of St. Matthew's gofpel at the year 64. And though, as he fays, he does not know the year, nor the place, where St. Matthew's gofpel was published, yet he expreffeth himself, as if he was inclined to think it was not written till Nero's reign was fomewhat advanced in the year 64. or 65. the time of that emperor's perfecution of the Chriftians. Other learned men are for an earlier date: whofe opinions alfo, undoubtedly, ought to be taken notice of, and confidered by us. Cave thought that St. Matthew's gofpel was written about the fifteenth year after our Saviour's afcenfion, in the year 48, a fhort time before the council of Jerufalem, or foon after it. Baronius was of opinion, that this gofpel was published in the year 41, foon after that Peter had begun to preach to gentiles at the houfe of Cornelius in Cæfarea. Grotius and G. I. Voffius were likewife of opinion, that St. Matthew's gofpel was written about eight years after Chrift's afcenfion. Tillemont argues, That St. Matthew wrote his gofpel ' about three years after the crucifixion of Chrift: for it must have been written before the apoftles left Judea. The time of their going abroad, as he owns, is uncertain but it must have been about the year 36, forafmuch as it appears, anno locove divinare non poffumus. Nulla tamen fe magis veri fpecie commendat chronologia, quam illa Irenei: quod nempe Paulo et Petro Romanos inftituentibus, fcribendo Matthæus operam dederit: ut Ecclefiæ aliquid monumenti effet, quo ob ortum ex perfecutione Neronis dolorem leniret, fanctorumque A poftolorum eo fluctu opprefforum faciem in Evangelio videre fibi videretur Ecclefia. Bafn. Ann. 64. n. xii. "Scripfiffe Evangelium fuum viii. a Chrifti refurrectione anno vulgo dicitur. Quod tamen ad annum a Chrifti affumtione 15 referunt auctor Chr. A. et Nicephorus. Et fane eum ante annum a paffione Chrifti 12. Apoftolis Judææ finibus egredi non licuit, vix ante ann. 15. chr. 48. finita fynodo Hicrofo lymitana, ad fuam quifque fortem abierunt, adeo ut paulo ante Matthæus Evangelium fuum condidiffe videtur. H. L. in Matthæo, p. 13. * Baron. Ann. 41. num. ix, xvi. y Grot. Pr. ad Matth. z Si quidem Matthæus in Paleftina fcribebat, idque intra proximum a paffione Chrifti octennium. Voff. de Gen. J. C. cap. iv. § 2. a Il femble mefme neceffaire de dire, que S Matthieu a écrit trois ans feulement après la mort de J. C.... Le temps de cette divifion des Apôtres eft incertain. Il femble neanmoins, que ç'a été vers l'an 36. puifqu'il parcit, qu'il n'y avoit aucun Apoftre à Jerufalem, lorfque S. Paul vint en 37. hors S. Pierre, et S. Jacque le mineur. S. Matthieu. Mem. T. I. ' that 'that in the year 37, when Paul came to Jerusalem, there 'were no other apoftles there befide Peter, and James the 'Lefs.' But that argument is of no value. For the apostles might be all at Jerusalem, or in its neighbourhood, though Paul faw none, befide the two juft mentioned. Mr. Jones earnestly contends, that this gospel was written about eight years after our Lord's afcenfion, in the year 41. But I do not think it needful to take any farther notice of his arguments, than has been done already. Mr. Wetstein has lately declared in favour of the fame opinion. And hence,' fays he, we difcern the reafon why this evangelift has inferted fo many difcourses about the Jewish fuperftitions: which could be of little or no 'ufe to other people, and among other nations, when the 'temple was once deftroyed, or was near being destroyed.' But I am not able to difcern any force in that way of reafoning, because I perceive not any fuperfluities in this, or any of the evangelifts. Our Lord's reproofs of Jewish fuperftitions, his declarations of the fuperiority of moral virtue, or righteousness and true holinefs, above the righteousness of the fcribes and pharifees, his cenfures of the pride and covetousness, falfe mixims, and hypocritical conduct of the fame men, will be useful to all people fo long as the world ftands. As our Lord was a Jew, and his ministry was employed among thofe people in Judea; it is no wonder, that in his difcourfes, recorded by St. Matthew, whenever he wrote, there fhould be frequent allufions to their laws, customs, and worship. The like are in the other two firft evangelists: New and full Method. &c. vol. III. ch. v. p. 59-64. See vol. IV. p. 262-264. Magno confenfu perhibent Patres, Matthæum in gratiam credentium ex Judæis in Palæstina Evangelium fuum exfcripfiffe, et quidem, ut multi addunt, Hierofolymis, octavo poft afcenfionem Chrifti anno, qui Claudii Imperatoris primus fuit. Cur illorum teftimonium in dubium vocetur, caufam non video: quin ifta hypothefi admiffa, plurima non infeliciter exiftimo explicari poffe, quorum aliter ratio vix invenitur. Hinc E 4 enim intelligimus, cur Matthæus primum in ordine Evangeliftarum occupet locum, quia nimirum primus omnium fcripfit: cur item tam multas de Judæorum fuperftitionibus referat difputationes, quibus apud alias nationes, vel templo jam everfo, vel paulo poft evertendo, locus vix fuiflet. Wetft. N. T. Tom. I. p. 223. e When Mr. Wetftein fpeaks of the many difcourfes about Jewish fuperftitions, which are in St. Matthew's gofpel: I imagine he may particularly refer to Matt. xxiii. 