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INTRODUCTION.
LEAVING the Old Testament, and now entering on the New, the reader should still be like Janus, whom the ancients depicted with a double face, looking over each shoulder. The patriarch Noah, thus represented in pagan mythology, looked back to the old, and forward to the new world. See on Isaiah 41:1. The believer should still keep his eye on the law and the prophets, which prepare the way, while he contemplates the brighter glories of the Christian scriptures which are to follow. Like Timothy, he should be acquainted with them from his early years; and read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the word of truth; he should become mighty in the scriptures, for in them the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, in all the series of gradual revelation. Other knowledge shall vanish away, but the scriptures abide for ever, the fountain of life ever flowing from Christ the rock.
The Christian Revelation, taken collectively, is called Η ΚΑΙΝΗ ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗ, the New Covenant, or more literally, the New Testament, for the Gospel partakes of the nature both of a Covenant and a Testament. Both those titles have attracted particular attention. The law, in running language, is called the ark of the covenant, and the ark of the testimony. But because our Saviour said, This is my blood of the new testament, Matthew 26:28; and because St. Paul calls him the Mediator of the new testament, Hebrews 9:15, and the Vulgate having translated both those passages literally novi testamenti, of the new testament, the latter title has been preferred. It must be confessed however, that διαθηκη is generally translated covenant, in the new testament, and that sense should never be overlooked. The title itself designates the certainty of our salvation.
The name of the four gospels in greek is Euangelion euangelion, good news, or glad tidings. In the Anglo-Saxon, the title is Godspel or Gospel, compounded of God, good, and spel, a charm, a history. The venerable Ælfric, archbishop of Sherborne, says in the preface to his English Grammar, I ÆLFRIC WOLDE THA LISTAN BOC AWENDAN TO ENLISCUM GE-REORDE OF THAM STAEF CRAEFT THE IS GE-HATEN GRAMMATICA SYDDAN IC TWA BEC AWENDE ON HUND EAHTATIGUM SPELLUM. That is, “I Ælfric was desirous to translate this little book into English, after having completed the translation of two books of eighty [spells] sermons.” According to St. Paul, this good news respects the former promises: “The gospel of God, which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures, concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, but was declared the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” Romans 1:1-4. Other definitions of the gospel run in the same form of words. Matthew 4:23. Jesus went preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Mark 1:1. The gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Titus 2:11. The grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared. 1 Timothy 1:11. The glorious gospel of the blessed God.
The gospel then is a declaration of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach. He hath declared his righteousness, and made known to man the mystery of his Father's will. Its whole character is “glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, goodwill towards men.”
When illustrious characters fall, many record their actions, recite their sayings, and draw their character. The public eagerly enquire for those productions. This was eminently the case with regard to the Saviour. St. Luke on his conversion found that many had written well-arranged histories, if we may follow the reading of Beza, of all the actions and discourses of Jesus; authenticated histories written by holy men who were eye-witnesses, and ministers of the word; men who had perfect understanding of all things from the very first. Among those gospels we find that of Peter, for Mark's gospel was sometimes circulated under the name of Peter. We find also the gospel of Thomas, of Matthias, of Nicodemus, of Barnabas; but these are not cited by ecclesiastical writers of any authority. Among these spurious productions, the gospel according to the Hebrews supported a degree of celebrity to the fourth century. The sectarians or heretics had also their gospels the Ebionites, the Cerinthians, and the Carpocratians. And it must be allowed that all those gospels, though not canonized, tended more or less to illustrate the history and the glory of Christ.
The new testament, or christian scriptures, consist of twenty seven books. These all sustained the severest scrutiny, not only of the books themselves, but of the words and phrases they contained, before they could be admitted into the sacred canon, or be acknowledged as the productions of authors divinely inspired. Of twenty of those books no doubt was ever entertained, and of the other seven the scrutiny was, whether they really were the productions of the men whose names they bore. They were not only admitted, but commentaries were written upon them by holy men, and they were hailed as the word of life and salvation. Tertullian could boast at the end of the second century, that the churches to whom St. Paul wrote still preserved his autographs, and the original copies as sacred trusts.
