Works
SECTION LXXV.
MATTH. Chap. XXI. from Ver. 23. to the and of the Chapt.
MARK Chap. XI. from V. 27. to the end: And Chap. XII. from the beginning to Ver. 13.
LUKE Chap. XX. from the begin. to Ver. 20.
CHRIST in the Temple posing them about Johns Baptism. The parable of the Vineyard, &c.
THe continuation of the order is apparent.
Christ cometh again from Bethany into the Temple, and there being questioned by what authority he did what he did, he stops their mouth by proposing a question again, What they thought of Johns authority by which he made that great change in Religion that he did, and intraps them in such a dilemma as they are not able to get out of.
He proposeth the Parable of the Vineyard and Husbandmen, and by it showeth the privileges, and yet the perverseness of the Jewish Nation, and their destruction, from Isa. 5. &c. See R. Tanohum. fol. 54. col. 4.
SECTION LXXVI.
MATTH. Chap. XXII. from the beginning of the Chapter to Ver. 15.
The Parable of the Wedding Supper.
THE order is plain of itself. The Parable setteth forth the Jews despising of the means of grace and evil usage of those that were sent unto them, ver. 5, 6. and for this, their destruction and ruin of their City, and the calling of the Gentiles, &c.
SECTION LXXVII.
MATTH. Chap. XXI. from Ver. 15. to the end, And Chap. XXIII. all the Chapter.
MARK Chap. XII. from Ver. 13. to Ver. 41.
LUKE Chap. XX. from Ver. 26. to the end of the Chapter.
Tribute to Caesar. The Resurrection asserted in the Law. The great Commandment. Christ how David's Son. Woe against the Scribes and Pharisees.
THE Evangelists are so clear in their order, both here and a good way forward, that there can be no scrupling in it.
The question proposed, Whether it were lawful to give tribute to Caesar, proceeded from that old maxim among them, upon mistake of Deut. 17. 15. that they ought not to be subject to any power or potentate, which was not of their own blood or Religion: the holding to which maxim, cost them the ruin of their City and Nation.
His answer from the Image of Caesar upon their coin, was according to their own concessions. The Jerusalem Talmud doth personate David and Abigail talking thus. Abigail said, What evil have I done or my Children, or my Cattle? David saith to her, Because thy Husband vilified the Kingdom of David, She saith, Art thou a King then? He saith to her, Did not Samuel anoint me King? She saith to him. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Coin of our Lord Saul is yet current: In Sanhedr. fol, 20. col. 2. Maym. in Gezelah per. 5. A King that cuts down the trees of any owner, and makes a bridge of them, it is lawful to go over it, &c. How is this to be understood? Of a King whose Coin is current in these Countries, for the men of the Country do thereby evidence, that they acknowledge him for their Lord and themselves his servants: But if his coin be not current, then he is a robber, &c.
The topick from whence he argueth the Resurrection against the Sadducees, is also acknowledged by the Writers of that Nation: Tanchum. fol. 13. col. 3. The holy blessed God doth not join his Name to the Saints while they are alive, but when they are dead: as it is said, To the Saints which are in the earth, &c. But behold we find that he joins his Name to Isaac [meaning, he calls himself the God of Isaac ] while he was alive, &c. Jerus. in Beracoth fol. 5. col. 4. Whence is there proof that the righteous are called living when they are dead, &c.
He poseth the Pharisees in their very Catechism: they used it as a common name for the Messias to call him the Son of David, and yet when they are put to it to observe that David calls him Lord, they are so far nonplust, that they have not only not what to answer, for the present, but this silenceth them from future disputes. Now therefore he falls upon them with their deserved character and doom, and as in Matth. 5. he had pronounced beatitudes, so here in Matth. 23. he denounceth woes, and curseth these men from Isa. 65. 15, &c.
This Chapter as it is a speech to and of the Scribes and Pharisees, and treateth of their doctrines and demeanors; so from their own Pandects and Authors may it be explained from point to point: those speaking out their doctrines and practices to the full.
Their sitting in Moses chair, ver. 1. meaneth them as Magistrates, to whom Christ enjoineth all lawful obedience. Vid. Sanhedr. per. 1. halac. 6.
Their heavy burdens, ver. 4. translates their 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of which they speak so much and so highly.
Their Tephillin are called Phylacteries, ver. 5. which meaneth not only Observatives, because they were memorials of their duty and devotions [being four portions of the Law written in two pa • chments, and the one worn upon their forehead and the other upon their left arm] but Preservatives, as being reputed by them a fence against evil spirits, Jerus. Beracoth fol. 2. A man hath need to say over his Phylacteries every evening in his house, to fright awe • y evil spirits.
They loved to be called Rabbi Rabbi, ver. 7. R. Akibah said to Eliezer, Rabbi Rabbi, Jerus. Moed. Katon fol. 81. 1. And yet they had this rule against it, Love the work, but hate the Rabbiship, Maym. in Talm. Torah. per. 3.
Call no one Father, ver. 9. in that sense as they owned their Doctors by the title 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 relying upon the authority of human doctrines.
Their permitting and practicing to swear by the Temple, ver. 16. came into a common custom, Juchas. fol. 50. col. 1. Baba ben Bota swear by the Temple, and so did Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel, and this was a custom in Israel.
Their tithing mint, annise and cummin, ver. 23. explained in the Talmudic treatises Demai, whited Sepulchers, ver. 27. Shekalim per. 1. halac. 1. In the month Adar they whited the Sepulchers. And the reason is given by the Gemarists, that people hereby might have the better discovery of them, the better to avoid defilement by them: which well observed, sets on Christ's invective against these wretches the more. Gemar. utriusq: Talm. in loc. & Jerus. in Maasar. Sheni. fol. 55. 3.
Their decking of Sepulchers in honor of those that lay in them, ver. 29. handled in Jerus. in Moed Katon fol. 80. col. 3. & 4.
He concludeth his speech with the intimation of what shame and guilt lay upon them for the blood of the former Prophets slain by their Fathers, filled up by their own wickedness in persecuting those that he did or should send to them. He calleth them Serpents from Gen. 3. 15. and teacheth us to look upon them as the seed of the Serpent in an eminent degree, if any degree of that nature may be called eminent. He dooms all the Prophets blood to be required of that generation, because they by their transcendent abuse of those whom God sent, even of Messias himself, did justify and exceed all the evil their Fathers had done against the Prophets: Yea all the blood shed before the blood of Zacharias, and his, though they held that to have been satisfied for, by the destruction, slaughter and captivity by the Babylonians, Jerus. in Taanith fol. 69. col. 2. He changeth the name of his Father, and so doth Targ. in Lament. cap. 2. ver. 20. And concludes with a sad denunciation of destruction, and that they should no more see him till they should say, blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: which very words he had uttered also a great while before this, Luke 13. 34, 35. and the multitude had said, Blessed be he that cometh, &c. when he rode into Jerusalem upon an Ass. But the same words now uttered by him, are of somewhat doubtful interpretation, whether they mean, their no more seeing of him till the night and time of the Passover, [for at the Paschal meal every company rehearsed this saying, Blessed be he that cometh, &c. in their great Hallel as they called it] or that they should no more see him at all, because they had not learned to entertain him, as coming from God. See Joh. 5. 43.
SECTION LXXVIII.
MARK Chap. XII. Ver. 41, 42, 43, 44.
LUKE Chap. XXI. Ver. 1, 2, 3, 4.
The poor Widows Mites.
THE Jews before their prayers in the Temple, or their Synagogues, used to give something by way of alms of offering, that Charity and piety might go together. Maym. in Mattanath Anijim. per. 6. Now in the Court of the Women at the Temple [as we have observed elsewhere in the description of that place] there were several chests, which the Jews call Shoperoth, into which the people put the money they offered, some to buy one thing for the service of the Temple, some another, &c.
SECTION LXXIX.
MATTH. Chap. XXIV. all the Chapter.
MARK Chap. XIII. all the Chapter.
LUKE Chap. XXI. from Ver. 5. to the end of the Chapter.
And after these MATTH. Chap. XXV. all the Chapter.
CHRIST foretelleth the destruction of Jerusalem, the signs and miseries preceeding and accompanying it.
THe Talmud tells us that there was a place upon mount Olivet, just in the face of the Temple, where the Priest slew and burnt the red Cow into the ashes of purification and as he sprinkled the blood, he looked directly upon the Temple door. Middoth per. 1. &c. This was the last Sermon that Christ made upon mount Olivet, and he makes it as he sits upon that mount, just facing the Temple, Matth. 24. 3. And that text that he had taken in tears but two or three days ago, weeping over the City and foretelling the destruction of it, Luke 19. 44. he now preacheth upon at large, declaring the misery and foreshowing the forerunners of that destruction.
The aim of his speech, or, to what time and purpose it refers, may be discerned by the question of the Disciples, to which it is an answer. When shall these things be, viz. that one stone of the Temple shall not be left upon another? Mark 13. 4. Luke 21. 7. and so it relates plainly to the destruction of the Temple and City. But Matthew hath added; And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? from whence it is conceived by some, that the speech doth aim at the end of the world, and Christ's last coming unto judgment. It is true indeed that the close of his speech in Matth. 25. doth speak plainly of the last judgment, and that many of those terrible things mentioned, Matth. 24. may very well typify the terrors of the last day, but the prime and proper scope of the speech in that 24th. Chapter, is to set forth the destruction of Jerusalem, and the rejection and misery of the Jewish nation; as may be observed by these particulars.
- 1. Because in Matth. 24. 15, 16. He points directly to time and place, when and where these things shall be, viz. when the Temple shall be profaned, then these things come, &c.
- 2. Especially consider ver. 34. Verily I say unto you; this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. This generation, not meaning Generatio Evangelica, as some do harshly interpret it, but as it means in Matth. 23. 36. Luke 11. 31, 32. and abundance of other places in the New Testament, the generation then in being.
- 3. The destruction of Jerusalem, is phrased in Scripture as the destruction of the whole world, Jer. 4. 23. Isa. 65. 17. and Christ coming to her in judgment, as his coming to the last judgment, Matth. 17. 28. John 21. 22. Math. 19. 28. Rev. 1. 7, &c.
Therefore those dreadful things spoken of in ver. 29, 30, 31. are but borrowed expressions to set forth the terrors of that judgment the more. Ver. 29. The Sun shall be darkened, &c. shows the decay of all glory, excellency and prosperity in that Nation, and the coming in of all sadness, misery and confusion: as Isa. 13. 10. Joel. 2. 10. Ver. 30. Then shall they see the sign of the Son of man, &c. Not any visible appearance of Christ, or of the cross in the clouds [as some have imagined,] but whereas the Jews would not own Christ before for the Son of man, or for the Messias, then by the vengeance that he should execute upon them, they and all the world should see an evident sign, that he was so. This therefore is called his coming, and his coming in his kingdom, Matth. 17. 28. because this did first declare his power, glory and victory on that nation that had despised him. Ver. 31. He shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet, &c. that is; his Ministers with the Trumpet of the Gospel, to fetch in his elect from among the Gentiles when the Jews were now destroyed and cast off. And the false Christ's, and false Prophets that should arise, ver. 5. 24. arose in that Nation in those last days of it, as is abundantly evident both in the New Testament, and in Josephus: And those wars and rumors of wars, and Nation rising against Nation, &c. ver. 6, 7. were accomplished not only in the horrid civil wars among the Jews, but also in the great concussions in Roman Empire, in the wars betwixt Otho and Vitellius, and betwixt Vitellius and Vespasian, [of which the Roman Historians, especially Tacitus is very large] the like to which, there had not been before, even to the sacking of Rome itself, and the burning of the Capitol.
SECTION LXXX.
MATTH. Chap. XXVI. from the beginning to Ver. 14.
MARK Chap. XIV. from the beginning to Ver. 10.
LUKE Chap. XXII. Ver. 1, 2.
And after these portions read JOHN Chap. XIII. from the beginning to Ver. 27.
CHRIST'S head anointed at a supper at Bethany two nights before the Passover: At the same supper he washeth his Disciples feet: giveth Judas the sop and the Devil entereth into him.
THe proof of the proper order here will require some dispute, not so much in regard of any obscurity or difficulty of the order itself, but in regard of needless and groundless difficulties that are put upon it. There are two strange opinions we meet with here: The one is, that holdeth that this supper mentioned by Matthew and Mark, was the same supper which is mentioned in John 12. which was six days before the Passover. And the other is, that holdeth, that this supper in John 13. was the Supper on the Passover night: so that for the showing and asserting of the order as we have laid it, these three things are to be done.
First, It is to be proved, that the supper in John 12. and the supper in Matth. 26. and Mark 14. were not one and the same supper, but two suppers at some days distance. Secondly, That the supper in John 13. was not on the Passover night, but before the Passover night. And thirdly, That the supper in John 13. was the same supper with that in Matth. 26. 6. and Mark 14. 3. two days before the Passover.
First, That the supper in John 12. and the supper in Matth. 26. and Mark 14. were two different suppers [to which something hath been said before,] appears by these observations. 1. The supper in John 12. was in the house of Lazarus [unless we will unwarrantably strain the construction of the story,] but the supper in Matth. 26. and Mark 14. was in the house of Simon the Leper. 2. At the supper in John 12. Christ's feet were anointed, but his head was anointed at the supper in Matth. 26 and Mark 14. 3. The supper in John 12. was six days before the Passover, but the supper in Matth. 26. and Mark 14. was but two days before: For observe Mark 14. 1. After two days was the feast of the Passover: and then ver. 3. And Jesus being at Bethany, &c. Here they that hold the opinion that we are confuting, will not acknowledge the order of the Evangelists direct, but say there is a dislocation, so that though two days be mentioned before, yet the story following was six days before the Passover. But the method of Matthew and Mark hath been so direct hither through the story of Christ's actions, since his last coming to Jerusalem, that no reason possible can be given why they should invert the order here. They had punctually mentioned his actions, five, four, three days before the Passover, and now they come to speak of two days before, and under that account bring in this supper, and what sense or reason can there be to surmise that it was six days before? They had shown you Christ five days before the Passover, at Bethany, John 12. 1, 12. Mark 11. 1, 11. And four days before the Passover, at Bethany, Mark 11. 12, 15, 19, 20. And three days before the Passover, at Bethany, Mark 11. 20, 27. and 13. 3. And then they come and speak of two days before the Passover, and they speak also of Christ's being at Bethany, and yet would the opinion under confutation apply the reckoning of the two days only to point at the high-Priests assembling: and Christ's being at Bethany, to be jumped backward over all the story before, even to beyond Matth. 21. Mark 11. An opinion that by its improbability is confutation enough to itself.
A second thing to be cleared is, that the supper in John 13. was not on the Passover night but before: which may be evidenced by these arguments instead of more. 1. Because John saith expressly ver. 1. that it was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , before the festival of the Passover, for so the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 constantly signifies, not the meal of the Paschal, as some would construe it here, but the whole festival. 2. The Disciples when Jesus said to Judas, What thou doest, do quickly, though he spake about buying something against the feast, ver. 29. by which it appears that the feast was not yet come.
