Jews, Ye err, not knowing the Scriptures, was perfectly true of them. Thus John xi. 22. Our Saviour promising to raise up the Temple of his Body in three Days, if it should be diffolved, his Apoftles understood not the true meaning of his Words, but when he was rifen from the Dead, then they at last remembred, that he had faid thus unto them; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Fefus had faid. They before, even from their Infancy, believed the Scripture in general, that it was the Word of God, and divinely infpir'd; but now they understood and believed the true Sense of Scripture, the Ignorance of which had before caused them to fall into Errour. Again, St. John xii. 16. Thefe things understood not his Difciples at the first, but when Jefus was glorified, (that is after his Afcenfion) Then remembred they that thefe things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

Here the Promife made in the Text is fully accomplished by a twofold Operation of the Holy Ghoft, the one recalling into the remembrance of the Apoftles, the Actions and Sufferings of Chrift, of which they had been Witneffes in his Life time, the other clearly propofing to them the intire Conformity between those Actions and the precedent Prophecies which were written of him. In like Manner our Saviour reproving the Difciples of Emmaus for their Amazement and Defpair of their Mafter's Refurrection, upbraids VOL. I.

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to them their Ignorance of Scripture: O fools, and flow of heart, to believe all that the Prophets have spoken. Ought not Chrift to have fuffered these things, and to enter into his glory? "Luke xxiv. 25, 26. They doubted not of the Truth of thofe Prophecies, but affixing falfe Interpretations to them, had perverted their Senfe, and thereby in believing them, affented not to the true Prophecies, but to the Fictions of their own Brains, and thereby were hindred from understanding the Neceffity of Chrift's fuffering thefe Things, and entring into his Glory.

I have now dispatched the first and chief Reason of the Apoftles Ignorance. I proceed to affign fome other Caufes of it; and among thefe, the falfe Notions and Prejudices which they had received by their Education, deferve more efpecially to be confidered.

The Jews had ever, even from the Time of Mofes, lived in expectation of a glorious Meffias, who fhould be the Author of the moft illuftrious Benefits to their Nation, refcue them from their Afflictions, and settle them in an external State of Happiness. This was typified by all their Rites and Ceremonies, foretold by their Prophets, and celebrated in their publick Offices; in the firm Expectation of this, their Forefathers died, and themselves continued their Hopes under their greatest Afflictions. But then by falfe Interpretations of the Antient Prophecies, the Doc

tors

tors of the Jewish Law, had long before the coming of our Saviour, entertain'd and propagated mean and unworthy Thoughts of the Meffias. They had formed to themselves mighty Expectations of an external Pomp and fecular Greatnefs, wherewith their Meffias fhould enter upon his Office, and which he fhould communicate to the whole Nation. They thought not of fpiritual Bleflings, reformation of Manners, removal of Errors, propofal of a pure and rational Religion, and affurance of a fpiritual Happiness in another Life; but mighty Armies, and continual Triumphs, wide Conquefts and ineftimable Spoils. They expected to be freed from the Roman Yoke, by the Victorious Arms of the Meffias, and by an uninterrupted Success, at last be inabled to give Laws to the whole World.

These fond Conceits were now entertained by the whole Jewish Nation, and tenaciously maintained by the Apoftles, who all along believed indeed their Mafter to be the true and great Meffias, but withal, even to his Afcenfion, continued to believe that he had not yet entred upon the Execution of this glorious Office. Not all the Premonitions of his future Sufferings, not the Experience of his prefent Poverty and Difgrace, or the fight of his Crucifixion and Burial, could remove this inveterate Error from their Minds, or create in them a right Apprehenfion of our Saviour's Doctrine and Office: But after all, when he was ready to afcend up into Heaven, C 2 they

they asked him by common Confent; Lord, wilt thou at this time reftore again the Kingdom to Ifrael? Wilt thou now commence that glorious Reign, which we have so long expected?

The want of this external Pomp, and Appearance in a State of fuch extraordinary Humility, totally hindred his Brethren, that is, his Kindred, from believing on him, as is expreffed St. John vii. 5. and could not divert the Apoftles, who believed him to be the Meffias, from nourishing vain Hopes of a future Greatness in this World. Infomuch as immediately after Chrift had foretold them, in the x. of St. Mark, that he fhould be betrayed, delivered to the Gentiles, Buffeted, Scourged and Crucified; the two Sons of Zebedee, not difcouraged by all thefe Calamities, which they imagined to be the Entrance into a greater temporal Glory, requested of him, That One might fit on his right hand, the other on his left, in his Kingdom. And the Disciples of Emmaus far from confi dering the past Sufferings of Chrift, and reflecting on the Circumítances of his Paffion, and precedent Admonitions of it, which might juftly have refuted and defeated their foolish Expectations, began to fufpect this was not the truc Meffias, fince he had not brought the hoped for external Redemption to the Jews. We trusted that it had been He, which hould have redeemed Ifrael; but thofe Hopes are vanished; and he yet continues in his

Grave.

Since then the Apoftles continued to retain thefe Prejudices and preconceived Errors, and were thereby hindred from conceiving the fpirituality of Chrift's Kingdom, which is the firft and greatest Principle of the Chriftian Religion; it was impoffible they fhould rightly understand the Doctrine of Chrift, until these Prejudices were removed, and true Notions of the Nature of his Kingdom introduced. Till then, they could not but grofly mistake the Meaning of all thofe many Revelations, which he imparted to them, and conftantly wrefted them to their own falfe Notions and Apprehenfions. This not only disabled them from understanding the true Sense of what Chrift was pleased to reveal to them, but alfo hindred them, while continuing in that State, from receiving any more clear and exprefs Revelation. This our Saviour plainly tells them, John xvi, 12, 13. I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all Truth. I have yet greater Myfteries to reveal to you, and which will seem more astonishing to you; but the indifpofition of your Understanding, at present clouded with Prejudices and Errors, would defeat the Benefit of them. These therefore I leave to be revealed by the Holy Ghoft, whom I fhall fend unto you, who by an extraordinary Operation affifting your Understanding, will prepare it for a ready Reception of all thofe 'Truths.