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defigned for the place of Jefus's refidence, after the return from Egypt.

The vifit of the Magi at Bethleem is juftly placed after the purification; for otherwife Mary, having received fuch rich prefents, would not have offered the offering of the poor, Luke ii. 24. comp. Lev. xii. 8. Nor, again, after Herod's jealoufy had been raised, could the child Jefus have been fafely presented in the Temple with fo many circumftances of folemnity. No juft objection to this order can be drawn from Luke ii. 39: for this Evangelift, omitting the circumftances in Matthew, chap. ii. 1-22, except the journey into Galilee, gives a feeming connection to events really diftant, as all concife hiftorians do. So Luke xxi. 7, &c. Jefus's prophecy feems immediately connected with the obfervations in ver. 5, 6: and yet that there was fome intervening time, and that the fcene was not the Temple but the Mount of Olives, which commanded a full view of the 'Temple, appears from Matth. xxiv. 3, Mark xiii. 3. So likewife, Luke xxiv. 50, the afcenfion of Chrift feems connected with his appearance to the apoftles on the first day of his refurrection; and yet the fame writer teaches us, Acts i. 32 that forty days intervened. And, again: the journey into Galilee, mentioned Matth. 4. 12, Mark i. 14, Luke iv. 14, feems to have immediately followed the temptation: and yet St. John fhews that there were many intermediate facts, the teftimony of John the Baptift, the converfion of Andrew, Simon, Philip, and Nathaniel, a journey into Galilee, a miracle at Cana, attendance at the paffover, and baptifing in Judea, See also Acts ix. 19-26, where St. Paul's journey into Arabia, mentioned Gal. i. 17, is omitted. "This, fays Lardner, is an inftructive instance: the omiffion is certain and undoubted." Suppl. to Cred. 1. 299. Other inftances are Matth. xii. 8, 9, xiii. 9, 10 53, 54. xix. 1, 10. xxi. 11, 12: 19, 20. xxvii. 7. xxviii. 15, 16. Mark x. 1. xvi. 18, 19. Luke xix. 45. John vi. 40, 41. See § 148. Matth. xxviii. 9. After the refidence of fome months at Bethleem, probably pear the end of our Lord's first year, the Magi may have offered their gifts: and when Herod flaughtered the infants, our Lord may have entered on his fecond year. This is agreeable to Matth. ii. 7, 16; fuppofing, which is moft natural, that the ftar appeared at the birth of Chrift. This is my opinion.'

To this we fhall add part of another note, as it relates to the latitude with which the Evangelifts ufe fome forms of expreffion which feem to denote an immediate connection of one event with another, and contains Mr. Jones's remark on the fubject; leaving the whole to the judgment of our Readers.

$29. It appears from the order of St. Mark's and of St. Luke's narration, that the leper was healed during the fecond

journey

journey of our Lord into Galilee after his public ministry ;and during that circuit about Galilee which is fpoken of Matth. iv. 23, and the parallel verfes.

St. Mark plainly intimates that this was done in fome of those cities to which Jefus went in his progrefs, after he left Capernaum, chap. i. 35, and before he returned thither again, chap. ii. 1. Pilkington's Harm. notes, p. 18.

The miracle was performed in a certain city, Luke v. 12: and therefore not immediately on Jefus's defcent from the mountain, Matth. viii. 1.

Mr. Jones, in his judicious Vindication of St. Matthew's Gospel, London, 1719, thinks that Matth. viii. 2-4, is in the proper order of time, and that the other Evangelifts place it where they do, because done at Capernaum. In fupport of his opinion he alleges the form of tranfition, Matth. viii. 1. Καταβάντι κ. λ.

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But, 1, it is certain from comparing Mark i. 21, 35, and ii. 1, that the leper was not healed in Capernaum. See alfo Matth. viii. 5. And ii. the form of connection, used Matth. viii. 1, only proves that on Jefus's defcent from the mountain great multitudes followed him. This verse refers to Matth, v. I, and fhould not be detached from the foregoing chapter.

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Kai id is the introductory phrafe prefixed to this relation; of which fee this Author, p. 38, 9. His words are, "Is it not evident that these, and fuch as thefe [idwv de, nai ido, x. 2.] are defigned only for the better tranfition from one story to another? Is it not very plain that they regard only the fubfequent ftory? Have thefe phrafes any reference at all to what goes before? Do they intimate that the next fact related was immediately in order of time after that which was before related?"

