with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city in an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them (Paul and Silas) not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down, are come hither also, whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying, that there is another king, one Jesus. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things: and when they had taken security of Jason and the other, they let them go." selves just men, that might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor." And the very thing wherein they hoped to entrap him in this place was paying tribute to Cæsar, which they after. wards falsely accused him of. And what would they have done, if he had before them professed himself to have been the Messiah, their king and deliverer? 66. And here we may observe the wonderful providence of God, who had so ordered the state of the Jews, at the time when his Son was to come into the world, that though neither their civil constitution nor religious worship were dissolved, yet the power of life and death was taken from them; whereby he had an opportunity to publish the kingdom of the Messiah; that is, his own royalty, under the name of the kingdom of God and of heaven; which the Jews well enough understood, and would certainly have put him to death for, had the power been in their own hands. But this being no matter of accusation to the Romans, hindered him not from speaking of the kingdom of heaven, as he did; sometimes in reference to his appearing in the world, and being believed on by particular persons; sometimes in reference to the 63. Though the magistrates of the world had no great regard to the talk of a king, who had suffered death, and appeared no longer any where; yet if our Saviour had openly declared this of himself in his life time, with a train of disciples and followers every where owning and crying him up for their king, the Roman governor of Judea could not have forborne to have taken notice of it, and have made use of their force against him. This the Jews were not mistaken in; and therefore made use of it as the strongest accusation, and likeliest to prevail with Pilate against him for the taking away his life; it being treason, and an un-power that should be given him by the Father at pardonable offence, which could not escape death from a Roman deputy, without the forfeiture of his own life. Thus then they accuse him to Pilate "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar; saying, that he himself is a king;" or rather, the Messiah, the king. the resurrection; and sometimes in reference to his coming to judge the world at the last day, in the full glory and completion of his kingdom. These were ways of declaring himself, which the Jews could lay no hold on, to bring him in danger with Pontius Pilate, and get hin seized and put to death. 64. Our Saviour indeed, now that his time was 67. Another reason there was that hindered come, (and he in custody, and forsaken of all the him as much as the former from professing himself world, and so out of all danger of raising any se-in express words to be the Messiah; and that was, dition or disturbance,) owns himself to Pilate to that the whole nation of the Jews expecting at this be a king after having first told Pilate, "that his time their Messiah, and deliverance by him from kingdom was not of this world ;" and for a king-the subjection they were to a foreign yoke, the dom in another world, Pilate knew that his master body of the people would certainly, upon his deat Rome concerned not himself. But had there claring himself to be the Messiah their king have been any the least appearance of truth in the al- rose up in rebellion, and set him at the head of legations of the Jews, that he had perverted the them. And, indeed, the miracles that he did, so nation, forbidding to pay tribute to Cæsar, or much disposed them to think him to be the Mesdrawing the people after him as their king, Pilate siah, that, though shrouded under the obscurity of would not so readily have pronounced him inno- a mean condition, and a very private simple life; cent. But we see what he said to his accusers: though he passed for a Galilean, (his birth at BethPilate, "when he had called together the chief lehem being then concealed,) and assumed not to priests and the rulers of the people, said unto himself any power or authority, or so much as the them, You have brought this man unto me, as one name of the Messiah; yet he could hardly avoid that perverteth the people; and behold I having being set up by a tumult, and proclaimed their examined him before you, have found no fault in king. So John tells us, chap. vi. "Then those this man touching those things whereof you accuse men, when they had seen the miracles that Jesus him; no, nor yet Herod, for I sent you to him; did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should and lo, nothing worthy of death is done by him." come into the world. When, therefore, Jesus perAnd therefore finding a man of that mean condi-ceived that they would come to take him by force tion, and innocent life, (no mover of seditions, or disturber of the public peace,) without a friend or a follower, he would have dismissed him, as a king of no consequence; as an innocent man, falsely and maliciously accused by the Jews. to make him king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone." This was upon his feeding of five thousand with five barley loaves and two fishes. So hard was it for him, doing those miracles which were necessary to testify his mission, and which 65. How necessary this caution was in our Sa- often drew great multitudes after him, to keep the viour, to say or do nothing that might justly offend, heady and hasty multitude from such disorder as or render him suspected to the Roman governor, would have involved him in it. and have disturbed and how glad the Jews would have been to have the course, and cut short the time of his ministry, any such thing against him, we may see, Luke xx. and drawn on him