man did especially insist on that Privilege that especially in praying for the Jews as God's People the Jews had above all other Nations on the account of their particular Relation to God He sheweth it all along in his Prayer where speaking to God he calls him sometimes b Dan IX 9 15. the Lord our God v. 9 15. sometimes c verse 10 13 14. JEHOVAH our God verse 10 13 14. And of the â—…ewish Nation he tells him We are thy People d vers 15 16. v. 15 16. thy People that are called by thy Name e vers 19. v. 19. All the Jew's Prayers for their People and Nation are full of such Instances as these 57. To shew what ground they had for this it will be necessary A DIGRESSION to look so far back into the Iewish Origins that some may think it a tedious Digression from our main Business But we hope they will think otherwise when they see the Use of it in our explaining of some parts of the following Prophecy by such Notes as they will find in this Disquisition 58. The Jews have an ancient Tradition in their Talmud which Of the Rabbins three Olams divides the whole Age of the world into three Olamim as they call them The first they call Olam Tohu the Age of Emptiness being all that which passed before their Divine Revelation The second they call Olam Tora the Age of the Law which contains all that space of time from the Call of Abraham Gen. XII till the coming of the Messias The other they call the Age of the Messias which is to extend from his coming to the end of the world To each of these Ages there was assigned by their Tradition the space of two thousand years That reckoning of years the present Iews would be glad to be rid of for if that Tradition be true the Messias is come and gone above a thousand years since We see f v. Raim Mart. pugio â—…d II. 10 1. c. Hoornb de Conv. Iud. II. p. 180. what miserable shifts they are driven to for the avoiding of this 59. But for their account of the three Ages here mentioned we the threefold Dispensation of the Covenant of Grace have no occasion to differ from them about that It is plain that God has so order'd a threefold dispensation of the Covenant of Grace to Mankind in that Estate into which we are faln by the sin of our first Parents The first Dispensation began with that Gracious Promise of a Gen. III. 15. the Seed of the Woman which God made to them immediately after the Fall We all acknowledge this to have been the first promise of the Messias The History of the Creation together with this and afterwards the History of Noah's Flood was doubtless convey'd from â—…e to age by unwritten Tradition And the knowledge of these â—…ings together with something of Instituted worship being added to the Natural Religion was all that God gave Mankind to conduct them in the way to Eternal Life during that whole first Dispensation Afterwards when God had given us a sufficient trial what shift Human Nature could make without any other helps than those before mentioned then he proceeded to a second Dispensation wherein he superadded to the former an immediate Divine Revelation With this he was pleased to entrust one particular Nation not only to be the Depositaries of it but also to be Patterns to all the rest of Mankind by living up to it as he had reason to expect that they should during that Dispensation Then at last it pleased God to begin a third Dispensation by sending his Son into the World with the most perfect Revelation that ever shall be given to Mankind causing this to be put in writing for the use of all future ages even unto the end of the world 60. For that second Dispensation of which we are to speak par especially the second being that of the Jewish Church ticularly at this time God made choice first of Abraham a Man of such Godlike qualities that he was therefore called the b 2 Chron. XX. 7. Esai XLI 8. Iam. II. 23. Friend of God To that excellent Man God first gave the Promise that there should be one of c Gen. XII 3. his Seed in whom all the Families of the earth should be blessed Gen. XII 3. which promise the Jews understood of the Messâ—…as and accordingly St. Paul apply'd it to d Gal. III. 1â—… Christ Gal. III. 18. After this God was pleased to establish a Covenant with him that he would be a God to Him and his Seed Gen. XVII 7. For a lasting token whereof God gave him first the mark of e Gen. XVII 1â—… Circumcision in his Flesh and order'd that to be continued on all his male Issue that should be born into the world The first of these namely Isaac was called f Gen. XXI 12. the Seed of Promise as being not only the Ancestor of Christ but also a most lively Type of him in sundry respects but especially in his being offer'd up by his Father in Sacriâ—…ce to God as the Apostle observes g Heb. XI 17 18 19. Hebr. XI 17 18 