Ch. v. 1. After this there was a feaft of the Jews. And Jefus went up to Jerufalem. By many this is thought to be the paffover. By others it is reckoned fome other feaft between the last mentioned and the next Paffover of our Lord's miniftrie. However that may be, at this season our Lord healed the lame man at the pool of Bethesda, on the Sabbathday, and bid him carry his bed, and go home. Therefore did the Jews perfecute Jefus, and fought to flay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath-day. But Jefus answered them: My Father worketh hitherto. And I work. ver. 16. 17. The Jews charge him with blafphemie. Our Lord vindicates himself, and claims the character of the Meffiah in high terms. And affures them, that all judgement had been committed unto the Son, meaning himself, the Meffiah: that all men might honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. ver. 21...23. And, for proof, he refers to their scriptures, the teftimonie of John, and the works, which he had wrought among them, in the Father's name. ver. 24. .

47.

Ch. vi. 1... 3. We perceive, our Lord to be in Galilee, whither he had gone from Judea. Then at ver. 4. And the Paffover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. After which follows the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes, for feeding five thousand. Then, thofe men, when they had feen the miracle, which Jefus did, faid: This is of a truth that Prophet, which should come into the world: or the expected Meffiah. Their notion of the kingdom, belonging to that character, being worldly and carnal, and they looking for worldly advantages, would have come, and taken him by force, to make him a King. So that our Lord found it needful to depart into a mountain himself alone. The difciples in the mean time took Thipping, and he came to them walking upon the fea. When they had received him, immediately the ship was at the land, whither they were going. ver. 14.... 21. The people having been disappointed, came to him as foon as they could at Capernaum. Where our Lord takes an opportu nity to reprove their carnal temper, and inftructs them in the defign of the Meffiah, and the nature of his kingdom. And ftill taking upon himself that character, and requiring faith in him as fuch, he fays: I am the bread of life... And this is the will of him that fent me, that every one which feeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life... am the living bread, which came down from heaven. If any man eat this bread, he fhall live for ever. And the bread that I will give him is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world... Many therefore of his difciples went back, and walked no more with him. But Peter, in the name of the Twelve, and poffibly, in the name alfo of fome others, followers of Jefus, faid: To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are fure, that thou art the Chrift, the Son of the living God, ver. 22... 69.

I

Ch. vii. 1. 2. After thefe things Jefus walked in Galilee. For he would not walk in Judea, because the Jews fought to kill him. Now the Jews feaft of Tabernacles was at hand.... 14. Now about the midst of the feaft, fefus went up into the temple, and taught. Ver. 25. 26. Then faid jome of them of Jerufalem... Do the rulers know indeed, that this is the very Chrift? Ver. 31. And many of the people believed on him, and faid: When Chrift cometh, will he do more miracles than thefe, which this man has done? Ver.37.38.

In

treat. For he has inferted in his Gospel at ch. xviii. 15.... 30. fome of the fame difcourfes, which are in the other two Evangelifts, whilst our Lord was there. I fay, I fuppofe, that St. John and the other Evangelifts fpeak of one and the fame receffe. But St. John feems to mention more particularly the occafion of it, in the verfes juft recited.

In this place, and interval, our Lord lived fomewhat more privatly, than he had done before. He received all who came to him, either for instruction, or to be healed by him. But he did not go about the cities and villages of Judea, preaching publicly, as he had done for fome while before.

I always fuppofed, that our Lord's living thus, in that place, at no great diftance from Jerufalem, had in it a kind defign. He intended thereby to afford to the Jewish People, efpecially, their Priefts and Rulers at Jerufalem, an opportunity to confider, and calmly reflect upon all the wonderful things that had happened among them in the space of a few years, the preaching and baptifm of John, and all the things faid and done by himself in the courfe of his miniftrie, particularly, the miracles which he had wrought among them, the claims, which he had made of being the promised Meffiah, whom all ought to receive, and the intimations that had been given of impending ruin and miferie.

Here our Lord waited, willing to reft the proof of his miffion upon the teftimonies, that had been given to it. And if the Rulers of the Jewish People had now come, and folemnly owned him in the character he bore, and with which God had clothed him, how joyfully would they have been received! But they were not fo difpofed. Great multitudes of the people came to him there, and he healed them. The Pharifees alfo came unto him. But it was tempting him. Matth. xix. 1. 2. 3. Mark x. 1. 2.

But befide what is recorded by the other Evangelifts, St. John affures us, that in this interval our Lord came to Bethanie, about fifteen furlongs, or two miles, from Jerufalem, and there raised Lazarus to life. ch. xi. 1. ... 44. Then many of the Jews which came to Marie, and had feen the things which Jefus did, believed on him: that is, that he was the Chrift. But fome of them went their way to the Pharifees, and told them, what things Fefus had done. ver. 45. 46. Then gathered they a Council. Then from that day forth, they took counfel together, for to put him to death. ver. 47... 53. This fhews, that they were inflexible, and not to be gained by any confiderations.

