possible that there is a reference to our Lord's demeanour at the miracle of feeding the multitude with a few loaves and fishes.

Alford suggests that the marks of the nails in our Lord's hands may have been first noticed as He was breaking bread.

That it could not be the Lord's Supper appears clear to my own mind for the following reasons. Firstly, it was impossible that the two disciples could recognize anything in our Lord's manner of breaking the bread to remind them of the Lord's Supper, because they were not present at the institution of it. None but the apostles were present at the institution, and the two disciples were evidently not apostles.-Secondly, it is mere gratuitous assumption to say that the Lord's Supper is meant, when we find no words of consecration used, and no mention of wine. Even the Roman Catholics must allow that without consecration and the presence of wine, there is no sacrament. They will hardly dare to say that the two disciples at Emmaus were laymen.—Thirdly, the words of our Lord at the time of the first institution of the Lord's Supper, that He would no more drink the fruit of the vine" with His disciples, make it highly improbable that the sacrament can be here referred to.

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The quotations of the Fathers given by the Romish writers in defence of this opinion about the Lord's Supper are most meagre and unsatisfactory. At best they only prove, as Jansenius remarks, that some of the Fathers thought the transaction at Emmaus figurative of the Lord's supper.

The plain truth is that both here and elsewhere the carnal mind of man catches at the least pretext for making everything in religion material and sensual, and strains every possible expression into a material sense. All texts about eating, and drinking, and a cup, and bread, must needs signify the Lord's Supper! All texts about washing, and water, and purifying, and the like, must needs mean baptism! Against such interpretations of Scripture we must always be on our guard.

Lightfoot remarks, "It is strange that any should interpret this breaking of bread of the holy eucharist, when Christ Himself had determined to disappear in the very distribution of the bread, and so interrupt the supper. And where indeed doth it appear that any of them tasted a bit? The supper was ended before it began."- The Rabbins say, if three eat together, they are bound to say grace."

31.-[Their eyes...opened...knew him.] The manner of this sudden revelation of Christ we cannot explain. The whole transaction is so miraculous that we can only take the words as we find them, and must not waste time in attempting to define what is beyond our comprehension.

[Vanished out of their sight] This and other expressions

concerning our Lord's risen body, show plainly that it was a body in some wonderful way different from the common body of man. It was a real material body, and true flesh and blood. But it was a body capable of moving, appearing, and disappearing after a manner that we cannot explain. We may fairly suppose that it was a pattern of what our own bodies will be after they are raised again. They will be true bodies, material and real, but bodies endued with capacities of which now we know nothing. 32.-Did not our heart burn.] These words would be more literally rendered, was not our heart burning within us." It is a strong expression to indicate the warmth and delight of their feelings while they listened to our Lord's exposition of Scripture. See Psalm xxxix. 4; Jerem. xx. 9.

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33.-[Found the eleven gathered together.] This expression deserves notice. Was Thomas with them or not? If he was, he must have gone out immediately after the two disciples came in. Otherwise it would be difficult to reconcile the verses which immediately follow, describing our Lord's appearing, with the account given in St. John, of Christ's appearing when Thomas was not present.-If Thomas was not present on this occasion, how can we explain St. Luke, speaking of "the eleven?" Doddridge must supply the answer ;- "As Paul calls the company of apostles the twelve, (1 Cor. xv. 5.) though Judas the twelfth person was dead; so Luke here calls them the eleven, though Thomas the eleventh person was absent, as appears from John

XX. 24."

Let us add to this, that St. Mark distinctly tells us, also, that the Lord "appeared to the eleven, as they sat at meat.” (Mark xvi. 14.)

34.-[Saying, the Lord is risen indeed.] Major remarks here, "These words which Luke attribute to the eleven apostles are not altogether consistent with what we read in Mark, (Mark xvi. 12.) that when the two disciples returning acquainted the rest, "they did not believe them.". Campbell thus solves the difficulty: This does not imply that none of them believed, but that several, perhaps the greater part, did not believe. When Luke tells us that they said 'the Lord is risen indeed,' we are not to conclude that every one said this, or even believed it, but only that some believed, and that one of them expressly affirmed it. Such latitude in using pronouns is common in every language. So, according to Matthew and Mark, both malefactors reproached Jesus on the cross. But from Luke we learn that it was only one of them who acted thus."

