JESUS CHRIST.

SECT. 13.

Jefus, celebrating the passover, cured an impotent man at Bethesda-called to account, declared his own dig. nity-fated the proofs of bis divine mission—and subjoined the most folemn admonitions to his oppofers.

Ir is generally fuppofed, that our Lord celebrated four paffovers during his public miniftry; and that the circumftance, which we are now about to confider, occurred at the fecond of them. At the annual celebration of that great feftival, he went up to Jerufalem, as the law commanded. He was conftant in his attendance upon all inftituted means: and his example teaches us, not to flight or neglect the ordinances; fince he, who could not ftand in need of them, as we do, put fuch honour upon them.

When he came to Jerufalem, an opportunity foon offered for the exercife and difplay of his power and compaffion*. A poor difabled man, who had remained in a state of entire impotency for thirty-eight years, lay at the pool of Bethesda, waiting in expectation of a cure from the miraculous motion of the water, which it pleafed God to appoint at certain feafons, for the healing of the moft inveterate diseases. This afflicted perfon attracted the notice of Jefus, who even prevented an application, and, without re

VOL. III.

* John v. 1, &c.
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ceiving so much as a petition for relief, (the cripple, probably, knowing nothing of his character) inftantly by a word reftored his ftrength, and commanded him to give full and public proof of his recovery, by taking up his bed and walking.

The fupernatural effect was manifeft; and we might have thought the conclufion from it fo obvious, that all muft acknowledge it. But the fuperftitious Pharifees immediately objected to it, because the work had been performed, and the man had carried away his couch, on the fabbath day. Hypocrites, we find, are generally attentive to outward obfervances, while they are content to be deftitute of real religion in their hearts. The perfon, who was cured, rightly argued, that he, who had fo wonderfully removed his difeafe, could not be fuppofed to require him to do, what was finful. They, however, probably fufpecting that Jefus was the author of the miracle, were defirous to bring him forward to public view, that they might accuse him. But in the mean time, he had judged it proper, either through modesty or prudence, to retire from their obfervation, before he was known. Afterwards, indeed, the man, having met with Jefus in the temple, and received a folemn charge from him to take warning from his late vifitation and amend his conduct, carried to the enemies of our Lord the information, which they had wifhed for. This he might do, from a strong imprefof gratitude, and an abfurd expectation that all ! pay the moft profound deference and refpect acious Benefactor. They ought, doubtless, fought after him, that they might give him inage and fubmiffion, fo juftly due to him, as lenger from heaven, and to have confidered. nation highly honoured by his prefence. But,

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hey perfecuted him with malicious nworthy to live, for an imagilation of the fabbath.

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The circumftance, here related, may reprefs our wonder, when we hear the bafeft mifreprefentations of excellent characters and the moft benevolent conduct. Thofe, who are followers of Jefus, muft expect to pass through evil report, as he did, and should not be ftaggered in their minds, though they hazard the lofs of every thing, even when they exert themfelves moft earnestly for the honour of God and the benefit of their fellow-creatures. "Though war fhould rife against them," let them "not be weary in well-doing."

Jefus, then, was called to account for what he had done, probably in a public manner, and, as it fhould feem, before the Sanhedrim, the great council of the nation. There he flood arraigned as a criminal; and yet, when put upon his defence, he fpake as the fovereign Lord of all, poffeffing full authority to condemin and destroy his accufers. With an inexpreffible dignity he declared, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work;" as if he had faid, "My Father is continually carrying on his works of providence, and ceafeth not on fabbath days from exercifing his Almighty power for the fupport of the creation; and I, who maintain the fame dominion, and act in the fame abfolute manner, am no more to be reftrained and limited in my operations, by those rules, which must direct the conduct of creatures." If this be, as it evidently appears, the fair import of his words, we wonder not that the Jews, who determined not to acknowledge his divinity, confidered him as a blafphemer, for this plain reafon, that he made himfelf equal with God." This charge, therefore, they immediately urged against him; and he replied to it without fear or referve. He took occafion from it to enter upon a full vindication of himself, afferting the high dignity of his character and the offices he fuftained, and warning them of their danger in oppofing him. The whole of his speech is inconceivably fublime, efpecially

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efsetially if it be understood to be addreffed to the rulers of the people, collected in their grand affembly, and fitting in judgment upon him.

Had they miftaken his words, or drawn a falfe and mifchievous conclufion from them (as they certainly did, if he be not very Ged), he would inftantly have corrected the error, and explained his meaning more explicitly. But, fo far from contradicting, he allowed and confirmed, their inference. For he proceeded to declare, that "what things foever the Father doeth, thefe alfo doeth the Son likewife," not only performing the fame operations, but conducting them in the fame manner, with an equal difplay of fupreme and fovereign authority. And is it not, then, a fair deduction, that the Father and the Son, who are confeffedly united in their plans of action, are one in nature, and poffefs the very fame perfections? He referred them to fome ftronger teftimonies of his Omnipotence, than had already been given by the cure of the lame man, and obferved, that in two particular inftances his dignity, as the Son of God, would be manifefted, to their aftonishment. The one was, his reftoring of life to the dead, according to his own pleasure; for even now he quickens whom he will, and at the laft day the general refurrection will be accomplished by him. The other was, the adminiftration of the final and univerfal judgment, which is committed to him; for he it is, who will affign to the whole human race their different ftates for ever, according to their respective characters. Are these fuch works, as a creature can perform? Or, do they not evidently require the exertion of divine perfections? Jefus, therefore, added, that in thefe acts it is the Father's grand determination to affert and vindicate the proper dignity of his Son; that, notwithstanding the infolent attacks made upon him, he commands all mea our the Son, even as they honour the whatever regard is withheld from

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the former, is, in effect, denied to the latter. what fort, then, is their religion, who are attempting the degradation of the Saviour? With all their pretences of veneration for the God of heaven, they are here expressly declared to be his enemies.

Accordingly, the Lord Jefus, in the moft folemn manner, demanded the attention of his judges, reprefenting himself as the grand fource of all fpiritual bleffings, and requiring them to fubmit to him, and depend upon him, as the author and giver of everlafting life. To fix a deeper impreffion on their minds, he fet before them the awful proceedings of the last day, when they should hear his voice, awakening them from their graves, and ftand at his bar, to receive their final fentence from his mouth.

It is objected to the doctrine, which afferts his Deity, that he faid on this very occafion, "I can of mine own felf do nothing;" clearly implying an original fubjection and inferiority to the Father. But we apprehend, that no fuch conclufion can be fairly drawn from his expreffions. True it is, that "the Son can do nothing of himself;" that is, he can have no diftinct plan of his own, nor can he act separately from, or in oppofition to, the Father: fuch is the union, and perfect agreement together.

But does not Jefus defcribe himself as fubordinate and dependent? Doubtlefs, there is a fenfe, in which he is fo. He fpeaks of a commiffion which he had received, and of an authority with which he was intrufted, from the Father. But this may properly be referred to his mediatorial office, and does not prove any difference or inequality, previous to his voluntary affumption of that office. In that capacity he fubmits to be a fervant, and acts by express directions from the Father, and in fubjection to his will. "Because he is the Son of man," having taken our nature upon him, and appeared in the likeness of finful flesh, he is, in this respect and for this very rea