19. This Covenant God having first made with Abraham personally by the Name of ELSHADDAI that is h Gen. XVII 1. God Almighty Gen. XVII 1. did afterward by the same name confirm it in his son i XXVIII 3. Isaac XXVIII 3. and after him to his son k XXXV 11. Iacob XXXV 11. and after him to a NATION that should come out of his Loins This was in effect an Exclusion to all the rest of Abraham's Seed and of Isaâ—…c's also from being of the National Church 61. But yet this Covenant of God he did never appropriate to the First in Egypâ—… God called them to be a National Church Seed of Iacob or Israil till above two hundred years after his death They were then in the land of Egypt whither at first they came only a Gen. XLVI 27. LXX persons in number * There went thither of Abraham's Seed only Iacob himself and Lâ—…IV Sons and Grandsons of his together with one daughter Diâ—… and Grandaughter Serâ—… and there they found Ioseph and his two Sons which made up that whole number of LXX l Gen. XLVI 7 27. Gen. XLVI 7. 27. In that space of time they were so encreased that they came to be b Deut X. 22. like the Stars of Heaven in multitude Deut. X. 22. In little more than half that time their Numbers had made them formidable to the Egyptians c Ex. I. 7 10. Ex. I. 7. 10. insomuch that they thought it necessary for their own safety to make them thâ—… In order to that first they brought them under such a slavery as d v. 14. made their lives bitter to them v. 14. When that would not do 〈◊〉 were for e v. 22. drowning all
in our first Dissertation Or if he would see it more at large in the most learned Primate Usher's Annals in the year 600 before Christ with his MS. Additions 7. There also the Reader will find that this Darius succeeded his Father and was King of the Medes many years before he was made King of the Chaldeans being the same that was call'd Cyaxares the Son of Astyages by the oldest heathen Historians 8. How this Cyaxares came to be King of the Chaldeans the Reader may see in the forementioned Heathen writers whose account of it perfectly agrees with that which Daniel gives us of K. Darius in the end of his fifth chapter There Daniel having told us what happen'd at a great feast that was made by the King of the Chaldeans for all his Lords and great men thus ends it v. 30. In that night was Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans slain Thereupon immediately he tells us v. 31. that DARIUS the Mede took or received the Kingdom being about 62 years old These last words except what is said of his age are the same in effect with those above mention'd that DARIUS of the seed of the Medes was made King of the Realm of the Chaldeans Dan. IX 1. 9. Here are several things concerning this King DARIUS to be gather'd out of those few words of Daniel's History First as to his Country he was a Mede by birth and descent As to his Family he was Son of AHASUERUS that was always a King's name He was King himself of the Medes and Persians whereof more will be said afterwards He was also King over the Realm of the Chaldeans but neither by birth nor by conquest for he was made so IX 1. He received the Kingdom ch V. 31. and therefore some other deliver'd it to him But that was upon the death of King BELSHAZZAR who was kill'd immediately before as the Text saith v. 30. And yet as it appears by the following words this Darius must have had a great number of Kingdoms before he came to this For presently after it is said that he had a hundred and twenty Provinces under him These were more than any King of Chaldea ever had for among these were the Medes and the Persians which were never under the Chaldeans And these were as many within seven as ever the Kings of Persia had even after they had subdued the Isles of the Sea which as the Greek Historians tell us was never done till Darius Hystaspis his time Lastly where as Daniel observes that when Darius received the Kingdom of the Chaldeans he was then sixty two years old there can be no better reason given for it than this that he would have us know that Darius did not live long after he had that Kingdom And he was also careful to tell us that after this Darius's death the next King was Cyrus the Persian ch VI. 28. 