Jesus and the Resurrection Justified by Witnesses in Heaven and Earth, Part 1 · Chapter 7

Jesus and the Resurrection Justified by Witnesses in Heaven and Earth · Part 1 · Chapter 7

p. 379CHAP. VII. Concerning the Third Witneſs upon Earth the SPIRIT.

THere is one Witneſs more that remains ſtill to be examined, whoſe teſtimony was notorious and very well known, for it was upon the Earth; viz. that of the SPIRIT. In the ſixth verſe S. John brings it in after the other two, I have now treated of; though in the eighth Verſe it be ſet before them. And there he adds this illuſtrious character of it, which is not given to the two former, it is the SPIRIT that beareth witneſs, becauſe the SPIRIT is the TRUTH. Which is not to be underſtood as if the other two were not Witneſſes, for they are called ſo expreſly in this eighth Verſe; or as if they were not truth, for I have abundantly proved that they are: But this mark is ſet upon the SPIRIT, to denote it to be the moſt eminent p. 380Witneſs of the Three. The witneſs, or that Witneſs; that which excels the other two in clearneſs and notoriouſneſs; that which was alwayes accounted moſt powerful to prove a truth; that againſt which nothing can be objected but with the greateſt impudence and impiety; that which adds greater ſtrength and force unto the other two, and together with them makes up a moſt compleat demonſtration. For whatſoever defect any one may think there is in the witneſs of the Water and of the Bloud alone; the SPIRIT perfectly ſupplies it, and proves beyond all doubt that a perſon who ſo lived and ſo dyed, muſt needs be the Son of God.

Now by the SPIRIT we are not to underſtand, either the deſcent of the Spirit of God upon our Saviour at his Baptiſm, or the pouring of it upon the Apoſtles on the Day of Pentecoſt, or any thing of like nature; for this was the Teſtimony of the HOLY GHOST, and that from Heaven. But we are to underſtand thereby firſt the Miracles, Wonders and Signs which were wrought by him before he dyed; and ſecondly his more wonderful Reſurrection to life again, after he was crucified, dead and buried. I will not be too p. 381confident, but I think there is a plain difference, which is not obſerved, between the HOLY GHOST and the SPIRIT, in the phraſe of the New Teſtament. By the HOLY GHOST ſeems commonly to be meant, the gifts of Tongues, of Prophecy, of Knowledge, of Wiſdom, of Revelation, and ſuch like. Whereas by the SPIRIT, when it is uſed alone, or in diſtinction from the other, is generally meant, the power of Miracles, of healing Diſeaſes, caſting out Devils, feeding Multitudes with very little food, and ſuch like wonders. For we read that the HOLY GHOST was not given while our Saviour lived, vii. John 39. And yet even then the Apoſtles had the power of caſting out Devils, and healing all manner of Diſeaſes; which was a portion of that SPIRIT which our Saviour had without meaſure, but was not the HOLY GHOST. Thus S. Peter ſays our Lord was anointed with the HOLY GHOST and with POWER, x. Act. 38. Where by POWER is meant ſomething diſtinct from the HOLY GHOST; even that which is here called SPIRIT, a faculty of doing wonders; as the other ſignifies a faculty of knowing the heart, of declaring the mind of God, of foretelling things to come, of prophecying, p. 382and opening all the ſecrets of the Kingdom of Heaven.

And thus I am ſure it ſignifies in the Old Teſtament; where when the SPIRIT of the Lord is ſaid to come upon Othniel, iii. Judg. 9. upon Gideon, vi. 34. upon Samſon, xiii. 25. xiv. 6. (as I may have occaſion to note more largely upon another occaſion) there is nothing intended of the HOLY GHOST or any gift of declaring God's mind that was then beſtowed on them: But they were then only made valorous and couragious; and were indued with great ſtrength to atchieve wonderful things, above the power of Man. And indeed in this conſiſts one principal difference, between the HOLY GHOST and the SPIRIT; that the former conſecrated Men to the office of interpreting God's mind; but the latter did not: making them only valiant (as in thoſe three now mentioned) or fit for the Government of God's People, as in the caſe of Saul. All which is ſaid briefly to ſhow what we are here to underſtand by the SPIRIT, viz. all the wonderful things that our Lord did, and all that were done for him upon the Earth. For, whatſoever may be thought of the reſt, there is no p. 383doubt of this, that when the HOLY GHOST and the SPIRIT are thus diſtinguiſhed, as they are here by S. John (the one being a witneſs in Heaven, the other on Earth) SPIRIT muſt be taken in this limited and reſtrained ſignification.

I.

And firſt, I ſay, All that he did, as his cleanſing the poor Lepers; opening the eyes of the blind; curing of the Palſie, Bloudy-flux, and indeed all manner of ſickneſs and diſeaſe; commanding the Wind and the Sea to be obedient to him; walking upon the Water; feeding many Thouſands with a few Loaves and Fiſhes; making an hundred times more fragments than there was meat; caſting out of Devils, and raiſing of the Dead; all theſe were notable witneſſes to Jeſus, and hereby the SPIRIT bare record that He was the Son of God. The Prophet Iſaiah foretold that he, being Gods beloved in whom his Soul was well pleaſed, would appear in this manner; for God, he ſays, would put his SPIRIT upon him. This S. Matthew takes notice of, and applies to Jeſus, x. 18. juſt after he had cured a Man who had his hand withered: which ſhows what he underſtood p. 384by the SPIRIT. And our Lord himſelf alſo expounds the meaning of it in the following Verſes. For after the recital of that Prophecy of Iſaiah, the Evangeliſt relates immediately how He healed a Man poſſeſſed with a Devil blind and dumb, verſ. 22. which the Phariſees ſpitefully aſcribing to the power of the Devil, and not of God, He confutes them by this argument, that then the Devil would pull down his own Kingdom. What men of ſence, could imagine him to be ſo fooliſh? He was not yet ſo blind as the Phariſees were: who ought to have concluded from theſe miraculous works, (verſ. 28.) that if he by the SPIRIT of God east out Devils (as it could be by nothing elſe, according to the argument now named) then it was apparent the Kingdom of God was come unto them. Here he both tells us what the SPIRIT ſignifies, viz. ſuch a power as this of caſting out Devils; and alſo what was the end of giving the SPIRIT, viz. that they might know the Meſſiah, and his Kingdome was come. And whom could they take to be their KING, but he who appeared anointed with ſuch a SPIRIT, and who communicated the ſame power unto others?

p. 385For this was an evident demonſtration, that the voice was no empty ſound which ſaid, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleaſed; and that it was no deception, when John the Baptiſt thought he ſaw the SPIRIT deſcend and remain upon him. It was plain by this, that indeed he was very dear to God, and that he had a Divine Power reſiding and dwelling in him; which proved him to be as great as that voice proclaimed him. That there was a mighty Power in him, his ſworn Enemies could not deny. The very accuſation of Magick, which we find to this day in the Jewiſh Books, againſt him, does us this ſervice; that it is an open acknowledgment, there were ſuch miraculous things done, as are recorded in the Goſpel ſtory. Which being granted, it is apparent the power that wrought them was Divine, and that there was nothing of the Devil in the buſineſs; by our Saviours argument in the place now named. For how could the Devil be ſuppoſed to aſſiſt in ſuch operations, unleſs we will conceive him to have ſo little wit, as to contrive the moſt effectual way to overthrow all his own authority? The very end for which our Saviour diſpoſſeſſed Devils, and did all other p. 386miraculous cures, was to win honour to God; whereas the Devil, in all that he doth, hath the quite contrary drift. If we ſhould ſuppoſe with the Phariſees that he hath ſometimes ſuffered himſelf to be commanded by his Copartners, it hath ever been with the ſame deſign, that cunning Gameſters have; who permit a meer bungler to beat them a ſet or two, only to draw them in to play for a greater ſtake. He never gives way to any of his Friends, or ſeems to be afraid of their authority over him, but it is to bring Men to an acknowledgment of his power; or to ſeduce them to the performance of ſome magical ſervices to him. Whereas our Saviour demanded no other reward for all his charitable Cures, but this alone; that they whom he had thus obliged, ſhould thank GOD, and give him glory, and ſin no more.

To this purpoſe Origen admirably diſcourſes, in the latter end of his firſt Book againſt Celſus. It is ſenceleſs to think that any of his Miracles were done by Magick; for there never was any Magician, that called Men to the forſaking of the Devil and all Idolatry, and perſwaded them to amend their lives in p. 387good earneſt. They never inſtructed them in the fear of God by all their wonderful tricks; nor taught thoſe that ſaw them ſo to live, as thoſe that are to be tryed and judged by God. This is none of their buſineſs. They neither can nor will carry on ſuch a deſign; nor have any thing to do with the amendment of Mankind: being themſelves full of all filthineſs and ſwarming with the moſt abominable Vices. But he who by all the wonderful things he did, called the ſpectators to the correction of their manners and the amendment of their lives; propounded himſelf alſo, not only to his familiar diſciples, but to all others foreign, a pattern and example of the beſt and moſt excellent life. That ſo, both his Diſciples might be inſtructed to teach Men the will of God; and others, being taught by his Word and manners more than by his Miracles how to live, might have reſpect to nothing elſe in all they did, but how to pleaſe God. Now if the life of Jeſus was ſuch as this, what Man of ſence is there that can compare him with Magicians, and not rather believe him to be God appearing in an humane body, foreign, to be a benefactor p. 388to Mankind and beſtow the greateſt bleſſings on us.

But, becauſe this Argument is very large, let us draw it into a narrower compaſs; and take particular notice onelyonly of theſe two ſorts of miraculous works; caſting out of Devils, and raiſing the dead.

I. As for the former, the caſting of Devils out of a number of diſtracted and mad or melancholy People, whoſe depraved imaginations were oft-times furiouſly moved by the power of evil ſpirits; it is the more remarkable, becauſe it declares he had as great a power over the inviſible World, as they ſaw him have over the bodies of Men, and over the water, the winds, and things growing upon the Earth: all which yield ſome examples of his Miraculous works. Who could this be, but the Lord of Angels and Men and all other things, who commanded the Prince of the power of the Air and all his Legions, and they could not reſiſt him? Was it not an Argument that God was with him, as S. Peter ſpeaks, when no created power whatſoever could withſtand him? For you may obſerve further, (2.) That there were no kind of Devils which did not preſently p. 389give place, when he required them to come out. There might have been ſome colour, as Athanaſius well obſerves **Di incarn. verbi, p. 103., to ſay he caſt out Devils by Beelzebub, if he had not expelled all; though never ſo numerous, and never ſo outragious. The Prince of Devils might have been ſuppoſed, to have had power over the leſſer fry. But ſince it was apparent, that foreign, all the fury and madneſs of Daemons fled before him, at the very mention of his Name; we muſt confeſs that our Lord and Saviour was no Daemonaical power; but the very Son of God, the Word, (as he ſpeaks) the Wiſdome and the Power of the Father. Nay, (3.) he not only expelled them himſelf, but gave his Twelve Apoſtles authority to caſt them out. Thereby ſhowing he came to deliver Men from the dominion of the Devil, in that he gave the meaneſt Men ſuch power over him. Go ye, ſays he, x. Matth. 7.8. and preach, ſaying, The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand; heal the ſick, cleanſe the lepers, raiſe the dead, cast out Devils, freely ye have received, freely give. This was long before they received the HOLY GHOST, preſently after they were called into his attendance; and therefore was a portion of the SPIRIT, which teſtified their CHRIST or KING was p. 390not far off, but would ſhortly viſit them. For they were ſent to prepare the people for him, as ſeventy two Diſciples more were afterward, though with a leſs portion of the SPIRIT than the twelve Apoſtles had. For when he ſent them with the ſame commiſſion to preach, that the other had, we read of no other power given them, but to heal the ſick in every City, whereinto they came, x. Luke 9. But they were poſſeſſed with ſuch an high opinion of the power of their Maſter who ſent them, that they adventured further; and in his name cast out Devils, as well as healed ſick people. For when they returned back to give him an account, they tell him, with no ſmall joy, Lord, even the Devils are ſubject unto us through thy name, ver. 17.

