and out-shone by him and all the Philosophy that ever succeeded him hath been forced to derive and borrow Light from him And accordingly we find his Gospel in which his Doctrines are contained stiled by the Name of the glorious Gospel 2 Cor. 4. 4. which in Comparison with those dark and confused Discoveries which the World had formerly made the Apostle resembles to the first breaking forth of the Light out of the rude and obscure Chaos 2 Cor. 4. 6. For God saith he who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined into our Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Iesus Christ where by the Face of-Iesus Christ the Apostle seems plainly to allude to that Divine Glory and Luster with which Moses's Face shone when he came down from seeing the Glory of God Exod. 33. 29. So that his Meaning is this that as the Children of Israel with their bodily Eyes saw the Glory of God shining upon the Face of Moses so they the Disciples and Apostles of our Saviour had far more clearly beheld with the Eyes of their Minds the Divine Glory displayed in his Doctrine and Ministry 4thly And lastly This Glory of the Eternal Word which they saw consisted also in the incomparable Sanctity and Purity of his Life semblably to that Expression of his glorious Presence in the Old Tabernacle viz. the sensible Significations he gave of the immaculate Purity and Holiness of his Nature For by those outward Cleansings of all Things and Persons that did any ways belong to the Tabernacle or did at any time approach it he did openly represent and signify the Purity and Sanctity of his own Nature which being infinitely separated from all manner of Impurity and Vncleanness cannot endure that any thing that is filthy or impure should approach it For thus we read that the Tabernacle it self and all the Vtensils of it were to be purified and sanctified with Oyl before the Entrance of the Shechinah or Divine Presence So also the High Priest the Priests and the People were to be cleansed and purified before they were suffered to approach the Holy Habitation and if at any time they had contracted any of those legal Uncleannesses that are specified in the Law of Moses they were to be excluded from the Communion of the Congregation and from all the Exercises of Publick Worship and Devotion till they were cleansed and purified again The Intent of all which was to signify to that People how irreconcilable his Nature was to all Impurity and Wickedness that it could not admit of the Neighbourhood of any Evil nor dwell within any Lines of Communication with it for this is expressed in the very Reason why these Legal Purifications are so strictly required For I the Lord your God am holy Levit. 19. 2. For I the Lord which sanctify you am holy Levit. 21. 8. Plainly intimating that the Intent and Reason of all those Ceremonial Purifications was to signify to that dull and stupid People the immaculate Holiness and Purity of his own Nature which is so infinitely removed from any thing that is impure and unholy that he could neither communicate with nor endure the Approaches of it And in this 't is evident he placed a great Part of the Glory of his Majestatical Presence in the Tabernacle since a great part of that Religion which he there instituted was intended to signify the Glory of his Holiness to them and accordingly he is described to be glorious in Holiness Exod. 15. 11. And agreeably hereunto did the Eternal Word when he tabernacled in our Natures signify to the World the unspotted Purity of his Nature by that incomparable Example of Holiness which he gave in his Life and Conversation among us For whereas before he express'd his Holiness by Mystical Types and Ceremonial Observances he hath now signified it by a Life full of Virtue and Goodness and a Conversation exactly conformable to the eternal Rules of Righteousness For as a Creature in respect of his Humanity he never failed in the least Punctilio of that Duty Homage and Devotion which he owed to the most High God his Creator as a Man he never swerved either in his Passions or Appetites from the strictest Rules of Sobriety and Temperance as a Member of Humane Society he never was guilty of an unrighteous Action either towards his Superiors Inferiors or Equals but all his Life was a walking Monument of Goodness and his whole Conversation a most perfect Transcript of those Divine and Heavenly Laws which he gave to the World So that he was all glorious without as well as within his Practice being a living Comment and Paraphrase upon that immaculate Purity and Holiness which is the Glory of his Divine Nature This therefore was doubtless a Part of that Glory which the Apostles beheld in the Eternal Word even that immaculate Sanctity and Holiness of which he gave so many glorious Significations in the whole Course of his Conversation And accordingly we find this his Purity and Holiness described by the Name of the Glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. But we all with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord Where it 's plain that by the Glory of the Lord must be meant his Holiness because it is into the Image of that that we are transformed So that the meaning of the Words is this we all beholding the Holiness of Christ which is his Glory in the Glass of his Doctrine and incomparable Example are transformed into the Likeness of it and do gradually pass on from one Degree of this Glory of his Holiness to another under the Conduct and Assistance of the Spirit of Christ. And so I have done with the first thing proposed which was to shew you what that Glory of Christ was which the Apostle here tells us they beheld 2. I now proceed to the second Branch of my Discourse which was to shew you that this was the Glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father But before we proceed to the Proof of it it will be necessary to explain this Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Glory as of the only begotten Son Which Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as is in Scripture taken two Ways sometimes as a Note of Similitude or Comparison so Mat. 6. 