[c] James the less] That the positive, μικρὸς, is here taken for the comparative, the less, or the younger, doth not appear by any circumstance of this text or analogy of other places. And there were three James's so known; two apostles, and the third the brother of the Lord; that this title of the less, in the comparative, could be no character of the third of these, to distinguish him from the other two. That which is most probable is, that being a kind of cognomen here, it is an abbreviate of μικρὸς τῇ ἡλικίᾳ, little in stature, the phrase used of Zacchaeus, Luke xix. 3, and so notes this James to have been about Zacchaeus's size or pitch, and so distinguish him from the others of that name, who, it should seem, were not so. c De re vest. And with a solemn imprecation on himself he swore that he knew him not, was none of his followers. it was the second cockcrowing, about three in the morn, and upon hearing of a cock crow Peter called to mind what Jesus had said to him, Before &c., and casting his eye up to Christ, he saw him look earnestly upon him, Luke xxii. 61, which, together with the crowing of the cock, put him in mind of what he had done, and thereupon he wept (as himself confesses here by his amanuensis St. Mark,) but, say the others, he wept bitterly. ### CHAP. XV. AND straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the ¶ the chief priests, elders, and scribes, that is, the whole sanhedrim, having sat in consultation, and re- [a] at the rising] The various readings in this place may deserve to be taken notice of. 1. Gregory Nyssen, Serm. de Resurr., saith, Ἐτι τοῖς ἀκριβεστίροις τῶν ἀντιγράφων ἐμφίρεται, "The most exact copies put in ἔτι, now." And so Eusebius de Demonstr. Evang. l. 10. in the end, reads ἔτι ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου, the sun being now risen; and so Lucas Brugensis cites it out of some manuscripts. 2dly. The ancient Greek and Latin MSS. read ἀνατέλλοντος in the present tense; and if the ἔτι, now, be joined with that, the plain sense will be, the sun now rising; or as our English, at the rising of the sun; and so it will agree exactly with St. Matthew's τῇ ἐπιφωσκούσῃ, the day beginning to appear, or shine; ἐπιφωσκούσης κυριακῆς, the Lord's day beginning to shine, saith Ignatius ad Trall. But stay not here seeking the living in a tomb, but go tell his disciples, and particularly Peter, that according to his own words before his death, ch. xiv. 28, he is risen from the dead, and that, &c. d and being very much amazed and frightened they did not declare this to any whom they met by the way, but going to tell the apostles what they had heard of the angel, Matt. xxviii. 9, before they came to them, Jesus himself appeared to them, and first to Mary— [b] every creature] What πᾶσα κτίσις here signifies is clear, by comparing this passage with the same, as it is set down in the other Gospels. In St. Matthew (with whom St. Mark throughout most exactly agrees) it is thus, Πορευθέντες οὖν μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, Go and gather disciples over all nations, and immediately follows, (as here,) baptizing them, &c. In St. Luke thus, ch. xxiv. 47, ἴδει κηρυχθῆναι, &c. ἄφισιν ἁμαρτῶν εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, repentance and remission of sins must be preached to all nations. From whence not only appears that πᾶσα κτίσις, in this place, is all the Gentiles; but a very fit occasion is offered of interpreting the same phrase again in a very hard place, Rom. viii. 22, and 1 Peter ii. 13, which we shall refer to be explained more at large on those chapters. Some ground of the use of the phrase in this sense seems to be taken from the Hebrew, which uses בְּרוּת (which signifies creatures properly) for men, as being the most excellent creatures. And so the Arabic also, as appears by one of their geographers, who, speaking of cities, often saith, that there are in it many בְּרָאוּת, that is, literally, κτίσεις, creatures, but clearly signifies men; and so πᾶσα κτίσις, every creature, is all men, in opposition to the Jews, that is, not only they, but all other nations of men beside. And he that receiveth the gospel preached by you, and thereupon becomes a proselyte, or disciple of Christ, and desires and receives baptism, the seal of the new covenant, shall for all his former sins, sincerely repented of and forsaken, receive plenary pardon, and upon perseverance in new life, eternal bliss; but he that stands out obstinately and impenitently shall be damned. And moreover, for the propagating the gospel as far as may be, the Spirit shall be poured out upon you, and from you communicated to others, and thereby ye shall be enabled to do miracles, cast out devils, speak strange languages, (Acts ii.) &c. [c] they shall take up serpents] This seems to be prophesied of by that sibyl out of which Virgil had learned the substance of that verse of his, Occidet et serpens, et fallax herba veneni Occidet— Eclog. iv. 24. "The serpent shall die, and the deceitful poisonous herb;" that is, shall lose their efficacy.