SECT. myself: but the Father, that dwelleth " in me, he doeth the works." III. One more paffage shall be added, in order to fhew that Chrift is the Jehovah, who was fent, fpoken of by Zechariah, "I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up ftones again to stone him. Jefus answered them, Many good works "have I fhewed you from my Father; for 66 66 "which of thofe works do ye stone me? "The Jews answered him, faying, For a good work we ftone thee not, but for blafphemy, and because that thou, being a 66 66 man, makeft thyself God." It is plain, therefore, that Chrift did affume to himfelf the dignity of the Supreme Being; for, upon any other interpretation of the paffage, it will be no eafy matter to dif cover a reason, why the Jews fhould accuse him of blafphemy, and of making himself God. It may be added, that if they really misunderstood his meaning, and accused him of ufurping honours which he never intended, it appears fomewhat fingular, that he did not explain himself, had he been a mere man, by declaring that John xiv. 7. h John x. 30. fuch fuch impious arrogance was far removed CHAP. from his thoughts. Surely, if any pious II, person had, by fome inexplicable careleffnefs, been betrayed into fuch expreffions, he would have haftened to undeceive his audience, when he found them ftruck with horror at the blafphemy. But Chrift, inftead of retracting his claim, fhews them, that if perfons, to whom the word of God only came, might occafionally be styled Gods, as Mofes is faid to have been a God to Pharaoh', and instead of a God to Aaronk, how much more might he, in whom "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." The Jews, now justly convinced, that Christ still perfifted in his claim to divinity, attempted to seize him; but he effected his efcape, probably by fome infenfible exertion of fupernatural power. The refult of the whole is, that their behaviour obliges us to conclude, that they were convinced of his not having retracted; otherwife, it will be neceffary to afsign a reason, why they should still be fo eagerly bent upon his deftruction. SECT. chariah prophefies of Chrift, under his usual III. appellation of BRANCH: he also speaks of the increase of his power, and the peculiar manner in which his religion was propagated, under the image of a mountain and a ftone; a mode of expreffion, which was noticed in examining the prophecies of Daniel. "This is the word of the Lord “unto Zerubbabel, faying, Nor by might, "nor by power, but by my Spirit, faith "the Lord of hofts. Who art thou, O 66 great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou fhalt become a plain; and he shall bring "forth the head-ftone thereof, with shout 66 ings, crying, Grace, Grace unto it." The foundation of the temple by Zerubbabel is here used as a type of the kingdom of Chrift; and the ease, with which this kingdom fhould be raised by its Almighty Founder, is described by the mountain becoming as a plain". The whole is effected not by any human power, but by the invisible agency of God. Chrift, the bead-ftone of the corner, is now brought forth; and the fervants of God shout and rejoice with exceeding great joy. Pardon m Zechariah iv. 6. ■ See Harmer's Observ. vol. iii. p. 95. is freely offered to the penitent finner; CHAP. and falvation by grace through faith is proclaimed aloud. This Prophet foretells alfo with much exactness the manner of Chrift's entrance into Jerufalem; the deftruction of that city; and the converfion of the Gentiles. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; 66 66 fhout, O daughter of Jerufalem. Be"hold, thy king cometh unto thee: he is « just, and having falvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the "foal of an afs. And I will cut off the "chariot from Ephraim, and the horse "from Jerufalem, and the battle bow "fhall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the Heathen; and his do"minion fhall be from fea even to fea, "and from the river even to the ends of "the earth P." • The Jews entertain the fame opinion respecting this prophecy. "In Berefbith Rabba, we are clearly taught thus much; for unto that question, Who art thou, O great The הר הגדול זה משיח בן דוד,mountain ? he anfwereth » great mountain is the Meffias, the Son of David. And he proves it from, Grace, Grace unto it, in 1 (0) 17W "because be giveth grace and fupplications." Bp. Pearfon on the Creed, art. iv. note t. Oxford edit. P Zech. ix. 9. S 3 With II. SECT. III. With equal particularity he specifies the fum of money, for which Chrift was betrayed, and with which the potter's field was bought." So they weighed for my "price thirty pieces of filver. And the "Lord (Heb. 7) faid unto me, Cast it "unto the potter: a goodly price, that I was priced at of them. And I took the 66 thirty pieces of filver, and caft them tó "the potter in the houfe of the Lord." The price of the Prophet being fet forth as a type of that fum for which the Meffiah was betrayed, Jehovah immediately after calls the thirty pieces of filver, "the goodly price that I was priced at of "them;" but that was the price for which Chrift was delivered up to the chief priests; therefore Chrift is Jehovah. 66 may The fame remark be made upon the following paffage. "Awake, O fword, against my fhepherd, and against the man, "that is my fellow, faith the Lord of hosts: "fmite the fhepherd, and the sheep fhall "be scattered'." This prophecy our Lord applies to himselfs; confequently he is the Zech. xi. 12. Zech. xiii. 7. fellow |