10 Thy Will be done in Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in Heaven that is like as it is in Heaven and if we take it in this Sense then the Meaning of the Words must be this And we beheld his Glory which was like unto the Glory of the only begotten Son of the Father that is like unto that Glory in which the only begotten Son was wont to appear when he dwelt in the Tabernacle and conversed with the ancient Patriarchs And in this Sense I have
over them and therefore here he appears in that visible Glory which was always the Character of the divine King and immediate Representative of God to that People And indeed if that be true which Iosephus tells us this Mountain was looked upon as the Habitation of God long before ever Moses came thither for therefore says Iosephus did Moses drive his Father Iethro's Flock thither to feed because of all other Places it most abounded with Pasture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is because it was famed that God dwelt there which was the Reason that the Shepherds never durst to drive their Flocks thither because of the Sacredness of the Place And if this Report were true then it seems this Mountain was the Seat of the Royal Residence of the Eternal Word before ever Moses came thither and consequently the Glory and Brightness in which Moses saw him appear was nothing but the Display of his Majestick Presence which did there make its ordinary Abode But whether that be true or false it 's most plain and apparent that wheresoever he appeared as the King of Israel or Representative of God to them he always clothed himself in a visible Glory and Splendor Thus he appeared to them in a Pillar of Fire that is in a most bright and luminous Form when he conducted them thro' the Red-Sea and the Wilderness and when he came down upon Mount Sinai to give the Law to them it 's said that the Glory in which they beheld him was like devouring fire Exod. 24. 17. that is it was unspeakably bright and refulgent even like that of a most intense and vehement Fire and in all this radiant Glory did he display himself from between the Cherubims when he removed from the Mountain and chose the Tabernacle for the Seat of his future Residence and Royal Abode Thus wheresoever he appeared in his Kingly Majesty as the publick Representative of his Father this visible Glory is always made mention of as that which was the peculiar Character of his Presence and Person 'T is true 't is recorded of Moses that when he came down from the Vision upon the Mount his Face shone so brightly that the Israelites were not able to approach him which seems to argue that this visible Glory was not so peculiar to the Eternal Words as his Father 's Representative as we would have it since we plainly see it was common to Moses with him But this doth no ways destroy our Assertion because it 's plain that that Glory which covered the Face of Moses was all derived from the Glory of the Eternal Word with whom for forty Days he had conversed in the Mount For Moses being sent down as an Apostle to the Iews to promulgate those Laws to them which he had received upon the Mount the Eternal Word to convince the unbelieving Iews that he had sent him reflects upon his Face some Rays of Glory from that Sphere of Light in which he appeared to and conversed with him that that might be an ocular Demonstration to them that Moses came from him and was commissioned by him to preach and promulgate his Laws to them So that Moses his Glory being derived from the Word declared him to be his Apostle and Minister even as the Glory of the Word being derived from the Father declared him to be his Representative and Vice-Roy so that from its shining upon the Face of Moses it by no means follows that this visible Glory is not the peculiar Character of God's immediate Representative because that which shone upon his Face was only the Parhelius or Reflection of the visible Glory of him who was God's immediate Representative For so the Earth also is said to shine with the Glory of the God of Israel Ezek. 43. 2. and as the Glory with which it shone was not the Glory of the Earth but the Glory of the God of Israel so neither was that Glory upon the Face of Moses the Glory of Moses but the Glory of that divine Person with whom he had conversed derived to and reflected upon him and it being still the proper Glory of that divine Person may very well be said to be the peculiar Character of his being the immediate Representative of God notwithstanding it reflected from him upon Moses especially considering that this reflected Glory upon Moses his Face was to be an Evidence to the Iews that he came down to them as an Apostle from the Eternal Word with Authority to publish and declare his Laws to them For if this derivative Splendor was an Evidence that Moses came down as an Apostle from that divine Person on the Mount then the original Splendor of that divine Person whence it was derived and reflected was at least an equal Evidence that he came down upon the Mount as the Apostle and immediate Representative of the most High God himself And in the same manner we find that the Word Incarnate did give Evidence to the Commission of his Christian Apostles for upon the Day of Pentecost when they were assembled together it is said that there appeared unto them cloven Tongues like as of fire and sat upon every one of them Acts 2. 