Which might well have ſuch power, though they had no particular authority given them to caſt out Devils by it, ſince it was very terrible to them (you may obſerve further (4.)) when pronounced by thoſe who were not of our Saviours company. So S. Mark relates, ix. 38. that S. John brought a report to him of a man whom they had ſeen caſting out Devils in his name, and yet was none of his followers; p. 391for we forbad him, ſays he, becauſe he followeth not us. To which Jeſus replies, that there was no cauſe to prohibite him; for this muſt needs prove a convincing argument to the man himſelf, if not to others, that he was the Chriſt, ver. 39. There is no man which ſhall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly ſpeak evil of me. Of this ſort they ſeem to have been to whom our Saviour appeals when the Phariſees accuſed him of confederacy with Beelzebub. That's ſtrange, ſaith He, did you ever hear of a Devil caſt out in the name of any Magician? In my name there is, even by thoſe who are more related to you, than they are to me: Let them therefore determine this matter. That ſeems to be the ſence of thoſe words, xii. Matth. 27. By whom then do your children cast them out? therefore they ſhall be your Judges. There are thoſe who are none of my Diſciples, but yours, that uſe my name for the caſting out of Devils, who immediately fly before them. What do you think of them; do they deal with Beelzebub? I know you will not paſs ſuch a judgment on your own diſciples, and therefore this fact of theirs condemns your partiality, and proves my Divine vertue.

p. 392Nay, the Devils themſelves we find, (5.) were ſo aſtoniſhed at this power which they felt in his name, that thereupon they acknowledged him to be the CHRIST. For that's their meaning when they confeſſed him to be the HOLY ONE of God, i. Mark 24. And ſo S. Luke expounds it, iv. 41. The Devils alſo came out of many, crying out and ſaying, Thou art the Chriſt, the Son of God. And (6.) the moſt unprejudiced people, who could not be worſe than Devils, took this miraculous work of the SPIRIT to be an argument of it, xii. Matth. 23. Then was brought unto him one poſſeſſed with a Devil, blind and dumb, and he healed him: inſomuch that the blind and dumb both ſpake and ſaw. And all the people were amazed, and ſaid, Is not this the Son of David? By that name they called their KING, whom they expected with the power of working more miracles than any Prophet before had done, vii. John 31. And therefore (7.) when Cornelius and his company were deſirous to hear of S. Peter all things that were commanded him of God, x. Acts 33. he refers them to this in the firſt place (after he had mentioned his being anointed with the Holy Ghoſt and with power) p. 393as an argument why they ſhould believe in Jeſus, that he went about doing good, and healing all that were oppreſſed of the Devil. And he offers himſelf together with others, as witneſſes of all things that he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jeruſalem. Which were the more wonderful I muſt add (8.) in the laſt place, becauſe he was a perſon of ſuch mean education. Nothing like to Moſes in this, who was bred up in Pharaohs Court, and acquainted with all the learning of the Egyptians. But Jeſus was bred up privately and in an homely manner, having no advantages at all from a liberal inſtitution. Which was the cauſe that the people of his own Country, who knew how he had been trained up, were astoniſhed, ſaying, xiii. Matth. 54, 55. Whence hath this man this wiſdom, and theſe mighty works? Is not this the Carpenter's Son? is not his Mother called Mary? and his brethren James and Joſes, and Simon and Judas? And his ſisters, are they not all with us? whence then hath this man all theſe things? That is, do not we know him and all his kindred? How comes he to be wiſer and more powerful than they? His parentage is poor; his breeding was in a Carpenters houſe; he never learnt of any of the Doctors and Maſters in Iſrael; nor p. 394was otherways diſciplin'd than we our ſelves; where then did he learn his skill? and who gave him this power?

This was a juſt cauſe of astoniſhment, but none at all of offence, as S. Matthew in the following words, ver. 57. tells us it proved. That which made them ſtumble, ſhould have rather drawn them to him, and wrought faith in them; when they ſaw ſuch wonderful things done, and ſuch excellent things ſaid, by one that could not have them, unleſs it were from God. It could be no part, they might eaſily think, of the Devils craft, to diſpoſſeſs himſelf; and therefore they ought to have concluded that he was the enemy of the Devil; and indeed the deſtroyer of him, whom God promiſed to ſend into the world. And ſo they would have concluded, had not their eyes been blinded with the ſplendour and pomp of this world, and with the love of riches, and ſuch like things. Which made them readier to follow a man that by the force of arms, and their aſſiſtance, promiſed to ſubdue the Roman Legions, than him, who by one word ſpeaking, they ſaw could caſt out Legions of Devils. Which naughty temper of mind, is that which p. 395ſtill prejudices men againſt the faith, and makes their hearts indiſpoſed to receive Chriſtianity. They prefer the world before God, and love their bodies better than their ſouls: otherwiſe they would find themſelves inclined to believe in the name of Chriſt. If they conſidered what God is, what honour is due unto him, and what it is that will make a Soul truly happy, and deſired this above all other things; they would preſently ſee that none ever glorified God ſo much as our Saviour; none ſo plainly taught the world what worſhip, honour and obſervance is to be given to him; none ever ſo contrived the improvement and happineſs of our immortal Spirits: and ſo they would be diſpoſed to hearken with due reverence and ſerious attention, to what theſe Witneſſes ſay concerning him. Nay, did they but prudently conſult the good of their bodies only, and had reſpect not merely to their preſent ſatisfaction, but to their perpetual felicity; it would certainly provoke them to examine carefully the Teſtimony which God hath given him; becauſe he promiſes to change theſe vile bodies, and make them glorious, by that power whereby he is able to ſubdue all things to himſelf. And there is not the leaſt reaſon to doubt of his p. 396power now that he is in Heaven, ſince it was ſo miraculous while he was here upon Earth, that He frequently raiſed the dead. Which is the ſecond thing of which I am to ſpeak a few words.

II. And there is nothing of this kind like to that of Lazarus his riſing to life again, after he had been dead four days, and was already ſo far putrified, as his friends thought, that they diſſwaded our Saviour from having his Tomb opened, leſt it ſhould prove offenſive and noiſom to him. For with this S. John concludes all that he had to ſay of our Saviours miraculous works; there being nothing that could be thought of beyond it. For it never entred into the mind of any man to think, that a perſon really dead, as Lazarus undoubtedly was, could be reſtored to life by any power but that which gives us life, the power of Almighty God. And therefore our Lord plainly deſigned this, as the laſt thing he could do for their ſatisfaction while he was on Earth, to prove that he was the Son of God. Elſe Lazarus had not died, but he would have gone and prevented it, as he did in many other caſes. For when he heard that Lazarus was ſick, he would not ſtir from the p. 397place where he was, notwithſtanding the love he had both for him and for his two ſiſters. So S. John obſerves when he tells us, xi. John 5, 6. Now Jeſus loved Martha, and her ſister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was ſick, he abode two days still in the ſame place where he was. This is a ſtrange reaſon for his making no more haſte, being at a great diſtance alſo from him. One would think that he ſhould have ſaid, THEREFORE he began his journey preſently into Judea, that he might come time enough to ſave him whom he loved. But he reſolved the quite contrary, becauſe the Son of God was to be glorified by this ſickneſs, ver. 4. Therefore he ſtayed ſo long before he would move towards him, that Lazarus might be dead before he got to Bethany: and He might get more glory by his reſurrection, than he had done by healing ſo many ſickneſſes, and caſting out ſuch a number of Devils. For this proved that he had power not only to break, but utterly to destroy the works of the Devil, and to tread him quite under foot, who had the power of death.

For which reaſon he tells his Diſciples that he was glad for their ſakes that he was not there when Lazarus died, to the p. 398intent they might believe, ver. 15. Have their faith, that is, more confirmed in him, by ſeeing ſuch an illuſtrious miracle wrought upon Lazarus after he was dead, than it could have been by healing his ſickneſs, and preſerving him from death. They had ſeen many deſperate diſeaſes cured, but never any man raiſed to life after he had been ſo long dead. Some of the Jews indeed objected this to him, that he ought to have been ſo kind, as to have ſaved his friends life, if he had had the power which he pretended. Could not this man, ſay they, which opened the eyes of the blind have cauſed that even this man ſhould not have died? ver. 37. They do not by theſe words expreſs their Faith, but their unbelief: and upbraid him with weakneſs or want of love. The latter could not be imputed to him, for by his tears, juſt before mentioned, ver. 35, 36. they all obſerved how much he loved him. But from thence ſome of the company took occaſion to diſparage his power, and to ask the reſt of their neighbours, how they could believe that he had opened a blind mans eyes (as was commonly reported, Chap. ix.) when he ſuffered one, whom he loved ſo much, to want his help and periſh? If he had done the former, how p. 399eaſie had it been for him to do the latter? In which he failing, though his affection could not but move him to do his utmoſt for his Friend, they took it to be a demonſtration, that he was not ſuch a mighty Man as the People imagined. This perverſe reaſoning moved our Saviour very much, ſo that he groaned again in himſelf (v. 38.) to ſee their deplorable obſtinacy and malice; as much as he had done before (v. 33.) to hear their pitious lamentations which they made for the dead. Theſe mens condition was far more pitious; becauſe he foreſaw there was but little hope, that they would be moved, when they ſaw their frivolous cavil anſwered, by the Reſurrection of Lazarus. Which would ſhow there was good reaſon why he let him dye; that he might expreſs never the leſs love to him, but more to them and to all Mankind by reſtoring his life, which was a more Divine work by much, than to have ſaved him from Death.

To this therefore he immediately applies himſelf and bids the Siſter of the deceaſed, whoſe faith it ſeems began to ſtagger, not doubt but ſhe ſhould ſee the glory of God, verſ. 40. ſuch a ſtupendious inſtance, that is, of the power of God in him, as p. 400would move many to give glory to God that ſent him. For wherein could the Majeſty of God appear more to their aſtoniſhment, than in ſuch a marvailous work as this? which when he entred upon, he firſt lift up his eyes to him and called him Father; on purpoſe that the People might believe he came from God and was his Son, when they ſaw him anſwer his Prayers in this manner: verſ. 41, 42. Where, if you read the place, you will ſee he gives this reaſon why he made a publick acknowledgment to God, for hearing him ſo often: not becauſe he doubted of his preſence with him now; but meerly that the by-ſtanders might know, by whom he did ſuch miracles, and aſcribing them to no other power but his, might believe that he had ſent him. What ſhould they believe elſe; when they heard him, after this addreſs to God, commanding Lazarus with a loud voice (expreſſing his aſſurance and authority) to come forth: and when they beheld him who could not lately move himſelf in his Bed, riſe up out of his Tomb, and walk about, not only reſtored to life, but in perfect health? This ſtruck the hearts of many of the Jewes who were there preſent ſo powerfully, that they believed on him, verſ. 45. that is, concluded p. 401he was more than a Prophet, no leſs than the Meſſiah himſelf. And thoſe Cavillers before mentioned, who ſtill perſiſted to maintain their infidelity by the abſurdeſt imaginations, were ſo ſtartled at it; that they went preſently and told ſome of the Great Sanhedrim what Jeſus had done; wiſhing them, I ſuppoſe, to look to themſelves, and not ſuffer theſe proceedings, verſ. 46. For they were ſo alarmed with this news, that a Council forthwith is called, and they enter into a ſolemn Debate what courſe to take with him; ſeeing plainly how powerful this Miracle was to win him Proſelytes, and draw the People to him, verſ. 47. It had had that effect upon many already, as you have heard: and they were afraid it would increaſe the number of his Diſciples ſo much; that it would prove their utter ruine. For they ſay, verſ. 48. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him; and the Romans ſhall come and take away both our place and Nation. That is, the People will proclaim him their King, and thereby we ſhall incur the indignation of Caeſar; who will ſend an Army, and cut us off, till he leave neither root nor branch (as it is, iv. Mal. 1.) but deſtroy both us and our Temple. That place they were reſolved to preſerve, p. 402though it were with his deſtruction: whoſe death they now determine, as ſoon as ever they could catch him. For ſo their conſultation ended; firſt they decreed (v. 53.) that for the publick good, as they called it, He ſhould be put to death; and then that if any knew where he was (v. 57.) they ſhould give notice of it, that he might be apprehended in order to his trial. Thus their blind malice turned the moſt powerful means of their converſion, into the ground and reaſon of his deſtruction. For becauſe he did ſo many miracles (v. 47.) they did not think it fit to let him live; when-as for that very cauſe they ought to have believed on him, and thought him worthy to live eternally. For, I think theſe Three things are very conſiderable, wherewith I ſhall conclude this part of the SPIRITS teſtimony.

I. Firſt, this Miracle wrought upon Lazarus, was ſo evident a token, that he was the Son of God; that it had in it all the conditions, which the Gentile King, whom the Jews ſpeak of in the Book COSRI **Part. 1. Sect. 8., requires in a prodigy, ſufficient to perſwade men to believe that God ſpeaks by him that works it. Our mind, ſays he, cannot be brought to think that God p. 403enters into ſociety with fleſh and blood, unleſs it be by ſuch a miracle, whereby the nature of things is inverted: ſo that it appears it could not have been done by any power, but only by his who is the author of Nature, and made all the things we ſee, out of nothing at all. And ſecondly, this miracle muſt not be wrought in ſecret, but, to gain belief, it muſt be done before the eyes of a multitude; who may ſee it, and be ſatisfied of the truth of it. And laſtly, diligent inquiry muſt be made, and it muſt be examined ſtrictly; that no doubt may be left in mens minds, but they may be fully ſatisfied it is no fancy, nor done by any trick or ſubtile impoſture. Now if we conſult this Hiſtory of Lazarus, we ſhall find there is none of theſe wanting, to ſettle the moſt doubtful mind in the belief of our Saviours Almighty power and authority. For to raiſe the Dead is a work that exceeds all natural powers. There is none that can reſtore life, as has been ſaid already, but he who at the firſt gave it. So much the Jewes themſelves acknowledge; who have a common ſaying, that the Key of the Grave is one of the four keys, which is kept in the hands of the Lord of the World alone. foreign p. 404Neither to Angel, nor to Seraph (as the Jeruſalem Targum ſpeaks upon xxx. Gen. 22.) that is, neither to loweſt, nor the higheſt of the Celeſtial Miniſters is this power given: but it is reſerved to him onelyonly that made them and all things elſe.

