DISCOURSE X.

St. JOHN, CHAP. ii. VER. 23, 24, 25.

"Now WHEN HE WAS AT JERUSA"LEM AT THE PASSOVER, IN THE "FEAST-DAY, MANY BELIEVED

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IN HIS NAME, WHEN THEY SAW 66 THE MIRACLES WHICH HE DID. "BUT JESUS DID NOT COMMIT

HIMSELF UNTO THEM, BECAUSE HE KNEW ALL MEN: AND NEED66 ED NOT THAT ANY SHOULD TESTIFY OF MAN; FOR HE 66 KNEW WHAT WAS IN MAN."

O fooner had the SON OF GOD, with infinite condefcenfion, fubmitted to the baptism of his illustrious Fore-runner, and had thereby been in

augurated,

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augurated, as it were, into his prophetic
office; no fooner had he received the
Testimony of his Father, by a Voice
from Heaven,
"this

declaring, that

"was his BELOVED SON, in whom he "was well pleafed," than he entered upon his Public Miniftry, and, by an unexampled series of figns and wonders, made it abundantly manifeft, that the Arm of Omnipotence was engaged in the fupport of thofe awful interesting truths, which he delivered.

The Evangelift tells us, in the 11th verfe of this chapter, that this "be

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ginning of miracles JESUS did in "Cana of Galilee, and manifefted "forth his Glory, and his difciples be"lieved on him." From whence we may conclude, that the first public miracle which he wrought, was at the marriage in Cana; that the defign of his miracles was to manifeft his Glory, to declare and prove the truth of his Meffiahfhip;

2

Meffiahship, the glorious errand on which he came into this world; and that the accomplishment of this began to appear in the conviction of his difciples who believed on him.

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In order, therefore, to accomplish "the "work which his Heavenly Father had given him to do," he foon afterwards haftened up to Jerufalem, to attend the firft paffover that was celebrated after he had made his public appearance. His defign herein, was doubtless to teftify his veneration for his Father's ordinances; and as at this great folemnity, the whole nation of the Jews were affembled at Jerufalem, it afforded him a glorious opportunity of opening his Heavenly Commiffion, by fome difplay of the powers with which he was invested.

Accordingly, we read, that he no fooner entered into the Temple, and beVOL. II. N held

held one of its facred courts prostituted to bafe and mercenary purposes, than, by an act of zeal, which alarmed and confounded the furrounding multitude, he authoritatively chaftifed and turned out the impious wretches, who were guilty of the prophanation. And when the Jews asked him for fome fign, whereby they might be convinced of his authority to act as he had done, he gave them no other than a parabolical prediction of his future and glorious refurrection from the dead; for he knew they afked from no other motive, than to fatisfy an idle curiofity, and without any defign to accept of his doctrine, even though they might be convinced of the Divinity of his Miffion. That this was really the cafe, we may conclude from the conduct of our BLESSED LORD, mentioned in my text: "Now when "he was at Jerufalem at the paffover, "in the feaft-day, many believed in his name, when when they faw the miracles " which

"which he did. But JESUS did not "commit himself unto them, because "he knew all men, and needed not "that any should teftify of man; for " he knew what was in man.'

In fpeaking from which words, I shall, in the first place, point out the reasons of our SAVIOUR's conduct towards those perfons, of whom it is faid here, that they "believed on his name:" and fecondly, I fhall fhew in what sense they may be applicable to many of those who now live under the Light of the Gospel.

And First, It is faid, that " JESUS "did not commit himself unto them;" that is to say, he did not chufe to trust himself to them, to put himself in their power. He did not chufe to affociate with them, to enroll them in the number of his difciples, to make them his bofom companions; and for this reason,