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SECT. VI. “Lord, as faid the prophet Efaias." This was informing them plainly enough, that the prophecies were foom to be accomplished by the manifeftation of Meffiah,, and that repentance, according to his doctrine and baptifm, was the only preparation fit and neceffary to be made, for the reception of their King

"They who were fent were of the "Pharifees," and confequently could not relish tidings which put an end to all their schemes of temporal dominion, and earthly, grandeur,. inculcating, inftead of them, the duties of, mortification and felf-denial. This was not their fyftem; and many, in every age: fince, have been of the fame opinion, not caring to receive Christ, unless he came to them with the world in his hand.. Finding, therefore, that John had no vanity to be worked upon, they had re→ courfe to other measures, and began to difpute his commiffion to. baptize; "They asked him,. and faid unto him; "Why baptizeft thou then, if thou be "not that: Chrift; nor: Elias, neither " that: prophet":

St.

St. John's reply fhews his own hu- SECT. VI mility, and, at the fame time, bears teftimony to the dignity of Jefus. "I in

deed baptize you with water;" my baptifm, like my preaching, is preparatory only, leading to another baptism of the Spirit, which fhall cleanse the fouls of penitents from every thing that defileth, through faith in Meffiah and his heavenly doctrine. And this Meffiah is not afar off, as you may imagine him to be; "there ftandeth one among you, whom

ye know not," he appears like other men, lowly, unattended, undistinguished; he doth not, as yet, think proper to manifeft his power and glory; but hereafter you will find him to be far other than he feems. As to myself, of whom fome are pleased to entertain an high opinion, I am nothing: "This is "he, who, coming after me, is pre

ferred before me," as much as the greatest master is before the meanest of his fervants, deemed unworthy to perform the leaft office about his perfon; "the latchet of whofe fhoes I am not "worthy to unloofe." This teRimony did St. John give, to the Saviour of the world,

SECT.VI. world, in the audience of the priests, and Levites, and the people, "at Bethabara beyond Jordan, where he was baptizing." Intent upon humbling himself, that his great Lord and Master might be exalted, he declared himself a meffenger only, fent to prepare his ways; and every thing in him, and about him, spoke the fame language.

"THE next day," an opportunity offered itself of pointing out the person of Jefus to the people;

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John feeth Jefus coming unto him," probably, to acknowledge him as his friend, relation, and precurfor; "and faith, Behold the "Lamb of God, which taketh away "the fin of the world:" Behold that bleffed perfon prefigured in the law, and foretold by the prophets; one that is all meeknefs and innocence, patience and refignation, without offence in his mouth, without guile or malice in his heart, without fpot or blemish in foul or body; the Lamb which Abraham told his fon Ifaac, that God would in time provide; the Lamb, by the sprinkling of whofe blood, true Ifraelites are preferved from the deftroyer; the sa

crifice

crifice on which are laid the iniquities SECT. VI. of us all; the Saviour who, by expia

ting, taketh
away the fin of the world,
and conferreth righteousness on them
that will believe in him, and accept it
from him, being conformed to his ex-
ample of meeknefs and lowlinefs. This,
O all
ye that behold him, "this is he
"of whom I faid, after me cometh
"a man which is preferred before me,
"for he was,” he existed, ages "before
'me," even from the beginning; he is
fairer than the children of men, full of
grace and truth, of divine glory, and
celestial beauty.

a

To guard against any fufpicion of collufion between two perfons, who, as relations, might be supposed to act in concert, and favour each other's pretenfions, St. John adds, "And I knew “ him not, but he that fent me to bap"tize with water, the fame faid unto "me, Upon whom thou shalt see the

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Spirit defcending and remaining on

See the impoffibility of any fuch collufion fully demonftrated by the Reverend Mr. Bell, in his exact and elaborate Enquiry into the Divine Missions of John the Baptift and Jefus Chrift.

02

" him,

SECT.VI." him, the fame is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost."

FROM this paffage we learn, that the vifible defcent of the Spirit was the fign given to St. John, whereby he was to know the Meffiah. Jefus was brought up at Nazareth; and St. John was educated in the defarts; and it feems to have been fo ordered by Providence, that no interview had paffed between them, after they had arrived to years of maturity. When Jefus, therefore, came to be baptized, St. John had no knowlege of his perfon. But, probably, on making the enquiries, ufual at baptifm, into his profeffion, name, and place of abode, and finding likewise, that he had no fins to confefs, as all others had, he faw reafon fufficient to conclude, that this was the Chrift; which might occafion his apology, “ I have need to be baptized of thee," &c. And then, when Jefus came up out of the water, the Spirit defcended, ter beyond all doubt.

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and put the mat

“I saw, and bare

• See Annotations on St. John's Gospel, by the Rev. Mr. Merrick, Part II. p. 50. and the Works of Dr. Jackfon, by him referred to, Vol. II. p. 518.

"record,

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