Now that our Saviour indeed raiſed a dead man, there were many witneſſes, as you heard before, from xi. Joh. 45. where it is ſaid, that many of the Jews which came with Mary, and had ſeen theſe things which Jeſus did, believed on him. And the fame of it was ſo great, that it drew a greater concourſe of People thither to be ſatisfied of the truth of the report. For he tells us, xii. 9. that much People (i. e. a multitude) of the Jews came to that place, not for Jeſus his ſake only, but that they might ſee Lazarus alſo, whom he had raiſed from the dead. Nay, the Phariſees, as I told you, had the news of it brought to them by ſome that were preſent, and had ſeen the things which Jeſus did (xi. 46.) who were curious enough, no doubt, to inquire into the buſineſs; and had ſatisfied themſelves that indeed he was dead, laid in his Grave, and continued in that ſtate till according to the courſe of Nature, he muſt begin to turn to corruption p. 405and ſtink. Which was all that needed any proof; for that he was now alive their eyes were witneſſes. And therefore they could not deny this miracle, verſ. 47. But to extinguiſh the light, and take away the convincing power of it; they thought it was beſt to remove Lazarus out of the way, and to put him to death as well as our Saviour. For the ſight of him converted a great many, as you read xii. 10, 11. The chief Prieſts conſulted, that they might put Lazarus alſo to death. Becauſe that by reaſon of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jeſus. It was a thing confeſſed then, that this wonderful work had been done. There was the teſtimony of the man himſelf, and of his Siſters, and of our Saviour's Diſciples, and of MANY of the Jews, who were come to comfort Martha and Mary concerning their Brother, xi. 19. In ſo much that not long after, our Saviour coming to the Feaſt of the Paſſover at Jeruſalem, Much people went forth to meet him, and brought him in with a triumph due only to ſo great a Perſon, ſaying, Hoſanna, bleſſed is the KING of Iſrael, that cometh in the Name of the Lord, xii. 12. And if you would know what excited them to meet him; it was the fame of this miracle, which the eye-witneſſes of it had brought to them; p. 406as you read there, ver. 17, 18. The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raiſed him from the dead, BARE RECORD. For this cauſe the people alſo met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.

Here, it is viſible, were two Troops or Companies, both called much people: one of which went from Jeruſalem to Bethany to ſee Lazarus whom Jeſus had raiſed from the dead, ver. 9. The other met Jeſus the next day as he was coming from Bethany to Jeruſalem, ver. 12, 13. For they had been informed by thoſe who were preſent at the time when it was done, that for certain Lazarus was raiſed from his grave by the word of Jeſus; and now they were confirmed in this belief by the company that went to Bethany the day before to enquire of it, who teſtified to theſe that came to meet him, that they found it to be an undoubted truth, that he had been really dead and now was alive again, by no other means but thoſe words of his, Lazarus, come forth, which might well make them all acknowledge him to be their KING, who was come unto them in the name of the Lord, as appeared p. 407by this miraculous work which none but the hand of Heaven could effect. What heart would not be moved to bow to him, who had ſuch power over quick and dead? who could think him to be leſs than the Lord of all, who they ſaw was the Lord of life? None but proud ambitious Phariſees, who were afraid they ſhould loſe as much authority as he got. Theſe were more ſtartled than ever to ſee ſuch crouds of people flock after him to do him honour; and to hear them applaud him as the great Son of David, and follow him with their Hoſanna's in the higheſt. This made them deſpair of blaſting his fame, and diſcrediting him with the people, as long as he lived; and therefore they grew the more reſolved to haſten the execution of their decree againſt him, that he ſhould be put to death. For they ſaid among themſelves, as you read in the following words, ver. 19. Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world (that is, vaſt multitudes) is gone after him: followed him, that is, as their KING, notwithſtanding all that had been done to diſparage him. They are forced here to ſpeak more truth than they were aware of, that it was in vain to oppoſe him. For even when they had killed him, they perceived preſently p. 408that they prevailed nothing: but found this literally true, that indeed the world went after him. Men of all Nations, and not the Jews only, followed him zealouſly, and became his Diſciples; notwithſtanding the ſcandal of the Croſs, which they had caſt in their way to diſcourage them. Of which there immediately follows in this ſtory, an illuſtrious preſage. For ſome Gentiles deſiring to ſee our Saviour (ver. 20.) there came a voice from Heaven, upon his prayer that God would glorifie his own Name, ſaying, I have both glorified it, and will glorifie it again, ver. 28. The glory of God, that is, had appeared lately (as I have explained it before) in the raiſing of Lazarus, which had drawn many of the Jews to him; and he promiſes ſhortly to make it appear more brightly by raiſing up Jeſus from the dead, which would draw alſo many ſuch Gentiles as theſe to believe on his name.

To conclude this, that which the above named Jewiſh writer pretends in favour of Moſes, that he appeared and did his wonders in an age when the world was full of wiſdom and knowledge, is a great deal truer of our bleſſed Saviour. For as he rightly notes **Sepher Coſri Par. 1. Sect. 63.that Learning still went p. 409along with the Monarchies; ſo it never was at a greater height than in the greateſt Empire, that of the Romans; and in the higheſt pitch of that Empire, when our Saviour appeared. Upon which account there cannot be any ſuſpicion of fraud in this or the reſt of our Saviours miracles, which were not wrought in an ignorant age, nor in an obſcure and barbarous Nation, nor in ſome blind corner of the Country; but openly, near a famous City, (for Bethany was hard by Jeruſalem) where there were profeſſors of wiſdom; and in a time when men could eaſily diſtinguiſh between a real miracle and a mere deluſion. This therefore ought to have opened their eyes to ſee who he was, whoſe miraculous works they could not but ſee. And it is juſtly mentioned to their eternal reproach, in the concluſion of this ſtory, xii. John 37. that though he had done ſo many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him. For they could not with any colour aſcribe them to any power but that of Gods; who hereby told them what the voice from Heaven told him, that this was his beloved Son in whom he was well pleaſed.

II. And truly there can no good reaſon p. 410be given (which is the ſecond thing that I told you ſhould be conſidered) why the Apoſtles ſhould ſpend ſo great a part of the ſhort Hiſtory they have left of his Life, in relating his miraculous works, if they had not both known them to be evident and notorious things, which all the Country could witneſs, and likewiſe eſteemed them mighty demonſtrations, that he was the Son of God. Why elſe are they ſo large in deſcribing his cures of ſeveral ſorts, with the manner of them; if they were not ſure that they could not be contradicted; and if they did not deſire they ſhould be carefully heeded; and concluded likewiſe that if they were, men would acknowledge him to be the CHRIST, whom God had ſanctified and ſent into the world to declare his will to them? Which belief, if it were once rooted deeply in their hearts, the Apoſtles knew very well would irreſiſtibly conſtrain them, to be obedient to him in every thing. This is that which gives his words ſuch authority, which makes them ſink into our hearts, and poſſeſſes them of our very Souls, and turns all other opinions and perſwaſions, which are inconſiſtent with them, out of doors; a belief that our Creator ſpeaks unto us by his mouth.

p. 411They were well aware, that it was no eaſie thing to perſwade the world of this, but that men might juſtly doubt of ſo ſtrange a report. For there is ſuch a vaſt diſtance between God and us (as the Jews make that Gentile King Coſar diſcourſe, in the foremention'd Book called after his Name) that a man will be apt to think the Majeſty of Heaven will not enter into ſuch familiarity and friendſhip with fleſh and bloud, as to talk with them. Before we can believe this, ſays He, we muſt ſee prodigies, and miracles, and behold the courſe of nature inverted, by ſuch aſtoniſhing works, as can be done by none but him that created all things. And it is well, if after all this, the mind of man will reſt ſatisfied, that the Lord of the World, the Lord of the Sun, and Moon, and Stars, the Lord of Angels as well as all inferiour Creatures, will have ſociety with ſuch vile clay, ſuch contemptible dirt as we are. And therefore as the Jew in that Diſcourſe with him declares how God demonſtrated his preſence with Moſes by mighty miracles, ſeen by all the people, and by their enemies too; which were the fitteſt argument for God to uſe, far p. 412beyond the little reaſonings and diſputings of Philoſophers: even ſo the Apoſtles prove to us that God was in our Saviour, and that we ought to believe what he ſays of himſelf, or concerning us, by enumerating many of the mighty wonders which he did in the midſt of the people; wonders that amazed all beholders, and of which they could give no account, but that God was with him, and ſpake by him as his Son; elſe he could not have done thoſe things which ſo much exceeded all the power of Creatures, nay, all that his own power had wrought for the honour of his ſervant Moſes. It was unreaſonable that they ſhould in thoſe days ask any greater tokens of a Divine authority; and when they did, our Saviour told them they ſhould have none but the ſign of the Prophet Jonas, that is, his Reſurrection, of which I ſhall ſpeak preſently. And it is as unreaſonable in us now, to expect any thing ſhould be better atteſted than this truth, That our Saviour did all thoſe things which the Apoſtles have recorded. We have them reported from thoſe that ſaw them, and that had all opportunities to examine them, from thoſe that beheld more of them than they could number; men of great fidelity and admirable p. 413vertue; men that had no intereſt ſo great as this, to declare the truth for the good of mankind, whatſoever they loſt by it. Unleſs we will demand that Chriſt ſhould come again in every Age, and alſo work his wonders in every Nation, in every place, before every particular mans eyes; we can have no better aſſurance than we have of theſe things. Now how abſurdly unreaſonable is he who will not be ſatisfied without ſuch a new deſcent of our bleſſed Saviour from Heaven continually repeated; and unleſs he may ſee him crucified afreſh before his eyes? For men may as well disbelieve that part of the ſtory as all the reſt, and require that they may ſee all thoſe barbarous cruelties and indignities which we read of, acted over again upon our Saviour perpetually, to the end of the World. The very mention of which as it is horrible, ſo ſhould it be done, it would deſtroy the very nature of faith: which is the receiving of ſomething upon report. And that is one ſure way of conveying the notice of things to us, which we could not otherwiſe know. And things ſo made known, if the Witneſſes be good, are accounted by all mankind to be as ſufficient a ground to proceed upon, in the moſt conſiderable actions of p. 414humane life, as the knowledge of them by ſeeing, feeling, and by the reſt of our ſenſes is.

Let us therefore receive the Teſtimony of the Apoſtles of our Lord; ſeeing there is no exception (as you may hear more before I have done) that lies againſt their perſons, with any ſhadow or colour of reaſon. Let us perſwade our ſelves that this is a true Hiſtory which they have written, and then we have no faculty of diſcourſing, if we cannot conclude who our Saviour was. He could not poſſibly have done ſuch things, as the blind man well argued, when his eyes were opened by him, ix. John 31, 33. if he had been a ſinner: that is, a deceiver, and not authorized by God to come in his Name. If he had been a mere pretender to this dignity, God would not have honoured him on this faſhion, nor have given countenance to a lye, by as great miracles as can be wrought for the proof of any Truth. He would not have deprived himſelf of all means to declare his will to us, as he muſt have done, if he had ſuffered ſuch a vaſt number of miracles to be wrought by a deceiver for three years together, and given the moſt honeſt-hearted men no means to p. 415diſcover the cheat. We cannot believe him to be wiſe, and to have a care to preſerve his own authority, and to ſupport his government, and not think that he would ſome way or other have controuled the deſignes of a perſon of ſuch high pretences, if he had oppoſed Him, and come without his conſent, as his only begotten Son, into the world. In brief, if all theſe things be true which are reported, then our Saviour was God manifeſted in our fleſh; and you know what regard and reverence is due to ſuch a perſon: And that they are true, we have not the leaſt reaſon to doubt, being reported by eye witneſſes of his majeſty and power; who were ſo convinced of his Divine authority that they ventured their fortunes and lives in his ſervice, merely to promote his honour. And as that whereby they perſwaded others to believe in him was the power of the SPIRIT working ſo many miracles by their hands, and the power of the HOLY GHOST in divers other wonderful gifts: ſo it was the ſame SPIRIT that firſt convinced them, and made them confidently conclude, that he was the Son of God. For the firſt time that we find they made a ſolemn acknowledgment of him, was upon the working of a great miracle, p. 416before S. Peter, James and John heard the voice from Heaven, when they were with him in the holy Mount. He had fed, you read xiv. Matth. 19, &c. five thouſand men, beſide women and children, with five Loaves and two Fiſhes. And as ſoon as he had done, straight-way conſtrained his Diſciples to get into a ſhip, and go before him unto the other ſide (ver. 22.) leſt they ſhould joyn with the multitude in the deſign which he ſaw they had in hand (vi. John 15.) to take him by force and make him a King. When he had diſmiſſed the multitude, and ſpent the reſt of the day in prayer, he overtook his Diſciples in the midſt of the Sea, in the fourth watch of the night, and found them toſſed with the waves, becauſe the wind was contrary, xiv. Matth. 24, 25. They were afraid at the firſt ſight of him, and imagined it had been a Ghoſt: who perhaps they thought had raiſed that ſtorm. But when he ſpake to them, and bad them be of chear, and ſaid, It is I, be not afraid; Peter was deſirous, if it were he, that he would call him to him, and enable him to walk upon the water with him. And ſo he did, as if it had been firm land, till his heart began to fail him, when he ſaw the wind boiſterous. But then our Lord put p. 417forth his hand and kept him from ſinking: and both brought him ſafe to the ſhip, and made a calm. Upon this, They that were in the ſhip (that is, the reſt of the Diſciples) came and worſhipped him, ſaying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God, ver. 33. The ſudden ceaſing of the wind, that is, his coming to them upon the water, his bearing up Peter, and making him walk along with him, and that when the ſurface of the water was not plain, but very rough by the croſsneſs of the wind, and his feaſting alſo great multitudes with little proviſion; made them conclude without any more ado, that he was greater than any man ever was. Their minds were overcome by this mighty power of God in him, which ſubdued their underſtandings perfectly to the faith, and ſo bowed and inclined their hearts, that they could not but proſtrate themſelves at his feet, and acknowledge him to be the anointed of God. They believed no doubt before that he was a great Prophet, and a teacher ſent of God (as Nicodemus did) nay, had ſome beginnings of faith that he was the Meſſiah (i. John 41, 45.) But it was not till now that they were ſure of it, and did him honour as, of a truth, or certainly, the Son of God. And p. 418they were no eaſie People, that believed lightly and fooliſhly, only out of love of novelty, or ſome ſuch vain humour: but were convinced and overpowred by the hand of God, which was ſtretched out to work ſuch wonders as theſe, whenſoever Jeſus pleaſed.

