42 The Reasonableness of Christianity, the time of his ministry; and drawn on him the repu tation and death of a turbulent, seditious malefactor; contrary to the design of his coming, which was, to be offered up a lamb blameless,, and void of offence; his innocence appearing to all the world, even to him that delivered him up to be crucified. This it would have been impossible to have avoided, if, in his preaching every- where, he had openly assumed to himself the title of their Messiah; which was all was wanting to set the people in a flame; who drawn by his miracles, and the hopes of finding a Deliverer in so extraordinary a man, followed him in great numbers. We read every-where of multitudes, and in Luke xii. 1, of myriads that were gathered about him. v_This conflux of people, thus disposed, would not have failed, upon his declaring himself to be the Messiah, to have made a commotion, and with force set him up for their King. It is plain, therefore, from these two reasons, why (though he came to preach the gospel, and convert the world to a belief of his being the Messiah; and though he says so much of his kingdom, under the title of the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of heaven) he yet makes it not his bu siness to persuade them, that he himself is the Messiah, nor does, in his public preaching, declare himself to be him. He inculcates to the people, on all occasions, that the kingdom of God is come: he shows the way of admittance into this kingdom, viz. repentance and baptism; and teaches the laws of it, viz. good life, ac cording to the strictest rules of virtue and morality.
But who the King was of this kingdom, he leaves to his miracles to point out, to those who would consider what he did, and make the right use of it now; or to witness to those who should hearken to the apostles hereafter when they preached it in plain words, and called upon them to believe it, after his resurrection, when there should be no longer room to fear, that it should cause any disturbance in civil societies, and the governments of the world.; But he could not declare himself to be the Messiah, without manifest danger of tumult and sedition: and the miracles he did declared it so much, that he was fain often to hide himself, and a* delivered in the Scriptures. 43 withdraw from the concourse of the people. The leper that he cured, Mark i, though forbid to say any thing, yet " blazed it so abroad, that Jesus could no more " openly enter into the city, but was without in desert " places," living in retirement, as appears from Luke v. 16, and there " they came to him from every quar-" ter." And thus he did more than once.
This being premised, let us take a view of the pro mulgation of the gospel by our Saviour himself, and see what it was he taught the world, and required men to believe.
The first beginning of his ministry, whereby he showed himself, seems to be at Cana in Galilee, soon after his baptism; where he turned water into wine: of which St. John, chap. ii. 11, says thus: " This begin-" ning of miracles Jesus made, and manifested his " glory, and his disciples believed in him." His dis ciples here believed in him, but we hear not of any other preaching to them, but by this miracle, whereby he " manifested his glory," i. e. of being the Messiah, the Prince. So Nathanael, without any other preach ing, but only our Saviour's discovering to him, that he knew him after an extraordinary manner, presently ac knowledges him to be the Messiah; crying, " Rabbi, " thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of " Israel."
From hence, staying a few days at Capernaum, he goes to Jerusalem, to the passover, and there he drives the traders out of the temple, John ii. 12 — 15, saying, " Make not my Father's house a house of merchan-'* dize." Where we see he uses a phrase, which, by interpretation, signifies that he was the " Son of God," though at that time unregarded. Ver. 16, Hereupon the jews demand, " What sign dost thou show us, since " thou doest these things?" Jesus answered, " Destroy " ye this temple, and in three days I will raise it " again." This is an instance of what way Jesus took to declare himself: for it is plain, by their reply, the jews understood him not, nor his disciples neither; for it is said, ver. 22, " When, therefore, he was risen " from the dead, his disciples remembered, that he 44 The Reasonableness of Christianity, " said this to them: and they believed the scripture, " and the saying of Jesus to them."
This, therefore, we may look on in the beginning, as a pattern of Christ's preaching, and showing himself to the jews, which he generally followed afterwards; viz. such a manifestation of himself, as every one at present could not understand; but yet carried such an evidence with it, to those who were well disposed now, or would reflect on it when the whole course of his ministry was over, as was sufficient clearly to convince them that he was the Messiah.
