gressions, to be led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep not to open his mouth, and at length, to be cut off out of the land of the living, and to pour out his soul unto death, as the prophet Isaiah and others had foretold of him. The ancient rabbies of the Jews interpreted this prophecy to be meant of the Messiah; but in opposition to Jesus Christ, their latter doctors have invented two Messiahs; one the son of Joseph, of the tribe of Ephraim, who should suffer and die; the other the son of David, of the tribe of Judah, who should be prosperous and triumphant. But this is a mere fiction; the Scriptures never mention any Messiah of the tribe of Ephraim, but only one of the tribe of Judah, or the son of David. Now, though Christ, in all respects, fulfilled the prophecies, yet the body of the Jews, through their mistaken expectancy of a temporal prince, conceived a great prejudice against him; because of the meanness of his birth and condition upon earth. The thoughts that he was the son of a carpenter, and of a poor woman called Mary, and of the despised country of Galilee, where he most conversed, caused many to be offended at him, when they heard hiin speak of being their Messiah or Christ, the Son of God, and that he came down from heavens. This also offended them, that he spake of dying, when they expected their Christ should abide for evert. Hence the multitude, who a little before, from an admiration of his miraculous works, supposing him to be the Messiah, and a conquering Prince, had cried their hosannahs to him, and spread their garments Chap. liii. 9 Cartwright. Mellif. Hebraic. Bishop Pearson on the Creed, p. 87, and 182. edit. 4th, London. 1676. Bishop Pearson, ibid. p. 183. More particularly Dr. Pocock's. appendix at the end of his commentary on Malachi. s Mark vi. 3. t John xii. 34. before him; at his being delivered up, cried out as loud, Let him be crucified". W Although there wanted not sufficient evidences to convince them, if they would have attended to them; as the Holy Spirit's descending on him, and a voice from heaven declaring him to be the Son of God; the testimony of John the Baptist, that he was the Lamb of God, the Christ, (although he knew him not, that is, by face or conversation, till he was shewn to him by the spirit*,) the heavenly nature of his doctrine, his casting out devils, raising the dead, and healing diseases, (insomuch that they owned, we never saw it on this fashion';) which miraculous works did evidently declare him to be the promised Messiah, who was to cure the blind and deaf, and lame, and dumb, and did bear witness of him, that the Father had sent him, and set his seal to the truth of all that Christ saida: so that however their law was at first settled under Moses, by signs and wonders from heaven; yet a greater than Moses was here, to put an end to that dispensation, and by a stronger evidence establish one more perfect; for he had done among them the works which no other man did. And what, though he spake of dying; yet they knew that he also said, he should rise again. Therefore, though he did not appear in that splendid manner, and with that earthly pomp and power as they expected, yet his appearance was declared to be truly the appearance of the kingdom of heaven, or the kingdom of God, that is, the kingdom of the Messiah, which they then looked for; and which Daniel had prophesied the God of heaven should set up. So John the Baptist, the forerunner of e u Matt. xxvii. 22. y Mark ii. 12. John xv. 24. * John i. 33. a John v. 36, &c. w Matt. iii. 16, 17. z Isa. xxxv. 5, 6, 7. c Matt. xxvii. 63. d Dan. ii. 44. e Matt. jii. 2. this great Lord Christ, prepared the people, and bid them repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; that is, the coming of Christ the Messiah is now approaching (as it was revealed to him, though he then did not know him personally.) k And as for that other prejudice they conceived against him, from the place of his most constant abode, viz. Galilee, which was so despicable in the opinion of the Jews, that they affirmned, out of Galilee ariseth no prophet, and were surprised to hear that Christ should come out of Galilees. This proceeded from their gross ignorance of the famous prophecy in Isaiah; to understand which we must remember, that the chiefest part of Galilee was the land or lot of Zebulon and Naphthali: now the inhabitants of that country were the first who had the misfortune to be carried captive by the Assyrians'; in recompence of which heavy disadvantage, above