difficulty, have gathered that John the Baptist was here specified. But all readers of the Gospel could not be gifted with their intimate knowledge of their Lord's affairs, still less with their disposition to receive His Word with all simplicity of mind. An author conscious of deceit would surely write rather for his enemies than his friends; he will rather arm himself against the suspicions, than rely upon the favour of his readers.

Luke xxii. 35.+ The direction which our Saviour here gives to His disciples, that every one who wanted a sword should now carefully provide one, may occasion us some surprize, as He had often urged upon them the doctrine of non-resistance; but it seems still more singular, that when they informed Him that they had two swords, He should reply, "It is enough" as this was manifestly too scanty a supply for eleven men. appears however that the thoughts of Jesus were now painfully occupied by the last terrible scenes of His mortal career, vividly pictured to His mind by the power of Omniscience. His heart was wrung by the thought of the treachery of Judas, and the cowardice of Peter, and He wished

It

* See Paley's Evidences, ii. 94, upon John xx. 16, 17. For the suggestion of this instance I must acknowledge the kindness of a friend.

† See. v. 21—28, 31-40 of this chapter.

strongly to urge upon His disciples the pressing necessity, not indeed for carnal weapons; but for the sword of the Spirit, the shield of Faith, the armour of watchfulness and prayer. This advice Christ conveyed in the figurative manner which was habitual to Him, and when the disciples, as we frequently observe, understood Him literally, His reply was intended probably to intimate that He meant to lay no stress upon warlike preparations that He had other objects in view, which the time would not allow Him at present to explain. The mistake however of the Apostles continued, and when our Lord was apprehended, Simon Peter is represented as having a sword,' drawing it, and wounding the servant of the High Priest; and St. John here incidentally confirms St. Luke, showing that some of the Apostles, though not all, were provided with swords for otherwise Peter would not have been distinguished as having one.' At the same time, the promptness of Christ in healing the servant-the sharp rebuke which He gave to His Apostle, and the whole subsequent conduct of the early Christians, evinces that it was far from our Saviour's intention to encourage the use of weapons among His followers. A certain dubiety however hangs over the conversation

*John xviii. 10.

cited from St. Luke, which a relation of the whole discourse might have removed, but the Evangelist, without thinking of this difficulty, contents himself with simply detailing the things which left the freshest impression on his memory.

CHAPTER II.

INSTANCES OF PARTICULARITY AND MINUTENESS

OF DETAIL IN THE EVANGELISTS.

12. AN author who proposes to himself the attainment of some important and difficult object, would naturally disencumber himself of everything likely to draw attention to the weaker parts of his undertaking. For this reason the contriver of a forgery would guard against frequent allusions to persons and places of any general notoriety, either in public or private life. This would apply yet more strongly to the mention of living personages. He must prepare himself to address many readers, well acquainted, either personally, or by familiar report with the place and time, with which he has connected his narrative. If then he spake of persons, in a conspicuous station, who never existed, or if to well known persons, he ascribed actions which they never performed, the result upon the minds of his readers could only be surprize, and enquiry, speedily followed by sus

picion, or resentment. He would therefore judge it safer, to confine himself, for the most part, to generalities, but if the mention of well-known persons did occur, he would at least most carefully abstain from representing, in any detail, the obnoxious parts of their character or conduct.

1;

13. We have now to enquire, whether the writers of the four Gospels, appear to have adopted such maxims as the above. Their narrative is not regularly consecutive, yet we find it, in several parts, extremely minute. St. Luke* (i. 5.) particularly specifies the station and circumstances of Zacharias, and his wife Elizabeth ; insomuch that the people of Jerusalem could not well be ignorant, whether he was numbered among the priests of their own time. Anna, who is only once mentioned, is declared, by the same Evangelist, (ii. 36.) to be the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: which allusion is the more remarkable, as this was a tribe which was understood to remain still in captivity. St. John (xix. 13, 17) has mentioned, not only the Greek, but the Hebrew name of the place where Pilate passed judgment upon our Lord, and of that where Jesus was crucified. But the mention of

Simon, the Cyrenian, by St. Mark, may deserve our more attentive notice.

* For the instances here adduced, I am greatly indebted to the Evidences of Dr. Paley.