10. These things we have thus particularly observed that we may give the Reader here at once a full view of all that Daniel tells us concerning the state of those times in which this Prophecy was given There are different Schemes of it set up by several learned men which must fall if this Collection be true But if we should here go about to repeat and confute them we should give the Reader too long a Digression We hope he will think it none to see how these things were in great part foretold by the Prophets and how the fulfilling of their Predictions appears in the most ancient Heathen History 11. First as to the Prophecies of Scripture it plainly appears that at How theâ—… things were foretold by the Prophets and they explain'd by Heathen writers that very time when Daniel received this Message from God His head was full of what a Dan. IX 2. he understood by Books that the Captivity of his People was to be for LXX years Dan. IX 2. Those Books as we shall presently shew were the two Prophecies that God gave to Ieremiah b Ier. XXV 〈◊〉 one in Ier. XXV 11. and c and XXIX 10. the other in Ier. XXIX 10. In the d XXV 14. that there should come against Babylon former of these it was plainly declared that at the end of those LXX years Many Nations and great Kings should serve themselves of the Chaldeans And these very words are repeated again in e Ier. XXVII 7. another Prophecy between both the former But in this intermediate Prophecy they are introduced with something else that being compared with the former gives them both a very great Illustration For whereas in the f XXV 11. first Prophecy it was said These Nations shall serve the King of Babylon LXX years which words were g Vers. 9. plainly spoken of King Nebuchadnezzar v. 9. it might well be asked whether he was to reign those LXX years Now h XXVII 7. here it is shewn that he was not but that the meaning of that Prophecy was that all Nations should serve NEBUCHADNEZZAR and his SON and his SON'S SON each of them being King of Babylon successively Thus it should be until the very Time of his Land came that is till the end of the LXX years And then as it was said before in the i Iâ—…r XXV 14. first of these Prophecies Many nations and great Kings should serve themselves of him 12. No Doubt Daniel was Curious to know what those great Kings MEDES Kings and Nations and Nations should be But he could not be to seek for it farther than another Prophecy of Ieremy's where it was shewn very particularly namely that in the L. and LI. chapters which was given him in the IV th year of King Zedekiah's Reign There the same Prophet Ann. 595. before Christ. speaking of the future as present hath k Iâ—…r Lâ—… 11. these words The Lord hath raised up the Spirit of the Kings of the MEDES for his device is against Babylon to destroy it The same he repeats in a v. 28. these words v. 28. Prepare against her the Nations with the Kings of the MEDES Some of those Nations are named in the verse next before being said to be the Kings of Ararat and Minni that is of both the Armenias * They were in the Hebrew called Aâ—…kenaz that first peopled Phrygia and Bithynia from whence as Bochart thinks with great probability the adjacent Sea was called Axenuâ—… But the Greeks not liking that word which signifies Inhospitable in their language they changed it for luck's sake to Euxenus that signifies very hospitable It is now not so commonly called the Euxinâ—… as the Black Sea and those about the Black-Sea These b Xenopâ—… Cyrop VII has the King and Queen of Armenia the Phrygianâ—… Paphlagontanâ—… Cappadocianâ—… c. led by a PERSIAN Nations are reckon'd by Xenophon among those that
joyn'd with the Medes under their King Cyaxares Son of Astyages in his War against the Chaldeans which ended in the destruction of that Empire 13. But as to the Conduct of these against Babylon the Prophet c Ier. LI. 27. shewed how it should be in the next words Appoint a Captain against her cause the Horse †In the English i Ier. LI. â—…7 Bible it is her horses but the word her is not in the Hebrew nor is horses in the plural to come up as the rough Caterpillers for so they appeared as having their Backs all bristled with Sheaves of Arrows Thus the people of Elam are d Esai XXII 6. described in their fighting Attire being all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Horsemen bearing the Quiver Esai XXII 6. where the word Perashiâ—… that signifies Horsemen sheweth plainly Bocharâ—… Geogr. S. IV. 10. Casielli Lex in 〈◊〉 whence the Elamites came to have the name of Persae or as they are now called Pharsi they being anciently noted for Horsemanship above all other Nations †Xenoph. Cyrop 〈◊〉 3 says of Persia that it was so mountainous a country that it was rare to see a horse in it And there were none but Foot in Cyrus his Army till after his first victory over Crasus Then he mounted them on Lydian horses and taught them all Horsemanship upon which they so valued themselves that as Xenophon saith in his time no Persian of any credit would be seen on foot by his good will Xen. Cyrop IV. 3. That Humour continues among them to this day But that was extraordinary which Sâ—…bo tells us That this was inscribed on the Tomb of King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was the best Horse-man and Archer Straâ—… XV. 730. D. 14. Of these Persae Cambyâ—…s was King but in dependance on namely by CYRUS Cyaxares King of the Medes at that time when the war broke out between him and the King of Babylon Cyrus who e Xenoph. Cyr. l. 2. is said to have been son of this Cambyses by Mandane Sister of King Cyaxares having ee Ib. 1. 