74 ORIGINAL OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST [®XERC. XXVIL.
bea prophecy of the Messiah (for, as we have showed, the elder mas- ters were of that mind), so he that shall be moved with the autho- rity of the later doctors in the interpretation of those places of Scripture which concern the promised Messiah, that is, Jesus Christ, and yet pretend himself to be a Christian, will scarce retain the re- putation of a sober person among such as are not stark mad. How- ever, no Jew of them all can more perversely oppose the gospel than this man here doth, as will appear in the examination of what he says.
First, That the things spoken in this psalm regard the Lord Christ with respect unto his divine nature alone, or as absolutely considered, none ever affirmed or taught; for they all regard him as incarnate, or as he was to be incarnate, and as exalted, or as he was to be exalted unto his kingly rule and throne. But yet some things here spoken are distinctly verified in his divine nature, some in his human, as I have elsewhere declared. In general, they all regard his person with respect unto his kingly office. But what ensues in this author, namely, that these things belong none of them properly unto Jesus Christ, is above the rate of ordinary confidence. All the apostles do not only jointly and with one accord apply the things here spoken unto the Lord Jesus, but also give a clear exposition of the words, as a ground of that application,—a thing seldom done by the sacred writers: Acts iv. 24-28, “They lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ, For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” In their judgment, Herod and Pontius Pilate, with their adherents, —as exercising supreme rule and power in and over that people, with respect unto them on whom they depended, and whose authority they exerted, namely, the Romans, the great rulers over the world,—were the “kings” and “rulers” intended in this psalm. And so also the d%3, or “ heathen,” they took to be the “Gentiles,” who adhered unto Pilate in the execution of his Gentile power, and the 5°28? men- tioned to be “the people of Israel.” Let us, therefore, consider what this man excepts against the exposition and application of these words made by the apostles, and which they expressed as the solemn profession of their faith, and we shall quickly find that all his ex- ceptions are miserably weak and sophistical. “ Pilate,’ he says, “was
SECT. 17.] IN THE COUNSEL OF GOD. "5
not aking.” But he acted regal power, the power of a supreme ma- gistrate among them, and such are everywhere called kings in the Scripture. Besides, he acted the power of the great rulers of the world, who made use of kings as instruments of their rule; so that in and by him the power of the Gentile world was acted against Christ. Herod he grants to have been a king, who yet was inferior in power and jurisdiction unto Pilate, and received what authority he had by delegation from the same monarch with Pilate himself.
Secondly, He denies that these or either of them opposed Christ as to his kingdom; for“ Pilate moved once for his delivery, and Herod rather scorned him than raged against his kingdom.” But this un- bridled confidence would much better become a Jew than one pro- fessing himself to be a Christian. Did they not oppose the Lord Christ? did they not rage against him? Who persecuted him? who reviled him? who apprehended him as a thief or murderer? who mocked him, spit upon him, scourged him, crucified him, if not with their hands, yet with their power? Did they not oppose him as to his kingdom, who by all ways possible endeavoured to hinder all the ways and means whatsoever whereby it was erected and established? Certainly never had prophecy a more sensible accomplishment.
Thirdly, And for what he adds in reference unto the Jews, that “their counsels were not in vain against Christ, as those were that are here mentioned, but obtained their wished end,” I cannot see how it can be excused from a great outrage and excess of blasphemy. They did, indeed, whatever the hand and counsel of God deter- mined before to be done; but that their own counsels were not vain, that they accomplished what they designed and aimed at, is the highest blasphemy to imagine. They took counsel against him as a seducer and a blasphemer; they designed to put an end to his work, that none ever should esteem him or believe in him as the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, the Son of God ;—was this coun- sel of theirs not in vain? did they accomplish what they aimed at? Then say there is not a word of truth in the gospel or Christian religion. .