I doubt not, be convinced that any other mode of proceeding would have been lefs productive of happiness on the whole. If so, the prefent measures must be pronounced wife and good; and if benevolence be fatisfied, justice will have no reafon to complain. In the mean time, confidering these very imperfect views of things, it becomes us to look principally to our own fentiments and conduct, and to be careful to fupprefs within ourselves every affection or fentiment that can, directly or indirectly, lead to perfecution, whether of Jews or Chrif tians, and to endeavour as far as we can to affift our perfecuted brethren, lightening the burdens that are imposed by others. Then, whether we be preserved in general calamities, or be involved in the fate of the guilty, the time will come when a proper diftinction will be made between those who now fuffer juftly, and unjustly. But if the righteous fcarcely be faved, where fhall the ungodly and the finner appear? DISCOURSE IX. Of the Miracles of Jefus. Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher fens from God: For no man can do those miracles which thou doft, except God be with him. JOHN iii. 2. Ir is not a little remarkable, that from the time of the captivity in Babylon to that of Christ, a period of fix hundred years, there did not appear among the Jews any perfon who pretended to work a miracle; nor was there among them any one who pretended to the gift of prophecy from the time of Malachi, which was about four hundred years before Chrift. This is a fufficient proof that the Jews were not a credulous nation. For had they been difpofed to believe in miracles, or prophecy, perfons enow would have arifen to take advan tage tage of that difpofition, as was the case with the Catholics for many centuries. In proportion to the credulity of fome, have always been the arts of impofition in others. This remarkable fact demonftrates a general dread in the Jewish nation of affuming the prophetic character without authority. Whatever liberties of other kinds they might take with respect to morality, this fpecies of impiety was not among them. From these circumftances it may be taken for granted, that pretenfions to miracles among Jews were fure of being rigoroufly fcrutinized, fo that they would not obtain credit unless the facts were indifputable. This would have been the cafe had the object of the miracles even been any thing favourable to their religion, and to their wishes; but much more fo if it had been any thing that they did not with to favour. And in this predicament was Jefus when he firft affumed the character of a perfon fent from God, and impow ered to work miracles, in proof of his divine miffion. The only person whom the Jews expected in the character of a prophet, preceded by Elijah, they also expected in the character of a king, viz. their promised Meffiah, the perfon announced under that title by Daniel, as to come in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And it is remarkable that about the time of the appearance of Jefus there was a general expectation of the fpeedy coming of this Meffiah. But they naturally imagined that he would be a great prince, who would rescue their nation from their fubjection to the Romans, and bring all the world into fubjection to them. Had any perfon affumed this character, it is not impoffible, but that the Jewish nation, prejudiced as they were, might have been difpofed to favour his pretenfions, and have been lefs fcrupulous in their examination of the proofs of his miffion. But Jefus made no fuch pretenfions. He never, indeed, denied that he was the Meffiah; but his appearance by no means correfponded to their ideas of him. He did not come in the clouds; and fo far was he from from affuming kingly power or state, that he was brought up a common carpenter; he chofe his companions from perfons of an equally low rank with himself; and he declined all particular intercourse with the chiefs of his nation. Befides the meannefs of his parentage and education, the place of his nativity (at least that from which he received his denomination) was a despicable town in Galilee, a part of the country which was thought meanly of, compared with Judea properly fo called. The only advantage that Jefus, previous to his appearing in a public character had, was his being announced by John the Baptist as a great prophet, one much greater than himself, and one who would work miracles. For this feems to be implied in his faying that he would baptize with the Holy Spirit. This circumftance would, no doubt, excite great attention to Jefus, and a favourable one; and had he appeared in the character that they confidently expected their promised Meffiah would affume, he might with fomewhat more ease have impofed upon them, But this advan R 3 tage |