The writers of the new testament with one consent ascribe their illumination to the Spirit of God. St. Peter asserts the superiority of the christian revelation to that of the ancient law, calling it “a more sure word of prophecy,” because their hands had handled the word of life, and because they had heard the voice from the excellent glory, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 2 Peter 1:17-19. St. Paul likewise ascribes his superior light to divine revelation, when he says, “If any may think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 14:37.
St. Clement, in his epistle to the Corinthians, repeatedly attributes the writings of the prophets, and of the new testament, to the aids of the Holy Spirit.
Polycarp tells the Philippians, that no man could attain to the wisdom by which St. Paul wrote his epistles, but by the Holy Spirit.
Justin Martyr coincides with all his contemporaries, that the gospels were written by men full of the Holy Ghost.
Irenæus says that all the apostles, as well as Paul, received the gospel by divine revelation, and that by the will of God they delivered it to us, as the foundation and the pillar of faith.
Origen has many testimonies, widely scattered in his voluminous works, that there is nothing in the prophets, in the gospels, or in the epistles which did not proceed from the fulness of the Spirit.
Tertullian testifies that the scriptures are the basis of faith, that all christians prove their doctrines out of the old and new testament, and that the majesty of God suggested what Paul had written. Love then, says Ambrose, the holy scriptures, and wisdom will love thee. Though we cannot follow our Saviour in all his journeys through the six provinces in which the jews then lived, yet we may gather much concerning the order of his miracles, and the occasions of his parables. Our Lord's MIRACLES are chiefly the following.
1. The water changed to wine in Cana. John 2:1-11.
2. The nobleman's son healed in Capernaum. John 4:46.
3. The man in the synagogue liberated from an unclean spirit, with other like cases. Mark 1:23; Luke 4:33.
4. The leper healed by simple faith. Matthew 8:1; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12.
5. The man lame for thirty eight years restored on the sabbath day. John 5:5.
6. The withered hand restored on the sabbath day. Matthew 12:13; Mark 3:5.
7. The centurion's servant healed at a distance. Matthew 8:8; Luke 7:6.
8. The widow's only son raised from the dead while the funeral procession were carrying him to the grave. Luke 7:14.
9. A terrific case of demoniacy healed. Matthew 9:32; Mark 3:11; Luke 11:14.
10. The legion of demons cast out. Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28.
11. A woman healed by touching the hem of his garment. Matthew 9:22; Mark 5:34; Luke 8:43.
12. Jairus's daughter raised from the dead. Matthew 9:18; Mark 5:41; Luke 8:41.
13. Two blind men followed him, and were healed. Matthew 9:27.
14. A dumb man possessed of a devil healed. Matthew 9:32.
15. Five thousand miraculously fed beyond Jordan. John 6:10; Matthew 14:21; Mark 6:44; Luke 9:10.
16. Jesus walks on the sea, and rebukes the tempest. Matthew 14:25; Mark 6:49; John 6:19.
17. The woman of Canaan's daughter healed. Matthew 15:21; Mark 7:29.
18. The deaf and dumb man restored. Mark 7:35.
19. Four thousand fed near the sea of Galilee. Matthew 15:32; Mark 8:9.
20. The blind man of Bethsaida healed at twice touching him. Mark 8:22.
21. Another case of mute demoniacy. Matthew 17:18; Mark 9:25; Luke 9:39.
22. The glory of his transfiguration. Matthew 17:2-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:29-35.
23. The fish which brought him the tribute-money. Matthew 17:24.
24. The man blind from his birth healed at the pool of Siloam. John 9:7.
25. Bartimeus restored to sight on entering Jericho. Luke 18:35.
26. Two blind men healed near Jericho. Matthew 9:27-31.
27. A man cured of the dropsy on the sabbath day. Luke 14:1-4.
28. Ten lepers sent to the priest, cleansed on the road. Luke 17:12-19.
29. Lazarus raised from the tomb. John 11:40-44.
30. The barren figtree execrated as a figure of the jewish nation. Isaiah 65:15; Matthew 21:19; Mark 11:13; Mark 11:20-23.
To these might be added miracles without number; for if the whole world were a book, it would not contain all that should be written concerning the gracious words and glorious works of our blessed Saviour.
The PARABLES of Christ are remarkably judicious in structure, striking in figure, and pertinent in their application. Generally speaking they are luminous prophecies of his kingdom and glory. They were delivered in different places, and sometimes varied in expression. The principal of these parables are the following.