1-30. Nevertheless divers of thofe things evangelifts and in St. John's gofpel, the laft of the four are as long difcourfes with the cavilling Jews, as in any of the reft. I therefore readily affent to thofe who think that this gofpel was written in the time of the emperor Nero, not till about thirty years after our Saviour's afcenfion. I am not able to affign the year in which it was written; but I am fomewhat inclined to the year 63, 64, or 65, of the vulgar epoch. This is agreeable not only to the testimony of Irenæus, and fome other ancients, but to the circumftances of things. At the year 64, or thereabout, the gospel had been propagated in many gentile countries, the times were troublesome in Judea, and the war was coming on several of the apofles were dead, others of them, who furvived, were gone, or going abroad, and many of the Jewish believers were about to feek fhelter elsewhere: now was a proper time to write a hiftory of Chrift and his miracles. Moreover in this gofpel are recorded divers plain predictions of the miferies and defolations of Jerufalem, and the overthrow of the temple, and the Jewish ftate, befide many other figurative intimations of the fame things in many of our Lord's difcourfes and parables. Which could not be well publifhed to all the world in writing, till about this time. The fuitablenefs of St. Matthew's gofpel to the ftate of the chriftian religion, and of the Jewish people, about the year 64, or 65, leads to that time. And however unwillingly, from private apprehenfions and prejudices, we may admit the thought of protracting fo long the writing the hiftory of our Lord's miniftry; the circumstances of things will constrain us to acquiefce in this feafon, as the most likely. IV. This leads me now to obferve fome characters of time in the gospel itself. It is well known, and allowed by all, that f for a while our Lord's difciples laboured under Jewish prejudices: and things occur alfo in the gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke. See Mark xii. 38-40. Luke xi. 42-52. and xx 46, 47. And both Mark viii. 14-21. and Luke xii. 1, 2. have recorded our Lord's injunctions, to beware of the leaven of the Pharifies and Sadducees, or Herodians, as well f There are many proofs of this in the gofpels. See particularly John xvi. 7-14 and likewife the history in the Acts, ch. x. that that they did not fully understand all his difcourfes at the time when they were fpoken. They did not, they could not, clearly difcern the comprehenfive defign of the evangelical difpenfation, till after Peter had been at the house of Cornelius, and there received into the church gentile converts, without circumcifion: nor till after the gospel had been preached abroad in foreign countries by Paul, and other apostles and minifters. Let us therefore now obferve the book itself of St. Matthew, and fee what knowledge he appears to have had of the fcheme of the gospel. 1. His account of the commiffion which our Lord gave to the twelve apofties is in ch. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore into all the world, and teach all nations. Matthew did not then think that the apoftles of Jefus were to teach Jews only, but that they were required to teach all people, and all nations in general. 2. I fuppofe that he fully understood our Lord's doctrine, when he recorded that fummary account of it which is in the fifth, fixth, and seventh chapters of his gospel. The beatitudes at the beginning are a proof of it. And at the conclufion, they who heard and did thofe fayings, are compared to a man that built his house upon a rock; though there had been nothing faid to enforce the rituals of the Mofaic law. 3. And that he well understood the fpirituality, and the freedom of the gofpel, appears from what he has recorded ch. xv. 10-20. 4. His clear difcernment of the defign of the gospeldifpenfation appears even in his account of our Saviour's nativity, particularly, in what he fays ch. i. 21. of the meffage of the angel to Jofeph. And thou shalt call his name Jefus. For be fhall fave his people from their fins. 5. If he had not known that our Saviour was defigned to be, or was already become a bleffing to gentiles, he would fcarcely have thought of inferting the history of the Magi coming from the east to Jerufalem, to inquire after the birth of the King of the Jews, chap. ii. 6. It is alfo very likely, that he understood those words of John the Baptift, recorded by him ch. iii. 9. God is able of thefe ftones to raise up children to Abraham. 7. St. Matthew's knowledge of the calling of the gentiles and the rejection of the Jews, may be concluded from many things recorded by him. In the hiftory of our Lord's healing healing the Centurion's fervant at Capernaum he inserts our Lord's commendation of his faith, and that declaration : Many fhall come from the east and the west, and fit down with Abraham, and Ifaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: but the children of the kingdom fhall be caft out, ch. viii. 10-12. 8. The admiffion of the gentiles to equal privileges with the Jews must be intimated in the parable of the labourers hired into the vineyard at feveral hours of the day. ch. xx. I-16. 9. The calling and acceptance of the gentiles, and the rejection of the Jewish people, and even their overthrow, are plainly declared in the parable of the vineyard, let out to husbandmen, and the difcourfe which follows. ch. xxi. 33-46. The fame things are intimated in the parable of the king that made a wedding feaft for his fon, which is at the beginning of the next chapter. ch. xxii. 1-14. 10. I might likewife take notice of the hiftory of our Lord's curing the daughter of the woman of Canaan. ch. xv. 21-28. II. It is also very likely that St. Matthew had fome good knowledge, and a diftinct apprehenfion of the extent of our Lord's kingdom, and the progrefs of his doctrine, when he recorded thofe parables in the thirteenth chapter of his gofpel where our Lord has compared the kingdom of heaven, or the preaching his gofpel, to a grain of muftard-feed, the leaft of all feeds, but becomes a tree: to leaven, by which a large lump is leavened: to a net, that was caft into the fea, and gathered of every kind. And, explaining the parable of the tares, our Lord fays, ver. 37, 38. He that foweth the good feed is the fon of Man. The field is the world. And what follows. 12. It is probable, that this evangelift had fome knowledge of the gospel having been preached out of Judea, when he put down that declaration of our Lord concerning the woman, that poured the rich ointment upon his head: Wherefoever the gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there fball this also, that this woman has done, be told for a memorial of her, ch. xxvi. 13. 13. In his account of the inftitution of the eucharist, ch. xxvi. 28. our Lord fays: This is my blood of the New Teftament, which is fhed for many, that is, for all men, for the remif |