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103 chapters
PREFACE TO VOLUME IV.
PREFACE TO VOLUME IV.
The New Testament has been treated in a manner somewhat different to that adopted in regard to the Books of the Old Testament. The object has been, to sketch out the earthly Life of our Blessed Lord, and to draw attention to a few important points. It was obviously impossible to dwell particularly upon the details of every Miracle, Parable, and Conversation, recorded by the Evangelists. Nor was such a course necessary. The language of the Gospels is so simple and clear, that details are better r
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Chapter I.—JOHN THE BAPTIST BORN.
Chapter I.—JOHN THE BAPTIST BORN.
We have now seen that the Sceptre had departed from Judah. The whole country was subject to the Romans, who had appointed Herod to govern it for them; and the time was now come when the blessed promises, that "the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head," and that "in the seed of Abraham all nations of the earth should be blessed," were to be fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer; born of a woman, that thus being as Man upon the
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Chapter II.—BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.
Chapter II.—BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.
Mary and her husband Joseph lived at Nazareth, a town in Galilee not far from the lake of Tiberias, or Sea of Galilee; and the prophets had declared that the Messiah should be born in "Bethlehem of Judah," a small place to the South of Jerusalem, nearly a hundred miles from Nazareth. That Mary should take such a long journey to a strange place, instead of staying quietly at home until her Child was born, was the most unlikely thing that could well be imagined. Here, therefore, we again see how w
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Chapter III.—FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.
Chapter III.—FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.
To understand the question of the Magi, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" a few words of explanation may be useful. The expectation of a coming Messiah was not confined to the Jews: through the long captivity of the Jews, the writings of the prophets had become known throughout many lands, and there was therefore at this time, in all the countries of the East, a general idea that a King would shortly be born in Judæa, who should rule over all the world. Balaam, who was well known in t
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Chapter IV.—THE INNOCENTS.
Chapter IV.—THE INNOCENTS.
Herod anxiously expected the return of the wise men, with full information as to where he might find the infant King of the Jews: but, as day after day passed and they came not, he saw that they did not mean to do his bidding. "Then was Herod exceeding wroth, and sent forth his soldiers, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof,"—that is, in the neighbouring parts of the country,—"from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently e
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Chapter V.—BAPTISM OF JESUS.
Chapter V.—BAPTISM OF JESUS.
How gladly should we all learn something of our Saviour's early life; of His childhood; of the pursuits of His youth and manhood! But these things are hidden from us, and whatever legends may exist respecting such matters, we must remember that Scripture has not revealed to us any knowledge of these things. For the eighteen years following His questioning the learned men in the temple, one entry suffices—"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." As partaking of
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Chapter VI.—JESUS TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL
Chapter VI.—JESUS TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL
"And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Three Persons in the Holy Trinity were thus at once made manifest, or shown to John the Baptist: before Him, under the form of Man, stood God the Son: God the Holy Ghost came down from heaven in a bodily form, with
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Chapter VII.—THE FIRST MIRACLE.
Chapter VII.—THE FIRST MIRACLE.
Nathanael , who was brought to Jesus by Philip, was one of those devout Jews who had studied the writings of Moses and the prophets, and was in consequence anxiously expecting the coming of the promised Messiah. Philip went and told him that the Messiah was really come at last, and that he himself had seen the wondrous Being, of whom Moses and the prophets had written; and that He was no other than Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Now at that time the inhabitants of Nazareth did not general
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Chapter VIII.—NICODEMUS COMES BY NIGHT TO JESUS.
Chapter VIII.—NICODEMUS COMES BY NIGHT TO JESUS.
To the question, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." These words were a prophecy: Jesus "spake of the temple of his body," and thus declared that His own body would be killed, but that after three days He would rise to life again. The Jews, thinking only of the building before their eyes now, exclaimed in astonishment, "Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear
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Chapter IX.—JOHN PUT INTO PRISON.
Chapter IX.—JOHN PUT INTO PRISON.
Herod Antipas, one of the sons of Herod the Great, was governor of Galilee: Philip, another of them, was governor or tetrarch of Itruria. The word "tetrarch" means the governor of a certain portion of a kingdom. The land of Palestine being subject to the Romans, they had divided it into portions; and the governors of each portion were styled tetrarchs. Philip had a wife called Herodias, a bad woman, who behaved ill to her husband, and at length left him, and became the wife of his brother Herod.
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Chapter X.—CALLING OF SIMON AND OTHERS.
Chapter X.—CALLING OF SIMON AND OTHERS.
The number of Christ's disciples increased, but it was necessary that He should have a certain number of faithful men constantly with Him, to be witnesses of all that He said and did whilst on earth; so that they might teach "the Gospel of the Kingdom" to others, when he should have returned to His Father in Heaven. To this end, therefore, when walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus bid the two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew, leave their occupation of fishermen, and follow Him wheresoeve
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Chapter XI.—THE LEPER HEALED.
Chapter XI.—THE LEPER HEALED.
We read so often in the Gospels, of Jesus casting out devils and unclean spirits, that it may be as well to say something on this subject, as in these days there is nothing of the kind. We know that the Devil has ever been the greatest enemy of mankind, trying to destroy the souls and bodies of men. In the Old Testament, we read of diviners, enchanters, wizards, sorcerers, and magicians, who were all persons wicked enough to try to have communication with evil spirits; and we also read that the
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Chapter XII.—CALLING OF MATTHEW.
Chapter XII.—CALLING OF MATTHEW.
When Jesus saw the faith of those who had brought the man sick of the palsy, He said, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." These words offended the Scribes (or Doctors) and the Pharisees who were sitting there; and they said within themselves, or thought, "This man blasphemeth," that is, He takes to himself a power which no human being can possess, for "Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" Here they were right: no man could forgive sin, nor with a word take away the diseases cons
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Chapter XIII.—THE PHARISEES' PRETENDED ZEAL FOR THE SABBATH.
Chapter XIII.—THE PHARISEES' PRETENDED ZEAL FOR THE SABBATH.