the reputation and death of a 20: " The chief priests and the Scribes watched turbulent seditious malefactor; contrary to the dehim, and sent forth spies, who should feign them-sign of his coming, which was to be offered up a and there he drives the traders out of the temple, saying, "Make not my Father's house a house of merchandize." Where we see he uses a phrase which, by interpretation, signifies that he was the Son of God, though at that time unregarded. Hereupon the Jews demand, "What sign dost thou show us, since thou doest these things? Jesus answered, Destroy ye this temple, and in three days I will raise it again." This is an instance of what way Jesus took to declare himself; for it is plain by their reply the Jews understood him not, nor his disciples neither; for it is said, "When, therefore, he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this to them: and they believed the Scripture, and the saying of Jesus to them." 69. This therefore we may look on, in the beginning, as a pattern of Christ's preaching, and showing himself to the Jews; which he generally followed afterwards; viz. such a manifestation of himself, as every one at present could not understand; but yet carried such an evidence with it to those who were well disposed now, or would reflect on it when the whole course of his ministry was over, as was sufficient clearly to convince them that he was the Messiah. The reason of this method used by our Saviour, the Scripture gives us here, at this his first appearing in public, after his entrance upon his ministry, to be a rule and light to us in the whole course of it for the next verse takes notice that many believed on him lamb, blameless and void of offence; his innocence appearing to all the world, even to him that delivered him up to be crucified. This it would have been impossible to have avoided, if in his preaching every where, he had openly assumed to himself the title of their Messiah; which was all was wanting to set the people in a flame; who, drawn by his miracles, and the hopes of finding a deliverer in so extraordinary a man, followed him in great numbers. We read every where of multitudes; and in Luke xii. 1, of myriads that were gathered about him. This conflux of people, thus disposed, would not have failed, upon his declaring himself to be the Messiah, to have made a commotion, and with force set him up for their king. It is plain, therefore, from these two reasons, why (though he came to preach the gospel, and convert the world to a belief of his being the Messiah; and though ye says so much of his kingdom, under the title of the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of heaven) he yet makes it not his business to persuade them that he himself is the Messiah; nor does, in his public preaching, declare himself to be him. He inculcates to the people, on all occasions, that the kingdom of God is come. He shows the way of admittance into this kingdom, viz. repentance and baptism; and teaches the laws of it, viz. good life, according to the strictest rules of virtue and morality. But who the king was of this kingdom, he leaves to his miracles to point out to those who would consider what he did, and make the right use of it now; or to witness to those who should" because of his miracles," (which was all the hearken to the apostles hereafter, when they preaching they had.) It is said, "But Jesus did preached it in plain words, and called upon them to not commit himself unto them, because he knew believe it, after his resurrection; when there should all men ;"* that is, he declared not himself so be no longer room to fear that it should cause any openly to be the Messiah, their king, as to put disturbance in civil societies and the governments himself in the power of the Jews, by laying himof the world. But he could not declare himself to self open to their malice, who he knew would be be the Messiah, without manifest danger of tumult so ready to lay hold on it to accuse him; for, as and sedition and the miracles he did declared it the next verse shows, he knew well enough what so much, that he was fain often to hide himself, was in them. We may here further observe, and withdraw from the concourse of the people. that "believing in his name," signifies believing The leper that he cured, Mark i., though forbid to him to be the Messiah. Verse 22 tells us, that say any thing, yet "blazed it so abroad, that Jesus" many at the passover believed in his name, could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places," being in retirement, as appears from Luke v., and there "they came to him from every quarter." And thus he did more than once. 68. This being premised, let us take a view of the promulgation of the gospel by our Saviour himself, and see what it was he taught the world, and required men to believe. The first beginning of his ministry, whereby he showed himself, seems to be at Cana in Galilee, soon after his baptism, where he turned water into wine; of which St. John says thus: "This beginning of miracles Jesus made, and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him." His disciples here believed in him; but we hear not of any other preaching to them, but by this miracle, whereby he manifested his glory; that is, of being the Messiah, the prince. So Nathanael, without any other preaching, but only our Saviour's discovering to him that he knew him after an extraordinary manner, presently acknowledges him to be the Messiah; crying, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel." From hence, staying a few days at Capernaum, he goes to Jerusalem to the passover; 75 (17) when they saw the miracles that he did?" What other faith could these miracles produce in them who saw them, but that this was he of whom the Scripture spoke, who was to be their deliverer? 