who know any Thing of their celebrated Simon owe their Knowledge entirely to the Account which we have of him in the Acts of the Apostles So that were it not for the Christians his very Name wou'd before this Time have been bury'd in oblivion and 't was sufficiently evident from Experience that he bore none of the shining Characters of one who had a Divine Commission CHAP. XLVII THEN Celsus's Jew not keeping to the sacred Text says That our Saviour boasted that some wise Men of the Chaldaeans being mov'd by a secret Perswasion that he was born came to pay Divine Worship to him in his Infancy and that when they had acquainted Herod the Tetrarch with it he order'd his Officers to kill all the Infants that were about that Age imagining that our Saviour wou'd inour the same Fate with them and thereby be prevented from ever coming to the Crown Take Notice how grosly the Jew is mistaken here who confounds the wise Men and the Chaldaeans not discerning that for any Thing that appears to the contrary they might be of Different Countrys and Professions and notoriously Falsifying the Account which we have of this Matter in the Gospels And I know not how it comes to pass that he don't think fit to acquaint us that the Star which they â—aw in the East was the Ground of their secret Perswasion that the Messiah was then born into the World Let us see therefore what matter of Discourse this Subject will afford us I confess 't is my Opinion that the Star that appear'd at our Saviour's Nativity was entirely new and vastly different from those which are commonly seen whether in the superiour or inferiour Orbs and I am enclin'd to think it might be much of the same kind with those Comets that appear for a Time and have different Names assign'd 'em by the Greeks according to their different Figure And I build my Opinion upon the following Grounds It has been observ'd by Learned Authours that when any considerable Alteration has happen'd in the Face of Affairs such Stars have expos'd themselves to View as did presage some strange Revolutions of Empires some dreadful Wars or some such Accidents as these which put the whole World into a terrible and unusual Commotion I have also read in a Treatise concerning Comets writ by Chaeremon the Stoick that sometimes they have presag'd very happy Events and he produces several Instances from very credible Historians to make good the Assertion which he there lays down If then at the Establishment of some new Monarchy or before some remarkable Scene of publick Affairs do's begin to open these Comets or Stars of the like Nature do appear 't is no Wonder at all that a Star shou'd be seen at the Nativity of our Saviour who was design'd by the All-wise God to make so sudden so great and so happy an Alteration in the World to publish a new unadorn'd and discountenanc'd Doctrine not only to the Jews and Greeks but also to a vast Number of the most distant and barbarous Nations of the World And this I may safely say in Favour of the Christian Religion that we don't meet with any or at least with no Scripture-Prophecy concerning the Appearance of such a Star at such a Time for Instance at the Establishment of such a Rising Empire but the Star that grac'd our Saviour's Nativity was foretold by Balaam as Moses gives us an Account There shall come says Numbers xxiv v. 17 he a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel But here I must argue with the Greeks and Jews and therefore shall be oblig'd to dispute against each Sort of Persons from very different Topicks To the Greeks I have this to offer that the Magicians who converse with Daemons and do with a most Horrid Solemnity invoke their seasonable Assistance for the most part attain the End which they propose to themselves unless a Divine Power interfere that is Superiour to the Daemons or some Name be mention'd that has a greater Force than those Names which are appropriated by 'em to the Art they practice But if that shou'd happen then all their Magical Operations are unavoidably lost and they are as it were dazzl'd and confounded with the bright Rays of the Sun of Righteousness It seems to me therefore to be highly probable that when our Saviour was born and a Multitude of the Heavenly Host as St. Luke do's credibly relate the Passage prais'd God saying Glory to God in the highest Peace on Earth and good Will towards Men Luke ii V. 14. the Daemons were shock'd and all their Hellish Measures most strangely disconcerted not only by good Angels who came down from Heaven to celebrate the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour but also by the Humane Soul of the Holy and Spotless Jesus as being a happy Instrument of the Deity which dwelt in so glorious but