their Opinion, therefore knew all things, because he knew what they were defirous to ask, and gave them inftantly a moft apt Answer to their intended Inquiry; fo that he needed not, that any fhould ask him. By his knowing all things therefore, they can't reasonably be understood to have meant more, than that he had a vaft Knowledge, even of fuch things as are infcrutable to mere Man.

And accordingly, 'tis certain, that this Phrase is used in a very limited Senfe in both the Old and New Testament. Thus, when the wife Woman faid to David, My Lord is wife according to the wisdom of an Angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth, 2 Sam. 14. 20. and when St. John faid to his Difciples, But ye have an unction from the holy one, and ye know all things, 1 John 2. 20. and again, the fame anointing teacheth you of all things, v. 27. no Man in his Wits can conceive, that either of them meant more by all things, than a great deal, or a very extenfive Knowledge. In the fame Senfe St. Paul faid to Timothy, The Lord give thee understanding in all things, 2 Tim. 2. 7. Nay, we our felves in common Difcourfe ufually fay, fuch an one knows every thing; but furely we don't mean, that the Perfon is ftrictly Omniscient.

What has been already faid, is fufficient to clear the abovefaid Text. But there is one other Confideration, which demonftrats the Truth of my Interpretation. The Difciples had no fooner faid, Now are we fure that thou knowest all things, and needeft not that any man should ask thee; but they immediatly fubjoin, By this we believe, that thou cameft forth from God. Now by Chrift's coming forth from God is meant his being a true Prophet. For the Difference between true and falfe Prophets is this, That the true ones are fent by God, and the falfe ones

are

are not fent by him, but come of themselves. Accordingly our bleffed Lord fays, I proceeded forth (ña, the fame Word which in this other Place is rendred, came forth) and came from God: neither came I (28 Exxus, for I did not come) of my felf, but he fent me, John 8. 42. You fee, our Lord proves, that he came forth from God, becaufe he did not come of himself, but God fent him. And confequently his proceeding forth from God fignifies his being a true Prophet, in Contradiftinction to what he would have been, had he come of himfelf, without God's Miffion. Now his Difciples concluded, that he proceeded forth from God (that is, was a true Prophet) because he knew all things, and needed not that any man should ask him. And indeed, this miraculous Knowledge was a good Proof of the Truth and Certainty of his Divine Miffion. But then,fince from this his miraculous Knowledge, they inferr'd nothing more, than that he was a true Prophet; 'tis manifeft, that they did not from this his Knowledge infer, that he was more than a mere Man conducted and affifted by God's Spirit, and confequently more than a true Prophet.

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Whether the fame Phrase, as used by St. Peter in that remarkable Declaration, Lord, thou knoweft all things; thou knoweft that I love thee, John 21. 17. does admit or require the fame limited Interpretation; I need not determin. Becaufe 'twas spoken after the Time of our Lord's Miniftry was ended, even after his Refurrection; and confequently 'tis beyond the Bounds of our prefent Inquiry. But,

Secondly, As there is not in all the New Teftament any one Paffage, which either afferts or implys,that the Disciples believ'd him to have had any Divine Nature during his Miniftry; fo 'tis very remarkable, that the whole Courfe of our Savior's

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wonderful Actions affords no Proof, nor even the fmalleft Intimation, of his having any Divine Na ture at all. And confequently the Difciples could not infer from thence, that he was any thing more than a mere Man conducted and affifted by God's Spirit.

'Twas prophefy'd of the Meffiah, that God's Spi rit fhould be poured on him. Thus, when our Lord concealed himself, the Evangelift obferves, That it might be fulfilled which was Spoken by Efaias the Prophet, faying, Behold, my fervant whom I have chofen, my beloved in whom my foul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall fhew judgment to the Gentiles. He fhall not ftrive, nor cry, neither shall any man bear his voice in the streets. A bruifed reed shall be not break, and Smoaking flax fhall be not quench; till be fend forth judg ment unto victory. And in his name fhall the Gentiles truft, Matt. 12. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. St. Luke also gives us the following Relation, And he came to Na zareth, where he had been brought up, and as his custom was, he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day, and Stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the Prophet Efaias, and when he had opened the book, be found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gofpel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of fight to the blind, to fet at liberty them that are bruifed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And be clofed the book, and he gave it again to the Minister, and fat down and the eyes of all them that were in the Synagogue, were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears, Luke 4. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. And accordingly St. Peter declares, that God anointed Jefus Christ of Nazareth with the Holy Ghoft, and with Power, Acts 10. 38.

This folemn Unction by the Spirit was perform'd immediatly after his Baptifm. For theEvangelift tells us, that Jesus, when he was baptiz'd, went up straightway out of the water and lo, the heavens were open'd unto him, and be faw the Spirit of God defcending like a dove, and lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from beaven, faying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed, Matt. 3. 17. And accordingly St. John Baptift, who adminiftred Baptifm to him, bare record, faying, I faw the fpirit defcending from heaven, like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that fent me to baptize with water, the fame faid unto me, Upon whom thou shalt fee the Spirit defcending and remaining on him, the fame is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I faw, and bare record that this is the Son of God, John 1. 32, 33, 34.

Now we are told, that God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto the bleffed Jefus, John 3. 34. that is, God poured the Spirit upon him in a moft plentiful and abundant Manner. But then, it must be remembred, that our Lord Jefus Chrift is the Head of his Body the Church, and we receive divine Communications from and by him. Accordingly, as in the natural Body, when Oyl is plentifully poured upon the Head, it muft run down to the inferior Parts (thus the Pfalmift says, It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down unto the beard, even unto Aaron's beard, and went down to the skirts of bis clothing, Pfal. 133. 2.) So when our Lord Jefus Chrift was plentifully anointed with the Holy Spirit, his Difciples, the Members of his Body, receiv'd a Share of thofe Spiritual Gifts, which that anointing conferr'd on him. For whatever Gifts of the Spirit our Lord exercis'd during his Ministry, his Difciples exercis'd the very fame, partly during his Abode with them, but efpecially after his Afcen

fion, when the Baptifm of the Holy Ghoft was by our Lord's Miffion of the Spirit conferr'd on them. For let us defcend to Particulars.

Our Lord knew the Thoughts of Mens Hearts. Of this we have a general Declaration in thefe Words; Now when he was in Jerufalem at the paffover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they faw the miracles which he did. But Jefus did not com mit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should teftifie of man: for he knew what was in man, John 2. 23, 24, 25. But he gave many particular Inftances of this Knowledge. Jefas knowing their thoughts, Matt. 9. 4. Jesus knew their thoughts, Matt. 12. 25. Jefus perceiv'd in his Spirit, that they fo reafoned within themselves, Mark 2. 8. Jefus perceiving the thought of their heart, Luke 9. 47. Jefus knew in himself, that his disciples murmur'd at it, John 6. 61. Jesus knew, that they were defirous to ask him, John 16. 19. Jefus knew from the begin ming, who they were that believed not, and who fhould betray him, John 6. 64. For he knew, who should betray bim, John 13. 11. Nay, he knew Things diftant. Nathanael faith unto him, Whence knowest thou me ? Jefus answered and faid unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou waft under the fig-tree, I saw thee, John 1. 48. He knew alfo, that the Samaritan Woman had had five Husbands, and that he whom the had at the Time of his talking with her, was not her Husband, John 4. 18. Nay, he probably was acquainted with the Course of her Life, at leaft with the principal Paffages of it. For the Woman faid to thofe of her City, Come, fee a man which told me all things that ever I did, ver. 29. Our Lord alfo foretold Things to come, of which many Inftances are recorded in Holy Scripture.

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