SERMON CXVII.

Proving Jesus to be the Meffias.

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

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Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see. 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 whosoever 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 should come out of Judea, and govern all nations: this the Gentiles had from the prophecies of the Sibyls, which spake of a great King that was to appear in the world about that time. So Virgil tells us, that the time of Augustus was the utmost 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 such a prince should spring out of Ju"dea:" And for this reason it is, that our Saviour is called by the Prophet, the expectation of the nations.

But more especially 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 Messias, or the Anointed; and those 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 consolation of Ifrael. Hence it was, that when John the Baptist appeared in the quality of an extraordinary Prophet, they sent from Jerusalem to enquire whether he were the Meffias? John i. 19. The Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who art thou? And he confefsfed, and denied not, but confefsed, I am not the Christ. The Sanhedrim, to whom it belonged to judge who were the true Prophets, sent to know whether he was the Messias or not? he would not take this honour to himself, but told them the Messias was just 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 saw the Spirit descending and abiding upon him.

So that it is plain that he knew him, and bare witness of him, which makes it the more strange that here in the text, he should send two of his disciples to enquire, whether he were the Messias or not? Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another ? that is, art thou the Messias or not? for fo he is called in the ancient prophecies of him, ὁ ἐρχόμεν, he that should come. Gen. xlix. 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah, till Shiloh come.

For the resolution of this difficulty, it is very probably said by interpreters, and I think there is no reason to doubt of it, that John the Baptist did not fend this message for his own fatisfaction, but to fatisfy his disciples, who were never very willing to acknowledge Jesus for the Messias, because they thought he did shadow and cloud their master. From whence we may take notice, how mens judgments are apt to be perverted by faction and interest; and that good men are too prone to be swayed thereby; for such we suppose the disciples of John to have been; they will not believe their own master, when they apprehend him to speak against their interest; for they knew that they must rise and fall in their reputation and esteem, as their master did. They believed that their master was a Prophet, and came from God; yet for all that, they could not digeft his testimony of Chrift, because that fet him above their master; 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 disciples of John came to him and said, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, behold the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. This troubled them, to see him invade their master'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 yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. But when he perceived it still to stick with them, and that they observed 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 same story, tells us, that when our Saviour had healed the Centurion's servant, and raised from the dead the widow's son at Nain, the disciples of John shewed him all these things) I say, John Baptist perceiving that they watched him so narrowly, sent two of his disciples 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 Messias. Luke vii. 21, 22. And in that same 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 seeen and heard; how that the blind see, 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 reason why John Baptist fent

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sent 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 disciples to be ill affected towards our Saviour, and hearing them speak with some 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 fuspect the truth of it, but may be convinced, that, if they would have but patience to examine things carefully, they would find that the story does sufficiently vindicate itself; and though it be penned with great fimplicity, yet there is sufficient care taken to free it from being guilty of any contradiction to itfelf.

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

First, What it was that John the Baptist sent his disciples to be satisfied about; and that was, whether he was the Messias or not? Now when Johnbad heard in prison the works of Chrift, be sent two of his difciples. The circumstance of his being in prison, seems to be mentioned, to intimate to us the reason why he did not come himself along with them; he fent two of his disciples to him, who faid unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? And then,

Secondly, The answer which our Saviour returns to this message; Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew 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 blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me.

So that these words contain, first, 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 would would be offended at him, and reject him ; blessed is he whosoever 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 necessary :

1. To shew that he was fent by God, and had a particular commission from him. 2. That he was the very person of whom the Prophets foretold that he should be the Meffias.

The first of these he proves by the miracles which he wrought; and the second by the correspondency 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 cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up. Here is a brief enumeration of the several forts of miracles which our Saviour wrought, and these were a testimony to him that became 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 same 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, Join iii. 2. We know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou dost, 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 Pharisees 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 Lazarus from the dead.