MATTHEW. The year of Chrift, 33. of his Miniftry, 4. Јони. CHA P. XII. 411 29 The people therefore that ftood by, and heard it, faid that it thundred others faid, An angel fpake to him. 30 Jefus anfwered, and faid, This voice came not becaufe of me, but for your fakes. 31 Now is the judgment of this world: now fhall the prince of this world be caft out. 32 And I,if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me. 33 (This he faid, fignifying what death he should die) 34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law, that Chrift abideth for ever: and how fayeft thou, The Son of man must be lift up? who is this Son of man? 35 Then Jefus faid unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you walk while ye have Some of the Multitude, who had not heard the words diftinctly, believ'd it thunder'd, while others faid it was the voice of an Angel that spoke to him. Then faid Jefus, This Voice was not utter'd by God to convince me of his concern for me, as if I had any doubt of it, but to let you know I have bin fent by him, and for your fakes. The time is now at laft come in which God will execute Judgment Idolaters and all other wicked perfons; and the evil Spirit under whofe Empire they are, fhall be depriv'd of that Authority he has ufurp'd, while the clear Light of the Gofpel fhall be diffus'd thro the Universe. After that this vulgar Perfon, as he is generally accounted, fhall be lifted, he shall draw to him out of all Nations of the Earth, many who, being illuminated with this Heavenly Light, fhall renounce the Tyranny of the evil Spirits, and free themfelves from the Slavery they are under. upon Some of the Auditory perceiving the tendency of that Phrafe, when he faid he fhould be lifted up, that it fignified after what manner he fhould be put to death, anfwer'd, that they were perfuaded by the Scriptures the Meffiah fhould live for ever: How then, faid they, is it poffible that he should be lifted up on a Crofs, who thou fayeft is commonly look'd on as a vulgar perfon, by which circumlocution thou art wont to denote thy felf, whom many believe to be the Mean? Or is there any other perfon fignified by that Appellation, not as yet made known to us? Jefus in his anfwer (without replying to their vain Question) fhow'd why he had intimated that he should be fhortly cut off: Yet a little while, faid he, the Light Ggg 2 that you now behold shall thine among you; make use of the opportunity now afford JOHN.. CHAP. XII. the light, left darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness, knoweth not whither he goeth. 35 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. Thefe things fpake Jefus and departed, and did hide himself from them. 37 But though he had done fo many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him : 38 That the faying of Efaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he fpake, Lord, who hath believed our report, and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed ? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Efaias said again, 40. He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, that they should not fee with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I fhould heal them. afforded you of information in the feveral Branches of your Duty, to which you are to conform your Actions; for without the direction of this Light from Heaven, you are in the greateft danger imaginable of wandring out of the way to Happinefs. Rightly improve therefore the means now offer'd you, and do nothing unworthy of this gracious affiftance. After this, Jefus departing out of the Temple, retir'd from the City, and withdrew for a while from the company of thefe men. But they who had bin Eyewitneffes of fo many Miracles, refus'd to believe on him; fo that what Ifaiah for merly complain'd of the men of his Age (ch. 53. 1.) may be july applied to them; Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed? But the temper of these men was the fame with theirs whom the fame Prophet describ'd in thele words: He has blinded their Eyes, and hardened their Hearts, that they should not fee with their Eyes, nor understand with their Hearts, nor be converted that I fhould heal them. In which words Ifaiah fignified that there fhould be fome of fuch a contumacious Temper, and obdurate Heart, that thofe very things that were proper to enlighten their Understandings thould have a quite contrary effect, fo as they hould become more obftinate, and make no more ufe of the Faculties God had given them to imploy in the means for obtaining everlasting Salvation, than if they they had bin wholly depriv'd of them. Thefe Paffages of Ifaiah are recorded in that part of his Prophecy where the future Glory of the Meffiah is described. However, fome of the Sanhedrim believed that Jefus was fent by God, tho they did not openly profefs their Belief on him, for fear of the Pharisees who were enrag'd against him, left they fhould by them be expel'd the Synagogue; choofing rather to maintain their Authority among Men, than to pay the Honour due to God, by owning Fejus for the Meffiah. Towards the Evening Jefus returned again to the Temple, and not feeing those men there, he began to admonish the Jews with a loud Voice to quit their obftinacy, and to believe his Doctrin. He that believes on me, faid he, does not fo much give credit to me as to God who fent me, who by the Miracles he has enabled me to perform, has demonftrated that my Commiffion is deriv'd from him. Whoever reflects as he ought on thefe my Miracles, cannot but be convinc'd of the Divine Authority by which I act: I am come into the World on purpofe to enlighten it by my Doctrin, and to refcue fuch as fhall believe on me from thofe mifts of Ignorance in which they are involv'd. Nevertheless I fhall not now take vengeance on the JOHN. CHA P. XII. 47 And if any man hear my words and believe not, I judg him not: for I came not to judg the world, but to fave the world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him : the word that I have fpoken, the fame fhall judg him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken of my felf; but the Father which fent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should fay, and what I fhould fpeak. So And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I fpeak therefore, even as the Father faid unto me, fo I speak. Thofe the Incredulity of fuch as disbelieve my Sayings, my defign here on Earth being to reclaim men from their Vices, and to fet them free from the danger to which their vicious Practices have rendred them obnoxious, provided they believe on me. that think me not worthy to be minded, and reject my Doctrin, fhall at the last Day be convinc'd of unpardonable Obftinacy, by my repeated Admonitions to them: I act not upon my own account, and the terms of Salvation that I tender to you are the very fame I have received from my Father. I know, that the obfervation of his Commands is the certain way to everlasting Life, and thefe I publish just as I received them from my Father. Having thus faid, Jefus return'd from Jerufalem to Bethany, with his twelve Apoftles, the time not being yet come in which he determin'd to deliver himself up to the Rage of his Enemies. СНАР. Jefus on his return from Bethany to Jerufalem, curfes the barren Fig-tree, which is forthwith dried up. His Difcourfe concerning Faith, and pardoning of Offences. He filences fome of the Sanhedrim, who ask'd by what Authority he acted; and defcribes their Temper in feveral Parables. Their Rage upon this account. THE next day, being the 22d of March, very early in the Morning, Jesus with his Apoftles return'd from Bethany to ferufalem; and being hungry, and be-holding a Fig-tree at a distance with Leaves upon it, by which it appeared to be one of the earlier fort of Trees, he went to gather of the Fruit of it, but found none,, the Year being unfeasonable for that Fruit: which Jefus perceiving, he took occa fion thence of reprefenting the fmall hopes that the fews of that Age would bring forth any Fruits of Virtue. Therefore, with a Voice loud enough to be heard by his Apoftles, he cried out, Let no one eat any Fruit from thee hereafter which Curfe was no fooner pronounc'd, but the Tree was dried up. The Members of the Sanhedrim, having heard the feveral Difcourfes of Jefus in which he rebuk'd them for their Óbftinacy and Impiety, confulted how they might de |