ARTICLE II. THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST.

[BY A. HOVEY, D. D., OF NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION.]

In the last number of this Review we began an examination of our Saviour's Miracles on Human Nature. Instead of asking our readers to follow us through the whole list belonging to this class, we will mention the subdivisions, and then pass on to another class. § I. Healing Mortal Sicknesses, four miracles. II. Healing Chronic Diseases, seven miracles. § III. Curing Organic Defects, five miracles. §IV. Healing Demoniacs, six miracles. V. Raising the Dead, three miracles. In these sections we have carefully examined all the miracles on human nature which are described with any fulness in the gospels, and find the evidence perfect in its kind. We proceed therefore to consider,

II. MIRACLES ON THE MATERIAL WORLD.

These may be subdivided into miracles evincing, on the one hand, absolute control, and, on the other, creative power, in the realm of nature: the term nature being used in this connection to signify the irrational world, animate or lifeless. A section will be devoted to each of these subdivisions.

SI. Miracles of Absolute Control.-Lu. v: 1-11; Jo. xxi: 1-23; Matt. xvii: 24-27; Matt. viii: 23-27; Mk. iv: 35-41; Lu. viii: 22-25; Matt. xiv: 22-36; Mk. vi: 45–56; Jo. vi: 15-21; Matt. xxi: 18-22; Mk. xi: 12-14, 20-24.

(a.) We begin with the miraculous draught of fishes, recorded in Lu. v: 1-11; (cf. Matt. iv: 18-22; Mk. i: 16-20.) The particulars mentioned by Luke are these: (1) As Jesus was standing by the lake Genesaret, and (2) a great crowd pressed near him to hear the word of God, (3) he saw two boats stand

ing by the lake, (4) the fishers having left them, (5) to wash their nets. (6) He entered one of these boats, (7) belonging to Simon, and, (8) asking him to push off a little from the land, (9) taught the crowds on shore from the boat in which he was seated. (10) Having finished his discourse, (11) he said to Simon: "Push thou out into the deep, and (12) let ye down your nets for a draught." (13) Simon replied: " Master, toiling through the whole night we caught nothing, (14) yet at thy word I will let down the net." (15) Doing this they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, (16) so that their net was breaking, (17) and they beckoned to their partners in the other ship to come and help them. (18) These came and the two boats were filled, (19) so as to be sinking. (20) Then Simon fell at the feet of Jesus, and said, (21) "Depart from me, (22) for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (23) For sudden awe seized him and those with him, (24) as well as James and John, his partners in the other boat. But Jesus replied, (25)"Fear not; henceforth thou shalt catch men;" and, (26) bringing their boats to the land, (27) the men left all and followed him.

(b.) According to Paulus there is no reason whatever for supposing a miracle in the present case. Jesus promised no success to Peter; he merely advised him to try again; Peter did so, and fortunately made a great haul. But if Christ, as we admit, did not in so many words promise success, his langnage was understood to foreshadow this (v. 5), and from the result Simon appears to have inferred, without rebuke, the divine power or knowledge of Christ (v. 8). Hence it is impossible to vindicate the moral purity of Jesus, and yet deny a miracle of knowledge or control in this instance. To us the latter seems far more probable than the former; and we therefore adopt the language of Trench: "It was not merely that Christ, by his omniscience, knew that now there were fishes in that spot; we may not thus extenuate the miracle; but rather we are to contemplate him as the Lord of nature, who by the secret yet mighty magic of his will, was able to wield and guide even the unconscious creatures to his aims (p. 110)." But we cannot approve the subsequent remarks of this writer, identifying the power which drew the fish to that spot with

that which at all times guides their periodic migrations. The event before us was extraordinary and it revealed in Christ a sovereign control over the brute creation.

The comments of Strauss on the narrative in Luke are of no special importance and may be passed by without notice.