1. The parable of the sewer. Matthew 13; Mark 4; Luke 8.
2. The tares and the wheat. Matthew 13.
3. Seed which grew up after the husbandman had slept. Mark 4:27.
4. The grain of mustard seed. Matthew 13:31.
5. The leaven hid in the meal. Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:21.
6. The righteous shining like the sun. Matthew 13:43.
7. Treasure hid in the field. Matthew 13:44.
8. A merchant seeking precious pearls. Matthew 13:45.
9. A net cast into the sea. Matthew 13:47.
10. The two debtors. Luke 7:41.
11. A rich man and his harvest. Luke 12:16-21.
12. The lord's return from the wedding. Luke 12:37.
13. The strong man keeping his house. Matthew 12:29.
14. The unmerciful servant. Matthew 18:28.
15. The lost sheep. Luke 15:4-32.
16. The woman's lost piece of silver. Luke 15:8.
17. The prodigal son. Luke 15:11.
18. The good shepherd. John 10.
19. The good Samaritan. Luke 10:33.
20. Guests choosing the uppermost seats. Luke 14.
21. The great supper provided. Luke 14:16-24.
22. The unjust steward. Luke 16.
23. The rich man and Lazarus. Luke 16.
24. Unjust judge and the poor widow. Luke 18.
25. The pharisee and the publican in the temple. Luke 18.
26. Labourers hired for the vineyard. Matthew 20.
27. Ten pounds given to ten servants. Luke 19.
28. Vineyard occupied by wicked husbandmen. Matthew 21; Mark 12; Luke 20.
29. The marriage of the king's son. Matthew 22.
30. The thief in the night. Matthew 24.
31. A man journeying into a far country. Mark 13.
32. Ten virgins with their lamps. Matthew 25.
33. Various talents given in trust. Matthew 25.
With these parables most of the figurative language of Christ might be associated. Here all nature is employed to teach mankind what they should never forget.
In defence of the christian scriptures, on which we now enter, we have not to contend with jews alone, whose malice is unabated, and whose blasphemies are still uttered; but the dangerous serpent is now coiled up in the bosom of the church. He attracts our notice by his playful gambols, and by the exquisite beauty of his spotted crest by knowledge, by science, and a pretended claim to superior intellect.
On the continent, Grotius, the father of modern Unitarianism, has shaken the faith of protestant divines; both the Dutch and Lutheran clergy have become entangled in his toils. In the Catholic communion, father Simon, supported by Houbigant, Calmet, and De Rossi, have exceeded Grotius by systematic strokes at the sacred text; and the slumbering impunity of the church has made them bold in heresies fatal to salvation.
In England, how strong their fraternity is in colleges, schools, and among dignitaries and new translators of the prophets; tears only can lament their strength. Father Simon shocked the catholic church by learned effronteries, that in fact we now have no bible, no book, no text in which we can confide, every word in our biblical lexicon being capable of another sense than what is usually given. His words are On doit supposer comme une chose constante, que la plus part des mots Hebreux sont equivokes, et que leur signification est entierement incertaine. C'est pourquoi lors qu'un traducteur employe dans sa version l'interpretation qu'il juge la meilleur, on ne peut pas dire absolument, que cette interpretation exprime au vrai ce qui est contenu dans l'original. Il y a toujours lieu de douter si le sens qu'on donne aux mots Hebreux est le veritable, puis qu'il y en a d'autres qui ont autant de probabilite. Hist. Crit. du Vicil et du Nouveau Testam. livre 3. chap. 2.
“We ought to take it for an indisputable fact, that the greater part of Hebrew words are of doubtful import, and that their signification is entirely uncertain. On this account, when a translator employs in his version the interpretation which he thinks the best, we cannot say with confidence that the interpretation designates the identity of what is in the original. There is always cause to doubt whether the sense which he may give to the Hebrew word be the true one, seeing there are other acceptations which have equal probability.”
