i. e. Why do ye lay fnares for me?" Ye hypocrites, fhew me the tribute-money;" fo it is, Matt. xxii. 19, "Whofe image and infcription has it? They faid, Cæfar's." He faid unto them, "Render therefore to Cæfar the things "that are Cæfar's, and to God the things that are God's." By the wisdom and caution of which unexpected anfwer, he defeated their whole defign: "And they could not take hold of his words before the people; and they marvelled " at his anfwer, and held their peace." Luke xx. 26. " And leaving him, "they departed." Matt. xxii. 22.

He having, by this reply, (and what he answered to the Sadducees, concerning the refurrection, and to the lawyer, about the firft commandment, Mark xii.) anfwered fo little to their fatisfaction or advantage, they durft afk him no more queftions, any of them. And now, their mouths being stopped, he himself begins to question them about the Meffiah; afking the Pharifees, Matt. xxii. 41, "What think ye of the Meffiah? whofe Son is he? They fay unto him, The "Son of David." Wherein though they answered right, yet he fhews them in the following words, that, however they pretended to be ftudiers and teachers of the law, yet they understood not clearly the fcriptures concerning the Meffiah; and thereupon he fharply rebukes their hypocrify, vanity, pride, malice, covetoufnefs, and ignorance; and particularly tells them, ver. 13, "Ye fhut "the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, nor suffer ye them that are entering, to go in." Whereby he plainly declares to them, that the Meffiah was come, and his kingdom begun; but that they refused to believe in him themfelves, and did all they could to hinder others from believing in him; as is manifeft throughout the new teftament: the hiftory whereof fufficiently explains what is meant here by "the kingdom of heaven," which the fcribes and Pharifees would neither go into themselves, nor fuffer others to enter into. And they could not chufe but understand him, though he named not himfelf in the cafe.

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PROVOKED anew by his rebukes, they get prefently to council, Matt. xxvi. 3, 4. "Then affembled together the chief priests, and the fcribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and "confulted that they might take Jefus by fubtlety, and kill him. But they faid, Not on the feaft-day, left there fhould be an uproar among the people. For they feared the people," fays St. Luke, chap. xxii. 2.

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HAVING in the night got Jefus into their hands, by the treachery of Judas, they prefently led him away bound to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Annas, probably, having examined him, and getting nothing out of him for his purpose, fends him away to Caiaphas, John xviii. 24, where the chief pricfts, the fcribes, and the elders were affembled. Matt. xxvi. 57. John xviii. 13, 19. "The high-prieft then afked Jefus of his difciples, and of his doctrine. Jefus anfwered him, I fpake openly to the world: I ever taught in the fynagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always refort, and in fecret have I faid nothing." A proof that he had not in private, to his difciples, declared himfelf in exprefs words to be the Meffiah, the Prince. But he goes on: "Why "afkeft thou me?" Afk Judas, who has been always with me. "Afk them "who heard me, what I have faid unto them; behold, they know what I faid." Our Saviour, we fee here, warily declines, for the reafons above-mentioned, all

difcourfe

difcourfe of his doctrine. The fanhedrim, Matt. xxvi. 59, fought falfe wit"nefs against him:" but when " they found none that were fufficient," or came up to the point they defired, which was to have something against him to take away his life, (for fo, I think, the words foal and on mean, Mark xiv. 56, 59.) they try again what they can get out of him himself, concerning his being the. Meffiah; which if he owned in exprefs words, they thought they should have enough against him at the tribunal of the Roman governor, to make him "læfæ majeftatis reum," and fo to take away his life. They therefore fay to him, Luke xxii. 67, "If thou be the Meffiah, tell us." Nay, as St. Matthew hath it, the high-prieft adjures him by the living God, to tell them whether he were the Meffiah. To which our Saviour replies, "If I tell you, ye will not believe; " and if I alfo afk you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go." If I tell you, and prove to you, by the teftimony given me from heaven, and by the works that I have done among you, you will not believe in me, that I am the Meffiah. Or if I should ask where the Meffiah is to be born, and what ftate he should come in; how he fhould appear, and other things that you think in me are not reconcileable with the Meffiah; you will not anfwer me, nor let me go, as one that has no pretence to be the Meffiah, and you are not afraid should be received for fuch. But yet I tell you, "Hereafter fhall the Son of man fit on the right hand of the power of God," ver. 70. "Then say they All, Art thou then "the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye fay that I am." By which discourse with them, related at large here by St. Luke, it is plain, that the anfwer of our Saviour, fet down by St. Matthew, chap. xxvi. 64, in these words, "Thou haft faid;" and by St. Mark, chap. xiv. 62, in these, "I am;" is an anfwer only to this question, "Art thou then the Son of God?" And not to that other, “ Art thou the Meffiah?" which preceded, and he had answered to before; though Matthew and Mark, contracting the story, fet them down together, as if making but one queftion, omitting all the intervening discourse; whereas it is plain out of St. Luke, that they were two diftinct queftions, to which Jefus gave two diftinct anfwers. In the firft whereof he, according to his ufual caution, declined faying in plain exprefs words, that he was the Meffiah; though in the latter he owned himself to be "the Son of God:" Which, though they, being Jews, understood to fignify the Meffiah, yet he knew could be no legal or weighty accufation against him, before a heathen; and fo it proved. For upon his anfwering to their question, "Art thou then the "Son of God? Ye fay that I am;" they cry out, Luke xxii. 71, "What need "we any further witnefs? For we oùrfelves have heard out of his own "mouth." And fo thinking they had enough against him, they hurry him away to Pilate. Pilate afking them, John xviii. 29,-32, "What accufation bring you against this man? They anfwered and faid, If he were not a male"factor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee." Then said Pilate unto them, "Take ye him, and judge him according to your law." But this would not ferve their turn, who aimed at his life, and would be fatisfied with nothing else." The Jews therefore faid unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.' And this was also, "That the faying of Jefus might "be fulfilled, which he fpake, fignifying what death he should die." Pursuing therefore