The man whom Jesus had healed at the pool of Bethesda, seems to have made the first use of his restored power by going into the House of God, to thank and praise Him for having been made whole. Jesus, finding him in the temple, bade him remember the cure which had been worked upon him, and show his gratitude by forsaking all his sins and leading a holy life, so that he might not bring upon himself far more terrible sufferings than any which he could feel upon earth. The man now understood who ha
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Chapter XIV.—THE APOSTLES CHOSEN.
Chapter XIV.—THE APOSTLES CHOSEN.
As Jesus was to live only for a short time on earth, it was needful that He should leave behind Him others who should carry on His work, and preach the Gospel after His death. But if these men were to repeat to others the words which Jesus had spoken, and show them the wonderful things which He had done, it was necessary that they should be constantly with their Lord, so as to be able to bear witness as to all that He had said or done. During the time that our Saviour had been teaching and heali
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Chapter XV.—JESUS IN SIMON'S HOUSE.
Chapter XV.—JESUS IN SIMON'S HOUSE.
When the Baptist's messengers were gone away, Jesus spake to the multitude about him; telling them that John was the messenger spoken of by the prophet Malachi—the Elias, who was to come before the Messiah. He also told them, that John the Baptist was more than a prophet, but that the humblest follower of Christ might become greater than he was. Many other things spake Jesus unto the people: those who were humble, and felt that they were sinners, gladly accepted the offer of forgiveness, on the
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Chapter XVI.—STILLING THE TEMPEST, ETC.
Chapter XVI.—STILLING THE TEMPEST, ETC.
The Lake of Gennesareth, or Sea of Galilee, is a large body of water; and the River Jordan, which runs through it, causes at all times a considerable motion in the centre of the lake; when the wind blows strongly from the S.E., and meets the current of the river, the sea becomes so rough, that any small vessels are in the greatest danger, and in this way many are lost. We read, that as they sailed, Jesus fell asleep. We must remember, that for our sakes Jesus had become subject to all the pains
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Chapter XVII.—DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.
Chapter XVII.—DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.
We must now return to the history of John the Baptist; he was about this time put to death by Herod, who, as we have already seen, had thrown the Baptist into prison to please Herodias, who was angry with him because he had reproved her and Herod for their sins. But this wicked woman was not satisfied with the imprisonment of this holy man; she wanted to destroy him, and watched for an opportunity of doing so. It is a terrible thing to determine in one's heart to do a wicked action: it is bad en
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Chapter XVIII.—THE WOMAN OF TYRE.
Chapter XVIII.—THE WOMAN OF TYRE.
In the land of Gennesaret again, the people flocked to Jesus to be healed of their diseases: and when Jesus returned to Capernaum, many followed Him: and the Lord spake to them and told them that they only came to Him because they had seen His miracles, and more particularly because they had partaken of the loaves and fishes; and He warned them, that they had better seek those far greater spiritual blessings, which the Son of Man could give them. Many things He said unto them, trying to persuade
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Chapter XIX.—THE TRANSFIGURATION.
Chapter XIX.—THE TRANSFIGURATION.
"And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Cæsarea Philippi:" that is, into the country and towns round about Cæsarea Philippi, a town some miles to the north of the Sea of Galilee. The name of this city had been Paneus; but Philip, governor of that part of the country, repaired and beautified its houses and other buildings, and added more, so making quite a new and large city, which he called Cæsarea, in honour of Tiberius Cæsar, who became Emperor of Rome about fourteen years af
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Chapter XX.—JESUS GOES TO THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.
Chapter XX.—JESUS GOES TO THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.
When the disciples were alone with their Master, after the miracle of casting the devil out of the child, they naturally asked, Why, as He had given them authority to cast out evil spirits, they had not in this case been able to do so? Jesus told them plainly, that it was because their faith was weak; for that no miracle would be too hard for them if they had a lively and increasing faith, or "faith as a grain of mustard seed." This was an expression in common use amongst the Jews, to signify so
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Chapter XXI.—RETURN OF THE SEVENTY.
Chapter XXI.—RETURN OF THE SEVENTY.
"In the last day, that great day of the feast," when there was a holy convocation, or assembling of the people, Jesus stood up, and invited all men to believe in Him, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which He compared to "living water"—water that would wash away all their sins, and give life and strength to their souls: just as a good drink of pure water, given to a man who is fainting with fatigue and thirst, will revive him, and give him fresh strength and spirit for his work. Again wa
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Chapter XXII.—THE LORD'S PRAYER.
Chapter XXII.—THE LORD'S PRAYER.
The answer which Jesus gave, as to loving God with all the heart, and his neighbour as himself, did not silence the Lawyer: he, "willing to justify himself," being anxious to prove that he was a just and righteous man, now asked, "Who is my neighbour?" The Jews had in many points altered or explained the Law, to suit their own feelings and wishes; and they would not look upon any man as a neighbour, unless he were of their own religion. This Lawyer had probably always been kind to his Jewish bre
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Chapter XXIII.—HEALING OF THE MAN BORN BLIND.
Chapter XXIII.—HEALING OF THE MAN BORN BLIND.
Much did the Lord say upon the subject of covetousness; an evil passion which, if indulged, must draw the heart more and more from heavenly things to things of the earth; saying unto them, "For where your treasure is there will your heart be also." Jesus, then, in a short parable, showed the necessity of constantly watching, that we may not be found unready whenever we are summoned to die. Many other things Jesus said, and continued to teach through the cities and villages: on one occasion He ra
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Chapter XXIV.—JESUS'S LAST JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM.
Chapter XXIV.—JESUS'S LAST JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM.
"And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch:" that is, in a porch or colonnade, which stood on the same spot where Solomon's porch had formerly stood; for the temple which existed in our Saviour's time was the one built by the Jews, after their return from their captivity in Babylon. The Jews came round about Jesus whilst He was in this porch, and most unreasonably accused Him of keeping them in doubt, as to whether H
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Chapter XXV.—ZACCHÆUS AND LAZARUS.
Chapter XXV.—ZACCHÆUS AND LAZARUS.