5. then brought the Persian Troops into his Uncle's service was by him made Captain General of all his forces in that war There can be no doubt but it was He with his Persian Troops that was intended in that f Ier. LI. 27. Prophecy of Ieremy LI. 27. because he is named by the Prophet Esay as we shall g n. 33. afterward shew And therefore we may be assured that King Cyaxares together with King Cambyses before-mention'd were they that were called the Kings of the MEDES h v. 11 28. in v. 11 28. of that Chapter 15. The War continued many years in which Cyrus went on so They came and took the City of Babylon successfully that at last he came to besiege the King of Babylon himself in that his Capital City It was a City a Herâ—…d I. 178 179. which by walls of incredible height and strength with deep and wide ditches about them was made quite impregnable in all men's Opinion But it was much stronger b Ib. I. 186. by the great River Euphrates running through it out of which river the ditches were filled with water as high as they pleased that were to defend the place That King was so secure of the strength of it that having laid up all sorts of provisions for a siege of many years c Herâ—…d I. 190. as Herodotus saith of twenty years d Xenopâ—… Cyrop VII 5. as Xenophon saies he spared not on the usual Festival days to feast all his great men which was something extraordinary in a besieged City But his Feast being joyned with evcessive drinking that gave opportunity to the Besiegers to make a short end of their work For Cyrus knowing before hand when a great Feast probably their * Athâ—…n Deipnosoph XIV from Câ—…esias and Berosus Their Sheshach Ier. XXV 26 is Venâ—…s in all the Rabbins Comments as Broughton says p. 122. of his works Sacea would be e Herâ—…d I. 178 179. had employ'd a great part of his Army in cutting a vast number of Drains to be open'd all at once and so to let out the River at that very Time And then having made all things ready for an Attack he caused his Army to take that way all along in the channel where the Water being f Herâ—…d I. 19â—… then no higher than to the middle of the thigh they entered the City at midnight g Xenoph. Cyrop VII 5. when all that should have defended it were either drunk or fast asleep And then King Belshazzar himself being h Xenoph. Ib. killed whether by the Enemy or by his Dâ—…n V. 30. own Servants the City became an easy Prey to the Medes and Persians †This whole account we have partly from Herodotus but chiefly from Xenophon in his Cyropaedia The first of these Writers was born within theâ—…escore years of the time and the other not very long after There is no reason to think that either of them had ever read Daniel's History and yet having as they tell us received their Informations from the people of those Countries we cannot wonder that in all these things their Histories do so well agree with his writings They differ chiefly in the Names of Persons Daniel calling him Darius the son The Heathen writers not having the same Names that are in Scripture accounted for by their common changing of Names in the Eastern Nations of Ahasuerus whom those Greek writers call Cyaxares the son of Astyages and Daniel calling him Bâ—…shazzar whom they call Labynitus or Nabonidus whom also the Astronomer's Canon calls Nabonadius and Iosephus calls Naboandelus But this cannot be strange to any one that considers the manner of those Eastern Nations At Babylon Daniel himself as he tells us had his name changed to Belâ—…shazzar And of the Three that were brought thither with him every one had a Chaldee Name given him instead of his Hebrew So among the Persians likewise Zerubbabel was called Sheshbazzar by Cyrus when he put him into the Govenment and Esther being made Queen had her name changed to Haâ—…assa Of their Kings themselves the two that came between Cyrus and Darius whom Ezra ch IV. 5 7. calls Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes are called Cambyses and Smerdis the Maguâ—… by the Greek Historians It were easy to add more examples but these may suffice to shew that where in the Eastern Histories we read different names of Persons we are not from thence to conclude that they ' are not the same Persons but rather to judge of them by what we read of their Actions and of their other Circumstances 16. This was that which God had foreshewn to King Belshazzar DARIUS the Mede had that Kingdom himself by the hand writing on the wall together with Daniel's Interpretation Dan. V. 25 28. which will be farther consider'd in the a n. 24.
