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 LIBRARY 
 
 ©Geological <f rmiuavjjt 
 
 PTxUsCETON, N. J. 
 
 No. Case. - Vkiv-> /j 
 
 - B R 45 .63 5-3.7^-2 
 
 Bampton lectures 
 
 
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On the Prophecies and Teftimony of John the 
 Eaptifl, and the parallel Prophecies of Jefus Chrift, 
 
 EIGHT 
 
 SERMONS 
 
 PREACHED BEFORE THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, 
 
 IN THE YEAR I782, 
 
 At the LECTURE founded by the 
 
 // 
 
 Rev. JOHN B A M P T O N, M. A. 
 
 late canon of SALISBURY. 
 
 BY ROBERT HOLMES, M. A. 
 
 >ELLOW OF NEW-COLLEGE. 
 
 OXFORD. 
 
 printed for D. PRINCE AND J. COOKE, AND J, P, AND 
 
 C. RIVINGTON, AND T. CADELL, LONDON, 
 
 M DCC LXXX II, 
 
Imprimatur, 
 
 SAM, DENNIS. 
 
 ViccCan. Ox on. 
 'June 19. 17^2, 
 
TO THE REVEREND 
 
 THE HEADS OF COLLEGES, 
 
 THE FOLLOWING SERMONS, 
 
 PREACHED 
 
 AT THEIR APPOINTMENT. 
 
 ARE, 
 
 WITH GREAT RESPECT, 
 
 INSCRIBED, 
 
ExtraSi from the lafi Will and Tejla^ 
 ment of the late Reverend JOHN 
 BAMPTON, Canon of Salifbury. 
 
 I give and bequeath my Lands 
 
 ^^ and Eftates to the Chancellor, Mafters, 
 ** and Scholars of the Univerfity of Oxford 
 " for ever, to have and to hold all and fin- 
 ** gular the faid Lands or Eflates upon truft, 
 
 ** and to the iiitcnty uuJ purpofca herein after- 
 " mentioned j that is to fay, I will and ap- 
 " point, that the Vice Chancellor of the 
 *' Univerfity of Oxford for the time being 
 ** ihall take and receive all the rents, iffues, 
 ** and profits thereof, and (after all taxes, 
 " reparations, and necefTary dedud:ions made) 
 *' that he pay all the remainder to the en- 
 ** dowment of eight Divinity Lecfture Ser-^ 
 ** mons, to be eflablifhed for ever in the faid 
 ** Univerfity, and to be performed In the 
 ** manner following : 
 
 ** I direcft and appoint, that, upon the firft 
 ** Tuefday in Eafher Term, a Ledurer be 
 ** yearly chofen by the Heads of Colleges 
 " only, and by no others, in the room ad- 
 «* joining to the Printing-Houfe, between 
 a 3 the 
 
"* the hours of ten in the morning and two 
 «* in the afternoon, to preach eight Divinity 
 ** Ledlure Sermons, the year following, at 
 " St. Mary's in Oxford, between the com- 
 *' mencement of the laft month in Lent 
 <* Term, and the end of the third week in 
 ** Adt Term. 
 
 " Alfo I direct and appoint, that the eight 
 " Divinity Ledure Sermons fhall be preach- 
 ** ed upon either of the following fubjecfts 
 «« — to confirm and eftablifh the Chriftian 
 ** Faith, and to confute all heretics and fchif- 
 *' matics — upon the divine authority of the 
 *' Holy Scriptures — upon the authority of 
 ** the writings of the primitive Fathers, as 
 <* to the faith and practice of the primitive 
 *' Church — upon the Divinity of our Lord 
 *' and Saviour Jefus Chrifl — upon the Divi- 
 *' nity of the Holy Ghofi: — upon the Articles 
 ** of the Chriftian Faith, as comprehended 
 ** in the Apoflles' and Nicene Creeds. 
 
 ** Alfo I diredl, that thirty copies of thq 
 '* eight Divinity Led;ure Sermons fhall be 
 " always printed, within two months after 
 ** they are preached, and one copy fliall be 
 ** given to the Chancellor of the Univerfity, 
 
 «* and 
 
'' and one copy to the Head of every Col- 
 ** lege, and one copy to the Mayor of the 
 ** City of Oxford, and one copy to be put 
 ** into the Bodleian Library ; and the ex- 
 ** pence of printing them fhall be paid out 
 " of the revenue of the Lands or Eftates 
 '* given for eftablifhing the Divinity Lefture 
 ** Sermons ; and the Preacher fhall not be 
 " paid, nor be entitled to the revenue, before 
 ** they are printed. 
 
 *' Alfo I direcft and appoint, that no perfon 
 '* fhall be qualified to preach the Divinity 
 ** Ledture Sermons, unlefs he hath taken the 
 :* Degree of Mafter of Arts at leafl, in one 
 ** of the Vnq Univerfities of Oxford or Cam- 
 ** bridge j and that the fame perfon fhall 
 ** never preach the Divinity Lediure Sermons 
 " twice." 
 
PRI 
 
 ENTS. 
 
 Luke 
 
 HI. 3, 4, 
 
 ^he word of the Lord came mito John, the Son 
 of Zacharias, in the wilder nefs ; and he came 
 into all the country about Jordan, preaching 
 the Baptifm of Repentance. 
 
 General defign, pag. 6. ^Subftance of the firft difcourfe, 
 
 ibid. — — I. The Jews admitted that John was a prophet, 7. 
 — — the account, given of him by Jofephus, correfpondent 
 
 to that by the Evangelifts, 8. • John called a prophet by 
 
 Jofippon, 9. believed to be a prophet, without any view 
 
 to the Mefliah, ib. — this Ihewn from the Gofpels, and Afts of 
 
 the Apoftles, ibid.- II. upon what evidence the prophetical 
 
 character of John could be acknowledged, without conneding 
 
 him with the Meffiah, 10. i. thp outward appearances of 
 
 a prophetical charafter in John, ibid. 2. his minillry of 
 
 Baptifm, and his call to Repentance, ibid. 3. the unl 
 
 verfal expedation of the Meffiah, 13.—— 4. miraculous cir- 
 cumftances attending the conception and infancy of John, ib. 
 ■■ ■ from all thefe circumllances, arofe a juft prefumption, 
 tut not a certainty, that John was a prophet,! 5. — III. the true 
 criterion of his infpiration,i6. it was prophecy, with near- 
 ly prefent accompliihment, 19. illuftration of this point, 
 
 ?o. ■ the connedion, between the Eaptill and the Meffiah, 
 
 fieceflary, 21. John, not a prophet, unlefs he was the 
 
 lyieffiah's forerunner, laft page. 
 
 SER-- 
 
ii CONTENTS, 
 
 SERMON II. 
 Matth. iii. 5, 6. 
 
 T^hen went out to him yerufakm, and all 
 Judcea, and all the region round about Jor^ 
 dany and were baptized of him in Jordan, 
 confejjing their Jins, 
 
 John, fent to prepare the way of the Lord, pag. 24. — — 
 to be fhewn partly in this difcourfe, from the baptifmal doc- 
 trine, as it refpedled the kingdom of heaven, and the Jewifh 
 people, ibid. import of the notice, the kingdom of hea- 
 ven is at hand, 25. — Jewifh notions of that kingdom, ib. 
 the true notion of it implied in John's preaching the baptifm 
 
 of repentance, 27. a caution attributed to the Baptill 
 
 by Jofephus, with refpeft to his baptifm, 29. — — • the mi- 
 niftry of the Baptill proceeded upon principles, exclufive of 
 
 the Law, and entirely Evangelical, 32. hence he appears 
 
 an original prophet, 33. — — particular view of the claufes in 
 the baptifmal doftrine of John. 34. — — he predicted the de- 
 
 ftrudlion of Ifrael, 36. the original circumftances, in this 
 
 prophecy, fliewed him a real prophet, 37. — — he predidled 
 the rejedion of Ifrael, and the call of the Gentiles, 38. ■■ 
 hence alfo he appeared an original prophet, 41.' his bap- 
 
 tifmal doftrine levelled againft the Jewilh corruptions of the 
 
 Scripture-fenfe, 43. he taught that the Mefliah's kingdom, 
 
 the true righteoufnefs, the promife, and the genuine fonlhip 
 
 to Abraham, were all fpiritual, 44. inference, that he was 
 
 a real prophet, to the end. 
 
 SERMON III, 
 
 Mark i. 7. 
 
 There cometh One^ Mightier than /, after me. 
 
 Further 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Ill 
 
 Further view of the baptifmal doftrine, viz. as it related 
 direftly to the Melhah, pag. 48. the baptifmal doc- 
 trine, as it ftands in the text of Saint Matthew, refumed, 
 49. • the attribute of power, afcribed to the Meffiah, 
 
 by the Baptift, 50. that of baptizing with the Holy 
 
 Ghoft, ibid. ■ that of tranfcendcnt dignity, 51. . 
 
 John afcribed thefe attributes to the Mefliah, by divine 
 
 revelation vouchfafed to himfelf, 52. evidences of 
 
 this, from his additions to the prophecies relating to the per- 
 
 fon of the Mefliah, 53. the Baptift rcprefents the Melliah 
 
 as the judge of all the world, 58. fummary view of the 
 
 baptifmal doftrijie, 63. Ihewn to have been delivered, 
 
 while the Meffiah remained unknown to the Eaptiil, 64. ■ 
 
 the words, 'f 1 knew him not," confidered, 66, to the end, 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 John i. 6, 7. 
 
 ^here was a 7nan, fent from God, whofe nafue 
 was 'John — the fame came for a wiinefs — 
 
 Of the teftimonies of John, after he knew, who was the 
 
 Meffiah, 74, of the baptifm of Jefus by him, ibid. 
 
 upon this John ceafed to be fimply the forerunner, and be- 
 came a witnefs, 75. the affertion, *' I knew him not," 
 
 may be extended, as far as this interview, but not beyond it, 
 
 ibid. the Meffiah notified to the Baptift by immediate 
 
 revelation, 76. inftances fimilar to this, ibid. proofs 
 
 in the condufl of John, at Jordan, that he knew Jefus was the 
 Meffiah, 77. — fome particulars, not revealed to the Baptift, be- 
 fore this interview, 79. obfervations, on this tranfaftion, 
 
 purfued, 80. the clefcent of the Spirit upon Jefus, 81. 
 
 — — the Voice of the Father from heaven, 82. The firfi; 
 
 tellimony of John, after his baptizing Jefus, This was he, kc. 
 and obfervations upon it, 84.-— — rhe attribute of precxiftence 
 
 row firft affigned, Z^. appears grounded on the direft 
 
 interpretation of the title. Son of God, ibid. Deputation 
 
 of priefts and Levites to John, and the extent and import of 
 
 his anfwer to their enquiries, 87. Jefus, returned from 
 
 jhe temptation, prefcnts himfelf agai.". to John, S9, ob- 
 
 fervations 
 
iv CONTENTS. 
 
 fervations on the chara£ler, Lamb of God, then applied to 
 
 him by the Baptift, ibid. illuftration of John i. 30, and 
 
 the fubfequent verfes, g2, • inferences from the preceding 
 
 obfervations, pag. 98. 
 
 SERMON V, 
 
 John i. 7. 
 
 T! he fame came for a witnefs, to bear wltnefs of 
 the light, that all men through him might 
 believe, 
 
 Illuflrations of the doftrine of John, as a witnefs, 
 continued, 99. ■ on the chara^ler. Son of God, 100, 
 
 ■ in what fenfe John applied it to Jefus, loi. ■ 
 
 the capital teftimony of the Baptift, John iii. 26, &c. confi- 
 
 dered, ib. the whole charafter of the Mefliah difplayed 
 
 by the Baptift in this teftimony, in more magnificent terms, 
 than he had employed before, 107. ■ they were confonant 
 
 to the fenfe of ancient Scripture, but unknown in Ifrael, 108. 
 
 > ■ fome of thefe charatlers imply in what fenfe he applied 
 
 the title. Son of G:d, ibid. — — fummary view of the whole 
 
 miniftry of John hitherto, 109. confidered as a witnefs, 
 
 in his imprifonment, 1 1 1 . • his fending the difciples to 
 
 Jefus illuftrated, 112. — ^—concluding inference that John 
 was Elias, 121. 
 
 SERMON VL 
 
 John xiii. 19, 
 
 Now I tell you, before it come, that when it is 
 come to pafs, ye may believe that I am He. 
 
 The completion of the prophecy of John, as Forerunner, and 
 of his teftimony, as a Witnefs, to be ihewn, from prophecies 
 
 of 
 
CONTENTS. y^ 
 
 of Jefus, either [relating to charaflers afcribed to him by 
 
 John, or parallel to prophecies of the Baptift, 124. 
 
 prophecies, to be confidtred in this difcourfe, relate 
 to charafters, which John had afligned, ibid. — — ift Cha- 
 rafter, the attribute of po\ver to the Meffiah, " he that Com- 
 eth after me is mightier than I." 125. refleftions on the 
 
 reality of the miracles of Jefus, ibid. view of his miracles, 
 
 as admitting a prophetical application, or giving him imme- 
 diate occafion to deliver prophecies, i 29.- inferences from 
 
 the foregoing obfervations, 134. II. The charader, Lamb 
 
 of God, and the prophecies of Jefus, relating to it, ib. 
 
 predifts his paflion, and its circumftances, 135. ■ moft of 
 thefe prophecies original, 136.' • inferences from the fore- 
 going obfervations, 142. III, The charadler Son of God, 
 
 and the prophecy of his refurreflion, that related to it, 144. 
 
 • original circumftances in that prophecy, 145. from 
 
 thefe, Jefus appeared a prophet, 146. his promife to 
 
 rife again by his own power fhews him more than a prophet, 
 
 ibid. •^— ill uftration of that promife, 147. inference 
 
 from foregoing obfervations, 149. — IV. The prophecy which 
 Jefus gave of his own afcenfion, juftifies the teftimony of John, 
 
 that he came from above, 150. original circumftance, in 
 
 that prophecy, ibid. general inference from the fabftance 
 
 of this difcourfe, 152. 
 
 SERMON VII. 
 
 John xiii. 19. 
 
 Now I tellyouy before it come, that when it is 
 come to pafs, ye may believe that I am He. 
 
 Of the prophecies of Jefus, that were parallel to thofe of 
 
 John, I. Chrift fpoke of the reftoration of the Holy 
 
 Spirit, in the terms both of a prophecy and a promife, 154. 
 •— — he reprefented the Holy Spirit, as another divine 
 agent in the work of redemption, 155. — — inferences from 
 
 the parting addrefs of Jefus to the difciples, ibid. of the 
 
 terms, in which Jefus repeated the fame prophecy, after his 
 refurreftion, 157. — — parallel to the prophecy delivered by 
 
 John, 
 
vl CONTENTS. 
 
 John, " he fhall baptize you." &c. ibid. sad to the lan- 
 guage of the ancient prophets, yet original in Jefus, 158. 
 
 inferences from the foregoing remarks on this prophecy, i jg. 
 II. The prophecy of Jefus, of the converfion of the Gen- 
 tiles, parallel to the prophetical admonition of John, " think 
 
 not to fay within yourfelves, &c." 161. this prophecy 
 
 original in Jefus, 163. • fhewn firft, from comparing his 
 
 conduft, as a teacher ot Ifrael, with his prediction that the 
 Gentiles Ihould be converted, 164.— — 2dly, from his words, 
 *• Thou art Peter, and upon this rock, 1 will build my 
 church ;■" ** and, I will give unto thee the keys of the king- 
 dom of heaven,'' 172. III. The prophecy of Jefus, of the 
 
 deftruftion of Ifrael, parallel to the prophecy of John, " now 
 
 the axe is laid unto the root of the trees," 176. and to 
 
 thofe of ancient prophets, ibid. — — yet fhewn original in 
 Chrift, from fome new circumftances, which he interwove 
 
 with the prediction, 177. i. the completion of it limited 
 
 to a particular generation, and period of time, ibid. 2. 
 
 prophetical hiftory of the period between the delivery and the 
 
 accompliihment of the prophecy, 178. 3. That his eleft 
 
 Ihould be then the objeds of divine proteftion, 179, . 4. 
 
 the captivity of the Jews in all nations, and the prefent ftate 
 of Jerufalem, predicted, and the captivity of the one, and the 
 defolation of the other, limited to a particular period, i 80.— 
 Jewilli imprecation, " his blood be on us, and on our chil- 
 dren," thus literally fulfilled, 181. — this firft ad of 
 our Lord's judgement upon Ifraei, prefigures his laft univerfal 
 one over the world, 182.— —both called in Scripture his 
 
 coming, ibid. Jefus, in the fame prophecy. (Matth. xxiv.) 
 
 and the Baptift, in the claufe, " whofe fan is in his hand, 
 &c," fpeak primarily of the judgement of Ifrael, and ulti- 
 mately of the judgement of the world, 183. other pro- 
 phecies by Jefus of his univerfal judgement, 184. — — infe- 
 rences from the fubllance of this difcourfe, ibid. 
 
 SERMON VIII. 
 
 John xiii. 19. 
 
 Now I tell yotif before it come, that whe?i it is 
 come to pafs, ye may believe that I am be» 
 
 Of 
 
CONTENTS. vH 
 
 Of the prophecy, which Jefus delivered, of the prevalence 
 
 of his Gofpel, 187. the old prophets, the Baptift, and 
 
 Jefus himfelf, prophetically charafterized the unpromifing 
 
 rife, but final fulnefs of the Meffiah's kingdom, 188. . 
 
 the prevalence of the Gofpel, proves Chrift a prophet; but as 
 it mull be afcribed only to his own accomplilhment of his 
 promifes, it proves him, more than a prophet, 189, &c. ■ « 
 I. The Apodles, on Chrill's leaving them, had not fufiicient 
 
 knowledge for their office, 191. . nor fufficient fortitude, 
 
 ibid. fq. -Jefus foretold their fufferings and violent death, 
 
 191.—— reflexion on this prophecy, 193.— — notwithlland- 
 ing their deficiencies, the Apoftles adlually entered on their 
 miniftry, within a few days after their Lord's departure, 194. 
 — — hence neceflarily concluded, that their deficiencies were 
 
 previoufly remedied, 195. not by their own natural 
 
 powers, ibid.' but by the coming of the Holy Ghoft upon 
 
 them, 196. He brought the Gofpel down from heaven, 
 
 1 99. the Apoftles flood in need of further illumination 
 
 afterwards, ibid. II. The continuance of the Law, ano- 
 ther obftacle, 200. effeds of it on the minds of the Jews, 
 
 ibid. promife of Jefus to remove this obftacle, 202. ■ 
 
 fulfilled in the fall of Jerufalem and the temple, and in the 
 difperfion of the Jews, 203. Jefus marked this accom- 
 plilhment of his denunciation of woe to Ifrael,as immediately 
 leading to the general eftablifhment of his Gofpel, 206. — under 
 Hadrian, the Jews endeavoured, in vain, to recover their holy 
 place, ibid. ■ Julian endeavoured, in vain, to rebuild it, 
 207. -— — III. Satan's kingdom another obftacle to the efta- 
 blifhment of the kingdom of Jefus, 208. ■ • he gave his 
 
 difciples power, and promifed them fupport from himfelf, 
 
 againft this enemy, 209. inferences from the fubftance of 
 
 this difcourfe, 210. General conclufions from all the dif- 
 
 courfes, 202. — — prophecies of Jefus afcribable only to the 
 divine Spirit ; and the exaft accompliftiment of them, as they 
 ftand in the Gofpels, afcribable only to the divine power, 
 216. • conclufion, that God fet his feal upon the Gofpel, 
 
 both as it was preached by Jefus, and as it was publilhed in 
 writing by the Evangelifts, 
 
N I. 
 
 l!he word of the Lord came unto yobn, the Son 
 of Zacharias, in the nsjildernefs y and he came 
 into all the country about Jordan, preaching 
 the Baptifm of Repentance. 
 
 ■^. H E hiilory of Chrift was admirably 
 adapted to give, the moft clear and 
 venerable reprefentation of Chriftia- 
 nlty, and, at the fame time, an obvious and 
 frequent * demonftration of its truth. For, as 
 the fyftem of duty, contained in his moral 
 and religious difcourfes, was in him vifibly 
 exemplified ; fo alfo, a confiderable part of 
 the evidence, that he came from God, arifes 
 from the feveral a<5ts and incidents of his 
 publick life. There are two queftions, that 
 
 ^ An anfvver is given to the inquiry, why Chriftianity was 
 delivered, in the hiftory of our Saviour, in preference to any 
 other form, in a Commencement Sermon, Jeffcry's Trai^ts. 
 Vol. ii. at the end, 
 
 A , have 
 
2 S E R M O N I. 
 
 have immediate reference to them ; the one, 
 concerning their real exigence, and the other, 
 refpedling the proofs, which they afford of a 
 divine atteftation. 
 
 It may be obferved, as to the reality of 
 thofe fads, in the life of Chrift, upon which 
 his Religion is founded, that the teflimony 
 of friends and adverfaries, has enabled us to 
 trace the profeffion of Chriftianity, through 
 all the intermediate ages, from our own 
 times ^ till it began. During that long in- 
 terval, it will be found invariably dillinguilli- 
 ed, with the obfervance of the fame ilated 
 day of worihip, and with the ufe of particular 
 Sacraments, either in exprefs memorial of 
 different a(5ls in the life of Chrift, or in pur- 
 fuance of his poUtive inftitution. 
 
 This '^ uninterrupted continuance of the 
 Chriftian profeffion, accompanied with thefe 
 characfteriftical obfervances, in all conjunctures 
 of things, and againft all obftacles, through 
 the feveral ages, between the prefent time and 
 that of Tiberius, evidently implies, that, in 
 
 ** The prevalence of it, in Trajan's time, is attcfted by 
 Plin. Ep. 97. Lib. 10. See alio Daubuz pro teJlimonio Jofephi. 
 — ^Tacit. Annal. Lib. 15. cap. 44. — Sueton. Claud, cap. 25.— 
 Julian, apud Cyrill. Lib. 6. 
 
 *= This argument is drawn out at large by Dr. Campbell in 
 his Authenticity of the Gofpel Hiilory. 
 
 his 
 
S ii K M O 1ST I. 
 
 3 
 
 his days, fuch perfons iirfl appeared as tho 
 difclples of Chrifl, and publickly aflerted, 
 that they heard the dodlrines, and beheld 
 the fads, upon which he founded, and 
 * commiffioned them to advance, the Chrif- 
 tian Rehgion. 
 
 By •''their hands, or under the immediate 
 diredion and revifal of fome in their number, 
 written hiflories were drawn up, and were 
 received and ufed by the refl, as true narra- 
 tives of what they had all heard and feen, 
 during their intercourfe with Chrift. — So far 
 as to the real exiflence of the fads, upon 
 which Chriiliianity depends. 
 
 That the Gofpels, extant at this day, are 
 the genuine hiflories, which thefe witneiTes, 
 immediately converfant with Jefus, either 
 penned or approved, may be grounded, not 
 only upon the teflimony of heathen adverfa- 
 ries, and Chriflian apologias, in every age, 
 but alfo, as a celebrated ' writer obferves, 
 *' upon the general reception and credit, 
 which they found, not only in all the 
 churches, but with all the private Chrif- 
 tians of thofe ages, who were able to pur- 
 chafe copies of them ; among whom, 
 
 '^ This is admitted by Tulian, apud Cyrill. Lib. 9. zqi. 
 * See Le Clerc's 3d. Differt. iubjoined to his Evang. Harm, 
 " Middleton. Free Inquiry, 410. Ed. p. 155. 
 
 A 2 though 
 
^ S E i<^ M O N I. 
 
 though it might perhaps be the defire of a 
 few to corrupt, yet it was the common 
 intereft of all, to preferve, and of none, to 
 deftroy them. And we find accordingly, 
 that they were guarded by all with the 
 flrideft care, fo as to be concealed from 
 the knowledge and fearch of their heathen 
 adverfaries, who alone were defirous to ex- 
 tirpate them. After fuch a publication 
 therefore, and wide difperfion of them from 
 their very origin, it is hardly pofiible, that 
 they fhould either be corrupted, or fupprefled, 
 or counterfeited, by a few, of what character 
 or abilities foever -, or that, according to the 
 natural courfe of things, they fhould not be 
 handed down from age to age, in the fame 
 manner, with the works of all the other 
 ancient writers of Greece and Rome ; which, 
 though tranfmitted through the hands of 
 many profligate and faithlefs generations of 
 men, yet have fufFered no diminution of their 
 credit on that account 5 for though in every 
 age there were feveral perhaps, who, from 
 crafty and felfifh motives, might be difpof- 
 ed to deprave, or even to fupprefs, fome 
 particular books, yet their malice could 
 reach only to a few copies, and would be 
 retrained therefore from the attempt, or 
 
 correded 
 
SERMON I. 5 
 
 correded at leaft after the attempt, by the 
 greater number of the fame books, which 
 were out of their reach, and remained flill 
 incorrupt. But befides all this, there were 
 fome circumftances, peculiar to the books of 
 the New Teftament, which enfured the pre- 
 fervation of them more effedually, than of 
 any other ancient books whatfocver ; the 
 divinity of their charader, and the religious 
 regard, which was paid to them by all the 
 fe6ls and parties of Chriftians -, and above all, 
 the mutual jealoufies of thofe very parties, 
 which were perpetually watching over each 
 other, left any of them fhould corrupt the 
 fources of that pure dod:rine, which they all 
 profefTed to teach and to deduce from the 
 fame books — it was not in the power of any 
 craft, to impofe fpurious pieces, in the room 
 of thofe genuine ones, which were adlually 
 depofited in all churches, and preferved, with 
 the utmoft reverence, in the hands of fo many 
 private Chriftians." 
 
 After thefe preliminary obfervations, to 
 juftify, in fome meafure, the liberty, that will 
 be taken, of appealing to the Evangelical 
 writings, as authentick hiftories of real fadt, 
 I proceed, in difcharge of the honourable 
 province alTigned me, to fliew that they con- 
 tain 
 
6 SERMON I. 
 
 tain evidences of a divine atteflation to the 
 Gofpel, and begin with Hating the drift and 
 fubftance of the argument, to be purfued in 
 thefe difcourfes. 
 
 The defign is -, to produce and illuftrate, 
 firft, the prophetical teftimony of John the 
 Baptift to the Gofpel, and its Author ; and 
 then, the principal prophecies of Ghrift him- 
 felf ; and to urge them jointly in fupport of 
 the divine original of the Chriflian Religion. 
 
 This is the general fcheme In view ; the 
 particular argument of each difcourfe will be 
 ftated, as it occurs ; — the fequel of this will 
 be employed to flievv, firft, that the Jews 
 really admitted the prophetical charadter of 
 the Baptill -, fecondly, that the evidence, upon 
 which they admitted it, was only partial and 
 prefumptive, the complete and decifive proof 
 of it being entirely difregarded ; and laftly, 
 to point out from whence the true and con- 
 cluiive evidence of his divine miffion arofe. 
 
 I. With refpecl to the general reception 
 of John as a prophet, it may be obferved, 
 that '^Jewifh hillorians attefl: his adminiftration 
 of baptifm, and appropriate to him that title, 
 drawn from his office, by which he is dif- 
 
 ' Jofephus, and Jofeph ben Gorion, or Jofippon. See 
 Xjardner, JewiAi and Heathen Telliraonies. 
 
 tinguifhed 
 
S E R M O N I. 7 
 
 tinguifhed in the Gofpels, and aflign the 
 reign of Herod Antipas, as the date, and 
 the land of Judsa, as the fcene, of his mi- 
 niftry, and further intimate that a multitude 
 of Jews received his baptifm. 
 
 The teftimony, given by Jofephus in par- 
 ticular, to the publick minillry and general 
 veneration of the Baptifl, will have the 
 greater weight in behalf of the Gofpel, which 
 began in the baptifm of John, from the 
 agreement, fubfiiting between the facred wri- 
 ters and him, in their account, not only of 
 the miniflry and extraordinary fuccefs of the 
 Bapti(l:,but alfo of other circumflances,refpe<ft- 
 ing the charader and the objedis of his bap- 
 tifm, of which notice will be taken hereafter. 
 
 This hiftorian informs us, that John had 
 conciliated the affedion and reverence of the 
 people to fo great a degree, that his popula- 
 rity alarmed the king ; and that the deftruc- 
 tion of his army was publickly reputed a juft 
 a6l of divine vengeance againfl him, for fhed- 
 ding the blood of John. 
 
 Agreeably to this account, we learn from 
 the Gofpels, that Herod, although he ven- 
 tured to fliut up John in prifon, yet permitted 
 his difciples to continue their intercourfe with 
 him, and for a long time, through [ fear of 
 
 f Matth. xiv. 5. ^*^® 
 
8 SERMON I. 
 
 the people and ^ perfonal refpe<fl to the Baptill, 
 forbore to deprive him of life, and, at laft, 
 gave him up with the greatefl: reludtance to 
 the fanguinary malice of Herodias. 
 
 The great Council of the Jews, who af- 
 fumed and exercifed the right of examining 
 and determining every claim to a prophetical 
 commiilion, by a folemn deputation of Le- 
 vites to the Baptift, enquired into the truth 
 of his pretenfions. The turn of their quef- 
 lions implies a perfuafion in the melTengers, 
 that John was a real prophet -, art thou Elias, 
 or that prophet, or the Chrifl: ? They did not 
 enquire, whether God had fent him, but ra- 
 ther, in what divine charadler he came ; and 
 they did not demand, *' why baptizefl thou 
 then," untill he had already difclaimed, 
 one after another, the feveral divine charac- 
 ters, which they had imagined might belong 
 to him. And after all, though his anfwer 
 gave offence to the Council, yet they did not 
 venture to condemn him as a falfe prophet. 
 Indeed, the danger vv^as great of difowning 
 his mifiion from God, and depreciating his 
 baptifm ; " ^if we Ihall fay, it was of men, 
 all the people will flone us, for the}'' be 
 perfuaded that John was a prophet," is the 
 language held by themfelves. 
 
 ^ Mark vi. 20. g Luke xx. 5, 6. The 
 
S E R M O N I. 9 
 
 The principal circumftances, which can 
 be drawn, either from the Scripture, or the 
 account of Jofephus, have fufficient agree- 
 ment, to fhew, that the character of the Bap- 
 tift was generally believed prophetical. The 
 ^ lateft of the two Jewifh hiftorians expreflly 
 calls him a prophet j and, whether this writer 
 was a Jew in reality, or in pretence only, it 
 feems to be equally certain, that he has given 
 the true Jewifli opinion concerning John- If 
 he is efteemed a real Jew, then he ought alfo 
 to be reckoned a credible judge and witnefs 
 of the current notions of his countrymeg -, 
 but, on the contrary, if it be fuppofed, that 
 he perfonated a Jewifh character, and that m 
 a very late period, it may then be obferved, 
 that the reception and credit of his hiftory 
 among the Jews, even in preference to that of 
 Jofephus, fufficiently fliews, that they juflify 
 and authenticate the fubftance of his llory. 
 
 This belief, of the infpiration of John, 
 feems to have been generally entertained 
 without any view to the Meifiah. For, ^in the 
 Gofpels, mention is made of difciples, that 
 flill adhered to, and vifited, the Baptifl in the 
 prifon, when Chrifl was in the full exercife 
 
 ' Jofippon is fuppofed to have written about the eleventh 
 century. Lardner, ubi fupra s Matth. ix, 14. xi. 2. 
 
 of 
 
lo S E R M O N I. 
 
 of his miniftry; and of others, who obferved 
 exadlly the frequent falls, that John had pre- 
 fcribed, and, as it appears, blamed Chrift and 
 his followers, for their difufe of fimilar re- 
 flridions. We find aifo, " in the A(fls of the 
 Apoilles, that Apollos, and fome Jews, whom 
 St. Paul met with at Ephefuc, knew, and 
 had received, only the baptifm of John. 
 
 All the Jews of this defcription, as they 
 feem to have believed the prophetical charac- 
 ter of the Baptiil, could have no other ground 
 for admitting it, except that, upon which he 
 was feparately confidered, and independent of 
 the Meffiah. The immediate quefhion then will 
 be, upon what evidence the infpiration of 
 John was acknowledged by thofe, who either 
 overlooked, or violated, the connexion be* 
 tween him and Chrill ; and, whether that 
 evidence was, or was not, fufficient to judify, 
 in the fulleft extent, the conclufion they 
 drew. And, as this was the fecond of the three 
 articles, propofed for prefent confideration, 
 I endeavour, in the next place, if it be pof- 
 fible, to affign fome of their reafons. 
 
 II. I. In the plainnefs of his habit, and the 
 exad: abftinence of his life, which are dif- 
 tindly ^marked by the Evangelifls, theBaptiffc 
 
 ^ xviii. 24. xix. 2. *" See Grotius on Pv^atth. iil. 4. Compare 
 Zccii. xiii. 4. 2 Kings i. 8. i Chfon. xxi. 16. carried 
 
SERMON L II 
 
 carried all the outward appearances of a pro- 
 phetical .charader. His diftinguilhed holi- 
 nefs, and the fervent and authoritative ftyle, 
 in which he rebuked the vices and the finners 
 of his time, would naturally engage the ut- 
 moft refped; and veneration of all, that were 
 religioully difpofed. And, as the communi- 
 cation between God and his people, feemed 
 to be renewed of late, by the return of a 
 miraculous power at the waters of *^ Bethefda, 
 they would perhaps be the more readily in- 
 clined, to expedt the revival of prophecy 
 among them, and, on finding the ^ reputed 
 charaderiftics of a prophetical fpirit in the 
 Baptift, to attribute infpiration to him, 
 
 2. This impreffion, in favour of John, 
 might alfo be confirmed, by his miniftry of 
 Baptifm, and his call to Repentance. For 
 their own principles would naturally difpofe 
 them to take efpeciall notice of both thefe 
 particulars. 
 
 Baptifm was a facrament of the Jews, and 
 was adminiilered by John in the cuftomary 
 
 *' John V. 4. 
 
 s Vorftius enumerates fix concomitants or antecedents of 
 prophecy among them were ; Sequcftration from the com- 
 mon and profane manner of living- Scafonablenefs of the 
 
 time : for they held all times not equally fcafonable. ad Mai- 
 inonid. de fund. Leg. c. 7. 
 
 form. 
 
12 SERMON I. 
 
 form. Their fathers had been baptized unto 
 "^ Mofes, or unto that difpenfation of religion 
 and worlliip, which God eftablifhed among 
 them by his miriiflry ; and as, under the Law 
 of Mofes, the ** old world," as they termed 
 it, Baptifm had been their facrament of ori- 
 ginal admiffion ', fo alfo, from their conftruc- 
 tion of the prophecies, and from popular 
 tradition, they looked for the fame means of 
 ' initiation to the " ^ new world" under the 
 Meffiah. The call to Repentance agreed 
 
 equally with their preconceptions. The 
 maxim was received among them ', If Ifrael 
 repent but one day, prefently the Redeemer 
 Cometh. Whether they entertained juft no- 
 tions of Baptifm and Repentance, or other- 
 v/ife, is not confidered here -, but the prefent 
 queftion is, fim.ply, whether the ufe of Bap- 
 tifm, and the call to Repentance, were likely 
 to be deemed the accomplifhment of their 
 own traditions, and, on that account, appa- 
 rent-indications of a prophetical fpirit in the 
 
 * I Corinth. X. 2.—— Heb. ix. 19. Lightfoot Har. 
 
 1 Part, pag. 466. 
 
 ' See Grot, on John i. 25. — But a baptifm, like that of 
 John, to initiate them to a new Religion, feeni3 not to have 
 been expeded. 
 
 ^ Lightfoot. Har. ift part, pag. 9. et paflim. 
 
 ' Lightfoot, Vol. 2. Har. ih part, pag. 10, 
 
 Baptift J 
 
SERMON I. 
 
 13 
 
 Baptift ', and this perhaps may be conceive- 
 able. 
 
 3. But the prefumption of the infpiration of 
 John, in whatfoever degree the circumftances, 
 hitherto mentioned, can be fuppofed to have 
 fuggefled it, would be confiderably flrength- 
 ened by the univerfal expe(ftation of the 
 Meffiah. Syria had been fubdued, and 
 annexed to the great empire of Rome ; and, 
 as the time, limited in the prophecy of 
 "" Daniel, was confefledly elapfed, the King- 
 dom of the God of heaven, which he had 
 foretold, under Meffiah the Prince, was im- 
 mediately expefted to appear. The univerfal 
 prevalence of this expedlation in Ifrael, at 
 that time, has been indifputably fhewn by 
 writers both " facred and profane. *' The 
 kingdom of heaven is at hand," was there- 
 fore a notice, likely to further every pre- 
 vious fuppofition of an infpired charader in 
 the Baptift. 
 
 4. But above all, the miraculous circum- 
 ftances, that attended the conception, and in- 
 fancy, of John, if generally known, would 
 greatly facilitate his admiffion, as a prophet. 
 
 * Chap. 9. 
 
 " Luke xix. 1 1. Sueton. ia Vefp. c. 4. 
 
 When 
 
14 SERMON!. 
 
 When they originally happened, " ° fear cam6 
 on all, and thefe fayings were noifed abroad 
 throughout all the hill-country, and all 
 they that had heard them, laid them up in 
 their hearts, faying, what manner of child 
 iTiall this be ?" The report of thefe cir- 
 cumflances might be revived, upon the com- 
 ing of John to baptize, fo near thofe parts 5 
 and, as the people grew daily more and more 
 difpofed to mufe and enquire concerning him, 
 a knov^ledge of them would be likely to take 
 a wider extent. If fo, as it would imme- 
 diately occur, that John ^ was of the line of 
 Aaron, and by right of birth a priefk of the 
 God of Ifrael, as ^ Jofippon expreflly calls 
 him, thefe miraculous circumftances would 
 indeed have a powerful! effed:, in perfuading 
 the publick, that his baptifm was from hea- 
 ven, and not of men. — Indeed, neither of the 
 prophecies, by the ' Angel and * Zacharias, 
 refpedting the real office of John, feem to 
 have been regarded or knov/n. If that had 
 been the cafe, his true charad:er, and the re- 
 lation between him and the Meffias, could 
 fcarcely have palled, as it did, without notice 
 
 ° Luke i. 65. P Luke I. i. 
 