III. And therefore he had great reaſon (which is the third and laſt conſideration) when any diſputed or doubted of his authority, to refer them, as he doth very often, to his miraculous works for a proof of it: and he appeals to them as one of his Witneſſes, according as S. John here calls them, when he ſays the SPIRIT beareth witneſs. So you read in ſeveral places of his Goſpel; where you find that when the Jews incircled him, as if they would not let him ſtir till he told them plainly whether he was the CHRIST or not, x. Joh. 24. He anſwered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Fathers name, they bear WITNESS of me. As if he had ſaid, I have no more for the preſent to tell you, than I have told you often by my works. If you can ſee nothing in theſe to convince you that I am the CHRIST, all my telling you ſo in words will be to no purpoſe, but for the preſent you muſt remain p. 419in unbelief. To the ſame effect he diſcourſes again in the ſame Chapter, verſ. 37, 38. If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not (though I ſhould ſay never ſo oft, I am his Son) But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the WORKS: that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him. And thus he reaſons with S. Philip, xiv. Joh. 10, 11. Believeſt thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I ſpeak unto you I ſpeak not of my ſelf: But the Father that dwelleth in me, he doth the WORKS. (a clear ſign he ſpake not of himſelf, and that he was moſt nearly one with the Father) Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or elſe believe me for the very WORKS ſake. And ſo he tells all his Apoſtles, that the Jews were inexcuſable upon this account, becauſe they did not acknowledge him for the Son of God, though he did ſuch miracles as Moſes and all the Prophets never did, xv. Joh. 24. If I had not done among them the WORKS which none other man did, they had not had ſin: (in not receiving him as their Meſſiah, the Son of God) but now they have both ſeen (by thoſe WORKS which he did) and (yet) hated both me and my Father. They could not endure ſuch a Meſſiah as he was, p. 420though ſo divinely impowered; and conſequently had no love to God, who had ſet ſuch plain marks and characters of his approbation upon him. Of which his Divine works were the chief; for he alledges theſe (as S. John here in his Epiſtle doth) as the laſt witneſs and evidence to him upon Earth, v. Joh. 36. But I have a greater witneſs than that of John; for the WORKS which the Father hath given me to finiſh, the ſame WORKS that I do, bear WITNESS of me, that the Father hath ſent me. Yea, when John himſelf ſent his Diſciples to know of him whether he was the CHRIST, he plainly ſhows that he lookt on this as a greater teſtimony to him than that of their Maſter; which they had received already: and therefore gives them no other anſwer but this; Go, and ſhew John again thoſe things which ye do hear and ſee: the blind receive their ſight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleanſed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raiſed up, and the poor have the Goſpel preached to them, xi. Matth. 4, 5. Where though he mention his heavenly doctrine, yet he chiefly inſiſts upon the Witneſs of the SPIRIT, as moſt apt to affect them: and in that very hour, when they came to be reſolved, as S. Luke tells us, vii. 21. He cured many of their infirmities and plagues, p. 421and of evil ſpirits, and unto many that were blind he gave ſight.

This he thought could not but ſatisfie them, if they would believe their eyes; eſpecially if they would believe alſo what they heard, that he raiſed up the dead. He could not now give them a clearer and fuller teſtimony of his Divinity: and he relyed ſo much upon this evidence, that when he had cured a Man ſick of the Palſy, he told the Scribes that he looſed him from the chain of his ſins; and reſtored him to health, and bad him ariſe and walk, now that he was pardoned, on purpoſe that they might know the Son of Man hath power on EARTH to forgive ſins, ix. Matth. 6. That is, to take away all temporal puniſhment that is due to ſin; as after his death and reſurrection, when he came to HEAVEN, he had power to take away the Eternal, and to give life Immortal. Now who could have ſuch a power but God only, as the Scribes ſay very well upon this occaſion? ii. Mark 7. Who could grapple with the Devil, the Prince the God of this World (xii. Joh. 31. 2 Cor. iv. 4.) but only He who is God bleſſed for ever, as Jeſus appeared by theſe miraculous works to be? And indeed it is very remarkable that He p. 422wrought his miracles frequently, juſt as God Almighty brings things to paſs. God, ſays Moſes, ſaid, Let there be Light, and there was light. He ſpake, as the Pſalmiſts words are, and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast. In like manner did our Saviour ſay to the Leper, viii. Matth. 3. Be thou clean: and immediately his Leproſie was cleanſed. And to the foul ſpirit, ix. Mark 25. Come out, I charge thee, thou dumb and deaf ſpirit: and the ſpirit cryed and came out. And to Lazarus, Come forth; and he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes. Which was a notable evidence that indeed he was the Son of God; ſince he acted ſo like to the Father Almighty. This was ſo well known that when the Centurion came and beſought him for a ſick Servant of his, who lay in grievous torments, and our Saviour promiſed to come and heal him; He modeſtly declines the acceptance of that favour, in a ſenſe of his unworthineſs to have him come under his roof, and deſires him that he would SPEAK THE WORD ONELYONLY, and he believed his Servant ſhould be healed, viii. Matth. 8. The firſt Cure that we read particularly related being that of the Leper aforementioned (v. 3.) and wrought by a Word; He hoped, it is p. 423like, that his Servant might be cured as eaſily, without giving our Saviour the trouble of coming to his Houſe, and laying his hands on him for his recovery. Though, by the way, we may note; that herein appeared alſo his great power, that as he could heal (if he pleaſed) without touching, ſo he could heal at a great diſtance. Yea, the Woman that did but touch (not him, but) the very hem of his Garment (v. Mark 29.) had vertue or power (that is, ſomething from the SPIRIT that was in him) communicated to her, which reſtored her to perfect health. What doth all this note, but that he who wrought ſuch things; ſo eaſily, ſo readily, in any place, and on all occaſions, was indeed the Son of God? He ought to have been honoured as the Author, becauſe he was the Reſtorer of humane nature. There was great reaſon to acknowledge ſo great a Benefactor to Mankind to be more than a man; for none but God either could or would beſtow ſuch bleſſings.

It may be ſaid indeed that Moſes and ſome of the Prophets wrought Miracles; and yet cannot thence be concluded to be perſons of ſuch quality. But it may as eaſily be anſwered, that their miracles were p. 424nothing comparable, either in their Multitude or Greatneſs, to thoſe of the Lord Jeſus. For the Multitude, remember how S. John concludes his Goſpel, in which he hath recorded ſome of them: And there are alſo many other things, ſays he, which Jeſus did, the which if they ſhould be written every one, I ſuppoſe that even the World it ſelf could not contain the Books that ſhould be written. For he went about, as hath been often ſaid, doing good, and filled every place with ſo many miracles of his mercy; that we cannot imagine into how many Volumes it would have ſwell'd, if a record of every one of them had been taken. And as for the greatneſs and the quality of them, you find ſome, among thoſe which S. John hath ſet down, which were never heard of before ſince the World began, ix. Joh. 32. which might well make our Saviour ſay, as I noted juſt now, that he had done among them the works that no man did, xv. 24. elſe they had not had ſin; that is, he could not have charged them with the guilt of refuſing to believe him to be the Son of God, becauſe it would not have been ſufficiently proved. But this is not all the reply that may be made to this exception: it is far more conſiderable, that Jeſus affirmed himſelf to be the Son of God; to which dignity p. 425neither Moſes nor the Prophets ever pretended. The end of miracles, was to prove the truth of that which the perſon that wrought them delivered. And therefore as their miracles demonſtrated the truth of that meſſage which Moſes and the Prophets brought from God: So our Saviour's evinced the truth of his; which was that they were only the Servants, but He the Son of God. This was as ſtrongly atteſted by what he did; as any thing the Men of God taught in former times, was by their works. Yea, his miracles bare as fair a proportion in their bigneſs and number to this high and great thing which they were to prove, that he was Gods Son: as the miracles of Moſes and the Prophets bare to thoſe leſſer truths which they were brought to eſtabliſh.

And here for to put a period to this part of my diſcourſe, it will be very uſeful to obſerve the different way of proceeding for the eſtabliſhing and promoting a Religion inſtituted by men, and a Religion whoſe author is God. This I find very well noted to my hand in a learned Writer of the Jewiſh Nation, whom I have already mentioned **Sepher COSRI. Part 1. ſect. 80, &c. When men, ſays he, make Laws and ſetle a Religion, whoſe original is from p. 426their own minds, and deviſed by themſelves; though they may pretend that it comes from God, yet they are not able to make it take place, without the power of the Sword, or the countenance and aſſiſtance of ſome Prince who by his Authority ſhall cauſe it to be received. But a Religion that is indeed Divine, is planted in a Divine manner. When Laws are derived from God, he eſtabliſhes them by his power and might, and over-aws men by ſuch wonders, as without any humane force procure obedience. Thus, ſays he, our Religion began. When the Children of Iſrael were in grievous ſervitude, and when the Land promiſed to their Fathers was in the hand of potent Kings; God ſent Moſes and Aaron armed with no power, but that of working miracles, changing the ordinary and uſual courſe of Nature, and inflicting in a moment grievous plagues upon the Water, the Earth, the Air, the Plants, the Beaſts, and the Bodies of Men, throughout all the Land of Egypt: whereby the Prince that kept them in bondage was forced to let them go. And in their Journey they were conducted by the guidance of a bright Cloud, and they paſſed through the Sea, and they were fed with Manna in the Wilderneſs XL. Years; and p. 427ſaw one Miracle after another, which convinced them they ought to ſubmit to that Word of the Lord which Moſes ſpake unto them. To this purpoſe that Writer very rationally diſcourſes. Now juſt as He ſhows that Moſes proved his Miſſion from God; ſo I have briefly related how our Saviour likewiſe demonſtrated that he was the Royal Prophet, whom Moſes foretold God would ſend into the World. In an Age, when they not only groaned under the Roman Yoke, but were alſo ſuperſtitiouſly inthral'd to a number of Rites and Ceremonies deviſed by their Elders, ſuperadded to all the burden of the Law of Moſes; and moreover grievouſly oppreſſed by the Devil, as all the reſt of the World likewiſe were, far more than they; God raiſed up a mighty Salvation to them out of the houſe of his ſervant David. Our Lord, that is, on a ſudden appeared as a Redeemer and Deliverer from the bondage in which they lay; not with any worldly policy or force, but meerly with the Spirit and Power of God, 1 Cor. ii. 5. who ſent an Herald, but without the power of Miracles, to proclaim his coming. And as ſoon as he had done crying, his mouth being ſtopt by Herod's throwing him into Priſon, our Lord preſently came forth; p. 428ſhining moſt gloriouſly in the illuſtrious works that he did every where: which were ſuch as that time called for, as Moſes his miracles were proper to the occaſions and neceſſities of his days. And ſome of them were very like thoſe wrought by Moſes, and others bear as great a reſemblance to them, as twins are wont to do to each other, who lie together in the ſame womb. He healed more than Moſes killed. He turned their water into wine, as Moſes did the water of the River into bloud. He walkt upon the very ſurface of the Sea, and called one of his Diſciples to accompany him there. He fed multitudes with a little quantity of bread, as Moſes had fed the Iſraelites in the Wilderneſs. This he did more than once, and that in a Deſart too; ſhowing what he was able to do, if there had been the like need, that there was in former times. Then they ſhould not have asked what ſign ſheweſt thou (equal to Moſes they mean) what doſt thou work? vi. John 30. For it was plain enough he could have fed them forty years in that manner as well as once; which was the thing they ſeem to deſire, when they ſay in the next words, ver. 31. Our Fathers did eat. Manna in the Deſart, as it is written, He gave them bread p. 429from Heaven to eat. That is, He did not feed them for one day or two (as thou haſt done) but a long time, and that from Heaven; let us ſee thee do ſo, that we may leave him and follow thee. And if he had not done enough already to work faith in them, and they had lived now alway in a Deſart, as their Fathers did then, no doubt he would; for that he could was evident, elſe how ſhould he have fed them thus miraculouſly at all? Many other miracles alſo declared that he had the ſame power in the Air, that he had on the Earth, and could as eaſily have brought bread from Heaven, as multiplied the Loaves which had now filled ſo many of them. The very Devils were as ſubject to him as the meaneſt creature in the World. And He raiſed the Dead by his powerful word, which Moſes never did. All which is recorded by the Apoſtles to ſhow what cauſe they had to believe in Jeſus, and how his Religion was planted and propagated in the world, as the other wonders are recorded by Moſes, to ſhow with what authority he came, and how he ſetled the Iſraelites in the belief of his Laws. And there is no more cauſe to queſtion whether Jeſus be the Son of God, the Lord of the World, who came p. 430with ſuch a SPIRIT, than there was then to doubt whether Moſes was his ſervant and the Lawgiver of that people among whom he did ſuch wonders. Nor ſo much neither, for the greater his pretences were, the greater reaſon there was that they ſhould have been diſcountenanced by ſuch a SPIRIT as was in him, if they had not been true. It is incredible that God ſhould let the world be abuſed ſo long, by ſo many miracles, and ſo great, that never was the like, without any the leaſt confutation; and abuſed by a lye of ſo dangerous a nature, and ſo reproachful to his Name, and ſo directly oppoſite to his Government, which this Perſon (if he were an Impoſtor, and ſaid he was his Son whom we muſt worſhip, when he was not) ſought to overthrow, and take out of his hands. We are ſecure that God would not have abetted an Uſurper, in ſo high a manner, againſt himſelf. And as for any unclean Spirits, if they could have done ſuch things as Jeſus wrought, they would not have employed their power, we are ſure, to eſtabliſh a Doctrine ſo pure and holy as the Chriſtian Religion teaches, which utterly deſtroys all that wickedneſs in which they delight. There was all the reaſon in the World to believe one who came thus p. 431by the SPIRIT, when he came by WATER too; and by his mighty power promoted nothing but the moſt excellent Piety, Vertue and Goodneſs among mankind.

