And many other Signs truly did Jefus in the Prefence of his Difciples, which are not written in this Book. But thefe are written, that ye might believe that Jefus is the Christ Jefus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God among you by Miracles and Wonders and Signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. P. 2736 DISCOURSE I. PART I. JOHN vi. 67, 68, 69. Then faid fefus unto the Twelve, Will ye alfo go away? Then Simon Peter anfwered him, Lord, to whom fhall we go? Thou haft the Words of eternal Life. And we believe, and are fure, that thou art that Chrift; the Son of the living God. N the foregoing Part of this Chapter we read, that the Doctrine of our Saviour had given fuch Offence to his Hearers, that many even of his Difciples went back, and walked no more with him: Upon which Occafion our Saviour put this Question to the Twelve, B Twelve, Will ye also go away? To which St. Peter, in the Name of all, made answer, Thou haft the Words of eternal Life. And we believe, and are fure, that thou art that Chrift, the Son of the living God. In this Answer there are three Things expreffed, or implied, as the Ground of their Conftancy and Adherence to Christ: I. The firft is, The miserable Condition they should be in, if they did forsake him, having no other in whom they could trust: Lord, to whom shall we go? II. The second is, The Excellency of his Religion, and the certain Means it afforded of obtaining that which is the great End of Religion, a blessed Life after this: Thou haft the Words of eternal Life. III. The third is, The Authority and divine Commiffion of Christ, upon which their Faith and Confidence were built: We believe, and are fure, that thou art that Chrift, the Son of the living God. To believe, because we have fufficient Reason to determine our Belief, is a rational Faith; and this is what is meant in the Word vanaμev: We believe, because we have, from the Things we have heard and feen of you, determined with ourselves, That thou art the Chrift, the Son of the living God. These These three Reasons, which St. Peter gives for Adherence to Chrift, refer to as many general Principles or Maxims : As first, That Religion, the only Means by which Men can arrive at true Happiness, by which they can attain to the last Perfection and Dignity of their Nature, does not, in the prefent Circumstances of the World, depend on human Reasoning or Inventions: For, was this the Cafe, we need not to go from home for Religion, or to feek farther than our own Breast for the Means of reconciling ourselves to God, and obtaining his Favour, and, in confequence of it, Life eternal. Upon fuch Supposition, St. Peter argued very weakly, in faying, To whom shall we go? For to whom need they go to learn that which they were well able to teach themselves? The second Principle refered to is, That the great End of Religion is future Happinefs; and confequently the best Religion is that which will moft furely direct us to eternal Life. Upon this Ground St. Peter prefers the Gospel of Chrift: Thou haft the Words of eternal Life. The third Thing is, That the Authority and Word of God is the only fure Foundation of Religion, and the only reasonable Ground for us to build our Hopes on. Thus |