think, in such a manner as may bear his inspection; and, struck Ver. with these united demonstrations of wisdom, power and grace, 27 let us prostrate ourselves before him, and sav, Our Lord, and our 28 God! thus honouring the Son as we honour the Father (John v. 23), and adoring the indwelling Deity, through this veil of flesh, in which it has been pleased to enshrine itself, and kindly to attemper, though not entirely to conceal, its rays. Though we have not those sensible manifestations which were granted to Thomas, let it suffice us that the apostles were the appointed witnesses of all these things; and what they saw with their eyes, and their hands handled of the word of life, that have they declared unto us (1 John i. 1, 3). Let us thankfully receive so convincing a testimony. Let us shew an upright and candid mind in accepting such evidence as the wisdom of God has seen fit to give us; remembering that a truly rational faith is the 29 more acceptable to God, in proportion to the difficulties which it is able to surmount; and that there are peculiar blessings in store for them who have not seen and yet have believed. SECT. CC. Christ discovers himself to Peter and several other disciples at the sea of Tiberias, while they were fishing there. John XXI. 1-14. JOHN XXI. 1. AFTER these things, wise shewed he himself: S JOHN XXI. 1. CC. John Jesus shewed himOME time after these things, between SECT. self again to the disthe last interview he had with the apostles ciples at the sea of at Jerusalem, and the public appearance which Tiberias: and on this he afterwards made to the whole body of his xxI. 1. disciples, Jesus manifested himself again to the disciples, at the sea of Tiberias, near that mountain in Galilee where he had appointed to meet them (Mat. xxviii. 16, sect. ccii.) And the manner in which he now manifested [himself] to them was thus : 2 There were toge Simon Peter, and Thomas who was called Di-2 ther Simon Peter, and dymus, and Nathaniel who was an inhabitant of mus, and Nathaniel of Cana, a town in Galilee often mentioned in the Thomas called Didy Cana, a Some time after these things] Grotius thinks this whole chapter was written by some elders of the church of Ephesus, and added to the rest of the book by the approbation of that society, as agreeable to the relations which they had heard from the mouth of St. John; and Le Clerc fol foregoing lows him in this conjecture; but Dr. Mill 472 He directs them to cast the net on the right side of the ship. SECT. foregoing history, and also the two sons] of Cana, in Galilee, and Zebedee, James and John, and two other of his the sons of Zebedee, John disciples with them, were one day together in disciples. XXI. 2. Galilee; whither they were returned by Christ's CC. and two other of his 3 Simon Peter saith him, We also go with direction, to wait for the accomplishment of what he had promised, that they should see him. on a certain mountain in those parts, and where they expected in a few days to meet with most of their brethren. (Compare Mat. xxviii. ver. 7, 310, sect. cxcv. and ver. 16, sect. ccii.) And while they were thus waiting, Simon Peter, that unto them, I go a fishtheir time might not lie on their hands, and that They say unto he might make some provision for his own sup- thee. They went forth, port, and for the entertainment of his friends, and entered into a ship says to them, I will go a fishing: and they say night they caught noimmediately; and that to him, We also will go along with thee, and give thing. thee what assistance we can. They went out therefore, and immediately took ship, and spent not only that evening, but all the following night, in throwing their nets; but though it was the properest time for fishing, yet they caught nothing worth the mentioning. 4 But when the was morning ΠΟΥ come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that was Jesus. it 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, 4 And when the morning was now come, Jesus b Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee.] There is no doubt but this Nathaniel is the person mentioned before, John i. 45.-Dr. Lightfoot (Hor. Heb. on Mat. x. S.) Mr. Fleming (Christol. Vol. II. p. 176), and some others, take him to have been Bartholomew the apostie; but I think they give no convincing reason for that opinion. c Two other of his disciples.] It is indeed uncertain who these two disciples were; though Dr. Lightfoot conjectures they were Andrew and Philip (Hor. Heb. in loc.) which is not improbable, as they were both inhabitants of Bethsaida, near the sea of Tiberias. (John i. 44.) It is they have ye any meat? They answered him, No. the right side of the They however a strange argument against it, to say "that John must be one, though he is not here mentioned," when he is so well known to have been one of the sons of Zebedee, who are numbered here among those that were present. d I will go a fishing.] It appears from this story, that several of the apostles were now returned to Galilee, where Christ had appointed to meet them; which shews that the discourse (Luke xxiv. 49, sect. ccii.) in which our Lord commanded them to continue at Jerusalem till the Holy Ghost fell upon them, must come in after this chapter, and not before it, as it is placed in many harmonies. e They He fills their nets, and they discover who he was. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for tite multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that loved, saith unto Peter, Lord, he girt his fisher's sea. 473 cc. they threw the net therefore as he had directed SECT. John XXI. 6. Then John, that disciple whom Jesus pecu-7 disciple whom Jesus liarly loved, when he saw such astonishing sucIt is the Lord. Now cess after all their fruitless toil and disappointwhen Simon Peter ment before, says unto Peter, it is undoubtedly heard that it was the the Lord, who has, on this occasion, renewed coat unto him, (for he that miracle which he wrought in thy ship some was naked,) and did years ago, when he first called us to attend him. cast himself into the (See Luke v. 4-10, Vol. I. sect. xxxiv.) Simon Peter therefore hearing him say, with the appearance of such good reason, that it was the Lord, was so transported, that he immediately girded on his coat (for he was in a manner naked, having nothing on but his inner-garment), and threw himself directly into the sea, and swam to shore, that he might pay his earliest duty to his dear Lord, and testify his joy in the condescend And the other ing visit he was making them. And the other s disciples making the best of their way, came to were not far from land, him as fast as they could with the boat, drawing but as it were two hun- the net [full] of fishes after them; for they were dred cubits,) dragging not far from the land, but about two hundred the net with fishes. cubits, or one hundred yards. disciples came in a little ship, (for they they were come to 9 As soon then as As soon then as they came ashore, they saw a fire 9 land, they saw a fire of burning coals laid ready there, and fish laid of coals there, and fish upon it, and a sufficient quantity of bread at laid thereon, and bread. hand; which Jesus had miraculously prepared, that they might see how easily he could make provision for them, even when they were destitute of the ordinary means of supply. Caught. And, 10 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the that due notice also might be taken of the mirafish w which ye have now culous draught they had now made, Jesus said to them, Bring hither [some] of the fish which 11 Simon Peter went you have now taken. And Simon Peter went 11 up, and drew the net aboard, and, with the help of his brethren, drew fishes, an hundred and the net to land; and it was full of great fishes, to land full of great fifty They were not able to draw it up into the ship again, &c.] This was not merely a demonstration of the power of our Lord, but a kind providential supply for them and their families, which might be of service to them when they waited after. wards in Jerusalem according to his order: and it was likewise a sort of emblematical representation of the great success which should attend their attempts to catch men in the net of the gospel. Compare Luke v. 9, 10. Vol. VI. p. 198. which, f In a manner naked, having nothing on but his inner-garment.] It is of great importance, in order to vindicate several stories in scripture, which the ignorance or malice of some modern writers has charged with indecency, to observe, that among the Jews (as Grotius and many others have shewn) they were said to be naked who had only an under garment on, Compare 1 Sam. xix. 24. 2 Sam. vi. 20. Isa. xx. 2, 3. and Acts xix. 16. & Come 474 cc. Reflections on Christ's appearance at the sea of Tiberias. for all there were so net broken. And none of the dis Lord. SECT. which, upon taking the number of them, they fifty and three: and found to be no less than an hundred and fifty- many, vet was not the three; and though they were so many and so John XXI. 11. great, yet the net was not broke. 12. Then Jesus said to them, Come [and] refresh 12 Jesus saith unto yourselves, after the fatigue you have had for them, Come and dine. so many hours. And none of the disciples pre- ciples durst ask him, sumed to ask him, Who art thou? or took upon Who art thou? know. them to inquire how he came thither, or whence ing that it was the he procured the provision he then offered them? well knowing that it was the Lord, though he conversed with them in something of a distant manner; but left him to proceed in his own way, as judging it most respectful to leave it to him to direct the discourse to more intimate and particular subjects, in such a manner, and by such degrees, as he should think fit; which he presently after did. 13 14 Ver. Jesus therefore came and took bread, as the master of the feast, and, having blessed it, as he used to do, gave [it] to each of them: and likewise gave them some of the broiled fish. And this was now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to such a number of his disciples 13 Jesus then com. eth, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his at once, after he was risen from the dead; and disciples, after that he IMPROVEMENT. CHRIST first called these disciples when they were employed 1,3 in the duties of their proper profession in life, and he now manifests himself to them while they were so engaged; perhaps particularly g Come and refresh yourselves.] So I choose to render the word apisnoɑle, rather than dine; as Homer sometimes uses apisov to signify a morning's meal. h The third time he shewed himself to such a number, &c.] Grotius explains this of the third day of his appearance; for he had first appeared to several on the day of his resurrection; then, after eight days, he came to his disciples, when Thomas was present; and now again, he shewed himself at the sea of Tiberias. And it is plainly necessary that the words should be understood with some such limitation, to make them consistent with the accounts given by the other evangelists and St. Paul; which, when laid together, will prove, that this was indeed at least the seventh appearance that Jesus had made since his resurrection. For he appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark xvi. 9.) and then to the women as they returned from the sepulchre (Mat. xxviii. 9.) after this he was seen of Peter (1 Cor. xv. 5.) and then the same day by the two disciples that were going to Emmaus (Luke xxiv. 13-31.) and again the same evening be ap peared to the disciples when Thomas was absent (John xx. 19.) on that day sevennight he appeared to the eleven when Thomas was with them (John xx. 26.) and now after these things he shewed himself a seventh time to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias (John xxi. 1.)-But, as John had particu larly mentioned before the two appearances which Jesus made to his disciples when they were together (John xx. 19, 26.) it seems most reasonable to conclude, that he reckons this the third as referring to these. a Dost |