[Appeared to Simon.] This appearance to Simon Peter alone is only mentioned in this place, and in the Epistle to the Corinthians. (1 Cor. xv. 2.) The circumstances of the appearance we do not know.

It may be well to mention here the eleven distinct appearances of our Lord after His resurrection. He appeared,

1. To Mary Magdalene alone. Mark xvi; John xx. 14. 2. To the women returning from the sepulchre. Matt. xxviii. 9, 10.

3. To Simon Peter alone. Luke xxiv. 34.

4. To the two disciples going to Emmaus. Luke xxvi. 13, &c. 5. To the apostles at Jerusalem, excepting Thomas who was absent. John xx. 19.

6. To the apostles at Jerusalem, a second time, when Thomas was present. John xx. 26, 29.

7. At the sea of Tiberias, when seven disciples were fishing. John xxi. 1.

8. To the eleven disciples, on a mountain in Galilee. Matt. xxviii. 16.

9. To above five hundred brethren at once. 10. To James only. 1 Cor. 15. 7.

1 Cor. xv. 6.

11. To all the apostles on mount Olivet at His ascension. Luke xxiv. 51.

Three times we are told that His disciples "touched" Him after He rose. Matt. xxviii. 9; Luke xxiv. 39; John xx. 27. Twice we are told that He ate with them. Luke xxiv. 42; John xxi. 12, 13.

35. [Things...done in the way.] This must necessarily mean the wonderful exposition of Scripture which had made their "hearts burn."

[Known of them in breaking of bread.] It is only necessary to remark here that to apply this expression to the Lord's supper is mere accomodation of Scripture words, and not justified by

the context.

LUKE XXIV. 36-43.

36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled ? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and

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see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat.

42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat before them.

WE should observe, in this passage, the singularly gracious words with which our Lord introduced Himself to His disciples after His resurrection. We read that He suddenly stood in the midst of them and said, "Peace be unto you."

This was a wonderful saying, when we consider the men to whom it was addressed. It was addressed to eleven disciples, who three days before had shamefully forsaken their Master and fled. They had broken their promises. They had forgotten their professions of readiness to die for their faith. They had been scattered, "every man to his own," and left their Master to die alone. One of them had even denied Him three times. All of them had proved backsliders and cowards. And yet behold the return which their Master makes to His disciples! Not a word of rebuke is spoken. Not a single sharp saying falls from His lips. Calmly and quietly He appears in the midst of them, and begins by speaking of peace. "Peace be unto you!"

We see, in this touching saying, one more proof that the love of Christ "passeth knowledge." It is His glory to pass over a transgression. He "delighteth in mercy." He is far more willing to forgive than men are to be forgiven, and far more ready to pardon than men are to be pardoned. There is in His almighty heart an infinite willingness to put away man's transgressions. Though our sins have been as scarlet He is ever ready to make them white as snow, to blot them out, to cast them behind His back, to bury them in the depths of the sea, to remember them no more. All these are Scriptural phrases intended to convey the same great truth. The natural man is continually stumbling at them, and refusing to

understand them. At this we need not wonder. Free, full, and undeserved forgiveness to the very uttermost is not the manner of man. But it is the manner of Christ.

Where is the sinner, however great his sins, who need be afraid of beginning to apply to such a Saviour as this? In the hand of Jesus there is mercy enough and to spare. -Where is the backslider, however far he may have fallen, who need be afraid of returning? "Fury is not in Christ." (Isai. xxvii. 4.) He is willing to raise and restore the very worst.-Where is the saint who ought not to love such a Saviour, and to pay Him willingly a holy obedience? There is forgiveness with Him, that He may be feared. (Psalm cxxx. 4.)-Where is the professing Christian who ought not to be forgiving towards his brethren? The disciples of a Saviour whose words were so full of peace, ought to be peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated. (Coloss. iii. 13.)

We should observe, for another thing, in this passage, our Lord's marvellous condescension to the infirmity of His disciples. We read that when His disciples were terrified at His appearance, and could not believe that it was Himself, He said, "Behold my hands and feet: handle me and see."

Our Lord might fairly have commanded His disciples to believe that He had risen. He might justly have said, "Where is your faith? Why do ye not believe my resurrection, when ye see me with your own eyes?" But He does not do so. He stoops even lower than this. He appeals to the bodily senses of the eleven. He bids them touch Him with their own hands, and satisfy themselves that He was a material being, and not a spirit or ghost.