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SERMON CXVII.

Proving Jefus to be the Meffias.

MATTH. xi. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Now when John had heard in prison the works of Chrift, he fent two of his difciples, and faid unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jefus answered and faid unto them, Go and fhew John again those things which ye do hear and fee. The blind receive their fight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them: And bleffed is he whofoever shall not be offended in me.

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BOUT the time of our Saviour's appearing in the world, there was a general expectation of a great Prince, that fhould come out of Judea, and govern all nations: this the Gentiles had from the prophecies of the Sibyls, which fpake of a great King that was to appear in the world about that time. So Virgil tells us, that the time of Auguftus was the utmoft date of that prophecy;

Ultima Cumai venit jam carminis atas :

And Suetonius tells us, "That all over the eaftern "countries, there was an ancient and constant tra"dition, that fuch a prince fhould fpring out of Ju"dea:" And for this reafon it is, that our Saviour is called by the Prophet, the expectation of the nations.

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But more efpecially among the Jews, there was at that time a more lively and particular expectation, grounded upon the predictions of their Prophets, of a Prince whom they called the Meffias, or the Anointed; and thofe who were more devout among them, VOL. VI.

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did at that time wait for his appearance; as it is faid of Simeon, that he waited for the confolation of Ifrael. Hence it was, that when John the Baptift appeared in the quality of an extraordinary Prophet, they fent from Jerufalem to enquire whether he were the Meffias? John i. 19. The Jews fent Priefts and Levites from Jerufalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confeffed, and denied not, but confeffed, I am not the Christ. The Sanhedrim, to whom it belonged to judge who were the true Prophets, fent to know whether he was the Meffias or not? he would not take this honour to himself, but told them the Meffias was just at hand; and the next day, when Jefus came to be baptized of him, he bare record, that he was the Son of God, and that he faw the Spirit defcending and abiding upon him.

So that it is plain that he knew him, and bare witnefs of him, which makes it the more ftrange that here in the text, he fhould fend two of his difciples to enquire, whether he were the Meffias or not? Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? that is, art thou the Meffias or not? for fo he is called in the ancient prophecies of him, i póμer, he that should come. Gen. xlix. 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah, till Shiloh come.

For the refolution of this difficulty, it is very probably faid by interpreters, and I think there is no reafon to doubt of it, that John the Baptift did not fend this meffage for his own fatisfaction, but to fatisfy his difciples, who were never very willing to acknowledge Jefus for the Meffias, because they thought he did fhadow and cloud their mafter. From whence we may take notice, how mens judgments are apt to be perverted by faction and intereft; and that good men are too prone to be fwayed thereby; for fuch we fuppofe the difciples of John to have been; they will not believe their own master, when they apprehend him to fpeak against their intereft; for they knew that they must rife and fall in their reputation and esteem, as their mafter did. They believed that their mafter was a Prophet, and came from God; yet for all that, they could not digeft

his teftimony of Chrift, becaufe that fet him above their mafter; which they were fagacious enough to perceive, that it tended to the diminution and leffening of themselves. And that this was the thing which troubled them, appears plainly from the complaint which they make to their mafter, John iii. 26. The difciples of John came to him and faid, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witnefs, behold the fame baptizeth, and all men come to him. This troubled them, to fee him invade their mafter's office, and that he began to have more followers than John had; he baptizeth, and all men come to him.

This prejudice John had endeavoured to root out of their minds, by telling them, that he had always declared that he was not the Meffias, ver. 28. You your felves bear me witness, that I faid, I am not the Chrift, but that I am fent before him. But when he perceived it ftill to ftick with them, and that they obferved all his actions, and the miracles that he wrought, as if they had a mind to pick a quarrel with him, (for St. Luke, who relates the fame ftory, tells us, that when our Saviour had healed the Centurion's fervant, and raised from the dead the widow's fon at Nain, the difciples of John fhewed him all these things) I fay, John Baptift perceiving that they watched him fo narrowly, fent two of his difciples to him, that they might receive full fatis-' faction from him.

And St. Luke tells us, that upon their coming ta him, he wrought many of his miracles before them, to convince them that he was the true Meffias. Luke vii. 21, 22. And in that fame hour be cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and to many that were blind he gave fight; and then faid to the difciples of John, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have feeen and heard; how that the blind fee, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleanfed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and to the poor the gospel is preached; and blessed is he that is not offended in me.

So that you fee that the reafon why John Baptift

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fent to our Saviour to know whether he was the Meffias, was not to fatisfy himself, for he had no doubt of it; but perceiving his difciples, to be ill affected towards our Saviour, and hearing them speak with fome envy of his miracles, he fent them to him, that by feeing what he did, and hearing what account he gave of himself, they might receive full fatisfaction concerning him.

I have been the longer in the clearing of this, that men upon every appearance of contradiction in the evangelical history, may not be too forward to fufpect the truth of it; but may be convinced, that, if they would have but patience to examine things carefully, they would find that the ftory does fufficiently vindicate itfelf; and though it be penned with great fimplicity, yet there is fufficient care taken to free it from being guilty of any contradiction to itself.

The occafion of the words being thus cleared, there are in them these two things confiderable :

Firft, What it was that John the Baptift fent his difciples to be fatisfied about; and that was, whether he was the Meffias or not? Now when John had beard in prifon the works of Chrift, he sent two of his difciples. The circumftance of his being in prifon, feems to be mentioned, to intimate to us the reafon why he did not come himself along with them; he fent two of his difciples to him, who faid unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? And then,

Secondly, The anfwer which our Saviour returns to this meffage; Jefus answered and faid unto them, Go and fhew John again those things which ye do fee and hear; the blind receive their fight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them; and bleffed is he whofoever shall not be offended in me.

So that these words contain, firft, the evidence which our Saviour gives of his being the true Meffias. Secondly, An intimation, that notwithstanding all this evidence which he gave of himself, yet many

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would be offended at him, and reject him; blessed is he whofoever is not offended in me.

First, The evidence which our Saviour gives of his being the true Meffias: And to prove this, there were but two things neceffary:

1. To fhew that he was fent by God, and had a particular commiffion from him.

2. That he was the very perfon of whom the Prophets foretold that he fhould be the Meffias.

The first of these he proves by the miracles which he wrought; and the fecond by the correfpondency of the things he did, with what was foretold by the Prophets concerning the Meffias; the prophecies concerning the Meffias were accomplished in him.

First, By the miracles which he wrought, the blind receive their fight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleanfed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up. Here is a brief enumeration of the feveral forts of miracles which our Saviour wrought, and thefe were a teftimony to him that he came from God, and was fent and commiffioned by him to declare his will to the world. So he himself tells us, John v. 39. I have a greater witness than that of John, for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the fame works that I do, bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me. Upon the evidence of these miracles, Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews, was convinced that he was fent by God, John iii. 2. We know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do thefe miracles that thou doft, except God be with him. Nay his greatest enemies were afraid of his miracles, knowing how proper an argument they are to convince men. John xi. 47. when the chief Priests and Pharifees were met together in coun cil against him, they concluded, that if he were permitted to go on and work miracles, he would draw all men after him. What do we (fay they) for this man doth many miracles; if we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him. This they faid, upon occafion of the great miracle of raising Laza rus from the dead.

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