THE

ANALOGY

OF

DIVINE WISDOM,

BETWEEN THE

Disposition in Men to believe

IN THE

Saviours of NATIONS,

AND THE

SAVIOUR of Mankind.

PART VI.

DUBLIN:

Printed in the Year MDCCL.

THE

HE writer of the following Analogy, between the opinion of the antients, concerning the merit of the death of a NOBLE INNOCENT PERSON, to appeafe the divine wrath, and to remove national calamities, is fenfible, how properly this would introduce reafoning to a fimilar purpose, concerning the jewish typical facrifices, and the univerfality of the gentile facrifices. But inafmuch as this is already performed in an excellent manner by other pens, and his defign being to offer new reasoning to the world, to confirm divine truths; he hopes, the candid and judicious Reader will accept of this fmall offering to the commonwealth of letters.

THE

ANALOGY

O F

Divine Wisdom, &c.

JOHN. xi. 49, 50.

Ye know nothing at all, not confidering, that it is expedient for us, that one man fhould die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

W

HEN Jefus Chrift had raised Lazarus from the dead, and performed a number of miracles, fufficient to convince the reasonable part of the Jews, that he was the divine perfon many ages before promised, not only for the intereft of that nation, but of all mankind; he had then done enough to provoke the unbelieving part, to perfe cute him. For although in matters of another na ture, he, who takes upon him the office of a teach er, may fail of fuccefs, and not be infulted; be cause the hearers may eafily imagine, that they are not immediately interested in those matters, yet in religion, which is every man's concern, it is for the most part otherwife. The believing Jew cried out Hofannab, and would make their teacher a king; the unbelieving Jew cried out, away with him, crucify him. They were very near this, when the chief Priests and Pharifees gathered a council, being in a great strait to determine what to do. If they

let

let Jefus alone, they apprehended, the greatest part of the Jews would believe him, and make him á king: This would look fo like fedition against the Romans, that they thought they would lofe, upon account of it, both their liberty and religion. Yet on the other hand, if they fhould rafhly apprehend Jefus, and he should appear an innocent man, af ter they should put him to death, this alfo intimidated them, as being liable to dangerous confe quences.

none.

But the high Priest foon settled their doubts. Ye know nothing at all, fays he. Why should ye be fo weak, as to start difficulties in that, which has This is a time rather for acting than con fulting. The matter is almoft paft recovery already: Ye ought inftantly, without any deliberation, to put this man to death. Suppofe that he should after wards appear innocent; it is certainly better, that one innocent man fhould die, than that a whole nation fhould fuffer deftruction.

This advice is merely political, and did not come from a man ftrictly religious, and nice in cafuiftry: for evil is not to be done, that good may come of it. But fear fuggefted this, as the beft expedient, although confcience should reject it, as a wicked thing..

But how unfearchable is the wifdom of God, till he pleafes to reveal it! For herein the wicked man fpoke a divine truth, and at the time, that he was finning himself into the divine difpleasure, he was unknowingly declaring, one of the most glorious myf teries of revelation, the redemption of mankind by the Death of a Redeemer; that Jefus fhould die, not for the Jews only, but also for all mankind, that all faithful perfons, wherefoever difperfed, might become one fociety, and one holy church, united under him, as head, in faith, in communion, in practice, in hope, as fheep under one fhepherd: That is, in the fcripture language, that Jefus fhould

die, to gather together in one, the children of God that were fcattered abroad.

Let us leave the political part of this advice for the difhoneft part of the world, and only take occafion from it, to confider that difpofition in mankind, which inclines them to think, that general calamities may be removed, by the infliction of death upon fome noble innocent perfon, provided that perfon freely confents to fuffer. Had Caiphas really believed, that a national calamity was falling upon the Jews, that Jefus was an innocent perfon, and willing to fuffer death, to remove that calamity: His fentiment and advice upon this occafion, would have been exactly expreffive, of that difpofition in mankind juft mentioned, and which fhall hereafter be fully confidered. But inafmuch as he does not feem to have believed the divine miffion of Jefus, he muft not have thought him innocent, but in a high degree criminal, both in refpect to the laws of the Romans, and the religion of the Jews: Nor could he have thought Jefus willing to fuffer death, fince they were obliged to have formal confultations to circumvent him. This advice therefore of Caiphas was a mere piece of political cruelty: And not that noble fentiment which we are just about to confider, to wit, The difpofition in Mankind to think, that general calamities may be removed, that is, that, divine refentment may be appeafed, by a noble and innocent perfon, voluntarily offering himself to death. It appears that Caiphas did exprefs this, though he did not mean it; that is, that divine wisdom made an advice, which was cruel, and political, in respect to the interelt of one nation, expref-. five of a mysterious act of mercy, to all the. human race.

Since in moft cafes, the noble truths of revealed religion have something analogous to them, with which mankind might be acquainted; as is plain from many inftances already mentioned in the preceding