with the other a Ier. L. 2. Ierem. L. 2. But this belongs to another Prophecy which ought to be consider'd by it self 27. It is that long Prophecy against Babylon Ierem. L. and LI. and those of Ieremiah L. and LI. which the Prophet received in King Zedekiah's time and sent it to the Jews that were there at that time in Captivity Many of them were of the best of that Nation who had been carried thither together with Daniel and those three others of the Royal Family in King Iehoiakim's time or who went afterwards as the Prophet Ezekiel did and many others together with King Ieconiah God was so pleased to send them away from â—…salem before he would pour out his judgements on that wicked City and Nation But the mean while being Captives at Babylon many of them were in a very disconsolate Condition Therefore God was pleased to let them know for their Comfort that their stâ—…y there should be of no long Continuance when the Will of God was fulfilled on Ierusalem by the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and his people it should not be long ere the like or greater judgements should be executed on Babylon and the Land of Chaldea Jerem. L. 1. c. After which God would soon give his people a Deliverance out of their present Captivity and would bring them back into their own Land b Ier. L. 4 8 v. 19 20. LI. 5 10. Ierem. L. 4 8 and 19 20 LI. 5 10. It is plain from c Ezra III. 12 13. Ezra III. 12. 13. that many of the Jews to whom this prophecy was given lived to see the fulfilling of it to a tittle save only the utter Desolation of that City and Country which was then foretold and has been long since fulfilled as Travellers see it at this Day 28. But they saw then in Daniel's time first the Assembly of great These they saw now fulfilled Nations come up against Babylon d Ier. L. 9. Ierm L. 9. It was e L. 41. LI. 48. foretold they should come out of the North L. 41 and LI. 48. The Medes did so and those other Nations mentioned ee LI. 27. Ierem. LI 27. whose Kings being subject to the Median King are therefore f LI. 11 28. called Kings of the Medes Ierem. LI. 11. 28. That the Median should come himself it is not said but that there g v. 27. should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a chief Captain or General over them v. 27 attended with Troops of horse bristled like Caterpillars that is Archers as we h see n. 13. have explained it These Troops now appeared to be Persians and their Prince Cyrus who came in the head of them i Ier. L. 42. LI. 27. had the Command of all this Army Ierem. L. 42. LI. 27. The Jews now saw what a Spoil all these Troops made in Chaldea as was k L. 10. foretold Ierem. L. 10. how they l v. 21 23 24 28. wasted and utterly destroyed all the Countrey v. 21. up to Babylon it self v. 23 24 28. and also m v. 29. encamped against that City round about v. 29. Now they saw the Sword upon the Chaldeans and on the people of Babylon on them of all ranks and conditions as was n v. 35 36 37. foretold v. 35. 36. 37. At last they came to see o v. 38. the waters gone from about Babylon v. 38. a LI. 36. her Sea dried up LI. 36. which was perhaps the great pool of Queen Nitocris 29. This last thing is placed next before the Destruction of that Especially in the taking of Babylon great City For as b see 〈◊〉 15. we have shewn from the ancient Historians the River Euphrates being let out and the c Herodot I. 191. Chanel of it made fordable so that the water thereof came not up above the middle of the thigh which was all brought to pass in one Evening then the Persians went down into the Chanel and waded through it making their way with fire and sword into the City So that as d Herod ibid. Herodotus saies both ends of it were taken before they in the middle of the City knew any thing of it But it was from the End â—…t which they first enter'd that the news came to the Court The â—…ophet foretold it would be so in e Ier. LI. 31. these words Ierem. LI. 31. one post shall run to meet another and one messenger to meet another to shew the King of Babylon that his City is taken at one end It seems he was asleep and was waken'd with the news For as f Xenoph. Cyrop VII 5. Xenophon saies when a party of them that best knew the Place being detached by Cyrus for that purpose had broken into the Royal Palace there g they found him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lb. they found the King got up on his Legs and having drawn his Sword to defend himself But as Xenophon further saies they soon dispatched him and those that were with him or as the Prophet words it they laid him to sleep again and that h Ier. LI. 39 57. for ever Jerem. LI. 39 57. 