But concerning the miracles of our Saviour there will be an occaſion to ſay ſo much, in purſuance of what I deſign, hereafter; that I ſhall add no more of them here. Let us now proceed (having heard what the SPIRIT did by him) to conſider what wonderful things it did for him: whereby it proved him to be the Chriſt, the Son of God.

II.

And the SPIRIT ſure very eminently bare witneſs of him, when it raiſed him from the dead, and not long after advanced him into Heaven, to live for ever with God. For both theſe are aſcribed to the power of the SPIRIT, in expreſs texts of Holy Scripture. Of the former you read in the 1 Pet. iii. 18. where the Apoſtle ſays, He was put to death in the fleſh (being mortal as we are) but quickned by the SPIRIT; that is, raiſed up again from the dead by that Divine power in him, p. 432whereby he had raiſed up others before he died. It was impoſſible that he ſhould be held by the chains of death, who had ſuch a SPIRIT in him. By this he ſhook them off more eaſily, than Samſon brake the Withs or the Cords wherewith he was bound, when the SPIRIT of the Lord came mightily upon him. And being thus quickned again, the ſame SPIRIT alſo preſented him to God in the Heavens, as his dearly beloved Son, in whom he was well pleaſed; who had given him full ſatisfaction, and done his whole will, for which he ſent him into the world. So you read in the ix. Hebr. 14. where the offering which, the Apoſtle ſays, he made of himſelf to God, through the eternal SPIRIT, was that bloudy ſacrifice on the Croſs, which after his Reſurrection he offered to God, and continues ſtill to offer in the Heavenly Sanctuary: as the High Prieſt under the Law offered the bloud of beaſts, after they were ſlain at the Altar, in the moſt holy place of the Earthly Sanctuary. And this oblation is ſaid to be made by the SPIRIT, becauſe that raiſed him to life after he was ſlain, tranſlated him out of his mortal condition, carried him on high, made his body glorious and immortal; and having thus made him fit p. 433to be for ever with God, preſented him unto his Majeſty, where he remains, through the power of an endleſs life, a Prieſt for ever after the order of Melchiſedek. And this working of the mighty power of God, which wrought in Chriſt when he raiſed him from the dead, and ſet him at his own right hand in the Heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers, might and dominion, and every name that is named; was ſuch a teſtimony of the SPIRIT to him, that it confounded his adverſaries more than all the miracles which he had wrought by the power of the ſame SPIRIT in his life-time. And therefore the Apoſtles, I obſerve, alledge this immediately after the other, as that which compleated the teſtimony of the SPIRIT to him.

Till this was clear and evident, they relied wholly upon the other, as you may perceive by the diſcourſe of thoſe two Diſciples that went with our Saviour to Emaus. Who doubted of his Reſurrection after news had been brought them of it, but acknowledged him to have been a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; and upon that account were much troubled that their Rulers had p. 434crucified him, becauſe they truſted it had been he which ſhould have redeemed Iſrael, xxiv. Luke 19, 20. When they were fully perſwaded therefore that he was indeed made alive again (as theſe very men preſently ſaw) then they add this as an argument of the greateſt force to convince the world, that he was the Son of God, the Redeemer of mankind. This is the ſubſtance, I obſerve, of both S. Peter's firſt Sermons to the Jews and to the Gentiles. He begins with a relation how great Jeſus was in his Life, and then proceeds to ſhow how much greater God had made him by raiſing him from the dead. Read but what he ſays to his Crucifiers on the day of Pentecoſt, ii. Acts 22, 23, 24. where he firſt tells them that Jeſus of Nazareth was a man approved of God among them by miracles, and wonders, and ſigns, which God did by him in the midſt of them, as they themſelves very well knew: And then, that he being delivered to them, and by wicked hands crucified and ſlain, God had raiſed him up, having looſed the pains of death, becauſe it was not poſſible that he ſhould be holden of it. In like manner he diſcourſes to the firſt Gentile converts, x. Acts 38, 39, 40. where he tells Cornelius and his friends, how God anointed Jeſus of p. 435Nazareth with the Holy Ghoſt, and with power; and how he went about doing good, and healing all that were oppreſſed of the Devil, of which they were witneſſes, who had ſeen all that he did both in Judea and in Jeruſalem: and then adds that God raiſed him up the third day, after he was ſlain and hanged on a Tree; and ſhewed him openly, though not to all the people yet, to witneſſes choſen before God, even to him and others, who did eat and drink with him after he roſe from the dead. The Apoſtle had nothing to add beyond this, which was the greateſt teſtimony of the SPIRIT to him. Now it ſpake with a loud voice in his behalf: for if he had not been God's Son (as he ſaid he was) He would never have taken him out of his grave, much leſs have advanced him into the Heavens. Where it was manifeſted he now lived, by the coming of the HOLY GHOST; which fell upon Cornelius and his friends, while S. Peter was ſpeaking thoſe words. This was all that could be added to what the Apoſtle had ſaid; and God ſent this to prove his Reſurrection and Exaltation at his right hand. Which was ſuch an undeniable proof of his authority, that having thus raiſed him, the SPIRIT, as I ſaid, finiſhed its teſtimony to him. For how ſhould p. 436it ſpeak plainer or more convincingly? or who can think that it would have continued to ſpeak for him, in this manner, after his death, if he had died with a lye in his mouth? The SPIRIT, which S. John here ſays, is the TRUTH, openly declared by reſtoring him to life, that his Bloud was moſt acceptable to God. It ſhowed that it was no common thing, but the BLOUD of the Holy one of God. It witneſſed to that WITNESS, and proved that as he did not ſpeak contrary to his knowledge, ſo he did not ſpeak contrary to the truth. And if the SPIRIT could not be believed in this, it would have loſt all its credit, and never have been believed more; we could never have known any thing by the greateſt wonders it can work, if ſuch things had been done for a deceiver, as it is apparent were done for Jeſus.

For that he was raiſed up to life again, we are aſſured by the teſtimony of the Apoſtles, and by the teſtimony of the Holy Ghoſt; of which none can reaſonably doubt, as it were eaſie to ſhow, if it were not my preſent buſineſs rather to demonſtrate that this was an irrefragable teſtimony of the SPIRIT to him, a moſt p. 437powerful means to beget faith and aſſurance in mens minds that Jeſus is the Son of God. It was for this very end, that S. John wrote the Hiſtory of his Reſurrection, and the ſeveral ſigns and tokens they had of it, as he tells us in thoſe words, xx. John 30, 31. Many other ſigns truly did Jeſus in the preſence of his Diſciples, which are not written in this Book. But theſe are written, that ye might believe that Jeſus is the Chriſt the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his Name. For this plainly reverſed the ſentence of condemnation which the Jews had paſs'd upon him. It ſhowed that he was acquitted in a far higher Court than that, which judged him worthy of death. Whoſe decree it reſcinded, and openly declared that he was no Blaſphemer, when he ſaid he was the Son of God. If he had, God would have been more concern'd than they to have kept him faſt in his grave for ever: that there, ſo great a lye might have been buried together with himſelf.

For the further clearing of which, it will be fit to conſider briefly theſe three things. Firſt, that before he died, he promiſed his Apoſtles that he would riſe again, and gave this alſo as a ſign to all p. 438the people, whereby they ſhould know that he was the Chriſt. And, ſecondly, that he declared this to be the greateſt ſign he had to give of it. And, thirdly, that his very enemies confeſs it is a ſufficient ſign and ſatisfactory teſtimony of any truth.

I. For the firſt of theſe, that it was a ſign promiſed to his Apoſtles, and predicted to the people; there is nothing more eaſie to be obſerved in the Goſpel ſtory. For he tells his Apoſtles very often that they ſhould ſee him betrayed and killed, but on the third day he would riſe again. No ſooner had S. Peter confeſſed that he was the CHRIST, but from that time forth Jeſus began to ſhew them, how that he muſt go to Jeruſalem, and there ſuffer many things, and be killed, and be raiſed again the third day, xvi. Matth. 21. For he would not have them expect a Chriſt that ſhould reign here on Earth, but in Heaven. And till he went thither, he would not have them ſo much as preach that he was the CHRIST, ver. 20. And what he had ſaid here at Caeſarea, he repeats again when they were in Galilee, xvii. Matth. 22, 23. And again when they were going up to Jeruſalem, xx. 19. p. 439And not many hours before he was apprehended, he ſaid again, A little while and ye ſhall not ſee me: and again, a little while and ye ſhall ſee me, becauſe I go to the Father, xvi. John 16. At which words they were greatly troubled, becauſe they minded more what he ſaid about his death, than they regarded his reſurrection which was to follow. But the greater their trouble was then, the greater their ſatisfaction was afterwards, when they ſaw him alive again. The leſs diſpoſed they were to believe it, the more confident they grew when they ſaw ſuch a wonder. They wept and lamented when he was gone, as he told them they would (ver. 20.) But when he came to ſee them again, their heart rejoyced with ſuch a joy, as none could diſpoil them of, ver. 22. The ground of which joy, you ſhall ſee preſently, when I have alſo remembred you how he foretold his Reſurrection to the people, as a teſtimony that he was the CHRIST. It was their wont in all Ages, and with great reaſon, to ask for a ſign that a man was ſent of God. And therefore now that Jeſus came with ſuch authority, as to redreſs many abuſes among them, and to reform that Nation and Temple, they ask him what ſign ſheweſt thou unto us, ſeeing p. 440that thou doeſt theſe things? ii. Joh. 18. He had given them ſigns enough already, and therefore makes no other anſwer but this (to let them know what ſhould be the laſt ſign.) Deſtroy this Temple (pointing to his own body) and in three days I will raiſe it up, verſ. 19.

