Works, Book 1 · Discourse 25
DISCOURSE XXV.
S. MARK 1. 14, 15.
Now after that Iohn 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.
THESE words are a Narration of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ his first beginning to preach the Gospel; which they describe 1. By the Time when, 2. By the Place where, 3. By the Summe of what he preached. 1. The Time when; After that Iohn was put in prison. 2. The Place where; Galilee: Iesus came into Galilee, preaching, &c. 3. Lastly, The Summe of what he preached; The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; Repent ye, and believe the Gospel. In which Sermon there are also some parts to be considered, which we shall more conveniently distinguish when we come to handle it.
Mean while let us begin with the Three parts or circumstances already named, in order. And first with the First, The Time when; After that Iohn was put in prison.
Our Saviour began not his solemn preaching till his Messenger Iohn the Baptist, who was sent to prepare his way, was cast into prison. This circumstance is elsewhere precisely noted in the Scripture, so that we cannot doubt but there is some matter of moment therein. For*Chap. 4. 12. S. Matthew tells us, as S. Mark doth, Now when Iesus had heard, saith he, that Iohn was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee: and then it follows,*Verse 17. From that time Iesus began to preach, and to say, Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. So S. Peter Acts 10. when he came to preach the Gospel of Christ to Cornelius, was careful to mention this circumstance of Time, as well as the other of Place. The word, saith he, (V. 36, 37.) which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Iesus Christ, (he is Lord of all) That word (I say) you know, which was published throughout all Iudaea, and began from Galilee, after the Baptism which Iohn preached. Loe here the Place, Galilee; and the Time, After that Iohn Baptist had done; as in my Text.
All which argues this circumstance of Time to be one of the marks of the true Messiah; as namely, That this Iesus was that Lord whom they looked for, who was to send a messenger before him, the voice of a cryer in the wilderness, to usher his preaching and prepare the way of his Gospel, as was prophesied by Esay and Malachi, and the Iews at that time expected. Which was the reason of that scruple of the Disciples in the Gospel, when they saw our Saviour, and Elias, whom they supposed should be his Forerunner, appear in glory both together at his Transfiguration:Matth 17. 10. Why then (say they) do the Scribes say, that Elias must come first? Our Saviour tells them, that Iohn Baptist was that Elias the Forerunner of Messiah, according to those words of his Father Zachary, And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; Luke 1. 76.namely, (as the Angel told him) in the power and spirit of Elias. Verse 17.For this reason, as our Saviour was not conceived, nor born, till six months after Iohn; so he began not his prophecy till Iohn had done: that so the Scripture might be fulfilled, and Iohn be his forerunner and messenger both in the one and the other. And lastly, to conclude the illustration of this circumstance, Iohn was not only a Forerunner of our Saviour in his Nativity and Prophecy, but also in his Passion and Suffering: For so our Saviour himself expresly saith Matth. 17. 12. Elias is come, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed: even so also shall the Son of man suffer of them.
Now for the Observation or, if you will, the Consideration I will make upon this circumstance, it shall be this: If that Messiah according to Prophecy were to have an Harbinger to prepare the way for his coming; and the Holy Ghost in the New Testament thought this circumstance so needful to prove the verity thereof, as so curiously to note it in the history of his Nativity,Mar. 1. 14, 15 Preaching, and Suffering; It would be considered, seeing the coming of Christ is twofold, First and Second, whether the same Prophecy imply not that there should be an Harbinger as well of his Second coming as of his First; as well an Elias to prepare the way for his coming in glory to judge the world, as there was at his First coming in humility to preach the Gospel and suffer for the world: An Elias, I mean, to be the Harbinger of Christ to the nation of the Iews before his Second coming, as Iohn Baptist was at his First. For to the Iews alone is this Elias promised, and not to the Gentiles; and Iohn Baptist (we know) the Elias of his First coming, preacht to them alone. It is well known that all the Fathers (unless S. Hierom somewhat staggered) were of this opinion: and why we should so wholly reject it as we are wont to do, I can see no sufficient reason. For if the Fathers erred concerning the person and other circumstances of this Elias, yet it follows not but the substance of their opinion might be true. As we know also they erred concerning the person, quality and reign of Antichrist; and yet for the substance the thing was true. Our Saviour rejected not the Tradition of the Scribes concerning the coming of Elias, when the Apostles objected it, though it were mingled with some falshood; but corrected it only: for they looked for Elias the Thisbite; but our Saviour admits it only of Elias in Spirit, not of Elias in Person; so yielding it true for the substance, though erring in circumstance. So should we do in the like case. For he that throws away what he finds, because it is foul and dirty, may perchance sometimes cast away a Iewel or a piece of gold or silver: So he that wholly rejects an ancient Tenet because it hath some Error annexed to it, may unawares cast away a Truth; as this seems to be of an Elias to be the Harbinger of Christ's Second coming: and that for these Reasons.
