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JOHN.

CHA P. V.

25 Verily verily I fay unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall

hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear fhall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself, fo hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

27 And hath given him authority to execute judg ment alfo, because he is the Son of man.

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves fhall hear his woice,

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that you may be the more convinc'd of, the Son of God fhall in a little while bid the Dead arife out of their Graves, who hearing his Voice fhall inftantly obey him for as the Father beftows Life on whomfoever he will, fo hath he inveftedthe Son with an Authority of raifing whom he pleafes from the Dead. He has alfo given him a Power to condemn thofe that fhall not believe in him ; because that having been fo highly honour'd by God, he has notwithstanding humbled himself fo far, as to become Man, that he might execute his Father's Will. Let not these things feem incredible to you: for the time fhall come (tho late) in which not a few, but all the Dead fhall be rais'd out of their Graves, and hear his Voice; and all that have liv'd in a fteddy Courfe of Virtue, fhall after this Refurrection be rewarded with immortal Life, but the Wicked, who have died impenitent, shall be rais'd again to receive the Punishments they have deferv'd.

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In this Judgment I fhall do nothing upon my own account, but shall exactly follow the Rules my Father has prefcrib'd me; fo that I fhall condemn none unjustly, because I shall punctually execute my Father's Orders.

If I requir'd you to believe that I am fent by God, merely because I fay it, you would not be to blame to diftruft me; but there is one among you who bears witnefs to me, whofe Teftimony is not unknown to you, and which ought to be believ'd by you, I mean the Teftimony of John the Baptift, when you fent your Meffengers unto him, before whom he openly declar'd the Truth. But I ftand in need of no man's Teftimony, neither do I make mention of it now, but only to refcue you from the Danger to which your Incredulity has made you liable. He for a while fhin'd out, like a bright Lamp among you, and difpell'd the darknefs of your Ignorance, and you feem'd (tho for a very short season) to be delighted with it.

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MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

CHA P. V.

36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the fame works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath fent me.

37 And the Father himself which hath fent me, hath born witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, por feen his shape.

38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath fent, him ye believe not.

39 Search the fcriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which teftifie of me.

40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

41 I receive not honour from men.

42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God

in

you.

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I have yet a much greater. Teftimony in my behalf than the Teftimony of John. The Miracles that I do bear witnefs of me, being a clear demonftration of a Power deriv'd from God, and confequently of my having been fent by him. God therefore is the Witnefs I rely on, but you have never been obedient to his Word, nor are you acquainted with what is acceptable to him: for it is plain you have never ferioully confider'd the Revelation he has given you, fince you do not believe on him whom he has fent unto you. You profefs to be diligent in your fearch after the meaning of the Scriptures, because you think they are able to direct you in the way that leads to everlafting Life; but thefe very Scriptures bear witness of me, and yet you will not become my Difciples, which is the way towards the obtaining everlasting Life. 'Tis not out of Ambition, or any defire of Fame that I fpeak thus unto you, but to warn you of the evil Inclination I find in you; for, whatever you pretend, I plainly fee you are deftitute of the Love of God. I have

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told

MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

CHAP. V.

43 I am come in my Fa ther's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

45 Do not think that I will accufe you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Mofes, in whom ye truft. 46 For had ye believed Mofes, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of

me.

47 But if ye believe not his writings, how fhall ye believe my words?

told you I am fent unto you by God's Authority, and the Miracles I have wrought among you are an evidence of this Truth; notwithstanding you do not believe me: But there will come others, without any pretence to a divine Commiffion, and without confirming what they tell you by Miracles, who fhall impofe upon you, and whom you will blindly follow. The reafon of your Disbelief of me is eafy to be underftood, fince 'tis the Applause of Men you court, and which you prefer to a Love of Truth and God's Favour. Do not however imagine I fhall accufe you to my heavenly Father: Mofes himself fhall prove you guilty before him, tho you depend fo much upon his Doctrine, fince you have not judg'd of what I fay unto you by the Rules he has fet you. Nay, whatever you pretend, you have no reliance upon him for if you believ'd him, you would alfo believe me; fince if what he has writ be true, 'tis as certainly true that I have bin fent by God unto you: fince then you do not believe Mofes himself whofe Difciples you profefs to be, 'tis no wonder, hated as I am by you, my Words find no credit with you.

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CHAP..

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Jefus excufes bis Difciples plucking of the Ears of Corn, and eating them on the Sabbath-day. The fame day he cures one fick of the Pally, which he proves to be lawful. Afterwards he goes to the Lake of Gennefareth, where the People flock unto him, many of whom are cured by him of their Distempers.

After the holy Days were expir'd, on the firft Sabbath-day after the days of unleavened Bread (but the fecond in number of the feven Sabbaths to be reckon'd from the Pentecoft) Jefus with his Difciples return'd into Galilee. It happen'd while they paffed thro the Fields, the Corn being almoft ripe, that his Difciples, who were hungry, pluck'd the Ears, and rubbing 'em in their hands, eat the Grain; which the Pharifees taking notice of, they told Jefus his Difciples had done what it was unlawful for any to do on the Sabbath-day, namely, to gather Corn for their eating. But Jefus excus'd this Action of his Difciples by the Example of David, who being hungry, and destitute of Victuals, went into the

Houfe

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