3. that is there were several Flashes or Beams of Glory which like bright Flames of Fire did cleave asunder in many Places according to the natural Motion of Flames of which every Part as it extends it self in Length grows more Spire-like or Pyremidal and so divides from the Part next to it and upon the Head of every one of the Apostles did one of these divided Flames of Glory rest in the Form of a Tongue which like a Flame grows sharper and sharper towards the Top For thus the Hebrew Idiom for a Flame of Fire uses the Tongue of Fire because of the Resemblance that is between them Isa. 5. 24. So that as the Eternal Word did evidence to the Iews the Apostleship of Moses by that visible Glory which he reflected on his Face so did the Word Incarnate evidence to the Christian Church the Apostleship of the Twelve by this visible Glory which he derived upon them For now according to Iohn the Baptist's Prediction of him he baptized them with the Holy Ghost and with Fire Luke 3. 16. that is by the outward Sign of that visible Glory which rested like Fire upon them he solemnly initiated them into their Apostleship and declared them to be the Heralds of his Will to the World And as this visible Glory with which he baptized them was an Evidence of their being sent from and commissionated by him to bear his Authority and represent his Person so that visible Glory with which he was baptized from Heaven first in the River Iordan and afterwards upon Mount Tabor was an undoubted Evidence that he was sent from above to be his Father's Representative in the Church For if their shining with his Glory was an Evidence of their being invested with his Authority then his shining with
Chaldee Paraphrase stiles the Word of God and therefore those Words of God to Ioshua Ios. 1. 5. As I was with Moses so I will be with thee the Paraphrase renders thus As my Word was assisting to Moses so it shall be assisting to thee And 't is the Observation of the Learned Masius that generally where the Hebrew Text speaks of God either conversing with Men or managing their Affairs that Paraphrase instead of God uses this Phrase the Word of God From whence it is evident that it was the received Doctrine of the Iews that God was always present with Mankind by his Eternal Word which is therefore the more considerable because it so exactly agrees with the Doctrine of the Primitive Fathers For so Tertullian Christus semper egit in Dei Patris nomine ipse ab initio conversatus est cum Patriarchis Prophetis And in his Book against Praxian he tells us That from Adam to the Patriarchs and Prophets Christ always descended to discourse with Men and that that God who conversed upon Earth with Men was no other than that Eternal Word that was to be made Flesh. And the same Thing is strenuously asserted also by Iustin Martyr in his Discourses with Trypho the Iew. Nor can I see any Reason why he should not be the Angel of God's Presence since elsewhere he is expresly called the Angel of that Covenant by which God hath oblig'd himself to be present with his Church for ever Mal. 3. 1. And the New Testament so often declares him to be the Image and Character and Representative of God and himself tells Philip that he did so perfectly represent the Father that whosoever had seen him had seen the Father Ioh. 14. 9. And if this be so as it seems highly probable that The Word was the Angel of God's Presence that is the Chief or Prince of those Angels that represented God in the World then it will follow that the Shechinah or Majestick Presence of God consisted in a glorious and visible Appearance of the Word with a Troop of blessed Angels attending him in bright and luminous Forms And this I conceive was the glorious Presence of God which came down first upon Mount Sinai and afterwards removed into the Tabernacle and abode between the two Cherubims And this I am rather induced to believe because I find the Descent of God's Presence upon Mount Sinai is described in the same manner as Christ's coming to Judgment for so Matth. 16. 27. it is said that he shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels and St. Iude tells us that he shall come with his holy Myriads or Ten Thousands v. 14. for so it ought to be render'd And the Lord in the same manner is said to come from Sinai with his holy Ten Thousands or Myriads for so it is in the Hebrew Deut. 33. 