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

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 be 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.'

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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.

k

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 ανθρωποις δηλώσαντες ήξειν απο Θες τον κολάσοντα τις αδικώς, ελθοντα ατιμαζόμεν; Or. con. Cels. lib. i. p. 61. Ed. Cant. 4to. Ότι μεγαν και δυνατην και πασης της γης, και παντων των εθνων και τρατοπεδων κύριον φασιν οι προφηται ειναι τον επιδημησοντα. Id. lib. ii. p. 78. Ant. lib. xvii. cap. x. sub. fin.

his account of a terrible execution at Jerusalem.

h

* See Josephus in the Index,

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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,1 ⚫ 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 Πλανοι γαρ ανθρωποι και απατεωνες, προσχηματι θειασμο, νεωτερισμός και μεταβολας πραγματευόμενοι, δαιμοναν το πλήθος ανέπειθον, και προήγον εις την ερημίαν, ώς εκεί το θες δείξαντος αυτοις σημεια ελευθερίας. De B. J. lib. ii. cap. 13. sect. 4. 1: Οι δε γοητες και απατεωνες ανθρωποι τον όχλον επειθον αυτοις εις την ερημίαν επεσθαι δείξειν γαρ έφασαν εναργή τέρατα και σημεία, κατα την τε Θες προνοιαν γενομενα. Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 7. sect. 6

the Christ? Now when the Samaritans were come unto him—and had heard him, they said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is the Christ the Saviour of the world," John iv. 25, 26, 29, 42.

This supposition is confirmed by an account which Josephus has given of an affair which happened in the latter end of Pilate's government, A. D. 35, or 36. • Nor were 'the Samaritans,' says he, free from disturbance. For 'there was among them a man who made no scruple of a lie, and contrived all he said so as might best please the 'people. He published orders that they should meet together and go with him up to mount Garizim, which is ' esteemed by them the most holy of all mountains. He 'assured them that when they were got to the top of it, he 'would shew them the sacred vessels which had been laid up there underground by Moses. They, taking what he 'said for truth, armed themselves, and posting themselves in a certain village called Tirathaba, there received all 'that flocked to them, intending to ascend the mountain in 'a large body. But a detachment of Pilate's soldiers, horse and foot, having first intercepted their passage, fell upon ' them in the village, and at the first attack slew some, dis'persed others, and took a good number prisoners, the chief of whom Pilate put to death.'

This affair is a proof that the Samaritans were now in expectation of some extraordinary events. This deceiver accommodated his speeches to the humour and sentiments of the people, and they credited readily what he said. But this is not all the substance of his promises is a proof they were now in expectation of some discoveries and regulations concerning matters of religion. For certainly if they found these sacred vessels, they supposed they should have some instructions also what to do with them. Nor could they think him an ordinary prophet that should be honoured with such a commission.°

" Ουκ απηλλακτο δε θορυβε και το Σαμαρέων εθνος" συτρέφει γαρ αυτές ανηρ εν ολιγω το ψευδος τιθεμενος, και εφ' ήδονη της πληθυος τεχνάζων τα παντα, κελεύων επι το Γαρίζειν ορος αυτῳ συνελθεῖν, ὁ αγνότατον τε αυτοις όρων ὑπειληπται, ισχυρίζετο τε παραγενομενοις δείξειν τα ιερα σκευη τηδε κατορωρυγμενα, Μωυσεως τηδε αυτών ποιησαμενο καταθεσιν· οι δε εν όπλοις τε ησαν, πιθανον ἡγεμενοι τον λογον και καθίσαντες εν τινι κωμη, Τιραθαβα λέγεται, παρελάμβανον τας επισυλλεγόμενες, ὡς μεγαλῳ πληθεί την αναβασιν εις το όρος ποιησομενοι φθανει δε Πιλατος την ανοδον αυτών προκαταλαβόμενος ιππέωντε πομπῃ και όπλιτων, οι συμβαλοντες τοις εν τη κωμη προσυνηθροισ μένοις, παραταξεως γενομένης, της μεν εκτειναν, τες δε εις φυγην τρέπονται, ζωγρια τε πολλες ηγον, ών τες κορυφαιοτατες-εκτεινε Πιλατος. Anuq. lib. xviii. cap. 5. sect. 1. • See Bishop Chandler's Defence of Christianity,

