I 9, Aqs 4.16.
nough to the Roman Governors, (as appeareth by Herod's queſtion to
-—out with a napkin c. Jeſus ſaith unto them; Looſe "Mm, and let him go d.
.che Wiſe men in Mathiw 2. 4.) and they were very jealous which cauſcd Herod's Bloody act
of the Jews on this accounts
bt | 4h; Jl q 'S el; ?: abi
: .- -_ - : _- <> a "3
a, -
_ , ——=——, 4 24y +. eg S EY PoRxx;.
II ns Ze 4 Ca
—y 8 4. -
4 —e
ways 2 Ss Tg
Chap, XL
*Chap.18.
I 4
"Eph. » T4,t59,16.
'he ſhould gather together in one the children of God
: ki1tino the Children in and about Bethlehem : So as the Rulers bo Facncdile to the Notion they had of the Meſſiah) might reaſonably think, chat if Chriſt were: taken to. be he, and went.on confirming rhe Opinion of himſelf by theſe miracles, (o as People generally ran afrer him 3 rhe Romans would reafor.ably (uppoſe they
had a deſign to Rebe!, and rnerefore would come upon them, deſtroy |
their Temple, and utterly ruin their Nation. But bow will they avold this ? That which they agreed vpon we ſha!l meer vith, v. 53- They took cornſel to put him to death, How they were led on to that fatal Counſel, we ſhall hear. © 5:1 : 2I
49 And one of them named Caiaphas, being the-high prieſt that ſame year /, ſaid unto-them, Ye know no- thing at all ”. Es x ,
! The High Prieſt by the Divine Law was to be but one, and. he the Eldeſt Son of Zarons Houſe 3 nor was he to be for a. year, but for his Life, as appeareth by a multitude of Texts 1n, the. Books of Moſ-55 bur all things*were now out of order in the Jewiſh Church; they were under the Power of the Romans 3 all places eſpecially thar of the High Prieft, were bought and ſold amongft chem ; Some fay they had two High Pricſts, others fay but one, only he had, an affiſtanr, called by that Name, thar had a Partnerſhip in che Honour. After Herods time there was no regard to the Family of Aaron, .or the Aſmoneans, bur the Romans made what High Pricft they pleaſed 3 ſo as Toſephre tells us, that the Fews, who had but Thirteen High Prieſts from Aarons to Solomons time, which was Six, hundred and twelve Years; nor more than Eighteen 1n Four hundred and fixry years after, co the Captivity of Babylon ; nor more chan Fifceen from, thence; to the time of Antiochus, which was Four hundred and {our reent years ; had Twenty: eight berwixt the time that Herod began to Reipn, and 'Jeruſelem was deſtroyed, of which this Caiaphas. was one, and cercairily the chief, (if there were. wo at this time) and con- ſetmently the Prefident of their great Court, whom all atrended to,
and his words went a great way with the reſt, He chargeth the
reſt of the Council with folly, as not conſidering what was fir ro be done. i 3 FX Chae 50 Nor conſider that it is expedient for us *, that
one man ſhould die for the people, and that the whole nation periſh not 7. |
n Never was any thing ſpoken more Diabolically. He regards not what was their duty, nor what was lawful for them to do 3 whether they might upon ny proce ſhed Innocent blood, muck, more the the Blood of one whoſe Life was ſpent in nothing but a gotng up and down in doing good : Only like a wretched Policician, who was con- cerned for nothing but the Peoples ſafery 3 he ſaich nor #t z5 lawful, bur ir is expedient for us that one man, be he never fo good, never fo innocen:. and juſt, ſhould die for the People, that js, ro ſave the whole Narion from deftrution. P * PETIA EIT
*31* And this ſpake he not of himſelf.s ; for being high prieſt that year, he. propheſied that Jeſus ſhould die for that nation p : . s
o So far as this was a Prophecy, he ſpake not of himſelf ; take the words of Cazaphas in the ſenſe rhat he ſpake them, they were ſuch as might well enough come our of ſuch a wrerched- mouth, ſpeaking out of the abundance of a vile and wretched heart, Melzus pereat uns quan unitas, That it was better that one man ſhould die, ler him be never ſo Good, Juſt and Innocent, than-thar for his ſake miſchief ſhou!d come upon a Nation. This was now ſuicable enough to the Religion of ſuch an High Prieſt : But that in this ( the words being capable of a double ſenſe) Caiaphas ſhould deliver a great Truth ;
Thact this year One ſhould die for the People 3, that is, The Meſſiab ſhould| be cut off, but not for himſelf, as we read, Dan. 9. 26, This was no|
more from himſelf, than the Words which Balaams Aſs ſpake were from its ſelf. The Spirit of Prophecy ſometimes fell upon wicked men; God revealed ro Phayavh and Nebuchadsezzar, ( both which were Pagans ) the things which he intended ro do. There was a time alſo when Sax! (tho a man reed of -God) did alſo Prophe- cy 3 and the worſt of the Princes of 7udah, had an uſe of the Urim and Thummim. So alſo here Cataphas, tho a vile and wicked Man, was here influenced by God to Prophecy, and ſpeak an Oracle: nor are thoſe words {| being High Priz(t that year ] ſuperfluouſly put in, for ic being coniiſtent with the Holineſs of God, ſometimes ro make uſe of the Tongues of the worſt of Men to declare his Will, ic (cems agreeable ro the Wiſdom of God in doing it, to make uſe of Principal Men, they being Perſons whoſe words are moſt likely to be regarded, and ſo make impreſſion upon People, The Popiſts. would from herice infer the infallibility of the Pepe, becauſe he is the High Prieſt : bur they ought co prove, 1. That the Office of the Pope, hath ary foundation in the Word of God. 2. That this was a gift given to particular Priefts, and ar paticular rimes ; for the Fewiſh Bigh Prieſts were fallible enough ordinarily, witneſs Aarons makivg the go'd:n Calf, and Uriah the Altar after the pattern of Damaſcis, 2 Kings 16. 10,11. The words being High Prieſt, are no! given as a reaſon why Cazaphas Prophecied, tho they are a good reaicn Wiry God was pleaſed to chuſe his Tongue, and over.rule it beyond nts own thoughts and incentions, to ſerve his'defign in this Revelation. He did vor Prophecy intentionally, as defigning ſuch a thing,only. materzally ; the matrer of his Words were Indeed a Divine
eve! ation, tho his Incention and fcope was fit for none but a baſe, carnal Politician, God made him a Propher in whart he ſaid, tho he meant not ſo.
52 And * not for that nation only /, * but that alſo
that were icattered abroad m. |