JESUS appears to Two Difciples, as they go to Emmaus.

CHRIST appears to the Two Difciples on their Way to
Emmaus, opens the Scriptures to them, and makes him-
Self known in breaking of Bread. Luke XXIV. 13,

33.

LUKE XXIV. 13.

AND behold, Two of

them went that fame

Day to a Village called Emmaus, which was from Jerufalem about Threefcore Furlongs.

14: And they talked to. gether of all thefe Things which had happened.

15 And it came to pass, that while they communed together, and reafoned, Jefus himself drew near,, and

went with them..

WE

LUKE. XXIV. 13.

615

14

E are now to give fome farther Account Sect. 197 of that Fact, which we hinted at above, of our Lord's appearing to Two of his Difci- Luk.XXIV. ples on a Journey: And the Cafe was this. Be-13. bold, (for it is a very obfervable Story,) Two of them were travelling, that very Day on which Jefus rofe from the Dead, to a Village called Emmaus, which was about Sixty Furlongs, or fomewhat more than Seven Miles, from Jerufalem. And as they walked along, they difcourfed together of all these wonderful and important Things which had lately happened, and which could not but lie great Weight on their Spirits.. And it came to pass, that as they talked about the Sufferings and Death of their beloved Lord, and the Report which had been spread that Morning of his Refurrection, and argued the Point together with vifible Marks of the greatest Concern, Jefus alfo himself drew near, as one that came from Jerufalem and was going the fame Way, and travelled on with them.

with

15.

But that they might not presently difcover who 16
he was, and be prevented from expreffing their
own Thoughts with Freedom, he appeared to them
in fomething of a different Form and Habit from
what he ufually wore; (compare Mark xvi. 12.
pag. 612.) and befides, whatever there might
be of uncommon Vigour and Majefty in his Coun-
tenance, their Eyes were fo affected and restrain-
ed, by a fecret but powerful Influence, that they
did not look upon him with that Attention and
Recollection which might have been expected;
fo that on the whole, tho' they were fome con-
fiderable

616

He enters into Conversation with them as a Stranger.

Sect. 197. fiderable Time in his Company, yet they did not
I know him (a).

Luk.XXIV.

17.

18

19

And he joined himself to them, as it were by Accident, and, after the ufual Salutation, faid to them, May I enquire what are thefe Matters which you are conferring upon between your felves, as you walk, and about which you feem to be fo much concerned? for you are very earnest in Discourse, and appear with a forrowful Countenance.

And one of the Two] whofe Name was Cleopas (b), anfwered and faid to him, You feem to be come from Jerufalem, and tho' you may perhaps be no more than a Stranger there, yet is it poffible that you should be at any Lofs to know what is the Subject of our Converfation, and what it is that gives us fuch Concern? Are you the only Perfon that fojourns in Jerufalem, and is unacquainted with the extraordinary Things (c), which have been done there in fo publick a Manner within these few Days, that they engross the Converfation of the whole City?

And he faid to them, What are thofe Things that you refer to? And they faid to him, Thofe that relate to Jefus, who was called the Nazarene; a Man who was a Prophet of the most illuftrious Character, and greatly powerful both in Actions and in Words; for he wrought the most aftonishing Miracles, and taught the most inftructive and excellent Doctrine, which raised him to the highest Honour before GOD, and all the People of Ifrael, among whom he publickly ap

peared

17 And he said unto them, What manner of Commu

nications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are fad?

18 And the one of them,

whofe Name was Cleopas, anfwering, faid unto him, Art thou only a Stranger in Jerufalem, and haft not known the Things which are come to pass there in thefe Days?

19 And he said unto them, What Things? And they

faid unto him, Concerning Jefus of Nazareth, which was a Prophet, mighty in Deed and Word beforeGoD, and all the People:

(a) They did not know him.] A different Habit, and their having no Expectation of feeing him, might, in part, prevent their knowing him: Yet as it is faid, their Eyes were · refrained from knowing him, I am ready to think, there was fomething more than this, even fome particular Agency of GoD, to divert their Eyes from looking ftedfaftly upon him, or fo to affect their Memories, as to render them incapable of recollecting who he was. Compare Gen. xxi. 19. Numb. xxii. 31. 2 Kings vi. 17, 18.

(b) One of the Two, whofe Name was Cleopas.] It has already been obferved, that Cleopas was the fame with Alpheus, the Father of James the lefs and Judas, who were Two of the Apostles. (Luke vi. 15, 16.) See Note (e) on John xiv. 22. pag. 457. and Note (b) on John xix. 25. pag. 569.— Some fuppofe, that the other was Luke; but Dr. Lightfoot endeavours to prove, it was Peter: (See Note (f) on Mat. xxviii. 15. pag. 612.) It seems more probable, that he was not one of the Apostles, but might poffibly be of the Number of the Seventy, whofe Name is uncertain.