From whence we may ſafely argue, that Jeſus having given this as a ſign and token whereby it ſhould evidently appear, more than by all his miracles, that he was the Son of God; the Almighty would never have fulfilled this promiſe and prediction, if He had uſurped his authority, and taken upon him to be his ANOINTED, without his leave. Nothing was more eaſie than to quaſh all his pretences, which relyed upon his Reſurrection; without which his Apoſtles, as I told you, had no authority to Preach that he was the Chriſt. It had been but letting him rot in his grave, as all men naturally do, when they are dead; and all the World would have been of the mind of the Phariſees, that he was a Deceiver. And God ſure hath not ſo little care of the World, as to deny them ſuch ready and obvious means of ſatisfaction, about the moſt important truth. We ought to think rather, that he would have p. 441concerned himſelf to ſee, that this Temple, which he ſpake of, ſhould lye for ever in its ruines, and be turned to duſt and aſhes. He, who alone could do it, would have been ſo far from rearing it up again, that he would have provided, it ſhould be prophaned, and made the vileſt rubbiſh in the World. But there being very good proofs, many infallible proofs (as S. Luke ſpeaks, i. Act. 3.) that it was quite otherwayes, and that indeed it was raiſed after three days, as he had told the People; it was a Teſtimony from God moſt high, that He dwelt in that Temple, and that it was his Holy place, where he manifeſted his glory. He declared to them by this that Jeſus was no Deceiver, but that they ought to believe he was the Chriſt of God. For that a man ſhould be raiſed from the dead, by any other power than that of God's; all the World concludes is impoſſible. If any of thoſe lying ſpirits, which love to cheat and abuſe the world, could do ſuch feats; why do we not ſee this frequently happen: that ſo they might break the force of this teſtimony, and overthrow our belief? Above all things they ſhould be concerned, one would think, to work this wonder; for then we ſhould be forced to confeſs, that there is nothing ſo eminent and ſingular in p. 442this thing, as to move us to give credit unto Jeſus. But ſince it never has been done, but only in this inſtance; and it was alſo a fulfilling of his word, when he gave it as a token of this truth; we have reaſon to conclude as S. Paul did after he had ſeen him alive, that this is very CHRIST. Upon this ground it was that the Apoſtles ſo much rejoyced, when they ſaw him again; for now, as S. John tells us, ii. 22. when he was riſen from the dead, they remembred that he had ſaid this unto them (concerning the raiſing up the Temple of his Body) and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jeſus had ſaid. Now they were aſſured they had not been deluded, and yielded their aſſent, all this while, to a fancy. They ſaw clearly that he was their KING, though he had been vilely diſgraced and crucified. And therefore, when they parted with him again, after his Reſurrection, they did not lament and mourn as they had done before; but worſhipped him, and returned to Jeruſalem, with great joy: and were continually in the Temple, praiſing and bleſſing God, xxiv. Luk. 52, 53.

II. But it is time to add, that as it was a ſign, which he gave them before-hand of this Truth, ſo he told them, it was the p. 443greateſt ſign which he had to give. He had done many things in his life time to perſwade the Jews, that he was the CHRIST: But ſtill they were ſo perverſe, as to ask for more ſigns of it. Though he had done more miracles than ever Moſes, or all the Prophets had done from the beginning; yet the Phariſees continue to ſay, Master, we would ſee a ſign from thee, xii. Matth. 38. One would think they had a mind to learn of him, ſince they call him Maſter; but it was only a complement, as S. Luke informs us, xi. 16. And therefore our Saviour calls them, an evil and adulterous generation, who were degenerated from the manners of their pious anceſtors; for they were contented with leſs proofs of that which God required them to believe, and would have been aſhamed to ſeek after a ſign, as theſe men did, after ſuch evident tokens of a Divine preſence in him, as they beheld. Why ſhould he gratifie men of ſo naughty a humour, whom nothing would ſatisfie, but a ſign from Heaven, which S. Luke ſays they demanded? nor would be convinced then neither, he clearly diſcerned by their frivolous cavils at all that he had already done. Therefore he tells them, no ſign ſhall be given them, but the ſign of the Prophet Jonas (which was not a p. 444ſign from Heaven, but from the bowels of the Earth) For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Whales belly: ſo ſhall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth, verſ. 39, 40. Which was as much as to ſay, It is in vain to attempt the conviction of ſuch corrupt and depraved minds as yours are, by ſuch means as theſe. And therefore, I muſt tell you, all that is remaining for the opening your eyes and conquering your perverſneſs, is my Reſurrection. As Jonas was miraculouſly reſtored again to live upon the earth, after he had been ſwallowed up by a Whale in the Sea, and layn there three days; which was a notable ſign that he was a Prophet, and could not but obtain him credit with the Ninevites, when they came to the knowledge of this wonder: So will I be reſtored again to life, after you have killed me, and I have layn three days in the bowels of the earth; and if this will not ſatiffie you, there is no other ſign to follow this for your conviction. But let me tell you (as he adds, verſ. 41.) if you ſtill perſiſt in unbelief when this is fulfilled, the men of Nineveh ſhall riſe in judgment with you and condemn you; for they repented at Jonas his preaching, and behold, a greater than Jonas is here. That is, though Jonas was not really p. 445dead, but only had his life wonderfully preſerved, yet the report of it wrought faith and the fruits of faith, repentance and amendment, in the hearts of the Ninevites; and what a condemnation will it prove to you, if after you have ſeen me actually dead, and it be demonſtrated to you that I am raiſed to life again, you will not believe on me?

The very ſame thing is repeated again, xvi. Matth. 4. where, they having once more demanded a ſign from Heaven, ver. 1. He anſwers them, that they ſhould have none but this of Jonas: and he left them, and departed. As if he had ſaid, I have nothing more to ſay to you now: all that remains, is that I dye and riſe again, which is the laſt and greateſt token that I am the CHRIST. And indeed this was a ſign ſo great, that it gave force and ſtrength, to the other ſigns which had been given of this Truth. For in the next Chapter (Matth. xvii. 9.) we read, that Three Apoſtles having been confirmed in this belief by a voice from Heaven, which ſaid, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleaſed; hear ye him; Jeſus charges them, ſaying, Tell the Viſion to no man, until the Son of man be riſen again from the dead. Till p. 446He had taken poſſeſſion of his Kingdom and was ſet upon his Throne and thence ſent the Holy Ghoſt, He ſaw it would be to no purpoſe for the Apoſtles to publiſh this teſtimony of God the Father to him. For they had already ſlighted the teſtimony of John Baptiſt, who heard the like Voice from Heaven at his Baptiſm, and thereupon bare witneſs that Jeſus was the Chriſt: And therefore it was not likely, that they would liſten to the Apoſtles, when they came and teſtified that the ſame words were ſpoken in their hearing; until their teſtimony ſhould be juſtified by the authority of ſuch a proof as this, that he was riſen from the dead. This would mightily back all that they ſaid; and make it undeniable by any, but thoſe who would ſtill deny his Reſurrection: which was wilfully and without any reaſon, not only to call them lyars, but to affront the Holy Ghoſt, who witneſſed together with them, that he was riſen from the dead. Which being a proof of ſuch ſtrength that our Saviour relyed upon it above all other, it is manifeſt to common reaſon, that if there be a God (as we are ſure there is) who loves ſincerity and truth; he ſhould above all things, have taken order, that this ſhould not have had ſuch evidence as it p. 447hath, if indeed Jeſus was not his Son. Though he had ſuffered wonders to be done by him, and voices from Heaven had been heard, yet ſtill he gained not much belief in the moſt conſiderable part of the Jewiſh Nation: and therefore appealing in concluſion to this Grand Teſtimony, ſure there is no providence, or elſe it would have taken care, in caſe he had been a deceiver, that it ſhould have been as evident that he did not riſe from the dead, as now it is that he did. Though the World had been amuſed a long time with diſcourſes about him, and with ſtrange things which he was thought to do; yet here had been a nick of time at one ſtroke to have broken the force of all theſe arguments, and blaſted his credit, and undeceived the People, had there been nothing of God in it. But ſince this laſt and greateſt token did come to paſs, as was proved by witneſſes of unqueſtionable truth, it juſtified his pretences, and added ſtrength to all the former teſtimonies which had been given to him: demonſtrating him plainly to have been a man approved of God among them, by miracles, wonders & ſigns, which God did by him in the midst of them, as they themſelves knew.

p. 448III. And this truly was ſo great a ſign, that his very Enemies could not but confeſs it was ſatisfactory; and a ſufficient evidence of any truth. Which may be clearly diſcern'd from hence, that they never, to this day, went about to ſhow that though he was raiſed again, yet it was not a proof that he was the CHRIST: but all their endeavour hath been to perſwade the People, that he was not raiſed again. They had no other way but to deny this, that ſo they might not confeſs the other. They were utterly undone, they knew, and muſt loſe all their reputation with the People, if he was raiſed from the dead (becauſe it would effectually prove what they denied) and therefore they hired the Souliders to ſay, that his Diſciples ſtole him away while they ſlept. A ſtory ſo ſillily contrived (as I hope to ſhow in another place) that it it is a very great evidence, they ſhut their eyes againſt this light, for fear it ſhould ſhow them that they had been the Murderers of their CHRIST. They could not but ſay, that if he was raiſed again, he was the CHRIST; and therefore were reſolved to ſay any thing, though never ſo abſurd, rather than grant that he was raiſed to life again, which muſt ſtrike them dead. p. 449He was not a King for their purpoſe; and therefore they hated him and endeavoured by any means to obſcure whatſoever tended to prove his authority. He never made any ſhow of worldly greatneſs, or gave them any hope he would fight their battles againſt the Romans; and therefore they entred into a league againſt him, to make perpetual war with him: and ſought by all the lyes they could invent, to ſuppreſs his growing Name, and by all the cruelties they had power to uſe, to diſhearten his followers from profeſſing their belief in it. But the Apoſtles of our Lord knowing the truth of this better than they could do, and that it was a meer calumny which they ſpread abroad concerning their ſtealing his Body out of the Sepulchre; could not be deterred by any puniſhment, which they or all the power on earth could inflict, from preaching Jeſus and the Reſurrection. For on the one hand they ſaw it was confeſſed by malice it ſelf, that if he was raiſed from the dead, it could not be denyed that he was the CHRIST; and on the other hand they ſaw, with their own eyes, that he was raiſed from the dead, and knew it was a malicious ſlander which the Phariſees had divulged, of their breaking open the Monument of the dead. This both confirmed p. 450their faith, and inflamed their zeal. If they had any doubts remaining, this very tale helpt to diſperſe them. But they were ſoon paſt all doubt by the coming of the Holy Ghoſt, which he ſent them, to witneſs the Reſurrection together with them. Then it was impoſſible they ſhould doubt of his being alive, when they felt his mighty power in their hearts. This diſſipated all the miſts and vapours, which had gathered about them, and darkned their underſtandings. By this Jeſus brake forth upon them in a freſh luſtre: and like the Sun, rending all the Clouds in pieces, illuminated not only them, but the whole World, in a ſhort ſpace, with the beams of his Glory.

How ſhould he do otherways, after ſuch a proof as this; which is ſo great that they could never wiſh for a greater? It is not above ſix hundred years ago, ſince a Jew called EL DAVID, gave out that he was the Chriſt, and drew a great many followers after him. Upon which he was apprehended and brought before an Arabian Prince, who askt him; What miracle, what prodigie doſt thou ſhow that we may believe? To which he anſwered, Sir, cut off my head, and I will live again. This he ſaid craftily, p. 451to avoid greater torments which he foreſaw would be inflicted on him, for affirming that which he could not prove. But obſerve the Princes reply, (as it is related by Maimonides, in a letter of his to the Jewes at Marſeilles, about this very buſineſs:) Thou canst not give us a greater ſign than this. And if it fall out ſo, that thou dost riſe again to life after I have cut off thy head, I, and all my People (nay all the World ſure) will believe what thou ſayeſt is true; and that our Forefathers inherited nothing but vanity and lies, which did not profit them. And preſently the experiment was made; He commanded him to be beheaded, and there was an end of his cheat. And ſo likewiſe there had been of this buſineſs which we are treating of, if Jeſus had not riſen. For he ſaid juſt as this El David did, Kill me, if you pleaſe; I will live again. Which ſign coming to paſs, as we have the greateſt reaſon to believe, we ought to follow the reſolution of the Prince now mentioned, by ſubmitting our ſelves to him, and heartily acknowledging him to be the Lord. When he was upon his Croſs, the Chief Prieſts, with the Scribes and Elders, ſaid, He ſaved others, p. 452let him ſave himſelf. If he be the King of Iſrael, let him now come down from the Croſs, and we will believe him: xxvii. Matth. 41, 42. If our Lord had taken them at their word, we cannot tell what they would have done. But it is plain, he intended to give them a better ground of Faith than that. If they had demanded a greater thing, they ſhould have had greater ſatisfaction. If they had ſaid, He raiſed others from the dead, let him raiſe up himſelf, after we have crucified him; let him come out of his Grave, if he be the KING of Iſrael; and then have uſed all the care in the World, to ſee whether he roſe again, or no: they had been convinced and perſwaded to believe on his Name. It was not fit to do the other, becauſe he was to Dye for the Sins of the People: But this he did, though they did not ask it, to fulfill his own promiſe, and to ſhow that he was the Perſon promiſed to their Fathers. And it is ſo much greater than the other, as it is a greater thing, to be made alive again after Death, than to ſave a Man's ſelf from dying.

p. 453I hope then I may conclude with the Apoſtle S. Paul, that this piece of the Myſtery of Godlineſs is without controverſie, God was manifeſt in the fleſh, Juſtified, foreign, in or by the SPIRIT. The SPIRIT which did ſuch mighty things by Jeſus, and at laſt raiſed him from the dead, warranted him to be God manifeſted in our fleſh. It cleared him from all the envious and malicious accuſations of his adverſaries, while he was alive, by the many miraculous works which it wrought: and it purged him from all ſuſpicion of blaſphemy, which was charg'd againſt him, and took away his life, by raiſing from the dead, and preſenting him in Heaven a pure oblation to God. It hath acquitted him fully in all impartial mens thoughts, wiped off all the guilt which was caſt upon him, ſet him before the eyes of all the world as a perſon innocent and juſt; and made him glorious and great even in his bloud (as thoſe words may be rendred, xiii. Hebr. 20.) wherewithal he is gone into the Heavenly places, there to appear before God for us: which he would not have been able, nor ever dared to do, if he were not fully juſtified, and perfectly a righteous perſon. p. 454This is that witneſs which our Saviour himſelf promiſes to Nathanael, as higher than that, which he had already received, i. John 50, 51. He was convinced of the Authority of Jeſus, and acknowledged him to be the King of Iſrael, becauſe he could ſearch into the ſecrets of the hearts, and know men at a diſtance: But our Lord tells him he ſhould ſee greater things than theſe, even, behold the Heavens opened, and the Angels of God, aſcending and deſcending upon the Son of man. That is, He ſhould have the witneſs of the SPIRIT, ſending the Angels to miniſter unto him, when he was raiſed from the dead, and when he was exalted unto Gods right hand in the Heavens.

