[2.] Because of their want of due observation how God did fulfil his promise concerning the Messiah, few troubled themselves about it. Only the pious Jews lived in a continual expectation of it, and their hearts were always upon the wing of strong and earnest desires after it. It is said, Luke ii. 25, Simeon ' waited for the consolation of Israel.' He was a man whose thoughts ran that way. So Daniel, chap. ix. 2, ' sought by books ;' then, ver. 21, an angel tells him the time of the Messiah. But others were negligent.
[3.] Their obstinate hatred against the prophets that revealed these things concerning Christ. They reproved their other sins, and there- fore they believed them not in this: Jer. v. 13, 'The prophets shall become wind, and the word of the Lord is not in them,' Disaifection is the great prejudice against anything. They judged it false or to no purpose before it was spoken. The Jews, though they honoured the prophets when dead, could not endure them whilst living : Mat. xxiii. 29, 30, ' Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites ! be- cause ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say. If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the pro- phets.' But that was a deceit, as I shall show you by and by. These three I conceive to be the causes w'hy, in the prophets' time, they did not believe ; they are to be marked by us, because there is somewhat in them suitable to the case of gospel unbelievers, viz., a circle and track of cold duties ; a non-attendance on God in his ordinances ; and a wicked spirit of contradiction against his word.
2. John Baptist's time. I distinguish this from the former, be- cause Christ doth so, Mat. xi. 11, 'Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist ; and yet he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.' And Christ saith that he is ' more than a prophet.' He made a more glorious report of Jesus Christ, as being immediately to come ; and then a common rumour was given forth that the Messiah's time was ■come. Now what were the prejudices then ?
196 A rHACTIC.VL EXPOSITION UPON [IsA. LIII. 1.
[1.] The levity and rashness of the people. If any man were more eminent than other, they presently cried him up for the Metisiah, and therefore, Wm^ disapjiointed in some, they were prejudiced against all : Luke iii. 15, 'xVnd as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ or no; John answered them, There cometh one after mc who is mightier than 1/ He ])lainly directeth them to another. Multitudes fxocked to him indeed, hut it was out of a nice and vain curiosity. Few helieved his re]X)rt.
[2.] The evil influence of the scrihes and pharisees, who thought all the water lost that went heside their own mill. They would fain keep the people under their beck and pleasure, and therefore had a vigilant eye upon every new way, or anything that might seem to take off from that respect and devotion wherewith the people were engaged to them. By-ends in some that should have been teachers, have been always a hindrance to the entertainment of Christ. Those that preached Christ for their own ends were enemies to the cross of Christ, Phil. iii. VX
[3.] Offence at John's boldness. His office was to humble and change proud hearts, and he goeth about his work vigorously, there- fore they forsook him. I shall speak no more of this, because it will fall in with the next head.
3. As to the time of Christ's being in the flesh. There were divers prejudices concerning him, both in the Jews and in the Gentiles.
First, In the Jews. I will name the chief.
[1.] An erroneous opinion of the Messiah. The people thought he would set up an earthly kingdom ; they were weary of the Roman yoke, and expected that he would free them from it. See an excellent place for this, John vi. 14, 15, ' When the men had seen his miracles, they said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. And when Jesus saw that by force they would come and make him king, he departed into a mountain alone.' They conceived he was able to gratify their malice on their enemies, out of a hope, conceived from his miracles, that he could maintain an army witli very little cost. But Christ would not hold by that tenure. He would be king of their hearts, not of their lands. And therefore, being disappointed, they rejected him. There is nothing prejudiceth a man more against a thing than a false conceit of it. When we expect what we do not find in it, we loathe it. The apostle calleth this ' knowing Christ after the flesh,' — in a pompous carnal way. This is to be noted, because we have such gross conceits in our hearts. We expect Christ should serve us in our own ends, as St Austin fipeaketii of those conceits he had of God when he was a child — Sentie- hani te esse magnum aliquem qui ]wtcs cxaudire et suhvenirc nos ; et ror/ahmn te parvus, non parvo affeclu, ne in schola vajmlarem. Such childish conceits have some entertained of Christ, they could clo.se with him to serve their covetousness, revenge, or vain-glory. They look upon him as some great thing that shrtuld help them.