things of religion. They now were in expectation of the appearing of the Messiah, foretold in the law and the prophets: but, undoubtedly, were in the common prejudice of the nation, that it would be, in part at least, a worldly kingdom. And it is very likely, that they had heard John preach though they did not attend statedly upon him as his disciples: for all the people of Judea, in general, went to John's baptism.

Says St. John, i. 35, 36, "Again, the next day after, John stood, and two of his disciples. And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith: Behold the Lamb of God"From ver. 40, we learn, that one of these two, which, heard John speak, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. And h some have supposed, that our evangelist, who writes this, was the other: which I do not look upon as certain, though I do not deny it.

Whether the other was John, or not, it ought to be reckoned unquestioned, that before he was called to be an apostle, he had seen and heard the Lord Jesus, and had been witness of some miracles wrought by him. It appears to me very probable, that he was one of the disciples, who were present at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, where water was made wine. John ii. 1-11.

The call of James and John, to attend upon Jesus statedly, is related, Matt. iv. 21, 22; Mark i. 19, 20; Luke v. 1-10.

St. Mark, putting down the names of the twelve apostles, when he mentions James and John, says, that our Lord "surnamed them Boanerges, which is, sons of thunder," ch. iii. 17. By which it seems unreasonable to suppose that our Lord intended to reproach them with some fault in their natural temper, as if they were fierce and furious: though a learned writer has intimated so much. That! name must have been very honourable, prophetically representing the resolution and courage with which they would openly and boldly declare the great truths of the gospel, when fully acquainted with them. How John answered this character, we know from what is said of him in the

h Ducrum alter ver. 41. nominatur. Alter videtur ipse evangelista noster fuisse, uti visum in vitâ ejus. Lib. I. cap. 2. Lampe, in Joh. cap. i. ver. 35, 36. However, Basnage disputes this. Neque probabile admodum, Joannem his interfuisse nuptiis. Quod si concederetur, &c. Basn. ann. 30. num. Xxxviii. However it was, our Lord, I doubt not,

⚫ herein had respect to the furious and resolute disposition of those two brothers, who seem to have been of a more fierce and fiery temper than the ' rest of the apostles.' Cave's Life of St. James the Great, num. 5. p. 142. 1 Vid. Fr. Lamp. Prolegom. 1. i. cap. 2. num. vii.-xv.

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book of the Acts, and from his own writings, and from things recorded of him in ecclesiastical history. How well James, the other brother, answered that character, may be concluded from his being beheaded by Herod Agrippa at Jerusalem, not many years after our Lord's ascension. Which, we cannot doubt, was owing to an open and stedfast testimony to the resurrection of Jesus, and to other services for the church: whereby he had greatly signalized himself in the short period of his life after our Lord's ascension. Possibly he had, with a freedom, not a little offensive, spoken of the calamities coming upon the Jewish people, if they did not repent, and believe in Jesus as the Christ: as also John the Baptist had declared in his preaching, Matt. iii. 7-12; Luke iii. 17; and Stephen in his, Acts vi. 13, 14. James " was the first martyr for Christ among the apostles; and bids fair for obtaining his petition, in a higher sense than it was first intended, of "sitting on the right hand or the left hand of Christ in his kingdom." And the other brother, surviving all the other apostles, bore the longest testimony to the truth of the gospel.

This account of that name is agreeable to what Grotius

m Accedit altera ratio, quæ eos adhuc proprius spectabat, nempe quod in scopo ministerii sui præ cæteris apostolis Baptistæ similes futuri. Nempe sicut Baptista in eo totus erat, ut per tonitru præconii sui judicium jam tum Judæis imminens indicaret et averteret ; ita et ministerium fratrum horum potissimum ad Judæos spectaturum erat. Jacobus quidem eâ fini post adscensionem Domini nunquam, quod scimus, ab Hierosolymâ discessit, donec pro fide martyrium subiret. Hoc vero ei evenisse, quam maxime probabile est, quia invidiosa præ cæteris ejus concio fuit, periculum instans incredulorum ex Judæis omni datâ occasione ingeminans, &c. Lamp. ib. 1. i. cap. 2. num. xv.