The reason of this method used by our Saviour, the scripture gives us here, at this his first appearing in public, after his entrance upon his ministry, to be a rule and light to us in the whole course of it: for the next verse taking notice, that many believed on him, " because of his miracles," (which was all the preach ing they had,) it is said, ver. 24, " But Jesus did not " commit himself unto them, because he knew all " men;" i. e. he declared not himself so openly to be the Messiah, their King, as to put himself into the power of the jews, by laying himself open to their malice; who, he knew, would be so ready to lay hold on it to accuse him; for, as the next verse 25, shows, he knew well enough what was in them. We may here further observe, that " believing in his name " signifies believ ing him to be the Messiah. Ver. 22, tells us, That " many at the passover believed in his name, when they " saw the miracles that he did." What other faith could these miracles produce in them who saw them, but that this was he of whom the scripture spoke, who was to be their Deliverer?
Whilst he was now at Jerusalem, Nicodemus, a ruler of the jews, comes to him, John iii. 1 — 21, to whom he preaches eternal life by faith in the Messiah, ver. 15 and 17, but in general terms, without naming himself to be that Messiah, though his whole discourse tends to it. This is all we hear of our Saviour the first year of his ministry, but only his baptism, fasting, and temptation in the beginning of it, and spending the rest of it after the passover, in Judea with his disciples, baptizing as delivered in the Scriptures. 45 there. But " when he knew that the pharisees re-" ported, that he made and baptized more disciples " than John, he left Judea," and got out of their way again into Galilee, John iv. 1, 3.
In his way back, by the well of Sichar, he discourses with the Samaritan woman; and after having opened to her the true and spiritual worship which was at hand, which the woman presently understands of the times of the Messiah, who was then looked for; thus she answers, ver. 25, " I know that the Messiah cometh: when he " is come, he will tell us all things." Whereupon our Saviour, though we hear no such thing from him in Jerusalem or Judea, 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, ver. 26.
This would seem very strange, that he should be more free and open to a Samaritan, than he was to the jews, were riot the reason plain, from what we have observed above. He was now out of Judea,, among a people with whom the jews had no commerce; ver. 9, who were not disposed, out of envy, as the jews were, to seek his life, or to accuse him to the Roman governor, or to make an insurrection, to set a jew up for their King. What the consequence was of his discourse with this Samaritan woman, we have an account, ver. 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 cityBELiEVED 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 ourselves; and we " know/' (i.e. are fully persuaded) " that this is indeed " the Messiah, the Saviour of the world/' By compar ing ver. 39, with 41 and 42, it is plain, that " believ- 46 The Reasonableness of Christianity* " ing 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 pro phecy concerning the Messiah, out of the Ixi. 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, Re-" pent; 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 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 ac tions and circumstances of his life answered the prophe cies, 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 ful filled.
In his way to Capernaum, being come to Cana, a nobleman of Capernaum came to him, ver. 47, " And " besought him that he would come down and heal his " son; for he was at the point of death." Ver. 48, " Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and " wonders, ye will not believe." Then he returning homewards, and finding that his son began to " mend c< at the same hour which Jesus said unto him, Thy son " liveth; he himself believed, and his whole house," Here this nobleman is by the apostles pronounced to be a believer. And what does he believe? Even that which Jesus complains, ver. 48, " they would not BE-" LIEVE, except.they saw signs and wonders; which as delivered in the Scriptures. 47 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, that 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 adjoining 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 Jesus 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 he let them know who was the Messiah.
Hence he goes up to Jerusalem, to the second pass-.over, 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 who ever 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 jews, 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 John the Baptist; to the testimony of his own miracles, and of God himself in the voice from heaven, arid 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 48 The Reasonableness of Christianity, from God. This you may read more at large, John v.
The next place where we find him preaching, was on the mount, Matt. 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 people gathered to him from Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem, and from beyond Jordan, 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 be lieving, and therefore no mention of the Messiah, or any intimation to the people who himself was. The reason whereof we may gather from Matt. xii. 16, where "Christ " forbids them to make him known; " which supposes them to know already who he was. For that this 12th chapter of St. Matthew ought to precede the sermon in the mount, is plain, by comparing it with Mark ii. be ginning at ver. 13, to Mark iii. 8, and comparing those chapters of St. Mark with Luke vi. And I desire my reader, once for all, here to take notice, that I have all along observed the order of time in our Saviour's preach ing, and have not, as I think, passed by any of his dis courses. In this sermon, our Saviour only teaches them what were the laws of his kingdom, and what they must do who were admitted into it, of which I shall have oc casion to speak more at large in another place, being at present only inquiring what our Saviour proposed as matter of faith to be believed.
