A key to the Gospels: being a compendious exposition of the principal things contained in them, intended for Sunday-school teachers, Bible classes, and families ...

Front matter

Gass-SS 2S$_S Book »5^ ■

RECOMMENDATIONS.

Washington, Dec. 20, 1831.

Introduction

The study of the Scriptures, to a pious mind, is of all employments the most interesting and ennobling. It is to other moral inquiries, like studying the philosophy of science, compared with the ordinary walks of literature. And to one earnestly engaged in searching through these extensive and consecrated fields, there are continually opening up new discoveries of the wisdom of God — new views of his goodness — new displays of his counsels of mercy for the recovery of fallen man. It is said, that scripture is the best interpreter of scripture. We admit the truth of this observation. But in order to give it much practical importance, it becomes necessary to find a key to this interpretation; and it will be found in the character of Christ as set forth in the Gospels. The Angel announced him as a saviour, and directed his parents to call his name Jesus, the import of which is Saviour. And the Evangelist connects with this account of him, his annunciation by the Prophet Isaiah seven hundred years before, under the name of Emanuel, which signifies God withus, or Ged manifest in the flesh. Now both these names are necessary to bring his whole mediatorial character into view; but so far as they are to be distinguished, one refers to his human nature, the other to his divine. These two characters of Christ will be found to run side by side through the whole bible, from beginning to end; so that without them it cannot be understood. If geography and chronology may be said to be the two eyes of history, these characters of Christ are the eyes of divine revelation. Indeed, the manifestation of God the Father through the Son, seems to be the grand clue to all revelation as given to us; and probably stands upon the theory of divine manifestation throughout the universe. May we not then suppose, since the incomprehensible Jehovah has revealed his subsistence, as triune or selfsocial, that it belongs to the economy of his universe, that God the Father should reveal himself to all his rational creatures, even to the highest angels, through the Son; as it must be by some form of perdonating himself, that the infinite and omnipresent God can have that individuality which brings him within the reach and apprehension of his creatures. Christ's own words amount to this: Mat. 2, 27. "No one (creature) knoweth the Son but the Father, and no one knoweth the Father but the Son, & he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." And it is remarkable that John the baptist bore testimony to this truth in almost the same words. John 1, 18 — "No one (creature) hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him/'

The gospels, taken singly, as independent of each other, and as parts of the sacred volume, are indeed, only so many individual histories of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But, taken collectively, and in harmony, they present a comprehensive view of the whole purpose of God, in the salvation of sinners. They show the fulfilment of a thousand prophecies, which had followed each other in a successive scale of gradually opening intimation in regard to the Messiah, who ceentred in himself all the types of the Old Testament, and fulfilled all its predictions. In this view, they give a miniature exhibition of the great body of divine revelation; and whoever will come in earnest to the study of that glorious plan of benevolence, which brought the Lord Jesus Christ into the world as our Emanuel, and of the ways and means adopted to carry out the design, will feel from day to day, a growing illumination of mind, and a corresponding enlargement of all the best affections of the heart. The little superficial discrepancies, in the harmony of these very summary ancient histories of Christ, and of the first openings of his church, will gradually disappear from the eye of faith, until it is enabled to look with confidence upon the full-orbed glory of the sun of righteousness. After all, however, it must be conceded that there is an effulgence in this light which the unassisted eye of fallen man cannot bear, and consequently a glory which he cannot distinctly perceive. It is for this reason that the true character of Jesus Christ is never fully and distinctly seen by us, till he who did at first command the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, "to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God

XI

in the face of Jesus Christ." The best part, therefore, of the gospel testimony, is the internal evidence which they carry of their own divinity; and this testimony they do cairy to the heart and conscience of every believer to whom the words of our Lord to Peter may be applied : "blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven."

It belongs to the happiness of christian experience, that the life of Jesus Christ is drawn by the Evangelists with such intimacy aid fidelity, and yet with sucn simplicity of style and manner, as no pretender could ever reach; and this has been proved by the multitude of spurious gospels which have been attempted, some of which are still extant.