The Aſcenſion and Deſcenſion of Angels is but an Hebrew form of ſpeech, whereby they expreſs the miniſtry and ſervice of Angels to the Divine Majeſty. A ſervant firſt goes to his Maſter to receive his orders, before he can be ſent by him; and therefore aſcending is put before deſcending: and by both is nothing elſe meant, but the miniſtry of thoſe Heavenly Creatures, that wait upon the Throne of God, and do his Commandments, hearkening to the voice of his Word. From thence they were p. 455ſent to attend on Jeſus at his Reſurrection, and at his Aſcenſion, as his Diſciples witneſſed and Nathanael among the reſt; for he is mentioned as a perſon preſent when Jeſus ſhowed himſelf to his Diſciples after his Reſurrection (xxi. John 2.) and is thought by many to be the ſame with S. Bartholomew. As Iſrael ſaw in a dream the Angels aſcend and deſcend upon a Ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven (xxviii. Gen. 12.) So this true Iſraelite (who, as Greg. Nyſſen **Homil. 15. in Cantic.expreſſes it, ſhowed foreign, &c. the pure character or mark of that Patriarch upon him, in his honeſty and uprightneſs of heart) beheld the like viſion of Angels, but in a more apparent manner, when he was awake: that he might hereby be confirmed in the faith of Jeſus, as Jacob was by his viſion in the belief of God's providence. And indeed this was a great confirmation to his and to our faith. For I conceive that this phraſe foreign, upon the Son of man, is the ſame with that where it is ſaid the Holy Ghoſt came foreign, upon him. Which as it ſignifies that he was made partaker, or rather was poſſeſſed of the Holy Ghoſt, and it became His: ſo this other like phraſe of the Angels aſcending p. 456and deſcending upon him, denotes, by the ſame reaſon, that he was made the Lord of them; and had them given to him as his miniſters and attendants, to be imployed in his ſervice. And ſo it was remarkably fulfilled which our Saviour ſaid, that he ſhould ſee GREATER things than thoſe he mentioned before: For hereby he knew, not only that he was the King of Iſrael, as he had confeſſed, ver. 50. but that he was the King of Angels, the Lord of Lords. Yea, hereby it appeared that he hath the power of God, becauſe juſt as the Angels are repreſented doing their ſervice to his Majeſty (in that xxviii. of Geneſis) ſo our Lord foretells with the greateſt certainty, they ſhould ſee them waiting upon him. And ſo they did, as you read in the firſt of the Acts of the Apoſtles, ver. 9, 10, 11. which proved him to be indeed the heir of all things.

Now to ſhew a little more fully the greatneſs of this Teſtimony of the SPIRIT, and that it was greater (as Jeſus here ſaith to Nathanael) than the gift of diſcerning Spirits, which I called a gift of the Holy Ghoſt, to diſtinguiſh it from the Spirit; let us conſider a little that ſpeech of our Saviours, xii. Matth. 31, 32. Wherefore p. 457I ſay unto you, all manner of ſin and blaſphemy, ſhall be forgiven unto men: but the blaſphemy of the Holy Ghoſt, ſhall not be forgiven unto men, &c. Which heavy doom S. Mark tells us was pronounced upon them, becauſe they ſaid, he had an unclean Spirit, iii. 30. This ſhows what the blaſphemy was, in which if they continued there was no hope of pardon. For if he by the SPIRIT of God cast out Devils (as he tells them, ver. 28.) then it was rank blaſphemy, the higheſt degree of evil ſpeaking and calumny, to impute theſe very cures and wonderful works to the power of the Devil, which were wrought by that Divine power. And this ſin was therefore unpardonable, which ſhows how great this teſtimony of the SPIRIT is, becauſe there were no means left to convince them that Jeſus was the Son of God (without which belief their ſins could not be forgiven) if they perſiſted not only in denying the authority of the SPIRIT, but were ſo bold as to blaſpheme it. For what could work upon their hard hearts, if this proved ineffectual? might they not better deny the voices from Heaven, which they did not hear, than theſe wonderful works, which they beheld every where with their own eyes? Or p. 458might they not as well ſay that thoſe were deluſions, as call theſe works diabolical operations? Might they not in like manner ſlight his power of knowing ſecrets, and impute it to ſome other skill? What is there in which they might not ſhuffle and reſiſt the light, if in ſo clear a caſe as this, Jeſus his oppoſition to the Devil, caſting him out of poſſeſſion, and that on purpoſe to eſtabliſh an holy doctrine, quite contrary to his intereſt, and in a number of other miraculous works, they would be ſo obſtinate as to ſay, the Devil himſelf had the principal hand. There is no queſtion to be made, but they who were ſo perverſe as not to ſee this finger of God, but continued blinder than the Egyptian Magicians, when it did ſo many wonders, would ſhut their eyes againſt any other means of conviction, which could not be expected (it muſt alſo be remembred) becauſe God himſelf had no higher evidence to give them, than this of his SPIRIT.

But then you muſt not underſtand this ſpeech of our Saviour, as if he meant that thoſe perſons, to whom he ſpake theſe words, had run themſelves at that inſtant, into this unpardonable ſin: but that if p. 459they ſtill proceeded to blaſpheme it, when the SPIRIT had finiſhed its teſtimony (that is, done all thoſe things which ſtill were behind, for their conviction) then they would fall into it, and remain in it irrecoverably. For you muſt remember that under the word SPIRIT is comprehended the power that raiſed Chriſt from the dead, and preſented him to God in the Heavens; that he might receive of him the promiſe of the Holy Ghoſt, which he ſhed upon the Apoſtles abundantly, as a witneſs of his Reſurrection and glorious Exaltation. If after this, that Jeſus was riſen again from the dead, aſcended into Heaven, and ſhowed himſelf to be there by ſending the Holy Ghost upon his Apoſtles, they did not believe, but ſtill blaſphemed the holy name of Jeſus, and the SPIRIT of God, ſaying, That they were drunk who were filled with the Holy Ghost, as here they ſaid Jeſus had a Devil; then they were uncapable of obtaining remiſſion of ſin, becauſe there was nothing more to be done for their converſion, but they muſt be abandoned to the hardneſs and impenitence of their hearts. This I am ſure muſt be the meaning, becauſe our Lord himſelf, after he had pronounced the Phariſees unpardonable, who ſpake p. 460againſt the SPIRIT, whereby he caſt out Devils, tells them expreſly that there was one ſign more remaining to convince them (which is a demonſtration they had not yet ſinned incurably, nor could not till that ſign was paſt) and that was the ſign, as you heard, of the Prophet Jonas, ver. 39, 40. which he grants them again, xvi. 4. ſhould not be denied them. Now every body underſtands by this, His Death, and Reſurrection, with thoſe things that followed upon it, the ſending of the Holy Ghoſt to enable his Apoſtle to go and teach all Nations, as Jonas went, after he came, as we may ſay, out of his grave, and preached to the great City Nineveh. But then this was ſtill the SPIRIT, that was thus continued to them (by that our Lord being raiſed, and it working wonders alſo at his Death) which if they continued to reſiſt, when it had fully done the whole office of a witneſs, and was all poured forth, then they were under the abſolute ſentence of condemnation. In brief, To blaſpheme the SPIRIT in this comprehenſive ſence of the Word (including the Reſurrection, and that which followed to prove it) was the unpardonable ſin and none elſe. And thus our Saviour's meaning is to be expounded; if p. 461one ſhould ſpeak a word against the Son of man, (that is Him) deſpiſing him becauſe of his poor Parentage, and calling him the Son of a Carpenter, or ſome ſuch name; this, though blameable, might be pardoned, propter corporis vilitatem, as S. Hierom ſpeaks, becauſe of the meanneſs of his outward appearance. Nay, if a man proceeded ſo far as to call him a glutton, a Wine-bibber, a friend of Publicans and ſinners; this alſo might find pardon, becauſe he did not hitherto ſpeak evil of the works proper to a God, but only of thoſe belonging to a man. And more than this, ſhould he call him deceiver or ſeducer, when he heard him teach the people; it would not be unpardonable, becauſe no man is to be believed merely upon his own word. But if when theſe men ſaw the mighty works of the SPIRIT juſtifying his preaching to be Divine, they ſtill continued to ſpeak evil of him; this was a very dangerous blaſphemy: becauſe they could not after this call him a ſeducer or falſe Teacher, but they muſt reproach the holy SPIRIT as well as him, and call that the work of the Devil, which was performed by the power of the Spirit of God. And if when the HOLY GHOST was come from Heaven upon the Apoſtles, witneſſing p. 462that he was quickned by the SPIRIT, and by the ſame SPIRIT preſented to God in the Heavens, they ſtill went on to ſpeak evil of him, then there was no hope of remiſſion, becauſe they blaſphemed the laſt remedy for their recovery, which was the Holy Ghoſt ſent down from Heaven to perſwade them to repent and believe on his name.

And that we muſt take our Saviour in this ſence, is further apparent from the name of the HOLY GHOST, which he uſes when he ſpeaks of this unpardonable ſin, never calling it the blaſphemy againſt the SPIRIT, but always the blaſphemy againſt the HOLY GHOST: which you know was not as yet given, when our Saviour ſpake theſe words. In the beginning of this diſcourſe, xii. Matth. 28. he mentions only the SPIRIT. But then coming to deſcribe the danger of blaſpheming it, he doth not ſay that the blaſphemy of the SPIRIT ſimply, that is, of thoſe preſent works of his was unpardonable: but that the blaſphemy againſt the HOLY GHOST, when it was come, ſhould never be forgiven. Which muſt needs be underſtood, as I have already argued, concerning the contempt and reproachful p. 463uſage of thoſe following witneſſes, the Reſurrection, Aſcenſion, and the preaching of the Apoſtles endowed with power from on high; becauſe though the SPIRIT now wrought among them, yet the HOLY GHOST was not come to be his ADVOCATE and plead his cauſe; and therefore could not as yet be blaſphemed by them. By HOLY GHOST then in our Saviour's language here, I ſuppoſe is meant all that was left ſtill to be done for his Juſtification; and that it is ſo wide a word in this place, as to include in it the SPIRIT alſo. For he was ſpeaking before of the SPIRIT, and therefore when he alters the phraſe, he doth not leave out the teſtimony of that, but imbraces it within the compaſs of a larger word: which it was neceſſary to uſe, that he might ſhow when that ſin, which they had begun in a deſperate manner, would be ſo complete, that it could never be undone. And that was when the HOLY GHOST had conſecrated the Apoſtles to their great office (which ſuppoſes his Reſurrection) and filled them with all Divine gifts: among which, you know, was a power (xiv. John 12.) to do greater works than theſe, which our Saviour is here ſpeaking of (called the SPIRIT:) Then if they did p. 464not believe there was no remedy; but they muſt periſh in their infidelity. But till then they, to whom our Saviour ſpeaks, were not arrived at this hopeleſs condition, becauſe they had hitherto only blaſphemed the SPIRIT, not the HOLY GHOST, which was not yet given, becauſe Jeſus was not yet glorified. But when it was given, and they reproached that, as they had done the SPIRIT, then they were under irrecoverable condemnation: there being nothing more to be done for the opening their eyes, and perſwading them, that Jeſus was the Son of God. They had made a fair ſtep to it in our Saviour's life-time, by reſiſting the mighty power of the Spirit; but it was poſſible they might ſee their error, becauſe there was ſtill a more mighty power behind, which firſt raiſed up and glorified Jeſus, and then enabled his Apoſtles to do more wonderful things, than he had done when he was on Earth.

