z96 The Vanity and Wickednefr of honouring Vol, I. of; and that they would have done juft as their Fathers did, if they had been in the fame Circumflances with their Fathers ; So that they were Witneffes to themfelves (asit is in St. Matthew) that they were Children of them which killed the Prophets ; They own'd themfelves their Children by Defcent, and their Adi- ons witneffed that they were their Children alfo in Refemblance ; nay, (as it is there farther intimated) they feem'cl refolv'd to fill up the Meafure of their Fa- thers : tho' all this while theypretended not to approve their Fathers Behavi- our ; and therefore whilft they were building the Tombs of the Prophets, and garnifhing the Sepulchres ofthe Righteous, they faid, ifwe had seen in the day: of our Fathers, we would not havebeen partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets. And the Interpreters that goe this way do accordingly render thefe words of St. Luke ; not as they are in our Tranflation, ye bear Witnefs that ye allow the deeds of your Fathers : But, ye bear Witnefs, and ye allow (or, are, well pleas'd with) the deeds ofyour Fathers 'that is, ye own. that they were your Fathers, who did thefe things; and tho' ye do not in words allowwhat they did, yet your inward Tempers and Difpofitions (whether you know it or no) are the very fame with theirs, which you too plainly teflifie by your Aiions; fo that whenyou build the Sepulchres of the Prophets, you only expofe the Deceitfulnefs and Hypocrite of your Hearts, your Pretences and your AElions direly contra-, diding each other. Thus force Expofitorsgive the Senfe of this Paffage. But others think, that our Saviour intendedfomewhat more, in St. Luke, name- ly, to.retort upon them the Honour which they feem'd to do to the Prophets, in building their, Sepulchres; as an Argument that they rejoyced in their Death feeing they were fo well content to be at the charge of a Monument for them ; like Herodwho when he had Murthered Ariflobulus, made a magnificent Funeral for him ; or as the Roman Hiftorians fay of Caracalla, tho' he hated all Good Men, whilft they were alive, yet he would pretend to Honour them, when they were dead. This force think our Saviour intended in thefe Words, Truÿ ye bear Witnefs, that ye allow the deeds of your Fathers : For they indeed killed them, and ye build their Sepulchres; As if he had faid, Hereby ye teftifie, that ye al- low andlike very well what your Fathers did to the Prophets. According to which latter Expofrtion, there feems to be more Force and greater Sharpnefs in our Saviours Reproof ; as not only charging them with the ill ufage of the Righ- teous Men of their own Times; but moreover making them, by their building the Tombs, andgarning the Sepulchres of the Ancient Prophets, to become as it were Acceffories to the Murder of them. But leaving this Digreffion, I nowproceed to that which I primarily intended, namely, Firfl, to explain the following Words, which I have chufen as my pre- fent Suhjed, and then to make force Obfervations upon them. Therefore alfo faidthe Wifdom of God, I will fend them Prophets andApoflles, and'fome of them they fhall flay and perfecute ; that the blood ofall the Pro- phets which was fliedfrom the foundationof the world, may be required of this Generation ; front the blood ofAbel, to the blood of Zacharias, which perilbedbe- tween the Altar and the Temple : Verily I fay untoyou, it (hall be required of this Generation. There are Three confiderable'Difficulties in theWords, which I (hall endeavour to explain to you. I. What is here meant by the Wifdom ofGod. II. Who this Zacharias was, here mention'dby our Saviour; from the blood of Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias, who perifbed between the Altar and the Temple. III. In what Senfe, and with what Reafon and Juftice it is here threatned, that the bloodofall the Prophets andRighteous men, fhed from the foundation of the world, fbouldbe requiredof that Generation. I. What is here meant by the Wifdomof God. Therefore alfo faid the Ylrifdom of God, I will fend them Prophets and Apofiles, &c. In St. Matthew our Saviour fpeaks this in his own Name, wherefore behold, I fend unto you Prophets : Fox which Reafon force think, that by the Wifdom of God, our Saviour here defigned him-
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