2. And since they are both described in the same manner it seems to follow that they were both the same Majestick Presence of God even the Eternal Word assuming a glorious Form and attended with Myriads of bright and shining Angels And this same Presence it was that was afterwards displayed in the Tabernacle which was said to be filled with the Glory of the Lord which shone from between the Cherubims with a bright and visible Splendour that is with the illustrious Appearances of the Eternal Word and those glorious Angels that attended him And upon that Mount and in that Tabernacle did this blessed Word represent his Father even as the Vice-Roy doth the Sovereign Prince for there in his Father's Person and by his Authority he gave forth his Laws and Oracles to the Seed of Abraham and as the Vice-gerent of the most High God governed the House of Israel and distributed to them Rewards and Punishments according as they behaved themselves towards him For upon all the fore-named Reasons it seems highly probable that he was the Lord who spoke to Moses and from between the Cherubims and that thence delivered the Law to him So that as he was the Shechinah or glorious Presence of the most High God in the Tabernacle he did there represent his Person by bearing his Authority and ruling the House of Israel as his Substitute and Vice-Roy And that the Words of my Text do refer to this glorious Appearance of the Word in the Tabernacle and to his representing of the most High God there is very evident in that it is not only said that he tabernacled among them which evidently alludes to his dwelling in the old Tabernacle but that they saw his Glory too which is a plain Allusion to that Glory of his which filled the Tabernacle So that the Meaning of these Words He dwelt among us seems to be this that as Christ who is the Eternal Word was the Shechinah the Divine Presence or Angel of God's Presence which in the Tabernacle of old represented the most High to the Iews so he also abode or tabernacled in our Flesh as the Representative of his Father to Mankind In the Tabernacle of our Flesh he displayed the Glory of his Father to us he openly manifested and represented him to the World even as of old he was wont to do in the Tabernacle of Moses For for The Word to Tabernacle among us must necessarily signify more than barely to dwell or live among us for it must signify to dwell as the Shechinah in the Tabernacle that is as the most glorious Presence or Representative of the most High God as one that was vested with the Divine Authority and that was the Vice-gerent of the Father of all things So that He dwelt among us seems to signify the same with He reigned among us in his Father's stead as one who bore his Authority and represented his Person and to whom for the future we were to pay the same Homage and Reverence that we were bound to render to the most High himself who under himself hath authorized him to be our Prince and Governour to declare his Divine Will to us and exact our Obedience thereunto by rewarding and punishing us according to the Tenour of those Laws which he hath established in his blessed Gospel for this is plainly implied in his Shechanizing or Tabernacling viz. his being the glorious Representative of God in the World He tabernacled among us that is he acted in God's stead as one that represented his Father and this he did in our Flesh in a far more glorious manner than ever he did in the Mosaic Tabernacle For in our Flesh and Nature he tabernacled full of Grace and Truth which brings me to the next Enquiry viz. 2. What is here meant by his dwelling among us full of Grace and Truth By these two Phrases the Design of the holy Penman is doubtless to distinguish the Manner of his dwelling among us from that of his dwelling among the Iews in the Tabernacle For a little after he uses the same Phrases in Contradistinction to the Law of
handling of which I shall do these two Things 1. Explain to you what this Glory of the Word was which the Apostle tells us they beheld 2. Shew you that it was the Glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father 1. What was that Glory of the Word which the Apostle tells us they beheld I answer in general By this Glory here must be understood something that is resemblant to the Glory of his dwelling in the Tabernacle because as I have already shewed you the Apostle seems plainly to refer to it in that he doth not only tell us that the Word tabernacled among us which alludes to his Tabernacling among the Iews but he also tells us that they saw his Glory which alludes to that Glory of the Lord which the Iews beheld in that ancient Tabernacle Since therefore the Apostle mentions this Glory of the Word Incarnate by way of Allusion to the Glory of his Divine Presence in the Tabernacle it must necessarily bear some Resemblance or Proportion to it because else it would be no proper Allusion The best Way therefore for us to discover what this Glory of Christ was which they beheld is to consider wherein the Glory of the Divine Presence in the Tabernacle did chiefly discover it self and that you shall find was in these four Things First In a bright and luminous Appearance Secondly In exerting of an extraordinary Power Thirdly In giving Laws and Oracles Fourthly In sensible Significations of its own immaculate Sanctity and Purity And in Proportion and Correspondence to these the Glory of the Word Incarnate also must consist in these four Things 1st In the visible Splendor and Brightness with which his Person was arrayed at his Baptism and more especially at his Transfiguration 2 dly In those great and stupendous Miracles that he wrought in the Course of his Ministry 3dly In the incomparable Purity and Goodness of his Life 4thly In the surpassing Excellency and Divinity of his Doctrine 1st That Glory of the Word which St. Iohn and the Apostles beheld consisted in that visible Splendor and Brightness with which his Person was arrayed at his Baptism and more especially at his Transfiguration in Resemblance to that visible Splendor and Brightness in which he appeared in the Mosaick Tabernacle where it is frequently said that the Glory of the Lord abode and appeared as you may see Exod. 24. 16. 40. 