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and 26. But that particular did not come within the compass of his design.

30. Many things, not expressly mentioned by St. Luke, may be argued and concluded to have been done, from those which he has recorded.

1.) In Acts iv. 23-30, is recorded a prayer of the apostles, in which they request, that they may be enabled to work miracles for farther confirming the doctrine taught by them. And unquestionably their prayer was heard, and their request granted, and they did work many miracles in the name of Christ, more than are related by St. Luke.

2.) Acts v. 12, "And by the hand of the apostles were many sigus and wonders done among the people:" and what follows. Whence it may be concluded, that many miracles were wrought, not only by Peter and John, but also by the other apostles also, beside those which are particularly recorded. See also ch. ii. 43.

3.) Says Mr. Biscoe: Many and great miracles are ' related in the history of the Acts to be wrought by St. Paul and his fellow-labourers in their preaching the gos'pel to the Gentiles. And agreeably hereto St. Paul says, 2 Cor. xii. 12, "Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought amongst you in all patience, in signs and wonders, and 'mighty deeds." And to the Romans, ch. xv. 18, 19.— 'I make no doubt, says that learned writer, but the apostles 'wrought miracles in every city, where they came with a view to preach the gospel, and make converts. St. Luke is so very succinct in his history of the Acts, that he often ' omits them. He gives an account of only a miracle or two wrought at Philippi in his whole account of St. Paul's journey from Antioch to the West, when he converted a 'great part of Macedonia and Achaia: though it is evident from St. Paul's own epistle, already quoted, that he at 'that time did many signs and wonders at Corinth. And that he did the same at Thessalonica is not obscurely inti"mated in his first epistle to the Thessalonians, ch. i. 5. We 'read nothing in the Acts of the Apostles of what St. Paul did in Galatia the first time, more than that he went through it, Acts xvi. 6. And all that is added the second

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f Ecumenius says, that Luke omitted many miracles wrought by the apostles for avoiding ostentation. Πολλων δε θαυματων επιτελυμένων ὑπο των αποςόλων, ως και ανωτέρω εμνησθη ὁ ταυτα γραφων Δεκας, [cap. ii. 43.] αδενος εκείνων ονοματι μνημονεύει, αλλ' εκεινο γραφει μονον αφ' ε παντες εκινήθησανη και ότι ο κομπυ χαριν ἡ συγγραφη αυτή αυτή εσπεδάσθη. Ecum. in Act. Cap. iii. tom. i. p. 25. A. B.

The History of the Acts confirmed, ch. xi. sect. 8. p. 407, 408.

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'time he was there is, that "he went over all the country of Galatia strengthening all the disciples," ch. xviii. 23. Which indeed is an intimation, that the first time he was there he preached the gospel among them, and made 'converts. But from his epistle to the Galatian churches it is fully evident that he wrought miracles among them, and conferred on them gifts of the Holy Spirit. For he asks them: "He that ministereth to you the Spirit, and 'worketh miracles among you, doth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" Gal. iii. 5. That he means himself, is manifest from the whole tenor of the 'epistle. See ch. i. 6; ch. iv. 11, 13, 14, 19.'

There follow other like observations, which I may not transcribe.

4.) Mr. Biscoe, as above, makes no doubt but the apostles wrought miracles in every city where they came, with a view to preach the gospel, and make converts. I am of opinion, that this may be truly supposed of Paul particularly, and that it may be concluded from what St. Luke has written. For, according to him, Paul wrought miracles in Cyprus, Acts xiii. 11, at Lystra, xiv. 10, at Philippi, xvi. 16-18, (See also 25, 26,) and very many at Ephesus, xix. 11–17. ` And at Troas he raised Eutychus to life, xx. 9-12. In his voyage from Judea to Rome he wrought many miracles, xxviii. 3-6, and 7-10. From these miracles, recorded by St. Luke, it may be well argued, that St. Paul wrought miracles in all, or most other places, where he went, and made any stay, preaching the gospel. In particular, it may be argued, that Paul wrought miracles at Athens and at Rome. What they were we cannot say, because they have not been recorded by St. Luke, nor by any other credible writer. But that miracles were performed by the apostles in those cities, appears to me very probable.

5.) St. Luke has not given any account of St. Paul's appearing before the emperor Nero at Rome, when he was sent thither by Festus. Nevertheless, that Paul was brought before Nero soon after his arrival at Rome, is highly probable. And though St. Luke has not expressly said so, it may be concluded from what he has said. For he has again and again sufficiently intimated that Paul was certainly to appear before the emperor, to whom he had appealed. See Acts xxv. 10, 11, 12, 21; xxvi. 32; xxvii. 24, xxviii. 19. The apostle therefore was brought before

Mirum, quod Lucas hic nullam faciat mentionem primæ defensionis Pauli, de quâ ipse, 2 Tim. iv. quam factam fuisse primo anno quo Romam venit, non dubitandum. Est. ad Âct. xxviii. 30.

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Nero, and pleaded before him. But St. Luke forbore to give a distinct account of it, because he had already given a particular account of Paul's pleadings before Felix and Festus, and Agrippa; and from them may be concluded what was the tenor of his apology before the emperor himself.

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6.) St. Paul, in his epistle to the christians at Rome, says, ch. i. 11, "I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established." And ch. xv. 29, "I am sure, that when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ." And unquestionably, the event was agreeable to these wishes and expectations.

7.) St. Luke has not particularly recorded these things in his history but from what he has said they may be inferred. Says our historian, Acts xxviii. 13-16, "And we came the next day to Puteoli. Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us, as far as Appii Forum, and the Three Taverns. Whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage. And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard. But Paul was suffered to dwell by himself, with a soldier that kept him." And ver. 30, "Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house."