30. In this last Instance they saw how true it was which the and the End of that Empire in Nebucadnâ—…zzar's Son 's Son Prophet Ieremy had elsewhere foretold that the Babylonian Empire was to last no longer than the Reigns of Nebucadnezzar and his Son and his Son's Son i Ier. XXVII 7. Jerem XXVII 7. This Prophecy of Ieremiah's was written in the first year of King Nebucadnezzar k v. 1. XXVII 1. The Jews now living when Daniel writ this had seen that Empire after Nebucadnezzar's death l Ios. Anâ—… X. 1â—… continued in his Son Evil-Merodach and in Belshazzar who was his Son's Son m Dan. V 11 28. Dan V. 11 28. they saw how God had made an end of that Empire They saw many other things happen which they could not but observe to be exactly the same that had been foretold in those Prophecies which they found recorded in their Scriptures 31. But above all the rest when they saw that City of Babylon all this done by a Persian taken by one that came out of Persia a Country that lay East from Babylon and especially when they heard that his name was Cyrus they could not but remember what was written of such a one in their Scriptures above a hundred years before this Cyrus was born It was n Esai XLI 2. foretold by the Prophet Esaia XLI 2. That God would raise up a Righteous man from the East and again in a Prophecy against Babylon o XLVI 1. Esaia XLVI 1. that he would call a bird of Prey a fighting Prince p v. 10. from the East v. 10. that God would give the Nations before him and make him rule over Kings that they should q XLI 2. be dust
Num. XXII 18. even the same that was ee XXIII 21. the God of Israel Num. XXIII 21. St. Peter plainly f 2 Pet II. 16. calls Balaam a Prophet and no doubt there were many other such of the Patriarchical Religion as St. Iames also ff Iam. V. 10 11. calleth Iob who lived some few ages before him Iam. V. 10 11. In those first ages of the world there were very often seen such extraordinary Actings of God on the Prayers of his Prophets whether for or against any Person or Nation as were not to be expected by g See Bp. Patrick's Comment them that lived under a written Revelation For instance we see upon the Plague that God sent on Abimelech King of Gerar and his People when he besought God to take it off God directed him to Abraham in these words He is a Prophet and he g g Gen. XX 7. shall pray for thee In like manner God's wrath being kindled against Iob's three miserable Comforters God sent them to Iob to pray for them saying h Ioh. XLII 8. Him will I accept and not deal with you according to your folly We see Balaam was famous for the proofs he had given of his Successfulness that way It was a common belief that i Num. XXII 6. those whom he blessed were blessed and those whom he cursed were cursed Num. XXII 6. But whereas there were k Sam. IX 7. Presents usually made to the Prophets by them that employed them in this kind this covetous Wretch could not deny himself the advantage that might be made of this He was for getting all that he could And since as it commonly happens the worst causes bring in the best Fees he was for such to choose l 2 Pet. II 16. He loved the wages of unrighteousness And if in such Cases God would not help him the Devil certainly would by God's permission who in his just Judgement sends m 2 Thess. II. 10 11. strong delusions on them that have not the Love of the Truth No delusion could be greater than this was upon Balaam that when God having forsaken him he was come to be n Iosh. XIII 22. Cosem a Cunning man in vulgar speaking whose way of doing things by Kesem o 1 Sam. XV. 23. â—…ee Deut. XVIII 10. 11 12. witchcraft is an Abomination to God 1 Sam. XV. 23. yet still upon his invoking God's Name the Devil came and answered his Prayers and did it so artificially that though the things that he asked were such as were not fit for God to grant the Devil did it and kept him still in the belief that it was God that heard and answered his Prayers Balaam a g Syrian that lived then a Deut. XXIII 4. in Mesopotamia The Situation of that Country lying so much nearer to Midian than it did to Moab makes it very probable that Balak had this suggested to him first by the Midianites And it seems much more likely because of the Trade that the Midianites drove in Balaam's Country and through it to Babylon and Ninive the chief Cities then in the world But that which puts it out of doubt was his returning thither to Midian when b Num. XXIV 11. Balak drove him out of his Country of which more will be said c n 116. afterward We take it therefore to have been by the Midianites advice that Balaam was sent for Their way to fetch him was by Presents which d 2 Pet II. 15. he loved at his heart and