First, Though the Prophecy of*Chap. 40. 3. Esaias, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, alledged by all the four Evangelists, and by Iohn himself, seems appliable only to the First coming of Christ; yet the other out of Malachi (expresly quoted by S. Mark, and by our Saviour Matth. 11. 14. though elsewhere alluded unto) seems by Malachi himself to be applied not only to the First coming of Christ, but also to his Second coming to Iudgment. For in his last chapter,Mal 4. 1. speaking of the coming of that day which shall burn like an oven, wherein all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly, shall be as stubble; and it shall burn them up, leaving neither root nor branch, &c.Verse 5. he addeth, Behold, [saith the Lord] I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of that great and dreadful day of the Lord;*… And he shall turn [or restore] the heart of the Fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their Fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. If we will not admit the Day here described to be the Day of Iudgment, I know scarce any description of that Day in the Old Testament but we may elude. For the phrase of turning (or, as I had rather translate it, restoring, as the LXX. foreign) the heart of the Fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their Fathers; the meaning is, That this Elias should bring the refractory and unbelieving posterity of the Iewish nation to have the same heart and mind their holy Fathers and Progenitors had, who feared God and believed his promises, that so their Fathers might as it were rejoyce in them, and own them for their children; that is, he should convert them to the faith of that Christ whom their Fathers hoped in and looked for: lest continuing obstinate in their unbelief till the great day of Christ's Second coming, they might perish among the rest of the enemies of his Kingdom. Therefore the son of Syrach in his praise of Elias the Thisbite paraphraseth this place after this manner, Who hast ordained (saith he) an foreign or type (for so it may be turned) for the times to come, to pacifie the wrath of the Lord's judgment before it break forth into fury, and to turn the heart of the Father unto the Son, and to restore the tribes of Israel, Ecclus. 48. 10. Which explication also the Angel warrenteth Luke 1. 17. in his message to Zachary concerning his son, He shall go, saith he, before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just (this is in stead of reducing the hearts of the children to their Fathers) to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
For the better understanding of this first Reason we must know, That the old Prophets for the most part spake of the coming of Christ indefinitely and in general, without that distinction of First and Second coming, which we have more clearly learned in the Gospel. For this reason those Prophets (except Daniel, who distinguisheth those comings, and the Gospel out of him) speak of the things which should be at the coming of Christ indefinitely and all together; which we, who are now more fully informed by the revelation of his Gospel of this distinction of a Twofold coming, must apply each of them to its proper time: Those things which befit the state of his First coming, unto it; and such things as befit the state of his Second coming, unto his Second: and that which befits both alike, (as this of an Harbinger or Messenger) may be applied to both.
My Second Reason for the proof hereof is from our Saviour's own words in the Gospel Matth. 17. 10, 11. where his disciples immediately upon his Transfiguration asking him, saying, Why then say the Scribes that Elias must first come? Our Saviour answers, Elias truly shall first come, foreign and shall restore all things. These words our Saviour spake when Iohn Baptist was now beheaded, and yet speaks as of a thing future, foreign, Elias shall come, and shall restore all things. How can this be spoken of Iohn Baptist, unless he be to come again? Besides, I cannot see how this Restoring of all things can be verified of the ministry of Iohn Baptist at the First coming of Christ, which continued but a very short time, and did no such thing as these words seem to imply; for the Restoring of all things belongs not to the First, but to the Second coming of Christ, if we will believe S. Peter in his first Sermon in the Temple after Christ's ascension, Acts 3. 19, &c. where he thus speaks unto the Iews, Repent (saith he) and be converted for the blotting out of your sins, that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, And that be may send Iesus Christ which before was preached unto you; Whom the heavens must receive until the times of the Restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began. The word is the same, foreign. If the time or Restoring all things be not till the Second coming of Christ, how could Iohn Baptist restore all things at his First? If the Master come not to restore all things till then; surely his Harbinger, who is to prepare his way for restoring all things, is not be lookt for till then.
