fail to proceed farther, and to acquire more and more confidence in the truth of religion; whereas, if they live in opposition to the degree of belief, which they have, be it what it may, even it will gradually grow weaker and weaker, and, at length, die away in the soul. Thirdly; Let them, who are anxious to arrive at just sentiments of religion, keep their minds in a capable state, that is, free from the bias of former doubts conceived, at a time, when the power and influence of sinful temptation was upon them, suggested, in fact, lest they should find themselves obliged to give up some gratification upon which they had set their hearts; and which decisions, nevertheless, and doubts, have the same operation upon their judgments, as if they had been the result of the most pure and impartial reasoning. It is not peculiar to religion: it is true of all subjects, that the mind is sure almost to be misled, which lies under a load of prejudice contracted from circumstances, in which it is next to impossible to weigh arguments justly, or to see clearly. Fourthly; Let them, let all, especially those, who find themselves in a dissatisfied state of mind, fly to prayer. Let them pray earnestly and incessantly for God's assisting grace and influence: assisting, if it be his good pleasure, as well our minds and understanding in searching after truth as our hearts and affections in obeying it. I say again, let us pray unceasingly for grace and help from the Spirit of God. When we pray for any worldly object, we may pray mistaken. We may be ignorant of our own good? we may err egregiously concerning it. But when we pray for spiritual aid and grace, we are sure that we pray for what we want; for what, if granted, will be the greatest of all blessings. And we pray with hope because we have this gracious assurance given us by the Lord himself of grace and mercy: "If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your 118 YOU siri to pu car sion dis SO wit Go see 1 WO rel sur rea It r hel Con 1 CC his Dee lice the med tion Se children, how much more shall your heavenly SERMON XV. JOHN'S MESSAGE TO JESUS. 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? Matt. xi. 2, 3. THESE words state a transaction, to say the least of it, of a singular kind, and well entitled to observation. Some time before our Lord's appearance, John the Baptist had produced himself to the country, as a messenger of God, and as a publie preacher. The principal thing which he taught was, that a greater and more extraordinary person than himself, that is to say, no other than the long-foretold and long-expected Messiah, was abont shortly to appear in the world; that for the appearance of this person, which would be the setting up of the kingdom of God upon earth, all and reformation. Thus did John preach, before men were to prepare themselves by repentance it was known or declared, and before he (John himself) knew or declared who this extraordinaperson was. It was, as it should seem, upon our Lord's offering himself to John to be baptised Itaper and pushed him to be that person. This of him in Jordan, that John, for the first time, testimony and record John afterward repeated concerning him in this manner, and it is remarkwhite: The next day John seeth Jesus coming unit him, and so Behold the Lamb of God, which away the sin of the world. This is in of whom I After me cometh a man, wha prored before me, for he was before made bi not: but that he should be RBON @srael, therefore am I come And John bare record, say ing, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him and I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptise with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he, which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record, that this is the Son of God." It came to pass, that, soon after our Lord's pub. lic appearance, John was cast into prison, and there remained till, by a barbarous order from He rod, in wicked compliance with a wicked vow, this good and courageous servant of God was be headed. It does not seem quite certain, whether he was not imprisoned twice. In prison, however, his disciples, as was natural, came to him and related to him the great things, which Jesus had lately been doing; and it appears, from the accounts of the different evangelists, and by laying these accounts together in order of time, that Je*us, a little before this, amongst other miracles, deured the centurion's servant without com. ear him; and had also raised the young man in to life, when they were carrying him out funeral; miracles, which, it may be supposre much noised about in the country What id John the Baptist do, upon receiving this gence? He sent to Jesus two of his disciples, "Art thou he that should come, or look another?" il appear odd, that John should entertain ubt, or require any satisfaction about this He who had himself publicly announced › be the Messiah looked for, and that also he most undeniable grounds, because he Spirit descending and remaining upon he token which had been given him, whereperson was to be distinguished by him. was a difficulty, which interpreters of re, in very early times, saw: and the anhich they gave to it, I believe to be the ; namely, that John sent this message, G not from any doubt which he himself entertained of the matter, but in order that the doubts, which bis disciples had conceived about it, might receive an answer and satisfaction at the fountain head; from Jesus himself, who was best able to give it. You will, therefore, now observe what this answer was, and how, and under what circumstan ces, it was given. If you turn to St. Luke's statement of the transaction, chap. vii. verse 20th, you will there find it expressly asserted, what is only implied and tacitly referred to by St. Matthew (and this is one instance, amongst many of the advantages of bringing the accounts of the diffe rent evangelists together:) you will find I say, that it so happened, I ought to have said that it was so ordered by Providence-that at the time, the precise hour, when these messengers from John arrived, our Lord was in the very act of working miracles. In that same hour, says Luke, he cured many of infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits, and unto many that were blind he gave sight: so that the messengers themselves were eye-witnesses of his powers and his gifts, and of his mighty works; and to this evidence he refers them; and a more decisive or dignified an swer could not possibly have been given. He neither says he was not the person they inquired atter, but bids them take notice and tell John of what they saw, and make their own conclusion from it. "Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard, how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the dest hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached." It does not, I think, appear, nor is it necessary to suppose, that all these spebies of miracles were performed then, or before their eyes. It is specifically mentioned, that he hered many of plagues and infirmities, cast pated spirits, and restored sight to the blind; is not mentioned for instance, that he then the dead, though that miracle be referred answer. After having wrought, whilst they were present, many and various species of decisive miracles, he was well entitled to demand their credit and assent to others upon his own testimony and assertion. Now from this answer of our Lord's, we are entitled to infer (and this I think is the useful inference to be drawn from it,) that the faith which he required, the ascent which he demanded, was a rational assent and faith founded upon proof and evidence. His exhortation was, "believe me for the very works' sake." He did not bid Philip, upon that occasion, or the disciples of John upon this, believe him, because he was the Son of God, because he came down from heaven, because he was in the Father and the Father in him, because he was with God and from God, because the Father had given unto him the Spirit without measure, because he was inspired in the fullest and largest sense of the word; for all these oharacters and pretensions, though the highest that could belong to any being whatsoever, to a prophet, or to more than a prophet, were nevertheless to be ascertained by facts; when ascertained, they were grounds of the most absolute confidence in his word, of the most implicit and unlimited reliance upon his authority; but they were to be ascertained by facts. To facts, therefore, our Lord appeals; to facts he refers them, and to the demonstration which they afforded of his power and truth; for shutting their eyes against faith, or, more properly speaking, for shutting their hearts and understandings against the proof and conclusion, which facts afforded, he pronounces them liable to condemnation. They were to believe his word, because of his works: that was exactly what he required. "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; and the Father himself who hath sent me, beareth witness of me."* is remarkable that John the Baptist wrought ne • John v. $6. It |