Thirdly, Luke showeth, that the entering of Satan into Judas [which was at the supper, John 13.] was before the Passover day came: for observe his order, Luke 22. 3. Then entered Satan into Judas, and he went and communed with the chief Priests, &c. and then ver. 7. Then came the day of unleavened bread: Upon all which considerations, it is apparent, that this supper in John 13. at which Satan entered into Judas [whereupon he went and compacted for his Masters betraying] was not on the Passover night, but some space before the Passover day came. There is indeed a passage in John 13. 38. which may seem to bring that supper to the Passover night, which is, when Christ saith at the supper to Peter, The Cock shall not crow till thou hast denied me thrice, which seemeth to carry it, as if this supper were on that very night when Peter denied him. For answer to which, let it be observed: 1. That Peter denied Christ but once before the Cock crew. Mark 14. 68, 69, 70. and it will teach us to expound the words of Christ, John 13. 38. and Matth. 26. 24. not as meaning that he should deny him three times over before any Cock crew, but that he should deny him thrice in the time of Cocks crowing, which time was a fourth part of the night, Mark 13. 34. And that it meaneth in such a sense is yet more apparent by Mark 14. 30. where he utters it, The Cock shall not crow twice. 2. Let it be observed, that in John 13. 38. it is only said, The Cock shall not crow, but in Matth. 26. Mark 14. when the speech refers to the very night when his denial was, it is said, This night, before the Cock crow; And, This day, even this night before the Cock crow, &c. And so it is understood that Christ useth that speech to Peter twice over, and in it he doth twice refute his presuming upon his own strength which Peter twice shown: First at the supper in John 13. which was two days before the Passover, and there the emphasis of the speech lieth especially in the word Thrice; as if he had said to him, Art thou so confident of thy strength and standing for me? I tell thee the time will be, when thou shalt deny me thrice in the time of Cocks crowing. The second was at the Passover supper, and then Christ puts the emphasis upon the word This night: Art thou so confident? I tell thee this night thou shalt deny me, &c.
Thus having shown that that supper in John 13. was not on the Passover night, but before; a third thing is to show, that it was two days before the Passover, and the same with that supper mentioned by Matthew and Mark in Bethany: And for the proof of this we need go no further then this observation: That both the Evangelists Matthew and Mark, do begin the treason of Judas from that supper in Bethany, Matth. 26. 13, 14. Mark 14. 9, 10. for as soon as they have related the story of that supper, they presently tell, Then one of the twelve called Judas went to the chief Priests, &c. Now it is apparent that he began the acting of his treason from the time of Satan's entering into him with the sop which was at that supper John 13. and so it concludeth that to be the same supper with that in Matth. 26. 6.
The texture of the story then lieth thus: Six days before the Passover Christ suppeth and lodgeth in Bethany: five days before the Passover he rideth in triumph to Jerusalem, and at even cometh and lodgeth in Bethany again, four days before the Passover he goeth to Jerusalem again, and at night cometh to Bethany again to lodge. The third day before the Passover he goeth again into the City; and at even cometh to Bethany again: And that night he suppeth in the house of Simon the Leper, it being now two days to the Passover; As he sits at supper, Mary the sister of Lazarus, called also Mary Magdalene, anoints his head, &c. And he before the table was taken away, ariseth from the table and washeth the Disciples feet, and after sits down and gives Judas the sop.
SECTION LXXXI.
JOHN Chap. XIII. V. 27, 28, 29, 39.
MATTH. Chap. XXVI. Ver. 14, 15, 16.
MARK Ch. XIV. Ver. 10, 11.
LUKE Ch. XXII. Ver. 3, 4, 5, 6.
Satan entereth into Judas: he compacts for the betraying of his Master.
THe continuation of the story in John cleereth the connection. He dipped the sop and gave it to Judas, And after the sop Satan entered into him. This was at a supper in Bethany two days before the Passover, as hath been shown: From thence, though it were night, Judas trudgeth to Jerusalem, acted entirely by Satan, and agreeth with the Sanhedrin for his Masters betraying. They had met purposely to contrive the apprehension and death of Christ, but had resolved, that it must not be at the feast for fear of tumult: but Judas coming in, undertakes to deliver him up, though at the feast, yet quietly enough in the absence of the people: And they bargain to give him thirty pieces of silver; the price of a servant, Exod. 31. 22. Maym. in Nizkei Mamon per. 11. The price of servants whether great or little, whether males or female, is thirty Selas of good silver; be he a servant worth a hundred pound, or be he a servant but worth a penny. Now the same Author in Shekalim per. 1. rateth Sela at 384 barley corns weight in silver.
SECTION LXXXII.
JOHN Chap. XIII. from Ver. 31. to the end. and Chap. XIV. all the Chapters.
CHRIST'S speech to comfort his Disciples, &c.
THe first words, Therefore when he was gone out, continue the story: When Judas was gone out about his cursed work, and the hour was now come when Christ's Passion was beginning, [for we may justly take his being sold, for a part of his sufferings] he giveth his Disciples divers lessons, some of admonition, some of instruction, some of comfort. For the better judging of the time of this speech [besides the connection which joins it to Judas his going forth upon the devils entering into him with the sop] these two things are observable. 1. That the last words of the 14th. Chapter are, Arise, let us go hence, by which it is plain, that the speech contained in this present Section, and the speech in Joh. 15, & 16, and 17. were spoken at two several times and in two several places, That, at the Passover supper, for John tells, Chap. 18. 1. that when Jesus had finished that speech, he went over the brook Kidron: but this, before, and in another place, because upon the ending of it it is plain Jesus removed to another place, by his saying, Arise let us go hence. 2. That Christ saith, Yet a little time I am with you, Chap. 13. ver. 33. Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more, Chap. 14. v. 19. Hereafter I shall not talk much with you, ver. 30. which intimate some space of time yet to come, and not so sudden a parting, as the space was betwixt his rising from his last supper, and his apprehension. This speech therefore was spoken at Bethany after Judas his going out: and the Section contains the sum of Christ's discourse with his Disciples, while he stayed there, which was the night that Judas received the sop, and the next day and night, and till towards the evening of the day after: And the last words, Arise, let us go hence, intimate his removal from Bethany to Jerusalem on the Passover day. Judas either that night that he had received the sop, or the next day, layeth the plot with the high-Priests for the delivering up of his Master at the feast, and having so done, he returneth to his Master to Bethany again. And the next day which was the Passover day, Christ sendeth Peter and John from thence to prepare the Passover for him, and when he saw time, he calls, Arise, let us go hence, and so he setteth for Jerusalem with the rest of the Disciples and Judas in the company.
SECTION LXXXIII.
MATTH. Chap. XXVI. from Ver. 17. to Ver. 30.
MARK Chap. XIV. from Ver. 12. to Ver. 26.
LUKE Chap. XXII. from Ver. 7. to Ver. 24.
CHRIST eateth the Passover: ordaineth the Lord's Supper, &c.
PETER and John who were sent to prepare the Passover, had this work to do. They were to get a room fitting; to that their Master directs them by a sign. They were to get a Lamb, and to bring him into the Temple, and there to have him killed and his blood sprinkled, under the name of a Paschal for thirteen persons. For no Lamb could be eaten for a Paschal, whose blood was not sprinkled at the Altar, and that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the name of a Paschal, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by count for such a number of persons as had agreed to be at the eating of him. Talm. in Pesachin. per. 5. [as Christ died but for a certain number.] Which shows [had not the Evangelists done it otherwise] that Christ ate his Passover on the same day that the Jews did theirs [which some, upon misunderstanding of Joh. 18. 28. have denied] nay that it was not possible otherwise, for how impossible was it to get the Priests to kill a Paschal for any, upon a wrong day?
Having got the Lamb thus slain at the Temple, they were to bring him home to the house where he was to be eaten, to get him roasted, and to get bread and wine ready, and what other provision was usual and requisite for that meal.
At Even Jesus cometh and sitteth down with the twelve: and as he ate, he gave intimation of the Traitour, who was now at the table and eating with him. Which might seem to make this story the same with that in John 13. 21, 22. and so might argue, that this and that were but one and the same Supper. But herein is an apparent difference in the stories. 1. At the Supper in John 13. Christ giveth only a private signification of the Traitour by a token given secretly to John, but here he points him out openly. 2. There he gives him a sop, here he only speaks of dipping with him in the dish. Only there is some diversity in the Evangelists, in relating this story: Matthew and Mark have laid this taxation and discovery of the Traytour before the administration of the Lord's Supper, but Luke after.
And there is the like variety in their relating the time of these words of Christ, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, &c. for Luke hath brought them in as spoken before the Sacrament, but the other two after. In both which, first the main intent of the relation is to be looked after, and then may we better state the time. The intent in the former, is to show Judas at the Table, and at the Table all the time both of the Paschal and the Lord's Supper, those symbols of love and communion, yet he such a wretch as to communicate in both, and yet a Traitour. The two, Matthew and Mark would show that he was at the Table, and so the mention of that they bring in upon Christ's first sitting down and beginning to eat: and Luke makes the story full, and shows that he was at the Table all the time, both at Passover and Sacrament, and the words of Christ upon the delivering of the Cup, But behold the hand of him that betrays me, &c. cannot possibly be mitigated from such a construction. As to the later, the meaning of Christ in the words, I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, &c. is, that the Kingdom of God was now so near, that this was the last meat and drink, or the last meal that he was to have, before that came. By the Kingdom of God, meaning his resurrection and forward, when God by him had conquered death, Satan and Hell. And whereas he saith, Till I drink it new with you in the Kingdom of God, he did so, eating and drinking with them after his resurrection. This therefore being the aim of his speech, it was seasonable to say so, any time of the meal, This is the last meal I must eat with you till I be risen again from the dead. and hereupon the Evangelists have left the time of his uttering of it at that indifferency, that they have done. And indeed these two passages had such reference one to another, that the one might bring on the other, and both of them might very well be spoken by Christ twice: The observing of the direct order of Christ's actions at this meal, which the Evangelists have related, will help to clear this matter.
When he was set down with them, he first saith, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for this is the last I must eat with you before the Kingdom of God be come. And thereupon he taketh the first cup of wine that was to be drunk at that meal, and drinks of it and gives it them, and bids, Divide it among yourselves, for I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine, &c. meaning, this is the last time I shall eat and drink with you, &c. And this speech properly brought in the other, One of you shall betray me: as paraphrased, speaking thus, I shall no more eat with you, for there is one now at the Table with me, hath compassed my death. Hereupon they question who it should be, &c. After this passage they eat the Paschal Lamb after its rite, and after it, he ordaineth the Lord's Supper: bread to be his Body henceforward, in the same sense that the Paschal Lamb had been his Body hitherto, and the Cup to be the New Testament in his Blood now under the Gospel, as the blood of Bullocks had been the Old Testament in his Blood, Exod. 24. And after the administering of the Cup, he tells them again, that that was the last that he must drink, for the hand of him that betrayed him was at the Table.
SECTION LXXXIV.
LUKE Ch. XXII. from Ver. 24. to Ver. 39.
A contest among the Disciples about priority.
LUKE himself is a clear warrant of the order. And withal, the joint consideration of the story before will help to confirm it. The question among themselves about the Traitour, helpeth to draw on this other question about priority: an unseasonable and a very unreasonable quarrel: To which their Master giveth closely this twofold answer, besides proposing his own example of humility. 1. That let not them stand upon priority, for he would equally honor them in his Kingdom, &c. 2. That this was not a time to stand upon such business as seeking to be preferred one before another, for this was a time of sifting, and a time when all the care they could take for their safety should be little enough: therefore they had now something else to do then to look after precedency.
SECTION LXXXV.
JOHN Chap. XV, XVI, XVII.
CHRIST'S last words to his Disciples and a Prayer for them.
JOHN in Chap. 18. 1. informs us that when Jesus had spoken the words contained in these Chapters, he went over the brook Kidron: by which it appeareth that they were spoken at his last Supper instantly before he rose and went to the garden where he was apprehended. At their Passover Suppers they used large discourses seasonable and agreeable to the occasion: and especially in commemorating what God had done for that people. Whatsoever Christ had spoken upon that subject, is not recorded, but this which was more needful for the Disciples present condition, were agreeable to the great occasion now at hand, and most beneficial for the Church in time to come.
SECTION LXXXVI.
MAT. Ch. XXVI. from V. 30. to the end, & Ch. XXVII. all.
MAR. Ch. XIV. from Ver. 26. to the end, & Ch. XV. all.
LUKE Ch. XXII. from V. 39. to the end. & Ch. XXIII. all.
JOH. Ch. XVIII. & Ch. XIX. all the Chapters.
CHRIST'S Apprehension, Arraignment, Death and Burial.
THrre is no difficulty in the connection of the beginning of this Section to the preceding, but only this, that the rest of the Evangelists make mention of Christ's singing of an hymn, as the last thing he did, before his setting out for the mount of Olives; but John maketh his speech and prayer to be last, and speaketh not of his singing a hymn at all. Which indeed is neither contrariety nor diversity of story, but only variety of relation for the holding out of the story more complete. The three former Evangelists have recorded how Christ did celebrate the Passover and ordain the Sacrament at the end of it, and therefore they properly speak of his singing an hymn, for that was ever an inseparable piece of service at the Passover Supper, and constantly used at the conclusion of that meal: But John had made no mention of the Passover Supper or Sacrament at all, and therefore it was not only not needful, but also not proper, that he should mention the singing of any hymn at all: But he relateth the last speech and prayer of Christ, which the other had omitted. And whether this speech recorded by him, or the hymn mentioned by them, were last done by Christ, is not much material to the order of the story. I suppose the speech was later. The hymn that they sung was Ps. 115. & 116. & 117. & 118. which was the later part of the great Hallel as they called it, which was constantly sung at the Passover and their other great Solemnities, and with this later part was this Solemnity concluded.
His Prayer in the Garden.
CHRIST rising from Supper, goeth forth of the City over the brook Kidron to the mount of Olives. [Compare David's case and journey, 2 Sam. 15. 23.] Judas when they rose from the Table, slips away into the City, and there hath his cut-throats laid ready by the chief Priests, for the cursed design that they had compacted about. As Christ goeth along he telleth the eleven that were with him, of their trouble that night by his apprehension, and their scattering from him: but he would be in Galilee before them, and there they should meet again. And so he directeth them which way to betake themselves after the Feast, and what to do when their Master should be taken from them by death. He foretelleth Peter again of his denial of him that night: which Peter now armed with a sword cannot hear of, but promiseth great matters.
He cometh to Gethsemany, A place of Oil Presses, at the foot of Olivet, into a Garden. The Talmudists speak of the Gardens here, and tell how the Gardiners used to fatten their grounds with the scouring of the sink that carried the blood and filth of the Temple Court into that valley. Leaving eight Disciples behind, he taketh Peter and James and John with him, and imparteth to them the fears and sorrows that now seized upon him, and leaving them also about a stones cast behind, charging them to watch and pray: He prays thrice for the removal of this Cup if possible, &c. and in an Agony he sweats drops like blood. [Remember Adams fall in a Garden, and the first doom, In the sweat of thy brows, &c.] Now was the power of darkness, Luke 22. 23. all the power of hell being let loose against Christ, as it was never against person upon Earth before or since and that from the pitching of this field of old, Gen 3. 15. Thou shalt bruise his heel. So that it was not so much for any pangs of Hell that Christ felt within him, as for the assaults of Hell, that he saw enlarged against him, that he was so full of sorrow and anguish. His desiring the removal of the Cup was purae humanitatis, but his submitting to the will of God purae sanctitatis: As when a gangrened member is to be cut off, pura natura • elucts against it, but right reason yields to it. He prayed thrice, and after every time came to his three Disciples, and still found them sleeping.
His apprehension.
He had scarce awakened them at the third time, when the Traytour and his Assasines are upon him to apprehend him. At their first approach Judas according to the sign given, that his fellow-villains might know Jesus from the rest, steppeth to him and kisseth him. And thereupon the rest draw up near him. Jesus steppeth forward to meet them, and asketh, Whom seek ye? They say, Jesus of Nazareth: he saith, I am he: and thereupon they went backward and fell to the ground: And his thus confounding them with a word, shown, that none could take his life from him, unless he laid it down of himself. While they lie on the ground, and he hath them thus under him, he indents for the dismission of his Disciples, and having agreed for their safety and discharge, he yields himself. So up they got, and lay hold upon him: and Peter to show some of his promised stoutness cuts off Malchus ear, but Christ heals the wound. With this wretched crew that apprehended him, there were some of their Masters that set them on, Luke 22. 52. To all together he telleth, that it was plain it was now their hour the and power of darkness, for that they had him so oft among them in the Temple, that they were never able to lay hands on him till now: Upon these words the Disciples think it time to shift for themselves: And one flees away naked.
His appearance before Annas.