After this, John the Baptist sendsHo him this message, Luke vii. 19, asking, " Art thou he that should come, " or do we expect another? " That is, in short, Art thou the Messiah? And if thou art, why dost thou let me, thy forerunner, languish in prison? Must I expect deliver ance from any other? To which Jesus returns this an swer, ver. 22, 23, " Tell John what ye have seen and " heard; the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are " cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the " poor the gospel is preached; and blessed is he who " is not offended in me." What it is to be " offended, " or scandalized in him," we may see by comparing as delivered in the^ Scriptures. 49 Matt. xiii. 28, and Mark iv. 17, with Luke viii. 13. For what the two first call " scandalized," the last call " standing off from, or forsaking," i. e. not receiving him as the Messiah (vid. Mark vi. 1—6.) or revolting from him. Here Jesus refers John, as he did the jews before, to the testimony of his miracles, to know who he was; and this was generally his preaching, whereby he declared himself to be the Messiah, who was the only prophet to come, whom the jews had any expec tation of; nor did they look for any other person to be sent to them with the power of miracles, but only the Messiah. His miracles, we see by his answer to John the Baptist, he thought a sufficient declaration amongst them, that he was the Messiah. And therefore, upon his curing the possessed of the devil, the dumb, and blind, Matt. xii. the people, who saw the miracles, said, ver. 23, " Is not this the son of David?" As much as ' to say, Is not this the Messiah? Whereat the pharisees being offended, said, " He cast out devils by Beelzebub." Jesus, showing the falsehood and vanity of their blas phemy, justifies the conclusion the people made from this miracle, saying, ver. 28, That his casting out devils by the Spirit of God, was an evidence that the kingdom of the Messiah was come.
One thing more there was in the miracles done by his disciples, which showed him to be the Messiah; that they were done in his name. " In the name of Jesus of " Nazareth, rise up and walk," says St. Peter to the lame man, whom he cured in the temple, Acts iii. 6. And how far the power of that name reached, they them selves seem to wonder, Luke x. 17. " And the seventy " returned again with joy, saying. Lord, even the devils " are subject to us in thy name."
From this message from John the Baptist, he takes occasion to tell the people that John was the forerunner of the Messiah; that from the time of John the Baptist the kingdom of the Messiah began; to which time all the prophets and the law pointed, Luke vii. and Matt. xi.
Luke viii. 1, " Afterwards he went through every " city and village, preaching and showing the good tid« E 50 The Reasonableness of Christianity, " ings of the kingdom of God." Here we see as every where, what his preaching was., and consequently what was to be believed.
Soon after, he preaches from a boat to the people on the shore. His sermon at large we may read, Matt. xiii. Mark iv. and Luke viii. But this is very observable, that this second sermon of his, here, is quite different from his former in the mount: for that was all so plain and intelligible, that nothing could be more so; whereas this is all so involved in parables, that even the apostles themselves did not understand it. If we inquire into the reason of this, we shall possibly have some light, from the different subjects of these two sermons. There he preached to the people only morality; clearing the precepts of the law from the false glosses which were received in those days, and setting forth th duties of a good life in their full obligation and extent, beyond what the judiciary laws of the Israelites did, or the civil laws of any country could prescribe, or take notice of.
But here, in this sermon by the sea-side, he speaks of nothing but the kingdom of the Messiah, which he does all in parables. One reason whereof St. Matthew gives us, chap. xiii. 35, " That it might be fulfilled which was " spoken by the prophets," saying, " I will open my " mouth in parables, I will utter things that have been " kept secret from the foundations of the world." An other reason our Saviour himself gives of it, ver. 11, 12, " Because to you is given to know the mysteries of the " kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For " whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall " have more abundantly; but whosoever hath not," i. e. improves not the talents that he hath, " from him shall " be taken away even that he hath."
One thing it may not be amiss to observe, that our Saviour here, in the explication of the first of these pa rables to his apostles, calls the preaching of the king dom of the Messiah, simply, " The word," and Luke viii. 21, "The word of God:" from whence St. Luke, in the Acts, often mentions it under the name of the " word," and " the word of God/' as we have else where observed. To which I shall here add that of Acts as delivered in the Scriptures. £1 viii. 4, " Therefore they that were scattered abroad, " went every- where preaching the word;" which word, as we have found by examining what they preached all through their history, was nothing but this, that " Jesus " was the Messiah:" I mean, this was all the doctrine they proposed to be believed: for what they taught, as well as our Saviour, contained a great deal more; but that concerned practice, and not belief. And therefore our Saviour says, in the place before quoted, Luke viii. 21, " they are my mother and my brethren, who hear the " word of God, and do it:" obeying the law of the Messiah their king being no less required, than their believing that Jesus was the Messiah, the king and de liverer that was promised them.