And therefore I obſerve that afterward the word HOLY GHOST is ſometimes uſed in this large ſence, for all the Power that was given the Apoſtles, whether of Prophecy, and Languages, or of healing and caſting out Devils (which laſt are p. 465ſometimes peculiarly called the SPIRIT) and ſo not to be diſtinguiſhed from the other, which it incloſes. Thus the word HOLY GHOST in ii. Hebr. 4. may be referred not only to gifts immediately preceding, but to ſigns, wonders and miracles, before mentioned. And after S. Peter and John had cured a lame man, they ſay the HOLY GHOST was a witneſs to Jeſus, v. Acts 31. But though this word be ſo largely uſed in ſome places (as SPIRIT alſo ſometimes ſignifies all the reſt, ii. Acts 4, 17. and ſometimes all but that which is called power, 1 Cor. ii. 4.) yet commonly you will find the word HOLY GHOST having a peculiar reference to thoſe other gifts of Illumination, not of Power, iv. Acts 8. v. 3. vii. 55. x. 44, 45. and eſpecially xix. 2, 6. where you read that S. Paul found certain Diſciples at Epheſus, who had not ſo much as heard whether there was any HOLY GHOST, who had heard no doubt of the miraculous works both of Chriſt and his Apoſtles. Now when theſe and the HOLY GHOST were both joyned together; when Jeſus had given them the witneſs of his Bloud, and of his Reſurrection, and the Goſpel came not only in POWER, but in the HOLY GHOST, as S. Paul ſpeaks, 1 Theſſ. i. 5. p. 466Then they who perſiſt to blaſpheme the name of Jeſus, were in an hopeleſs condition, paſt all the methods of God to bring them to forgiveneſs. All which I have ſaid, as diſtinctly as I could, to explain that which has perplexed ſo many, and to ſhow the ſtrength of this Witneſs: which our Saviour ſo much relied upon, that he knew not a greater to convince them, when once it had ſaid all that it intended in his behalf. To which let this be added, as an argument of the greatneſs of this teſtimony, that they who apoſtatized from the Chriſtian Faith, are therefore condemned to a ſorer puniſhment than they who forſook Moſes, not only becauſe they accounted the BLOUD of Jeſus an unholy thing, and deſpiſed that witneſs, but alſo did deſpite to the SPIRIT of Grace, which by raiſing him from the dead, proved his BLOUD to be the Bloud of the Son of God, x. Hebr. 29. This is ſet down laſt of all in that place, becauſe it filled up the meaſure of their ſin. This made them uncapable of the benefit of any ſacrifice for ſin (as it is, ver. 26.) that they ſo ſlighted, yea, vilified and reproached, carried themſelves contumeliouſly (as the word imports) towards the SPIRIT of God, which was the greateſt Teſtimony on p. 467Earth that our Saviour had, and was followed with the HOLY GHOST ſent down from Heaven. And they muſt needs be guilty of ſuch diſgraceful uſage of the SPIRIT, yea, of the SPIRIT of Grace, that Spirit which God had ſo graciouſly poured, not only upon Jeſus, but upon the Apoſtles, and perhaps upon themſelves, if they did deny Jeſus, and renounce his Religion: becauſe this was in effect to tell the world, that this was not the Spirit of God, but of the Devil, and that it did not prove his Reſurrection from the dead, but, whatſoever it ſaid, He was a blaſphemer, when he called himſelf the Son of God.

Thus I have done now with this laſt Witneſs on Earth, the SPIRIT: which you ſee concurs and agrees with all the former in this Truth. There is not the ſmalleſt difference between them, nothing to make us ſuſpect them to be falſe witneſſes; for they are all found (to ſpeak in our vulgar phraſe) in the very ſame ſtory, punctually, and in terms affirming this, that Jeſus is the Son of God. This he preached, who never did any ſin, neither was guile found in his mouth; This John Baptiſt likewiſe proclaimed with a loud voice; p. 468The Bloud of Jeſus atteſted this before all the people; this was the very Title over his Croſs, that he was KING OF THE JEWS; and this the SPIRIT ſaid; it was the language of every one of his wonderful works; and of his Reſurrection alſo and his Inthronization (of which the Holy Ghoſt gave aſſurance) which conſpired to teſtifie this, and expreſly juſtified it to all the World. And therefore how can we chuſe but think this a ſure word [that he is the Son of God] which is eſtabliſhed out of the mouth not of two or three, but of twice three witneſſes, of unqueſtionable credit. And theſe three laſt treated of, challenge from us a very careful conſideration, and we ought the more duly to weigh what they ſay, becauſe they were on Earth: and upon that account, nearer to us, as I told you, more evident at firſt ſight, more ſtrongly atteſted by innumerable witneſſes, that they might ſerve for a greater confirmation, even of the truth of the reſt. The Teſtimony of the FATHER is certain, becauſe it was heard by ſeveral excellent perſons; yea, once by a multitude of people. That of the WORD alſo is infallible, and we cannot with any reaſon doubt whether there was ſuch evidence, becauſe S. Steven, p. 469S. Paul, S. John were perſons of unſpotted reputation, who heard it, and alſo did and ſuffered the hardeſt things upon the credit of it. That the HOLY GHOST alſo fell upon him at his Baptiſm, a great Prophet ſo confidently affirmed, that it was prophaneneſs to deny it. But yet, excepting the Teſtimony of the Holy Ghoſt after his Aſcenſion, there were none of thoſe Witneſſes in Heaven heard by ſo many, as theſe three laſt mentioned, who, as S. John ſays, bare witneſs in Earth.

It was a notorious thing to all the Country (which Jeſus travelled) that he led a moſt holy life. No man could faſten the ſuſpicion of any crime upon him, but the cry of the people was, like that when he opened a blind mans eyes, He hath done all things well, vii. Mark 37. And yet he lived not a retired life; he did not hide himſelf in corners, nor ſhut up himſelf in private houſes: but converſed ſo freely, that they found fault with him (though unjuſtly) for being too familiar, and keeping company with Publicans and ſinners. And as for his BLOUD, the ſecond Witneſs on Earth, that was ſhed in the face of the Sun, at a great feaſt, when p. 470from foreign Countries they were aſſembled at Jeruſalem. All the accidents, which we ſay attended his death, were things that never have been contradicted. No man then had the impudence to deny the Eclipſe of the Sun, the Earthquake, the rending of the veil of the Temple, and the reſt of the aſtoniſhing things that then hapned. The firſt of them is mentioned by a Pagan-writer; and though the Apoſtles publiſhed both that and all the other continually, yet there is no book either of Jew or Gentile (who were enemies great enough to his Religion) that goes about to diſprove them. And as for his miraculous works, they were generally done openly, at Feaſts, in the Synagogues, on the high-ways; and were ſo commonly talkt of, that the Rulers feared all the world would run after him, xii. John 19. Therefore the Apoſtles could not falſifie in the report of theſe things, but they might be eaſily confuted. Which no man ever attempted, but both Jews and Gentiles acknowledged that he wrought Miracles; for his Apoſtles alſo wrought them every where, and ſo did their Succeſſors in ſome Ages after. To theſe the Ancient Chriſtians appeal, as an undoubted teſtimony to their Faith: which they could p. 471not be ſo ſilly as to mention, were there any diſpute whether there had been Miracles wrought or no. His Reſurrection alſo was atteſted by Five hundred people, who ſaw him together at once; and it was proved beyond contradiction by the ſtrange deſcent of thoſe miraculous gifts upon his Apoſtles, according to his promiſe. Which came upon them alſo at a Feaſt, when all the Nation, though living in far diſtant Countries, were aſſembled together, and a great company of Proſelytes alſo, and devout people were preſent, to be witneſſes of it. Yea, the Apoſtles themſelves, as is notoriouſly known, went over all the world, and openly ſhowed the power of Jeſus which was in them.

Now if all theſe be true Witneſſes, or rather if you grant there were ſuch Witneſſes, which no ſober man can deny (they being viſible here on Earth, in the company of ſo much people) there can be no doubt remaining of this, that Jeſus is the Son of God. They proclaim this ſo loudly with one voice, that S. John had reaſon to ſay, We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. They beheld it in his Preaching and Life; they p. 472beheld it in his bloudy Death, but eſpecially in the power of his SPIRIT both before he died, and in raiſing him up from the dead: and they beheld it alſo, when they were with him in the holy Mount, and had the Teſtimony of the reſt of the Heavenly Witneſſes. Which were heard on Earth, though they were in Heaven; as men of high quality, and of unblemiſhed integrity, with the hazard of all they had, did conſtantly affirm. And though ſome of thoſe Heavenly Witneſſes might not be believed ſo much at the firſt (which is the cauſe, I ſuppoſe, that our Saviour bids his Apoſtles, as you have heard, not declare what the voice from Heaven ſaid, till after his Reſurrection, xvii. Matth. 9.) yet when they had received ſuch great teſtimony, that they were good men, and men of God, by having the Holy Ghoſt beſtowed on them, to beſtow upon others alſo; and when by this they were able to demonſtrate his Reſurrection; then all the reſt that they alledged, as a proof that he was the Son of God, did highly merit belief alſo, and there was no reaſon to ſuſpect the truth of ſuch reports, as were verified in ſo authentick a manner. For with great power gave the Apoſtles witneſs of the Reſurrection of the Lord Jeſus, iv. Acts 33. And p. 473the Reſurrection of the Lord Jeſus was a powerful Witneſs, that there was nothing ſo great ſaid of him, by the voices from Heaven, but it ought to be received as the undoubted truth of God. Who at ſundry times, and in divers manners teſtified to his Son Jeſus, that by ſome means or other the moſt obſtinate hearts might be convinced, and thoſe tongues which blaſphemed him, might confeſs him to be the Lord.

A PRAYER.

ALL thy works praiſe thee, O holy Jeſus, they all ſhow the greatneſs of thy power, and declare thee to be the Lord. All thy Saints therefore ought to bleſs thee, and to ſpeak good of thy Name: who didſt manifeſt forth thy glory in ſuch miraculous works upon Earth, and art now crowned with ſuch glory and honour in the Heavens. Great was the glory of that Almighty love, which gave health to the ſick, feet to the lame, eyes to the blind, and life to the dead. How gloriouſly didſt thou triumph over the Devil and all the p. 474powers of darkneſs: declaring thy ſelf to be the Redeemer of the World, by delivering thoſe who were oppreſſed by him? Great was thy Majeſty, and therefore greatly to be praiſed. Thoſe triumphs ought to have been attended with the moſt joyful ſhouts of Praiſe and Thankſgiving to thee, as the Saviour of men, and the Lord of Men and Angels. All that ſaw thy wonderful works, ought with never-ceaſing love, to have glorified thee, the great Lover of mankind, the Repairer of our ruines, the Reſtorer of our happineſs, our mighty Deliverer from all our Enemies, and the inexhauſtible Fountain of life and all other good things, which thou every where diſpenſedſt to them.

How ought all our hearts now to overflow with love to thee, the bleſſings of whoſe goodneſs ſo overflowed in all places, that none can tell the number of them? Eſpecially when we remember how by the mighty working of the ſame Spirit which glorified thee ſo on Earth; thou art raiſed from the dead, carried to Heaven, ſet at the right hand of God, and made the King of glory. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the ſovereign Balſam of all our wounds. This is our ſolace and comfort in the greateſt troubles. This raiſes our Spirits when they p. 475are oppreſſed, and gives us life in death it ſelf. Be thou honoured and acknowledged by me and by all mankind, with the humbleſt, the moſt hearty and affectionate devotion to thy ſervice. Be thou ever praiſed, as much as thou waſt reproached and blaſphemed. Let thy Name be ſweet, and mentioned with delight and joy throughout all the World. Live, O bleſſed Jeſus, in the glory wherein thou art inthroned. Sit and reign there, till all thine Enemies become thy foot-stool. For among the Gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord: neither are there any works like unto thy works. All Nations whom thou haſt made ſhall come and worſhip before thee, O Lord; and ſhall glorifie thy Name. For thou art great, and haſt done wondrous things: Thou art Lord alone.

O give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and ſtrength. Aſcribe unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: O worſhip him in the beauty of holineſs. Say among the Heathen, the Lord reigneth: who was dead, but is alive again, and liveth for evermore. O ſing unto the Lord a new ſong, ſing unto the Lord all the Earth. Yea, ſing unto the Lord a new ſong, and worſhip p. 476him all ye Gods. For thou Lord art high above all the Earth, thou art exalted far above all Gods.

Bleſſed is the people that know this joyful ſound: they ſhall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name ſhall they rejoyce all the day; and in thy righteouſneſs ſhall they be exalted. For thou art the glory of their ſtrength, and by thy favour ſhall we be highly honoured. For thou haſt a mighty arm, ſtrong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. I know that thou canſt do every thing, and that no thought of thine can be hindred. Thou canſt break the chains of death, and raiſe our duſt and aſhes to immortal life. Thou canſt tread Satan under our feet, and ſend thy Angels for our ſecurity and defence. By thee we ſhall run through the greateſt dangers, and ſurmount all the difficulties that are in our way to thee. Who ſhall ſeparate us from thy love, O Chriſt: who diedſt for us, yea rather art riſen again, who art even at the right hand of God, who alſo makeſt interceſſion for us? O live thou for ever in my mind and heart: and be the daily delightful ſubject of my thoughts. Direct and guide me in all my ways: and lead me ſafe unto thy ſelf. Still let my meditations of p. 477thee be ſweet: and my joy exceeding great in thy ſalvation. Still fix mine eyes on things above, where thou art at Gods right hand. Lord, still increaſe my Faith, that it growing in strength may work by a more vigorous love. Let me feel the power of thy holy Spirit perpetually in my heart: that being led by the Spirit, and mortifying thereby the deeds of the body; He that raiſed thee up from the dead, may alſo quicken my mortal body, by his Spirit that dwelleth in me: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that wrought ſuch wonders, unto him be glory in the Church by Chriſt Jeſus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.