The Sadducees retire in Confufion. him: [MAR. Ye therefore do greatly err.] [MAT XXI.-32. MARK XII. 27.] 39 Then certain of the Scribes anfwering, faid, Ma fter, thou haft well faid. MAT. XXII. 33. And when the Multitude heard this, they were astonished at his Doctrine. LUKE XX. 40. And after that, they durft not afk him any Question at all. W Luke XX. 38. 349 Covenant, owns himself the GOD of all fuch ; Sect. 155. and confequently he must be an everlasting Patron and Friend to them, even to their whole Perfons, fo as to recover their mortal Part from the Ruin and Defolation of the Grave. And therefore, on the whole, you greatly err in denying this Doctrine; and your Error tends to bring a Difgrace on the whole Series of Divine Revelation, and to weaken one of the strongest Motives to a Life of Holiness and Obedience. Then fome of the Scribes who were prefent, 39) being of the Sect of the Pharifees, were pleased to hear a Doctrine of their own fo judiciously defended, and faid in Reply, Mafter, thou haft spoken fo well upon. this Subject, that nothing folid can be objected to thy Difcourse. And indeed Mat. XXII: when all the Multitude, that was prefent in the 33. Temple at that Time, heard [this] unthought of, yet convincing Argument, together with fo clear an Answer to a Cavil, in which the Sadducees used to triumph as invincible, they were greatly aftonished at his Doctrine, and plainly teftified the Admiration and Delight with which they had attended his Difcourfe. And as the Sadducees Luke XX.. had nothing to reply, they were ashamed and 40. disappointed; and after that, they dürft not any more prefume to ask him any Thing at all (h), but retired in. Silence and Confufion. IMPROVEMENT. ITH what Satisfaction fhould we read this Vindication of fo. boafted Argument of the Sadducees unravelled and expofed, and all the Mat. xxii. Pride of those bold Wits, who valued themselves fo much on that ima- 23,--28. ginary Faithful are the Children of Abraham, and the Divine Promife of being a GOD to him and bis Seed is entailed upon them, it will prove their continued Existence and Happiness in a Future State, as much as Abraham's. And, as the Body, as well as the Soul, makes an effential Part of Man, it will prove both his Refurrection and theirs, and entirely overthrow the whole Sadducean Doctrine on this Head. (b) After that they durft not afk bim any Thing at all.] It is evident, that this is meant of the Sadducees, and must be understood as limited to them; because in the very next Section we read of a Queftion which one of the Scribes put to him. 350 Reflections on the Certainty of the Refurrection. Sect. 155. ginary Penetration which laid Men almoft on a Level with Brutes, covered with juft Confufion. Indeed Objections against the Refurrection, much more plaufible than this of theirs, may be answered in that one Saying of our Lord's: Ye know not the Scriptures, nor the Power of GOD. Were the Scripture-Doctrine of the Refurrection confidered on the one Hand, and the Omnipotence of the Creator on the other, it could not feem incredible to any, that GOD fhould raife the Dead. (Acts xxvi. 8.) Ver. 29. Luke xx. 35, 36. Ver. 34. Ver. 37. Mark xii. 26. How fublime an Idea does our Lord give us of the Happiness of those, who fhall be thought worthy to attain it? They fhall be equal to the Angels! Adored be the Riches of that Grace, which redeems us from this degenerate and miferable State, in which we had made ourselves fo much like the Beafts that perish, (Pfal. xlix. 12.) to raise us to so high a Dignity, and marshal us with the Armies of Heaven! Let us esteem fo glorious a Hope aright, and with the greatest Intensenefs of Soul purfue and infure it. And as for thofe Enjoyments of this prefent World, which are fuited only to the Mortality and Imperfection of it, let us moderate our Regards to them; and cultivate those higher Entertainments with the most folicitous Care, which will be tranfplanted into the Paradife of GOD, and flourish for the Delight of his immortal Children. Chrift, we fee, argues a very important Point of Doctrine, from Premifes, in which, perhaps, we might not have been able to have discovered it, without fuch a Hint. Let us learn to judge of Scripture-Arguments, not merely by the Sound, but by the Senfe of the Words. And as our Lord chofe a Paffage from the Pentateuch, rather than from the Prophets, for the Conviction of the Sadducees, let us be engaged to ftudy the Tempers, and even the Prejudices, of thofe with whom we converse; that we may, if poffible, let in the Light of Divine Truth on