upon you And ye shall be witnesses unto me unto the utmost parts of the Earth Their great business was to be Witnesses to Iesus of his Life Death Resurrection and Ascension which put together were undeniable Proofs of his being the Messiah Which was what they were to Preach and what he said to them concerning the Kingdom of God As will appear by what is recorded of it in the other Evangelists The day of his Resurrection appearing to the two going to Emmaus Luke XXIV They declare v. 21. what his Disciples Faith in him was But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel i.e. We believed that he was the Messiah come to deliver the Nation of the Iews Upon this Iesus tells them they ought to believe him to the Messiah notwithstanding what had happened Nay they ought by his Suffering and Death to be confirmed in that Faith that he was the Messiah And v. 26 27. Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself How that the Messiah ought to have suffered these things and to have entred into his Glory Now he applies the Prophesies of the Messiah to himself which we read not that he did ever do before his Passion And afterwards appearing to the Eleven Luke XXIV 36. He said unto them v. 44-47 These words which I spoke unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which are written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me Then opened he their Vnderstandings that they might understand the Scripture and said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day And that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Ierusalem Here we see what it was he had preached to them though not in so plain open words before his Crucifixion And what it is he now makes them understand And what it was that was to be preached to all Nations viz. That he was the Messiah that had suffered and rose from the Dead the third day and fulfilled all things that was written in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah And that those who believed this and repented should receive Remission of their Sins through this Faith in him Or as St. Mark has it Chap. XVI 15. Go into all the World and Preach the Gospel to every Creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved But he that believeth not shall be damned v. 20. What the Gospel or Good News was we have shewed already viz. The happy Tidings of the Messiah being come v. 20. And they went forth and preached every where the Lord working with them and confirming the Word with signs following What the Word was which they preached and the Lord confirmed with Miracles we have seen already out of the History of their Acts Having given an Account of their Preaching every where as it is recorded in the Acts except some few places where the Kingdom of the Messiah is mentioned under the name of the Kingdom of God Which I forbore to set down till I had made it plain out of the Evangelists that That was no other but the Kingdom of the Messiah It may be seasonable therefore now to add to those Sermons we have formerly seen of St. Paul wherein he preached no other Article of Faith but that Iesus was the Messiah the King who being risen from the Dead now Reigneth and shall more publickly manifest his Kingdom in judging the World at the last day what farther is left upon Record of his Preaching Acts XIX 8. At Ephesus Paul went into the Synagogues and spake boldly for the space of three months disputing and perswading concerning the Kingdom of God And Acts XX. 25. At Miletus he thus takes leave of the Elders of Ephesus And now behold I know that ye all among whom I have gone Preaching the Kingdom of God shall see my face no more What this Preaching the Kingdom of God was he tells you v. 20 21. I have kept nothing back from you which was profitable unto you but have shewed you and have taught you publickly and from House to House Testifying both to the Iews and to the Greeks Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ. And so again Acts XXVIII 23 24. When they the Jews at Rome had appointed him Paul a day there came many to him into his Lodging To whom he expounded and testified the Kingdom of God perswading them concerning Iesus both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets from Morning to Evening And some believed the things which were spoken and some believed not And the History of the Acts is concluded with this Account of St. Paul's Preaching And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired House and received all that came in unto him Preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Iesus the Messiah We may therefore here apply the same Conclusion to the History of our Saviour writ by the Evangelists And to the History of the Apostles writ in the Acts which St. Iohn does to his own Gospel Chap. XX. 30 31. Many other signs did Iesus before his Disciples And in many other places the Apostles preached the same Doctrine which are not written in these Books But these are written that you may believe that Iesus is the Messiah the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his Name What St. Iohn thought necessary and sufficient to be believed for the attaining Eternal Life he here tells us And this not in the first dawning of the Gospel when perhaps some will be apt to think less was required to be believed than after the Doctrine of Faith and Mystery of Salvation was more fully explained in the Epistles writ by the Apostles For it is to be remembred that St. Iohn says this not as soon as Christ was ascended For these words with the rest of St. Iohn's Gospel were not written till many Years after not only the other Gospels and St. Luke's History of the Acts but in all appearance after all the Epistles writ by the other Apostles So that above Threescore Years after our Saviour's Passion for so long after both Epiphanius and St. Ierome assure us this Gospel was written St. Iohn knew nothing else required to be believed for the attaining of Life but that Iesus is the Messiah the Son of God To this 't is likely it will be objected by some that to believe only that Iesus of Nazareth is the Messiah is but an Historical and not a Justifying or Saving Faith To which I Answer That I allow to the makers of Systems and their followers to invent and use what distinctions they please and to call things by what names they think fit But I cannot allow to them or
St. Paul v. 23 24. was not writ for his Abraham 's sake alone But for us also teaching us that as Abraham was justified for his Faith so also ours shall be accounted to us for Righteousness if we believe God as Abraham believed him Whereby 't is plain is meant the firmness of our Faith without staggering and not the believing the same Propositions that Abraham believed viz. that though he and Sarah were old and past the time and hopes of Children yet he should have a Son by her and by him become the Father of a great People which should possess the Land of Canaan This was what Abraham believed and was counted to him for Righteousness But no body I think will say that any ones believing this now shall be imputed to him for Righteousness The Law of Faith then in short is for every one to believe what God requires him to believe as a condition of the Covenant he makes with him and not to doubt of the performance of his Promises This the Apostle intimates in the close here v. 24. But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Iesus our Lord from the dead We must therefore examine and see what God requires us to believe now under the Revelation of the Gospel For the belief of one Invisible Eternal Omnipotent God maker of Heaven and Earth c. was required before as well as now What we are now required to believe to obtain Eternal Life is plainly set down in the Gospel St. Iohn tells us Iohn III. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life What this believing on him is we are also told in the next Chapter The woman saith unto him I know that the Messiah cometh When he is come he will tell us all things Iesus said unto her I that spake unto thee am he The woman then went into the City and saith to the men come see a man that hath told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Messiah And many of the Samaritans believed on him for the saying of the woman who testified he told me all that ever I did So when the Samaritans were come unto him many more believed because of his words and said to the woman We believe not any longer because of thy saying for we have heard our selves and we know that this Man is truly the Saviour of the World the Messiah John IV. 25 26. 29. 39 40 41 42. By which place it is plain that believing on the Son is the believing that Iesus was the Messiah giving Credit to the Miracles he did and the Profession he made of himself For those who were said to BELIEVE ON HIM for the saying of the Woman v. 39. tell the Woman that they now believed not any longer because of her saying but that having heard him themselves they knew i. e. BELIEVED past doubt THAT HE WAS THE MESSIAH This was the great Proposition that was then controverted concerning Jesus of Nazareth whether he was the Messiah or no And the assent to that was that which distinguished Believers form Unbelievers When many of his Disciples had forsaken him upon his declaring that he was the Bread of Life which came down from Heaven He said to the Apostles will ye also go away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the words of eternal life And we believe and are sure thou art the Messiah the Son of the living God Iohn VI. 69. This was the Faith which distinguished them form Apostates and Unbelievers and was sufficient to continue them in the rank of Apostles And it was upon the same Proposition That Iesus was the Messiah the Son of the living God owned by St. Peter that our Saviour said he would build his Church Mat. XVI 16-18 To convince men of this he did his Miracles And their assent to or not assenting to this made them to be or not to be of his Church Believers or not Believers The Iews came round about him and said unto him how long dost thou make us doubt If thou be the Messiah tell us plainly Iesus answered them I told you and ye believed not The works that I do in my Father's name they bear witness of me But ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep John X. 24-26 Conformable hereunto St. Iohn tells us That many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that Iesus the Messiah is come in the flesh This is a deceiver and an Antichrist whosoever abideth not in the Doctrine of the Messiah has not God He that abideth in the Doctrine of the Messiah i. e. that Jesus is he hath both the Father and the Son 2 John 7. 9 10. That this is the meaning of the place is plain from what he says in his foregoing Epistle Whosoever believeth that Iesus is the Messiah is born of God 1 John V. 1. And therefore drawing to a close of his Gospel and shewing the end for which he writ it he has these words Many other signs truly did Iesus in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this book but these are written that ye may believe that Iesus is the Messiah the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name John XX. 30 31. Whereby it is plain that the Gospel was writ to induce men into a belief of this Proposition that Iesus of Nazareth was the Messiah Which if they believed they should have life Accordingly the great Question amongst the Jews was whether he were the Messiah or no And the great Point insisted on and promulgated in the Gospel was that he was the Messiah The first glad tidings of his Birth brought to the Shepherds by an Angel was in these words Fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people For to you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is the Messiah the Lord Luke II. 11. Our Saviour Discoursing with Martha about the means of attaining Eternal Life saith to her Iohn XI 27. Whosoever believeth in me shall never die Believest thou this She saith unto him Yea Lord I believe that thou art the Messiah the Son of God which should come into the world This Answer of hers sheweth what it is to believe in Jesus Christ so as to have Eternal Life viz. to believe that he is the Messiah the Son of God whose coming was foretold by the Prophets And thus Andrew and Philip express it Andrew says to his Brother Simon we have found the Messiah which is being interpreted the Christ. Philip saith to Nathanael we have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Iesus of Nazareth the Son of Joseph Iohn I. 41. 45. According to what the Evangelist says in this place I have for the clearer understanding
