structing of the same. He chose twelve to be his apostles, according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel, most probably that the founders of the Christian church might be of the same number with those that founded the Jewish; and they were mean persons, as fishermen, neither learned nor noble, and so were the least prejudiced, and the more apt to embrace the naked truth, and the less liable to suspicion of inventing and forming a new sect and scheme of religion; but chiefly by their mean descent and education it appeared, that they were enabled to preach and work miracles by the power of God, and the assistance of the divine Spirit, (God having chosen the foolish and weak things of the world to confound the wise, and things that are mighty.) Farther, he foretold, his own sufferings, death, and resurrection; that his Gospel should prevail over the world; and that the Jews, with their city Jerusalem and the temple, should be shortly destroyed.

When he had near finished the work he had to do on earth, and the time was approaching for his passion, he made a public and kingly entrance into Jerusalem, (as it was foretold he should do,) riding on an ass, great numbers of people spreading their garments in the way, and otherwise honouring him as the Messiah, crying Hosanna to the Son of David; and then going into the temple, with authority, he drove out those who profaned it. The evening before his death, having given the necessary encouragement and promises of comfort and support to his disciples, at the celebration of the great feast of the passover, he ordained the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, for our solemn remembrance of his passion, and as a means whereby we receive the benefit of it; and

k John xx. 21, 22. Acts xiv. 23. 2 Tim. ii. 2. See Casaubon, Exercit. 14. ann. 32. numb. v.

afterwards, having prayed to his heavenly Father, (instead of escaping from them, as formerly he did, his hour being now come,) he went voluntarily into the garden, where he foreknew some were lying in wait for him, there offering himself as a lamb to be slain for the sins of the world.

He suffered terrible conflicts and agonies, was treated with vile indignities and blasphemous scoffings, and was cruelly scourged; and at length, although pronounced innocent by the governor, was condemned, and underwent, for our sakes, the most bitter, painful, and shameful death of the cross; at which time the sun was eclipsed in an extraordinary manner, it being at the time of the passover, which was kept when the moon was fourteen days old; so it was then full moon, when there happens no natural eclipse, which is only caused by the new moon's being placed between our sight and the sun: then there was also as prodigious an earthquake", so that the graves of many saints were opened, and thereby a way was made to attend him at his resurrection: also, among other prodigies, the veil of the temple (which separated the highest and most sacred part of it from the rest) was rent in two, from the top to the bottom, (which no doubt was a token that God had put a period to the sacrifices and ministrations hitherto performed there.)

He was buried, and rose again on the third day after, and shewed himself to be alive at sundry times for forty days, often appearing to his disciples; and at length, in a solemn manner, with the sign of breathing, conferred on them the apostolical and. ministerial commission of publishing the Gospel, and

m Both which are taken notice of by the ancient astrologers and historians, Grot. in Matt. xxvii. 45. and Tertullian appealed to the records of the Roman empire for the eclipse, Apolog. c. 21. Eum mundi casum relatum in Arcanis vestris habetis.

establishing and governing his church"; and encouraged them with a promise of sending down the (gifts and powers of the) Holy Ghost, (which the next book of the New Testament, viz. the Acts of the Apostles, acquaints us how he performed, as we shall find in the history thereof.) In the mean time, they were to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, which should comfort and teach them, and assist and support them in the discharge of their commission, to publish salvation unto all mankind, and to establish his church on earth: to which purpose, he gave them a soleinn command to go up and down the world, and to preach the Gospel, beginning at Jerusalem, or first to the Jews, and then to the people of all nations or countries, (whether Jews or Gentiles,) and to admit them into his church by the sacrament of baptism, and teach them to observe his laws, promising to be with them and their successors unto the end of the world; and, lastly, he blessed them, and ascended into heaven, there to be our Mediator with the Father, and to prepare a place of joy for us; in the mean time, governing his church on earth, with his holy word and Spirit, till he should come again at the last day to judgment, and conduct us into the kingdom of glory, and eternal life.

Note, That from Christ's birth to his manifestation of himself to the world, it was about thirty years, and from thence it was three years more to his ascension into heaven; so that he lived on earth in the whole about thirty-three years.

"See what is said on the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, concerning the effusion of the Holy Ghost.

CHAP. V.

The Condition on our parts.

II. WE are farther taught in the holy Gospels, that our Lord Jesus Christ, when he published his love in dying for us, did also declare the condition on our parts; and that is, not only to believe that he was the Christ and the Saviour, but also to take him to be our Lord and King, and to live in obedience to the divine laws. In Matthew we read, that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire; and that it is not enough to call Christ Lord, to own him as our Saviour, unless we also do the will of his Father which is in heaven, &c. Now this heavenly will Christ declares and explains in his sermon on the mount, Matt. v. vi. vii. and in divers other places of the holy Gospel; which give us a true notion of the Christian religion, the design of which is to raise our souls above the sensual pleasures of the body, and the delights of this lower world, and to beget in us an heavenly temper, an inward purity of mind, and an entire conformity to the will of God. Here follows the substance of Christ's sermon:

1. Our Lord pronounces divers persons blessed, in circumstances which the world has not such an opinion of; as, first, the poor in spirit, who, from a sense of their own imperfection, are humble and lowly minded; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, they are fitted to receive and entertain the Gospel of Christ, and are better qualified for, and have the better title to, the grace and assistance of the Holy Spirit here, and to happiness hereafter. (This may

a Matt. vii. 19, 20, 21. xi. 28, 29, 30. and xvi. 27. v. 1-13.

b Matt.

d

be applied to those poor in worldly possessions, who, because poor on earth, are the more zealous to attain heaven.) Blessed are they that mourn; by which we may understand, in the first place, those that mourn for their spiritual state, their want of true holiness and purity; and for their sins, so as to hate and renounce them for the future, contrary to the insensibility and hardness of negligent and presumptuous sinners. For they shall be comforted, by a reasonable assurance that God accepts their contrition now in this world, and in the next will receive them to everlasting joy. They are also blessed, who mourn in a Christian manner under afflictions, are patient and submissive when they are in a sorrowful state, (seeing it is the chastisement of God, who corrects, as a father his children, for their good.) They shall be comforted, with frequent refreshings and supports of the Holy Spirit; and at length be eternally comforted in heaven, in proportion to their sufferings on earth. In the next place, Blessed are the meek, the mild and gentle, who are of a calm and quiet disposition, for they shall inherit the earth; enjoy content and quiet in their minds, and so live as comfortably in the world as can be expected, whatever portion they may have therein; and hereafter inherit the new heaven and the new earth, which shall be revealed in God's due time. Farther, Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, desire earnestly, and as earnestly endeavour to obtain such righteousness, whereby they may be approved of, and accepted by God, (as hunger and thirst inclines us both to desire and endeavour to obtain what will satisfy,) for they shall be filled, or satisfied therewith. Again, Blessed are the merciful; who are disposed in their minds to have pity

c Luke vi. 20. d Heb. xii. 7, &c. 2 Cor. i. 3, 4, 5. * John xvi. 20, 21, 22. Luke xvi. 25. 2 Cor. iv. 17.