II.

His own most holy Life, in the strictest obedience to God the Father. This A∣barbinell, in his discourse upon xi. Isa. which I have so often mentioned, makes one of the marks of the Messiah; the perfect temper of his desires and affecti∣ons, and the direction of them according to the measures of the Divine Law. Which he thinks is the meaning of those words, ver. 3. He shall be of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. This was so re∣markable in Jesus, who was so truly, so compleatly and constantly pious, that there never was any person so qualified to lay claim to this Dignity as he was. His Life was so free from all blame, such a perfect abstinence from all the pleasures of this world, such a contempt of all that which we think most worthy of our in∣defatigable labours; that it hath a strong force in it to perswade us, that he indeed sought Eternall Glory, and was fully as∣sured he should be possessed of it for Him∣self and for all His.

Who but a man so perswaded of his Doctrine would have lived in poverty, Page  313when he might, no question, by the multitude and devotion of his follow∣ers, have made himself incredibly rich? What should incline him to remain all his days without an house so big as a fox or the smallest bird is owner of, but an ex∣pectation of that house which is eternall in the heavens? Could any thing move him to give away to the poor all that was given him, but a certain knowledge of great treasures above? We cannot con∣ceive what should make him refuse the dignity of a King, when the people intended to proclaim him; if it were not this undoubted perswasion, that he was the King of Heaven, and should sit down at the right hand of the Throne of God. Would any of those that doubt this, la∣bour as he did, night and day, for no∣thing? Would any poor man cure mul∣titudes of all diseases, and take not a far∣thing for his pains? Would any body live, if he could help it, and not know where he should eat the next meal's meat? And who is he that can find in his heart to endure the hatred of the chiefest of the people, and to be in perpetuall danger of snares and treacherous designs for the taking away his life, without any hope to be a gainer by it? Is there any like∣lihood Page  314that our Lord would have labou∣red in such sort, as not to have leisure so much as to eat, and after all that kind pains be content to be called De∣ceiver and Devill, and to run the haz∣zard of being stoned and killed; and yet have no assured expectation to reap some fruit hereafter from all his toil and trouble? Let him believe it that loves to sting his fingers with nettles, or to roll his naked body in snow: we that have a more tender sense of our own pleasure must have leave to be of another mind. Let any man try to per∣swade himself to lead such a life; and by his unwillingness he will easily be convinced, that our Lord, who could look for nothing in this world from what he did and suffered, would never have so chearfully, freely, and without any regret, followed such a course, had he not known as surely that he should be made glorious thereby hereafter, as he knew that he must be made miserable by it here.

Ask his Poverty then, and that will bear witness that he laid up treasures in the heavens. Ask his Humility, and that will tell you that he sought for the Page  315Glory of God onely. Inquire of his Cha∣rity and Bounty, his wonderfull bounty to all men, and that will bear Record both that all fulness is in him, and that he will not envy any thing he hath to his followers. Let his Contentedness speak, and that will assure you he was posses∣sed of something greater then all worldly goods; which he could tell better how to live without, then others to live com∣fortably withall. Examine his Labours and pains, his travells and journeys, trace his steps over sea and land; and they will all confess that he sought a better Country, which is an heavenly. Ask him what he meant by his Patience, his willing endurance of all reproaches, ca∣lumnies, hatreds, persecutions; and they will likewise conclude in the same testi∣mony, that he had a joy set before him, which made him despise them all. In short, consult his Fasting forty days, his enduring so many temptations of the De∣vill, slighting his offers, rejecting his counsels; and you can have no account of them but this, that he had indeed the meat that endures to everlasting life; that he verily believed the voice from heaven, which said he was the Son of God; and that he knew he had a greater Glory, Page  316then all the Kingdoms of the world which the Devill offered him.

And after all this, I suppose there is no considering man but will think the unquestionable belief of such a person as he was, to be of very great moment to set∣tle ours in this weighty business. It is safest for us, without all dispute, to fol∣low the judgment of one so well able to discern truth from falshood, that he was of as quick understanding in all things else, as he was in the fear of the Lord. We have great reason to think that he was in the right; and was no more delu∣ded himself, then he intended to delude others. There was not the least flaw, as I shewed in the former Treatise, that ap∣peared in his Understanding; nor could he be seduced into this belief by any earthly appetite or desire: and therefore we ought to conclude, he was abun∣dantly satisfied, by the most evident de∣monstrations, that he should live for ever, and be the Authour of Eternall Life to others: which, among other reasons, should very much satisfy us.