1. He faithfully reproved them. As a witnefs from God, he told them what was evil and finful. And therefore many things, which, by the Scribes and Pharifees, were reckoned as no fins, he faithfully revealed it to them, that they were fins. This he largely did, in his clearing and vindicating the law of God, from those falfe and corrupt gloffes which they had put upon it, as may be feen particularly in the 5th chap. of Matthew. He opened the law of God to them in its fpirituality and latitude; and gave them to understand, that many things were therein forbidden and required, which they did not apprehend to be fo. And as he condemned their doctrines and fentiments about what was fin, and what was not, fo likewife he faithfully bore witness against their fins in practice; which occafioned their hatred of him. Job. vii. 7. The world bateth me, because I teftify of it, that the works thereof are evil. He deals plainly with them, detecting their hypocrify, and condemning their wicked courfes, upon the account whereof they were filled with rage against him.

2. He faithfully inftructed them. He told them what they were to know, believe and do, in order to God's glory and their own falvation. He revealed to them all the articles of faith, and all the duties of obedience. In the courfe of his publick miniftry, he made it his business to remove the ignorance, to cure the unbelief, and to reform the difobedience, of men. In order hereunto, he (perfonally or by his apoftles) made known the whole counfel and will of God. And with refpect to external revelation, he might fay to the world, as he did to his apoftles, Joh. xv. 15. All things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you.

3. He faithfully forewarned them. As he made known to them their fin and duty, fo likewife their danger, in cafe of continuance in fin and difobedience. He therefore revealed to them the threatnings of God, and the amazing and dreadful miferies contained therein. He oftentimes denounced woes to vile and ungod ly men. He told them, not only of thofe judgments

of

of God, which they might expect to come upon them in this world, but alfo of the intolerable and everlasting plagues, that would be inflicted upon them in the world to come. He gave them a more clear view of the extremity and eternity of mifery, in the future world, than ever they had before. And hereupon, faithfully warned them to flee from the wrath to come, and to labour to escape the damnation of bell. The gospel therefore is full of fuch faithful admonitions, given by Chrift to a finful world; though but few regarded them, and many disbelieved them.

4. He faithfully encouraged them. This he did by fetting before them, and opening to them, the exceeding great and precious promifes of the gofpel. He ac quainted them, how glorious rewards God would bestow on all that believe, repent and obey. In the former part of the 5th chap. of Matthew, he particularly characterifes fuch perfons, and pronounces them bleffed ones. Yea, he gave to the world a more clear profpect of the glory and happiness to be enjoyed after this life, than ever it had before. Whence he is faid to have brought life and immortality to light, (2 Tim. i. 10.) i. e. fet it in a clearer light, than it was formerly under the old teftament. Now this eternal life and glory in the kingdom of heaven, he teftified to men, that fo they might be won over to faith and obedience. Thus was Chrift a faithful witness.

Anfw. 2. Jefus Chrift was a true witnefs. Rev. iii. 14. Thefe things faith the Amen, the faithful and true witness: All things requifite unto a true witnefs, are to be found eminently in Jefus Chrift. Ex. gr.

1. He fpake the truth. A true witnefs gives his teftimony to truth. So does Jefus Chrift. Joh. viii. 14, My record is true. And again, Job. xviii. 17. To this end was I born, and for this caufe came I into the world, that I fhould bear witnefs unto the truth. That which Chrift teftified to the world, was divine truth. Job. viii. 40, 45. Te feek to kill me, a man that bas told you the truth.... And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

2. He fpake the whole truth. A true witnefs declares the whole truth, and conceals no part of the truth which ought to be revealed. Thus Jefus Chrift has spoken the whole truth, all that truth that is needful to be known for the falvation of man. His teftimony is ample and full, comprehending in it all faving truth. Pfal. xl. 9, 10. I bave preached righteoufnefs in the great congregation; lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knoweft: I have not bid thy righteoufnefs within my heart, I have declared thy faithfulness and thy falvation: I have not concealed by loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

3. He fpake nothing but the truth. A true witness keeps close to truth, and teftifies nothing that is falfe. Prov. xiv. 5. A faithful witness will not lie, but a falfe witness will utter lies. Thus Jefus Chrift witneffed nothing but what was true. There was not the least mixture of falfhood in his teftimony. For he was truth itself. (Job. xiv. 6) He was one that would not, that could not, lie, or utter any falfe thing. Jefus Chrift is an infallible witnefs, who is fubject to no mistake, who cannot poffibly

err.