(c) Are you the only Perfon that fojourns in Jerufalem, and is unacquainted &c.] This is the emphatical Import of the Original, συ μονον παροικείς και εκ έγνως 16.

&c.

(d) And

20 And how the Chief Pricfts and our Rulers delito Death, and have cruci

vered him to be condemned

fied him:

21 But we trusted that it had been he, which should befide all this, to Day is the Third Day fince thefeThings

have redeemed Ifrael: and

were done.

617

And Sect. 197:

Luk.XXIV.

20.

They tell him the Concern that they were under about JESUS.
peared for feveral Months and Years.
have you not then heard, how our Chief Priests
and Rulers delivered him up to the Roman Go-
vernor, and compelled him by their Importunity
to pass a Sentence of Death upon him, and fo cru-
cified him between Two Robbers? And this 21
muft needs be an unspeakable Affliction to us,
who are Two of his Difciples: For we not only
thought him a Meffenger from GoD, as the old
Prophets were; but we verily hoped, that he had
been the Meffiah himself, even the very Perfon
who should have delivered Ifrael from the Power
of their Enemies, and have established the long-
expected Kingdom of GoD among us: But
now we are ready to give up all our Hopes;
for we have feen him on a Cross instead of a
Throne: And befides all thefe melancholy [Oc-
currences,] tho' he had given us Intimations of
his rifing again on the Third Day, yet this is now
the Third Day fince thefe Things were done, or
fince he was condemned and crucified, and we
have not yet received any convincing Evidence
of his being rifen from the Dead. It is true 22
indeed fome Women among us, of our Society, have
greatly furprized us with an Account they brought
this Morning; who tell us, they were very early
at the Sepulchre in which he was laid, with an
Intent to embalm him; And not having found 23
his Body there, they came away in Hafte to ac-
quaint us with it; and befides this, they say,
that they faw also a Vifon, or Apparition, of An-
gels (d), who affirmed him to be alive again, with
fome other ftrange and extraordinary Circum-
ftances. Nay, and fome Men too who were 24
with us, of our own Company, went themselves
to the Sepulchre, and found [it] to be even fo as

22 Yea, and certain Women alfo of our Company made us aftonifhed, which were early at the Sepulchre:

23 And when they found not his Body, they came, faying, that they had also feen a Vifion of Angels, which faid that he was alive.

24 And certain of them which were with us, went

to the Sepulchre, and found

it

the

(d) And fay, that they faw also a Vifion of Angels.] According to the Order in which the Story is digefted in the preceding Sections, the Women did not return to their Company, between the Appearance of the Angels, and that of Chrift to them; and therefore I am ready to conclude, that thefe Travellers imagined, that which the Women took for an Appearance of Chrift, was at moft but a Vifion of Angels; (as fome thought with refpect to Peter, Acts xii. 15.) and what is added in the next Verfe, with relation to Peter and John, who are the Men there fpoken of, [but him they did not fee,] may perhaps imply, that the Women pretended also to have seen Jefus himself. Iiii

VOL. II.

(e) Oh

618

Sect. 197.

Luk.XXIV.

24.

25

not.

He opens to them what the Scriptures had foretold of CHRIST.
the Women had faid, that is, that the Body was it even fo as the Women
gone, and faw the Funeral Linnen laid in Order had faid; but him they faw
there; but him they did not fee; tho' the Women
apprehended, he had actually appeared to them
himself, and declared that he was rifen, and would
shew himself to his Difciples: So that as yet we
know not what to think of it, and cannot but
be under great Concern about it.

25 Then he said unto them, O Fools, and flow of

Heart to believe all that the

Prophets have spoken!

And upon this our Lord, without discovering who he was, faid to them with fome Warmth, Ob ye thoughtless [Creatures,] and flow of Heart to believe all the Things that the Prophets have fo frequently and clearly spoken (e); which, if you had attentively confidered and believed them, 26 would have prevented this Surprize. Was it not neceffary, in order to accomplish thofe Sacred have suffered these Things, Oracles," which teftify before-hand the Suffer

27

ings of Chrift, and the Glory that fhould fol low," (1 Pet. i. 11.) that the Meffiah Should fuffer all thefe Things at which ye ftumble, and [Jo] fhould enter into his Glory?

