SECTION XCI.

CHRIST before his death had told them of his meeting with them in Galilee after his resurrection: and when he was risen, he appoints them to a mountain there. They are now come up into the Countrey, and while they wait the time of his appointment, Peter and six other of the Apostles go a fishing: not as their trade now, for they never had been all of them fishers before, but either for a present supply of provision for them∣selves, or for present imployment till their Master should dispose of them. He had at first revealed himself to three of these seven [nay four, if Andrew were here] by a miracu∣lous draught of fishes, and so he doth to them all now: and who can tell whether they had not some thoughts of that, and some expectation of the like appearing now, which did the rather urge them to this work?

At sea he helpeth them to a marvelous draught of 153 great fishes [so many thou∣sands were the proselytes that wrought for the Temple, only 600 over, 2 Chron. 2. 17.] and at land he had provided them a dinner against they came ashore, and dines with them. And this, saith John, was the third time that he shewed himself to his Disciples: which asserts the order of this Section, and sheweth that this was before his appearing to the whole num∣ber at the mountain where he had appointed them: The two times that he had appeared to them before this, this Evangelist giveth account of before, namely one time when Tho∣mas was not present, and another time when he was.

After dinner he putteth Peter to a threefold confession, answerable to his threefold de∣nial, and foretelleth his Martyrdom, but telleth that John should live till he should come: meaning in that sense, as his coming and coming in glory is oft used in the Gospel, namely his coming to take vengeance of the unbelieving Jewish Nation: Peter should be Martyred by them, but John should live to see them receive their deserts.