åperǹ, ' virtue,' in these holy writings never signifies, as it doth in heathen authors, piety and moral goodness in opposition to vice, but power and might in opposition to weakness. And therefore by this word the Greek interpreters of the Old Testament render the Hebrew word T, which denotes the greatness, majesty, and height of God's excellency; and sometimes the word ty, which signifies 'strength and stoutness.' According to which in the New Testament it denotes either the mighty power of God, (as here in this place,) or else our courage and valour, as in the fifth verse of this chapter. But it is nowhere found in the sacred style used for piety and therefore we must not render the particle dià, to, but by, virtue, that is, 'the power and mightiness of God's arm or strength,' (as the Scripture speaks,) by which our Saviour convinced the world that God the Father had sent him to give life unto it.

for his power ap

Thus the apostle St. Paul saith, (which will very much explain this,) that he was raised up from the dead dià tês dóέns Tоû Пarpòs, by the glory of the Fatherd. That is, by his glorious power, as Camero well renders it peared most gloriously in that wonderful work, whereby, as St. Peter here speaks, he called us to believe on him. So we are to understand him, it appears, by another argument. For if we should say we are called to glory, (understanding thereby heaven,) we could not be said to have precious promises (as it follows) hereby given to us: for this would be to say, that by calling us to heaven he hath called us to heaven. But if we take these words the other way, then the sense runs currently, and delivers to us this excellent truth: that by such means as I have treated of, (the descent of the Holy Ghost, the transfiguration of our Saviour, the voices from heaven, the miracles he wrought, the might of his power which wrought in him when God raised him from the dead,) he persuaded men to receive him as the only-begotten of the Father; who was come, by his authority, to show them the true way to everlasting life. By these we know that we are not cheated, but that he who hath called us is the Son of God; by whom we are sure to attain everlasting life, if we follow those directions he hath given us, which will infallibly bring us to it.

d Rom. vi. 4.

And then the next words are still more pertinent to my purpose, div, whereby or by which (glory and virtue) are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises. We are so sure to attain eternal life, that we have many promises of it; which are so strongly confirmed that we cannot doubt of them, being delivered in such a divine manner. For when he gave them it was dià dóĝŋs kai ȧperñs, by glory and virtue, with such demonstrations of his authority to promise them, and of his power to make them good, that we cannot but depend upon his word. None, I suppose, question but by these great, these precious, yea, exceeding great and precious promises, he means those of raising us from the dead, and carrying us to heaven to live with God, and that eternally. These are the chiefest things of which our Lord hath given us such assurance when he called us to believe on his name: things which as much exceed all that was promised Israel as the heavens are wider than the smallest spot of this earth. More precious are they than all lands, if they flowed with milk and honey: more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold, than all the gold of Ophir: more to be valued than the crowns of kings, which are not so much as an emmet's egg in comparison with this happiness. Now as there is nothing that can be compared with these promises, so we have no testimony on earth comparable to this of the Spirit, that exceeding greatness of his power, whereby these promises were brought to us, and assured to be infallible. For by this we know that he hath all power in heaven and earth, and is able to do whatsoever the Father Almighty doeth; that is, give life to the dead, which is the property of the Almighty alone. So the enemies of our religion are forced to confess, who say there are three keys which God keeps to himself, and commits to none of his ambassadors, the keys of the womb, the keys of heaven, and the keys of the gravef. "Thy power," saith Joseph Albog, speaking of God, "is not the power of flesh and blood for the power of flesh and blood is to put those to death who are alive, but thy power is to raise those to life who are dead.” The very same we may justly say of our Lord Jesus Christ,

e

[2 Pet. i. 4.]

[See the Gemara Sanhedrin,

c. 11. § 76. apud J. Cocc. tom. ix. p. 263; and Pococke, Not. Miscell.

cap. 6. tom. i. p. 181.]

[Ikkarim, lib. iv. cap. 35, quoted

by Pococke, ibid.]

