the Messias and to be taken into the Common-wealth of Israel which because it could not be unless they forsook their Idolatry we find the Prophets foretell also that they should put away their Idols Thus the Prophet assures us And the Idols he shall utterly abolish In that day a man shall cast his Idols of Silver and his Idols of Gold which they have made each one for himself to worship to the Moles and to the Bats Isa 2.18 20. And another Prophet tells us It shall come to pass in that day saith the Lord of Hosts that I will cut off the names of the Idols out of the Land and they shall be no more remembred Zech. 13.2 These are very plain words as can be So that it must be in the days of the Messias that the Gentiles should no longer be strangers and aliens from the covenant of grace This difference between Jew and Gentile is now to be removed God will not onely be known in Judah but among all the Families of the earth We find Philo the Jew speaking of God's governing the Universe discoursing to the same purpose Philo Jud. de Agricultura He tells that God rules his creatures according to right and law as a Shepherd and a King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. Setting over them his right Word his first begotten Son who as his Substitute or Vice-gerent of him the great King shall take upon him the care of this holy Flock For it is somewhere said behold I will send my Angel c. Exod. 23.20 That these prophecies were in great measure fulfilled in our Jesus I say in great measure For I cannot but hope that there are still many prophecies relating to the Kingdom of the Messias in this world in great measure to be fulfilled Now if these prophecies are already in great measure fulfilled then is this Jesus the Christ That they were in great measure fulfilled is very evident For though Jesus himself lived and died in Jewry yet did not his Doctrine stay there There he lived indeed but yet in Galilee of the Gentiles not far off from the poor Gentiles whom he came to save also He tells the Jews no less I saith he if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me Joh. 12.32 That is after his death his Doctrine should greatly prevail upon the world so that all men should come after him And thus we find after his death and Resurrection he gives his disciples commission to go and teach all nations Mat. 28.19 or as it is in St. Mark go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature Mark 16.15 And to that purpose they have the gift of tongues bestowed on them that so they might be able to teach all nations as their Lord had commanded them Act. 2. Now we shall soon find the Gospel preached to the Gentiles we read of the Ethyopian Treasurer and Cornelius the Centurion baptized into the Christian faith But what shall I need speak of them when St. Paul is made a preacher to the Gentiles who tells us of the fruit of his preaching also viz. the obedience of the Gentiles Rom. 15.18 In so much that he is able to say that the Gospel was preached to every creature which is under Heaven Col. 1.23 And his success is so great that the Idolatrous Gentiles turned from Idols to serve the living and true God 1 Thes 1.9 Tertullian tells us in his time Tertull. Apolog. c. 37. those early days of Christianty how far Christianity had prevailed Externisumus vestra omnia implevimus urbes insulas castella municipia conciliabula castra ipsa tribus decurias palatium senatum forum Sola vobis relinquimus templa Cui bello non idonei non prompti fuissemus etiam impares copiis qui tam libenter trucidamur Si non apud istam disciplinam magis occidi liceret quà m occidere Nay the mouths of the Oracles are now stopped which made so great a wonderment in the Gentile world The head of the Serpent that so long had deceived the nations is now broken by the seed of the Woman In a word those Cities and Provinces that lately were full of Idols and Superstition receive the Doctrine of Jesus and with it the worship of the onely true God Nay and 't is not long before we have Christian Kings also in the world So that the Religion of Jesus spreads it self over the world and rides triumphantly and in great conquest like the rider of the white Horse in the Apocalypse that went forth conquering and to conquer But I proceed to shew That this success of the Religion of Jesus is an unexceptionable proof that Jesus is the Christ Not that I would be thought to make success the measure of truth or affirm that the most prosperous cause is always the best For then the Religion of Mahomet would bid fair for the truth and the greatest outrages and rebellions would become innocent and good Success is no certain sign of a good cause and therefore not of the truth of a Religion unless it be such a success as all things considered must onely be imputed to the force of truth and a miraculous providence that makes it prosperous I shall shew then that the success of the Gospel was such as does necessarily infer that Jesus is the Christ and that the Religion which he preached and planted in the world did come from God where as we go along it will be easie for us to understand that Mahumetism can have no share in this argument now it will appear that Jesus is the Christ and also that the Gospel which he and his disciples preached comes from Heaven in a word that the Christian Religion is not onely true but the onely true Religion if we do but well consider its success and progress in the world Now this will appear 1. If we consider the first Authour and first preachers of this Religion and 2. The Doctrine it self and 3. The manner of its spreading in the World 1. For the first Authour or teacher of this Doctrine it was Jesus the Son of a Poor Virgin and the reputed Son of a Carpenter One would have thought him very unlikely to have done any great things He was one that was born in a stable at Bethlehem brought up in the obscure Countrey of Galilee set at nought by his Countrey-men and after many sufferings and calamities condemned to a Cross and hanged among thieves and malefactors where he gave up the Ghost after a short and painfull life He came into the world with no grandeur he made no noise in it and he left it by a death most ignominious and disgracefull And yet did his Doctrine spread and his Religion prevailed against all oppositions and threw down all superstitions and false Religions whatsoever This could not have been if Jesus had not been the Christ I will make use of the words of one of
the Messias shall come among them This is the natural and unforced sense of these words Now we know that forty years after the death of Jesus the Jews were overcome by the Romans their City and Temple burnt since which time they have been dispersed and scattered and are not at this day nor have they been for many ages any distinct Polity or Commonwealth Let them in this confute us if they can Let them tell us where their Nation dwells where it is that they are either a Kingdom or Republick or Body Politick Let them shew us their Sceptre their marks and ensigns of government and authority We know they are a scatter'd people that their City and Land are in the possessions of strangers and that they live under the laws and government of the several Countries in which they are The Prophet is more particular and precise in this affair Dan. 9. Gabriel informs that Prophet of the time of the Messias For there we shall not need to be beholden to the Jews to grant us that Gabriel speaks of the Messias for he calls him Messiah and Messiah the Prince His words to Daniel are these Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteoâ—sness and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy Know therefore and understand thâ—t from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks And threescore and two weeks the streets shall be built again and the wall even in troublous times And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself And the people of the Prince shall come and shall destroy the city and the sanctuary and the end thereof shall be with a floud and unto the end of the wars desolations are determined And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate even untill the consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate v. 24 25 26 27. That the time mentioned by Gabriel hath a particular reference to Christ must be granted it being express And then let men but compute the time and they will soon find that Gabriel's words give an account of a time that is long since past and that they are words that give such a description of time as must have its expiration about that time when our Jesus was in the flesh Another testimony we have from the Prophet Haggai chap. 2. It is well known that the second Temple came very much short of the glory of the first and yet there we find a promise that the glory of that second Temple should be greater than that of Solomon's which could not be otherwise true than that the Messias a greater than Soloman was to come into it and honour it with his presence Let us consider the words I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts The silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former saith the Lord of hosts and in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of hosts v. 7 8 9. The glory must be with reference to the Messias or upon some other account Upon other accounts this house was so far from exceeding the glory of the first Temple that the Jews mention several particulars in which this second Temple fell short of the first And therefore the promised glory must refer to the coming and presence of the Messias And thus we reade in Malachy chap. 3. The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to this temple even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts v. 1. It will appear by what hath been said that the time is lapsed long ago in which the Messias was to come For Daniel's weeks they are expired whatever Epocha we frame for their beginning And the people of the Jews have been vanquished and dispersed and their City and that very Temple into which the Messias was to come were committed to the flames above sixteen hundred years ago But then our Jesus lived when the Jews were a Polity and while they lived by their own laws and in their own land He went into that Temple which the Prophet mentions and did appear among the Jews before their Sceptre was departed and at an age and time when there was a great expectation of the Messias among the Jews and of some great person among the Gentile world That there was at that time when Jesus appeared a great expectation of the Messias among the Jews I have shewed already And I shall now observe farther still that there was even among the Heathens an expectation of some great person that should appear in that age in which our Jesus lived And of the truth of this we have very good testimonies from sundry Authours I shall not insist upon the predictions of the Sybils which were among the heathen people Thus much is certain that there was in that age a great expectation of some extraordinary person When Augustus in whose time our Saviour was born sent to the Oracle to know who should reign after him he received an answer to this purpose That an Hebrew Child had commanded him whom Augustus consulted off from his seat and remitted him to his sad doom and that therefore he should forbear making any farther addresses to him I will not lay any great stress upon this testimony There have been those that think that Virgil hath some passages that iusinuate the perfections of this person that was expected in that age Virg. Eclog 4. and that his words point at our Saviour however they were applied by him or others to the Son of Pollio And indeed there are some parts of his Poem that seem to look that way viz. Jam nova progenies coelo demittitur alto Te duce si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri Irrita perpetua solvent formidine terras But be all this as it will we have other testimonies from approved Authors among the Heathens of the truth of what I have said Sueton. in vita Vespasiani Suetonius tells in the life of Vespasian to this purpose of a great expectation of some eminent person from Judaea about that time that should come into the government and administration of affairs His words are these Percrebuerat oriente toto vetus constans opinio esse in fatis ut eo tempore Judaeâ profecti rerum potirentur This agrees very well with what I
office too mean for us in which we may do any good office to one another Here is enough to extinguish for ever all our ambition and pride and contempt of our poor Brother Nothing that we can do can be called a great condescension after this humiliation of the Son of God IV. Of resignation to the will of God This our Lord was the most conspicous mirrour and example of He was a man sin onely excepted like one of us sensible of hunger and thirst of pain and sorrow and these things pained his flesh as they do ours His soul was sorrowfull and very heavy His sweat was like drops of bloud great was his agony and his sorrow beyond expression He saw before his eyes a most painfull and a most shamefull death He is about to drink a most bitter cup. These things were grievous to his humane nature and therefore he prays that if it were possible this cup might pass from him but after all he submits himself to the will of God Not as I will but as thou wilt And how instructive is this to us We sinners may be ashamed to murmur when our Lord resigned himself Well may we submit under our little and deserved evils when he that was without fault resigned himself up to God Mat. 26.39 V. Of the greatest Charity to Mankind Greater love than this hath no man than that he lay down his life for his friend This is the highest flight of friendship and we have but a very few examples in our books of such a Degree of Charity Some few I'll grant have done this none have gone beyond this besides our Lord Jesus For he died for his Enemies and for the Ungodly This example should constrain us to do good to all even to evil men and to our greatest Enemies Rom. 5.6 VI. Of the greatest fortitude and the truest courage He bore witness to the truth with his bloud and was stedfast in the profession of it to his last breath The most sharp and shamefull death the most barbarous usage and treatment could not prevail upon him to deny the truth or to fall into an impotent passion and revenge himself He does in cold bloud chuse rather to dye the worst kind of death than to quit the profession of the truth or to destroy his Enemies This is indeed an argument of true greatness of mind We are much mistaken in our conceit about Valour or fortitude To Forgive an Enemy and to chuse to dye rather than to do an evil thing speaks a generous and a great mind and is a certain proof of Courage and true Fortitude But he is a man of a weak mind who will do an evil thing to save his life and revenge himself upon him that affronts him or does him wrong Revenge speaks a defect of wit and courage The meanest creatures they are who are peevish and waspish and prone to bite him that toucheth him Leniter qui saeviunt sapiunt magis Anger resteth it in the bosom of fools Non est magnus animus quem incurvat injuria They are but little and feeble folk that are ruffled by every injury or calumny The more impotent and weak any creature is the more easily provoked and nothing is a more certain sign of a narrow and mean soul than is revenge Quippe minuti Semper infirmi est animi exiguique voluptas Ultio continuò sic collige quòd Vindicta Nemo magìs gaudet quà m faemina c. Well so it was our Saviour shewed great Courage and resolution and hath given us therein a great example of Christian fortitude and resolution I shall now make some application of what hath been said I. What hath been said may serve to recommend to us a suffering condition which Christ hath sanctified by his own Sufferings When we suffer we are like the Author and finisher of our faith It becomes us not to be dismayed with our sufferings who profess a faith in a crucified Redeemer For by sufferings our Religion was planted by sufferings it grew up and prevailed in the World This was the way in which Jesus went before us into his glory And if we suffer with him we shall likewise be glorified together It is no little comfort to us to think that our Lord hath led us the same way and that he did overcome the world after this manner which is indeed the noblest conquest of it II. We may hence be exhorted to a frequent mediation of the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ Form what hath been said it appears plainly that we are nearly concerned in these things For Christ did not suffer upon his own account but upon ours and we are very much concerned in the benefits of his death 1. As we expect our pardon upon the account of his merit and satisfaction He was a sacrifice which made attonement and expiation for our crimes as he died for our Sins 2. As we hope for an eternal inheritance upon the account of the death of Christ who hath made way for us by his death and by death entered himself before into an eternal inheritance 3. As we are confirmed in the truth of his holy Religion by the Testimony of his bloud with which this new covenant between God and man was ratified and confirmed 4. As we are constrained by the glorious example he gave us in his sufferings to patience and charity and self-resignation c. of which he hath given us the most powerfull example III. We may hence be exhorted to a frequent and diligent partaking of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper which is appointed as a standing memorial of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ We ought not onely to embrace but welcome all these opportunities as those which lead us to the contemplation of Christ's death upon which our hopes to depend It is an unspeakable privilege that we are admitted to this favour And had we the due sense which we ought to have upon our minds of the love of God in giving us his Son and the love of our Lord in giving up himself to death for us and the unspeakable benefits which thence accrue to us we should need no words of persuasion no law or secular interest to invite us to the doing of that which is so plainly our duty and so much our interest to doe Our spiritual hunger and thirst are the onely safe and lasting principles as well as the acceptable ones from whence we ought to be moved If our souls be once possessed with an ardent love of God and our Blessed Saviour we shall not make excuses and shall be so far from that that it will not be an easie thing to stay away and nothing less than a violent detention will keep us back And thus I have from the sufferings of Jesus made it appear that he is the Christ Before I proceed to speak to the resurrection of Jesus I shall say something of his Burial Of the Messias it was foretold