 *J Gorionides Joannem hunc prophetam vocat. Grot, ad Matth. 
 xi. ^. ^ Luk€ i. 17. ^ Luke i. 76, 
 
 and 
 
SERMON I. 
 
 iS 
 
 and effedt. But flill, even a rumour, how- 
 ever indiftind, that the birth of the Baptift 
 had been foretold, and his name dictated, by 
 an Angel, that appeared to Zacharias, during 
 his facerdotal courfe in the Temple, would 
 add very confiderable weight to every other 
 fuppofed evidence of his infplration, and 
 might poffibly determine the Jews, without 
 further hefitation, to admit his prophetical 
 charader. 
 
 If then, the real flate of the JewIHi 
 opinions and expedtatlons, at the time, be 
 conlidered, thefe feveral circumflances, taken 
 in aid of each other, will probably appear 
 fufficient to have raifed a general prefump- 
 tion, that John was a prophet ' -, and, that 
 they fhould operate fo far, as to attach the 
 people to him, and difpofe them to receive 
 his baptifm, in the true fpirit of it, and to 
 expert, with repentance and faith, the com- 
 ing of the Meffias, whom he predided, feems 
 to have been the divine intention. 
 
 But then, to treat this prefumption, as if 
 it was abfolute certainty, and to admit the 
 prophetical charader of the Baptift, upon this 
 probable evidence, exclufive of all other, to 
 
 * His fuccefs, even in that partial degree, to which it ex- 
 tended, was the completion of" prophecy. Malachi. 4. 5, 6. 
 Luke i. 17. 
 
 be 
 
i6 S E R M O N I. 
 
 be given in future, tended immediately to 
 contradid: the counfel of God. It led many 
 of the Jews to break the neceflary conne6lion 
 between the Baptifl and the Meffias, and to 
 look no farther than John ; and of courfe, 
 they muft have acquiefced in fuch evidence 
 of his infpiratlon, as their limited view af- 
 forded. But all their proofs of the prophe- 
 tical characfter of John, fuppofmg him fmgly 
 confidered, whether they arofe from the cir- 
 cumftances, already recited, or fL'om any other, 
 fell (hort of that complete and decifive evi- 
 dence, which God had provided ; and when 
 they admitted John, as a prophet, upon any 
 prefumptive ground alone, however flrong, 
 they had much yet to learn, both of his cre- 
 dentials and his office. His infpiration could 
 be abfolutely afcertained, only by another, 
 and a fubfequent, criterion s and what that 
 was, is a material queftion, and will make 
 the third and final article of the prefent en- 
 quiry. 
 
 III. The ufual means of authenticating a 
 divine miffion, were not given to John. He 
 did no miracle ; and, on that account, if he 
 really was the meffenger of God, we may ex- 
 pert other evidence, upon which his prophe- 
 tical character could be, and therefore ought 
 
 to 
 
S E R M O N I. 17 
 
 to have been, determined. If he had no fuch 
 deciiive evidence in his favour, hov^ever ftrong 
 a prefumption, of his divine commiffion, 
 might arife from other circumftances, yet 
 muft it he open to queftion, as God never fail- 
 ed to give an indifputable atteftation to every 
 real prophet. Upon that footing, the Baptlft, 
 as not being inverted with a miraculous 
 power, would have been left without any 
 conclufive evidence of his miffion from God ; 
 and the Jews, if their own experience, in the 
 cafes of former prophets, had influenced 
 their judgement, would, have queftioned the 
 prophetical chara(fler of any claimant, who 
 wanted the means of proving it undeniably 
 certain, and could only render it probable. 
 
 The truth, in the cafe before us, appears 
 to be this. The providence of God, as if to 
 prevent the very miflake, which was made by 
 the Jews, did not authenticate the miffion of 
 John, by any indubitable proof, that was ex- 
 cluiively perfonal to the Baptift, as the power 
 of working miracles would have been. The 
 only decifive evidence, that John was a real 
 prophet, arofe out of his relation to the 
 Meffias ; in him it began, and was refleded 
 back upon the Baptift. It was his appointed 
 province to prepare the way for One Mightier, 
 
 B that 
 
i8 S E R M O N L 
 
 that (hould come,and to make him manlfefl unto 
 Ifrael. The unqueflionable right of the Bap- 
 tifl to a prophetical charader, could therefore 
 be fhewn, only by the abfolute appearance of 
 that Mightier One, for whom he prepared 
 the way. If he had fpoken of One to come, 
 who came not ; or had appropriated characters 
 to him, which, if he came, he did not fuf- 
 tain ', or had attributed works to him, which 
 he did not accomplifli, it would have been 
 reafonably concluded, in oppofition to all 
 other evidence, that he really bore no di- 
 vine commiffion. But, on the contrary, if 
 the predi(5lions of the Baptift, concerning the 
 fpeedy appearance, office, and works of Him, 
 who was to come, were verified ; in that ac- 
 complifliment would confift the proper and 
 fufficient proof, that John himfelf was a pro- 
 phet ; and his teftimony to the Meffias, upon 
 his appearance, ought then to have difpofed 
 the people of thofe and of all fucceeding 
 times, to believe the divine commiffion of 
 both. 
 
 According to this reprefentation, though 
 the ufual evidence of miracles, was not the 
 appointed proof, that the word of the Lord 
 came to John, yet another, and that decilive 
 in the queition, was granted to him. This 
 
 was 
 
S E R M O N I. 19 
 
 was prophecy j but not of fuch a cafl:, as to 
 leave the point, which it v/as intended to af- 
 certain, for a confiderable interval of time, 
 in fufpence and undetermined. It was pro- 
 phecy, not with remote, but nearly prefent, 
 accomplifhment ; it was not as a light, fliin- 
 ing long in a dark place, but the dawn haded 
 on, and the day-flar foon arofe. The matter 
 was placed upon the proper ground, by fome 
 of the Jews, in one inftance, which is thus 
 recorded by the Evangelift. «« " Jefus went 
 away again beyond Jordan, unto the place, 
 where John at firfl baptized, and there he 
 abode. And many reforted unto him, and 
 faid, John did no miracle -, but all things, 
 that John fpake of this man, were true." The 
 place reminded them of former teftimonies 
 to the Meffias, which they had beard the 
 Baptift deliver there; and this recolledion pro- 
 duced in them a natural and reafonable effedt, 
 for the Evangelift adds, " and many believed 
 on him there." They faw and felt the true 
 evidence of the prophetical charad:er of John, 
 and were immediately led, by their juft 
 views, to proceed one ftep further than many 
 
 * John X. 41, 42,— See Chemnit. H, E. B. 5. pag. 10. 
 
 B 2 of 
 
20 SERMON L 
 
 of their countrymen, and to admit the divinc 
 miffion of Chrift, as well as that of John. 
 
 I have thus endeavoured to fhew, that the 
 ground, upon vi^hich thofe Jews, who looked 
 no farther than the Baptifl, attributed an in- 
 fpired charad:er to him, was partial ; and have 
 ftated what appears the full evidence of it, to 
 which they ought to have extended their 
 views 5 that it might be diftincSly feen, with 
 what admirable flri(5tnefs, the credentials of 
 the Baptifl were adjufted to the nature and 
 defign of his office. And, as this point feems 
 of confequence in any account of the tefti- 
 mony of the Baptifl to Jefus, this difcourfe 
 fhall be clofed with a fhort illuflration of it. 
 
 Many prophets, and efpecially Elias, in 
 whofe fpirit and power the Baptifl came, had 
 been permitted to work miracles. They 
 flood as fingle objecfls ; and the public atten- 
 tion was to be drawn, and continued, to them 
 alone. The cxercife of a miraculous power 
 would therefore diredlly facilitate their ad- 
 miflion, in the character of divine mefTengers. 
 But the cafe was otherwife with the Baptifl. 
 The exercife of a miraculous power, as it 
 mufl tend to fix the eyes of the people im- 
 moveably upon him, would have counteradled 
 the real purpofe of his office, which was in- 
 tended 
 
SERMON I. 21 
 
 tended to manifeft another unto Ifrael. And, 
 as the Jews flood moft in need of an induce- 
 ment to look beyond the Baptifl, the con- 
 clufive evidence of his divine miflion, was of 
 that particular nature, which was heft calcu- 
 lated to carry their views forward to the 
 Meffias. 
 
 A perfuafion that John really Vv^as a pro- 
 phet, generally prevailed; this feems to be 
 clear from the Jewifh hiftorians. But the 
 Scriptures alone affign the ground, upon 
 which that perfuafion could be completely 
 juftified. According to them, neither the 
 prophetical notice, given by the Baptifl, " the 
 kingdom of heaven is at hand," nor the pre- 
 ceding prophecies of the Angel and Zacha- 
 rias, could be verified, except in the adiual 
 coming of the Mefliah ; and all decifive evi- 
 dence, of the infpiration of John, would 
 therefore, as it feems, be excluded, if the 
 Baptifl was coniidered independent of him. 
 
 A necefTary connection appears then to 
 have fubfifled between them -, and their cre- 
 dentials feem to have been unavoidably in- 
 volved fo far, that the divine miflion of both 
 was to be afcertained, at one inflant, and in 
 one event. The Baptifl came in the charac- 
 ter of forerunner ; and it was not pofTible to 
 B 3 prove 
 
22 S E R M O N I. 
 
 prove him, even a prophet, except from that 
 very incident, vv^hich would alfo prove him 
 the Forerunner. So evidently was it provid- 
 ed, that the Baptift could not fail to authen- 
 ticate the divine miffion of the Meffias, by 
 the fame means, and in the fame degree, 
 wherein he eftablifhed his own. 
 
 The credibility of the Gofpel-hiflory of 
 the Baptift will perhaps be confirmed, and 
 his teftimony to Jefus enforced, if it has now 
 been fhewn with any fuccefs, that, although 
 John certainly was received as a prophet, yet 
 his charad:er could not be proved prophetical, 
 if it were any other, except that, which the 
 Gofpel- writers reprefent it, of Forerunner to 
 the Meffiah, 
 
 SER- 
 
( 23 ) 
 
 SERMON II. 
 
 Matt. iii. 5, 6. 
 
 ^hen ivejit out to htm yerufalem, and all 
 yudcea, and all the region round about yor- 
 dan, and were baptized of him in yordan, 
 confejjing their Jins, 
 
 T 
 
 "^ H E divine miffion of the Baptift, 
 however flrongly it might be pre- 
 fumed, could not, as I have before 
 endeavoured to fhew, be completely afcer- 
 tained, if he were confidered lingly, and in- 
 dependent of the Meffias. If he did not 
 really bear that charader of Forerunner to 
 One Mightier, who was to come, which the 
 Gofpel-writers attribute to him, no deciiive 
 evidence feems affignable, that he came from 
 God. 
 
 B 4 This 
 
24 S E R M O N 11. 
 
 This point having been difcufTed in the 
 preceding difcourfe, I proceed to fhew, that 
 fufficient evidences of his "prophetical charac- 
 ter might have been difcovered, and accumu- 
 lated, by confidering him as a meflenger, 
 fent to prepare the vi^ay of the Lord. 
 
 This v^ill be attempted only in part, at 
 prefent, by illuftrating the baptifmal dod:rine 
 of John, as far as it refpedted the kingdom 
 of heaven, and the people of Ifrael. 
 
 I. As John, by both his parents, was of 
 the line of Aaron, he was by right of birth a 
 priefl of the God of Ifrael. When he at- 
 tained the proper age for commencing his 
 miniftry, he declined the fervice of the 
 Sanctuary, and forfook the Church of Ifrael ', 
 but affumed, and pubhckly exercifed, a fa- 
 cerdotal office, in obedience, as he profefTed, 
 to the word of the Lord. Baptifm was the 
 only one of the Jewifh ceremonies, which he 
 
 * Evidence of a divine miffion may arife from one or more 
 of the following circumftances. ift, From explaining former 
 prophecies, fo as to imply fuch a clear and comprehenfive 
 knov/ledge of the events, predifted therein, that it could not 
 reafonably be afcribed to the unaffifted faculties of man ; Or, 
 2dly, from declaring that the accompliihment of prophecies 
 was immediately approaching ; Or, 3dly, from repeating the 
 prophecies themfelves, with new and additional circumflances ; 
 Or, laftly, from delivering predidions entirely original. Fre- 
 quent occafion will arife of applying one or other of thefe 
 criteria. — — 
 
 retained 
 
S E R M O N 11. 25 
 
 retained, but of this he kept only the form. 
 The new and original purpofe, to which he 
 applied it, may be colledled from his bap- 
 tifmal dodrine. The leading points of it 
 fhew, that the Holy Ghoft, with which 
 John had been filled from the womb, im- 
 parted to him juft views of the religious ftate 
 of Ifrael, at that time ; and enabled him to 
 predict the charaderiftical principles and na- 
 ture of the Gofpel-kingdom, which he de- 
 clared to be at hand, together with the rejec- 
 tion of the Jews, and the admiffion of the 
 Gentiles. 
 
 " The kingdom of heaven is at hand,'* 
 was the awakening notice, upon which his 
 baptifmal exhortation was grounded. The 
 expreffion itfelf was not ftrange to his 
 hearers, nor the intelligence, which he gave 
 them, unexpected. It coincided with the 
 popular opinion, and as, in ^he Jewifh fenfe, it 
 was extremely pleafing, the completion of it 
 was impatiently defired. We may therefore 
 imagine, that the Baptifl: was readily under- 
 ftood to announce ^ the approach of the Mef- 
 
 * Matth. xli. 28. xvi. 19. Luke xvii. 20, 21. Lightfoot, 
 Vol. I. pag. 568. fq. — Whitby, Matth. iii. 2. — fioin-heieu) l»- 
 
 hiyet. Chryfoll. Horn. X. in Matth. loc. cit. 
 
 fias. 
 
16 S E R M O N II. 
 
 fias. The phrafe feems to be thus inter- 
 preted in many paffages of Scripture -, and 
 John applied it, in the greateft latitude, to 
 denote the whole oeconomy of things under 
 the Meffias. 
 
 Indeed, the Baptifl and his audience en- 
 tirely difagreed in their notion of that ftate. 
 The opinion, entertained of it by the Jews, 
 may perhaps, on the authority of their own 
 writers, as well as of the Scripture, be juftly 
 flated in the fubfequent particulars. 
 
 They expected, that the ^ fplendor and fo- 
 lemnity of their civil and religious conftitu- 
 tion would then be raifed to the ^ utmoft 
 height ; and Scripture had been ftrained to 
 juftify that fond belief, which zeal for the 
 law had fuggefted, and the voice of tradition 
 confirmed. They prefumed alfo, that the 
 "i difperfed of Ifrael would be gathered to« 
 
 ^ Maimonides fays, the Jews expeded, that the nations, 
 roufed at the exhortation of the Meffias, would turn to the 
 Law. See Lightfoot Harmony, i ft part. pag. 14. 
 
 •* It was expefted that the Meffias fhoyld reftore the king- 
 dom of the houfe of David to its old glory, and build the 
 temple, and bring home all the difperfed of Ifrael : and that 
 Ifrael ihould then be at reft from the kingdom of wickednefs, 
 to ftudy the Law and the Commandments without difquietude. 
 Lightfoot, Vol. I. p, 568, from Maimonides. Perhaps there 
 are traces of this opinion in the Gofpels. John xi. 52. 
 
 * John viii. 39. — It fhall be the morning to Ifrael) but 
 
 night to the nations of the world. Ifrael in the time to 
 
 come 
 
SERMON II. 
 
 27 
 
 gether in their own land, and that the blef- 
 fings of the Meffiah's kingdom would be 
 conferred upon them, by right of defcent 
 from Abraham, and in virtue of the divine 
 promife, to the ^ exclufion of all other na- 
 tions. They expecfted further, that the op- 
 prcffion of the kingdoms would then ceafe, 
 and not only political liberty, but alfo poli- 
 tical dominion, be reflored to Ifrael. 
 
 Thus had they reprefented the kingdom of 
 heaven to themfelves ; and that blindnefs of 
 mind, and hardnefs of heart, for which they 
 were reproved fo feverely, and have now fuf- 
 fered fo long, may be ultimately refolved into 
 thefe principles. How greatly they miftook 
 their own religious ftate, and the nature of 
 the Meffiah's kingdom, the reprefentation of 
 both, given by the Baptift, will fufficiently 
 difcover. 
 
 He " preached, the Baptlfm of Repentance" 
 — that, in ufe among the Jews, defer ves rather 
 to be named the baptifm of ftrid obedience. 
 
 come (i, e. the days of the Mefllas) fhall be left only, and 
 there fliall be with him no ftrange God, are Jewidi tradi- 
 tions, produced from their writers, by Lightfoot. Vol. i. pag. 
 14. 
 
 *" Luke xxiv. 21. Ads i. 6. — Lardner. Cred. of G. H, 
 5. 1. Ch. 5. 
 
 ** This 
 
28 S E R M O N IL 
 
 *• ^ This ihall be thy thy righteoufnefs," was 
 the language of the law to the candidate for 
 admiffion ; and although the burden, to which 
 he fubmittedjwas grievous, yet the obligation 
 incurred was ftrid. — ** Curfed is every one, 
 that continueth not in all things, which are 
 written in the book of the law to do them." 
 The ceremonial part of it at length engroffed 
 the popular attention and reverence, and ri- 
 tual obedience pafled for true religion ; and 
 in dired: conformity to this principle, it was 
 imagined that Abraham obtained the pro- 
 mife through the righteoufnefs of works. 
 The notions of repentance, which they enter- 
 tained, had not led them to admit any infuf- 
 ficiency in the legal atonements, or to feel 
 and confefs their linful and unforgiven ftate. 
 Among them it was, of courfe, merely for- 
 mal, without power, and entirely unproduc- 
 tive of fruits, worthy of repentance. 
 
 Under this perverfion of things, when the 
 moral law had entirely declined in public 
 efteem, repentance, in the true fenfe of it, 
 could have no place, as a principle of adtion. 
 Before it could operate, the current of the 
 prevailing opinions muft be turned, and a due 
 
 6 Deuteron. iv. i. vi. 25. xxvii. 26. xxx. 15. 19. Ezekiel. 
 XX. II. Galat. iii. 10. — 
 
 preference 
 
S E R M O N IL z^ 
 
 preference reftored of the moral to the ritual 
 law. This, among other efFedls, was referv- 
 ed for a new difpenfation, that would efta- 
 blifli the righteoufnefs of the heart, and not 
 of the letter, and annex the divine fandion 
 and bleffing to a fpiritual fervice. 
 
 The baptifm of repentance, was flridlly 
 accommodated to a people in this ftate of 
 moral corruption, and only to a difpenfation 
 of this cafl ; and when the Baptift accord- 
 ingly propofed it, he not only adted from 
 views, imparted to him by the Holy Spirit, 
 of the depraved and unforgiven flate of Ifrael, 
 however weakly felt, or hardily difclaimed j 
 but alfo, prophetically intimated, what was 
 the great pervading principle and charadler of 
 that difpenfation, which he prepared them to 
 receive ; and reprefented it, not as a law of 
 works, but as a kingdom of grace ; for his 
 baptifm preceeded as a fign of repentance, 
 and led on to fubfequent remiffion of fin. 
 
 Jofephus ^ attributes to the Baptift a cau- 
 tion, againft a miftake that might be made, 
 refpeding the nature of his baptifm, as it 
 
 ^ Jofeph. Antiq. lud. Lib. i8. cap. 7. "^Outu yep >^ tIm 
 
 feems 
 
30 S E R M O N II. 
 
 feems, in this very particular- God would 
 accept it, he taught, ' in behalf of thofe 
 ** who did not ufe it, as an excufe for their 
 fins, but as a means of bodily purification, 
 implying a previous purification of the heart 
 by righteoufnefs." There is a remarkable 
 fimilarity between the concluding part of this 
 pafTage in Jofephus, and the words of the 
 Apoftle "" Peter, concerning baptifm, ** not 
 the putting away of the filth of the flefh, but 
 the anfwer of a good confcience toward 
 God." And the reprefentation of John's bap- 
 tifm, given by the Jewifh writer, agrees with 
 that of the Evangelifts. They have not cha- 
 racfterized it as the baptifm of remiffion of 
 fins, but fimply of repentance, introduc- 
 tory to it. According to the prophecy of 
 Zacharias,it was the office of the Baptifl, ** to 
 give knowledge of falvation by the remiffion 
 of fins i" but it is not faid, that he was to 
 give the falvation itfelf. He baptized with 
 water unto repentance, " without prefuming 
 
 "' I Pet. iii. 21. 
 
 " Theophylaft, on Matt. 3. "Atptc-iv ufixpiuv »« tix,i 7* 
 
 tm^ » ij o!(p£ff-(s ^ uf/.x=Tiiy. See allb Chryfoflom Homil. 74, 
 Tom. 5. pag. 53 J. Suicer. Thef, in voc. ^aiTrrta^x. 
 
 to 
 
S E R M O N II. 1% 
 
 to fandllfy by the baptifmal water, or to con- 
 fer remiffion of fins upon repentance. 
 
 Jofephus therefore fketches the real nature 
 and fpirit of John's baptifm, as he fuppofes 
 it to imply, by purification of the body, the 
 previous purification of the heart. He ftates 
 indeed only part of the truth -, but he has 
 preferved enough of it, to render his tefti- 
 mony valuable, and as far as it goes, it ap- 
 pears diredtly appofite. According to him, 
 John cautioned the people, that his baptifm 
 had not any privilege of propitiating God for 
 fin ; and the Gofpels inform us, that he af- 
 cribed this great prerogative to One Mightier, 
 that fhould come. As it is agreed therefore, on 
 both fides, that he difclaimed this privilege 
 for himfelf, it feems fairly to refiilt from the 
 Jewifh, as well as the Evangelical, hiftory, 
 that the baptifm of John was fimply of a 
 preparatory nature, and that he really was 
 only the forerunner of another. 
 
 But when he adminifi:ered baptifm, as in- 
 trodudory, in any degree, to the remiffion of 
 fins, the queflion, whether the votaries of 
 the law flood already in a ftate of falvation, 
 was by him decided againfl the Jews. The 
 legal purifications and atonements, which the 
 original fandion of God, and the certainty, 
 
 they 
 
12 SERMON IL 
 
 J 
 
 they were prefumed to give, of acceptance 
 and favour w^ith him, had concurred to fup- 
 port and endear, were now depreciated, as 
 invalid; and warning was given that juftifi- 
 cation ° with God muft be fought for upon 
 other terms. Every plea, grounded on obe- 
 dience to the law, even fuppofing it had been 
 exadt, was evidently difallowed. John ac- 
 cordingly propofed, as an indifpenfable and 
 univerfal requifite, the baptifm of repentance, 
 to open the way to fubfequent remiffion of fins. 
 It was a feal of the righteoufnefs of faith in 
 the Meffias who was to come ; and the accept- 
 ance and efficacy of it depended upon him, 
 whofe blood would wafh away fin, and whofe 
 baptifm of the fpirit would internally purify. 
 As this was the main objedt of Faith, pro- 
 pofed by John to his difciples, of courfe, 
 they who received his baptifm, ceafed to be 
 under the law. It was the counfel of God 
 to bring them into the path of falvation, and 
 they who refolved to abide by their old prin- 
 ciples and profeffion, would rejecft it againft 
 themfelves. 
 
 Thus the miniflry of John proceeded upon 
 principles exclufive of the law, and entirely 
 
 * ■aa^MTriTii ufAX^rxJ^v, as Jofephus calls it. 
 
 Evan- 
 
SERMON ir. 33 
 
 Evangelical. Chrift afterwards enforced them 
 in his conference with Nicodemus; and the 
 import of the Baptift's dodrine, appears ex- 
 tremely fimilar to the fuhftance of that in- 
 terefting converfation. That mailer of Ifrael 
 knew not thefe things -, a baptifm of water, 
 unto fpiritnal regeneration of heart, both in 
 principles and pradice, as preparatory to ad- 
 miflion into the kingdom of the Meffias, had 
 never entered his mind ; and, when propofed, 
 it furpafled his apprehenfion. Indeed, none 
 of the ancient prophecies, or of thofc which 
 were nearefl: to this time, feem to have raifed 
 any expedation, that can be certainly traced, 
 of fuch an extraordinary miniftry, as that, un- 
 dertaken by the Baptift ; at leaft, a baptifm, of 
 this effed and import, was not known to be in 
 the divine intention, till the calling of John. 
 For the prophecies that charaderizedhis office, 
 as forerunner of the Lord, had not been fo 
 far particular, as to afcribe the ufe of bap- 
 tifm to him. The adminiftration of it appears 
 evidently to have been didated to him by divine 
 revelation, fnice the word of the Lord could 
 alone enable him, prophetically to reprefent 
 the kingdom of heaven, in dired contradic- 
 tion to the Jewiili conftrudion of the pro- 
 phecies, as a difpenfation of fpiritual grace 
 
 C and 
 
34 
 
 SERMON II. 
 
 and redemption, intended to fuperfede the 
 ritual oeconomy of Mofes. 
 
 The call to repentance was grounded by 
 the Baptift, upon the approach of this king- 
 dom, not only becaufe it offered remif- 
 fion of fins, but alfo becaufe judgement 
 coincided therein with grace. He ftrives to 
 affed them, firft, by the mercies, and then, 
 by the terror, of the Lord. Accordingly, he 
 queftions the Sadducees and Pharifees, who 
 came to his baptifm, the firft of whom en- 
 tertained no belief, and the laft no fear, of 
 the divine judgement, **who hath warned you 
 to flee from the wrath to come ?" The Holy 
 Ghoft, with which the Baptifl: had been 
 filled from the womb, gave him an infight 
 into the principles of thefe fedarifts -, and 
 the queftion implies, that the baptifm of 
 John tended to deliverance, and that ^ a fenfe 
 of danger was a proper motive for receiving 
 it. It was, in facfl, to thofe who received it, 
 and brought forth fruits, worthy of it, a 
 pledge of prefervation from the vengeance, 
 impending upon the Jewifh people. The re- 
 mark of "^ St. Peter fufficiently illuftrates this 
 point ; he compares the deftrudion of Ifrael 
 
 f Mark xvi. 16. Adts ii. 40. ^ 1 Pet. iii. 20, 21. 
 
 with 
 
S E R M O N II. 35 
 
 with that of the old world, when the family 
 of Noah were faved bv water : and then 
 adds, " the like figure whereunto, even bap- 
 tifm, doth now fave ns." 
 
 The ftrength and vehemence, in the lan- 
 guage of John, evidently denote the extre- 
 mity of that wrath, which he predicted. 
 ** And now alfo," he cries, in a fubfequent 
 claufe, ** the ax is laid to the root of the trees." 
 This denuntiation correfponded to foregoing 
 prophecies. ** Lebanon fhall fall by a mighty 
 one" — *' Jerufalem fhall become heaps, and 
 the mountain of the Lord's houfe, as the high 
 places of the foreft" — and, " the day that 
 Cometh fhall burn them up, it fhall leave them 
 neither root nor branch" — *' every tree there- 
 fore, the Baptifl proceeds, which bringeth not 
 forth good fruit, ' is hewn down, and cafl into 
 the fire." Their beauty had been more than 
 once given into the hand of the enemy ; but 
 now the ax was laid to the root itfelf, which 
 had hitherto efcaped, and the downfall of 
 Ifrael impended. 
 
 * The prefent tenfe denotes the nearnefs and certainty of 
 the event. " H^jj x.ti-ttM—ix.^'ozsi'iTcM — ^oifixkrcj^. See Schmid. 
 ad. 1. The firft judicial aft of Chrift, i. e. the dertruftion of 
 the Jews, and not the laft Judgement of the world, feeins 
 here predifted. 
 
 C 2 Thi 
 
 iS 
 
36 S E R M O N 11. 
 
 This was a warning of great terror 3 and 
 the Baptift appeared in " that garb of mourn- 
 ing, and obferved "^ that rigour and feverity of 
 life, which were hkely to enforce moft deep- 
 ly his prophecy of evil tidings. 
 
 It was, indeed, commonly believed, at the 
 time, that the ruin of the Jewifh ftate was 
 predicted in the Scriptures ; and, in the days 
 of the Baptifl, it was not fuppofed to be 
 * very remote. Upon this account, his words 
 were likely to be referred by his audience to 
 that event -, and it might have been faid, 
 againfl the credit of his divine miffion, that 
 he only borrowed, and appropriated, the pre- 
 diftions of the early prophets. 
 
 But it may be argued, as it feems, upon 
 fufficient ground, that he did not barely re- 
 peat the fubftance of foregoing prophecies, 
 but really fpoke from divine revelation,vouch-» 
 fafed to himfelf. 
 
 The voice of prophecy, immediately before 
 it ceafed in Ifrael, denounced a day of total 
 burning, ^ a " great and dreadful day of the 
 
 " Probably, according to Macknight, the fackcloth of pe- 
 nitents and mourners. I Chron. xxi. i6, 
 
 * Math. xi. 18. 
 
 ^ " The Romans will come and take away our place and 
 nation, John xi. 48." 
 
 y Malachi iv, 5. 
 
 Lord r 
 
SERMON ir. 37 
 
 Lord ;" at the fame time, intimating to the 
 people, that univerfal converfion in heart, 
 upon the preaching of Elijah, before that 
 day of wrath, fhould prevent the curfe from 
 coming to fmlte the earth. 
 
 The woe, here denounced, had not been 
 fulfilled, when prophecy openly revived in 
 John, He repeated the threatening, and in- 
 timated the means of deliverance — fo far 
 Tvlalachi and the Baptifb agree. But that 
 prophet mentions the means of deliverance in 
 figurative and general terms -, on the contra- 
 ry, John ufes plain language and great preci- 
 fion. He named the baptifm of repentance 
 for remiffion of fins, as the fafeguard, ap- 
 pointed for thofe who would receive it. The 
 advantage is fhriking on the part of the Bap- 
 tift. He fpoke to the fame eifeft, as Malachi 
 and other prophets, that wrath impended 
 upon Ifrael : but he added, that his baptifm 
 was a fecurity from it ; and that, in the na- 
 ture of a privilege, as well as an obligation, 
 it fet a fign upon thofe who received it, and 
 placed them within that remnant, which 
 God would fpare. This particularity may 
 appear fuihcient to juftify the ailertion of St. 
 Luke, that «* the word of the Lord came 
 unto John," as the repetition of a former 
 
 C 3 pre- 
 
38 S E R M O N IL 
 
 predidlion, with new and additional circum- 
 fiances, if afterwards accompliflied, appears 
 a plain evidence of his prophetical character. 
 
 To ftrengthen the impreffion, which his offer 
 of baptifm might make upon his audience, he 
 alTursd them, that they were entirely deftitutc 
 of any other fafeguard. ** Think not to fay 
 within yourfelves, we have Abraham to our 
 father." Defcent from this favoured patriarch 
 was ^ the principal ground of their confidence. 
 In purfuance of the divine promife to their 
 great progenitor, the kingdoms of Canaan 
 had really become the lot of their inherit- 
 ance. And from this they argued, with 
 confidence, to all the promifes, made to 
 Abraham in favour of his children. They 
 accordingly afTumed an exclufive interefl in 
 * all the divine bleflings, and expe(5led certain 
 immunity from all the divine judgements, 
 during the age of the Meflias. But this no- 
 tion of their hereditary privilege was declared 
 entirely groundlefs ; not indeed becaufe the 
 purpofe of God was changed, and the fons 
 of Abraham were difinherited by a repeal of 
 
 ^ Pocock. Mifcell. pag. 172. 227. — Pugio Fidei 951, 
 " They enrirely overlooked the conditional and threatning 
 
 turn of the promife Exod. xix. 5. See Ltghtfoot, Vol. II. 
 
 533. fq. — et fup. 398. Nehem. ii. 20. Juft. Mart. D. ,pag. 
 
 469, cited by Whitby. 
 
 the 
 
S E R M O N 11. 39 
 
 the promlfe ; for the language of the Baptlft 
 implies, that the bleffing *" would really def- 
 cend to the children of the patriarch. But, 
 in facfl, the Jewifh conftrudtion falfified the 
 promife. It was given to the fons of Abra- 
 ham, in one fenfe, and they, as his defcend- 
 ants,- expected to inherit it in another. The 
 real nature of the inheritance, and the ge- 
 nuine fonfliip to the patriarch, required in 
 the heirs, were implied in the latitude of 
 the promife, which was originally extended 
 to all families of the earth. The tenor of it 
 was, ** " multiplying I will multiply thee j" 
 fo that one part of Abraham's bleffing con- 
 fifted in the infinite number of his children. 
 Since the bleffing was univerfal, the fonfhip 
 to Abraham, on which it would devolve, 
 muft alfo be univerfal, and, confequently, 
 could not be a natural one, as the Jews fup- 
 pofed. It remained therefore a queftion, in 
 which all families of the earth had an equal 
 intereft, whether they had Abraham for their 
 father in that fenfe, which the promife re- 
 quired, or only in '' another, which it ex- 
 cluded. And erelong, according to the 
 
 •* Luke xiii. 16, xix. 9. Lightfoot. Vol II. 467. 
 
 *^ Heb. vi. 14, 
 
 ^ See Whitby Rom. ix. 8. 
 
 C 4 warn- 
 
40 S E R M O N II. 
 
 warning of the Baptift, the juft diftindlion 
 would be made, '^ between the true and the 
 reputed children of the patriarch ; and when 
 the bleffing defcended on the genuine heirs, 
 his natural progeny might be found to have 
 the leaft intereft in it, *' for God is able of 
 thefe flones to raife up children unto Abra- 
 ham/' 
 
 The language of the Baptift was evidently 
 calculated to undeceive them, in a point of 
 the greateft importance, which their prin- 
 ciples mifreprefented ; that the promifed 
 bleffing, and the fonfliip to Abraham, to 
 which it was annexed, were of a fpiritual 
 nature. He taught them, that defcent from 
 the patriarch, in the ^ natural fenfe, afforded 
 them no pretence, as heirs, to his bleffing, 
 which was fpiritual. They might be his real 
 and legitimate defcendants, in the literal con- 
 flrjudion, and yet, at the fame time, in the 
 fpiritual meaning, be no better than an evil 
 and adulterous generation, as our Lord after- 
 wards called them. The words of this claufe 
 are diflindly adjufted to the divine intention, 
 
 ' Between thofe who were born, of blood and of the will of 
 man, or of the will of God. See Le Clerc. ad Hamm. ad 1. 
 ^ Rom. iv. 17. viii. 23, si. 5. Ephef. i. 5. i Pet. ii, 9. 
 
 as 
 
S E R M O N II. 41 
 
 as it was afterwards explained more extenfively 
 by St. Paul, in confequence of a ^ particular 
 revelation given to him. He ^ diftinguifhes, 
 like the Baptill:, between ** the children of 
 the flefli" and the ** children of God," and 
 adds, that " the children of the promife 
 are reckoned for the feed." He further 
 explains this point in another place, by the 
 allegory of Hagar and Sarah ; and reprefents 
 ' the fon of Abraham, by the bondwoman, 
 as caft out, becaufe the promife was not given 
 to the children of Abraham, merely as fuch ; 
 ** neither ^ becaufe they are the feed of Abra- 
 ham, are they all children, but in Ifaac fhall 
 thy feed be called ;" that is, ** they which are 
 the children of the flefli, thefe are not the 
 children of God : but the children of the 
 promife are counted for the feed ; for this is 
 the word of promife, at this time I will 
 come, and Sarah (hall have a fon." 
 
 That the inheritance of Abraham's bleffing 
 would defcend, according to the eledion of 
 God, and not neceffarily in the natural line, 
 was a principle before undifcovered, on which 
 
 ^ Ephef. iii. 3. fq. 
 
 ** Compare Rom. ix. 7, 8. fq. 
 
 ' Galat. iv, 23. fq. 
 
 ^ Compare Rom. ix. 7. 
 
 the 
 
42 SERMON II. 
 
 the Baptift flrongly infifts, not only in a dc-* 
 claratory, but alfo in a prophetical ftrain. 
 For while he inculcated that conflruction of 
 the promife, which would lay the inheritance 
 open to all families of the earth, he fignified 
 that they would, in facft, be admitted to it. 
 The one point would indeed imply the 
 other ; but it is befides enforced with an ani- 
 mated turn of language, ** for I fay unto you, 
 that God ^ is able of thefe flones to raife ud 
 children unto Abraham." The claufe bears a 
 threatening cafl ; and although, like that of 
 Malachi, " left I come and fmite the earth 
 with a curfe, " it runs conditionally, yet it 
 relates, in the fame manner, to a divine 
 judgement impending. God has raifed up 
 other children to the patriarch, and the pre- 
 tence and boaft of Ifrael ftill continues, 
 ** we have Abraham to our father." It may 
 therefore be prefumed, that the divine coun- 
 fel, concerning the rejedion of the Jews, 
 and the adoption of the Gentiles into the 
 kingdom of the Meffias, is predidled, in the 
 whole claufe, with as much precifion, as the 
 
 • Compare Rom. xi. 23. " God is able to graft them in 
 again." The converfioiis, of the Jews, and of the Gentiles, 
 are fpoken of, the one by St. Paul, and the other by the Bap- 
 tift, in expreffions of a fimilar turn. Both pafliiges feem 
 equally prophetical. 
 
 ftate 
 
SERMON II. 
 
 43 
 
 ftate of things, fo early as the preaching of 
 the Baptift, would allow. It was moil pro- 
 bably one of thofe things, which the difciples 
 of Chrift, even after all their mafter's inflruc- 
 tions, remained unable to bear ; and the au- 
 dience of John were far lefs likely to bear a 
 more clear and direct declaration of this pur- 
 
 pofe of God. 
 
