The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

Reason of the Order.

THERE is not so much doubtfulness of the subsequence of this Section, or at the least of some of it, to the Section preceding (for the transition in Matthew doth make it clear) as there is of something contained within the Section it self. Luke had re∣lated Christs unkind usage and danger by his Townsmen of Nazareth, and that thereupon he slipt away from them and went to Capernaum: There Matthew takes at him, and tells how divinely that Prophesie of Esay came now to be fulfilled by his dwelling in those parts, The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthali, &c. And then he comes on with a special note of conjuction of the stories, From that time Jesus began to preach, &c. And how Mark doth joyn with him in bringing on this story before us, in the present Section, though he doth it very briefly, not mentioning any of his actions in Galilee till this in hand, yet is it so apparent and conspicuous that there needeth nothing to be said of it: But in the body of the Section now under hand lie these two queries.

Quest. 1. Whether is this story in Luke about Peter, and Zebedees sons, the same with that in Matthew and Mark? For some particular circumstances do seem to difference them: as whereas Matthew and Mark say Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee and saw Peter and Andrew casting a net into the Sea and called them, Luke relates how he was in Peters ship, and spake to him to cast his net into the Sea, &c. Again Matthew and Mark say, when he had gone a little further he saw James and John mending their nets, &c. but Luke re∣lateth that James and John came up to Peters ship, where Jesus was to help to draw up the great draught of fishes that was taken, &c.

Answ. Now though there seem to be these different, yea contrary circumstances in the Evangelists relation, yet is the story but one and the same, but only related more largely by Luke than by the other: The texture of it may be taken up thus: As Jesus walked along the Sea shore of Gennesareth, and the people pressed on him to hear the word, he stepped into Peters ship and there taught: and having ended his speech he causeth Peter to cast down his net for a draught, and he had a great one; (this is that that Matthew and Mark speak of when they say, He saw Peter and Andrew casting a net into the Sea, they speaking short, and Luke giving the story in its full relation) Peter unable to ma∣nage so great a draught, beckens for James and John to come and help him, which they did: upon the draught Christ calls Peter to be a fisher of men, and he lands and follows him: But James and John returning to their station and to mend their nets, as he comes by he calls them and they follow him also: And thus is the story at large as it may be composed out of all the three, one helping to explain another, and all relating but the same story.

Quest. 2. If this order of St. Luke be proper, as that this action of our Saviour in calling these Disciples, must come so near his coming to Capernaum as Matthew hath laid it, how is it that Luke hath laid two miracles done in Capernaum before this story, viz. the casting out a Devil in Capernaum Synagogue, and healing Peters wifes mother? Chap. 4. 33. 38. which Mark hath placed after the story of the calling of Peter and the other fish∣ers; and so it may seem to be after their call, and this story in Luke to be after those mi∣racles, and another story different from that, of their call.

Answ. Mark, whose method of all the three Evangelists is most constantly according to the order of time in which things were done, hath given one undoubted hint of the or∣der of this story, that it was before the two miracles done there, for when he hath re∣lated the calling of the Disciples, he saith, And they, that is, Christ and these Disciples now called, went in to Capernaum, vers. 21. And Matthew also in laying the healing of Pe∣ters mother in law, (which was one of the miracles mentioned) so very far after the story of the Disciples called, doth also confirm this method that it was not before.

Now, two things are observable in St. Luke as to his method: 1. That Christ refused to do any miracles in his own Town of Nazareth, though they expected he should shew some great works there) as he had done in Capernaum: Not that he would have refused Nazareth, had not Nazareth refused him, as was said before, but that he would by that his speech have made them to have closed with him the more. But now that that Town had so basely and so cruelly cast him off (as that if they could they would have cast him down a rock) the Holy Ghost doth presently set down what he did in Capernaum, as by the one story to set off the other the more: to shew what Nazareth had lost by what Capernaum had gained. And whereas in Nazareth Synagogue, he had had so little respect and intertainment, Luke hath presently shewed, that yet he taught constantly in Capernaum, and there found more acceptance, and they found benefit, for there he wrought a miracle. 2. The Evangelists aim to the end of the Chapter is apparently this, to set forth Christs Preaching and Ministration in the Syna∣gogues of Galilee upon his return thither: He lays his groundwork at vers. 14, 15. Jesus

returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and he taught in their Synagogues: And then he dilateth upon that relation: as first that he taught in the Synagogue of Nazareth, and there he was ill used, and thence he went to the Synagogue of Capernaum, and there he cast out a Devil, and then he went over the Synagogues of Galilee: And having given this account of what he intended, namely to speak of Christs publick and open Mi∣nistery in the Synagogues, then he cometh to his more particular actions and demeanour: And being in speech of Capernaum Synagogue, he mentioneth two miracles done there, somewhat before the proper order of their time, because having no more to say of that Town of a long space he would conclude all the occurrences there now altogether.