9. That his disciples might have the full benefit of his example, he lived with them in common, as one family. They followed him wherever he went; they eat and lodged with him; they had opportunity of studying him continually. He spared no pains to instruct them. What they understood not in his public discourses, he explained to them in private; treating them as his friends, and telling them all things, as they were able to bear them. He bore with the utmost patience, their dulness, their ignorance, their vanity, and all their faults, and laboured without ceasing to correct them.
*10. But he had other disciples beside the twelve: for all who believed and were baptized were called his disciples. St. Paul mentions above 500 of them, who together saw him after his resurrection. So that the church even then consisted of two parts: the people, simply called The disciples or The brethren, and those whom Christ had set apart for ministring in public: such were first, The apostles, and then the seventy, whom he chose, and sent two and two before his face.
*11. The different degrees of love wherewith our Lord loved different persons are worthy a serious reflection. He hath taught us, that every man is our neighbour, whom we are to love as ourselves: and he accordingly loved all the world: yea, he gave his life for all. Yet he loved his disciples in a particular manner, and above the rest of them, his apostles; above the rest of the apostles, St. Peter and the sons of Zebedee; and above all, St. John. Thus by his own example hath he authorized us to regard some persons with a particular affection, and shewn, that peculiar friendship is not inconsistent with universal charity.
12. But in his sufferings chiefly hath “He left us an example, that we should tread in his steps.” Being like us in all things, except sin, he felt all the inconveniences of life; hunger, thirst and weariness and pain: and the state he was in, the night before his passion in the garden, plainly shews, that he was sensible like us, of grief and fear and sadness. Add to these his sense of the hardness of men’s hearts, and the contradiction of sinners. But he suffered all, and particularly in his passion, with an invincible constancy. He who with a word could have confounded his accusers and judges together, opened not his mouth. He stood unmoved as a rock in the midst of all insults, reproaches, outrages. On the very cross he possest his soul in patience. Even there retaining composure of mind, he prays for his murderers; he accepts the faith of the penitent thief; he provides for his mother’s comfort; he finishes the accomplishment of the prophecies; he commends his spirit to God.
CHAPTER II.
Of the church at Jerusalem.
1.AFTER the apostles had received the Holy Ghost, they were living images of Jesus Christ. And by them all the following servants of Christ were to form their hearts and lives. So St. Paul to the Corinthians, Be ye followers of me, as I am of Christ: and to the [♦]Philippians, Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so, as ye have us for an example.
[♦] “Phillippians” replaced with “Philippians”
2. Thus they taught by their lives as well as their words. But they chose out some of the believers, whom they taught in a more particular manner, as Jesus Christ had instructed them. These were with them continually wherever they went: these followed them in all their journies, and were appointed by them to reside in, and to govern the churches as they were formed. So with St. Peter was Mark, whom he calls his son (1 Peter v. 13.) and St. Clement, well known in all the churches. With St. Paul, were Timothy, Titus, St. Luke, and sometimes the same St. Clement. Thus Polycarp accompanied St. John. These holy men applied themselves with all care to learn the doctrine, and to imitate the lives of the apostles. And hereby they were themselves examples to other believers, both by word and conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. They likewise themselves formed disciples, capable of instructing and forming others. And this St. Paul directs Timothy to do (2 Timothy ii. 2.) The things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thus was the faith once delivered to the saints: thus was the church, the whole body of Christians from the beginning, the ground and pillar of truth, of all the truths contained in the oracles of God. In the writings therefore of these, not of modern reasoners and disputers, are we to search for that sense of scriptures hard to be understood, which they received from the apostles, and the apostles from Christ.