36 The NEW and COMPLETE L I F E of our BLESSED them of the truth of his miffion, and they elteemed and reverenced him as the great Meffiah, the long expeEted Redeemer of Ifrael. Soon after this, Andrew found his brother Peter, and, with the utmoft joy and elevation of heart, brought him to Jesus. The Lord immediately called him by his name, and informed him, that he fhould hereafter be called Cephas, which is, by interpretation, a stone, or rock. The day following, Philip, an in- habitant of the town of Bethfaida, was fo happy as to come in company with the great Redeemer; JEsus commanded him to follow him, which that difciple immediately obeyed : perhaps he might not be unacquainted with the charafer of the Son of God; or if he was, the call of the great Saviour of finners was accompanied with fuch manifeftation of divine power, that he gladly obeyed. Soon after this, Philip came in com- pany with Nathaniel, an inhabitant of the town of Cana in Galilee: Nathaniel is thought by fome to be the fame perfon who was afterwards called Bartholomew. Philip told him, that they had found the Meffiah, that great perfon foretold by Mofes and the prophets ; and that his name was JESUS of Nazareth, the fon of Jofeph. Nathaniel well knew that, ac- cording to the ancient prophecies, the Meffiah was to be born at Bethlehem ; and that he was to belong to the family of David; and as Nazareth was a very low and vulgar place, he could not be- lieve that fo exalted a perfon fhould dwell in fuch a contemptible city, and expreffed his furprife, by inquiring, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? In anfwer to this, Philip referred him to the perform he had mentioned, and defired him to go with him, and fee whether what he had reported, was not éVident from the plain marks of fuperior greatnefs and divinity which ap- peared in this extraordinary man. Na. 3 thaniel, however mean and defpicable his opinion of Nazareth might be, would not give way to his prejudice fo much, as to be prevented from embracing 'fo happy an opportunity, and therefore ac- companied by Philip, went to vifit the Saviour of Ifrael. His ingenuous and candid difpofition, would not permit him to rejeEt the pretenfions of Jesus without examination and trial ; and, being intro- duced by his friend, and prefented to the Lord, the ftranger immediately heard his heavenly lips pronounce this honourable charafer, applied by our great Redeemer to Nathaniel ; Behold an fraelite indeed, in whom is noguile. The good man was very much furprifed to hear a perfon he had never feen before, addrefs him in this manner, and for his fatisfaaion in this myfterious point, inquired of our Re- deemer, how he came to know him fo well, as to be able to give fuch a defcrip- tion of his charaéler? Jesus, with a con- defcending fmile, replied, that before Philip called him, he faw him under the fig-tree. It is reafonable to fuppofe, that Nathaniel had been under the fig-tree at his private devotions ; and, doubtlefs, had expreffed fuch fentiments, in the effufions ofhis pious heart, as entitled him to the noble chara$er which our Redeemer had given him ; . and it is plain that he per- ceived from CxxtsT's anfwer to, his in- quiry, that he knew what was done where he was not prefent, and was fully ac- quainted with the thoughts of the heart: therefore, with the fulleft conviEtion of mind, and the utmoft furprife and joy, he cried out, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Ifrael. Our Redeemer, approving his faith, proceeded to inform him, that he fhould hereafter fee fuller and clearer proofs of his divinity ; Becaufe I Paid, Ifaw thee under the fig-tree, be- lievell thou? ThouJhalt fee greater things than theft. I fay unto you, hereafter ye /hall fee heaven open, and the angels of God afcending and defcending upon the Son of man. Our
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