"taking him into the holy city, he setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him; If thou be the Son of God, [that is, if indeed thou art the Messiah,] cast thyself down; for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." And what follows. Matt. ch. iv. And are not all these insidious proposals made to our Saviour, as man?

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The learned author having taken notice of the transaction in the garden, goes on. Lett. vii. p. 136, 137, or 485, 486, Here then we poor mortals are at a stand, being at a loss 'to know, how it is possible for one spirit so to torment ' another, as to put Jesus into such an agony as is above transcribed, from the very apprehensions of what he was 'to undergo. If he were to suffer NOTHING BUT WHAT IS WRITTEN Concerning his scoffs, and scourgings, and crucifixion, and, we may add, all the sufferings and tortures which his human nature could possibly undergo these surely could never have moved him in so high a degree; being only such sufferings as the prophets of old underwent, not only without dread, but with pleasure in their ' countenance. Heb. xi. 35, 36.

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'Whoever therefore can suppose Jesus to have been terrified at these things, which could only affect his human part, must suppose him to be less than a man. Whereas,

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IF WE SUPPOSE SATAN LET LOOSE UPON HIM, by the 'mission of God, and empowered to attack him in his nobler 'part, in his angelic nature, while his divine Spirit, being encumbered with the load of flesh and blood, and fettered and confined within the compass of an human tabernacle, was disabled from exerting its full powers; well might 'he dread the conflict on such unequal terms.

AND IF NOTHING IS DESCRIBED TO US IN THE SCRIPTURES, BUT HIS SUFFERINGS IN THE FLESH, this we ought to conclude was done in condescension to our understand'ings, which are unable to comprehend, or have any notion of his inward sufferings; and for the same reason it was, that any outward sufferings were inflicted on him at all. Which being in their own nature insignificant and trifling, 'could not possibly be any trial of his obedience; but were inflicted on him by God for us, and for our sake. Who ' in compassion to our ignorance and infirmities, was pleased 'to appoint some of his sufferings to be such, as were within the reach of our capacities to comprehend.'

Does not all this show the great inconvenience, and vast disadvantage of that opinion, which supposes, that a spirit

of a superior order to the human soul animated our Saviour's body?

I think, that the incongruity of this has been fully shown in the preceding letter; and that if such a thing were practicable, that exalted spirit would swallow up the body, and sustain it above all pains, wants, and infirmities. But it is manifest from the gospels, and every book of the New Testament, that our Saviour had all the innocent infirmities of the human nature. Therefore the before-mentioned doctrine is not true.

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This author is not quite a Docete, or does not profess to be so. Nevertheless he does little less than admit the force of the argument just referred to. He calls all the sufferings inflicted on our Saviour by men, and all the sufferings recorded concerning him, trifling and insignificant,' and says, they could not possibly be any trial of his obedience.' He thinks, Jesus Christ suffered; but it must have been owing to the buffetings of Satan. Of which, however, there is not, as himself owns, any distinct account given in the scriptures. Is not this to be wise above and beyond what is written? It is manifestly so. But does that become a christian? And they who are wise above, or beyond what is written, will generally contradict what is written.

This seems to be the case here. The scourgings, scoffs, 'crucifixion, and all the outward sufferings inflicted on 'Jesus, were insignificant and trifling, and could not possi

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bly be any trial of his obedience.' Nevertheless these are things much insisted upon, distinctly related, and frequently repeated in the sacred writings of the New Testament. And the writers of the New Testament, the apostles and evangelists represent them to christians, as very great and affecting, and a trial of the obedience of our great Lord and Master. And his patience under them is set before us as a moving and encouraging example to his followers. And for these sufferings, and his patience, resignation, and meekness under them, he is represented to have been highly rewarded by God the Father, supreme Lord and disposer of all things.

So St. Paul, Heb. xii. 1-3, "Let us run with patience. the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied, and faint in your minds."

So likewise St. Peter, 1 Epist. ii. 21-24, " For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness. By whose stripes ye were healed."

See Philip. ii. 1-11, and many other places, and all the gospels, wherein are recorded our Lord's sufferings, and especially his last.

All these things are thus insisted upon as very considerable, and of great importance to christians. So that it seems very strange, that they should be reckoned by any 'trifling ' and insignificant, and no trial of obedience.'

