XX. man approved (or demonstrated) unto you by mi- SERM. racles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you; as you yourselves know. The adversaries (such whom superstitious prejudices, obstinate humours, or corrupt affections, envy, pride, ambition, avarice, or the like, had made adversaries to him) did not only see the thing, but were affrighted with its consequence; The chief priests, it is John xi. 47. said, and the Pharisees gathered a counsel together, and said; What shall we do, for this man doeth many wonders? if we let him alone, all men will believe on him: yes indeed, notwithstanding all this watchful caution and fine policy of theirs, notwithstanding all the opposition and discouragement they could interpose, all their strugglings to smother his credit and doctrine, many were in their hearts convinced, even divers of such as were unwilling to believe, and ashamed or afraid to avow their persuasion; Also, it is said again, of the rulers many be-John xii. lieved on him; but because of the Pharisees they 42. did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: Nicodemus, an honest and ingenuous person, a man of honour, (but somewhat wary and timorous,) came secretly, and in the name (it seemeth) of many persons alike disposed with himself thus spake Rabbi, we know that thou hast come a John iii. 2. teacher from God; for no man can do those things which thou doest, except God be with him. As for the generality of the people, (the most unconcerned in such cases as to point of honour and interest, and thence the most impartial and sincere party,) they following their senses were greatly affected and astonished with what he did; taking him for a very extraordinary person; some in a gross and confused 14. SERM. manner, others in a more distinct way of belief; XX. Some said he was John the Baptist; others, that Mark xvi. he was Elias; others, Jeremiah, or one of the anLuke ix.19. cient prophets risen up again: but many of the people (more fully and exactly) believed on him, saying, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than this man hath done? John vii.31. ii. 23. We may also observe, that Jesus did not affect to perform wonders out of vanity, or to humour men's curiosity, but always upon inducements of piety and charity most of them were performed occasionally at the desire of men, suggested by their needs; and all of them for their edification or comfort; that he therefore did not seek by them to acquire reputation, or applause to himself; nor by them designed to advance any private interest of his own, but singly aimed at the promotion of God's glory in them all: that in effect no secular advantage of dignity or wealth or pleasure did from them accrue to himself; but rather disgrace and obloquy, hatred and enmity, trouble and pain, did from them befall him ; all the glory of them purely coming to God, and all Matt. x.8. the benefit to men. As he charged his disciples, so he practised himself, doing all gratis, and freely, Matt. viii. without expecting or accepting any requital. 4. xii. 16. ix. 30. 26. He often studiously concealed his miracles, forbidding Mark v. 43 those who were concerned in them, or conscious of them, to publish them; so striving to decline or to viii. 49, 50, stifle the honour, naturally emergent from them. 30. xiv. 10. When it was necessary or expedient they should ap John v. 41. 54, 24. v. pear, he disclaimed being the principal author of them, referring and ascribing them to God: 'I can, said he, do nothing of myself: and, The word that I speak to you, I speak not of myself; but the Fa XX. 16. ix. 43. xv. 30. γαλειότητι. ther who abides in me, he doeth the works: and, I SERM. seek not mine own glory; I receive not glory of men: thus he professed, and so he practised: consequently the effect was, that (as it is expressed in the Gospels) fear, or a pious reverence, did seize all Luke vii. men; and they glorified God, saying, That a great xviii. 43. Prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath Matt. ix. 8. visited his people: All the people seeing it gave Exiμpraise to God: All men were amazed at the mighty power (or majesty) of God: When the multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. And doth not so much glory from his performances resulting to God, so good an influence upon the hearts of men, evidently shew whence the power effecting them was derived? would the Devil be such an instrument of God's praise? We may also with St. Irenæus observe, that Jesus, Iren. ii. 58. in performing his cures and other miraculous works, did never use any profane, silly, phantastic ceremonies; any muttering of barbarous names or insignificant phrases; any invocation of spirits, or inferior powers; any preparatory purgations, any mysterious circumstances of proceeding, apt to amuse people; any such unaccountable methods or instruments, as magicians, enchanters, diviners, circulatorious jugglers, and such emissaries of the Devil, or self-seeking impostors, are wont to use; but did proceed altogether in a most innocent, simple, and grave manner, with a majestic authority and clear sincerity, becoming such an agent of God as he professed himself to be. That also the whole tenor of his proceedings was directly levelled against the kingdom of darkness; XX. Matt. xii. SERM. against all the impiety, all the malice, all the filthiness, and all the fallacy thereof; at the casting wicked and impure spirits, not only from the bodies, but out of the souls of men; causing men not only to detest and defy them, but to loathe their qualities, and to eschew their works: this is that binding, Luke xi.21. disarming, rifling, and dispossessing the strong one, 29. which Jesus alleged as an infallible argument, that he was not only no friend, but a mighty enemy to the infernal powers; an enemy, not only in disposition and design quite contrary, but in virtue and force highly superior to them: that we should worship God alone with most hearty reverence and love; that we should bear the same clear good-will to all men as we do to ourselves; that we should be strictly just, veracious, and sincere in our words and dealings, meek and humble in our spirits, pure and sober in all our enjoyments, (things perfectly opposite to the temper and interests of hell,) were things, which as our Lord constantly in his doctrine did inculcate, so he countenanced and furthered them by his works; from whence assuredly we may collect, that they came from heaven, and were intended for the promoting God's service: hell would never contribute so much to its own disgrace and disadvantage, would never so industriously concur to defeat and destroy itself; God plainly reaped the benefit by Jesus's works, he therefore certainly did plant them and bless them. Tertull. Upon these considerations it appeareth sufficiently, that in correspondence to the reason and exigency of the case, our Lord did perform innumerable works, which had impressed on them the truest and highest characters of divinity; the most peculiar grandeur, XX. and perfectest goodness; the purest holiness of de- SERM. sign, and the beneficial tendency proper to the works issuing from divine power; so that supposing God should send the Messias into the world, or any great ambassador from himself, he could scarce possibly, he should not at least, all things considered, need to furnish him with more convincing attestations, than he hath exhibited to our Lord. Whence we may well apprehend the validity of that argument, which our Lord himself suggested for assurance of St. John the Baptist in his opinion concerning him, or rather for the satisfaction of St. John's disciples; when John sent two of his disciples, with this inquiry, Art thou Matt. xi. 5. he, or look we for another? Jesus thus replied; Go Luke vii. your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached; and blessed is he, whoever shall not be offended in me. 6. God most signally did attest to our Lord by miraculously raising him from the dead; or in that by a divine power he raised up himself from the grave; which work, for the singular greatness and high consequence thereof, together with the certain evidence that it was really performed, might alone suffice to confirm the verity of all our Lord's pretences; [that he was the true Messias, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, the Lord of all things, the Judge of all the world;] most efficaciously to evince and persuade the most eminent and important parts of his doctrine, (the immortality of our souls, the resurrection of our bodies, the just and wise providence of God over men, the 22. |