 Thus the dodlrine of the Baptift appears 
 partly defigned to prepare his countrymen for 
 the reception of a new difpenfation, by com- 
 bating their inveterate prejudices, and mif- 
 conceptions of the law, the prophecies, 
 and their own fpiritual ftate. The capital 
 points of his dodlrine were dired:ly levelled 
 againft the corruptions of the fcripture-fenfe 
 by the Jews. Difcarding the moral law, they 
 refted in ritual righteoufnefs, as a ftate of 
 falvation ; and arrogated to themfelves the 
 bleffing of Abraham's children, by virtue of 
 lineal defcent from him -, and, in order to 
 accommodate the kingdom of the Meffias to 
 their principles, they reprefented it to be a 
 ftate of temporal greatnefs, and " temporal 
 bleftings. The fyftem of their opinions was 
 uniform, and adjufted in all its parts ; but 
 when the Baptift declared that the kingdom 
 
 " Matth. XX. 20. 
 
 of 
 
44 S E R M O N II. 
 
 of the Meffias, the true righteoufnefs, the 
 promife itlelf, and the genuine fonfhip to 
 Abraham, were all fpiritual, he overturned the 
 whole. And Unce, in the execution of his 
 purpofe, he difclofed the fpiritual nature, and 
 charadteriftical principles of the kingdom of 
 heaven, then ready to appear, and denounced 
 tne impending rejedion and ruin of Ifrael, 
 and the adoption of other children, as heirs 
 of Abraham's bleffing, his baptifmal doftrine 
 appears, not limply admonitory, but evidently 
 prophetical, and ftridly fuited to prepare the 
 way for the fpiritual kingdom of the Meffias, 
 by pointing out, and removing, impediments 
 
 to the reception of it. 
 
 The following refiediion arlfes from the 
 general fubftance of the foregoing obferva- 
 tions. Many expreffions, in the Jewidi 
 Scriptures, depreciated the law, and fome 
 implied the abolition of it. The force of all 
 thefe was felt ; and to palliate and pervert 
 them, had generally been the favourite lludy 
 of the fcribes and teachers of Ifrael. To 
 ingenuity and learning, exerted to defend the 
 law, their zeal added the authority of the 
 great council. Accordingly, the attempt to 
 change, and much more to fuperfede, the law, 
 was marked as an infuperable obftacle to the 
 
 admiiTion 
 
SERMON II. 
 
 45 
 
 admlflion of any one, who laid claim to a 
 prophetical charadler ; it prevented all quef- 
 tion, refpeding the truth of his pretenfions, 
 and death was to be inflidled upon him, as a 
 convi(fted impoftor. — Yet, neither the popu- 
 lar conftru(ftion of Scripture, nor even the ju- 
 dicial interdidion, had any influence with the 
 Baptift. From whence it appears, that he 
 proceeded by ** neceflity laid upon him," 
 that is, by divine command, to recall and 
 authorize that genuine fenfe of promife and 
 prophecy, which was not received in Ifrael. 
 For the eflential principles of the human 
 mind, by which it refolves and operates in 
 all conjun(flures, render it incredible, that he 
 would have thus expofed himfelf to rejection 
 and death, if he knew that he was a falfe 
 prophet ', and it muft have been impoffible 
 for him to execute his baptifmal miniiiry, in 
 fuch a ilrain of predidion, if he had not 
 been a true one. 
 
 SER- 
 
( 47 ) 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 Mark i. 7. 
 J'here cometh One, Mightier than /, after me. 
 
 ^ I ^ HAT part of the baptifmal dodlrine, 
 i already confidered, coniifled of ad- 
 monition and prophecy. The iirft, 
 was apphed to corred: the fpiritual miflakes 
 and haughtinefs of the Jews ; and the laft, 
 tended to fhew that the kingdom of Meflias, 
 was of fuch a nature and charader, that it 
 required in thofe, who defired to enter there- 
 in, a ftate of mind and principles, entirely 
 contrary to the prevalent difpofition of Ifrael. 
 Upon the whole, the BaptilT: gave full afTur- 
 ance to his hearers, that, unlefs they would 
 return to God, by the baptifm of water, en- 
 tirely difcarding their prejudices and pre- 
 
 fumpticn. 
 
48 SERMON III. 
 
 fumptlon, and imprefTed with a jufl: and re- 
 pentant fcnk of their finful and unforgiven 
 Hate, the blejSings, which God had promifed 
 to the children of Abraham, would be in- 
 herited by others, but rejed;ion and ruin im- 
 pended upon them. He difclofed the divine 
 counfel to fave them, if they would embrace 
 it ; and, at the fame time, predided the 
 wrath, which God had determined againfl 
 them, if they refufed it. And, as the dif- 
 charge of his baptifmal office, fo far, imme- 
 diately tended ** to prepare the way of the 
 Lord," and, ** to make ready a people" to 
 receive him, ** what fhall we do then," was 
 a very interefling queflion ; and fuch as the 
 tenor of his dodrine might have been ex- 
 pecfted to fuggeft, not only to fome, but to 
 all, that heard it. 
 
 But there was another, and that a more 
 confiderable part of his office. He " verily 
 baptized with the baptifm of repentance ;" 
 but not without continually " faying unto 
 the people, that they fhould believe on him, 
 which fhould come after ;" and, as this was 
 the principal drift of his preaching, it is re- 
 prefented by St. Mark, as the fubftance of 
 
 iti 
 
SERMON III. 49 
 
 it ; " John preached, faying, there cometh 
 One, mightier than I, after me." 
 
 That it may appear how he proceeded to 
 excite and fupport that faith in the Meffias, 
 which he reprefented, as an indifpenfable 
 qualification for admiflion to his kingdom, 
 it will be my prefent endeavour, to fhew in 
 what terms, and to what effecft, he fpake of 
 the Meffias, during that time, wherein he 
 continued unknown to him. For this 
 
 purpofe, I return to the baptifmal dodrine, as 
 it ftands in the text of St. Matthew, and go 
 on with it from that claufe, where I left it 
 at the clofe of the laft difcourfe. 
 
 What the Baptift had already preached, 
 whether it refpeded the religious corruptions 
 of the Jews, and their rejedion from the 
 Meffiah's kingdom, and the adoption of the 
 Gentiles, in their place, or the fpiritual cha- 
 radler of the approaching difpenfation, and 
 the terms of admiflion to it j was delivered 
 with fuch prophetical difcernment and fer- 
 vency, as evidently to imply, that he adled 
 under the informing and animating influence 
 of the Holy Ghofl. 
 
 He next proceeds to fpeak diredly of the 
 MefTias, and to characfterize his ofKce, and to 
 difclofe fame of his attributes. 
 
 D He 
 
50 SERMON III. 
 
 He firfl inculcates the fubordlnate charac-* 
 ter, and limited effedt, of his miniftry, *< I 
 indeed baptize you with water unto repent- 
 ance," implying the great fuperiority of the 
 Mefliah's baptifm to his own. Through the 
 whole verfe, the baptifm of water, and the 
 weaknefs of John, feem to be put in contrail 
 to the baptifm of the Holy Ghofl, and the 
 power of the Meffias, with an intent to juf- 
 tify that attribute, which intervenes, ** he 
 that Cometh after me, is. mightier than I." 
 The Meffias is here reprefented in that 
 light, wherein the public exercife of his 
 office would fhortly place him ; and the at- 
 tribute relates not to one only, of all his 
 mighty works, as fingly oppofed to the bap- 
 tifm of John ; but comprehends that general 
 demonftration of power, which, according 
 to the prophecies, and the common expec- 
 tation of the Jewifh people, would be dif- 
 played in the miniftry of the Meffias. It 
 Hands alfo in the ftronger light, on account 
 of the comparative form, " a mightier than 
 I cometh -" for while John preached, ** the 
 kingdom of heaven is at hand," he did no 
 miracle ; but, on the contrary, the Meffias 
 argued, ** if I, by the finger of God, caft out 
 devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is 
 
 come 
 
SERMON III. 51 
 
 come unto you." The voice of John, " cry- 
 ing in the wildernefs, prepare ye the way of 
 the Lord," proclaimed his approach; and the 
 Baptifl afterwards bore teftimony to his per- 
 fon. But, of his adual prefence, his own 
 ligns and wonders were greater witnefs, than 
 that of John. The attribute of power was 
 therefore fuited to give the mod fignal and 
 majeftic reprefentation of his miniftry. 
 
 The Baptift proceeds — *' whofe fhoes I 
 am not worthy to bear." St. Luke, in the 
 parallel paflage, explains, and even exagge- 
 rates, that comparative felf-abafement, which 
 the words of John convey. They place, in 
 a ftriking point of view, that great humility, 
 which diftinguifhed his own character, and 
 aggrandize, to the higheft degree, him that 
 was to come. Other divine meflengers, 
 whether of human or ^ angelic natures, fpeak 
 of each other and of themfelves, as brethren 
 and fellow-fervants -, but the ftrength of this 
 expreflion, confidered as tending to exalt one 
 prophet above another, is entirely fingular in 
 Scripture. 
 
 In thefe claufes, the Baptifl difclofed two 
 very fignal attributes of the Meilias, his 
 mighty power and tranfcendent dignity. 
 
 * Revel, xix. 10. xxii. g. 
 
 D 2 Herein 
 
52 SERMON III. 
 
 Herein indeed he delivered nothing, that 
 contradided the notions of his audience. 
 They had reafoned from the prophecies, to a 
 limilar efFed 3 and as their expectation, that 
 the Meffias would be incomparable in power 
 and greatnefs, was grounded upon the pre- 
 dictions of their own Scriptures ; it was not 
 impoflible, that the Baptift's knowledge of 
 both thefe attributes, might rather appear to 
 be derived from antecedent prophecy, than 
 from the revelation of the Holy Spirit to 
 himfelf j and, upon that account, might 
 feem to afford no unqueftionable evidence of 
 his miffion from God. 
 
 In order to fhew, that John charac- 
 terized the Meffiah by thefe attributes, in 
 confequence of divine infpiration, particu- 
 larly vouchfafed to himfelf ; it might be ob- 
 ferved, that his conftrudtion of the prophe- 
 cies, which relate to the Meffiah, greatly 
 furpalTed the Jewilli interpretation of them, 
 and unfolded their genuine fenfe, which 
 was either not difcovered, or not received, 
 in Ifrael. 
 
 But, without enlarging upon this evidence 
 of the reality of his prophetical character, it 
 may perhaps here, as in a former cafe, be 
 fhewn from the claufe, under immediate 
 
 con- 
 
SERMON III. 
 
 53 
 
 confideration, that both attributes, here afcrib- 
 ed to the Mefiiah by the Baptift, had been 
 didlated by divine revelation, particularly 
 given to him. 
 
 He contrafls the baptifm of the Holy GhofT: 
 to that of water. No conftrudlion of 
 
 Scripture feems to have raifed any expec- 
 tation, that can be affuredly traced, in 
 Ifrael, of a baptifm by water, that would 
 entirely overrule the principles and law of 
 the Jews. A mafter of Ifrael knew it not; 
 and much lefs would the people apprehend 
 and exped: the baptifm of the Holy Ghofl, 
 to complete what the baptifm of water began. 
 
 They believed indeed, that the Holy Spi- 
 rit, which departed from Ifrael, on the death 
 of Malachi, would return, in the days of the 
 Meflias. But this expedtation, however jufl, 
 was grounded upon a general and loofe con- 
 flrudtion of the prophecies, that the Spirit 
 would be poured out in the latter days. 
 
 But the turn, which the Baptift has given 
 to thefe prophecies, goes farther than barely 
 to foretell the reftoration of the Spirit to 
 Ifrael. He has not only fhewn with what 
 flridlnefs, the language of the prophets had 
 been adjufted to the divine intention -, but 
 has even enlarged upon their prophecies, by 
 
 D 3 the 
 
54 SERMON III. 
 
 the addition of new and original circum- 
 ilances. 
 
 He evidently feems acquainted with the 
 • divine intention, to accomplifh in the heart, 
 by the wafliing of the Holy Ghoft, what the 
 washing of water fhould previoufly perform 
 for the body. Accordingly, he reprefents 
 his external baptifin of water, as the prepa- 
 ratory fign, but the inward baptifm of the 
 Spirit, as the perfedl accomplifhment. A 
 clofe relation ^ and analogy had been fixed 
 between them, and, according to the appa- 
 rent import of the words of John, would 
 erelong be exemplified in the approaching 
 difpenfation. When therefore he laid to- 
 gether the two baptifms, of water, and of 
 the Holy Ghoft, he virtually difclofed the 
 real defign of God, to connedt the walhing 
 of vi^ater, as the fign, with the wafhing of 
 the Ho'y Ghoft, as the thing fignified, in a 
 gofpel Sacrament -, and gave a reafon, till 
 then undifcovered, for his directing the pro- 
 phets to charadierize ' the return of the Spirit, 
 
 • All that was internal in baptifm was iTrn^oivity. John iii. 
 12.^ See Whit' y on Ephef. i. 3. 
 
 ^ Titus iii. 5 James i. 8. Mede Opp. 62. 
 
 ^ Thua, but much more expreffively, Jefus afterwards, un- 
 der the image of living water, deiciibed the efficacy of fpiri- 
 tual grace. John iv. 14, Ifaiah xliv. 3. of which fee the 
 
 Targ. 
 
SERMON III. sS 
 
 with his gifts and operations, by the baptif- 
 mal elen:ient of water. 
 
 Another confiderable addition to the pro- 
 phecies, concerning the return of the Spirit, 
 was made by the Baptift, when he attributed 
 the reftoration of it to the Meffias. For, as 
 this fuperior baptifm, and that of water, are 
 contradiftinguiflied, fo alfo are the miniflers 
 of each ; and John ftates the fimilarity and 
 the difference between them, and afcribes the 
 baptifm of the Holy Ghoft, as truly and pro- 
 perly to the Meffiah, as the other to himfelf. 
 All that was external and imperfed: in bap- 
 tifm, he confines to that of water, and to 
 himfelf, the minifler of it ; but what would 
 be effediually wrought in the heart, he attri- 
 butes to the baptifm of the Spirit, and to the 
 power of him, that came after himfelf. He 
 feems alfo to reprefent it, as a mighty work, 
 that would evidently afcertain the tranfcen- 
 
 Targ. Expof. quoted by Whitby John vii. 39. — - See alfo 
 
 Wolf. ibid. Ifai. Iviii. 7, et Surenhufu Catallag. 358, 
 
 360. Ezek. xxxvi. 25. Zechar. xiv. 8. — Reland. Palaeftin. 
 
 352. Cocceius 0pp. Tom. VI. in cake, Ep. ';6. 
 
 D 4 dent 
 
56 SERMON III. 
 
 dent dignity, as well as '^ power, of him, to 
 whom he afcribed it. 
 
 The Baptifl feems to have made another 
 addition to the prophecies, refpeding the 
 reftoration of the Holy Spirit to Ifrael. For 
 , the words, '^ and ^ with fire," feem to be put 
 in contraft to thofe, in which John had 
 mentioned the baptifmal element ufed by 
 himfelf ; and, upon that account, appear to 
 carry the fame fpecial reference to the man- 
 ner of accomplifhing the baptifm of the Holy 
 Ghoft, by the Meflias, which the water bears 
 to the manner of adiiiniftering the inferior 
 baptifm of John. 
 
 To confirm this fuppofition, it may be 
 obferved, that the baptifm of the Holy Ghoft 
 was adually accomplifhed, by the Meflias, 
 with fuch appearances, as the words, ** with 
 fire,'* would manifeilly denote. 
 
 It may be further obferved, that, on many 
 occafions, " fire had been employed, as the 
 
 *= John xiv 12. See Tillotf. Serm. 143. 
 
 * Of the genuinenefs of thefe words, fee Mill, ad 1. et Le 
 Clerc. Epift. ad Optimianum. Bibl. Selefl.Wolf, ad 1. 
 
 ' Fire was the ufual fymbol of the divine prefence. Gen.xv. 
 17. xxiv. 17. xl. 38. —Numb. ix. 15. — Deuteron. iv. 33. 
 Jortin. Rem. Eccl. H. Vol. III. p. 392. fq. JeiFery's Trafts, 
 V. II. p. 408. 
 
 fenfible 
 
SERMON III. t^j 
 
 fenfible fign of the divine prefence. As the 
 God of Abraham manifeiled himfelf in a 
 flaming iire, when he authorized Mofes to 
 deUver his peculiar people from Egyptian 
 bondage, and to bring them into covenant 
 with Jehovah, as their kingj fo again he 
 manifefted himfelf, by the fame fymbol, 
 when he empowered the Apoftles, to refcue 
 the world from fpiritual bondage, and to 
 introduce them into the kingdom of the 
 Meffiah. 
 
 There feems then a reafonable ground 
 for that literal interpretation of the words, 
 ** and with £re," which many expofitors of 
 this paiTage have adopted ; and upon that foot- 
 ing, the Baptift has delivered, in this claufe, 
 an evident and original prophecy. 
 
 Thefe feveral circumftances, immediately 
 preceding, when laid together, are fufficient, 
 it is prefumed, to fhew, that when John af- 
 figned tranfcendent power and dignity, and 
 the baptifm of the Holy Ghoft, to the 
 Meflias, his dodrine in all thofe refpeds, 
 however conformable it might be to fore- 
 going prophecies, was neverthelefs the refult 
 of divine revelation, diredly vouchfafed to 
 himfelf. 
 
 To 
 
58 SERMON III. 
 
 To proceed, — The Baptift, having thus 
 attributed to the McfTias the adminiftration 
 of baptifm with the Holy Ghoft, reprelents 
 him, in the fubfequent claufe, under another 
 charadler ; " whofe fan is in his hand, and 
 he will thoroughly purge his floor, and 
 gather his wheat into the garner, but he will 
 burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire/* 
 
 The import of thefe expreffions may be 
 determined by their fenfe in former pro- 
 phecies. 
 
 *' I will fan them, with a fan, — I will 
 deflroy my people," faith the Lord by ^ Jere- 
 miah ; and again, *« I will fend unto Babylon 
 fanners, that fhall fan her, and fliall empty 
 her land ; for in the day of trouble they 
 fhall be againll: her round about ;" — and 
 Ifrael, under captivity, is called ^ the Lord's 
 ** threfhing," and ** the fon of his floor j" 
 and ^ wheat and chaff are very frequently op- 
 pofed to each other in Scripture, and in a 
 fenfe fufiiciently obvious. 
 
 ' Jerem. xv. 7. xli. 16. H. 2. Compare Amos Ix. g. Luke 
 xxii. 31. 
 
 e liaiah xxi. 10. — See Glafs. Rhetor. Sac. 303, 304. 
 ^ Pfalm i. 4.— Job xxi. 18. — Jerem. xx. 28.— 
 
 The 
 
SERMON IIL 
 
 59 
 
 The meaning of the claufe therefore ap- 
 pears to be this j he will difcriminate, and 
 that thoroughly, the good corn from the un- 
 profitable produce, in his hulbandry, and 
 gather the one, but deftroy the other. 
 
 The Meffiah is here reprefented in a judi- 
 cial character, as in a foregoing claufe -, but 
 not, as it feems, in relation only to the fame 
 acfl of judgement, which the Baptift had 
 already attributed to him. For, this pafTage 
 appears to contain a prediction of farther 
 extent, than the former ; and although it 
 may relate, in a primary fenfe, to the rejec- 
 tion and ruin of Ifrael, and the admiffion of 
 the Gentiles, in their place, to the Mef- 
 fiah's kingdom -, yet it may be underftood, in 
 an ultimate fenfe, of the univerfal adl of his 
 judicial power, the judgement of the laft 
 day. 
 
 A comparifon of the expreffions, in both 
 paffages, m^y perhaps tend to illuftrate and 
 confirm this point. ** Now the axe is laid 
 unto the ' root of the trees ; every tree there- 
 fore, that bringeth not forth good fruit, is 
 hewn down, and caft into the lire." The 
 prefent tenfe, which runs through the verfe, 
 
 ' Deus minatur — faederis fui dereU>^ioneni, quod eft velut 
 arborem radicitus exfcindere. Grot, ad 1. 
 
 accord- 
 
6o SERMON III. 
 
 according to the opinion of an ^ able critic 
 on the original text, implies the certainty 
 and near approach of the vengeance denoun- 
 ced ; and upon comparing this prophecy with 
 others, * flridly parallel, in the old Tefta- 
 ment, it may feem moll probable, that the 
 ruin of the Jewifh ftate and people, is alone 
 predicted in it. 
 
 But this claufe has a different tenor. 
 Ov TO ttIuov iv rri ;^«p ctvTH — if the verb be 
 fupplied, in the fame tenfe, which runs 
 through the reft of the verfe, it muft be 
 rendered, " whofe fan will be in his hand, 
 and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and 
 will gather his wheat into the garner, but 
 will burn up the chaff with unquenchable 
 fire." 
 
 If this be allowed, our view will not be 
 fo immediately confined, as it was in the 
 former claufe, to one, and that an imminent, 
 ad: of the Mefliah's judicial power; but may 
 be carried forward to *" another, and a more 
 remote, exercife of it. 
 
 ^ Schmid. ad. 1. 
 
 ' Ifaiah r.. 33, 34. — Micah iii. 12. 
 
 " Pofteriora hujus commatis verba, de colligendis friiglbus 
 ct comburendis paleis, ad ultimi judicii dien pertinent, ut ap- 
 paret ex collatione verb, ChriHi infra xiii. 30. 49. — — Grot, 
 ad 1. 
 
 To 
 
SERMON III. 6i 
 
 If to this it be added, that he fliall purge 
 his floor, " thoroughly," ^aKa^nciei, and not in 
 a limited manner, the ad: intended may Teem, 
 not national only, but univerfal ; and, fince 
 the fire of his vengeance is called "unquench- 
 able," the judgement, to which the claufe 
 relates, may appear final and irreverfible. On 
 thefe accounts then, the pafTage may be ima- 
 gined to have a farther view, than barely to 
 fhe deftrudtion of the holy city, and the re- 
 jection of the Jews ; both of which events, 
 as the prophecies of Chrift, and St. Paul, 
 feem to intimate, will expire when the times 
 of the Gentiles fliall be fulfilled. 
 
 Upon the whole, the claufe, under imme- 
 diate confideration, apparently furpafles the 
 former, and contains a more enlarged pre- 
 dicflion. The foregoing prophecy refpeded 
 the ruin of Ifrael folely ; the latter, has 
 pofllbly the fame relation, in a primary 
 meaning, but at the fame time extends, in 
 an ultimate fenfe, to the Mefiiah's judge- 
 ment of all the world. And perhaps the 
 prophecy, which Chrift himfelf afterwards 
 delivered, of his approaching vengeance upon 
 Ifrael, had the fame refped to his real and 
 perfonal coming to inflid final punifliment 
 upon all his enemies. 
 
 There 
 
62 SERMON III. 
 
 There is alfo another material difference 
 between the two paflages. The Baptift had 
 before declared that vengeance impended 
 upon Ifrael ; he now not only denounces it 
 to all the adverfaries of the MefTias, but alfo 
 reprefents it as infiided by him ; the fan and 
 the floor are his, as Lord of the harveft j he 
 will gather and he will burn. 
 
 Thus alfo the writer to the Hebrews afcribes 
 to the Meffiah, as his proper and perfonal 
 prerogative, an infallible and irreverfible 
 judgement, and the inflidlion of vengeance. 
 For he had, as a fon, the adminiflration of 
 all things over his own houfe, and, as fuch, 
 had promifed a reft to the faithful ; but to 
 them, who grieved him with their unbelief, 
 he faid in his wrath, " they fhall not enter 
 into my reft." In this chapter to the He- 
 brews, and in the claufes of the baptifmal 
 dodrine, now under confideration, admiffion 
 to the kingdom of God, and exclufion 
 from it, are reprefented as dependent upon 
 the " Meffiah, as Judge of all. 
 
 Here St. Matthew finifhes the account of 
 the baptifmal dodrine of John, before the 
 coming of Jefus to Jordan. St. Luke adds, 
 
 ■ Keb. iii. 8. 19. 
 
 *' and 
 
SERMON III. 63 
 
 «' and many other things, in his exhortation, 
 preached he unto the people." But if that 
 Evangelift had not already given the fub- 
 flance of them, he probably would have ex- 
 tended the account. It may therefore be 
 prefumed, that what has been already con- 
 lidered, forms a juft compendium of the 
 baptifmal dodlrine, delivered in that inter- 
 val, however the Baptifl might enlarge and 
 illuflrate it, upon frequent calls to re- 
 peat it. 
 
 He has difplayed the charader of the 
 Mefliah, by four capital attributes ; by 
 his mighty power; by his tranfcendent 
 dignity -, by his baptifm with the Holy 
 Ghoft, as a Prieft ; and by his judicial 
 authority, as a King, to be exercifed ere- 
 long over Ifrael, and finally over the whole 
 world. And from the amount of the 
 
 baptifmal dodtrine, hitherto confidered, it 
 appears, that his knowledge, of the nature 
 and purpofe of the Gofpel, and of the attri- 
 butes and offices of the Meffias, far exceeded 
 that of the Apoftles, till the fame divine 
 Spirit, which inftrudled and guided the Bap- 
 tifl:, had alfo {hed his influence upon 
 them. 
 
 After 
 
64 SERMON III. 
 
 After this illuftratlon of the prophetical 
 teftimony of John to the Meffias, I proceed, 
 in the laft place, to fhew, that it was de- 
 livered, while he remained unknown to the 
 Baptift. 
 
 Before John had attained that age, ° which 
 the law appointed for entering upon a prieftly 
 funcftion, it may be reafonably prefumed, that 
 he did not receive a command to baptize, and 
 knew not the fubftance of the dod:rine, which 
 he afterwards delivered. ** He was in the 
 wildernefs, till the day of his fliewing unto 
 Ifrael ;" there it was, that the word of the 
 Lord came unto him ^ and, in purfuance of 
 that divine miffion, he began to exercife his 
 office ^ there, whilft Jefus continued ^ at Na- 
 zareth in Galilee. 
 
 After the Baptift had preached in the hill- 
 country of the wildernefs of Judaea, near to 
 Hebron, the fuppofed place of his nativity, 
 and education, he came into the region ' about 
 Jordan, where Jerufalem, and * all Judaea, 
 went out to him, and were baptized. 
 
 " Numb. iv. 3. — I Cliron. xxiii. 3. 
 
 P What went ye out into tlie wildernefs to fee ? Luke vii. 
 
 ^ Matth. ii. 23, compared with iii. i. 
 
 ^ Luke iii. 4, « Matth. iii. 5. 
 
 Faith 
 
SERMON III. 65 
 
 Faith In the Meflias, then fpeedily coming 
 to his kingdom, was the ^ capital article of 
 his baptifmal exhortations ; and it has been 
 already fhewn, by what doctrines he en- 
 deavoured to remove impediments to his re- 
 ception, and by what charaiflers and attri- 
 butes he defcribed him. As thefe attri- 
 butes feem to be all, which John affigned to 
 the Meffias, before he had baptized him, 
 perhaps it may be allowable to infer, that no 
 other had been, as yet, revealed to the Bap- 
 tift. He was called and commiffioned to 
 manifeft the Meffias unto Ifrael ; and, with a 
 view to the accomplifhment of this office, 
 he was inftrud:cd to reprefent him, as far fu- 
 perior to himfelf in power and dignity, and 
 to afcribe to him the prerogative of baptizing 
 with the Holy Ghoft, and of immediately 
 cxercifing judgement upon Ifrael, and finally 
 upon the whole world ; and he had been in- 
 formed, that the perfon, upon whom he 
 fhould fee the Spirit defcend and remain, 
 was the fame, that fhould baptize with the 
 Holy Ghoft. 
 
 Thefe attributes of the Meffiah, and, as 
 it feems, thefe alone, having been revealed 
 
 * Mark i. 7. 
 
 E to 
 
66 SERMON III. 
 
 to John, either by the word of the Lord, at 
 his miflion, or by the Holy Ghoft, fince his 
 original call, he baptized in the wide and 
 •populous diftridl abovemcntioned, from the 
 time of his firlT: receiving the divine commif- 
 fion, till the Meffias met him at the river 
 Jordan. This necefTarily muft have been a 
 period of confiderable length -, and according 
 to the gofpel-writers, it was an interval of 
 fix months. The baptifmal dodrine, which 
 he delivered during the whole of this period, 
 feems to afford no evidences, that he had re- 
 ceived any more extenfive and particular in- 
 formation, concerning the Mefliah, or his 
 offices, than what the above abftrad contains. 
 
 From appearances therefore it may be pre- 
 fumed, that divine revelation had not, as yet, 
 acquainted him, who was the Meffiah j and 
 as this prefumption feems to be confirmed 
 by his exprefs alfertion, " I knew him not," 
 it will be attempted, in the remainder of 
 this difcourfe, to fix the fenfe of it, and the 
 time, to which it muft be reftrained. 
 
 If he is fuppofed to difclaim, a know- 
 ledge of the Meffiah's perfon ; then the ex- 
 preffion of the Evangelift, «* " he was in the 
 defarts, till the day of his fliewing unto 
 Ifrael," mud be taken ftridly, as overruling 
 " Luke I 80. any 
 
SERMON III. d-j 
 
 any fuppofition, that the Baptlft vifited Jeru- 
 lem, at feftival-feafons, according to the di- 
 redion of the law, with which Jefus of 
 Nazareth comphed. And it feems extremely 
 probable, that John did not conform to this 
 legal injundion, and that the EvangeHil 
 really intended to obviate any belief that he 
 obeyed it. For it may be obferved, that 
 John was fet apart for the baptifmal office, 
 and filled with the Holy Ghoft, from his 
 mother's womb. He might therefore all 
 along be guided to hold himfelf independent 
 of legal obligations. This would not be 
 without precedent in the cafe of Elias, the 
 declared type of the Baptift. While the law 
 confined the facrifical ads of religion to the 
 Temple, and the Temple-minifters, he held 
 a public facrifice on the top of '*' Carmel. 
 And, as the type is always inferior to the 
 antitype, and John was continually filled 
 with the Spirit, the fame divine diredion, 
 under which Elias had aded, may be fup- 
 pofed to have difcharged the Baptift alfo 
 from the reftridion of the Law. The 
 diligence and nicety, obferved by the Evan- 
 gelifts, in their relation of particulars, ap- 
 pears of great weight in this queftion. Their 
 
 ^ 1 King, xviii. 19. 
 
 E 2 account 
 
68 SERMON III. 
 
 account is this : that " the call of John hap- 
 pened ** in the wildernefs," and that he 
 preached there firfl, and then came, and 
 baptized, ** in all the region round about 
 Jordan," — and that, after fix months, Jefus 
 came from Nazareth in Galilee, "^ beyond 
 Jerufalem and Samaria, and met the Baptifl 
 at Jordan. As this accurate detail, of the 
 gradual circumftances, feems the natural re- 
 fult of an "" intention to reprefent Jefus of 
 Nazareth, and John, as perfonally unknown 
 to each other, the alTertion of the Baptift, 
 ** I knew him not," may reafonably be un- 
 derflood to imply, that he knew not the per- 
 fon of Jefus. 
 
 But it may alfo be taken in a fenfc, equi- 
 valent to that of a fimilar expreffion of Jefus 
 concerning John,** they knew him not,"which 
 relates not to the perfon, but the divine cha- 
 rad:er, of the Baptift. In perfon, as the 
 Baptift, John was clearly known j but he 
 was not received as that Elias, which was 
 for to come. In the fame fenfe, John might 
 
 " Lightfoot, Vol. II, p. 755. 
 
 * Samaria lay between ; and the journey from Galilee that 
 way to Jerufalem, would take up three days. Jofeph. in vit. et 
 Antiq. L. 2. C, 5. See Lightfoot Harmony, 3d part, p. 605. 
 
 * Compare Luke iir 51. Matth. xiii. 55. Mark vi. 33. 
 
 profefs 
 
SERMON III. 69 
 
 profefs, he knew not that Jefus was the. 
 Meffiah J and this conftrudion of his words 
 may perhaps be confirmed by the following 
 confiderations. 
 
 The fubftance of his preaching, before 
 the Meffias appeared, was this ; " there 
 Cometh one, mightier than I." He Vv'as 
 fufficiently qualified for delivering fuch a 
 notice, if he had been alTured, on divine au- 
 thority, that the mighty one would fpeedily 
 appear ; and fuppofing him to have known, 
 who it was, that fliould bear this great cha- 
 rader, the intelligence was apparently of no 
 prefent ufe, as this flage of his ofhce did not 
 require it. He was qualified both as a pro- 
 phet, and a forerunner, without it; and 
 God ufually reveals all, that is necef- 
 fary, but nothing premature or fuperfluous. 
 As therefore no evidences have occurred in 
 the baptifmal dodtrine, hitherto confidered, 
 that John really knew Jefus of Naza- 
 reth to be the Meflias, it feems a reafonable 
 inference, that fome few of his attributes 
 had been revealed to the Baptifl, but no de- 
 terminate indication given, that Jefus was the 
 mighty one, whofe coming he had predided. 
 
 When the abfolute appearance of the Mef- 
 fias required that he {l:iould be manifefled to 
 
 E 3 Ifrael, 
 
70 SERMON III. 
 
 Ifrael, in the fulleft latitude, then indeed it 
 would become indifpenfably neceffary, that 
 the Baptift fhould know him, in his divine 
 charadler 5 but it was not immediately requi- 
 fite, before the opportunity arrived of Shew- 
 ing him perfonally to the people. Upon 
 this footing then, the whole of that know- 
 ledge, which had been imparted to John, 
 either at his call, or fince, was ftridily ad- 
 jufted to the nature of his office, as forerun- 
 ner i and extended no further, than to qualify 
 him for that part of his miniftry, which has 
 been hitherto confidered. 
 
 As to the time, to which the words of the 
 Baptift, ** I knew him not," extend ; if they 
 are taken in the iirft of the two fenfes above- 
 mentioned, it comprehends nearly the v/hole 
 of his life ; if they are underftood in the 
 latter fenfe, the period, to which they relate, 
 commences with his call to the baptifmal 
 miniftry ; but in either cafe, expires upon 
 the coming of Jefus to his baptifm. And 
 
 perhaps the greateft ftrength of the aflertion, 
 may lie in this latter fenfe, and in this refe- 
 rence of it to a period, pofterior to the com- 
 mencement of his baptifmal miniftry. 
 
 The cafe then appears to ftand thus j it 
 may be prefumed, that John could not know 
 
 the 
 
SERMON IIL 
 
 71 
 
 the Meflias, without a divine revelation ; and 
 the fubftance of his dod:rine, as the Evange- 
 lifts deliver it, during his miniftry of half a 
 year, gives no evidence, that he knew the 
 Meffias, during that period ; and confequent- 
 ly, it feems to be credible, that he applied 
 the aftertion, *' I knev/ him not," in that 
 fenfe, and to that interval of time. Upon 
 the whole, there appears a fufficient reafon 
 to imagine, that the Baptift: intended to aflert, 
 that he knew not the perfon of Jefus, and alfo, 
 that revelation had never acquainted him, who 
 was the Meffias, before they met at the river 
 Jordan ; fo that, in fad, he had predided 
 the immediate coming of the Meflias, and 
 difclofed fome of his attributes, by virtue of 
 one revelation, but, at the fame time, was 
 left unable to know him, whenever he fhould 
 appear, without another. 
 
 E 4 S E R- 
 
( n ) 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 John i. 6, 7, 
 
 ^here was a man, fent from God, whofe name 
 was John — the fame came for a wiinefs — 
 
 L L the characflers of the Meffias, 
 which have been hitherto confidered, 
 were afcribed to him, before the 
 coming of Jefus to Jordan -, and the Baptift 
 feems to have difclaimed any knowledge of 
 him, previous to that interview, either as to 
 his perfon, or his office. Some reafons were 
 offered, at the conclufion of the former dif- 
 courfe, for interpreting the alTertion, '* I knew 
 him not," in both thefe fenfes ; and in the 
 laft of them, it was then apphed to all that 
 period of his baptifmal miniftry, in which 
 he continued ilri(^ly the forerunner. For 
 
 the 
 
74 S E R M O N IV. 
 
 the Baptift, confidered as only the prophet of 
 the Higheft, might have been fufficiently 
 qualified to prepare his way, without know- 
 ing him, either as to his perfon, or his divine 
 character, that is, without knowing Jefus of 
 Nazareth, as fuch, or that He was theMef- 
 fiah. 
 
 But there is another light, in which the 
 laft only of the Evangelifts feems to have re- 
 prefented the Baptift. He " came for a wit- 
 nefs," as well as a prophet ; and it appears 
 requifite to diftinguifh and feparate thefe 
 characters, fince the aflertion, " I knew him 
 not/' cannot extend to them equally, and be 
 applied, with the fame propriety, to the one, 
 as to the other ; which will be fhewn more 
 fully, as I proceed. — 
 
 As this difcourfe will treat of the teftimo- 
 ny of John, immediately fubfequent to that 
 interview, wherein the Meffias became known 
 to him ; and as that teflimony was grounded 
 principally upon the baptifm of Jefus, it will 
 be proper to begin with a view of that im- 
 portant tranfad:ion. 
 
 ** Jefus came from Nazareth of Galilee to 
 Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him — 
 but John forbad him — '* 
 
 ^ Matth. Hi. 1 3, andr Mark i. 9. 
 
 As 
 
SERMON IV. y^ 
 
 As the Meffias now confefTedly appeared, 
 he not only afcertained the divine milTion of 
 John, as his forerunner, by thus fullfilling 
 the principal prophecy, which he had deli- 
 vered, but alfo opened to the Baptift a new 
 and diftind: part of his office. Upon this 
 interview, John ceafed to be limply the 
 forerunner; and it became incumbent upon 
 him, in future, to bear teftimony that the 
 mighty one, whofe way he had prepared, and 
 whofe immediate coming he had predi(5ted, 
 was really come, and had manifefted himfelf 
 openly. 
 
