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CHRIST'S APPEARANCE ON THE MOUNTAIN IN

GALILEE.

(Eighth appearance.)

Matth. xxviii. 16—20.

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

The great object of Christ's appearances to his disciples must of course have been to satisfy them, and through them all mankind, of his real and full resurrection; his resurrection as to body and soul; and not only so, but the resurrection of the whole man in the same mysterious union as before with the divine nature. It is with a view to this entire and unqualified emancipation of Christ from the effects of death, in opposition to the many fancies which heretics in various ages have indulged respecting the person of the Redeemer, that the second Article of the Church

of England contains that very specific statement of the truth impressed on the apostles' minds, "two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and the manhood, were joined together in one person, never to be divided.”

In what way this truth was gradually established by the successive appearances on record has been now considered. But there was one to follow, which, from the history, would seem to have been of greater importance than all. From the first vision at the sepulchre, the angels pointed to a meeting which Christ was to give his apostles on a mountain in Galilee. To the first

persons whom he honoured with a manifestation he delivered the same message; charging the apostles to prepare themselves for this interview. Before it took place, he had, from time to time, visited them collectively and separately; nor was the great meeting given, until the whole truth of his real and entire resurrection had been disclosed. It is natural to seek then for the peculiar object and importance of the interview between Christ and his apostles on the mountain of Galilee.

First then it is to be observed, that although

Christ had gradually manifested his entire nature, it may be, to all his apostles, since his resurrection; yet some might have been present on one occasion, some on another, so that an official summons and an appointed hour of meeting might have been requisite to secure the attendance and the evidence of all to the account in which they were afterwards to agree, whether in preaching or framing a document for after ages. It is said indeed, more than once, that the eleven were assembled when he appeared; yet on one of these occasions, we know that Thomas was absent. The apostles were emphatically called the

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eleven," or more commonly "the twelve," and a meeting of" the eleven" or "the twelve," or "the apostles," would no more imply the presence of every member of the apostolic body, than a meeting of a vestry would imply the attendance of every member of the vestry. At all events, their presence as a body, from which no one should be absent, could only have been accidental; and it was at least more fitting and reasonable, that they should on some one occasion be formally assembled, to receive as a body that evidence of which they were the joint depositaries.

In the next place, what display of Christ's return among them as the Immanuel-as perfect man and perfect God-was given on the mountain in Galilee, is not specified. Whether, on that mountain, besides hearing and seeing him, they witnessed some display of his glory, like to that on the mountain of transfiguration, we are not told; but it is certainly said, that before he came up to them and entered into communication with them, they saw enough to make them worship him. And this is the more remarkable, because, on the other occasions, they seemed to require some hints and proofs, in order to enable them even to recognize him.

Lastly, more than the display of his full emancipation from the effects of the grave must have been contemplated in this interview. For, after having been seen and worshipped by the apostles, he proceeded to give them that great commission, which, probably even more than the display of himself, was the purport of their general summons to attend him. He now declared to them in what name God was to be worshipped, in the

"On the use of the word name, as applied to God's revelation of himself, I have made some remarks in my B b

name of the blessed Trinity," Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost "." And this circumstance will explain, why-supposing (as was done, in some of the preceding remarks) that Mary Magdalene on a former occassion attempted to worship him -why he forbad her by saying, "Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father,” whereas he now received the homage of all his apostles without interrupting them. Mary Magdalene was, we supposed, acting under a false apprehension that "Christ's coming" was now accomplished. To her, no more was done, than to correct this wrong impression, by reminding her of one of his former declarations, which was inconsistent with her notion. To have entered into a fuller explanation, would have anticipated that which he had reserved for this scene; for the meeting on the mountain of Galilee, which he accordingly bade her tell his apostles to prepare for. Here, upon their wor

History of Christianity, (vol. i. p. 150.) which the reader may consult.

" Matt. xxviii. 18, 19.

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