The gospels not only enable us to follow our Lord, as he is going about and doing good to the souls and bodies of men; but they draw us into the company of his disciples, and w seem to walk and converse with them, and with him. We stand and hear his heavenly teaching, and we are present while he feeds thousands, as if he were the author of life itself. Thus we follow him till we come to the resurrection of Lazarus, the only one whom he raised from the grave, an event near the close of his ministry; and here he gives us some foresight of the character in which he will appear at the last great day, "when all that are in their graves shall hear his voice." The subsequent scenes of his suffering, and death, and resurrection, and ascension 5 in connection with the wonderful day of Pentacost, makt a perfect finish of these gospel histories, and leave us nothing to look for, or to hope for, but "the glory that should follow."

These are some of the views which the author himself has taken to his comfort in the following work; and ht humbly hopes it may be instrumental in leading others to that "eternal life," which, Blessed God, is to il know thee, the only trim God, and Jesus Christ whom thou h#$$ ««l."

EXPLANATIONS.

As the harmony in this work is designed only for common use, it is thought best to give it the greatest simplicity, since multiplicity and variety tend to perplex the young and unlearned. It will not, therefore, extend to every minute subject touched upon by the Evangelists; but only to the most important ones. The references will be to chapters only, and to the Evangelists by their initials. Thus: — Mt. for Matthew, M. Mark, L. Luke, J. John.

In passing over the Evangelists, their contents will fce noticed as they occur; and, where the same miracle, or parable, or other thing, is repeated in them as they follow each other, the subject will not be again particularly noticed, unless the subsequent evangelist has added something to the account of it, or because its importance invites further consideration. Such passages as have been before remarked on, will be noted by a star (*).

THU GOSPELS, &c.

Question. What is the Bible?

Answer The name is of Greek derivation, signifying tfie Book. The book of books, the word of God; containing the whole will of God, and his counsels of mercy, so far as he has been pleased to reveal them to us.

Q. How is this book divided?

A. Into the Old and New Testaments.

Q. What is the New Testament, in distinction from the Old?

A. It is called the New Testament, because it is subsequent to the Old in time, and because' it gives a new manifestation of divine truth, and exhibks the church of God under a new form.

Q. How do the Old and New Testaments agree?

A. In revealing to us one only living and true God, as the great fountain of being, and object of worship; and in teaching the same doctrines of truth, both in relation to God and man.

Q. What is contained in the New Testament? -

A It contains the history of Christ, and the establishment of his gospel church, as connected with the destinies of men through eternity.

Q. What are the several books which make up its contents ?

A. The four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, their Epistles, and the Revelation of St. John, in all twenty-seven

Q When, and by whom, was the New Testament written?

A. It was all written by tfee Evangelists and Apostles: of the genuineness, authenticity, and date, of each book, notice will be taken in its proper place.

Q. What is the difference between the genuineness anil authenticity of the sacred books? 2

A.They are genuine, if they were written by \he persons whose, names they bear They are authentic, if they are what they purport to be, divinely inspired. Hence, a book may be genuine, without being divinely inspired; but its being of divine authority, usually implies that it is genuine.

Q. What is the sum of the evidence on which the scriptures rest their claim to divine inspiration?

A. It is two-fold, external and internal; and may be thus summarily stated. The external evidence of the sacred scriptures is made up of prophesy, miracles, and collateral history. Their internal evidence arises from their consistency with themselves and with each other; from the purity of the doctrines which they contain; and from the effect of these doctrines upon the hearts and lives of men.

Q. Have the Gospels all these evidences?

A. They have; and they have been received by the churches from the first as of divine authority, and have been ever since appealed to as the word of God. i Q. What means had the writers of the Gospels of knowing the truth of what they relate?

A. They were, either themselves the immediate witnesses of what they record, or they were intimately acquainted with those who were such; and they were divinely inspired.

Q. How were they divinely inspired?

A. By a divine impression on their minds, illuminating their understandings, quickening their memories, and sanctifying their hearts, so as to make them fully conscious that they were directed to write by the spirit of God, and that they wrote under his immediate influence.