inconsiderable employments attend upon and publish the Resurrection of Jesus and do also secure the empty Sepulchre from the Jews that they are not able to place another body in the room of that of Jesus which was risen Matt. 28.6 Luk. 24.2 with Joh. 20.12 3. We have a divine Testimony and that a most irrefragable one a Testimony greater than that of men and Angels Our Lord had promised the Holy Spirit who should be with respect to his disciples a Comforter and with respect to our Lord himself an Advocate to plead his cause and defend his innocence Now this promise is fulfilled and this holy Ghost did bear witness to the Resurrection of Jesus After Jesus was risen he breathed on his disciples and said receive ye the Holy Ghost and after his Ascension at the day of Pentecost we find the Holy Ghost more plentifully bestowed on his Disciples And from thence the Apostle argues against them who derided them as those who were full of new Wine that God had raised up Jesus who being exalted had shed forth this which they now saw and heard and afterwards concludes therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made the same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ The effusion of the Holy Ghost was a witness of the Resurrection of Jesus And this Testimony of the Holy Ghost was a divine one it was from Heaven St. Peter tells the Jews that God had raised up Jesus and exalted him at his right hand and says he we are witnesses of these things so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him Joh. 14.16 ch 16.7 8 9 10 11. ch 20.22 Act. 2.4 36 ch 5.32 4. Jesus did after his resurrection take away all cause of doubt concerning the truth of his Resurrection He gave sufficient proof that the very same body which was fastened to the Cross dyed there and was buried was raised again to life The Disciples were at first affrighted and supposed that they had seen a Spirit But our Saviour put them out of all doubt Behold says he my hands and my feet Handle me and see for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have He shews his hands and his feet And whereas at his first appearing to his Disciples Thomas was absent and did not believe that he was risen from the dead and said moreover except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hard into his side I will not beleive our Lord convinced this doubting Disciple and gives him the utmost evidence and assurance of the truth of his Resurrection Reach hither thy finger says Jesus to Thomas and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but beleiving upon which Thomas was convinced and forced to cry out my Lord and my God Our Lord gave his followers insallible proofs of his Resurrection in the space of forty days He are and drank with them exposed his body to their view and touch behold says he my hâ—nds and feet that it is my self and when after this they believed not for joy and wondred he took broiled fish and honey comb and did eat before them Greater assurance they were not capable of Luk. 24.37 39 40 41 42. Joh. 20.25 27 28. Act. 1.3.10.41 Luk. 24.39 40. 5. That the truth of the Resurrection of Jesus was abundantly confirmed by those who were the witnesses of it So it was and it was highly fit it should be so that there were a select number of men who were to be the witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus these were men whom God had appointed and set apart for this purpose and such who upon the account of their knowledge of Jesus and their readiness to part with all for the sake of the truth were sitted and disposed for this purpose Thus St. Peter tells us Him God raised up the third day and shewed him openly not to all the people but to witnesses chosen before of God even unto us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead The Apostles were now the witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus this they preach and testifie upon all occasions and this is their Character and their Office Act. 10.41 chap. 1.22 and ch 3.15 and chap. 4.2 33. ch 5.30 32. ch 10.30 31. ch 13.31 chap. 17.18 Now these witnesses did abundantly confirm the truth of this Doctrine which they preached every where both by signs and wonders which God wrought by their hands and by an exemplary and holy life And at last by laying down their lives in confirmation of their Doctrine Upon which account they were witnesses beyond all exception For we cannot beleive that men would part with their lives in Confirmation of a lye or that God would assist them to do miracles for so vile and base an end and purpose and they must be very profligate wretches who would affirm a matter of fact of which they had not good assurance The Resurrection of Jesus was a truth of the greatest moment and consequence whatsoever upon the truth of this our hope and all our Religion does depend It was fit that this truth should be sufficiently attested by persons of undoubted credit The death of Christ was publick the whole multitude were witnesses of his Crucifixion But they were not vouchsafed the honour of being the witnesses of his Resurrection the truth of his Resurrection was too valuable to be concredited to an unconstant and malicious rabble And therefore God who raised up Jesus and shewed him openly or gave him to be made manifest as the Greek hath it did not do it to all the people but to certain select and chosen witnesses These men who conversed with him before his death and after his Resurrection who had known his life and heard his Sermons and been taught by him before that he must dye and rise again these men who had power to confirm this truth with Miracles and were prepared to confirm it with their bloud and did persist in it to their last breath were witnesses indeed beyond all manner of exception I say beyond all exception for there can be no reasonable exception brought against them And if we will give our selves the leisure to consider the thing before us with due application we shall find no cause to except For if there were any such thing it must be because of the thing it self or matter of fact which is attested or the persons who do report it For the thing it self viz. that God raised up Jesus there lies no shadow of reasonable exception against it For that a man should be raised from the dead implyes no contradiction either moral or natural He that beleives that God made the World cannot think it impossible to him to raise a dead man to life again Multò minus
A DEMONSTRATION OF THE MESSIAS In which the truth of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION is proved especially against The Jews PART I. By Richard Kidder AUGUSTIN Epistol VOLUSIANO Venit Christus complentur in ejus Ortu Vita Dictis Factis Passionibus Morte Resurrectione Ascensione omnia Praeconia Prophetarum LONDON Printed by J. Heptinstall for B. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons against the Royal Exchange in Cornhill MDCLXXXIV To the Right Reverend Father in God Henry Lord Bishop of London one of the Lords of His MAJESTY's most honourable Privy Council My LORD THE following Discourse such as it is I do with all humility present to your Lordship The argument it treats of commends it self and challengeth regard from all the Disciples of Jesus The design of it is to prove our Jesus to be the Messias This is a truth of the greatest moment and as such was much insisted upon by the first preachers of the Christian Religion and deservedly placed in our ancient Creed in the head of the other Articles of our Christian faith and next after the Article in which we own the belief of a God And whatever defects there may be found in the following Tract yet as I am certain that I have chosen a most excellent Subject so I have pursued it with a sincere and honest intention If any should find fault with this well-meant Discourse and condemn me even for that for which I am not able so much as to accuse my self it shall be so far from creating me any trouble that it will not surprize me as any thing that is new and strange is wont to do Whatever my mistake or my faults may be I shall be so far from being pertinacious in either of them that no man shall be more welcome to me than he who shall assist me in discharging me from them Nor do I desire to live any longer in this world than whiles I am disposed both to find the truth and to follow it I think my self more especially obliged to give your Lordship an account how I spend my time And that consideration moved me to prefix your Lordship's name to this following Discourse But that was not the onely motive which induced me to it All that have the honour to know your Lirdship have great cause to bless God for you The Clergy of this great City are very sensible of their happiness They look upon your Lordship as a great Blessing and a good presage The Jews have a saying in their books that when the Shepherd is angry with the sheep he placeth over them a blind guide Those who are under your Lordship's care justly look upon you as bestowed upon them as a token for good they think themselves favoured greatly in your Lordship by the great Bishop and Shepherd of their Souls I was willing to take this opportunity of testifying my most unfeigned thankfulness to God for your Lordship That God would long preserve your Lordship and assist and prosper your endeavours for the good of his Church that he would pour upon you the blessings of this life and preserve you to the unspeakable glory of the next is the most hearty Prayer of My LORD Your Lordship 's most dutifull and obedient Servant Richard Kidder THE PREFACE IT is said of our blessed Saviour upon his healing a withered hand when the Jews watched him whether he would heal on the Sabbath-day that they might accuse him that he looked round about on them with anger being grieved for the hardness of their hearts Mark 3. v. 5. He looked on them with anger and with compassion at the same time Thus have all the sincere Disciples of Jesus been affected towards that people ever since our Saviour's time and very fit it is that they should imitate their great Lord and Master He that loves his Lord and his holy Religion cannot but be moved with some degree of anger when he considers how that people persecuted Jesus and his followers and have ever shewed an unplacable hatred against the incomparable Religion which they planted in the world They do in their books which we have in our hands reproach our Blessed Saviour and with great bitterness disparage and calumniate those holy writers which give us an account of our Saviour's birth of his life and Doctrine and these practices of theirs have been an occasion of many evils which have befallen them and have drawn upon them the anger of the Christian States or Kingdoms where they have lived Nor is it strange at all that Christians should be moved with some degree of indignation against those men who Scoff at that Jesus whom they worship But how excusable soever this indignation be yet it ought to be attended with pity and compassion This we may learn from the example of Jesus who was grieved for the hardness of their heart and did to the last breath pray for these men who had no pity or compassion upon him And the Apostle of the Gentiles who had been greatly persecuted by the Jews was so far from being unconcerned for them that he most solemnly professeth that he had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart upon their account And so great was his charity that he could wish himself accursed from Christ for their sakes Rom. 9.1 2 3. And whatever opinion Christians may have entertained concerning the conversion of the nation of the Jews it must be granted that it is our duty to doe all we can toward the gaining so good an end And whatever is done to this purpose by any Christian States or particular Persons however it may miss of its desired effect will not fail of a reward It is very well known where the Jews are obliged to hear the Sermons or Lectures of the Christians And there are those charitable persons in the Church who would much rejoice to find them under the same obligation in other States and Christian Kingdoms also A lecture for this very end and purpose might have good effects For though it be not effectual where it is used yet it is no hard thing to assign very considerable reasons how that comes to pass Thus much is certain that if we would gain the Jews it will become us to doe all in our power to that purpose And though some men have other obligations yet every Christian is obliged in his dealings with them to use them with great humanity to trade with them with exact Justice and simplicity and to adorn our Religion by an exemplary life and conversation For the following discourse I am to acquaint the Reader that I do not send it abroad as a just Tract designed onely against the Jews Had this been my design I should have taken other Methods I intended the advantage of the Christian Reader also and hope that the younger among them may receive some benefit thereby It is our common Christianity which I here defend and I have attempted to explain some difficult places of the holy Writ which have