These are the Reasons which have induced me to think, that the opinion which the Church hath held as far as I know from her Infancy, of an Elias which should be the Harbinger of Christ's Second coming, hath some matter of truth in it. But that this Elias should be Elias the Thisbite who was taken up into Heaven, I confess I believe not, no more than that he should be slain by Antichrist, as some fable. For that which the Prophet saith, Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet, Mal. 4. 5.proves no more that it should be Elijah in person,Ezek. 37. 24. than that which is said of Messiah [And David my servant shall rule over them] proves Christ should be David in person. It is much more like, if it be one that comes again, it should be Iohn Baptist himself, who was the Harbinger of the First coming: That as Christ himself the Master hath two comings, so should his Harbinger have; And as it shall be the same Christ which comes the second time that came the first, so should his Harbinger be the same. And to this both the words of the Angel to Zachary the father of the Baptist, and the words of our Saviour in the place*and Matth. 11. 14. before quoted, would not be unpliable. The Second coming of Christ is the time of the Resurrection, and in that respect it would not be unsuitable for the Harbinger thereof to be one risen from the dead. But as for Elias the Thisbite's coming, I find no ground at all, but the contrary. Howsoever, though I compare probabilities, I will not determine any thing; lest some perhaps should say, that while I reject old fables, I coin new ones. I rather conclude, with that Iewish Proverb, Cùm Elias venerit, solvet nodos, When that Elias comes, he shall dislolve hard questions.
AND thus much of the circumstance of Time when our Saviour first began his solemn prophecy or preaching of the Gospel, namely not till his Harbinger Iohn had done and finished his preparation. Now I come to the Second circumstance, namely of the Place, which was Galilee: Iesus came into Galilee, &c. A circumstance curiously noted by all the Evangelists, That our Saviour published his Gospel in Galilee. S. Peter also in his Sermon to Cornelius stamps it with this character,Acts 10. 37. The word which began from Galilee. No name of Place in the story of our Saviour's conversation on earth more frequent, more beaten upon, than this of Galilee; nor scarce any mark more evidently demonstrates him to be the true Messiah, than this of Galilee. Yet (which is to be admired) no character so much neglected, or so little understood, as this of Galilee: as if we had conspired with the unbelieving Iews, and said, Can there any good come out of Galilee? But if you please to lend me your attention, I will do my best to let you see how great a Mystery, how principal an Evidence of our Faith lies in this one so unregarded circumstance. In which Discourse I will chalk out my way in this manner.
First, I will describe What, and Where this Country of Galilee was.
Secondly, I will shew that our Saviour's proper and chiefest abode, his preaching and his works, were in Galilee.
Thirdly, (which is the Crown of all) That the true Messiah according to prophecy was to appear and have his chief conversation in Galilee.
For the First, The Land of Canaan or Palaestine was in our Saviour's time divided into Three principal Provinces. On the South, Iudaea, which contained the Lot of the two Tribes, Iudah and Benjamin. In the midst was Samaria, where the Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh anciently dwelt; but now was inhabited by the off-spring of those Nations which the King of Assyria placed in their rooms when he carried them captive. On the North was Galilee, the remotest from Ierusalem; the chiefest and fertilest part whereof towards Iordan was the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. The rest had been the habitation of the two small Tribes, Asher and Issachar. Galilee was divided into two parts, the Higher and the Lower. The Higher was for the most part thereof the Land of Naphtali, wherein (there where it bordered upon Zebulun) stood the rich and beautiful Capernaum, the Metropolis or chiefest City of all Galilee, situate upon the bank of Iordan upon the lake of Gennesaret or Tiberias, called the Sea of Galilee: over against which (on the other side the water) stood Chorazin, which our Saviour pronounced a*Matt. 11. 21. Woe unto. This Galilee was called‖Chap 4. 15. Galilee of the Gentiles: either because part of it was long and even till Solomon's time inhabited still by Gentiles; or because Solomon gave twenty cities of the same to Hiram King of Tyre, which perhaps were the same which the Gentiles till then inhabited; or lastly, because it was the outmost part of the land, and so next unto the Gentiles. The Lower Galilee contained the Tribe of Zebulun (and also Issachar) wherein were the cities Nazareth and Bethsaida near the sea or lake of Galilee; and Cana, where our Saviour wrought his first miracle by turning water into wine; also Mount Tabor, where he was transfigured. From Capernaum along by the sea-side, and through Bethsaida, lay the great road or way from Syria into Egypt, which is supposed to be that which the Scripture calls*Matt. 4. 15. the way of the sea. At the time of our Saviour's preaching and suffering, two of these three Provinces, Iudaea and Samaria, were governed by the Roman President, which then was Pontius Pilate; the third, Galilee, was under Herod the Tetraerch (or Antipas) so called because he was Prince but of the Fourth part of the Kingdom of Herod his father. This was he that beheaded Iohn the Baptist, and was reconciled to Pilate the President of Iudaea when our Saviour was condemned.
