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But more especially among the Jews, there was at SER M. that time a more lively and particular expectation, grounded upon the predictions of their prophets, of a prince whom they call'd the MESSIAS, or the Anointed; and those who were more devout among them, did at that time wait for his

appearance; as it is faid of Simeon, that "he waited for the con"folation 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 MESSIAS ?" John i. 19." The Jews fent priefts and levites from Jeru"falem to ask him, who art thou? and he confef“fed, 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 MESSIAS or not?" he would not "take this honour to himself," but told them the MESSIAS was juft at hand; and the next day, "when JESUS 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."

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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 should fend two of his difciples to enquire," whether he were the MESSIAS or not?" art thou he that fhould come, or do we "look for another ?" that is, art thou the MESSIAS, or not? for fo he is call'd in the ancient prophefies of him, exóm, he that fhould come, Gen. xlix. 10." The fcepter fhall not depart from Judah, "till Shiloh come."

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SERM. 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 JESUS for the MESSIAS, 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 mafter, when they apprehend him to speak 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 CHRIST, because 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 master, John iii. 26. "The difciples of John came to him and faid, He "that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou "bareft witness, 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 bap"tizeth, 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 MESSIAS, ver. 28. "You your felves bear me witnefs, that I faid, I

am

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"am not the CHRIST, but that I am fent before SER M. "him." But when he perceived it ftill to stick 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 Naim, 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 fatisfaction from him.

And St. Luke tells us, that upon their coming to him, he wrought many of his miracles before them, to convince them that he was the true MESSIAS, Luke ii. 21, 22. "And in that fame hour he 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 seen 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 bleffed is he that is not of "fended in me.'

So that you fee that the reason why John Baptist fent to our SAVIOUR to know whether he was the MESSIAS, was not to fatisfy himself, for he had no doubt of it; but perceiving his difciples to be illaffected 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

SERM. what account he gave of himfelf, they might receive CXVII. 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 convinc'd, that if they would but have patience to examine things carefully, they would find that the story does fufficiently vindicate it felf; and tho' it be penn'd with great fimplicity, yet there is fufficient care taken, to free it from being guilty of any contradiction to it felf.

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

First, what it was that John the baptift fent his difciples to be fatisfied about; and that was, whe ther he was the MESSIAS or not?"Now when John "had heard in prifon the works of CHRIST, he "fent two of his difciples." The circumftance of his being in prifon, feems to be mention'd, to intimate to us the reason why he did not come himfelf along with them; he fent two of his difciples to him, who faid unto him, "Art thou he that "fhould come, or do we look for another?" and then,

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Secondly, the answer which our SAVIOUR returns to this meffage; "JESUS answered and faid unto "them, Go and fhew John again the things which ye do fee and hear; the blind receive their fight, "the lame walk, the lepers are cleanfed, and the "deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor "have the gofpel preached unto them, and bleffed "is he, whofoever fhall not be offended in me."

So

So that thefe words contain, firft, the evidence SFR M. which our SAVIOUR gives of his being the true CXVII. MESSIAS. Secondly, an intimation that notwithstanding all this evidence which he gave of himself, yet many would be offended at him, and reject him; "bleffed is he, whofoever is not offended in me.”

First, the evidence which our SAVIOUR gives of his being the true MESSIAS, 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 MESSIAS.

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 MESSIAS; the prophefies concerning the MESSIAS were accomplish'd in him.

First, by the miracles which he wrought; "the "blind receive their fight, and the lame walk, the ༢ 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. 36. "I have a greater wit"nefs than that of John, for the works which the "FATHER hath given me to finifh, the fame "works that I do, bear witnefs of me, that the "FATHER hath fent me." Upon the evidence of thefe miracles, Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews, was convinced that he was fent by GoD, John ii. 2.

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