that were with him, followed after him." Ver. 37, "And when they had found him, they said unto him: All men seek thee." This is not at all in Matthew, and is here much fuller, and with more particulars, than in Luke iv. 42.

6.) Ch. i. 45, Of the leper, cured by our Saviour, he says: "But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter." Not particularly mentioned by the other evangelists. Compare Matth. viii. 4; Luke v. 14, 15.

7.) In the cure of the paralytic, ch. ii. 2, " And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, not so much as about the door. 3. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4. And they uncovered the roof"-No other evangelist has so particularly described the crowd. In Mark only it is said, that this sick man was borne of four. He likewise more particularly describes the uncovering the roof. Compare Matt. ix. Í, 2; Luke v. 18, 19.

8.) In the history of the man "with a withered hand," cured in the synagogue, on a sabbath; ch. iii. 5, “ And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man Stretch forth thy hand.” Not so full in any other evangelist. Compare Matt. xii. 9–13; Luke vi. 6—11. 9.) Ch. iii. ver. 6, "And the pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him." Matt. xii. 14, mentions pharisees only. Luke vi. 11, mentions no persons by name.

10.) Ch. iii. 17, And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he named them Boanerges." Not in any other evangelist.

11.) Ch. iii. 19" And they went into the house. 20. And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold of him. For they said: He is beside himself." Whether that expression "he is beside himself" is to be understood of Christ, or of the multitude, this passage is peculiar to St. Mark.

12.) Ch. iv. 26," And he said: So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast his seed into the ground, 27. And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. 28. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of itself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 29. But when

the fruit is ripe, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come." This parable is peculiar to St. Mark. See Whitby upon the place, and likewise m Grotius.

13.) After the parable of the grain of mustard-seed, beside other things common to him and Matthew, he adds, ch. iv. 34, "And when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples." Compare Matt. xiii. 31-34. This particular leads us mightily to think, that either Mark was an eye-witness, or had the best and fullest information of things.

14.) Mark iv. 36, "And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship." This circumstance, peculiar to St. Mark, enables us to account for our Lord's fast sleep in his passage to the country of the Gadarenes. We perceive from St. Mark, that this voyage was undertaken in the evening, after the fatigue of long discourses in public, and without any refreshment. Our Lord's sleep in the midst of a storm is mentioned by all three evangelists. Matt. viii, 24-26; Mark iv. 37, 38; Luke viii. 23, 24. But this evangelist alone leads us to discern the occasion of it.

15.) Farther, in the same ver. 36, of ch. iv. “And there were also with him several other little ships." A particular peculiar to St. Mark.

16.) And in the account of this voyage across the sea, he says, ver. 38, that our Lord was "in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow" two circumstances, wanting in the other evangelists.

17.) Certainly these and other things are sufficient to assure us, that either Mark was an eye-witness: or, that he wrote things as related to him by an eye-witness, even Peter himself, as all the ancients say.

18.) In Matt. viii. 28-34; Mark v. 1-19; Luke viii. 26-39, are the several accounts of our Lord's healing the dæmoniac, or dæmoniacs, in the country of the Gadarenes ; for Matthew speaks of two, Mark and Luke of one only. In St. Mark's history are divers things not in the other gospels. In him alone it is said, that "the man was always night and day in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones." And he only mentions the number of swine that perished in the sea, saying, "they were about two thousand."

m Hæc parabola, aliis omissa, cum suam hic explicationem non habeat, explicari debet ex simili comparatione, quæ est apud Matt. xiii. 24. Grot. ad Marc. iv. 26.

19.) All the first three evangelists have given a history of our Lord's raising the daughter of Jairus, and healing the woman with an issue of blood, both in connection. Matt. ix. 18-26; Mark v. 22-43; Luke viii. 41-56. St. Mark has several things which are in neither of the other. Of the woman he says, ver. 26, “she had suffered much of many physicians and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse." At ver. 29, "And she felt in her body, that she was healed of that plague." At ver. 41, he inserts the very words which Jesus spake when he raised the daughter of Jairus: "Talitha Kumi." I have omitted some other things peculiar to St. Mark in the account of these two miracles.

20.) Ch. vi. 13, In the account of the commission given to the twelve by Christ in his life-time, he says, "they anointed many with oil, and healed them:" which is mentioned by no other evangelist, as was observed of old by n Victor.

21.) Mark vii. 2, 3, 4. What is there said of the Jews' washing themselves, when they come from the market, before they eat and of their cleansing cups, pots, brazen vessels, and tables," is peculiar to St. Mark. Comp. Matt. xv. 1, 2.

St.

22.) Ch. vii. 21, 22, Are the things that defile men. Matthew, ch. xv. 19, mentions seven things only. St. Mark has thirteen: and two of them, "an evil eye," and "foolishness," are very singular.

23.) Ch. vii. 31-37, Our Lord bestows hearing and speech upon a deaf and dumb man.