Thus much to shew What and Where this Region of Galilee was: Now I come to the Second thing I propounded, namely, That our Saviour's conversation, while he was upon earth, was principally and ordinarily in Galilee. First, He was both conceived and brought up at Nazareth, a City of Galilee. Secondly, When he began the solemn publication of his Gospel, he chose Capernaum, the Metropolis of Galilee, for his station, and went and dwelt there. There he chose his Disciples, namely, Galileans; which the two Angels at the time of his Ascension can witness, when they say to the Apostles,Acts 1. 11. Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? and all the multitude at the Feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost came down upon them, and they spake with tongues,Acts 2. 7. Are not, say they, all these which speak, Galileans? From Capernaum, as from an Episcopal See, he went two several times round all the region of Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues, and preaching his Gospel in every City and Village, Matth. 4. 23. and 9. 35. The beginning of his Miracles, and the first manifestation of his glory (as S. Iohn speaks chap. 2. 11.) was at Cana of Galilee; and the greatest part of the Miracles he did afterward were done in that Country. His glorious Transfiguration was upon mount Tabor, a Mount of Galilee in the Land of Zebulun, where a voice came from heaven,Matt. 17. 5. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. In a word, our Saviour's ordinary residence was in Galilee; he came into Iudaea only at the Feast-times, when the whole Nation assembled at Ierusalem: during which times (partly during his stay there, partly in his going and returning) he did all, in a manner, that he did out of Galilee; and the last Feast he came thither, offered himself a Sacrifice upon the Cross for the sins of the whole world. Lastly, when he was risen from the dead, he appoints his Disciples to come see him in Galilee. When I am risen again, saith he, I will go before you into Galilee. Matt. 26. 32.And after he was so,Matth. 28. 7. the Angel told the women as much at his Sepulchre; and afterwards himself, Go tell my brethren (saith he) that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. Verse 10.Only his Nativity, his Passion and Ascension were proper to Iudaea: his Nativity at Bethlehem, upon what occasion ye know; his Passion at Ierusalem, when he came thither to the Passeover; his Ascention upon Mount Olivet, hard by Ierusalem.
And thus much of the Second thing I promised to shew, That our Saviour's principal conversation and abode was in Galilee: Now I come to the last, which is the Crown of all, That Messiah was, according to Prophecy, to vouchsafe his presence, and have his abode in principally in the Province of Galilee. This Prophecy is in the ninth of Esay: Esay 9. 1, 2, 3, &c.For the clear understanding of which, before I report it, I must premise a passage of Sacred story; namely, That the Land of Galilee, or of Zebulun and Naphtali, had the hard hap to be first in that calamity which befel their Nation by the Assyrian; For so it is written, 2 Kings 15. 29. In the days of Pekah King of Israel came Tiglath-Pileser King of Assyria, and took Iion, and Abel-Beth-Maachah, and Ianoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, (all these, save Ianoah and Gilead, were cities of Naphtali) and Galilee, all the Land of Naphtali; and carried them captive to Assyria. By occasion of which calamity, being then newly happened, Esay comforts them with this Prophecy, that in recompence of that heavy disadvantage (above the rest of their brethren,) they should have the first and chiefest share of the presence and conversation of Messiah which was to come. As the first times (saith he) he made vile (or debased) the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; so in the latter time he shall make it glorious. (If ye ask, Why? it follows) The way of the sea by Iordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. V. 2. The people that walked in darkness (namely, of affliction) have seen a great light; they that dwelt in the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. V. 3. Thou hast multiplied the nation, and increased the joy thereof, &c. If ye ask, How comes this? it follows v. 6. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his Name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The Father (or Author) of eternity, The Prince of Peace. V. 7. Of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his Kingdom, to order it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even for ever: The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this. This is he that should enlighten the Province of Galilee, or the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, with the glory of his presence, and make it as it were amends for what it suffered, before the rest of the Country of Israel, by the hand of the King of Assyria.