them your blood be upon your own heads I am clean from henceforth I will go unto the Greeks Upon the like occasion he tells the Jews at Antioch Acts XIII 46. It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you But seeing you put it off from you we turn to the Gentiles 'T is plain here St. Paul's charging their Blood on their own heads is for opposing this single Truth that Iesus was the Messiah that Salvation or Perdition depends upon believing or rejecting this one Proposition I mean this is all is required to be believed by those who acknowledge but one Eternal and Invisible God the maker of Heaven and Earth as the Jews did For that there is something more required to Salvation besides believing we shall see hereafter In the mean time it is fit here on this occasion to take notice that though the Apostles in their Preaching to the Jews and the Devout as we translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who were Proselytes of the Gate and the worshippers of one Eternal and Invisible God said nothing of the believing in this one true God the maker of Heaven and Earth because it was needless to press this to those who believed and professed it already for to such 't is plain were most of their Discourses hitherto Yet when they had to do with Idolatrous Heathens who were not yet come to the knowledge of the one only true God they began with that as necessary to be believed it being the Foundation on which the other was built and without which it could signifie nothing Thus Paul speaking to the Idolatrous Lystrians who would have sacrificed to him and Barnabas says Acts XIV 15. We Preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the living God who made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all things that are therein Who in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways Nevertheless he left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness Thus also he proceeded with the Idolatrous Athenians Acts XVII Telling them upon occasion of the Altar dedicated to the unknown God Whom ye ignorantly worship him declare I unto you God who made the World and all things therein Seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Forasmuch then as we are the Off-spring of God we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto Gold or Silver or Stone graven by art and man's device And the times of this ignorance God winked at But now commandeth all men every where to repent Because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in Righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained Whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead So that we see where any thing more was necessary to be proposed to be believed as there was to the Heathen Idolaters there the Apostles were careful not to omit it Acts XVIII 4. Paul at Corinth reasoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath-day and testified to the Iews that Iesus was the Messiah Ver. 11. And he continued there a year and six months teaching the Word of God amongst them i. e. The good News that Jesus was the Messiah as we have already shewn is meant by the Word of God Apollos another Preacher of the Gospel when he was instructed in the way of God more perfectly what did he teach but this same Doctrine As we may see in this account of him Acts XVIII 27. That when he was come into Achaia he helped the Brethren much who had believed through grace For he mightily convinced the Iews and that publickly shewing by the Scriptures that Iesus was the Messiah St. Paul in the Account he gives of himself before Festus and Agrippa professes this alone to be the Doctrine he taught after his Conversion For says he Acts XXVI 22. Having obtained help of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come That the Messias should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should shew light unto the People and to the Gentiles Which was no more than to prove that Jesus was the Messiah This is that which as we have above observed is called the Word of God Acts XI 1. compared with the foregoing Chapter from v. 34. to the end And XIII 42. compared with 44. 46. 48 49. And XVII 13. compared with v. 11. 3. It is also called the Word of the Gospel Acts XV. 7. And this is that Word of God and that Gospel which where-ever their Discourses are set down we find the Apostles preached and was that Faith which made both Jews and Gentiles Believers and Members of the Church of Christ purifying their hearts Acts XV. 9. And carrying with it Remission of sins Acts X. 43. So that all that was to be believed for Justification was no more but this single Proposition That Iesus of Nazareth was the Christ or the Messiah All I say that was to be believed for Justification For that it was not all that was required to be done for Justification we shall see hereafter Though we have seen above from what our Saviour has Pronounced himself Iohn III. 36. That he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And are taught from Iohn IV. 39. compared with v. 42. That believing on him is believing that he is the Messiah the Saviour of the World And the Confession made by St. Peter Mat. XVI 16. That he is the Messiah the Son of the living God being the Rock on which our Saviour has promised to build his Church Though this I say and what else we have already taken notice of be enough to convince us what it is we are in the Gospel required to believe to Eternal Life without adding what we have observed from the Preaching of the Apostles Yet it may not be amiss for the farther clearing this matter to observe what the Evangelists deliver concerning the same thing though in different words Which therefore perhaps are not so generally taken notice of to this purpose We have above observed from the words of Andrew and Philip compared That the Messiah and him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write signifie the same thing We shall now consider that place Iohn I. a little further Ver. 41. Andrew says to Simon We have found the Messiah Philip on the same occasion v. 45. says to Nathanael We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Iesus of Nazareth the Son of Joseph Nathanael who disbelieved this when upon Christ's speaking to him
he was convinced of it declares his assent to it in these words Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel From which it is evident that to believe him to be Him of whom Moses and the Prophets did write or to be the Son of God or to be the King of Israel was in effect the same as to believe him to be the Messiah And an assent to that was what our Saviour received for believing For upon Nathanael's making a confession in these words Thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel Iesus answered and said to him Because I said to thee I saw thee under the Fig-tree dost thou BELIEVE Thou shalt see greater things than these v. 51. I desire any one to read the latter part of the first of Iohn from v. 25. with attention and tell me whether it be not plain that this Phrase The Son of God is an Expression used for the Messiah To which let him add Martha's declaration of her Faith Iohn XI 27. in these words I believe that thou art the Messiah THE SON OF GOD who should come into the World And that passage of St. Iohn Chap. XX. 31. That ye might believe that Iesus is the Messiah THE SON OF GOD and that believing ye might have life through his name And then tell me whether he can doubt that Messiah and Son of God were Synonymous terms at that time amongst the Jews The Prophecy of Daniel Chap. IX where he is called Messiah the Prince And the mention of his Government and Kingdom and the deliverance by him in Isaiah Daniel and other Prophesies understood of the Messiah were so well known to the Jews and had so raised their hopes of him about this time which by their account was to be the time of his coming to restore the Kingdom to Israel That Herod no sooner heard of the Magi's enquiry after him that was born King of the Iews Mat. II. But he forthwith demanded of the chief Priests and Scribes where the Messiah should be born v. 4. Not doubting but if there were any King born to the Jews it was the Messiah Whose Coming was now the general Expectation as appears Luke III. 15. The people being in expectation and all men musing in their hearts of John whether he were the Messiah or not And when the Priests and Levites sent to ask him who he was He understanding their meaning answers Iohn I. 19. That he was not the Messiah But he bears witness that Jesus is the Son of God i. e. the Messiah v. 34. This looking for the Messiah at this time we see also in Simeon who is said to be waiting for the consolation of Israel Luke II. 21. And having the Child Jesus in his Arms he says he had seen the Salvation of the Lord v. 30. And Anna coming at the same instant into the Temple she gave thanks also unto the Lord and spake of him to all them that looked for Redemption in Israel v. 38. And of Ioseph of Arimathea it is said Mark XV. 43. That he also expected the Kingdom of God By all which was meant the Coming of the Messiah And Luke XIX 11. 't is said They thought that the Kingdom of God should immediately appear This being premised let us see what it was that Iohn the Baptist preached when he first entred upon his Ministry That St. Matthew tells us Chap. III. 1 2. In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the Wilderness of Judea saying Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand This was a declaration of the Coming of the Messiah the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God being the same as is clear out of several places of the Evangelists and both signifying the Kingdom of the Messiah The Profession which Iohn the Baptist made when sent to the Jews Iohn I. 19. was That he was not the Messiah but that Jesus was This will appear to any one who will compare v. 26-34 With Iohn III. 27. 30. The Jews being very inquisitive to know whether Iohn were the Messiah he positively denies it but tells them he was only his Fore-runner and that there stood one amongst them who would follow him whose Shoe-latchet he was not worthy to untie The next day seeing Jesus he says he was the Man and that his own Baptizing in Water was only that Iesus might be manifested to the World and that he knew him not till he saw the Holy Ghost descend upon him He that sent him to Baptize having told him that he on whom he should see the Spirit decend and rest upon he it was that should Baptize with the Holy Ghost And that therefore he witnessed that this was the Son of God v. 34. i. e. the Messiah And Chap. III. 26 c. They came to Iohn the Baptist and tell him that Iesus baptized and that all Men went to him Iohn answers He has his Authority from Heaven You know I never said I was the Messiah but that I was sent before him He must increase but I must decrease For God hath sent him and he speaks the words of God And God hath given all things into the hands of his Son And he that believes on the Son hath eternal life The same Doctrine and nothing else but what was preached by the Apostles afterwards As we have seen all through the Acts v. g. that Jesus was the Messiah And thus it was that Iohn bears witness of our Saviour as Jesus himself says Iohn V. 33. This also was the Declaration was given of him at his Baptism by a voice from Heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. III. 17. Which was a declaration of him to be the Messiah the Son of God being as we have shewed understood to signifie the Messiah To which we may add the first mention of him after his Conception in the words of the Angel to Ioseph Mat. I. 21. Thou shalt call his name Iesus or Saviour for he shall save his people from their sins It was a received Doctrine in the Jewish Nation that at the Coming of the Messiah all their sins should be forgiven them These words therefore of the Angel we may look on as a declaration that Jesus was the Messiah whereof these words his People are a further mark which suppose him to have a People and consequently to be a King After his Baptism Jesus himself enters upon his Ministry But before we examine what it was he proposed to be believed we must observe that there is a three-fold declaration of the Messiah 1. By Miracles The Spirit of Prophecy had now for many Ages forsaken the Jews And though their Common-Wealth were not quite dissolved but that they lived under their own laws yet they were under a Foreign Dominion subject to the Romans In this state their account of the time being up they were in expectation of the Messiah and of deliverance by him in a Kingdom he was
