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MATTHEW.

MARK.

LUKE.

JOHN.

CHA P. L

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12' But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.

15 John bare witness of him, and cried, faying, This was he of whom I fpake, He that cometh after me, is preferred before me; for he was before me.

16 And of his fulness have

able to diftinguifh him from their fallacious Teachers. He liv'd among his own People, who were ftil'd the Children of God; yet these did not receive his Doctrine: but fuch as embrac'd the divine Revelation of it, were therefore reckon'd in the number of God's People, tho they were not of the Pofterity of Abraham; and fuch who were Ifraelites neither by Birth, nor Marriage, nor fo much as profelyted, were dignified with this Title by God's Will and Pleafure. That Reafon which, as we faid, was in the beginning with God, nay was God himself, has not always conceal'd it felf from us, but has been made confpicuous to us, and dwelt among us by the means of that Man on whom it refted. We our felves have feen the divine Majefty of that Reafon, which was heretofore invifible, manifefting it felf in that Man, as it became him who was the Son of God, not after the manner that we are fo call'd, but by one peculiar and proper to Himself alone. That Eternal Reason, full of Mercy and Benignity, has by him been made vifible unto us.

Now John bore a clear and open Teftimony concerning this Man, having publickly declar'd, it was he whom he had formerly defcrib'd in these words, He who cometh after me is greater than I. Whatever we know, flows from this knowledg of heavenly Affairs, with which the Divine Reafon had moft illuftrioufly fill'd bim. From hence it is we learn that the Mercy and Benignity of God is fo great, that all he expects from us in return for his wonderful Grace towards us, and thofe

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immenfe Benefits he has been pleas'd to make the confequents of our Love of him, is only a Heart fill'd with a grateful fenfe and acknowledgment of them. For Mofes having formerly publish'd his Laws, by which he impos'd moft heavy Rites upon the Jews, with a denunciation of Death unless they were exactly oblerv'd, Jesus the true Meffiah, on whom the Divine Reafon refted, has brought us the good tidings of God's Clemency and Bounty to us, by which our paft Sins are pardon'd, and the intolerable yoke of the Mofaic Inftitutions taken off. Heretofore no one was fully acquainted with God's Will and Pleasure herein; but he whom we have been difcourfing of, the only begotten Son of God, intirely belov'd by his Father, came down exprefly from Heaven with this Meffage to us.

Now John declar'd his Sentiments concerning Jefus, after Fefus had been wath'd by him in the River Jordan, in this manner. The Rulers of Jerufalem taking notice of the general concourfe to him from all the parts of Judea, delegated fome of the Priefts and Levites, he also being of the Sacerdotal Line, to go and question him concerning the Office he had taken upon him, and the Authority by which he acted. When they were come to the place where John was, and had acquainted him with the Orders they were charg'd with, many, who fufpected him to be the Cbrift, waited for his anfwer with fome concern and anxiety of Mind. But he pub

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JOHN.

СНА Р. І.

but confeffed, I am not the Chrift.

21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias ? And he faith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he anfwered, No.

22 Then faid they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that fent us: what fayeft thou of thy self?

23 He faid, I am the voice of one crying in the wildernefs, Make ftraight the way of the Lord, as faid the prophet Efaias.

24 And they which were fent, were of the Pharifees.

25 And they asked him, and faid unto him, Why baptizeft thou then, if thou be not that Chrift, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

lickly difown'd his being the Meffiah before them all. The Deputies then, as if they had been in doubt of his being the Son of Zacharias the Prieft, or with a defign to infnare him, demanded of him whether he was Elias, the fews having an Opinion that Elias muft firft come down from Heaven before the arrival of the Meffiah. This, John in like manner difclaim'd. They ask'd him a third time whether he was one of the antient Prophets, which alfo he denied. They then requir'd him, that fince he would not agree with any of the Judgments that had been form'd of him, to tell 'em plainly who he was. Then faid John, I am he whom the Prophet Ifaiah has defcrib'd in thefe words, Chap. 40. 3. The voice of one crying in the Wilderness, Make plain the way of the Lord. Now those who were deputed to him being of the Sect of the Pharifees, who are obftinately tenacious of the Inftitutions and Opinions of their Ancestors, and cannot endure any innovation, defir'd John to tell 'em by what Authority he had inftituted the Ceremony of washing, not only the Profelytes (who came to hear him) which was cuftomary, but the Jews alfo; fince neither the Messiah, nor Elias, nor any other Prophet, had Authority to fet

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up new Customs. John replied, that he wash'd 'em only with Water, without prè tending to confer any celeftial Gifts upon them by that his Baptifm, but only to fignify that their Minds ought to be cleans'd from Vice if they would be in favour with God: But that there was a man among the Jews whom they were ignorant of, who fhould fucceed him as a Meffenger from God, but with much greater Power, and Dignity; in as much as he was not worthy to perform the vileft Offices of a Servant to him, fuch as the changing of his Shoes at his return home. That this Man would not baptize his Difciples with Water only, but also with the Holy Ghoft, whom he would fhed upon them in the form of Fire. Further, that as the Corn when it has been reap'd, is threth'd that it may be feparated from the Chaff in order to be laid up in Store-houfes, while the other is confum'd and wont to ferve for Fewel, in like manner,this Perfon would in a little time feparate the good men among the Jews from the bad, and that thefe fhould endure the feverest Punishments, while the others enjoy'd moft ample rewards. With thefe and the like Difcourfes John

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JOHN.
CHAP. I.

28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John feeth Jefus coming unto him, and faith, Behold the lamb of God, which takethaway the fin of the world.

30 This is he of whom I faid, After me ́ cometh a man, which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifeft to Ifrael, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

32 And John bare record, faying, I faw the fpirit defcending from hea

entertain'd the Jews concerning the Meffiah, and this publick witnefs he bore to Jefus at Bethabara near the Banks of the River Jordan, in which at that time he wafh'd those that repair'd unto him.

In the mean time Jefus return'd to John from the Mountain in which he was laft of all in vain tempted by the evil Spirit. John having feen him the day after he had thus publickly teftified concerning him, before the Meffengers that were fent from Jerufalem, he broke out immediately into freth Encomiums of him, affirming him to be the Perfon he had difcours'd of with thofe that had been fent to him. This, fays he, is that Lamb without blemish, who fhall offer himself to God for a Victim, to expiate the fins of Men.

This is he I told you of, who is adorn'd with far greater Dignity and Authority by God than I am. I my felf knew him not before, tho I had begun to walh the Penitent, and to affure 'em the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand, that he might by my preaching be manifefted to the Jews. But I then understood that it was he, when after having wafh'd him, I faw the Holy Spirit defcend upon him in the fhape

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