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You may observe that in this Argument about the Restauration of the Jews, these Interpreters mutilate and diminish the Promises of God in a twofold manner. They transfer to the Christians those things which regard the Jews, according to the genuine Signification of the Words, and accommodate them only to the former. And then they cut off those temporal Blessings, which the Prophets mention together with spiritual ones, and restrain them wholly to spiritual and celestial things. In both these ways they flee to Allegories. When they except and exclude the Jews, they seem to do it directly against the Words of the Prophets, and the Nature of Things and Times which are pointed out, as well as the express Names of Places and People, as we have observed before. And then they omit temporal good things, or change them into heavenly ones, they cast away the other Part of the Promises; for the Prophets often mention these alfo. I am of Opinion that Christ is yet to be the King of the Jews in a more eminent manner than hitherto, that so these prophetic Prophecies may not fail in any respect. It is certain he never rejected this Title. And it was also by the Divine Providence affixed to the Cross when he was expiring; and the chief Priests and Scribes then upbraided him with it. When he was acknowledged to be the King of the Jews, either by the Ifraelites (Mark xi. 10. John xii. 13.) or Heathens, (Mat. ii. 2.) our Saviour did not deny or say any thing against it. And when the Disciples were proclaiming him King, he was so far from checking them that he said, if they held their Peace the very Stones would cry out. (Luke xix. 40.) Lastly, when Christ himself was asked by Pilate, whether he was the King of the Jews, he did not deny it, but claimed that Title as being the Meffias; and confirmed that Report which was generally received concerning him.

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Let us know, I pray, in what Sense Christ told Pilate that he was the King of the Jews, was it in a literal or allegorical one? The Question was propounded in a literal Sense, and did Christ answer Equivocally? No certainly, but in that Sense wherein he declared himself to be the Meffiah, in the very same did he say that he was the King of the Jews; according to the Predictions of the Prophets where these two are joined together. But the Jews were mistaken as to the times of his Kingdom, and did not rightly confider the Difference between his preparatory and glorious Kingdom: The Apostles also fell into the same Error. (Acts i. 6.)

Let us farther, with reference to this Subject, confider the Dialogue between Jesus and Pilate, as it is fully related by St. John. (c. xviii.) When Pilate entered the second time into the Judgment Hall he asked Jesus, Art thou the King of the Jews? (v. 33, &c.) Then Jesus before he answered him as to this, asked him, whether he said this thing of himself, or others had told it him. Thy own Nation, fays Pilate, and the chief Priests have delivered thee unto me, what haft thou done? Jesus answered, My Kingdom is not of this World; if my Kingdom were of this World then would my Servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now is my Kingdom not from hence.

Then Pilate replied, Art thou a King then? Jesus answered, Thou Sayest that I am a King. To this End was I born, and for this Cause came I into the World, that I should bear Witness unto the Truth: or testify what is Truth.

Now what Truth does he here bear Witness to, if not to that abovementioned, namely, that he was the King of the Jews? And this is the very Teftimony

timony which St. Paul had in his Eye, when he exhorts Timothy not to shun Martyrdom, or defert his Profession for fear of Death, citing the Example of Chrift, who owned himself to be the King of the Jews, tho' it was with the Danger of his Life.

But you may observe that our Saviour somewhat qualifies his Assertion, by observing that he did not at present actually enjoy his Kingdom, or majestic Royalty. Otherwise, says he, my Servants, my Guards would have defended me, but now is my Kingdom not from hence. As if Jesus had said, Now I claim my Right, the Kingdom which God has promifed me, tho' I do not exercise my regal Authority, ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, in this present Age; so that the Romans need fear nothing from my Empire. So that those Words, not of this World, and now, feem to me to denote not the Nature or Quality of Christ's Kingdom, but the time of his exercising it. See the Parable concerning Chrift in the nineteenth Chapter of St. Luke's Gospel. (ν. 12.)

Christ was anointed to be King, but he had not yet so much in Fact as in Right, exhibited himself as a King, being afterwards to receive a fuller Dominion, as David who was a Type of him. (1 Sam. xvi. 12.) According to the prophetic Oracles, the King of the Jews and the Messiah were the fame Person; and thus the Prophecy of Micah is explained by St. Matthew, (c. ii. 6.) For out of thee, he is speaking of Bethlehem, shall come a Governor that shall rule my People Ifrael.

If you understand this of a spiritual Kingdom, it belongs to the Gentiles as well as Ifrael; indeed Christ has not as yet reigned over the Jews either literally or spiritually. For they, as we have before observed, still remain Rebellious against Chrift their King, and altogether averse to the Christian Faith; having cast off the Yoke of Christ in every respect.

Altho' we have not seen these temporal or spiritual good things fulfilled, at least with reference to the Jews, we are not therefore to wonder, much less to despair about the Truth of the Promises. There is an appointed time when every particular Promise of God shall be fulfilled, and the set time for these Prophecies is not yet come. The Fulness of the Gentiles is not yet come in, as the Apostle speaks. (Rom. xi. 25.) And Christ foretold, that Ferusalem should be trodden down till the times of the Gentiles were compleated; and when they were accomplished, the Veils which had been drawn over the Hearts of the Jews should be taken away, together with that Blindness which happened to Ifrael. (2 Cor. iii. 15, 16.) And then shall Christ reign over the House of Jacob, as well literally as spiritually; according to the Prophecies which have been repeated out of the Oid and New Testament.

You see we take in an external and temporal Kingdom, when the Apostles asked our Saviour after his Refurrection, whether he would at that time restore the Kingdom to Ifrael: They mean a temporal Kingdom.

Now what Answer does Christ make? Ye err (says he) not knowing the Scriptures. He does not tell them that he was not to reign over Ifrael. His Reply does not suppose, that the Disciples were in any Mistake as to the Matter itself, but only as to the Seafon; and he checks their Curiosity in Enquiring after the particular times. It is not (says he) for you to know the Times, or the Seasons, which the Father has put in his own Power; nor did he reprove, instruct, or inform them otherwise.

In like manner when the Sons of Zebedee defired

the chief Seats in the Kingdom of Christ, they spake concerning an external and temporal Kingdom; nor did Christ deny that he was to have such a one, or blame the Sons of Zebedee for their Faith in this Matter, but left those Honours, and Dignities to be disposed of by his Father. From these and such like Places we learn that Christ, when opportunity offered, never denied that he was to have a future Kingdom, he never renounced his Right and Title, nor transferred the Predictions of the Prophets, concerning his Reign, to a mere spiritual Signification.

Here is no room for Metaphors. Christ no more denied that he was the King of the Jews, than that he was God. If the Angel in his Address to the blefsed Virgin, when she was about to conceive, had faid, God shall give him the Throne of his Father David in a spiritual Manner, and he shall spiritually reign over the House of Jacob, then there had been some Reason for restraining the ancient Prophecies. But since the ancient Prophets speak about his temporal as well as spiritual Kingdom and Glory; nor was there afterwards any Restriction, or new Interpretation, made either by the Words of the Angel when he was declaring the Royal Dignity of Chrift, then about to be born, nor yet by the Words of Chrift himself, when he was publickly or privately discourfing about his Kingdom; nor lastly, by any other facred Authority; fince, I say, things are thus, I do not fee what hinders but that the future glorious Kingdom of Christ which we have mentioned before, should be understood in both Senses. What hinders, did I say ? nay all Circumstances on every fide perfuade, confirm and convince us that it must be so. Nor is there any Promise oftener repeated in the Old Testament (at least if you exсерс

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