It follows in ver. 54. Jefus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews: but went thence into a country near the wildernesse, into a city called Ephraim. And there continued with his difciples. Which (*) I suppose, was not far from the place, from which our Lord came laft. And from this city, called Ephraim, our Lord came to Bethanie again, by the way of Jericho, a fhort time before the next Paffover, as related by the other Evangelifts. We proceed.

Says St. John ch. xi. 55...57. And the Jews Paffover was now at hand.

(*) Vid. Reland. Palaft. 1 i. cap. 56. Tom. i. p. 377. et Lenfant fur S. Jean. 'ch. xi. ver. 54.

hand... Now both the Chief-Priefts and the Pharifees had given a commandment, that if any knew where he was, he should fhew it, that they might take him. That is a proof of a determined purpose to accomplish their evil defigns against Jefus.

The whole following xii. chapter of this Gofpel deserves attentive regard. I muft tranfcribe a part, though it adds to the length of these extracts. Then Jefus, fix days before the Paffover, came to Bethanie, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. xii. I. Much people of the Jews therefore knew, that he was there. And they came not for Jefus fake only, but that they might fee Lazarus also, whom he had raijed from the dead. But the Chief-Priests confulted, that they might put Lazarus alfo to death: because that by reafon of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on fefus. ver. 9...11. And here is an account of fome Greeks, or Gentils, who were defirous to fee Jesus. ver. 20.... 22. Whofe readineffe, accompanied with humility, may be reafonably understood to caft a reflection upon the pride and obftinacie of those, who were unmoved by the moft powerful arguments, and the moft gracious invitations. The remainder of that chapter, from ver. 35. to. 50. is a moft proper conclufion of this part of the Gospel, in which are thefe things very obfervable. Then Jefus faid unto them: Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while ye have the light, leaft darknesse come upon you... While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the chil dren of light.... But though he had done fo many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: that the faying of Efaias might be fulfilled. JeJus cried, and faid: He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that fent me. I am come a light into the world, that whofoever believeth on me, fhould not abide in darknesse... I have not spoken of myself. But the Father which fent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should speak. And I know that his commandment, is life everlasting. Whatsoever. I speak therefore, even as the Father faid unto me, so I speak.

...

Then in the xiii. xiv. xv. xvi. and xvii. chapters our Lord inftructs and comforts, prays with and for his difciples: fhewing (i) tokens of the tenderest affection, and the most faithful concern for thofe, who had paid a due regard to the evidences of his miffion, and adhered to him under difficulties and difcouragements. So begins the next, that is, the thirteenth chapter: Now before the feast of the Pallover, when Jefus knew, that his hour was come, that he should depart out of the world unto the Father: having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

And indeed it was very natural for the Evangelift, who had largely fhewn the unreasonableneffe, and the aggravated guilt of the Jews, who did not believe in Jefus, but rejected him, to give alfo a particular account of our Lord's kind acceptance of those who believed in him, and perfevered in their faith.

So that the defign of fhewing, how inexcufable the Jewish People

were,

(i) Sicut vero hactenus feveritatem Domini in Judæos defendit Evangelifta, ita in fequentibus a capite xiii. ad finem ufque fidelitatem Chrifti illibatam, quam difcipulis fuis addixit, ex ultimis verbis adferit. Hæc intentio haud obfcure addifcitur ex nova, quæ alteri hujus Evangelii parti præfigitur, præfatiuncula. cap. xiii. 1. . . . Lamp. Prol. I. 2. c, 4. num. xxxvi.

were, in rejecting Jefus, and of vindicating Divine Providence in the calamities brought upon them, is what produced the whole order and economie of this Gofpel.

The two following chapters, the xviii. and xix. contain the account of our Lord's profecution, condemnation, death, and interment. In the two laft chapters the xx. and the xxi. are the accounts of our Lord's refurrection, and the evidences of it, with many tokens of kind regard for his difciples who had followed him in the time of his abode on this earth, and were now to be his witnesses in the world, and to preach, under many difficulties, the fame doctrine, which he had taught.

