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Abraham defired to fee his Day, and saw it, and was glad.

our Father Abraham, which is dead? and the Prophets

are dead whom makeft thou thyself?

54 Jefus answered, If I honour myself, my Honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me, of whom ye fay, that he is your GOD.

55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I fhould fay, I know him not, I fhall be a Liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his Saying.

56 Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my Day and he faw it, and was glad.

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than that venerable Patriarch our Father Abraham, Sect. 105.
who is dead, and than all the most illuftrious Pro-
phets, who are alfo dead? Whom doft thou then John VIII.
pretend thyself to be?

53.

Jefus replied, If I only glorify myself, by high 54
Encomiums on my own Dignity and Excellence,
while I neglect the Honour and Service of my
Father, my Glory is nothing, but an empty
Sound; [but] it evidently appears by all the Series
of my Converfe and Miracles, compared with each
other, that it is my Father himself that effectually
glorifies me, even he, of whom you confidently fay,
that he is your GOD, tho' in this Refpect you pay
fo little Regard to his Teftimony.
And not- 55
withstanding all your Boafts, yet nevertheless
you
have not truly known him; but I well know him:
And if I fhould deny it, and say that I know him
not, or retract my Pretenfions to that peculiar and
intimate Knowledge of him, which I have fo
often profeffed, I fhould be a Lyar like you: But I
repeat it again, notwithstanding all your Enmity,
and your Scorn, that I perfectly know him, and
continually keep his Word in its fullest Extent, and
exacteft Purity. And I will tell you farther, 56
that tho' you defpife me, as unworthy of your
Notice, your Father Abraham himself was even
tranfported with a joyful Defire that he might fee
my Day (d), or the Time of my Appearance and
Glory; and in fome Degree he faw [it] by Faith,
and rejoiced in the diftant and imperfect View (e),
thank-

in the Argument they ufe, unless they had meant to affert, that Abraham, and the Prophets were dead, es Toy alava, for ever; than which nothing could be farther from the Thoughts of any of the Jews, except the Sadducees, who do not feem to have been the Perfons fpeaking here. See Note (k) on John iv. 14. Vol. i. pog. 174.

(d) Was even transported with a joyful Defire that he might fee my Day: myoraσalo svet ίδη την ήμεραν την εμην.] It is necefiary to tranfate the Word ηγαλλιασατο thus, not only to avoid the Tautology, which our Tranflation occafions, but also to preferve the Force of wva idn. And indeed it may with the ftrictest Propriety fignify leaping forward with Joy to meet the Object of our Wishes, as well as exulting in the Poffeffion of it. See Blackw. Sacred Claffics, Vol. i. pag. 46,-48.

(e) He faw it by Faith, and rejoiced in the View.] I cannot think with Mr. Fleming, (Chriftology, Vol. i. pag. 221.) that the Appearance of Christ to Abraham, (Gen. xviii. 1.) could with any Propriety be here referred to, as Chrift's Day. It feems much more reafonable to conclude, with Dr. Scot, and Mr. Henry, that it intimates fome peculiar Difcoveries, which the Spirit of GOD might make to Abraham, for his own private Confolation, tho' not expressly recorded in Scripture. And thus, with regard to him, as well as many other

Saints

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He miraculously efcapes, when they would have foned him. Sect. 105. thankfully receiving every Intimation of the Purposes of my Coming, which GOD was pleased to give him.

John VIII.

57.

58

59

Then the Jews faid unto him, Thou art not yet Fifty Years old (f), and haft thou, who but Half a Century ago waft not in Being, any Room to pretend, that thou haft feen, and converfed with Abraham, who has been dead more than Two thousand Years?

Jefus faid unto them, Verily, verily I fay unto you, and folemnly affirm it as a moft certain Truth, how incredible foever it may feem, that before Abraham was born (g), I had a glorious Existence with the Father, and I am ftill invariably the fame, and one with him (b).

This appeared to them fo direct a Claim to the Name and Properties of the Eternal JEHOVAH, that, being ignorant of the Divine Nature of Chrift, they thought it intolerable Blafphemy; and tho' he was then difcourfing in fo facred a Place as the Temple, they immediately took up fome loofe Stones, with which they were repairing, either the Pavement, or the Building (i), that they might caft them at him to deftroy him: But Jefus in a miraculous Manner concealed himself from their Sight, and

went

57 Then faid the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty Years old, and haft thou feen Abraham?

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Saints under that Difpenfation, the Secret of the Lord might in an extraordinary Manner be with them, and he might fhew them much more of his Covenant, than they could have discovered without fuch extraordinary Affistance. Compare Pfal. xxv. 14. and fee Dr. Scot's Chriftian Life, Vol. v. pag. 194.