their Hearts, on that Side by which they feem moft capable of receiving it. In a Word, let us with Pleasure think of the Bleffed GOD, under that gracious Title, by which he manifefted himself to Mofes at the Bush. Still he is the GOD of Abraham, the GOD of Ifaac, and the GOD of Jacob; the GOD of our pious Ancestors, the GOD of all our departed Friends, who are now fleeping in Jefus : For all their Luke xx. 38. Souls now live unto him, and their Bodies fhall e'er long be awakened by him. In like Manner, if We are Followers of them who thro' Faith and Patience are now inheriting the Promifes, when we are gathered to our Fathers, and our Names, perhaps, forgotten among fucceeding Generations, he will still be our GOD. He will fhew us by the bleffed Experience of Eternity, that when he treated with us by that Title, and admitted us into the Covenant by which he bears it, he intended for us fomething far nobler and better, than the tranfient Scenes of Earth, and of Time, could admit. SECT. A Scribe enquires, which is the firft and great Command. 351 CHRIST difcourfes of the firft and great Command of the Law, and confounds the Pharifees with a Question relating to David's calling the Meffiah his Lord. Mat. XXII. 34, to the End. Mark XII. 28,--37. Luke XX. 41,---44. MAT. XXII. 34. . UT when the Pharifees had heard, that he had they were gathered together. T MAT. XXII. 34. Mat. XXII. 34. BUT HUS Jefus defended the great Doctrine of Sect. 156. the Refurrection, from the vain Cavils put the Sadducees to Silence, which were brought against it: But the Debates of the Day ended not here; for when the Pharifees heard, that he had thus filenced and confounded the Sadducees, they were foon gathered together again, with a malicious View of carrying on the fame Defign, to try if they could any way expofe him to the People, and to make their Remarks upon what he might say. 35 Then one [of the Scribes, which was a Lawyer, [came, and having heard them reafoning together, and perceiving that he had anfwered them well,] asked [him] a Question, tempting him, and faying, [MARK XII. 28.-] 36 Mafter, which [is] the [first and] great Commandment [of all] in the Law? [MARK XII.-28.] 35 And one of the learned Scribes, [who was] alfo And (a) Which is the first and great Commandment &c.] This was a Point that often was dif puted by the Jewish Doctors; fome contending for the Law of Circumcifion, others for that of Sacrifices, and others for that of the Phylacteries. And tho' it was a Rule among them, that the Law of the Sabbath was to give Place to that of Circumcifion, yet they were not agreed as to the reft, which was the principal and moft important Precept, only in general they were inclined to give the Preference to the Ceremonial Part.-Dr. Lightfoot remarks, (in his Hor. Hebr. on Mark xii. 28.) that Chrift answers the Scribe out of a Sentence which was written in the Phylacteries, in which he avoided all Occafion of Offence, and plainly fhewed fas the Scribe afterwards obferves, Mark xii. 33.) that the Obfervance of the Moral Law was more acceptable to Go D, than all the Sacrifices they could offer to him. (b) The 344 Sect. 154. Ver. 21. Mat. xxii. 16. Ver. 21. Reflections on the Duties we owe to GOD and the King. Let us not, with the Simple, believe every flattering Word; (Prov. xiv. 15.) fince fometimes the highest Encomiums may be defigned as the Inftruments of Mischief: And too often they prove fo, when they are not treacherously intended. Our Lord was indeed the Perfon, whom these artful Hypocrites defcribed; and was in that refpect an excellent Pattern to all his Followers, and especially to his Minifters. He knew no Man in the Discharge of his Office; but without regarding the Perfons of any, neither feeking their Favour, nor fearing their Refentment, he taught the Way of GOD in Truth, and declared the whole of his Counfel Let us particularly attend to his Decifion in the present Cafe, and learn with the utmost Readiness to render unto Cæfar the Things which are Cafar's, and unto GOD the Things which are GOD's. Our Civil Magiftrates, by Virtue of their Office, juftly claim our reverent Regard; and Tribute is most reasonably due to thofe, who attend continually to the Service of the Publick, and are, under GOD, the Pillars of our common Tranquillity and Happiness. (Rom. xiii. 6, 7.) Let that Tribute therefore be justly and freely rendered, with Honour, and with Chearfulness; as he is furely unworthy to fhare in the Benefits of Government, who will not contribute his Part towards its neceffary Expence. But let it also be