ment. That this Gospel is NOT an abridgment of Matthew's, appears from his omitting several important things related in it; e. g. Christ's genealogy and birth; the massacre at Bethlehem; the sermon on the mount; and more particularly from his dilating upon some facts which are concisely mentioned by Matthew, such as the cure of the paralytic *, and the miracles amongst the Gadarenes †, compared with Matthew. Lardner has enumerated above thirty circumstances noticed by Mark, which are not found in any other Gospel; many are trifling, but two are accounts of miraculous cures, at the end of the 7th chapter, and in the middle of the 8th,

ST. LUKE'S GOSPEL.

Of Luke's family little is known; he is not named in any of the Gospels. In the Acts he uses sometimes the word we, and therefore it is inferred that at those times he was with Paul: e. g. "From Troas we came to Samothracia §." They went next to Philippi, where they separated; for Luke there uses the pronoun they ||. It appears Luke joined Paul when he was returning to Jerusalem, after his second

* Mark ii.
§ Luke xvi. 11.

† lbid. v.

Matt. ix. 2. viii. 18.

|| Ibid. xvii. 1.

visit to Greece*; e. g. "They tarried for us at Troas, and we sailed away from Philippi." From Paul's Epistle we find that Luke continued with him during h is onfinement at Rome t.

Justin Martyr quotes passages from Luke's Gospel; but Irenæus is the first who names him, and he cites so many passages, and points out so many peculiarities from him, that this is a sufficient testimony of its genuineness; he is, however, supported by Origen, Jerome, Chrysostom, &c.

It seems most probable it was published in Greece, A.D. 63, for the use of the Gentile converts, as he has inserted many explanations, particularly concerning Scribes and Pharisees, which he would not have done had he been writing to Jews. This Gospel contains many things which the others do not; e. g. birth of John the Baptist; Roman census; vision to the shepherds; Simeon and Anna's testimony; Christ's conversation with the doctors when twelve years old: parables of the good Samaritan, and prodigal son: the account of Zaccheus ; and of the penitent thief, &c. All these peculiarities are noticed by Irenæus.

Luke seems to have been a man of more learning than the other Evangelists; his language is more

Acts xx. 5, 6.

+ 2 Tim. iv. 11. Col. iv. 14.

E

pure; he is supposed to have been a physician. No mention being any where made of his martyrdom, it is thought he died a natural death.

ST. JOHN'S GOSPEL.

St. John was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James the Great. He was called to be a disciple with his brother James, as they were fishing upon Gennesaret, or sea of Galilee *. These two were called Boanerges, implying their zeal and resolution. Mistaking Christ's kingdom for a temporal one, they applied for places of honour, and were rebuked t. John was the favourite disciple of Christ; he, with Peter and James, was chosen frequently to accompany Christ when no others were present; as at the transfiguration, and during his agony in the garden. John appears to have been the only apostle present at the crucifixion. Christ consigned the care of his mother to him. He saw the blood and water issue from Christ's side; was one of the first who were made acquainted with Christ's resurrection; and, with the other ten apostles, witnessed his ascension. He continued to preach the Gospel some time at Jerusalem; was

* Matt. iv. 21.

+ Mark xx. 20. Matt. x. 30.

imprisoned by the Sanhedrim, with Peter*, and afterwards with the other Apostles t. After the second release, John and Peter were sent by the other Apostles to the Samaritans, whom Philip the deacon had converted, that through them the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit. Here his history ends, except that as he informs us, he was banished to Patmos, in the Egean sea, "for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ :" most probably Domitian banished him thither. Upon Nerva's succeeding to the empire he returned to Ephesus, in A.D. 96, and died at a very advanced age (having survived all the Apostles) in the third year of Trajan's reign, A.D. 100. There are manifest allusions to this Gospel in Hermas, Ignatius, and Justin Martyr; but Irenæus is the first who expressly names it.

It is universally agreed that John published his Gospel in Asia, and that when he wrote it, he had seen the other three Gospels; therefore it is a tacit confirmation of the other three, with which it does not disagree in any material point.

It was most probably published about A.D. 97. This late date is inferred by the contents and design of the Gospel itself; for the Evangelist evi

*Acts iv. 3.

+ Ibid. v. 18.

dently considers those whom he addresses as little acquainted with Jewish customs. He calls the passover, "the passover of the Jews;" says that" rabbi" signifies "teacher;" and that the "Samaritans had no dealings with the Jews," &c. Explanations of this kind are made in the other Gospels sometimes, but in this more frequently; therefore probably many Gentiles from distant parts had been converted at the time it was written, and were unacquainted with Jewish customs, it being then thirty years after the destruction of Jerusalem.

According to some of the fathers it was written to refute the Gnostics, Cerinthians, and Ebionites, and to establish the pre-existence and divinity of Christ. This appears probable from this Gospel containing more of doctrine and less of historical matter than the others. It may be considered peculiarly as a standard of faith, written by the Apostle who enjoyed in a high degree the affection and confidence of the Divine Author of our religion. The style of this Gospel is the least correct of the four, but this is compensated by its admirable simplicity.