Samaria, happened as he was going from Jerusalem to Galilee. "He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria," John iv. 3, 4. And St. Luke has given us an account of an affront our Saviour met with in that country at another time, when he was passing through it to one of the feasts at Jerusalem. This may incline us to suppose, that as this was the shortest way, so it was usual for the Jews of Galilee to go this way up to their feasts. Josephus has assured us it was so. The story in which this is mentioned being remarkable, I shall set it down at length. The fact happened about the year of our Lord 52. z

'Moreover a difference arose between the Samaritans and 'the Jews upon this occasion. It was the custom of the 'Galileans, who went up to the holy city at the feasts, to ' travel through the country of Samaria. As they were in their journey, some of the village called Ginea, which lies in the borders of Samaria and the great plain, falling upon them, killed a great many of them. When the chief 'men of Galilee heard what had been done, they went to 'Cumanus, (he was then procurator,) and desired that he 'would revenge the death of those men that had been killed. But he having been bribed by the Samaritans, paid no regard to them.a

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This passage gives light to what is said, Luke ix. 51. "And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go up to Jerusalem. And sent messengers before his face, and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go up to Jerusalem." It was upon this people, that some of our Saviour's disciples were for commanding fire to" come down from heaven to consume them." Our blessed Lord rebuked his disciples: but it is evident, both from the evangelists and Josephus, that however this people might treat other travellers, or even Jews at other times, they were very apt to violate the common laws of civility and hospitality toward those that were going to worship God at Jerusalem, or that had been there upon that account.

z Vid. Cleric. Hist. Eccl. de Bell. lib. ii. cap. 12. sect. 3.

a

Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 5. sect. 1. Vid. et

CHAP. V.

OF THE JEWS' AND SAMARITANS' EXPECTATIONS, AND THEIR IDEA OF THE MESSIAH.

1. The Jews had expectations of the Messiah, as a temporal deliverer. II. Of the Jews requiring a sign. III. The Samaritans expected the Messiah. IV. The Jews and Samaritans supposed the Messiah to be a prophet as well as a king. V. Some reflections.

I. TWO things are plainly intimated by the evangelists; that the Jewish nation had, about the time of our Saviour, very general expectations of the coming of the Messiah; and that the idea they formed of him, was that of a powerful and victorious temporal prince.

First, It is intimated, that they had very general expectations of the Messiah. "The Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem, to ask him, (John the Baptist,) who art thou? and he confessed and denied not: but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, what then?-and they which were sent were of the pharisees, John i. 19–24. And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ or not," Luke iii. 15. See ch. ii. 25, 26, John iv. 25.

Secondly, It is intimated, that the idea the Jews then had of the Messiah, was that of a powerful temporal prince. The disciples of Christ had these apprehensions; therefore there" arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest," Luke ix. 46. This notion was the ground of that petition presented to our Saviour by the mother of Zebedee's children: "Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on the right hand, and the other on the left in thy kingdom," Matt. xx. 21.

The common people, whenever they had formed a great idea of Jesus, from what he said or performed, continually betrayed expectations of his assuming some external marks of royalty, and very forwardly offer him their service, John vi. 14, 15. This was the intention of those acclamations they made, and of that solemn state, with which they attended him at last into Jerusalem; the circumstances of which are related by all the four evangelists: Matt, xxi. 8,

9," And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way; and the multitude that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David." John xii. 13, "Blessed is the King that cometh in the name of the Lord." The acclamations, and the ceremonies they used, sufficiently declare their meaning. When Jehu had been anointed king, 2 Kings ix. 13, they that were with him "hasted, and took every man his garment and put it under him, and blew the trumpet saying, Jehu is king."a

These were their expectations, this the notion they had of the Messiah; as is evident from the many impostors which arose about this time in Judea; all which, according to Josephus, gained many followers. But as several passages concerning them will appear in other parts of this work, and one or two by and by in this chapter, I shall take no farther notice of them in this place. There are passages of divers ancient writers, in which these things are expressly asserted. Most of them have been already offered to the world in our own language; but nevertheless they cannot be

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omitted here.

One is in Josephus. But that which principally encou'raged them to the war, was an ambiguous oracle, found likewise in the sacred writings, that about that time, some one from their country should obtain the empire of the 'world. This they understood to belong to themselves." And many of the wise men were mistaken in their judgment of it. For the oracle intended Vespasian's govern'ment, who was proclaimed emperor in Judea.'d

There are two heathen historians, who have mentioned this same thing. Suetonius in his life of Vespasian says, 'There had been for a long time, all over the cast, a notion firmly believed, that it was in the fates, [in the decrees or books of the fates,] that at that time, some which came out ' of Judea, should obtain the empire of the world. By the event it appeared, that prediction related to the Roman

a

Joseph. Antiq. lib. ix. cap. 6. sect. 2. b See the Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield's Defence of Christianity, chap. i. particularly p. 29, first edit. For this they had received (by tradition) that it was spoke of one of their nation. Bishop of Cov. Defence, p. 26.