70. Whilst he was now at Jerusalem, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, comes to him, to whom he preaches eternal life by faith in the Messiah, but in general terms, without naming himself to be that Messiah, though his whole discourse tends to it. This is all we hear of our Saviour the first year of his ministry, but only his baptism, fasting, and temptation in the beginning of it, and spending the rest of it, after the passover in Judea, with his disciples, baptizing there. But when he knew that the Pharisees reported that he had made and baptized more disciples than John, he left Judea, and got out of their way again into Galilee. In his way back, by the well of Sichar, he discourses with the Samaritan woman; and after having opened to her the true and spiritual worship which was at hand, which the woman presently understands of the times of the Messiah, * John ii. who was then looked for; thus she answers: "I know that the Messiah cometh: when he is come, he will tell us all things." Whereupon our Saviour, though we hear no such thing from him in Jerusalem or Judea, or to Nicodemus; yet here, to this Samaritan woman, he in plain and direct words owns and declares, that he himself, who talked with her, was the Messiah. This would seem very strange, that he should be more free and open to a Samaritan than he was to the Jews, were not the reason plain from what we have observed above. He was now out of Judea, with a people with whom the Jews had no commerce; who were not disposed, out of envy, as the Jews were, to seek his life, or to accuse him to the Roman governor, or to make an insurrection to set a Jew up for their king. What the consequence was of his discourse with this Samaritan woman we have an account: "she left her water-pot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Messiah? And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did." So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; and said unto the woman, Now we believe not because of thy saying; for we have heard him ourselves; and we know (that is, are fully persuaded) that it is indeed the Messiah, the Saviour of the world." By comparing John iv. verse 39, with 41 and 42, it is plain, that "believing on him," signifies no more than believing him to be the Messiah. 66 pronounced to be a believer. And what does he believe? even that which Jesus complains, "they would not believe, except they saw signs and wonders; which could be nothing but what those of Samaria, in the same chapter, believed; viz. that he was the Messiah: for we no where in the gospel hear of any thing else that had been proposed to be believed by them. 72. Having done miracles, and cured all their sick at Capernaum, he says, "Let us go to the adjoining towns, that I may preach there also; for therefore came I forth." Or, as St. Luke has it, chap. iv., he tells the multitude, who would have kept him, that he might not go from them: "I must evangelize," or tell the good tidings of the " 'kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent." And St. Matthew, chap. iv., tells us how he executed this commission he was sent on. "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and curing all diseases." This then was what he was sent to preach every where, viz. the gospel of the kingdom of the Messiah; and by the miracles and good he did, let them know who was the Messiah. 73. Hence he goes up to Jerusalem, to the second passover since the beginning of his ministry. And here discoursing to the Jews, who sought to kill him, upon occasion of the man whom he had cured carrying his bed on the Sabbath-day, and for making God his Father, he tells them, that he wrought these things by the power of God, and that he shall do greater things; for that the dead shall, at his summons, be raised; and that he, by a power committed to him from his Father, shall judge them; and that he is sent by his Father; and that whoever shall hear his word, and believe in him that sent him, has eternal life. This, though a clear description of the Messiah, yet we may observe that here, to the angry Jews, who sought to kill him, he says not a word of his kingdom, nor so much as names the Messiah; but yet that he is the Son of God, and sent from God, he refers them to the testimony of John the Baptist, to the testimony of his own miracles, and of God himself in the voice from heaven, and of the Scriptures, and of Moses. He leaves them to learn from these the truth they were to believe, viz. that he was the Messiah sent from God. This you may read more at large, John v. 71. From Sichar Jesus goes to Nazareth, the place he was bred up in, and there, reading in the synagogue a prophecy concerning the Messiah, out of the sixty-first of Isaiah, he tells them, This day is the Scripture fulfilled in your ears." But being in danger of his life at Nazareth, he leaves it for Capernaum; and then, as St. Matthew informs us, "he began to preach, and say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Or, as St. Mark has it, "preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe in the gospel;" that is, believe this good news. This removing to Capernaum, and seating himself there in the borders of Zabulon and Naphtali, was, as St. Matthew observes, that 74. The next place where we find him preacha prophecy of Isaiah might be fulfilled. Thus the ing was on the mount. This is by much the longactions and circumstances of his life, answered est sermon we have of his any where: and, in all the prophecies, and declared him to be the Mes- likelihood, to the greatest auditory for it appears siah. And by what St. Mark says in this place, to have been to the people gathered to him from it is manifest that the gospel which he preached, Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem, and from beand required them to believe, was no other but yond Jordan; and that came out of Idumea, and the good tidings of the coming of the Messiah, from Tyre and Sidon, mentioned Mark iii. and and of his kingdom, the time being now fulfilled. Luke vi. But in this whole sermon of his we do In his way to Capernaum, being come to Cana, a not find one word of believing, and therefore no nobleman of Capernaum came to him, "and be- mention of the Messiah, or any intimation to the sought