34. Which Glory it 's evident discovered its self in an extraordinary visible Splendor that shone forth from between the Cherubims and diffused it self thence all over that sacred Habitation And accordingly in Ezek. 43. 2. it is said that the Glory of the God of Israel came from the Way of the East and the Earth shone with his Glory which denotes that it was extraordinary bright and luminous since the Earth shone with the very Reflection of it And in this same glorious Splendor was Christ arrayed first at his Baptism and afterwards at his Transfiguration For at his Baptism it is said that the Heavens were open'd unto him and that he saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove and lighting upon him Matth. 3. 16. where by the Holy Ghost's descending like a Dove it is not necessary we should understand his descending in the Shape or Form of a Dove but that in some glorious Form or Appearance he descended in the same manner as a Dove descends and therefore St. Luke expresses it thus And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily Shape like a Dove upon him Luke 3. 22. that is he descended in some very glorious and visible Appearance in the same Manner as Doves are wont to descend when they come down from the Skies and pitch upon the Earth But what that Shape was in which he appeared is not here expressed but that which seems to be most probable is this that the Holy Ghost assuming a Body of Light or surrounded as it were with a Guard of Angels appearing in luminous Forms came down from above just as a Dove with his Wings spread forth is observed to do and lighted upon our Saviour's Head and the Reason why I think so is this both because where-ever any mention is made of God's or the Holy Ghost's appearing in an indefinite Form it is always in a Body of Light and visible Splendor of which I have given you sundry Instances and also because it seems to have been a very early Tradition in the Church that it was in a very glorious Appearance of Light that the Holy Ghost came down upon our Saviour And therefore in the Gospel of the Nazarens as Grotius observes it 's said that upon the Holy Ghost's Descent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immediately a great Light shone round about the Place and Iustin Martyr speaking of our Saviour's Baptism saith expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there was a Fire lighted in the River Iordan that is the Water immediately after he was baptized in it seemed to be all on fire by the Reflection of that bright and flaming Appearance in which the Holy Ghost descended upon him so that while he wore this Crown of visible Light his Head as the Painters are wont to express it was circled round with the Rays of that Glory in which he was wont to appear from between the Cherubims And this Glory of his was questionless seen by many of the Apostles who were sundry of them Disciples to Iohn the Baptist and so many reasonably be supposed to be present at the Baptism of our Saviour And as for his Transfiguration upon Mount Tabor it is said that upon it his Face did shine as the Sun and that his Raiment was white as the Light or as St. Luke expresses it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is his Raiment was like the Whiteness of a Flash of Lightning Luke 9. 29. So that from Head to Foot he was all inrobed in a visible Glory and covered with all that Brightness and dazling Splendor in which he was wont to appear in the Tabernacle of Moses And accordingly you have mention made of a Cloud that over-shadowed the three Disciples whilst Iesus remained in his Transfiguration which is exactly agreeable with that Cloud that covered the Tabernacle of Moses whilst the Glory of the Lord filled it as you may see Exod. 40. 34. And that this glorious Transfiguration was a Part of that Glory of the Word which St. Iohn here says they beheld is evident because himself was one of the three Disciples that were Eye-Witnesses of this glorious Scene and it is expresly said of him and his Brethren that they saw his Glory and the two Men that stood with him Luke 9. 32. 2dly This Glory which they saw consisted in those great and stupendous Miracles that he wrought in the Course of his Ministry in Proportion to that extraordinary Power in which the Glory of the Divine Presence discovered it self in the Tabernacle of Moses For thus we find that it was from the Tabernacle
his Father's Glory must be an equal Evidence of his being invested with the Authority of his Father And as this visible Glory was always the peculiar Character of God's immediate Representative and the Royal Crown and Robes as it were with which the most High adorned him at his Inaguration and Investment with his own Kingly Authority so St. Peter expresly tells Cornelius and his Company that God had anointed him with the Holy Ghost and with Power Acts 10. 13. that is by that outward Sign of the visible Glory in which the Holy Ghost descended upon him he had invested him with Regal Power and deputed and declared him to be King of the Church And this in all probability was the Reason why he forbad his Disciples to declare his Transfiguration till after his Resurrection from the Dead Mark 9. 