inconceivable a Manner ev'n in his Humane Nature The Wise Men therefore being desirous to perform their usual Operations and failing in what they endeavour'd to effect we may naturally suppose enquir'd into the Reason of their bad Success and were sensible that something extraordinary must occur to defeat their rais'd Expectations and exceed the Power of the Daemons and when they saw a Sign in the Heavens they had a natural Curiosity to know its Meaning and having perhaps consulted the Prophecies of Balaam and this Prophecy of the Star of which Moses gives us an Account and particularly those Words I shall see him but not now I shall behold Numbers xxiv V. 17 him but not nigh from hence they might frame this rational Conjecture that the very Person at whose Birth 't was prophesy'd that a Star shou'd appear was then actually born and having a just Notion that he was far Superiour to all their Daemons they came to pay him the just Tribute of Divine Adoration They steer'd their Course therefore to Judaea being perswaded that some great Prince was born but ignorant of the Nature of his Kingdom and the Place of his Nativity and when they were happily come to the Place where the young Child was they offer'd Presents to him that were lively Representations of his Divine and Humane Nature viz. Gold an Emblem of his Royal Power Frankincense to note to us his Divinity and Myrrh to signify his bitter Passion CHAP. XLVIII SINCE therefore 't was the Saviour of Mankind that was come into the World who was God and by Consequence above the Angels tho' they are frequently employ'd as ministring Spirits in the Behalf of Men the Worship which the Wise-Men paid him was abundantly recompens'd by the Warning which the Angel gave 'em that they shou'dn't return to Herod but depart into their own Country another Way And 't is no Wonder at all that Herod shou'd seek to destroy the Infant-Saviour tho' Celsus's Jew seems to doubt very much of the Truth of what we think was plain Matter of Fact For Malice is so
Woman is most notoriously false For St. Mathew has the following Words In the End of the Sabbath as it began to dawn towards the first Mat. 28. V. 1. Day of the Week came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary to see the Sepulchre And behold there was a great Earth-quake for the Angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and came and roll'd back the Stone from the Door and sat upon it A little after he has these Words Behold Jesus met them i. e. the two Marys saying All hail And ibid. 9. they came and held him by the Feet and worshipped him And I have already answer'd what Celsus objects in the following Words When he was crucify'd says he there were Witnesses enough but when he rose from the dead at most he appear'd only to a small Company of Scoundrels I have sufficiently shown that our Saviour cou'dn't be seen by all and I shall only add at present that all Persons were capable at Times of seeing him with respect to his Humane Nature but to discern the Bright Rays or ev'n the least Glimmerings of his DEITY was what exceeded the Capacity of the Generality of Men. I speak now of his Humane and Divine Nature in Contra-Distinction to each other and not as having a mutual Reference and close Connexion But pray observe how weakly Celsus talks having said That our Saviour appear'd only to one Fanatical Woman or perhaps a few Others of the same wretched Cabal he adds the following Words When he was crucify'd says he there were Witnesses enough but when he rose from the dead he appear'd but to a few whereas had he had any Brains he must have tak'n the quite contrary Course But I wou'd fain know what he means by the latter Words According to his weak Judgment our Saviour must have tak'n such Methods as were plainly impracticable and grosly absurd viz. He must be crucify'd forsooth in the Sight but of a single Person and have appear'd to all Men PROMISCUOUSLY when he was ris'n from the dead for those Words He shou'd have tak'n the quite contrary Course will bear no other tolerable Sence if I am capable of making a Judgment upon any Thing Our Saviour has acquainted us with the Person that sent him in the following Words No Man knows the Father save the Son and in these Words No Man has seen God at any Time but the only Begotten Son who is in the Bosom of the Father he has declar'd him He it is who reveals the Things of God to his true Disciples and we endeavour to form our Scheme of Divinity upon his most excellent Model who sometimes tells us that GOD is Light and in him is no Darkness 1 Joâ—n 1. V. 5 at all and at other Times That God is a Spirit and they that worship John 4. V. 24. him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth And any one that will may learn for what End God sent his Son into the World if he will but consult the Prophecies relating to our Saviour and the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles and especially the Epistles of St. Paul He came to instruct us in the true and most direct Way to Peace here and Compleat and Eternal Happiness hereafter and to take a most BLESSED ADVANTAGE if I may so say of the HORRID IMPIETY and continual PROVOCATIONS of Impenitent and daring Sinners Celsus being ignorant of this has the following Words He came it seems to instruct good Men and to make free and Monstrously-large Offers of his Grace ev'n to the vilest Rebels Then says he If he had so Singular a Fancy to ABSCOND what Need was there I wonder of a Voice from Heav'n saying that he was the SON of GOD. And if he hadn't a Mind to ABSCOND then why did he suffer and dye He imagines I perceive that the Accounts which we meet with in the Gospels are inconsistent with themselves not being able with all his pretended Sagacity to comprehend or frame any just Idea of the Design of our Blessed Saviour which was neither to lye hid altogether and so be entirely useless and a meer Cypher in his Own Creation nor to have his Bright Side if I may so say I mean his DIVINE NATURE KNOWN to many of those very Persons who had the Honour to see him with their Bodily Eyes The Voice that came to him from Heav'n saying This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleas'd isn't said to be heard by the Multitude as Celsus's Jew imagines and the other Voice which is said to come from the Cloud was only heard by those who went up with our Saviour to the Mountain For such is the Nature of a Voice from Heav'n that it can only be heard by those for whom God is pleas'd for wise Reasons to design it I don't speak here of the meer Vibration of the Particles of the Air or any Philosophical Account that may be giv'n of a Voice but of a Spiritual Senfation whereby one who has Spiritual Senses exercis'd do's hear God speak when one who is deaf to all the awakening Precepts of Virtue and Piety is entirely ignorant of what is said I mean as to any valuable and lasting Purpose that it serves This I think is a sufficient Answer to those Words of Celsus What Need was there of a Voice from Heaven saying that he was the SON OF GOD And what I have already offer'd concerning the Sufferings of our Saviour is a satisfactory Answer I judge to the following Words If he hadn't a Mind to conceal his Power and obscure his Glory then sure he was born under a very unhappy Planet or else he had never suffer'd and dy'd Then Celsus's Jew is pleas'd to draw a Consequence which is very unnatural and unjust For it do's by no Means follow that because our Saviour by his Sufferings has taught us to bid Defiance to Death it self therefore when he rose from the Dead he shou'd have order'd the whole World to make a General Rendezvouz and have publickly acquainted 'em with the Reason why he left the Realms of Light and Glory and thought it worth his While to come down into this miserable and siâ—ful World For this he had already done when he said Come unto me all ye that labour Mat. 11. V. 28. and are heavy-laden and I will give you Rest This he had also done in the long Sermon which he preach'd upon the Mount concerning the Beatitudes and his Discourses on several other Subjects which are annex'd to it and in his useful Parables and frequent Disputes with the Scribes and Pharisees And St. John acquaints us in his Gospel with what a Majesty our Saviour spoke which is not so much to be understood of the Artificial Colours of Humane Rhetorick or a graceful Elocution and happy Gesture as of those Divine Important and Plain but Commanding Truths that were the Subject-Matter of his frequent Discourses And we learn from the other Gospels that our Saviour spoke with
purge him from the viler and more dangerous Leprosy of Sin And after the same manner John the Baptist bears Witness in the following Words I saw the Spirit descending from John i. V. 32. Heav'n like a Dove and it abode upon him and I knew him not but he that sent me to baptize with Water the same said to me upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining the same is he who baptizes with the Holy Ghost and I saw and bare Record that this is the Son of God And the Heav'ns were open'd to our blessed Saviour when there was no Person present as far as I can gather from the Account which we have in Scripture to be an Eye and Ear. Witness of what happen'd to him except John the Baptist But our Saviour foretold his Disciples that they also shou'd see the Heav'ns open'd saying Verily Verily John i. V. 51. I say unto you that hereafter you shall