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PARAPHRASE.

46. What Sign of a 4. falfe Prophet can you charge me with?

48. Have we not reafon to call thee a Separatift, and Enemy to our Religion, a Man poffefs'd, c. What can

50. I do not covet Honour, as falfe Prophets do; but there is one, who obferves how I

51. By receiving my Doctrine, I tell you, and by that only, can you efcape dying eternally.

52. They understanding him of Temporal Death, reply,

J

The GOSPEL.

St. John viii. 46.

ESUS faid, which of you convinceth me of fin? And if I fay the truth, Why do ye not bes lieve me?

47. He that is of God, beareth God's words: ye therefore bear them not, because ye are not of God.

48. Then answered the Jews, and faid unto him, Say we not well, that thou art a Samaritan, and baft à devil?

we fay too bad of thee?

49. Jefus anfvered, I have not a devil; but I bonoun my Father, and ye do difbonour me.

50. And I feek not my own glory, there is one that secketh and judgeth.

am treated, and will call it to account.

51. Verily, verily I say unto you, If a man keep my faying, ke shall never see death.

54. For me to exalt my felf were very vain and exceptionable, but my Father, even the God ye profefs to belong Loctrine.

56. Abrabam with great Joy faw by Faith py then diftant coming into the World, and that

58. I affure you, my Being is of a Standing much longer than Abra

52. Then faid the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the Prophets and thou fayeft, If a man keep my faying, be fall, never tafle of Death.

53. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the Prophets are dead: whom makeft thou thy felf?

54. Jefus answered, If I honour my self, my bonour is nothing: it is my Father that bonoureth me, of whom ye fay, That he is усит God.

to, he honours me, by bearing Teftimony to my

55. Yet ye have not known bim, but I know him: and if I fhcuid jay, I know Lim not, I shall be a liar like unto to you: but I know him, and keep his faying.

56. Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and be jaw it, and was glad.

Profpect was matter of great Gladnefs to him.

57. Then faid the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and haft thou feen Abraham?

58. Jefus faid unto them, Verily, verily I fay unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

kain, even from ali Eternity, and never had Beginning.

59. The

59. Then took they up Stones to caft at him: but Jefus bid himself, and went out of the temple.

59. At this the Jews enraged, and thinking that Saying blafphe

mous, were about in their Zeal to ftone him, the Punishment ufual for Blafphemy, and fometimes by their Zealots inflicted, without any formal Procefs or Sentence of Law.

COMMENT.

S the Death of our Bleffed Saviour is the Spring, As Α from whence all our Hopes and Confidences of Happiness and Mercy flow; and as the End of his Sufferings is the Benefit of wretched Man; fo the Manner of thofe Sufferings is likewife adapted to our Good. And, if within these it be fit to comprehend, not the last black Scene alone, but those many antecedent Paffages of his Life, in which he endured the Contradiction of Sinners against himself; the Gospel for this Day may well deferve its Place in our Liturgy. Thus the Church rifes very gradually; In the Hiftorical Part, from opprobrious Language, and a malicious, but vain Attempt upon his Sacred Life, to that Violence, which was permitted to take Effect: In the Inftructive Part, from a Pattern of reproached and fpighted Innocence, to One of Faithfulness to the very Death, and refifting even unto Blood, when God and Duty call. This I conceive the great Defign of, this the proper Method for, improving that Scripture read in your Ears this Day. And therefore my Work shall be, First, To represent our Saviour's Deportment upon this Occafion; And Then, To inftance in fuch particular Virtues, deducible from thence, as would adorn our Lives, if well obferved, when it is Our Lot to fall under the like Circumstances.

And First, We may, through the Management of this whole Affair, obferve a Divine Prudence, in reftraining at fome times, and expreffing at Others, the juft Indignation our Lord conceived, at the Malice and Obftinacy of these wicked Jews. Of this we have a remarkable