9. because he knew that if they did the Iews would not believe it but would maliciously interpret it to be a false Pretence of his to the Title of God's immediate Representative and Vice-Roy that visible Glory in which he appeared being the proper Character of that divine King by whom the most High God had formerly governed them and therefore in all the History of his Life you find he did industriously avoid openly to avow his Regal Authority and only insinuates it by Consequences and obscure Intimations For so violently were they prejudiced against his being their King upon the account of his obscure Parentage and mean Condition that he could not but foresee how unseasonable it would yet be publickly to own his Regal Authority and consequently the Glory of his Transfiguration which did so apparently infer it till by more miraculous Effects and particularly by his Resurrection from the Dead he had sufficiently proved and demonstrated it and then he openly declares without any Reserve that all Power was given him in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28. 18. Since therefore it is so apparent by this Characteristical Glory in which his Person was inrobed and which the Apostle assures us they saw him invested with we have all the Reason in the World to conclude that the most High God hath deputed him to be King and Lord of the Church For when the Apostle tells us that they saw this visible Glory which shone upon him at his Baptism and Transfiguration he doth as good as say that they saw all the Solemnity of his divine Coronation that they beheld the most High God circling his Brows with the Royal Diadem and investing his sacred Body with the Imperial Robes of the great King of the World So that if it be true what St. Iohn says that they did see this Glory as we have all the Reason in the World to conclude it is because he offered to seal his Testimony of it with his Blood and the other two that saw it with him actually did so then we cannot but acknowledge the blessed Iesus to be our King to whose divine Authority we are bound to pay the lowest Homage and Obedience and that whensoever we wilfully transgress his Laws we do openly rebel against our most rightful Sovereign to whose Service we are bound by all possible Ties and Obligations 2. They saw the Glory of that miraculous Power which he exerted in the Course of his Ministry from whence I infer the Credibility of the Christian Religion Foâ— the many stupendous Miracles that he wrought were a most plain and unquestionable Evidence of a Divine Power residing in him and accompanying his Ministry For never were there so many miraculous Effects produced either before or since in the World by the most renowned Workers of Miracles that ever were and all that hath been done by the most famous Magicians that are recorded in History were but like the little Tricks and Delusions of Iugglers compared with the wondrous Works of our Saviour and yet 't is apparent that his Education had been most plain and simple that he never had been instructed in any Mathematical Science or mystical Rites or in any other Art of performing Wonders either by Humane Wit or Diabolical Assistance but was bred up under the Care of his poor honest Parents who were forced to earn their Bread with the Sweat of their Brows and so in all Probability was trained up in his Father's Profession that so by his daily Labour he might be able to contribute to the Charge of his Maintenance And yet 't is plain this home-bred Person sometimes only by speaking of a Word sometimes meerly by the Touch of his Hand sometimes by a silent Virtue proceeding from him without any outward Sign intervening did more and far greater Wonders in three or four Years Time than all the most skilful Physicians Magicians and Mathematicians could ever do either before or after him Now how was it possible that ever such a Person should ever have accomplished such great and mighty Things as he did had he not been endued with Power from above And if he was endued with such a Power what greater Evidence can we desire of the Truth and Divinity of his Doctrine For it is not supposable that the God of Truth would have endued our Saviour with this miraculous Power had that Doctrine been false which he sought to confirm by it because in so doing he would have openly patronized a Cheat and designedly contributed to the Propagation of an Imposture which is utterly inconsistent with his Truth and Veracity So that now the Truth of Christianity finally resolves into the Veracity of God which is the Foundation of all the Certainty in the World For admitting that God can either deceive or be deceived we do not know but our Faculties may be constantly imposed upon and then there is nothing in Nature that we can be certain of So that if it be true as St. Iohn here testifies that they did see the Glory of our Saviour's Miracles that is a most undeniable Evidence of the Truth and Divinity of his Doctrine and that they did see it I think is as evident For it is not imaginable that any single Man would openly testifie a known Lye without some Temptation inducing him thereunto much less that so many Hundreds of Persons as the Eye-Witnesses of our Saviour's Miracles were should conspire to cheat the World not only when they had no Temptation to it but when they had all the Reason in the World against it for they saw their Master suffer a shameful Death before their Eyes by which they might easily divine what their own Fate would be if they persevered to preach up his Miracles and Doctrine which they could not resolve to do without bidding Adieu to all their temporal Hopes and ingaging themselves to undergo all the Miseries and Calamities in the World and if they testified what they knew to be false they transgressed the Rule of their own Religion and thereby forfeited all their Hopes of a blessed Immortality in the Life to come And can it be imagined that so many Men