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"more than twelve legions of angels? but how then fhall the "fcripture be fulfilled, that thus it must be ?"

Having this clue to guide us, let us now obferve how our Saviour's preaching and conduct comported with it in the last scene of his life. How cautious he had been in the former part of his miniftry, we have already observed. We never find him to use the name of the Meffiah but once, till he now came to Jerufalem this last pasfover. Before this, his preaching and miracles were lefs at Jerufalem (where he used to make but very fhort ftays) than any where else; but now he comes fix days before the feaft, and is every day in the Temple teaching; and there publicly heals the blind and the lame, in the prefence of the Scribes, Pharifees, and chief priests. The time of his miniftry drawing to an end, and his hour coming, he cared not how much the chief priefts, elders, rulers, and the Sanhedrim, were provoked against him by his doctrine and miracles; he was as open and bold in his preaching, and doing the works of the Meffiah now at Jerufalem, and in the fight of the rulers, and of all the people, as he had been before cautious and referved there, and careful to be little taken notice of in that place, and not to come in their way more than needs. All that he now took care of was, not what they fhould think of him, or defign against him (for he knew they would feize him), but to fay or do nothing that might be a juft matter of accufation against him, or render him criminal to the governor. But as for the grandees of the Jewish nation, he fpares them not, but fharply now reprehends their mifcarriages publicly in the Temple, where he calls them, more than once, hypocrites, as is to be feen Matt. xxiii. and concludes all with no fofter a compellation, than "ferpents" and "generation of vipers."

After this fevere reproof of the Scribes and Pharifees, being retired with his difciples into the Mount of Olives, over-againit the Temple, and there foretelling the deftruction of it, his difciples afk him, Matt. xxiv. 3. &c. "When it fhould be, and what fhould "be the figns of his coming?" He fays to them, "Take heed that no man deceive you for many fhall come in my name;" i. e. taking on them the name and dignity of the Meffiah, which is only mine; faying, "I am the Meffiah, and fhall deceive many." But be not you by them mifled, nor by perfecution driven away from this fundamental truth, that I am the Meffiah; " for many fhall "be fcandalized," and apoftatize, "but he that endures to the "end, the fame fhall be faved: and this gospel of the kingdom fhall "be preached in all the world:" i. e. the good news of me, the Meffiah, and my kingdom, fhall be fpread through the world. This was the great and only point of belief they were warned to. ftick to; and this is inculcated again, ver. 23-26. and Mark xiii. 21-23. with this emphatical application to them in both these evangelifts, “Behold, I have told you before-hand;" remember ye are forewarned.

This was his answer to the apoftles enquiry concerning his * coming, and the end of the world," ver. 3. For fo we tranflato

της

τῆς συνελείας τὸ αἰῶνα; we muft underftand the difciples here to put their queftion, according to the notion and way of speaking of the Jews. For they had two" worlds," as we tranflate it, or ai xài ô μw air; the "present world," and the "world to come.' The kingdom of God, as they called it, or the time of the Meffiah, they called i μin alar," the world to come," which they believed was to put an end to "this world" and that then the just should be raifed from the dead; to enjoy, in that "new world," a happy eternity, with thofe of the Jewish nation who should be then living.

These two things, viz. the vifible and powerful appearance of his kingdom, and the end of the world, being confounded in the apostles question, our Saviour does not separate them, nor diftinctly reply to them apart; but, leaving the enquirers in the common opinion, anfwers at once concerning his coming to take vengeance of the Jewish nation, and put an end to their church, worflip, and commonwealth; which was their vaiv, prefent world, which they counted fhould laft till the Meffiah came and fo it did, and then had an end put to it. And to this he joins his laft coming to judgement, in the glory of his father, to put a final end to this world, and all the difpenfation belonging to the posterity of Adam upon earth. This joining them together made his anfwer obfcure, and hard to be understood by them then; nor was it fafe for him to speak plainer of his kingdom, and the deftruction of jerufalem, unlefs he had a mind to be accused for having defigns against the government. For Judas was amongst them: and whether no other but his apoftles were comprehended under the name of "his difci.cc ples," ," who were with him at this time, one cannot determine, Our Saviour therefore fpeaks of his kingdom in no other ftyle but that which he had all along hitherto ufed, viz. "The kingdom of "God;" Luke xxi. 31. "When you see these things come to pass, "know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand," And continuing on his difcourfe with them, he has the fame expreffion, Matt. xxv. 1. "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like unto "ten virgins." At the end of the following parable of the talents, he adds, ver. 31. "When the son of man fhall come in his glory, "and all the holy angels with him, then fhall he fit upon the "throne of his glory, and before him fhall be gathered all the "nations. And he fhall fet the fheep on his right-hand, and the CC goats on his left. Then fhall the KING fay, &c." Here he defcribes to his difciples the appearance of his kingdom, wherein he will shew himself " a king" in glory upon his throne: but this in fuch a way, and fo remote, and fo unintelligible to a heathen nagiftrate, that, if it had been alledged against him, it would have feemed rather the dream of a crazy brain, than the contrivance of an ambitious or dangerous man defigning against the government: the way of expreffing what he meant being in the prophetic ftyle; which is feldom fo plain as to be understood till accomplished. It is plain, that his difciples themfelves comprehended not what kingdom he here fpoke of, from their queftion to him after his re