"It has long been the general opinion of the people of Spain, that this James, the son of Zebedee, planted the gospel in that country. Gaspar Sanctius, a learned Spanish Jesuit, wrote a treatise in defence of it, beside what he says in his Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles. But it is inconsistent with the history in the Acts: none of the apostles left Judea so soon; nor is this opinion founded on the testimony of any ancient writers of good credit; and it is now generally given up, even by Popish writers. Vid. Baron. A. D. 41. num. i. Tillemont, S. Jaques Le Majeur, et note vi. Mem, Ec. tom. I. I transcribe here the judgment of Estius. Deinde, quando occisus est, vixdum cœperat evangelium gentibus prædicari, ut ex præcedentibus et sequentibus patet. Nec dum apostoli dispersi erant in remotas gentes; sed ejus rei commodum tempus expectabant. Denique nullus scriptor antiquus certæ fidei refert, Jacobum Hispanias vidisse. Est. in Act. Ap. Cap. xii. ver. 2.-Vid. et Basnag. ann. 44. num. iv. v. et Dictionnaire de Moreri, S. Jaques Le Majeur.

• Ómnino mihi videtur Christus, in hujus nominis impositione, respexisse ad Aggæi vaticinium, cap. ii. 7.-quod de evangelii prædicatione exponit scriptor ad Hebræos, xii. 26. Ad hanc ergo maximam rerum mutationem significat Christus, Zebedæi filios eximios sibi ministros fore. Et certe destinatam illis excellentiam quandam inter ipsos apostolos vel hoc ostendit, quod cum Petro seorsim a cæteris multarum rerum testes sunt assumti. Adde jam

!

says in his Annotations. But Dr. Heuman has another thought. He observes, that Simon, to whom Jesus gave the name of Peter, is often so called: but we do not read that the two sons of Zebedee were any where else spoken of by the name Boanerges, either by themselves or others. He thinks that the words should be thus rendered: And he had surnamed them Boanerges:' that is, upon a particular occasion he so called them. That occasion he supposes to be the history related, Luke ix. 52-56. That is an ingenious conjecture. But if this name had been given them in the way of reproof and censure, as Christ once called Peter Satan, Matt. xvi. 23; Mark viii. 33, one would scarcely expect to see it here. The place, as seems to me, leads us to think the name honourable, as well as Peter. Which has been the general opinion of all times.

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In Suicer's Thesaurus, at the word Bpovrn, may be seen the observations of many ancient writers upon this name. take Theophylact's only; who says, that when Christ called these two disciples sons of thunder, he intimated that they would be great preachers and eminent divines.

From the time they were called by Christ, they statedly attended upon him. They heard his discourses, and saw his miracles.

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They were two of the twelve, whom Christ sent forth upon a commission, to preach in the laud of Israel; which was of great use to them; thereby they learned to trust in God, and were prepared for the greater difficulties of their apostleship afterwards.

John addressed himself to Christ, saying," Master, we saw one casting out dæmons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followeth not with us."-So in Luke ix. 49, 50. And more at large in Mark ix. 38-41. But it was a thing, in which several were concerned. For John says: "We saw one casting out dæmons in thy name; and we forbade him." The history, as recorded by the evanquod Jacobus primus apostolorum omnium sanguine suo Christi doctrinam obsignavit; et quod Johannes omnibus apostolis superstes diutissime testimonium perhibuit veritati. Grot. ad Marc. iii. 17.

P Nova Sylloge Dissert. part. I. p. 254-259.

Legimus, et adversus Petrum, indigne se gerentem, in hæc verba erupisse Christum Apage, Satana. : Jam uti Satanas non factum est ordinarium Petri cognomen, sic nec Zebedæi fratres nisi semel nominati sunt Boanerges. Nec proinde laudis hoc nomen est, (quæ quidem inveterata est opinio,) sed nomen vitii. Non est, inquam, appellatio honorifica, sed invectiva. Ib. p. 259.

- Υιες δε βροντης ονομάζει τις τε Ζεβεδαίο, ὡς μεγαλοκηρυκας και θεολογι κωτάτες. In Marc. tom. I. p. 205. C.

See Matt. x. 6; Mark vi. 7; Luke ix. 1.

* See Luke xxii. 35.

gelists, led me to think so: and Mr. Lampe" was of the same mind. Moreover, it might be done some while

before.

