dictions relating to the prophet who should come. On his first appearance in the synagogue of his own town Nazareth, he read the passage which has been already quoted from the sixtyfirst chapter of Isaiah, wherein the prophet describes the appointment of the Messiah to preach the Gospel, and he then proceeded to apply it to himself in the most explicit terms ".

This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.' This occurrence took place at the beginning of his ministry, so that he was inducted into it, as it were, with a regular declaration of the authority under which he acted as a teacher, and of the nature of the commission which, in virtue of that authority, he was about to open. When he had nearly arrived at the end of his ministry, after speaking of himself as the light of the world and the shepherd of the flock, two of the images under which his own prophetical character had been represented many ages before, he again urges the validity of his pretensions; and appeals to the notoriety of his miracles, as an ad

Luke, iv. 16–21.

ditional motive for belief, which had fallen within the knowledge of the whole nation since he formerly claimed attention as a divine teacher. 'Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not; the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me".'

II. We have John the Baptist's testimony to the same fact. After his disciples had complained to him of the success of Christ's ministry, he rejoices in witnessing this consummation of the glory which he had himself foretold. 'Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him, this my joy, therefore, is fulfilled.... For he, whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. Nor is the weight of this testimony invalidated by the apparent doubt

7 John, x. 24, 25.

John, iii. 28-34.

conveyed in his message to Jesus- Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?' Benson has explained the difficulty, by bringing forward again the solution originally given of it by the author of the questions which stand among the works of Justin Martyr. It will be observed, that the Evangelist expressly directs attention to the situation of John at the time the question was proposed. John had heard in the prison the works of Christ'.' In confinement, therefore, he had no means of ascertaining personally the truth of the reports which had reached him, respecting the life of a certain extraordinary personage lately said to have appeared in Judea. Had any works of a miraculous nature really been wrought? If so, had they been wrought by that very Jesus whom he had himself baptized, and whom he had heard acknowledged by a voice from heaven? To clear up these doubts, and to ascertain the identity of the person whose fame had given rise to them, he sent two

9 Hulsean Lectures for 1820. Discourse iii.

Matt. xi. 2.

6

of his disciples to make the necessary inquiries, and report accordingly. They came,' says Benson, they saw, they heard, they believed, and then returned with the glad tidings of certainty to their master. And he also heard, and he also believed. His uncertainty was built upon just and reasonable grounds. It was the result of a want of confidence, either in those who bore witness to the miracles of Jesus, or in the identity of the person by whom they were performed. When that want of confidence was once removed, the effect ceased with the cause, and he became thoroughly convinced. For Scripture often speaks to us as positively by its silence, as its assertions; and in the future pages of the Evangelist we meet with no other symptom whatever of the Baptist's doubt.'

III. Again, we have the testimony of the apostles and disciples. 'Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses, in the Law and the Prophets, did write: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' The two disciples going to Emmaus

were conversing concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet, mighty in deed and word, before God and all the people.' "Where

fore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house?'

IV. Lastly, we have the testimony of the people-an evidence of unspeakable value, because it proceeded from reluctant witnesses, who stood convicted of wilful unbelief by the very admissions which acknowledged the Messiah's prophetical character. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.' 'Many of the people, therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the prophet.' 'This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth, of Galilee.' And again, after the miracle at Nain, with an immediate

2 John, i. 45; Luke, xxiv. 19; Heb. iii. 1, 2.