 If therefore it be confidered, that the cir- 
 cumftances and office of John, were thus 
 altered, by the appearance of the Meffias at 
 Jordan, the cafe may poffibly feem to require 
 that his aflertion, ** I knew him not," fhould 
 be extended, as far as this interview, but not 
 beyond it. For, although the perfon of the 
 Meffias had not been revealed to the Baptiil, 
 before this meeting, as the tenor of his bap- 
 tifmal dodrine, and that dired affiertion, if 
 it has been rightly interpreted, feem to im- 
 ply -y yet, from his condud, during this in- 
 terview, it may be juftly concluded, that the 
 Meffias was made known to him then, by im- 
 niediate revelation. 
 
 Inftances 
 
•^^ S E R M O N IV. 
 
 Inftances occur in Scripture, which clafe- 
 ly refemble the prefent cafe. ** * The Lord 
 had told Samuel in his ear, to morrow I will 
 fend thee a man ; and thou fhalt anoint him 
 to be captain over my people Ifrael, that he 
 may fave my people out of the hand of the 
 Philiftines. And when Samuel fa w Saul, the 
 Lord faid unto him, behold the man whom 
 I told thee of j this fame fhall reign over 
 my people." 
 
 *' The fame prophet received another com- 
 miffion, refpeding the fucceflbr of Saul. 
 The Lord faid unto him ; " I will fend 
 thee to Jefle, the Bethlehemite, for I have 
 provided me a king among his fons. Call 
 Jefle to the facrifice, and I will fhew thee 
 what thou fhalt do ; and thpu fhalt anoint 
 unto me, him whom I name unto thee'* 
 When David appeared, ** the Lord faid, arife, 
 anoint him, for this is he." 
 
 Thefe paflages are here produced at length, 
 that the parallel between the cafe of Samuel, 
 and that of John, may fland in the ftrongeft 
 light. The prophet, on both thofe occafions, 
 received a commiflion to anoint the future 
 king ; yet then, and in the whole of the in- 
 
 " I Sam. ix, 15, *• \ Sam. xvi. ii, 12. 
 
 terval, 
 
SERMON IV. 
 
 n 
 
 terval, which preceded his appearance, Samuel 
 knew him not ; but when the king flood 
 before him, the prophet inftantly knew him 
 by another revelation -, and the cafe appears to 
 be the fame with the Baptift in both refpe(5ts. 
 That John knew the divine character of 
 Jefus, feems to be afcertained by his condu(5t 
 upon this occafion, as it marks in the moffc 
 lively and afFe(fling colours, his deep venera- 
 tion of the incomparable perfon, then before 
 him. He came to be baptized ; but John 
 forbad him ; in the language of humility 
 and awe, but not of authoritative refufal. 
 His own fpiritual neceffities, as they lay deep 
 in his mind, were immediate on his tongue j 
 ** I have need to be baptized of thee." He 
 made that profeflion of faith in him, who 
 would baptize with the Holy Ghoft, which 
 his own baptifmal docflrine had conftantly 
 enforced upon others. Like them, he need- 
 ed the baptifm of the Spirit ; and felt his 
 great unworthinefs to baptize his, as well as 
 
 ' In the laft of thefe two inftances, the prophet called all 
 the Sons of Jefle to the facrifice, not knowing which of them 
 the Lord had chofen — after Eliab, the reft of them paffed fuc- 
 ceflively before Samuel, and he faid unto Je/Te " the Lord 
 hath not chofen thefe." Revelation gave no direftion, re- 
 fpedting any of thefe — but when the youngeft of all came 
 in, the Lord faid immediately, *• this is he." 
 
 their, 
 
yS SERMON IV. 
 
 their. Mighty Superior j ** Comeft thou to 
 me ?'* — His hefitation incurred not the 
 flightefl rebuke ; it turned entirely upon the 
 fenfe of his own extreme inferiority. The 
 great perfon, then before him, faw it's prin- 
 ciple, and overruled it, in the gentleft man- 
 ner J '* fufFer it to be fo now, for thus it 
 becometh us to fulfil all ^ righteoufnefs." 
 From the turn of this pafTage, it feems 
 that Jefus fpake with a particular view, to 
 the circumftances of himfelf and the Bap- 
 tift, at the time, with refped: to their 
 feveral offices — as if he had faid more at 
 large ; that his hour of baptizing with the 
 Holy Gholl:, to which John had alluded, 
 was not yet arrived j although that, with 
 every other mighty work, affigned to him, 
 would be accomplillied in their appointed 
 feafon ; but, in the mean while, that his 
 miniftry was to begin here, and in this man- 
 ner — ** Then he fufFered him." 
 
 From this interefling conference, it may 
 
 •* Plato, cited by Scliultetus. Exercit. Evang. ad 1. S^khcic- 
 
 facer e qua fui funt viunerisy et non curicfum ejfe in negotiis alienis. 
 ^quum igitur Chrillus judicat, ut Johannes juftitiam fuam, 
 jpfe fuam, impleat; hoc eft, ut demandato fibi munere uter- 
 que defungatur. 
 
 be 
 
SERMON IV. 
 
 79 
 
 be poflible to define, with greater precifion 
 than before, the fubftance and extent of di- 
 vine revelation, refpedting the Meffias, hither- 
 to vouchfafed to John. For thence it ap- 
 pears, iirft, that the Baptift had not been, as 
 yet, acquainted, at what time and upon what 
 occafion, he Ibould fee the Spirit of God de- 
 fcend upon the Meflias ; or even that he 
 fhould ad:ually receive the baptifm of water. 
 If John, had been apprized, that, on the 
 baptifm of the Meflias, the Spirit would vi- 
 fibly defcend upon him, or even that it was 
 in the divine intention, that he fhould bap- 
 tize him ', all hefitation, on his part, from 
 whatever principle of comparative felf-abafe- 
 ment it might arife, would have been ante- 
 cedently overruled. He would moft pro- 
 bably have hafted to the accompiifliment of 
 his office, in this point, as it would authen- 
 ticate the divine miffion of Jefus and his 
 own, rather than have delayed it by the 
 fmalleft reluctance. As this then appears 
 
 a new example, that divine revelation had 
 not hitherto fully informed the Baptift, in all 
 points, that refpedted the Meffias, and even 
 his own miniftry ; it may help to confirm an 
 inference, already made, that the particular 
 
 perfon 
 
8o SERMON IV. 
 
 * perfon of the Meflias had not been revealed 
 to him, at his original miflion. 
 
 But it is more material to obferve, from 
 this tranfadtion, that Jefus evidently dictated 
 to John the counfel of God concerning his 
 own baptifm. The Holy Ghoft, with which 
 the Baptift had been filled from the womb, 
 appears here to have given him no dire<5tion. 
 The words of Jefus, were left to fupply the 
 place of the Spirit's influence ^ and the au- 
 thority and infpiration of Jefus, even before 
 he was anointed with the Spirit, were, in 
 fad, attefted by John, when he obeyed his 
 requifition, in a cafe, wherein revelation from 
 God had not previoufly inftrudled him, and 
 wherein alfo his own mind had fuggefted an 
 oppoiite condu(ft. 
 
 Since then, according to the foregoing 
 circumflances, the Baptift: apparently knew 
 that the Meflias then ft:ood before him, he 
 could not, it may be prefumed, baptize him, 
 as a difclple. For, in whatever points, the 
 baptifm of water was accommodated to the 
 converts of John, in all of them, it was 
 evidently unfuitable to the Meflias. Jefus 
 therefore mufl: have received it upon fome 
 
 ^ See the clofe of the lafl difcourfe. 
 
 other 
 
S E R M O N IV. 8i 
 
 other principle ; and the Scripture feems to 
 indicate, that he was publlckly ^ confecrated 
 to the prieflhood of the Gofpel, by baptifm, 
 as the ^ priefts of the law were ufhered into 
 their miniftry, by the wafliing of water. 
 He became fubjedt to the law for man ; and 
 •^ in all things it behoved him to be made 
 like unto his brethren, that he might be, not 
 only a merciful, but alfo a faithful, high 
 prieft, in things pertaining to God, to make 
 reconciliation for the fins of the people. 
 
 To proceed — This inaugural ceremony 
 was fcarcely concluded, when ' the heavens 
 were opened, and the Spirit of God defcend- 
 ed, in a bodily fliape, and, in the fight of 
 John, and of the furrounding multitude, 
 ^ refted upon Jefus. He was thus ** ' anoint- 
 ed with the Holy Ghoft, and with power i" 
 and through the whole of his miniilry upon 
 
 ' According to prophecy; Pfalm xlv. 7. Ifai. Ixi. i. 
 
 8 Exod. xxix. 4. 7. Levii. viii. 6. See Lightfoot, Vol, II. 
 476. 
 
 fc Hebr. ii. 17. 
 
 ^ Ifaiah xi. 2. — Abarbanel, on this place obfcrves, that 
 the rejiing of the Spirit upon the Meffiah, was one of his 
 pretogatives. 
 
 ' Ads X. 38. — The fubftance of that coramifllon, which 
 this undlion gave him, is recited by himfelf, in the words of 
 Jfaiah, Luke iv. 18, 19. 
 
 F , earth. 
 
82 S E R M O N VL 
 
 earth, his miracles were wrought, his doc- 
 trines and prophecies were delivered, by 
 virtue of that Spirit, which at this time de- 
 fcended and remained upon him. The 
 
 voice of the Father immediately followed, 
 ** "" this is my beloved Son, in whom I am 
 well-pleafed." In fad:, this was the baptif- 
 mal form of the Mefllas ; for by the title of 
 his beloved Son, the Father " glorified 
 Jefus to be an high-prieft, and, at the fame 
 time, declared the fufficiency and fuccefs of 
 his facerdotal miniflry, " in thee I am '^ well- 
 
 *™ Mark i. r I. Luke ili. 22, &:c. — Quod alius dicit, in quo 
 mihi complacui ; alius, in te complacui ; alius in te compla- 
 cuit mihi ; fi quceris quid horum in ilia voce fonuerit, quod- 
 libet accipe, dummodo intelligas eos, qui non eandem locu- 
 tionem retulerunt, eandem retulifle fententiam. Auguft, Lib- 
 2. de Conf. Evang. c. 14. 
 
 " Compare 2 Pet. i. 17. fq. wliere The Voice of the Fa- 
 ther is urged as a powerful teftimony to Jefus j and to this 
 Voice he himfelf probably refers, John v. 37. See Macknight 
 on Har, §- 142. lot xlye* ivti UK 'i^in fxiy^Hoi h ifiif, that is, 
 ye have not retained in your minds his word, when he bore 
 witnefs of nie, from heaven. Compare Heb. ii. i, v^orix,uv 
 roli uKisS-^a-i is equivalent to Aoysp ^pc^' [x.ivitlx, and ^ocfx^^vtiv, 
 to the contrary. 
 
 ° See Budseus Comm.Ling.Gr.3i6.Schmid,ad I. Chemnitius 
 thinks, that St. Paul alludes to this Voice of the Father. Coloff.i. 
 19. Of the original word, which the Seventy render by i'u^exitf, 
 frequent ufe is made, when God is faid to receive a facrilice 
 favourably, or not. Levit. xix.7.X'Xii-<' 23,27.Pfalmli.i5.1faiah 
 liii. 10. " the pleafure of the LOrd ihall profper in his hand.'* 
 The Chald. Par. on this Chap, fays, that it was the good 
 pleafure of the Lord to forgive all fins for his (the Meffiah's) 
 fake ; that fo they might fee the kingdom of the Meffias. 
 • Braun. 
 
S E R M O N IV. 2^ 
 
 pleafed." The dodlrine of the Apoftles 
 
 fully illuftrates this laft expreffion. Accord- 
 ing to them, the fource of human falvation, 
 and of all fpiritual blefllngs, is kv^oKia. esS, 
 the good pleafure of his will in Chrift. The 
 Redeemer himfelf therefore profefies to the 
 Father; "in burnt-offerings and facrifices for 
 fin thou haft had no pleafure— lo, I come, to 
 do thy will, O God ;" — and by this will 
 we are fandiiied, through the offering of 
 that body, which God had prepared for the 
 Meffias, and the Father hath made us ac- 
 cepted in the Beloved, He pleafed the Fa- 
 ther, and thereby prevailed with him, in be- 
 half of men, becaufe he was the Son of 
 God ', and to this conftrudtion the paffage, as 
 it was pronounced by the Father, appears 
 immediately to lead ; but the contrary 
 opinion, that, becaufe he had pleafed the 
 Father, he became the Son of God, reverfes 
 the tenor, and feems to deftroy the force, of 
 the fentence. 
 
 p Immediately, that is, probably, before 
 
 Braun. ad Hebr. p. 627, et Seledla Sacr. pag. 358. Hence 
 the Meffiah's miniftry is called the " acceptable year" of the 
 Lord, and the Lord is faid to have, or not to have, " plea- 
 fure" in facrifice. Ephef. i. 5. Heb. x. 6. 
 f Mark i. xz. 
 
 F 2 fufficient 
 
84 SERMON IV. 
 
 fufficient time had been given to the Baptifb, 
 for pointing out Jefus, as the Meffias, to the 
 people, the Spirit led him up into the wil- 
 dernefs, to undergo the temptation. But as 
 John was now enabled to enlarge his bap- 
 tifmal dodrine very confiderably, in confe- 
 quence of the MelTiah's adtual appearance ; 
 he accordingly referred to it in his firft 
 teftimony, fubfequent to the baptifm of 
 Jefus. He declared to the multitude, who 
 had been, either actually prefent at this mira- 
 culous tranfaiftion, or, at leaft, made acquaint- 
 ed with it i " ^ this was he, of whom I fpake, 
 he that cometh after me, is preferred before 
 me, for he was before me." This defig- 
 
 nation of the Meflias, is nearly, although 
 not abfolutely, perfonal ; and the Baptift ap- 
 parently fpeaks, of one, who had been lately 
 prefent, and to perfons, who then had feen 
 
 him. 
 
 The attribute, which is contained in the 
 words, ** he was before me," is a new ground 
 of dignity, and furpalTes any charader of the 
 Meflias, which John had mentioned, before 
 the baptifm of Jefus. This feems therefore 
 another example, that the charadler of the 
 MefTias was only gradually unfolded to the 
 
 •> John i. 15. 
 
 Baptift. 
 
S E R M O N IV. 85 
 
 Baptift. It llkewife appears from hence, 
 
 that the Holy Ghoft, which had notified thj 
 perfon of the Meffias to John, fuggefted alfo 
 this eminent attribute of his preexiflence, 
 when that occafion was come, which imme- 
 diately required the application of it. For 
 Jefus had received the baptifm of John, 
 which appeared, even to the Baptift, incom- 
 patible with the preeminence of the Meilias 5 
 and he had made no difplay of that extraor- 
 dinary might, which John had propheticaDy 
 attributed to him. Thefe circumilances 
 would rather tend to weaken the effecl of the 
 previous declaration of the Baptift, that he, 
 who came after him, was unfpeakably his 
 fuperior in power and dignity. The attri- 
 bute therefore of prcexiftence feems to have 
 been dictated by the Spirit, and to have been 
 afcribed to the Meflias by the Baptift, in or- 
 der to aggrandize his charadier, upon a new 
 and ftronger ground, at that time, and under 
 thofe particular circumftances, when it was 
 moft immediately required. This artri- 
 
 bute appears to have been grounded upon 
 that interpretation of the title. Son of God, 
 which the Holy Spirit, the continual guide 
 and inftrudor of the Baptift, in all neceliary 
 cafes, had fuggefted to him upon this occa- 
 
 F 3 fion i 
 
86 SERMON IV. 
 
 fion ; and he feems to have been led by the 
 fame divine influence, to ground upon that 
 title, other charadlers of the Meffias, which 
 remain to be confidered in their place. 
 
 But to proceed — During the temptation 
 of the Meffias, the Jewifh council, by a de- 
 putation of priefts and Levites to JoJin, in- 
 quired into the divine charad:er, which he 
 aifumed. It was the ^ prerogative of that 
 council, to examine and decide upon every 
 claim of this kind ; and the anfwer of the 
 Baptift, to this judicial meffage, was to con- 
 ftitute that evidence, upon which the coun- 
 cil virtually profefTed to admit or difallow his 
 divine miffion. This is implied in the lan- 
 guage of the mefTengers ^ " v/ho art thou ? 
 that we may give an anfwer to them that 
 fent us." It may therefore be expedted, that 
 the anfwer of the Baptift, upon this occafion, 
 fhould produce the true criterion of his pro- 
 phetical charadler. His reply accordingly 
 affigned it. After therein explaining the na- 
 ture, and limiting the extent, of his office, 
 he attefted, as he had done moft probably 
 during the laft forty days, that the Meffias 
 
 ^ This is implied in Luke xiii. 33. — See Lightfoot Har- 
 mony, 2d part 521. 
 
 had 
 
SERMON IV. 87 
 
 had really appeared, and would fpeedily ma- 
 nifeft himfelf openly in his preeminent mi- 
 niftry ; ** there ' ftandeth one among you, 
 whom ye know not ', he it is, who, coming 
 after me, is preferred before me." By this 
 anfwer, he virtually gave teflimony to the 
 council itfelf, that the Meflias was abfolute- 
 ly come, and, by his adtual appearance in 
 Ifrael, had fulfilled that prophecy of his ap- 
 proach, which, as they knew, John con- 
 ftantly had delivered, during that period, in 
 which he had baptized Jerufalem, and all 
 Judasa, and the region round about Jordan. 
 So that, in fad:, he urged the accompiiih- 
 ment of his capital prophecy, as forerunner, 
 in proof of his mifiion from God j and it 
 was formerly obferved, that this criterion was 
 the intended and fufficient evidence of it. 
 
 Befides, ** ' thefe things were done, inBetha- 
 bara, where John was baptizing," and there- 
 fore, moft probably, in the hearing of fome 
 difciples, who had feen Jefus receive baptifm, 
 and heard their mailer almofl immediuteiy 
 teftify, "this was he;" and confequeiitly 
 were enabled to corroborate, what the Baptill 
 
 ' John i. 26. Wolf, ad 1. " Standeth, i. e. miniftereth." 
 Comp. Zech, iii. 7. Grot, ad John iii. 29. 
 » John i. 28. 
 
 F 4 affirmed 
 
88 S E R M O N IV. 
 
 affirmed in his anfwer to the Levites. The 
 information then, which the melTengers had 
 an opportunity of carrying back from Betha- 
 bara to the council, was particular and 
 ample, as it comprehended both thefe cir- 
 cumftances ; firft, that John really bore a 
 divine commiffion, fince his prediction, of 
 the immediate approach of the Meffias, had 
 been fulfilled ; and, laftly, that the MefiTias, 
 upon receiving his baptifm, had been openly 
 attefted in a miraculous manner from heaven. 
 Thus, that the vifit of the Levites to John, 
 happened after he had baptized Jefus, was a 
 circumftance of confiderable advantage in the 
 queflion, concerning the prophetical charadler 
 of the Baptift, which had been the caufe of 
 their coming j for the firft certain and un- 
 queftionable evidence of the divine mifiion 
 of John, arofe from the baptifm of Jefus, 
 and his anfwer to the mefiTengers accordingly 
 affigned it. The providence of God had, as 
 it feems, fo adjufted events and circumftances 
 to the counfel of his own will, that when 
 the claim of the Baptift, to an infpired cha- 
 rafter, was examined by that judicial authori- 
 ty, which prefcribed to the people in allow- 
 ing or reje(5ting it, he had been already 
 enabled to affign the completion of his 
 
 prophecy. 
 
SERMON IV, 89 
 
 prophecy, as forerunner, for a plain creden- 
 tial of his divine commiffion ; which he 
 could not have done, at any period of his 
 miniftry, prior to the baptifm of Jefus. And 
 lince the council did not condemn him for a 
 falfe prophet, they ought in obedience to the 
 law, and upon their own principles, to have 
 received his teftimony, as a true one. 
 
 To proceed ; On the next day, * as it ap- 
 pears, to the vifit of the Levites, Jefus re- 
 turned from the temptation, and prefented 
 himfelf again to John. This firft opportu- 
 nity of executing his office, in the utmofl: 
 extent, was immediately embraced by the 
 Baptift, and he applied to him this fignal 
 and interefting attribute, ** Behold, the 
 Lamb of God !" This indication of the 
 Meffias is perfonal, and, as fuch, John im- 
 mediately purfues it -, ** this is he, of whom 
 I faid, after me cometh a man, which is 
 preferred before me." 
 
 When he thus ftyled him perfonally. 
 Lamb of God, he feems to have refpe<fted 
 the facrifice of Chrift for fin, as the remain- 
 der of the claufe implies, " who taketh away 
 the fins of the world." 
 
 » See John i. 29. 
 
 Indeed 
 
90 SERMON IV. 
 
 Indeed, all the piacular oblations of the 
 law, whether made day by day continually, 
 or only at ftated times, had their confumma- 
 tion in him, as their antitype ; and that the 
 " pafchal Lamb, in particular, was a type of 
 the Meflias, appears evident from the Scrip- 
 tural application of the prophecy, <* "^ a bone 
 of him fhall not be broken >" and the pafT- 
 over, in the Jewifh fenfe, denoted redemp- 
 tion. But the Meffiah cannot be con- 
 fidered as a jufl antitype, either to the Lamb 
 of the daily facrifice, or to that of the paff- 
 over, unlefs his death had an expiatory pur- 
 pofe and effed:. Accordingly, the Apoftles 
 reprefent him facrificed for us, as a Lamb 
 without fpot, and as our paflbver. He has 
 obtained the redemption of man, not merely 
 becaufe he was fpotlefs, but alfo, becaufe he 
 was flain ; partly, by his unblemilhed righte- 
 oufnefs, but much more, by his precious 
 blood. So that by the full import of the 
 
 " The Baptift allude?, either to the Lamb of the daily Ta- 
 crifice, (Lightfoot's Harmony, 2d part 529) or to the 
 Pafchal Lamb, Bochart Hieroz. part ift. Lib. ii. C. 50, See 
 
 Huet. D. E. 729. Deyling. Obf. Sacr. p. 254. part iii. 
 
 — Epiphan. H^ref 8. Frifchmuth. Diff. de Agno Pafchali.— • 
 I Pet. i. 19. Rom. iii. 25. v. 9. Heb. ix, 14. x. 19. Apoc. 
 V. 9, 7. 14. 
 
 " Pfalm xx;£iv. 20. John xix. 36. 
 
 attribute 
 
SERMON IV. 
 
 91 
 
 attribute, Lamb of God, the Baptift, in fad:, 
 oppofed Jefus to all the Levitical offerings, 
 and pointed him oat as the great facrifice, 
 which God had ordained, and would accept, 
 for univerfal expiation of fm. It may be 
 
 further obferved from this attribute, that the 
 characfter of the Meffiah fcems now to have 
 been revealed to John, more exteniively, than 
 before. For, the Baptift had prophetically re- 
 prefented him, as the object of faith, and given 
 teftimony that the Father from heaven had de- 
 clared himfelf well-pleafed in him, as his be- 
 loved Son ; but he had not hitherto affigned,the 
 principal ground of that faith, or the reafon of 
 that good pleafure. But John, at once, en- 
 larged his former predidion, and carried it 
 to the utmoft extent ; and alfo, illuftrated 
 fully the force and import of the Voice from 
 heaven, by now afcribing both remiffion of 
 lins, and the good pleafure of the Father, to 
 the facrifice of the Meffiah, as Lamb of 
 God. And, as the difciples of Chrift un- 
 derftood not this charader of the Meffias, 
 till he had opened their underftandings, after 
 his refurredion, and given them a clearer 
 notion of that attribute -, fo neither, it may 
 be prefumed, could John have feen and 
 affigned the real ground of human juftifica- 
 
 tion. 
 
92 S E R M O N IV. 
 
 tion, and of the Father's good-pleafure, in 
 the Meflias, without a divine revelation, of 
 more extent and precifion, than could be 
 traced in his dodlrine, before the baptifm of 
 Jefus. For the attribute. Lamb of God, 
 implies the v^'hole of that which an Apoftle, 
 after the defcent of the Holy Spirit on the 
 difciples, thus comprehenfively defcribed * ; 
 ** God hath predeftinated us unto the adop- 
 tion of children by Jefus Chrift, according 
 to the good pleafure of his will, to the praife 
 of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath 
 made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom 
 we have redemption through his blood, the 
 forgivenefs of fins.'* As the Meflias 
 
 came principally to fulfil this chara(5ter of 
 redeemer by his death, it was impoflible to 
 point him out to the people, by a more 
 ftriking and endearing attribute. And, upon 
 this occafion, the Gofpel-writer accumulates 
 fome preceding teftimonies of the Baptift, 
 and reprefents him as applying them all per- 
 fonally to Jefus. ** ^ Behold the Lamb of 
 God, which taketh away the fins of the 
 world ! This is he, of whom I faid, after 
 me Cometh a man, which is preferred before 
 me : for he was before me — and I knew 
 
 * Eph. i. 5. T John i. 29. 
 
 him 
 
SERMON IV. 93 
 
 him not ; but that he (hould be made ma- 
 nifeft unto Ifrael, therefore am I come bap- 
 tizing with water — (and John bare record, 
 faying, I faw the Spirit, defcending from hea- 
 ven, Hke a dove, and it abode upon him) and 
 I knew him not ; but he that fent me to 
 baptize with water, the fame faid unto me, 
 upon whom thou fhalt fee the Spirit defcend- 
 ing and remaining on him ; the fame is he 
 which baptizeth with the Holy Ghoft ; and 
 I faw, and bare record that this is the Son 
 of God." As the great perfonal attribute. 
 Son of God, in the clofe of this extract, 
 will be confidered in the next difcourfe -, 
 fome obfervations, upon a part only of this 
 paflage, remain to be offered at prefent. 
 
 The Baptift afferts ; "I knew him not, 
 but that he fhould be made manifeft unto 
 Ifrael, therefore am I come, baptizing with 
 water." Upon applying here what was '^ for- 
 merly obferved on the aflertion, " I knew 
 not," this whole claufe may poffibly be allowed 
 to import, that the purpofe of the baptifmal 
 miniftry, namely, to manifeft the MeiTias to 
 Ifrael, was revealed to John, when he re- 
 ceived the commiffion to baptize j but that 
 the individual perfon of the MefTias, and the 
 
 * See the clofe of lafl: difcourfe. 
 
 par- 
 
94 S E R M O N JV. 
 
 particular incident, wherein he would be- 
 come known to John, as fuch, were neither 
 of them revealed to him, at his original call, 
 or at any time, that preceded the coming of 
 Jefus tojordan. It was then, that he ceafed to 
 be ftridly the forerunner, and became proper- 
 ly a witnefs ; and it was then, that he knew 
 him by another revelation. The whole verfe is 
 fet down by the Gofpel- writer, as the continu- 
 ed language of the Baptifl. Thiscircumftance, 
 as it appears, requires to be carefully noted ; 
 for the cafe feems otherwife with the verfe 
 enfuing. In that, the Evangelift breaks off 
 the words of the Baptifl, to affign that emi- 
 nent inftance, wherein the baptifm of water 
 had, in fad, brought on the manifeftation of 
 the Mefiias to Ifrael. He fpeaks in his own 
 perfon, though he applies the exprefs tefti- 
 mony of the Baptift to the great incident. — ' 
 ** And John bare record, faying, I faw the 
 Spirit defcending from heaven, like a dove, 
 and it abode upon him." The verfe feems 
 elliptical, and may be thus filled up, by re- 
 curring to the words that preceded ; and 
 John bare record, faying, the baptifm of 
 v/ater did really manifefl the Mefiias to Ifrael, 
 forafmuch as I faw the Spirit defcending 
 from heaven, and it abode upon him, on 
 
SERMON IV. 95 
 
 Ti^ectfzoLi TO 'zxTviv^A. "■ This ^ parenthefis of the 
 Gofpel-writer fpecifies only from what cir- 
 cumftance John manifefled the Meffias to 
 Ifrael, not that from which the Baptift knew 
 him. On account of that period, which 
 he had thus interpofed, and to reftore the 
 connection between the verfe, immediately 
 following the parenthefis, and that which 
 preceded it, and to alleviate the interruption, 
 which the Evangelifl had occafioned by thus 
 interpofing a fentence, he has repeated the 
 difclaiming claufe, " I knew him not," and 
 with it again introduced the exprefs words of 
 the Baptift. If therefore the firft and laft of 
 the three verfes be thrown together, and the 
 repetition ftill preferved, their import may 
 be thus reprefented ; I knew him not, but 
 was expreflly fent to manifeft him unto 
 Ifrael by the baptifm of water. — I knew 
 
 y Another inftance of a parenthefis, fomewhat fimilar to 
 this, occurs in ver. 14.. of this chapter, — 'o Ao'y©- er«^| 'lyimot 
 y^ 'tTKKvuTii £» iiiMv (>^ i'>[itiira.fAi^x tIm H^xr uvri, ^\cci ui 
 fAwyii^i •Botfk rrxT^oi) ^Ao'gJi? ^tipiT®- j^ aXi/ideiui. There will 
 be no neceffity, with fome critics, for underilanding w^h'^jj?, 
 •as put for the accufative, zr^ii'^jjv, if the parenthefis here be 
 taken as a whole by itfelf, in which the Evangelifl gave an 
 inftance, of thevifible glory of the Logos, in his tabernacle 
 of the flelh, namely, in the Transfiguration, to which Peter 
 refers in his fecond Epiftle, i. 17, 18; 
 
 him 
 
96 SERMON IV. 
 
 him not, but v/as informed that he it was, 
 on whom I fhould fee the Spirit defcend and 
 abide, who fhould baptize with the Holy 
 Ghoft. The Baptift mentions two points, 
 that were made known to him at his ori- 
 ginal call, and alfo indicates another, that 
 was left, at that time, unrevealed -, and he 
 appears not to have given any intimation, 
 that he fhould not, or that he did not, know 
 the Meffias, till the vifible defcent of the 
 Spirit upon him. 
 
 The inconfiftency, which has been fup- 
 pofed to fubfift between the aflertion, " I 
 knew him not," and his words to Jefus, at 
 Jordan, ** I have need to be baptized of 
 thee," feems entirely to have arifen, from 
 extending the meaning of the claufe, I 
 knew him not, beyond that point of time, 
 when Jefus prefented himfelf to be baptized. 
 At that inflant, as it was before obferved, 
 he became known to John, and continued 
 fo, while he performed his baptifmal office, 
 and when the Spirit defcended ; and the 
 Baptift feems not, either in this paiTage or 
 any other, to have given juft ground for 
 fuppofing, that he baptized Jefus upon any 
 other footing, than as the Meffias, confefTedly 
 
 known ; 
 
SERMON IV. 
 
 97 
 
 known ; and has only faid, that him, whom 
 he was fent to manifeft, and on whom he 
 fliould fee the Spirit defcend, he knew not. 
 This feems the whole import of the verfes 5 
 and they relate rather to the means of mani- 
 fefting the Meffias to Ifrael, than of revealing 
 him to John ; which points appear entirely 
 diftind:, and materially different. For this 
 
 fenfible fign was the evidence, intended to be 
 given byjohn, of the divine charader of Jefus. 
 This ufe of it was at iirft explained to him, and 
 to this he was dire(fted. And although the 
 f]gn did not notify the Meffias to him, yet it 
 was of great weight in the profecution of 
 his office. It made him a witnefs, in that 
 fame inftance, wherein he had been only a 
 prophet before. His former prediction 
 might ftill be delivered, but with the ad- 
 vantage of being confirmed and juflified 
 by the fign — " he fliall baptize you with the 
 Holy Ghoft," for I faw it defcend and abide 
 upon him. And when the Baptifl attefled 
 the defcent of the Spirit upon Jefus, he ap- 
 pealed, in fad:, to a fignal and publick miracle, 
 in behalf of his own infpired characfter. 
 As he did no miracle, he could not have 
 afferted, ** this is the Son of God," upon any 
 flronger ground, than divine revelation to 
 
 G himfelf. 
 
9$ S E R M O N IV. 
 
 himfelf, if the fenfible fign, of the defcent of 
 the Spirit upon Jefus, could not have been 
 urged by him, as a divine atteflation to his own 
 veracity. So that the fign v^ras of great im- 
 portance, even to the Baptift, although it was 
 not wanted to notify the Mefiias to him. 
 
 This paffage then, if the illuftration of it, 
 here offered, may be admitted, will tend, to- 
 gether with the general fubftance of this 
 difcourfe, to fupport the following conclu- 
 lions — that, authority to ad, as the fore- 
 runner and witnefs to the Meffias, was given 
 to John, at his call, but that a confiderable part 
 of his qualifications, for the difcharge of thofe 
 offices, was imparted to him, during his 
 miniftry ; and that, as he could not have 
 undertaken fuch a baptifm of water, and 
 have known the divine purpofe, intended by 
 it, except by the word of the Lord originally -, 
 io neither could he thus have conducted it 
 with fuccefs, through fituations,which he did 
 not forefee, without continual infpiration 
 from God. 
 
 SER- 
 
( 99 ) 
 
 SERMON V. 
 
 John i. 7. 
 
 ^hefame came for a witnefsy to bear witnefs of 
 the light t that all men through him might 
 believe. 
 
 A I i H E baptlfmal do(ftrmes and prophe- 
 i cies of John, as the forerunner, 
 have been already difcufled ; but his 
 teftimonies, as the witnefs of the MefTias, 
 having been, as yet, illuftrated only in part, 
 I proceed, at prefent, to fpeak of thofe, 
 which were delivered by the Baptift, after 
 Chrift had adually coUeded difciplcs, and 
 alTumed a prophetical charader. 
 
 For this purpofe, the great attribute of 
 Chrift, as Son of God, may properly be 
 confidered -, and as the fenfe, in which John 
 
 G 2 under- 
 
100 SERMON V. 
 
 underftocd that title, may perhaps be deter- 
 mined by thofe teftimonies, that will occur 
 in the prefent difcourfe, the illuftration of 
 that attribute has been referved to this place. 
 
 *« I faw and * bare record, that this is the 
 Son of God." The words may poffibly im- 
 ply, that John had commonly afcribed this 
 title to Jefus, before he returned from the 
 temptation, and had again prefented himfelf 
 to the Baptift. But however that may be, 
 the attribute is here applied perfonally to 
 Jefus ', and the words of the Baptifl bear an 
 evident reference, both to the defcent of the 
 Spirit upon Jefus, which he faw,and to the voice 
 ot the Father, which he heard. The defcent 
 of the Spirit, was a fign, to him and to the 
 |)eople, that Jefus (hould baptize with the 
 Holy Ghoft J and the Voice from heaven, 
 was a new revelation, that he was the 
 beloved Son of God. The Baptift, as 
 the witnefs to the Mefliah, was thereby 
 enabled to aflign the ground of thofe attri- 
 butes, which, as forerunner, he had prophe- 
 tically afcribed to him ; and the words of the 
 Father, ** thou art my beloved Son," as 
 
 * " f4,iixx^rijf)fK», have borne record." 
 
 they 
 
SERMON V. loi 
 
 they were underftood by John, immediately 
 led to the attribute, ** he was before me," 
 which the Baptift had not afcribed to the 
 Meffias, till after the Voice from heaven. 
 What John afferted in that attribute, was 
 equally true of the MefTiah's miniftry, as a 
 prophet, and of his exiftence, as a man. He 
 came after the Baptift in both refpeds ; and 
 of courfe, the attribute, ** he was before 
 me," had no relation to either of thefe 
 fenfes -, for, upon that footing, John would 
 direftly contradicft his own previous tef- 
 timony, as well as the reft of the Gof- 
 pel-hiftory of Chrift. It feems then, 
 that, whatever authority the title, beloved 
 Son of God, gave the Baptift, for repre- 
 fenting Jefus, as antecedent to him, it muft 
 afford him the fame for afterting, that Jefus 
 pre-exifted as Son of God ; and therefore, 
 that he applied this title perfonally to him, 
 in that ftrid fenfe, wherein Jefus afterwards 
 aflumed it. 
 
 But other expreHions of the Baptift, in the 
 further difcharge of his office, as a witnefs, 
 will contribute to fhew, that he applied the 
 attribute, beloved Son of God, as expreffive 
 of perfonal, and not only of official, dignity 
 in Chrift. 
 
 G 3 For, 
 
ioa SERMON V. 
 
 For, foon after his baptifm, Jefus began 
 to call difciples, and at Jerufalem, during 
 the PafTover, authoritatively ^ expelled from 
 the temple, thofe who profaned his Fa- 
 ther's houfe, wrought miracles, and delivered 
 his dodtrines openly. His difciples alfo, 
 acting under his immediate commiffion, 
 *: baptized the people in Judaea, unto faith in 
 the Meffiah, as John did before, and ^ even 
 at that very time -, and Jefus returned not 
 into Galilee, until he ** " knew how the 
 Pharifees had heard that he made and bap- 
 tized more difciples, than John." It feems 
 to have been his intention, to bring on a 
 comparifon between himfelf and the Baptift ; 
 that occafion might from thence be given to 
 John, before his own miniftry expired, of 
 bearing teftimony to Jefus in the a(flual exer- 
 cife of his prophetical office. 
 
 Accordingly, a difpute arofe concerning 
 the two baptifms, in which the difciples of 
 John took the lead againft the Jews, and 
 complained to their mafter, that his province 
 was invaded, and the credit and fuccefs of 
 his own miniftry furpafled. ** ^ Rabbi, he that 
 
 '' John. ii. 15, '^ John iii. 22. compared with iv. 2. 
 
 * John iii. 23. ' John iv. i . ' John iii. 26. 
 
 was. 
 
SERMON V. 
 
 103 
 
 was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou 
 bareft witnefs, behold, the fame baptizeth, 
 and all men come unto him." This drew 
 from the Baptift an anfwer, that, in fome 
 particulars, ftrongly implies, in what an 
 exalted fenfe he applied the title. Son of 
 God. 
 