Our Lord was going from Galilee to Jerusalem before the feast of tabernacles, as some think, or before the feast of the dedication, as Dr. Doddridge argues. And, as he was to pass through the country of" Samaria, he sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. But they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go unto Jerusalem. When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said: Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did. But he turned, and rebuked them, and said: Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. And they went to another village," Luke ix. 51-56. Some have been of opinion, that the messengers sent by our Lord, to prepare entertainment for him, were these two disciples. If so, this proposal might be suspected to proceed as much from resentment of an injurious treatment of themselves, as of their master. But to me that is not certain: I rather think, that those messengers were different persons. So likewise argues Mr. Lampe.

The two brothers, James and John, were ambitious of high posts of honour and dignity in Christ's kingdom: which, with others, they esteemed to be of a worldly nature. The petition was presented by their mother, but at their instigation. And they seem to have been present at the same time: for our Lord's answer is directed to them, Matt. xx. 20-23; Mark x. 35–40.

The two brothers, James and John, and Peter, were the only disciples that were admitted to be present with our Lord at the raising of the daughter of Jairus, Mark v. 37; Luke viii. 51. The same three disciples were taken up by Christ into the mount, when he was transformed in a glorious manner, and Moses and Elias appeared talking with him, Matt. xvii. 1; Mark ix. 2; Luke ix. 28. The same three were admitted to be present at our Lord's devotions

Ubi supr. 1. i. cap. 2. num. 18.

Family Expositor, Vol. II. p. 183.

Cui tamen in eo non accedimus, quod filios Zebedæi ipsos illos legatos putat fuisse, quos Jesus in vicum Samaritanorum hospitium rogaturos miserat. Unde ob illatam sibi injuriam videntur exacerbati esse, sed textus legatos illos a filiis Zebedæi satis clare distinguit. Accedit, quod Jesus ad illos pues, conversus, fuerit: quod indicat illos, cum Domino consilium proponerent, non fuisse Domino obvios, sed pone eum sequentes. Lampe, Proleg. 1. i. cap. 2. n. xix. not. (b.)

in the garden, when he retired from the rest. But they all failed to watch with their Lord, as he had desired, Matt. xxvi. 36-45; Mark xiv. 32-42.

Says St. Mark, xiii. 1, 2, "And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones, and what buildings are here. And Jesus answering, said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? There shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Compare Matt. xxiv. 1, 2. It follows in Mark xiii. 3, 4, "And as he sat on the mount of Olives, over against the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, asked him privately: Tell us, when shall these. things be? and what shall be the sign, when all these things shall be fulfilled?" Whereby we perceive, that to those four disciples, especially, our Lord addressed himself, when he delivered the predictions concerning the great desolation coming upon the Jewish people, recorded in that chapter, and in Matt. xxiv ; and Luke xxi.

This apostle and Peter were the two disciples whom Jesus sent to prepare for eating his last passover, Luke xxii. 8. Compare Matt. xxvi. 17-19; Mark xiv. 13—16.

Our Lord, sitting at supper with his disciples, said, “One of you will betray me.' Peter beckoned to John, who leaned on the bosom of Jesus, "that he would ask, who it should be of whom he spake :" which he did. And our

Lord gave him a sign, by which he might know whom he intended, John xiii. 21-26. This is an instance of the freedom which John might take, as the beloved disciple and friend of Jesus.

When our Lord was apprehended by the Jewish officers, we are informed by St. Mark, xiv. 51, 52, " And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body and the young men laid hold of him. And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them." Some have thought that this young man was John. Cave gives a good deal of countenance to that supposition. Others y have thought him to be James, the Lord's brother. But Grotius, and justly, wonders, that any should have been of opinion that he was one of the apostles.

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* Indeed upon our Lord's first apprehension, he fled after the other apostles; it not being without some probabilities of reason, that the ancients conceive him to have been that " young man," that followed after Christ, ing a linen cloth cast about his naked body;" whom when the officers laid hold upon, he left the linen cloth, and fled naked away.' Cave's Life of St. John, num. ii. p. 151. y See Whitby upon Mark xiv. 51..

Non de apostolorum grege, (quod miror, veteribus in mentem venire potuisse,) nec e domo, in quam Christus in urbe diverterat, sed ex villâ aliquâ