Jefus perceived their thoughts, he answer-CHAP. ing faid unto them, What reafon ye in II. "your hearts? whether is easier to fay, Thy "fins be forgiven thee; or to fay, Rife up and "walk? But that ye may know, that the "Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive fins, I fay unto thee, Arife, and take

cr

up thy couch and walk. He immediately "arofe, took up that whereon he lay, and "went forth before them all, infomuch that they were all amazed and glorified God, faying, We never faw it on this fashion." Such a miracle, which ferves as a proof to another secret and invifible one, is attended with every thing that can make an impreffion on a reasonable foul. It is wrought in the prefence of many witneffes, fome of whom were fecretly enemies to Jefus Chrift, and jealous of his fame. The manner in which they prefented the man fick of the palfy, is fo new, that it is without a parallel; and shews at the same time the confidence they placed in his power and goodnefs, and the defire of the paralytic, and of those who bore him. Yet the manner, in which Jefus Chrift fpeaks to him is still more new, by beginning with the remiffion of his fins (which did not seem to be the man's petition) without faying any thing of his disease, with which he and his bearers were wholly affected. The secret accufation of blafphemy on the part of the doctors and pharifees prove, that they were not apprehenfive of any fuch thing before the event; and it is plain, that the lefs probable circumstances

PART are, the more certain is the truth, and the IV. more it ought to banish all fufpicions.

It follows plainly from thence, that Jesus Chrift is God, by the very reasoning of the pharifees, which he fuppofes to be true by making the application to himself. He did not fay that any other than God could remit fins; but he proves by a visible miracle, that he had the power of remitting fins; and what he reprimands them for, is their accufing him of blafphemy, when he fays, he forgives fins, inftead of relying on his word fo many times confirmed by his miraculous operations. From thence it follows, that Jefus Chrift was endued with an equal power over the foul and body, fince he cured the maladies of both with the fame facility. From thence alfo it may be inferred, that he gives, when he pleafes, internal difpofitions preparative to the remiffion of fins, and he needs no other remedies either for the foul or body than those which he himself bestows.

For a few minutes let us behold him in that house, where he teaches, where he remits fins, where he paffes fentence on men, and difcerns their inmost thoughts: in that house where the throng prefs, and must neceffarily enter to be cured; which gives it fo great a resemblance of his church. But above all let us confider in this miracle the urgent and indifpenfable neceffity of going to Jefus Chrift, in spite of the obftacles which appear infurmountable. If the door is inacceffible, they must afcend the roof: they muft uncover it to get at him, and

thus justify what he himself said, that the CHAP. kingdom of heaven is to be taken by violence, II. and carry'd as a town by storm.

ARTICLE II.

A man born blind restored to fight: circumftances, which afcertain the truth of the miracle.

A

S Jefus paffed by Jerufalem, he faw a man which was blind from his birth.” (The history is well known to all the world; and my design is also visible: I do not write to make a fulfome repetition, but to establish the truth of this miracle; now 'tis the hiftory itself that must furnish me with proofs, which neceffarily depend on the detail.) "His dif

ciples (who faw the blind man) asked him,

faying, Mafter, who did fin, this man or "his parents. that he was born blind? Jefus "anfwered, Neither hath this man finned, "nor his parents; but that the work of God "fhould be made manifeft in him. I must "work the works of him that fent me, while "it is day the night cometh when no man "can work. As long as I am in the world, "I am the light of the world. When he had "thus fpoken, he fpat on the ground, and "made clay of the spittle, and he anointed

the eyes of the blind man with the clay, "and faid unto him, Go, wash in the pool

+ John ix. 1

"of

IV.

PART "of Siloam (which is by interpretation, fent.) "He went his way therefore and washed, and j« came feeing. His neighbours therefore, "and they which before had seen him afking alms, faid, Is not this he that fat and begged. Some faid, This is he others "faid, He is like him: but he said, I am he. "Therefore faid they unto him, How were <<thine eyes opened? He answered and faid, "A man that is called Jefus, made clay and "anointed mine eyes, and faid unto me, Go "to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I

went and washed, and I received fight. Then faid they unto him, Where is he? "He faid, I know not."

The bare recital above made in scripture terms, is fufficient, methinks, to convince unprejudiced minds, and fuch as have not loft all relish of truth. And I am thoroughly perfuaded, that no one would refift the impreffion made on reafon, by the circumftances and the fimplicity with which they are written, if the miracle of which we are treating, were not a convincing proof of a religion which fome people are defirous to render fufpected.

1. The man was certainly born blind. All, who knew him, were witnesses of it; and many knew him, because he asked alms in a public ftreet. We fhall fee afterwards that his father and mother affirmed it to the pharifees, tho' they dreaded their difpleasure, and did

Or, as in the Greek, "Whol ad before feen that he was blind."

did not care to defend a miracle, which men CHAP. in power were willing to fupprefs.

2. The blind man does not afk to be reftored to his fight, as fome others did, who were become accidentally blind. Thus there is no room for fufpicion on his part. And Jefus Chrift, after having fent him to the pool of Siloam, did not wait for his return to receive the glory of fuch a miracle; fo that the blind man receiving his fight, did not know whither the person who cured him was gone. Every circumftance therefore, is pure and difinterested on both fides, and there is no poffibility of collufion.

3. 'Tis the queftion propofed by the disciples of Jefus Chrift, that occafioned this miracle; and this very queftion is a proof that the man's blindness was from his nativity. But the answer that Jefus Chrift made them is fo little conformable to their notions, or to those of other men, that it is impoffible it could have ever entered their minds, if they had not heard it from his mouth.

4. Jefus Chrift is not fatisfied with attributing the natural defect of the blind man to a particular providence; he fays farther, that it is for the glory of his Father, who sent him, and to manifeft his works, that this man was born blind in order to be cured. Who ever fpoke thus? who could have dared to think this of Jefus Chrift, if he had not said it? for 'tis obfervable, that it is not after the fuccefs, that he speaks thus, but 'tis by expofing himfelf to be contradicted (according to the opini

II.

on