it seems they knew it for e Num. XXII 7. the Elders of Moab and of Midian came to him with the rewards of Divination in their hands What those Rewards were it is not said but no doubt they were Silver and Gold or else f v. 18. XXIV 13. Balaam's mentioning those things was not much to the purpose That which they would have had for their Money was to get him to curse Israel to the end that when His Divine power had disabled or chased away Their's they they g XXII 11. might be able to overcome them and drive them out of their Country This they hoped he could obtain by Enchantments and such like Diabolical ways as he was h v. 6. commonly thought to be a great Master of And so he was content they should believe and yet he pretended and probably himself did believe that all the great things that he had done and was so famous for he had obtained by his Intimacy with i v. 18. the true God k XXIII 24. the God of Israel What Ground he had for this belief and how it came to fail him will be considered l See the bottom elsewhere 115. At present it will be sufficient to observe that when Balaam God would not let him do it by Curâ—…ing them made his Application to God as Balak and those about him desired for the cursing of Israel he presently found a great change in the person to whom he applied Of late days while through the just judgment of God for his asking of things which were unfit for God to grant he had turned him over to the Devil during his Correspondence with him the Devil had always granted him such things to chuse and not only so but had taught him that way of a Num. XXIV 1. Enchantments by which he used to converse with his Votaries But now when Balaam came for leave to curse Israel the chosen people of God as to that God would not suffer the Devil to give him his Answer but was pleased b XXII 9. to take that business on himself But Balaam knew nothing of that He went on in doing what he could to obtain what his Clients desired First they brought him to a c XXII 41. High place from whence he might see the utmost part of the Camp of Israel It was a place that was consecrated after the manner of that Country There he d XXIII 2 4. offered to God such sacrifices as he formerly used to accept But when he came to the point God soon dd v. 8 9 10. let him know that he must not curse Israel When Balaam had told this to Balak and his Princes they being unsatisfied with it were for putting him on a fresh Trial. It was the e See le Clere on Num. XXIII 27. manner of most Heathen Nations that when one Sacrifice would not do they were for trying another and a third if they saw occasion So f v. 13. Balak would have him offer another Sacrifice But it must be in g v. 14. another View of the Camp of Israel where possibly it might not be so well guarded with Angels as it was in the former Thereupon Balaam h v. 15. left them to sacrifice for themselves and he went i XXIV 1. to seek for Enchantments in which he never used to fail of such success as the Devil could give him
as a Criminal before you hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of Power and coming in the Clouds of heaven meaning this of Himself as the Messiah is described in Dan. VII 13. Our blessed Lord having thus owned that he was the Messiah the High Priest rent his clothes as they used to do at the hearing of Blasphemy 2 Kings XVIII 37. XIX 1. Now he cryed what need we any further Witness Behold you have heard his blasphemy what think you By the Law Blasphemy was a Capital Crime Lev. XXIV 16. And so they all condemned him as being guilty of Death Matt. XXVI 64 66. Mar. XIV 61 64. Now they found a great want of the power of Life Death that was taken from them by the * The Iews say that 40 years before the Destruction of the Temple Capital Judgements were taken away from Israel v. Lightfoot Vol. I. pag. 265. Romans But in this matter they did not doubt to get Pilate to supply that defect The mean while they treated our Lord Iesus with the utmost spite and contempt as if he were the very worst and vilest of men Matt. XXVI 67 68. They that just before had Judged him Guilty of Death came to him and spit in his Face and then in mockery having cover'd his Eyes they Buffeted him bid him Prophecy Mar. XIV 64 65. Their Servants went on with their inhumane Sport striking him with the Palms of their Hands or their Sandals and then saying Prophecy unto us thou Christ who is he that smote thee The mean while the whole Sanhedrin having sent no doubt to know Pilate's pleasure when they should attend him with their Prisoner to get Him to put him to Death Matt. XXVII 1. were now consulting together about the Accusation they should bring in against him They knew that to charge him according to their manner with speaking