therefore their defign of making him appear, to Pontius Pilate, guilty of treafon against Cæfar, Luke xxiii. 2, They began to accufe him, faying, We "found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Ca"far; faying, that he himself is the Meffiah, the King;" all which were inferences of theirs, from his faying, he was "the Son of God:" which Pontius Pilate finding, (for it is confonant that he examined them to the precife words he had faid) their accufation had no weight with him. However, the name of King being fuggested against Jefus, he thought himself concerned to search it to the bottom, John xviii. 33,-37. "Then Pilate entered again into the judg"ment-hall, and called Jefus, and faid unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jefus anfwered him, Sayest thou this of thyfelf, or did others tell it "thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: What haft thou done? Jefus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then "would my fervants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a' King then? Jefus anfwered, Thou sayest that I am a King. For this end was "I born, and for this caufe came I into the world, that I fhould bear witness to"the truth every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." In this dialogue between our Saviour and Pilate, we may observe, 1. That being asked, Whether he were "the King of the Jews?" he anfwered fo, that though he deny it not, yet he avoids giving the leaft umbrage, that he had any defign upon the government. For, though he allows himself to be a King, yet, to obviate any fufpicion, he tells Pilate," his kingdom is not of this world;” and evidences it by this, that if he had pretended to any title to that country, his followers, which were not a few, and were forward enough to believe him their King, would have fought for him; if he had had a mind to set himself up by force, or his kingdom were fo to be erected. "But my kingdom," fays he, is not from hence," is not of this fashion, or of this place.

2. PILATE being, by his words and circumstances, fàtisfied that he laid no claim to his province, or meant any disturbance of the government; was yet a little furprized to hear a man in that poor garb, without retinue, or fo much as a fervant, or a friend, own himself to be a King; and therefore asks him, with some kind of wonder, "Art thou a King then?"

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THAT Our Saviour declares, that his great bufinefs into the world was, to testify and make good this great truth, that he was a King; i. e. in other words, that he was the Meffiah.

4. THAT whoever were followers of truth, and got into the way of truth and happiness, received this doctrine concerning him, viz. That he was the Mesfiah, their King.

PILATE being thus fatisfied, that he neither meant, nor could there arife, any harm from his pretence, whatever it was, to be a King; tells the Jews, ver. 31, I find no fault in this man." But the Jews were the more fierce, Luke xxiii. 5, faying, "He ftirreth up the people to fedition, by his preaching through "all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place." And then Pilate, learning that he was of Galilee, Herod's jurisdiction, fent him to Herod, to whom alfo .

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"the chief priests and scribes," ver. 10, "vehemently accufed him." Herod, finding all their accufations either falfe or frivolous, thought our Saviour a bare object of contempt; and fo turning him only into ridicule, fent him back to Pilate who, calling unto him the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people, ver. 14, "Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that per"verteth the people; and behold, I having examined him before you, have "found no fault in this man, touching these things whereof ye accuse him; no, nor yet Herod; for I fent you to him: and lo, nothing worthy of death is done by him." And therefore he would have released him: "For he "knew the chief priests had delivered him through envy," Mark xv. 10. And when they demanded Barabbas to be released, but as for Jefus, cried, "Crucify "him," Luke xxiii. 22, "Pilate faid unto them the third time, Why? What "evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him; I will, therefore,. "chaftife him, and let him go."