Besides the ill account that these men could give of this nights Passover [no sooner eaten, but their hands in blood] and besides the horrid offense they committed against the Lord and against his Christ in this fact that they were upon, they doubly transgressed against their own Canons: namely in arraigning and condemning a person upon a holiday, for such a day was now come in: and arraigning and judging a person by night, both which are directly forbidden by their Law. Tal. in Jom. tobh per. 5. halac. 2.
They first bring Christ to Annas, And why? For he was neither chief Magistrate, but Gamaliel; nor the High priest, but Caiaphas: He was indeed Sagan, and Father in Law to Caiaphas, but by neither of these relations had he Judicial power as a single man. But as the Chief Priests had a special hand in this business, and Annas was chief among them by his place and relation to Caiaphas, and so had had no doubt a singular stroke in contriving this business that was now transacting, so upon his apprehension he is first brought thither, to show that they had the man sure whom he so much desired to be secured, and to take his grave advice what further to do with him. He was brought bound to him, and so bound he sends him to Caiaphas.
His Arraignment before the Sanhedrin.
At Caiaphas his house was the Sanhedrin now assembled: Whether we take this for his lodgings in the Temple, or his house in the City it is not much material. Peter follows thither, and by another Disciple that was acquainted there, he is helped into the Hall, and sits with the Servants by the fire. The Chief-Priest and Elders were busy to find out Witnesses that might accuse him, and though many false Witnesses [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Talmudic language] come in, yet all will not do: for it was not possible to touch him of any offense. He all this while standing silent ( Isa. 37. 7.) Caiaphas adjures him to tell whether he were the Christ or no, he confesseth it, and withal tells them that the time should come that they should find the truth of this by experience, when he should show his power and vengeance in his judgment against them, and their City, coming in clouds, &c. This confession and words they account blasphemy: and that they might have the surer impression of so construing them, Caiaphas rent his garments, and by that action would, as it were, force them to agree with him that it was so, when his garments had paid so dear, for the confirming of it. Their custom and reason of renting their clothes upon the hearing of blasphemy, is handled in Jerus. in Sanhedr. fol. 25. col. 1. & 2. and in Maym. in Avrdah Zarah. per. 2. where those two Canons being observed, Everyone that hears God's Name blasphemed, is bound to rent his garments: And the Judges hearing blasphemy must stand upon their feet, and must rent their clothes and may not sew them up again. It will cause us to observe something in it, that the High priest only rent his clothes, and not the rest of the Bench with him. Which though they did not, yet they vote with him, that it was blasphemy, and therefore he was guilty of death: which had it been executed, must have been by stoning. Sanhedr. per. 7. halac. 4. And now they begin to spit on him, to bu •• et him and abuse him.
Peters denial.
Here Peter first denies him: for being challenged as he sat by the fire, by the damsel porter, for one of his company, he denies it, and shrinks away into the porch, and then the first Cock crew. Luke saith that the maid came to him as he sat by the fire: Matthew and Mark▪ that he was now beneath in the Palace, and without in the Palace, meaning, beneath or without from that place or room where the Bench sat. Betwixt this first denial and the second, there was but a little while, Luke 22. 55. In the space between, the High priest is questioning Jesus of his Disciples and Doctrine, and because he answers, Ask them that have heard me, &c. an officious Officer smites him, as if he had not answered with reverence enough. Peter this while was in the porch, where he was when the Cock crew after his first denial: and there another maid sees him and brings him to the company that stood by the fire, and challenges him for one of his Disciples, and now he denies with an oath. And about an hour after, Luke 22. 59. [which space of time the Bench took up in examining Christ about his Disciples and Doctrine] a kinsman of Malchus challengeth him, and tells the company he saw him with Jesus in the Garden, and he pleading the contrary, is discovered to all the company to be a Galilean by his Dialect, but he denies with execrations: and presently the second Cock crew: And Jesus looking back upon him, he remembers what he had done and goes out and weeps bitterly. And so presently after the second Cock the Bench riseth and leaveth Jesus in the hands of their Officers, by whom he is taunted, stricken and shamefully used.
His being delivered up to the Roman power.
In the morning the Sanhedrin met formally in their own Council chamber, and again question Jesus [brought there before them, and they resolved to put him to death] Whether he were the Messias or no? he giveth the same answer as before, that though they would not believe him if he told them he was, which was the truth, yet the time was coming when they should find it true: They question him again, Art thou the Son of God? which he not denying, they judge him a blasphemer again and deserving to die, and so deliver him up to the secular power. It is observable in both these questionings of him upon this point, both in the night, and now in the morning, how convertible terms the Son of God, and the Son of man are made. In the night they question him, Art thou the Son of God? He answers, Ye shall see the Son of man, &c. Mat. 26. 63, 64. And now in the morning again he saith, Ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power: and they reply, Art thou then the Son of God? Luke 22. 69, 70.
Judas his Recantation and Ruin.
Judas unquiet in mind for what he had done in betraying, attends the trials, and waits the issue: and when he now saw that he was condemned by the Bench to be delivered up to the Heathen power, he steps in, and offers his money again, and confesseth he had betrayed innocent blood, and this probably as Christ stood by. Having received a surly answer again from them, he flings down his money in the Temple where they sat [ Gazith or Hhanoth, it is not seasonable to question here] and departing, is snatched by the devil who was bodily in him, into the air, and there strangled, and flung down headlong to the earth, and all his bowels burst out, With the thirty pieces of silver, his wages of iniquity, the Priests consult to buy the Potters field. And here a quotation of Matthew hath troubled Expositors so far, that divers have denied the purity of the Text. His words are these, Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, &c. Matth. 27. 9. Whereas those words are not to be found in Jeremy at all, but in Zechariah they are found, Zech. 11. 13.
Now Matthew speaks according to an ordinary manner of speaking used among the Jews, and by them would easily and without cavil be understood, though he cited a text of Zechariah under the name of Jeremy: For the illustration of which matter we must first produce a record of their own. The Babylon Talmud in Bava Bathra, fol. 14. facie 2. is discoursing concerning the order in which the Books of the Old Testament were ordered and ranked of old. And first they show that there was this general division of it, into 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Law, the Prophets, and the Hagiographa. By the last meaning The Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Canticles, Job, Ruth, Esther, &c. Then do they tell, that the Books were particularly thus ranked: The five Books of Moses, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings: and then the Prophets, among whom Jeremy was set first, and then Ezekiel, and after him Isaiah, and then the twelve. But they object, was not Isaiah long before Jeremy and Ezekiel in time? Why should he then be set after them in order? And they give this answer, The last Book of Kings ends with destruction, and Jeremy is all destruction. Ezekiel begins with destruction and ends with comfort, and Isaiah is all comfort. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Therefore they joined destruction and destruction together, and comfort and comfort together. And thus in their Bibles of old Jeremy came next after the Book of Kings, and stood first in the volume of the Prophets. So that Matthews alleging of a Text of Zacharias, under the name of Jeremy, doth but allege a Text out of the volume of the Prophets, under his name that stood first in that volume: And such a manner of speech is that of Christ, Luke 24. 44. All things must be fulfilled which are written of me in the Law, and the Prophets and the Psalms: in which he follows the general division that we have mentioned, only he calleth the whole third part, or Hagiographa, by the title the Psalms, because the Book of Psalms stood first of all the Books of that part. In that saying Matth. 16. 14. Others say Jeremy, or one of the Prophets, there is the same reason why Jeremy alone is named by name, viz. because his name stood first in the volume of the Prophets, and so came first in their way when they were speaking of the Prophets.
CHRIST'S Arraignment before Pilate.
The chiest Priests and Elders bring Jesus to Pilate, but would not go into his House [the House of a Heathen] lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. John 18. 28. Why? They had eaten the Passover over night, at the same time that Jesus ate his [and well they had spent the night after it.] But this day that was now come in, was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 their day of presenting themselves in the Temple, and offering their Sacrifices and peace offerings, of which they were to keep a solemn feasting, and this John calls the Passover: In which sense Passover Bullocks are spoken of, Deut. 16. 2. 2 Chron. 30. 24. and 35. 8, 9. The School of Shammai saith, their appearing was with two pieces of silver, and their chagigah with a Meah of silver. But the School of Hillel saith, their appearing was with a Meah of silver, and their chagigah with two pieces of silver. Their burnt offerings at this solemnity were taken from among common cattle, but their peace offerings from their tithes. He that keepeth not the chagigah on the first day of the feast, must keep it all the feast, &c. Chagigah per. 1.
Pilate conceives him brought to him as a common malefactor, and therefore he bids them take him back and Judge him by their own Bench and Law: and in these words he meant really and according as the truth was, that it was in their power to judge and execute him, and needed not to trouble him with him. And when they answer, We may not put any man to death, Joh. 18. 31. They speak truly also, and as the thing was indeed, but the words of Pilate and theirs were not ad idem: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 It is a tradition that forty years before the Temple was destroyed capital Judgments were taken away from them. Jerus. in Sanhedr. fol. 18. col. 1. But how? Not by the Romans, for they permitted them the use of their Religion, Laws, Magistracy, capital and penal executions and judgments in almost all cases, as freely as ever they had: and that both in their Sanhedrins within the Land, and in their Synagogues without, as far as the power of the Synagogues could reach at any time: as might be proved abundantly, if it were to be insisted on here.
The words then of these men to Pilate are true indeed, That they could put no man to death, but this was not, as if the Romans had deprived the Sanhedrin of its power, but because thieves, murderers and malefactors of their own Nation were grown so numerous, strong and heady, that they had overpowered the Sanhedrins power, that it could not, it durst not execute capital penalties upon offenders as it should have done. And this their own Writings witness. Juchasin fol. 21. The Sanhedrin flitted forty years before the destruction of the Temple, namely from that time that the Temple doors opened of their own accord, and Rabban, Jochanan ben Zaccai rebuked them and said, O Temple, Temple, Zechariah of old pr • phecied of thee saying, Open thy doors O Lebanon that the fire may enter, &c. And also because • that murderers increased, and they were unwilling to judge Capital matters, they flitted from place to place, even to Jabneh, &c. which also is asserted in Schabb. fol. 51. Avodah Zarah fol. 8.
When they perceive that Pilate no more received the impression of their accusation of him as a malefactor like others, they then accuse him of Treason, as forbidding to pay Tribute to Caesar, and as saying that he himself was a King: and this they thought would do the business. Pilate hereupon takes him into his Judgment Hall [for hitherto the Jews conference and his had been at his gate] and questions him upon this point, and Jesus plainly confesseth that he was a King, but his Kingdom not of this world [and therefore he needed not from him to fear any prejudice from the Roman power] and so well satisfies Pilate, that he brings him out to the gate again, where the Jews stood, and professeth that he found no fault in him at all. Then the Jews lay in fresh accusations against him, to which he answereth not a word.
Brought before Herod.
Pilate by a word that dropt from them, understanding that he was of Galilee, Herod's Jurisdiction, sent him to Herod, who was now at Jerusalem: partly because he would be content to have shut his hands of him, and partly because he would court Herod, towards the reconciling of old heart-burnings between them. And now Jesus sees the monster that had murdered his forerunner. Herod was glad to see him, and had desired it a long time, and now hoped to have got some miracles from him, but he got not so much as one word: though he questioned him much, and the Jews who followed him thither did vehemently accuse him. The old Fox had sought and threatened his death before, Luke 13. 31, 32. and yet now hath him in his hands, and lets him go [only abused and mocked and gorgeously arrayed] and so sends him back to Pilate, that so he might court him again, more then for any content he had that he should escape his hands. See Acts 4. 27.
Before Pilate again.
Pilate at his gate again talks with the Jews, and motions the release of the Prisoner, and whether him or Barabbas: and leaves it to their thoughts and goeth to his Judgment seat again. By this time is his Lady stirring, and understanding what business was in hand, she sends to him about her dream. He goes to the gate again, inquires what is their vote about the Prisoners release: they are all for Barabbas. He puts it to the vote again, and they are the same still: he urgeth a third time, and pleadeth the innocence of Jesus, but they still urge for his crucifying. Then calls he for water, and washeth his hands, but instantly imbrues them in his blood.
By this time it was the third hour of the day, or about nine a clock, the time of the beginning of the morning Sacrifice. Hence Mark begins to count, Mark 15. 25. namely, from the time that Pilate delivered him up. He is whipped by Pilate, led into the Praetorium by the soldiers, Crowned with thorns [remember the Earths first curse, Gen. 3. 18.] arrayed in scarlet,, and a reed put into his hand for a Scepter, and in this garb Pilate brings him forth to the gate to them again, and publisheth again that he found no fault in him. They urge that he ought to die because he said he was the Son of God. This startles Pilate, and in he takes him again and re-examines him, but he would give him no answer, but only, Thou couldst have no power over me, unless it was given thee from above, &c. Hereupon he goes out to the gate again, and urgeth for his release more then ever. They answer, Then he is no friend of Caesar, and this knocks the business dead. In therefore he goes again and brings out Jesus and sits down upon another Tribunal in public, and Jesus standing before him in his scarlet Robes and thorny Crown, he tells the Jews, Here is your King: Our King? say they, A way with him, crucify him. What? saith he, Shall I crucify your King? They answer, We have no King but Caesar. Compare Zech. 11. 6. where their destruction is threatened to be by their King Caesar: as it was by Vespatian.
Then he delivers him up to be crucified: and it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour, Joh. 19. 14. John seemeth the rather to have added this circumstance, not only to state the time [which indeed was of weighty concernment] but also to brand these Jews impiety, and neglect of their Religion for the satisfying of their malice. This day was a very high day, of their appearance in Temple and their Chagigah [as we touched before] and in the morning they durst not to go into Pilate's Palace for fear of defiling, and lest they should be prevented of these great devotions, and yet the day is thus far spent, and nothing done but only they have purchased the shedding of so innocent blood.
But John in this passage lays two visible scruples before us: Quest. 1. How is it possible to reconcile him and Mark together, when Mark saith, It was the third hour and they crucified him, Mark 15. 25. whereas he tells us, It was the sixth hour when Pilate delivered him up? Answ. 1. If we cast up in our thoughts how many things were done this day before his nailing to his Cross, it cannot be imaginable that they were all done before the third hour of the day. The Sanhedrin meet, sit in Counsel, examine the prisoner and vote him guilty; Bring him to Pilate's Palace, there have manifold canvases with Pilate pro and contra about him; Bring him to Herod, where he is questioned about many things; his garments changed and gorgeous Robes put upon him, and sent back to Pilate again. Then a fresh canvass about him or Barabbas to be released, and Pilate puts them to a three-times deliberation upon it. Then overcome with their importunity, washeth his hands, scourgeth him, and delivers him up to them to be abused. The Soldiers lead him into the Hall, make a Crown of Thorns, divest and vest him anew, and make sport with him at pleasure. Pilate again brings him forth, and anew seeks and labors his release: brings him in again and enters a new serious examination of him, hearing mention of his being the Son of God: Goes out again and labors all he can for his deliverance, but being taxed that then he could not be Caesars friend, he goes to the bench and formally passeth sentence upon him, writes the title of his Cross, the Jews in the mean while abusing him. Then he is lead forth out of the City bearing his Cross, and brought to the place of execution, which was a good way off, stripped, hath wine mingled with myrrh given him to drink, which he refuseth, is nailed to the Cross, his garments parted, and then Mark brings this in, And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. Now this great multitude of various passages can hardly be conceived possible to have been gone through by the third hour of the day or nine of the clock in the morning, no not though the Jews had bent themselves to dispatch before that time, which was far from their thoughts. 2. Mark therefore in that calculation of the time, takes his date from the first time that Pilate gave him up to their abusings: and his Phrase may be taken of so comprehensive an intimation, as to speak both the time of his first giving up, at the third hour of the day, and the time of his nailing to his Cross, the third hour from that. And much after the same manner of account that our Savior's six hours sufferings, from Pilate's first giving him up, to his dying, are reckoned: So the 430 years of sojournying of the Children of Israel in Egypt, Exod. 12. are computed, namely, the one half before they came into Egypt, and the other half after. Quest. 2. But it may justly move a second quaere. How Christ could be on his Cross and darkness begun from the sixth hour, as the other Evangelists record it, when John saith that it was but about the sixth hour when Pilate delivered him up? Which words of John as they raise the scruple, so they may give the answer: For it might very properly be said, and that according to the usual speech of the Nation, that it was about the sixth hour, when the sixth hour was but now beginning, and by the time that it was completed all that might be dispatched, that passed betwixt his sentencing and his being raised upon the Cross.