Óther marks of tranfition mentioned by him as used with Jatitude are, καὶ ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐλθὼν, καὶ προσελθών, εἰσελθόντι δὲ, περιπατῶν δὲ, καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ ςόμα. We may add, τοτε, μετα ταῦτα, ἶν, ἐν ταῖς ημέραις ἐκείναις, ἐν μιᾷ τῶν ἡμερῶν: and an attentive reader will remark others.' Se Chemnitius's Harm. Proleg. p. 17, 18.

His Lordship is of opinion, with Calvin, Mede, Lardner, Bishop Hurd, and others, that Jefus caft the buyers and fellers out of the Temple twice. On the contrary Mr. Mann, Dr. Priestley, and Bifhop Pearce contend that Jefus purged the Temple only at the laft paffover. Dr. Newcome has ftated their arguments, and given a diftinct reply to each of them. After comparing them attentively together, we think it the more probable opinion that Jefus purged the Temple only once; though we acknowledge that we are at a lofs to account for the anticipation which this implies in St. John's narrative.

The

The Bishop, in a long note, has particularly confidered, and, we think, effectually refuted, a fingular pofition advanced by Lamy, Harm. 106, Apparatus 212, that the Baptift was twice imprifoned, firft by the Sanhedrim, and then by Herod.

The following extracts relate to the duration of our Lord's miniftry, and include fome of the principal circumstances. which led this intelligent Writer to adopt the common opinion, in preference to Mr. Mann's hypothefis, fo lately revived and ably fupported, by Dr. Prieftley: we hope that the importance of their contents will be a fufficient apology for their length.

If Jefus was born early in October, in that month he entered on his thirtieth year. We cannot, therefore, allow that more than about fix months elapfed between the beginning of his miniftry and the firft paffover. John ii. 23, affords reafon to conclude that Jefus continued in Jerufalem during a part of the pafchal week; and it was a conduct very fuitable to the great ends of his miniftry, if he protracted his ftay beyond the time of that whole feftival.

§ 22. Jefus leaves Jerufalem, and exercifes his public miniftry in Judea, probably in the parts about Jordan. John iii. 22, the word diargiew imports a confiderable fpace of time. We fee indeed, Acts xxv. 6. xx. 6, that it is fometimes reftrained to ten or feven days. But in John xi. 54, which is a parallel place, where it is ufed abfolutely, and xevov is underftood, it can scarcely mean lefs than a month. In the place before us it feems to import a ftill longer time. John iii. 22, 6, compared with John iv. 1, will lead us to conclude that in Judea, after the paffover, Jefus made and baptifed more difciples than John.-And we cannot but think that they were inftructed, as well as baptifed.

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$33 *. I think with many commentators that this tran[action happened on the first Sabbath after the fixteenth of Nifan, that is, after the second day of the feaft of unleavened bread. See $23. We may well fuppofe that our Lord and his difciples were then on their way from Jerufalem to Galilee, after having kept the paflover. John v. 16, 18, will furnish a reafon why our Lord chofe to remain fo fhort a time in Jerufalem. Odov Tv, Mark ii. 23, may refer to fuch a journey as by custom might be taken on the Sabbath. See Acts i. 12. Matthew refumes what he had omitted in its proper place.

Dr. Prieftley, the learned and ingenious defender of Mr. Mann's hypothefis, thinks that the paffover recorded $20, that is, John ii. 13, was that which immediately preceded the tranfaction here related." The duration of our Lord's mi

* N. B. This refers to Luke vi. 1-5, and the parallel paffages.

niftry turns on this point. I will, therefore, place before the Reader, in one view, the evidence against what has been lately fupported with as much plaufibility as the fubject admits.

We read, $20, that Jefus celebrated at Jerufalem the first paffover during his public miniftry; and though I allow that he might work miracles, make difciples, and purge the Temple, before the fourteenth of Nifan, yet John ii. 23, fhews that he also displayed his miraculous power during the feaft, that is, during fome part of the feven days after the pafchal lamb was flain. It is obferved, John ii. 24, that at this paffover Jesus did not truft himself to thofe who believed in him and John iii. 2, a Jewish ruler vifits Jefus by night, and refers to his miracles. The Reader muft judge from thefe circumstances whether it is not probable that Jefus continued at Jerufalem at leaft during the eight days of this feftival.

