For the illuftration of this, in the firft SERM. place, let it be remembered, which in the IX. present argument I must take for granted, that the Jews had an expectation begotten in them by the ancient oracles, which univerfally prevailed, that Meffiah, that is, as they understood the matter, a prince, who was of the houfe of David, fhould be raised to the kingdom; a prince, who fhould deliver the Jewish nation from all fubjection and fervitude to foreigners, and not only render them independent, but exalt their empire over the world; a glorious king, who, while he made their external state profperous, should at the same time fet all things right with refpect to religion, and for ever banish all idolatry. There was good reafon from the Old Tefta ment to believe, and it was generally believed, that the Meffiah fhould appear about that time, in which Jefus Chrift did actually appear. And accordingly all men, who attended to fuch matters, were full of expectation ; and certain persons, who were impoftors, did, one after another, actually affume that character. And as our Bleffed Lord, when he manifefted himfelf to the world, gave plain evidence,

that

"

SERM. that divine power refted upon him, fuch IX. as in fome inftances fully convinced his followers, that he was really the Meffiah; fo we find, that, according to the prevailing notions of the Jews, they expected from him temporal bleffings and profperity. Thus the multitude, whom he is recorded, in the fixth of John's gofpel, to have fed miraculously, were for making him king immediately, and for using force, if they could not procure his confent to their defign; they had no doubt, but that he was the long-expected prince, and were for proclaiming him forthwith. The fame apprehenfion, concerning the appearance of the Meffiah at that time, was probably the cause of Herod's jealoufy, when he heard of the wifemen from the east, and what they had faid of a child then born, who was to be king of the Jews. He fufpected, that he might lofe his crown, or, at least, that he might be greatly difturbed in the poffeffion of it; and fo, in the cruelty of his abandoned fpirit, he fent and flew the young children, which were in Bethlehem, and all the coafts of it. This notion of a visible temporal kingdom prevailed among our Saviour's own disciples;

and

and it seemeth, that upon this foundation SERM, they set out to be his followers, expecting IX. great things from him. Many paffages in the hiftory evidently fhew this. And our Bleffed Lord, as he was at great pains to form the minds, of his difciples to the practice of true religion, and to patience of evil and perfecution, of which he often forwarned them, and clearly enough pointed out to them, on feveral occafions, his own future fufferings and death; fo he dropped many hints, with refpect to the nature of his kingdom, which tended to cool their hopes of temporal profperity, under his ad÷ ministration: yet for certain wife reafons one of which was, that they could not then bear all that he had to fay to them, and probably others, which are not explained to us, he did not make them thoroughly acquainted with the defign and ftate of his kingdom. The unfolding of this fully was referved to that glorious time, when, upon our Saviour's afcent, the fpirit was poured on them from on high, thoroughly furnishing them for all the bufinefs of their important miffion. We find then, that during our Bleffed Saviour's life, the apoftles retained much of the

common

SERM. Common prejudice. And as their fancies IX. were pleased with the hopes of high preferment in his kingdom, fo they were very éarneft to know, who fhould be chief in it. *Fames and John had the boldness to afk, that they might be his chief ministers ; which raised no fmall indignation in the minds of the other difciples. And with the fame spirit, Peter, often apt to be forward, tells his master, † they had left all and followed him, and what, fays he, fhall we have therefore? And upon fome occafions, when our Lord fpake to them of his future fufferings; thefe things, we are told, were hid from them; they could not comprehend his meaning. Efpecially, Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, faying, § Be it far from thee, Lord, this fhall not be unto thee. For if fuch things were to come upon him, they could not but fee, that all their pleafing hopes muft perish at once. Thus, according to their own account, they fet out as our Saviour's followers with full expectations of a kingdom in this world, and of their being advanced to high power and honour in it.

* Mark x. 35. † Matt. xiv. 27. § Ib. xvi. 22.

And

And even after our Lord's refurrection, SERM. their hopes, then revived, were of the IX.

fame kind. His crucifixion had filled them with confufion, even with defpair: his rifing from the dead gave new life to their expectations, but ftill of a temporal glory. *Lord, wilt thou at this time reStore again the kingdom to Hrael? But though the difciples fet out with fuch hopes and expectations, and continued long to retain them; yet when the great defign is fully unravelled, lo! there was nothing of a temporal kingdom in it. Our Saviour's fervants were to expect, not stations of power and honour upon earth, of wealth or profperity on the contrary, they had nothing before them, but tribulation, and perfecution, and suffering, even to death. And when, fully inftructed by a divine illumination, they came to explain to the world the defign and nature of Chrift's kingdom, it proved to be nothing at all like the kingdoms of this world; they give up at once all their former fchemes and hopes, and ftrike out to us quite another plan; teaching their followers to

look