Q. Is it necessary to the christian faith, that we should be able fully to explain the nature of this inspiration?

A. It is not; the divine influence under which they wrote is of course incommunicable. But the fact that they were inspired, is satisfactorily proved by a great variety of testimony, the best of which is, that which they carry within themselves. Nor is there any more difficulty in the question concerning this inspiration, than there is in the miraculous gift of tongues, or of healing. The disbelief of either, would lead to universal scepticism.

Q. How do we know that the Gospels have come down to us unimpaired?

A. Their history shows this. The facts that a harmony of the four Gospels, in distinction from all spurious ones, was made in the second century; and catalogues of ail the books of the New Testament, in the third century, together with the various translations and numerous quotations of them, have secured us against any material errors.

Q. How did we obtain our present translation of the scriptures from their original tongues?

A. It was made by order of James the first of England in the year 1606; not as the first translation ever made, but as a more perfect one than any of its predecessors.

Q. By whom was it made?

A. Fifty-four learned men were selected for this purpose, seven of whom died or declined the appointment. — ■ The remaining forty-seven were arranged into six divisions, each member of which translated his given portion, and then submitted it to his division; after which it was referred to the whole body for approbation. They not only translated directly from the original languages, but availed themselves of ail former translations; and completed the whole bible in 1610, about three years from their commencement.

Q. When were the divisions into chapters and verses first made, and by whom ?

A. The division into chapters was made by Cardinal Hugo de Sancto Caro, in the thirteenth century. The verses are of more modern date. Those in the Old Testament were made by Rabbi Nathan, a Jew, in the fifteenth century. Robert Stevens is said to have made those in the New Testament, during a journey from Lyons to Paris. His Testament was published in 1551.

Q. Is this division of the scriptures into chapters and verse? a perfect one?

A. It is in some respects an arbitrary one, as not following exactly the divisions of the subject and sense of the writer. This inaccuracy is not so great, however, as to produce much inconvenience, since it does not often disturb the continuous thread of the subject, or throw any obscurity upon the sense of it.

Q What is the use of these divisions?

A. It is very $reat in two respects: for the purposes of reference and quotation; and in aid of local memory.— So great, that now to do them away, or to make any material change in them, would be an incalculable loss and inconvenience to biblical science, and to the religious world.

Q. Why are the first four books in the New Testament called the Gospels ?

A. They are so called from a Greek word signifying gospel, or good news; and, therefore, the authors of them are called Evangelists, or gospel writers.

Q. What do the Gospels contain?

A. Chiefly a narrative of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, together with an account of John the Baplist, his forerunner, and of his apostles and first disciples.

Q. How far do the Evangelists agree in their statements?

A. I» all essential points. In no instance do they contradict each other; and any apparent difference in their statement of circumstances, may be accounted for, not only from the fact that they wrote independently of each other, but from this also, that it is not pretended that all the transactions of our Lord are recorded,

Q. Does the fact of their narrating different circumstances of the same transactions, and that some of them omit things which others have stated, and state things which others have omitted, invalidate their testimony?

A. It does not. On the other hand, it increases their credibility beyond what it would have been- if the agreement had been more minute; for it shows that they derived their facts from different sources, and that there was no concert among themselves, to give weight to what they should write.

Q. W T hat is the order of time in which the Gospels were written?

A. They were undoubtedly written in the order in which they stand in the. New Testament, and by the persons whose names they bear.

Q. What account has come down to us of the life and character of the Evangelists, and of the times and occasions of writing their respective Gospels?

A Although there is enough of church history to satisfy us, as to all the essential particulars respecting the Gospels, and the writers of them, yet there are oi course many circumstantial variations; such as would naturally occur at the end of fifteen hundred years without the art it

of printing, a thousand years of which are set down as the dark ages of manuscript history.

Q Should it be expe-ted in a work of this kind, that a critical view would be given of these variations?

