every species of crime, I could not describe the names of all the punishments ;"-with this difference, that this hyperbole, only carried to a still greater extreme, is common amongst the Jews in their colloquial writings. Wetstein has shown several instances of it. Thus, "if all the seas were ink, all the plants writing-reeds, and every man a writer, I should be unable to write down," &c. &c. This is the extended and far-fetched hyperbole, which gives such offence; but in the gospel it is far from revolting, and only requires that we should not look at it though a microscope. One, however, who is imbued with Grecian taste, would rather attribute it to John, who was born a Hebrew, than to the elders of the Grecian city of Ephesus. Even the passage of Homer, imitated by Virgil, is much more modest; for Homer only supposes ten, and Virgil one hundred tongues : "Not if I had ten tongues and ten mouths." Homer's Iliad, b. 2, v. 489. I think there has been unnecessary labour to endeavour to soften this hyperbole. Wetstein is desirous of explaining it, as not only comprising what Christ himself has done, but what his disciples have also effected, through the prevailing power of grace. But this would still remain hyper bole, for the most complete history of the church, comprising the pious effusions of every holy individual, would still find a place in the world. Others wish to translate it, "the world would not receive or believe;" but they would do better if they were to say, "the world would not be able to read;" although this signification would not do, on account of the word "itself," which is connected with it. "Amen."] An addition, which the transcribers of many Biblical manuscripts make in conformity with the more modern custom of the church; but which old and important manuscripts always omit. It occurs here, as may be seen from Wetstein's various readings, and I consider it as decidedly spurious. If, however, it is still held to be genuine, it can be considered as an additional assurance in favour of the testimony of John. XIII. JESUS SHOWS HIMSELF IN GALILEE TO HIS DISCIPLES UPON THE MOUNTAIN TO WHICH HE HAD ORDERED THEM TO MATTHEW XXVIII. 16-20. 16. "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain, where Jesus had appointed them! 17. "And when they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 20. 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. Amen." THIS appearance is not mentioned in any other gospel; but, on the other hand, we find it, with the remarkable circumstance that Jesus had been seen, after his resurrection, by more than five hundred brethren at the same time, in Paul's 1st Epistle to the Corinthians xv. 6. He does not indeed say, that it was in Galilee; but he can allude to no other appearance; partly on account of the time, with reference to which he speaks; partly because Jesus had appointed all his disciples, who wished to see him after he was risen, to go to Galilee. The silence of Mark and John is here of no importance, for Mark was interrupted in the progress of his gospel, and John omits the history, in conformity with his usual custom, in consequence of its being already mentioned in Matthew; and his silence, therefore, as connected with the remarks in John xxi. 1, is confirmation. The silence of Luke is alone remarkable, and must be explained in this way,—that, as he wrote out of Palestine, he had heard nothing of the history, and not finding it noticed in the earlier gospels, which it was his object to verify, he had not inquired about it amongst those who could have given him information, and of whom so many existed at the time. Matthew, on the contrary, omits other appearances, and hastens to this most important one, evidently with reference to what he has related, xxvi. 32, and xxviii. 7. In the Hebrew gospel of the Nazarenes, there was every species of in terpolation; but we are ignorant whether it contained what the other related to us. evangelists have 16. "The eleven disciples."] From the passages which have been already quoted, we may conclude that nothing but positive personal fears would have deterred a disciple of Jesus from going to the mountain, where every one who wished to be convinced of the truth of the resurrection, might be certain of the fact; and this was evidently the reason why a mountain in Galilee should have been selected, as being the country where he had most disciples, and where the faith in him was the most prevalent. But as Paul expressly says, that Jesus was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once, it is inconceivable, that Matthew should only have mentioned eleven, and been silent, as to the rest. A writer against Christianity has ingeniously observed, that it was unnecessary for the eleven to see him in Galilee, as they had already seen him in Jerusalem. It is impossible for me to believe that the original text of Matthew is in strict conformity with our present reading. With a few more letters, would it not read, "the eleven and the disciples?" If |