see Heav'n open and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man And in the foregoing Sence we must understand that Place of Scripture where 't is said that St. Paul was carry'd up to the third or highest Heaven which before was open'd to him since we are well-assur'd he was one of the sincere Followers and most eminent Apostles of our Blessed Lord. But as for those Words Whether in the Body 2 Cor. xii V. 3 or out of the Body I can't tell God knows 't is not my Business at present to insist upon em CHAP. XLI GIVE me leave to add one Thing here and that is this that Celsus without any Warrant from Scripture or Reason as far as I can see imagines that our Saviour did acquaint his Disciples with the strange Things that had happen'd to him that the Heavens had been open'd and that the Spirit of God had descended upon him at the River Jordan But this mighty Man with all his Wisdom seems not at all to have consider'd the Incongruity of such a Supposition with the General Practice of our Saviour who forbad his Disciples to make mention of the Vision which he saw upon the Mountain 'till he shou'd rise from the Dead And Nothing was more common as appears from the Gospels than for our Blessed Saviour to do what lay in his Power to avoid all Talk that was in favour of himself Therefore he says If I bear John v. V. 31. Witness of my self my Witness is not true And because he industriously avoided every Thing that savour'd of Self-Applause and had rather that his Works shou'd praise him and demonstrate to the World that he was the true Messiah the Jews said to him If thou be the Christ do thou tell us plainly And because the Jew whom Celsus personates speaking of the Appearance of the Holy Spirit to our Saviour in the Resemblance of a Dove says There 's no Body to attest the Truth of what happen'd to you besides your self and another Person of the same pityful Class I think it will be seasonable and highly necessary to shew that he talks in such a manner as is very unsuitable to the Character he bears And this is evident from the different Regard which the Jews pay to Christ and to John the Baptist both with Respect to their Persons and their Sufferings which to me is a sufficient Argument that after all the Pretensions which he makes to Knowledge he cou'dn't personate a Jew discoursing consistently with our Blessed Saviour CHAP. XLII THEN Celsus I don 't well know how but I suppose purposely overlooks one of the most cogent Arguments that can be brought in Favour of our Blessed Lord viz. His being foretold by the Jewish Prophets by Moses and those who succeded him and ev'n by some who liv'd long before him I presume 't was for this politick Reason because he knew very well that he cou'dn't return any tolerable Answer to a Proposition to which both the Jews and the greatest Hereticks did assent who all agree that many of the Prophecies of the Jewish Prophets were accomplish'd in the Person of him whom we believe to be the True Messiah And perhaps he had never read the Prophecies but had heard a general and loose Report concerning em For if he had known that there have been several Prophets who have foretold our Saviour's Appearance in the World certainly he wou'd never have put these Words into the Mouth of a Jew which I think wou'd much better have become a Samaritan or a Sadducee viz. My Prophet said formerly in Jerusalem that the Son of God wou'd come to reward the Righteous and to punish the Wicked For surely there have been more than one Prophet that have prophecy'd of our Blessed Saviour since ev'n the Sadduces and the Samaritans who own no more than the Pentateuch can't but see if they are not wilfully blind that Moses himself has prophesy'd concerning him and 't is impossible the Prophecy shou'd be publish'd at Jerusalem since the Name of no such Place was known for many Ages after Moses By the Way I wish with all my Heart that all our implacable Adversaries unless it shou'd please God to convert 'em were as ignorant as Celsus not only of the true and full Sence of the Things of which the Scripture treats but also of the very Letter of it that so their Discourses not having that Colour of Reason which sometimes they have the comon People might not so much as for a short Space of Time yield ev'n the weakest Assent to any Thing they are able to produce against us Besides no Jew but one who is brought over to the Religion which we embrace will acknowledge that the Prophets foretold that the Son of God was to come into the World What the Jews say is this that the Messiah is to come and in their Disputations with us the first Question almost which they ask is Who is this Son of God of whom you talk so much intimating to us that they don't