136 The Nrw and CoAIYLLTfì L E of our BLESSED light of the world, Porn a principle of pride and falfehood, but it was a title that jullly belonged to him, which they would acknowledge, had they conceived truc ideas of the íMelfiah's kingdom : but their carnal views had blinded their eyes, and corrupted and depraved their judgments, fo that they did not know from what au- thority lie had received his commiffion, nor whetherhé Ihould return When he had executed it Though 1bear record ofmyfelf, faid he, yet my record is true: for Iknow whente I came, and whither I go : but ye cannot tell whence I came, and whither I go. Ye judge after tlze'leflt ; I judge no man. Nor, added he, is there any truth or juflice in your remark, that I bear wit- nefs of myfelf; and have none to witnefs for me ; for, let it be known, that my Fa- ther is with me, and joins me in whatfö- ever I fay or do : And yet if I judge, Paid he, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that lent me. It is a.lfo written in your law, that the tellimony of testo mess is true. I am one that bear witnefs of hnyfelf, and the Father that lent me, beareth witnefs of me. The Jews then inquired, Where is thy Father, the other witnefs to whom thou ap- pealeft? To which our Lord replied, that their conduit and foolilh inquiries, fuffi- ciently demonflrated, that they were Pran- gers, both to him and to his Father: for, had they known who he was, they would certainly have been at no lofs to know who it was that he called his Father: had they known that he was the Meffiah, they mull have underflood that his Father was the Great Jçxovntt, that all -wife and all- powerful Being, who was the great Maker, the all -wife and all- potent Preferver, the fupreme Governor, and King of the uni- verfe : Ye neither knoeo nee, nor my Father, Paid our great Redeemer ; ifye had known nee, ye'hould have known my Father alfo. This difcourfe, the evangelif informs us, was held in the treafury, where the chefis were placed for receiving the offerings of all who came up to worfhip in the temple, and muff, therefore, have been a place of great retort; being frequented by all forts of people: but, notwithltanding the pub- lic manner in which our Lord advanced his claim to the chara&er of the Mefliah, and the pride and rage of the Scribes and Pharifees, no man attempted to feize him ; Divine Providence did not permit them to put their cruel defigns into execution, be- caufe his hour, or the time of his fufferings and death, was not yet come. After this difcourfe was ended, Jesus repeated what he had before told them, declaring that he fhould fhortly .depart from them, and that then they Ptould Peek him, and not be able to find him : Igo ny way, faid he, and ye Peek me, and 'hall die in your fins. Whither I go, ye cannot come. Perhaps, in thefe words, he might allude to the Pate of the Jewifh nation after his death, and may be fup- pofed to fay, I foon fhall depart from among(} you, and fuch miferies and cala- mities will overfpread the land, that you will be glad of a prophet to dire& your conduit, and to pray for you : the Roman armies will fpread fuch devaflation and horror over the face of your country, that you will then earneftly wifh for the coming of the Meffiah, in expe&ation of being delivered, by his power, from your cruel enemy : but ye fhall then find yourmillake, ye hall die in.your fins, and be for ever excluded the realms of bleffednefs and reti. But the Jews were very far from tinder- Panding what he meant by going from them, they were fo foolifh as to imagine, that he defigned to put an end to his life with his own hands ; for they thought the only retreat where they could not find him, mull be the dark and filent chambers of the grave : Will he kill himfdlf, Paid they, becaufe hefaith, Whither Igo, ye cannot come. To this, the blefled Jesus replied, your bafe infuriation betrays, at once, the wickednefs of your hearts, and the corrup- tion and depravity of your natures: ye are
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