And if this be not a Prophecy of Christ, I know not what is. And to the same purpose I bring it, doth S. Matthew quote it chap. 4. 14, &c. upon our Saviour's going (after Iohn was cast into prison) to dwell at Capernaum the Metropolis of Galilee, to make it the Seat of the preaching and publication of the Gospel of his Kingdom; which should have made us take more notice thereof than commonly we have done. Blind Iews that could not see it! nay, for this very reason, because he was of Galilee, they would not believe him to be the Messiah:Iohn 7. …1. Shall Christ come out of Galilee, say they? should not Christ come out of Bethlehem? And so he did too, and yet was by habitation and conversation a Galilean. Nay I must yet say more; even we Christians cannot altogether be excused, who by following the Iews too close, have so troubled and darkned the beginning of this Prophecy, by mis-translating and mis-distinguishing it, that when we have done, we can hardly tell how to defend S. Matthew's application thereof, much less see the evidence of so noble and clear a Prophecy. I think the devil did owe it a spight from the beginning. The Septuagint is here corrupted into pure non-sense, and so I believe was even in the Apostles times; which made S. Matthew that he could quote nothing of that first sentence, but only the names of Zebulun and Naphtali, as he may see that compares them. The Chaldee Paraphrast is as wide. How we translate of latter times, I shall not need to mention, those who are pinched therewith can tell best. For my part I am perswaded, the four or five first words, wherewith we are wont to begin this ninth Chapter, belong to the last verse of the Chapter before-going, as both the Chaldee Paraphrast and S. Ierome refer them; and that the words following begin a new Prophecy, namely, that which I have hitherto alledged for Messiah's abode in Galilee; in this manner, foreign According as the first time he made vile (or debased) the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; so in the latter time he shall make it glorious. Or making foreign the supposition of the sentence thus, As the first time made vile the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; so the latter time shall make them glorious. Or simply without comparison thus, The first time he debased the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he shall make them glorious. Then follow the words which S. Matthew quotes, The way of the sea by Iordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, &c. It seems to me to be exceeding plain, and to make the Prophecy so clear as scarce any in Scripture goes beyond it. Is not foreign to make vile or base, and foreign to glorifie or make glorious? Let him that hath skill in the language judge, What need we then translate lightly afflict and heavily afflict? True, foreign hath the signification of lightness, but it is of light worth; and foreign of weight, but (as in Piel frequently, so here) of the weight of glory; and we our selves otherwhiles translate it so. And to conclude, the Event is true and evident, That as the land of Zebulun and Naphtali had the first share in the calamity by Assyria, so had they a prerogative in enjoying the presence of Messiah.
The Observation that this circumstance of Christ our Saviour's habitation and abode suggests unto our meditation, is an Example of that rule of God's administration S. Paul speaks of 1 Cor. 1. 27, &c. to make choice of the foolish things of this world to confound the wise; and of weak, base and despicable things in the world's account, to confound the mighty: That no flesh should glory before him. For Galilee and the inhabitants thereof were in respect of Iudaea reputed ignoble and half strangers; both because they were so far divided from Ierusalem (where the Temple of their Nation was;) and because it was not the proper and original habitation of the Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin which returned from Captivity, but part of the lot of the Kingdom of the ten Tribes which Salmanasser carried away captive. Howbeit the Iews of the two Tribes after their return, especially in the prevailing times of the Maccabees, had many of them setled themselves there, and at length subdued the Gentiles there dwelling, and replenished it with their own people; yet so as many of the Gentiles dwelt still among them: In which respects they were despised of those that dwelt in Iudaea their native home, and accounted (though of the same Nation, yet) far less noble than themselves: Insomuch that the name of Galilaean was in some sort reproachful and despicable, as we may gather even from those speeches of the Iews in the Gospel;Iohn 7. 41, 52. Shall Christ come out of Galilee? and, Out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet. Yet did God so order it, that Christ, the King of Israel, the great Saviour of Mankind, who was to be exalted to sit at the right hand of God, far above all principalities and powers, should be, as you see, a Galilean. And was not the rest of his breeding suitable thereunto? Who would not have looked that that glorious Son of David should have been born of the most rich and potent parentage of that line? but behold he was of the poorest and most despised. Who would not have thought but Ierusalem the Royal City had been the only fit place for his Birth? but he was born at Bethlehem, one of the least Cities of Iudah. And what? in some stately and more convenient Palace there? No, in a stable, and laid in a manger. So was David, his progenitor,1 S…m 16. 11. the youngest and most despised son of Ishai: Samuel thought that brave and goodly Eliab, the first-born, was the man surely whom God would chuse to make him King;Verse 6. But God had set his eye upon him whom the Father so little regarded as he could scarce think of him, even the little one which kept the sheep. Thus God derides the conceits of men.
Fools therefore that we are! why do we value those things so much which God esteems so little? We are wont otherwise to make much account of such things as Kings and Great ones have in esteem, and to think but basely of those things which they despise: why should not the Example of Almighty God bear the like sway in our judgments, to prefer what he prefers, and slight what he undervalues? Let us therefore, considering this, set our hearts and affections upon heavenly and spiritual things, and say of all the pomp and glory of this world, Vanity of Vanities, all is Vanity.Eccles. 1. 2.
THUS have I spoken of the two first Particulars I propounded, the Time when, and the Place where, our Saviour began the publication of his Gospel; I come now to the Third, The Summe of what he preached: and it was this, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; Repent ye, and believe the Gospel. This was the Summe of what he preached; and it contains two parts, a Doctrine, and an Exhortation.
