*This and Para phrafe. I have exhorted them to Repentance, 28. Ye your felves remember and can 29. The Bride belongeth to the part of the Bridegroom only; and his Friend, who 31ft verfe, ferved him all he could to gain her for are Dr. him, muft not pretend to the Right Claget's which the Bridegroom has in her. But if he be a true Friend, he will wait with fome Impatience till the Bridegroom affureth him that the laft Interview has been fuccefsful: And then all this Friend's part, is only to rejoice in the Succefs. Thus all that I have done, has been to prepare the Nation of the Jews for the coming of their Meffias, who is their true Head and Husband. And upon his Appearance I pretend to no Authority over you; but deliver you 30. The Defign of my Preaching and 32 And what he * 31. He that cometh from above, as Chrift* only came, is greater than I am, or than all the Prophets, not excepting even Mofes himself. For though they that are defcended of earthly Parents only, can speak indeed from Principles of natural Reason, [or by Revelation according to fuch certain degrees of the Spirit, as God is pleased to communicate to them: ] Yet they have fo little of fupernatural Knowledge, in comparison to the Fulnefs thereof in Him; their Doctrines are fo earthly, in comparison to thofe Revelations of God's hidden Counfels, which He brings along with him from Heaven; that for this Reason, as well as for the Excellency of his Perfon, he is to be infinitely Preferred before All. that he teftifieth; and no man receiveth his teftimony. ver. 13 32. We receive fmall proportions of hath feen and heard, Heavenly Knowledge, according to the narrow Capacity of our Nature; and preach it, according to the measure of God's Revelations to us, and the Limits of our Commiffion. But the Things which He teaches, he not only knows certainly and infallibly to be true; but alfo understands them throughly by his own Divine Knowledge, coming him felf immediately from God, having in himfelf the Fulnefs of all Perfections, and revealing Things according to his U own VOL. II. own Good Pleasure. Wherefore, whereas Ye are apt to envy him, and be difpleafed at his having fo many Followers; I on the contrary am forry, with much greater Reafon, that there are not more Perfons fo well difpofed, as to embrace his most Holy Gofpel, which contains the only Means of Eternal Life and Happiness. 33. For the Teftimonies, wherewith he proves his Power and Authority, are fo evident and undeniable to all unprejudiced Minds; that, believing in Him, is only acting according to the most manifeft Principles of Reason, and declaring a firm Perfwafion that God who is the Author and Fountain of all Truth, is himself Faithful and True, and will not impofe Delufions upon Men. And the Doctrine alfo that he teaches, is fuch; that, embracing it, is indeed receiving only the Doctrine of God himself. 34. Not only his wonderful and extraordinary Works, I fay, are the Teftimonies and Demonftration of his Authority; but even his Doctrine in it felf appears to be moft Heavenly and Divine. For as He came properly from Heaven, in fuch a manner as no Prophet ever did; fo he also speaks the Words of God in fuch a manner, as no other ever did : Not having fupernatural Endowments conferred upon him in a limited measure, as the Prophets had; but poffeffing all Knowledge and all Perfections abfolutely in himself: So that he is entirely to be believed with a hearty and firm Faith, in whatsoever he delivers. 35. In Sum; God the Father hath given him all Power and Dominion, and made him Head over all Things to the Church. So that by the Laws of his Religion, Men muft govern and direct their Lives; by Him they must be 33 He that hath received his teftimony, hath fet to his feal, that God is true. 34 For he whom God hath fent, fpeakGod: for God gi eth the words of veth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father lohath given all things veth the Son, and into his hand. 36 He 36 He that beHeveth on the Son, hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son, fhall not fee life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. judged; and according to their Obedience, or Difobedience to his Commands, they must be decreed by him to eternal Life, or Punishment. 36. So that here is a plain Account of the Conditions upon which Mens everlafting State will depend. He that believes on the Son of God, embracing his Doctrine, and obeying his Commands, fhall inherit eternal Life: But He that obftinately rejects, or impenitently dif obeys, that great and standing Revelation of the Divine Will, and thofe laft gracious Offers of Mercy and Salvation upon the eafie Conditions of Faith and Repentance, which God makes to Mankind by his Son, and which he enables them to perform by his Spirit; fhall fall under the final and eternal Wrath of God. CHAP. IV. Jefus's Difcourfe with the Woman of Samaria, ver. 1. The Nature and Defign of Chriftianity, ver. 23, 24. The Samaritans believe on Jefus, ver. 39. He heals a Nobleman's Son, ver. 46. WHEN there fore the Lord knew how the Pha rifees had heard that 1, 2 & 3. A FTER these things, Jefus knowing that the Pharifees and Council of the Jews at Jerufalem had received Information of his making and baptizing Difciples, and that in greater Numbers than John the Baptift had done; (though Jefus did not baptize with his own Hands, but only by the Miniftry of his Difciples; ) Jefus, I fay, knowing that the Pharifees were informed of all that He did, and that they hated him, and were exafperated against him more than against John the Baptift, both because of his Doctrine and 32. Gen. the Number of his Difciples, and alfo 5. Jefus therefore, in his Paflage xlviii. 22. ver. 39. And 7. Now as Jefus fat by the Well, 8. (This was in the Abfence of the 8 For his difciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat. |