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VERS. XXVIII.
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Ye that have followed me in the Regeneration.
THAT the World is to be renewed at the coming of the Messias, and the Preach∣ing of the Gospel, the Scriptures assert, and the Jews believe; but in a grosser sense, which we observe at Chap. XXIV. Our Saviour therefore by the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Regeneration, calls back the minds of the Disciples to a right apprehension of the thing; implying that Renovation concerning which the Scripture speaks, is not of the body, or substance of the world; but that it consists in the renewing of the Manners, Doctrine, and a dispensation conducing thereunto: Men are to be renewed, regenerated, not the Fabrick of the World. This very thing he teaches Nicodemus, treating concerning the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven, Joh. II.
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When the Son of man shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory, ye also shall sit.
THESE words are fetched out of Daniel, Chap. VII. ver. 9, 10. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which words, I wonder, should be translated by the Interpreters, Aben Ezra, R. Saadia, and others, as well Jews as Christians, Thrones were cast down. R. Solomon, the vulgar and others read it righter, Thrones were set up: where Lyranus thus, He saith, Thrones in the plural number, because not only Christ shall judg, but the Apostles, and perfect men shall assist him in judgment, sitting upon Thrones. The same way very many Interpreters bend the words under our hands, namely, that the Saints shall at the day of judgment sit with Christ, and approve and applaud his judgment. But, 1. besides that the Scene of the last Judgment painted out in the Scripture, does always represent as well the Saints as the wicked standing before the Tribunal of Christ, Mat. XXV. 32. 2 Cor. V. 10. &c. we have mention here only of Twelve Thrones. And, 2. we have mention only of judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The sense therefore of the place may very well be found out by weighing these things following.
- I. That those Thrones set up in Daniel, are not to be understood of the last Judg∣ment of Christ, but of his judgment in his entrance upon his Evangelical Government, when he was made by his Father chief Ruler, King and Judg of all things: Psal. II. 6. Mat. XXVIII. 18. Joh. V. 27. For observe the scope and series of the Prophet, that after the four Monarchies, namely, the Babylonian, the Mede-Persian, the Grecian, and the Syro-Grecian, which Monarchies had vexed the World and the Church by their Tyranny, were destroyed; the Kingdom of Christ should rise, &c. Those words, The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, that Judiciary Scene set up, Rev. IV. & V. and those Thrones, Rev. XX. 1. &c. do interpret Daniel to this sense.
- II. The Throne of Glory, concerning which the words before us are, is to be under∣stood of the Judgment of Christ to be brought upon the treacherous, rebellious, wicked Jewish people. We meet with very frequent mention of the coming of Christ in his Glory in this sense, which we discoursed more largely of at Chap. XXIV.
- III. That the sitting of the Apostles upon Thrones with Christ is not to be understood of their Persons, it is sufficiently proved, because Judas was now one of the number; but it is meant of their Doctrine; as if he had said, When I shall bring judgment upon this most unjust Nation, then your Doctrine which you have Preached in my Name, shall judg and condemn them. See Rom. II. 16.
Hence it appears, That the Gospel was Preached to all the twelve Tribes of Israel be∣fore the destruction of Jerusalem.