death; and the third day he fhould rife again. But St. Luke tells us, chap. xviii. 34, That the apoftles "understood none of these things, and this faying "was hid from them; neither knew they the things which were fpoken." They believed him to be the Son of God, the Meffiah fent from the Father; but their notion of the Meffiah was the fame with the reft of the Jews, that he fhould be a temporal prince and deliverer: Accordingly we fee, Mark x. 35, that, even in this their laft journey with him to Jerufalem, two of them, James and John, coming to him, and falling at his feet, faid, "Grant unto us, that "we may fit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy"glory:" or, as St. Matthew has it, chap. xx. 21, "in thy kingdom.". That which diftinguished them from the unbelieving Jews, was, that they believed Jefus to be the very Meffiah, and fo received him as their King and Lord.

AND now, the hour being come that the Son of man should be glorified, he, without his ufual referve, makes his publick entry into Jerufalem, riding on a young afs! "As it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion; behold, thy King cometh, fitting on an afs's colt." But these things," fays St. John, chap. xii. 16," his disciples understood not, at the firft; but when Jefus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and "that they had done thefe things unto him." Though the apostles believed him to be the Meffiah, yet there were many occurrences of his life, which they understood not (at the time when they happened) to be foretold of the Meffiah; which, after his afcenfion, they found exactly to quadrate. Thus, according to what was foretold of him, he rode into the city," all the people crying, "Hofanna, bleffed is the King of Ifrael, that cometh in the name of the Lord." This was fo open a declaration of his being the Meffiah, that, Luke xix. 39, "Some of the Pharifees from among the multitude faid unto him, Master, rebuke thy difciples." But he was fo far now from ftopping them, or difowning this their acknowledgment of his being the Meffiah, that he said unto them, "I tell you, that if these fhould hold their peace, the ftones would immediate"ly cry out." And again upon the like occafion of their crying, "Hofanna to the Son of David," in the temple, Matt. xxi. 15, 16, "When the chief priefts and fcribes were fore difpleafed, and faid unto him, Hearest thou " what they fay? Jefus faid unto them, Yea; Have ye never read, Out of the "mouths of babes and fucklings thou haft perfected praife?" And now, ver. 14, 15, "He cures the blind and the lame openly in the temple. And when "the chief priests and fcribes faw the wonderful things that he did, and the "children crying in the temple, Hofanna, they were enraged." One would not think, that after the multitude of miracles, that our Saviour had now been doing for above three years together, the curing the lame and blind should fo much move them. But we must remember, that though his ministry had abounded with miracles, yet the moft of them had been done about Galilee, and in parts remote from Jerufalem. There is but one left upon record, hitherto done in that city; and that had fo ill a reception, that they fought his life for it; as we may read, John v. 16. And therefore we hear not of his being at the next paffover, becaufe he was there only privately, as an ordinary Jew: the reafon whereof we may read, John vii. 1," After these things Jefus walk

❝ed

"ed in Galilee; for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews fought to "kill him.'

HENCE We may guefs the reafon why St. John omitted the mention of his being at Jerufalem, at the third paffover after his baptifm; probably becaufe he did nothing memorable there. Indeed, when he was at the feaft of tabernacles, immediately preceding this his laft paffover, he cured the man born blind: but it appears not to have been done in Jerufalem itself, but in the way, as he retired to the mount of Olives; for there feems to have been no-body by, when he did it, but his apoftles. Compare ver. 2. with ver. 8, 10, of John ix. This, at leaft, is remarkable, that neither the cure of this blind man, nor that of the other infirm man, at the paffover, above a twelve-month before, at Jerufalem, was done in the fight of the fcribes, Pharifees, chief priefts, or rulers. Nor was it without reafon, that, in the former part of his miniftry, he was cautious of fhewing himself to them to be the Meffiah. But now, that he was come to the laft fcene of his life, and that the paffover was come, the appointed time, wherein he was to complete the work he came for, in his death and refurrection, he does many things in Jerufalem itself, before the face of the fcribes, Pharifees, and whole body of the Jewish nation, to manifeft himself to be the Meffiah. And, as St. Luke fays, chap. xix. 47, 48, "He taught daily in the temple: but the chief priests, and the fcribes, and the chief of the people, fought to deftroy him; and could not find what they might do; for all the people were very attentive to hear him." What he taught we are not left to guefs, by what we have found him conftantly preaching elsewhere: but St. Luke tells us, chap. xx. 1, "He taught in the temple, and evangelized;" or, as we tranflate it," preached the gofpel:" which, as we have fhewed, was the making known to them the good news of the kingdom of the Meffiah. And this we fhall find he did, in what now remains of his hiftory.

