thou be that should come? Or do we look for another. The Jews in general, as I obferved before, were looking out every Day, as it were, with great Eagerness for him that Jhould come. And the Pharifees put this very Question to our Saviour, when the Kingdom of God fhould come? To whom he anfwered in fuch a Manner, as fufficiently in-. forms us concerning the Notions, then entertained of the State and Nature of the Mefiab's Kingdom; viz. The Kingdom of God cometh not with Obfervation: Or as it is in the Margin of our Bibles, with outward Shew. The Original implies both the one and the other. They obferved, they watched, when it fhould appear; because they expected, it would appear with all poffible Eclat of outward Shew; fo that they might fay, when they defcryed it coming, Lo here! or Lo there!

After mentioning thefe Particulars, we need not wonder, that the Apostles should have a Strife among themselves, who should be the Greatest. For as they looked upon Christ in the Light of being that Meiab, who was to restore the Kingdom to Ifrael, it was natural for them to push their Interest, as Courtiers do, as far as they could. I might yet add many other Particulars in Confirmation of the Point here advanced. But what I have faid, I hope, will be fufficient. And the reft I fhall referve for the II. Differtation; with which Subject, I conceive, they have a

very

1

very particular Connection. A temporal Kingdom then, with ALL it's Confequences of worldly Riches, Pleafures, and Delights, was the Ground of their Expectations, and the Foundation of all their Hopes. Such. a miftaken Principle to fet out with, could not fail in the Sequel, of begetting in them many extraordinary Mistakes of a practical Nature.

Wherefore 2dly this will lead us to obferve, in what Manner they were drawn into the Mistake of fuppofing, that they were to be treated, and to treat one another with elegant and continual Feaftings under the Reign of their Meffiah. For as they wholly took their Patterns and Ideas of his Court and Kingdom from the Modes and Customs of earthly Princes, it need not seem strange to us, that they expected to partake of the Jame kind of Pleafures and Entertaiments, which other Courtiers did; only in a much. higher Degree. If any one can doubt, whether they had any fuch Notion of Corporeal Feafting; the very Words fubfequent to the Paffage now in Difpute, may ferve to convince him, viz. And when one of them that fat at Meat with him, heard thefe Things, be faid unto bim, Bleed is be that shall eat Bread in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God was a fynonymous Term for the Kingdom of the Meffiah; and the eating Bread is an Eastern Phrafe for a Repaft or EntertainB 4

ment,

ment, whether fumptuous, or otherwise. The Gospels alfo have furnished us with many Hints, whereby we may gather, to what a Pitch they expected their Spirits were to be exhilarated, and their Rejoycings to rife on that Occafion. Particularly the Beatitudes of our bleffed Lord do really fhew by Way of Contraft, what were their Notions and Opinions. They expected, and indeed it was natural enough for them fo to do upon their Principles, to be in the higheft Glee of Spirits, when Partakers at fuch Entertainments. Poverty of Spirit, they would have judged to have been inconfiftent with the Rejoycings, which ought to take Place upon fuch an Occafion. And therefore they feemed to conclude, that a Person of this Caft and Temper, could not be blessed; because he could not fufficiently exult over his Enemies, now fubdued by the coming of the Kingdom of God. This was a Time to be comforted after their long Mourning and Sorrows: This was a Seafon for Mirth and Feftivity. Wherefore our Lord, to correct these Errors, began his Beatitudes with faying, Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Bleffed are they that mourn; for they fhall be comforted. And the fame Kind of Reafoning, which, I have

a

་

a See Mr. Blair's excellent Paraphrafe on Chrift's Sermon on the Mount, in his First Vol.

shewn,

fhewn, doth here take Place with regard to the two firft Beatitudes, holds good with respect to all the rest.

Such therefore being the Notions of the Jews and Pharifees, concerning the perpetual Round of Feaftings and Mirth, which were to be enjoyed under the Reign of their Meffiab; it is eafy to infer, that none could be admitted to be prefent, but Favourites and Great Men, according to the Practice always obferved in the Courts of Princes. Nay, it would have been but common Prudence in the Maker of the Feast, to invite them, and to omit the inviting of others, both as a Recompence might be made him (by which Means the Pleafures of fuch Goodfellowship would be continually kept up) and alfo as he might avoid the giving Offence to the Great Men and Favourites of the Court. Thus were the Poor, the Maimed, the Lame, and the Blind almost unavoidably excluded from ever being prefent at Entertainments of this Nature. But this is not all: For we may obferve,

3. That this defpifed Clafs of Men were not only excluded, as being unqualified by their Station and Condition in Life from participating in fuch Favours; but alfo for Reafons ftill more perfonal and particular. The whole Jewish Nation had conceived very derogatory Notions of God, as if he was a capricious Being, and lead by blind

Af

Affection to have his Favourites and Fondlings. And the felecting the Seed of Ifrael to be a peculiar People, feems to have been misapplied by them to countenance fuch a Notion. Their Views were too narrow and contracted for them to fee, that Almighty God had a much more general Defign in fo doing, than what related to themJelves only. But as they had fuch a contracted Notion, it fpread and grew upon them: So that they feemed to think, they could difcern, that God had excluded the Poor, the Maimed, the Lame, the Blind from being of the Number of his Favourites. The Poor, they thought, could not be in Favour with him; becaufe the Law had promised all temporal Bleffings to fuch, as he approved of. And therefore they judged the Want of them to be an evident Mark of God's Difpleasure. In fhort, the Jews confidered all temporal Afflictions as Judgments from Heaven. Hence it was, that our Saviour reproved the uncharitable Cenfure past upon thofe Galileans, whofe Blood Pilate had mingled with their Sacrifices: viz. Think ye, that thefe Galileans were Sinners above all the Galileans; because they fuffered fuch Things? I tell you nay.

And as to the Maimed, the Halt, and the Blind: All these Defects were fuch Blemishes of Body, that they inferred, the Perfons inflicted with them, were marked out as

being