apostles and evangelists after his death, and they in express words teach what his birth, life, and doctrine had done before, and had prepared the well-disposed to receive; viz. that Jesus is the Messiah.

cruel prince, who encouraged informations, and and he tells them of the kingdom of God, somefilled his reign with executions for treason; under times that it is at hand, and upon some occasions, whom words spoken innocently, or in jest, if they that it is come; but says, in his public preaching, could be misconstrued, were made treason, and little or nothing of himself. Then come the prosecuted with a rigor that made it always the same thing to be accused and condemned. And therefore we see, that when the Jews told Pilate, that he should not be a friend to Cæsar if he let Jesus go, (for that whoever made himself king, was a rebel against Cæsar,) he asks them no more whether they would take Barabbas, and spare Jesus, but (though against his conscience) gives him up to death, to secure his own head.

114. To this design and method of publishing the gospel, was the choice of the apostles exactly adjusted; a company of poor, ignorant, illiterate men, who, as Christ himself tells us, were not of 112. One thing more there is, that gives us light the wise and prudent men of the world; they were into this wise* and necessarily cautious manage-in that respect but mere children. These, conment of himself, which manifestly agrees with it, vinced by the miracles they saw him daily do, and and makes a part of it; and that is, the choice of the unblamable life he led, might be disposed to his apostles, exactly suited to the design and fore- believe him to be the Messiah; and though they sight of the necessity of keeping the declaration of with others expected a temporal kingdom on earth, the kingdom of the Messiah, which was now ex-might yet rest satisfied in the truth of their master pected, within certain general terms during his (who had honored them with being near his perministry: it was not fit to open himself too plainly son) that it would come, without being too inquior forwardly to the heady Jews, that he himself sitive after the time, manner, or seat of his kingwas the Messiah; that was to be left to be found dom; as men of letters,* more studied in their out by the observation of those who would attend rabbins, or men of business, more versed in the to the purity of his life, the testimony of his mira-world, would have been forward to have been.— cles, and the conformity of all with the predictions Men great or wise in knowledge or ways of the concerning him; by these marks, those he lived amongst were to find it out, without an express promulgation that he was the Messiah, till after his death: His kingdom was to be opened to them by degrees, as well to prepare them to receive it, as to enable him to be long enough amongst them, to perform what was the work of the Messiah to be done, and fulfil all those several parts of what was foretold of him in the Old Testament, and we see applied to him in the New.

world, would hardly have been kept from prying more narrowly into his design and conduct, or from questioning him about the ways and measures he would take for ascending the throne; and what means were to be used towards it, and when they should in earnest set about it. Abler men, of higher births or thoughts, would hardly have been hindered from whispering, at least to their friends and relations, that their Master was the Messiah; and that though he concealed himself to a fit opportunity, and till things were ripe for it, yet they should ere long see him break out

113. The Jews had no other thoughts of their Messiah, but of a mighty temporal prince, that should raise their nation into a higher degree of power, dominion, and prosperity than ever it had * Had God disposed things differently, and made enjoyed. They were filled with the expectation choice of men of letters, I hope our piety would have of a glorious earthly kingdom. It was not there-taught us sufficient meekness to discover equal wisfore for a poor man, the son of a carpenter, and dom in the selection. For what, after all, is the (as they thought) born in Galilee, to pretend to it. he comes to consider the counsels and actions of the knowledge of the most profound philosopher, when None of the Jews, no not his disciples, could have Almighty? In these attempts to explain the moborne this, if he had expressly avowed this at first, tives of our Saviour, further than they appear in and began his preaching, and the opening of his Scripture,-which, however, is common to Locke kingdom this way; especially if he had added to it, with the most distinguished divines,-I discover a that in a year or two he should die an ignominious want of that humility which should be the guiding death upon the cross. They are therefore pre-spirit in all religious investigations.-ED. pared for the truth by degrees. First, John the Baptist tells them, "The kingdom of God (a name by which the Jews called the kingdom of the Messiah) is at hand." Then our Saviour comes, * On questions of this kind there is always some inconsistency in the language of the best of men. Considering Christ to be the Messiah it is exceedingly unnecessary, to say no more of it, to speak of the wisdom of his conduct; for, who can doubt it? To be the Christ, the Sent, the Anointed of God, implies wisdom, and goodness, and every excellent attribute; and we seem as if desirous to prove to ourselves that he was the Christ, when we praise him as we would a Socrates, a Plato, or a Milton. There is a want of wisdom in attempting to assign the why and the wherefore in speaking of divine things. Whatever God does, we may, for that very reason, be satisfied is wisest and best; but why it should be so, we neither know nor can know.-ED. | habitually feeds.—ED.