But if you say where are these Conquests of our Lord 's to be seen shew us the men that are thus redeemed from their crimes and follies I answer that there are and ever were such men in the World since the Gospel appeared But that their number is small is not from the Religion they profess but because it is not entertained It is because they are false Christians not because the Religion is not able to make them such If we would receive our Lord's precepts and beg his aids and use his assistances and helps we should find a mighty change in the minds of men Lactant. Institut l. 3. c. 26. One of the Ancients tells us that there were daily experiments in his time how far the Precepts of Religion did prevail upon the minds of men And I cannot but take notice of his words to this purpose Da mihi virum qui sit iracundus c. Give me a man says he that is given to wrath to evil speaking and who is unruly With a very few words of God I will render him tame as a sheep Give me one that is craving covetous tenacious I will render him liberal and bountifull Give me one that is fearfull of grief and death He shall soon despise crosses and flames and the torments of a Tyrant Give me one that is lustfull adulterous and gluttonous and you shall soon see him sober chast and continent Give me one that is cruel and bloud-thirsty and that fury shall soon be changed into an unfeigned Clemency Give me one that is unjust foolish and sinfull and he shall presently become just and prudent and inoffensive Thus did Religion doe in those times when it was considered and entertained Those deliverances under the law of Moses were more particular and restrained to the people of the Jews but our Jesus is the Saviour of Mankind He is the authour of eternal salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 And he that saves the World is preferrible to him that delivered the Israelites onely The time was when Religion and all the more eminent dignations and favours of God seemed to be inclosed and confined within the narrow compass of the land and people of the Jews There had God his Temple and dwelt among them to them he gave his responses from heaven There were his Prophets and they had his Law amongst them He had not dealt so with any nation and for his judgments they had not known them Psal 147.20 In Judah was God known His Name was great in Israel in Salem was his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Zion There brake he the arrows and the bow the shield and the sword and the battel Psal 76.1 And What one nation in the Earth was there like that people 2 Sam. 7.23 Among them he wrought his Wonders and the Gentiles were so far from being bettered by those Wonders that they were to their loss They were strangers to the Commonwealth and to the mercies of Israel Their land was the glorious land and the Valley of Vision when others sate in darkness Nay which is more still the Messiah was promised to them and to be of their seed The Apostle in sew but very comprehensive words reckons up their Prerogatives To whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises Whose are the fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9.4 The deliverances that were wrought by Moses and Joshua c. were for the sake of them and they were but the Saviours of the Israelites But our Lord is the Saviour of Mankind of the Gentile as well as Jew He is that light which lighteth every man that comes into the world That Sun of righteousness whose light and influence is not confined to any one nation or kindred but displays it self upon all the nations of the Earth The partition wall is taken down and the difference between man and man is taken away And whoever comes to our Jesus shall in no-wise be cast out Now all the faithfull are the children of Abraham And God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him Acts 10.34 Upon the birth of Jesus the Angel tells the shepherds Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people Luke 2.10 And the heavenly Host praised God and said Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men v. 14. Our Lord came not to save the Jews onely but all that believe And 't is worth our observing after what manner the love of God in sending his Son is expressed Not as confined to the Jews any longer but as reaching to the race of Mankind God so loved the world not the Jewish people onely that he gave his onely begotten Son c. John 3.16 After the same manner the Apostle speaks of this love of God After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared Tit. 3.4 Our Saviour is a light to lighten the Gentiles as well as the glory of the people of Israel Luke 2.32 Our Lord hath delivered Mankind Moses and Joshua delivered the Israelites onely Sampson dyed and by his death destroyed the enemies of the Hebrews Our Lord by his death destroyed the enemies of Mankind The Sacrifices of the Law at the most attoned for the whole Congregation of Israel But Christ gave himself a ransome for all 1 Tim. 2.6 He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole World 1 John 2.2 Our Lord tasted of death for every man Heb. 2.9 And would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2.4 And what the men of Dan said to Micha's Levite that it was better for him to be a Priest to a tribe than to be a Priest to one man is accommodable to my present purpose He is the great deliverer that rescues Mankind rather than one people And such an one is our Jesus the Saviour of the World By the Religion of Christ Jesus we may be justified and acquitted from that guilt which admitted no attonement from the law of Moses Though in the law of Moses several oblations were prescribed and allowed to expiate for sins of Ignorance yet there was no expiation allowed for him that sinned presumptuously but such a sinner was to be cut off from among God's people Numb 15.30 31. There were many sins of this high nature that the law was not furnished with an attonement for as may be seen Levit. 20. Among these wilfull murther was to be reckoned as a sin that admitted no sacrifice of attonement And to this sense are the words of the Psalmist understood when he prays to be delivered from bloud-guiltiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
And in that case the anointing of Solomon decided the difference Buxtorf Lexic Rabbin in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Priest that succeeded his Father was always anointed The high-Priesthood being not successive as the Kingdom of David was Rabboth fol. 176. The Kings of Israel were not anointed with the holy Oil. Jehu indeed was anointed but not with the holy Oil of Moses but with a certain Balsam Pesikta fol. 10. c. 1. Maimon H. Kele Hammikdash c. 1. Siphra fol. 17. c. 3. That during the second Temple the High Priests were not anointed the holy Oil having been hid and lost and that the sacerdotal garments served instead thereof That the Kings of the house of David were to be anointed by a fountain of water for which they ground themselves upon 1 King 1.38 and in the day time Lev. 6.20 Thus had the Jews under the law of Moses the shadow of good things to come but these excellent things which they had in type we have in substance The law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Joh. 1.17 Our blessed Saviour is both Prophet Priest and King He is the great Prophet who hath taught us the will of God Our great High Priest who made attonement for us and is entered into the Holy of Holies He is our King to rule and govern us and from him we expect the great and unspeakable blessing of eternal life And as the Priests and Kings of old were set apart to their offices and dignities by a certain Oil prescribed in the Law of Moses so was our Blessed Saviour by a better anointing of which that Oil was but a shadow namely by the Holy Ghost which did not onely design him and set him apart to these great and important offices but also enable him for the performance of them Thus the Apostle tells us that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power Act. 10.38 Now our Saviour was anointed with the Holy Ghost First at his Conception Thus the Angel tells the blessed Virgin The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Luk. 1.35 Secondly at his Baptism at the river Jordan Matt. 3.13 Mark 1.9 Now when all the people were baptized it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized and praying the heaven was opened And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him and a voice came from heaven which said Thou art my beloved Son in thee I am well pleased Luk. 3.21 22. Then did the Holy Ghost descend visibly upon Jesus and as of old as I said before anointing was used among the Jews as a sign of God's election and choice of the person anointed so was it now And for the greater assurance of it a voice came from Heaven saying Thou art my beloved Son c. Thus was Jesus declared to be chosen of God by the descent of the Holy Ghost And to this I may add the words of the Prophet to the same purpose Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I have put my spirit upon him c. Isa 42.1 And St. Luke tells presently upon the Baptism of Jesus that he being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan and was led by the spirit into the wilderness Luk. 4.1 And after he was tempted in the Wilderness he tells us that Jesus returned in the power of the spirit into Galilee ver 14. And when he was in the Synagogue at Nazareth he opened the book which was delivered him and found that place where 't was written The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor c. And said unto them This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears v. 21. Our blessed Saviour though he were sanctified from the Womb and was anointed by the Holy Ghost yet when he was baptized in Jordan and about thirty years of age he was again anointed by the same divine spirit more publickly and openly than before He was now entring on his great ministry and about to be tempted by the Devil and is now filled by the Holy Ghost and thereby enabled and prepared for that work which he was going about In a word he who was at his Conception anointed with the Holy Ghost was also at his Baptism Matt. 3.16 17. when he was entring upon his ministry not onely by a voice from heaven proclaimed the beloved Son of God but declared to be so by the descending of the spirit of God like a Dove Vid. Exod. 28.41 29.21 Lev. 8.12 with v. 30. See also Abravenel on Exod. 29.21 and lighting upon him It is observed of Aaron the first High Priest and type of the Messias that he was also twice anointed with the holy Oil. And for David who was a most eminent type of the Messias He is said to be twice anointed also Once at Bethlehem during the life of Saul by the hands of Samuel upon which it is said And the spirit of the Lord came upon 1 Sam. 16.13 David from that day forward After this he is said to have been anointed at Hebron by the men of Judah 2 Sam. 2.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodorer in 2 Reg. Quaest 8. I do grant and it cannot be denied that David was but once anointed with the holy Oil and that where it is said afterward that the men of Judah anointed him the meaning is onely this that they chose him and openly owned and acknowledged him for their King as appears by comparing 2 Sam. 2.4 with chap. 4.3 17. It is enough to my present purpose that David who was more privately anointed at Bethlehem was afterward so publickly owned and acknowledged to be the King that he is said again to have been anointed For in this he was eminently a type of our Lord Christ who was from his Conception anointed with the Holy Ghost and when he was upon his Baptism entring upon his administration was publickly declared to be the Son of God by a voice from heaven and by the descent of the Holy Ghost Among the Jewish Constitutions this was one That the Kings of the house of David were to be anointed by a fountain of water This was a tradition from their Elders grounded upon what we read of Solomon that when he was to be anointed King Zadok and Nathan and the rest that attended upon him brought him unto Gihon 1 King 1.38 This Gihon was a place of waters as appears 2 Chron. 32.30 Let this tradition be as old as you will suppose it came from Moses and was delivered from Mount Sinai as the Jews say their Oral law was so it came to pass that our Jesus the great King of the house of David was anointed by the waters
of Jordan when the Holy Ghost at his Baptism descended upon him 'T will be easie now to understand what Christ imports For that word denotes the offices of our blessed Saviour to which he was appointed by God and enabled to discharge by the Holy Ghost which was plentifully poured out upon him And as of old publick persons were set apart to their respective offices and dignities by being first anointed with a certain Oil prescribed for that purpose so was our Lord sanctified and fitted to teach and govern the Church of God to be the great mediatour between God and man and the redeemer of mankind by the Holy Ghost which he plentifully received Joh. 3.34 And he that confesses that Jesus is the Christ does thereby acknowledge him to be his Prophet Priest and King and is consequently obliged by virtue of that profession to obey his laws and give himself up to his government as well as to hope for pardon from his bloud God hath made it very plain that our Jesus is the Messias that was promised Who is a Liar says St. John but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ 1 Joh. 2.22 This was that great truth that the Jews opposed vehemently They agreed that if any man confessed him to be Christ he should be put out of the Synagogue What hath been said will be of use to the better understanding the words of St. John Ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things 1 Joh. 2.20 He puts Christians in mind of that affusion of the Holy Ghost which he calls the Vnction from the holy one which God hath bestowed on them according to Christ's promise This Holy Ghost did lead them into all truth and the plentiful effusion of this Spirit did bear a clear testimony that Jesus was the true Messias and that the doctrine which he taught came from God This Holy Spirit was the defence which those Christians had against being seduced As it follows These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is truth and is no lie and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him 1 Joh. 2.26 27. I shall onely add that from Christ we are all called Christians and that blessed name ought to influence our practice 'T is a great thing to be a Christian 'T is a dignity and honour to the greatest among us and the best of all our titles We may well glory in this blessed name and value it above all our other titles and properties But then we must remember what this name requires at our hands When we name the name of Christ we are obliged to depart from all iniquity Let us consider how well this name becomes us Are we like our blessed Saviour have we that unction from the holy one Does the spirit of Jesus dwell in us If that Holy Spirit be not in us ' we have a name to live and are dead we may fondly conceit what we please of our selves but if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 CHAP. II. The CONTENTS It is agreed between Jews and Christians I. That there was a Messias promised and II. That there was such a person as our Jesus and III. That there was at that time when Jesus lived a general expectation of the Messias That hence it was that there appeared so many Impostours about that time An account of some of them from Josephus Of the promises of the Messias and the gradual revealing of them A Passage in Maimon concerning the Afternoon-Prayer misrepresented by a late learned writer Several particulars relating to the Messias predicted THus having shewed what is meant by Jesus and what by Christ I come next to shew you that our Jesus whom the Jews crucified is the Christ or Messias And before I proceed to consider the several arguments that do confirm this truth I shall premise the following particulars First that there was a Messias promised in the old Testament is not onely affirmed by the Christians but granted by the Jews There is no dispute about this matter Secondly that there was such a person as Jesus that he lived at such a time as we say he did and died as the Gospels report is not denied by the Jews They often mention him in their writings though with scorn and disdain they speak of the time and manner of his death and the names of his Disciples and they are far from denying the matter of fact Thirdly that when Jesus did appear in the world there was a great expectation of the Messias among the Jews Thus we read of Simeon's waiting for the consolation of Israel Luk. 2.25 And that Simeon was no mean person he was the Son of Hillel the great and a man of great place among the Jews Again one Anna a Prophetess a devout and aged Widow who served God with fastings and prayers night and day spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem v. 38. The Woman of Samaria had heard of this fame and general expectation of the Messias among the Jews at that time and that he should be a great Prophet I know says she that Messias cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things Joh. 4. 25. Hence the Jews at that time being under a general expectation of the Messias were very prone to take others for him that did then appear And because John Baptist was a man of great vertue and fame and that was greatly followed by the people and that in the very time when the Messias was expected Casaubon Exercit. ad Apparat Baronii Annal. n. 5. they sent Priests and Levites to know who he was Joh. 1.19 That is to know whether or no he were the Messias as appears from what follows And he confessed and denied not but confessed I am not the Christ v. 20. And there have been those that have thought that Herod was by some taken for the Messias also by them who upon that score are called the Herodians in the Gospel I shall not need to dispute that so much is certain that the Jews did expect the Messias at that time And I shall afterwards shew what ground they had so to doe It shall be enough at present to add that as there was a general expectation of the Messias about that time so there were a great number of Impostours that took that occasion to delude the people and draw followers after them Gamaliel names two Theudas and Judas of Galilee Act. 5.36 37. Josephus gives us a farther account of these men He tells us that under the government of Fadus Antiqu. l. 20. c. 2. a certain Magician called Theudas perswaded a great number to follow him to the river Jordan pretending himself