There is, I think, plainly a difference between this great author, and our apostles and evangelists. Whence should this come to pass? Is it not, that he preacheth another Jesus? According to them, Jesus is a man like unto us, and suffers such evils as men in this world are liable to, in the steady practice of virtue; and he has set before us a most amiable, most animating, and encouraging example, under a great variety of contradictions and sufferings. For all which he has been highly rewarded by God the Father Almighty, who alone is perfectly wise, and perfectly good. But according to this author, Jesus is an embodied angel, or archangel, and not capable of being much, if at all, affected by all the sufferings, and tortures, which human nature could possibly undergo. These, surely,' he says, 'could never have moved him in so high a degree,' p. 136, 137, or 486.

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Indeed this writer pleads, that if the buffetings of Satan, or such sufferings, as he contends for, are not described to us in the scriptures, but his sufferings in the flesh; this we ought to conclude was done in condescension to our ' understandings, which are unable to comprehend, or have any notion of his inward sufferings,' p. 137, or 486.

For certain, all men, who advance a doctrine, without express authority from scripture, will endeavour to find out some reason for the silence of scripture about it. But no good reason can be assigned for the omission, here supposed and granted. His outward sufferings,' the writer says, So likewise says the prophet, "A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief," Isa. liii.

'were insignificant and trifling, and could not possibly be any trial of his obedience.'If they were not, should not some others have been recorded? The not doing it, surely, must be reckoned an inexcusable omission and neglect in the sacred penmen.

However, it is certain, they have recorded such sufferings, as they supposed to be a trial of our Lord's obedience; and his patience under them, as an example and pattern

to us.

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Our great author would have us suppose, Satan let loose upon our Lord, by the permission of God, and empowered 'to attack him in his nobler part, his angelic nature,' p. 137, or 486. And speaks of the buffetings of Satan,' p. 138, or 487,- and the insults of Satan, p. 133, or 483. But why should such things be supposed, when all the writers of the New Testament are silent about them? If any will invent, and describe such sufferings, it must be altogether unscriptural, and could be no better than a philosophical or theological romance.

And may I not ask, what good purposes can be answered by this scheme? For we are neither angels, nor embodied angels, but men, placed here in a state of trial. And our trial arises from the good and evil things of this world, by which our hopes and our fears are much influenced.

To me then the contrivance of our great author appears both unscriptural and unprofitable. Nor can I forbear joining in with the apostle, and saying: "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God; because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men,' 1 Cor. i. 23–25.

However, at p. 138, or 487, it is argued after this manner : And therefore, when he was betrayed, and seized by the ' officers that were sent to apprehend him, our Saviour said unto them: "This is your hour, and the power of dark'ness," Luke xxii. 53. Giving them thereby to understand, and us through them, that it was not only the hour of 'men's wrath, but "the hour of the power of darkness," that he so much dreaded, when he prayed to God the 'Father, to 66 save him from that hour." At which time he had not only the contradiction of wicked men to strive ' with, but knew that this was the time allotted by God for 'Satan, the prince of darkness, to exercise and employ his ' whole power in afflicting him.'

But really no such conclusion can be drawn from those words; where one and the same thing is expressed in a twofold manner, the more emphatically to represent the greatness of the trouble then coming upon our Saviour. As if he had said, But this is your hour: and indeed it is 'a very dark and afflictive season.'

Dr. Clarke's paraphrase is in these terms:

'But this is the time, wherein the infinite wisdom of God has appointed me to suffer. And Providence has now 'given you power over me, permitting you to execute your 'malice and cruelty upon me, that the scripture may be ' fulfilled, and the eternal counsels of the divine wisdom for the salvation of men fully accomplished.' To the like purpose Grotius upon John. xiv. 30.

alone.

And that this is the meaning of the words, may be argued from our Lord's manner of expression elsewhere, speaking of the same thing. So in John xvi. 32, 33,“ "Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, -that ye shall leave me And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." And therefore when he mentions Satan, it is in the character of "the prince of this world." John xiv. 30, "Hereafter I will not talk much with you; for the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me:" which is thus paraphrased by Dr. Whitby. "The prince of this world cometh" by his ministers, Judas, and the rulers of the Jews," and findeth nothing in me:" he himself having no power to inflict death upon me, in whom is no sin, and they finding nothing in me" worthy of death," Acts xiii. 28. Though therefore I am to suffer death, I do not suffer for any fault that can deserve it, or on account of any power he or his ministers have over me to inflict it. But I give up myself to death, in compliance with my Father's will, and what follows.'

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Venit autem per homines sui plenos, quorum vis erat eoia r8 OKOT85. Grot. in Joh. xiv. 30.