At Jericho "there was a man named Zacchæus, which was the chief among the Publicans, and he was rich." He had already heard much of Jesus, and now "he sought to see Jesus, who he was; and could not for the press," or crowd of people who surrounded the Lord, for Zacchæus was a short man, or "little of stature." Being really anxious to see Jesus, Zacchæus did not content himself with merely wishing , and regretting ; but he took some trouble to accomplish his object, and met with his reward. We re
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Chapter XXVI.—JESUS IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON THE LEPER
Chapter XXVI.—JESUS IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON THE LEPER
The speech made in the Sanhedrim by Caiaphas, meant a great deal more than he did, when he used the words . Caiaphas meant, that if there were any chance of offending the Romans, it would be better at once to put one man to death, than to bring destruction upon the whole nation. But St. John bids us take notice that, without intending it, Caiaphas thus proclaimed the blessed plan of salvation through the atonement, which, by the death of One, would be made for all mankind. Caiaphas was the "High
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Chapter XXVII.—CHRIST'S ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM.
Chapter XXVII.—CHRIST'S ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM.
Then Jesus sent forth two of His disciples, with directions where to find a colt, the foal of an ass, upon which He purposed to ride into Jerusalem. The disciples did as they were directed, and "cast their garments upon the colt, and they sat Jesus thereon": and He rode towards Jerusalem, accompanied by many of the people who had been with Him in Simon's house, and "that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave." These were soon met by those who, with palm branches in their hands, ha
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Chapter XXVIII.—THE VOICE FROM HEAVEN.
Chapter XXVIII.—THE VOICE FROM HEAVEN.
At this time Jesus saith, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour; but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name." By these last words Jesus expressed His willingness to give Himself up entirely to God, that God might do with Him whatever would be for His own praise and glory. This same feeling of perfect resignation and self-denial should also govern us in all things. Jesus spake these words, and "then came there a voice from heaven, s
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Chapter XXIX.—DISCOURSES ON THE TUESDAY.
Chapter XXIX.—DISCOURSES ON THE TUESDAY.
In the parable of the Marriage Feast just spoken of, we read that when the invited guests refused to come, beggars were compelled to come in from the highways; now, though this may seem to us a strange thing, it would not appear so to those who heard this parable, as it was according to the customs of the East. Even now, the Arab princes often dine in the open air before their dwellings, and invite all that pass, even beggars, to share their meal: these guests sit down and eat, and when they hav
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Chapter XXX.—WEDNESDAY—JUDAS COVENANTS TO BETRAY JESUS.
Chapter XXX.—WEDNESDAY—JUDAS COVENANTS TO BETRAY JESUS.
Whilst the Pharisees, who had asked questions in the hope of finding a fault, were gathered together, Jesus in His turn questioned them: He "asked them, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord? for David himself said by the Holy Ghost, in the Book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord; if David
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Chapter XXXI.—MODE OF CELEBRATING THE PASSOVER.
Chapter XXXI.—MODE OF CELEBRATING THE PASSOVER.
In order to a better understanding of all that the Gospels tell us of the Last Supper, it will be well to see how the Jews at that time kept the Passover. In the first place, on the day when the Paschal Lamb was to be killed and eaten, the Jews were to put away out of their houses all leaven or yeast, and live for a whole week on cakes made of unleavened dough: hence the Feast of the Passover was also called the "Feast of unleavened bread." 1. When the guests were assembled in the evening to eat
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Chapter XXXII.—THE LAST SUPPER.
Chapter XXXII.—THE LAST SUPPER.
"And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you which eateth with me shall betray me: behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table." The disciples, hearing this, "began to be exceeding sorrowful, and to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing: and one by one, they asked him, Lord, is it I? and another said, Is it I?" It was well for the disciples to be sorrowful, and fearful of doing wrong. When we hear of sin
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Chapter XXXIII.—JESUS IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.
Chapter XXXIII.—JESUS IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.
Our blessed Lord loved His disciples to the end; and in order that they might remember all the blessings secured to them by His death on the Cross, He appointed the "outward and visible sign," of eating bread and drinking wine, which were to figure, or represent to their minds, His body and blood thus given for them: but not given for them only , but for all mankind; and therefore it is just as necessary for all Christians to remember these things. We consequently find, that ever since that last
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Chapter XXXIV.—JESUS BETRAYED.
Chapter XXXIV.—JESUS BETRAYED.
When Jesus had cautioned Peter, James and John, to watch and pray, "he went forward a little, and was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down and prayed"; in the earnestness of His prayer, "he fell on his face on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him." It was not the death upon the cross which Jesus prayed might pass from Him: human martyrs have borne bodily sufferings and cruel deaths, supported by the grace of God; and though in His h
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Chapter XXXV.—JESUS TAKEN BEFORE ANNAS AND CAIAPHAS.
Chapter XXXV.—JESUS TAKEN BEFORE ANNAS AND CAIAPHAS.
After He had healed Malchus, Jesus said unto Peter, "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" Here Jesus plainly declares that He gave Himself to fulfil the Scriptures, which declared, that
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Chapter XXXVI.—JESUS CONDEMNED BY CAIAPHAS.
Chapter XXXVI.—JESUS CONDEMNED BY CAIAPHAS.
"At the last came two false witnesses." They did not mean to speak the truth; all that they wished was to please the Priests, who, far from desiring them to speak truly, only wanted something to be said, which would give them an excuse for having Jesus put to death. The two witnesses who now came before them, furnished them with the pretence they sought for: these men "bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
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Chapter XXXVII.—PETER'S THIRD DENIAL.
Chapter XXXVII.—PETER'S THIRD DENIAL.
When Peter had returned into the hall where Jesus still was, another man "confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was him: for he is a Galilean." The Jews, who were natives of Galilee, used a different dialect to that of the inhabitants of Judæa; and this man, having heard Peter speak, at once perceived that he was a Galilean, and doubtless the follower of Jesus. But Peter at once said, "Man, I am not": he would not even now allow that he was a Galilean; but the fact was too pl
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Chapter XXXVIII.—JESUS SENT BY PILATE TO HEROD.
Chapter XXXVIII.—JESUS SENT BY PILATE TO HEROD.
Whatever might be the cause, it is plain that the Priests and elders were preparing to keep the Passover, on the evening after that on which Jesus had eaten it with His disciples: and that lest they should be defiled and rendered unclean according to the Law, they would not enter the Judgment Hall, which was full of Roman soldiers. Any Jew who (in one of the many ways) became unclean, could not partake of the Feast of the Passover: and it was even held, that upon occasions of such peculiar holin
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Chapter XXXIX.—JESUS CONDEMNED.