come he will tell us all things Whereupon our Saviour though we hear no such thing from him in Ierusalem or Iudea or to Nicodemus yet here to this Samaritan Woman he in plain and direct words owns and declares that he himself who talked with her was the Messiah v. 26. This would seem very strange that he should be more free and open to a Samaritan than he was to the Jews were not the reason plain from what we have observed above He was now out of Iudea with a People with whom the Iews had no Commerce v. 9. Who were not disposed out of Envy as the Iews were to seek his Life or to Accuse him to the Roman Governour or to make an Insurrection to set a Iew up for their King What the Consequence was of his Discourse with this Samaritan Woman we have an Account v. 28. 39-42 She left her Water-pot and went her way into the City and saith to the men Come see a man who told me all things that ever I did Is not this the Messiah And many of the Samaritans of that City BELIEVED ON HIM for the saying of the Woman which testified He told me all that ever I did So when the Samaritans were come unto him they besought him that he would tarry with them And he abode there two days And many more believed because of his own word And said unto the Woman Now we believe not because of thy saying For we have heard him our selves and we know i. e. are fully perswaded that it is indeed the Messiah the Saviour of the World By comparing v. 39. with 41 42. it is plain that believing on him signifies no more than believing him to be the Messiah From Sichar Jesus goes to Nazareth the place he was bred up in and there Reading in the Synagogue a Prophecy concerning the Messiah out of the LXI of Isaiah he tells them Luke IV. 21. This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears But being in danger of his Life at Nazareth he leaves it for Capernaum And then as St. Matthew informs us Chap. IV. 17. He began to Preach and say Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Or as St. Mark has it Chap. I. 14 15. Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand repent ye and believe in the Gospel i. e. believe this good News This removing to Capernaum and seating himself there in the Borders of Zabulon and Naphtali was as St. Matthew observes Chap. IV. 13-16 That a Prophecy of Isaiah might be fulfilled Thus the Actions and Circumstances of his Life answered the Prophesies and declared him to be the Messiah And by what St. Mark says in this place it is manifest that the Gospel which he preached and required them to believe was no other but the good tidings of the Coming of the Messiah and of his Kingdom the time being now fulfilled In his way to Capernaum being come to Cana a Noble-man of Capernaum came to him v. 47. And besought him that he would come down and heal his Son for he was at the point of death v. 48. Then said Iesus unto him except ye see signs and wonders you will not believe Then he returning homewards and finding that his Son began to mend at the same hour in which Iesus said unto him thy Son liveth he himself believed and his whole House v. 53. Here this Noble-man is by the Apostle pronounced to be a Believer And what does he believe Even that which Jesus complains v. 48. They would not BELIEVE except they saw Signs and Wonders Which could be nothing but what those of Samaria in the same Chapter believed viz. that he was the Messiah For we no where in the Gospel hear of any thing else had been proposed to be believed by them Having done Miracles and cured all their sick at Capernaum he says Let us go to the adjoyning Towns that I may preach there also for therefore came I forth Mark I. 38. Or as St. Luke has it Chap. IV. 43. He tells the multitude who would have kept him that he might not go from them I must Evangelize or tell the good Tidings of the Kingdom of God to other Cities also for therefore am I sent And St. Matthew Chap. IV. 23. tells us how he executed this Commission he was sent on And Iesus went about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and curing all Diseases This then was what he was sent to Preach every where viz. The Gospel of the Kingdom of the Messiah and by the Miracles and Good he did let them know who was the Messiah Hence he goes up to Ierusalem to the second Passover since the beginning of his Ministry And here discoursing to the Jews who sought to kill him upon occasion of the man whom he had cured carrying his Bed on the Sabbath-day and for making God his Father He tells them that he wrought these things by the Power of God and that he shall do greater things For that the Dead shall at his Summons be raised And that he by a Power committed to him from his Father shall Judge them And that he is sent by his Father And that whoever shall hear his Word and believe in him that sent him has Eternal Life This though a clear Description of the Messiah yet we may observe that here to the angry Iews who sought to kill him he says not a word of his Kingdom nor so much as names the Messiah But yet that he is the Son of God and sent from God He refers them to the Testimony of Iohn the Baptist to the Testimony of his own Miracles and of God himself in the Voice from Heaven and of the Scriptures and of Moses He leaves them to learn from these the Truth they were to believe viz. that he was the Messiah sent from God This you may read more at large Iohn V. 1-47 The next place where we find him Preaching was on the Mount Mat. V. and Luke VI. This is by much the longest Sermon we have of his any where and in all likelihood to the greatest Auditory For it appears to have been to the Peple gathered to him from Galilee and Iudea and Ierusalem and from beyond Iordan and that came out of Idumea and from Tyre and Sidon mentioned Mark III. 7 8. and Luke VI. 17. But in this whole Sermon of his we do not find one word of Believing and therefore no mention of the Messiah or any intimation to the People who himself was The reason whereof we may gather from Mat. 12. 16. where Christ forbids them to make him known which supposes them to know already who he was For that this XII Chapter of Matthew ought to precede the Sermon in the Mount is plain by comparing it with Mark II. beginning at v. 13. to Mark III. 8. And comparing those Chapters of St. Mark with
to Preach was that the Kingdom of the Messiah was come Whosoever should not receive them the Messengers of this good Tidings nor hearken to their Message incurred a heavier doom than Sodom and Gomorrha at the day of Judgment v. 14 15. But v. 32. Whosoever shall confess me before men I will confess him before my Father who is in Heaven What this confessing of Christ is we may see by comparing Iohn XII 4. with IX 22. Nevertheless among the chief Rulers also many believed in him But because of the Pharisees they did not CONFESS HIM lest they should be put out of the Synagogue And Chap. IX 22. These words spake his Parents because they feared the Iews For the Iews had agreed already that if any man did CONFESS THAT HE WAS THE MESSIAH he should be put out of the Synagogue By which places it is evident that to confess him was to confess that he was the Messiah From which give me leave to observe also what I have cleared from other places but cannot be too often remark'd because of the different sense has been put upon that Phrase viz. That believing on or in him for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred either way by the English Traslation signifies believing that he was the Messiah For many of the Rulers the Text says believed on him But they durst not consess what they believed for fear they should be put out of the Synagogue Now the Offence for which it was agreed that any one should be put out of the Synagogue was if he did confess that Iesus was the Messiah Hence we may have a clear understanding of that passage of St. Paul to the Romans where he tells them positively what is the Faith he Preaches Rom. X. 8 9. That is the Word of Faith which we preach That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved And that also of St. Iohn IV. 14 15. We have seen and do testifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World Whosoever shall confess that Iesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and be in God Where confessing Jesus to be the Son of God is the same with confessing him to be the Messiah Those two Expressions being understood amongst the Jews to signifie the same thing as we have shewn already How calling him the Son of God came to signifie that he was the Messiah would not be hard to shew But it is enough that it appears plainly that it was so used and had that import amongst the Jews at that time Which if any one desires to have further evidenced to him he may add Mat. XXVI 63. Iohn VI. 69. XI 27. XX. 31. to those places before occasionally taken notice of As was the Apostles Commission such was their Performance As we read Luke IX 6. They departed and went through the Towns preaching the Gospel and healing every where Jesus bid them Preach saying The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand And St. Luke tells us they went through the Towns Preaching the Gospel A word which in Saxon answers well the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies as that does Good news So that what the inspired Writers call the Gospel is nothing but the good Tidings that the Messiah and his Kingdom was come And so it is to be understood in the New Testament And so the Angel calls it Good tidings of great joy Luke II. 10. Bringing the first News of our Saviour's Birth And this seems to be all that his Disciples were at that time sent to Preach So Luke IX 59 60. To him that would have excused his present Attendance because of burying his Father Iesus said unto him let the dead bury their dead but go thou and preach the Kingdom of God When I say this was all they were to Preach I must be understood that this was the Faith they preached But with it they joyned Obedience to the Messiah whom they received for their King So likewise when he sent out the Seventy Luke X. their Commission was in these words v. 9. Heal the sick and say unto them the Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you After the return of his Apostles to him he sits down with them in a Mountain And a great multitude being gathered about them St. Luke tells us Chap. IX 11. The people followed him and he received them and spake unto them of the Kingdom of God and healed them that had need of healing This was his Preaching to this Assembly which consisted of Five Thousand Men besides Women and Children All which great multitude he fed with five Loaves and two Fishes Mat. XIV 21. And what this Miracle wrought upon them St. Iohn tells us Chap. VI. 14 15. Then these men when they had seen the miracle that Iesus did said This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the World i. e. the Messiah For the Messiah was the only Person that they expected from God and this the time they looked for him And hence Iohn the Baptist Mat. XI 3. stiles him He that should come As in other places Come from God or Sent from God are Phrases used for the Messiah Here we see our Saviour keeps to his usual method of Preaching He speaks to them of the Kingdom of God and does Miracles by which they might understand him to be the Messiah whose Kingdom he spake of And here we have the reason also why he so much concealed himself and forbore to own his being the Messiah For what the consequence was of the multitudes but thinking him so when they were got together St. Iohn tells us in the very next words When Iesus then perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a King he departed again into a mountain himself alone If they were so ready to set him up for their King only because they gathered from his Miracles that he was the Messiah whilst he himself said nothing of it What would not the People have done And what would not the Scribes and Pharisees have had an Opportunity to Accuse him of if he had openly professed himself to have been the Messiah that King they looked for But this we have taken notice of already From hence going to Capernaum whither he was followed by a great part of the People whom he had the day before so miraculously fed He upon the occasion of their following him for the Loaves bids them seek for the Meat that endureth to Eternal Life And thereupon Iohn VI. 22-69 declares to them his being sent from the Father And that those who believed in him should be raised to Eternal Life But all this very much involved in a mixture of Allegorical terms of eating and of Bread Bread of Life which came down from Heaven c. Which is all comprehended and expounded in these short and plain
words v. 47. 54. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day The sum of all which Discourse is that he was the Messiah sent from God And that those who believed him to be so should be raised from the Dead at the last day to Eternal Life These who he spoke to were of those who the day before would by force have made him King And therefore 't is no wonder he should speak to them of himself and his Kingdom and Subjects in obscure and Mystical terms and such as should offend those who looked for nothing but the Grandeur of a Temporal Kingdom in this World and the Protection and Prosperity they had promised themselves under it The hopes of such a Kingdom now that they had found a man that did Miracles and therefore concluded to be the Deliverer they expected had the day before almost drawn them into an open Insurrection and involved our Saviour in it This he thought fit to put a stop to they still following him 't is like with the same design And therefore though he here speaks to them of his Kingdom it was in a way that so plainly bauk'd their Expectation and shock'd them that when they found themselves disappointed of those vain hopes and that he talked of their eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood that they might have Life the Jews said v. 52. How can this man give us his flesh to eat And many even of his Disciples said It was an hard saying who can bear it And so were scandalized in him and forsook him v. 60. 