257 REFLECTIONS ON THE Life and Character of CHRIST. JOHN 20. 30, 31. And many other figns truly did JESUS in the prefence of his Disciples, which are not written in this Book. But thefe 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. T HESE two Verfes, if they did not originally conclude the Gospel of St. John, as fome learned Men have thought; are however fo far parallel to thofe words which now stand at the end of this, and probably refer to it jointly with the three other Gofpels, that they ferve equally to inform us what the true intention of their writers was, viz. not to give a complete account of all the things that Jefus did, much less * Vid. Grot. et Cleric. in loc. Add Critical Notes, p. 79. a How far this was from being fo, may be seen in Le Clerc, Harm. Diff. p.587. from Joh. 2. 3. Add 1 Cor.15.5. The fame appears to be the cafe with feveral of our bleffed Saviour's Reasonings, where the Evangelifts, particularly St. John, ufe a fhortness of ftile, and for the most part may R be of all the reasons and occafions of them; but only to record fo many naked Facts*, of each kind, as would be abundantly fufficient to lay a fure Foundation for our Faith in his divine Miffion, and by that Faith lead us to eternal Happiness. And indeed the Account which we find there deliver'd, plain as it is and fimple; is yet in itself of fo very extraordinary a Nature, and exhibits fuch an important and amazing Scene of Wifdom, Power, and Goodness, as muft, when duly <be fuppofed not to relate them at large, as they were fpoken, but to fet down the principal Heads thereof, leaving their ⚫ conciseness to be supplied by the care and attention of the devout Reader.' Clagett, Serm. V.3. p. 88. where a remarkable Inftance is produced to this purpose. *To make evident who that Mafter was, whose Disci ples they profeffed themselves, their bufinefs was to tell, how they knew him, what Miracles he had wrought, and all thofe other particulars which we read in their Gofpels; in which they made ufe of no Difquifitions, but in a plain ⚫ and faithful Narrative declared their Knowledge of those Matters. And this looks like the fingular Care and Wifdom of Divine Providence, that nothing of human Invention might be faid to be mix'd with the Gofpel; which could not have been prevented, had the Apostles in their Writings fet down not only what they themselves had feen, but their Conjectures alfo, and Deductions from the Actions and Sayings of our Saviour. Le Clerc, Harm. Diff. p. 611. Comp. Jaquelot de la Ver. et de l'Infpir. des Livres du V. et N.T. Part 2. c. 6. p. 301, 305, &c. or Duchal, Serm.1. It doth not appear that ever it came into the minds of the Writers, to confider how this or the other Action would appear to mankind; or what Objections might be raised upon them. But without at all attending to this, they lay the Facts before you, at no pains to think whether they ❝ would appear credible or not. If the Reader will not believe their Teftimony, there is no help for it. They tell the Truth, and attend to nothing else. Surely this looks like Sincerity, and that they publifh'd nothing to the World, but what, upon the beft Evidence, they believed themselves." Duchal, p. 97, 98. at attended to, convince us that it could have no less than a Divine Original. What I propose at prefent is to confider these Signs of Jefus in their utmost Latitude, as comprehending the feveral Circumstances of his Life, whereby he proved himself to be the very Chrift; gave evidence of his Authority to undertake, and really accomplished the Work of our Redemption. I fhall endeavour to lay before you fuch a general View of this Tranfaction, as may help to discover the fitnefs and propriety of our Saviour's Conduct in the whole. than any Let us begin where the beloved Difciple dates his Gospel, (who had much higher Manifeftations, and a more perfect Knowledge of his Mafter, other of the Evangelifts;) and with him reflect a little on his original State, and fubfequent Humiliation. That a Being of infinite Glory and Perfection, the Image of the invisible God, the first-born of every Creature, and the Lord 'of Heaven and Earth, fhould condefcend to degrade himself from all this Power and Dignity; divest himself of every glorious Attribute, and appear not only in the Form, but real Nature of Man, and in its most imperfect and forlorn Estate; under all the Wants, and Weakneffes, and Pains - bTo a Being who exifted, before his Birth, in fome * happier State, the whole of the embodied State may be re'garded as one continued Act of Humiliation, and in a Senfe, ⚫ as one uninterrupted Scene of Suffering.' 7. N. Scott, Serm. V.2. p.164. That our B. Saviour had fuch an Existence is fully demonftrated by the Author of the Glory of Chrift as God-man difplay'd: but that this Pre-exiftence was in a Human Soul, will not perhaps be fo readily admitted. c Phil.2.7. tavlor intro, emptied, exinanivit, Greg. Ny in 1 Cor.15. Evacuavit, Hieron. in Gal.3.13. Some underftand R 2 of Infancy! That he should be content to recover his former Qualities one by one, in flow ftand this in the moft literal Senfe. See Glory of Chrift as God-man, p.222, 236, &c. Comp. Jo. 17.5. The Divine Logos, with the Human Nature, affumed the Ignorance, and other Infirmities proper to it.' Waterland, Moyer's Lect. S.7. p.271. d This Circumftance of our Saviour's fubmitting to be reduced to fo low a State as that of a common Infant on his entrance into this World, inftead of raifing all that grateful Admiration which fo wonderful a thing requires, has of late been turn'd to fhock the Faith of Believers, and become the great Scoff and Stumbling-block of Infidels. But though we cannot prefume to account for the whole of that extraordinary Tranfaction, [the Knowledge whereof is probably in a great measure referv'd for the next Life ;] yet may we, I think, eafily affign fome obvious Reafons, why he fhould appear in this manner rather than another. 1. In order to prepare the World for his Reception, to keep up an Expectation of him, as well as to diftinguifh him when he did appear, and give a lafting Proof that he was really come; the feveral Qualifications of his Perfon, and chief Circumftances of his Advent, were at large defcribed long before it was promised in particular, that he fhould be of the Seed of Abraham, Tribe of Judah, Family of David, &c. But if he had appear'd at firit in an adult State, he would have had no more relation to one Tribe or Family than another: if what fome of the Jews advanc'd from their Traditions, [Joh. 7.27. V. Whitby, comp. Bp. Chandler, Def. p.250. and Vind. P.429.] that when Chrift cometh, no Man knoweth whence he is, were true, it would have been impoffible for any such Prophecies as thefe to have been accomplish'd, and extremely difficult for the People to whom he was primarily fent, much more for others, ever to have come to a fufficient certainty about him. 2. It appears from all God's Difpenfations to Mankind, that though there be Evidence fufficient to convince impartial Judgements, yet there is none of such a Nature as would utterly confound their Understandings, and compel their Affent. Now had Chrift come from Heaven in the full brightness of his Father's Glory, attended with a numerous Hoft of Angels; [in fome fuch manner as the Jefuit Miffionary was pleafed to reprefent to his Chinese Auditory. Millar, Prop. Chrift. V. 2. p. 291, &c.] or had he enter'd |