24.) Ch. viii. 22-26, Our Lord cures a blind man at Bethsaida.

These two miracles are peculiar to St. Mark, being related by no other evangelist.

25.) Ch. x. 46-52, is the account of the miracle on the blind man near Jericho. St. Mark, ver. 46, calls him blind Bartimeus, son of Timæus: not mentioned by the other evangelists. See Matt. xx. 29-34; Luke xviii. 35-43. And at ver. 50, "he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus:" a circumstance peculiar to St. Mark. Which shows his exact knowledge of the history, as did likewise calling the man by his name.

26.) Ch. xi. 13, " For the time of figs was not yet:" that is, the time of gathering was not yet come. A most useful observation peculiar to this evangelist, showing, that as there were leaves, it was reasonable to expect fruit on this

n See Vol. iv. ch. cxxii. 12.

fig-tree, if it was not barren. Upon this text might be consulted bishop Kidder, and P Mr. Hallet.

27.) Ch. xiii. 3, 4, "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, over against the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, asked him privately,-When shall these things be?" No other evangelist has mentioned the names of the disciples, who put this question to our Saviour. Comp. Matt. xxiv. 1-3; Luke xxi. 5.

28.) In Mark. 41-44, and Luke xxi. 1-4, is the account of the people casting their gifts into the chests of the treasury in the temple. St. Mark says: "And Jesus sat over against the treasury." In which expression there is great propriety. And he alone mentions the value of the poor widow's two mites, saying, "which make a farthing." 29.) Ch. xiv. 51, " And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body. And the young men [the guards] laid hold on him." Ver. 52,"And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked." A particular in no other evangelist, yet very fitly taken notice of, as intimating the usual noise and disturbance, when a man is taken up in the night-time as a malefactor, and is carried before a magistrate. By the noise of the people passing along, that young person was excited to come hastily out of the house where he was, to inquire what was the matter. Mr. Le Clerc, in his French Testament, has an useful note upon this place. He observes the natural simplicity of the evangelist's narration; which, as he justly says, confirms the truth of their history.

30.) Ch. xv. 21, " And they compel one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross." That particular, "the father of Alexander and Rufus," is in no other evangelist. Comp. Matt. xxvii. 32, and Luke xxiii. 26.

31.) Ch. xvi. 3, 4, " And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre for it was very great." In no other evangelist.

32.) Ch. xvi. 7, "But go your way, tell his disciples, and Peter, that he goes before you into Galilee." The mention of Peter is peculiar to St. Mark. For in Matt. xxviii. 7, it is, "Go quickly, and tell his disciples." St. Luke has not recorded that message.

• Demonstration of the Messiah, Part ii. ch. ii. p. 38, 39.

P Notes and Discourses, Vol. ii. p. 114-125.

Grot.

Non de apostolorum grege-sed ex villâ aliquà horto proximâ, strepitu militum excitatus, et subito accurrens, ut conspiceret quid ageretur. ad Marc. xi. 51.

33.) I add nothing more of this kind. I have omitted many things, which are in this gospel, and no other, being apprehensive, that if I enlarged farther, I should be charged with prolixity.

34.) The particulars that have been alleged, are sufficient to assure us, that St. Mark is not an epitomiser of another author: and that he was well acquainted with the things of which he undertook to write a history. He writes as an eye-witness, or as one who had full and authentic information at the first hand. In a word, St. Mark's gospel, though short, is a very valuable and masterly performance.

I

4. It may be proper for me to add one thing more: that suppose the twelve verses at the end of the sixteenth chapter to be a genuine part of this gospel. If any doubt of it, I would refer them for their satisfaction to Dr. Mill, and to the observations of Grotius, at the beginning of that chapter, and to Beza upon the ninth verse. And for explaining those twelve verses, and reconciling them with the other evangelists, I refer to Grotius, and other com

mentators.

CHAP. VIII.

ST. LUKE, EVANGELIST.

1. His history from the N. T. II. Testimonies of ancient christian writers to St. Luke, and his two books, his gospel, and the Acts. III. Remarks upon those Testimonies. IV. The time of writing his gospel and the Acts. V. Internal characters of time in the gospel. VI. The place where it was written. VII. A general recollection of St. Luke's character. VIII. Observations upon his gospel. IX. Observations upon the book of the Acts.

I. THE first time that we find any mention of St. Luke in the books of the New Testament is in his own history.

a

From some words in the Cambridge manuscript, Bp. Pearson has argued that Luke was in Paul's company from the year 43. Dein peragrat [Paulus] Phrygiam et Galatiam, et per Mysiam venit Troadem, ubi se illi comitem adjunxisse indicat Lucas, xvi. 10, qui antea etiam Antiochiæ cum Paulo fuit, et jam eum Troade assecutus est: ut colligere licet ex Act. xi. 28. ubi Codex Cantabr. habet, ovvezpaμμevwv de nμwv. Ab anno igitur 43, per octennium