The Doctrine is, That the Time foretold by the Prophets when the Kingdom of God should begin, was come: The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. The Exhortation is, That therefore they should Repent, and believe the Gospel, or glad tidings which that Kingdom brings. I'le begin with the Doctrine, where I have two things to unfold. 1. What this Kingdom of God is. 2. What was the Time prefixt for the coming thereof, which our Saviour saith was fulfilled when he spake unto them.
For the first, The Kingdom of God is that which otherwise is called The Kingdom of Heaven. These two are both one: and therefore S. Matthew (chap. 4. 17.) when he relates this preaching of our Saviour, saith that he preached and said, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; namely, the same that Iohn Baptist his Harbinger preacht before him:Matt. 3. 2. For the Hebrews express God by Heaven, as we may see Dan. 4. 26. where it is said to Nebucchadnezzar, that his kingdom should be restored unto him, when he should acknowledge that the heavens bear rule; that is, God the most High, who dwells in heaven. The prodigal child in the Gospel saith, Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee, Luke 15. 21. So Matt. 21. 25. The Baptism of Iohn, was it from Heaven, or from men? that is, from God, or from men? *See 1 Mac cab. 3. 15.—foreign … Coram …oelo …. coram D…o.This is the reason why the Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven mean one and the same thing. Let us therefore now see what is meant by it.
This Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven is the Kingdom of Messiah or Christ foretold in the Prophets; the Kingdom of that Seed of the woman which should break the Serpent's head; of that seed of Abraham wherein all the Nations of the earth should be blessed. For so the Hebrew Doctors before and at our Saviour's coming had termed this Kingdom, and taught their people to look for it under that name, which they had learned out of the Prophecies of Daniel concerning it, who in chap. 2. ver. 44. describes it in this manner; In the days of those Kings or Kingdoms (that is, while the days of the four Monarchies there spoken of yet lasted) the God of heaven shall found, or set up, a Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed, nor be lest unto another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. In the 7 ch. ver. 13, 14. he describes it thus; I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of Heaven—And there was given him dominion, and 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. From these places the Iews called the Messiah's Kingdom the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven; Because in the first place it is said that the God of heaven should set up his Kingdom; and in the other places, that the Son of man (namely Messiah) should come in the clouds of Heaven. For our Saviour brought not this term of phrase with him, but found it at his coming used among the Iews; which being fitly given he approved, and so taught them the mysterie of his coming in their own language. As we may see in so many Parables in the Gospel, where our Saviour sets forth the state of his Church and the members of the same continually under the name of The Kingdom of God, or The Kingdom of Heaven: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a field where a sower sowed good seed, &c.Matth. 1…. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven, &c. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Merchant, &c. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net; and such like: In all which our Saviour describes the state of his Church in that language the people were used unto, as he doth also in other of his Sermons. Hence it is that when Iohn Baptist first, and our Saviour after him, preached, The Kingdom of heaven is at hand, the Iews wondred not at that term as at a novelty, nor ever askt what it meant; but understood it of the Kingdom of Messiah, which they had been taught to call by that name then, and is still found so called among their Rabbies and Doctors until this day, though through their unbelief they have no portion therein, but look for it still to come.
The Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven then is nothing else but the Church of Christ, or the Christian Church, which is no Temporal kingdom, like the kingdoms of this world which have power over the Body only, but a Spiritual kingdom which reigns over the Souls and Spirits of men.Luke 17. 21. The Kingdom of God, saith our Saviour, is within you, that is, it is a kingdom of the inward man. And therefore this kingdom was not to be founded after the manner of the kingdoms of men, by great armies and field-battels; but was to subdue the nations and conquer the world by a more divine way, namely: by the power of the Word and Spirit, as we see it hath done, My Kingdom, saith our Saviour, is not of this world; that is, not from this world, or to be set up by worldly means, as other kingdoms are: For if my Kingdom (saith he) were of, or from, this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered unto the Iews: but now my Kingdom is not from hence, Iohn 18. 36. Armies and Swords are not fit means to conquer the Souls of men; and therefore Christ was to perform his conquests by a more divine and invisible way. And as he conquered them, so he governs and keeps them in their allegiance to him, not by Garrisons and Armed Troops, but by the power of the same Word and Spirit. Lastly, as he governs his subjects, so he fights against his enemies, not as the Kings of the earth do, but by a divine and heavenly working, by divine and heavenly ministers, by the ministery of Angels,*Matt. 26. …3. who are all at his command. For the Enemies of his Church and Kingdom are chiefly Spiritual, namely those Spiritual powers, those rulers of darkness, the Devil and all his troops of Fiends, which cannot be dealt withal nor resisted after a corporal manner, but by Spiritual means and Spiritual ministers. And though the Arms of flesh and bloud are also lift up against the Kingdom of Christ, yet is it always by the instigation and under the conduct of those invisible Fiends. As for the men employed in such service, they are but the horses in the Devil's battels; the Devil and his Angels are the riders; and therefore to be repelled by a power and forces suitable unto them. In a word, the whole world by sin was become the kingdom of the Devil; Christ came to recover it from him, and to erect the Kingdom of God in place thereof. Such a kingdom therefore as the one was, such must the other be; else it should not match it, as by the tenor of …e first Gospel it was to do,Gen. 3. 15. which saith, The seed of the Woman should break the Serpent's head.