furrection,

furrection, "Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to « Ifrael?”

Having finished these discourses, he takes order for the paffover, and eats it with his difciples; and at fupper tells them, that one of them should betray him: and adds, John xiii. 19. "I tell it you "now, before it come, that when it is come to pass, you may "know that I am." He does not fay out the Meffiah; Judas fhould not have that to fay against him if he would; though that be the fense in which he uses this expreffion, iyi, more than once. And that this is the meaning of it, is clear from Mark xii. 6. Luke xxi. 8. In both which evangelifts the words are," For many shall come in my name, faying, iyi, I am:" the meaning whereof we shall find explained in the parallel place of St. Matthew, chap. xxiv. 5. "For many fhall come in my name, faying, “ iyú eius ö Xpirós, I am the Meffiah." Here in this place of John xiii. Jefus foretells what should happen to him, viz. that he should be betrayed by Judas; adding this prediction to the many other particulars of his death and fuffering, which he had at other times foretold to them. And here he tells them the reason of these his predictions, viz. that afterwards they might be a confirmation to their faith. And what was it that he would have them believe, and be confirmed in the belief of? Nothing but this, or iyi, that he was the Meffiah. The fame reafon he gives, John xiii. 28. "You "have heard, how I faid unto you, I go away, and come again unto "you: and now I have told you before it come to pafs, that when "it is come to pass, ye might believe."

When Judas had left them, and was gone out, he talks a little freer to them of his glory, and of his kingdom, than ever he had done before. For now he speaks plainly of himself, and of his kingdom, John xiii. 31. "Therefore when he [Judas] was gone

out, jefus faid, Now is the fon of man glorified, and God is "alfo glorified in him. And if God be glorified in him, God fhall "alfo glorify him in himself, and fhall ftraitway glorify him." And Luke xxii. 29. " And I will appoint unto you a kingdom, as "my father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink " with me at my table in my kingdom." Though he has every where all along through his miniftry preached "the Gospel of the "kingdom," and nothing elfe but that and repentance, and the duties of a good life; yet it has been always "the kingdom of God," and "the kingdom of heaven:" and I do not remember, that any where, till now, he ufes any fuch expreffion as "my kingdom. But here now he speaks in the first perfon, "I will appoint you a "kingdom;" and "in my kingdom:" and this we fee is only to the eleven, now Judas was gone from them.

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With these eleven, whom he was now juft leaving, he has a long difcourfe to comfort them for their lofs of him, and to prepare them for the perfecution of the world, and to exhort them to keep his commandments, and to love one another, And here one may expect all the articles of faith fhould be laid down plainly, if any

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thing elfe were required of them to believe, but what he had taught them, and they believed already; viz. "That he was the Meffiah,' John xiv. 1. "Ye believe in God, believe alfo in me," ver. 29. “I "have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, "ye may believe." It is believing on him, without any thing elfe, John xvi. 31. " Jefus answered them, Do you now believe?" This was in answer to their profeffing, ver. 30. "Now are we fure that "thou knoweft all things, and needeft not that any man should "afk thee: by this we believe that thou comeft forth from God." John xvii. 20. " Neither pray I for thefe alone, but for them alfo "which shall believe on me through their word." All that is fpoke of "Believing," in this his last fermon to them, is only «Believing on him," or believing that "he came from God;" which was no other than believing him to be the Meffiah.

