before him, by affuming the part of his Forerunner*.

* Befides what has been faid to fhew, that if John and Jesus had been impoftors, the One could not have refufed the cha racter of Elias, nor the Other have afterwards attributed it to him; without at the fame time entering into a particular explanation of the exact character, which they meant by that name; it is well worth our notice, that Jefus's manner of fpeaking, on this occafion; "if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come;" plainly fhews, that he thought the people would not believe John was the true Elias; and yet at the fame time we find, that he took no pains to convince them that he really was. What could be more oppofite than this to the neceffary conduct of an impoftor?

1

SEC

SECTION VI.

A very peculiar character and office afcribed to Jefus by John.

So inconteftable does the divine infpiration of John and Jefus appear, that there is fcarce a word or action recorded of the Former; which, upon a clofer infpection, will not furnifh us with fome ftrong collateral proof of the integrity of Both; by multiplying the abfurdities, that muft follow, from fuppofing them to have been impof

tors.

THE next day; after the priefts and levites had been fent by the Sanhedrim, to enquire of John, who he was; "John feeth Jefus coming unto "him, and faith; behold the LAMB of God, "which taketh away the fins of the world *. "And again, the next day after, John ftood, and "two of his difciples; and looking upon Jefus,

66

as he walked, he faith, behold the LAME of "God t.

Now had John and Jefus been deceivers, it is evident, that all fuch remarkable declarations of

* John i, 29.

↑ Ibid. 35, 36.

Either,

Either, concerning the peculiar divine character and office of the Other, muft have been first secretly agreed on between them; with a view of promoting their reception, in those particular characters, which they thought fit to afcribe, in this manner, to Each Other. And this obfervation is the more particularly applicable to the instance before us; because the very peculiar character here given to Jefus, by his affociate, made no part of any of those divine revelations, which were given out, as having preceded, and accompanied his birth. So that, as none of thofe prophecies were at all concerned in the cafe, which they might think themselves under a neceffity to fulfill; it must have been merely the benefits they expected to arife, from publicly giving Jefus this very remarkable appellation, that could induce them to agree to do it.

Is it poffible then, that John's unexpected and repeated declaration of this new part of Jesus's character, now before us, could be agreed on between them, from the hopes of any advantages to be derived from it? Could it be thought capable of inclining the Jews to receive Jefus the more readily for the true Meffiah? The character here afcribed to Jefus, that of "the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the fins of "the world;" evidently and directly alluded to

the

the daily facrifices offered up in the temple at Jerufalem, for the whole people; as well as the reft of the fin-offerings appointed in the Jewish law. In all which the death of the victim was reprefented as the means, by which the fin of those, for whom it was offered, was taken away: for, in the Jewish law, without fhedding of blood there was no remiffion †.

IF therefore any notice fhould be taken of this remarkable character afcribed by the Baptift to Jefus; which, from its novelty, it was highly probable there would; as John's repetition of it plainly fhewed, he was very defirous there might; it was impoffible, for the Jews to put any other interpretation upon it, than this; that Jefus was one day to be publicly put to death, as an atonement for the fins of all.

BUT was this fuch an account of the defign of Jefus's coming into the world, as an impoftor could imagine, would make the Jews more ready to receive him, for their long-promifed Messiah? Or even, was this fuch a catastrophe, as would correfpond with the received interpretation of those prophecies, that had been given out concerning Jefus, at the time of his birth? In particular,

* See Lightfoot and Whitby on the place. Lewis's Heb. Antiq. b. iv. ch. 4 and 6,

† Epistle to the Hebrews, ix. 22.

could Jefus imagine, that the Jews would confider this as an accomplishment of that prediction; that he fhould free them from all their enemies, and fit on the throne of his father David? The contrary is too notorious to admit of question.

How then was it poffible, that the falfe Forerunner of a pretended Meffiah, could fet himself to inculcate into the people, fuch an opinion concerning his Affociate's real character and defigns, as was alone fufficient, fhould they believe it, to make them immediately reject him? Or what could be more oppofite to every conceivable defign, an impoftor could entertain; and confequently, what more impoffible for an impoftor to do; than to take pains to make the people believe, that the very mo❤ tive and defign of all his actions was, to procure himself to be put to death? This furely, if any thing could be fo, must have been impoffible; and therefore, neither John, who afcribed this character and office to Jefus; nor Jefus, whofe reception and fuccess it so immediately concerned, could poffibly be a deceiver.

SEC