There is another thing which may induce us to think, that one great defign of St. John in writing his Gofpel was to fhew the unreafonableneffe, and the great guilt of the Jews, in rejecting Jefus: that in his Gofpel are inferted more inftances of their attempts upon our Lord's life, than in the other Gofpels. Some fuch things there are in them. Accounts of the Pharifees confulting, how they might deftroy Jefus, may be feen in Matt. xii. 14. Mark iii. 6. Luke vi. 11. befide their last attempt: when they were permitted to accomplish their evil defign. But there are more fuch inftances in St. John's, than in any of the other Gofpels. As John vii. 1. After these things Jefus walked in Galilee. For he would not walk in Judea, because the Jews fought to kill him. However, he came up to Jerufalem at the next feaft of Tabernacles. ver. 2. And their defigns were renewed. Ch. vii. 25. Then faid fome of them at Jerufalem: Is not this he, whom they feek to kill?.... Ver. 31. 32. And many of the people believed on him, and faid: When the Chrift cometh, will he do more miracles, than thefe, which this man has done? The Pharisees Beard, that they murmured fuch things concerning him. And the Pharifees and Chief-Pricft fent officers to take him. But the officers, overcome by the excellence of his difcourfes, could not perfuade themfelves to apprehend him. For which they were reproached by the Council in a most outrageous manner. But Nicodemus ftrove to allay their refentment. ver. 45.... 52. And ch. viii. 20. Thefe words fpake Jefus, in the treafurie, as he taught in the temple. And no man laid hands on him, be'cause his time was not yet come. . . Ver. 37. I know, that ye are Abraham's feed. But ye feek to kill me, a man which has told you the truth, which 'I have heard of God. This did not Abraham. Ver. 59. Then took they up flones to caft at him.... And ch. x. 39. 40. Therefore they fought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand. And went away beyond Jordan. And when our Lord propofed to go to Bethanie, upon occafion of the Tickneffe and death of Lazarus, the difciples go unwillingly, and would have diffuaded him from that journey, being apprehenfive of the imminent danger therein both to him and themselves. ch. xi. 7..... 16. See likewife ver. 45... 57. All thefe are things quite omitted by the other Evangelifts. As is alfo what is faid. ch, xii. 10. II. And in their last perfecution of Jefus before Pilate there are fome very aggravating particulars mentioned by St. John, which the other Evangelifts have not taken notice of. See ch. xviii. 29.... 32. xix. I... 15.

Our blefied Lord, preparing his difciples for afflictions, reconciling their minds to them, and encouraging them to endure them patiently, fays, ch. xv. 21.... 24. All these things will they do unto you for my

4

name's

name's fake, because they know not him that fent me. If I had not come, and Spoken unto them, they had not had fin. But now they have no excufe for their fin. He that hateth me, hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works, which no other man did, they had not had fin. But now have they both feen, and hated both me and my Father. That is a frong but juft and true reprefentation of the heinoufneffe of the guilt of the Jewish people. For which reafon I could not forbear to allege it here, though it fhould be thought out of place.

And now having, as I fuppofe, fhewn this defign of the Evangelift, let me mention an obfervation, or two, by way of corollarie.

First. We fee the reason of St. John's recording the miracle of raif-ing Lazarus, omitted by the other Evangelifts. There was no neceffity, that they should mention it. For without it they have recorded fufficient evidences of our Lord's miffion and character. Nor was it poffible, without an improper prolixity, to record all our Saviour's difcourfes and miracles, as St. John himfelf has obferved. Moreover the first three Evangelifts have chiefly infifted upon the moft public part of our Lord's miniftrie. For which reason this niracle did not come fo directly in their way. But St. John could not omit it. His defign neceffarily led him to relate this great miracle, done fo near Jerufalem, and with all it's circumstances. For it manifeftly fhews the perverfe and incorrigible temper of the Jewish Priests and Rulers.

Secondly. None ought any more to make a queftion, whether our Lord twice cleanfed the temple, or once only. It was cleansed by him at the time of his last Paffover, as related by the first three Evangelifts. But it was very proper for St. John to record that done at the firft Paffover of our Lord's miniftrie: it affording an alarming evidence of his being the expected Meffiah, which fhould have been taken notice of by the Jewish Rulers at Jerufalem. It was an early and open claim of the character of the Meffiah. And their neglecting that, and fo many other claims and evidences of the fame great truth afterwards, manifests the obftinacie of their unbelief. Which was fitly fhewn by this Evange

lift.

I now proceed to fome other arguments.

3. One argument, that St. John's Gofpel was writ before the deftruction of Jerufalem, is taken from ch. v. 2. Now there is at Jerufalem, by the sheep-market, or Sheep-Gate, a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having frue porches.

On this paffage infist both (k) Bafnage and (1) Lampe. St. John does

not

(k) Porro quod tam fero fcriptum Joannis Evangelium tradamus, id ex fententia potius veterum, quam ex rei veritate fecimus. Ex ipfo quippe Evangelio nafcitur argumentum ad exiftimandum, lucem prius afpexiffe, quam Hierofolyma overteretur. Eft, inquit, Hierofolymis ad portam ovium pifcina. Stetiffe ergo videtur urbs fancta, Joanne ea verba fcribente. Secus, non præfens, eft, is, fed præteritum adhibuiffet. Bafn. An. 97. n. xii.

(Habetur igitur hic non tantum mentio porte ovium, tanquam tunc adhuc exftantis, cum fcriberet Evangelifta, fed etiam ædificii ex quinque porticibus conftantis, quales ftructure poft dirutam a Romanis Hierofolymam illic fruftra effent quefitæ. Licet enim pifcinam fupereffe velint itineraria, portæ tamen ac muri folo æquata erant. Inde igitur colligimus, ftetiffe urbem fan&tam,

Joanne