was predicted was to doe stupendious works I Shall now pass on to the Life of Jesus and see whether that agree with what was predicted of the Messias And under this head I shall insist upon the following particulars First that the Messias was to be a Prophet like unto Moses To this purpose we read what God said unto Moses I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him Deut. 18.18 This promise is deservedly applied unto Jesus Act. 3.22 7.37 Maimonides lays it down as a rule Maimon fundam leg c. 10. Sect. 9. that the Prophet of whom another Prophet hath testified is to be presumed a Prophet and needs not to be examined And then this testimony of Moses their greatest Prophet must needs be very worthy of regard since it can belong to none as will appear afterwards so peculiarly as to our Blessed Saviour who made it appear that he was that Prophet which was promised in those words And we find our Saviour appealing to the writings of Moses when he preached the things concerning himself Luk. 24.27 44. And he lets the Jews know that the writings of Moses will condemn them Do not think says he that I will accuse you to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom ye trust For had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me But if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words Joh. 5.45 46 47. It is very evident that the Jews looked for a Prophet at that time Joh. 1.21 And the woman of Samaria intimates no less Joh. 4.25 And the Jews confess that he was of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world Joh. 6.14 And this general expectation of a Prophet at that time must be grounded upon the promise of God Juchasin fol. 14. for so it was as the Jewish writers confess that after the death of Haggai Zechary and Malachy Prophecy ceased And that it should revive again among them they had no ground to believe but what they had from the divine promise And these words Deut. 18. are a very express promise of it when Prophecy had ceased so long a time yet they are assured that God would raise them up a Prophet Now our Saviour was that Prophet And he gave great proofs that he was a Prophet He taught the will of God and spake as never man spake and did mightily exceed the Scribes in his discourses who were a sort of men that came the nearest to the Prophets Mat. 7.29 We find our Lord preaching his Sermon on the Mount Matt. 5. declaring the acceptable year of the Lord Luk. 4.19 He spake to the wonder of his hearers with great authority and assurance with a mighty power and great conviction And whereas the Prophets were wont to say Thus saith the Lord Our Saviour hath it I say unto you not like an ordinary Prophet but like the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls 1 Pet. 5.4 Heb. 13.20 1 Pet. 2.25 He farther shewed himself a Prophet as he foretold things to come And this he did frequently and the things came to pass and he appeared to be a true Prophet Thus he foretold the denial of Peter Matt. 26.75 the treachery of Judas Joh. 6.70 71. his own death and resurrection Matt. 16.21 Aye and after that the destruction of the Temple and the Jewish Nation with the calamities that should go before it Mat. 24. And the false Christs that should arise of which there have been considerable numbers from time to time He tells the Jews that though they did not receive him who came in his Father's name yet says he If another shall come in his own name him ye will receive Joh. 5.43 The poor Jews have wofully experimented the truth of those words of our Saviour having been imposed upon by Impostours from time to time to their great loss and mischief as I shall have occasion to shew more at large afterwards Thus did our Saviour make it appear that he was a true Prophet in that his predictions were answered by the event of things Maimon fundam leg c. 10. Sect. 2. And Maimonides himself lays this down as the test of a true Prophet that what he foretells comes to pass But he was not onely a Prophet but a Prophet like unto Moses also whose great Anti-type he was Moses is greatly magnified by the Jewish writers Maimon fund leg c. 7. and placed above the other Prophets And it is expresly said that there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face Deut. 34.10 And therefore it is a vain thing to look for this Prophet that was to be like unto Moses among the Prophets that succeeded Moses while the spirit of Prophecy continued in Israel But our blessed Saviour was like unto Moses in very many particulars If Moses were to be put to death as soon as he was born by the command of Pharaâ—h so was our Saviour by the command of Herod If he were forced to fly his countrey to save his life so was Jesus also If Moses fasted forty days and nights so did Jesus also If he were meek Jesus was meek and lowly in heart If Moses appeared when the Israelites were under the bondage of Egypt so did Jesus when they were under the Roman power If Moses gave his law from a Mountain our Saviour preached his Sermon on a Mount If Moses had his seventy Elders Jesus had his seventy Disciples If Moses were rejected and murmured at by his own people our Saviour came unto his own and his own received him not If Moses trampled on Pharaoh's Crown and despised the pleasures of his Court our Saviour refused to be made a King and despised all the glory of this world As the face of Moses did shine so did the face of Jesus Compare Ex. 34.35 with Matt. 17.2 And as Pharaoh designed the death of the males among the Hebrews that he might destroy the deliverer of that people so did Herod destroy them about Bethlehem As Moses returns into Egypt upon the death of those who sought his life so does Jesus into his Countrey upon the death of Herod But there are other things in which our Jesus was like unto Moses Viz. In his more clear and open converse with the divine Majesty Vid. Abravenel in legem fol. 417. col 3. Thus one of the Jewish writers tells us that Moses saw clearly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not parabolically and aenigmatically And God tells the Israelites thus If there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known to him in a vision and will speak unto him in a dream My servant Moses is not so with him will I speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches and the similitude of
preached unto them Matt. 11.4 5. He did such works as none could doe without the divine assistance and those very works also which the Messias was to doe according to the predictions of him when he came into the world But this argument requires a more particular consideration CHAP. V. The CONTENTS The works of Jesus Matt. 11.4 5. considered Of the miracles which Jesus did The vanity of the Jews in attempting to disparage them The opinion of Maimonides that the Messias would not work miracles considered and the Authâ—ur of Tractatus Theolog Polit. What a Miracle imports That the Messias was to work miracles proved against Maimonides That they are a good argument of the truth of a Doctrine That Jesus did work true miracles This proved at large THE words which I named before Matt. 11.4 5. deserve a farther consideration as they do very much confirm the truth which I am now insisting upon And to that purpose it will be well worth our while to consider the occasion of those words as well as the design of our Saviour in speaking them at that time We find that John Baptist the forerunner of our blessed Saviour who was himself confined to a prison sent two of his Disciples when he heard of the works of Christ to know whether or not he were the Messias who was to come or whether they were to expect some other Art thou he that should come or do we look for another v. 3. It is not to be supposed Hieron Epist Algasiae Quaest 1. that John Baptist was ignorant whether Jesus were the Christ or not for he knew him before this time and knew him to be the Messias also He had seen the spirit descend from heaven like a Dove and abiding on him He saw and bare record that he was the Son of God Joh. 1.32 34. He baptized Jesus in Jordan Matt. 3.15 And it is expresly said Joh. 3.24 that John was not cast yet into prison And we find him presently after those words testifying of Christ v. 28. John Baptist knew him well even before he baptized him Joh. 3.14 It could be no new thing to hear of the fame of Jesus he himself having foretold that his fame would spread Joh. 3.30 He had been questioned who he was and had confessed that he was not the Christ but his forerunner Joh. 1.20 23. And when he saw Jesus walking he called him the Lamb of God Joh. 1.36 From all which it is abundantly evident that John Baptist did not send to inform himself but upon the score and for the sake of his Disciples His Disciples wanted confirmation in that truth which their Master was well assured of There was among the Jews a fond expectation that their Messias would appear like a Temporal Prince Act. 1.6 and deliver the Jews from servitude and slavery they expected to be great men and no longer in bondage to any foreign power That their Messias should sight their battels and vanquish their enemies round about them Maimon H. Melach c. 11. This was the expectation of the Jews then and the later Jews have been of the same belief Now was John Baptist the forerunner of Christ in Prison and would shortly be beheaded there His Disciples might hereupon be tempted to doubt whether Jesus were the Christ or not for they that expected a temporal Prince would hardly believe that he would suffer his chief Minister and forerunner to be not onely detained in Prison but cut off by the hands of violence Hence John Baptist sends his Disciples when he himself was in Prison v. 2. He sends them when they most needed to be confirmed in the faith for the imprisonment and following death of their Master would be apt to make them question whether Jesus were the Messias or they not still to look for another It is likewise to be considered that John Baptist lays hold of the fittest opportunity of sending his Disciples for their greatest satisfaction His being in Prison implies that they needed a confirmation in the faith but then the tidings of the works which Christ did seems to be the occasion of sending the Disciples at a time when they were like to receive the utmost satisfaction which could be desired And no less seems to be implied in the second verse of this Chapter Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ he sent two of his disciples And for the message he sent them on it was of the greatest moment Art thou he which should come or do we look for another v. 3. i. e. Art thou the Messias that was promised to come among us or must we expect him to come still It is very usual to express the Messias by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that was to come For he was promised long before under this expression of one that should in due time come among them The Sceptre shall not depart from Judah untill Shiloh come Gen. 49.10 Again Be strong fear not behold your God will come Isa 35.4 Again Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Matt. 21.9 Joh. 12.13 Heb. 10.37 And agreeably hereunto the time of the Messias is called the kingdom and the world to come Mark 11.10 Hebr. 2.5 and chap. 6.5 Christ was the great hope and expectation of Israel They promised themselves very justly glorious things from his manifestation The woman of Samaria could say I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things Joh. 4.25 Let us now consider the answer which Jesus returned unto this question of John Baptist's Disciples He refers them to his works for satisfaction It was upon the occasion of the works which Jesus did that John Baptist sent his Disciples v. 2. and when they come we find that Jesus refers them to the works which he did Jesus answered and said unto them 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 the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached unto them v. 4 5. John Baptist had born witness of Christ before he does not send them back to their Master but refers them to his works Ye sent unto John says our Saviour to the Jews and he bare witness unto the truth Joh. 5.33 but then our Saviour adds v. 36. But I have greater witness than that of John for the works which the father hath given me to finish the same works that I doe bear witness of me that the father hath sent me His works then were a good proof that he was what he professed himself to be the Christ the Son of God Nicodemus could not but confess that no man could doe the miracles which he did except God were with him Joh. 3.2 And many of the Jews could not but say When Christ cometh will he doe moe miracles than these which this man hath done Joh. 7.31
The works which he did spake who he was for such they were as did plainly proclaim a divine power But besides the works which our Saviour did and to which he refers the Disciples of John were those very works which the Messias was to doe according to the prediction of the Prophet And these works here mentioned are those very works When our Saviour tells them that the blind receive their sight the lame walk it is no more but what the Prophet had foretold should come to pass in the days of the Messias Isa 35.5 6. It may indeed be asked why our Saviour should use these words and the poor have the gospel preached unto them For why should this be reckoned as a miracle or where was this foretold of the Messias But the answer is very easie to this And First this was foretold of the Messias that he should preach the gospel to the poor For preaching good tidings to the meek Isa 61.1 is the same thing with preâ—ching the gospel to the poor And the same words are used by the Septuagint in the Prophet which are used by the Evangelist here Secondly that though preaching the gospel to the poor be not a miracle nor is it reckoned so here yet it is a particular that is very remarkable and very pertinent to our Saviour's purpose We must know that poverty was very much contemned by the Jews Poor men were esteemed evil also And they have a saying among them that the spirit of God does not rest upon a poor man Hence the poor and common people were slighted and reckoned as children of the Earth Their Prophets of old were generally sent to Kings their Scribes and Doctours taught the rich They expected a Princely Messias that would Lord it over poor men But our Saviour puts them in mind here that it was foretold that the Messias should preach to the meek or poor And that when he did so as we know he did to poor Fishermen and Publicans they ought to consider that he did that which was predicted of the Christ For that those words Isa 61.1 belong to the Messias our Saviour elsewhere gives the Jews to understand Luk. 4.18 21. Nor do we find that they had any contest with him about that matter No they were so far from it that we are told they all bare him witness and wondred at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth V. 22. Nor could any thing have been said more seasonably to the Disciples of John Baptist than this after our Lord had referred them to the works which he did that he preached the Gospel to the poor because this would set them right as to the Messias whom they were to receive For they may not now look for a temporal Prince to conquer and captivate their powerfull enemies but a meek and lowly and mercifull person that would converse with and instruct the poor and the needy So that those words and the poor have the Gospel preached c. tend to instruct them aright concerning the Messiah whom they were to expect and the nature of his Kingdom For had he been such a temporal Prince as the Jews were ready to expect he would rather have employed his arms against the powerfull enemies of his people than to take upon himself the care of preaching the Gospel and that not to the wealthy and honourable but to the poor also But not to insist any longer upon this matter I shall onely consider that our Saviour refers the Disciples of John Baptist to the works which he did as a proof that he was the Christ that was to come into the world So then the works which Jesus did are a good proof that he was the Christ and do very much confirm the Doctrine which he taught This was the great end for which they were done and for which they are recorded also 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 Joh. 20.31 By the works of Jesus must be meant the miracles which he wrought and to which he appeals upon all occasions as well as in these words of