Crucified.
Sentence of death was passed upon him as he stood in his scarlet Robes and thorny Crown: and when the Jews have now their desire, they mock him, suddenly strip him, and put on his own clothes: Then taking him away to the place of Execution, they lay his Cross upon him [such engines of death doubtless lay always ready about the Judgment Hall] and so as Isaac in the figure, he first bare the wood, that afterward must bear him, Gen. 22. 6, 9. The place of execution was without the City, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as the Talmudists do determine in Talm. Bab. Sanhedr. fol. 42. 2. [See how the Apostle applies this to his suffering for the Gentiles, Heb. 13. 12.]
By the time he was come out of the City gates, they observe that he is overburdened with his Cross, and thereupon they force Simon a Cyrenian [some noted Disciple belike] to bear the end of it after him.
They come to the place of Execution commonly called Golgatha [not the place of graves, but] the place of sculs: where though indeed there were some burial of the executed, yet was it in such a manner that the place deserved this name rather then the other: for they buried not an executed person in the grave of his Fathers, but there were two places of burial for such: one for them that were slain with the sword and strangled, and the other for them that were burnt and stoned: and when the flesh was wasted, the bones were gathered and buried in the graves of their Fathers: Talm. ubi sup. fol. 46. 1. The proper writing and pronunciation of the word had been Golgolta, but use had now brought it to be uttered Golgotha, which very pronunciation the Samaritan Version useth in Num. 1.
They first strip him, and then offer him intoxicating wine, which when he tasted he refused to drink. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 When any person was brought forth to be put to death, they gave him to drink some frankincence in a Cup of Wine, that it might stupefy him: as it is said, Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish, and wine to those that be of heavy hearts. And there is a tradition, that the Gentlewomen of Jerusalem afforded this of their good will, &c. Tal. Bab. ibid. fol. 43. 1. And let it not be impertinent to add that which immediately follows in the same page: A crier went before him that was to be executed, which proclaimed, N. the Son of N. is going to execution because he hath committed such a fact, and N. and N. are witnesses against him if there be any that can clear him, let them speak. And instantly after: There is a tradition that they hanged Jesus on the eve of the Passover, and a Crier went before him forty days, Such a one goes to be put to death, because he hath bewitched, deceived, and perverted Israel: if any one can say anything for his clearing, let him come and speak: but they found no clearing of him, therefore they hanged him upon the eve of the Passover, &c.
He is nailed to his Cross hands and feet, and so the Jews themselves confess Abel [his figure] to have been wounded by Cain, Tanch. fol. 3. col. 4 and Isaac to have been bound on the Altar: Idem fol. 12. col. 2. And with him are crucified two malefactors, [compare Joseph betwixt two offenders, Gen.▪ 40.] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Josephus his construction, will help us to understand the sense of the word here. Four soldiers part his garments and cast lots for his coat and sit down to watch him.
Over his head was his cause written, in the expression of which the variety of the Evangelists shows their style, and how where one speaks short another enlargeth, and what need of taking all together to make up the full story. Mark hath it, The King of the Jews. Luke, This is the King of the Jews. Matthew, This is Jesus the King of the Jews. John, Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews: Where the main thing regarded is, that he was condemned for taking on him to be King of the Jews as they pretended, which was also pretended to be Treason against Caesar: and to this point all the Evangelists speak alike, and their variety is only in wording this for the readers understanding: and he that spake shortest spake enough to express the matter of his accusation: and the rest that speak larger are but a comment upon the same thing. The three tongues in which this was written, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, are thus spoken of in Midras Tillin fol. 25. col. 4. R. Jochanan saith, There are three tongues. The Latin tongue for war, The Greek tongue for speech, and the Hebrew for prayer.
All sorts of people had followed him to the execution: Some openly wept for him and bewailed him, which was not a thing usual in such cases. In the Talmudic Tract last cited fol. 46. 2. there is this strange doctrine, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They bewailed not him that went to be executed, but only mourned inwardly for him. And what think you was the reason? The Gloss tells you thus, They bewailed him not, because his disgrace might be his expiation: meaning, that whereas they accounted, that the more shame and punishment a condemned person suffered, the more these tended to his expiation, they therefore would not openly bewail him, for that would have been some honor to him, and so would have abated of his expiation; but none lamenting for him, it was the greater disgrace, and the greater the disgrace the better was his sin [as they thought] expiated, and atoned for. This strange custom and opinion, doth set forth this public bewailing of Christ the more remarkably.
Others, when he was now raised upon his Cross reviled him, among whom were the chief Priests, Scribes, and Elders: who had so little to do, or rather their malice so much as to attend the execution. They were at first in some hesitancy whether he would not deliver himself by miracle: but when they saw he did not, then they triumph and insult at no measure. Nay, the thieves that were crucified with him spared him not, for so Matthew and Mark tell us, but at last one of them becomes a convert and receives assurance of being that day with him in Paradise. [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a phrase very usual with them.] Compare the case of Josephs fellow prisoners, Gen. 40. the one desiring him to remember him and escaping, and the other not.
It may be, the darkness now begun, in an extraordinary and dreadful manner, was some means of working upon this thief for his conviction that Jesus was the Messias: For instantly upon his raising upon his Cross, it was now the sixth hour or high Noon complete, and the darkness began, and continued till three a clock afternoon: the very space of time of the day that Adam lay in darkness without the promise, from the time of his fall till God came and revealed Christ to him.
By the Cross stood the Mother of Jesus now a Widow, and as it seemeth, destitute of maintenance, therefore he commendeth her to the care and charge of his beloved Disciple John. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A widow was to be maintained out of the estate of her husbands heirs until she received her dowry. Maym. in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 per. 18. But the poverty of Joseph and Mary afforded neither heritage, nor dower, nor had they any Children but Jesus who was now dying. If those that are called the brethren of Jesus were the sons of Joseph by another wife, as some have thought them, they had been fittest to have been charged with the maintenance of the widow.
About the ninth hour Jesus crieth out, Eli, Eli lama sabachthani, that is, My God, my God, why hast thou left me? Not forsaken him, as to the feeling of any spiritual desertion, but why left to such hands and to such cruel usage? Some said hereupon he called Elias: but was this said in mockery? or indeed did they think his words Eli, Eli meant Elias? Two things might make them really think so: the unusualness of the word Eli or Elohi in their Syriac tongue, the word Mari being it by which they commonly expressed the sense of that. And 2. the common opinion and legends that they had of Elias his coming to comfort and resolve men in distress and perplexity, of which their Talmuds give not a few examples.
Complaining of thirst he had vinegar given him, which having tasted, and feeling the pangs of death come upon him, he saith, It is finished, and giving up a great cry, and committing his Spirit to God, he dieth [at the time of the evening sacrifice.] At which instant there was an Earthquake which rent the rocks: and the veil of the Temple was then also rent in the middle: The Priest that offered Incense that evening sacrifice time, could bring an amazed testimony of this, when he came forth. The renting of the rocks light in such a place as where were the graves of many Saints hewn out, which now were opened [and shown the conquest over the grave] and at another Earthquake at which Christ's grave was opened on the morning of his resurrection, the mouldred bodies of these graves revived, and after his rising they came out of the graves also and came into the holy City. Observe that Matthew calls Jerusalem The holy City, when it hath now murdered Christ, chap. 27. 53. How great a matter must it be that must unchurch a Nation?
The Centurion and the company present, at the sight of what strange things had occurred, return much affected and full of thoughts about what was done: As the evening grew on, the Jews desire and obtain that the legs of them might be broken so to hasten their end, that they might not hang on the Cross all night. This dispatcheth the penitent thief [howsoever it did the other] as we may conclude from the words of Christ that told him of being that day in Paradise: But Christ being dead already they brake no bone of him, but one with a Spear pierceth him, and out of his side cometh water and blood distinct and discernible the one from the other.
At Even Joseph of Aramathaea [ Samuel's Town, 1 Sam. 1. 1.] a Priest or a Levite, one of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Council-chamber of the Temple, begs the body of Jesus, which otherwise should have been buried in the common graves of Malefactors, and intombs it in his own Tomb, Nicodemus joining with him, and the Women observing where he was laid, go and prepare spices for his further imbalming when the Sabbath was over: all showing their love to him, but in this very action showing their little expecting his Resurrection.
SECTION LXXXVII.
MATTH. Ch. XXVIII. from the beginning to Ver. 16.
MARK. Ch. XVI. from the begin. to Ver. 12.
LUKE Ch. XXIV. from the begin. to Ver. 13.
JOHN. Ch. XX. from the begin. to Ver. 19.
CHRIST'S Resurrection, his first appearing, viz. to Mary Magdalene.
AS for the subsequence of this Section to the preceding, there can be no scruple, but it requires some heedfulness, to lay the story in it, in its proper currency, because of some seeming diversities in the four in their relating the story of it.
The Lord of life was under death about 36 hours: and so long was that day wherein the Sun stood still in the time of Joshua: as Kimchi saith, it is the acknowledgment of the Jews: on Josh. 10.
Christ himself calleth this space three days and three nights, Matth. 12. 40. whereas it was but two nights and one whole day, and two small parts of two more. And yet herein he speaketh warrantably even by the known and allowed Dialect of the Nation. Both the Talmuds in the Treatise Shabba per. 9. do dispute about the three days that Israel separated from their Wives before the giving of the Law, Exod. 19. 15. and among other things they have these passages: R. Akibah made the day a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and the night a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And so did R. Ishmael. But this is a tradition, R. Eliezer ben Azariah saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A day and a night make a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and a part of a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is accounted as the whole. Observe these last words to the purpose that we are upon: Three natural days by this rule were three 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and any part of any of these, was accounted as the whole of it.
The Evangelists seem to differ somewhat in the mention of the time of the Womens coming to the sepulcher. John saith Mary Magdalene came while it was yet dark. Matthew, when it began to dawn: whereas Mark saith, she and the other women came thither at Sunrising: All which together speak the story to the full to this tenor. That at the dawning, and while it was yet dark, the Women as soon as they could see [at the least Mary Magdalene ] set out to go to the Sepulcher: and that was at the very instant of Christ's rising, when there was a great Earthquake and an Angel came and rolled away the Stone. Mary Magdalene came from Bethany, from her brother Lazarus his house [if she came from her own home] and the other Women were at their several lodgings, and to get them all together [for they were to go about this work all together] would spend some time: so that though Mary were so early stirring, yet before they were all got together to the Scpulchre it was Sunrising. These Women little knew of the watch that was set over the grave, and the sealing of the stone [which was done on the morning of the Sabbath] for all their care is how to get the stone rolled away. When they come there, they find that done already [and the Watch was fled] and the Angel that had rolled it away sitting on it on the right hand of the entering in, and when they were entered in they saw another Angel, which both told them of his being risen. And thus Matthew and Mark that mention but one Angel, are to be reconciled to Luke who speaketh of two.
The Women return and tell the Disciples what they had seen, but their words seemed to them as idle tales: yea, Mary herself yet believed not that he was risen: It is worth studying upon the faith of the Disciples: it was a saving faith in Christ, and yet they believed not that he should die till he was dead, nor believed that he should rise again, no not when he was now risen.
Peter and John run to the Sepulcher, and Mary Magdalene follows them: They see the body gone and the clothes lying there [and John proves the first that believes his resurrection] and they return home, but Mary stays there weeping still: And looking in, she sees two Angels, the one at the head and the other at the feet where the body had lain [like the two Cherubims at either end of the Ark:] And looking behind her she seeth Jesus, and thought it had been the Gardener, but presently knew him, and comes away to bring the Disciples word. Here Matthew speaks short: for he mentioneth but one journey of the Women to the grave and back, and saith that as they came back Jesus met them. Whereas Mary had two journeys, and it was she alone that met him, and that in her second return. As she returned now the Watchmen are come into the City, and bribed to deny that he was risen, and so the Chief Priests and Elders give money to hire the Nation into unbelief.
SECTION LXXXVIII.
LUKE Chap. XXIV. from Ver. 13. to Ver. 36.
MARK Chap. XVI. Ver. 12, 13.
His second appearing: viz to Peter and Alpheus going to Emmaus
THE same day in the afternoon two of them went to Emmaus a Town sixty furlongs, or seven miles and a half from Jerusalem. Josephus placeth it at the very same distance De Bello lib. 7. cap. 27. calling it there Ammaus, and relating how Vespasian after the destruction of Jerusalem, gave it for the habitation of some of the Roman souldierry left there. But in Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 12. he calls it Emmaus, and relates how it was fired by Varus, &c. It lay in the way towards some part of Galilee, and it may be these two men were now returning home thither, and intended to lodge at Emmaus the first night: but now they stop their journey and return thence the same night to Jerusalem. The two were Peter, and Alpheus the Father of three Apostles, who also was called Cleopas. See ver. 18. & 34. of this appearance to Peter, Paul speaks, 1 Cor. 15. 5.
And that Alpheus and Cleopas were but one and the same person, may not only be conjectured from the nearness of the sound, and from their being written in Hebrew with the same letters, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but it is made plain in John 19. 25. Where she is called Mary the Wife of Cleopas, who in the other Evangelists is clearly evidenced to be Mary the Wife of Alpheus. the mother of James and Joses, &c. Mat. 27. 56. Mar. 15. 40.
SECTION LXXXIX.
LUKE Chap. XXIV. from Ver. 36. to Ver. 49.
JOHN Chap. XX. from Ver. 19. to Ver. 26.
MARK Chap. XVI. Ver. 14.
His third appearing: viz to the Eleven.
THE connection is plain in John and Luke: for the former saith, The same day at evening being the first day of the week, &c. And the other, that as they were speaking of his appearing to the two at Emmaus, he came in among them. The first day of the week is an ordinary Judaic phrase 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and so they reckon the days forward 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The second day of the week. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The third day of the week, &c. They that are now so very punctual to have the days so named and no otherwise, mistake that for a phrase purely Evangelical, which indeed is a phrase purely Judaical.
As they sat at Supper Jesus cometh in among them: shows them his hands and side: eateth with them: openeth the Scriptures and their understandings: breatheth upon them, and saith, Receive ye the Holy Ghost, &c. Whosoever sins ye remit, &c. This was to interest them in a power and privilege peculiar and distinct from any they had received yet, and distinct from that they were to receive on Pentecost day, viz. this invested them in power of life and death, to inflict death, or corporal plagues miraculously upon the enemies or disgracers of the Gospel, or to spare them as they should be directed by the Holy Ghost, which they here received. The death of Ananias and Sapphira was a fruit of this power, as is observed at that story.
Thomas was not present at this time, and yet Mark saith, He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat: and so Luke 24. 33. Peter and Cleopas found the eleven gathered together, &c. Nay 1 Cor. 15. 5. He was seen of the twelve: The title of the whole Chorus being used, though all were not present.
SECTION XC.
JOHN Chap. XX. from Ver. 26. to the end.
His fourth appearing: Thomas now present.
JOHN saith this was After eight days, which [reckoning the days current] was that day sevennight, or the first day of the week again: a second establishment of that day for the Christian Sabbath. Thomas upon seeing, believes, but blessed are they that have not seen yet have believed. See 1 Pet. 1. 8.
Tanchum. fol. 8. col. 1. R. Simeon ben Lachish saith, A Proselyte is more lovely in the sight of God then all that company that stood at mount Sinai: Why? Because they if they had not seen the thunders and lightnings and fire, and the mountains trembling, and the sound of the Trumpet, they would not have received the Law: but a proselyte though he see none of these things, yet he comes and gives up himself to God, and takes upon him the Kingdom of Heaven.