8.) From the things here said it may be fairly concluded, that during the apostle's stay at Rome, there was a very delightful communication of civil and religious offices between him and the believers there, according to the abilities and the exigences of each. Before he left Rome, the Philippians seem to have sent him a supply by Epaphroditus. Philip. iv. 10-18. But it may be well supposed, that the price of his lodging, and the expenses of his maintenance, were provided for, chiefly, by the christians, whom he found at Rome, when he came thither, and by the converts which he made afterwards. The soldiers, likewise, who by turns attended upon him, would expect to be considered, if they carried it civilly toward their prisoner. All which, we may suppose, was taken care of by the good christians at Rome, who, as St. Luke assures us, went out to meet him, and conducted him into the city.

CHAP. IX.

ST. JOHN, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST.

I. His history from the N. T. II. His age. III. When he left Judea, to go to Ephesus. IV. His history from ecclesiastical writers. V. The time when he was banished into Patmos. VI. How long he was there. VII. Testimonies of ancient writers to his gospel. VIII. Opinions of learned moderns concerning the time when this gospel was written. IX. An argument, to prove that it was written before the destruction of Jerusalem. X. Objections considered. XI. Observations upon this gospel.

a

C

I. JOHN was the son of Zebedee a fisherman upon the sea of Galilee, probably of the town of Bethsaida, and Salome. John was the younger brother: for James is always c mentioned first, except in Luke ix. 28, and John is generally reckoned the youngest of all Christ's disciples.

Though Zebedee was by trade a fisherman, he needs not be reckoned poor: for, as St. Mark has particularly observed, he was not only master of a boat, and nets, but had "hired servants," ch. i. 20. Moreover, we may recollect what Peter said to Christ, who also had been a fisherman upon the same sea: "We have left all, and followed thee," Matt. xix. 27. They left their employments, by which they gained a subsistence and for the present there was selfdenial in their attendance upon Jesus.

It is not unlikely, that Zebedee died not long after these two brothers were called to be apostles. However, the circumstances of the family may be collected from what is said of their mother, who is mentioned, Matt. xxvii. 55, and

Mark xv. 40, among "those women, who followed Jesus out of Galilee, and ministered unto him." That ministry is described, Luke viii. 3. To which might be added, that

a Zebedæum gente Galilæum fuisse, ex loco commorationis circa lacum Gennesareth, suspicamur. Incertius autem, Bethsaïdensem pronuntiare, ut plerique faciunt; cum id nitatur tantum testimonio evangelii, sociis Andreæ ac Petro hoc oppidum adsignantis. Neque tamen argumenta ad manus sunt, quibus vulgatam hanc opinionem impugnemus. Lampe, Prolegom. in Johan. b Compare Matt. xxvii. 56, with Mark xv. 40, and xvi. 1.

So Matt. iv. 21; ch. x. 2; Mark i. 19; ch. iii. 17; ch. x. 35; Luke v. 10; Acts i. 13.

she is mentioned among those women that bought sweet spices to embalm the body of Jesus, Mark xvi. 1; Luke xxiii. 55. And our Lord, having recommended his mother to this disciple, it is said, that he took her to his own home." John xix. 27.

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If Salome was related to our Lord in the manner supposed by Theophylact, or some other way, with which we are not distinctly acquainted, that may have been, in part, the ground and reason of several things mentioned in the gospels, as the petition of these two brothers, disciples, for the first two places in Christ's kingdom: John's being the beloved disciple, and friend of Jesus, and being admitted to some freedoms denied to the rest: and, possibly, performing some offices about his person: and, finally, our Lord's committing to him the care of his mother, so long as she should survive him.

In Acts iv. 13, it is said of Peter and John, that they were ignorant and unlearned men. Which, indeed, is nothing else, but that they were neither doctors nor magistrates, but men of private stations, who had not been educated in the schools of the Rabbies: or, as Dr. Doddridge has happily translated this text, illiterate men, and in private stations of life. So Ecumenius says, that St. John in seuding a letter to Gaius had Paul for an example, who wrote to Timothy, and Titus, and to Philemon, an idiot: that is, a man of a private station: whereas Timothy and Titus had a public character in the church, as they were evangelists.

There can be no doubt, that Zebedee's sons, as the children of all pious Jews at that time, were well acquainted with the scriptures of the Old Testament. They had read them, and had heard them read and explained in the synagogues. They had also been accustomed to go to Jerusalem at the feasts, and had discoursed with many upon the

e

See this Vol. p. 160.

Opus scilicet erat ipsi aliquo, quem interdum ad matrem mitteret, (quod non ita raro factum esse, facile intelligitur,) quo uteretur ad lavandos sibi pedes, ad induendos sibi et exuendos calceos, [vid. Matt. iii. 11; Marc. i. 8; Luc. iii. 16; Joan. i. 27.] qui sibi præsto esset ad mandata subita, qui in cubiculo sibi adjaceret dormienti, qui alia sibi præstaret minuta officiola domestica, qui propterea perpetuus sibi esset pedissequus, nec nisi jussus ab ipso recederet. Heuman. Diss. Syll. tom. II. p. 338.

『 Αγράμματοι, 'sine literis;' id est, non versati in doctrinis thalmudicis, quales illiterati Hebræis. Nam scripturas sacras apostoli et legerant, et memoriâ tenebant. Kai idurai. Idiotæ sunt Hebræis qui neque magistratus sunt, neque legisperiti. Grot. in loc.

8 Προς δε Γαΐον ένα γραφων έχει Παυλον Τίτω γράφοντα και Τιμοθεῳ, και προς Φιλήμονα δε ιδιωτην. cum. T. II. p. 606. C.

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