WE may observe, in all this whole profecution of the Jews, that they would. fain have got it out of Jefus's own mouth, in exprefs words, that he was the Meffiah which not being able to do, with all their art and endeavour; all the reft that they could alledge against him not amounting to a proof before Pilate, that he claimed to be King of the Jews; or that he had caused, or done any thing towards a mutiny or infurrection among the people (for upon these two, as we fee, their whole charge turned); Pilate again and again pronounced him innocent: for fo he did a fourth, and a fifth time; bringing him out to them, after he had whipped him, John xix. 4, 6. And after all," When Pilate saw "that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of "the blood of this juft man: fee you to it:" Matt. xxvii. 24. Which gives us a clear reafon of the cautious and wary conduct of our Saviour, in not declaring: himself, in the whole course of his miniftry, so much as to his difciples; much less to the multitude, or to the rulers of the Jews, in exprefs: words, to be the Meffiah the King; and why he kept himself always in prophetical, or parabo-lical terms, (he and his difciples preaching only the kingdom of God, i. e. of the Meffiah, to be come); and left to his miracles to declare who he was; though this was the truth, which he came into the world, as he fays himself, John. xviii. 37, to teftify, and which his difciples were to believe.

WHEN Pilate, fatisfied of his innocence, would have released him; and the Jews perfifted to cry out," Crucify him, crucify him," John xix. 6, "Pilate

fays to them, Take ye him yourselves, and crucify him: for I do not find any “fault in him." The Jews then, fince they could not make him a state-criininak, by alledging his faying, that he was "the Son of God," fay, by their law it was a capital crime, ver. 7. "The Jews answered to Pilate, We have a law, "and by our law he ought to die; because he made himfelf the Son of God," i. e. because, by faying "he is the Son of God," he has made himfelf the Meffiah, the Prophet, which was to come. For we find no other law but that againft falfe prophets, Deut. xviii. 20, whereby making himself the Son of "God" deferved death. After this, Pilate was the more defirous to release him, ver. 12, 13. "But the Jews cried out, faying, If thou let this man go, thou art

"not

"not Cæfar's friend: whofoever maketh himself a King, fpeaketh against Cæ"far." Here we fee the ftrefs of their charge against Jefus; whereby they hoped to take away his life, viz. that he "made himfelf King." We fee alfo upon what they grounded this accufation, viz. Because he had owned himself to be "the Son of God." For he had, in their hearing, never made or profeffed himfelf to be a King. We fee here, likewife, the reafon why they were fo defirous to draw from his own mouth a confeffion in exprefs words, that he was the Meffiah; viz. That they might have what might be a clear proof that he did fo. And, laft of all, we fee reafon why, though in expreffions which they understood, he owned himself to them to be the Meffiah; yet he avoided declaring it to them, in fuch words as might look criminal at Pilate's tribunal. He owned himself to be the Meffiah plainly, to the understanding of the Jews; but in ways that could not, to the understanding of Pilate, make it appear that he had laid claim to the kingdom of Judea; or went about to make himself King of that country. But whether his faying, that he was "the Son of God," was criminal by their law, that Pilate troubled not himself about.

HE that confiders what Tacitus, Suetonius, Seneca de benef. 1. 3. c. 26. fay of Tiberius and his reign, will find how neceffary it was for our Saviour, if he would not die as a criminal and a traitor, to take great heed to his words and actions; that he did or faid not any thing that might be offenfive, or give the leaft umbrage to the Roman government. It behoved an innocent man, who was taken notice of, for fomething extraordinary in him; to be very wary under a jealous and cruel prince, who encouraged informations, and filled his reign with executions for treafon; under whom, words fpoken innocently, or in jeft, if they could be mifconftrued, were made treafon, and profecuted with a rigour, that made it always the fame thing to be accufed and condemned. And therefore we fee, that when the Jews told Pilate, John xix. 12, that he should not be a friend to Cæfar, if he let Jefus go (for that whoever made himfelf king, was a rebel against Cæfar): he asks them no more, whether they would take Barabbas, and fpare Jefus; but (though against his confcience) gives him up to death, to fecure his own head.

ONE thing more there is, that gives us light into this wife and neceffarily cautious management of himself, which manifeftly agrees with it, and makes a part of it: and that is, the choice of his apoftles; exactly fuited to the defign and forefight of the neceffity of keeping the declaration of the kingdom of the Meffiah, which was now expected, within certain general terms, during his miniftry. It was not fit to open himself too plainly or forwardly to the heady Jews, that he himself was the Meffiah: that was to be left to the obfervation of thofe, who would attend to the purity of his life, the teftimony of his miracles, and the conformity of all with the predictions concerning him: by these marks, thofe he lived amongst were to find it out, without an exprefs promulgation that he was the Meffiah, until 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 Meffiah to be done; and fulfil all thofe feveral parts of what was foretold of him in the old teftament, and we fee applied to him in the new. H 2

THE