St. Matthew These miracles are a good argument of the truth of what Jesus professed and of what he taught And I shall make this appear to those who are unprejudiced and the sincere enquirers after truth This is a truth of great moment and that which tends very much to beget faith in us and to dispose us to the receiving the truth These miracles that were wrought do not onely speak the truth of our Saviour's doctrine but the great moment of it also And so they do tend toward not onely the begetting in us a belief but a great veneration also of these divine truths And he that goes about to deny or to disparage our Saviour's miracles does at the same time endeavour to overthrow a main ground of Christian Religion and one great motive of its credibility I shall the rather enlarge upon this argument both because of its great weight and usefulness and also because there have not been wanting in all ages those who have denied or disparaged the miracles which Jesus did and by so doing have hindred what in them lay the propagation of the Christian Faith In our Saviour's time we find those that endeavoured to overthrow the credit of our Saviour's miracles When Jesus had restored one that was possessed with a Devil and who was blind and dumb insomuch that all the people were amazed and said Is not this the Son of David There wanted not then among the Pharisees who durst affirm that he cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils Mat. 12.22 Our Saviour does indeed sufficiently refute this suggestion and shews the inconsistency thereof and does lay before us the greatness of the sin of these men who imputed a work of the Holy Ghost to the Prince of Devils And assures us that whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost v. 32. it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come These evil men were not able to deny the matter of fact it was confessed that the blind saw and the dumb spake But then they were guilty of speaking against the Holy Ghost when they imputed this work of his to the power of the Devil The Jews in after-times could not deny that Jesus had done great works among their Forefathers but then these wretched men run into fables and make lies their refuge and give such an account of the whole matter as carries its confutation along with it the account which they give is this That in the time of Helena the Queen Pug. Fidei par 2. cap. 8. sect 6. Jesus of Nazareth came to Jerusalem and that in the Temple he found a stone on which the Ark of God was wont to rest whereon was written the Tetragrammaton or more peculiar name of God That whosoever
nature and the combined power of all second causes And upon this account we may presume these works are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament and our Saviour said to be declared the Son of God with power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. That the effect be viâ—â—ble and discernible Without this they can be of no effect to us at all And where miracles are brought as a proof of something else there is great need they should be very evident and apparent Our Saviour's words to John's disciples imply no less They came to know whether he were the Christ or not Matt. 11.4 5. Jesus answered and said unto them go and shew John again these things which ye do hear and see The blind c. Our Saviour dealt sincerely with them and appeals to their senses in the case Shew John those things which ye do hear and see A miracle which is brought to prove a doctrine or doubtfull question had need be more clear than the question is which it is brought to prove And therefore when it is considered as a proof of something else it is necessary that it should be it self very evident and plain For that cannot be judged a good Medium to prove the question by which is not more evident than the question it self Our Saviour's works are brought by him as a proof of the truth of his doctrine Miracles would in this case signifie nothing if they were not very evident The Jews have a proverb to this purpose Buxtorf Lexicon Rabbin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they say of a man that brings an insufficient proof that his surety wants a surety He that is surety for another had need to be of good credit himself Hence it is that these miraculous works in the New Testament are so frequently called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. signs And those things which are signs of something had need be more plain and discernible than the things which they signifie and represent and which they are brought to prove Thus are these works frequently called in the New Testament Joh. 2.11 23.3.2.20.30 And in the Old Testament they are expressed by words of the same import and though those words of themselves do not imply a miracle Such among the Hebrews are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which see Abravenel on the Pentat f. 138. co 4. yet they are to be considered according to the subject matter and when they are applied to this purpose they do imply that the miracle must be very evident and clear For the effect can carry no conviction with it if it be not discernible They would have had no reason to believe our Saviour upon the account of his works had they not been visible in their effects He may be presumed to be raised from the dead who by the actions of a living man is able to convince the standers by 'T is a vain thing to pretend a miracle is wrought when no man is able to discern the change of things Jesus turned water into wine Joh. 2.11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his glory and his disciples believed on him But had the water retained the taste and colour of water and not of wine he had neither manifested his glory nor would his disciples have been moved upon this account to have believed on him But the change was so discernible that the Governour of the feast perceived it by its taste ver 9. Indeed the Church of Rome pretends in the Doctrine of Transubstantiation that the bread and wine in the Sacrament are substantially changed after consecration and yet no man living can discern any such change at all Durandus tells us that there are in that change no less than eleven miracles Durand Rational Divin Offic. l. 4. c. 21. of which no express reason can be given I do not think it worth my while to reckon them up after him Sure I am we have no reason to believe any such thing And 't is a vain and foolish thing to vaunt of so many miracles when there is no appearance of any one and 't is a very unreasonable thing that the Church of Rome should oblige us to believe a miracle which we are not able to discern A miracle which convinceth us of the truth of a Doctrine must be the object of sense it must be seen or felt or discernible some such way And 't is a vain thing to call upon us to believe that which is the motive and ground upon which we believe something else I shall as soon believe a dead man raised to life who yet lies in his grave without either breath or motion as much as the earth in which he lies or that a blind man is perfectly cured who yet hath recovered no sight at all as to believe that to be flesh and bloud which all my senses tell me are bread and wine The miracles which Christ did were wrought that men might believe not the miracles for them they saw but that he was the Christ the Son of God He requires men to believe him and his doctrine for the sake of his works But the Church of Rome would have us believe not onely a doctrine which is not revealed but a miracle also not to say more than one which is not discernible by any of our senses We must believe a miracle though we do not see it and be condemned for Hereticks if we do it not Such a Faith so Catholick and large an one does the Church of Rome require A faith which I am sure we shall never attain unto till that time come which God of his mercy prevent that we are given up to believe a Lie In the mean while we have just reason to believe the doctrine false when we find the miracle a mere pretence And 't will be time enough to believe this doctrine of Transubstantiation when we are able to discern a substantial change I shall prove that the Messiah was to work miracles when he came into the world And this I am obliged to doe because our Saviour appeals to his works as a good proof that he was the Christ the Son of God Indeed Maimonides as I intimated before denies that the Messias was to work miracles But this is not the sense of the Jewish Nation but an opinion that the Jews fly to for refuge For when they are not able to deny the matter of fact they are forced to say that the Messias was not to doe any miracles at all That Jesus lived and that he did wonderfull works they are not able to deny but then the obstinate Jew that cannot deny the works of Jesus yet will affirm that the doing of such works was not a sign or character of the Messias in whose time we are not to look for miracles I shall consider the truth of this pretence And 1. 'T is very certain
that this is not the sense of the Jewish Nation Abravenel Cap. Fidei c. 13. Abravenel mentions a saying out of the Vaikra Rabba viz. That all feasts should cease besides the feast of Purim and the day of Expiation The meaning of which he tells us is this that whereas the other feasts were ordained in memory of the deliverance out of Egypt that the Israelites should not in the time of the Messias apply themselves to the remembrance of the prodigies and miracles which God wrought for them when he delivered them from thence because they should then see eximious miracles in the days of the Messias in comparison whereof the others were not worth the remembring I find the same Authour in another place speaking to the same purpose Abravenel in Joel 2.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Psalmist says he complains that the Israelites in the time of their captivity lost three glorious gifts which they had before viz. Prophecy Miracles and the knowledge of God For so it is written We see not our Signs there is no more any Prophet Psal 74.9 neither is there any that knoweth how long Therefore says he the Prophet makes a promise of restoring these three benefits to the people in those words I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh c. So that the return of miracles was justly expected according to him upon the appearance of the Messiah For that he understood the prophecy of the times of the Messias is evident from his following words and that it belongs to that time and was in great measure fulfilled will be granted by him who considers the words which we find Act. 2.17 But the same Authour in another place is very express to my present purpose Abravenel in Isa c. 11. There he lays down the several characters and conditions of the Messias no less than ten in number I am not concerned now to reckon them up The power of working miracles is one and that was to be attended with the spirit of Prophecy again revived to which purpose he quotes the words of the Prophet Joel I will pour out of my spirit c. which words are applied to the times of the Messias Act. 2.17 2. We find it particularly prophesied of the Messias that he should work miracles and those very miracles which Jesus did Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped then shall the lame man leap as an hart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing Isa 35.5 6. Again The spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek Isa 61.1 Matt. 11.5 which is the same thing with preaching the Gospel to the poor as I observed before And therefore our Saviour did return a most apposite answer to the Disciples of John Baptist when he bid them shew their Master the things which they saw and heard 3. Agreeable hereunto we find among the people in our Saviour's time a general expectation that the Messias when he came would work miracles and they were forward to demand a sign of our blessed Saviour Their law was this way confirmed and Moses their great Lawgiver wrought many miracles and they therefore demanded signs of our Lord as credentials The Jews require a sign says the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.22 Matt. 12.38 Joh. 4.48 Mat. 16.1 Luk. 11.16 and we find certain of the Scribes and Pharisees saying Master we would see a sign from thee And Jesus tells the Jews except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe And though they did not believe when they had seen signs yet they were forward to demand them And that there was an expectation among the Jews of that time that the Messias when he came would work wonders is evident from those words of the people Joh. 7.31 When Christ cometh say they will he doe moe miracles than these which this man hath done John Baptist was the forerunner of Christ he was born a little before our Saviour and he appearing at that time when the Messias was expected and being very much famed for his vertue and followed by the people they were prone to take him for the Messias and Herod himself feared him as one that might easily draw away the people as Josephus tells us Antiqu. lib. 18. c. 7. The people upon his appearance among them were in great expectation and suspence Luk. 3.15 and all men mused in their hearts of John whether he were the Christ or not He was not onely born about the time in which the Messias was expected but the passages relating to his birth were very strange and surprizing and much discoursed of among the Jews who knew his Father and Mother and had heard of what the Angel had foretold Luk. 1.13 and what happened to his Father Zechariah Besides he was a person of great sanctity and great same among the people nor had there been a greater person born among Women at that time no wonder then that the Jews should send Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to John Baptist to know who he was Joh. 1.15 20. and whether he were the Christ or not But then it is confessed of John Baptist Joh. 10.41 that he did no Miracle It was so ordered by the divine providence that John Baptist should want this Character of the true Messias viz. the working of Miracles But I shall proceed to shew That Miracles are a good Argument of the truth of a Doctrine And that therefore our Saviour did with great reason refer John Baptist's Disciples to the works which they saw This I think my self obliged the rather to insist upon the thing it self being of great moment and it being opposed by the enemies of Christianity Maimon affirms that the Israelites did not believe Moses because of his Miracles which he did Fundam Leg. c. 8. And he hath added that he that believes upon the score of Miracles will be liable to suspect inchantment or some other fraud And moreover he adds that all the Miracles which Moses did in the wilderness he did them upon the account of some necessity which moved him and not to gain belief to his Prophecy Thus says he it was necessary in order to the drowning of the Egyptians that the Sea should be divided and let loose upon them We wanted food says he and he sent Manna They were thirsty and he opened a rock The congregation of Corah denyed him and therefore the Earth swallowed them up At this rate does that subtile enemy of Christianity discourse And 't is very easie to observe what he drives at in all this I shall not trouble my self to shew that other Jews have taught a Doctrine contrary to what Maimon teaches It were no hard matter to shew this but 't is of little moment to doe that toward my present purpose I shall doe that which is material to my