(f) Thou art not yet Fifty Years old.] Chrift was not now Five and thirty; but Erafmus thinks, that worn with Labours, he might appear older than he was. Lightfoot imagines, that as the Levites were discharged from the Temple Service at Fifty, (compare Numb. iv. 3, 23.) that Age was Proverbially used; as I think it might have been, without any fuch Inftitution relating to them. It is little to the Credit of Irenæus's Judgment, to have inferred from hence, or admitted on an uncertain Tradition, fathered on St. Luke, that Chrift was now turned of Forty. See Iren. lib. ii. cap. 39, 40.

(8) Before Abraham was born.] Erafmus obferves, that this is the Meaning of evedas; and Raphelius abundantly juftifies the Interpretation. Annot. ex Xen. pag. 133.

(b) I am invariably the fame, &c.] Compare Heb. xiii. 8. I have long (with Chryfoftom, and many others,) looked on this Text, as at least a ftrong Intimation of the Deity of Chrift, nearly parallel to Heb. i. 12. u de o aulos es, thou art the fame.-I cannot apprehend, that eye is ever used for I was; nor imagine, that if our Lord had been a mere Creature, he would have ventured to exprefs himfelf in a Manner fo nearly bordering on Blafphemy, or have permitted his beloved Difciple so dangerously to disguise his Meaning.

(i) Took up fome loofe Stones, with which they were repairing, &c.] See Lightfoot, Hor. Hebr. on this Place; and Note (g) on John ii, 20. Vol. i. pag. 143.

(k) Going

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Reflections on CHRIST's Promife to deliver us from Death. thro' the Midft of them, and went out of the Temple, going thro' the Midst of Sect. 105. fo pafled by. them unknown (k), and so passed on to another Place, till the Transport of their Fury was a little John VIII. appeared.

W

IMPROVEMENT.

59.

ITH what Patience did our Bleffed Redeemer bear, and with what John viii. 48, 49. Meekness of Wisdom did he answer, the most virulent and opprobrious Language? When he was rudely charged with being a Samaritan, and having a Damon, being thus reviled, be reviled not again. (1 Pet. ii. 23.) And shall We too keenly refent the Reflections, which are thrown upon us! May but our Confcience witness for us, and we need not fear all that are against us!

Chrift honoured his Father, and fought not his own Glory. So may we Ver. 49, 50. be careful of the Honour of GOD, and chearfully commit to him the Guardianship and Care of our Reputation! And we shall find there is one that feeketh, and judgeth in our Favour.

It is a great and important Promife, which our Lord here makes, If Ver. 51, any Man keep my Word, he shall never fee Death. Senfe feems to plead against it; but he is the Refurrection and the Life, and he will make it good. Let us therefore be strong in Faith, giving Glory to GOD. (Rom. iv. 20.) Tho' not only Abraham, and the Prophets, but Peter and Paul, Ver. 52. and the other Apoftles, are dead, yet this Word fhall be gloriously accomplished. Still they live to him, and shortly shall they be for ever recovered from the Power of the Grave; fo that Death is to them comparatively as nothing. With them may our final Portion be, and we may fet light by the Reproaches, and Clamours, and Accufations of prejudiced, ignorant, and finful Men!

Adored be that "gracious Providence, that determined our Existence to begin in that happy Day, which Prophets and Patriarchs defired to fee, Ver. 56. and in the distant View of which Abraham rejoiced! Let it be also our Ver. 58. Joy; for Jefus Chrift is the fame Yesterday, To-day, and for ever: Nor could the Heart of thofe holy Men fully conceive thofe Things which GOD had prepared for them that love him, and which he has now revealed unto us by his Spirit. (1 Cor. ii. 9, 10.)

(k) Going thro' the Midst of them.] The Omiffion of thefe Words in this Paffage, as quoted by Chryfoftom, and Auguftin, as well as in fome Manufcripts, has led fome to suspect, they were added from Luke iv. 30.

VOL. II.

L

SECT.

82

Sect. 106.

The Seventy return, rejoicing in their Power over Satan :

SECT. CVI:

The Seventy Disciples return with Joy: CHRIST foretells
the greater Succefs of bis Gofpel, and praifes bis Heavenly
Father for the wife, tho' myfterious, Difpenfations of it.
Luke X. 17,--24.

A

LUKE X. 17.

FTER thefe Things, Jefus determined to
take his laft, and, as it feems, his most

LUKE X. 17.

AND the Seventy return

ed again with Joy, fay

are fubject unto us through thy Name.

