feen is not Hope. Certainty shuts out Hope: And, fince being Children makes us only Heirs through Hope, 'tis plain, being certain that we are now the Children of God can give us no abfolute Certainty of our Salvation: And therefore 'tis great Prefumption to talk of Security. Our Certainty reaches to our present Condition, which is enough to keep our Minds easy and contented. Other Certainty than this might make us remiss: This may encourage us to run with Patience the Race that is before us, and to labour in the Lord, knowing that our Labour shall not be in vain.

DISCOURSE IX.

JOHN XX. 30, 31.

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 Chrift the Son of God, and that believing ye might have Life through his Name.

T

HESE Words ftand towards the Clofe of St. John's Gospel, and are by fome thought to be the laft of his own Writing. They give us an Account of the Nature of his Gospel, and of his End and Design in publishing it to the World. The Apostle does not pretend his Gospel to be a perfect and complete Narrative of all that our Lord did whilft he conversed among

Men,

; for

Men, not even of all the Miracles and Wonders which he wrought in Confirmation of his Doctrine: Many other Signs truly did Jefus,-which are not written in this Book, He adds farther, that the Signs omitted in his Account were done in the Prefence of his Difciples, and were, confequently, of as good Authority as thofe related by himself. This was but a neceffary Piece of Caution St. John wrote his Gospel late, towards the End of his Life, after the Apostles and Difciples of Chrift had spread the Gospel far and near, and had both by Preaching and Writing published the great Works and Signs done by their Master. To prevent therefore the Sufpicions which some might be apt to entertain of their Teachers, when they found the great Evidences infifted on by them not mentioned by St. John, who, being the last Writer of the Apostles, would naturally, for that Reafon, be supposed to be the most accurate he declares that he had not recounted all the Signs done by Jefus, but that there were many others, which, having been wrought in the Prefence of the Disciples, might very well be taught and published by them, though omitted by himself.

;

But why does St. John, fpeaking of the Miracles of Jefus, take notice only that they

were

were done in the Prefence of the Difciples? whereas in truth they were done in the Face of the Sun, in the most open and publick Manner, in the Sight of Friends and Foes; which is fo advantageous a Circumstance, and which adds fo much to the Credibility of the Signs, that it ought ever to be remembered. St. John knew this very well, having in the course of his Gospel often taken notice of this very Thing: Particularly in the Story of Lazarus he tells us, that many Jews were with Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their Brother, who followed Jefus to the Grave, and faw Lazarus come forth to Life upon his Call: Many of which, fays St. John, Ch. xi. 45, 46, having feen the Things which Jefus did, believed on him: But fome of them went their ways to the Pharifees, and told them what Things Jefus had done, But the Reafon why this is not infifted on in the Text is, that it was not to St. John's Purpose: He is there speaking of the authoritative Promulgation of the Gospel, as is evident from the laft Verfe, Thefe Things are written that ye might believe: And this led him no farther than to obferve that the Preachers and Publishers of the Gospel were Eye-witneffes of the Things they attested, and therefore unexceptionable Witneffes.