XX. congruity to the circumstances of his coming into SERM. the world, (the time when, the place where, the family whence, the manner how, the condition in which he was born,) to the qualities of his person, to the doctrine and law which he published, to all his undertakings and performances and sufferings, and to the successes consequent upon what he did. (This is a matter of very large consideration; which otherwhile we have insisted largely upon, and therefore shall now wave enlargement on it.) John x. 41. 2. God did in attestation to him immediately send before his face, as his herald and harbinger, a Prophet, or one for his admirable wisdom and sanctity of life somewhat more than a prophet; who Matt.xi.10. indeed without doing any miracle, by the prodigious integrity and strictness of his life, by the wonderful efficacy of his doctrine and discourse, procured unto himself a reputation equalling or exceeding that of any former prophet; (whom even Josephus, an indifferent historian, reporteth a man of singular goodness and great authority,) to predispose the minds of men to receive him; by converting men to a serious reflection upon their lives and amendment of their manners, to prepare his way; as also to point him out, to foretell of him as presently coming, to testify of him as being come. This was he, to whom it well agreed, and who plainly did assume to himself that which was written by Malachi; Behold, I Mal. iii. 1. send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee; of whom Isaiah (John himself being the avoucher and interpreter) said, The voice Isa. xl. 3. of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight; who was, as Malachi did again signify, to come in the spirit and Mal. iv. 6. BARROW, VOL. V. Matt.xi.10. John i. 23. Luke i. 17. 26, 29, 34. Luke iii. 16. SERM. power of Elias, to convert the hearts of the fathers XX. to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for John i. 15, the Lord. This most extraordinary and excellent Matt.iii.. person did at several times and occasions attest unto Jesus, not only that he was incomparably, for the dignity of his person and worth of his performances, to be preferred before himself, and consequently beJohn v.33. fore all other prophets, but that he was the very Christ, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world: they sent to John, saith the text, and he bare witness of the truth. God by him also foretold divers things concerning our Lord, which did really come to pass; as those words, utJohn x. 41. tered occasionally by many persons, do imply; John indeed did no miracle; but all things which John spake of this man were true. 24. &c. 3. God attested unto our Lord by visible apparitions from heaven, at several times, in fit seasons, made in the sight and presence of very good witMatt. i. 20, nesses: angels appearing warned his good father and Luke i. 26. blessed mother concerning the time and manner of Luke ii. 9, his coming into the world; angels again appearing uttered tidings of his birth, joined with acclamations of praise to God, and gratulations of joy to men ; Matt. ii.13. angels were vigilant for his safety, ministered unto him in his temptations and needs, assisted and comMatt.iv.11. forted him in the agonies of his passion, waited upon him at his resurrection; an extraordinary star (like that of the morning before the sun) officiously did Matt.iii.17. usher him into the world; at his baptism the Holy Luke iii. 22. Ghost (in the symbolical figure of a dove) appeared descending, and resting upon him, in the presence of St. John the Baptist, (that most just and holy Luke xxii. 43. XX. person, so taken and acknowledged by all men, even SERM. by his enemies and murderers; and a most competent witness, as who dared with utmost peril before the greatest persons to assert the truth;) He testi- John i. 31. fied thereof, and said, I saw the Spirit of God descending from heaven as a dove, and resting upon him. Moses and Elias also (those most eminent instruments of God, and illustrious representatives of the Messias) did from heaven in a most glorious and splendid manner attend upon him, in the presence of three most credible witnesses, Peter, James, and Matt. xvii. John, the apostles; one of whom doth himself thus, Luke ix.28, with the due confidence of an eyewitness, report 2 Pet. i. the fact; For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were spectators of his majesty-being with him in the holy mountain. 31. Luke iii. 22. 5. 4. God also by vocal attestation did expressly at several times own and approve Jesus: at his baptism, in the audience of St. John the Baptist and others present there; when, Behold there was a Matt.iii.17. voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: the like heavenly voice was heard at the transfiguration; This is my beloved Matt. xvii. Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him: so the Luke ix.35. Mark ix. 7. gospels report it; and thus St. Peter himself, a more immediate witness and attendant there; He receiv- 2 Pet. i. 17. ed from God the Father honour and glory, a voice being brought unto him from the magnificent glory; This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice, which came from heaven, we heard, being with him in the holy mount. Again, a little before his death, in presence of a multitude, upon XX. SERM. Jesus's prayer, that God would by him glorify his name, an audible return was made from heaven; John xii. 28. There came, saith the text, a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will again glorify it. 5. God attested to our Lord in that he was endued with a power constantly resident in him of performing miraculous works, for nature and quality such, as could only proceed from a most divine power; not only thwarting the course of nature, but transcending the strength of any creature, and especially contrary to what any evil creature could or would perform this was a testimony beyond any human testimony, and which our Lord insisted upon as such; John v. 36. I, saith he, have a greater testimony than that of John; for the works which the Father hath granted me, that I should perform them, those very works which I do, they testify about me, that the Father hath sent me. X. 25, 38. xiv. 11. Works indeed he performed of a stupendous greatness and difficulty; all the creatures (the most unruly and boisterous, the most malignant and rebellious) beside their natures, and against their wills, did obey his commands: in a tempest he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there became Matt. xiv. a great calm: so that men did marvel, saying, What manner of man is this, for even the winds and the ii. 9. iv. 52. sea obey him! the sea stood firm for him and St. Matt. viii. 26. Luke viii. 24, 25. 26. John vi. 19. ix. I. ix.2, 20,32. Matt.viii. 6. Peter to walk upon; he turned water into good viii. 3. xii. Wine; he unconceivably so improved a few loaves 12. XV. 30. and little fishes as to feed and satisfy multitudes, Mark ix. 5. leaving more behind than there were at first; he xx. 34. cured the most incurable diseases, inveterate palsies, fluxes of blood, and leprosies; he restored senses, XX. and limbs wanting from the birth, or for a long SERM. time; innumerable persons, blind, deaf, dumb, lame, and maimed, he restored to the use of their faculties, and members respectively, without any medicinal applications, or any natural means conducible to those purposes: he restored lunatic persons to their right wits, and dispossessed evil spirits, they not daring to disobey him, and acknowledging his uncontrollable authority; They were, saith the text, Matt. xvii. amazed, insomuch that they questioned among them- Mark i. 27. selves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority he commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. These were indeed works of excessive grandeur and difficulty; but he did others far more great and hard; and these were greater for the manner of performing them, than in their own nature: he did other acts so great, that they were only to be done by an infinite power; and most of these he performed in a manner which argued omnipotency present with the doer. xii. 25. Luke xi.17. Works proper unto God he did many; such was Matt. ix. 4. discerning the thoughts, reasonings, opinions, and xxii. 18. purposes of men, however concealed or disguised, vi. 8. whereof we have many instances; and his intimate acquaintance, St. John, testifies of him generally, saying, He needed not that any should witness John ii. 25. about a man, for he knew himself what was in Such was also to forgive sins, (a privilege only belonging to the supreme Lord and Lawgiver, against whom sin is committed;) the which he assumed to himself, and irreproveably maintained it by exerting a power equivalent thereto; For whe- Matt. ix. 5. ther, said he, is it easier to say, Thy sins be for man. |