Saviour as well as a Comforter with relation to his Disciples Joh. 16.8 The spirit did plead the cause of our Lord and by the mighty works of this divine spirit men were convinced that Jesus was no Impostour but that he was what he professed himself to be the Christ the Son of God A Miracle hath always been a good proof of a Doctrine and ever acknowledged to be very convincing When Elijah had restored to life the Widow's Son she concludes him a true Prophet 1 King 17.24 By this I know says she that thou art a man of God and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth A true miracle is an attestation from Heaven We cannot think that God will set his seal to a lye or to a truth of little moment and concern And as miracles are a good proof of the truth of a Doctrine so our Saviour had great reason to reser the Disciples of John Baptist to his miraculous works especially when it is considered that the law of Moses was confirmed by miracles and it is very reasonable to believe that the ordinances of Moses should be removed after the same manner that they were established and confirmed And therefore that Jesus should doe greater miracles that Moses ever did Besides our Saviour designed the destruction of the Devil's Kingdom in the world For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 And upon that account it was needfull that he should doe miracles The Devil had gotten a great and ancient possession over mankind he had got into the hearts and bodies of men and dwelt in the Temples of the Heathen world And whoever considers the largeness of his dominion the power and malice of his instruments will easily grant that there was need of a mighty power to dispossess him Now our Saviour and his followers made use of no carnal weapons they armed no legions raised no fighting men by sea or land And yet it is not to be believed that the Devil could be driven out of his ancient possession and strong holds without a greater power than what he was possessed of and that must be a divine power The power of the Devil was great at our Saviour's appearance He dwelt in the Heathen Temples answered in their Oracles an idolatrous worship obtained in the world many were there who were possessed by him Our Saviour stopped his mouth in the Oracles overthrew his Kingdom destroyed the idolatry and superstition which had overspread the world and threw the Devil out of the bodies and which was a greater work out of the hearts of men The Gospel set forward with great disadvantages The preachers of it had not riches or power or great birth or strong alliances or wordly wisedom to recommend them On the other hand they were poor men and despised But yet they were endued with power from above of working miracles and dispossessing the Devil where ever they came Chrysost Tom. 3. p. 276. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Had all this been done without the working of miracles this would have been the greatest miracle of all It was necessary that this power should be employed against the Devil's Kingdom The Jews indeed seem to be blamed by our Saviour for seeking after signs Mat. 16.4 But certain it is that they were not blameable nor blamed by our Saviour for demanding signs and wonders This demand was not unreasonable in it self nor blameable in them In this they were to be blamed that they did not require them with a mind prepared to receive the truth and were not content with such Miracles as our Saviour wrought H. Melach c. 1. Maimonides tells us that there were three precepts which did oblige the Israelites when they came into the Land of Promise viz. to set over them a King to destroy the Amalekites and to build a Sanctuary or Temple And yet when the Israelites demanded a King we find God displeased with them But then it was not because they desired to set a King over them but because they desired it amiss and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in order to obey the law but because they were weary of Samuel a good Governour And so in the case before us The Jews require a sign and it is not to be supposed that our Saviour was upon that account displeased with them For their law being confirmed by Signs and Miracles it was very reasonable for them to require signs before they consented to relinquish it But that was not their fault that they required a sign But they came to our Saviour tempting rather than as sincere learners Matt. 16.1 Mark 8.11 and nothing will serve their Turn but a sign from Heaven The Jews ask our Saviour what they should doe that they might work the works of God Our Saviour answered and said unto them Joh. 6.28 29 30 31. This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent 'T was their great Duty to believe that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God The Jews do not stop here but proceed and demand of him a sign What sign shewest thou then said they that we may see and believe thee what dost thou work This was not unreasonable all this while their fault was that they would chuse what kind of Miracles our Saviour should work and they must be signs from Heaven and no less seems to be intimated in the following words Our fathers did eat Manna in the desart As it is written He gave them bread from Heaven to eat They must have Miracles of this sort they are for just such signs as Moses wrought There was thunder and lightning and a thick cloud at the giving the Law upon Mount Sinai They had Manna from Heaven in the wilderness They must have such signs as they pitch upon themselves and thus they tempt God by indulging their Curiosity Our Saviour wrought many signs and wonders and did mightily outdoe Moses as shall be shewed afterward and all their Prophets And therefore our Saviour did enough to confirm his doctrine and left the Jews without excuse Miracles are then a good testimony provided we are sure that they are miracles strictly so called For it hath often happened that the World hath been cheated with lying wonders Magicians and Impostours have imposed upon men And it is a matter of some difficulty to discern the difference between a true miracle and a false one between that which is indeed the finger of God and that which is the fraud and artifice of the Devil If Moses turn a rod into a Serpent so do the Sorcerers also and it might perhaps have puzled the wisest stander-by to discern the difference between them It will be very hard many times ex parte rei to Judge what miracles are true and what are falsly so called But though there be a difficulty in judging ex parte rei
a doctrine which Christ never taught and which contradicts our sense and our reason at the same time And the stories which they tell of the sweating and motion of their Images serve to advance the worshipping of Images In a word their works are trifling and vain and their doctrine is impious and false and to say the least of it not revealed by God 3. The miracles which Christ did were seasonable and necessary at that time to confirm his doctrine whether we consider the obstinacy of the Jews or the Idolatry of the Gentiles Upon both accounts it was needfull that the Christian doctrine should be confirmed with miracles and so it was But the Popish miracles are out of time there is no need of them to confirm the Christian doctrine where it is already planted Miracles are for the sake of unbelievers and as the world grew Christian they ceased nor is it to be imagined that God will work them without any cause at all In the old Testament we shall find that the greatest number of miracles were wrought by Moses their Law-giver in Egypt and in the wilderness before and upon the giving the Law no man wrought so many miracles nay not all the succeeding Prophets together as he wrought Thus was the Law confirmed And when this was done you rarely read of miracles wrought afterward when the Jews had received and continued in the profession of the Law of Moses The greatest number that were wrought afterward was when there was the greatest reason for them and that was after Jeroboam had revolted from the worship of God and set up his Calves in Dan and Bethel and no less than ten Tribes revolted with him Then indeed there were some number of miracles wrought to convince them of their sin and reduce them from their Schism Then was the Altar at Bethel cleft in pieces Jeroboam's hand withered and restored as miraculously upon the prayer of the Man of God And these miracles were wrought in Bethel among the Schismaticks which were to be convinced and reduced Then Elijah shut up the Heavens is miraculously fed by the Ravens multiplies the meal and raises to life the Widow's Son he calls for fire from Heaven and fasts forty days and destroys the Captains and their fifties by fire which he called from Heaven He divides Jordan with his Garment and is miraculously taken up into Heaven And Elishah during this time did many wonderfull works also He divides the river heals the water encreases the Widow's oil foretells that the Shunamite should have a Child and raised it from the dead He removes the death that was in the pot miraculously feeds the people heals Naaman of his Leprosie He causeth Iron to swim strikes Gehazi with a leprosie and the enemies of Israel with blindness and his dry bones after all these things which he did in his life restored one that was dead to life again Thus in a little time many miracles were wrought more than had been wrought before and after for some hundreds of years So that the great number of miracles were wrought upon the giving the Law and upon the greatest defection from it and that to confirm the truth and convince gain-sayers But what means the Church of Rome to boast of miracles If they be wrought in her own Communion they serve no purpose There 's no need of a miracle where men believe without it Their miracles are done at a great distance from us who are to be convinced and such they are which we cannot see at all or else we may easily see through them Of one thing we are sure viz. that their doctrine is false and then we shall have no cause to be drawn aside with lying miracles The Israelites had warning in this case and so have we Christians also not to believe against our rule any pretence whatsoever Deut. 13.1 Gal. 1.8 9. And we are forewarned of false people who should pretend to miracles Matt. 24.24 2 Thessal 2.9 Rev. 13.13 I shall proceed to consider the miracles which are storied of the Heathens I will not descend to all the stories that may be found upon record to this purpose because besides that we want sufficient Evidence of the truth of those matters of fact so they are not worthy of consideration being things of trifling regard and such as import no advantage to mankind Origen contra Cels l. 3. Such is that which Celsus mentions of Abaris who could fly into the air and keep pace with an Arrow in that flight And that of the speaking of an Image in Valerius Maximus Valerius Maxim l. 1. c. 8. Augustin de civitat Dei l. 10. c. 16. The cutting a Whet-stone in two with a Rasour by Attius Navius The sweating of an Image of Apollo at Cumae and of that of Victory at Capua and that of the Shields which were gnawed by the mice the extraordinary swelling of the Lacus Albanus That of the Serpent which followed Aesculapius when he sailed to Rome and of the Vestal Virgin which took up water out of Tiber and kept it in a Sieve These things are trifling and mean and they who report them do it not with sufficient assurance but upon traditions and common fame and not upon their certain and personal knowledge For what is storied of Vespasian and Adrian's curing the blind I shall not need to say any more than this That if those reports be true they are far short of what our Saviour did nor do we read of any who laid down their lives in testimony thereof And as I do not deny that there have been providential miracles out of the Church of God so it is not to be wondred at that the Devil should exert his utmost power to keep men in errour and as much as may be endeavour to imitate God And more particularly still to consider what is storied of Vespasian and of Adrian I shall desire it may be considered That what is reported of Vespasian to this purpose cannot fairly be denied Tacit. Histor l. 4. it being affirmed by very good Authours And therefore I admit that he did such miraculous cures as are told of him Sueton. Vespasian But then it is to be considered that he was not onely an excellent Prince but that very person who was to execute God's displeasure against the Jews for rejecting and crucifying Jesus And no wonder that God should honour him with an extraordinary power whom he employed in so great a work especially if it be considered that upon his coming to the Empire at first as Suetonius tells us he wanted majesty and authority which was supplied by this means Nor is there any thing in this that does at all derogate from the works of Jesus But then what is storied of Adrian to the same purpose we have not the same cause to believe Aelius Spartianus Adrian and the very Historian which reports it gives us at the same time ground to believe that what is
harmony and agreement among them and all the marks and tokens of sincerity that we can desire It cannot be denied indeed that in the writings of these men there is some variety and they seem not to speak consistently with one another in some of their relations But then they all agree in the main story and generally speaking it is not hard to account for the seeming opposition in their relations And it is to be supposed that our ignorance of the history and the phraseology and usages of those times and Countries is the true reason why they seem to thwart with one another when really they do not Besides it is an argument that these men did not combine and lay their heads together to put a trick upon the world For if they had which they could have no cause to doe it would have been no hard matter to have avoided not onely contradiction which they have done but the very appearance of such a thing These Writers give great proofs of their sincerity They give none at all of their ostentation and vain-glory Eusebius hath well observed that S. Matthew discovers the baseness of his employment before he followed Christ Euseb demonstrat l. 3. â— 5. He alone tells us that he was a Publican And St. Mark who wrote his Gospel by the direction and with the knowledge of St. Peter speaks sparingly of those things which tended to St. Peter's praise however he enlarge in relating of his faults 4. That the Gospel hath been so generally received is an argument of the truth of it A lye hath no feet and cannot stand long without being discovered Facilè res in suam naturam recidunt ubi veritas non subest There were a great many eyes upon Christian Religion when it advanced in the world and it did not want subtile and inquisitive enemies The fraud would have been detected if there had been any It was entertained by men of wit and learning and such as made diligent enquiry after truth 5. It did not spread by force and bloud as the Turkish Religion hath done not by craft and worldly policy by humane arts and Religious cheats but by suffering and by tears by hardships and by severities Men were willing to shed their bloud in testimony of it and part with all that was dear to flesh and bloud All our ancient books tell us that this was the duty and practice of Christians men do not use to be forward to lose their lives and all the comforts of life to confirm a lie And we must think those men void of all sense that would dye to confirm a forgery and lie when their death would serve to confirm a Religion which severely forbids all Lying and dissimulation And though some men may have died in a false belief or a belief of some principles which are not really though to them they seem to be true yet it is not credible that a great number of men should be content to die in confirmation of a matter of fact which they knew to be false or did not know to be true When Arrius Antoninus persecuted the Christians in Asia they came about his Tribunal and offered themselves to death which made him cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. O wretched men Tertullian ad Scapul can ye not find precipices or halters to take away your lives 'T is a great argument of the truth of these things that men were forward to confirm them with their bloud CHAP. VII The CONTENTS That the Messias according to the predictions of him was to suffer This proved against the Jews Of the vanity of their twofold Messias the Son of Joseph and the Son of David The reason why the Jews make use of this pretence That Jesus did suffer That he suffered those things which the Messias was to suffer Luk. 24.26 46. and Act. 3.18 considered Zech. 9.9 to be understood of the Messias this proved against the Jews at large Of the kind of Christ's death Crucifixion was none of the Jewish capital punishments Of the Brazen Serpeat Numb 21. St. John ch 3.14 considered The Jewish Writers acknowledge that the brazen Serpent was symbolical and spiritually to be understood Of the time when Jesus suffered that it did exactly agree with the type of the sufferings of the Messias A large digression concerning this matter Exod 12.6 considered Castalio justly censured for his ill rendring that place Of the two Evenings among the Jews The ground we have for it in the Scriptures The testimony of R. Solomon Of the practice of the Jewish Nation as to the time of offering their evening Sacrifice and the Passeover This shewed from their best Authours An objection from Deut. 16. v. 6. answered Jesus died at that time when the Paschal Lamb was to be slain Of the place aâ—d many other particulars relating to the sufferings of Jesus Of the great causes and reasons of the sufferings of the Jesus Of the Burial of Jesus I Shall now proceed to the consideration of the Sufferings of Jesus and from thence prove that our Jesus is the Christ That Jesus did suffer the Jews do confess and they make to scruple to grant it And he is upon that score reproached by them and upon the same account his Disciples and Followers have been scorned by the world who professed a Faith in a Crucified Saviour and expected to be saved by him who did not so much as save himself from the most painfull and ignominious death When I speak to the suffering of Jesus I mean his sufferings in the largest sense and not onely his Death However I shall principally consider his death here and from that especially shall prove him to be the Christ And for the better speaking to this whole matter I shall proceed in this method First I shall shew that the Messias who was promised was to suffer Secondly that Jesus did suffer Thirdly that from the sufferings of our Jesus it does appear that he is the Christ Fourthly I shall enquire after the causes or reasons of the sufferings of Christ Lastly I shall direct you to some practical application I shall shew that the Messias promised of old was to suffer And this especially against the Jews who do not deny that Jesus suffered but do deny him to be the Messias the Son of David because he suffered This is the scandal of the Cross at which the Jews stumble and fall Here they are offended and at a stand Now that the Messias was to suffer and Jesus not to be rejected upon that account will appear if we consider the following particulars First I must premise that it is a very unreasonable thing that Jesus should be reproached or rejected upon the score of his sufferings The Jews have no cause for this reason to scorn him as they commonly do For his sufferings do not speaking him an evil person or one unfit to deliver and save his followers from the greatest evils viz. from