remembered, that the Rights of GOD are facred and inviolable: He, and He alone, is the Lord of Conscience; and when that is invaded, it is eafy to judge, whether Man, or GOD, is to be obeyed. (Acts iv. 19.) Let us be daily thankful, that in our own Age and Country these Rights are fo happily united. May a Guardian Providence continue to watch over both! and may we seriously confider how impoffible it is, under fuch a Government, to be good Chriftians, without being obedient Subjects, or to fear GOD, if we do not honour the King! (1 Pet. ii. 17.) SECT. CLV. Our LORD proves the Refurrection to the Sadducees, and anfwers their foolish Objection against it. Mat. XXII. 23,---33. Mark XII. 18,---27. Luke XX. 27,-=-40. Sect. 155. THEN on that Day in which our Lord had THEN [the fame Day] thus confounded the Pharifees and the Hero Luke XX. dians, fome of the Sadducees came to him, who (as it was before obferved,) were a Sect of pretended 27. Free came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that that there is any Refurrection; and they asked him, [MAT. XXII, 23. MARK XII. 18.] 28 Saying, Mafter, Mofes [faid and ] wrote unto us, If any Man's Brother die, [MAR. and leave his Wife behind him, and leave no Children,] that his Brother fhould take his Wife, and raise up Seed unto his Brother. [MAT. XXII. 24. MARK XII..19.] 345 Luke XX. 27. The Sadducees urge a Difficulty against the Refurrection. Free-thinkers among the Jews, that deny there is Sect. 155. any Refurrection of the Dead (a), or any Future State in which the Soul exifts after Death (b) to receive the Reward of its Actions. And they applied themselves to Jefus, and asked him a Question, in which they put a Cafe, which they used often to urge against those who were of a different Opinion from themselves, and with which they alfo hoped to puzzle him: Saying, Mafter, if 28 there be, as we know thou teacheft, a Refurrection of the Dead, how can this Difficulty, which we are going to propofe, be adjusted? Mofes, as thou well knoweft, faid, [and] wrote to us this Precept, (Deut. xxv. 5.) "That if a Man's "Brother die, and leave a Wife and no Children "behind him, his furviving Brother should take "his Wife, and raise up Seed to his Brother;" the first Child of this fecond Marriage being esteemed the Child of the Deceased, fo as to inherit his MAT. XXII. 25. Now whole Eftate, and bear up his Name. Now it Mat. XXII. there were with us Seven fo happened, that there were with us, in a certain 25. he had married a Wife, de- Family in our Neighbourhood, Seven Brethren ceafed, and having no [LUK. and the First, when he had married a Wife, died Children,] left his Wife unto his Brother. [MARK XII quickly after, and, having no Children, left his 20. LUKE XX. 29.] Wife of Course to his Brother. And upon this, Luke XX. LUKE XX. 30. And the the Second followed the Direction of the Law, 30. Second took her to Wife, and married her; and he likewife after fome Time and he [likewife] died Childlefs. [MAT. XXII. 26.— died Childless, as his elder Brother had done. MARK XII. 21.-] And then the Third took her, and he alfo died, as 31 31 And the Third took the others had done, without Iffue: And in like her; and in like Manner the Manner alfo they went on, till every one of the Seven alfo [MAR. had her :] And they left no Children, Seven Brothers had married her; and they all died, and died.[MAT.XXII.-26. and left no Children behind them. And laft 32 MARK XII.-21, 22.-] Brethren; and the First when ; of (a) Who deny there is any Refurrection.] It is generally known, that their Mafter Sadoc, from whom the Sadducees took their Name, taught that GOD was not to be served from mercenary Principles, i. e. (as he crudely explained it,) from Hope of Reward, or Fear of Punishment. His Followers interpreted this as an implicite Denial of a Future State, and fo imbibed that pernicious Notion of the utter Deftruction of the Soul at Death, equally uncomfortable and abfurd. See Drufius, in loc.-The Story they tell, feems to be a Kind of Common-Place Objection, which we meet with in the old Jewish Writers. See Lightfoot, Hor. Heb. in loc. (b) Or any Future State, &c.] As it is exprefsly faid, Acts xxiii. 8. that they denied any Spirit, and confequently the Exiftence of the Soul in a feparate State; fo our Lord's Answer here, and much of St. Paul's Reafoning in 1 Cor. xv. goes on the Suppofition of such a Denial on their Part. See 2 Mac. xii. 42,-44. where the Author proves, that Judas believed a Refurrection, from his offering Sacrifices for the Souls of the Slain. VOL. II. X x (c) Are |