eft light towards the Proof of his Divinity, by Mr. Hughes in his Two Effays on that Subject. And fome Parts of the Argument feem to carry great Weight and Force with them; but I would not venture to lay the whole Strefs of the Cause there.

Thus tho' our Blessed Saviour did not plainly and expreffly declare that he was the true and eternal God; for his divine Prudence did not think it proper to express his Godhead in fuch direct and glorious Language at that Seafon *; yet by all these Methods of Speech, and by this divine Conduct of his, which I have described in the three laft Particulars, he seems to have given abundant Intimations that his human Nature had a peculiar Union to, and Communion with Godhead: But fince the New Testament is compleat,

'Tis no wonder that our Saviour did not freely and publickly declare his own Godhead in plain and exprefs Language, when he did not choose to declare himfelf the Meffiah in fuch an evident manner of Speech, but very feldom, and that privately too; tho' the Doctrine of his Meffiahship was then of so much more Importance.

But there are many fpecial Reafons also which might be given, why our Lord Jefus did not proclaim his own Godhead during the time of his Ministry on Earth. I fhall mention but one that is evident and fufficient, (viz.) that he must have done it either with plain and convincing Proofs of it or without them. If he had only afferted it plainly, without convincing Proof, he had haften'd the Malice of the Jews to put him to death for Blafphemy, before he had fulfilled all his defigned Miniftry upon Earth. On the other hand, if he had given moft convincing Proofs of it while he afferted it, the Jews and Gentiles had been reftrained from putting him to death at all; for St Paul tells us exprefsly, 1 Cor. 2. 8. Had the Princes of this World known it, they would not have crucify'd the Lord of Glory.

2

compleat, we can understand thofe Hints better than his Disciples could in that day.

And tho' he did not use these Words, that Jefus the Son of Man is perfonally united to the divine Nature, yet he laid fo much as in our Apprehenfion now amounts to this Senfe, when he said, I and my Father are one. I am in the Father, and the Father in me. The Father who is in me doth the Works. He that hath feen me, hath seen the Father, &c. i. e. he hath feen the Glory and Power, and Grace of God the Father, whose divine Nature or Godhead is alfo in the Son, and dwells in me bodily. And tho' we can never tell exactly what makes the perfonal Union between the divine and human Natures in Chrift; yet perhaps this may be a juft Evidence of a perfonal Union with the Godhead, (viz.) when the Actions and Charactersand Sufferings which Chrift performed and sustained, might be properly said to be performed and fuftained immediately by God himself. But I much question whether his Disciples in that day did certainly infer fo much from thefe Words.

SECT. III. What Idea the Difciples had of Christ.

I

Come now to confider what Apprehen fions or Notions the Difciples did receive concerning our Lord Jefus Chrift in his own Life-time.

G 2

'Tis

'Tis not enough for me here to repeat the foregoing Heads, and fhew what Chrift told them; for we cannot say the Disciples understood and effectually learn'd all that our Lord Jefus Chrift taught them. 'Tis evident in many Places of the Hiftory of the Gospel, that he spoke several things to them which were above their prefent Apprehenfion; the Spirit of God which was promised to descend upon them, was not only to bring to Remembrance the things that Chrift had spoken; but to give them a fuller Understanding in the Meaning of them. And as there were many things which Chrift had to fay to them, but forbore in his Life-time because they could not bear them yet, John 16. 12. So there were fome things which he did speak to them in a more obfcure manner, by Hints and Intimations, which they could not at that time bear in the full Light and Glory of a divine Explication.

But if we fearch the evangelical History, I think we shall find that they received and entertained the following Sentiments concerning him.

1. They firmly believed that he was fent of God. Our Lord Jefus Chrift himself was Witness to this their Faith, John 17. 8. I have given unto them the Words which thou gaveft me, and they have received them, and they have believed that thou didst fend me.

2. They

2. They were convinc'd that he was the true Meffiah: John 6. 69. We believe and are fure Thou art that Chrift.

3. That he had a peculiar and glorious Relation to God, that he was the Son of the living God, which primarily referred to the Dignity of his Perfon, and oftentimes included in it alfo his Character, or Office as the appointed Saviour. This was the Subftance of Nathanael's Confeffion, John 1.49. Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Ifrael. This was alfo Peter's Confeffion, Matth. 16. 16. Thou art Chrift the Son of the living God, which he spake in the Name of the reft, as well as John 6. 69. where the fame Words are repeated.

4. They believed alfo that he had an Exiftence before he came into this World. When the Disciples told him, John 16. 30. IVe believe that thou cameft forth from God; 'tis evident from the Context that they did not only mean that he received his Commiffion from Heaven, and was fent by God to preach to the World; but that he had a Being with the Father before he came into this World, as he himself expreffes it, . 28. Icame forth from the Father, and am come into the World; again, I leave the World, and go to the Father which they understood in the literal Senfe, without Metaphors, as they themselves exprefs it; Now thou speakest plainly, and Speakeft no Parable or Metaphor, y. 29. And

:

G 3

Our

our Lord Jefus Chrift in his Teftimony concerning them, seems to make these two diftin&t Articles of their Belief, (viz.) his Preexistence and his Miffion, John 17. 8. They have known furely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst fend

me.

5. They believed alfo that God was in a most eminent and peculiar manner present with him, according to the Multitude of Expreffions he had ufed to that purpose, of his Father's being with him, and of the Father's dwelling in him: and this was the Language of their Sermons at first, Acts 10. 38. Jefus of Nazareth did great things, for God was with him. But they did not feem to have any fixed and certain Belief of fuch a peculiar and perfonal Union of the Man Chrift Jefus with the true God during his Life-time, as to give him the Name and Title of God. They had heard him fay, that he and his Father were One; but they did fcarce underftand his Oneness with the Father, and Communion in the Godhead in fo fublime a Sense, as was afterwards revealed to them, for they never called him God before his 'Refurrection. Which brings me to the next general Head.

SECT.