I must add one thing more for the understanding of this Kingdom, A twofold state of Christ's Kingdom.namely, That this Kingdom of Christ which I have hitherto described hath a Two-fold state: The one Militant, consisting in a perpetual warfare and manifold sufferings; which is the present state begun at his First coming, when he ascended up into heaven to sit at the right hand of God. The Second state is a Triumphant state, which shall be at his Second appearing in glory in the clouds of heaven, at what time he shall put down all authority, power and rule, and subdue all his enemies under his feet, even death it self, (as S. Paul tells us 1 Cor. 15. 24.) and in that great Assizes of the quick and dead shall render everlasting vengeance to his enemies and those who believed not his Gospel; and give rewards of glory to his servants, who have kept their faith and allegiance to him. And that once done, and so his Conquest finished, he shall surrender up his Kingdom into the hands of his Father;1 Cor. 15. 28. that being subject to him who put all things under his feet, God may be all in all, as S. Paul tells us.
In both which estates how fitly this Kingdom is called the Kingdom of Heaven, or of God, appears in three respects.Why Christ…s Kingdom is called The Kingdom of Heaven, or of God. 1. Because the King thereof hath his seat and throne in heaven, where he sits at the right hand of God: 2. Because the beginning thereof is from heaven, and not from earth, or by earthly means: 3. and lastly, Because it is governed and administred by the power of heaven, and not by earthly power. Is not such a Kingdom rightly and truly called The Kingdom of heaven? Thus much I thought good to speak for the explication of this speech, The Kingdom of God, or Kingdom of Heaven, because this term is so frequent in the Gospel, and not always, or perhaps not rightly, understood. Henceforth let him that readeth, understand.
NOW I come to the Second point, namely, What was the Time designed and prefixed for the coming and beginning of this Kingdom, which our Saviour saith here was fulfilled. The time, saith he, is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. The Time of this Kingdom was by the Prophet Daniel two ways foretold; first, generally and at large; secondly, more precisely and punctually. The general time designed was, That it should begin under and during the Fourth Kingdom, or Roman Monarchy; which at length it should utterly ruin and destroy. For Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babel had a Vision of an Image of four differing metals;Dan 2 32, 33. The head of Gold, the arms and breast of silver, the belly and thighs of Brass, the legs and feet of Iron, but the feet mingled with clay. While he beheld this Image and surveyed it from head to foot, he saw a Stone hewen out of the mountain without hands,Vers. 34. which Stone smote the Image (not upon the head, Vers. 35.or breast, or belly, but) upon the Iron and Clayie feet; whereby the Image, and all his other metals being mingled with the Iron, vanished away, and became as chaff before the wind. Then the Stone which smote the Image upon the feet, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
This Vision Daniel expounded of four Gentile Kingdoms, which should succeed one another in order with great extent of dominion. The first, compared to Gold, was the Babylonian, which then reigned. The second, resembled to Silver, should be the Empire of the Medes and Persians, which subdued that of Babylon. The third, figured by the Brazen belly and thighs, was the Greek, which subdued the Persian. The Iron legs (the fourth and last) was the Roman, which subdued the Greek, and so became possessed of the riches and glory of all the former three. During this last Kingdom was the Stone hewn out of the mountain, and smote the Iron feet. This Stone, saith Daniel, was the Kingdom of the God of heaven, which should be set up before the days of these four Gentile kingdoms should expire, namely under the last of them.Vers. 44. In the days of these Kingdoms, saith he, (that is, while these times of the Gentiles dominions yet lasted) the God of heaven shall set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor lest unto another people (as each of the other were;) but shall break in pieces and consume all those kingdoms, (namely in the last, in which the other three were incorporated as it were,) and it self shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest (saith he unto the King,) that the Stone was cut out of the mountain without hands (that is, without any earthly means) and that it break in pieces the iron and the Brass,Vers. 45. the Silver and Gold mingled with it.
