NOTES ON THE GOSPELS CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY; INCORPORATING WITH THE NOTES, ON A NEW OF THE FOUR GOSPELS. MELANCTIION W. JACOBUS, AT ALLEGHANY CITY, PA. MARK AND LUKE. NEW YORK: No. 530 BROADWAY. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by MELANCTHON W. JACOBUS, In the Clerk's Office of the Southern District of the State of New York. PREFACE. N. M. Harris Tais Volume should have sooner followed that on “Matthew with the Harmony"-especially considering what seemed to be a public eall—but that, in the providence of God, the Author's health failed in the midst. This dealing, however, which threatened to forbid all further labors, has rather furnished greater facilities every way the Ntransfer to a more favoring post, the more abounding helps lately extant, and above all, a most propitious tour through the LANDS OF THE BIBLE. The Author may venture the hope, that these advantages will not be altogether unapparent to such as may consult the volume. He claims only an earnest desire to promote, especialiy through Bible Class, Sabbath School, and Family Instruction, the understanding of this glorious Gospel, with the avail of such extensive materials as have been gathering of late; knowing, that to bring these within the reach of youth, would best make them accessible to all classes. The peculiar feature of incorporating the Harmony with the Notes, is retained, with pleasing evidence of its utility for an understanding of the Gospels. Each caption brings to view the subject of the sec tion, the place of its occurrence, the order in the Harmony, and the i parallel passages in the other Evangelists. The number of the section, while it shows the historical order, refers also to the "Synopsis of the Harmony,” in front of the volume on Matthew. 80 As Matthew was treated with an eye to the parallel narratives, the Notes occupied a volume. Mark and Luke are here given together, as completing the Synoptical Gospels : and the design is,--if spared and favored with present encouragements—to include John and the Acts in another volume; thus comprising the Historical portions of the New Testament. The valuable Illustrations which are found in the Notes, were granted, by the kindness of the Publishers, (Messrs. Carter,) from the new and excellent volume of Kitto. And now, especially when debarred from a pastoral charge, the Author would send forth this substitute for his pulpit teachings, in the hope that the pleasant effort may not be in vain—but that by this means he may, with God's blessing, PREACH THE GOSPEL to many. May, 1853. MAY TUE FOUR EVANGELISTS, INSPIRATION, &C. The Gospei wistory is given to us by four different Evangelists. This was God's plan for communicating such important truth to mankind. It was designed for all classes, and it is given, we may say, by every variety of witnesses. Two were eye-witnesses. Two were ear-witnesses. Two were Jews. Two, perhaps, were Gentiles. Of these two, one was a Greek, and there is some evidence that the other was a Roman; in which case, we have “two Evangelists from the great nations, that were admitted to the fellowship of the Gospel.” “How striking,” says Da Costa, “ that thus from the very first, among the historical witnesses of Jesus Christ, the middle wall of partition is seen to be taken away!" Two were apostles. Two were companions of other apostles. " The testimony of two men is true.” Here was to be double the law's require ment, that every word might be doubly established. And a special testimony was thus to be furnished, from Jew and Gentile to all nations—from disciple and apostle to all believers. And these four were from every variety of occupation and condition. A publican, a citizen, a physician, a fisherman. And the stand-point of these narrators, and their apparent aim, were likewise various. Matthew writing for Jews-Mark, for Gentiles—Luke, as a careful and full historian-and John, as a defender of the faith. One full of the old Jewish institutions another fully entering into the new_another devoted to historical detail,-another dealing in high abstract truth—these would seem to address every class of mind: anů so bring forward, TOGETHER, a complete testimony for the world. “If we have in the Evangelists the Jew resident in Juuea, the Roman proselyte, the Hellenist proselyte, and the Jew resident in Patmos, and made familiar with the Grecian schools of philosophy,--80, accordingly, had the Gospel to find acceptance, in the Roman world, with the devout Israelite, the hardy son of Rome, the Areopagite, and the cultivated Alexandrine.”. (See Westcott.) Hence, the Gospel history is to be gathered by a careful collation of the four Evangelists. The most daring assaults of Infidel criticism, in our day, are upon the Gospels. By one class, the verbal agreements in the narratives are taken as proof that the Evangelists copied one from another, but in a loose, careless manner. By another class, the verbal disagreements are adduced to show an inconsistency and contradiction, to invalidate their testimony. The malice prepense is manifest. These critics have set out to disprove the Gospel records; so that to them it is with the Evangelists, as it was to the Pharisees with Jesus and John. The one came neither eating nor drinking, and the cry was, “He hath a devil;" the other came doing both, as others did, and the cry was, “Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber.” But in both cases alike, “Wisdom is justified of her children.” The theory of a mythical ground for these Gospel narratives, does really, but not willingly, concede a great foundation truth, and only shows a sbeer misunderstanding or misconstruction of the reality. It admits a harmony between the Old Testament and the New-shows, on its own concession, the agreement with ancient revelations--and only tries to turn into |