us that in this Sermon (c) he taught the People; and St. Luke thought this fo material an Obfervation, as to the Doctrine of the Sermon, which he likewife gives us an Account of; that he has left it upon Record, that we might not mistake in a Thing of this Confequence; that he finished all these Sayings (d) in the Audience of the People. But instead of these, and fome other Obfervations, which I doubt are either false, or frivolous; at least have no Ground from this Text; I fhall chufe to entertain you with two very material Inquiries, which though commonly overlooked by the practical Writers on this Sermon, I judge may be of fingular Ufe, to help us to the true Senfe and Meaning of it; and notwithstanding this their Silence, are both very directly pointed at in the Words; nay, feem to me to be the principal Scope and Defign of them. I. The first Inquiry fhall be concerning the immediate Occafion of the Sermon from these first Words, And Seeing the Multitudes. II. The next shall be concerning the proper Auditors of it, called here our Saviour's Difciples; whether by them we are to understand only the twelve Apoftles, or all Chriftians. I. First, then, Let us confider the immediate Occafion of this Sermon, from these first Words, And Jeeing the Multitudes: This naturally leading us to inquire what our Saviour now faw in thefe Multitudes, to induce him to make fuch a Difcourfe to them at this Time. For this Seeing, as I take it, was not only a beholding with the E 3 Eyes Eyes of the Body, but a perceiving and confidering with the Eye of the Mind. And this the Greek Lexicographers take Notice of, that the Word id, tranflated Seeing, is often used in that Senfe(e); and feveral Inftances of it may be found in the New Testament (f). We shall the better fatisfy our felves in this Inquiry, by looking back a little into the Context, and confidering what is there observed of the Circumftances of these Multitudes, at the Time of this Sermon; which in short was, as we are told at the three laft Verfes of the foregoing Chapter: (g) That our Saviour had now travelled all over Galilee, and had made himself remarkable for two Things, which took mightily with the People. One was the new Doctrine he publickly preached, and made no Secret of it, which was the good News that the Meffiah was now to enter upon his Kingdom. It is true in our Translation this is a little obfcure; for we fay only that Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, Mat. iv. 23. But in the Original it is Κηρύσσων τὸ ἐυαγγέλιον τὸ Baolas; which, literally rendered, is, proclaiming the good News of the Kingdom. THE Kingdom; for fo, by way of Excellency, they called the Kingdom of the Meffiah. This good News was what they longed for, and at this Time were big with the Expectation of it; nothing could be welcomer to them, or more greedily received, than this News from our Saviour, and his confirming it with Miracles, as it immediately follows (ƒ) Mat. ix. 2. (e) Transfertur idav & ad mentis Oculos, ut & videre pro intelligere, animadvertere, Scap. in Voce Hdw. Acts xiv. 9. Mark xii. 28. Luke ix. 47. Mark viii. 33. iv. 23, 24, 25. (g) Mat. lows that he did. This is the firft Thing then I defire may be taken Notice of, and remember'd, concerning the Circumftances of the Multitudes at this Time; that they greedily entertained this good News, that the Meffiah was now about to fet up his Kingdom. The other Thing which caufed our Saviour to be so much followed at this Time, was a greater Secret ; for it was a Doctrine the Rulers of that Church could not bear to be spoke of; tho' it was not only privately whisper'd, but publickly spread and believed among the People, that this fame Jefus was the Meffiah; and that tho' he appeared at prefent in low Circumftances, he would after he had tried the Affections and Inclinations of the People, take upon different Character, and act openly as the Meffiah: Now that they had generally this Opinion of him, especially they who became his Difciples, will appear to any one who confiders the following Particulars. him a very 1. That he had been very plainly described by John the Baptift, not only in more dark general Terms; (b) that there was one among them, whofe Shoe-latchet he was not worthy to unloofe: Tho' even this had a great Meaning, confidering that there was no other the People had an Eye to at that Time, but either Jefus or himself; and that he himself always pofitively difowned his being the Meffiah, and declared himself only his Harbinger or Forerunner. But afterwards John was much more pofitive and particular in this Matter: For pointing Jefus out, he faid, (i) Behold the Lamb of God, that takes away the Sins of the World. (b) John i. 26, 27. E 4 2. Our [SERM. 2. Our Saviour's Doctrine was attended with fuch a divine Power, Force, and Authority, that the People began all to fufpect fomething extraordinary of him. For they obferved that (k) never Man Spake like him: And that (1) be taught them with Authority, and not as the Scribes. 3. The extraordinary Power of Miracles, which attended him, made them think he was that greater Perfon John Baptift defcribed. (m) John did no Miracle, fay they; but all Things John pake of this Man were true. His Miracles were fo great and many, and fo very beneficial, that as they procured him the great following of the People, fo they often extorted from them Confeffions that he was the Meffiab. Thus we find the Woman of Samaria tells her fellow Citizens; (n) Come fee a Man which told me all Things that ever I did: Is not this the Chrift? And fo the People when they faw the Miracle of the Loaves, faid one to another, (0) This is of a Truth that Prophet that should come into the World; and they not only talked thus, but had a Defign upon it to take him by Force and make him a King, if he had not fuddenly withdrawn himself from them. This Notion they had very current among them, and they were ever and anon coming out with it. Thus the Mother of Zebedee's Children petitioned in Behalf of her two Sons, (p) that they might fit, one on his right Hand, and the other on his left, in his Kingdom: And it was the conftant Dispute among his Difciples, which of them should be greatest in his Kingdom. The People, after the Resurrection of Lazarus, huzza'd him into Jerufalem as the Meffiah: (m) John x. 41. (p) Mat. xx. 20, Meffiah: (g) Hofannah to the Son of David; and bleffed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. (r) This was the good Confeffion he made before Pontius Pilate; and it was fo current a Notion, that the Scribes and Pharifees accused him of it before that Governor, (s) that he made himself a King; and this was the very Thing he was condemned for; as appears by the Accufation written upon his Crofs, (t) This is Jefus the King of the Jews. And this was the great Difappointment of his Difciples upon his Death: We trusted, faid they, that it had been he, which should have redeemed Ifrael, or have fet Ifrael free, Luke xxiv. 21. as they exprefs it plainly after his Resurrection, when they were at him with the fame Thing ftill. Acts i. 6. Lord wilt thou at this Time reftore again the Kingdom to Ifrael? So that it is most probable, that a great Part of this Multitude, which flocked after Jefus from all Parts of the Country, believed he was the Meffiah; and would in a little Time take upon him that Character. Let us now lay thefe Things together, that we may the better gather the Circumftances of these Multitudes, when our Saviour made this Sermon to them. They all in general expected fome great Prince, whom they called their Meffiah; they all greedily embraced our Saviour's good News that the Kingdom of the Meffiah, called in Scripture the Kingdom of Heaven, was now at Hand. The greatest Part of them, efpecially of those who are called here his Difciples, believed that he was the Perfon: And they had fuch an Ardour to follow him, that they left House and Home, and betook (9) Mat. xxi. 9. (7) John xviii. 37. (s) Luke xxiii. 2. |