66. But what the true meaning of this Discourse of our Saviour was the Confession of St. Peter who understood it better and answered for the rest of the Apostles shews When Jesus asked him v. 67. Will ye also go away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the words of eternal life i. e. Thou teachest us the way to attain Eternal Life And accordingly We believe and are sure that thou art the Messiah the Son of the living God This was the eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood whereby those who did so had Eternal Life Sometime after this he enquires of his Disciples Mark VIII 27. Who the People took him for They telling him for Iohn the Baptist or one of the old Prophets risen from the Dead He asked what they themselves thought And here again Peter answers in these words Mark VIII 29. Thou art the Messiah Luke IX 20. The Messiah of God And Mat. XVI 16. Thou art the Messiah the Son of the living God Which Expressions we may hence gather amount to the same thing Whereupon our Saviour tells Peter Mat. XVI 17 18. That this was such a truth As flesh and blood could not reveal to him but only his Father who was in Haven And that this was the Foundation on which he was to build his Church By all the parts of which passage it is more than probable that he had never yet told his Apostles in direct words that he was the Messiah but that they had gathered it from his Life and Miracles For which we may imagine to our selves this probable Reason Because that if he had familiarly and in direct terms talked to his Apostles in private that he was the Messiah the Prince of whose Kingdom he preached so much in publick every where Iudas whom he knew false and treacherous would have been readily made use of to testifie against him in a matter that would have been really Criminal to the Roman Governour This perhaps may help to clear to us that seemingly abrupt reply of our Saviour to his Apostles Iohn VI. 70. when they confessed him to be the Messiah I will for the better explaining of it set down the passage at large Peter having said We believe and are sure that thou art the Messiah the Son of the living God Iesus answered them Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a reply seeming at first sight nothing to the purpose when yet it is sure all our Saviour's Discourses were wise and pertinent It seems therefore to me to carry this sense to be understood afterwards by the eleven as that of destroying the Temple and raising it again in three days was when they should reflect on it after his being betray'd by Iudas You have confessed and believe the truth concerning me I am the Messiah your King But do not wonder at it that I have never openly declared it to you For amongst you twelve whom I have chosen to be with me there is one who is an Informer or false Accuser for so the Greek word signifies and may possibly here be so translated rather than Devil who if I had owned my self in plain words to have been the Messiah the King of Israel would have betrayed me and informed against me That he was yet cautious of owning himself to his Apostles positively to be the Messiah appears farther from the manner wherein he tells Peter v. 18. that he will build his Church upon that Confession of his that he was the Messiah I say unto thee Thou art Cephas or a Rock and upon this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Words too doubtful to be laid hold on against him as a Testimony that he professed himself to be the Messiah Especially if we joyn with them the following words v. 19. And I will give thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven And what thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and what thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven Which being said Personally to Peter render the foregoing words of our Saviour wherein he declares the Fundamental Article of his Church to be the believing him to be the Messiah the more obscure and doubtful and less liable to be made use of against him But yet such as might afterwards be understood And for the same reason he yet here again forbids the Apostles to say that he was the Messiah v. 20. From this time say the Evangelists Jesus began to shew to his Disciples i. e. his Apostles who are often called Disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the Elders Chief Priests and Scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day These though all marks of the Messiah yet how little understood by the Apostles or suited to their expectation of the Messiah appears from Peter's rebuking him for it in the following words Mat. XVI 22. Peter had twice before owned him to be the Messiah and yet he cannot here bear that he should Suffer and be put to Death and be raised again Whereby we may perceive how little yet Jesus had explained to the Apostles what Personally concerned himself They had been a good while witnesses of his Life and Miracles
contrary Life And so they are joyned together Acts III. 19. Repent and turn about Or as we render it be converted And Acts XXVI Repent and turn to God And sometimes turning about is put alone to signifie Repentance Mat. XIII 15. Luke XXII 32. Which in other words is well expressed by Newness of Life For it being certain that he who is really sorry for his sins and abhors them will turn from them and forsake them Either of these Acts which have so Natural a connexion one with the other may be and is often put for both together Repentance is an hearty sorrow for our past misdeeds and a sincere Resolution and Endeavour to the utmost of our power to conform all our Actions to the Law of God So that Repentance does not consist in one single Act of sorrow though that being the first and leading Act gives denomination to the whole But in doing works meet for Repentance in a sincere Obedience to the Law of Christ the remainder of our Lives This was called for by Iohn the Baptist the Preacher of Repentance Mat. III. 8. Bring forth fruits meet for Repentance And by St. Paul here Acts XXVI 20. Repent and turn to God and do works meet for Repentance There are works to follow belonging to Repentance as well as sorrow for what is past These two Faith and Repentance i. e. believing Jesus to be the Messiah and a good Life are the indispensible Conditions of the New Covenant The Reasonableness or rather Necessity of which as the only Conditions required in the Covenant of Grace to be performed by all those who would obtain Eternal Life that we may the better comprehend we must a little look back to what was said in the beginning Adam being the Son of God and so St. Luke calls him Chap. III. 38. had this part also of the Likeness and Image of his Father viz. That he was Immortal But Adam transgressing the Command given him by his Heavenly Father incurred the Penalty forfeited that state of Immortality and became Mortal After this Adam begot Children But they were in his own likeness after his own image Mortal like their Father God nevertheless out of his Infinite Mercy willing to bestow Eternal Life on Mortal Men sends Jesus Christ into the World Who being conceived in the Womb of a Virgin that had not known Man by the immediate Power of God was properly the Son of God According to what the Angel declared to his Mother Luke I. 30-35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the Power of the Highest shall over shadow thee Therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called THE SON OF GOD. So that being the Son of God he was like his Father Immortal As he tells us Iohn V. 26. As the Father hath life in himself so hath be given to the Son to have life in himself And that Immortality is a part of that Image wherein these who were the immediate Sons of God so as to have no other Father were made like their Father appears probable not only from the places in Genesis concerning Adam above taken notice of but seems to me also to be intimated in some Expressions concerning Iesus the Son of God In the New Testament Col. I. 15. He is called the Image of the invivisible God Invisible seems put in to obviate any gross Imagination that he as Images use to do represented God in any corporeal or visible Resemblance And there is farther subjoyned to lead us into the meaning of it The First-born of every Creature Which is farther explained v. 18. Where he is termed The First-born from the dead Thereby making out and shewing himself to be the Image of the Invisible God That Death hath no power over him But being the Son of God and not having forfeited that Son-ship by any Trangression was the Heir of Eternal Life As Adam should have been had he continued in his filial Duty In the same sense the Apostle seems to use the word Image in other places viz. Rom. VIII 29. Whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many Brethren This Image to which they were conformed seems to be Immortality and Eternal Life For 't is remarkable that in both these places St. Paul speaks of the Resurrection And that Christ was The First-born among many Brethren He being by Birth the Son of God and the others only by Adoption as we see in this same Chapter v. 15-17 Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit it self bearing witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God And if Children then Heirs And Ioynt-Heirs with Christ If so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified together And hence we see that our Saviour vouchsafes to call those who at the Day of Judgment are through him entring into Eternal Life his Brethren Mat. XXV 40. In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren And may we not in this find a reason why God so frequently in the New Testament and so seldom if at all in the Old is mentioned under the single Title of THE FATHER And therefore our Saviour says Mat. XI No man knoweth the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him God has now a Son again in the World the First-born of many Brethren who all now by the Spirit of Adoption can say Abba Father And we by Adoption being for his sake made his Brethren and the Sons of God come to share in that Inheritance which was his Natural Right he being by Birth the Son of God Which Inheritance is Eternal Life And again v. 23. We groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body Whereby is plainly meant the change of these frail Mortal Bodies into the Spiritual Immortal Bodies at the Resurrection When this Mortal shall have put on Immortality 1 Cor. XV. 54. Which in that Chapter v. 42-44 he farther expresses thus So also is the Resurrection of the dead It is sown in Corruption it is raised in Incorruption It is sown in dishonour it is raised in Glory It is sown in Weakness it is raised in Power It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body c. To which he subjoyns v. 49. As we have born the Image of the Earthy i. e. As we have been Mortal like Earthy Adam our Father from whom we are descended when he was turned out of Paradise We shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly Into whose Sonship and Inheritance being adopted we shall at the Resurrection receive that Adoption we expect Even the Redemption of our Bodies And after his Image which is the Image of the Father become Immortal Hear what he says himself Luke XX. 35 36. They who shall be
He answered Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind And thy Neighbour as thy self Jesus said This do and thou shalt live And when the Lawyer upon our Saviour's Parable of the good Samaritan was forced to confess that he that shewed Mercy was his Neighbour Jesus dismissed him with this Charge v. 37. Go and do thou likewise Luke XI 41. Give Alms of such things as ye have Behold all things are clean unto you Luke XII 15. Take heed and beware of Covetousness V. 22. Be not sollicitous what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor what ye shall put on Be not fearful or apprehensive of want For it is your Father's pleasure to give you a Kingdom Sell that you have and give Alms And provide your selves bags that wax not old and Treasure in the Heavens that faileth not For where your Treasure is there will your heart be also Let your loyns be girded and your lights burning And ye your selves like unto men that wait for the Lord when he will return Blessed are those Servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching Blessed is that Servant whom the Lord having made Ruler of his Houshold to give them their Portion of Meat in due season the Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Of a truth I say unto you that he will make him a Ruler over all that he hath But if that Servant say in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming And shall begin to beat the Men-servants and Maidens and to eat and drink and to be drunken The Lord of that Servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him and at an hour when he is not aware and will cut him in sunder and will appoint him his Portion with Vnbelievers And that Servant who knew his Lord's will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes For he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required And to whom men have committed much of him they will ask the more Luke XIV 11. Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased And he that humbleth himself shall be exalted V. 12. When thou makest a Dinner or Supper call not thy Friends or thy Brethren neither thy Kinsmen nor thy Neighbours lest they also bid thee again and a recompence be made thee But when thou makest a Feast call the Poor and Maimed the Lame and the Blind And thou shalt be blessed For they cannot recompence thee For thou shalt be recompenced at the Resurrection of the Iust. V. 33. So likewise whosoever he be of you that is not ready to forego all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple Luke XVI 9. I say unto you make to your selves Friends of the Mammon of Vnrighteousness That when ye fail they may receive you into Everlasting Habitations If ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true Riches And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another mans who shall give you that which is your own Luke XVII 3. If thy Brother trespass against thee rebuke him And if he repent forgive him And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent Thou shalt forgive him Luke XVIII 1. He spoke a Parable to them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint V. 18. One comes to him and asks him saying Master what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life Iesus said to him If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandments He says Which Iesus said Thou knowest the Commandments Thou shalt not Kill Thou shalt not commit Adultery Thou shalt not Steal Thou shalt not bear false Witness Defraud not Honour thy Father and thy Mother And thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self He said All these have I observed from my Youth Iesus hearing this loved him and said unto him Yet lackest thou one thing Sell all that thou hast and give it to the Poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven And come follow me To understand this right we must take notice that this Young Man asks our Saviour what he must do to be admitted effectually into the Kingdom of the Messiah The Jews believed that when the Messiah came those of their Nation that received him should not die But that they with those who being dead should then be raised again by him should enjoy Eternal Life with him Our Saviour in Answer to this Demand tells the Young Man that to obtain the Eternal Life of the Kingdom of the Messiah he must keep the Commandments And then enumerating several of the Precepts of the Law the Young Man says he had observed these from his Childhood For which the Text tells us Jesus loved him But our Saviour to try whether in earnest he believed him to be the Messiah and resolved to take him to be his King and to obey him as such bids him give all he has to the Poor and come and follow him and he should have Treasure in Heaven This I look on to be the meaning of the place This of selling all he had and giving it to the Poor not being a standing Law of his Kingdom but a Probationary Command to this Young Man to try whether he truly believed him to be the Messiah and was ready to obey his Commands and relinquish all to follow him when he his Prince required it And therefore we see Luke XIX 14. Where our Saviour takes notice of the Jews not receiving him as the Messiah he expresses it thou We will not have this man to Reign over us 'T is not enough to believe him to be the Messiah unless we also obey his Laws and take him to be our King to Reign over us Mat. XXII 11-13 He that had not on the Wedding-Garment though he accepted of the Invitation and came to the Wedding was cast into utter Darkness By the Wedding-Garment 't is evident Good Works are meant here That Wedding-Garment of fine Linnen clean and white which we are told Rev. XIX 8. is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteous acts of the Saints Or as St. Paul calls it Ephes. IV. 1. The walking worthy of the Vocation wherewith we are called This appears from the Parable it self The Kingdom of Heaven says our Saviour v. 2. Is like unto a King who made a Marriage for his Son And here he distinguishes those who were invited into three sorts 1. Those who were invited and came not i.e. Those who had the Gospel the Good News of the Kingdom of God proposed to them but believed not 2. Those who came but had not on a Wedding-Garment i.e. Believed Iesus to be the Messiah but were not
hath given to them that obey him Acts XVII 30. Paul tells the Athenians That now under the Gospel God commandeth all Men every where to REPENT Acts XX. 21. St. Paul in his last Conference with the Elders of Ephesus professes to have taught them the whole Doctrine necessary to Salvation I have says he kept back nothing that was profitable unto you But have shewed you and have taught you publickly and from house to house Testifying both to the Iews and to the Greeks And then gives an account what his Preaching had been viz. REPENTANCE towards God and Faith towards our Lord Iesus the Messiah This was the Sum and Substance of the Gospel which St. Paul Preached and was all that he knew necessary to Salvation viz. Repentance and believing Iesus to be the Messiah And so takes his last farewel of them whom he should never see again v. 32. in these words And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified There is an Inheritance conveyed by the Word and Covenant of Grace but it is only to those who are Sanctified Acts. XXIV 24. When Felix sent for Paul that he and his Wife Drusilla might hear him concerning the Faith in Christ Paul reasoned of Righteousness or Justice and Temperance the Duties we owe to others and to our selves and of the Judgment to come Till he made Felix to tremble Whereby it appears that Temperance and Iustice were Fundamental parts of the Religion that Paul professed and were contained in the Faith which he Preached And if we find the Duties of the Moral Law not pressed by him every where We must remember That most of his Sermons left upon Record were Preached in their Synagogues to the Jews who acknowledged their Obedience due to all the Precepts of the Law And would have taken it amiss to have been suspected not to have been more Zealous for the Law than he And therefore it was with reason that his Discourses were directed chiefly to what they yet wanted and were averse to the knowledge and imbracing of Jesus their promised Messiah But what his Preaching generally was if we will believe him himself we may see Acts XXVI Where giving an Account to King Agrippa of his Life and Doctrine he tells him v. 20. I shewed unto them of Damascus and at Ierusalem and throughout all the Coasts of Iudea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for Repentance Thus we see by the Preaching of our Saviour and his Apostles that he required of those who believed him to be the Messiah and received him for their Lord and Deliverer that they should live by his Laws And that though in consideration of their becoming his Subjects by Faith in him whereby they believed and took him to be the Messiah their former Sins should be forgiven Yet he would own none to be his nor receive them as true denizons of the New Ierusalem into the inheritance of Eternal Life but leave them to the Condemnation of the Unrighteous who renounced not their former Miscarriages and lived in a sincere Obedience to his Commands What he expects from his Followers he has sufficiently declared as a Legislator And that they may not be deceived by mistaking the Doctrine of Faith Grace Free-Grace and the Pardon and Forgiveness of Sins and Salvation by him which was the great End of his Coming He more than once declares to them For what omissions and miscarriages he shall Judge and Condemn to Death even those who have owned him and done Miracles in his Name when he comes at last to render to every one according to what he hath DONE in the Flesh Sitting upon his Great and Glorious Tribunal at the end of the World The first place where we find our Saviour to have mentioned the day of Judgment is Ioh. V. 28 29. in these words The hour is coming in which all that are in their Graves shall hear his i. e. the Son of God's Voice and shall come forth They that have DONE GOOD unto the Resurrection of Life And they that have DONE EVIL unto the Resurrection of Damnation That which puts the distinction if we will believe our Saviour is the having done good or evil And he gives a reason of the necessity of his Judging or Condemning those who have done Evil in the following words v. 30. I can of my own self do nothing As I hear I judge And my Iudgment is just Because I seek not my own Will but the Will of my Father who hath sent me He could not judge of himself He had but a delegated Power of Judging from the Father whose Will he obeyed in it and who was of purer Eyes than to admit any unjust Person into the Kingdom of Heaven Matt. VII 22 23. Speaking again of that day he tells what his Sentence will be depart from me ye WORKERS of Iniquity Faith in the Penitent and Sincerely Obedient supplies the defect of their Performances and so by Grace they are made Just. But we may observe None are Sentenced or Punished for Unbelief but only for their Misdeeds They are Workers of Iniquity on whom the Sentence is Pronounced Matt. XIII 14. At the end of the World the Son of Man shall send forth his Angels And they shall gather out of his Kingdom all Scandals and them which DO INIQVITY And cast them into a Furnace of Fire There shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth And again v. 49. The Angels shall sever the WICKED from among the IVST and shall cast them into the Furnace of Fire Matt. XVI 24. For the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels And then be shall Reward every Man according to his WORKS Luke XIII 26. Then shall ye begin to say We have eaten and drunk in thy Presence and thou hast taught in our Streets But he shall say I tell you I know you not Depart from me ye WORKERS of Iniquity Matt. XXV 21-26 When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations He shall set the Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on his Left Then shall the King say to them on his Right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World For I was an hungred and ye gave me Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in Naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in Prison and ye came unto me Then shall the Righteous Answer him saying Lord When saw we thee an hungred and fed thee c. And the King shall answer and say unto them Verily I say unto you In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
of the Scripture all along put Messiah for Christ. Christ being but the Greek name for the Hebrew Messiah and both signifying The Anointed And that he was the Messiah was the great Truth he took pains to convince his Disciples and Apostles of appearing to them after his Resurrection As may be seen Luke XXIV which we shall more particularly consider in another place There we read what Gospel our Saviour Preach'd to his Disciples and Apostles And That as soon as he was risen from the Dead twice the very day of his Resurrection And if we may gather what was to be believed by all Nations from what was preached unto them we may observe that the Preaching of the Apostles every where in the Acts tended to this one Point to prove that Jesus was the Messiah Indeed now after his Death his Resurrection was also commonly required to be believed as a necessary Article and sometimes solely insisted on It being a mark and undoubted Evidence of his being the Messiah and necessary now to be believed by those who would receive him as the Messiah For since the Messiah was to be a Saviour and a King and to give Life and a Kingdom to those who received him as we shall see by and by there could have been no Pretence to have given him out for the Messiah and to require men to believe him to be so who thought him under the Power of Death and Corruption of the Grave And therefore those who believed him to be the Messiah must believe that he was risen from the Dead And those who believed him to be risen from the Dead could not doubt of his being the Messiah But of this more in another place Let us see therefore how the Apostles preached Christ and what they proposed to their Hearers to believe St. Peter at Ierusalem Acts II. by his first Sermon converted Three Thousand Souls What was his word which as we are told v. 41. they gladly received and thereupon were baptized That may be seen from v. 22. to v. 36. In short this Which is the Conclusion drawn from all that he had said and which he presses on them as the thing they were to believe viz. Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Iesus whom ye have crucified Lord and Messiah v. 36. To the same purpose was his Discourse to the Jews in the Temple Acts III. the design whereof you have v. 18. But those things that God before had shewed by the mouth of all his Prophets that the Messiah should suffer he hath so fulfilled In the next Chapter Acts IV. Peter and Iohn being examined about the Miracle on the lame Man profess it to have been done in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth who was the Messiah in whom alone there was Salvation v. 10-12 The same thing they confirm to them again Acts V. 29-32 And daily in the Temple and in every House they ceased not to teach and preach Iesus the Messiah v. 42. What was Stephen's Speech to the Council Acts VII but a Reprehension to them that they were the Betrayers and Murderers of the Iust One Which is the Title by which he plainly designs the Messiah whose coming was foreshewn by the Prophets v. 51 52. And that the Messiah was to be without sin which is the import of the word Just was the Opinion of the Jews appears from Iohn IX v. 22. compared with 24. Acts VIII Philip carries the Gospel to Samaria Then Philip went down to Samaria and preached to them What was it he preached You have an account of it in this one word The Messiah v. 5. This being that alone which was required of them to believe that Iesus was the Messiah which when they believed they were baptized And when they believed Philip 's Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and the name of Iesus the Messiah they were baptized both Men and Women v. 12. Philip being sent from thence by a special call of the Spirit to make an Eminent Convert out of Isaiah preaches to him Jesus v. 35. And what it was he preached concerning Iesus we may know by the Profession of Faith the Eunuch made upon which he was admitted to Baptism v. 37. I believe that Iesus Christ is the Son of God Which is as much as to say I believe that he whom you call Jesus Christ is really and truly the Messiah that was promised For that believing him to be the Son of God and to be the Messiah was the same thing may appear by comparing Iohn I. 45. with v. 49. where Nathanael owns Jesus to be the Messiah in these terms Thou art the Son of God Thou art the King of Israel So the Jews Luke XXII 70. asking Christ whether he were the Son of God plainly demand of him whether he were the Messiah Which is evident by comparing that with the three preceding Verses They ask him v. 67. whether he were the Messiah He answers If I tell you you will not believe but withal tells them that from thenceforth he should be in Possession of the Kingdom of the Messiah expressed in these words v. 69. Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God Which made them all cry our Art thou then the Son of God i. e. Dost thou then own thy self to be the Messiah To which he replies Ye say that I am That the Son of God was the known Title of the Messiah at that time amongst the Jews we may see also from what the Jews say to Pilate John XIX 7. We have a Law and by our Law he ought to die because he made himself THE SON OF GOD i. e. by making himself the Messiah the Prophet which was to come but falsely and therefore he deserves to die by the Law Deut. XVIII 20. That this was the common signification of the Son of God is farther evident form what the Chief Priests mocking him said when he was at the Cross Mat. XXVII 42. He saved others himself he cannot save If he be the King of Israel let him now come down from the Cross and we will believe him He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the SON OF GOD i. e. he said he was the Messiah But 't is plainly false for if he were God would deliver him For the Messiah is to be King of Israel the Saviour of others but this Man cannot save himself The Chief Priests mention here the two Titles then in use whereby the Jews commonly designed the Messiah viz. Son of God and King of Israel That of Son of God was so familiar a compellation of the Messiah who was then so much expected and talked of that the Romans it seems who lived amongst them had learned it as appears from v. 54. Now when the Centurion and they that were with him watching Iesus saw the Earthquake and those things that were done
fill out the time foretold of his Ministry And after a Life illustrious in Miracles and Good Works attended with Humility Meekness Patience and Suffering and every way conformable to the Prophesies of him should be lead as a sheep to the slaughter and with all quiet and submission be brought to the Cross though there were no guilt nor fault found in him This could not have been if as soon as he appeared in Publick and began to Preach he had presently professed himself to have been the Messiah the King that owned that Kingdom he published to be at hand For the Sanhedrim would then have laid hold on it to have got him into their Power and thereby have taken away his Life at least they would have disturbed his Ministry and hindred the Work he was about That this made him cautious and avoid as much as he could the occasions of provoking them and falling into their hands is plain from Iohn VII 1. After these things Iesus walked in Galilee out of the way of the Chief Priests and Rulers for he would not walk in Iewry because the Iews sought to kill him Thus making good what he foretold them at Ierusalem when at the first Passover after his beginning to Preach the Gospel upon his Curing the man at the Pool of Bethesday they sought to kill him Iohn V. 16. Ye have not says he v. 38. his word abiding amongst you For whom he hath sent him ye believe not This was spoken more particularly to the Jews of Ierusalem who were the forward men zealous to take away his Life And it imports that because of their Unbelief and Opposition to him the Word of God i. e. the Preaching of the Kingdom of the Messiah which is often called the Word of God did not stay amongst them He could not stay amongst them Preach and explain to them the Kingdom of the Messiah That the Word of God here signifies the Word of God that should make Jesus known to them to be the Messiah is evident from the Context And this meaning of this place is made good by the event For after this we hear no more of Jesus at Ierusalem till the Pentecost come twelve month though 't is not to be doubted but that he was there the next Passover and other Feasts between but privately And now at Ierusalem at the Feast of Pentecost near fifteen Months after he says very little and not a word of the Kingdom of Heaven being come or at hand nor did he any Miracle there And returning to Ierusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles it is plain that from this time till then which was a Year and a half he had not Taught them at Ierusalem For 1. It is said Iohn VII 2. 15. That he teaching in the Temple at the Feast of Tabernacles The Iews marvelled saying How knoweth this man letters having never learned A sign they had not been used to his Preaching For if they had they would not now have marvelled 2. Ver. 19. He says thus to them Did not Moses give you the Law and yet none of you keep the Law Why go you about to kill me One work or miracle I did here amongst you and ye all marvel Moses therefore gave unto you Circumcision and ye on the Sabbath-day circumcise a man If a man on the Sabbath-day receive Circumcision that the Law of Moses should not be broken are ye angry with me because I have made a man every way whole on the Sabbath-day Which is a direct defence of what he did at Ierusalem a Year and a half before when he last preached to them there which is reported Iohn V. 1-16 And it is at that very time when he told them v. 38. Ye have not the Word of God remaining among you because whom he hath sent ye believe not Whereby I think he signifies his not staying and being frequent amongst them Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom because their great Unbelief Opposition and Malice to him would not permit his stay and Preaching amongst them This was manifestly so in fact For the first Miracle he did at Ierusalem which was at the second Passover after his Baptism brought him in danger of his Life Which made him forbear Preaching again there till the Feast of Tabernacles immediately preceding his last Passover So that till half a Year before his Passion he did but one Miracle and preached but once publickly at Ierusalem These Tryals he made there But found their unbelief such that if he had staid and persisted to Preach the good tidings of the Kingdom and to shew himself by Miracles among them he could not have had time and freedom to do those Works which his Father had given him to finish as he says v. 36. of this fifth of St. Iohn When upon the curing of the withered Hand on the Sabbath-day The Pharisees took Counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy him Iesus withdrew himself with his Disciples to the Sea And a great multitude from Galilee followed him and from Judea and from Ierusalem and from Idumea and from beyond Jordan and they about Tyre and Sidon A great multitude when they had heard what great things he did came unto him and he healed them all and CHARGED THEM THAT THEY SHOVLD NOT MAKE HIM KNOWN That it might be fulfilled what was spoken by the Prophet Isaiah saying Behold my servant whom I have chosen my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased I will put my spirit upon him and he shall shew Iudgment to the Gentiles He shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets Mat. XII and Mark III. And Iohn XI 47. Upon the News of our Saviour's raising Lazarus from the Dead The Chief Priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrim and said what do we For this man does many Miracles v. 53. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death v. 54. Iesus therefore walked no more openly amongst the Iews His Miracles had now so much declared him to be the Messiah that the Jews could no longer bear him nor he trust himself amongst them But went thence unto a Country near to the Wilderness into a City called Ephraim and there continued with his Disciples This was but a little before his last Passover as appears by the following words v. 55. And the Iews Passover was nigh at hand And he could not now his Miracles had made him so well known have been secure the little time that now remained till his hour was fully come if he had not with his wonted and necessary caution withdrawn And walked no more openly amongst the Iews till his time at the next Passover was fully come And then again he appeared amongst them openly Nor would the Romans have suffered him if he had gone about Preaching that he was the King whom the Jews expected Such an Accusation would have been forwardly brought against him by the Jews if they could
Jews especially hated him because he testified of it that the works thereof are evil And that his time was not yet fully come wherein to quit his reserve and abandon himself freely to their Malice and Fury And therefore though he went up unto the Feast it was not openly but as it were in secret v. 10. And here coming into the Temple about the middle of the Feast he justifies his being sent from God And that he had not done any thing against the Law in curing the man at the Pool of Bethesday v. Iohn V. 1-16 on the Sabbath-day Which though done above a year and an half before they made use of as a pretence to destroy him But what was the true reason of seeking his Life appears from what we have in this VII Chapter v. 25-34 Then said some of them at Jerusalem Is not this he whom they seek to kill But lo he speaketh boldly and they say nothing unto him Do the Rulers know indeed that this is the very Messiah Howbeit we know this man whence he is But when the Messiah cometh no man knoweth whence he is Then cryed Iesus in the Temple as he taught ye both know me and ye know whence I am And I am not come of my self but he that sent me is true whom ye know not But I know him for I am from him and he hath sent me Then they sought an occasion to take him but no man laid hands on him because his hour was not yet come And many of the people believed on him and said when the Messiah cometh will be do more miracles than these which this man hath done The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him and the Pharisees and Chief Priests sent Officers to take him Then said Iesus unto them Yet a little while am I with you and then I go to him that sent me Ye shall seek me and not find me and where I am there ye cannot come Then said the Iews among themselves Whither will he go that we shall not find him Here we find that the great fault in our Saviour and the great Provocation to the Jews was his being taken for the Messiah and doing such things as made the People believe in him i. e. believe that he was the Messiah Here also our Saviour declares in words very easie to be understood at least after his Resurrection that he was the Messiah For if he were sent from God and did his Miracles by the Spirit of God there could be no doubt but he was the Messiah But yet this Declaration was in a way that the Pharisees and Priests could not lay hold on to make an Accusation of to the disturbance of his Ministry or the seizure of his Person how much soever they desired it For his time was not yet come The Officers they had sent to Apprehend him charmed with his Discourse returned without laying hands on him v. 45 46. And when the Chief Priests asked them Why they brought him not They answered Never man spake like this man Whereupon the Pharisees reply Are ye also deceived Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him But this people who know not the Law are cursed This shews what was meant by Believing on him viz. believing that he was the Messiah For say they have any of the Rulers who are skilled in the Law or of the Devout and learned Pharisees acknowledged him to be the Messiah For as for those who in the Division among the People concerning him say That he is the Messiah they are ignorant and vile wretches know nothing of the Scripture and being accursed are given up by God to be deceived by this Impostor and to take him for the Messiah Therefore notwithstanding their desire to lay hold on him he goes on And v. 37 38. In the last and great day of the Feast Iesus stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water And thus he here again declares himself to be the Messiah But in the Prophetick stile As we may see by the next Verse of this Chapter and those places in the Old Testament that these words of our Saviour refer to In the next Chapter Iohn VIII all that he says concerning himself and what they were to believe tends to this viz. That he was sent from God his Father And that if they did not believe that he was the Messiah they should die in their sins But this in a way as St. Iohn observes v. 27. that they did not well understand But our Saviour himself tells them v. 28. When ye have lift up the Son of Man then shall ye know that I am he Going from them he Cures the Man born blind whom meeting with again after the Jews had questioned him and cast him out Iohn IX 35-38 Jesus said to him Dost thou believe on the Son of God He answered who is he Lord that I might believe on him And Iesus said unto him Thou hast both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee And he said Lord I believe Here we see this man is pronounced a Believer when all that was proposed to him to believe was that Jesus was the Son of God Which was as we have already shewn to believe that he was the Messiah In the next Chapter Iohn X. 1-21 he declares the laying down of his Life for both Jews and Gentiles But in a Parable which they understood not v. 6. 20. As he was going to the Feast of the Dedication the Pharisees ask him Luke XVII 20. When the Kingdom of God i. e. of the Messiah should come He answers that it should not come with Pomp and Observation and great Concourse But that it was already begun amongst them If he had stopt here the sense had been so plain that they could hardly have mistaken him or have doubted but that he meant that the Messiah was already come and amongst them And so might have been prone to infer that Jesus took upon him to be him But here as in the place before taken notice of subjoyning to this the future Revelation of himself both in his coming to execute Vengeance on the Jews and in his coming to Judgment mixed together he so involved his sense that it was not easie to understand him And therefore the Jews came to him again in the Temple Iohn X. 23. and said How long dost thou make us doubt If thou be the Christ tell us plainly Iesus answered I told you and ye BELIEVED not The works that I do in my Father's Name they bear witness of me But ye BELIEVED not because ye are not of my sheep as I told you The BELIEVING here which he accuses them of not doing is plainly their not BELIEVING him to be the Messiah as the foregoing words evince and in the same sense it