SECTION XCI.
JOHN Chap. XXI. all the Chapter.
MATTH. Chap. XXVIII. Ver. 16. Then the eleven Disciples went away into Galilee.
A fifth appearing: To seven of the Apostles at the sea of Tiberias, &c.
CHRIST before his death had told them of his meeting with them in Galilee after his resurrection: and when he was risen, he appoints them to a mountain there. They are now come up into the Country, and while they wait the time of his appointment, Peter and six other of the Apostles go a fishing: not as their trade now, for they never had been all of them fishers before, but either for a present supply of provision for themselves, or for present employment till their Master should dispose of them. He had at first revealed himself to three of these seven [nay four, if Andrew were here] by a miraculous draught of fishes, and so he doth to them all now: and who can tell whether they had not some thoughts of that, and some expectation of the like appearing now, which did the rather urge them to this work?
At sea he helpeth them to a marvelous draught of 153 great fishes [so many thousands were the proselytes that wrought for the Temple, only 600 over, 2 Chron. 2. 17.] and at land he had provided them a dinner against they came ashore, and dines with them. And this, saith John, was the third time that he shown himself to his Disciples: which asserts the order of this Section, and showeth that this was before his appearing to the whole number at the mountain where he had appointed them: The two times that he had appeared to them before this, this Evangelist giveth account of before, namely one time when Thomas was not present, and another time when he was.
After dinner he putteth Peter to a threefold confession, answerable to his threefold denial, and foretelleth his Martyrdom, but telleth that John should live till he should come: meaning in that sense, as his coming and coming in glory is oft used in the Gospel, namely his coming to take vengeance of the unbelieving Jewish Nation: Peter should be Martyred by them, but John should live to see them receive their deserts.
SECTION XCII.
MATTH. Chap. XXVIII. from Ver. 16. to the end
MARK Chap. XVI. Ver. 15, 16, 17, 18.
LUKE Chap. XXIV. Ver. 49.
A sixth appearing: at the mountain in Galilee to all the eleven: and 500 more.
HIs appointing them into Galilee to such a mount [it is like to that mount near Capernaum where he had chosen the Apostles and made his Sermon, Matth. 5.] was not barely to appear to the eleven, for that had he done before, and that could he have done at Jerusalem, but it was an intended meeting, not only with the eleven, but with the whole multitude of his Galilean and other Disciples, and therefore he published this appointment so oft, before and after his Resurrection: and we cannot so properly understand his being seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of which the Apostle speaketh, 1 Cor. 15. 6. of any other time and place as of this: He had appointed the place, and the concourse argueth that he had appointed the time too, or at least this concourse waited at the place till his time should come. And here may we conceive that he kept the Lord's day or the first day of the week for the Christian Sabbath with this multitude of his Disciples; revealing himself clearly to them, and preaching to them of the things that concerned the Kingdom of God.
Particularly he gives command and commission to go and Disciple all Nations: For whereas hitherto he had confined them to preach only to Israel, now must they preach to every creature, Mark 16. 15. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 [See Colos. 1. 23.] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is the Jews ordinary language, that is, to all men. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Solomon in his Proverbs makes known Theory and Practice to the creatures, Kafvenaki in Prov. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He causeth the Holy Ghost to dwell upon the Creatures, Midr. Til. in Psal. 135. Nimrod made Idols 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and caused the creatures to err, Tanch. fol. 8. 4. The Lord requires that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the creatures should pray before him, Id. fol. 16. 4. In which and an hundred other instances that might be given, the word Creatures signifieth only Men: and their charge and commission to preach the Gospel to every creature, means to all men, the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
Warrant then and charge is given for the fetching of them in [the great Mystery, Ephes. 3. 4, 6.] who had lain subject to vanity of Idolatry, and under the bondage of all manner of corruption ever since their casting off at Babel 2203 years ago. They had been taught of the devil, his oracles and delusions, &c. but now they must all be taught of God, Isa. 54. 13. by the preaching of the Gospel. They had in some few numbers in this space been taught by Israel to know the Lord and proselyted into their Religion, but now such proselyting should not need, for all must come to the knowledge of God, Heb. 8. 11. the Gospel carrying the knowledge of him, and it being carried through all Nations. Those of them that had come into the Church of Israel and the true Religion, had been inducted and sealed into it, by being baptized. Talm. in Jebam. per. 4. &c. And so that proselyte Sacrament [as I may so call it] must be carried and continued among all Nations, as a badge of homage and subjection to Christ, to whom all power is given in Heaven and earth; and of the profession of the true God, The Father Son and Holy Ghost, against all false God's and false worship. Infants born of Christian Parents are to bear this badge, though when they undertake it, they understand not what they do, because none in Christian Families should continue without the note of homage to Christ's sovereignty, and this distinctive mark against Hethenism that worshippeth false God's, as no male among Israel after eight days old must be without the badge of Circumcision.
Discipling was not of persons already taught, but to that end that they should be taught, and if the Disciples understood this word in Christ's command after any other sense, it was different from the sense of the word, which the Nation had ever used and only used: For in their Schools a person was made 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a Scholar or Disciple, when he gave in himself to such a Master to be taught and trained up by him: and in the Discipling of Proselytes to the Jews Religion, it was of the very like tenor. That sense therefore that many put upon these words, viz. that none are to be baptized but those that are thoroughly taught, is such a one as the Apostles and all the Jewish Nation had never known or heard of before.
That wretched and horrid opinion that denieth the Godhead of Christ, and the Godhead of the Holy Ghost, little observeth, or at least will not see why the administration of Baptism among the Gentiles must be in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, whereas among the Jews it was only in the Name of Jesus, Act. 2. 38. namely for this reason, that as by that among the Jews, Jesus was to be professed for the true Messias against all other, so by this among the Gentiles who had worshipped false God's, The Father, Son and holy Ghost should be professed the only true God. And it would be but a wild, as well as an irreligious Paraphrase that that opinion would make of this passage, Go preach the Gospel to every Creature, and Baptize them in the Name of the Son a Creature, and the holy Ghost a Creature.
He promiseth the miraculous gifts of the holy Ghost to them that should believe: [not to all, but to some for the confirmation of the Doctrine:] and chargeth the Disciples to return to Jerusalem and there to stay till he should pour down the holy Ghost upon them, to enable them for this Ministry among all Nations to which he had designed them. Mark and Luke do briefly add the story of his ascension, because they will dispatch his whole story, but that is related more amply, Act. 1.
A seventh appearing: To James.
After the appearing to above five hundred Brethren at once, which we suppose and not without ground to have been that last mentioned, the Apostle relateth that he was seen of James, 1 Cor. 15. 7. and then of all the Apostles: which doth plainly rank this appearance to James between that to the five hundred Brethren on the mountain in Galilee, and his coming to all the Apostles when they were come again to Jerusalem. Which James this was, Paul is silent of, as all the Evangelists are, of any such particular appearance. It is most like he means James the less, of whom he speaks oft elsewhere, and so doth the story of the Acts of the Apostles as one of the specialer note in the time of Paul's preaching among the Gentiles. We read oft in the Gospels, of Peter and James and John three Disciples of singular eminency in regard of the privacy that Christ vouchsafed to them at some special times, more then to the other Apostles, and in that he badged them with a peculiar mark of changing their names, and did not so by any of the other. But that James was the Son of Zebedee, Now when he was Martyred, Act. 12. you find that James the Son of Alpheus called James the less, came to be ranked in the like dignity with Peter and John, and was Minister of the Circumcision, in special manner with them, Gal. 2. 9. they to the Jews scattered abroad, and he residentiary in Judea. See Act. 15. 13. & 21. 18. Gal. 2. 13. If we question how he of all the rest of the Apostles came in, to make up that triumvirate when the other James was gone, we cannot tell where so pregnantly to give an answer as from hence; in that Christ vouchafed thus particularly to appear to him, which was not only an argument, but might carry the virtue of a command, to bring him into that rank, Office and Employment, when the other James had run his course.
SECTION I.
LUKE Chap. I. Ver. 1, 2, 3, 4.
LUKE'S Preface. His warrant to write his Gospel.
IN compiling the four Evangelists into one continued Current and Story, this Preface that Luke prefixeth to his Gospel, may very fitly be set before them all, as a general Proem to the whole.
If he wrote his Gospel, near about that time, when he wrote his Acts of the Apostles, it was not till Paul had now worn out his two years imprisonment in Rome, or thereabout, Acts 28. 30. which was twenty seven years after Christ's Ascension: by which time the Gospel had been carried by the Apostles who were Eye-witnesses of Christ's Actions, and by the Disciples, who were Ministers of the Word, through the most parts of the World.
From these men's Sermons and Relations, many undertook to write Gospels, partly for their own use, and partly for the benefit of others,: which thing, though they did lawfully and with a good intent, yet because they did it not by Inspiration, nor by Divine Warrant; albeit, what they had written were according to Truth, yet was the Authority of their Writings but human, and not to be admitted into the Divine Canon. But Luke had his intelligence and instructions from above, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ver. 3.
SECTION II.
JOHN Chap. I. from the beginning to Ver. 15.
CHRIST'S Divinity shown: and the fitness of him, the Word, to be incarnate.
AFter the Preface, this portion doth justly challenge to be ranked first: for it not only treatech of Christ's Divinity, which is first to be looked after in his story, but it also showeth, how proper it was for him the Second Person in the Trinity to be incarnate, rather than either of the other Persons: 1. He being the Word by whom the world was created, and therefore fittest by whom it should be redeemed. 2. The Word in whom the Promise of Life was given, ver. 4. and so most fit by whom life should be brought. 3. The substance of that word of Promise, that s • one as a light throughout all the Old Testament, in the darkness of the Types, Figures, Prophesies and Mysteries there, and the darkness of those obscure dispensations comprehended it not, but that it gave light and shone in that obscurity: and they could not comprehend it, it being a light to break out in a far greater luster than they afforded.
SECTION III.
LUKE Chap. I. from Ver. 5. to Ver. 57.
[Year of World. 3927] [Year of Rome. 753] [AUGUSTUS. 30] [HEROD 34] The Birth of John the Baptist, and the Birth of our Savior foretold by the Angel Gabriel.
The Method and Order of this Section, will not need much proof or clearing. The preceding gave an intimation of Christ's fore-runner, Joh. 1. 6. and this begins to tell his story to the full.
HEROD the Great, by descent an Edomite, and placed by the Romans King of Judea [compare Gen. 27. 40.] among divers other passages, in his uneven, and rugged Reign, had slain the Sanhedrin, Joseph. Ant. l. 14. c. 17. and to plaster the business again, by the Counsel of Bava ben Bota repaired the Temple, and made it incomparably more sumptuous than it was before, Jucas fol. 19. He began this Work in the 18th Year of his Reign, and it cost him eight years to finish it, Jos. Ant. lib. 15. c. 14. So that this new Fabric was but eight or nine years old at this year that we are upon.
In this Temple Zacharias, a Priest of the course of Abia, was offering Incense in the Holy Place, as was used daily; and hath tidings brought him of a Son, that should be fore-runner to the Messias. Although Zacharias be said to have been of the course of Abia, yet can it hardly be thought that he was of his Seed and Posterity: for we find mention but of four of the Courses that returned out of Babylon, and Abias was none of them, Ezra 2. 36, 37, 38, 39. But the whole number of those Priests that did return of those four Courses, being about 4290, were cast by lot into 24 Courses, according to the Primitive Institution, and Zacharias was of the eighth, as Abias Course had been before the Captivity, and which yet bare his Name, as the other did their Names, who had denominated the Courses from their first original. Of this ordering of the Courses after the Captivity, both Talmuds speak largely, in the Treatise Taanith cap. 4.
Whether Zacharias were of the Seed of Abia or no, it is apparent by his serving in Abias Course, that he was not High Priest, but one of the ordinary Priests, that served by course as their turn came, and that had their particular employment in the service by lot. The manner of their lottery for this purpose, is mentioned at large in Tamid cap. 3. in Joma cap. 2.
The Angel Gabriel, who about 456 years ago had given account to Daniel of the time of Messias his sufferings, doth now when that time is drawing near, first bring tidings of his fore-runners birth, and then of his own.
The Jerusalem Gemara in Joma fol. 42. col. 3. relates a story very parallel to this of Zacharias, both of his seeing an Angel in the Temple, and of his stay there longer than was used at offering Incense. Simeon the Just, say they, served Israel in the High-Priesthood forty years: And on the last year he saith unto them, This year I must die. They say to him, How knowest thou that? He answered. Every year hitherto, when I went into the most Holy Place, [on the day of expiation] one like an old man clothed in white, and veiled in white, went in with me, and came out with me. Now this year he went in with me, but came not out with me. And instantly after, The High Priest might not stay praying in the most Holy Place long, lest he should put the people into a fear. One once staid long, and they were about to go in after him. Some say it was Simeon the Just. They said to him, Why didst thou stay so long? He answered, I was praying for the Sanctuary of your God, that it should not be destroyed. They say to him, Though thou didest so, yet shouldest not thou have stayed so long.
If this Relation carry any truth with it, it might be looked upon as the expiring of Vision (as Prophesy had also ceased not long before that time:) for Simeon the Just is said to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of the remnant of the men of Ezra' s great Synagogue. Aboth R. Nathan cap. 4. and upon the death of Zacharias and Malachi, who were of that Synagogue, the spirit of Prophesy departed: And here Vision and Prophesy is dawning again.
Zacharias for not believing the words of the Angel is struck 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Deaf and Dumb: and doth fore-signify the silencing of the Levitical Priesthood e're long to be. In the Jews Canons 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is one of the five sorts of Persons that they commonly exclude from all employments and matters of honor, trust or import; and it means 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 one that can neither hear nor speak, Jerus. in chagigah. fol. 75. col. 4.
His Wife Elizabeth conceiving with child, retires as a recluse for five months space, that she might keep herself from all defilement, she carrying as choice a Nazarite in her Womb as she did, ver. 1. 5.
Five months were not the whole time of her retiring, for that that urged her to keep close so long, had the same tie upon her all the time she went with child; but five months are only named, by way of introduction to the story, and occurrence in the sixth month mentioned instantly after.
In the sixth month the same Angel appeareth to the Virgin Mary, and telleth her of the Birth of the Messios; to be of her: which she believing, though by the course of Nature so impossible, she presently goeth to her Cousin Elizabeth into the Hill-country of Judea [to Hebron, see Josh. 21. 11.] not only to visit her and to rejoice with her, nor only to see the proof of those things that the Angel had told of her, but very probably, acted by the Holy Ghost, that she might conceive the Messias in Hebron, where so many choice and eminent Types of him, and references to him had been in ancient time.
These Tidings come to the Virgin at the very latter end of the year that we are upon, or the beginning of the next, and her Journey to Hebron is in the middle of Winter.
SECTION IV.
MATTHEW Chap. I. All the Chapter.
CHRIST'S Genealogy by the Line of Solomon, and by his supposed Father Joseph. His Mother in danger to be divorced upon false suspicion of Adultery.
WHether it were that Mary conceived with child at the instant of the Angels telling her of her Conception, as hath been held most generally, or at the instant that she came to her Cousin Elizabeth in Hebron, by the time that she had stayed with her three months, she might easily be discovered to be with child, as Tamar was after the same space of time, Gen. 38. 24. Whose case and danger of death in that story, compare with the Virgins case and danger of divorce in this. The Talmudic Decretals do allot three months for such a discovery. Every woman (say they) that is divorced or become a widow, behold she may not be married, nor espoused, till she have stayed 90 days, that it may be known whether she be with child or no; and that there may be distinguishing betwixt the Seed of the first Husband, and the Seed of the second. Likewise a stranger and his Wife which are Proselytes, they keep them asunder 90 days, that there may be a discerning between the Seed sown in holiness [that is when they are come into the true Religion out of Heathenism. Compare 1 Cor. 7. 14.] and the Seed not sown in holiness. Talm. in Jebamoth cap. 4. & in Chetuboth cap. 5. Maym. in Gerushin cap. 11.
