Christ began to preach when he was about thirty years of age, and the Jews from his countenance judged him to be more advanced in life. He chofe apoftles, fome of whom were married, one was employed in a public office, and most were probably as old as himfelf, if not older. If they had not been cut off by martyrdom, yet few of them, in the courfe of nature, would have furvived the deftruction of Jerufalem A. D. 70. which was about 74 years after the birth of Christ. Ecclefiaftical history affures us that St. Peter and St. Paul died before that time; and Christ had told Peter that he should be put to death in his old age.

History informs us that St. John lived long after the deftruction of Jerufalem, and Chrift had given an intimation that he should fee that event, for he faid once to his difciples, There be fome standing here who shall not taste of death till they fee the Son of man coming in his kingdom; and afterwards, when Peter was defirous to know what should befall John, Chrift replied, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

St. John had feen the three Gospels, for he wrote his own as a fupplement to them, which appears plainly in the Harmony of the Evangelifts. He omits thefe predictions of Chrift, though he was prefent at that difcourfe, of which omiffion the moft probable reafon is, that the other three had mentioned them.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke relate that when the Jews came to feize Chrift, a disciple drew his fword, and wounded one of them. John alone names him, and fays that it was Simon Peter. The caufe of their filence is obvious; Peter was living when they wrote, and they fuppreffed his name for feveral reafons, but, when John wrote, Peter was dead.

The three first Evangelifts make no mention of the refurrection of Lazarus, perhaps left the Jews, who had confulted to put to death, hould affaffinate him. When St. John wrote, it is probable that he was dead, and therefore he gave a particular account of that refurrec

tion.

There is reafon to think that St. John also might compose a part at least of his Gospel a little before the deftruction of Jerufalem, fince he speaks of the porches of Bethesda as standing, v. 2. though this amounts not to a full and conclufive proof, and may be a small inaccuracy of style, or, it may be, those porches remained undemolished.

St. Luke ends his history of the Apostles with St. Paul's dwelling at Rome for two years, A. D. 65. He mentions nothing farther, and therefore probably wrote the Acts before the death of that Apoftle; and he refers us to his own Gofpel, as to a book which he had publifhed before.

t "Est de - κολυμβήθρα. Ἦν δὲ, which is in fome few copies, is probably the emendation of a critic.

Eccle

Ecclefiaftical history informs us that Mark's Gospel had the approbation of Peter, and that Mark was inftructed by him, which opinion seems somewhat favoured by the narration of Peter's fall and repentance. Matthew and Luke fay that he wept bitterly, Mark fays only, he wept, but reprefents his crime in ftronger terms than Luke. Matthew relates at large the commendation and the commiflion which Chrift gave to Peter: Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I fay alfo unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell fhall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatfoever thou shalt bind on earth, fhall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loofe on earth, fhall be loofed in heaven. xvi. 17. Mark omits it, viii. 29.

St Peter, who died before A. D. LXX. mentioned the approaching ruin of Jerufalem, in the Acts of the Apostles ", and in his own Epiftles, as the best commentators agree; and

u Eufeb. ii. 15.

W

And I will fhew wonders in heaven above, and figns in the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The fun fhall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and terrible day of the Lord come. And it fhall come to pass, that whofaever shall call upon the Name of the Lord, shall be faved. Acts ii. 19.

But the end of all things is at hand.-The time is come, that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin with us, what will be the end of them that obey not the Gospel of VOL. I.

D

fo does St. James, and St. Paul, and the a Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Papias converfed with the difciples of the Apostles about the beginning of the second century. He fpeaks of the Gofpels of Matthew and Mark as extant, and written by them.

b

Justin Martyr, A. D. CL, mentions the Gospels as univerfally received and read in the congregations, in his time. He must have converfed with Chriftians who were old men, and from them have learned that the Gospels were extant when they were young. Oi 'Amisoa (fays he) ἐν τοῖς γενομένοις ὑπ ̓ αὐτῶν ὑπομνημονεύ μασιν, ἃ καλεῖται Εὐαγγέλια, ὅτως παρέδωκαν-And again, Τα Σπομνημονεύματα τ Αποςόλων ἀναγινώσκει. Apol. 1. And his citations from the four Gofpels, from the Epiftles of St. Paul, and from the Revelation, fhew to a demonstration that he had them as we now have them, in the main.

God? And if the righteous fcarcely be faved, where fhall the ungodly and the finner appear? 1 Pet. iv. 7.

Y Go to now, ye rich Men, weep and howl for the miseries that fhall come upon you.--Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of our Lord.-For the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. The Judge ftandeth before the door. James v. 1.

-

The Lord is at hand, Phil. iv. 5. To fill up their fins al ways; for wrath is come upon them to the uttermoft, i Theff. xi. 16. The day of the Lord cometh as a thief in the night, &c. 1 Theff. v. 2. The fame event is alfo perhaps alluded to, 2 Theff. i. 6, &c. and 2 Theff. ii. 2, &c.

are have need of patience that--ye might receive the promife. For yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, &c. Heb. x. 36.

b Eufeb. Eccl. Hift. iii. 39, fub finem.

In the interval between A. D. LXX. and Juftin, are the authors called Apoftolical, as Clemens, Hermas, Barnabas, Ignatius. Thefe authors make use of fome of the Gospels and Epiftles, and allude to them; which makes them highly valuable, and serviceable to the Christian cause. We cannot fuppofe that they had the inclination, we may pofitively affirm that they had not the capacity to forge them. Their own writings prove it.

Barnabas, in his Epiftle, makes ufe of Matthew, Luke, John, and the Epifle to the Ro

mans.

Clemens, in his first Epijtle, makes mention of St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians, and takes paffages from Matthew, Mark, Luke, A&ts, Romans, 1 and 2 Cor. Philip. 1 Theff. Ephef. I and 2 of Peter, 1 Tim. 1 and 3 of John, Revel. and particularly from the Epistle to the Hebrews. He alfo fpeaks of the Martyrdom of

Peter and Paul.

In his fecond Epifle, if it be his, there are paffages from Matthew, Luke, 1 Cor. and Hebr. Hermas fays, i. 2. Juravit Dominus per Filium fuum: Qui denegaverit filium & fe- & ipfi denegaturi funt illum-from Mat. x. 33.

I. 6. Cum ergo venerit tribulatio, propter divitias fuas & negotiationes, abnegant Dominumfrom Mat. xiii. 21.

I.

ii

1. 9. Videte ergo vos qui gloriamini in divitiis, ne forte ingemifcant i qui egent, & gemitus eorum afcendat ad Dominum-from James v. 4. D 2

Ib.