In the firft difcourfe of his, which we find upon record, after this, John xii. 20, &c. he foretels his crucifixion, and the belief of all forts, both Jews and Gentiles, on him after that. Whereupon the people fay to him, ver. 34,

"We

have heard out of the law, that the Meffiah abideth for ever; and how fayeft thou, that the Son of man muft be lifted up? Who is this Son of man? In his answer, he plainly defigns himself under the name of Light; which was what he had declared himfelf to them to be, the laft time that they had feen him in Jerufalem. For then, at the feaft of tabernacles, but fix months before, he tells them in the very place where he now is, viz. in the temple, "I am the Light of the world; whofoever follows me, fhall not walk in darknefs, but fhall have the light of life;" as we may read, John viii. 12. and ix. 5. He fays, "As long as I am in the world, I am the LIGHT of the world." But neither here, nor any where elfe, does he, even in thefe four or five laft days of his life, (though he knew his hour was come, and was prepared to his death, ver. 27, and fcrupled not to manifeft himself to the rulers of the Jews to be the Meffiah, by doing miracles before them in the temple) ever once in direct words own himself to the Jews to be the Meffiah; though by miracles and other ways he did every-where make it known unto them, fo that it prefervation might be understood. This could not be without fome reafon : and the G 2

fervation of his life, which he came now to Jerufalem on purpose to lay down, could not be it. What other could it then be, but the fame which had made him use caution in the former part of his miniftry; so to conduct himself, that he might do the work which he came for, and in all parts answer the character given of the Meffiah, in the law and the prophets? He had fulfilled the time of his miniftry; and now taught, and did miracles openly in the temple, before the rulers and the people, not fearing to be feized. But he would not be feized for any thing, that might make him a criminal to the government: and therefore he avoided giving those, who, in the divifion that was about him, inclined towards him, occafion of tumult for his fake: or to the Jews, his enemies, matter of just accusation against him, out of his own mouth, by profesfing himself to be the Meffiah, the King of Ifrael, in direct words. It was enough, that by words and deeds he declared it fo to them, that they could not but understand him; which it is plain they did, Luke xx. 16, 19. Matt. xxi. 45. But yet neither his actions, which were only doing of good; nor words, which were myftical and parabolical (as we may fee, Matt. xxi. and xxii, and the parallel places of Matthew and Luke;) nor any of his ways of making himfelf known to be the Meffiah; could be brought in teftimony, or urged against him, as oppofite or dangerous to the government. This preferved him from being condemned as a malefactor; and procured him a teftimony from the Roman governor, his judge, that he was an innocent man, facrificed to the envy of the Jewish nation. So that he avoided faying, that he was the Meffiah, that to those who would call to mind his life and death, after his refurrection, he might the more clearly appear to be fo. It is farther to be remarked, that though he often appeals to the teftimony of his miracles, who he is, yet he never tells the Jews, that he was born at Bethlehem, to remove the prejudice that lay against him, whilft he paffed for a Galilean, and which was urged as a proof that he was not the Meffiah, John vii. 41, 42. The healing of the fick, and doing good miraculously, could be no crime in him, nor accufation against him. But the naming of Bethlehem for his birth-place might have wrought upon the mind of Pilate, as it did on Herod's; and have raised a fufpicion in Pilate, as prejudicial to our Saviour's innocence as Herod's was to the children born there. His pretending to be born at Bethlehem, as it was liable to be explained by the Jews, could not have failed to have met with a finister interpretation in the Roman governor, and have rendered Jefus fufpected of fome criminal defign against the government. And hence we fee, that when Pilate afked him, John xix. 9, "Whence art thou? Jefus gave him no answer."

as much

~

WHETHER Our Saviour had not an eye to this ftraitness, this narrow room that was left to his conduct, between the new converts and the captious Jews, when he fays, Luke xii. 50, "I have a baptifm to be baptized with, and was Guvexoμa, how I am ftraitened, until it be accomplished!" I leave to be confidered. I am come to fend fire on the earth," fays our Saviour, "and "what if it be already kindled ?" i. e. There begin already to be divisions about me, John vii. 12, 43. and ix. 16. and x. 19. And I have not the freedom, the latitude, to declare myself openly to be the Mefliah; though I am he, that must not be spoken on, until after my death. My way to my throne is clofely

hedged

hedged in on every fide, and much straitened; within which I must keep, until it bring me to my crofs in its due time and manner; fo that it do not cut short the time, nor crofs the end of my miniftry.

AND therefore, to keep up this inoffenfive character, and not to let it come within the reach of accident or calumny, he withdrew, with his apoftles, out of the town, every evening; and kept himself retired out of the way, Luke xxi. 37." And in the day-time he was teaching in the temple, and every night he "went out and abode in the mount, that is called the Mount of Olives," that he might avoid all concourse to him in the night, and give no occafion of difturbance, or fufpicion of himself, in that great conflux of the whole nation of the Jews, now affembled in Jerufalem at the paffover.

BUT to return to his preaching in the temple: He bids them, John xii. 36, "To believe in the Light, whilft they have it." And he tells them, ver. 46, "I am the Light come into the world, that every one who believes in me, "should not remain in darkness;" which believing in him, was the believing him to be the Meffiah, as I have elsewhere fhewed.