and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour Eph. 5.2 2. The death of Christ is to be considered as the death of a Testator for so is Christ to be considered also He himself calls his bloud the bloud of the New Testament or the New Testament in his bloud I very well know that the Greek word which we render Testament does signifie Covenant but yet it does not always do so in the New Testament For sometimes it signifies the last Will or Testament of a Testator And when it does so it does not exclude the notion of a Covenant neither but rather imply it For the right we have to the inheritance is one part of the Covenant but then the declaration of that right is peculiarly and properly the part of a Testament which signifies the last will of a man by which he disposeth of his goods Matt. 26.28 Mark 14.24 Luk. 22.20 Our Blessed Saviour is said to be the heir of all things And we are elsewhere told that the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand And we are farther informed upon what account it is that the Father loveth the Son and consequently hath given all things into his hands in these words of our Saviour Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life From whence it is Evident that upon the account of the voluntary death of Christ this full power and authority is given to Christ as the great Mediator between God and man Christ was in the form of God and thought it not robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Heb. 1.2 Joh. 3.35 10 17. Phil. 2.6 Thus low did the Son of God stoop for our Salvation from being equal with God to the likeness of men and from the form of God to that of a servant from life to death from glory to shame and contempt If you would know the effects of all this the next words will inform us Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Our Blessed Saviour a little before his death bequeaths a Kingdom to his followers as a Testator in these words and I appoint unto you a Kingdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as my Father hath appointed unto me Luk. 22.29 But then by his death he procured our right to this glorious inheritance For where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the Testator liveth 'T is the death of the Testator that makes way to the Heir He hath no claim till the Testator dye But upon his death his title is unquestionable and it is not in any man's power to alter what is thus setled and confirmed Though it be but a man's Testament yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto Heb. 9.16 17. Gal. 3.15 Our Lord suffered the most shamefull and painfull death He did this voluntarily and not by Constraint He dyed not intestate nor yet like other Testators who when they have made their Testaments do avoid death with all their care and skill and are not willing to part with their lives for the benefit of their Heirs or Successours 'T was otherwise with our Saviour I lay down my life says he no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and have power to take it again Joh. 10.17 18. Now after Christ had suffered death and risen from the dead he tells his Followers of the plenitude of his power and authority All power is given unto me says he in heaven and in earth And a while after his own ascension into heaven he sends the Holy Ghost which is the earnest of our inheritance Mat. 28.18 Eph. 1.14 3. The death of Christ is to be considered as the death of a Martyr or a Witness Our Blessed Saviour had professed himself to be the light of the World the Messias whom the Scriptures had foretold and that he came from heaven and that he was the Christ the Son of the Blessed It is of great moment that these truths should be sufficiently confirmed to us Upon these things depends the whole Religion that he taught If these things be sufficiently proved we can make no doubt of the truth of any part of the Doctrine which Jesus taught Joh. 8.12 c. 5.39 6 40. Mark 14.61 62. Now it will appear that the death of Christ does mightily confirm these truths and that Jesus gave up himself to death for the same end and purpose When Pilate asked Jesus whether he were a King or not Jesus answered thou sayest that I am a King that is Jesus answered in the affirmative To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the World that I should bear witness unto the truth With respect to the undaunted courage of Jesus before Pilate St. Paul saith that before Pontius Pilate he witnessed a good confession Joh. 18.37 1 Tim. 6.13 'T was upon this account that Jesus was put to death He was accused indeed of something else that was charged upon him But the Testimony was weak and incoherent that with which he was born down was that he professed himself to be Christ a King Or as it is in St. John because he made himself the Son of God Our Saviour was silent when the false witnesses accused him But when the High Priest asked him if he were the Christ the Son of the Blessed and he answered I am c. We find thereupon the High Priest renting his Cloaths and saying what need we any farther witnesses ye have heard the blasphemy what think ye and they all condemned him to be worthy of death Luk. 23.2 Joh. 19.7 Mark 14.61 Our Saviour dyed for his adhering to this great truth and that he did so must be acknowledged a great confirmation of it and of the Religion which he planted Life is too sweet a thing to be trifled away for nothing Much less will a man in his wits dye in confirmation of a lye Had Jesus been disposed he might have kept out of the way of his enemies or have saved himself by denying the truth He had now a great temptation before him either to renounce what he had professed or by some trick or mean art or other to escape the danger But he is far from taking any such course to deliver himself but instead thereof confirms
est restituere quod fuerit quà m facerequod non fuit Hieron ad Pammachium It is not incredible that he should raise a dead man to life who made all things out of nothing Nor does it impeach any of the divine perfections to affirm that God raised Jesus to life No man can reasonably upon this account think meanly of the divine Being Upon the whole there is nothing in the thing reported repugnant to right reason nothing unbecoming the divine purity and perfections nothing incredible to them that are wise and good For the persons who report this if there lye any exception against them it must be upon the score of their weakness or wilfullness It may perhaps be pretended that they were weak men and imposed upon That they took up this beleif that Jesus rose from the dead upon light and insufficient grounds and though they did not contrive to deceive others yet they themselves were easily deceived But this cannot be pretended with any reason at all For they did not report that Jesus was raised to life upon hear-say or common fame they did not receive it as a tradition received from others But they were eye-witnesses of it They were men that knew Jesus before he died that conversed with him forty days after he rose from the dead that had sometimes doubted of the truth of his Resurrection themselves and had received the utmost satisfaction that it was that Jesus who died that was risen from the dead and when they were assured of it they taught this doctrine boldly and they taught no more than what they knew to be true what they had seen and handled that they taught Nor did this depend upon the Testimony of Women or Children or any incompetent witnesses or upon a bare and single Testimony But a number of men the most competent witnesses imaginable did upon all occasions affirm that Jesus was risen from the dead There were no less than twelve principal witnesses of his Resurrection besides the many others who saw Jesus after he was risen Act. 1.21 22. Nor can we think that these witnesses did wilfully go about to lye and put a cheat upon other men We cannot think them such vile persons or that they could have prevailed this way For besides that they taught other men to speak the truth and that they are not accused otherwise as flagitious persons to what purpose should they affirm that Jesus was risen from the dead if it were false Could they get any thing by such a lye Was it a step to any honour or preferment to say that Jesus was raised to life again Was this Doctrine pleasing to the Jews Would it procure them any favour from the Gentile World Nay is it not evident that for affirming this the Jews who put Jesus to death were enraged against them For they arraigned the Justice of their Nation and incensed their Countrey men to the highest degree whatsoever The Gentiles scoffed at them and derided them and their scoffs were the least Evils they suffered upon this account for they continued in this their Testimony under torments and even unto death Can any man imagine that this was a contrivance and Plot of crafty men That they combined to put a cheat upon mankind but to what end should they do this It is not likely they could engage a considerable number in such a combination It would be hard to find a great many men so weary of their lives as to be content to throw them away in confirmation of a lye Besides the fraud would have been discover'd quickly For these men did not forbear to tell when and where this happened which they were the witnesses of Did ever any men of credit prove these witnesses incompetent Did they ever deprehend them in a lye or speaking inconsistently Did it appear at any time that they were caught in a false story or that any one of them were forced to recant and retract what he had said How came this beleif to spread so quickly in the world if it had not been true Could it have any thing else to recommend it to the belief of mankind That it quickly gained an Universal belief in the world is undeniable but how could this be God attested to this truth by enabling these witnesses to work miracles in confirmation of it That so it was no man can doubt that gives any credit to the Testimony of others Had it not been so the spreading of this beleif without a miracle would have been the greatest miracle of all It is plain that we have no reason to doubt of the Resurrection of Jesus There is no History no matter of fact which yet we beleive firmly that we have that cause to beleive as we have this that Jesus was raised from the dead and therefore if we do not beleive that Jesus rose from the dead it is not from want of evidence and sufficient motives of credibility but from a faulty principle and a culpable neglect of seeking after the truth 6. That the Evangelists who report the matter of fact concerning the Resurrection of Jesus are worthy of all credit For their names are annexed to their writings they set down the time and place where those things happened which they write of they name the persons concerned in these things they write of things which happened in their own time and which they knew to be true They all agree in the main story and their different relating of some smaller circumstances does but confirm their credit as to the main relation What can we desire in any writing which is wanting here What have we to object against these writers Can we suppose they did conspire to put a cheat upon mankind But what reason have we for this suspicion Surely none but much to the contrary For they do not write like men who had combined together to cheat the world For they own their names they relate something with some seeming difference they mention the time and place where those things happened which they write they name many persons and of several Nations and ranks that were concerned they stick not to mention their own meanness and their own faults and infirmities and the shame and death of their great Lord and Master Nor could these or the other witnesses of the Resurrection be induced by any worldly Temptation to tell a lye They did beleive the Religion which they professed or they did not If they did beleive it they durst not tell a lye that being directly forbid in that Religion which they beleived to be true If they did not beleive it themselves what could perswade them to obtrude the belief of it upon other men They were so far from gaining by this course that they exposed themselves to the malice and rage of men to the loss of all things and the severest death Can we believe that they should be so fond of what they knew to be a lie that they would lose all they
I shall now shew Gen. 22.4 Hosea 6.2 Mat. 12.38 39. That Jesus did rise the third day after his death Where I shall clear this relation from the Cavils of the Jews It is certain that there could be but one whole day and two nights between the death of Jesus and his Resurrection and yet Jesus had foretold that the Son of man should be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth Again he said after three days I will rise again and destroy this Temple and after three days I will raise it up And elsewhere Jesus is said to have risen again the third day Mat. 12.40 ch 27.63 Joh. 2.19 1 Cor. 15.4 The day on which he dyed is to be reckoned for one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or natural day and that on which he rose for another And thus the Hebrew Writers commonly reckon in other cases The Hebrew Child was to be Circumcised the eighth day but then the day of it's birth and of it's Circumcision were both counted And the Pentecost was the fiftieth day from the day of the Wave-offering but then both the one and the other are reckoned in this account This is but the Phrase of the Old Testament We have a remarkable instance to this purpose It came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah which was the seventh year of Hoshea Son of Ela King of Israel that Shalmaneser King of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it And at the end of three years they took it even in the sixth year of Hezekiah that is the ninth year of Hoshea King of Israel Samaria was taken It is evident from hence that that is said to be done at the end of three years which from it's beginning could be but two whole years distant Again the Priests in their courses were to minister one Week as is well known And yet Josephus tells us they were obliged to minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 11. i. e. eight days from one Sabbath to another This will justifie us when we say that the appearance of Christ mentioned Joh. 20.26 happened on the first day of the week or on that day seven-night after his first appearance on the day of his resurrection though it be thus expressed after eight days c. And this will help us with ease to reconcile St. Luke with St. Matthew and St. Mark when he says that happened about eight days after which the other express by after six days For supposing six days compleat St. Luke might well say about eight days after Luk. 1.59 ch 2.21 1 King 18.9 10. Joh. 20.26 Mat. 17.1 Mark 9.2 with Luk. 9.27 I shall consider this third day on which Jesus rose as the first day of the week Abravenel in Legem fol. 282. col 2. ad finem which was a day very famous among the Jewish writers upon twelve accounts which I do not think my self obliged to reckon up in this place It is plain that Jesus rose upon the first day of the Week The day of his death is called the Preparation because then the Jews provided what was needfull against the approaching Sabbath When the even was come because it was the Preparation that is the day before the Sabbath says Mark. St. Luke says that day was the Preparation and the Sabbath drew on It was a preparation to a remarkable Sabbath which fell within the solemn festivity of the Passeover The Jews therefore because it was the preparation that the bodies should not remain upon the Cross the Sabbath day for that Sabbath was an high day besought Pilate c. Mat. 27.62 Joh. 19.42 with Exod. 16.5 Mark 15.42 Luk. 23.54 Joh. 19.31 42. That Christ rose on the first day of the week is a particular which all the four Evangelists do relate and therefore the more carefully to be heeded by us Matt. 28.1 Mark 16.2 Luk. 24.1 Joh. 20.1 The Israelites were obliged when they reaped their harvest to bring a sheaf of their first fruits unto the Priest This sheaf was to be waved on the morrow after the Sabbath This sheaf hollowed all the rest and God's acceptance of this gave the Jews a title to the rest As that was waved the morrow after the Sabbath so was our Lord at that time raised to life as the first fruits of them that slept And his Resurrection infers ours and is the great reason why we instead of the Sabbath day which was buried with our Lord keep holy the first day of the Week in memory of his Resurrection Levit. 