is evidently meant in the following Verses of this Chapter From hence Iesus going to Bethabara and thence returning to Bethany upon Lazarus's Death Iohn XI 25-27 Jesus said to Martha I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet he shall live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall not die for ever So I understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answerable to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Septuagint Gen. III. 22. or Iohn VI. 51. which we read right in our English Translation Live for ever But whether this saying of our Saviour here can with truth be translated He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die will be apt to be questioned But to go on Believest thou this She said unto him yea Lord I believe that thou art the Messiah the Son of God which should come into the World This she gives as a full Answer to our Saviour's Demands This being that Faith which whoever had wanted no more to make them Believers We may observe farther in this same story of the raising of Lazarus what Faith it was our Saviour expected by what he says v. 41 42. Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me And I know that thou hearest me always But because of the people who stand by I said it that they may believe that thou hast sent me And what the Consequence of it was we may see v. 45. Then many of the Iews who came to Mary and had seen the things which Iesus did believed on him Which belief was that he was sent from the Father which in other words was that he was the Messiah That this is the meaning in the Evangelists of the Phrase of believing on him we have a demonstration in the following words v. 47 48. Then gathered the Chief Priests and Pharisees a Council and said what do we For this man does many miracles And if we let him alone all men will BELIEVE ON HIM Those who here say all men would BELIEVE ON HIM were the Chief Priests and Pharisees his Enemies who sought his Life and therefore could have no other sense nor thought of this Faith in him which they spake of but only the believing him to be the Messiah And that that was their meaning the adjoyning words shew If we let him alone all the World will believe on him i.e. believe him to be the Messiah And the Romans will come and take away both our Place and Nation Which Reasoning of theirs was thus grounded If we stand still and let the People Believe on him i.e. receive him for the Messiah They will thereby take him and set him up for their King and expect Deliverance by him Which will draw the Roman Arms upon us to the Destruction of us and our Country The Romans could not be thought to be at at all concerned in any other Belief whatsoever that the People might have in him It is therefore plain That Believing on him was by the Writers of the Gospel understood to mean the believing him to be the Messiah The Sanhedrim therefore v. 53 54. from that day forth consulted for to put him to death Iesus therefore walked not yet for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies and so I think it ought here to be translated boldly or open-fac'd among the Iews i.e. of Ierusalem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot well here be translated no more because within a very short time after he appeared openly at the Passover and by his Miracles and Speech declared himself more freely than ever he had done And all the Week before his Passion Taught daily in the Temple Mat. XX. 17. Mark X. 32. Luke XVIII 31 c. The meaning of this place seems therefore to be this That his time being not yet come he durst not yet shew himself openly and confidently before the Scribes and Pharisees and those of the Sanhedrim at Ierusalem who were full of Malice against him and had resolved his Death But went thence unto a Country near the Wilderness into a City called Ephraim and there continued with his Disciples to keep himself out of the way till the Passover which was nigh at hand v. 55. In his return thither he takes the Twelve aside and tells them before hand what should happen to him at Ierusalem whither they were now going And that all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of Man should be accomplished That he should be betrayed to the Chief Priests and Scribes And that they should Condemn him to Death and deliver him to the Gentiles That he should be mocked and spit on and scourged and put to Death and the third day he should rise again But St. Luke tells us Chap. XVIII 34. That the Apostles understood none of these things and this saying was hid from them neither knew they the things which were spoken They believed him to be the Son of God the Messiah sent from the Father But their Notion of the Messiah was the same with the rest of the Jews That he should be a Temporal Prince and Deliverer That which distinguished them from the Unbelieving Jews was That they believed Jesus to be the very Messiah and so received him as their King and Lord accordingly We see Mark X. 35. That even in this their last Journey with him to Ierusalem two of them Iames and Iohn coming to him and falling at his Feet said Grant unto us that we may fit one on thy right hand and the other on thy left hand in thy Glory Or as St. Matthew has it Chap. XX. 21. in thy Kingdom And now the hour being come that the Son of Man should be glorified he without his usual Reserve makes his Publick Entry into Ierusalem Riding on a Young Ass As it is written Fear not Daughter of Sion behold thy King cometh fitting on an Asses Colt But these things says St. Iohn Chap. XII 16. his Disciples understood not at the first But when Iesus was glorified then remembred they that these things were written of him and that they had done these things unto him Though the Apostles believed him to be the Messiah yet there were many Occurrences of his Life which they understood not at the time when they happened to be fore-told of the Messiah which after his Ascension they found exactly to quadrate And all the People crying Hosanna Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the Name of the Lord This was so open a Declaration of his being the Messiah that Luke XIX 39. Some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him Master rebuke thy Disciples But he was so far from stopping them or disowning this their Acknowledgment of his being the Messiah That he said unto them I tell you that if these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out And again upon the like occasion of their crying Hosanna to the Son of David in the Temple Mat. XXI 15 16. When
to any man an Authority to make a Religion for me or to alter that which God hath revealed And if they please to call the believing that which our Saviour and his Apostles preached and proposed alone to be believed an Historical Faith they have their liberty But they must have a care how they deny it to be a Justifying or Saving Faith when our Saviour and his Apostles have declared it so to be and taught no other which men should receive and whereby they should be made Believers unto Eternal Life Unless they can so far make bold with our Saviour for the sake of their beloved Systems as to say that he forgot what he came into the World for And that he and his Apostles did not Instruct People right in the way and Mysteries of Salvation For that this is the sole Doctrine pressed and required to be believed in the whole tenour of our Saviour's and his Apostles Preaching we have shewed through the whole History of the Evangelists and the Acts. And I challenge them to shew that there was any other Doctrine upon their assent to which or disbelief of it men were pronounced Believers or Unbelievers And accordingly received into the Church of Christ as Members of his Body as far as meer believing could make them so or else kept out of it This was the only Gospel-Article of Faith which was preached to them And if nothing else was preached every where the Apostles Argument will hold against any other Articles of Faith to be be believed under the Gospel Rom. X. 14. How shall they believe that whereof they have not heard For to Preach any other Doctrines necessary to be believed we do not find that any body was sent Perhaps it will farther be urged That this is not a Saving Faith Because such a Faith as this the Devils may have and 't was plain they had For they believed and declared Iesus to be the Messiah And St. Iames Chap. II. 19. tells us The Devils believe and tremble And yet they shall not be saved To which I answer 1. That they could not be saved by any Faith to whom it was not proposed as a means of Salvation nor ever promised to be counted for Righteousness This was an Act of Grace shewn only to Mankind God dealt so favourably with the Posterity of Adam that if they would believe Iesus to be the Messiah the promised King and Saviour And perform what other Conditions were required of them by the Covenant of Grace God would Justifie them because of this Belief He would account this Faith to them for Righteousness and look on it as making up the defects of their Obedience Which being thus supplied by what was taken instead of it they were looked on as Just or Righteous and so inherited Eternal Life But this Favour shewn to Mankind was never offered to the fallen Angels They had no such Proposals made to them And therefore whatever of this kind was proposed to men it availed them not whatever they performed of it This Covenant of Grace was never offered to them 2. I Answer That though the Devils believed yet they could not be saved by the Covenant of Grace Because they performed not the other Condition required in it altogether as necessary to be performed as this of Believing and that is Repentance Repentance is as absolute a Condition of the Covenant of Grace as Faith and as necessary to be performed as that Iohn the Baptist who was to prepare the way for the Messiah Preached the Baptism of Repentance for the remission of sins Mark 1. 4. As Iohn began his Preaching with Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Mat. III. 2. So did our Saviour begin his Mat. IV. 17. From that time began Iesus to Preach and to say Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Or as St. Mark has it in that parallel place Mark I. 14 15. Now after that John was put in Prison Iesus came into Galilee Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand Repent ye and believe the Gospel This was not only the beginning of his Preaching but the sum of all that he did Preach viz. That men should Repent and believe the good Tidings which he brought them That the time was fulfilled for the coming of the Messiah And this was what his Apostles preached when he sent them out Mark VI. 12. And they going out preached that men should Repent Believing Jesus to be the Messiah and Repenting were so Necessary and Fundamental parts of the Covenant of Grace that one of them alone is often put for both For here St. Mark mentions nothing but their Preaching Repentance as St. Luke in the parallel place Chap. IX 6. mentions nothing but their Evangelizing or Preaching the Good News of the Kingdom of the Messiah And St. Paul often in his Epistles puts Faith for the whole Duty of a Christian. But yet the tenour of the Gospel is what Christ declares Luke XII 3. 5. Vnless ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And in the Parable of the Rich Man in Hell delivered by our Saviour Luke XVI Repentance alone is the means proposed of avoiding that place of Torment v. 30 31. And what the tenor of the Doctrine which should be preached to the World should be He tells his Apostles after his Resurrection Luke XXIV 27. viz. That Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in his Name who was the Messiah And accordingly believing Iesus to be the Messiah and Repenting was what the Apostles preached So Peter began Acts II. 38. Repent and be baptized These two things were required for the Remission of Sins viz. Entring themselves in the Kingdom of God And owning and professing themselves the Subjects of Iesus whom they believed to be the Messiah and received for their Lord and King For that was to be baptized in his Name Baptism being an initiating Ceremony known to the Iews whereby those who leaving Heathenism and professing a submission to the Law of Moses were received into the Common-wealth of Israel And so it was made use of by our Saviour to be that Solemn visible Act whereby those who believed him to be the Messiah received him as their King and professed Obedience to him were admitted as Subjects into his Kingdom Which in the Gospels is called the Kingdom of God And in the Acts and Epistles often by another name viz. The Church The same St. Peter Preaches again to the Iews Acts III. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out What this Repentance was which the New Covenant required as one of the Conditions to be performed by all those who should receive the Benefits of that Covenant is plain in the Scripture to be not only a sorrow for sins past but what is a Natural consequence of such sorrow if it be real a turning from them into a new and
