If the turn now given to this meffage may be admitted, the Baptift will appear to have been, even during his imprisonment, a witness to Jefus, and to have maintained to the laft, that conviction, under which he had acted formerly, that Jefus was the Meffiah. Hence alfo, that illuftrious teftimony to the character of the Baptist, which Jefus delivered, immediately as the meffengers of John departed, will seem to have an easy and natural introduction. He was not "a reed, fhaken with the wind;" but immovable in principle, and steady in testimony. He appeared a prophet, in unfolding the genuine fenfe of former prophecies, and enforcing them with circumstances, unknown and original; in opening and characterizing the Gofpel-kingdom of the Meffiah; in proclaiming his immediate approach, and predicting many of his attributes, and even more than a prophet, in baptizing the Meffiah to his office, in attesting his actual prefence, in pointing him out in perfon, as the redeemer and fanctifier of the world, and the Son of God.

The

The proper application of these prophecies and this teftimony of John, has been made by the mighty one, whose forerunner and witnefs he was; 66 8 if ye will receive it, this is Elias that was for to come he that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Matth. xi. 14,

SER

SERM ON VI.

JOHN xiii. 19.

Now I tell you before it come, that when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am be.

I

T has been fhewn already, that the Baptift, as the forerunner of the Meffias,

had predicted his coming, and had indicated fome of his attributes; and, as a witnefs, had pointed out Jefus of Nazareth perfonally, as the mighty one, that should 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 forerunner, and the truth of his teftimony, as

the

3

the witness of the Meffiah; I proceed, in the subsequent part of these discourses, to affign fome of the many fignal evidences, which the Holy Spirit gave of his continually dwelling in Jefus, during his publick miniftry, by producing and illuftrating feveral of his prophecies, which either immediately related to characters, that John had attributed to him, or were parallel to prophecies, delivered by the Baptist.

2

The first attribute, which John prophetically afcribed to the Meffiah, was contained in the following words; "he, that cometh after me, is mightier than I." As the ancient Scriptures had predicted the miracles of the Meffias, and were, in that respect, though not in all, rightly understood by the Jews, the attribute of power was confeffedly the great characteristic of his ministry. And Jefus appropriated to himself this prophetical character, by openly exerting a mighty power,at his will, by his word, at hand or at a distance, upon animate or inanimate nature, and over the invifible world; against him that had

* See Grot. on John ix. 32.

the