anfwer and faid to them, an evil and adulterous generation feeketh after a fign; and there fhall no fign be given to it, but the fign of the Prophet Jonas. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly fo fhall the fon of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Again, Mark viii. 11, 12. And the Pharifees came forth, and began to question with him, Jeeking of him a fign from heaven, tempting him. And he fighed deeply in his Spirit, and faith, why doth this generation feek after a fign? Verily I fay unto you, there fhall no fign be given to this generation. Again, Luke xi. 29, 30. And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to fay, this is an evil generation: they feek a fign, and there fhall no fign be given it, but the fign of Jonas the Prophet. For as Jonas was a fign unto the Ninevites, fo fhall also the Son of man be to this generation. With regard to these declarations and predictions, tho' they are related by three Evangelifts; yet there are several things which feem, at leaft, to weaken their credit. First, as Christ affumed the character of a special messenger sent from God, to feek and fave wicked people; and as he judged mira

cles

cles to be a proper evidence of his divine character, and a proper means of conviction to those who faw them wrought; fo this makes it exceeding ftrange, and greatly improbable, that Chrift fhould withhold the means of conviction from thofe very people he came into the world on purpose to seek and fave; especially when thofe people defired him to fupport his character by this means, which request feems to have been just and reasonable. This conduct feems like a kingdom divided against itself; and Chrift, feemingly, is baffling his own defign. To fay that thofe people were vile hypocrites, a generation of vipers, who only tempted Chrift by their requeft; this is a proper reason for offering the means of conviction to them, and therefore cannot be a proper reason against it; because those people of all others most needed conviction, and were the farthest from it; and as Christ came to feck and fave them, fo their hazardous cafe required, that all proper means should be used, by their spiritual physician, to work their conviction and conversion, of which the working miracles before them, according to Chrift's account, was a proper means to this end. To fay, Z 4

that

that these bad people were righteous in their own eyes, makes their cafe ftill worse; and renders the reason for holding forth the means of conviction to them, fo much the Stronger. Or to fay, that these people were Chrift's implacable enemies: then, fo were they who crucified him, and yet that did not put a bar to Chrift's compaffion, feeing he prayed to his father to forgive them: but how could they poffibly obtain forgiveness, if it was proper that the means of conviction fhould be withheld from them? Nor were these men greater enemies to Chrift's perfon, than St. Paul was to his religion; and yet that did not prevent the means of conviction being offered to him. To say, that St. Paul obtained mercy, because what he did was through ignorance and in unbelief; then, that was the cafe of the enemies to Chrift's perfon. Father, forgive them, said he, for they know not what they do. I wot that thro' ignorance ye did it, as did alfo your Rulers, faid St. Peter, fpeaking of those who crucified Chrift, Acts iii. 17. If it should be faid, that the means of conviction was withheld from the perfons referred to, because Chrift knew the end would not be obtained by them; then, Christ must

have known that to be the case of many others, from whom, notwithstanding, the means of conviction were not withheld. Thus Matthew xi. 21. Woe unto thee, Chorazin, woe unto thee, Bethfaida: for if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in fackcloth and ashes, verfe 23. And thou Capurnaum, which art exalted unto heaven, fhall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained unto this day. Here we fee, that the most obdurate had the means of conviction plentifully held forth to them. In fine, there can be no proper reason for withholding the means of conviction from a man, but his not needing it, by his acting a worthy and a proper part; and agreeable to this Chrift hath obferved, that the whole have no need of the phyfician, and confequently, have no need of phyfick, but they that are fick; "I am not come (said he) "to call the righteous, but finners to repen"tance." Again, in the declarations aforefaid, Christ, according to Mark, said that no fign should be given to that generation; and, according to Matthew and Luke, that no fign

fhould

should be given, except the fign of the Prophet Jonas; which feems to imply, that no miracle had been wrought, nor should be wrought to work the conviction, and converfion of that adulterous generation, but only that of his own refurrection, which was afterwards to take place; and, if so, then wherefore did he come? or how could the purpose of his miniftry be answered to that generation, if the means of conviction were withheld from them? Did not Christ fay to Pilate, John xviii. 37. To this end was I born, and for this caufe came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth? but then, how could truth be properly borne witnefs to, if the means were withheld by which that truth was to be eftablished? or how could Chrift, with any fincerity or truth, complain of the obftinacy of the Jews, as he did, if the means of conviction had been withheld from them? Matthew xxiii. 37. O Jerufalem, Jerufalem, thou that killeft the Prophets, and ftoneft them which are fent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! furely, if Christ used the like care and application