A Proving lefiis to be the Meßìas. Vol. L 2. They pretended that though he did many great Works, yet he gave them noSign from Heaven, Matth. 16. a. It is Paid, They defired him to thew them a Sign from Heaven. It teems they expe&ed that God thould give Tome immediate Teftimony to him from Heaven; as he did toElias, when Fire came down from Heaven, and confumed his Enemies; And particularly they expected, that when he was upon the Crofs, if he were the true Meff as, he (hould have come down and faved himfelf. And becaufe he did not anfwer their Expetlation in this they concluded him an Impoftor. Nowwhat could be more unreafonable ? when he had wrought fo many other, and great Miracles, perverfly to infift upon tome particular kind of Miracle which they fancied ? As if God were bound to gratify the Curiofityof Men ; and as if our Saviour were not as muchdeclared to be the Son ofGod, by rifng again from the Dead, as if he had come down from the Croft. Fourthly, As tohis Converfation, they had thefe three Exceptions. I. That he ufed no feverity in his Habit or Diet, took too much Freedom, as they thought ; came Eating and Drinking, that is, he freely ufed the Creatures of God, for the end for which they were given, with Temperance and Thankfgi- ving ; and did not lay thofe rigorous Reftraints upon himfelf in thefe matters, which many, that were elteemed the moft Religious among them, ufed to do. But heplainly (hews them, that this Exception was meerly out of their Preju- dice againft him. For if he had come in the way of Aufterity, they would have rejected him as well. They were refolved to find Fault with him, whateverhe did, Matth. t r. 16. Whereunto(hall I liken this Generation? John the Baptifl cameneither eating nor drinking, and they fayhe bath a Devil. Relived in a more auftere and me- lancholy way, he came in the way of Righteoufnefs, ufed great Strittnefs and Seve- rity in his Habit and Diet, and this they took Exceptionat. Our Saviour was of a quite contrary Temper, and that did not pleafe them neither. The Son ofMan carneeating and drinking, and theyfay, behold, a Wine-bibber, and a Glutton. So,that let our Saviour have done what he would, he could not have carried himfelf fo, as to have efcaped theCenfures of Men, fo peevifhly and perverfly difpofed. z That he kept Company with Publicans and Sinners. To which Exception nothing can be more reafonable than our Saviour's own Anfwer ; that he was fent to be a Phyfician to the World, to call Sinners to Repen- tance ; and therefore they had no Reafon to be angry, or think it ftrange, if he converted with his Patients among whom his proper Imployment lay. 3. They objefted to him Prophanenefs in breaking the Sabbath, and that Pure- ly was plain, that he could not be ofGod, if he kept not the Sabbath-day. The Truth was, he had healed one on the Sabbath-day. To this our Saviour gives a moft reafonable and fatisfaaory Anfwer, that lure- ly it was lawful to dogood on the Sabbath-day ; that that was but a Pofitive Ieflitu tion, but works ofMercy are Natural and Moral Duties ; and God himfelf had declared, that he would have even his own Infiitutions to give way to thofe greater Duties, that are of natural and eternal Obligation. I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice. And then from the End of the Sabbath ; The Sabbath was made for the Reft and Refrefhment of Man ; and therefore could net be pre- fumed to be intended to his Prejudice. The Sabbath was madefor Man : andnot Manfor *he Sabbath. Fifthly, Another great Prejudice againft him, was, that Perlons of the greateft Knowledge and Authority among them, did not embrace his Do&rine, john 7..8. Have any of the Rulers or Pharifees believed on him ? So that here was the infallible Rule and Authority of their Church againft him. There is no doubt, but the Exampleand Authority of our Guides ought to fway very much with us, and over-rule us in doubtful Cafes; but not againft plain and convincing Evidence ; there we ought to follow, and obey God rather than Men. There is fometimes a vifible and palpable Corruption in thofe who are to lead us ; they may have an Intereft to oppofe the Truth : And thus it was with the Pharifees and Rulers at that Time : And fo it hath beenamong Chrifti- ans in the great Degeneracyof the Roman Church. The Chriftian Religion was never
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=