Dr. Priestley's exceptions to the sacred text are much in the style of father Simon. And is it possible, after the Massora of the Jews, which counts the letters of each of the books of the old testament; after Origen has spent his whole life in collating the sacred text; after Jerome has done the same, with all the advantages of travel and residence in Judea; is it possible, after the best copies have been deposited in learned universities, and royal libraries; is it possible, I say, after Montfaucon has reprinted Origen's Hexapla, that men can come forward and attack christianity, scarcely under the mask of unitarian disguise! The hot-bed in which heresy now has its rapid growth is, the various readings of manuscripts; that some word is lost, or has been added; that some letter has been changed, or word mis-written, or such a reading is on an erasure! And what are all those manuscripts to us? The writings of poor and less-instructed rabbins and clergymen, who could not afford to buy books. I am in possession of the catalogue of manuscripts in the ancient library of Ferrara, with fac similes, printed at Rome, 1735, 4to. Though many of them are exquisitely beautiful, yet those of the new testament are evidently written in an imperfect and irregular hand. Those manuscripts are monuments of pious industry, but transcriptions wholly unauthorized. By consequence, all that modern apostasy can boast concerning the uncertainty of the sacred text is futile and vexatious. No one doctrine of revelation is affected by them; there are undisputed texts to prove every truth essential to salvation. We must therefore regard all attempts to prove the uncertainty of the scriptures, as so many understrokes and malicious designs to overthrow the whole of the christian religion. It is lamentable beyond the power of language to deplore, that so many dignitaries of the church, so many learned professors in our seats of letters, so many new translators, who eat bread at the Redeemer's table, should lift up their heel against him! Bishop Huet of France regards all this substitution of philosophy for revelation as an apostasy from the faith of the whole primitive world. This learned prelate has sought for the glimmerings of sacred truth, as disguised in pagan fable, and he has succeeded in bringing two grand truths to light, that Bacchus was born twice, of Semele his mother, and of Jupiter his father. He has placed a second truth in open day, that Minerva, (another name for Messiah) was made of Jupiter's brain, without mother, unsuckled, and the goddess of wisdom and eloquence. These glimmerings of pagan mythology, derived from traditional revelation, appear to be no other than the titles of Christ, the Word, the Wisdom of God.
All then is not lost. We have yet a new testament, which shows the Saviour reigning in heaven, and worshipped and adored on earth. He reigns on the mediatorial throne, to regenerate the hearts of men, and spread his glory in all the earth. In the new testament we see the Saviour ever dwelling with the church; we converse, we walk with the Lord, and hear the living word from the mouth of God himself. Unsearchable are the riches of grace! The lines are fallen to us in pleasant places. We live in a happy age, when the poor can read this holy book, when hymns and psalms are sung in every house, and when the altar of every cottage smokes with the oblations of prayer and praise.
On coming to the epistles, we shall find St. Paul deriving wisdom from the third heavens, and closely treading in the Redeemer's steps. From the fulness of divine wisdom given unto him, he pours a flood of light on the gentile world, and creates a celestial language of utterance to the heart not known before. He stands before the church arrayed in all the glory of an apostle, of a confessor, of a martyr.
If we launch beyond the age in which the holy men lived who had seen the Saviour in the flesh, we find St. John outliving, and outshining them all. We find him, under the radiance of divine illumination, forming the sublime concatenation of prophecy from the beginning to the end of the world. His view of the celestial temple, the grandeur of his ideas of the staff or book, loaded with scrolls and closed with seals, and all the openings accompanied with angelic ministration and worship; and above all, the sounding of the seven trumpets till the mystery of God shall be finished, give us the sublimest of ideas concerning the conflicts between idolatry and the gospel, between the harlot and the true church that can possibly be conceived. All these are truly visions of God, which leave the imagination of man far in the rear. The issues associate with the design. Voices were heard in heaven, saying “Hallelujah, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth; the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.”
Respecting the inspiration of the four gospels, (and the number of gospels in the apostolic age are estimated by Eusebius at sixty) the defence of ecclesiastical writers may be comprised under the following sections.
1. The moral character of the evangelists, and their whole manner of life render them worthy of credit. They knew what they wrote: two or three of them being eye witnesses from the beginning, and ministers of the word. They were poor and simple, and without disguise. Their style is artless, simple and genuine. Men so holy, and a church so numerous, could not enforce a lie on the public mind.
2. Men who impose upon and deceive the public have generally some interest in view, or some applause either near or remote to obtain. We cannot therefore suspect those who, like Paul, speak of occasional perils, imprisonments, hunger, nakedness, and reproach, and who yet persevered, conquered and overcome, and died in the faith.
