but go to my brethren, and fay unto them, I afcend unto my Father, and your Father, to my God, and your God;" and farther, that he would go before them into Galilee, and that they should see him there. How much affection was there in this. Though rifen from the dead, and in a new state of being, he was mindful of those to whom he had stood in fo peculiar a relation as he had done to his apoftles. He calls them his brethren, and informs them, that he was going, though not immediately, to their common God and Father. In the mean time, he appeared unexpectedly to several of his disciples, and to all the apostles; but it is remarkable that Jefus does not feem to have shewn any particular respect to his mother after his refurrection, and indeed not much during the whole of his public ministry, and there was the greatest propriety in this. A man of worldly views would naturally have diftinguished his own relations, as did Mahomet, and most of the Popes. But the views of Jefus were not fo confined. To him whoever did the will of God was a mother, a fifter, or a brother. There

5

There was certainly great wisdom in this behaviour of Jefus to his mother, though he does not appear to have been at all deficient in a proper attention to her. His recommending her to the care of John as he hung on the cross shows the contrary. Though he took no more than proper notice of her, the veneration in which fhe was held by Christians came, in a course of time, to be exceffive, and idolatrous in the extreme. What would it have been if Jefus had himfelf laid any foundation for it?

There is fomething peculiarly interefting in the account of Jefus's unexpected appearance to the two difciples who were walking to Emmaus, when they faid, (Luke xxiv. 22) "he made their hearts burn within them," while he explained to them the fcriptures relating to himself, his death and ́resurrection, and was afterwards known to them as they were at meat, and immediately disappeared.

Having fomething of fo much importance to communicate, thefe two difciples naturally haftened to return to Jerufalem, to inform the apostles of it, and while they

were

in

were telling their ftory, Jefus himself appeared among them, and perceiving them to be greatly terrified as supposing that it was a fpirit, or apparition, he, with great calmnefs, and no doubt in the most encouraging manner, faid to them, (verfe 38) "Why are ye troubled, and why do thoughts arise your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet; handle me, and fee, for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as ye fee me have," and then "he fhewed them his hands and his feet." And, as the evangelift fays, "while they yet believed not through joy, and wondered, he faid, Have ye any meat; and he took and ate before them," after which they could not have any doubt of his refurrection and identity.

There was fomething peculiarly condefcending and pleafing in his behaviour to Thomas, who not being prefent at this appearance of Jesus, had faid that nothing should convince him of it fhort of putting his finger into the holes made in his hands, and his hand into the wound in his fide. For the next time that he made his appearance, he faid to Thomas, (John xx. 27) "Reach hither

VOL. III.

K

hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my fide; and be not faithlefs, but believing."

The behaviour of Jefus to Peter, who had denied him, but had bitterly repented, was encouraging, but not without an infinuation of reproof, which affected him much. The account, as given of it by John, feemingly with great exactnefs, is interesting. Appearing unexpectedly to feveral of his difciples as they were in a ship fishing on the fea of Galilee, John, who first perceived who he was, faying, it was Jefus, Peter eagerly fwam to the fhore where he waited for them. After this, when they had dined together, he faith to Peter, (John xxi. 15) "Simon, fon of Jonas, loveft thou me more than these? He faith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knoweft that I love thee. He faith unto him, Feed my lambs. He faith unto him again, the fecond time, Simon, fon of Jonas, loveft thou me? He faith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He faith unto him, Feed my sheep. He faith unto him the third time, Simon, fon

of

of Jonas, loveft thou me? Peter was grieved because he faid unto him the third time, Loveft thou me? and he said unto him, Lord, thou knoweft knoweft that I love thee. him, Feed my fheep."

all things, thou

Jefus faith unto

After this he informed Peter of fome of the circumstances of his death; but repressed his curiofity about the fate of John, faying, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me." This interview feems to have preceded his appearing to more than five hundred of his difciples mentioned by Paul, after which he faw his difciples once more at leaft at Jerufalem. There he repreffed their curiofity about the time of his restoring the kingdom to Ifrael; and having given them á folemn charge, to preach the gospel to all the world, with an affurance of a miraculous fupport in fo doing, he led them out of the city to the mount of Olives, and in their fight afcended above the clouds; while two angels, who stood by them, faid, (Acts i. 11) " Ye men of Galilee, why ftand ye gazing up into heaven? This fame Jefus, who is taken up from