Luke X. 17. fuccefsful Circuit thro' Galilee (a); and before he ing, Lord, even the Devils fet out upon it, the Seventy Difciples, who had been sent before him as his Harbingers, (Sect. 97. pag. 37.) returned to him again (b) with great Joy, and fome Mixture of Surprize, faying, Lord, we have not only cured Difeafes, according to the Power thou waft pleased to give us; (ver. 9. pag. 39.) but tho' thy Commiffion did not directly exprefs fo much, yet it appears, that even the Damons themselves are fubject to us, when in thy Name we command them to go out of fuch as they had poffeffed.

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And be faid to them, I know, that it is, and must be fo; for I myfelf faw Satan, the great Prince of the Dæmons, falling like Lightning from Heaven on his firft Tranfgreffion, and well remember how immediate and dreadful his Ruin was (c); and I forefee in Spirit that renewed,

swift,

18 And he faid unto them, fall from Heaven. I beheld Satan as Lightning,

(a) His laft Circuit thro' Galilee.] St. Luke has given us a large Account of feveral Occurrences in it, omitted by all the other Evangelifts; and I think there can be no Doubt, but it must come in here. It was dispatched between the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Dedication, (mentioned John x. 22. Sect. 134.) or between the Months of September and December. I call it his laft Circuit thro' Galilee, becaufe it is ftrongly intimated, thatafter the Conclufion of it he returned thither no more, before his Crucifixion. (See Luke xiii. 31-33. and John x. 40, 42.)Quickly after his Refurrection, which was the next Spring, we find Five hundred Brethren in Galitee. (1 Cor. xv. 6.) It is probable, moft of them might be converted in this Journey; for we never find him attended by greater Multitudes, nor his Enemies more alarmed, than about this Time.

(b) The Seventy Difciples returned to him again.] I prefume not to determine where, or when, they met him; but confidering they were by the Law obliged to attend this Feaft at Jerufalem, it feems most probable, that was the Time and Place.

(c) Ifaw Satan, &c.] I think this Anfwer to the Seventy lofes much of its Beauty and Propriety, unless we fuppofe Satan to have been the Prince of the Damons they spoke of ;

and

But fhould rather rejoice, their Names are written in Heaven.

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fwift, and irrefiftible Victory, of which this pre- Sect. 106.
fent Success of yours is an Earneft, which the
Preaching of the Gospel shall shortly gain over all Luke X. 18.
these Rebel Powers, which even in their highest
Strength and Glory were fo incapable of oppofing
the Arm of GOD. And that you may more 19
fuccessfully pursue this Conqueft, behold, I now
give you a miraculous Power, fecurely to tread upon
Serpents and Scorpions, thofe venomous and hurt-
ful Creatures, (compare Mark xvi. 18. and Acts
xxviii. 5.) in Token of your Triumph over the
Infernal Spirits, and over all the Might of Satan
the great Enemy, which he may fet in Array against
you; and I will fo effectually fupport you in all
thefe Trials, that nothing shall by any means be able
to injure you, while you continue faithful in your
Adherence to my Service. (Compare Pfal. xci. 13.
and Gen. iii. 15.)
much in this, that the Evil Spirits are thus fubject
Nevertheless, rejoice not lo 20
to you, and that you are enabled miraculously to
controul them; but rather rejoice, that your Names
are written in Heaven, and that you ftand en-
rolled among the Heirs of that glorious World,
as the peculiar Objects of the Divine Favour and
Love.

In that remarkable Hour, Jefus, in a pleafing 21
Contemplation of the Succefs that should attend
his Gofpel, tho' it was to be propagated by fuch
weak Inftruments, exceedingly rejoiced in his Spirit,
and faid, in the Words he had used on a former
Occafion (d), (Mat. xi. 25, 26. Vol. i. pag. 359,
360.) I afcribe Glory to thee, ob Almighty Father,
the Creator and Lord both of Heaven and Earth,
that while thou haft bid thefe Things from the Wife
Philofophers, and Prudent Politicians of the Age,
thou haft difcovered them in the mean Time to

others

and alfo allow the Reference, hinted at in the Paraphrafe, to the firft Fall of that rebellious Spirit. Compare 2 Pet. ii. 4. and Jude, ver. 6.For the Remainder of this Section, and fome of the following, the Reader may confult the Notes in the parallel Paffages referred to, which have been confidered in their proper Places above.

(d) And faid, in the Words he had ufed on a former Occafion.] They are here repeated with evident Propriety, in the View of that glorious Succefs, which fhould attend these his defpifed Servants, as the deftined Conquerors of the Infernal Legions, by whom Thousands of the Poor fhould be brought to receive the Gospel.

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