 He began with afTuring his difciples, that 
 the fuccefs of Jefus, and his own, were both 
 given from above, in a jufl proportion to 
 the difparity of their offices ; fince he was 
 the forerunner only, but Jefus was the 
 ^ Bridegroom and ^ Lord of the Church, that 
 fpiritual bride, which was deftined for him 
 alone. — if flie was difpofed to meet him 
 with affection and duty -, if ihe was received 
 and welcomed with his favour, it was all, 
 that his own miffion from God had given 
 him ' to accomplifh ; it was all, that it left 
 him to defire — •' this my joy therefore is 
 fulfilled" — he muft increafe, but I muft 
 decreafe. " 
 
 After this, he enlarges on the dignity of 
 Chrift, confidering him, as he goes on, in 
 
 8 Ifaiah Hv. 5, 6. Ixii. 5. Jerem. iii. 14. Matth. xxii. 2; 
 Ephef. V. 27. Rev. xxi. 9, 
 
 ^ Pfalm xlv. n. * 2 Corinth, xi. 2. 
 
 G 4 the 
 
104 SERMON V. 
 
 the light of a publick teacher, at that time 
 aftually difcharging his office. 
 
 " He that cometh from above, is ^ above 
 all." — He taught, what the Apoftles after- 
 vi'ards more fully fet forth, that the 
 Meffiah was not taken from among men, 
 but came down ^ from heaven — "" that 
 he had by inheritance obtained a more ex- 
 cellent name than angels, and, both by his 
 miffion and original, was above all, whether 
 " prophets of the earth, or ° miniftering fpirits 
 of heaven, 
 
 " What he hath feen and heard that he 
 teftifieth" — Prophets, who came not im- 
 mediately from heaven, and were not, like 
 Him, "-above all," could make no fuller 
 difcoveries to men of divine things, than 
 their imperfecfl faculties were able to re- 
 ceive. But the teftimony of the Son of 
 God is founded upon his own unlimited and 
 intuitive knowledge. 
 
 ** And no man receiveth his teftimony." 
 — This feems a direct prophecy of the Mef- 
 fiah's rejeftion by the Jews 3 but without 
 contradid:ing a preceding claufe, ** he mufl 
 
 ^ Rcqi, ix, {J. Compare 1 Cor'nth. xv. 47. 
 • John iii. 31. « Hebr. i, 4. " Heb. i. i, 2. 
 
 » Heb. i. 14. 
 
 increafe.'' 
 
SERMON V. 
 
 105 
 
 increafe." Their relation is different ; for 
 the fuccefs of the Meffiah's miniftry is one 
 thing, but his rejedion by the body of the 
 Ifraehtifh nation, is another ; and both are 
 predi(5ted by the Baptift. 
 
 ** He that hath received his teftimony 
 hath P fet to his feal, that God is true." 
 Hitherto the law and the prophets had pro- 
 phefied ; but now the age of accomplifli- 
 ment was come. Chrift is the end of the law, 
 and '^ the vifion and the prophecy are fealed up, 
 as ** ' all the promifes of God in him are Yea 
 and Amen." The teftimony of Jefus accord- 
 ingly yields the great and ultimate demon- 
 ftration of the truth of God, with refpedl, 
 both to his promifes by the prophets, and 
 to the witnefs, which he had borne to Jefus, 
 by his voice from heaven. 
 
 " ' For he, whom God hath fent, fpeaketh 
 the words of God." — All divine meffengers 
 may be faid to have fpoken the ** words of. 
 God ;" but " the words of God" are attri- 
 buted to Jefus, not only in confequence of 
 his divine million, in which refpedt he re- 
 
 P See Wolf. Eph. i. 13. ^ Dan. ix. 24. 
 
 ^ 2 Cor. i. 30. * See 1 John v. 10, il. 
 
 fcmbles 
 
io6 SERMON V. 
 
 fembles the earthly prophets ; but alfo, in 
 confequence of his divine original, as the 
 beloved Son of God, which title belongs 
 properly and exclufively to him. The di- 
 vinity of that doftrine, which Jefus then 
 adually delivered, was necefTarily implied by 
 the fubfequent claufe, — ** for God giveth 
 not the Spirit by meafure unto him." — From 
 inftances, which have occurred,the influence of 
 the Spirit upon John, appeared to be limit- 
 ed i and, all other prophets received it, like 
 him, occafionally, and by meafure. But the 
 prerogative of Jefus was tranfcendent. As 
 ' it pleafed the Father, that, ** in him all 
 fullnefs, * and all the treafures of wifdom and 
 knowledge, fhould dwell," the Spirit had no 
 attribute, which was not continual and entire 
 in him. 
 
 ** The Father loveth the Son, and hath 
 given all things into his hand." Here the 
 Baptift alludes to the voice of the Father 
 from heaven ; and affigns the proper founda- 
 tion of the tranfcendent prerogatives of Jefus, 
 by referring to this title, " thou art my be- 
 loved Son," Agreeably to the import of this 
 
 * Colcf. i. 19. ii. 3. * John xvi. 15. 
 
 teflimony. 
 
SERMON V. 
 
 107 
 
 teftlmony, Jefus is reprefented elfewhere, in 
 the New Teftament, as the Lord and " heir 
 of all things, even of thofe which the Fa- 
 ther himfelf claimeth — fupreme, not only 
 as a Prophet, but alfo, as the King, and 
 Judge of all. 
 
 " He that believeth on the Son, hath 
 everlafting life." The jufl lliall live by 
 faith in him, for their "^ life is in the Son — 
 he will confer it upon us, or refufe it, here- 
 after, as we believe or deny him here, — 
 
 This fignal teflimony to Jefus was not deliver- 
 ed long before the imprifonment of theBaptift, 
 in which his miniftry expired. He repeats 
 and enlarges fome particulars, which he had 
 mentioned before ; but difplays the whole 
 charad:er of the Meffiah, in much more ex- 
 prefs and magnificent terms, than he had 
 hitherto employed. The tranfcendent ex- 
 cellence of his official qualifications ^ juftifi- 
 cation * by faith in him j and eternal life, at 
 his difpofal, as the reward of that faith ; are 
 all of them evangelical doctrines, confonant 
 
 " Matth. xxi. 38. Rom. iv. 13. Heb. i. 2. 
 "■" I John V. 1 1 . 
 
 * Not by the works of the law, which was the principle 
 of the Jews. 
 
 indeed 
 
io8 SERMON V. 
 
 indeed to the genuine import of ancient 
 Scripture, but entirely unknown in Ifrael ; 
 and therefore in delivering them, the Baptift 
 adted as a prophet, and in applying them 
 with others, to Jefus, at that time exercifing 
 his minifterial office, he adled as a witnefs. 
 
 Some of the principal characters, here af- 
 cribed to the Meffias ; namely, that he came 
 down from heaven, and teftified what he had 
 feen and heard, and was above all ; appear 
 immediately grounded upon that declaration 
 of the Father from heaven, " thou art my be- 
 loved Son." And thefe, if taken together 
 with another, already mentioned by the 
 Baptift, ** he was before me," feem to render 
 it a juft conclufion, that the title. Son of 
 God, was applied by John, as the attribute, 
 not fimply of the Meffiah's office, but alfo, 
 of his perfon ; and the amount of thefe tef- 
 timonies is nearly equivalent to the confeffion 
 of faint Peter, after long acquaintance with 
 the dodrines and miracles of Jefus, ** ^ thou 
 art Chrift, the Son of the living God." It 
 feems to have been the divine intention, 
 that the eye of faith fhould be led on from 
 a view of the glorified humanity of Jefus, 
 to that of his divinity ; and, the language of 
 
 y Matth, xvi, 1 6. 
 
SERMON V. 
 
 109 
 
 the Baptift was ftridly accommodated to that 
 defign, by reprefenting the title, beloved Son 
 of God, as implying not only the extraordi- 
 nary gifts, and tranfcendent eminence of 
 Jefus, as a prophet, but alfo his pre-exiftence 
 in heaven, and near relation to the Father. 
 
 Thus, the Baptift adled, for fome fpace of 
 time, as the forerunner, and for a much 
 longer, as the witnefs of the Meffiah. He 
 knew him not, while he continued merely 
 his forerunner, and prepared the Jews, by 
 baptifm, and by the correction of their prin- 
 ciples and manners, to exped; and receive 
 him with faith. Upon the public appear- 
 ance of Jefus, John firfl knew him by im- 
 mediate revelation -, and, at his requifition, 
 and againft the previous didate of his own 
 mind, baptized him, to his office. It was 
 then he became a witnefs -, and imme- 
 diately notified his actual appearance, and 
 afterwards teftified, that he faw the Holy 
 Spirit then defcend and abide upon him, and 
 heard the Father, from heaven, pronounce 
 him, his beloved Son, Erelong he pub- 
 lickly pointed him out in perfon, as the Son 
 of God, attefted by that fign, and proclaimed 
 by that voice, from heaven ; and upon the 
 
 expreffions 
 
no SERMON V. 
 
 expreffions then ufed by the Father, and in- 
 terpreted by the Spirit to the Baptift, he 
 grounded, and afcribed perfonally to Jefus, 
 the charadler of univerfal redeemer ; and 
 alTerted his pre-exiftence in heaven, and 
 defcent from thence, his perfonal and unli- 
 mited knowledge of divine things, and the 
 immeafureable fullnefs of his fpiritual gifts 
 and powers, his univerfal fuperiority and do- 
 minion, and the nearnefs of his relation to 
 God, as his beloved Son. And further, 
 when Jefus a(£tually entered upon his office, 
 and authorized his difciples to baptize, and, 
 in the number of his followers, furpafled the 
 fuccefs of John j he knew and felt that the 
 purpofe of his own miffion was anfwered -, and 
 in terms of great energy, and highly expref- 
 iive of his eminent humility and pious reiig- 
 nation, he even prophefied that the conclu- 
 fion of his office was near ; ** he that hath 
 the bride, is the bridegroom j but the friend 
 of the bridegroom, which ^ ftandeth and 
 heareth him, rejoiceth greatly becaufe of the 
 Bridegroom's voice : this my joy therefore 
 is fulfilled i he mull increafe, but I mufl 
 decreafe. 
 
 y i. e. minillereth. Comp. Zech. iii. 7. Grot, ad I. 
 
 That 
 
SERMON V. Ill 
 
 That event ,foon followed, which verified 
 the predi(fl:ion of the Baptift. For his mi- 
 niftry, the fuccefs of which declined upon the 
 growing manifeftation of Jefus in Judaea, was 
 brought very near its clofe by his imprifon- 
 ment. Yet that " burning and {hining 
 light," in which the people had been 
 willing to rejoice for a feafon, though ren- 
 dered faint and dim, did not immedately 
 expire. For it may perhaps appear, upon 
 examination, that, even ,in the prifon, he 
 endeavoured to promote the reception of 
 the Meffias, and ftill acfted the part of a 
 witnefs to Jefus, then fully exercifmg his 
 great office. 
 
 In order to illuftrate this point, it muft 
 be previoufly obferved, that, upon the im- 
 prifonment of the Baptift, Jefus went from 
 Judaea into Galilee, and there ^ preached, 
 *' repent ye and believe the Gofpel ;" 
 he called the Twelve, and attefted his di- 
 vine miffion by ligns and wonders, accom- 
 panied with every circumftance, that might 
 tend to render them illuftrious and convin- 
 cing. Accordingly, ** * there came a fear on 
 all, and they glorified God, faying, that a 
 great prophet is rifen up among us, and that 
 
 * Marki. 15. * Luke vii. 16. 
 
 God 
 
112 SERMON V. 
 
 God hath vifited his people. And this 
 rumour of him went forth throughout all 
 Judaea, and throughout all the region round 
 about." Jefus then notorioufly verified that 
 iignal prophecy of the Baptift, ** he, that 
 cometh after me, is mightier than I" — and 
 as that natural and jufl remark, ** ^ all things, 
 that John fpake of this man, were true," 
 was delivered before the paffion of Chrift, it 
 evidently related to his mighty works and 
 docftrines, as confefjedly predicted by the Bap- 
 tift. The powerful efFed: of the works of 
 Chrift, upon the minds of the people, in ge- 
 neral, feems not to have exceeded their impref- 
 fion, upon the difciples of the Baptift. In the 
 prifon, they acquainted him with the dodrines 
 of Jefus, with his call of the Apoftles, and his 
 miracles. That jealoufy for the honour of 
 their mafter, which had already led them to 
 make a fimilar reprefentation to him of the 
 fuccefs of Jefus, was probably one of their 
 prefent inducements to fhew him of all thefe 
 things. Upon receiving this intelligence, 
 the Baptift " called unto him two of thefe 
 difciples," and ^ fent them unto Jefus, faying. 
 
 " John X, 41, 
 
 "* Of this meflage Tee Epifcop. Jndit. Theol. Lib. ili. Cap. 
 25. Jortin. Difc. on Chriftianity, ch. 5. Macknight on Har- 
 mony, '§. 42. Lightloot on Matth. xi. 3. tt ^j-j 
 
SERMON V, 113 
 
 '* Art thou he, that fhould come, or do we 
 'look for another ?" The confiderations, that 
 immediately follow, may perhaps have fome 
 tendency to explain ^nd juftify this condud: 
 of the Baptift. 
 
 This meflage is placed, by St. Luke, im- 
 mediately after his account of the raifing of 
 the widow's fon from the dead ; and the 
 mighty works ot Jefus probably had induced 
 the difciples of John to admit, like Nicode- 
 mus, and 'other Jews, that he was ** a teacher 
 come from God." For this appears implied 
 in the very terms and tenor of the queftion ; 
 as it feems flridly calculated to bring on a 
 determination, not whether Jefus bore any, 
 but what, divine character ; " art thou he, 
 that (hould come, or do we look for ano- 
 ther ? art thou the Meffias himfeif, or only 
 comeft thou before him ?" 
 
 To explain and confirm this conftrudlion, 
 it may be obferved, that the Jews univerfally 
 believed that Elias mull firft come. In con- 
 fequence of this received opinion, the mef- 
 fengers of the council had enquired of the 
 
 •= Others of the Jews, who looked not on him, as the Mef- 
 fiah. yet, it is faid believed on him on account of his mi- 
 racles. John vli. 31. Stiilingf. O. S. B. ii. Ch. 9. 259. 
 
 H Baptift 
 
114 S E R M O N V. 
 
 Baptift himfelf, ** art thou Eli^s ?" and as 
 he anfwered, ** I am not," the publick ex- 
 peiftation of Elias, to precede the Meffiah, 
 would remain no lefs prevalent than before, 
 although John was taken for a prophet ; and 
 there are evident traces of it, in the Gofpel- 
 hiftory, at a later period. 
 
 It may be added, that Elias was highly 
 celebrated in Ifrael, on account of his 
 miraculous power. The fon of Sirach de- 
 livers the Jewifh opinion in this cafe : ** '^ O 
 Elias, how waft thou honoured in thy won- 
 drous deeds, and who may glory like unto 
 thee ; who didft raife up a dead man from 
 death, and his foul from the place of 
 the dead, by the word of the moft High ! 
 The miracles of Jefus, and efpecially his 
 raifing two perfons from the dead, might 
 therefore, it may be conceived, rather incline 
 the Jews to take him for Elias. — 
 
 Laftly, it may be remarked, that the 
 Meffiah was expedted to manifeft himfelf in 
 outward fplendor and majefty. The humble 
 ftate of Jefus would therefore naturally dif- 
 pofe the people to believe, that the character 
 of Meffiah could not belong to him. 
 
 ^ Eccluf. xlviii. 4. 
 
 From 
 
S E R M O N V. 115 
 
 From thefe cpnfiderations, taken in aid of 
 each other, namely, that, ^ according to the 
 Jewifh opinions, Elias was then to come ; 
 and that, as Jefus wrought miracles, he was 
 the more likely, to be really Elias ; but, as 
 he did not appear in outward pomp and 
 greatnefs, could not, as they apprehended, 
 be the Mefliah -, it may perhaps feem cre- 
 dible, that thefe difciples of John, ^ like 
 many of their countrymen, miftook Jefus for 
 Elias ; and that it was the real wi(h and de- 
 fign of the Baptift, to correal this particular 
 error, by fo framing the queftion, as necefla- 
 rily to bring on a decifion of the point in 
 doubt ; ** art thou he, that fhould come, or 
 do we look for another," art thou the Meffias, 
 or only comeft thou before him ? 
 
 The Baptifl evidently knew the real cha- 
 racter of Jefus ; and any fuppofition that he 
 made this enquiry, for his own fake, feems 
 irreconcilable with the whole of his former 
 condu(ft, as the witnefs of the Mefliah, and 
 particularly with that full and eminent tefti- 
 mony, to which he had been led by the for- 
 
 ^ Trypho objefts to Juftin, that Elias muft firft come, to 
 anoint the Mefliah. Whitb. on Matth. xvii. 10. 
 ' Matth. xvi, 14 Luke ix. 8. 
 
 H 2 mer 
 
ii6 SERMON V. 
 
 mer report of his followers, that Jefus bap- 
 tized, and all men came unto him. It may 
 then be reafonably fuppofed, that the 
 Baptift adted from a leading regard to his 
 difciples, and not to himfelf. 
 
 In order to account for his fending them 
 to Jefus, it may be obferved, that he had 
 often attefted his divine charader at large to 
 all his difciples ; ^ fome of whom had made 
 the right ufe of his teftimony, and confe- 
 quently followed Jefus. But thefe difciples 
 of John had adled otherwife, and by obfti- 
 nately adhering to their mafter, difappointed 
 his endeavours, and fruftrated the great end 
 of his million. In thefe circumftances, the 
 Baptift could have little reliance on the effed 
 of his own exhortations, and might rather 
 choofe to refer his difciples to Jefus, than, 
 in his own perfon, to repeat teftimonies, 
 which, however exprefs and frequent, had 
 made no proper impreflion upon them. — 
 
 Befides ; if he had renewed his own tef- 
 timonies to the real charadler of Jefus, even 
 with fuccefs, the fame efFedl would but then 
 have followed, which the meffage itfelf brought 
 
 f John I. 36, 37. 
 
 on. 
 
SERMON V. 
 
 117 
 
 on. In either cafe, the difciples would have 
 repaired to Jefus, and would thereby have 
 fallen under the immediate influence of his 
 do(ftrines and miracles ; and they had unquef- 
 tionably the fame power to convince the 
 followers of John, whatever it was, whether 
 the teftimony, or the meffage, of their maf- 
 ter, that gave them occaflon to hear thofe 
 do(5trInes, and to fee thofe miracles. But the 
 teflimony of the Baptift, if it had been re- 
 peated, might not have rendered them more 
 ready, at this time, than before, to follow 
 Jefus, and to inform themfelves of the na- 
 ture and evidence of his divine charader. 
 But this effed:, which was all that could be 
 hoped, and which might probably not have 
 followed, from the mere teftimony of John, 
 he now abfolutely enfured by fending the 
 difciples with fuch a queftion to Jefus. 
 
 To thefe confiderations it may be added 
 further, that the miracles of Jefus had af- 
 forded the ground of that attribute, '♦ he, 
 that Cometh after me, is mightier than I,'* 
 and were greater witnefs to Jefus, than that 
 of John. The Baptift therefore, by fending 
 the difciples to Chrift, really fliewed them 
 the accomplifhment of his own prophetical 
 
 H 3 tefli- 
 
IjS SERMON V. 
 
 teft:imony,and placed them under the immediate 
 impreffion of that witnefs to the divine cha- 
 racter of Jefus, which far furpafled any tefti- 
 rnony, that he either was then, or had been 
 at any time, enabled to give. 
 
 If then the mefTage of the Baptifl may 
 be placed in this light, he will probably feem 
 to have proceeded in the fureft, and therefore 
 in the kindeft, way, to promote the fpiritual 
 advantage of his followers ; and his condud, 
 in this refpe(fl,may appear mofl fuitable,to one 
 great purpofe of his miffion, that of pointing 
 out the perfon of the Meffiah, and leading 
 the people to him -, as well as to the view, 
 under which he appeared to think and acft, at 
 all times after the publick appearance of the 
 Meffiah, of difcouraging an excluflve ad- 
 herence, and even any leading regard, to 
 himfelf. 
 
 Jefus referred the difciples to the prefent 
 evidence of his miracles and dod:rines, as 
 fufficient to determine their queftion. The 
 things, which they then faw, plainly fhewed 
 that he bore fome divine character ; and, as 
 it belonged not to the forerunner, but to the 
 Meffias himfelf, to preach the Gofpel, the 
 things, which they heard, afcertained that 
 
 he 
 
SERMON V. 119 
 
 he was not Elias, and that they were not to 
 look for another -, and his intimations, that 
 the poor had the Gofpel preached to them, 
 and that all were blefled, who fhould not 
 be offended in him, were both of them ob- 
 vioully fuited to prevent his lowly condi- 
 tion, from rendering them averfe to be- 
 lieve that he really was, ** he that fhould 
 come." 
 
 They were, at the fame time, diredled 
 to go and fliew John again the things, which 
 they had heard and feen. As he had 
 did:ated their queftion, and was held by 
 them in the higheft reverence, an appli- 
 cation of that evidence, which they had 
 heard and feen, was likely to come the 
 nearer to their hearts, when he fhould ex- 
 plain, and enforce it upon them. And, 
 as Jefus commonly declined to bear tefti- 
 niony to himfelf, and to alTert diredlly that 
 he was the Meffias, it may feem probable, 
 that in this inftance, as in all others, he 
 would have left the operation of his doc- 
 trines and miracles, upon the minds of 
 John's difciples, to themfelves, if it had 
 not been the abfolute office of their maf- 
 ter to notify the Meffiah to the people. 
 
 H 4 l^ 
 
I20 SERMON V. 
 
 If the turn now given to this mefTage 
 may be admitted, the Baptift will appear 
 to have been, even during his imprifonment, 
 a witnefs to Jefus, and to have maintained 
 to the laft, that convidtion, under which 
 he had adled formerly, that Jefus was the 
 Meffiah. Hence alfo, that illuflirious tef- 
 timony to the charafter of the Baptift, 
 which Jefus delivered, immediately as the 
 meffengers of John departed, will feem to 
 have an eafy and natural introdudion. He 
 was not ** a reed, fhaken with the wind ;'* 
 but immovable in principle, and fteady in 
 teftimony. He appeared a prophet, in un- 
 folding the genuine fenfe of former pro- 
 phecies, and enforcing them with circum- 
 ftances, unknown and original ; in opening 
 and characterizing the Gofpel-kingdom of 
 the Meffiah -, in proclaiming his immediate 
 approach, and predidling many of his at- 
 tributes, — and even more than a prophet, 
 in baptizing the Meffiah to his office, in 
 attefting his aftual prefence, in pointing 
 him out in perfon, as the redeemer and 
 fan<ftifier of the world, and the Son of 
 God. 
 
 The 
 
SERMON V. 121 
 
 The proper application of thefe pro- 
 phecies and this teftimony of John, has 
 been made by the mighty one, whofe fore- 
 runner and witnefs he was ; ** ^ if ye will 
 receive it, this is Elias that was for to 
 come — he that hath ears to hear, let him 
 hear." 
 
 » Matth. xl. 14. 
 
 SER- 
 
( 123 ) 
 
 SERMON VI. 
 
 John xiii. 19. 
 
 Now I tell you before it comet that when it is 
 come to pafs, ye may believe that I am he. 
 
 IT has been fhewn already, that the Bap- 
 tift, as the forerunner of the Meflias, 
 had predicted his coming, and had in- 
 dicated fome of his attributes -, and, as a wit- 
 nefs, had pointed out Jefus of Nazareth per- 
 fonally, as the mighty one, that fhould come, 
 the Spirit of God having vifibly defcended 
 from heaven and abode upon him, and the 
 voice of the Father having, at the fame 
 time, declared him his beloved Son. 
 
 In order to fhew, both the completion of the 
 prophecy, delivered by the Baptift, as fore- 
 runner, and the truth of his teftimony, as 
 
 the 
 
124 S E R M O N VI. 
 
 the witnefs of the Meffiah ; I proceed, in the 
 fubfequent part of thefe difcourfes, to afTign 
 fome of the many fignal evidences, which 
 the Holy Spirit gave of his continually 
 dwelling in Jefus, during his publick minif- 
 try, by producing and illuftrating feveral of 
 his prophecies, which either immediately 
 related to characters, that John had attri- 
 buted to him, or were parallel to prophecies, 
 delivered by the Baptift. 
 
 The firft attribute, which John prophe- 
 tically afcribed to the Mefliah, was contained 
 in the following words ; ** he, that cometh 
 after me, is mightier than I." As the 
 
 ancient Scriptures had prediifted the miracles 
 of the Meflias, and were, *in that refpedt, 
 though not in all, rightly underftood by the 
 Jews, the attribute of power was confefTedly 
 the great charadleriftic of his miniftry. And 
 Jefus appropriated to himfelf this prophetical 
 charader,by openly exerting a mighty power,at 
 his will,by his word, at hand or at a diftance, 
 upon animate or inanimate nature, and over 
 the invifible world i againft him that had 
 
 * See Grot, on John ix. 32. 
 
 the 
 
SERMON VI. X25 
 
 the power of death, and againfl the fplrits 
 of darknefs. Jefus fulfilled the prophecy 
 of the Baptift, by this exercife of power ; 
 and alfo verified his teftimony, by thus fen- 
 fibly difplaying that glory, which he received 
 at Jordan. For, as Jefus caft out devils by 
 the Spirit of God, and as the Father, that 
 dwelt in him, did the works, his figns and 
 wonders were the witnefs, both of the Spirit, 
 that defcended from heaven, and refled upon 
 him, and " of the Father, whofe voice de- 
 clared him his beloved Son. 
 
 As the reality, and divinity, of the mi- 
 racles of Jefus are points, that fall not pro- 
 perly within the plan of thefe difcourfes, 
 which treat of his prophecies only ; it will 
 not be allowable to offer more than a fhort 
 obfervation or two upon them. 
 
 As all fenfible facts whatfoever are cre- 
 dible upon adequate teftimony, it feems that 
 they will not become incredible, merely be- 
 caufe they are miraculous. The only qucf- 
 tion then, that can be reafonabiy made, 
 refpedls the fufficiency of the evidence. 
 Nor will the regularity of the operations of 
 
 ^ John xiv. 10. 
 
 nature 
 
126 S E R M O N VI. 
 
 nature afFord an infuperable objedion to the 
 credibility of a miracle 5 for the teftimony of 
 eye-witnefles yields greater evidence in behalf 
 of the miracle, than the regularity of nature can 
 bring againft it j the one, as pofitive, ought 
 in reafon to overrule the other, as only pre- 
 fumptive. And when the charader of the 
 Apoftles,and their ^ motives to preach theGof- 
 pel, with their number and ' agreement, and 
 all the circumftances that can be, and have 
 been, urged in their favour, are taken to- 
 gether into confideration j that their teftimo- 
 ny fhould yet, after ail, be falfe, feems 
 infinitely more ^ wonderful, and proportion- 
 ably lefs credible, than the very miracles, 
 which they atteft. 
 
 The credibility of the miracles of Chrift: 
 muft therefore reft:, not upon the nature of 
 the fads, but only upon the evidence, that 
 is brought to afcertain them; and, if the 
 teftimony of the Apoftles cannot reafonably 
 be rejeded, all previous queftions will be 
 
 * See Stillmgfl. O. S. Book ii. Ch. 9. §. 9. Campbell. 
 Auth. Gofp. Hift. Sed. x'lv. pag. 152. 
 = See Laftant. de Jufticia, Lib. v, cap. 3. 
 f The remark of ChryfoRom may be applied to the 
 
 Apoftles, « <rT,fA.eici¥ (Xg/'ra) ;t;»p<» 'i'TTe-icrciv, zro>hu> f^.H^^et to 6acuf/,ei 
 
 ^y,,nrxt. ap. Stillingfl. O. S. B. ii. Ch. 10, §. 5. Hume's Eff. 
 on Miracles, pag. 182, 183- 
 
 cxcluded. 
 
S E R M O N VI. 127 
 
 excluded, and the miracles of Chrifl muft be 
 admitted, as real. 
 
 When the earliefl adverfaries, to the Gof- 
 pel, either pretended that ^ miracles were not 
 charadteriftical evidences of the Mefliah ; or 
 imputed the mighty works of Chrifl to 
 magical or diabolical power in him, or at- 
 tempted to ^ traduce and depreciate them ; 
 they feem to have felt the inconteftable force 
 of the Apoftolical teftimony, and virtually to 
 have given up all objedlion to the reality of the 
 miracles of Jefus. And if enemies to Chriftia- 
 nity, fo able and determined, as Maimonides, 
 
 s Malmonider, de Reg. cap. xi, fays, *' do not imagine 
 that the king Mefliah fliall have any need to alter the courfe 
 of nature, or to raife the dead. (Bifhop Patrick. Witnefies to 
 the Son of God, pag. 181.)— -He a/ferts alfo, (de fund. leg. 
 cap. viii. 1 .) that the Ifraelites did not believe Mofes from 
 the miracles, which he wrought, — and elfewhere, that Elias 
 and Elilha wrought not their miracles to confirm their pro- 
 phecies. This feems extorted from him by the irrefiftibic 
 evidence of Chrift's miracles; for he fays, (ibid. vii. §. 12,) 
 we believe not every one that ihews a fign, or doth a miracle, 
 to be a prophet, unlefs we have known him from the begin- 
 ning, to be fit for prophecy; that, in his wifdom, and his 
 works, he hath excelled his contemporaries, and hath walked 
 In the ways of prophecy, in holinefs and feparation from 
 others." His refervation probably was, we know not what» 
 or whence, Chrift is, and therefore his miracles are no evi- 
 dence at all. Nihil non nugaciflimi mortalium fingunt, ne 
 cogantur agnofcere, virtute ac digito ^ua/t ipfius Dei, Jcfum 
 noftrum efFecifle miracula fua. Vorlliui. See Stillingfl. O. S, 
 B. ii. Ch. 6. pag. 202. 
 
 ^ Origen. contra Celfum. Lib. i. p. 22, 30. 
 
 Celfus, 
 
128 SERMON VL 
 
 Celfus, • Julian, and ^ others, could not dil- 
 credit the teftimony of the Apoftles, and 
 deny that the mighty works of Jefus were 
 real, it feems entirely inconceivable, that 
 exceptions, which appeared unreafonable, in 
 the days of thofe adverfaries, can be made 
 upon any jufter ground, in our own, to 
 the teftimony of the Apoftles, and the 
 reality of the miracles of Chrift. And 
 
 if the reality of the miracles of Chrift, can- 
 not juftly be difallowed, the divinity of them 
 will necefl*arily follow from their nature and 
 effecft. For, as * they tended to overturn the 
 kingdom of the evil fpirit, it is "" plain that 
 they were wrought by the Holy Spirit of 
 God, as the "" Apoftles and Jefus himfelf 
 afterted. 
 
 To return then from this digreftion and 
 proceed. — There is one view, in which the 
 miracles of Chrift may be reprefented, con- 
 fiftently with the plan of thefe difcourfes s 
 
 ' Julian apud Cyrill. 1. 6. p. 206. 
 
 ^ Hierocles apud Eufeb. p, 512. 
 
 ' The fubftance of thofe arguments, which are ufually 
 urged in defence of Chrift's miracles, may be feen in Jortin, 
 Rem. E. H. Vol. ii, p. 7. 
 
 *" See Stillingfl. O. S. B. ii. Ch. 10. p. 352. Origen. con« 
 tra Celf. Lib. ii. Chryfoft. Horn, ad Matth. xii. 25. 'ort jxh 
 "/kf ylnrdt, j^ W4t«j «ri* '»t< oi Setcc. cvfti^et yimctf, >^ ff-§«7j!^T«{ 
 
 '= Afts ii. II. 
 
 namely, 
 
SERMON VI. 
 
 129 
 
 namely, as far as they admitted a propheti- 
 cal application, or gave him immediate 
 occafion to deliver prophecies. 
 
 1. A miraculous draught of fifhes flruck 
 the difciple Peter with aftonifhment and 
 difmay. Upon feeing what the power of 
 Chrift could accomplifh, he dreaded what it 
 might inflid: -, " " depart from me, for I am 
 a linful man, O Lord." Chrift immedi- 
 ately difpelled his terror, by a prophetical 
 application of the miracle to him ; *' fear 
 not, from henceforth thou fhalt catch men." 
 He extended the fame promife to other dif- 
 ciples on a fimilar occafion j " I will make 
 you fifhers of men." His power, that gave 
 fuccefs to their prefent toil, would co- 
 operate with them, as eifedtually, when 
 they fhould fprcad the ^ net of the Gofpel, 
 and gather of every kind. 
 
 2. He faid unto the man, fick of the palfy, 
 ** '^ thy fms be forgiven thee -," and proceeds 
 to juftify himfelf for affuming the divine 
 prerogative of forgiving fin. ** That ye 
 may know and believe, that the Son of man 
 
 ° Luke V. 8. P Matth. xlii. 47. 
 
 1 Matth. ix. 2. 
 
 I hath 
 
130 SERMON VI. 
 
 hath power on earth to forgive fins, then 
 faith he to the fick of the palfy, arife, take 
 up thy bed, and go unto thine houfe." He 
 feems to reprefent that miraculous cure, as 
 the fign of a much greater, which he would 
 afterwards accomplifh ; and by thus remov- 
 ing the pains of ficknefs, prophetically im- 
 plies, that he would take away 'the punifh* 
 ment of fin. So alfo, upon giving light 
 
 to the eye, he alluded prophetically to his 
 future difperfion of that fpiritual darknefs, 
 which had hitherto hung over the mind. 
 ** I am the light of the world ; ' I am come 
 into this world, that they, which fee not, 
 might fee." And from thefe inflances, it 
 feems not improbable, that upon healing 
 other bodily infirmities, he fometimes repre- 
 fented himfelf, in a prophetical light, as the 
 reftorer of ^ health to the fouls of men, 
 which ^are often fpiritually deaf, and dumb, 
 and lame, and blind. 
 
 3. From the miracle of the loaves, he 
 takes occalion to draw off the attention of 
 the people, from *' " the meat which perifh- 
 
 "■ Chryfoft. Horn. 30. pag. 344. Ed. Par. T?? fAo* rut 
 
 ^ John ix. 5. 39. ' Matth. ix. 12. 
 
 " John vi. 27. 
 
 eth. 
 
SERMON VI. 131 
 
 eth, to that which endureth unto everlafting 
 life ;" and prophetically points out his fle/h, 
 as that *• living bread," which he would 
 give for the life of the world. ^ As he had 
 provided temporal fuftenance by the loaves 
 and fifhes, fo he promifed eternal life, 
 through his body and blood -, and prophe- 
 tically reprefented the prefent exercife of his 
 power, in difpeniing the one, as the fign 
 and pledge of his future difplay of it, in 
 procuring the other. 
 
 4. The "^ feventy difciples, at their mif- 
 fion, were not expreflly inverted with any 
 other miraculous power, but that " of heal- 
 ing the iick. It feems that they proceeded 
 further, than barely to the cure of bodily 
 difeafes ; for they ** returned again with 
 joy, faying. Lord, even the devils are 
 fubje(5t unto us through thy name." — 
 
 From their expreflion of joy and wonder, 
 Chriil took immediate occafion to reprefent 
 their fuccefs in a prophetical light; *' I be- 
 held Satan, like lightning, fall from hea- 
 ven." His view went on from their paft to 
 their future efforts againft the evil fpirit ; 
 and he marked their prefent triumph over 
 
 "^ Ltike X. I. " V. 19. 
 
 I 2 him. 
 
132 SERMON VI. 
 
 him, as the fign and prelude of his final 
 ruin. Accordingly, he delivers an imme- 
 diate promife to them j ** behold I give 
 unto you pov^cr to tread on ferpents and 
 fcorpions, and over ^ all the power of the 
 enemy. Upon his million of the twelve to 
 the cities of Ifrael, he had given them the 
 fame ** ^ authority over all devils, and to 
 cure difeafes." At the time of his confer- 
 ring this power upon them, he had an evi- 
 dent view to their " fecond miffion, " go ye 
 into all the v/orld, and preach the Gofpel 
 to every creature." And when he gave this 
 command, after his refurred:ion, it was ac- 
 companied with his general promife to be- 
 lievers ', ** '' in my name fliall they caft out 
 devils, they Ihall fpeak with new tongues ; 
 they fhall take up ferpents ; and if they 
 drink any deadly thing, it fhall not hurt 
 them ; they ihall lay hands on the fick, and 
 they fhall recover." With what juftice 
 
 y Xlpe^yunoi J^xfT TO ^;j3^;«v etvccj —ori'' ui rclvtw on n oouy^v^i 
 Tesj fj{ct,yftiieiot4 rod ^i/acoA^ ;<<5i.7K>kUi7?/, xcof zfuiTtl itp^n?v. zroiViU^ ret 
 
 c««'v», reiZ-m Bfuixe. Chryfoltom. Horn. 42. ad Matth. xii. 25. 
 pag. 447. Ed. Par. 
 
 * Luke ix. i. 
 
 * Grotius ad Matth. x. 16. Mark xvi.*i5. 
 
 '' Of the accomplifhment of this promife, in its fcvera! 
 claufes, fee Grotius on Mark xxi. 15, fq. 
 
 and 
 
SERMON Vr. 
 
 33 
 
 and truth, had the Baptifl afcribed to 
 him the attribute of power ? It was his 
 will, it was his " name, that ^ would co- 
 operate with the faith of his followers ; and 
 nothing could baffle, or even withftand, 
 that power, which he would confer upon 
 them. 
 
 Laflly, That majeftic declaration, ** ' I 
 am the refurredlion and the life," placed 
 his intended miracle, of raifing Lazarus 
 from the dead, in a light doubly propheti- 
 cal i firfl, as the pledge of the general re- 
 furrecftion, *' he that believeth in me, 
 though he were dead, yet ihall he live," — 
 and fecondly, as the afTurance of everlafting 
 life after death, ** ^ he that liveth, and be- 
 lieveth in me, fhall never die." He predidted 
 refloration to life, and the inheritance of 
 
 •= Matth. xii. 27. Mark ix. 38. 
 
 * Tranfcribere in alium jus l"uum,et quod facere folus poffis, 
 fragiliffimx rei donare, et participare faciendum, luper omnia 
 fitai eft poteftatis, continentiique fub fe omnium rerum caufas, 
 et rationum facultatumque naturas. Arnob. Lib. i. p. 31. — 
 Whitby on John xiv. 12. 
 