Now the Roman Empire (during which this Prophecy was to be accomplished) was in our Saviour's t…me come to the height and highest pitch, and so next door to a declination and downfall. But this downfall was to be wrought by the Stone, viz. the Kingdom of Christ, who should first demolish the Gods and Idols thereof, and then the State it self. The time therefore (when our Saviour spake) was fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God was at hand.
Thus you see how the Time was pointed out at large: now hear the precise and punctual Time, whereby they might know not only that the Kingdom of Messiah should be set up in the Roman Monarchy, but also in what time thereof. The Angel tells Daniel (ch. 9. 24.) That when the Temple, City and Commonwealth of the Iews (which then lay wast by the Babylonish captivity) should be restored and set up again, it should continue 490 years, or 70 times 7 years, and no more: and that before that term ended, Messiah should come and be anointed, and make atonement for sin. His words are these, Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. For understanding this reckoning, you must know, that the Iews according to the Law counted their time and years by Sevens; every Seventh year being a year of rest for the Land and freeing of Servants, and so called a Sabbatical year: according to which account the Angel tells Daniel that Seventy of those weeks of years were allotted for the standing of their Temple and Commonwealth, when both should be restored again after the Captivity; which make in all 490 years. Now if Messiah were to appear before these 490 years were ended, it could not in likelihood be much later than this time when our Saviour published his Gospel: because within 40 years after the Temple and State of the Iews was utterly destroyed; whereby it was apparent that the 490 years were ended, and therefore the Time of Messiah's appearing past.
But Daniel yet points out the Time more nearly and punctually:Dan. 9. 24. For he tells us moreover that from the Edict for restoring the State of the Iews and re-building. Ierusalem (which was some years after the re-building of the Temple) should be unto Messiah the Prince 62 of those weeks or sevens of years: Vers. 26.and after those 62 seven years Messiah should be cut off. Now if we reckon this number of weeks of years from that week wherein Ezra received commission from Artaxerxes King of Persia to restore and settle the Church and State of the Iews, and Nehemiah soon after to build the walls of Ierusalem, we shall find the Time when our Saviour began this publication of his Gospel to fall out in the last week of those 62 weeks. As a woman therefore with child, when her tenth and last monethmonth is come, may truly say, Her reckoning is fulfilled, and her travail is at hand; so might our Saviour, when the last week of Messiah's weeks was begun, say, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The Lesson to be learned hence is, for confirmation of our Faith against the blindness and obstinacy of the Iews, who will not believe that Iesus of Nazareth, who came at the time appointed, was their King Messiah, but look for another yet to come. O blind Miscreants! If the time of Messiah's coming were then fulfilled when our Saviour preached unto them, how are they so besotted as to look for that his coming still? Shall he come 1600 years after the time of his coming was fulfilled? Their Fathers looked for the coming of Messiah *luke 2. 25. 38. ch. 19. 11.at that time when our Saviour preached amongst them;*Ioseph de bell Iud l. 7. c. 31. Tacit. l. 5. H…stor. Sueton. l. 8. yea had filled all the East with the fame of their expectation; which th…y would never have done, had they not seen the time appointed for his coming and kingdom was to come out in that Age. Why did their Fathers never alledge against the Apostles, That the time was not yet come? Had not this been the readiest way to stop their mouths, when they told them, They had crucified their Messiah? Nay, when our Saviour made this fulfilling of the time to be the ground of his doctrine, why did not their great Doctors (their Scribes and Pharisees) oppose and gainsay it, unless they had known it to be so indeed? Nay at his blessed Birth, when the wise men came from the East to Ierusalem, Matth. 2. 1.saying, Where is he that is born King of the Iews? when Herod and all Ierusalem was troubled, when he assembled all the chief Priests and Scribes of the people about it; why did they not tell him the Time was not yet come, unless they had known it had been come? But of the Time there was no question, only the Place was inquired of. In a word, All the exception the Iews could find against our Saviour, was the meanness of his Person, because he came not like a King; and the Place of his education, because he was a Galilaean: But against the Time of his coming they took no exception. Nay (which is an invincible confession) the most of them at this day have no other shift but to say, That Messiah was born then, namely, before their Temple was destroyed, and lies hid all this time somewhere for their sins, but at length shall shew himself unto them.
Let us pray unto Almighty God, that he would at length open their eyes to see him to be their King, whom they have pierced, and that there is no other to be looked for.Eph. 2. 12. And let us continually magnifie his goodness unto us, unto whom (being Gentiles and Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, a people without God in the world) he hath, nevertheless, vouchsafed this great light, and made known that Mysterie which is hidden from his own people,Rom. 9. 4, 5. to whom appertained the adoption, and the glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the Promises: Whose were the Fathers; and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. What are we, that it should please the great and mighty God to look upon such dead dogs as we are?