him that he would come down and heal his people who himself was the reason whereof we son, for he was at the point of death. Then said may gather from Matt. xii., where "Christ forbids Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, them to make him known ;" which supposes them ye will not believe." Then he returning home- to know already who he was. For that this twelfth wards, and finding that his son began to "mend chapter of Matthew ought to precede the sermon at the same hour in which Jesus said unto him, in the mount is plain, by comparing it with Mark Thy son liveth; he himself believed, and his wholeii., beginning at verse 13, to Mark iii. 8, and comhouse." Here this nobleman is, by the apostle, paring those chapters of St. Mark with Luke vi And I desire my reader, once for all, here to take notice, that I have all along observed the order of time in our Saviour's preaching, and have not, as I think, passed by any of his discourses. In this sermon our Saviour only teaches them what were the laws of his kingdom, and what they must do who were admitted into it; of which I shall have occasion to speak more at large in another place, being at present only enquiring what our Saviour proposed as matter of faith to be believed. what his preaching was, and consequently what was to be believed." 77. Soon after, he preaches from a boat to the people on the shore. His sermon at large we may read, Matt. xiii. Mark iv. and Luke viii. But this is very observable, that this second sermon of his here, is quite different from his former in the mount: for that was all so plain and intelligible that nothing could be more so; whereas this is all so involved in parables, that even the apostles themselves did not understand it. If we inquire into the reason of this, we shall possibly have some light from the different subjects of these two sermons. There he preached to the people only morality; clearing the precepts of the law from the false glosses which were received in those days, and setting forth the duties of a good life in their full obligation and extent,* beyond what the judiciary laws of the Israelites did, or the civil laws of any country could prescribe or take notice of. But here, in this sermon by the seaside, he speaks of nothing but the kingdom o the Messiah, which he does all in parables. One reason whereof St. Matthew gives us, chap. xiii. 75. After this, John the Baptist sends to him this message, asking,-" Art thou he that should come, or do we expect another?" That is, in short, art thou the Messiah? And if thou art, why dost thou let me, thy forerunner, languish in prison?Must I expect deliverance from any other? To which Jesus returns this answer: "Tell John what you have seen and heard:-the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached; and blessed is he who is not offended in me." What it is to be "offended" or "scandalized in him we may see by comparing Matt. xiii. 28, and Mark iv. 17, with Luke viii. 13; for what the two first call scandalized, the last calls stand-"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by ing off from, or forsaking; that is, not receiving him as the Messiah, (vide Mark vi. 1-6,) or revolting from him. Here Jesus refers John, as he did the Jews before, to the testimony of his miracles, to know who he was; and this was generally his preaching, whereby he declared himself to be the Messiah; who was the only prophet to come, whom the Jews had any expectation of; nor did they look for any other person to be sent to them with the power of miracles, but only the Messiah. His miracles, we see by his answer to John the Baptist, he thought a sufficient declaration among them that he was the Messiah. And therefore, upon his curing the possessed of the devil, the dumb, and blind, Matt. xii., the people who saw the miracle said, "Is not this the Son of David?" as much as to say, Is not this the Messiah? Whereat the Pharisees being offended, said, he cast out devils by Beelzebub. Jesus showing the falsehood and vanity of their blasphemy, justifies the conclusion the people made from this miracle, saying, that his casting out devils by the Spirit of God, was an evidence that the kingdom of the Messiah was come. 76. One thing more there was in the miracles done by his disciples, which showed him to be the Messiah-that they were done in his name. "In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up and walk," says St. Peter to the lame man whom he cured in the temple, Acts iii. And how far the power of that name reached, they themselves seem to wonder, Luke x.; "And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject to us in thy name." From this message from John the Baptist, he takes occasion to tell the people, that John was the forerunner of the Messiah; that from the time of John the Baptist the kingdom of the Messiah began; to which time all the prophets and the law pointed.* "Afterwards he went through every city and village, preaching and showing the good tidings of the kingdom of God." Here we see, as every where, * Luke vii.; Matt. xi. the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things that have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." Another reason our Saviour himself gives of it: "Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly; but whosoever hath not," that is, improves not the talents that he hath, "from him shall be taken away even that he hath." 78. One thing it may not be amiss to observe, that our Saviour here, in the explication of the first of these parables to his apostles, calls the preaching of the kingdom of the Messiah, simply, "the Word;" and, Luke viii. 21, "the Word of God:" from whence St. Luke, in the Acts, often mentions it under the name of "the Word," and tian is clearly delivered in the New Testament.