the prophets, and stoning fuch as were inc to them by God, and who are manifeftly diftinguifh'd from their children; it being ufual to call fuch who were the heads of the people, either in a civil or ecclefiaftical fenfe, fathers, Acts vii. 2. and xxii. 1. and such who were subjects and disciples, chil dren, Luke xix. 44. Matt. xii. 27. Ifa. viii. 16, 18. Befides, our Lord's difcourfe throughout the whole context is directed to the Scribes and Pharifees, the ecclefiaftical guides of the people, and to whom the civil governors paid a fpecial regard. Hence it is manifeft, that they are not the fame perfons whom Chrift would have gather'd, who would not. It is not faid, bow often would I bave gathered you, and you would not; as Dr. Whitby, more than once, inadvertendy cites the text; nor be would have gatheret Jerufalem, and she would not; as se kao author transcribes it in another sjuk, sa be would bave gathered them, the de and they would not, in which fa fometimes expreffed by im; v which obfervation drone froy the argument foutest on to in favour of free wil. II. That the get does not telige 3 Foot 13. Ek 2 Chrift internally, by the fpirit and grace of God; but a gathering of them to him externally, by and under the ministry of the word, to hear him preach, so as that they might be brought to a conviction of, and an affent unto him, as the Meffiah; which, though it might have fallen fhort of faving faith in him, would have been fufficient to have preserved them from temporal ruin, threaten'd to their city and temple, in the following verfe; Bebold your boufe is left unto you defolate; which prefervation is fignified by the ben gathering her chickens under. her wings, and thews that the text has no concern with the controverfy about the manner of the operation of God's grace in converfion; for all thofe whom Christ would gather in this fenfe, were gathered, notwithstanding all the oppofition made by the rulers of the people, III. That the will of Chrift to gather thefe perfons, is not to be understood of his divine will, or of his will as God; for, wha bath refifted bis will? this cannot be hindered, nor made void; be bath done whatsoever be pleased; but of his human will, or of his will as man; which, though not contrary, to the divine will, but fubordinate to it, yet not always the fame with it, nor always fulfilled. He fpeaks here as a man and minifter of the circumcifion; and expreffe h. 1 human affection for the inter rufalem, and an human with or ex the temporal good: Lataus or vala a affection and will may be meren in him, and exprefer to veral times, by interVAS; AN OKRIJE I says, How oftem montit i sera petere Whereas the divine vi set a n, The variable and unchangeative will the fame, and never begins ar ceste: IV. That the persons whom Chrift won have gather'd, are not reprefented as being unwilling to be gathered; but their ruiers were not willing that they fhouid. The oppofition and refiftance to the will of Chrift, were not made by the people, bur by their governors. The common people feemed inclined to attend the miniftry of Chrift; as appears from the vast crowds which, at different times and places, folowed him; but the chief priests and re did all they could to hinder the collection t them to him, and their belief in him as the Meffiah, by traducing his character, cles and doctrines, and by paffing an act, that whosoever confeffed him, fhould be put out of the fynagogue; fo that the obvious meaning of the text is the fame with that of ver. 13. where our Lord fays, Wo unto you Scribes and Pharifees, hypocrites; for ye fout: up the kingdom of heaven against men: For ye neither go in your felves, neither suffer ye' them that are entering to go in; and confequently is no proof of men's refifting the operations of the fpirit and grace of God, but of obstructions and discouragements thrown in the way of attendance on the external miniftry of the word. V. That in order to fet afide, and overthrow the doctrines of election, reprobation, and particular redemption, it should be proved that Chrift, as God, would have gathered not Jerufalem, and the inhabitants thereof only, but all mankind, even fuch as are not eventually faved, and that in a spiritual faving way and manner to himself; of which there is not the least intimation in this text; and in order to eftablish the refiftibility of God's grace, by the perverfe will of man, fo as to become of no effect, it should be proved, that Chrift would have favingly converted these perfons, and they would not be converted; and that he beftowed the fame grace upon them he does bestow on others who are converted: Whereas the fum sum of this paffage lies in thefe few words, that Chrift, as man, out of a compaffionate regard for the people of the Jews, to whom he was fent, would have gathered them together under his miniftry, and have inftrueted them in the knowledge of himself, as the Meffiah; which, if they had only notionally received, would have fecured them as chickens under the hen, from impending judgments, which afterwards fell upon them; but their governors, and not they, would not; that is, would not fuffer them to be collected together in fuch a manner, and hinder'd, all they could, their giving any credit to him as the Meffiah; though had it been faid, and they would not, it would only have been a moft fad inftance of the perverseness of the will of man, which often opposes his temporal as well as his fpiritual good. NUMB. XXVI. Max. xxv. 14 to 30. I is not to be suctuded from hispa 'T all men, by which hey hayer? they will: For 1. All re re for toficook vants to are healers-Jepa |
