For the first Year, and his actings therein, the Evangelist Mark begins thus,1 The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God; q. d. the beginning of that age of the World, which the Prophets pointed out for the time of good things to come; or the beginning of the exhibition and completion of that Gospel, which in respect of the promise, figures, and signification was from the beginning of the World. This beginning of the Gospel, the Prophets sometimes expressed by the term of the last days,2 and it shall come to pass in the last days: sometimes by the term of the acceptable year of the Lord, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord: 3sometimes by the term of the Kingdom of God; And in the days of these Kings, 4shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed. Sometimes by the term of a New Heaven, and a New Earth, behold I create New Heavens, and a New Earth, and the former shall not be remembered, nor come in mind. Howsoever it is called, this is concluded, that the beginning of the Gospel is not to be reckoned from the birth of Christ, but from the beginning of the Ministry and Preaching of John the Baptist;5 from the days of John the Baptist until now (said Christ) the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence; for all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John; and when the Apostles were ready in the Room of Judas to choose a new Apostle, it is said,6 that of those men which companied with them all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out amongst them, beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was taken up, must one be ordained to be a witness. And Peter Preaching to Cornelius and his friends,7 he tells them that the Word (or Gospel) was ⟨p. 168⟩published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the Baptism which John preached: 8and see but how immediately these words follow, The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God: as it is written in the Prophets behold I send my Messenger before thy face, which shall prepare the way before thee: I know that Johns Ministry was six months before Christ's; and yet that now was the beginning of the Gospel, it appears, 1. In that Baptism (which was only used amongst the Jews for the admission of Proselytes or Heathens to their Church) is now published and proposed to the Jews themselves; showing, 1.
For the first Year, and his actings therein, the Evangelist Mark begins thus,1 The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God; q. d. the beginning of that age of the World, which the Prophets pointed out for the time of good things to come; or the beginning of the exhibition and completion of that Gospel, which in respect of the promise, figures, and signification was from the beginning of the World. This beginning of the Gospel, the Prophets sometimes expressed by the term of the last dayes,2 and it shall come to pass in the last dayes: sometimes by the term of the acceptable year of the Lord, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord: 3sometimes by the term of the Kingdom of God; And in the dayes of these Kings, 4shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed. Sometimes by the term of a New Heaven, and a New Earth, behold I create New Heavens, and a New Earth, and the former shall not be remembred, nor come in mind. Howsoever it is called, this is concluded, that the beginning of the Gospel is not to be reckoned from the birth of Christ, but from the beginning of the Ministry and Preaching of John the Baptist;5 from the dayes of John the Baptist untill now (said Christ) the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence; for all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John; and when the Apostles were ready in the Room of Judas to choose a new Apostle, it is said,6 that of those men which companied with them all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out amongst them, beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was taken up, must one be ordained to be a witness. And Peter Preaching to Cornelius and his friends,7 he tells them that the Word (or Gospel) was ⟨p. 168⟩published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the Baptism which John preached: 8and see but how immediately these words follow, The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God: as it is written in the Prophets behold I send my Messenger before thy face, which shall prepare the way before thee: I know that Johns Ministry was six months before Christ's; and yet that now was the beginning of the Gospel, it appears, 1. In that Baptism (which was only used amongst the Jews for the admission of Proselites or Heathens to their Church) is now published and proposed to the Jews themselves; shewing, 1.
- 1Mark 1.1.
- 2Isa. 2.2.
- 3Mica. 4.1.
- 4Isa. 61.1, 2. Dan. 2.44. Isa. 65.17.
- 5Mat. 11.12, 15.
- 6Act. 11.21, 22.
- 7Acts 10.37.
- 8Mark. 1.1, 2.