23.10 11 12. CHAP. IX The CONTENTS Of the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven That the Messias was to ascend thither This proved from Psalm 68.18 which is justly applied to this matter by St. Paul Eph. 4.8 Psalm 110.1 considered The Jews grant that Psalm to belong to the Messias An eminent type of Christ's ascension That Jesus did ascend into Heaven There were eye-witnesses of it Of the distance of forty days between his Resurrection and Ascension That Christ is not a Metaphorical Priest shewed against the followers of Socinus That this ascension into Heaven was typified by the High Priest's entring into the Holy of Holies That the Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrews does ch 9.24 and elsewhere infer this from the avowed principles of the Jewish Writers That the High Priest was an eminent type of the divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is acknowledged by Philo. Three remarkable places of that Author to this purpose That the Sanctuary was a representation of the Vniverse and the Holy of Holies of the highest Heavens proved at large from the Modern Jewish Writers and from the more Ancient Of the Veil of the Temple which rent when our Saviour suffered Mat. 27.51 What Veil that was and what was imported by the renting of it Of the effects which followed upon the exaltation of Jesus Of the miraculous gift of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost That that gift was an argument that Jesus was a true Prophet and that he had that power which he had professed to be given to him Of the success of the Religion of Jesus in the world Success barely considered is no good argument of a good Cause and truth of a Religion yet the success of the Christian Doctrine is a good argument of it's truth if it be considered what the Authour and first Preachers of this doctrine were and what is the nature of the doctrine it self and after what manner it did prevail HAving proved that Jesus rose from the dead and shewed that his Resurrection is a great proof that he is also the Christ I shall now proceed to the consideration of the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven and his being concerned there on our behalf and the mighty effects following from thence as a farther proof that Jesus is the Christ And in order hereunto I shall proceed in the following method First I shall shew that the Messias was to ascend
with the usages of the Vulgar yet they derided those fopperies and were therefore esteemed Atheists by the common People It must be granted that among the Heathens there were a number of men who had a better sense of things and have taught many good lessons of Morality But these men discoursed uncertainly and at rovers for want of a revelation And when they said any thing of a future state they were wavering and doubtfull And the Stoicks themselves who were a most considerable Sect among the wisest of their Philosophers did trifle at a great rate and allowed of some things manifestly Evil as well as notoriously false I will not here take the pains to examine the inconsistency of their principles and to shew how differently they acted from what they taught Vid. Plutarch de repugn Stoicorum c. That is done by Plutarch I cannot but take notice that they maintained some principles that were immoral and impious and such as could not come from God Arrian Epicter l. 1. c. 24. Marc. Antonin l. 5. sect 21. Seneca Epist 69. They gave men liberty to murther themselves and to goe out of this World without the leave of him who sent them into it And this evil and impious Doctrine was the common and received and avowed Principle of the Sect exerce te ut mortem excipias si ita res suadebit accersas Interest nihil an illa ad nos veniat an ad illam nos says Seneca It is true that Seneca elsewhere explains himself Epist 58. and seems to allow this liberty onely in an useless old age or in extreme necessity But as that liberty is upon no account to be allowed so it is manifest that he speaks inconsistently with himself for elsewhere he does not onely allow a wise man to kill himself Seneca Epist 70. Si multa occurrunt molesta tranquillitatem turbantia i. e. If many troubles arise which disturb him But also when he suspects that troubles will come upon him For he goes on thus nec hoc tantum in necessitate ultima facit sed cum primum illi caeperit suspecta esse fortuna diligenter circumspicit numquid illo die desinendum est Nihil existimat sua referre faciat finem an accipiat So that upon the whole matter a man might lawfully kill himself when ever he thought it convenient This is a most wretched and detestable Principle a manifest invasion of God's peculiar and practising upon his Prerogative Besides that it is a mean thing to allow a liberty of doeing so great an Evil to rid our selves of some present trouble or some thing which we fear For by the same reason a man may be allowed to kill another man who stands in his way and obstructs his ease and quiet And indeed by the same reason he may doe evil that good may come of it and chuse to offend rather than suffer Thus vain were those men who were destitute of a Divine revelation and followed their own foolish imaginations who under the profession of a great degree of wisedom allowed of the greatest immorality From the books of Moses the unlawfulness of self-murther sufficiently appears When God commands not to kill he forbids self-murther as well as killing another man For if bearing false witness against our selves be a sin against the ninth Commandment which forbids our doeing it against our Neighbour the killing our selves must needs be a sin against the sixth Aug. de Civitate l. 1. c. 20. as St. Augustin argues well And when after the floud the shedding of man's bloud is forbidden Gen. 9.6 it is forbidden for a reason which reaches to self-murther as well as the killing of another For in the image of God made he man Nam si homicida nefarius est Lactant. de falsa Sapientia c. 18. qui hominis extinctor est Eidem sceleri obstrictus est qui se necat quia hominem necat Another principle full of impiety the Stoicks maintained and it was this that a man's happiness was from himself and that he need not seek it of God or be beholden to him for it So that upon the matter they taught men to live without dependance upon God Vnum bonum est Seneca Epist 31. Quid votis opus est Fac teipsum felicem Ibid. Quam stultum est optare cum possis à te impetrare non sunt ad coelum elevandae manas Epist 41. quod beatae vitae causa firmamentum est sibi fidere i. e. There is one good thing which is the cause and basis of an happy life and that is that a man trust to himself And afterwards he puts men not upon prayers to God but upon making themselves happy and derides those who expect their happiness from above and seek it by prayer Thus vain and haughty were these men who pretended to wisedom Whereas in truth nothing speaks truer wisedom than for a creature to live in a constant sense of his necessary dependance upon God Their condemning all passions was also a foolish and an evil principle Seneca Epist 116. and very destructive of the great ends of life They destroyed the man in order to make him wise And pretended that to be a fruit of wisedom which is the greatest folly and the way to happiness which is indeed the most certain obstruction to it For we can do as well without legs as without our passions 'T is by them we pursue what is good and flye from evil They are the wings of the soul and without them we are unactive creatures 'T is great wisedom to govern them to desire to be rid of them is folly and an impeachment of the wisedom of our Creatour They are the object of vertue and Minister to it They are good Servants and whiles they are retained as such are of great use to us they are indeed bad Masters We may not pitty the miserable Seneca tells us Seneca de Clementia l. 2. c. 5. but he allows us to help him But if we have no compassion our relief will be very slow and slender This may seem too great a digression And indeed it is not what I mainly designed to speak to I did not intend to compare our Religion with that of Heathens It is not worth our while to doe it By what I have said of the best of the Heathens we may see how vain and foolish their principles were I shall compare the Religion of Jesus with that which God himself delivered to the Jews by Moses And shall shew the defects of the one and the supplies which are made in the other It must be granted that the law which was given by Moses came from Heaven and that it was a very great blessing to the Jews to whom it was given It was one of those Crowns which the Jewish Masters mention with which they were adorned It made their condition much better than that of their neighbours The words of Moses
is evident that where Sacrifice was allowed toward the obtaining pardon yet sometimes the pardon was not obtained by the Sacrifice For the piacular Sacrifice was but one of the conditions upon which the pardon of the offerer did depend So that supposing the Sacrifice offered up exactly according to the Law yet the sinner was not thereupon remitted In case of trespass and wrong there was required by the Law of Moses confession of the sin and restitution also of the principal and sometime the addition of a fifth part as well as sacrifice Numb 5.7 As in some cases no Sacrifice was admitted so at other times where it was allowed yet it did not restore him to favour some other things being also required necessary to his pardon as well as that The Jews themselves tell us that the day of expiation did not procure the pardon of those sins Joma cap. 8. which men committed against their brethren till they had given satisfaction to their brethren whom they had injured If they had injured them in words they were bound to appease them and to be reconciled if they had done it in their goods they were bound to make restitution Eighthly It was a very hard thing for the Jew to know whether he were pardoned or not And notwithstanding the provision made by Sacrifices yet that provision could not ease the sinner's mind We will suppose the greatest care used to obtain pardon by an expiatory Sacrifice yet the offerer would be left uneasie in his own mind In such a multitude of precepts and of that nature also which the Mosaical were it was almost impossible for a man to know whether he had transgressed or not and consequently whether he was obliged to bring his sin or trespass-offering Hence it was that the Jews appointed a trespass-offering which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a doubtfull trespass-offering which they thought themselves obliged to bring when it was a doubtfull case whether they had transgressed or not Lastly It is very certain that these Sacrifices of the Law of Moses were not to continue for ever The Jews were given to understand so much and God taught them this more ways than one He annexed them to a certain place and to a certain family who were to offer them up and when that place was no longer in the possession of the Jews they were discharged from all their obligation to offer Sacrifices at once And besides that many of them were but types and shadows of things to come and were therefore in due time to cease God did expresly foretell this to the Jews and the Jewish writers themselves are forced to confess no less Of the Messias the Prophet Daniel prophesies that he should cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease Dan. 9.27 That is all the offerings made by fire whatsoever The Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us the same of burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin Heb. 10.6 That is Sacrifices which were expiatory And there is a saying to this purpose among the Jewish writers Midrash Tillim in Psal 56.12 v. Abravenel de cap. fidei cum Vorstio c. 13. that every Corban or Sacrifice should cease but that the Sacrifice of praise should never cease And this saying of the Jews relates to the days of the Messias The Sacrifices allowed in the Law of Moses were of very little moment in their own nature They were never designed to continue longer than the City the Temple and Altar stood to which they were annexed v. Seder Tephilloth fol. 6. c. 3. Venetiis Anno 1566. The expiatory ones were shadows of an invaluable Sacrifice and the others that were Eucharistical as to the main continue still We now offer up our spiritual Sacrifices our Prayers and our Alms and our whole selves to the Great Creatour and Governour of Heaven and Earth the God and Father of Jesus Christ The holy flame upon the Altar during the Law of Moses was says Philo the Jew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. Jud. de Victim offerent a symbol of thanksgiving Thore things were types or symbols he tells us of spiritual things and that the gratefull mind of a wise man is God's Altar Thus I have given some account of the defects of the Jewish Religion as it was delivered to them by Moses and as it stands compared with the Religion which our Jesus taught I shall now proceed to shew That these defects are made up and supplied by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that the Christian Religion is thereupon very far preferible to that of the Jews And to the making this evident I shall 1. Consider the Precepts of Christian Religion and look upon it as a rule of life and we shall find it the most accurate rule of life that ever was made known to the World There is not in any Religion whatsoever any parallel to the Christian The Precepts of this Religion are agreeable to the reason of mankind they tend to perfect humane nature and render it like the Divine They approve themselves to the Consciences of all wife and considering men and those very men who do not obey them cannot but approve of them and have an inward veneration for them who do As to that duty we owe to God we are taught to perform it becoming his Divine Majesty and his adorable perfections We are directed to believe him to fear him above all to love him with our whole heart to trust in him and depend upon him in all our straits and needs to submit quietly to his Government and to do his will To worship him with pure hearts to pray to him with great fervour and constancy To give him hearty thanks and to do what we do for his Glory And these duties are founded upon the greatest reason For if we believe his veracity we are obliged to give credit to his Revelation though we be not able to comprehend what he doth reveal He that is almighty ought to be feared above all and he who is onely good and most beneficial to us ought be loved with our whole heart Upon whom shall we trust and relye but upon him who is able and willing to help them that trust in him Is it not fit we should submit to him who is infinitely wise and who governs all things in Heaven and earth And whose will should we do but his who is without iniquity who is just and right If he be a Spirit it is fit we should worship him in Spirit and in truth And since we know that he hears it is very reasonable we should at all times and with great ardour pray unto him And since we receive all good things from him it is but just we should praise him as the Authour of all and that we should glorifie him as the ultimate end of all For the duties we owe to one another Christian Religion gives the most incomparable rules It requires a patient submission to our Superiors