4. The next in order is the Appearance on the Evening of the fame Day unto the Eleven, mentioned by St. Mark, xvi. 14. and St. Luke, xxiv. 36. and St. John, xx. 19. St. Luke and St. John plainly enough describe the Time of this Appearance; and that St. Mark means the fame Appearance may be collected from our Saviour upbraiding the Eleven-because they believ ed not them which had feen him after he was rifen; which shows that this was the first Time, he had appeared to them himself.

5. The Appearance to the Eleven when Thomas was with them, John, xx. 26. which was eight Days after.

6. The Appearance to the feventy Difciples at the Sea of Tiberias, John, xxi. 1.

7. The Appearance in Galilee mentioned exprefsly by St. Matthew only, but referred to Acts i. 4.

8. The Appearance at Jerufalem before his Afcenfion, Acts, i. 6. It is plain this Appearance was at Jerufalem; for y. 4. our Lord orders the Apostles to tarry at Jerufalem; and that he met them just before his Afcenfion is evident, . 12. for they returned to Jerufalem, from whence they had followed him to Mount Olivet, to be Witneffes of his Afcenfion.

I omit the Relation of Appearances given by St. Paul, 1 Cor. 15. for his Account creates no Difficulty.

The Time of the five firft Appearances is clear enough. The Sixth which is the Appear

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ance at the Sea of Tiberias, was before the Command given them, not to depart from Jerufalem, for after that Command they could not have gone to the Sea of Tiberias. The Seventh then was that wherein they received the Command to stay at Jerufalem, and was the Appearance appointed in Galilee by our Lord in his Life Time, and by the Angels at the Sepulchre. The Eighth was the last, and is rightly placed as to the Order of Time and as to the Place; for it followed the Injunction to stay at Jerufalem, and was that wherein our Lord afcended, which was the last Appearance to the Apostles.

Let us fee now whether by this Light, we can account for the Manner in which the Evangelifts relate thefe Appearances. If you read Matthew by himself, you have an Account of one Appearance only. The fame may be faid with Respect to Mark and Luke; who both feem to speak of the fame Appearance, but manifeftly a different one from that of St. Matthew, which was in Galilee; whereas the other was at Jerufalem. How comes it now to pass that these Evangelists mention each of them but one Appearance, if there were indeed fo many more? The Truth is, that the Evangelifts did not write full Hiftories of our Saviour's Life, but fhort Annals or Commentaries; and fometimes contracted into one Difcourfe or Narration, Things relating to the fame Matter, though fpoken or done at different Times. What St.

John

John fays of his own Gofpel, Many other Signs did Jefus in the Prefence of his Difciples, which are not written in this Book, may be faid very fairly of the reft. The Words of St. John follow immediately after the Account he has given of the Appearances to the Difciples after the Refurrection, and probably referred to the Opim От nion in his Gospel of many other Appearances made to the Disciples.

Now though St. Matthew reports only the Appearance in Galilee, and St. Mark and St. Luke seem to report only that on the Day of the Refurrection at Jerufalem; yet St. Mark has given a plain Intimation of that in Galilee, by the Meffage from the Angels to the Disciples; and St. John has reported and distinguished three Appearances, and given Notice that there were others not written in his Book.

St. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles has referred to feveral Appearances, telling us, that Jefus fhewed himself alive after his Paffion by many infallible Proofs, being feen of them forty Days,and fpeaking of the Things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. You have here a concife general Account of our Lord's appearing to his Difciples, and of the fubject Matter of his Difcourses to them at thofe Times, that he spoke of the Things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. After this general Account he mentions two distinct Appearances, which were neceffary to

* John xx. 30.

Acts i. 3.

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be taken Notice of, to introduce the Account he had to give of the Afcenfion. The firft is, that wherein he orders them to tarry at Jerufalem; the fecond is that at Jerufalem, when he took leave of them and afcended. The first of these Appearances is remarkably introduced-ỷ 4. and being assembled together with them; the Original is, xai ouvaλuevos - Jupple autos; which Words are properly to be rendered, and having affembled them together. The other Appearances recorded feem to be accidental, by our Lord's coming in when the Eleven were not together; but this is fpoken of as a Meeting fummoned by himself, and was, I doubt not, that Meeting which he had appointed the Day of his Resurrection, by the Meffage fent to the Disciples by the Angels and by himself; and is the very fame Meeting in Galilee mentioned by St. Matthew. At this Meeting St. Luke fays, the Difciples received the Order to tarry at Jerufalem; after which they could not travel into Galilee, as they were commanded, and confequently this Appearance was itself the Appearance at Galilee; or happened after it, which there is no Reason to think.

The Difciples being thus ordered to Jerufalem, repair thither. When they therefore were come together, they asked him, 6. Wilt thou at this Time restore the Kingdom to Ifrael? This Question was not asked at the affembling men

f Vide Grotium in loc.

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tioned

tioned 4. which is clearly diftinct from that mentioned ✰ 6. for what Occafion was there to mention again their coming together, after we had been just told they were together? Had it been faid, then they afked, &c. it would have been a Continuation of the Difcourfe with the fame Affembly; but when their Meeting together is so distinctly mentioned, it fhews it to be another and a different Meeting, after the Disciples were got together at Jerufalem.

At this Meeting our Lord affures them they should receive Power by the coming of the holy Ghost; then led them to Bethany, or Mount Olivet, and in their Prefence afcended.

Let us examine now how far these particular Accounts will enable us to adjust the abridg'd Narration of our Saviour's Appearances in the three first Evangelifts. The fulleft is that of St. Luke; he mentions our Lord's appearing to the Eleven, and those with them on the Evening of the Resurrection. But it is manifeft, under that Appearance, he brought together the Sum of what was done and faid by our Saviour, during his Abode on Earth after the Resurrection. For he begins to speak of his Appearing the Day of the Refurrection, xxiv. 38. and continues his Narration to the Afcenfion, He tells us himself in the Acts, that there were forty Days between the Refurrection and Afcenfion. It is undeniable then, that his Account in the Gospel is an abridg'd Account of what paffed, in our Lord's Meeting his Difciples during

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51.