3. The things contained in their histories are facts of great notoriety, and known to the world. The jews, their enemies, weighed their words, and left no means untried to destroy their reputation. The doctrine, the miracles, and death of the Lord Jesus became known to the Roman world. How he arose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and commissioned his apostles to preach the gospel to mankind, was declared among all nations.
4. The slander of the jews who had crucified the Lord of glory, that the gospels are a fabrication, and that the new testament is the book of Aven, they reject with horror, as faithful witnesses who could but testify what they had heard and seen. We are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, λογισασθαι τι, to reason out, to fabricate the grand scheme of human redemption, but our sufficiency is of God, who has made us able ministers of the new testament. 2 Corinthians 3:5-6.
Whence should men, unskilled in arts, Weave such agreeing truths? DRYDEN.
5. Had the evangelists and apostles written in concert, and with design to deceive, they would not have sent out the gospels with those slight variations of a verbal character. Proofs that they wrote in simplicity, being conscious of the truth, and without the least collation of their copies, as is the case with their editors. It is probable that many of the verbal variations were occasioned by the relation of a doctrine or a parable, as one evangelist heard it in one place, and the other evangelist as he heard it in another.
6. The testimony of Christ recorded in the gospels was believed, by countless thousands in Jerusalem and Judea, in Galilee and in Samaria, who had every opportunity to confront and rebut the testimony of the apostles and evangelists. But instead of doing so, the enemies who became converted, suffered the loss of all things for Christ's sake, as stated in Acts 8:1-4.
7. The histories of the evangelists coincide with profane authors, and perfectly so with the histories of the jews. The slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem is attested by Macrobius: the darkness at the crucifixion is recorded by Phlegon, and quoted by Origen. The manners and worship of the primitive christians are distinctly named by Pliny. The great dearth throughout the Roman world foretold by Agabus, in the reign of Claudius, Acts 11:28, is attested by Suetonius, Dion, Josephus, and others. The expulsion of the jews from Rome by Claudius, Acts 18:2, was occasioned, says Suetonius, by the insurrection they had made about Chrestus, which is his way of spelling Christ. What marvel then that the credibility of the evangelists should receive the sanction of wise and holy men. As to the names of the Herods, and the Roman princes of Syria, they are all confirmed by Josephus, Tacitus, and Pliny.
JOS. SUTCLIFFE.
BRIGHTON, March 10 th 1835.
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW.
MATTHEW the Evangelist was a native of Galilee, and by profession a publican. He is called by St. Mark 2:14, Levi of Alpheus, that is, son of Alpheus, or of Cleophas. If so he was a relative of Christ, and must have had, as Dr. Lightfoot infers, three brothers among the twelve apostles; James, the less; Judas, called Lebbeus and Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite. As the Jews had many names, this is a point not clearly proved. It is not doubted but he was a hearer of John the baptist, as indeed were most of the apostles. He entered on his ministerial course by the sacrifice of his worldly profession, at the call of the Saviour. Papias, a hearer of John the evangelist, and a companion of Polycarp, says that Matthew “wrote his gospel in the Hebrew tongue, which every one interpreted as he was able,” by preaching and by expounding on his book. This testimony appears to be correct, for he never cites the version of the LXX, but takes all his quotations from the Hebrew text. But by the Hebrew we must understand, the same as is meant by St. Luke, who says, that when Paul spake in the Hebrew tongue, “they kept silence the more.” Be that as it might, he wrote for the use of the Hebrews converted to Christ, while St. Luke wrote for the Hellenists and Gentiles. Eusebius has collected the testimonies of Irenæus concerning the divine scriptures, book 5. chap. 8. Of St. Matthew's gospel he says, it was published among the Hebrews, then called by the jews Nazarenes, while Peter and Paul were preaching the gospel at Rome, and founding the church in that city. There must however be a slight inaccuracy of the dates, for Matthew's gospel was in the hands of the jews prior to St. Paul's preaching at Rome. But as there is no dispute concerning the testimonies of Papias, Irenæus, and others; and as all agree with Origen, who says on tradition, that the four gospels were received without dispute by the whole church under heaven, we need add only, according to the testimony of Clemens of Alexandria, Strom. lib. 4., that St. Matthew was the only apostle that escaped martyrdom. Some say, that in obedience to the Lord, who had said, Acts 1:8, “Ye shall be witnesses unto me in the uttermost parts of the earth,” he travelled as far as Ethiopia, where he died at an advanced age.