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SS FOAN. Chap. YI
x Of Nicodemus weread, Chap. 3.2. and of his coming by Nioh ro Jeſus, He now being one of this great Court, ſtands up to v for Chritt, yet faintly, or ar leaft wonderful prudently, ang a He faith no mote for him than he oughr to hare ſpoken 6. oreateſt Malefactor, viz. _ ne
5t * Doth our Law judge any man before it he,, him, and know what he doeth y? *
y Thar no Law of God or Nature, Condemneth any man bef 17% they had heard him ſpeak, or had what he did depoſed by W "es ſes before them, that they might know whar he did.
k ; 4 C12p. VII. . þk For the Ecarrelf reifs us, that this referzed to the Spirit, which poſierers were 10 receive after that Chriſt ſhould be Aſcended into Heaven. Thoſe Scriptures, I/a. 49: 16. and 58. I. Zech. 14. 8. ſem among others, to be referred to. in this Promiſe ot our Sa
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40 T \iany of the people therefore, when they \eard this faying, faid, Of a truth this is the * Pro- Pct 28. ;
1 The Pr:25et, mentioned Det. 18. 15. Some think that the
t- "ad rm. PODS
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Fes expected an eminent Prophet beſides Elias, ro come before the M-ſſizh; and Fobn 1.21. would incline us to think ſo. Bur others ſay. it cannoc be proved from their Writers, that they had any Cx- p*Ctations of any bur Elas and the Meſſiah. Bur the Words may be read as well, this is a Prophet, as this1s the Prophet ; and I think that is the true Senſe of them. A Propher had now for more than four hundred Years been a great Rarity among(t them ; they having had noae but 76/1 the Baprift who had ſuch a Repute»
*Ch.4-42- 41 Others ſaid, * This is the Chriſt. But ſome ſaid, *Ch-1- 4% Shall Chriſt come * out of Galilee » ?
_ 7” :.. The People were divided in their Opinions about Chriſt. Some of them were very well inclined to believe rhat he was the Promiſed Meſſiah ; but they ſtumbled art the Country where alone they rook notice of him. For tho? he came not out of Galzlee, bur was Born in Berk/eczem, Luk. 2. 4. according to the Prophecy of him. M:cab 5. 2+ Suitable to which was their Tradition, Mat. 2. 5. Yer they had ſeen nothing of this, tho? poſſibly they had heard ſome relation ef it, it being Two and thirty Years fince his Birth, bur he was ordi- natily called F-fis of Nazareth, and of Galilee, there he had live1, and been educated; fo as they knew no better probably, than rhat he.came out of Galzlee, which was contrary to the Prophecy, Micah $. 2.
- Mat. 2.5. 42 * Hath not the Scripture ſaid, That Chriſt com-
1 uke 2. 4. cth of the Seed of David, and out of the town of Beth- lehem where David was o ?
o The Scriptures of the Old Teſtament had both defcribed the Family from whence the Meſſiah was to ariſe, v7, the Family of Da- wza, Pfal. 132. 11. and the Town which was Bethlehem, Micah 5. 2. Which was Davids Fathers Town, where he lived alſo, ill God called him our to the Kingdom, 1 Sam 17. 15. and 20. 6.
"Þ.9.1% 43 *Sothere was a diviſion among the people be- = 1% 19- cauſe of him p.
P -} pin as tO their Opinions about him, as was before ex- relied.
4.4 And * fome of them would have taken him ; but no man laid hands on him g.
7 There were ſome that had an ill Opinion of Chriſt, and put on
the Ofticers that came for the purpoſe ro Apprehend him z bur there was none fo hardy as to do its
45 T Then came the Officers to the chief Prieſts and Phariſees, and they ſaid unto them, Why have ye not brought him yr 2
7 Probably the Officers, Chriſt being amongſt a multitude ofthe People that had an high Opinion of him, durſt not adventure to Ap- prehend him : Some of them, as appeareth from what follows, were aitoniſhed at his Doctrine ; all of them agreed to return to rheir Ma- iter without him, ar which they are angry, and ask them, how ir came to paſs, that they did nor execute their Commands,in bring- ing Chrilt before them as aMalefattor, ro anſwer what they ſhould jay to his Charge.
46 The Officers anſwered, never man ſpake like this man /«
*®Verſe ZI
J With fo much Authority, Evidence of Truth, ©. Yet they did fe
not cordially believe in Chriſt; being under the power of Carnal and Worldly Affections, which only ſupernatural ſpecial Grace could ſubdue. Theſe were ſome of thoſe, in whom the Prophecy of Chriit, 1/azab 11, 4. was to he fulfilled -——— He ſhall ſmite the earih with the rod of his mouth,and with the breath of bs lips be ſhall Nay the wicked. The word of the Lord doth often reſtrain, aſtoniſh, and amaze thoſe on whom it hath no powerful effect to Eternal Life and Salvation. So it was with theſe poor Officers.
57 Then anſwered them the Phariſees, are ye alſo deceived 7 2 t You who have us not only for your Maſters, whoſe Commands you cught not to diſpute, but to execute ; bur for your Teachers alſo, from whom ye might have learned better Dotrine ; are you ſeduces 2 Por ſo'wicked men count all who embrace nort their No- 110ns, and follow not their ways.
45 * Have any of the rulers, or of the Phariſees Acts 6- 7- believed on him « ? 1 oor > | 7 You ought to be ruled by us, and guided by us who are your ar02. + Rulers, and your Teachers, fo early did the Doctrine of 2mplicite Faith and Obedience creep into the World) which is indeed to ſup- poſe an Infallibility in Teachers and Rulers, ro whom indeed we owe all 1mazinable Reverence ; bur we muſt live by our own Faith : An tho* the Ferws were bound up, Deut.17. 10, 11: t0 do accordin roche ſentiments that the Prieſts and Levites in Hiezuſalem ſhould fhew them, yer vs 11. ze mruft be the ſentence of the Law, and it was
YON.1 242
in Civil matters, as appeareth by v. 8. Controverſies between Blood
and Blood, Pica and Piea, Stroke and Stroke.
49 Bur this people who knoweth not the Law are
curſed wp.
# Our of the great Pride of their Hearts, they vilifie the Peo- ple, as not learned in the Law, and fo were Curſed, Contemp- trhle, and not to be regarded, as to their Judgment and Senti- N2!!H8.
50 Nicodemus faith unto them, ( he that came to [|