This appears but very poor reasoning to me. Men of high thoughts, which not always accompany high birth, would doubtless have learned of their thoughts mean, as I suppose they do, confused, obDivine Master the necessity of obedience. If low scure, and incorrect thoughts, high thoughts" must be such as approach nearer to truth and virtue; and the possessor of such thoughts would be so much the further from any unwise action. But the truth appears to be, that our Saviour chose his apostles because their thoughts were high; that is, pure, and nearer heaven, than those occupying the heads of ordinary men of business, or even of statesmen.Like the patriarch of old, they were, perhaps, accustomed to meditate in the fields at even-tide; and He who searches all hearts knew to what heights their contemplations soared. Poor they were-but the absence of gold and silver makes a man neither high nor low; but the thoughts upon which his soul

tures. If it were not so, the course and evidence of things would be confounded; miracles would lose their name and force, and there could be no distinction between natural and supernatural.

of his obscurity, cast off the cloud, and declare himself, as he was, king of Israel. But the ignorance and lowness of these poor men made them of another temper. They went along in an implicit trust on him, punctually keeping to his com- 116. There had been no room left to see and admands, and not exceeding his commission. When mire the wisdom, as well as innocence, of our Sahe sent them to preach the gospel, he bid them viour, if he had rashly every where exposed himpreach the "kingdom of God" to be at hand; self to the fury of the Jews, and had always been and that they did, without being more particular preserved by a miraculous suspension of their mathan he had ordered, or mixing their own prudence lice, or a miraculous rescuing him out of their with his commands, to promote the kingdom of the hands. It was enough for him once to escape from Messiah. They preached it without giving out, the men of Nazareth, who were going to throw or so much as intimating that their master was him down a precipice, for him never to preach to he; which men of another condition, and an higher them again. Our Saviour had multitudes that foleducation, would scarce have forborne to have lowed him for the loaves, who barely seeing the done. When he asked them who they thought miracles that he did, would have made him king. him to be, and Peter answered, “The Messiah, If to the miracles he did, he had openly added, in the Son of God," he plainly shows, by the follow-express words, that he was the Messiah, and the ing words, that he himself had not told them so; king they expected to deliver them, he would have and at the same time, forbids them to tell this had more followers, and warmer in the cause, and their opinion of him to any body. How obedient readier to set him up at the head of a tumult. they were to him in this, we may not only con- These, indeed, God, by a miraculous influence, clude from the silence of the evangelists concern-might have hindered from any such attempt; but ing any such thing published by them any where then posterity could not have believed that the nabefore his death, but from the exact obedience tion of the Jews did at that time expect the Mesthree of them paid to a like command of his. He siah, their king and deliverer, or that Jesus, who takes Peter, James, and John into a mountain, declared himself to be that king deliverer, showed and there Moses and Elias coming to him, he is any miracles amongst them, to convince them of transfigured before them: he charges them, say-it; or did any thing worthy to make him be crediting, "See that ye tell no man what ye have seen, ed or received. If he had gone about preaching till the Son of man shall be risen from the dead." to the multitude which he drew after him, that he And St. Luke tells us, what punctual observers they were of his orders in this case: " They kept it close, and told no man, in those days, any of those things which they had seen."*

gain that testimony from Pilate? Because he could not (for nothing) have been so favorable to Jesus, as to be willing to release so turbulent and seditious a man, to declare him innocent, and to cast the blame and guilt of his death, as unjust, upon the envy of the Jews.