4. He fpake that which he knew to be truth. A true witness teftifies nothing but what he knows to be the truth. A man may witnefs what is true, yet if he does not know it to be true, he is formally a falfe witnefs. Thus Jefus Chrift had a certain knowledge of the truth of what he witneffed and revealed to the world. Job. iii. 32. What be bath feen and beard, that he teftifieth. He had a clear, full, certain knowledge and comprehenfion of what he teftified. He was in the bofom of his Father, and fo perfectly acquainted with his whole mind and will.

4. He confirmed the truth, and made it evident. A true witness clears up the truth. His teftimony tends to give evidence and gain credit to that which he teftifies. Thus Jefus Chrift makes the truth manifeft. He not only declares the truth, but also confirms it, beyond all juft exceptions against it.-Now, three ways Jefus Chrift

has made the truth evident, and proved the validity of his teftimony.

1. By his most boly life. The known integrity, fidelity and probity of a witnefs, adds firength to his testimony, and caufes it more readily to be received. Now, as for Jefus Chrift, he was one of fpotlefs purity, that led a life free from the leaft blemish. He did no fin, nor was guile found in bis mouth. 1 Pet. ii. 22. The unbelieving Jews indeed reprefented him as a notoricus finner. But this was an effect of pure hatred and malice. The judge before whom they arraigned and impleaded him, declared after all they could fay, that be found no fault in him, Job. xviii. 38. Now this extraordinary and absolutely perfect holiness of Jefus Chrift, is one thing which renders his teftimony valid and unexceptionable.

2. By his miraculous works. Our Lord Jefus Chrift wrought an innumerable multitude of miracles. Many of them are recorded, but a great many more are not. Job. xx. 30. Many other figns truly did Jefus in the prefence of bis difciples, which are not written in this book. Now thefe fupernatural works of Chrift, were clear demonstrations of the truth of thofe things which he teftified. And therefore he produces his works as a fufficient ground to gain credit to the truths afferted by him. Job. x. 25, 37, 38. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works. He appeals to his own mighty works, as undeniable proofs of his veracity. Unbelief and rejection of the gofpel, confirmed by fuch miracles, will leave men altogether inexcufable. Job. xv. 24. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not bad fin.

3. By his cruel fufferings and death. A witnefs that will part with his life in defence of his teftimony, is apt to be credited. Now, as for Jefus Chrift, his fufferings on the account of the truths that he teftified, were exceeding great. And the death which followed thereon, was

moft

moft ignominious and painful. This paffion and death of our glorious Lord for the caufe of truth, was a confirmation of it in the highest degree. He fealed his teftimony with his blood and life; parting herewith in the defence of what he witneffed. This was an evidence to the world, of the truth of his teftimony, in that he stood by it to the death, even the death of the crofs.

APPLICATION.

USE 1. We may hence learn the exceeding great worth and excellency of the gospel. It is called the glorious gofpel of the bleed God, i Tim i. 11. It contains in it most glorious truths. And that it does fo, is moft evident, in that Jefus Chrift was fent of God to be the witness to thefe truths. The gofpel contains the teftimony of Jefus Chrift, the things which he teftified to the world. Now if we confider what a glorious withefs Jefus Chrift is, we may be affured that the truths contained in the gospel, are most glorious truths. He that is the witnefs to them, is the Lord of glory, the King of glory, the God of glory. This infinitely glorious perfon, was called and fent by God the Father, to reveal and teftify thefe truths unto men. Surely then thefe truths muft needs be truths of the greateft importance and excellency. No truths may be compared with those which the Son of God came to be a witnefs unto. When the apoftle therefore would recommend the gospel to us, he fets forth the glory and excellency of the perfon, by whom it was immediately fpoken. Heb. i. 1, 2, 3. God, who at fundry times and in divers manners, pake in time paft unto the fathers by the prophets, bath in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom be bath appointed heir of all things, by whom alfo be made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of bis perfon, &c. Undoubtedly then the gofpel is a treasury and ftorehouse, of the greatest truths which God ever revealed to the world; fince the most glorious perfon the world ever faw, was fent to make them known.