A. It should not. The work would be encumbered by it. Although the author is bound to examine these variations, and to state what appears to him to be the best opinion of them. ^

Q. What particulars are most affected by these variations?

A. Those which are of the least importance; such as the dates of the Gospels. Among those who agree as to the genuineness and authenticity of these sacred writings, there is a variety of opinions as to their dates. Respectable authors differ also, as to the occasions on which they were written; that is, under what circumstances the Holy Spirit moved the Evangelists to write their respective Gospels. But there is no opinion, ancient or modern, worthy ©f any notice, against the facts that the Gospels were written by those whose names they bear; and that they were written as Gospels, under the supposed influence and direction of the Spirit of God.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW,

Q. Who was Matthew?

A. He was a Hebrew, son of Alpheus of Gallilee, and Mary a kins-woman of our Lord's mother; and born either at Nazareth, or Capernaum. He was an Apostle, as well as an Evangelist. In this respect, he is to be ranked with St. John. Mark and Luke were not Apostles.

Q. What was he before he was cailed to be an Apostle ? x

A. He was a publican, or collector of taxes for the Romans, an office hateful to the Jews.

Q. Why did he write his Gospel ?

A. It is said he was entreated to do it by the converts, * and by the other Apostles, who knew his competency for the undertaking, and who aided him with their prayers.

Q What is the date of it?

A. Commentators are not agreed as to its date; but the most probable date is about the year forty; six or eight years after the death of Christ.

Q, In what iangua^e was this Gospel written?

A. In the Gieek language. Although it is thought by V 2* some that it was originally written in Hebrew ; an ©pin-ion not well sustained.

Q. How is he distinguished as a writer among the Evangelists?

A. His style is neatly historical, simple, perspicuous, and flowing. He more frequently refers to the Old Testament than the other Evangelists; and is supposed to record the facts more in the order of time in which they occurred; at least in the fore-part of his Gospel.

Chapter I

The genealogy of Christ; conception of Mary; Joseph's dream; birth of Christ; his name. — L. 1, 2, 3.

K Q. How does Matthew begin his Gospel?

A. With the genealogy of Christ, from Abraham through David and Solomon, to Joseph the husband of Mary.

Q. How many generations are there from Adam to Christ?

A There are nineteen generations from Adam to Abraham, and counting David both ways up to Abraham, and down to Christ, there are forty-two from Abraham to Christ, and twenty-eight from David; so that Christ was the sixtieth son of Adam, the forty-first of Abraham, and the twenty eighth of David. .^ Q,. How does Matthew relate the birth of Christ?

A. That he was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary, as had been announced to her by the Angel of the Lord — L. 1 26.

Q, How was the fact of her conception intimated to Joseph?

A. By the Angel who appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Iloly Ghost; and she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." So said the Prophet: "Behold, a virgin shall he with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emanuel, which is, being interpreted, God with us. — L. 7. 14.

Q. What course did Joseph pursue?

A. He took her as the Angel had directed, although before I ie had intended to put her awa) privily; and she broug first born son, and c ;t ; + d his naiiu Jesus.

Q,. WhS wa Christ named Jesus, and said to be Lilianuel?

A Jesus signifies Saviour, and denotes his office as (tie Savfoui of sinners Emanuel signifies God manifest in the fiesh, and shows his, origin as the son-of God from Heaven. These two cha a< ters I Christ, who is the annotated of God, as he wo <) Christ signifies, are the eyes oi divine revelation; and, upon examinati i, ■ ill be f< and to run side by side through the whole •• !

Q Into how many parts ma} story of Christ be

divided?

A. Into five: thai oi' Ins birth, death, resurrection, and ascension.

Q, V- ha! do we see in his birth?

A. The fright mOrning star risen to conduct us out of darkness, and guide our feet info the way of light and peace. His birth, compared to his full grown manifestation as the son of God, s like the day star compared to the sun iri his meridian glory.

Q,. What does his life teach us?

A. Besides bis inimitable perfections as our Emanuel, he gives us, in his puri'y, his meekness, his humanit), and his holy zeal in the service of God, a fuii example of all the virtues

Q, What do we obtain by his death?

A. To the entire obedience oi his whole life, he adds the voluntary sacrifice of himself upon the cross, to make an atonement for sinners, that they, through his death, may live In all this, there is such an exhibition of the purity of the divine law, and of the rectitude of eternal justice, as to show us what was necessary to open the way for our deliverance from death; and how we may obtain our final salvation in everlasting life.