THE next day, Matt. xxi, he rebukes them for not having believed John the Baptift, who had teftified that he was the Meffiah. And then, in a parable, declares himself to be the "Son of God," whom they should destroy; and that for it God would take away the kingdom of the Meffiah from them, and give it to the Gentiles. That they understood him thus, is plain from Luke xxi. r6. "And when they heard it, they said, God forbid." And ver. 19, "For they "knew that he had spoken this parable against them."

MUCH to the fame purpose was his next parable, concerning "the king"dom of heaven," Matt. xxi. 1-10. That the Jews not accepting of the kingdom of the Meffiah, to whom it was first offered, others fhould be brought in.

기

THE fcribes and Pharifees and chief priests, not able to bear the declaration he made of himself to be the Meffiah, (by his difcourfes and miracles before them, μπрoobεv auTwv, John xii. 37, which he had never done before) impatient of his preaching and miracles, and being not able otherwise to stop the increase of his followers, (for, "faid the Pharifees among themfelves, Perceive ye "how ye prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him,") John xii. 19. So that the chief priefts, and the fcribes, and the chief of the people fought to deftroy him," the first day of his entrance into Jerufalem, Luke xix. 47. The next day, again, they were intent upon the fame thing, Mark xi. 17, 18, "And he taught in the temple; and the fcribes and the chief priests heard it, and fought how they might deftroy him; for they feared him, becaufe all the people were aftonished at his doctrine."

THE next day but one, upon his telling them the kingdom of the Meffiah fhould be taken from them, "The chief priests and fcribes fought to lay hands on him the fame hour, and they feared the people," Luke xx. 19. If they had fo great a defire to lay hold on him, why did they not? They were the chief priefts and the rulers, the men of power. The reafon St. Luke plainly tells us, in the next verfe: "And they watched him, and fent forth fpies, who should feign themselves juft men, that they might take hold of his words; that fo

they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor." They

wanted

wanted matter of accufation against him, to the power they were under; that they watched for, and that they would have been glad of, if they could have "entangled him in his talk;" as St. Matthew expreffes it, chap. xxii. 15. If they could have laid hold on any word, that had dropt from him, that they might have rendered him guilty, or fufpected to the Roman governor; that would have ferved their turn, to have laid hold upon him, with hopes to destroy him. For their power not answering their malice, they could not put him to death by their own authority, without the permiffion and affiftance of the governor; as they confefs, John xviii. 31, "It is not lawful for us to put any man "to death." This made them fo earnest for a declaration in direct words, from his own mouth, that he was the Meffiah. It was not that they would more have believed in him, for fuch a declaration of himself, than they did for his miracles, or other ways of making himself known, which it appears they understood well enough. But they wanted plain direct words, fuch as might support an accufation, and be of weight before an heathen judge. This was the reason, why they preffed him to speak out, John x. 24, "Then came the Jews round "about him, and faid unto him, How long doft thou hold us in fufpenfe? If "thou be the Meffiah, tell us PLAINLY, wappnoia;" i. e. in direct words: for that St. John uses it in that fense we may fee, chap. xi. 11-14. " Jesus faith to them, Lazarus fleepeth. His difciples faid, If he fleeps, he fhall do well. Howbeit, Jefus fpake of his death; but they thought he had spoken of taking "reft in fleep. Then faid Jefus to them plainly, wapinoia, Lazarus is dead. Here we see what is meant by wapnoia, PLAIN, direct words, fuch as express the fame thing without a figure; and fo they would have had Jefus pronounce himself to be the Meffiah. And the fame thing they prefs again, Matt. xxvi. 63, the high priest adjuring him by the living God, to tell them whether he were the Meffiah, the Son of God; as we fhall have occafion to take notice by-andby.

THIS we may obferve in the whole management of their defign against his life. It turned upon this, that they wanted and wifhed for a declaration from him in direct words, that he was the Meffiah; fomething from his own mouth, that might offend the Roman power, and render him criminal to Pilate. In the 21ft verfe of this xxth of Luke, They asked him, faying, Master, we know "that thou fayeft and teachest rightly; neither accepteft thou the person of <but teacheft the way of God truly. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Cæ

any,

far, or no?" By this captious queftion they hoped to catch him, which way foever he answered. For if he had faid, they ought to pay tribute to Cæfar, it would be plain he allowed their fubjection to the Romans; and so in effect difowned himself to be their King and Deliverer; whereby he would have contradicted what his carriage and doctrine seemed to aim at, the opinion that was fpread amongst the people, that he was the Meffiah. This would have quashed the hopes, and deftroyed the faith of thofe who believed on him; and have turned the ears and hearts of the people from him. If on the other fide he answered, No, it is not lawful to pay tribute to Cæfar: they had had out of his own mouth, wherewithal to condemn him before Pontius Pilate. But St. Luke tells us, ver. "He perceived their craftinefs, and faid unto them, Why tempt ye me?"

23,