- ness is our own. The wisdom of God created un derstanding, fit and proportionable to truth, the object and end of it, as the eye o the thing visible."ED. "the Word of God," as we have elsewhere ob-heart that God hath raised him from the dead, served; to which I shall here add that of Acts thou shalt be saved:" and that also of 1 John iv. viii. 4::-"Therefore_they that were scattered 14, 15: "We have seen, and do testify, that the abroad, went every where preaching the Word;" Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the which word, as we have found by examining what world: whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the they preached all through their history, was no- Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." thing but this, that "Jesus was the Messiah :" I Where confessing Jesus to be the Son of God, is mean, this was all the doctrine they proposed to the same with confessing him to be the Messiah; be believed for what they taught, as well as our those two expressions being understood, amongst Saviour, contained a great deal more; but that the Jews, to signify the same thing, as we have concerned practice, and not belief. And there-shown already. How calling him the Son of God fore our Saviour says, in the place before quoted, came to signify that he was the Messiah, would Luke viii. 21,-"They are my mother and my not be hard to show; but it is enough that it apbrethren who hear the word of God, and do it:"| pears plainly that it was so used, and had that imobeying the law of the Messiah, their king, being port ainongst the Jews at that time; which if any no less required than their believing that Jesus one desires to have further evidenced to him, he was the Messiah, the king and deliverer that was may add Matt. xxvi. 63, John vi. 69, and xi. 27, promised them. Matt. ix. we have an account and xx.' 31, to those places before occasionally again of his preaching; what it was and how:- taken notice of. "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease amongst the people." He acquainted them that the kingdom of the Messiah was come, and left it to his miracles to instruct and convince them that he was the Messiah. So 80. As was the apostles' commission, such was their performance, as we read Luke ix. 6: "They departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where." Jesus bid them preach, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." And St. Luke tells us, they went through the towns, preaching the gospel; a word which in Saxon answers well the Greek 'Evayychov, and signifies, as that does, "good news." that what the inspired writers call the gospel, is nothing but the good tidings that the Messiah and his kingdom was come; and so it is to be understood in the New Testament; and so the angel calls it "good tidings of great joy," bringing the first news of our Saviour's birth. And this seems to be all that his disciples were at that time sent to preach. So Luke ix. 59, 60. To him that would have excused his present attendance, because of burying his father, "Jesus said unto him, let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." When I say this was all they were to preach, I must be understood, that this was the faith they preached; but with it they joined obedience to the Messiah, whom they received for their king. So likewise when he sent out the seventy, Luke x. their commission was in these words: "Heal the sick, and say unto them, the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." 79. When he sent his apostles abroad, their commission to preach we have in these words:"As ye go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand: heal the sick," &c. All that they had to preach was that the kingdom of the Messiah was come. Whosoever should not receive them, the messengers of this good tidings, nor hearken to their message, incurred a heavier doom than Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of judgment. But, "Whosoever shall confess me before men, I will confess him before my Father who is in heaven." What this confessing of Christ is, we may see by comparing John xii. 4, with ix. 22: "Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees hey did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue." And "these words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was the Messiah, he should be put out of the synagogue." By which places it is evident, that to confess him, was to confess that he was the Messiah. From which give me leave 81. After the return of his apostles to him, he to observe also, (what I have cleared from other sits down with them on a mountain; and a great places, but cannot be too often remarked, because multitude being gathered about them, St. Luke of the different sense which has been put upon that tells us, "The people followed him, and he receivphrase,) viz. that believing on or in him (for used them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of AUTOV is rendered either way by the English translation) signifies believing that he was the Messiah. For many of the rulers (the text says) believed on him; but they durst not confess what they believed, "for fear they should be put out of the synagogue." Now the offence for which it was agreed that any one should be put out of the synagogue was, if he "did confess that Jesus was the Messiah." Hence we may have a clear understanding of that passage of St. Paul to the Romans, where he tells them positively what is the faith he preaches: "That is the word of faith which we preach, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine * Rom. x, 8, 9. God; and healed them that had need of healing." This was his preaching to this assembly, which consisted of five thousand men, besides women and children; all which great multitude he fed with five loaves and two fishes. And what this miracle wrought upon them St. John tells us,— chap. vi.: "Then these men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world;" that is, the Messiah: for the Messiah was the only person that they expected from God, and this the time they looked for him. And hence John the Baptist, Matt. xi. 3, styles him,-"He that should come;" as in other places, "come from God," or "sent from God," are phrases used for the Messiah. Here we see our Saviour keeps to |