was the "Messiah, the king of Israel," and this had been evidenced to Pilate, God could indeed, by a supernatural influence upon his mind, have made Pilate pronounce him innocent, and not condemn 115. Whether twelve other men, of quicker him as a malefactor, who had openly, for three parts, and of a station or breeding which might years together, preached sedition to the people, have given them any opinion of themselves or their and endeavored to persuade them that he was own abilities, would have been so easily kept from the "Messiah, their king," of the blood royal of meddling beyond just what was prescribed them, David come to deliver them. But then I ask, in a matter they had so much interest in; and have whether posterity would not either have suspectsaid nothing of what they might in human pru-ed the story, or that some art had been used to dence have thought would have contributed to their master's reputation, and made way for his advancement to his kingdom, I leave to be considered. And it may suggest matter of meditation, whether St. Paul was not, for this reason, by his learning, parts, and warmer temper, better fitted for an apostle after, than during our Saviour's 117. But now the malice of the chief priests, ministry; and therefore, though a chosen vessel, Scribes, and Pharisees; the headiness of the mob, was not by the divine wisdom called till after animated with hopes, and raised with miracles: Christ's resurrection. I offer this only as a subject Judas's treachery, and Pilate's care of his governof magnifying the admirable contrivance of the ment, and of the peace of his province, all workdivine wisdom, in the whole work of our redemp-ing naturally as they should; Jesus, by the admirtion, as far as we are able to trace it by the foot-able wariness of his carriage, and an extraordisteps which God hath made visible to human rea-nary wisdom visible in his whole conduct, weathers For though it be as easy to omnipotent all these difficulties, does the work he comes for, Power to do all things by an immediate overruling uninterruptedly goes about preaching his full apwill, and so to make any instruments work, even pointed time, sufficiently manifests himself to be contrary to their natures, in subserviency to his the Messiah in all the particulars the Scriptures ends; yet his wisdom is not usually at the expense had foretold of him; and when his hour is come, of miracles, (if I may so say,) but only in cases suffers death; but is acknowledged, both by Judas that require them, for the evidencing of some re- that betrayed and Pilate that condemned him, to velation or mission to be from him. He does con- die innocent. For, to use his own words, "Thus stantly (unless where the confirmation of some it is written, and thus it behoved the Messiah to truth requires it otherwise) bring about his pur- suffer." And of his whole conduct we have a reaposes by means operating according to their na-son and clear resolution in those words to St. Peter,

son.

*Luke ix. 36.

Matt. xxvi. "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me

more than twelve legions of angels? But how world," and the "world to come." The kingdom then shall the Scripture be fulfilled, and thus it of God, as they called it, or the time of the Mesmust be ?" siah, they called 8μìλλwv al@v, "the world to come," 118. Having this clue to guide us, let us now which they believed was to put an end to "this observe how our Saviour's preaching and conduct world:" and that then the just should be raised comported with it in the last scene of his life. How from the dead to enjoy in that new world, a happy cautious he had been in the former part of his mi-eternity with those of the Jewish nation who should nistry, we have already observed. We never find be then living.

him to use the name of the Messiah but once, till 121. These two things, viz. the visible and powhe now came to Jerusalem, this last passover. Be-erful appearance of his kingdom, and the end of fore this, his preaching and miracles were less at the world, being confounded in the apostles' quesJerusalem (where he used to make but very short tion, our Saviour does not separate them, nor disstays) than any where else; but now he comes six tinctly reply to them apart; but leaving the indays before the feast, and is every day in the tem- quirers in the common opinion, answers at once ple teaching; and there publicly heals the blind concerning his coming to take vengeance of the and the lame, in the presence of the Scribes, Jewish nation, and put an end to their church, Pharisees, and chief priests. The time of his mi- worship, and commonwealth; which was their nistry drawing to an end, and his hour coming, heo vvv av, present world, which they counted should cared not how much the chief priests, elders, rulers, last till the Messiah came: and so it did, and then and the sanhedrim were provoked against him by had an end put to it. And to this he joins his last his doctrine and miracles; he was as open and coming to judgment, in the glory of his Father, bold in his preaching, and doing the works of the to put a final end to this world, and all the disMessiah now, at Jerusalem, and in the sight of the pensation belonging to the posterity of Adam rulers and of all the people, as he had been before upon earth. This joining them together made his cautious and reserved there, and careful to be little answer obscure, and hard to be understood by taken notice of in that place, and not to come in them then; nor was it safe for him to speak plaintheir way more than needs. All that he now took er of his kingdom, and the destruction of Jerusacare of was, not what they should think of him, or lem, unless he had a mind to be accused for hav. design against him, (for he knew they would seize ing designs against the government. For Judas him,) but to say or do nothing that might be a just was amongst them; and whether no other but his matter of accusation against him, or render him apostles were comprehended under the name of criminal to the governor. But as for the grandees his disciples, who were with him at this time, one of the Jewish nation, he spares them not, but cannot determine. Our Saviour therefore speaks sharply now reprehends their miscarriages publicly of his kingdom in no other style but that which he in the temple, where he calls them, more than once, had all along hitherto used, viz. "The kingdom of hypocrites, as is to be seen Matt. xxiii.; and con- God:"-" When you see these things come to cludes all with no softer a compellation than "ser-pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at pents" and "generation of vipers."