Chapter XXXIX.—JESUS CONDEMNED.
St. Luke tells us, that "the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves." "Enmity" means just the contrary to friendship: Pilate and Herod had quarrelled, as the different governors throughout the Roman provinces were very apt to do. The Bible does not tell us the cause of this enmity; but from other histories we learn, that some time before this, Pilate had dedicated some shields of gold to the Emperor Tiberius, and placed them in the
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Chapter XL.—JESUS CONDEMNED BY PILATE.
Chapter XL.—JESUS CONDEMNED BY PILATE.
"Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him." This was a very unnecessary piece of cruelty practised by the Romans; whose custom it was to scourge, or whip with cords, every criminal condemned to death. We must now think of our blessed Lord, with His back all cut and bleeding from the stripes laid upon Him, aching and smarting all over; then we must remember that this was the punishment of our sins, which He bore, and that, "with his stripes we are healed." Shall not such thoughts stir u
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Chapter XLI.—JESUS CRUCIFIED.
Chapter XLI.—JESUS CRUCIFIED.
In reading the account of our blessed Lord's condemnation, it may seem strange to us that Pilate was ready to receive Him so early as five o'clock in the morning; though we can understand the Priests and the Sanhedrim sitting up all night, to accomplish their wicked purpose. But we must remember, that the Jews were at all times ready to make disturbances; and that as very great multitudes came into Jerusalem for the Passover, those who were in authority were obliged to be very watchful, so as to
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Chapter XLII.—CHRIST ON THE CROSS.
Chapter XLII.—CHRIST ON THE CROSS.
The Chief Priests were by no means satisfied with the superscription written by Pilate, for they persisted in believing that Jesus had no right to be called King or Messiah. "Then said the Chief Priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, the King of the Jews; but that he said, I am king of the Jews": an alteration which would have made it appear that He had been justly punished by the Romans, for claiming a power to which no one had any right in the Roman provinces. "Pilate answered, What I have
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Chapter XLIII.—JESUS DIES.
Chapter XLIII.—JESUS DIES.
Three hours of agony beyond what we can imagine passed slowly away; and then, "at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"—the very words which stand, at the beginning of the 22nd Psalm, wherein David foretells many things that would happen at this time. "Some of them that stood by," not understanding Hebrew, "when they heard the words spoken by Jesus, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. After
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Chapter XLIV.—JESUS RISES FROM THE SEPULCHRE.
Chapter XLIV.—JESUS RISES FROM THE SEPULCHRE.
"And Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joses, and the women also which came with him from Galilee, followed after" Joseph and Nicodemus, "and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid." And they returned and prepared spices and ointments, in order that the process of embalming, hastily begun by Joseph and Nicodemus, might be properly finished after the Sabbath should be past. Having made their preparations, they "rested the sabbath day, according to the commandment." By comparing the
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Chapter XLV.—CHRIST APPEARS TO MARY MAGDALENE.
Chapter XLV.—CHRIST APPEARS TO MARY MAGDALENE.
The Apostles appear to have come to the sepulchre, without any idea that the Lord had risen from the dead. They had not understood rightly what the prophets had said of the death and rising again of the Messiah; nor had the words of the Lord, though He had told them plainly that He should die and rise again the third day, prepared them for what had happened. When John examined the tomb, he saw that the body of Jesus must, in some miraculous way, have slipped out of the linen clothes, leaving the
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Chapter XLVI.—JESUS APPEARS TO THE DISCIPLES.
Chapter XLVI.—JESUS APPEARS TO THE DISCIPLES.
The testimony of so many different witnesses had not yet convinced the Apostles: when they had heard that "Jesus was alive, and had been seen of Mary Magdalene, they believed not. And when the other women came with their testimony," their words seemed to the Apostles as "idle tales, and they believed them not." Still all that they heard was not without some effect; for Peter was anxious to visit the sepulchre again: "Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the
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Chapter XLVII.—UNBELIEF OF THOMAS.
Chapter XLVII.—UNBELIEF OF THOMAS.
"But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came." As soon as they met again, "the other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord." Thomas, however, was so convinced that it was impossible for Jesus to appear again in His own body, that he declared that he would not believe, unless he actually saw that it was the very same body which had been crucified: therefore, "he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put
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Chapter XLVIII.—JESUS TAKEN INTO HEAVEN.
Chapter XLVIII.—JESUS TAKEN INTO HEAVEN.
We are not told that Peter made any remark upon what Jesus told him, "signifying by what death he should glorify God:" we only read, "Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved, following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?" This you will remember was John, one of the sons of Zebedee; the same John who alone gives us any account of what passed on this occasion. "Peter, seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall th
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Chapter I.—THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.
Chapter I.—THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.
After the Four Gospels, there is in the New Testament a book called "The Acts of the Apostles," which gives us an account of the principal acts, or doings, of some of the Apostles, after the Lord was taken from them. This Book of Acts was written by St. Luke, who also wrote one of the Four Gospels; and it is the only Scriptural account we have of what the Apostles said and did, though we gather a few more particulars from the Epistles, or letters written by the Apostles themselves, to the brethr
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Chapter II.—THE LAME MAN HEALED BY PETER AND JOHN.
Chapter II.—THE LAME MAN HEALED BY PETER AND JOHN.
When the multitude of Jews from all parts of the earth, heard twelve poor ignorant men of Galilee, able to speak easily in many different languages, which they had most probably never even heard spoken before, "they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?" The great truths of the Gospel thus proclaimed, must indeed have startled them, for they could not but perceive that God was with these men in a very remarkable manner. Some of them, unwilling to believe t
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Chapter III.—ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA.
Chapter III.—ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA.
Although the Priests and the Sadducees did for the time put a stop to Peter's discourse, they could not undo the effect which it produced; for we read, "Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand." The next day Peter and John were taken before the Sanhedrim, where Annas, the High Priest, and Caiaphas, with many others, were assembled. "And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
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Chapter IV.—APPOINTMENT OF DEACONS.
