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CHAPTER III.

IMPROBABLE REMARKS OR INCIDENTS.

17. It appears certain that an artful writer would be little inclined to entangle himself with circumstances of an improbable aspect, but that a simple narrator of truth would by no means study to avoid them. Some instances of this negligence in the Evangelists may have been already cited, but a few are added in this place. Nothing is more evident, than that the great object of our Lord's ministry, was to publish, throughout the land, the glad tidings of salvation. He came upon earth not only "to seek and to save that which was lost," but, as the bearer of a miraculous commission, to proclaim those blessings. He could not however be received in this character, unless His miracles obtained general notoriety. May not a reader of the Gospels then be startled, when he finds Christ frequently charging the subjects of His most

wonderful works, to "tell no man." This is repeatedly mentioned, but no reason is, in most instances, assigned for this order, although in one† it is expressly stated that our Saviour had in view the Prophecy of Isaiah, (xlii. 2.) "He shall not cry nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the streets."

He might doubtless wish practically to enforce upon His disciples, that modesty and obtrusiveness in the discharge of duty, which His precepts had recommended: "Let not your left hand know what your right hand doeth."‡ Infallibly acquainted with all the relations between causes and effects, the Son of God could precisely perceive what degree of notoriety might be essential to the purposes of His mission, and what degree would excite ambitious projects among His worldly-minded friends; or needlessly provoke the wrath, and precipitate the designs of His opponents. We may further observe, that, after His transfiguration, Christ laid this injunction upon His three apostles to "tell no man." § It might be thought that an event which set so glorious a seal upon His Messiahship, could not be made too public; but we may recollect that a general announcement

* Matt. viii. 4; ix. 30; xii. 16. Mark i. 43-4. Luke v. 14.

† Matt. xii. 19.

Matt. vi. 3. § Matt. xvii. 9.

of it might have given rise to an idea, either that Christ had already entered upon His glory, or that the kingdom of God was immediately to appear; a consummation which some of the Jews appear to have expected. Doddridge and others also suggest, that such a rumour might have been regarded as idle and incredible, before the full confirmation of the Redeemer's claims. But still more singular does it appear, that St. Luke (ix. 36) should simply tell us that the Apostles kept this glorious vision altogether secret; an almost incredible instance of self-restraint in uneducated men, unless we suppose them influenced by some powerful motive. Upon this point, however, St. Luke remains wholly silent, and only the readers of St. Matthew* and St. Mark † could be enabled to learn that the reason of this silence was the express command of their divine Master. In the particular case of the leper, to whom our Lord gave this direction to "tell no man," the Pharisees might have denied his cure, if it had been noised abroad before he had been pronounced clean by a priest. Christ therefore sent him in haste to have that needful ceremony performed. Thus we can, upon due consideration, perceive pro

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bable reasons for this peculiar part of our Lord's conduct, but it is most unlikely that a writer, conscious of falsehood, would embarrass himself, in repeated instances, with remarks so little auxiliary to his object.

18. We may now turn our attention to some peculiarities in the behaviour of our Lord's disciples. In Luke ix. 44, their Master declares, "the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men;" adding an admonition that those sayings should "sink down into their ears." It might be thought that these words signified, not obscurely, that Christ must soon be placed in the power of those enemies, by whom he was known to be surrounded. But in Mark ix. 31-2, where these words are repeated, any dubiety which might be thought to lurk in them, is entirely removed, for it is added, "and they shall kill Him, and after that He is killed, He shall rise the third day." A stupendous miracle is here predicted, but one by no means without example, and it might be thought the simplest mind could embrace the two ideas here presented. Nevertheless, in both these cases, we are informed, His disciples "understood "understood not that saying." The subsequent conduct of the Apostles, no less than their writings, proves that

they were not incurably stupid-whence then their present dulness? The truth doubtless was, that they were not willing to understand their Master's words. The defect was not in the intellectual, but in the moral constitution of their minds. This is indeed no uncommon case. The propensity I have mentioned, is the general disease of the unrenewed heart.

Every minister of the Gospel has too frequent reason to experience, that there are important truths, clearly revealed in Holy Scripture, and clearly inculcated from the pulpit, which seem not to make the least impression upon the understandings of their hearers. Among these, we may reckon the ruin wrought in our nature at the fall of Adam; Reconciliation by the atonement of Christ; justification through faith; regeneration, and constant renewal, through the sanctifying grace of the Spirit. These cardinal doctrines of our religion are not often, indeed, directly opposed, but more frequently cavilled at, and evaded, and in numerous instances, practically neglected. Men who are by no means inclined to dispute their truth, seem nevertheless to have shut their minds against them. They feel them to be at variance with the passions of their nature, often with the prejudices of their edu

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