d Το δε επαραν αυτές μάλισα προς τον πολεμον, ην χρησμος αμφιβολος ὁμοιως εν τοις ιεροις ευρημένος γραμμασιν, ὡς κατα τον καιρον εκείνον από της χώρας τις αυτών άρξει της οικεμένης τετο οι μεν ὡς οικείον εξέλαβον, και πολλοι των σοφων επλανήθησαν περί την κρισιν εδηλο δ' αρα περί την Ουεσπασιανε το λογιον ἡγεμονιαν, αποδειχθεντος επι Ιεδαίας αυτοκράτορος. Jos. de Bell, lib. vi. cap. 5. sect. 4.

emperor. The Jews applying it to themselves went into a ' rebellion.'e

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What Tacitus says is much to the same purpose. Having related many calamities of the Jews, and divers prodigies that preceded the destruction of Jerusalem, he goes on: The generality had a strong persuasion, that it was set 'down in the ancient writings of the priests, that at that very time the east should prevail; and that some who came out of Judea should obtain the empire of the world. • Which ambiguities foretold Vespasian and Titus. But the 'common people, according to the usual influence of human passions, having once appropriated to themselves this vast grandeur of the fates, could not be brought to under'stand the true meaning by all their adversities.'

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There is a passage or two more, which I would give here, and which appear to me very material: they are the words of Celsus, who flourished not long after the middle of the second century. They are cited by Origen, from Celsus's books against the christian religion, in a good part of which he argued in the character of a Jew. How could we,' says he, who had told all men there would come one 'from God, who should punish the wicked, despise him if he came?' And in another place he says, The prophets say, that he who is to come is great, and a prince, and lord of all the earth, and of all the nations, and of 'armies.'h

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i

Beside these, there is another passage in Josephus, which, I think, deserves a particular attention. It must be produced hereafter, upon another occasion, and for that I reserve it.

II. The evangelists have related many wonderful works, of various kinds, which were performed by our Saviour. And in some places they say, he wrought signs. "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his

e

• Percrebuerat Oriente toto vetus et constans opinio, esse in fatis, ut eo tempore Judæâ profecti rerum potirentur. Id, de Imperatore Romano, quantum eventu postea predictum paruit, Judæi, ad se trahentes, rebellârunt. Cap. iv.

-Pluribus persuasio inerat, antiquis sacerdotum literis contineri, ut valesceret Oriens, profectique Judæâ rerum potirentur. Quæ ambages Vespasianum ac Titum prædixerant. Sed vulgus, more humanæ cupiditatis, sibi tantam fatorum magnitudinem interpretati, ne adversis quidem ad vera mutabantur. Tacit. Hist. lib. v. cap. 13. 8 Πως δε, φησιν, ήμεις οι πασι ανθρω

ποις δηλώσαντες ήξειν απο Θες τον κολάσοντα της αδικός, ελθοντα ατιμαζόμεν; Or. con. Cels. lib. i. p. 61. Ed. Cant. 4to. * Οτι μεγαν και δυνατην και πασης της γης, και παντων των εθνων και τρατοπεδων κυριον φασιν οι προφηται είναι τον επιδημησοντα. Id. lib. ii. p. 78.

Ant. lib. xvii. cap. x. sub. fin.

his account of a terrible execution at Jerusalem.

* See Josephus in the Index,

disciples," John xx. 30. And St. Peter tells the Jews, Acts ii. 22," that Jesus was a man approved of God among them by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him in the midst of them." But yet, they assure us, that notwithstanding this, the Jews would be often asking him for a sign. Matt. xii. 38, “Then certain of the scribes and of the pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee." The sadducees also had this demand to make; ch. xvi. 1," The pharisees also with the sadducees came, and tempting him, desired him, that he would shew them a sign from heaven." Again, John vi. 30, " They said unto him, What sign shewest thou then that we may see and believe thee?" The sign they wanted must needs have been of a different kind from any of those which Jesus had given them. The words that follow, ver. 31, are somewhat remarkable : "Our fathers did eat manna in the desert, as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat." And the apostle Paul, a good while after this, says, "the Jews require a sign," 1 Cor. i. 22.

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A short passage or two from Josephus will confirm and explain this matter. Representing the state of affairs in Judea under Felix, he says, And deceivers and impostors,' • under a pretence of divine inspiration aiming at innovations and changes, persuaded the people into distraction, and drew them into the wilderness, where they assured them God would show them signs of liberty.' This is in his Jewish War. In his Antiquities he writes thus of the same affair:And impostors and deceivers persuaded 'the multitude to follow them into the wilderness. For they said they would there show them manifest wonders and signs, which would be wrought by the power [or providence] of God.'m This shows they wanted some sign of liberty, or of a temporal deliverance.

III. According to St. John the Samaritans also had at this time expectations of the Messiah. "The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.-The woman went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did; is not this

1 Πλάνοι γαρ ανθρωποι και απατεωνες, προσχηματι θειασμό, νεωτερισμός και μεταβολας πραγματευόμενοι, δαιμοναν το πλήθος ανέπειθον, και προήγον εις την ερημίαν, ὡς εκεί το θες δείξαντος αυτοις σημεια ελευθερίας. De B. J. lib. ii. cap. 13. sect. 4. 1: Οι δε γόητες και απατεωνες ανθρωποι τον όχλον επείθον αυτοίς εις την ερημίαν επεσθαι δείξειν γαρ έφασαν εναργή τέρατα και σημεία, κατά την τε Θες προνοιαν γενόμενα. Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 7. sect. 6