 * John xi. 25. fq. 
 
 ^ He that liveth, i. e. after his refurrcffiion, — and 
 
 believeth in me," — this is the condition ; for they who be- 
 lieve not, will be delivered up to the power of the fecond 
 death. 
 
 I 3 im- 
 
134 S E R M O N VI. 
 
 immortality, to all thofe, who had faith in 
 him, as author and giver of both, and thus 
 appropriated to himfelf the prophecy of the 
 Baptift, ** he that believeth on the Son, hath 
 everlafting life." 
 
 In thefe wonders and ligns of Chrift, the 
 prophecy of John, ** he, that cometh after 
 me, is mightier than I," was fulfilled j and 
 the prophetical applications, that Chrifl 
 made of his mighty works, afcertain his 
 perfed; infight into the whole plan of re- 
 demption, and his diftlndl foreknowledge 
 of every fucceeding difplay of his power, 
 till it fhould have entirely accomplifhed the 
 good pleafure of the Father. The mi- 
 
 racles themfelves, and the prophetical views, 
 in which Jefus frequently reprefented them, 
 fuggeft a very interefting queftion, that oc- 
 curred to the Jews upon another occafion, 
 ** ^ whence hath this man this wifdom, 
 and thefe mighty works ?" The anfwer 
 has been already given in the teftimony 
 of the Baptift, " I faw the Spirit defcend- 
 ing from heaven, and it abode upon him." 
 This difplay of fpiritual gifts, and fpiritual 
 might, alike unlimited in knowledge and 
 operation, manlfefted forth the divine glory 
 
 s Matth. xiii. 54. 
 
 of 
 
SERMON VI. 
 
 35 
 
 of the Spirit that dwelt in Jefus. In a 
 word, by this accumulation of prophecy and 
 miracle, he appeared at once the wifdom, 
 and power, of God. 
 
 But to proceed to another charader, at- 
 tributed to him by the Baptift ; " behold 
 the Lamb of God." When his miracles 
 
 had fufficiently ** manifefled forth his glory,'* 
 both as to his office, and original, to per- 
 fuade the difciples, that he was ** ^ Chrifl 
 the Son of the living God," he began to 
 lay before them, ' without further referve, 
 the bitter fufferings, which he would un- 
 dergo, in the accomplifhment of his cha- 
 rader, as Lamb of God. 
 
 He frequently inculcated the great pur- 
 pofe of his paffion ; " ^ the Son of man came 
 — to minifter, and to give his life a ranfom 
 for many;" and more explicitly than ever, 
 at the inftitution of the Holy Communion ; 
 ** this is my blood of the New-Teftament, 
 which is fhed for many, for the remiffion 
 of fms." And agreeably to the true and 
 full import of thefe and other limilar inti- 
 mations, he thus profefles in his prayer to 
 
 '' Matth. xiv. 33. John vi. 6g. xxvi. 31. John v. 36, 37. 
 viii. 18. X. 25, 38. Ads viii. 37. xiv. 11. 
 
 ' Mat. xvi. 21. ^ Matth. XX. 28. 
 
 I 4 the 
 
136 S E R M O N VI. 
 
 the Father, immediately before his death, 
 ** for their fakes, I fandify myfelf." This 
 feems to be a '^ facrifical expreffion, by 
 which he devotes himfelf as an expiatory 
 offering. 
 
 Indeed, that the Meffias would be ' fa- 
 crificed for the expiation of univerfal lin, 
 had been evidently foretold by the ancient 
 prophets. Many of the indignities, and 
 " perhaps the very manner of his death, 
 were by them particularly marked. But 
 the prophecies of Jefus, that refpedled 
 his fufferings, appear neverthelefs original 
 in him, not only from his delivering 
 in particular detail, what the prophets 
 had reprefented in general and indefinite 
 terms ; but alfo from his enlarging their 
 prophecies, and predi(5ling various things 
 and circumftances, that would befall him, 
 of which no certain traces occur in the Old 
 Teflament. Thefe predidlions afcertain his 
 own prophetical character, agreeably to his 
 
 ^ See Levitic. xxi. 3. comp. Heb. il. 11, Whitby ad 1. 
 
 ' Ifaiah xxxiii. 10. Dan. ix. 7. 26. 
 
 *" Zechariah xii. 10. xiii. 6. Pfalm xxii, 18 This whole 
 pfalm is admiited by the Jews to relate to the Meffias. Huet. 
 Dem. Ev. prop. 9. pag. 607. H>-br. ii. 6. Voffius Har. Er. 
 Lib, ii. 7. §. 48. obferves that there is no prophecy of Chrill's 
 crucifixion in the Old-Teftament. 
 
 inference 
 
SERMON VI. 
 
 Z7 
 
 inference in the text, *« " I tell you before it 
 come j that when it is come to pafs, ye may 
 believe that I am he." 
 
 Thus, he particularized not only the 
 •place, but alfo the day of his paffion ; ^'^ after 
 two days is the feaft of the paiTover, and 
 the Son of man is betrayed to be crucifi- 
 ed." At the time of his delivering this 
 prophetical notice, the Jewifh affembly- 
 ^ had refolved to offer no violence to him, 
 during the feftival-week ; and the deiign of 
 betraying him to the chief- priefts had not, 
 as it feems, been formed. Thefe circum- 
 ftances render the prediction, that he fhould 
 fuffer at the paiTover, more fignal and won- 
 derful. 
 
 After having frequently declared that he 
 fhould be delivered into the hands of men, 
 he pointed out one of the tv^elve, as the 
 betrayer, by a publick and perfonal defig- 
 nation -, and, with a view, as it feems, to 
 the execution of his projed:, faid unto him 
 at the inftant, ** what thou doeft, do quick- 
 
 " John xiii. 19. 
 
 * Luke XX. 14, eihi "naii i?stS<P^T'.VFi j'^ r 7o'^e», fx^Et tMe»r 
 «-(p»T!i^ ; >^ ci<o«Ao»T£f {i^w i' ee/XTi-iXiiy'ay] UTj-iKTiimv, Chryfoft. 
 Horn. 68. pag. 671. Ed. Par, 
 
 P Mat. xxvi, 2. 
 
 s V. 5. 
 
138 SERMON VI. 
 
 ly/' and immediately, on his going out, 
 ** now," he exclaimed, " is the Son of man 
 glorified." From whence it feems a juft 
 
 inference, that the treacherous compact it- 
 felf; and the defign of his betrayer to fulfil 
 it, in that night; and the adual accomplilh- 
 ment of his fcheme, in the courfe of it ; 
 were fully and diflindlly forefeen. And, 
 
 even in the moment of its execution, when 
 Judas, at the head of a multitude, drew 
 near, that aifediing queftion, *' betrayeft 
 thou the Son of man with a kifs," implied 
 his knowledge of that fign, whereby it had 
 been agreed to fingle him out from the dif- 
 ciples. - — 
 
 His alTurance to the eleven, ** all ye 
 fhall be offended becaufe of me this night," 
 although correfpondent to a "^ former pro- 
 phecy, which he then cited and applied, was 
 yet accompanied with fufhcient evidences of 
 his divine foreknowledge. For here alfo, as 
 before, he enlarged the prophecy. He pre- 
 dicated the repeated denials of Peter, with 
 a limitation as to time. This was entirely 
 original ; and the more clofely the predicftion 
 is confidered, the more wonderful will it 
 
 ' Zechar. xiii. 7. 
 
 appear. 
 
SERMON VI. 139 
 
 appear. This abjuration, when foretold, 
 was not only contingent, but expreflly con- 
 trary to the refolute determination of that 
 difciple's mind. Yet three repetitions of it 
 Were diftinftly marked. The cafe alfo 
 
 involves another ftrong and very interefting 
 circumftance. When Chrift flood ^ before 
 his judges, and a6tually anfwered the quef- 
 tion of the high-priefl, refpeding his difciplcs 
 and his do<ftrine, the feveral replies of his 
 follower had not efcaped him. He marked 
 the moment, when the predidlion was ful- 
 filled in all its parts ; and then, ** ' the 
 Lord turned, and looked upon Peter," who 
 inftantly, ** remembered the word, that 
 
 Jefus had fpoken." 
 
 ** He fhall be delivered to the Gentiles," 
 was another original prophecy ; and upon the 
 completion of it, the peculiar indignities, 
 which he was to fuffer, and his crucifixion, 
 all which he expreflly foretold, " abfolutely 
 depended. He Vv'as '" condemned by the 
 Jews for blafphemy, in calling himfelf the 
 Son of God ; and * death by ftoning was the 
 
 * John xviii. ig. ' Lv.le xxii. 61. 
 
 " See John xviii. 31, 32. * Matth. xxvi, 65, &c. 
 
 ^ This they aftually confcfs — Behold the man, that is 
 condemned to be ftoned. Sanhedr. in Lightfoot, Hor. Heb. 
 ct Tal. on Ads. pag. 634. 
 
 puni(h- 
 
I40 SERMON VL 
 
 puniiliment, which their law prefcribed. 
 But, ^ as it was " not lawful for them to put 
 any man to death," they led him away to 
 * the Roman governor ; ^ and fearing that 
 Pilate would not be difpofed to put Chrift to 
 death, for blafphemy againft the God of 
 Ifrael, they changed their ground of accufa- 
 tion, and reprefented him, as a mover of 
 fedition, and a "" ftate criminal ; ** if thou 
 let this man go, thou art not Csefar's friend ; 
 ** whofoever maketh himfelf a king, fpeaketh 
 againft Caefar." That charge fubjeded Chrift 
 to the '' Julian law, which was executed in 
 the reign of Tiberius with the utmoft rigour. 
 Fear of the tyrant, and of the turbulent 
 multitude, who demanded that crucifixion. 
 
 y Either, becaufe according to their law, crucifixion could 
 not be inflicted ; (See Le Clerc. Harrizn. on John xviii. si- 
 Grot, on Gal. iii. 13.) which neverthelefs, and not ftoning, 
 they were refolved that Jefus fhould undergo. Judaei non alio 
 quam crucis fupplicio Chriftum affici volebant, tamen alio po- 
 
 tuiflent. Gregor. NyfT. i Orat. in Ref, Chrifti. Or elfe, on 
 
 account of the feaft, left they fhould be defiled, Auguftin. 
 Tradat. 1 14. in Johan. of the fame opinion is Chryfollom. ap. 
 Merilli not. Philol. in Cren. Fafcic. 
 
 ^ Tacit. Ann. xv. 44. 114. 
 
 * Luke xxiii. 2. John vii 12. 
 
 '' Senec. lib. iii. de benef. cap. 26. Sueton. in Tiberio. 
 cap. xxviii. 1. Tacitus, Ann. 3. xxxviii i. — addito majef- 
 tatis crimine, quod turn omnium accufationum complemen- 
 tum erat, ap. Merilli. not. philol. ad Johan. xix. X2. in Cren. 
 Fafcic. 
 
 accord- 
 
SERMON VI. 141 
 
 prefcribed by the Roman law, might be in- 
 flid:ed on him, prevailed over the favourable 
 difpofition of the governor to Jefus, and in- 
 duced him to give fentence, that it fliould 
 be, as they required. Thus W2iS he deliver- 
 ed up to the foldiers of Pilate, and treated 
 by them according to the *" cuftoms, and 
 '' law of the Romans. The Jews, who had 
 unjuftly condemned him to death by their 
 law, conftrained the Gentiles to crucify him 
 as unjuflly by their own. *" St. Peter after- 
 wards upbraided them with this aggravation 
 of their guilt; " him, by wicked hands, ye 
 have crucified and llain." — 
 
 Thus was he ** ^ numbered with the tranf- 
 greffors," and, ** poured out his foul unto 
 death," in full accomplifhment of his 
 own alTurances, as a prophet, and of his 
 
 *= Chrift was fconrged. Matth. xxvii. 26. Mark xv. 15. 
 as being condemned to crucifixion. — Florus alfo, firft fcourged 
 thofe whom he afterwards crucified. Jofeph. ubi fupra. Titus 
 did the fame. Lib. vi. cap. 12. 
 
 * Paul. Lib. V. fentent. tit. 22. Authores feditionum, et 
 tumultus, concitato populo, pro qualitate conditionis, aut in 
 crucem tolluntur — aut beftiis fubjiciuntur, aut in infulam de- 
 portantur. The fame puniftiment was inflifted upon others, 
 for fedition, by Varus, and Florus, fuccefTors of Pilate. Jo- 
 feph. de bell. lud. Lib. ii. cap. 14. Merill. ubi fupra. 
 
 ' Afts ii. 23. See Huet. Dem, Evang. 61. Locke oa Rom. 
 vi. 8. Gal. ii. 15. Benf. Hift. planting Ch. 8i. 
 
 ' Ifai. liii. 12. , 
 
 Iamb 
 
142 S E R M O N VI. 
 
 charadter, as Lamb of God ; and even in the 
 midll of unfpeakable agony upon the crofs, 
 he faw, as at one glance, the compafs and 
 extent of prophecy, and the; whole fcheme 
 and intention of the Father, concerning his 
 fufferings ; and, having firft verified the pro- 
 phecies in one only point, that ^ yet remained 
 to be fulfilled, pronounced that all, which 
 was written in Scripture, or purpofcd by the 
 Father, was accompliflied 5 ** it is finifhed," 
 and bowing his head he ** gave up the ghoft." 
 
 From the fubflance of thefe particulars, 
 feveral important inferences evidently arife. 
 
 It thence appears, that, as all things, whe- 
 ther they were written in the ancient pro- 
 phecies, or not, which fhould come upon 
 him, under every fituation and conjundure, 
 were known to Chrift without limitation, he 
 has given the plaineft evidence, that his mif- 
 fion, and his doctrines, were divine ; and 
 that, according to his frequent aflurances, 
 his death was expiatory, and, as fuch, had 
 been ^ foreordained by the Father, and con- 
 fented to by himfelf. 
 
 * John xix. 28. 
 
 8 See the promife of the Father, Ifaiah liii. 7, ic3, 11, 12. 
 
 i and the undertaking of the Son, Pfalm fv. 7, 8, g. 
 
 fee alfo Zechariah vi. 13. 
 
 2. It 
 
SERMON VI. 
 
 H3 
 
 2. It appears alfo, that, the human heart, 
 in all its prefent and future movements, lay 
 open to him. St. Mark ^ attributes this 
 knowledge of the heart, to *' his Spirit ;" 
 not to prophetical infpiration merely, (for a 
 prophet is not faid to know by his fpirit) 
 but to his tranfcendent participation of the 
 efTential Word, t^ ctKpa, f^zrox'^ th AvToXoyn, as 
 the apologift to Celfus fpeaks ; and, in 
 ' Scripture, ** the divine nature of Chrift, is 
 called the Spirit, — through which he is 
 faid to have offered up himfelf." 
 
 It appears alfo, laftly,'' that the divine mind, 
 no lefs than the human, was by him diftindl- 
 ly known ; and that, according to the witnefs 
 of the Baptift, and his own, he teftified what 
 he had heard and feen, with the Father, 
 whofe words he fpake,whom he knew, as the 
 Father knew him, and in whom he was, as 
 the Father in him, his beloved and only- 
 begotten Son. 
 
 , Thefe predidions related immediately to 
 his charader, as Lamb of God ; he alfo 
 
 *» ii. 8, Grot, ad loc. See John xvi. 30. Revel, ii. 23. 
 » Heb. ix. 14. 1 Pet. iii. 18. 
 ^ I John V. 8. 
 
 delivered 
 
144 SERMON VI. 
 
 delivered others, that chiefly refpeded his 
 great attribute, as Son of God, which the 
 Baptift had Hkewile afcribed to him. 
 
 Of this kind was the prophecy of his 
 rifing from the dead, which generally ac- 
 companied the predidtion of his death. He 
 reprefented his refurredion, as a fign to that 
 generation, evidently, becaufe it would fully 
 ** declare him the Son of God ;" and his 
 prophecy of that miracle, was not imparted 
 to the difciples only, but delivered at large, 
 and ' generally known. 
 
 " Foregoing prophets had flrongly implied, 
 rather than expreflly named, the Meffiah's re- 
 furredion from the dead. The terms, in which 
 Chrift predided it, were not only very diredt 
 and particular, but alfo included circum- 
 ilances, that, either were entirely original, or 
 if, in any degree, alluded to in the Old- 
 Teflament, were firft brought out into light 
 by him. Such inflances, therefore, feem 
 fully to evince the reality of his own pro- 
 phetical character. 
 
 ' Matt, xxvil. 63. 
 
 " Pfalm xvi. 10. xH. ic. Ilaiah liii. 10, 11. Afts iii. 1. 
 I Pet. i. 11. 
 
 He 
 
SERMON Vr. 
 
 H5 
 
 He refers to " the cafe of the prophet 
 Jonah, as exacftly denoting the appointed 
 time of his continuance in the grave ; and 
 accordingly, his own refurredion, as the great 
 antitype to the miraculous deliverance of the 
 prophet, was limited by himfelf to ° the 
 third day. 
 
 He named, not only the day of his refur- 
 redion, but alfo, the place of his future ap- 
 pearance ; ** P after I am rifen, I will go be- 
 fore you into Galilee ;" and he feems to have 
 appointed a mountain, in that diftridl, 
 where he would fhew himfelf unto the dif- 
 ciples. This prophetical appointment was 
 probably intended to render his appearance, 
 after death, more publick and unqueflion- 
 able ; for, ** moft probably upon that moun- 
 
 " Mat. xii. 39, 40, xvi. 4. « Rabbini, Jonse ty- 
 
 pum pro* refurreftione mortuorum confirmanda citantes, 
 allegant Ofeae diftum, vi. 2. quod fane cum typo Jona, 
 qui tres dies et tres nodes integras in ceto detentus fui/Te le- 
 gitur, non convenit. Ex quo apparet, etiam loca ifta, in 
 quibus dicitur Chriftum refurredlurum, ^«t« -reii? if/,ifxi, fie 
 intelligenda efle, ut fMrk Tft?? ■^i/'ipoa idem fignificet, quod in- 
 tra tres dies, five tertio poft die. Epifcop. Inftit. Theol. 463, 
 Cap, 17. §. 4. 
 
 " Mat. xvi, 21. xvii. 23. xx. 19. Mark ix. 31. x. 34, 
 Luke ix. 22. xiii, 32. 
 
 P Matth. xxvi, 32. See Kidder, D. Mef. Part 3. p. 94. 
 
 *i Matth. xxviii. 16. Thofe who doubted, were not of the 
 eleven, but of the reft, who came thither to fee him. See 
 Lightfoot, I Cor. XV, 6. 
 
 K tain 
 
146 SERMON VI. 
 
 tain In Galilee, he was feen by five hundred 
 brethren at once. 
 
 As thefe circumflances, which Jefus par- 
 ticularly foretold, had not been indicated by 
 any foregoing prophet, it feems a reafonable 
 concluiion, that he poflefled an exadt know- 
 ledge of all the purpofes of God, which re- 
 fpeded his refurredion, and his appearance 
 to the difciples, after death, entirely perfonal, 
 and underived from any divine revelation, 
 that preceded his coming. 
 
 So far then Jefus has appeared a real pro- 
 phet, from the prediction, which he deli- 
 vered, of his rifing again from the dead. 
 But there is another original, and extremely 
 fignal, circumftance, from which he muffc 
 appear infinitely more than a prophet. 
 
 He not only exprefily foretold .his re- 
 furredion, but alfo reprefented it as an aft of 
 his own power ; ** deftroy ' this temple, and 
 in three days I will raife it up." The 
 Evangelifi: informs us, that " he fpake of 
 the temple of his body." 
 
 The facred writers, fpeak of the divinity 
 of Chrift, in a ftyle of accommodation to 
 
 ' John ii. ig. 21. 
 
 the 
 
SERMON VL 
 
 147 
 
 the common notions of the Jews. They 
 believed that the divine prefence was in ' the 
 tabernacle. Accordingly, by the Evange- 
 lifts and Apoflles, the human nature of 
 Chrift, is named the temple and * tabernacle 
 of his divinity, as the Word, or Son of God ; 
 laxYivuTiv h ^f/Av, *« he dwelt among us," fays 
 St. John, or, in a more clofe and endearing 
 fenfe, he tabernacled in our nature ; and, 
 ** in him dwelleth all the fulnefs of the God- 
 head " bodily," fays St. Paul j and hence he 
 elfewhere calls the humanity, or flefh,. of 
 Chrift, * }cc(,Tcc7riTc(>(T-(A,ci,, the veil. 
 
 Hence then may be underftood his pro- 
 jnlfe of railing his own body from the grave. 
 As his acftual refurredlion afcertained his 
 prophetical charadler, becaufe he had fore- 
 told it ; fo alfo, the completion of his ex- 
 prefs promife to rife again, by his own 
 power, as ftrongly implies, that there was in 
 Chrift fomething belides, and far above, a 
 
 * Levlt. xxvi. II, 12. Ezek. xxxvii. 26. 2 Cor. vl. 16. 
 
 yvtupil^ofd/j^, ui ©fee? j^ Ku'e/t®-. Cyrill. ap, Petav. Dogm. 
 Theol. Lib. vii. Ch. 11. §. 11. ■ » ■ See Vitring. Qbf. Sacr. 
 pag. 14;. fqq. The human nature of Chrill is ftyled by 
 Epiphanius, hx^"^ ■srXt^^ufA.K^';. 
 
 " Col. ii. 9. tk'te9Jv, oii cv itio) ccofAoCTi' ft yS «t4e77^a» tttot 
 ^TToiiaze.^ ozifAOi. Paul. Emef. apud Petav. ibid. 
 
 "^ Heb. X. 20. 
 
 K 2 mortal 
 
148 SERMON VI. 
 
 mortal nature. The Apoftle Peter accord- 
 ingly affirms, ** " that he was put to death 
 in the flefh, but quickened by the Spirit." 
 The flefh and the Spirit, in relation to 
 Chrifl, are expreffions commonly ufed by 
 the Apoftles, to denote, by the ^ firft of 
 them, his humanity, and by the laft of 
 them, his divinity. Thus he is faid, both 
 to have offered himfelf, and to have been 
 quickened, by the Spirit. There was in 
 him, that which could be facrificed and die; 
 and there was in him, that which offered up 
 his mortal nature, as a facrifice, and after- 
 wards ^ raifed it again to life. The one was 
 the flefh, which could be put to death ; the 
 other was " the eternal Spirit." 
 
 Hence he is a quickening Spirit to the 
 human nature, both in himfelf and in his 
 brethren. As the Son ** had life in him- 
 felf," he was able, according to his prophecy 
 and his promife, to build again that temple 
 of his body, in which the fulnefs of the 
 Godhead had dwelt j and as he ** quickeneth 
 whom he will," and is truth itfelf, he will 
 
 « 1 Ep. Hi. 1 8. 
 y Rom. i. 3. John 1, 14. 
 
 ^ It it no objei^ion, that the Father raifed him. See John 
 V. 19. 
 
 equally 
 
SERMON VI. 149 
 
 equally fulfil his univerfal prophecy and 
 promife, " I am the refurredtion and the 
 life." 
 
 When he was rifen from the dead, his 
 difciples were enabled to underfland both his 
 prophecy and promife, relating to it. Then 
 *' ^ they believed the Scripture," becaufe 
 the refurredion of their Lord was foretold 
 therein ; and they believed " the word, which 
 Jefus had faid," becaufe he had, not only 
 predided it, but alfo promifed perfonally tp 
 fulfil it. 
 
 Upon this point it may be fufficient to 
 make the following remark. The tefti- 
 
 monies of the Baptift, that the Father gave 
 not the Spirit to Jefus by meafure, and that 
 he had a nature, infinitely fuperior to that, in 
 which he came after John, feem evidently 
 verified by his refurrection from the dead, 
 confidered as the completion of his pro- 
 mife. For, when his human nature was 
 broken and divided, and when he was not a 
 perfedt man, he yet perfonally exerted the 
 divine power of the Spirit, to render his 
 manhood again entire. 
 
 John ii. 22. 
 
 K 3 The 
 
150 S E R M O N VI. 
 
 The prophecy of his afcenfion, when 
 the terms, in which Jefus delivered it, are 
 flridtly confidered, bears an immediate re- 
 lation to his character, as Son of God, and 
 verifies the teftimony of the Baptift, that he 
 came from heaven. 
 
 The afcenfion of the Meffiah to heaven, 
 had been alluded to by the prophets, and 
 particularly by the '' Pfalmift, and Daniel. 
 But Jefus delivered this prophecy, not only 
 in terms that were dired:, and not inde- 
 finite, which alone would evince the rea- 
 lity of his prophetical charader ; but alfo, 
 accompanied it with circumftances, which 
 the prophecies of the Pfalmift and Daniel 
 had not mentioned, and to which, of 
 courfe, they did not lead. 
 
 He foretold his afcenfion, as vifible to 
 the difciples ; ** '^ what and if ye fhall fee the 
 Son of man afcend up where he was be- 
 fore .?" He marked this circumftance, in con- 
 fequence of his own knowledge, that the 
 Father had purpofed, and the Gofpel-fcheme 
 required, that they fhould fee him afcend ; 
 and accordingly, ^ while they beheld, he was 
 taken up, and a cloud received him out of 
 their fight." 
 
 •» Pfalm Ixviii. 18. Dan. vii. 13 "^ Johnvi. 62. ^ Ads i. 9. 
 
 The 
 
SERMON VI. 151 
 
 The concluding words of the prophecy, 
 *' where he was before,"are dlred:ly parallel to 
 the tellimony of John, that he came ** from 
 abpve ;" and to a fimilar efFed:, Jefus fpeaks 
 elfewhere of his afcenfion to heaven, as of his 
 return to the Father; ** ^ and now, O Father, 
 glorify thou me with thine own felf, with the 
 glory, which I had with thee, before the 
 world was." The prophet Daniel, al- 
 
 though he had fpoken rather more largely 
 than the Pfaimift, yet reprefented the Son of 
 man, as receiving only the glory of bis me- 
 diatorial kingdom ; but Jefus has enlarged 
 the prophecy, and expreflly referred to ano- 
 ther glory, which he had with the Father, 
 not only before the mediatorial kingdom, 
 but even before the world began. It is this 
 capital circumftance, which no prophecy, of 
 the Meffiah's afcenfion to heaven, had men- 
 tioned, except' his own, that affords the 
 ftrongeft evidence to his charader, as a real 
 prophet, and juflifies the attributes, afcribed to 
 him by the Baptift, ** he was before me," 
 *' he that Cometh from above," ** this is the 
 Son of God." 
 
 From the fubftance of this difcourfe, one 
 general inference feems to arife ; that the 
 
 ' * John xvii. 5. 
 
 K 4 glorj 
 
152 SERMON VI. 
 
 glory of the Godhead in Jefus, fhone forth 
 through the vail of his flefh, in miracles of 
 power, combined with fuch miracles of 
 knowledge, that the confeffion of his dif- 
 ciples cannot but appear as juft, as it was 
 obvious, — « f now are we fure, that thou 
 knoweft all things, — by this we believe, 
 that thou cameft forth from God." 
 
 ' John xvi. 30, 
 
 SER. 
 
( IS3 ) 
 
 SERMON VII. 
 
 John xiii. 19. 
 
 Now I tell you before it comey that when it is 
 come to pqfsi ye may believe that I am he. 
 
 /^ I ^ H E prophecies of Jefus, which were 
 I confidered in the lafl: difcourfe, were 
 grounded upon charad:ers, propheti- 
 cally afcribed to him by the Baptiil. I pro- 
 ceed, at prefent, to confider other prophecies 
 of Jefus, which not only had an immediate 
 reference to the character. Son of God, at- 
 tributed to him by John, but alfo were pa- 
 rallel to prophecies, that John had previoufly 
 delivered. 
 
 The prediction, of the refloration of the 
 Holy Spirit to the people of God, refpefted 
 the character of Jefus, not only as a prophet, 
 
 but 
 
154 SERMON VII. 
 
 but alfo, as Son of God, (ince it was delivered 
 in the terms both of a prophecy, and a pro- 
 mife. 
 
 He ufes the following, among other ex- 
 preffions. *• ^ I will pray the Father, and 
 he (hall give you another Comforter," '* even 
 the Spirit of truth," *' which is the Holy 
 Ghoft ;" and he gave the difciples an alTur- 
 ance, fomething more than prophetical, that 
 the miffion of the Spirit, abfolutely depend- 
 ed upon his own afcenfion to the Father ; 
 '* "^ if I go not away, the Comforter will not 
 come unto you." 
 
 He not only predidled the advent, but alfo 
 promifed the miffion, of the Holy Ghoft. 
 *' ^ Behold, I fend the promife of my Father 
 upon you 3" *' " I will fend him unto you," 
 " from the Father i" and he feems to call the 
 advent of the Spirit, his own coming, and 
 his feeing the difciples again ^ He 
 
 alfo gave a prophetical delineation of the 
 offices of the Holy Spirit, — " he fhall teach 
 you all things, and bring all things to your 
 remembrance, whatfoever I have faid unto 
 you," " he fhall teftify of me," " and he will 
 
 ^ John xiv, '6, &c. * John xvi. 7. •* Luke xxiv. 49. 
 « John xvi. 7. <• John xiv. l8, 19, 28. corop. 
 
 Gal. iv. 6. Phil.i 19. 
 
 ffiew 
 
SERMON VII. 155 
 
 fhew you things to come ; '^ he fhall glorify me, 
 for he fhall receive of mine, and fliall fhew 
 it unto you." And he affigns the true ground, 
 both of his promife to fend the Spirit unto 
 them, and of this prophetical account of his 
 otiices J ** ^ all things, that the Father hath, 
 are mine ; therefore fud I, that he fl:iall take 
 of mine, and fliall fhew it unto you." In 
 thefe paffages, the Holy Spirit is defcribed as 
 another divine agent, in the work of redemp- 
 tion ', as a witnefs, to attefl that Chrifi; was 
 gone to the Father, and, as an advocate, to 
 glorify him, by preparing the Apoftles, in all 
 refpe6ts,to fulfil the commifiion, which he had 
 given them, to preach the' Gofpel, and by 
 abiding with his flock for ever. 
 
 The parting addrefs of Jefus to the difciples, 
 before hispaffion, from whence thefe exprefiions 
 are taken, accumulates promife and prophe- 
 cy together ; and from the general fubflance 
 of that affedting difcourfe, as far as it related 
 to the mifliion and offices of the Fioly Spirit, 
 the following reflections feem to be juftly 
 drawn. 
 
 I. That Jefus, before his paflion, as Lamb 
 of God, perfedly knew and defined the 
 
 • John xvi. 14. ^ John xvi. 15. 
 
 office 
 
156 SERMON VII. 
 
 office- of the Spirit, as well as his own, in 
 accomplifliing the divine plan of human re- 
 demption ; and accordingly predicted, that, 
 in completion of the promife of the Father, 
 and his own, the Holy Ghoft would be fent 
 by both, to ^ enable the difciples to perfed: 
 that divine purpofe of Gofpel-falvation, 
 which he had already opened, and would 
 enable them to carry on, 
 
 2. That the ^ counfel of peace was be- 
 tween the Father, and the Lamb of God ; 
 and that the refpedlive offices of each, in 
 the fcheme of redmption, namely, the good- 
 pleafure of the Father to accept, in behalf 
 of man, that facrifice of himfelf, which 
 Chrift, as Son of God, came down from 
 heaven to offer, as well as the regular fteps 
 and order, in which that fcheme would un- 
 fold itfelf, in all its parts, were as fully 
 known to Jefus, as they were to the Father. 
 
 Thus far, with refpedl to the prophecy of 
 the reftoration of the Spirit, as it was deli- 
 vered by Jefus, before his death, as Lamb 
 of God, After his refurredtion from the 
 
 s The Gofpel is accordingly ftyled, *' the miniftration of 
 the Spirit." z Cor. iii. 6, 8. 
 ** Zcchariah vi. i 3. 
 
 dead, 
 
SERMON VII. 
 
 ^S7 
 
 dead, he thus repeated the prophecy ; *« ^John 
 truly baptized with water unto repentance, 
 but ye fhall be baptized with the Holy 
 Ghoft, not many days hence." This is an 
 obvious repetition of that contraft, which 
 John had formerly put, between the miffion 
 of the Spirit, and the baptifm of water ; 
 and gives fiifficient authority for confidering 
 the whole of the predidion, which Jefus 
 gave, of the return of the Holy Spirit to the 
 people of God, as parallel to the prophecy 
 of John, ** he fhall baptize you with the 
 Holy Ghoft." In this paflage, Jefus con- 
 tinues that particular ftyle of exprefiion, in 
 which ^ he had ufually delivered the fame 
 prophecy. The return of the Spirit had 
 been chara(5lerized by the ancient prophets, 
 and by the Baptift, under the fymbol of 
 water. It was therefore proper as well as 
 ftriking, that he, by whofe Spirit the pro- 
 phets had foretold the return of the Holy 
 Ghoft, fhould, in delivering the fame pre- 
 didlion, employ the prophetical ftyle and 
 language, efpecially when he was (o foon to 
 pour out the Spirit upon believers. 
 
 • Aas i. J. 
 
 ^ John iv. 13. vii. 38. Compare Ifaiah Iviii. 7. Surenhuf. 
 Cacallag. 358. 
 
 But, 
 
158 SERMON Vir. 
 
 But, although the expreffion of Chrift, 
 «« ye {hall be baptized with the Holy Ghoft," 
 was confonant to the language of John, and 
 of the early prophets, yet his own prophecy 
 was evidently original, fince he enlarged the 
 whole body of the prophecies, refped:ing the 
 return of the Spirit, by the addition of new 
 and important circumftances. 
 
 The limitations, as to time and place, were 
 both original. — *' Ye fliall be baptized with 
 the Holy Ghoft, not many days hence," — 
 ** ' tarry ye in the city of Jerufalem, until ye 
 be indued with power from on high." In 
 the laft words of this command, another 
 additional circumftance feems to be predicft- 
 ed, The "" prophecy of Joel, to which faint 
 Peter referred, as accomplifhed by the def- 
 cent of the Holy Spirit, on the day of Pen- 
 tecoft, had not expreflly mentioned, either 
 the power of working miracles, or of fpeak- 
 ing with other tongues, among the gifts of 
 the Spirit. But Chrift had already predided, 
 that both thefe powers fhould be conferred 
 upon his difciples. " Pie that believeth on 
 me, the works that I do, fhall he do alfo, 
 
 ' Luke xxiv. 49. 
 
 »" Ads ii. 16. See Whitby, i John v. 6. 
 
 " John xiv. I 2. 
 
 and 
 
SERMON VII. 159 
 
 and greater works than thefe fhall he do, be- 
 caufe I go to my Father," — *' ° thefe figns 
 fhall follow them, that believe j in my name 
 fhall they caft out devils ; they fhall fpeak 
 with P new tongues." He muft therefore be 
 underftood to predidl both thefe fpiritual 
 gifts, in the general prophecy of the miffion 
 of the Holy Ghoft, as a Spirit of power ; and 
 thereby to have made a great addition to the 
 parallel prediction of the Baptifl, as well as 
 to the ancient prophecies, of the return of 
 the Spirit to Ifrael. 
 
 If then the feveral circumftances, related 
 by faint Luke in the Ads, that the difciples 
 were baptized with the Holy Ghoft, accord- 
 ing to the promife of Jefus, in the time, and 
 at the place, which he had affigned, and, 
 with fire, according to the prophecy of the 
 Baptift, be taken together into confideration, 
 the following concluiions feem to ftand upon 
 a fair foundation. 
 
 I. That, as John, in predidling the efFu- 
 lion of the Holy Ghofl, with circumftances, 
 before unrevealed, appeared an original pro- 
 
 ** Mark xvi. 17. 
 
 ? The Apoftle refers to this power, as the teftimony of 
 ChriH, I Cor, i, 5. ^tzrtiili Xoyu^ in every tongue. 
 
 phet, 
 
i6o SERMON Vir. 
 
 phet, fo alfo Jefus neceflarily ftands in the 
 fame light, fince he enlarged the prophecy 
 of John, and expreffly particularized, at 
 what time, in what place, and with what 
 miraculous powers, the Spirit would return. 
 
 2. That the effufion of the Spirit upon 
 believers, either to confecrate them to the 
 miniftry, or to initiate them in the profeflion, 
 of the Gofpel, was as much "^ the perfonal a(^ 
 of Jefus, as baptizing the Meffiah by water, 
 to his prophetical office, had been the perfo- 
 nal ad of John. 
 
 Laftly, that the adual advent of the Spirit, 
 according to the prophecy, and the promife, 
 of Jefus, affords inconteftable evidence, that 
 he really afcended to the Father, ** ' fat 
 down on the right hand of the Majefty on 
 high," and that all power was given unto 
 him, in heaven and earth. 
 
 To proceed, — The converfion of the 
 Gentiles, and their adoption to the inherit- 
 
 < The efFufion of the Floly Ghoft, is admitted to be one of 
 the charafteriftics of the Meffiah, by Abarb. on Ifaiah xi. 2. 
 See Rom. v. 15, 17. Gal. iv. 6. Eph. iv. 7. Tillotf. Serm. 
 
 ' The Spirit is a witnefs to Chrift i Cor. i. 5. Lightfoot, 
 Hor. Heb. et Talm. Vol. ii, 740. 1 Tim. iii. 16. 1 John v. 6. 
 » Heb. i. 3. viii. i. 
 
 ance 
 
SERMON VIL i6i 
 
 ance of that bleffing, which had been ori- 
 gnially promifed to all families of the earth, 
 through the Mefliah, as the true ' feed of 
 Abraham, as it was a very important revo- 
 lution in the fpiritual flate of mankind, was 
 accordingly predicted, on many occafions, 
 by the Son of God, to whom the " Father 
 had promifed the heathen for an inherit- 
 ance, and the utmoft parts of the earth 
 for a polfefTion. 
 
