QUESTION II. 439 shouldwe have so much bread in the wilderness tofill so great a multitude ? Another instance of this kind appears in their free and un- becoming address to Jesus ; Mat. xv. 12. Then came his disci- ples and said to him, knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying? withóut so much as sir, or master to preface it. Whereby it is plain, they either at that time doubted whether he knew what offence the Pharisees took, or else they gave him a reproof for speaking such things as should offend the Pharisees, and a caution lest he did it again. But either of these suppositions sufficiently manifest they did not 'believe him to be the true God. So when he spake of his death and resurrection ; Mat. xvi. 22. it is said, Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, This shall not be unto thee, Lord. Nowwe can hardly suppose that Peter would have been so free as to take up such language to his great Creator, and to give sucha rebuke to his God. I might add also, that though the Virgin Mary under the influence of rapture and inspiration ex- presses herself thus ; Luke i. 47. My. Spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, yet if she had firmly believed her Son to be leer God, she would not have chid him so severely when he was twelve years old ; Luke ii. 48. Son, why hast thou dealt thus withus? because he stayed in the temple, and wasleft behind when they travelled homeward. 4. If they had thought Jesus Christ was the " true God, they would never have tried to entertain the curiosity of their master, by shewing him how magnificent the buildings of the temple were ;" Mat. xxiv. L His disciples came unto him for to shew him the buildings of the temple ; and one of them said to him, Master, see what manner of stones and building are '.here; Mark xiii. 1. and as St. Luke expresses it, how it was Adorned with goodly stones; Luke xxi. 5. They Must needs know this was but a poor entertainment to please that glorious Being, who had formed and built this earth, and had spread abroad the starry canopy of theheavens. 5. They had frequent opportunity of observing that Christ knew their thoughts, and on this occasion they once took notice ; John xvi. 30. and said, Now we are sure that thou knowest all things. Now if they had been convinced that he was the true God, they would certainly have declared their sense and faithof his godhead, apd not have contented themselves with this poor inference ; by this we believe that thou earnest forth from God, that is, thou hadst a being, or didst dwell with the Father, and art come from him. , And even when they arose to this degree of belief, our Lord takes notice, that their faith had not been very long advanced so far as this, or at least, it had not been long
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