436 QUESTIONS CONCERNING JESUS. with their "souls; which appeared in several instances, and when they had seen and heard him forgive sins ; Mat. ix. 2. andLuke V. 20. perhaps they might imagine that God had given him this spiritual power over their souls, and that he was eómmissioned to exercise this power, even as he commissioned his disciples to heal the sick, to raise the dead, &e. Mat. x. 18. and to forgive sins; -John xx. 23. though he were not in his own nature the true and eternal God. For it is remarkable, that when he for- gave.the sins of the man whom he healed of the palsy, though the scribes and pharisees' said, Who can forgive stns but God'? mutd to 'charged him 'with blasphemy; yet the multitude only marvelled and glorified God who had given such power unto nien ; Mat. ix. 8. Now the multitude spoke honestly the sense of their hearts, but the scribes stretched his conduct to an accu- sation of blasphemy. 'There is 'a 'parallel case in Mark ix. 22. where the man brought his son who was possessed with the devil, to our blessed Lord ; Blaster, says he, if thou canst do any thing, have com- passion on us and help vs. Here it is evident, that theman had not so much á's a firm belief whether Christ could work this mi- cacle or no, much less can.hebe supposed to believe that Christ Was thé true and eternal God ; then presently afterwardshe cried dut, Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief. Now the utmost that we call reasonably imagine his sudden faith arrived at, was i belief that Christ Was able to cast out the devil, and cure his son ; yet he desires Christ tohelp his unbelief. Now the mere sudden expression of this request will hardly prove the poor man was convinced of the godheadof Christ ; fo_r it is possible hé Might mean only, shew thy power, and give some farther testi- mealy to assist my faith. But if he did believe Christ's deity, then we must suppose him transported by a sudden and divine impulsebeyond:the general faith of tiie'apostles themselves, and carried above the dispensation of that (lay. 4. The disciples may seem to own his omniscience; John xvi. 30. Nino we are sure that thou knowest all things, &Cc. but Probably at that time they understood this as all things" in a limited sense ; as 2 Sam. xiv. 20. where the woman said the same thing to David; so l John ii. 20. Ye have an unction and know all things ; and verse 27. For the utmost inference the disciples Make 'from it was, that " Jesus came forth from God," verse $0. not that he was God himself. It may be another reason also ie think the disciples understood this word " all things" in a limited sense, because Christ himself had told them but a very little before this time, that he ltiiuself did not know the day of judgment ; Mat. xxiv. 36 ; and Mark xiii. 32. Though I think it reasonable for us to go farther than they did, and to apply several of the things I have mentioned to his
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