Blasphemous Words against the Holy Place and the Law Acts. VI. 13. would signify nothing And if they should charge him with that which they had condemned him for his making himself the Christ Pilate would not understand it But they knew he would be toucht to the quick with any charge relateing to CAESAR the Emperor that then was Tiberius being a most jealous Prince that would not endure the least seeming Neglect especially of them that were entirely his Creatures as Pilate was This was the reason why they pitched upon that Ensnaring Question about the Lawfullness of paying Tribute to Caesar and put that to our Saviour for this very End that so they might deliver him to the Governor Luk. XX. 20. And though he escaped them then by giving them such an Answer as shewed how unjust it was in them Now to charge him with the same Crime yet to make sure work they resolved that this should be his Accusation And so when the morning was come Matt. XXVII 1. Mar. XV. 1. at or after †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was after Sun-rising See LXX Iud. IX 33. II Sam. XXIII 4. II King III. 22. So here Mar. XV. 1. Censorinus C. XXIV saith vocatur Mane cum lux videtur solis It must signify so in this place for it was Day a good while since Luke XXII 66. Sun-rising they took our Saviour with them to the Iudgement Hall Ioh. XVIII 28. or Pilate's House as it is in the Margin There went the whole Sanhedrin together Mar. XV. 1. to give the more countenance to their Business When they were come thither these bloody Hypocrites that had just now Swallow'd a Camel were presently straining at a Gnat. They held it a Legal pollution for any one of their Religion to go into a Room among the Sinners of the Gentiles as they called them Though there was no such thing in the Scriptures yet according to their Doctrine it would have been such a Defiling of themselves Ioh. XVIII 28. that after it they could not have eaten the Passeover that Friday Evening On this Solemn Occasion so great a part of that Nation being there at Ierusalem together Pilate could not but think it his best way to Humor them in this and therefore upon their sending in their Prisoner to him Ioh. XVIII 28. he went out to them and demanded their Accusation vers 29 He asked it in such a manner as shewed he would willingly have declined this Trouble But they told him plainly it was a Capital Cause and therefore properly belonged to his Cognizance Our blessed Lord being now to be cut off according to Daniel's Prophecy and that Judicially as it has been shewn in the Exposition it was as St. Iohn tells us XVIII 32. so ordered by the Providence of God that he should be brought before a Roman Judge to be condemned by the Roman Law to be Crucified which was the very Death that our blessed Lord himself had foretold he should suffer Ioh. XII 32 33. He could not have come to it otherwise They began to Accuse him in these Words we have found this Fellow perverting the Nation and forbidding to give Tribute to Caesar saying that he himself is Christ a King Luke XXIII 2. What they called now perverting the Nation they called afterward vers 5. Stirring them up no doubt against the Roman Government And if that and all they charged him with had been True then he had been a Messias for their turn as much as Barchochba was to the Iews in the next Age. But their Quarrel against our blessed Lord was onely because he came in a low suffering Condition as it was foretold that he should in Esai LIII and other such Prophecies of Scripture The things which they charged him with being just contrary to what appear'd in all his Life and Doctrine they could not pretend to bring any Proof of them But for that there would be no need of any in the way that they took The last thing in their Accusation being this that he made himself a King it was their way to get Pilate to ask him the Truth of That They knew he would own it to Pilate as he had done already to Them and they reckoned his Owning of this would be taken for Proof of all the rest Pilate could not think by any thing he saw in the Prisoner that they were in Earnest when they charged him with this However since they would have it so he did ask him Art thou the King of the Iews Our Saviour answer'd him thou sayest vers 3. Which Words were an Affirmation in the Syriac that was his Native Language But Pilate either understood not the Idioms of that tongue or would not believe a thing so contrary to what he Saw in him Therefore the chief Priests seeing that would not do went on to accuse him of many other things Mar. XV. 4 But still they offer'd no proof of any thing that they said And the things they charged him with being palpably false our blessed Lord heard them as one unconcern'd He answer'd