Q. What do we see in his resurrection?

A. The assurance of that which is revealed; that our death is only a sleep in Jesus, and that our dying bodies shall rise again at the last day. As we now know that our redeemer liveth, so also we know that they who sleep in him, God will in due time bring with him to glory. "Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept."

(J. What is secured to us by bis ascension to heaven?

A His intercession, and our justification before the fathf r. For by it he has carried for us everlasting righteousness into the couri of heaven; and given us an assurance that a new Paradise is opened to all true believers, which he has gone to prepare for them, that they may in due time enter into it, to enjoy his blessedness, and to behold his glory.

Chapter II

Wise men from the East inquire for Christ; Joseph fleeth into Egypt with Jesus and Mary; Herod slayeth the children at Bethlehem; Joseph's return from Egypt.

Q. Who, at the birth of Christ, came to Jerusalem, to inquire "where is he that is born King of the Jews?" — and how were they directed?

A. Wise men from the East were directed to come and make this inquiry; for they had seen his star, according to Jewish scriptures, and had come to worship him. "There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall arise out of Israel." — Num. 24.

Q. Who were these wise men?

A. Some have supposed them to be enlightened heathen philosophers, wise men from the eastern country; as there was at that time a general expectation of the appearance of some extraordinary person in Judea It is, however, more probable that they were pious Jews, or proselytes from the eastern countries, to which the Jews had been dispersed, who were led by the Jewish scriptures; and by the Spirit of God, who it seems directed them from first to last.

Q. How did the know iedge of this fact affect Herod?

A He was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and he called together the chief priests and scribes, and demanded of them where Chrisl should be born, "and they said, in Bethlehem of Judeaf"

Q What did he now do?

A. H< calied the wise men privily, and inquired of them at what lime the star appeared; and told them hypocritically, that when they should find the young child to bring him word, "that he also might come and worship him."

Q. What did thev do when they had found the voung child?

A. They fell down and worshipped him, and "presented him gifts of gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." But they did not return to Herod, having been warned by the Angel of the Lord not to do it.

Q. Is this account of the wise men found in any of the other Evangelists?

A. It is no!; and of course what is connected with it is omitted by them — viz: the flight of Joseph into Egypt; the slaying of the children at Bethlehem; the return of Joseph, and his retirement to Nazareth. Nor does Matthevv notice the celebration of the birth of Christ by the Angels, and its revelation to the shepherds; which are fully recorded by Luke, elm p. 3.

Q. How dors Matthew record the flight of Joseph?

A. The Angel ®f the Lord appealed to Joseph in a dream, and directed him to take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and thereto stay till he should bring him word; for Herod would seek the young child to destroy him.

Q In what way did Joseph know this to be a divine revelation? \ A. By the manner in which it was made. A revelation by dreams was one of the earliest methods of divine manifestation to which God gave his own seal of certainty; and, as such, it seems to have preceded and succeeded the open vision of prophesy. Thus, God appenred to Abraham, to Jacob, to Samuel, and to the Apostle Paul.

Q How did Herod endeavor to destroy Christ?

A. He pretended to be wroth, because the wise men had mocked him; and he sent and slew all the male children in Bethlehem, from two years old and under, according to the tin.-e in which the star appeared.

Q. When did Joseph return from Egypt?

A. As Herod died soon after the slaughter of the innocents, and as it was some time afier the birth of Christ when the wise men visited him, probably Joseph was is Egypt less than two years. He returned by the direction of the Angel, who informed him of the death of Herod; but when he found that Arch.-laus, the son of Herod, had succeeded his father, he turned away from Bethlehem, and dwelt in Nazareth of Galiiiee, a place more obscure, and farther from Jerusalem, the seat of Herod's dominion. Here Christ was brought up-, a fact which gave him the appeilation of Nazarene.

Chapter III

This chapter gives an account of the appearance and preaching of John the Baptist, and his baptism of Christ. But as John's history is given more at large by Luke, chap. 3, we refer to him for this account.