among such people, gave great credit to some traditionary prophecies
about their own country. They had, besides, some old books among them,
which they esteemed to be writings of certain Prophets, who had
formerly lived among them, and whose memory they had in great
veneration. From such old books and traditions they formed many
extravagant expectations; and among the rest one was, that some time or
other a great victorious prince would rise among them, and subdue all
their enemies, and make them lords of the world. In Augustus's time
they were in a low state, reduced under the Roman yoke; and as they
never wanted a deliverer more, so the eagerness of this hope, as it
happens to weak minds, turned into a firm expectation that he would
soon come. This proved a temptation to some bold, and to some cunning
men, to personate the prince so much expected. And "nothing is more
natural and common to promote rebellions, than to ground them on new
prophecies, or new interpretations of old ones; prophecies being suited
to the vulgar superstition, and operating with the force of religion."
Accordingly, many such imposters rose, pretending to be the victorious
prince expected; and they, and the people who followed them, perished
in the folly of their attempt.

But Jesus, knowing that victories and triumphs are not things to
be counterfeited; that the people were not to be delivered from the
Roman yoke by sleight of hand; and having no hope of being able to cope
with the Emperor of Rome in good earnest, took another and more
successful method to carry on his design. He took upon him to be the
prince foretold in the ancient Prophets; but then he insisted that the
true sense of the prophecies had been mistaken; that they related not
to the kingdoms of this world, but to the kingdom of heaven; that the
Messias was not to be a conquering prince, but a suffering one; that
he was not to come with horses of war, and chariots of war, but was to