who had come to buy their fish of them'; and, being informed that they had caught nothing, He advises them to cast their net in again, on the right side of the ship, which, when they had done, they enclosed so large a draught, that "they were not able to draw in the net for the multitude of fishes." John, who immediately called to mind the occasion when Christ had wrought the very same miracle, in the same waters, in behalf of himself and others now again present, "saith unto Peter, It is the Lord "." No sooner had John made this suggestion, than, impatient of delay, the zealous Apostle "girt his fisher's coat unto him, and did cast himself into the sea," while the others, with much ado, hauled the ship and the net to shore. It may not improbably be supposed, that this miracle, like the former one, portended the richer and more plentiful prey, which they should catch, when, released from this mean employment, they should enclose the minds of reasonable men, and bring them into captivity to the Gospel". It may even be surmised, that our blessed Lord's appearance at this time was to withdraw them from henceforth from secular employments, in order that they might devote themselves entirely to the higher work':-but, it Mant and D'Oyly. "Dean Stanhope. 5 Dr. Jortin. was first necessary to convince them who it was: for "none of the disciples durst ask Him, Who art Thou?" To their surprise, they found, when they came to land, "a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread." These were all created and produced by Christ out of nothing, to evidence to them His Divine power; but, lest there should be thought any delusion in these, He ordered likewise some of the others, that were just then taken, to be dressed; and that they might not take Him for an apparition only, He invited them to 66 come and dine," that is, take their morning meal. "Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise "." When then the repast was ended, He saith to Simon Peter, Thou didst say to Me, on the night when I was betrayed, that, although all My disciples should forsake Me, yet wouldest not thou, which was, in effect, to assert that thou didst love Me more than they all; and now thou hast hastened before them all to come to Me through the sea. I ask thee, therefore, Dost thou indeed love Me more than these, My disciples, love Me'? Peter would not presume to say, I love Thee more than these, because he remembered his former weakness; but he affirmed that he did indeed sincerely love Christ. By thrice repeating this ques & Hammond and Burkitt. 9 Dr. Jortin. 66 tion in these words, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me?" Jesus had respect to Peter's threefold denial of his Master; and by the sense and consideration of his fall, He now engages him to a better discharge, and a more constant expression of His love, in converting men to His faith. From the words of Christ on this occasion, "Feed My sheep," some persons have argued in favour of the supremacy of St. Peter, above the rest of the Apostles; but such an opinion is altogether groundless: for, if our Lord used these words with the view of commanding St. Peter to feed all His sheep and lambs, without exception, it must be taken as certain, that he was wanting in this duty; for he never exercised any one act of supremacy over the rest of the Apostles: on the contrary, when sent by them, he obeyed; when reproved by St. Paul, he held his peace: and was so far from feeding all the sheep of Christ, that he never fed any of the province of St. Paul'. After this, in a figurative manner, Christ signifies to Peter, by what manner of death he should glorify God, even by crucifixion, which accordingly happened to St. Peter a short time before the destruction of Jerusalem, in the reign of Nero, about thirty years after the time when this was spoken'. But when Peter desired to know what would be the fate Bishop Mann. 1 Dr. Whitby. 2 Stackhouse. 3 of the favoured Apostle St. John, Christ did not think fit to satisfy his curiosity, but reproved him, by saying, Instead of busying thyself in these inquiries, which are beyond thy sphere, and do not belong to thee, obey My precepts, and imitate My example, and then thou wilt be sure of doing right; for thy whole duty consists in this, and in nothing else'. There is no reason however to suppose, that our Lord was angry with Peter for making this inquiry, which was indeed innocent; but He was willing to take this opportunity, according to His custom, on other occasions, of inculcating on St. Peter his own duty, and of discouraging needless curiosity about the affairs of others. What was innocent in St. Peter, in the present case, may in numberless instances be innocent in another; yet it is a matter which may grow into a vice, and, by becoming a habit, may lead to things very detrimental to a right temper and disposition of mind. SECT. CLXXV.-Christ appeareth at a Mountain in Galilee. -Matt. xxviii. 16-20; 1 Cor. xv. 6. AFTER this, our Lord having appointed a solemn meeting of as many of His disciples as could conveniently be got together, and named a certain mountain in Galilee for that purpose, He then appeared not only to the eleven, but 4 Dean Tucker. Dr. S. Clarke. "to five hundred brethren at once". This mountain is generally supposed, by constant tradition, to have been mount Tabor, the same place where our Lord was transfigured before them'. This place of meeting having been distinctly "appointed by Jesus" for showing Himself to His disciples, and having previously fixed the time of His appearing, it is reasonable to suppose, that the joyful tidings quickly spread among the brethren; and that a great number of them would assemble at the time and place appointed. The greatest part of our Lord's disciples lived in Galilee. Thus, besides "the eleven," numbers who had often attended His ministry there, and who were well acquainted with His person, could satisfy themselves by the testimony of their senses concerning the truth of His resurrection, and attest it to others on the surest evidence . "And when they saw Him they worshipped; but some doubted." Christ probably appeared first at a distance, and the novelty and awe of such an appearance would make some regard Him with veneration, and some with suspicion and doubt; the greater part of those present, as soon as they saw Him, worshipped." On this and other occasions Christ permitted Himself to be worshipped; but He would undoubtedly have refused this, Dr. Macknight. 66 • Stackhouse. 7 Grotius and Calmet. |