This space of time considered, in the present story, it showeth how fitly the last Verse of the preceding Section, viz. Luke 1. 56. and the 18th Verse of this, do join together. The Genealogy interposed doth not interrupt, but illustrate the story intended: And it is not only properly, but even necessarily, set in the Front of the Evangelical History, that satisfaction might be given by it, in that main Point concerning Christ, which the Scriptures do so often inculcate, and which the Jews would first of all look after, namely to prove Jesus of Nazareth, how ever so meanly born, yet to be The Son of David. There were two remarkable Maxims among the Jewish Nation. 1. That there was to be no King of Israel, but of the House of David and Line of Solomon. Talm. in Sanhedr. cap. 10. And consequently they looked for King Messias from that Line. 2. That the Family of the Mother is not called a Family. Juchasin. fol 55. Hereupon hath Matthew most pertinently brought this Pedigree through the House of Solomon, and ended it in Joseph a Male, whom the Jews looked upon as the Father of Jesus.
The last Verse of this Chapter, as it referreth to the demeanour of Joseph and Mary in their mutual society till the Birth of Christ, lieth properly in the Harmonizing of the Evangelists, in the place where it doth: But as it referreth to the Birth of Christ, it is coincident with Luke 2. 7. The Reader in his thoughts will place it as he seeth cause in these several Relations.
SECTION V.
LUKE Chap. I. from Ver. 57. to the end. John the Baptist born.
WHen Mary's three months stay with her Cousin Elizabeth was expired, it is easily guessed, that if Elizabeth by that time were not delivered of her child, yet she was very near it: and that consideration doth clear the subsequence of this Section to the preceding.
John the Baptist born in Hebron, the place of the residence of Abraham, and of the first Royalty of David. Here Circumcision was first ordained, and here is he born that was to bring in Baptism instead of Circumcision. The Priests at the Temple, as they looked for break of day, used oft to say, The face of all the Sky is bright even unto Hebron. Talm. in Joma. cap. 3. &. in Tamid. cap. 3. Compare the dawning of the Gospel now rising there, in the Birth of the Baptist: and compare the words of Zacharias a Priest, ver. 78.
The time of the Baptists Birth will be found [by setting that Clock from our Savior's] to have been in the Spring, much about the time of the Passover, about which time of the year Isaac was born.
SECTION VI.
LUKE Chap. II. from Ver. 1. to Ver. 40.
[World. 3928] [Rome. 754] [Augustus. 31] [Herod. 35] CHRIST Born.
LUKE maketh the coherence clear, when he interposeth nothing betwixt the Birth of the Baptist and the Birth of Christ: and indeed there is nothing to be found in any of the Evangelists that can interpose.
The four Monarchies which Daniel had told should be, and should expire, before the coming of Christ, have now run their course, and a fifth is risen far more potent and fully as cruel as all the four put together, and therefore it is pictured with the badges of all the four, Rev. 13. 2. compared with Dan. 7. 4, 5, &c.
A Decree of Augustus given out at Rome, becomes an occasion of accomplishing a Decree of the Lord's, namely of the Birth of the Messias at Bethlehem. He is born under a Roman taxation, and now that Prophesy of Chittim or Italy afflicting Heber, Numb. 24. 24. beginneth livelily to take place.
The time of his Birth was in the Month Tisri [which answereth to part of our September ] and about the Feast of Tabernacles, as may be concluded upon by observing that he lived just two and thirty years old and an half, and died at Easter. That Month was remarkable for very many things. In it the World was created, the Tabernacle begun, and the Temple consecrated: and as the Jerusalem Gemarists well observe, In it were the Fathers [before the Flood] born: In Rosh hashanah fol. 56. cap. col. 4.
His Birth was in the night, and attended with the Song of a whole Choir of Angels, [as Heb. 1. 6. and compare Job 38. 7.] and with a glorious Light about Bethlehem Shepherds, to whom this great Shepherd is first revealed.
At eight days old he is Circumcised, and made a Member of the Church of Israel: At forty days old, he is presented in the Temple in the East Gate of the Court of Israel, called the Gate of Nicanor; and Mary's poverty is shown by her Offering, (compare ver. 24. with Lev. 12. 6, 8.) yet her Child is owned as the consolation and expectation of Israel.
The first year of his Age and Infancy Christ spent at Bethlehem: for whereas the Lord by the Prophet had appointed his Birth there, Mich. 5. 2. his Parents had no warrant for his Education in any place but there, till the Lord should give them an express for it, which he did by an Angel, Mat. 2. 22. Therefore how the words of Luke in chap. 2. ver. 39. are to be understood, we shall observe upon the next Section.
SECTION VII.
MATTH. Chap. II. All the Chapter.
[CHRIST II]CHRIST homaged by the Wise Men, Persecuted by Herod, flies into Egypt.
THE order of this Section and Story is cleared by ver. 7. and ver. 16. by which it appeareth that Christ was two years old when the Wise Men came to him: For Herod had inquired diligently of them the time when the Star appeared, and according to the time that they had told him, he slew the Male Children from two years old and under. From two years old, because they had told him it was so long since the Star appeared; And under two years old, because he would make sure work, as to that scruple that might arise, namely, whether the Star were a fore-runner, or a concomitant of the Birth of that King of the Jews that they spake of.
Now that the Star appeared at the instant of his Birth, cannot but be concluded upon this consideration, if there were no more; That otherwise it left the Wise Men so uncertain of the time when he should be born, as that they could not tell whether he were born or no, no not when they were come to Jerusalem.
The appearance of the Star therefore was on the night when he was born, and they having told Herod how long it was since it appeared, he accordingly slayeth all the Children of two years old; for so old according to their information did he account the Child to be for whom he sought, and yet withal he slew all the Children under that age, that he might be sure to hit and not fail of his design. This considered, it showeth that Christ was in his second year at the Wise Men's coming, and withal it proveth the order of this Section to be proper, and that this Story is to be laid after the Story of Mary's Purification and not before, as many have laid it.
It may be objected indeed, that Luke having given the Story of his presenting in the Temple, concludeth, When they had performed all things according to the Law, they returned into Galilee: Now if they returned into Galilee when Christ was 40 days old, how was he found at Bethlehem at two years old? Answ. Luke is to be understood in that passage according to the current of his own Story. He had nothing to say about this matter of the Wise Men, nor of Christ's Journey into Egypt [because Matthew had handled that to the full before,] and the next thing that he hath to relate, is his coming out of Galilee to Jerusalem, to one of the Festivals: having nothing therefore to insert between his presenting in the Temple at forty days old, and his coming again to the Temple at twelve years old, he maketh this brief transition between when they had performed all things according to the Law they returned into Galilee, that he might thereby bring Christ to Galilee, from whence he came when he shown his wisdom at twelve years old.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Scripture is always taken in the worst sense for men practicing Magical and unlawful Arts; and if it be to be understood so in this place, it magnifieth the power and grace of Christ the more, when men that had been of such a profession become the first Professors of Christ, of any among the Gentiles: They seeing a new and uncouth Star in the Heavens, [it may be the light that shone about Bethlehem -Shepherds seemed to them at distance a new strange Star hanging over Judea ] are informed by God two years after what it signified; and are wrought upon by his Spirit to come and homage Christ whom it pointed out.
Herod at the report of the King of the Jews born, and that with the attendance of such a glorious Star, looks upon him as the Messiah, yet endeavors to murder him. He is sent by the direction of an Angel with his Mother into Egypt, where there was at this time an infinite number of the Jewish Nation. Succah cap. 5. At Alexandria there was a great Cathedral, double cloistered, and sometime there were there double the number of Israel, that came out of Egypt, and there were 71 Golden Chairs, according to the 71 Elders of the great Sanhedrin; And there was a Pulpit of wood in the middle, where the Minister of the Congregation stood, &c. The Babylon Talmud saith, Alexander the Great slew these multitudes, but the Jerusalem saith Trajanus did. And the Author of Juchasin will show you a truth in both. For, In the days of Simeon the Just (saith he) Alexandria which was Amon Min No, was full of Israelites, double the number of those that came out of Egypt, &c. But they were all slain by Alexander. But after this it was re-peopled again from the time of Onias, who built there a great Temple, and an Altar, and all the men of Egypt went thither, &c. And there was a great Congregation there, double to the number of those that came out of Egypt. Fol. 14. Of this Temple built by Onias in Egypt, Josephus maketh mention, Antiq. lib. 13. cap. 6. And the Talmud in Menachoth, cap. 13. So that Christ being sent into Egypt was sent among his own Nation, who had filled that Country.
The time that he was in Egypt was not above three or four months, so soon the Lord smote Herod for his butchery of the Innocent Children, and murderous intent against the Lord of Life. Joseph and Mary being called out of Egypt after Herod's death, intend for Judea again, thinking to go to Bethlehem, but the fear of Archelaus, and the warning of an Angel directs them into Galilee; They knew not but that Christ was to be educated in Bethlehem as he was to be born there; therefore they kept him there till he was two years old, and durst not take him thence, till fear and the warrant of an Angel dismisseth them into Egypt; And when they come again from thence, they can think of no other place but Bethlehem again, till the like fear and warrant send them into Galilee.
There is none of the Evangelists that recordeth anything concerning Christ, [CHRIST. III] from the time of his return out of Egypt, till he come to be twelve years [CHRIST. IV] old, which was for the space of these years; For the better understanding [CHRIST. V] of which times let us take up some few passages in Josephus.
[CHRIST. VI] Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 10. Herod (saith he) reigned 34 years, from the time that [CHRIST. VII] Antigonus was taken away, and 37 years from the time that he was first declared [CHRIST. VIII] King by the Romans.
[CHRIST. IX] And again in the same Book cap. 15. In the tenth year of the reign of Archelaus, [CHRIST. X] the People not enduring his cruelty and tyranny, they accused Archelaus to [CHRIST. XI] Caesar, and he banished him to Vienna: And a little after Cyrenius was sent by Caesar to tax Syria, and to confiscate Archelaus his Goods.
And lib. 18. cap. 1. Coponius was also sent with Cyrenius to be Governor of Judea.
And ibid. cap. 5. Coponius returning to Rome, Marcus Ambibuchus becometh his Successor in that Government. And after him succeeded Annius Rufus, in whose time died Caesar Augustus the second Emperor of the Romans.
Now when Augustus died Christ was fourteen years old, as appeareth from this, that he was 29 years old complete, and beginning to be thirty, in the fifteenth year of Tiberius the Emperor next succeeding, Luke 3. 1, 2. Reckon then these times that Josephus hath mentioned between the death of Herod and the death of Augustus, namely, the ten years of Archelaus, and after them the Government of Coponius, and after him Ambibuchus, and after him Rufus, and it will necessarily follow that when Herod slew Bethlehem Children, Christ being then two years old, it was the very last year of his Reign.
SECTION VIII.
LUKE Chap. II. from Ver. 40. to the end of the Chapter.
[World. 3939] [Rome. 765] [Augustus. 42] [CHRIST. XII] [Archelaus. 10] CHRIST at twelve years old showeth his Wisdom among the Doctors: At the same Age had Solomon shown his Wisdom in deciding the Controversy between the two Harlots. Ignat. Martyr. in Epist. ad Magnos.
IT is very easy to see the subsequence of this Section to that preceeding: since there is nothing recorded by any of the Evangelists concerning Christ from his infancy till he began to be thirty years old, but only this Story of his showing his Wisdom at twelve years old among the Doctors of some of the three Sanhedrins that sat at the Temple; for there sat one of 23 Judges in the East Gate of the Mountain of the House called the Gate Shushan; Another of 23 in the Gate of Nicanor, or the East Gate of the Court of Israel. And the great Sanhedrin of 71 Judges, that sat in the Room Gazith, not far from the Altar.
Though Herod had slain the Sanhedrin, as is related by Josephus and divers others, yet was not that Court, nor the judiciary thereof utterly extinguished, but revived again, and continued till many years after the destruction of the City.
His Story about this matter is briefly thus given by the Babylon Talmud, in Bava Bathra fol. 3. facie 2. Herod was a servant of the Asmonean Family; he set his Eyes upon a Girl of it. One day the man heard a voice from Heaven [Bath Kol] which said, Any servant that rebelleth this year shall prosper. He riseth up, and slayeth all his Masters: but left that Girl, &c. And whereas it is said, Thou shalt set a King over thee from among thy brethren, [which as the gloss there tells us, their Rabbies understood, of the chiefest of thy brethren] he rose up and slew all the great ones, only he left Baba ben Bota to take counsel of him. The gloss upon this again tells us, That he slew not utterly all the great ones, for he left Hillel and the Sons of Betirah remaining; and Josephus relateth also, that he spared Shammai: to which Abraham Zaccuth addeth, that Menahem and 80 gallant Men of the chief of the Nation were gone over to his service and to attend upon him. So that these of themselves, and by ordination of others, did soon repair that breach that his Sword had made in the Sanhedrin, he not resisting its erection again, when he had now taken away the Men of his displeasure.
Hillel was President, and sat so forty years, and died [by the Jews computation applied to the Christian account] much about this twelfth year of Christ. For they say that he lived an hundred and twenty years, the last forty of which he spent in the Presidency of the Sanhedrin, entering upon that dignity an hundred years before the destruction of the City.
Menahem was at first Vicepresident with him, but upon his going away to Herod's service, Shammai came in his room: and now two as eminent and learned men sat in those two Chairs, as ever had done since the first birth of traditions. Hillel himself was so deserving a man, that whereas in the vacancy of the Presidentship, by the death of Shemaiah and Abtalion, R. Judah and R. Jeshua the Sons of Betirah might have taken the Chairs, they preferred Hillel as the worthier person, Talm. Jerus. in Pessachin. fol. 33. col. 1. He bred many eminent Scholars, to the number of fourscore, the most renowned of which by name were, Jonathan ben Uzziel the Chaldee Paraphrast, and Rabban Jocanan ben Zaccai: both probably alive at this year of Christ, and a good while after. The latter was undoubtedly so, for he lived to see the destruction of the City and Temple, and sat President in the Sanhedrin at Jabneh afterwards. And till that time also lived the Sons of Betirah mentioned before.
Shammai was little inferior to Hillel in learning or in breeding learned men: and their equal learning and Schools bred differences between them in point of learning, and determination about some things in their traditions. The two Masters controverting about a few Articles, but their Scholars about very many, and their differences very high.
This contention of the Scholars grew so very high even in the Masters time, that it is recorded that the Scholars of Shammai affronted and bandied against Hillel himself, in the Temple Court. Jerus. in Jom. Tobh. fol. 61. col. 3. And the quarrelings of these Schools were so bitter, that as the same Talmud relateth, it came to effusion of blood and murdering one another, Shabb. fol. 3. col. 3. These are some of the Traditions that were made or settled in the Chamber of Hananiah the Son of Ezekia, the Son of Garon. The persons were numbered, and the Scholars of Shammai were more than the Scholars of Hillel. That day was a grievous day to Israel, as was the day of the making of the Golden Calf. The Scholars of Shammai stood below and slew the Scholars of Hillel. Nor did these animosities cease, but they were ever crossing and jarring, till at the last the Schools of Hillel carried it, by the determination of a Divine Voice from Heaven, as was pretended [for to such fictions they were glad to betake themselves.]
Till the Divine Voice [Bath Kol] came forth, it was lawful for any one to practice according to the weighty or light things of the School of Shammai, or according to the weighty or light things of the School of Hillel. There came forth a Divine Voice at Jabneh, and said, The words of the one and of the other are the words of the Living God, but the certain determination of the thing is according to the School of Hillel. And whosoever transgresseth against the words of the School of Hillel, deserveth death. Ibid. in Beracoth fol. 3. col. 2.
