Chapter Verfe- How can a man who is a finner do fuch mi

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racles?' The man himself reafoned in this

way; upon which the Pharifees caft him out of 34 the temple: Jefus having found him afked35 Doft thou believe on the Son of God? And was anfwered-Who is he, Lord that I might ' believe on him? Jefus rejoined—' Thou hast 'both feen him, and it is he that talketh with

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thee.' Upon which the man faid,- Lord I be

lieve, and he worshipped him.' Jefus then 39 faid-For judgment I am come into this world: that they which fee not, might fee: and that

they which fee, might be made blind." Had this been addreffed to the man (and it has that appearance) he, most likely, would have understood it literally; and in that cafe, his new-founded faith 40 might have been fhaken. But we find fome of the Pharifees which were with him (I suppose those

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⚫ mentioned before as afking-How can a man who is a finner, do fuch miracles) heard these words, and faid unto him, Are we blind alfo?" Jefus 41 replied, "If ye were blind ye fhould have no fin: but now ye fay; We fee: therefore your fin remaineth." Jefus followed this with a parable of the fhepherd and his fheep, not very intelligent, as applicable in the prefent cafe; and we 6 are informed they understood not what things

they were which he fpake unto them.' He then endeavours to explain it to them; calls himfelf the only good fhepherd, and adds- All that

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ever came before me, are thieves and robbers. Chapter Verfe

⚫ (The prophets came before him; furely they

" were not all thieves and robbers: if fo, moft

likely they were deceivers too. Was Ifaiah of this number? or did he give a faithful account ⚫ of the shepherds in his day? viz.-His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark, fleeping, lying down, loving to flumber. Yea they are greedy dogs which can never have enough: and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all took their own way, every one for his gain. Ifaiah, ch. lvi. v. 10, and 11.) Jefus goes on to exemplify the connection between the good fhepherd and his flock: tells them, that he had likewife fheep which were not of that fold, but which he would unite with them. That he laid down his life for the fheep volun· tarily that no man had power to take it from him, and that he himself had power to take it up again; adding This commandment have x. I received of my Father." St. John then tells usThere was a divifion therefore again among the Jews for thefe fayings. And many of them • faid, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? Others faid, these are not the words • of him that hath a devil; can a devil open of the blind? Thus ends the ftory without acquainting us that any were converted, the benefited man excepted, even of those who spoke

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Chapter Verfe fo favourably of him. The next effort made by Jefus, was as unfuccefsful. John is very particular in this account; he tells us at Jerufalem ; the feaft of the dedication; in the winter; that Jefus walked in a part of the temple called So24 lomon's Porch-Then came the Jews round

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about him, and faid unto him; How long doft "thou make us doubt: if thou be the Chrift;

tell us plainly.' This was a home, and, to me it appears, a neceffary queftion, requiring a direct answer. No fuch answer is given; he evades the question, and fhifts his ground in the ufual 25 manner, faying- I told you, and ye believed 6 not the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of ine. But ye believe not, becaufe ye are not of my fheep, as I faid unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I will give unto ' them eternal life, and they fhall never perish, 'neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.

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My Father which gave them me, is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out ⚫ of my Father's hand. I and my Father are One.' This was more than he had ever faid before; and this, far exceeded their expectations in general: you will in course except those who had given their opinion of him in the 20th verfe. The effect this fpeech produced, we are toldThen the Jews took up ftones again to stone ' him.' Upon which, Jefus afked (tauntingly

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or ironically, fome will fay meekly) 'Many good x. ' works have I fhewed you from my Father; for

which of those works do ye ftone me?' They, very properly, replied- For a good work, we ftone thee not; but for blafphemy, and because that thou, being a man, makest thyfelf God.' Jefus, by way of extenuation or retreat, answers Is it not written in your law-I said ' ye are gods? (Vide Pfalm lxxxii. or Exodus,

ch. xxii. v. 28.) If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the fcriptures cannot be broken; fay ye of him, whom the Father hath fanctified and fent into the world, Thou blafphemeft: because I said, I am the Son of God. If I do not the works of · my Father, believe me not. But if I do ; though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him.' overturns the whole; and

This conclufion again
we are told-' There-

'fore they fought again to take him; but he ef'caped out of their hand.'

What Jefus meant, when he faid-'I am the Son of God'-I and my Father, are one'The Father is in me, and I in him.' Is, notwithstanding the fertile invention of the fathers, the ingenuity of Athanafius, and the labours of learned commentators Catholic and Proteftant; as little understood by the Chriftians, in this age; as it was by the Jews, in that. To what end, Q3

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were they spoken? is a confequent enquiry; but in the pursuit of it, I have found nothing fatis, factory. They were ambiguous terms, addreffed to men who did not, nay in fome places we are told, who could not understand them. And yet we find, in a fubfequent difcourfe of this kind addreffed to his difciples (John, ch. xv. v. 22, and 23,) Jefus fays- If I had not come, and spoken unto them (the people) they had not had fin but now they have no cloak for their • fin. He that hateth me, hateth my Father alfo.' By this it appears, the Jews were more unfortunate than criminal: had they not come in his way, or rather, had he not come in theirsthey had not had fin. And after all; what was this fin? Was it the fin of ignorance? We are told the difciples, at that time, were equally ignorant of his meanings in many of these myfterious discourses; and that they were to wait the coming of the Holy Ghoft for better information. (Vide John, ch. xiv. v. 9-26.) But in the verse following the above, Jefus adds- If I ❝ had not done among them (the Jews) the works which none other man did; they had not had fin: but now have they both feen, and hated both me and my Father.' I apprehend they had feen no works done by Jefus, which excluded all fufpicion of their being done by collufion. The Jews believed their laws were given by God himself from Mount Sinai, in a moft tremendous