C h [95 Ok c The faſhion of their dreſſing up the Dead differeth accordi:ig to the faſhion of ſeveral Countries ; among the Fews we underſtand by this Text, they ried a Napkin abour their Head, and ſome Clothes abour their Hands and Feet, They wound the whole Body with lin. nen Clothes, Chap. 19. go. with Spices z this was, ( as is their ſaid } chefr manner to bury. So A; 5.6. The young men are ſaid ro have wound Ananias, and carried him our, and buried him 3 and this is that which certainly is meant here by theſe words, hound hand and Foot : and here is a ſecond Miracle, thar one ſo wrapped, and bound up, ſhould be able ro move and come forth. d Chrift bids looſe him ana-let him go, to evidence him truly recovered to Life again, and that che Miracle was perfe&ly wrought. Abour this Miracle there, are two curious queſtions ſtarred, 1. #uhether the raiſing of Lagarus zo Life, was dome by the mter Divine Power of Chriſt, or by the Perſon of Chriſt ; ſo as the Human Nature, being Perſmnally United to the Di. vine Nature, had alſo a ſhare in it : the Divine Nature communicating us property of quickning the Dead, to the Human Nature ? Thar jc was the Perſon of Chriſt that raiſed Lazar, and he who did it. waz rruly Man, and truly God, is out of doubt. But that there was an fuch Communication of the properties of the Divine Nature to the
Human Nature, that ir alſo had a ſhare in this effeR, is juſtly deni- ed, and doubred by many great Divines - bur ir is a queſtion rending f0 no grear profit for us .ro know. A ſecond is, Where Lazarus hy Soul was, theſe jour days wherein it was ſeparated from the Body ? The Scripture hath nor cold us this, and ir ſpeaks roo great cur loſiry to in- quire too firialy. Tho we are taught from the Parable of Dives and Ea3arm, that the Souls of departed Sainrs do ordinarily and immedi- arely. paſs into Heaven, or Abrahams boſom ; yer what ſhould hin. der, bur thar in rheſe caſes, where ic appears to have been the Divine will, rhar che Souls of perſons deparced ſhonld again be returned fn. ro their Bodies in a ſhore time 3 they mighr by a Divine Power. be _ under the cuſtody of Angels, unril the time of ſuch Reftauration of them. |
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and
had ſeen the things which Jeſus did e, believed on him f. - © Tharls, which came to vitt Martha and Mary in their mourn- Ing ; and coming to Mary, did go along with her to the Sepulcher to meer Chriſt, and there meeting him, ſaw all the paſſages relaring ro this Miracle f, truly believed on him as the rrue Meſſeh, Chap. 12. IT, 18. Or it way be, it is to be underflood more largely of ſuch a Faith as 1s bur a preparatory to true and ſaving Faith; for there was a double uſe of Miracles, 1. To prepare men for Faith, diſpoſing them ro give an car ro him, to whom Ged had given ſo great a Pow- er 3 ſoas after che ſight of them, they were more ficred ro hear, and inclioable ro believe. 2. To confirm Faith in thoſe thar believed, fo as they believed the more firmly, ſeeing the Do&rin they heard,con- firmed by ſuch miraculcus Operations.
46 But ſome of them went their ways to the Phariſees,
and told them what things Jeſus had done g. g Theſe Fews had the ſame means for believing, the orhers had ; they had heard che ſame words from Chriſt, they had feen the ſame Miracle wrought by Chriſt.. Whence is Ir that any of the other 7ews believed? theſe, inſtead of believing, run to the Phariſees co accuſe him. Canany account he given of thjs. unleſs from the freedom of Divine Grace, ſhewing mercy where God will ſhew mercy ? Tho poſſibly che former wickedneſs of theſe 7ews, was the cauſe of Gods not giving that Grace co them, which he gave to others. 47 * Then gathered the chief prieſts and the Phari- *PAl. 2.2. ſees a council, and ſaid, What * do we ? for this man Mat 25.3:
doth many miracles -. Mee: 44 hb The chzf Prieſt and Phariſees were 2 great pare of thar grear CH, 12, Council amongſt the Jews, which went under the name of a Sanh:- arim , and this (probably) was rhe Council they gathered ; for ver. 49. we read, that Caip1as the High Prieft, the fianding Prefident of that Courr, was amongſt them. The Miracles wrcughe by Chrift, were the things thar difiurbed chem, and they refle& upon themſelves for connivipg (o long ar him ; whar they ſhould have improved, ( vir. che Miracles which he wrought ) co have begor or increaſed Faith in chem, they mention, and miſimprove to their deſtruQion.
48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him z, and the Romans ſhall come and take a way both
our place and nation k. | # They are afraid, thar if chey ſhould any longer ſuffer Chriſt to go on working Miracles, he would have a great many followers, who upon the credit of his Miracles, would own him 2s the Meſſiah, and the effe& and conſequence of this ſhculd be, they ſhould by the Ko- mans ( to whom they were already in ſubjettion ) be utterly depri- ved of thar lirile liberry rhey Indulged chem. k They ſay, the Romans would come (char is, with an A:my) and deſtroy their Temple,” which they call their Place, their moſt tamous Flace, where they met to worſhip God, and in which as a roken of God's preſence amongſt them, they (o much gloried ; yea, and their Nation ; that is, mile- rably deſtroy their Nation, and bring ir to utter Ruin; whether they really thought ſo or no,or only ſpake chjsas an Argument to haſt. en the Death of Chriſt, 1+ noe much material tor us ro know, Trere was this colour for jr, The Jews were a People very prene upon all oc- caſions to Rebel,and Rife up in the defence of their l1>erties,when ever they cculd get any Head, to give them any countenance and Condu?, They alſo lived in a gereral cxpe&ation of the Meftah,when che Scep- ter ſhould be departed from Fda, ( as it. now was, and when Dar zel's ſeventy Weeks mentioned, Chap 9. 24. ſhould be derermined, which were now fulfilled ; ſo as there was about this rime, a gereral ex- peRation of the Meſſ5ah, of n hom allo ir is apparent they had a faile Notion, and getierally cxpeticd under the Notion of the Meſſiah, nor the Son God raking Human Nature, and to die for their Redemp- rion, and then riſe agatu ſrom the Dead, and Aſcend into Heaven 3 but a Temporal Prince, who Conquering all their Enemies, ſhould deliver them from all Captiviries and Servitudes, and reſtore them ro cheir ancienc liberties. This their expeRarlcn was known well e-