And hereupon beginning from the Writings of Mofes, and fupporting his Difcourfe with the Authority of almost all the Prophets (f), be in terpreted to them, in a much clearer Light than they had ever seen them in before, the principal Things, which either had been typified, or were foretold concerning him, in all the Scriptures.

And

26 Ought not Chrift to

and to enter into his Glory?

27 And beginning at Mofes, and all the Prophets, he the Scriptures, the Things concerning himself.

expounded unto them in all

(8) Oh thoughtless Creatures, &c.] The Word avonlar is by no Means of fo bad a Sound, as that of Fools, by which we tranflate it: (See Note (1) on Mat. v. 22. Vol. i. pag. 230.) Yet as Dr. Bullock juftly obferves, (in his Vindication of Chrift's Refurrection, pag. 174.) if the Prophecies of the Old Teftament had been (as Mr. Collins pretends,) only allegorical, there could not have been Room for fuch a heavy Charge of Stupidity against thefe Dif ciples for not understanding them. It is, by the Way, very weak in Mr. Collins, and fome other Deifts, to urge the Slowness of Christ's Friends to believe his Refurrection, as an Argument that the Proofs of it were defective: On the contrary, as Bishop Chandler well replies, (in his Vindication of Chriftianity, pag. 45, 46.) their believing afterwards carries the greater Weight; for it removes all Sufpicion of a Collufion between Chrift and them in his Life-time; and alfo implies an impartial Examination of the Fact, and the Strength of those Proofs that vanquished this Incredulity.

(f) Beginning from Mofes, and all the Prophets.] It is no Way neceffary (with Mr. Mede, in his ingenious Difcourfe on thefe Words,) to fuppofe, that Chrift's Sufferings, Refurrection, and Exaltation, are each of them diftinctly foretold in each of thofe Parts of the Sacred Writings, which are mentioned here. It is enough, if Mofes gives fome Intimations concerning him, which fucceeding Prophets carry on; and if, when all their Teftimonies are taken together, all thefe Events are expreffed by fome or other of them. It was very unbecoming the Character of an honeft Writer, to reprefent our Lord, as here attempting to

He goes in with them, and in breaking Bread they know him.

Luk.XXIV.

619
And by this Time they drew near to the Village Se&t. 197.
whither they were travelling: And when they
came to the House where they defigned to tarry, Lu
Jefus, like one that was a Stranger, began to take
his Leave; and making no Offer to turn in with
them, he feemed as if he were going farther, in-
tending indeed to do it, if he were not prevented
by their Request. But they even compelled him 29
by their friendly Importunity to go in with
them (g), Saying, Let us prevail upon you to
continue this Night with us, where we affure
you of a most hearty Welcome; and as indeed
We are fo greatly delighted and edified with
your Company, that we cannot part with
you, it
may also be inconvenient for You to travel much
farther, for it is now towards Evening, and the
Day declines apace. And he complied with their
Requeft, and went in to continue with them.

And it came to pass, that when Supper was 30
ready, as he fate down to Table with them, he took
a Cake of Bread; and tho' he only appeared as
a Guest there, he affumed the Office of the Head
of the Family, and looking up to Heaven blessed,
or gave Thanks over it; and then brake it, and
gave [it] to them, just in the Manner which he
had formerly been used to.

And they were fo furprized at this Circum- 31
stance, that they now looked upon him more in-
tently than they had done before; and their Eyes
were then opened (b), and to their unutterable Afto-
nishment and Joy they knew him, and plainly faw

that

prove his Refurrection from Scripture; which Mr. Collins pretends to have been the Cafe. The precife Point in View plainly was, to convince them, that there was no Reason to be fcandalized at the Death of one whom they took to be the Meffiah; nor in general to look on the Report of his Resurrection as a monftrous and incredible Tale. But that he was actually rifen, was to be proved another Way; which accordingly our Lord immediately ufed, by difcovering himself to them.

(g) They compelled him &c.] It might be rendered, they pressed him: (See Note (g) on Luke xiv. 23. pag. 151.) Every Body eafily fees, how little Room there was for any proper Compulfion in fuch a Cafe as this. Probably one of them dwelt at Emmaus, or they were going to an Inn, or to fome Friend's Houfe, where they could use the Freedom to introduce this unknown Stranger, for whom they had fo high a Veneration.

(b) Their Eyes were opened.] I fee no Reafon to conclude, with Cradock, and Brennius, that his undertaking this Office of breaking Bread, or with others, that fome peculiar Gefture in performing it, was the Thing that made the Discovery. (See Note (a) on ver. 16.) Iiii 2 The