Chapter IV.—APPOINTMENT OF DEACONS.
The Apostles continued to teach the people, "and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one." The Priests and elders
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Chapter V.—THE FIRST MARTYR, STEPHEN.
Chapter V.—THE FIRST MARTYR, STEPHEN.
"And Stephen," (the Deacon,) "full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people." His success among the people stirred up enemies against him. Every considerable synagogue among the Jews, had an academy or school belonging to it, where young persons were instructed by the Rabbis: and it would seem that Stephen visited different synagogues, and tried to convince the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. "Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of
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Chapter VI.—CONVERSION OF SAUL.
Chapter VI.—CONVERSION OF SAUL.
The deacon Philip, having left Jerusalem in consequence of the persecution after the martyrdom of Stephen, "went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city." There wa
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Chapter VII.—SAUL JOINS THE CHURCH AT JERUSALEM.
Chapter VII.—SAUL JOINS THE CHURCH AT JERUSALEM.
Syria , of which Damascus was the capital, had become a Roman province about sixty-three years before the birth of Christ. Whilst Saul was in Arabia, Aretas, the king of that country, went into the land of Judæa, to fight against Herod Antipas, who had married the daughter of Aretas, and then treated her very ill. Herod was defeated in a battle, and then he applied for help to the Emperor Tiberius, as supreme ruler of Judæa. Tiberius commanded his general Vitellius to chastise Aretas for his att
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Chapter VIII.—PETER AND CORNELIUS.
Chapter VIII.—PETER AND CORNELIUS.
Having received the direct commands of God by the Holy Spirit, "Peter" at once "went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom you seek; what is the cause wherefore ye are come? And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on
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Chapter IX.—PETER DELIVERED FROM PRISON.
Chapter IX.—PETER DELIVERED FROM PRISON.
Barnabas , finding that there was plenty of work to be done at Antioch, "departed to Tarsus, for to seek Saul," that he might come and help him. "And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church" (that is, joined in the assemblies of the believers), "and taught much people,"—con verting, we may be sure, Gentiles as well as Jews. Scripture tells us here, "And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioc
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Chapter X.—SAUL AND BARNABAS CALLED TO PREACH TO THE GENTILES.
Chapter X.—SAUL AND BARNABAS CALLED TO PREACH TO THE GENTILES.
After giving his message for James, "Peter departed, and went unto another place," where Herod's officers would be less likely to look for him, than in a house where the Christians were in the habit of meeting. Nor did Peter remain in Jerusalem, where he would at any moment be liable to be discovered: what he did is not quite certain, but there is good reason to believe that he went to Rome, and preached the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles; so as to found, or begin, the establishment of a Christian
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Chapter XI.—SAUL'S NAME CHANGED TO PAUL.
Chapter XI.—SAUL'S NAME CHANGED TO PAUL.
Having preached the Word at Salamis, Barnabas and Saul, with Mark, journeyed on, proclaiming their good tidings in every village. "And when they had gone through the isle," they came unto Paphos, the chief city, situated on the western coast of Cyprus. Here the "deputy of the country," that is, the magistrate or governor appointed by the Roman Emperor, resided: this deputy, whose name was Sergius Paulus, was himself a Roman and a heathen; but he was "a prudent man," that is, a man of good sense
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Chapter XII.—ST. PAUL'S FIRST APOSTOLIC JOURNEY.
Chapter XII.—ST. PAUL'S FIRST APOSTOLIC JOURNEY.
"And it came to pass in Iconium, that Paul and Barnabas went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren." Still the Apostles abode there for a long time, speaking boldly; the Lord bearing testimony to the truth of what they taught, by the miracles He enabled them to work. "But the multitude of the city was d
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Chapter XIII.—DECISION OF THE CHURCH AS TO OBSERVING THE MOSAICAL LAW.
Chapter XIII.—DECISION OF THE CHURCH AS TO OBSERVING THE MOSAICAL LAW.
"And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and," alluding to the affair of Cornelius, "said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe." He then reminded them, that the Holy Ghost had been visibly poured out upon those Gentile converts, showing that in the eyes of Him Who seeth the heart, they were as acceptable as the Jewish converts; and that therefore it cou
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Chapter XIV.—PAUL AND SILAS AT PHILIPPI.
Chapter XIV.—PAUL AND SILAS AT PHILIPPI.
Timothy had paid attention to the teaching of his mother, praying for grace to perceive and know what things he ought to do; and striving earnestly to fulfil the same: and now, St. Paul, seeing that such a young man would be most useful in preaching both to Jews and Gentiles, "would have him to go forth with him" on his journey: and he "took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek." As the son of a Jewess, Timothy would
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Chapter XV.—ST. PAUL LEAVES PHILIPPI.
Chapter XV.—ST. PAUL LEAVES PHILIPPI.
It would seem that the magistrates of Philippi, upon thinking calmly over the matter, felt that they had acted hastily and unjustly, in commanding two men to be scourged and put into prison, without a trial; for we read, "And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants," officers under their command, to the jailor, "saying, Let those men go." The keeper of the prison, well pleased to receive such an order, told this to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore
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Chapter XVI.—ST. PAUL BEFORE THE AREOPAGUS.
Chapter XVI.—ST. PAUL BEFORE THE AREOPAGUS.
We have said that the Philosophers of Athens were desirous to hear more of St. Paul's doctrines. "And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean." The Areopagus was a Court of Justice, the chief court in Athens; and one of its duties was, to pay particular attention to all matters relating to religion, or the worship of th
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Chapter XVII.—ST. PAUL FINISHES HIS SECOND APOSTOLIC JOURNEY.
Chapter XVII.—ST. PAUL FINISHES HIS SECOND APOSTOLIC JOURNEY.
After Timothy and Silas had joined St. Paul, he spake still more plainly and decidedly to the Jews at Corinth, wishing to make them follow the example of their brethren at Thessalonica: but when he tried to convince them that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, they would not listen to him, but "opposed themselves, and blasphemed." Then "he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles." St. Paul meant by this, that if
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Chapter XVIII.—ST. PAUL AND THE SONS OF SCEVA.
Chapter XVIII.—ST. PAUL AND THE SONS OF SCEVA.