(c.) The call of four apostles, as related by Matt. iv: 18-22, and Mk. i: 16-20, is thought by most expositors to have been connected with the miraculous draught of fishes. This is the opinion of Calvin, Meyer, De Wette, Hase, Bleek, Ebrard, Trench, Ellicott, Blunt, Kitto, Robinson, and others. We perceive no insuperable objection to it. According to the several accounts, the place may have been the same, the persons called the same, the form of the call the same, the things forsaken the same, and the promptness of obeying the same. Moreover, if these accounts are referred to synchronous transactions, we escape the improbability of a repetition of very similar events in the history of the apostles. On this hypoth esis Mr. Blunt has pointed out a possible coincidence between the breaking of nets spoken of by Luke and the mending of nets spoken of by Matthew and Mark; and if the coincidence is admitted to exist, it must be pronounced unintentional, and therefore a mark of truthfulness. But Augustine, Bengel, Paulus, Anger, Alford, and some other interpreters, do not believe that the call described by the first two evangelists was connected with the miracle before us. They find it difficult to reconcile the various accounts, and deem it more reasonable to assume a repetition of similar events. Perhaps they are correct, for the differences are certainly important. To reconcile the accounts we must admit not only that Matthew and Mark pass over in silence the eager multitude and the teaching by Jesus from the boat, while Luke fails to mention the formal call addressed separately to the two pairs of brothers, but also that the first two Evangelists refer to the miraculous fishing by words not suggestive of a miracle, viz., "casting their net into the sea," and that James and John, after taking into their boat a part of the great multitude of fishes, had landed at a distant point, and were mending their nets when Christ came by and called them.

For our present purpose, it is only necessary to observe, that the evidence of an immediate connection between the call described by Matthew and Mark and the miracle described by Luke, is by no means conclusive, and that if such a connection be granted no real disagreement between the several accounts can be shown to exist. The narrative of Luke is simple, coherent, natural and independent. It is no legendary outgrowth from the simple accounts of the first two Evangelists, but an original record, to be received or rejected with the rest of the gospel in which it stands.

A second miraculous draught of fishes is recorded by Jo. xxi: 1 sq. His narrative is singularly beautiful and affecting, so that, apart from the miracle which it relates, it will ever be read with deep interest. (a) The particulars mentioned are briefly these: (1) After the resurrection of Christ his disciples had repaired to Galilee, and, (2) on a certain occasion, at the motion of Peter, (3) seven of them went "a fishing." (4) During the night they caught nothing, but (5) in the morning Jesus showed himself (v. 1) to them, (6) standing on the beach; (7) yet they did not recognize him (cf. Acts 23: 4). (8) He therefore said to them: "Children, have ye any meat?" (9) and they answered "No." (10) He then told them to cast their net into the waters (11) on the right of the boat, (12) promising them success. (13) They did so, and (14) took so many fishes (15) that they were unable to draw in the net. (16) The beloved disciple now said to Peter, "It is the Lord,” and (17) Peter hearing this (18) girt on his outer garment and (19) cast himself into the sea. (20) The other disciples came ashore in the boat, (21) dragging with them the net of fishes, as (22) they were only about two hundred cubits from the land. (23) Having gone from the boat on the beach, (24) they saw a fire of coals and (25) fish upon it and bread. (26) Jesus then said: "Bring of the fish which ye now took," and (29) Peter, ever prompt, went and drew ashore the net, (28) full of a hundred and fifty-three great fishes, (29) yet unbroken. (30) Jesus said further to them: "Hither, dine!" and (31) no one of the disciples durst ask him, "Who art thou?" (32) knowing him to be the Lord. (33) Jesus gave them with his own.

hands the bread and the fish; and, (34) after the disciples had eaten, began his memorable conversation with Peter, so full of tender reproof and confidence.

(b.) The events described by this narrative are different in all essential points from those related by Luke, and considered above. (1) Those took place in the early part of Christ's ministry; these after his resurrection. (2) Luke speaks of two boats; John of one. (3) Luke says that James and John were not in the same boat with Peter; John virtually says they were. (4) Luke says, their net broke; John says, it did not break. (5) Luke declares that two boats were filled with the fishes taken; John asserts that the fish were not taken into the boat at all. (6) Luke represents Peter as falling at the feet of Jesus and beseeching him to depart; John represents him as plunging into the sea to come to Christ as quickly as possible. (7) Luke relates that Jesus called Peter to become a fisher of men; John, that he directed him to feed his sheep, his lambs. (8) Luke declares that Christ was in the boat; John affirms that he was on the shore. Other minor differences may be passed over in silence, for these establish beyond a doubt the distinctness of the two miracles. Yet Strauss affirms it "scarcely conceivable that the history of John relates to an event different from that described by Luke: the same narrative has without any doubt been erroneously assigned to different parts of the life of Christ." His argument against the historical truth of the two accounts rests, first, on the alleged impossibility of miracles, and, secondly, on the assumed identity of the two events which these accounts profess to describe. We have considered both these supports, one in this paragraph and the other in our introduction, and have found them false.

(c.) Paulus finds everything natural in this account. He speaks of the fishers as surprised by their "good luck." He supposes that Jesus had brought with him some bread, and that Peter, on reaching the shore, was directed to prepare breakfast. Hence the other disciples, when they landed, found food already cooking on a fire of coals. But surely it is strange that the word of Jesus should have been followed,