At these times then that we are upon, their School-Learning was come to the very height, Hillel and Shammai having promoted it to a pitch incomparably transcendent above what it had been before; and accordingly now began the Titles of Rabban and Rabbi; Rabban Simeon the Son of Hillel being the first President of the Sanhedrin that bare a Title, for till these times their great and Learned Men had been called only by their bare proper names. So that now in a double seasonableness doth Christ the Divine Wisdom of God appear and set in among them, at twelve years old beginning, and all the time of his Ministry after, going on to show them their wisdom folly, and his own Word and Doctrine the Divine Oracles of Wisdom. In a double seasonableness I say, when their Learning was now come to the height, and when their Traditions had to the utmost made the Word of God of no effect.
This twelfth year of Christ was the last year of the Reign of Archelaus the Son of Herod, of whom is mention, Matth. 2. 22. He is accused to Augustus for Male-administration, and thereupon banished by him to Vienna, as was mentioned before. And Coponius comes Governor of Judoea in his stead.
[CHRIST. XIII] AUGUSTUS Caesar dieth this fourteenth year of Christ, on the nineteenth [CHRIST. XIV] day of August: duobus Sextis, Pompeio & Apuleio. Coss. Suet. in Augusto cap. 10. He was 75 years, 10 months and 26 days old, having been Monarch since his victory at Actium 44 years, wanting 13 days. Dion. Cass. lib. 56. TIBERIUS Caesar reigneth in his stead.
[CHRIST. XV] All this space of Christ's Life, from his twelfth year of age, to his twenty [CHRIST. XVI] ninth, is passed over by all the Evangelists in silence, because they were not [CHRIST. XVII] so much to treat of his private life and employment, as of his public Ministry. [CHRIST. XVIII] And here they follow the same course that the Angel Gabriel had done, [CHRIST. XIX] in his foretelling of the time of his appearing, Dan. 9. 24, 25, &c. where speaking [CHRIST. XX] of the years that should pass, from his own time unto Messiah the Prince, [CHRIST. XXI] he beginneth the Story of Messiah, from the time of his Ministry only, or [CHRIST. XXII] from the latter half of the last seven years there mentioned, the time when [CHRIST. XXIII] he should confirm the Covenant with the many, &c.
[CHRIST. XXIV] These years he spent with his Parents at Nazareth, Luk. 2. 51. following his [CHRIST. XXV] Fathers Trade of Carpentry, Matth. 13. 55. with Mark 6. 3. And these two [CHRIST. XXVI] things were they especially that did so mainly cloud him from the eyes of the Jews, [CHRIST. XXVII] that they could not own him for the Messias, namely, because he was [CHRIST. XXVIII] of so poor condition and education, and they looked for the Messias in a pompous garb, and because his first appearing in his Ministry was out from Nazareth: his Birth at Bethlehem so many years ago, either having been not at all taken notice of when it was, or if it were, by this time worn out of notice and remembrance.
SECTION IX.
LUKE Chap. III. from the beginning to Ver. 18.
MATTH. Chap. III. from the beginning to Ver. 13.
MARK Chap. I. from the beginning to Ver. 9.
[CHRIST. XXIX]The Gospel began in JOHNS Ministry and Baptism.
THe order of this Section is confirmed by all the three. Mark hath made this the beginning of his Gospel, because the preceding occurrences of Christ's Birth and Minority, were committed by the Holy Ghost who held his pen, to the pens of others: He calls the Ministry and Baptism of John, the beginning of the Gospel, and that deservedly, both in regard of Johns preaching and proclaiming Christ's appearing to be so near, as also in regard of the great change that his Ministry introduced, both in doctrine and practice: He preaching and administering the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, whereas baptism till that time had been used and taken up as an obligation to the performance of the Law: And he baptizing Jews into another Religion than their own, whereas till then, baptizing had been used, to admit Heathens into the Religion of the Jews.
Here is the standard of time that the Holy Ghost hath set up in the New Testament; unto which, as unto the fullness of time, he hath drawn up a chronical Chain from the Creation: and from which as from a standing mark, we are to measure all the times of the New Testament if we would fix them to a certain date.
There are two main stories that Luke layeth down in his third Chapter; the one is Johns baptizing, and the other is, Christ baptized by him, and he hath dated the former in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, and how to date the latter we are taught and helped by these Collections. 1. He intimateth to us that Christ when he was baptized by John, was but entering on his Thirtieth year, as the words that he hath used do plainly evidence 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , He was beginning to be about thirty years of age, or after a manner, and in such a way of reckoning, as the Scripture ordinarily useth, accounting the very first day of a year, as that year. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : One day of the year is reputed that year. Tal. Bab. Rosh hashanah fol. 2. 2. John baptized half a year before Jesus came to be baptized of him, for he was half a year younger than John, Luk. 1. 26. and as Christ was baptized and entered his Ministry, just when he was beginning to enter upon his thirtieth year, so John had begun his Ministry at the same age, and both according to the Law, Numb. 4. 3. Christ was baptized in September, at what time of the year he had been born: For the phrase of Luke mentioned before, doth plainly confirm, that his Baptism was close to that time of the year, that had been the time of his Birth. 4. For the synchronizing therefore of the year of Christ with the year of Tiberius, we must lay Tiberius his fifteenth collateral in Annal, accounting with Christ's nine and twentieth; whether you reckon Tiberius his year from the very time of the year that he began to reign, which was the 20th of August, [and then in September when Christ was baptized, his sixteenth year was begun, and Christ's thirtieth ] or whether you reckon according to the common accounting of the Roman Fasti, from January to January, and then though Christ indeed spent three months of his thirtieth year in Tiberius his fifteenth so accounted, yet he spent three times three months of it in his sixteenth.
The fifteenth year of Tiberius then, and the nine and twentieth of our Savior, was the great year of the beginning of the Gospel, in the preaching and baptizing of John, who began this work about Passover time, or in the month Abib, otherwise called Nisan. The time of the year that Abraham had received the Promise, Isaac was born, Israel was redeemed out of Egypt, and the Tabernacle was erected in the Wilderness. The Jews speak more than they are aware of, when they say, that As in Nisan there had been redemption, so in Nisan there should be redemption. Tal. Bab. ubi supr. fol. 11. The Gospel began, and Christ died in that month.
Now whereas it may seem strange, that upon Johns beginning to baptize, he introducing so strange a practice and doctrine among them, yet the People should flock to him in so great multitudes, as the Evangelists show they did, and receive his Baptism with so much readiness: [besides that general satisfaction that may be given to this, from the consideration of God's special hand and work, providing entertainment for his Gospel, now setting forth,] these four things also may be pertinently observed.
1. This was the time that the Nation expected that the Messia should appear: See Luke 19. 11. Gabriel's seventy in Dan. 9. had so plainly and exactly pointed to this very time, that not only the pious and the studious among the Nation, could not but observe it, but it had even raised an expectation through a great part of the World, of some great Potency to arise among the Jewish Nation about these times, which should subdue and be Ruler of all the World. Percrebuerat oriente toto vetus & constans opinio, esse in fatis ut eo tempore Judea profecti rerum potirentur. Suetonius. in Vesp. cap. 4. An old and a constant opinion had grown through the whole East, that some coming out of the East should be Master of all.
Nay so evident was the time and truth in Daniel, that the Jerusalem Gemarists that could be well content to deny that Messias was already come, as the rest of their Nation do, yet they cannot but confess it in Beracoth. fol. 1. col. 1. in this Story. Our Doctors say, the Name of King Messias is David: R. Joshua ben Levi saith, His Name is The branch. [Zech. 3. 8.] R. Judah the Son of R. Ibhu saith, His Name is Menahem, [the Comforter.] And this helps to prove that which R. Judah saith, namely this example of a certain Jew: who as he was plowing, his Ox lowed: A certain Arabian passing by and observing his Ox low, said, O Jew, O Jew, loose thine Oxen, and lay by this Plow, for behold your Sanctuary is destroyed. The Ox lowed a second time. He saith to him again, O Jew, O Jew, yoke thine Oxen, and tie on thy Plow, for behold King Messias is born. He saith to him, What is his Name? the other answered Menahem [the Comforter:] And what is his Fathers Name? He answered, Hezekiah [the strong God.] He saith to him, Whence is he? He answered, from the Royal Palace of Bethlehem Judah. He went and sold his Oxen, and sold his Plow and Gears, and went about from City to City selling swaddling-clothes for babes. When he came to that City, all the Women bought of him, but the Mother of Menahem bought not. He heard the voice of the Women saying, O Mother of Menahem, thou Mother of Menahem, Bring some things sold here to thy Child. She answered, Now I pray, that all Israel's enemies may be hanged, for on the day that he was born the house of the Sanctuary was destroyed. He saith to her, We hope as it is destroyed at his feet, so it will be built at his feet. She saith to him, I have no money. And why, saith he, doth he suffer for that? If thou have no money now, I will come again after two days and receive it. After the days he came to the City, and saith to her, How does the Child? She answered him, Since the time that thou sawest me, there came winds and storms and took him out of my hands. A clear confession of Christ's being already come, and of the poverty of his Mother.
2. They expected a great change of things when Messias should come: That Promise in the Prophet of new Heavens and a new Earth, to be created, raised this expectation. Hence have they this saying, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The holy blessed God will renew the World for a thousand years. Aruch in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 [ John speaks their own Language, when he speaks of reigning with Christ a thousand years, Rev. 20. 4. which is no more to be understood of the time yet to come, then Messias is yet to be expected as not come.] Hereupon they call the days of the Messias 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A new Creation, as 2 Cor. 5. 17. In Midras Tillin. fol. 4. col. 3. R. Houne speaketh of three Ages, and the last that he mentioneth is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the age of the Messias: And when that comes, saith he, the holy blessed God saith, Now it lies upon me to Create a new Creation. They likewise call that time 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the World to come, because of the change of things that they expected then, as if a new World were created. Tanchum. fol. 77. col. 3. In the world to come I will send my messenger speedily, and he shall prepare the way before me. Paul taketh the world to come in this sense, Heb. 2. 5.
3. Baptism had been in long and common use among them many generations before John the Baptist came, they using this for admission of Proselytes into the Church, and baptizing Men, Women and Children for that end.
Talm. in Jebamoth cap. 4. and Maym. in Issure biah, cap. 13. A person is not a Proselyte till he be both circumcised and baptized.
Id. in Chettuboth cap. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . A little one they baptize, by the appointment of the Consistory. And Maym. in Avadim. cap. 8. An Israelite that takes a little Heathen Child, or that finds an Heathen Infant, and baptizeth him for a Proselyte, behold he is a Proselyte.
Hence a ready reason may be given, why there is so little mention of baptizing Infants in the New Testament, that there is neither plain Precept nor Example for it, as some ordinarily plead: The reason is, because there needed no such mention, baptizing of Infants having been as ordinarily used in the Church of the Jews as ever it hath been in the Christian Church: It was enough to mention that Christ established Baptism for an Ordinance under the Gospel; and then, who should be baptized, was well enough known, by the use of this Ordinance of old. Therefore it is good plea, Because there is no clear forbidding of the baptizing of Infants in the Gospel, ergo, they are to be baptized: for that having been in common use among the Jews, that Infants should be baptized as well as Men and Women, our Savior would have given some special prohibition if he intended that they should have been excluded: so that silence in this case doth necessarily conclude approbation to have the practice continued which had been used of old before.
Johns Baptism differed from that before, only in this; that whereas that admitted Proselytes to the Jewish Religion, this admitted and translated Jews into the Gospel Religion: that was a Baptism binding them over to the performance of the Law, as their Circumcision did, but this was a Baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as was observed before.
4. Though some of the Nation expected that the Messias would come and redeem them, though they were impenitent, as some of the Gentiles plead in Talm. Bab. Sanhedr. cap. 10. & R. Samuel in articulis fidei Judaicae: yet was it more generally held, and with good reason, that the Messias would look for a repenting Generation: and thereupon others of the Gemarists in the place alleged say: If Israel repent but one day, presently the Messias cometh.
Upon the consideration of these things, it will appear the less strange, that the People flowed in to Johns Baptism in so great a conflux, this being the time about which the Nation expected the appearing of Messias, Baptism being a thing most commonly known and used among them, and this Baptism of repentance administered preparatively toward the entertainment of Christ now ready to come, being suitable to their own apprehensions of the necessity of repentance, against his coming.
Baptism was [besides other tendencies of it] as a badge whereby those that received it and stuck to it, were marked out for safety and preservation against that destruction that was to come upon the Nation for unbelief. Therefore John construes their coming to be baptized, their fleeing from the wrath to come: and Peter in the same sense, doth say, that Baptism doth now save, 1 Pet. 3. 21. as the Ark had done in the destruction of the old World, so this from the destruction now coming. And Acts 2. 40. to his admonition to Repent and be baptized, he addeth, Save yourselves from this untoward Generation.
§ MATTH. Chap. III. from Ver. 13. to the end.
§ MARK Chap I. Ver. 9, 10. 11.
§ LUKE Chap. III. Ver. 21, 22.
[CHRIST XXX]CHRIST is baptized being thirty years old initiant. Josephs Age at his appearing before Pharaoh, Gen. 41. 46. The Priests, at their entrance into their Office, Numb. 4. and David's when he began to reign, 2 Sam. 5. 4.
He hath now three years and a half to live, and to be a public Minister of the Gospel, as the Angel Gabriel had told, Dan. 9. 27. that in half of the last seven of the years there named, he should confirm the Covenant: R. Jochanan saith, Three years and an half the Divine Glory stood upon the Mount of Olives and cried, Seek the Lord while he may be found. Midr. Till. fol. 10. col. 4.
This space of time had been renowned before, by Elias his shutting up Heaven, Luke 4. 25. James 5. 17. and now Heaven is opened; by the persecution of Antiochus when all Religion was destroyed, Dan. 12. 7, 11. and now redemption and restoring is come.
Christ therefore living three years and an half, and dying at Easter, it follows that he was baptized in Tizri, about the Feast of Tabernacles, at which time of the year he had been born: and was now, when he was baptized, nine and twenty years old complete, and just entering upon his thirtieth: to which add his three years and an half after his Baptism, and it resulteth, that he died, being two and thirty years old and an half: the exact time of David's reign in Jerusalem, 1 Kings 2. 11. The days that David reigned over Israel, were forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem: that is, in Hebron seven years and an half, 2 Sam. 5. 5. and in Jerusalem two and thirty years and an half: so the Jerus. Talm. counteth well, in Rosh hashanah, fol. 1. col. 2.
As Christ by Circumcision was admitted a Member of the Church of the Jews, so is he by Baptism of the Church of the Gospel: being withal installed into his Ministerial Function by Baptism, and Unction of the Holy Ghost, as the Priests were into theirs, by washing and anointing.
§ MATTH. Chap. III. from Ver. 13. to the end.
§ MARK Chap I. Ver. 9, 10. 11.
§ LUKE Chap. III. Ver. 21, 22.
[CHRIST XXX]CHRIST is baptized being thirty years old initiant. Josephs Age at his appearing before Pharaoh, Gen. 41. 46. The Priests, at their entrance into their Office, Numb. 4. and David's when he began to reign, 2 Sam. 5. 4.
He hath now three years and a half to live, and to be a public Minister of the Gospel, as the Angel Gabriel had told, Dan. 9. 27. that in half of the last seven of the years there named, he should confirm the Covenant: R. Jochanan saith, Three years and an half the Divine Glory stood upon the Mount of Olives and cried, Seek the Lord while he may be found. Midr. Till. fol. 10. col. 4.
This space of time had been renowned before, by Elias his shutting up Heaven, Luke 4. 25. James 5. 17. and now Heaven is opened; by the persecution of Antiochus when all Religion was destroyed, Dan. 12. 7, 11. and now redemption and restoring is come.