We have said that St. Paul began his Third Apostolic Journey by going again through Galatia and Phrygia: then, having passed through the "upper coasts" of Asia Minor, he came again to Ephesus, after Apollos had gone to Corinth. At Ephesus St. Paul now found certain disciples, about twelve men, who had been taught by Apollos, before Aquila and Priscilla had expounded to him the way of God more perfectly: to these men St. Paul said, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said
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Chapter XIX.—ST. PAUL AT EPHESUS.
Chapter XIX.—ST. PAUL AT EPHESUS.
We have said that St. Paul sent Timotheus and Erastus to Corinth: Timotheus, or Timothy, has already been spoken of: of Erastus we know nothing, but his name is mentioned in two of St. Paul's Epistles. After Timothy and Erastus had left Ephesus, St. Paul received a letter, written by those members of the Christian Church who had kept steadily in the right way, and not been led astray by either of the false teachers. This letter told St. Paul how much the Church was disturbed by their mistaken te
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Chapter XX.—ST. PAUL'S JOURNEY TO MILETUS.
Chapter XX.—ST. PAUL'S JOURNEY TO MILETUS.
During the time that St. Paul was journeying about in Macedonia, he suffered much both from the unbelieving Jews and the infidels; for he says himself, in one of his Epistles (2 Cor. vii.), "when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears." But in the midst of his troubles, the Apostle had one great comfort, for Titus came to him from Corinth, and brought him a very satisfactory account of the state of the Chu
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Chapter XXI.—ST. PAUL GOES UP TO JERUSALEM.
Chapter XXI.—ST. PAUL GOES UP TO JERUSALEM.
After reminding the elders of Ephesus of what he had done for them and their countrymen, St. Paul exhorted them to take heed unto themselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost had made them overseers, so as in all things to set a good example to others; and to feed the Church, or nourish and strengthen the souls of the brethren, with the blessed truths of the Gospel, the pure Word of Him Who had purchased the Church with his own blood. He told them, that he was the more anxious to e
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Chapter XXII.—TUMULT AT JERUSALEM.
Chapter XXII.—TUMULT AT JERUSALEM.
St. James , and the elders of the Church at Jerusalem, glorified God, upon hearing of the conversion of so many Gentiles by the teaching of St. Paul, and then they "said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: and they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circum cise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is
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Chapter XXIII.—ST. PAUL BROUGHT BEFORE THE SANHEDRIM.
Chapter XXIII.—ST. PAUL BROUGHT BEFORE THE SANHEDRIM.
When St. Paul said in Greek to the Chief captain, "May I speak unto thee?" he said, in answer, "Canst thou speak Greek? Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people." Claudius Lysias readily granted this request. "And when he had given him licenc
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Chapter XXIV.—ST. PAUL SENT TO CÆSAREA.
Chapter XXIV.—ST. PAUL SENT TO CÆSAREA.
We read in the Book of Acts, "And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle." In the midst of the troubles and dangers with which he was now surrounded, the faithful servant of God was not left without comfort and encouragement; for we read, that "the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good che
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Chapter XXV.—ST. PAUL ACCUSED BEFORE FELIX.
Chapter XXV.—ST. PAUL ACCUSED BEFORE FELIX.
Tertullus "informed the governor against Paul,"—that is, he came to Cæsarea for the express purpose of informing the governor of the many and serious accusations, which the Jews brought against the prisoner. The accusers being now come, Felix sat to judge the matter, and hear what each party had to say. "And when he was called forth, Tertullus," in the name of the Jewish priests and rulers, "began to accuse" Paul, "saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds
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Chapter XXVI.—ST. PAUL BEFORE FESTUS.
Chapter XXVI.—ST. PAUL BEFORE FESTUS.
"But after two years, Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound." Felix might now at least have let the Apostle go, for he could no longer hope for any advantage by leaving him still a prisoner. This governor had never tried to please the Jews by a just and kind government: then he preferred pleasing himself: now, that it does not interfere with his own gratification, he was willing to do the Jews a pleasure, by committing another sin,
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Chapter XXVII.—ST. PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA.
Chapter XXVII.—ST. PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA.
"And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth." This "place of hearing" was probably some large apartment in the palace where Festus lived, set apart for the governor to receive, and give audience to, all persons who came to him on business. This we must remember was no trial of St. Paul; he could now have no further trial til
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Chapter XXVIII.—ST. PAUL BEGINS HIS FOURTH VOYAGE.
Chapter XXVIII.—ST. PAUL BEGINS HIS FOURTH VOYAGE.
St. Paul's solemn prayer for all who had listened to his words closed the examination. "And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: and when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds." All who had heard St. Paul speak, saw at once that he had been guilty of no offence against the Roman Government: and Agrippa, who understood the Jewish law, pronounced that there w
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Chapter XXIX.—THE SHIP RUNS AGROUND.
Chapter XXIX.—THE SHIP RUNS AGROUND.
St. Luke having mentioned the undergirding of the ship, adds, "and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven." The ship being unable to resist the wind blowing strongly from the north-east, must of necessity be carried into the Gulf of Syrtis Minor, on the African coast; but before reaching it, the vessel would have to pass a dangerous bank of sand on the coast of Africa. This bank was of great extent, and any ship that was carried upon it would graduall
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Chapter XXX.—THE SHIP'S COMPANY SAVED.
Chapter XXX.—THE SHIP'S COMPANY SAVED.
In the hopeless condition of the ship, gradually breaking up from the violence of the waves which beat upon the hind part, whilst the fore part was held fast on the bank, all possibility of guarding the prisoners was at an end. "And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape." They probably feared, that even under such peculiar circumstances, if any of the prisoners under their charge escaped, they would be blamed and punished by the Roman Gover
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Chapter XXXI.—ST. PAUL A PRISONER AT ROME.
Chapter XXXI.—ST. PAUL A PRISONER AT ROME.
The centurion Julius had now finished his work, he had brought St. Paul from Cæsarea to Rome, as he had been ordered to do. On the way, he had seen wonderful things, which must have convinced him that the prisoner whom he was now to deliver into the charge of others, was a good and holy man, under the especial protection of his God; and he had moreover seen that this God was great and powerful, and able to command the wind and waves, as none of the gods worshipped by the heathen, could do. Wheth
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Chapter XXXII.—ST. PAUL SET AT LIBERTY.