the rest of their brethren, Isaiah comforts them by this prophecy, that they should have the first and chiefest share of the presence and conversation of the Messiah which was to come; that people should see a great light; upon them, it should be said, hath the light shined; for, unto us a child is born, &c. which prophecy is so interpreted, Matt. iv. 12-17. Christ indeed (as the Jews said he should be) was born in Bethlehem of Judea, but he was by habitation and conversation a Galilean; he was conceived and brought up in Nazareth of Galilee; when he began the solemn publication of his Gospel, he chose Capernaum in Galilee for his station; his disciples were men of Galilee; the beginning of his miracles was at Cana of Galilee; and f John i. 31, 33. See also Matt. x. 7. Luke 9, 11. So in many of Christ's parables. h Chap. ix. 1-8. 2 Kings xv. 29. 52. 1 Ver. 6. 1 ix. 2. and x. John vii. 41, k Mr. Mede, the greatest part of his miracles, which he did afterwards, was in that country: in a word, his ordinary residence was in Galilee, though he came to Judea and Jerusalem at the feast-times, when the whole nation assembled there. Further, we may here remark, that those who received the glad tidings published by Christ, were not generally the wise and prudent, who were possessed either with worldly wisdom, or with a conceit of their knowledge above others, as the Scribes and Pharisees to those the Gospel was not agreeable, both because not suited to their worldly projects of laying up treasures upon earth, and also by reason of their self-conceit, and their being taken up with their numerous traditions, and vain janglings; but the babes in Christ, the humble and modest, who, having a low esteem of their own knowledge, were best qualified for the heavenly wisdom, and so most ready to receive it; and also the poorer sort, whose mean condition carried them the farthest off from the expectancy of the pleasures, honours, or riches of this world, and being inured to poverty and hardships, became the less offended with the doctrine of the cross, and the better disposed to embrace the promises of a better life'. Lastly, though Christ was to be a light, and Saviour to the Gentiles, yet he was not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel, that is, in his own person he was to appear only among them, but he commissioned his apostles to publish him to all the world". Third remark. For the more distinct understanding several passages of the holy Gospels, it is requisite to enquire into the state and present condition of the Jewish people at the time of our Saviour's appearance among them, both in regard to their civil and ecclesiastical affairs. And, See Matt. xi. 5, 25. m Mark vii. 26. n Matt. xxviii. 19. First, They being in subjection to the Romans, had little or no authority in themselves, but what was allowed them by the Roman powers, who appointed procurators, or governors P. These had the full power of judicature in Judea, but their chief residence was at Cæsarea, (on the coast of the Mediterranean, or Great sea.) Such an one, in our Saviour's time, was Pontius Pilate at the same time, by the favour of the Romans, Herod Antipas, (one of the sons of Herod the Great,) called the Tetrarch, had the jurisdiction of Galilee. Secondly, As for the Jews themselves, they were in some measure allowed the authority of the Sanhedrim, or Great Council at Jerusalem, which consisted of the priests and Levites, and other persons of note and learning among them', wherein the highpriest bore a great sway, but they had not the power of life and deaths. Thirdly, In Christ's time the laws of God given by Moses were much perverted and abused, by false glosses and interpretations, especially by the Scribes and Pharisees, (whom Christ particularly names, because the former were esteemed the most learned, as the latter the most religious ;) for instance, because they found not any express declarations to the contrary in the law of Moses, they took little care for the government of the mind and heart, (as appears from our Lord's asserting the design of the commandments, to extend to inward as well as outward guilt", in opposition to them;) nor how they approved themselves before God in secret, so they did but carry themselves fair, in appearing to fulfil the law; whence our Lord instructed men to exceed the righteousness of such, by inward purity of xxi. • See Part I. chap. xxi. P Ibid. chap. xxii. Ibid. chap. xiv. s Ibid. chap. xxii. " Matt. v. 21, &c. Matt. v. 20. VOL. II. C ↑ Ibid. chap. ↑ Grot. in |