believe that any such Person was ever intended by the Prophets For my Part I firmly believe that the Person of whom there are so many Predictions in the Writings of the Jewish Prophets is the Son of God but I can't for my Life conceive how a Jew who denies this plain Assertion can consistently with his Character make use of the following Words My Prophet said formerly in Jerusalem that the Son of God was to come into the World Then Celsus adds the following Words To reward the righteous and to punish the wicked And as if this was all that was fore-told and there were no Predictions concerning the Place of our Saviour's Nativity or the unjust and barbarous Treatment which he met with at the Hands of his own Country-men the Jews or his Resurrection from the dead or the Miracles he perform'd he says Why shou'd this Prophecy be appropriated to you when the same Thing may be said of many Persons that liv'd before and after you with more
Conquest And I scarce know whether the Greeks can produce any Instances of this kind in any other Persons besides Phaedon and Polemon or at best they can name but very few Persons who ever left their Intemperance and Debauchery to apply their Minds to the entertaining and useful Study of Philosophy But in the School of Christ besides the twelve Apostles who had the Honour to be contemporary with him we see daily a far greater Number of Persons that become virtuous and pious and join in a Blessed Chorus acknowledging with the deepest shame and Sorrow the many false and almost fatal Steps which formerly they took We our says the Apostle were sometimes Tit. iii. V. 3 4. foolish and disobedient deceiv'd serving diverse Lusts and Pleasures living in Malice and Envy hateful and hating one another But after that the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour toward Man appear'd not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he sav'd us by the Washing of Regeneration and the Renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly For as the Prophetical Psalmist speaks He sent his Word and heal'd 'em and deliver'd 'em Psal cvii. V. 20. from their Destructions I might add that Chrysippus in a Book which he has writ Entitul'd The Art of Curing the Disorders of the Humane Passions endeavours to lay down proper and effectual Rules for the Management of those which disturb the Peace of the Mind and to that end he argues upon the Principles of several Sects of Philosophers not examining which of 'em are most agreeable to Truth and has the following Words If says he Pleasure be esteem'd the chief Good the Passions may and ought thus to be cur'd and if there be three Kinds of Good they are to be cur'd after this different Manner Now they who find Fault with the Christian Religion do wilfully Neglect to consider how many unruly Passions are successfully govern'd by it what a Stop it puts to that rapid Torrent of Vice and Immorality which is too visible in the World and what extravagant savage and ev'n Diabolical Tempers it has frequently happily and very suddenly conquer'd Certainly it ought to raise their Admiration and constrain 'em to make the most thankful Acknowledgements to Almighty God to consider what vast and apparent Advantage the Publick reaps from those proper and most excellent Methods which our Saviour took for the Reformation of Manners and one wou'd think that if they won't allow Christianity to be the True Religion yet they must confess that it conduces very much to the true Interest of Manking and which is more has an Immediate and Principal Regard to their better and immortal Part. CHAP. LIV. AND our Saviour has so effectually consulted ev'n the Temporal Advantage of his Followers that he wou'dn't have 'em to be rash and precipitate but gives 'em this necessary Lesson When they persecute you in one City flee unto another and teaches 'em by his own Example not to run into needless Dangers Celsus takes Occasion ev'n from hence to form an Accusation against him in the Person of a Jew in the following Words You run up and down with your Disciples But as for the Charge which is here brought against our Blessed Saviour we meet with a Parallel Case ev'n in the Histories which the Greeks have publish'd For Aristotle that Famous Philosopher when he saw he shou'd be condemn'd as a wicked Person by reason of some peculiar and in some Sence dangerous Notions he advanc'd which as the Athenians thought did give too great Encouragement to Licentiousness took an Opportunity to go from Athens and remov'd his School to Chalcis making the following Apology to some of his Acquaintance Let us leave Athens says he that we mayn't suffer it to be in the Power of the Athenians to re-act that horrid Impiety which