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markable Pattern in the Return made to thefe Words: Thou art a Samaritan, and haft a Devil. The Reproach of Samaritan was one of the laft Affronts, at that time capable of being paffed upon any Man. It fpoke him Idolater, and Schifmatick, and, according to the Terms That People then ftood upon with the Jews, every thing that was odious and defpicable. Yet all this is only anfwered by Silence, as not worthy our Lord's Notice, But the Other part of having a Devil would draw down Scandal upon his Doctrine, and weaken the Authority of his Preaching. And therefore This was fit, nay it was neceffary, to be confuted. And upon that Point he condefcends to reafon with them. Hence we may learn, how to diftinguifh Injuries, and how we should proportion our Refentments, according to the different Sorts, and Confequences of them. Where the Provocation is private, and terminates in our felves; It is a Mark of a great and Christian Mind, to put it up, or foftly to reprove it. But where it reaches farther, and wounds deeper, Where Truth and Goodness are ftruck at through our Side; Silence is Tamenefs there, For then the Caufe ceafes to be Own. God's Glory, and the Good of Mankind, are concerned, in the Refpect due to Virtue and Religion; And that, which is none of Ours, we ought not to recede from, nor can we give it up, without committing a Fault. Well were it, if this Rule were duly thought on, and punctually obferved. Then we fhould fee a Stop put to Prophanenefs, and all wicked Railleries upon Holy Things. These would not, with fuch a triumphant Boldness, be uttered, and esteemed a part of Mirth and Wit in Converfation, if they were not as wickedly received and applauded. Men would not be fo jealous of their own Reputation, and at the fame time fo injurious to God's, as we find them to be. They would not for every small, for every fuppofed Affront, require Blood, and execute a Murtherous Vengeance; and yet fport with the Majesty of Hea

ven,

ven, and his Oracles, as if Thefe were fit for nothing, but to furnish Matter for a keen and faucy Jeft. As if the Holiness of the Moft High might be proftituted to the moft contumelious Ufage; while what the profligate Wretches falfely call their own Honour, must be facred and inviolable, and, like the Ark of old, not touched, but upon pain of Death. So contradictious, it feems, are the Notions Some Men now have, of contemptuous Treatment, to thofe of our Great Mafter. So different their Deportment under it. He generously difdained the Infamies levelled at Himfelf; and His unfpotted Innocence gave him the Advantage of doing it fecurely. Others, perhaps, are the more impatient of Reproach, becaufe Guilt, and Self-condemnation give it a Sting; They feel lefs concern for the Vindicating One, whom the moft blafphemous Falfhoods cannot hurt, than for themselves, whofe Impurities are already fo foul and black, as not to bear Freedom and bold Truths.

But, Secondly, Our Saviour's Example here inftructs us alfo, how to proceed in that Defence, which God and Religion require from Us. For thofe very things, which we may, nay which we are bound to vindicate, are not to be vindicated after every Manner. Some Order,and proper Measures are to be observed, even in the most Lawful, the most neceffary Returns, to those that abuse and traduce them. And for This, Christ's own Words are a Pattern fufficient, to as many as are content to confider, and be guided by them. Jefus anfwered, I have not a Devil, but I honour my Father, and ye do difhonour me. Herein he only clears himfelf from their wicked Suggeftions, with all the Mildness, that became his Character, and the Juftness of his Cause. As in other the like Occafions we find him returning cool Reason to their Rage, and barely expofing the Abfurdity, the Impoffibility, of their Charge against him; the Inconfiftence of his Actions with their blafphemous Thoughts; And even, when the Treachery of a Difciple

had

the prolonging an uncertain Tenure for a short space, and that, in a State of infinite Change and Trouble) worth giving this in Exchange for? Who muft not fee, that an Eternity of Torments, at leaft a manifeft hazard of them, is too hard a Condition to close with, upon any Terms? Who, that receives the Promises of Heaven, with any becoming Degree of Affurance, would grudge to keep the Favour of God, at the Expence of all this World can boaft of, and to truft Him for the Amends to be made in another? And if fo, then, 'tis certain, a Wilful Sin muft not buy our prefent Ease and Safety. For fuch a one is not confiftent with God's Favour, or a rational Hope of Eternal Happiness. Nay not only a Sin in it felf, but what a Man thinks a Sin'; For, tho' he should happen to be involved in unneceffary Niceties; Yet, fo long as he thinks a thing Sinful, altho' it be not really fuch, if we do it in that apprehenfion; God, who judges Men, by the Integrity of their Hearts and not by the Perfection of their Understandings, will condemn that Perfon, as if it were a Sin. And fuch it is to Him. He violates his Confcience, who goes against the Dictates and prefent Light of it; He is an Offender in the Perverfenefs of his Will, tho' he happen to be mistaken in the Determination of his Judgment. This therefore is the first Rule; Do nothing, which your Confcience tells you ought not to be done. And if there be any other Choice left, but Sinning or Suffering; you may be confident, that He who never commanded any Man to Sin; bath, in thofe Circumstances, commanded every Man to Suffer.

Secondly, The Other Rule is, That a Man may use all Lawful Means for his own Prefervation; and, where the regular ufe of thefe is Successful, that may be accounted a Cafe, in which he was no way bound to Suffer. For inftance: If, in a controverted Point, one uses the best means he can of informing himself, and, after diligent Enquiry and honeft impartial Judging, he proceeds

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