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PART" This he said, not that he cared for the poor, "but because he was a thief, and had the bag, " and bare what was put therein. This op

IV.

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portunity determined the traitor to go to "the chief priests and fay unto them, What "will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of filver.".... These are facts of the greatest importance. Jefus quits his retreat about the time of the paffover, when Jerufalem was filled with an infinite number of Jews: He comes to the houfe of a man well known, called Simon the Leper, because he had been infected with that diftemper; he makes ready a fupper for him. Lazarus is one of the guests; Martha and Mary his fifters were attendants; and the latter pours out a precious perfume upon his feet, and afterwards upon his head. his head. This This profufion difpleafed Judas; he goes to the priests to fell his mafter; and receives for it thirty pieces of filver. How is it poffible to separate thefe circumstances? how to deny the fupper? how can one contradict the effufion of spikenard? Lazarus was one of the guests: can his preceding death be difowned? can his refurrection be attested in a more folemn manner? did not Judas himself, a fordid, murmuring traitor, abfolutely confirm it? is his crime a fiction? can the occafion of his crime be counterfeit ? can the reward which fatisfied the traitor be imaginary? and must one be no ways

+Saint Matthew and Saint Mark in the places quoted, fay, that it was with him Jefus fupped.

III.

ways moved by the prophecy of Zacharias, CHAP. who fo plainly foretold it for fo many ages before?

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But there is something more convincing:

+ Much people of the Jews knew that he "was at Bethany, and they came from Jeru"falem thither, not for Jefus' fake only, but "that they might fee Lazarus also, whom he "had raised from the dead. But the chief priests confulted, that they might put La

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zarus to death; because that by reafon of " him many of the Jews went away, and be"lieved on Jefus." The curiofity of those, who came to Bethany, is a natural confequence of the truth of Lazarus's refurrection; and their belief in Chrift, tho' dependent on the grace of God, proceeds from the fame fource. Both one and the other must enrage the priests and pharifees, who were Chrift's enemies; and though I did not expect a refolution fo cruel and mad, as that of depriving Lazarus of life, as if they could impede his being reftored to life a fecond time by Christ, I perceive in fuch a defign fuggefted through defpair, and in every thing else public proofs of the miracle, which excites the curiofity of a great many, and induces fome of them to believe, and provokes others who could not fupprefs it.

In fine, " "The people that were come to "the feaft (of the paffover) when they heard "that Jefus was coming to Jerufalem, took "branches

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IV.

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PART" branches of palm-trees, and went forth to "meet him, and cried, Bleffed is the King " of Ifrael, that cometh in the name of the "Lord. The people therefore that were with him, when he called Lazarus out of "his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. For this caufe the people met him, for that they heard, that he had done "this miracle. The pharifees therefore faid among themfelves, Perceive ye, how ye prevail.nothing? behold, the world is gone "after him." Is it poffible to disown, that Chrift made his entrance to Jerufalem as related by the evangelists? muft we look upon, as fabulous, the concourfe of people who met him with olive branches and loud acclamations? can we separate so notorious an event from the important circumftances which are blended with it in the evangelical relation? and can one offer a more natural reafon of fuch a concourse and triumph, than the refurrection of Lazarus, of which many were witneffes, and which the whole multitude already believed?

As to myfelf, after fo many proofs of every kind, one added to another, I would only afk, of whofoever is not thoroughly fatisfied, what then would convince him of the certainty of a refurrection? I would entreat him to ruminate within himself the circumftances, and proofs which he would fubmit to; and to confider well the means, which he would make use of in order, first to be affured of his death, and afterwards of his refurrection. And I am tho

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roughly

roughly convinced, that after having wearied CHAP. himself with reflection, he would never be able III. to fet either of them in fo clear a light, as the death and refurrection of Lazarus; and this truth, which feems unfatisfactory to him, will exceed every thing which his imagination would ftrive to fubftitute in its stead.

ARTICLE IV.

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Lawful and necessary confequences of fuch a miracle, which proves the whole, by proving that Chrift is the refurrection and the life.----Anfwer to an objection.

A

M I then to blame in representing to a fober and prudent mind, first, the manner in which the divine providence facilitated the examination of the christian religion in the relation of a fingle miracle, which invincibly proves, that Jefus Chrift is the Meffiah, fince he publicly declared, that he wrought the miracle to demonstrate it, and that he was the refurrection and the life, (that is to fay) the principle of both, and confequently God, fince before he performed it, he afcribes to himself thefe divine qualities, and requires us to pofitively believe, that he is endued with them? Is not the whole proved if Chrift is the Meffiah and God? and after this is there any thing

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PART thing more incumbent on us than to listen to IV. and obey him?

Am I to blame in reprefenting to him, in the fecond place, how inexcufable he would be, if he perfifted to deny a miracle, the truth of which is fo obvious, and fo effentially connected with a great number of circumstances, which cannot be doubted, without fapping the whole foundation of hiftory? Am I to blame in demanding of him, whether he takes prudence for his guide, when he inclines rather to expofe himself to eternal mifery, than to credit fo authentic a fact? or whether 'tis making a proper ufe of his reason to continue thus fceptical on various points of religion, after being convinced by this fingle proof, that all his doubts are groundless; fince they are all here ultimately and radically confuted?

But is it poffible, he may fay, that the refurrection of a man buried for four days, happening fo near Jerufalem, fhould not convert every body? I answer *, that many were affected with it, and believed in Chrift; but that this faith, if fincere, was not the effect of the external miracle, which was only the occafion of it; that the people were prepared to believe, as appeared by the hafte they were in to meet him, and by the acclamations with which they received him, when he made his entrance into Jerufalem, but that they were obftructed in the purfuit of their inclination by the faction of the priests and pharifees, who poffeffed

As has been mentioned John chap, xi. 45. and ch. xii. 11.

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