faida! for if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, in fackcloth and afhes: But I fay unto you, it fhall be more tolerable for Tyre and for Sidon, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, fhalt be brought down to hell. For if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I fay unto you, it fhall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee."

After this, with what propriety did he addrefs his heavenly Father, to exprefs the deep fenfe that he had of the wifdom of his providence, in appointing that the Gospel fhould not be received in the first inftance by perfons poffeffed of any worldly advantage, but rather by those who were defpifed by the reft of mankind. Matt. xi. 25. " At that time Jefus anfwered, and faid, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou haft hid these things from the wife and prudent, and haft revealed them

unto

unto babes; even fo, Father, for so it seemed good in thy fight." What comprehenfion of mind, what piety, what fubmiffion to fuperior wisdom, and confequently what true dignity of fentiment, do we fee in all this! This language marks a character of an extraordinary and fuperior kind, to any that hiftory, profane, or even facred, holds out to us. Such fentiments, and fuch language as this, could only proceed from a ftrong sense of a near relation to God; but Jefus being perfuaded of his conftant presence and support, he would naturally affume more authority, and a more dignified manner of fpeaking, than any other man. In this we find an adequate cause for so great an effect; but without it, the existence of fuch a character would have been impoffible.

Secondly, Jefus was greatly original in working miracles, and his manner peculiarly authoritative, more fo than that which was ufed by any preceding prophet; which could not arise from any thing but a consciousness of a fuperior and more important miffion. Of this I shall give a few examples.

1. When

1. When the nobleman from Capernaum met him at Cana, on his return from the first paffover at Jerufalem, to request that he would go with him to Capernaum, to cure his fon; who, he said, "lay at the point of death," he, after fome other difcourfe, faid, John iv. 50." Go thy way, thy fon liveth. With equal authority he faid to the demoniac in the fynagogue at Capernaum, who had cried out, "What have we to do with. thee, thou Jefus of Nazareth, art thou come to destroy us? We know thee who thou art, the holy one of God." Matt. i. 21. "Hold thy peace, and come out of him.' In neither of these cases did he use any introduction, as that of prayer, or any address to the perfons prefent, by way of preparing them for the event. His manner was equally authoritative, when he cured the man who had the withered hand, who was brought to him in the fynagogue on the Sabbath day; when fome Pharifees, who were prefent, fhewed a difpofition to cavil with him for working miracles on that day. After expoftulating with them on the fubject, and fhewing the inconfiftency of their own con

duct,

duct, who did not fcruple to lift a sheep out of a pit on that day, he said to the man, Matt. xil. 13. "Stretch forth thy hand;" when, as we read, "he stretched it forth, and it was reftored found, like the other." Alfo to the impotent man at the pool of Bethefda, he faid, John v.8. "Take up thy bed, and walk." The former of these miracles, you will obferve, as well as the greater part of those wrought by Jefus, was performed in the presence of his most inveterate enemies, and the most maliciously attentive to his conduct,

Jefus ftilling a tempeft by merely fpeaking would perhaps be more ftriking than removing a diforder in the fame manner, efpecially as he was fuddenly awaked out of a found fleep, when it was apprehended that the ship would fink, On being awaked in thefe circumstances, he faid, Matt. viii. 26. "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arofe, and rebuked the winds, and the fea, and there was a great calm." After this, it is no wonder that, as we read, "the men marvelled, faying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the

fea

fea obey him?" In the fame manner he behaved when he was walking on the fea, while his difciples were in a fhip, "toffed with the waves, for the wind was contrary. When they faw him, they were troubled, faying it was a fpirit, and cried out for fear." But when he spake to them, faying, "Be of good cheer. It is I, be not afraid," Peter faid, Matt. xiv. 28. "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water; and he faid, Come. But when he had left the ship, and was walking towards Jesus, seeing the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to fink, he cried, faying, Lord, fave me; when Jefus ftretched forth his hand, and caught him, faying to him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didft thou doubt?" With this authoritative manner he appeared to peculiar advantage when he raised to life the three perfons mentioned in the Gospel hiftory. To the daughter of Jairus he said, Mark v. 21." Daughter, I fay unto thee, arife." To the widow's fon, Luke vii. 14.

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Young man, I fay unto thee, arife;" and at the grave of Lazarus, he faid with a loud voice, John xi. 43. "Lazarus, come forth."