time, many obvious and important confiderations occur, which must have deterred them from it; it "fome of John's difciples, and the Jews, about purifying, (Ibid. 25.). That is, in other words, when the Jews faw Jefus baptizing as well as John; he whom John had himself baptized, now taking upon him to rebaptize the difciples of John, and this too without any oppofition from him; unable to account for fo unusual a conduct, any other way, they objected to John's particular followers; that if Jefus was empowered to do this," they muft no longer pretend, that the baptifm of their own Mafter was of any ufe or importance (See Macknight's Comm. fect. 21.). That this would be the confequence of their Both baptizing, in the manner they now did, was fo obvious, that it is incredible any fuch impoftors could have agreed to do fo. But, even could this be thought poffible; it muft at leaft be allowed, that they would have taken care to furnish their own immediate followers, with fuch an aufwer to this obvious and material objection; as might enable Them, at any time, to filence the fcruples of the people about it. If they could not do this, they would have laid afide the defign. But even this too they certainly did not do; for John's difciples, it appears, were unable to give an answer to the objection; and came to their mafter complaining, “Rabbi, he that was with thee be 66 yond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the fame "baptizeth, and all men come unto him."-Thus remarkably docs every particular in the conduct of John and Jefus contribute to prove, that they could not poffibly be deceivers. What has here been obferved will likewife ferve to illuftrate wery greatly the truth of the conclufion established in the firfe fection of this Part; from the confideration, that John never at. it must be confeffed, that Jefus's coming to John, and being baptized by him, in the manner he was, is indeed a very strong collateral proof, that they could not be deceivers. attempted to perform any miraculous works. The only fuppofition capable of being there made, though at the fame time it proved abfolutely groundless, to reconcile that fact with the existence of an imposture, was, that John might refrain from working wonders, for fear of diftracting the judgement of the people between Jefus and Himfelf. But now, when we see that John baptized Jefus, and yet Jefus rebaptized the difciples of John; a practice which it was obvious, could not fail to fill the minds of the people with doubts and perplexity about them; this fact alone is fufficient to convince us, it could not have been agreed between them, that John fhould deprive himself of fo great an advantage, as that of working wonders, upon any fuch account. SEC SECTION V. John's answer to the deputation from the Sanhe drim; and a particular in Jefus's conduct relative to it. WHEN John had now continued to thew him self to the people, for fome space of time, and very foon after his baptizing Jefus, in the mariner we have juft now feen; fuch an opportunity offered itself to him, of making known his divine pretenfions to the very chief of the people; and preparing the way for Jefus, who was now beginning to appear; as, had they been joint deceivers, John must have been extremely defirous to obtain. "THE Jews fent Priefts and Levites from "Jerufalem;" to Bethabara to Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was then baptizing; " to ask him, "who art thou?" and it will be well worth our while to obferve how he conducted himself upon this critical occafion. "And he confeffed, and "denied not, but confeffed I am not the Christ. "And they asked him, what then? Art thou Art thou that we may give an What fayeft thou "Elias? And he faith, I am not. Prophet? and he answered, no. unto him, who art thou? that "anfwer to them that fent us. "of thyfelf? He faid, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ftraight the way of "the Lord; as faid the prophet Efaias. And they, "which were fent, were of the Pharifees. And "they asked him, and faid unto him; why bap"tizeft thou then; if thou be not that Chrift, nor Elias, neither that Prophet? John anfwered "them, faying; I baptize with water: but there "ftandeth One among you, whom ye know not; he it is, who, coming after me, is preferred be"fore me; whofe fhoes latchet I am not worthy to "unloofe." WHEN it is confidered, who thofe perfons were, with whom we find John, on this occafion engaged; it will readily be seen, in what manner an impoftor, in his circumftances, must have behaved. Inftead of being cafually applied to by fome of the multitude; he was now addreffed by deputies fent purpofely from the rulers themfelves: and thefe too not indifcriminately appointed, but Priests and Lecites; men of knowledge and skill in all facred matters; and in fine, men of the moft reputed and fkilful fect, Pharifees. Inftead of being asked for his inftruction in an eafy point of fpiritual advice; the the question, to which they required an immediate and categorical anfwer, was no lefs than this; what particular divine character he pretended to affume? QUESTIONED upon fo important a point, by those who were beft able to judge of the truth of his pretenfions, and would certainly examine them with the utmost rigour; by thofe likewife, who were capable of being his moft ferviceable friends; but otherwife were fure to be his moft potent and inveterate enemies; in what manner muft John, if an impoftor, have replied to their demands? To give no determinate answer to fuch an embaffy, after having taken upon him to baptize the people, and utter prophecies; would have been betraying the caufe he was embarked in, and a tacit confeffion of his deceit. He muft therefore have declared, what divine character he took upon him. HE would likewife have employed all his art and ingenuity, not in enumerating only, but in illuftrating all thofe proofs he had been able to devise, for the foundation of his pretenfions; and in urging them to the best advantage. And as he very well knew, that thefe deputies from the Pharifees came prepoffeffed against him; if he was able to allege any circumftances, likely to remove their perfonal prejudices, he could not have neU 2 glected |