to pray standing in the fynagogue, and in the corner of the streets, that they may be feen of men. Verily I fay unto you, they have their reward."

This mode of introducing what he had to fay of particular importance was usual with Jefus, and fo alfo was his manner of concluding his more important inftructions with," He that hath ears to hear let him hear." This was affuming more authority than had been done by any of the former prophets, even by Mofes himself. He muft, therefore, have been perfuaded of his fuperiority to all who had been before him. His manner of working miracles, as I fhall fhew, proves the fame; and yet he was far from affuming any thing to himfelf, but on all proper occafions afcribed every thing that was extraordinary in himself, to God his father, who fent him, and acted by him. John v. 30. "I can of mine own felf do nothing. As I hear I judge, and my judgment is juft, because I feek not mine own will, but the will of the Father who hath fent me." xiv. 10. "The words that I fpeak unto you, I speak not of myself; but the Father who dwelleth in me he doth the works." viii. 28. "I do nothing of my

felf;

felf; but as the Father hath

fpeak these things." verse 38. that which I have feen with

taught me I " I speak

my Father."

xiv. 24. hear are not mine, but the Father's that fent me." viii. 54. "If I honour myself, my honour is nothing. It is my Father that honoureth

"The words which you

me."

3. The manner in which Jefus fometimes spake of his own dignity would be the extreme of arrogance without a well founded confidence of his being really fuperior to all other men; as when he said, that he was greater than Solomon, than Jonah, or than the temple. Matt. xii. 41. "The men of Ninevah fhall rise up in judgment with the men of this generation, and fhall condemn it; because they repented at the preaching. of Jonah, and behold a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the fouth shall rise up in judgment against this generation, and fhall condemn it; for he came from the uttermoft parts of the earth to hear the wif dom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon is here." Matt. xii. 5. "Have not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the

E 3

ye

Sabbath

Sabbath and are blamelefs? But I fay unto you, that in this place, is one greater than the temple."

Speaking of the advantages that his difciples enjoyed he faid, Luke x. 24. Matt. xiii. 17. “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye fee. For I tell you that many prophets and kings have defired to fee the things which ye fee, and have not feen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."

Jefus must have had a high sense of the importance of his miffion when he compared himself as he did to the light, as John viii. 12. "I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darknefs, but shall have the light of life.” xii. 46. "I am come a light into the world, that whofoever believeth on me fhould not abide in darkness." From the fame sense of the value of his inftructions, he compared himself to bread, "John vi. 35. "I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me fhall never hunger, and he that believeth on me fhall never thirst." The fame confcioufnefs of fpeaking in the name of God led him to fay, Matt. xxiv. 35. "Heaven and earth fhall

fhall pass away, but my words fhall not pafs away."

Jefus always fpake of himself as standing in a peculiar relation to God, as his only proper fon. fon. All good men are called the fons of God, but he calls himself the fon by way of eminence, as standing in fome nearer relation to God than other good men, or than other prophets. John iii. 35. "The Father loveth the fon, and giveth all things into his hands. He that believeth on the fon hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not on the fon of God fhall not fee life." John v. 19. " Verily, verily, I fay unto you, the fon can do nothing of himself, but what he feeth the Father do; thefe alfo doth the fon likewife. For the Father loveth the fon, and sheweth him all things that himfelf doth."

When he was cenfured for using this language, as making himself in some sense equal to God, he replied, John x. 35. that if ever the title of gods be given in the Scriptures to magistrates, there could not be any impiety in his calling himself only the fon of God, "If he called them gods unto whom the word of God came, fay ye of him whom

the Father hath fanctified, and fent into the world, Thou blafphemeft, because I said I am the fon of God." He was far from vindicating this language on the principle of his being naturally equal to the Father. It was the Father who fanctified him, that is, appointed him to his office, and then fent him into the world as his meffenger and fervant, which he always ftiles himself.

Jefus alfo afferted to himself a peculiar knowledge of God, that is, of his defigns and will. Matt. xi. 27. "All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and no man knoweth the fon but the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father, fave the fon, and he to whomfoever the fon fhall reveal him." Alfo, knowing himself to have been the object of the divine councils refpecting the human race, he faid in his ufual figurative language, John viii. 18. "Before Abraham was I am." We find no language approaching to this in the Koran. Mahomet had no fuch perfuafion or feeling, and imposture could not even imi

tate it.

Jefus was not wanting in giving due honour to John the Baptift, who was his

fore