they plainly discover'd by their ill Treatment of so great a Genius as the World knows Socrates to have been and to commit a most grievous Offence against so sacred a Thing as Philosophy CHAP. LV. CELSVS adds That our Saviour running up and down with his Disciples was forc'd to beg his Bread like a sordid Wretch But pray let him inform us where he has rak'd up all these scurrilous Expressions I confess we read in the Gospels that certain Women that were cur'd of their Infirmities among which was Susannah did readily distribute some Part of their Substance to furnish the Disciples with what was necessary for the Support of Life But pray what Philosopher who employs his Time and Strength with some Regard to the Benefit of his Relations and Friends and indeed of Mankind in general wou'd refuse to have his Wants supply'd Or did it become the Philosophers to accept the seasonable and generous Assistance of their Friends and others but argue a base and sordid Spirit in our Blessed Lord or those who became his Followers CHAP. LVI THEN the Jew whom Celsus personates continues his Discourse with our Saviour in the following Words What Necessity was there that when you were an Infant you shou'd be carry'd into Egypt to avoid being kill'd For surely it didn't become a God to be afraid of Death An Angel it seems was dispatch'd from Heav'n to bid You and some of your nearest Relations betake your to Flight lest you shou'd be found and be put to Death But cou'dn't Almighty God who as we are told did imploy his Angels for your Direction and Assistance preserve his Son as easily in Judea as in Egypt Celsus thinks that there was nothing extraordinary in the Humane Body and Soul of our Blessed Saviour and ridiculing his precious Blood that was shed upon the Cross he says 't was not Such Blood as from the Immortal Gods do's Hom Il. Lib. 5. V. 34â— flow But we who give Credit to our Saviour when he gives a Testimony of his Divinity in the following Words I am the Way the Truth and the Life John xiv V. 6. and in other Parallel Places and when he bears Witness to the Truth of his Humanity in the following Expression Now ye seek to kill me a Man who has told you the Truth I say we who believe John viii V. 40. our Saviour when he speaks thus of himself do assert and maintain that he had Two Natures the one Divine and the other Humane and that since he came into the World with an Intention to live in some respects like the rest of Men 't was highly incongruous that he shou'd run upon a Precipice and be fond of Misery and Death 'T was fit he shou'd be directed and govern'd by them to whom the Care of his Education did belong and that the Angel's Orders shou'd be strictly and religiously observ'd and the same Angel which said at first Joseph thou Son of David fear not to Mat. i. V. 20. take unto thee Mary thy Wife for that which is conceiv'd in her is of the Holy Ghost said
have with one another as ye walk And in the same Chapter he has these Words And their Eyes were open'd and they knew him and V. 35 he vanish'd out of their Sight And tho' Celsus compares this Account which the Gospels give us of the Appearance which our Saviour made after he was ris'n from the Dead to common Stories of wonderful Apparitions and laughs at those who were Eye-Witnesses of the Fact yet they who impartially examine into Matters and are furnish'd with a Capacity to make nice Enquiries will be forc'd to acknowledge there was something in the Case before us that was very remarkable and surprizing CHAP. XXXII THEN Celsus offers an Objection which do's a little deserve to be consider'd by us If Christ had a Mind says he to exert the Divine Power which he pretended to have certainly he ought to have appear'd to his Enemies to the Judge who pass'd the Sentence of Death upon him and to the whole Body of the People who rose up as it were in Arms against him And indeed we don't go about to deny that the Scripture plainly acquaints us that after he was ris'n from the dead he refus'd to appear so publickly and to all Persons promiscuously as he did before He was seen of the Apostles forty Days and spoke Acts 1 V. 3. of Things pertaining to the Kingdom of God as we learn from the Acts of the Apostles And we read in the Gospels that he wa'n't continually with 'em but sometimes after the Interval of eight Days appear'd in the midst of 'em when the Doors were shut and at other Opportunities appear'd to 'em in a very different Manner And St. Paul intimating to us that he did't so frequently appear then as he had done before has the following Words I deliver'd unto you first of all that which I also receiv'd how that 1 Cor. 15. V. 3 c. Christ dy'd for our Sins according to the Scriptures And that he was