Indeed, John xiv. 9. our Saviour tells Philip, "He that hath "feen me, hath feen the father;" and adds, ver. 10. "Be"lieveft thou not that I am in the father, and the father in me? "The words that I fpeak unto you, I speak not of myself: but "the father that dwelleth in me, he doth the works." Which being in answer to Philip's words, ver. 9. "Shew us the father," feem to import thus much: "No man hath feen God at any time," he is known only by his works. And that he is my father, and I the fon of God, i. e. the Meffiah, you may know by the works I have done; which it is impoffible I could do of myself, but by the union I have with God my father. For that by being "in God," and "God in him," he fignifies fuch an union with God, that God operates in and by him, appears not only by the words above-cited out of ver. 10. (which can fcarce otherwife be made coherent fenfe), but alfo from the fame phrafe ufed again by our Saviour prefently after, ver. 20. "At that day," viz. after his refurrection, when they fhould fee him again," ye fhall know that I am in my "father, and you in me, and I in you;" i. e. by the works I fhall enable you to do through a power I have received from the father: which whoever fees me do, muft acknowledge the father to be in me; and whoever fees you do, muft acknowledge me to be in you. And therefore he fays, ver. 12. "Verily, verily I fay unto you, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do fhall he alfo do, be"cause I go unto my father." Though I go away, yet I fhall be in you, who believe in me; and ye fhall be enabled to do miracles alfo for the carrying on of my kingdom, as I have done: that it may be manifefted to others, that you are fent by me, as-I have evidenced to you that I am fent by the father. And hence it is that he fays, in the immediate preceding ver. 11. "Believe me that "I am in the father, and the father in me; if not, believe me for "the fake of the works themselves." Let the works that I have done convince you that I am fent by the father; that he is with me, and that I do nothing but by his will, and by virtue of the union I have with him; and that, confequently, I am the Meffiah, who

am

an anointed, fanctified, and separated by the father to the work for which he hath fent me.

To confirm them in this faith, and to enable them to do fuch works as he had done, he promises them the Holy Ghost, John xiv. 25, 26. “These things I have faid unto you, being yet prefent with "you" but when I am gone," the Holy Ghoft, the paraclet" (which may fignify monitor, as well as comforter, or advocate), "which the father fhall fend you in my name, he fhall fhew you "all things, and bring to your remembrance all things which I "have faid." So that, confidering all that I have faid, and laying it together, and comparing it with what you fhall fee come to pafs, you may be more abundantly affured that I am the Meffiah, and fully comprehend that I have done and fuffered all things foretold of the Meffiah; and that were to be accomplished and fulfilled by him, according to the fcriptures. But be not filled with grief that I leave you; John xvi. 7. "It is expedient for you that I go away: "for if I go not away, the paraclet will not come unto you." One reason why, if he went not away, the Holy Ghoft could not come, we may gather from what has been obferved concerning the prudent and wary carriage of our Saviour all through his ministry, that he might not incur death with the leaft fufpicion of a malefactor: and therefore though his difciples believed him to be the Meffiah, yet they neither understood it fo well, nor were fo well confirmed in the belief of it, as after that, he being crucified and risen again, they had received the Holy Ghoft; and with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, a fuller and clearer evidence and knowledge that he was the Meffiah. They then were enlightened, to fee how his kingdom was fuch as the fcriptures foretold; though not fuch as they, till then, had expected. And now this knowledge and affurance received from the Holy Ghoft was of ufe to them after his refurrection; when they could now boldly go about, and openly preach, as they did, that Jefus was the Meffiah, confirming that doctrine by the miracles which the Holy Ghoft impowered them to do. But till he was dead and gone, they could not do this. Their going about openly preaching, as they did after his refurrection, that Jefus was the Meffiah, and doing miracles every where to make it good, would not have confifted with that character of humility, peace, and innocence, which the Meffiah was to fuftain, if they had done it before his crucifixion: for this would have drawn upon him the condemnation of a malefactor, either as a stirrer or fedition against the public peace, or as a pretender to the kingdom of Ifrael. And hence we fee, that they who before his death preached only "the gofpel of the kingdom," that "the kingdom of "God was at hand;" as foon as they had received the Holy Ghoft after his refurrection, changed their tyle, and every where, in exprefs words, declare, that Jefus is the Meffiah, that "king" which was to come. This, the following words here in St. John xvi. 8-14. confirm; where he goes on to tell them; "And when he is come, " he will convince the world of fin, because they believed not on

"me."

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