new clad as I may so say with a true Repentance and Amendment of Life Nor adorned with those Vertues which the Apostle Col. III. requires to be put on 3. Those who were invited did come and had on the Wedding-Garment i.e. Heard the Gospel believed Iesus to be the Messiah and sincerely obeyed his Laws These three sorts are plainly designed here whereof the last only were the Blessed who were to enjoy the Kingdom prepared for them Mat. XXIII Be not ye called Rabbi For one is your Master even the Messiah and ye all are Brethren And call no man your Father upon the Earth For one is your Father which is in Heaven Neither be ye called Masters For one is your Master even the Messiah But he that is greatest amongst you shall be your Servant And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased And he that shall humble himself shall be exalted Luke XXI 34. Take beed to your selves lest your hearts be at any time over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life Luke XXII 25. He said unto them The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them And they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors But ye shall not be so But he that is greatest amongst you let him be as the younger And he that is chief as he that doth serve John XIII 34. A new Commandment I give unto you That ye love one another As I have loved you that ye also love one another By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another This Command of loving one another is repeated again Chap. XV. 12. 17. John XIV 15. If ye love me keep my Commandments V. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self to him V. 23. If a man loveth me he will keep my words V. 24. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings John XV. 8. In this is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit so shall ye be my Disciples V. 14. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Thus we see our Saviour not only confirmed the Moral Law and clearing it from the corrupt glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees shewed the strictness as well as obligation of its Injunctions But moreover upon occasion requires the Obedience of his Disciples to several of the Commands he afresh lays upon them With the enforcement of unspeakable Rewards and Punishments in another World according to their Obedience or Disobedience There is not I think any of the Duties of Morality which he has not some where or other by himself and his Apostles inculcated over and over again to his Followers in express terms And is it for nothing that he is so instant with them to bring forth Fruit Does He their King Command and is it an indifferent thing Or will their Happiness or Misery not at all depend upon it whether they obey or no They were required to believe him to be the Messiah Which Faith is of Grace promised to be reckoned to them for the compleating of their Righteousness wherein it was defective But Righteousness or Obedience to the Law of God was their great business Which if they could have attained by their own Performances there would have been no need of this Gracious Allowance in Reward of their Faith But Eternal Life after the Resurrection had been their due by a former Covenant even that of Works the Rule whereof was never abolished though the Rigour were abated The Duties enjoyned in it were Duties still Their Obligations had never ceased nor a wilful neglect of them was ever dispensed with But their past Transgressions were pardoned to those who received Iesus the promised Messiah for their King And their future slips covered if renouncing their former Iniquities they entred into his Kingdom and continued his Subjects with a steady Resolution and Endeavour to obey his Laws This Righteousness therefore a compleat Obedience and freedom from Sin are still sincerely to be endeavoured after And 't is no where promised That those who persist in a wilful Disobedience to his Laws shall be received into the eternal bliss of his Kingdom how much soever they believe in him A sincere Obedience how can any one doubt to be or scruple to call a Condition of the New Covenant as well as faith Whoever read our Saviour's Sermon in the Mount to omit all the rest Can any thing be more express than these words of our Lord Mat. VI. 14. If you forgive Men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not Men their Trespasses neither will your Father forgive your Trespasses And Ioh. XIII 17. If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them This is so indispensible a Condition of the New Covenant that believing without it will not do nor be accepted If our Saviour knew the Terms on which he would admit Men into Life Why call ye me Lord Lord says he Luke VI. 46. and do not the things which I say It is not enough to believe him to be the Messiah the Lord without obeying him For that these he speaks to here were Believers is evident from the parallel place Matt. VII 21-23 where it is thus Recorded Not every one who says Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven No Rebels or Refractory Disobedient shall be admitted there though they have so far believed in Jesus as to be able to do Miracles in his Name As is plain out of the following words Many will say to me in that day Have we not Prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name have done many wonderful Works And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity This part of the New Covenant the Apostles also in their Preaching the Gospel of the Messiah ordinarily joined with the Doctrine of Faith St. Peter in his first Sermon Acts II. when they were pricked in heart and asked What shall we do says v. 38. REPENT and be Baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ for the Remission of Sins The same he says to them again in his next Speech Acts IV. 26. Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless you How was this done IN TVRNING AWAY EVERY ONE FROM YOVR INIQVITIES The same Doctrine they Preach to the High Priest and Rulers Acts V. 30. The God of our Fathers raised up Iesus whom ye slew and hanged on a Tree Him hath God Exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give REPENTANCE to Israel and Forgiveness of Sins And we are witnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God
to set up according to their Ancient Prophesies of him Which gave them hopes of an extraordinary Man yet to come from God who with an Extraordinary and Divine Power and Miracles should evidence his Mission and work their Deliverance And of any such extraordinary Person who should have the Power of doing Miracles they had no other expectation but only of their Messiah One great Prophet and worker of Miracles and only One more they expected who was to be the Messiah And therefore we see the People justified their believing in him i. e. their believing him to be the Messiah because of the Miracles he did Iohn VII 31. And many of the people believed in him and said when the Messiah cometh will he do more Miracles than this man hath done And when the Jews at the Feast of Dedication Iohn X. 24 25. coming about him said unto him How long dost thou make us doubt If thou be the Messiah tell us plainly Iesus answered them I told you and ye believed not the works that I do in my Father's name bear witness of me And Iohn V. 36. He says I have a greater witness than that of John for the works which the Father hath given me to do the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me Where by the way we may observe that his being sent by the Father is but another way of expressing the Messiah Which is evident from this place here Iohn V. compared with that of Iohn X. last quoted For there he says that his Works bear witness of him And what was that witness viz. That he was the Messiah Here again he says that his works bear witness of him And what is that witness viz. That the Father sent him By which we are taught that to be sent by the Father and to be the Messiah was the same thing in his way of declaring himself And accordingly we find Iohn IV. 53. XI 45. and elsewhere many hearkened and assented to this Testimony and believed on him seeing the things that he did 2. Another way of declaring the Coming of the Messiah was by Phrases and Circumlocutions that did signifie or intimate his Coming though not in direct words pointing out the Person The most usual of these were The Kingdom of God and of Heaven because it was that which was oftnest spoken of the Messiah in the Old Testament in very plain words And a Kingdom was that which the Jews most looked after and wished for In that known place Isa. IX The GOVERNMENT shall be upon his shoulders he shall be called the PRINCE of Peace Of the increase of his GOVERNMENT and Peace there shall be no end Vpon the THRONE of David and upon his KINGDOM to order it and to establish it with Iudgment and with Iustice from henceforth even for ever Micah V. 2. But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be the RVLER in Israel And Daniel besides that he calls him Messiah the PRINCE Chap. IX 25. In the account of his Vision of the Son of Man Chap. VII 13 14. says There was given him Dominion Glory and a KINGDOM that all People Nations and Languages should serve him His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his KINGDOM that which shall not be destroyed So that the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven were common Phrases amongst the Jews to signifie the times of the Messiah Luke XIV 15. One of the Jews that sat at meat with him said unto him Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God Chap. XVII 20. The Pharisees demanded When the Kingdom of God should come And St. Iohn Baptist came saying Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand A Phrase he would not have used in Preaching had it not been understood There are other Expressions that signified the Messiah and his Coming which we shall take notice of as they come in our way 3. By plain and direct words declaring the Doctrine of the Messiah speaking out that Jesus was He As we see the Apostles did when they went about Preaching the Gospel after our Saviour's Resurrection This was the open clear way and that which one would think the Messiah himself when he came should have taken especially if it were of that moment that upon mens believing him to be the Messiah depended the forgiveness of their sins And yet we see that our Saviour did not But on the contrary for the most part made no other discovery of himself at least in Iudea and at the beginning of his Ministry but in the two former ways which were more obscure Not declaring himself to be the Messiah any otherwise than as it might be gathered from the Miracles he did and the conformity of his Life and Actions with the Prophesies of the Old Testament concerning him and from some general discourses of the Kingdom of the Messiah being come under the name of the Kingdom of God and of Heaven Nay so far was he from publickly owning himself to be the Messiah that he forbid the doing of it Mark VIII 27-30 He asked his Disciples whom do men say that I am And they answered John the Baptist but some say Elias and others one of the Prophets So that it is evident that even those who believed him an extraordinary Person knew not yet who he was or that he gave himself out for the Messiah though this was in the third Year of his Ministry and not a year before his Death And he saith unto them but whom say ye that I am And Peter answered and said unto him Thou art the Messiah And he charged them that they should tell no man of him Luke IV. 41. And Devils came out of many crying Thou art the Messiah the Son of God And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak that they knew him to be the Messiah Mark III. 11 12. Unclean spirits when they saw him fell down before him and cryed saying Thou art the Son of God And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known Here again we may observe from the comparing of the two Texts that Thou art the Son of God or Thou art the Messiah were indifferently used for the same thing But to return to the matter in hand This concealment of himself will seem strange in one who was come to bring Light into the World and was to suffer Death for the Testimony of the Truth This reservedness will be thought to look as if he had a mind to conceal himself and not to be known to the World for the Messiah nor to be believed on as such But we shall be of another mind and conclude this proceeding of his according to Divine Wisdom and suited to a fuller Manifestation and Evidence of his being the Messiah When we consider that he was to