 It was formerly obferved, that the cau- 
 tion, given by the Baptift to his audience, 
 *' think not to fay within yourfelves, we 
 have Abraham to our father ; for I fay unto 
 you, that God is able, of thefe ilones, to 
 raife up children unto Abraham," really 
 predicted the rejedlion of Ifrael, and the 
 adoption of the Gentiles to the inheritance 
 of the patriarch's bleffing, as fully and 
 clearly, as that early and introdudlory ilate 
 of the Gofpel feemed to allow. That ad- 
 monition of John may therefore be confi- 
 dered as prophetical, and parallel to all the 
 
 * Gal. ill. 1 6, " He faith not unto feeds, as of many, but 
 as of one; and to thy feed, which is Chrift." Seeds, muft 
 
 mean many, and not, one. Seed, may mean, one ; 
 
 (comp. Gen iv. 25.) and on that, as the true fenfe of it, the 
 Apoftle feems to infift. 
 
 " Pfalm ii. 8. 
 
 L pro- 
 
i62 SERMON VII. 
 
 prophecies, which Jefus delivered, of the 
 call of the Gentiles, and the reje(:?tion of 
 Ifrael. 
 
 The following prediction of Jefus is very 
 fimilar to that prophetical admonition. 
 ** "" Many fliall come from the eaft, and 
 from the weft, and fhall fit down with 
 Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, in the kingdom 
 of heaven ; but the children of the kingdom 
 fliall be cail: out into outer darknefs." This 
 language feems to have been defignedly 
 affimilated to the tenor of the promife, to 
 Jacob. <« ^ I am the Lord God of Abra- 
 ham thy father, and the God of Ifaac -, - — 
 thy feed fhall be as the duft of the earth, 
 and thou ilialt fpread abroad to the weft, 
 and to the eaft, and to the north, and to 
 the fouth ', and in thee, and in thy feed, 
 fhall all the families of the earth be blef- 
 fed." The Gofpel was thus ^ preached to 
 Jacob, as before to Ifaac and Abraham ; and 
 for one and the fame reafon, that the ad- 
 miflion of all families of ^ the earth, to- 
 gether with the patriarchs, into the king- 
 dom of heaven, was foretold by Jefus -, 
 
 * Mat. vlii. II, * Genef. xxvlil. 13, 14. 
 
 y See Galat. iii 8. ^ Comp. Luke xiii. 29. 
 
 namely. 
 
SERMON VII. 163 
 
 namely, becaufe " God would juflify the 
 heathen through * faith." The children of 
 the kingdom fhould alone be caft out; 
 ** '' the kingdom of God fliall be taken from 
 you, and given to a nation, bringing forth 
 the fruits thereof;" and with an immediate 
 view to the converfion of the heathen, and 
 the rejediion of the Jews, Jefus feems elfe- 
 where to fpeak, in very explicit terms ; 
 ** other *" flieep I have, which are not of 
 this fold ; them alfo I muft bring, and they 
 fhall hear my voice." 
 
 Thefe, and other fimilar declapations of 
 Jefus, correfpond, not only to the above- 
 mentionfed prcdicflion of the Baptift, but 
 alfo, to many of the noblefl prophecies in 
 the old Teftament. But, however confonant 
 thefe predictions may feem to foregoing 
 prophecy, they appear neverthelefs not to 
 have been derived from any divine revelation, 
 that preceded the coming of Jefus, and 
 therefore to afcertain his miflion from God. 
 
 This may poffibly be placed in a clearer 
 
 * Of which the Gentile Centurion gave fo illuftrious an 
 example, that Chrift took immediate occafion from it, to pre- 
 dift the adoption of all others, like him, to the inheritance 
 of Abraham's bleffing. Matth. viii. 11. 
 
 ^ Mat. xxi. 43. <= John x, 6. See 1 Pet. ii. 25. 
 
 L 2 light. 
 
i64 SERMON VII. 
 
 light, by comparing the condu6l of Jefus, 
 as a teacher of Ifrael, with his own predic- 
 tion, as a prophet. 
 
 The miffion of Chrifl was not of univer- 
 fal extent. ** "^ I am not fent, he fays, but 
 unto the loft fheep of the houfe of Ifrael 3" 
 and the immediate benefits of his prefence 
 upon earth, were exclufively ftyled by 
 himfelf, ** ' the children's bread." Con- 
 formably to this reftridion in his own 
 miniftry, he ^ limited the firft commiffion 
 of the Twelve; *' go ^ not into the way of 
 the Gentiles, and into any city of the Sa- 
 maritans, enter ye not ; but go rather to 
 the loft {lieep of the houfe of Ifrael." 
 
 The limitation, with refpe(!t to his own 
 miffion, feems, at the firft view, to contra- 
 did: the declared purpofe of his coming, 
 " ^ that the world through him might be 
 faved ;" and the interdiction, which he laid 
 upon his Apoftles, appears, at firft fight, no 
 lefs calculated to impede, rather than to 
 
 ^ Matth. XV. 24. Comp. Rom. xv. 8, 
 •= Mark vii. 27. • 
 
 ^ Hence, when the Greeks, John xii. 22, defired to fee 
 Jefus, Philip declined leading them to him, and confulted 
 Andrew, whether he Ihould do it. See Whitby ad 1. 
 s Matth. X. 6, ^ Joha iii. 17. 
 
 promote. 
 
SERMON VII. 165 
 
 promote, the accomplifhment of the old- 
 Teftament prophecies, and his own. 
 
 A proper apprehenlion of the Gofpel- 
 fcheme, and of the jufl dependency of its 
 parts upon each other, will indeed render it 
 eafy to perceive, that thefe apparent incon- 
 fiftencies are not real. But the queftion is 
 not, whether they are real ; but fimply, 
 whether the condu(5l of Chrift, thus at once 
 to predid: the call of the Gentiles, and yet, 
 at the fame time, to delay the completion of 
 it, and to undertake in his own perfon, and 
 confer upon others, a limited commiffion, 
 although he was an univerfal Saviour, could 
 reafonably be afcribed to the prophecies, or 
 to any knovvn interpretation of them. Ac- 
 cording to all appearances, this conduct:, in 
 the Meffiah, could not be explained or ac- 
 counted for, by any Jewifh conftrudtion of 
 Scripture ; and the prophetical writings, 
 although fufficient evidences of the divine 
 miflion of Jefus, after his miniftry had ex- 
 plained them, were neverthelefs not diftindl 
 enough, to have afforded any adequate pre- 
 conception, of the regular fleps and method, 
 by which he proceeded. 
 
 If then the condudt of Jefus, in the par- 
 ticulars abovementioned, be compared with 
 L 3 ancient 
 
i66 SERMON VII. 
 
 ancient prophecy, and with his own, it will 
 probably appear, that he ad:ed under thofe 
 views, and made that difpontion of 
 things, in his work of redemption, which 
 divine revelations, previous to his coming, 
 had never difcernibly marked, and to 
 which, of courfe, they did not lead. He 
 came to fulfil all things, that were written 
 of him } but fome, as Lamb of God, and 
 many more, as Son of God, and univerfal 
 king. In thefe charad:ers he difcriminated, 
 and referred to each the adls and predic- 
 tions, feverally appropriated to it. He ap- 
 plied himfelf, and fent his difciples, at firft, 
 to Ifrael only ; for, fince he had not been 
 promifed, as a teacher upon earth, to the 
 world at large, he might, in that characfler, 
 have one peculiar nation, for his immediate 
 objedt 'j but, as his redemption was univer- 
 fal, his ultimate objed', as a Saviour, muft 
 be all mankind. It was not his miniftryj 
 merely as a teacher upon earth, but the ac- 
 complifhment of his charader, as Lamb of 
 God, that obtained the reconciliation of 
 the world -, and the Gentiles, who were 
 afar off, were firfl to be made nigh by 
 the blood of his crofs, and his paffion was 
 
 tp 
 
SERMON VII. 167 
 
 to ' precede his glory in their admifiion to 
 his kingdom. 
 
 In this Icheme of univerfal redemption, 
 both the vengeance and mercy of God were 
 confpicuoufly difplayed. It was a difpenfa- 
 tion of the greatell: feverity to the peculiar 
 people, who fell, and were rejed:ed, through 
 unbelief; but of. infinite goodnefs to thofe, 
 who had been ** ftrangers to the covenants 
 of promife," and were adopted through 
 faith. " ^ Fill ye up then the meafure of 
 your fathers," was therefore an addrefs 
 doubly prophetical. It implied that the 
 Jews, after the example of their fathers, 
 who had llain the prophets, would put Jefus 
 alfo to death ; and that the cailing away of 
 Ifrael, incurred thereby, would bring on the 
 reconciliation of the world. 
 
 This was that myftery of Chrift, which, 
 from the beginning of the world, had been 
 hid in God. The great and univerfal blef- 
 iings, that would enfue upon the complete 
 revelation of it, were indeed magnificently 
 difplayed by the prophets ; and they had de- 
 fcribed the ofhce and dignity of the Mef- 
 
 » Ifalah liii, 10, 11, 18. Luke xlii. 2. Hebr. v. 9, lo. f<i. 
 ^ Matth. xxiii. 32. 
 
 L 4. fiah. 
 
i68 SERMON VII. 
 
 fiah, and predidied his fufFerings and glory. 
 But the whole body of the prophecies dwelt 
 upon the final iiTue and event of the fcheme 
 of redemption, rather than ftated, the exadl 
 procefs, by which the Redeemer would con- 
 du(5l it, and the particular and material dif- 
 ferences, in the ftate of his church, before 
 and after his paffion, which would regulate 
 his proceedings and predictions. 
 
 Foregoing revelation therefore could not 
 be the fource, from whence he drew ; the 
 divine plan itfelf mufl have been his guide, 
 in adjufting the order and arrangement of 
 the conftituent and intermediate parts, and 
 gradually filling up the whole. A regular 
 and expanding fyflem had been fettled in 
 the divine mind; of which only fome partial 
 and indiftindl views, though fully fufficient 
 for the purpofes intended, had been com- 
 municated to mankind. But Jefus diftin- 
 guifhed the feveral means and parts from each 
 other, and conduced their progrefs and gra- 
 dual operation to the accomplifhment of the 
 divine mercies, in the appointed feafon. 
 What the prophets had accumulated in ge- 
 neral and indefinite terms, the courfe of his 
 miniftry drew out, and diflributed in that 
 regularity and order, in which the divine 
 
 mind 
 
SERMON VII. 169 
 
 mind had previoufly difpofed them. By 
 *' the Spirit, which ^ fearcheth all things, 
 yea, the deep things of God," he knew 
 through what means, and at what time, the 
 counfel of the Father would be finally com- 
 pleted ; and accordingly faw where to for- 
 bear, and what to prophecy, and how far to 
 limit or extend his views and operations. 
 He predidled the call of the Gentiles, becaufe 
 it was in the divine intention ; but he delayed 
 that call, becaufe the peculiar church of the 
 Jews was not diflblved, and the preference of 
 Ifrael to the Gentiles flill fubfifled. But 
 when in the body of his fiefli through death, 
 *" he had prefented the Gentiles, ** holy and 
 unblameable, and unreproveable in the fight 
 of God," then the mediatorial kingdom was 
 begun ; and then he delivered an unlimited 
 commiflion to his Apoftles, ** " all power is 
 given unto me, in heaven and in earth -, go 
 ye therefore, and teach all nations." The 
 Jews had crucified the Lord of glory, and 
 thereby forfeited all privilege and preference 
 in the divine bieflings. The diftindion be- 
 tween Jew and Gentile immediately upon 
 
 1 1 Cor. ii. 10. '^ CoIoiT. j. 22. 
 
 " Math, xxviii. 18, ig. 
 
 this 
 
170 SERMON VII. 
 
 this expired ; and both were admitted by 
 the Father, upon the fame conditions of re- 
 pentance and faith, into the fellowfhip of 
 his Son, who was now the univerfal Prince 
 and Saviour. 
 
 The body of the Jews, notwithftanding, 
 rejeded ihe Gofpel-ofFer of falvation. The 
 confequence of this aggravated infult to the 
 mercy of God, is urged by the Apofiles of 
 the Gentiles ; ** ° it was neceffary that the 
 word of God fhould iirft have been fpoken to 
 you, but feeing ye put it from you," ^ be it 
 known therefore unto you, that the falvation 
 of God is fent unto the Gentiles, and that 
 they will hear it." 
 
 The expreffion of Jefus, ** '^ let the chil- 
 dren iirft be filled," was grounded upon his 
 diftind: foreknowledge of all thefe circum- 
 ilances, with refpe(5t both to their progrefs 
 and final effect in extending the blefiing of 
 Abraham to the Gentiles, and ' gathering 
 them together with the Jews into one body, 
 and giving accefs to both by * one Spirit unto 
 the Father. 
 
 * A(5ts xiJi. 45, P xxviil. 23. 
 
 ^ Mark vii. 27. ' Gal, iii. 14. 
 
 » Ephef. ii. 18. 
 
 In 
 
SERMON Vir. 171 
 
 In the great refult of thefe circnmflances, 
 all fucceiiively tending to fulfil the falva- 
 tion of the world, the riches of the divine 
 mercy lay, undifcovercd by all, except the 
 Son of God, in whom were hid all the 
 treafures of wifdom and knowledge. By 
 his Spirit, as only-begotten of God, he 
 entered into, and fully comprehended, the 
 compafs and depth of the counfel of peace 
 between himfelf and the Father, and, being 
 made in the likenefs of man, diredled and 
 accomplifhed the fcheme. 
 
 Thefe reflections, which have arifen from 
 a comparifon of the conduct of Jefus, as a 
 teacher upon earth, with his own predic- 
 tion, as a prophet, have tended to fliew, 
 that his prophecy of the call of the Gen- 
 tiles, had not been drawn from any forego- 
 ing revelation from God. Other circum- 
 ftances alfo,whichJefus has added to the pro- 
 phecy, have the fame tendency to prove him 
 a real and original prophet. Such are, the 
 views, which he gave, of the prevalence of his 
 Gofpel, through the Roman empire, before 
 the fall of Jerufalem ; and of its extending 
 to the four winds of heaven, before his lafl 
 coming. But paffing over thefe, I iliall 
 
 mention 
 
172 SERMON VII. 
 
 mention only one other evidence, that he 
 adted by a real and perfonal foreknow- 
 ledge. 
 
 This evidence feems to be contained in 
 the words, *' thou art ' Peter, and upon this 
 rock, I will build my church ;'* and I will 
 give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of 
 heaven." — The fequel of the pafTage extends 
 to all the Twelve ; but this extrad: feems 
 exclufively retrained to Peter. 
 
 The import of the firft claufe, ** thou art 
 Peter, and upon this rock I will build my 
 church," may perhaps be determined from 
 other pafTages of Scripture. The faithful, 
 which are ftyled God's " building and '" the 
 houfehold of God, are faid to be built upon 
 the foundation of the Apoflles and pro- 
 phets ; and the wall of the heavenly city is 
 defcribed, in the book of " Revelation, 
 to have twelve foundations, and in them, 
 " the names of the twelve Apofties of the 
 Lamb." So that, apparently, in whatfoever 
 fenfe the church would be founded upon 
 Peter, in the fame it would be built upon 
 ^ all the Twelve. 
 
 ' Matth. xvi. i8. " i Cor. iii. g. ^ Eph. ii. lo. 
 " Rev. xxi. 14. y Comp. Gal. ii. 9. James, Cephas, 
 
 and John, who feemed to be pillars. 
 
 The 
 
SERMON VJfl. 17 
 
 / i 
 
 The meaning of the fubfequent claufe, 
 feems alfo to be eafily affignable. — The 
 Pharifees are reproached for "* jQiutting up 
 the kingdom of heaven j and woe is de- 
 nounced to the teachers of the law, for 
 having taken away *' the key of know- 
 ledge." By parity of expreflion, to lead 
 men into the way of Chrillian falvation, 
 would be properly called, to " open for 
 them the kingdom of heaven, and give them 
 the key of knowledge. 
 
 To be the rock of the church, and to 
 have the *" power of the keys, feem there- 
 fore the common attributes of the apoftoli- 
 cal office i but the words of faint Peter, to 
 the fynod at Jerufalem, fufficiently imply 
 the real difference, that fubfifled between 
 himfelf and his colleagues, in both thefe 
 refpedts. ** ^ Men and brethren, ye know 
 how that a good while ago God made 
 
 ' Mat. xxiii. 13, Luke xi. 52, 
 
 ^ Chrift ftyles himfelf " the dwOr," and the gates of the 
 Church are defcribed, when once open, as open for ever. 
 Ifaiah Ix. 11. — To open the door, denotes preaching the 
 Gofpel. If. xxvi. 2. Afts xiv. 27. i Cor. xvi. 9. 2 Cor. ii. 
 12. ColofT. iv. 3. Rev. iii. 8. 
 
 •^ Non male forte hue conferas antiquum ritum tradendi 
 clavumjuxta pugillares apud Hebraeos in doftorum fuorum 
 promotione ; quae certe ad conceflam docendi poteftatem fpec- 
 tabat. Marckius in Exercit. 5. Comp, Matth. xxiii. 13. i Cor. 
 iii. 5. iv. I. 2 Cor. iv. 5. vi. 4, 
 
 *• Afts XV. 7. 
 
 choice 
 
174 SERMON VII. 
 
 choice " among us, that the Gentiles by my 
 mouth fhould hear the word of the Gofpel." 
 He justifies his prefent forwardnefs in advif- 
 ing what condud: they fhould purfue toward 
 the Gentiles, from the choice, which God 
 had made of him, to take the lead in open- 
 ing the Gofpel to them j and it is generally 
 conceived, that he alludes to thefe very words 
 of Jefus. 
 
 According to this interpretation of the 
 words of Jefus to the difciple Peter, they 
 contain an original prophecy, that he fliould 
 firft open the door of faith to the Gentiles, 
 and, fo far, become exclulively the ^ founda- 
 tion of the Gentile church, which Chrift, 
 the mafter-builder, would raife upon the 
 common labours of the Twelve. And ac- 
 cordingly, Cornelius, who, with his family, 
 formed the lirfii-fruits of the Gentile church, 
 was particularly dired:ed by an Angel, to fend 
 for Peter ; and that Apoftle had already been 
 inflrucfled, by ^ immediate revelation from 
 
 * £K '»iMv, i. e. had preferred him to the reft. See Marckius. 
 Exercit. 5. 
 
 ^ The foundation, as a part of the building, may be faid 
 to be f.rft, even with refpeft to priority of time only. — The 
 word ^iij-ixiov feems compounded in this fenfe by the Seventy. 
 Efdras. vii. q. ■ i^iui^luTi rluj Lvaoctcriv rUM KTTo BfljoVAftiii©-, 
 
 he took the firft ftep in afcending from Babylon. 
 
 8 See Benfon. Hift.of Plant. Chrill. Vol. I. pag. 234. 
 
 his 
 
SERMON VIL 17^ 
 
 his Lord, to comply with the requeft of 
 CorneHus. 
 
 Saint Peter apparently confiders this cir- 
 cumftance in the Hght of a privilege, but it 
 is propofed here, fimply, as original ; and, 
 as it made a part of the prophecy of Jefus, 
 refpedting the eftablifhment of his church 
 among the Gentiles, it affords an obvious 
 proof, that preceding revelations from heaven 
 were no guides to him, but that his own 
 views extended alike to every the greateft, as 
 well as the ^ mofl minute, particular, in the 
 counfel of God. 
 
 To proceed, — Belides the attribute of 
 reigning over the Gentiles, another preroga- 
 tive of a kingly chara(5ter, namely, that of 
 difpenfing reward and puniiliment, was pro- 
 phetically afcribed to the Meffiah by the 
 Baptift, and affumed by Jefus himfelf. Two 
 feveral exercifes of that power are predicated 
 by both ; one, over Ifrael, the other, over the 
 world. 
 
 I. That dreadful vengeance, which Jefus 
 
 '' The more minute fome of thefe things are in themfelves, 
 the greater is the evidence of divine foreknowledge in the 
 predidlion of them ; becaufe the conformity between the prc- 
 diftion and the hiilory, is fo much the more circumftantial, 
 Maclaurin. on the Prophecies, pag. 63. 
 
 would 
 
176 SERMON VII. 
 
 would inflid upon Ifrael, for fhedding the 
 blood of the prophets, and his own, is thus 
 
 predicted by himfelf. ** He beheld the 
 
 city and wept over it, faying, if thou hadft 
 known, even thou, at lead in this thy day, 
 the things which belong to thy peace, but 
 now they are hid from thine eyes 3 — for the 
 days fhall come upon thee, that thine ene- 
 mies fliall cafl a trench about thee, and keep 
 thee in on every fide, and (hall lay thee even 
 with the ground, and thy children within 
 thee, and they Ihall not leave in thee, one 
 ftone upon another, becaufe thou kneweft 
 not the time of thy vifitation." 
 
 This pafTage delivers. In a fhort but ftriking 
 detail, what the Baptift referred to in fummary 
 terms, " now the axe is laid unto the root 
 of the trees -," and if all the prophetical 
 * parables and difcourfes of Jefus, which bore 
 an evident relation to his approaching ven- 
 geance upon Ifrael, could be feen at one 
 view, he would probably be found to have 
 accumulated the feveral circumftances, which 
 lay difperfed in the writings of preceding 
 prophets. 
 
 * Mat. xxi. 33, 41. xxii. 2, 7. xxiii. 34, 35. Luke 
 xix. 12. 
 
 But 
 
SERMON VII. 
 
 n 
 
 But from the many original circumftances, 
 which Jefus has interwoven with his pro- 
 phecy of the deftrudion of Ifrael, it appears 
 evident, that the divine purpofe itfelf, and 
 not barely antecedent revelation from God, 
 was the fource of his prophecy. 
 
 I offer only fome few examples. 
 
 I. He limited the completion of his judi- 
 cial vengeance upon Ifrael, to that genera- 
 tion, and to that period of time, in which the 
 Gofpel fhould have been preached through- 
 out the Roman empire. When he informed 
 his Apoftles and followers, that their fuffer- 
 ing and death fhould precede it, he ^ except- 
 ed the Evangelift John, and intimated that 
 he fhould furvive it. He had before ex- 
 tended the fame predi(ftion to others, ** there 
 be fome flanding here, which fhall not tafle 
 of death, till they fee the Son of man coming 
 
 ^ The words of Chrift were confidered as a prophecy by 
 the difciples. The extent of it was prolonged by them to the 
 confumnution of all things ; but the Evangelift hinifelf over- 
 rules that conftruftion, and limits the prophecy to the coming 
 of Chrift ; and, as if to fix the ienfe, and Ihew the accom- 
 plifhment of it, he fubjoins, " this is that difciple, that tefti- 
 tieth of thefe things, &c." As he v^rote mcft probably after the 
 deftruftion of Jerufalem, he might, at the fame time, record 
 this prophecy, and atteft its completion. 
 
 M m 
 
178 S E R M O N VIL 
 
 in his kingdom j" " this generation Ihall 
 not pafs, till all thefe things be fulfilled," 
 
 2. He not only particularized every bloody 
 and ignominious circumftance, that would 
 attend and follow the fiege and downfal of 
 Jerufalem, but alfo defcribed the fliort and 
 dreadful period, between the delivery and 
 the accomplifliment of his predi(ftion, and 
 gave a prophetical hiftory of that inter- 
 val. The people of Ifrael are reprefented as 
 falling from deep to deeper wickednefs and 
 woe. The coming of falfe Meffiahs, to de- 
 ceive them ; their llaughter of his Apoftles 
 and difciples ; wars and bloodflied among 
 nations and cities -, hatred and treachery 
 between ' parents and children ; famine, 
 earthquake, pefhilence ; are all exprelTly enu- 
 merated, as figns that the utter ruin of Ifrael 
 drew near. Thefe are called, her " begin- 
 ning of forrows," apz^ u^ivuv ; what then 
 were they to be, when her full time was 
 come ? 
 
 ' Tacit. 1^. (Whitby Mat. xxiv. 9, to, 11.) — Jofeph de 
 B. lud. 1. 4. cap. 10. et 18. i Theff. ii. 4. 
 
 "^ On the approach of the legions to the city, thofe defpe- 
 rkte bands, which had filled the whole country with (laughter, 
 were driven within the walls. So that many, in Judasa and 
 Galilee, efcaped from their fury, by the iiegc being thus ac- 
 celerated. 
 
SERMON VII. 
 
 179 
 
 3. He prophetically promifed, that they 
 who, according to the call of the Baptift, 
 and his own, had endeavoured to fave them- 
 felves from this wrath to come, by faith in 
 him, fliould then be the objed:s of divine 
 protedion. ** For their fajces, thefe days 
 of his vengeance Ihould be " fhortened ;" 
 and, with particular follicitude for them, he 
 pointed out the ° ilanding of the Roman 
 eagles in the holy place, as their appointed 
 iignal for immediate efcape. However im- 
 minent the danger was, and however fliort 
 the time, before the enemy returned ; yet 
 
 celerated. — — Before the fiege, they had deftroyed their own 
 refources of corn ; and by inteftine flaughter haftened and 
 facilitated the triumph of their enemies. Thefe were fome of 
 the caufes, that enabled many, who had fled to the barren 
 mountains of Pcrxa, and others, even in the city itfelf, to 
 fupport themfelves there, till the end of thefe tribulations. 
 
 " Matth. xxiv. 22. 
 
 ° Mat. xxiv. 25. The Roman ftandard was na? [nxfc^^ 
 j^ b uvra «ETt^ zi'-"^^'^f ^ little /hrine, with a golden eagle 
 in it. (Di -n. in Hamm, ad Mat. xxiv. 28) Grotius fliews 
 from Arrian, Suetonius, Tacitus, Jultin, and Tertullian, that 
 the Roman ftandards exhibited the image of the Emperor, and 
 
 were, on that account, adored by the Legions. an Idol 
 
 is called an abomination, i Kings xi. 5, 7. 2 Kings xxiii. 13. 
 Jerem. vii. 30. xxxii. 34. Ezek. vii. 20. The Roman Eagles 
 appeared before the city, u. der Ceftius Gallus ; but lud- 
 denly difappeared, and erelong returned under Titus. In 
 that interval, according to jofephus, many efcaped ; and 
 according to Ecclefjaftical writers, many Chrillians fled to 
 Agrippa's dominions, in Peraea, and took Ihelter there. 
 
 M 2 the 
 
i8o SERMON VII. 
 
 the favourable moment might be, and was, 
 feized with fuccefs, by all thofe, who be- 
 lieved in Chrifl: and his prophecy, and not 
 in P falfe Chrifts, and falfe prophets, who 
 would fay ** peace and fafety, when fudden 
 deftrudiion cometh upon them.'* 
 
 4. He predided alfo the captivity of the 
 Jews in all nations ; and even the prefent 
 flate of Jerufalem, thus ** trodden down of 
 the Gentiles ;" and limited the captivity of 
 the one, and the defolation of the other, to 
 that period, when the times of the Gentiles 
 fliall be fulfilled. The prefent condition of 
 the Jews, not only affords teftimony to the 
 accomplifhment of this prophecy, in that 
 part of it, which denounced the end of their 
 itate ; but alfo gives the flrongefl affurance 
 of its future completion, in the remaining 
 part, which feems to promife, that, *' Jeru- 
 
 P The general charadler, which Jofephus applies to fome of 
 them, /3«(r;X««y KM^oi kuTviih, ftiews the operation of prin- 
 ciples, which the Gofpels afcribe to the Jews, viz. that the 
 time of the Meffiah's appearance was confelfedly come, and that 
 his leading objedl fhould be the temporal deliverance of 
 Ifrael. The fame principles, that formed the ground of all 
 thefe impofturesjwould tend to produce their fuccefs. Jofephus 
 adds, that thefe falfe Chrids fhewed inifAH» y^ ts^xtx ; whence 
 it is evident, that a miraculous power, was a credential of the 
 true Meffiah, though Maimonides affirms the contrary. 
 
 falem 
 
SERMON VII. i8i 
 
 ialem fhall ceafe to be trodden down of the 
 Gentiles, and that Ifrael fhall fee Jefus com- 
 ing to her in his mercy, as he came now in 
 his wrath, when the times of the Gentiles 
 fhall be fulfilled, and the Jews (hall be dif- 
 pofed to fay, ** blefled is he that cometh in 
 the name of the Lord." 
 
 Thefe are only fome few '^ of the many 
 'original circumftances, with which Jefus en- 
 larged the viev/s, that foregoing prophets 
 had given, of the deftrudion of Ifrael; 
 but thefe feem fufficient to fliew, that the 
 divine mind, and not antecedent prophecy, 
 had been the fource, from whence he drew, 
 and that all the purpofes both of the venge- 
 ance and mercy of God were equally known 
 to him. 
 
 The hiftory of Jofephus, a Jewifh prieil, 
 and an eye-witnefs of the tranfadlions, which 
 he defcribes, yields at once a commentary, 
 and a teftimony, to this prophecy of Jefus ; 
 and the more clofely the predidlion and the 
 detail of that hiftorian are compared to- 
 
 ^ This capital prophecy has been frequently, and very dif- 
 tindlly, explained ; the following are among thofe writers, 
 who have already difcufTed it. Chandler, DifT, annexed to 
 Comm. on Joel. Grotius and Whitby, on Matth. xxiv.- 
 Newton. Dili, on proph. Vol. ii. pag. 24. fortin Rem. on 
 Eccl. Hift. Vol. i. Tillotfon's Sermon. 184. fq. 
 
 M 3 gether. 
 
iSz SERMON VII. 
 
 gether, the greater will be our aftonifhment, 
 that the dire imprecation of the Jews, ** his 
 blood be on us, and on our children," fhould 
 be fo fignally and literally fulfilled ; and the 
 prediction itfelf, in all its parts, if taken to- 
 gether with the accompli{hment, affords the 
 flrongeft evidence of the divine miffion of 
 Jefus, as a prophet -, of his entire knowledge 
 of the will and purpofes of the Father, as 
 Son of God ; and of his judicial power, as 4 
 king, 
 
 2. This a(5t of his regal authority over 
 Ifrael, prefigures his final and univerfal 
 judgment of the world ; and as he came vir- 
 tually or by his power, in this firft exer-* 
 cife of his judgement, and will come really 
 and in perfon, in the lafl, both of thenx 
 are flyled his coming, in his ' kingdom, iix 
 the clouds, and in his glory, and are call- 
 ed, the fign of the Son of man. Hence, 
 
 ' The deftruftion of Ifrael feems to be called Chrift's com- 
 ing. John xxii. 21. In clouds, Revel, i. 7. this expref- 
 
 fion does not neceffarily mean only a real and perfonal com- 
 ing, comp. 2 Sam. xxii. 8. See Lightfoot and Whitby on Matth. 
 
 xxiv. 31. —In glory with Angels, Mat. xxiv. 30. It is 
 
 ftyled Chrifl's inthroning, Matth. xix. 28. Luke xxii. 30. — • 
 See Lightfoot, Hor. H. et T. 461. 
 
 in 
 
SERMON VII. 183 
 
 in the fame capital prophecy, he feems to 
 fpeak, in a primary fenfe, of his approach- 
 ing judgement upon Ifrael, and in an ul- 
 timate fenfe, of his laft judgement of the 
 world. The fame obfervation was formerly 
 applied to the prophetical words of the Bap- 
 tift ', «« whofe fan is in his hand, and 
 he will thoroughly purge his floor, and 
 gather his wheat into the garner, but he 
 will burn up the chaff with unquench- 
 able fire." As the terms, here ufed, feem 
 rather to denote a perfonal than a virtual 
 paroufla, the palTage appears principally to 
 refpedl the laft coming of the MefTiah to 
 judge the world -, and in that view is pa- 
 rallel to the following prophecies of Chrift. 
 ** The Son of man fhall come in his glory, 
 and all the holy angels with him, then fliall 
 he fit upon the throne of his glory -, and 
 before him fhall be gathered all nations, 
 and he fhall feparate them one from ano- 
 ther, as a ihepherd divideth his fheep from 
 the goats 3 and he fhall fet the fheep on his 
 right hand, but the goats on his left. 
 Then fhall the king fay unto them on his 
 right hand, come, ye bleffed of my Father, 
 inherit the kingdom, prepared for you from 
 M 4 the 
 
i84 SERMON VII. 
 
 the foundation of the ' world. Then fliall 
 he fay alfo unto them on the left hand, depart 
 from me, ye curfed, into everlafting fire." 
 ** The Son of man £hall come in the 
 glory of the Father, with his angels, and 
 then {hall he reward every one according 
 to his works." He predicted the vengeance, 
 which he would inflicft upon his enemies, 
 and the fafeguard, that he would afford to his 
 elect, in this life ; together with the end- 
 lefs mifery, to which he will condemn the 
 wicked, and the unfpeakable happinefs, 
 to which he will receive the righteous, in 
 another. 
 
 From the fubftance of this difcourfe 
 it feems to be juflly inferred -, that the 
 divine glory of the Spirit in Jefus, was 
 fignally difplayed in his predictions, and 
 promifes, fince he diftindtly forefaw, as a 
 prophet, and perfonally promifed, as Son 
 of God, all the means and operations 
 either of grace or of vengeance, which were 
 appointed to eftablifh, to extend, to fup- 
 port, and to finifh, his mediatorial kingdom } 
 
 * Matth. XXV. 31. 
 
 and 
 
SERMON VII. 185 
 
 and that, by the accomplifliment of his pro- 
 phecies and his promifes, in many refpedts, 
 he has given fufficient evidence that he is 
 true and faithful, poffefled of all know- 
 ledge, and of all powder, both as the author 
 and the finiiher of our faith. 
 
 SER- 
 
( i87 ) 
 
 SERMON VIII. 
 
 John xiii. 19. 
 
 Now I tell you before it come, that when it is 
 come to pafs, ye may believe that I am He, 
 
 T^ H E prophecies of Jefus, which 
 have been already confidercd, were 
 parallel to predidlions of John, 
 and bore a direcfb relation, and, by their ac- 
 complifhment, gave evident teftimony, to 
 the charader of Jefus, as Son of God. In 
 order to fhew, that his prophecy of the 
 eftabliihment and prevalence of his kingdom 
 in the world had the fame refpedl, and by 
 its completion gave the fame atteftation, to 
 his charader, as Son of God, I propofe to 
 confider that prophecy, in the prefent dif-^ 
 courfe. 
 
 The 
 
i88 SERMON VIII. 
 
 The Mefliah and his kingdom, are pro- 
 phetically reprefented in the * old-Teftament> 
 as gradually advancing, from a fmall and ob- 
 fcure rife, to full fize and brightnefs. 
 The import of thofe predictions feems to be 
 prophetically implied in the words of the 
 Baptift, " he muft increafe ;" and in many 
 pafTages, parallel to this claufe of John, 
 Jefus foretold his own increafe and the 
 eftablifhment of his kingdom, with circum- 
 flances, expreflively denoting the unpromif- 
 ing beginning and final fulnefs of it. He 
 compared it to a little leaven, by which the 
 whole is leavened ; and to ^ the lead of all 
 feeds, which, when it is grown, is the 
 greateft among herbs, and becometh a tree ^ 
 and when he encouraged the Apoftles, as the 
 intended flewards and rulers of his houfe- 
 hold, ♦* "" fear not, little flock, it is your Fa- 
 ther's good pleafure to give you the king- 
 dom," he feems to have fpoken partly with a 
 prophetical view to their future miniftry of 
 his Gofpel. 
 
 * Pfalm cxviii. 22. Ifaiah xlix. 7. liii. 2, Sec. Daniel ii. 
 
 34. 35- 
 
 " Matth. xiii. 32, 33. 
 
 * Luke xii. 32. compared with verfe 41, 42, 
 
 Indeed, 
 
SERMON Vlir. i8^ 
 
 Indeed, the prevalence of Chriftlanity, 
 confidered as the accomplishment of the 
 prophecy of Jefus, affords ftrong evidence 
 of his divine charadler ; but it becomes 
 llronger, upon conlidering that the preva- 
 lence of his Gofpel muft be afcribed imme- 
 diately to himfelf. In the firft of thefe tvs^o 
 lights, it difplays the divine foreknowledge 
 of its author, while he miniftered upon 
 earth ; and in the laft, it afcertains his divine 
 power, while he reigneth in heaven. 
 
 I fhall therefore endeavour to fhew, that 
 nothing but his own accomplifliment of his 
 promifes adjufted the means of cftabliihing 
 his kingdom to the end propofed, and 
 thereby enfured the completion of his pro- 
 phecy. 
 
 1 . With this view, it may be obferved, that 
 the Apoflles of Jefus, at the time of his going 
 away from them, underflood not the fpiritual 
 charader and univerfality of his kingdom } 
 and were unprovided with "^ many principal 
 
 ^ Compare Matth. xxvlii. 20, ** teaching them to ^ obfervc 
 all things, v,'hatfoever I have commanded you," — with John 
 xiv. z6, " he fhall bring all things to your remembrance, 
 whatfoever I have faid unto you." If the Twelve were al- 
 ready 
 
/ 
 
 190 SERMON VIIL 
 
 requifites, for the fuccefsful difcharge of 
 their office. This was plainly confefled by 
 their Lord, before his death ; ** ' I have yet 
 many things to fay unto you, but ye cannot 
 bear them now." Thefe things would mofl 
 probably, at that time, either have clalhed 
 with their ruling prejudices, or quite have 
 overpowered their flrength of mind. Jefus 
 then indeed afligned a future remedy for 
 thefe deficiencies ; but thereby implied that 
 they would flill fubfift, until the remedy 
 fliould be given ; and accordingly they ^ ap- 
 pear to have fubfifted, at the time of his af- 
 cenfion. 
 
 Again, — Although the million of the 
 Twelve was of univerfal extent, yet, as being 
 all Galileans, they were obvioufly unable to 
 propofe the Gofpel, fuppofing that they had 
 completely underftood it, to any, but Jews, and 
 not even to them, without very confiderable 
 difadvantage. Unikilled, as it feems, in the 
 ^ original text, and even the ^ Greek verfion, of ' 
 
 ready able to teach whatfoeverChrlft had commanded, the Spi- 
 rit was not wanted, to remind them of whatfoever he had 
 faid unto them. 
 