hand." And continuing on his discourse with 119. After this severe reproof of the Scribes them, he has the same expression, Matt. xxv. 1: and Pharisees, being retired with his disciples into "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like unto the Mount of Olives, over against the temple, and ten virgins." At the end of the following parable there foretelling the destruction of it, his disciples of the talents, he adds, verse 31: "When the Son ask him, Matt. xxiv. "When it should be, and of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy what should be the signs of his coming?" He says angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne to them, "Take heed that no man deceive you: of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all for many shall come in my name;" that is, taking the nations. And he shall set the sheep on his on them the name and dignity of the Messiah, right hand, and the goats on his left. Then shall which is only mine; saying, "I am the Messiah, the King say," &c. Here he describes to his and shall deceive many." But be not you by them disciples the appearance of his kingdom, wherein misled, nor by persecution driven away from this he will show himself a King in glory upon his fundamental truth-that I am the Messiah; "for throne; but this in such a way, and so remote, many shall be scandalized," and apostatize, "but he and so unintelligible to a heathen magistrate, that that endures to the end, the same shall be saved:" if it had been alleged against him, it would have and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached seemed rather the dream of a crazy brain, than in all the world; that is, the good news of me, the the contrivance of an ambitious or dangerous Messiah, and my kingdom, shall be spread through man designing against the government: the way the world. This was the great and only point of of expressing what he meant, being in the probelief they were warned to stick to; and this is in- phetic style; which is seldom so plain as to be culcated again, ver. 23-26, and Mark xiii. 21-23, understood, till accomplished. It is plain that his with this emphatical application to them in both disciples themselves comprehended not what kingthese evangelists: "Behold, I have told you before-dom he here spoke of, from their question to him hand;" remember ye are forewarned. after his resurrection, "Wilt thou at this time re

120. This was in his answer to the apostles' in-store again the kingdom of Israel?" quiry concerning his "coming, and the end of the 122. Having finished these discourses, he takes world;" for so we translate is opvredelas tŷ ai@vos; order for the passover, and eats it with his disciwe must understand the disciples here to put their ples; and at supper tells them, that one of them question according to the notion and way of speak-should betray him; and adds, "I tell it you now, ing of the Jews. For they had two worlds, as we before it come, that when it is come to pass, you translate it, vov alúv ■, 6 μèèèwv air; the "present may know that I am." He does not say out, the

Messiah: Judas should not have that to say
against him if he would; though that be the sense
in which he uses this expression, yw it, more
than once.
And that this is the meaning of it is
clear from Mark xii. 6; Luke xxi. 8; in both
which evangelists the words are, "For many shall
come in my name, saying," y ciu, "I am:" the
meaning whereof we shall find explained in the
parallel place of St. Matthew, chapter xxiv. 5,-
"For many shall come in my name, saying," y
εἰμι ὁ Χρισός, “I am the Messiah."
8
Here in this
place of John xiii. Jesus foretells what should
happen to him; viz. that he should be betrayed
by Judas: adding this prediction to the many
other particulars of his death and suffering, which
he had at other times foretold to them. And here
he tells them the reason of these his predictions,
viz. that afterwards they might be a confirmation
to their faith. And what was it that he would
have them believe, and be confirmed in the belief
of Nothing but this, OT cyw cip, that he was the
Messiah. The same reason he gives, John xiii.
28: "You have heard, how I said unto you, I go
away, and come again unto you: and now I have
told you before it come to pass, that when it is
come to pass, ye might believe."

alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word." All that is spoke of "“believing," in this his last sermon to them, is only "believing on him," or believing that "he came from God;" which was no other than believing him to be the Messiah.

125. Indeed, John xiv., our Saviour tells Philip, "He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father;" and adds,-"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doth the works." Which being in answer to Philip's words, verse 9, "Show us the Father," seem to import thus much "No man hath seen God at any time," he is known only by his works. And that he is my Father, and I the Son of God,-that is, the Messiah, you may know by the works I have done; which it is impossible I could do of myself, but by the union I have with God my Father. For that by being "in God" and "God in him," he signifies such an union with God, that God operates in him, and by him, appears not only by the words above cited, out of verse 10: (which can scarce otherwise be made coherent sense,) but also from the same phrase used again by our Saviour pre123. When Judas had left them, and was gone sently after, verse 20: "At that day," viz. after out he talks a little freer to them of his glory and his resurrection, when they should see him again, of his kingdom, than ever he had done before.-"ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you For now he speaks plainly of himself, and of his kingdom, John xiii. "Therefore, when he (Judas) was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is also glorified in him. And if God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him."And Luke xxii. "And I will appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink with me at my table in my kingdom." Though he has every where all along through his ministry preached the "gospel of the kingdom," and nothing else but that and repentance, and the duties of a good life; yet it has been always "the kingdom of God," and "the kingdom of heaven:" and I do not remember that any where, till now, he uses any such expression, as my kingdom. But here now he speaks in the first person, "I will appoint you a kingdom;" and "in my kingdom;" and this we see is only to the eleven, now Judas was gone from them.

124. With these eleven, whom he was now just leaving, he has a long discourse to comfort them for their loss of him, and to prepare them for the persecution of the world, and to exhort them to keep his commandments, and to love one another. And here one may expect all the articles of faith should be laid down plainly, if any thing else were required of them to believe, but what he had taught them, and they believed already; viz. "That he was the Messiah," John xiv. 1. "Ye believe in God, believe also in me," verse 29. "I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass ye may believe." It is believing on him, without any thing else, John xvi. 31:— "Jesus answered them,-Do you now believe?" This was in answer to their professing, verse 30, "Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou comest forth from God." John xvii. 20: "Neither pray I for these (18)

77

in me, and I in you;" that is, by the works I shall enable you to do, through a power I have received from the Father: which whoever sees me do, must acknowledge the Father to be in me; and whoever sees you do, must acknowledge me to be in you. And therefore he says, verse 12, "Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he also do, because I go unto my Father." Though I go away, yet I shall be in you who believe in me; and ye shall be enabled to do miracles also for the carrying on of my kingdom, as I have done; that it may be manifested to others, that you are sent by me, as I have evidenced to you that I am sent by the Father; and hence it is that he says, in the immediate preceding verse 11, "Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; if not, believe me for the sake of the works themselves." Let the works that I have done convince you that I am sent by the Father, that he is with me, and that I do nothing but by his will, and by virtue of the union I have with him; and that, consequently, I am the Messiah, who am anointed, sanctified, and sepa rated by the Father to the work for which he hath sent me.

126. To confirm them in this faith, and to enable them to do such works as he had done, he promises them the Holy Ghost, John xiv.: "These things I have said unto you, being yet present with you;" but when I am gone, "the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete," (which may signify monitor as well as comforter, or advocate,) "which the Father shall send you in my name, he shall show you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things which I have said." So that, considering all that I have said, and laying it together, and comparing it with what you shall see come to pass, you may be more abundantly assured that I am the Messiah, and fully comprehend that I have done and suffered all things foretold of the Messiah, and that were