bury'd and that he rose again the third Day according to the Scriptures And that he was seen of Cephas then of the Twelve After that he was seen of above five hundred Brethren at once of whom the greater Part remain unto this present but some are fall'n asleep After that he was seen of James then of all the Apostles And last of all he was seen of me also as one born out of due Time Here a very difficult Question do's occur that requires the closest Application and that not of ordinary Christians but of those who have attain'd to the greatest Eminency in the School of Christ viz. Why our Saviour refus'd to expose himself to publick View after his Resurrection as he had done before There 's no need I think in a Book of this Nature the main Design of which is to defend the Christian Religion against the bold Attempts of its malicious Adversaries to give a full or large Solution of so Critical a Point But I shall offer a few Thoughts at present which I hope will give the Reader some small Satisfaction in this difficult Affair Tho' our SAVIOVR was but ONE with respect to HIS PERSON yet there were SEVERAL NOTIONS under which Mankind did consider him and different Persons saw him in very different Sences That there were several Capacities in which Mankind did consider him is plain from such Expressions as these I am the Way the Truth and John 14 V. 6. the Life I am the Bread I am the Door and many other Expressions John 6 V. 35. that I cou'd easily name if Occasion John 10 V. 9. offer'd That different Persons saw him in very different Sences will readily be granted by those who can assign the Reason why he didn't take all the Disciples with him into the Mount of Transfiguration but only Peter James and John viz Because they alone cou'd bear the Brightness of so glorious a Sight behold the dazling Lustre of Moses and Elias and hear the Voice that came from Heaven and the Charming Conversation which those two Celebrated Prophets had the Honour and Happiness to maintain with the Blessed Jesus I 'm of the Opinion I confess that before he went up to the Mountain Mat. 5 V 1. and instructed his Disciples concerning the Beatitudes he didn't appear to those who were brought to him in the Evening at the Foot of the Mountain and were cur'd of their Distempers I say he didn't appear to those who were indispos'd and stood in need of his healing Power in the same Manner as he did to them who enjoy'd a confirm'd State of Health and were able to go up with him to the Mountain And as he privately explain'd the Meaning of his Parables to his Disciples whose Sense of Hearing was much quicker than that of the Common People to whose Ears there was nothing convey'd too often but an empty Sound So I believe there was some considerable Difference in their spiritual and ev'n their corporeal Sight 'T is farther plain that our Saviour wa'n't seen by all Persons after the same manner from the Instance of Judas who being about to betray him said to his Accomplices He whom I shall kiss is he intimating Mat 26. V. 48. they didn't know him And that Expression of our Saviour I sat daily with you teaching in the Temple and ye laid no hold on me do's manifestly favour the Opinion which I have here laid down Since therefore we have such Apprehensions of our Saviour not only with respect to his Divinity which was more latent and undiscern'd by the Generality of Men but also with respect to his Humane Body the Form of which I believe he chang'd when ever he thought fit to do it We think that before his Death by which he spoil'd Principalities and Powers he was in some Sense discernable by all but afterwards ev'n many of those who had formerly seen him had not Sences that were adapted to the Sight of a ris'n Jesus 'T was therefore an Instance of his Condescension to the Weakness of Men's Capacities that he didn't expose himself to Publick View after he was ris'n from the dead to Publick View did I say when twa'n't without frequent Intervals that he appear'd ev'n to his Apostles and Disciples For after he had honourably and happily accomplish'd the Work of our Redemption we have Reason to believe that his Divinity shone with much brighter Rays thro' the Glass if I may so say of his Humane Nature Cephas who was as it were the First-Fruits of the Apostles was the first that saw him then the Twelve Matthias being chosen in the Room of Judas then five Hundred Brethren at once then James then perhaps all the Seventy Disciples and at last the Apostle Paul as one born out of due Time who knew very well why he us'd the following Expression in his Epistle to the Ephesians Vnto me who am less than the least of Eph. 3. V 8 all Saints is this Grace giv'n And perhaps those Words Less than the least