As to the Time that Jesus was dead and bury'd, which modern Divines call three Days and three Nights, St. Augustin says[329] that according to the Scripture he was not so long dead and buried. Many, says[330] he, have put various Constructions on the Time of Christ's Burial, endeavouring to make three Days of it: But we, without slighting any of their Opinions, are for a mystical Interpretation, and suppose, that by the three Days are to be understood Three Ages of the World.
The Day would fail me to collect all the Passages out of the Fathers, in Interpretation of one or other of the Parts of the Story of Jesus's Resurrection, but what I have here said in a few Citations, is enough to show, that they look'd upon the whole Story, as emblematical of his spiritual Resurrection out of the Grave of the Letter of the Scriptures, in which he has been buried about three Days and three Nights, according to that mystical Interpretation of prophetical Numbers which I have learn'd of them.
And thus have I done with the Miracle of Jesus's Resurrection, which, by the Help of my Friend the Jewish Rabbi, I have shewn, according to the Letter, to consist of the greatest Incredibilities. And with this I conclude my Discourses on his Miracles, intending to treat on no more of them, unless I am invited or provoked to it. I had once an Inclination to make another Discourse on Jesus's miraculous Conception, and on his feeding his Thousands, in the Wilderness, with a few Loaves and Fishes; but upon a little Consideration on the Letter of those two Stories, I found myself too grave for the Work; and my Rabbi's Thoughts are too gay and wanton; therefore it must be omitted, till the Clergy importune me to it, and signify their Curiosity to see it perform'd by me.
My Discourses hereafter, if God spare me Life and Liberty, which under his Providence I don't despair of, to publish another Volume, shall treat on some historical Passages of the New Testament, such as, "On the Stories of Jesus's Birth; and the Appearances of Angels to the Shepherds keeping Watch over their Flocks by Night: "The Journey and Presents of the Wise Men to Jesus: "The Slaughter of the Innocents at Bethlehem, and of Herod's Cruelty: "The Travels of Joseph with the Child Jesus and his Mother into Egypt: "The Disputation of Jesus with the Doctors in the Temple, and his Elopement from his Parents: "His riding on an Ass to Jerusalem; and on other such like Passages of his Life. For I am resolv'd to give the Letter of the Scripture no Rest, so long as God gives me Life and Abilities to attack it. Origen[331] says, that when we dispute against Ministers of the Letter, we must select some historical Parts of Scripture, which they understand literally, and shew that according to the Letter, they can't stand their Ground, but imply Absurdities and Nonsense. And how then is such a Work to be perform'd to best Advantage? Is it to be done in a grave, sedate, and serious Manner? No, I think Ridicule should here take Place of sober Reasoning, as the more proper and effectual Means to cure Men of their foolish Faith and absurd Notions. As no wise Man hardly ever reprehends a Blunderbuss for his Bull, any other way, than by laughing at him; so the Asserters of nonsensical Notions in Theology should, if possible, be satirized and jetted upon, or they'll never be put out of Countenance for, nor desert their absurd Doctrines. And there never was a polemical Divine, that, if he had an Opportunity and Advantage over the Weakness of his Adversary, did not take such a ludicrous and merry Course with him.
But on such historical Passages of the Gospel as before mention'd, do I trust to publish another Volume of Discourses, like to these on Jesus's Miracles; and at present pass to my third general Head, at first proposed to be spoken to, and that is,
III. To consider what Jesus means, when he appeals to his Works and Miracles, as to a Testimony and Witness of his Authority; and to show that he did not properly and ultimately refer to these done in the Flesh, but to those mystical ones he would do in the Spirit, of which those done in the Flesh are but mere Types and Shadows.
And on this Head I shall be short, there being no Occasion of many Words on it. The Bishop of London[332] has collected many Sayings of Jesus, wherein he seems to appeal to the Works he then did and had done in Flesh, as to a Witness of him. But why might not Jesus then prophesy, and mean the spiritual Works which He-in-us would do? It is the known Way of the Prophets to speak of Things to come, as if they were already past, because such Prophecies are not to be understood, till their Accomplishment: Even so did Jesus prophesy, when he appeal'd to his Works, as I could prove from the Nature and Manner of his Expressions, but that the Argument would be dry and tedious: And therefore I refer the Matter entirely to the Fathers, who asserted that Jesus prophesied in his Miracles as well as in his Parables, and that the Works he then did in the Flesh were but Types of his mysterious Operations, that would be the Demonstration of his Authority and Messiahship. Hence it is that Origen[333] says that Jesus's first coming was but a Type and Shadow of his spiritual Advent and that his[334] true Miracles, by which his Authority is to be proved, are spiritual: Hence it is that St. Hilary repeatedly says[335] that Jesus's Works were significative and predictive of mysterious Operations, which we were especially to look to. And Hence it is that all the other Fathers interpreted the Miracles of Jesus in a mystical and allegorical Sense.
The Question then is, to what Miracles did Jesus truly and properly appeal, in the Opinion of the Fathers, for his Authority and Messiahship? Was it to the Typical or Antitypal Works? was it to the Shadow or to the Substance of his Operations? To his substantial Operations, to be sure, which are and will be his spiritual ones upon the Soul, that are greater than those once done on Men's Bodies, and which will be a proper Proof of his divine Power. And to declare my Opinion freely, I am only for such a spiritual Messiah, who will cure the Errors call'd the Diseases of Mankind, which Jesus of Nazareth has not as yet done.
But not to dispute this Point with Bishop Gibson, I will leave him in the Enjoyment of his Opinion of his literal Messiah, and miraculous Operator on Men's Bodies; if he'll but indulge me in the Belief of my spiritual Messiah to come for the healing of modern Distempers call'd the Sins and Errors of Mankind. And in the mean time let us draw the Comparison between his literal and my spiritual Jesus; and let the World judge, to whom the Preference is to be given for Power and Authority.