who challenges this power to himself, as I have noted before out of the first of the Revelation, where he tells St. John, I have the keys of hell and of deathh. He was no ordinary ambassador, but can do more than any whom God sent into the world ever did or could. He can raise even the dead bodies of his subjects to life again: and when he hath lifted them out of the dust, (if I may apply the Psalmist's words to this purpose,) can set them with princes; even with the princes of his heavenly court, to praise and bless his love among those great ministers, the angelical powers, for ever and ever. Which is a power he doth not assume to himself vainly, but was conferred on him by God the Father; who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory: wherein St. John beheld him when he said, I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I live for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Great is thy majesty, O thou most mighty Jesus! whose power is not the power of flesh and blood, but the power of God, who raises those to life who are dead. Great was the joy which filled thy disciples' hearts when they first saw thee alive from the dead, and called thee their God. "None can understand the beauty of that sight. O the brightness of that appearing! What a light diffused itself then through the whole creation! What a fragrant smell did the very earthquake breathe forth, when like a public crier it proclaimed the resurrection! What was the savour of the ointment which was then poured out! How was the whole world then transformed and made new! The angels themselves leaped for joy to see it. How sweet was the sound then of their doxologies! With what divine splendours were they then adorned! How beautiful did those preachers of thy resurrection appear! and how great was the glory and the happiness which they came then to proclaim! O those words of theirs, which brought us the news of victory over the enemy! which proclaimed the destruction of death, and published thee to the world, the resurrection and the life!

"O that sweet and above all things desirable voice of thine, which, by the women that were carrying spices to thy grave, sounded joy to the world! The heavens then opened their

h Rev. i. 18.

gates, and received the glad tidings which were brought to us, as if they had been their own. The intellectual powers rejoiced and took a pleasure in our happiness. The spiritual as well as sensible world was enlightened. The clouds of sadness were dispelled from one end of the world to the other; and the rays of joy possessed all. Guilty nature put off the robes of heaviness, and was clothed with garments of light. The handwriting of the curse was torn in pieces, and promises of blessing were sealed in the room thereof. By that new salutation, when thou saidst All hail, the world was filled with the sweetest and everlasting joy.

"For thou art the preacher, and the cause, and the very exultation of all joy; the author of good things; the giver of pleasure; the joy which can never be taken away; the sweet light; the spectacle above all others desirable; the intellectual tranquillity and peace; wisdom itself and power; incorruption and eternity; security and delight; the only unchangeable and inconceivable beauty; sanctity itself, and honour, and righteousness, and glory above measure glorious. O how many names would my mind bring forth to express thine unutterable excellency! It is only my weakness that hinders, and want of words. But thou who art the infinite, not to be named good, far above all the titles that mind can invent; who regardest not words, but rather an inflamed heart; who thyself broughtest the joyful news of thy resurrection, shine now into our minds by the bright beams of thy appearing. Let us see intellectually the superexcellent beauty of the intellectual sun. Let us inwardly enjoy the incomparable sight of our Lord and Master. Let us hear his divine voice speaking some sweet and joyful word to us. O thou gracious Lord, come; and draw us from these present things as out of the lowest deeps; and, leading us safely to that never-decaying life, number us among the quires of those that keep perpetual festivals above. For thou art both light and life, and resurrection, and the joy of those that triumph in the heavens. To thee it becomes us to give, together with the Father and the Holy Ghost, glory, honour, and adoration, now and ever, world without end. Ameni."

i Georg. Nicomed. Serm. ix. [Auct. Nov. Biblioth. Patr. Græco-Lat. per Combefim, tom. i. col. 1167 sqq.]

CHAP. XII.

Concerning the testimony of the holy apostles of our Lord.

THERE is nothing now wanting to complete this discourse, unless it be to show that, if the testimony of the apostles of our Lord be at all intended, when St. John saith, He came by Water and Blood and the Spirit, (as in the former treatise I proved we have reason to think it is,) they also bear witness to this truth; and by them God hath given us this record, that we have eternal life, and that this life is in his Son.

That Jesus had disciples the Talmudists themselves confessa: who tell us in the same place where they speak of his being hanged on the evening of the passover, that they were five, Matthai, Netzer, Nekai, Buni, and Thoda. They do not love to speak the truth, but to the four evangelists (to which perhaps they have respect) they have added one more: and report not one of their names aright, except the first; and in the last have a little varied from the name of Judas the brother of St. James. But thus much we gain from their own records, that known disciples our Saviour had; who professed to believe on him, and owned him for their Lord and Master. These persons, we can make no question, would be careful to communicate to the world what they had received from him; because they looked upon him as the Son of God, and esteemed his words as so many oracles, which his crucifixion could not disparage. Accordingly there are books that pass under their names, besides the four Gospels; which no man ever laid any claim to, or pretended to be the author of, but only themselves : and therefore we have no cause to think they were not of their inditing.

Now if you examine them, you will find that, after his ascension to heaven, and the coming of the Holy Ghost, their business was to go about and preach this truth, and the certainty of it, to all the world, as their Lord and Master had delivered it to them. They were so fully persuaded of it, that they could not forbear to publish such glad tidings of great joy to the whole earth. It was the very end of their apostleship,

* Talmud. Bab. Tit. Sanhed. c. vi. [Vid. Jac. Alting. in Schilo, lib. iv. cap. 12. tom. v. p. 87.]