jurious to his honour to require any other proof of his word than his word. It is incomparably more

certain that God cannot deceive us, than that our understandings are not deceived. Now, what is the main subject of the Gospel?

It instructs us that

"the Word was God, and the Word was made flesh." Can there be a more plain declaration who Jesus Christ is, that we may conceive aright of his natures, his virtues, his prerogatives and merits? It is not possible, without violence, to interpret the words otherwise than they plainly signify, that a divine Being assumed the human nature, and was God-Man. This was also declared by Jesus Christ. For when the Jews, supposing him to be a mere man, taxed him for the violation of the Sabbath, in his doing a miraculous cure on that day, he replied to their exception, "My Father works hitherto, and I work :" That is, as God is not subject to the law of the Sabbath, but uninterruptedly does the works of his merciful providence; so I, his Son, work in all times without limitation. This expression the Jews truly understood to import no less thau an equality with God, a Son being of the same nature with his Father, and therefore charged him with blasphemy. Our Saviour allows their interpretation, but vindicates it from impiety by further declaring his communion with God in his will and power, that he performed divine works; that he might "receive the same divine honour as the Father had." shall we not believe this testimony that Jesus Christ gives of himself? Did not the WORD understand the meaning of his own expressions? Could truth deceive? Was it possible for wisdom to speak im

And

properly? Was power defective and unable to declare what it would have us to understand? How unreasonable is it, then, to object, How can this be? What pride is it to rebel against the divine revelation? What obstinacy to remain unsatisfied, unless we discover how terms so distant in themselves, the highest Being, GOD, and the lowest in the sphere of rational beings, man, should be so strictly united? How they should be so intimately joined without confusion of natures in one person, that it is truly said, God was humbled to the form of a servant, and man is raised to the right hand of God. Here it is our duty to subject our noblest faculty, the understanding, to divine revelation. In the doctrines of faith, as well as in the disposures of Providence, it is sufficient to check presumptuous curiosity, that God is the Author.

I shall add one consideration more: if Jesus Christ was not what he declared himself to be, the Son of God, he was a most impious man. For it is impiety in the supreme degree, for any in the pure order of creatures to assume divine honour: but the quality of his doctrine, and sanctity of his life, infinitely clear him from such a vile charge. For is it conceivable that a person, guilty of the highest, even sacrilegious pride, should be an instructor of the most perfect humility to the world? It is the special character of his religion that distinguishes it from all other institutions, that it preserves the divine glory entire; that it makes the profoundest impressions in the hearts of men of their meanness and vanity, and inspires them with an humble sense of their infinite distance from God. And for the holi

ness of his life, I shall produce a testimony that can be liable to no exception; it is of Porphyry, a Platonic philosopher, who excelled as in learning and eloquence, so in malignity, the most furious enemies of Christianity; yet he was, by irresistible evidence, compelled to acknowledge, "That Jesus Christ was a most pious and excellent person, and that after his death he ascended into heaven." And is it credible that the same person, whose life was a glorious example of holiness and righteousness, should be guilty of the most transcendent wickedness? It is not possible for an unprejudiced mind to entertain such a suspicion.

That the Son of God was here below in a mean state, that he was exposed to the most cruel and ignominious death, if we consider the great end of his condescending goodness, it will appear to be most worthy of him; and that there is no contradiction in the things themselves, but in the perverse minds of infidels: for,

First, He was to redeem the world, not in the way of majesty, but by humble obedience, and sufferings. Thus it was ordered by divine wisdom, for the honour of God's attributes and government. Now, if he had appeared in sensible glory, the design of his coming had been frustrated: who would have dared to condemn him to the infamous death of the cross? Who would have shed his blood, the price of our redemption? And it is very observable, that our Saviour made no use of his supernatural power, when the doing a miracle before Herod would have struck him with the reverence of him as divine, and might have preserved him from death. Nay,

when the glittering host of heaven, all the orders of angels, were in arms, ready, upon his least call, to have come, swifter than lightning, for his rescue, yet he meekly yielded himself up a bloody sacrifice to God, and an ignominious spectacle to men. For "thus it became him to fulfil all righteousness."

Secondly, Another great end of his coming, was to found a spiritual eternal kingdom; he was constituted a new Adam, to regenerate men to a holy blessed life, that were condemned, in the first Adam, to death and misery. Therefore, his life was a continual exercise of self-denial, a pattern of innocence and patience, of doing good and suffering evil. Thus he convinces us, that nothing is valuable in God's account but holiness. Thus, by his own example, he instructs us in the divine philosophy, to despise the good and evil things here, in order to our everlasting happiness. He ascended to heaven by the way of sufferings, and calls us to follow him. The fruit of blessedness is ingrafted on the thorns of poverty and persecution for his name's sake. The laws of his kingdom are inscribed on the body of his cross, and must be copied in the hearts of his subjects. And for this reason, when the apostles (who, after his resurrection, had some relics of their carnal conceit, that the kingdom of GOD should come with observation for its external splendour) asked him, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?" To raise their thoughts and affections above earthly things, he answered, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses of me, both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the utmost ends of the earth."

Their preaching his life and death should be attended with the power of the Spirit, to dispense vigorous influence into the hearts of men for his imitation. And certainly his example is of admirable use and profit. For thus he sweetens and makes honourable those virtues, the exercise of which were very difficult and unpleasing, either in respect of their quality, being contrary to fleshly lusts, or as they expose to contempt in the opinion of the world. For who can refuse, or be ashamed to practise, the most severe self-denial, when in that he is made a copy of so divine an original as the Son of God? Now, considering what an influence his afflicted state has to procure eternal happiness for fallen man, and to prepare man for it, was it unbecoming him to descend thus low? Is it unbecoming that God loves as God? That as infinite wisdom and power appeared in the creation, so infinite mercy appears in our redemption? What is more divine than infinitely to exceed all the ideas we can frame of perfect love? To do greater things for his enemies, than men are willing to do for their dearest friends? And where sin abounds, that grace superabounds? Thus the eye of reason, cleared by revelation, sees that the voluntary humiliation of the Son of God for a time, is so far from diminishing, that it exalts his majesty. This is the great argument and motive of the adoration and solemn praise that reasonable creatures shall for ever pay unto him, wherein his derivative glory con

sists.

From what has been discoursed, we may see the just grounds of our firm assent and perfect adherence to the doctrine of the Gospel. There are not only