In § 22, fome remarks have been made on John iii. 22, compared with iv. 1. Dr. Priestley obferves on John iii. 22. 1. Several circumftances make it evident that Jesus's ftay in Judea at that time could not be long. For not only do the other Evangelifts make no mention of this stay in Judea; but the manner in which they all relate the hiftory of the first transactions in Galilee fhews that they had no idea of any thing confiderable having been done before, Matth. iv. 17. Mark i. 28. Luke iv. 14.

2. Jefus could not be long in making difciples enow to alarm the Jews.

3. Peter and Andrew, James and John, did not particularly attend upon Jefus till after his arrival in Galilee. See thefe arguments more fully ftated in Dr. Priestley's Harm. p. 52, 53

But the force of these objections will be abated, if we confider that the Evangelifts often omit very important events; (for inftance, three of them are filent on our Lord's attendance at any Jewish feaft except the laft paffover): that Jefus might with much wisdom preach more openly and univerfally in the remote province of Galilee than he chofe to do in Judea that Jefus's high reputation for what had paffed in Judea feems to have gone before him into Galilee, Luke iv. 14: that supposing Jefus to have tarried in the parts about Jordan, twenty or thirty miles from Jerufalem, and to have proceeded at firft with that referve and circumfpection which his vicinity to the Jewish rulers feems to have required, it might be fome time before their jealousy became dangerous to him: and that, before the call of Peter, &c. to a ftated attendance on Jefus, his disciples are often mentioned, and are once faid to have been employed in

baptifing converts. See John ii. 2, 22. iii. 22. iv. 2.

Upon

Upon the whole, I continue to think that at least a month muft be allowed for Jefus's abode in Judea.

Let us fuppofe that Cana was fituated to the West beyond Nazareth and Sephoris, and that its diftance from that part of Judea in which Jefus dwelt was fifty or fixty miles. On this journey Jefus paffed probably two whole days in Samaria, John iv. 40, 43: and if a Sabbath intervened, and fome attention was occafionally paid to his miniftry (John iv. 34), it cannot have occupied less than fix or seven days.

'Jesus's presence in Cana is notified at Capernaum, distant about twenty-three miles. One of Herod's court attends Jefus, requests that he would heal his fon, receives affurance that his fon fhould live about one in the afternoon according to our computation, and the next day meets his fervants coming from Capernaum to inform him of his fon's recovery. Jefus therefore must have remained at Cana a few days: let us fay four.

Luke iv. 15, Jefus teaches in the fynagogues of Galilee : and this teaching is diftinct from that in his circuit through Galilee after the call of Peter, &c. Luke iv. 43, 44. It is alfo diftinct from his teaching in the fynagogue at Nazareth; for it precedes it. Cum jam in Galilæe fynagogis aliis magnam fibi auctoritatem comparaffet, tum venit Nazareth. Chemn. Harm. p. 351. In thefe public inftructions not less than two Sabbaths, or eight days, can be employed.

Luke iv. 16. Jefus is one Sabbath at Nazareth; and probably his benevolence led him to pats a few days there previous to that Sabbath. We will fuppofe him then to have continued four days in his own city.

Then, Matth. iv. 13, Jefus goes more than twenty miles from Nazareth to Capernaum and dwells there: for which we must allow fome weeks, perhaps three. But it is objected that Jefus could not refide here for any long time, because, Matth. viii. 20, he intimates that he had no fixed habitation during his public miniftry. See Dr. Prieftley's Harm. p. 54. Answ. The words do not import that Jefus did not refide long in any place during his miniftry; but that he did not refide any where in a place of his own, that he had only a contingent and precarious habitation.

After this Jefus went about all Galilee, Matth. iv. 23, and the parallel verfes; his fame fpread through all Syria, and they brought to him all their fick; ib. ver. 24; and particularly in a certain city he healed a leper, which occafioned him to remain out of the city in defert places, where they came to him from every quarter. Then he returned to Capernaum, healed a paralytic, and called Levi. A month is a moderate fpace of time for thefe tranfactions.

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