Matt. ix. 13, we have an account again of this preach ing; what it was, and how: " And Jesus went about all " the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, " and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing « every sickness and every disease among the people." He acquainted them, that the kingdom of the Messiah was come, and left it to his miracles to instruct and con vince them, that he was the Messiah.
Matt. x. when he sent his apostles abroad, their com mission to preach we have, ver. 75 8, in these words: " As ye go, preach saying, The kingdom of heaven is " at hand: heal the sick," &c. All that they had to preach was, that the kingdom of the Messiah was come.
Whosoever should not receive them, the messengers of these good tidings, nor hearken to their message, in curred a heavier doom than Sodom and Gomorrah, at the day of judgment, ver. 14, 15. But ver. 32, " Who-" soever 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 John xii. 42. with ix. 22. " Nevertheless, among the " chief rulers also many believed on 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 jews; for the jews had agreed already, that if any " man did CONFESS THAT HE WAS THE MESSIAH, 5£ The Reasonableness of Christianity, " 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 remarked, because of the differ ent sense has been put upon that phrase) viz. " that " believing on, or in him," (for sis avrov is rendered either way by the English translation,) signifies believing that he was the Messiah. For many of the rulers (the text says) " believed on him:" but they durst not con fess 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 Jesus was the " Messiah." Hence we may have a clear understand ing of that passage of St. Paul to the Romans, where he tells them positively, what is the faith he preaches, Horn. x. 8, 9, " That is the word of faith which we preach, " that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord " Jesus, and believe in thine heart, that God hath raised " him from the dead, thou shalt be saved;" and that also of 1 John iv. 14, 15, " We have seen, and do tes-" tify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of " the world: whosoever shall confess, that Jesus is the " Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he 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 sig nify the same thing, as we have shown already.
How calling him the Son of God, came to signify that he was the Messiah, would not be hard to show. But it is enough, that it appears plainly, that it was so used, and had that import among the jews at that time: which if any one desires to have further evidenced to him, he may add Matt. xxvi. 63. John vi. 69. and xi. 27. and xx. SI. to those places before occasionally taken notice of.
As was the apostles commission, such was their per formance; as we read, Luke xi. 6, "They departed " and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, " and healing every-where." Jesus bid them preach, as delivered in the Scriptures. 53 " saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." And St. Luke tells us, they went through the towns preach ing the gospel; a word which in Saxon answers well the Greek Euayyg'Atoi/, 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 under stood 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; " Jesus 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 under stood that this was the faith they preached; but with it they joined obedience to the Messiah, whom they re ceived for their king. So likewise, when he sent out the seventy, Luke x. their commission was in these words, ver. 9, " Heal the sick, and say unto them, The king-" dom of God is come nigh unto you."
After the return of his apostles to him, he sits down with them on 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, Matt. xiv. 21. And what this miracle wrought upon them, St. John tells us, chap. vi. 14, 15, " Then these " men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus 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 John the Baptist, Matt. xi. 3, styles him, " He " that should come;" as in other places, " come from 54 The Reasonableness of Christianity, " God," or " sent from God," are phrases used for the Messiah.
Here we see our Saviour keep 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 mul titude's but thinking him so, when they were got to gether, St. John tells us in the very next words: " When " Jesus 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 occa sion of their following him for the loaves, bids them seek for the meat that endureth to eternal life: and thereupon, John 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 eat ing, and of bread; bread of life, which came down from heaven, &c. Which is all comprehended and expounded in these short and plain words, ver. 47 and 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 whom he as delivered in the Scriptures. 55 spoke to here were of those who, the day before, would by force have made him king; and therefore it 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 in surrection, and involved our Saviour in it. This he thought fit to put a stop to; they still following him, 'tis like, with the same design. And therefore, though he here speaks to them of his kingdom, it was in a way that so plainly baulked their expectation, and shocked them, that when they found themselves disap pointed 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, ver. 52, " How can this man " give us his flesh to eat? And many, even of his dis-" ciples said, It was an hard saying: Who can hear it?" And so were scandalized in him, and forsook him, ver. 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, shows: when Jesus answered him, ver. 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.