Chapter XXXII.—ST. PAUL SET AT LIBERTY.
The Epistle to the Colossians was also written by St. Paul whilst he was a prisoner at Rome: probably about the end of the year 62 ( a.d. ). Colossé was a city of Phrygia, where St. Paul had founded a Church; that is, converted a certain number to be believers or Christians, during his First or Second Journey, when he was travelling throughout Asia Minor. The believers of Colossé, having heard of the Apostle's imprisonment at Rome, sent one of their ministers, named Epaphras, to see how he was t
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Chapter XXXIII.—MARTYRDOM OF ST. PAUL AND ST. PETER.
Chapter XXXIII.—MARTYRDOM OF ST. PAUL AND ST. PETER.
St. Paul , feeling that he was about to be taken away from earth, wrote to take leave of Timothy, whom he had loved as his own son. This letter, which is called "The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Timothy," gave him such advice as the Apostle thought might be useful to him. The First Epistle to Timothy has already been mentioned, as having been written nine years before, when St. Paul went into Macedonia, after the riot at Ephesus, where he had left Timothy to direct the affairs of the Ch
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Chapter XXXIV.—VESPASIAN SENT INTO JUDÆA.
Chapter XXXIV.—VESPASIAN SENT INTO JUDÆA.
The decree of the Emperor giving Cæsarea Philippi to Syria, was no sooner known, than the Jews in all parts of Judæa took up arms. Agrippa happened at this time to be in Jerusalem, and he did his best to show the Jews the extreme folly of trying to fight against such a powerful people as the Romans, and begged and entreated of them not to rebel, and so bring misery upon themselves. Instead of listening to this wise and kind advice, the Jews were so enraged with Agrippa for giving it, that he was
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Chapter XXXV.—DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.
Chapter XXXV.—DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.
We have said that after the death of Nero, a.d. 68, there were great troubles in Rome, where three different Emperors succeeded each other in the space of one year; but this state of things was put an end to in a.d. 69, when the Romans chose Vespasian to be their Emperor. The next year, the Emperor Vespasian sent his son Titus to force the rebellious Jews into obedience, and so put an end to this destructive war. Titus and his army marched towards Jerusalem, which to look at was a most magnifice
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Chapter XXXVI.—ST. JOHN'S WRITINGS.
Chapter XXXVI.—ST. JOHN'S WRITINGS.
After the terrible event which has just been related, the Jews who still remained in the land, ceased for a time to oppose the Romans. It was the submission of despair; for they felt that they had no power to resist, and ruin and desolation surrounded them on all sides. The once flourishing fields and plains of Judæa were covered with dead bodies; most of the celebrated cities were merely heaps of ruins. All the fighting men were removed from Jerusalem, and only some women and old men were allow
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Chapter XXXVII.—THE DEATH OF ST. JOHN.
Chapter XXXVII.—THE DEATH OF ST. JOHN.
St. John was nearly 100 years old when he wrote his Gospel: he had spent a long life in preaching and exhorting, and we are told that, when his great age prevented his continuing his active labours, he used to be carried into the public assemblies of the Christians, in order to repeat his exhortation, "Little children, love one another": words constantly repeated in some shape or other, in the writings of this Apostle, who also dwells much upon the love of Christ for man, as a reason why men sho
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Chapter XXXVIII.—THE APOSTLES.
Chapter XXXVIII.—THE APOSTLES.
The next on the list of the Apostles, are "James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother." Both of these have been already mentioned: the Scripture tells us, that St. James the elder, the brother of St. John, was killed with the sword by Herod Agrippa. St. John, as we have heard, survived the destruction of Jerusalem; was banished for some years to the island of Patmos; and finally died a natural death at Ephesus. "Philip and Bartholomew" are the next upon our list; and throughout their lives t
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Chapter I.—THE JEWS TO THE TIME OF THE EMPEROR ADRIAN.
Chapter I.—THE JEWS TO THE TIME OF THE EMPEROR ADRIAN.
The history of those chosen by the Lord to be His peculiar people, has now been traced for more than two thousand years, from the Call of Abraham, b.c. 1921. For the two centuries immediately following that event, we have the history of Abraham's descendants, Isaac, Jacob or Israel, and the twelve sons of Israel, or Patriarchs, as they are called, from being the fathers of all the tribes of Israel. Israel and his sons and grand-children, to the number of sixty-six persons, went down, b.c. 1706,
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Chapter II.—STATE OF THE JEWS TO THE END OF THE THIRD CENTURY.
Chapter II.—STATE OF THE JEWS TO THE END OF THE THIRD CENTURY.
The repeated provocations which, by their rebellions, the Jews gave to the Romans, could not, of course, tend to make their conquerors deal mercifully with them: thus did they, time after time, draw upon themselves those miseries, which were a chastisement for all their sins against God; and especially of that crowning one, the Crucifixion of "the Lord of Life and Glory." After the rebellion under Coziba, numbers of the Jews who outlived it, were offered for sale at the same price as a horse, at
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Chapter III.—JEWS IN THE FOURTH CENTURY.
Chapter III.—JEWS IN THE FOURTH CENTURY.
Early in the fourth century, as has been said, a great change took place in religious matters. Constantine, surnamed the Great, who began to reign as sole Emperor of Rome a.d. 324, became a Christian. It is said, that when going to fight against a rival who claimed the Imperial power, Constantine saw, or dreamed that he saw in the sky, a bright cross, and upon it the words, "In hoc vince" (in this conquer). He gained the victory; and ascribing it to the God worshipped by the Christians, (whose e
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Chapter IV.—FIFTH AND SIXTH CENTURIES.
Chapter IV.—FIFTH AND SIXTH CENTURIES.
By the close of the fourth century, the Roman Empire was very considerably weakened and diminished, by the attacks of barbarian tribes on all sides. On the death of the Emperor Theodosius, a.d. 395, all that remained of the once Roman Empire was finally divided between his two young sons: Arcadius becoming Emperor of the East, with Constantinople for his capital; Honorius Emperor of the West, with the ancient capital of Rome. The Jews of the Eastern Empire, emboldened by the mild treatment they
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Chapter V.—RISE OF MAHOMETANISM.