I must inform the reader, that in all our present copies of Josephus, the hiding these sacred vessels is ascribed to Moses. And his name was read in this place by Epiphanius and Zonaras. But Reland suspected that for Moses we ought to read Ozes. One of his reasons is, that in an ancient Samaritan chronicle, the manuscript of which he had in his possession, there is an account of the laying up of sacred vessels by the divine appointment in a cave on Mount Garizim, during the high priesthood of Ozes, or Ozi : but that, when afterwards he came to look for them, he could not find them. Reland is inclined to think, that the high priest here intended is Uzzi, mentioned, 1 Chron. vi. 6, who was the fifth from Aaron. The story related in his Chronicle is almost the very same which is told in the second book of Maccabees, ch. ii. with scarce any other difference but that of Jeremy for Ozi, and Nebo for Garizim. I shall therefore set down here the account in the Maccabees. It is, I think, an argument that according to traditions which they then had among them, the discovery of the sacred vessels would be immediately followed by very glorious times; and consequently that this passage from Josephus is to the purpose for which I have alleged it. 2 Macc. ii. 4-8, "It was also contained in the same writing, that the prophet being warned of God, commanded the tabernacle and the ark to go with him, as he went forth into the mountain, where Moses climbed up, and saw the heritage of God. And when Jeremy came thither, he found an hollow cave wherein he laid the tabernacle and the ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door. And some of those that followed him came to mark the way, but they could not find it. Which when Jeremy perceived, he blamed them, saying: As for that place it shall be unknown until the time that God gather his people again together, and receive them unto mercy. Then shall the Lord shew them these things, and the glory of the Lord shall appear, and the cloud also as it was shewed under Moses, and as when Solomon desired that the place might be honourably sanctified."

IV. It has been shown that the Jews had now expectations of the coming of the Messiah, and that they hoped for a temporal salvation from him. But it is not to be thought they looked for nothing else. After the miracle of the five loaves, St. John says, chap. vi. 14, 15, "Then these men, P Vid. Hudson. Notas in Joseph. loc. Substitue pro Jeremiâ Ozin, pro monte Nebo Garizim; cætera conveniunt, Reland. Dissert. de Monte Garizim, sect. 14.

chap. 1. sect. 3. at the end.

when they had seen the miracle which Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet which should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone." These two characters therefore of a prophet, and a king, were joined together in the thoughts of these men.

The woman of Samaria likewise plainly supposes the Messiah was to be a great prophet. She knew that when he who is called Christ was come, he would "tell them all things." Upon Jesus" telling her all things that ever she did," she concluded he was "the Christ." And she supposed this would be an argument with the men whom she went to, to believe the same thing: and we find it had great weight with them, though they were farther confirmed by what they afterwards heard from Jesus themselves. The expectation of great discoveries in matters of religion appears also in the passage just transcribed from Josephus. V. I choose to conclude this chapter with some reflections.

1. We may now perceive one reason why our Blessed Lord often forbad men to publish the cures he had wrought upon them; why he so often moved from one place to another; why he so rarely affirmed in express terms, in the. hearing of the people, that he was the Christ. Whilst they had so strong a persuasion that the Messiah would be a temporal deliverer, there was a necessity for this conduct. It was impossible otherwise to avoid giving umbrage to the Romant government, and to hinder the people from actually making attempts that would have exposed them to justice. He therefore contented himself with declaring that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, that the Father had sent him, that he was he of whom Moses and the prophets had written, that he was blessed who should not be offended in him ; (all which they knew to be characters of the Messiah ;) wrought miracles, preached righteousness, and endeavoured to correct their false sentiments and corrupt affections. In a word, it was necessary he should do just as he did, according to the divine character he sustains throughout the gospels.

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2. We see here the ground of the different respect which seems to have been shown to John the Baptist and Jesus. Many of the pharisees and sadducees came to his baptism," Matt. iii. 7. And of others there seems to have been a general resort. And for some time afterwards it was dangerous to deny the validity or authority of his baptism: "for all held John to be a prophet," Matt. xxi. 26. The