Christ therefore living three years and an half, and dying at Easter, it follows that he was baptized in Tizri, about the Feast of Tabernacles, at which time of the year he had been born: and was now, when he was baptized, nine and twenty years old complete, and just entering upon his thirtieth: to which add his three years and an half after his Baptism, and it resulteth, that he died, being two and thirty years old and an half: the exact time of David's reign in Jerusalem, 1 Kings 2. 11. The days that David reigned over Israel, were forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem: that is, in Hebron seven years and an half, 2 Sam. 5. 5. and in Jerusalem two and thirty years and an half: so the Jerus. Talm. counteth well, in Rosh hashanah, fol. 1. col. 2.
As Christ by Circumcision was admitted a Member of the Church of the Jews, so is he by Baptism of the Church of the Gospel: being withal installed into his Ministerial Function by Baptism, and Unction of the Holy Ghost, as the Priests were into theirs, by washing and anointing.
SECTION X.
LUKE Chap. III. from Ver. 23. to the end of the Chapter. CHRIST'S Genealogy by his Mothers side.
MATTHEWS Genealogy, and this, as they run by a different Line, so they are brought in upon different ends. Matthew intends to show, that Jesus Christ was the Son promised to David. Luke shows him the seed of the woman promised to Adam. Gen. 3. 15. who in the next following Section begins to break the head of the Serpent. Therefore when that promise to Adam beginneth to take place in Christ's entering upon his Ministry, and in his being sealed for the Messias by the Holy Ghost, this Genealogy is divinely woven in.
Matthew derives his Line by the Pedigree of Joseph his supposed Father, and draws it from Solomon: Luke by the Pedigree of Mary his Mother, and draws it from Nathan: For as the Jews looked on him as the Son of David, they would regard the Masculine Line and the Line Royal, therefore Matthew giveth it at his birth. But looked on, as the seed promised to Adam, the seed of the woman, he was to be looked after by the Line of his Mother. And whereas this seed of the woman was to destroy the power of Satan by the word of truth, as Satan had destroyed men by words of falsehood, Luke doth properly draw up his Line to Adam, now when he is to begin to preach the Word.
The Line on this side the Captivity, for which there is no record elsewhere in Scripture, Matthew and Luke took from some known Records then extant among the Nation. R. Levi saith, There was found a Book of Genealogies at Jerusalem, in which it was written, Hillel was of the Family of David. Ben Jatsaph of the Family of Asap, &c. Tal. Jerus. in Taanith, fol 68. col. 1. They kept the Records of Pedigrees, and of all other they would be sure to keep those of the Family of David, because of the expectation of the Messiah from it.
SECTION XI.
MATTH. Chap. 4. from the beginning to Ver. 12.
MARK Chap. 1. Ver. 12, 13.
LUKE Chap. IV from the beginning to Ver. 14.
The Seed of the Woman and the Serpent combating.
MARK and LUKE by these words, immediately the Spirit driveth him, and Jesus returned from Jordan, do make the order necessary: so that as for the subsequence of this to what preceded there can be no scruple. Only there is some difference 'twixt Matthew and Luke in relating the order of the temptations: which Matthew having laid down in their proper rank [as appeareth by these particles then, ver. 15. and again ver. 8.] Luke in the rehearsing of them, is not so much observant of the order [that being fixed by Matthew before,] as he is careful to give the full story, and so to give it, as might redound to the fullest information.
As our Mother Eve was tempted by Satan to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, as 1 Joh. 2. 16. [for she saw it was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and to be desired to make one wise, Gen. 3. 6.] so by these, had it been possible, would the same tempter have overthrown the seed of the woman: For he tempted him to turn stones into bread, as to satisfy the longing of the flesh; to fall down and worship him upon the sight of a bewitching object to his eyes, and to fly in the air in pride, and to get glory among men. Luke for our better observing of this parallel, hath laid the order of these temptations answerable to the order of those.
Jesus being baptized about the Feast of Tabernacles, toward the latter end of our September, is presently carried into the Wilderness of Judea, by the acting of the Holy Spirit, to enter that combat with the Serpent which was designed, Gen. 3. 15. Forty days and forty nights [He being all the while in watching, fasting and solitude, and among the wild beasts, but sat as Adam among them in innocence] the Devil tempteth him invisibly as he doth other men, namely, striving to inject sinful suggestions into him, but he could find nothing in him to work upon, as Joh. 14. 30. therefore at forty days end he taketh another course, and appeareth to him visibly in the shape of an Angel of Light [and so had Eve been deceived by him, mistaking him for a good Angel] and trieth him by persuasion, by Scripture, and by power, but in all is foiled, mastered and banished by a word.
SECTION XII.
JOHN Chap. I. from Ver. 15. to the end of the Chapter.
CHRIST is pointed out by John, and followed by some Disciples.
COnceive the continuance of the Story thus: Christ newly baptized, goeth immediately into the Wilderness, and leaveth John at Jordan on Judea side: In the time of the forty days temptation, John having now gathered his Harvest of Disciples on that side the River, goeth over into the Country beyond Jordan, and baptizeth in Bethabara. Thither came some Pharisees by commission of the Sanhedrin, to question him about the Authority whereby he baptized, making no strangeness at baptizing, which had been so long in use among them, but questioning his Authority to baptize in that tenor that he did.
The next day after their questioning of him, Christ cometh into sight, is pointed out by John, and followed by some of his Disciples.
For half a year John had baptized in the Name of Christ, and knew him not, ver. 31, 33. Only as all the Nation expected the Messias to come in time, and John had it revealed to him that he was now ready to appear, so John baptized, and the People came to him upon this account: He professed to all that came to him to be baptized, and so he did to the Jews Commissioners now, that he baptized only in the Name of him that was to come after him, whose shoos latchet he was not worthy to unloose, ver. 27. Let a passage in Tosaphtoth comment upon these words: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 What is the token of a Servant? He ties his Masters shoos, or looses his shoos, and bears his things after him to the bath, In Kiddushin cap. 1. And the like saith Maymony in Mekerah cap. 2. A Canaanite Servant is like Land as to buying: and he is bought by Money, or by Script, or by service in way of earnest: And what is the earnest in buying Servants? Namely that a man use them as they use Servants before a Master. As to loose his shoe, or to tie his shoe, or to carry his things after him to the bath, &c.
So that those that were baptized in this time, of whom there was a very great number, knew not of Jesus of Nazareth his being the Christ, nor knew they more of Christ than they had known before, but only that he was ready to come: only they were baptized into faith in him, and to repentance.
But when Christ himself came to be baptized, John had discovery of him, and so is able now upon the sight of him to point him out to his Disciples: whereupon Peter [and probably John ] and Andrew, and Philip, and Nathanael follow him.
SECTION XIII.
JOHN Chap. II. All the Chapter.
Water turned into Wine.
CHRIST'S first Passover after his Baptism.
THe words The third day in ver. 1. mean either the third day from Christ's coming into Galilee, Joh. 1. 43. or the third day from his conference with Nathanael, or the third day from the Disciples first following him, they give demonstration enough of the series, and connection of this Chapter to the former.
It was about the middle of our November when Christ came out of the Wilderness to John at Bethabara, and then there were about four months to the Passover, which time he spent in going up and down Galilee, and at last comes to his own home at Capernaum. Those two passages being laid together, The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, Joh. 1. 43. And After this he went down to Capernaum, and continued there not many days, and the Jews Passover was at hand, Joh. 2. 12. do make it evident that Jesus had now a perambulation of Galilee, which took up a good space of time. So that this first Miracle of turning Water into Wine, was about the middle of our November, or little further.
The Jews marriages were fixed to certain days of the week: For a Virgin was to be married on the fourth day of the week, and a widow on the fifth, Talm. in chetub. cap. 1. [The reason why, is not pertinent to produce here.] Now if this marriage at Cana, were of a Virgin, and on the fourth day of the week, or our Wednesday, then Christ's first showing himself to John and his Disciples at Jordan, was on the first day of the week, afterward the Christian Sabbath.
These Marriage Feasts they held to be commanded, and thereupon they have this Maxim, It is not fit for the Scholars of the wise to eat at Feasts, but only at the Feasts commanded, as those of espousals and of marriages, Maym. in Deah. cap. 5.
At the Passover, it is half a year since Christ was baptized; and thenceforward he hath three years to live, which John reckoneth by three Passovers more, viz. Joh. 5. 1. & 6. 4. & 18. 28. In this first half year he had gone through his forty days temptation, had gathered some disciples, and had perambulated Galilee.
At Jerusalem at the Passover, in the face of all the People, he acted in the evidence of the great Prophet, and purgeth his own Temple, as Mal. 3. 1, 3. doth many Miracles, knoweth the false hearts of many, and trusteth not himself with them.
He found in the Temple those that sold Oxen and Sheep, ver. 14. For some illustration to this passage, take a Story in Tal. Jerus. in Jom. tobh. fol. 61. col. 3. One day Baba ben Bota came into the Temple Court and found it solitary or destitute [that is, not having any beasts there for sacrifice.] He saith, Desolate be their houses who have desolated the house of our God. What did he? He sent and fetched in three thousand sheep of the sheep of Kedar, and searched them whether they were without blemish, and brought them into the mountain of the house, [or the utmost Court, the place where Christ found Sheep and Oxen at this time] and saith, My brethren, the house of Israel, whosoever will bring a burnt-offering let him bring it, whosoever will bring a peace-offering let him bring it.
Among other things that Jesus did for the purging of his Temple, it is said, He poured out the changers money, and overthrew the Tables, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and so again, Matth. 21. 12. Maym. in Shekalim. cap. 1. It is an affirmative Precept of the Law, that every Israelite pay yearly half a sheckel; yea even the poor, that lives on alms, is bound to this, either begging so much money that he may give it, or selling his coat to get so much.
Talm. in Shekalim. cap. 1, &c. On the first day of the month Adar, proclamation was made about this half shekel, that they should get it ready. On the fifteenth day of that month, the Collectors sat in every City for the receiving of it; and as yet they forced none to pay. But on the five and twentieth day they began to sit in the Temple, [this was some eighteen or nineteen days before the Passover] and then they forced men to pay, and if any refused they distrained. They sat with two Chests before them, into the one of which they put the money of the present year, and into the other the money that should have been paid the year before. Everyone must have half a shekel to pay for himself. Therefore when he brought a shekel to change for two half shekels, he was to pay 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , some profit to the changer. And when a shekel was brought for two, there was a double profit to be paid for the change.
SECTION XIV.
JOHN Chap. III. All the Chapter.
Nicodemus. The Disciples baptize in the Name of Jesus.
BEfore our Savior's departure from Jerusalem, Nicodemus one of the Judges of the great Sanhedrin cometh to him, and becometh his Disciple: for we cannot so properly look for a Member of that great Council in any place as at Jerusalem. He had observed in his Miracles, the dawning of the days of Messias, or the Kingdom of Heaven, but having but gross and erroneous apprehensions concerning the Kingdom of Heaven, or of the state of those days [as was the general mistake of the Nation,] he is rectified about that matter, and is taught the great Doctrines of regeneration and believing in Christ: Christ teaching regeneration by the Spirit and Water, exalteth Baptism, and closely calleth to Nicodemus to be baptized. The Talmudic Records make mention of a Nicodemus in these times, who had to do about waters, to provide sufficient for the People to drink at the Festivals.
He is taught, [against the great misprision of the Nation] that Messias should be a redeemer of the Gentiles as well as the Jews. The Jews in their common language, did title the Gentiles 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , The Nations of the World. The Earth they divided into 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , The Land of Israel, and out of the Land: and the People they parted into 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Israel and the Nations of the World: The New Testament which follows their common Language exceeding much, useth both these expressions very often; whereby to signify the Gentiles: sometimes calling them those that are without, and sometimes the world. Nicodemus very readily understood the word in this common sense, when Christ says, God so loved the world, that he gave his Son. And he very well perceived that Christ contradicted in these his words, their common and uncharitable error, which held, that the Messias should be a redeemer only to Israel [and those Gentiles only, that should be proselyted to their Judaism,] but as for the rest of the Heathen he should confound and destroy them: Examples of this their proud and uncharitableness might be produced by multitudes: let these two or three suffice. The Jerus. Talm. in Taanith fol. 64. col. 1. speaking of the coming of Messias saith, and produceth these words, Isa. 21. 12. The morning cometh and also the night, It shall be the morning to Israel, but night to the Nations of the world. Midr. Till. on Psal. 2. The threshing is come, the straw they cast into the fire, the chaff into the wind, but preserve the wheat in the floor; and everyone that sees it, takes it and kisses it: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 So the Nations of the world say, the world was made for our sakes, but Israel say to them, Is it not written, But the people shall be as the burning of the Lime-kilne, but Israel in the time to come [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an expression whereby they commonly mean the times of the Messias ] shall be left only, as it is said, The Lord shall lead him alone, and there shall be with him no strange god. Baal turim on Num 24. 8. on those words, He shall eat up the Nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, observeth the letter 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in one of the words to have a special mark upon it, signifying, saith he, that he should root out the seven Nations [of the Canaanites ] and in time to come [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ] the other sixty three Nations, that is all the seventy Nations of the world. No, saith our Savior, God loved the world or the Gentiles, and God sent not his Son Messias to condemn the world or the Gentiles, but that the world through him should be saved.
After this transaction with Nicodemus, Jesus departeth from Jerusalem into Judea, and there he setteth his Disciples to baptize in his Name: that whereas John had only baptized in the name of Christ, and his baptized ones did not know who Christ was, now the Disciples baptize in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, to evidence him to be the Christ into whose Name John had baptized.
John himself was baptizing still in Aenon in Galilee, having traversed Judea upon the coasts of Jordan; and Peraea or beyond Jordan; and now come thither where presently his sun is to set.
This Chapter contains the story of half a year and somewhat more, namely from the Passover [if the conference with Nicodemus were at that time] till after the feast of Tabarnacles: at which time it was a whole year since Christ was baptized, and a year and an half since John began to baptize.
SECTION XV.
LUKE Chap. III. Ver. 18, 19, 20.
JOHN Imprisoned.
FRom the last verse of the preceeding Section and forward, we hear no more of John in any of the four Evangelists, till you find him in prison. Therefore this portion in Luke, which giveth the story of his imprisonment, is very fitly and properly to be subjoined to what preceedeth: observe how aptly the first verse of this and the last of that do join together. Luke indeed hath used an anticipation here, laying down the story of Johns imprisonment, before the story of Christ's being baptized, because he would show the effects of Johns doctrine altogether. With Pharisees, Sadducees, Publicans, Soldiers, and the rest of the people, he found entertainment of his doctrine when he told them their faults, and taught them their duty; but when he reproved Herod, he would not be so compliant, but imprisoned him. The time of his commitment may be guessed, by what time it was that Christ slipped aside for his own safety upon the hearing how the case went with John, which will appear to be about the middle of our November, and John had begun to preach and baptize at spring was twelvemonth before, about some eighteen or nineteen months ago.
SECTION XVI.
JOHN Chap. IV. All the Chapter.
MATTH. Chap. IV. Ver. 12.
CHRIST at Jacob's well Converteth Samaritans: Healeth a sick person, &c.
CHRIST was in Judea when John was apprehended by Herod in Galilee. His pretended quarrel was the multitude of Johns disciples, as dangerous for innovation: but the very true cause indeed was, his and Herodias spleen for Johns plainness with them about their incest. The Pharisees at Jerusalem would soon hear what was become of John their eye-sore, and what Herod laid to his charge, namely the dangerousness of his gathering so many disciples. Now our Savior understanding that they looked upon him, as one that had more Disciples then John, and so was in equal danger from them upon that account, he getteth out of Judea out of their reach and goeth to Galilee. But was not Galilee within their reach too?
From ver. 35. may be computed the time of this journey into Galilee, namely when it was now four months to harvest; that is, to the Passover, for from the second day in the Pass-over week their Harvest began, Lev. 23. 11, &c. And from this, there may be some reasonable conjecture concerning the time when John was cast into prison. Christ was in Sychar field about the latter end of our November, when it was now four months to the Passover, and he took that journey as soon as he understood of Johns imprisonment,