Chapter V.—RISE OF MAHOMETANISM.
The Jews settled in Spain had become rich by trading, and were very flourishing, until Heraclius, who had been at war with that country, made peace, on condition that all the Jews who would not consent to be baptized, should be destroyed or driven out of Spain. Many to save their lives and property submitted to the outward rite of baptism; others, more conscientious, stood firm, and were cruelly tortured. Some escaped into Gaul, but met with cruel treatment there: and during the remainder of the
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Chapter VI.—TENTH AND ELEVENTH CENTURIES.
Chapter VI.—TENTH AND ELEVENTH CENTURIES.
The Jews in Spain brought trouble upon themselves by listening to one of their own countrymen, who declared himself to be the expected Messiah, and persuaded the multitude to follow him to Palestine, where he promised to establish his kingdom. Many perished on this expedition; and those who did return to Spain had cause to repent bitterly of their foolish credulity, for during their absence the Government had seized upon all their lands and property. When Gaul was taken from the Romans by the ba
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Chapter VII.—TWELFTH CENTURY.
Chapter VII.—TWELFTH CENTURY.
Our history has now brought us to the twelfth century; that is, to the space of 100 years, from a.d. 1100 to a.d. 1200. The twelfth century began as the eleventh had ended; for the Crusaders continued to persecute the Jews in Germany and other countries, as well as in Palestine. The cry of the Christians was, "Let us destroy the descendants of those who crucified Jesus Christ, so that the name of Israel be no more remembered"—a cry as much at variance with prophecy, as with the spirit of Christi
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Chapter VIII.—IMPOSTORS IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY.
Chapter VIII.—IMPOSTORS IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY.
When Richard the First was making preparations for the Holy War, (as the Crusade was called,) his Christian subjects felt very angry that they, who looked upon themselves as the favourites of Heaven, should be obliged to deprive their families even of needful things, in order to fit themselves or others out to join in this war, whilst the enemies of Christ were left in peaceable enjoyment of their riches; and they persuaded themselves that it would be a meritorious act, acceptable to God, to des
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Chapter IX.—THIRTEENTH CENTURY IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE.
Chapter IX.—THIRTEENTH CENTURY IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE.
Henry the Third became King of England on the death of John, a.d. 1216: he was quite a child when his father died; but those who governed for him, set the Jews who were in prison at liberty; and ordered that they should be protected against the violence of the Crusaders. Still, during the whole of Henry's long reign, which extended far into the latter half of the thirteenth century, the Jews were subject to great oppression and ill-usage in England. As a privilege and favour to the citizens of N
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Chapter X.—THIRTEENTH CENTURY CONCLUDED.
Chapter X.—THIRTEENTH CENTURY CONCLUDED.
In Spain during the thirteenth century, the Jews suffered as much as they did in England and in France. At this time there were two Christian kingdoms in Spain: namely, the kingdom of Castile and the kingdom of Arragon; the southern part of Spain formed the kingdom of the Moors, who were Mahometans. The Bishop of Toledo, vexed at the increased numbers and riches of the Israelites in Spain, excited the populace against them, and putting himself at the head of the rioters, entered and plundered sy
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Chapter XI.—END OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.
Chapter XI.—END OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.
About ten years after the affair of the Shepherds, the Jews in France were accused of having been bribed by the Saracen king of Granada to poison all the wells and rivers in the country. There was no proof of this but the declaration of a leper, who said, that a rich Jew had given him money to poison some wells; but this was enough for the populace, who, without waiting for inquiry or trial, rose at once, and put numbers of the suspected race to a cruel death. The king, Philip the Sixth, shamefu
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Chapter XII.—THE JEWS AND THE INQUISITION.
Chapter XII.—THE JEWS AND THE INQUISITION.
During the fifteenth century there were no Jews in England or France. Of course, there may have been a few scattered here and there; but there was no body of Jews in either country during this period. In Germany, their condition continued much the same. The slightest pretence sufficed to raise a persecution; and a pretence was afforded, at the close of the century, by an impostor, named David, who declared that the Messiah would positively appear in the year 1500. He afterwards declared, that th
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Chapter XIII.—TREATMENT OF THE JEWS BY FERDINAND.
Chapter XIII.—TREATMENT OF THE JEWS BY FERDINAND.
The Monks took such an active part in the persecution of the Jews, that it may be well to give some account of the "Religious Orders," as they are called; all of which hated the Hebrew race, and would gladly have seen it extirpated. Very soon after the establishment of the Christian religion, there were men who wished to devote their hearts and lives to the service of God, and thought they could better do this by giving up all the pleasures and business of ordinary life. It became the practice f
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Chapter XIV.—SEPARATION IN THE CHURCH.
Chapter XIV.—SEPARATION IN THE CHURCH.
The events which have been noticed in Spain and Portugal, extended well into the sixteenth century, and thus belong to modern history; for the fifteenth is the last of the ten centuries known in history as "the Middle Ages," during which, as we have seen, the sufferings of the Jews were very terrible. It is impossible here to give a particular account of this persecuted race in all countries, during the centuries that have since elapsed. In the sixteenth century took place that important movemen
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Chapter XV.—SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.
Chapter XV.—SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.
The most curious event connected with the Jews in the seventeenth century is the history of the impostor, Zabathai Tzevi, who was born in Syria, of poor Jewish parents; and being gifted with wonderful talents and great powers of learning, was enabled to take advantage of the ignorance and credulity of his countrymen. Towards the close of the century, there was a general idea amongst the Jews, that some wonderful event was about to take place, and all sorts of strange tales were told, and believe
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Chapter XVI.—CONCLUSION.
Chapter XVI.—CONCLUSION.
Of late years many privileges have been granted to the Jews in England, and many societies have also been formed, for the purpose of trying to prove to them from their own Scriptures, that the promised Messiah, has accomplished His work, and that the Christian religion should now take the place of the Jewish Dispensation,—that the two are but in fact, only two parts of one religion,—that the Jewish Dispensation, the Law, the Covenant of Works, was designed to prepare mankind for the Coming of th
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