 ' John xvi. 12. See Whitby ad 1. ,. 
 
 f Afts i. 7. 
 
 s See Lightfoot, Vol. i. 285. 
 
 ^ Which the Greek of the New-Teftament much follows. 
 Lightfoot, Mifcell. Vol. i. 1005. 
 
 the 
 
SERMON Vin. 191 
 
 the prophecies, they could not confirm the 
 Chriftian faith, by appealing to the Jewifli 
 Scriptures. The firft of thefe impediments 
 rendered them utterly unable to " difciple all 
 nations ;" and the laft greatly difqualified 
 them for preaching with fuccefs, * even to 
 their own. 
 
 2. It may be obferved, that their Apofto- 
 lical ^ warfare, indifpenfably required far 
 greater fortitude of mind, than previous ap- 
 pearances indicate that they naturally poffef- 
 fed. After having heard the docflrines, and 
 feen the miracles of Jefus, after having 
 preached in the cities of Ifrael, they had all 
 forfaken him, and Peter had thrice denied him. 
 
 Befides 5 their natural fears would be ex- 
 tremely aggravated, by the exprefs prophecy 
 of Jefus ; " ' behold I fend you forth, as 
 lambs among wolves ;" ** "" ye fhall be hated 
 of all men for my name's fake ;" ** " they 
 fhall deliver you up to be afflided, and fhall 
 
 » To Jews, the argument from the prophecy, would be par- 
 ticularly awakening. Hence, in their addreffes to their coun- 
 trymen, the Apoftles commonly ufed it, 
 
 '^ I Tim. i. 18. 
 
 • Luke X. 3. 
 
 *" Mat. X. 22. Luke xxiv. 9. 
 
 " Mat. X. 17. 
 
 kill 
 
ig2 SERMON VIIL 
 
 kill you.** That part of the predidlion, 
 which related to faint Peter fingly, was thus 
 explained to him ; *' ° when thou waft 
 young, thou girdedfl thyfelf, and walkedft 
 whither thou wouldefl: ; but when thou (halt 
 be old, thou fhalt flretch forth thy hands, 
 and another iliall gird thee, and carry thee 
 whither thou wouldefl not ; this he fpake, 
 fignifying by what death he fhould glorify 
 God;" and it is generally underftood to ^ imply 
 crucifixion. The feelings and wifhes of the 
 Twelve would greatly add to the diftresful 
 effedt of this prediction upon them. Full of 
 hope to enjoy the glory of this world, in the 
 kingdom of their Lord, they were not likely 
 to receive his prophecy of their fufferings and 
 ' violent death, without extreme difappoint- 
 ment, aggravated by the utmofl terror. And 
 hence it may be obferved, that if Jefus fhould 
 
 • John xiv. 36. xxi. 18. 
 
 f See Grot, et Wolf ad John xxi. 18. Petrus ab altero 
 cingitur, cum cruci adftrlngitur. Tertull. Scorpiaco. The 
 ufe of his hands, and of his feet, fhould be taken from him. 
 This would not charafterize any other death, but that of 
 Crucifixion j and it is elfewhere charadterized particularly by 
 the fufFering of the hands, and the feet ; " they pierced 
 my hands, and my feet," Plalm xxii. i6. The Apoftle him- 
 felf feems to allude to this prophecy of his Lord, 2 Pet. i. 
 13, 14, and it was accomplilhed foon after, in the perfecution 
 railed by Nero. 
 
 'i Matth. xxiv. 9. Mar. xiii. 9. Luke xxi. iz^ 16. 
 
 be 
 
SERMON VIIL 193 
 
 be fuppofed the author of impofture, his con- 
 du(ft in ruining the favourite hope of his adhe- 
 rents, even before they underftood that faith, 
 which he defigned them to propagate, and in 
 fhewing them a world, prepared to perfecute 
 and deftroy them ' for his name's fake, as it 
 would certainly tend to fruftrate his own de- 
 fign, feems entirely irreconcilable with every 
 known principle of nature. There were no 
 aflignable means of overcoming the natu- 
 ral eifcdt of his predidion upon them, except 
 a commanding fcnfe of duty, founded upon 
 the real truth of the Gofpel, and animated 
 by the promlfe of its author to fupport 
 them. Belides, his diredion to the 
 
 difciples not to ' meditate before what 
 they fhould anfwer, flill further aggrava- 
 ted the cafe. He gave them a foreiight 
 of danger, yet forbad them to prepare de- 
 fence ; and apparently abandoned them to 
 that perfecution, under which he taught 
 them, at the fame time, they would alTuredly 
 fink. 
 
 ' Hence TertuUian calls the perfecution of the Chriftians, 
 ** nominis prslium," See Newton on Prophecies. Vol. ii. 
 pag. 253. 
 
 = Luke xxl, 14. 
 
 N Accord- ' 
 
194 S E R M O N VIII. 
 
 According to this reprefentation, Jefus 
 left his Apoftles without that knowledge of 
 his Gofpel, which their office necefTarily re- 
 quired ; and, if they had really underftood 
 it, without the power of propofing it, to any 
 but Jews, although they were fent to people 
 of all tongues ; and not even to Jews, with- 
 out great difadvantage ; and befides, without 
 fortitude, equal to the undertaking. No 
 adequate caufes of the accomplifhment of 
 the prophecies, that Jefus niuft increafe, 
 and the kingdom be given to his little flock, 
 feem therefore to have exifted, at the time 
 of his afcenlion. 
 
 Yet if, as ' faint Luke certifies, the Apo- 
 flles actually entered upon the miniflry of the 
 Gofpel, not many days after the departure of 
 their Mafter, one of the two following points 
 will be neceflarily true j either, that they 
 exercifed their office under fuch fignal defi- 
 ciencies, or that thefe impediments were 
 previoufly removed by the power of their 
 Lord, according to his promife. 
 
 * Afls ii. 14. That the book of the Ads of the Apoftles, 
 was written by St. Luke, and contains a true hiftory, hath 
 been fhewn from various external and internal tellimonies, by 
 Benfon, in a particular difTertation, at the end of Hift. of the 
 firft planting of the Chriilian religion* Vol. ii. pag. 318. 
 
 The 
 
SERMON VIIL 195 
 
 The firft of thefe cafes fcarcely feems de- 
 fenfible j for then the fa(fl would be, that a 
 fyftem of Gofpel-faith was, at firfl:, clearly 
 propofed by perfons, who did not themfelves 
 juftly comprehend it j and the moft im- 
 placable perfecution, and even the utmoft 
 bitternefs of death, voluntarily incurred by 
 men, who were naturally difpofed to flirink 
 at a much lefs formidable danger. 
 
 This difficulty can be avoided only by 
 fuppofing, that their deficiencies were a(5tu- 
 ally remedied, before the commencement of 
 their miniflry. But the interval, between 
 the afcenfion of Jefus and their publication 
 of his Gofpel, was of inconfiderable length -, 
 and the firft view, which they gave of it, 
 was compreheniive and clear, and, beiides, 
 was propofed with fervency, and *' "' much 
 affurance." An improvement fo great and 
 fudden, both in their views of the Chriftian 
 fcheme, and in their ftrength of mind, can 
 not reafonably be afcribed to their natural 
 powers. 
 
 According to appearances then, the in- 
 creafe of Jefus and of his kingdom, foretold 
 by the Baptift and himfelf, could not be 
 
 « I Their, i. 5. 
 
 N 2 pro- 
 
196 S E R M O N VIII. 
 
 provided for without his accompllfli- 
 ment of that prophecy, which he had 
 delivered, in his lafl words to the difciples ; 
 «* ye fliall " receive power, after that the 
 Holy Ghoil is come upon you." He had 
 before predided the advent, and had pro- 
 mifed the miffion, of another divine agent in 
 the work of redemption, and had direded 
 the Apoftles to " wait at Jerufalem for his 
 coming, as it was his diftind: and proper of- 
 fice to remove thofe very incapacities, under 
 which they laboured. ** Behold, I fend the 
 promife of my Father upon you ;" " when 
 he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide 
 you into all truth ;" he fliall teach you all 
 things, and bring all things to your re- 
 membrance, whatfoever I have faid unto 
 
 >> 
 
 you. 
 
 Jefus by adually fulfilling this prophecy 
 and promife baptized them with the Holy 
 Ghoft ; and having himfelf the Spirit with- 
 out meafure, he gave unto them '' of his own 
 fulnefs. The Holy Ghoft, when he de- 
 
 ^ Summam hie proponu tot fermonum ApoIloHcorum, quos 
 hie liber (AtS. Apoft.) exhibebit. Confer Marc. xvi. 20. Grot, 
 ad Afts i. 7. • " 
 
 '' Afts i. 4. 
 
 f John i. i6, Eph. jx, 13. 
 
 fcended. 
 
SERMON VIII. 
 
 197 
 
 fcended, accompliflied "^ his offices of advo- 
 cate and witnefs to Jefus, by his influence 
 upon the Apoflles, as a Spirit of truth, and 
 a Spirit of power ; and the evidence of his 
 adual coming upon them immediately and 
 publickly appeared. 
 
 Indued by him, as a Spirit of truth, with 
 ** " the word of wifdom," and enriched by 
 him, as a Spirit of power, with ** all utter- 
 ance," the Apoftles were at once enabled 
 to communicate to men of every tongue all 
 the dodrines which Jefus had already deli- 
 vered, and whatever elfe came to them 
 then or afterwards by revelation from God. 
 
 ^ John xvl. 13. iKHt<^ TO UnZiuse, he, that Spirit of truth. 
 Clarke, Scrip. Doft of the Trinity, p. 202, comp. Eph. i. 
 13, 14. " that holy Spirit of promife, which (is, who) is the 
 earneft, Sec. 
 
 * i. e. a comprehenfive view of the dodlrines and mylleries 
 of the Chriflian religion. See 1 Cor. i. 24. ii. 6. Ephef. i. 
 17. St. Paul is faid by St. Peter, (2 Ep. iii. 15.) to have 
 written his epiftles, according to " the wifdom given unto 
 him." In the catalogue of fpiritual gifts, i Cor. xii. 8, the 
 " word of wifdom" Hands firll ; and in the lift of thofe, who 
 received the feveral gifts of the Spirit, the Apoftles are placed 
 iirrt, (28, 29.) fo that the Apoftles only feem to have receiv- 
 ed the " word of wifdom," that is, were enabled to Jpeak by 
 revelation, i Cor. xiv, 6. Superior prophets and evangellfts, 
 learned from the Apoftles, 2 Tim. i, 2, what they learned 
 from immediate revelation. Thus alfo the Apoftle Paul receiv- 
 ed not the Cofpcl from man, but immediately from Jefus 
 Chrift, I Cor. xv. 3. Galat. i. 1 1, 12,19. — See Benfon, Hift. of 
 planting, C. R. Vol. i. pag. 40, 41. and the note at pag.182. 
 
 N 3 Re- 
 
198 SERMON VIII. 
 
 Renewed by him, as a Spirit of power, 
 in the temper of their minds, out of weak- 
 nefs they were made ftrong,from being fearful 
 thev waxed bold, and continued to the end 
 exadtly the reverfe of what they had been in 
 the beginning. That Peter, in particular, 
 could maintain the exercife of his miniflry 
 through a life of continual hardship and 
 ftruggle, under the certainty of ending it, 
 like his Lord, upon the crofs, he owed to 
 the ^ former interceffion of Jefus, that his 
 faith might not fail j and to this accomplifh- 
 ment of his promife, which enabled him to 
 ipeak ** "^ the word of God v/ith boldnefs." 
 
 Invefted, befides, with a miraculous power 
 of the largeft extent, they " came behind in 
 no gift ;" but, more highly favoured than 
 former prophets, and, in fome degree, re- 
 fembling their Lord himfelf, they uniformly 
 difplayed the fuUeft criteria of a divine 
 iniflion, the exercife of fpiritual gifts, in 
 their own perfons, and ^ the communica- 
 tion of. them unto others, ' difcerning of 
 fpirits, ' prophecy, and miracles. 
 
 ^ Luke xxii, 31. 
 
 •^ Acls iv. 31. 
 
 ^ Ads viii. 14. 
 
 " Ai^s V. 3, 9. viii. 21, 23. xiii. 10, xiv. g. 
 
 Their 
 
SERMON VIIL 
 
 199 
 
 Their manifold incapacities for preaching 
 the Gofpel would therefore, as it feems, 
 unavoidably have remained in all their for- 
 mer force, if Jefus had not fent to them, 
 according to his promife, ** the Spirit of 
 truth, which is the Holy Ghoft." He it 
 was, who ^ brought the Gofpel down from 
 heaven, and fhined in their hearts, to give 
 ** ^ the light of the knowledge of the glory 
 of God, in the face of Jefus Chrift." As 
 they were but *' earthen veffels," unfit for 
 the fpiritual ufe, to which they were ap- 
 pointed ^ the excellency of the power, which 
 was treafured up in them., the more plainly 
 appeared to be of God. 
 
 But even after this effufion of the Spirit 
 upon them, they were ftill permitted to re- 
 main *" unacquainted with the principle, upon 
 which falvation would be extended to the 
 Gentiles j fo that, even in this capital point, 
 they could not proceed to the extent of 
 their commiffion, without farther illumina- 
 tion. Jefus therefore perfonally infbrud:- 
 ed faint Peter, in the cafe of the Gentile 
 
 f I The/r. 1. 5. I Cor. il. 7, 10. i Pet. i. 12. 
 8 2 Cor. iv. 6. vii. 8. 
 
 ^ See Grot, ad AQ. Apoftol. ii. 39. Benfon Hift. of 
 
 planting the C. R. Vol, ii. pag. 230. 
 
 N 4 Cor- 
 
2do SERMON VIIL 
 
 Cornelius. Hence, and from many fimikr 
 inflances, it appears^ that as the Twelve 
 could not have opened their miniftry, with- 
 out an eiFufion of the divine Spirit upon 
 them, fo neither could they have proceeded 
 in the difcharge of it, without repeated in- 
 fpiration from God. 
 
 II, The continuance of the law, was 
 another great impediment to the increafe of 
 Jefus, and to the growth of his kingdom. 
 Two divine difpenfations fubfifled at once 
 in rivalfhip to each other. From this com- 
 petition the minds of the Jews took diffe- 
 rent turns, but all unfavourable to the Gof- 
 pel. Exclufive zeal for the law ^ exafper- 
 ated the greater part of that people againft 
 Chriftianity, and particularly againft thofe, 
 who taught it. '' All their craft, all their 
 
 ' This was the chief ground of that oppofition to the 
 Apoflles, which their contemporary Cerinthus gave. See 
 Epiphanius, quoted by Whitby, ad CololT, ii. lo. and 
 Conftit. Apoftol. Lib vi. lo. 
 
 ^ I . By an eftabliflied prayer againft Chriftians. 2. By 
 
 emiflaries, to decry the Gofpel every where. A6ls xix. 13. 
 See Lightfoot on Afts, 289.—— Of Jewilh oppofition to the 
 Apoflles, fee Afts xiii. 45. xvii. 5. Rom. xv. 31. i ThefT. ii. 
 
 14. James fufFered at Jerufalem. Afts xii. 2. Jofeph. 
 
 Antiq. 1, 20. Cap. 8. Antjpas at Pergamus, Revel, ii. 
 
 12, 13. « Peter at Babylon. Lightfoot, Hor. Heb. et 
 
 Tzlm. 241. 
 
 power^ 
 
SERMON Vlir. 201 
 
 power, were exerted to check and overthrow 
 it. They fhed the blood of the Apoflles 
 and converts of Jefus, not perceivino;, in. 
 the meanwhile, that they added to the evi- 
 dence of his divine miffion, by thus accom- 
 plilhing his prophecies. Others of that 
 
 nation yielded indeed, at firft, to the evi- 
 dence of the Gofpel, but without any re- 
 laxation of their zeal for the law. They 
 fubverted the fundamental principle of 
 Chriflianity, by aflbciating judaifm with 
 it, and obftinately ^ fhutting the door 
 of faith againfl the Gentiles. Others 
 of them, who embraced the Gofpel, and 
 fubmitted fo far to the fpirit of it, as not 
 utterly to decline communion with the 
 Gentiles, yet rigoroufly contended for im- 
 pofing the yoke of the law upon them, and, 
 probably when the Apoflolical council at 
 Jerufalem decided againft them, renoun- 
 ced the faith of Chrift, and °* fell back to 
 the law. " All thefe purfued their feve- 
 
 ' Afts xi. 3. XV. I, 5.'c. 
 
 " Of the apollacy of many. See 2 ThefT. ii. 3. Gal. iii. 
 2. 2 Tim. i. 15. Comp. Matth. xxiv. 12. 
 
 " In the Afts, and in the Epiftles, efpecially thofe of faint 
 Paul, many evidences occur, that thefe feveral principles 
 prevailed among the Jews. See Ads xxi. 21. Rom. ii. 17. 
 
 ' See Gal. ii. 4. and Whitby on Gal. iii. 4. and on James 
 
 i. 19. 
 
 ral 
 
202 SERMON VIII. 
 
 ral principles, with bitter hoflility to the 
 true difciples of Jefus, and virtually labour- 
 ed to fubvert his kingdom. Every effort of 
 Apoftolical vigilance and induftry, and all 
 the authority of an Apoftolical fynod, 
 would certainly have failed in fupporting 
 the little flock of Chrift, againft this weight 
 of unrelenting and fanguinary oppofition, if 
 it had not been the Father's good pleafure 
 to give them the kingdom. 
 
 The removal of this great obflacle to the 
 increafe of Jefus, and of his kingdom, de- 
 pended upon his accomplifhment of that 
 woe, which he had denounced againft the 
 city, temple, and people of Ifrael, re- 
 prefenting the ftiaking and downfal of 
 their ftate, by the ° convulfion and ruin of 
 nature. By this fignal ad; of his judicial 
 authority, he had promifed to ^ come and 
 relieve his church, and to make a way for 
 his own kingdom. Hence it feems fre- 
 quently reprefented in the ^ Apoftolical 
 
 * Comp. Ifaiah xlii. lo. . Ezek. xxxii. 7, 8. Joel. ii. 31, 
 iii, 15. 
 
 ** John XXI. 22. 
 
 1 I Pet. iv, 7. Phil. iv. 5, i ThefT. v. 2. Heb. x. 25. 
 James v. 9. 
 
 Epiftles, 
 
SERMON VIII. 
 
 203 
 
 Epiftles, as the fignal teft, by which the 
 true fervants and the real kingdom of Jefus 
 might be known, and by which the conteft, 
 between the two rival difpenfations by Moles 
 and himfelf, would be determined in fa- 
 vour of his own. As this prophecy was 
 generally difpcrfed throughout the Roman 
 empire, before the fall of Jerufalem, the 
 minds of men were awakened to exped: the 
 accomplifl:iment of it, as an eventual tefti- 
 mony for or againil Jefus, and his Gofpel. 
 
 That the prophecy was literally accom- 
 pliflied in the fall of the city, a fliort but 
 jftriking evidence is given in the complaint 
 of the Jew Eleazar, " ^ where is that city, 
 whofe inmate, as we believed, was God ^ 
 From the foundations it is rooted up ; and 
 one only monument of it is left, the camp 
 of thofe who deftroyed it, ftill pitched on 
 its remains." 
 
 An overthrow, no lefs complete, befel 
 the Temple. What the lingering flames, 
 though madly haftened by the Jews them- 
 
 ' Jofeph. de bell. lud. Lib. vii. cap. 8. Ed. Hudf. See 
 flewton, on Proph. Vol. ii. pag. 315. 
 
 felvesi 
 
204 SERMON VIII. 
 
 felves, had left undone, the Roman 'plough- 
 share accompliihed ; it profaned and utter- 
 ly defaced the holy place. The * facred 
 vefTels were depofited in the temple of 
 peace at Rome, and " the tribute, ufually 
 paid by the Jews to the God of Ifrael, was 
 transferred to Jupiter of the Capitol, to 
 whom erelong a temple was ere(5led, "^ on or 
 near the fite of the houfe of Jehovah. 
 
 Thefe were indeed the days of wrath 
 upon this people, and all things that were 
 written againft them were accomplifhed. 
 They were thrown out, as a carcafe, and the 
 eagles were gathered together to devour it. 
 The llain were innumerable -, and they who 
 furvived, were either fold to flavery, or 
 * devoted to the fanguinary combats of the 
 theatre, or referved for the triumph of the 
 
 * See Lightfoot, Whitby, and Wetflein. on Luke xlx. 44, 
 
 * Jofeph. de bell. lud. Lib. vii. 24. 
 
 ** Jofeph. Lib. vii. cap. 27. (psgav h, IvK^iiTroj' iirit 'lahtlcn 
 
 iTTt^tcM ouo J^xp^uui, ixa.'fiy KiXdiiaKi ecik tsuv e't*^ «j to }fg.iriTCi>>^ttf 
 ^Eg«v, uarri^ izs^rig^cj «j T ci li^ixroXufjioii viuv cTiuJlJiX^v. — Xiphl- 
 lin. ad Dion. CaiT. Lib. 66, init. K«/ cctt' c>««v» J)J)isi^f^6» i- 
 
 "^ Dion. Cafl*. Hift. Lib. \x\x. p. 793. Ed. Leunclav. 
 Hanov. 1606. Newton, on Proph. Vol. ii. pag. 317, 
 
 * Jofephus. de bell. Jud. Lib. vi. 9. §. ii. 3. et Lib. vii. 
 Cap. ii. §. I. Ibid. 
 
 con- 
 
SERMON VIII. 20^ 
 
 conqueror, in which ^ the law of the Jews 
 clofed the train. From that time to this, 
 their calamities have exceeded any that 
 ever befel them, as a nation, before. They 
 were together in Goflien, together in Baby- 
 lon ', Mofes, was fent to them, and Ezekiel 
 and Daniel prophefied, under their capti- 
 vity. But they are feparated now, and de- 
 ftitute of all divine communication, and 
 entirely difabled from any further obferv- 
 ance of their ceremonial worfhip, ' con- 
 liflently with the laws of that difpenfation, 
 to which they refolutely adhere. They 
 feem to be "* held up to the eyes of all na- 
 tions, as a fignal monument of the ven- 
 geance of Jefus now, as we hope they are 
 referved for the final difplay of his mercy. 
 
 This coming of Jefus, in his kingdom, 
 to fulfil his own denuntiation of woe to 
 the temple, the city, and people of Ifrael, 
 broke the power of the Jews, and relieved 
 his little flock ; and thereby he fubverted 
 
 TaT®-. Jofeph. ibid. cap. 24. 
 
 '^ Deuteron. xii. 11, 12, 13, 14. 2Kingsviii. 29. 2 Chron. 
 vii. 2. 
 
 " See Amos ix. 9. I will fift the houfe of Ifrael among all 
 pations, like as corn is fifted in a lieve, yet fhall not the leaft 
 grain fall upon the earth. 
 
 the 
 
20& SERMON VIII, 
 
 the law, and left his Gofpel to ftand with- 
 out a competitor, as a divine difpenfation. 
 This great event was a teftimony to all 
 men, that the peculiar church of Ifrael was 
 dilTolved, and that the fpiritual kingdom of 
 Jefus would comprehend all kindreds, and 
 nations, and tongues. And accordingly, 
 Jefus prophetically marked this adl of his 
 judicial power, as immediately and effe(!lu- 
 ally leading to the univerfal eflablifhment 
 of his own kingdom ; ** he (hall fend " his 
 angels, with a great found of a trumpet, 
 and they fliall gather together his eledl from 
 the four winds." The trumpet of the Gof- 
 pel would then be founded, by the *^ mef- 
 fengers of Jefus, in all lands, and his eled: 
 fhould hear it, and be gathered unto him 
 from one end of heaven to the other. 
 
 The Jews endeavoured, under Hadrian, to 
 recover the remains of their city, with aa 
 Intent to rebuild it, and reftore the laws 
 and worfliip of their fathers. In vain -, 
 they were ^ again given up to flaughter, and 
 
 ^ See Lightfoot, and Whitby, on this place. 
 
 ^ "A•>■7s^^ frequently means, fimply, a meffenger. Matth. 
 xi. lo. Luke vii. 27. ix. 52. James ii. 25. Rev. ii. i. See 
 Olearii. Analyf. ep. ad Heb. pag. 11. 
 
 •* See Eufebius, Jerome, Chryfoftom, and Appian who 
 lived at that time. Mede's Works, b. 3. pag. 443. all quoted 
 by Newton, on proph. Vol. ii. 318, &c. 
 
 famine. 
 
SERMON VIIL 207 
 
 famine, and peftllence, and fire. — If any 
 furvived this fecond overthrow, them the 
 edid: of " Hadrian prohibited, ^ on pain of 
 death, from entering, and even from behold- 
 ing afar off, the miferable ruins of their city. 
 
 Another attempt was afterwards made by 
 the emperor Julian, to defeat the accom- 
 plifliment of this prophecy of Jefus, and to 
 reftore the law, as a rival to the Gofpel, 
 by rebuilding the temple, and recalling the 
 difperfed people, of Jerufalem. But, with- 
 out ^ minutely difcuiling the plain evidence 
 of divine interpoiition, to prevent the exe- 
 cution of this defign, it may perhaps be 
 fufficient here to obferve, that the prophecy 
 and the promife of Jefus are not defeated 
 of their accompliflimenr. The temple 
 and city of Jerufalem continue *' trodden 
 dov/n of the Gentiles," and the law is in no 
 condition to contend, as a competitor, with 
 the Gofpel. 
 
 III. Another great obflacle to the Increafe 
 of Jefus, and to the fuccefs of his little 
 
 « Eufeb. H. E. Lightfoot. Vol. i. 367. Wnitby. See Pref. 
 
 ^ See Lightfoot. Vol. i. pag. 367. 
 
 s See Whitby, Gen, Pref. pag. 28, Lightfoot. Vol. u 
 
 362, 
 
 flock, 
 
2o8 SERMON VIIL 
 
 flock in eftablifhing his^ kingdom, is de» 
 fcribed in the words of the Apoftle Paul ; 
 " ^ we wreflle not againfl flefli and blood, 
 but againfl principalities, againll powers, 
 againil the rulers of the darknefs of this 
 world, and againfl fpiritual wickednefs in 
 ' high places." This is a full defcription of 
 what Scripture elfewhere compendioufly 
 calls the ** power of darknefs," and the 
 kingdom of Satan, antagonifl to the king- 
 dom of God's dear Son. That enemy is 
 the God of this world, the father of every 
 thing that maketh a lie, and efpecially of 
 religious abominations ; ufing, in every age, 
 and with all his power and fubtlety, the 
 falfe theology, the vain philofophy, and the 
 
 •^ Eph. vi. 12. 
 
 * £» roli ma^xyUii — fcil. z^k[ai)(iti, fays, Wclf. ad 1. " in 
 heavenly things, i. e. remiffion of fins, j unification, adoption, 
 &C. Chryfoft. to yu^ i* to'is 'tTrnptCnot?, «vt< t5, vTrip ruy 
 iTca^aiylu*, W<v. — — But TflV«<f, is generally, and more pro- 
 bably, fupplied. See Hamm. ad 1. Satan is called in Scrip- 
 ture, *' the Prince of the power of the air."—— He, and his 
 confederacy, ^ 
 
 rul'd the middle Air, 
 
 Their highefl Heaven. " 
 
 Milton, P. L, i. 516. 
 
 The feventh phial, Rev. xvi.iy. is poured upon the Air, when 
 Idolatrous Babylon falls, which is ftyled (xviii. 2.) ^yA*«xi» 
 Tjxviii vnvfAxr^ Ky.xjtc^rti, and at vvhofe fall " the holy apof- 
 tles and prophets,*' (20) are called upon to rejoice. 
 
 corrupt 
 
SERMON VIII. 
 
 209 
 
 corrupt paffions oT men, to fuftain his own 
 kingdom, and to bear down that of God. He 
 had his eftablifhment among the heathen na- 
 tions, and his ''fynagogue among the Jews, and 
 ** now worketh in the children of difobe- 
 dience," and " Mindeth their eyes, left the 
 light of the glorious Gofpel of Chrift, who 
 is the image of God, fhould fhine unto 
 them." 
 
 To the whole power and confederacy of 
 fuch a formidable enemy, afluming all 
 fhapes, even that of an angel of light, the 
 kingdom of Jefus is oppofed ; and, having 
 himfelf forefeen the conflid: between them, 
 he prepared his difciples for it, by giving 
 them power, and promifing them fupport 
 from himfelf ; ** behold," he faid to the 
 feventy difciples," " I give unto you power 
 to tread ^ on ferpents and fcorpions, and over 
 all the power of the enemy /' and to an 
 Apoflle, " thou art Peter, and upon this 
 rock will I build my church, and the gates 
 of hell fhall not prevail againft it;" and. 
 
 ^ See 2 Cor. xi. 14. Rev. ii. 9, 10. 
 
 ' Luke X. 1 9. 'ivx fx,yi T« t/!7r«KT« caroAneo^}?, etd^j^ii, '* (£ 
 
 Photii Amphiloch. apud Wolf. Cur. Phil, Vol, v. ad calc. 
 pag. 815. 
 
 O to 
 
2IO SERMON VIII. 
 
 to the difciples at large, after his refurredion^ 
 «* lo, I am with you alway, even unto the 
 end of the world." 
 
 Thus were the Apoflles of Jefus prepared 
 to encounter the miniflers of Satan, and 
 the Gofpel was thus enabled to prevail 
 over Heathenifm, however recommend- 
 ed by Antiquity, or fuflained by Civil 
 Power. The uninterrupted completion of 
 thefe promifes of Jefus could alone enfure 
 his encreafe, and, in the midil of continual 
 ftruggles, maintain the kingdom to his little 
 flock ; and the power of his difciples, 
 through the Spirit, with which they were 
 baptized, to difcern this adverfary, and 
 to difarm and overcome him, was granted 
 by Jefus himfelf, *" who wrought with them, 
 and " went forth conquering and to con- 
 quer," until the repeated fhocks, which he 
 gives to the kingdom of Satan, {hall gradual- 
 ly have accomplifhed its downfal. 
 
 From the whole of this difcourfe it 
 feems reafonable to infer -, firft, that, as 
 Jefus left the Apoflles, at his departure, de- 
 flitute of the principal qualifications for the 
 
 "^ Comp. Gal, iv. 14. 
 
 miniftry 
 
SERMON VIII. 211 
 
 miniftry of the Gofpel, his prophecy, that 
 the good pleafure of the Father would give 
 the kingdom to his little flock, was left by 
 himfelf to depend entirely, for its accom- 
 plilliment, upon his promifed miflion of the 
 Spirit of the Father and the Son, to confer 
 upon the Twelve that knowledge and power, 
 which, although abfolutely neceffary for 
 their fuccefs, were yet entirely unattainable 
 by themfelves. It was the tefl: of his cha- 
 rader, both as a prophet, and as Son of 
 God ; and, by the accomplifliment of it, 
 «' him hath God the Father fealed." 
 
 2. That, as the peculiar kingdom of the 
 Father over Ifrael ftill fublifled, and would 
 ftand in the way of his own univerfal one, 
 Jefus, by fubverting that kingdom, within 
 the time and with the fignal circumflances, 
 foretold by himfelf, has evidently fhewn 
 that his increafe, and the principles and 
 eftablifliment of his own kingdom, entirely 
 coincided with the counfel and good pleafure 
 of the Father. 
 
 3. That, as the power of the evil Spirit 
 was and would be every where, and by 
 every means, concealed or open, at all 
 
 O 2 times 
 
212 SERMON Vm. 
 
 times exerted to leflen Jefus and his kingdom, 
 he undertook to be prefent with believers by 
 his power and his " grace, and to £hew him- 
 felf, alway even unto the end/greater in them, 
 than he that is in the world. And as the 
 hiftory of the church and of mankind con- 
 cur to fhew, that he has fignally fulfilled and 
 is now fulfilling his promife, he hath thereby 
 given and ftill gives fufficient aflurance, 
 that he will proceed in maintaining the con- 
 flict, till Satan, as lightning, fhall fall from 
 heaven. — 
 
 Having now filled up the defign, at firft 
 propofed, it remains only for me to ftate the 
 general conclufions, which feem to refult 
 from the whole, that has been offered in 
 thefe difcourfes. 
 
 The baptifmal doclrine of John, and the 
 ancient prophecies, refpedling the Meffiah 
 and his kingdom, agreed in their true prin- 
 ciples and import, and therefore might both 
 proceed from the fame divine Spirit. And, as 
 the Baptift, in affigning the attributes of the 
 Meffiah, and chara(fterizlng his kingdom, 
 proceeded upon the fplritual fenfe of Scrip- 
 ture, contrary to the notions and traditions 
 
 Ephef. iv. 7. 1 John ji, 20. ® Jehn iv. 4.. 
 
 of 
 
SERMON VIII. 213 
 
 of the Jews ; and, above all, added to the 
 prophecies many new and original circum- 
 ftances, which were afterwards fulfilled, it 
 appears, that a divine revelation had been 
 actually vouchfafed to himfelf. 
 
 Several attributes of the Meffiah's perfon 
 and office John, as his forerunner, predided, 
 before he knew him ; and after the Mefiiah 
 was perfonally notified to him by divine re- 
 velation, he afcribed to him many new cha- 
 racters, denoting his official and perfonal 
 glory, which feemed not to have been re- 
 vealed to the Baptift, at his original miffion. 
 Thefe and other evidences were pointed out 
 in proof that he adted under continual infpi- 
 ration from God. All thefe characfters John, 
 as a witnefs, opplied to Jeftrs of Naza- 
 reth, whom he had baptized to the office of 
 Meffiah. In order to fliew that this application 
 was juft, he inflanced the defcent and abode 
 of the Spirit upon Jefus, which he faw, and 
 the voice of the Father, that proclaimed him 
 his beloved Son, which he heard. 
 
 When Jefus entered upon his miniftry, he 
 affumed, and, by difplaying the mighty 
 works of the Father and of the Spirit, that 
 dwelt in him, juftified himfelf in affiiming, 
 the feveral charaders, previoufly afcribed to 
 
 hinx 
 
214 SERMON VIII. 
 
 him by the Baptift. At the fame time he 
 gave prophetical views of the various cir- 
 cumftances and fituatlons, through w^hich he 
 Ihould pafs, and of feveral fucceflive adls of 
 power, which he would difplay, in accom- 
 plifliing each of thofe charad:ers, which the 
 jjaptill; had afcribed to him, and which he 
 had thus affumed to himfelf. 
 
 He alfo delivered prophecies, parallel in- 
 deed to thofe of John, but far exceeding the 
 ineafure of the prophetical fpirit in the 
 Baptifl. In his minute particularity, as to 
 circumftances -, in his exaft limitations, as 
 to time ; and, in his original difpofition and 
 arrangement of things in the work of re- 
 demption, all implying the fame perfedl 
 knowledge of the human and divine mind, 
 the glory of the Spirit of God appeared 
 through the veil of his fieili. And more- 
 over, by promifing to fulfil his own pro- 
 phecies, and adually fulfilling them, after 
 his death and refurredion, and after his 
 afcending up, where he was before, to the 
 glory, which he had with the Father, before 
 the world was 3 in a word, by delivering 
 prophecies and promifes in his flate of hu- 
 miliation, which he has, to this time, fig- 
 nally accompliflied in his flate of glory, he 
 
 has 
 
SERMON VIII. 215 
 
 has given evidence, which ilrengthens daily, 
 that he was the Son of God, and came down 
 from heaven, and, being made perfe^:, in all 
 his offices, is become the author of eternal 
 falvation to them, that obey him. 
 
 The general fubftance of the fore^oinjr 
 difcourfes will, it is prefumed, yield a fuffi- 
 cient foundation for thefe conclufions, if 
 the 'authenticity of the Gofpel-hiftory, to 
 which the appeal has all along been unre- 
 fervedly made, cannot reafonably be difputed. 
 With refped to this point, it may be urged, 
 that many prophecies of Jefus, which 
 have been already mentioned, namely, that 
 his Gofpel fhould be preached throughout 
 the Roman empire, and moft of his Apoilles 
 be put to death, and Feter particularly by 
 crucifixion, before the end of Ifrael fliould 
 come; and, that the city and temple of Jerufa- 
 lem (liould be overthrown,and trodden down of 
 the Gentiles, till the end of a period, not yet 
 fulfilled; and that the Jews fhould "be carried 
 captive into all lands," before that very ge- 
 neration of men fliould pafs away ; were all 
 extant in written Gofpels, long " before either 
 
 The Gofpel of St. Matthew is generally faid to have been 
 written in the eighth year after the afcenfion of Jefus ; thofe 
 of Mark and Luke, before the fall of Jerufalem. See this 
 point purfued, and proved, at large, in Jortin's Rem. on Ec- 
 clef. Hill. Vol, i. pag. 41, Sec, 
 
zi6 SERMON VIII. 
 
 of the predidions were accomplifhed. Hif- 
 tory, facred, ecclefiaftical, and profane, and 
 even the prefent condition of Jerufalem and of 
 the Jewifh people, concur in their teftimony, 
 that all thefe prophecies either have been ex- 
 aiftly fulfilled already, or are now^ in a courfe 
 of accomplifhment. 
 
 Since then the divine Spirit only, which 
 forefeeth all things, could have didated thefe 
 prophecies, and the divine power only, which 
 ordereth all things, could have exadlly ad- 
 jufted the feveral events to the predidions, 
 as they flood in the New-Teftament- writings i 
 it feems evident that both at the firft preach- 
 ing of the Gofpel by Jefus, and at the writ- 
 ten publication of it by the Evangelifts, God 
 fet his fcal upon if, iinfl marked it for his 
 own, by applying his tranfcendent attributes 
 of Prefcience and Power, to witnefs and 
 fupport it ; and, confequently, that the bap- 
 tifmal predidions and teftimony of John, 
 and the prophecies of Jefus, as both are re- 
 prefented in the Gofpels, were truly the 
 witnefs of God, which he hath teftified of 
 his Son. 
 
 THE END. 
 

 
 
 
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